A/N: I didn't do a good job of setting up the plot last chapter. Things really start to form here. Thanks for reading. I hope your holidays were good ones. Remember that the last chapter, McGee was falling asleep in Sarah's suite as she was getting ready to go to New York for her dissertation defense. sheila

Thicker than Water 2

"Sarah, I need you to reschedule!"

Josh, you have no idea how complicated it was getting my entire dissertation committee together. I can't reschedule. It's going to be okay, baby. I'll take the afternoon shuttle. You just tell me where to be. I will come straight from the airport."

Dammit, Sarah! You're not hearing me!"

McGee's eyes popped open and he sat up. The lights were dimmed and it took a moment for him to remember he was in the living room of Sarah's suite. The voices came from the bedroom.

"You have a chance to spend an afternoon with the speaker's wife. An opportunity like that isn't come up again for…who knows. You are beautiful, charming, intelligent- I need you to make a good impression. She has a very powerful influence on her husband, and this immigration bill means everything. It's the difference between being re-elected and being a one hit wonder."

"Josh, this is my final defense."

"Which you can reschedule."

"Please don't ask me to do that. This is really important to me. I have worked so hard for this."

McGee leaned forward and listened.

Sarah, I can not believe you are talking to me about working hard! When was the last time I sat down to just watch a game or go to a movie or read a book for pleasure? When was the last time?!"

The intensity of Andrews' voice shot through McGee's body and he stiffened.

"We're partners, Josh. I'm not arm candy. This works because you respect who I am, my independence, my dreams. Remember?" Sarah's voice sounded measured, much like his own mother used to sound when his father was upset.

"Exactly. You are my partner, and we need to work together, and I need you to do this for me. It's not just my future. It's our future."

"I'm not cancelling my final defense, Josh." Her voice was firm, and Tim was proud that she wasn't willing to compromise her position.

There was silence for a moment and Sarah's voice came again. "Honey, I'm sorry. Just let me get through this meeting, and my time is yours."

McGee waited for a response, but there was nothing. Then he heard Sarah say, "Josh? Honey?"

McGee felt something in his gut, and his years with Gibbs taught him to trust that. He stood, and cleared his throat to speak. Reminding them he was in the other room might be enough to break the tension.

"No!" and the sound of a crash were almost simultaneous, and McGee barreled through the door of the bedroom. He found Sarah sitting against the wall, groaning, and Andrews standing over her. Andrew turned just as McGee plowed into his middle. The two of them crumpled in the corner, and started rolling around. Neither man used fists. Instead, they engaged in a frustrated wrestling match with Tim screaming, "You don't touch her like that! You don't touch her! No one hurts my sister!"

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Sarah, I'm sorry!" Andrews yelled over McGee's voice.

"Stop!"

Both men stopped their grappling to see Sarah push herself upward against the wall, wincing as she did. "Get off him, Tim! He didn't hit me. No marks."

McGee pushed away from Andrews and got to his feet.

"He didn't do anything, Tim. I tripped." Her voice was shaky and she didn't make eye contact with him.

"Sarah, don't lie to me. People who trip, fall forward. You landed against that wall backward. I've been working crime scenes for a long time."

"This isn't a crime scene, Tim!" Sarah's eyes were on Josh who was breathing hard on the ground, his face red. "You don't understand what's happening here. He's been through so much. Embedded in the most dangerous part of Afghanistan for 6 months. Surrounded by Taliban most of that time. He lost 16 people, two of them to beheading. Imagine that, Tim. Can you? You've been through a lot but you've never been through something like that. Never. He sacrificed everything for this country."

Tim shook his head. "He never touches you in anger. Never! It's a dealbreaker, Sarah. It's who you are. You're not the kind of woman to accept anything less. Tell him!"

"Nothing happened," she said evenly as she knelt beside Josh. She stroked his face. "You okay, Baby?"

"I can't believe I'm seeing this," Tim muttered to himself.

"I got too angry," Josh said softly.

"Shhh! Nothing happened." Tim noticed that she flinched when she tried to settle her right shoulder next to him.

"Sarah," McGee's mouth was dry. "Let's get going. You have a plane to catch."

She shook her head slowly, looking into Josh's eyes only. "I lost sight of the big picture. Meetings can be rescheduled."

Josh's eyes were wide and blurry. "Your Ph.D is important, Honey."

