JF21 - My last update for 1 week, we are leaving for our holiday house this afternoon and won't have any Wi-Fi until we return.
Getting Gibbs settled at home was a task in itself. He was determined to resume work on the case, and it had taken Ducky threatening to have him medically suspended from NCIS to get him to listen. Gibbs had made Tim promise that if he went into the office for a couple of hours, that after work, Tim would stop by and see him. He would also be expecting Tim to update him on the case.
Getting back to the office, he was surprised to find Jimmy hovering around his desk. "Everything OK, Jimmy?" he asked him, as he threw his bag down and slumped into his chair.
"We need to talk." he said softly. He pulled Ellie's chair over and sat beside Tim's desk. "I'm worried about you. You've just got back to full duties, and you are carrying the entire team, right now. Plus, you're helping look after Gibbs and you look tired. I want you to know that I am here to help you. Whatever you need. Need someone to help sift through phone records or something, I'm here for you. Just don't make me go to Gibbs' house."
"Thanks Jimmy, but you know I wrote a program to do it all electronically and Gibbs is with Kelly, right now. It's all covered." Tim told him. "Maybe you need to relax. Get Breena to take you away for the weekend."
"As long as you're sure, Tim. Don't want to see any harm come to you." Jimmy said softly as he walked away.
"Hey Jimmy," Tim called out, calling him back to the desk. "Thank you. You know, for caring enough about me, to be concerned." Tim patted his back, gently in friendship.
"Anytime man." Jimmy patted Tim's in return.
When his desk line rang, he was surprised to hear that it was Agent Waters in MTAC, that he had Tony and Ellie on the secure line for a briefing.
Racing upstairs, laptop and case files in his hand, he immediately let himself in, not wanting to be way-laid by anyone or anything.
"Tony?" Tim called out to his friend, seeing the two of them on screen.
"We got a problem here, McGee." Tony announced. "There's some asshat Admiral on board, now. He flew in last night while we and the crew were sleeping. He ordered the ship to return to the exercises in the Atlantic. Overrode our command to return to Norfolk and lock the ship down."
"Crap!" Tim swore. There were a couple of gasps from the MTAC tech agents who had never heard him swear before. Tom swearing always amused him. Tony used it as a measure, to gauge the seriousness of incident. 'Crap' was the third highest. "Which Admiral is it? What's the asshat's name, Tony? I know quite a few myself and those I don't... well, let's just say I have some pull."
"An Admiral John Barclay, you know him?" Tony asked. He could see Tim close his eyes and pierce his lips together.
"Unfortunately, seeing or hearing from me will only make things worse for NCIS. But I have a favour I can call in." Tim sighed. "Give me two hours."
"One more thing, McGee. Barclay has informed Ellie and I that we will be locked in the brig if we haven't cleared off his ship by the time, we reach the exercises in the Atlantic."
"I'll take care of it. Two hours Tony. Ellie, are you doing, OK?" Tim asked. He could see a little fear in those brown eyes of their newest agent.
"I'm counting on you, Tim." She smiled bravely at him. Tim got what she was not saying that she was scared.
Tim turned to Waters and had him cut the transmission feed. "Get me Fleet Admiral Sam Peter's online please, Chief of Naval Operations, Joint Chief of Staff at the White House, now." Tim told Agent Waters.
"Sir, his secretary is telling us we can have an appointment in a month's time." Waters informed Tim. Waters had thought Tim was losing his marbles, expecting to be put straight through. That Admiral was the highest-ranking Admiral in The US Navy. He knew he would be making a call to Gibbs as soon as this was sorted.
"Tell him it's NCIS Agent Timothy McGee, regarding codename TJFM." Tim painfully swallowed hard. He hated himself for playing that card, but it had to be done. He refused to let Ellie and Tony be tossed in the brig and Barclay get away with anything else. He had already gotten away with far too much.
Less than sixty seconds later Sam Peterson came to life on the big screen. "Timothy, my dear boy. Let me look at you, you look like you're still growing. You haven't changed a bit." the Admiral gushed at the JFA.
"Admiral, unfortunately time is of the essence." Tim told him, succinctly.
"I was sorry to hear about your father. How is he doing?" the Admiral asked, ignoring the urgency. "I think about the toll this must be taking on you, Penny and Sarah. He is a hard man at the best of times. I have no doubt he has laid down the law already, in terms of his wishes."
