Chapter 12
Feeling well satisfied with their time together, Grandpa left on Monday, taking Uber to the airport so his family wouldn't have to venture out. Tim didn't relax until he received a text from his former boss saying he was home.
Two days later, Tim had a call from Dad with happy news. A new member of the family, Victoria Elizabeth Palmer, had joined them! Dad reported Mama and baby were fine and Jimmy was holding up so far. Dad, Tony, Ellie and Abby went to see Breena and the baby while they were still in the hospital. There they found a fit-to-burst with pride Ducky and a tired, happy and relieved new daddy. Uncle Jethro and Abby each held little Victoria for a few minutes.
Four weeks later, Tim and the boys took the train down to DC for their winter break. It was wonderful to spend time with everyone, including the baby. When Greg remembered how he'd held Kyle when he was new, Aunty Breena had him sit on the couch to hold his new cousin, with Kyle sitting next to them, gingerly touching the baby's tiny fingers. As Tim watched Greg and Kyle, he had a flash memory of doing something similar with Sarah, sitting on a couch with Patrick while their dad put their new baby sister gently in their arms.
Rob and Tim taught the boys how to ice skate and they went skating a couple of times, the boys improving each time. On Saturday, Uncle Tony and Grandpa took the boys to see a new Disney movie while Papa had the day to himself.
Tim drove to Baltimore to visit his brother. He ignored his FBI tail and the other car following, he assumed they were the ubiquitous 'suits'. When he reached Restful Haven, he sat in the truck for a minute. This place was low-key, no ambulances in and out, a simple parking lot with a fair number of vehicles, he hoped there were visitors as well as staff.
Inside, the lobby was designed to bring comfort and light. A sofa and chairs with tables and reading material, plenty of light, with a coffeemaker on a side table. That was nice, he supposed people might come to see someone; they could sit here and visit with any patient who was ambulatory. Nicer than sitting in a hospital room and a good break for the patient. The hospital provided long-term care but not all of the patients were comatose.
When he found Patrick's room, he blinked at the second bed, another comatose patient. He'd forgotten that little detail, although it didn't really matter. Looking at the corkboard covered wall on Pat's side of the room, he smiled. Photos, drawings, paintings, a schedule of who'd be here next with a big red asterisk next to tomorrow's date when Tim would bring the boys to see their father. He'd wanted his own time with him today.
Tim sat in the comfy chair next to Pat's bed. Leaning over, he kissed his brother, "Hey, Twick, it's Muth! It's good to see you, I like your new place. The boys and I are in town for a few days, I'll bring them tomorrow but I wanted to see you by myself first. Got lots to tell you."
Tim spent the next hour with his brother, telling him about their Christmas parties, taking the boys to the snow, how he and Rob taught them to ice skate, how big they were getting, everything about their lives in Cambridge. When he finished, he sat quietly, holding his brother's hand, just looking at him.
Sometimes he still couldn't believe his little brother was alive and now he watched him breathe. Strong, steady breaths, it was so cruel to watch him and think there might not ever be more than this. Tim stroked his thumb over Pat's hand. Finally, he decided he'd better go or he'd be stuck in commute traffic getting home. He kissed his brother again, told him he'd be back with the boys the next day and left. He didn't cry. But when he got to the shelter and Lu opened the backdoor, he bit his lip and she pulled him in, holding onto him as he cried for his brother. When he finally stopped, she poured him a cup of coffee and they spent a few minutes catching up. He already knew she and Dad had decided to stick with friendship but nodded when she told him.
"You're taking him with you, anyway, Timmy, it would have been a very short relationship. But oh, his smile, those eyes, that hair and those teeth!"
Tim laughed out loud at that, he'd never thought about his dad's teeth! Then Lu explained and he guessed that made sense.
From the shelter, he drove over to the camp where Nate welcomed him with a bear hug. "Welcome home, Timmo!" After they caught up, Tim glad to hear that Nate and Big John were healthy and Juanita no worse than ever, Nate helped him unload the truck, exclaiming over everything.
"You know we can always use more firewood! And ooh, yum, cookies, thank you, that's a treat. Did you and the boys make them?" When Tim nodded, Nate lightly punched his shoulder, "Good for you! And good for us, huh? Ooh, hot chocolate, mmm, oranges!"
