"Grab your gear, we've got a missing Marine in Quantico." As the team rushed past Gibbs, he put a hand out, stopping Tim from moving. "Might wanna sit this one out, Tim."

"Why, boss? Is it someone I know?" he asked, brow furrowing, and Gibbs could almost see his mind racing, the gears of Tim's brilliant mind starting to turn furiously as he assessed what Gibbs had told him.

"No, but it's… not good."

"Boss, I'm a federal agent," Tim said with a laugh. "I've seen plenty of not good."

"Tim. Our missing Marine is pregnant."

That stopped him in his tracks, the wry smile dropping off his face. "Oh. So?"

"Fine." Gibbs held up his hand in surrender. "Don't say I didn't warn ya."

"Boss, I'm a federal agent. I can't lose my head every time we have a case with a pregnant victim." He picked up his backpack and walked past Gibbs, who simply took a sip of his coffee, shaking his head. McGees and their stubbornness.

"Ya'd think once it almost got him killed, he'd be a little less stubborn," he muttered, following Tim to the elevator.

"What?" he turned, catching Gibbs, who merely glared at him.

"Move, we're gonna be late."

Tim hurried onto the elevator, followed by Gibbs. If Torres and Bishop beat them to the crime scene, he'd never hear the end of it. Once they were on the elevator, Tim asked, "Boss… why are you trying to protect me?"

Gibbs shot him a sideways look and sipped his coffee again, staring straight ahead. "Not tryin' to protect you. Just doin' my job. Besides, your wife threatened to eviscerate me if I didn't take care of ya."

Tim chuckled. "That sounds like her." There was a pause. "I've seen a lot of ugly things in the last fourteen years," he commented softly. "What makes this different?"

Gibbs finally turned to him. "Because sometimes ugly hits a little too close to home. Or sometimes ugly gets ya in trouble."

Tim sighed. "I already worry about Delilah. If I worry about me too, I'll completely lose my mind."

Gibbs chuckled. "Ya don't have to worry about her, Tim. If anyone can take care of herself, it's Delilah."

"Trust me, I know. But I'm her husband. I'm pretty sure it's in the job description. Besides… we're getting closer to the due date, and…" he trailed off.

"How is she?"

"Good… when you don't consider the insomnia and the heartburn and the constant exhaustion…" Tim smiled to himself. "God, it's so amazing. She's going to be an amazing mom."

"And what about you?" Gibbs asked, as the elevator doors opened.

"What about me?" Tim asked.

"Don't ya think you're gonna be a good dad?"

"I haven't really thought about it," Tim said, but his lack of eye contact and tone of voice convinced Gibbs that he was lying. Tim had thought about it, and was obviously terrified. Gibbs could only hope to drag the truth out of him at some point. For now though, they had a case.

XNCISX

"No, I'm tellin' you, Bishop, you shoulda seen this guy! He looked like he was gonna eat Tim. And Timmy was so brave, weren't you?"

"Very funny, Nick," Tim said, rolling his eyes as they walked off the elevator. "I wasn't scared of him, he had more muscle than brains."

"As opposed to you, who is all brain and no muscle?" Nick asked, winking at him.

"I think I could make an argument to the contrary," came a voice from the bullpen.

The team collectively stopped short, bumping into each other, as they stared at their visitor. Until Gibbs brushed past them, stopping short himself when he saw the coffee on his desk. He turned to their visitor, and grinned. "Mornin' Delilah. How are ya?"

"Not too bad, Agent Gibbs, just a little pregnant. Yourself?"

"Not pregnant. Just old." He'd picked up the coffee to take a sip, but stopped. "And since when do ya call me Agent Gibbs?"

She smiled, placing her hands protectively over her bump and straightening her shoulders. "Since this isn't a social visit."

McGee's face changed from one of happiness to horror in a split second. "What?"

She turned to him, "Hi to you too, hon. I'm back on the team for today."

"That's awesome!" Ellie said, before eyeing the bump. "But are you sure-,"

"Yes, Ellie, I'm sure." She smiled. "I think Peanut here can wait a little bit longer to make an appearance."

