JAN. 1, 2020
HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL, ENJOY OUR RETURN TO BRAMBURY!
THE COMMON THREAD
CHAPTER 120
Previously on The Common Thread: Artie and Tim had trouble concentrating on their work Friday, both working from home. Each started hours earlier than usual as they'd leave for the airport before the children came home from school and the nursery. They'd said their goodbyes last night and again this morning.
After a very long morning and early afternoon, Jethro drove his son and daughter-in-law to the train station and off they went for their anniversary celebration in Tenerife, in the Canary Islands! At some point they'd realized that even though they were traveling in the year 2020, their wedding was December 26th, 2015; so this was their 4th anniversary, not their 5th! They teased each other about what they'd do for their actual 5th anniversary, each tease becoming more extravagant.
And now…
Their flight from London Gatwick to Tenerife took four and a half hours, just enough time for Tim and Artie to relax. Although there might have been a brief nap or two, they spent most of the flight deciding what they really wanted to do once they reached their destination. They'd made a list, asking their friends, family and pulling activities and locations from the internet. From their list, they'd selected several things they wanted to experience and now they were taking another look at their choices.
Initially, both wanted to either hike or take the cable car up one of the local volcanoes, Mount Teide. The world's largest solar observatory was also there, although they weren't sure if they wanted to return for views of the night skies or schedule their cable car ride/hike around that. However, after the eruption of the volcano Whakaari on White's Island in New Zealand in early December, killing several people, and remembering the 50 hikers killed in another unexpected volcanic eruption, this one on Mount Ontake, Japan, six years ago, they'd changed their minds about visiting Mount Teide at all. There were plenty of other interesting and fun things to do on Tenerife!
One of their must do's was a drive around the island, which they'd been told would take between 3 and 4 hours, longer if they stopped. They'd do that first. Even though the information on the internet seemed fairly extensive, they were sure they'd find something not mentioned or that they'd overlooked.
Another important item was a Sunday street market near their lodgings. That always intrigued them, although finding unique items in an area catering to tourists was sometimes difficult. Still, they had a knack for finding treasures and the hunt was nearly as fun as the discoveries.
Other places they wanted to explore were the historic town of Garachico and the Masca Valley and Masca Village. The roads through the valley to the village were quite narrow and windy but there were bus tours they could take so neither of them would have to drive.
There were several excellent beaches on the island and, although the temperatures would only be in the mid to low 70's, both wanted some beach time. They'd at least stick their toes in the water although any swimming would probably happen in one of the hotel's pools.
Other ideas included a guided tour of lava created caves or lava tubes, taking kitesurfing lessons and whale and dolphin watching, which they said they'd feel guilty doing without the children. There were also natural pools they thought they'd visit.
After a smooth flight, they retrieved their checked bags and used a local ride service to reach their hotel. In less than an hour, they were unlocking the door of their 'apartment', similar to Tim's 'cottage' in Newport, Rhode Island. It was smaller, with one bedroom and there were no in-room laundry facilities or a garage; however, they had a small kitchen, living area, a patio with a hot tub and what they hoped would be a fantastic view. It was already dark so they'd have to wait for morning to see. Best of all, there were no shared walls. After sending a text that they'd arrived safely, the couple unpacked. One of the nice things about coming here was that they were in the same time zone as London. They could speak with each of their children before they went to bed.
Both admitted they were tired, having started their work days hours earlier than usual and decided to have dinner at the hotel tonight. Without having to travel anywhere, they could call the kids and then turn in early themselves.
Dinner was delicious and they had a wonderful Spanish wine with Tim's lobster and Artie's seafood paella. She smiled proudly at her husband when he asked to try her paella, offering some of his lobster in return. Although he liked the paella he didn't want to know what was in it. Artie thoroughly enjoyed the lobster.
When they returned to their apartment, they called home, speaking to Jed and Hope first, followed by Rissa and then the older boys. They showed them their apartment and laughed when the littles thought it was pretty while Rissa, Greg and Kyle thought it was small. Andy just nodded, "That's nice, a place to yourselves. Are there apartments around you?"
"Yes, but they're about 10 feet apart."
After the call, they tried out the hot tub before heading to bed. Saturday morning, they woke early although they had a late start to sightseeing as they celebrated their 'not quite 5th' anniversary. Finally forcing themselves from the apartment, they picked up their rental vehicle and set out for their drive around the island, their 3-to 4-hour drive. They returned 6 hours later, having stopped here and there to explore, including the town of Garachico and a couple of beaches. At the second beach, they'd changed into their swimsuits and had a swim through the waves. While the Atlantic Ocean water wasn't what they considered warm, it was still warmer than it had been last June in Maine. They'd also visit Masca, Valley and Village, but again, only via a tour bus. Neither of them wanted to attempt to drive the windy narrow road.
Back at the hotel, they swam laps in the nicely heated pool before retiring to their apartment for additional celebrating. On Sunday, they were at the market when it opened and had fun looking through everything and just generally browsing. They bought souvenirs for everyone and purchased a few things for themselves, too.
Deciding they were finished, they noticed two things, the market was now crowded and they were hungry. Finding a café nearby with tables looking onto the market, they relaxed, doing some people watching. When Tim spotted a pickpocket at work, he alerted the restaurant staff, who contacted the local police. Giving them a detailed description, the couple watched from their table enjoying their coffees, as a plainclothes policeman waded into the crowd, emerging with the handcuffed thief. They were later to hear this particular thief was the head of a ring of thieves, making Artie even prouder of her husband.
From the market and café, they headed out to one of the nearby beaches, spending the afternoon lazing under a beach umbrella and playing in the water. Back at the hotel, they swam laps in the pool before showering, dressing and driving to a restaurant in a nearby town. Nik and Sergio had recommended it, they'd been to Tenerife twice, once before adopting the girls and the second time with the girls when they were about 5 and 7. Nik or Sergio's recommendations were always top choice for Artie and Tim. They'd also seen great things about it online as it was one of the few restaurants on the island that served Canarian food.
