JF14
With the case solved later that night and the reports done the following day after a few hours' sleep, Friday night was officially on. Ellie and Jake requested they all meet up for dinner first at the restaurant across the street. What was even better was; the MCRT weren't on call all weekend.
Dinner was lively and jovial, full of laughter and excitement. Ducky was the only one not dressed the part, but he wasn't joining them at the bar as he had tickets to the symphony. Jimmy and Breena had called out at the last minute, with Victoria coming home from school not feeling well.
Kelly and Tim were naturally glued at the hip, which amused Ellie and Tony and to a lesser extent, Jake and Gibbs. When they walked into the bar, they found the table that Jake had reserved for them. Tony was amused by the whole evening; he had never been line dancing before in his life. But he had overheard stories from Ellie and Tim in the bullpen about their various dance nights and curiosity had won him over. Gibbs hadn't done it since his younger days, he and Shannon had enjoyed dancing a lot. It wasn't something he had ever been interested in sharing with the ex-wives, though.
Jake ordered the first round of drinks, and they settled in, mostly just watching before Ellie was getting antsy in her seat. She was grinning at Tim and Jake gave him a nudge. "Take my wife out there, before she makes me go." Jake urged him with a grin and moved closer to Kelly.
Tim took Ellie's hand as the song ended and they called the next song, a fast upbeat number that had made Ellie smile. It had simple steps but was danced to, really fast. At the end of the song, the house band was having a break and they had some old country music from a sound system play. Tim returned Ellie to Jake and tipped his hat to Kelly, as he took her by the hand and joined several other couples on the dance floor.
"Is it just me, or do they not realise they're dating, without actually dating?" Tony asked the rest of the group gathered. "I mean, they go to dinner, they go do their dancing stuff. They hang out and cook together, farmers markets and brunch, sleep overs, they leave clothes at each other's houses. Kelly has a toothbrush in Tim's bathroom."
"When you put it like that." Jake smiled at Gibbs. "Sounds like all the traits of a relationship to me."
"Ooh, they've kissed, too." Ellie beamed at Tony and Jake. "I saw Kelly and Tim kiss one another when she bought dinner to the yard last week for him. When Tim walked her to her car."
"Kelly and Tim kissed in the parking lot of the diner, last night." Tony added, in his sing-song voice. "Thought they were going to swallow each other whole."
Gibbs couldn't help but hide his grin behind his beer glass, as he watched Kelly and Tim dancing together. They weren't doing anything fancy. Not even a two-step, just Kelly and Tim standing close together, looking at one another and holding each other as they moved to the beat of the song. He was beginning to see Kelly smile brighter and wider when she was with him and he would see Tim have a special smile, one he has reserved just for her.
Back at the table, they found Gibbs sitting alone in contemplation. Tony had met a woman over by the bar and was chatting her up. Ellie and Jake were still on the dance floor, too. Gibbs gave his daughter and his agent, a hard look with a wide smile. "You two may have yourselves fooled, may even have the world fooled, but not me." Gibbs guessed, trying to see how they react. It was always dangerous playing Tony's game of accuse, but he had to admit, more often than not it got results. "I know the two of you, too well."
"Who's fooling who? About what?" Tim asked with a wide smile as he nudged Kelly with his foot.
"Don't play stupid, Tim. It's insulting to both of us." Gibbs warned. "Especially when, I know how smart you really are. For all your smarts, you're both incredibly dumb."
"Back off, Dad. We are just friends, nothing else." Kelly warned him. "Leave it alone. I don't pry into your friendships."
"I'm just friends, with Ducky, Tobias and Leon but I don't leave my clothes at their houses, nor do they at mine." Gibbs argued, trying to reason with them. "I certainly don't kiss them like that and then spend the night with them behind a locked bedroom door."
"That's not it." Kelly accused her father, looking him in the eye. "No, your problem isn't our friendship. It's that I went to Tim for protection instead of you, afterwards at his apartment. Dad, you're not obsolete, but Tim's... He's Tim." she smiled and blushed at her apt description of her dear friend.
