Mtf10 - I haven't abandoned anything. Life has been crazy and I have been struggling a bit with everything. A lot of hurt and a lot of grief, plus helping my young daughter navigate her own confusion and grief. I have needed to focus on my family and myself for a bit. Thank-you for all the public reviews and DM's, checking in to see if I am ok. While we work through everything, updates will be sporadic. In case you didn't read the author's notes for my latest update for The Adventure Of A Lifetime my father passed away and life has gone crazy. I promise I will be back with regular updates soon.
My dear friend, BeBoy will/has been posting updates in the reviews on occasion. Alternatively you can check my author profile or my Facebook page. (same name MummaBear1, pink logo)
Back in the office the following day, Tim was filling out leave forms, as Ellie and Dorney arrived. Last night he and Kelly had held a long and frank conversation about their relationship. They had decided that their lives had been running at full tilt for so long, that they needed some downtime. Some normalcy to reconnect and strengthen their relationship. They had sorted out their feelings, issues and felt that they were in a better place than they had been before this whole mess unfolded. "Morning Tim." Ellie said, as she came over and stood in front of her own desk. "Can we talk? I know you don't want your name or Kelly's near anything official in regards to Abby, but we can't let her get away with what she did."
"I think we should leave it alone, Ell." Tim said, looking up from his forms. "If you want to pursue her through legal channels, that's your prerogative. Kelly and I have done nothing but argue, since this whole thing unfolded. We're finally in a place where everything is good. We don't need anyone rocking the boat, again."
"I understand where you two are coming from Tim, but she has tarnished my reputation and friendship with you both, as well as within this agency." Ellie argued, coming to stand in front of his desk. "I have lost my friendship with Kelly and I fear with you, as well."
"No, Ellie." Tim reassured her, gently. "Kelly is still your friend, just as I am. We have to remember that Kelly is not a trained agent. She is not trained like us and Abby is a master forger and manipulator. She played us all and she's going to be punished accordingly. Do what you have to, but leave me and Kelly out of it."
"I'm just so pissed at Abby, Tim." Ellie sighed, storming back to her desk. "I need to go to gym, hit something. Otherwise I might go to the federal lock up and hit her."
"Go to the gym on your own time, Bishop." Gibbs instructed her, as he strolled into the bullpen with his coffee cup refilled in hand and one for Tim. "Tim, you got that form for me?"
"Right here, boss." Tim replied, swapping the forms for the offered cup of coffee.
"When are you two leaving?" he asked cryptically. Tim and Gibbs had already discussed the leave Tim was applying for at length, this morning when they met for breakfast.
"Tomorrow morning." Tim reminded his boss. "Stopping at the stops we talked about, should be there by 1500."
"You going somewhere, Tim?" Dorney asked, surprised. In the twelve years he had known Tim, he had never known the man to voluntarily take a vacation. Usually Tim, The Director and Gibbs would go ten rounds and in the end, the younger man would always end up working from home, anyway.
"Yeah, vacation." Tim told him with a grin. Tim didn't supply any additional information, part of he and Kelly going on vacation was that, they would be alone. All alone and only one person knew where they would be. They were only to divulge that information in a life or death situation. Kelly and Tim had wanted this trip to be solely about them and their relationship.
"I'll get these up to Vance." Gibbs promised, looking the forms over and signing them. Of course, he would authorise Tim to take some leave and recharge. Tim had had a crappy year and had only ever had bereavement or medical leave. He hadn't taken leave voluntarily in a long time. If ever, Gibbs recollected many times that he and Tim would go on and on, arguing about him taking his leave.
Gibbs took the stairs to the mezzanine level, where the Director's office was located and knocked on the door, before entering. "Gibbs. That was fast, I just left word with Tim. I wanted to see you." Vance said, just as he lowered his desk phone into the cradle. "I need three things from you. One, Tim needs a vacation. Both Doctors Palmer and Mallard have suggested and I agree. Two, I was wondering if you had spoken to Tim about his last name. We've all been extra careful not to use the name McGee since we found out, but it's breeding familiarity with the other staff here. I'd like to get back on an even keel. Three, and perhaps the most important or enlightening, Miss Sciuto has been granted a section thirty two."
"Leon?" Gibbs asked, hopefully he wasn't interrupting him. "Cross number one off your list, here's his forms. He's leaving tomorrow. Number two will be taken care of, as of 1500 hours today. He has a meeting with his lawyer. As far as number three goes. I don't care. I have wiped my hands of her."
"OK, I can breathe easier now." Vance sighed out loud, feeling better about it.
