DS2010 - I always loved the Max Gentry cover, but it never got explored much in the series. So, I tried it here and I am happy that you like with what I came up with.

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

Chapter 13

At the same time Deeks steps into the night as Max Gentry to meet Paloma Reynosa the new Gibbs family sits down for their first dinner as a family. All members pitched in to get dinner ready. Jackson and Gibbs prepared the meat and grilled it on the stove, it maybe not as good as it where if it was grilled outside, but it still will taste good. At the same time Nell prepared the potatoes and Tim made the salad while G and Lucas set the table.

Together they prepared the meal and now they eat it. On one side of the table set Tim and Jackson on the other Nell and Lucas, while G and Gibbs took the seats at both ends of the table. All adults share the same thought, they all hope that they will have many more of those dinners in the future. To all of them family is something precious. G never had one. Tim and Nell didn't really know, who they were either. Jackson as well as Gibbs lost their family and with it their connection to each other. Maybe this can give them all, what they wanted to have for a long time - a family.

The youngster on the table liked it as well, but with his two years he can't comprehend, what this means to the adults. He only sees and feels the happiness in the room and that in turn makes him happy. But his hunger is bigger at the moment. Lucas looks at the steaks and says. "Yummy, I hungry Mommy."

With a laugh Nell shakes her head and answers her son. "We have to do something about that." with that she puts a steak on his plate with some potatoes as well as salad. She knows that he probably will not eat the salad, but she still tries every time to put something healthy on his plate. Just like any child he only eats the minimum to placate his parents and nothing more.

G watches her doing that and smiles at her attempt to get their son to eat healthy as he starts to cut the steak into smaller pieces so that eating will be easier for him. It took him only a moment to get task done and G puts the plate in front of Lucas again. Even with only being two years old, he is a well mannered kid, that is why he waits and didn't start eating until all of the other people at the table have something on their plate as well. Which positively surprises all, beside his parents

As soon as Nells says to all the others. "Enjoy you meal!" The little boy starts to eat with enthusiasm.

For some bites there was silence on the table, but Tim was curious. He wants to get to know his little nephew, who looks like a smart boy to him. He also knows the perfect point to start. "So Lucas." he addresses him directly between his bites from his own plate. "How was your birthday?" That is always a good question with kids; they could talk endlessly about their birthdays.

Tim expected that he would answer him with a full mouth, but the little guy surprised him again. Instead of answering as soon as the question was asked he takes his time to empty his mouth, before he answers with. "Funny, we play tag in garden." A smile starts on Tim's face his nephew was apparently not a normal two year old and he likes that, he fits right into this family, nothing is normal with them.

"Nice I loved to do that as a child." Tim tells his nephew. He feels the eyes of his father on him as he talks with his nephew.

For Gibbs this conversation between his son and grandson is a possibility to get to know them both better at the same time. This statement gives him a good feeling that Tim still had a nice childhood, even if the Admiral was a shit father to him. Children need to be children and have fun, before the seriousness of life starts.

A smile starts on Lucas face, because with that answer he decided that he wanted to play tag with his uncle in the nice garden. "Can we play Unca Timo?"

A chuckle escapes the adults at the innocence of the child in their mid. "Of course if you like."

"Yay." Lucas squeals happy and almost pushed his plate off the table, but of course Nell saw that coming and stopped him.

After two years of being a mother she is a pro in handling her son and does it without thinking about it. G on the other hand isn't as practiced as her in being a parent and still is amazed by her actions as a mother, something that he loves about her. "It is getting late and you have to go to bed. That means you can play tomorrow." she tells her son sternly in her mom voice as G calls it. Watching them interact with each other always makes him smile.

A little disappointed Lucas accepts his faith. He may be only two years old, but he learned that it always is better to listen to his mother, if she uses that tone, so he answers. "Ok, Mommy." With that he takes another bite from his plate.

To change the topic Tim decides it would be a good idea to question him further about his birthday. "And did you get everything you wanted for your birthday?"

Lucas uses the chewing to think about his answer. He doesn't know, if he shall answer it. He got some really cool presents after all, but he still missed one thing and he doesn't know, what his parents would say to it. But something tells him to speak the truth, because even he knows that the truth something does wonders, maybe it helps. "Yes, but one thing miss?" he tells the table mysteriously.

Now both Nell and G were perplexed, because they bought him everything he wished for, so what were they missing? That question was on both their faces as they look at each other, but they didn't find an answer for it. But before they can ask him it was surprisingly Gibbs, who asks him. "What did they miss, Lucas?" He has a slight idea where this going, he remembers a similar discussion with Kelly as she was three years old.