Nate kept two of the blankets, one for Juanita, one for him, grinning when he pulled out a pair of wool socks in his size and tried on one of the hats with ear flaps. "Perfect!" He put everything else aside, he'd distribute them later.
Everyone there already had warm jackets but extra blankets were always needed, they usually went under the sleeping bags, providing insulation from the frozen ground underneath the thin layer of the tent floor. At least everyone had a tent to sleep in now. When Tim and his siblings lived there, many folks slept in lean-tos which might be as warm as a blanket or as cold as a sheet or even plastic drop cloths tied up but with one side open, under tarps, even in refrigerator sized cardboard boxes or a series of boxes torn down to make a bed of sorts.
After saying hello to Juanita and Big John, Tim left, after another hug from Nate. He was home in less time than he thought, having forgotten that schools here were also on winter break; a lot of parents took the week off and went to Florida or to the mountains for winter sports.
NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS
After a fun 10 days, they climbed into their train, waving goodbye to Grandpa and Granducky, who'd driven them here. The train ride was fun but uneventful and soon enough they were home again. Their next visit to Grandpa's would be over Easter in about 5 weeks.
Picking up their routine, the three McGees, the boys said that was easier than saying 'McGee-Hart', continued with school, teaching and day care. Tim wrote to the day care, called a nursery in the UK, that Kyle would be attending in Brambury, asking what he needed to do before their arrival in June. He was pleased with their reply that as Kyle would be considered a preschooler when he started with them, he should know certain things. They'd sent a list and Tim gleefully drew a line through every single one.
Of course, Kyle knew his 'ABC's! But in the U.S., they ended with the letter pronounced 'zee' and in the UK that same letter was pronounced 'zed'. He'd have to teach both boys about that and saying 'naught' or 'aught' instead of 'zero'. He'd also have to get used to the language changes, but wouldn't start yet, it was too soon. He'd wait until May and start then, for all three of them. He had a student from the UK, maybe he'd ask him what else had been different coming here.
When they had a couple of days of weather in the 30's, the family went out to play. They went ice skating and, taking the Porters with them, went sledding one day. They also continued to see the sights of Boston.
Now that the kids were experienced skaters and Kyle was a little older, Tim asked Tony if he'd like to join them on a train trip to New York City for a weekend. They'd train down Friday night, stay over and take the train home Sunday afternoon or evening. The "Lion King", one of the boys' favorite movies, was still on Broadway and Tim knew the kids would love it.
He was surprised and happy when Tony said yes although he wouldn't join them on the train. He also recommended a hotel and Tim made reservations for the four of them. To simplify his travel, Tony would fly in and out of New York, coordinating his arrival to meet the McGees as they arrived at Penn Station. With only the 2 nights away, the McGees could manage with one suitcase and the special daddy pack for Kyle to ride in style on his papa's back.
Tim was further surprised when Tony told him he'd purchased the tickets for the play, apparently one of his frat brothers knew someone who knew someone involved in the production. They would split costs 3:1 but Tim was happy to see the ticket prices were quite a bit lower than anticipated.
Finally, 'The Weekend' arrived. The boys had been told the previous weekend and had been anxious all week that nothing bad would happen before their fun time. For awhile it looked like Tony might have to join them on Saturday as Gibbs' team was tasked with a protection detail for Friday night, but Grandpa Boss did a little trading with his peers and O'Brien's team took the detail.
The McGees climbed aboard at Boston's Back Bay Station to start their 3-½ hour journey. The boys were excited to see different views although Tim didn't think it would be very scenic, especially once it got dark. They did get to see the ocean while they were traveling through Connecticut and those were great views. The boys looked at everything, whether it was ugly, bleak or someone's backyard. Once it was dark, they turned to other things. Kyle sat on Tim's lap while Greg read some of his little brother's favorite stories to him, a new thing for them.
Penn Station felt like a huge cavern full of trains, tracks and people and Tim was glad to see his brother as the train pulled in. Tony grinned, waved and they all waved back. Once they disembarked, he helped Tim get Kyle situated in the daddy pack and then the two men walked, each holding one of Greg's hands as Kyle looked around from his perch.
Tim smiled at his brother, "So glad you're here with us! How long have you been waiting?"
"Mmm, maybe 10 minutes. I went to the restroom, bought a coffee and wandered down here. Your train pulled in about 4 minutes later."
"Great timing, you've done this before?"
