Thanks to my wonderful beta, Alix33, for her diligence, support and comments. Thanks to all of you who've come along on this journey with Tim, Jethro and their family and friends. We're not done yet; however, we are getting very close.
Changes were made after Alix33 saw this. Any errors are thus mine, but then they would be anyway!
Chapter 128
December, 2022
In the room he shared with Uncle LJ, Patrick woke with a smile, automatically doing his exercises, warming up his muscles before his aide arrived to help him get dressed and ready for the day. He was awake early and while exercising thought about today as well as his adventures since he'd awakened three, nearly 4 years ago.
This morning he was excited as this would be his first whole Christmas at home with his family. Last year he was still living at the rehab, although he'd spent most of the day at the Manor. It hadn't been his first visit but it was the first Christmas visit. He'd also been there for Thanksgiving last year and this year, finding the atmosphere quite downhearted this year as the family faced the removal of the junior and senior Gibbses to the U.S.
Once their mother pulled out a calendar and started planning visits, everyone perked up a bit. Pat agreed with his brother, he loved having parents again, although he'd had more mothering than Tim, thanks to his adoption by Hope Blair. However, he'd been as fatherless as his siblings, except for Sarah and Rob, and was as surprised as his siblings had been at how much he loved having a dad. He'd had friends in his work who were close to their dads and although he wondered why they needed them, he'd also been a bit envious. And now here he was with his very own adopted dad, who he knew he could rely on for just about anything.
He relaxed in his bed as he remembered more of his 'firsts' since his awakening. He huffed at that, that certainly sounded dramatic but then it had been for his sons, Tim and Sarah.
His first visit to his family's home was for Kyle's 9th birthday in 2021. He remembered his excitement during the ride over that day and the shock of seeing the Manor in person. In all the photos he'd seen it looked large, like a small castle but in person it was huge. He expected it to be just as large and perhaps a little sterile, at least cold, inside. He was happily surprised to find the interior warm and inviting. And he'd loved the backyard, which he thought was easily the size of an American football field.
Kyle's birthday was also the day he realized how close Tim's boss, Leon Vance, and his family were to his own family. He'd been surprised that they were at Kyle's family party but throughout the day he saw the friendship between Dad and Leon Vance and between Tim and the man. And Kyle was happy they were there with the new little boy.
The Vances moved to Washington, DC later that summer, almost 16 months ago now, transferring several NCIS employees back with them. Patrick remembered the day of the office farewell party, Tim visited him afterward, obviously sad. Dad told him later that his big brother did not do well with parting from anyone he cared about, much less family and that the NCIS folks, both here and aboard the Navy Yard, were among the people Tim kept close to his heart.
Now, while Patrick was really looking forward to today, no matter how chaotic it became, he knew that with their departure for the U.S. in three days, it would be tough. He was grateful, happy and relieved that he was going with them, although it would be very hard to leave his baby sister, all but one of his crazy brothers, their sister Abby, sisters-in-law and the kids; he'd come to love them all dearly. Still, they'd all be in Maine in 6 months and then he might return to Brambury to stay at the Manor until after their trek to Greece. He didn't want to miss the crazy Fourth of July celebration! His move from the rehab center to his new home came shortly after their return from Maine this year, so he'd experienced his first Manor Fourth of July party and looked forward to the next one. Of course, it wouldn't be the same without Tim, Artie, the kids and his parents.
He'd loved his first trek to Varkiza this past summer. That was his first trip away from either the center or the Manor for more than a few nights and he'd done fine, with the help of his aides and his family. The flight was no problem and Mom found a wheelchair-friendly rental house where he stayed with the Powells and his aides. He'd wondered how a wheelchair would do on the sand but stopped worrying when he saw his newest set of wheels, made just for beach use. And while he couldn't swim in the ocean, he could be wheeled in far enough to get his feet and legs wet. Aided by transfer chairs, he spent part of every day in a pool owned by Artie's father, although they seemed more like friendly neighbors of Mimi's than family.
Once he learned their family history, he understood, although he continued to be amazed at how many loose threads had somehow been tied together since his brother and Artie reconnected. When he told his brother that, Tim laughed, saying, "It wasn't Artie and me connecting, little brother, it was finding you! You were the thread we didn't even know existed!"
He communicated using the sign languages he'd learned. Along with ASL, British Sign or BSL, he now knew French Sign, which played a big part in the sign languages of many European and Asian countries, and Greek Sign, which was a mix of French Sign and ASL. He'd also learned Japanese sign and then felt he had enough to communicate with his family. The Ibarras also learned French and Japanese sign, although in practice they found it easier to understand French sign.
There was also an International Sign language which used components of all the sign languages he'd learned. His family helped by learning ASL, BSL and adding on the French and Greek later. Once he learned French sign, which is used by itself or as part of a country's sign language for nearly 30 countries, he was amused when he realized he could now communicate in more countries than his multilingual sons and siblings. He was touched when told that all the Greek family, with the exception of the branch in Scotland, had learned both French and Greek sign. The Clachers, like the Powells, used BSL.
He remembered that first day on the beach in Varkiza as family by family, people showed up. He was truly amazed and a bit overwhelmed at the sheer number of bodies! At some point, Tim asked them to split into nuclear families and then Pat had a better understanding. Of course he knew his sisters, brothers, their partners and the kids but he was meeting the northern Greek family for the first time, and that was two groups of people.
The first group was Artie's former sister-in-law and her bunch of kids, who were more or less around the ages of his sons and older nephews. By then, he knew the story of the rotten Kosmos, the former stepfather and the idiot half-brother, Dmitri, both still in prison for kidnapping and treason. Having heard several times about the bribe of a Turkish woman to remove baby Hope from her foster family, he thought the two men had paid the price and once off parole should be allowed home. He personally thought the charge of treason was over the top. Not that he had any say in the matter.
When he said something to Geo about it, his brother explained the political fallout, how Greece and Turkey had each briefly considered the 'kidnapping' as a political ploy by the other and had come close to firing weapons. The entire region had been on alert and this had happened less than a year after an armed, bloody rebellion in Turkey in which too many people had died.
Pat understood then how big a deal it'd been, not just the bribery, which the Turkish government said was part of the kidnapping but to use a baby as a tool to hurt his daughter and her husband, because he could no longer control her. Kosmos Galanis and likely his son would be persona non grata in their homeland for many years, if not the rest of their lives.
The second group from northern Greece was comprised of a couple he thought was a little younger than Tim's mother-in-law, Sophia. They were Artie's aunt Gaia and her husband Theo, both archeologists, which he found fascinating, and their two grown kids, twins, one a fledgling environmental engineer and the other finishing her education as an ophthalmologist. He'd been amused when Kyle told him that Cassie and Matthaíos were the first of the Greek cousins he, Greg and Rissa met. He thought Andy might have met them when he was a baby but said his older brother didn't remember.
When Pat thought about it later, he was touched that his younger son found that important. He was finding that his sons felt the same way about their large, complex family as Tim did. While he understood why his brother felt that way, he wasn't sure why it was so important to the boys and paid attention, hoping to figure it out.
The same day Pat met the northern Greeks, Peter Lekkas, who was the biological father of Artie and her sister Susannah, and his wife Rhode were also on the beach along with their four kids who were in their late teens and young adulthood. Mimi introduced them although by that time Patrick had to let the children's names flow over him. He felt better about that later when Uncle Jim told he'd done the same thing. With a laugh, his uncle said he had enough trouble remembering the names of the Ibarras' kids and grandkids!
