A/N: Here's a short and sweet chapter with a bit of humor. There are two left after this. I wanted to mention that neither Sarah nor Lila McGee will make an appearance. I like Sarah, but I've just written too many OC's into this story already, and I can't get a handle on Tim's mom and who she would be. So I am sticking with Dad McGee. He seems like he'd be McGee's dad. I am grateful to all who are still reading. Talk to me if you are. Sheila

Surviving Winter

Chapter 18

McGee felt a warm kiss on his forehead. His eyes flickered opened. A man stood over him and he waited for his vision to focus. "Dad?"

The Commander smiled. "What have I done to deserve a miracle this magnificent?"

McGee's brow wrinkled. "Oh, Dad, I'm so sorry. You and Mom and Sarah must have gone through hell. For so long I didn't know that you'd been told I was dead. I was so stupid to believe everything he told me. I can't belie—"

David McGee put a finger to his son's mouth. "Stop. You didn't know and you couldn't know. You trusted that you were doing work for an honorable man. I would expect nothing less of you. You're a good and brave man, Timothy."

"Mom?"

David nodded. "She and Sarah will be here as soon she finishes her nap. This has been rough on your mom. Her depression can get so deep. You'll have to prepare yourself because she's pretty weepy right now, your sister too."

Tim's breath quickened, but his father shushed him. "The man responsible for this is Winter, not you. Never you."

Tim nodded. "Is the rest of the team okay?"

"I haven't seen them. They're getting checked over, but believe me when I say I'm going to hunt them down and give each of them a big, wet kiss on the mouth."

Tim laughed. His dad used to threaten to do that when he was a kid and he accomplished something big, and it always sent a young Tim into a tirade about parents embarrassing their children on purpose. This time he was all smiles. "Do it, but I need photographs…especially of you landing one on Tony."

"No freak out. My goodness. My boy has gone and grown up."

Tim's smile faded. "Dad, I have to tell you something. I did something…I killed a man…a Marine, and I'm going to have to pay for it."

"I know. Sec Nav told me about it. I believe, even without the details, that you killed him because you had no other choice."

Tim nodded. "I didn't have another choice. It was my life or his."

"Don't worry, son. We'll fight it together. I've already talked to a lawyer, Nathan Shenandoah. He's the one that got the court order to remove you from Afghanistan. He'll take the case…unless you have someone else in mind."

"I trust you, Dad. If you like him, I'm good."

David reached over and stroked his son's hair. "Don't confess anymore. Nathan says that he doesn't want you to say anything until he talks to you."

Tim nodded. "Boss says the same."

"Gibbs is clearly a very special man. I've been waiting to meet him for a long time."

Tim looked into his dad's dark eyes. "He reminds me a lot of you, Dad. The two of you will like each other."

David nodded. "Alright, it's time for you to get some rest, and there are plenty of other people who want to see you. I'll come back in when your mom gets here."

Not even the threat of life in prison could dampen the peace Tim McGee felt as he watched his father leave his room.

…

Gibbs closed his phone and folded his arms while he stared at the elevator. Tony stood next to him. For a moment, nothing happened. Then an elevator opened, and Ziva and Abby came out, followed by four agents. Abby spotted Gibbs, and ran at him. She tackled him with the force of a linebacker. "Gibbs!"

He struggled to stay upright under her.

Ziva attacked Tony and he compensated for her weight by swinging her around. Then he sniffed her and frowned. He sniffed her again. "Drakkar Noir. Favorite cologne of many Middle Eastern men. You and I are going to have a talk."

Ziva pushed away from him. "I know what I'm doing."

Gibbs pried Abby off and stepped back. "Ziva! Abby! Rule 3! What is it?"

Abby raised an eyebrow and looked at Ziva. "I'm always confused about that myself. Aren't there two number threes?"

Ziva shrugged. "I only know of one. I can't remember it though."

"One of them is 'Always double check' and the other one is…'Never be Unreachable'.

"That one!" Gibbs raged. "I'm on my cell for six hours looking for the two of you! Abby, you're supposed to be in the hospital, but they haven't seen you in three days. I sent agents to your apartment. I had the office searched. I sent agents to Sister Rosita who hasn't seen you in weeks! Finally, I get the idea to send agents to McGee's place; which is not the place where I want to find you. There you are sleeping on his bed with your phone turned off!"

Abby started to say something, but his glare stopped her. Then he turned to Ziva. "You don't answer your phone, but that's okay 'cause I know you're working the Gul Baden Hussain stakeout so I call Fornell's people, but they haven't had a decent conversation with you in two days! They say that you running this undercover rogue. They have no idea where you are half the time! What the hell is going on with you two?"

Ziva folded her arms and glared back. Abby joined her, hands on her hips. "We haven't heard a thing from any of you in twelve days! Were we supposed to sit and wring our hands like old women the whole time?"

"What she said!" Abby said.

Then Ziva frowned at Abby and wagged her finger. "You did not tell me that you checked out of the hospital."

"I could never reach you! I only saw you when you snuck in and slept with me."

Tony's eyebrows went up.

"Anyway," Ziva said. "Why are we here? Who's sick? Who's injured? Where's Ducky? Is there something wrong with Ducky?"

"Ducky got hurt?" Abby cried.

"Take us to Ducky now!" Ziva insisted.

Tony frowned. "It's like herding cats with these two."

"Ducky's not hurt! Nothing's wrong with him!" Gibbs said. "Stop talking and listen to me! I have something very big to tell you."

Abby cocked her head and reached for Ziva's hand. The two of them stood and waited.

"Sit down!"

Ziva held onto Abby and shook her head slowly.

"Please!" He implored.

"Just say it, Gibbs," Abby said softly.

Gibbs sighed. "He didn't die. Winter said he did, but he was lying. We found him alive. McGee never died."

They stared at him, and for a long moment, no one spoke.

"It's impossible," Ziva whispered. "People do not survive the Taliban."

Abby started to tremble, and Gibbs gathered her in his arms. "Winter lied to all of us. Tim's alive."

Abby shook her head on his shoulder. Gibbs looked at Tony. "I'm screwing this up."

Tony nodded. "Come on, Ladies."

He took Ziva by the hand and led her down the hall. Gibbs followed, Abby still hiding her face in his shoulder. There was a Marine guard on the door of a room. Tony looked at him. "We gotta' see him. No other way."

Before the guard could respond, Tony pushed open the door and pulled Ziva inside. Gibbs glared at the guard and guided Abby past him.

Ziva sucked in breath when she saw him. She let go of Tony, whispering to herself in Hebrew. McGee was sleeping, hooked up to IV's. Ziva touched his arm and looked up. "He's too thin. What did they do to him?"

"He has pneumonia," Tony said softly. "He was denied care for several days."

Gibbs guided Abby's hand to McGee's face. She still refused to look, covering her face with her free hand. He guided her hand down his cheek, to his mouth, and down his neck. She moaned into her other hand. "It's okay, Abby. None of us knew. We were all fooled."

McGee's eyes opened and he smiled. Ziva grabbed his face and slid her cheek against his for a moment. Then she kissed him softly, tears falling down her face. "Ach sheli. You are alive, my brother. Oh, how I have missed you."

"Ziva," he smiled into her face.

Abby moaned again, sobs erupting into Gibbs' neck. McGee turned to her in concern. "Abby? It's okay. Abby? Look at me, Abs."

She gripped Gibbs more tightly.

Tim blinked, confused. Tony stepped up. "She had a very tough time when we thought you were dead. We all struggled, but Abby…she, uh, struggled the most. She got a hold of the video of you, the fake one, and she watched it too many times. Wanted to help find your killers. She lost touch…with reality a little. Spent some time here…" He stopped and looked at her sobbing on Gibbs. "Is it okay, Abby? Can I tell him what happened?"

She didn't respond but her sobs started to slow. Gibbs smiled. "Take your time, Abs. He's here. Not going anywhere."

McGee reached out and grabbed her hand. "I'm here, Abs." Then he cocked his head. "Hey, are you wearing my jeans?"

She stopped when he said that. It triggered something in her and she turned to him. She squeezed his hand back. "You weren't around to wear them, Timmy."

He smiled. "Now that sounds like my Abby. Come here. I missed you."

She let go of Gibbs and looked down at him. "I went a little crazy."

He shrugged. "If I had lost you, I would've gone a lot crazy. No big deal. Come here."

Abby being Abby interpreted this in the only way she could. She slipped off her shoes and climbed under the covers with him, snuggling up against him.

