Chapter 2

Gibbs heard the front door open and shut and smirked at having the opportunity to be with Tim that he threw his pencils and wood down on the bench and took the stairs two at a time.

"Tim…." Gibbs began until he saw Tim lying listislly on the sofa, and suddenly and the thoughts or foreplay flew out of his mind and he made his way over to the couch and sat shoulder to shoulder with the man.

Feeling the man sitting next to him Tim was unsure of what to say.

Would Gibbs still want him?

Would he want to raise a family?

Was he losing the best thing that had happened to him in awhile?

Those questions and more coursed through his head and he was unaware of the tears coursing down his cheek until he felt Gibbs calloused hands brushing them away and he became cognizant of the man saying, "Tim what's wrong? What happened?"

"We are going to be fathers" Tim blurted out suddenly reminiscent of Sarah had been at the restaurant, deciding that he needed t tell Gibbs before he lost the nerve.

Gibbs sat there stunned by what had just come out of McGee's mouth. McGee looking at the blank expression on his lover's face had to wonder if that was the way he had looked at the restaurant.

"What?" Gibbs asked somewhat shocked.

"Sarah is pregnant and she wants me to take the baby" Tim asked looking into Gibbs eyes only to find clouded eyes and Tim steadied himself for what he knew was to come.

Getting up from the couch Gibbs began pacing before finally saying, "Tim this is…" however the man was cut off from saying anything further by Tim.

"Look Gibbs I didn't ask for this but I can't turn my back on Sarah. But you know what I don't need you…this won't be your problem" Tim shouted out.

"Look Tim this is a big change" Gibbs tried to reason out.

"Big fucking changes my ass Gibbs" Tim said.

"Tim what do you want me to say?" Gibbs asked getting angrier and angrier even though the man couldn't reason out why.

"That this is what you want. That I am still what you want. That this family is what you want" Tim said exasperated.

"I-I-I-I- I can't say that Tim" and it hurt Gibbs to say that especially when he saw the new tears form in his lover's eyes.

"Well then I-I-I-I'll be out of your hair" Tim said while snatching his car keys up and running out the door.

Faster than Gibbs could react Tim was out the door and he heard the engine start up and speed away and Gibbs was left to wonder what the hell had just happened.

He was left to ponder how he had stuck himself in this bad.

Gibbs sank into the couch that Tim had vacated minutes earlier and wondered what the fuck he had just given up.

…..

Ziva was startled to hear a knock as her door and before coming to answer the door she made sure that she had no missed calls, and once she was assured that she had not missed a call out she opened to the door and saw a distraught Timothy McGee.

….

Ducky was plucked out of the suspenseful novel that he had been reading when a persistent knocking penetrated his thoughts.

Looking at the time and wondering who it could be he was surprised to open the door to reveal a disheveled and somber looking Leroy Jethro Gibbs.

"I screwed up Zee" Tim said from his place at the opened door.

Taking Tim's hand Ziva guided the younger man into her apartment and led him towards the coach.

'I will be right back Tim, do not move" Ziva said before going into the kitchen to retrieve two cups of tea and she made sure to add extra sweetness to Tim's before returning to the living room where she saw a dazed McGee before her.

She made sure that the man's tender hands were firmly around the tea before settling into the chair opposite him.

"Me and Gibbs are over Zee" Tim choked out.

Ziva almost spit her tea out at that because she was sure that she had just misheard her friend. There had to be some misunderstanding because the Israeli distinctly remembers telling her boss that had he ever hurt Tim that she wouldn't be culpable for her actions.

No one hurt Tim. Not this sweet gentle man.

No one hurts the first friend that she ever had, or the man that had spent weeks nursing her back to health once she had returned stateside.

Then, there was the fact that he and Gibbs seemed solid. She was sure that the older man had finally found someone to replace his decreased wife.

But apparently she was wrong, and in the morning there would be hell to pay, but for right now she pushed those feelings down so she could focus on Tim.

"What happened?" Ziva asked treading lightly.

"He doesn't want a family. I tried to explain that this was the only choice to make, but he said that this wasn't what he wanted" Tim replied rather morosely.

Family Ziva thought, what family?

"What family Tim" Ziva said prodding a bit deeper.

Tim bitterly replied, "Sarah's pregnant and wants me to take the baby."

The Israeli's mouth dropped open, however she recovered rather quickly and said, "You are very strong to take this on Tim" while she meandered over to the couch so she was sitting next to Tim.

"I'm going to be a single dad. Oh gosh I can't do this" Tim said putting his head in his hands.

