Thank you all so much for you reviews and alerts and for your continued support. I really appreciate it. This is a rather long chapter. I hope you like it :)

Chapter 36

The next four days were pretty uneventful, in the McGee household and at NCIS. But starting with the Thursday morning everything started to unravel at once.

Abby was checking Jess's homework sheet from the night before and couldn't believe what she saw. Jess must have taken leave of her senses because she had coloured the whole sheet in purple marker. No writing could be seen anywhere. "OH Jess! Why would you do that?" Abby asked desperately.

"I was makin it pretty." She answered innocently but with an air of apprehension. She could see by the look of annoyance on her mother's face that this probably hadn't been a wise choice. Abby sighed. "Oh well. You'll just have to take it in like that tomorrow and I'll send a note explaining what happened. But don't do that again sweetie." she said brushing out the little girls hair as fast as she could. "Homework is not for playing."

Tim arrived at Jess door wincing at the look that was already on his wife's face and he hadn't delivered his news yet. "Sorry Abs, I'm gonna have to go. We have a case. Tony and Ziva are picking me up so you'll have the car to drop the kids off."

"Thanks McGee." Abby said sighing again. Great! She thought.

"Tim kissed her gently on the lips and then bent down to kiss Jess. "Be good today Jess."

"I will Daddy." She said. Tim looked at the homework and smiled at Abby. We'll sort something out tonight. Abby braided Jess hair and went to wake Sarah up for the third time.

"OK Sarah. I'm serious this time. GET UP! NOW!" Abby said tapping her lightly on the backside.

"Geez Abby. You don't have to shout. All you had to do was ask nicely." Sarah said dragging herself out of bed and heading for the shower.

"I did ask nicely." Abby said to the closed door. "Twice. You don't hear nice in the morning you only hear loud." The door opened a crack.

"You say something Abs?" Sarah said cheekily.

"Never mind." Abby said. "Be ready in ten minutes, we're getting drive thru McDonald's on the way to school.

"MOM!" Dylan was shouting from his room. "MOM!" "MOM!" Abby rushed in to see what was wrong.

"What's wrong Dyl?" she asked concerned.

"I can't find my shoes." He said.

"Are you serious? You yelled at me from three rooms away because you couldn't find your shoes? How could you lose your shoes anyway?"

"I think I left them at Toby's house." Great! Abby thought. Where's my cell phone. After hunting through her bedroom and the kitchen, she finally found her cell on the bed in Jess room. Before she could dial, there was a knock on the front door. She went to answer it and found Toby carrying Dylan's shoes.

"Thankyou, thankyou, thankyou Toby." Abby said kissing him on the cheek. "We'll see you at school honey. We're running a bit late."

"OK." He said brightly before running off. Abby managed to hustle everyone along and with in ten minutes they were driving through the drive thru at McDonalds. Abby put in their order and paid and then gave the bag to Sarah who distributed the food. As usual there were complaints and bickering, poking and snatching until Abby pulled the car over to the side of the road and beeped the horn.

"Whatever it is that Sarah passes to you....." she said in a deadly quiet voice."Is your breakfast this morning. Eat it. Not one more word out of anyone. If I actually have to stop this car again. NOONE is gonna like what happens. Got it?"

Silence and three nodding heads told her that they had received the message. Another five minutes and they were in front of Sarah's school. "Bye Abby." She said quietly.

"Bye Hun! Love you." Abby said with a smile. Next Abby pulled up outside Jess and Dyl's school. Abby checked her watch. Fantastic. Five minutes late. She'd have to sign them in. Unbuckling her belt she jumped out and got the kids out of the car. Taking Jess hand she walked the kids up to the main building and towards the office. "Hi. I'm sorry, we're running a bit late, could I sign the kids in please so they can go to class?"

"Sure." the smiling lady behind the counter said. Thank God. Abby thought, the nice one is on. "Here you go." She said passing Abby the late book. She passed the kids each a slip to take to their teacher and told them to hurry. Abby kissed the kids goodbye and turned to hand the book back. Great the nice one had gone and the B.......Not so nice one was there.

"So....Mrs McGee. Will we be seeing you at the bake sale tomorrow? I noticed that you didn't return the note that was sent home." Abby looked mystified.

"UM....What note?" she said.

"We sent notes out to every student on Monday about tomorrow's bake sale."

"I didn't get a note!" Abby said. The woman looked at her wryly.

"I didn't I'm telling you! I would have noticed a note.........wait, was it about the size of a home work sheet?"

