Chapter 23
Abby had her back turned when Tim and Kate entered the lab. She had heard them enter, but had chosen to ignore the duo.
"Abby, here's…." Tim started.
"Put it on the table, McGee." Abby said, not bothering to turn around.
"Abby, there's something Gibbs wants you to pay special…." Kate started.
"He already called and told me." Abby stated still not turning around.
Both Tim and Kate stood in place and stared at their friend's back.
"What..?" Tim began to ask.
"What's wrong?" Abby said, as she whipped around to face them. "Is that what you were going to ask me…Agent McGee?" Abby paused, trying to calm down and failing miserably. She then began her tirade. "You want to know what's wrong, Agent McGee? Well, I'll TELL you what's wrong. Tony's gone…that's what's wrong. Tony. Is. Gone." Abby was seething. Tony had been gone for two weeks and Abby had been in her present state of mind for two weeks. "He's gone and we have Jason "asshole' Anderson in his place. The man wouldn't know a movie reference, a punch line, or a joke if it slapped him upside the head. Which Gibbs should probably do. But Anderson would probably bring him up on assault charges."
Kate opened her mouth to speak.
Abby shook her head. "You've already said enough, the both of you." Abby warned looking from one to the other and back again.
"What is it?" Abby asked. "Are you jealous, Tim? Tony's as smart as you? Maybe smarter?"
"And you Kate, with all your profiler skills…" Abby said, turning her attention in Kate's direction. "…you had him figured out, all figured out. And he broke your mold. Hell, he shattered your mold." Abby shook her head in disgust. "You THOUGHT you had him figured out."
Abby just looked at the both of them. "Pretty good for some dumb 'beat cop' with a Phys. Ed. Degree." She paused. "You can leave now." Abby said as she turned back to her work.
NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS
Ducky and Jimmy looked up to see who had entered Autopsy. He sighed and then returned to his work. "How may I help you, Timothy, Caitlyn?"
"Agent McGee. Agnet Todd." Jimmy stated before returning to his work.
McGee and Kate stopped in their tracks, a little shocked by the formality.
"Gibbs is…dealing…with Anderson right now." Tim explained. "He asked me to bring you this." He then handed an evidence bag to Ducky.
Ducky took the bag and looked at Tim for a long moment. He had kind of been surprised he missed Tony as much as he had. He considered Tony a friend, a good friend. But they had gone days without speaking before, aside from a stray comment or two at a crime scene. But then he realized since he had found out Tony was a doctor; he had FELT closer to Tony. It was the mutual interest that they shared. Ducky had liked the slower pace of doctoring and had opted for ME work. He, though, loved to hear Tony's stories of the ER. They would talk for hours about the cases Tony had, and the people he had met.
Jimmy's dilemma was slightly different. He missed Tony a great deal also. Tony had turned out to be an excellent teacher/tutor. His and Tony's friendship had developed slowly. At first Jimmy had taken offense to being called 'Autopsy Gremlin' but then he watched Tony's expression when he said it. It was not being said maliciously or with cruel intent. It was just a nickname. And, although Jimmy had never liked the movie, apparently Tony thought it was a good one. Well, Jimmy didn't like the little critters after they got wet. They got a little too mean and nasty for his tastes.
Ducky's statement brought Jimmy back to the present. "I am very disappointed in you, Timothy, and in you, Caitlyn." Ducky paused. "You…the both of you should know Tony better than that. You've worked with him long enough."
"Tony's very good a hiding his feelings..." Kate rebutted. "…hiding who he is."
Ducky agreed. "This is true, Caitlyn. But all walls can be breached, all of them. It just takes time and a little patience."
Tim opened his mouth to speak.
Ducky silenced him. "So that tells me neither of you cared to look. I find that sad, for the both of you. You are, after all, investigators. But from you, Caitlyn, a profiler by profession, I find it inexcusable."
Kate opened his mouth to speak.
"I will have my findings in an hour." Ducky said, dismissing them.
Tim and Kate had no choice but to leave Autopsy and head back upstairs.
TBC
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