Bespectacled eyes bore into the homeowner, needlessly seeking the truth behind them. Gibbs gazed back, supremely unaffected by the scrutiny. A tension built between the old friends as Ducky pondered furiously, his brow creased along his well worn worry lines. Knowing that it was counterproductive to hurry the doctor along, Gibbs bit his tongue with difficulty. There was something clearly bothering his trusted pal and he needed to get to the bottom of it. But, as the silence propelled forwards a jot more than he could handle, he cleared his throat and peeled apart his lips.
"What is Palmer trying to protect you from, Duck?"
The smaller of the two jerked visibly at his words, so lost was he to his reverie. Sighing a thousand sighs, he threw his hands up in defeat. It was something he should have told Gibbs, who was technically his boss, a long time ago. But the longer the secret festered, the harder it was to unveil. He had cursed himself for succumbing to the ego of shame, and as he looked slowly at his old friend, he cursed himself all the more.
He cleared his throat and braced himself for the beginnings of truthfulness, and all that went with it.
"From you, Jethro," he said with profound sadness, "Jimmy… was trying to protect me from you."
The air that tickled Gibbs' tonsils as he gaped was oddly chilling. Staring mutely with wide eyes, he merely stood motionless for a moment. Whatever he had been expecting Ducky to say, it sure as hell wasn't that. Confusion engulfed him, followed by a swift bout of weariness. The girls had already taken his day's supply of patience and understanding, and as he stared at his lifetime friend, he was utterly empty. Sensing this, Ducky smiled a small smile and placed his cup gently upon the counter as Gibbs let out a bewildered "from me?"
Anticipation coated the walls as the two stared at each other, each finding words somewhat of a challenge. Ducky found his loquaciousness first, and braced himself for the possibility of tumultuous change.
"I must confess Jethro that I have been keeping something from you. And…after I tell you…"
He looked away for a brief moment, before locking eyes with a now pale looking Gibbs once more.
"After I tell you…you may very well be inclined and damned entitled to find yourself a new Medical Examiner."
…
A/N: I know this is short, but I need it for the way I want to do the next chapter, which will be up soon.
_Inks
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