"Yes it would be."

"Sh.........shivers. I think that Jess may have coloured it in completely with purple marker.I thought it was her homework. Well not that we'd normally let her colour her homework sheet in. If we noticed. Not that we wouldn't notice her doing that. But well, you can't watch them all the time and well s.......stuff happens. Doesn't it?" she said wincing at her own words and the look on the not so nice lady's face.

"Does it Mrs McGee? More to you than most it seems." Abby narrowed her eyes and sucked in a breath in a hope that she might be able to control herself from saying what she really wanted to.

"Could I have another information sheet about the bake sale please." She said in a measured tone.

"Well we really only hand out one sheet per family. Paper waste and costs you know." The b........not so nice one said.

"Here's what's gonna happen." Abby said with her eyes narrowed dangerously by now. "You're going to give me, the damn note about the bake sale. And this afternoon, when I pick up my children, I will bring you a WHOLE PACKET of f........fresh paper to s.........stash or use anyway that you would like." The nice woman leaned over the nasty one and handed Abby a note.

"Thankyou so much." Abby said to her with a smile. And she left.

When Abby got to her lab, extremely late now, thanks to the stupid woman at the school, she turned on her babies and got the note out of her bag.

THIS FRIDAY'S BAKE SALE

PARENTS ARE ASKED TO DONATE HOMEMADE

CAKES, MUFFINS OR COOKIES TO OUR STALLS!

WE WOULD ALSO APPRECIATE IT IF ANY DEDICATED

PARENTS COULD COME AND HELP SORT, PRICE AND SELL

THE BAKED GOODS ON THE DAY.

FRIENDS AND FAMILY ARE ENCOURAGED

TO COME ALONG AND BUY OUR WARES!

PROCEEDS WILL BE GOING TO OUR WINTER APPEAL!

"That's tomorrow!" she said out loud. Fishing her cell out of her pocket she speed dialled Tim.

"McGee." He answered. He pulled the phone away from his ear a little as Abby started her rant. He was taking crime scene photographs so he put the call on speaker.

"It wasn't homework McGee! It was a note. She must have had it since Monday although I don't know where she had it hidden, I would have found it. But I didn't Tim and now it's a big mess because it's tomorrow, and I've gotta bake and go there and put on prices. How would I know how much a cake costs McGee? I don't even know how to make those little kid cakes. I could make some cookies I guess but I'll have to do two lots 'cause it's for Dyl too. He didn't get the note because he wasn't at school on Monday. How can they trust a six year old with an important note anyways? TIMMY Are you listening to me?"

"Abs? Slow down honey. I know that this seems really important but we have a dead marine here and...." Gibbs stood staring at McGee. "I've gotta go Abby. I'll talk to you when we get back. I know......" Gibbs took his phone and closed it.

"It's a bake sale McGee not a national incident. Get back to work."

"On it Boss." He said staring at his phone. The day could only get better from here couldn't it?

When Gibbs and the three agents brought the evidence down to Abby's lab, It was to a very cold reception from Abby.

Tim tried ,but she wouldn't speak to him. "Abs honey, come on. I was at a crime scene. I had important things..... Ok, I know this bake sale is important too but you know that there's a time window to get the evidence bagged and tagged and the photos taken.

"Geez McGee, anyone would think you processed the scene all by yourself." Abby said spitefully. Gibbs intervened.

"Tim, go back up and start with the paper work and the bank records. You can see Abby in a couple of hours. Maybe she'll be in a better frame of mind then." Abby glared at Gibbs then at Tim and back to Gibbs again. "We have work to do Abby. Do you think you're going to need some help to focus?" he said giving her a stern look.

"No Gibbs." She said signing off on the evidence. Tony and Ziva got out of there as quickly as they could.

As Abby started processing the evidence, she answered Gibbs questions but her answers were very clipped and to the point. Gibbs eventually gave up and started to leave. Thinking better of leaving her in this mood, he came back and whispered in her ear. "Thin ice Abby. Thin ice." He smacked her once on the backside and left.

Abby did all she could with the evidence and then there wasn't much more she could do but wait for the results. She decided to ring Kim. "Hi." She said sadly.

"What's wrong?" Kim said reading Abby's tone.

"It's this Bake sale. I only just found out about it this morning and now I have to bake, well first I have to go buy the stuff to bake and THEN bake and then package it all up, for two kids and we're in the middle of a case so God knows what time I'm gonna get out of here."

