Thanks for all the reviews! I love hearing from my readers! You guys are so supportive of me and I love you all for it. Just so you guys know, I do accept ideas from you. If you guys have something you want to see in this story, tell me and I'll try to fit it in!
Disclaimer: Pregnancy. Not something any of the main characters have experienced on NCIS. As a major part of this story is about pregnancy, I don't own NCIS.
Tony swore graphically as he dropped a box on his foot.
"Tony," Timmi scolded, as she reached down to pick it up. Jimmy however, got there first and quickly took it to the truck sitting outside. She folded her arms grumpily. "You guys won't let me do anything!" she complained.
"Well, you are seven months pregnant."
"That makes me careful, not invalid, Tony. I'm still perfectly capable of moving my stuff."
"We disagree."
"Oh, trust me. I noticed... Remind me, why am I being moved out of my house?"
"Because, Mike called and said that Gibbs was coming back."
"And why am I being moved out?"
"Because he doesn't remember you."
"Again, why am I being moved out?"
"Mike said he was planning on selling the house."
"Then I'll buy it and just move my things back in!"
"Oh, shut up," Tony muttered as he grabbed another box and walked it out.
NCIS
"I really don't need to stay with Ducky, guys. I'll be fine in a hotel."
"No!"
Timmi sighed and rolled her eyes. "Why?"
"Because."
"I need a better reason than that!"
"It's a perfectly reasonable argument!"
Timmi simply rolled her eyes and decided to drop it.
"Do we know if Jethro came back yet?" she asked as she dropped into her chair behind her desk.
Tony nodded. "Mike called and said he got here two days ago."
Ziva joined in. "And yet we have not heard from him. It is rather disheartening."
"Yep," chorused Tony and Timmi.
Just then the elevator dinged open to reveal Agent Lee. Tony and Ziva quickly grew quiet and pretended to look busy so she wouldn't try to talk to them. Timmi, however, smiled at the woman and asked, "How are you, Michelle?"
The woman nodded formally. "I'm fine, Timothea."
Timmi grimaced at the use of her full name, but let it slide. "That's good then."
Lee simply nodded once more and walked quickly to her desk. Tony and Ziva glared at her for being short with Timmi, but before either of them could say anything, Timmi shut them up with a glare.
They turned back to their work and silence reigned in the bullpen until Tony became aware of a familiar presence. He looked up to see Gibbs walking right by them.
He stood up suddenly and said in surprise "Gibbs!" The rest of the team looked up in shock and stared at the familiar man making his way to the director's office. Once he disappeared they exchanged looks.
"What was...?" Timmi asked.
"I have no clue," Tony and Ziva chorused.
NCIS
It wasn't long before Gibbs made his way into the bullpen, but he ignored the shocked looks as he sat at the spare desk next to Lee's when the phone rang. They were treated to one side of a conversation.
"You should have been here half an hour ago," he said, then paused. "You want me to send an agent over?"
Tony and Ziva had made their way to Timmi's desk and were staring at Gibbs. "Okay, I've got an idea. Maybe he lost his memory again, and forgot he quit his job," Tony said.
Timmi gave him the 'look'. "But then he would be sitting at your desk," she pointed out.
Ziva shrugged. "If Gibbs wanted us to know what he was doing, he would have told us."
"Oh, right! Because he would never expect us to figure out for ourselves!"
They jumped when the director spoke from behind them. "Gibbs is back on temporary assignment. The Paulson case."
Ziva turned around, confused. "Paulson?" she asked.
Tony answered her question. "Petty Officer Derrick Paulson. Knocked over a bank. Killed two of his accomplices. Money was never found."
They vaguely heard Gibbs speaking into the phone. "Paulson's prison cell. I want to see what was in it."
Jenny eyed him and then looked at Timmi. "This would be an excellent time to confirm the arrangements for after your son is born, Agent McGee," she said pointedly.
Timmi looked at Gibbs for a second and then stood up. "I agree, Director Shepard," she said, and they both quickly left the bullpen.
Ziva and Tony looked at Lee who had continued to work throughout recent events. They exchanged a look and then hurried down to autopsy to tell Ducky about Gibbs' return.
NCIS
"Anything good?" Gibbs asked as he walked into Abby's lab.
Abby answered absently. "Yeah. It's a jailhouse appeal from some escaped convict. The guy really knows his forensics." Then it hit her who she was talking to and she gasped. "I knew it! I knew it! I won't need these anymore now that you're actually here!" she said, taking his face off of her screen, "I knew you'd come back!"
"I'm not back."
"Of course you're back. I can feel your badge." She pulled away from his hug. "It is your badge, right?"
He raised an eyebrow as if to ask, 'What else would it be?', but he ignored the question. "Reinstatement's only temporary, Abs. Until I can find Paulson."
Abby snorted. "We'll see about that. So what can I do for you, Temporarily Reinstated Agent Gibbs?"
"Process the contents of Paulson's cell."
"What am I looking for? Oh, right! Anything to help you find him."
"I want to know what he was up to before he escaped. Unless the three of you have any other suggestions?" he asked the room.
Tony answered from the bullpen, "Actually, it's only me and Ziva, and we were… we were just eavesdropping like little girls. But we do have suggestions."
Ziva spoke. "Prison records show that only one person ever came to visit Paulson in jail."
"Mickey Stokes. Seventy-two. Former Navy Sailor," said Tony.
"And since Paulson has no family, we should assume that he'll try to contact Mickey."
"And I already have an address," Tony finished triumphantly.
"Okay. Tony, Ziva, you're with me. And where the hell is McGee?"
"She's talking with the director."
"Why?"
Everyone ignored the question. "I'll tell Cynthia to tell Timmi that when she's done, to come down and help you process Paulson's belongings, Abby," Tony said before hanging up.
Gibbs' forehead creased in confusion. "What was that about?"
"What was what about?"
"The thing with McGee."
"Oh. Nothing."
Gibbs stared at her. Abby had suddenly closed him off, and she had never done that before. Obviously, from the reactions of Tony, Abby, and Ziva, something was going on with McGee. And while she wasn't his agent anymore, he still planned on figuring it out.
NCIS
At the address Tony had provided, Tony and Ziva climbed out of the car. "Gibbs seemed awfully quiet in the car," Tony said as they approached the door.
"Well, it is not like you were giving him a chance to talk, Tony. Are you nervous he is going to want his old job back?"
"No, I'm just bringing him up to speed on the latest protocols... But I have a feeling that he didn't hear a word I said."
"... I feel the same... Do you think that he has caught on?"
"Unless Mexico turned him into a different person, I'm sure he has. The only question is, is he going to actually do something about it?"
Just then the door opened and an old man, presumably Mickey, started to yell at them. "What took you hot-shots so long? He's been waiting over an hour! Hey, shoes off!" he said as they rushed into the house and cleared it.
"Where is he?" Gibbs asked him.
"Well, I never said he was here."
Gibbs stared at him for a moment until his phone rang. "Gibbs."
"I didn't expect to hear your voice. I heard you quit." Paulson said.
"Retired," Gibbs corrected.
Paulson laughed. "At your age? That's quitting."
Gibbs ignored that. "Why don't you turn yourself in? You can tell me about this in person."
"Turn myself in for what? I'm an innocent man."
"Try broken record."
"So you're not going to reopen my case?"
"We both know what I'll find if I do. So why don't you tell me what you really want?"
"I already got it, Agent Gibbs," Paulson said and hung up.
Tony turned to Gibbs. "So what does he really want?"
Gibbs turned around and opened the front door to reveal an empty yard. "Our car," he said.
NCIS
Ziva looked at the walls of Mickey's home. They were filled with pictures of him and Paulson. She turned to Tony and said, "They appear to be close."
Tony closed his phone. "Well, they say a way to a man's heart is through his stomach. Meals on Wheels. Looks like Paulson was a volunteer."
"He volunteered to put… meals on wheels?"
"They bring food to the elderly, Ziva," Tony gave her a look as Fornell and his team walked through the door.
"Where's Gibbs?" he asked them and they pointed to the living room.
He walked in to see Gibbs staring at an older man. "Who's this?"
"Mickey Stokes. He's the one helping Paulson."
"Of course I'm helping him! Derrick was like a son to me. I was the closest thing he had to family. What would you do if it was your kid in trouble?"
Fornell leaned forward. "I would have told him to give himself up before he got hurt."
"Well, I'm glad you ain't my old man, Fornell."
"And I certainly wouldn't let him steal my car," he said pointedly to Gibbs.
"Didn't. It was DiNozzo's car."
"He just wants you to reopen his case! You been reading my letters the past four years? You bozos got the wrong guy," Mickey fumed.
"Paulson took advantage of you, Mickey," said Fornell calmly, "He only brought you food because you lived near the bank he was casing."
"You wasted your life savings defending the wrong guy."
Mickey was distracted by one of the agents searching his house for evidence. "Hey, not my computer! I've got an online date tonight!"
"Where is he, Mickey?"
"He doesn't know," Gibbs said without hesitation.
"Are you sure? Want to hit him for aiding and abetting?"
"He did shelter Paulson and gave him money."
Tony stepped forward. "I say we use him as bait. Give Mickey a pass, put a man on him in case Paulson comes back."
Gibbs and Fornell shrugged. "You're the boss," Gibbs said.
Tony's phone rang. He excused himself and answered it. "Yeah... Where?... Anything in it?..."
He shut his phone and turned back to them. "D. C. Metro just found our car half a mile from here. The only thing missing was my laptop."
"And every file we had on Paulson."
Mickey interrupted. "I told you! He just… he just wants to work on his case."
"Except he's had all his case files since the trial," Fornell pointed out to him.
"Perhaps ours have something his did not, " Ziva shrugged.
"They do."
"The addresses of the witnesses who testified against him," Tony said, grimly.
"He's not a threat to anyone! He's on the run and unarmed," Mickey argued.
"Do you keep any weapons in the house?" Ziva asked.
"Oh, great. Now you're going to pin another crime on him? Just my old Colt."
"Where is it?" the agents said together.
NCIS
"Paulson could be after any one of a half-dozen witnesses. I've never seen a convicted felon file so many appeals. It's an abuse of the system," Lee complained.
Abby shrugged. "We're all entitled to our day in court."
"Not according to Agent Gibbs. I've gone over his case files. He seems to prefer a more… Biblical approach to things. If you ask me, the agency is better off without him."
Abby slammed a book on the counter, making Agent Lee let out a small scream.
"I like you, Michelle. So I'm just going to pretend like you didn't say that! NCIS is lucky to have Gibbs back!"
"Except he's not staying. And after what he did to poor Agent McGee..."
Abby shushed her and said, "She's forgiven him. And you do realize..."
"You can kill me without leaving any forensic evidence behind? Yeah. You mentioned that."
"Good then. It's settled. Gibbs is staying. He has to. Right, Gibbs?"
Agent Lee whirled around to find Gibbs standing behind her.
"What do you got for me, Abby?" he asked, ignoring Lee.
"Paulson's fingerprints on the gun case and on Mickey's computer."
Lee had recovered enough to add, "And he's also visited over a dozen people search sites. I think he was looking for someone."
Gibbs raised an eyebrow at her. "Yeah, I got that part."
"No names yet, but I'm using the FBI's mainframe to decrypt the search cache." The computer dinged. "Well, you always did have really good timing."
The screen was suddenly filled with an older woman. "Mickey! Where the hell is Mickey, you tramp!?"
Abby yelled, "Mickey isn't here!" and exited out of the program. Seeing the look on Gibbs' face, she explained. "It's Mickey's online playmate. She keeps tunneling through my firewall."
Gibbs nodded once. "Russell Nash."
Lee managed to get out, "Apparently he's..." before Gibbs interrupted. "The only accomplice Paulson didn't kill."
Lee nodded. "Yeah, and the one he really should have. Nash copped a plea and testified against Paulson. Paulson got life, and Nash walked in eighteen months. Skipped out on his parole. Hasn't been seen since."
"Well, if the money was never found, then maybe Paulson is looking for Nash because he thinks Nash has the money," Abby said.
Gibbs eyed Lee as he said, "Or maybe Paulson is looking for something a little more... Biblical."
Lee froze as he turned his icy blue glare on her. "Agent Lee, what exactly did I do to 'poor Agent McGee'?"
He turned to Abby. "And why did she need to forgive me?"
The two women exchanged a long look before running into Abby's office and locking the door behind them. Gibbs blinked at the women in mild shock before shaking his head and walking towards the door. "I'll just ask DiNozzo and David then."
Abby quickly pulled out her phone and sent a text to both Tony and Ziva.
'Lee let something slip. Gibbs headed ur way. Take cover.'
NCIS
Tony and Ziva stared at their phones in horror. Then at each other. Then back at their phones. Then at each other for a moment before they both ran for the staircase. They reached the base just as the back elevator opened and Gibbs stepped out. The agents stared at each other for a long moment before Tony and Ziva ran up the stairs as quickly as possible, Gibbs charging after them.
They zoomed past Cynthia and into the director's office where Timmi and Jenny were sitting. They quickly locked the door and began to barricade it.
"What on earth are you doing?" Jenny asked them.
Tony was breathing heavily, but managed to get out, "Lee slipped... Timmi... after us... fast..." before falling to the ground in exhaustion. He jumped back up with a terrified squeak when something heavy hit the door.
Timmi and Jenny blinked as what was presumably Gibbs hit the door again, making the room shudder.
"Huh?" they asked.
Ziva placed her back against the door and shoved her heels into the carpet. "Agent Lee let something slip about Timmi. We are doing what Abby told us to do: take cover."
"And why in my office?"
"It was made to protect against bombs. It seemed the logical choice."
"Yes, it is a bomb shelter, but against a determined Gibbs? It stands no chance."
Jenny stood up, "Agent McGee, hide in the bathroom. Agents David and DiNozzo, unbarricade that door."
"Why do I have to hide? You guys are protecting me from something I don't need protecting from!"
"Just do as I say, Agent McGee."
Timmi huffed, but did as she was asked. When the last piece of furniture was moved away Tony slowly unlocked the door. It was immediately thrown open with a crash.
Gibbs stood in the doorway and stared at them. "What are you hiding from me?"
Jenny sat in her chair. "I don't think it matters. After all, you're leaving as soon as this case is solved."
He glared at her. "What. Did. I. Do.?"
Jenny sat forward. "If you can't remember, then it can't that important to you."
"But it's important to them," he pointed at Ziva and Tony, "Important enough that they're hiding McGee."
"They aren't hiding her," Jenny said, rolling her eyes.
"Then how come in the three or so days I've spent here since coming back, not once have I seen McGee?"
"Coincidence."
"I don't believe in coincidence."
Jenny ignored his last statement. "Solve this case, Jethro. Then you can pack up and leave. But don't count on seeing McGee."
He raised an eyebrow. "They aren't the only ones 'hiding her', Agent Gibbs. Now go, I think that Ducky might have some things for you."
NCIS
"In your own words, the difference between ethics and morals," Jimmy said.
"Well, the ethical man knows he shouldn't cheat on his wife. Whereas the moral man actually wouldn't."
"You're going to ace your oral exams, Doctor."
"Going back to school?" Gibbs asked as he walked through the doors.
"I never stopped."
"The doctor's getting a degree in forensic psychology," Jimmy explained.