"As well as can be expected, given the circumstances and his decisions. He has decided to join Penny and Sarah in a tour of South Africa. Right now, he is their headache, not mine, Admiral." Tim laughed out loud. It wasn't a funny laugh or even a chuckle, it was more a frustrated hysterical laughter of stress. "Let's not digress, Admiral. You're a busy man, as am I and I have a headache that you can help me out with."
"What possible headache could you have that would involve me? For the past eleven years, I've been watching you grow from a far, keeping tabs on my talented godson. You've become a good agent, Tim and a better man. I knew you had it in you, to do great, not because of John, but in spite of him and his doings."
"Admiral John Barclay." Tim stated and Tim swore he could see the shiver go through the Admiral's body. "He has two of my teammates against their will. He has overridden an executive order from SecNav herself, in the process and taken control of the Kittyhawk. Two of my team members have been on board, investigating the bombing of the garbage disposal room, that left five sailors dead."
"Clear the room." the Admiral ordered on his end. Tim could see the stress on the older man's face, and he wished he didn't have to resort to bringing Sam into this mess, but he had been left with no choice. John Barclay was just that kind of man.
"Clear the room." Tim repeated and everyone left the room. Everyone but the exception of one man, seated in the far back corner, off camera to the Admiral. He had deliberately slipped in, undetected and not alerted anyone to his presence.
"Remember when you were a little boy, and you'd stay with us. You, Ben and I, the three of us, we would play war games? Run various scenarios." At Tim's nod, he continued. "Remember your joint thesis and assignment combining your degrees at JH with MIT and what you designed? It's time, Tim. I have pinged the Secretary of the Navy to join us, immediately."
"I only knew it was purchased Uncle Sam; I didn't know it was loaded or could be of use." Tim admitted truthfully.
"Set everything up on your end, I've already brought SecNav in for her code." Tim set the program to run, after logging into the computer in MTAC. Very few people had been authorised to access this particular program.
"Gentlemen, I have just been briefed by my aide. Agent McGee, you look better than when I saw you last. You look like you're getting some more sleep, too. That's good, after what you've been through, you need it. But you still need more rest." Sarah Porter said as she broke open the seal on the envelope containing her password. Slowly, in phonetic alphabet and in a clear concise voice, Sarah Porter gave Tim her code.
"Now yours, Admiral." Tim requested and following the Secretary of the Navy's example, Admiral Sam Peterson gave Tim his passcode.
Tim entered in his own code, slowly and precisely, just as he had with the other two codes and the three of them waited with bated breath before Tim announced that he was in and plotting a course for the dock on Norfolk base.
"Glad to see the program working in person, it's working beautifully." Sarah praised him. "My three predecessors were all so anxious to see this system work at full capacity, within a real-life scenario, especially Evan Baxter. But were never afforded the opportunity."
"I'll bet you a steak dinner, Ma'am, Bennett would not be impressed." Tim scoffed and saw Sarah Porter look surprised at Tim's scoff.
"Madam Secretary, Evan Baxter was not very supportive of the Navy having this technology in their arsenal, when it was first presented to him. It took a lot of persuasion from various political figures, including the President of the United States, before he reluctantly authorised the purchase. He called it 'a young boy's fantasy'." The Admiral explained to their mutual boss.
"Yes well, that 'young boy's fantasy' just saved the lives of 2,200 souls on board the USS Kittyhawk, plus two NCIS agents." she declared. "Two minutes prior to your call, I just received word that the exercise was cancelled, and an enemy of state was lying in wait to attack our ship upon entry to the exercise."
"I wish I could put out a public release, saying that we saved our own people. But it would defeat the purpose of the program remaining top secret." Sam added, feeling proud of Tim and what his program had just achieved.
"I concur. Once again, good work Agent McGee. Also, I was most pleased with your response to both this crisis and the latest assignment Leon and I sent you on. Your performance has not gone unnoticed." Sarah told him as she studied the young genius she knew well and admired.
"Thank you, Ma'am." Tim said humbly.
"Always the wonder kid, hey Tim? Glad to see some things never change." Sam teased his nephew and Godson. Sarah Porter could see the love between the Admiral and Timothy McGee and wondered how the two fit in with one another. When she would mention Agent McGee's name, either in conversation, or through official duties, Admiral Sam Peterson always paid extra attention to what she had to say and had follow up questions of his own. More than once, she had been curious. Keeping quiet and stepping back was a thing she had learned in the business world, and it had served her well. If people thought she wasn't there, they would talk freely.
