His eyes remaining locked onto on the screen, the image of his scared lover being shoved forcibly into the body of his own car and handcuffed, has Leroy's emotions running amuck. He's pissed beyond measure, scared beyond his own ability to think through it clearly and full of regret of all things he'd meant to say to the man he loves, but hadn't gotten around to it yet.
The seasoned Agent knows full well that there are a horde of capable, competent agents on the job, actively searching for Tim, as well as agents pinging his phone, all without success yet. But, right this very minute, he feels like he's stuck in quicksand, unable to move, yet unwilling to just stand still and do nothing. His mind, on the other hand, is quickly letting itself become hostage to the situation, losing itself in the memories that bind him to the man on the screen in indescribable ways:
"I promise you this is real, McGee."
Tim whips his head around, disbelief strewn across his wet face.
"Have I ever lied to you?" the older man asked as he gently wiped Tim's errant tears away.
"No.".
" … You're afraid to tell me what's really going through that brain of yours. Don't be. I meant what I said, Tim. I'm here for you. Talk to me."
Tim leaned back.
Gibbs reveled in Tim's show of trust as the young man allowed himself to lean back into him….
the older man gently wrapped his arms around his troubled agent and made no further move.
"I can't do this if it's not for keeps." Tim's voice shook. "I don't have it in me to be rejected again."
Gibbs gently trailed his thumb down Tim's face in sympathy. "I know. Would have stopped this at your promise not to go it alone if I didn't want this for keeps, too, Tim."
"I've never done this before. Any of it. Somehow, I don't think dreaming about it for the past two weeks counts." Tim's near whispered admission tugged at Gibbs' heartstrings as he gently pulled him into his arms and spoke softly into his ear.
"That what's been keeping' you so worn out and strugglin'? You been dreamin about us?"
Tim nodded as he bit his lower lip "This is all new to me."
"Sssh.I know…." Gibbs promised as he continued to hold onto Tim….
…"McGee."
"Boss?"
"What's going on with you?"
"I don't know what you mean."
"You're lookin' more tired and dragged out today than you did last week."
"Guess I've just been having trouble sleeping. I'm fine, Boss."
Gibbs let go a breath in an aggravated sigh. "You've been avoiding me, Tim. Why?"
Tim looked everywhere but at his boss,
The Team Leader tried placing a calming hand on Tim's shoulder but Tim instantly stiffened under it
"Okay then." Gibbs silently waited … he stopped and turned back to his agent. "McGee."
"Boss?" Tim looked back at him, his eyes cloaked in unease.
Gibbs stepped close enough to him no one else would hear them. "You said you trusted me, Tim. "
Tim's eyes shimmered, obviously deeply affected by the words that spoke of the older man's hurt at Tim's distance and the long searching look the man was giving him now. …
….."…He trusts you with his life."
"Yeah. Okay, what am I missin'?"
"Jethro, he's not able to trust anyone with his heart, not even himself, apparently."
…"It's okay, Tim. I get it now. You trust me with your life. It's your heart you haven't been able to trust anyone with in a long time. Not even yourself. It's understandable with my track record with relationships, that you'd be afraid to trust me with it." Sighing into the unexpected silence, Gibbs kept talking." I promised I wasn't walking out on you and you know I don't say things I don't mean. Wherever this goes. I won't turn you away. Nothing you can do will make that happen."
"I've wanted this for so long. I know that first night was real, but…Thought if I kept you at arm's length; if I refused to let myself get comfortable with you, then you wouldn't be able to find out I wasn't good enough. That you'd realize I was going to be too much work. I thought if I didn't give you the chance to get closer, you'd give up before you found any of that out. I thought if I kept myself busy watching other people already …"
Gibbs' heart was up in his throat at the shy, quiet string of admissions from the younger man. He could see the fear and doubt still lingering in Tim's eyes even as he voiced his long buried secret. "You thought all this fighting with yourself and forcing yourself to keep up this 'research' the way you have, would chase me away" …..
"I owe you an apology." Tim spoke softly.
"For w…?"
