Colorblind
Rifiuto: Non Miriena
Summary: When Tim and Ziva find themselves the guardians of a blind six-year-old girl, they have no choice but to adjust to sudden parenthood, and soon find themselves beginning to look at the world with different eyes. Established McGiva.
The leaves fluttered down around them, bathing the small hamlet of Georgetown in beautiful shades of gold, red and orange. They walked arm-in-arm, coats on and buttoned, gloves over their fingers and boots on. Cups of warm coffee or cider warmed their gloved hands, and they talked and laughed as the German Shepard trotted along beside them, following his master and mistress as they returned from the dog park. "Well, I think-"
The words died on his lips as they came upon the townhouse he and Ziva had bought not long after their six-month anniversary. With their relationship out to Gibbs and the rest of the team- and kept out of the office- Tim and Ziva had decided that shuffling from apartment to apartment wasn't working anymore, and so went house hunting one weekend during their time off. They found the small brownstone, tucked away in east Georgetown, near a coffee shop and a dog park that soon became their local haunts. The townhouse was small, only two stories, but big enough for a young couple firm in their relationship. Now, though, Tim let go of Ziva, surprise on his face.
"Tim? What's wrong?" Ziva followed, Jethro behind her as they came upon the steps of their home, only to stop at the sight of Gibbs standing on their stoop, a cup of coffee in his hands. "Gibbs? What... what are you doing here?" She slipped her arm through Tim's, squeezing his bicep as Gibbs glanced from her to Tim.
"I need you to come in to the office, McGee." Tim furrowed a brow.
"And you... couldn't have called to tell me this?" He asked, as Jethro woofed and bounded up the stairs towards Gibbs, who gave the dog a quick pat on the head and then turned to his youngest agents.
"Not for something this important." The pair shared a glance, curious as to what had Gibbs so on edge.
Tony, Abby and Ducky all looked up as Tim and Ziva entered following Gibbs. "So what is so urgent, Boss, that you couldn't call me and-" But Tim stopped, as Abby and Tony backed up, revealing a child sitting by Gibbs' desk. Slowly, the child got up, reaching out, her small hands searching urgently for some hold. Tony took her small hand, and she moved forward, pulling away and stumbling towards the couple.
"Uncle Tim?" She grasped wildly for him, and he instinctively reached out, taking her hand; she moved closer, stumbling into him and finally wrapping her arms around him. The others on Gibbs' team watched in shock as he slowly knelt down and examined her. As he looked into her face, staring into her dark eyes, he saw someone he thought he'd never see again.
"Jace-" He choked on a sob, suddenly realizing why Gibbs had come and gotten him instead of calling. Jace McKenna had been Tim's childhood best friend; he was still Tim's best friend. Tim had stood as Jace's best man at his wedding, hell, he wanted Jace to stand as his best man at his own wedding when he and Ziva did finally tie the knot. It was Tim that had introduced Jace to his wife Tina, and it was Tim who was the godfather to their daughter, Mychal. Taking a deep breath, he cleared his throat, giving the child a small smile as he whispered, "The last time I saw you, you were learning to walk, Mycha." She reached up, brushing her small fingers over his face, even as he pressed a soft kiss to her palm. "How did you get here, sweetie?"
"I believe I can answer that, Timothy." The agent turned towards Ducky, who stepped forward. "Her father's body was dumped on the front lawn of NCIS Headquarters; a Captain Jace-"
"McKenna." Tim finished, tears misting his green eyes as he began to put the pieces together. "But that doesn't explain how-"
"They left me with Daddy." Mychal said, tilting her head towards Tim. He turned his gaze back to the girl.
"Oh, God. Mycha, sweetie, I'm so sorry." She brushed her fingers over his cheeks, brushing away the tears slipping down his face. "Mychal, honey, where's Mama?" She swallowed.
"Mama was killed in a car crash a couple days ago..." Her lower lip began to quiver. "I was with Daddy, at lunch, and someone grabbed us when we left the restaurant. The man threw me in the trunk and... and killed Daddy, and then next thing I knew, we were on the grass, and Daddy was... was dead, and... and I was in here... they said they would find you..." The child broke down, the realization of what had happened sinking in, and she wrapped her arms around Tim, who held her close.
"Shh. It's okay, Mycha, I'm here. I'm right here." He pressed a kiss to her temple and stood, turning to go to his desk when he nearly slammed into Director Shepard. "I'm so sorry, Director, I didn't see you-" Jenny nodded, eyes going to the child in his arms.
"My office, Agent McGee, please." Tim nodded, shifting the girl onto his hip, before following. Once they were gone, Ziva turned to the others.
"Will someone please tell me what is going on?" Gibbs glanced at the others, before handing over the file they'd hastily gathered on Captain McKenna.
"Naval Captain Jace McKenna, age twenty-eight. Married Tina Foster out of high school, and had Mychal Elizabeth in April, two-thousand." She looked up at Gibbs. "What does this have to do with Tim knowing the child?"
"McGee is that little girl's godfather, Ziver." Gibbs whispered.
"Agent McGee, do you mind telling me exactly what your connection to this case is?" Tim sighed, glancing back at Mychal, before turning back to Jenny. He swallowed.
"With all do respect, Director, if you think my connection to solving this case is going to jeopardize it in any way, I can assure you, it won't."
"Then I will let you remain, but not if you don't tell me what your connection is, Agent McGee."
"Mychal is my goddaughter. Jace McKenna was my best friend, when we were growing up; I stood as his best friend at his wedding. He didn't have any siblings, and Tina's relatives died in Oklahoma City. I am listed as Jace and Tina's next of kin, and were anything to happen to either of them, Mychal was to be left in my care. And that is what I intend to do. And I can start by catching the man who killed her father."
Jenny listened, glancing from Tim to the child and back, before she nodded. "Very well, but if I hear from Agent Gibbs-"
"You won't, Director. I can assure you."
Everyone looked up as Tim returned to the bullpen, Mychal held tight in his arms. She rested her head on his shoulder, her dark eyes moving restlessly back and forth, not focusing on anything or anyone because they couldn't. A moment passed, before Tony asked,
"Would you like to go downstairs and see Abby's lab, kiddo? She has some-"
"She can't, Tony." The senior agent raised an eyebrow, turning to Tim.
"Well, you've fallen into the role of father pretty fast, haven't you, McDaddy?" Gibbs smacked Tony on the back of the head, causing the younger man to yelp in shock.
"Uncalled for, DiNozzo."
"Mycha can't, because she can't see, Tony. She's blind." He glanced down at the child, who snuggled closer. "She was born blind..."
"But I can hear, Uncle Tim, and I can feel." She whispered, reaching up and moving her fingers over his lips. He pressed a fleeting kiss to her small fingers, making her giggle softly, before moving her fingers over his hair, even as he set her on her feet. She clung to him, fingers moving over the badge on his belt. Confusion knit her brow, as she pulled at it, removing it from his belt and opening it. "What's this?" He sighed, kneeling down to take it from her.
"This, is my badge, it tells people that I'm a federal NCIS agent. I catch bad people who hurt people in the military-"
"Like Daddy." He nodded.
"Yes. And I promise you, Mychal, that I will catch your Daddy's killer. I promise you, I will catch him."
"What about me?"
"If anything happens to Ti and I, Tim, promise you'll look after Mychal. You're her godfather, after all, it's your duty to protect her if Tina and I can't."
As his best friend's words sounded in his head, he nodded.
"I will take care of you, Mycha, because I promised your daddy I would. I'm your godfather, it's my duty to protect you. And I will. I promise."