Sunday started off much like Saturday. With no bacon left in his apartment kitchen, McGee stopped at a local bakery. Armed with an apple raisin strudel, he and Jethro arrived just as Gibbs was setting up the coffee maker on a table he'd dragged into the living room. "Good morning, Gibbs."

"Hey, Tim, perfect timing."

After a quick breakfast, the two men started taping the kitchen as Gibbs peppered McGee with questions about any upcoming painting workshops he was hoping to attend.

"I've got one tentatively planned for the weekend after next. I know we're on call, but it's at the studio and Maggie knows that I might have to leave half way through."

"It doesn't cause a problem?"

McGee shook his head as he finished taping the last of the cabinets. "They're used to it by now and I'll just use some open studio time to finish it up later. I do it all the time."

The comfortable rhythm of the day before quickly resumed as they again painted the ceiling first. A lighter version of the buckskin color from the hallway was used and gave a warmth to the kitchen as it reflected the weak morning light.

Of all the rooms they'd done, this ceiling gave the most dramatic and quick change. "It looks brighter in here, even with the darker color."

"Your ex used a white with a blue undertone, that makes a room look cold, especially in the winter when the light from the sun is weaker." It was the same ceiling color Tim had chosen for the downstairs bathroom and the younger man took his stepladder and paint tray in to quickly paint the last of the ceilings while Gibbs finished the kitchen and utility room.

"Hey, McGee? What is this and why do I have one?"

Curious, Tim came out of the bathroom, paintbrush in hand. Gibbs was standing the the door of the utility room, staring at a textured, circular pan in his hands. He couldn't help but laugh at the expression on the older man's face. "It's a bundt pan, Gibbs. It's to bake cakes."

The pan was dusty from being shoved on a top shelf so Gibbs dropped it in the sink to wash later before he started on the kitchen walls.

The orange tone of the kitchen wall paint had made him a little nervous when McGee pointed it out in the store. However, once Gibbs saw it up on the wall, he knew that Tim had been right once again. Not a feminine peach as he'd feared, the paint dried to an earthy color that reminded him of the Southwest and was a perfect foil to the greens of the dining room.

Once the first coat was done in the kitchen, they took a break, going back into the living room for coffee and to divide what was left of the strudel. McGee moved stuff off the couch so they'd have someplace to sit and Gibbs glared at the old thing as he handed McGee a cup. "That sofa looks like crap now."

"Gibbs, that sofa hasn't looked good since the 60's."

"Yeah." He looked around. The second hand furniture that had been serviceable before now looked like an insult to the home. "I'm going to have to replace all my furniture, aren't I?"

Tim felt a twinge of guilt for triggering the process. "Not all of it. You've got some good wood pieces, but the upholstered pieces and the rest could use some updating... or something older."

"Antiques? I don't want to spend thousands on something that's not even comfortable." Gibbs remembered McGee's detailed knowledge of antiques and collectibles that led to the arrest of Mickey Stokes in the case that forced Gibbs out of retirement. "What have you got in mind?"

McGee was searching for something on his phone. When he found it, he handed the phone over to Gibbs. "I saw this ad last night."

Glasses were necessary to see the small image clearly, but once Gibbs had them he was looking at a set of two oversized chairs in the traditional Mission style of the Craftsman era. Loose cushions covered traditional oak slats in the deep chairs. The ad stated that some repair work would be necessary as the wooden joints were loose and the fabric worn. The best part was the price at less than eighty dollars for the set. "I'd have to hire somebody to make new cushions, but the rest would be a quick fix." Knowing how good of a deal it was, Gibbs quickly had his own phone out to call the number in the ad and twenty minutes later, they were on their way to pick up the chairs.

The young couple with the modern taste and the house full of inherited furniture had more treasures and it took several trips to bring back not only the large chairs and a matching table, but a complete oak dining room set and two area rugs. A second scan of the online ads gave Gibbs a wheat colored sofa. Traditional in shape and design, it was as comfortable to lay on as it was to sit.

