As promised...enjoy!

Chapter 10

While Tim worked in the kitchen, Gibbs disappeared down the street to his house, returning with a cooler full of hamburger meat, buns, onions, tomatoes, lettuce, condiments, a bag of frozen something and two large bags of chips, plus beer, milk, and sodas. "Thought we'd have these tonight, to celebrate the move. Ducky's going to bring the kids home at 1700, so I'll start the grill a little before. Or do you want to grill? Didn't mean to take over!"

Tim grinned at him, "No way, Gibpa, that's your job! Is that grill even usable?"

"Yup, it's clean, ready to go."

"Great, thanks! Uh, I need to go grocery shopping tonight, need food for the week."

His father shook his head, "No you don't. We'll bring over everything you need from ho…my place. You can shop tomorrow or later in the week. Be better to do it without the kids, otherwise, you'll have to fight them over the cookies and crap they'll want."

Tim's eyes glazed over, so many things to learn, to do differently. Yes, he'd raised two kids already but he'd rarely had money to shop and no way to cook. While they were at the shelter, they were fed two meals a day but the years at the camp had been hungry. They scrounged, went to food banks, climbed into dumpsters, scavenged bottles and cans to turn in for cash and ate whatever scraps they could find.

His dad stood patiently, "It'll be all right. I'm right down the street and I'm more than willing to help. Heck, you'll have to chase me out! You'll have plenty of other help too. Leon said Lara thinks the kids will be ready for daycare in another week; that will help. And the Palmers will be available, you can invite Victoria over for a playdate, give them a break occasionally. It'll all work out, takes time and you have everything on your shoulders right now. Proud of you, Timothy, very proud!"

Tim smiled ruefully, fighting the urge to throw himself into his father's arms. Dang, we need to tell these people; hurry up and get home Tony! That made him think of Abby and he patted his pockets, looking for his phone. Gibbs looked at him, "Lose something?"

"Looking for my phone, want to call Abby and see if she wants to come for dinner. She couldn't make it today but maybe she's through."

"She can't; already called her; figured you'd want her with us. She's co-hosting dinner for the other folks who ran whatever she was doing today."

"Health fair. She's coming over tomorrow to meet the kids."

"Yeah, she told me; that is a smart idea, letting the kids meet her by herself."

"Figured it was only fair since the others met them that first day, except for Tony."

Ellie and Sarah emerged from the basement. "Tim, the clothes are in good shape, you could take them to a consignment store to be sold, make some money."

Tim shook his head, "Thanks for the help with the sorting! And no, it'll all go to charity and Sarah, now I'm thinking I'll take them to our thrift store in Baltimore."

Just walking down the stairs, Rob overheard him. "That's a great idea, Tim. Then those who really need clothes will have them."

Gibbs thought about the store, he'd been in there a couple of times. "You guys still paying off the layaways?"

Sarah nodded, "We trade off, Barry, Bill, Jose, Freddie and us. We don't do it every month so people don't expect it. But at least once every quarter."

Ellie looked puzzled and Chalmers was downright confused so the three siblings briefly explained living in the homeless camp. The thrift store they mentioned had a layaway plan with no minimum payments or payment schedule. They'd relied on that store for clothes, shoes, sleeping bags, even money for food a couple of times. Now several former camp residents paid off the layaways every so often and found other ways to help those living in abject poverty. Tim smiled, "After he found out about the shelter and camp, Gibbs went to the shelter and fixed all kinds of things, cabinets, floors, lighting, cots, plumbing…well, Jose and Freddie work on that."

"You lived in a tent?"

"He raised you?"

Rob and Sarah grinned, nodding yes to both questions. Ellie looked at Tim, "You are an amazing man, Timothy McGee…all these layers!"

Sarah nudged Rob; she thought she'd been subtle but the look from Gibbs told her otherwise. Oops! She'd never trusted Delilah, hadn't been sure why but hated not only being vindicated in her distrust but more importantly how the woman hurt her brother. On the other hand, she liked Ellie just fine.

Tim blushed and was never so happy to hear Ducky's voice near the front door. "Come along, children, this is your new home!" He hurried to the front door and scooped up his babies as they ran into his arms. "There you are! Did you have fun with Granducky, Victoria, Aunty and Uncle?"

Ty nodded, "Uh huh, we went to da park an' played tag, we hadda catch Uncle Jimmy. Then Granducky took us to feed ducks and they ate all da bread. Is dis our new house?"

"Yes, maybe you'd like to take Granducky upstairs with Gibpa to see your new rooms. Unca Rob got them all fixed up for you!"

