Chapter 127

In the family room, Jethro started after his son but when he saw Artie go up, he turned to his wife, who was staring at the stairs. She looked at him, "What did I say?"

"Hon, you were questioning his professional decisions. We can't assume that Leon makes all the decisions, not anymore. This is part of why Tim's been so reluctant to accept the promotions, because so many of our family are involved, so much of what he does is confidential and he can't offload everything regarding agency employees. Evaluations are easy enough to delegate; however those evaluations may lead to promotions and/or transfers."

Jethro sighed, "And it sounds like he's finally reacting to the charges against Sheridan, the guy they arrested in front of him at his NCIS meeting in DC."

Lu made a face. She didn't like what she was being told but she knew it was true and that she couldn't do anything about it, except to talk with her son to straighten things out. She acknowledged that Tim had warned them over the years as each promotion took him higher in the NCIS chain of command. She'd talk with him in the morning. She hated that he was still having to deal with all the horrible things that secret agency had done or planned to do.

Her husband gave her a slight chuck under the chin and she smiled, "I know we'll be all right, I just wasn't expecting transfers!"

"I don't have any insider information about them." He nodded to himself as his wife chuckled. Continuing, he added, "However, from experience I can figure out a general picture. First, Bec. She's been in Europe almost 7 years, too long for anyone who wants to move ahead in her career and she is one of the agency's best young field agents. They've just fired a whole bunch of people and had to shuffle people around in the U.S.. They're spread thinner over there now than the European offices were before the evacuations. Her expertise is desperately needed in the U.S."

Lu sighed, "So by moving her to Rota, they're keeping her in Europe longer. That's good for us but how does it help her career?"

"She's good enough that she'll be given a pass for her years over here. The real issue is her terrorist mother. Right now, the southern offices aren't fully staffed. With the Fleet still overseas, there isn't as much need for NCIS and the Navy and Marine bases are still crowded with people they took in as refugees 3 or more years ago. So when the agency had to move people to fill vacancies due to the serial killer mess, they took many of them from the southern offices. If Bec were transferred to the U.S. now, she'd probably land in one of the offices in the South, with more bombed out buildings, roads and remnants of the war than we saw in Virginia. That's hard enough to deal with but for Bec, knowing her terrorist mother is responsible for that and an unknown number of murders, maiming and destruction of lives and families makes that an intolerable situation for her employer to knowingly place her in."

Lu was sitting now, "I hadn't considered that at all! I was just thinking of her being moved at all."

"People who are that good need to be moved to the right places, to get the right mix of experiences, otherwise they tend to move themselves right out of the agency, or worse, get complacent and don't do as good a job. I'm not saying everyone, my team had the best and the brightest and the challenges were enough to keep us on our toes. And some people work best by continuing the status quo. That's fine, it's complacency that's the enemy of the Field Agent, it can get you injured or worse faster than any other threat.

"Tim found a way to keep Bec over here for another year or two while also giving her the promotion that was long overdue. Over the next year or two, there will be more openings in other parts of the U.S., the physical reminders will be gone and she'll be able to put some distance between her work and thoughts of her mother."

"Oh, that's good then. I should thank him for being so thoughtful. Hon, why did Tim stay so long on the MCRT? Is it because of all the challenges, as you said?"

Jethro shook his head, "Yes, partly. He also stayed because he was too stubborn, too busy, too determined to learn everything he could. And unwilling to leave the team." He smiled, "Vance says he tried his best to get him to move on but Tim wouldn't budge. What always amused me was that while Leon was pushing, he was also giving Tim special projects to handle, projects that kept Tim's brain engaged and happy."

Lu nodded, "He used to laugh about that. And you're right about him not wanting to leave the team. The team became family to him and as we know, family is the most important thing to Tim, always will be. Back in the day, if Geordie hadn't already left town, Tim would have had a much harder time leaving Baltimore for MIT. Everyone else, the rest of our patched together family, was still in the vicinity. But Geordie leading the way and Tim's determination got him on the train to Cambridge."

"He is stubborn, our boy."

She snorted, "Really? Wonder who he got that from?"

Laughing, Jethro pulled her into his arms. When Lu eventually asked about Barry and Alan's transfer, other than saying that Alan was also an excellent young field agent, Jethro didn't attempt to explain why he thought their son-in-law was going to Marseille rather than taking London. He knew that if he were in Alan's position, he would also have selected Marseille, the position that would give him the most professional independence, the chance to shine on his own. Barry's transfer was easier to explain, the agency was acknowledging that he and Alan were a committed couple, although they weren't married.

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Upstairs, Tim opened his office door and let Artie in. Wrapping her arms around him, she pulled him onto the sofa with her, holding on while he let out more of his anguish, fear and anger with IPF, Hatman and now Sheridan. "They started this more than 8 years ago and we're still paying the price for Patrick telling the truth. He's lost 7½ years of his life, his wife is dead, murdered, his children, thank God they were saved from whatever horrors IPF had planned for them. I'm angry again, still, and I'm sick of the whole mess. Porter said this was the last of it but I'm not sure I trust that."

He took a breath, "And now my mother, God love her, starts to question me about my work…why Alan, Barry and Bec were transferred and whatever else she was asking. Leon was ready to transfer Bec to the States next month, we need her expertise over there. I persuaded him to give her another year in Europe and a more suitable position when she does transfer home. She, Ben and Charlotte need more time outside the U.S., more time to come to grips with what happened and for the visible damage inflicted by the terrorists to be repaired or disappear. Otherwise, they're going to see her mother's hand in everything. I'm sure they wonder how many people she murdered, how many families she destroyed."

"Do you know?"

"No, thank God! And Artie, I'm sorry to have to repeat this, but this is all confidential, not necessarily my feelings but what I just told you…none of this can be discussed."

"I understand and I promise I won't even talk to myself about it." She got a smile for that. "Love, you're emotionally exhausted. Why don't you take a warm bath, relax and then go to bed? I'll join you as soon as Rissa and Kyle are in bed."

"I have an appointment to see my psychologist tomorrow morning." He huffed, "I had a mild panic attack in Leon's office today."

"Oh no, Timotheos!"

