JF32
Kelly was discharged from hospital the following morning and Tim took the following day off work too. Her doctor told her she'd be up and moving around ok by the end of the week and could return to work the following week. Gibbs called her to see how she was feeling but opted to go to the office, instead of stay at the apartment with her. He had already missed two consecutive days from work and he was antsy to get back to it. He felt awful about the way he left things with Kelly and Tim after the argument, but he thought it would be better if he gave them a little breathing space. Gibbs knew he was out of line, accusing Tim of making medical decisions for Kelly and unduly influencing her decisions and he would definitely apologise to them. He, Ellie and Dorney caught a case and after processing the scene and Abby working the forensics, Gibbs called Tim to see if he could remote log in from his apartment and run some background information, while he worked with Ellie, Dorney and Abby on the physical part of the case.
Leon Vance arrived back at the Navy Yard, the messy situation at the Pearl Harbour office that had required his immediate attention was now taken care of and he was glad to be back at the Navy Yard. he had been keen to hear how the news had gone over and was surprised when he cut through the bullpen to see Dorney at DiNozzo's desk and Ellie at her own, Tim's desk empty.
Ellie informed the Director, that Gibbs was in the lab with Abby, that she had been unusually clingy to him since he returned from being away. Before explaining that was out for the day on carer's leave, but was remotely logged in and running background and traces from home, that Kelly had been unwell and had required emergency surgery. When Vance asked Ellie if she knew anything else, she only mentioned that while she wasn't in the know as to what had ailed Kelly, she knew it warranted a 911 call. Oh, and that there was some serious tension between Gibbs and Tim.
Leon Vance continued his trek up to his office, managing to slip in, undetected by Pamela, his PA. He wanted a moment alone to check in with Tim, before she started bombarding him with everything that had been neglected in his absence, especially since he forgot to delegate someone into his position, temporarily. He picked up his personal cell phone and called the man on his mind. He could have used his office line, but this was more of a personal call than a business call and wanted to convey that to Tim before he answered.
"Agent McGee." His cheerful voice came down the phone line. It was always cheerful and respectful, polite and business-like and he wondered if that was something that John McGee had instilled in Tim from a young age.
"It's Leon, Tim." Vance identified himself. Tim had answered the call so fast, it had barely rung and he wondered if the young man had even checked the caller ID. "How are you doing?"
"Director, sorry. I didn't want to wake Kelly; she is asleep on the sofa in my office." Tim explained. "I should have checked the caller ID before I answered but I was in a hurry. Kelly needs her rest."
Vance had been surprised that Tim had so cleverly deflected away from the simple question that he had asked and had wondered when Tim had gotten so good at it. "Yes, Agent Bishop told me that you're out on carer's leave. Most people don't work from home, when they take carer's leave, Tim."
"Yeah, well it's a top-priority case and Gibbs wanted the answers yesterday. I am acting Senior Field Agent, it's my job." Tim told Vance and Vance grimaced at that. That was probably the tension that Bishop had told him about. "You know what Gibbs is like."
"Unfortunately, I do." The Director chuckled. "Cancel the application for carer's leave. I'll authorise a work from home day for you. If you're working from home, you deserve to be paid accordingly. Now don't deflect the question, how are you going?"
"I'm doing ok. It's been a tough few days, but it's getting better." Tim admitted to Leon. "It was a shock, but I mostly have the answers I was looking for. Ms Porter and Fornell have their answers and once Balboa speaks with John McGee, the case will be closed."
"Well, that's a relief Tim. Honestly, I was worried." Leon told his young friend. "How did they take the news?"
"They were like me, shocked. Then in denial, angry, upset, hurt. It was a real gamut of emotions for everyone." Tim explained to him. "It took a full day to sort through the mess and then Kelly got sick, but Ms Porter and Fornell came to the hospital while Kelly was in surgery yesterday and sat with me and Gibbs."
"Sounds like things are pretty much exactly how I left them, except now you have all the facts." Vance grumbled as he mentally assessed the situation. "Have you decided what you're going to do with NCIS?"
