JF44 - The final chapter of this story. I am already fleshing out the next instalment in this story. Which is set a couple of weeks after this story ends. Thank you for all your amazing reviews. Your follows and your faves. Special thanks to Momcat, Alix33, chainguns and Astrahan who have made suggestions and offered additional support and ideas of where to take this story. You've been with me since the beginning of this story and almost every story I've ever written, always inspiring me.

All of your love is appreciated. Keep your eyes peeled. Coming soon is the next instalment:

More than Friends

From midday Saturday, the MCRT were called into work and put on rotation, suddenly scheduled to work. Dorney was back upstairs with them and Ducky had cleared Tim in an unofficial capacity, allowing them to take rotation. Balboa and his team, the IRCT, were in desperate need of some downtime and late last night had been caught in a minor explosion. Everyone was OK but slightly shaken, with barely a scratch between them, but it was enough to drive the message home with Leon. Someone was going to get themselves killed if they didn't unwind.

It had been a week so far, since the destruction of the Bishop/Molloy marriage and no one had heard from Ellie. They hoped that she was doing OK. Luckily, Jake hadn't been back to NCIS HQ for another crack at the MCRT. Gibbs and Tim just hoped that he had the brains to leave Ellie alone in Oklahoma, too. The MCRT men trusted the Bishop men to take care of Ellie and to thwart any plans Jake carried out against her.

Christmas was coming up, in all the drama, they'd completely forgotten to celebrate Thanksgiving. Tim had no recollection of it at all and Gibbs gently reminded him that it was OK. That Tim had spent most of the day in a medicated sleep in the hospital. That Thanksgiving had been when Tim was still in the early days of his recovery.

Abby came up romping up into the bullpen, to hand deliver her Annual Charity Christmas Bash invitations. Gibbs was on a coffee run and Dorney was on the dinner run, leaving Tim alone in the bullpen, holding down the fort. "Hey McGee." she said cheerfully. Her voice sounded like nails on a chalkboard to Tim though. Ever since he had been attacked and he'd heard her screeching voice in autopsy. "Good to have you back." She went to launch herself into an Abby style hug at Tim and he flinched.

"Don't you dare, Abigail." Gibbs warned in a low voice from behind her, using her full name to convey the seriousness of his warning. "He's this close to being back to full duty. No one's touching him, now."

"Right, El Jefe!" She replied with a grin and Gibbs have her his infamous raised eyebrows look. He hated when she called him that and the Goth knew that. "Invites to the Abby's Annual Charity Christmas Bash. It's on the 23rd and I expect you all to attend, with full wallets." Abby handed Tim his invite and handed Gibbs his, Tobias', Tony's and Ellie's, as she dropped Dorney's on Tony's desk. "You can take Kelly's too and give it to her, for me." she said, the tone almost sounding like an order, also handing Gibbs, Kelly's invite.

"Give it to Tim. He's going to see her before me. They live together now, Abby." Gibbs grinned, knowing that neither Tim nor Kelly had told the lab rat that Kelly and Tim moved in together. That Tim had begun to distance himself from her, but that Abby was also pulling away from them.

"Oh McGee, you're too sweet. Renting a spare room to Kelly. That's adorable." She gushed, as she planted a kiss on his cheek, leaving a black lipstick print on his cheek. "It's so nice that you two are still friends. I was sad to see it didn't work out, but you didn't really expect to go from me to Delilah to Kelly like that? But that's OK, after the Christmas bash you can head out on the town, with me and my friends. A bunch of us are going to go to Goth World and get drunk. You can protect me; it'll be just like old times."

"What makes you think we broke up?" Tim asked, surprisingly not surprised that Abby thought he and Kelly had separated. Abby had always lived in her own fantasyland. For a long time, people, namely Gibbs, would indulge her, rather than argue with her.

"Come on, McGee. I know you better than you know yourself." Abby chastised him. "As if you could still be with Kelly. Sure, she's pretty, but you're not a missionary only kind of guy. You need a little ... Spice. You need someone who challenges you, emotionally and mentally, you need someone who is in your intellectual sphere. Not someone who is so far removed from our world that she doesn't even work in law enforcement."

"Ah, Abs, Kelly and I are still together." Tim told her. He deliberately ignored the hurled insult after that she had thrown his way. The way she had insulted Kelly was unacceptable. "You will not disrespect her in any way. She is my girlfriend, I don't run around disrespecting your partners, extend me the same courtesy, got it?"

