So many responses on the first chapter! I'm so happy! Thank you guys for the love and support.
As always, I don't own NCIS. I just borrowed the people for my own guilty pleasure.
Shout out to reviewer TERISNAPE for pointing out my mistake with the military time. Thank you so much and I already corrected it.
To NCIS Fan, thanks for such a lengthy and well thought-out review. I hope the next part satisfies at least some of your questions.
Not everything will be answered though.
Dinner was over and they now sat in the living room of Gibbs's house quietly contemplating the conversation that was about to happen. Ducky sat on the couch next to Gibbs. Tony and Ziva were beside each other on chairs they took from the kitchen table. Jimmy was on the loveseat with Abby sitting across him on an armchair. Tim and Janna were sitting on the floor by Gibbs's feet, his arm around her with her head on his shoulder.
"So how did this happen?" Tony finally broke the uncomfortable silence.
"Almost three years ago, my mother was killed in an accident." Tim began.
"Oh Timmy!" Abby was about to lunge for him but a glare from Gibbs had her stopping in her tracks.
"Why didn't you tell us?" Tony asked.
"Please don't interrupt. I can answer all your questions after I tell you the story."
"Alright."
"She'd been driving to her weekly game of charades with her friends when a drunk driver hit her car. She was DOA." his breath caught in his throat as he tried to form the next words.
"It's alright Love. Just breathe through it." his wife's voice kept him grounded enough, Gibbs's hand on his shoulder a silent offer of support. He took a deep shuddering breath before he could continue.
"My father didn't even care." he said bitterly. "Admiral McGee thought it was just another part of life. Told me to man up and get over it." he shook his head as if trying to break free from the thoughts threatening to swallow him. "Turns out he'd been having an affair with someone in the Corps. He was actually happy to be free from his vows, it didn't matter to him how it happened as long as he wasn't tied down anymore." he tightened his hold on his wife, Janna clutching at his white knuckled hand until he relaxed again. "Sarah became suicidal. She hated Admiral McGee for betraying Mom's memory, she hated Mom for dying and she hated me for not being there for her. After what happened, I couldn't really blame her." Tim refused to look at anyone besides Janna, trying to smile through his tears when she kissed his cheek. "Three months after Mom, Sarah OD'd on coke and marijuana. They managed to save her but she was too far gone. The psychological trauma of Mom's death combined with the use of drugs pushed her over the edge. She's been in an asylum in Nevada since."
"I met Tim right after his sister was admitted. He was at the dog park with Jett."
"Hey," the man didn't even look up at her as she approached. He looked as if he'd shouldered all the troubles in the world with his head down and his posture slumped. She petted the German Shepherd sitting at his feet, the faithful companion whining pitifully at his master. "What's troubling you?" still, her words didn't seem to register so she sat beside him and continued to talk. She spoke about nonsense things, waiting patiently for her voice to break through the tumultuous emotions raging through him. "~I'd like to get my own dog but I don't know what to get."
"I'm sorry but who are you?"
"Welcome back," she smiled as he looked up at her warily. "I've been talking to you for some time."
"I can see that," his lips quirked into a small smile of his own. "I apologize. My mind was elsewhere."
"Yeah, you were too busy getting lost in your thoughts to notice that it's late and your dog's hungry."
"Oh my God!" he exclaimed looking at his feet to find his companion dozing peacefully. His ears perked up at the sound of Tim's voice but he didn't move. "Are you hungry Jethro?" Tim suddenly had an armful of wagging tail at the mention of food.
"Told ya!" she giggled at the pair and moved to rise.
"Hey!"
"Yes?"
"Would you like to have dinner with me?" he asked. "As thanks for keeping me company and reminding me of Jethro."
"Sure."
"I'm Timothy by the way."
"Janna."
"Oh my God! You're the mystery girl!" Tony suddenly exclaimed. "You're the one who pulled Probie from the slums!"
"What was McGee doing in the slums?" Ziva asked and Gibbs glared at them both until they stopped talking.
"Sorry Boss."
"You're right though Tony." Tim seemed to have calmed down while Janna told them the story of how they met. "She was the reason why I realized I had to move on. Two months after we met I told her what had happened to Mom and Sarah and then I asked her to be my girlfriend."
