"I'm coming!" Tim called out while going towards the door, he peeped in the peephole and gave a small sigh.
"Hi, Tony," he greeted in a tired voice.
"Can I come in? I bought beer and pizza. It is even Light Beer and half of the pizza is just cheese."
McGee was too tired to even argue and even though he would never admit it to Tony, he was hoping for some type of company before work started. Being alone means being alone with your thoughts and that was something he didn't need at the moment.
Tony grinned his infamous grin and made his way into the apartment and set the pizza down on the kitchen counter.
"I thought you were going to be away until Sunday?" Tim asked grabbing a piece for himself.
"Flew back early. Senior and his fiancée was getting a little bit too cozy for my taste. And I wanted some time to rest before work starts up again." He said while pulling a face of disgust while somehow still managing to chew his food.
"He's happy," the younger man stated.
"I'm all for his happiness and I'm happy for him. I just don't want to see it on display 24/7."
A ghost of a smile crossed his face while he picked up his beer and bought it to his lips.
"How's everyone doing?" Tony asked going over to the couch with the pizza box and his drink.
"Fine. My mom left last night, despite her wanting to stay longer but she promised she'll visit more often. Penny and Sarah was over earlier, you just missed them actually by an hour. They're both strong, so they'll be fine."
"And how are you?" Tony pressed on.
"Fine."
"Really fine?"
"Fine as in you don't have to worry about me."
"Fair enough." Tony nodded while tucking his feet underneath him and sipping his drink.
"He was an interesting man," he said after a moment or two of silence.
"That he was. And you don't even know the half of it." Tim said while chewing his pizza.
"I mean I only had one legit conversation with him but from the stories you told me about him. He seems really interesting."
"Wait, when did you have a conversation with my dad?" McGee asked turning to face his friend.
"When he was at the Navy Yard for that case."
Flashback:
Tony let his head fall back unto the back of the driver's seat, making multiple trips to Norfolk in one day was truly tiring. Especially when you get stuck in traffic most of time and Lord knows nobody seems how to act when they are in traffic.
He looked over out of the passenger window and saw Admiral McGee walking out of the NCIS building with his assistant. It was no secret that having the older McGee around was hard on the younger one. Even if said son was in denial about how upset his dad presence made him.
Before deciding that it was probably a bad idea, Tony got out of the car and half – jogged over to the admiral.
"Admiral McGee, may I speak to you please?" Tony asked in his best senior field agent voice.
The older McGee whispered to his assistant, who gave Tony a small tinkling feeling in his gut but not big enough to really worry about it, who then got into the waiting car.
"What's this about?" The older man, more grunted than asked Tony.
"I just wanted to say how incredible it is to work with your son. He's one of the best field agents and partners I've had/ known."
"Agent DiNozzo, if my son is as good as you claim. Why is it that he is still working under you after all these years? Why is it that he isn't running his own team?"
Tony didn't expect an outright full acceptance from the admiral about his statement on his son. But he didn't except to be fired with more questions, which just outright disrespected Tim's work.
"Sir," he said more slowly hoping his words will really sink in with the admiral. "Being an NCIS field agent isn't about titles, it is about duty and sacrifice. Your son meets that criteria each and every day and I am more than proud to call him my partner of nearly ten years.
"About six or so years ago, I was team leader and he was my senior field agent. Even though it was only for four months, he was the best SFA a person can ask for. Also, four years ago he went half way across the world with me, which some would argue was a suicide mission, to save one of our other teammates. He refused to let me do it alone and he may just say it was part of the job but it went beyond that.
"I don't know if you've noticed but your son is smart as hell. His brain power alone as definitely come in handy more times than I can count. Which Tim could probably count that high. As our forensic scientist would probably tell you, we love him here, he's family."
"Sir, the meeting," the admiral's assistant interrupted from the car window.
"Is that all?" The older man asked, after clearing his throat.
"Yeah, I just thought you should know," Tony said knowing full well that the conversation was over.
"Agent DiNozzo," Admiral McGee called out once he was in the car. "I do know." He stated right before the car drove away.
Present Time:
"Why have you never told me that story?" Tim asked.
Tony just shrugged while taking another piece of pizza. "I don't know, after that we had to find that tablet thing, then he told Gibbs he had cancer. Then the case ended and we had slightly more important things to worry about it. Don't you think?"
"Yeah, I suppose. Still."
"All parents wind up damaging their children one way or the other. It's inevitable, yours was just on the larger scale."
"Serious talks with my dad, using the word inevitable. What is happening to you Tony?" McGee joked, slightly shoving his shoulders with Tony's.
"Hey! You're not the only smart one here."
"Right. Guessing you bought a movie." He stated more than asked wanting to get away from the more serious conversation.
"Yep and popcorn. Can't watch a movie without popcorn."
"I'll make the popcorn. What movie?"
"The Great Santini," he answered with a sense of pride.
Tim smiled a little, remembering the time he made a comparison to his own life with the movie to Tony. "Good choice."
"Hey, Tim?"
"Yeah?"
"You are okay right?
"I will be." McGee said and since the funeral he felt like he actually meant it. "Okay, so I can't remember who stars in this?" He asked knowing Tony's in detail commentary will somehow help the healing process.
I hope everyone had a great holiday! Also Happy New Year :)
This fic was obviously based off "House Rules and "Squall" but it is also based off a quote:
"All parents damage their children. It cannot be helped. Youth, like pristine glass, absorbs the prints of its handlers. Some parents smudge, others crack, a few shatter childhoods completely into jagged little pieces, beyond repair." by Mitch Albom.
Hope you guys enjoyed it. Review it, favorite it and all that jazz. :)