Morning found Tim waking up reluctantly. In an untypical move, he curled himself up and remained huddled under the blanket that he somehow came to be under. He remembered everything from last night and was unwilling to face the day. He'd already gotten knocked down enough lately. Today would not go well if he had to climb back into that ring.

Gibbs watched from his chair next to the couch, as Tim woke up, took a minute to stretch and immediately curled up into a ball in obvious reluctance to face the world. Silently, he left him alone and headed into the kitchen to fix breakfast. No matter how defeated the young man felt, he still needed to eat. After he set breakfast out on the table along with fresh coffee, he went back to the living room to put his foot down, make his agent get up and face whatever was coming with the day. He was brought up short by the sight of Tim no longer huddled ion the couch, but standing at his french doors looking out over his back yard, seemingly lost in his thoughts. The young man's shoulders were slouched with the weight of his thoughts.

"Hey." Gibbs quietly but firmly broke through Tim's thoughts. "Breakfast." As he turned to head back to the kitchen, he caught Tim's movement away from the doors out of the corner of his eye. As they sat down to breakfast together, the older man couldn't help but scrutinize his agent, needing to know how he was doing. It looked like he'd slept pretty well. Maybe talking things out with Gibbs had lifted the weight off his shoulders enough to make the difference. The uncomforable silence dragged on between them bringing more signs of embarrassment and misery to Tim's eyes as each minute that passed. Not only were his eyes full of what he was feeling, but he was restlessly shifting in his seat and merely pushing his food around on his plate, not eating a single bite. Finally, overcome with frustration, he set his fork down and pushed his plate aside in favor of his coffee cup; something he could anchor his restless hands around.

"Talk to me." Gibbs encouraged, hating to see him struggle like this.

"I already told you everything I can." Tim put out there.

"Okay. So, what's the problem?" Gibbs was confused.

Tim looked up at him at his question with disbelief written all over his face.

"What am I missing?" Gibbs pushed.

"I told you I need to leave the team. You haven't said anything about it. Does this mean you're changing your mind and accepting my resignation?" Tim asked timidly.

"No. I already told you; you're not leaving us." Gibbs reaffirmed quietly. "Just because you think you have to, doesn't make it so."

"What about..." Tim started to ask.

"Doesn't matter." Gibbs cut him off.

"Boss..."

"McGee! It. Doesn't. Matter." Gibbs insisted in his no nonsense tone.

"Yes, Sir." Tim said in all seriousness.

"McGee!" Gibbs bit out.

"No, I get it, Boss, I do. But, I'm not sure." Tim defended himself.

"Not sure of what?" the bossman pushed much more calmly.

"Abby." they both said together, neither of them smiling.

Tim suddenly got up, pressurized like a cork out of a wine bottle; obviously still stressed out. As he took himself over to the sink, reaching out to hold on with both hands, his breathing becoming ragged.

"McGee?" Gibbs got up and stepped over to his agent to make sure he was okay and not slipping into a panic attack.

"I'm okay." Tim struggled to get out as his unexplained fear continued to climb and attempted to take over his thoughts.

"No. You're not. Look at me." Gibbs directed firmly, seeing the need for his more forceful tone coming.

As Tim turned to look at his boss, Gibbs was shocked at the fear residing in his eyes.

"Talk to me. This is more than you worried about Abby. What is it?"

Tim shook his head slightly and moved off away from the sink, on into the living room and opened the french doors in a hurry, launching himself out onto the back porch, pulling in large breaths of fresh air. Sitting down, in an attempt to calm himself down, he was surprised to suddenly have a comforting hand squeeze his shoulder and another one hand him a paper bag to breathe into.

Several tense minutes later Tim had his breathing under control and the emotions that had driven the episode had been put back under wraps. Feeling he was just coming back from a different world, Tim looked around him trying to regain his bearings. Seeing Gibbs patiently waiting with concern on his face made Tim feel bad. Before he could apologise, Gibbs asked him:

"Okay now?"

"Yeah. I'm okay, thanks to you." Tim said with open gratitude.

"Good. Now, tell me what's runnin' through that brilliant mind of yours that isn't letting you even eat breakfast." Gibbs directed firmly.

"I don't wanna do this." the young man said with obvious guilt.

"Tim, no one is gonna judge you for that." Gibbs promised him solomnly.

"But I have to do it." Tim told him with the conviction that it was the right thing, the only thing to do.

"Okay. I get that. Just so we're clear; is this what you're so afraid of?" Gibbs felt the need to keep pushing. Somehow, he knew there was more here.

"I'm not really sure, Boss." Tim admitted.

