HAPPY HANUKKAH!

Also, I'm very happy to tell you this chapter has been beta-d by the incomparable Alix33! Doing a happy dance!

Chapter 7

Up early and having already consumed three cups of coffee each, they woke Ty and Brynie. The younger kids had said goodbye to them the night before which should make leaving the house a little easier.

After showering, dressing, eating a hearty breakfast and brushing their teeth, they were ready. When Nonny and Poppy arrived to stay with the littles and the babies, Tim picked up his children's duffels and followed Ellie into the garage. She'd drive them to the church parking lot where the bus to the camp would be waiting.

Tim put the bags in the cargo space of the van and then turned to go to his seat. His dad was there and he pulled him into a hug, whispering to him that he felt the same way but that the kids would have fun, learn a lot and come home safely. Tim allowed himself three seconds of comfort, burying his face in his father's shoulder. Then he emerged, "Thanks for the son time. I need to go be a dad now, a positive dad."

Dad patted his face and Tim smiled. If his kids were anything like him, they might always need him as much as he needed his dad.

The kids climbed in and away they went. They pulled into the church parking lot with several other cars full of kids and parents. Tim retrieved the duffel bags and handed them off to his son and daughter. They grinned at him and their excitement enabled him to grin back. He and Ellie kissed each one, told them they loved them, to have lots of fun and make new friends.

As they walked to the bus, Ty called out to Stewart, the boy they'd run into at church after being released from shelter, the one who'd known Ty as "Thomas" from their time in WITSEC. The two were good friends and Ellie and Tim greeted Stewart's parents, also known from Tim's first sojourn to Albuquerque.

Stewart's dad looked nervous, "Is this your first time?"

Tim nodded, "Yes. Yours?"

"Oh yeah. We didn't realize until the other day that Stewart's never stayed with anyone but family or friends."

Ellie nodded, "Yes, we had that wake-up call too. But we want them to learn some independence, make friends and memories. Did either of you go to camp?"

They shook their heads and she smiled gently, "Then you are truly brave. I went to camp every summer from age 8 to 15 and had a blast. The kids are safe; these folks know what they're doing."

Stewart's mother smiled, "I forgot that you're both in law enforcement. You trust your kids to these people so it must be all right."

Tim just smiled, afraid if he opened his mouth again he'd spill all their doubts and misgivings.

Catching up to their kids, the dads watched as the luggage was stored in the cargo areas under the bus and then kissed their kids again. One of the women they'd met at the meeting stood at the door to the bus. Checking her watch, she called out, "Campers and parents, your attention please!"

When everyone quieted, she smiled. "Campers, you'll need your photo ID and information papers so I can check you off the list as you board the bus. Parents, if anyone's forgotten the photo ID, you'll have to bring your child to camp yourself – with the photo ID! If you don't have your information page, you can email that to us." She read off the email address.

Each child was required to have a picture ID along with a paper with her or his full name, address, parents' names, contact information and emergency contacts. The Gibbs kids' photos were on lanyards around their necks and each was holding the information paper tightly.

Some of the older campers got on first, greeting the woman and handing their papers over. Ty, Brynie and Stewart quickly got in line and waved to their parents as they were checked off, welcomed and climbed on the bus. The three of them had already been talking with other kids in line and their parents smiled proudly.

Once everyone was aboard, the luggage stowed, the information papers gathered, the camp woman smiled to the parents, saying quietly, "We'll take good care of them, I promise. Try not to worry too much if you get a phone call from a sobbing child saying he or she wants to come home. It happens to all of them at some point. Even happened to me when I was a camper! We'll see you in a week with lots of adventures to share!" She entered the bus, the bus driver pulled the door closed and with a honk, it started to roll out of the parking lot.

Spotting their son and daughter waving, Tim and Ellie waved back, both glad they had their sunglasses on and resisting the urge to run along beside the bus. Turning away, they exchanged brave parent smiles with Stewart's parents and climbed in the van.

As Tim drove home, he found a spot and pulled over. Ellie looked at him, "What?"

"We need to clean our faces before we walk in the house or the babies will be upset."

"Good idea. I think I have some…"

"Baby wipes?" Tim pulled a plastic bag with several of them from his pocket and handed three to his wife. They sat there, once again laughing at themselves as they wiped their eyes and faces. Then they went home.

NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS

Poppy and Nonny spent that first day with the family, watching Lia and Henry practice their swimming skills, playing with them, Mackie and some of their younger cousins in the toddler pool. Baby Jossie hung out with her parents, leaving the arms of one or the other only to transfer between them, be fed, have her diaper changed or for a nap. Although it didn't seem to bother the kids, the adults noticed a kind of pall hung in the air. Tony even said something about it, he too missed the campers.

Somehow, Tim, Ellie and the senior Gibbses got through Day One with no Tyler and Brynie. Day Two was still a little strange with two empty places at the breakfast table. When the family went to church, it was even stranger as all the littles went to the nursery during the service. Stewart's parents, the Carrolls, sat with the Gibbses, each couple drawing comfort from the other.

