Title: Up in the Air
Rating: K+
Pairing: McAbby
Category: het
Genre: romance, fluff
Disclaimer: NCIS and all of its characters, etc., belongs to their rightful owners. This story is for entertainment only and no money is being made.
Summary: Tim is taking Abby on a romantic ride up in the air.

Written as an NFA Hangman prize for Tamara, who requested some McAbby fluff

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"Come on, Timmy!" Abby begged while she fought the urge to remove the blindfold Tim had tied around her eyes. She had tried to sneak a peek a few times, but Tim had caught her every time and in the end he'd threatened her to tie her hands together if she didn't leave the blindfold alone. Not that she didn't mind having her hands tied, but now wasn't exactly the time. Well, not for that anyway.

"I'm not going to tell you, Abs", Tim said with a teasing tone in his voice, "and you better not touch the blindfold again."

"I wasn't going to", Abby huffed, "but why can't you tell me where we're going?"

"I told you, it's a surprise. Trust me, you're going to like it."

"But..."

"Stop nagging, Abby. We're there, and don't touch the blindfold until I say so."

Abby felt Tim make a right turn and a short moment later he stopped the car. She heard him turn off the engine and get out to walk around the car and open the door for her. He took her hand and helped her out, and then he gently but firmly put her hand on his arm and led her away from the car. She could feel that they were walking on gravel at first, heard the crunching of pebbles underneath their shoes, but then the sound suddenly got muffled and Abby realized that they were now walking on grass.

"We're in a field?" she asked.

"Maybe."

"Maybe? McGee!"

"You'll find out soon, Abby."

"I hate you."

"No, you don't."

"Yes, I do! Please, Timmy! I want to know."

"Soon."

"That's what you said half an hour ago!"

"It's even more true now. Just two minutes more, Abby. I promise."

Abby almost growled with frustration but decided to give in and play along. She guessed she could wait two more minutes. Suddenly she heard a strange noise, like the sound of a blowtorch, only louder, and the noise grew stronger and stronger by the second so she knew they were getting closer. Above the noise she heard people shouting to each other, but she couldn't make what out what they said.

"What's that sound McGee?" she asked and wished more than ever that she could just rip the blindfold off.

"That's your surprise", Tim said.

"Oh, let me see what it is, Timmy! Please?"

"Go ahead."

Abby didn't waist anytime and pulled the blindfold down from her eyes. She gasped when she saw what they were walking towards and turned to Tim with a big grin on her face.

"An hot air balloon? You're taking me up in an hot air balloon?"

"Yeah."

Abby squealed with delight and gave Tim a bone crushing hug. "You're the best, McGee!" she said. "I've always wanted to ride one of those, and that one is perfect!"

"So you like your surprise, then?"

"I love it! I love you, too."

"See. I told you you didn't hate me."

Abby punched Tim on the arm and took some satisfaction from the wince of pain she got from him. It served him right from having made her wear the blindfold for so long.

An elderly man with snow white hair noticed them then and came towards them with a friendly smile on his face.

"Mr. McGee", he said and offered his hand to first Tim and then to Abby. "Ma'am. Are you ready to sore to the sky?"

"I think we are, Mr. Johns", Tim replied and smiled at Abby. "What do you say, Abs?"

"I was born ready for this, Tim."

Mr. Johns laughed at Abby's enthusiasm and lead them over to the balloon, which was dark gray with white silhouettes shaped like bats scattered over it. When Tim had heard that Mr. Johns had a balloon like that he couldn't resist booking it since he knew that Abby would love it, and she hadn't proved him wrong.

They climbed aboard to balloon together with Mr. Johns, and a few moments later the they slowly rose to the sky. Tim put his arm around Abby's shoulder and looked over the railing of the basket to watch the people still on the ground getting smaller and smaller by the second. After a while they looked up at the view and it was absolutely breathtaking. Tim had chosen for them to go on the balloon ride at sunset and in that moment the entire western sky was afire, the setting sun painting it in different shades of gold and purple. Mr. Johns had turned off the burners so it was absolutely still and silent and it almost felt like they were in another world as they silently floated through the air.

"This is beautiful, Tim", Abby said and leaned back against Tim's chest. "Thank you."

"You're welcome", Tim mumbled and gave Abby a light kiss on her temple.

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

After a time that felt way too short for both of them, Tim and Abby were brought back to the ground. They thanked Mr. Johns for the unforgettable experience and then they walked back to the car to go home.

"I would like to do that again sometime", Abby said dreamily as Tim pulled out of the parking lot. "It was almost magical. Don't you think so too, Timmy?"

"Yeah", Tim replied with a smile. "It was."

"Do you think we could go on a longer ride next time, and maybe have a picnic basked with us?"

"Yeah, I guess could. It shouldn't be too hard to arrange."

"But it must be the same balloon as the one we rode in today. It wouldn't be the same, otherwise."

"I'll see what I can do."

"You have to promise me, Timmy."

"Fine. I promise we'll ride in the bat balloon next time, too."

"Good."

A warm smile appeared then on Abby's face and she reached over to take Tim's hand.

"I'll never forget this night, Tim", she said. "I'll treasure it forever."

"Me too, Abby", Tim said and gave Abby's hand a light squeeze. "Me too."

The End