Training A Probie - When Fornell notices a lacking in Tim's training and general care for his well-being, he steps into the roll, unbeknownst to anyone. Because he doesn't want to see the young man killed. Italics are flashbacks. This is NOT SLASH. It's a friendship story.
"Sorry Tobias, the game's been called on the account of Gibbs. We've got a dead petty officer in Rock Creek Park." Tim announced, as he packed up his own gear. Headed to the bathroom to change into something more respectful for work, like his jeans and a shirt, instead of sweats. Tim apologised to the FBI agent. Tim and Tobias had just returned from a two mile run, after their workout, when Tim's cell rang. They both knew it was always a possibility, the MCRT team were on-call this weekend. But that didn't bother either of them. Some weekends it was Tobias leaving and others it was Tim. On a rare occasion, it had been both of them, for the same case. Sometimes one of them had to cancel on the other, that was OK too. It was the nature of the beast, an aspect of their jobs. The FBI and NCIS agent had been training together for the last five years and developed a close and deep friendship, respect and admiration for one another. It wasn't a secret. But they were sure that nobody else knew, nobody else cared. Tobias was sure that if Gibbs knew, he would care, though. That also didn't mean Gibbs would pick up the pieces and fill the gaps, either. After all, that was how Tobias had began this whole thing, with McGee.
It started when Tobias Fornell had first met Agent McGee. He'd been TAD to Gibbs' team at the time and as green as they come in the area of the more physical aspects of the job. But not on the technological side. Oh no, there he was as bright as they came. After a particularly brutal case that NCIS and the FBI had worked together, Agent McGee had been in the parking lot trying to get his car started. It was late and everyone else on his team had already left for the evening.
Fornell had been called into a video-conference meeting, after they'd wrapped up the case, with the Director of NCIS and his own Director in MTAC. He had promised Gibbs that they'd catch up soon. Gibbs had claimed to be busy when he had floated the idea of a late dinner past him. That was how he found himself leaving the Navy Yard so late and found Agent McGee still tinkering on that old, beat-up Honda that he drove. They had been parked next to one another in the lot. "You're flogging a dead horse there, McGee." Tobias had told him, as he approached his own car. "What's the matter?"
"I'm mechanically and electronically minded and I have no idea." Tim resigned out loud. He was still stationed in Norfolk and needed to make the three hour drive back tonight. He had run out of fresh clothes. He and Abby had decided to forgo a relationship after that first date. He wanted something more serious and she was honest and told him that the best she could do was casual, with no strings attached, which wouldn't cut it for the younger man. If he had of asked Abby if he could use her laundry or crashed at he apartment the night, she would have wanted something in return and Tim didn't want to go there with her. He had to protect his heart, at all costs. "At first I thought it was the starter motor, but everything seems intact. Now I'm not sure what it is." Tim had said the last sentence through a yawn.
"Do you want a ride back to your apartment?" Tobias asked, feeling sorry for the young man. He was certain that Gibbs, Kate and Tony wouldn't have given him a second glance, struggling with his car, as each of them left. Especially if the way they had treated him throughout this case, was the way he was always treated by them.
"All the way to Norfolk?" Tim asked, surprised. He had seen Tobias drop his jaw, in shock that NCIS hadn't at least offered him lodging closer to the Navy Yard. A three hour trip, one way was excessive and the older agent knew he had to be back at the Navy Yard at 0700 in the morning. "That's too far and you're just as tired as the rest of us. I'll give Abby a call. Thanks though."
"Norfolk? Haven't they got you anywhere closer to stay?" he asked, surprised. "Oh, I forgot that you and her... Were." Gibbs had told him all about the Geek and Goth, forensic scientist's relationship.
"No, no! No!" Tim vehemently denied. At Tobias' questioning look, he elaborated. "We're not together. She wants no strings attached, casual. That's not me, I can't do the one night stand thing. But I'm sure if I begged her, she'd let me crash at her place."
"That's because you're mother raised you to respect women, McGee." Tobias quipped, having heard Agents Todd and DiNozzo hazing the younger man about not being one to go out to a bar and pick up women. "Seriously, you going to be OK?"
"Yeah, I'll call Abby. Worst case scenario; I'll crash in my car and organise a tow in the morning." he told the FBI agent. "Once my report is done, I'll catch the greyhound back to Norfolk."