"Helping you out tomorrow is important too, isn't it?"

He nodded as he touched her cheek. "The admiral's daughter and the marine. My war record makes us high profile. We're the perfect couple. Good-looking. Smart. Charming. It's a short window though. There will always be someone that'll come along to replace us. Senator Stewart says we need to create a strong foundation now. Senator Ford's seat is open in two years."

"And you want that seat?" She said softly, her fingers running through his thick, blonde hair.

"Yeah. I want it for us. I want it for our future."

Tim felt bile rise in his throat, but he felt powerless to do anything. "Sarah? Please."

"It's okay, Tim. I'm going to reschedule my defense."

"No! Come on! You can't do this!" he said, shaking his head.

"Nothing happened here tonight. You understand? You tell anyone about this, and you and I are done." She stood.

"You're my sister."

"Josh is going to be my husband. What's happens between us stays between us."

Tim reached for her hand. "I want you to come and stay with me for a few days. Just until we get this whole thing worked out."

She pulled away. "It's not what you think. It's really not. Josh and I are fine."

"Sarah."

She turned. "Josh, my brother and I need to talk alone for a moment. Why don't you take a shower? I'll be right back."

She took Tim's arm and steered him back into the living room. "You need to go."

He shook his head. "You are not safe here."

"You aren't going to say anything about this to anyone. Promise me."

"Sarah…"

"Promise me!" Her grip on his arm tightened.

"No," he said softly.

"Then you lose me forever."

"What!? You're my sister! That's not poss…you wouldn't do that to me, Sarah!"

"I love him with everything I am. I can help him! Do you hear me?! He won't hurt me, Tim." Her fingers dug into him like claws.

He looked into her dark eyes, and saw his father's single-minded determination.

"If you say anything to anyone, I'll cut you off. We will be done." The calm with which she said those words sent shivers down his spine.

"I'm your brother, and I will always be there for you. Nothing will ever change that." He pulled away from her.

"You won't say anything? Please, Tim. Promise me."

His brow furrowed but he said nothing as he shut the door behind him.

…..

"Something's wrong with him?" She said, her dark brows knit together.

"I know," DiNozzo said, focused on his computer screen.

"Is it a hangover?"

"No," he growled. "He was too busy catering to his various fathers last night to drink much."

"His dad must've said something to him. It's about his cancer. I bet that's it."

"Maybe," Tony frowned. "I don't know."

"When he comes back from servicing the crime scene truck, we should ask him."

Tony shook his head. "He never takes the truck in. He hates doing that. He did it just so I wouldn't bug him."

Ellie cocked her head. "So, we're not going to ask him anything? That seems counter to everything I've ever seen you do."

"He had a look, probie. A look that I've only seen…maybe, one or two other times. This is a situation that requires special handling."

She leaned forward. "What are we going to do?"

The elevator dinged and something caught his eye. He stood. "We aren't going to do anything. You need to go get a coffee or a bag of candy or a cheeseburger or…something."

"What?" She turned her head and saw Sarah McGee coming toward them. Bishop had always been better at studying people on paper than in person, but she could feel the energy coming off Sarah McGee. "Hey Sarah! Listen…I gotta run. Going to go see Abby in her labby…bad joke."

Tony waited until Bishop was gone. "You don't look like you've slept."

The girl was gone from her face. Tony had noticed it the night before. She had stepped into that moment in life when a woman's face finds its real contours. Her beauty was still striking, but there were shadows under her eyes today. "Is Tim here? I shouldn't come during the workday, but I needed to see him. He's…not answering his phone."

"He's out getting the crime scene bus serviced. For years, I made him do that until one day I realized how much he really hated it and it no longer pleased me to make him suffer. So, I went back to doing it."

"I'm confused. I thought you said-"

"He's doing it today because I know his moods so well. He went back to doing something he hates because he wanted to avoid me and my questions. The admiral okay?"

She shook her head. "He has stage four lymphoma. What do you think?"

"Something new. Bad report from the oncologist?"

"No. The tumors aren't any bigger and they aren't any smaller."

He studied her. "Yeah, but it's something."

She looked away for a moment. "It's between me and my brother. It's my hope that you will let it stay that way."

"Okay."