"Sure, I've been to Penn Station a few times."
Tim and the boys looked everywhere as their taxi took them to the hotel. The boys had never seen a doorman before and then were astounded by the plush lobby. Greg said it must be like a palace while Kyle just looked around with big eyes.
Tim and the boys had a suite with a bedroom where the boys would sleep and a pull-out couch in the outer room for their papa. Tony had a connecting room next door to them. The men thought that would be easier; once the boys were asleep, Tim could hang out in Tony's room, watch a movie and leave the door open so they'd hear the boys. Tim knew that no matter how much Tony loved the kids, he'd need his own space.
As they were all hungry, they soon headed back out to a little diner Tony remembered. It was great food and not as expensive as Tim had feared. Of course, it helped to be with someone who knew where the locals ate!
After eating, they walked around for a few minutes before returning to the hotel. Kyle had his bath, both boys had story time and cuddles and then Kyle went to bed while Greg would read for an hour. Both boys had already been back and forth between their rooms and Uncle Tony's and they knew the door would be open. Tim also had an old baby monitor he'd found at a thrift store. He'd reconfigured it so any alerts would appear on his watch.
The "Lion King" tickets were for the Saturday matinee at 2:00 PM. They'd start their day with a hop-on, hop-off bus, visiting the Empire State Building, the One World Observatory and Central Park where they'd all get some fresh air. They'd pick up lunch on the way back to the hotel, eat that and Kyle would have a short nap before the play.
They'd arranged for a late checkout on Sunday so they could take the ferry to Liberty Island to see the Statue of Liberty and then visit Rockefeller Center where they'd ice skate. If they didn't have time on Saturday to see the One World Observatory they might do that on Sunday, although it would likely mean skipping the ice skating. Although Kyle was full of energy, he wasn't yet 3 and still needed an afternoon nap. So the ice skating was a maybe. They also wanted to see the F.A.O. Schwarz flagship toy store, both Tony and Tim remembering Tom Hanks' character playing 'chopsticks' on the giant walking piano at the toy store in the movie "Big". When it was time to leave, the four of them would Uber or taxi back to Penn Station, where the McGees would say goodbye to Uncle Tony.
Tony wondered if the boys would have enough energy for all their plans. Tim had kept their itinerary fairly simple, knowing Kyle would need to rest. Later he laughed, the boys weren't the ones he should have wondered about. He was exhausted! The boys were good kids and Tim was wonderful with them, great at noticing impending fatigue or whininess and being proactive about it. However, as far as Tony had progressed in being comfortable around his nephews, he'd never been with them for two days straight. That was an eye-opener!
The bus tour was fun. The boys sat on their laps, Tony had a pack with extra sweaters, snacks, etc., while Tim wore Kyle's pack. When they hopped off at the Empire State Building and had Kyle safely secured in his Daddy perch, he looked up and giggled, "I'm almost as big as the building!"
It was a clear day and the four had fun looking from each vantage point, Tony pointing out the sights and Tim determinedly looking out, not down. Back on the bus, their next stop was the World Trade Center where they'd take the elevator up to the One World Observatory.
At least that was the plan. Tony hadn't mentioned it but he had some qualms about going in. He figured if Tim could handle it, he could too. However, when they got to the entrance to the World Trade Center, he had to stop, his mind replaying the horrors of 9/11. He looked at Tim, who'd stopped a few steps behind him, a haunted look on his face. Looking at each other, they took the boys' hands, turned around and left.
When they were back on the bus, they held the boys so close that Kyle whined a little. Tim gave him a kiss, "Sorry, kiddo, Uncle Tony and I need hugs. Several years ago, before Greg was born, there was a horrible thing that happened there. It was on TV as it happened, the whole world saw it and a lot of people died. Uncle Tony and I saw it too and we're still sad about it, not ready to go in the building yet."
Greg hugged both of them while Kyle responded with kisses and reassurances that it was all right now. They rode through Chinatown, admiring the sights and then hopped off at a deli Tony recognized. It was early for lunch but they were hungry. They ate at the deli, rather than the takeout they'd planned and then hopped on the bus and off again at Central Park. They visited the Conservatory Water and saw the Hans Christian Anderson statue but saw none of the miniature boats, it was a little too early in the year for them. From there they found their way to the 'Alice in Wonderland' statue and the boys had fun climbing all over it. Tony said he remembered climbing it when his parents brought him into the city. Their last stop in the park was at Belvedere Castle, a miniature castle with a spiral staircase. Climbing that led them to spectacular views of other parts of the park as well as the city skyline.
