Teasing and the Weak
McGee tossed one way then the other then slammed his head on the pillow. It was the most annoying sound he'd ever heard he was seriously thinking about throwing it across the room or maybe he could just shoot the damn thing. 'Why had he set it so early, he wanted an early start but why hadn't he set it at half past it was still dark out'. Finally throwing the covers off, hitting the off button, standing up and saying "Damn thing gotta get something less annoying" he woke up and walked to the shower half hour later he walked out the apartment into the cool early morning air. Mist was just clearing, leaving dew behind on the grass, birds were chirping their early morning songs and the sun was only just staring to rise. He got into his car and drove in silence. Walking into the bullpen he noticed Gibbs sitting at his desk exactly how he was when they had all left last night.
"McGee your early I said six not five. Why so early?" Gibbs asked
"Want to start my searches on Dr Lower's connection with Richards and his close family and friends so we can find him."
"Well I'm going for a coffee" and with that Gibbs left.
Now McGee was on his own, that was how he liked he could always concentrate better then, no Tony winding up Ziva, no Ziva fighting Tony and no Ziva and Tony winding him up. The only lights on were at McGee and Gibbs desk the main lights were dimmed and the sun was casting the room in a peachy early morning light, he began typing and within ten minutes he had found out that; Dr Lower had previously been treating Richards and had been the one to Discharge him. Also that Lower had a brother in Baltimore who was a civilian doctor and both his parents lived in Florida and were retired funeral directors. This could explain how he had managed to fake his own death but the question now was why. McGee started checking Lowers bank accounts when Abby walked in.
"Hey McGee wotcha dooin" she asked sweetly sitting on the corner of his desk. This had been the real reason he had come in earlier than usual he knew Abby would come in extra early if she had important evidence for a case to process.
"Hey Abs nothing much just going through Lower's profile" he said looking up from his screen and noticing what she was wearing. She had her short black mini skirt, black tank top with a large spider web printed on it and her black platforms with small pink bows running up the back of them on, her hair was tied in her famous pigtails and she was wearing her bright red lipstick he had always loved her dress sense and he especially loved today's outfit in particular her mini skirt, it cut off a quarter of the way down her thigh and showed her beautiful shapely legs off perfectly. Abby caught McGee staring at her.
"McGee, earth to Timmy come back to us Major Tim." She said waving her hand in front of his eyes he snapped back from his fantasy and instantly his ears turned pink.
"Huh what" he exclaimed dumbly.
"McGeeeee! You were playing Scuito Dress Up weren't you!" she said holding back her laughter. With this Tim's face exploded into a shade of pink.
"No….No I was just thinking how lovely you looked" he replied desperately hoping she would believe this and forget about his fantasies.
"Flattery won't get you out of this one McGee" she said with a wicked grin standing up straight and placing her hands on her hips.
"But I wasn't doing anything; I can't help it if your hot in what you're wear. Damn it!" he said slapping his forehead, that was it; he hadn't meant to say it the words just slipped out of his mouth although they were true. McGee looked at Abby worrying what she would do now, then Abby narrowed her eyes seductively and lent over McGee's desk so that her lips were an inch away from his, she opened her mouth and tilted her head as if she was about to kiss him and McGee did the same.
"Just you wait" she whispered seductively "until I tell Gibb's what you've been getting up to inside your mind!" she said laughing wickedly
"No! No! Abby you can't Gibbs'll kill me, you know he treats you like his daughter" McGee replied panicking.
"Tisk tisk tisk. Wishing we didn't have them fantasies now aren't we" she said laughing at McGee's despair. At that moment Gibbs walked in sipping his early morning coffee.
"Hey Gibbs. Guess What McGee did" she said in her innocent child like voice. McGee felt himself tense up his heart had just shot up to his throat and began pounding at it like a jack hammer he looked at Abby and shook his head slightly, his eyes begging her not to tell.
