Chapter 15

Gibbs walked into his house, holding Tim's seal skin in his hands. It still felt very strange to him to be doing that. It just wasn't right, but it was true, and that was what mattered most. This wasn't the world he had thought he knew, but it was the world he now had. No changing that. So he didn't bother trying.

Still, when he saw Tim sleeping on the couch, still looking pretty weak from his fight with a selkie (a selkie!), he wasn't sure how to take it all. Jimmy was sitting on a chair and he looked up silently when he saw Gibbs coming into the room. Jimmy's eyes went, irresistibly, to the skin in Gibbs' hands. There was a question in his eyes. Knowing that Tim wouldn't mind, he walked over to Jimmy and held out the skin. Jimmy hesitated and then, tentatively reached out and touched the skin. He touched it for a second and then pulled his hand back. But then, he touched it again.

Wow.

Gibbs almost smiled when he saw Jimmy mouth his amazement without actually speaking.

"Has he been awake at all?" Gibbs asked, softly.

Jimmy shook his head.

"He lay down and fell asleep really fast. If it wasn't for the fact that he's snored a few times, I wouldn't have been sure he was alive."

Gibbs laughed softly.

"All right. You can go, Palmer. Thanks."

Jimmy nodded and got up, readily enough. It probably hadn't been an exciting day, but until Tim could take care of himself, Gibbs really didn't want to leave him alone. And if Tim was sleeping the entire day, he wasn't ready to take care of himself.

Jimmy left and Gibbs sat down, still holding Tim's skin. He had checked it and it didn't seem to have any holes in it. But somehow, he was sure that, if Tim did put it back on, there would still be wounds. He still didn't understand how all this worked. And quite frankly, he wasn't sure he'd be happier if he did. What he did understand was that Tim needed time to recover before he was called upon to perform for Vance. He had dark bruises and some abrasions, all likely from being thrown against rocks. Just those by themselves looked plenty painful. Adding in the bite wounds on the back just added in an extra layer of pain. He didn't blame Tim for being wiped out.

After another hour, Tim began to stir. Gibbs set the skin down beside Tim and went into the kitchen to get dinner ready. Tim wouldn't likely feel like eating much, but he should eat something. He just decided to heat up some soup. It would be easy, both to make and for Tim to digest. Then, he walked back into the living room. Tim was sitting on the couch, holding onto his skin.

"How are you feeling?" Gibbs asked.

Tim looked up quickly and then winced at the injudicious movement.

"That good?"

Tim managed to smile a little.

"Yeah."

"Well, you should eat something. Can you make it into the kitchen?"

"Probably," he said, and started to stand up.

Gibbs rolled his eyes and walked over to help. Tim tensed a little as Gibbs began to lift him and then relaxed as Gibbs supported him without putting too much pressure on his back.

"How long until you take a painkiller?" he asked.

"As soon as I eat something," Tim said softly.

"Okay."

He helped Tim into the kitchen and helped him sit down, his seal skin in his lap. Tim was a little pale as he ate, and he didn't speak at all. He just ate. Gibbs let him. When he finished eating, Gibbs got his painkiller and then helped him into the spare room so that Tim could sleep on a bed instead of the couch. Tim sat down carefully on the bed.

"I have to say, Boss, that this pretty much sucks."

"Don't blame you."

Tim closed his eyes and nodded. Then, he let Gibbs help him lie down. He opened his eyes briefly and sighed.

"What will happen when Vance sees me?"

"Don't know."

"I don't want to have to show him."

"I don't think you're going to have much choice this time, Tim."

"I know."

There was a pause and then Gibbs tried to be encouraging.

"It's getting better, Tim."

"Maybe I'll see that, but not yet."

Then, Tim closed his eyes again and fell asleep, holding tightly to his seal skin. Jimmy had called and told Ducky about Tim's worries and Ducky had shared that with Gibbs. One thing at a time, but he didn't blame Tim for feeling overwhelmed. They would simply all have to give him the time he needed, especially Abby who was simply giddy at the idea that Tim could now answer all her questions (or so she thought).

Gibbs might not be as obvious about it as Tony and Ziva, but he had no intention of letting Tim suffer any more than was absolutely necessary. He would fight Vance on firing Tim if he tried to. He would stand between Tim and anyone he might need to. Finding out how consistently miserable Tim had been, that his life had been one of trying to find reasons to hang on, rather than simply having a few bad days was a shock. He would fight against anything that might send Tim back to that state.

With that thought, Gibbs decided to sleep on the couch that night, just in case Tim ended up needing something.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x

Over the next few days, Tim did start to heal up physically and that actually helped his mood quite a bit. He was still bruised and he admitted to the ache from his wounds, but the outright pain had begun to fade. Ducky had been happy to see no sign of infection and Tim had gone to his regular doctor as he had been forced to do and his doctor had agreed with Ducky's diagnosis.

The one issue as far as Tim was concerned was that, as he healed, he was getting ever closer to having to show Vance just who and what his agent was. That made him more than a little nervous. In fact, it made him extremely tense.

Gibbs had gone to work, and Tim was being left alone finally. He sat on the couch in Gibbs' main room, staring at his skin. This was still the best thing that had happened to him almost in his entire life, but it was such a complication, and he really wanted something that had made him so happy to be simple. He couldn't possibly give it up, but it was so hard to navigate through all these complications. There was a temptation to leave all the complications behind and just return to the selkies where things would definitely be simpler. However, at the same time, Tim knew that he wouldn't be happy with the selkies, not in the long term, and he wasn't sure how long he would live. Since he was closer to human, would he have a human lifespan or would he be as long-lived as his father apparently was? He didn't know. Another complication.