"At least it wasn't in front of the entire DC and Navy Yard office week before last, when they arrested Sheridan. I was close to losing it then, as they read the charges. Someone got me into a chair and gave me a bottle of water. I wanted to pummel him, pound the crap out of him, right then and there. And then Secretary Porter came in and that brought me back to Assistant Director Gibbs."

She held onto him for a few more minutes before starting to move, "Come on, let's get you into the tub, that'll help your body to relax. Will you take one of your sleeping pills?"

"Yeah, that's a good idea."

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While Lu lay awake, thinking about their family, Tim, Bec, Geo, Barry and Alan in particular, Tim slept soundly thanks to the bath, the sleeping pill and the loving ministrations of his wife.

He was up early as his doctor was seeing him before regular office hours. From the Tube stop it was a brief walk and Tim enjoyed the cool morning. When the doctor buzzed him in, Tim noted the relief he felt just for being here.

The doctor already knew this was probably tied to earlier trauma, so he was ready with his notes from those first sessions, starting in May of 2015, shortly after Tim, Greg, Kyle, Rob and Gibbs had arrived in the UK after being smuggled out of the U.S.

It didn't take long for them to decide that part of what was going on now was frustration that the case against IPF and its operatives was still ongoing, that even though Tim had been told this was the last loose thread, there was no way he could believe that, no matter who told him.

When Tim tried to explain how he'd felt hearing that IPF planned to murder him, Kyle and Greg, the doctor cautioned Tim to treat his feelings with respect. He already knew they'd murdered Kathy and he'd suspected from the moment he was attacked in Cambridge that they intended to kill him and that they hadn't been 'rogue elements' of IPF. The attackers themselves had been tortured and murdered for failing their mission and to keep them quiet. He shook his head when the doctor asked him about the two who couldn't be identified. They'd eventually died in their cells. Each death was ruled a suicide but Vance pulled some strings and when he got the reports, reports that neither Tim nor Dad had ever been allowed to see, he verified that both suicides were homicides.

As Tim talked about his reaction to the charges against Sheridan and his anger, fear and frustration, he started to feel light-headed again. He sat down, he'd been pacing, and worked to slow his breathing, sipping from a bottle of water. When he felt better, they resumed, the doctor asking him about the trip to Yokosuka, his work there and his time with his step-uncle and family.

Tim smiled, "We had a great time with them, met the rest of my cousins and their families, saw their homes, ate with them, either at their place or ours, several times. It felt good." He paused to take another drink of water, "We originally planned to fly from Japan to Boston and spend a few days in the area. Then we realized it was the perfect opportunity to stay in our house in Virginia, the one we bought in December 2016, when we thought we'd be transferred home in July of '17. When we left Virginia for Brambury after that Christmas, the war heated up and we weren't able to return until we had a quick visit last year. We'd never even slept in our own house.

"We were so excited, my grandmother McGee was also in Japan, visiting my uncle and family and she was excited too. But we had to keep our change of plan from my uncle, aunt and their family because the Virginia house is one of the places his father sexually abused him and my stepfather when they were kids. That felt awful and I was afraid it would carry over to the house but we had a wonderful time there. Maybe it's been enough years, different owners."

"So you worried while you were still in Japan near your uncle but were all right once you were in Virginia?"

"Yes."

"Did you feel bad about that?"

Tim chuckled and saw the doctor was smiling, too. "I do that, don't I? No, I didn't feel bad, to tell you the truth, I didn't think of it again."

"Good, I'm glad to hear that, that's progress! All right, you've already told me about your vacation in Maine, how great that was. Tell me what happened yesterday?"

Tim told him about Vance asking about his brother and his mentioning the arrest of one of the people who'd planned the murders of his brother's entire family, including his sons and their legal guardian, Tim.

"That's the arrest we just talked about, the one you witnessed at the military base?"

"Yes, and that's how I heard of the plans, the arresting officers read the charges aloud."

"Did you know all of them before?"

"Not for certain. I was attacked but the head creep claimed they were rogue agents and he punished them by murdering all four of them. The boys were at school and they had protection details. So did I, but they were distracted by a credible bomb threat in the area."

"A ruse?"

"Yes. If it hadn't been for a store owner with a shotgun - he shot one of them - I would have been killed and then they would have killed the boys. I fought them off as long as I could and disabled two of them but one had a knife and managed to stab me." Tim pulled his collar away from his neck, showing the doctor the scar.

"I'm a criminal investigator, a federal agent, I knew the attackers were playing for keeps. However, I was willing to buy into the fairy tale that they'd been rogue agents. I heard the truth two weeks ago but it's just hitting me now."

The doctor nodded, "We do that when we need to. In your case, you weren't anywhere near your home nor would you be for a couple of weeks. Furthermore, you had fun things planned and are very skilled at compartmentalizing."

"That's what I did?"

"Yes, you pushed it away until yesterday when you were safe, your family was safe and somewhere inside you, you knew it was time to let it out. Who were you with?"

"My boss."

"How did he handle it?"

Tim tilted his head, "He helped. He gave me water to drink, watched my breathing. When I could get up, I went into his private washroom to wash my face and when I went back into the office, he brought me a hot cup of tea with extra sugar."

"That was helpful. Does he know you're here?"

"Yes, I told him I would make an appointment and he said he was glad."

"All right, so then you went home?"

Tim huffed, "No, I've been away for 2 months, I have work to catch up with. Not two months' worth but enough to keep me at the office. He came and got me when he was leaving, gave me a ride home." He looked at the doctor, "That's not unusual, we live in the same town."

"Is this the same man who was too ill to live on his own, who stayed with you for several months?"

"Yes."

"All right. Tell me what happened last night."

"Yesterday, I spoke with my boss about several issues. The first few concerned people I thought should be promoted and transferred soon. We worked it out and then we contacted the people and told them. Actually, three of the people promoted are part of my family, so I wasn't present when they were told but I do know all three are very happy.

"Last night after dinner, the three gathered everyone on Skype and told the family about their promotions and transfers. Currently, all three work here in London and one is mother to one of my parents' grandbabies. They're being transferred to other offices in Europe because that's where the positions are.

"When the call ended, my mother asked me why they'd been transferred and that's what I told her. Then she started to ask if they couldn't have gone…I cut her off. I was furious that she questioned our decisions. I overreacted, at most I should have taken the time to explain. But I was so fed up and angry that I let loose and then I went upstairs to calm down. My wife found me, talked me into taking a warm bath which calmed me down and then, well, I slept fine. I left early to come here so I haven't seen my mother today."