"But she wasn't here when you were missing. She didn't even call. She doesn't care about you." Abby said confused. She looked over at Gibbs for help, but he had an incredulous look on his face. He couldn't believe what he was hearing from her mouth. "You've done what you usually do. You're in so deep that you don't even realise it. I wouldn't be a good best friend if I didn't tell you."

"Abby, Tim and I sent Kelly away, so she would be safe. Of course, she wasn't here." Gibbs told her gently. "Leon didn't want Kelly to know because he knew she would try to get to him and we needed to keep her safe."

When Kelly had found out that Tim had been kidnapped, she had been distraught and true to their theory, she had wanted to move heaven and earth to find him. She had of course found by accident. She had overheard Agents McKinley and Taylor speaking in hushed tones that the missing agent had been found. That he was lucky not to have died with a head injury like that. Taylor had quipped that with a father like John McGee, Tim was a tough SOB.

Kelly had gone straight to Ellie and demanded to know what they were talking about. Ellie said nothing, she simply dialled the Director and let him do the talking.

Kelly had been steaming mad, but she had understood that the danger wasn't over and that she had to stay put, with her protection detail. She had wanted to let loose on Leon and on her father. But after calmly and rationally thinking about it, she curbed her anger.

When Kelly had checked in with her father the next time, she had let him have it, though. Tim had gone missing on his watch, Tim had been hurt. But the biggest thing she struggled to comprehend was that Ziva had saved him, but still done some significant damage, beating him around. She knew she'd never be able to forgive her for that. Telling herself that if Tony took Ziva back, she would have to disown Tony, too. There was no way she'd be able to trust him, if he took Ziva back over his friendship with Tim.

Her lips formed an 'o' and Tim realised that he would not even get an apology from Abby for her incorrect assumption. "I think you should leave." Tim seethed and watched as she looked shocked at the request, while looking over at Gibbs to override Tim. "We have actual work to do."

"Gibbs?!" she exclaimed, she didn't like the new version of this Tim. The one that was snarky and argued back. He seemed stronger and she struggled to manipulate him. Back in the day, her Timmy would have eagerly jumped at the thought of a night out with her at Goth world. What was worse was, she hadn't thought that her Tim was that serious about Kelly, so she had all but ignored the relationship. If she had of known how serious he was about her, she would have tried harder to keep them apart. Even if it meant that she had to grit her teeth and date McGee again for a while.

"He's got a point, Abs." Gibbs agreed with Tim and Tim tried to hide his embarrassment that Gibbs had agreed with him. "We have got work to do."

Plucking Kelly's invite from the pile of them on Gibbs' desk, before clunking her way over to McGee's and snatching the invite out of his hand. "Well, you two are not invited, now because I don't like the person you have become since you started screwing her. Good day."

The two men sat stunned, at Abby's behaviour, before Gibbs broke the silence by chuckling. "That was dizzying to watch. Was she always that...nasty and manipulative?" he asked his senior agent. Gibbs couldn't believe the audacity of her.

"Yep." Tim admitted. "It took me a while to see it, but after the incident with Jethro and what happened there, I couldn't unsee it. That was also when I realised that I never really loved her, that it was just lust. Quite often she uses her feelings for someone or something to manipulate the person or persons, to get their way. Just like with her ex, turned crazy stalker. She was the one who let him into the apartment, but she manipulated you into punishing me for her actions. Classic Abby."

"That's narcissism at its finest, Tim." Gibbs told him, before realising that Abby had also been gaslighting McGee at various times throughout their friendship. "Gaslighting, too?"

"Sometimes." Tim admitted, shyly. Gibbs could sympathise with the young man that he was so fond of. He'd had a couple of ex-wives who were just like that. He belatedly realised that Abby shared the same traits as Stephanie and Rebecca.

"Well, it stops now." Gibbs declared, angry at Abby. He hadn't realised the situation between the goth lab tech and his agent was so bad. "I am sorry." Gibbs apologised, after a moment of silence. "For whatever part I have played in enabling her behaviour."

"You're better at recognising it now, than you used to be." Tim reassured his boss, with a nod. Letting the man know that he accepted his boss' apology.

"That's not an excuse Tim and that's on me." Gibbs argued with him. "I want to know if she attempts anything else. That's an order. There is no room for that kind of behaviour in the workplace. If you decide to limit your contact with her in the workplace, I will support you and I won't hold it against you, either."

Tim couldn't wait to get home and found himself wearily flopping onto the sofa, face first, as soon as he let himself in the door. Abby's manic moods and bi-polar personality had been driving everyone in the office crazy, particularly him. Tim heard Sharni come up and greet him, licking his hand and arm. "Hey girl, where's your momma?" Tim asked the dog, moving into a sitting position and inviting the dog to join him on the sofa. The dog looked at Tim, before joining the man on the sofa. She had never been allowed on the sofa before and was surprised that her master had said it was OK. Sharni hopped up on the sofa beside her master and they both drifted off to sleep.

Kelly let herself into their shared apartment. She had been for a workout and a swim, downstairs in the basement pool. She had spent the day working on the outline for a book. Tim had been encouraging her to try her hand at writing a novel since before the mess with Ziva. She finally had fleshed out a storyline and had been working on her characterisation before she'd gotten frustrated and needed to unwind. Kelly saw Tim and his exhausted figure, sprawled out on the sofa with Sharni by his side. His eyes were closed and he looked emotionally as well as physically exhausted. She thought he looked adorable, peacefully sleeping and snapped a few photos before Tim woke up. She let Tim rest. Obviously, he'd had an awful day, combined with his recovery still not being one hundred percent, yet.

Kelly decided on something, light and nutritious for dinner. An omelette with onion, mushroom, peppers, a small portion of bacon, spinach and cheese, with a small green kale salad to accompany it. In no time at all, Kelly had prepared dinner for the two of them, adding some walnuts to Tim's plate, knowing her boyfriend loved walnuts in his kale salad. "Tim, Baby." she cooed in his ear. Her voice soft and sweet, just loud enough to rouse him from his slumber. "Come on baby, dinners ready. After you eat, you can crawl into bed." she told him as she led him into the kitchen to eat at the breakfast bar.

"Thanks Sweetheart." he grinned at her, kissing her cheek. "This looks delicious." Tim rubbed his eyes and his stomach, simultaneously. He couldn't believe how mentally drained he felt and he had only been back in rotation for one day. But what a day it had been.

"Want to talk about it?" Kelly asked her lover, as they settled down on the kitchen stools at the breakfast bar. "Looks like you had a horrid day. How bad was it?"

"Abby." That one word told Kelly so much.

Kelly had had her own experiences in the past with the lab rat. Abby had always thought, and treated Kelly like she should step aside, so that the lab rat could have full access to her father. Abby had even tried pulling that stunt when she had visited Gibbs in the past, back when Kelly was still living at home. That's why Kelly always had been irked by Abby, her attitude, her possessiveness and the way she treats people. Once Kelly had turned to the older woman for advice and Kelly had trusted her with some sensitive information and as soon as her back was turned, Abby had blabbed to Gibbs. That was when Kelly stopped trusting her.

"What did she do?" Kelly asked, getting angry on her boyfriend's behalf. Kelly also had never liked the way Abby had treated Tim, especially when Tim was in the hospital, recovering from the drone attack and she had tried to suffocate his already broken ribs.

"Let's put it this way, I hope you didn't want to go to Abby's Annual Charity Christmas bash." Tim announced, trying to rein in the smirk that was threatening to break out on his face. "We're no longer invited."

The look on Kelly's face was priceless. "I could kiss you stupid for that." Kelly hadn't wanted to go, but this year's charity was a noble cause. That the cause was one that she would always wholeheartedly support. It was a small and upcoming charity that did good, honest work, helping and supporting homeless Marine Veterans. In another world, at another time, her father had to the potential to have turned out that way. She had once pondered that reality, what would have happened if she had of been with her mother that fateful day and not getting babysat by Jackson.

"Gibbs told her we were living together now and she blew her gasket." Tim added, as he took a huge gulp of water. He had been feeling dehydrated today and made a personal goal to drink more water in an effort to starve off adding a headache to his weariness. "Like totally flipped her lid. Showed her true colours, right in front of him."

"So, dad knows she is a gaslighting narcissist now, finally." Kelly let out in relief. She had been trying to tell her father for years about Abby and her manipulative behaviours, but he had always dismissed it as Abby being Abby.

