MTF3
Tim made his way over to the address he'd seen in the ad, where the jewellery store was located. It was over on Woodrow Boulevard, which he was grateful was driving distance. Gibbs didn't know he had an appointment, but he knew what Tim had showed him in the laptop screen the night before.
Surprisingly, it was hard to lose his team. Normally they all went their own way for lunch. Ellie had wanted to talk to him about something and it seemed important, but she promised him it could keep until dinner time. Dorney needed help with a tough encryption he was helping CCU on and Gibbs wanted Tim to join him at the diner, citing Elaine missed him.
Eventually, Tim had to take matters into his own hands and whistle loudly, in the bullpen. Before he announced that he had an appointment, that he desperately needed to keep and it was something he wanted to do alone.
It had been in that moment, he missed the early days. The early days when Tony and Ziva would race off to lunch and leave Tim behind. Never thinking to invite him along. Back when Gibbs only bothered with him, if he needed something from Tim. Tim longed for a day like that. Just one do he could get Kelly's Christmas present in peace.
Looking out the window and although last night's blizzard was over, the snow on the ground was heavy and the wind was blowing a gale. Getting sick again was the last thing he needed. Tim had opted to drive over the jewellers. Entering the small establishment, Tim made sure to have his badge displayed because there was no way he was going in, unarmed. It wasn't his usual jeweller and he didn't know them. He'd run a background check on them and they came back clean, but he had learnt that you can never be too careful.
"Hello, I'm Timothy McGee. I have an appointment." Tim told the women, Marika, behind the counter. Her long blonde hair up in a twisted do. She quickly made a big show of having a naked ring finger by drumming her freshly manicured nails on the glass counter, as she began showing off her necklaces and earrings collection. But Tim ignored her flattery. He had other things on his mind and neither of those things were the jewellery or the blonde, buxom saleswoman before him.
Tim asked some questions about the process or creating bespoke pieces of jewellery, like what he'd seen on their website. Before the sales girl, swiftly told Tim he couldn't afford it, that they only created bespoke pieces for the most upper crust member of society. Tim scoffed and immediately asked for the manager.
When the head jeweller, then man's name branded the company. The master craftsman came out and offered his assistance, Tim couldn't help but send a smirk to the rude saleswoman. Tim explained what he had seen on the website, as well as the idea that he had in mind. He planned to use the unique piece as a base and build on to it.
"You have excellent taste, Sir." the custom creator of the marvellous jeweller said, taking in Tim's exquisite taste and he pulled out the piece of jewellery that Tim had seen online, showing it to the man. Tim found he was wondering if he still had time, that he could make to truly make it unique, like he originally planned. "Do you know the legend behind the piece?"
"Yes I do." Tim smiled. And he did. He remembered the story that Penny had him. She had told him of the piece when he was a small boy. He had never gifted a woman a gift his extravagant before, but Kelly was unlike any other woman, he'd ever been with. "This is the size I need." Tim produced Kelly's beloved and favourite ring. The one that always sat on the kitchen dish sink caddy. The one she wore daily and took off to do the dishes and never remembered to put back on. This morning, Tim had been prepared to measure it and put it back, before he realised he could take it to get the for a perfect fit. That she was always leaving it on the caddy and she wouldn't notice it, missing.
"We have an excellent selection of stones to choose from? What did you have in mind?" The jeweller asked.
"It's not an engagement ring, so not a diamond." Tim laughed softly. "Perhaps a sapphire or ruby? Or an emerald, they are beautiful too."
"We have some beautiful Burmese rubies in a variety of colours." He offered, pouring a small black velvet bag onto the velvet lined tray.
Tim flicked through them, looking for the right size, the perfect stone. He knew that he would know it, as soon as he saw it. "Something this colour and this size."
"Excellent choice. That ruby there, is a pigeon blood red ruby. It measures just over two point five carats. It's got AAA rating." the jeweller warned him. "I just want you to understand, that this is a very rare ruby. It is also a very expensive ruby."
"It's perfect..." Tim beamed at him. "The pink-red hue matches her hair when it she was all fired up and it's the same shade of lipstick she wears."
"That is very sweet, sir." the jeweller crooned and he could see the envious look that the sales girl was wearing too. "With the added stone, you can view the final product tomorrow, same time." the master craftsman said. He was happy to be able to help the polite young man out.
