Tap21


Tim couldn't get back to sleep. His dreams were plagued by nightmares of something happening to Tobias or Diane disappearing, leaving him behind to pick up the pieces for Emily. At 0400, he sent Pete a text, telling him he was going to skip out on their planned workout. He explained that he hadn't slept all night and was really tired. Tim sent the text message, knowing he would see it in the morning when he woke up. He was surprised to see a reply almost instantly.

Pete had said he was wide awake and had suggested that he come over and join them for breakfast, if Emily was okay with that. Tim replied that they wouldn't wake her, because he would be leaving for his muster before she woke up for school. Pete replied he'd be right over, with a laughing face. Tim was sure he was joking, until Pete reminded him that he was actually serious, and he was on his way.

Pete had been disappointed, not being able to see Tim last night, but he had understood that something big must have happened to Emily. He was pretty sure that his boyfriend would tell him, or at least hint to him what Emily's problem was, without breaking her trust. Pete wasted no time and within thirteen minutes, he was on Tim's doorstep wearing just a tee, hoodie and sweatpants, and of course, his suit bag with his Navy uniform in it.

Tim hadn't bothered throwing any other clothes on yet. He answered the door in an old threadbare tee and cotton boxer shorts. Tim greeted him with a saucy smile, his hand resting on the doorframe. The smile he knew that Pete found irresistible. Tim had heard the car pull up and recognized the sound as Pete's Mazda CX5. It was only 0420 and it was still over an hour until Tim's 0530 alarm would sound. "Hello, yourself." Pete quipped and stepped into the house, kissing Tim chastely before letting the homeowner close and lock the heavy wooden front door behind them. With the door closed and locked, he took a step forward to meet Tim and kiss him hello, properly.

Pete followed Tim down the long hallway, where Tim momentarily stopped to check on Emily. Seeing her still sleeping soundly, he closed the door over and continued down the hallway into his bedroom. With Pete following him, Tim turned and locked the door behind him.

Pete joined Tim by the closed and locked bedroom door. "C'mere," Tim urged him, and Pete, the dutiful sailor, complied with the request. Pete's taller, broader frame seemed to tower over Tim in the dull lamp-shaded light of the bedroom. "I missed you last night."

Tim's lips were on Pete's, his hands cupping his man's cheeks. Pete's hands automatically went to Tim's waistline, holding him close to his body. Leaning Tim against the door, Pete thoroughly enjoyed the way they were kissing. He could feel the heat between them. They hadn't gotten this hot, this quickly before. But their relationship had definitely been heading in this direction for some time now. Tim's hands found Pete's waist as he pushed himself off the door and led them over to his rumpled and slept-in bed. Pete moaned with want as Tim pulled Pete down onto the rumpled bed. Their lips never disconnected as Pete climbed onto the bed and tried to lay down beside him. Tim wasn't having any of that; he wanted Pete on top of him, and wordlessly hinted at that.

Tim pushed his body into Pete's, slightly and deliberately in a seductive manner, and watched the older man's eyes glaze over with desire. Pete leaned back down and took Tim's lips between his. On instinct, Tim opened his mouth wider, and Pete took advantage of that. Introducing his tongue to Tim's in an explosion of passion. Tim's hands found the bare skin of Pete's flank. Caressing the skin with his fingertips and exploring the skin there, Pete broke off the kiss. Shuffling his weight onto his knees, Pete stripped his tee from his body, his bare chest glittering with the light dusting of hair across the toned muscles.

Pete slid his hands under Tim's shirt, but Tim sat up and allowed Pete to remove his shirt too. Tim moved his hand to the string of Pete's sweatpants. Pete encouraged Tim, his hand joining Tim's as he undid the knot in the drawstring and Pete shimmied them down his legs, leaving him in just his cotton shorts too. Tim reached up for Pete, his hands on the back of his neck, urging him back down on top of him.