"Wow, ok! C'mon Granducky, Gi'pa."

Tim noticed the disappearance of the 'b' in Gibpa and shrugged, wasn't his name to worry about although it was starting to sound a little like Klingon. He grinned at the others. "You like Gibbs' grandpa name?"

Chalmers chuckled, "Your kids come up with it?"

"Oh yeah, I was aiming for Poppy."

Ellie grinned, "Don't give up hope, my nieces and nephews started out calling my dad something weird but it changed to grandpa as they got older."

Tim smiled back at her, "It's not my name and Boss doesn't seem to mind."

Chalmers huffed, "My cousins named our grandmother "Dolly" before I came along."

"That's not so bad."

"Not when I was Tyler's age. Calling her that when I was 25 was a bit much."

Gibbs was suddenly behind him, "At least she was there still."

"Uh yeah Gibbs, good point."

"Gonna start the grill, McGee."

"Ok, should I come watch?"

"Nah, another time when we're not holding up dinner."

"Fair enough."

Tim took the meat out of the refrigerator to make hamburger patties. Ellie smiled, "Ooh, I know how to do this. Want me to chop the onion?"

"Sure! Wait about five minutes, though; I just put it in the 'fridge."

"Huh?"

Tim explained why onions have a stay in the refrigerator before being sliced.

"You could slice the tomatoes now if you want."

The two of them got busy, the tomatoes sliced, the onion chopped and added and when Gibbs called that he was ready, Bob took the plate of burgers out to him.

Tim ran upstairs, finding Ducky and the kids still exploring both rooms. Ty was clutching a stuffed Thomas the Tank engine while Bryn had a stuffed horse named Neigh.

"Daddy! Look a' our toys!"

"I know kiddo, there are lots of them. Let's go wash up; Gibpa is cooking hamburgers for us."

"Ooh, burgers!"

Between Granducky and Daddy, Ty and Brynie were cleaned up for dinner which Tim thought was really pretty silly as they'd end up messier than ever. Still, hands and faces needed to start out clean. Holding hands, the four of them walked downstairs where they found Unca Rob cooking vegetables, the contents of the frozen mystery bag in Gibbs' cooler.

The kids ran around saying hello to everyone. When the patio table was set, drinks poured and the burgers and buns ready, they all headed outside with paper plates and many napkins.

Everyone ate until they were stuffed and then sat back and relaxed. Tim took the kids out of their chairs and had them run around on the lawn. Much to her own surprise, Sarah found herself sitting on the grass, telling them a story while her brothers smirked at her; she had to resist the urge to stick her tongue out at them. Tim poured coffee for everyone but Ducky who waited patiently for his tea to steep properly. It was a beautiful evening, cooling down nicely and not yet beset with the warm season's pesky insects.

After Tim once again thanked his move crew, promising to give them next weekend off, the group gathered their belongings and left. Gibbs stayed behind after Rob, Sarah and Ducky left, playing with the kids while Tim tidied the kitchen.

Tim looked at his dad, "Thanks for everything!"

"Hey, for my only son? Anything, anytime!" He chuckled, "I caught myself a few times today, wanting to call you son or give you a hug."

Tim grinned, "Me too! Gonna be a long two weeks."

His dad reached up and ruffled his hair, "Ok, that feels better. Want some help getting the kids to bed?"

"Sure!"

The children were tired so their bath was short followed by a very brief story while sitting on Daddy's lap in a rocking chair. Kisses goodnight and both kids were tucked in, the baby gate secure at the top of the stairs.

Back downstairs, Tim made a new pot of coffee as his dad chuckled. "You know I should have figured out years ago that we're related. No one but you drinks coffee like me!"

Tim laughed, "I'd love to blame you for that, but I started at JH when I had a little money for treats. Got worse at MIT and here I am, just as addicted as you are!"

"Sign of a true Gibbs, your grandfather was just as bad."

Tim sighed, "I wish he'd known. However, I'm grateful I knew him and spent time with him. I think I loved him every bit as much as if I'd known."

"Yeah, he was something else all right and he loved you kids. He always had his eye on you though, said there was something about you that touched his heart." He paused, "You'll like Mac too, despite his unfortunate choice of wife."

Tim huffed, "Without Joann, there would have been no Shannon, no Kelly or Tim. It's not all bad!"

His dad rolled his eyes at him, changing the subject. "So what'd you think of our meeting with Vance?"

"It was fun to watch him figure it out and then see his shock."

