THANKS FOR ALL THE REVIEWS!
-NCIS-
Gibbs walked to his desk, trying to observe his 'geek' unobtrusively out of the corner of his eye. He raised one silver eyebrow and frowned when he noticed that his youngest agent had yet to show his face. The way he was hunched over, McGee was faced away from everyone, turned toward the gray colored partition with the purple stripe. He was doing that a lot lately. Hiding. That was the only word that Gibbs could use to describe it. It was like he didn't want to be seen. McGee had pulled away from all of them. He didn't even eat with them anymore, preferring to brown bag it at his desk then going to a restaurant when work permitted. He spent most of his day at the new computer setup,even when he didn't have to, he was there, constantly staring at the monitors or typing commands on the keyboard, doing whatever it was that he did, shoulders hunched, not looking at anyone, only speaking when he had to. Gibbs froze in the middle of securing his weapon, just then realizing that there was some days that his youngest boy didn't say a word—at least not when he was around, anyway. He also realized that he missed the sound of his boy's voice—and McGee was his boy, even though Gibbs made sure to keep a distance between them. He was well aware that McGee had a father and Gibbs would never get in the way of a father and a child.
Gibbs missed the way the younger man would babble constantly about the next knew tech thing or some comic book that he had just acquired. Gibbs missed the way McGee talked about his sister, telling anyone who would listen more then they ever wanted to know about the young woman's many, many accomplishments. But most of all he missed the sound of McGee's laughter. No matter how hard a case was, no matter how much the world seemed to be against them, no matter how much depravity they saw, there was just something about his youngest boy's laughter that warmed him. Gibbs would never admit it, didn't even like to think about it, because thinking about his daughter still hurt, even after all these years, but Kelly's laughter used to warm him the same way.
Gibbs finished locking his weapon away and sat down in his desk chair. He couldn't put his finger on exactly when everything had changed. It just seemed that he had come in one morning and things were like they were now. Had it been so gradual that he just hadn't noticed? Or had it really happened overnight? He just couldn't understand what had happened in his youngest agents life to cause such a drastic change. This case had hit them all hard but they've worked cases with children before, even if they had never worked one quite like this. Gibbs reached out and booted up the computer that he always had on but hardly ever actually used.
He would get to the bottom of this, just as soon as this case was over, Gibbs thought as he opened the case file the FBI had sent over when this case had started. He intended to read it again, try to find something he missed, even though he had read it so many times he knew it forward and backward. Gibbs felt a churning in his stomach, and a uneasiness different from the one he had about this case came over him. Why did he suddenly feel that if he waited, it might be too late?
Ziva hung her phone after disconnecting with the latest lead she had been trying to track down, taking the opportunity to get some work done before their FBI counterparts got there in an hour. She saw the pause before Gibbs continued to his desk, and it made her wonder. Ziva had noticed the looks that McGee had sent Gibbs way when he thought no one was looking. She didn't need her Mossad training to see the flicker of hurt or the barely concealed betrayal that flashed in his eyes sometimes. Ziva had just thought McGee was unhappy with the task of working with the FBI, as they all were. She knew that the two new Agents that they were working with was giving Tim a hard time and she also knew that he had complained to Gibbs, as he had to Tony and her. She didn't know what had been said, but she had believed that everything had been taken care of because Tim had said nothing else about it. But now she wondered if that was all that was going on with her friend.
Tony looked up as Gibbs sat down. His quick gaze took in his light brown cotton slacks, blue cotton polo shirt and navy blue sorts coat. He also didn't miss the covert glances that Gibbs was sending his Probie and felt relief when he noticed the concern in those cold blue eyes. But worry came over him too, as he realized that for Gibbs to be concerned that something was wrong, then things must be worse then he thought.
-NCIS-
Sarah walked through the doors of the NCIS building, an hour and half after leaving her brother there in apprehension. She knew that she shouldn't be there. She knew that Tim would not welcome her checking up on him but she just couldn't leave everything like it was. Tim had looked so forlorn when she had dropped him off that morning, an hour before the workday. He had looked so... so...alone... shuffling into the building, and Sarah needed him to know that he most assuredly wasn't alone. She needed him to know that no matter what, Tim would always have her.
Sarah finished the sign in procedure and followed the escort into the elevator, her black flats quiet on the carpeted walkway. She didn't know why none of her brother's team mates wouldn't put a stop to her brother's torture, but she knew that even if they wouldn't stop, they surely shouldn't condone it. Anger filled her. Anger at grown men who acted more like teenage boys. Anger at Gibbs for not helping her brother when he asked for help—an occurrence that didn't happen with enough regularity for it to be routine. Anger at his co-workers for being so...uncaring... about a man who would never be uncaring about them. And, yes, anger at her brother, also, for not sticking up for himself. But she knew why he didn't. Tim had had the ability to fight back taken out of him long ago. Tim had no trouble standing up for anyone else, but people had cleaned him out of spine and spirit so long ago that he knew no other way now. A person had to know their own worth to know how to fight back for themselves , and Tim had never been taught that.
The elevator doors opened and she stepped nervously out of them. She hoped that her slim black knee-length skirt and red, short-sleeve silk blouse was okay. She didn't want to embarrass Tim by showing up to his work appearing frumpy, but she also didn't want to be overdressed.
Tony looked up when the elevator dinged and watched as a familiar chocolate haired young woman got off. He waved his hand at her escort to let him know that he had her and stood up as she came close, intending to call out to McGee but stopped, startled when he saw her looking at Gibbs with a mixture of sadness, disappointment, and anger in her eyes that he didn't understand. A bad feeling came over him as he wondered what had caused that look in his Probie's sisters' eyes.