"I shouldn't have pushed you like that and I understand if you're not ready to let me in. I know you'll let it work both ways when you can. But I need you to remember, that if you need me; when you need me; I'll be there for you."…
"Thank you." the words came out choked and at half-volume.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm fine."
"Do you… do you want me to go?" Tim's shaky voice nearly broke Leroy' heart.
"Why would I want you to …?"
"I know this is tough for you – and this isn't just about me – at least- it shouldn't be. It has to be right for you too – comfortable for you and it's obvious that it's not."
Leroy could feel Tim quivering with nerves as the younger man laid himself bare- offering to end things because he thought it was too hard for Leroy.
"I'm not sending you away, Tim. I meant what I said. I'm not leaving you…. I'm sorry I broke my promise to you. I promised I wouldn't hurt you and I did."
"Don't do this, please. You didn't do it on purpose and we both know that….If you're not letting go of me, don't expect me to let go of you." Tim choked out as he laid his head down on Leroy' shoulder and just hung on.
Time had no meaning as they stood there just holding each other as the emotions they couldn't voice quaked through them. The longer he stood locked in this silent emotional outpouring, the less he felt the need to physically show Tim anything more and the more he felt the pull to let Tim know what he needed him to understand. It had to be said in this moment right here, right now, as they fed from the other's need to emotionally stand strong for the other, even if no words were spoken, especially since no words were needed.
Blinking, Gibbs sighs. This relationship with Tim has definitely been an emotional one and one he'll treasure and protect no matter what. He remembers thinking in a quiet moment not too long ago:
This cherished soul had never wanted more out of life than to be loved and being shown that he is worth being made love to. The hard part was still to come; letting Tim see and come to believe that he did deserve to be happy as an equal partner in this relationship. It would take some doing; but hopefully tonight had been a huge step in the right direction for that to happen.
That night had certainly had accomplished that and more, as had every single day since then… but what will this night to do Tim's belief about himself now? Has whoever's done this taken that from him so soon after he's finally foundit – with him? What was it Tony had doubted just the other night on Tim's behalf?
"Only lookin' out for ya, man."
"Thank you, but I'll be fine."
"Yeah? How can you be so sure, McGee?"
"Because I'm with theperson I trust most in this life, Tony. That's how."
Looking softly at Tim, Gibbs' heart is up in his throat after the exchange he's just witnessed. "You mean that." He observes with something akin to awe.
"With everything I am."
Mentally, smiling now, Gibbs closes the door on it all; needing to come back to the here and now and find the young man he doesn't want to live without. Tim will hold onto that. I have no doubt about that. We'll be fine. I just have to get him h…."
"For all we know, right this very minute, Tim could be…" Tony exclaims angrily with his arms waving dramatically as he notices Gibbs finally look his way,
"Fine." The voice of the agent in question fills the room like a sonic boom, quietening everyone instantly as they all turn to look at him. "I'm here and I'm fine." Without any other words coming out of his mouth, he looks over at Gibbs, from across the room, offering him that smile; that thousand-watt smile that's slowly but surely become brighter and been often directed at the older man through the years he's worked here, barely hearing the resounding greetings that prove he's very much a sight for sore eyes.
"TIM!"
"PROBIE!"
"McGee!"
"Agent McGee!"
High-Octane relief coursing through his veins on steroids, Gibbs is moving across the room before he's even aware of it, with a small smile of his own as he reminds himself that he's the only one to whom that smile is given. Trust Tim to remind me how much he cares the minute he can. Wait, why didn't he call first? It took time to get here, right?
Glancing around as Gibbs quickly heads in his direction; Tim realizes he's been the center of a lot of activity and concern. He's humbled and he's worried. Looking back at Gibbs, now standing next to him, alongside Vance, Tony and Ziva, he starts to open his mouth, only to find himself distracted by the person walking into the room, very much late to the party.
Turning, Gibbs frowns as he sees that Abby's finally managed to get her ass in here like she'd been told to do over an hour ago. What the hell is going on with her? Is Tony right? Is she behind Tim's kidnapping?