"What if I told you both that I think you're both more? That you could be more, should be more. Maybe I want to see you settled with a great guy, Kell and one's finally come along. Tim, maybe I want you to see who, and what is right in front of you and you're both too blind and stubborn to look at yourselves." he asked, looking at them both. "Right now, we're at a bar. Tim, your arm is around Kell, your other hand is holding hers. Kell, your leg's is hiked up over his knee. You two couldn't get any closer to each other, if she was sitting in your lap."
The two guilty parties looked hard at each other. They had received Gibbs' point loud and clear. They hastily disentangled from each other and a good foot between them. "Back off Gibbs, give Kelly a break. But you know what? You're right, that was improper behaviour from me, and I apologise for it. Won't happen again." Tim promised. "Excuse me."
Kelly glared at her dad, before watching Tim retreat. "What the hell is your problem? Look, I'm going to find Tim. While I'm gone, you need to pull your head out of your ass. You know I like him, so the hell are you trying to drive him away?"
Kelly grabbed her purse and followed Tim. They'd been having a great time together and her father had broken the spell, when he'd made his comments. Tim had bid Ellie a happy birthday and shook Jake's hand and was out the front of the bar, by the time Ellie had caught up with him. "So, my dad's an ass." Kelly laughed as she snuck up behind Tim, while he was waiting for a cab. "Come back inside with me. We'll ignore him and get our own table. Pretend he isn't here with us" she begged him.
"You don't understand, Kelly." Tim told her softly. "Gibbs' point was that I could not keep my hands off you and you know what? He's right. I can't keep my hands to myself. But I should. It hasn't been long enough since Delilah left."
"She didn't leave Tim, she passed on." Kelly corrected gently.
"Passed on? You make it sound like she was sick and frail." Tim said softly, shaking his head. "She was killed, blown up in a terrorist attack and died on the operating table. I know exactly when, remember? I was injured in that attack, too."
"Is there some kind of timeline, that I don't know about, that tells you how long you need to grieve for someone?" She asked rhetorically. "You loved Delilah and I respect that Tim. But you can't spend the rest of your life grieving for her and not moving on. It's been four months since she passed. That's a month longer than you were together."
"Don't you dare tell me how long it's been since she passed, I know how long it's been!" Tim snapped at her frustrated. "Wanna talk about grief? Let's talk about it. About how I can only get a good, solid night's sleep if you're beside me. Or how about when I wake up and you're beside me I feel guilty. Like I just betrayed her. Oh, I know; how about when you hug me or kiss me and my body wants more, but I can't because my mind screams that I am a cheater."
"That's because you're a gentleman, Tim. Losing someone; the way you lost her is awful, I agree. It's tragic and it's traumatic." Kelly tried to soothe him. But she could see the frustration, some anger and a lot of hurt still in those beautiful, green eyes of his. "But you can't live your life; afraid of moving on. You just said you can't keep your hands off me."
"That's says more about me than I ever wanted you to know." Tim hissed out, harshly. "More about the man I am, it's the man I never wanted to become."
Tony and Gibbs had become quite concerned that neither Tim, nor Kelly had returned. By unspoken agreement, they thought they better investigate. Worst case scenario, they already left, and they could call them and make sure they were ok. They didn't expect to see Kelly and Tim arguing in front of the building next door.
"You miss intimacy? I get it, the love of your life is gone. There's no need to be an ass about it." Kelly argued back, her tone hostile. "You think I don't know how much you miss intimacy? Miss the sex. Letting you feel me up in your sleep, wasn't a big enough hint?"
"I won't use you for my own personal gratification. Your too good for that and too good for me." Tim told her. He turned and went to walk away. He didn't want to say anything else he would regret later on. "I would never. How could you even say that? Disrespect yourself like that?" Tim asked, his voice so angry his voice dropping to a whisper. "You're too good for that... Go back to your father, Kelly. Let him make sure you get home ok."
"Don't you walk away from me!" She snapped at Tim, trying to force him to talk to her.
"Ok, that's it!" Gibbs yelled at both of them. "I've had enough. You two need to stop, or you're both going to say something you'll regret, if you haven't already. You do not move from my side. Tony, take Tim home."