Pete managed to maneuver them onto their sides, facing one another as his fingers found Tim's nipples. Pete enjoyed Tim's bare chest. The complete baldness of it, his pecs and the slight abs he had coming in. He discovered that Tim's nipples were sensitive, and he enjoyed the reaction Tim gave him when he touched them. His mind began thinking forward to a time in their future when they would be truly alone and what he couldn't wait to do with them. Pete felt Tim's hand on his chest, running his long, slender fingers through his fine dusting of blonde hair over his abs and slowly explore every inch of his skin. "Ahh" Tim broke off the kiss and moaned quietly, throwing his head back and Pete immediately took advantage of the man's exposed neck. Kissing and suckling at the junction where his neck and shoulder met, causing Tim to moan harder. "Oh Pete!" Pete grinned against his skin, as he continued making Tim feel wanted and aroused.

He moaned Tim's name in the younger man's ear and grinned against Tim's neck, his lips now on Tim's neck and his hands on Tim's nipples. Tim's hand was on his lower stomach, and it was caressing the waistband of his cotton satin shorts. Pete rolled them over, pulling Tim on top of him. Now both of Pete's hands were holding Tim by his hips and he was plundering the beautiful and soft mouth that belonged to the emerald-eyed god laying on top of him.

Tim could feel Pete's manhood hardening through his shorts and moved against it, enticingly. Tim broke off the kiss, to catch his breath and his lips found Pete's neck, as he adjusted himself to support his own weight better. He could feel his own manhood getting harder and they were still supposed to be taking it slow. "Pete" He moaned against the older man's neck.

"I know." Pete panted against Tim's cheek. He knew they had to slow down, they both had been upfront and not wanted to rush into the physical aspect of a relationship. But Pete's hand brushed between their bodies, and he could feel that Tim was just as hard and aroused as he was. Pete used all his mental strength to verbalise his question to Tim. "Do you want to slow down?"

"No" Tim replied, his hand joining Pete's between their bodies, as they explored one another. While their hands explored one another's bodies, their mouths continued to explore one another. Making sure to discover both of their erogenous zones together.

Pete didn't want to slow down either, but he knew that one of them had to be the responsible one. "As much as I want to, we're not going to have sex this morning, Tim." Pete whispered between them. "We're not going to have a rushed quickie before work, for our first time. I want to be able to take our time together."

"You're right." Tim replied softly, kissing Pete and falling backwards, headfirst onto the pillow beside him. "My alarm is going to go off in half an hour and I'll have to start my day. You've got to leave in forty-five minutes to make muster call. Plus, we have Emily to contend with. Wouldn't want her overhearing us."

Tim pinched the bridge of his nose and Pete felt Tim's frustration. "What's going on with Emily? Can you tell me?" Pete finally asked, seeing that he and his boyfriend had gotten themselves distracted. "You don't have to tell me. If it's private for her, just say it is girls' stuff."

Tim laughed deeply, trying to keep the volume down, as not to wake her. "It is girl stuff." Tim admitted and Pete looked at him incredulously. "It's true."

"What kind of girls stuff would a twelve-year-old girl have going on?" Pete asked flippantly. Pete flashed back in time. He had been twelve and his sister had been eleven. He had a memory of his father taking him to the rec centre on a school night, in the middle of his homework because his mom and sister wanted him and his dad out of the house. "Ohhh ..." Pete said, when the penny dropped in his mind. "How is she? Is she ok? More importantly is Uncle Tim, ok?"

"Uncle Tim is wondering where those years disappeared to." He answered in a chuckle. "You know what comes next? Hormones, mood swings, irrationality, anger, oh so much angst and more. I am going to look at her and wonder where the adorable strawberry blonde haired little cherub I first met, has gone."

Pete chuckled, "When is Tobias back?" He felt sorry for Tim, he had remembered in the days following his sister's entrance into womanhood, she had become unbearable to live with. He remembered his father telling him that he needed to just have some patience with her. "I hope you don't mind if I don't come around often." He joked, nudging Tim, playfully.


Coming back in to NCIS, he was dreading this next meeting with Gibbs. Both dreading and not surprised by what had happened. Gibbs always did play by his own rules. Disobeying direct orders and running roughshod over other agencies, other agents and his own team. Tim was eternally thankful that he had followed his gut and asked Mac to monitor the NCIS side of their investigation. Eternally thankful, but pissed off when, at 0645 his cell rang, and it was Mac. Gibbs had gone behind their backs and leaked information about their op. Agents Sawyer and Stuart barely escaped with their lives.