They sat on the bench where they first met, watching as Jethro played with the other dogs. They were silent but it was the company that had both of them smiling.
"Janna?"
"Yes Tim?"
"Would you go out with me?" he didn't look at her though he could feel her stare at the side of his face.
"Don't we already do that?"
"Yes, but I mean, I want us to be exclusive."
"I'm not seeing anyone else Tim."
"Will you be my girlfriend, Janna?" he finally turned to her, jade meeting hazel glinting with amusement.
"I thought I already was," she smiled at him and he chuckled.
"Well now it's official." his lips pulled up into that quirky smile that she loved and he leaned in to capture her lips. It was short and sweet but conveyed everything they had wanted to say at the moment. "Let's have dinner tonight?"
"Of course boyfriend mine." she giggled when he pulled her closer to him. She sincerely hoped things would go better from then on.
"Two weeks later, the nightmares started." Timothy sighed. "What happened to both Mom and Sarah unlocked childhood memories that I'd unconsciously locked away." he took another deep breath before continuing. "The actual trigger though, was the case we had where the marine's wife's lover had molested their son and daughter." he hid his face in his wife's wavy locks, not wanting to see his teammate's horrified expressions. Janna raised a hand to cradle his head as he began to sob, his shoulder's shaking with the pain he was having to go through.
"I found him at his apartment one night. He was catatonic. Jett was whining by the door when I came in and I realized that Tim had not been taking care of both of them for some time. I took him to the hospital then I called Gibbs."
"Where's Special Agent Timothy McGee?" he strode towards the nurse's station with a purpose. He had just received a call that his agent had been admitted to the hospital and was unresponsive.
"He's in 31B." thanking the woman who answered he quickly found the room and entered without knocking. He was surprised to find a woman sitting by Tim's bed, holding his hand.
"Agent Gibbs?"
"Who are you?"
"I'm Janna Devone Saunders, Tim's girlfriend."
"His girlfriend?"
"We've been seing each other for almost three months now." she nodded and offered him a seat on the small couch by the foot of his bed.
"Why did you call me?"
"You're his next of kin."
"I am?" he asked in shock, briefly dropping the Boss persona. "Doesn't he have family?"
"I'm guessing he hasn't told you."
"Told me what?"
"His Mom died almost six months ago, his sister Sarah was admitted to an asylum in Nevada three months later and his father all but washed his hands of them." Gibbs stared at the younger man wondering why he hadn't come to him when he needed someone to speak to. But even as he did, he knew. He'd never treated Tim the way he did Tony and Ziva. He'd always assumed that he had a strong support base with his family even when Tim would say nothing of them besides their brief meeting with Sarah when she'd been a suspect in one of their cases. He thought Tim had family unlike Tony and Ziva.
"How is he?" he finally asked the woman who seemed to have broken through all of his agent's wall in a span of a few months.
"He was unresponsive when I found him. Doctors say he hasn't eaten in maybe three days, not even water. He hasn't slept in a while and they had to sedate him when he began to thrash on the bed." she relayed. "I think all the stress is finally getting to him." she took a deep breath to stave off the tears threatening to fall. "He's been trying so hard to keep it from you and your team and now it's catching up to him." her voice caught and her shoulders shook as she began to sob for the man she'd fallen in love with.
"Why don't we go and get some air?" Gibbs had a hand on her shoulder.
"I want to be here when he wakes up." she shook her head without looking at him.
"He won't wake for a couple more hours. You said so yourself, he's been sedated."
"But I~"
"Come on, just a few minutes. Then we'll come right back." she finally relented and rose from her seat. She leaned over Tim and dropped a kiss to his forehead before taking Gibbs outstretched arm and letting him escort her out of the room.
"Two days later I was released from the hospital with orders of not living alone. My lease was up anyway so Gibbs offered his house. Janna's apartment complex didn't allow dogs in them so Jett and I couldn't stay there anyway." Tim sighed. "I've been living here since."
"You've been living here for almost three years and nobody knew?" Abby's voice was accusatory.
"You never asked." Tim shrugged without looking at the other woman.
"You left something out Probie."
"What?"
"How about the fact that you're married?"