"Come on, Tim." Tony urged, as he threw his arm around Tim, and they walked away.
Tony could feel Tim shaking beneath him. As they turned a corner, he sat Tim down on a bench seat at a bus stop. Tony was sure it would be ok to sit, it wasn't like the buses ran that late at night on a Friday night. His eyes were red and watery. Tim sank his head into the palms of his hands and took a deep breath. "What the hell happened, Probie?"
"Leave it alone, Tony." Tim warned him. "I just want to go home."
"Come on, let's get a cab." Tony urged gently, he hadn't seen Tim this sad and upset since Delilah's death.
Contrary to what Tim believed, Tony had been able to pinpoint the exact day that Tim had met Delilah. The day that he asked her out and the day that he knew Tim was serious about her. He knew they had begun dating when they had worked the case with her. He had enjoyed the brief happiness that had taken over his friend's live back then. Although, he had overheard an argument between them about a tux before the Conrad Gala.
The emotional torment his friend was in, combined with the alcohol he'd had consumed, and the mild October night had Tim very pliable. Much to Tony's relief. Pliable he could handle; Tim's stubbornness and his tenacity was another thing entirely.
He managed to get Tim into his apartment and on to his king bed in the master suite. He helped Tim get his boots off, took his stetson and told Tim to take his jeans off. Tony returned from the closet, to find Tim in his boxers, sprawled out on his bed, hugging the opposite pillow. Tony covered his friend with a blanket and let Tim sleep it off.
Tony settled himself on the sofa, he knew Tim wouldn't care if he took the guest room, but he wanted to be close, to be in ear shot of Tim, just in case.
Tony had the Star Wars movie on low, out in the living room when his cell rang. "DiNozzo." he answered, seeing Gibbs' name flash up on the caller ID.
"How is he?" Gibbs asked immediately. The sound of concern in Gibbs' voice surprised Tony.
"A mess." Tony muttered. Thinking back to how tightly he was gripping that other pillow. "How's Kell?"
"Heartbroken." Gibbs replied tersely. "What the hell happened?"
"You were at the table with them, you tell me." Tony snapped. He had returned to the table after Tim had stormed out. Tony had suspected that Gibbs had been just as fed up, as the rest of them about Kelly and Tim dancing around one another. He was sure his boss, his mentor had had good intentions, but had forgotten one simple thing, causing it to misfire spectacularly. Kelly was like Tim, besides in her stubbornness and her tenacity, in one other way. Her time: she needed to do things in her own time and in her own way, just like Tim.
"It's my fault." Gibbs admitted to him, letting the truth bubble to the surface. "I was trying to verbally beat some sense into them. They were all cozied up and Kelly was practically in his lap. Guess it backfired. That's on me."
"Tim told me; he's been having trouble sleeping, again. Since Kelly bunked with him after the robbery." Tony said, he hated breaking Tim's confidence, but it needed to be done. "Him not sleeping, probably doesn't help matters. But whatever changed that night, probably happened behind that locked door."
"You don't think... That they...?" Gibbs asked, unsure. He remembered that prior to that night, Kelly had always been the instigator of the physical affection. Not Tim, but after that, it became mutual. "They could have."
"Nah, they didn't. There was no awkwardness the next morning. Tim had a houseful of people the next morning. They would have been awkward around each other, especially Tim." Tony knew Tim too well.
"They were still themselves, then. Leon commented on it that morning." Gibbs added, as he agreed with Tony.
"Gibbs, I think we're both off the mark, here. You need to apologise, well your version of an apology, for whatever the hell you said." Tony told him. "They haven't slept together, either. I suspect that Tim might have his feelings of grief for Delilah, mixed up with his current feelings for Kelly, whatever those feelings are."
"Kelly's got feelings for him too and they're probably all mixed up like his." Gibbs sighed as he rubbed his hand down his face. "Whatever happened to a simple 'hey, I like you, let's get coffee'?"
