A/N: Looks like whatever it is that helps me write these things has recovered from New Year's. Here's the next chapter, another one soon, I promise!

Chapter 6

Abby woke up, aware of being extremely uncomfortable. Her head was lying on a hard surface and she had a major crick in her neck. She opened her eyes and felt a split second of disorientation before realising she'd fallen asleep at her desk in the lab. It took her a moment to recall why she'd fallen asleep there, but then the memories came flooding back. Tim, telling her that he'd applied for a transfer; that he was in love with her; begging her not to cry. When he'd left she'd stayed at her desk, trying to assimilate the fact that Tim, her Timmy, was leaving...because of her. He was one of the few constants in her life; even when Vance had split up the team, she'd still been able to see him every day at work, and they'd spent time together outside of work. She could always depend on him; she'd just never realised how she was affecting him. Her thoughts had gone round in circles for hours until she'd finally fallen asleep.

Slowly she got up from the desk, stiff and sore from sleeping in that position. She needed to stop dwelling on what Tim had told her, and start trying to figure out how to stop him from leaving. Even if she didn't feel the same way about Tim as he did about her, she needed him in her life. He was her best friend.

She went down the hallway to the nearest bathroom and splashed some cold water on her face, grimacing at her reflection in the mirror. Her mascara and eyeliner had left black streaks down her face, her eyes were puffy and red from tears and her pigtails were messy and askew. She grabbed a handful of paper towel and did her best to remove the last of yesterday's makeup. Then she took the bands out of her pigtails and finger combed them loose. She didn't much feel like trying to put them back up again.

She headed back to her lab, hoping that the team would be so busy today that they wouldn't have time to hang around downstairs.

A short while later, Gibbs came in with her morning Caf-Pow

"Morning, Abs. Still no case, but I'd thought I'd bring you this-"he cut off, taking in her red-rimmed puffy eyes and pale face with a glance

"Did McGee come down here last night?" he asked, his voice hard

She nodded, not trusting herself to speak. The mention of Tim had brought a lump back to her throat

Gibbs cursed under his breath

"Gibbs. Don't say that. It's not his fault"

"It's not your fault either, Abs"

"You're not really going to let him go are you, Gibbs?"

"Do my best, Abs" he kissed her on the cheek comfortingly, then turned and left

She half smiled; hopefully between them they could stop Tim from leaving.

Gibbs headed for the squad room, seething from his encounter with Abby. The pleading note in her voice as she asked him if he was going to let McGee go had really gotten to him. He knew that it wasn't really McGee's fault that he was in the situation he was in, but that didn't make him any less angry. Why on earth hadn't McGee waited to tell Abby about transferring until he had actually made a final decision? He could be putting her through this for no reason. Abby was like a daughter to him; he hated seeing her in pain.

And god knows, the only person that could have caused her this much pain by leaving was McGee. Gibbs knew he was a keen observer; snipers were trained not to miss anything, and he had been one of the best. He'd seen the way those two looked at each other when they thought the other wasn't watching; Abby just as much as McGee. He also knew that Abby didn't have any serious intentions towards his youngest agent, but the threat of losing him completely might just change that.

Something had to break between those two sooner or later; he just wished it hadn't been McGee's patience that broke first.

Later that afternoon, Tony came back upstairs from visiting Abby. He knew that technically he didn't know about McGee's transfer request, and had decided he shouldn't interfere, but Abby's demeanour had changed that. He'd never seen her this upset before, even after Kate's death. He had to say something to Probie. Maybe a short sharp shock would bring him to his senses. Something had to.

So he waited until Gibbs sent them home that night for his chance, deliberately stalling until he could get on the elevator with McGee. He kept his silence until they were in the parking lot, out of earshot of anyone else before he broached the subject

"So... you applied for transfer then?"

McGee sighed. "Gibbs tell you?"

"Nope. No one told me"

"So how did you know then?"

"Probie, Gibbs has been snappy all day, Abby looks like hell, and you asked me the other day about transfers. I'm an investigator, McGee: didn't take me long to put the facts together. You applied for transfer, and you told Abby. Knowing you, you probably even told her why. Am I right?"

McGee shook his head slightly "I wasn't going to lie to her, Tony"

"Probie, I've called you a lot of names over the years. One I never thought I'd be able to pin on you was 'coward'. Guess I was wrong"

With that, he turned and walked away, leaving McGee open mouthed and speechless.