A big smile starts on his face as he looks at his grandfather and says. "I want brother or sister, but don't one!"

The reactions to this statement were different and funny to watch for all the others, who weren't directly involved in it. Nell was shocked to hear her son say that and sends him that with his eyes as she looks at Gibbs. But the funniest was Gs reactions. Unfortunately for him he took a sip from his drink as his son answered and instead of drinking it, he was so shocked that he spit it out again. Which of course made the rest of the table laugh at the expanse of the parents.

Yep, he was right, Gibbs thinks. He tries to hide his amusement behind drinking from his glass, but the humor of the situation is getting to him and he has to laugh with Tim and his father. Of course neither his daughter nor his son likes to be laughed at, which of course made the situation even funnier. But the three laughing adults are in agreement as the stop laughing after some moments and give the parents some breathing room.

The old Gibbs or better his old self before he lost his girls would have made a joke about the situation. With the twins in his life his old self, which was buried deep in inside wants to come out. So he can't resist teasing his son and daughter that is why Gibbs asks. "What do you prefer a brother or a sister?" Of course that cracked his Dad and son up again and they laughed.

"Dad." Nell says outraged like it wasn't his business, which it isn't.

But this simply question achieved something else, his daughter called him Dad for the first time, since they know about their connection and that makes him happy like nothing else in a long time. That makes the teasing easier for him. "What? It was just a question." He tells her as he looks at her with a mischievous smile. "I only want to help you, so that you know, what you have get for him." He looks like a cat, which got the canary.

This side of Gibbs needs some getting used too, G and Tim think. They only have seen him like this occasionally. They can count those events on one hand. But it was a nice change to see him with a smile, a smile that was open and true.

"I think you know that it doesn't work that way." Nell says challenging. The challenge was to make him back down from the topic. She doesn't want to talk about this during dinner with her newfound family and her two-year-old son, no absolutely not. Considering that Lucas little wish pushed her brain in a direction she doesn't want to go at the moment. The best way for her now is to divert the topic as best as she can.

But Gibbs wasn't anyone, he never backs down form a challenge and as the good investigator he is, he saw the deer in headlights glance on her face for a moment as Lucas asked. So there has to be something amiss and the agent in him wants to know what. So he turned the tables on her in a teasing way. He knew his other interrogation techniques wouldn't work here. Not if he doesn't want to lose his daughter before they even have a relationship with each other. "Is that so. Can you please enlighten us, how it works?"

That took Nell of guard for a moment. But she covers is up with a shake of her head and answers. "I think not. I keep that particular discussion for a later date. A much later date." She doesn't even want to think of her baby becoming a teenager with hormonal urges, no absolutely not. Let alone thinking about having the Talk with him. That is why she turns her head to G and says with a big smile. "Not to forget he will take over that task."

In mock outrage G looks at her and says. "Me, but honey I think you are way better for that particular job." Not that he really means it. On the contrary he is looking forward to have the talk with his son and to show him all his moves, to get the girls. It is just funny that he for the first time is part of such a teasing family dinner and didn't sit in another room behind closed door and eats on the floor from a paper plate instead.

She shakes her head. "Oh no, not so fast, we are both parents and I decide that you take over that task."

A smile starts on his face and he answers. "If you say so." with that he takes sip from his drink.

All the adults are somehow part of this discussion, even if only in passive way like in the case of Tim and Jackson. They enjoy the free entertainment like nothing else. Only Lucas concentrates on eating, he achieved what he wanted to do, simply to get his parents think about it. He really wants a sibling, someone to play with. He likes his friends Kamran and Aiden, but he only sees them once a week so he has to play alone at home. But with a sibling he has someone to play with and now he hopes he gets one.

After finishing his dinner with some of the salad, which didn't taste good, he was done. To get the attention of the others he says. "Done."

In the same moment G's phone jimmied with a message from Sam. As he opens it, the message only says 'Independence day'. For people, who intercept that message it would only means the holiday or maybe the movie reference, but for G it means that his partner wants to talk to him. Ever since their first case as partners, where they had some communication problems with each other's this reference is a way to signal the other that they want to talk. With their current situation of not knowing, if they are watched, meaning if they are bugged, it would be better to do it in a stealthy way.

All the other adults look at him. A yawn escapes Lucas, a signal for his parents that he is ready for bed. No wonder, after all, it is after his regular bedtime. With that Nell stops eating and says. "I think it is time for bed now. It was a long day and little hero's like you need your sleep."

A pout starts on her sons face. "I awake." he says with conviction, too bad that another yawn escapes him.