That summer, Uncle Mark and most of his family had also returned to Greece so there was familiarity with them. Then there was also the Italian family whom Patrick knew fairly well, they'd visited London and Brambury several times. He liked both men, finding their lives interesting and the girls were smart, sweet, well-balanced, funny and pretty. The younger one was almost the same age as his nephew Andy and the older one was his cousin Callum Hubbard's age, about to start college.
He remembered sitting back and watching the interactions of all these people, who appeared to be one big family. Mimi sat with him, telling him stories about their vacations here, showing him photos. He smiled, noticing that Cyndi and Larry Porter, who were connected to Tim and Artie's years at MIT, had been with the group almost every year. Mimi told him that they now came to Europe every summer and visited her son in Italy as well as her daughter in Thessaloniki and other members of the family, not just the Gibbses.
When Pat's stomach growled, he smiled, putting aside his memories and looking forward to Christmas breakfast. He heard Uncle LJ stirring and smiled again. His roommate was a great guy, kind, funny and full of stories about Dad, Tim and his adopted grandfather, Jackson Gibbs. Like Mimi, he had a lot of stories to tell Patrick about the family since they'd all come to live in the UK. And he quietly told him some things about Tim's work that no one else had mentioned, things LJ had figured out for himself. Patrick was already in awe of his older brother's energy but when he heard about the covert work and what LJ believed had happened as a result, he was prouder than ever. LJ also showed him photos of the destruction caused by the terrorists. Having been comatose through a traumatic time in U.S. history, Pat didn't know whether he felt relieved that he missed it or upset that he wasn't able to fight for his country. He finally settled on both.
NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS
Upstairs, Tim lay quietly, for once not excited about Christmas morning. He would pretend for the children's sake but his whole being felt heavy with grief at the move staring them all in the face. Some part of him knew they'd be all right and he'd been working hard to convince himself that they were doing the right thing. It was time for new adventures and new places for all of them and this move was still necessary for his career goals. Over the last 30 months, they'd spent as much time as possible with their family and friends. They traveled whenever possible, seeing and experiencing as much of British, Irish and European life as they could. They'd explored more of the "Emerald Isle", Wales and of course Scotland, with trips to Balmoral in the summer and using those as spring boards for trips to Hungary, Slovakia, Poland, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Germany and several other European countries. The most visited, outside of the British Isles, were Spain and France as they spent school holidays and long weekends in Rota with Bec, Geordie, Tyler and Ben, who divided his time between Charlotte's family in Brambury and Bec's in Rota, and Marseille with Barry, Alan and Madilyn, Alan's young niece and legal ward. The family was relieved and happy that Alan was granted custody of the little girl, now aged 4, when her mother, Alan's sister, succumbed to cancer. He'd recently filed for adoption and he and Barry were stoic about the process; their goal to be Madilyn's forever parents always in the forefront of their minds. Maddie was very happy when she met her cousins, glad she would have other children to play with at family gatherings. Jed, Diane, Jilly and Jack were also happy as she was the same age as them.
That first year, 2020, the year Tim and Artie called the 'beginning of the countdown', they'd spent a wonderful week on the coast of Morocco, in and around the town of Essaouira, in the warm October weather. They even managed a day trip to Marrakech. The kids loved it, there was plenty to do for everyone. They'd hoped to visit other countries in North Africa, but ultimately decided to wait until returning to the UK to live. There was currently a bit too much turmoil to safely take the children. When they permanently returned to Brambury, the younger four would finally be old enough for a safari and their parents hoped Greg and Andy would join them.
When recounting memories and plans for the future didn't help his mood, Tim reached for more positive emotions, resolutely thinking of the house they'd leased in a suburb of San Diego.
While it wasn't as large as their home here, it was nearly as large as the Arlington house. Built for a large family in the 1950s, it had been upgraded, renovated and modernized several times since then. They'd been relieved when their relocation agent told them about it, the owners had it listed for sale but the market for large houses, as Penny found years ago, spoke to a small part of the population.
When their relocation agent called the listing agent asking if the owners would be willing to put it under lease for a couple of years, that agent was quietly excited and relieved that she finally had news for her clients. They agreed to think about it and in the meantime, they gave permission for local family members of the potential lessees to look at the place and that's when Ned and Daniel stepped in.
They made two visits. The first was to look it over themselves, to see if it would suit their family members and to check a few items that Jethro and Tim requested. As no one had yet seen a photo, they had some fun, first sending a photo of a UFO-spaceship looking dwelling, which, though it existed, was in Los Angeles, definitely not commuting distance to the Southwest office. Tim replied that they'd all been amused and a little surprised when told it was a real place.
The next photo was of the exterior front of the real house in question, a two story mid-century modern building that had been updated and renovated in the past decade. Tim and Artie laughed at themselves when they saw the photo. They owned a large colonial and lived in a medieval manor home, both of which they loved dearly. However, they were immediately enthralled with the modern look of the San Diego house and without even seeing the interior or the rest of the property, wanted it. Of course, they'd be practical, wait and see but their first impression was positive.
The next several photos they received were of the neighborhood, a cul-de-sac with five other homes, each appearing to sit on approximately the same size lot as the Gibbses' potential home. Each house also sat on top of a slight rise and Ned conjectured that the original developers had cut through the center of a hill to make the roads, front yards and driveways, leaving the rest so the houses themselves would be on level ground.
When Artie and Tim and Jethro saw that, they immediately asked the agent for any surveys and reports regarding subsidence, flooding and earthquakes in the area. The latest survey and report, written within the last two years, was quickly sent to them. Artie sent it to her cousin Matthaíos, who studied it carefully before discussing the report and his findings with one of his professors. He, in turn, agreed with the young man's findings and added two names for referral in Southern California. Both those engineers were familiar with the specific area and agreed with Matthaíos' original opinions. The land was mostly bedrock and barring a catastrophic earthquake of over 8.6 on the Richter scale, the highest ever recorded, there shouldn't be any problems.
While all that was going on, Ned and Daniel were asked to return to view the entire property, interior as well as exterior. The Gibbses were definitely interested and the owners, having just paid property tax on a house they no longer lived in, had rapidly warmed up to the idea of leasing it for a couple of years. That first photo they'd taken, after the spaceship house, was of the front of the property. At street level, there were steps at curbside to walk up and across the front yard to the entrance. Once off the stops and on the property, the ground leveled out.
Facing the home, the driveway was to the right and ended in a three car garage, with the same architecture and paint as the rest of the house. A 6 foot tall gate was off the far right side of the garage. On the far left of the home was another gate and the listing agent said the property was fully fenced, with the exception of the front yard. The house sat on two acres. The building ran lengthwise across the level portion of the property.
During that second visit, with both the relocation agent and the listing agent accompanying them, Ned and Daniel gave the Gibbses a real time virtual tour. The first priority, that the house be wheelchair accessible, was evident in the flat paved walkway leading from the driveway to the entryway. This time, the gate next to the garage was open and they saw a narrow side yard, with a concrete pad for the trash bins and the air conditioning unit.
Below the paved walkway, a graveled path meandered up the small hill from the top of the steps, merging into pavement at the entrance to the house. The entryway was halfway across the front, with a short walkway to the doors. On each side of the house, bisected by the entryway and double doors, the walls were almost all window, bringing in plenty of natural light for the entire front interior of the home. The exterior of the house was wood, the stain recently refreshed, while the entrance doors were painted a complementary color.
While the others smiled at the banks of windows, Artie wanted to know if they were double glazed, which would help keep the house cooler and add a bit of security as they were tougher to smash. She smiled at the affirmative answer. Lu nodded at the windows, "I'm glad the house is up on a hill, otherwise there would be very little privacy from the street!"