Back on the bus, they hopped off at F.A.O. Schwarz and had fun on the walking piano as well as looking and playing with all the toys. From there, they made their way back to their hotel where Greg read while Kyle, Papa and Uncle Tony took naps! Tim's watch woke them in plenty of time to get ready for the play. Kyle chortled gleefully when he found out everyone took a nap, even Greg, who'd fallen asleep reading.
They loved the play, it was wonderfully engaging and the boys (including Tim and Tony) sang along with the cast, and most of the audience, to their favorite tunes. The settings were wonderful and the actors believable in their roles. Tim had a portable, folding booster seat he'd brought for Kyle so the little guy could see the stage without having to sit on Papa or Uncle Tony's lap. At intermission, three people stopped to ask him where he'd purchased it. A special surprise from Tony was a trip backstage after the play where they met some of the actors, still in costume. Their programs were autographed and Kyle and Greg had hugs from Simba, meaning the actors who portrayed the young and the grown Simba on stage.
The boys were over the top excited and chattered about the play and their experiences all the way to the bistro Uncle Tony found for an early dinner. Kyle got to use his booster seat again and looked around at the other diners. "Papa, did all the people meet Simba like us?"
Tim shook his head, "Maybe a few, Kyle, but not all of them. We're very special, thanks to Uncle Tony!"
The boys grinned, giving Uncle Tony more hugs and kisses. Papa hugged him too and they all said, "Thank you for our special treat!"
It was still daylight and the boys had plenty of energy to burn off. Their adults decided to head for Rockefeller Center, which wasn't far from the theater and bistro. It was expensive to rent and skate but Tim figured this was a once in a lifetime thing, at least while the boys were this young. They stuck close to each other and had a wonderful time, Greg even trying a fancy step he watched someone else do. Kyle also did great; it was the two men who stumbled a few times but neither fell and within a few minutes were feeling more confident.
As the sky darkened into night, overhead lights came on and they 'ooh'd and ah'd as the ice sparkled. Plenty of photos were taken and Tony told Tim a professional photographer was probably taking photos of them as a group and the boys by themselves, maybe even of the 'big boys' stumbling along. After nearly 90 minutes, Tim gathered his boys and brother, it was time for a hot chocolate and then a return to their hotel. He reminded the boys that tomorrow they'd get to go on a boat and a train!
While they drank their hot chocolates, they looked at the photos taken of them and bought most of them. Tony was right, there was one of each of the men in a stumble but to be fair, the photographer had also caught each of them later as they skated more gracefully around the rink. And there were several of the boys. Greg doing the fancy step, Kyle laughing as he skated around his papa and uncle. The boys skating together and with Tim and then with Tony. They had physical copies of the photos and also downloaded a few to send to Grandpa, Granducky, Aunt Sarah and Uncle Rob.
Back at the hotel, Tim wanted to buy a few postcards and souvenirs, and Tony watched the boys while their dad hurried out to a shop he'd seen a few doors down from the hotel. He found a cute bib for Victoria and a couple of little things for the boys' teachers to give them on the last day of school. And t-shirts for the kids, him, Dad and Rob. He bought one for Tony too, although he didn't think he'd wear it. Maybe at the gym.
Tony blinked in surprise when Tim entered the hotel room 15 minutes later with a bag full of souvenirs. "How'd you do that?"
"In the last few months, I've learned to be a quick shopper."
Tony snorted, "I remember when you'd shop online, compare everything and then agonize over a decision."
Tim grinned, "Kids change your life in many ways, my brother!"
On Sunday, they caught the ferry to Liberty Island, the boys amazed at the huge statue of Lady Liberty they could see even before the boat docked at the island. When they bought their tickets, they also asked for 'pedestal' tickets. As the top of the pedestal was close to half the size of the entire thing, they'd be able to see amazing views. The additional tickets, while not costing them any extra, would also allow them entrance to the Liberty Island Museum.
They had a wonderful time, all four of them in awe of the Statue. Tim was especially happy, he'd wanted to see the Statue of Liberty since he was Kyle's age, it was one of the memories he'd retained after the hit and run. He hoped he could bring the boys back someday, when the weather was a little warmer and they were a little older.
