MTF6

Kelly had cried for such a long time after Abby had left. She couldn't believe that Tim'd had the gall to cheat on her, especially after knowing that was how her relationship with her ex had ended and how long it had taken her to get over it. That it was almost a year later when she had met Tim and she still wasn't over it, by that point. That it wasn't until she began a friendship with Tim, that she had begun to heal, emotionally.

No longer feeling numb, anger began to course through her veins, she ripped the ring that Tim had given her for Christmas off her finger and slammed it on the bench in the kitchen. Going to Tim's study in search of a notepad and pen, she was all riled up and it only infuriated her further, only to find the door locked. "Damn him and his job!" She cursed out loud, furiously. "In fact damn, all NCIS agents!" She seethed. Her own father knew what Tim had done and hadn't told her. That cut her, just as deep. That betrayal had stung. Just like he hadn't told her when Tim was missing. It had always been her and her father against the world, but she couldn't believe that her father had kept this from her.

Giving up on finding paper in the apartment, she went to her work bag where she had her laptop stowed. She knew that she always kept a yellow legal pad in there. Finding it, she finished the glass of her wine and in frustration, she tossed the bottle back too. She huffed and sighed again, furiously wiping her tears away from her wet, puffy, red eyes, as she started to write.

Tim,

It's over. I hope you and that blonde bimbo had your fun at my expense. If you wanted to cheat on me so badly, why didn't you do the decent thing and just sneak into her room after I fell asleep. Or are you the real reason why that woman's marriage fell apart? Because it's awfully strange how, as soon as it happened, she came running to you. She didn't go dad, like Tony would of. She didn't go to Ducky, or to Leon. Hell, even to Abby. A woman she is actually friends with. She came to you!

It's a dog act to do what you have done, especially while doing your job. What's worse is that you have somehow hoodwinked my father into believing that I must deserve what you've done. That it is ok. Well it's not!

Do I have a huge neon sign that says; use me, cheat on me? Why is it that all men cheat? Do they pull you aside in high school and teach you that it's ok to treat women this way?

You know, I thought you were different. I thought you were a gentleman. You can fool almost everyone; a master manipulator. But you can't fool me. You have this sweet innocent persona down pat. You're the good guy, who wanted to take it slow. You had everyone fooled including me. What you did is even worse than anything that Tony has done to any woman on the planet. Compared to Tony, you are a pile of scum.

I am leaving. Don't come looking for me, just leave me the fuck alone! You are worse than useless. One good thing I did get out of this relationship was some great sex. At least if the next guy is mediocre, then I still have my memories. Oh and tell my worthless, good for nothing, asshole of a father that I am done with him too. Burn my things. If I can't carry them, I don't want them.

I'm done! Have a nice life, scumbag!

Kelly violently ripped the yellow foolscap paper from the legal pad and slammed it down on the kitchen counter, under the ring. She slid the gold ring on top of it, before stalking off into the bedroom, sure to take her legal pad and her laptop bag, as she stalked off into the bedroom.

Inside the bedroom, she feverishly grabbed her two suit cases down from the top shelf of their walk in closet and threw as much things as she could carry into them. Not bothering to pack neatly. She was too angry and too riled up. She didn't want to spend a minute longer than she had to in this apartment, for fear of Tim coming home. She couldn't face him. She wasn't ready.

An hour later, she had packed all of her jewelry, her make up, her beauty products and hair straightener and curlers and the bulk of her clothes. Everything else either, she didn't need or didn't fit. Either way, she would replace them happily, provided, she never saw Tim's face again.

With her two oversized suitcases packed, her work bag and a duffle bag full of make up, her beauty products and hair straightener and curlers and her jewelry box tucked under her right arm, calling her dog, as she set the alarm for the apartment, locked the door and headed to her car. She dropped off her belongings and her dog off at her car, loading them carefully, she locked it back up and made a quick dash back upstairs to the security desk, leaving the apartment key with them. She told them a very carefully constructed story; that Tim was out of town for work and she was going out of town too, before requesting that they pass the key onto Tim, so he can get in when he gets home. That her trip was unexpected, and last minute. Which was true, she wasn't expecting Tim to cheat on her and her father to hide it from her.

