I know a lot of people didn't like the way I explained the op over the last two chapters, but I didn't want to drag it out or bog it down in the details. The story is about the relationships, not the op.

Warning: some very course language ahead, too!!

Now : Chapter 10

The group eventually broke off and returned to their own cars. They had waited until everyone had left. It was obvious that Abby had snuck out, the janitor had assured them that she wasn't in the ladies room. Jen caught a ride with Gibbs, Kelly and Tim to the ceremony, so was hitching a ride to Ducky's. Ducky in his Morgan, with Jimmy following him and Tony and Ziva in her mini following behind them. The traffic was backed up along Elm Road with a detour in place. Gibbs noted there was a traffic accident that had closed the road, partially, with diversions past the accident in place by traffic management. There was an ambulance on scene, it's lights still flashing. "Is that a hearse?" Kelly asked as they detoured around the accident.

"That's Abby's car!" Tim exclaimed and Gibbs roughly pulled over before he, Tim and Jen ran back to the scene.

Gibbs arrived first and hot on heels was Tim. "Abby!" Gibbs shouted, "Abs!"

"Abby!" Tim chorused and a paramedic from the back of the ambulance came over to talk to them. Just as the Director arrived too.

"Are you family?" He asked them and Gibbs lied.

"Yes, I am. Those two work with us." He said, gesturing to Jen and Tim. "How is she?"

"She was taken to Bethesda with a severe head injury." He told Gibbs. "The police believe she was texting and driving."

"Impossible," Gibbs denied. "Abby wouldn't do that. She knows better. She's a forensic scientist. There must be another explanation."

A Maryland PD officer came over to greet the group that had grown from a trio to include Ducky, Jimmy and Tony, with Ziva keeping Kelly company by the cars. "Hello, I'm Sergeant Holdsworth, are you Tony?" He asked Gibbs.

"No Gibbs, that's Tony there." He indicated, pointing over to his senior agent. He stood in front of Tony and showed him Abby's phone inside a familiar evidence bag and the screen was still easily read. 'Tony, going home, feeling sick, all McGee's fau …' it read. Tony had read the message out loud, not thinking to censor himself.

"It's my fault?" Tim asked the group, suddenly angry at Abby "How's it my fault?"

"It is not, Timothy." Ducky reassured him. "But we should definitely go to the hospital and see how she is."

"Count me out," Jen said sadly. "Jethro can you brief me as soon as you know more? I have a 0500 hour meeting in the morning with the Director of Homeland Security that I am not any where near prepared for." Calling for her driver and her security to come and collect her, from the scene.

"Me too," Tim added, in a resigned voice. "Since it seems to be my fault, I don't think she'll want to see me, I need to get some sleep too."

"It's not your fault." Gibbs finally whispered to Tim, his voice lacked conviction, though.

"Director, could I bother you for a lift, please?" Tim asked her politely and she could empathise with him.

"I can drop you and Kelly back at Jethro's." She confirmed and Gibbs shook his head no, at Jen's answer to Tim.

"Kelly should stay with me, take Tim to his apartment." Gibbs said and Ducky stared at him in shock, not believing his ears, or his friend. "Tim needs to be alone."

"I see," Tim sighed, walking away from the group. It was plain to Tim that despite Gibbs' words, Gibbs blamed him for Abby's accident. 'Typical Gibbs,' Tim thought, 'Abby is the centre of his whole world and everything and anything that hurts or upsets Abby is all my fault.'

"You're an idiot, Jethro." Ducky chastised him, harshly. "You said it wasn't Timothy's fault and now you are punishing the man for it."

"It's not his fault," Gibbs reiterated. "But Tim should be alone. He needs to think."

"Gibbs is right, McGee should take a long, hard look at himself, think about what he has done and how he can make it up to Abby." Tony added automatically, not thinking about his words. "Abby wouldn't have just left because she could. Obviously something happened between the two of them and he isn't saying anything." Ducky and Jen stood shocked at Tony and his words.

"I don't believe you two." The Director seethed at them. "Jethro, how is it Agent McGee's fault? Agent DiNozzo, I expected better of you. I am really disappointed in your attitude."

Tim told Kelly that her father requested her to stay with him and he'd talk to her as soon as he got his phone back. "You're all going to the hospital." He told Ziva and Kelly.

"I'm not. I have no time for Abby. She's nothing but manipulative, especially to you." Kelly argued vehemently with Tim. The Director's car pulled up and Jen came over to them.