"How will you deal with her questioning you and your outburst? I'm assuming, since you were furious that there was an outburst?"

"Yes, although when I get mad I don't yell, I speak distinctly in a soft voice although it feels like I'm spitting the words out. My siblings tell me it's quite effective."

"So no yelling?"

"No. I was too angry to yell. She has no idea…the one sister-in-law who's being transferred should have been transferred and promoted home three years ago. My boss was ready to transfer her back to the States this summer, I had to work to change his mind. She's worked in Europe for 7 years now, that's far too long for her career. She'll have a bit of a pass because of the war but I'm not doing her any favors by having her transferred to another European office."

"Then why did you?"

"She, her father and cousin, also part of our family, were directly affected by the war, not physically injured, well, her dad was slightly injured, but emotionally and psychologically, all three are in counseling.

"The damage over there is still being repaired, there are still bombed out buildings and the roads are not yet drivable. People are still living, crowded, on military bases where they took refuge 3 or more years ago. Supplies are still being flown in because of the roads. The only vehicles that can handle the roads are scooters that can weave in and out, some heavier motorcycles and heavy duty 4 wheel drive vehicles. Even then, it takes much longer than it should to get anywhere.

"Anyway, these three family members have been living in a kind of bubble over here and I want that to continue until the visible damage from the war has been cleared away or repaired so they won't have to deal with seeing it every day. In addition, my nephew is only 7 months old, we have a big family here and they're part of it.

"She won't have that in the States. They're from the South so they won't or can't contact old friends, for fear they were somehow involved with the terrorists. We know that some of her father's lifelong friends were at least sympathizers, they forced him to leave their hometown. Even though everyone who was a known terrorist is in prison or dead, who knows how many sympathizers are still out there?

"I bought her another year in Europe, another year to work on their own recoveries while in the U.S., the physical damage will be repaired or rebuilt. I figure a 3 or 4 hour flight to visit is a lot easier to handle than an 8 hours or longer flight over the Atlantic. I just…I don't want them to be the first to go. She's excellent at her job but personally too vulnerable right now. And…I cannot tell my mother any of this. So I did a good deed and you know the saying."

"Yes, 'no good deed goes unpunished'. What about your father, doesn't he work with you?"

"He's retired now. He understands though, he's excellent at reading people and he knew as soon as I got home yesterday that something had happened."

"Do you think he'll have explained it to your mother?"

"Yes."

"All right, well, you're all adults, you'll straighten that out. Now, Timothy, I want to see you every week, more often if you have additional panic attacks. Do you still have your exercise book?"

Tim nodded, "Yes, I pulled it out of my desk drawer last night."

"Excellent. Go back to step one and bring it with you for your appointments. We'll keep track of how you're dealing with your complex life. How do you feel now?"

"Much better. You're the only one with whom I can talk about most of my worries and troubles."

"Most?"

Tim smiled, "Some are classified and that will likely increase over the next few years."

"I see, well, we'll deal with that as we go. That brings me to another question, one we've discussed before. Do you have any wish to return to the States?"

Tim smiled, "That's a discussion my wife and I had in Japan, the one that ultimately led us to visiting our house in the U.S. The answer is yes - and no. The war's over, the random violence is decreasing, I've been checking the statistics every month, we love our house and luckily the kids do, too, so yes, I'm not opposed to returning to the States. However," he swallowed, "Brambury is the first real home I've ever had. Where my wife and I were married, where we brought our two youngest home as babies, where we're raising our kids, where for the first time since I was a baby, I have both a mother and a father. Where nearly everyone I love lives, brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, friends, we're all here or at the most 4 hours away by plane.

"I can hardly breathe thinking about leaving and yet yesterday I told my boss I need to work in the U.S. Not right away, but he wants me to take over from him when he retires and I've only worked in our headquarters in Washington, DC and in our office here. I've done a lot of work for the agency and the U.S. that is classified and that means the general NCIS population will never know. I'll need them to trust me and to trust in my ability to lead them. How can they when I've never worked in a U.S. office besides our headquarters? They'd be right to think I have no clue what the real world is like for them. They'd be wrong, but I can't tell them how I know. So, in 30 months, we're leaving here, breaking our hearts."

"Will you return?"

"My brilliant wife has a plan regarding the place we live in now. And I don't intend to work at the agency forever. We hope to return in about 7 years, maybe less and this time, we'll stay."

"Will any of your family still be here?"

"I believe they will, yes. My sister is married to a Brit, so she'll stay and they have a child, so Grandma and Grandpa will want to spend time with them. Several others of our family don't want to return to the U.S, they're happier here. They've dealt with racism all their lives, until they came here. Even though the bad guys at home lost, they were betrayed and know it. How can they trust anyone there now?

"Three of my brothers had their own businesses in the U.S. that they had to give up when they came here. They've not only started fresh here, their businesses have grown larger and faster in 3 years than those at home after 20 years. As their work is the same, they believe that's due to general acceptance here versus racism in the U.S. So they'll stay. Others like the weather better here. As I said, it's miserable in Washington, DC, with icy cold winters and miserably hot, muggy summers. No one is excited about returning to that.

"And truly, none of us have lost our excitement about living in or near London and the continent. It's so cool how easy it is to travel around Europe, Eurasia and Africa. We can visit multiple countries in a weekend if we want! We've been as far east as Turkey and my parents spent 3 weeks in South Africa last year. We're taking our kids to the coast of Morocco on their half-term break in October. We'll be in Greece next month. Europe, Asia and Africa in the same year, not bad for a kid from the streets!"

The doctor laughed, "Well, I'm glad you like it here even though we've officially left the EU."

"Yes, that's a concern; we'll see how it works out."

After making an appointment for the following week, he headed into work, feeling that he was starting to regain his emotional balance.

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That evening, Tim brought flowers home for his mother and the discussion started there. After each apologized to the other, they spent time talking and the storm blew over, with Lu having a better understanding of her son's responsibilities and of his delayed reaction to the IPF arrest.

When Lu had a chance to speak with Bec later in the week, she was reassured and then enthused by her daughter-in-law's excitement with the move to Spain. Geordie was equally enthusiastic, telling his parents that the university he taught at now was affiliated with a university near Rota. He already had an appointment to meet online with their employment office.

