Chapter 8
A GOODBYE, NEW BEGINNINGS AND PRODIGAL ABBY
By the second week in January, each of the families with children or expecting a child was meeting with the architect, putting together plans for the individual houses. After listening to their plans, taking several tours of the available acreage and looking closely at the guesthouses, she made a radical suggestion. There were 20 outbuildings on the ranch and 18 of them had been renovated as guesthouses. Of those 18, seven were currently occupied by Returnees. The rest were occupied by former shelter residents or being held for them. Her suggestion was that the guesthouses for the Returnees be relocated farther back on the property or moved to the Adams' parcel, also known as The Grove. Those that would be permanently occupied would remain closer to the ranch house. That would open up space closer to the main house.
After much discussion that included the Returnee guesthouse residents, and research into the cost of moving buildings, the families came to an agreement. The guesthouses used for the Returnees would be moved to the Adams' parcel, to be grouped together.
While that was being organized and executed, plans for the new barn and paddock were quickly drawn; they'd be built first, followed by the new homes.
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One weekend when Kelly was home Tim remarked to Ellie that he thought something was off with her. Ellie nodded, "She needs you. It's nothing scary but she needs her big brother."
After dinner that night, Tim asked his sister to join him in the library. He sat on the couch, patting the seat next to him. "Come sit, Kels. Tell me what's going on with you. We haven't had a chance to talk in weeks. Too many weeks!"
She nodded as she sat next to him. Taking a deep breath, she told him what was going on, or not going on, with Mateo.
"I've come to believe I'm the only one in the relationship. He doesn't answer his phone, doesn't return my calls. He'll answer my texts, mostly saying he's busy at work or school but he never initiates anything. I wanted to visit him in Santa Fe for a couple of days but he turned me down flat. I know he's fixated on his goals and that's good but now I don't know whether anything was ever real or if it was just sort of a 'temporary someone to hold onto while the world ends' situation? I thought we were more than that." She sighed and Tim embraced her.
He thought for a minute before asking a few questions, "When you first met, you two were nearly inseparable. He had plenty of time for you then. Do you think that was because of what was happening? Is that what you're saying - that he felt he could take the time because he couldn't go to school or work?" He added, "I don't mean that it was a matter of convenience but more that he felt he could stop and take a breath, get to know you because his goals were temporarily on hold."
She thought about that. "Maybe. The threat and all the preparations leveled the playing field, if you will. We were all equally threatened, unable to continue working or living there, having to pack up our lives and make a run for it. Do you suppose that gave us a false sense of commonality? Something we shared that's behind us now?"
Tim shook his head, "No, well actually I don't know but that's not where I was headed. I wondered if that was the first time he'd taken a break since he was old enough to work. And he had to, it wasn't his choice, so he could relax and enjoy himself, not feel guilty for slacking off."
He paused, "I might be going in the wrong direction but having been in a similar living situation, I can see why he might feel he's not ready for a serious relationship. And it wouldn't necessarily be that he's not crazy about you. From my formerly homeless position, it's more that he can't pursue a relationship with you until he's achieved his goals, brought himself up to your level. In his mind, not mine! So yeah, maybe in that sense you did start with a shared sense of impending disaster. But I'd say that it was a temporary sharing rather than false."
"Oh. So he's putting me off because he no longer feels like I'm his equal. He has to bring himself 'up' to what he perceives as my level?" She sighed. "I was afraid it was something like that." She sighed again. "There's more. No judging, ok?"
"I promise to listen and why would you think I'd judge you?"
"Because of that woman who cheated on you and Ellie's ex." She looked at Tim. "I'm not cheating on Mateo, not sure that's possible because I don't even know if we're in a relationship; I sure don't feel like I am. But I am interested in someone and that someone has shown interest in me. He's also a doctor at the hospital, an orthopedic surgeon specializing in hand and foot surgery; he's my age, started at UNM on July 2nd, right before the attack. He didn't get his orientation so when Rob and I went through ours he joined us. He asked me out for coffee and I told him I was in a relationship but I'm afraid I didn't sound very convincing. Or happy."
"You said you're interested in him?"
