Tony stared at the open closet. Helping a friend move was the absolute last thing he wanted to do on a rare Saturday off but Delilah couldn't get around Tim's apartment well. Plus he had wanted to move for a while and his girlfriend having to be carried up a five-story walk-up was a better excuse than not having a spare room suitable to be a game room. So Tony had gladly pitched in along with Gibbs, Palmer, Sarah, and Penelope. At least with all the spare hands it wouldn't take more than a day and a half. All he had left of the closet was a couple of boxes. Then they could take lunch. He carefully pulled the box down from the top shelf and placed on the ground. Then reached for the last box. In doing so he sent something crashing to the ground. Upon further inspection he realized it was a photo album. After removing the final box and lugging them down to the moving van. He walked back upstairs everybody else was still busy. Not wanting to delay lunch further by starting another task. He let his curiosity get the best of him and opened the photo album. He smiled at the childhood pictures of his partner. Progressing from a newborn in the hospital to McGee at sixteen in his cap and gown. He had just closed the album when he came to an awful realization. There was a boy about two years older than McGee that appeared in all the family photo's, several of just him and McGee, and a couple of him, McGee, and Sarah. Then when McGee was fifteen and Sarah was five the other boy disappeared. This meant only one thing McGee had a brother and something horrible had happened. Horrible thoughts came to Tony's mind of the older boy meeting tragic fates and a heart-broken Tim withdrawing and becoming the geek he is today. He had been a boy scout and somewhat athletic in the pictures with the older boy but after he left he became the geek that Tony knew.
"Tony everybody is going to lunch." Penelope called.
"Oh right." Tony replied.
"What's wrong?" Penelope asked.
"I found this photo-album." Tony replied.
"Oh well I am sure Timmy won't mind you looking at it. Pictures are meant to be shared!" Penelope assured.
"It's not that. It's who is the boy in all the pictures the one who is older than Tim?" Tony asked.
"Oh that's Brandon. That's a sad story." Penelope replied.
"Poor Tim I can't imagine having a sibling die. Especially when you are just kids. it was bad enough that my mom died when I was eight." Tony commented.
"What makes you think he was a sibling and what makes you think he died?" Penelope asked.
"He was in all the family photos, with Tim or Tim and Sarah until Tim was fifteen. Then he just disappeared. Plus you said it was a sad story." Tony commented.
"Tony, Brandon is Tim's cousin. His dad was John's brother. Brandon lived with the family a lot because his mom left just after he was born and his dad was on a ship nine months out of the year. He stopped appearing in photo's because he went to college in Germany and graduated high school when Tim was fifteen." Penelope explained.
"What's sad about that?" Tony asked.
"He and Tim were as close as brothers but after Brandon moved away. Well both of the boys changed. Both boy were both athletic and braniacs but in college Brandon became more of a jock and Tim became more of a geek. When they met up again years later it was never the same. To me it's a sad story but they still get along. It's just not the same as it was before." Penelope explained.
"Oh" Tony replied.
McGee stepped out on his balcony. He could not believe that by this time tomorrow night. He would be in his new place. He was going to miss this apartment. It was the first place he had lived in by himself but it was time to move on. He was surprised to see Tony hunched over the rail. He was sure that he would have headed home or off to enjoy his evening. Instead he was standing outside of his apartment looking crushed.
"Tony what's wrong?" Tim asked.
"It's all gonna change." Tony commented.
"No it's not. Some stuff will be different but a lot will stay the same. I mean Palmer still has time for us and he is going to be a dad soon. Hopefully anyway and Delilah and I are going to wait a few years and then use a surrogate. So don't worry." Tim assured.
"Not that I know about Brandon." Tony replied.
"Oh" Tim whispered.
"I know that you used to be close but he was a jock and you are a geek and now you hate each other." Tony replied.
"So?" Tim asked.
"Well I am jock and you are a geek. So when do we start hating each other?" Tony asked.
"First off Brandon and I don't hate each other. We still talk from time to time but he has a his own career as a physical therapist and a family of his own. Actually just had his third child and I have m career. So it is rare but we keep in touch. Secondly there is a difference between somebody becoming a whole different person in the five years you apart and somebody being the same the whole time you've known them. Which you are and you are so much more than a jock. You are my partner and my brother and I will never hate you. Unless you beat my high score in Goblet Quest and Virginity Keep the online edition." McGee assured.
"Same here except in my case it's unless you reveal that I play a game called Goblet Quest and Virginity Keep." Tony assured.
A/N: I stole the game "Goblet Quest and Virginity Keep" from 30 Rock on NBC. So all credit for that goes to Tina Fey. Please review and thanks for reading.