Settling into their seats on the plane later that week, the junior Gibbses agreed Tenerife had been a great choice for a relaxing winter vacation. They'd enjoyed exploring the island to their hearts' content, with plenty of beach, pool, shopping, eating and celebration time. The bus tour of the Masca Valley and the village of the same name had been interesting. The trip itself was harrowing and both had closed their eyes on more than one hairpin turn on the narrow road bordering the cliffs. When the bus stopped and reversed to get the angle right for the turn, Tim tried to divert his mind by mentally reciting the periodic table. Artie said later that she did a mental review of her life and wished she'd thought of something else! Finally, they both realized that their bus driver had done this many times and relaxed, a little.
Now, on the way home, they decided it would be fun to bring the kids here but would wait until Jed was a little older. Talking about Jed being older made them think of Jilly Palmer, who'd celebrated her 2nd birthday shortly before they left on their holiday. The little girl had a wonderful time, squealing at each new thing, grabbing the wrapping paper off of her gifts and thoroughly enjoying her cake, made in the shape of a mermaid. As they did with the Gibbs and DiNozzo children, folks who couldn't be at the party in person attended via Skype. For Jilly's party, that included her Slater grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins from Ottawa, as well as the older gentlemen in Greece for the winter, LJ, Richard and Cesar Fornell. Richard would only be away for January and Sophia would travel with him on his return. Mac and Maisie planned to go for the month of February while Ben wasn't going at all, saying he couldn't stand to leave his baby grandson or his pregnant niece.
The family party for Jilly's older sister Victoria's birthday would be held that weekend, likely having the same people attending via Skype or video chats. Tim and Artie were prepared, they already had Victoria's present but would add a few fun trinkets they found on Tenerife.
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While Tim & Artie were away, Sarah and James revisited their decision to remain living at the Manor. They felt quite comfortable, especially with Caty's grandparents, uncle, aunt and cousins right there. However, Sarah knew that at some point she, James and Caty needed to move to their own place, to be their own family.
Before putting the issue on hold after Caty's birth, they'd agreed that they wanted to stay in Brambury, as close to the Manor as possible. They'd need at least 3 bedrooms, one would be Sarah's office, 4 would be better so Edith and George would have their own room there. They'd be fine with two levels, as long as the bedrooms were on the same level. With James' position and Sarah's novels selling well, they could afford to pay far more than they could have two years ago! They didn't have the game money coming in that Tim and Artie did but Sarah had been publishing for several years now and the couple had a nice sized nest egg.
Leaving the Manor would mean their suite would be available for Patrick or Maisie and Grandpa Mac. However, there wasn't any reason to hurry, at least not for Patrick, as Sarah reminded her husband, "Pat can't leave the rehab center until he can sit up unsupported which would make sitting in a wheelchair possible for him. However, he's set a target date of May to achieve that so he can go to Maine with us."
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While the junior Powells were still discussing staying or moving out, Pat met Uncle Jim, his 'new' Aunt Claire and their children Ainsley and Callum. When he heard Ainsley's middle name, Patricia, and realized the name honored him, he knew what Tim and Sarah said about Natalie's lies must be true. That took him a day or so to absorb before he asked to meet Penny, Maisie and the Cranes.
Both meetings were a huge deal for the Hubbards, Penny and the Cranes as well as Patrick. Once Penny, Maisie and the others absorbed the fact that Patrick no longer believed they hadn't wanted him, that those were Natalie's lies, they each admitted feeling a great weight had been lifted.
Eventually, Pat would also meet Uncle Mark & 'new' Aunt Perla, cousin Daniel, his partner Ned, Daniel's children, siblings and their families on Skype. He was grateful when his boys and their siblings made him a separate chart, with photos, of Uncle Mark's family. He liked it even more when Greg told him they'd never met anyone but Liezl and Mark, cousin Daniel, Aunt Perla and Uncle Mark. Kyle told him about Mr. Ned, now tagged as 'Cousin' Ned, being their friend before any of them met Cousin Daniel. When Pat later asked Tim, he told him the story of Daniel and Uncle Mark, with Tim's suspicions that Daniel might be a descendant of a McGee but leaving it to Daniel and as it turned out, his friend Ned, to handle.
While Pat was enjoying meeting his new and reclaimed family, he was struggling with his therapy, trying to do too much, to the dismay of his physical therapists. When his doctor realized his patient hoped he would be strong enough to go on a trip in May, less than 5 months in the future, he brought the rehabilitation counselor with him to Pat's room and the two had a long talk with their patient.
While Patrick was improving, he had years of rehabilitation ahead of him. Someday he might be able to travel with his family, although the doctors and therapists couldn't give any kind of guarantee this early in his rehabilitation. In any case, that travel would not take place in May or during the current year.
Patrick was upset, mostly with himself. When the counselor remained with him, he told her that, aside from his serious injuries when he was a child, he'd never been hurt again, not growing up or during his years in the Navy. Like many people who've never before suffered serious injury, illness or chronic pain, he didn't know how to deal with his condition. He obviously had unrealistic expectations of what his body could do. Having been in a coma for so long, setting unrealistic goals was understandable. To his way of thinking, he'd been in an explosion and then woke up, only now starting to face the reality of the 7 ½ years of his life that he'd lost.
Without the coma and the drug he'd been given illegally, his rehabilitation from the injuries suffered in the explosion would have taken weeks, not years. He'd been in excellent shape, he had to be for his job, and now was having a hard time accepting that it would take so long for his body to return to what it had been. And even that might not be possible. Awakened coma patients, especially those who'd been in long-term comas, may suffer all types of maladies, from constant vertigo to uncontrollable emotions, to psychological problems to severe physical disabilities.