"Ready?" She asked, as she helped Tim gather his things and his bag from the trunk of Gibbs' yellow challenger.

"Sure am." He answered, kissing Kelly chastely before turning from her and he climbed into the black SUV behind the Director.

Behind him, he was surprised to see Kelly climbing in, too. Her eyes defiant. "I told you, I'm not going." Kelly said adamantly. "Jen, can you please drop us at Tim's apartment in Silver Spring? Dad needs a reality check."

"Kel, my car?" He asked, reminding his love that he needed to collect his car from her family home.

"In the garage at your apartment. We put it there last week." She told him with a kiss and leaned back into the seat. Jen leant over and asked her driver to drop the young lovers off at Agent McGee's apartment and Tim rattled off the address for the driver.

"I can't believe Kelly just left, like that." Gibbs said out loud for the tenth time since they'd all arrived at the hospital and were all seated in the waiting room.

"I can." Ziva argued with Gibbs. "You place Abby above all else, always. In this case, you probably blamed Tim for the accident, too somehow. Kelly and Abby are not sisters. Abby is not your daughter. Kelly and Abby are not even friends. You had no business ordering her to stay with you."

"Ziva is right, Jethro." Ducky told him. "You stood in Director Shepard's office and apologised to us all, for your part in enabling Abby and her behaviour. Tony told you 'It's McGee who should be apologised to the most' - that's a direct quote there. Have you apologised to the lad yet? You did it again tonight. Both Director Shepard and myself witnessed Abby get angry when she realised that we were there to support Timothy. She removed her wrist cuffs and her rings. She was preparing to do something to him and for some reason, unbeknownst to us, she changed tactics." Ducky was angry, he walked away, hoping to calm himself down before abruptly returning. "For the record Jethro, I think you enjoy publicly humiliating that young man. He always has always bore the punishments of Abigail's actions and tonight was just another example. You didn't want your daughter here for her to support you or even for Abigail. You wanted her here to punish Timothy by separating the two of them. As for you, Anthony, I can not imagine what you think, young Timothy has done to you to deserve such disrespect."

"Where the hell is McGoo anyways? I'm tired, but I am here." Tony piped up. Ziva was mad at him and she kept elbowing him. 'I don't know what her problem is.' Tony thought. 'Just because McGeek played the sweet and innocent card with her and got his way ...' Letting his thoughts trail off.

"He has been working for over eleven weeks straight on a dangerous op, in no doubt, deep cover. I am surprised he is not already asleep on his shoes. He must be running on, only adrenaline by now." Ziva commented, angrily, trying to give Tony and Gibbs a reality check.

Kelly and Jen managed to get an exhausted and almost asleep on his feet, Tim upstairs and into his apartment without too much difficulty. As promised, Jen had double backed to the Gibbs home and grabbed Tim's weapon and credentials from Gibbs safe (which she knew the combination to), as well as packing a duffel bag for Kelly and returned within the hour, as promised. She put his weapon and credentials in his bedside table, proudly noting that his gun lock box had a biometric lock on it.

"Thank you." She told Jen, hugging the older red haired woman. A woman who had been her father's closest friend at one point. She had suspected that they'd been lovers too, but he had introduced her to Stephanie shortly after and she had quickly dropped that suspicion.

"Take care of him, Kelly." Jen told the young woman she had known since her childhood. "Get him some food into him and let him sleep. Remind him about our meeting at 1100."

Kelly showered and changed into an old tee of Tim's and climbed under the covers beside him, snuggling in and going straight back to sleep.

Gibbs was replaying in his mind, everything that had happened since he met Tim that day on the dock, in Norfolk. He knew that Tim had bore brunt of a lot of Abby and Tony's high jinx, but Tim should have spoken up. Deep down he knew tonight, wasn't Tim's fault either. But to see the words, typed out before him. Something inside him snapped. He knew that Tony was just doing what he'd taught him to do. Have the boss' back at all costs. He looked down at Abby laying there, in the ICU bed, tubes and wires monitoring her. The doctor had explained that she was incredibly lucky, the damage to her brain was minor and when the swelling went down, they could release her. "Jethro," Ducky whispered from behind him. "I have made arrangements for Abigail to come stay with me until she's back on her feet."

"She'll stay with me, Duck." Gibbs argued, defiantly. "I want her where I can keep an eye on her." Ducky rolled his eyes at Gibbs' bull-headed tactics.

"I understand that, but understand this ... I am doing this for you and the relationship between you and your daughter. How is Kelly going to feel having Abby come into your home and take over? She already feels like unwelcome in her own home when Abby is visiting you and you want her to move in with you, albeit temporarily?"

