Burnout
DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NCIS, PERIOD.
Chapter 9: McGee's Confession Part 1
That night, Tim and Sarah are back at Gibbs's house. Admiral McGee and Gibbs notice the broken look on Tim's face as the team is eating dinner and Sarah is on the couch eating soup.
"Tim and I are too different, and yet I know that my son is hurting right now Agent Gibbs". Admiral McGee said to Gibbs. Gibbs looks at Admiral McGee. "I know, and yet he has been through a lot in the past four months". Gibbs said to Admiral McGee.
Admiral McGee nods to Gibbs. "I surprise Tim and Sarah while Sarah got chemo, and Tim wanted to check out his apartment to see if was alright. He goes to find his apartment completely trashed and ruined. What kind of person would do this"? Admiral McGee asks Gibbs.
Gibbs looks at Admiral McGee. "Someone with a vindictive heart, Admiral, and Tim has a heart of golden lion". Gibbs said to Admiral McGee. Admiral McGee nods to Gibbs. "That someone kicked that lion when it's down. I do not like it. I don't like it one bit". Admiral McGee said to Gibbs. Gibbs nods in agreement. "Neither do I, Admiral", Gibbs said to Admiral McGee.
Admiral McGee looks at Gibbs. "You were a marine, am I right". Admiral McGee said to Gibbs. Gibbs nods to Admiral McGee. "Yes, I was a gunnery sergeant". Gibbs said to Admiral McGee. Admiral McGee nods to Gibbs. "I am glad that Tim has your support right now helping Sarah". Admiral McGee said to Gibbs.
Gibbs looks at Admiral McGee. "My agent, my problem, Admiral". Gibbs said to Admiral McGee. "Call me John", Admiral McGee said to Gibbs. Gibbs nods to Admiral McGee. "Jethro", Gibbs said to Admiral McGee.
After dinner, Admiral McGee and Penny left Gibbs's home. Tony and Ziva didn't have the heart to leave Tim and Sarah alone. Tony looks at Tim. "Tim where was your dog and the time of the apartment trashing. I didn't see him". Tony said to McGee.
Ziva looks at Tony as she is curious as well. Tim sighs as he makes the confession. "The German Shepard Jethro that Abby made me adopt him passed away three weeks ago of old age. The vet put him down, and Abby does not know about it". Tony looks at Tim. "Geez Tim, you have been through too much lately". Tony said Tim.
Ziva nods to Tim. "I agree, and plus it would be worse if Abby did found out". Ziva said to Tim. Tim nods to them. "I need some air, and I declare a mortitorm on the talk on Abby". Tim said as he is angry and left the kitchen to the backyard.
Tony and Ziva look at each other as Gibbs went to them. "Where is Tim"? Gibbs asks them. "Out in the back yard", Tony said to Gibbs. They look at each other as they went outside. Tim is laying in the grass as he looks at clear starry night above him. "Tim, are you alright"? Gibbs asks Tim.
Tim looks at Gibbs and the others. "No, it feels like everything is taking away from me. My sister has stage 4 cancer, my dog Jethro dies of old age, and now my apartment is completely trashed. It seems every time I piece together everything, it comes apart again". Tim said to them.
Gibbs looks at Tim as he sits next to him. "Tim, you are not alone in this. Metro is investigating the case. Heck, you can get another dog. Plus Sarah is fighting for her life right now. You and Sarah are two very stubborn people. You are having a bad day, and it is ok to admit it". Gibbs said to Tim.
Tim looks at Gibbs as Tony and Ziva sits with them. "It was an ok day until I found my apartment completely trashed. My dad surprised Sarah and me. It actually brought a smile to Sarah's face. Dad told me that he will sit with her during her chemo therapy for the next couple of days. I never expected my dad coming through though". Tim said to them.
Ziva looks at Tim. "Tim, you may feel that everything has been taken away from you, but it hasn't taken us. Like Gibbs said, you are not alone in this. Plus who ever is responsible for trashing your apartment will be punished by law". Ziva said to Tim.