Tim nodded, "I was thinking that, too, and glad it's a cul-de-sac!"
Lu chuckled, "I'd hate to think of the cost to install window coverings on all those windows!"
They were on Ned's tablet and on speaker. The listing agent smiled, "When we get inside, I'll show you what the owners installed."
The yard in front was beautifully landscaped with what Ned said was xeric ground cover, a variety of thyme that bloomed in the spring but never needed mowing or cutting, and planting beds with flowering shrubs and flowers that also required little water. The listing agent did warn that they'd need to check any new plants to see if the local wildlife, that is deer and rabbits, would eat them. The groundcover and the current flowers were not favorites of either animal. There were 2 tall shade trees providing ample shade to the front of the house. When Ned got closer, they could see what seemed to be cages around the trees. Cousin Daniel said they were Podocarpus trees and that they had two at their house, explaining that the cages were there to prevent the bucks from rubbing their antlers against the trees, frequently rubbing the bark right off. While the cages weren't pretty, they apparently offered enough protection as the trees looked healthy. There were also two pine trees, one on each side of the top step.
Jethro nodded at that, "We can string lights on them at Christmas, use your solar chargers, Tim."
"Yeah, that'd be fun!"
The front door opened onto a foyer with a living room to the left. Walking through the room to a hallway situated to the left and partly underneath the staircase, they passed a closet and a half bath, also known as a 'powder room', obviously meant for guests. Down the hall a bit further on the left were several storage cabinets built into and painted the same color as the wall. Past that, again on the left, was a full bathroom, with a door to the hallway and another into a bedroom large enough for a guest but not quite large enough for a full-time resident. The hallway merged at right angles into another hallway running the length of the back of the house. At the merge point, there was a large window to the side yard, bringing in enough natural light for most of the length of the hall. Underneath the window was a bench seat built into the wall. The landscaping seen from the window was lovely and they were happy to see the fence which the listing agent said she'd explain when they went outside.
Facing the back garden and inground pool were three suites, with two additional rooms on the interior side of the hallway. While the suites weren't as large as those at the Manor, they were roomy enough, each with an en suite bathroom, a bedroom large enough for a California King bed, plenty of storage with walk-in closets and a sitting area. As they continued down the hall, the last suite had two bedrooms and was set up for easy access by those in wheelchairs, or using a cane, crutches or a walker. The bathroom had grab bars, a barrier-free shower, although it was not a 'wet room', a high commode with railings and two wide doorways, one from the bedroom and another to the hallway, so Patrick could use the facilities without necessarily having to go through his room.
Across the hall, the first extra room was empty of furniture, although it had clearly been used as a bedroom and likely shared the 'accessible' bathroom. Artie was glad to see that, hoping her mother and grandmother or her uncles and the girls or others of the family would visit while they were here. They'd have room upstairs but she'd rather the older folks not have to use the stairs.
The second of the extra rooms was also empty but in this one the closet door was open and they could see it was mostly shelves and different sized compartments, with a short pole, less than 2 feet long, for hanging clothes. Lu grinned, "I call dibs! That's my new craft room!" The others smiled, happy she'd have a place to work her magic. Tim thought they could keep a rollaway bed or a sofabed in there for extra guests.
While Lu was still ogling her new room, Ned told them the garage had two workbenches with plenty of room to work for Jethro.
Rather than continue through the back of the house from this hall, the viewers asked their tour guides to return to the living room and approach the rest of the main floor from there. The two men and the relocation agent walked back down the hallways to the living room while the listing agent stayed behind.
As they walked by the suites again, Tim was interested to see the distance from there to the kitchen, he imagined the back hallway would have a lot more traffic than walking across the living room.
From the right side of the living room, which was far more formal than the other side, they accessed the kitchen and Lu smiled when she saw a sliding door that could be closed while something was cooking. While she liked 'open concept' to some degree, she didn't care for cooking smells permeating the entire house, especially when they were entertaining. Next to her, Artie and Tim both nodded when she said so, they agreed. They also noticed that the doorway, indeed all the doorways they'd seen, was wider than normal, for wheelchair access.
Once they were in the kitchen, they continued through a doorway on the left to the dining room. The dining room and kitchen were back to back off of the same hallway they'd left a few minutes ago. That would be nice for the suite dwellers.
With more large windows showcasing the backyard, the dining room was roomy enough for their family and several guests. Not the entire clan, mind you, but then they were not likely to host the entire group in this house. They hoped to return to Brambury for Christmases and Bec and Geo, transferred to Norfolk, Virginia at the same time the Vances left, would fly out for Thanksgivings, or they'd fly back east to them.
Tim, Freddie, Joe and Bill had already moved two large dining tables and all of the chairs available from the storage unit that still held some of the items, originally from Penny's storage, that had come with the family evacuees in 2017. They'd stashed them in the Manor's garage until after the movers took the California-bound furniture.
The two tables would replace the one they'd been using, as that one, made by Dad, would be moving to San Diego with Tim and Artie. Or it would stay and the two tables and chairs would move to the U.S. Neither Tim nor Artie wanted to remove the table from the Manor, their family would need the room as well as the reminder of all the wonderful meals and celebrations the family had experienced together and would experience again. However, Lu gently reminded them that if they moved to Arlington, they would need the long table and all of its leaves for entertaining.
Peeking down the hall a little farther, they were surprised to find stairs to the 2nd floor and the listing agent met them there. Jokingly, Dad said the house was built for entertaining guests in the grand living room and allowing everyone else to hide from them with the back staircase and hallway to the functional rooms of the home.
Turning around again, they made their way back to the kitchen. It was plenty large enough for two or three people to cook together, the appliances were all newer and looked in good shape, and there was a spot where they could put their freezer which they thought they'd ship from Arlington. They'd priced the shipping and it was less than buying a new one.
The listing agent reported that the heating and air conditioning system had been replaced four years ago and the ducts cleaned in November. When Tim asked how often the heater would be needed, both agents, Daniel and Ned smiled, the relocation agent responding, "I suppose coming from the UK, you might not think we'd ever need them, but we occasionally do have chilly weather in the winter and during the nights and early mornings in May and June. We are on the ocean and get a lot of marine fog."
Lu laughed, "We're used to fog, wind and rain. Does the weather there change every few minutes like it does here?"
The agent chuckled, "Yes and no. We get a bit of rain in the winter, never enough but it is what it is. Except for that and May and June, our weather is almost always sunny. The marine fog comes in May and June and that does change quickly. I've always heard that about the UK, but then you have the North Sea and the North Atlantic surrounding you."
Artie added, "And the Irish Sea and the English Channel. It's definitely at the mercy of Mother Nature!"
Ned stood in the kitchen, continuing to pan his tablet around the room while Daniel pointed out the peninsula that created a border between the kitchen and then the eating area, large enough to seat all of them for meals.
From there they walked through the eating area into a large family room, with another patio slider opening to the back yard. They nodded, there was plenty of room for watching TV, movies and playing games. In the meantime, Tim was mentally keeping track of how many security alarms and cameras they'd need.
Just past the family room was another, shorter, hallway, with a door on the left leading into a laundry room, complete with washer, dryer, storage cabinets and a door to the backyard. This would be their laundry/mud room. Back into the hall, they noticed that the right hand wall was storage cabinets. The next door, this one at the end of the hall, led to the large three car garage. Dad smiled happily when they saw two workbenches and pegboard on the back wall of the garage, with decent lighting, rafters overhead and shelving on the two other walls for storage. Tim and Artie were even happier than Dad when they spotted the stand-alone freezer. Now they wouldn't have to move the Arlington freezer.