The counselor contacted Sarah that same day, asking for a meeting. Lu went with her while Grandmum Edith watched the baby. Both women felt terrible when told what had happened and why. Gently, they were told to be very careful in their support of Patrick. When the counselor mentioned his impulsiveness, Sarah nodded, she didn't remember but Tim, Uncle Jim and Grammie had told her. Instead of supporting that impulsiveness, the family needed to encourage him to work toward more realistic, immediate and attainable goals. Instead of planning to travel, encourage him to work with his therapists to gain full arm, shoulder and trunk movement, work toward strengthening various muscle groups, toward gaining control of his bodily functions, toward improving his memory problems. Each of those goals and many others, when reached, would lead to more and eventually bigger goals which in turn would result in a stronger recovery. And all of the goals put together would, with a lot of work, result in Patrick's goal to travel. The family and the staff at the rehab center needed to focus and help Patrick focus on the here and now, with a positive end result. That way, each goal reached would be a success, which was very important to Pat's psychological well-being.
When the doctor, who'd joined them, was told the trip to Maine would be an annual event, he suggested they set their sights on a long-term goal of Pat joining them in 5 or 6 years. He said by that time, they'd know what he could or could not do and would provide support for any permanent disabilities. In addition, by then Patrick would have built up his strength and taken short trips, even overnight trips from the rehab center. Those would help him prepare to leave for extended periods of time.
Once again, the doctor and counselor reviewed what they called Patrick's program for recovery. He would be provided with a high intensity program of rehabilitation services, including physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, recreational therapy, neuropsychological services and medical services.
Having suffered two traumatic brain injuries, known as TBIs, one physical in the explosion and the second chemical with the drug, his recovery would likely take longer than awakened coma patients with one brain injury. With a sigh, the doctor reported that Patrick's inability to speak was likely the result of the drug he was given illegally for over a year. He warned them that could be permanent and suggested that one of his goals might be to learn British Sign Language and any other sign language he'd be interested in. That would help ease some of the social restrictions he might find in only knowing one sign language, especially in the UK.
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Taking the train from Gatwick into London and then to Brambury, the junior Gibbses were happy to see Dad and little Jed at the station with Big Blue. On the way home, Dad told them about Pat meeting Jim, Claire and the kids and his acceptance that Natalie lied about everything. He added Pat's subsequent meeting with Penny, Maisie and the Cranes and how much it meant to each of them. His kids were playing with Jed but he knew they were listening.
"You know there are things they'll always have to deal with, no matter how often you tell them they were her victims, too. So for Patrick to accept that Natalie lied and then to ask to see them and tell them, that was powerful."
Tim nodded, too emotional to say anything. Artie took his hand, "Dad, thank you for telling us that. There is something else we've been worried about with Patrick." Tim smiled as Jed patted his face, asking if Daddy was sad.
"I'm not, pumpkin, just full of feelings."
"That's good, Daddy! Don't be sad!"
Jethro replied to Artie with another question, "His idea that he would be recovered enough by May to go to Maine with us?"
His passengers nodded and he sighed, "The rehab counselor and his primary doctor set him straight about that. Then the counselor called Sarah, asked her to come in and Lu went with her. We, all of us, need to be careful with Pat as far as encouraging the goals he sets. The goals he needs to set are smaller and attainable, more realistic. His counselor, therapists and doctors will work with him on those. They're far less lofty than wiping out 7 ½ years of lying comatose in 4 ½ months. Things like working toward gaining movement and strength in his shoulders, arms and trunk. Learning an additional form of sign language, preferably British Sign Language to start with. The doctor says he believes that drug killed his physical ability to speak and it's likely permanent. So learning more sign, in different languages, will help him once he's living in society again."
Swallowing hard and telling himself that their miracle had already happened with Pat waking and being as cognizant as he was, Tim nodded, "I've been afraid of that. James knows BSL and I'd like to learn too."
Artie nodded, "Me, too, as well as the children." Jed nodded. He didn't know what they were talking about but he did know the word children included him.
Jethro smiled at his kids, he was so proud of them. "The Mallards are taking an online class in ASL and plan to tackle BSL next. Jimmy says the kids are learning faster than the rest of them. That's fine, the kids will teach them." He chuckled, "Joe and Char are taking the same class, they've already asked the Mallard kids for help. They've been eating dinner with us and practicing. Last night, Hope corrected them!"
All three laughed at that and Jed smiled happily, kissing his mama and daddy. The travelers kissed him again and then gave happy smiles as they pulled into the driveway at the Manor.
Dad no sooner turned the engine off than Jed's sisters and brothers spilled out the front door. "Mama, Daddy, you're home! We missed you so much!"
Touching, hugging and kissing the rest of their babies while holding onto Jed, who wanted to help Grandpa, the couple eventually reached the front door. Andy, Greg, Kyle and Rissa helped with their bags, while Hope insisted on carrying her mama's purse.
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The weeks following their Tenerife trip were busy, at work and at home. Much of it revolved around Patrick. Sarah and Tim already had two lawsuits pending against IPF for that agency's deliberate destruction of Kathy's finances and paying for her murder, leaving Greg and Kyle virtual orphans with a great deal of anguish they'd carry with them for the rest of their lives.
Now they'd decided that Patrick's Legal Guardian, Sarah, would also file suit, worked out with the Navy, demanding that IPF pay for Patrick's living and health care expenses for the rest of his life.
They would eventually win and IPF would pay for all his living and medical costs, past, present and future, including aides with him 24/7 as long as he lived, and an as yet undetermined sum of money to help Greg and Kyle deal throughout their lives with the psychological fallout of the harassment, financial destruction and murder of their mother Kathy Hart.
In the meantime, the U.S. Navy sued IPF for damages and expenses going back to Commander Hart's original injury. They, too, would win their suit. One of the more interesting things the three siblings learned from the trials was that Marvin Lee Hatman lied about his 'rogues' depleting his personal funds. An audit revealed he had funds stashed all over the world. As his name was on every single one of IPF's decisions against the Hart family, his assets were seized and the amounts awarded were distributed to Sarah, for Patrick, to Tim, for Greg and Kyle, and to Secretary Porter, for the U.S. Navy. Tim also received money for the pain and suffering caused by the IPF/NCIS employees who forced him from the agency.