"Even apologised for enabling her." Tim grinned, as he loaded the dishwasher and started it with their dinner dishes, feeding Sharni and headed into the living room to snuggle. "Reckons he will support me if I want to cut contact from her in the workplace."

"Good, now all he needs to do is give me the apology he owes me and we'll be even." She said, leaning back and encouraging Tim to rest his head on her.

The loved-up couple lay there in a peaceful silence, both just soaking up one another's presence. The comfortable silence, quiet, with no need to fill it with incessant chatter as they mentally recuperated and drew strength from one another.

"Bedtime, come on." Kelly urged Tim, when she seen him flag for the third time, his eyelids droopy and his mind fighting the urgent rest signals his brain was sending. "Come on, you can shower in the morning. Let me take you to bed."

In the bedroom, Tim stripped off into a clean pair of shorts and Kelly slipped into a small soft pink cotton negligée that barely covered her body. Tim looked amused and leered at her, as she finished her nightly routine and climbed into bed beside him. "Sorry Kell." Tim murmured, as he closed his eyes. If he had the physical energy, he wouldn't have hesitated to make love her, but he was simply too exhausted.

"Hey." Kelly admonished him, gently. "Just because I slip into a nice silk nightgown, doesn't mean I am expecting anything. We are in a relationship, not friends with benefits. We take the good with the bad here, you know that."

"You're right." He told her, as he kissed her lips chastely. "Seems there's been more bad than good lately. You're too good for me."

"Nah, we're good together." She corrected him, switching off the night lamp and pulling him close to her. "I love you and you love me. Together, nothing and no one else matters." She reassured him, as she kissed his head and received a small sleep-filled huff in response.

The downside to going to bed so early at night was waking up at 0400, wide awake, both of them. Tim rolled himself, so they were facing one another. Kelly was already awake when he had woken. "Good morning." He purred, as he stretched himself out in bed and Kelly snuggled closer.

"Morning, my love." she responded, snugly against him, getting closer to him as he stretched out. "How are you feeling today?"

Neither of them had to start their day for at least another hour and a half, with Kelly having the Sunday off and Tim not due at the office until 0730. "Surprisingly well." Tim answered in a whisper, as his hands enjoyed the feel of the soft pink cotton beneath them. "Hmmm, remember what happened the last time you wore this negligee to bed?"

Kelly squirmed against him. She definitely remembered what had happened. It had been the morning Ethan and Sherrie had tried to break into her apartment. "You never did tell me what that dream you were having was about." Kelly told him, coyly.

Tim's hands moved from her shoulders, down her spine and around onto her breasts, before travelling south and making their way back up to her breasts, much like they did that day. It had made her quiver in anticipation of where Tim would touch her next. Kelly could feel Tim's erection against her leg. She shifted herself against it, hearing his hiss against her neck in desire.

Kelly rolled herself slightly onto Tim's chest further. Peeking through her lashes, she saw that Tim's eyes were still closed. She felt his hand flex again as it travelled up her hipbone, over her taut stomach, over her sternum and settle on her right breast. He squeezed gently, as he moved against her, his penis brushing against the hem of her nightgown, onto her lace panties underneath.

But unlike last time, this time there would be no interruptions. No expected visitors, no Ducky waiting to examine you, no Tony banging on the floor and no Gibbs loitering in the hallway.

Tim kissed her, hard, swiping his tongue against his. His fingers were puckering up her nipples as she arched her back off the bed in pleasure. "Oh Tim." She panted against her lover's mouth. In response to Kelly's verbal moan, Tim thoroughly plundered her mouth, exploring every nook and cranny with his own mouth and tongue. It had been a long time since the two of them had just made out and partaken in some light petting. But as predictable as Kelly was, Tim bought her to climax with just his kisses and ministrations on her nipples.

The next time that the couple awoke it was 0600 and Tim had officially slept through his alarm, but he felt well rested, better than he had on a work morning in a long time, so he didn't let it bother him. Kelly joined him in the shower, a rarity for them, on a work morning. It was a practical shower for Tim, who had to go into the office. But that didn't stop Kelly from dropping to her knees and giving Tim one of the most memorable mornings of his life.

