Disclaimer: The following story is a work of fiction. The characters are borrowed from the CBS network show NCIS for personal entertainment purposes only. No profit is or shall be made from this fan tribute to the show which is owned by TPTB. Any resemblance to actual persons is purely coincidental.

Set in time: NCIS 2014, a tag to "Double Back", season 11, episode 13.

Spoiler warning: 08×14 "A Man Walks into a Bar", 10×02 "Recovery", 11×13 "Double Back".

Main characters: Dr. Rachel Cranston (POV), Leroy Jethro Gibbs, Timothy McGee, Delilah Fielding.

A/N: I thought this was going to be a romantic piece about Rachel and Gibbs when I started writing, but to my surprise it went sideways. I guess Rachel doesn't do wishful thinking! Hoping you have as much pleasure reading, as I had writing!

Gibbs with Two B's

(by VG LittleBear/vglb)

Rachel Cranston had seen Gibbs in different situations. She had described him as a 'hard nut' in her professional notes, but she knew it was more complicated. Her dead sibling had spoken long ago of 'Mr. Guy-In-Back, second B for bastard', yet had assured her that Gibbs had a soft streak; somewhere, just out of reach, it was there! As a profiler, Caitlin would have known, it wouldn't have been wishful thinking, although Rachel was aware that her little sister had been prone to do just that.

Kate had been pushing Gibbs, to get him to acknowledge his softer feelings, for nearly the entire two years she was on his team. Rachel had heard her rant on the phone about her failure to do so countless times. And then Kate had gotten herself shot, and Rachel had still been in Miami. Although she frequently worked with law enforcement agencies, it took her a few years to be in a position to work directly with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service in D.C., and in particular with the Major Crime Response Team.

Rachel had jumped at the first opportunity she was offered to study the team Kate had been on, quickly realizing that Kate had been right; Gibbs never let his guard drop. He seemed sterner yet than Kate had led her to believe. Of course a lot had happened through the years. And even more had happened to Gibbs before, that only became known to his colleagues long after Kate was gone. And yet the team, more accurately the extended team, around him worked, worked in a way that spelt a deep rooted care for one another with Gibbs at its center.

Funnily enough this now included Leon Vance too. Sometime during the last months the undercurrent rivalry between the two headstrong males had resolved into mutual trust and understanding. More proof of the elusive Gibbs magic Kate had been sold on. Even ambitious Leon couldn't resist the pull.

Of course she knew the feelings were there, had known it for a long time now. Knew it first when Gibbs woke her after a night spent at the office, then took her to see his basement. She had never put Caitlin's death behind her, meeting Kate's colleagues had been an attempt to do so. Apparently Gibbs had read her all while she was supposed to read him. Caring about her even though she was only Dr. Kate's Sister as DiNozzo had dubbed her. Never really letting her help him on an emotional level, even though she tried to find a way. At least Gibbs had found the solution to her riddle, had even laughed when he found the innocuous reason the barman had shot his gun in her story. That was a good sign, wasn't it? It all being about reactions, and letting off steam.

Rachel's office had sent Dr. Miles Wolf armed with her special notes on Gibbs and his team to do the psych evaluation at NCIS after the bomb attack in the Navy Yard. Miles had told her later that Gibbs had not opened a bit to him, nor had he made progress with Abby. He only got to talk to Gibbs about helping Abby's nightmares. And even on that subject Gibbs held the cards close, vanishing after barely a sentence or two. Yet when Rachel talked to Director Leon Vance some time later, he told her Abby was rested in the mornings, and Gibbs was hunting criminals with fervor, but not obsessively so. It seemed everyone was back on an even keel.

So why was she surprised now, to see Gibbs sitting there at McGee's side? True, the terrorist was still at large, all trace gone for now. There wasn't a thing Gibbs could do about Parsa right now, but he could be there for Tim, and he was. Gibbs wasn't speaking, or touching McGee, just staring straight in front of him, like Tim. Rachel couldn't tell who was mirroring whom from looking at them, but she had a shrewd idea that Gibbs was leading the way.

Rachel kept out of their sight at the hospital, just watching them for some time. She didn't know how long ago Gibbs had shown up, only that it was less than an hour. Rachel had seen Tim leave Delilah's room then. He'd looked so lost when Delilah's parents told him to let them be alone with Delilah for a while. Rachel had offered to stay with him, but he had turned away from the doctor. She had seen him type a short message on his smart phone, and now Gibbs was keeping him company. Already McGee looked better, more centered.

She left them to their fellowship and went to the next patient on her list, planning on checking on Delilah later. It was quite late when she got back, and when she halted around the corner from where Gibbs had been sitting with McGee before, she heard Gibbs get up and walk over to Delilah's room.

The next thing she heard was Gibbs' voice saying calmly: "Come on, Tim, say goodnight to Delilah! It's time you learned what the two B's in my name stand for!"

"What do the two B's mean, Boss?" came a sleepy voice from Delilah's bedside. Apparently Tim had nodded off during his visit while Delilah looked on.

"B&B, Tim, bed and breakfast! Come on, I'll take you home with me tonight. Leave your car here. - Delilah, sleep well! I'll bring Tim back tomorrow morning before work."

Rachel stayed out of sight as she watched Gibbs pull up Tim, giving him a half hug and walking him to the door of Delilah's chamber. A moment later she saw Tim picking up his backbag and following Gibbs out to the parking lot. She looked in on Delilah, who had her eyes open and a tiny smile on her face.

"Papa bear in action! Tim always said Gibbs was one to Tony, and I've seen him with Abby. I just hadn't realized Tim was one of Gibbs' cubs, too!"

Rachel nodded in reply. It seemed that Gibbs had done her work once more. She'd talk again to Delilah tomorrow, but for tonight Miss Fielding was in a good place just knowing Gibbs was looking out for her boyfriend.

- finis -