A/N: Merry Christmas everyone!
so sorry for the delay in updating - between illnesses and life's general ability to really get in the way - the time has escaped this endeavor. For that I apologize.
Right...here we go, then...
Taking the time to cool off after his latest interaction with Abby, Tim returns to his desk and works to refocus his mind. Without anything pressing on his plate for the rest of this Friday afternoon, Tim pulls out the agency regulations for field agents and every step up from there and begins to re-read through them. It won't hurt to familiarize himself with them again, remind himself of stuff he's forgotten, etc. It isn't long, however, before his mind returns to the unresolved issues between himself and his former team mates and colleagues.
Now that he's spoken with Ziva and Gibbs; each of those relationships now back on as solid ground as they can be at the moment, his biggest concern is Ducky. He's not sure exactly why he feels this way, but he's more comfortable with the idea of talking to him right now than that of talking to either Abby or Tony. Jimmy will probably be an awkward conversation. With a frown, he realizes he's missed many opportunities to improve on that friendship so he's not even sure he can blame the Autopsy Gremlin for not handling that situation with the dangerous hot tub water the way that he did. Of course the guy would grab at any chance to be 'cool' with Tony – even if it meant tuning out the reality of what was going on around him – a co-worker being ordered into something dangerous – that he with his medical training – would have been well aware of…
Okay, so maybe he does have a valid point with Palmer. Jimmy. And maybe he's not ready because he never expected such gross irresponsibility from him any more than he'd expected it from Ducky. He's not still burning with anger about any of this to be holding a grudge because he's the first person to admit he's not perfect himself and has made plenty of mistakes on the job and on numerous occasions, miss-spoke and immediately apologized, wishing he could take the words back.
But that doesn't mean he's ready to discuss any of the nightmare that had created the resulting last four weeks. Hell, who does he think he's kidding? If he could, he'd just drop the whole damned mess and move on! Human nature says things left unsaid need to be resolved before that can happen however and so he's got some serious figuring out to do if he's going to be able to set this down and move on.
He knows that Ducky's been waiting patiently for him to get to the point where he's ready to have that conversation they need to have. Sure, it's only been a week, but in terms of Tim letting things remain unsettled, it's very unusual and it doesn't feel right. It's been disappointing as hell that Gibbs hasn't called him yet so they can get that one out of the way, as it is. Maybe tonight would be perfect, provided the older man doesn't have any plans.
For a moment, he considers heading down to Autopsy, willing for the first time all week, to take the chance of running into other people who might have something to say about his leaving Team Gibbs the way he had. On second thought, he sticks to his guns about giving no one in the agency any juice for the gossip machine by being seen anywhere around them in a way that could be misconstrued. Instead, he picks up his cell phone and makes yet another call.
****NCIS*****
Hat in hand, Ducky wearily settles into his coat as he heads to the door. It's been a very long day and an even longer week. His desk phone shrilly pulls at his concentration enough to change the direction he's walking in. Exhaustion pulling at him with every step, he reaches out for the phone.
"Autopsy."
"Hi Ducky?
"Timothy! What a pleasant surprise to hear from you."
"You sound winded. Are you alright?"
"I apologize; I was on my way out for the evening."
"But, you're okay."
"Yes, I'm fine. Although I will admit to being more than a little tired."
"Let me drive you home."
"Nonsense, dear boy. I will be fine."
"Ducky. Please! I'll meet you at your car in 5."
"I can hear the determination in your voice, young man. I suppose this will be one of those times it will do me no good to argue with you?"
"Good. Be right there."
Replacing the receiver on the hook, Ducky smiles. That young man has learned more from Gibbs than he'll ever realize. Shaking his head slightly, he retraces his steps to the door, his heart suddenly much lighter with the new possibilities for his currently strained relationship with the younger man.
