a/n - I'm back from Georgia and sick from the weather changes, but I did manage to get this written on the plane. Have you noticed how wonderful their time away from the agency is? First chapter of a two chapter mini-arc of some calm for the gang before they return to work on Monday, but it does set the stage for... well, you'll see.

"Leon?"

Vance looked up from the stack of paperwork on his desk. "Hey, Sweetheart, what are you doing here?" Jackie pointed at her watch, causing Vance to look at the time on his monitor. "Oops, I didn't realize it was so late, I'll be ready in just a sec." He reached out for the intercom, but his assistant walked through the door.

"If you'll review and initial this, sir, I'll have it dispersed before the end of the workday."

"Thank you, Angela. Did Agent McGee get his car taken care of?" He skimmed the memo, noting that the changes he'd asked for were made, and signed the bottom. "Scan and send this copy out so my signature is on it. Did McGee leave with his car yet?"

"Yes, sir. Agents McGee and Gibbs left about an hour ago. I've already arranged for the bill to be sent to this office. It's so disturbing that such a thing would happen right here at NCIS."

Since it was an agency wide memo, Jackie didn't feel guilty about reading over his shoulder, but she waited until Angela left before she said anything. "Leon, what's going on?" He gave her the official story about the two agents coming out and the trouble it had caused. She crossed her arms and stared at him. "Leon Michael Vance, how could you let it get this out of hand? The moment they came out of the closet we should have invited them to join us for dinner. We have entertained every married couple here, this should be no different and it would set a precedent."

"You're right, dear."

"Now, we can't have them over tonight because of back to school night, but we should at least stop by and offer our support." When Vance started to remind his wife that the memo was exactly that, she shook her head. "They need to know they have your support on a personal level, not just because it's politically correct." As she scolded him, he bit back a smile, she had no idea how much time he'd spent with the two men.

"Of course, Jackie. We'll stop by if it's convenient for them. Remember, they've just gotten to stop hiding from all their friends, it's practically their honeymoon." As they left the office, he pulled out his phone.

-NCIS-

Gibbs stared at his phone after he closed it. "Vance is dropping by tonight. I, umm, invited them to join us for dinner."

"Okay, that's nothing new. I'll put another potato on to bake. Wait, them?" Tim stopped scrubbing the large potatoes and looked over his shoulder.

"Yeah, he and Jackie. She makes it a point to meet all the spouses, so..." Gibbs gave a sheepish grin as he ran his hand over his head. He may have been married three times during his tenure at the agency, but this was the first time he'd officially entertained a director. Wife number one couldn't boil water, Stephanie would have burned everything to a crisp, while Diane would have taken his head off for even suggesting it. "You don't mind?"

"Actually, it's a perfect night." Tim smiled to himself. Gibbs had been out with Jett when he'd prepped the prime rib and gotten it ready for the oven, and it was too soon to really start smelling the garlic and horseradish crust that coated the meat. "I'm doing a roast so we'll have leftovers for the weekend. I'll just add another side, some dinner rolls and a quick dessert." He was checking the cupboards and the freezer as he talked. "Are the kids coming?"

"No, Vance said the kids were both spending the night at friend's. They're dropping them off after some school thing, so it won't be until about 21.00." He looked over the house, but it was spotless. Tim was almost obsessively neat and it had spread throughout the house. Even the utensils he'd used to start dinner were already rinsed and stacked.

The potatoes were poked with a fork before being put in the microwave. As soon as they were cooking, Tim smiled and picked up the keys for the rental car he'd been given. "Then I'll pick up some wine, too."

"Anything here I need to worry about?"

"Nope. Roast won't go in the oven for a while, and the potatoes are pre-baking. It won't take long, I just need a few things." He stopped in the doorway and called back. "Tony and Ziva just pulled in."

Gibbs watched as he waved at the other two as he left. Tony came up on the porch, Ziva a few steps behind him.

"Everything okay, Boss?"

"Yeah, Tony, he's just running to the store. We're entertaining the Director and his wife tonight."

Tony couldn't help but laugh at Gibbs' tone and words. "Man, you are getting so domestic." Ziva was also smiling, but she was looking at the old and worn chairs around the battered maple table.

"If this is the new social center of the agency, perhaps it is time to buy some better furniture." Her suggestion was mostly in jest, but Gibbs turned thoughtful.

"Ziva's right. You have a few minutes to help me, DiNozzo?"

Tony looked at his watch. "McGee's fixing dinner and you want to go furniture shopping now?"

"We're shopping in the attic." Gibbs had a soft smile on his face. "Shannon inherited her grandmother's dining room set. I packed it up because I didn't want an ex-wife to get her hands on it, but I think it's time to bring it back down."

Both Tony and Ziva knew what a concession that was for Gibbs to make. Tony clapped him on the back. "Let's see if we can get it set up before Probie gets back from the store."