Once they had the new furniture stacked in the living room, the last coat of paint was added to the kitchen before they headed back out with the cushions. This time it was Gibbs that surprised McGee as he went straight to a nearby fabric store. Of the men he'd lost during his time in the Marines, five had been married. Several of the widows had remarried, but Gibbs kept track of the others, making sure they were all right. Karen Campbell had settled in Virginia and opened a fabric store with her sister, Gibbs spending many nights all those years ago laying floor and wiring lights before their grand opening.

"Leroy Jethro Gibbs, as I live and breathe, what are you doing here?" She didn't wait for an answer before hugging him.

Gibbs kissed her cheek before pulling back. "Hey, Karen, I've got some cushions that need to be redone."

She looked him up and down. "Cushions? You? Don't tell me you went and got married again."

"Nah, Tim talked me into doing the house for myself"

"Well, good for him; now, show me what you've got." Karen was all business and when Tim laid out the color samples for the first floor, along with a pillow from the new couch, she immediately started pulling fabrics. Under her supervision, Gibbs narrowed the pile down to four bolts of fabric that he liked, including one floral, much to McGee's amusement.

Despite his amusement, one of Gibbs' fabrics caught Tim's eye for another project and he tapped the swirling leaves in various shades of greens. "Dining room chairs." He showed Karen a picture of the chairs and she quickly explained how to remove and recover the the current padded seats that were in fine condition, just the wrong color.

Karen insisted on making the chair cushions herself and easily talked Gibbs into adding fabric bands to some ready made curtains to tie it all together.

-NCIS-

Remembering the promised steak dinner, Gibbs stopped at the grocery store on their way back to the house. Tim took a small detour down the baking aisle, meeting up with Gibbs at the meat counter.

Gibbs looked over at the boxes McGee had in his basket. "What's all that?"

"Well, since you've got a bundt pan..." Grinning, Tim didn't say anything else on the matter, but Gibbs was okay with that. He was getting some sort of cake, that was good enough for him.

Back at the house, McGee spent a few minutes throwing a ball for Jethro while Gibbs measured the windows for Karen and called her back with the sizes needed. When Gibbs joined them a few minutes later, Jethro immediately brought the ball to him and McGee laughed. "He likes your arm better than mine."

The dog had thoroughly enjoyed the weekend, between the large yard to explore and the breaks that both men had taken to play with him. Laughing, Gibbs automatically threw the ball, ruffling the thick fur when Jethro bounded back and dropped it again at Gibbs' feet.

"Glad to know my years of high school football paid off." Gibbs straightened up and threw the ball again. "Karen gave me the name of a charity that can use my old furniture and even the carpets. Her son is coming by to help us pull them up."

Back inside the house, Tim preheated the oven and washed the pan before mixing up his cake batter. He only had one reason to using the specialty pan, but it was a quick and easy recipe and one of his favorites. It was in the oven and baking before Robert Campbell Jr. arrived with a large truck.

The furniture was quickly loaded before they started on the carpet. Baseboards off, they were rolling it up when Robert stopped, his nose turning him towards the kitchen. "Man, Mr. Gibbs, something smells good."

"Sure does, Robbie." Gibbs grinned at the young man before turning to McGee. "Somebody is just full of surprises."

McGee blushed and shrugged. "It's nothing fancy, guys, just a butterscotch cake."

It might not have been fancy, but Gibbs was certainly looking forward to eating it, so after he and Robbie made their delivery, he invited the young man back inside to have a slice of cake and some coffee. "Hey, Tim, is that cake ready?"

"You bet." Suspicious of what would happen, McGee had been busy while they'd been gone. After the first coat of paint in the bathroom, he removed the center leaf of the old maple table, making it small enough to be set up in the kitchen. The coffee maker was then returned to its familiar spot on the counter. By the time Gibbs had the coffee poured, three slices of the cake were on plates and ready to eat. It might have only been a thirty minute break, but McGee learned almost as much as Robbie did as Gibbs told stories about his time serving with the senior Robert Campbell.

