The Long Road

Author: Lawral

Pairing: McGee

Rating: FR13

Summary: McGee is about to embark on the longest, toughest road he could possibly think of in hopes to find a happy ending.

Tony turned to watch Tim walk away and suddenly felt a hard thwack! against the back of his head. Gibbs followed McGee to the elevator and had just entered the car before the doors closed. Tony turned back to the two women staring at him."What?" He asked innocently, to which two more hard whacks were applied to his head.

"Did you have to laugh in his face, Tony?" Ziva asked as Abby turned back to the plasma.

"I wasn't laughing at him." Tony said but the smile on his face contradicted him.

"Tony, you were laughing." Abby said concentrating on the plasma.

McGee had walked off with his adoption profile still on the plasma for all to see. Abby was gazing at the page, reading his beautiful words when she saw their names. She started reading as Ziva scolded Tony in the background. Abby was never one for hard, raw emotions but as she read McGee's profile she could feel her throat tighten and tears filling her eyes. "Tony," Her voice cracked. "You should read this."

Tony and Ziva exchanged inquiring glances as they joined Abby in front of the plasma screen. Ziva read the first paragraph aloud before her own emotion caused her to cease speaking and simply let them all read in silence.

As I have stated, my family is not big at all. Simply a mother, a father and my annoying, yet lovable little sister. So to make up for my small group of loved ones, I have accepted others into that category of Unrelated Family, as I'm sure most people do.

Ziva is a woman who has her own agenda and motives in life. She's exceeded most people expectations when it comes to staying alive and not getting hurt. Her father has not only gave us the honor of working with her but he, whether knowingly or not, also saved her life by agreeing to lend her to NCIS as a liaison. She can kick some ass but she also has a softer side, though I'm sure she'd punch me in the arm if she knew I had picked up on it.

A soft chuckle emitted from Ziva as the trio continued to read.

Abby is another intelligent, warm-hearted, beautiful woman who I call both friend and… well, I don't know. Our friendship has gone through the spectra of relationship woes; we dated, broke up but remained close and not just because of our working dynamic. Abby is the first person I go for when I need advice or comfort. She just the type of person who would rather take on your stress for you if it kept you from feeling pain.

Gibbs is my boss. He's also like my father in some ways. He doesn't just let us slide by with mediocre results on a case. He wants the best from us and I'm sure he's the reason we give our best. We all have someone we look up to and inspire to reflect upon. I would have to say that Gibbs and my father, of course, would top that list. He gives his heart, showing you just how much he cares, in such subtle ways that you almost don't even realize he's showing his emotion. It's like he wants you to know but he doesn't want to seem weak. He's protected each of us multiple times without a second glance. I truly hope I can learn half of what he does every single day.

If Gibbs is the father of our working family, Ducky would be the grandfather. He and Palmer work in Autopsy. Not exactly the type of man you'd picture when you think of the Medical Examiners. I haven't really thought of it though because Ducky has always been there. Educated, experienced and enthusiastic. I could describe him best as that Grandfather you have that takes great joys in recounting his duty in some great battle of a war that has made it into history books. Ducky is that calm breeze you feel when you're looking at the hard time life has recently dealt you. Calming, peaceful… He's a man among men.

Then there is Tony. If there was ever a person you both despised and loved at the same time, it would be Tony. My brother. Through all the playful torture and childish fights, he's always by my side when I need him; a joke or movie quote waiting on his breath. While he may come across to some as immature, there is no end to the many layers and depth of his compassion. Tony is definitely the brother I never wanted but always wished I had. Now I do have him and I wouldn't trade all the witty remarks and jovial put downs for anything.

By the time Tony had finished reading Tim's descriptions of his team mates, he felt as tall as Thumbelina. Or was it smaller than that? What there a character who was smaller than the fairy tale maiden? Either way, Tony felt like he should be a puddle of mud.

Here McGee was very excited about something and he'd laughed in his face and called him insane. Hadn't McGee even told anyone who stumbled across this page that he was like a brother? A brother, blood or otherwise, wouldn't laugh when you decided to take a very huge step in your life.

"Aww, Timmy." Abby said and wiped the corner of her eye.

"Oh, yes, Tony. McGee has totally lost his hits."

Abby smiled softly. "I believe you mean wits, Ziva."

Downstairs in the cafeteria, Gibbs sat across from McGee at a small table with his coffee cup loosely held in his hand. McGee drank down a large gulp of the hot liquid and then returned his attention to his boss.