As they stood side by side brushing their teeth, Tim playfully ran his eyes over her body in the mirror. "What?" she asked, grinning him through her toothpaste filled mouth, toothbrush off to the side.

"I love you." Tim grinned at her, as they finished rinsing their mouth full of toothpaste. When she was finished rinsing, he leaned over and placed a small kiss on her lips. "I love you, so much."

"Love you too. Now you better get moving or you're going to be late." Kelly replied, reminding him of the time.

Tim made it into the bullpen, laden down with coffees and pastries with three minutes to spare and a smile on his face. "Morning." He grinned, putting the tray of coffees and box of yummy pastries on his desk, before stowing his gear. "Gibbs came over to him, snagging up the coffee cup and urging him to sit, before handing it to him. With raised eyebrows at Gibbs' actions still, Tim looked around the room. Dorney was at Tony's desk and Agent Carson was at Ellie's desk, both agents were looking at him. His eyes went back to Gibbs' before he scrutinised the boss, closer. He recognised the softness in Gibbs' eyes. It was the softness he got when he had to deliver bad news on a personal level. "Oh God, who?"

Gibbs leaned over his agent. He had been really regretting snatching up McGee's ringing phone line. But it had already rang once before and the caller seemed in a hurry to get a hold of Tim. Gibbs was on his feet, snatching up the ringing phone before he could think, now that he had, he had to deliver the message. A message he really didn't want to deliver.

"Gibbs?" Leon's voice permeated the air. "McGee, my office. Let's go." Gibbs was grateful for the reprieve from Leon. He let out the breath that he was holding. Obviously, after the caller had tried Tim, unsuccessfully, they'd phoned Leon, before trying Tim again and getting him.

"Come on, let's go." Gibbs sighed, leading Tim upstairs and into the Director's office, the coffee and pastries now abandoned completely, before Tim could hand them out.

Both men dutifully followed the Director upstairs to his office. Leon Vance was dressed very casually, so it was clear he hadn't planned on being here, or anywhere aboard the Navy Yard. Dressed in an old pair of jeans, a tee that bore a picture and name of a heavy metal band and a leather jacket, he ushered them straight into his office and onto the sofa. "I am sorry, Tim." Vance began and noticed Gibbs had sat beside the young man ready to offer his support to the young man. "Former Admiral John McGee lost his battle with cancer. Very early this morning. Fleet Admiral Sam Peterson called me on my cell. I tried to catch you at home. Kelly told me you were stopping for food and I tried to get here before you. I'm really sorry."

"Tim?" Gibbs asked, feeling concerned that Tim hadn't reacted. "You, OK?"

"He's dead, Gibbs." Tim stated emotionless, as he stood up. "Thank you for telling me, it's time to get back to work."

"Tim?" Gibbs asked again.

"McGee?" Vance tried.

Tim ignored them, he just walked out of the Director's office, across the catwalk and down the stairs, back into the bullpen. Gibbs and Leon shared a look of concern, but ultimately Gibbs gave Leon a look. "I guess that's the way he wants to play it." Gibbs told the Director.

"Not good enough, Gibbs." Leon argued with the MCRT team leader. "For at least, the last thirty years, John McGee was the only father that Tim knew. I know they never got along or saw eye to eye, but he was man's adoptive father. I know it's tense and I'm not sure Tim will ever forgive the John McGee for what he and that nurse did. But John was his father, the only one he had until recently. Send the man home. That's a direct order."

When Gibbs re-joined Tim back in the bullpen, the coffees now put on their respective desks and a pastry accompanying each cup, Tim looked up at Gibbs. "I'm not going home." Tim told his boss, defiantly.

"Sorry Tim, direct order." Gibbs said and he could see the hurt behind those green eyes. Tim was hurt more than what he let on. The news of John McGee's passing was a pain that Tim was reluctant to admit, stung like hell. "Kelly's waiting for you, go home. Snuggle up with her and let it out. If you want, I'll bring dinner by later. Have Kell text me."

With a look, Tim nodded at Gibbs, grabbing his gear. He took one last look around the bullpen. Gibbs' desk never changed. Tony's desk was unrecognisable now, with all of Dorney's tech stuff laid out all over it and Ellie would have a fit, if she saw the unorganised chaos that Carson had her desk in.

He missed Tony. He missed Ellie. And now, he felt like he missed John McGee, even if he hated the man.

THE END OF PART 1