"Hey Abs and you know I hate guessing games"
"Well McGee was sitting there when I came in and we were talking and I noticed….he had forgot to tell me what time he would pick me up tomorrow"
"Picking you up for what?" Gibbs asked his eyebrows rose.
"The party he invited me to"
McGee's stomach had unclenched itself and he let out an unheard sigh of relief before turning to Abby.
"Sorry Abs pick you up tomorrow around sixish" he mouthed a silent 'thank you' to her and she pulled him into a huge Abby hug and whispered.
"You owe me a large Caff Pow McGee" grinning widely she bounced on her platforms to the elevator, McGee watched her every step with love. Gibbs walked behind him to see what he was staring at, realising it was Abby he slapped the back of his head harder than usual and walked up to the director's office. Rubbing his head McGee restarted his search for Lower's bank accounts finally he found them and what he discovered instantly made him realise the reason Lower had faked his own death. He was heavily in debt, quite spectacularly in debt actually. But how and why he had got into dept was a mystery. He was paid enough to live quit comfortably. At this point Ziva walked in.
"Hey McGee what are you doing here so early?"
"Hey Ziva, oh I came in to get an early start on my searches how come you're in early" McGee replied not looking up or stopping his typing.
"Oh when Gibb's asks us to come in early I always make sure I'm fifteen minutes earlier than he wants us to be that way I avoid the" she mimicked Gibb's slapping her on the back of the head. Tim smiled to himself then carried on checking out Lower's profile.
The digital clock on the wall read five past six and yet still no sign of Tony. Gibb's was sitting at his desk he looked up to the clock, then at the door and finally at Tony's desk, still no Tony he looked back down at the files McGee had handed him earlier. Just as Gibb's turned the page Tony sneaked into the bullpen but before he got to his desk Gibb's shouted with out looking up from the file.
"Dinozzo your late care to explain!" Gibb's got up and walked behind Tony.
"Well boss….traffic was heavy an- umpf" Gibb's slapped Tony round the back of the head.
"Get up earlier. Gear up we're off to meet Aron Lower!"
They arrived outside Aron's house. Gibb's walked up to the door and knocked, the door opened and a five foot nine man wearing a white doctor's coat and glasses stood there.
"Hello how can I help?" the man asked
"Aron Lower?" replied Gibbs
"Yes what's wrong?"
"NCIS we're here about your brother Toby" Gibbs said producing his I.D
"I don't understand my brother was killed last week in a car crash it was an accident what are you guys involved for?" Aron asked. Panic and confusion spreading across his face.
"Well may we come in first?" Aron gulped but allowed Gibbs and the team in.
"Can we make this quick I have to be at work soon?" he said leading them to the living room. The house was very clean and tidy all the décor seemed to be modern.
"Dr Lower I'm afraid one of your brother's patients Private Lenard Richards was found murdered at the phyceatric hospital he was treated at, and your brothers prints appear to be on his body and a knife we found at the scene. Now Private Richards had only been dead for two days before we found him and your brother had apparently been dead three days at that point so do you care to tell me how your brothers prints are at the scene of the crime. Bearing in mind if you lie to me you will be prosecuted for perverting the course of justice." Gibbs could tell Aron was weak he may have been able to help his brother fake his own death but Aron Lower would not take the fall for a murder his brother did or didn't do. Gibbs gave Aron a piercing stare and said. "Well what about it?"
"Okay, okay, yes I did help my brother stage his own death but I mean he was under a lot of stress and well he was in huge debt not only with the bank but with loan sharks and some men he gambled with. They were threatening to kill him but I don't think my brother could murder anyone especially not one of his own patients" Aron broke easier than even Gibbs had expected
"And why do you believe that Aron?"
"well he always said he felt sorry for the men he treated, said they had risked everything for their country only to be brought back broken and unable to live their lives properly with out some sort of small trauma lurking deep inside them he even went to check on his discharged patients without need, to see how they were doing he carried that on even after he faked his death. Look bottom line my brother may have been a gambler but he lived for his job said there was no other job he could possibly ever want." Gibbs's cell rang and he stood up and walked to the hallway to take it.