The day dragged on and Gibbs came over and gave him a nudge at 1400 to get a move on. Tim had an appointment with his lawyer. Tim was done pretending to be John McGee's loyal and loving son. John McGee had been nothing but a source of pain for Tim and part of healing and moving forward was retaking his birth name.
He was pleased to see that the process was easy. They had to partition the courts and the judge would make a decision. The background check and waiting period was waved because he was a federal agent with a high security clearance. Tim had bought the case file with him, including the pertaining evidence with the forged adoption papers and that nurse's sworn testimony. His lawyer reassured him that it looked cut and dried. But he would be in touch with the court date as soon as he could secure one.
Tim felt like he couldn't wait, he felt like he needed the closure. As he had pointed out to Rachel; Sarah and Penny would always be family to him. Even though there was no genetic link between them. Rachel had reassured him that he was taking the healthy approach.
"I know you're eager to put the past behind you and move forward, but it takes time." Tim's lawyer reminded him. "Find a distraction to take your mind off it and the time will pass quickly."
After his appointment, Tim returned to the office and settled back into work. Glad to know that in the back of his head, that he wouldn't be coming in tomorrow and that he and Kelly would leave for their adventure. While he had been visiting his lawyer's office today, he had dropped his SUV off at a garage, just down the street from his lawyers office and they had fitted his vehicle with some more chunky, off road tyres. Tyres that could also be used to drive in the snow, if it decided to snow. Even though, he had checked the weather forecast and lately, it had been a little warmer than usual.
"How'd you go?" Gibbs asked as he returned from his 1700 hour coffee run and perched himself on the edge of his Senior Field Agent's desk. "Get everything done that you needed to?"
"A couple of weeks to a month." Tim answered Gibbs, keeping his eyes on his report. It was his final report and he couldn't wait to get home and pack everything they needed, ready for their trip away. "There's a back log, but luckily because of my security clearance and my government job, I can jump the queue."
"Good job, Tim." Gibbs praised him and Tim was happy that he finally felt like he was on a more solid footing with Gibbs too. He felt like he and Gibbs had temporarily lost their footing while Kelly and Tim had been fighting. That had also made Tim realise that if he and Kelly were ever to split for good, he wouldn't be able to work for Gibbs either.
When he arrived home, Kelly was placing her small wheelie case by the door, as well as Tim's cooler from his storage bin. In it, she had packed a couple of frozen meals from their freezer, as well as some frozen meat, vegetable staples, as well eggs and bacon. They would pick up some fresh bread and condiments on their way tomorrow.
By 2000 hours, Tim and Kelly had everything packed and loaded in to Tim's SUV and they locked it up tightly, ready for their departure tomorrow morning. Tim had telephoned his mom and reminded her that they were headed away and she had been relieved that the two of them would be getting away and getting some alone time. She was also happy to hear that her son was feeling better and that he and his girlfriend had talked about the things that had been bothering him.
That night, with their freezer and fridge cleaned out, they went out to dinner. Just a short stroll down the street for some curry from the local Indian restaurant and Tim went light on the spice because they were going to be in the car for most of the day as they made their way to the Gibbs family cabin on the outskirts of the Blue Ridge Mountains in West Virginia.
After dinner, they both showered and climbed into bed, snuggling in to watch a movie on the movie channel. The movie didn't hold their attention for very long. So, it mostly played in the background, as Tim caught up with some light reading and Kelly read a new manuscript that her intern recommended they publish.
Tim and Kelly were at the diner by 0700, getting some breakfast before they hit the road at 0800. They'd bumped in to Gibbs at the diner, smiles and hugs were exchanged and not a lot else, as Tim took his usual spot in the diner. The booth in the far back with his back against the wall. Kelly joining him and Gibbs opting to eat at the counter, not wanting to intrude on the beginning of their vacation. "You fighting with the kids, again?" Elaine asked, as she refilled their coffee.
"Nah." Gibbs grinned at him. "They're leaving for a couple of days away, don't want to intrude on the beginning of their first vacation together."
"Aren't you a sweetheart, Gibbs?" She asked him, rhetorically. Elaine was scrutinising her long time customer carefully. She wondered if he knew that his face lit up when he spoke of his daughter and his agent being together. "You want your usual?"
"Sure, and put their breakfast on my tab, too." He grinned at her again as she left to place his usual order of eggs on toast with a side of bacon and an extra strong black coffee, knowing he would want an extra one for when he headed into the office too.
As the kids went to pay at the counter, Tim raised his to go coffee cup at him and Kelly blew him a kiss, as they left the diner. They were ready to begin their adventure together. The first ever trip that they had taken together, just the two of them, alone in a cabin in the woods, in the middle of nowhere.
Tim took the first leg of the driving and two hours in, they stopped at this charming little diner for some to go coffee. They had listened to some music and talked for those first two hours.