"Yeah, that was great. Wish you didn't have to leave the team. I could retire…"

"I'd still have to leave the field, Dad. I can't do that to the kids, not after losing their mothers."

"Yeah, I know. Reminds me, you have guardians in mind?"

Tim told him his plan and his father nodded, "Good, I like having multiples just in case. When are you going to set that up?"

"Monday morning, have an appointment with the law office that set up our family trust. Tuesday morning I see the family lawyer."

Gibbs nodded, "Got to do something about a will for me too."

Tim was shocked, "You don't have one?"

"Shannon and I had one drawn up after Kelly was born. I think Tobias helped me write something one night when we were both drunk. Something like neither Diane nor Stephanie was allowed to have anything else after they cleaned me out. The house should be torn down or something like that. Everything should go to Mike and Tobias. Before you guys."

"Before Tony even?"

"Mm, maybe right after he started because I'd already split from Stephanie. I vaguely remember we were celebrating my getting to keep the house…no furniture except the bed but I had the house." He paused, "Hate that you haven't found your Shannon yet, Tim. I don't want my mistakes to follow you."

Tim sighed, "I don't know what I'm doing wrong but I'm tired of loving the wrong woman."

"There's something in you that's attracted to girls who are interesting and strong, whether they're bad, ambitious, eccentric, weird…something. I am too, I'm just lucky I met your mother who was strong enough to deal with me."

Tim smiled, "I'd say there's hope for me yet, but got different priorities now."

His dad laughed, "Oh yeah and you think your sex drive is just gonna vanish now that you have kids? Got news for you, kiddo, life doesn't work that way. But now when you want to date someone, you're gonna have to make sure they'd be a good mom!"

Tim shook his head sadly, "I'll be a single dad for the rest of my days."

"Nah, we'll find someone for you."

"Uh, Dad? Three ex-wives?"

"Yeah but I know why those marriages didn't work. You're not looking to replace someone…or maybe you are."

"Who would that be?"

"Maybe your mothers, Tim. You were robbed of one and the other one died before you were old enough to remember her."

"Ok, how is that going to help? I'm not going to marry someone to be my mommy."

"Maybe not but you could have conflicting interests. Women who are different, strong and independent and want to be your mom. Seems like they'd kind of cancel each other out or worse, too controlling."

"Not my mom, a mom. At all."

"Huh?"

"I'm the one who has always wanted kids. I can't think of a single woman I've dated who admitted to wanting children. And I…well I don't always say anything anymore but I used to be pretty up front about it."

"Delilah?"

"Mm, she would always say "yes, someday". And she loved me, or at least I thought she did, so I believed her."

"Yeah, no more liars, cheaters, professional hit women, thieves or commitment-phobes."

Tim made a noise, "Can't believe you remember the thief!"

"Uh…"

"Dad?"

The man sighed, "Ok, busted. She got out of prison about eight months ago. NCIS was notified, Vance wanted to know why and I went to see her, tell her what would happen if she got anywhere near you. Don't know what she was like before but she seemed pretty broken to me."

"She was an adrenalin junkie who stole for the thrill of possibly being caught."

"Oh she got caught all right. Her filthy rich father disowned her and she's still in a halfway house."

"Wow."

"So…no more bad girls! Find an interesting woman who isn't a bad seed! They do exist you know. And if a woman expresses interest in you, don't lay down and let her walk all over you."

Tim frowned, "You think that's what I let Delilah do? I was being supportive when she went to Dubai; you think I liked that? She's the one who got blown up and paralyzed, I thought it was good for her to be independent again; thought I was being a supportive boyfriend." He closed his eyes "I'm an idiot. He probably ran when she was hurt and crawled back when she was in Dubai. I just wish she'd had the decency to break up with me rather than stringing me along all this time." He slumped back in his chair and Gibbs rubbed his back.

"Sorry kiddo, I didn't mean to sound like I was blaming you. Wasn't your fault."

Tim nodded, exhausted. "Speaking of women I let walk all over me, Abby will be here around 4 tomorrow. Want to come for dinner?"

"You don't do that anymore and that was just as much my fault, playing favorites."

Tim sat up straight, staring at his father. "What? You knew that? Was…you stopped? When?"

"Stopped letting her play me when Vance told me what happened in Mexico."

"Mexico? You know about Mexico?"

"One of the students Abby dragged out to that place recorded the whole thing on her phone and finally had enough nerve to do something with it after Paloma was dead and Alejandro died in prison."

"When?"

