A/N: I hope you are all well. I am in the middle of the polar vortex today. So cold. Hope you are all some place warmer. Sheila

Thicker than Water 3

"Move over."

Tim looked up from his book. A smiling DiNozzo stood over him in the aisle of the jet. "Oh, you've got to be kidding me!"

"Move over."

"Go away," McGee growled. "You're not going to New York with me."

"I'm not sitting by the window. My legs need room."

"Great. Stay in D.C."

"My legs need room!" Tony insisted. "You know that!"

"We're the same height," McGee glared.

"I need to be in the aisle in case the plane goes down. Makes me feel like I can do something."

"Go away! You're not invited."

"Too late. Two agents are required for NCIS pouches, and Geary has been TAD'ed to Gibbs for the day. The boss is going to have fun with that old goat."

"Oh, for the love of Pete, DiNozzo! This is something I have to do on my own!"

"Move over."

McGee closed his eyes. "Can't. FAA regulations state that we have to stay in assigned seats."

Tony leaned over and hissed. "You know I like aisle seats! I get too restless jammed in like a sardine."

"Too bad." McGee picked up his book again.

The flight attendants were looking in their direction. Tony flashed his patented smile in response before turning to his statue of a partner. "Your sister went to visit Gibbs last night."

"What?!"

"She didn't say much, but she said enough for Gibbs to call me up in the middle of the night and tell me to get on the plane with you in case you go looking for trouble."

"Why Gibbs?"

"I don't know. He said she thought he would understand how to handle the congressman's…aggression."

"It's true then. This is confirmation. When I get back from New York, I'm going to kill him," McGee said calmly.

"Exactly why I'm here. Now, move over before I tell this nice lady across the aisle about your romantic proposal of marriage to me."

"Please no."

The older woman across the aisle leaned over. "Oh please! I love a good romantic story!"

"Well, my intended would tell you, but he's a bit shy. Move over, pumpkin…unless you want to tell it."

McGee groaned and slid into the window seat.

….

"I thought people stopped naming their children Mildred a hundred years ago." Tony sipped from a glass of water.

"Mildred WhiteHorse. She's been Sarah's best friend from childhood. Her dad was the chief engineer on three of Dad's boats. She practically lived at the house. In fact, she actually did for a few years. Her mom drank a lot, and when her dad was in port, there was a lot of fighting. Mom took her in when Millie's mom went into treatment and she just sort of stayed through the rest of high school." Tim put down the menu.

"And I've never heard of her because…"

"I went off to college when I was sixteen. Most of this happened after I left."

"What do you think she knows?"

"She wasn't at the engagement party. She and Sarah lived together for three years in New York before she moved back to D.C. I thought they were like sisters. Not having her there felt weird. I called her, but she wouldn't talk on the phone."

"Tim!"

They turned to see a pretty woman with a dazzling smile making her way around restaurant tables. She was petite with shiny, jet black hair sliding down her back. Unlike the perfectly styled Sarah, Millie wore jeans, t-shirt, and boots with an elaborate tattoo winding its way up her right arm.

McGee stood up and hugged her tightly. Tony marveled at her vibrant face: dark eyes, strong nose, broad mouth against caramel skin. She was both beautiful and unique. McGee smiled at her. "How's design school?"

"One more semester and then I intern for Zac Posen. I just signed the contract yesterday."

"Oh, is Zac Posen a designer?"

"Oh my God, Tim! Do you live in a cave?!"

Tony smiled. "It would explain a lot."

Tim gestured. "This is my partn- friend, Tony."

"Nice to meet you." She shook his hand vigorously.

"Millie is energetic," Tim explained. "I never met anyone else with her level of energy."

She nodded. "It used to get me in lots of trouble at school. Now, I need every bit of it to keep up in the fashion game."

She sat down and smiled at Tim. "I used to have such a crush on you."

"Really!" Tony said.

Tim chuckled. "You were nine and I was almost sixteen."

She squeezed his hand. "You were so sweet and patient with Sarah and me. We used to do all those fashion shows with your mom's clothes, and you would be our judge."

"It was that or watch the two of you dismantle the entire house piece by piece."

"We were a pair."

