Disclaimer. I do not own NCIS. I wish I did! Anyway, all copyright belongs to Fox, Bellisario and the original writers. No copyright infringement is intended nor should be inferred.
Peace
Part of him never dared to believe it would happen. He was too scared to imagine placing foot in his apartment, seeing Delilah again. Hell, he hadn't even dared wish he was going to put his foot on American soil again. How he and Gibbs were alive he had no idea. He was unbelievably grateful to be alive, and home but as he looked at himself in the mirror he had no idea how he felt.
"Hey."
He turned to see Abby watching him as he leant heavily on the sink in the male officer's bathroom.
"Abby."
"You ok?"
"I'm home."
Abby nodded as he turned back to the mirror. He looked like the Tim McGee she knew and loved. Her oldest and best friend on the team had been through a Hell she could never imagine. Seeing him on home soil was something she and the other members of their strange little family had been determined to see. The place hadn't been the same without Gibbs or her best friend.
"What are you doing in here?" He suddenly remembered where they were. Abby shrugged.
"Checking on you."
"In the toilets? The men's toilets."
Abby shrugged as she smiled.
"There's an out of order sign on the door." She watched as he rolled his eyes. "You keeping the beard?"
"I might." He sighed. "Until I put some weight on."
Abby nodded. She wasn't sure the facial hair suited him but she knew he didn't need to hear her opinion on it. She watched as he turned back to the sink and splashed warm water on his face. "You have no idea, how easy it is to just take soap and water for granted. Did you see Gibbs?"
"He's with the doctor." She held a hand up. "It's ok. Just a check up, same as you had. Jack is going to take him home."
"She wants to see me too." He sighed. "Emotional assessment before I can start back."
"Fair."
"I want my life back. I want to be at home with Delilah, waiting on our baby arriving. I want to be in the bullpen joking with Torres and Bishop, in the lab with you and Jimmy, the morgue with Ducky. I."
"Hey." She hugged him tightly. "I get it. I do. You wanna put all this behind you. Be a husband, a father to be and a friend again. I get it."
"Yeah." He closed his eyes, letting her hold him. "Love you, Abbs."
"Of course you do." She smiled. "I was your best man remember! Come on. I'll take you home. I know someone is waiting for you."
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Delilah had never given up. She had known Tim would be doing everything he could to get back to her, that the team were defying orders and basically lying to the Inquiry to make sure that they were doing everything possible to find them. Now she was sat in her wheelchair in their apartment kitchen with Ellie and Nick. She knew Ducky was at the hospital waiting for Gibbs with Jack but knew her friend would be trying to avoid as much fuss as possible. She sighed, checking her watch again.
"Ellie."
"Abby is with him at the hospital. She will bring him back here as soon as she can."
"I know."
"He didn't want you to see him until he had been showered and changed. He told me he doesn't want to bring the evil back here, he said he felt it was clinging to him."
"We said work would never get through that door." She sighed. "He's alive, Ellie. He's alive."
"Yeah." Ellie smiled as she squeezed her friend's hand. "And he is coming home to you." Delilah nodded as Jimmy yelped in the other room. Ellie rolled her eyes. "You rest up, I will go deal with the kids." She sighed before heading into the living room to berate Nick and Jimmy.
Xxxxxxxxxx
"She's ok?" Tim asked as Abby smiled.
"Yes, she is ok. I went with her to the baby scan. Trust me, they are ok." She watched as he rested his head back against the head rest of the car headrest. A moment later he was asleep, snoring gently as his mind finally seemed to accept he was going home. Abby gently pushed her foot to the gas pedal hoping that Gibbs was having an easier time adjusting to life on home soil.
"Hey." She parked the car just outside the apartment block. "McGee?" She shook his shoulder slightly. "You're home." He opened his eyes, taking a moment to realise where he was. A smile crept over his face as Abby stepped out of the car. He was home. Abby led him into the apartment's elevator as his brain struggled to comprehend that he was actually in his apartment building, that he was heading to his home, his wife. He had dreamed the scenario so many times since he had been taken in Paraguay. Abby watched him, a gentle smile on her lips. Her best friend was next to her, alive and physically in one piece. Mentally she knew he was going to need them. A moment later they were through the front door. Abby gave Nick, Clayton and Ellie a pointed look as Jimmy beamed at them both.
"Er, man." Nick smiled. "Good to have you home."
"Thanks." Tim paused.
"She's in the kitchen." Ellie explained as Tim felt his feet begin to move. Before he knew what was happening Delilah was in front of him, sat in her wheelchair as he stepped towards her. She sniffed back a tear as he practically collapsed in her arms. Abby watched as Nick wrapped his arm around her shoulders.
"Now he's really home." Nick whispered as Abby watched the couple, sighing happily she had to agree.
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