Jett was banished to the deck while they set to work, Ziva moving the old set out of the way while Tony and Gibbs went up the folding ladder to the attic. They hadn't uncovered the first chair before Tony reached out and touched Gibbs' arm. "Is McGee okay? I mean, when his sister showed up, it was kinda easy to read between the lines, especially after hearing about what happened yesterday with Sutton trying to blackmail you both." He looked thoughtful before he continued. "I don't want to pry, but I have a habit of putting my foot in my mouth and I don't want to do that this time."

Gibbs gave him a long look, seeing only caring and worry he relaxed. "He was kidnapped and... hurt when he was young. His father..." Gibbs looked like he'd bit into something disgusting. "His old man would have rather he died."

It was obvious to Tony what kind of hurt Gibbs was referring to, but not even his own father would have responded with such hate. "Damn. I guess that's why he's not real happy at having a gay son."

"He no longer has a son, that's what he told Tim yesterday."

Tony shook his head. "I was hoping it would get better for him after his dad had time to think about it, but I guess not. Is Jackson okay with it?"

Now Gibbs had to grin. "Jack is Jack, what can I say? His only problem was that he had to rely on a blackmailer to get a decent picture of the two of us."

"You sure there was nothing racy?"

*whack*

"Thank you, Boss."

-NCIS-

Ziva was spreading out a tablecloth when Tim walked in with several bags of groceries. He stopped and stared at the oak table and chairs that were now centered in the dining room. Before he could ask, Gibbs and Tony came in balancing a carved sideboard, both of them slightly out of breath.

"So, Probie, what are you cooking? Are there going to be leftovers?"

"Tony!" Ziva slapped his arm. "I cannot believe you are fishing for an invitation." Gibbs had a valid reason for there not being enough leftovers.

"Remember, we're feeding Vance."

Tim smiled and shook his head."How about coming over and watching the game tomorrow? It's suppose to be the last weekend of good weather, we can grill pizzas and watch Ohio clobber UCLA."

"Oh, man, you are so on, McGee. I'll even bring the beer." Tony grinned, surrounded by the three most important people in his life. "That okay with you, Boss?"

"Make sure to bring plenty of beer, DiNozzo, that's going to be a good game." Gibbs looked over at Ziva, but she was already deep in conversation with McGee as he unloaded the groceries. Grilling him for recipes, he assumed, but they joined Gibbs and Tony a few minutes later.

"All this trouble aboard the Yard has Jimmy pretty nervous, Jethro." Tim came closer and took his hand, a move that was getting easier every day. "He's probably feeling pretty isolated right now, so why don't we invite he and his SO to join us? Ducky too, if it would make him feel more comfortable. We'll turn it into a pot luck."

Gibbs tugged on their joined hands, pulling Tim closer. "Sounds good. By the way, Larry stopped me when I was out with Jett. He heard about your car from Mrs. B. and wants to get the neighborhood together in a show of support for us. Should we..."

"Sure, we'll invite them. Besides, it will be good for them to see who is supporting us at work." Tim grinned at Tony. "Maybe then, Mrs. B. won't stand on her front porch with a rolling pin in her hand every time DiNozzo shows up."

Tony blushed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, that would be good."

-NCIS-

"I do hope they aren't going to any extra work on our account, Leon. We should be hosting them, not the other way around." Jackie fussed at her husband as they drove down the quiet street.

Vance was very pleased with the way it had turned out. "I'm sure that Gibbs would not have invited us if it was going to be a problem. As I understand it, McGee is quite the gourmet, so we should be in for a real treat."

"That wouldn't be any first hand knowledge, would it?" She gave him a careful look. "You haven't been complaining about your diet very much lately."

"Now, why would I complain, Jackie? I know it's for my own good."

She didn't look convinced. "Right." Luckily, they were pulling into the driveway and he could distract her.

"We're here. You should probably know that McGee's father disowned him when he found out about the two of them. It's kind of a sensitive subject." Jackie nodded as she waited for Leon to come around and open her door. She couldn't imagine turned her back on either of her children just because of who they fell in love with.

Gibbs greeted them at the door, dressed in dark gray slacks and a blue-gray shirt Vance was sure he'd never seen the other man wear before. "Leon, Jackie, glad you could make it. How was the school program?"

Vance stared at him as Gibbs kissed Jackie. Much to his surprise, the man could lay on the charm when he wanted to as he took her wrap and hung it on the coat rack. McGee was in the kitchen filling potato skins with a potato and cheese blend, a large roast was covered with foil and resting on the counter. Following her nose, Jackie came in and joined him. Tim looked up and smiled. "Mrs. Vance, welcome."

"It's Jackie, please. Dinner smells amazing, I hope you didn't have to go to too much trouble."

Tim gave her one of his smiles that warmed Jethro's soul. "Not at all, it's nice to cook something big at the beginning of a weekend." As he talked he slid the pan of potatoes into the oven before pulling out a tray of appetizers from the refrigerator. Jackie snagged one of the slices of jimica and ran it through the dip, smiling as she popped it into her mouth.

