Chapter 10:
Gibbs stills and Tim stands up ready to defend his boss if necessary. Tandel looks at the young man and grabs the grocery bags. She then places a hand on Tim's arm.
"Can you tell me about these things?" she says as she leads him back to the kitchen.
Corellon sighs as he looks at the man he's chosen for Tandel. Gibbs is standing there, rooted to the floor in his anger, his heart still saturated with a deep-seated unresolved grief. The deity looks around the room and finds the lone picture that is hiding behind a mantel clock on the television.
"Why do you hide them Gibbs? They were your greatest treasure. You should have them out here in the open and share them with your other family."
"I—,"
"Are they the reason you deny wanting Tandel? Or perhaps it is more likely that you fear wanting Tandel, because then it could lead to you not only needing her but eventually loving her?"
"How about you, oh mighty deity? You're the one who left Tandel alone for ten years! You didn't even bother letting her know that she wasn't to blame for what happened."
"Neither were you." Corellon looks at him, "You were not to blame for what happened to Shannon or Kelly. You could not have gotten home in time to save them."
Tandel looks at Tim as they listen to Gibbs and Corellon rant and rave at each other. Tim shakes his head at the question in Tandel's eyes.
"Gibbs was married with a child once. He was overseas when Shannon saw something she shouldn't have. She was going to tell the greater authorities when the vehicle she was in was shot at. She and their daughter were both killed on impact."
"He lost his soulmate too?"
"I guess that's the easiest way of putting it. He's been married three times since then, but none of them worked out."
"He's wary of getting hurt again; of letting his heart and soul feel again." Tandel says softly and Tim nods in agreement.
"I think so, but I won't ever tell him that to his face. I don't need smacked upside the head anymore than he already does."
Tandel thinks about what Tim said earlier, "Coffee, head-smacks, ESP and driving like he's a maniac on drugs. What is a head-smack?"
"Trust me; you don't want to be on the receiving end of one. They feel like a minor concussion when he lands them correctly. He calls them our wake-up calls; basically he's telling us to quit goofing off and get to work on what really matters."
"And the maniac on drugs?"
"He just drives like there's no tomorrow. Between him and Ziva, it's a tossup as to who has more of a death wish."
"That's not a comforting thought McGee." Tandel frowns at the thought of Gibbs wanting to die.
"Please, call me Tim or Timothy."
"Very well, Tim what grand food items did you bring home from the market today?"
"Well, first off we call them groceries now due to the grocery stores. I don't know exactly when they stopped calling them markets; although they still might in some parts of the world. I can look it up on the computer later if you like."
He gives her a shy smile and she returns it saying, "You are a scribe or a hmm what is it called now?"
"I'm a scholar or a computer geek as some like to call me. I…" he turns to the table and pulls his laptop out from his pack. "This is laptop. Because-,"
"You can use this by sitting it almost anywhere, including your lap?" Tandel guesses, remembering seeing him use it that morning. Tim gives her a grin
"You're a scholar too."
"No, well, not so much as…maybe I am. Right now, I'm not sure what I am." the loss of confidence in her voice dims his smile and he puts a hand on her shoulder.
"Well, let the two powers that be fight it out and then Gibbs will come in letting us know what to do from here. Aside from make lunch that is."
"Lunch is the noon meal then?" She asks as she makes an attempt to shake off her doldrums.
"Yes it is."
Tandel watches as he makes sandwiches out of some bread and jelly. He hands one to her and then takes the platter into the other room. he listens to Gibbs and Corellon for a few seconds before putting two fingers to his lips and whistling loudly. Tandel nibbles on her sandwich, smiles at the fruitiness of the jelly and heads towards the adjoining room. She stops just as Tim says,
"Eat or I'll sic Tandel on both of you!"
"Yes oh mighty Elflord," Gibbs mutters and Tim glares at him.
"You know, you two really are idiots. There is a woman in that room who loves you, and could learn to love you." He points first to Corellon then to Gibbs. "I don't know why you had to stay quiet for ten years, more than likely it was due to the gods in the realm that you sent her to, but you could have left her a rune or two letting her know you cared. As for you and why she wasn't left in my bed?" He glares at Gibbs who is smirking at Tim's tirade against Corellon. Gibbs' smirk fades when Tim turns his ire towards him.
"You should be grateful you know that? This idiot beside you knew that Tandel would need your strength to live in this world. She doesn't need my technology, she needs you and the woodshop you have downstairs. She needs that caring person who has known the same bone-jarring loss that she has. Think about it boss: when was the last time any female made you mad enough to take on a god, regardless of what it might cost you?"
Tim throws up his hands in disgust and stalks out of the room leaving two surprised men and one thoughtful woman behind him.