Home

Some people live in a house on the hill
And wish they were some place else
There's nobody there
When the evening is still
Secrets with no one to tell

Even now when I'm alone
I've always known with you
I am home

For me it's a glance and the smile on your face the touch of your hands,
And an honest embrace
For where I lay it's you I keep,
This changing world I fall asleep
With you all I know is I'm coming home,
Coming home

Vanessa Carlton - Home

As soon as they put Joy in a room, there was a small discussion about who should be the first one in, as the doctors had restricted them to only one visitor each time, with visits of only five minutes.

Maggie and Joseph wanted to go in first, and the other kids were trying to organize the order after them. McGee and his sister were sitting with Tony and Ziva, just watching the family in their organized chaos. "Are they always like that?" she wants to know from the protection of her brother's arms "Noisy? Chaotic? Demanding and extremely overbearing?" says McGee with a smile, "as far as Joy says, they are always like that," he looks down at his sister, "and she wouldn't change a thing about any of them." While the siblings are talking, Hope glances at them and frowns, then she walks towards McGee and stands before him. "Hi, Hope," she looks at her family, "Hey! We should let him go first," and that shuts the family down. McGee shakes his head, "I'm ok, I can wait," but Hope is adamant, she grabs his arms and forces him to stand up and looks at her parents, "mooooommmm!" and she folds her arms at her parents, who look at each other for a second, communicating silently, then look at McGee. Maggie smiles at him, and signals that he must come to her, he obeys reluctantly, "really, I can wait," Maggie shakes her head, and marches him towards the nurse that's waiting to guide the first visitor, "he's going to see my daughter first," the nurse looks at McGee and at the old lady, who is doing a great job in intimidating him, "it is just family allowed in, ma'am." Maggie waves her hand, "he's family," the nurse shakes her head, "ma'am, it's doctor's orders." Maggie approaches him and snarls, "are you going to keep on talking or are you going to take him to see my daughter?" the male nurse gulps, and looks up at McGee. "This way, sir," McGee smiles and follows the nurse, but before he turns the corner towards the private rooms area, he looks back and sees Maggie and Joseph standing close together, and waving at him.

The nurse takes him further down in the hospital, and finally they are in a section with bedrooms in which you could see several pieces of ICU equipment, separated from the corridor by sliding glass doors. They keep walking until the last one, and he freezes when he sees her on the bed, surrounded by equipment. The nurse touches a button, and the door slides open, "sir, you have five minutes," he enters, and the door silently closes after him.

He looks at her, trying to find any stretch of skin that is not scratched or hurt, but it is hard to find one. Her right arm is in a cast, only the tips of her fingers showing, her other arm had a multitude of lines and tubes feeding her with IV solutions he barely could identify. Her breathing was being helped by a respirator, the mask covering most of her face, but not hiding her blackened eye and the scratches on her face. There were marks of fingers on her neck, not hidden by the low neck scrubs that she had been dressed in by the hospital. Several tubes come out of the neck of the scrubs, connecting her to the several machines monitoring her blood pressure, respiration output, etc, etc. Her normally tanned skin was a pasty yellow color, and he could see that they were still giving her pure blood to replenish what she had lost. His mind could barely grasp what could be hidden under the scrubs, and he leans over at the feet of her bed and grabs the metal bars at the feet of the bed, and for the first time since this whole ordeal started, lets the tears and despair run its course.

NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS

Joy is again in her eleven year old body, playing in the field of barley in the backyard of her house. She is running in the fields, just watching it dance on the wind. She lies down on the ground, and just looks up at the blue sky being touched by the grown barley, as if it is being painted even bluer by it.

A shadow blocks the sun, and she sits down and looks up, "Having fun, Joy?" She smiles, "yes, lots and lots," and she starts to run again, and her laughter fills the air, bringing a smile to the ageless Commander's face, "you will have to go home soon," "but I am home," she says, as she dances in the field, "I'm going to stay here forever and ever!" and she starts spinning, and more laughter comes from her. The Commander shakes his head, "this is not your home, you will have to come back sooner or later," "Can't I stay a little more?" "They are worried about you," "but I'm fine," she dismisses the worries of the Commander.

He looks towards the house, "when it is time, it is time," and he leaves, letting her playing in the fields of barley.

NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS

After McGee, Maggie and Joseph went in, followed by Gibbs and Hotch, and the other agents and family members, each staying only five minutes. After their visit to the ailing agent, their optimistic faces were all restrained, as the real thing looked much more serious than what they had been told.

The sheriff drops by, and informs them that he had organized places for them to stay in a close by hotel, and after some complaining and whining from the children, they agreed to move out for some hours of rest.

Maggie went to McGee and gave him a hug, full of motherly concern, that he, after some hesitation, answered back with all his strength. She lets him go, and studies his face for a second, "you stay here, we will look after your sister, try to catch some sleep," she pats his shoulder, and calls up her children, "come Sarah, you are coming with us," and marches her clan out of the hospital.

Gibbs and Hotch looks at the old dragon lady, and smile after she left, "she would have made a great drill sergeant," says Gibbs, impressed. Hotch smiles and taps his shoulder, "let's get some rest, we will be here in the morning."

Tony and Ziva go to their teammate, "are you sure you are ok with staying on your own?" he nods, "I'm fine, they are arranging an extra camp bed so I can rest, I will see you tomorrow morning," they all leave. Ducky and Palmer walk up to him, give him some instructions on what to observe, just in case she wakes up, and leave with the rest of the team, leaving McGee with his partner. He walks back to her room and sits on the chair they had provided to him. Two nurses enter and bring with them a camp bed, that they organize close to the wall, away from the equipment, they smile at him and leave him shortly after they close the curtains. He stands up, approaches the bed, and plays with her hair for a second, as he used to do when they are in bed. Pull, stretch, curl back. He bites his soft lip, trying not to cry again. He walks back to the camp bed. He takes his shoes and his jacket off and lies down, staring at her chest going up and down with her breathing. The noise of the machines lulls him to sleep, and he dreams.

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a/n: Apparently Sarah has already been adopted... or absorbed in the clan... her story will come later on.