Here we go, the last chapter
Disclaimer: You all know the drill - I own nothing & am not making any money, just having some fun.
McGee stayed in the hospital for a week. He would have been discharged sooner, but the doctors insisted on monitoring his slight case of malnutrition.
During that week, he gave his statement of what happened when he arrived at the warehouse. He had seen a slumped over body, thinking it was the next 'Timothy' victim. After clearing the immediate area, he bent down to check on the victim, only to have a syringe plunged into his arm. I didn't knock him out, but made him unable to fight back when Theodore assaulted him, then dressed him, and tied him to the workbench. When he realized his team had come for him, he wanted to make sure nobody else got hurt by Theodore and came up with the plan to 'go together'.
The body of the last victim was found in what used to be the supervisor's office. It was hard for McGee to hear that he couldn't save the last Timothy taken.
Every day, the team came to visit. Abby chatted a mile a minute about everything from her Mass Spectrometer to what the gang was eating to what the new treats were in the vending machine.
Tony brought movies that he swore Tim just had to see. They usually spent the entire time 'arguing', at least until Tim fell asleep part way through. Tony would always stay until Tim woke again, to make sure he knew that he was not being left alone.
Ducky and Jimmy were Tim's personal medical care experts. He would smile quietly while Ducky debated the best course of his treatment, while Jimmy tried awkwardly keep up a conversation.
Ziva eased Tim through his fears and nightmares. At first, he was reluctant to talk about it, because, according to him, what did two days compare to four months. Ziva decided to talk about the first time she was assaulted, how she felt at the time, the minutes and days after. It got Tim talking. Their friendship had already taken a closer turn, and this pull them even more so.
At first, Abby was very jealous of this, but once Tim reassured her that she would always have a special place in his heart, she was fine with it ... mostly.
Gibbs was there for all the in betweens, if not in person, by phone. It took a few head-slaps before Tim understood it was okay to reach out. It took just short of a concussion, but he finally got it.
It was a long time coming, but Timothy McGee finally realized that he was just as important to his team, to his family, as they were to him.
XXXX
As the week drew to a close, it was agreed to let McGee be discharged, but only into someone's care. Gibbs made it very clear, that Tim would be going to his place until the all clear was given by Ducky. Much to a blushing McGee's embarrassment.
As Tim sat on his bed, waiting for his discharge papers to get signed, a soft knock came from the door. "Come in."
Roger walked in tentatively. "Hello Agent McGee. How are you feeling?"
Still Agent McGee. Tim smiled. "Better now that I'm getting out of here. You?" He gestured towards the stitches on the side of Roger's head.
Roger smiled. "This. It's nothing. I've got a really hard head. Just ask my CO."
The both had a laugh. Tim looked up at him. "What brings you by?"
"I wanted to let you know that the case has finally been completely closed. Theodore was tied to the murder of all six Timothys."
McGee hung his head. "Yeah, six."
Roger took another step into the room. "Hey, none of that was your fault."
McGee just shrugged and watched his feet.
Roger sighed. "Also, Nate is being put in a facility that handles mentally unstable criminals."
"Someone finally caught on."
"Yeah well, when you start demanding to meet 'the combined perfect being you helped to create' it makes the right kind of people take notice."
"I wonder how he thought we'd turn out?"
"Maybe like Two-Face from Batman?"
Tim gave a small laugh at that. "You're stealing Tony's lines."
An uncomfortable lull came when neither man knew what to say. Roger broke the silence. "I'm glad you're going to be okay Agent McGee." He turned and started to leave.
"Roger?"
"Yes, sir?"
"Why?"
"Sir?"
"Why did Theodore do that stuff to me? Why did you let him? Why did you care so much now? Why?"
Roger turned back and step closer, noticing that Tim didn't appear to be shrinking back from him anymore. "Permission to sit sir?"
Tim nodded.
Roger sat in a chair near bedside, took his cap off and ran his hand through his hair. "As for Theodore, I can't answer that. It's something I hope that I'll never be able to understand. As for me ..."
Tim finally looked up to met Roger's eyes. "I was a dumb kid, who like the fact that I had some power."
"But your family was good to you."
"Yes they were. I had a pretty big family. Two older brothers plus twin younger brother and sister. I felt lost in the shuffle. Bullying you gave me that sense of doing something that made me stand out, even though I was running around with four other kids." Roger shook his head.
"And now?"
"And now I realize how dumb I had been. None of that made me stand out."
"I never forgot."
Roger gave a sad smile. "That is not anything I would want to be remembered for." He looked at Tim's intense green eyes and found that there was no hate and no fear, just the willingness to understand. He still couldn't believe that someone like Timothy McGee even existed. "You know that I was at Matt's house while you were tutoring him, right?"
"Yeah, Matt talked about you a lot, even though I never saw you there."
"I made sure to hide." He took a deep breath. "You never held it against him that we were related."
Tim shrugged. "Not his fault."
"Why didn't you out me?"
"What do you mean?"
"I heard when Matt told you who I was to him. He asked if you knew me, and you said no. Why?"
Tim shrugged. "He looked up to you so much, even though you were younger than him. I couldn't take that away from him."
"That's the answer to one of your questions."
McGee just looked at him quizzically.
"You thought of his feelings before your own. You could have gotten some measure of revenge by telling Matt all the terrible things I had done, or let happen to you. You didn't, you stayed his tutor and even became his friend."
Again, Tim shrugged. "It's not that important ..."
"But it is Agent McGee. You have something special inside you that wants to help others, regardless of how much you've been kicked down. You never loose sight of that, and you never let anyone pay for someone else's mistakes. In the world we live in, that is pretty important."
McGee studied Roger for a moment and let a small smile come to his face and eyes. He just nodded at Roger.
Roger smiled back and stood to go. He turned to leave when Tim's voice called him back.
"Roger?"
He turned back to see Tim with his hand out stretched, which took him by surprise.
"I wanted to say thank you for all of your help with this case."
Roger was actually a little embarrassed. "Agent McGee ..."
"Tim."
Roger looked from McGee's out stretched hand to his eyes and back. He slowly walked over and grasped it in a firm handshake. "Anytime Agent ..."
McGee raised an eyebrow at him.
Roger chuckled. "... Tim, anytime."
McGee nodded at him. Roger released his hand and left.
Outside he ran into Gibbs. "You were listening?"
"Of course."
Roger smiled wide. "I'm glad he knows people like you. You take good care of him."
"Plan on it."
The Airman and the agent nodded to each other. Roger left the hospital with his men. No other mission had ever made him feel more satisfied than this. It wasn't just because Tim forgave him, forgiveness wasn't what he was looking for. It was because he helped prevent a good man from being destroyed. A good man, three simple words that described Timothy McGee to a tee.
XXXX
Gibbs gave Tim a moment to collect himself before he went in. "You ready to go." He asked as he opened the door.
"Way ready!" McGee enthusiastically replied. He was wearing a smile that went all the way to his eyes, until he saw the wheelchair. "Boss?"
"Sorry Tim. SOP." Gibbs grinned at his embarrassment. "Hop on."
McGee sighed and did as instructed. "You know, Boss, I'd really be okay at my place. You don't have to ..."
A head-slap was Gibbs response.
As Tim rubbed his head, he smiled wide.
XXXX
The ride to Gibbs' was silent, but comfortably so. When they got there, it was no surprise to see Gibbs' driveway littered with cars.
Gibbs and McGee got out of the car together. Gibbs was at Tim's elbow before he could take a step on his own. "If they get to much, let me know and I'll put an end to the festivities."
"Okay, Boss." Tim smiled, knowing there was no way he was going to put a damper on tonight. He was just as happy to be here as the rest of them.
Gibbs gave him a side ways glance. "Un-uh." He knew he would be watching Tim carefully tonight, to make sure he didn't overexert himself. However, he hid his smile at seeing the excitement in his agent's eyes.
Abby opened the door and flew to them before they could even take two steps. "Easy Abby!" Gibbs warned.
"I know, I know! I'm just so happy to have you here Tim." She hugged, extra lightly.
Tim squeeze her back. "Me too." They both knew she meant more than just at Gibbs' house.
The three walked into the house, meeting up with the rest of the gang.
"So McPatient, are you done with drawing out your hospital stay?" Tony smirked, although everyone could see that he was bouncing on his toes as he stood in the kitchen door way.
"I'd be careful what you say to me DiNozzo, I've got connections in high places."
"What connections?"
McGee smiled as milk was poured over Tony's head. He had seen Ziva give him a wicked wink when he walked through the door and knew instantly what she was up to, as she stealthily slipped behind Tony.
"W-Wh-What ..."
Everyone was laughing.
"Boss! Are you going to let them get away with this!"
"Just clean up after yourself, DiNozzo."
"Aw, boss, that's not fair!"
Abby had grabbed two mops and a bucket. "We'll help."
Gibbs and Ducky watched as Tim tried to mop up Tony and sent everyone into fits of laughter. They looked at each other and smiled.
When the clean up was done and Tony had changed into new clothes, they were all sitting in the living room ready to watch the last two movies of the saga.
Tim was not allowed to sit on the floor so, for this one occasion, Jethro the dog, was allowed on the couch. Gibbs was to his right and Ducky took the large chair. Everyone else sat on folding chairs. The movie started along with the chatter and debating.
Half way through the last movie of the saga, Gibbs felt a familiar weight on his shoulder. He looked over to see Tim sound asleep. He turned back to the movie and smiled.
When the movie was done, everyone left quietly and Gibbs let Tim stretch out on the couch.
As he covered him up, sleepy green eyes opened for a moment. "Thanks for everything, Boss."
Gibbs laid a hand on Tim's head. "Anytime, Tim. You know that now, right."
McGee gave a sleepy smile. "Yes, Boss."
"Then go back to sleep."
Tim nodded and with a feeling of safety that he only felt at Gibbs', he fell right back to sleep.
Gibbs watched Tim while he slept, replaying moments from the day they met until now. Gibbs knew where there were missed opportunities with Tim, but was grateful to have a chance to change that.
Roger's words about Tim came back to him. "That is why I am here. Not because I am looking for forgiveness, not because of anything I can gain for myself. But because a good man is in danger. A good man who has and will change lives. I will do anything to protect him from harm. Anything."
That goes for us too. Gibbs watched for a moment more and then turned to go upstairs. Secure in the knowledge that all was right with his team ... his family.
Thank you to all who have read, alerted, followed & reviewed. You guys made my day with your encouragement and pointers! So much so that I am in the process of a second story. It is completely separate from this one, though. I hope you will join me when I get ready to post it. (Although with the holidays coming up, I don't expect to get much writing done, so it probably won't be ready until the new year.)
Again, thank you. Happy reading, writing & watching! (Tomorrow is Tim's big episode! I can't wait!)