bjq - it is getting better. I hope you like this as well.

DS2010 - I am happy that you like it. I thought it was important that Gibbs apologized because of the Mexico situation. Enjoy reading.


I don't own NCIS or NCIS LA, only this storyline

Chapter 11

"Follow me." Tim answers a little nervous. He has no clue, where this discussion will go. He doesn't know, what is going to happen now and that makes him a little uneasy. Even if Tim learned to anticipate Gibbs next move, so that he if prepared, if his boss needs something from him during a case, so didn't that prepare him for this situation.

They will talk as a family for the first time without any observers. The whole situation was a completely new turf for him, but for Gibbs as well. So that was something. That evens the scales a bit.

But Tim is a federal agent for God's sake, which means he would face this situation head-on. He leads them to the door under the stairs which brings them to the basement, his save haven, his heaven. On the way he signals or better signs to J that he shall stay where his is. The dog wanted to follow him like he always does, when they are alone here. A growl in acceptance was Js answer. The dog is well trained, even before he become Tim's dog. But Gibbs sees that his son trained him further.

Nervous Tim steps down the stairs. No-one has ever seen his save haven. His father and sister will see it for the first time and learn about his inventions, also something he normally keeps to himself. He hates to brag. He builds some of the computers in the basement on his own, as well as the first prototypes for the handheld fingerprint scanner as well as other things. They all were on display.

But not only did he build the hardware for his products, but he also designed and wrote the program for a system to work all his application as well as hardware inventions together. He uses the system to hide his hacking, he keeps that to himself. He is a federal agent, who still hacks in his free time and he worked very hard to keep those two identities separated from each other. Not that his hacker identity is untraceable, but he hid it so, that only those, who know what they are doing can find him. In the federal agencies of America there are only a handful people, who could follow him. Considering he uses only old satellites to hack other systems, he wasn't of great interest to them. Another reason is, that he doesn't hack government facilities.

Letting his father and sister see this, is a huge step in matters of trust for Tim. Wordlessly Nell and Gibbs follow Tim through the door and down the stairs into the basement. Gibbs lets his daughter enter first of course, so that he can bring the rear and has the sixes of his children. Not that he would have to worry with his father, his oldest and his grandchild in the living room, considering one of them was a spy. Not to forget the dog, who can do some serious damage, if Gibbs remembers correctly. A sigh escapes him that was another thing he handled the wrong way in matters of Tim. He vows to have his children's sixes from now on.

He was a grandfather, something he hoped to become. Even if only as a step-grandfather of sorts for G, Tony and Tim. But now he was a real one, because Tim was his son and Nell his daughter, who gifted him with a grandson, the moment he met her. It was overwhelming and seriously mind-blowing.

As Nell descends the stairs she didn't really think about the current situation. No, she was impressed by what she sees. It was technological heaven for a geek like her and she is sure her partner Eric would see it, the same way. Eric will be so jealous of her, when she tells him about this.

On one side of the wall she sees a huge desk with a PC, which awfully looked like Tim assembled it, it was build and filled with spare parts. Connected to it were four screens as well as huge plasma TV on the wall above it. Without a doubt she knows that he not only uses this get up for gaming or inventing but hacking as well. She knows that he not only hacks for work purposes, but that is part of his personality, simply because she is a hacker as well and she likes to see, what she can achieve with that. She may not be as good as him, but she manages and achieves the goals she wants to reach.

On the wall across from it, was a couch beside a workbench with different gizmos in their different development states. A closer look tells her that he worked on the fingerprint handheld here, because one of the gizmos looks like a prototype to her. Besides it are many other prototypes for interesting inventions. She can't wait to test them or even pick his brain for some of her own ideas.

Not only Nell was impressed, even Gibbs the technological dinosaurian could see that his son has created a nice get up. As he looks around, he learns a new thing about his son, just like him Tim was a builder, if the electronics were anything to go by. Until today he didn't know that. Hell, he didn't even know that his son created the SCIF, something that makes him enormous proud.

Apparently, there are many new things to learn for Gibbs about his son and in way it made him happy, because with that he has way to connect with him as father and not as his boss. On the other hand, he can make up for the lost time in which his son felt as the stepchild. Something he desperately wants to change.

Father and sister look at Tim after they inspected the basement and see that he was nervously sitting on the couch. Even if he looked clam the bouncing foot was indicator enough to tell them, how he really feels. They don't have an idea why he is nervous, but both don't like what they see.