Gibbs blinked. "I don't know, Abs. Be careful with him. He's kinda' fragile. Had a rough time over there, ya' know. There's a reason they don't encourage this sort of thing in a hospital."

"It's okay. Ziva and I did it all the time."

Tony looked at Ziva. "We really need to talk!"

Abby settled her head softly on Tim's shoulder. He smiled up at Gibbs. "It's okay, Boss. She's just going to keep me warm."

Ziva turned to Tony. "Why is there a guard on the door?"

Tony sighed. "Winter thinks Tim is a murderer. He wants him prosecuted."

"Well, we won't allow it."

Tony threw his hands up. "Why didn't we think of that, Boss?"

Ziva narrowed her eyes. "I want some time with this Winter."

Tony smiled. "That I would like to see."

"I'm really glad to find you all here."

Everyone turned to find Commander McGee standing there with Ducky. Abby threw up a hand. "Ducky! Gibbs made us think you were sick!"

Ducky frowned. "Why ever would you do that, Jethro?"

Gibbs ignored them and stepped forward, shaking hands with David McGee. "Good to finally meet you, Commander."

Commander McGee clasped Gibbs' hand with both hands. "You and your people have returned my greatest treasure to me. I don't have words."

Gibbs nodded. "Well, he's pretty darn valuable to us too. Didn't think we could do without him."

Commander McGee looked at Abby curled up against his son. "It's a good day for you and me, isn't it, Abby?"

She smiled at him and hugged Tim tighter. "Your dad and I become good friends while you were gone."

"Glad to hear it, Abs."

Commander McGee rounded the bed, and extended a hand to DiNozzo. "Tim tells me that you're his brother. He told me once that you're the best friend he's ever had. You need to know that my home is yours. My family is yours."

Tony grinned like an idiot. Family was so very important to DiNozzo as he had so little family to count. Then the Commander surprised him by pulling him in and hugging him.

Tim laughed. "You told me you were going to give him a big, wet kiss on the mouth."

David McGee shook his head. "Can't do it. He's family. It's not right."

DiNozzo raised an eyebrow in confusion. Then he patted the Commander on the back. "Glad that impulse passed, Dad."

The Commander spread his arms. "I apologize for my exuberance. Yesterday, my family was in pieces. Today, we are whole again. I'm grateful for the team you've built here, Special Agent Gibbs. The trust and the caring you have fostered here is the reason my son is here and not at the mercy of Winter in Afghanistan."

"No apology necessary Commander," Gibbs said, smiling softly. "This is a good day for all of us."

"The fight's not over." Tony reminded them.

McGee nodded. "I've engaged excellent legal counsel for Tim. Sec Nav plans to convene a board of inquiry in a few days. I know you were there when the Sergeant was killed, Tony. Hopefully, that's enough for the board."

Ziva stamped her foot. "But what happens to Winter? There are no charges being pressed against that monster?"

Commander McGee sighed. "Sec Nav was quite noncommittal on the subject. He's trying to salvage Winter's reputation so that it doesn't impede the work being done in Afghanistan."

Ziva frowned. "Are we okay with this?"

Gibbs shrugged. "Naval bureaucracy is notoriously dense. Politics will outweigh justice most days of the week. Not sure what we can do."

"Well, I'm not giving up," Ziva said.

"Nobody is," Gibbs retorted. "And if you're referring to your undercover work, just remember that the sheriff is back in town. No more running your own game, Special Agent David."

Tony frowned at her. "I'm on it, Boss."

Ducky pointed to the bed. The two of them were sleeping; Tim was softly snoring, his head nestled on top of Abby's. "I suggest we let them rest."

Ziva sat down and folded her arms. "The nurses will try to pry them apart. I have experienced this with Abby. I will stay here and make sure they are left alone."

Gibbs shook his head. "I'll okay it with the head nurse."

Tony pulled her up. "Come with me, you sly little minx. You have been unsupervised long enough. I'm going to have to remind you of how things work on this team."

"I would like to see you try." She retorted as he steered her out of the room.

Gibbs lingered with Commander McGee for a moment. "Winter is a bastard, Commander. He'll lie to make Tim look bad."

David nodded. "I know. I just hope that Sec Nav starts to see him as a liability rather than an asset."

"Don't worry, Commander. We won't give up on Tim."

"Thanks. By the way, the name is David. There's no rank around here."

"I'm Jethro."

…..

TBC