Chapter 21

Tony parked his car on the street, walked up to Ducky's front door and knocked. He figured Ducky would definitely be awake.

In moments, the door was open and Ducky was pulling him inside.

"Anthony! How wonderful to see you. Come in. How was your trip?"

"Pretty good. Here, I got you something."

Tony handed Ducky a t-shirt from the Grand Canyon and a shot glass from Meramac Caverns.

"Ah, the ubiquitous tourist shot glass," Ducky said as he accepted it. "I must admit that it's been a long time since I drank anything that would go into a shot glass, but I will treasure it."

"That might be too strong a word," Tony said, laughing.

"Well, you definitely don't look like you need a vacation from your vacation. So what brings you here?"

"Just dropping by before I go back to Norfolk. ...maybe ask a couple of questions."

"Of course. Please, come all the way in."

Tony followed Ducky to the study, glad that he had this easy conversation to look forward to. It was so nice when things were simple.

"You'll probably refuse tea, won't you."

"Yeah. Not really in the mood for it."

"Very well. What can I do for you?"

"First, would I be correct in assuming that Gibbs isn't in town?"

Ducky smiled. "That would be correct."

"Do you know if he's in his usual place?"

"I believe he is."

"Good. That makes it a little easier."

"Might I ask the reason for these questions?"

"I'm just making some...visits."

"And who else have you visited or will you?"

"Well, I visited Abby. I'm going to drop in at Jimmy's after I talk to you."

"And then, Jethro, correct?"

"Yeah."

"And would I be correct in assuming that your intention is to make things better for Timothy?"

"Yeah, although I don't know how well it'll work with Gibbs and Abby."

"Just remember that you can't control other people, Anthony," Ducky said. "Your intentions are admirable, but at some point, you will have to step back and let the chips fall where they may."

"Yeah, I know."

"So was your attempt to talk to Timothy successful?"

"Sort of."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning that we talked, but I'm not sure I convinced him that he's not the bad guy."

"Is that how he feels?"

"Yeah. He feels like he should have been able to make better decisions and save everyone a lot of problems, and he's worried that it'll happen again. But there's something else, too."

"What?"

"He's just trying to do too much and I got the feeling that part of the reason he's avoiding you guys is because it's easier just to go home. I convinced him to see if he could get a leave of absence until after Delilah has the twins just to give him one less thing to worry about."

"That's a good idea, Anthony," Ducky said. "I would guess that Director Vance will be willing, given the situation. Timothy has had enough trouble that an extended time away would likely be good for him."

"I hope so. I really don't like him being so down still."

"Nor do I, but remember that he's improving and it's only been a year. He has time. Now, tell me about what's going on for you. Anything new?"

"Well..." Tony hesitated and then decided that he was willing to entrust Ducky with his secret. He hadn't trusted Abby because he didn't want everyone in the world to know until he was sure this was working. "...I met someone a few months ago. We've been dating for about two months now."

Ducky looked delighted. "That's wonderful, Anthony! Did you meet her at work?"

"No. No relationship at all to work. I met her at a swimming pool. She works for a nonprofit. No connection to law enforcement. Her name is Jo."

Then, Tony pulled out his phone and showed him the picture he'd taken for Delilah.

"Here she is."

Ducky looked at the picture and smiled.

"I see you've chosen well."

"How can you tell from a picture?"

"I see someone who is likely unpredictable, given her hair. The smile on her face is real, indicating someone who is settled and happy in her life. And she does seem quite short."

"She is. She's a foot shorter than I am."

"Then, she must have a big personality to make up for that because I have never known you to pursue women who cannot hold their own against your own large personality."

Tony laughed.

"You've got her pegged."

"And you seem to really like her."

"I do."

"How serious is it?"

"Just fun for now."

"But you want it to be serious."

"Maybe," Tony said, smiling.

"Anthony, I am thrilled that you have found someone you can picture yourself with. It's been a long time coming and you are an example of the healing you want for Timothy."

Tony raised an eyebrow.

"I'm aware of some of your background," Ducky said. "And you are getting what you've always lacked: a family."

"Well, Tim gets a lot of the credit for that."

"Yes, I would never have guessed it based on the first few years you worked together. It seemed to be a case of barely-mutual tolerance."

"Yeah."

"It's honestly a marvelous thing to witness. You two have become family indeed."

"Yeah, and I think that, if you wanted to drop by his place, he'd be more willing to talk to you."

"That's good to know. If you have as many places to go as you have indicated, you'd better get on your way, but do keep me informed...of how your relationship is progressing."

Tony grinned as he stood up.

"I'll do that."

"Good lad."

Tony left Ducky's, feeling cheered as he always was. Ducky was the one person who pretty much always made him feel better about things. He hadn't always relied on Ducky this way, but really, since the whole thing with Dearing, Tony had found himself looking to Ducky more than he ever had before.