"Come on, grab your gear. You can't spend the night in your car, you'll catch your death. Grab yourself a change of clothes, I'll even let ya have a shower and clean ya clothes." Tobias said, feeling sorry for the younger man. He had a whole team here and no one had stopped to help him. He was still just a kid, barely twenty-two years old. The same age his own kid brother would have been, had he not taken his own life at fifteen years old. Tim stared at him for a whole minute, wondering why the FBI agent was being so nice to him. "Look kid, no strings attached, McGee. Just helping out a fellow agent."
"It's Tim, not kid and thank you." Tim said softly, as Fornell helped him pack up his tools and grab his gear. "I appreciate it."
The traffic over to Crofton, Maryland, where Tobias Fornell lived was light, this late at night and the conversation seemed to easily flow between the two men nicely, much like the traffic. Flowing and easy. "Welcome." Tobias said as he unlocked the front door of his home, ushering the younger man into the house and locking up behind him. Tobias quickly gave him the five cent tour of his home, before heading into the kitchen for food. "Dinner? I'm just going to make scrambled eggs and toast."
"Sounds great, can I help?" Tim offered him, genuinely. Tim had never told anyone that he was actually a good cook. Both his mother and his grandmother, ah, his Penny had taught him.
"You can go and grab a shower and start the washer with your clothes." Tobias told him with a warm smile and a chuckle. "Because the hot water will need time to refill before I shower."
"Thanks." Tim said again, as Tobias showed him where the linen closet was and where everything else he needed was. He was surprised to see that in addition to the younger man's work kit, he had an overnight bag with a full toiletry kit in it.
Tim took the quickest shower he had ever taken in his life, before changing into the last of his clean clothes. His tee and sweatpants from MIT. As he opened the bathroom door after his shower, he was greeted by the older man, who snatched up his dirty clothes from him and led him to the laundry, surprised to see all of his other clothes already in the washer, ready to start.
Tim tried to thank Agent Fornell again and Tobias simply held up his hand in stop. "Don't thank me, it's not necessary. It's the decent, human thing to do. I can't believe NCIS expect you to make a six hour round trip every night." he said, disgusted. "At the Bureau, you'd get a lodging allowance, as well as a meal allowance."
"We're a smaller agency, what can I say?" Tim quipped in reply, sending the FBI agent a smile.
The two men continued chatting about the case they'd just closed, as they ate their scrambled eggs on toast. Tim had to admit, that the older man knew how to cook, too. "My mom, she made sure all us boys knew how to cook." Tobias explained to Tim. "Mary Fornell was infamous for her dragging her four boys all over town. Dry cleaners, supermarket, butchers, green grocer. They had chores to do and there was no slacking off. Everyone learnt how to cook, clean, do laundry. There was no exceptions. Mom was really strict with us."
"My father is a Navy. Career man. He is a Rear Admiral Lower Half. Been in the Navy since he finished high school." Tim said. "Dad's really strict and mom was laid back. She died when I was six. He met Lori, my ex-stepmother the same year that my mom died and he married her two months later, nine months after that, Sarah, my sister was born. Lori was very laissez-faire. She is into a lot of new age and hippy things. So it was my job to do most things around the house. Washing, cooking, cleaning, babysit Sarah. I always had to babysit, Sarah. My mom, she'd taught me the basics before she died and my... Ah, Penny. That's the Admiral's mom, she taught me the rest. She practically raised me, after Lori and Dad separated."
"You were just a kid? You had to babysit your kid sister. She would have been a baby, back then." Tobias guessed. He had been appalled by what he had just learned about the young man before him.
"I was seven, the first time I babysat." Tim confessed. "She was a good baby. Now... Well, she's a teenager and if you don't have anything nice to say..."
The following morning, Tim and Tobias had a quick bowl of cereal, before rushing out the door, grabbing coffee from the drive through café on the way into DC. "Thanks again, for everything last night." Tim said to Tobias before he climbed out of the FBI agent's truck.
"Here's my card, you can't get a tow for that clunker. You give me a call." Tobias reassured him it was OK and handed the card over. Emily was with Diane this weekend. Diane had custody and he had a visitation weekends, on alternate weekends. This was her weekend with Emily. "Give me a call and I'll come and get ya. You can stay the night and we will get it going in the morning. If I find out you didn't call me, I'm gonna kick your butt. You got that, McGee?"
