Scandal 8

Nathan was pacing the floor. As soon as Phil had notified him that, bullets had been fired into Agent Gibbs' home. He had wanted nothing more than to rush over there and see for himself that Tim was ok. Which he dryly laughed to himself at. His boyfriend was a federal agent and he felt stupid and small, in his reaction. Tim could more than take care of himself. For all he knew, Tim was shot at every other day, and was constantly staring down the barrel of a gun. But it felt different to the norm, in regard to Tim's job. This felt targeted. It felt personal.

Despite the fact that Tim and he shared most things in life, both men respected the confidentiality and the sensitive nature of one another's work. Sure, that is not to say that Tim didn't share tidbits of his day with Nate, or that Nate didn't share tales of his day with Tim. Nathan didn't share the trials and tribulations of the senate, congress or a committee hearing that he was involved in. But he did share the antics of certain politicans. The sarcastic, witty, derogatory comments, snide whispers and the antics of the day that he shared in his office with Kyle.

Tim didn't talk their cases, the sensitive nature of his job. The operations he was involved in, or his agency conducted. He didn't talk about the arrests they made, or what the media said about a specific case he worked or consulted on. Nathan also knew more about the office antics and the staff personnel at the Navy Yard than he cared to admit, because Tim did talk about that part of his day.

He knew about Tony's love of movies and women, not necessarily in that order. He knew that Tony had a penchant for practical jokes, gags and all things silly. He was brash, immature and was the ringleader and instigator of most of Tim's hazing, belittling, bullying, etc. But he also knew that Tony and Tim's friendship had come a long way from those early days. In some ways, it had changed after Kate's death. It had been less bark and less bite. While Tony might be all of the above things, Nathan knew that Tim knew, that when the chips were really down, he could count on Tony. In Nathan's opinion, that was a good thing for Tim.

He knew of Ziva's love all weaponry and her prowess in the kitchen, not to mention her deadly special skill set that made her a valuable asset to the team and the agency. He knew that Tony and Tim often corrected her idioms, or her grammar. That the two men occasionally teamed up to tease her a little. Always in good fun, of course. But he also knew that on occasion, after a tough case, or a hard day, Tim and Ziva would exchange text messages, or grab a beer at the bar down the street, to debrief, vent or just check on one another. Like good friends do. Especially if Gibbs, or Tony had been unbearable, or extremely difficult, on that particular day.

He knew about Abby's love of all thing's goth, her charity work and her love of animals. He had learnt about how she bowled with nuns, actual nuns. How she went on retreats with them and had sleepovers at the convent with them. How she was adopted after her parent's deaths. That she knew ASL from a young age because her mother, Gloria, had been deaf. That her behaviour had changed after the other female agent's death. That now, she quite often teamed up with Tony in hazing or teasing Tim. That although she claimed to love him, she could be quite harsh with him too.

He knew of Doctor Mallard, or Ducky as Tim always lovingly referred to him. He knew of the good doctor's penchant for a good yarn, a tale, the love he had for good book and his brief, whirlwind romance with Tim's grandmother. Nathan knew of Ducky's friendship with Gibbs, that he was the main carer for his mom who had Alzheimer's disease, too. He knew that Ducky was Scottish and perhaps the most respected medical examiner in the world.

He knew about the future Doctor James Palmer, or Jimmy, as Tim always called him. He knew that Jimmy and Tim were friends away from work and he knew that the two men quite often went running together, headed to the gym or played a game of ball. He knew that as soon as the two men first met, they became friends. He had even passed the future doctor in the halls of their apartment building on more than one occasion, Jimmy had been coming over and Nathan had been leaving for work, or vice versa. He also knew out of Tim's entire team; Jimmy was the one he had wanted to meet the most.

What he knew about the new Director of NCIS, Leon Vance was surprisingly from all his work and not what Tim had said. Of course, Tim had vented in passing about the previous Director on more than one occasion. Jenny Shepard. Both men knew more about her than either of them cared to.