With a laugh, he told his mother that he wouldn't be teaching American history but that he hoped a proposed course in the history of the relationship between Spain and North America would be considered. He was also studying Spanish history, from the first naming of 'Hispania' by Roman conquerors to more recent history. As he'd spent two semesters studying the country during his undergraduate years, he wasn't starting from scratch. There was a professor who'd taught in Spain at the current university and he'd agreed to meet with Geo, to help him understand some of the operational and cultural differences.

Lu was surprised when Geordie told her he had a Spanish ancestor. "From Spain, Mom, not from the Americas. After I had my DNA tested, I found a family tree online that links to one of my maternal great-grandmothers. I have my mother's Bible and she's listed in there with her birthdate and place of birth, so I set up a family tree with all the names I had. I never met any of my grandparents, much less great-grandparents and I don't remember my mother mentioning them. Anyway, the other family are distant cousins but it's nice to know. I had no idea my mom and I had Spanish ancestry!"

Lu nodded, "Considering how young you were when she died, that's not surprising! I'm glad you found out, that's fun, isn't it?"

Geo chuckled, "It is, yes. I was prepared for everything else, English, German, a little Irish, but Spanish, that was a great discovery! Just think, Mom, if we went back far enough you and I might be related."

She loved that idea!

In the meantime, she'd also spoken with Barry and Alan and found both men excited about the transfer to Marseille. She hadn't thought about the coincidence of both men transferring at the same time and felt like an idiot when Barry pointed it out. "Mom, if I were a spouse, I would be included in Alan's transfer package. But I'm not so I'm not eligible and if I went on my own, I would need to ask for a transfer to Marseille. This isn't a promotion for me, it's for Alan and the Director and Assistant Director were kind enough to give me a lateral transfer without me having to ask. It also means I'll have my own transfer package. We're both excited about it, a new country and new places to explore! Tony's already told us he'll make sure we have transportation home for the holidays. We figure the jet will pick us up first, then Bec, Geo, Ben and the baby before continuing to London. And we're hoping you and Dad will come visit us once we have a place to live."

"Yes, we'd love to!" She paused, "Barry, will you and Alan be safe in Marseille?"

"We did some research and I wouldn't be surprised if the director or Tim did the same thing, especially after Ned's short-lived transfer to Singapore three years ago. We can legally marry in France, which is a good indicator. However, there have been some attacks in or around Paris and Marseille as a city and a seaport traditionally has a rougher reputation than Paris. We might need to be careful when we're out together after dark but then Alan's an armed federal agent and we're both trained in MMA. So you don't need to worry."

They both chuckled at that, knowing she'd worry anyway. After talking with Jethro, Tim, Bec, Geo, Barry and Alan, Lu took some time to absorb it all. When she'd first arrived in the UK in 2015, Tim, Geo, Rob and Sarah were the only ones of her kids living outside of Baltimore. Before Tim left NCIS in 2014, he'd talked about his team, including 'Boss', and occasionally mentioned traveling for work, to Canada, to Los Angeles, to Mexico, but she didn't remember him talking about people transferring. She knew people did that, especially military people and NCIS was connected to the Navy and Marines, but she never thought about it; it really wasn't within her realm of experience. Her father changed jobs every few years and they moved to be closer to wherever the new job was, but those weren't transfers.

When everyone arrived in July 2017, she thought of them as refugees, which, underneath Leon's frantic transferring of his employees out of the war zones, is what they were. To be honest, she hadn't thought of anyone transferring since then. And, she laughed to herself, the only ones promoted during the past 3 years were Bec and Tim. And Barry, who'd been promoted from a probationary Intel Analyst to a permanent one. Bec was promoted and transferred from Athens to London although she barely knew the young woman when that happened and there had been some other sort of promotion, she thought it was a job class thing and remembered Jethro being very pleased about it. So really, the whole business of being transferred was new to her. Promotions, not so much, as it seemed that Tim had been promoted at least once a year since he'd returned to the agency. However, with all those promotions he'd never been transferred, although now she remembered that he was supposed to have been transferred in July of 2017 – and that would have been a promotion. Artie and Jethro had also worried about a transfer last year when Leon sent Tim to Newport.

When all was said and done, she was glad that Tim found a way to explain what was happening without divulging any confidential information. With her husband's help, she also understood now that her son was being subtly trained to take over the agency.

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That weekend, Kyle had his first official overnight at the British Museum with Greg, their father and Kyle's best friend along to celebrate with him. Kyle was overjoyed that they'd lived here long enough for him to finally have his own birthday overnight!

After that, the days flew by as plans for their 5th annual Independence Day party came together. The games would be the same this year as last year, although with the growth of the four toddlers and the influx of new babies, they'd added a couple of simple games for Jed, Jack, Jilly and Diane, ones that their younger cousins, those born this past year and those to come, would also enjoy as they grew up. With the transfers still weeks in the future, the family would all be there, with the Clachers, Sophia and Mimi also planning to attend.

This year, Uncle Jim's name was on the application for the fireworks, along with Tim's, since the Captain knew how to safely and correctly fire them. When he and Tim appeared before the town council, the fireworks were approved with one gentleman admitting he'd enjoyed the show from his own home last year. The entire council was promptly invited to attend, being told that the party was now international in flavor while continuing to celebrate the traditional birthday of the U.S.A.

The party had been a success every year and this year was no different. To their amusement, the number of Bramburyites attending came close to outnumbering the extended Gibbs clan. Still, the 'Come as Your Favorite American Historical Figure' contest, the 'Know Your American History' contest and the 'Top Hat Decorating' contest were as popular as ever as were the three-legged races, split into the same levels of 'maturity' as the year before. The Croquet, Table Tennis, aka Ping Pong, and Volleyball games had plenty of participants. Several of Jed, Hope and Jilly's daycare friends brought their parents to the party and the littles had a wonderful time with their new games.

After everyone enjoyed their dinner, the littles and some of the other children took naps so they could watch the fireworks later. Jed, Jack, Jilly and Diane led the way for that, each determined to watch the fun stuff in the sky. Hope, Rissa, Victoria and Davey Mallard joined them.