"Man, no wonder the Admiral hates me. Looking back, I must have been a pretty difficult kid." Tim whispered in a sigh of frustration. "He was right, I could have been serving my country by developing weapons in the name of protection to our country."
"You weren't a bad kid, or even a bad son, Tim. All you ever wanted was to live your own dream of being an NCIS agent, not your father's dream of a sailor. There's no sin in that. Remember, you followed your dreams. That takes courage and determination, Tim. If John isn't proud of you, that's on him, not you. We were always proud of you for though, and I know that my son would have been proud of you, too."
"I think about Ben all the time, too. Everyday." Tim admitted softly. "I loved him. He was a big brother to me."
"We miss him too, Tim." Sam said sadly. "But I still have you, and that pisses John off more than you will ever know. So, my life's work is done."
"Oh, I know." Tim smiled at the Admiral.
"Dinner with me and Jo, soon?" Sam asked with a big smile on his face.
"Of course, give my love to Aunty Jo and thank you, Uncle Sam, for everything." Tim knew he needed to sever the connection and take a moment. The pain of losing his pseudo big brother was still raw, after all this time. Thinking of Ben always made him want to cry and he didn't want to do it in front of Ben's father, his uncle.
"Anytime, son." Sam smiled at him, disconnecting the call.
Tim disconnected the call and checked the trajectory of the USS Kittyhawk, making sure it was still on its new course. "You can come out now, Director." Tim told him, not looking up. Tim was taking some deep breathes and trying to rein in his sorrow at the memories that talking about his cousin had invoked.
"How did you know I was there?" he asked Tim. Leon had been in awe of what he had just seen, heard and learnt. But he still had some questions. Questions he wouldn't ask until he knew that they were alone, in Gibbs' presence because he was sure Tim would only go through it once.
"Heard you slip in and knew when I ordered the room be clear, you wouldn't leave." Tim explained to him. "You are the Director of our agency. You don't take orders from me and any order I give, is not applicable to you. Plus, you assured me that you are the sole of discretion."
"I am and I have questions, but right now. We should contact Tony and the Kittyhawk's XO. I want the Admiral arrested."
Vance called the techs back in and in no time, Tony was back on the screen. "Good work, Tim. You said two hours and it was less than thirty minutes. How?" Tony asked. He was in wonder at whatever Tim had pulled off.
"I made a call." Leon answered him, stepping into view of DiNozzo and Bishop.
"Thanks again, Director." Tony and Bishop both said grateful to be headed back to Norfolk. "Not so impressive, now Probie."
"Arrest Admiral Barclay on obstruction of justice, committing treason and the act of piracy, for starters. Agent McGee will interrogate him upon your return to DC with the prisoner." Vance ordered and he could see the SFA's curiosity peak.
"Yes, Sir." Tony answered and severed the connection.
"Is Gibbs lucid now?" Vance asked as soon as it was severed. "Because I think the three of us need to have a serious and formal meeting in my office, ASAP."
Leon Vance seemed mad and angry, and Tim restrained himself from taking a step back. "He is. However, he is not allowed to set foot on base without a clearance from Ducky. Ducky was crystal clear with his instructions to Gibbs."
"Then we go to him. As soon as the Kittyhawk makes it safely back to Port. Do you need to monitor it here or can you do it from your desk?"
"Either, but for security reasons alone, I should continue to monitor it from here." Tim answered, his gut was burning. He felt as if he was in trouble, and he hated the feeling.
Tim rubbed his eyes, freeing them of the build-up of grit from no sleep. It had been almost fifty-two hours now and Tim's body was fighting hard "You're tired, Tim." Gibbs voice said softly, as he felt a warm cup was thrusted into his hands. "Vance called me. Wanna tell me what the meeting we're going to have, is about?"
"Huh?" he said, now looking at Gibbs and he was wondering if someone hadn't of slipped him a hallucinogenic, somehow.
"Tim?" Gibbs asked, he was getting a little concerned about his agent. "Ducky can't really ban me from the base, Tim. Now, the meeting with Vance?"
"I'm in trouble." Tim whispered to him. "Big trouble and Vance's anger was white hot rage. I'm probably going to be fired."
