Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS or its characters.
As always I would like to thank Gotta for her help and support.
Chapter 15
"Now that Tim is going to be asleep for a while I suggest you all get yourselves something to eat and some rest; that includes you Ducky, there's plenty of staff here to take care of Tim." Doctor Pitt advised as he ushered everybody out of Tim's room; holding his hands up to stop any arguments he continued his explanation. "Remember this recovery is going to be slow and you need to pace yourselves if you are to help see him through this. Besides, from what I've heard through the grapevine you guys have some talking to do so I suggest you do it so that you can be with Tim when he needs you."
Just as Brad left the group to their own thoughts the doors from the ICU Department opened admitting Agent Balboa and Tobias Fornell.
"What are you guys doing here, you're supposed to be looking for Everett!" Gibbs said in an accusatory voice.
"Oh, you don't have to worry about that; that son of a bitch has been taken care of." Tobias replied sarcastically as he made his way to where Gibbs was standing; none of the group missed the apparent meaning that there was another son of a bitch that needed to be taken care of.
"And what exactly is that supposed to mean?" Gibbs questioned, slightly unnerved by Tobias's attitude as Agent Balboa tried to intervene, knowing the reasons why Tobias was so wound up.
"Easy, Fornell let's just concentrate on Ron; we can discuss the rest later." Balboa suggested in an attempt to defuse the situation; however his recommendation fell on deaf ears.
"How can you? How can you let him live like that!" Tobias shouted as he went toe to toe with Gibbs.
"What the hell you talking about?!" Gibbs demanded.
It took Tony less than a second to make the connection. "If you're talking about Tim's place, it's because he doesn't know Tobias. That's how Tim wants it." None of the group missed the emphasis Tony put on his final words. However, that just seemed to add fuel to the fire where Tobias was concerned.
"You knew!" Tobias accused as he turned his fury towards Tony.
"Yeah, I've known for the last three years." Tony retorted holding his own, before he let out his own pent up frustration "Don't you think I haven't tried?! Have you any idea how stubborn McGee can be"
"So much like someone else we know." Ducky stated offhandedly as he looked over to Jackson Gibbs. "Better yet make that two people we know."
NCIS
When Taylor and the rest of the raid team arrived at headquarters there was a message waiting for him to go to the director's office immediately. Sighing he instructed the others to get started on writing up their reports and made his way up the stairs.
Before he even reached the inner office that lead to the Director's office he could hear the man ripping someone apart, smiling at Pamela, Taylor started to sit down on the couch to wait his turn.
Seeing his movements Pamela corrected him "Oh no Agent Taylor you're to go straight in."
Vance's voice was heard again, even as Pamela spoke, and though the words couldn't be made out the man was quite obviously irate; surprised, Taylor silently pointed at the Directors door, only to receive a confirming nod from Pamela.
Straightening up Taylor squared his shoulders and knocked lightly before entering the Director's office. Vance started speaking to him the moment he saw him.
"Agent Taylor, good, maybe you can get Agent Finley here to understand the seriousness of the position he has not only landed himself in but the Agency as well." Vance stated forcefully before he handed over the printed version of the formal complaint to Taylor.
NCIS
Abby arrived in the MCRT part of the bullpen to find it completely deserted; when she looked around she realised she was only able to see half of Balboa's team and one agent from Taylor's team too.
Walking over to Agent Edward Carter, who let out a yawn as he stretched out in his chair, Abby decided to have some fun, "Keeping you up Eddy?" she teased.
Carter immediately became rigid; Abby Sciuto was someone he could barely tolerate. "It's Edward or Agent Carter to you Miss Sciuto not that it's really any of your business, but I was on protection detail last night."
"Then what are you doing here?" Abby queried.
Thomas Johnson, of Balboa's team, entered himself into the conversation as his team's own Probie agent looked on. "Well with the MCRT team out of commission for the time being, everyone's had to step up to the plate."
"What do you mean out of commission?!" Abby practically yelled, before flying into a panicky state. "Oh no, oh no what happened to Gibbs and Tony and Ziva!"
