a/n - Well, did everyone enjoy the little one-shot I snuck in between updates? Occasionally I can write small, I just have to remind myself once in a while.

While Gibbs made the morning coffee, Tim tried Sarah's phone again only to reach her voice mail once again. "Do you want to swing by the college on our way to the Yard?"

Tim shook his head, his gut telling him the real reason his sister was not answering her phone. "No, better to let her get it out of her system before I try to talk to her." When he felt arms wrap around him, he leaned back into the embrace. "She's got Dad's temper, but eventually she'll calm down enough to listen."

With a sad smile Tim pulled away and returned to making breakfast. Once he had the bagel halves loaded with apple slices and cheese with a light sprinkle of cinnamon sugar, he popped them under the broiler and shook his head. "What did you eat before I moved in?"

"Burned toast," Gibbs sniffed appreciatively, "and it was nothing like this." A minute later, he traded a cup of coffee for a loaded bagel and they were out the door.

-NCIS-

"Morning, Abs." Tony walked into the lab with a Caf-Pow and a smile, but she was in the mood for neither.

"Hey, Tony."

He set the drink down before leaning against the counter and giving her a hard look. ""Not done sulking yet?" Abby shrugged, still staring at her computer screen, and he shifted enough to see over her shoulder. "Wow, a cold case from before my time. You that bored?"

She reached out and minimized the screen. "Not a lot else for me to do, Tony. Vance sent Timmy's monitor to the FBI lab and I'm not allowed to even look at the security camera tapes. Gibbs didn't even come down to see me yesterday."

"The elevator only work one way?" Tony straightened up and turned to leave, not stopping until he reached the door. "Don't make him choose between you, Abby, I guarantee you, you'll lose."

-NCIS-

"McGee." Ziva's soft whisper was the only warning he got when Sarah arrived in the squad room, her visitor's badge barely hanging onto her coat. He stood and managed to be in front of his desk before she reached him.

"Damn it, Tim, how could you do something like this? Dad went out and got drunk last night because of you." Behind her, Gibbs stood, ready to defend Tim.

"Sarah..."

"Was Daddy right about you? After what happened to you as a kid, why would you want it again with him?" She changed direction and pulled her hand back. Gibbs made no effort to defend himself, but Tim grabbed her arm and twisted it behind her back. "Damn it, Tim, let go of me. He did this to you."

"No. Now settle down or I'll arrest you right here and now. What happened to me then has nothing to do with my life now. Don't you dare blame Jethro for anything."

"But..."

McGee shook his head. "No buts, Sarah. My life, my choice."

"You're choosing him over your family." She turned as far as she could to stare at him.

"It's you that's making the choice, Sarah. Don't you ever mention Jethro's name in the same breath as that monster." He spun her around to face him and shook her. "Since when does Dad make decisions for you? This isn't you, Sarah. Go back to college and think about it. Ziva, escort my sister out, please. She won't be staying."

Shocked by the rare showing of dominance, Ziva had to scramble to reach Sarah before McGee let go of her. As soon as the two women were in the elevator, Tim turned his attention back to Gibbs, who had dropped back into his chair.

"She's hurt and confused and striking out. You are nothing like him, nothing." Tim sat on the edge of Gibbs' desk, trapping the other man between his legs as he leaned forward until their faces were almost touching, his voice just loud enough for Gibbs to hear. "No matter the circumstances, no matter how it plays out with Sutton, I have never felt so cherished as I have since that day we woke up together in that cottage. Thank you for that."

Gibbs was stunned. "Tim..."

"Not. Your. Fault. End of discussion." With a final, soft smile, McGee stood and headed to the restroom.

As the only remaining witness in their section of the squad room, Tony watched, wide-eyed, as Tim not only firmly defended Gibbs but comforted him afterward. When Gibbs made to get up and follow McGee to the head, Tony waved him down. "Let me do this, Boss."

-NCIS-

The elevator had barely left the squad room level before Ziva threw the emergency switch and brought it to a halt. "Do you really think that little of your brother?"

Sarah shook her head in denial even as she defended her beliefs. "This isn't Tim, he can't really want this. I mean, just because he doesn't do all that good with the ladies, doesn't mean he has to force himself to submit to a man."

"You saw his reaction to you, Sarah. Did that look like the actions of a man who has settled and is trapped?"

"No." This time she sounded much less sure of herself. "But Tim's not gay."