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One afternoon Tim worked through lunch, leaving the office a little early that evening to have a private conversation with his brother. During their chat, he told him of his wife's connection to Queen Elizabeth II. Patrick's eyes widened as Tim relayed the information. Finally, he shook his head, signing, "Kathy said there was more to her family than she knew. The family china that her attorney saved for her, you know about the people who raised her?"
Tim nodded, telling him of their visit to the hospital where Kathy was born, her early childhood home, the former orphanage where other orphans had benefitted by the need to hide Kathy's real identity, the school where she'd taught and her apartment building. Tim added, "We also visited the grave-site where Kathy's grandparents, Jean Teck Cabot was her grandmother and the Queen's cousin, and parents are memorialized.
"Jean lived with Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret for several years while she was growing up and as Queen, her cousin approved of her marriage to Robert Cabot. The china you mentioned was Jean and Robert's wedding gift from Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh. When their daughter Elizabeth was born, the couple asked the Queen and Prince Philip to be her godparents. They knew her as she grew up, Mrs. Cabot brought her to the UK for visits. After the boating accident," Tim told Pat the rest of the story, including the people that sheltered Kathy, raising her with love under a false name to keep her safe.
When Pat asked how the Queen knew about Kathy's death and the boys, Tim smiled at his brother, "Artie and I struggled with that for months, but I remembered how Sarah and I felt about being separated from you for decades, believing you dead and you believing us dead. Then I had to tell her! We had a little help from a friend of mine," Tim suddenly shook his head, "who was the U.S. Secretary of State of the U.S at the time, now she's our President! Anyway, she advised us regarding the wording of the email and then gave us a contact address. She also had us copy her so the recipient would know we weren't trolling the Queen. Her private secretary, who's also her cousin, Peter Teck, replied, asking to meet us. We met Her Majesty and well, we've sort of become part of her extended family. Greg and Kyle are members of the extended Royal Family. Obviously, they're not in line for the throne, they are what we call distant cousins. However, they each have a number for the ascendancy and a letter from Queen Elizabeth II, naming them as members of the Royal Family. The first time we met them was at Balmoral, we stayed a few days, that was wonderful. Other members of the family were there which was thrilling, even for an American and a Greek goddess! We've been to Balmoral twice and we also visit them at Sandringham during the Christmas holidays."
Taking a breath, Tim pulled his chair closer to his brother, telling him about the Kathy Teck Hart Memorial Scholarship. Pat cried, mourning his love and Tim held onto him. When he was calm again, Tim continued, telling him how the Queen insisted on meeting him, Kathy's husband, and welcoming him to the family. Pat's eyes grew very big at that and Tim chuckled, "Relax, it's not as if she's going to make you a Duke or anything! She's very personable as is Prince Philip."
"Have you met the princes?"
"Princes Charles, William, Harry and their families, Princess Anne and some of her family as well as Prince Edward, the Duke of Wessex and his family and the York daughters. My son Andy is online friends with Prince Edward's daughter, Lady Louise, the Queen's youngest granddaughter; she and Andy are the same age."
Pat gave Tim a look and Tim laughed, "Right, commoner non-UK citizen brother of a distant cousin is in a teenage romance with the Queen's granddaughter."
"Does Andy have a girl friend?"
"He dates but he doesn't have a steady. He's serious about his studies, planning to be an astrophysicist. That takes a lot of education."
"Got the money?"
"Yep, he's covered all the way through his doctorate."
"Thought you work for the government?"
"I do, but I have other sources of income. I write crime novels with characters loosely based on our old team, they're still selling well. Also, my wife and I developed a hand-held video game while we were at MIT. There's a lot of interest in retro-gaming right now and ours is selling like crazy. Of course, that money all goes to Artie; as a federal agent, I can't be involved."
"It's all Artie's?"
"There's an LLC and she's the head. I'm not part of it."
"Who else?"
"Mom, the kids we had at the time and Breena Palmer. They should add Jed, although he's too young to be involved with anything."
Pat smiled, asking to tell their mother that. Rolling his eyes, Tim agreed. After that, Tim told him about their upcoming ski vacation in Norway, where they'd also see the Northern Lights. Pat looked at him puzzled, signing, "How much money is that game bringing in? Tenerife and now Norway? Aren't you going to Greece too?"
Tim huffed, "We never got paid when it was first put into production, in the 90's. The guy who was our supposed partner never gave us our share but he didn't spend it either. We just thought it hadn't sold, was a dud. Then we discovered the thing about the money by accident a few years ago and found that the guy was dead. However, he left the money with his uncle, along with more than 20 years of interest. That's a lot of money and we put it to work. The Navy also finally coughed up the money we should have been given to support us after Dad died. And Penny and Maisie got Dad's life insurance money back – they paid it out to Natalie. Sarah has your shares of both. Anyway, that was more money and then, well it's been accumulating." He didn't feel the bounty money he'd earned from busting the terrorists was something anyone else needed to know.
"I had support, don't need that or the life insurance money."
"But you should have had it, or your mother should have had it. So it's yours. Don't worry, they knew they owed the three of us."
Pat finally agreed, knowing it was useless to argue at this point. When he no longer needed a legal guardian, he'd do something worthwhile with it.
Watching him, Tim told him about their 'Pay It Forward' website as well as the Scholarship funding. That brought a smile and after Tim left, Pat mentally went through all the charities he knew about. When he realized his information was years out of date, he made a note to ask Sarah for a current list. He smiled, thankful that all his signing was strengthening his fingers and hands and he could now write a few words, although it was difficult. He thought he would do better using a keyboard. He planned to ask his Physical Therapist if he would be able to use a laptop or maybe one of the smaller devices his siblings and the kids used. That way he could chat with his sons, the rest of the family and be in contact with the world.
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When Tim and Artie told the rest of the family about the Queen's visit to the Rehab Center, they looked at them with almost as much surprise as they had when the couple first told them about the boys' connection to the British Royal Family. Sarah told them that most of them thought the Queen had only been in touch to meet Greg and Kyle and then for the scholarship. Of course, none of the Gibbses had mentioned their visits to Balmoral or Sandringham, afraid that would be too tempting to keep to themselves, or worse, ask them incessant questions about who they'd met.
Kyle was excited when he heard that Pater had been told about the Queen's visit and that Dad had told Pater about the grave-site. Tim smiled at the 7 ½ year old, "I didn't tell him about the obelisk, you and Greg can do that."
"Cool, thanks Daddy!"
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That Saturday, the senior and junior Gibbses, Hubbards, without Maisie and Mac who were in Greece, the DiNozzos and the Vances, including Kayla, Jared and Dani's son Ross, flew to Narvik, Norway, a city in Northern Norway, for the children's half-term skiing/viewing the Aurora Borealis holiday. They were staying in Airbnb lodgings which gave them nice discounts to ski Narvikfjellet. All of them were jazzed when they learned that Narvik is above the Arctic Circle, one of the most northerly cities in the world!
Greg and Kyle thought it was cool that they'd been to Singapore, close-ish to the 'bottom' of the world, the South Pole, with a distance between of over 6,000 miles, and now they were close to the 'top', a little under 1,500 miles from the North Pole! Kyle said he was going to mention that in his letter to Santa Claus next year. Greg said he'd remind him, hoping his little brother would still believe in Santa Claus next Christmas. Even if he didn't, Rissa, Hope and Jed would and could mention it in their letters.
Between catching the Lights no less than 4 times, skiing, learning to ski or playing in the snow with their parents, siblings, cousins and friends as the littles did, they all had a blast. This was only the second family vacation Ross had taken with the Vances and he liked them very much. He and Kayla hit it off the first time they met, in Greece several years ago and they continued to be close friends, although that was slowly turning into something else. Jared liked having a big brother, although he was very glad the Gibbses and Hubbards were along so he didn't have to be the proverbial third wheel with his sister and Ross. Hanging out with Ainsley, Cal and Andy was a lot more fun!
Between the 6 adults of the Gibbs and DiNozzo families, they rotated staying with Jack, Jed, and Diane. The three needed to be a little older before they could attend 'ski school'. Hope, however, attended and thoroughly enjoyed herself, quickly remembering what she'd learned in her previous ski school, in Scotland a year ago.
Signing up with a family operated tour company that would take them to the best locations to see the Lights, the Gibbses and DiNozzos decided that if the littles and younger kids took naps after dinner, they could handle a few hours awake to join their families on the tour. That worked the first time they saw the Lights, when they had their tour, which was fun, informative as they learned more about the Lights and about the cultures of Norway, and delicious as they were fed special treats and hot chocolate in front of a lovely warm fire.
The next 3 Light viewings were on their own and the littles slept through it in their lodging, watched by a Gibbs and a DiNozzo parent, who swapped each time, Grandpa and Grandma handling the last sitting. That way, everyone had a chance to see the Lights. Although the toddlers weren't likely to remember it, there were plenty of photos and videos showing each of them watching the Lights, their eyes big and a sense of wonder on their little faces.
Stepping back into their normal lives in the UK, they promised to never again complain about London's cold weather. They hadn't known cold until they crossed into the Arctic Circle, where the highest temperature had been 26° F and the lowest temperature was 23°F. Of course, that didn't necessarily take wind chill factors into consideration. Still, they'd been prepared and had a wonderful time.
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As the day of the Queen's visit drew nearer, Tim realized he hadn't yet scheduled any time out of the office for that day! Her Majesty was expecting to see him with Patrick, all of his kids, Artie, his parents, Uncle LJ, Grandpa Mac, Sarah, James, Caty and James' parents. Mr. Teck specifically asked that James, his parents, Dr. Mallard, Maisie Hubbard, Admiral Crane, Captain Hubbard, Captain Barnes, Colonel Barnes and their families be there and then had also included Dr. Mallard, Ben Childers, Geordie and their families. To Tim, that looked like all the veterans and/or British citizens, leaving out only Bill, Rob, Barry and Freddie. He was sure Joe and Char would be there with Ben, Geordie, Bec and the baby.
Shaking his head, he sent Leon an email and smiled at the answer, he'd already scheduled Tim out that day, adding that a meeting with the reigning monarch of their host country certainly counted as a diplomatic event! He added that he would also be out of the office the day of the Queen's visit. He'd leave the office at 1300, working from home afterward; however, the agency was Tim's from 1300 until the next morning.
Reading his personal email that evening, Tim found a message from Mr. Teck, asking for the email addresses of his grandmother Langston and four of his brothers, the four who hadn't yet been invited. He apologized for the oversight in not inviting them earlier, Her Majesty wanted to meet the entire family. Knowing that Jimmy, Breena and their kids were attending with Ducky, this last group, with their partners, meant the entire family.
It also meant several key people would be missing from NCIS for several hours, both Bec and Alan from the field team, Ellie from the INV team and Nikki, Barry and Maggie from the Intel Analysts. Leon said he wasn't worried, they wouldn't be that far from the office. If there was a call out for the field team, their junior could contact Alan. Bec decided that she and Alan would take their gear with them, just in case. Kendra offered to come in early to cover for Ellie but was gently declined. If there was a call-out or an 'all hands' case, Ellie would return to the office.
Tim's siblings requested that he ask the Palace for a favor, that the babies in the family under the age of 1 year be excused from the event. Considering how young the four latest Gibbs' grandbabies were, Mr. Teck agreed. In the meantime, the Rehabilitation Center, hearing how many children would be there, asked if it was possible to excuse any under the age of 4. Their patients were in various stages of recovery and in general didn't do well with unexpected or loud noise. That meant Hope would be the youngest Gibbs grandchild there.
The night before the Big Event, the family gathered on Skype, with the children who'd be in attendance, to handle any questions and practice their greetings. Tim couldn't help laughing when his kids led the rest of the family in saying, "Hello, Your Majesty" and then "Yes, Ma'am, thank you for inviting us."