Slinging her shoulder over the man Ziva brought Tim close to her before saying, "First off you have me and Tony, and Abby, and Ducky. You won't be alone Tim we will not allow that. Secondly, you can do this, you will be a great father" Ziva replied fiercely.

All the Israeli got was a tighter hug and a growing wet spot on her shoulder.

….

"Did you come here for a reason Gibbs?" Ducky asked after spending the last ten minutes in silence.
Still looking at the floor Gibbs said, "I drove Tim away."

Inwardly sighing Ducky knew that this was not going to be a pleasant conversation.

"Ah I see what ever has happened?" the kindly M.E. asked.

"Sarah's pregnant and she asked Tim to be the father" Gibbs said bluntly.

Ducky knowingly nodded his head before saying, "And such a proposition brings back difficult memories."

Getting up from the coach the old Marine went to stand in front of the bookcase before saying, "This wasn't what I signed up for Duck"

"Ah well would you like some advice Jethro" The M.E asked.

Shrugging Gibbs let the older man continue, "Shannon wouldn't begrudge you happiness Jethro and this man will not wait forever."

Turning around Gibbs replied, "Pretty sure I already screwed the pooch on that one Duck."

"Well as you know Timothy has tenacity for forgiving those that he loves. However, I do not suggest you wait all that long to talk to him otherwise you will do more harm than good." Ducky admonished.

Nodding Gibbs said, "Thanks" before strolling for the door.

He had a lot of thinking to do.

"Why am I not what he wants" Tim hiccuped out a short while later.

As much as she hated Gibbs right now Ziva knew that she had to tread carefully so as to not upset her friend further so she said, "I think you just caught him off shield Tim"

Laughing Tim corrected the idiom in saying, "it is guard Zee"

Huffing out Ziva asks Tim, "Would you like me to call Tony, I have some business to finish but you are welcome to stay"

Tim figured that it would be better telling everyone now rather than drag the whole process out so he nodded and Ziva called Tony.

"So McHaveNothingToDo why did you interrupt my last football game before the holiday season starts" Tony asked as he breezed into Ziva's apartment.

"Gee thanks Tony" Tim bit out.

Smirking Tony didn't say anything so Tim just continued, "I'm transferring to cybercrimes. I'm telling Vance on Monday"

Doubling over as if he had been punched Tony asked, "Why. What happened?" Tony asked panicking that his family was being torn apart.

"I can't keep looking Gibbs in the eye, not after what happened. It wouldn't be fair to the team" Tim replied.

"Tony, Gibbs gave Tim the impression that he doesn't want a family, and now that his sister is pregnant and he will be taking care of the baby once it is born, Gibbs gave Tim the impression that he is not up for the challenge" Ziva said as she came into the living room and buttoning up her coat.

"Probie he doesn't mean that" Tony said reasoning the situation out.

"Boss man he loves kids" Tony added.

"Not my kids" Tim replied sullenly.

Tim got up from the couch and went into the spare bedroom and collapsed onto the bed which left Tony and Ziva standing face to face.

"Zee this can't happen" the senior field agent began before being cut off.

"That is why I called you. I am on my way to head slap some sense into Gibbs" Ziva said with glee.

Putting his two thumbs up as if saying good plan Tony said, "Well I'll watch McGoo"

"Daddy look at me! Look at how far I can ride my bike now" a young innocent girl said to the video camera.

Gibbs grabbed the next tape from the stack to put in when he heard the upstairs door open and the clomping of boots that sounded on a mission interrupted his thoughts.

However, he still put on the next tape and soon he was watching Shannon and Kelly waving at him from the old tapes and they were saying, "We love you daddy. Be safe and see you soon" before the tape began showing Kelly playing the piano and singing an old nursery rhyme.

"Gibbs" the intruder said.

Not looking away from the television Gibbs said, "What do you want Ziver"

"Did I not tell you that if you hurt Tim there would be no body to find" Ziva came down the stairs and walked over to where Gibbs was sitting.

Sighing Gibbs just blocked out the Israeli and went back to watching his girls play at the park, didn't people understand where he was coming from?

Seeing that she was going to get nowhere with these old memories playing out in front of the man, so Ziva went over to the television and unplugged it from the socket which generated anger from Gibbs.

"Hey! You had no right" Gibbs said getting up from his bench.

"No you…you had no right" Ziva said hitting the man's chest with her forefingers.

Suddenly aware of the invasion of personal space Gibbs said, "Look it's better this way, it wouldn't have ended well anyway"

Ziva brought up her hand to hit the back of his head before saying, "He is transferring. Fix this!" before adding, "Your girls wouldn't want this, the Gibbs they know doesn't run from family" before heading for the stairs.