Author's note: I was watching the episode 'Caged' tonight, and this occurred to me. Hope you like it! F.

Disclaimer: I don't own any characters etc etc.

Abby chatted to Tony and Ziva as she went to write a note for Tim. She was a little annoyed that they'd missed their lunch date. It wasn't like it was a date date, but still. She liked spending time with Tim. He was a good friend. But he'd had to go out to the prison to question Celia Roberts about the dead Lieutenant they'd found yesterday. She'd borrowed a game off him that she meant to return to him at lunch, but now she didn't know whether she'd get to see him at all today. Who knew how long he'd be stuck in that hellhole for? If she didn't leave the game at his desk, she'd probably forget about it.

She was distracted from her note by Tony's antics, distorting Tim's id photo. She couldn't help but laugh. The urge was quickly killed when Gibbs informed the team of their next destination. Maryland State Prison for Women.

She paled as the significance of that hit her. Tim was there! What could have happened? She tried getting information out of Gibbs, but all she got was a promise to call her. She watched as the team disappeared towards the elevator, all jokes aside. Suddenly writing him a note about some stupid computer game didn't seem important anymore.

Sighing, she dragged herself down to the lab. She could busy herself rerunning the evidence from Poletto's body while she waited for news.

...

The problem with rerunning evidence was that she was too good at her job, she decided. It gave her hands something to do, but so much of this stuff came naturally these days; she didn't have to think too hard about what she was doing. Which left her brain a lot of 'down time'. Normally she welcomed the time to think, but not today. Time to think meant time to fret. She paced restlessly as her computers crunched the information she'd given them. She needed to know what was going on! What had happened to put Tim in danger? Why hadn't Gibbs called? Was he ok? Would he get back in one piece? Prisons were dangerous places by their very nature; you put a whole bunch of criminals in a small area, you got danger.

Suddenly she couldn't stand it any longer. She grabbed her cell and called Tony, shifting impatiently from foot to foot as it rang. And rang. And rang. He wasn't picking up. That made her worry even more. What could be going on that would get McGee in so much trouble, and cause tony not to answer his cell as well? Tony always answered his phone, at least since he stopped doing all that undercover work. Gibbs wasn't answering either. Her mind raced through the possibilities. Surely he wasn't dead? He couldn't be, Gibbs would have told her, the same way he told her when Kate was killed.

Tears sprung to her eyes at the thought. Tim, dead? Never being able to share their little techie jokes that no one else understood, computers, Caf-Pows, again? Never seeing that big grin when she made some offhand comment that meant she'd just made his day? She felt frozen inside at the idea. No. She wouldn't let herself think that. Gibbs would have called her, she was sure of it. But then, it had taken hours for Gibbs to call her when Kate was killed too; he'd been too busy trying to catch Ari. What if it was the same thing again this time? What if he hadn't called because he was interrogating Tim's killer?

She was driving herself crazy with this. She picked up her cell phone again and called Ziva. Maybe she'd answer.

Ziva's opening words "McGee is fine" made her feel like a weight had lifted off her chest. She felt almost giddy with relief; at least until she heard what he was doing. He was putting himself in so much danger! Part of her knew that McGee could take care of himself; he was a highly trained federal agent after all, and no one lasted long on Gibbs' team if they were weak. But part of her insisted that this shouldn't be happening to him, of all people. It should be Tony or Ziva or Gibbs in there. Gibbs had sent him out there to test him, and now he felt like he had to prove himself or something. He didn't realise that he didn't have anything to prove to them.

...

It was times like this that she hated her job. Her friends, her family, went out every day and risked their lives while she was stuck back here trying to figure out the facts so they didn't get killed. She'd said as much to Tony and Ziva when they brought her this latest batch of evidence. Tony's reply about never seeing them at all had merit, but still. This was the first time since she'd met him that she'd been this worried about Tim. He'd never gotten into crazy situations like this before; he wasn't Tony, handcuffing himself to a murderer, or Ziva, getting set up by Mossad assassins for crying out loud! This was McGee, her Timmy, her best friend. Volunteering to be a hostage for a bunch of crazy criminals wasn't like him at all.

Or was it? Her hands slowed as she processed the thought. It wasn't like the Timothy McGee she'd first met, that was for sure. But a lot of years had passed since then; he'd changed a lot, grown up. He wasn't the nervous, self doubting green kid that he'd been then, though he still had his moments. Which personally she found endearing. He was a lot stronger, more confident these days. Tougher, somehow, which was ok by her. The nervousness may be endearing, but the toughness was totally hot.