"Director Vance. I'm sorry I didn't call to let you know I was free and okay. But, I misplaced my phone in the middle of everything, so I couldn't…" Tim says he turns his attention where it should be, on the Director of the Agency. "I came back here as soon as I could - on the bus."
"You're here and you're okay. That's what's important, Agent McGee." Vance says without hesitation as he looks the younger man over from head to toe. "Tell us what happened."
"Can we put this away, please, shut all of this down? Director?" Tim says unexpectedly as he waves his hand emphatically at the pair of techs sitting at the computers and the big screen, which still shows the screen shot of him being handcuffed. Great. Just great. "Sir, the last thing we need is to make this public..."
"McGee?" Tony's shocked and upset at the idea of not seeing anyone brought to justice for this.
"Tim? The Team Leader can't stop his own startled questioning from escaping from his lips. What he's hearing is the last thing he expected. Or is it?
"And why is that Agent McGee?" Vance asks with that deceptively calm tone of his.
"It was personal. Very. Personal." Tim says firmly, his eyes finding and gluing themselves to Abby's as she slowly makes her way in their direction. Feeling the heat of his furious glare, she stops a good ten feet from him and looks away. "So, I'd really appreciate it if we could clear the room first or at least take this somewhere private."
Gibbs' gut clenches as his brain processes Tim's body language and his words. So Tony was right! And his favorite has crossed a line that's unpardonable. Great! That's just great! What a position she's put Tim in!
"Agent McGee, your kidnapping was caught on store security footage. There's little we can do to bury it." Vance says. "Besides, we're still waiting to hear what happened."
"Director, it was a personal prank taken too far. That's all. Please." Tim's plea is unmistakable. "Beyond poking me in the back with a gun and handcuffing me, no one touched me. Tony's done worse – a hell of a lot worse over the years – with superglue, for example. That stuff hurts! This was nothing. So, I'm asking you to do what you have to – to keep this from going any further. If it means I have to resign, you'll have my written resignation in five minutes – effective as of 1700 hours this afternoon. Nothing news worthy there."
Shock fills the air as Abby's eyes widen in shock. There's no mistaking it now. Earlier tonight when Tim had refused to touch those women literally sitting in his lap and had refused to even engage them in eye contact she'd figured he was just being a jerk to piss off whoever it was he thought had taken him and brought him there. But, now she sees that his relationship with Gibbs is golden to him, worth whatever sacrifice he has to make to keep it and to keep it private. She's humbled. She's repentant and she's horrified that Kenny stepped so far over the line to give her what she wanted that there's no going back from it.
Gibbs eyes are narrowed as they flit from Abby to Tim, stopping on the young man whose eyes have shifted down and to the left as he made the statement about the gun and handcuffs. For some reason he's lying about how else he was touched tonight. That realization combined with the sound of his begging for this to be shut down is enough to infuriate Gibbs in Abby's direction What the hell did she do to Tim tonight? Handcuffs! A gun to his back where he couldn't fight back or defend himself! What the hell was so important to her that she needed him put through that? Who the hell had she hired to do it for her?
Tony's eyes are busy watching first Tim and then Abby as the pieces begin to fit together. Seems he'd been right earlier tonight when he'd said that Abby's behavior earlier in the day meant that she had something to do with whatever happened to Tim tonight. The question is what had she done? The why is pretty obvious and so is the reason Tim is begging for this to get shut down and kept quiet.
Suddenly, his anger shoots through the roof for his friend and his boss. No one should have to get kidnapped because of whom they've fallen in love with! And NO ONE should have their private life mercilessly yanked out into the public like this is going to be. Like HE'd come damned close to doing to them! Thank, God, I listened and checked my attitude!
Besides, if Tim is right and whatever he's gone through tonight has been less of a headache or physical mistreatment than Tony's given him over the years, then it's certainly not news worthy – especially if it's going to ruin Tim and Gibbs' lives and jeopardize their careers.
Vance takes one look at everyone's expressions and silently orders the hard video evidence locked up tight and the meeting that has to happen now, moved to his office
*******NCIS*******
Looking at the group sitting around the table in his office some ten minutes later, Vance sees what he needs to before looking directly back at Tim, ignoring for the moment, Gibbs, who's sitting across from the recently returned agent. He's not surprised to find Tony and Ziva flanking Tim, leaving Abby the sole resident at the far end of the table. Vance holds up his hand, asking for silence from the concerned agents trying to coerce answers out of their teammate..
"Agent McGee. I'd appreciate it if you would enlighten me as to what you hope to accomplish by keeping this wrapped up."
"It's like I said, Director. It was personal. Neither this Agency or the people I chose to have in my personal life deserve to have this haunt them – or have their jobs put in jeapordy because of this! It wouldn't be fair to subject them to the media circus or the court trial that would come from pursuing this either. It's a win-win situation if we leave it alone. Sir."
"I agree that innocent people don't deserve to get caught up in the aftershocks.." Vance offers quietly. "Go on."
"The person kidnapping me in that video didn't hurt me, Director. He didn't know at the time that I was a Federal Agent. He was only doing a favor for a friend A friend who told him to get me to their destination by using 'whatever it takes' What you see him do there in the video is all he did. He never verbally threatened me in any way. He did nothing more than drive me where he was supposed to drive me to – and sit me down in a chair after telling me not to get up. But that's all he did. He's got a life to protect; a wife and his business as well as his reputation and doing a favor for a friend shouldn't cost him that."
"What's his name?" Vance asks firmly.
"I don't know." Tim replies without missing a beat
"Where'd he take you?"
Tim shakes his head with genuine reaction. "I do not know."
"Where is the place?" The Director's tone is getting sharper with each answer he's not getting.
"I don't remember how to get there."
"You realize it'll be a piece of cake to get all of this information ourselves, Tim." Tony breaks in and reminds him gently when it becomes clear that Tim is refusing to cooperate with Vance's questioning.
"I know. But, I'm asking you to leave it alone." Tim answers calmly, looking directly back at the Senior Field Agent. Looking directly at Vance next, Tim says what he needs to in order to get this off his shoulders. "Director, if you really want the answers to those questions…" he looks across the room at Abby, who's been eerily silent since being made to watch the video of Tim's kidnapping a few minutes ago in MTAC. "You'll need to ask the friend he did it for."
Suddenly, the room erupts into a volcanic overload of anger that is Abby as she jumps up from her chair in complete shock and despair "YOU PROMISED NOT TO SAY ANYTHING!" .
Without moving from his seat, Tim glares across the room at Abby now as he fires back at her in full fury. "How would you know that?"
The room goes deathly silent as his point is driven home. The only way Abby would know what Tim said to anyone about it outside this room is if she'd been there. The hole she's dug herself is getting bigger by the minute and not one of them is even attempting to help her.
"Answer the question, Ms. Scuito." Vance orders her in his no-nonsense tone that no one argues with.
"Uhm, .. I...my friend told me?" The Lab Rat tries to skirt the edge of trouble with her child-like question
The last straw drawn, Tim's ability to stay calm evaporates as he pushes to his feet and explodes on her now, the depth of his fury, the likes of which none of them have seen before. Tony's' hand on his arm is the only thing keeping him from moving from his side of the table as he lets it rip. "How long are you gonna drag this out? You know I know you were there. I heard your conversation with him. I heard you try to deny prior knowledge of what he had done to get me there because you wanted to quote 'set me straight.' Did you think disrespecting me like that was funny, Abby? Or did you even care? "
Abby continues to stare coldly at Tim, her hands clenched at her sides as her breathing remains heavy from exertion.
Tim's got one more thing he wants her to hear and he's not shy about letting her hear it now. "My personal life – is none of your business and it damned sure isn't yours to 'fix'!"
Breathing heavily now and feeling embarrassed and humiliated at having to even talk about this in front of the others, Tim paces to the window, desperate for something else to look at besides her accusing glare or Gibbs' unreadable expression that has him worried right now.
"I knew it!" Tony fumes angrily as he glares at the Lab Rat. "Always have to get your own way, huh, Abby? Pretty sure you've figured out you went way too far on this one."
