5A/N: Okay, my first try at FanFiction. Since I started reading these a few months ago, I've had an idea swirling in my head based on Little Big Town's "Stay" (acoustic), so I finally decided to sit down and try this out. I like it, so I'm happy :) Any mistakes are my own.
Spoiler: *Slight* mention from The Immortals (season 1)
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of NCIS, the song "Stay" by Little Big Town, or even much of anything of real value. What do you expect – I have too many student loans to pay off!
Curling up on her side, facing away from the person in bed beside her, she floated her way into a deeper sleep. As her body relaxed away the stresses of the day and the five Caf-Pows! she had consumed, she began to dream…
"This just isn't going to work, Abs,"he said, turning from the computer as his search continued to run.
Abby looked up from Major Mass Spec, confusion clouding her luminescent green eyes. "What do you mean, Timmy? Did we not put enough information in for the search parameters?"
"No…that's n-not what I meant," Tim stammered, letting out a sigh. "I th-think we should stop seeing each other."
Abby's mouth dropped. "Tim! What brought this thought to your consciousness?"
Tim sheepishly replied, "Rule 12."
Abby's mouth formed a little 'oh'. "But – but no one knows we're not strictly adhering to the Rule Numero 12 guidelines."
Tim sighed again. "Abs, I've just found myself assigned to the best team at NCIS. I don't want to mess this up and find myself back in Norfolk because I couldn't keep away from one of my co-workers…my boss's favorite, at that."
It was all she could do to not say something more as McGee stood up and walked out of the lab…
Abby woke with a start. She quickly turned over and looked at the peacefully sleeping Timothy McGee. As she thought through the dream, tears began to roll down her face.
How can I bear to wake up and you're not there
What will I do when I turn and reach for you
I'll lay my tears on the windowsill
I'll only cry till I get over you
But how long will it take me
Won't you save me…
Tim stirred, opening his eyes to a silently weeping Abby. "Abs? What's wrong?"
"Oh, Timmy," Abby whispered, unable to tell him exactly what had upset her. "Can you stay here tonight with me?"
"Of course, Abs," Tim tenderly replied, drawing the beautiful forensic scientist into his arms. "Just hold on to me, and everything will work out okay."
Abby quietly wrapped her arms around him, letting his calming presence and soothing whispers draw her back into sleep.
…and stay
Just a little bit longer
Till I'm a little bit stronger to take all this
Stay
Just a little more time
Till I can find a way
Please stay
"Hey, Abs? Can we talk?" Tim asked as they were curled up at his place, watching a movie.
"Sure, Timmy! What's up?" Abby inquired, not looking away from the movie.
Tim sighed, pausing the movie. "Hey!" Abby protested, turning to face Tim. "We can't talk and watch the movie?"
"Abs…this is important. I think we need to go back to just being friends and co-workers," Tim said sadly.
Abby's mouth opened in surprise, her eyes filled with unshed tears. "What…why?" she stammered, one lone tear escaping to slide down her cheek.
Tim reached out and gently brushed the tear away. "Abs – I know you don't feel the same way about me as I feel about you. I also know that Gibbs would head slap me from here to FLETC and back if he knew that you and I have been dating all these months since I first met you after meeting the team in Norfolk. I just don't know that I can continue going on in the hopes that one day, everything will fall in place and you'll find yourself as much in love with me as I'm in love with you," Tim quietly explained, letting out a deep breath.
"Timmy…" Abby whispered, looking into his glistening green eyes. "I do love you; I'm just not your typical settle down and have lots of little Mc-lets type of girl."
"I know, Abs," he sadly replied, giving her a small smile.
"Tim…can I just stay here tonight?" Before he could protest, another tear fell from her eyes and she said, "I promise, tomorrow we'll go back to being Abby and McGee, crack forensic and computer experts for Team Gibbs. Tonight, can we just be Abs and Timmy, two friends that became a little more involved than they should have?"
"Sure, Abs," Tim agreed, pulling her into his arms and quietly letting the night pass by.
Will I ever smile again
When losing love takes my best friend
To wonder where, wonder how
Wonder what you're doing
One more night just before you break me
Hold me safely
Stay
Just a little bit longer
Till I'm a little bit stronger to take all this
Stay
Just a little more time
Till I can find a way
Please stay
Two months later…
Abby sits in her apartment, looking at a picture she had saved from one of Tony's memory cards and printed out. He'd captured the look of intense concentration on McGee's face that appeared whenever he was completely focused on the task at hand, whether that be running a records search or slowly driving Abby crazy as he loved her, back when…Abby turned the picture face down beside her and stood up, walking into the kitchen for a glass of water.
As the tap ran, Abby thought back to what she overheard Tony and Kate talking about earlier in the day…
"He seems to be falling in love with her, Tony," Kate commented.