NCIS
Agent Taylor, read and then re-read the document in his hand, in utter disbelief.
"You left an active investigation to write a formal complaint?!" Taylor admonished as he finally looked at his junior agent, "Are you out of your mind?"
"Not only that, he's sent it to SecNav." Vance informed, unsure if Taylor had actually looked to see who the memo had been sent to.
"SecNav! My god you idiot!" Taylor reprimanded.
At first Finley had been relieved to see his senior agent thinking he would at least get some support in dealing with the Director, only to find that he had got that completely wrong.
"It's….." Finley started but stopped at the glare he received from his immediate superior.
Taylor glared at Finley as he tried to justify himself, before turning to the Director and asked the question he wanted the answer to first "Have we had an update on how Agent McGee is sir?"
"He woke up for a couple of minutes, from what Doctor Pitt has informed me Agent McGee remembers everything up to the time when he was shot, but has yet to be informed of anything else other than his injuries."
"I see." Taylor said, before he turned back to his agent "So Finley, you've managed to file a complaint that could very well end his career, without Tim even knowing about the fact that he and Gibbs are brothers."
NCIS
The group had moved to the cafeteria to eat as they had been instructed to do; Ducky had joined them after getting sidetracked talking to a nurse, before he had collected Jimmy, Breena and Delilah from the waiting room on the way. Sarah had excused herself and left, mid-term exams were coming up and however much she wanted to stay with Tim, he would have gotten mad at her for not putting her studies first during her final year.
Balboa had also bowed out, claiming the need to return to headquarters to update the Director and supervise his team, he took Agent Williams and Agent Evan the last member of Taylor's team with him as the protection detail was now officially over.
By silent mutual agreement they had shelved their discussion as they had gone through the queue in the cafeteria, now though they were for the most part all sat together at a large table. Jackson and Delilah sat at a small table nearby and Gibbs watched as Jackson seem to make a request and Delilah handed over a piece of paper. From the looks of the conversation Delilah was explaining what was on the paper. As they ate their meal he saw the first signs that his father was accepting what he had been told; Gibbs realised that the paper was a copy of the proof of parentage that Jackson had ripped to shreds earlier.
Mostly finished eating, Gibbs turned his attention back to those at his own table wanting answers not only to the discussion that had just been put on hold, but also with regards to Mexico and the other stuff that had been implied. He was more prepared to wait for answers to the earlier conversation than he was for the current conversation. There was after all little that could be done with something that had happened in the past, but the newer discussion was another matter entirely; however Tobias beat him to it as he questioned Tony the moment he finished eating.
"You said you tried?"
Tony looked up, whilst setting his knife and fork down, at Tobias and then the rest of the group who were now all waiting expectantly. "I've been trying for just over three years, but like I said Tim's stubborn."
"Trying what Anthony?" Ducky questioned.
"To get Tim to move, not just somewhere bigger but safer." Tony replied obviously irritated.
"He lives in Silver Spring, that's a safe neighbourhood DiNozzo and his place can't be that small." Gibbs reminded.
Tony let out a frustrated laugh. "Have you ever even looked up Tim's address?" He waited until he received a negative shake of the head from Gibbs. "Yeah didn't think so; Tim lives in a small studio apartment just outside of Silver Spring in Backwaters."
"Backwaters" Jimmy repeated shocked, the area had a bad reputation and was wisely avoided by most people.
"But why, why does he live there and in that tiny studio apartment?" Fornell pushed.
"On his salary he can afford to live anywhere he likes, he could easily afford a place like yours or Ziva's" Gibbs growled.
"You really don't have a clue do you?" Tony retorted angrily shoving his empty plate way.
"Then tell us." Ziva pushed, she may have known where Tim lived but she had never discovered the reason behind it even when she did the dossiers on the team for her brother.
