It was the most obnoxious sound he had ever heard and it was getting louder. It was pulling him from his realm of unconsciousness, until he finally reached the brink. And as he fumbled, repeatedly smacking anything that was in the general direction, he seriously considered grabbing his weapon and just shooting the damn thing. Timothy McGee hated alarm clocks.

She shifted against his shoulder, nuzzled herself closer to him and he couldn't help but be thankful for her welcomed warmth. This was how he liked to wake up. Snuggled under his warm comforter, entangled with Abby as she rested her head against his heart. His eyes hurt to be open, but he looked down at her sleeping form and smiled. He didn't want to wake her. He didn't want to be awake, himself, but he knew that facing the day was inevitable. He knew that he'd be reamed by Gibbs when he arrived at the office, but he also knew he'd be shot by Gibbs if he told him he was taking the day to stay in bed with Abby. The former seemed far less painful and so he went about the difficult task of waking her.

His voice was soothing. He was whispering her name. She felt his hard t-shirt clad chest beneath her head. Her legs were intertwined with his. His fingers were lightly rubbing her arm. She adored the warmth of his body and she couldn't remember the last time she'd felt this comfortable. She didn't want to move.

"Five more minutes," she mumbled against him, as she draped her arm across his stomach. She hadn't even bothered opening her eyes.

"Abby, I already let you have five more minutes. Now come on, we've gotta get ready," he said, attempting to be stern.

"McGee, come on I barely slept." she said drowsily. The eyes were still not open.

He hated having to wake her, especially because she was right; she barely slept. After the night that she'd had, she deserved to sleep and he knew it. It seemed somewhat ironic, that after he'd spent hours trying to get her to sleep, shortly after she finally did he was trying to take that needed rest away from her.

"I know," he said quietly, still rubbing her arm. "But Gibbs will kill us both if we're late."

"Won't kill me. I'm his favorite," she mumbled.

McGee rolled his eyes, knowing that she was right. She was clearly the favorite out of all of them. Abby was like the youngest daughter; a princess who could do no wrong in the eyes of her father. And it was Gibbs and Abby's father/daughter type relationship that had always made Tim slightly afraid of the older man. He didn't fear him as a boss, but as a father. When Tim and Abby were together, Gibbs always managed to remind him of the type of dad who'd put the fear of God in any man who dared date his daughter. He'd be the type who would casually polish his gun while making polite chitchat about the weather. Gibbs would be as a father, just as he was an investigator: one of the scariest SOB's to walk the face of the earth.

"Yeah, but I'm not and I rather not have my life end today."

Abby knew that he was probably right, but she was determined to get just five more minutes. Lying in Tim's arms was one of the few good things that she had going for her and it made her feel safe. Snuggling under his blankets, entangled with him in the early hours of the morning was the perfect distraction from the mess that her life had become. She could drift off and listen to nothing but the sound of his heart beating in time with her own. When she was in Tim's arms there was no Mikel Mawher. There was no threat. There was no danger. There was only her and McGee. And that was exactly how she liked it. Without warning, she launched her upper body onto his chest, fully preventing him from getting up. She engulfed him in a hug; similar to the one she'd given him after her nightmare.

McGee rolled his eyes. She wasn't letting up. He'd felt bad enough about having to wake her, and he would always put her feelings above his own but after thinking about Gibbs casually polishing his gun, his feelings encompassed a large amount of terror. He silently relented to her request of five more minutes and delicately rubbed her back. His brow furrowed when he felt something unexpected beneath the fabric of her shirt. His hand settled on the spot, and he ran his fingers back and forth over it gently, as he questioned her.

"Abs, are you wearing a…"

Abby sat up and cut him off before he could finish his question. Her eyes were wide with shock. He was slightly confused at her reaction to his curiosity, but at least she was up.

"McGee! Talk about keeping your hands to yourself!" she uttered.

"What?" he asked bemused that this was the same woman whose eyes had sparkled with the thought of being tied up less than twelve hours prior. He continued.

"I happen to know for a fact, that you cannot sleep in a bra."

"I most certainly can too!" Abby responded. She was enjoying this little game.

"Did you or did you not once say, after taking it off, 'free at last, free at last, thank God almighty, they're free at last'?"

"Totally taken out of context McGee." He smiled at her statement, knowing that round one was going to him. But Abby would not be defeated so easily. She narrowed her eyes seductively and leaned in. When she was just mere inches from his face, she spoke in a whisper.

"I wouldn't be questioning one's bed time apparel, Agent McGee," she said, sexily as she ran her hand across his thigh.

"Hey! Excuse me! Now who's not keeping their hands to themselves?" he questioned, grabbing her hand before it reached a certain part of his anatomy. They were late enough already.