She was wearing a cashmere sweater with a leather skirt, and Tony wondered when she'd started acquiring such expensive clothes. Then his face screwed up. "Hey! Aren't you supposed to be in New York meeting with your doctoral committee? Isn't that today?"

She flushed. "It didn't work out this time. Maybe, next semester."

He grinned. "That's why McStudy is so mad!"

"Pretty much," she said slowly. "Just do me a favor, Tony. Don't bring it up. It's a sore spot."

"He was really looking forward to having a sister with a Ph.D."

"It's still going to happen. I'm just waiting a few more months."

He could sense her impatience. "What do you want me to tell him when he gets back?"

"I was tough on him last night. I know he cares. I know he wants what's best for me, but he needs to trust that I know what that is. Can you tell him that for me?"

"Of course, doll." He got up. "Hey! I never got a proper hug from you last night."

She bit her lip as he enveloped her. "Tell him I'm sorry. Okay?"

…

"She said she was sorry. Then what?"

Tony looked up from his work in exasperation. "I went over this with you six times already. She said she was sorry, and she said you have to trust her."

McGee frowned. "What was the look on her face? Describe the look on her face."

Gibbs slapped his pen on his desk. "McGee! Enough!"

McGee settled his eyes on his computer but his agitation was evident.

Tony threw a pen at him. "Call her!"

"No!" McGee said.

Tony turned to Bishop. "Okay. Gibbs and I didn't have sisters and brothers. Enlighten us. Is this how siblings operate?"

She looked from Gibbs to McGee and then to Tony. "Um…not in my family."

McGee sighed. "I call her and it's going to get worse. I'm pretty clear on that."

"She apologized!"

"She said I had to trust her. After last night, I don't."

Gibbs gave Tony a warning look, but he ignored it and leaned forward. "If this is about her dissertation meeting, that's an easy fix. You don't need to be so rigid, McGee."

McGee was on his feet and out of the bullpen without another word.

Tony threw up his arms. "I don't get it!"

"Exactly," Gibbs growled. "You're clearly operating on half a story."

"He won't tell me the rest!"

"That's a clue, DiNozzo. Stop pushing."

Tony started to protest, but Gibbs put up a hand. "I mean it. Give it a rest. We have work to do."

Seconds later, McGee came back into the bullpen and planted himself in front of Gibbs. "Boss, I need to take a day tomorrow."

Gibbs blinked. "Why?"

Tim took a breath. "I know we are on call. I'm sorry. I just need a day. It's important."

"You going to stay within 30 minutes in case there's a body?"

McGee worried his lip. "No."

Gibbs grimaced. "Where you going to be?"

"New York. Going to fly out on the 6 a.m. Be back by evening."

"Sorry. Can't do it. Balboa's team is at that seminar this week. I can't spare ya'."

McGee stayed rooted, color rising in his face. "It's important."

Tony slapped his desk. "Let her get the Ph.D when she's ready!"

Tim turned on him. "It's not about the degree! Stop talking about the degree! This is about her life!"

Everyone froze. Gibbs leaned forward. "Tim?"

"No," he shook his head. "I can't talk about it. I don't know what to do yet. I need to go to New York tomorrow."

"I have a solution."

They turned to find Vance walking down the stairs. "Couldn't help but overhear. I need a courier tomorrow to get the overseas pouch from New York. I usually send McCormack and Geary, but McCormack has the flu this week. You could go with Geary. I'm sure Dorneget would fill in on the team."

Tim turned to Gibbs. "Please."

"Go."

McGee grabbed his coat and backpack and headed for the elevator without a backward glance.

….

She surprised him. Not in the sense that he didn't hear her coming down the basement steps, but since he'd interrogated for a murder 8 years earlier he'd only seen her two other times, and one of them was at her engagement party. Her hair was pulled back off a face cleared of make up. She looked years younger than she had at her engagement party the night previous. There was a puffiness around her eyes that told him that this was a very serious visit. She stood at the bottom of his stairs, uncertain. "When Tim told me that visitors are expected to just walk in and come find you in the basement, I didn't believe him."

He put the sander down, absently running a hand across the polished wood of his latest project. "I can't hear the doorbell down here. I suppose I could fix that, but I don't want to."

"It's dangerous."

"I'm really good with a gun, Sarah."

She took a step forward. "What are you working on? It's beautiful."

He looked down at the oak hope chest and sighed. "Actually, this was commissioned by a guy for his sister's wedding."

