A small episode related piece, written from Parker's POV post 19x14 - First Steps
It was late and I had received several calls. OK, it was more than several, to be honest. My cell phone had been blowing up. Something that had never happened in my entire tenure as an agent, both at the FBI and at NCIS, before tonight. Which to say was weird, is an understatement. At the FBI, the teams were tight, but nothing like they are at NCIS. I didn't realise how tight this agency was until last night. Not just their agents, but the agent's families too.
The first call I received last evening was from the head of base security on board the navy yard. A guy named Walt, I'd never met the man before, but he knew who I was. Apparently, he had a long-standing arrangement with the former Agent Gibbs, that if one of his team members didn't clock out three or more hours after the rest of his team did, Walt was to call Gibbs. I wasn't too concerned, although we were MCRT, we each had different roles within the agency, away from our team, too. Which sometimes meant one of us had to work late.
The second call I received was from Delilah Fielding-McGee, Tim's wife and I'll admit she scares me. She is a force to be reckoned with. She told me she was worried about her husband, and it concerned her because she had never seen him like this before, not even when Gibbs had stayed behind in Alaska. When I asked her where Tim was, she said he was at work and that was odd, I dismissed the team almost five hours ago.
The third call was downright strange. It was from Nick Torres. Nick isn't a self-absorbed guy, but he does keep everything close to the chest and he never shows concern for McGee. After all, the man is Torres' Senior Field Agent. The two of them are tight, like brothers. But Nick was concerned because Tim wasn't taking his or Delilah's calls. Which now explained why Nick was calling me. As I said, he would never show he as concerned for someone like Tim, but Delilah is a force to be reckoned with and she had Nick concerned too.
My fourth call was interesting, it was a conference type call. the caller ID said Knight, but Kasie was also there, the phone on loudspeaker. First, Kasie told me she thought maybe Delilah and Tim had fought because Tim seemed upset and not really focused on what he was doing when she stopped by the bull pen on her way out, earlier. With Knight adding that it was weird because she hadn't seen him like this before, even when they thought Gibbs was dead.
So here I am, handing my creds over to base security, as I head into the yard. 11pm at night and I should be enjoying my rare time off and I'm not here at work. "Nice to finally put a face to the name, Agent Parker. I'm Captain Walt Evans. I'm in charge of base security, I'm the one who called you about McGee. He's a good kid, it's unlike him not to head home to his wife and those beautiful kids of his."
"Thanks for the call." I murmured in reply, and I was beginning to see why everyone was so concerned. Admittedly, out of my whole team, I don't know McGee very well. He isn't very open with people and keeps a strict line between business and pleasure. Sure, I've had dinner at his apartment, with his wife, his mother-in-law and his kids, during a case. I've met Delilah and the twins a few more times since, we both live in Georgetown so it's natural to see one another around. The kids even have a cool name for me, they call me Uncle Parks.
Parking my car, I checked my cell and saw more calls that I had missed while I was driving. Missed calls from Ducky, Balboa, Vance, Waters, Fornell. The phone ringing again while in my hand startled me and the fifth call, I took was a surprise. Dr Jimmy Palmer. He wasn't calling because he didn't know what was wrong with McGee, just that whatever was bothering McGee, was troubling Palmer too. Not the same issue, but McGee being bothered was upsetting Palmer. Palmer did have one valuable piece of information and I was glad I was armed with it before I arrived in the bull pen. Kayla Vance was the only clue he gave, before disconnecting the call.
Seeing Agent McGee sitting on the floor, on the catwalk above, looking down pensively into the bull pen below. It tugged a little at my heart. Timothy McGee was usually so bottled up and so closed off, but here he was wearing his heart on his sleeve and his eyes were open like the windows to his soul.
When the elevator had dinged my arrival, he didn't even notice, so I took the back stairs up to mezzanine level above and sat next to the man. After all he was my right-hand man, my second in command. "Are you OK?" I asked him, nudging the man with my shoulder, letting my legs dangle beside his long, lanky legs.
