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Mcgee was not a supporter of this change of events. The elevator being occupied, Abby had happily said goodbye to Tony and Ziva, She had pulled him around to the back exit and given him no say in the matter of leaving the building. She had known this was coming. She only paused long enough to tell him only she and Gibbs had known what was going on. There was that rule about secrets after all. He was instructed to forget about NCIS, Gibbs and his father until they returned to the building. What did he expect to happen? They wouldn't kill each other, their would be no torture, and it was unlikely to turn into a fight to the death. Although, that might be worth seeing. Choices were limited. Mcgee took his keys and opened the car door.
For quite awhile, Gibbs had been interested in Admiral Mcgee. He'd been waiting for the day the job brought his team into contact with the man. Things always had a way of working out like that. Now, Gibbs watched as his plan fell into action. It had been an easy setup. The agent meant to escort the Admiral was gone with a glance, returning to the safety of wherever he came from. It was good to be feared. His reputation was proving useful once again. The secrecy of the plan was essential, Mcgee would have never let him anywhere near his father especially not alone with the man.
To solve that issue, keep Mcgee from getting in the way, he recruited Abby for distraction. She was the favorite, the most likely to be open to helping with his concocted plan. Even better, she would be the least likely to set off Mcgee's suspicion radar. He had mildly suggested, aided by a nice new caf-pow, she figure out some way to occupy Mcgee's time so he couldn't interfere with the plan. She got the point. He didn't particularly care to know what she had thought up. Hopefully it was benign. But he would be getting the time he needed. Everything set and done, it was time to meet an Admiral.
The time had come for a father to father chat. He could be just as scary as the highest ranking military men in the world. While he didn't cling to the usefulness of words like his team did, he could pull out a 'conversation' when he needed to. This one wouldn't require much from the other participant. It was his second favorite kind after the ones that involved him having to say nothing. In and out, hit them hard and get out clean. Just like the sniper he used to be. Defender of justice, his country and his family. If necessary he'd take all the time in the world.
He slapped the power switch down. The admiral turned and looked at him. "You're Gibbs?" He gave the man a gruff nod. "Is there a reason you've taken me hostage?" "You're not a hostage, Admiral. But you are going to listen." "I'm assuming you aren't looking for tickets to the next Navy fundraiser?" Gibbs didn't handle beating around the bush well. "You know why we're in this box." "I do not need a lecture on how to best deal with my son." That was a ticking time bomb of an answer. It was time to go straight for the point. No easy intro for the Admiral. It would be a direct hit to the matter at hand.
"You did a real number on him. Kid won't ask for anything, not even help when he needs it. Trying to get anything out of him, that doesn't relate to the job, is like pulling teeth. What has to happen to somebody that they won't talk about anything before they started college?" "Tim has always been one to overdramatize."
Gibbs might have bought that, back when he'd first met him, the better part of ten years had taught him differently. "Or you couldn't be bothered with the reality of his situation. I've got a pretty good idea of what kind of son you expected you'd be bringing up. Can't imagine that being born with a different disposition was a sentence tobeing ostracized in your own family."
Gibbs knew that the Admiral wasn't taking kindly to his abrupt intervention. He would see it as getting involved where he didn't belong. Somewhere private. Too bad. It shouldn't have ever been necessary. "Please tell me, Agent Gibbs, what right you have involving yourself in personal matters?"
"He's on my team. In the past years, I've watched him become one of the best agents here. Your son should be getting every ounce of recognition you give anyone who works under you. But you won't do that. Because you still hold onto whatever vision you had in your head over thirty years ago. You haven't even talked to him in years and you're still holding him back. Because of everything you said or never said. Everything he's become has happened in spite of you and somebody needed to tell you that. It stops now." His opponent had been watching him vaguely. "Being a glorified cop and writing crime books is not what changes worlds. A limited scope has obviously hindered him."
Gibbs wouldn't have cared if Kelly had decided to be a doctor, an actress, a farmer or dyed her hair purple and said she was never getting a job. He'd have held onto his daughter forever. He couldn't ever make it right for her but he could hold people responsible for hurting the one's he had gained. Gibbs would get whatever retribution he could. It would be inappropriate to kill them for their actions but standing up for his agents when they weren't able to do it for themselves? That he could handle.
The Admiral appeared to have decided not to speak again. It didn't bother him. Better that way. The silence would ensure he couldn't dig himself into a bigger hole in Gibbs' book. "Since you've decided he's not something that warrants your attention, I'm sure you don't know. But he's done important things. Went to a literal hell-hole halfway around the world to backup his partner. They saved their team member and friend. I don't really understand what he does with the computers but I know that it's not things everyone else can do. Your son is good. And he still can't stop beating himself up. Brave, faithful, honor, those are qualities that are good correct? Now you tell me that doesn't sound like somebody worthy of being an Admiral's son."
"Don't know where he got it but i'm guessing it wasn't from you. Couldn't have been. Not from somebody who abandoned their son, let him walk away. Not someone who is letting the most important thing in the world go to the wayside. I've seen your son pull off the impossible. In spite of you. And if you had any sense at all, you'd be doing everything and anything in your power to not let him get any further away from you. Your career says you should have some sense of decency, of righteousness and of honor. If you don't want him around, if you don't love him, you stay the hell away. You don't make things worse for him, you leave him alone. You'll find he's got people backing him up now. But, If you love your son, if you've ever loved him, you'll stand up. You'll tell him, not because you should but because you mean it. I don't care if he doesn't want to hear it or won't listen. You don't stop trying. You don't let him think he's worthless to you. Not even for another day. Because one day you run out of tomorrows. And Tim deserves a today."
Gibbs had probably used a yearly allotment of words. He'd have to recover from that one. It was out of character for him. He'd only do it for one of his team. He flipped the switch back up. There were no more words. Once they arrived that the main floor he left the Admiral to his own devices and headed directly for coffee. He had said what he needed to. There was no need for pleasantries or goodbyes. Even if nothing changed, and he thought it might not, he had done what he could. No one could ever accuse him of not doing what he thought could be done. Whether it turned out to work or not was a different matter. He had tried.
It didn't matter that this man outranked him or that he had the ability to make all of their lives difficult. What did matter was that this man had hurt his agent, he didn't take kindly to that. There were men in New York and Tel Aviv who he'd like to have similar chats with. This one was happened to be here. Even if the other father's had done perceivably worse things, been worse to their children, it didn't mean the Admiral could be let off free and clear. There was no justice in that.
Admiral Mcgee wasn't the corrupt swindler with little concern for his son's well being, he also wasn't Eli, who Gibbs was sure a special place in hell was being carved out for. But the Admiral had broken the rules. Mcgee should never had been anything other than exactly enough for his father. Gibbs wanted to send out a bulletin, there was no excuse. You don't screw around with your kids. You don't give up. It wasn't about being the best father in the world but it was about being there and never letting them doubt for a second that they were important and that they were loved.
When Gibbs made it back to his desk, none of the others were still there. It gave him the opportunity to take in the quiet of the empty desks before they came back and madness reigned. Tony and Ziva returned first arguing about which one's turn it had been to drive. Apparently Ziva had been usurped. As soon as he told them to knock it off, Abby and Mcgee appeared before his desk. There was no mention of the Admiral. Abby gave her report before turning to return to the lab: "Returned as promised, in one piece and a better mood." Gibbs shook his head after her. Mcgee reclaimed his desk looking like he couldn't decide whether or not to ask Gibbs about the elevator. He chose not to. Gibbs went back to his paperwork. It was a waiting game. Time would tell with the Admiral.