"Thank you so very much for fitting me in. I have been searching everywhere for someone who carries this particular piece of jewellery." Tim said, immensely relieved that he almost had Kelly's Christmas gift sorted He just had to buy a decoy gift, so she didn't suspect the real gift.
"You're a police officer?" he asked surprised, when he saw the gold badge and gun. It seemed odd to the master craftsman that the polite man worked in law enforcement, but to have money to spend on a custom piece, built and designed by him, the man must be good at his job.
"Federal agent." Tim corrected him and didn't correct him when he assumed that Tim was an FBI agent. "I shall see you then."
Tim was ecstatic, he'd found the bespoke piece he imagined in his head and he'd chosen a ruby that was perfect and had reminded him of her. He just hope she loved it as much as she loved him.
Tim grabbed a quick sandwich from Elaine's while he grabbed the coffee on his return trip to the yard. He took five minutes in his car, to quickly eat. Knowing when he got inside, he and Gibbs had a meeting with SecNav and the SecDef regarding their latest op and he would probably be peppered with more questions by Ellie, Gibbs and Dorney.
The rest of the day went quite quickly and as always, it was a pleasure to see his mom, even if it was in a professional capacity. Not that they let that be known, in the workplace. She only had six months left in the position and she would be moving on, choosing not to re-contend for the position, in favour of developing a relationship with her son. She had declared that he was her new found biological son to her boss and he asked them to keep it quiet, for fear of a scandal.
But that narrative suited both of them. Sarah Porter had a background in business and was a CEO of an agricultural company when she was appointed the SecNav position. Soon word would get out that she wouldn't be re-contending her position and she would be head-hunted for a new position, somewhere. She planned to make sure that any job she took, would be in DC, to keep the family together and the developing relationship with Tobias, alive.
Leon had been surprised, this was only the second formal meeting he'd sat in on, with the two of them and he couldn't believe the change from mother and son, to SecNav and field agent. Neither one let their facade slip. They were solid, as could be. "All set for Christmas, Agent McGee?" she asked, at the end of the meeting. That was part of her political make up, asking questions like that and hadn't changed, since discovering Tim was her long dead, son, whom was very much alive.
"Yes ma'am. We're gathering the family together including my girlfriend and her family." Tim answered, keeping it vague. He was careful not to refer to any parents because as far as the outside word knew, Tim had buried his father recently, his mom had died when he was six and his stepmother was remarried and busy with her replacement children. That it was only his paternal grandmother, Penny Langston.
"Agent McGee, I want to extend my deepest sympathy to you and your family, on the loss of your father." SecDef interrupted their conversation. "Admiral McGee was dedicated naval officer. It was a pleasure and a privilege to have known him and to have served along side him. I apologise for my absence at the service. I was delayed due to an unforeseen storm in Nebraska and as such, my flight was delayed."
"Thank you." Tim replied curtly. Inside he wanted to scream. Scream that his father was alive and well. But he didn't dare. Sarah and he, both had too much to lose. It wasn't worth the fallout.
"Just the same and please extend my sympathy to Ms. Langston, also." SecDef said in a tone that seemed more condescending and less than sympathetic. Tim clearly understood the subtext, SecDef and Penny had met at one point and had had a falling out. There was no love lost between them. All that was to be determined was if it had happened while John was in a high position or if it had happened when they were in officer's candidate school.
"Excuse me, Agent McGee's presence is requested in the CCU." Leon interrupted them, edging his way into the conversation. "Apparently, there is a drama with the encryption and the latest DD dash 827/RD."
"Right. Please excuse me Mr. Secretary. That is an urgent problem, I must attend to, right away." Tim politely excused himself and Gibbs followed suit.
"I'll head down there, too Tim." Gibbs added, seeing his own way out and latching onto it. "I want an update on that encryption, too. Excuse me."
As soon as the two men were clear of the meeting with the task force and the idle chit chat, they left MTAC and Gibbs asked Tim what Leon had said.
"That's a fake computer code, we made up during the hunt for the mole." Tim laughed, as he told Gibbs. "Back when we were hunting the mole and I was the CCU team leader, we used it to get out of hanging around the Pentagon after briefings. It basically means that you can return to your desk if you're bored shitless and want to escape."