"I've been an NCIS Agent for twenty years tomorrow, Parker. The things I've seen in that time. I've seen the best of people and the worst of people." Tim sighed out loud letting a puff of air escape his mouth. As I took a closer look at the man beside me. I saw Leon sink down against the wall off to the side of us. He had that same look on his face that McGee had on his.
"The people I've seen come and go within nineteen years in that bullpen below; they were good people.
Agent Chris Pacci, he was a respected man. I was still a case agent in Norfolk when he was killed. I had been helping him on a case when the POI killed him, because he was too close to discovering the truth about the suspect.
Agent Caitlin Todd, Kate, she was former secret service. The youngest of five, three brothers and a sister who was the oldest. Some days she was my ally against DiNozzo, other days she was his co-conspirator. But in my darkest hour at NCIS, she was my confidante. I didn't see it happen, but we had open comms and I heard it. The terrorist shot at me first, and he missed. Next, he shot at her, she took one in the vest. He let her stand up and then he shot her in the head. She was a smart but sarcastic woman; she was halfway through a sentence when she was shot.
Agent Paula Cassidy, her team took the tip line one weekend when it was supposed to be us. Her team received a tip and went to investigate. A suicide bomber in a mosque took out her team, she was on the street taking witness statement when it happened. Jim Nelson, one of her agents. We were close, best friends, we went through FLETC together. We both had militant Naval fathers. I had danced at his wedding with Abby, only two weeks before he was killed. His wife gave birth to his daughter Jamie, a week after we buried him. Paula sacrificed herself with another suicide bomber, in the same mosque to save our team.
Ned Dornaget, one of the hardest losses I've ever had on the job. We were on assignment together; I was doing the interrogation and he was at the hotel in Cairo. I got him the Intel just in time and he evacuated the hotel. But a civilian tripped the laser beam on an S bomb system, and he was killed in the blast. I bought his body home with me.
MI6 Liaison Officer Clayton Reeves, the gentlest MI6 agent I've ever met. He was a good man, and he died saving Abby's life. I am thankful that because of him, Abby's still with us because of him.
Former agent Mike Franks, he called me Probie's Probie, he was a rough man but a good agent. Lived in Mexico, came to help out a few times. The last time, he took on a serial killer and lost.
Former Director Jenny Shepherd. She was a hard nut to crack, she used the office for her own agenda, despite her pretence of being all about the agency. Her death, it affected me less, but it destroyed the people I love, like Gibbs, Tony and Ziva. Others like Lara Macy, Tom Morrow, Secretary Jarvis, Emily Fornell, Breena Palmer, Joe Smith, Erin Kendall, Jackson Gibbs, even Leroy Moore.
People who have gone but didn't die. Just left the agency and moved on. People like Ziva David, she was like a sister to me. I love her, but she's happy now and she's safe and that's all that matters to me. I am the godfather to her child Tali, she calls me Uncle Tim.
Abs, there are no words to describe Abby because seeing is believing and if you saw her, you wouldn't believe what you were seeing. She bowled with nuns, actual nuns. She is in the UK now, doing good work. She runs homeless charity for women and children in honour of Clayton's memory.
Ellie Bishop, she was also like a sister to me. She was misguided and she got in too deep, refused my help. But I still love her and wherever she is, I hope she is safe.
Tony DiNozzo, my brother. My best friend. Tony, Gibbs and I, we were like the three musketeers, it didn't matter who rotated in, we always got the job done. I still talk to him. Tali likes to video chat with Uncle Tim a lot and he has been begging me to take Dee and the kids to Paris to visit them.
Gibbs, he had such a huge presence in that bullpen and to be honest, it's still strange to come in and see you sitting at his desk. But he's happy and I can't fault him for that."