"Two years ago. Had to take time off after he played the recording for me. I was too angry, upset, sad and freaked out by what I saw and heard. If you ever look in your file you'll see a letter of commendation from me, signed by Vance."

"What about Abby?"

"Confronted her, told her how wrong she'd been, how I felt about it and that I was done being her protector, that she'd almost cost the life of one my kids, my agents. She needed to grow up."

"Wow."

"Thought you might have noticed a change."

"I told Vance some of the other things that have happened, told him I never wanted to be on protection duty or anything else with her."

"So that's what generated his reaction to Mexico, it wasn't just Mexico." Gibbs sighed, "And you couldn't come to me because I'd blow up at you, take Abby's side, always."

"Yes, you always have."

"Tim…I don't want anything like that between us again, ever. Please?"

"Then don't eviscerate me for sticking up for myself or my position. At least listen to my side, or whoever's side, before losing your temper."

"You're right, son and I'll do my best to change. This is between you and me…Leon put Abby on probation for several months. Not just over Mexico, the whole thing with Mawher, her treatment of you after the dog attack and incidents with other people, NCIS employees. God Tim, if I'd only known and done the right thing! Anyway, she was almost done with her probation when she slipped up and once again disobeyed you and was totally out of control during that thing with the cracked "Beautiful Mind" scientist; he extended her probation another few months." Gibbs sighed, "And I was the one who told you to go with her then, even though he'd made it clear I was not to assign you to do that, ever. I hoped you'd be able to decipher what the woman was doing, I wasn't thinking about Abby's part in it at all. When Vance found out, he suspended me for a week."

Tim's jaw dropped open and he sat, trying to deal with his emotions, his relief that they were talking this out and the wish that it had happened before they'd found out they were father and son. As always, Gibbs seemed to read his mind. "I'm sorry, Tim, I should have sat down with you months, years ago, worked this out."

"I don't want us to keep doing this, dragging it out. I want us to be father and son, family. More family than we've been and I hope that's what you want too?" Dad nodded and Tim smiled at him, continuing, "I don't want to keep wading through all the crap that's happened in the past, have that hanging over our heads for the rest of our lives. Yes, we need to talk through this, work through it and yeah, I wish it had happened before and we both know it's going to take time. But it is happening now and that's good; once we decide we're done, then we're done, agree?"

His father nodded again and Tim hugged him.

"I've only got a few weeks left on your team and despite the bad stuff that's happened, the years on the team have meant the world to me. Not only have we done good, taking terrorists, murderers, rapists off the streets, saved families, kids, but it's also been a home for me, for each of us, all of us. That's what I want to take with me, to remember when I can't be there to watch your 6 anymore. I want to remember the good things, to focus on them."

He blinked at the moisture in his eyes as his father gathered him in his arms. "The day we were on our way to Rockingham County, I listened to you mentoring Bishop and Chalmers and I was so proud of you I could have burst. I was resigned too because I knew it was time for you to move on, past time. I know whatever you do, wherever you go you're going to do good; be good. That's who you are, driven to do your best. Now I don't have to worry about losing contact, that gradual drifting away that happens. You're mine and I'm yours, your children's, and their children. And Tim, when you leave, I promise I'll be thinking of all the good things too."

He felt his boy nod into his shoulder and he tightened his hold. Eventually, he felt Tim relax and hoped he'd fallen asleep. Poor kid, he'd had so much thrown at him recently and he hadn't helped by bringing up old hurts tonight. He hadn't meant to do it this evening but he did want to bring the bad out in the open, start clearing the air between them.

He held onto him until his arms started to hurt and then he gently woke him up. "Kiddo, come on, wake up. Time to go upstairs and sleep in your new bed."

Tim mumbled something, kissed him and wandered off toward the stairs. Making sure he had his key to the new house, Gibbs locked up and walked down the sidewalk to his own house, trying not to notice how empty it was. It'd been empty for years, with brief respites when his team came by and then Tim arrived one day with a car full of clothes and a broken heart. While decrying the reason, Gibbs was pleased McGee trusted him enough to come to him for help and willingly provided it. A few days later, the children arrived and despite the chaos of living with two toddlers, Gibbs felt more attuned to the world than he had since he'd lost the girls.

When they found out their connection, he felt like God had finally forgiven him, for what he'd never figured out. Now the house was empty again and he reminded himself, as he pushed aside a left-behind toy truck, that he wasn't alone. He had family. He'd had a family for some time now but now it had expanded and included grandchildren. Now, even if everyone left NCIS, he wouldn't worry about losing touch with them. His kid, his son…his kids!