"What's there to say?" he shrugged. "Janna practically lived here with the way she was always checking up on me and Dad, I just made it official."
"You had to get married to make it official?" Tim finally looked up only to glare at his Senior Field Agent.
"Unlike some people, I'd rather be in a committed relationship. Just because Dad's marriages didn't work out doesn't mean it's going to happen to me as well."
"Hey!" Gibbs protested at the mention of his failed marriages.
"Besides, we'd been together for almost two years then so I asked her to marry me."
"And how do Ducky and Palmer know about all this?" Tony continued his interrogation.
"I knew Jimmy from med school. He was the one who offered me the job at NCIS. I had an interview with director Vance and Ducky and I got in." Janna answered. "It was extremely difficult to hide things from Jimmy, he's rather perceptive."
"Tim," Ziva rose from her seat next to Tony and proceeded to crouch in front of the younger man. "I do not know what I have done to make you think that I did not consider you a friend." she paused when he flinched at her words. "I had thought that we were close enough to confide in each other." she touched his chin to make him raise his eyes to meet hers. "But I do understand the need to keep it a secret. You thought you had to be strong in front of all of us but you forgot one thing, friends are there to help each other are they not? I hope from now on you will not think twice about telling me something like this again."
"I'm sorry Ziva."
"I'm sorry too Tim." she kissed his forehead, not at all bothered by the fact that his wife was practically sitting on his lap. "I should have pushed harder when I saw something was wrong. I just thought you would eventually come to me and when everything seemed to be better, I did not ask because I did not want to bring up bad memories."
"I'm sorry too Probie." Tony spoke up. "I shouldn't have been such an ass and I promise I'll try to stop."
"That's all I can ask Tony." he offered Tony a smile as Ziva took the seat on his other side.
"How can you hide this from me?" Abby's distraught voice broke throught the comfortable silence that had settled around the group. "I thought I was your best friend Timmy?" the hurt in her tone grated on Janna's nerves. "Why didn't you tell me? I thought you loved me?"
"Some best friend you are," Janna was the first to react. "You string him along when you're alone then when you're not you parade your lovers right in front of him. You only know Tim when you need him for something, be it a companion to some charity event or concert or another lover to console you from a relationship gone wrong."
"But I~" the usually hyperactive woman was stunned speechless.
"You got mad at him for shooting a dog that attacked him. Called him bad as if he was the one who mauled the creature and then forced Tim to take Jett in when everything was over. You acted as if it was just something normal to do and you didn't even care about how Tim would feel living with the dog that almost tore his neck off." Janna continued as if she didn't even speak. "I should know about the nightmares that added to the ones about his past. I was there to pick up the pieces."
"Calm down Love," Tim's arms were suddenly both around her and his voice was breathed right next to her ear. She relaxed into his embrace instantly, leaning closer to him so they were flush chest to back. "It's all in the past now." Tim ignored everyone else, instead focused on his wife. He was thankful that he had her in his life, the way she understood how he felt was something he had never experienced before and sometimes, even when it was supposed to be him that got hurt, she too was in pain. "I have you now. I love you Janna."
"I love you too Tim." she turned in his embrace, hiding her face in his chest.
"Why don't you take her upstairs son," Gibbs suggested when no one else spoke up. "I can take it from here." Tim nodded without protest, rising to his feet without jostling his wife as if he'd done it multiple times. He left the room with a quiet goodbye to everyone else, the group descending into silence once more when he was gone.
"Gibbs I~" Abby spoke.
"Abbs, you know I love you like a daughter." receiving a nod, their team leader continued. "But what Janna said was right. You did do all those things and sometimes you still do."
"I love Tim. I would never hurt him on purpose."
"Maybe not, but putting him in the back burner every time someone new comes along for you hurts him. It doesn't help that you only come to him when you need a favor."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't apologize to me. Tell Tim you're sorry."
"How do I make it up to him Gibbs?" she looked as if she wanted to come to him so he opened his arms in invitation.
"Maybe you can start by apologizing and trying to get along with JD." he suggested as he kissed her temple. "He's never been this happy before, not even when you were with him."
"I'm so sorry Gibbs."
