Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS or its characters.
Chapter 26
Gibbs had been working quietly in his basement for the last hour as Tim slept, however he got the feeling he should check on his brother and made his way quickly up the stairs just in time to hear his name being called from the direction of the downstairs bathroom.
"Tim, what the…..?" Gibbs stated shocked to find Tim had managed to get to the bathroom on his own, especially in his weakened state. "You should have called."
"Didn't want to trouble you." Tim replied shakily.
Gibbs knelt down taking in Tim's condition, not only was he extremely pale with a bead of sweat on his forehead, but he looked like he was about to pass out, shaking his head Gibbs gently admonished his brother "Tim….you're not meant to be moving around like this alone yet."
Tim looked at him cheekily "Managed though didn't I?"
"Well half of it at least, come on let's get you back to bed." Gibbs huffed, helping Tim up off the toilet seat before walking him slowly back to his temporary bedroom. "You know Ducky's going to kill me for this."
"Where are Ducky and Jackson anyway?" Tim questioned.
"Dad." Gibbs corrected with a smile as he eased Tim back onto the bed "and Ducky went food shopping, they should be back soon, do you want lay down or sit up for a bit?"
"Sit up?" Tim questioned hopefully as he slowly swung his legs up onto the mattress with Gibbs help.
"Alright let's get these pillows positioned then" Gibb said as he grabbed the spare pillows from the other side of the bed, with one hand, as he used the other to continue supporting Tim, putting them in place to support his upright position.
Once Tim was settled Gibbs sat on the edge of the bed and waited for his brother to look at him "No more Mr independent you hear me? What if you had slipped and fallen you could have done some serious damage."
"I'm sorry" Tim looked rightly abashed, lowering his gaze.
"Hey! None of that." Gibbs quickly got his hand under Tim's chin lifting it up so his brothers eye's met his "I know you've been used to doing everything yourself, that's something I've always admired about you, but you don't need to anymore, we're family and family support one another."
"You must be so disappointed." Tim muttered sorrowfully
"What? Why?" Gibbs stated confused at the assumption Tim was making.
"To have a nerd like me as your brother" Tim replied looking out the window, Gibbs went to argue but Tim cut him off "You'd probably prefer Tony, you two get on so much better than we do."
"Not a chance, I love that you're my brother and you're not nerdy" Gibbs firmly refuted "You're smart, considerate, honest and generally an amazing person, if anyone should be disappointed it should be you."
Tim look at Gibbs in surprised "Don't look at me like that, I have let you down so many times."
"You didn't mean too" Tim insisted.
"No, but I should have been there for you more than I have, so let's make a deal" Gibbs suggested, when Tim tilted his head questioningly Gibbs continued "How about a clean slate for both of us"
"Okay" Tim replied nodding with a weak smile.
"Good" Gibbs smiled back, then thought of something he could do to cheer up his brother as he hadn't been allowed any whilst he'd been in hospital "Now how'd you like some coffee, whilst Ducky's not around?"
NCIS
Jackson glanced over at Ducky as he studied the fresh meat counter "Something the matter Jack?"
"I've just realised I have no idea of any likes or dislikes Tim has" Jackson replied
"Yes well, just remember it's the same for Timothy." Ducky replied as he continued to look thoughtful.
"You're debating more than what meat to get" Jackson observed.
"Correct" Ducky replied as he pointed to the liver as the young attendant asked what they would like. "800grams of liver and sixteen slices of bacon please."
Once they were done Ducky started checking the contents of their trolley, knowing Jack was waiting Ducky slowly explained "I was surprised to hear the news concerning Abigail, being top dog - so to speak, at NCIS had always been very important – too important – for her to just throw it away."
"You think we haven't seen the last of her and why so much bacon?" Jackson questioned
"Abigail liked being the favourite, loosing that isn't going to sit well with her" Ducky responded before smiling "The whole team is coming over, including Delilah, this evening and I'm cooking liver casserole, the way my mother used to make, liver, bacon, mushrooms, onion, plum tomatoes and baked beans with a touch of Worcester source – a good meal to get some much need extra iron into young Timothy, now all we need is the orange juice."
Jackson smiled "Full of the vitamin C, are you matchmaking?"
The twinkle in Ducky's eye was all the answer Jackson needed.
NCIS
Gibbs walked back into Tim's room with two steaming mugs of coffee along with a plate of biscuits and chuckled at the eagerness on Tim's face.
"All right, you got that?" Gibbs asked as he made sure to carefully hand over the cup.
"Yeah, thanks" Tim replied as he took an appreciative sniff.
"Good, now Tim you and I need to talk for a couple of minutes before the others get back okay?"
"Okay" Tim responded wearily suddenly fascinated by the coffee as it swirled around the cup from where it had been stirred.