"I cannot understand how you would do such a thing, Abby! Especially when you call yourself his friend." Ziva says with barely contained anger.
And now 'very personal' makes sense. As he processes that realization, Vance turns his attention to the now pacing woman. "Ms. Scuito. Sit!" He glances at the still silent Team Leader who hasn't taken his eyes off Tim since the young man sat down earlier. What he sees there is hard to read but he knows the bulk of it is too private to bring to the surface so he leaves the man who's now getting to his feet and walking over to the upset young man alone and focuses the discussion where he needs it to be. "Tell us exactly what happened, start from the beginning and don't leave any of it out."
Abby shakes her head. "I can't."
"Because it's private and personal – the point where you decided to 'fix' Agent McGee and your reason for doing so. Fine. Then tell us what it is that you did exactly? And don't bother trying to tell me that that's personal, too. You gave that up the minute Agent McGee was kidnapped by your friend on security footage!" Vance redirects her focus and theirs.
Abby sighs as she looks down at her lap. For several heartbeats she says nothing, but finally she tells the man what they all want to hear. "I called a friend and asked him to help me get a friend – Timmy - to his club."
At the edge of his vision, Vance sees Gibbs stop just off to Tim's far side, his profile still visible and wait without touching the younger man or speaking to him. Keeping his eyes actually trained on the woman at the center of all this, the Director forces her to keep explaining herself "And?"
"And I told him that he needed to get him there however he could – 'whatever it took.'
Across the room, as the others talk, Tim turns around to look at Gibbs for the first time since walking into the Director's office, his entreaty for his lover's forgiveness in his eyes.
Gibbs blinks to clear his vision and smiles softly back at Tim. He's not upset with him and he doesn't blame him for any of this. What's more, it's important that Tim know that without any shadow of doubt.
Tim smiles softly in return, obviously reassured that everything's okay between them, completely unaware that they have four pairs of eyes silently watching the exchange, three of them with happiness for them, one still furious and now feeling threatened.
"While this reeks of going too far and not something that can be overlooked, it cannot be criminally punished." Vance announces, drawing their attention back to him.
"What? Tony bursts out angrily.
"Why not?" Ziva's question gives testament to her confusion on the matter.
Gibbs and Tim remain silent, looking, not at Vance or Abby, but at each other. Whatever happens from here, they're in this together
******NCIS*******
On the tail end of Vance's shocking announcement and the one that followed it, Tony's not surprised at all, to see the door close as Tim heads out alone, citing the need for air. It's been a tough fifteen minutes and frankly, he's shocked that the younger man's kept his cool as well as he has. Then again, Gibbs has stood literally by his side and kept him calm, so it shouldn't be a surprise at all.
***Flashback***
"What?"
"Why not?"
"Ms. Scuito hasn't broken any laws by asking her friend to do her a favor. She hasn't broken any agency rules or regulations, either." Vance reluctantly admits. He hates having to let her off like this. It's obvious, he's struggling to think of how he can deal with this so that she isn't getting away with it at his level.
Abby's eyes are locked onto her lap, but her face is beginning to break into a smile that no one misses.
"I'd wipe that smile off your face, if I were you, Ms. Scuito. I said criminally punished. That doesn't mean you're getting off scott free. Not by a long shot!"
Abby's head snaps up and her eyes find Vance's very quickly. "What? What do you mean?"
"I mean, Ms. Scuito, that you have proven yourself to be untrustworthy, dishonest and sneaky."
Tony's hand slips up, needing to add to this before the discussion gets any further away from her list of crimes.
Vance nods. "Agent DiNozzo? You have something to add to this?"
"Yes, Sir. If I could…?"
"Go on."
"Abby, where were you the other night when the rest of us in this room, except for the Director went out to dinner at the diner?" He asks her, his eyes boring a hole straight through her heart because he wants her to see that it's obvious that he knows exactly where she was.
Abby's eyes go wide as she glares at Gibbs, who is still staring only at Tim, his eyes full of concern that none of them miss. Infuriated, Abby turns her cold stare back at Tony. "None of your business!"