"Hasn't exactly been a priority, Leon." Tim reminded the Director. "Kelly has been my priority."
"Right." He agreed. "Two more things and I'll let you get back to it. One; has Gibbs apologised yet for whatever bonehead thing he did that made the two of you argue? Two, can I please stop by with lunch around twelve? I need an update on that project you've been working on, before my committee meetings at the White House this afternoon?"
"Yes, you can." Tim agreed, saving him the trouble of ordering out or cooking up something. Tim was grateful, he was sure that Leon knew that Gibbs would have set him an insurmountable amount of work to do from home, not trusting anyone else to do what he did.
"Does Kelly need anything in particular?" Vance asked him. "I was planning on getting something to go from Elaine's on my way."
"Nothing in particular right now." Tim smiled at Vance's caring nature. "You know Kelly, she's pretty easy going."
"Right, well I'll let you go. See you at midday." Leon disconnected the call as Pam came in and he asked Pam to put a few small things together for him that she thought might make Kelly feel better. Also, he requested that she inform Gibbs he wished to see him in his office, ASAP.
The doorbell rang at precisely midday. Tim let Vance inside the apartment. Greeting the man, with a friendly smile. Tim spied the small bunch of flowers and decided to tease his boss. "Suppose those are for the lady of the house? You trying to score points with my girlfriend, there?"
"Like she'd trade you in, for me." He quipped in reply. He shared a grin with him. Leon was carrying a medium sized gift bag and a small bunch of daisies for hr, as well as the carry-out bag from Elaine's. "Where is she?"
"Milady," Tim called out in a faux British upper-class accent, making Kelly laugh out loud, then grip her stomach and groan. "You have a gentleman caller."
"Here, make yourself useful, Agent McGee." Leon told him as he thrusted the plastic carry-out from the diner at him in a playful tone. "Here's lunch and can you bring back a vase for the flowers? How are you feeling, Kelly?"
"I'm doing a lot better, already." Kelly confessed. "I'm just grateful that Tim was here. I can't begin to imagine what would have happened if he wasn't."
"Well, these are for you, from myself and my children." He handed the Kelly the gift bag and she looked surprised, before thanking him and opening up the bag and peeking inside. She pulled out a couple of different magazines and some mud and charcoal masks that Kayla had chosen, a crossword and sudoku book, as well as a sketchpad and pencils from Jared, a ten pack DVD of classic romantic movies that Pam, Vance's PA had chosen, a gift card for a meal delivery service from his mom and silk, aromatherapy infused sleep mask from Vance, himself. "Oh, and some daisies from the kids because your dad said you love daisies."
"Thank you so much, you certainly didn't have to." Kelly said, thanking him. She couldn't believe the beautiful, generous and thoughtless gift they had given her. "Everything in there will come in handy."
Leon took the offered vase with water in it from Tim and set the daisies inside it, before he noticed that Kelly had some orange-pink roses already in another vase. He could smell the aroma of the roses, when he sat the daisies down. "Those roses smell heavenly, Kelly. They're beautiful." Leon exclaimed, admiring the beautiful arrangement.
"Thanks." she smiled at him. "They're from Tim, my new favourite rose. They're called Anna's promise and he bought me some for our first date and they smell heavenly. I actually fell in love with them, ... And him actually, right there in my living room."
"Look at you, Mr Romantic." Leon teased his friend, good-naturedly. "You certainly know how to treat a woman right."
Tim bought the plates back in, to serve up lunch. Leon had gotten them three serves of macaroni and cheese, with meatballs, Kelly's favourite. "You and Elaine in cahoots?" she asked, playfully. "Elaine knows that this is my favourite comfort food, especially when I'm not up to par."
"I didn't tell her, I had Pam call a to-go order in from the diner and this is what Elaine prepared for us." Leon defended himself.
Kelly and Tim looked at one another and exclaimed "Dad!" simultaneously. They both just knew it would have been Gibbs and suspected they'd be visited by the older man tonight.