Lovingly Nell shakes her head. "I don't think so, baby." with that she gets up. "Come on let us go brush your teeth and then I tuck you in as well as read you a story."

With a sigh Lucas declares defeat, because he knows his mother and that is why he is sure that his puppy dog eyes will not work on her. His daddy is the only one it works for now, maybe he found some new victims as he looks around the table. You always need all the help you can get. But he doesn't want to use it on G with so many people in close proximity. The risk to get seen using a manipulation technique is too high. He needs all his cards close to his chest. He may be only two years old, but that doesn't mean he doesn't know when and what to use as a weapon. "Ok."

With that the little boy gets up and together with his Mom he walks to the stairs, but before they take the first step Jackson asks Nell. "Would it be okay if I read him the story?"

His face was hopeful, he missed being a grandpa and so he can't let the chance he has to be on again, go by without trying. Nell reads that in his face. Instead of answering she looks at G, because they have a routine with their son and no-one else beside them put their son to bed since they live together. G understands what she is asking and it would be a good idea, because it gives them time to contact HQ. At the same time it would give Nell's grandpa and their son a moment to bond, so he declares. "That would be a good idea, we bring him to bed and Jackson reads him the story."

Nell is all for letting her son and her grandfather bond, but she is a little miffed that it has to be their nightly routine that is interrupted. She loves reading him a story, while he slowly falls asleep. Most of the time she stops as soon as he was asleep and simply watches him. But she accepts it, because she learned in the time her and G are together that he never does anything without having a good reason for it. "Ok." with that she looks at her son. "Come on baby, let's get you ready for bed."

The smile on Jackson's face was contagious. All the other males in the room have equally big smiles on their faces as Nell walks the stairs up to the bathroom with the little guy that connects all the people in the house more to each other. Jackson turns to G and says. "Thank you."

"No problem." was his answers, before he turns to Tim. "Can you get in contact with our team in HQ without being traced?" he asks his future brother-in-law, but with himself being a son of Gibbs as well, it actually makes them brothers. A short shake of his head bans that confusing thoughts for now. Forget the confusing thoughts they are simply family he decides.

That question took Tim a little bit of guard, not that he can't do it. No, that is fairly easy for him, but he doesn't know how his father will react to how he will achieve it. But he tries to hide it as he answers. "Yeah, that shouldn't be a problem."

But his father is a seasoned investigator and catches the smallest hints, if he watches his surroundings carefully, which he does all the time. "What aren't you telling us?" was his question. He used his boss voice and Tim's knows it, even if he tries to stop himself of being so harsh with his son, he can't stop being a hard-ass investigator that was part of him, almost second nature.

Caught Tim turns to his father. For a moment he considers to deny anything, but lying would be fruitless form the beginning. Not to forget, that he doesn't want to lie to his boss or better his father. So with a sigh he says. "The connection to MTAC" because that is the only room the others could be in, in Tim's opinion. "is almost impossible, because the room is secured against hacking attacks."

"Meaning?" Gibbs asks and looks at him with his piercing glare, the one he always uses, if he finds a bone and doesn't want to let go of.

"I established a backdoor to the MTAC through my desk computer in HQ without it a connection from outside isn't possible." Tim answers. He can't remember why he installed the backdoor, he only knows that he thought at the time it probably would be a good idea to have access. One thing he learned from Gibbs in all the time he worked for him, is always anticipate a coming move.

That statement tells Gibbs so much about his son. He may use illegal methods to get his job done, but he still is a little concerned, how others would read his actions. The SecNav, even the Director of the agency would read his son probably the riot act, but not Gibbs because this action tells him that his son tries to be prepared for everything. Something that he wanted to teach him and it is good, that it took. "Sounds good." he says and reaches for his son shoulder to squeeze it in acceptance.

"How long will it take?" G takes them out of their short father-son-moment.

With a shoulder shrug Tim answers. "Not long, 5 minutes tops." Tim was a very good hacker after all and it shows that his backdoor still is active. Nobody from the in-house tech guys caught it.

"Ok, let's get started, because Nell will be ready soon." he tells the room and then he turns to Jackson. "That means that you should go up there Jack, because with the exhaustion level Lucas displayed he will be out like a light in only moments after his head hits the pillow."

"Then I better go." Jackson says, takes his plate, which he finished while watching his family interact with each other. It was a nice sight and warmed his heart. His plate he brought to the sink, before he gets up to the room of his great-grandson. As he claims the stairs he thinks to himself, how long it will take for him to get used to being a granddad again. He hopes not long, because at the moment he enjoys it too much.

