Tim had finally accepted that Pete's injuring wasn't his fault and headed home, leaving a shell shocked team behind. As the date stared accusingly at them, the cogs in the collective mind of team Gibbs started turning, Tim's birthday was a month ago yesterday. He was blaming himself; torturing himself; hence the bad mood he hadn't been able to shake.
Gibbs felt broken, Tim and Tony were the sons he never had and that one had been hurt in such a way and he the all-knowing Gibbs never noticed? How was this possible? More importantly how did he fix it? A serial killer out there meant no down time. He couldn't afford Tim more than tonight but he felt in the bottom of this stomach the physical pain that promised McGee would be helped if it were with Jethro's last breath.
The urge to follow Tim and hold him, comfort him, make him forget the past burned through Tony, an unquenchable fire. Tony knew while McGee did not need or even want his love, his friendship would be key on paving the path beyond the abyss of pain that blocked him now, his own pain at this would be forgotten if McGee was protected from any further pain. Tony's eyes are drawn to Anna and spikes of anger distort his vision.
She knew.
She knew and never told him.
But..
The anger coursing through him fades as quickly as it had come Tony was no fool, Anna was it good person, Tony knew keeping silent would have killed her almost as much as Tim's admission had affected him. Together they would help build Tim again; Team Gibbs and Anna, Tim's past had no hope. Tony was sure of it, he had to believe it or he would stop functioning.
Abby was torn, hate and love battled within her. Abby had known the second when McGee stopped loving her and the months later when he transferred it silently to an unsuspecting other. Her askings for a relationship had been a drowning man's raft she had clung to it. In truth she knew he would not say yes, but her Tim never knew how to say it worrying about hurting her so she had clung to the hope that by some miracle he would say yes. That her kind, considerate always thinking of others McGee had been hurt in this way was agonising torture that blotted all thoughts, darkening the very light of the sun, it was unspeakable. Abby wanted vengeance, retribution and maybe then the tattered remains of her heart would find peace and the glue to fix it and McGee would appear.
Ziva was a cold blooded, cold-hearted killer, everyone knew but in this moment she wanted nothing more than to find this priest as make him pay for every second her McGee suffered. Her McGee? When did Tim become hers? He was her best friend, she loved him and trusted her with her life, but that love was purely platonic wasn't it? The burning pain in her heart that moaned at the past ghosts haunting McGee's eyes begged to differ. As the pain in McGee's voice forced itself to the forefront of her mind she realised she loved McGee. She would help McGee heals then hope for something more. A plan calmed the screaming killing machine inside her but still her fingers subconsciously stroked the trigger of her gun in a almost caress.
Anna had known Timmy. Anna had known Pete. She had never known the secret they shared was this awful. She knew that Timmy would need all she could offer and more. Anna wanted to crawl into a ball on the floor and scream herself hoarse but number six was never far from her thoughts. He must be caught.
Can McGee be helped with number six on the lose?
Who does Tim love?
Tony?
Abby?
Ziva?
Anna?
Let me know what you think? I must confess, I worry I am writing to maybe 1 person so here's the deal 6 reviews = 1 chapter per week. 12 = 2 per week, etc etc. OK?
PS (Less than 6 = No chapters)