"Slow down. I'm home Abby. Why don't I just do extras and then you can pick them up on your way home."

"That's a really nice offer Kim, but this is my kids first bake sale. I wanted to do it myself." Abby explained.

"Ok, then you'll have to go the no bake route. Look up fridge recipes."

"What the hell is a fridge recipe?"

"It's like stuff that you can make that goes in the fridge instead of the oven." Kim said.

"Sounds like the sort of stuff that mothers who can't cook make." Abby said.

"Well, not necessarily Abby, it's also for mothers who are too busy or ...' Abby cut her off.

"I don't want people to think I'm too busy for my kids. I'll bake! Like everyone else." She said. "I better go, Mr King of the crime scene is here."

"A little less of the sarcasm would be nice Abby." He took her chin between his fingers and forced her face up to look at him. " I'm giving you a bit of leeway here because I know you've had a bad day. But I won't put up with it for ever so be warned. I treat you with respect and I expect you to treat me the same way."

Seeing Abby's face soften he pulled her into a hug. "Now do you want to try and tell me calmly what the problem is?"

Abby thrust the note at him. "The thing that Jess coloured in was the same size as her homework sheet,so I assumed that's what it was. But, I think it must have been this note." Tim quickly read the note.

"What's the big problem. I'm sure Gibbs will gibe you a couple of hours off tomorrow."

"What about the baking Tim?" she asked.

"Well, it says on here cookies." he said pointing to the section. "We'll just go and buy a lot of packets of cookies and tip them into a container and send those." He said.

Abby punched Tim in the arm. "TIMOTHY MCGEE!!! Are you suggesting that I cheat? I thought you said that cheating is cheating."

"It's only cheating Abby if you don't tell them that you bought them."Tim said. "Tell them we were busy."

"Why don't you just get me a hat with BAD MOMMY on it McGee!" she said hands on hips. "If I was gonna do that , I would have taken Kim up on her offer."

"Kim offered?" Tim asked hopefully."We could pay her."

"I turned her down. I'm gonna do it myself." Abby said stubbornly.

"Abby do you think that that's a good idea?" Tim asked.

"Obviously you don't. Thankyou Timmy for the vote of confidence." She said stomping around the lab noisily in her platform shoes.

"I'm not saying you can't do this Abby, I'm just saying we are working parents. There must be an easier way. What about a bakery?" Abby narrowed her eyes. Putting her hand behind her, she picked up the first thing that she felt from her desk and through it at Tim. Luckily, he ducked. But after turning around and spying Abby's stapler on the ground, his blood started to boil. He bent to pick it up and brought it over to where Abby was standing. "You just missed me by about a quarter of an inch Abby. Anything to say for yourself?"

"UM.... sorry?" she offered. "I didn't mean it."

"You will be and yes you did." He said crossly. "You were aiming for my head."

Tim grabbed her and tucked her under his arm. His rapid fire spanks set her bottom on fire with a few minutes. It didn't take long until she was spouting apologies and promises all over the place." Tim stopped. All he wanted to do really was make her calm down a tad. Once she got herself into such a state that she started throwing things,he knew it would be a down hill spiral until he did something.

Abby stood up pouting and rubbing her bottom. "I'm sorry Timmy." She said.

"Are you gonna stop now?"Tim said.

"Stop what McGee?" she said still slightly moodily. Have you not had enough he said pulling her back under his arm.

"No! no, no, I have Timmy I promise...... I just wanna be a good Mom."

"You are a good Mom Abs. I fail to see what baking has to do with that. But if that's what makes you happy I'll comprimise. We'll go to the supermarket on the way home and buy the supplies for what ever you want to make. But we are also buying packet mixes in case the other stuff doesn't turn out. Deal?"

"Deal! And you'll help me?"

"Of course I will." He said smiling.

"Thanks Timmy. You're the best!" she said grinning and hugging him tight. AS Timmy got into the elevator he said a silent prayer that this good mood would hold. He really needed a back up plan just in case.

When he got to the bullpen, Tim made a beeline for Ziva's desk. "Ziva." He said smiling.

"Yes Tim. How can I help you? I believe that baking is the problem."

"Ah yes. Abby's good at some cooking, but she doesn't know much about cup cakes and stuff like that." He said.

"McGee, I would gladly help you, but I already offered, Abby is determined to do this herself." She said.

"Ok." He said sadly. "She's a scientist right? She should be able to follow a recipe."

