A/N: Written for ChannelD as an NFA Hangman Prize. She requested a story in which Tim hears some office gossip. This is what came out. The title comes from Liz Smith's definition of gossip. It was too good to pass up. Oneshot

Disclaimer: Not mine! Not mine! ...but if they were I promise that I'd be very good to them. No? Okay, then NCIS still belongs to DPB. Lucky guy.

News Running Ahead of Itself in a Red Satin Dress

by Enthusiastic Fish

Setting: Season 2, shortly after Tim joins the team

"And then, she told me that Agent McGee..."

Tim's ears perked up at the sound of his name, but whatever Shirley had said was inaudible as she and her colleague turned the corner. Carefully, he stood and followed them, trying hear what it was that someone had said about him.

"No. You're kidding. Agent McGee would never..."

Again, their words were covered, this time by a random collision in the hallway between the mail delivery cart and someone from Legal. The cart won. Tim stopped and helped her up, but his mind was not on his good deed. It was on whatever was so intriguing that two women were talking about it...about him. He didn't notice the look on her face as he continued on his quest.

When he caught up again, they were laughing...laughing.

Oh, no. What did I do? Tim wondered in dread.

"That's...that's impossible. She's pulling your leg, Shirley. Agent McGee is..."

"McGee!"

"What?" Tim spun around. Gibbs was staring at him with an expression that was halfway between amusement and annoyance.

"Don't you have better things to do with your time than eavesdrop in the hallway?" Gibbs asked, his eyebrows up so high that they almost disappeared.

Tim blushed scarlet. "Yes, Boss." He slunk away, but throughout the day, he kept thinking about what he'd heard...which was nothing, after all. Only that he had apparently done something that he would never do.

What did I do? What have I done recently that would be the subject of gossip? It was all he could think about...until a few headslaps refocused his attention on his job...solving crimes, not on figuring out what the latest office gossip was. He'd almost forgotten it by the afternoon when Shirley walked by him and gave him a long speculative glance. He blushed at the scrutiny, even if he had no idea why she was staring at him.

She grinned suddenly and he looked down. When he looked back up, Gibbs was there...again, glaring.

"McGee!"

"Sorry, Boss." Tim cleared his throat and turned back to his computer, his mind only half on tracking down a smuggler. I haven't done anything exciting lately. I never do anything exciting. I'm not that kind of guy. The only thing out of the ordinary that's happened was when... Tim's thoughts came to an abrupt halt and his eyes widened. Oh, no...they think... He couldn't even finish the thought. He blushed crimson. He knew exactly what Shirley had been told...and what she had said to her friend...and he knew from whom she had received the information.

"McGee, are you running a fever?" Kate asked as she walked in. "You're all flushed."

If anything Tim blushed even brighter at the question and hid his face behind his monitor. I can never show my face again. I can never come to work again. This is so humiliating.

"Tony, what did you do to Tim?" Kate asked, staring daggers at Tony. Tim's head went a little lower and he tried to focus on the numbers wafting in front of his face.

"I didn't do anything. I've been sitting right here the whole time. If anything, Gibbs has been the one breathing down his neck. Ain't that right, Probie?"

"Yeah, Tony," Tim mumbled, not lifting his head.

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

"Okay..." Kate said, but she sounded singularly unconvinced. Any other day, Tim would have been grateful for the interference...but not today...not with...his mind again shut down that line of thought.

He worked in blissful silence for about ten minutes, taking extra special care not to look up at anyone...but it couldn't last.

"You know what? I'm never taking the elevator again," Kate said suddenly. "I swear it has it in for me. It started shuddering when I took it up here again today."

Tim couldn't take it. He jumped up, ran out of the bullpen and into the men's room.

Kate looked after him in surprise. "What did I say?"

"I have no idea," Tony said, not really paying attention. "Probie's weird. He's a geek. Who knows what goes through their huge brains?"

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x

Tim locked himself in one of the stalls and tried to figure out what he should do.

I could pretend to die...I could really die, he thought desperately. Upon further reflection, he decided that might just be slightly extreme. I could...tell Gibbs I'm sick...with...ebola... The door to the men's room opened and two agents walked in. They talked casually as they went about their...business.

"Oh, and have you heard what happened with Agent McGee?'

"What could possibly happen with Agent McGee? He's a nerd."

As mortified as he was, Tim felt slightly annoyed by the dismissal in the other man's tone. He didn't recognize the voice, but he recognized the condescension. He was all too familiar with it.

"Remember last week when the elevator broke down?"

Tim knew what was coming and he didn't want to hear it...at least he didn't think he wanted to hear it. He turned around to flush the toilet when the door opened again and the two men broke off their conversation rather quickly.

"Agent Gibbs."

"Paul."

Oh, no! Gibbs! What if he finds out I'm in here? Tim began to feel panicked. He couldn't exactly sneak out, but eventually, someone would notice that the stall was occupied...someone would...