"Oh Tim, I can't imagine that." Gibbs pulled him out of his own mind with a swift head slap. "Damn it Tim, can't be that bad. As long as you didn't hack anything we can get by." Gibbs tried to joke, and he realised it fell flat when the look on Tim's face deepened. "Oh no."
"As soon as the Kittyhawk docks we are to head up to his office." Tim told his boss.
Gibbs put his hand on shoulders in support of the young man. Before Tim logged out and set the system to regenerate new access codes and had them sent to both Sarah Porter and Admiral Sam Peterson. Gibbs ushered Tim out of MTAC and across the catwalk to the Director's office, where Leon Vance was waiting for them at the conference table in his office. "Take a seat." Vance said sternly and Gibbs looked at Tim uneasily. "First off, Gibbs. How are you doing? You certainly look better than the last time I saw you."
At Gibbs' confused look, Tim mouthed "Hospital" to him, and Gibbs realised that at some point Leon Vance must have seen his drug induced rantings. He just wished he could remember what he had said to everyone. "Apologies if I offended you. I have no idea what I was saying. Tim told me I would go off on tangents and nothing could change my mind."
"If anything, the only person who has any right to be offended is Agent McGee, not me. It was ... amusing, Gibbs." Vance said with a trace of a smile. "Let's not waste any more time. I would like Agent McGee to get some rest before he goes up against Admiral John Barclay in interrogation."
"So, we aren't here to give McGee a pink slip?" Gibbs asked with raised eyebrows. Vance shook his head, worrying about why Tim would think he was getting a pink slip.
"Oh no." Vance realised. He had been ropeable at the things he had heard about Tim's father and had been angry when he had spoken to Tim. He had probably terrified Tim into thinking he was angry at the younger man. "Tim, ... ah, Agent McGee. I apologise, my anger was not directed at you. It was at what i had deducted from your conversation with Admiral Peterson. Gibbs, your boy is a hero. Did you hear?"
"Not the full story, Waters did say they were asked to leave the room." Gibbs admitted. It had been Waters that had called him before Vance had. He had been concerned that Tim had been losing his mind, that the stress of everything was weighing heavily on him, explaining to Gibbs that Tim had demanded that he get the highest-ranking officer in the US Navy on teleconference and that his tone had left no room for argument.
"It seems that sometime between MIT and FLETC, our boy designed, and sold a computer program to the navy, I assume under his LLC." At Tim's nod, Vance continued. "That can be logged into and overtake the GPS and can autopilot their ships and boats and send them on a specific course."
"It's a program that overrides a ship's GPS and creates an autopilot where we can control the ship from wherever we are logged in." Tim explained to his superiors. "Three codes are required to access it, I designed it with security protocols similar to the NORAD missile system. I, as the creator need to input my code, Chief of Naval Operations at the White House and the Secretary of the Navy also have codes and they had to be input in the correct order. Each phonetic alphabet letter used in the code was actually an algorithm that required a different combination of keystrokes. At the end of each use, new access codes are generated, as well as at the changing of a staff member. This technology is top-secret, I believe our allies aren't aware of its existence."
"This is amazing, Tim. And you designed it?" Gibbs asked, surprised. "Why am I not surprised?"
"Why indeed?!" Sarah announced, barging into the meeting. "Forgive the intrusion gentlemen. I was still online when I heard Leon summon Timothy to this meeting. Timothy what you created was amazing and until that conversation with the Admiral, I had no idea that it had come from your brain."
"Thank you, Ma'am." Tim said humbly, trying to stifle a yawn.
"How many hours have you been awake, working on this case, Agent McGee?" Sarah asked Tim in a mothering tone. It was the same tone she used with Megan when she was too tried to function. In the process, she made sure she was giving both Leon and Gibbs admonishing looks.
"Fifty-three hours and counting, Ma'am." Tim answered.
"You need sleep, Agent McGee. fifty-three hours awake is not good for anyone and here I was saying that you looked better than you had prior to the NOLA assignment. That's saying something. Leon, any questions you or Agent Gibbs have, ask me. After our interesting video conference, I had a candid conversation with Admiral Sam Peterson, and I am now fully briefed." Sarah ordered Tim to go and lay on the sofa while she bought them up to speed. As soon as his head hit the sofa, Gibbs smiled seeing Tim immediately nod off to sleep.
