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Abby stormed into the Directors office; and for a second thought she was Gibbs. But just for a second. Oh man, she thought. Nice one Abby.
Both Ducky and the Director looked back at her.
Jen spoke first. "Abby…what is so urgent?"
Think. Abby. Think. "My uh…my mass spectrometer broke…"
The Director removed her glasses. "And why couldn't you tell me this over the phone?"
Abby's mind was churning as her hinky sense was tingling. "Well you see, my Mass Spec and I are really close…" She slowly pouted. "And Gibbs usually takes care of this stuff…I didn't know where else to go…"
Ducky stood up and reassured her. "Perhaps I can take a look?"
She quickly shook her head. "No! I mean, not no, as in not ever… he just needs some time to rest from his injuries…maybe in like fifteen minutes?"
The ME looked to the Director as if asking for permission. "I will be down in fifteen minutes then…hang in there…" He patted her on the arm gently.
It was then Abby noticed a number of files spread out on the table and would've given anything to get a look at them.
"Well, if there's nothing else…we were in a meeting…" Jen motioned towards the door and Abby suddenly burst into tears.
"I'm just feeling so overwhelmed you know? I mean first Tony…then McGee and Ziva…then Gibbs leaves…now my Mass Spec...I don't know what to do…I think I need to sit down…"
Ducky immediately reached out for her and guided her to a chair. "Easy my dear…"
Abby forced tears out as she partially covered her face with her hands; getting a fair look at some of the papers before the Director cleared them away and handed her a few tissues. "I'm sorry, I just feel so overwhelmed you know?"
Ducky stood her up and pulled her into his signature embrace. Next to Gibbs', nothing comforted her more. "There, there…"
After milking the hug, she eased away. "I'm okay now. Thanks guys."
Jen sighed. "Next time you need us Abby, please call." Her tone was kind and she didn't seem too annoyed. "No need to employ Jethro's bad habits while he's away…"
Abby hid a smile. "Sorry Director…." She looked back at Ducky. "See you in fifteen then?"
Ducky nodded. "I will do all I can for him I assure you."
Satisfied with getting some answers; and successfully getting Ducky out; she hurried down to her lab and stood toe to toe with her Mass Spec.
"I'm so sorry…but desperate times call for desperate measures…"
Tim was half asleep against the window; shortly after Ziva had taken over the driver's seat. All was well, until the road started to wind. Needless to say, he wasn't asleep for long.
"Geez Ziva; drive much?"
She almost did a double take at his sarcasm. He had sounded a bit like Tony. "It is not my fault; these roads are so twisty and turny…"
"They're called roads Ziva, it's what they do…and there are usually signs that prepare you for the twistys and turny's…" He let out a short yawn. "What's our ETA?"
"GPS lady tells us we will arrive in forty five minutes."
He nodded. "You know, Tony would so love this wild goose chase we're on…he'd be in the back seat right now…scratch that…he'd be driving and going on and on about Sean Connery and speaking in a Scottish accent the whole way…"
Ziva sighed. "Perhaps we should turn around and forget the whole thing?"
They shared a short laugh; but it wasn't long before it faded. "Will be nice to have him back…" Tim began.
"You're telling me you have missed his constant complaining? His silly pranks? And our constant bickering?"
Tim smiled as he gripped the dash board after a winding turn. "Yes…I've also missed his capable driving skills…"
Gibbs assumed he'd be arriving at his destination within a half hour. Part of him wishing he had listened to McGee when he was teaching him about the GPS. After finally coming around a number of curves he was back on a straight away, and it was then his phone rang. Abby.
"You better not be calling just to say Hi…"
Abby sighed. "Gibbs I need help."
His heart almost skipped a beat. "What happened?"
"I uh, I stormed into the Directors office, cuz I was looking for Ducky…"
"You stormed into the Directors office…because you were looking for Ducky?" His tone was asking for more of an explanation and he then realized he hadn't let her finish.
"Gibbs let me finish…I went down into autopsy to talk to Ducky…cuz that's where he usually is…not that he's always there…but that's where he works so you'd think he'd be there…anyway…he wasn't. But Palmer was there…and he said that the last time he saw him he was going up to see the Director…but that was two hours ago…well not 2 hours ago from now, but from the last time he saw him…"
"Abby…"
"Right…so I freak out cuz of what you said about the Director and the hinkiness…so without thinking I burst through the doors…"
"And I'm sure you thought of a convincing reason for being there…"
"You'd be so proud of me Gibbs…not only did I make up an excuse, but I turned on the tears and got to get a glimpse at what they were working on…"
"Wait a minute…they? You telling me Ducky was actually in with Jen that whole time?"
"Uh huh."
Gibbs rubbed his temples for a second before placing them back on the wheel. "So you got a glimpse…?"
"Yeah, the files were spread out all over the place, and Jen started to put them away once I sat down, totally hinky… but I did see a few things…"
"Abby you tell me what you saw right now or I'm gonna become more bear than Papa…"
She took in a breath. "The name I saw on all the files was Bridgestone…or was it Stone Bridge….no I'm pretty sure it was Bridgestone…."
"What else?"
"I saw a picture of someone; he could've passed for a younger Ducky…"
"Maybe it was…" Gibbs said to himself. "Okay, Abs, good work. Lay low, and keep your head down."
She sensed him about the end the call. "Wait, wait, wait…I called for that but also cuz I gotta do something and I'm really freaking out about it…"
"What?"
"That excuse I made up, it was that my Mass Spec was broken…and Ducky's coming down here to fix it in a few minutes…"
"Abs, it's Ducky. Just have him call me when he comes down, leave the interrogating to me…."
She sighed. "I meant about my mass spec, I've been standing here for the last five minutes with a hammer and I can't bring myself to do it…"
He tried to smile. "Then don't….and have Ducky call me!"
When the phone call ended it suddenly dawned on her that she didn't have to hurt it. She picked up a few band aids and placed them at random spots; just as Ducky appeared behind her.
"What's seems to be the problem my dear?"
"McGee, wake up we are here." She nudged his shoulder.
"You don't honestly think I was sleeping do you?" He sat up and rubbed his eyes. "You sure this is the place?"
Ziva mocked the voice of the GPS. "Arriving at destination on left…" She gestured at the home. "We are here."
He slipped his side arm into his holster and watched Ziva do the same. "Ready to chat with a real Scotsmen?"
She agreed. "Anything will be better than Tony's impersonations…."
Tim met her met at the end of the drive way. "How do you want to play this?"
But before she could answer; gun fire erupted from the house, causing both of them to race towards the door with their weapons drawn…
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