Finally, he decided he needed to put on his skin, just to make sure that everything was okay. He was feeling bruised still, but he was much better than he had been.

So he went to the bathroom, put some water in the tub and then gingerly swung his skin around himself and took his seal form. There was a special soreness that he felt, probably due to his injury, as if the seal skin had extra surface bruises that hadn't yet healed. Weird. Still, he climbed into the tub and lay there for the next few hours, just enjoying the sensation. He wasn't ready to return to the ocean yet anyway. Too many aches and pains, but at least he was feeling better.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x

The herd was beginning to calm and return its usual activities. Nothing had happened so far and that meant they could set all the excitement to the side and think only about what was currently happening as they usually did.

The selkie, however, found that he couldn't do that so easily. The events of the last while had been so different that he wasn't ready to set it aside.

He hauled out onto a rock and looked out at the ocean and then looked at the land. He had lived almost all his life in the water, taking his human form when necessary but mostly living in the water, not even thinking about it. All of this chaos had made him think about what he had always taken for granted. He could admit that he'd never given a second's thought to the idea that some of the selkies might prefer more time spent on land than in the ocean. Part of it was simply practicality. The human world had many more complications than the seal world did and living mostly as seals made their lives easier.

But perhaps it was time to think more about changing the way that they approached their lives. The selkies were social beings. They did not live alone. The herd was both something needed and something wanted. Without the herd, there was danger. Without the herd, there was uncertainty. Even the one called his son had found another herd on land, although they were not called that.

Would anything change? Perhaps not for a time. The herd had already allowed a large change. To ask for another would be to push harder than the herd could accept.

For now, let things stay as they were, but he promised himself that he would not forget this feeling. He would not forget that he should think about the way things might change.

Temporary decision made, the selkie slid off the rock and back into the water.

Back home.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x

Vance had to admit that his irritation at being jerked around by his MCRT was just slightly softened by his own curiosity. What in the world could Tim have to show him that would make all the events of the last year clear? What could possibly excuse the complications that Tim had suddenly brought to NCIS? He had to admit that he had no idea what it might be. Gibbs seemed certain that it was impossible to explain and that it would be all that was needed. Vance was skeptical that, no matter how shocking, it could make everything clear.

But he was curious.

He was also feeling a little impatient. Granting that Tim had some injury that needed to heal, Vance still wanted to know what was so important and yet could be put off for two weeks.

However, it wasn't as though he didn't have plenty of other things to do with his time and so he tried to get back to his work.

For most of the day, he truly succeeded. He had meetings to attend, files to go over and politics to avoid. It took all his attention and by the end of the day, he was ready to go home and spend time with his family. While he generally enjoyed his job, there were days when all he wanted was to be at home with no other calls on his time.

In fact, he decided that he was going to take advantage of the fact that he at least had no cases that needed attention. He shut down his computer, turned off the television and then stood up to leave his office.

And in typical fashion, as soon as he took a step toward the door, Gibbs came striding into the office. Pamela had already gone home, not that she would be an effective deterrent for Gibbs.

"What do you want, Agent Gibbs? And can it wait until the morning?"

"No. You ready to see?"

"Is Agent McGee ready?"

Gibbs actually smiled a little.

"No, but he never will be. He just knows that he needs to, and he can now."

"And it has to be at your place?"

"Can't be here."

Vance sighed, but at the same time, his curiosity made itself known once more.

"All right. This had better be worth it, Agent Gibbs."

"I agree."

Vance raised an eyebrow but allowed himself to be led out of his office and out of the building.

When he pulled up in front of Gibbs' home, he couldn't help wondering if Tim was actually comfortable there or if he wished he was somewhere else.

Then, he got out and walked to the front door. Gibbs had beat him there. No big surprise. Vance didn't bother to knock, knowing that Gibbs never locked his door and knowing that he was already expected.

When he got inside, he saw Tim sitting nervously on the couch, holding something in his hands.

Tim stood up.

"Director," he said, clearly uncomfortable.

"How are you doing, Agent McGee?" Vance asked.

"Okay. I'm getting better."

"Good. Now, why am I here?"

Tim looked sideways at Gibbs.

"Basement," Gibbs said.

Tim nodded and followed Gibbs. Vance stifled a sigh at what seemed to be needless drama and delay. Still, that little vein of curiosity kept him from just calling a halt to all this. Instead, he followed the other two down to the basement.

"Well?" Vance asked as he sat down on a stool.

Again, Tim looked at Gibbs and seemed extremely uncertain.

"Your show, McGee," Gibbs said.

Tim nodded and turned back to Vance.

"Director, I don't know if I should apologize for not telling you about it or if I should apologize for what I'm about to show you."

Vance raised an eyebrow.

"Maybe you should just get on with it and worry about apologizing later," Vance said.

Tim nodded and swallowed.

"Before I do, Director, can you just promise me that you won't tell anyone what I'm about to show you? My life is literally on the line. It's why I got injured and I'm just getting over that."

"I can't make promises before I know what's going on," Vance said.

"You need to promise now," Gibbs said.

"And have you all done that?"

"Yeah."

Vance stifled another sigh.

"Fine. I promise."

Tim sighed with relief. "Thank you. Now... I can only hope that you'll try to understand this."

"Understand wha–?"

Vance didn't get a chance to finish his question. As he watched, Tim suddenly took the object in his hands, swung it around his shoulders and...

...and suddenly, there was a seal in front of him.

He let out an inarticulate exclamation and leapt to his feet.