"But not anymore…" His brows furrowed as he studied her.

She took a deep breath. "It's hard to talk about, Tim. The last time I did, it was a disaster."

"I'm worried, Millie. I think I need to know the truth."

She stirred some sugar into her coffee. "Things were great. Sarah was focused on her doctoral work. I was deep into design classes. We made sure to have one evening a week to check in- go out for coffee or have dinner. Then the admiral was in town, and he asked her to go to an event with him. She met Josh that night, and it was like lightning. I mean, everything changed immediately. I know that happens with friends sometimes. One of them gets partnered, and then the dynamic changes. Feelings get hurt."

"I know. I got a little bent out of shape after McGee met Delilah," Tony said, nodding.

McGee shot him a look. "Yeah, you responded by worming your way into my relationship."

"It helped. Plus, you definitely needed guidance."

Millie shook her head. "This was different. There was nothing gradual about this. Within two weeks, they were inseparable. I was cool with it. Really. Who wouldn't be happy for a friend who's found the love her life, but he was really competitive about it. Any time I spent with her, he resented. And she really tried. She insisted we keep our weekly "date" night, but he was uncomfortable with not being invited. So, pretty soon, he was coming too. We just stopped doing it."

"Must have been hard."

She shrugged. "It happens. I get that. She started spending all of her nights over at his apartment. Then, about two months in, she was back at our place. The first day she stayed in her bedroom, and when I went to check on her, she said she had the flu. It felt wrong. The next morning, I caught her in the kitchen. She didn't have the flu. She had a swollen jaw."

McGee's breath caught and he stiffened. Tony put a hand on his arm. "Steady, fella'. Let's hear her out."

"You remember that my mom and dad used to fight. My dad hit her too. I saw it when I was little. I really overreacted when I saw her face. It brought up memories."

"What did she say about it?" Tony asked.

"She said that it was an accident. She said he gets really frustrated when he doesn't perform at his best. She said he was slamming his fist against the wall when she got in the way. She kept saying it was an accident."

"So, she excused it," Tony said, keeping one eye on McGee.

"Not exactly. She wouldn't talk to him. He called constantly for days. She wouldn't answer. She just lay on the couch and watched TV."

"But she went back to him." Tim looked defeated.

"Yeah. One day I came home and she was gone. All of her things. She left a note saying that she would continue pay rent until the end of the lease. Didn't want to inconvenience me. I didn't care about any inconvenience. I felt abandoned."

"Why didn't she invite you to her engagement party?"

Millie closed her eyes. "When she first came home after she got hit, I waited until she was sleeping and I took a picture of her jaw. When she went back to him, I was upset and scared for her. I'm still close to your mom, and so I called her and sent her the picture. She was in New York within 12 hours. I don't know exactly what happened between her and Sarah, but it wasn't good. Sarah texted me and told me that she was done with me forever. Your mom told me to give it some time, but it really broke my heart."

Tim nodded. "Explains why she wasn't there either."

Tony frowned. "Doesn't seem like Sarah."

"Sounds exactly like her, Tony. You haven't seen her when she gets stubborn about something. You think I'm stubborn. Sarah's worse and she can get mean when she's hurting. She's a lot like Dad. Doesn't happen often, but you don't want to be on the receiving end when it does."

"I didn't know what else to do," Millie said. "I thought I was doing the right thing, but it only seemed to make things worse."

Tony nodded. "That picture on your phone?"

Millie looked at Tim. "You can't tell her what to do. No amount of screaming or yelling is going to make a difference."

"Show us the picture."

She sighed and scrolled through the phone. McGee narrowed his eyes at the photo. The quality wasn't good, but the swelling was obvious as was the purple mottling around her jaw. He took a deep breath. "Send it to me."

"You have to think this through, Tim. You can't overreact with her."

"I know, Millie."

After she sent it, Millie stared at her coffee for a long time, all of them silent. Then she got up. "I got to get to class, Tim. Promise, you'll call me and tell me what happens."

Tim hugged her tightly. "I promise, Millie."

…

"Tim?" She said as he walked past into her apartment. "I thought we weren't talking."

"What are you doing here? I thought you were all moved in at Josh's."