"Yes, we haven't been on a date or even had coffee but we've talked a lot. We have a lot in common besides medicine! He was raised as an only child whose father was in the Army. He died when Matt, I know weird huh, was 9. His mom remarried when he was 14 and had a baby girl, so now he's not an only child and he's close to his stepfather. His stepdad also has a couple of kids close to Matt's age so they were all raised together and remain close." She smiled at her brother, "He likes to bowl. He swims, loves to read and ride horseback, likes the country although he's not sure he wants to live in a rural area. He loves baseball and wants a family."
Tim pulled her in for a hug. "That's the biggest smile I've seen on your face in weeks, little sister. Sounds like a nice guy."
She blushed, "Uh, Ellie ran a background check and he's clean."
Tim chuckled, "And you didn't yell and scream at her like your sister did to me, every single time?"
"No! I said I was going to ask you and Ellie said she could do it. It didn't take long."
"Good! So…?"
"So I'm going to call Mateo and break up with him, although I'll probably have to leave a message, he never answers his phone. Maybe I'll write him a letter, that isn't as impersonal as leaving a message. Although that's not my fault. ARGH, I have to end this! After I leave the message or mail the letter, I'm going to have coffee with Matt."
"What if Mateo says he'll change, that he loves you?"
Kelly twisted her lips in thought. "I don't want anyone to have to 'change' to accommodate a relationship with me. I know Dad doesn't always speak much but he and Mom communicated when they were dating. I asked Mom, told her why. She said she never had a doubt that Dad loved her, when they had problems, he acknowledged them and they worked things out together. I have many doubts about Mateo! I worry that his lack of communication skills is ingrained and I'm not interested in trying to change my mate - that never works anyway. This sounds petty but I'm…well, you know how old I am and I don't want to wait another 5 years for a serious relationship. He'll graduate, pass the bar, have to get a job and then want to be established. I don't want to work as hard as I've been for something that might never happen. I guess I'll chalk this up to some sort of doomsday relationship." She exhaled noisily. "Thank you, I feel so much better!"
"You had it all figured out. And it's not petty. It's your life. Sounds like you've done more than your fair share of communicating, with zero return. You need to take care of you, Kelly."
"I know but I needed your opinion. I told Ellie that talking with Matt is so different than talking with Mateo. I don't worry about what I say or how I say it; I don't worry about offending him or that I'm nagging him. Everything just feels right. Ellie said to tell you that."
"Because I told her that before we got married. I truly thought I was in love with Delilah. After I left her I realized I'd had to watch what I said, what I did; she'd been trying to change me. To what end I don't know because she was already cheating on me. I didn't realize any of that until Ellie and I were together. Then it was so easy, so right. Delilah and I were like a shoe that doesn't fit right. It looked good on the outside but over time, it hurt to wear. Ellie and I work, in every way. Anyway, I'm flattered and I'll always support you, Kels."
As his sister went off to bed, Tim smiled to himself. Over the past three years, he and Kelly had realized how alike they were. Both as stubborn as their father, intensely curious, good at puzzles, math and science, which their father found amusing, avid readers like their mother, dedicated to their family and passionate about their chosen work. Kelly sometimes took a little longer to relax and 'loosen up' than Tim but he attributed that to having always had siblings while she had none. He'd grown up with Patrick, Sarah, Rob and Geordie. He was glad Kelly confided in him. While he liked Mateo, he'd seen signs that the man was a loner and wondered, worried about his little sister's heart being broken.
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Once Mackie was consistently sleeping through the night, his parents slipped away for a few days. The timing was good, it was early spring and the new babies weren't due for another few weeks. It would also be the first time in over a year that Tim and Ellie had an overnight without the children. That occasion, before all the trouble started, had been their first time alone since they'd brought Lia home and they'd celebrated by conceiving baby Mac. Now, as they were packing for their trip, Tim mentioned that to Ellie and she gave him a mischievous glance. "You're right! Let's talk about that."
Tim chose to respond with an enthusiastic nod, not certain what she meant by the comment. They were going to Santa Fe, staying in a boutique hotel and spending their time doing whatever they wanted, on their schedule. As much as they loved their children, it would be wonderful to be Ellie and Tim, lovers and friends, for four whole days.
