A/N: I really apologise for the delay of uploadings, but my computer, which has been a huge pain in the arse for the past six months, stopped working after a few blue screens of death about two months ago. Despite all my efforts, it's still not working properly yet but I won't give up on it. Until then, I got myself one of those tiny laptops and it is slowly becoming my best friend when it comes to writing. Once more, thank you lot for all your kind reviews, I really appreciate them! And thank you my love for the beta-reading! And after such a huge author's note, let's move on the story!

"Abby, you've got an extra Caff-Pow?"

"Get your ass off the chair and buy yourself one, McGee!"

"Oh come on, I can't just leave this right now!"

"What makes you think I can drop everything I'm doing and serve as the coffee girl?"

"Because you've been just hovering around and staring at me for the past twenty minutes. I deduce that you're not that busy."

Abby leant against one of the counters. "And that means I'm not busy? I could have been… meditating. Yeah, I could have!"

"The sound of a Caff-Pow being sucked through a straw ruins any chance of concentration and I can tell you had at least two."

"Alright McGee, I'm bored! You haven't brought me anything to process today-"

"It's barely over 0800."

"… and you clearly don't want my help to do… whatever you're doing. I even wonder why you're here downstairs and not behind your fancy desk."

"I'm saving some important data at my computer. You have the Caff-Pow? I'm still feeling sleepy."

Abby walked towards him. "What are you doing anyway?"

"Going through anything that might be related to the Andersen family in the past fifty years."

"Why just the Andersens? What about the rest of the victims?"

"Gibbs' orders. Just the Andersens."

"Anything hinky so far?"

"No. They seem like the average family, apart from Christine's sudden death."

"How did she die? I mean, it was the atropine, right. But how did she take it?"

"She took her eye drops instead of her tonic."

"That was… a bit clumsy, wasn't it?"

"It was a mistake."

"Yeah…"

As she trailed off, McGee finally moved his sight away from the computer. "What?"

"I haven't got much of a clue of how were the flasks back in the Fifties, but a tonic flask is usually bigger than an eye drops flask… Am I making sense?"

"What do you mean? That it wasn't an accident after all?"

"Isn't Gibbs convinced of that?"

"He seems to be. Exhumations, refusal to drop this line of inquiry…"

"What kind of tonic was she taking?"

"I have no clue about that. But Tony and Ziva are at Quantico right now, I'll phone them."

"Who was it now?"

"McGee. It seems to be call-and-order-us-around day." Tony put his mobile phone back in his jacket pocket and shifted position in his seat. "Where did they go get him? Iraq?"

Ziva also stretched her legs a bit. "What did he want?"

"To know what kind of tonic was Christine having prior to her dead. One more question for dear brother. If he ever shows up…"

"He'd better… I hate being left waiting like this. What're you doing?" she asked as Tony pulled off his notebook.

"Killing time."

"You're still wasting time with those bets?"

"That's where our points of view differ drastically."

Ziva rose from her chair, starting to pace around the room. "How many idiots have you fooled back at the bullpen? This waiting is really getting on my nerves…"

Tony finished scrabbling something. "Why don't you take a look for yourself?" He turned the notebook towards her.

"That's the amount of money you've accumulated?" Ziva asked astonished as her eyes stare at the numbers scrabbled in the page.

"Sure it is. Surprised? Changed your mind about joining the winning side?"

"I can't believe there are so many nosey guys back at the bullpen."

"What can I say? Our Director seems to be a fascinating persona. So is Gibbs."

"I still wonder how you intend to prove yourself right."

"Can't tell you. Would have to kill you then."

"Like I wouldn't do it first."

"See, Ziva? Is that kind of threats that make you so unpopular at the workplace."

"I'm not unpopular!"

"You sure?"

"Yes!"

"Worried?"

"Of course not! I… may not be the most… friendly person there, but I'm a reliable officer. Everyone knows that." She made a brief pause and went back to the ranting. "Where the hell is the man? Is he doing it on purpose?"

"Probably. Thank Gibbs for that."

