I don't own NCIS
The Mystery of the hostage taker was still going strong. Kate seemed to have rebounded. Gibbs was still just as obsessed and then there was McGee working Norfolk and traveling between there and DC to see Tony. At the same time struggling with his relationship with his father. No one realized just how much worse it would get before it could ever get better. When a normal day turns into a case that dredges up memories from the past on one is safe.
"Its three o,clock in the morning and you hear a strange noise what do you do?" Tony asked as he got off the elevator with Kate. He has spent the night with Tim and then hurried back to DC
"Slide a pistol from under my pillow and go after the guy." Kate said earning an odd look from Tony.
"I'm talking about real people Kate why do you feel the need to look" Tony shook his head as he watched his friend.
"It's called human nature."
"Ah let me guess you're the person in the horror movie who feels that because all her friends are dead she must go check the demonic breathing noise. " Tony chuckled
"Better then the girl who twists her ankle in the first five minutes" Kate snapped back
"Sleep with a gun under your pillow every night" Tony teased
"That depends on who I'm sleeping with" she snipped back
Just then she ran into Gibbs not having been paying attention to where she was going "Oh uh Gibbs I was just…" she wasn't sure what to say.
"She sleeps with a gun boss" Tony filled her stuttering
"That true." Gibbs raised his eyebrow as he looked at his subordinate
"Sort of, sometimes, yes." Kate stuttered and sighed
"Good girl." Gibbs winked
"That was really weird." Tony said as he grabbed his phone to text Tim
Tony: Are you sure there is nothing between Gibbs and Kate?"
Tim: First I am at work second eww stop being sick and also you know he's dating someone so why would you even suggest that.
Tony: Sorry but really they act so strange sometimes.
Tim: I think the secret of our relationship keeps you seeing things that aren't there.
Tony: Maybe okay I'll let you get back to work
Tony slipped his phone in his pocket as Gibbs started to talk about the newest case the man who escaped Leavenworth were he'd been imprisoned after being convicted of killing is wife and the cable man He had a young son that was in the care of the Maternal grandparents
Kate and Gibbs went to the house to check on the boy. He saw the anger and pain in that young boys face. He thought of Tim so young so hurt after his mother and sister's death. He thought of Tim so much in the last few weeks as their relationship rocked on perilous ground. Tim wasn't talking him. Tim was screening his calls Tim was mad. Gibbs knew that Gibbs felt that. He just didn't know what to do about it.
The case was an up hill battle with only a moment of levity as Tony teased Gibbs about his new technology "So I see you have a new palm Pilot."
"Agent Mcgee convinced me." Gibbs grumbled thinking of his son giving him the device before the cold shoulder he didn't notice the smirk on Tony's face.
"I have to go and talk to Curtain's CO stay here. Kate is with the boy and I called in from back up for her."
"Okay boss I'm on it." Tony said as Gibbs left his phone pinged.
Tim: I'm Kate's back up it seems you guys are short handed so I might just crawl into your bed tonight
Tony: Aw so you're the back up wonder if Gibbs asked for you or if this is just some weird coincidence.
Tim: No clue have to go.
Tony shook his head Tim was even icing him a bit on the Gibbs front.
Gibbs made it to the base talking to the CO who had his mind whirling with the words he spoke. Was this man innocent.
"Agent Gibbs, do you know what it's like to spend every free moment dreaming about being home again. Hugging your wife hearing your kids laugh only to come home and find it's all gone. " the man asked staring him down.
"it doesn't justify murder. " Gibbs said feeling like a hypocrite as he said those words. He had made those same decisions and he'd do it again he just hoped that if Curtain was innocent it wouldn't ruin his relationship with his son the way it had ruined Gibbs relationship with Tim. He may have called in a favor or two and gotten a look from the director when he requested Tim as Kate's back up but it would do that again in a heart beat also.
Gibbs was in the lab with Abby who was explaining how Curtain had escaped.
"So what was the guards excuse for losing his card?"
"He claims his dog ate it."
