The challenge word this time was porn. Don't worry, this chapter is much tamer than you'd expect. I still upped the ratings because of the use of the word 'porn'.

Gibbs ran his eyes down the length of the hospital bed. McGee's blood pressure had fallen over the course of the day. Not drastically so, just enough for the medical staff to toss up between internal bleeding and shock. The net result was the bed had been tilted 20 degrees from horizontal and stream of hassled professionals kept bustling in every hour to check for deterioration in his condition.

McGee himself was beginning to show signs of severe boredom now that they had eased up on some of his pain medication. Gibbs had sent Tony and Ziva home to prepare for a later shift, but Abby had stayed maintaining if anyone could get McGee's blood pressure up, it was her.

"You know what soldiers do in the field when they're bored McGee?" Abby was saying.

"Ummm, shoot things?"

"No…I'll give you a hint: it's the most popular use of the internet today."

"They write fanfics?"

"Porn, McGee," said Abby happily. She turned to Gibbs. "Back me up here."

Gibbs blinked at her expressionlessly and observed McGee's blood pressure rising exponentially.

"So what do you fancy McGee: hetro, homo, bestiality?" She swooped in on him whispering; "all of the above?"

McGee's eyes flitted guiltily to Gibbs. "Please Abs," he begged.

"Com'on, McGee," she chastised. "You know the quality of hinky material I can supply."

McGee was flustering. Gibbs checked his watch; they still had 20 minutes before the next scheduled blood pressure reading. If McGee did have internal bleeding, he should start spurting out a major orifice fairly soon.

Abby stood resolutely. "I'll collect you a smorgasbord from Tony; he keeps some in the middle drawer of his filing cabinet."

"Does he know that you know?" asked Gibbs.

"Does he know that you know?" Abby shot back.

Gibbs blessed her with an inscrutable smile designed to unnerve her. It worked.

Brow furrowed, Abby turned her attention back to McGee. "Maybe I'll just get you something from my private collection," she said thoughtfully rising from her seat.

"Unless you would care to contribute?" she offered Gibbs as she passed by.

A smile tugged at Gibbs' lips but he said nothing.

Then the door closed and they were alone.

"I'm sorry boss," McGee started.

"Don't apologise."

"But…"

"You expecting a ticket in the mail, McGee?"

"Ahhh, no."

"In what way is any of this your fault?"

"It's just, well, I feel like I'm putting everyone out."

"What, you're not healing fast enough?"

Gibbs allowed McGee a moment to bath in uncertainty before slowly rising from his chair and making his way to the head of the bed. Acutely aware of McGee tracking his every move, he settled into Abby's vacated seat. Gibbs looked up into the young man's eyes. "McGee," he began softly. "We put you in a position of danger." He paused deciding the best way to phrase the line he never wanted to say. "I'm sorry."

"Boss?"

But the time for talking was over. Slowly Gibbs reached inside his jacket pocket and pulled out a glossy magazine. "Abby doesn't know about this," he confided, unfolding the shiny paper. The aroma of fresh ink stained the room. "See that it stays that way."

McGee swallowed hard but accepted the offering. Gibbs watched as he cautiously examined the cover and hesitantly opened the first page.

"Wow, she's ah…well built," McGee began uncertainly.

"That she is," Gibbs chuckled, easing into a more comfortable position.

As McGee flicked through the pages, Gibbs watched his pupils dilate and his breathing rate steadily increase: if only the staff were here to take some measurements now. As McGee arrived at his favourite page, Gibbs leant forward and said conspiratorially: "I've tried that."

McGee swallowed nervously. "Did it, ah, work?"

"Oh yeah."

McGee turned another page and his eyes opened wide as the centrefold photo was revealed. At first he turned his head slightly but then he gave up and turned the entire magazine ninety-degrees in true centrefold-viewing fashion. "She's beautiful," he whispered quietly.

Gibbs craned his head around to share the image. "You've got good taste, McGee."

McGee lingered over the image for a while and then slowly turned the page to savour the next photo.

Gibbs smiled. He would never have guessed that he and McGee would have so much in common. American Boat Builders had a new reader.