A/N - Remember, that in the last few chapters and the ones coming up, we're seeing some events from multiple POV's so there's some overlap as we move from one character's scene to another. Enjoy.
Jackie plastered on a smile before she walked through the door. "Hi, sweetie, I hear you volunteered to help me with my baking."
"I love baking. Jethro does, too."
"Oh, he does?" Jackie looked down at the very large dog laying under the table.
"Just remember, no chocolate for Jethro. Doggies can't eat chocolate, it makes them very sick."
Jackie was pretty sure that Maggie's words were for her rather than Tiana. "Well, we're going to be making apple pies and peanut butter cookies. How does that sound?"
Tiana clapped and Maggie gave a knowing smile. "You won't have to worry about what to do with the apple cores, Jethro loves them."
"And peanut butter, too. Daddy and I make him peanut butter doggie treats every other weekend."
"Woof." Slowly stretching, the topic of discussion emerged from under the table. Maggie's dog rolled over and spread out over the warm spot that had just been vacated. Still looking sleepy, Jethro placed himself next to Tiana and softly barked again.
"Yes, Jethro, you're coming with us. Try not to shed too much in the car, okay?"
"Woof."
Tim had bought a second car seat to leave at Maggie's so that was quickly secured in Jackie's back seat. Jethro nuzzled past Jackie and seemed to inspect the seat which amused her to no end.
"Did we do it to your satisfaction?"
"Woof."
"I'm glad we have your approval." Tiana was buckled in and Jethro hopped in to sit next to her. He behaved perfectly in the car and Jackie started to relax. Once they arrived at the house, she put the leash on him but it didn't seem to be needed as he shadowed Tiana into the house and then laid down under the kitchen table.
Everything went easy until Jared arrived home with two of his classmates. Backpacks were dropped just inside the kitchen as they came in for a snack and before Jackie realized it, Jethro was out from under the table and growling at one of the backpacks.
"Jethro, stop it."
Instead of disengaging, Jethro dropped down onto the floor and started barking and pawing at the pile of backpacks. It wasn't until he had one of them separate from the rest that Jackie remembered what Leon had told her about the dog.
"Andrew, is there a reason this retired drug detection dog wants to tear your backpack apart?" He stuttered out a half-baked excuse about borrowing a friend's backpack, but she wasn't buying it and reached for the phone. "Leon, Tim's drug sniffing dog is absolutely locked onto a backpack that one of Jared's friends arrived with. That's right... Andrew, Andrew Patterson... Yes, that Patterson... We'll be waiting."
-NCIS-
Vance stared at the phone after Jackie had hung up. Unfortunately, putting it off wouldn't make it any easier. First, he asked Pam to come in. "Would you have Balboa and his team ready to leave, and make sure they're ready to perform every possible field drug test we have?"
Her eyes widened, but she just nodded and left. Now, he had no choice. He picked up the phone. "This is Director Vance from NCIS, I need to speak to the Vice Chief of Naval Operations... Yes, I'll hold..." The canned music was terrible, but luckily the wait wasn't too long. "Admiral Patterson, a possible problem has come up in regards to your son... No, he's fine, he's at my home working on a school project with Jared and Senator Stanley's boy. However, we have a retired drug detection dog at the house this afternoon and he's latched onto Andrew's backpack... Yes, of course you can be there when it's opened. That's why I'm calling."
-NCIS-
Tim's breathing seemed to deepen and he shifted slightly. Gibbs leaned close, watching for any sign he was waking up and even Ducky set the chart down. Finally his eyes fluttered open. "Hey, you awake?"
"Think so. Weird dreams." Tim blinked hard before looking around. "Tia's at Maggie's, right?"
"For now." Ducky was the one to talk to Director Vance, so he filled them in. "She may have other children there this afternoon and evening whose parents are working the clean up from the raid. If there's any chance of Tiana overhearing something she shouldn't, then Jackie will take her to their home and keep her there until one of you can get her."
"Good. Don't want her to know about this."
Gibbs smiled down at the bruised and scraped face. "At least for now. You won't be able to hide this forever."
"When she can see me home and alive. Not before." His eyes drifted closed for a moment, then popped back open. "Was anyone else hurt?"
