Chapter 2
Tim took his time driving to NCIS. In fact, he deliberately went slowly. He didn't know what to do. He had promised Abby that they would try...but there was still all the hurt he felt. How could this have happened?
All too soon, he was walking into NCIS. He hoped that he could hide how he was feeling. He didn't want this to become common knowledge. Abby didn't deserve that...and to be honest, he himself didn't want to have it known that his wife had cheated on him.
As he thought of it, Tim felt his heart clench painfully. The betrayal. That was the worst part. He took a deep breath and walked inside, went through security and headed up to the bullpen.
"Hey, Probie!" Tony greeted in his usual teasing tones.
"Morning, Tony," Tim said, unable to muster up much enthusiasm.
"Oh, fighting in the McGee household, McGee?" Tony asked.
"No, Tony. I just didn't get much sleep last night."
"Oh...really?" he leered. "And where is your lovely wife so I can ask her about that sleepless night?"
Tim tried not to think about Abby having sex with someone else. He failed.
"She's not here yet."
Tony leaned back. "Why not, McGee?"
"We decided to come separately."
"Why?"
"It's not your business, Tony! Just leave it alone!" Tim got up and walked toward the restrooms...but he couldn't help hearing Tony talk to Ziva.
"Sounds like there is turmoil in the McGee household. The Probie must have stuck his foot in his mouth."
"Why do you say that?" Ziva asked.
Tim paused in his trek.
"Because McGee said he didn't get much sleep. He must have slept on the couch. They came separately today."
Tim felt his heart clench again. He had known that would be the assumption. Still, that was how it would have to be. He wouldn't air his personal life, especially something that could cause problems for Abby. They had no right to know about this. He and Abby would have to work through it and see what could be salvaged.
Even so...it made him want to cry. And he didn't cry.
x.x.x.x.x.x.x
Abby walked into NCIS and hoped that no one saw her. She felt as though what she had done was branded on her forehead. She couldn't erase the hurt, the sense of betrayal she had seen in Tim's eyes this morning. She had felt nothing but guilt since it had happened. It was such a stupid, thoughtless...horrible thing to have done. She didn't even remember the guy's name! She had cheated on Tim...not because she'd fallen in love with someone else but because she'd felt a little bit of annoyance and had had too much to drink. Ever since she had awakened next to someone who was not her husband, she had wished she could go back and make it never happen.
She had tried to pretend that it hadn't, but it was impossible. She should have known that Tim would notice.
As she walked in, she caught a glimpse of Tim walking back to his desk. His expression hurt her heart when their eyes met. He managed to smile and then continued on his way.
"Oh, here's Abby, now, Probie! Should we ask her what put you in the doghouse?"
Abby heard it and then she waited for Tim to correct Tony...but nothing happened. Tim just sat down and didn't say anything. She wanted to run to him and kiss him just for that. ...but instead, she just headed quickly to her lab, not answering Tony's calls.
She immersed herself in her work, trying to not to worry that she had ruined not only her own life but Tim's as well. She didn't see anyone until after lunch...which she spent alone. Tim usually came down and they either ate together or went somewhere. Not today.
Abby couldn't hold back the tears. She sniffed and hugged Bert tightly.
"Abbs, what's wrong?"
Gibbs. Abby set Bert down carefully in his place and then turned around and hugged Gibbs, burying her face in his chest.
"Nothing's wrong, Gibbs! Nothing is at all wrong! Why would you think that?" she said, wiping her tears on his jacket.
"Abby, what's going on?"
"Nothing! Just let me hug you for a while, okay? Be the functional mute I know and love and don't ask any questions!" Her voice cracked.
"Okay."
Abby tightened her grip around Gibbs' waist and cried. It was nice to stand there, Gibbs' arms around her, comforting her in her misery. When the doors to the lab opened, she didn't move...until she heard Tim's voice.
"Boss, Tony forgot to give..."
Abby hurriedly pulled away from Gibbs...and she noticed his expression, but she didn't acknowledge it.
"Hey, Tim," she said.
"Hey, Abbs." There was an awkward pause and then he held out an evidence bag. "Here's one more piece of evidence from the scene. I didn't want it to get lost in the shuffle." He managed an encouraging smile...but there was nothing of the unquestioning love she'd always seen there. There was too much hurt for the love to be seen. ...if it was really still there.
"Thanks, Tim. We wouldn't want anything getting lost, now would we."
"No. We wouldn't."