Having prearranged an early check-in, they hightailed it out of the ranch soon after the school bus rumbled down Quail Hill Road toward town. The kids knew they'd be gone so there would be no surprises and the couple didn't want to waste a minute. At the hotel, they nearly threw their bags in the room before heading out again. They were going to play, visiting museums, shops and art galleries followed by dinner at the best restaurant in town and dancing under the stars. Tomorrow they were going horseback riding together and would then spend a few hours being pleasantly tortured at a spa. They'd left the other days open, knowing something fun and interesting would turn up.
That afternoon they were wandering through town, Tim having finally gotten his fill of the Museum of International Folk Art, when he remembered Ellie's comment. He reminded her and she nodded. Batting her eyelashes at him, she gave him a flirtatious smile, making sure she flipped her hair back with the hand that once again bore her wedding and engagement rings. When his wife didn't say anything, Tim still wasn't quite sure what was going on and asked, "What would you like to do now?"
She gave him a sultry look and he grinned, always happy to oblige. They hurried back to the hotel, spending the rest of the afternoon making love. Later as they cuddled, he said, "Going to tell me now? I know it's something to do with making babies. Or making Mackie anyway."
"Yes. I know this is going to sound crazy and I'm not sure how to explain it, but I want us to make another baby. That is if you also want another baby."
"You want to get pregnant, go through all that and childbirth again, so soon? And more months of being zombies?" He gulped, "Five kids?"
"Yes. I want it all. I hope our next child does better with sleeping. And yes to five kids although I'd rather have six. However, I only want to be pregnant one more time so maybe we could adopt another one after number five."
"Six kids? Uh…let's focus on the pregnancy thing first. I understand you want this and I'm fine with another child but would you please give me a hint why?"
"I love all of our children, you know that. However, two started out as Sue, Deeny's and yours, one started out with other parents and one is mine. I want two to start out as ours. Where I'm their first and only mother and we get to start from scratch. If this sounds selfish or self-centered, sorry, can't help it."
"Oh, honey." He held her close. She finally pulled back with a sigh, continuing her explanation.
"I know none of us can help what happened to Sue and Deeny or that the kids believe they are angels in heaven. I know that - I get that. I'm their third mommy and I get that too; I know I'm their mother, that they love me as their mother. But I still want another baby that you and I make together."
Tim gathered her into his arms and held her close to his heart. "Eleanor, I will happily make another baby with you, as many as you want, my sweet sexy bride. And we'll raise them and their siblings with all the love we have."
He paused, "However, right now I do need a little more time."
She giggled at that.
While Ellie was in the shower, Tim slipped out to make a phone call. This was supremely awkward but he wanted to make sure his wife's desire for another baby so soon was not some sort of postpartum/hormonally induced issue. Who to call was an easy decision as he hit the button to call his sister Dr. Kelly. When she answered, he quickly explained the situation.
On her end, Kelly nodded; she'd anticipated this and was glad her brother called. "After her last doctor's appointment, Ellie told me about wanting another baby and a little bit of the why. With her permission, I spoke with her OBGYN and confirmed that her hormone levels are right where they should be. She'd asked the OBGYN if it was safe for her to have another pregnancy so soon and they discussed that too. I believe this is a genuine want, Tim, not because of post-pregnancy hormones or anything else. She's healthy, 5 months past delivering Mackie and while I'd prefer she waited longer, she can handle another pregnancy. Tell her you spoke with me, we thought you might call and she knows you're looking out for her and your children."
"Thanks, Kels! Love you sis!" Disconnecting, he hurried back to their room where Ellie was toweling dry after her shower. After his turn in the shower, they dressed and called the children to say hello before keeping their dinner reservation, enjoying the romantic ambiance and the excellent meal. They enjoyed dancing with each other before returning to their love nest. When Tim admitted he'd spoken with Kelly, Ellie smiled, glad for his concern.
Changing their plans, they canceled horseback riding and spent the morning wrapped up in each other. Later they visited the art galleries, purchasing a small watercolor for Uncle Dave's birthday and sending a postcard to the kids. They'd buy presents for them before they left. After their appointment at the spa and another delicious dinner, they spent the evening again wrapped up in each other.
Sunday morning they drove to Taos for breakfast at Diner the Great, surprising Nancy and Cousin Trish, who joined them. Afterward they wandered through town, enjoying the galleries and overall ambiance.
