Rifiuto: Non Miriena
A/N: I'm so sorry guys, I was really trying to keep this under 50 chapters!
Thanks to skyjadeprincess for reviewing 52; Sazzita for reviewing 51 and 52; Reader for reviewing 49, 50, 51 and 52.
Gibbs looked up, to see Tim come down the stairs. The younger man perched on the bottom of the stairs, arms around his knees. Gibbs stopped sanding and went to the counter, pouring out two mason jars of nails and adding a finger full of bourbon to each. Then, he went to Tim, holding it out. The younger man took the drink, giving him a forced smile. "Thanks." His boss nodded, taking a sip. Silence reigned for several minutes, and so Gibbs returned to sanding. "What's it like? Getting married? I... I know that everyone says it's supposed to be the happiest time of your life and that you've finally found your soulmate, but... but what's it really like? Did you ever... regret marrying? I mean, besides Stephanie, the one everyone forgets, and the She-Devil, Diane," Gibbs chuckled silently, "do you ever regret getting married? Or being married?"
Silently, Gibbs set his tools down and turned to Tim, who looked up at him, looking like a child lost in the woods. A moment passed, before Gibbs grabbed his glass and took a seat beside the agent. "Second thoughts, McGee?" He asked, meeting the familiar green eyes. Tim sighed, glancing down at the glass.
"I... I love Ziva, Boss. I really do, I just... what if... what if this life isn't... what she expects? What if... I do something to disappoint her and Asher? I couldn't live with myself if I disappointed them somehow." Gibbs watched the younger man's confidence- that had grown so much since Ziva had brought his son into his life- shorten by several layers.
"Tim, have you done everything you can for them now?" The agent nodded. "Have you made an effort to know your son?" Another nod. "To know Ziva?" And another. "You've bought an apartment together, to give your son a home with both his parents in the same space, you've spent as much time as you can with him, you've done everything you can for him. You couldn't disappoint him- either one of them- if you tried. Tim, all that little boy wants, is his parents together. He wants them to love him and love each other. He doesn't need much more than that." Gibbs searched his agent's green gaze. "Do you think you're rushing into this? Maybe the best thing is to postpone it-"
"What?" Tim drew his gaze back from the mason jar to his boss. "No! No way are we postponing this! Ziva and I have gone eight years without each other! Neither one of us are doing it again! We're getting married Friday!" He paced back and forth; Gibbs took the mason jar from him as he passed. "I just... what if I'm not what Ziva expects? Or... or she's miserable here and wants to take Asher and go back to Israel? What if-"
"Tim!" He stopped, turning to find his boss still sitting on the step. He waited, but Gibbs remained silent. After a moment, the former sniper got up, going to the back corner of the basement. He rummaged around for a minute before returning with a small box, that he set on the counter and opened. When Tim looked up next, Gibbs was standing next to him, holding a photo out. Slowly, Tim took it. He didn't need to ask who they were to know the story of their deaths, or the grief that wrapped itself around his boss like a cloak.
"When they died, there was almost nothing keeping me from joining them. I sat on the beach and held my gun to my head, but I couldn't pull the trigger. I tried, but I couldn't. And even after I got my revenge... it just got worse. Shannon and Kelly were ripped from me, and there was nothing I could do to stop it. I never got that second chance. You have that second chance, Tim. Yes, I know you and Ziva were ripped apart as teenagers, but you've found each other again. You have a chance to be happy, to have that family you've always wanted. Both of you do." Tim glanced down at the photograph, and Gibbs grabbed his chin, forcing him to meet his blue gaze. "Do not let her get away. You hear me? Do not let her go." His blue eyes filled with unshed tears. "Because you never know when you'll never get this chance again, or if you'll ever get this chance again."
The door opened, but Ziva was too engrossed in her novel to notice. "Abba!" She looked up in time to see Tim scoop Asher into his arms and settle him on his hip with a soft kiss to his head. The boy wrapped his arms around his father's neck, pressing a kiss to Tim's cheek. "Ima! Abba's home!" Ziva chuckled, setting her book aside and going to him.
"I see that." She slid an arm around Tim's waist, leaning up to press a kiss to his lips. "Tali left half an hour ago. So, how was your afternoon?" He sighed.
"I stopped by to see Gibbs. We had a... long talk." She nodded.
"Did you come to any conclusions?" He glanced between her and Asher and back.
"Actually, yes, I did." He pressed another kiss to Asher's head, before pressing a soft kiss to her lips.
"Ima?" Ziva gently tucked the blanket around her son, before reaching up to brush his curls off his forehead.
"What is it, my angel?" The boy bit his lip, unsure of how to ask.
"Are... are we family now?" She sighed, gently brushing her fingers over his cheek. Tim's green eyes watched her with a silent calm, waiting for her answer. She cleared her throat.
"Soon. We will be real soon, my angel. Now get some sleep." She pressed a kiss to his head, before getting up. Tim leaned against the doorway, arms crossed over his chest, watching. As the door shut softly behind them, he took her hand, pulling her towards their bedroom. He wrapped his arms around her as they shut the door to their own room, and whispered softly in her ear,
"We've always been a family. And we always will be."