"I love it." Gibbs declared chuckling and he could imagine that Vance and McGee used it, a lot back then. NCIS was under such close scrutiny back then, he imagined it would have been quite a tense time for their boss and subordinate.
Gibbs just had a sobering thought. He had called Tim, McGee, in his mind and he did it frequently, without thinking. But he isn't really a McGee. He is a Fornell. He wondered if the younger man had thought of it and if he had plans to change his name, personally or professionally. If not, he'd really need to tread carefully as he planted the seed inside his head. He would start, right after Christmas. He just needed to get through Christmas, first and that took every ounce of energy the MCRT Team Leader had.
Tim had always hated being inside John's shadow, having high ranking officers know him by sight and recognise him by name. Some, actually most of them believing his ineptitude, based on John's slanderous and baseless judgement of Tim's character. Tim admitted that he had hated with every fibre of his being the middle name the McGee's had given him. So much that he used to lie and say he didn't have one. Something else that he hated so much, lying.
But Tim loved proving John wrong on a daily, sometimes hourly basis and it made him feel better about himself. What was even better was watching those officer's whom had been told tales by John, eat crow as they profusely apologised for the assumption that Tim was a simple paper pusher and inept at his job.
Tim and Gibbs was thankful for the day to end and didn't let out a sigh of relief until they knew the SecDef was clear of the building. They'd be more thankful when they could read the rest of the team in.
Ellie had caught a ride to the yard with Tim, that morning. So when Gibbs called time on their workday, the small, petite blonde agent and the shy genius agent climbed up into his black SUV and headed straight for that apartment in Georgetown. Tim needed to stealthily replace the ring in the caddy, without either woman seeing him.
When they came through the door, Kelly was on the phone and the two agents exchanged a look, thankful that it wasn't either of them on the end of that tongue lashing, that had freakishly sounded like a female version of their boss. Tim headed straight for the kitchen and saw that Kelly had pulled the ingredients out of the fridge for a quick beef stew, so he began preparing dinner where his girlfriend had left off. Ellie pitched straight in and began, slicing up the beef into chunks while Tim chopped the mushrooms, carrots and potatoes
"Idiots!" she huffed out, she was still on the phone and by the sounds of it, she was now on hold. She went o the fridge and opened the bottle of wine that she had put in there, months ago. Log before they started dating, finally opening it. She poured herself a glass before offering her boyfriend and their house guest, Ellie one, before replacing the cap and bottle, putting it back in the fridge. Tim hid his grin behind his on glass, as he remembered a time when Kelly would drink the whole bottle in a couple of hours over dinner. How times had changed. "Yes, I'm still here, Stefan!" She said as she rolled her eyes at them, taking her wine with her, as she left the room.
"Glad I don't work for her." Ellie quipped. "She just might be scarier than Gibbs."
"She is amazing." Tim agreed. He could feel the ring burning a hole in his pocket. He wished Ellie would leave him alone for sixty seconds. He needed to replace the ring. Ideally while she was on the phone with Stefan, the head of her business' IT department." But she's not scarier than Gibbs."
"You know, Gibbs has such a rough exterior, but he's soft and fuzzy, like a squishy, cuddly teddy bear." Ellie squealed softly.
As luck would have it, at that very moment, her cell rang and she excused herself to answer it, as Tim slipped the ring back onto the caddy. Much to his relief, he was unseen by either of the women, on their respective phones. He chuckled to himself at Ellie's description of Gibbs, very few people would ever describe him like that. But Tim wouldn't argue with that, he'd always suspected Gibbs had a soft side, that was rarely seen.
Dinner was an animated affair with Kelly telling the story of the drama that the two agents walked into. That their new editor Michael, hadn't saved an author's digitalized work and accidentally deleted it. The author didn't have another copy and Kelly had been delegated to oversee the retrieval of said work. "Babe, I'm sure Stefan is marvellous, but if he can't get it done, would you like me to take a crack at it?" Tim offered, knowing that it would be a relatively easy job for him.
"Your are the best!" she declared, kissing his cheek. "By the way, tomorrow night, I want to get a tree. Christmas is next week."