They had an early dinner before driving back to Santa Fe. On the way, they talked about taking the kids to Ruidoso or perhaps Four Corners for a week or 10 days during the summer. They'd rent a cabin again and see who else might want to go. They'd ask Ellie's family and hope some if not all of them could join them. And if they waited until July or even early August, the currently expected babies would be at least 3 months old and perhaps some of the non-parental baby-minders could go too.
When they returned to their room, Ellie had a message to go to the front desk. There they discovered an envelope with tickets to a concert that evening; one of Ellie's favorite singers was performing at a local club. The tickets were from Barbara and Jerry, an early birthday present for their daughter. They would just have time to change. Ellie looked at Tim who grinned at her. "Yes, I knew. They called to ask if I thought it was a good idea."
"That's why the early dinner!"
"Yes, that and we were in Taos, why not try something new?"
"Good point. This is going to be awesome! But I don't have the right clothes or boots."
"Yes you do; I packed them with mine and hung them with my stuff in the closet Friday. I arranged to have everything pressed and returned while we were out so we're all set."
Dressed in their best western clothes, they headed out for the concert where they had a wonderful time. When they woke Monday morning, Ellie stretched, "You're good! I know we made a baby this weekend."
Tim smirked as he wrapped his arms around her, "You always inspire me!" He pulled back to look at her, "Did you know this quickly with Mackie?"
"I thought we had but I wasn't sure. Now I trust my instincts. But we should keep practicing in case I'm wrong."
"Your wish, my lady, is my command."
Eventually, they made it downstairs for breakfast, checked out of their room, placing their bags in storage at the hotel and spent the rest of the day in Old Town, watching the native dancers and wandering in and out of the shops. They bought presents for the children, Poppy, Nonny, the Hubbards and the Cranes who had rotated care of their kids while they were away.
Feeling refreshed, in the late afternoon they reclaimed their bags and drove home. They smiled at each other as their children rushed into their arms and Mackie squealed happily. After they caught up with the kids, they heard from the adults. While nothing earth-shattering had happened and no babies made their debut, they'd heard from Abby!
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They'd been in touch with her sporadically since her return to the U.S. but the conversations felt strained and Jethro and Ducky were afraid they were losing her. Even before the threat they'd felt she was pulling away from them, or to be more accurate, not moving along with them as their lives changed from the first iteration of Gibbs' new family – the serendipitous discovery that Tim was his son.
Her drift came to a temporary halt when the Gibbses were in WITSEC and for a brief time after their return but when Shannon and Kelly joined them, she pulled away again and it felt like she had continued moving out of their family right up until she physically left. While Tony soon lost his pique over her strange responses on that first post-attack phone call, none of them felt she was really connecting with them. One of them, usually Ducky or Jethro, always initiated contact with her; she never called or wrote on her own.
When the house phone rang one evening, the last voice any of them expected to hear was Abby's. Grandpa was closest and answered the phone. He greeted her warmly when he heard her voice and Ducky asked Callum to get Jethro, Tony, Jimmy, Breena, Maggie and Bob. Callum sent texts that someone named Abby was on the house phone.
In minutes, the group appeared to find Ducky on the phone with a big smile on his face. "Abby, hang on a second. Everyone's here now, let me put you on speaker."
Tony reached around, pressing the speaker button and they all smiled as they heard her voice. When she quieted, they each said hello. She took a deep breath, "I miss you all so much. I mean, it's nice here; great living by the ocean but it's not home, not even with Kyle here too. I promised I'd come to Albuquerque so I'm gonna."
In her apartment she smiled happily, hearing cheers from her friends. Then Gibbs spoke and she relaxed at the sound of his voice, "Abby, if you fly in, then you can drive the hot rod home. If you time it right, Jared Vance will be home for spring break, maybe he'd drive back with you."
"Oh, that would be fun! Do you know when he's off?"
Another beloved voice, Tony, said, "Not yet, Jimmy's texting Leon now. By the way, Tim and Ellie are away for the weekend."
"Good for them! So with all the Returnees and the kids, is there room for me to stay? Because I can stay in town, it's not a problem."
In her apartment in San Diego, she smiled, tears running down her face, as she was disabused of that idea. Maggie said, "You can stay in Kelly's room here. She, Rob, and Ellie's cousin have an apartment in town."
"Cool, thank you!"
