"Hey Abb's. Gibbs sent me down to help" McGee's voice was quiet as he slipped into her lab to stand beside her.
Abby turned to face him with a smile and as she took in his slightly hunched defensive posture she frowned.
"What's wrong McGee?"
"Nothing" But McGee eyes didn't meet hers and instead slid across the counter top looking at the evidence bags.
Abby put her hands on her hips "Come on now Timmy, I know you well enough to know when something's wrong"
Tim almost shook with the desire to tell someone. He had been thinking about it all afternoon. Was he over reacting? Was Tony being cruel on purpose? Would their friendship be damaged forever because the three of them had slept together? He thought Tony was the experienced one. Shouldn't he be the one having issues about it? But he didn't. He trusted Abby and Tony. They were his friends and he cared about both of them. Tony was a partner in the field and they have covered each others backs more time than he could count. He thought what had happened between them could simply stay there in the past. Three friends who found release with each other.
But then Tony attacked him with it. Stabbed him with it in the middle of a crime scene. A line had been crossed and what made it worse was Tim wasn't sure when Tony would do it again. Because whatever it was that made Tony angry at him was still there and no amount of jokes and laughing could cover it up.
McGee's eyes looked into Abby's full of pain and hurt and confusion and her teasing fell away and she gathered him up into her arms and hugged him tightly.
"He said…. Tony…..he" In the end Tim couldn't do it. He couldn't admit to what Tony had said to him, even to Abby. He wouldn't break Tony's trust in him no matter how much Tony had hurt him.
"He took my chap stick" Tim finished lamely
Abby pulled back and smiled at him "Tony took your chap stick?"
McGee gave her a small smile knowing how ridiculous it was to hear a trained federal agent whining about a chap stick.
"I know its stupid but I didn't want him to and he made a big deal out of it and…" Tim trailed off and Abby pulled him back into a hug and rubbed soothing circles into his back. She knew it wasn't about the Chap Stick and she knew that Tony had said something hurtful to Tim and she was pretty sure she knew what it was about. Even if Tim didn't.
((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((
)
Tony watched silently from the other side of the glass doors as Abby held McGee tight and they whispered words of comfort to each other. In the end he was always the one who ended up alone. Excluded from the laughing looks and the intimate moments.
It never occurred to Tony to step through the doors and instead he turned and headed back up to the Bullpen knowing Abby would update him when she had something anyway.
Besides it was better this way. McGee and Abby were… right for each other. Different but right. Who knows maybe one day they would get it together and have brilliant little Goth/Geek babies together.
Tony licked his lips and tasted the hint of strawberry on them.