"That didn't work for me in the fifth grade. Gibbs said though he thought about the time their family dog had actually eaten Tm's homework in third grade. The poor boy had had a melt down and Both Shannon and Gibbs had, had to go down to the school to convince the school that yes in fact the dog had eaten their son's homework.
"you're a late bloomer Gibbs it didn't work for me in the second" Abby chuckled.
As the case was being worked at the navy yard and Tony and Gibbs had went home to get some sleep Kate was in the house and Tim was sitting in his car. He got worried when he couldn't get ahold of Kate and hurried into the house calling for back up
"Kate." He hurried towards her were she was tied to a chair. "He is with his son." They rushed to the boys room finding it empty except for the son. "Call in that you found the car then follow him." Kate said. Tim nodded and called in the direction as he went after shooting his gun at the new stolen car. He knew Kate was behind him and he heard Shots down the road wondering if she had got them.
"Did you get him?" Tim asked when Kate came up to him.
"I hit him but he kept going." Kate tried to catch her breath. "Okay we are both going inside Gibbs is going to be pissed when he finds out.
"Don't remind me." Kate huffed "He has my gun
Tim: Problem Curtain was here and got away, I won't see you tonight I'll see you at the crime scene tomorrow.
Tony: Are you okay
Tim: I am fine and so is Kate, don't worry
Tony: I always worry
Tim: Get some sleep
Tony: Love you
Tim and Kate stayed vigilant the rest of the night and the next morning Tony and Gibbs showed up
Tim went out to meet them walking up to them he started to talk
"One of the deputies just found an old pickup with Missouri plates reported stolen yesterday" Gibbs said noticing his son was being professional but cold.
"Impound it bring it to the garage" Tim asked looking more at Tony then his father. Tony he could see was worried about him and he gave him a small smile he knew his father would miss.
"No there is no time bag everything get it to Abby"
"will do sir." He knew the sir would annoy his father so he got a little thrill from it
"Tony go help him." Gibbs grumbled.
"On it Boss"
"Are you okay?" Tony asked as he and Tim started to walk away.
"I am fine."
"I thought your father's head was going to explode when you called him sir."
"Why do you think I did it?" Tim chuckled
"Evil." Tony smirked
"I'm not a Gibbs for nothing."
After talking to Kate Gibbs went up to talk to the young boy. He watched him he listened to him and then he sat beside him and he was talking to one boy but seeing another, a broken boy with green eyes filled with tears. A boy who closed him off time and time again. They closed each other off.
He hugged the boy close what he didn't see was Tony. He'd came back to ask his father something and he swallowed as he listened to his father open up to this strange boy. In a way he'd never opened up to Tim. Hugging the boy. In a way he'd never hugged Tim. At least not since the death's of his mother and sister. He felt anger. He turned on his heel and left the house. When he found Tony standing on the top of a truck he snapped.
"Get down from there right now."
"Wow." Tony jumped down "What is wrong with you?" he saw the thunder cloud over Tim's face.
"Nothing." Tim snapped.
"Really I don't believe you."
"I hate my father is anything else new. He's having a lovely little bounding session in the house with that boy."
"Well he's just a little boy Tim and he's trying to get information from him." Tony pointed out.
"Not like he could ever be soft with me." Tim snorted.
"um I…" Tony trailed off he wanted to help but he didn't know how. There was so many layers of hurt sitting there he wanted to pull Tim into his arms and sooth them all away but he didn't dare not where they were.
Tension hung in the air at NCIS when they all made it back to the Navy Yard Gibbs was even snapping at Abby which she wasn't used to. As he stormed back into the bull pen he didn't notice Tim sitting at a desk
Kate, Tony and Gibbs threw theories off each other.
"Maybe the person Curtain has a beef with is the one who killed his wife. He's not running he's chasing. Gibbs had flash backs to his own time of chasing. Not noticing that Tim had been listening. He flashed back to the time in his life.
"I had to avenge them."
That sentence flashed through his mind over and over again. All his father would say to him after he came back from Mexico. He was so lost in his own thoughts he didn't notice his dad looking at him. Though he had heard everything his father had been saying
"What the hell are you doing?" Gibbs snapped at his son.