*****NCIS*****
1930 Friday Night
Waiting for his ordered steak dinner to be brought to his table in the quiet, out of the way diner he likes to frequent, Gibbs finds himself thinking back on the events of the past week, the blow up from Abby on Monday afternoon and the subsequent conversation with Vance standing out most prevalently in his mind:
1315 Monday Afternoon
"Dress codes! And Lab Assistants! And working with McGee! I'm being subjected to all of it, Gibbs! Starting tomorrow!"
"Why?"
"THAT is a very good question, my white knight!"
The conversation he's just had with Abby is still ringing in his ears as the Team Leader makes his way to the boss' office. He'll keep his word and find out what's going on, but he has a sinking suspicion that there's not going to be anything he can do about it. Truth be told, he's not sure he wants to step into this. He's gotten to know Vance over time and he knows that the man usually has a perfectly reasonable explanation – if and when he feels like sharing it.
With a tired sigh, he enters the man's office with less patience than he brought with him to work this morning. He hopes this isn't going to turn into some blown up drama on steroids. There's been enough of that already and no where near enough focus on work.
"I was wondering how long it would take you." Vance's seemingly offhand remark greets the Team Leader before he's taken three steps inside the office.
"There a reason you couldn't tell me about whatever this is – before you dropped it on Abby?" Gibbs grouses as he comes to a standstill in front of the younger man's desk.
Already on his feet behind his desk, Vance gestures towards his empty chair and pointedly asks. "You lookin' to sit here, Gibbs?"
The silent glare he gets in response says the question isn't going to be verbally dignified with an answer, leading the Director to continue on with his own two cents in the matter. "I don't have to explain myself to you. However, in the interest of keeping the doors of communication open, I will tell you that I already had Ms. Scuito up here on another matter – felt it prudent to advise her of the changes while she was already in front of me.
"That other matter being- assigning her to work with McGee." Gibbs surmises with just enough unhappiness in his tone that there's no doubt he's been thinking about this.
"You have a problem with that?"
"Only if McGee does." Gibbs' answer shocks the Director into silence for a minute.
Finally, he can't stand the suspense any longer. "Who are you and what the hell have you done with Gibbs?"
With a smirk, the MCRT Team Leader turns to go. "Amazing what a new perspective can do for ya, Leon. Should try it sometime."
"Gibbs!" Vance calls him back.
Turning back, The Team Leader silently waits to hear the man out.
"Ms. Scuito doesn't do change well and I think we both know that very well. Probably stems from working with you in her corner for so long."
Knowing the Director wants to discuss this more, Gibbs walks back to stand back in front of the man's desk as he waits.
Again, silence greets Vance's assessment although the Team Leader coming back to his desk is a step in the right direction that gives him the latitude to keep going with what he has to say. "I'm going to hazard a guess that she picked up the phone to cry on your shoulders the minute she got back to her lab from my office."
The answering tiny smirk is all the confirmation he needs.
"I know you came up here to get me to drop these changes so she can keep things the way they've always been, the way she's comfortable with.
"Nope. Change away. She'll adapt. Might take her a while but she always does." Gibbs replies without hesitation or even a hint of flippancy.
"I'm happy to hear it. I've given your team's situation and the hellish year Agent McGee been through because of the shenanigans pulled by certain members of it, a lot of thought. A great deal of what took place – happened because that lab has been understaffed for far too long. It's a situation that should very well have been changed a long time ago."
"Tried giving her an assistant once, Leon." Gibbs reminds the man with a steel in his tone that doesn't bode well for anything like that fiasco ever happening to his lab rat again.
"I'm well aware that my predecessor failed to adequately vet that choice – leading to a very near tragedy. I assure you, that won't happen again!"
Gibbs nods in silent acceptance of that vow. He knows Leon's a hell of a lot more thorough in his background checks than Jenny had ever been. Truth be told, he's more concerned that whoever gets the job of being Abby's assistant, won't be able to handle working with her.
"Another reason is because Ms. Scuito has been given free reign not only in the lab – but virtually everywhere your influence can cover for her behavior- which includes that less than appropriate manner she's been allowed to challenge the dress code. All of that stops now."