"Does he need your permission?"

"Of course not, but you don't understand. He's my brother."

She remembered back to when that was her answer also. "I understand more than you know. I, too, once had a brother. He had no moral compass, so he toyed with people and hurt them. He was filled with anger and hatred and took great pleasure in destroying whatever he touched. Your brother is the most honest and moral man I have ever had the pleasure of calling a friend. When he loves, he loves completely, and Gibbs is the one he has chosen."

"And Gibbs?"

"He comes alive when your brother is with him." Ziva reached out and turned the elevator back on. "We have seen Gibbs when we thought he was in love, but we have never seen him so settled, so content. Whatever it is between them, it makes them happy, Sarah. Is that not enough? Think about it." Ziva reached out and held the door open for Sarah, who had a thoughtful look on her face as she stepped out of the elevator.

-NCIS-

Tim was leaning heavily on the sink, watching the water circle the drain when Tony walked in. He stood behind the other man. "Hey."

He didn't turn around, but Tim did look up to see DiNozzo's reflection in the mirror. "Hey, yourself."

They were both silent for a minute before Tony reached out and placed both his hands on Tim's shoulders. "I just came in to say thank you." Tim was honestly puzzled.

"For what?"

"For being strong enough to love him the way he deserves to be loved." He squeezed the muscles under his fingers and quietly slipped back out.

-NCIS-

Fornell's arrival sent the two men up to Vance's office that afternoon. Fornell went straight to the point. "No fingerprints on the photos, no DNA on the envelope. I'm sorry Gibbs, I wish I had better news."

Gibbs pinched the bridge of his nose. "Not your fault, Tobias."

"What about the pictures themselves? Any lead on the camera or printer?" Tim leaned forward in his chair, hoping that there was something they could use.

Looking through his notes, Fornell frowned as he explained what his expert in digital imaging had told him. "It's a high end Nikon, if we ever found the camera, my tech guys tell me they could prove the pictures came that camera. Using the microprinting information imbedded in the pictures, they were able to partially track down the printer. It was originally purchased by an advertising company based in Virginia, but it was sold when the company went bankrupt a few years ago. Cash sale, no records."

"Another damn dead end."

"Sorry, Gibbs, I wish I had better news. By the way, your dad wants those pictures back. I told him they were evidence, but he's still insisting." Fornell gave him a strange look before leaving.

Looking at the pictures spread out on Vance's desk, Gibbs could understand why. If he could get away with it, he'd take them home himself, especially the ones of he and Tim playing in the leaves with Jett and the one of them sitting on the porch steps, Tim leaning back into his arms.

Noting the half smile on Gibbs' face, Vance started returning the photos to the evidence bag. He'd seen agents get swept up in an undercover assignment before, but he could see no other option but to let it play out. Before he could remind them of their reality, his assistant came in.

"I'm sorry, Director Vance, but security just called. Agent McGee's car's been damaged."

-NCIS-

Ziva and Tony joined the other three standing next to McGee's car. Tony whistled when he was the long marks down one side of the vehicle. "Damn, somebody got you good, Probie." He started taking pictures while Ziva leaned down to take a better look.

"This was done with a key, yes?"

Tony looked up from taking pictures. "That's why they call it getting keyed, Ziva." Vance rolled his eyes at the two of them, already on the phone with his assistant, planning out the reminder of NCIS's zero tolerance policy towards harassment.

Ignoring the others, Gibbs laid his hand on Tim's back and waited. Finally Tim looked over at him, not attempting to hide his worry. "What if it was Sarah?"

"I do not believe so, McGee." They both turned as Ziva came closer. "She and I talked in the elevator and she had calmed down considerably before she left."

"She could have done it on her way in." When Gibbs glared at him, Tony rushed to finish. "But Ziva and I will know what happened after we look at the security tapes, Boss." They used that as an excuse to beat a hasty retreat back into the building just as Vance was finishing his phone call.

"McGee, do you have a preferred auto body repair shop?"

"I've never had my car damaged before, Director."

Vance was already scrolling through the contact list on his phone. "Here, these guys are really good, you can't even tell Jackie backed into a fire hydrant." Realizing what he had just said, Vance looked up into Gibbs' smirking face. "If you're smart, you won't ever mention that you know about that."

Gibbs was glad to see the corner of Tim's mouth twitch. "Wouldn't dream of it, Leon."