When they practiced saying their names, Victoria said it very quietly and was asked to speak up. Rissa said, "Victoria, her Majesty's great grandmother was named Victoria, she was queen for a really long time, but not as long as our queen. So you have a very good name!" Her cousin smiled at her, feeling better about having to talk to someone so important.
Ducky smiled, "Indeed, Marissa, and our Victoria was named for my mother, who was named for Queen Victoria. My mother was born in Scotland during Queen Victoria's reign. That means she was still alive!"
That was interesting and Tim told Ducky later that he hoped he'd have a chance to tell Queen Elizabeth. Ducky chuckled, "I'm sure there were thousands of girls named Victoria during her reign. However, I see your point, it's not often one's name comes from the queen of another country."
When Pat signed that he'd learned how to sign 'Hello, Your Majesty' and his name in British Sign, James smiled happily. He'd offered to translate Patrick's ASL for the Queen.
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When the great day arrived, the men dressed in suits and ties, the women wore dresses or dress slacks. The children wore their church clothes although Kyle reminded his father that she'd seen them in play clothes. Tim smiled, "You're right, Doodle Bug, she has, but this is a special occasion."
"Because our whole family is meeting her?"
"Yes. And I think she's going to say something special to the veterans in the family, like your pater, Grandpa, Uncle Geordie, Aunt Maggie."
"Ooh, is that a surprise?"
"If she's going to say or do anything, yes it will be a surprise. But I don't know for certain."
"So we should dress in our good clothes just in case."
"And because this is a very special thing she's doing, visiting the center so she can meet your pater and the rest of the family. Remember, even though we live here, we're not British citizens, not her subjects, so asking to meet us all is a very nice thing to do."
"Greg and I are her subjects, aren't we?"
"I don't think so, Doodle. There are other Americans who are related to the British Royal Family and I've never heard that they're her subjects. How about I ask Cousin Teck?"
"Ok, thanks, Daddy."
Tim had to resist ruffling Kyle's hair. As curly as it was, it would take too much time to tame it again.
They got to the center early, wanting to spend a few minutes with Patrick before the Royal Entourage arrived. He was nervous and visibly relieved to see them. Greg, Kyle and the girls greeted him with kisses, while Andy shook his hand, making sure not to press too hard as he'd need his hands today!
While his kids and grandkids talked, Jethro returned to the lobby to gather the family as they came in. One of the aides nearly ran by him, "Good morning, Mr. Gibbs. Are you as nervous as we are?"
He chuckled, "I'm not nervous but I am looking forward to this."
"Oh, we are too, imagine the Queen coming here!"
"Why not? She's been visiting hospitals her whole life."
"I know, but it's us! I'm going to meet the Queen!"
He smiled, "Hard to believe?"
"Yes and I'm afraid it'll go so fast I won't remember anything."
"Take a deep breath and try to remain calm. You're focused when you work, see if you can use that focus so you won't miss anything."
He smiled as Ben entered with Bec, Geordie, Charlotte and Joe. Freddie and Abby were on their heels, Barry and Alan, Bill and Nikki, the DiNozzos, with the Colonel and Sophia, that was a nice surprise, followed by the Mallards, Hubbards, Penny and the Cranes. The Powells, Rob and Ellie were next.
Once everyone was there, they were directed to the 'Day Room' where patients could spend leisure time depending on their abilities. It was the largest room in the facility. As the family gathered, Patrick, still in his bed, was brought in by an aide who would stay with him. James, Greg, Kyle, Sarah, Tim and their parents stood around his bed and he smiled, signing that he was really nervous and very glad they were all together. He asked where the babies were and Hope signed, "They might be too loud, so no kids under 4. I'm the baby today."
He smiled, thanking her.
There was a bit of commotion as the Queen arrived. She turned her head and smiled at the crowd as she walked by, on her way for a tour of the facility. She would meet all the patients here, not just Patrick.
When she returned, she kissed Tim and Artie hello, shocking Sophia and Tim's siblings, and smiled again, "Thank you for waiting! I'd like to meet our patient first and then the rest of the family."
Standing by Patrick's bed, she nodded as he said hello, with James translating from the BSL. "Thank you, Mr. Powell, isn't it?"
"Yes, your Majesty."
"I learned British Sign Language years ago but haven't practiced in far too long." She turned to Patrick, "Don't worry about needing an interpreter, so do I!"
Pat smiled. She spoke with him for several minutes, James interpreting, before gesturing to the boys to join her. Giving each a kiss on the tops of their heads, she wanted to hear what their favorite thing was about their trip to Norway. Then she asked them to introduce her to their cousins. The kids thought that was fun, getting to meet the Queen before the adults did!
When Victoria said her name, she added, "Your Majesty, I'm named for my great-grandmother, who was named for your great-great grandmother. She was born in Scotland when Queen Victoria was on the throne!"
"We have an interesting connection then, Victoria, and you and your parents are American citizens."
"Yes, Ma'am." The little girl remembered she'd said 'Majesty' so now it was all right to say ma'am. "My grandfather is a British citizen and he adopted my dad."
"Wonderful!" The queen moved on, clearly chuffed with Victoria's story, meeting Davey, Nat and Ben. She gave the two older boys a belated welcome to the United Kingdom, asking all three boys how they liked it here. Davey said he liked where they lived, they could ride bikes to their friends' houses and walk to school. Nat and Ben nodded in agreement with their brother, Ben adding, "It's great, we love it, Ma'am. Everyone's nice, we don't have to worry like we did all the time at home and no one hates each other. And it's never too hot!"
She laughed at that, agreeing with him. After meeting Ainsley and Callum, she started with the adults and with a grin, asked the Gibbs siblings to line up with their partners. Turning to Cousin Teck, she asked for one hint and he whispered it to her.