"Have you seen Agent McGee around?" Gibbs asked.

"Not recently, why?" The voice was all nonchalance.

"No reason."

Tim buried his head in his hands. He's going to find me. I'm going to get fired. He's going to hear what everyone thinks I did! I'm so dead. I wish I was dead.

By some miracle, the awkward silence made everyone leave. The two agents couldn't continue their gossip with Gibbs in the room, not when it involved a member of his team. He didn't take kindly to that type of talk.

Tim didn't come out of the stall. He sat down on the toilet seat and tried to figure out what he was going to do. He couldn't face it, not if the men in the office were hearing about it as well. He'd only been a member of Gibbs' team for three weeks! It would probably be the shortest stint ever before getting fired. Oh, no. I'm going to get fired...

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x

"Where is McGee?" Gibbs asked...an hour later.

One of the Intel people walking by heard and tried to cover her chuckles.

"What's so funny, Bayers?" Gibbs asked, turning on her with a snarl.

"Nothing, Agent Gibbs."

"You obviously found something entertaining a few seconds ago. What?"

"Nothing, Agent Gibbs."

"Have you seen Agent McGee?"

"No, Agent Gibbs."

"Then, why are you laughing at me?"

Her eyes went wide. "I wasn't laughing...at you."

"Then..." Gibbs towered threateningly over her. "...who? And why?"

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x

Meanwhile, Tim had nearly worked himself into a full out anxiety attack. He couldn't seem to make himself open the stall door. A few more people had come in the interim...talking about him, and it only made it worse. He just stayed where he was and figured since he was already going to get fired, he might as well stay out of sight until it was time to go...lessen the blow when it finally came.

The door opened again.

"McGee?"

Tim stiffened. How did he know? He's Gibbs. He always knows.

"McGee...I know you're in there...and probably have been for the last hour. Get out of that stall."

Tim stood and swallowed. Then, with trembling fingers he slid back the lock and opened the stall door. There was Gibbs. Standing by the sinks, looking at him with an expression that Tim couldn't quite figure out.

"So...you and Kate in the elevator, huh?"

Tim dropped his head both in shame and to hide the tears of embarrassment that had suddenly decided to show themselves.

"NO!" he shouted. The word echoed off the walls and Tim flinched at the noise. "Nothing happened," he whispered.

"McGee...I know."

Tim still couldn't look up.

"Kate explained the whole thing to me. She didn't even know that anyone thought otherwise. It wasn't your fault the elevator broke down."

"I know..."

"Do you know who started the rumor mill?"

Tim nodded, still staring at the space between his feet.

"Are you angry?"

Tim shook his head.

"Why not?"

"It's an...easy mistake...the...it looked bad...and now...now, everyone thinks that...that I...that Kate and I...that..."

"McGee, calm down. You're not in trouble."

"I'm not?" Tim chanced a brief look at Gibbs face. Gibbs looked like he was trying not to smile. He didn't look angry...or annoyed.

"No. You're not."

"You-You're not going to fire me?"

"Why would I do that, McGee?"

"Because I...because...we...didn't...do...anything..." Tim finished lamely.

"One thing I will tell you, McGee, is that you are going to have to grow a thicker skin if you're going to work here. Scuttlebutt can be vicious and while this undoubtably took you by surprise, you can't have a breakdown every time someone says something about you."

"Yes, Boss."

"Now...come with me." Gibbs turned around and left the men's room. Tim almost didn't follow...but Gibbs shouted back, "McGee!"

Tim followed, saw the grins and followed Gibbs to the elevator, rode in silence down to Abby's lab and stood in silence as Gibbs waited for Abby to turned around.

"Hey, Gibbs! What's..." She looked at Tim still blushing furiously and then back at Gibbs. "What's going on?"

"You tell me, Abby. Tell me why everyone in NCIS seems to think that Kate and McGee were having sex in the elevator when it broke down last week."

Abby's eyes went wide. "That was just a joke, Gibbs. I didn't tell anyone. I said that people could read that the wrong way when they finally came out and then Kate and I were talking about it...we said it would be about the best place to get away with it in the whole building because you could turn it off anytime you wanted to." She looked at Tim. "Honest, Tim! I wasn't trying to spread rumors or anything!"

"It's okay, Abby," Tim mumbled.

"No, it's not okay!" She flung her arms around him and hugged him tightly. "It's really not okay, not if you don't think it's funny!"

While Abby was cooing over Tim, Gibbs slipped out, knowing that Abby would do what she did best.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x

He was right. When Tim came back up to the bullpen a few minutes later, he still blushed when Shirley walked by and grinned at him, but he squared his shoulders and walked back to his desk. He opened his email and saw a message from Kate.

McGee,

Sorry about the scuttlebutt...but if you ever want to make it more than gossip, you know where I am.

Kate.

He looked up and over his monitor at Kate. She grinned and winked.

Tim blushed...maybe a rumor or two wasn't too bad after all.

FINIS!