Once lunch was consumed, Kelly excused herself, almost immediately, promising to try out the aromatherapy infused sleep mask. As soon as Kelly had left to take more pain medication and go for a nap, Leon followed Tim into his office so that he could be updated. Leon was surprised that Tim had progressed as far as he had. He was more than eighty percent finished with the project already and he was only a week and a half into it. At this rate, he'd be ready for the next project before DiNozzo's return to the MCRT.
That evening Tim, Gibbs had been by with dinner and had apologised for turning on Tim. Gibbs claimed he had known in his heart what he had been saying wasn't true, but his brain was stuck on snarky.
After Gibbs left, Tim helped Kelly into the shower and helped her wash her body and hair, to prevent pulling or stretching the wrong way and busting a stitch open.
Now, her torso was an impressive rainbow of colours with yellows and purple around the surgical incisions, orange from the antiseptic they used in surgery, white from the waterproof dressings and pink from the sterile wash they used in the post op. Kelly's pain had begun to subside, now it wasn't so much pain as it was tender. But Tim still helped her in and out of the shower and helped her wash her hair, being the gentleman he is, he even wore his boxer shorts into the shower to shop her he meant business. Which had made Kelly laugh at her boyfriend's antics.
After her shower, Tim towel dried her hair and began the task of untangling her long wet mess of golden auburn hair with a detangling brush and then with a regular brush and comb. When Tim was done, he gathered her hair and quickly plaited her hair and secured the braid. Kelly was surprised at his skill and he told her he used to do Sarah's hair when she was a little girl. That Sarah had long hair that was fine and there was a lot of it, so it would always be in one huge tangled mess. Lori, Tim's now ex-stepmother, was always busy with one of her TV shows, or off and about doing who knows what, and she never had time to help Sarah with her, so the task would always fall to Tim. "There you go." he beamed at her.
"You're very good at that, ever thought of changing professions?" Kelly teased him, as he went to fine some pyjama bottoms.
"Ha ha. You're such a comedienne." Tim deadpanned at her from their closet. "Trust me, that is the extent of my skills. As much as Sarah knew it had to be done, she hated the fact it was me and that I did it for her. By the time she was eight, I left JH and she had no choice but to do it herself. She could not maintain it and that's why it's cut the way it is, today."
"Well, I thank you and appreciate it, really." Kelly whispered at him, turning her bedroom voice on. "Coming to bed?"
Tim stood in the doorway of their shared closet, bare chested, grey sweatpants hanging loosely on his hips, arms crossed as Tim dropped his voice, a little. "Really?" he raised his eyebrow at her. "I don't think so. You see the doctor in two weeks for a follow-up examination, we'll talk then."
He laughed as he got into bed. Kelly punched him in the arm, lightly and playfully, more of a tap, really, as she joined him in laughter. "I was suggesting that you could begin cuddle me to keep warm." she purred to him. "But it's good to know, that's where you stand in the issue."
"Now that I will happily do." He grinned at her. "I would never intentionally put you in harm's way. I love you too much." Kelly reached her head up to him and kissed his lips as soon as Tim was settled in the bed. Tim reciprocated with some kisses of his own, before breaking it off. "Not going to let either of us get swept up in the moment, either."
"I love you, Tim. Good night, Babe!"
As the two men had agreed, the night before. Tim double checked with Kelly that she would be OK at home, alone. She was, and Tim prepared to head into the office.
Last night, Gibbs had worried about the excitable pup jumping on Kelly and had taken the young pup with him, to stay at his place. Both to take the burden off Tim and to help the couple out. He had admitted to himself that Tim had been doing a great job of taking care of her.
Coming back into the bull pen felt like a huge relief and he had barely taken his seat when Ellie and Ned breezed in. As Gibbs came in, he silently asked Tim if Kell was OK, with a tilt and Tim gave a discreet nod that she was.
