Knights of the NCIS Table—Tim's story Chapter 9

She gives him a hug and a shy smile as she says, "Thanks, I like holding a teddy bear every now and then."

A little voice pipes up from behind Tim's back, "I have a teddy bear. He's blue. I can share him if you want."

Donny peeks over Tim's shoulder and Holly smiles at the little boy. Tim gives a mock growl, pulls Donny over his shoulder and says, "I didn't say I wanted to share the teddy bear with you."

Donny shrieks with laughter as he dangles in Tim's firm yet gentle grasp. They've obviously done this on more than one occasion. Holly watches as Tim lowers Donny to his chest. The little boy reaches out and cups Tim's face, and then blows a raspberry against Tim's neck. Tim howls in mock rage and lifts Donny into the air once again.

"They'll do that for hours if I let them." Sarah's sitting up, smiling at her brother and son. Holly stands up and extends a hand to the younger woman. Sarah thanks her and they head into the kitchen. Holly looks at her boss in wonder.

"Laurie are you feeling all right? You actually let someone else cook?"

Laurie swats her playfully, "Had no choice, Tony here had breakfast ready when Jethro and I got back."

Tony, Sarah and Ziva all look at Gibbs in wonder. When had the two of them gotten on a first name basis? Holly giggles at the looks on their faces. Her boss wasn't one for calling someone by their last name, regardless of the years she'd spent in the military.

Laurie motions Holly over to her side and tells her of the arrangements she's been making on Holly's behalf. Laurie looks up as Tim and Donny enter the kitchen. She waits for Tim to sit down before asking him and Sarah. "I asked Tony and he thought you wouldn't mind if I made arrangements for your parents too?"

The siblings look at each other. They both know how devastated the other is feeling. Tim nods his thanks to Tony and tells Laurie that he's okay with her taking over the funeral arrangements. Sarah looks between her brother and her husband. While Tony hadn't been as close to her parents as she and Tim, he'd bonded with her dad over football and had endeared himself to their mother. She knows that he has to be just as overwhelmed as she and Tim are.

Gibbs says nothing as he watches the others. The grief is still there, but the initial shock is gone. Donny comes over and tugs on his pant leg. He bends down and picks up his grandson.

Donny pecks him on the cheek, and then nestles close. Gibbs knows that the little boy in his arms is thinking even if he doesn't know what he's thinking about.

"Granpa Jefro? Are you sad too? About Granma Maggie and Granpa John?" bright blue eyes stare into equally blue eyes. Gibbs blinks once, twice then clears his throat.

"I—I uh, I am a little sad. I really liked your other grandparents."

Sarah comes over to take her son, but Donny's latched onto the only other Granpa in his life. Tony's dad knows about Donny, but hasn't bothered to make his presence known. Gibbs has been there since day one. Donny buries his head in Gibbs neck, reminding the man of days long ago.

Laurie and Holly can see the range of emotions that cross all the other adults faces. Laurie starts to say something when Holly surprises her.

"Hey Donny, can you tell me a story about your Grandma Maggie?"

Story is the magic word. The blonde head pops up and the little boy nods. He motions for Gibbs to put him down. As soon as he does, Donny walks over to Holly. She picks him up and sits him on her lap.

"Granma Maggie used to—." As his story unfolds, Gibbs exits the room. Laurie follows close behind him, concerned by the emotion she sees in his eyes. Holly looks up at the other adults still in the kitchen. They all know what's going on, and are wondering how the current events would affect the man who plays such a vital part in their lives. Tim mouths the word, "later" and she nods as she listens to the rest of Donny's story.

The little boy falls asleep mid sentence, and Tony gently takes his son and lays him down in the living room. Sarah is close behind, and lays down beside her son. Tony starts to leave when Sarah asks him to hold her. He nods and lays down, holding her close. Within minutes, Tony is sound asleep too.

In the kitchen, Holly listens in near horror as she realizes that the deaths of not only her parents, but the McGee's must have brought the memory of Gibbs wife and daughter dying followed by his own personal vendetta, to the surface.

"Oh my God, Tim, how does he manage?"

Tim smiles wanly, thinking about the ever present boat in the cellar, the bottles of bourbon, the dedication to NCIS.

"The same way we will have to now, one day at a time. He never talks about it, but we all know, and try to understand when certain days roll around." Birthdays, holidays, the anniversary of their deaths, those are the days that the bullpen is either exceptionally loud or extraordinarily quiet.

Tim gives himself a shake, and starts cleaning up the dishes. Holly joins him at the sink, telling him that she'll wash since he knows where everything goes.

"How did your boss know where the glasses were?" Tony had told him about Laurie pouring Gibbs coffee before grabbing a glass for milk.

Holly smiles fondly. "That's part of Laurie's gift. She can walk into a kitchen and know immediately where everything is."

"Do you think that she was the one who avenged our parents?" Tim had noticed how quickly Laurie had followed Gibbs out of the room.

Holly shrugs, "It wouldn't surprise me, and it would be another reason for her tiredness yesterday."

Tim looks at her questioningly and Holly realizes that aside from being told Laurie is her boss, Tim knows nothing about her background. She quickly tells him that Laurie isn't just the owner/operator of the Knotted C restaurants.

"Laurie is the one who operated on me when I'd gotten shot. It's due to her skill as a doctor, that I'm alive today."

Tim nods as he takes in the information. Holly can tell that this man absorbs information like a sponge sucks up water. She remembers listening to his dissertation the one time they'd met. He'd spoken slowly, yet clearly making sure that the listener understood what he was discussing.

"I liked your seminar a few years ago. You made it interesting, the way you explained things."

Tim blushes slightly at the praise. Then he realizes that she had actually been on campus when he had. She smiles and tells him about being part of the security detail.

"You were the one that got shot later that night. Protecting the governor as he was heading to the airport." At her confirmation nod he checks her right hand, the one that had received the wound.

"I decided not to stay in law enforcement. I've seen the pain Laurie goes through with her wound. When we were talking after the surgery, she offered me a chance to become a cook in her restaurant. I was leery at first, but then I realized how satisfying it is to make a meal."

"You found a new passion." He knows that feeling; it's the one he gets whenever a new novel comes to life in his mind.

Holly nods slowly. It's been a long time since she's been able to talk this freely about her cooking. She realizes that she likes being able to share the love she has for cooking with Tim, even if they're only talking about it. She looks up and sees him staring down at her, green eyes full of questions and still hiding a hint of grief.

"Maybe, one day when we're past all this, we can get together and I'll cook supper for you?" The hope in her eyes fills him with a similar hope. A feeling he'd given up as being lost. He nods slowly and leans in to kiss her when there's a cough from the table.

***

A/N: awww and just when it was getting good too…lol. (Plot bunnies grin wickedly) And for those who want Tim and Donny to continue their story don't worry. It's written; just need the right place to insert it. Does anyone really know what the names of McGee's parents are? Remember, reviews are better than chocolate, well a close second anyway.