Their rests were well worth it as they squealed, exclaimed and 'oohed and ahhed' with everyone else at the fireworks show. The family organizers spent a little more money on them this year, getting more of each type of firework, and the crowd was most appreciative. When they quieted, they heard faint cheering and one of the council members there laughed, "That's the crowd watching from near the school, it's a great view!"

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As they celebrated Tony's birthday and then Greg's 12th birthday later that month, Artie told Tim she was beginning to see everything a little differently.

He looked at her, puzzled, "Do you mean your eyes are bothering you or your perspective has changed?"

"My perspective. Now that I know when we're leaving, even if it's not permanent, I'm starting to track things. We have two more Fourth of July parties, then someone else will have to put them on. And I don't think you'll have enough vacation days to do Maine, Greece, Brambury for the Fourth and Balmoral."

He smiled, "If I'm the director, I'll schedule a business trip in Europe each year in late June; I'll need to visit the offshore offices. Before then, you're right, not enough days. And I don't know what we'll do about our royal visits. When we get closer to actually leaving, we'll have to let the boys' cousins know, of course."

"Oh, thanks for the business trips and I've been thinking about Cousin Elizabeth as well."

"I thought about our leave date when I was at the museum with Kyle and again this week with Greg. They'll each have two more birthdays there and Rissa will also have two."

"She's 7 this year, then 8 in 21, 9 in 22 and we're not leaving until December, that's perfect! It's a shame Hope and Jed won't be able to participate."

"They will, sweetie, after we move home. They'll be old enough when we return, they'll have a few birthdays at the museum, if they want to. Rissa will have a couple more, too."

"It's strange to think of them as being that old but then, look at Andy and Greg!"

"Andy will be 24 or 25 and Greg 20 or 21!"

At the look on his wife's face, Tim pulled her in for a kiss. "They'll probably still be in school, just not home with us. Andy will be going for his doctorate by then, unless he takes a gap year."

She nodded and then shook her head, "We can't think like that. I mean, yes it's inevitable but we should enjoy them while they're here and at each age."

He nodded, adding, "I don't want to do more than 4 years in DC."

She smiled, "You'll find two or three Assistant Directors and then you won't have to do so much." She raised an eyebrow, "Have you got them in mind yet?"

He chuckled, "Keeping my eye on a few people. It's a shame I won't be able to tap anyone in the family. Bec would be a great director, although she's enough younger than me that she could step up after my successor."

"Can you share names?"

"For potential ADs? Sure, as long as it's between the two of us."

He grinned when she made a zipping motion across her lips.

"Here are my top choices, in no particular order: Ray Esposito, Faye Dawson, Bob Chalmers, Matt Watson, Anika Anand, Ned Dorneget, Henry Tighe, Cam Finn, Janeese Post, Kate Dahlgren, Kendra McCoy, Race Piro and Jeff Andreson, Cassie Yates."

"They'll all INV agents! And Ned's related to you."

"Ah, but he's not. I'm not related to Daniel and am thus not related to Ned. And not all those folks are INV agents. Cassie Yates is an SSAIC, Kate Dahlgren and Jeff Andreson are field agents. But yes, the others all have field and INV experience. I want at least one former INV agent as an Assistant Director. Even though the position will eventually be absorbed into the field teams, we'll need to continue training experienced field agents for the Investigatory Agent positions. And yes, those are the agents whose work I know best. Esposito, McCoy, Watson, Dorneget, Piro, Dawson, Chalmers, Tighe, Finn and Post are all seniors. They need to start their transition to the mainstream career path, but we can't do that until the Fleet moves home and…the same story it's been for years now. The program is in full swing, with the latest batch of trainees, we're fully staffed for INV agents. My next challenge will be how to move the best we have back into the mainstream."

"Already?"

"I won't start working on that for a few months, give the U.S. teams a chance to settle in post Reconstruction. But yes, they have the same career choices as field agents. And that will give the less experienced INV agents a chance to spread their wings, too."

She shook her head, "I forget it's been 4 years since you started the program, 3 years since Ned was here to replace you."

"Seems longer." He grinned, "There's been a lot going on these past 4 years, 5 years since the boys, Rob, Dad and I landed here!"

"And this year, is our real 5th anniversary! What do we want to do?"

He chuckled, "Honey, we haven't even decided what we want to do after Balmoral next month!"

"Oh!"

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Before they left for Greece, the Gibbses, junior and senior, decided that after their visit to the Royal Family at Balmoral, they'd fly from Edinburgh to Budapest, Hungary, and from there would travel to Bratislava, Slovakia, ending their trip with a visit to Wroclaw, Poland. They were all excited, planning what to see and do and learning some key phrases. They split those up so that each of them would know one phrase or a question for each country they'd visit. Once everyone learned their phrase or question, they'd teach the others.

They'd be home before school started the first of September and then would stay home until October, when they'd visit Essaouira, on the Moroccan coast. Barry volunteered to teach them some Arabic for that trip, although he'd have to do it by Skype after he and Alan moved. The Moroccan trip might also include a day or two in Rota, Spain, probably on the way home, if Bec and Geo were ready for visitors. Bec said she'd do her best to ensure that Rota was not working or on call that weekend.

While it was fun to plan ahead, by the end of the school year, the entire household, with the possible exception of 9 month old baby Caty, were excited about their annual trek to Greece. Sarah, James, George and Edith were especially impatient as they'd missed going the previous year and of course it would be the first visit for the babies, Caty, Timi, Ro, Tyler, Anna Clacher and little Joey.

This year, the Paddington jet would carry the Ibarras, Langstons (Daniel, Ned, Liesl and Mark) along with Abby's brothers, her niece Menolly and the Baxters to London from the U.S. There they'd be joined by the rest of the London travelers as well as the Clachers and the senior Powells.

Larry and Cyndi Porter would meet the group in Athens. As they'd done before, they traveled with the family from Maine to London. They'd visited the senior Powells in Castleton, said hello to some of their favorite places, returning to Brambury in time to help with the Independence Day party and then left the following week to spend some time on the continent. When Tony's jet returned the travelers to the U.S. in August, the Porters would be aboard, as well as the Hubbards who would be escorting Ainsley to Harvard.