Making her way to her car, she buckled up and left the apartment building underground car park behind, in the rear view mirror. She didn't look back, as she turned off Virginia Avenue, taking the street that led towards the motorway. Just before the motorway, she stopped for gas and coffee. Seeing a police car, she pulled off to the rest area, remembering the bottle of wine she had drank, hours beforehand. Pulled the keys out of the ignition and moved into the passenger's set, locked the doors and closed her eyes and took a small nap with Sharni dutifully standing by.

Waking two hours later, she stretched and yawned. Kelly let Sharni out to relieve herself and got herself another cup of coffee. She was now sure that she had slept off the bulk of the alcohol in that nap and got in the car, turned out of the driveway to enter the motorway. It wasn't until she was an hour into her journey on the motorway, did she realise that she was driving north headed towards Stillwater, Pennsylvania. To her Grandpa's home. Her safe harbour.

Five days later, Tim was relieved to have solved the case and found himself looking forward to getting back to the Navy Yard. The first thing he was going to do, as soon as they all debriefed, was call Kelly. He missed her like crazy and he had barely been sleeping because he missed her so much. He tried calling her in the car, from the passenger seat, but got no answer. He tried again and again, while Ellie drove them back to the yard, their bags on the backseat, with still no answer. "That's strange." Tim commented lowly, as Ellie made the last turn to pull up, out the front of base security. "Kelly's still not answering."

"She's probably in a meeting." Ellie supplied thoughtfully, but then looked at the yellow numbers that illuminated the time on the dashboard of the car. "Maybe she's stuck in traffic, or in the shower. Or at the gym, downstairs. She'll call back when she sees you missed your calls."

"You're right." Tim smiled at her. He had to admit, Ellie was a quick learner, but he didn't like the fact that took such an uncalculated risk to close out the op. "You did ok, for your first time. But going rogue like that, Gibbs is going to ream you out. Your safety is an unacceptable casualty, Ellie. Don't you dare do that, again. Remember, we are a team. If something happens to you, we're the ones left to face your family, and vice versa. You should always wait for back up or you don't go at all."

"How much trouble am I in?" Ellie asked, in a small voice that reminded him of Sarah's. The one that she would use as a small child, the one that she would use in the hopes that it would get her out of trouble.

"A lot," Tim grumbled, as they pulled up in the evidence garage. "But we all screw-up at some point, Bishop. That's what the rules are supposed to do; prevent screw-ups, stuff ups, mistakes. Whether you like it or not, you broke the man's rules. You got to pay the price."

"Any advice?" She asked Tim, as they disembarked from the car. She had nodded, she knw where her teammate and friend was coming from. She certainly wouldn't want to be the teammate left explaining to Sarah Porter and Tobias Fornell that their son was injured, or killed by going rogue. She got it, she stuffed up, majorly.

"Yeah." Tim grinned at his friend, as he scanned his eye to bring the elevator to them. "Don't break rule six."

Upstairs in the bullpen, Tim felt the relief of seeing those ugly, horrible orange wall, as it washed over him. He was home. He took a seat behind his desk and momentarily closed his eyes, it felt good to be back. He had Ellie's six, always, he loved her like a kid sister, but after six days cooped up with her on assignment. Eating, drinking, sleeping in such close quarters, he was ready to be alone with Kelly, hold her close and rest, peacefully

"Go home, Tim." Gibbs said softly, as he came up beside Tim and laid his hand on the young man's shoulders. Gibbs had been worried for his friend. "Go on Bishop, get out of here."

Everyday, he had watched as no matter how much rack time he ordered his friend to have, his friend never looked well rested. He remembered those days, days where it physically pained you to be away from the love of your life. But it had been different for Gibbs, he had been in a warzone. But he had to admit, that Tim's attention to his job never faltered. It didn't even waver. He was the perfect example of what it took to get the job done. Much like he had been when it was him in that position.

"Boss?" Tim asked, confused. He could only remember a handful of times, ever, that Gibbs had let them go before their reports were done. It was only ever done in extreme circumstances.

