It's entirely possible that I may be writing lots of fanfic because I am currently bored to death by my life and my job. But hey, isn't that why we all write fanfic? :-P

I've actually been working on this one for a while, and it has nothing to do with "Moonlighting." But Abby's line in Autopsy inspired the title. :-) Takes place sometime in the future.

"Explain to me again why we did not just call McGee so that he could be ready when we got here?" Ziva asked as they pulled up in front of McGee's apartment building.

"Because, Zee-va, every so often I like to get a glimpse of the Probie's life when he doesn't know I'm coming. It's good for him. Keeps him on his toes. And gives me good ammunition," Tony explained. He put the car in park and cut the engine. "C'mon. It'll be fun."

Ziva sighed as she followed him into the building. She really shouldn't encourage him, she supposed. But, fond as she was of McGee, she had to admit that watching Tony make him squirm did have its amusing moments.

"Probie!" Tony hammered on McGee's apartment door. "Open up!"

They heard the dog barking inside, and then the door opened. "What the –" McGee began, but Tony pushed past him and Ziva, with a slightly apologetic smile, followed. "Why…" McGee cleared his throat. "What are you guys doing here?"

"Dead Marine in Georgetown, McGee. We all got called in. Ziva and I are here to pick you up." Tony glanced down to where Ziva had knelt to scratch Jethro behind the ears. "Okay, I came to pick you up. Ziva came to make time with your dog. David! Could you show a little decorum?"

Ziva laughed as the dog rolled over to expose his stomach for more scratching. "Oh, Tony, come on. How can you resist those big brown eyes?"

Tony leaned against the wall. "Been out already, McMorningPerson?" He nodded to McGee's jeans and tennis shoes.

McGee stared at him, as though still trying to process that Tony and Ziva were standing in his apartment. "Uh…yeah. I had to walk Jethro, and we –" he stalled out for a second. "Needed…bread," he finished slowly.

"We?" Tony's eyebrows shot up, and he nudged Ziva with his foot. "Did he just say 'we'?"

Abandoning Jethro and pulling herself to her feet, Ziva matched Tony's raised eyebrows. "You know, Tony, I believe he did." She folded her arms and looked at McGee expectantly.

He sighed resignedly and dropped his head back to stare up at the ceiling as though the answer to his current situation were written there. After a moment, he turned to a plastic grocery bag on the counter. "Give me a minute, I'll get ready," he said, pulling out a carton of orange juice. He raised his voice slightly. "I got your bread," he called over his shoulder towards the bedroom.

Tony and Ziva became aware of the sound of water running in the bathroom, just as it suddenly shut off. They heard a muffled voice through the doorway and glanced at one another. McGee let out another sigh. "Can I get that again without the toothpaste?" he asked, opening the fridge to put away the groceries. "And you might want to make sure you're dressed before you come out here."

They got a ten second warning, because she started talking right before she walked into the room. "Why? Did you suddenly get sh-"

Abby, barefoot, barelegged, wearing one of McGee's button down shirts and apparently in the middle of brushing her teeth, did a double-take and froze the instant she saw Tony and Ziva.

She turned to McGee, her eyes wide. She took a half step back towards the bedroom, stopped, shrugged, buttoned another button on her shirt, and continued into the kitchen, spitting a mouthful of toothpaste into the sink. "I said, did you get my…Thank you!" she said gleefully as McGee placed a Caf-Pow into her waiting hands. She kissed his cheek. "You're the best."

Ziva watched McGee's ears turn red as he tried to hide a smile.

"Tony and Ziva are here," he said, rinsing the toothpaste out of the sink.

Abby gave him a Look. "Yes, Timothy, I see that. You guys want some toast?" she asked, pulling a loaf of bread out of the grocery bag.

Tony and Ziva, with matching carefully blank expressions, shook their heads slowly.

She shrugged. "'kay." She stuck the bread in the toaster and leaned back against the counter. "We get called in?"

Tony opened his mouth, but no sound came out – due mainly to the well-placed elbow Ziva placed in his ribs. "We…came to get McGee," she said. "I'm sure we'll be calling you in a little while." She glanced at McGee, then back to Abby. "I guess we should try you on your cell."

"I'm going to go get my stuff." And with that, McGee escaped gratefully into the bedroom.

Tony and Ziva looked at Abby. Abby looked at Tony and Ziva. She smiled.

The toast popped up in the silence, and Abby dropped the two pieces on a plate. "You guys sure you don't want any?" she asked again, pulling a jar of peanut butter out of the cabinet.

Tony cleared his throat, and caught Ziva's elbow before it connected with his ribs again. "We're kind of wondering what you're doing here, Abs."

Abby took a bite of toast. "Sometimes I sleep here," she said, her mouth full.

"I…see," Ziva said carefully. "And…how long have you sometimes been sleeping here?"

Abby thought a minute. "A few months. Tony, you can stop staring at my legs any time now."

Ziva glanced over and realized that her second sentence hadn't penetrated to Tony's brain. She rolled her eyes and snapped her fingers in front of his glazed expression, and he blinked. "Wha? Oh. Months? What exactly is going on between you two?"

Abby's smile was dangerously sweet. "That's classified."

McGee came out of his bedroom carrying his gear. "We can go now," he told Tony and Ziva. "I'll see you at work?" he asked Abby.

She nodded and swallowed another mouthful of toast. "I'll take Jethro for a walk while I'm waiting for the call."

"Sounds good." He reached down and scratched the dog behind the ears and then nodded towards the door. "Anytime, guys."

Still shooting confused glances back towards Abby, Ziva and Tony made their way out into the hall. McGee followed them. "Not so fast," came Abby's voice from back in the apartment, and she grabbed his arm and pulled him back inside, shutting the door behind him.

When he came back out into the hallway a couple minutes later, McGee was smiling. "Let's go see that dead Marine," he told them as he headed down the hall.

They made it to the elevator before Tony's curiosity got the better of him. "What is going on with you two?" he asked, his voice a mixture of irritation and bewilderment.

McGee's smile got a little broader.

"That's classified," he said.

FIN