"Whoa! That's a lot of change in twenty years, McGee. What's with the self-examination of the past?" I asked him as I listened to his long explanation of what was bothering him, I realised we hadn't even got to the core of the problem yet.
"Kayla Vance." he answered in two words, and I saw Leon move and sit on the other side of McGee. McGee looked at the Director and smiled at him. "She was about nine or ten when I first met little Kayla Vance. Today she was kidnapped and held hostage on my watch. On her very first case as a Probie agent."
"You weren't even there, Tim. You were here, working." I reminded McGee. I hadn't realised that Tim had known the director's daughter that well, on such a personal level.
"Agreed, Tim. That's why I didn't assign her to you, but to your team. You and Kayla, personally, are way too close. Remember when Kayla got you to help her with that science experiment and it ate the linoleum floor in the utility room at home?" Vance asked him and I saw a ghost of a smile appear on the younger man's face.
"Showing my boss' boss how to lay tiles, in the utility room of his home while his wife stood over me, on a Saturday morning wasn't the finest day for me as an agent." McGee laughed and I found myself laughing too.
"When Jackie died Tim, you and the others, you all stood by us, even though Ziva was feeling the same pain too, she had lost Eli. The kids loved that you were always there for them. Kayla used to find your presence soothing. I never did thank you or saving her life a couple years back. You've been a great influence on my kids, Tim. Jared ... He called me tonight, I was going to tell you tomorrow morning, but he got into MIT on your recommendation. He's going for his master's degree in computer science and forensics. Your Alma Mata, your influence, on your recommendation, Tim."
"Today's events reminded me of everything, Director." Tim turned to look at Leon carefully. That's the thing with being the new kid on the block. They've already got so much history with each other, and it's all so intertwined with one another. Gibbs' rules are swimming round in my head."
"Rule 38, there's no such thing as a coincidence?" Vance suggested to McGee, and I began to follow along in hope that I'd learn something.
"Rule 11, when the job is done, walk away." Tim counteroffered the Director.
"Rule 10, Never get personally involved in a case. Probably better here." Leon reminded the younger man.
"He burned rule 10. After the mass shooting at the hospital two years ago." Tim announced.
"Rule 51, Tim." Vance said softly patting the younger man's arm. "Sometimes you're wrong. It wasn't your fault Kayla got kidnapped on her first case."
Yeah, I've heard a lot about these rules since starting at the agency. But I don't know them all and I've never heard of any of the rules that these two men mentioned. Wait, I remembered about his boat and realised, the name of the boat, was a rule number. "Rule ninety-one? Wasn't that the name of his boat that exploded?"
"Yeah, I never did learn what rule 91 was. I don't think there's anyone besides Gibbs who knows every rule ever written." Vance sighed and the three of us scooted back against the outside wall of MTAC. Vance was staring at McGee and studying him carefully. I remember thinking both of these men were so complex, and not at all what they appear to be on the outside. "Tim?"
"I know." Tim whispered. "Dad died first, then the mess with Ziva and Kort and Tony and Tali. We became closer, Gibbs and me. He was proud of me, he told me a lot more in the later years. But after Harper Dearing, he began telling me more often. He also confided in me." Tim was unbuckling his watch and I couldn't for the life of me, think why now he would show off his simple black patent leather banded Hamilton watch. Turning it over he handed it to me first. 'Breathe, Tim.'
"Good advice, especially given today's events." I murmured and Tim didn't acknowledge that he had heard me as I handed the director the unremarkable, run of the mill watch.
Vance looked at Tim, closely. "It was Jackson's. Ann gave it to him on their wedding day, right before he shipped out. Jack gave that to Gibbs on his wedding day to Shannon and Gibbs gave it to me on my wedding day." I felt like I had stepped into some weird family drama, that I shouldn't be involved in. But I knew that to understand McGee better, I needed to stay and get involved.