Tim groaned. He didn't want to put a sap-filled Christmas tree near his brand new car. "Great, we can squeeze into my truck." Ellie offered, genuinely. She wanted a way to show Tim and Kelly that she appreciated them letting her stay with them. Saving Tim's new car from a tree covered in sap was a great start. "If you don't mind me tagging along. I've got a lead on an apartment, but I'm just waiting to hear back."
"Fingers crossed, but please know that you're welcome here." Tim smiled at her. "Thank you, taking your truck would be a great help. We could have borrowed Gibbs' but pretty sure Ducky mentioned their own adventures to get a tree.
"You can even drive it, if you like Tim. I trust you." Ellie offered, because unlike Tim, Ellie knew that Gibbs and Kelly had teed it up to venture out towards Shenandoah? where Gibbs had been cutting Christmas trees down since Kelly was a small child.
She didn't think she could ever imagine her dear friend behind the wheel of a truck. He didn't seem to be a truck kind of guy.
After dinner, the three of them were watching a movie, after some musing on the ladies part about what Tony was up to, when the newly installed doorbell rang. The three of them took a moment and stared at one another, wondering who the hell it was and how did they get passed security.
Tim got up to answer the door, checking the peep hole, as well as the glass panelling. Surprised to see a huge Christmas tree at the door and Gibbs' grey mess of hair, he immediately opened the door and let Kelly's father in. "Hey, got your Christmas tree, here. Where do you want it?"
"Living room, by the window?" Kelly asked, looking at Tim for confirmation. She hadn't known that her father was coming, but she was relieved. She hadn't been particularly looking forward to having to trek through the snow to find a tree, especially when Gibbs would insist that her and Tim cut it down themselves.
By the time Tim had helped Gibbs maneuver it into position, Kelly had retrieved the tree stand she had bought up with her from the storage bin downstairs, before she came up from the storage area tonight. Ducky had followed Gibbs through the door carrying two large cardboard boxes, that Ellie had helped him with. "What's this?" Kelly asked, seeing her dad take the box from Ducky.
"It's your mom's Christmas heirloom ornament collection." He smiled at her and Tim. "Shannon always wanted you to have it, once I thought you were with the 'right' man, Kell." Gibbs looked his daughter over, carefully. he knew she knew that had been her mother's wish, but he could tell that she hadn't been expecting him to bring them over. That she was touched by the gesture, both of him finally departing with her mother's much beloved Christmas ornaments and the acknowledgement that he thought her relationship with Tim was good. That she had made a good choice of partners, with Tim.
"Thanks Dad." She said, throwing her arms around him in love and appreciation. She released her Dad and went over to Tim, who had been standing there, watching on. He really didn't know how to react to any of this.
Ducky could see that Tim was feeling a little off-kilter and he thought he could help his young friend with his predicament. "Timothy, my dear. I am dreadfully parched, may I trouble you for a cup of tea?"
"Of course, my apologies. Can I get anyone else a drink?" Tim said, as Gibbs gave him the all too familiar nod, coffee. As he excused himself into the kitchen and took a couple of deep breaths. He had gotten side tracked and forgotten his manners. But he also had been stunned to hear Gibbs actually say those words to Kelly. That he was the 'right' man. he distracted himself with the tea, making a single coffee cup for Gibbs. He, Kelly and Ellie had been enjoying a bottle of wine and he didn't know about the ladies, but he needed another glass.
With the wine bottle now empty, he left it sitting on the edge of the sink as he placed the three wine glasses on the tray along side Ducky's tea and Gibbs' coffee. As he entered the living room again, he was much more calm and collected. He had to thank Ducky, privately. Tim knew that the old doc had probably seen him flounder a little and had asked for a cup of tea as a distraction, so he could collect himself. Handing out the respective glasses, cup and mug, each saying thank you and Kelly had surprised him with a kiss too. He could tell that she had been close to tears and was really trying to control her tears that had been threatening to fall.
After each of them had their drinks, thank you's were said and good nights were exchanged and Tim put the tree in the too hard basket for tonight, suggesting to let it sit and fall overnight, so they could decorate in the morning.
