Part I.

“O.k. Gibbs. Spill. What’s up?”

Gibbs turns to face Abby, who stands hands on hips firmly blocking the exit to her lab.

“You’ve been acting all weird, the last couple weeks. All happy and stuff, and I want to know what’s going on.”

She takes a menacing step towards him.

“Didn’t anyone ever tell you keeping secretes from you’re friends is not nice?”

He sighs

“Abby. . .”

“Oh!”

She slaps her hands together and practically bouncing

“You’re seeing someone aren’t you”

“Abby!”

“You must be serious about them too. Or you would have told me by now. So fess up, who is it?”

He stairs at her wondering how she’ll react to the truth and weather it will be wise to tell her at all.

“I am in a relationship”

He finally concedes and she grins.

“She must be pretty special. Come on Gibbs don’t hold out on me.”

He sighs; this is not going to be good.

“He’s not a she, Abbs.”

She freezes for a split second, then stairs at him hard for a full minute.

“Well, well I didn’t know you had it in you, Gibbs.”

He winces at the pun, intentional he’s sure.

“So do I know this man who’s captured you heart?”

She’s way to smart and there’s an edge to her voice, which tells him she either already has figured it out or is close. He sighs for a third time, then squares his shoulder and goes all the way.

“Yes you do Abbs, it’s McGee.”

She stairs at him for a minute then walks across to her chair and sinks down into it.

“Wow”

Then anger flashing across her face and in her voice.

“Why?”

He moves to stand beside her but don’t dare touch her, yet.

“I’m sorry Abbs, I know you and Tim were. . . . Involved”

She shakes her head as if he’s being incredibly stupid.

“No, I mean why didn’t either of you tell me. I mean you two are supposed to be my friends, some of my best friends, and then you go and have sex and get into a relationship and you never even tell me? I mean Gibbs, don’t you trust me?”

He hugs her suddenly

“Of course I trust you Abby. I trust you completely. It was just I had to figure stuff out and we didn’t know how you’d react.”

“Well, how did you think I was going to react, you moron, run screaming? It’s not like you’re the only gay guys I know.”

“Abby”

He gives her shoulders a little squeeze drawing her closer to him.

“Don’t call me a moron.”

“But Gibbs”

She hugs him tightly back.

“Sometimes you are a moron.”

Suddenly he grins.

“Yeah”

He kisses her lightly on the cheek

“Sometimes I am.”

Part II.

“Timothy.”

McGee turns to see Ducky limping towards him. There in the hall leading to the parking garage. It’s after a long day of work and Tim likes Ducky a lot but he really just wants to go home and take a shower.

“Yeah Ducky, what is it?”

“May I have a word?”

Tim nods

“Um, sure Ducky, were do you want to go?”

“There’s a coffee shop just a little ways from here. I don’t think it will be too much out of either of our way. That is if you wouldn’t mind?”

Tim blinks. He can’t imagine Ducky in a coffee shop but then again he could use the caffeine

“That sounds fine. I’ll follow you.”

The coffee shop is small, and nice with booths and Ducky immediately maneuvers his way into one by the window. Tim gets a large coffee and gets Ducky tea and then sits down facing the other man, feeling slightly mystified about what there doing here to begin with. Ducky takes a sip of his tea, then sighs and looks up at Tim then looks back down at his tea. Tim waits.

“Your probably wondering what I’m doing asking you here.”

Tim nods

“It’s just that I’ve noticed some things and they seems to be forming themselves into a pattern, of sorts. And I thought I should speak to you, to sort out truth from, shall we, say rumor or maybe fancy would be a better word.”

Ducky looks back up at Tim. Tim waits quietly for Ducky to come to the point. Ducky looks back down at his tea.

“Oh dear there is no real tactful way of putting this.”

Ducky looks up and meets Tim’s eyes holding his gaze squarely.

“Are you and Jethro involved romantically, or are you two merely sleeping together?”

Tim stairs at Ducky, blinks, opens his mouth, realizes he has no idea what to say to something like that, and closes it again. Ducky simply sits there sipping his tea waiting for Tim to answer.

“I love him”

It comes out in a rush, sounding mostly strangled and not even close to what he wanted to say. Ducky just continues to stair at him and Tim feels a blush rising and spreading across his cheeks and throat.

“We, um, we are romantically involved.”

Something flickers across Ducky’s face and then is gone

“Good. Jethro deserves more then an affair. And God only knows he’s had enough of those already.”

It’s something in Ducky’s voice, at note of regret or maybe bitterness, but either way a suspicion begins to form in Tim’s mind. He stairs hard at Ducky before thinking what the hell, after what Ducky asked it only seems fair.

“You’re in love with him aren’t you?”

For the first time since Ducky asked him about Tim and Gibbs’ relationship, Ducky drops his eyes.

“Yes”

The older man closes his eyes briefly and Tim sees the pain move across his face.

“Why haven’t you told him?”

Ducky makes an impatient noise and shakes his head.

“It’s not that simple. A long time ago I made a choice, to be Gibbs’ friend and nothing more. Besides,”

Ducky smiles and reaches across the table to pat Tim’s hand.

“He has you now.”

Ducky finishes off his tea then stands.

“Thank you for talking Timothy. We should do it again, at a later date, but now I must be getting home to mother.”

Tim also stands glad he bought his coffee in a paper cup.

“It was good talking to you to Ducky, take care and say hi to your mother for me.”

He heads for the door.

“Timothy.”

Ducky’s voice stops him and he turns around.

“Make him happy.”

Tim smiles.

“Always.”