a/n - One more chapter after this and the story is done. Amazing, isn't it? Don't worry though, I'm not done playing in this universe. What's really amazing is that no comments from Greta yesterday. Maybe Mommy took away her computer.

Hurting and confused, instinct pulled McGee back to his apartment, the one place he had left. He detoured to collect the catalogs and junk mail that filled his box, desperate to think about anything except what had happened that morning. Distracted, he didn't notice anything was wrong until he pushed his key into the lock and the door opened from the pressure. He dropped the pile of mail to pull out his weapon, but a hand reached out and grabbed him, yanking him forward. Slamming headfirst into the edge of the door dazed him, but it was the blow to his temple that put him out.

-NCIS-

Ducky watched in growing horror as the three agents ran for the stairs, weapons in hand while Abby stood in the middle of the squad room in tears. "Heavens, Abby, what happened?"

"Oh, Ducky." He barely had time to brace himself before she threw herself into his arms. "They were so happy last night and now it's all falling apart. I don't understand, why does it matter that it was a case that brought them together? They're so happy together and I missed so much of it and now... I don't understand what went wrong."

"There, there, my dear. I'm sure things will work out if Jethro and Tim are just given a little bit of time." Over her shoulder, Ducky glared at Vance, who had come out of his office. "Once calmer heads prevail, I'm convinced true love will win out."

"That's so romantic, Ducky." Abby straightened and wiped her face. "But who was at their house this morning and what's wrong with Tim's dad?"

The question about McGee's father caught Vance's attention just as the elevator opened to reveal a very flustered looking Tobias Fornell. "Dr. Mallard, let's take this upstairs. Agent Fornell, join us please."

"Is Gibbs here, I think I owe the man an apology." Fornell looked around for his friend as he followed Ducky and Abby up the stairs.

"What did you do, Fornell?"

"Abby," Fornell sighed and dropped his head when he saw the expression on her face. "I let it slip to our ex-wife that Gibbs was in a relationship with a man and that he was happy."

Ducky had heard enough about Diane to put the pieces together. "She took it personally?"

"Yeah, I forgot how vindictive she could be. Apparently she confronted him this morning." Fornell ran his hand over his head. "She wouldn't tell me, so I can only guess what she said to him."

Abby was putting the pieces together. "If she was tearing into Gibbs while McGee's dad was talking to him, it's no wonder they were acting the way they were when I went back to their house."

Now that they were in his office, Vance encouraged Abby to sit down. "I need you to tell me everything you know about McGee's father."

-NCIS-

Tim bit back a groan as awareness returned. Taking stock, he quickly realized that his own handcuffs were holding him tightly in his writing chair. He opened his eyes to find his father standing in front of him with both a knife and Tim's SIG Sauer in his hands. "Dad? Dad, what are you doing?"

"What I should have done a long time ago, Timmy."

Even if he hadn't smelled the booze, the red eyes and shaking hands were a dead giveaway. "Whatever is going on, we can talk about it. We'll have some coffee and you can sober up and we can forget this ever happened."

"It's too late for that, boy. There's always been something about you. That freak that stole you could see it, your new boyfriend can see it, hell, I can see it. Shouldn't have let them talk me out of taking care of it back then."

Tim could see where this was going. "Dad, don't do this. You'll never get away with it. Just let me go, alright?"

Daniel paced back and forth in front of Tim, waving the weapons around. Tim noticed other things in his father's movements. Instead of the stumbling he'd expect of a drunkard, one of Daniel's feet was dragging and when he started yelling, Tim could see that one side of his face barely moved, slurring his speech. "If I'd taken care of this back then, your mamma would still be alive."

"Mom died in a car wreck." Tim's eyes widened at the new accusation.

"Yeah, coming back from the job she took to pay for all your fancy doctors."

"That wasn't my fault. You wouldn't let the Navy doctors treat me."

"And have it show up on my record? The Navy didn't need to know any more details. You'd screwed up my career enough already."

Tim couldn't believe what he was hearing. "I was a kidnapped dependent, Dad, they knew. When I was put into foster care, they knew."

"Shut up."

He wasn't an emotionally starved child anymore, he knew what it was to love and be loved, so Tim straightened up defiantly. "If you want to look at who screwed up your career, then look in a damn mirror."

The blow, when it came, wasn't a surprise. The only surprise was that it was the butt of his gun and not a bullet that impacted with his head. "I said, shut up. Now, I've got an errand to run so I'm gonna lock you in the bathroom while I go take care of that man of yours, then I'll come back and finish with you."

"What do you mean, take care of him?" Tim couldn't believe how far out of control his father had become. "You don't even know who he is."

"Oh, I know exactly who he is, and I'm going to gut Leroy Jethro Gibbs like the pig he is and then you're going to blow your brains out." Daniel leaned close, grinning at his plan. "Yeah, they're going to find you with your gun in one hand and the knife that killed your man in the other. One fag killing another, no great loss."

While his father was gleefully telling him the details of how Jethro would die, Tim frantically thought about how to stop him. Any hope of calling for help ended when Daniel smashed Tim's cell phone and yanked the landline out of the wall. When his dad stopped in front of the window, Tim saw his chance.

In wrestling, it was all about the center of gravity when you took down an opponent, so he bent forward, pressing down with his feet. Cuffed to the chair, he couldn't stand upright, but he only needed a few feet to slam them both into the window, the glass shattering from the combined weight of two grown men and the heavy wooden chair.

Forgive me, Jethro. I love you.

-NCIS-

With Ziva driving, they made it to McGee's apartment in record time. Both Gibbs and DiNozzo were out of the car before it came to a complete stop and the sound of shattering glass drew their attention up. Two figures, one still in a chair, flew out of the upper level window to land, unmoving, on the sidewalk below. Gibbs stumbled as he ran.

"Tim, no!"

-NCIS-

Without knocking, Vance's assistant burst through the door, a horrified look on her face. Vance was instantly on his feet. "Pamela, what is it?"

"Dispatch just received a call from Agent DiNozzo, sir, they're at Agent McGee's apartment. He's requesting both an ambulance and..." Helplessly, she looked at Ducky and they knew what the other request was. Abby's scream brought security running.