Ellie had a lead on an apartment and on Saturday morning, Gibbs took Ellie over to inspect it, as a favour to her father, after a succinct telephone call between the two men. When Gibbs and Ellie returned with a cake to celebrate Ellie getting her own place, Tim and Kelly were snuggled into their sofa together, each reading their own book. The fire was blazing and the living room was completely decorated. The tree was adorned with Shannon's priceless family heirloom ornaments with soft, sparkling twinkle fairy lights. A faux fir garland with fairly lights adorned the top of the doors that lead to the balcony. The same soft, twinkling fairy lights adorned the roof in crisscrossed pattern in both hallways. A strategically placed mistletoe adorned the entrance to their bedroom. A nativity scene was on the mantle piece surrounded by tinsel and floating Christmas LED candles. The coffee table had a festive table cloth draped over it with a Christmas themed runner, a candelabra with tall white candles sat a top it, burning brightly and two Christmas stockings hung from the mantle piece that adorned their fireplace from cheeky little elf statues.
"Wow!" Ellie exclaimed, as she let her and Gibbs back into Tim and Kelly's apartment. They had seen the simple Holly wreath on the door and had figured it would be chaos inside. they hadn't expected Tim and Kelly to be finished, already. "This place looks unreal. Amazing! Right out of a magazine."
Gibbs could only nod in agreement. It was clear that his daughter and her boyfriend had been busy in the two hours that he and Ellie had been gone. "It looks fantastic. Kind of reminds me of how Ducky's mom would go all out at their house in Reston."
"Well, that candelabra and table cloth were Victoria's." Kelly told her father. "Ducky gave them to me last Christmas."
"The lights and the rest of the decorations are the ones that Penny used every year to decorate Grandpa Nelson McGee's office. We just changed it up a little to suit us." Tim said, as he gestured to Ellie and Gibbs to take a seat. "Those candles on the mantle were my mom Nikki's. Penny gave them to me five years ago. She found them at the house in Norfolk."
"I actually offered to host Christmas, but mom Sarah, she doesn't want Penny feeling awkward by her hosting Christmas in the apartment that her and her husband used as an office for all those years." Tim explained, as Ellie dished up some of the cake they'd bought back from her favourite bakery. "Which I suppose is understandable. But she assured me just this morning, that her, Dad and the girls had worked hard and had decorated the house beautifully. According to em, it's perfect."
Kelly knew that every Christmas her father got in a funk of a depression and although he never meant to, he always dragged her down into it, too. But this year, she felt different. She had Tim and she had the love of Tim, Penny, Tobias, Sarah, Megan and Emily. Even Sarah McGee, in a weird and wonderful way. She had new friends in the form of Leon, Dorney and Ellie. But she was also missing old friends; like Tony. He was annoying and pesky, but they had a brother/sister relationship, plus he and Tim were closer than brothers.
Gibbs begged off, he could feel his usual, seasonal depression seeping in and didn't want to detract Kelly from the bliss that he could see on his daughter's face. He always felt like this around the holidays, whether he was single or with someone and it had been a long time since he was romantically entangled with a woman.
When he got home, he bypassed his kitchen and his coffee maker, in favour of his boat, basement and bourbon. Ducky had been reading on the sofa, with a fire burning heartily for warmth. He had seen his dear friend and current house mate come home and he hadn't seemed his usual self. But Ducky recognised the depression. He had seen it before on his friend. He missed his wife. His first one. The love of his life. He couldn't help that she was gone and the only thing in the past that had helped Jethro was time.
Although, Ducky had a secret weapon up his sleeve, unknowingly. Tim. Tim made Kelly blissfully happy and that was different to the previous years. Ducky just hoped that Kelly having Tim and Tim having Kelly helped his friend feel slightly less alone.
Gibbs spent the day in the basement and Ducky had prepared a warm and hearty dinner of potatoes, vegetables and some steak for his friend to grill in the fireplace. He knew that no doubt without food, the bourbon his friend had consumed in the basement would render him with an awful hangover, come morning.
Once Ducky managed to coax Gibbs out of the basement for dinner and their plates were empty, both men leaned back on the sofas and sighed. They had full warm bellies, their appetite sated. Both men were relaxed, the dirty dishes not yet taken to the sink, when the front door to the Gibbs family home entered. Both men looked up, surprised to see the visitor.
"Hey Gibbs, did you miss us?" Tony quipped with a sleepy little Tali in his arms.