By lunchtime, they had caught a case and had hit the ground running. The case was complex and heavy on the computer work. After they'd processed the scene, Gibbs sent Ned and Ellie back to the squad room, to get started on the cyber side of it, while he and Tim chased down the Captain's C.O
When Gibbs and Tim had found the C.O, they'd found him sleeping on massive stacks of counterfeit US money, which prompted a call to Fornell to join the investigation. Bringing Fornell in felt wrong to Tim, but he wisely kept to himself. He and Gibbs would talk on the way back to the yard in the sedan. He wasn't sure if was because of their newly discovered connection as father and son, if it was because Tony was not there to make wise-cracks about Fornell or if it was his gut. He needed to bounce his thoughts off Gibbs and he refused to do so, in Fornell's presence.
By the time the FBI had come and taken all the counterfeit cash, Tim had called Ellie and Ned to the scene to help them process it. While Fornell and Gibbs were discussing, whatever it was they were talking about Tim delegated the tasks to their team. He asked Ellie to shoot and sketch, Ned to bag and tag and he began taking witness statements. Gibbs had looked up to see Tim communicating with Jimmy and Ducky, confirming the victim's identity and went back to his conversation with his friend. When he returned, he was impressed to see that Tim was now talking to the witnesses.
"Timothy is really flourishing, as your acting Senior Field Agent, Jethro." Duck whispered to him as he joined the ME and the ME assistant as they prepared their second boy for transport.
"I know, Duck. So does Vance." Gibbs sighed to his friend as Jimmy Palmer disappeared into the ME van for the gurney. "I have a gut feeling, when DiNozzo returns to the MCRT, I'll be in the market for a new JFA. Pretty sure Vance is going to move Tim on, into a permanent SFA position."
"It is long overdue, though." Ducky comforted his friend. "After all, none of you adapt well to change."
Back at the Navy yard, Tim was getting an update on what Ellie and Ned had found before he'd called them out to the second scene. They'd discovered that the captain had actually been UA for three days and he had a history of going UA for three days at the beginning of every quarter, that it was well known, but never reported because he was generally found to be in the company of his C.O and a couple of ladies of the night.
Gibbs and Vance looked into the bull pen from up above. "He's ready, Gibbs." Vance told him. "I've revised DiNozzo's punishment. He will be back at the end of next week. Tim will start the following week on Agent Stewart's team. As promised, the boys will work one final week together."
"It's the end of an era, Leon. Tim, Tony and I have been together for twelve years, now." Gibbs resigned sadly. "When everyone else has left or moved on, those boys have stuck by me."
"I know, Gibbs. But Tim has the potential to go far within our agency, we need to let him spread his wings." Vance consoled his friend. Leon too, had mixed feelings about moving Tim away from the support of Gibbs. "We can't stifle his potential to keep that status quo, or NCIS dies with me."
"You're thinking of him becoming the Director, one day?" Gibbs asked. He had thought that only he and Ducky had entertained those thoughts.
"Not just Director, Gibbs." Vance said softly. "My successor."
Gibbs was working in the basement when he heard the front door. He was surprised, he had stopped by Tim's apartment and apologised to the man, checked on his daughter and he was pleased to see that she was doing so much better. So, he wasn't expecting anyone else. Ellie had never stopped into the basement and Jake had returned from his business trip.
"Hey Boss." Tony smiled at him, from the doorway above the stairs that descends into the basement. "Any chance you can come upstairs? Got someone I'd like you to meet."
Gibbs was wondering why Tony wanted him to come upstairs and was surprised to see a little girl, aged two, sitting on the sofa next to his agent. "Who's this?" Gibbs asked, surprised. "Hello" Gibbs said to the little girl sitting on his sofa.
"This is Tali." Tony told him, as the toddler snuggled into her father. "Remember when I went to Israel, in search of Ziva, a couple of years ago? Turns out, I left Ziva with a souvenir of my visit."
"You and Ziva?" Gibbs asked, surprised. The little girl seemed to be the perfect blend of the two of them. She smiled at Gibbs and gave him a shy wave. Tony picked up a framed photo of the old MCRT and handed it to Tali.
