Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS or its characters.

I apologise for the delay, not only have I struggled with this chapter (wrote this four times) plus there was a family emergency with my parents.

Thanks to both my new beta's your brilliant!

Chapter 17

Complete silence is what met Gibbs's declaration as Tim stared at the printout in front of him in complete disbelief. Time seemed to play out differently. For Tim everything including his mind just froze in shock whilst Gibbs thought time seemed to drag minutes and felt like hours.

"Tim." Gibbs coaxed gently, the kind of coaxing that Tony had only ever heard him use for young, scared and vulnerable children. Tim briefly glanced at Gibbs before turning his attention back to the paper. When Tim got over the initial shock he looked up but this time he was looking questioningly towards Tony.

"No, Tim I promise." Tony said as he answered the unspoken question, leaving all three older men puzzled. Gibbs sent a questioning look at his senior field agent but was stopped from asking the question on the tip of his tongue when Tony spoke again stopping the reply that Tim had been about to retort with "I promise you, I haven't broken that promise. I swear Tim, this is real, no prank or joke."

Tim looked at Tony for another few moments, studying his partner intently, before returning his attention to the paper. Gibbs was about to speak again when he realised Tim's face was becoming wet. As Tim crumpled into tears, burying his face in his hands. He tried to twist onto his side, as Gibbs moved from his chair to sit on the bed beside him, and wrapping Tim up into a strong brotherly hug. Tim struggled within Gibbs' hold to start with, not wanting this kind of attention from the man, until pain from his injuries shot through him. He stilled his movements as he started pleading with Gibbs "It's not true, it can't be true, tell me it's not true."

"Come on Tim." Gibbs encouraged, before he reinforced something he knew Tim would recognise as the truth "You know I wouldn't lie to you."

Jackson, Ducky and Tony watched as Gibbs continued to reassure and coax Tim through the emotional storm. All three of them at a loss as to how, for the moment at least, they could help.

NCIS

"What do you have?" Owen Bradford, the newly appointed head of legal and human resources department, questioned his legal team the moment he entered the room.

"Sir, there was a log of Agent McGee's request for help, but it looks like no action was taken." Carl Brent replied.

"Who made the log?"

"Jim Ward, it was a couple of days before he retired sir." Carl answered.

"So, in other words he couldn't be bothered." Adam Roberts piped up from where he was working on his own set task.

"Roberts," Owen cautioned, before continuing with Carl "anything else?"

"I'm not sure sir." Carl admitted

"Explain."

"An acquaintance with Admiral McGee, sir, it might mean nothing, but I need help to look into it from an investigative viewpoint." Carl Brent explained.

"Interesting, I'll ask Agent Balboa's team to help you."

"Thank you sir." Carl replied looking somewhat relieved

Owens then turned his attention Adam "Okay Roberts, what you got?"

"Finley's complaint holds water. Relatives are not supposed to work on the same team. However the fact that they weren't aware does work in their favour. In all honesty sir I don't think there's not going to be much we can do."

"Don't let Agent Gibbs hear you say that." Owen warned

Adam flinched at the warning "Of course not sir."

"Keep working on it, we need something."

"Are you going to speak with the Director now sir?" Carl asked.

Owen looked at his watch, "I have a few minutes so I'll talk with Agent Balboa first."

NCIS

"Your plans for the Forensic department are brilliant, Miss Fielding." Vance praised his newest employee as he began closing this current meeting he was in. It was one of several he had lined up and was eager to get through them so he could get to the hospital again.

"Thanks Director Vance" Delilah replied "I only have one area of concern"

"Let me guess...Miss Sciuto." Vance responded with the pretence that he was taking a wild stab in the dark

"Yes sir."

"Let me tell you a thing or two about Miss Sciuto…"

NCIS

As the emotional storm dissipated Jack sat gently on the far end of the bed waiting for his sons to focus their attention on him as he worked his way towards an explanation, hoping Ducky would help out as and when needed. But before he could say anything Gibbs started talking again

"I know you don't have a lot of confidence in me right now, but I'm going to earn back your trust Tim." Gibbs vowed

Tim looked at Gibbs for a moment, still not completely believing that the man was his brother. Seeing the questioning expression on his face, Tony stepped in verbalising what he knew Tim would never tell the older man "It's not just about trust on the job that you will have to earn boss."