"Rea…lly!" Tony tosses back at her in his odd way of saying that word when he's completely amused by something. Sitting back in his chair, he looks at the Director, letting him know that the rest of what needs to be said involves her answer to that question.
"Answer the question, Ms. Scuito!"
"All right! Fine! I was at the diner, watching all of you! Are you happy?"
Across the room, Tim's shock is evident as is the moment that shock morphs into anger. Only Gibbs' hand on his arm holds him in place, calms him. When the older man speaks quietly to him, the only reaction Tony sees from Tim is a slight nod.
Reassured that his friend is in the best hands possible at the moment, Tony returns his attention to the Lab Rat responsible for this mess. Finding her watching him is eerie but when he smiles at her without hesitation, while his eyes deliberately move back to the men at the window before coming back to her, it's worth it to see her seethe even more. He speaks his mind before he thinks about what he's saying – or in front of whom he's saying it.
"You can't stand it that he's found someone and that this time it's real. It's driving you up the wall, isn't it? Well, guess what, Abby! You only have yourself to blame! You tossed him to the curb like he was yesterday's trash – repeatedly! So grow the hell up and get over yourself!"
Ignoring her outraged expression, Tony turns his attention to the Director. "Please tell me she's not gonna get away with this!"
"That's enough, Agent DiNozzo. I'll take it from here." Vance speaks with all the authority the job lends him, trying to calm the storm. "Rest assured, she will be dealt with. Ms. Scuito, until I am able to process all the facts, I am hereby suspending you without pay for one month. Effective immediately. Further sanctions will be forthecoming. You're to report back to me at the end of 29 days, at which time, we shall discuss your options."
"But you said I couldn't be punished legally!" Abby protests loudly.
"Ms. Scuito, the traits I have already pointed out to you – that you have shown yourself to be capable of – are not welcome in this agency. They do not embody what this Agency represents. I trust you understand where this is headed?"
"Yes, Sir."
"Good. I will have a pair of Security Guards come and escort you from the building."
"But…."
"Effective immediately means just that, Ms. Scuito." Vance says as he walks to his desk, and places his hand on his phone in preparation to make the call. Looking over at Tim, he finishes what he needs to say, first. "Unfortunately, Agent McGee. I have to agree with you. This needs to be kept quiet. The standing reason for a substitute Lab Technician will be Ms. Scuito's long overdue need to use her accrued leave or lose it. NO OTHER reason will be issued or discussed outside of this meeting – without immediate termination with full disclosure set down in the personnel file of the guilty party. The rest of you are dismissed. Agent McGee if you need some time off, come talk to me." He summarily dismisses them.
"I don't understand why you're punishing me for asking a friend to help me help a friend, when McGee said it himself - – Tony treated him worse many times over the years! You never punished Tony for it or Gibbs for letting him get away with it!" Abby attempts to defend herself one last time.
Brought up short in shock, the room goes silent. Tim is the first to move after his eyes close briefly and reopen. "I need some air." He says to Gibbs, but loud enough that the others hear him. No one bothers him as he walks to the door, his back stiff and his strides, angry as he pulls hard on the door and steps through it, making sure to keep it from slamming as it closes firmly behind him with a snap that ricochets around the room.
***End Flashback***
On the heels of Tim's departure, Vance steps out of the room to meet and talk to the Security Guards as they come off the stairs from below.
Immediately, Tony rounds on Abby – not finished with her. "Wait! I wanna hear how it is you disrespected him, Abby. Cause we all know it takes a hell of a lot to get Probie this pissed. Matter of fact, we've never seen 'this' pissed before from him, so this definitely needs to be heard."
Abby continues to stare coldly at him
"Okay then, I'm gonna go out on a limb here and guess that you asked one of your topless women club owner friends to drag Tim who, we all know HATES that scene – to exactly that kind of club! What'dcha do, Abby -set it up for your friend to parade naked women in front of him and hope he'd 'see the light'? PLEASE do NOT tell me you arranged for them to try to force themselves on him with 'lap dances'!"