Her eyes reverted from seductive to sparkling, but McGee knew if he kissed her, Gibbs would kill him. Somehow Gibbs would know, and he would kill him.

"You're wearing sweatpants McGee," Abby laughed.

"So?"

"So…you never wear sweat pants to bed. Always boxers," she explained as she leaned back against the pillows on her side of the bed. The eyes switched to seductive for a second as she added, "Well, not always. Sometimes you wear noth.."

He put his hand up, alerting her not to go there and cut her off.

"Abby, I'm fine in sweatpants." He responded.

"Fine, if you want to roast your McNuggets, it's on you." She replied.

"Abby! My Mc…my…I'm perfectly comfortable! And did you happen to think that maybe the reason you couldn't get comfortable last night had something to do with your bra?"

"Yeah, that was it McGee. Had nothing to do with my crazy ex-boyfriend stalking me, attacking me and trying to kill me. It was the bra." She responded sarcastically.

Even McGee had to admit that it was one of the stupidest things he'd come up with, but he didn't have the chance to respond. Abby read the look on his face and quickly remedied the situation with a kiss. He knew it was a bad idea, but he kissed her back anyway. And as if on cue, his cell phone rang.

His eyes shot open, knowing that it had to be Gibbs. It was bad enough that they were going to be late, but Gibbs' fatherly spidey sense had been triggered the moment that Abby had brushed her lips with his.

"A-agent McGee," he sputtered off into the phone. It seemed like years since he'd stuttered out of fear from Gibbs.

"Good morning sunshine, did you have a pleasant sleep?" the voice on the other end answered. Thankfully, it wasn't Gibbs and as much of a jerk Agent Davis could be, McGee was still extremely thankful to hear his voice.

"Davis." He sighed out of relief.

"It's oh six forty five McGee, where the hell are you and Scuito? I missed my anniversary to sit outside your apartment for nothing, and I'm due at headquarters at oh eight hundred. I'd like to see my wife before she decides to divorce me."

McGee had propelled himself upwards so fast at the sound of Davis' words that he practically knocked Abby over. Six forty five? When had that happened? How had that happened? How many five more minutes had he granted her and how long was that kiss?

"Crap, I didn't realize it was that late," he began and Davis cut him off with a sarcastic response.

"Ever heard of an alarm clock?"

McGee was out of his bed, and grabbing clothes from the closet. He was thankful enough, that being of the male gender, he had the ability to get dressed and ready in mere minutes. Unlike Davis, McGee and Abby reported in at seven thirty, which gave him only forty five minutes to get dressed and get them both there.

"The outside of the building is secure right, no sign of him?" McGee asked the grumpy, sleep-deprived agent.

"As it has been since we got here." Came the curt response.

"Okay, then, consider yourselves off-duty. Go see your wife." McGee stated, sounding like he was in control. Technically, he was the agent in charge of Abby's protection detail and he wanted at least some respect from the other agents. What he got, was a clicking sound, as Davis hung up on him without saying another word.

"Jackass," McGee muttered and turned back towards his bed, which was now empty. He looked quickly to see that his bathroom door was closed, and Abby's bag was gone. He said a silent prayer that she wouldn't be in there long, and began to get dressed. He'd barely finished tying his tie, before she emerged completely dressed and ready to go.

She never ceased to amaze him. She could be as stubborn as a bull, and then like the flick of a switch, she'd change her mind. He'd tried as hard as he could to get her to get out of bed, and now she was standing before him, impatiently tapping her foot. He smiled and walked over to her, wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her towards him.

"I love you," he whispered and kissed her deeply. At that moment, he didn't care if Gibbs caught him or not. All that mattered was Abby.

She broke the kiss, and pointed towards the bathroom. "Go. Come on, if you hurry, we'll be on time."

McGee headed into the bathroom and was done in a matter of five minutes. He emerged, with a smile on his face. He made his way to his way out of his bedroom and leaned on the doorframe, admiring the sight of Abby, playing computer games. He'd been gone only five minutes but he was sure she'd already made more progress on that game in five minutes than he'd made in five hours. She was persistent, he had to give her that much. She turned to see him, casually admiring her and she turned off the computer.

"McGee! What are you standing around for, come on let's go!" she stated impatiently, as she rushed over and grabbed his hand.

"Forgetting anything, Abs?" he asked, smirking, as she pulled him towards the doorway.

"Nope," she responded.

"You sure?" he asked again.

"Yep." She replied.

"Absolutely positive?" he asked.

"One hundred percent, now are we going or what?" she asked.

"Toothbrush is in the bathroom, Abby," he said.

Abby thought of the toothbrush and all of the trouble it had started, and all the wonderful things that had come out of that trouble. She smiled.

"Leave it."

AN: I hope you all enjoyed it! Thanks for all the wonderful reviews...now if only I can finish A Dime A Dozen, I'll be golden!