Back at the hotel, they gathered their suitcase, Kyle's pack, Tony's bag and all their jackets, before calling for a pick up and were at Penn Station in minutes. Tony kissed them all goodbye, "See you in 2 weeks for the Bunny thing!"
"Give Dad a hug from us, ok?"
"Will do."
The McGees climbed on the train, waving sadly to Uncle Tony. Tim laughed at the boys, "Guys, we'll see him at Grandpa's in 2 weeks! That's 14 days including today."
Greg smiled, "When we get home, we can cross today off the calendar!"
Kyle was all in favor of that.
Riding on the train after dark made the time seem to pass faster. Both boys fell asleep and feeling like a nap, Tim set his watch alarm to make sure they woke before they reached their stop.
Back home, they had a late dinner followed quickly by their nightly routine. It was fun to be away and see new things but coming home felt really good.
While the boys felt the next two weeks were very slow, Tim thought they flew by. He was starting to sort things for their move to the UK. Toys, for instance, needed to be sorted into 'must take' and 'donate'. With Kyle's birthday coming up in May, more toys would arrive, although he certainly didn't need any. Still, attaining three years was a big change from two years, no longer a baby or even a toddler. Three would be the start of his preschool years. Tim felt they could donate just about all his toys, hanging onto the classics – his trains and train gear, Winnie the Pooh and friends, all the A.A. Milne books.
He also knew persuading Kyle to part with his toys wouldn't be easy and he didn't want to traumatize his little one. After all, it was less than a year since the boys lost their home, living as a homeless family in a shelter until the worst thing happened, losing their mother. And even though they were safe with him, they'd already had to move twice! That was too much. Maybe they'd take everything with them and he'd let the boys decide when it was time to let some things go.
While he pondered that, he sorted through his own belongings, setting aside clothing, shoes, old electronics he'd already cleaned off and a few books to donate.
When April 2nd, a Thursday, finally arrived, the family packed for a week's stay with Grandpa, remembering it would be warmer in Alexandria than it was in Cambridge. They wore their jackets on the plane though, evenings were still chilly.
The flight was uneventful, the boys were used to flying now, and they all grinned and waved when they spotted Grandpa waiting for them. After hugging and kissing each of his boys, Grandpa led the way to the Challenger. This time, Tim hadn't brought the safety seats as Grandpa purchased his own set. That made traveling here a lot easier and with the short flight, Kyle didn't mind if he wasn't 'big'. He and Greg took turns sitting on their papa's lap to look out.
Once at Grandpa's house, the boys ran up the stairs to their room before coming back down to help carry things. That was Greg's doing and Tim tousled his hair, "You're a good soul, Gregory, thanks for being so thoughtful." The tips of Greg's ears turned red, he smiled at Papa and walked back upstairs with some of his belongings.
Behind him, Tim heard a chuckle and turned as his father pulled him in for a hug, "So good to see you, Timmo! It's been too long. I was thinking that Greg may not look like you, but he's sure got your personality!"
Tim's whole face lit up, "Really?"
"Oh yeah, bright, bookworm, great big brother, thoughtful, mostly quiet, loves adventure and learning new things. And his ears blush, that's all you, kiddo!"
"Thanks, Dad! Of course, we never met Kathy, don't know what she was like."
"I figure Kyle is a solid combination of Kathy and Patrick. He's go, go, go, until he drops. He's boisterous without being bratty or overwhelming. And as bright as Greg. He worships the ground you and Greg walk on, that's probably what's gotten him through everything this past year. He lost his mama but his big brother was there and then there you were to love and take care of them."
Tim had a strange look on his face and his father sat next to him, "Are you wishing you'd had a Tim when you lost everything?"
Tim nodded and then sighed. "If I could, I'd give every foster or abandoned child a permanent home. But I can't do it alone. This is hard enough and I have all of you to help."
"Only when we visit, but I know the Porters have been a big help, with both sets of your kids. And you're right, I see how difficult it is. There's no way you could have remained in the field with 2 young children depending on you. Even if you were married, you'd be away a lot, home too late to see the kids before their bedtime. It was hard for Shannie, but then when I was home, I had weeks, sometimes months off. Field agents don't have that unless they're recovering from an injury."
