Never Take Anything for Granted

When the team arrived back at the navy yard they were followed into Abby’s lab by four agents from the garage that were needed to carry in all of the ‘evidence’ they had bagged and tagged. The only actual piece of evidence that had been collected was being gripped tightly by the agent that found it, and he wasn’t letting go of it through fear of what Gibbs would do to him if it was misplaced.

After the seven large boxes of anything and everything were loaded up onto the evidence table in Abby’s lab, McGee broke away for a well deserved trip to the head and the rest of Team Gibbs, including Gibbs himself, sat awkwardly waiting for their hyperactive forensic scientist to give them a miracle. Abby took the hair and fibers sample from Tony, signed the chain of custody, and started to run the test.

She sat more silent than the Team as a collective had ever seen her, perched on a chair and leaning into the computer as it flashed and thought in front of her. She was all too aware that the case was pretty much depending on the outcome of this result, and if she didn’t provide what Gibbs wanted then that would only anger him further.

As the computer started to beep the entire room seemed to inhale at the same time, and after the suspect's picture was shown on the screen there was no synchronized exhale. Abby spun to face Gibbs on her computer chair, her mouth slightly ajar and her eyes wide. She had done what Gibbs asked by finding who the hair belonged to, but there was no way on Earth that he would like the outcome.

“Run it again.” Were the only words from his mouth.

Abby turned to look at Tony and Ziva, who had the same instinct and gazed back at her. "You do know the likelihood of me getting that test wrong is less tha-"

"I said run it again, Abby."

The team once again sat in silence, for once in their careers hoping that Abby had in fact made a mistake. Abby sat facing the computer. Her lower lip was caught between her teeth as she waited for the result. She hoped that Gibbs was right and the test was a mistake, but she knew that it wouldn’t be the case. The computer beeped and the same result jumped onto the screen.

"Run it again" Gibbs whispered.

“I thought you didn’t believe in coincidences.” Abby confronted.

“Just do it.”

Gibbs walked over to the large plasma screen on the wall and watched it as it re-run the test. He stood looking up at it, eyes blank and his face expressionless. Tony and Ziva sat behind Abby and looked down at the table of evidence as to avoid eye contact with her, or more importantly, Gibbs.

As the elevator doors hissed and opened McGee stepped from between them holding a tray of coffees and one large Caf-Pow. He stopped just inside the door and examined the room carefully as he noticed he was being stared at. DiNozzo stood from his seat and walked over to Tim, standing only inches from the confused agent.

“Yes?”

“We have a suspect, McGee.”

McGee’s face illuminated with excitement and he placed the coffee on the only part of the table with nothing on it. “Great guys.” He grinned.

“Not really.” Tony heard the computer beep to confirm it’s findings and stepped to one side, letting McGee see the computer screen. “It’s you, Proby.”

McGee stood silently gawping at the screen. The blood drained from his face and his hands started to shake as he looked at a slightly younger version of himself staring back at him and the words ‘MATCH FOUND’ flashing up on the screen. He watched Gibbs move towards him from the other side of the room, staring at him and making him feel uncomfortable.

“It’s a mistake, Boss.” His bottom lip started to shake as Gibbs got closer and backed him up with his eyes.

"Abby doesn't make mistakes, McGee."

"I-I know, Boss."

"I triple checked it, Timmy" Abby butted in.

DiNozzo moved forward to collect his sketch of the crime scene that was on the evidence table beside McGee. “I found the hair in the front room, Boss, right next to the window that was broken." He pointed to where he had marked the evidence on the sketch. "It was embedded in the wood by the fibers I brought in, and Abby ruled that they were from a blue cotton jacket. It couldn’t have been transferred from McGee when he was at the scene because he worked the other side of the room, and he is wearing black wool.”

As the words came out of Tony’s mouth each one placed a nail in McGee’s coffin. This was the kind of evidence strong enough to bring someone in for questioning, and could even lead to their arrest.

"Standard NCIS uniform." Gibbs confirmed as he leaned across McGee to pick up a coffee without once breaking eye contact. The pair were being more than intimidating, and McGee's green eyes started to panic and dart between the two.

"B-Boss, you don't think that I-"

"You tell me, McGee."