Chapter 7
McGee stepped off the elevator and walked toward his desk. He wasn't late, but he wasn't as early as he normally was. The rest of the team stared at him as he made his way to his seat and booted up his computer. He stifled a yawn, shook the cobwebs out of his head and prepared to work.
"Did you have a wild and crazy Thursday night, Probie?" Tony asked, jokingly. Tim gave him a stare that told him exactly what he could do with his joke. "Ooooohhhh… guess not," Tony said, raising his hands in defense.
"Didn't you have a date with that girl, what was her name Tony, Megan?" Ziva asked, teasing McGee.
"Ah!" Tony exclaimed. "That's right. Oh-ho-ho," he said, wagging his eyebrows. "I'm jealous of the Probie. So, was it good for you?" he asked him.
"Get to work, DiNozzo!" Gibbs interrupted, as he walked in with his coffee.
"Sure, Boss," he answered. "But you should see this girl he went out with last night," Tony continued as if he hadn't just been told to shut up. "I have to admit, Timmy, I didn't think you could close the deal."
"Shut up, Tony, you don't know what you're talking about," McGee said, frustrated.
"McGee, run this report down to Abby," Gibbs said.
"On my way," he said as he took the file from Gibbs and carried it to the elevator.
---
Abby's music greeted him before he even reached the doors to the lab. She turned and gave him "the eye" as soon as he walked into the room.
"Rumor has it that you have a story to tell. And I, forensics scientist, loyal friend and occasional psychic, have been tasked with pulling all the gory details out of you. So spill," Abby said expectantly.
"Wow, good news travels fast," Tim mumbled. "There's nothing to spill, Abby," Tim replied with a head shake. He handed her the file from Gibbs.
"If there's nothing else you actually need, I'm gonna go back to my paperwork," he said quietly.
"Tim, what's wrong?" Abby asked sincerely.
"I just didn't get a lot of sleep last night," he answered honestly.
"You usually sleep like a baby," Abby said, still trying to figure things out.
"I have a lot on my plate right now," he added, hoping she would take the hint and stop fishing for details. Wait. This was Abby Scuito. She wouldn't take the hint. As he was turning to leave his cell phone rang.
"McGee," he answered.
"It's me," Julie said. "Are you Thom E. Gemcity?" she asked, getting right to the point.
"Yes…" Tim answered awkwardly as it suddenly hit him that a total stranger was alone in his apartment. With all his stuff. Arranged just the way he liked it. It was bad enough when Sarah would visit and mess with his computer. Oh crap, his computer. Tim was slowly starting to panic.
"That's cool," Julie said with a smile in her voice. "I read ‘Deep Six' when it was released. You did a nice job."
"Thanks," Tim answered, trying to be friendly, but wondering exactly how she had been spending her time. "Um, was there something you needed?" he asked.
"I'm bored," she admitted. "And since I can't go anywhere and you are the only person who is allowed to know where I am, I thought I'd call you."
"I have a pile of reports to do," he admitted, "but I'll see what I can do." He disconnected Gibbs-style, hoping Abby wasn't able to infer anything from his conversation.
"What was that all about?" Abby asked. "Wait! Let me guess. Megan's teensy weensy little brain is missing and she was wondering if she dropped it in your car last night," she suggested in her best "sorority girl" voice.
"You know I'm not attracted to people like that, Abby," McGee told her.
"Of course not. The brain is the most powerful sexual organ, Tim," Abby reminded him.
"I know," he muttered. "Trust me, I know." He walked out of her lab, making her speculate for a moment as to what was wrong. She shrugged her shoulders and got back to work.
---
McGee sat at his desk and hurried through is reports. Since it was Friday and they didn't have a case, he knew he could take off as soon as he had his paperwork completed to Gibbs' satisfaction. His fingers raced across his keyboard keys, sounding more like he was working a case than typing reports. Ah, finished. He printed out the final report and submitted them to Gibbs.
"Boss, here's the last one," he said as he stood there.
"And…" Gibbs asked.
"Do you think I could go ahead and…"
"Get out of here, McGee," Gibbs ordered. Tim went to his desk to gather his things. His phone rang again.
"McGee," he answered… "Agent Fornell, thanks for…" "Let me know if I…" "I want in," he added determinedly. He listened for another moment, and then hung up.
"McGee," Gibbs barked. "Conference room."
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended.