"He's sitting in your car."

Relief washed through Gibbs; along wth a mental head slap for not thinking to check the car. "Tony, go talk to him. Then bring him back to my house. " Gibbs requested.

"On it, Boss." Tony's enthusiastic step up to the challenge of being big brother brought a tug of a smile to Gibbs' face. Tony drove back to Giibs' car while Gibbs wen back inside for a cup of coffee to go and thier dinners to go. Damn, he hadn't expected Tim to run out like that. Poor kid. He should have waited until they'd gotten to his house before he'd said anything to Tim. Well, hindsight wasn't helping right now. All he could do now was go home and try to help Tim from here.

Tony pulled up behind Gibbs' car, turned his own car off, got out and locked it before walking up to his Probie.

"Hey, Probie whatta ya doin sitin in the boss' car at a diner?" Tony feigned ignorant surprise.

"Tony. Gibbs called you." Tim advised him that he wasn't clueless.

"Yeah, he couldn't find you."

"I didn't mean to take off like that. Is he pissed?"

"What? No! You scared him, though. And we all know it's not easy to scare the boss, not nice either." Tony half-joked

"I didn't mean to." Tim lamented.

"Relax, he knows that. In fact, he was relieved when I told him I found you. I think he figured you'd rather talk to me right now than him." Tony admitted.

"Tony, I don't want to talk." Tim quietly stated with a strong current of apology.

"Sure, Probie. But let's get outta here at least, huh? C'mon, we can go catch a movie or something." the Senior Field Agent suggested.

"No, thank you, Tony, but no. I couldn't even focus on one right now if I wanted to." Tim admitted miserably.

"Well, at least come with me and you can tell me what's going on." Tony pushed.

Tim looked over at him for a long silent minute. Why not, it's better than sitting here waiting for the axe to fall. "Yeah, okay." Tim finally gave in as he got out of Gibbs' car. "Wait. What about Gibbs?"

"He's fine. He knows you're with me and he's a phone call away." Tony reassured his little brother.

"Okay." Tim answered with relief. He really didn't want to face Gibbs after running out on him like that. After putting the pieces together, the shame had come over him in a tidal wave and he'd done his best to outrun it, but of course, he hadn't succeeded.

The only thing he'd succeeded in running away from was the one person who'd bent over backwards to help in the last two years; help rebuild his friendship with Abby, help get used and even get comfotable with accepting the dog who'd once attacked him, since Abby had pressured him into taking him, helped him learn how to better channel his emotions to get him through the difficult cases they dealt with on a regular basis. and helped him figure out that it was okay to talk about stuff, even if Gibbs didn't; okay to let it out, to cry even, if needed. Yeah Gibbs had really changed since Tim had almost died two years ago.

Gibbs had even found a way to become more intune with his team, when they needed his ear and not his ire, when they needed a bit of slack and not more unachievable expectations and showing more concern when they were injured. And how had Tim repaid him; by running out on him when the guy had gone out of his way to break the news to him personally. Tim felt like crap for treating Gibbs that way, but between the realization that his dedication to keeping the man away from personal emotions at least from his youngest agent when it came to kids in their cases, and the sudden realization that he'd messed up big-time, had just been too much for him to swallow in one lump like that. It wasn't Gibbs' fault Tim wasn't yet a bigger man than that. The fault lie with Tim and he knew it.

Now, he was too embarrassed and humiliated to face Gibbs, too distraught and guilty to face Abby, and too full of self-loathing and disappoinment in himself, to be comfortable with keeping himself company. He was feeling better about Tony's offer already, as they drove. Tim was still miserable enough that he didn't pay attention to where they were going. The space he seemed lost in held his unseeing eyes as his mind tried to unjumble itself from the chaos it was currently in.

Tony looked at his little brother with concern. Whatever it was had to be as big as Tony had feared. Tim hadn't looked this lost and confused since he'd listened to Tony's heartfelt apology after the dog attack two years ago. As he'd watched from a step behind, Tim had steadily regained his feet and his sense of self-preservation and determination. The Probie had come a long way, but it had been a tough trip. Tony had known that Gibbs was also guiding the guy, but he, himself, had often double checked on the kid, reassured him that he wan't alone and could always ask Tony for help, no matter how much the Senior Field Agent continued to pick on him.

"Probie, talk to me. What did Gibbs tell you that has you looking like you just lost your best friend?" Tony asked with genuine concern.

"Tony, I'll tell you, all right, but I just can't right now." Tim stammered out.

"All right. No sweat, man. You just tell me when you're ready." Tony vowed as he pulled up in a driveway and shut the car off.

Tim suddenly looked up and out at their surroundings. "Tony, why are we at Gibbs'?" Tim asked accusingly. "I told you I don't want to talk right now." Tim said in growing anger.

"Relax, Probie, I'm just going in to check on the boss, he's not answering his phone." Tony said in self-defense.

"Oh. I'm sorry." Tim offered.

"No sweat." Tony answered back with a forgiving smile as he got out of the car and went inside.

Tim soon lost himself in his trough of problems, still trying to sift through it all and put it to rights. Once again, his eyes clouded over and lost focus. So lost in the misery he suddenly felt awash in, he didn't even realize tears were sliding down his face. He didn't even hear the car door quietly being opened, or realize that he was no longer alone.

Soon, the tears that had escaped had opened the door for the emotions that came with them, Tim was soon sobbing openly, his shoulders shaking from them. Suddenly, he was wrapped in two strong arms that were now anchoring him through this storm. Just as suddenly, there was a soothing voice in his ear,

"It's okay, let it out. I know it feels like you did something awful, Tim. but you didn't. It's gonna be okay. Go ahead and get it out. You just remember, you didn't do anything wrong. okay?"