"I couldn't get out of the lease. I still keep odds and ends here…for the time being."

Tim nodded, taking note of the half filled boxes scattered about the room. He found an empty couch and sat.

She faced him, arms crossed. "Alright, get it out of your system."

He shook his head. "I've spent two days trying to think of what to say to you. I know you. And I know that when you want to do something, you're going to do it."

She blinked and cocked her head. "So…you're going to support me?"

"I went to see Millie."

Her face reddened and she turned away. "I can't believe you did that."

He shrugged. "You're my sister. For you, I'll do all kinds of things."

"So what?" She threw up her hands. "Is this the intervention?! Is Dad on his way? Tony? Gibbs? Who else is coming?"

"No one," he said quietly. "It's just you and me."

"You can't stop me!"

"I know."

"I hate it when you play the wise old sage! What do you want?!"

"Beating him with my fists sounds satisfying, but that would just make it worse, and I don't want to make it worse."

"So, say what you're going to say, Tim. Just do it!" Tears appeared on her cheeks.

He looked up at her, his hands clasped tightly together in his lap. "I would rather listen, Sarah. That's all I can think to do. Talk to me. It's what we do best. Talking…late into the night and into tomorrow, if necessary. Just talk to me. Tell me again about the first time you met him. Tell me everything, and maybe we can figure out how not to lose one another over this."

She hiccupped a sob and sat on the other end of the couch.

…..

"You got a bead on McGee?"

Tony looked up. "He promised he wouldn't talk to the Congressman. You know him. He never reneges when he makes a promise."

Gibbs' eyes were on the elevator door as it opened. The admiral, crisp in uniform but unattended by staff, came through. Gibbs nodded and the admiral raised a hand in return.

"What did you do, Boss?" Tony asked in a low voice.

"What I would've wanted someone to do if Sarah was Kelly." Gibbs shook hands with John McGee. "You okay doing things my way?"

"I have to be," the admiral grunted. "My way involves flogging."

"Tony, tell the congressman that we're up in Vance's conference room."

Gibbs gestured toward the stairs and the admiral followed.

…

"You ever felt the kind of love where it steals your breath, makes you feel queasy?"

"Sounds like asthma," he said.

"Tim!"

He nodded. "Once, I think. It scared me and I backed away. I couldn't handle feeling that out of control."

"Usually, that's me too, but not this time. I felt like I was reliving Mom's and Dad's romance all over, and this time I was going to get it right."

He nodded. "The comparison to Dad makes sense."

"You weren't living at home anymore when they broke up. You could hide from it. I couldn't."

"I'm sorry, Sarah. I should've been there for you."

She shook her head. "You tried, but I kept saying I was fine. We're hardwired, we McGee's, to hide our true feelings. Sign of weakness."

"You sound like Gibbs."

"I know. I decided to marry a man like Dad. You decided to work for one. We're obsessed with Dad."

"We're just trying to find the approval we never got. A psychologist told me that. It's no reason to get married though."

She threw back her head and laughed. "I can't just turn it off, Tim. This is about more than approval. I really love him- deep love- the kind that creeps into your bones."

"I know. Nothing else explains your willingness to excuse his behavior."

She flinched and he worried he pushed too early.

She looked away. "It's complicated. He doesn't mean to hurt me."

…

Josh Andrews paused as he entered. "Something about this doesn't feel like a budgetary meeting. Where's Vance?"

Gibbs gestured to a seat. "We need to talk."

Andrews narrowed his eyes at the admiral. "What's happened? Did Tim say something? Was it Millie? I know she felt abandoned when Sarah moved out."

"Sit. Down."

The congressman locked eyes with Gibbs, and when he saw no room for maneuvering, he took a chair.

"Am I about to get scolded?"

Shut up, Josh, and listen," John McGee growled.

Gibbs tapped a photo on his phone and pushed it toward Josh. He stared down at Sarah's bruised jaw. "Come on! It was an accident! I got upset about something and she got in the way! I apologized so many times- you wouldn't believe. We decided- she and I- that we wouldn't talk about it again."

"I believe you," Gibbs said evenly. "I'm sure Sarah would concur with everything you just said."