Nick eyed her as he walked past, looking as though she was a ticking time bomb, but all he asked was "How come you didn't get me a coffee?"

She grinned at him, and shrugged. "Didn't feel like it."

"But you got Gibbs a coffee! Why not get one for me?"

"Leave her alone, Torres. Don't bug her in her condition."

"You heard her Gibbs, she's not gonna go into labor just because I tease her!" Nick said, as Delilah laughed. "Besides, I think the least the lady can do is get me a coffee since I have to hear so much about her al- I mean cute baby to be." He winced, but if Delilah noticed his slip, she ignored it.

And then she turned to her husband. "Are you gonna keep being cranky about me working, Tim?"

Tim's indignation melted away for a second as she rolled over to his desk. "I'm not cranky," he insisted, before smiling at her. "Morning."

"Morning." They stared at each other for a second, locked in a marital stalemate, oblivious to the fact that their coworkers were all watching them.

Nick pushed his mug full of pencils off his desk, Tim and Delilah both turning at the sound. "Oops," he said, deadpan.

"What's the DoD's interest in this case?" Gibbs asked.

"Why Gibbs, I thought you'd never ask! Your missing Marine's husband, who is a self-described techno-wizard, is suspected of espionage. And we believe that he was using his wife's computer to deflect suspicion."

"Pretty serious charges," Ellie said, digging through her desk drawers.

"Lose somethin', Bish?" Nick asked, chuckling to himself. She shot him a look, before continuing. When she pulled out a bag of the chips that Reeves had gotten for, Nick raised an eyebrow. "Little early for snack food isn't it?"

"Leave me alone, Nick, I missed breakfast this morning."

"I did offer you my breakfast burrito."

"Your reheated breakfast burrito from last week? No thanks." She saw that Delilah was eyeing the bag of chips. "Want some, Dee? I've got a whole case of them, courtesy of Clay."

Delilah smiled. "I am hungry."

"Tim not feedin' ya properly, Delilah?" Gibbs asked, waiting for her to continue.

"He is… I'm just always hungry."

"Here." Ellie tossed her a bag.

"Thanks Ellie, you're a lifesaver."

"Because you're definitely in danger of starving," Nick said sarcastically, only for Tim and Ellie to both shoot him a look.

Delilah looked over the bag. "I don't think I've seen this kind of chips before."

"They're crisps, how many times do I… oh. Hello Delilah." Clay, who'd popped up at the usage of incorrect slang, leaned on the cubicle wall, smiling at Delilah.

"Hi Clay," she said. "Heard it's you I have to thank for the… crisps."

"Yeah… And if you like those, I've got two whole cases at home."

"Ahem," Gibbs said, as Delilah opened the bag and started eating. "Espionage?"

She smiled, continuing. "Ooh these are good. Uh, yeah. Where was I?"

"Missing wife's computer… espionage."

"Right. Sorry, it's… pregnancy brain."

"And here I thought nothing slowed your brain down," Ellie said.

Delilah winked at her. "Nobody's perfect."

"Yeah, yeah you're both geniuses, we know. Get to the point, Delilah," Nick cut in.

"Do you have the wife's computer?" Delilah asked.

"Yeah, Abby has it."

"And according to the husband, his wife was last seen at her doctor's office for an appointment," Tim said, standing up.

"Husband assumes she made it home, because the car was in the driveway, but… no sign of her in the house," Ellie said, picking up the thread.

"Okay, Bishop, Torres, you go. Talk to the doctor. See if there's anythin' to find out. Tim, you and Delilah go help Abby down in the lab."

"Agent Gibbs," Delilah said, rolling over. "Are you trying to keep me out of the field?"

He looked her in the eye and raised an eyebrow. "Do ya think I could honestly keep ya from doin' anything ya wanted to do?"

"No."

"Then no. Now go on. Go!"

Grabbing another bag of chips from Ellie's desk drawer, she and Tim started making their way to the elevator.

"Hey! McGee!" Gibbs called, and both Tim and Delilah turned around, to see what he wanted. "Tim," he amended his statement upon seeing that they'd both turned. He was grinning though, as he continued. "Get Delilah up to speed on the investigation. And don't forget to bring Abby a Caf-Pow."