Jimmy was up next, "Hi, Abby! Can't wait for you to meet all the new kids and people and to see the ranch! Geez, we have a lot to tell and show you! Leon sent me the dates Jared will be home and his contact info; I'll send it on to you."
"Great, thanks, Jimmy! What do I need to bring?"
Breena answered, "Jeans, sneakers, your cowgirl boots. This is a ranch so you'll get grubby. Casual clothes, bring a jacket, the evenings will be cool and something to wear to the office; I'm sure you'll have a tour. And something for clubbing, it's more casual here than DC. We'll get you up to Taos to see Nancy's new diner and because Taos is awesome, you're gonna love it."
"I can't wait to see you all, it's been so long!"
They talked with her for another fifteen minutes before the parents of young children said goodbye, as it was bath and bedtime for them. When Leon confirmed later in the week that Abby contacted Jared, they started making plans.
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While the family waited for her arrival, Abby thought long and hard about a request she hoped to make of Director Vance. She knew he'd done some shifting and extra budgeting to get a spot for her in San Diego and again to allow her to work by herself. She appreciated his efforts and she loved having the lab to herself. However and she knew this was an odd problem, she felt she was not physically or culturally compatible with San Diego. Part of the situation was that she was home in the mornings and early afternoon, sun time. She admitted that was a problem of her own making because she didn't want to work in the lab with other people.
Another part was that she was not a big fan of beaches. For walking in the rain or after the heat of the day, yes but not for swimming or surfing. Everyone she met seemed obsessed with one or the other - or both. While she knew there was far more going on in the area, she didn't feel comfortable 'stepping out' on her own and nothing really appealed to her. And really, as far as she was concerned there was too much sunshine. There was morning mist and she was told the fog would roll in from the ocean in May and disappear in July but that wasn't enough for her.
She understood that people loved the area because there were more than a hundred days of sunshine annually; however, she needed seasons, changes in the air, colorful autumn leaves and rain. While she was grateful, she didn't think San Diego was the place for her. She'd been in the mid-Atlantic for too long.
Studying the climates of various cities around the U.S., she'd also, sadly, ruled out Albuquerque. While she'd love to work with her family again, their new home was high desert, received very little rain, and was too dry for her skin. The region averaged more than 200 days of sunshine annually, twice as many as San Diego.
After further research, she'd decided to ask for a transfer to Seattle. It had a vibe she knew she'd like, there was a lot of rain but the average temperatures were mild, neither too hot nor too cold. Her selection made, now she had to convince Vance. She didn't know Jane Melankovic, the SSAIC, but thought that Tim did; she remembered him saying he was sending several of his staff to her when they were evacuating.
While she worked to put together a request that would make sense for the agency, she was also excited about seeing everyone. She'd asked Kyle if he wanted to go but he'd started a dog training business and was too busy to leave. Once he knew Abby would not be driving the car back by herself, he relaxed.
Finally, the great day arrived and Abby walked the gangway to the jet that would take her to her family. Jared was on the same flight, they'd waited together for the boarding process to begin. An hour and forty minutes after takeoff, they disembarked in Albuquerque.
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Making the decision about who would meet Abby was tough. While nearly everyone wanted to be there, there were considerations. First, she and Jared were arriving on a Friday morning, ruling out those who had work or school. Second, they didn't want to overwhelm her. Third, although Maggie was in the running, the newest DiNozzo was due in a month and she was as uncomfortable as Ellie had been.
Oddly enough, although the DiNozzos had been the last to announce they were pregnant, their obstetrician predicted their little one would arrive first. As far as preparations went, Lia was still camping out quite happily in her crib and her Poppy and Uncle Tobias finally built crib number four.
In the end, Jethro and Ducky were at the airport to meet her, with a family welcome dinner planned for that evening. The Vances were also there; Leon had tried his best to make himself work through Jared's arrival but found he was nearly useless that morning. He compromised, he'd join Lara and Kayla at the airport and then he'd return to work after he welcomed his son home. Probably. Tim was at the office today and Leon found he made an excellent second in command.
Impatient to see their loved ones, the group kept moving, walking around the terminal. The twins remained at the day-care center; their parents wanted to enjoy Jared's arrival without chasing after them and the littles didn't do well with loud noises and crowds. They'd been fine in the nursery shelter and were comfortable with the other parents. However, now they lived in a house with only their parents, enjoying visits from big sister; they were used to a quieter, less crowded atmosphere.