"I guess I can understand his surprise." McGee said suddenly.

Gibbs simply picked up his own cup of coffee and took a drink, allowing McGee to give himself the pep talk. It was in true Gibbs fashion to silently sit and listen to his team solve their problems on their own.

"I mean, if Tony came up one day and said he was adopting a baby, I'd probably think he was crazy too. I guess I just didn't expect him to be so tactless."

"This isn't about Tony, Tim." Gibbs told him softly.

"I know that." McGee said staring at his cup. "I never imagined this being the way I'd become a father. There was always that common dream of meeting a woman, getting married and then starting a family."

"That's not always how it happens."

McGee leaned forward. "What did you do? You know, when your wife told you she was pregnant?"

Gibbs memory flashed back to Shannon and the day she'd told him, with great excitement, that they were expecting a baby. They'd only been married a short time but that news had imprinted into his memory forever; of course, it was news he'd be a father.

"That's somewhat different, Tim."

"Not your reaction."

Gibbs chuckled softly. "I suppose I was shocked at first. It was somewhat early in our marriage and I was in the Navy. I won't say that I regretted that. Kelly was… is one of the greatest women I'll ever know."

He hadn't ever talked about his daughter; even after the team found out about her, he never said anything else about her.

"I remember the day she was born." He smiled. "You'll never know how you survived before that little baby looks at you. In an instant your life will have changed… for the better."

"I've never see you like this, Boss." McGee said.

"You'll understand, McGee. Soon as that baby is in your arms, there won't be any stopping you from bragging." Gibbs told him and then lightly smacks his leg. "Come on, Tony can't hide from the verbal lashing he deserves anymore."

McGee smiled; he felt better having talked to Gibbs. He knew that his boss wouldn't have confided in him if they didn't share this new, unusual bond. Gibbs had been a father to a beautiful little girl, now McGee was expecting to bring a child into his home. Perhaps he'd call his parents tonight. After talking to Gibbs he didn't feel so afraid about confessing to his parents.

Abby had returned to her lab, or rather she'd left the bullpen, Ziva and Tony had returned to their designated desks. Ziva was in the middle of another search for new information on the case they'd been working on during their lull in active cases. Tony was sitting behind his desk but continued to stare at the plasma on the other side of the bullpen where McGee's profile still resided on the screen.

The elevator dinged and he suddenly sat up quickly as Gibbs and McGee enter the bullpen. They both had a cup of coffee in their hands and small smiles on their faces. Gibbs sat down as Tony watched McGee pass him and take his place behind his computer. The Probie pulled his keyboard toward him and cleared the profile from the plasma screen.

Tony rose to his feet and stuck his hands in his pockets as he approached Tim's desk. He knew he needed to apologize but it was suddenly difficult with the two sets of eyes that were watching him closely. McGee had said that he understood Tony's feelings but it still hadn't healed the pain from having the older agent laugh at him. Tim concentrated on the work he now had on his screen as Tony glanced over his shoulder and then stood in front of his desk.

"What is it, Tony?"

"I uh," He again looked over his shoulder. "I wanted to apologize."

"You should."

Tony exhaled sharply. "Come on, Probie, give me a break. Out of all the times I made fun of you, now you're going to hold a grudge?" Tim shifted but still refused to make eye contact. "Ok, I'll admit, calling you crazy was a little much. I'm sorry, ok? I'm really sorry. I just never thought you'd decide to go all domestic all on your own. But I realize how important this is to you… I read your profile. I didn't realize…I'm sorry." Tony kept watching McGee as he tried to ignore him. He leaned down and covered the screen with his hands. "Hello, Probie? I'm apologizing here. Are you going to make me beg?"

Tim sighed and a smile stretched across his face. He rose to his feet and held out his hand to Tony. After a moment of confusion, Tony gripped the younger man's hand and smiled. He quickly pulled Tim toward him, put his arm around his neck and proceeded to give him a college noogie.

"So… when am I going to be an uncle?" Tony asked after releasing McGee.

Ziva was smiling at the two men and glanced to Gibbs. Another crisis diverted, she could no longer count how many times Tony's mouth had almost gotten him in trouble.

"Well, Alisha said that once I finish getting the paperwork in for my home study that she'll set up a meeting so I can meet the mother."

Tony pushed him back toward his computer and returned to his own desk. "Well hurry up and get the paperwork done. I think I can speak for everyone when I say that we can't wait to meet the newest member of the family."