But they choose different paths to react to it. "This is amazing!" Nell compliments him. A compliment to show him appreciation for his work and that she is impressed with him, should calm his nerves. All in all, a positive effect on him should be the result. At the same time Gibbs asks. "Why are you nervous, son?" Gibbs never holds anything back, always comes straight out with it.

A smile starts on Tim's face, because of his sister's compliment. "Thanks." he tells her as she takes a seat beside him. Then he looks at his father to answer his question, which was hard for him. "I never showed this to anyone and every time I tried to impress the Admiral, he ridiculed me. After some time, I stopped doing it and kept all this" he points around the room, to show what he means. "to myself. I was a little afraid what you are going to say about this." He was looking directly at his newfound father as he tells him one of his insecurities.

Being father and son means for Tim that he can't hold back, who he is. After a life with the Admiral, where the Admiral always tried to turn his son into himself, Tim decided to stop holding back. Not being, who he is, would achieve nothing, so he stopped hiding himself. That is why, he stopped being someone, he wasn't. Opening up to Gibbs is showing him, who he is, and he hopes that Gibbs will accept him, like the person he is and not someone, who Gibbs wants him to be.

Vulnerability as well as strength Gibbs sees in his son eyes. He was angry with the Admiral and hates that he never gets the chance to give the Admiral a piece of his mind for the way he treated his son. His son was his priority now, not his anger, so he steps to his two children, stops in front of them and looks at his son as he says with a proud smile. "Tim I am impressed with your work. You are a builder just like me, but your level is so much more advanced than mine. I am proud to be your father and of your accomplishments. You don't have to hide yourself from me. I promise I will never ridicule you. So never hide yourself."

To hear his father, say those words, makes Tim teary eyed. It feels good; it was what he always wanted a father, who is proud of him. Apparently, he has that now. "Thanks." he says in a shaky voice.

"I mean it." Gibbs says emphatic as he squeezes his son's shoulder to reassure him. Instead of answering to it, Tim silently communicates to him that he believes him. "Good." with that Gibbs starts to pace. He normally isn't the pacing type, but he needs a moment to compose himself for the coming discussion. No wonder talking about Shannon and Kelly still hurts and he needs his feelings in control, to get out, what he wants to say to them, because they deserve to know about them. At the same time, he doesn't want his children to see him as broken as he knows he is.

Both his children, even Nell, see that he was a little agitated and give him space for now. After Gibbs is sure his thoughts are in order, he turns to his children. He wants to look at them, while he tells them about their mother. "I want to tell you, why I think you mother gave both of you up for adoption. Some of the things Tim knows, because he already met the guilty party, but I will start at the beginning." with that he takes a chair, puts it across form them and takes a seat. "As I met your mother I just signed up for the Marines and was off to basic training. Your mother was still in high school, still two years to go. We met a at a train station." a smile starts on his face as he thinks about the meeting. "She was on her way home from her summer visit with her family. For me it was love at first sight. She was beautiful, just like you, Nell." he looks at his daughter as he says that to show her that he means it. The resemblance to her mother is so overwhelming, that it hurt a little. It also eased him, because it felt like he got a part of his beloved wife back.

A blush starts on Nell's face as he hears the compliment. "Thanks." she says.

"It is only the truth." Gibbs answer as he gets on with his story. "But she also was smart, something the both you got from her. But most of all she was funny with a wicked sense of humor and had a mind of her own. During that meeting she introduced me to her rules, and one was to never date a lumber jack guy. She even asked if I was a lumber jack." Gibbs explains and his kids laughed at that. "But that got us talking and we talked for two hours during our train ride together, before she had to exited at her stop. After that we stayed in contact with letters, many, many letters. Until I had a weekend off from training and I came to visit her in her hometown for our first date. I also got to meet her parents. Her mother didn't like me at all."

"Yeah, Joan Fielding is a piece of work." Tim gives in his five cents. In that moment his mind makes a sparking connection that shocked him. "Dad she knew me, she knew that I am her grandson and she treated me like dirt." They met her on a case a while ago and she didn't react to Tim in a friendly way. She was hostile and didn't take him seriously. That hurt just like as being ridiculed by the Admiral.

Gibbs already made that conclusion. That is why he wasn't surprised by it in the least. He only can comfort his son. Another person of his family didn't want him. But Gibbs wants him, wants them both. He will show them that as long as he can and until they believe him without a doubt. That is why he puts each of his hands on his son and daughter shoulder, because she must be affected by that as well, as he says. "I figured as much. But I want you and I like you to know, that I would have wanted you two back in the day too." That was the most important part for him in this discussion to reassure his children that he wants them.