"Director's orders." Gibbs explained, and watched as Tim slowly began packing up. "All of us. Come on Dorney, grab your things. Tomorrow we will meet here at 0900 to debrief and get the reports done. I put in for some down time, I think after a case like that, we could all use it."

A round of goodbyes were exchanged and no one, not even Gibbs, was interested in hanging around the office. Leon had to chuckle from the catwalk up above, he had to admit that he had never seen the MCRT move so fast before. But they had been working practically twenty-four hours a day for the last seven days. They were tired.

Pulling up in the underground parking lot, Tim did a double take when he saw that Kelly's little red car was missing. He frowned at that. It was late and she was usually home from work by now. He tried her cell again, as he made his way to the stairwell to the foyer. "Mr. McGee" the guard behind the desk called out to him. "Mr. McGee, this was left for you by Miss Gibbs at the desk, five days ago. She had to go out of town, unexpectedly."

"Thank-you." Tim managed to get out, confused as to why Kelly would leave a key for him. She knew that he kept his house keys on the keychain with his car key. As he waited for the elevator, he compared the keys. They were the same, so it wasn't because the locks had been changes. This situation was intriguing Tim. But he figured, she would call him as soon as she could.

As he let himself inside, he took his bag through to the washer, dumping out the contents of the bag into the basket to sort. There was probably only a tee and some socks that were clean, the rest required laundering. He noticed that there was a basket of clean, unfolded washing on the counter in the European laundry. As he started the washer, he took the basket with him, putting it down on the sofa, as soon as he locked his weapon away, he'd be back to fold them. He was not surprised that Sharni didn't greet him, Kelly would have boarded her before she left for her trip, so he wasn't worried about their dog.

Locking his weapon away had been straight-forward, as he searched their bedroom to see if she had left him any clues. Nothing. He headed to the kitchen for a bottle of water and to check the message board, before getting back to the washing. As he walked into the kitchen, he saw that the message board was empty. Strange. It wasn't until he had retrieved a water bottle from the fridge that he saw the yellow foolscap paper on the bench with her ring on it.

Reading her note, he felt like someone had kicked his ribs in. He felt like he couldn't get any air into his lungs. He was confused, worried, scared, before he settled on anger. He was angry, both at the situation and at Kelly. If she was going to accuse him of cheating on her, she should at least confront him about it. He dialed her number again, this time it told him that the number he was calling was no longer accepting any calls.

Tim sank to the tiled floor in heartbreak, he finally felt numb. He read and reread the letter over and over again, trying to make sense of it. He searched the note for clues, wondering if she had been taken and made write the letter against her will, but he was too hurt he couldn't see straight. Soon tears clouded his vision. He really couldn't see.

It took another hour, having gone through another round of a full set of emotions. By this point, before he hoisted himself off the floor. He dug into his pocket and snatched up his cell phone as he tried to make sense of the letter once more. He fumbled to unlock his phone, eventually getting it locked, as he used the speed dial one and phoned Gibbs.

"Yeah, Gibbs." His boss answered and Tim took a deep breath. Gibbs had just arrived home and sat on the sofa, he hoped that his Senior Field Agent wasn't calling with another case because they all really needed some sleep. "McGee, are you there?"

"I'm here, Gibbs." He said into the phone line frantically. "Is she there? Is Kell there? Let me talk to her."

"Tim, she's not here." Gibbs said, staring at the phone. He was wondering what his agent was on about. Did he hit his head and forget that Kelly lived with him, now?

"I know she's angry at me, but just put her on the phone." Tim pleaded with his girlfriend's father, forcefully, reining his anger in. "I just don't understand what I have done wrong."

"Tim?" Gibbs sighed, wondering what was going on. "Listen to me, Kelly isn't here. What's going on?"

"She left me a note, Gibbs." Tim admitted in a low voice. "She's gone."

"I'll call you back." Gibbs snapped, disconnecting the call. He immediately tried his daughter's cell number, only to be met with the same pre-recorded message that Tim had been.

