I didn't have a chance to personally respond to the reviews I have recently gotten - I offer my apologizes. Thank you to all of you. I am so appreciative of you who are reading and those who are reviewing.
Anyway - on with the story. Disclaimer: I own none of NCIS, but wishing ...
Abby went all the way to the bullpen with Gibbs. She had to see Tim for herself.
The elevator ride was quiet the entire way.
When they stepped out, Gibbs went straight to his desk. Abby took a moment to look around. She saw the airmen at the doors of the outside elevator and the Staff Sergeant standing as Ziva's desk, keeping a discrete eye on McGee.
DiNozzo was watching McGee as well, but he had a look on his face that Abby had rarely seen before. It took her a few moments to realize that it wasn't just annoyance, it was jealousy. Jealous of what?
Abby smiled and then followed Tony's gaze. She saw McGee hard at work, as always, and then had to take a double take. Ziva was leaning forward with her hand on his shoulder and a small smile played on her lips. Abby looked again at Tim, he seemed oblivious to Ziva even being there.
She figured Ziva stepped in where Tony wanted to be. She smiled more. Tim is going to have all of us fighting over him! But, I have the advantage! I know him the best!
She walked over to his desk. "Hey, McGee! How's it going?" She said in her most 'normal' Abby voice.
Ziva sat back and took her hand off of his shoulder. McGee looked up and smiled, however it didn't reach his eyes, "Hey Abby. Lots to go through. You?"
Abby's smile waiver for a moment as she saw the storm in his eyes. "Same here. Let me know if you need any help."
"Sure Abs." McGee was trying so hard just to be himself, but Abby could see that he felt uncomfortable in his own skin.
Abby fought hard to keep the smile on her face, right now she was the one who needed physical contact. "Tim …?"
He knew exactly what she wanted, so he stood, held out his arms and braced himself. Abby seemed to come through the desk in her rush to get into his embrace.
"Don't worry Abby, it's all going to be ok."
"You promise?" She squeezed and closed her eyes. If she had looked around the bullpen, she would have seen four displeased faces. Gibbs, Tony, Ziva, and Roger wanted everything to focus on Tim's needs.
McGee however, was grateful to have the attention off of him for a moment. Full filling someone else's needs was so much easier than dealing with his own. Also, he was not used to all the attention, he had gotten comfortable being the 'behind-the-scenes' support. He knew he was important to his team, but there were a lot of times that he faded into the background, it was where he fit. Now, not only did he have his past coming back to bite him in the ass, but he was out of his comfort zone.
He kissed the top of Abby's head. "I promise."
Abby was enjoying feeling of her friend's hug and hugged back harder. It was definitely better than the stiff hug he had given in Vance's office, but it still wasn't still a true Timothy McGee hug.
McGee enjoyed the hug for a moment, but started to get uncomfortable. Not only was everyone watching, but Abby was holding on a little too tight, and it was bringing back memories of being held down … of being marked … of being assaulted. He closed his eyes and chastised himself. This is Abby for heavens sake! Not … Why do I feel like this! Get it together, Tim!
Ziva was watching McGee closely. She knew that he would always put everyone's needs ahead of his own, especially Abby's. When he stood to hug Abby, Ziva shifted so that she could watch his face. When he closed his eyes, she saw the anguish. She took a moment to school her emotions before opening her mouth. "Abby, there is much that we all have to go through, yes?"
Abby nodded against McGee's chest and pulled back. He opened his eyes and plastered a fake smile on his face before she could take a good look at him, but as always, his eyes gave him away.
"Timmy?"
"Ziva's right, we all have a lot of work to do." He took a step back from Abby, but kept the fake smile up so as not to offend her.
She wasn't fooled, took a step towards him and reached out. It was the wrong thing to do. He took another step back, trying very hard to keep smiling.
Gibbs and DiNozzo saw what was happening. Tony's desk was closer, he got up and walked up behind Abby. He very gently put his arm around Abby's waist. "Hey Abby, I think I found something and I need your help with it."
Abby looked up at Tony. "But …' she looked back to McGee.
"I'm sure McGoo is going to have us buried under enough information from his searches soon enough. Come on, I want the chance to show him what can be done with good old fashioned detective work." Tony winked at both Tim and Abby.
McGee's smile didn't change, but his eyes soften a little. He nodded to both of them.
"Oh, okay. Sure, Tony." Abby said, her voice was full of confusion.
DiNozzo pulled on Abby's waist and she reluctantly went with him. He turned her to face way from McGee, but Abby looked over her shoulder at him. Ziva had placed a hand on his upper arm and was softly pushing him back into his chair. Her hand drifted up to his shoulder where it rested.
McGee had a far away look to him, but Ziva once again, whispered something to him that only he could hear. He closed his eyes as Ziva spoke. When she was done, he looked up at her with appreciation. Ziva just smiled and gestured towards his computer. He nodded and got back to work.
Abby turned back to Tony and started to say something. He put his finger to her lips and mouthed the word 'wait'. Neither one said anything while they waited for the elevator.