"Yes, and with it I'll be able to add the psychological autopsy to my arsenal. I'll not only be able to uncover the "hows" of our patients' demise, but the why's as well. I mean, what motivates us can be a very tricky thing. I was wondering when you were going to come down and see me," Ducky said pointedly.
"I've been busy."
"Or avoiding me. I wonder why that could be."
"I'm not staying."
"Oh, I didn't think you were. I'm aware that when Leroy Jethro Gibbs makes up his mind, his mind's made up. So… why are you here?"
"The Paulson case. How much do you know?"
"Well, I took the liberty of examining the M. E. 's reports on Paulson's two murdered accomplices."
"Anything bug you?"
"It's about as watertight a case as I've ever seen, pathologically thinking. Why? Do you suspect foul play in the foul play?"
"No."
"Yet you're down here asking me if anything "bugs you" about the case. Are you getting one of those famous gut instincts again?"
"I've already had that. And it said that Paulson was guilty."
"When Leroy Jethro Gibbs makes up his mind, his mind's made up. Too bad for Petty Officer Paulson. Let's hope things work out better for you in Mexico."
Tony called Gibbs at that moment and explained that Paulson had called his tip hotline and left a message. He listened to it and then hung up. He glared at Jimmy for a moment, until Jimmy made an excuse to leave.
Ducky turned to him. "Something's bothering you."
"Yeah," Gibbs leaned against a table, "I was just upstairs... I think I did something wrong, Duck."
Ducky eyed him for a moment. "You did," he said simply.
"What did I do?"
"Are you going to stay if you know what you did?"
"No. Why would I?"
"Then I cannot tell you."
"Why?"
"Jethro... What you are asking me to do is exactly what you wouldn't want me to do."
"Huh?"
"I... We are protecting Timothea."
"Why do you need to? I need to know what I've done, Duck."
"... It's not up to me to tell you. I would have told you when you first came to help Ziva, but... Let's just say that your team had taken up your duty spectacularly."
"Duty?"
"Protection. Timothea believes that she doesn't need it, but the rest of them aren't taking any chances."
"Why would Thea need protection, from me?" Gibbs wondered as he left.
Ducky whirled around to face an empty room. Jimmy walked in a few minutes later and roused him from his shock.
"Dr. Mallard? Are you all right?"
Ducky looked once more at the closed doors in wonderment. "I do believe, Mr. Palmer, that this will not be the last case Leroy Jethro Gibbs will solve."
"Why do you say that?"
"Because. He's beginning to remember."
NCIS
Later, the team had gathered in the bullpen and were comparing notes after an unsuccessful raid.
"The public defender who represented Paulson is out on maternity leave," said Jenny.
"Prosecutor?" Tony asked.
"Naval reservist. Deployed to Iraq two years ago," replied Ziva.
Timmi spoke up from her desk. "Killed by an IED last month."
"Unless we find someone familiar with the Paulson case, it'll take us days just to catch up to speed, much less anticipate Paulson's next move," Lee said.
"Relax. Gibbs brought in Mickey Stokes. No one knows Paulson better than him. Which reminds me," she turned to Timmi, "I need you to run down to Cybercrimes for me."
Timmi raised an eyebrow. It was clear from her expression that she knew what they were doing, but she went anyway.
As soon as the back elevator closed its doors, the main elevator dinged open. Gibbs walked in Mickey just as Mickey asked, "So what changed your mind about my boy? Great Oz finally give you guys a heart?"
"Who said I changed my mind?" Gibbs asked.
"It definitely wasn't a brain," was the biting reply.
"If Paulson was framed, we need to find out how."
"Well, maybe it was a brain. Either way, thank you. I've waited a long time for someone to listen."
"Don't thank me just yet. Jury had two weeks. They didn't buy it that Paulson was framed. You have one day to convince our forensic scientist otherwise," Gibbs said as they walked into Abby's lab.
She looked over at them from the monitors, then walked over and held out her hand. "You must be Mickey."