Ned took them out a side door to the side yard. Along with the waste bins next to the gate, there was a potting bench along with a long something covered by a tarp. Peeking under it, Daniel reported the object was a patio table that looked like it would seat 20 people. They cheered at that! When their tour guides walked around the corner to the back of the house, they focused on a large patio and a good sized backyard, much bigger than Tim thought they'd be able to find here.
They all cheered again when Ned zoomed in on the inground pool, with its own fence. There was what the agent called a "climate control' dome over the pool. Patrick grinned, tapping the wheelchair and signing that it was perfect for him, he could do his water therapy at home every day. Technically, he could stand now, his feet worked but his legs were barely functional and wouldn't hold him up more than a few seconds, much like a baby who hasn't yet found her balance. Still, he could move his legs and feet in water, he couldn't kick or manage them enough to move them in an organized fashion but they did move. The doctors didn't know if that would change, explaining that the drug administered illegally had caused brain damage and as they'd feared from the start, there was currently no way to tell if that damage could ever be reversed. It might be possible for him to build his muscles but unless his brain passed the signal to those muscles and everything else needed to keep him standing, the muscles would only be useful in the water and to help him turn over. Fortunately, being able to swim in some fashion and turn over on his own were two of Patrick's goals.
As deeply thankful as he was to be alive and awake, he'd decided he could handle not being able to walk, although he would never stop working toward that goal. After being confined to a hospital bed for months after he woke, the wheelchair was a welcome improvement. While he still didn't have full control of his shoulders and arms, he had regained enough movement to handle his bodily functions himself, as long as he had help getting in and out of the wheelchair which the kids had nicknamed his 'trusty steed'.
This house was clearly meant for a large family and while the yard wasn't the 'football field' size of the Manor, it was large enough for their family softball, football and volleyball games as well as the vegetable, herb and flower gardens.
Tim also noticed retractable awnings over all the doors and windows. The listing agent explained, "Those have been added over the years, each renovation brought a few more and, Mr. Langston, if you'll turn the camera up to the second floor, you can see each window there has them. You'll want to use those every day during the summer and the upstairs awnings are on electronic timers. They're wonderful for keeping the interior and the exteriors a little cooler. Air conditioning will be your largest expense here." She smiled, "Although you do have solar power here so you'll likely be getting credits from the power company most of the year."
They all cheered at that!
Laughing, Artie explained that they were used to very hot weather, they voluntarily spent two weeks in it every summer.
"Where?"
"In Greece, on the coast. We have family there."
"Oh, that sounds wonderful! Then you know about the air conditioning."
"My grandmother has shades over all the windows, on the outside and inside. That helps considerably. She also lives less than 5 minutes' walk from the ocean and swims first thing in the morning and again at sunset. It helps keep her cool and she opens all the windows before she goes to bed, closing them before sunrise. The only time I've seen her use the cooler is when we're all in the house with her."
"Although I don't know of any problems in this area, I would contact the local police to ask if its safe to leave your upstairs windows open at night. That would be lovely if you could."
Tim and his father smirked at each other. Whatever the local LEOs and the crime statistics said, they'd have the entire property alarmed anyway.
Ned and Daniel were poking around, making sure they hadn't missed anything downstairs. They did find a room off the family room that looked like it had been an office, with a window to the side of the property and an inset into the wall that had probably been a closet and was now covered in shelving. Lu thought she might use this for her craft room, then the larger room could remain a downstairs guestroom. She thought they could also fit a rollaway bed in this extra room. Her family shook their heads at her, even 4 year old Jed. She was to have a full-size craft room and that was that!
Once they were satisfied, the tour moved upstairs. On the second floor, there were several more rooms, two that could be used as offices for Artie and Tim, five bedrooms and four and a half bathrooms.
Andy would be with them for a good part of their first year and during subsequent holidays, but when he saw the large size of the rooms, asked to share with his brothers. Kyle offered to share with Jed, Andy with Greg, the girls would continue sharing and that left an additional bedroom upstairs. They thought the kids could use it as a study, much as they used the library at the Manor and an additional guestroom when necessary. The agents, listening to their comments, grew curious, asking them how big the Manor was.
Daniel quickly accessed the Gibbs-Hubbard-Mallard-Langston-Ibarra photo albums online and did a quick slideshow of the downstairs, including a painting they'd commissioned of the front of the ancient building. Both women were suitably impressed. When the listing agent heard that other members of the family lived with them, sharing expenses, she dropped the idea of recommending a higher rent to her clients.
All in all, the family was pleased with the house and once the owners agreed to lease rather than sell the property, the Gibbses signed a two-year lease, with an option to extend it another year.
They were lucky in that their landlords, who had downsized, were more than happy to leave most of the living room, dining room and family room furniture as well as all of the kitchen appliances, table and chairs and it was included in the rent. The Gibbses would take their airbeds, linens, a few small tables and folding chairs on the plane with them, to use in their bedrooms until their belongings arrived. The dining table and chairs, their bedroom and office furniture would be moved and once they settled in, they'd buy whatever else they needed. As Artie pointed out, they'd eventually need furniture for the Arlington house anyway and the agency would be moving them again.
Tim was leaving his large screen TV at the Manor. While it still functioned perfectly, he'd rewired it for use in the UK and by now it was ancient. Although he knew that, he hated the idea of leaving it behind and was comforted knowing that James also loved the thing and wouldn't get rid of it. And if he did, Tony would likely take it.
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Lost in his thoughts, Tim sighed aloud, waking Artie. She wrapped an arm around him. "We'll be together, your parents, Patrick and LJ will be with us. Everyone will come visit and we can go visit them. We'll see almost the whole family in Maine and then Greece. You'll be busy with your new job, the kids will settle into school and we'll have new adventures here. This is a new country for the children and me, we have lots we want to see and do in the next two years."
She was convinced that once Leon realized Tim was serious about taking on the directorship if offered, he'd push his retirement forward. Tim thought three years would be optimum here while she thought two years would be about all they could handle. Andy wouldn't start at Bedford until September of next year, so he'd be with them for the move and then off and on during the spring and summer until they left for Greece. He would be doing volunteer work and also wanted to take a couple of classes. Having him with them for any of their first year was a blessing, although she and Tim hoped he'd make friends and do some traveling of his own.
She thought now that it was the waiting. Everything that could be packed before the holidays was packed. They'd take the tree down Tuesday and divide the ornaments although Sarah suggested they mix them a bit so the residents of the Manor would have some ornaments to remind them of their family in California and the same for the new San Diegans.
Some of the ornaments that were definitely going to San Diego were those Tim and Artie had had made especially for Hope. One, made by Grandpa, was a wood carving of a typical Turkish home, with the bright colors that were so common. He'd also made her a wooden camel, he'd made each of the kids an animal ornament the same year. Grandma, Grammie and Aunty Claire made her several tiny lovely Turkish style 'rugs' that tied onto the tree. Tim and Artie had combed the internet, finding several photos of Christian churches and paintings in Turkey and commissioned a local glass artist to make a few ornaments for their daughter. The paintings, or frescoes, were beautiful and the artist did a wonderful job capturing them onto glass. Grandpa carved another ornament for his granddaughter, this one a domed Christian church. He painted it the same colors that were in the photos.