"I believe it is time for us to go to sleep." Ducky finally spoke up. He had been quietly listening to the others speak, observing their reactions to everything and he wasn't disappointed. Anthony will finally start growing up after he found out that Timothy's childhood was not as good as he once thought. Abby now knew what she did wrong and Ducky was sure that she would strive to make things right again, at least after she gets over her dislike of Timothy's wife.
"Ducky you can take the guest bedroom down the hall, Tim and JD are at the one upstairs." Jethro directed. "The rest of you can crash here."
"Have you finally taken back your bedroom Jethro?"
"Hard not to," Gibbs chuckled. "When it was only Tim and me I was fine on the couch but when she started living here too things became different. She didn't try to change us." he told them. "I think Tim was actually the one who was more unnerved when either one of us would come to the kitchen in our boxers and she didn't even flinch."
"That would be Probie." Tony chuckled, his eyes roaming over their team leader's clothed body.
"Alright everyone get some sleep. We can talk more tomorrow."
XoxoxoX
"Show me what went wrong," Janna sat at the kitchen table facing two computers. Tim was behind her chair leaning over her as he retraced his steps on tracking their suspect's movements.
"This is where I hit the wall, literally." he showed her. "My computer was almost wiped out with the virus it opened up."
"Tim, you really were overworked if you overlooked that." she pointed to something on the screen. "See? This is a Trojan horse. You would've just wasted your time going through this again and again."
"So how do we unlock this?"
"Didn't you see this file? There's no encryption, no password, not even a title for the document."
"Which is exactly why I didn't bother opening it up."
"Love, sometimes, it's as simple as hiding everything in plain sight." she opened the file and all the documents popped out.
"You are amazing!" he kissed the top of her head as the trails began to form. The means and motives were right there on the computer.
"I try," she giggled softly as he spun her round on her chair and began to pepper kisses on her face.
"What have I said about the kitchen and the dining room?" Gibbs asked as he strode to them to headslap his pseudo-son.
"Sorry Dad," Tim smiled sheepishly though he did not let go of her. "Janna just closed our case."
"Did she?"
"Remember that file I was working on?" Tim asked as Gibbs began to stare at the two screens on the table. "She managed to find what I didn't. Money traces in the Cayman islands, accounts with over four million dollars each. Everything's there and all in the Captain's name."
"Good job JD." Gibbs praised. "Are you sure you don't want to be an investigator?"
"Maybe I can be a consultant." she laughed. Just outside the kitchen, the rest of team were already awake though none have moved from their spots. They listened as the family of three went about their morning routines. Abby sat on the couch curled around the pillow Gibbs had left for her the night before. She couldn't quite contain her sobs as she listened to them. Only then did she realize how much she had hurt Tim with her actions and her words. "You mind letting me up?" Janna asked her husband. "I think it's time we cook some breakfast for our guests."
"I really don't want to." that said, Tim sat on her lap carefully keeping his complete weight off of her.
"Get up you big baby." she teasingly scolded him though she wrapped her arms around him as he held onto her shoulders. "Why don't you and Abby take Jett for a walk?" she suggested. "I think it's time to end his punishment."
"Okay," Tim nodded as he rose before pulling her up. "I love you."
"I love you too." they kissed chastely just as Tony swaggered into the room in his usual fashion.
"Woah McLovin', I did not want to see that." Janna chuckled when Tim pulled away sighing in defeat. She then let out a shrill whistle that had Jett pounding along the back porch and getting ready to pounce on both her and Tim.
"Jett, down." he immediately obeyed and sat at their feet, tail thumping against the dining room floor as he waited for her next command. "I hope you learned your lesson." she let go of Tim to crouch in front of the German Shepherd. "No more chewing on anything but your toys, okay?" she scolded him and he whined, dropping onto the floor, his head on top of his paws. "You don't destroy any more pillows or chair legs and you won't be put in the kennel again." the dog barked pitifully and she patted his head. "Go on, get your leash. You're going for a walk with Daddy." he was immediately on his feet and trotting over to his bed in the corner of the living room. He came back with his leash and handed it over to Tim.
"I still don't know how you do that." Tim shook his head at his wife.
"It's all about being the alpha." Janna told him. "With Leroy here, he's the alpha male and since I'm the only woman, I'm the alpha female."