The enigma was Gibbs. Tim had mentioned Gibbs the most. Both in equal parts of singing his praises and cursing the man's name. It always amused Nathan when Gibbs' name would slip from his boyfriend's lips so frequently. He used to have bets with himself as to whether Tim's voice would be vexed or pleased, when he mentioned Gibbs at dinner on any given night. He knew his boyfriend well enough to guess. But beyond Gibbs being his boss, he didn't know much else about him, on a personal level. Tim was very tightlipped about Gibbs' personal life, his personality and Nathan had been able to tell, it wasn't because Tim didn't know. It was because Tim was protective of Gibbs. He respected the man's privacy. Nathan privately pondered to himself, if it wasn't because of a hero worship, or if it was because he longed for Gibbs' paternal protectiveness.

Nate knew that sometimes, more often than not, especially in the early days, that his boyfriend had felt like an add on. An extra, and never really part of the team. He never said so as such, it was just a gut-feeling that he had. Sometimes, he felt that Jimmy also been a member of that outcast group, alongside Tim. That it was the first point of their friendship. Yet, Tim never said a word about it.

Knowing all of that, it didn't help the stirring in his gut. The worry, the concern for his lover. Right now, he wanted nothing more than to sneak out of The Residence, and yes, he knew how to, and to rush over to Alexandria. To Gibbs' home and into Tim's arms. The presidential order, be damned. He needed to know that his boyfriend was ok. He needed to know that his Secret Service Agent was ok, too. Mark had been with him for a long time now. Longer than he and Tim had been together.

"Phil?" He asked, looking over at his other Secret Service Agent. "W...was anyone injured?" Nathan took a moment to process Phil's demeanor. Phil's facade rarely cracked. He could see that Phil was still slightly worried, which set Nathan and his anxiety on edge.

Phil generally could hold himself together perfectly. The only time that Nathan had seen the man's facade crack, was when his maternal grandfather had passed away last year. It had been a large hoopla. His maternal grandfather was an ex-president of the US and his body had laid in state at the Capitol Rotunder. Leading the tributes and mourners had been current and former world leaders, foreign diplomats, royalty from near and far, as well as politicians from both sides of the divide and the general public. His grandfather, Paul, he had been well loved and when he had been in office, he had held the record for the highest approval rating of a sitting president, since records began.

The public had come from near and far. His family had thanked them profusely for their condolences, in the days after the televised funeral service. It was an aspect of their relationship where Nathan had wanted nothing more than to have Tim by his side, in support. In spite of how risky it would have been, Nathan's fondest wish didn't eventuate.

The argument between Tim and Nathan about his grandfather's death, had been epic.

"Tim, you don't have to come out as my boyfriend. Hell, you could just be a friend." Nathan offered simply. "I just need you by my side this week. Can't you just take a week off work for me? Be here for me? Help me get through this circus. You know how important Grandad was to me."

The news of Nathan's grandfather's passing had not been a shock. The man was sick with Alzheimer's Disease for a long time. He was fairly incoherent in the end but that didn't stop Nathan from visiting him. On his third last visit, Nathan had brought Tim along with him. They already knew he was palliative at that point. Nathan came out to his grandfather years ago. The man who had been his greatest ally in life. He had introduced Tim to him, and it had been a good day for his grandfather. The older Taylor man had been happy to hear that his grandson had found a soulmate and the man had laughed when he had told reminded his grandfather about the truth of his sexual orientation. "Tell me something, I don't know. You and your boyfriend used to think you were so slick, back in the day. Sneaking around, thinking no one knew what the two of you were getting up to in your dorm room. Your father might not care to ask about your paramours, but I do."

"I can't just take off from work at the drop of a hat, Nate." Tim snapped, frustrated and angry that Nathan would beg him like this. "I have a job to do, and it's important. If I'm with you, who's watching my teams back? I can't tell you what I am working on or who we're chasing. But mark my words Nate, it's bigger than your grandfather passing. Our current case, it's vital to the security of our nation, for Pete's sake."

"You can, you're just choosing not to." Nathan argued, dejectedly and harshly. He was grieving his grandfather and all he wanted, was for Tim to stand by his side, in support. "You could just be a silent supportive friend. I am not asking too much from you."