"But why didn't you know?" Nell wants to know. She wasn't as affected as Tim, no wonders. On the contrary to Tim she never met her grandmother, there wasn't a connection between them, it hurt less. That is why she could ask questions.

"That is where I wanted to go with this. Your lovely grandmother forbade your mother to see me, but your mother was a rebel and had her own head. We managed to see each other as often as possible. We also achieved to go on a vacation for a week during spring break in her junior year. From my calculation that was the year the both of you were conceived. But I think she didn't tell me, because I was shipped to my first tour four weeks after our vacation. I only saw her again over a year later. I knew something was different with her, but not what and she wouldn't tell me. I never knew she was pregnant. But after what we learned today her mother must have decided for her, because Shannon never would have given you up. But she was a minor at the time of your birth, so the decision wasn't hers, but her parents. Joan's real reasons for that I can only guess, I know she had for plans for Shannon. Plans which didn't involve me and definitely not children. And I think she did out of spit; she really hated me and still does. I am sorry, that they gave you up, because of me. But I hope we can work through it and become family."

Silence followed that statement. Nell and Tim were both a little bit taken back by the story. It's not every day that you hear, why you were given up for adoption and it takes some time to come to terms with it. At the same time Tim was also a little shocked by his father. The functional mute spoke for more than some sentences and that without a break, a totally new experience for him. But the twins look for a moment at each other, they communicate with their eyes, if they are on the same page and with a nod they agree as they turn back to Gibbs. Who watched the interactions between his twins, curiously? After only meeting today they have the silent conversation down to a T, which makes him smile. They already were a family; hopefully there is space for him too. "We like that." they surprise him with their twin talk.

That was all he needed to hear, before he gets up, walks to them and embraces both his children again in his arms. He holds them close to his chest and before he breaks away and kisses both their foreheads. They all feel a little overwhelmed, but Nell was the only one, who lets her feelings go, tears were running down her checks. But the eyes of her father and brother were wet as well.

One-point Nell still must make clear as she says. "I want to point out, that I hate what you did to Tim because of that Abby person. I will not stand for such actions." Her tone was stern and unforgiving.

That right there tells Gibbs, that besides her beauty and her intelligence which she shares with her mother, she also shares traits with him, because she clearly has the stubbornness of the Gibbs family. Something he must smile about. At the same time, he accepts her demand with. "As I said I am sorry, and it will not happen again."

"Can I ask you, why you did it?" Nell asks him.

A sigh escaped Gibbs as he answered. "She reminded me of Kelly, and she wasn't like she is now. In the beginning she was a normal girl, who lost her parents, worked hard and found a place in my heart. Just like the others did, G, Toni, Ziva and Tim." He looks at his son and says again. "Even if you felt like the stepchild, you already were a son to me. I am sorry that you didn't feel that way." Now a single tear was running down Gibbs check, which was unlike him. But Gibbs never considered Tim's home life as bad as of the others, because he always thought that Tim's parents loved him, like they should. But Gibbs was wrong about it and he so has many things to make up to. In all it makes him sad and he can't keep the tears at bay anymore.

But him apologizing was a big step for Tim and he already did it three times, if he didn't miscount. Not only can he hear the sincerity, he also sees it. That is, why he says. "I see that now, Dad. But it is good to hear that you see me as a son like Tony and G." with that he embraces his father to show him that they will work through this.

Nell just watches them, because that was between them. She just wanted that they get their act together, so that they can become a family, like she really wants them to be. After all those years of searching and after her adopted family let her fall, because of Lucas, she was missing having a family. Not that she hasn't a family with G and Lucas, but it this is a different kind of family here. In this equation she is the child and can have backup by a parent, who is there for her and she always wanted a sibling. Someone she can connect with and is family as well as friend at the same time.

But it also looks like she got more family with it. Her father turned his work team into his family. "So, do we have any more siblings I should know of?" she tries to lift the mood.

"No, just Tony, G, Ziva from my side. But Tim has an adopted sister, Sarah, who I know he loves very much." Gibbs answers.

"Yeah and I know she will love you Nelly." he tells his blood sister, both sisters are and will be important to him. Nell smiles at that, she is looking forward to getting to know Sarah.

As Gibbs watches them and thinks about all his children a mischievous smile starts on his face as he says. "But I must tell you, that four of my children found love with their siblings is a little extreme. Hopefully Tony and Sarah will not follow your lead."