Tony looks at Tim as he sighs. "As much I teased you over the years, I would have never go that far to hurt you. Plus you have always keep going no matter how deep the situation you were in. You have the endurance on the team, Tim". Tony said to Tim.
Tim nods to Tony as he has a light smile on his face. "Thanks you guys, I guess the sudden outburst on the mortitorm on you know who just got to me". Tim said to them.
Gibbs looks at Tim. "I know this is a bad time to talk about it. However the meeting with IA Roberts is been moved up to tomorrow. You have guard a lot of things about you know who. It is time to come clean about it". Gibbs said to Tim.
Tony looks at Gibbs. "I thought that meeting is not until next week". Tony said to Gibbs. Gibbs looks at Tony. "IA Roberts got it moved, DiNozzo". Gibbs said to Tony. Tim looks at them as he is getting nervous. "I hear that her stare is more scarier than yours, Gibbs". Tim said to Gibbs.
Gibbs looks at Tim. "Tim, it will be in the director's office and me, Tony, Ziva, Ducky, and Palmer will be there. The only person not invited is you know who, Tim. It's time to come clean, Tim". Gibbs said to Tim. Tim looks at them. "That's what I am afraid of", Tim said to them. They went back inside as they went to bed for the night.
The next morning, team Gibbs, Ducky, and Palmer is in Director Sheppard's office as Samantha Roberts walk in the office with two heavy and thick binders. Everyone took their seats at the table as McGee is in the middle and the others are around him.
Samantha looks at Tim. "This must be uneasy for you Agent McGee to talk about Ms. Scutio. This talk will be on the record, but if you get uncomfortable we can take a break. There is tissues and water on the table as well". Samantha said to Tim.
Tim notices the box of tissues and the pitcher of water on the table, and glass of water in front of him. "Ok", Tim said to Samantha. Samantha nods to Tim. "How long have you known Ms. Scutio"? Samantha asks Tim.
Tim looks at Samantha as the question is easy to answer. "About 11 to 12 years, give or take a few months", Tim said to Samantha. Samantha nods to Tim. "Describe the first time you met her or hear her voice over the phone", Samantha said to Tim.
Tim takes a deep breath as he looks at Samantha. "It was the first time I met Gibbs, Tony, and Kate in Norfolk. I talked to her over the phone. Her voice was sweet, and yet Tony told me that Abby wasn't my type. I even got a tattoo to his dismay". Tim said to Samantha as he remembers the earliest memory of Abby before things got abusive. Tony sighs as he also remembers that as well.
Samantha senses the small smile on his face. "You once dated Ms. Scutio, correct". Samantha said to Tim. Tim remembers when Abby dumped him. "Yes, she ended it, and we stayed friends for years. However I am not sure if I can call her a friend anymore". Tim said to Samantha.
Samantha looks at Tim as it is getting some where. "Agent McGee do you recall about an incident just minutes after your first lead case completed"? Samantha asks Tim as she asked the first hard question to Tim. Tim nods as he takes a deep breath. "Yes, she ripped up the sympathy card that I was going to send to Erin Kendall's parents right in front of me. She said that I had no right to send it because I couldn't save her in time". Tim said to Samantha.
This shocks the members of Team Gibbs. Samantha nods to Tim. "You should know that the late Agent Caitlyn Todd rescued the ripped card and saw the entire argument". Samantha said to Tim. Samantha plays the old security footage with the audio as well. Samantha looks at the other members as they got stunned about it. "You were smitten with Ms. Kendall weren't you". Samantha said to Tim.
Tim looks at Samantha. "Yes I was because she was the first woman after Abby. It has been a long time since I thought about Erin". Tim said to Samantha. "Earlier in the week, I received emails from Dr. Cranston and Ms. Kendall's parents". Samantha said to Tim as she laid them in front of him. Tim reads the emails as he has a light smile on his face. "Ms. Kendall's parents does not blame you for their daughter's death, Agent McGee. Plus Dr. Cranston said that Kate was shocked to see a person who she thought was here friend did that to you". Samantha said to Tim.