Gibbs was climbing back into his truck, making his way towards McGee's apartment as he continued to try Kelly's cell phone. He tried her office, only to have her P.A tell him that she resigned from her position at Merk Publishing House, five days ago. That they were sad to see her go. he called Elaine and she told Gibbs that she hadn't seen Kelly in six days. Saying that the last time he saw Kelly, she looked tired, but she was ok. He tried his Dad, but the phone just rang out and when he tried the store, he spoke with Gerard, his dad's assistant, who told him that he hadn't seen Kelly, either.

Gibbs was now concerned, concerned enough he considered calling metro. He pulled up at McGee's in the underground parking lot and took the elevator straight to the penthouse, where his apartment was located. He let himself in, using the key that McGee had slipped him for emergencies. This qualified as an emergency. "Tim?" He called out. But he came face to face with the man in question. "What's going on?"

Tim looked worried. Worried than he had ever seen Timothy McGee before and that spoke volumes to what the young man was feeling. "She's gone, Gibbs." The younger man sighed, as he took a seat in a slump on the sofa.

Gibbs gently retrieved the yellow foolscap paper, that he recognised as Kelly's legal pad paper, from Tim's hand and read her note. Shocked at the words he was reading, he reread it again. "You cheated on her?" Gibbs asked out loud, baffled. He knew that Tim had done nothing but behave like a perfect gentleman throughout the entire operation. Ellie and Tim shared exactly one kiss. It was chaste and brief. On the first day, in front of their targets. The rest of the time, they were well behaved. Tim didn't even flirt with her, unless the Walker's, their targets were there to witness it.

"I didn't!" Tim said, vehemently, letting his anger shine through. "Gibbs, you know I didn't!" Tim struggled to keep a tight leash on his emotions and Gibbs pulled Tim closer to him and encouraged him to let it out. To let his hurt and his anger out.

He had managed to send a discreet message to Ducky, he needed help. Tim was a mess, completely distraught. Gibbs actually had a fair idea where his daughter was, but he needed time. He didn't want to leave Tim alone, but he knew he wouldn't get an answer over the telephone, he needed to do something that he had rarely done since Shannon passed. He needed to go home. Back to Stillwater. "I know you didn't. You were a perfect gentleman, Tim."

Ducky's arrival found Tim asleep in his recliner. A pillow from the spare room and the throw rug off the back of the sofa covering him. "What on earth is the matter, Jethro? Ducky hissed, letting himself in the open door, seeing the agent asleep, albeit, fitfully. His friend had been pacing and was on the phone; on an important call with his other agent.

"WHAT?!" Gibbs exploded on the their end. Ducky didn't know what was worse. Gibbs' exclamation, or the fact that Tim barely stirred. "She hasn't touched her credit cards in five days, really?"

"..."

"Can you trace her cell?" Gibbs asked the person on the other end of the phone. Ducky assumed it was one of his agent's. Most likely the young Ned Dorneget.

"..."

"Switched off, well that's fantastic, isn't it?" He asked, rhetorically. Obviously, whatever was going was deeply distressing to the team leader.

"..."

"No, it's not your fault, Dorney." Ducky grins internally, his suspicion correct, but no closer to knowing the details of what is going on. He looked over at his young friend's sleeping form. He was resting, but it was far from a peaceful rest.

"..."

"He's pretty wiped. Duck's here. I've got to go." It was clear to the good doctor, that Gibbs had just noticed his presence. That never boded well when his friend Jethro was that distracted.

"..."

"Stand down, and thanks Dorney." This time the MCRT Team Leader disconnected his call, without waiting for the young agent on the line to say anything.

"Sorry Duck." Gibbs let out a frustrated sigh, before beckoning the good doctor into the kitchen and making him a cup of tea. "Kelly's gone. She packed her things and took off. Her cell is switched off, but I have a strong suspicion where she is."

Gibbs handed the letter to Ducky, as he busied himself with a cup of coffee for himself. "Oh my, Jethro." Ducky asked. He could scarcely believe his eyes, let believe the accusations that the young woman had levelled at his younger friend, or the accusations at the young woman's father. "Timothy must be heartbroken."

