"We need to talk. Come on; we can do it over dinner."
What the hell was going on?

The trip to both the parking garage and the diner; was made in complete; nerve wracking; tension building silence. Gibbs hadn't wanted it that way; but he'd been at a loss as to what to say to ease it; knowing he was about to drop a bomb on this kid. Finally, when they'd taken their seats and ordered their food, Gibbs broke through the waves of rising panic he sensed from Tim.

"you're really worrying yourself sick because I said we need to talk." Gibbs opened things up.

"It's not something you've ever actually said to me before; outside of work; unless it was about something I'd done, so."

"Yeah, I could see where this would send you thinking in that direction."

"But, this is about Abby, isn't it?" Tim asked "You got her to tell you what's really going on?" The worry and sense of doom radiated off the younger man.

"Yeah. Yeah, Tim; I did." Gibbs quietly admitted.

Tim's radar went off through the roof. The only time Gibbs called him Tim outside of work was when he had bad or seriously concerning news to tell him; or they were having a personal conversation where Tim was working through whatever was bothering him. They'd had a lot of those conversations in the last two years. Not near as many as Tim had needed. But that had been a decision the young man had stuck too. He would never let Gibbs have to try to help him through cases that involved young children; not after what the boss man had lived through and finally managed to learn how to live with.

"From the vibes I'm getting and the look on your face; it's not good." Tim observed worridly.

Gibbs took a second and thought back over the last two years;

It had been a long time since they'd had one of these conversations; with his help, Tim had gotten better at dealing with the tough cases that tore their hearts out. And thier conversations about Abby had dwindled down, too. After consistently asking for his guidence while rebuilding his friendship with Abby back up from almost zero, the young man sitting in front of him had been able to take the helm of that one by himself about six months ago. It had taken so long to get there; because Tim was always afraid of unnecessarily hurting Abby's feelings when he stuck to his guns about stuff. Gibbs had been his rock; steady, firm; bolstering both sides of the re-emerging friendship. It had only gotten rebuilt at Gibbs' request in the first place. But, once Tim had agreed to give Abby one more chance, the young man had put his whole heart into the effort; as Gibbs had known he would.

"That depends on how you look at it. So, I'm just gonna cut to the chase, after we eat." Gibbs told him.

"Boss, I ..." "Tim complained.

"I know. But, calm yourself down and eat something. Then we'll talk." Gibbs wouldn't back down.

Tim gave in; knowing he wouldn't win this fight.

After trying to calmly get through dinner; watching Tim barely eat two bites while moving the food around on his plate anxiously; Gibbs gave up and called for the waitress; asking that their orders be put in take out boxes and asking for coffee; he waited until they'd gotten their coffees before he once again opened the conversation.

"Okay?"

Tim silently nodded; his thoughts lost in horrorsville.

"Tell me what you're so afraid I'm gonna tell you."

"I dunno."

Something's running through your mind up there enough you're not even eating."

"Boss, it's hard to explain, can't you just tell me?" Tim's desperation was too much.

"Let's talk about the night you let Abby talk you into having some wine to relax."

"Boss, I told you about that."

"Yeah, you did. As I recall; though; you never would tell me exactly what the two of you talked about that night. You've yet to tell me what it was that had you so tied up in knots." Gibbs patiently explained.

"I don't understand why you can't let that go, Boss." Tim said in one of his rare moments of absolute 'out-there' honest admissions of frustration directed at Gibbs.

"Because, you never told me; but Abby did.

The look of absolute horror on his agent's face worried Gibbs. 'Relax, McGee. I understand why you didn't come to me. But, I wish you had. Maybe if you had come to me; I wouldn't have to tell you what needs to be said, here."

"So, whatever's behind Abby's craziness; is because I didn't come to you; it's because I went to her?" Tim asked; obviously trying to put the pieces together.

"You remember what happened that night?"

"I remember kissing her and then I remember waking up the next morning." Tim reminded him; only to turn white a split second later; as appaarently, his brain had fit all the pieces of the puzzle together. "We...? No! We're gonna.... Oh, no! Oh, God! How could I have been so stupid! Oh, God! Boss, I'm so sorry!" Tim got up and ran out of the diner, disappearing from sight.

Needing reinforcements; Gibbs quickly called Tony to get his rear end to the diner and help look for Tim. Even if he hadn't gone far; Tim obviously could use his big brother right about now. As he reached the packed parking lot while still ending the call to his Senior Field Agent; he scoured the area; even traversing the back alley of the diner; and back to the the parking lot; with no sign of Tim. A call to the younger agent went straight to his voice mail, and a continued vigilance proved futile; as there was still no sign of the young man some minutes later when Tony pulled up.

"Boss, I thought you said McGee had disappeared?"

"He has, DiNozzo!"

"Um, Boss?

"What is it, DiNozzo?

"He's sitting in your car."