They saw their big brother on Skype at least once a week but were a little confused about him coming home. They missed all the babies and loved going to the day-care to see Lia, Ricky and Arin. Little Mac would join them in another couple of weeks and all the littles were looking forward to a new baby.
When the flight arrival was announced, the greeters smiled at each other. Jethro looked at his watch, "Six minutes."
Leon scoffed, "Takes longer than that to clear the plane. And we don't know where they sat."
Ducky chuckled, "Abby always sits as close to the front as possible. Too many people around her otherwise."
Lara was puzzled, "Isn't she the one that used to go to all those concerts? There are large numbers of people at those!"
Jethro shrugged, "We never asked. Some things you don't want to know. Although she dragged Tim with her for several years."
"As her bodyguard?"
"Essentially, yes."
Kayla made a noise, "There they are, on the escalator!"
They waved and the pair waved back. And then they were with them. Abby nearly knocked Ducky over and Jethro was glad he'd been standing close to him so he could support his friend.
She transferred to Jethro, giving Ducky time to reclaim his breath. Lord, he'd forgotten about those hugs. When he had enough breath to speak, he turned to Leon, "If you go back to the office, please warn Tony and the others!"
Lara shook her head, "Breena told me Jimmy's already got oxygen masks and a few canisters at home."
"Thank you, my dear." With Leon's help, Ducky started pulling Abby off Jethro who was getting a little short of breath.
Eventually, they were sorted and both travelers properly welcomed. The group split and the ranch contingent reminded the town contingent of the 'all family' dinner Saturday night. Lara nodded, "We're bringing Jared's favorite pie. It isn't anybody's birthday, is it?"
Most of them chuckled; the extended family was now so large that birthdays for anyone over 21 were celebrated in groups by season instead of by month.
"No littles, unless one of the new babies arrives this weekend."
Leon smiled, "I have Maggie in the pool but I covered Sarah and Bec too. All three look like they're ready to go."
Jethro smiled a little smugly. "Got the last of the cribs done, I'm ready."
Abby listened, hoping to herself that none of the new babies would arrive during her visit. She'd never told anyone but between their fragility and appearance, newborns freaked her out. She grinned when she saw the Challenger in the parking lot. "Gibbs, I didn't know you brought it with you!" She frowned, "I watched the caravan on YouTube and didn't see it."
"That's because it was inside one of the moving trucks, a surprise for me. Tim convinced his mother that the car needed to come with us. The morning we left, someone drove it from our house to the warehouse while we were at the airfield loading the plane. The drivers loaded it into the back of the fourth truck and then filled up the rest of it so I wouldn't see it. I had no idea until we got here and were unloading the moving trucks. All of a sudden, there it was."
Ducky grinned, "He pretended to be mad for about 5 seconds."
Jethro grinned back at him. "Losing my touch, no one believed me."
Abby was quiet on the drive to the ranch, watching everything they passed. Finally, she commented. "It's so different here! From DC and San Diego. Like another world."
Ducky nodded, "Yes my dear, it is. Most of the time a much more peaceful world."
"I can't wait to meet your wife, Ducky; it's so cool that you two found each other and got married!"
He chuckled, "Yes, it is cool. At least Maisie and I think so!"
Jethro grinned at him, "Aw, you were copying Shannie and me!"
"There are a few similarities but certainly not enough to call us copycats!"
Abby giggled and both men smiled. Jethro looked at her, "What do you do for fun in Southern California?"
"Oh, you know me. I find ways to stay out of the eternal sunshine there, go to concerts and clubs on the weekends."
"Never thought of the sunshine. Is it a problem?"
"Yeah, kind of. I sometimes feel like I'm the only one there who doesn't like being in the sun. And the culture is so different. Busy, rushed, always in a hurry like DC but with surfer dude overtones and not the political power stuff that was always going on at home."
"Yes, we enjoy the lack of that here."
"Have you heard anything about where the new capital will be?"
"Not recently."
"I wonder if they can't decide because everyone wants it or nobody does."