"Ya think, Duck?" Gibbs retorted to his friend, taking along sip of coffee to school his features and calm his nerves. "I have to make a trip. It's a long trip, but please stay with Tim. He needs someone and I don't think it's a good idea, given those claims to ask Bishop to stay with him. In fact, I have contacted her and ask that she keep her distance from him until we can sort this out."

"Do you think that perhaps the lad's mother might want to be here, as well?" Ducky suggested, feeling out the situation. He remembered back in his memory bank, back to when a young lass had broken his heart in two. His mother had been a huge comfort to him.

"You can call her, if you like." Gibbs offered his friend. He too remembered when Shannon had died and the only person he wished was there to comfort him, had not been. That person was his mother. "This is all a matter of misunderstanding."

"Tread carefully my dear friend, matters of the heart can be volatile." The Scottish doctor reminded him.

"Duck, it didn't happen." Gibbs told his friend succinctly. "I personally monitored every moment of that operation. Tim was never unfaithful to her. I am going to set her straight and if she still wants to leave. That will be that, but Tim doesn't deserve the emotional torture over a misunderstanding. Either way, he needs closure. What my daughter has done, running like this. It's cowardly."

"Still tread carefully, my friend." Ducky warned his friend again. It was a serious waning and bared being repeated.

He waved Gibbs off and scrolled through his cell phone for the cell number to Ms. Sarah Porter, the Secretary of the US Navy and Marine Corp. When the call went straight to voicemail, he remembered reading a memo this morning that SecNav was out of the country, on business. He looked at the clock, it was too early to disturb the father, Agent Tobias Fornell. He would call closer to the close of business, later that day and settled in to sending a quick text message to Leon that he was out of the office.

Gibbs had made the four hour trip in three, avoiding all of the speed traps, having known where they were since he was young. He stopped by the store first, not seeing either of them in there, before heading around the corner to the back of the block. To his father's home. he hated coming back here, his sense memory too strong, it messed with his head. He let himself into the house and Sharni came to greet him. "Hey Girl." He cooed to his daughter's dog. She was all over him and Gibbs had no doubt that the long haired black and white beauty could smell Tim on him. "Where are they?"

"You've got a lot of nerve, showing your face around here, Leroy!" His father exclaimed from the top of the stairs. "She's been here for five days, took you long enough to come 'round." Jackson Gibbs rested his weight on his cane. He had used it to help him climb the stairs and check on his granddaughter. He didn't use a cane all the time, but this particular day he did. He stood defiant against his son. it had taken the young woman two days, but he had finally dragged the entire story out of her. How her boyfriend had cheated on her and her father had condoned his behaviour.

"What did I do?" Gibbs demanded in a low voice. If Kelly was sleeping, he didn't want to wake her. He held no doubts that his daughter would be just as upset as Tim had been. He knew that his daughter loved Tim, for probably a lot longer that she had admitted to herself.

"Taking the boys side over your own daughter." Jackson snapped at his son, hastily making his way down the stairs to get up in his son's face. "Shame on you, thought I raised you better than that."

"What are you talking about?" Gibbs asked, putting his hand to steady his father. He certainly didn't want his old man to take a tumble and fall down the stairs. "Dad, Tim and I came ack from assignment to find Kelly gone. Her things gone, her dog gone. Tim got a note, apparently I don't warrant one. I was worried, I have had agent's looking for her."

Jackson studied his son, his son may be clever, but he could never fool Jackson. Jackson Gibbs always knew when his son Leroy was lying and he couldn't see any signs of a lie, in his son's demeanour or behaviour. "Kell told me that a woman in your agency showed her proof that Timothy had been cheating on her. Photos of him and some blonde agent. Together and naked."

Gibbs gut pinged hard. Abby had been giving Tim an extra difficult time recently, he suspected this to Abby's handiwork. Suspected, but could not prove. Yet. He pulled out his phone and dialed the Director's personal cell number. He turned his back on his father and spoke in a low voice into the phone, before hanging up. Turning back to face his father, he ushered the older Gibbs man into his favourite chair. Once Jackson was settled, Gibbs released the breath he had been holding. "Ok Dad, start at the beginning."