"Sure thing, boss." Once they were in the elevator and turned to each other, they started laughing. "I can't believe you turned around," he said.

"I'm a McGee, aren't I?"

"I just didn't think you answered to it."

"I answer to Mrs. McGee, don't I?" she asked, looking up at him and smiling, before placing her hands on her bump. "And soon there will be three of us."

"Can't come soon enough," Tim said.

She reached over, squeezing his hand. "I can't wait."

"Me neither."

The elevator doors opened, and they made their way into the lab, only to hear a loud shriek from within. "Delilah! You're… wow."

"You don't have to say it, Abs, I know I'm gigantic," Delilah said, wrapped in Abby's embrace.

"Is everything okay? How's the baby? Are you here about our plans for Halloween?" She pulled away, still babbling excitedly.

"I'm actually here on a case-," Delilah started.

"Is it still safe for you to work?"

"Yes, Abby, although – stop glaring at me Tim, you're burning holes in my back – this is probably my last case. Or second-last. I don't know."

"I'll just… see myself out then," came another voice. Tim, too busy keeping an eye on Delilah and Abby, hadn't noticed Agent Sloane standing by Abby's computer.

"Agent Sloane," he said, surprised, and then smiled. "Agent Sloane, this is my wife and DoD counterterrorism expert, Delilah Fielding McGee."

"Hi, Agent Jack Sloane. I've heard so much about you from McGee here, although he neglected to mention how pretty you are," she said, shaking Dee's hand.

"Uh huh." She looked over at Tim, who grinned sheepishly.

"Tim tells me that you're expecting your first child."

She placed a hand on her bump, laughing. "That obvious, huh?"

"I don't need to be a profiler to see it, but being a profiler… added bonus." Jack looked between Tim and Delilah. "I should probably go see if Gibbs needs any help."

"Probably not!" Tim called as she left.

"I'll take my chances!" she called back.

Grinning, Tim turned back to the case at hand.

XNCISX

Ellie was focused on driving, and trying to ignore the sound of Nick singing along loudly to Be Our Guest, getting only half of the lyrics right. She glared at him, but he noticed and kept singing, even louder. Finally, she turned it down.

"Hey!" he complained.

"Never star in a Disney movie," she told him, rolling her eyes.

"I'm hurt, Bish. You don't think I'm talented?"

"Not at singing," she muttered to herself.

"I'm better than you," he retorted. "Bish ya gotta let me have fun. It's no fun back at the Yard."

"Why not?"

"Because it's the McGee soap opera back there," he retorted.

"I thought you liked Delilah?" she said, shooting him a quick glance.

"I do! It's not… that. It's… I dunno, man."

"I think you do know. You can talk to me Nick, I'm friendly."

"You remember what I was like when I joined this team, right?" he asked.

"Hard to forget. Mr. I cannot be chained to a desk."

"I never wanted to be a team player," he muttered, staring straight ahead, as they turned into the parking lot of the doctor's office. Ellie shut off the engine and they sat for a second.

"So what's going on?"

"Do you ever just see somebody with their life all together an' everything, and you realize that you're alone?"

"I never used to," she said. "Nick, you're not alone, you've got the team."

He scoffed, but his heart wasn't in it. "The team!" He sighed deeply, before turning to look at her, the raw honesty all over his face. "I've never been part of a family like this. I never expected… to be part of a family, when I joined this team."

"Is it a bad thing?" she asked, touching his shoulder.

"It was unexpected… but not bad. It only gets bad when I think that as much as this team is my family… I can't protect them."

"You mean Tim," she said, even more softly. "And Gibbs."

"Family is supposed to protect family, ya know? I failed."

"Hey, don't say that. We brought them home."

He raised an eyebrow. "We?"

"We did, Nick. And like it or not, this team is your family now."

"Great." As he got out of the car, he watched Bishop walk towards the clinic, and felt the smile turn up the corners of his mouth. Having a family meant that he wasn't alone.

His family. And Bishop's.