"I'll just sign for that."
Tim nodded and handed her the bag.
"Looks like I have work to do, Gibbs," Abby said and forced a smile. She sniffed a few more times, wiped away her running mascara and turned back to her computer.
Tim walked out without saying another word. She could feel Gibbs still standing behind her, but he didn't say anything. He just stood there. Well, if Tim could keep things private, so could she.
"Abby."
"There's nothing wrong!" she said quickly. "I'm going to get behind, Gibbs. It's not like you to keep me from working!"
"I'll be back when you've got something."
Abby nodded. "You always know."
Gibbs came up behind her and kissed her on the cheek and then left. Abby felt the spot and then started to cry again. She was afraid that she had lost Tim, even if he did say he wanted to try.
If she were honest, she didn't know if she could have said the same were their situations reversed.
x.x.x.x.x.x.x
The elevator came to an abrupt stop and Tim felt his heart constrict again. This just kept getting worse and worse.
"What's going on, McGee?"
"Going on with what, Boss?" Tim asked.
"Between you and Abby."
"That's between me and Abby, not you," Tim said.
"What? Are you jealous that she was hugging me?"
Tim laughed in Gibbs' face. "Boss, if I got jealous every time Abby hugged someone, I would have gone nuts a long time ago."
"Then, what's going on? What did you do?"
Now, Tim added anger to his feeling of hurt, but still, not even Gibbs deserved to know about this. He had known that he would take Abby's side, but he couldn't say it, not to Gibbs, not to any of them. It was private.
"Like I said, Boss, it's none of your business. Just like it's none of Tony's business and none of Ziva's business. We might be friends here, but you do not live with Abby and me."
"If it's affecting your work or Abby's work, then it's my business."
"Is it? Have you found anything lacking?" Tim retorted. "I know you haven't because Abby does good work even if she's upset and I haven't screwed up. In fact, I caught something Tony missed. So...is it affecting our work?"
Gibbs stared at him in that analyzing way, and Tim couldn't stand it. He reached around Gibbs and turned back on the elevator. He was surprised when Gibbs didn't say anything more.
x.x.x.x.x.x.x
Throughout the rest of the day, Tim felt his stomach in knots in anticipation of the coming night when he knew that he and Abby would have to talk it out, have to figure out what they were going to do. He just wished that he himself knew.
"Hey, McGee, you'd better prostrate yourself before Abby's altar. Otherwise, the boss might get on your case about making his favorite sad."
"Oh, leave him alone, Tony. Let them work it out themselves. You certainly are not the one to be giving relationship advice."
Tim didn't look at them.
"I've never made Abby cry, though, now have I."
"Have you ever dated Abby?"
"No."
"Then, there is no comparison."
Tim couldn't take it. He stood up. "Guys! Knock it off! Just shut up about it, okay? You want to gossip, at least have the decency to do it when I'm not around!" He stood up and walked to the elevator.
"What about Abby, McGee?"
"She came in her own car, Ziva." He walked to the elevator and left.
x.x.x.x.x.x.x
"Wow. It must have been quite the argument," Tony said.
"It was something. McGee would not have been so upset otherwise," Ziva agreed.
"Well, Abby isn't talking, but she's crying, and McGee isn't talking. It must have been a doozy. What do you think McGee said?"
"Who knows?"
"I'll find out. We can't have the kids fighting. It makes things unsettled."
"Tony, do not poke your nose in. They will not appreciate it. Many couples fight."
"Yeah, but not Abby. She can't stay angry for more than a few hours and this has gone on all day. If she made him sleep on the couch? This is bad."
"Do not say I did not warn you."
Tony smiled. "I'll plan my strategy tonight and implement it tomorrow. You'll see. I'll figure out what McGee did wrong and then help him fix it! He'll thank me!"
Ziva rolled her eyes and left Tony plotting.
x.x.x.x.x.x.x
Abby looked around the lab. Everything was tucked away, secure and in its place. ...and Tim must have left already. That meant that she could get out of the building and think about what to say to him tonight.
Her phone beeped at her, indicating an incoming text message. She was so excited that she ran and picked it up and looked at it without even thinking that it might be bad news. It was Tim's designated beep; so she knew it was from him.
Abby. Getting dinner. What do you want?
Abby smiled tremulously and then typed in a response.
Anything. I don't care. Surprise me.
The response was swift.
All right. See you at home.
Abby took a breath and swallowed nervously. She hoped that everything wasn't ruined.