As Andy said to his siblings and cousins, it was the first break in their group. Kayla, Em and Pauley were already college age when they first came to the UK, they'd completed their secondary school educations. Now Ainsley would leave, next would be Jared, then Cal and then Andy himself. Katerina, the older of their Italian cousins, would also leave for university next year. And Damaris, her younger sister, would leave the same year as Andy. After that there would be a gap until Ben Mallard and the eldest of Sophia's grandchildren in Thessaloniki.

While they were excited for Ains, they'd also miss her, especially because she'd be so far away, in the U.S. Her little brother Cal would be most affected and he was very glad his family was staying in Brambury. The younger kids were glad they had lots of cousins and friends in the family. Ben and his brother Nat decided they'd go to college wherever their family was living, neither wanted to be too far from home. Still, they had years to decide.

In the meantime, their parents, aunts, uncles and adult friends knew it wouldn't be long before this generation of children would be gone, to be home only at holidays, busy with their own lives. When LJ remarked that he was thankful that more babies were joining them, his contemporaries agreed.

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Finally the great day arrived! School let out earlier than usual for their last day of the school year and the children hurried home where they quickly changed from their uniforms to their most comfortable travel clothes. Once they helped load luggage into the transports, the Cranes, Hubbards, minus Grammie and Mac, Ainsley and Callum, Jared, Ben and Nat Mallard along with Andy, Greg and Kyle, Kayla, Em and P walked to the train station with their packs, taking the train to the airport.

Mr. Esposito, Ray's father, once again drove Big Blue with Lu, Jethro, Artie, Breena, Dani Vance, Sarah, Joe and Charlotte with Caty, Joey, Brody, the younger Gibbs and Mallard children and as much luggage as they could stuff in the back cargo space and up on the roof rack. The others, LJ, Ducky, Maisie and Mac, traveled via Uber to the airfield. Leon, Tim, James and the rest of the NCIS'ers along with Rob and Freddie worked that morning, changed and would meet the rest of the group at the airfield with their luggage and carry-on bags. The Clachers and senior Powells would also meet them there.

The Espositos were again housesitting the Manor and young Rachel was very excited about the pool and the back garden. She was an excellent swimmer and loved to garden and play outside. As far as she was concerned, staying at the Manor was vacation!

The group met up in bits and pieces, at the train station and the airfield, laughing at the level of excitement and chaos amongst them, as if none of them had been before. For those living in Great Britain, the 6 babies were the only 'first timers' this year, although this would be a first for some of the Ibarras.

It was a bit strange waiting for the plane to arrive rather than have it already be there but that just made it more exciting! Finally, they heard the jet land and they cheered as it appeared on the tarmac. With the large crowd waiting, those already aboard were asked not to leave the jet, otherwise their passports and IDs would have to be rechecked.

With Bill returning home after nearly 4 months away from his bride, less the 10 days in Maine, Nikki was the first to board, finding her husband waiting for her in the crew's break area. They stayed there, wrapped in each other's arms until one of the flight attendants let them know it was time to be seated.

Although everyone said hello, no one stopped to chat with those already aboard, knowing they needed to put their stuff away and get seated so the jet could get back in the air. This Friday, with schools letting out for the summer, was a very busy travel day in London and no one wanted any delays!

Within 40 minutes, the luggage was loaded, the passengers were aboard and away they went! As they took off, the kids let out a big cheer, the adults joining them, the toddlers and the four older babies squealing. Little Anna and Joey didn't seem sure what to do but neither cried.

After the long flight from San Diego to Boston and then overseas, the 3 hour and 40 minute trip to Athens might have seemed unbearably long for the San Diegans had it not been for their fellow passengers who were so entertaining they barely noticed the time. Mid-flight, they had snacks and beverages and the younger kids toddled, walked and ran up and down the aisles, although they were fairly quiet and always moved out of the way for the flight crew and other passengers. The two youngest passengers, Anna Clacher and Joey Gibbs, fell asleep shortly after the jet took off and slept the entire flight, much to the relief of their parents. Timi and Ro, Tyler and Caty played on a large quilt laid out on the deck, with plenty of people to visit with, from their cousins the toddlers to the great-grandmothers and the older uncles. Although they didn't see each other every day, the four babies knew each other fairly well and exchanged happy noises when they saw each other.

All four had a few words, mostly Mama and Dadda, although Caty, being the eldest and living at the Manor, also knew 'Gapa' and 'Gama', 'Unk', 'An' and 'Je', for Jed, the cousin she spent the most time with. She was already crawling and starting to pull herself up by holding onto furniture or people. She hadn't found her balance yet but both sets of grandparents told her mama and daddy that she'd be walking soon – and then watch out!

With Jed only two and curious about everything, the Manor was as protected as possible for babies and toddlers, although the adults kept their eyes open for any new items on the market that might be better.

Eventually, the babies, growing tired of the quilt and their adoring public, returned to their seats with their mamas and daddies. One by one, they fell asleep.

When the jet touched down in Athens, there was another cheer and then a scramble as everyone gathered their belongings. When they were through passport control, Tim, Tony and Barry organized the group so that once again, those staying near each other would be in the same Uber vehicle. They teased each other afterward that they must have hired every Uber in Athens! While there weren't 110 of them, the Kings, Slaters and Bishops weren't with them, they were a big crowd.

Young Brody Vance was just as excited about this trip as he'd been about Maine, although this one was easier because now he knew everyone and the flight was shorter. There were a few kids missing, 2 Slater and 5 Bishop grandkids, but the ones he knew best were there plus his big sister and brother. His older brother, Ross, couldn't come this year but he would be home for Christmas and Brody thought that was even better because he'd have to share him with fewer people.

Between the flight, retrieving their luggage, going through immigration and customs, organizing everyone into the right vehicles and the slight time difference, it was past the youngest Gibbses' bedtime by the time the family reached their Airbnb and both fell asleep in the car. The two were carried in and gently put to bed while the rest of the family brought the luggage in. Eventually, everything was in the right rooms and they laughed as they heard Grandpa in the kitchen making coffee.

After a light snack, they unpacked and then pinged Patrick on his tablet. He was waiting for their call, knowing from an earlier text that they'd arrived safely. He'd already received several photos, the first taken at the Manor with the pile of luggage before they left, another of Big Blue at the Manor, with the kids hanging out the windows and the full luggage rack, one at the airfield with the mass of luggage and people, another taken by a flight attendant once they were all seated, so he could see how many people there were, with Uncle Mark and cousins Daniel and Rizal leaning out from their aisle seats waving at him, others with the babies on the quilt with Penny, Grammie and others playing with them and other, candid shots.