"No argument here, Director." Gibbs replies with due seriousness. There's nothing to fight about because it is time for Abby to straighten up and fly right. Having the lump sum of the damage she's wrought to his team over time dropped in his lap like a bomb has opened his eyes to this. Sadly, he knows that the only way she's going to do that is if he steps back – like he should have done a long time ago. He only hopes it's not too late. Old habits, as even he knows, are often impossible to change. Then again, they can't be completely impossible since he's managed to give it a chance, right?
"I'm hoping that – with your new 'perspective' – you can help change that attitude of hers enough that she can remember how to be a better 'people' person."
On that remark, Gibbs is silent. He's not a people person himself, so he's no model there. He knows that his favorite has indeed, in some aspects, modeled her own behavior after his own examples, both good and bad. The memory of some of the backlash he's received lately is all it takes to remind him of that:
***Flashback***
"I'm surprised to see that you didn't learn your lesson in letting Ms. Scuito act foolishly or without regard for your team members in either the Mawher case or even with the Drug Dog case. From all accounts, McGee was bitten pretty badly in that case and had to put up with Miss. Scuito's attitude and bullying about what he did….About saving his own life. Mawher got past Ms. Scuito and into McGee's apartment because she opened the door for him; but you punished McGee, quite publicly, too. I believe he was made to kneel by his desk because you didn't feel he deserved to sit down. Why is that?"
"And in the case with the drug dog…Jethro? I believe that's what McGee called him. I found it interesting that you made him drive back here from that house, shortly after he'd been attacked that morning, with the dog in the car with him! You must have really been pissed at him for some reason to completely disregard his safety like that; knowing he'd do anything you told him to; whether he felt safe doing it or not!"
And then he adopts that same dog! Just how did Ms. Scuito manage to manipulate McGee into taking in the dog that attacked him, anyway? Doctor Mallard tells me that McGee had a rough time of it after the attack and suffered from nightmares and all. Did that even bother you at all, Gibbs?"
***End Flashback***
Shaking his head, his mind recalls how that meeting ended, his mind still in full thinking mode before he'd even left the office:
***Flashback***
Okay, he can admit now, that the damage done is more his responsibility as Team Leader, than either Tony's or Abby's. That's just all the more reason to lead by better example than he's obviously done in the past. Needing to get back to work, Gibbs turns on his heel and heads to the door again. "Lemme know how it works out, Leon."
"Oh, I'm sure you'll be the first to know." Vance retorts knowingly, bringing a slight smirk to the Team Leader's face.
Starting down the stairs, pulling out his cell phone, Gibbs takes the final step in keeping his word to his lab rat. "Abby. Meet me for coffee. 1600 Hours– place on the corner." Snapping his phone shut, he takes himself back to his desk, happy to see that both Tony and Ziva are steadily at work without any problems or distraction, no matter how not normal that may be.
***End Flashback***
"Here ya go, Sweetie." The waitress coos to the handsome, always polite, quiet gentleman as she sets his dinner down in front of him and refills his coffee without having to be asked. "Enjoy your dinner. Relax. Looks like you've got a lot on your mind tonight."
With a small smile, Gibbs nods. "I do."
"Hope it's not nearly as bad as it looks like. Your troubles, I mean."
"Thanks." Gibbs offers as he picks up his coffee cup and sips at it, his mind once again, going back through that first day Tim had returned to the job, the effects of his decisions still impacting the rest of the team.
***Flashback***
1330 Monday–
Returning to the squad room to find his team working and the subsequent conversation regarding Ziva's worry for her relationship with Tim keeps the turmoil in focus, competing with actual work for their concentration. Hearing Tony's needling of Ziva in the tone that screamed of his own discord with the situation keeps Gibbs tuned in to the frequency of how this is affecting his team more so than usual.