When little Umut asked years ago if they could add Turkey to their Greek Christmas, they quickly found that there weren't any Turkish traditions for the Christian holiday. It wasn't a holiday in Turkey as the vast majority of people were Muslim. However, New Year's was a holiday and that helped considerably. Along with the ornaments, there were foods they learned to make and this year, the young girl's favorite Turkish dishes would be served on Christmas Day, along with a few Greek, British and American foods. The family cooks were very proud of themselves when Nicolas and Sergio added two of their Turkish dishes to their growing international menu at the restaurant, telling a little of Hope's story.
While the children's ornaments were going with them, the Christmas tree was not. Perfect for the Manor, it would be too tall for the San Diego house and they'd need a tree for Arlington. When they'd asked Rick if there was a Christmas tree there, he laughed, "You're kidding, right? Have you forgotten the woods full of trees? We cut some of the mid-size ones, made sure we didn't cut in the same area every year." He chuckled, "Denise says you should start a tree farm. You've probably got enough for a couple of years now."
They all laughed about that, they were so used to their artificial trees they'd never thought of a real tree! However, first they'd have to see if Andy or Jed had allergic reactions to them. Kyle grinned when he heard about the real trees, "I remember going to the tree farm and riding in the sleigh! That was so much fun!"
Tim grinned, "You were always fine while we were searching for the tree, but it was a long walk back down the hill and then up again. Our second Christmas there, you rode down the hill in my arms because Rissa was only two and she was riding in the daddy pack, on your grandpa's back. I remember you yelling that you were big, you could see everything! Then both of you and your Mama stayed with Uncle Geordie in the nice warm store, drinking hot chocolate."
"Oh yeah, he had his bad leg then. We had cookies hot from the oven, too."
"He did, that was his first Christmas home. And I remember those cookies, you saved some for the rest of us."
Greg smiled, "That's the year you and Mama got married."
Patrick was listening to all this and had to blink away tears when Artie remembered that Greg hadn't been ready to call her Mama and they decided on a Greek word, Mahnoola, that meant mommy.
Greg nodded, "That really helped and after a while I realized Mama, our first Mama, wouldn't mind. She'd be happy we were with you and Daddy."
Since they already had their new address, their furniture could be moved right away. They were flying out on Wednesday the 28th , taking their airbeds, light furniture and artwork with them. The artwork was well wrapped and packed neatly, with plenty of padding in some of the large boxes the moving company left for them. Leaving mid-week would give the children and Tim a couple of extra days to prepare for the start of their new schools and work on Tuesday, as Monday was the New Year's holiday. It would be good for all of them to have a long weekend to settle in a bit.
The rest of the furniture and boxes would be picked up within two hours of their departure. George and Edith would be here, planning to stay for a few weeks to help the family adjust.
Rob and Ellie were moving upstairs into the master bedroom on New Year's Eve, their girls would have Marissa and Hope's room while Joe and Charlotte were moving into Jethro and Lu's suite, with the extra bedroom perfect for the kids. Joey was in a toddler bed while Hugh was in a crib made by Grandpa and Uncle Bill.
Sarah and James were moving into the second master suite upstairs, with Caty in Greg and Kyle's old room and Sean would be next door in Jed's room. Dave and Liz were giving up their rental and moving into the Powells' suite, while George and Edith would stay in the former 'bachelors' quarter' when they were visiting. Penny planned to move into whatever room was vacant as she wouldn't be there fulltime. She'd spend February, March and April in the Philippines and Japan with her Ibarra family, the end of April and all of May in San Diego for Jed and Kyle's birthdays, followed by the trip to Maine and the home to Brambury.
This winter, Maisie and Mac originally planned to spend several weeks in Varkiza, renting a flat in the same building as Cesar Fornell, flying over after the Mallard girls' birthdays in January. However, Maisie said she'd rather stay home for a few more weeks, to help the grandkids adjust to their parents, brother, sister and kids' departure. And then…well, she wanted to leave early for Maine, flying to San Diego first for a few weeks before flying with her family to Pernton. Mac was in agreement with that, he knew he was going to miss them all something fierce. He wouldn't mind spending winters in San Diego for the next couple of years and Maisie liked the idea. While she'd miss her family, Penny, Liz and Dave, she would miss them whether she and Mac were in San Diego or Varkiza. Although she might miss them a little less in San Diego. To make the decision even easier, if they went to California they'd be able to visit Ainsley a couple of times, they had open invitations from the Porters and the Baxters to stay with them. Lastly, she and Mac would still have two weeks in Greece during the summer. The decision was made. They'd fly west instead of east after Jilly and Victoria's birthdays! They were able to cancel the reservation for the flat and change their Paddington Air flight destination from Athens to San Diego.
When Penny heard about their new plan, she decided to fly with them and stay a couple of weeks before continuing to the Philippines.
Tim and Artie were excited about the new plans, hoping they'd have their furniture by then! As it was, some of the kids would return to sleeping on the airbeds so their great-grandparents would have beds to sleep on. The only one who would have a bed right away would be Patrick. While his hospital-style bed would be shipped with the other furniture, a similar bed would be rented for his use until his own arrived. Beds and furniture would also be made available for his aides. Patrick's case manager dealt with an IPF liaison, making sure his needs were met at all times and so far there hadn't been any problems.
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Jed and Hope giggling outside their bedroom door pulled Tim's mind back to the present, knowing it was time to slap a smile on his face and go play Merry Christmas Daddy, something he usually loved. Pulling sweats and slippers on, he grabbed the camera and nudged Artie, who'd dozed off again. "Come on, the kids are awake. Let's get plenty of photos of our last Christmas living here."
"Not our last ever, our last for a few years and I'm hoping we'll come home for at least one Christmas."
"Yes but honey, this is the last time we'll have Christmas at the Manor when all our kids are living with us. Scooter's 15 now, in 6 years, he'll be 21 and in college or working somewhere. And Jammer…he'll be an old man of 25!"
She nodded, "I know but they'll both be with us for Christmases. I know you don't have that in your background, you never had a home or parents to go to, but that is what many young adults do. Besides, that's supposed to be a good thing, sweetie. we raise them into good, loving and kind people and then it's their turn to go out and save the world, however they choose to do so. And Timotheos, we're more than our children, you know that. Besides, when they have children, they'll bring all our grandbabies here."
He smiled at that, the first genuine smile she'd seen on his face in days. So when he opened the bedroom door and caught 7 year old Hope, who was leaning so hard against the door that she nearly fell in, he laughed, telling her and Jed to wait while he went downstairs to take photos of what Santa brought.
He and Artie walked down the stairs, hand in hand, laughing at the humongous stacks and mounds of wrapped and unwrapped gifts around the Christmas tree. As he and Dad established that first Christmas with Greg and Kyle at Gibbs' house, the unwrapped gifts were those left by Santa Claus.
After photos, they called to the children who rushed down the stairs. Tim's parents joined them from their suite, Sarah and James from theirs with 3 year old Caty and their 6 month old son Sean. George and Edith followed the Gibbs kids down the stairs as LJ, Patrick and one of his aides appeared near the tree.
The aide was wished a Happy Christmas and told he didn't have to stay; with a big smile, he gratefully returned to his bed for more sleep. Although Patrick rarely needed help at night, his doctors and therapists insisted a trained medical aide be available 24/7, so each of the aides worked rotating 8 hour shifts. That wasn't likely to change unless Pat regained the ability to walk and fully use his limbs.
Jose, Charlotte, Joey, now 2 ½ and his little brother Hugh, 1 ½ years, joined them from the attic suite, both children quivering with excitement. Hugh joined the family first as an abandoned 3 month old with only a slip of paper stating his name and approximate age. The Jose Gibbses adopted him as soon as they were allowed.