"That is not sour cream based, what is it?"

Tim looked over at the other two men, but they were deep in a conversation. Treating her like a co-conspirator, he leaned close and lowered his voice. "It's non-fat yogurt, but don't tell Jethro. I had a heck of a time keeping him and DiNozzo out of it earlier."

Gibbs was bringing Vance up to speed on their visit from Sarah and how Tony and Ziva had helped bring down Shannon's dining room set when both Jackie and Tim started laughing. Vance watched them for a moment. "Should we be worried?"

"Probably."

Back in the kitchen, Jackie shook her head, amazed. "And he has no idea how healthy he's eating?"

"Nope. Even the ground beef was only three percent fat, and with the black beans and all the salsa, I used less than a half pound of the meat for the nachos that night. The cheese was low fat and the sour cream was fat free. The chips were homemade, so I could use a healthy oil."

She should have been upset that Leon was eating behind her back while he was suppose to be on a diet, but the fact that he was eating just as healthy here was too funny to do anything but laugh. "I want some of your recipes. Getting Leon to eat healthy is such a struggle." She picked up the empty container of the creamy herb cheese he'd used to make the double baked potatoes. "I didn't know they made a fat free version of this."

"Shhh." He smiled and looked up as Jethro and Leon came into the kitchen.

Gibbs stared at Tim's innocent expression as he took the tub from Jackie and tossed it in the recycling bin under the sink. Before he could ask, Tim and Jackie had both trays of appetizers and were herding the two of them into the living room. As they waited for the potatoes to cook, Vance thoroughly enjoyed the dips and spreads on the trays while Jackie smiled.

Jackie had a hard time reconciling this laughing, happy man with the stiff and quiet man that had showed up at their house one day to speak to her husband, but she was a believer in the power of love and a well prepared meal. They'd had several gay agents on the west coast, and while these two men weren't as public with their affection, they seemed very settled and content. The well prepared meal seemed to also be a foregone conclusion judging from the appetizers they were sharing and the smells coming from the kitchen as Tim bounced between the living room, dining room and kitchen.

Once they moved into the dining room, the salad plates were already on the table. Greens dressed with a white truffle oil and French salt, topped with cracked pepper, were served in individual Parmesan cheese bowls, much to Jackie's delight. "I had these at a restaurant once, you've got to show me how to make them."

"They're actually pretty easy, all you need is a silicone baking mat." As Tim outlined the steps, Jackie smiled. It was her turn to play hostess for a group of wives in a few days and she was going to impress some of those women for a change.

After the salad course was finished, Gibbs was busy pouring the wine while McGee brought in the rest of the food. A thick slice of the prime rib was the star of each plate, the fragrant and flavorful crust an instant hit, while the twice baked potatoes and the green beans sauteed with grape tomatoes rounded out the plate. Parkerhouse rolls, a blended butter for the rolls, and a horseradish sauce made with non-fat sour cream were all laid out on the table.

The conversation stayed on safe topics as they ate, not turning serious until the table was cleared and dessert arrived. Coffee along with a light and fluffy chocolate mint mousse balanced the heavy conversation.

"Tim's the one being targeted, Vance, and the one place he's not safe is in our own agency. I don't like it."

"I don't like it either, Gibbs, but until we have some sort of evidence or at least a suspect, my hands are tied." Vance dug into his dessert as he thought for a moment. "DiNozzo has turned into one of your biggest supporters, has Miss Sciuto warmed up at all?"

Tim was obviously uncomfortable with the question. "That's a complicated situation. Abby and I dated before I transferred here from Norfolk. She's the one that broke it off. Abby didn't want me, but she doesn't want anyone else to have me either. Her issue isn't that I'm with a man, it's that I'm with anyone. I really don't think she's dangerous, she's just not used to not getting her own way."

That was Vance's assessment also, but he wanted to be sure. "Jethro, what do you think?"

Gibbs sighed. "Tim's right, and it's partially my fault. I've indulged her over the years and now she's suddenly not getting her way with either Tim or myself. Eventually she'll come around, but she's going to be difficult until then and I'm not sure how to speed the process along."

"Abby is Abby, she'll sulk until she's ready to let it go." Tim smiled at the whining he could hear from Jett, who was locked in the guest room. "Sort of like Jett."

"He's not locked up for our benefit, is he?"

Tim gave a pointed look at Gibbs while he answered Vance. "Somebody's gotten him used to getting scraps from the table."

Jackie giggled as Gibbs tried to look offended. "I don't know what you're talking about. Besides, I'm planning on gnawing on those bones for a midnight snack. He can wait until I"m done with them."

A mental image of Gibbs and Jett, nose to nose, growling over the bones from the prime rib roast had Vance choking on his coffee.