Chapter 38

Dad started the grill at half past four; within an hour, the group was seated around the patio tables. They feasted on chicken marinated and then grilled New Mexican style, corn cornbread (with whole corn and sour cream), steamed vegetables, a mixed green salad, grilled potatoes and 'cowboy caviar', also known as salsa, enlivened with black beans and more corn. Dessert was a choice of pecan pie made by Abby or apple crisp made by Tim.

The Bishops turned in that night feeling good about Ellie's new family and friends. They were already fond of the Gibbses and meeting the others showed them these were good people. Jethro was definitely the head of the family, notwithstanding Ducky and Mac's more advanced years. They were also happy to see Tim's three siblings comfortable with everyone and as openly affectionate with Jethro as he was with them and their brother. Their adoptions were recently approved and finalized by the state of Virginia. Any name changes would come later.

As they lay in bed, Jerry listed their occupations, "Our new in-laws include two published authors, a doctor, a Marine officer, two Federal Agents, a retired Marine and Mac's a retired accountant. Guess we also count Tony as a Gibbs' kid, which makes three federal agents. Not too shabby! Do you remember anything about whathisname's family?"

"Weren't they all lawyers? I remember they thought an awful lot of themselves and I was glad they didn't live anywhere near us or Ellie so we wouldn't have to share holidays or see them - ever."

"You remember that guy on "M.A.S.H.", the snooty doctor from Boston? I liked the character eventually but that family, that's who they reminded me of and I couldn't see any redeeming qualities."

"He's gone they're gone; we need never speak of them again!"

"You're right; I'm just saying our girl's found the right guy with a good family this time. And I got a kick out of Tony bringing his new girlfriend to Dad Jethro for approval."

"I caught that too, Hon. And I agree with your assessment of Ellie's choice, I'm very happy for her!"

NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS

Monday, Tim worked at home for a few hours in the morning; after the commute traffic was out of the way, he took the Bishops sightseeing. "I thought I'd show you around and then once you've seen the layout you can decide where you want to return for more. Ellie's taking one of Dad's trucks starting tomorrow so she'll have a kid friendly truck and you can use her truck to get around. You're better off taking the Metro whenever possible, even if it means the Metro and a bus. But getting to and from the Metro from home is easier with a vehicle."

He grinned, "And I know that because I didn't have a car when we moved here from Norfolk. I didn't even have my driver's license; we lived in Silver Spring Maryland and I took the bus and Metro to work. Problem was the bus stops at midnight, so I'd either take a cab which was expensive or Jimmy would drive me home."

"Why just Jimmy? I'd think the others would have been happy to."

"Couple of reasons. One, I was the new guy and that meant hazing and behaving badly toward me and there was no way I wanted to owe favors to any of them. Two, I didn't want them to know I was a former homeless person. I kept that hidden for many years. Boss found out after Somalia, uh, that was in late 2009, a covert operation we undertook to identify and suppress a terrorist cell we were told had killed Ziva. Turned out she was alive and had been their prisoner for four months. I was badly injured and Boss stepped up to help Sarah, Rob, and me. Up until then, Boss and I didn't know each other very well. I was his junior field agent/tech support and he was the father I wished I had but didn't dare approach. Anyway, Tony and Ziva didn't find out about our lives on the street until 2013 when they finally met Rob. And we three wrote a book about our experiences."

"Three years ago?"

Tim nodded. "Tony and I haven't always been friends; the first year on the team was tough; almost adversarial. Eventually, we got past that and became friendly co-workers. Telling him and Ziva about my background was the turning point. Then Ziva left us; by that time Tony and I were genuine friends and since then we've become close, brothers."

"What name did you use for the book?"

"The book's not published yet, we needed Geordie's input and he hadn't been stateside in a few years. He's working on it now, adding his take on things. We've also added stories from his tent mates; you'll meet them at the wedding, Barry, Freddie, Jose and Bill. There are also a few stories that Nate told me. He and Juanita have been there the longest. The book is close to being finished but it isn't quite there yet."

"Do you go back there?"

"To the camp?" At Jerry's nod, Tim continued, "Yes, just about everyone who lived there as a kid goes back to help or contributes in some way. Some don't and that's their business. We've formed a non-profit organization for fund raising, dealing with government entities who want to control or close the camp and better coordinate what aid we can give. And through that organization, we help at a few places. We do a run to the Baltimore camp several times a year. Used to be every month but things are better there and our lives keep getting busier and busier. We used to go together too, but with our schedules it's better that we go separately, we accomplish more. There are no longer any orphans there; the foster care system has improved a great deal. Now kids without guardians can safely go into the system.

"We help when and where we can. Our goal is to help people get back on their feet but while they're at the camp or shelter, we help with their physical needs too. We ensure everyone has winter coats, boots, socks, hats, gloves, scarves. If tents need replacing, we do that, everyone gets two new blankets every year and new sleeping bags and suitcases as needed. We also do a shoe check several times a year. Homeless people are on their feet all the time and they can't afford new or even used shoes. Cardboard cutouts work for a couple of weeks but not long term. Shoes and socks go a long way toward keeping them healthier. For those who are willing, medical help. For those who have substance problems or poor mental health, we work to get them help. Not everyone will accept it. Some drunks like being drunks and people with mental health conditions don't always know they're sick. Those are the tough ones."

"Can we see it, go there?"

"You want to see the camp?"

"Yes, it was a part of your life; we absolutely want to see it."

Surprised and pleased, Tim smiled, "I'll take you tomorrow morning. I'll load up at Costco this afternoon and we can get started after the commute in the morning."

"Has Ellie been?"

"Yes, several times. We went together a few times but while Dad and I were away she went with Sarah, Rob, Jimmy, Tony, and Geordie."

"That's our girl!"

Tim's smile lit up his face, "She is wonderful!"

Nate had an inexpensive cell phone now; paid for by the non-profit. While the Bishops were at a Metro station buying tickets for their adventures, Tim called Nate to tell him he was bringing Ellie's parents tomorrow. He'd heard that some folks needed shoes and asked if Nate knew any specifics. Nate had a few ideas but instead of guessing, he walked around the camp and asked. Tim put his phone on speaker, jotting down names and sizes. While he moved around the camp, Nate told Tim what else was needed and Tim wrote that down too.

A few years ago, the city council had approved a plan for locked cabinets to be built into each restroom. Camp residents could then stock non-perishable food. Juanita and Big John had the keys; whoever wanted to store something put a label on with their name and the date. That way, ol' Gary B. couldn't claim he'd left the can of beans when the label clearly said Sally T. Since residents rarely had enough food to save for the future, the 'alumni' were generally the ones to stock the shelves and Juanita, Big John and Nate handed it out. It made life a little easier for them.

Tim disconnected after getting the information and unlocked the doors for Barbara and Jerry who were approaching the car. "Perfect timing, I called and got shoe sizes and whatever else is needed. It's just 1:00, do you want to have lunch at the Smithsonian, take your first look around? I can never get enough so it's a treat for me too; we can always plan to meet at a certain time."

Barbara's face and Jerry's smile gave the answer. "All right. There are cafes in each of the Smithsonian museums. Do you know which one you want to see first?"

"American History!"

"Great! There we have a choice of two cafés; one is on the lower floor and has barbecue, salads, burgers, soups and sandwiches. The other one is on the first floor and offers a light lunch. It does have a good view of the Museum fountain and of Constitution Avenue."

Jerry's stomach answered with a rumble and Barbara laughed, "I think we'd better go for the full serve café."

"All right, Stars and Stripes Café it is! Let's see how close I can park to the right door."

He found a space only a few steps away. As they approached the ticket office, Tim smiled, "I have an annual pass we'll use today."

"Oh Tim that's wonderful, thank you!"

Jerry patted his shoulder, "Lunch is on us."

Although they enjoyed lunch and the company, all three were eager to get to the exhibits. After setting a time and place to meet, Tim went one way while the Bishops went the other.

After thoroughly enjoying his unexpected visit to one of his favorite museums, Tim met his in-laws and they started for home. They were stopped at a red light when Jerry saw a Costco in the next block. "Hey, why don't we stop now and pick up what you need? We're still early and then you won't have to go out again."

"You don't mind?"

Barbara grinned, "I never mind Costco, especially if I'm not there on a weekend."

"Ok, yes we can do that."

He was already in the right lane and turned into the parking area, Jerry chuckling to himself when the Acura slid into a spot close to the door. Once inside, Tim grabbed a large cart and headed for the shoes, the others came with him. "What food do you buy for them?"

"Cans of fruit, vegetables, beans - protein, things they can eat cold if they have to. Cans of tuna, spam, chicken, ham, corned beef or roast beef hash. Some of that stuff comes in soft packages now. When we're pulling cans, we try to get the ones marked 'BPA free' and with pull tops. We try to buy stuff with a decent expiration date and we don't buy big cans of anything. Homeless folks have no access to refrigeration. Usually a case or two of peanut butter, creamy not crunchy, that's a staple for the homeless. Juice boxes, milk in the same kind of box that doesn't require refrigeration. A case of plastic cutlery. I'll get fresh fruit since we're going tomorrow. Things that can be eaten without plates. A bag of avocados is a real treat for them; they're full of good nutrition. I never buy anything spicy because they can't always get to a restroom when they're away from the camp. Which reminds me, boxes of Pepto, the pink stuff - tablets, not liquid. Toothbrushes, toothpaste, combs, hairbrushes. Towels, wash and dry packets, cases of those. Socks, heavy, light. Dry shampoo, anything they can use to clean themselves without water. Deodorant. Cases of bottled water, individual bottles not the gallon size jugs. A case of multi-vitamins, gummies for adults and kids, no liquid needed to take them. Shaving cream, disposable razors, uh, pads and stuff for the females. Sarah always makes sure she includes a pain reliever too; I believe that's called Midol. We usually buy three or four bottles and Juanita doles it out. And," he sighed, "condoms. We'd all rather they not spread STDs or make more homeless babies. Bundles of wood for the oil drums, they burn those during the winter. But it's a little early yet and Geo told me last winter they found someone to donate a cord of wood, all chopped up."

"How much of everything?"

Tim looked a little puzzled but answered anyway, "The population is pretty low right now, about 27 and only five under 18. It'll increase as the weather gets cooler; Nate's camp is known for taking care of people. So figure in another 6 weeks they'll have close to 50 people there. We'll be making another run about then, get them winterized."

"All right, we'll take a cart and start rounding up food and the toiletries you mentioned while you get the shoes and whatever else you have on your list."

"Great, thanks, that helps!"

They went off while Tim grabbed the sturdiest shoes he could find in the various sizes, adding extra shoelaces. Remembering Geordie mentioning Nate needed new winter boots, he grabbed two pair when he spotted the right size. Nate was a big man, someone once described him as a mountain on two legs, and shopping for him was challenging. The non-profit had a small storage unit for things they'd gathered and the extra pair of boots would be stored there until they were needed. The sibs and their friends had learned over the years that if they saw something in Nate's size to buy it no matter what season it was or whether their friend even needed it at the time.

From there he headed to the outdoor equipment and pulled three sleeping bags off the shelves. From experience, he already knew these were rated for subzero weather and would last for a few years. Noticing a deal on blankets, he grabbed several. They were ugly, probably why the price was so low but who cared about ugly if it kept you warm?

Socks were next and he bought four pair for every box of shoes he had on the pallet. Men's underwear: boxers, briefs, tees. Seeing the thermal underwear displayed, he grabbed a bunch of those in different sizes, then went over to the women's clothing and grabbed more. He made a note to check shoe and jacket sizes for the camp kids; they'd need rain boots soon. His own two would also need new rain and snow boots, hats and jackets, they'd grown out of everything they'd worn last winter and it had all been donated to the shelter in Albuquerque.

Done with his part, he discovered Jerry and Barbara had decided to divide and conquer, each taking a cart. Jerry was handling the toiletries while Barbara was loading cans and cases of food. Tim looked through everything; it all looked good and he was happy to see the variety. There were many milk boxes, a very good thing. Barbara had also included a case of cereal in variety packs, that could be eaten dry or the milk poured into the box. Leaving his wheeled pallet with her, he went to the paper aisle and brought back a case of disposable bowls and plates, cups and several boxes of plastic cutlery.

They wheeled their conveyances toward the front of the store where Jerry joined them, his cart full of packets of toothbrushes, dental floss, toothpaste, vitamins, pads, condoms, the wash and dry packets and everything else Tim mentioned, plus some. Tim shook his head at the small bottles of mouthwash. "Can't give those out, there's alcohol in it. We're a non-profit organization; our charter prohibits us supplying anything with alcohol. Sorry, I forgot to mention that! Those little breathe mints, the ones in the little plastic shake out containers; those are helpful."

"That's all right. I'll swap this case for a case of the mints."

Tim and Barbara got in line while Jerry did the swap. All three of the carts were together by the time Tim reached the cashier who smiled as he recognized him. "Mr. McGee, haven't seen you in here in ages!"

"Yes, I've been out of town for work. These three carts are together."

"All right, got your card, thanks." The clerk quickly rang everything up, applying what Jerry described as a very healthy discount. While he was doing that, other staff brought boxes and flats for the loose items. When they reached the car, Tim looked at his watch and grinned, "Thanks; that saved at least an hour!"

Jerry chuckled, "Most fun I've ever had at Costco and it didn't cost me a penny!"

Then came the reality of packing everything into the car but Tim had it well in hand; Jerry was impressed when only two boxes of shoes ended up in the back seat.

"Years of experience?"

Tim nodded, "Started out a Navy brat. And then later had to pack everything, including our sleeping bags, into roller bags every day, so yeah, packing's one of my skills." He chuckled, "Even Dad was impressed the first time he saw me pack a trunk. He was Boss then and we had a case that would keep us away a couple of days. That meant we had our gear bags, everything to process the crime scene, plus mounds of evidence bags, jars and boxes and our go, or overnight, bags. Tony was stuffing it all in; I nudged him aside and fixed it. That was my job from then on."