I've seen your flag on the marble arch
But love is not a victory march
It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah

"Abby!"

Tim answered the door with surprise and Abby grinned at him before pushing eagerly past him.

"Well I had figured the man who could seduce a confession might be dressed a little sexier than t-shirt and sweats McGee"

Tim rolled his eyes before frowning at her as Abby sat down in his comfortable and only recently vacated chair.

"What do you want Abby?" Tim stood tall and firm prepared to boot her out of his apartment if she gave him any trouble.

"Well I must say this whole Alpha male thing seems to suit you Timmy. I heard all about it this afternoon, it got everyone at headquarters talking and I wanted to see how you were going. I didn't know if you were going to be freaked out about it or not. But it appears it has actually cheered you up as you haven't been this annoying in weeks."

Abby grinned cheerfully at Tim from his chair and he couldn't help smiling back at her. She was a force of nature and it was difficult to be cross with her.

"Now shoo go get some decent clothes on. We are going to go out of this apartment and get some dinner and see a movie. I know for a fact you have been spending too many hours moping around staring at nothing for your own good."

Tim took in a deep breath ready to refuse and then he expelled it in a huff. Why not? It's not like he had any plans. He turned and padded towards his bedroom silently in his socks already considering what he should wear. He should probably have a shower first if they were going to dinner as well. And a shave.

Abby waived him enthusiastically towards his bedroom while calling up the cinema search on his computer to check the movie screening times.

Sometime later Tim popped his head around the door while he quickly dried his hair with a towel.

"Any luck?" he called

Abby looked thoughtful "There are a couple of options. It depends on how long it takes us to eat so you better hurry up McGee and get some clothes on….."

Tim's head promptly disappeared back into his room as he considered the horror of Abby stomping in there and selecting clothes for him to wear herself.

There was a soft hesitant knock on the door.

"I'll get it" Abby called out and went to answer it.

well your faith was strong but you needed proof
you saw her bathing on the roof

her beauty and the moonlight overthrew you
she tied you to her kitchen chair
she broke your throne and she cut your hair
and from your lips she drew the hallelujah

"Tony! Oh this is perfect timing! You can come to the movies with me and McGee. We will need someone to split the vote anyway. Come in, come in"

Tony looked briefly devastated before hiding it behind one of his practiced DiNozzo smiles.

"Uh Hi Abby"

Abby hustled Tony in who looked more than surprised at Abby being the one to answer the door. At that moment Tim walked out of his room wearing his expensive blue jeans, funky collared shirt and navy jacket with his hair freshly washed and dried.

"Oh. Hi Tony" Tim stopped as he saw Tony standing in his living room and Tony felt nervous. All the wind had been sucked out of his sails and he found himself staring at McGee and trying to remember all the things he had been going to say to him just moments ago.

And even though
It all went wrong
I'll stand before the Lord of Song
With nothing on my tongue but Hallelujah

Tim genuinely smiled at his partner. So Tony had realized he had been a bit freaked out after watching him in Interrogation and he had come over to talk to him about it? Maybe apologize for all the staring this afternoon? Perhaps he was here to just make sure he was ok? Either way Tim felt his heart lift a little. Perhaps Tony did want to be good friends and not just partners. Maybe Tony just wasn't very good at it and didn't know how to bring the barriers down?

Tim extended the palm frond.

"Would you like to come to the movies with us Tony? We were thinking about dinner before hand as well but if you have plans….?" Tim trailed off considering that perhaps Tony had a date later.

Tony suddenly came to life "Oh no I don't have plans. That would be great actually. I was going to suggest something similar actually. That's why I'm here. You know check out how Casanova here was doing."

And with a grin at Abby the old Tony was suddenly back and Tim laughed as he gathered up his keys and wallet.

"You know what? I think I'm really getting the hang of this undercover stuff. Now I know you're going to tease me about being gay and how it's ok to be a guy who likes guys so feel free to get it all out of your system tonight. Go nuts. But after tonight I don't want to hear another word about it. Ok Tony?"

Tony opened his mouth and then a look Tim didn't recognize crossed his face.

"No I won't tease you about it Tim. Not tonight. You did good in there"

Tony was earnest and his voice was quiet.

Tim stopped short and looked at Tony with a puzzled look on his face.

"Really? I though you were..you know a bit freaked out by it. Me touching a guy..you know? You kept staring at me all afternoon like I had grown another head or something."

Tony smiled and shook his head " No just surprised that's all. You were …you were really good at it."

Tim grinned as he locked the door behind them.

"You know it was you I was thinking of when I was in there. I was trying to think of the most confident, sexy moves I could to convince Commander Danforth that I was gay as well. Convince him that I understood where he was at so he would trust me. In the end I kept thinking about your body language when you're trying to pick up and how you use your eyes and lower your voice. That teasing smile you have ……"

Tim rambled on as internally Tony reeled as he considered Tim using him as his model of seduction.

Tim turned to Tony confidently with a smirk and slung his arm across his shoulders as Abby skipped ahead of them down the pavement.

"You know I could teach you how to seduce a man if you like Tony? It would appear that I'm quite good at it. Then you could be the Probie for a change."

Tim nodded to himself grinning as if imparting a great secret to Tony.

And suddenly Tony laughed. He threw back his head and laughed as he put his own arm across Tim's shoulders.

Tim frowned at him and reaching across with his other arm poked him in the ribs.

"Hey don't laugh at me"

Tony smiled and wiped his eyes as they staggered companionably down the sidewalk.

"Oh I'm not laughing at you McGee. I'm laughing at me."

"Huh?" Tim turned his puzzled sweet face back to Tony and it was all Tony could do not to kiss him there and then on the street.

Tony smiled across at McGee and poked him back in his soft stomach. Hard.

"Hey!" Tim objected and a small friendly wrestling match broke out between them as Tim tried to slap Tony's hands away.

"Come on you two! Hurry up or we will never make any of the sessions" Abby whined impatiently in front of them stamping her foot. Tim danced away from Tony and laughing caught up with Abby before pulling the movie session print out from her pocket.

Tony shook his head at himself as he trailed behind them and considered all he had learned about Timothy McGee in the last few weeks. Hell the last six hours had shaken him to his core. Perhaps McGee might not be the person he thought he was? He definitely wasn't the same shy Probie from five years ago anymore. He was a lot more than that.

Tim glanced over his shoulder and smiled, his eyes twinkling and Tony felt hope flare bright and painful in his chest. Yes things had changed. And perhaps one day there might be more between them than friendship.

And for now that would have to be enough.

Tony looked up from his bittersweet thoughts and smiled as he watched Abby and Tim arguing over what to see.

"Guys wait up! You know that I'm going to be the one to pick the movie"

it's not a cry that you hear at night
it's not somebody who's seen the light
it's a cold and it's a broken hallelujah

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(Ahhh bittersweet. Thanks for reading. I don't know what else to say. This chapter changed directions so many times. Precious)