"Yeah, as much as all the crap with NCIS hurt, still does, I'm grateful the teaching gigs came along. Have regular hours and don't have to worry about being hurt or killed every time I walk out the door," He huffed, "not as long as we have our protection details. That reminds me, when is your retirement effective?"
"May 31st. I've spoken with Joel Morris, the Supervising Senior Agent in Charge in London, and he'd like me to start consulting as soon as we're settled in. Maybe after your second week of school, we should have a routine going by then."
"Great! Then let's plan our first weekend outing for the end of our first month. Any place you want to especially see?"
"Huh, I hadn't really thought about it. You know, I'd like to go to Scotland, is that too far for a weekend?"
"Mm, I'm not sure. I know there's an express train that runs once a day, don't know how hard it is to get tickets. Any place in particular in Scotland? I've always wanted to go to Edinburgh to see the University – you know, where Ducky started out."
"Sounds good. There are a couple of castles there too, one's got a bloody history."
Tim chuckled, "I imagine they all do! The Palace of Holyroodhouse is the one you're probably thinking of, I believe there was a murder there – or a rumor of a murder. It's also the official residence of Queen Elizabeth. That'd be fun for all of us. The other one is Edinburgh Castle, there's a road called the Royal Mile that connects the two. We can get tickets ahead of time. Any place besides Scotland?"
"Stonehenge, of course. I know you'll want to go there and I want to see it for myself. Also, the city nearby, Salisbury. There's a famous cathedral there, I read a book years ago about the building of it, the individuals who built it. It was pretty cool, author did a lot of research."
"You know, that sounds like a better first exploration. Maybe stay overnight in Salisbury, see the Stones and the cathedral, explore to our hearts content. I don't think it's a long trek from London and with any luck we can take a train there and back."
"I like that. For a longer trip, I'd like to go to Germany. My dad was in Berlin for a week after VE day, took pictures. Like to see what it looks like now."
"Also interesting and I've heard great things about Berlin, plus we can see Checkpoint Charlie and part of the old wall. Don't know if you knew this, but Disney has a theme park outside Paris, I'd like to take the kids there. I think a weekend would be enough. Drive there on a Friday night or early Saturday morning, stay over near the park, drive back Sunday. I'll see what the reviews say about the traffic and tourists. Might want to wait until everyone goes back to school for that one."
"From what your sister says, we'll want to go someplace warm during the winter."
"Southern Italy maybe? Rome?"
"Not a weekend trip!"
"Nope. I think once we get there, we'll hear about all sorts of places to go. I could easily spend two years exploring the UK, Wales, Scotland, all the places in England I've heard about. The Roman baths in Bath. The thatched roofs of Cotswold, the Lake District. And London itself! I've always heard there's a great flea market, we should go sometime. You could build things and sell them there."
His father started laughing and that got Tim going too. The two of them laughed themselves silly, leaning into each other. When they finally stopped, they admitted neither one of them knew what he was laughing about. But then Dad said, "Thatched roofs and me selling my wares at the market. You stepped back a couple of centuries!"
"Ah, guess I did. We'll figure it out. It's an island full of history and mysteries."
At that, they called it a night. Tim slept late the next morning, close to panicking when he woke at 0900 and there were no boys climbing on him. He listened but the house was quiet. Downstairs he found a note, "Duck and I are taking the kids for the morning. Not sure where we're going, he's got something planned. We'll be home after lunch. Go have some fun!"
Tim smiled and then had a second cup of coffee. What he really felt like was staying home and relaxing. Maybe catch up on some writing. He had an outline for a new story but hadn't gone further than that.
Or maybe he'd…what? His friends were at work and he knew Freddie, Jose and Bill had made a supply run to the camp two weeks ago. He'd probably see them when he took the kids on Saturday to see Patrick, maybe have lunch with them afterwards. That was always fun! While he was thinking about it, he sent a group text, inviting them to lunch on Saturday at the diner in Silver Spring.
Now that was something he'd like, breakfast at Elaine's. Although it wouldn't be any fun by himself. He didn't feel like contacting Carly, he thought it was time for both of them to move on. Finally, he made himself pancakes and bacon, more coffee and ate every delicious bite. Then he went back to bed for a nap. He hadn't realized how tired he was. He'd slept, showered, dressed and was just putting on shoes when he heard the front door open, the boys calling for him.
NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS
Easter Sunday was a warm day. Before church, the boys were encouraged to look around the house for their Easter baskets, which Tim had filled with fruit, a little toy and a bit of candy.
Later, they had a light lunch as the extended family was gathering for an early dinner. Before Kyle had his nap, Uncle Rob, Aunt Abby and Uncle Tony arrived to "help" the boys find Easter eggs in the backyard. Instead of the traditional colored, hard boiled eggs, Tim hid brightly colored plastic eggs with jelly beans inside. They had a good time looking while the others clowned around.
Dad grilled chicken for their dinner and everyone brought side dishes. Tim thought it was even more fun because he and the kids met Bill, Freddie, Barry and Jose for lunch the day before, so they were all caught up. Ellie was there, but not her husband Jake, apparently they were separated. When he heard that the man cheated on her, Tim was proud of her for leaving. She deserved the best, not a cheater!
As always, the days at home passed too quickly. Tim found it easier to ignore both the suits and their FBI protection detail this trip. He guessed he was used to both, which wasn't good. He did get to Elaine's one day with his dad, who'd taken a few days off and while Granducky had the boys for a few hours. When they walked into the diner, Tim grinned as he saw Rick Carter, Jim O'Brien and Tony! That was a surprise, especially on a day when Gibbs was off.
After Elaine gave him a hug, Rick and Jim did the same while Tony grinned at him. "Boss took us off rotation for the week, doing paperwork. And I'm celebrating!"
Tim looked at him, looked at Dad, who was beaming with pride and then back at his brother, "Yeah? Now just what would you be celebrating, very Special Agent DiNozzo?"
"I got the team! Craig offered it to me last night and sent out the notice this morning. As of June 1st, I'm the Supervising Senior Agent for the MCRT aboard the Navy Yard!"
Tim's grin threatened to split his face as he hugged his brother, friend and former co-worker. "I'm so proud of you, so happy for you! You've worked hard, you earned it! You're gonna be great, Tony, I bet you beat Dad's record!"
"Hey!" Dad tried to look indignant but was too proud of Tony to make it work.
The others laughed and Tony said, "It'll take me a few years to work up to that, still missing one team member, now we'll need two. And that's your record too, you know. We'll see."
That was a fun lunch! Another day, Dad took the kids somewhere and Tim met Abby, Jimmy, Ellie and Tony for lunch. That was also fun as he caught up on Victoria's latest accomplishments and all the agency gossip. Ellie had finally found a new apartment and was excited about getting her belongings out of storage and into her new place. She'd been staying with a friend for several weeks, apartment hunting when she had time.
Knowing this was their last visit before the move overseas made everything seem more important and saying goodbye more difficult. While Tim knew that Tony, Granducky, Abby and Fornell would visit them in Brambury, he wouldn't see the Palmers, Barry, Bill, Lu, Freddie, Jose or Ellie in person until the McGees and Gibbs returned for a visit next Christmas.
The boys were quiet as they flew home. When they reached the house, their papa asked them why and Greg said, "We're leaving pretty soon, we won't get to see everyone at Grandpa's house for a long time."
"Grandpa, Uncle Rob and Aunt Sarah will be with us. Uncle Tony, Granducky and Uncle Tobias will visit us during the summer and Aunt Abby is also planning to come see us. You're right, it won't be the same and we'll miss our friends but we can talk with them on Skype and write them letters, send them postcards, make drawings for them. I understand, it's hard to leave people. I've had to leave Ms. Lu and the Baltimore uncles three times now. When we first moved to MIT for my college, when we moved last fall and now. But we're still friends, we're always glad to see each other and you know what? When we do get together it's just like we've never been apart."
"Really?"
"Uh huh. It won't be that way with everyone but with people you really love and treasure and who feel the same about you, it will be."
Greg smiled, hugging his papa. When Papa asked Kyle if he was all right, he nodded. "I miss Grandpa's house. I like our bunk beds and our room. I like it here too but at Grandpa's, it's ours, for keeps."
Tim sat on the couch and pulled both boys to him. "It's hard, not being in the same place all the time. You lost your home last year and went to the shelter. Then you came to me and we stayed with Grandpa for a few days but then we had to move to my apartment. We did okay there, even if we were a little squished, but it was ours. Then we moved away for a month, only it turned out to be longer and now we're moving again, this time for 2 years. I'm sorry we've had to move so much. When I brought you home to live with me, my plan was to stay with Grandpa until we found a house for us to live in. Then the bad stuff happened with NCIS and we had to leave Grandpa and I had to find a new job. I hope after our 2 years in Brambury, we'll be able to go someplace and stay there for years and years."