She shook her head, dispelling the stray thought. She had to figure out this evidence and get Timmy back home, alive and unharmed. Get Timmy back. Focus on that Abs, she told herself.

...

She kept glancing out her lab windows as she worked. The deadline- sundown- was fast approaching. She knew Tim had the information she'd found, Gibbs had given him the laptop. What had they missed? Why wasn't he home yet?

A thought occurred to her. Picking up the phone, she called the prison and demanded to see the urinalysis records. Inwardly she cringed as the convinced the prison officials that she was Gibbs' boss. Surely he'd understand? She was trying to save Tim's life here! She knew that if the warden's men tried to storm the visitors centre, he'd be the first one that the prisoners would take their anger out on. The cold, frozen feeling returned at that thought, forcing her to dig further for answers.

...

News of Tim's release hit her hard. Her knees gave out at first, and she had to sit down to stop her head spinning. He was really safe! She knew he'd be coming back to the Yard instead of going home; he had a report to write, and he was nothing if not conscientious. Once she could stand again, she headed for the elevators. She'd wait for him upstairs.

Impatience was driving her crazy as she watched the elevator for his arrival. She wanted to see him, make sure for herself that he was definitely ok. Finally the elevator dinged and there they were. She ignored the rest of the team; she only had eyes for Tim. She rushed to him, hugging him tightly as she welcomed him home. The interruption of his cell phone irked her, though she took great pleasure in listening to his thinly veiled threat to the mechanic who was clearly trying to rip him off.

"Looks like your time in the Big House changed you; I like it!" she informed him after he hung up. The toughness really was totally hot. She was rewarded with a grin, her favourite grin. She was only partially telling the truth though; she really did like the older version of McGee, even more than she'd liked him when they'd first met. And she'd really liked the younger version.

She perched herself on the edge of Gibbs' desk, watching him as he started compiling his report. She knew she should go and let him work, but something kept her there. She didn't really want to let him out of her sight, not just yet. Not after today.

She found her thoughts wandering back 6 years ago. She knew Tony had set them up as a joke, but something about Timothy McGee had gotten under her skin. Most guys took one look at her tattoos and ran a mile, at least clean-cut guys like Tim anyway. But he hadn't run; he'd gotten a tattoo of his own. She didn't intimidate him in the least. But a little too much of the clean-cut image lingered for her taste, at least back then. He wanted a home and a family, and he was a little too serious about them for her liking. She wasn't ready to settle down. But now... maybe it was time to try again?

Covertly, she studied him while he worked. The weight he'd lost suited him; he looked fitter, leaner without being angular, and the money he'd spent on his wardrobe had been well spent. The ill fitting, odd coloured suits he used to wear had been replaced with ones that were understated but sophisticated. He'd taken to wearing his hair longer too; sometimes a lock fell in his eyes, making her fingers itch to smooth it back where it belonged. All in all, he was one very attractive man. He didn't flaunt it, the way Tony did, but to her that made it even more noticeable.

Lost in thought, she didn't notice that he'd finished his report and was standing right in front of her

"Abs?" he asked "You ok?"

Startled, she slid off the desk onto her feet

"You heading home?" she asked him

"Yeah, it's been a long day. You?"

"Yeah, I'm done for the night" she replied

"Come on; I'll walk you out" he offered. Smiling, she went with him to the elevator

...

His car was parked out front. She allowed herself an inward laugh at his look of surprise. Obviously he'd thought the mechanic was going to renege on his word. Again.

Ever the gentleman, he steered her past his car and walked her to her own. She found his protectiveness amusing; it was just part of Tim.

"Hey, sorry I had to cancel on lunch today, Abs" he said as they got to her car "Can we try again tomorrow?"

"Don't worry about it, McGee. Not your fault" she swallowed. He'd given her an opening here; what if he said no? Oh well, it was now or never.

"I was thinking... what if wasn't just two friends getting lunch together? What if it was more like a date date?" She paused, trying to gauge his reaction "I'd like to try again, Tim, if you would"

She had her back to the car, trying to act casual while she waited for his answer. He took a half step towards her. There was a light in his deep green eyes that she'd never seen there before, making her breath catch in her throat.

"I've been hoping you'd say that for a very long time, Abs" he murmured as he lowered his head to hers. The kiss was gentle and tender, bur she could feel the passion he kept under restraint. She was disappointed when he pulled away. His eyes were dark with desire as he asked

"Tomorrow night? "She nodded, not trusting herself to speak

"I'll pick you up at 7" He grinned at her, that special Timmy grin that she loved, making her heart race even faster, before turning and walking back to his car. She watched as he pulled the Porsche out of the lot before giving herself a little shake and climbing into her own car.

It had been an interesting day.