"I believe that's the way it normally works, but that's when the guy you like doesn't work for your dad. Or the girl you like isn't the boss' daughter. Guess we're not doing a good job of staying out of it." Tony jested. "For me; it's a suave movie line and a James Bond impersonation."
"I can't believe there are women out there stupid enough to fall for that." Gibbs grumbled as he hung up on Tony. He knew what he had to do. "Thanks, DiNozzo."
Monday morning was awkward. Tim wasn't speaking to Gibbs; Tony was going between Tim and Gibbs and Ellie was angry at Tony for being the go between. Thankfully for the MCRT, cold cases were the order of the day. Gibbs knew he had to apologise, but by Monday he hadn't done it yet.
It was silent and tense bullpen that the Director of NCIS and SecNav walked into that evening. When no one looked up as they approached the bullpen, Leon got worried. This was unlike anything he'd ever seen before, especially with this team. The MCRT was known for being thorough, their teamwork and cohesiveness. You could have cut the tension with a knife.
"Agent McGee?" Sarah Porter's voice broke the silence. "May we have a word in the Director's office?"
Tim looked up, surprised to see the Secretary of the US Navy standing before his desk. "Yes Ma'am." Tim immediately answered, locking his workstation and files in his desk drawers before following SecNav and the Director, upstairs. Gibbs looked up at the sound of Sarah Porter's voice talking to Tim.
Upstairs in the Director's office, Leon closed the door behind him. "Take a seat, Agent McGee. Relax, you're not in trouble. Give me a minute to check in with my office and we can proceed."
Tim breathed out a sigh of relief, before he looked over at the Director. He was smiling and Tim took comfort in that. "Are you OK, Tim? The tension is so thick you could cut it with a knife, down there. Gibbs mentioned what happened on Friday night when I saw him yesterday. I had hoped, he had apologised by now." Leon Vance asked, keeping his voice low.
"Gibbs never apologises. But I am fine Director, I had a drink when I was exhausted and run down. I shouldn't have and things got a little out of hand." Tim told him truthfully. He should have known with how tired he was, that adding any alcohol, especially beer wasn't the wisest choice. He had only himself to blame. "I verbally lashed out and said a lot of things I should not have."
"I know that after I lost Jackie, I could lash out, at the drop of a hat." Vance reassured him, softly. He looked up and saw Sarah Porter skimming through emails on her phone, or at least pretending to. "Still...? Must have felt good, getting that off your chest. Especially to Gibbs."
Sarah Porter had always had the utmost respect for both men, especially Timothy McGee. She had met his egotistical, overbearing, narcissistic father. She certainly hadn't been surprised when she found out that despite the five or so meetings over the last decade, and three of them being case related, that the two men didn't have a father-Son relationship at all. Admiral John McGee was nothing like the shy agent of the MCRT, to her, it was hard to believe they were father and son. Tim found other sources for that gap in his life, Gibbs, Ducky and her friend, Leon. That's why, she had been pretending to scroll through her phone and emails, she knew Leon would want thirty seconds to get Tim back on track.
That respect had always gone both ways and Timothy McGee had always had a positive relationship with this particular SecNav, literally from the day they met. She was a Harvard alumnus, and he was MIT alumni, they had bonded over their mutual love for the state of Massachusetts, and their fondness for Boston, in particular. They had swapped stories of their college days, living the campus life in Boston. Tim's cyber work had been instrumental in getting her daughter Megan back after she was kidnapped and Tim had been a big comfort when she had been bugged, treating her life any other person. She admired him as a person, as an agent. She hoped to get to know the shy, genius some more while they worked on this project. She would be even happy to call him a friend.
"Shouldn't have yelled at Kelly like that, she didn't deserve it." Tim admitted. "I know I need to apologise, planning on doing it later on today. Gibbs on the other hand can kiss my -"
"Maybe we should tell you why we asked to speak with you in private." Sarah Porter announced, looking up from her phone. "We have an assignment for you, a solo one. You'll be supported by the NCIS NOLA office and me. That's where you'll be based for the duration. You'll be answering to Agent Pride, but you will have point in running the investigation with LaSalle and Brodie at your disposal, have you met them before?"