Yesterday, after he had left the office, Daniella Figoni had been dragged into their interrogation room. Now she knew that they had agents undercover in the Castillo clan and that there were agents watching the Camarillo family too. Stepping off the elevator, onto level four, he saw Gibbs and Ziva at the plasma and his blood began boiling. Tim noticed that Mac had taken a step further back from him. "ARE YOU CRAZY GIBBS?" Tim shouted, as he stormed into their bullpen. "YOU HAVE JUST UNDONE AN OPERATION OVER TWO MONTHS IN THE MAKING AND JEOPARDISED THE WELFARE AND SECURITY OF SIX AGENTS AND TWENTY-THREE INFORMANTS!"

"Calm down, Agent McGee." Leon Vance admonished him, as he too had joined Tim and Mac in the MCRT bullpen. He had just been on the phone with Director Thomasson at the FBI. "I get you're angry and rightfully so, but screaming at him doesn't get through to him, we both know that. Gibbs, I too would like an explanation as to why you hauled Daniella Figoni into interrogation, after you were ordered to stand down."

"I wanted to see what she knows. She is hiding something." Gibbs snapped at Leon, but glaring at Tim. Who the hell did McGee think he was? Coming into his workplace and screaming at him at the top of his voice, like Gibbs was a probie who had screwed up. "I have been doing this job for a hell of a lot longer than you, McGee. I know what I am doing. I didn't foul up your operation. Unless of course, the FBI were less than forthcoming with what they knew about the crime families."

"This morning, Director Thomasson read me into their entire operation, Gibbs." Leon Vance seethed at Gibbs. "We were informed of everything we needed to be and then some. Like it or not Gibbs, you screwed up. Tell me Gibbs, was it about getting another one up on the FBI? Or was it about screwing with McGee's career one final time?"

Gibbs was flabbergasted. Timothy McGee had yelled at him, in the middle of the bullpen. He knew that the former NCIS agent would have never done that in all the time that he had worked for the agency, beforehand. He also couldn't believe Leon Vance. Although Leon had chastised their former agent, even Gibbs could tell that it had purely been for appearances sake only. But now it was crunch time. He had never thrown another agent under the bus before, but he was about to. He would take the heat for just about anyone. But he had given Ziva a direct order to stand down and not investigate. Only to find out from Keith in security, this morning, that Ziva David had double backed last night and had come in. Upon an examination of her computer by cyber extraordinaire Dorney, he had discovered that Ziva had been working the case. That she had called Daniella Figoni into interrogation and spoken with the woman. She had also ran every known member of each family through the Interpol database and had a contact at Mossad investigate them for her.

Gibbs had been furious when he had found out. He had been steaming mad and he had all but dragged Ziva into the elevator, ready to scold her. She had explained that she was working on a hunch and was following her gut. A big yes from him, but he hadn't realised at the time that it would come at the expense of Tim's bigger case.

"It was not intentional to mess with your case, Tim." Gibbs defended Ziva. He wanted to see if Ziva's gut instinct would pan out or not first before he decided to share with Leon Vance and possibly Tim.

"Explain yourself now, Gibbs!" Leon demanded. He was furious. He had had enough. He was not going to wear Gibbs' stuff up. Not when it wasn't his fault. He hated being reamed out by the Director of the FBI. Especially after he had given a direct order and his subordinates had deliberately disobeyed him. "Now, Gibbs. I don't have all day."

Gibbs looked over to Ziva, he didn't want to throw her under the bus yet. But he didn't have a reason why. He sent a glare Ziva's way, hoping she would come to his rescue, but she didn't. Gibbs pointed to speak in the Director's office, but Leon shook his head no, firmly in disgust. "Ziva floated a hunch by me and we decided to see if it would pan out. She noticed that Figoni spent her summers in Israel. She thought that Figoni might have a connection to Mossad or Hamas. The lead didn't pan out."

Tim had been having a great morning until Gibbs had screwed him over. Well, actually it was Ziva. But Gibbs had taken the heat for her, just like he used to do with Abby and with Tony. Tim wondered if the man would ever learn from his past mistakes, while Mac looked on in disbelief. Mac wanted to say something but chose to bite his tongue. Now he could see why McGee had resigned from the agency, if this was how Gibbs ran had his team. It was no wonder that his friend didn't stick around.