Gibbs nodded, after his discussion with Tony he knew that Tim didn't have the confidence to come to him with anything personal when he didn't feel like he had his boss's support at work.

"I think the three of us have a lot to talk about." Jack stated, it took a few moments but Tim eventually looked towards him "Hello son."

NCIS

Owen Bradford sat in the chair opposite Leon Vance, ready for the meeting to start. The other man was currently on the phone with SecNav and the conversation didn't appear to be going that well, which meant the information his teams had found out were now even more important.

"If you're sure Clayton" Vance grumbled unhappily before listening again for a moment longer. "I can assure you that had any of us known this wouldn't have happened….Yes I am aware…..I have both my HR and legal department working on it Clayton…..Yes…very well…. as soon as I can…yes…Thank you Sir."

NCIS

Delilah Fielding decided to take the bull by the horns following her meeting with Leon Vance. The man himself had given her some good advice and Delilah had openly acknowledged that she wanted to be a senior team player, to take on and supervise the opposite shifts to the ones she herself would be working.

It would of course mean that Abby would no longer work with Gibbs' team. But between them Vance and Delilah had agreed that wherever Tim ended up working within NCIS, they needed to limit the amount of contact and influence the Sciuto woman seemed to have over the young man.

For a moment Delilah's thoughts centred on Tim. She was aware that she was becoming quite fond of him, even if she had only met the man a few weeks prior to this case blowing everything up in the air for him. Shaking her head - she could deal with all that later – she had plans with Jimmy and Ziva at lunch time to make a visit to the hospital, and see how Tim was faring. However, right now she needed her head in the game. So, squaring her shoulders Delilah walked back into the lab, happy to note that Abby was actually working on what she had been tasked with before the meeting.

"Abby." Delilah greeted

"Oh hey, err don't have the results in yet but everything running as requested." Abby informed her new boss. She still wasn't happy with the changes but she was certain that once she had spoken with Gibbs, the mix up with the positions would be sorted out. So for now at least she had decided to play along.

"Great, now let me bring you up to date with the meeting I've just had with Vance."

NCIS

"Great, so I'm just a drunken mistake." Tim stated, obviously upset and despondent at what he had learnt as Jack had just finished explaining what had happened during Gibbs' first few months in the marine core.

"I never said that." Jack replied as he received a glare from Leroy, as the younger man pulled Tim into yet another sideways hug. This time Tim didn't fight the hug but he didn't readily accept it either. He stayed quite stiff within the embrace.

"I want to be on my own now" Tim informed the group, as he pulled himself out of the hug Gibbs was attempting, wincing in pain as he did so.

"I don't think that's wise Timothy." Ducky replied. He could see the devastation in both Gibbs and Jackson.

"How about a compromise." Tony suggested. He could see Tim looking unsettled at all the attention being focused on him.

"What kind of compromise?" Gibbs questioned. He didn't want to leave Tim for a moment whilst he was having to deal with all this.

"Well…." Tony started just as the door opened.

"Are we early?" Ziva questioned as she popped her head around the door pretending to look at her watch like she didn't know exactly what time it was.

Tony laughed "No just give us a moment."

"Okay." Ziva said before slipping back out.

"That's your compromise?" Gibbs questioned.

"You, Jackson and I have an appointment elsewhere. Ziva, Jimmy and Delilah want to visit now that Tim's awake." Tony explained.

Tim guessed what the so called appointment was "Tony…..no."

"Yes, Tim." Tony said with conviction.

"I don't get a say in this?" Tim countered.

"Sorry buddy, not this time."

"I agree with Antony" Ducky informed.

When Gibbs didn't seem to like the plan he continued "It will do Tim good to see the others Jethro. He needs a chance to relax and having the others here as a distraction with stop him fretting. In fact, if Antony doesn't mind, I'll join you before my meeting with Vance."

"You're not staying?" Tim asked. He really wanted to talk to Ducky privately.

"I will return later after my meeting with Director Vance. We can talk then Timothy." Ducky replied.