Tony came out his daze. "Hey, McGee, you've got a visitor." Tony said, coming around his desk to greet the young woman. Tony was naturally a curious person. Since becoming a cop and having a badge to back up his inquisitiveness, he had lost all since of boundary and many times stuck his nose into his friends' personal business. They would never tell him, but even though it drove his team crazy sometimes, Tony's nosiness was just a part of who he was and they wouldn't want him to change it because if he did then he wouldn't be their Tony.
Tony intended to stick his nose where it didn't belong again and question his Probie's sister. He hoped that Sarah could shed some light on what was going on with her brother.
He didn't expect McGee to be so engrossed in whatever it was that he was doing that he would jump up at Tony's voice and then let out a loud pain-filled groan and fall back in his chair, making another gasp as he connected with his black desk chair. "Tim!" Tony said, hurrying to his partner's side.
Sarah heard her brother's pain-filled sound and rushed to where he sat doubled over. "Tim!" She exclaimed, reaching his side shortly after Tony; Ziva and Gibbs joining them not even a second later.
"S'ah?" Tim managed to get out between gasps, surprised that she was there.
Sarah carefully laid a hand on his shoulder, unsure what to say or do. "Yeah."
"What's wrong?" Tony asked, Gibbs and Ziva echoing the question.
Tim found that he couldn't answer after saying his sister's name, the pain that radiated through his battered body taking his breath so that all he could manage was to concentrate on forcing air into his lungs.
"It's his ribs. Tim has at the very least bruised them." Sarah answered for her brother, her anger renewing. "One or more may be cracked or even broken."
Tim's head shot up and the rest of team Gibbs were shocked when they saw the damage done to his face. Gibbs reached out and to brush away his sandy hair so that he could inspect the cut that was visible at his temple. He dropped his hand quickly when McGee flinched violently away, causing him to gasp again as he struggled to breath through the pain.
"McGee?" Gibbs questioned softly, wondering why his youngest had jerked away from his touch like that. Almost as if McGee was...afraid... of him?
Sarah noticed Tim jerk away from Gibbs out-stretched hand and knew that her brother was afraid that Gibbs would take the opportunity to poke at his injury and hurt him as their father used to.
"What happened?" Gibbs bit out tersely, his concern coming off as anger.
Tim's emerald green eyes flew to his sister's in panic. It was anyone's guess what she would say and he didn't want to get called out for complaining again when Gibbs was already mad. He looked in his sister's deep chocolate colored eyes and silently begged her not to say anything while he struggled to breath.
Sarah saw the look in Tim's eyes and debated silently for a minute as she stood there. "He tripped." She said finally, giving her brother what he wanted.
"Tripped?" Gibbs echoed.
"Tripped." Sarah confirmed.
"Tr'ped." Tim mumbled. "F'll...d'wn...s'airs."
"You tripped and fell down the stairs?" He repeated incredulously.
Both McGees nodded.
Gibbs looked at McGee in concern. The younger man's clumsiness was well-known. McGee was always bumping into, knocking over or tripping on something. So why did he have a feeling that there was a lot more that wasn't being said?
Tony and Ziva, who had remained quiet since their earlier question, shared a look of their own. They had noticed the look between brother and sister and wondered at it. Why would McGee panic at answering how he got hurt and why did it seem that Sarah, while not lying, wasn't being completely truthful, either?
"What did the doctor say?" Gibbs asked and immediately became worried when both McGees froze. "Well?" He prodded and glared at them when they didn't say anything.
"He wouldn't go to the doctor!" Sarah blurted out when confronted with the famous Gibbs glare. "I tried to get him to go last night and this morning I wanted to call an ambulance because he hurt his ribs just like now and couldn't breath!"
Gibbs stared at McGee in disbelief. "You might have cracked or broken ribs and you didn't go to a doctor?" He asked in a calmly lethal tone. "Not to mention your head." Gibbs added, looking at the big dark purple bruise on his agents forehead.
"Don't need a doctor." Tim said stubbornly, still using as least amount of words as possible.
Gibbs just glared at him. "Go see Ducky." Gibbs bit out. "NOW!" He added when his agent just sat there.
Tim saw the glare and heard the anger in Gibbs voice, and, for some reason it made him bristle. "I am more then capable of finding my own doctor, if I find I need one, Gibbs." He bit out.
"Obviously not!"
The anger and loud tone caused Sarah to flinch. Tim reached up to the hand that sat on his shoulder and squeezed it reassuringly. "I'm going to walk my sister out and then I'm going to come back here and do my job." Tim said as he struggled to his feet. "I don't need a doctor!"
Tony and Ziva exchanged another look, surprised. They had never heard Tim argue with their boss or even use that tone of voice with him.
Something about the way McGee said 'do my job' sent a tingle of awareness down Gibbs spine. It triggered a slight DE Ja Vu feeling but for the life of him, he couldn't bring the memory up. He put it away and concentrated on his agent. "You go see Ducky and get cleared for duty or I'll bench you!" He said, putting an end to anymore argument.
The harsh words sent a stab of pain through his chest. He knew it was irrational, but it felt like Gibbs was saying he was to much trouble and was trying to get rid of him. He shook his head, trying to get his head right. He didn't know why he was so emotional today but he needed to stop taking everything to heart. "Fine!" He said grudgingly and started to the elevators in a slow shuffle without another word. "Come on, Sarah." He called over his shoulder.
-NCIS-
FOR THOSE WHO FOLLOW MY OTHER STORY: I WILL POST ANOTHER CHAPTER FOR THAT SUNDAY.
AFTER THAT THE NEXT ONE TO BE UPDATED IS THIS AND THAT WILL BE ON TUESDAY.
AFTER TUESDAY, I AM GOING TO TRY TO UPDATE ONE OR THE OTHER EVERYDAY.
I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT WILL WORK OUT, I'LL JUST HAVE TO SEE.