"You've talked to her?" He looked from one man to the other.

"We're talking to you, Congressman."

Andrews focused on the admiral. "John, this is a huge mistake. I am not a danger to your daughter. You know the extreme pressures I'm under. They're not that different from you have faced in the admiralty."

"I do understand that, Josh. You couldn't work any harder than you already do. The hours you keep remind me of my early days. Always competing to find my limitations."

"I would never hurt her, John."

John McGee sat back. "We share a lot, Josh, but I never tried to do as much as you are with the trauma history you have. You need help. That's why Gibbs is here. He understands that part of you."

Andrews frowned. "I'm not a fool. I know my experiences, my memories impact my behavior- my ability to manage stress, but I'm managing."

"It's not enough."

Andrews shook his head. "Therapy or…treatment for a congressman- impossible. Not until I'm more established. Maybe 4 or 6 years more and I could consider it. I just need to build a foundation."

McGee reddened. "And in the meantime, my daughter's job is to absorb your…accidents. Unacceptable!"

"I'm not doing this for me! There is a greater good! Sarah understands this! We are a team! Surely, you understand that. Don't forget, John, that I've heard the stories. The missed holidays, birthdays, milestones. Your sacrifice! Sarah's! There was a greater good at stake!"

The chemo had left John McGee fragile, and it surprised all of them when he was on his feet, slapping the table with his palm. "Don't you think I know all of that! I know what I missed! I told myself the same stories you're telling yourself and I was wrong!"

John McGee's whole body was shaking, and Gibbs was there, putting a hand on his back. "Take a seat, Admiral. Take a seat."

…

"Will you stop being my brother if I stay with Josh?" She looked so vulnerable when she said it, her eyes big like a young girl.

"Biology will keep us together forever, but the frustration might take over. The accidents will continue. I'm sure of it. And I don't know if I could take it." Tim studied his folded hands for a long moment. "He needs help, Sarah, and your love, no matter how pure, isn't going to be enough to heal him. This is not about not trusting you. It's…like throwing a cup of water on a gasoline fire. It's just not enough."

"You're forcing me to choose."

He shook his head. "I'm trying like everything to not force anything. This has to be your decision."

"What if he gets help now? Will you support us?"

"It could mean his seat in Congress. Would he risk that for you?"

She shook her head. "Without question. He's said as much."

"Words are just words, Sarah."

She relaxed against the back of the couch and said nothing.

"Don't you want to know?"

…

"I hurt three decent women, Congressman."

Andrews raised an eyebrow.

Gibbs glared. "Don't get it twisted. Not physically. I made sure there were no accidents. Spent all three marriages hiding out in the basement 'cause I knew I couldn't trust myself. But that's not you. You've left her right in the line of fire."

"It was once."

"It was more than once!" This time it was Gibbs banging the table. "And it'll happen again. And each time it happens, it'll be easier to justify!"

"Sarah said she'd leave me if it happened again." He seemed surprised that he said the words out loud.

John McGee leaned forward. "She shouldn't have to make the decision to leave you. You should be stepping up. You should be protecting her from you! Make the right decision."

"The right decision is for us to be together. You introduced us, John! You see the connection we have."

Admiral McGee ran a hand over his jaw. "I did, Josh, and I would've been very proud to call you family, but not like this. You can't put Sarah in this kind of a position. She thinks she can fix you. You and I both know that's not true."

"I don't know that at all." Andrews gathered up his things. "I think we should end this before either of us says something we can't take back."

Gibbs stood. "The admiral here is being careful. He has to navigate the relationship he has with his daughter. I don't. You step out of line with Sarah once, and I will make it public. I promise you."

"Sarah will never forgive you."

Gibbs chuckled. "I've spent a lot of time thinking about the kind of husband I was. If I have to live with her anger to free her of that kind of hell, I'm happy to do it."

….

She lifted her head from his shoulder. "Thanks for listening, but I got to go."

He got up with her. "If he hurts you again, I'm going to stop him. No matter what you say, I'm going to stop him."

"I know," she said. "I'm going to make sure you don't have to do that."

"Don't make promises you can't keep, Sarah," he said softly as she closed the door behind her.

…..

TBC…..