"Um" Tim shook his head.
"Can you form a sentence McGee" He snapped again
"Ncis investigator was Agent Clay willimson sir. His voice got firmer and he looked his dad straight in the face.
"That's a good sentence" Gibbs praised
"He retired and living on a boat he gets his mail every three months in Tahiti"
"What kind of boat"
"I don't know but I was able to download the original files. " Gibbs heard him mumble under his breath. "of course you'd care about the boat."
"I want the original custody documents" he glared
"Already got it sir I can call Norfolk and have the evidence transferred here
"how fast" "
"Joint forces has a helo to the pentagon
"Do it."
"Okay yes sir"
"And you don't have to call me sir."
"no sir" he smirked at the flash of his dad's eyes.
"Evidence is on it's way… Boss" Tim trailed getting a slightly bad taste in his mouth
A few hours later Tim came in with boxes of evidence when he heard the Jag Lawyer speak.
"I would keep saying it until someone listened not go after the killer myself
Tim slammed the box down mumbling under his breath. "That would be a good plane some people aren't that smart. "
Tony pulled his hand away where Tim had almost slammed it with a box. "Okay Mcweirdo stop mumbling and you almost slammed my hand by the way.
"Well move it then." He grumbled.
"Really."
"yes really." Tim snapped.
"Okay that's enough Tim go with Abby to the lap.
"Did he just call him Tim?" Kate whispered
"Just ignore it." Tony shook his head.
"Tony and Kate shut up and go talk to the CO's wife."
"On it boss." Tony jumped up and Kate followed him.
"If she was anything like the den mother I had talk about boit noeir" Tony shivered as they walked towards the tennis courts looking for the CO's wife.
"You were a boy scout?"
"Cub"
"What did they kick you out for?"
"Trying to score brownie points." He smirked
"Disgusting Dinozzo."
"you know you love me."
"Dream on."
"Every night."
"I'm sure you're girlfriend would love to hear that."
Tony just laughed.
Tim and Abby were working in the lab."
Is there anything you can't find?" Abby asked as Tim got into Foley's records
"yeah a way to shut up Dinozzo" he grumbled he was on edge and he knew it wasn't right to take it out on Tony but at the same time he also knew that saying that to Abby would throw off any little suspicions.
As they did that Tony and Kate watched an interrogation as Foley talked about Curtain and affairs.
"oh yeah it bothered me a hell of a lot only I chose divorce over murder" Gibbs told the other man"
"I didn't know that." Kate said looking at Tony. Tony who was thinking oh yes was that ex wife number two or three. He believed two but wasn't one hundred percent certain.
"He's lying establishing report through shared communication." Tony shrugged
"Are you sure he's lying "
"of course I'm…. not" Tony shrugged he actually knew he wasn't lying but he wasn't about to tell Kate that. Just then Tim went into the interrogation room.
"We found it." Abby crowed. Holding up the evidence of who she was sure was Curtain's wife's lover."
"Okay I'm going to go and Tell Gibbs." Tim stood up and started to head toward interrogation.
"oh um McGee I don't think that's a good idea." Abby said
"And why not."
"Because Gibbs will be pissed."
"Well I think he'll be more pissed if we don't tell him so I'll take my chances." Tim strolled out of the room leaving a shocked Abby behind. Kate and Tony's jaws dropped when they saw Tim pop into the interrogation room.
"Sorry can I see you a second boss" he thought he should probably be scared he was breaking a rule he knew that but at this point he just didn't care.
"I can't believe what I'm seeing" Tony mumbled another Gibbs on Gibbs show off. This time the tension so thick he wasn't sure who would come out the winner.
"He has to have a death wish." Kate mumbled.
"never inturupt an interrogation McGee..Never "What was so damn important" Gibbs snapped when he and his son were in the hall.
"Well I thought you'd want this information."
"And what the hell am I looking at."
Medical records both curtains wife and foley have Herpes."
