I don't own NCIS, but I wish I owned McGee...sigh

Chapter Four

Special Agent Ziva David had gone to shower, leaving Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo to himself. Gibbs had called, said it was urgent, said to meet at McGee's place as soon as possible. The first thing Tony had thought was What had McGeek done now that was so important it couldn't wait until Monday? and his second thought was Why did it have to be this weekend?

Tony knew it was no use grumbling about the misfortunes of missed Saturday morning loving. When Gibbs called you, you went where he told you and didn't ask questions, that is unless you wanted to be fired. All Tony could do was muse about what the problem with McGeek could be until Ziva was out of the shower and he could get in.

He had tried to convince her that they could shower together,save water but she was adamant that since Gibbs had called, it was a work day, which meant no play at all. Unfortunately.

Ziva exited the bathroom, drying her hair, already dressed. Where was the fun in that? She just looked at him with the same contempt that she did at work. "Your turn Tony" she told him "I'll meet you there" He couldn't object. What would Gibbs think if they arrived together? Well he'd know that they had broken rule 12, if he didn't already know. Tony sure as hell wasn't going to ask.

He got in the shower as he heard Ziva's coupe drive away. He knew her car's sound above all others, they had been together long enough for him to learn it's distinct purr. He hoped things with Gibbs and McGee wouldn't take long then he and Ziva could get back to their weekend plans. But things were rarely ever that easy.

xxx NCIS xxx

Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs arrived at McGee's place. All things seemed normal on the outside but his famous gut was going crazy. He had no doubt that something was wrong with McGee. He sure as hell wasn't answering his door. That was why he had called Tony and Ziva, just in case there was a crime scene and if not at least Tony could relate to McGee better than he could.

His specialties were boats and bourbon and solving cases, not young NCIS agents that moonlit as fiction writers, or agents that constantly quoted movies, or agents that used to work for Mossad. He knew cases and evidence and catching the bastards that messed with the Navy, just cases, not people.

Ziva arrived a few minutes later, her hair tied back, her sig on her hip. "What is going on Gibbs?" she asked, her hand on her weapon just in case, her Mossad training kicking in. "Is something wrong with McGee?" she asked as Gibbs just waited.

"Where is DiNozzo?" Gibbs answered, still unsure what had really happened, but his gut still sending signals of distress.

"On your six boss!" DiNozzo called as he huffed up the stairs, his hair still wet, the t-shirt still sticking to his wet torso, it seemed he had skipped drying off after his shower.

In light of the situation Ziva laughed, trying to keep up the facade that they had not been together the night before. "Late night Tony?" she joked "what was this one's name? Cookie? Candy?"

"For your information Zee-Vah" Tony quipped back quickly "I was at a frat party last night and there was so much tail there that even you couldn't go without being laid" It was a total lie and everyone there, including Gibbs knew, but his gut was too out of control to do anything.

"Will you two shut up and focus!" Gibbs growled as he head slapped then both for good measure. He'd known all along that they were sleeping together but that was the least of his problems. "We treat this like a crime scene. You don't touch anything without wearing gloves" What if McGee was safe and inside? That wasn't really an option "You got me?"

Tony and Ziva agreed and they all entered, Gibbs first then Tony and Ziva. What they found shocked them.

The apartment was in shambles, McGee's tidy to the point of near OCD apartment was a wreck. The bookshelves tossed over, the typewriter was destroyed, the computers no longer computers but a jumble of wires and broken glass. It seemed everything was coated in a thick red liquid, not blood but tomato sauce. Something was definitely wrong.

The three of them fanned out to search for evidence,anything that could tell them what had happened. Tony took the kitchen, Gibbs took the living room and Ziva took the bedroom. All three on high alert to find a body, no one had that big of a struggle and lived, at least not usually. Ziva called them to her almost immediately.

"Gibbs!" she called, urgency in her voice. Had she found the body of Timothy McGee? Gibbs rushed to her and DiNozzo followed. Once they were in the doorway behind her and they saw that there was no body she continued "Do you smell that?" The evidence was screaming at her "The tossed sheets, the clothes everywhere, someone got plucky last night"

"It's lucky, Ziva" DiNozzo corrected her "Someone got lucky" though he couldn't see how McGee, the Probie, well not so Probie anymore, could get some tail and then get attacked, so unlucky.

"So we are looking for both McGee and his mysterious guest last night" Gibbs mused as his eyes scanned the room for any clues "Tony, shoot, Ziva bag an-"

There was an interruption at the door. Someone was trying to get in. All three reached for their Sig Sauers and pointed them at the door. The door opened to reveal McGee and Jethro on a leash. Definitely not what McGee or Gibbs was expecting to find.

"Boss" McGee began, definitely not expecting Gibbs to be in his apartment, especially not with gloves and evidence bags with him and his apartment in shambles. Was it some sort of sick joke? A way to show him that he knew all about McGee and Abby and didn't like it? "What's going on here?" he asked, ready to defend himself if Gibbs went for any kind of shot.

"You tell me, McGee" Gibbs responded, the edge of anger in his voice. "Ziva, bag and tag. DiNozzo, crime scene photos"

"Crime scene photos?" McGee asked. Shit! What had happened to Abby?