"Kelly will probably move in with Tim, anyway. She made her opinions very clear tonight." Gibbs argued. "She has known Abby a long time and could've stayed with me to support Abby."

"Listen to yourself, Jethro. You are being irrational. You have all but blamed Timothy for Abigail's accident. You, yourself are the only one, besides the Director who knows what that young man has been doing on his assignment. He looks exhausted both physically and mentally, instead of resting, he attended his graduation ceremony. On an evening where he deserved to have all of the focus on him, this 'accident' has happened. You and Anthony automatically blamed him, you have disreputed the evidence that Abigail had been using her cell and driving. The LEO's have wrapped up their investigation and surmised that she was texting and driving, she will be charged on summons."

Ducky stalked out of her room. He was so angry at Jethro still and the stubborn streak the man wore. Tony was following his lead and was getting a good steam of anger sizzled up at Timothy.

The following morning, Tim woke feeling groggy, but was happy to see Kelly had stayed by his side. It was still early and as angry as Tim was, he still sent Ducky a text message from Kelly's cell, asking how Abby was doing. A prompt reply from the good doctor told him she was in the icu and expected to make a full recovery. Ducky asked how he was doing and he replied that after breakfast and his meeting with the Director that a nap was in order. Before tossing her cell on the bedside table and snuggling against her.

An innocent shower together had lead to a sensual love making session. Their first one since they rekindled their love. Neither one of them felt rushed to cover up afterwards, just enjoying each other's presence and physically reconnecting. They enjoyed a leisurely breakfast at a cafe by his apartment, discussing their options, now the job in Manhattan was gone. Tim and Kelly took the Porsche out of the garage and went into the navy yard, with Kelly dropping Tim off and the promise that he'd call when he was done.

Upstairs, Tim took himself through the empty MCRT bullpen, stopping at Gibbs desk briefly before continuing up the stairs, towards the Director's office.

"Good morning Agent McGee." Jen teased lightly as he was allowed admittance into her office. "You still look tired, did you sleep at all?"

"Yes Ma'am. I vaguely remember you and Kell helping me upstairs, thank you." Tim told her shyly. He had been embarrassed that he had practically passed out as soon as the Director's car had began the journey to his apartment.

"You're welcome. I want you to take all the comp time your owed for this op, the whole two weeks. Maybe get away from DC for a few days with Kelly. Unwind and relax."

"Thank you, I was planning on it, don't want to burn out." Tim told her seriously. Sam, Callen and Leon had all told him how important it was after deep cover was finished to go dark and recharge. "How is Abby doing?" He finally asked.

"Miss Sciuto, she is out of the ICU, awake and this morning she will be charged on summons for a range of driving offences."

"I'm glad she will fully recover." Tim genuinely said. Jen could tell that the man who stood before him was still deeply hurt by what had happened last night. "Do you think it would be ok, if I paid her a visit today? To see her, myself?"

"I think she'd like that." Jen smiled at him. "As is your time here, I take it Manhattan is no longer the front runner for you."

"Yes, I'd like to withdraw my resignation from NCIS." Tim politely requested.

"I thought as much," Jen said before lowering her voice and whispering. "I had already anticipated that. It's been taken care of, already." Jen stood up tall and handed over four folders to Tim. "I have four options for you. Continue on as MCRT under Gibbs, as a JFA. I think we both know though, that can't last forever. You're being stifled there, your talent wasted. Senior profiling team leader. I am looking for an SFA to head up the senior profiling team, on level 3 to replace Neilson when he retires. You would shadow him for two months to learn the job. Cyber crimes, SSAIC, the job would require you split your time between overseeing the navy yard and the pentagon. Or SFA on Balboa's MCRT2. You would be his SIC. Details of each position, take a peek. Talk it over. I need to know by Friday 0900."

"Thank you Ma'am. This is a lot to think about."

"I told you, we don't want to lose you from this agency." Jen reiterated what she had told him when he'd met with her to resign. "Here," she said, handing him both his personal cell phone and his NCIS issue cell phone. "I rescued them from Gibbs' desk drawer this morning."

"Thank you Director." He told her taking them, switching them both on. He ignored his personal cell for the time being, as it was normal that his friends and family outside of the agency didn't hear from him for periods of time. So it could wait. "Wow, 274 voicemails from Abby, can't wait to listen to all of them."

He muttered and Jen's eyebrows rose off her face in surprise. She remembered issuing a direct order not to call Agent McGee.