"Yes, Agent Fornell." Tim told him firmly.
"It's Tobias, kid." He had already told Tim twice, last night. But Tim was polite, too polite most of the time. It was clear to Tobias that Tim had manners ingrained in him, from an early age and nothing would change that. "Off the job, anyway."
"Tim." he supplied his own name, holding Tobias card and handing over one of his own. "I'll call you."
The case that Tim had just caught on Saturday afternoon and interrupted their workout, had kept him busy and on Wednesday at lunch, Tim called Tobias to reluctantly cancel. They had a serial killer on their hands and although they were closing in on the killer, Tim knew they wouldn't have solved the case and done the paperwork in time for their weekly dinner. If Gibbs, whom had a weekly scheduled dinner with Fornell on Tuesday's, was any the wiser after five years, that Tim was also having a weekly dinner with his friend, he didn't let on. Tim had been the lone witness to Gibbs cancelling dinner on Fornell the night before, a last minute call. Tim wasn't like that, he liked to give plenty of notice, in case his friend wanted to make other arrangements.
As soon as Gibbs called lunch, Tim locked his workstation and headed out of the bullpen, grabbing his cell off the desk, as he left. "Guess Probie didn't want us to hear him break dinner plans with his sister." Tony deliberately jibed while Tim was within hearing distance, trying to goad him into an argument.
"Why must you ride him?" Ziva asked, toying with a paperclip. "It is juvenile and unproductive."
"I'll stop soon, I only paid for a decade." Tony replied in turn, annoying Ziva, further.
Ziva didn't know who with, but she did know that her friend had a standing dinner, every Wednesday night. He had been going to dinner with this person on a Wednesday night, since before she met him. She had learned that when she was profiling the team for her brother, Ari. She had tried to follow them once, but his companion had called and cancelled. The next Wednesday, Tim had managed to lose her in heavy traffic and the third Wednesday, they had to work late. Ziva had given up after that. She had asked her friend once if it was his kid sister, he was meeting and Tim had told her no, not offering any other information of his own. "I do know it is not Sarah." Ziva told Tony, as she and Tony made their way over to elevators. "I asked him once and he told me it was not Sarah."
"I tried to follow him once." Tony confessed to the Israeli ninja, turned Special Agent. "Turns out Probie is a slippery little serpent, he knows when he is being followed now. He is better at detecting it and managed to slip by me." Tony, of course liked to think that he was the best at everything on the MCRT. Much to his dismay, both Tim and Ziva knew better.
Gibbs was smirking, where he sat at his desk, as Tim returned. He too, knew that Tim had a standing dinner, every Wednesday night. But unlike Agent DiNozzo and the Mossad Liaison Officer Ziva David, Gibbs knew it had been going on for a lot longer than the year to eighteen months Tony thought it had been. Gibbs knew it had been going on from about the time that he had McGee transferred to the Navy Yard on a permanent basis. In the beginning, he suspected that his lab rat and the geek had been secretly getting together, but when he casually asked Abby one Wednesday what her plans were, she had explained that it was the night she and the nuns went bowling and she slept over at the convent. That was the end of it. As long as it wasn't Abby that his geeky agent was making time with, he didn't care.
When the case wrapped up and they were working their way through the paperwork, it was late in the evening when Tim's desk phone rang. An unusual occurrence, especially this late at night. It was enough to garner the other agents' attention. "Agent McGee." He greeted the caller, snatching it up from the cradle. The others in the squad room watched, as Tim spoke in low tones to the caller. Who ever was calling him had done all the talking. "I'll be there in twenty minutes." He said to the caller, but making eye contact with Gibbs. Gibbs gave him a nod, with that statement. He knew he could rely on Tim to have his reports done by morning. On the rare occasion, he had let McGee leave early for something, the reports were always on his desk by the time he arrived, the following morning.
"Go, McGee." Gibbs said, when he saw a brief look of worry cross his agent's face. "Give me your reports in the morning. I hope everything is ok."
"Thanks Gibbs." Tim said, taking a moment to bag his laptop and his case notes that he would need to complete the reports. "Night all."