"She got you there Probie."
"Go have fun and talk to Abby." Tony and Abby watched as Tim left the dining room with Jett in tow.
"Hey Abbs, wanna go for a walk with me and Jett?"
"Are you sure Tim?" the usually overexcited woman asked unsurely then flashed a look in Janna's direction. She smiled and nodded at her.
"Of course I am."
"Okay." though still a bit wary of the other woman Abby rose and took McGee's offered hand.
"We'll be back soon." Tim said to his wife.
"Take your time."
XoxoxoX
The two men watched in silence as she worked on their breakfast. She had already cooked bacon and eggs and was currently frying rice with the left over oil. Tony was fascinated with the ease with which she worked. There was no hesitation in her movements as if she's done this in Gibbs's house a thousand times. Every move was as fluid and graceful as a dancer, there was a sensuality in her that appealed to him yet that wasn't what he was looking for.
"She's made Tim very happy."
"You too Boss." Tony answered. "You've been less Gibbs since she started living here."
"So you did notice?"
"I did." he nodded. "I just didn't say anything. I noticed when Tim was hurting but like Ziva I didn't try to push. Maybe that was my mistake."
"It's all in the past Tony. What you can do now is to try to move forward."
"I can't help but feel as if I let Tim down."
"Maybe you did but Tim's already forgiven you."
"Would you like some tea?" their attention was pulled back to the kitchen area where Ducky had just ambled through.
"That would be lovely my dear."
"Did you sleep well Ducky?"
"Rather splendidly I must say," the aged ME smiled at his colleague. "I heard from Mr. Palmer that you were instrumental in breaking open the current case."
"I might've helped Tim with some things."
"I am sure you are once again downplaying your involvement." she smiled at the older man.
"I hate seeing him frustrated Duck. I don't like the look on his face whenever he can't get something. That's why I'm always trying to help him."
"You're a wonderful wife Janna."
"Thanks Duck." she turned back to her cooking with a light blush on her face.
"Is that tea I smell?" Ziva strolled into the room just as Ducky was helping himself to a cuppa.
"Orange and lemongrass Ziva," the physician told the former Mossad agent. "Tim told me it's your favorite."
"Thank you Janna." Ziva paused with the cup that had been given to her by Ducky. "It is alright if I called you Janna, is it not?"
"I'd prefer it if you called me JD." Janna smiled at the Israeli. "Only Tim really calls me my whole name." she smiled.
"Maybe you could talk here at the table?" Tony broke through their talk. "I'm getting kind of hungry."
"Alright Tony," she rolled her eyes at the man. "Jimmy!" Janna called out to the living room.
"I'm coming!" Tony snickered at the response leading the rest of them chuckling softly as well. Jimmy entered the room and Tony's soft chuckles turned into full blown laughter. "What?" his question just led Tony to more deep throated chuckles.
"Come help me set the table," Janna said, rolling her eyes at the Senior Field Agent.
"Okay."
"Don't mind them Jimmy," she approached the table with two cups in hand. "They're just being silly."
"If you say so."
"Here you go Leroy."
"Thank you." Tony stopped laughing and raised an eyebrow. "Something to say DiNozzo?" Gibbs said in his best Boss voice accompanied with a raised eyebrow as he took a sip. "Perfect as always JD." Tony almost moaned at the blissful expression on his boss's face but thankfully stopped himself. He shook his head when the question finally registered and looked to Jimmy who was taking plates from the shelves.
"Let me help you there Jimmy." Janna snickered at the sudden need for movement but didn't say anything. She went back to the stove to serve their food just as Tim and Abby came back from their walk.
"Back already?" Janna asked without turning to them while Abby took a seat next to Gibbs and Tim unclipped the leash from Jett's collar then waited until the dog took it from him.
"Just in time I think," Tim approached her, unmindful of their audience as he wrapped his arms around her kissed her neck.
"I missed you," she leaned back to him and he kissed the top of her head.
"I missed you too."
"Let's eat," she let him take the plate from her hands and bring it to the table, smiling widely at his back.
"Dig in!"
What do you think? Just enough to whet your appetite?
Anybody want intimate scenes between any of the pairings? ;)
Review and tell me.
aLy0:)