Author's Note: Hey guys, hope everyone's doing well--Spring come around for any of ya'll yet? Man I can't wait for the full blast of spring (and summer)--wee, warm weather! Okay--right, back on track--this chapter might seem like the fic is drifting away from Gibbs and Ziva, but the truth is I needed to establish this in order to get around to Gibbs and Ziva. In a way I think it is kind of cool that I am doing it this way because Abby was hardly mentioned in WATT and McGee did not serve an extremely important role in that fic as well.
Still this is very much a Gibbs and Ziva fic--or it is planned to be. Everything that has happened, is happening, and will happen is because of Gibbs and Ziva's incident. I do have things planned and I plan on sticking to them--and getting this chapter out gave me more of a push in that direction.
...and I'm yapping none stop now so let me just shut my trap and let ya'll read.
LATER DAYS--Geekery.
Chapter 3: Complications
Today is an average day. The season is nearly Spring. The faint chirping of the nearby birds creates a soothing sound to the non-stop rush of the city.
Inside the Naval building a small specialized team of Agents come together to start their day.
Tim is uncharacteristically chipper this morning as he tastes his intensely sweetened cup of coffee. His attire is more of a dressed-down fashion, yet still slightly high-priced. His facial expression is calm, yet exciting as the twinkle in his eyes catches the rising morning sun from the set of extremely large windows staring back at him.
"…'good' morning…" He sighs; contented, as a bird flies past the window he is looking out of.
With a ding, the double doors push away from each other and out shoots Tony. His mood very dramatic; his work clothes crumpled and wild looking. He finds safety at his desk, completely missing McGee leaving the window and finding his own desk.
As his weapon and badge hit the bottom of the inside of his desk drawer, he suddenly smells the unusualness in the air around him; so he begins to sniff the air until he spots McGee's relaxing state of mind and obvious state of being, resting his back lazily on the back of his desk chair.
"What the hell are you so happy about?" Tony questions.
"Beautiful morning, isn't it?"
Tony crinkles his nose as the distaste brought on by McGee's statement begins to settle inside of him.
"I know that look--I am that look." His tone knowingly. "There's something about a girl."
"Leave it alone, Tony."
Tony slams his desk drawer shut and leaves his desk to stand nearer to McGee's desk.
"Is she hot?" He abruptly stops himself. "Wait, is she hot-hot…or is she Gamer Geek kind of hot?"
"Tony--"
"Tall? Short? Blue eyes--green? Blonde hair, brunette--" He glances at Gibbs' desk quickly, "Red-head?"
McGee puts down his cup of coffee and turns to power on his computer.
"What's her personality like?" Tony persists.
"There is no girl, Tony."
Tony's eyes become enlarged, "A guy, then?"
"Like the one you made out with?" McGee smiles sweetly.
Tony grumbles, but does not leave the front of McGee's desk. "What's going on with you?"
"Why do you have to know?"
"…'cause he's DiNozzo." Gibbs enters and interrupts Tony's little 'interrogation', and makes his way to his desk.
"Ah-ha--yes, that is true--I am DiNozzo. Thanks boss." Tony crosses the stretch from McGee's desk to Gibbs' and raises his hand up high. Gibbs sits and stares at him. "Low five more your speed?"
"Does my age have anything to do with that 'stupid' question?" Tony lowers his hand and retreats slightly. "That's what I thought--back to your desk, DiNozzo."
"Where I was just heading, boss!" Tony flees Gibbs' desk as if his tail were on fire.
Another ding introduces the presence of Agent Huntington. With a solid grasp on her position and the team she is within, she still can hardly ease herself into the two roles that occupied her desk before her.
"Jasmine…" Tony drags her name out sexily. "Smokin' hot outfit!"
"I wore this last Thursday."
"It was hot then, too." His grin wide; unmistakable.
"Down, DiNozzo…" Gibbs mutters loud enough for each of his Agents to hear.
"I'm trying, boss." Tony squints, causing his forehead to crease. "I don't know…what's come over me."
"…heard that one before…" McGee mumbles; catching the glare from his slightly confused partner.