Tim was shocked he never heard Gibbs make a joke and here he was doing just that. This new side of his Dad is something else. But he still has to say something to his joke. "Over my death body, I will not let Tony get near Sarah. I love him like a brother, but his track record isn't the best." Tim says in earnest, but Gibbs can see the smile on Tim's face.

Both laugh at that. It is nice to tease each other. That is the first step in the right direction to become a family. The laugh for a moment with each other and marvel in the feeling of becoming a family, the best moment to start now, so Nell asks. "So, what can you tell me about yourself?" she asks her father, because she already had time to get to know her brother and Tim as well as Gibbs already know each other in some ways.

Instead of Gibbs Tim answered. "Oh, you know, he was married four times, divorced three times at least we are his only children." With every word Tim's smile grows bigger and bigger. He likes teasing his father and knows that he will not have problems with it, because it is what family does. But he must add another jip, before he lets his father off the hook. "He even shares an ex-wife with his best friend."

Tim's words have Nell in giggles. She as well can't help but tease her father. "At the same time?" she questions him.

Now Tim laughs and says. "For a short while."

For the first time in a long while Gibbs was speechless or at least didn't know what to do against the teasing of his children. It also was all true, what Tim told Nell, so what shall he say against it. He can't deny it, that would be a lie and that is something he doesn't do. With an exaggerated sigh Gibbs says. "He did me a favor, even if she took all my money during the divorce, at least she wasn't my problem anymore, but Fornell's." So instead of denying he confessed and teases himself a little bit more.

That made Nell laugh more. "The best thing, Nelly. Fornell is now divorced from her too. But he has a daughter with the she-devil, as Dad calls her."

"She can't be that bad?!" Nell asks between laughs.

"Oh, she is, but Emily can't do anything for her mother." Gibbs points out.

"That is right, Emily is a good girl, she must have gotten that from her father." Tim says with a smile.

"But why did you marry all those women and divorced them after?" Nell wants to know.

"They were all redheads." Tim says with laughter, before he adds a little somber, because it was a little sad, that their father was still looking for their dead mother in another women. "They reminded him of Mom."

With a sad smile, Gibbs adds. "That is true." he can see the little judgmental glance in her eyes, so he must add. "I know that it was wrong, but I grieved your Mom and still do. It wasn't fair to them and I know that now."

The next question took Gibbs a little off guard. "What made Mom so special?" Nell wanted to know.

That sobered Tim up immediately, he knows how much their mother meant to their father and that talking about his feelings for her is hard for him. It still surprised him, that he already told them more than he expected. So, he believed that Gibbs wouldn't answer the questions, but again he surprised him. Being a father changed him as well as the way his family sees him, or he wants to be seen by them.

It is an answer he knows by heart, because he still thinks about Shannon almost every minute of the day. But he never voiced the answer to anyone, not that anyone asked him before, but still. So, he took a moment to gather his words. "Your mom was the kindest woman I ever met and trust me I know many women. I am not easy to live with and she did it with a smile on her face. She also was fierce and loyal. A force of nature, if angered." A sad smile starts on his face. He can understand why Nell wants to know about their mother, maybe he can help them to form some sort of connection between them, even with her being dead. That is why he looks at Tim and says. "Just like you she was a writer, poetry in the most cases. She worked as an English teacher for middle school, there she organized poetry contests in the schools she currently was teaching."

Without telling them, both know that with him being a Marine she had to change jobs often, as often as he was stationed at another destination. This little information makes Tim smile. Gibbs wasn't done. He may not know many things about Nell, but one thing he learned in the last hours is that she has a fierce nature. He looks at Nell and says. "Just like you she would stand up for the underdog, protect and fight for everyone she thinks needed it. That is why I never was angered with her being a witness in the case against Pedro Hernandez, I couldn't be, because I love that she always wanted to protect everyone. But in this case, it cost us her as well as your little sister Kelly's life. Something we still have to grieve."

Let's not forget Tim and Nell not only got a father but lost a mother as well as a sister in the process. That is why both his children have tears running down their faces while smiling. Speaking of Kelly, Tim and Nell, were curious about her as well, but afraid they would cause their father more pain, then they already have. They see in his eyes that talking about their mother hurts him. But curiosity wins in the end. "What was Kelly like?" they ask at the same time.

Instead of grief, a smile starts on his face as he answers. "She was a combination of both of you. Curious, funny and smart. Your mother always said she had me wrapped around her little finger, which probably was true. But I never could say no to her." They picture the scene in their minds, how their little sister manipulated him into doing anything for her. A picture that makes them smile with all their hearts. They only regret that they never got the chance to meet her in person and never will.


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