Then, he drove over to Jimmy and Breena's place. This visit probably wouldn't be long, but it would be fun.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x

Tim found himself alone midway through the morning. Virginia had taken Tommy out for some last "grandma time". Delilah had needed to lay down for a while. And so Tim was sitting in the living room, staring at his phone, trying to work up the courage to call Vance. He was afraid that his request would be seen as trying to milk his situation, even though that was the furthest thing from his mind.

Still, Vance couldn't say yes or no if the question wasn't asked.

Finally, Tim took a breath and dialed, hoping that the director wouldn't be too upset about being called on a Sunday.

"Vance."

"Hello, Director. This is Timothy McGee."

"Yes, Agent McGee? I'm surprised to hear from you on a Sunday morning."

"Yes, sir. I apologize for interrupting your day."

"I'm assuming you feel it's important, so what is it?"

"Let me preface this by saying that we'll figure something out if your answer is no. I know that I've missed more than my share of work in the last year or so. I don't want you to think that I'm trying to shirk my duties."

"Agent McGee, the idea of you trying to get out of doing your job is furthest from my mind. Just tell me what the purpose of your call is."

"Well, my wife will be due soon, and it's becoming very difficult for her to take care of herself. I know I already have paternity leave lined up for after the babies are born, but..."

"Babies?"

"Yes, sir. She's having twins," Tim said, chagrined to realize that he'd never mentioned that to anyone at work, not even his team.

"Go on."

"Like I said, I already made arrangements for paternity leave after, but with how difficult this pregnancy has been for Delilah, I was hoping that I could take an unpaid leave of absence so that I could take care of my wife. I'd be willing to lump my paternity leave in with the FMLA-allowed leave time."

"When is your wife due?"

"Well, about three more months, but we'll be lucky if she gets to seven months with the way things are going."

"I understand that you and Agent DiNozzo just took a week of personal days."

"Yes, sir," Tim said, and he decided to nip that in the bud. "Looking back now, I should have seen this as a necessity, but I was trying to do it all. It's just that it's becoming more and more difficult to do that and...well, Tony is the one who pointed out the problem. If you think that my taking more time off would be wrong, I will accept your decision. I've given NCIS a lot of problems in the last few years and I wouldn't want to..."

"Agent McGee," Vance interrupted, "you have not given NCIS a lot of problems. Your actions last year were the best that could be expected in a terrible situation. Admiral Jenkins has had nothing but good things to say about you and the way you conducted your investigation. He has said, more than once, that he appreciates all the sacrifices you made. My only concern was the timing, and you have answered that concern already. Given the situation, I think you're right that this is a necessity, not a luxury. When were you hoping to begin?"

"As soon as possible. Delilah's mother is here right now, but she can't stay forever. However, I know that this is short notice and that there are forms to fill out and..."

"Agent McGee, please, stop trying to convince me that you're making a bad decision. Give me a few moments."

Tim gulped. "Yes, sir."

He was on hold for a couple of minutes and then Vance was back.

"It just so happens that we have an interesting coincidence here. I've been trying to convince Geri Weaver at headquarters to take a team lead position for a few years now and she finally said that she'd be willing to try it, but only on a temporary basis. I've been looking for the perfect situation and this is it. She won't have to move anywhere since it's in D.C. and she could take over your team for the time being. That being said, I couldn't lay that on her without any notice. So you will need to be prepared to come to work through Wednesday, during which time you will get the appropriate forms submitted to HR. I will let them know that this is being done with my approval."

"Thank you, sir," Tim said, shocked that it had worked out so well. "I can't tell you how relieved I am."

"And Agent McGee, you have not taken too much time off. In fact, if it hadn't been for the extended leave time you had right after that case and how slowly you got back to work, I would have tried to convince you to make it easier on yourself. If you're feeling that weight, it's best to ease off for a while."

"Thank you," Tim said again.

"I'll expect to see you at your desk tomorrow, Agent McGee. I'll bring Agent Weaver over, although I believe you know her already?"

"Yes. She's on Agent Lovitz' team."

"Exactly. All right, Agent McGee. Tomorrow, then."

"Yes, Director. Good-bye."

"Good-bye."

Tim hung up and sat back. Part of him felt guilty for doing this, but he also felt as though the weight on his shoulders had suddenly lightened, just a little bit.

He sat there on the couch for a few minutes and then got up to tell Delilah.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x

Tony had the presents for all three of the Palmer family, and while he didn't spend as much time with them as he did with Tim and Delilah, he still enjoyed these visits.

The door opened and Breena hugged him almost before he could say anything.

"Tony! It's been ages since you stopped by. Come in. Jimmy, it's Tony!"

The first person who came running in, though, was not Jimmy. It was Victoria.

"Tony! Did you bring me a present?" she asked, grinning.

"Victoria!" Breena said.

Tony just laughed. "Actually, I did. I just got back from a trip and I have presents for all of you."