Tuesday, Jose, who'd reverted to his birth name to help differentiate between him and his son, Charlotte and their sons were leaving for Switzerland to spend a belated Christmas with Joe's Swiss family. Young Joey was as enthralled with trains as his cousin Kyle had been and still was. The toddler didn't know it yet but he, his brother and parents were taking the train to Switzerland! They'd decided not to tell the boys until shortly before they left. While the four of them loved taking the train, Charlotte was the one who insisted on it this time, it would be fun, scenic and take their minds off of the departure of their loved ones. With two toddlers, it would be much easier on the train, they'd be fascinated by the views and could move around, run up and down the aisles. They'd have a cabin so they could all sleep comfortably. Ben was in Norfolk with Bec, Geo and Tyler for the holidays and would stay until his pregnant daughter gave birth in February. Charlotte and Jose planned to spend Christmas with them next year, whether it was in Virginia or, they hoped, in balmy San Diego.
For more than two hours, happy chaos reigned around the Christmas tree. Caty was old enough now to be truly excited and although little Sean didn't understand what was going on, he happily squealed along with his family's exclamations.
Once all the presents were in the right hands and unwrapped, the older kids helped the younger kids remove their new treasures to their respective rooms while everything left behind was carefully checked, removing hidden gift cards, drawings, paintings and small items, before being put into the trash. While that was happening, Artie, Edith, Andy and Sarah got breakfast together. Jethro, LJ and George helped the kids get the table set and the meal served. Tim, Lu, Tony and James were their chefs for dinner that evening, although they were sure they'd have more help.
Because there would be no Gibbses at the Manor for the Greek Christmas this year, the Clachers, the Italian Costas, Sophia and Mimi were in town and would join them at noon. They were staying in a large Airbnb nearby and had their own tree for the Costas girls and Susannah and Ian's 2 ½ year old daughter Anna. The senior Clachers had driven down, bringing the tree, ornaments and as many of the gifts as could be stuffed in their vehicle. Ian and Susannah took the train, feeling the same as Charlotte and Jose, it was much more entertaining for their toddler.
The dining room, as large as it was, no longer held everyone so after the last opening of presents was finished in the late afternoon, they'd move the dining room table, the patio table and possibly the kitchen table into the living room. Their food would be served buffet style in the kitchen.
When the Greek family, Nikki, Bill and the DiNozzos arrived, they exchanged more gifts. With the family so big, a dollar limit was set and homemade items, especially food, and/or practical gifts were encouraged. In this family most people and their gifts were practical, although the great-grandparents loved to splurge on the children. The only one in the family who'd been born rich was Tony, although it hadn't brought him much joy during his childhood. While Senior usually sent a card and gifts for the twins for their birthdays and at Christmas, he rarely saw them, which Tony thought was a good thing. He'd rather that his children be influenced by his chosen dads, that is Jethro and the Colonel, than his birth father. Maggie was afraid her father-in-law had given up, overwhelmed by his inability to be a good father and Jethro and Richard's seemingly effortless successes. If only he'd known how long it had taken each man and how much each struggled to be a good father to his grown child!
After the second round of presents, the cooks retired to the kitchen with Chef Nik, happy when he approved of their offerings, advising them to add a tiny pinch more spice to one dish and praising another as perfect. They were trying a new Turkish dish and he and Sergio both taste tested it, liking it.
For once Nik was content not to take over the kitchen. He and Sergio enjoyed their family and the extended family, watching their mostly grown daughters interact with their cousins and friends now of many years. While saying goodbye at the end of this visit would be sad, they'd see them in Greece in July and were happy to know that Artemis and Timotheos, Lu, Jethro and the children would return in a few years.
They did wonder if any of their Greek clan would visit the Manor between now and then. Both thought they would but weren't certain how to even raise the question. It was James who gave them the answer, asking Nikolas if he'd help plan their Christmas feast for next year. "I know you'll be here and I'm hoping you'll want to help but we are losing three of our best cooks and our best griller for a few years. I'm almost praying you'll give us some ideas of what to serve and how much to make, like that."
Sergio and Nik beamed, happy to have their concerns settled and promising to help plan and execute next year's Christmas dinner.
By 3:00, everyone was gathered, including the Vances who'd flown over for the holiday, bringing Ainsley and the Porters with them. While Ainsley would remain home for another three weeks, the Vances and Porters would fly out with the Gibbs family on Wednesday, making things a little easier for the family. The flight would take them to Virginia where the Vances would leave them while the Porters would continue to San Diego with the others. From there, Larry and Cyndi would fly to Hawaii, returning shortly before their semester began, about the same time as Ainsley.
The gifts were fun, as always, the younger kids still excited about more presents while the older ones watched to see how the gifts they'd given were received. As Tim said, that was the best part! Many photos were taken, even more than usual with the move looming over everyone. When it was late morning in Virginia, there was a Skype call with Geo, Bec, Tyler and Ben. They were happy to see Tyler's birth grandparents with them! Lu's eyebrows rose when she looked at her daughter-in-law, wondering if she was going to make it to February, she looked like she was ready to give birth any minute! Bec laughed at her, "I'm all right, Mom, the doctor hasn't changed my due date." Bec was grateful she'd been in the habit of calling the traitor 'Mother', never 'Mom' or 'Mommy'.
"Good, then I won't change our flight." She, Jethro and Ben would rotate taking care of Tyler while they waited for the new baby. While Geo and Bec had decided to be surprised by the baby's gender, Jethro was sure it was a girl and Lu agreed. "One of each, that would be perfect! Or another boy, as long as the baby and Bec are healthy, I don't care."
He grinned, "You don't want them to have as many kids as we do?"
"Not unless they're adopted like ours! And they win a lottery or something."
Christmas dinner was wonderful, as always. Put this group together and the conversation, teasing and joking around never stopped. Tony missed his favorite partner in crime, Geordie, and resolutely thought ahead to the visit to San Diego and Virginia they planned to make in a couple of months. They'd thought April, when the weather would be a little warmer in both places but right now, he thought next week would be even better. They could continue to travel at will for another 10 months, travel when they wanted to. In September, his and Maggie's babies would start Reception and for the next 13 years their lives would be governed by school schedules.
He smiled at the newest additions to the Manor Christmas dinner, Tim's replacement, Jane Melankovic and her family. They'd arrived in London ten days ago, giving the second NCIS: European Field Office SSAIC time to shadow Tim for a couple of days and get over the worst of their jet lag. She'd met with each of his - their - subordinate office leads via Skype and she'd meet everyone in person tomorrow at Tim and Artie's surprise farewell party. Tony was proud that everyone was coming, flying or taking the train to London on their Christmas holiday day off and what was known as "Boxing Day" in the UK.
He sighed softly, he knew the new SSAIC would be fine, that the agency would be fine but he still missed the days when he, Roger, Pete, Stan, Joel, Tim and Chad Dunham had managed NCIS Europe. And when Leon was here. He laughed to himself about that, remembering the new director's rocky start with them 16 years ago, sending him afloat, Tim to the Geek basement, Ziva to Israel and forcing Gibbs to accept a new team. Back then and for years after, he never would have imagined actually liking and missing Vance!
Thinking again about all the changes, he was once again glad he'd retired before everyone else and shuddered as he thought about how much he hated change! He especially hated changes that took people away from him. He and Tim had that in common.
