Doppelganger

“Here you go, Abbs.” Gibbs handed her a Caf-pow, ignoring McGee as if he didn’t exist, at least temporarily. “Did DiNozzo send down anything for you to go through?”

“Not yet, Gibbs.” Abby glanced suspiciously at McGee, wondering if he was supposed to have something for her and had forgotten to give it to her.

“Do you have the stuff from the new case Vance gave us, then?” Gibbs continued, ignoring Abby’s glance at Tim.

“Oh yes. Right here.” Abby turned to her computer and pulled up the results from the case Vance had earmarked for the MCRT.

“This is like a sci-fi movie.” McGee muttered. “Am I invisible?”

“You know it wouldn’t hurt you to become Tony’s doppelganger. You might learn a thing or two.” Gibbs grunted, his eyes still on the results on Abby’s screen. “Send those to Tony will you? I’ll go up and brief him now.”

“What’s going on, Gibbs?” McGee asked, confused not only by the doppelganger comment, but also that they apparently had a case he knew nothing about.

“If you had followed my instructions instead of goofing off down here with Abby or whatever you were doing you would know. I know Vance sent the initial information to your email.” Gibbs glared at Tim. “Go back to your desk and take your computer home. I don’t want to see you for the rest of the day.” Gibbs gave him a disgusted look.

“But don’t you need my help with the case?” Tim protested.

“The day DiNozzo and I ‘need’ your help with a case is the day we retire. Do not mistake letting you do the computer stuff as needing you to do the computer stuff. DiNozzo and I managed on our own for years. We don’t need you. Now shoo.” Gibbs tore into McGee until he felt like nothing.

Tim turned wide eyes to Abby. He couldn’t believe what Gibbs had just said.

Abby just gave him one of her I told you so looks before Tim turned and headed for his desk, this time, depressed. When he got up there, he was surprised to see someone sitting at Ziva’s desk that he didn’t recognize. “Who are you?” He asked aghast, wondering if he had been replaced already.

“You must be Tim. They told me you’d be the clueless one. Guess they were right.” The lost probie replied purposefully antagonistically.

Before Tim could come up with a response, his cellphone beeped letting him know he had a text. It was from Abby and read, “Just be glad he’s only sending you home for today and not kicking you off the team for good.”