"Well, then, you'd better come and sit down and tell us about it. Jimmy!" she called again. "Victoria, go get your daddy. He probably fell asleep."

"Valid Sunday activity," Tony said.

They went into the living room and sat down.

"So what was the trip?" Breena asked.

"Tim and I took a road trip, drove Route 66 all the way to L.A."

"Wow. That's a long way."

"Two thousand miles," Jimmy said from behind them. "At least, that's what the song says, right?"

"Right and it's pretty much correct," Tony said.

"So you bought us some tacky souvenirs?"

"I'd never buy you something tacky," Tony said.

First, he pulled out the stuffed condor.

"Here, Victoria. This is for you."

"Tony," Breena groaned, but she was smiling.

"What is it?" Victoria asked.

"It's a bird," Tony said. "It's called a condor."

"It's weird."

"Do you like it?"

Victoria looked at it carefully, feeling the plush fur and examining the light pink head, the hooked beak, and the gray talons. Then, she hugged it.

"It's great! Thanks, Tony!"

"Now, you can go introduce it to your other stuffed animals," Breena said.

Victoria looked thrilled at the suggestion and she ran off.

"A condor? Really, Tony?" Jimmy asked.

"They're endangered."

"They're one step up from vultures."

"But that one is so cute!"

"I knew it. NCIS is going to warp my daughter's mind. Dad cuts up bodies. Mom embalms them. What more could she ask for?" Jimmy said and then laughed.

"Well, here are your presents," he said, handing them both t-shirts.

"Thanks."

"Oh, and just so you know, Tim bought you something, too. So he'll have to talk to you long enough to give it to you."

Jimmy sighed.

"Is it us or is it him? Really, Tony. I've tried."

"It's him. He thinks he's making it easier for you by staying away."

"I was afraid of that. It's just so ridiculous. I saw what happened. Tony, I was the first M.E. on the scene. I know what he had to go through, even secondhand. I'm the last person who would blame him for losing it. I was glad to go home and hug Breena after that day."

"But we weren't sure if there was something else going on," Breena added. "So do you think we could just drop by and visit?"

"I think you probably could. I know Tim was going to be trying to get a leave of absence until after Delilah is due."

"Is it going that badly?" Breena asked. "I was trying to talk to Delilah before, but when Tim stopped wanting to hang out, we figured that we'd better back off until we knew what was going on." She looked at Jimmy. "Actually, that would be a good excuse to go over there. I need to get her a baby gift."

Tony smiled and decided to tell one more person (well, two more) about the twins. Again, someone he could trust not to spread it around.

"If you're going to do that, you'd better buy two."

"Two? Really?" Breena asked, looking both delighted and concerned. "No wonder he needs to take the time off."

"Yeah. Delilah is already on leave."

"Wow." Then, Jimmy smiled. "What a coincidence."

Tony's brow furrowed. "Don't tell me that you're having twins, too."

"No, we're not. Not exactly."

"Meaning?"

Breena and Jimmy smiled at each other, a lot the same as Tim and Delilah had when they had told Tony about the twins.

"Meaning that Breena is expecting, but only one. But...we're adopting," Jimmy said.

"You are? I thought you'd given up on that."

"No. We just needed to decide what we wanted," Breena said. "And we're going to be adopting a little boy. He's just a year old. No family in the picture. He's been in foster care. We decided to adopt before we found out I was pregnant. So we're going from one to three, too."

"Perfect timing. You'll have that much more in common with them," Tony said.

"Yeah, if we can get them to let us in the door."

"Delilah will," Tony said. "She's been pushing Tim to get out more anyway."

"Good to know," Jimmy said. "Well, I'm glad you stopped by for more than one reason. We don't get to see you often enough now that you're at Norfolk. More often than Bahrain."

"Yeah, I didn't get one visitor from the States while I was over there. What gives?" Tony asked.

"Too hot," Jimmy said, without hesitation. "But maybe we can go down to Norfolk and visit you sometime. We can pretend it's a vacation since we're not going to be affording a real vacation with three kids under the age of five."

"Yeah, you should have planned better," Tony said. "Spaced them out a bit more."

"Best-laid plans," Jimmy said.

Tony stayed for another half an hour, catching up on things with them and telling them about the trip and what else he'd been doing. He didn't mention Jo this time, promising himself that they'd be the first to know if things got serious.

"Well, I've got to get going. I have to get back to Norfolk today."

"Okay, we'll see you later," Breena said. "And if we ever get organized enough to take a trip to Norfolk, we'll let you know."

"You'd better."

"Victoria, come and say good-bye to Tony!" Breena called.

Victoria came running into the room and kissed Tony on the cheek before running back to continue integrating the condor into her mass of stuffed animals.

Then, Tony left the Palmer residence.

Only one stop left to make. The hardest one of all.

At least, he had a few hours to think about it.