Chapter 02 – My Son

The next morning Gibb's heard McGee pull up. He waited until he knocked and let him in. Gibbs watched McGee enter the house and tried to see himself or Shannon in him. He also was curios why the man looked so nervous. He showed him into the living room and then got them both coffees. When he sat the mugs in front of them, he decided enough was enough.

"Something you need to tell me McGee?" Gibbs asked.

Tim nervously looked around and then looked at Gibb's wondering why he was here. Vance had ordered the team along with Abby, Ducky, and Palmer to take a week off after the last case wrapped up. He shrugged and said. "I've only been here when the team is working on something. Vance gave us the week off. So I'm wondering what I'm here for. Did I do something wrong?"

Tim gulped he knew the Boss spanked Tony, Ziva and Abby when they were in trouble. He had been given a choice between a spanking or dealing with the Director a few times, but choosing the latter each time. Tony, Ziva, Abby, and Ducky had gotten upset with him each time, but he felt he made the right choice. He knew Jay felt the same way and made the same choice he did. They had both discussed it several times, and no matter how upset the others got. Both he and Jay still had the Director handle it.

Gibbs sighed maybe he had done too good a job to distance himself from Tim. They would need to deal with that later. That is if Tim wanted to, he told himself he had to be prepared Tim might not want to. He decided to table that for now there were matters that were more important to deal with. Realizing McGee was to quiet, he moved to sit across from him. "McGee. McGee! Tim! You're not in trouble, Snap out of it." Gibbs said getting louder and closer to him with each word.

Tim looked at his boss and said. "Then why am I here?"

Gibbs sighed not sure, how to do this finally he decided he needed information first so he said bluntly. "I need to ask you something and I need you to be honest Tim."

Tim was shocked at hearing his first name from his boss but just nodded. He was concerned about how serious Gibbs was being but figured questions would just annoy him so he kept silent.

"Tim are you adopted?" Gibbs asked.

Tim's eyes bugged out. What did that have to do with anything? He thought but said. "Um Yeah. Why? Did someone contact NCIS looking for me?"

Gibbs dropped his head in his hands in relief it would have been harder if Tim did not know that. He asked as gently as he could. "No nothing like that. Have you ever looked for you birth parents?"

Tim sighed it was painful to think about but he knew Gibbs would not let up so he told him. "It's not that simple Boss. I was found when I was four years old by Mom and Aunt Suzy. Mom was at the park with her sister and niece. She saw me first I was limping covered in dirt and alone. Mom pointed me out to Aunt Suzy and both wondered what happened to me. They kept an eye on me as they asked around and no one knew me. Mom and Aunt Suzy invited me to eat with them. They said I was very timid but hungry so I agreed. I passed out after I ate and they took me to the hospital. As I was in getting X-rays Mom called Dad and he met her there. The Doctor told Mom and Dad I had a concussion, cuts and bruises as well as a broken arm and leg. I also was severely dehydrated and exhausted. They figured out I had been in a car accident by the glass they pulled out of some of the wounds. The police and social workers opened a missing person's case. The park was near several accident sites several of them reported children in the car. They didn't have DNA back then so they had no idea who I was or how to find any family. Mom and Dad offered to be my foster parents. The McGee's waited the time limit the state asked of them, and then adopted me. They named me Timothy McGee and raised me."

Gibbs sat their shocked and then cleared his throat and said gently. "I need to tell you something Tim."

Tim nodded.

Gibbs took the papers he'd been given the night before and laid them on the table. He looked Tim in the eye and said. "I'm sure in the seven years we've worked together you've heard. I lost my wife and daughter when they were in protective custody the car they were in crashed and it was assumed everyone died. When I lost my wife and daughter that day, I lost more than them. I never told anyone because it was too painful to discuss but there was someone else in that car, my four-year-old son. He disappeared that day with no trace he was presumed dead. I recently found out that wasn't the case, you're my son Tim."

Tim stood and walked outside. He told himself he was not running away he just needed fresh air and to think. He sat down hard on the steps as his legs gave out. He stared straight ahead, as the words played repeatedly in his head. "You're my son Tim."

Gibbs sat next to Tim, placed a hand on his shoulder, and told him to relax and just breathe.

Tim sat there for a few minutes taking it all in. Finally, he relaxed enough to ask. "How? When did you find out?"

Gibbs sighed knowing Tim would get angry and that he had every right to. However, he also had a right to know, so he said. "Do you remember a month ago, when Abby did a paternity test with me and Tony, and then a few weeks ago with Ducky?"

Tim began to get angry and he stiffly nodded.

"After our last case she thought it would be funny to run a paternity test on you, me, and Palmer. Both of you are my biological sons." Gibbs said his hand still on Tim's now ridged shoulder.

Tim gasped in shock. "Jay is my brother? Is she sure?"

Gibbs turned and raised an eyebrow at the nickname and said. "Yes she said she ran it several times. It was a 99.9 match on both of you."

Tim reached in his pocket and taking his cell phone out dialed a number.

Gibbs watched as he spoke to someone then hung up. He raised an eyebrow.

Tim turned to Gibbs and said. "Jay is coming over. You need to tell him today."

Gibbs raised both eyebrows and said. "Why? And since when is Palmer Jay?"

Tim laughed and leaned back against the porch rail. He did not know how to handle this news but somehow he knew it would be ok. He turned back to Gibbs and said with a grin. "Jay is a nickname very few people call Palmer. You know Palmer and I live together right?"

Gibbs nodded and said. "I know you and Palmer live together." Then his eyes went wide and he said. "Oh Hell Tim! You're not dating Palmer are you?"

Tim shuddered in a joking way and said. "Jay is my best friend and like a little brother to me, before we moved in together we hung out together a lot. After his mom died, Jay and I bought a house together with our partners. After the dust settles I'm sure we can introduce you." Tim paused and thought of the best way to say this next part, deciding there was no easy way he was blunt. "Gibbs, I can't tell him my news without telling him everything it wouldn't be fair to him. Moreover, Jays going to need me here when you tell him, he's terrified of you."

Gibbs glared at him and said. "You think I'd hurt my own son."

Tim glared right back as he said. "No I don't think you would hurt him on purpose. However, just talking about you scares him Gibbs. When you are around, he falls apart. I'll do all I can to make this easier on my little brother but no matter what this is going to be hard for him."

Gibbs sighed dam-it he was right. So he said. "Ok Tim your right and I'm proud of you for looking out for your little brother. So let us make this as easy for him as we can. First, does Palmer know he's adopted? And second if he does has he ever tried to find his birth parents?"

Tim sighed he hoped Jay would not be angry with him, as he answered honestly. "I know he knows he's adopted. Our parents never kept it from us we were adopted. A few years ago, he talked about being curious about where he was born and who his parents were. Then one day he just stopped talking about it. When I asked, he said he did not want to talk about it and something's were better left alone. I tried to get him to talk about it and he told me to leave it alone. He's never hidden things from me. So I figured by the little he said he found them and they died or didn't want to be in his life."

Gibbs raised an eyebrow wondering what Palmer may have meant by that. However, it was forgotten as he heard a car pull up. He let Tim go and meet Palmer as he went and waited inside. A few minutes later Tim brought the nervous young man in.