The afternoon flies by in the face of continued cold case drudgery and very little vocalization on his team. In fact, it's the quietest the squad room's been in a very long time. For now, he leaves well enough alone since work is what they're here for. It's actually nice not to have to rag on them to keep them focused. Speaking of focused. It's high time he focused on the agent getting ready to fill Tim's spot.
Tim's spot. His question about getting Tim back seems to have answered itself with a glaring negative and yet Vance gave no indication that the MCRT is still an option for Tim to return to. Oddly enough, Gibbs realizes suddenly, he hadn't even asked the guy! Has he resigned himself to not getting Tim back? No! He needs to talk to Tim before that will happen but a TAD is inevitable until this is resolved and he knows it.
Glancing at his watch, he realizes, it's going on three and the time for his meeting with Abby. He's got questions and she had better have the answers. Two weeks ago, she was singing a completely different tune than that of today. He doesn't like not understanding what's going on with her.
Sure enough, when he gets to the coffee shop, Abby's already there, restlessly pacing in the small courtyard on the side of the place. Spying what is probably his untouched coffee on the table where she's laid her parasol and coffee with the lid off, he takes the time to sit and enjoy a few sips of his drink as he waits for her to calm down.
As if she's sensed his arrival, Abby stops pacing a mere minute later and turns to look at him. Glaring at him, she approaches and flops down into the seat across from him. "Why am I here, Gibbs? My life is turning upside down in my lab, you don't care but you want to have coffee with me?"
"Are ya done?" he asks quietly with enough impatience that she knows she's pushing her luck with him already.
"Yes."
"I spoke to Vance."
"And?"
"Nothin'. He is the Director and he's got solid reasons for making these changes."
"Gibbs!"
"Reasons he didn't have to share, Abbs. But he did." He reminds her pointedly.
She huffs. "I know."
"Not why I asked you here."
"Oh?" Abby's eyes light up. "You've got a plan to fix things anyway?"
"Nope."
"I don't get it."
"Abby, two weeks ago you came to my house at two in the morning to admit you messed up with McGee. Now, he's back and you're blaming him for everythin'?"
Abby closes her eyes briefly. When she opens them, they're filled with sadness. "I know, Gibbs. And I can't really explain it. I do know that I was at fault for a lot of what happened. I know I treated him badly. Really badly. But it's like he's got a new attitude now and he thinks he's better than the rest of us or something and I hate it!
"When did you talk to him today?"
"I haven't. Yet."
"So, you came to this new outlook about him, how? How'd you figure he thinks that way if you haven't even spoken to him? Have you even laid eyes on him yet?"
"From Tony. I don't have to - to know what's going on, Gibbs. And no, I haven't." Abby's answers are short and progressively angrier and angrier.
Gibbs sighs. This is what he's been afraid of; this open hostility without just cause. It's not something he has time for and it's certainly not professional. In fact, he won't tolerate it. "Abby. Vance already told you that McGee requested you be allowed to help him with this Computer Training Class. If you can't see the truth in that, there's nothing I can say."
"The truth, Gibbs?" Abby sounds genuinely confused.
Gibbs gets to his feet "Like I told you earlier, Abbs. You'll figure it out."
Standing to her feet, Abby smiles at his repeated compliment. But the change in his expression a mere half minute later has her pausing.
"There won't be any confrontations or any soap opera at work. Are we clear?"
"Yes, Sir, my Captain!" She grins at him despite the stern look he's glaring at her with.
In more companionable silence than he's felt around him all day, they return to work together. She goes back to the lab without any further discussion but the look on her face says she'd rather be doing anything but. Feeling at least somewhat more hopeful about this mess being cleaned up soon, Gibbs returns to his desk and his eerily silent but still working team.
Before he knows it, the afternoon is gone and he looks around in the semi-darkness to find his agents still slaving away at the cold case piles on their desks. There's no reason to keep them as late as they'd stay with an active case. He knows they're tired and still trying to work their heads around the changes amidst the loss of a treasured, if not underappreciated co-worker and could probably use a little more down time to do it in.