Rob tried to be happy, he thought he did a decent job with his daughters, who were now 3 and too excited to notice if anything was amiss. However, he was having a very difficult time with the upcoming departure. He and Ellie spoke about moving home but they didn't want to be the first of the Greater DC Metro area residents, not counting Geo who'd been away from the region for 20 years, to leave the UK. With the experience he'd built over the years here, Rob was confident he could find a position at one of the DC area's top hospitals and Ellie knew she'd be welcomed aboard the Navy Yard. And if they made the move soon, while Tim, Artie, their parents and the kids were in San Diego, they knew they could stay in the Arlington house until they found a place or until Leon retired.
Knowing Artie's prediction that Leon would retire earlier than Tim thought, Ellie agreed with her sister-in-law. Although the home that Leon and Jackie purchased back in 2008 had sold before they left Brambury, the Vances were still living in the Arlington House, 18 months after the sale. She guessed it might be easier to live there than buying something they'd be selling in a couple of years. She did know that Dani's business was doing well on the East Coast, so maybe they just didn't want to take the time or even have the time to look or move, especially if Brody was happy where they were. There were two families still living there and both had children, so maybe that was the draw. And remembering the house, she supposed it would be good for entertaining as she was sure the Vances had to do once in a while.
Within the family, there were two schools of thought about where the Vances would land after retiring. The first had them returning to Brambury until Brody was through school and starting his college education. Then they'd move to Greece. The second had them moving straight to Greece from Virginia, with Brody attending international schools.
With that uncertainty, Rob teased Ellie about living in the same house as the head of the agency. The Carters were also still living at the house while the O'Briens had retired and moved to California, wanting out of snow country. She and Rob talked about renting the cottage on the grounds until they found a place of their own or decided to stay. On the other hand, with the Gibbses planning to return to Brambury for good in 6 or 7 years, they might as well stay put in the UK. Ellie thought that as long as they visited San Diego or Arlington every year, that plus the family vacations in Greece and Maine should help her husband. And truly, they both missed Geo and Bec as well and they wouldn't be returning to the UK anytime soon.
Then Ellie smiled with a new idea about Bec. Yes, if Tim could make that happen before he retired, that would be wonderful! She was having almost as difficult time as her husband. She was fond of Tim and Jethro and the others. At some point maybe she'd talk to Rob about moving back for the Arlington years and then returning to the UK. Her parents were turning more of the ranch work over to their sons and planned to travel to Argentina next spring to visit Ellie's brother and his family and then to Greece next summer. And of course, all the U.S. and UK Bishops would be in Maine in June! That cheered her up and she smiled at the new SSAIC, her soon-to-be boss.
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Grateful that none of the travelers were leaving until Tuesday, it was still difficult for Tim to say goodnight as his siblings, in-laws, uncles, aunts, grandmothers, nieces, nephews and friends left the Manor Christmas night. He wished that this move wasn't happening at all or that they were leaving tonight.
He tousled Andy's hair as they walked upstairs later that night. "I'm glad you're here with us, Flootle, and thankful you're making the move with us. However, this is your gap year, you need to have some fun and an adventure or two, as well as the volunteering and classes."
Andy smiled, "I do have a few ideas I'm working on, they should be fun – and useful."
"Good!" Kissing his son goodnight, Tim nearly face planted onto the bed, only rousing when Artie joined him. She smiled, "There, we got through that. I almost wish we were leaving tomorrow!"
"I had that same thought. I'm glad we're leaving on Wednesday! That only leaves one more day at the office."
Artie nodded, "That will be as difficult for you as today was."
Tim huffed, "Trying not to think about it."
"Oops, sorry. I am excited about our night out in London tomorrow!"
He nodded, "Me, too. A fun evening with just you, me, Tony and Maggie!"
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Everyone slept late Monday morning and then spent the day with their visiting family and friends. As Tim and Artie got ready for their evening in London, the DiNozzos arrived. They'd spend the night tonight and wanted to get Diane and Jackson settled with all four of their grandparents plus the Powells before they headed into the city.
In actuality, the Gibbs and DiNozzo kids would be in the hands of Yaya Sophia, Papi, Granddad and Grandmum Powell this evening as the senior Gibbses would be at the party, along with James and Sarah who were supposedly out at a dinner and movie. Joe and Char were at the Mallards, watching Jimmy and Breena's gang while Ducky and the couple were on their way to London. Joe, Charlotte and Patrick had the distinction of being the only Gibbs siblings who weren't directly connected to the agency. No one was sure if Freddie would be at the party with Abby or show up at the Manor. His family didn't bother him about it and Tony knew Tim and Artie would understand.
By the time they got into the city, Tim knew something was up and from that thought to the conclusion that they were on their way to a surprise party took about 2.5 seconds. He knew his brother, knew his moods and his tells and once they left the Manor and the relative safety of saying goodbye to the kids and the adults, his former teammate began to exhibit classic 'I have a secret' behavior. Tim was glad he'd figured it out and then wondered how his parents were getting there and how they'd get to the party before this limo. He smiled outright when Maggie suggested they take a drive along the Thames where some of the boats had started decorating their masts with lights for the holidays. Yes, that would give Dad and Mom the extra few minutes they'd need. He relaxed, gently squeezing Artie's hand.
He had to say, the party was a blast and he was truly amazed at how many people had given up their days off to travel here, to be here to say goodbye. But then, they'd always been a tightly knit bunch, the NCIS offices in Europe and that hadn't changed when he became the first SSAIC of the NCIS: European Field Office. He hugged Pete, Roger and Joel, he'd planned on Skyping with them tomorrow and then shook his head in wonder when he spotted Stan and his wife. They'd flown in from San Diego!
Of course Leon and Dani were there and Tim thought Leon looked happier than he had all day yesterday. He knew the man missed his life over here and now he could see that for himself. He grinned, looking forward to the conversation he knew they'd have flying over the Atlantic.
The only one of his NCIS siblings or in-laws who was missing was Bec and Tony said her doctor didn't want her flying anywhere. He hugged and kissed Abby, Jimmy, Nikki, Barry, Ellie, Ducky and of course Bill, Rob, Breena, Alan and to his wonder, Freddie. He'd already had to blink away tears but when he saw his brother Freddie, he didn't bother blinking, just wrapped his arms around him, thanking him for being so brave.
Once Pete and Roger had him in their arms, they wouldn't let go and he relaxed with a smile, "Maybe we'll just stay!"
Stan, who was nearby, leaned in, "What about Melankovic?"
Leon was having fun introducing Jane and her husband to everyone who was there.
Tim twisted his lips. "All right, I'll manage Southwest remotely, from here."
Roger shook his head, "Wow, you've changed! You didn't even go straight to how much that would cost."
Tim grinned, "I'm in a happy bubble right now, I don't care how much it would cost."
Then Bob Chalmers was there, he was SAIC of Hamburg now, while Alan was still happily leading Marseille, Ken Sisler was still in Naples, Ed Hanson in Antwerp and Jazmin (Jazzy) Bell, Stan and Bec's former SFA, was now the SAIC in Rota. They were all there that night, laughing when Tim asked if their senior agents knew what they were up to.
Jethro was having a good time too, having been by Tim's side through all of his London years. Of course he'd known Stan forever and considered Pete and Roger personal friends. Not to mention most of his kids were there.
Lu and Artie were also having fun, they knew everyone there from family members to friends to the wives and partners of Tim's colleagues. Artie chuckled, "Let's do this again when we move home!"
Lu nodded in happy agreement. When Tobias and Gail rushed in, a little late, Jethro, Tim, Tony, Leon, Ducky, Abby and Jimmy grinned, now it felt like their old circle was complete.
Tim slept well that night, thankful he'd had the opportunity to see so many old friends and colleagues and to know that he'd see them again. It might be a few years but they'd be in touch.
