a/n - I'm happy that everyone is enjoying this story. I'm currently working on chapter 21, so this will be a meaty story for you. Since this is a short chapter, I will post two chapter today. Enjoy.

"Abby, do you have the lab work on the Kale case ready to go to the DA?" Gibbs walked into the lab and set a Caf-Pow on the workbench.

"I think this time it was unforgivable." She reached out and took the drink, slurping it noisily. Gibbs tried to be understanding.

"It was a rough case, Abs."

She turned and stared at him. "Not the case Gibbs, McGee. He went to another lab behind my back. How can I ever trust him again after that?" When his only response was a raised eyebrow, she elaborated. "My friend Marcy at the lab in Rhode Island saw his name on some blood that was being tested."

"Tested for what?" Gibbs moved closer and lowered his voice. "When was this?"

Abby just shrugged, not picking up on his growing concern. "When everybody had those two days off. Why does that matter, he cheated on me with another lab tech. How could he do that to me?"

Gibbs was becoming annoyed with her attitude, which was a rare occurrence. "Have you tried to talk to him about it?"

"He said it was private, that it was about him and not me. Gibbs, how could he talk to me like that?" Abby pouted, expecting Gibbs to agree with her.

The older man just shook his head. He loved her like a daughter, but sometimes he wanted to shake some sense into her. Right now she was not interested in listening to reason. "Find out what you can about what kind of tests he had done." He didn't wait for a response as he took the stairs two at a time down to autopsy.

Ducky looked up as the doors banged open and Gibbs stormed in, ordering Palmer to inventory the van. Palmer looked puzzled, but after seeing the expression on the agent's face he scrambled out the door to comply.

'Well Jethro, is there a reason for this visit or are you running out of people to terrorize upstairs?"

"Has McGee talked to you?"

"Timothy? No, we haven't chatted since before your team caught that nasty case. Is there a problem?" Ducky thought back and realized that this was the longest he'd gone without a visit from the young man. "Jethro, what has happened?"

"I don't know, Duck." Gibbs sat on one of the unoccupied tables. "Whatever it was he won't talk to anyone about it, but he had blood tests done at a lab besides ours."

Ducky leaned against the next table over. "Blood tests? Timothy is ill? He hasn't said a word to me about it." The elderly man thought over the options. "If you can come up with a reason to send him down to me, I can look him over, but anything medical he tells me would be confidential, remember."

Gibbs was beginning to think he should have pushed McGee harder, but for now he would take what he could get. "At least I'll know someone I trust is helping him." He looked like he was going to say something else, then shook his head and left.

---NCIS---

"Do you want me to shoot it and put it out of its misery?" Ziva watched as McGee picked at the sandwich he had brought back from his lunch with Fornell. It was rather early in the relationship for a lovers spat, but McGee seemed even more withdrawn than he had been that morning. McGee looked up at her, uncomprehending, until she pointed at it.

"Sorry, I guess I'm just not hungry." Truth was, he was feeling achy and tired and his throat was raw. Stress and lack of sleep were playing havoc on his resistance and he could tell he was fighting a losing battle with the virus of the week. He wrapped the sandwich back up and started to toss it in the trash bin, but DiNozzo intercepted it.

"If you don't want it, Probie, I'll take it." He snagged the food and returned to his desk while Ziva continued to watch McGee, waiting for him to look up. He still hadn't looked up by the time Gibbs walked back into the squad room. Without a word, Gibbs sat at his own desk and began to covertly watch McGee while he pretended to review the files on his desk. His two watchers jumped when McGee unexpectedly sneezed and DiNozzo immediately dropped the sandwich he had purloined. "Geeze, you didn't tell me you were sick."

"I'm not sick; I sneezed, Tony." The wince from his sore throat probably didn't help his argument. He was a little surprised to see two worried faces looking at him while DiNozzo continued to stare at the food on his desk.

Gibbs wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. "Go down and see Ducky, McGee."

"Boss, it was just a sneeze." Tim didn't have a clue why Gibbs and Ziva were hovering.

"Ducky, now." It was the 'don't argue with me' tone that had McGee on his feet and headed for the elevator purely on instinct. Once the elevator doors closed behind McGee, Gibbs leaned back in his chair, rubbing his face. Hopefully the medical examiner could coax the truth out of his agent.

---NCIS---

Dr. Mallard had just returned to the skeleton he was examining when McGee walked into autopsy. "Timothy, what a surprise, I haven't seen you in several days. How are you?"

"I'm fine, Ducky; Gibbs is just overreacting."

"Mmm, overreacting to what?" He looked McGee over with an appraising eye. Compared to when he'd last seen Tim, the young man looked wretched; no wonder Gibbs was worried. "I must admit, you've looked better, are you ill?"

"It's nothing; I'm just coming down with a cold. I sneezed once, and Gibbs sent me down here." Autopsy had never been McGee's favorite place for a doctor's visit, but today, especially, Ducky was staring at him like he was a prized gift for the table.

Ducky had to struggle to keep from grinning. Gibbs had certainly been grasping at straws if he sent McGee to him on the pretense of a sneeze. "Well, since you are here, I might as well take a look at you. Hop on up here like a good lad, would you?" He patted the table where Gibbs had been sitting, worrying, less than an hour earlier.