Chapter 6
Thinking for a moment, Gibbs grabbed his coat and followed Tim.
"McGee!" he called as Tim walked out of the building.
"Boss?" Tim turned surprised.
"Figured you could use some back up." Gibbs said, To be honest he didn't know if he wanted to go with Tim because he was fascinated with his world or if it was the hope that he'd run into the red headed woman again or even if it was, and he hated to admit it, worry, worry that his 'youngest/oldest' agent now knowing in his world that he was just a teenager needed to be protected more.
Tim looked at him and nodded, "appreciate that boss." He said and walked towards his car and then bypassed it completely walking to a shed in a deserted corner of the back of the car park.
"Tim?" Gibbs asked.
"Short cut." Tim told him with a smirk. He opened the door and stepped in Gibbs following close behind.
"I've never seen this here before." He said.
"Vance put it in after you transferred me, he didn't want me walking home in the dark and I didn't have a car." Tim said.
"This gets you to Silver Springs?" Gibbs asked.
"No…Silver Springs I don't live there? I still live in The Inn at the Ne'er. I'm not allowed…." Tim petered off looking embarrassed.
"Tim?"
Tim sighed, "I'm not old enough to live outside the Ne'er, I still live in The Inn with Sykes, when I said I hadn't seen him for a while…I was lying Boss, I left that morning. When Tony picked me up with Kate from 'my apartment,' it is Vance's. He has an apartment for me to have a mailing address for work, but I'm not old enough to really live on my own."
"What about Jethro…the dog Abby got you to take home?" Gibbs asked as Tim shut the door.
Tim smiled, "I sent him to a friend from FLETC, lives on a huge farm. I couldn't keep him, I mean how did I explain to Abby that I have a dog that is over 7 feet tall and would eat Jethro if I left them alone?"
Gibbs smirked; "Fair point."
Tim went to press his hand on the mark at the back of the shed and Gibbs stopped him, "You going to be ok, I mean to take me with you?" he asked.
Tim nodded, "Yeah, I can take you, big groups apparently I'm not ready for yet." He pressed his palm to the Fae mark on the wood and the back of the shed disappeared and they were in a cobblestoned yard and it was daylight.
"Can't get used to the time difference thing." Gibbs admitted.
Tim laughed "I have a theory about it Boss, I figure seeing as most of the Fae are Celtic; the Ne'er is on Irish time." He said.
"Someone out there!" A familiar voice came.
"It's only me and Gibbs, Sykes!" Tim called back.
"You're back?" Sykes looked surprised,
"Yeah I need to see Rage again," Tim said as he walked into the back of The Inn and sniffed at the big pot on the stove.
"Were-folk stew?" Tim asked.
Sykes shook his head, "Nope, Dryad. You hungry?" Sykes asked putting two hand carved bowls and two wooden spoons on the table.
"Yeah!" Tim said enthusiastically grabbing a bowl and sitting down.
Gibbs bit back a laugh at the teenage behavior of his agent and looked warily at the bowl. "Dryad stew?" he asked.
Tim laughed, "All vegan, Were-folk stew has meat and more bite to it," Tim explained. Taking the first spoonful of stew and savoring every bite.
Sykes dropped a drink in front of Tim, "Drink this boy, you're looking thin." He smiled and ruffled Tim's hair. "I have sent word to your brother to meet you here." He said. "I have brought you bourbon Mr. Gibbs."
Gibbs nodded at the small man, "Do you think it will be long before Tim's brother is here?" he asked.
Sykes shrugged his shoulders, "It all depends on the boy's mood. If Rage is in a good mood he'll be here soon. If not…then it'll be up to Time to calm his brother down."
Tim took another mouthful of stew, "'S ok I've done it before." He said with his mouthful.
Sykes sighed and handed Gibbs his bowl, "Tis good, you should try it." He offered.
Gibbs nodded and dipped his spoon in, it was good and he nodded to Sykes who smiled and went back to cleaning his bar before he opened up.