"No, everyone else is fine, Tim." Gibbs leaned close and brushed his hair back. "We're all okay, we stopped the bad guys and found most of the stolen weapons."
"Most?" Trust Tim to catch that one and Gibbs had to press down on his uninjured shoulder to keep him in place.
"The files you were able to stop from being dumped gave us the buyers, so they're picking them up now."
Tim's eyes were closed, but he was frowning. "You should be supervising that."
"Restricted duty, remember?" Gibbs gave a grateful look to Ducky. "Desk duty for a week." Returning his attention back to Tim, the frown and closed eyes worried him a little. "You doing okay? Want me to get your doctor?"
"Just dizzy. Feel like I'm going to fall off the bed."
Gibbs wrapped his hands around the least injured parts of Tim's arms. "I've got you. I won't let you fall." He glanced at Ducky, who moved closer.
Ducky bent close with a penlight. "Timothy, I'm just going to check your pupils real quick." Gibbs watched as he did just that, pulling each eyelid up and flicking the light across his eye. As far as Gibbs could tell, his pupils were reacting normally to the light, if just a tad slow. Ducky smiled and nodded at him in confirmation. "Timothy, your neurologist and I both feel that your concussion might cause a flare-up of the vestibular neuritis. If you can remember the length of your original symptoms, it might give up a better idea of what we're facing."
The frown increased and Tim licked his lips. Gibbs didn't want him pushed, no matter how much he needed to know what had happened. "Only if you're up to it, Tim."
"It's okay, just kind of a blur. I was sick at least a couple of days before I got hurt. Maybe a week? After that, I just remember being both dizzy and sick."
Gibbs tried to think of ways to establish a timetable. "Did you miss any school?"
"Summertime, it started right after the 4th of July – I remember that."
Ducky gave Gibbs a careful look before he asked his own question. "And you're sure you weren't taken to a doctor?"
"She couldn't... My dad had been at sea too long." Before they could ask any more, he was asleep.
They watched for a moment, but he was down for the count. "Ducky, that doesn't even make sense."
Ducky just gave him another careful look before stepping out, leaving Gibbs to figure it out on his own.
-NCIS-
Three cars arrived at the Vance home. Parked in the driveway was Vance's SUV, with his security detail opening the door for him. Brian tried to make light of the situation. "Is this why they pay you the big bucks, Sir?"
Only Brian Hill and Jethro Gibbs could get away with speaking like that to the Director and the comment had Leon rolling his eyes. "You want to trade me places?"
Brian looked at the vehicle pulling along side the front curb. "Nope, but it could be worse." Vance gave him the eye and Hill cracked a slight smile. "You could be his kid if the tests show he's really got drugs on him."
"Point taken."
-NCIS-
Parked in front of the house was another SUV, this one black in color with the US Navy insignia on the doors. As Vance waited, a very stiff Petty Officer opened the door and saluted as the Vice Chief of Naval Operations stepped out. He paused for a moment as he adjusted his cover, then walked over to acknowledge Vance in private. "Director, I appreciate you allowing me to sit in on this."
"Of course, Admiral. I'm sure that he just brushed up against another backpack at school and there was transfer, but it's better for everyone if this is done by the book."
"Absolutely and hopefully quickly. I have a briefing with the SecNav this afternoon on the Hill."
"He may be coming to the Yard later today. We've had a very busy morning ourselves."
"Yes, I heard about the raid. Very impressive. Sorry to hear that one of your agents was injured."
Vance nodded and waved to the third vehicle. "It was a very successful raid, however I need to caution you not to mention it while you're in my home. Agent McGee's daughter is here. She's only four and she doesn't know that her father was hurt." They walked toward the house; as they passed the black SUV the Admiral's secretary fell into step behind them and the petty officer behind him.
-NCIS-
Across the street an agency sedan pulled in and three agents climbed out, looking like they were on their way to their own execution. "No matter the results, this is going to be bad, isn't it?"
Balboa clapped his youngest agent on the shoulder. "Either we're going to prove that the youngest son of the Vice Chief of Naval Operations is using drugs or we're going to accuse him and be wrong, Jeffery. No easy version there."
"Great."