"Now, are you gonna tell them why; or are you gonna make me do it?"
Abby looked crushed. Gibbs had never turned on her like this before. But, then again; she'd never gone to such lengths to get what she wanted before; either. It took her a long couple of strained silent minutes to work up her courage. Knowing that every eye and everyone' attention was now focused on her; and now everyone knew she had something to do with this; an event none of them wanted; she hadn't wanted it to come to this. Why the hell couldn't he just give her what she wanted, anyway? This did nothing to help her find her backbone; which seemed to have suddenly evaded her.
"NO! I resigned so this wouldn't happen!" having risen to his feet; the young man sent a devastated; desperate plea for understanding to his boss and then bolted from the room.
Gibbs looked at Abby; anger radiating off him in waves; before he got up and left; his agent was more important than trying to comprehend anything else right now. Already, the young man was nowhere to be seen. Once again; he called him.
"Boss, Please! Leave it alone!" was the quite unexpected yet desperate plea given when the young man answered the phone.
"I just wanna talk to you. Let's get some coffee." Gibbs offered.
"Boss?" came the shocked question in response.
"Meet me in the break room." Gibbs quietly instructed; not wanting this chance to talk to his agent to slip through his fingers.
"I'm already there."
"Wait there."
"Okay."
Several minutes later; the two met up and silently began fixing their coffees.
"Talk to me." Gibbs instructed; breaking the strained quietness. "Where did this come from? I know you don't want this So, why do it?" Gibbs pushed.
"Boss, I already told you; I can't explain it."
"Let me rephrase the question. "I already know what you two fought about; I heard every bit of it when I came down to the lab on Friday morning to find you. Now, I'm asking you; where did this come from?"
"I dunno, Boss. I guess she just decided it was high time she didn't have to worry about my safety anymore. Like telling me she was in love with me again gave her the right to make decisions for me."
"She did what?"
"Yeah; came as a shock to me, too."
So, why are you letting her make this decision?"
"What choice do I have?"
"Did I miss something here? Why is there a choice about your job at stake in the first place?"
"Apparently whatever you think you heard; wasn't everything. You missed the ultimatum she dropped on me. It's not something I want to rat her out about. That's why I just decided to make it easier on everyone."
"You resigning does not make it easier on everyone, McGee! Now, what the hell was her ultimatum?" Gibbs demanded
"Boss, please don't make me be the one to tell you. Get her to tell you, please!"
Gibbs was brought up short by the continued desperation in Tim's voice. The fact that he had managed to build a strong bond of trust with this young man since that awful case with Jethro, the dog; that had almost cost the team this agent; weighed heavily on Gibb' heart. If Tim was begging not to have to tell him something; then he was damn well gonna respect his wish.
"All right. But you're not going anywhere!" Gibbs declared in his "no arguing with me" tone.
Frankly, Tim was thrilled for Gibbs' being in his corner; even if it was temporary. He knew that as soon as Gibbs talked to Abby; he'd be history. Yeah, sure; he and Gibbs were a lot closer now; then they had been when he first came to the team. But, this was Abby; they're were talking about and when push came to shove; they all knew that Abby would be the last one ever given the heave-ho from Gibbs.
"Yes, Boss." Tim answered with such overwhelming relief in his tone that Gibbs' heart ached for the angst that the young man had just put himself through on Abby's account.
Patting the young man on the shoulder; Gibbs headed back to the conference room. He wanted answers and he wanted them now!
Back in the Conference Room; Abby was being treated to a room full of stares; angry stares; although, Ducky was doing his best to tone his down.
After a long period of tense silence; Tony decided to break it. "What did you do, Abby?" he asked. "Why the hell would Probie just up and quit over something you did? It had to be pretty damn bad; Probie loves this job!"
"Abby, would would cause you to want him to resign?" Ziva asked in concern.
"Abigail; you know, Jethro would not have called us all in here together; if he did not feel we had a right to know. What on earth happened?" Ducky's concern was for Abby; since she was present; and since he knew that Jethro would most certainly have caught up with Timothy and be demanding answers; or at least listening to the young man.