Quickly harnessing his emotions, Tim's breakdown soon smothered itself out as he physically drew in a deep breath and slowly let it out while putting his tears away and trying to also put everything he was feeling back under wraps. As he calmed himself down, he sat back, wiped his eyes and looked over at his anchor, Now, thoroughly embarrassed, Tim quickly looked down at his lap but he couldn't stop the apology from flying from his mouth.

"I'm so sorry." the young man said with more apology radiating from his tone than the words themselves.

"What do you have to be sorry for?" Gibbs asked him calmly. Feeling relieved beyond measure that Tony had managed to get McGee here and that his Senior Agent had quickly given him the heads up; the bossman could only relish in the opportunity to help his agent through this.

Although, when he'd opened the car door and taken the driver's seat to wait out Tim's inability to talk about this; he'd been startled and upset to see the young man breaking down. Sure, he'd known that Tim would take the news hard, but he hadn't any idea that he'd take it as such a deeply bad slight against his own character. Knowing Tim as well as he did, he at least knew that this is where the tears and the emotional release was coming from.

"For running out on you at the diner. For getting myself into this mess. For getting Abby into this mess. For falling apart like a kid. For having to leave your team like this."

"Okay. Stop, right there. First of all, I'm not pissed at you for running out at the diner. I should have waited until we were here for that discussion. I apologise. I hit you with a lot at once and you reacted, my fault, not yours. Can you see that?' Gibbs asked in a quietly patient voice.

"Yeah." Tim answered tenatively.

"But?" Gibbs pushed, wanting Tim to be completely honest about it.

"But, you still didn't deserve for me to act that way." Tim explained in utter humiliation.

Gibbs smiled. Tim McGee and his manners. The kid would always use any slip in them as a reason to be pissed at hmself. "What did I tell you about sweatin the small stuff? Haven't we already figured this one out, you and I?" Gibbs reminded him. "I know, and you know that I do, that you head slap yourself worse than anyone else ever could, when you forget your manners in the heat of the moment." Gibbs tone radiated forgiveness. "You never cut yourself any slack."

Tim offered a smile of thanks as he verbalized his gratitude. "Thank you, Boss."

"Now, yes, you got yourself into this mess, but it wasn't deliberate and you damn sure didn't do it alone and that goes for you getting Abby into it. She put herself in this. So you need to stop trying to carry all of the blame here. It's not helping you and it won't solve the problem. Can you see that?" Gibbs asked patiently.

"I can see where your coming from." Tim hedged.

"But?" Gibbs pushed.

"Abby." Tim said with pain.

"What about her?" Gibbs asked carefully. He knew that even if Tim was still pissed at her, he wouldn't let the idea of her being hurt sit well on his conscience.

"She wont' be so easy to convince that it's not my fault." Tim warned, obviously expecting to recieve hell from the woman when this came up between them.

"Not entirely your fault. And you're a harder sell to that fact than she is. She already knows it." Gibbs told him quietly.

"She does?" Tim's surprise was a gentle lift of humor in an otherwise emotional conversation

"Um mmm." Gibbs said in his own attempt to lighten the moment.

"Whew." Tim muttered with a grimace.

"That settled?" Gibbs asked, in obvious preparation for the next thing on his mind.

"Yeah. Thanks, Boss." Tim said, once again feeling guilty for Gibbs having to take time to talk him through something.

"Don't. Stop right there, Mcgee." Gibbs directed, he had seen the guilt slide across the young man's face.

Tim's expression was damn near comical. Clearly, he was askimg himself how Gibbs did that, and then just as clearly, he was reminding himself that he should know by now that Gibbs' did know how to read people better than most.

Gibbs couldn't help but grin. As he remembered the last two pieces of Tim's apology, his grin faded and he once again got serious.

"Yeah. Okay. Now that that's settled, whatta ya say we address the rest of this?" Gibbs asked in all seriousness and with just enough authority to make it known he wasn't gonna let up until they did talk about it. "I thought we already figured out that there's nothing wrong with letting it out when you're overwhelmed." Gibbs reminded him.

"Yeah, you helped me understand that." Tim admitted.

"Then what's the problem?" the boss asked.

"I dunno. It's hard to explain." Tim said.

"You know better than to think you're gonna leave it there with me. Put some effort into it." Gibbs stood firm.

"It's not something I feel comfortable talking bout, Boss." Tim said with fear creeping into his voice.

"Why not?" Gibbs pushed.

Tim silently looked out his window and remained quiet.

"Tim?" Gibbs continued to push. If he couldn't talk about it, it was something really serious and didn't need to be left alone to deal with it.

"I can't talk to you about it." Tim said in heartbreaking honesty.

"What would make it so hard to talk to me about it after everything we've talked through in the last two years?" Gibbs asked carefully, obviously confused.

"Because, if I tell you, you'll hate me, or at the very least, not think much of me any more." Tim admitted dejectedly.

"Tim, look at me." Gibbs directed with just enough authority to give Tim the kick he needed to do as he was asked. As he locked his eyes with those of Gibbs' he was almost able to reach out and touch the strength to get it off his chest, even though he knew it would hurt both of them and probably destroy the bond they'd built up over the last two years.

"It doesn't matter what you tell me, you are still a good person and still the damn fine agent whose devoted his life to this team and the people on it. That won't change. Now, let it out. Tell me what it is that's got you so bottled up you don't think you can talk to me about it?"

"I don't want this." Tim whispered as he looked away from Gibbs. He knew this was gonna hurt the man who would give his life to have his own family back.

"You don't want what, Tim?" Gibbs asked carefully, not wanting him to clam up on him.

With tears in his eyes and abject apology in his voice, Tim whispered: "I don't want to be a father, not like this."