If he thought the fun was over, he was proved wrong when he walked into the office Tuesday morning, his last day as the first ever SSAIC of the NCIS: Europe Field Office. While the lobby looked as professional as always, he noticed there were a lot more framed photos on the walls. Stopping to look, he grinned at a photo of his first visit in, the day he'd come to officially meet Joel while he was working at Bedford. His hair was certainly longer than it had ever been as an active NCIS employee. He chuckled at some of other photos, including a few candid shots taken during their stay at the office while they were on Alert 3 years ago.
When he reached his office, he found banners inside and with a grin, Cynthia handed him a pin he was to wear all day. It read, "I'm a short-timer, don't bother me!" He twisted his lips and then shrugging, pinned it on the outside of one of the pockets of his suit jacket. Cynthia shook her head, "I think they would like you to wear it up a little higher, like a name tag."
Tim shrugged with an eye roll, "Nope, I like it down here when I can put my hand over it if someone like, oh I don't know, the head of the agency happens to drop by."
She grinned, "Or the Secretary of the Navy."
His eyes widened and he shook his head at her, "No fair teasing!"
Now she laughed, "How do you know I am?"
"Because you wouldn't do that to me!"
"You're right, I wouldn't. After all, you're the one responsible for my family being here."
Now he frowned, "Has something changed? I thought that was a good thing."
"It is, except you're leaving!"
"Yeah, there is that. Ok, I have to do some work. Or find something to do."
"Did you have fun last night?"
"Yeah, it was a blast. I still can't believe Stan Burley and his wife came all the way from San Diego!" He'd laughed when told they'd be flying home with them on Wednesday, of course they were! He loved Tony's British family for their success and generosity in allowing them to fly on their jets. Yes, they still paid something but it wasn't nearly as expensive as flying commercial and it was easier and much more comfortable.
Her eyebrows lifted in surprise, "Wow, that's amazing! I knew about the people coming in from Greece, France, Spain, Italy and Germany but all the way from the West Coast? That's crazy!"
Tim chuckled as he entered the inner office. All of his personal belongings had been removed last week and there wasn't much he dealt with these days that required paper. If there was a requirement, the 'paper' usually resided in the Legal Department or Human Resources. He would do one last check before SSAIC Melankovic arrived.
He nodded to himself, the office looked good, it had been professionally cleaned two weeks ago and he was ready for the handoff. He'd camp out in Leon's old office this morning, do a last round of the office and leave in early or mid-afternoon. He was having lunch with Abby, Jimmy and Ellie, the last of the 'old gang' from the days of Gibbs' MCRT and wouldn't be surprised if Dad, Ducky and Tony showed up. He'd had lunch last week with his INV agents, Ray, Kendra and Ellie.
He'd had his office party last Thursday. That was fun, especially since this mix of people had known him for varying lengths of time and in different positions. Those who hadn't repatriated to DC remembered him as the junior or even the probationary agent on Gibbs' team, while those who'd been here in London all along remembered him appearing in the office at odd times, while he was rumored to be working somewhere else and having a mystery job that only the director, Tim and possibly Joel understood. They also remembered him helping Joel and Bec when the director was out of the office for so long. As James put it, he'd been a regular person, a real 'worker bee' when he started.
Tim thought Cynthia had had the most fun at the lunch, sharing all kinds of young Tim tidbits with more about Gibbs' team in general. Anyone who'd been here for a couple of years knew Tony and of course Maggie was there for the party and they'd laughed themselves silly. Mo Stempel said she was exhausted from laughing and for a brief second Tim actually believed her request to leave for the day as she was too tired to work. He was glad she'd stayed when Leon left, she, Nikki, Barry and Maggie made a formidable team of Analysts and he knew it'd been tough when Barry left for Marseille.
With a smile, he removed the last item from his desk, Tony's Mighty Mouse stapler. His brother loaned it to him for good luck when Leon left and Tim faced the transition to SSAIC of the European Field Office. Tony asked him last night to take it to San Diego and Arlington with him, that he could return it when they moved home. Sitting at the desk, he pulled out the note he'd written for Jane, read it again, added a couple of comments about the party and then put it back in the envelope, addressed it to SSAIC Melankovic and left it on the desk.
As he walked out, Cynthia stopped him and the two exchanged a hug. While her family was very happy here and Cynthia loved being back at the agency, it would be very different without Tim. She'd left before because she couldn't stand the thought of working for anyone but Jenny. This was different, Tim was alive and thriving and he liked Jane Melankovic so Cynthia would stay, give the woman a chance. Besides she really liked the people here, it was a much different atmosphere than the Navy Yard back in the day. Tim thought she'd be a great support as she'd been through the transition with Tim and knew most of the background and the people.
Walking into Leon's old office, Tim was surprised to find a note from Leon on the desk and wondered who brought it in for him. He read it with a smile, it was full of encouragement, telling him that the worst part, the leave-taking, would be over soon and that Leon knew he'd do well in San Diego and…other places. That last bit had a winky face drawn by it. He also said that if things changed and the Navy Yard "fell off the table", that he would help him return home or wherever he wanted to go next. He signed it, "Attaboy!...Leon"
Determined to keep moving forward, Tim tucked the note into his pocket, logged onto his laptop and to the San Diego servers. Once there, he checked his new email, sent a 'Happy New Year's' message to the current and chomping at the bit to retire SSAIC, Quan Dixon. Tim and Leon had a bet that Quan had the first tee time for Jan. 4th, his first day of retirement. Jet lag, holiday or not, Tim would meet with him this Friday and spend the day with him on Tuesday the 3rd as Monday was the agency's day off for the New Year's holiday.
When she arrived, Melankovic asked to meet and the two spent a few hours discussing several topics, from staffing, who might be ready for promotion or transfer, the way the European offices handled American and their host country holidays and more or less the 'nuts and bolts' of the SSAIC's responsibilities. He also solicited her opinion about NCIS on the West Coast and who she saw as the next batch of 'up and comers'. Always ready with an opinion, she reminded him of Lydia Warden in that regard, she gave him some handy tips and told him names of a few agents to watch – in a good way.
From there, Tim went to lunch with Ellie, Abby and Jimmy and was happy when Tony and Leon came in with Dad and Ducky. They had a great time talking about the old MCRT and Dad, Tim, Ellie and Tony came in for a great deal of affectionate teasing.
After lunch, Tim did a quick walkthrough, shaking hands and wishing everyone good luck. Then he grabbed his coat, moved Leon's note into his laptop case and taking a deep breath, walked down the stairs to the lobby. When he saw Dad, Tony, Ducky and Leon waiting for him, he smiled in relief. They'd lived through leaving, he could too.
Notes: "Midcentury modern" broadly describes architecture, furniture, and graphic design from the middle of the 20th century (roughly 1933 to 1965, though some would argue the period is specifically limited to 1947 to 1957).
One of the prevailing themes of Mid-Century Modern architecture is a nearly equal emphasis on function and form. The style itself originated—and came to be extremely popular—for both practical and aesthetic reasons. The practical: After World War II ended, returning soldiers required housing. As a result, in the U.S., large residential developments in the suburbs filled up with homes that were relatively quick and cheap to build. While some of these developments, especially those on the east coast, featured more traditional style homes like Cape Cods, California and a few other parts of the country saw a boom in more modernist homes that would come to be called Mid-Century Modern.
What's the difference between mid-century and mid-century modern? Modern design refers to an era that has passed, while contemporary design is all about the now and the future. Currently the most popular modern design era is the mid-century modern era of the 1950s and 1960s. But Art Deco design of the 1920s or anything from then to the vintage look of the 1970s can also be considered modern.