"I will be making an application to the Judge Advocate General to take full control of this case from NCIS, under the grounds of incompetence." Tim advised them and Mac was surprised by Tim's words. Every FBI agent knew that they could threaten other military related agencies with JAG, but he never knew an agent that would jeopardize their career on it. The JAG very rarely sided with anyone other than NCIS, CGIS or CI, always choosing to keep their own cases inhouse. "I have already spoken with the Secretary of the Navy, and I have his full support on this matter."

"Tim." Gibbs pleaded with his former agent.

"Agent McGee, let's discuss this calmly and rationally." Leon Vance tried to calm Tim down. But he knew that it was a futile effort. Timothy McGee was well within his right and he knew that he would be hearing about this incident from Secretary Jarvis in technicolor detail, complete with expletives.

"My mind is made up." Tim said, as they prepared to take all of the case files with them, that were currently in NICS' possession. "Gibbs, I warned you at the beginning of this case that I would not tolerate any deviousness underhanded tactics, and you should know by now, that I am a man of my word."


Returning to his temporary desk at the Hoover building, Tim sighed as he took a seat in the chair. He had been at JAG most of the afternoon, locked in a battle against Gibbs and Vance with poor Bud residing. Eventually Bud had seen things his way, but he was mentally exhausted. Agent Mac had super impressed at how well Tim had known the inner workings of NCIS and the policies, protocols and procedures. Every offensive they mounted; Tim had a defensive maneuver and he outplayed NCIS at every turn.

He was grateful that he had an RDO the following day, he was in desperate need of a day off. He still hadn't managed to get in contact Diane and short of flying to Las Vegas to go and look for her, there wasn't a lot that he could do. It hadn't been twenty-four hours, so without a warrant he couldn't even check her credit card or her call log.

He didn't even have a contact in the local LEO's there. He didn't even know anyone who did. But he did have friends and contacts at OSP, in LA. Friends in high places that owe him a bunch of favors. Before he would reach out to OSP, he needed to make sure it was known that the FBI were searching for Diane Fornell, or Diane Sterling, whichever last night she was using these days.

Snatching up the desk line, he intended to make a third call to the hospital in Las Vegas where Diane was supposed to be. Seeing Director Thomasson headed his way, he dropped the phone line back in the cradle. "I thought Tobias Fornell had lost his mind when he suggested that we try and poach you across to us." The Director said from the doorway, as he came in and took a seat opposite Tim. "But I didn't think your balls were that hard you would actually apply to the Judge Advocate General's office to take control of a case off NCIS. That takes a huge set of brass balls. Actions like that can make or take a career, McGee. Good job."

"The agents and informants?" Tim asked, inquiring after their safety. What NCIS had done, had truly messed with the security and their op. Now the agents had to fall back and regroup.

"Secure, they will regroup and mount a new offensive." Thomasson answered him in a sigh, before he got up and closed the door. Giving the two men privacy. "I am afraid it will mean you have your house guest a little while longer, I hope that is, ok?"

"She is safe with me, Sir." Tim grinned at him. He knew that Tobias' mission was two-fold and that he could be gone a while. That this hiccup had just further delayed his return. He didn't need Director Thomasson spelling that out for him.

The Director looked around his desk and then over his shoulder, through the glass door to the activity in the bullpen. Opening his jacket pocket, he pulled out a crumpled yellow envelope. "Take this." He urged Tim, thrusting the envelope at him. "If things turn sour or go south, don't rely on the Bureau to protect you and Emily. Run. There is everything in there you will need. Three fake passports, just waiting for photos to be stuck on them. Unmarked bills and prepaid credit cards, and a burner cell."

"Three?" Tim asked, confused. Sure, with a third passport he could convince Pete to go UA and run too. But besides Tobias, and possibly Mac, no one at the Bureau knew about their relationship.

"That boyfriend of yours. What's his name? Pete Kennedy." He grinned at his confused agent. "He has the potential to be an asset to the Bureau. Plus, if he goes UA, it'll keep NCIS busy looking for him and out of our case."

"Director, I can disappear, I have the know-how, but Pete? He is Navy, it's not in their nature to retreat." Tim had known and met too many Navy men, both personally, socially and within his time as an NCIS agent.