"McGee" Gibbs continued without pause "Outside, we need to talk" He watched as McGee left his apartment in a daze, Jethro behind him with his tail between his legs, even his dog gut knew something was wrong. Gibbs followed them out.

"Boss I-" McGee tried to speak but couldn't go on. Jethro just stood next to his master, trying to smell Gibbs but being held back by the leash.

"Just tell me what happened McGee" Gibbs began again, a gentler side to his voice. He had a feeling he knew what had happened but he wanted to hear it from McGee. "Start with when you left NCIS last night." After all that was when it all started right? McGee was still unable to speak so Gibbs prodded him along. "You got into the elevator with Abby, what happened next?"

Abby! Oh God! Where was Abby? Is that why Gibbs and the team was at his apartment? Where was she? Was she dead? Was she missing? Was it all his fault? Would Gibbs ever forgive him or would he walk with a permanent limp the rest of his life?

"Boss!" Tony interrupted as he stood outside of the apartment "We've got a note" he held it up in an evidence bag with a gloved hand. "Addressed to McGee"

Whatever they wanted for Abby he'd give it to them. Whatever it took to get her back, whatever it took. He would get her back no matter what!

"Read it aloud, DiNozzo" Gibbs voiced, without a second thought as he took his gaze away from McGee, perhaps hearing the demands for ransom would jog McGee's memory.

"I dunno boss" DiNozzo responded nervously, "It's pretty personal." he didn't say anything else, he knew just by looking at it that it would hurt McGee and that he'd never be the same.

"Did I ask you for a book review, DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked, anger in his voice "Read it out loud" He wasn't asking and he definitely wasn't going to take no for an answer.

"Sorry McGee" Tony began in advance before he read, pulling himself away from the words, like he used to do when he was in school, when he didn't like what he read, though what he held in his hand, was much worse, much more personal. He didn't know what had happened between them but it wasn't good.

Tim,

I am not ashamed to say that our relationship is shit and will always be shit. Who were we kidding when we decided to have a relationship? You think just because you have one tattoo that we could be together forever? Have twelve kids and grow old together, dieing right after each other of old age? That's a fantasy and most fantasies don't come true and I can't see being attached to you for the rest of my life.

Last night was not special. Need I remind you about after Fred? Or after that creepy embezzler? Or after you though that someone was killing people based on your book? Or after the Jethro incident? Just like all of those times before last night was nothing special, just pity sex. Nothing special about that just sad and full of pity.

Do you even know how to be with a woman? Obviously you don't. Women don't like it when men act like sissies and cry everytime they orgasm. It gets old really fast. Obviously you can't handle yourself like a real man so you'll never be able to handle a real woman like me. Last night I was not impressed. Marshmallows were harder than you were last night. Marshmallows!

I had to get out of here fast, I couldn't face you after that sad performance last night, I couldn't stand the fact that we might have an encore this morning. You'll never see me again. Tell Gibbs and Tony and Ziva that I'm sorry. None of you will ever see me again. I'm sorry I didn't take your garbage out before I left.

Abby

"Abby was with you last night?"Gibbs bellowed, glaring at McGee, he had seemed to forget that Abby had just broken McGee's heart, though McGee deserved it since he let her disappear. That was not the way that McGee had wanted to break the news to Gibbs about rule 12.

Even Tony thought Gibbs was too rough on McGee in light of the "dear John" letter he'd just received. "Tough break McGee" he voiced as he reached out to McGee to touch his shoulder, give him some support. If needed he would be the shoulder to cry on after Gibbs tore him a new one.

If McGee was so torn up about receiving a "dear John" letter from Abby, the forensics expert who he'd been hung up on for years, then why was he smiling? Was it shock? Or something more?

Gibbs picked up on McGee's strange mood right away. He head slapped him harder than usual. "Is there something you're not telling us, Special Agent McGee?" he was without a doubt pissed, livid, white hot angry that McGee had lost Abby, and that he hadn't made her as happy as she could be in the sack. Both DiNozzo and McGee weren't sure but they did know that Abby was without a doubt Gibbs's favorite. McGee knew he was as good as dead, especially if they didn't find Abby. "McGee!" Gibbs bellowed "Is there something I don't know?"

McGee figured he had better tell "Well Boss" he began as he looked to Tony, Jethro and then Gibbs. "I know that letter is a fake".

Tony just laughed in light of the recent events and the evidence letter in his hand. "Fake, McGee? Are you telling us you're really that good in bed?" A head slap from Gibbs followed, it wasn't the time for jokes "Sorry boss".

"What do you mean McGee?" Gibbs punctuated every word, he wasn't in the mood for guessing games, especially when his forensics scientist was involved.

"Well it was more of a joke boss" McGee explained, Gibbs wasn't impressed, another thing he wasn't in the mood for, jokes. McGee continued "Boss, when Abby and I first started having lunch dates we decided to have code words. " McGee laughed as he thought back,Gibbs wasn't getting the hilarity but he knew McGee was telling the truth, his eyes were pointed the right way. "It was a joke because I was never out in the field" Now McGee was starting to get to the point. "Marshmallows was the distress word!"

McGee decided to leave out the part about the word garbage being "I love you". It was too personal and not entirely connected to the case. But if he had to tell her one thing he'd say "Garbage" without a doubt.