AN: It's been a hectic fall, and this week is the busiest week of the quadrennium in my line of work, so I wanted to get another chapter out before the election eats my week. Huge thanks as always to Kyrie and Kesterpan for their feedback on drafts and Kyrie's editing help. Some of you might have figured out where we're headed. Whether you have or haven't, enjoy this calm, because the storm is definitely coming.
Chapter 12
The next afternoon, Sean McGee tied his sneakers, then checked his pocket for his house key.
"You're going running?" Eileen asked, one eyebrow raised.
"Walking only," Sean said. "I'd rather different scenery at a slower pace than running on the treadmill again."
"By the time you get back, I might have some fresh scones waiting," Eileen said. "Ducky gave me the recipe a few weeks ago, and that way I can use up part of that bushel of peaches from the farmers market yesterday."
"How long do they take to make?" Sean said, stifling a laugh when she flicked a dishtowel at him.
As he headed down their quiet street, the faint hum of bugs and heavy August air slowed down his legs and his brain. He'd done all the lung exercises Brad had prescribed already, and the walk counted as his easy cardio. He paid attention to his body as much as the people out and about in the neighborhood, careful not to move fast enough to trigger the tightness in his chest that he knew would have Eileen calling Brad.
"Suck it up, sailor," he muttered.
He was halfway back to the house when he spotted a familiar figure jogging up to him.
"Tony?" he said. "Is everything all right?" But even as he asked, he could see his son-in-law's face was relaxed, smiling.
"McGoo's helping Mom with the scones, so I figured I'd come find you," Tony said. "We can't stay too long and didn't want to miss out on seeing both of you." He fell into step with Sean.
"You'll probably get a batch of scones to take home with you," Sean said. "We had a lot of peaches that Eileen was determined to use up."
"You could always give some to Gibbs to bring into the office. Food just evaporates there." He paused. "How are you feeling?"
"Following doctor's orders," Sean replied. "You?"
"Always," Tony said. "Brad's doing everything he can to keep me in the field until I'm ready to leave, even if it will be Cold Cases starting in January."
"I thought you wanted the transfer," Sean said, curious to hear his son-in-law's response.
"I do," Tony replied. "I'd never tell Gibbs, but sometimes I miss having my own team. When I didn't take a promotion after he came back, it was because I knew I'd rather play on the varsity than be captain of the JV team."
"But?" Sean asked.
"Is it a McGee thing to always know when there's something I'm not saying?" Tony asked. He rolled his shoulders. "Me staying on the team is also holding Tim back from getting senior field agent experience. I'll still be in the Navy Yard. And since he can have Tim heading up this new cyber-whatever unit he has in mind, Vance pretty much promised me I can take over the MCRT when Gibbs retires. You know, right about the time hell freezes over."
Sean couldn't help laughing. "So, did you two stop by for a reason?"
He listened to Tony explain about the intern's summer ending. "And you're thinking we can do a cookout in the two backyards the way we did for Sarah's graduation?"
Tony nodded.
"Sure, we'll host," Sean said. "So the team, including Ducky. Vance?"
"Good question," Tony said. "Damon might be there. Oh, and I'm sure Sarah will come once she's done with work."
"Sarah?"
"He lives near her coffee shop, so they met there before the first time he came to a game night," Tony said, smirking
"Really." Sean raised one eyebrow.
"Oh, no." He could almost see Tony backpedaling. "They're not dating. Yet. But they apparently talked about it and plan to revisit in the spring."
"And he's a good kid?"
Tony nodded. "He is."
"I guess we'll get to see for ourselves next weekend," Sean said, then let the subject drop. For now. He could feign ignorance with Gibbs later and see what the team leader had to say about the kid.
~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~
Ziva sat on the back steps, basking in the sun. While the Washington humidity was something she did not know if she ever would become accustomed to, she did relish the summer heat. The furry lump curled up next to her snuffled, and she resumed scratching Jethro behind the ears. "Yes, I know, you would prefer snow and cold," she said. "I might as well if I was wearing a fur coat." She allowed her brain to focus only on the feel of the fur at her fingertips and the warmth on her skin. This was home and peace.
She cast her mind back to the previous afternoon. Once the team had determined how to attack the cold case questions, conversation had drifted into other areas. After about half an hour, Ziva and Damon had left.
Once they turned the corner, Ziva looked for a bench. There, down the block. She walked there, intent, then stopped and sat. She allowed herself to relax, shoulders slumping.
"Ziva?" Damon asked, crouching in front of her. "Are you-?"
"I am fine," she said. "Here, come sit." She patted the bench next to her as she thought through her words. "It is not what anybody did or did not do," she finally said. "Even Jimmy did not put his leg in his mouth."
"Foot," Damon said.
"Foot, leg, whatever," Ziva said. "The point is, there was nothing wrong. I just needed a break." She was not certain how to explain it. "When we were talking about the case, it was fine. We all were focused on that, and it was easy. But after… None of us are quite sure what we can say or how to say it, and it is tiring after a while. And Abby was too quiet."
"Only for Abby could that be considered quiet," Damon said. "She still said more words than the rest of us put together. Except maybe Tony."
"She is trying, and I appreciate it," Ziva said. "So the least I can do is also try and give her space to be as Abby as she wants for a while without worrying about me."
That was a question for Dr. Rojas, was it not? How to give space without pulling away from the only family she had left. Especially Sarah, her little sister in every way it mattered, and Abby, who had the biggest heart on the team. She would ask tomorrow at her appointment. That decided, she allowed her mind to center itself again on Jethro and the summer day.
~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~
Gibbs sawed carefully through the end of the wood. There, the last piece was cut, and he could tuck away the sheet with the sketches and measurements. He looked at his watch. Hell, Jack's plane must have already arrived and- He stilled and listened to the slow steps upstairs. And he'd caught a cab.
Gibbs jogged upstairs and caught a whiff of "Peaches?" he asked as he entered the kitchen.
"Peach scones," Sean said from the dining room table where he sat, a steaming mug of tea in front of him.
"Oh, good, Leroy. I was just about to come find you," Jack said. "Eileen made them, and Sean brought some over after he picked me up at the airport."
Before Gibbs could say anything, Sean held up a hand. "Jack asked us before he left if we would pick him up," he said. "He didn't want you to have to worry about it if you had a case."
"No cases right now," Gibbs said. "I could have gone."
"Oh, sit down and eat your scone, Leroy," Jack said. "You got an extra hour with your basement without me yammering in your ear, and Sean and I got a chance to catch up."
"We were planning the menu for next weekend, mostly," Sean said.
"Next weekend?"
"The boys asked if we'd host a cookout before your summer intern leaves," Sean said.
"I was just surprised you have an intern," Jack said. "You didn't mention him."
"Didn't want anybody knowing he was helping the team catch Paloma," Gibbs said.
"Oh, so I'm anybody, now?" Jack raised his eyebrows.
"Dad…" Gibbs wasn't even sure what to say.
"I know, I know. You were just worrying," Jack said. "At least we're done with all that."
Gibbs gave up and poured himself another cup of coffee before joining the men at the table. "Is this just the team, or everybody?"
"Well, now, I was hoping you might know why the boys were smirking when they said Sarah would be coming, too, once she got off work," Sean said.
"They've met," Gibbs said. "One of those game night-thingies." He thought back. "He's starting at Georgetown Law next week, and I've seen the same cups as the ones Sarah's coffee shop uses on his desk in the morning," he said.
"And Sarah works the early shift there," Sean said. "He's a good kid?"
"His father was a Marine," Gibbs said. "Killed by a bomb at the Army-Navy Club a few years ago. Josh was with him, but out of range of the blast."
"I remember that case," Sean said. "Tim wouldn't talk about it, but I could tell from his reaction when I mentioned it that he must have worked the case."
"Josh-" Gibbs stopped at the look on Sean and Jack's faces. "Hell, I never made the connection."
"This Josh is better than the other one, I hope?" Sean said.
"He is. Back then, kid was all ready to skip Princeton, join the Marines." Gibbs thought back. "Tony talked him out of it. Seems he made an impression on Cooper. He mentioned that conversation in his application. Worked with the team all summer." That reminded him of the thing the other two men should know. "Ziva's on leave for a while."
"Was she hurt on a case?" Sean asked.
Well, that was a hell of a question, wasn't it. "Not physically," Gibbs said.
"Stands to reason with all those scars on her back, she must have them up here, too," Jack said, tapping his head. "She's talking to somebody?"
Gibbs nodded.
"Well, I'm glad to see she at least is willing to talk," Jack said.
"Dad."
"I'm just telling it like I see it," Jack said. "When you see her, let her know that if she's ever looking for somebody to listen, she can stop by. I've always got time for one of the kids."
Gibbs nodded again.
"If there's any way Eileen or I can help, we're usually around, too," Sean said. "Except for her new basketball team, we're trying not to get involved in too many things until we see how things shake out after the baby's born and we're watching her while the boys are at work."
"Will do," Gibbs said. After that, he just listened as Jack and Sean chatted. He still needed to find a way to keep Jack from figuring out what he was working on downstairs, or saying anything to the team once he did find out.
~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~
As the sun set that evening, casting a golden light over the backyard, Vance took his cell phone from his pocket and stared at it. He flipped it open to see the text from Friday. He was running out of time to decide how to respond. They had been working on this for too long not to see it through. The question was how to do it without collateral damage.
He only wished he knew the answer.