Mickey eyed the goth. "Well, I'll be whoever you want me to be!"
Gibbs patted him on the back, a smirk on his face. "Mickey, you'll do just fine."
NCIS
"So it was four wives. Unless there's anything else you want to tell me," Fornell said as he and Gibbs sat in his living room.
"Is there something you want to know, Tobias?"
"You had a family, Jethro. I know you like to play it close to the vest, but… hell, I was married to your second wife!"
"I tried to warn you."
"I know. I know."
There was a long pause. "Have you seen McGee, Tobias?"
"... When?"
"Since we started this case."
"... Yes."
"Why are they protecting her? Why can't I see her?"
"... I think it's best that I don't answer that."
"WHY?"
Fornell turned to Gibbs. "Why is it such a huge deal?"
"Because, according to everyone I've talked too, I hurt her!"
"... You did."
"What did I do, Tobias?"
"I can't answer that, Jethro. Not because I don't know, but because you won't believe me if I tell you. You haven't fully recovered from your... Incident. Once you do... Well, you won't need someone to tell you what you did."
NCIS
The next day, Ziva and Gibbs sat in the car, watching Tony try to talk to a sign flipper.
"Do you think you could be happy flipping a sign all day?" she asked.
"I don't know."
"I think you'd get bored. I'm just saying a man of your drive and ambition needs a certain kind of..."
"I'm not staying, Ziva."
"That obvious? So? How'd it go?" she asked Tony who had just crawled into the backseat.
"I'll tell you in twenty seconds."
Abby's voice came over the speaker. " He's already making a call."
Timmi, who was helping her, spoke without thinking. "Putting it on speaker."
Everyone froze. Gibbs' eyes found the speaker and he said, "McGee?"
"... Hi, Boss."
Before Gibbs could respond, Nash's voicemail interrupted.
"Hey, you got Nash. Leave me a message after the beep."
Tony tried to defuse the tension by saying, "I'd say that went well," but it didn't work.
"Hey, Nash. This is Gary.I know you told me to call you here never, man, but there were some Feds here and they were asking questions about that tat."
"Baltimore prefix," Timmi said.
"At least I think they were Feds. I never heard of no NCIS."
"Got it. Eighty-two West Pratt Street, apartment twelve," said Abby.
"I know it," Tony said, eyeing Gibbs who looked ready to explode, "Forty miles north of here."
"Have fun!" Abby said quickly and hung up.
Ziva and Tony exchanged terrified looks. Gibbs was angry... and an angry Gibbs was an even worse driver than usual. They were so dead.
NCIS
A couple of hours later, Abby was frantically calling security. "You are security, right? Don't let Gibbs leave the building! I already told you why, Tom!"
"Abby?"
"Nevermind! False alarm!" she shouted into the phone before closing it and turning to Gibbs. "Gibbs, thank god! I was so sure that you'd be halfway to Mexico by now." She stood next to him and handcuffed herself to him. "Sorry. You're a flight risk."
"Abby!"
"We're going to figure out this case, Gibbs! We always do!... Wait, you already figured it out."
"No, but you're going to. I want to know how Paulson knows."
"Knows what?"
"Everything. Everything that we seem to... And I want to know where McGee is."
"I'll get started on the first one... And I'll take care of the second after you solve this case."
NCIS
Gibbs walked into the bullpen just as Tony was saying, "We have a dead man who shouldn't be dead. An innocent man who isn't really innocent. And a trail that's about to run cold because our perp has managed to stay one step ahead of us since this whole thing started!"
"Are you just noticing that now, DiNozzo?" he asked as he walked over to his desk and grabbed the radio.
"No, it's kind of been a theme," Tony said as Gibbs banged the radio down.
"Careful. That's easy to..." Gibbs whipped out his knife and took off the back of the radio to show a small circular device, otherwise known as a bug. "Break," he finished.
Only a few minutes later, they were gathered in Abby's lab.