He also knows he's promised to call Tim when he has time to give to the talk they need to have but for right now, he can't help but be more concerned about Tony's deflecting and silence in between – long silences from the normally outspoken man are never a good sign. He had left things in a rather negative spot between himself and his Senior Field Agent earlier in the day. Maybe it's time he sounds the guy out, see what's going on underneath that mask. Getting to his feet, he clicks off his work station, "Go home!" Watching them pack it in, he heralds his Senior Field Agent as he watches Ziva look at them guardedly and head out alone.
"Yeah, Boss?" Tony asks nervously as he remains standing behind his desk.
Taking himself over to the younger man's desk, Gibbs perches himself on the corner of it and quietly speaks to his Senior Field Agent. "Talk to me, Tony."
"About what, exactly?" Tony's eyes shift away from the steely eyed man who could read him better than anyone else ever could.
"McGee."
"What about him?"
"I wanna know where your head's at, DiNozzo!" Gibbs growls impatiently.
"Oh." Tony falls silent as he contemplates the question. On the one hand he had meant it when he told Ziva two weeks ago he wished he could fix things between Tim and the team- especially where he, himself had screwed up. But, on the other hand, Tim's aloof attitude since he's come back now has just rubbed him the wrong way. Pouring salt on the gaping wound he created with his abandonment of the team.
Realizing Tony's not done thinking his way through what he does and does not think about this, Gibbs gives him the out he obviously needs – for now. He recognizes the looks filtering though the younger man's expressive eyes and he calls him on it at the same time "Let me know when you stop blaming him."
Tony silently stares his expression somber with a splash of defensive attitude, his mask temporarily set aside in the face of his mentor's concern mixed with censure.
Getting to his feet, Gibbs walks back to his desk. "Get some sleep, DiNozzo."
"Nite, Boss." Tony offers with only slightly more enthusiasm as he practically storms from the squad room, jabbing at the elevator button repeatedly as if he can bring it back to him in an instant that way.
As Tony disappears behind the closing door of the elevator a moment later, Gibbs restlessly takes himself to the picture window by the stairs. Looking out, he's surprised to recognize his former Mossad Officer of an agent sitting ramrod straight on the bench over by the serenity garden lit by bright bulbs that always gives that area an enchanting tone at this time of the night. He turns to walk back to his desk when movement in that area that isn't Ziva's grabs his attention and he turns back to watch warily.
With a small smile he relaxes as he recognizes the figure approaching Ziva and garner her attention. The way her posture relaxes lets the Team Leader in him know she's happy to have this chance meeting with Tim. Seeing the young man shake his head at her yet stay and talk leaves the Team Leader wondering what's going on, but it's Ziva getting to her feet and walking companionably with Tim to the employee parking lot a mere minute later that has him reassured enough to actually leave them to whatever it is and go back to work himself. The smile on her face was unmistakable and even the relaxed posture in Tim's tall frame tells him that these two are well on their way to fixing their piece of this currently mixed up situation.
Maybe all is not lost after all. Tomorrow night, provided nothing gets in the way, he'll make that call to Tim. Spend the time setting things right between them. Hopefully.
Present Time
"You sure everything's alright, Sweetie?" The waitress waits for her regular customer to come back from his thoughts. "You haven't touched your dinner."
Gibbs frowns as he glances at the meal he usually loves to tuck into after a busy week. Now, he's been so caught up in trying to think things through to make sure his entire team is getting back on track that he can't even think of eating! Glancing at the patient woman, he smiles softly. "I'll have it to go tonight."
His apologetic tone sparks a tender smile in the woman. "No problem, Sweetie. Like I said earlier, I sure hope all that trouble you got on your mind isn't too terribly serious. Then again, I can't recall you ever not being able to eat your dinner, so it must be."
Shaking his head, Gibbs sets her friendly concern to rest. "Nothin' to worry about."
