Knights of the NCIS Table—Tim's story Chapter 14
A/N: this chapter will focus mainly on Holly and Laurie, with a little of the team thrown in later.
Tuesday morning dawns just as bright and beautiful as Monday had. The birds are chirping joyfully outside Holly's window as she opens her eyes to start her day. She looks around her small apartment, sees her friend rolled up in a sleeping bag on the floor.
Laurie and Holly had stayed up quite late the night before, discussing the day to come as well as other matters.
Holly knows that any movement she makes will wake her friend so she lies in bed for a few more minutes. An hour later, Holly is woken up by the smell of fresh coffee and baking bread. She looks at Laurie in surprise, "when did you make bread?"
Laurie grins at her, "You had a loaf in your freezer. I took it out last night and covered it with a wet towel and let it rise in the fridge. Figured this way you'd at least get something in your stomach."
Holly nods slowly, knowing that her friend/doctor is correct. With the funerals today for her parents, she doesn't think she'll want to eat much of anything, but she's never been able to turn down freshly baked bread.
Laurie grabs the oven mitts out of their drawer and pulls the bread out of the oven. The golden brown loaf smells divine and Holly's stomach grumbles in agreement. Laurie tips the bread out of the pan after dipping a pastry brush in butter and liberally coating the outer crust in butter.
Holly hands her a serrated bread knife and watches in anticipation as the heel of the bread is cut off.
"Would you like the first slice, Miss Holly?" Laurie doesn't give Holly time to say anything before she takes a bite out of the crust.
"Hey!"
"Any cook worth her salt tastes the goods before serving them." Laurie laughs at Holly's indignant expression. She then slices off the other end and pulls out the honey bear. She dribbles a light coating of honey on that slice before handing it to Holly. Holly's eyes close in wonder at the heavenly taste of the honey coated bread.
Laurie takes advantage of Holly eating to take a shower and change clothes. She's not in uniform this time. Today she's wearing a pair of black slacks, with a white blouse and a black jacket. She sighs as she braids her hair back. Mentally she's thanking God that she only had three funerals to attend this week and not more.
As she exits the bedroom, Holly comes in and starts running water for her own shower.
"Hey Laurie, can I ask you a question?"
"Always. What's up?"
"Is it too soon for me to be falling in love? I mean, it's not just because of the tragedy that I'm feeling this way is it?"
Laurie sits down on the bed as she ponders her answer. "No, I don't believe so. I think you started falling for Tim McGee a few years ago, but time and circumstances took you away before you could do anything. This time around you have a chance and you already have the approval of his nephew."
"We all know that children are like tribbles…there's no accounting for taste at that age."
"Maybe, depending on the child, but this isn't an ordinary child, Holly. Donny DiNozzo is the child of two highly intelligent individuals and remember who his uncle is. After all, Tim has at least one Masters Degree, not to mention graduating not only MIT but Johns Hopkins as well."
Holly looks at her boss/friend with a friendly glare, "Hey, Tim's my boyfriend. You go after that silver haired Marine."
"Yeah, right. He thinks I've been lying to him and that's not something he can forgive."
"Lying? You? As if! What were you lying to him about?"
"Nothing, and that's where the rub comes in. I told him nothing about my past and guess which part he found out yesterday?"
"Ohh that can take a bit of explaining."
"Mmm-hmmm. I've been called to the principal's office bright and early Thursday morning."
"Maybe you'll get a paddling out of it." Holly's cheeky grin is hidden by the shower door.
"Watch it, or I'll tell Tim where your ticklish spots are."
"Whatever."
Laurie laughs and heads back out to the kitchen to finish cleaning up their breakfast dishes. There's a knock at the door and she opens it to find Gibbs standing outside. Once again he's dressed in a nice suit and tie and she can't help admiring the way he looks.
"Gibbs, I wasn't expecting to see you for another day or two. I'd ask you in but Holly's in the shower."
"That's fine; I'm actually here to ask if you two need a ride to the church or cemetery?"
"Thank you, I'm sure Holly will appreciate it." Gibbs notices that she doesn't say they'll both appreciate the ride. He says nothing as he eyes her current state of dress.
"You're not wearing your uniform."
"No, Dennis and Kristina wanted a civilian ceremony and are being buried in a public cemetery."
Holly comes into the room, and sees that Laurie's almost guarding the door. She steps over to see who her guest is and hides a smile at the sight of the ex-Marine. She clears her throat just before asking, "Laurie, won't you invite our guest in?
Laurie opens the door wide enough for Gibbs to enter then closes it behind him. Gibbs glances around the small apartment, sees the rolled up sleeping bag, and guesses correctly who uses it.
Holly pulls a cup out of the kitchen cupboard and offers it to Gibbs, "Coffee?"
"Please, thank you." He takes a sip and sighs in satisfaction. "Good coffee. What time do you need to leave?"
"In a half hour or so, I think." She looks at Laurie for confirmation. The other woman nods her head before hiding behind a sketch pad. There's another knock at the door and Laurie sighs as she puts her pad away.
Opening the door Laurie finds one Timothy McGee. He's shuffling from one foot to another as if mentally asking himself what he's doing there.
"Hi Tim, are you here to see Holly?"
The man blushes and nods. Laurie opens the door and Tim walks in stopping when he sees his boss there.
"Hi, boss, I uh called Holly and she said that she needed a ride?"
Holly comes back out of her bedroom. Her black dress is accented by a single strand of pearls. She smiles at Tim when she sees him, and gives him a soft kiss on the cheek.
"Thank you for coming."
Laurie looks at her friend who gazes oh so innocently back at her. Laurie shakes her head in amusement. Her friend is trying to play matchmaker. Rather than make a big scene Laurie sighs as she looks over at Gibbs.
"You still available for a ride to the church?"
Gibbs smiles at the young couple in front of him and nods. They follow Tim and Holly out to Tim's car where a big German shepherd is waiting. Holly waits for Tim to open her door before she turns to Jethro and starts caressing the dog's ears. Tim walks over to Gibbs' car.
"We'll see you at the church then, boss?"
"Yeah McGee, don't be late."
"Boss, just because I don't drive like you and Ziva does not mean I'm going to be late." Tim chuckles as Gibbs tears out. He gets into his car and looks at Holly.
"They'll be there a good fifteen minutes before we will."
Holly waits until they're on the road before asking him, "Is Gibbs seeing anyone? Not for me, but for Laurie. I think they make a nice couple."
Tim smiles as he continues driving. "Abby dropped Jethro off this morning and was stewing because Gibbs is a little preoccupied lately. We think it's due to your boss."
Tim thinks back to the conversation he'd had earlier with Abby just as she was dropping off Jethro. He'd been woken by the sun shining brightly in his window. He stretched slightly before being greeted by the enthusiastic woof of his best animal pal, Jethro. The dog is being accompanied by Abby who had picked up the shepherd from the kennel after the group had dispersed the day before.
Abby knocks lightly on Tim's bedroom door before letting Jethro in to see his master. After tousling the dog's ears and giving him a good rub down, Tim slips out of bed and walks out to his living room.
Abby is sitting at his computer, staring blankly at the black screen. Tim places a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, what's up?"
"Do you think he likes her?" He notices for the first time that her hair is hanging straight and not in her usual pig-tails. She's not bouncing off the walls and her makeup is almost non-existent.
"Sorry, Abby, but I'm not really sure what you mean." He finishes putting on his suit and tie as he waits for her to respond.
"Gibbs, he's been so different lately. Oh I know that we're not compatible or anything like that, but still, ever since he met her he's been so…"
"Upset, or happy or somewhere in between." Tim still has no idea why she's there.
"In between, almost like silver mercury, unpredictable. More so than he usually is, it's like he's…"
"Got the hots and can't do anything about it?" Tim's slight sarcasm is met with an enthusiastic nod
"Exactly! He wants her and she's having nothing to do with him…oh I should go give her a piece of my mind. She can't play with my Gibbs emotions that way."
Tim says nothing as she stalks out the door. He looks at Jethro and sighs. The big dog pads over to him and lays his head in Tim's lap, looking up at him with soulful eyes.
"She does that every time he meets someone. Usually intimidates the other woman to back off or finds a way to make them leave. I don't think the commander will do that Jet. She's a good woman; I feel it in my gut."
The German shepherd closes his eyes as Tim keeps a steady hand running over his head. As the clock chimes Tim gives the dog one last pat before heading towards the door. Jethro cocks his head at his master. Tim shrugs and pulls out his cell phone.
"Hello, Holly, it's Tim McGee. I just wanted to say thank you for coming over yesterday. It meant a lot to me that you were there. I know it's short notice, but do you—would you—do you need a ride to the church?"
He looks at Jethro and the mutt just gives him a doggy grin and a wag of his tail. "You don't mind if my dog comes with us do you? He's very well behaved…I need to make it up to him for kenneling him yesterday."
He smiles and tugs on his coat. He flips the phone shut and smiles down at his dog. "Get your leash."
The dog dashes for the door that the leash is kept on and brings it over to Tim.
"Good dog." He snaps the leash on and Jethro leads the way out the door and to the car. Tim looks at his Porsche and wonders how he's going to get three adults plus the dog in there. He shakes his head as he gets in the seat. After fastening his seatbelt, (something he really didn't worry too much about until he started working with Gibbs, during which time it became a matter of life and death with the way not only Gibbs but Ziva drove) he turns the car on and eases into traffic.
He drives the two blocks to Holly's apartment and is somewhat surprised to see an agency car there. Thinking about his earlier conversation with Abby, he wonders if she's right about Gibbs, if the other man does have some sort of preoccupation with Holly's best friend.
Holly smiles when Tim stops talking. "For what it's worth, I think she's interested in him too. She's worried about making him understand why she couldn't tell him everything the day that you all met. The appointment with him on Thursday should help clear thing up a bit."
"She's a Navy SEAL isn't she? I saw the trident on her uniform yesterday. I just didn't place it until last night. Is that what made Gibbs mad at her?"
Holly sighs and shrugs her shoulders. "Possibly, but we really don't know. I mean, she's not been able to disclose much about her past. She still can't tell him everything, but maybe she can tell him enough that he can start trusting her.
Tim frowns as they pull into the church parking lot. He's worked with Gibbs for almost ten years now and knows that the older man doesn't trust easily. He sighs when he sees the older couple waiting for them. "Well, if nothing else maybe we can get both of them laid."
His light quip is met with a giggle from Holly. She'd been thinking the same thing.
"If we're lucky, they'll like each other out of bed too."
An hour later, the smiles are replaced with silent tears as Holly and Laurie say their final goodbye's to Holly's parents. Tim makes sure that he stays close to Holly's side, one arm around her shoulders, the other holding her hand as she listens to the closing comments from the priest.
Gibbs can tell from the set of Laurie's shoulders the exact moment that she starts crying. It's a slight change in her posture, almost imperceptible, but it's there. A quick slump and then she's back to being ramrod straight. He silently offers her his handkerchief and she takes it from him in silent gratitude.
As they leave the cemetery, the couples leave the same way they'd come. Tim and Holly with a slightly subdued Jethro head back towards Holly's apartment. Gibbs escorts Laurie to his car and drives her back to his place.
Tim's watching the rear view mirror and smiles faintly when he sees the other car turn away from his part of town. He escorts Holly up to her door and is turning to leave when she quietly asks him if he'll bring up Jethro and stay for a bit.
A/N: Almost done with Tim's story guys. Another chapter, maybe two and then we'll see about exploring Gibbs story…if you want me to that is. Reviews are better than chocolate...well a close second. Thanks as always for reading and reviewing.