Tim nods to Samantha. "It has been a long time since I thought about Kate's death. I just never knew that Kate rescued the sympathy card". Tim said to Samantha.
Samantha nods to Tim as the meeting continued. "Agent McGee, how many times Ms. Scutio has blackmailed you"? Samantha asks Tim.
The question catches everyone off guard as Tim is getting nervous and scared to answer the question. Tim looks at Samantha as he can not lie to them. "A few times", Timothy said to Samantha. Gibbs looks at Tim as he is shocked by it. "Name one of them", Samantha said to Tim.
Tim takes a deep breath again. "My sister, when my sister was framed for murder, Abby came over to my apartment unannounced. It was in the middle of the investigation. We had an argument and Sarah saw the whole thing. I had to defend Sarah and Abby slapped me in the face. Sarah told Abby that she will send a complaint against her. Abby told me if I followed through the complaint, Abby will make the evidence that proved Sarah to be the killer". Tim admits to them. Tim is breathing heavily as he is getting pale.
Gibbs notices that Tim is stressed out. "We need to stop this for now Roberts". Gibbs said to Samantha. Samantha nods to Gibbs. "I must concur with Jethro, Samantha. Timothy bottled the amount of abuse that Abigail has put on him for years". Ducky said to Samantha.
Samantha looks at them. "I agree; we can continue this talk on a later date". Samantha said to them. She looks at Tim. "You are doing the right thing, Agent McGee". Samantha said as she took the binders back to her office.
Jen looks at them. "Go home all of you, except you Jethro", Jen said to them. They left the office except Gibbs. Gibbs looks at Jen. "I loved her like an adopted daughter, and she abused Tim for years. I told them that they came to me if anything was wrong. They did came except Tim. I am getting the gut feeling that Abby told him that he couldn't come to me". Jethro said to Jen. Jen nods to Jethro. "IA Roberts is called the box breaker for a reason, Jethro. She has this look in her eyes that sees chained up boxes in a person. In this case, Agent McGee has a lot of boxes that she needs to break". Jen said to Gibbs.
Gibbs nods to Jen. "I know, and she broke the box about the first blackmail about Sarah. I thought it would be about something else". Gibbs said to Jen. Jen looks at Gibbs. "Look over Agent McGee's case reports before the next meeting. I don't want him to look like white as a sheet after he just confessed about something". Jen said to Gibbs. Gibbs nods to Jen. "I will take a look in them, Jen". Gibbs said to Jen as he left the director's office.
Jen picks up the phone to call Abby. "Ms. Scutio, I want to see you in my office now". Jen said to Abby. Abby is not taken back by it. "Of course director", Abby said to Jen as she heads up to Director's office.
A few minutes later, Abby walks in the director's office thinking nothing is wrong. "You wanted to see me, Director". Abby said to Jen. Jen looks at Abby like a woman on a mission. "Yes, effective idmeddiatly you are in administrative leave without pay in this internal investigation. You may return to work when the investigation concludes if you need to fired or reinstated". Director Shepard said to Abby.
Abby is taken back by this. "Excuse me, what brought this on? I am the best at NCIS. Who dares to investigate me". Abby said to Jen. "I am not obligated to discuss an on going investigation, Ms. Scutio. You will be escorted to your lab to get your things, and then security will escort you out of this building. If you have a minuscule of brain cells, you will not return here until the investigation is complete. In the mean time, you are not allowed to get in contact with any member of team Gibbs including Agent McGee. Plus you can not contact Jimmy Palmer and Doctor Mallard. This includes visits to their homes/apartments, late at night phone calls, text messages, letters, and emails". Director Shepard said to Abby.
Abby is taken back by this. "This is ridiculous. This is one of those tricks". Abby said to Jen. Jen looks at Abby. "Not a trick Ms. Scutio, it's an order. Plus if I were you, I would stay in town". Jen said to Abby. A security guard walks in to escort Abby out. 'This is Timmy fault, and I will find out why I didn't see Jethro at his place'. Abby thought to herself as she has a plan in mind. Little did they know that Abby has a plan, and little does she know that someone is coming back to make a confession.
End Chapter