As Tim left the squad room, Tony groused about Tim being able to leave early and not him. Especially when he had a date waiting for him. "One McGee actually still gets me his reports on time and without errors, unlike you. Two, clearly whoever was calling him had delivered some news that had been concerning." Gibbs replied harshly to his senior field agent. "You are a senior field agent, DiNozzo. Read the room next time."
Ziva had been pleased to hear Gibbs set Tony straight. All too often, she noticed that Gibbs ignored Tony's antics. Especially if they involved McGee and Tony was whining about something that was unfair. "But...-" Tony had began, before Ziva shut him up with a glare. Tony had been riding everyone just as hard, during this case and acting like he was the bees knees, but had been especially hard on McGee. They all knew it was because he had tried to score a date with the witness. Eloise McGinty, a feisty redhead, Irish supermodel who had been best friends with victim number two. But she had only had eyes for his probie. Not that Tim noticed her. He remained professional, at all times.
Tim had rushed into the emergency room of St. Michael's hospital, clear across the other side of DC, from the Navy Yard. When Tobias had been leaving the bureau tonight, he had been T-boned by a hit and run, drunk driver. His car had been hit on the passenger side of the car and the impact had been hard, sending Tobias' car into a power pole. "Tobias Fornell?" Tim asked, in a rush, at the information desk. His laptop bag was slung over his shoulder, his weapon on his hip, as he held up his ID to the nurse at the desk.
"You can't speak to him without a family member present." She told him firmly, mistaking Tim for an investigating agent.
"No, I am Timothy McGee. Doctor Baker called me" Tim corrected the young woman. It was a common mistake that could easily have been made. "I am Tobias Fornell's emergency contact. He wishes to speak with me before she discharges Tobias."
The nurse hastily apologised, blushing at him and took Tim through to his friend, and paged the doctor. She had taken her time, enjoying the visual delight that was Timothy McGee, his hair all ruffled up from the frustration of the day, his clothes all crumpled from exhaustion and the green kind, caring eyes that seemed to see into her soul, had her going weak at the knees.
"Oh my goodness, Tobias." Tim said as he entered the cubicle, seeing his friend sprawled out on the gurney, holding an ice-pack to his ribs. "How are you feeling?"
Tim had seen Tobias wince in pain, holding his ribs. Tim surmised that the airbags had deployed and broken a rib. "Like a human bruise." Tobias answered, breathlessly. "Gibbs give you any static about leaving early. Told them not to call you."
"Nah, besides it's just reports." Tim griped, knowing Tobias would understand. He had seen the quality of Tim's case reports quite often, during joint investigations and knew the young agent always had near perfect case reports. "I'm glad they did. You can't drive and I'm sure you've got a cracked rib."
"Three, actually." The red haired doctor stated from the curtain on the edge of the cubicle. "I'm Doctor Marissa Baker, you must be Tim? Tobias' ...?"
"Friend." Tim supplied, focusing on Tobias and his condition. "How is he?" Tim had just noticed the bump on the head and the wrapped left wrist his friend was sporting.
"He is going to be just fine." She said sweetly, smiling at him. Tobias was grinning, half hooped up on pain meds, half knowing that his friend Tim was completely oblivious to the doctor's attempt at seduction. She sidled up closer to her patient's friend and touched his forearm, gently caressing it. "Three broken ribs from the impact of the airbags, bump on the head an a mild to moderate concussion, with a sprained wrist. It's the concussion, I wanted to talk with you about. I want to admit him overnight, but Tobias is adamant that he go home. He will need someone to stay with him. He can not be left alone for the next twenty-four to forty-eight hours due to the concussion and heavy pain medication."
"That's not a worry. He can stay with me." Tim declared and Tobias gave the seductress a knowing glance. He had already told her he could stay with Tim and she hadn't believed him that his young friend had existed. Tim was still yet to notice the increased flirtation and touching towards Tim, on the doctor's part. Truth be told, Tobias had stayed at Tim's place before. Enough times not that the older man had his own change of clothes and a sleeping bag there, just as Tim had clothes at stashed at his place, too. "It'll be ok."