"I've met Pride. A little while back, now. I've spoken to LaSalle and Brodie on the phone and in MTAC." Tim said as he smiled at the SecNav. Agent LaSalle had been begging Tim coming for a visit to the NOLA office for a while now. "When Pride was here in DC, investigating the former NIS Agent, Senator Dan McLane's murder with Gibbs and our team."
"Good. They're not complete strangers, then." Vance told Tim. "You'll need to be there by lunchtime tomorrow, at the very latest. Pack whatever computer parts you'll need, raid the CCU for anything you need that you don't already have upstairs."
"Sir, permission to take my prototype apps and my prototype programs? The untested ones. Since Pride will brief me on arrival, I am not comfortable leaving them for the CCU whilst I am not here." Tim asked. He had been writing apps and programs to make a field agent life more usual in his spare time and Vance had been getting CCU to test hem, not telling the basement geeks that they were Tim's programs.
"Programs? Apps? Leon, is Agent McGee the anonymous software developer that has been designing the software for the agents that you told me about?" At Vance's nod. Sarah Porter smiled widely at him. "I am impressed. Leon has been keeping me abreast of all of your achievements. Where do you find the time to do it?"
"Easy, I don't sleep the whole night through, Ma'am." Tim told her and he studied the young agent to see if he was joking, or not. At the surprised look on her face, he elaborated. "Not since the Conrad Gala."
"Agent McGee's girlfriend at the time was the DoD cyber analyst Delilah Fielding, one of the seven fatalities, Ma'am. Agent McGee was also severely injured that night." Leon Vance reminded her. She had been on tour, visiting a USMC base in Okinawa when the Conrad Gala was hit.
"I remember, please accept my condolences, Tim. Are you still seeing the crisis counsellor? Many of the survivors, even the walking wounded are, the people I know personally, they're still seeing her." Sarah asked, she had quite a few friends, contacts and acquaintances that had minor injuries in that attack.
"I am, but I should probably start seeing her more regularly again after the weekends outburst. Maybe I am not as OK, as I thought I was." Tim suggested to the two of them.
"Clear any outstanding files and pack up your gear. I'll brief Gibbs, our next meeting is with him. You'll fly out tomorrow morning from Reagan. Ms Cooke will email you the particulars. Oh, and Louisiana is a bit more casual than DC, neat jeans and dress shirts are acceptable." Leon told him, as Tim moved towards the door, believing he was dismissed. "Tim? Can I give you a piece of advice? As someone who was also once just friends, with a strong, fiercely independent woman with a feisty, fiery attitude like Kelly Gibbs. Apologise and make up. Things get said in the heat of the moment, especially in the throes of grief. Regrettable things. She'll respect you for your honesty. She might not forget, but she'll definitely forgive."
"Just tell her how you feel, Tim." Sarah added softly. "I imagine being his daughter is no picnic for her. She's probably just as hurt and thrown as you are. You apologise, she will, too. Kiss and make-up. It's not a crime to want to move on and be happy in your life."
"Thanks Ma'am, Director." he nodded and headed out of the office to prepare for his newest assignment.
Gibbs wasn't impressed. Leon had practically hauled Tim upstairs, with the SecNav in tow. He had given a look to Leon that had clearly said read me in, which the Director had all but ignored. Seeing Tim come back down the stairs a few minutes later, eased his gut. But instead of seeing Tim get back to work, he saw Tim reorganise and rejig some cold case files. He put the stack of files he had been referring to back in the filing cabinet, before unlocking his computer. He had pulled out his cell and sent a quick text message and he wondered if that was to Kelly.
Tim had sent Kelly a text asking if she was free for lunch, so they could talk because come hell or high water, they were going to talk before he left for New Orleans. he had begun checking his email regularly, setting a small ding to alert him when he had an email from the director's assistant. He didn't want to miss that email. S mall chime from his cell phone he had left on the desk by his elbow had him jumping at the sound of it. He smiled as he saw the sender's name on the screen: Kelly Gibbs.