"Sam and John McGee were inseparable, friends from the day they met when they were six at elementary school, until John married Timothy's mom. He didn't like the way John suddenly treated his wife and later on, how he treated Tim. Sam always tried to look out for Tim. Admiral Sam Peterson is Nikki's brother. Nikki Peterson, nee McGee is, or rather was, Timothy's mother. When Tim was baptised, his wife Joanne and he, were named as his godparents. They had a son three years older than Tim. He was killed by a drunk driver ploughing through a stop sign and hitting him crossing the road. Ben was twelve when it happened, Tim was nine. He saw it happen. Sam Peterson had promised his kid sister, he would always look after her son."
"That certainly clears up a few things." Leon muttered and Gibbs sat back in silence, taking in all the information he had just learnt. Gibbs was thinking about everything he knew about Timothy McGee. That young man had not had an easy life and he knew he would be making a phone call to the Fleet Admiral when this case was over. He also knew that he and Leon needed to have a tough conversation about Tim's future at the agency and their long-term plans for the man.
Gibbs and Leon were speaking in hushed tones at his desk, three hours later when Tony and Ellie returned, escorting Admiral John Barclay into interrogation.
Upon their arrival via interrogation Tony and Ellie gratefully sank into their desk chairs. "I never thought I'd be so happy to see those orange walls again!" Tony sighed in relief at finally being home and the prospect of sleeping in his own bed that night.
"You two, OK?" Gibbs asked and both of them nodded. "Did we learn anything more about the case?"
"Just that McGoo talks a big game, but his follow through lacks." Tony wisecracked and Vance stepped further into the MCRT bull pen, clearing his throat.
"I lied to you both, Agent DiNozzo." Vance informed them. "You were in a comms room with various unvetted naval personnel, that didn't have the top-level security clearance. I wasn't about to divulge national security information to you, when you were in an uncontrolled environment. All you two need to know is Agent McGee kept his word and came through for you. " Vance didn't think they needed to know what Tim had done.
"Do we know why Admiral John Barclay hates McGee so much?" Tony asked. "When he asked who would be interrogating him and we told him it was McGee, he began spewing vile, hateful slurs against Tim and didn't stop. Balboa duct taped his mouth shut, just so we could have some peace and quiet on the ride back to the Navy yard."
Tim returned from his nap, which wasn't long enough in any one's opinion, and began furiously typing at his computer. He printed several documents, before announcing he was ready to face the Admiral in interrogation. "Tim?" Gibbs asked, worried. He knew what it meant when Tim was this focused. The case had gotten under his skin, it was now personal for the younger of his two male agents.
"Rule ten, Gibbs. Rule ten." Tim reminded his boss and Gibbs let out the sigh of relief that had been building.
Crammed in the observation room was Gibbs, Vance, DiNozzo, Ellie, Balboa and SecNav; Sarah Porter. Admiral John Barclay was looking dishevelled, his body sweaty, he had shed his jacket and rolled up the sleeves on his dress shirt. His eyes were and he had been rubbing them furiously.
Quietly sneaking into the room, slipping in undetected. It was the scrape of the chair that Tim had pulled out that had garnered his attention. "Hello Admiral." Tim said softly, keeping his voice calm, cool and collected.
"Timothy McGee, you vile piece of shit. Surprised that you're still alive." John spat out before spitting in Tim's direction. "Look at you pretending you're all grown up now, did daddy buy you your badge?"
"I missed you too, Admiral Barclay." Tim replied politely. "But we're not here to talk about me. We're here to talk about you."
"Because nothing in life is ever little Timmy McGee's fault, is it? Sweet, innocent, baby-faced Timothy McGee. Who have you got hiding behind the glass? Daddy? Uncle Sam? You were always too weak to fight your own battles, weren't you?"
"What did you hope to achieve by committing piracy and taking control of the USS Kittyhawk?" Tim asked. "Because all you managed to do was piss off the crew and royally piss of the Secretary of the Navy. You couldn't even succeed at plotting the course right, could you? It took you straight back to Norfolk Naval base."
"Are you afraid of what your colleagues might think about you if they knew the truth about you?" The constant slurs against Tim's character continued to barrage out of John's mouth. Ignoring Tim's jibe about his seamanship skills.