"You're asking me for everything." Tim cried out loud in anger at his boyfriend, letting his watery eyes form tears. "My life and my family are NCIS and the military, yours is politics and I cannot, in good conscious, trade one for another. And it doesn't make me a liar or a coward, for not wanting to come out and stand by your side."

"I would never, and have never, called you a coward, before in my life." Nathan defended himself, angry at Tim's implication. He felt his heart sink at the thought that he knew all too sadly that Tim had spent a lifetime of being put down, degraded, teased, hazed, bullied and belittled by his teachers, his peers, his sister, but most of all, by his father. Unfortunately, that had left Tim vulnerable to confidence issues and an inability to recognise that he may not have the love and support of his family, but he had a chosen family that would love and support him, no matter what.

"I can love you, and want you, and still not want to come out. That's my choice to make." Tim interrupted Nathan's train of thought. "And, it doesn't make me a liar, it makes me a man with some infinitesimal shred of self-preservation."

"Well, where does that leave us then?" Nathan asked softly, a sob getting caught in his throat. He knew that together they stood on the precipice of their relationship, he just hoped they weren't stumbling over the cliff's edge.

"It leaves us wherever you want it to." Tim sighed, as his tears fell ashamedly. "But I will not be bullied into coming out and being thrusted into the spotlight and directly into the media, to show my love and support to you, just so you can have me near you." Tim shouted back, now feeling his hot tears on his cheeks and not caring about him openly crying. They rarely, if ever fought. But when they did, it hurt like hell. "Every queer person has a right to come out on their own terms and on their own timeline. They also have the right to choose not to come out at all. The forced conformity of the closet cannot be answered with the forced conformity in coming out of it."

"You're right." Nathan said, thinking about the point that Tim had just made. Before he grinned widely. He scoffed lightly. "I should have known ... you're always right. Goddammit!"

Nathan looked over at Phil. Phil was standing behind him on the sofa in the family room of the Residence. "I have a crazy plan." Nathan grinned at his Secret Service agent. "Is Mark still with Tim?"

Phil grinned at him, in return. He was hoping that Nathan would have a plan. "Of course, they were headed to your hideaway cabin." Phil had already relayed the conversation he had held with Mark earlier. The one in which the NCIS had insisted on taking over the protection of Tim. But when he had heard that there would only be Gibbs on the detail, Mark had insisted that he stay and be an extra pair of eyes. "Do you need me to get Kyle on the phone?"

"Yes, please. But first, I need to speak with Tim." Nathan replied, before suddenly standing his feet and rummaging through the cupboards and drawers, looking for the notepad and pen that his mother always kept in the kitchen. Once he had located them, he began feverishly writing down the words he remembered Tim shouting at him during the biggest fight the two men had ever had.

A lengthy call to Tim, explaining his plan and what he would require from Tim, ensured. Tim was hesitant, but he was also supportive and understanding. Tim listened to his boyfriend. Listened to what he had planned to say. Suggested some re-phrasing of certain words, before both men were happy with the statement.

Tim shouted down the phone line "You menace!" to him, causing a round of laughter from both of them. Tim was stunned to learn the words he had snapped at his boyfriend, in the middle of a difficult argument, would become part of his boyfriend's coming out speech. In a speech that would made in the press room of the White House. Tim tried not to be smug about it, but now his words would go down in history for this. In all of it, there was a slight poetic justice for Tim.

A shorter call to his Aide, Kyle Rigby, detailed their plan of attack. It had Kyle grinning ear to ear. He was surprised that the Senator and the federal agent had come up with a plan of attack by themselves. Especially one like this. But he also dreaded the meeting that he now had to undertake. That would be painful, but painful was sometimes part of the job.

Kyle needed to get the president on board with this crazy idea, too. Convincing the President of the United States, Andrew Taylor, that his son should hold a press conference and make a statement, in response to the allegations and the now trending news story. After all, the media had always thought that they should be allowed to nose into Nathan Taylor's private life, especially the tabloids. It was time to fight fire with fire.