A/N: Yay! Another chapter! I'm sure you all want to get to the good stuff right away, so not much to say this time!

Review Replies:

mcgeeksgirl: Thanks for reading! Now you've got more. :)

Sprig: I'm really missing the Tony/Tim interactions in the show, as well. They were the best.

Momcat: The best imagery I can think of to describe Kate Brenton is a cross between Jessica Chastain, Rose Leslie, and Rachael McAdams. Kate gets much of her looks from her Irish-Scottish heritage.

Winterscldierr: Thanks for reading!

On to the chapter!

Tim barely paid any attention to his surroundings as he typed away on his computer. Tony and Ziva were in the middle of yet another argument, but Tim wasn't going to bother with intervening today. He didn't even register that the elevator beeped to signal someone's arrival, at first.

"McGee!" a man yelled Tim's name out, halfway between the elevator and Tim's desk.

Tim, Tony, and Ziva all paused what they were doing to look up at the man as he stormed into their desk area. Recognition appeared on Tim's face immediately when he registered the man's voice and face. Tony and Ziva both took on stiff postures when they realized that Tim knew the man. It was never good would someone came to personally yell at any of them.

"What do you want, Ethan? As you can see, I'm at work," Tim replied in an even tone. He stood up so Ethan wouldn't have the benefit of being able to literally look down at him.

"Heh. For starters, how about you stay the fuck out of my marriage?" Ethan hissed.

Tim let out a heavy sigh and gave Tony a look when the Italian man started to get up from his seat. Tony promptly sat back down, but he didn't stop staring at the confrontation in front of him.

"Ethan, I honestly have no idea what you're talking about," Tim said. He turned his attention back to Ethan so he could give the man a blank face. "Last I checked, I wasn't interested in you or Kate in such a manner."

"Oh, so you aren't nosing your way into business that isn't yours? Because I'm pretty sure you have been," Ethan continued.

"Alright, then how? Like I just said, Ethan, I have no damn idea what you're talking about," Tim insisted. He didn't want to give Ethan any fuel to use against him. If Ethan was gonna be stupid enough to confront him at work, then Tim was going to make Ethan explain every detail.

"Oh, so you didn't hightail your ass to my house after your little vacation to New York this past weekend?" Ethan asked.

"Ethan, I have been friends with Kate since college. When she calls me crying, of fucking course I am going to beeline straight to her. What else was I supposed to do?" Tim asked incredulously.

"Oh, I don't know. How about leave well enough alone when it's none of your business?" Ethan snapped. "What were you even doing in New York with Dimitri and the girls, anyway?"

Ethan's continued badgering prompted Tony and Ziva to stand up and come up behind him, but Ethan either didn't notice or didn't care.

"Considering you were just ranting about me needing to mind my own business, do I really need to spell it out for you?" Tim asked.

"My step-children are my business," Ethan shot back. A smug look began to grow on Ethan's face, but all it did was pull an over exaggerated eye roll out of Tim so it was made clear to Ethan that Tim thought the comment was bullshit.

"The girls are Kate and Dimitri's business, Ethan. Not yours. You've never held much parental rights over them," Tim said. "If Dimitri decided to bring an old college friend with while going on vacation, and Kate didn't have any problems with it, then that's the end of the discussion."

"That justifies you barging into my marriage how?" Ethan asked, switching the topic back.

"To be quite frank, Ethan, I didn't barge in! I was invited!" Tim snapped. He was nearing the end of his patience, and it wasn't like Ethan was anyone he cared to be nice to.

"What seems to be the problem here, McGee?" Gibbs spoke up from behind Tim. Tim threw Ethan an irritated look before turning to answer Gibbs.

"Absolutely nothing, Boss. Brenton here was just leaving."

"Leave? Oh, no, no, no, no, no. I'm not leaving until I get some solid answers, McGee," Ethan said. Gibbs gave Tim a look, who returned it with one of his own.

"Ethan," Tim said, turning back to the other man. "Your choices are leave or I make you leave. In case you forgot, you're standing in the middle of the federal law enforcement agency where I work."