"Well, you want to talk about the past? Let's talk about the past." Tim slammed his hands on the table, being sure to cup his hands a little to make the boom echoed through the small room, so much louder, causing John Barclay to flinch at the sound. "What do you want to know? How much your daughter Jessica hated you, hated what you did to her. How she deliberately ran herself off the road, into a tree to kill herself. Just to get away from you, your lies and your blackmail. Maybe you want them to know why Jessica killed herself. BECAUSE YOU MOLESTED HER!" Tim shouted in his face. "I caught you; I turned you in and you tried to destroy me for it. A full-grown man tried to destroy a teenager over the truth."
"LIAR!" John bellowed back, spitting directly on Tim's face. He took out a tissue he had made sure he put in his pocket earlier, out and wiped his face.
"But you paid off the NIS investigator and have spent the last twenty years trying to tear down everything I worked so hard for. I moved to the East Coast to get away from you, for a fresh start. You wrote to Johns Hopkins trying to get me thrown out of school before I even started, it didn't work. You tried again at MIT; it didn't work. You even tried at FLETC, to no avail. All that time and energy you spent trying to destroy a child because he knew the truth and you didn't want people to know the truth. Simone must be so proud of you."
"Leave my wife out of this? " He seethed at Tim. Tim knew it was a low blow and he didn't feel bad about it.
"Does she know you used to molest your own daughter? That you raped her, repeatedly? That you impregnated her when she was thirteen and took her to get an abortion, then made her stay at my house the night, so Simone wouldn't find out. You told my dad that she fell off the trampoline. Guess what? He didn't believe you any more than I did. Difference between my dad and me? Jessica told me everything, I was her best friend. She even gave me the evidence to hang on to for a rainy day." Tim slammed the evidence bag containing a handwritten note to Tim, from Jessica sent to him after she died, on the table. Followed by a large thud. "Four journals that belonged to Jessica, sealed in evidence bags. I've been building a case for years against you. I was ready to move on you when you pulled this bone head stunt. Your rainy day is here! So, tell me what happened with the explosion on the USS Kittyhawk and I'll talk to JAG."
"Fuck You." The Admiral grinned evilly at Tim. The cold look in the Admiral's eyes sent a shiver down Tim's back, but he didn't let it show.
"I've got your fingerprint on the bomb detonator and your DNA on the copper wiring on the inside the pressure plate. Cut yourself, did you?" Tim reminded him, putting down the crime scene photos on the table, before pointing to a small cut on his right index finger. "You murdered five people and injured even more, not to mention the kidnapping of two NCIS agents and pirating a ship belonging to the US Navy. Do you have anything to say in your defence?"
"Fuck you, McGee. You're nothing but a worthless, vile excuse of a human being." John continued to spew at him. Tim just leaned back in his chair and smirked at the pathetic excuse of a man before him.
"Well, when they give you the needle. I won't feel a shred of remorse that I didn't try to help you more. First you were a molester, then you were a rapist and now you're a murderer." Tim said, gathering the evidence he had laid out on the table, preparing to see if anyone else wanted to take a crack at him.
"You really think the Secretary of the Navy is going to believe some lowlife wannabe cop over a four-star US Navy Admiral?" John Barclay asked, his voice dripping condescension towards Tim.
"Let's ask her." Tim smirked and in came Sarah Porter, flanked by Gibbs and Director Vance.
"Admiral John Barclay, I hereby strip you of your rank and title. Mr John Barclay, you will answer to the charges of piracy, kidnapping, terrorism, murder and attempted murder. In addition to these charges, you will face historic charges for the repeated molestation of Jessica Barclay, rape charges and conspiracy to commit murder charges. In addition to a civil trial, you will face charges in a court martial hearing."
Director Vance read him his civil rights as well as his article thirty-one rights, as Gibbs cuffed him. Gibbs was not too gentle, after he had said some despicable things about Tim. But the things he had done to his daughter, was immoral and inhumane, in Gibbs' eyes. He was dragged from the room, by the base MP's and taken to the lock up, ready for JAG to process. He would spend time in Gitmo until his trial. Tim knew he would never survive in Gitmo. Terrorists may love other terrorists, but they hated rapists and child molesters.
Gibbs, SecNav, Leon, Tony and Ellie, all asked Tim at various times if he was OK and he claimed he was. But Gibbs knew better. Tim was numb. "Come on, Tim. You can come home with me. Kelly's there, we will have some steak, bourbon and bed." Gibbs urged, shouldering Tim's go bag an ushering him out of the bull pen.