"After Paraguay, we were different, Gibbs and me. We were closer. Sharing a small 8 by 10 cell, fighting for scraps of food to survive and our daily torture sessions will do that to men. Sloane once told me that Gibbs trusted me above all else, above everyone else, even her. I never believed it until right now. Those rules, his rules. I know them, I know them all, every single one of them. Even the rules that are too special for a number because what number comes before rule 1. When I saw the name of his boat, I knew he wasn't coming back to NCIS. Rule 91 is, when you decide to walk away, never look back.
I wasn't worried that Kayla couldn't take it, you know everything that happened to her with the case and being kidnapped. She's good girl and one day she will be a great agent. I was worried she would take it. Your first case is supposed to be a toolbox case, straight forward, simple. The kind of case she ended up with, any one of us could have pulled the rule 91 card. I've watched her grow up. When I first met her, she wanted to be a scientist and work at NASA. Then she wanted to be a naval officer. She went and got a degree in Forensic science, and she announced that three years ago she wanted to be an NCIS agent. How did you do it, Director? What do I do when Morgan or Johnny tells me they want to be an NCIS agent, like me? Like Uncle Leon or Uncle Parks. Like Poppy Gibbs and Uncle Tony was?"
"You let them. Then you tell them that you love them anyway. Love them like Leon loves Kayla and his son, like Ducky loves Jimmy, like Gibbs loves you, as father should love their children. Wholly and unconditionally." I told him and deep down, I wished my father loved me like that. "You're very lucky to have had all those people in your life, people who you cared for and those people who cared for you, especially a guy like Gibbs. I'm not going to try and understand or downplay the trauma of what the two of you went through, but I am glad it bought the two of you closer, at a time when you needed his guidance the most. But I want you to know, you can count on me, I will have your back and help wherever I can, just like Gibbs. I'm not here to take his spot in your life, though. That spot deservedly belongs to him."
Sitting here, listening to his concerns about Kayla and self-reflecting on the past, I realised something. Gibbs was a lucky man; he had the unconditional love of these people. But I'm also a lucky guy now, I was never blessed with kids of my own, but they've taken me into their family now, too. Tim nodded at me in understanding and for the first time in at NCIS, I didn't feel like I was inadequate.
After we managed to get McGee into his car to go home and I sent Vance on his way, I backtracked upstairs and dug out the sat phone number that Tobias gave me when I took this job. Tobias told me I could call day or night and he would pick up. Sitting back at my desk, his old desk, I dialled the number, and it rang twice before the man on the other end answered. "This is Gibbs."
"Tim needs a dad, give him a call, Gibbs." I told him and I listened to Gibbs take a breath, as I awaited his reaction to my call.
"Thanks Parker, I'll call him." Gibbs' tone sounded genuine, and I knew when I saw Tim McGee on Monday morning, he'd be back to his usual self. Back to the man I know.
Getting home from NCIS HQ, it took a while to settle my mind and body down enough to sleep. It was after 0200 and I wanted nothing more than to crawl into my bed. But the sharp sound of my cell phone ringing had me on edge and I wondered what was happening next. "Parker." I said into the phone, not knowing if I was prepared for the next exciting thing to happen. The night had definitely been full of twists and turns.
"Thanks Parker, I appreciate it." A voice came down the line and he could have sworn it was Gibbs. The line sounded like it went dead for a moment, before he spoke again. "Feel free to call me again if my boy needs me. I guess we've got joint custody of him now."
"He'll always be yours; I'm just taking care of him for a while. Think of it like foster care." I told him. It was the truth; I was just looking out for him until he was ready to leave the nest. Gibbs had thought he was ready, so had Vance, but Tim knew he wasn't quite ready yet.
"Get some sleep Parker and give my grandies a kiss from their Poppy." I could hear the longing in Gibbs' voice. He missed the kids, he missed Knight and Torres, but he missed Tim the most.
"Talk to you soon, Gibbs." I said as I disconnected the call.
Now, I know I'd sleep without any worries.