Kelly took the next leg of the driving, which was ninety minutes, as she had somewhere specific in mind to stop for an early lunch. Somewhere that her and her Dad used to stop all the time.
After lunch, they took a short stroll around the small lake and stretched their legs as they prepared for the final leg of the journey. Tim took over driving and Kelly eagerly gave directions as they came closer to their destination. It was off the beaten path that it had no address, just landmarks.
As the small rustic cabin came into view, Kelly and Tim exchanged smiles. "Our family cabin." She declared, as she directed Tim to park the car. The word cabin was a long shot. It was more like a one and half split level home with an attached car port. The front of the house was beautifully presented and was just as rustic as the log cabin before them. The front doors were decorative, but covered with heavy duty roller shutters, as was every window and door, except for the side door. That was a heavy duty, deadbolted door.
Kelly slipped the key into the lock and the tumblers fell away, as she opened up the door and went to help Tim with their bags, their coolers and groceries. Switching the light on, revealed that the side entrance opened to a mud room. A very modern, tastefully decorated mud room. The kind you see in a magazine. "I thought this was a your family cabin." Tim murmured to Kelly, as he followed her down the small corridor and the lights went on as she walked, automatically.
"It is." Kelly grinned at him over his shoulder. "Dad let me do a full remodel two years ago, when I was contemplating an interior design course. He said he likes the upgrades, but I'll bet you dollars to donuts, he prefers the old way the cabin was."
"No, you know that Gibbs is direct, if he didn't like something. He would have told you, Babe." Tim pacified her gently, as they got to work, unpacking the groceries and the coolers into the fridge. Once they had done that task, Kelly lead Tim up the stairs to the master sweet, which was really just the split level loft style bedroom with an ensuite bathroom up stairs. "This is your room?" Tim asked, surprised with a grin.
Kelly didn't blame him for double checking, but the only requirement that her father had had for the renovations and restyle, was there was a bedroom for him and one for Jack downstairs. "Yep." She crowed, popping the p in her single word answer. "Watch this." At the flick of a switch on the bank of switches by the bed, shutters opened on the roof and the windows and more shutters closed in the loft to make it an actual room with walls. "It's too cold, but this switch opens the skylight roof windows on the roof, the two smaller side windows and the French double doors that lead to a small outdoor patio just off the bedroom."
"You do good work." Tim murmured, as he joined Kelly, over by the bed. Tim had to admit, the view of the inground heated pool, spa and natural, thermally heated lake from her bedroom was breathtaking. Seeing the serene forestland. The tall sugar maple trees, mixed in amongst the red oak, river birch and American beech trees. The scattered shagbark and multiple varieties of pine trees were far and few between making for some dense forest floor and the surrounding areas was covered in fresh snow. Nothing marred the fresh fluffy snow but the odd animal footprint and Tim found the scenery awe-inspiring and mesmerizing.
"We have a whole week." Kelly murmured, steeping into Tim's embrace and putting his arms around his neck, as she held him close to her chest. "Just you, me and nature. A chance to reconnect."
"You're right." Tim agreed, lowering his hands to her natural waistline and down to her hips. "We can do whatever we want, whenever we want and make as much noise as we want."
Kelly grinned at him, the whole point of coming here, besides the whole chance to be alone was that Kelly planned to have Tim truly let go. Tim had told her a few times, that he was jokingly going to soundproof their apartment and make her scream with delight. With no neighbours around for miles, there was no one to hear them scream. The property was rather isolated, as far as neighbours were concerned. Gibbs owned a large chunk of the land that surrounded the lake and it was not a small lake. In addition to the main house, he had three deer hunting stands, a water foul hunting stand and a couple of old barns and outhouses, in urgent need of disrepair.
On his map at home, he had been in consultation with a building surveyor and architect, to build a large, traditional family-style log cabin on the most northern point of the ridge of the lake. Approximately a mile by boat across the lake from the current house. He was planning to gift the old cabin to Kelly when she started a family of her own. Part of the reason that he allowed her to do the renovations and repairs to her liking. She loved the cabin and he could envision her and her children enjoying many summers here, just like she had when she was a child, and he had before her. But it didn't look like that when he was a child. It was a small, one room cabin with two beds shoved up against the far wall.
As they exchanged some small chaste kisses, Kelly was really getting in to it, rubbing herself against Tim. Much like a cat, stretching and rubbing itself against a warm spot in the sun. "Hmmm." Kelly purred against Tim. Her lips and her breath, hot on his neck. "Let's go light the fire and get comfortable." She whispered, encouraging him and his ministrations.