"Appeal to his protective instinct." Thomasson instructed Tim. "Hell, seduce the man for all I care. Just if you need to take Emily and run, we need you to take him too, so that NCIS is distracted. They can't know that our ultimate goal is taking down the Reynosa Cartel. There is a burner cell number saved in your burner cell. I have it, it's for in case of an emergency. Now, am I clear?"

"Crystal, Director."


Getting home, Tim started a dinner. Emily had caught the bus home that afternoon and she was home only ten minutes before him. She had already spread all of her books out over the kitchen table and was already feverishly working on her English assignment. Tim had sent Pete a message, insisting that it was very important that he come for dinner. "Em, honey. Pete will be joining us for dinner." Tim announced, as he came into the kitchen and began slicing the vegetables for dinner.

Emily didn't think anything of Tim's words at the time, she simply nodded at him and continued working. It wasn't until her mind caught up with his words, did she realise that her uncle didn't phrase it as a question like he normally did. That he had been direct and succinct in his statement. "Is everything ok, Uncle Tim?"

"Everything is fine, sweetheart." Tim answered her absentmindedly, as he sliced the steak into thin strips fast. Her uncle's culinary skills in the kitchen caught her eye and she stopped to watch him for a moment. She had been a field agent's daughter her whole life and she knew when a case was bothering someone. Something was bothering her uncle. He stopped and looked at her. "I promise, Em." He smiled reassuringly at her. She didn't need to know what the plan was yet.

When everything was prepped and back in the refrigerator, ready to be cooked, as soon as Pete arrived, Tim excused himself and headed for his office. Something about the discussion with Thomasson today in his office was bugging him and he couldn't put his finger on it. He had been all too willing to be helpful. In normal circumstances, he would have had to fight tooth and nail to get Pete to come with them. Or worse, he would have had to left Pete behind to deal with the fallout, alone.

Tim felt like he was stuck, he didn't know where to turn. He hadn't been at the FBI long enough to know where he could turn for help. He and Mac had a good working relationship and partnership. But Mac's wife had not too long ago given birth to their first child, he couldn't ask his partner to potentially put his wife and child in danger for him. Ordinarily, Tobias would be his go to guy. But Tobias was in deep undercover. Tim didn't even have a way to contact him, or even know who his handler was to get a message to him.

Normally, Ducky would be his next go to man. He is a worldly man, and he is great with advice, seeing the small stuff and the bigger picture at the same time, but he was close with Gibbs. After today, he was sure that Gibbs wouldn't help him if things went south. Plus, he knew that Gibbs could and would hold a grudge against him. He thought about Leon Vance, before he dismissed that thought entirely. Would Leon even help him? Now that he was no longer NCIS?

What bothered Tim even further by Thomasson's insistence that he take Pete, was his obsessive need to have NCIS distracted. Why would the Director of the FBI want NCIS distracted? Tim had contacts at the CIA, separate of his relations at NCIS. Men he had met through his father. Even though his father was shady, the men had seemed honorable, but after dealing with Trent Cort, he wasn't sure that the CIA was the way to go either.

He knew he could count on Hetty, Callen, Sam and the OSP team. They each individually and collectively owed him several favors. But would they inform Vance? That was the million-dollar question.

"I can literally see the gears spinning in your head there, Babe." Pete quipped from the doorway. He had arrived a good two- or three-minutes prior and he had watched in a sick fascination as the gears in his boyfriend's head turned and grinded. He had received a cryptic message from Tim, in an encrypted coded message that had taken him a good twenty minutes to decipher, all but ordering him to dinner. Which was odd, because Tim was never that forward or direct with people unless they pissed first. "What on earth is going on? I got here as soon as I could."

Tim crossed the room in three strides and threw his arms around Pete's neck, into a hug and held the man close to him. He needed a moment of self-indulgence. Before he would need Pete to be cool, calm and relaxed. He would need Pete to be like one of those English guards in the red coats and black bear fur caps that guard Buckingham palace and show no emotion whatsoever, as not to spook Emily. She had already been suspicious earlier, by Tim's clipped tone in the kitchen.

"We need to talk." Tim urged him, letting go of him and he closed and locked his office door behind him. "Take a seat."