"It's a shortwave RF bug. Paulson probably planted it in your Dictaphone when he stole your car. And I've been burning campfires to CDE. The Dictaphone has been in my lab pretty much the entire day."
"At least now we know how Paulson tracked down Russell Nash."
Abby grabbed it with a pair of tweezers. "There's the little bugger."
"Can you backtrack it, Abs?" questioned Gibbs.
"It's impossible without a private cipher. But I think I know where we can get one. Paulson's crew bugged the bank's general manager for two weeks before the robbery. It was a custom job, just like this one. The cops interviewed the bug-maker. Cleared him of any involvement. I would bet a Caf-POW! that this came from the same guy."
"How can you tell?" Tony asked.
"Because he signed his name."
NCIS
"'It is a crime for any person acting under color of the law to deprive any citizen of their legal rights.' Title Eighteen, U. S. Code," their suspect said.
Ziva was exasperated. "No one is depriving you of your rights. We are simply asking for a copy of the cipher you made!"
"'No one shall be compelled in any criminal case to a witness against himself.' That'd be the Fifth Amendment."
"No one has accused you of a crime either."
"Then why did your goon confiscate my files?"
Inside the observation room, Timmi grinned at Tony. "Goon?" she teased.
Tony shrugged. "I need to stop hunching my shoulders."
Timmi giggled while Tony answered his phone. "No, I said every exit, not every other exit... For the same reason you don't floss every other tooth!" he exclaimed, making Timmi laugh harder.
Then, without warning, the door opened, revealing Gibbs. He seemed not to notice Timmi as he asked Tony, "Where's that cipher, DiNozzo?"
"We hit a little snafu, Boss. Gibbs." he corrected. "If this keeps up, we may be forced to unleash Agent Lee."
Gibbs backed out of the room and entered interrogation a minute later. "... That was odd. He's been wanting to see you for the past two days, but when he actually has the chance, he doesn't seem to notice you," Tony told Timmi.
She simply shrugged and gestured to the action on the other side of the window. "Well, this should be quick."
"It better be. We've got a fugitive on the run with a pretty big lead. The Fugitive!"
Timmi groaned as Gibbs asked the suspect, "You got something to hide?" who replied, "What? So I refuse to talk, and that means I'm guilty? You ever hear of Miranda vs Arizona, nineteen sixty-six?"
"I've been here all this time. How could I have missed it? It's that simple," Tony raved as Ziva entered the room.
"Missed what?" she asked.
"Gibbs is clearly Tommy Lee Jones, right? I mean, there's no argument there. Which makes me Joey Pants. Initially, I was a little, you know..."
"How did this happen?" Ziva asked Timmi softly, "We have been avoiding the word fugitive for the last two days."
Timmi shrugged. "He made the connection himself." The two women turned their attention to interrogation ignoring DiNozzo's movie rant.
"I run a lawfully licensed spy shop. I'm not responsible for what my clientele does with my product. I don't have to answer any more of your questions, no matter what you say!"
There was a long pause before Gibbs leaned forward. "I've got this little girl... who wants to go home to her dad. And that's not going to happen without your help. So... please?"
And in observation, two jaws dropped and one woman smiled. "Did Gibbs just say...?" Tony asked, aghast.
Timmi nodded thoughtfully, "Yep. Ya know, the last time he said 'please' was about six months ago. We were doing this thing..." Tony cut her off by sticking his fingers in his ears and yelling, "La la la! Not hearing you talk about your sex life with the boss! La la la!"
Ziva raised an eyebrow at Timmi, who winked and said, "I'll tell you later."
They didn't even notice Gibbs leave interrogation, but they did notice when he threw open the door to observation. "Did you..." he managed to get out before his eyes landed on Timmi. Immediately memories flew before his eyes: sitting with her at the dining room table, eating; reading with her on the couch; listening to her typewriter as he sanded wood in the basement; their various rendezvous... Pictures of his life with her. And as soon as those passed by, a voice came, saying very familiar words: "Congratulations, Miss McGee. You're going to have a baby."