"Our forever home?"
"Yes, something like that. Why don't we talk about all the things we want to do in England while we're there?"
"I want to see where Robin Hood lived."
"Sherwood Forest, all right, let's find out where that is in England."
Kyle thought for a moment before saying, "I want to go to a beach."
"That sounds good too! And you know, Brambury has trains going through, we can go many places."
"Yay!" With that, Greg helped get the luggage upstairs and they settled in to what would be their home for another few weeks.
NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS
Normally Tim worked in his office until it was time to pick up the boys, but with their move coming up in a matter of weeks, he had several things to handle. Along with sorting and packing, he had a project he'd meant to start after Dad's January visit but for one reason or another, hadn't gotten around to it.
That project was having professional copies made of Kathy Hart's photos. When Patrick was moved to the long-term care facility, Rob and Dad took down the photos and Tim had them all. Although the photos looked professional, there were no watermarks, no name of any photography studio or individual photographer on them.
Wondering if Kathy or a friend took them, Tim decided to try his luck at a local photography studio in downtown Cambridge, hoping they'd make copies for him. It was a sunny but not quite warm afternoon and as usual, Cambridge Center was crowded. Tim parked a few blocks away from the studio, thinking he'd at least get some fresh air and a little exercise. Spotting one of his protection detail and relieved that after 7 months he hadn't lost all his investigative skills, he slipped the manila envelope with the photos into an interior pocket of his jacket, zipping the pocket closed. After checking his phone and his perimeter, he set out on his walk.
He'd just turned a corner when he sensed someone near, too near. Pressing a button on his phone, he swiveled, ready to respond to whatever happened next. He was attacked from the right side, good, that left his dominant left hand, arm and leg available, giving him the advantage. As he battled with his attacker, he felt a hand in his jacket pocket. Using his leg, he swept the 2nd attacker, or pickpocket, off his feet. He was making good headway against both men when two additional men pressed in. He again used his feet and sent one flying, he thought that one was unconscious. The other one made a noise as Tim got him in the right place and incapacitated him. That was when he saw a knife coming at him and managed to move a fraction of an inch, hoping to minimize his injuries. Reaching into his pocket for his phone, he pressed another button. The knife hit home as the phone was grabbed out of his hand, someone yelled and a cannon was fired. He heard loud voices but he was losing consciousness too quickly to react.
Then he was on his back and he thought he was moving. Someone called his name and he managed to open his eyes to find something over his mouth and a man leaning over him. He tried to roll away from him but he couldn't move, something was restraining him. His name was called again and he looked at the man. Frowning, he waited and the man said, "I'm an EMT, blink once if you can understand me, don't try to talk."
Tim blinked, now he understood. He was in an ambulance. He frowned; he needed to make sure the boys were safe and warn this guy about the phone. And where was his protection detail? He'd seen them when he parked, why hadn't they stopped the attack? And who fired the cannon?
When another voice spoke, he grimaced as he tried to move his head to see who it was. The voice spoke again, "Sorry, Professor, I'm FBI. I'm on the other side of you, please don't move your head, neck or shoulders. The boys are safe, another detail picked both of them up and they're with the Porters, along with a team. A friend is notifying your father and brother, they'll be here soon."
Remembering that some of the FBI agents could read ASL, Tim hoped this was one of them. He could move his hands enough to sign the information about the phone but the agent shook his head. "I'm sorry, I'm not one of the agents who reads ASL." The EMT spoke up, "I do. He said something about his phone. Professor, will you repeat that please?"
"Part of phone grabbed, decoy. Will explode if accessed. Not kill or maim, minor shrapnel and blood. Bad if happens around others. Guy who took phone is 'Mr. Green'." He paused as the EMT interpreted his messages. He heard a harsh noise when the EMT said the name Mr. Green.
"Four of them."
"He says there were four of them."
"Disabled two, never saw the other one clearly, don't know features."
Tim heard the EMT repeat that as he fought to stay awake. He was terrified the boys' protection detail also had a mole or moles. The last thing he heard was the agent telling him that his SSA was with the boys and that he personally knew the detail.