Her mouth dropped. "Tim?"

He nodded. "We purchased the materials together a few months ago. He wanted to pay for the labor, but I wouldn't let him. The work is a pleasure."

"Can I touch it?"

He stepped aside and she came over, touching it lightly. "Oh my. It feels wonderful."

"It's very old world. I hope it fits your current style."

"Are you kidding? I love it." Her tired eyes sparkled with tears. She opened it and ran her hands along the seams.

"We won't tell him that the surprise is ruined."

She nodded. "He won't return my phone calls right now."

"I don't know what's going on, but he needs time to think."

"That scares me."

He studied her. "You came over looking for him?"

She wiped her eyes and surprised him with a hug. "I need to talk to someone who understands."

He held her for a moment. "I was just thinking about a cup of tea. Let's you and I go upstairs and talk."

By the time he brought steaming cups of tea out, her face was dry and she was forcing a smile. He sat across from her. "What do you think I'll understand?"

"PTSD. Posttraumatic Stress Disorder."

"Okay." He passed her a spoon and some honey.

"Did you read Josh's book?"

"No."

"Ah, well, he went through a lot over in Afghanistan."

He nodded. "I know the particulars from Tim."

"PTSD happens when someone has sustained an acute or chronic trauma-"

He put a hand. "I understand PTSD."

"That's what I was hoping. I need advice. I've read a lot about it, and Josh shows the symptoms. Not surprising, of course. And I thought that you might…understand. You were in a war zone in the Gulf war, and then there was the trauma from…losing your family. I thought you might understand what I'm doing."

"Have you talked to experts?"

She smiled softly. "No. Josh is undiagnosed. It's not good for his political career to show any sign of weakness."

"What signs is he showing?"

She sipped on her tea. "Actually, I just need to know how to help him. I know he needs my patience and understanding. I know I have to excuse…things that I normally wouldn't. It's vital that I stand by him through this. He's owed that. He sacrificed so much."

He leaned forward. "Sarah, he does need your love and support, and he deserves the best that this country can give him, but there are limits. Do you understand that?"

"You know, it's his first term as a congressperson. The learning curve is unreal. The demands on his time are never-ending, and at the same time I know it's good for him to be a part of something like this. He can bury himself in work- work that's not dangerous."

"What is he doing that concerns you?"

"Trouble sleeping," she said as she stroked the sides of her tea mug.

"What else?" He stayed slow and patient as if in interrogation.

"Irritability."

He chuckled. "I've met your father. You've been raised around irritability."

She shrugged and he saw it. There was a flinch when she did that, and then shifting in her chair to accommodate her right shoulder.

He nodded. "He has been very personable when I've seen him. That means he stores it up, holds it in, and lets it out when he's in private, when you're there."

She worked her mouth for a moment. "I can take it. He deserves to have someone patient like that, someone who can take it."

"It's been an accident so far- the bruises I mean. It's what you're able to tell yourself."

Her breath caught. "I didn't say anything like that. I didn't say anything. Where would you get that idea? What did Tim say?"

"He said nothing," he said reaching out and her hand. "I know something's wrong. It's not hard to read that in him, but he has said nothing."

She looked ready to bolt, but he held tightly onto her hand. "Don't run, Sarah."

She leaned forward. "I need someone who understands; someone who doesn't question my strength or my judgment."

"Okay. I'm here." He reached across and grabbed her other hand as well. "What can I tell you?"

When it came, it was like a whisper. "Were you like him, Gibbs?"

He nodded.

"How long?"

"Three wives long."

"Accidents?" Her brown eyes searched his.

He shook his head. "I made it clear to myself that 'accidents' were a deal breaker. That's why I isolated- to keep them safe. Accidents are unacceptable."

"But-"

"No!" He squeezed her hands. "Never okay."

"Don't judge, Gibbs. It was rough for him. Really rough."

He nodded. "And he needs help. He deserves it, but you can't fix this. If you're too patient, he'll lose sight of his accountability, and you'll lose sight of you."

Tears started down her cheeks. "I gave him my whole heart, Gibbs. There has to be a way."

"Let me see the shoulder."

It was too soon. He knew it as soon as the words came out of his mouth. She pulled away suddenly and got to her feet. "I've got to go."

"I want to help, Sarah."

She shook her head and headed for the door.

…..