Tim wasn't as naïve as he was letting the doctor believe, he just wasn't interested in meeting anyone at the moment. He was sure she was a nice enough woman, but he just wasn't interested in her. Greatly relieved to be away from her friend's doctor, he managed to get Tobias changed out of the hospital gown, into Tim's sweats and into his car. Happy to finally putting some distance between the hospital and himself, Tim relaxed and focused on driving them home. "Thank you, Tim." Tobias told him with his eyes closed. He had told himself, year after year, that he was thankful for the younger man's friendship, but like most men, he rarely mentioned it.
Tim managed to get Tobias upstairs and resting in his bed. Tim knew from painful experience that sleeping on the sofa with broken ribs wasn't a great idea. As soon as his friend was settled and peacefully sleeping, Tim settled in and finished his report. Finishing the report, he emailed Gibbs an unsigned copy, then sent Ziva a text message asking if she could swing by his apartment in the morning to collect his reports for Gibbs. She had happily and readily replied she could assist her friend. Tim then steadied himself, before calling his boss. He wouldn't be in, tomorrow.
"Gibbs." he had answered curtly, seeing it was McGee calling him. He remembered a time when McGee was terrified to even speak with him, let alone call him outside work hours.
"Gibbs, it's Tim." He said, succinctly. Over the years, he had learned not to be afraid of Gibbs, to be brief and succinct as possible. Brevity was his boss' best friend. "I won't be in tomorrow. I will be contactable by phone, in case of emergency, but unable to come into the office. I will send my signed reports to work with Ziva. There is an unsigned copy of my report waiting in your inbox, too."
"Hope you're ok, McGee. See you Friday morning." Gibbs said simply, as he hung up.
When Gibbs had hung up on McGee, dismissing him, he had stared at his cell phone for a good minute, trying to work out just when the hell his junior agent had become so adept in omitting information and diverting him away from prying questions. He knew McGee couldn't lie to save himself. But he had noticed a few instances where McGee would successfully divert someone away from the truth and omit information to protect his private life. McGee had strict boundaries about the two of them crossing over, something that Gibbs respected and admired about his youngest agent.
The following morning when he arrived in the bullpen, he looked over at the junior agent's desk and seen that it was neat as a pin, as always. True to McGee's word, there was an unsigned copy of Tim's report there for him to read through whilst he awaited Ziva's arrival with the hard copy. Tony's arrival diverted his attention, momentarily as the lothario agent was still whining about last night and McGee being able to leave early. Tony had warned Gibbs that McGee was "in for it" when he arrived and Gibbs lowered the boom. "McGee is taking a personal day, DiNozzo. He will be back tomorrow."
The senior field agent had began to rant about their junior agent as Ziva stepped off the elevator and came into the bullpen, before handing Gibbs the sealed A4 yellow envelope with McGee's loopy handwriting on the front baring their boss' name. "How was he this morning?" Gibbs asked Ziva in a low voice, but it had garnered Tony's attention and he had nosily joined Ziva and Gibbs by Gibbs' desk.
"He didn't say much, Gibbs." Ziva told their boss. "He was polite and met me at the door with the envelope in his hand. He didn't invite me and I didn't force my way in. He looked tired and it looked like he had been sleeping on his sofa. I could hear soft snoring from his bedroom."
Tony almost looked like he wanted to make a smart-ass or sarcastic comment, but restrained himself. "What's going on, boss?" He settled on. "Should we be worried?"
"Nah." Gibbs told them both. "Just was wondering if he was ok."
"Just tired." Ziva said, but Tony was far from convinced. That sounded like evasive behaviour from his probie and he was determined to do a little investigating of his own.
As soon as Ziva left, with his report in hand. Tim went to wake Tobias and do the concussion check, before Tobias had graciously thanked Tim again. The two men both showered and dressed for the day, before Tim packed an overnight bag and the two of them headed to Tobias' house so he could change his clothes and they had more space to hang out.
The two men watched a documentary on Ted Bundy before they chatted about past cases and how all serial killers took a cue off a fellow killer. Then Tobias took a nap and Tim opened his personal laptop and settled down to get some more work done on his latest manuscript.
He and Tobias worked in the kitchen together, preparing a meal, as they had many times before, before peacefully watching an old spaghetti western movie and both men heading off to their respective rooms. Tobias in his bedroom and Tim in their guest room.
The next morning when Gibbs arrived in the bullpen, Tim was already there and judging by the empty cups had been there for two hours, already. He wordlessly asked the younger man if everything was ok and Tim gave him a nod. Everything was ok.