He blinked and the memories passed. His eyes fell on her rounded stomach. The pain filled him suddenly, but forcefully and he fell to his knees.
Timmi had seen the change in his eyes and rushed to him once his knees hit the floor. His shoulders had slumped and his chin rested on his chest as tears ran down his face. Timmi placed her soft hands on his cheeks and made him look at her. Their eyes met and she whispered with tears streaming down her face, "Hello, Jethro."
He placed his hands on top of hers and responded, just as quietly, "Hello, Thea." Tony and Ziva watched awkwardly with the tech before tiptoeing around the couple and out the door.
They stood in the hall for a moment before Tony said, "We'll just let them talk it out for a minute." And they walked away.
Meanwhile, Gibbs was apologizing profusely. "I'm so sorry, Thea. I'm so damn sorry."
"I know. And I forgave you a long time ago."
He smiled through the tears. "You always did have a forgiving heart."
"It didn't take any effort at all... I couldn't understand what you were going through, but I could empathize. I know how much losing them once hurt you, losing them again..."
"What did I ever do to deserve a woman like you?"
"I don't know." It was a familiar routine, one that had happened hundreds of times between them. The magic of the moment was lost when Timmi grunted in pain. Gibbs became alert at once, "What happened? Are you hurt?"
"No, I'm fine," she smiled, rubbing her stomach, "Your son just kicked me in the ribs."
He froze. "A boy?" he breathed.
"A boy," Timmi smiled.
He placed a hand on her stomach and the baby kicked his hand. "A boy," he said reverently, looking into her eyes. She smiled her beautiful smile, and he couldn't help but kiss her. It only lasted a few seconds, but it was a few seconds of heaven.
She pulled back and grinned. "Agent Gibbs, I do hope you know that you have to earn me back."
"Earn you back?" he said, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes! You broke my heart and now you have to fix it. I'm worth it, aren't I?"
Gibbs' smile filled her heart with joy. "Thea... You're worth more than anything in the world. If that means that I have to work a bit to win you back, so be it."
Timmi laughed. "A bit? I think you're underestimating my worth, Jethro."
"Fine," he grinned, "A lot of work then. Trust me, Thea. You're worth every drop of blood, every trickle of sweat, and every shed tear.
"You know, for a functional mute, you're pretty good with words."
"I learned from the best."
"Meaning me?"
"How did you know?"
"I learned from the best."
NCIS
"I just came by to tell you that Derek Paulson has been cleared of all charges. You saved that boy's life," Jenny said walking down the stairs into Gibbs' basement.
"He did most of the work," Gibbs said as he scooted a box into the corner with his foot.
"Don't sell yourself short. Or is it too late for that?" she asked, leaning against the staircase
"Is this supposed to be some sort of pep talk to get me to stay, Jen? You don't want me back."
"No, I don't."
Gibbs looked at her over his shoulder and smirked, "Worried you won't be able to handle me, Director?"
"No, Jethro. I'm afraid you won't be able to handle yourself. You have already been in two comas. You might not come out of the third. The fact is, you're good. The best. When you're as good at something as you are, when you can make a difference like you can, you just don't quit," Jenny turned to walk upstairs, but Gibbs' words stopped her cold.
"I'm going to stay."
She whirled around in shock to find Gibbs smirking at her reaction. "Thanks for the load of B.S. you just fed me, but I'd already decided to stay."
Jenny nodded in sudden understanding. "You saw McGee, didn't you?"
A soft smile graced his lips as he answered. "Yeah, I did. She's even more beautiful than I remembered..."
Jenny raised an eyebrow at the rather un-Gibbs like response before he spoke again. "Thanks, Jen."
"For what?"
"For taking care of them... And for protecting her from me."
Jenny walked forward and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Jethro... You're welcome. And, to go off record, I'm glad you're coming back."
And Gibbs grinned, actually grinned as he said, "So am I, Jen. So am I."
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