"Gibbs" came the gruff voice
"Hey Gibbs its Abby, I got something for you"
"Go ahead"
"Well the knife Tony found did have Lenard Richards blood on it and did have Toby Lower's finger prints to, but like the body there's another set of prints their the same one's I found on the body the one's I couldn't trace. However you know now when tourists come into the country they have to have their finger prints scanned along with their passport well I found a match from that data base the prints belong to one Mossell Faied he was a solider on the Iraqi side and was part of the attack on Private Lenard Richards patrol looks like he may have come back to finish the job."
"WHAT! That's insane why would he go to all the trouble!"
"I don't know Gibbs being a soldier makes you do strange things, I mean take you and your boa-" Gibbs cut the call and walked back into the room.
"Looks like you could be right Aron but you need to tell me where your brother is"
"Of course I'll take you down to him" Aron said getting up and leading the team to the basement. "Toby! Toby! It's me I've brought some help but you need to do what they say okay" Toby emerged from behind a stack of boxes.
"Wh-who are they?" he stepped out and pointed to the team
"We're NCIS we're here to help you" Gibbs replied gently
"COPS! YOU BROUGHT NAVY COPS TO HELP ME!" Toby screamed picking up a near by knife and holding it to his neck. "Stay back or I'll do it! I'll spill my blood all over this god damn floor! Now stay back!"
"Whow! Whow! Whow! okay calm down, don't worry we're not here to arrest you we just want to question you but you need to come with us to be helped." McGee softly said holding his hands up and slowly walking towards Toby the team looked at McGee shocked to see he had taken over from Gibbs.
"Stay back I mean it I'll do it!" Toby said slightly drawing blood McGee Stopped and took out his gun and handcuffs and placed them on the floor
"There you go Toby see not here to arrest you just to help" the room was quite only Toby's short sharp breathing could be heard McGee took two more steps closer when Toby suddenly pointed the knife at McGee. Ziva, Tony and Gibbs all drew their weapons and pointed them at Toby, he stood frozen. "Come on Toby don't do this we want to help we want to catch Lenard's real killer we know you wouldn't do it and I know you won't stab me" said McGee. Taking another step he took Toby's arm and removing and tossing away the knife he led him up the stairs and to the car. The ride back was silent except for the occasional whimper from Toby. Finally they reached the yard and brought Lower into the interrogation room. The team stood on the other side of the screen watching him. he sat with his head in his hands silently sobbing then Gibbs walked out of their room and into the interrogation room. Both Ziva and Tony now turned to McGee.
"So Probie Wan Kenobi how come you suddenly became the calming type to bring in a knife wheedling suspect?"
"Well I saw the fear in his eye and I knew he wouldn't do anything. If he was going to kill himself he wouldn't have faked his own death and if he was going to stab me he would have done it before drawing his own blood."
"OO ERR! McHero uses brain over brawn to once again save the day! But yano Gibb's is gonna kill you for taking over from him" Tony said in a dramatic narrative voice, patting McGee on the back before turning back to the interrogation. McGee smiled to himself 'Tony had complimented him for the first time in ages, he knew the world was to end Tony never complimented him' he joked inside his head 'but wait Gibbs is gonna kill me damn it can't I get away with any thing' he thought nervously turning to watch the interrogation as well.
"So do you care to explain why your prints were on Private Lenard Richard's body and the knife he was stabbed with" Gibbs asked giving Lower what Tony called The Atomic Glare he gave all suspects in interrogation.
"Well I visit my discharged patients. Most of them don't know I was apparently killed so I visit to see how their doing and help them if they need it. Well I was visiting Private Richards and we was walking down to have lunch in a café and by chance we were passing the hospital he was treated at, when out of nowhere this guy steps out of a car pointing a pistol at us, he opened fire and hit Private Richards several times"
"Then what?"