The old log style cabin on the outside that had been revamped on the inside had been done correctly with insulation, plaster sheeting and replaced the old worn tin roofing with some colourbond weathergaurd roofing panels. Kelly had organised underfloor heating in the floor of the mudroom and bathrooms, plus underfloor central heating system in every room of the house, as well as reverse cycle refrigerated cooling, using the top of the line appliances, which were all rated green-smart. The last improvement she made to the house, was installing a solar system and battery for the house to run on it and keep them up and running in the case of the grid going out or a cascade failure. One thing that Kelly didn't change, was the traditional stoned hearth around the open fireplace. As much as Kelly as begged her father, this was one concession that he had refused to give in to.
Kelly lead Tim downstairs and into the open planned living, dining and kitchen, "Ta-da" She announced with a flourish of her hand. One thing Tim was impressed with was the automatic sensor lights, as they trekked their way through the house, the upcoming lights would switch on. With the lights behind them switching off after a small interval.
"Is the house fully automated? Or is it just the lighting system?" Tim asked, as he took her by hand and playfully twirled her, before leading her over to the living room and over to the fireplace.
"I wanted the full automated route, but Dad would have flipped out, so I settled for just the lights." Kelly admitted to her boyfriend, as Tim started the fire and Kelly grabbed the sofa cushions and the throw rugs, to spread out beside the hearth of the fireplace. Much like Tim had the very first time they had ever made love all the way. Kelly was hoping that on this trip, they could recreate some of the magic that they had shared back then.
"If you ever decide to make it fully automated, I know just the system." Tim murmured, realising that their week away was going to start with some intimacy by the fireplace.
Tim took her hand in his, let his fingers intertwine with his long slender fingers, while he used his other hand to pull her closer to him. They kissed one another, softly and chastely. Soon enough, Kelly was pulling herself up onto her knees to equal Tim's height seated, in an effort to get closer to her lover.
"Got a minute, Gibbs?" Leon asked, rasping his knuckles against the melamine of Gibbs' desk. Gibbs looked up at the agency Director. Ellie and Dorney were on lunch with Ellie promising that she would bring him back an italian meatball sub for lunch and a large coffee from his favourite caffeine dealer. "Upstairs. My office, in five minutes."
Gibbs gave him a confirmation nod and watched with curiosity, as Leon boarded the elevator, stabbing the buttons harder than necessary. Gibbs was wondering what had put Leon Vance in such a mood and made sure that he would be in the Director's office, within the allotted time frame. Gibbs was having a good day, despite his team being a member down. Not that he would begrudge Tim some time away from work that wasn't medical or bereavement leave. Especially if Tim was taking time to strengthen and deepen the relationship that he shared with Gibbs' daughter.
Entering Leon's office with a minute to spare, he was surprised to see Ducky and Sharon Beals, the head of the legal department also waiting for Leon. "Well, this isn't going to be good." Gibbs muttered and he saw Sharon nod her head along in agreement.
"Is it ever good to get called into the Director's office this early in the morning?" Ducky retorted and Gibbs couldn't think of a single time that he had been summoned up to the Director's office at this hour of the morning and it be good news. Any Director, not just with Vance. Vance was the fourth Director that Gibbs had worked under now.
"Forgive my tardiness, I was waylaid by some more bad news." Leon announced, as he came in and closed the door behind him. Taking a seat in his chair, at his desk. Gibbs, Sharon and Ducky had taken the chairs, opposite his desk. "Gibbs, please tell me that you have a way to contact Agent McGee, in case of an emergency?"
"I do, but I would rather not unless absolutely necessary." Gibbs replied, trying to wordlessly convey just how much the young couple needed the time away to unwind and relax, without any intrusions from their respective jobs.
"When I called this meeting, it was just a precaution." Leon sighed and rubbed at his eyes in frustration. "When I called this meeting eight minutes ago, it was a curtesy meeting to notify you that Miss Sciuto had failed to check in this morning with her supervising medical officer, under her section thirty-two court mandated treatment program. However, the call that just waylaid me was from said supervising medical officer. As per protocol, they searched Miss Sciuto's apartment."
"I take it whatever they found was a cause for concern." Ducky announced. He couldn't image that the Director of a federal agency would look this harried and stressed if they hadn't found something of great concern.
"They found a note, left by Miss Sciuto, detailing that if she couldn't have Agent McGee, then neither could Miss Gibbs." Leon let out a breath, knowing that the next part was even more disturbing. "The note went on to indicate that if Agent McGee continued to choose Miss Gibbs over Miss Sciuto, she would be forced to eliminate Agent McGee, as well."
Gibbs felt like the wind had been punched out of his sails. Abby was planning on hurting Kelly, possibly killing her. She was planning on killing Tim, too. All because of some sick and twisted need to own Tim. