I did it again! Sorry...enjoy the chapter.

Chapter 25

When they went downstairs, their brothers were in the kitchen, Geordie having breakfast while Rob noshed on one of his cheese, nuts and fruit snack packs.

Geordie looked at them, glad to see they really were a family and Gibbs was Dad. The two of them had been corresponding for a few months when he received letters from his siblings reporting the adoptions. Tim was ecstatic while Rob and Sarah were happy but felt odd after being Tim's children nearly all their lives. They'd also written about Andy, Artie and Marissa. Tim hadn't mailed his letter about Andy right away and added another page telling Geo about Artie, her sister and the baby moving in with them before he'd finally mailed it.

As Geo told them about the batch of mail with the dizzying number of changes, and amount of information, they smiled and Tim said, "We won't have to do that anymore. You're home now."

Sarah narrowed her eyes, "You're coming to Brambury with us."

He grinned, "Like you guys would let me stay here!"

Tim shook his head, "Nope, we wouldn't! The Corps has had you for nearly 18 years, it's our turn now."

"What am I going to do there? Once I'm all healed."

"What you've always planned to do, go back to school, get your credential and your Masters." Sarah gave him one of her sassy looks, "They have colleges and universities in the UK, you know. You might even have heard of a few!"

He laughed at that, "Ok, ok, I get your point! How long are each of you planning to be over there?"

Tim leaned over to kiss the top of his head, "Still can't believe you're really here! I'll be there for at least another 18 months. After my contract with Bedford is up, Vance has something new he wants me to do, something not in the field. He's also said I can work in the London office, seems to think that's the best place to test out whatever this new job is. But I don't know, we're also talking about moving home after Bedford. Dad might want to move home. And 4 years away from home might be too long, might just do 2. We'd like Andy to have a chance to live in the US before he's through high school. Two years would mean the kids will have good memories of Brambury and that's important. And with any luck, the case that has London Metro, MI-5 and the FBI still protecting all of us will be settled by then, at least in the UK." He stopped, "Sorry, got carried away!"

Geordie patted his arm, "That's okay, I asked. So move home in anywhere from 18 months to 4 years?"

"Yes."

"Rob?"

"I'm in my 3rd year of residency and committed to one more. After that, there's a program here, I mean there, that I'm interested in. I can officially finish my residency, start my life as a pediatric physician and continue to study a specific specialty. That would be another year. After that, I'm coming home. I love London, Brambury, being with the family and all the travel we've done and our home but my goal has always been to help kids in the U.S., specifically in Baltimore and that hasn't changed. I want to open a sliding scale clinic in our old neighborhood, work with the free clinic to make sure anyone there can get help, especially the children."

"Sarah?"

"I'm staying in the UK for the foreseeable future, Geo. James isn't ready to jump the pond."

"I remember he works for NCIS but I've forgotten what he does. Sorry guys, the explosion hurt more than bones and ligaments." He made a noise as his siblings each gently hugged and kissed him.

Finally, Sarah replied, "He's in IT, working on software to improve life for the agents who have to do so much paperwork. He was telling me how many databases they, sorry, I should include Tim, Dad and Tony, how many different places you have to go for information to put in your reports. How they're all formatted differently."

Tim was having trouble hiding a grin. "He's working on new software?"

"Sort of. It's a program someone else wrote, he doesn't know who, so a specific form can be started, and, for example, put the case number in. The new software will automatically go and get the information it needs, translate it into the correct formats for the report form and prefill. He says they estimate it'll save millions of dollars and resources for the field agents and that it's 20 years overdue."

Rob frowned, "If someone else wrote it, what's James doing?"

"They're testing each piece and getting it ready for production, for all the offices."

"Wow! When will that be happening?"

"Uh, I think he said April."

Tim sat back in his chair while Geo narrowed his eyes at him and then decided to keep his mouth shut for now. He could ask him later. Might be something not everyone needed to know. Instead, he changed the subject, "So, you want to do a new picture of the four of us?"

"Yes! Won't be exactly the same, Rob and I won't be clinging to Tim's legs. And he won't be wearing clunky black walking cast boots on his legs."

"Ok, let's do this here then. Robbie, you have the longest arms, you can…"

Dad walked into the kitchen, holding a jewelry box. "Hello!"

"Hi, Dad. We've decided to put some photos on that family tree Sarah started. She has the photo from the shelter, the first one, so we thought we'd take a current one."

"And Artie has some photos of us when we first met her, so we'll include those too."

Dad nodded, "Good idea. I'd like copies of those. Want me to take a shot of you four now?"

"Sure!"

He took Sarah's phone and took several photos. Handing the phone back to his daughter and the box to Tim, he refilled coffee mugs before pouring some for himself. "So, that's got us to 0640, what's next?"

They chuckled before realizing he was right. They'd eaten and everyone but Geordie had showered and dressed. Geordie looked at Gibbs, "Rob says you're going to Baltimore today. Mind if I tag along? With the doctor's permission, of course."

They looked at Rob, who nodded. "You walk, you sit. Nap in the van or the car. Wear full cold weather gear, you know how cold it gets at the camp."

"Great! Andy, Artie and Tim are going too, plenty of room for one more. We'll drive the van to the shelter and camp. I have toys for Christmas for the kids and a few other things. Then we'll go to Freddie and Jose's to get my car."

Geordie just looked at him, "Your car is at Freddie and Jose's apartment?"

"No, no, my car and pickup are stored in their garage at their office. They don't share the same apartment anymore."

Geordie shook his head, "So weird. Of all the changes in the family, that one's the hardest to get through my head. That Tim's NCIS family knows our Baltimore family so well. Or at all."

Tim titled his head, "Finally told the team about Baltimore, the shelter and camp when Greg and Kyle's mother went missing. Lu called me to report her missing, Greg was with Mrs. H and Kyle with Linda Mac and they heard all that."

"Did they drive you nuts? Uh, sorry Gibbs."

He shook his head and with a look at Tim, received permission to answer the question, "No, made them wait until we had the killer in custody. And by then they'd had several big clues. And I knew already, Tim told me the basics on the way to the shelter that first day, learned more after the visit to Bethesda to check on Commander Hart who turned out to be Patrick McGee and then I read the rest of your brother's file."

Tim picked up after that. "Gibbs met Lu that night at the shelter, met Barry at the city morgue, same night. The boys and I were staying here but while I was visiting Pat the next afternoon, Legal came down on Gibbs, said I could not remain in contact with them. So I had to move us out and into the Silver Spring apartment. Rob and the guys helped me move the next day, that's when Freddie and Jose met Gibbs. And Bill…oh he was building the bunk beds for the boys, and he built another one for Andy and Rissa. Don't know how that came about, Tony must have talked with him."

Geordie nodded, "I know that one! Bill told me that, said Tony called and asked if he had time to build another set of bunk beds for Andy and Rissa. Paid him, too."

Tim nodded, "Thank you, mystery solved! Bill didn't mention how much, did he?"

Geo shook his head with a laugh and Tim continued. "Rob and Dad drove up to Cambridge for Thanksgiving last year. I already had the offer to stay at MIT through May and the offer from Bedford. And I was fed up with the crap NCIS was pulling on me. So the boys and I rode home with Dad the day after Thanksgiving. Oh, Dad, that's when they found out the details."

"Right, I'd forgotten that. While Tim, Greg and Kyle were here, we invited the team and the Baltimore folks to dinner. That's when we all met, Geo. Tim, Rob, Lu and the guys explained life at the shelter and camp to our team. When Tim and the kids came home at Christmas, we had everyone for Christmas dinner. Then when we left for the UK a month early, Tony and Bill offered to get Rob and Tim's cars sold for them. I didn't want to sell the Challenger or my truck so Freddie and Jose put them in long term storage in their garage."

"And?"

Gibbs looked at Tim and then nodded, "Forgot about that. Jose wanted Tim's apartment so we moved Tim's stuff out and his stuff in."

"Wow, you've done a lot together."

"Yes. Last month, they joined the others for Thanksgiving at Ducky's."

Geordie laughed at his lingering shock and Rob looked at him, "Turns out we're all just people. Not so different and with one major thing in common: Tim."

"Cool!"

They heard footsteps on the stairs and Artie joined them. "Good morning, Geordie. Hello again, everyone!"

"Have fun with the kids?"

"Yes, we played a few games and Andy and Greg read aloud to us. Then we remembered they had schoolwork to do, so they're doing that. Kyle and Marissa were playing something together and they both fell asleep." She smiled at the mug of coffee Jethro put in front of her, "Thank you, Jethro. It's a good thing we engineers like our coffee as strong as Marines, doctors, writers and criminal investigators do!"

"You're welcome. I brought the box of family jewelry home yesterday while you were all asleep."

"Oh, wonderful! Then we can pick our rings!" She looked at Tim, "Shall we do that now, my love?"

"Yes, I've kept you waiting long enough!"

She opened her mouth to say she had no complaints but instead just smiled serenely. Jethro put the box in front of them, she was sitting next to Tim, and opened it up, saying, "I don't know how my dad left this, if it's organized or notes as to what belonged to who."

Inside the box was a piece of paper sitting on something flat that covered the interior. The paper had writing on it that Dad said was Jack's.

Tim read the note aloud, "Whoever's reading this, I sure hope it's Leroy. Son, I hope you''ll share what's in here with your team, your family. As I write this, I've only met them once and I can tell already they're good kids who love you. Even if you are a grump like your old man. Don't know yet about your girls, but Tim and Tony both need a dad and seems like they'll follow you anywhere. Be good to them! Love, Dad."

Tim grinned, "Nailed that!"

"Who were your girls?" That was Geordie.

"Abby and Ziva David, a former Mossad operative who worked with us for nearly a decade."

"What happened to her?"

"Her father died. They'd had bad blood between them for years and he was just starting to make an effort to reach out to her when he was killed. We found his killer but Ziva never recovered emotionally. Later that same year, the team had to break up for a while, politics; she went home to Israel and never returned."

"Sad."

Tim looked at his brother as he worked on the box, "It was, it was tough for all of us." He grimaced at the wood covering. "Shoot, this thing is not coming out and my rule 9 is locked away upstairs."

With a grin, his father handed him his knife. "Here you go."

Artie frowned, "Rule 9? Is that a secret code for a knife? And why do you have one at all?"

Three voices answered her, Tim, Jethro and Geordie, "They don't run out of ammunition."

"Oh! I never thought of that. I do remember in Cambridge you used to throw that homemade thing at a target, you said you might have to use it in your law enforcement career."

"And I did. Not my shiv, but a knife." Working around the sides, Tim gently but firmly cut through the wood. "Think he used super glue on this."

Dad huffed, "Sounds like Jack!"

The wood gave to the knife and was quickly lifted out. Tim handed the knife back and they all looked at what lay beneath. Piles of small white envelopes with writing on the front of them.

"Cool, it's all labeled."

Artie grinned, "This will be fun!"

Her father-in-law made a face, "Might not be anything you like in there."

She smiled at him, "I'm not worried!" Removing 3 envelopes, she put them on the table. "We'll have to be careful that we don't mix up the jewelry, put it into the wrong envelope!"

Looking at the first one, she read, "Sarah Mildred Cahill Gibbs, mother of Jackson Gibbs, grandmother of Leroy Jethro Gibbs. Her engagement and wedding bands. The center stone in her engagement ring is her birthstone, peridot, for August." Opening the envelope, she shook out the two rings and looked at them. "They're lovely, but that style and color won't go well with my skin tone." She smiled, "Perfect for an Irishwoman, not so much for a Greek woman!"

Dad had tape out and after the rings were back in the envelope, he carefully taped it shut.

Neither of the other two envelopes had jewelry in them that suited Artie. Putting them aside, she removed 3 more, noticing Sarah taking notes, interesting. The fifth envelope had a ring with a beautifully set amethyst as the center stone, with diamonds surrounding it. Tim smiled as soon as he saw it. "That's you, honey!"

She nodded, putting it on. "It fits perfectly, I love it! Who did it originally belong to?"

Tim looked at the envelope, "Charlotte Baxter. Dad's maternal grandmother."

"Beautiful! And I love the wedding band, too, Timothy."

Rob was looking through the box for Mr. Baxter's rings. While this was interesting, he could see his brother and Artie were on the verge of getting even mushier than usual. He pulled out the envelope as Tim was leaning closer and closer to Artie. "Here's Mr. Baxter's ring, Tim. Maybe it'll work for you."

Watching his youngest brother's frantic search through the box, Geordie didn't even try to hide his laughter as Rob nearly threw the envelope on the table between Tim and Artemis. Tim opened the envelope and put the ring on, "Fits fine."

Artie shook her head, "No, that's the wrong metal for your skin tone. You need warm gold for your pale skin."

As she spoke, Rob went back to the box, removing all the envelopes with male names on them. Tim opened each of them but none of them suited. Finally, Dad rolled his shoulders. "Wish I knew where my dad's ring is, that was gold. Tim, do you know if he was buried with it? I was kind of in a fog at the funeral, don't remember a lot of details."

Tim shook his head, "It wasn't buried with him. Tony and I worried about that, thinking you might want it and asked Breena how to find out. Instead of answering us, she asked the mortuary guy about the ring, who said no, it wasn't buried with him."

Dad chuckled, "That's our Breena! I'll ask LJ if he knows anything about Dad's ring." He turned to Geo, "LJ, Leroy Jethro Moore, was my parents' best friend, is my godfather, namesake and was co-owner of the market he and Dad bought in a town owned by the local mining company. He and my dad had a falling-out when my mom died, I was about 14, and LJ left town. Lost track of him until about 3 years ago. I found him when he was on the sidelines of one of our cases. He and Dad patched things up and they were still strong when Jack died last year."

Geordie smiled, "Will he be here for the wedding? I'd like to meet him!"

"He'll be at the wedding but he's coming for Christmas too. You'll have a better chance of talking to him then!"

Tim grinned, "He has many young Jethro stories!"

Dad pointed at him, a wicked gleam in his eye, "And payback will be had if I ever meet your mother's family."

"Oh, man! Sarah, off the table forever!"

She smiled, "All right, Tim, that's not a problem."

Rob looked at his watch, "Hey, we killed another hour, it's almost 8:00!"

Tim looked at his dad, "Leave in thirty, if that's enough time for you, Geordie?"

"Thirty minutes is good, moving kind of slow and Rob will have to redo some stuff after my shower."

"Take as long as you need, son, no rush."

"Need to make sure Andy's ready. We can load up the van, take the kids' seats out."

Andy was just finishing his schoolwork and changed into warmer clothes. Artie grabbed Tim's warmest jacket and cap, remembering his tales of the wind blowing through the camp. Kyle woke up long enough to look at them, smile sleepily and fall back to sleep. His new mama pulled another blanket over him, making sure Greg and Marissa were warm enough too, kissing all three.

The kids' seats were piled in the back of the van, along with the large box of toys made by Dad with help from everyone in the Brambury household. Even Susannah painted a toy truck before she left.

Dad was in the driver's seat for the trek to Baltimore, then Tim would drive the van home, planning on detouring to show Andy and Artie where the old apartment was and they thought they'd stop in at Elaine's diner for lunch on the way.

When they'd planned the trek to Baltimore, they figured 15 minutes max at the shelter, say hello, show Artie and Andy around, stash the box of toys in Lu's office and then walk over to the camp, another maybe 20 minutes to include the walk to and from. But then they'd brought warm things and some treats for Nate, Juanita and Big John, so now they'd drive over there. They couldn't stay long as Jose would be waiting for them at his office, with the keys to the garage and the Challenger. And it would take some time to put the car back together.

What the men hadn't taken into consideration was Lu. She hadn't seen them in too long and was meeting Artemis and Andy for the first time. She'd made coffee and hot chocolate and baked cookies for Tim's loves. She greeted each of them, fussed a little over Geordie, who knew it was because she cared, hugged Artemis and almost cried when she met Andy. "Oh, you look so much like your father! I'm so happy to meet you and your mother!"

Andy beamed the whole time, Papa hadn't mentioned Aunty Lu would be like a yaya to him! He and Artie were shown the shelter, which was closed for cleaning, while Geordie sat at one of the long tables, sipping coffee, laced with hot chocolate to keep Rob happy. After his brother and Gibbs finished unloading the toys and a few other goodies, they joined him.

Geordie already knew about Lu and Gibbs' brief dating history and looking at the two of them, believed he saw regret. He thought about saying something, even though it wasn't any of his business by a mile, and decided Lu would be the one to tackle rather than Gibbs. But not now, not today. Maybe he'd call her…huh. He wasn't allowed to do stairs, no basement and no privacy in the room he was sharing with his little brother and probable future father. Ok, he'd send her an email.

The drive to Nate's was very short but as cold as it was outside, all of them were glad to be inside for another couple of minutes. That reminded Tim and Geordie of the cold they'd endured as kids and the two looked at each other, glad they'd brought all the extra blankets and warm clothing that Tony, his team, the Palmers, Ducky and Abby had gathered. Ducky told them they'd had a winter blanket and clothing drive aboard the Yard and today their bundle was comprised of the items that had arrived after the official deadline. The bulk of the items from the drive were delivered around Thanksgiving. Nate greeted his boys with hugs and shook hands with Dad, giving him a slap on the shoulder. "Good to see you, Jethro!" He smiled again as he shook hands with Artie and Andy. "Glad to meet you in person! And I was right, Andy, you look like both parents, perfect!" He turned back to Geo, frowning at him. "You all right, Geordie boy?"

"Getting there, Nate. Got hurt pretty bad."

"You going back?"

"Not for several months and not to the same thing. Couldn't, even if I wanted to."

"You did good, Geo. Served your country well and lived to come back to your family."

"Thanks, Nate. I'm just grateful to be here."

Tim and Big John unloaded the van while Dad put more wood into the oil drum fires. The drums were in a circle and the tents had been moved closer. They had enough wood to keep the worst of the chill off at night and to burn occasionally during the day but if the temperatures dropped too far, the camp residents would be sent to the shelter. Until then, the blankets and extra clothing would be very welcome. Nate smiled at the packages of food. "Thanks! You all are too good to us!"

Tim and Geordie looked at each other and then back at Nate, "You took care of us, it's our turn."

"Aw. We got ourselves some good men here, Jethro."

Dad smiled proudly, "Yes, we do, Nate, men and women! Proud of all of them!"

"Tony's been down here, too, you know. He and a pretty blond gal brought a truck load of blankets, shoes, socks and clothes for us. 'Round about Thanksgiving. He's been here several times, sometimes with one of my boys, sometimes by himself or with that friend of yours, Jethro…name starts with an 'F'."

"Fornell?"

"Yeah, that's it. They came during the summer, brought hot dogs, ice cream and lemonade for everyone one day. They were back after they went to see you, showed us pictures of your trip to that beach, sure looked like fun!"

Andy and Artie had a very quick tour of the camp which gave them more of an idea how Tim, Sarah, Rob and Geordie had lived during their childhood.

NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS

Back in the van, Andy had a few questions that his father and uncle answered. When they reached Freddie and Jose's business office, Geordie understood why he'd been so confused. His friends hadn't had an office the last time he'd been to Baltimore, several years ago. They'd operated out of their apartment and van; they'd been thrilled when they bought that van. Now they had an office with what looked like a warehouse converted to a big garage and storage.

Pulling the rental van in front of the office, Gibbs let the engine idle while Tim went into the office to get the keys to the garage and the Challenger. They figured that with two of them working, it would take about half an hour to get the car drivable. While Geordie wouldn't be allowed to physically help, he'd provide instructions to Tim so Gibbs could work uninterrupted. Artie and Andy would wait in the nice warm office, both had reading material with them.

Tim emerged from the office, beckoning them in. Inside, Jose gave Geordie another welcome home hug and then shook hands with Artie and Andy as they were introduced. Andy looked curiously at him and Jose laughed, "Andy, I'm like you, a product of two different cultures. My father was Swiss and my mother Peruvian, I have her features and my father's coloring. Now, why don't you all stay here and I'll get the car. It's ready for you, Gibbs."

Gibbs' eyebrows flew up, he certainly hadn't expected that! Jose grinned, "One of our plumbers is staying in the bunkhouse for a few days, waiting for his new place to be ready, and he got bored the other night. He remembered Freddie saying the Challenger would be picked up today and called me, asked if it was all right to put it back together. He works on cars in his spare time so I wasn't worried about him messing up. I took it for a test drive yesterday and it's fine."

"Wow, that's great! I'd like to leave him something."

"If you'd like but It's not necessary, you're already paying for storage. And he did it for fun."

"I understand but I'd still like to leave him something."

With a smile, Jose went behind the front counter, coming back with a plain envelope. Stopping to write the plumber's name on it, he handed it to Gibbs. "Here you go."

Geordie wanted to see how the building was set up, so he, Gibbs and Joe walked across to the large building while Tim, Andy and Artemis stayed in the office. Geordie was impressed with the garage and the basic living quarters, what Jose called 'the bunkhouse'. It was big enough for four people with 2 sets of bunk beds that he bet Bill made, hooks and a few shelves on the wall for clothing, full bathroom with a shower, and a kitchen area with a microwave, small refrigerator, sink, a bistro table with chairs, a couch and small TV.

Geo thought that their circle of friends, survivors of a childhood on the streets, would always be sure to have extra room and board for anyone who might need it. He was also sure that not everyone who'd stayed here had been an employee of Joe and Freddie's. At least not to start with. From what Tim and Barry had written him over the years, their plumber friends had taken in more than one young person from the streets, made sure he or she earned a General Equivalency Diploma to prove their high school level knowledge and then arranged for them to be apprenticed to the same plumbing company where the guys apprenticed.

The garage had four bays and Geo smiled at the look on Gibbs' face when he saw both the Challenger and his truck. He knew about Jack building the Challenger and then waiting years to give it to his son. And he knew the old pickup truck had links to Gibbs' first wife and little girl. Then he realized both vehicles had all their tires on and looked freshly washed. "He did both?"

Joe laughed, "Yeah, I kept that for a surprise. Wasn't sure if you'd want them both but here they are."

Geo grinned, "Gibbs, I can drive. It's a standard transmission, right?"

"Yes. Geordie, are you sure?"

"Yeah, my right leg is stronger than my left, and there's nothing wrong with my eyesight or reflexes. We could have 3 vehicles while we're here. You know that'll come in handy, for one thing, we won't have to keep moving the kids' safety seats in and out. You or Tim can follow me all the way home."

Gibbs gave him a long look and then smiled, "All right, Geo, but you take it slow and easy. I'm not worried about the truck, don't want you to get hurt again."

"Thanks, Gunny, I'll be all right. And we're headed home now, right? Beat the afternoon commute?"

"As early as we are, thought we might stop into the Navy Yard, get that little tour over with. It'll give Tim less time to think about it and I know Greg, Kyle, Sarah and Rob aren't interested. Then maybe grab some lunch somewhere."

Geo smiled, "At your diner? I've been looking forward to that."

Gibbs chuckled, "I'm always ready for the diner." Pulling both vehicles out of the garage, they idled while Gibbs called Tim.

"Hey, the kid did the pickup truck too and Geordie says he'll be fine driving it. Thought as long as we're out and it's early, we could stop by the Navy Yard, get that over and done with and then head to Elaine's for lunch."

"Sounds great to us, Artie and Andy are nodding yes - and I know Greg and Kyle don't want to go into the agency."

"Yeah, I know you really don't either but we won't take long. I should call Tony first."

"How about I do that? He's more likely to answer me straight if they're swamped."

"Ok. Guess we should let Vance know too."

Tim huffed, "I'll let you make that call!"

Both made their phone calls. Tony said they were catching up on paperwork and would welcome a break. Vance told Gibbs basically the same thing, things had been quiet and everyone would be happy to see them and meet Tim's new family including his Marine brother.

The 3 vehicles caravanned to the Navy Yard, Tim parking in a visitor's space while Geo and Gibbs drove into the parking garage as the Navy Yard tags on Gibbs' vehicles were still valid. Tim, Andy and Artie hurried from the van into the building where Tim was happily greeted by the security force.

Andy watched in surprise as his father unfastened something from around his calf, placing a knife-shaped sheath on the security table, then taking a small but wicked looking knife from his belt and put it with the other one. When one of the guards raised an eyebrow at him, he shook his head, "No longer a field agent and I don't have a license to carry, concealed or otherwise. Haven't carried a firearm in over a year."

The guard shook his head mournfully, "That's a shame, Agent McGee; you're one of the best!"

Andy's dad smiled cheerfully, "I don't regret it, Henry, I have four wonderful children, marrying the love of my life, I'd trade the field for them any day!" He gestured to Andy and Artie, who'd already been through the scanner. "This is our oldest, our son Andy. And this is Artemis Galanis, my fiancée."

Henry beamed, shaking hands with both of them. Moving on from Security, they took the elevator up to the 3rd floor where Grandpa and Papa used to work. Andy knew Uncle Tony now led Grandpa's old team and sat at his desk.

When they reached the 3rd floor, Geordie and Gibbs were just getting off the other elevator. Tony and Ellie were there in seconds, "Welcome home!" Andy and his mother both smiled, glad to see familiar faces. They were given a tour of the bullpen and showed the desk where Papa sat for all the years he'd been here.

Tony shook his head when Andy's papa said that. "That's not right. You were my senior when Gibbs was in Mexico, you sat at my old desk."

Tim nodded, he'd forgotten about those strange few months when Gibbs disappeared after being injured. He'd quit so Tony was made Team Leader with Tim his Senior Field Agent, Ziva as the junior and Michelle Lee as the team probie.

On Tony's current team, his SFA had recently moved to Rick Carter's team as his SFA while Rick's SFA, Evan Fuller, had moved to DiNozzo's team. While Tony hadn't introduced them yet, he'd told his former boss last night that he and his former SFA, Maggie Barnes, had become friendly and wanted to take their friendship further. Knowing it was inappropriate to date a subordinate, he'd cooked up the deal with Maggie, Carter and Fuller. Gibbs smiled when he told him, glad to hear Tony's common sense solution. As Tim and Fuller greeted each other, Evan looked up with a smile, "Uh oh, word's out that you're here!"

Tim's face lit up as he was greeted with affection by Rick, Jim O'Brien, Natalie and other former co-workers. Several of them would be at the wedding and Artemis was happy and relieved to be introduced to them, now they wouldn't be strangers! Andy beamed the whole time, loving his introduction as 'our son Andy', either Papa or Grandpa's hand on his shoulder, grounding him. Geordie was also warmly welcomed and thanked for his service.

When Jimmy arrived, he pulled a chair over and pointed Geordie to it. "Everyone, easy on Captain Perry. He's only 4 days out of the hospital." Geordie wanted to say he was fine but he saw the same look in Jimmy's eyes he'd seen in Rob's and Ducky's. He sat and then grinned as he said to Jimmy, "Good thing we met last night, I don't follow orders from just anyone!"

When another voice was heard, the crowd shuffled around and Leon Vance approached the bullpen. Tim was nervous and Artie tried not to wince as he held her hand a little too tightly. As Vance came toward them, Tim stood straight and taking a deep breath, gave Artie a quick kiss, whispering an apology for her hand. She noticed Jethro had moved closer and Andy instinctively moved toward his parents.

Vance saw the nervousness and the movements of Gibbs and the young boy and sighed, he hoped to dispel all that as soon as possible. Looking at him, Tim remembered Leon had been unaware of everything that happened while he was battling for his life. He relaxed and returned the warm smile. Keeping his hand on Tim's arm, as if afraid he'd disappear, Vance welcomed Artie and Andy. Once that particular bit of ice was broken, Tim enjoyed the visit. They took the elevator down to the lab and surprised Abby, who'd had her headset on all morning and wasn't aware of their surprise visit. She grinned as Gibbs kissed her cheek and then gave gentle hugs to the others, especially Geordie. "I'm glad Dr. Rob let you out today, Geordie!"

"Me too! And I got to drive Gibbs' truck back from Baltimore, that was fun!"

Abby's grin widened, "Freddie told me about Jace putting the Challenger and the truck together. Pretty cool, huh?" Artemis was interested in her various machines and tools and while Andy listened to her, he had questions about what she could do.

His father had told him that Aunt Abby solved many cases with her amazing skills. "She can figure out what kind of car someone was driving with the tiniest bit of information, things even well trained people wouldn't think of looking for. She once figured out that two maples leaves found on the ground weren't from the same tree - through their DNA! She's solved thousands of cases through her forensic skills and willingness to think outside of the box. Do you know what that means?"

When Andy nodded, his papa told him of several more instances where the team had been stumped and she'd unearthed a tiny clue that helped them find the criminals. Now, as Abby finished explaining, Andy said he had questions and at Abby's nod, started asking all the questions he'd been saving. Abby happily demonstrated a few things, even letting him touch a sample of something harmless.

They'd already seen Ducky and Jimmy and neither Artie nor Andy was interested in viewing the Autopsy suite, neither had security clearance to see MTAC and thus their tour was complete. Back in their trio of vehicles, Artie now riding with Geo, they met again at Elaine's diner. Geordie admitted he was tired and had already had a text from Dr. Rob that whatever he was doing, he needed to rest.

When the group walked into the diner, Jethro leading the way, Elaine was so excited, she almost dropped her coffee pot. When she'd calmed a bit, she warmly welcomed Tim and was introduced to Andy, Artemis and Geordie. Beaming, she led them to the large booth at the back, while Gibbs said hello to a few regulars.

Tobias slipped into the diner while Geo, Artie and Andy were looking at menus, and slid in next to Gibbs. With a grin, Jethro introduced him to the three newcomers and Tobias smiled, "Glad to finally meet you in person – and to see you at home for a bit! Captain Perry, I bet you had fun surprising the family, or did they know?"

Geordie shook his head, telling his story again and was again surprised when Gibbs' friend knew who Lu and Bill were. When Fornell caught on and told him he'd been at Ducky's for Thanksgiving, although he'd met everyone the year before, Geordie laughed. "I don't know why I'm so surprised, this is what Tim does! Makes a friend and before the new friend knows it, he or she is part of the family!" Tim just grinned, he guessed that was true.

After enjoying every morsel of the wonderful meals that Jacob, Elaine's husband and their head chef, prepared for them, the group departed, taking several takeout containers with them.

Back at the house, Geo handed the truck keys to Gibbs, waving hello to Sarah, Rob and the kids as he headed for his bed, exhausted. Rob followed him into the room, smiling when he returned several minutes later. "He's tired but the fresh air and feeling like part of the world have done a lot of good. We might see him later this afternoon. If not, I'll wake him for dinner, otherwise he'll be up at 2 AM!"

After they'd all had a nap, Tim and Artie took the kids for a ride in the van, dropping off Artie's engagement and wedding rings to be cleaned and surprising the kids with a trip to see Santa Claus. They hadn't been sure Greg still believed but he was visibly excited and that was enough of an answer. Andy silently wondered if he could also get in line but noticed there were no kids his age in line. Greg and a few kids that looked like they were Greg's age were the oldest.

Andy had never experienced the American Santa Claus. Orthodox Christians celebrate their version of Santa Claus, called "Ayios Vassileios" on January 1st, the day St. Basil (Vassileios) died. Since his death in the 4th century, people expect him to come on New Year's Eve, bringing gifts and leaving them under the Christmas tree. When Andy thought about it now, he decided he didn't mind giving and receiving presents on the American Christmas. After all, he was American as well as Greek!

While the setup wasn't as fun as their visit to Santa in Cambridge last year, with the interactive elves' workshop, there was a petting zoo that all the children enjoyed. There was a photographer, and again Tim paid for the photos. It would give them a benchmark for the next few years, of the growth of the 3 younger children, although Tim thought this was probably the last year that Greg would believe in Santa.

Tim knew when he was 8 but kept quiet for another year so Patrick wouldn't catch on. Their last Christmas together, with Tim recently turned 9, Pat knew but neither said anything to their baby sister, who wasn't quite 3. After Tim and Sarah landed in Baltimore, he never mentioned Santa Claus. That first year, he didn't believe in much of anything. The kids were excited enough about their 'Toys 4 Tots' gifts from the Marines.

Now, with the line to see Santa as long as it was, Artie and Tim decided to 'divide and conquer'. She'd stay with the kids, picking up the photos afterward, while Tim and Andy did some shopping.

Andy's eyes widened as he and his father walked from the "North Pole" further into the mall, looking everywhere. He didn't think he'd ever been in a mall. Mama didn't like to shop, usually buying their clothes and shoes at bargain stores or online and he'd always worn uniforms to school. He looked at Papa, "What are we shopping for?"

"New shoes for you. I saw some online and they're holding a pair in your size in the store here."

"My shoes fit okay."

"Not your school shoes, Flootle bug, for play. Sneakers and if they have them, a pair of hiking boots."

"Wow, cool! Are these Christmas presents?"

"They are not. We just happen to be in a mall where the shoe store is."

Entering the shoe store, the sales clerk quickly brought the shoes Tim requested be sent to the store. The sneakers fit fine and Andy loved them. His dad had done a little sleuthing to find out what was currently popular for 12-year-old boys in London and the color seemed to be the thing this year, so this pair was spot-on.

Some of Andy's Christmas gifts would reflect other popular items but shoes were a necessity and Andy's sneakers looked to be about in the same shape as Tim's had been in when he was 12 and living on the street. They could certainly do better!

The hiking boots were too tight; however, the store had a pair a half size larger and those fit fine. Andy had fun picking the color while Tim found a pair of casual shoes he thought Geordie would like. They had the shoes in Geo's size and preferred color and Tim decided to buy them. If they didn't fit or Geo didn't like them, they'd return them. On the way to the checkout, Tim stopped for several pairs of warm socks, for all the boys and men in his family. Then they headed back to Santa's lair for the rest of the family.

Greg and the littles were very excited and had candy canes for Andy and Papa. On their way home, Papa reminded them they still needed to write Santa with what they wanted. Greg and Kyle both remembered doing that last year, especially because, as Kyle said, "We're at Grandpa's again, not in our house!"

Back home, they handed out more candy canes. Greg, Kyle and Rissa sat down to write their letters to Santa, Papa and Mama there to help them. Grandpa had something in the basement with which he needed help and Andy headed down the stairs with him, asking if he was allowed to write to Santa, too. With a smile, Grandpa found a piece of paper and a pencil for him and Andy wrote his letter. Sarah and Rob took the pickup truck to do their own shopping and Geordie was still asleep.

While Andy was writing, Grandpa sent a text to his father who was mortified that they'd left Andy out. When he came upstairs, he found an envelope on the table for him and his parents apologized. When they were done and addressed their envelopes to 'Santa Claus, North Pole' and putting each child's name and Grandpa's house address as the return address, the 3 boys, Rissa and their parents bundled up again to walk the block to the mailbox to mail their letters. The kids were so wound up, their parents let all but Marissa loose, still heavily wrapped in their warm winter clothes, in the backyard to play. While their little sister napped, the three boys played with their parents for close to an hour, and then they all needed naps.

Sarah and Rob brought dinner home that night, Mexican food, from one of their favorite restaurants. They were all proud of themselves, most only had a couple of naps that day. Geordie, who'd woken in time for dinner, laughed at them, "At least I have an excuse!"

Artie tilted her head, "Flying nearly 3700 miles through 6 time zones should count for something!"

"Yeah, ok, I guess I'll concede that. And it is only your second day. Figure one or two more days to get that jet lag out of your system."

Greg shook his head, "Uncle Geo, when we moved to London, my school wouldn't let me start until we'd been there a whole week. They didn't want me to fall asleep in class!"

Geo looked surprised, "It's that bad? Sorry, I guess I was on the move so much I was pretty much my own time zone!"

They laughed at that and his siblings teased him about being part of the planet. They started to play a game after dinner but then Kyle started yawning and it quickly spread to all the travelers. Geordie just shook his head at them, picking up the book he'd been reading. "Get some sleep!"

Baths, stories, and cuddles went a little faster than usual tonight and within an hour, Geo had the house to himself. His roommates were up a couple of times, Rob to eat and Gibbs to the basement to check to see if something, he wouldn't say what, had dried.

They did well, no one appeared in the kitchen until 5:30 the next morning. That was Tim, who was amazed he was up before his dad. He got the coffee going and then looked in the refrigerator and freezer. With this many people, food went fast, but they were well stocked. Whoever had supplied the kitchen before their arrival, he thought it was Abby, bought 3 gallons of milk, 3 dozen eggs, 4 loaves of bread, peanut butter, a jar of jelly, pancake mix, a large brick of cheese, 2 dozen chicken thighs, several pounds of ground meat, jars of pasta sauce, bags and boxes of pasta and a crisper drawer full of fresh veggies. A large bowl of fresh fruit sat on the counter.

It was pretty cold this morning, looking out of the window he saw icy sidewalks and streets, no one would be going anywhere early. He planned to take Greg and Kyle to see their father and visit their mother's grave this morning while Marissa was doing something with her mother and Sarah, and Grandpa was taking Andy sightseeing. Rob would probably stay home with Geordie. Good thing they had the 3 vehicles. They'd all be back for lunch and then go ice skating!

Deciding to make pancakes and bacon, he looked in the cupboard for flour before he realized he was in Alexandria, not Brambury and reached for the pancake mix instead. Then he decided to wait, as he was still the only one awake.

Dad showed up about 15 minutes later, pouring a mug of coffee for himself, topping off Tim's and quickly making another pot. He sat at the table, "Wish we had a morning paper!"

Tim, who was reading the news on his phone, looked at his dad, "Want to read the news on my tablet? I'll show you how."

"Yeah, ok. It's too icy to drive anywhere for a paper."

Retrieving his tablet, Tim set it up in a larger font and then found the news site Dad favored. He handed it to his father, saying, "When you're ready to 'turn the page', use the pad of your finger to move on to the next page." He demonstrated with a finger swipe.

"Looks easy enough."

He read the news on the first screen and then moved his finger as Tim showed him. The screen moved in a dizzying display of images and words, flashing around until it finally stopped. He looked at what was on the screen, bewildered, "What happened? This is…I don't even know what this is!"

Tim took a look and went back to the first screen, then forward one. His dad watched him, frowning as Tim set him up again, "Ok, try this. Think maybe you swiped your finger too fast or too hard." He looked at his father's face. "Or I'll get my laptop, it uses a mouse, like at work."

He was back in moments and quickly set the laptop up so Dad could read the news and click on next or page down. "See if this works better." While he'd been waiting, Gibbs calculated how long it would take for the city to de-ice the streets so he could get a newspaper. Now he nodded his thanks and read quietly, clicking ahead just fine. He commented on a news item that Tim had also read and they talked about the possible consequences.

By the time he'd finished and Tim put the laptop away, Artie, Sarah, Rissa and the boys joined them. Tim made the pancakes on a flat grill while Artie cooked the bacon and eggs. Sarah and the kids grinned when the uncles showed up. Sarah was almost always the last one up and now teased her brothers. The table set, the family gathered for their hearty, hot breakfast.