Again; the air was filled with a strained silence that seemed to last forever.
"I told him that I love him and I want him back." Abby admitted finally.
"Abby, you cannot tell me that this is why he is quitting! There's got to be more to it than that! It would take a hellofa lot to get him to give up a job he loves; Abby! You owe us the truth; and as Ducky pointed out; apparently, even Gibbs thinks so. So spill it; now!" Tony was getting more angry by the minute. Surrogate sister often pulled stuff to get her way; but this; was going too far; if it had Gibbs angry enough to call a meeting and demand answers from her? Oh, yeah; it had to be bad! Especially when you add in the fury bossman had looked at her with before he tore up outta here to chase Tim down! That stuff just didn't happen for little stuff. Yeah; this had to be major!
"Well, no. That wasn't all." She admitted coyly.
"Abigail! Just spit it out!" Ducky was losing patience. It wasn't very often that Jethro was this angry at the young woman; so it had to be serious; and Ducky wanted to hear it before it was too late to salvage Timothy's job or the young man's relationship with his boss; that both boss and agent had worked hard to strengthen over the last two years.
"I told him that I couldn't handle never knowing if he was gonna get hurt out in the field; or not come home; so ..."
"Abby! Spit. It. Out! What. Did. You. Say. To. Him.?" Tony was seriously getting pissed.
"Thatifheidin'ttransferoffGibbs'teamIwould!"
"Come again?" Tony's disbelief was half hope that he hadn't heard what he thought he'd just heard.
"You heard me." Abby tried unsuccessfully to manuver out of saying it outright.
"No. I didn't. Grow up, Abby! What did you tell him?" Tony's measured tone resounded with anger he wasn't even trying to control. No damn wonder bossman was so pissed!
"I told him that if he didn't transfer off this team; then I would!"
"And here, I thought I treated him like crap!" Tony exclaimed
"Oh, Abigail!" Ducky amonished in horror.
Ziva was so angry she was speechless. All she could do was glare at the lab rat. What she really wanted to do; besides head slap the young woman; was go find McGee. But, knowing Gibbs had made such a quick and angry exit; it was for certain; that McGee was already being spoken with.
"So, what; you just expected him to happily crawl off into another department just so you wouldn't have to worry about his safety anymore?" Tony asked in outrage, after he'd taken a minute to admit to himself that he had heard her correctly. "What's the matter, Abby; didn't he tell you he'd take you back this time? He wise up on you? Tell you he couldn't risk things ending badly between you again? These last two years of solid friendship aren't enough for you anymore? Huh? Is that it? You can't have him at home; so you don't want him around on the job either? Didn't you learn your lesson when we almost lost him two years ago?"
"It wasn't supposed to turn out like this!" Abby hollered back at him. "He wasn't supposed to resign!"
"Abigail; what is it you expected him to do with your ulitmatum?" Ducky inserted more calmly but just as firmly. While he understood Anthony's fury as well as Ziva's outraged silence; the M.E. knew this situation needed to be diffused quickly; even as more answers were needed. "It sounds like either choice he made; to date you again or not; you were forcing him to leave Gibbs' team."
"Well, yeah; Ducky. I can't deal with the thought of him getting hurt or not coming back to us at all. That one time was more than enough to last a lifetime." Abby whined. "I mean don't get me wrong, I worry about all of you and don't want to lose any of you or see any of you get hurt. But; it's different with Tim. I love him. "
"I don't buy it. There's gotta be more to this than you're lettin on!" Tony exclaimed; now octaves quieter; but still so pissed he was seeing red. "What is it you can't tell us, Abby?"
"SHUT UP, Tony!" With a sudden flash of defiance; Abby turned to flounce from the room; only to be brought up short by Gibbs.
Having come back in; intent on getting his answers; he'd taken up a vantage point, leaning against the open doorway. Consequently; he'd heard everything he'd needed to hear; firsthand; everything his loyal; kindhearted; honest and faithful agent had been willing to resign over. All because he hadn't been willing to lay the this painful realization at Gibbs' feet.
His angel had fallen off her pedestal. What's more; she'd seriously crushed her halo.