The ringing desk phone of the team leader had Tony and Ellie preparing to gear up, but Tim leaned back in his chair and watched as Gibbs gave them the stand down order and he grinned at Tony. As soon as Gibbs was up the stairs and had turned the corner into the Director's office Tony was pouncing on him, scooting his chair over to Tim's desk. "Spill McSecrets, what's up?" the senior agent demanded, as Ellie also came over to Tim's desk.
"Nothing is up, Tony. I am just privy to what the SecNav is about to tell Gibbs and you both should get back to your desks. If he sees either of us; not working. He will slap us six ways to Sunday." Tim told them and Ellie tootled back to her desk like the good little probie she was.
"You got an apology for Kelly, yet?" Tony asked him, having heard Tim's phone ding twice in the last sixty seconds.
"In the works, she just agreed to meet me for lunch." Tim said softly, as he let Tony see the real him for a minute.
"Nicely done, Probie." Tony replied as he patted Tim on the back and scooted back to his desk.
Gibbs came strolling back downstairs, straight into the bullpen, all business-like. "McGee, with me." He said, as he unlocked his desk drawer and took his holster and creds out. Tim, seeing what Gibbs was doing, grabbed his too, before locking his computer and dutifully following his boss to the elevators. Stepping out of the NCIS main building the two of them strolled wordlessly over to the coffee cart. Gibbs ordered both their drinks. Tim tried to hand him the money for the coffee, but Gibbs shook his head, no. "I owe you, a rather large apology." Gibbs said as he handed Tim his cup and steered them away from the cart to the team's favourite bench seat in the far corner of the park. "At the bar on Friday night, I shouldn't have said what I did. I am sorry. Not that it's an excuse, but I was tired and grouchy; it had been a long week and I added alcohol into the mix. I just got so frustrated with you both. You two ... It's frustrating, you know. I see the two of you together, you have your dancing, cooking or whatever else the two of you get up to and I can't help it..."
"You want Kelly to have happiness. To be settled with someone, I get it. I want that for Sarah, too." Tim added. "You want her to be happy. I want Kelly to be happy too, Gibbs."
"Don't you get it? I want her to be happy with you. You are the one who makes my daughter happy." Gibbs said, exasperatedly. "Tim, I don't expect you to confess your feelings, especially to me. I don't even expect you to tell me. Just promise me; if you like her and you're sure of your feelings, you'll make your move soon?"
"Gibbs, I owe you an apology too. I was disrespectful and rude, to you in the bar and I was really rude and disrespectful to Kelly. She didn't deserve it." Tim admitted in a small voice. "Neither did you. I guess I made the same mistake as you. I was grouchy and tired and added alcohol into the mix."
"Maybe not, but Kelly was just as much at fault as you." Gibbs reminded his JFA. "I have no doubts that she goaded you into saying some of that stuff. Kelly's no angel, then again, neither are you." Gibbs scrutinised his agent closer, remembering all the times he had Tim do something illegal. Hack the FBI, CIA, Pentagon, or anyone else in the alphabet soup, for that matter. Or to tell off the Deputy Secretary of State. "Oh yeah, you're hardly an angel." He grinned wide at Tim.
"I will apologise to her, today." Tim promised him. Tim meant every word too. He had already ordered her a bunch of flowers to be sent to her, at her office, with a small card that he had just signed with his name, and they'd made plans to meet at the diner, for lunch.
"Good, because I'd hate to have to go all the way to New Orlean's to kick your ass." Gibbs grinned at him again as they finished their coffees. "This is quite an achievement for you. Pride is very old school, like me. He doesn't like computers and he requested you for this case. More importantly, he's giving you the lead. I want you to remember something. I have known and trusted SSA Pride with my life for over thirty years, you can trust him too. Just keep the five-dollar words to a minimum."
"I remember the case that bought him to D.C." Tim rubbed the back of his head where he had been clubbed and spent a week in the hospital with a nasty concussion. "Well, I remember everything to a certain point."
"You need anything, you'll call me? Pride will no doubt send me updates, but I want to get them from you too. Daily updates, you got that?" Tim nodded in agreement, as they headed back to the NCIS main building. "Watch your six, Tim."