"Watch this." he told his boss. "Who is everyone, Tali?"
A small voice answered "Ima" pointing to Ziva, her mom. "Aba" Ponting to Tony, her father. "Dod Tim" pointing to Tim and Gibbs rose his eyebrows slightly in surprise that Ziva had named Tim, Uncle Tim. "Saba Gibbs" pointing to Gibbs in the picture, then to Gibbs in the armchair. "Saba Duck" pointing to Ducky "Doda Abby." Pointing to Abby and "Dod Jimmy" pointing to Jimmy, Ducky's assistant.
"Zee told her all about us. I got this note with her, Gibbs." Tony told him, handing the note over. The note was in English, which surprised Gibbs because Ziva wrote everything, that wasn't NCIS related, in Hebrew.
'This is Tali. She is our daughter. Take care of our daughter, Tony. Take her and keep her safe, I will be back soon. I promise you that I will be safe. Do not look for me. Hide with Tali, Rule four and forty-four, Ahuvi. Give my love to the others, before you hide. Tell them to watch their six, just in case. I love you both.'
"What?!" Gibbs exclaimed. He honestly wasn't surprised that Ziva was mixed up in something like this. Whatever this was. But he couldn't help her. She had told Tony to hide Tali. That had to be their priority.
"Adam and Malachi Ben-Gideon bought her to me. They found me at Senior' s house in New York." Tony explained to Gibbs. "My Dad's going to come with me. We're not taking anything that can be tracked, except Tim's sat phone. Tim's the only one who knows how to track that sat phone. He did something to it to make it untraceable by outsiders."
"Tim already knows?" Gibbs asked, surprised that Tim didn't say anything.
"No, but he loaned me his sat phone for the drive to New York. I've bought him a new one and asked him to leave this one in his name." he explained. "I've... I've come to tell you, goodbye, Gibbs."
"Watch your six." Gibbs reminded him.
"Whoever is after Ziva doesn't mess about? I have a gut feeling that whatever she is involved in, has to do with Ari and Eli." Tony whispered. "Look at her, she is innocent. Tali doesn't deserve to be dragged into a mess that happened years before she was born, Gibbs... She's my daughter and I have to protect her, not just from whoever is after Ziva, but from Ziva, herself and from Mossad."
"Yes." Gibbs immediately agreed. He had to admit, Tony made good points about Ziva. He had never thought that he would turn his back on Ziva. But she was mixed up with something that they all had no business getting into. She had been becoming more reckless, before Eli was killed. If Tony was right, and it had to do with Hamas, Ari and Eli, he needed to protect Tali at all costs. Mossad had proven too untrustworthy in the past.
Tony handed Gibbs a thick stack of envelopes. "I'll call Tim. But there's a letter for him, too. I'm going to miss you all so much." Tony admitted softly, trying not to cry. "Especially you and Tim. We've always been together, no matter who rotated in, it's been the three of us now, for over a decade. We're leaving in the morning. You and Tim watch each other's six, no matter what? You two are too important to us to lose."
"Of course. Have you called Leon?" Gibbs asked, trying to steel himself against his tough emotions.
"Before I got here. He understood the reasons and wished me luck." Tony whispered. "I wish I could stay... But I've missed out on so much of her life. I didn't even know about her. I can't turn my back on her, I need to protect her. She is my daughter. You'd protect Kelly if you were in my shoes."
"Good luck, Tony." Gibbs replied, pulling Tony in for a hug. "I know you left him a note, but go see Tim. Let him meet Tali before you leave. Say goodbye to him. It's like you said, we've been together for over a decade, just the three of us."
"We have to go. Goodbye Gibbs." Tony whispered with finality as he gathered Tali in his arms and headed for the door. "Somehow, I'll get word to you when we're safe. I promise."