"Nothing bad I promise" Gibbs informed as he sat back where he had been seated before fetching the coffee, awaiting for Tim to look back up before he continued. "Yesterday we questioned and charged the Admiral"
Gibbs paused for a moment when Tim's eyes widen and he swallowed hard "I don't understand…."
"Long and the short of if it is he's going to prison and the money he stole from you will be in your account in the morning."
Tim looked like his eyes were about to bug out of their socket and he only managed to get out a few words "Stole….How?"
Twenty minutes later Gibbs had explained what had happened with Jim Ward and the connection between him and the Admiral and everything else that they had discovered including exactly how much money was involved, when Gibbs finished he waited for a response from Tim, when it came it was the understatement of the century as far as Gibbs was concerned.
"Wow."
"Oh yeah, your little worry about being able to pay for this furniture - not that you're going too - not such a problem anymore."
NCIS
"Hi guys, what can I do for you?" Delilah questioned as she looked up to see Tony, Ziva and Jimmy standing in the door way of the lab.
"Join us." Ziva said simply
"Okay? Why, what for and where?" looking at the clock, noticing it was a little after three, Delilah asked another question "and when?"
"Because we want you to, dinner, Gibbs house and around six should do it." Tony easily replied
"Oh no, no, I don't think so" Delilah said shaking her head
"Why not?" Ziva asked innocently
"Because I'm pretty sure I won't be welcome." Delilah reasoned
"Wrong" Jimmy piped up happily "Ducky called to say that Gibbs thinks our idea of a team evening on Tim's first night out of hospitals is just what he needs, he's even shopping right now for the ingredients of what he's making for dinner, specifically hinting he's getting enough for eight people."
"So like it or not you're expected at Gibbs at six o'clock this evening" Tony informed with a smile.
NCIS
"Hey" Tim greeted as he shuffled into the dining room with Gibbs hand gently holding onto one arm, just in case, to see the other team members already there.
"Hey yourself" Tony replied quickly standing and pulling out a chair, holding it as Tim slipped into place
"How are you feeling Mc…Tim?" Ziva corrected herself asked
"Well I'm not up to running any marathons" Tim joke lightly with a small smile
"I should think not young man." Ducky stated as he set down a casserole dish on the kitchen counter.
"One day at a time Tim" Jack entered the conversation as he sat a glass of juice in front of Tim
"Yeah you've only been out of hospital a day." Gibbs reminded
"Yeah I know" Tim replied a little frustrated "Just hate feeling…."
"What?" Gibbs demanded
"Leroy" Jackson cautioned
"Weak?" Tim offered up
"You are not weak!" Gibbs growled
"LEROY!"
"Sorry is this a bad time?" Delilah questioned nervously from the door way having just arrived.
"No not at all my dear." Ducky greeted warmly "Come in, come in"
"Great we're all here, let's eat" Tony enthused as he got up from his chair next to Tim, indicating for Delilah to sit there instead.
"Only you Tony" Ziva laughed, both comments helped break up the tension in the room and Ducky smiled at Tony's none subtle way of helping his plan along.
Small talk was in order as they ate, with both older Gibbs and Ducky keep an eye on Tim as they dined, once the meal was over Tony and Ziva helped Tim into the living room and Ducky shooed Jimmy and Delilah into, leaving the older ones with the clean-up, which was quick and efficiently dealt with, enabling them to subtly watch the younger team members.
Smiles where exchanged all round as Tim relaxed and openly started engaging Delilah in a discussion that only Jimmy was able to fully contribute to, not that Ziva and Tony appeared to mind as they traded knowing looks with not only each other but the older men.
The light chatter went on until Jimmy asked the question the younger members of the group all wanted the answers to "So what happens now?"
"Now?" Jackson questioned
"Well, not right now but when Tim comes back to work, you are coming back right?" Jimmy questioned
"Yes but it's going to be a while" Tim answered
"Doc said minimum six weeks" Tony informed "What I took notice of what Vance said you told him boss"
"Yeah, minimum six weeks, then you'll be working up in MTAC"
"MTAC?" Tim, Tony and Ziva all questioned at the same time
"MTAC, supervising until you're ready for your new position" Gibbs replied
"Wait Tim's leaving the team?" Tony stated stunned
"Brothers Tony, we can't work the same team"
"Whose team?" Tim question was barely heard
"Yours" The new voice came in from the hallway, as Leon Vance came into the room
"Sir?"
"I'm setting up a new team, one that will link MTAC, Cybercrimes and our field teams better, you'll be heading that team up, but only once you've recovered and whilst you're recovering you'll be over seeing the head of MTAC's maternity leave" Vance informed the tone of his voice told everyone that it wasn't open for discussion
"Yes sir" Tim replied as he stifled a yawn
"Time to call it a night Tim." Gibbs
"Yeah okay" Tim agreed "Thanks for a great evening guys"
A/N Okay wrapping this story up now, so one more chapter after this...then I will re-work my Mexico story