The others on the table take this as their que to finish as well. Tim was the fastest and as he gets up, he tells G. "Tell Sam that he shall be in MTAC in halve an hour, that should give them enough time to get there and establish the connection." As answer G simply nods and fires a message to his longtime partner. "Good, this way I have time to do the dishes."

"Let us help you son. This way it gets faster and we can talk about an idea me and G had during the drive here!" Gibbs says as he gets up with his plate in hand.

"Ok." with that the two start to do the dishes, while G finished dinner. He always was the slowest. Some would think that after a live in foster care, in homes, where he didn't always get food he would eat fast, which is the case for many foster kids. But he is different; he learned to appreciate food and always ate at the slowest pace to enjoy it the fullest. The added bonus was that this way he was full faster and didn't need as much food. It also gave him the possibility to hoard some of the food in to have it a later time. As he was done the other two men were almost done with the dishes, but he still helped them as he brought them his plate. They were done with it in minutes, no wonder with a dishwasher you only have to rinse the plates before putting them in.

Without word they finished the task and as they were done Tim say. "Come let's talk in the basement." With that the follow him and just like Gibbs and Nell, G was impressed with the setup in Tim's basement. It looked to him like an understated version of ops but still with the needed technology. Tim starts his computer, takes a seat on his chair and turns back to the other two men. "So what plan did you cook up?"

It was G, who answered. "We figured it would be a good idea to take the fight to them?"

"Meaning one of us gets used as bait." Tim concludes, he wasn't smart for nothing and he worked for his father for a long time. So he knows the way he works.

"Yeah." Gibbs says with a proud smile that his son knows him so well.

It was a good idea, but Tim doesn't like it, because he understands the underlining meaning of it loud and clear. It would be his father, who would give himself up as bait and that doesn't sit right with him. He knows, what his father is prepared to do to protect the people he considers family and that means dying for them. He looks at his father and the hard glances in his eyes tell him that there isn't anything Tim can do to stop Gibbs from doing this. "Dad you know that Paloma will kill you without thinking about it."

A sigh escapes his father, because he knows that and it doesn't surprise him that Tim knows, what he is willing to do. But he lost a family once; he will not do it again. "Yeah, but I have to do it."

That is something Tim can understand in a way. Before neither Tim nor G can answer to that, they hear Nells voice behind them. "You have to do what?" The tone in her voice was accusing and worried. Her logical brain supplied her with an idea she doesn't like.

Tim's knows that this discussion between her and Gibbs will be longer. She doesn't know him like Tim, she hasn't worked for him for years, so it could become a little heated and he doesn't want to be in the middle of it. So he turns back to his computer and opens the door to establish his connection with MTAC, it should only take moments. This way he maybe can stop the fight between his father and sister from escalating, should they be interrupted.

Gibbs sees the fire in her eyes and is reminded of Shannon. She always was angered with his decisions, if he would put himself into danger with them. He sees too much of her mother in her and it makes him miss Shannon more; he still carries the guilt that he couldn't protect them. Not to repeat his past mistakes cemented his decision. "I will give myself up as bait to get her out into the open."

"What?" she asks him surprised and angered.

"Yeah, we can't live here forever, no matter how nice it is." They all like the cabin, but it isn't home, it isn't a life for them and especially not for a growing boy, who needs friends of his own age. The family will always come first for Gibbs, no matter what.

"I know that Dad, but we don't know if it will work."

"It has to." he tells her matter of factly.

Before another statement can follow the biggest screen of Tim's computer activates and the others appear on the screen. It was Tony, who answers to get their attention. "Hey guys." He sees that something is amiss with the boss and his daughter that is why he tries to get them to focus on him.

They all turn to the screen. The Gibbs family on one side and the teams on the other one, they could see all of them even Hetty, only one person is missing and before anyone can say anything else, Nell asks. "Where is Deeks?"

In reaction Hetty let's her shoulders fall for a moment, before she is her hard self again. The only one to recognize it were Gibbs and G and it surprised them, what is going on with Deeks? But Hetty should have known that Nell would ask that question, she trained her after all. But before Hetty can answer it and somehow soften the blow, Sam says. "He has gone undercover as Max Gentry to get in contact with Paloma."

That shocked Nell she knows what this cover does to Deeks and she doesn't like it one bit. She looks at Hetty with a hard look and says. "You let him go undercover?" Her tone was acquiescing, angered and worried at the same time. All besides Hetty were surprised with Nell and the tone she used to address her boss with. But she doesn't care, not in this matter. The most important lesson Hetty taught her was, to always keep the agents, who work for you, save.

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