Jasmine rounds her desk and takes a seat. She turns her head to Gibbs and tries to read the standard expression on his face--but fails. Tony reads her intentions and smoothes the creases in his forehead before rising from his chair.
"We gonna battle the high seas any time soon?!" Tony swings an invisible pirate sword. "ARRR--ARRR--ARRR?" He swings around McGee as if he is having a negative side effect to medication--though he honestly is illegally and legally drug-free.
"Cut it out, will ya?!" McGee barks; his cherry mood slowly decreasing against his will.
"What about you, boss man?" Tony sticks his invisible sword inside his invisible belt. "Got a little Cap'n Jack Sparrow in ya?!"
The wheels from Gibbs' desk chair roll against the floor as he stands completely straight to stare his hyper Agent in the literal eyes.
"I've got about a smidge of patience left for you--for the entire day." He raises both his eyebrows to give Tony the full effect of his meaning. "Yeah--DiNozzo, a smidge." His eyes are still clear blue, but they seem to be buzzing with a slight annoyance. "Gear up."
"Where to, boss?" McGee asks from behind Tony as his hands fumble with the handle of his desk drawer; his weapons hidden inside.
"Tell ya in the truck." Gibbs tosses the keys to Agent Huntington who nearly misses them.
"What--I can't drive?"
"DINOZZO!" Gibbs barks, and sticks his nose millimeters from Tony's face. "Elevator--now."
McGee swishes past Gibbs and Tony; rushing quickly to the open elevator doors that are being held open by Agent Huntington.
"Yeah…I'm just gonna get going to that cleanly little metal box you call home to your exquisite, unforgettable, and crazy-cool meetings."
Tony feels the sting of a fresh head-slap from his superior.
"I deserved that." His hand begins to rub the prickly feeling that lingers on the back of his head as Gibbs moves away from him.
Tony uses his other hand to grab his weapon, badge, and bag; while Gibbs shouts his name once in a demanding tone.
His frown begins to deepen as he listens to the faint ticking of his wrist-watch. It is nearly eight in the evening and his special friend has yet to arrive.
This is not a date he is impatiently waiting to begin--this is a reunion of a dear friend he somehow managed to lose in a wiggy translation.
Abby had no problem letting Gibbs off the hook when it came to his real feelings about Ziva leaving; about anything. He was her knight in shining armor--plain and simple
She wrongly treated the rest of the team as if they were beneath their team leader--her 'Silver Haired Fox'. An attitude from Abby that had shocked Tony and McGee, with McGee taking it the hardest.
He and Abby had dated in the beginning--fell apart to only buzz crushingly around each other without a solid action to propel them back into whatever romantic bliss they could of possibly had.
Abby disapproved of his approval of Ziva's return. This caused bitterness to surface inside him and without a sense of control on his emotions, he told her that she secretly hated Ziva--that she never approved of her; accepted her for whatever reason she chose to keep to herself.
The bitterness in his tone as well as the darkness in his eyes mixed in with the lie that had passed his pout-y lips had thrown her deeper into her conflicting thoughts, and the only way to gain control of them had been lashing out in every which way that she saw fit.
Abby was not a mean person. Abby was the bubbly Goth who depended on a great deal of Caf-Pow intake--while hanging with her second family and the occasional group of nuns--and Team Gibbs knew this.
Sadly their own denial kept them from reaching out to her, and it had been Gibbs and McGee who had felt the error in their ways the very most.
McGee grows tiresome of waiting and the repetitive ticking of his wrist-watch. Sighing, he stands and makes his way to his home phone. As soon as he dials the first number to Abby's home phone, his cell phone rings.
"Boss?" He asks confusingly into his phone.
"Where are you, McGee?"
"Uh…I'm at home." He rests the palm of his free hand flat against the surface of his computer desk. "…where are you?"
"Abby's."
"Wha--why?" An eerie feeling grabs him in the pit of his stomach.
"She called me." His voice sharp. "Get down here--now."
"Everything alright?" He can hardly speak.
"…for now…"
The heaviness is Gibbs' voice brings a chill to his bones; his infamous gut telling him that Abby is in some sort of trouble. A feeling he tries to rid himself of as he frantically looks for his car keys and rushes through his apartment door.