"I'll keep my eyes and ears peeled." Gibbs replied, as he walked them to Tony's car. He let Tony buckle Tali into her seat, before pulling him in for another hug. "Be safe. You need us, you call us, OK?"
Gibbs felt Tony nod against him, before his now, former SFA wordlessly got in his car, waved at him and drove away.
Gibbs sent a prayer up to Shannon in heaven above that, Tony and Tali would be OK.
Tony sent Tim a codeword and Tim slipped out of the apartment without a word and headed to their secret pre-determined meeting place. When Ziva didn't return from Israel with Tony, he and Tom made a plan, just in case that trouble ever came after them because of Ziva. They ran their plan, operating on Gibbs' rule four. Only the two of them knew the plan.
Tim arrived before Tony and he was pacing back and forth. He was nervous and he desperately hoped it was a drill because Kelly was asleep and no one had called Gibbs. The original plan was they'd meet and go get Gibbs before they left. Tim had assumed, that it would mean they'd also get anyone else in danger like Ducky or Kelly.
"Probie." A voice whispered and Tim looked up to see Tony, jogging with a jogging stroller, dressed in sweats, a little girl in the stroller. Tim was shock. "This is Tali. Tali, this is DOD Tim, or Uncle Tim. She's, my daughter."
Tim breathed out loud a sigh of relief for a moment, saying hello to the beautiful little girl with light brown curls. "I panicked, thinking I should have taken Kelly with me. I thought we might be in danger."
Tony and Tim continued their jog along the path in Andrews Park, until they came to the secluded rocky ramble and slipped under their bridge to talk. "Zee is in trouble. We can't help." Tony rushed out. "I have to take Tali and run, but I couldn't leave without saying goodbye."
"What?!" Tim asked, he couldn't believe what Tony was telling him. Tony wasn't his usual jovial self and to be honest, that scared him more than seeing that codeword on the screen.
Tony quickly told Tim everything that he had told Gibbs including about the sat phone. Tim reminded him that Tony and Tim had fake ID's ready to go and Tony should activate his.
"Sign this." Tony begged him. "It gives you power if attorney over all of my possessions, including my finances. If something happens to me, call Bud. He has my will. Don't believe I'm dead unless you see my body. Mossad is involved."
"Are the rest of us in danger?" Tim asked, worrying about Kelly. He had left her alone in the apartment.
"Not that we know of, but watch each other's backs." Tony warned him.
Tali was suddenly asking her Uncle Tim for a hug and Tim held the little girl close to him, praying that it wasn't the last time he'd see either of them. He kissed the top of her head.
"Be safe. You need us, you call us, OK?" Tim asked, as he handed Tali back to Tony.
"Do you have ESP? Gibbs said the same thing, word for word." he smiled at Tim and hugged his friend. "Stay safe. Kiss Kelly goodbye for me. Take care of everyone and yourself. You and Gibbs watch each other's six."
Tim nodded thickly; his throat thick with emotion. Then he remembered something. Something important. He took the sat phone from Tony. Tim entered in a series of numbers to commanded it. "There's a voice and location scrambler embedded in this phone; I've just activated it. It's highly encrypted and you'll be able to call my cell phone without giving away your location. Stick to our codeword. Text me it if you need help, I can unencrypt it from my end to get your location. No one else can do it. It's totally safe."
"I'm going to miss you, man!" Tony almost sobbed as he hugged Tim again. "You're a literal genius."
"You know me, I'd do anything to keep those I love, safe." Tim told him.
"The fifteenth of every month at 1500 hours DC time." Tony reminded him of the original plan. "I miss one check in, you activate the phone and turn on the camera. If you think I'm in danger, I've got your tag in my wallet, back trace it and send help. Don't be a hero, Tim. I mean it and don't let Gibbs; the original lone wolf be a hero either."
Tim nodded at him a final time and watched as Tony gave him a jovial grin, tipped his ball cap he'd been using to hide his face and he disappeared back into the path. Tim watched his friend leave and got back into Kelly's car and headed straight for Gibbs' house.
Gibbs and he needed to talk.