Walking down the line, she said each name, from Tony and Maggie, talking with each a bit, thanking Maggie and Geordie for their service, down through Rob and Ellie, although she teased Tim and Artie a little. From there, she met the rest of the family, again thanking the veterans for their service, remembering that the senior Dr. Mallard had been with the Royal Army Medical Corps.
With a smile, she gave each veteran, whether British or American, a note of appreciation for his or her service, signed by her. As they learned later, similar notes were given to all the veterans who were patients or staff at the center.
She was still chatting with them when Tim's phone buzzed with a call from Dispatch. Glancing at Cousin Teck, he saw the man give him a nod, he would not insult the Queen by taking the call. Stepping away from the group, he answered quietly, listening before looking up to find Bec, Alan, Ellie and Jimmy watching him. He started signing to them, Antwerp had a multiple homicide, U.S. Navy personnel were involved, he didn't say if they were victims or suspects, a possible priority 1, there'd been trouble, one of the Antwerp team was down, another was out on leave and couldn't be reached. Esposito and Piro were already working on it for INV.
Disconnecting, he spoke aloud, "Excuse me, Ma'am. We have a call-out overseas and with your permission, we need to get to work." She nodded, concerned and he turned to the others, "Childers, Walker, Mallard, you're on your way to Antwerp, possible priority 1. We have an agent down, I'll get status from the hospital. Your team is on its way to pick you up, they have the rest of your gear. Dr. Mallard, do you have everything you need with you? Everyone have your go bags?"
"Yes, Director." Tim blinked, realizing he was the Acting Director. At the moment, titles didn't matter, except, of course, the Queen's!
Jimmy added, "I'll use local facilities for my work but I have my own tools with me."
"Good. Agent Childers, Marseilles will send you their junior if you need an additional field agent. More than that, I'll pull from Hamburg, all offices have been alerted. Bishop, another car's coming for us; Jardine, Gibbs, Barnes, I need you with us. Sciuto, we'll need you soon. Retired Agents Gibbs and DiNozzo, you're on standby for consultation. Admiral Crane, Captain Hubbard, we may need your help, too."
Tim looked at them all, "Go, grab your gear, be safe, get the bad guys. Childers, sitrep as soon as possible."
She nodded as she, Alan and Jimmy hurried out of the room to their cars. Ellie and the others gathered around Tim. He turned to Queen Elizabeth, "Ma'am, I'm sorry to have to run out on you like this!"
She shook her head, "No apologies, Acting Director, you are all doing your jobs. However, I am sorry you'll miss our ice cream treat."
Tim smiled and she waved him out of the room with the others, each of them sparing a wave in the direction of his or her partner and in Tim's case, his kids.
Once they were on the way to the agency, Tim told them what was going on. "Multiple homicides, field team was in a firefight, one of our agents is badly wounded. This has all the earmarks of a focused terrorist attack. The entire harbor is on alert, NATO is on alert and I imagine all of her member countries. Mo is working her contacts but we need you three on it as well. Bishop, McCoy's on her way in and Piro will stay with us unless something else pops up. If it does, pull Chalmers in. Naples has a hot case already. Our backup is International Falls, I've already notified them. Sorry, forgot that's not my job anymore!"
"Got it and don't worry about it. How many casualties?"
"Dispatch reports seven known fatalities and more wounded; don't know yet if they're all ours or from different countries. The team has every law enforcement entity in the area with them, sounds like a mess. Childers will pull it all together so we can get going."
Bishop was already looking at their database, "Fatalities are now 10 with more than 20 wounded."
Tim was on his phone, "This is now a Priority 1. I'll notify the others."
Nikki, Barry and Maggie were already on their phones, reaching out to their contacts.
Without stopping their work, all 5 left the vehicle at the front door of the agency, Tim thanking the driver, one of their security officers, and hurried into the building. As he walked, he sent a text to his uncle asking him to blast an order to check in with him and to let Tim know immediately if any were at the scene or of those who didn't respond. While the Baton Rouge was in port, the Admiral and Captain on leave in the UK, the XO had command and there were officers and crew aboard. There were two other US Navy ships in Antwerp Harbor, Uncle Dave sent Tim contact information for the commanding officers.
Tim accompanied Bishop to the bullpen, where Esposito gave him a sitrep. "All our ships have been evacuated. Three of the fatalities are US Navy, the bodies have not been moved pending the arrival of Dr. Mallard. We have at least 13 wounded, including Antwerp's junior. She arrived at the hospital in serious condition with a GSW to her left side; she's since been upgraded to critical and is being prepped for surgery that they estimate will take between 4 to 6 hours.
"The other 12 are from all three of the U.S. ships currently docked at the harbor. We don't have status yet but the belief is none of the rest of our sailors were as badly injured as Agent Ruzika. Most of the crew were on leave, Captain Hubbard sent the names of those who were aboard. Along with our 13, the latest estimate of injured is 43. Agents Hanson and Martin, Hanson's new junior, report explosive devices on all our ships as well as most of the ships from other NATO members. I don't know if 'most' has been confirmed or if there any that were not attacked. Witnesses spotted someone running from the scene; when the LEOs and agents gave chase, he started a firefight, joined by four others. They threw an incendiary and escaped. We have photos, our lab is working to clear up the images."
"Good, thanks for the sitrep. How soon can we get aboard?"
Ray glanced at the time and winced, saying, "Another 12 hours. Bomb squads are getting readings they believe to be additional explosive devices aboard the ships."
Tim shook his head, "They'll be long gone. But we'll find them, we'll work with Interpol, the CIA, Homeland, NATO security, Belgian law enforcement and whoever else gets in on this."
Although Tim wanted to stay in the bullpen or at least occupy his old office, he knew he couldn't. He had the agency today, this was his to manage. Heading for his office, he called Leon, leaving him a message before calling Secretary Porter and leaving a message for her. He then contacted Undersecretary Leo, who sighed in relief when she heard his name. "Acting Director Gibbs, sitrep?"