"Yeah, there's something different about McGoo recently," Tony agreed, walking into the lab with a box of evidence. "Hey, Abs!" he called through the quiet lab, noticing the lack of music that just screamed throughout the room on any other day.
"Hey, Tony, Kate," Abby greeted, coming in from her desk. "Whatcha got for me?
"Oh, the usual – blood, cigarette butts, clothing…you name it, it's here," Kate summarized, sharing a quick look of concern with Tony.
"Thanks, guys, I'll get started right away," Abby stated, head already down and looking through the box.
As Tony and Kate left the lab, Abby bit her lip as tears threatened to slide down her cheek. "Well, I guess Timmy has moved on to someone new," she thought to herself. She then started giving herself a lecture. "Snap out of it, Scuito! This evidence is not going to process itself!"
So I'll be a big girl and close my eyes
As you walk away don't say good-bye
God save me
As Abby sipped at her glass of water, a tapping knock sounded at her door. "Coming!" she called, placing her half-full glass beside the sink and walking to the door. After turning the locks, she pulled the door open and exclaimed, "Tim! What are you doing here? Is everything okay?"
Tim smiled that shy curving of his lips when he was extremely nervous. "Everything's fine, Abby. Er – can I come in?"
Abby silently shifted out of the doorway and allowed Tim to pass through. As he shuffled to the living room and sat on the couch, Abby quietly followed, settling on to the couch opposite him.
"So, Abby – how has it been?" Tim awkwardly asked, looking at his hands clenched in his lap.
"Oh, you know – been running the forensics on all the great stuff you all bring back from the crime scenes, listening to Brain Matter and taking care of my babies," Abby responded, twirling one of her pigtails.
Tim frowned, remembering how Kate had quietly mentioned to Gibbs that when they dropped off the evidence for analysis, Abby didn't have any music playing in her lab. "Oh, well…um, that's good," he stuttered, trying to keep himself from pulling Abby to him. How he had missed spending evenings with Abby, watching movies and playing MMORPGs as they enjoyed each other's company.
The two sat in silence until Abby questioned, "So, McGee…what brings you here tonight?"
"Well, um…uh, I guess I just…" Tim stammered, his face turning bright red.
"Timmy," Abby said, reaching over to clasp one of his hands in hers. "You can say anything to me without being nervous. Is it about this girl you're falling in love with?"
Tim jaw's dropped. "You know – but how – I just figured…"
Abby interrupted him by putting a finger across his lips. "I heard Kate and Tony talking about it earlier. C'mon, spill – what's she like?"
"Well, um…she's super smart, really enjoys listening to music, plays MMORPGs, drinks caffeine like it's going out of style, has a great sense of humor, gorgeous smile and wonderfully expressive eyes, " Tim rattled off, seeing Abby trying to look happy for him, but failing miserably.
"That's – that's great, Tim," Abby replied. "How did you two meet?"
"Well," Tim started as he watched Abby stare at her hands in her lap, unable to look him in the eye. "We kinda work together."
Abby's head snapped up. "Wh-what?" she choked out, mouth dropping as she looked at a smiling Timothy McGee.
"Abs – I know I said that we needed to go back to just being friends and co-workers, and I tried, I really did," Tim hurriedly said. "But it's been so hard to completely forget how important you are to me, and we haven't really spent time together like we used to before the last couple of months."
Abby grasped Tim's hand in hers, stilling its nervous fidgeting. "Timmy? What are you trying to say?"
Tim looked into her soulful eyes, and the words poured from his heart. "I don't care if you never feel the same way about me as I feel about you. All that matters to me is the chance to spend every day with my best friend, doing all the things we enjoy together. I don't want to go back to the lonely existence I've been living these past few months – I want to enjoy every moment I can have with you."
Abby launched herself across the couch and into Tim's arms, wrapping him into the largest Abby-hug she could give him. "Oh, Timmy, I've missed you too! I don't know if…" she stopped when Tim's hand cupped over her mouth, muffling her words.
"It's okay, " Tim reassured her. "We'll just enjoy each moment we have together."
They sat curled up together for a while, soaking in the feel of each other's warmth and presence, until Abby untangled herself from Tim's arms, standing up before clasping his hand and pulling him with her into her bedroom.
A few hours later, as Tim lay sleeping in her bed, Abby curled up on her side beside him, watching him breathe in and out softly. Her heart swelled as she watched the peacefulness sweep across his features, and thought to herself, "Someday, Timmy, I just may be able to tell you I love you. I think that day may come someday."
Please won't you
Stay
Just a little bit longer
Till I'm a little bit stronger to take all this
Stay
Just a little more time
Till I can find a way
Please stay
*End*