There's no answer - which tells them just how right Tony is and exactly why Tim feels so disrespected - and rightly so. Now Gibbs' expression has morphed completely into white-hot fury as it hits him right between the eyes that this is what Tim was trying not to admit to earlier when he'd come across as lying. No wonder he'd kept it to himself!
Glaring at Abby now, he has just four words for her, each of them loaded with authority and pure unadulterated anger. "Stay away from him!" He stalks to the door, only to find Tony standing in his way. "Hang on a sec, Boss. Let me prove a point to her first."
Getting a short nod from the Team Leader, Tony turns to face Abby. "Abby, you're not wondering why we're having this conversation in front of Ziva?"
"It crossed my mind." She replies arrogantly. "You're being your usual hypocritical self? You're yelling at me for disrespecting McGee - but you out him to Ziva?"
"I already knew." Ziva replies calmly.
"Yeah, and here's the thing, Abby - SHE - accepts Tim's choices - as his friend – accepts both of their choices because THAT'S what friends do! At the very least, they admit they need time to process and accept the changes, like I did!" Tony exclaims angrily as he turns to leave. His job here is done. Now, he needs to go find Tim and be there for him.
Abby's thunderstruck expression is a sight to behold. It's obvious that she doesn't know whether to be pissed that Ziva knows and is okay with it - or that Tony knew that before she did. Hell, she could even be pissed that Gibbs apparently knew all of the above and didn't say anything to her at all.
Looking over at Gibbs now, he gets the nod to go find Tim and shadow him and watch his back. Tony knows the Team Leader's too angry to do Tim any good right now. He's thankful that the older man understands that much about himself too.
As soon as Tony's gone from the room, Ziva speaks up as she gets to her feet. "There is no excuse for doing any such thing to McGee. He has done nothing to deserve such treatment from you. I do not understand how it is that you can look at yourself in the mirror after doing this." She too heads to the door, pats Gibbs reassuringly on the arm and removes herself from the room. She knows she's no longer needed in there.
******NCIS*******
Thirty minutes later finds Tony watching Tim take his aggression out on the bag in the employee gym. It hadn't really surprised the Senior Field Agent when the younger man had announced to the room at large that he'd needed some air. Even the nod from the boss, directed at Tony that silently told him to shadow the troubled agent hadn't come as a surprise. Truth be told, what he's seeing now is reassuring. Tim's called Abby out in front of everyone, put her in her place, stood his ground about not taking this further, reaffirmed his relationship with Gibbs, albeit in a short but meaningful exchange of glances that held no surprises for anyone who'd witnessed it, and now he's getting his anger out in a healthy way.
The heartbreaking moment between the two men that mean the most to him in this world, outside of his father and Ducky, is burned into Tony's memory now. All he can do as he watches it play out again in his memory, is hope that things get better for them.
***Flashback****
Finding Tim at the railing overlooking the squad room, Tony comes to a stop beside him, but refrains from breaking the silence that surrounds him. He knows the younger man is trying to process everything that's gone on in his life today and in that meeting just now. It's a tough situation to deal with but he's proud of him and doesn't want to do or say anything to make it any harder on him.
It's not long before they're joined at the railing by Gibbs, albeit just as silent as they are. The Senior Agent's arrival is the reason Tony needs to step back from this. As if drawn to it like a moth to a flame, he doesn't go far, choosing to stay where he can hear what's said and keep an eye out for trouble. He's surprised that Gibbs is the first to speak.
"You all right?"
"I will be. But right now? I don't know." Tim replies without looking at the older man.
"If you wanna talk…"
Tim shakes his head. "I'm talked out. "
"Understandable." The older man concedes as he stays by Tim's side while they talk quietly. "You ready to come home?"
Now Tim turns to look at the older man. "No."
Several heartbeats later, Gibbs finally responds. "Okay. We can stay longer if you want to."
With the look of someone who's miserable on his face, Tim shakes his head. "I can't go with you."
With a wounded look in his eye, Leroy gives his lover a slight nod and a tiny smile as he turns and walks away.
Looking wounded himself, Tim turns, and half calls out, "Ler…" Biting his lip, he stops, turns and walks away in the opposite direction.
Neither of them look back.