"Yes, although it's 30 minutes old." He gave her the meat of the sitrep Esposito gave him. She pressed for names of the three U.S. Navy fatalities, he told her that number was not yet confirmed, nor had names been released by law enforcement at the scene. He would track down status of their dead and injured as quickly as possible. Taking the hint, she ended the call. He immediately pulled up information for the CIA team attached to NATA headquarters, glad he knew and trusted them, relaxing a bit when his text asking for information was answered by a call.
"Your agent is in surgery." CIA Agent Edwards gave the name and phone number of the hospital and the treating physician. "As for our sailors, none are in critical condition. Six of them will be held at least overnight for observation, concussion and any blast injuries surfacing. Two of those six have broken arms, one of the two also has a broken leg. The hospital will keep them until transport is arranged. There are more broken bones, some flash blindness and a ruptured spleen, which is critical. That's Lieutenant Hadley, he's in surgery and expected to make a full recovery. I don't have specific statuses on the rest, these were the worst injuries."
"Thanks, Ted, this helps. Anything new on the attacks? I heard about the runner and the firefight."
"Bomb squads are convinced there are more devices aboard. They're working with all their equipment to determine what and where. Hopefully they'll find nothing but these guys are usually right."
"Yeah, I know. Nobody's claimed responsibility yet."
"Jack and I were just talking about that. We're wondering if this is a personal attack, revenge maybe?"
"How many ships were attacked? My agent said the numbers and countries hadn't been confirmed."
"They have been now. There were 18 ships of NATO members in the harbor and every single one was attacked. On each ship, sailors reported the same sound and feel of the explosion."
"How many fatalities?"
"This was a bad one, Tim, not that any attack would be good. Overall, 17 sailors died today, 3 of them ours. Another 57 were wounded, 45 admitted to hospital, others treated at the scene. Of our three ships, the Baton Rouge had a skeleton crew with her XO in command. Two of our injured came from there, no fatalities. Our three dead and 23 of the injured came from our other 2 ships," the CIA agent named the ships. "Some burns, broken bones, sprains, several sailors were knocked out cold by the blast, I imagine they'll be diagnosed with concussions of varying degree and they'll be on watch for blast injuries."
"So the U.S. has 3 fatalities and 26 injuries, including our agent. Any chance you have names?"
"I was just about to send them to you when you called. I've given as clear as status as possible on each of them."
"Thanks, Ted. Anything else?"
"Yes. NATO has given us liaisons at the hospitals, there are three involved. I've included their names and numbers, they're expecting to hear from you and will have the most current status on our folks. Your team has arrived, I see them being admitted to the scene."
"Good. This has been a huge help, thanks. Anything I can do for my CIA brethren?"
"No, you always give us credit, that's all we ask; that is when we want it known we're involved."
Disconnecting, Tim opened his email, reviewing the names, adding a little bit to the statuses. Then he sent a text to the Undersecretary, saying he now had names and would contact NATO liaisons for statuses of each. He confirmed that the U.S. had 3 fatalities and 26 injuries, including the NCIS agent.
Then he got started, contacting each liaison. While the injuries sounded painful, concussions, burns, lacerations, broken bones and of course continuing observation for blast injuries, and would take time to heal, Lt. Hadley's ruptured spleen and Agent Martin's GSW seemed to be the worst. Of their 3 fatalities, he knew Jimmy would call with IDs as well as cause of death and would update Bec with any information about the explosion.
He'd no sooner sent the status list to Undersecretary Leo when a text arrived from Bec, they'd found more explosives and were using robots to disarm them. A second text informed him that if anyone had ignored the bomb squads and re-boarded the ships, the second round would have been triggered on all 18 ships. Tim sent a quick prayer of thanks that no one else had been killed or injured.
Leon called shortly after 1800, as Tim was about to sign off. With most of this work being done by phone, he could handle it from home. Agent Ruzika's surgery should be almost finished, the liaison texted two hours ago that the doctors were giving her a 'thumbs up' status. Tim sincerely hoped that meant the same thing in Belgium or wherever the NATO Liaison was from as it did in the U.S; he knew it was an insult in more than one culture. He smiled when the liaison sent a follow-up text saying that meant good news. Lt. Hadley's surgery had also gone well, they'd been able to repair his spleen, and Tim let the Admiral, Captain and XO know.
So when Leon called, Tim had decided to go home, he'd be driven and if James was still here, he could ride with them. The Intel Analysts and the INV agents had been hard at it since the first explosion and Tim pulled Kendra from U.S. support to continue Esposito and Bishop's work. Neither of them wanted to leave but Ellie was set up to work at home so she finally consented. Rob was off today and was on dad duty with their girls. Ray wasn't going anywhere until Kendra left and Piro was now on call to work from home if needed. Bishop reported that Dorneget and Dawson would pick up for the rest of their shifts while Bianchi and Braff, the two floaters would provide support to US offices. Evan Fuller would pick up at Pearl, and then Tighe and Bailey would step in from Japan during their shifts, with Watson and Estes in Singapore on point during their shifts. Realizing they would have very close to 24 hour INV support, Tim sent a big THANK YOU to his deputies, copying Leon and Secretary Porter.
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Despite his intent to work from home, with events happening as quickly as they were, Tim remained at the office until past midnight. Jimmy's autopsies gave them more information about the explosives and Abby and her assistants were able to track down the purchase points of those explosives as well as leads on bomb signatures. While the field agents worked with Interpol and other agencies to determine how the explosives had been placed aboard the ships, in the team's case specifically the three U.S. Navy ships, Bishop, McCoy and Esposito filed for multiple warrants and permissions in more than one country.
While they waited for the warrants and any other information, Tim ordered the field and INV teams to rotate sleep breaks, at least five hours for each agent. The Intel Analysts were already doing that. Once he knew everyone involved was resting or was scheduled for the rest they needed, he went home and kissed his wife, who didn't wake but smiled in her sleep. Leaving a note for her in the bathroom, he took his phone, pillow and clean clothes for morning into his office, he'd catch what sleep he could in there.