"Special Agent DiNozzo and Officer David?"

They both quickly turned towards the voice. A privet was staring at them by the door.

"Yes?"

"Gunnery Sergeant Andersen will receive you. Please follow me."

"What am I staring at, Abs?"

"Images of different flasks."

"I could've managed that on my own, you know?"

"Sorry Gibbs. It's kind of a long story… that telling by the look in your face I'm going to shorten. Basically I had some doubts after McGee filled me in about how Christine Andersen died."

"Doubts?"

"Yeah. He told me she mistook the flasks."

"She did. At least is what her brother claims."

"Well, going straight to the point, I wondered how viable it was. I mean, an eye drop flask usually has a dropper while a tonic flask is taller and larger and one usually uses a spoon to take. Isn't a bit weird not noticing that you're taking your tonic from a dropper? But my main concern was: I had no idea if it was like that fifty years ago. So, I made a few calls. The last one to the American Pharmacists Association. They were quite nice and they provided me with all the images they had. They're mainly from old adverts and stuff like that. Nice, isn't it?"

"Remind me why you're working here downstairs and not in my team?"

"Because I'm the greatest lab tech in the world and you all can't do anything without me?"

"Good answer."

"And I like my cosy lab."

"Can we move back to the flasks?"

"Sure." Abby zoomed the photos a bit. "The photos are old and a bit grainy. These here on the left were used to bottle many sorts of tonics and medical syrups. As you certainly know, many medicines were mixed in the drugstore, including some eye drops. And here on the right we have the eye drops flaks. Guess I don't need pointing to you that they-"

"Don't even look remotely similar. No. But some of the eye drops flasks don't have the dropper incorporated."

"No. But you'd need one as well to take the drops. Still, the opening is much narrower and the flask completely different."

"So, your point is that someone deliberately made her take the atropine?"

"Either that or her eye problem was really severe."

"I'm owing you this one, Abs."

"You know my price. Caff-Pow!" Abby was forced to yell the answer as Gibbs crossed the lab hastily, disappearing through the door. "And there he goes!"

"Hope your idea really pans out," McGee reclined on his chair trying to find some relief to his sore back, "Because there's nothing here."

"Nothing at all?"

"No. Not even a single bit of 'hinkiness'."

"Agent Gibbs here to see you, madam."

"Is he? Well, send him in then," she put the phone's earpiece back on its place and her eyes wandered back to the report. The door opened a few seconds later.

"I'm busy, Jethro. Fire away whatever you've come to ask and piss off."

"Someone's edgy," he teased playfully while taking a seat. "Hormones bugging you already?"

She looked at him over her spectacles. "What do you want, Jethro?"

"To arrange a meeting."

"And what've I got to do with it? You hardly came in here to ask for my permission…"

"Well, kind of…" he trailed off.

"You're expecting me to guess?"

"It's about the case. Abby spotted something that might be important and DiNozzo and Ziva are still at Quantico searching for some answers that may finally shed some light on this mess. I'm pretty sure now is the time for a team meeting to see if we can finally wrap this case up."

"Is it that close?"

"I'm hoping so."

"Great. At last. But I still can't see why you're here telling me this."

"Besides the team, I'd like to have you with us. And Abby and Ducky too, of course."

Jenny tried to disguise her surprise. "Are you feeling well, Jethro? You want my help?"

"More your expertise. And your office."

"My office? Why so? Oh, I see… Do I have to remind you this building has plenty of other rooms? Conference rooms, for that matter?"

"Yours is more peaceful."

"Not when you're around. But alright, you can have the meeting here."

He nodded in response."

"So, at what time?"

"As soon as those two are back from the base."

"Fine. I'll be either here or in MTAC."

"Ok," he rose from the chair. "See you later. And don't even think about skipping lunch."

"You can cut on the nagging."

"Can I? Well, I'll know if you do it. Keep that in mind, Jen."

"How? You've bugged my office?"

"No. I was thinking more about bribing Cynthia. Even she has her price."

"Piss off, Jethro. See you later."

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