Gibbs and Ziva watched the elevator door close behind Tony and Abby. They then looked at each other. Gibbs nodded in understanding and went back to his own work. Ziva went back to her spot on Tim's shelving.
Roger had watched everything in amazement. The non-vocal communication was flawless and everyone was tuned into what Tim needed. Well, almost everyone, but no one was going to let Tim falter. Roger, once again, hid a smile to himself.
XXX
As soon as the door closed behind Tony and Abby, she rounded on him. "What the hell was that all about!"
Tony sighed, "Abby …" He reached over and flipped the emergency stop switch.
"I mean Timmy's always loves my hugs! Why would he get freaked out now!"
"Abby …" His voice was louder.
"And Ziva! Thinking she knows what Timmy needs better than I do! Nobody knows Timmy better than me!" She now understood why Tony had been wearing a jealous expression earlier.
"ABBY!"
She paused in her ranting, breathing heavy. "It's not fair Tony! He needs …"
"He needs Ziva. As much as I hate to admit it, she is the only one who can be close to Tim right now." Tony crossed his arms in front of him.
"Why … why her?"
"Because they're the same."
"What?" Now she was really confused. Ziva and Tim were very opposite sides of any spectrum. She shook her head. "No way Tony, they're as different as night and day, as …"
"They've both been through torture … and rape." Tony practically gagged on the word. "Ziva is the only one of us who knows what Tim is going through and what he is going to need to help deal with it."
She looked blankly at him. "When …"
DiNozzo shook his head. "Come on Abby, your no dummy." She still stared blankly. "Somalia."
Her face fell. "Oh." She took a moment to think. "Did she ever tell you?"
He looked right into Abby's eyes. "She didn't have to. It was in all of the thing she left unsaid and the way she carried herself when she got back." He reached out and placed his hands on Abby's shoulders. "As much as I want to be the one that Tim leans on, I'll never be able to completely understand like Ziva can. We have to put what we want aside and put what Tim needs to the fore front."
"Of course! That's what I was doing! He needed a hug!"
"No Abby, you needed the hug. You know Tim will never say no to what you want."
Abby pushed his hands off of her. "How can you be so mean!"
Tony stepped closer, a very serious expression on his face. "I know this is hard Abby, but if you can't separate your needs from his, I'll get you pulled from this case."
"WHAT!"
He took another step forward. "I'm serious Abs. I don't care if you're Gibbs favorite. This time, it's all about McGee. If you can't handle what his needs may or may not be, then you're no good for his case."
Abby studied Tony's face. He wasn't talking to her as a Special Agent, he was talking to her in full 'big brother' mode. This cooled Abby's torrent of emotions. She knew how much Tim meant to everyone on the team. She liked to think of Tim as hers, since they had been 'involved' once and still shared a special friendship, but he had become important to them all.
She huffed, knowing Tony was right. She had hugged McGee for her, not him and didn't even notice his discomfort. "I'm sorry. It's just that I've always been able to lean on him. Not being able to this time because he's the one in need is … strange. Will you help keep me in line?"
DiNozzo's face soften, but his eyes stayed intense. "You know I will."
Abby swatted his arm. "Be nice Tony." She smiled brightly to him. "This is new for me. Believe it or not, Tim is not usually very needy."
Tony's eyes finally soften to match his face. "For all of us Abs. Somehow Tim has become the strong silent type." Tony shook his head. "Who would have figured that stuttering, terrified, green as John Deere, agent would have turned into the pillar of the team."
Abby switched the elevator back on and shook her head. "Gibbs is the pillar."
"No, Abs. Gibbs is our foundation, but Tim keeps all of us going when things get tough. When Kate and Jenny died, when Gibbs left, when Ziva did, Tim was there to keep the rest of us going."
Abby took a moment to think about it. "He's always there to offer support professionally, personally, emotionally, anything we need. I think it's time to return the favor."
DiNozzo smiled, reached over and kissed the side of Abby's head. "Me too."
The elevator doors opened, Abby gave him a quick hug, smiled at him and went back to her lab.
The smile faded from his face as the doors closed. "Me too."
XXXX
Tony thought about his own words on his ride back to the bullpen. After their little talk in the men's room, he thought that McGee was going to be leaning on him for support. Also, he wanted to show Tim that he was nothing like the guys who had tortured him all those years ago. He wanted his chance to show the 'big brother' side he always felt, but rarely showed.
He had been watching Tim, too, when his hands started shaking. Tony had started to get up to help, but had to admit, he didn't know what he was going to say.
Ziva was right there, all she had to do was lean over! Whatever she said to McGee really did the trick. While Gibbs was down with Ducky, he had started to shake a couple of more times. All Ziva had to do was place her hand on his shoulder and the shaking would stop.
It was aggravating … but it was what Tim needed. By telling Abby, Tony re-enforced his own words to himself. This was all about McGee this time, all other needs and wants had to be pushed to the side, both Abby's and his own.
We can fight over Tim later. DiNozzo smiled at his own thought and was ready with his usual smirk when the elevator doors opened.