"All right, sugar. But, just in case, I'm loading you up on that dinner and throwing in some of that pie you love so much!"
Suddenly feeling almost ashamed of himself for not being able to eat, Gibbs smiles softly as he pays his bill and accepts his to go boxes with a grateful smile and heart-felt thanks. With her wishing him a good night, he walks out to his car and gets in, setting the food in the passenger seat and starting up his car.
The trip home is short and almost by rote, his mind still bordering on going back over the week and the busy way it took off, leaving him no room to get in touch with Tim or check back in on Abby or Tony. He's reassured without a doubt that Tim and Ziva have bridged whatever gap there had been in their friendship and so he's not worried there in the least. But here it is Friday night and now that he's put his dinner off – stowing it away in the refrigerator as he steps inside his kitchen, he can't help but let the flicker of concern for his Senior Field Agent, gain some heat.
Picking up his cell phone, he's startled when it rings before he can use it. "Yeah Gibbs." He answers tiredly as he opens the phone and the connection on the call.
"Hey, Bossss. Up for some comp…ny?" Tony's slurred speech ties Gibbs' gut in a knot.
"Where are you, DiNozzo?"
"Tony! He is with me, Gibbs and he will be fine." Ziva's voice is calm if not impatient over the line.
"What happened?" He demands.
"Nothing happened, Gibbs. We were having dinner and Tony decided it was a good idea to drink more wine than what was wise with very little dinner he managed to eat."
"Where are you?"
"We are still at the restaurant. I am forcing him to drink at least one cup of coffee before I attempt to get him to the car."
"Keep him there. I'll be there in ten."
"Gibbs, that is not necessary. I told him not to bother you. I am sorry that he did while I attempted to order coffee from the waitress serving the next table."
"Ziva. I'm on my way."
"Alright."
***NCIS***
Walking into the restaurant not ten minutes later, Gibbs quickly sees his troubled agent, hunched over his cup of coffee while Ziva is sitting across from him, her eyes trained on her partner's frame. Wordlessly, he glances at her as he slides into the booth next to her and taps Tony on the head a bit hard. "Hey."
Tony's head snaps up, his eyes dart to those of his boss before looking away in shame. "Hey."
"Talk to me, DiNozzo."
Instead of answering, Tony reaches around to his back pocket and pulls out his wallet, reaches inside and extracts two twenty dollar bills. Throwing one down on the table, he tosses the second one at Ziva. "Here. I'm sorry I can't drive you home for obvious reasons. This should get you a cab with some change. Keep it."
Glancing at Gibbs, Ziva keeps her hands where they are, cradling her mug of coffee as she glares at Tony now. "I do not want your money, Tony. I want you to talk to us."
Tony shakes his head. "No. Go home."
"DiNozzo. She stays. This concerns her too. Matter of fact, I'm bettin' she can help you more than you realize, right about now." Gibbs orders in his no nonsense tone.
"Oh yeah? How's that?" Tony's tone steps deeply into sarcasm, earning him a glare from both people sitting across the table from him.
"You are so angry with Tim that you have not been able to think of anything else. Yes?"
"Okay, I'll give you that one." Tony admits quietly. "But since when did you start calling him by his first name?"
"What I do not understand is why you are still blaming him when you already came to me asking for help in saving this team, including Tim!" Ziva demands as she ignores his question.
"You don't understand." Tony repeats angrily. "Excuse me, but weren't you there when McAlmighty better than the rest of us came back to work Monday – too bloated with his ego stuck up his ass to even give us the time of day?"
Gripping her mug even tighter, Ziva glares at Tony, yet somehow holds her tongue, giving Gibbs the opportunity to take control of this rapidly spiraling situation. "DiNozzo. You cornered him, pushed him for answers. He didn't pull any punches and he didn't beat around the bush. Not his fault you can't accept the truth he gave you."
"And what truth would that be, Gibbs?" Tony pushes back with even more anger.