After church, they took the littles to a new petting zoo and that cheered them considerably. They snapped numerous photos of Lia, Henry and Mackie with the baby animals. Finally they went home, changed and spent the day in the pool or the little playground they'd put in for the kids.

Tim shook his head as the two of them went through their Sunday night routine. "This sounds crazy and you know I love our babies but I've never been so glad for a Sunday night!"

Ellie nodded, "I agree, I'm really looking forward to being my professional self tomorrow and not the sad mommy missing our chicks."

By Wednesday, they'd had postcards from their babies and knew they were having fun swimming, canoeing, sailing and hiking. Both laughed at the twinge of envy they felt.

Thursday evening, they'd just come in from an after-dinner swim when Ellie's phone chimed with a call. It was Avery Camden and the couple frowned at each other. Tim took Lia, Henry, Mackie and Joselyn for their nightly routines while Elle spoke with Tessa's mother.

"Avery, is everything all right?"

"Yes, no – yes. Tessa's still recovering, doing all right. She had a fever for a few days, which put our 100-day mark back 2 weeks. But with the boys out of school, it's been chaotic. Ken's hours always seem to be longer in the summer and my mom isn't feeling well so she can't help until she's better or the doctors figure out what's wrong with her. The boys are living with Ken but he's gone from 7 AM to sometimes midnight or later. So my dad has been staying over there, taking care of the boys." She paused to take a breath and Ellie filled in the blank.

"Which means you're 24/7 with Tessa, no respite and no one is with your mother?"

"My mom's aunt is staying with her so she has help. But yes for me. And it is summer so everyone who offered to help is either on vacation or getting ready to go…"

Ellie frowned, "So the challenge is to find you some help."

"It would be okay if the boys had somewhere to go but the day-cares are full or say they're too old. And that only solves the daytime anyway. Because my mom doesn't know what's wrong with her, the boys can't go stay with her and my dad is wearing himself out between taking care of the boys and helping Mom. I have to make him wear a mask and gloves when he's here to see Tessa."

"Do you belong to a church?"

"I did, until the divorce."

"How about your parents' church, any old friends that could come in even for a couple of hours a week? Work friends, anyone who could come in and give you a break?"

That was apparently a trigger as Avery started ranting about former work friends who'd promised to help and then reneged. When Tim returned from putting the littles to bed, Ellie's eyes widened, that meant she'd been on the phone for an hour! He'd bathed all four of them, read stories, had cuddle time and put them to bed while she'd been on the phone. And she especially needed cuddle time with her babies this week!

Finally, she broke in, "Avery, sorry to do this to you but I have to go. I've got a couple of ideas, though, give me some time to talk with Tim and we'll get back to you."

She heard a half-strangled "Sorry, bye!" as she disconnected. Turning, she looked at Tim. "I don't know if she's flat-out desperate or playing us."

Tim nodded, "I'd say both. She started playing us the minute she saw me. Tessa needed our help so that was fine. And frankly, if one of our kids was in the same boat as Tessa, I'd do anything to get help for her."

Ellie nodded her agreement with that before telling Tim about Avery's problems. When her phone buzzed with a text, they both rolled their eyes. It was a text from Avery saying that Ken's boss had just told him he was being sent to Dubai for several weeks.

Ellie nodded, "You know there's some serious stuff brewing, I hear it nearly every day. If he's as good at gathering and interpreting intelligence as you think he is, I can see why he'd be needed."

Tim agreed, "Yeah, from what I understood back then, those two were a force of nature over there."

Ellie shook her head, "Avery doesn't have a clue why Ken's job sometimes becomes more demanding. Think she watches the news or doesn't have a clue what he does?"

Tim didn't want to get into that, it wasn't their business and he really didn't care. "Don't know. What's your idea?"

"Uh, I really just said that to get off the phone."

He chuckled "Don't blame you. So…what was her original problem?"

"Ken is working late hours so he couldn't take care of the boys. Her mom is sick with some mystery illness, so she's out of the picture. Her dad is staying at Ken's with the boys but Avery is still having him wear a mask and gloves when he's around Tessa. And she has no one to give her a break. Ken apparently doesn't have any family besides the kids. There is no one to stay with Tessa while Avery goes grocery shopping or to her own doctor appointments. Her dad brings groceries over once a week but he's got the boys and his wife to take care of."

Tim frowned, "She doesn't know anyone?"

"Apparently not, although she was ranting about people who promised to help who are now on vacations or suddenly too busy."

"Wow. And the boys can't go to day-care? That would at least free her dad up during the day."

"No, she says they're full or the boys are too old at age 10."

"That's odd. And now she has an even bigger problem. Until her mother recovers or they figure out she's not contagious, her dad will have to be full-time with the boys. That's…wow, that's harsh, Ellie."

"I know, we are so lucky to have all our family. If they lived closer, we could rotate going to help. I mean the family, not just you and me."

Tim nodded, "Mom, Dad, Liz, Dave, Penny, Lu, Ducky and Gram…"

"And my mom, yes." She looked at Tim, "What would you think of taking the boys for the summer? That at least would remove that worry and then her dad could help her out. The stress can't be all that good for him either."