"Yes she should." Ziva smiled.

"Then why do I have such a bad feeling about this?"

Ziva chuckled. "Because this is Abby we are talking about. She never does a thing with halves."

"You mean, she never does anything by halves."

"That is what I just said."

"OK. And your right ,she doesn't."

They were finally able to get out of there by 8:00 o'clock. Luckily the case had been straightforward or it could have been much later. Jimmy had finished early so had volunteered to take the kids home to Sarah, who had them fed and in bed by the time they got home. They had stopped at the supermarket and bought their supplies, bringing the time to 9:30 by the time they were actually in the door.

Abby refused to eat dinner as she wanted to make a start on the cup cakes. She got out the recipe that she had printed out and laminated at work and placed it on the table. "Right Timmy. This recipe makes 30 cup cakes. I want to make at least a hundred."

"A hundred cup cakes Abby? How the hell are we gonna make a hundred cup cakes? It's nearly 10:00 o'clock now?"

"Then we better stop complaining and get on with it Tim!!!" she said. "Now, if we want to make this recipe make a hundred we've gotta multiply the recipe by.....you know what Timmy? I think we should just make a hundred and twenty. It'll be easier to convert the recipe........What was that Timmy? I didn't just hear you say one of those words that are 'banned from this house', did I?" she said cheekily.

"No you didn't. Yet. Wouldn't it make it just as easy if we convert the recipe to 90. The recipe by three. Works for me?"

"Well it doesn't work for me! 90 isn't enough McGee! I want to do at least a 100."

"Abby! 10 cupcakes are not going to save the winter appeal."

"And neither will you, with that attitude McGee!" she said punching him in the arm.

Tim sighed. "Let's get on with it." They started adding the ingredients to a big bowl, multiplying by four. The bowl was so full by the time they got all the ingredients in that they could hardly stir it. Mixture was slopping over the edge and on to the floor.

"Try and pick out the little pieces of egg shell if you see any Tim." Abby said.

"Will do." Tim said trying to hook out bits of eggshell with a fork. Then he read the recipe. "Abby where are our cupcake trays?"

"What's a cup cake tray?" she said panicking.

"This thing see?" he said showing her the picture.

"I don't think we have any of those Tim. I bought cup cake paper thingies." She said.

"You're supposed to put the paper thingies in these special trays." Tim said looking worried.

"Well we're just gonna have to improvise." Abby said looking in the cabinets. "Here we go, we have cookie sheets. We'll just use these." She said happily.

Tim shrugged. "If you think it won't make a difference."

Tim started laying coloured paper cases on to the cookie sheets. Each sheet held 35 cases. He filled up one sheet and passed it to Abby to start filling with the cake batter. Abby spooned the mixture into the paper cases and was quite happy with the results. She popped the tray in to the preheated oven like the recipe said, and set the timer for twenty minutes. Then she went to fill up more cases so they'd be ready to put in when the others came out.

When the timer dinged Abby and Tim rushed excitedly over to the oven to see their finished products. Abby carefully got the tray out of the oven and set it down. They looked at each other and back at the cakes. "Aren't cup cakes supposed to be round." Tim asked.

"Yes Tim they are!" Abby said angrily. "Why are ours square?"

"I don't know Abby. Unless it has something to do with not having the proper trays."

"That's it." Abby said grabbing the car keys." You start over with some more mixture Timmy, and I'll go and buy the trays."

"Freeze!" Tim said. "That's it Abby! I'm putting my foot down. You're not driving all over town looking for cup cake trays. It's after midnight! The supermarket might not even sell them and nothing else is open."

"I am!" Abby said.

"You're not!" Tim said folding his arms to match her defiance. "There's nothing wrong with these cup cakes Abby." He said softening his tone. "Anyway, since when do you care about being conventional. I'm proud that we're the first parents to make square cup cakes. Anyone can make round ones."

Abby smiled. "You're right. We'll just decorate these to make them look nice. Sorry Timmy."

"You're forgiven." He said.

"So are you." Abby said grinning.

"Oh? And what am I forgiven for?" he said with a grin.

"Thinking you have the right to stop me from doing something that I want to do." She said.

"You don't need to forgive me for that." Tim said. "I do."

"You do what?" Abby said confused.

"Have the right." Tim said smugly.

"Oh you do?" Abby asked, hiding a smile.

"Yep. I do."Tim said.

"Sometimes." Abby said smiling.

"We'll see." Tim said.

TBC