Ethan went silent at the reminder as he continued to look at Tim with barely veiled anger. Tim knew he had Ethan there. Internal Affairs or not, there was no way Ethan could cover his ass if he was forcibly escorted out of the building.

"Ethan. Leave," Tim repeated in a harsh tone.

"This is not fucking over, McGee," Ethan snapped before turning around and heading back to the elevator.

"McGee?" Gibbs asked again.

"I'll deal with it, Boss. Don't worry about it," Tim insisted. Tim hadn't expected Ethan to come to the Navy Yard for a confrontation. It was out of character. Tim needed to talk to Dimitri or Kate about this, but he didn't know which. Tim sat back down and reached for his cell phone once he decided who to call. Within moments, he was holding it up to his ear as he waited for someone at Kate's office to pick up.

"Stiles and Brenton. How may I help you?" a woman answered.

"Hey, Brittney, it's Tim McGee. Is Kate in the office right now?" Tim asked. He was glad Kate's usual secretary was in today. Brittney knew by now that Tim only called the main office line if he absolutely needed to speak with Kate at that moment. Otherwise, he'd call her cell and risk getting the voicemail.

"She just finished a meeting. I think she's still in the conference room, though, going over her notes. Can I put you on hold while I quick go check?" Brittney asked.

"Yes, of course," Tim said. He leaned back in his chair as he listened to the corny hold music Kate's firm used. If Kate knew how to deal with Ethan right away, then the timing may be quick enough that Dimitri wouldn't be able to react once Tim told him.

"Tim?" Kate's voice interrupted the hold music. "What's wrong? You rarely call the office line."

"Kate, Ethan was just here at the Yard yelling at me," Tim said. Might as well do it like ripping off a band-aid. It was bad enough that this happened in the first place.

"What?!" Kate asked.

"Yeah. He was snapping at me about 'staying out of his marriage' and similar bullshit. Listen, are you sure Ethan doesn't know about me and Dimitri? He asked why I went to New York with Dimitri and the girls," Tim said.

Kate went silent for a few moments as she mulled over everything Tim had dumped on her lap.

"Tim, I honestly don't know anymore. I never would have expected Ethan to confront you at work. At the house? Of course, but never at work. If he has the nerve to go to the Navy Yard, then he must think he has something on you that'll help cover his ass if he gets in trouble," Kate said.

"Kate, this needs to be addressed right away. I need to have answers for Dimitri when I tell him this happened because there's a good chance Ethan will go confront him, as well," Tim said. "Do you have any idea what to do about this? You obviously know Ethan better than we do."

"To be perfectly honest, Tim, you need to bite back just as hard if Ethan is already like this. His coworkers have told me about them having to do so several times, themselves, when Ethan would ride their asses too hard. He's like a rabid dog holding onto a bone when he gets tunnel vision," Kate replied.

Tim let out a groan. Getting into a pissing contest with Ethan was the last thing he wanted to do, but Tim knew Dimitri would jump on this opportunity faster than two magnets coming together.

"I tell Dimitri that, Kate, and your marriage is essentially over," Tim pointed out.

"I'm already looking into which divorce lawyer I want representing me, Tim," Kate said. "Have at him."

It was Tim's turn to go silent. He hadn't expected Kate to make the decision so quickly. But she also was never one to drag things on longer than needed. He probably shouldn't be as surprised as he was.

"I'll talk with Dimitri about it on my lunch break," Tim finally spoke up.

"Good. Text me your plans when you two are done talking so I have a head's up," Kate said.

"Of course," Tim said. "I'll talk to you later, Kate. Get back to work."

"Talk to you later," Kate said.

Tim set his phone down after the line went dead. This was everything Tim had warned Dimitri about when it came to Ethan. One confrontation was going to lead to another, which would lead to another. They needed to end this before Ethan's anger caused issues for everyone. Sighing, Tim forced himself to return to what he was working on before Ethan arrived. He could feel the stares he was receiving from Tony and Ziva, but Tim wasn't planning on addressing them unless Gibbs said something. Tim needed time to consider his own reaction before he had to deal with Dimitri's.