Now he grinned, signing that he couldn't wait to join them in Greece. He added that Maine also looked and sounded like fun but the weather and the water were warmer in the Mediterranean. Kyle and Greg told him what their daily routine would be, breakfast at home, then to the beach, unless they were going sightseeing, then they had to wear 'real clothes' for the sightseeing, and they'd usually be back in time for lunch and the afternoon on the beach. Sometimes they even had dinner on the beach! Greg added that sometimes they drove to other places in Greece, so they saw more of the country, learned more of the history every year they were here. With big eyes, Kyle asked his pater if he knew how old the Parthenon and Acropolis were. When he shook his head, Kyle told him how many years pointing out that the number was nearly double since they were built before the Common Era. Greg's eyebrows flew up while both Pater and Papa bit back smiles, they'd straighten that out with Kyle later. The Parthenon and Acropolis were constructed during the 5th century BCE, which made them 2500 years old, quite a bit older than the 1000 years Kyle thought.

In the last few months, Patrick had made more progress sitting up, increasing his time nearly another whole minute with the harness and a quarter minute without. He was also having better results with his arms, including shoulders, elbows and forearms. The doctors were now saying, cautiously, that he might be able to sit up for the required 15 minutes, with use of his shoulders, elbows and arms within another 18 to 24 months, rather than the 5 to 6 years they'd first predicted.

After their call, Tim and Artie stopped in the girls' and Jed's room to kiss Hope and the little guy goodnight. They smiled as their toddler wriggled a little, smiling in his sleep. Artie chuckled, whispering, "He's running down the beach, on the wet sand!"

Tim smiled, "He is, sweet boy. And our little Umut is dreaming she's a mermaid!"

Hope was moving her feet and arms a little, possibly dreaming that she was swimming. With a chuckle, they kissed the littles and Rissa, who'd joined them, goodnight, tucked her in and then went to say goodnight to the boys.

Andy was sharing with Greg and Kyle and all three were sitting on their beds in their pajamas, chattering away. With a laugh, Tim told them to climb under their sheets, blankets were not needed, and not to talk all night. They smiled happily at their parents as they were kissed goodnight, although all three pulled out their tablets to read or play games for a bit. Kyle had an hour until his normal bedtime, Greg nearly two hours and Andy even longer. As long as Kyle wasn't kept awake by the other boys, their parents approved of their reading or playing their games, although those came with a few restrictions. They could also join the adults if they wanted. Andy would likely do that after Greg went to sleep.

Finally, the couple wandered downstairs to the main level, hand in hand, both wanting something cool to drink. As they walked into the kitchen, Artie was handed a glass of iced tea while Tim was given ice cold lemonade.

Tim smiled happily as his dad and mom kissed each of them. With a laugh, he said, "From London to Norway to Japan to Virginia to Maine to Brambury to Athens, it's been a crazy year! Actually, that only covers 6 months, but anyway, we're here, we made it back again! Wherever else we are, however scattered we might be around the world, we'll always find our way back to Greece."

His father nodded, raising his glass, "Here's to our family, love and loyalty, our sense of adventure and best of all, coming home!"

After they all drank to that, Tim and Artie smiled at each other, this was the opening they'd been waiting for.

Tim started, "Speaking of home, there are some things we'd like to talk about."

Lu's eyes widened and Jethro tensed. When they saw the smiles on their kids' faces, both relaxed and the four of them sat at the kitchen table with their cold drinks.

Keeping his smile on his face, Tim continued, "My brilliant wife has engineered a plan for our future. First I should tell you, we will be transferring to the U.S. in 30 months. Mama, that won't be a promotion but it's something I've come to believe is very necessary for my career."

Seated across the table from him, his dad tilted his head, looking at him and then his face lit up. "You've decided!"

"Yes, we've decided, if offered the directorship, we'll take it. Now, Mom, hang on, Artie's got it worked out."

His mother nodded, "Thank God! I gave up trying to figure it all out."

Dad was still beaming, "I'm so proud of you, Elf Lord!"

"Thanks, Dad. First of all, what I'm telling you and Mom about tonight, about my professional life, cannot be mentioned to anyone else, in the family or not. Not even Leon. Do you agree to keep it to yourselves?"

With a grin, his mom held up one of her pinky fingers and the four of them pinky swore.

After he stopped laughing, Tim continued, "Please keep in mind that I'm not the only one on the list and I may not be asked. However, we decided that rather than making ourselves sick over the possibilities, we'd make our own plans around it." Tim laughed, "Well, Artie did all that before she told me and then I put in my piece and here we are.

"So, in a couple of years, we'll move to the U.S. Hopefully to the Southwest office because I believe it'll be the most challenging for me, Southwest or Southeast and neither of us want to live in Florida. As I said, this was my idea and my decision, one I proposed to Leon. We had to compromise a bit but he finally came around to seeing my point. And that is, I was a member of the top team in the agency for over a decade. I left that team more than half a decade ago. As far as the general population of NCIS is concerned, I appear about once a year for another promotion but other than the INV program, no one knows who I am or what I've been doing.

"That's fine as a lot of what I did during the war has been classified at my request. However, that leaves me a relative unknown with the general agency populace. I worked as a case agent in Norfolk for about 5 months of the year I was assigned there, spending the rest of the time aboard the Navy Yard – or driving between the Yard and the base. Then I worked aboard the Navy Yard for a decade, disappeared entirely for a couple of years, then re-appeared overseas, in the London office doing something vague which eventually evolved into the INV program.

"If I'm going to successfully lead the agency, I need to establish more credibility, let's say more current credibility. So that if I'm offered and take the job, the people who will rely on me as director will know more about me and, I hope, trust in my leadership abilities. I've got some awfully big shoes to step into and I'll need all the credibility I can establish!

"So that's the layout and here are the details as they currently stand. Leon's moving HQ back to the Navy Yard a year from August, and we'll stay on for about 16 months. We hope to move between Christmas 2022 and New Year's 2023, so we might have to make a trip over before then to find housing. That way, the kids can start school after the Christmas holiday. We're hoping if they attend international schools that their transitions will be as easy as they were in Japan. We haven't done any research on that yet.