"okay so he's the lover. And the killer he walked into the viewing room. "Come with me" he motioned to Kate and Tony as they walked towards the bull pen. Kate and Tony both hurried to their own desk burying themselves in their work.
"Boss I don't think Foley was the lover." Tony said they listened in rap fascination as Tony spun his story
"Are you thinking what I think you're thinking" Gibbs said slightly shocked
"I don't know boss are you thinking what I'm thinking" Tony said watching for Gibbs reaction to the whole situation and knowing Tim was also watching the reactions
"Yeah her lover wasn't foley it was his wife"
"Bingo." Gibbs seemed to except that as they went towards the Foley house and Kate got into position.
"is this what you wanted your son to remember you for" Gibbs asked Curtain.
"Of course not but I couldn't let his mother's killer go either. Tim heard it Gibbs heard it and it stabbed them both. As they got back to the navy yard and settled in the elevator opened and Jean walked out. Kate and Tony stopped and stared.
"Who is that?" Tim pretended he didn't know earing a glare from Tony
"I don't know why don't you ask him?"
When Gibbs sat down Tim gathered his things. "I'm headed out Boss "By the way there is something Tony and Kate have been meaning to ask you" he smirked at the two others looking like deer in the headlights
"Well what did you want to know?" Gibbs knew his son had sat up a trap.
"nothing boss." Kate said
"Yeah nothing." Tony agreed. "Well have a good weekend.
Tony got into his car and called Tim. "Evil."
"No funny I'm going to my dad's and then I'm headed to your house.
"Are you mending fences."
"no I think I need to yell."
"Tim." Tony sighed.
"Don't try and stop me Tony."
"No one could stop you, you are a Gibbs after all stubborn to the core."
"And never forget that." Tim said ending the call and heading to his childhood home he sat at the kitchen table and waited for his dad.
"Tim." Gibbs was surprised
"Dad."
"You did good work today."
"Thanks I guess." Tim stood up holding the beer bottle he'd gotten from the fridge.
"Are you okay?"
"no see the thing is I saw you with Curtain's son the way you were and you know what it killed me this strange boy and you could open up this strange boy and you could hug. This strange boy you didn't know and you could treat more like a son then your own son. It's five steps back always with us."
"Because you always are bringing up the past." Gibbs pointed out."
"Because the past is always the future you never think of me. I live in the fucking shadows of Ghosts." Tim shouted.
"No you don't."
"Okay Ghosts and ex wives. I just can't even look at you right now." With that he stormed out of the house and Gibbs sat down with a glass of bourbon.
"Hey can you meet me at the bar?" Tim asked as he got into his car. "Okay I'll see you there in ten.
Ten mineuts later he found himself in the local bar he smiled when he saw the red head walk into the bar.
"Tim it's been too long."
"Diane I'm so happy to see you." They sat down.
"Tim are you okay?"
"No me and my dad are fighting he sighed as he looked down at his drink.
"I love him. I know he loves me but we can never see eye to eye. He'll always be the man who chose ghost over his living son. I'll always be that broken boy."
"Tim he loves you with everything he has but loving you means chancing losing you and he can't really handle that."
"I get it I think it just sucks." He downed his drink.
"I know." She looked at him with sympathy. This boy she saw as a son even though she hadn't been with his father for long. They talked for a little while longer before they decided to part ways. "I'm always here Tim remember that."
"I know and thank you." As they parted Tim headed to Tony's he let himself into the apartment and sat down burying his face In his hands.
"Hey I was expecting you earlier."
"I got into a fight with my dad and then I went for a drink with Diane."
"Diane as in your ex step mom"
"One and the same."
"Well If it helped you that's all that mattered. Tony noticed that Tim was crying. "hey come here." He gathered him in his arms as he'd wanted to do all day.
"I just want to be enough for him that will never happen though."
"you're enough for me." Tony whispered as he held Tim. Wishing he could take all the pain away. Wishing Gibbs would realize what he had before it was too late. He wanted to fix what just may be unfixable.
A/N thanks to everyone who reviewed.