"Can you tell if someone tried to track your phone?" She asked, feigning a curious tone.

"Of course I can." Tim replied with a smile, she offered him her computer and he shook his head no. "Need a stronger system. My system in MCRT or cyber crimes could do it. My work laptop is at home, but it could do it too."

"MCRT, let's go. I need you to electronically record every keystroke you make and how you discovered everything you find." She reminded him.

Downstairs in the MCRT bullpen, Ziva was now at her desk, working cold cases. She was engrossed in her work and didn't look up at Tim or the Director as they settled in behind where Tim sat before his deep cover out west. Tim installed a key stroke logger he had in his personal belongings box that had been retrieved from storage before heading up to the Director's office and got to work. "Have I told you lately, I am glad you're on our side?" Jen laughed as he unlocked the voicemails and downloaded them to a thumb drive for her. "I can't imagine who in this agency would have the skills to take you down if you were a bad guy." She muttered, low enough for only him to hear her.

"Relax, I am a good guy. But I know of, at least two of the cyber crimes guys that could do it." Tim jested, but his mannerisms told her that his jest was serious.

"Good to know." She mused as she pulled over a chair and joined him at his desk.

Tim was dismissed as soon as he had downloaded all the data, including the evidence of multiple attempts to track his cell, evidence she tried to turn his phone on remotely and the 274 voicemails.

Jen pulled Ziva off cold cases, assigning her and Agent Balboa to sort through the evidence that Tim had found on his cellphone. In the end, it had been easier for tim to leave his cellphone with Kasie, Abby's replacement tech in the lab for further analysis. Unbeknownst to a Tim, the Director was compiling a case against Abby for immediate dismissal, with prejudice based on her combined actions.

Maryland PD, Sergeant Holwerda arrived in the Director's office, wishing to speak with her regarding Miss Sciuto. It seemed that Abby's BAC (Blood Alcohol Content) was exceptionally high for the time of day and he had come to share his suspicions that perhaps Miss Sciuto had been drinking on the job. The Director groaned before escorting the Sergeant downstairs into Abby's office in the lab.

Tim had met up with Kelly, before they headed to the hospital. He left the folders that the Director had given him, locked in the trunk of his car before being directed to where Abby was recovering. They knocked cautiously, before entering. Carrying some flowers they'd bought with them for her, they weren't her favourites, but you can't just walk into a florist and order black roses and expect them within the next few minutes. They were her second favourite flowers, so Tim had thought they'd be acceptable.

"What are you doing here?" She snapped at them.

"Came to see how you were doing." Tim said to her, his concern showing.

"Well I'm fine. I don't need your pity!" She snapped again. "You didn't care enough about me to stay last night. You were too busy fucking little miss perfect there, to care about me, weren't you?!"

"I'm done, Tim." Kelly said to him. "I'll wait for you at the car."

She said leaving the room, running straight in to her father who had returned from his coffee run.

"Was she worth it?" Abby sneered at him, when he popped the card and flowers on her table. "Was fucking your boss' whore of a daughter worth our friendship? I got you your fucking job, your priority should be me. Have you got that? Or would you prefer I have you shipped back to Norfolk, into that dingy office you had. One word to the Bossman is all it'll take. He is so angry at you abandoning me. I don't know if he told you yet, but it's all your fault. Why did you have to graduate? Everything was fine, until you paid that University to give you a doctorate, no matter how many degrees you have, you'll never be smarter than me ….." Abby's rants continued as he tuned her out and prepared to leave. "Don't you dare turn your fucking back on me!" She picked up the vase of navy blue daisies, that Tim and Kelly had just given her and sent them hurtling towards the door, missing Tim completely, but hitting Gibbs as he was coming in to straighten Abby out.

One minute he had been on his way into the room to call Abby out on her crap, having heard the vile venom spewing from her mouth, the next he was flat on his back, coming to, covered in glass shards as Tim and two doctors helped him up before an orderly bought a gurney over to help him get to the emergency department downstairs. "Sir, do you remember what happened?" The doctor asked him as they settled him in the cubicle.

"Don't call me Sir," he groaned out. "I'm fine, I remember everything, stop fussing over me." Gibbs grumbled out.

"You'll stay put until every shard of glass is removed from your face, or I'll call Ducky." Tim threatened and he reluctantly agreed.

"Kell?" He suddenly asked, worried that she might be with Abby.

"I'm here, Dad. Tim and I are here with you." She reminded him gently.