"So, you need to slow that brain of yours down and take things one step at a time. Obviously, you're trying to solve everything that's running through it right now and that's not working for you." Gibbs strongly advised him.

"Don't know if I can," Tim answered. "Been a long time since I could do that."

"I know.. Let's start with the first thing that you think of when I ask you what's on your mind. And we already know you're worried about Abby's reaction, so for the moment, discount that worry." the bossman directed.

"The fact that you haven't said anything yet." Tim carefully admitted.

"About?" Gibbs pushed, unsure of what it was exactly Tim was looking for.

"Boss, I told you I was scared that you'd think less of me for not wanting this and you have yet to deny that you do." Tim finally put out there in total exasperation.

"McGee. Why would I think less of you when I've been pushing you to be true to yourself, to put yourself first?" Gibbs was confused.

"Why wouldn't you after what happened to your family?" Tim doggedly pushed back.

"Apples and oranges." the older man quietly answered him.

"We're still talking about a child." his agent just as quietly replied, painfully pushing Gibbs to see where he exactly he was coming from.

"You do what you feel is right. No one; I repeat, no one, has the right to judge you for that. That includes me." Gibbs told him in his best authoritative tone.

"That's not what I'm asking you, Boss." Tim said in defeat, having already figured out he'd been right and Gibbs did think less of him now.

"Tim. it would take a hell ova lot more than you being honest with yourself when backed into a corner like you have been, for me to think less of you." Gibbs vowed.

"So you don't..." Tim pushed.

"I don't think any less of you not wanting this pushed on you just because I lost my own child." Gibbs promised him with quiet conviction.

The relief that washed over Tim's face was so blatant, it seemed to literally erase the stress that had surrounded the young man since he'd woken up that morning. It was at that moment that Gibbs realized just how important not losing any standing with Gibbs was to this guy. Why hadn't he realized it before?

Seemingly renewed in spirit, Tim smiled in such relief, Gibbs could only smile back at him as he watched the young man head back into the kitchen and dig into his breakfast. Gibbs followed back into the kitchen and joined him at the table, also working on his breakfast.

An hour later had both agents heading out the door for the office, the silence between them now, much more relaxed, They'd already discussed that Tim didn't have to face Abby alone at elast for the time being and that his unwillingness to be a father could be kept just between them. That had seemed to lift that last of the weight off Tim's shoulders. The young man was actually beginning to look like his old self again. Gibbs had even allowed them to start the day off late. Here it was ten in the morning already and they were just heading in. The fact that no active case had come in had helped.

Once in the squad room. Tim got right to work checking his emails and "To Do" list from other departments. Gibbs headed down to check on Abby. Tony had called him to report that she was fine. He'd left her place late, staying until after she'd fallen asleep. Walking into the lab, Gibbs was surprised to find no music playing. Looking around him. Gibbs was unclear where his lab rat was at the moment. Turning to leave because he didn't see her, he froze when he finally did see her, huddlled in the corner by her window, staring up at the light of the outside world. Something was definately wrong.

"Abby?" Gibbs tried to break through whatever she was thinking about.

"Gibbs!" Abby cried as she came back to the present and threw herself into his arms.

As he wrapped his arms around her to keep them from falling over, he felt her shoulders shaking with the strength of her sobs."Abby, what's wrong?"

"Itwasafalsealarm." she sputtered through her sobs.

"Abby, calm down." Gibbs sternly directed. "You need to calm down. It's not good for you or the baby for you to be this upset."

Abby struggled to calm herself down. She was heartbroken. Even though this hadn't been planned and she had a pretty good idea that Tim's reaction had been bad, the news she'd been handed this morning was crushing. To distract herself from it, she decided to ferrett out what she could from Gibbs.

"Tony said you talked to McGee last night," Abby said when she'd stopped crying. "Did you tell him? How did he take it?" she pushed.

"Abby. First, you tell me what it is that has you so upset." Gibbs redirected the conversation. "Tell me again, only this time slower."

Abby looked away, suddenly feeling less than confident in Gibbs' presence. How would he take this?

"Why won't you tell me?" Abby pushed for own answers.

"Abby!" Gibbs voice gained in strength and volume, serious signs she was pushing his limits.

With her voice full of sorrow and regret, Abby told him: I found out this morning that it was a false positive. I'm not pregnant."

Hearing the sharply indrawn breath from behind them, Gibbs turned around to see Tim standing there in shock, his face white and his knuckles getting close to translucent. As Gibbs turned to step over to his agent, the young man locked eyes with him for a long second, before the young man turned and disaapeared.