"You claim he never said anything – just walked away from the team without even tryin' to fix what was wrong." Gibbs reminds him quietly.
"Yeah."
"Wait! That is what you accused him of? No wonder he was angry with you!" Ziva exclaims with her own anger rising. "How could you accuse him of such a thing, Tony? Is your own memory so short that you do not recall all the times he said something about the way you overstepped your bounds – only for you to make fun of him and talk down to him for it?"
"Maybe." Tony admits guiltily.
"We both know why he never said anything to me, DiNozzo. Neither one of us would have given him the answers he deserved" The Team Leader speaks again, pointedly and with conviction.
Looking back at the boss now, Tony sees in the man's expression, what's been there for the last two weeks – guilt. If the Team Leader has already accepted his own culpability in this mess, why is it so hard for Tony to accept his? The man is right. Tim never complained to Gibbs, because he knew the Team Leader's favoritism would only garner him more problems than solutions and he'd never be taken seriously by the man. And the answers that would have shown that he mattered, were never going to be forthcoming – under the old way things were handled.
"Even Ducky has owned up to his part in this, Tony. Why is it, you cannot do the same?" Ziva stubbornly pushes now.
"Because Gibbs is right." Tony admits quietly as he glances over at her now. "We never respected McGee nearly enough and that's never an easy flaw to admit to."
"Especially since you are the top man on the ladder, yes?" His partner attempts to empathize.
"Totem pole, but yeah."
"Top?" Gibbs questions with raised eyebrows.
"Senior Field Agent." Tony quickly corrects without so much as raising his voice.
Realizing that he's done all he needs to do and that his agent is now sober enough to stay out of trouble, Gibbs gets to his feet. "Go home. Get some sleep."
"We will, Boss." Tony offers quietly.
"Thank you, Gibbs." Ziva adds in her own calmer tone
"Don't pull this stunt again, DiNozzo." Gibbs orders. "Better be ready to work come Monday, 0645!"
"I will be, Boss." Tony admits. "Wait! Why 15 minutes early?"
"That a complaint? I can make it 0630 if ya want me to."
"Uh, no, Boss. 0645 is fine."
"Somehow, I thought you'd say that." Gibbs turns and heads out of the restaurant, leaving two pensive agents at the table.
*****NCIS*****
Here in the dark now that Ducky's gone off to bed and Tim's locking up on his way out, Tim glances around Ducky's townhome, struck with the feeling of forced solitude Ducky must feel here. It sends a shudder of ill-ease down his spine. They've not had the chance to talk since the elderly man was clearly exhausted. Tim had left him to the silence that accompanied them to Ducky's home, once the directions had been given to get them there. Seeing the kindly older man lay his head back and actually rest as he allowed himself to be driven home, swept any thought of conversation away like a tidal wave.
Having gotten them safely to Ducky's home, Tim had helped him inside and even gotten his evening tea started for him – only to have Ducky change his mind and head off to bed, almost immediately. With regret he made sure Tim had heard, the Medical Examiner excused himself after offering to make it up to him over a brunch later in the weekend.
Promising that anytime would be fine – Tim had watched and listened for the sights and sounds of Ducky successfully making it to his room and settling in for the night, before making his way to windows and doors to double check that the older man was indeed secure in his home. Shaking his head at his own insecurities on the matter now, Tim takes a minute to draft a short note for Ducky to call him when he's ready to go pick up his car – before heading out.
Driving home, he relishes the realization that without firing a shot – so to speak- this skirmish has been resolved because despite whatever bad day the Medical Examiner was having that day – when the dreaded hot tub incident occurred – the point driven home tonight was that the man is above all else, human and fallible and capable of being driven past limits they sometimes take for granted.
In other words, no matter what conversation stems from this – regarding that day – no grudge is in place and the only thing they need to set things right between them now – is a heaping dose of understanding . Somehow, he's confidant without a shadow of a doubt that this is one conversation he doesn't have to dread. In fact, it's a conversation he's actually looking forward to having now.