"Well I dragged Richards into the hospital through a broken boarded up window I laid him down and tried plugging his wounds with my hand when the guy came in and clubbed me with the pistol. I was knocked out. Next thing I remember is waking up next to Richards, seeing he was pretty busted up I looked to see if he was alive but he had no pulse and wasn't breathing so I…. I didn't know what I was doing I just picked up the knife that was in him and buried it in the corner and I-I just left." Lower broke down
"Do you remember the colour and type of the car, what its registration was?"
"Yer a black dodge MAGNUM SRT-8 with Virginia plates I can't really remember the registration but I think it was WMA-12L"
Gibbs re-entered their room as they watched Toby be taken off to a custody cell.
"McGee! My office please, a word, now!" Gibbs Barked grabbing his coffee and walking from the room McGee gulped 'now he was for it Gibbs had shouted his name, showing anger yet why had he said please surly if he was angry he wouldn't have said please' it confused him but none the less he jogged to catch up with Gibbs. The doors closed with the usual ding and Gibbs pressed one, half way up he flicked the switch and the familiar emergency blue lighting flick on.
"Boss I'm sorry I know it was stu-" McGee began to apologise
"Sorry? Sorry for what McGee? For taking over a dangerous situation! For putting yourself and the suspect at risk! or sorry for helping calmly disarm the suspect with out a struggle, using your judgement to defuse the situation and showing me that you are not just a geek with a gun" Gibbs was smiling now. 'Gibb's smiling at something he McGee had done something that for once had not involved him embarrassing himself. Now it was for sure, soon the four horsemen of the apocalypse would be running a mock'
"Well done today McGee just tell me next time you play hero, now go see Abby and give her a hand if not both of you can go home early and restart things Monday." Gibbs said re-engaging the lift and getting off McGee pressed ground he had remembered he owed Abby a Large Caff Pow.
When the lift doors opened and he walked into Abby's lab he was almost knocked over by a flying hugging Abby. "Oh McGee Don't you ever scare me like that again only Tony, Ziva and Gibb's are allowed to take on knife wheedling Suspects, especially seeing as they didn't invite me to a party tomorrow" she muffled into his shoulder squeezing the life out of him "so ya got my Caff Pow McGee or do I have to tell Gibbs about you and your head." She let go smiling "and you know we've both got the weekend off how about you stay round mine tonight saves all the hassle tomorrow?" she asked in a sweet and innocent voice
"Yer here you go" he said handing Abby the large Caff Pow " of course I'll stay over if you want me to I'll get my stuff when we clock off, so are you doing anything at all at the moment" he asked looking around as Abby took a long slurp of her Caff Pow.
"No I've just finished everything…. Why?" She asked eyeing him with suspicion "McGeeeee are you wondering if you can play Scuito Dress Up for real in my lab" she said starting to laugh.
"No!….no its just Gibbs said if you were finished and didn't need help with any thing we could both leave early" McGee said his ears turning pink. 'Could she really read his mind?' At this Abby grabbed McGee's hand and ran charging to the elevator.
"McGee why didn't you say so, we're outa here!" she screamed excitedly running through the bull pen shouting a quick goodbye to everyone.
"What just happened?" said Tony
"I don't know maybe Abby's labs on fire." Ziva replied just as shocked
"So why was she yelling goodbye instead of help? Ahhh maybe McGeek asked her for a quickie! Wait ago probie umpf!"
"Or maybe I let her and McGee off early Dinozzo ever think of that" Gibbs said slapping Tony's head
"Hey! How come the two lab rats get off early" Tony said indignantly. Gibbs glared at Tony and he immediately backed down and carried on working.
Authors Note: thanks for the reviews on the first chapter please keep on reviewing. Well I told you the next chapter would be longer even if there was only a little McAbby but don't worry the next chapter will be devoted to them so stick with the story McAbby lovers.