Tim looked up as the first rumble hit The Inn, "Sprites and pixies!" Tim cussed; Gibbs raised an eyebrow in mirth but said nothing. "Rage is coming and it sounds like he's in a bad mood."
"You gonna be ok Tim?" Gibbs asked concerned for his junior agent and not really wanting to get into a fight with, whatever Tim's brother actually was…apart from big!
Tim nodded, "He won't hurt me, he's all bluster really, he just gets riled up easy." He said "We should leave the kitchen though; Sykes likes his crockery, and move this to my room." Tim got up to leave, stopped grabbed his bowl and turned back.
"What? It's good stew." He said to be honest he hadn't eaten much since this whole mess had started and he was, after all, a growing boy.
Gibbs nodded and followed.
"Your brother's coming." Sykes said looking up.
"I'm gonna be in my room incase he kicks off, Cerb in?" He asked.
"No, he's with your father today, dog training." Sykes said. "Good thing too, a visit from your father clears all the rats and mice out of the basement." He grinned.
Just as Tim entered his room and sat at the table Rage blustered into The Inn.
"Where is he?" Rage yelled.
"In here!" Tim yelled through his door.
Rage stormed in and slammed himself into a spare chair at the table. "I thought I was not under suspicion any more, why did you send for me squirt!"
Tim sipped his soup and waited; Rage balled his fists up and slammed them on the table.
"YOU….You are keeping me waiting!" he snapped.
"Nope." Tim said and sipped some more soup. "I'm waiting." He said
Gibbs looked over at the two brothers, he admired the tactic Tim was using but said nothing preferring to await the outcome of this battle of wills.
Rage sat there and Gibbs swore he saw the man shrink a size and calm down.
"Time. Why did you call me?" Rage said his anger dissipated.
"I know who's setting you up but I need your help to confirm it,"
"Who?" Rage asked, "I need to know…Judson….he shouldn't have died." The sadness was clear on his face and Tim patted his brother's hand.
"Uncle Leon and I will deal with her, we need you to identify a mortal for me, the one we think is responsible for pulling you onto Judson's ship."
"Sure…" Rage said, Tim pulled a picture out of his pocket.
"This is Petty Officer Jake Stevenson. Do you know him?" He asked.
Rage looked at the picture and balled up his fists not wanting to end up in the null for losing his temper in front of his little brother and his brother's boss, "Yeah." He growled out through gritted teeth, "He was Judson's bunk mate."
Tim nodded, "Thanks." He stood up, "We have to get back Boss." He said leaving his bowl on the table, he walked to the door.
Gibbs followed him, again taking stock of the finely crafted woodwork, just in case he never made it back there.
Heading to the back exit, Rage caught up to Tim as he left. "Time…tell me who do you think this mortal got to help him, just who do you think is behind this?"
Tim turned and looked his brother in the chest. Even calm Rage was a good two foot taller than him. He looked up to try and look him in the eyes, "Morrigan…we think it was Morrigan."
A look of fear crossed Rage's face, "I worked with her once…Time you don't want to mess with her…she's evil, she's dangerous and she won't care that you are our last best hope. She'll kill you."
"You worked for her?" Gibbs asked.
"Atlantis, she used me to help amplify her rage." He explained.
Gibbs nodded having already been told the story. "I'll keep him safe."
Rage laughed, a full on hearty belly laugh with a deep booming sound. "You will, will you mortal…my little brother has more power than even he knows, I can make a safe bet he'll end up protecting you."
"What?" Tim asked confused at what his brother had said.
"Go…little one, if you need me send that sprite of yours." He said.
Tim nodded, "I will, she's never too far."
"Just tell her to tug on my ear, you're the only one in the Ne'er that understands her squeak." He smiled. "Fair well little brother." He said and turned.
Tim turned to see a blue light buzzing behind Gibbs, "Come on then Pix, back to the mortal world."
Pix let out a tiny cheer and flit over to Tim's shoulder avoiding Gibbs who smelt like dead wood and burnt coffee tree.