"The current plan and this will always be tied in with the Vances' plans, is that we'll be there for 2-3 years. Then we'll move to Virginia. I only want the job for about 4 years, no more than that. And then…" he turned to Artie with a grin, "Take it away!"

Chuckling, she nodded. "The bottom line is that neither of us want to permanently leave Brambury. It's not only our first home together, it's the only real home either of us has ever had, other than my grandmother's home and your home, Jethro. My family moved frequently, at least every two years. You know Tim's history. It's also the first place Tim has ever lived, past his babyhood, where he's had two parents and where he's felt a part of the community. Given my difficult relationship with my mother and stepfather during my childhood, I feel much the same. This place is too important to us to leave forever.

"Over the years, we've talked about asking the Malets for a longer-term lease. What we hope to do, all of us, is negotiate that long-term lease. While we live in the U.S., we will continue to come home for vacations and I hope for Christmas, perhaps every other year." She smiled, "Tim, we've forgotten one of the most important parts, we hope you will move to the U.S. with us. We know you'll want to visit everyone else, but we've planned for you to continue living with us. And Uncle LJ too, especially while we're in San Diego, the cold bothers him more each year.

"So, long-term lease, who's living here while we're gone? We hope the Powells will stay and we hope Joe and Charlotte and perhaps Nikki and Bill might move in, too. We also thought Grammie and Grandpa Mac might move into the Powells' suite, we're thinking Sarah and James might want to move upstairs. When the Porters retire in the next few years, they're planning to move over here so they could also rent."

Dad was grinning and Artie raised an eyebrow, "You know something?"

"Yes, I do. Dave and Jim have both been asked to consider, once they retire, staying over here to work as NATO consultants. The Cranes have already said yes and Jim and Claire are seriously considering it."

It was Tim's turn to grin, "Cal wants to attend university over here."

"Yes. Although if the Porters retire over here, that leaves Ainsley…oh no it doesn't. The Baxters will be close by."

"And Paddington Air will bring her home for holidays and vacations. However, the Porters plan to work for 2 or 3 more years. So they'll be close by for most of Ainsley's college years."

Tim looked at his mother who was looking very pleased. "Mom?"

"I'm not saying that anything is happening at the moment but I do know that some of your siblings plan to expand their families and will need more living space. The Manor will be perfect for them and by the time we're ready to move home permanently, they will have saved enough to move on. You are planning to sublet to whoever, right? Except for Sarah and James."

"Yes, Sarah, Dad and I will sublet to whoever moves in. Well, first, we need to negotiate the long-term lease and add permission to sublet. Then we'll set it up all nice and legal."

Thinking aloud, Artie said, "I don't think the Malets will mind delaying turning this place into a Bed and Breakfast."

Jethro nodded, "If Chris had his way, we'd continue living here. He knows the family, I don't think he'll have a problem with a new lease or with subletting, as long as that stays in the family."

Lu huffed, "We'll have to document family members then. And what if the NCIS'ers are transferred back to the U.S.? Won't that happen when the Fleet finally moves?" When her son grinned at her, she grinned back.

Tim twisted his lips, "From the conversations I've had with the sibs, several want to remain here. Sarah and James, Freddie and Abby, Joe and Charlotte, Bill and Nikki." He laughed, "Abby loves the weather here and James has plenty of tech opportunities when he's ready to leave the agency. Everyone else is more comfortable here and none of us have seen enough of Europe or Africa yet. We're hoping the DiNozzos will also stay, but visit us often."

"What about the Mallards?"

Lu smiled, "Breena and Jimmy are very happy here; unless the agency requires them to move back, I don't think they will. I know they're talking about renting or leasing the Georgetown house. Ducky will stay when we leave. Because yes, of course we'll move with you!"

"Yay! Thank you! We know you'll be making trips to visit everyone but we want to be your home base." Relieved and happy, Tim and Artie hugged and kissed Lu and Jethro.

"What about Andy? He's been so set on Bedford."

"He joined in our planning while we were in Japan and we told him he'll always be part of the family, always be our child, our son and we hope he'll continue vacationing with us once he's left home. However, he needs to plan according to his educational needs. He has two more years of his secondary education, so we'll be here for those and for the first part of his first term at whatever university he chooses, unless he takes a gap year. By the time we return, he'll be done with his undergrad, his masters and possibly his doctorate. If he does decide on Bedford, they'll be lucky to have him and there will be plenty of family here still." Tim made a face, "I sound so matter of fact about it. Truth is, it's going to kill us to leave him or have him leave us but we don't want to mess with his college career." He shrugged, "It won't matter where we are, his leaving is going to be painful."

"Do kids transfer into Bedford? I only knew those students who had Thanksgiving with us and I don't remember if any were transfers."

"I think two of them were and yes, they can transfer in so that's a possibility but we don't want to push that on him."

Dad tilted his head in thought, "You didn't mention Rob and Ellie."

Tim nodded, "I know. The others have all brought the subject up themselves. Neither of them have said a word and that's fine."

He thought if they wanted to stay, Ellie might want to work a non-standard work shift, similar to McCoy's, but he wasn't at all sure that would work. With the MCRT back in action at the Navy Yard, they'd need at least one INV agent dedicated to them and he'd always thought that would be Ellie. It had been his original plan before the evacuation and now he saw it as a natural progression, the last of Gibbs' team still working on the MCRT. However, with the uncertain hours the MCRT kept he didn't think that would work. His plan called for two or three INV agents aboard the Yard with a possible fourth who could float other offices when time allowed. Mentally he shrugged, if Rob and Ellie wanted to stay in the UK, they'd work something out and he'd find another experienced INV agent for the MCRT, even if it wouldn't be someone from Gibbs' team.

His dad laughed at the yawn that escaped him. It was time to turn in! Glad they'd finally had the chance to discuss their plans and relieved that his parents would continue to live with them, he and Artie kissed them goodnight as they headed upstairs. As they walked by the boys' room, Tim noticed Andy had fallen asleep with his tablet in hand and it looked like it was about to slide onto the floor. Entering the room, he moved the device, kissing his son goodnight. Andy opened his eyes part-way, smiled and kissed his papa in return.