"Fine. You know that the Navy supports the children of Navy Officers right?" receiving collective nods from the group Tony continued on with his explanation "Well Tim's degrees and FLETC training were all underwritten by the Navy, you know due to the fact that he was a Navy dependant."
"So?" Ziva questioned when Tony paused.
"So he never told me why, but for some reason he received a court order, just before he moved up from Norfolk, stating he had to pay it all back. When he went to use the money he inherited to pay it off, he was informed that the account had been closed and when he questioned it through our legal department they told him it was because he wasn't legally entitled to it."
"What!?" Gibbs growled.
"Oh my heavens!" Ducky stated sadly.
"But those sort of degrees that Tim's got cost thousands Tony" Jimmy said.
"Well yeah, Jimmy and then there are the court costs and interest on top. Tim's using half his wages each month trying to pay it all off as quickly as he can, but that means he has very little left for anything else, once he's paid his rent and other bills, like I said I help when he lets me, but he's stubborn." Tony replied.
The group were all too stunned with what they had heard to respond.
NCIS
Knowing that Ducky would most likely be at the hospital with the injured members of the team, Abby went straight to the Director's office without bothering to listen to the objecting agents as she ran up the stairs. Pamela's protest didn't slow her down either as she stormed into Vance's office to find out the answer to her question, only to be in time to hear Agents Taylors remarks regarding Tim and Gibbs. Stunned beyond measure at what she had just heard, she stood there openly gaping at the men in front of her.
"What the hell?!" Director Vance stated as his door flew open unexpectedly. "Miss Sciuto, what on earth do you think you're doing walking in on a private meeting like that!"
"Brothers….No, no way! There has to have been a mistake made." Abby refuted as she ignored the Director.
"No mistake Abby." Agent Taylor informed "They're half-brothers, same father. Blood analysis confirmed it."
"Then whoever did the test is incompetent!"Abby countered, as Vance rounded his desk.
"Miss Sciuto, I will not tolerate anyone barging into my office like that when I'm in the middle of a meeting and I can tell you right now that the lady who ran the analysis is the best forensic scientist going." Vance stated angrily, even as he said it he corrected himself mentally, he always allowed Gibbs to barge in his office whenever he liked, but he had his reasons for that. For some time he had been fed up with the way Abby paraded around as if she owned the place.
"No one is better than me, give me the evidence, I'll prove it to you" Abby demanded.
"I will do no such thing! Now get out of my office before I have you thrown out!" Vance roared.
NCIS
Having eaten and digested what he had heard from Tony, Gibbs was more eager than ever to return to his brother's bedside. Tim may have confided in Tony, but it was time for him not only as the team leader but as his brother to step up. Ducky noticed the determination and knew better than to argue and having already made the arrangements with the nurse he didn't see the need to.
"Jethro I've had a spare bed put in Timothy's room so you can stay, but you have to promise me that you will sleep." Ducky informed his friend with an authority not meant to be trifled with.
Taken momentarily by surprise, a smile of appreciation danced over Gibbs features as he readily agreed. "Appreciate that Ducky and yeah I will sleep I just want to be near as possible."
Tony however protested, "How come Gibbs gets to stay and we don't?"
"Because Anthony, Gibbs is family and we aren't" Ducky reminded him.
"But….." Ziva tried, only to be cut off as Ducky continued.
"As Doctor Pitt stated Timothy's recovery will be slow and he will need all of us to be here for him. That being the case we need to look after ourselves and get some rest. Timothy will most likely sleep through the night and I have cleared it with the hospital for us to be here in the morning, so don't argue with me on this or I will cancel that arrangement."
"Fine, but we don't have to like it." Tony huffed.
"DiNozzo, I'm pleased that you've been there for Tim and have been helping him out, keeping his confidence and so on. We'll finish our other conversation another time but Ducky's right. If I know Tim at all he'll turn to you when we break the news and we are both going to need time to adjust and your support going forward as we adjust. I'm going to need you too."
"How are you going to need me?" Tony questioned.
"I don't want to screw this up Tony, that's why I'm going to need you." Gibbs answered honestly.