After Robbie left, the two men returned to work, Gibbs removing the tack strips and cleaning the floors while McGee returned to painting the bathroom. This was the only room downstairs where the woodwork had been painted white, so a deeper, clearer green had been chosen. Not blue enough to be considered a hunter green, the pine color popped against the lightly tinted ceiling and the white wood. This was by far the most awkward room to paint and just as he was finishing, Tim's hand started to cramp. He was still rubbing it, trying to straighten his fingers when Gibbs poked his head in to check on the progress.

"Hey, you okay?"

"Hand cramp."

Instead of nodding and turning away, as Tim was expecting, Gibbs came into the small room, crowding up behind McGee. Looking over Tim's shoulder, Gibbs reached around him and took his hand, massaging it gently. Starting with Tim's wrist, down onto his palm, Gibbs finished with the fingers, one by one before sliding his hands up to Tim's shoulders to work out all the knots he could find.

"Mmm, that feels good." The warm hands had melted more than just the tight muscles and reminded him of so much more.

Gibbs squeezed his shoulders one last time before pulling away. "As much as you've worked this weekend, it was the least I could do. You about ready to eat? I'll get a fire started for the steaks."

"Yeah, sure." McGee didn't move until he heard the back door open as Gibbs went out for firewood. Momentarily alone in the house, he leaned against the counter, staring at his reflection in the mirror as he remembered the last time such strong hands had touched him. Forcing back the memories, he gathered his supplies up and went out to wash his brushes.

He'd put the potatoes in the oven when the cake had come out, now they were wrapped in foil and set aside. Gibbs had muttered about it when Tim put fresh broccoli in the cart, but he was determined to show the older man that they could taste better than the results of being boiled into mush. A toss in olive oil, some garlic and seasoning, and the broccoli spears went into the still hot oven.

"Hey, I think there's a bottle of wine over the fridge." Gibbs' voice carried well and sent McGee exploring the depths of the overhead cabinet. Behind several ancient Tupperware containers he found a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon and dusted it off.

By unspoken agreement, they broke in the new dining room, setting the table formally and toasting their success with the house. Gibbs secretly enjoyed watching Tim enjoy the steak and Tim wisely didn't comment when Gibbs took seconds of the broccoli. Instead, they talked about a variety of subjects, discovering that they were both hockey fans and both much preferred books to movies. Gibbs confessed his secret love of 1950's westerns and cheesy science fiction. McGee shocked him by rattling off the names of most of the lesser-known authors of the era.

The bottle of wine was empty, the left-over steak and the bones went to Jethro and the two men retired to the living room with coffee and cake. Tim looked around at all their progress. "It's really looking good in here."

"Yeah, it is." Gibbs' smile turned conspiratorial. "Almost makes me want to come up with an excuse to get Diane over here to see it."

Tim had to laugh. "Well, if you do, tell me first and I'll wire up a hidden camera. That's a moment we need to record."

The two men washed and dried the dishes before McGee and his dog left for the night.

Alone, Gibbs wandered through his house, enjoying the peaceful feeling. The colors, for all their richness, were remarkably soothing. The one room on the main floor they had not touched was the former guest room. Unable to bear the memories of his late wife and child, Gibbs had never returned to the large bedroom upstairs, instead becoming a guest in his own home. He had only ventured upstairs a few times over the many years, but tonight he found himself on the stairs. He didn't stay long in their old bedroom, he never did, but he brought down a box of photographs before heading off to bed. He couldn't remember the last time he'd had two good night's sleep in a row, but he wasn't going to complain.

a/n - Don't worry, Ziva will be asking for the butterscotch cake recipe; I'll let you guys listen in.