A/N: Anon 6—Tim did not write the introductions to each book, but Sarah did. I wanted to clear that up for you but I couldn't respond back to you personally since you were anonymous
A/N: After this only the epilogue remains! Thank you to all that have enjoyed the story!
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"Keating do you have those records for me" Gibbs asked coming into the bullpen.
"Yes sir" Keating said without elaborating.
"Do you need an engraved invitation to tell me the finding's?" Gibbs bit out.
"Oh right no Sir. Looking over the records it appears as though Renton was making money on the side because there is over 13,000 dollars in a separate bank account" Keating finishes.
"Okay keep digging into her computer and see if there is any leads. Tony you keep talking to friends see if there is any reason to supplement her income" Gibbs barked out.
"Gibbs I got something" Tony said unexpectedly.
Gibbs looked up and stared at him imploring him to continue.
"Apparently Renton had gambling debts that she owed to some casino and they came to collect." Tony said.
"So we are thinking that someone from the casino got to her" Gibbs reasoned out.
"Yep. And a neighbor remembers seeing a non- descript van hanging around her place the last few weeks" Tony said.
"Tailing her" Gibbs surmises. "Got a name?" Gibbs asked.
"Not yet, still working on it" Tony said getting back down to business.
Gibbs looks own at his clock and realizes that it is almost ten o'clock, and knowing that the case wasn't going to get solved soon, he decided to send the team home.
"Go home. Be back by 7 a.m. tomorrow" Gibbs said while leaving the bullpen.
Gibbs once again goes home to an empty house.
The emptiness ceased to bother him years ago though, the silence only became to oppressive when certain anniversaries came up.
Going downstairs to get some wood working in, he came up short when he saw Sarah McGee sitting at his workbench. She was too engrossed in reading that she was unaware of the older man coming in and taking a seat on one of the bottom stairs to just watch.
A few minutes later Sarah came up for air and nervously realized that she wasn't alone, and turning around she finally met the gaze of Gibbs. Just the man she needed to see.
"How long have you been there" Sarah asked.
"Not long" Gibbs curtly replied.
"My mom said that me and Tim were alike in the sense that whenever we are in a zone that we don't notice whenever someone tries to enter our zone" Sarah replied with a genuine smile.
"Yea Tim was like that. Whenever I asked for records or accounts you wouldn't be able to pry the keyboard away from him until he found what he wanted" Gibbs said while letting his mind wander back to some memories of Tim that he had kept hidden.
"Tim always said that you're door was always open. So I hope you don't mind" Sarah said sheepishly.
Gibbs grunted a bit which Sarah took for a sufficient Gibbs reply.
"So you are probably wondering why I was here huh?" the younger woman asked.
The stare that accompanied the question told Sarah that she was on the right track.
"I know how hard losing Tim was. Not just because he was someone that I lost to, but because I know about your past." Sarah said gently.
Another stare.
Sarah scurries along adding, "He respected you a lot. He would do anything for you, maybe even run through a brick wall" Sarah laughs out.
Another stare, but a gentler one.
"Anyways he wrote this about you. I think you should have it. " Sarah said.
Compassionate face meets Sarah's gaze.
Handing over the book Gibbs peruses it a bit.
"It is uh not finished yet. Actually in a way none of the books that Tim wrote you guys are finished" Sarah said.
"Why is that?" Gibbs said somewhat softly.
"Because none of your lives are finished. This is just a moment. All be it a big moment" Sarah replied choking up.
Another nod from Gibbs. Nods were easier for him right now than saying words, they were safer.
"Headslap a new future, write your own ending" Sarah said.
"I underestimated you" Gibbs said with a small smile.
Cocking her head to the side Sarah said, "What do you mean?"
"You really care for your brother. When I saw you in that interrogation room and you sidestepped my compliment of your brother, I thought that you underestimated him. But I was wrong" Gibbs admitted.
"Me and Tim were always underestimated, don't worry about it" Sarah responded thoughtfully.
"Mhmm thanks" Gibbs responded.
"Well I should get going, I have a final tomorrow" Sarah said while gathering her things.
"Good luck" Gibbs said.
Sarah knew those words encompassed so much more than the few syllables.
Finding a comfortable spot on the workbench Gibbs settled into the book.
No bourbon was in sight…he needed to be sober for this. He owed Tim that much.
The book was titled, "Layers" such an adept title Gibbs thought.
"Boss— We are more alike then I think you know. On the outside we look like polar opposites. You were a Marine. I was a computer programmer. You were a skilled investigator. I was working on my skills. You shot people seemingly without the flinch of an eye. I fell apart when I shot someone. So yea on the outside we have nothing in common. But on the inside we do. We were both underestimated. You by the unforgiving small town, me by my family at first and then a long line of bullies. We both care about helping people. You got into NCIS because you wanted to avenge the deaths of your family and you stayed at NCIS because you thought you could help people. Spare them the pain that you held as a result of your family's premature passing. The biggest thing we have in common is our ability to hide what we want. You may be laughing as you read this because you thought that I was the expressive one, the one who couldn't lie to save himself. But you never knew about my writing until Sarah spilled the beans. Then I kept what I was doing with Vance from you—that took skill. Then I kept my love for Ziva a secret from even her, and I kept the pain of that mission from everyone. WE both have layers and walls that we have fortified around one another to keep the pain away. You taught me that. So even though I am gone, move on, because moving on does not mean forgetting. Tim-"
The dedication was spiffy if Gibbs had to admit that.
He had to hand it to Tim he always had a way with words.
Instead of diving further into the book Gibbs let his mind wander over Tim's time on his team.
He smiled when he remembered that look of pride that Tim held on his face when he found the terrorist operative's name, and when Tim had found it he had ruffled his hair. Something that he hadn't done in a long time.
"You belong to me now" Gibbs remembered saying after Tim helped the team track down who had abducted a Naval Officer's family, and those words had been a long time coming. He remembered the long talks that he had in Morrow's office about Tim not being ready, but how his stubborn streak had won out in the end.
The proudest moment that Gibbs remembered was when Tim volunteered to go with Tony to Somalia. He knew that if asked the man would have gladly accepted the mission, but the fact that he volunteered for the mission said a lot about how far he had come as an agent.
Happy moments overcame him and for the first time in a long time the pain that he felt at losing yet another person dear to him lessened a bit.
"He is safe daddy" A little red headed girl said when Gibbs was on the edge of sleep.
"Keep him that way" Gibbs mumbled before true sleep overcame the man.
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