Jethro huffed, "Good question." They were turning onto Quail Hill Road now and as they drew closer to home, Ducky pointed to the Ortiz ranch on one side, the new grocery store and gas station on the other and the bus stop. A bus was there now, some of The Grove residents were getting off.
"Where do those people live? Are those your Returnees?"
"Yes, they are a mix of Returnees and Evacuees; we're starting to drop the use of the term "Returnees" as all of us are Evacuees, all forced from home and jobs. We'll take you on a tour of the housing development. We have over 100 homes on a plot of land next to us; see where that gate is? We also have 35 people in our bunkrooms."
"32 Duck; Letty Shields' new job pays her enough for a furnished apartment in town for the three of them and the building owner waived any deposits. They're moving this weekend."
"Wonderful, Jethro, that's so good to hear! We'll miss them." He turned to Abby, "Letty, David, and little Marika Shields were among our first evacuees. Letty is a paralegal but had to retake the exam to be licensed in New Mexico. David works in construction but only found part-time employment during the winter months. Now with Letty's new job and David's income, they'll have their own home again. Splendid!"
"Are they the first ones to leave?"
"Oh no, we've had fairly steady turnover at the houses. Some weeks we can't get the cleaning crew out here fast enough to have the places ready for the next group."
"I've heard that the people doing the most for the Evacuees are the ones who also evacuated. Like you guys."
"And you too, Abigail. You were certainly an Evacuee! We probably have a clearer understanding of what they need, what they've experienced. If it hadn't been for our Timothy, most of us would be with them."
Jethro shook his head, "You're right and you're wrong, Duck. He would never allow that to happen. Barbara believes that Tim learned early on to protect the people he loves. That's just what he did. Gathered everyone, made sure we had what we'd need and here we are."
Abby didn't want to think about that. There were too many times she'd rejected Tim's protection, even when they were both under orders. At the same time, she frequently demanded he accompany her for protection. Quickly she changed the subject, "What was it like, living in the shelter?"
"Busy. Active. A lot of people but it wasn't too noisy, not all the time anyway. The best things we did were adding on a classroom, building a playroom and adding the media room."
"And the library, Jethro. One could always escape for a little peace and quiet."
"That's true."
"Are people living in there now?"
Ducky nodded, "Yes, Bill, Geordie's former tent mate from the transient camp and Pete, our mover and friend, still sleep in there. A few of the NCIS folks who sheltered elsewhere are also staying there. And the shelter is the only indoor area big enough to hold all of the extended family for a meal. The Evacuees don't always want to stay in there. If we run out of room or a house hasn't been cleaned, they'll stay but most prefer not to."
Jethro chuckled, "One lady said she'd rather sleep outside in a tent. And she did, Tim and Geo told us what she'd need and we provided a tent for her and her sister; we pitched it near the barn so they could use the facilities in there and they lived in it for a month or so, even had a catalytic heater for cold nights."
"Wow! I have to see this shelter; I can't decide whether it's going to feel huge or claustrophobic."
"It's not claustrophobic. Gemcity bought the deluxe version so we'd have plenty of room to move around."
Abby sighed, "I wish we'd stayed. I know it wasn't fun but it seems like sheltering together brought everyone closer."
"I guess it did but we were close before and then having to prepare for an attack helped, we didn't have time to think much about anything but leaving."
She nodded. "You were already doing that when you came to the convent that day."
"I'd known for less than 24 hours. Tim was the only one who knew all the available information and Ellie's dad knew part of it just from rumors. How are the Sisters?"
"Sad and trying to move forward, like all of us. They like Vancouver but their order wants to find another post for them."
"Will those four stay together?"
She shrugged, "They don't know yet. Probably because they're the only ones displaced, but they won't know until they're told their new assignment."
"Do you miss them?"
She nodded, "I do, Sister Rosita especially. Sometimes she's the only one who can get me to see things differently. And the four of them are a lot of fun, too." She sighed, "I miss everyone; I miss all of you. It's weird, before this happened I believed I was as involved in your family as I wanted to be. Now I know that wasn't true. I feel like everything's changed and it has but many of the changes happened when we were still in DC, I just didn't notice. Or I didn't want to be part of them."
Ducky patted her hand. "We're all here and we consider you part of the family, our family. The ties that bind us together may have become more elastic in your case; nevertheless you are here now."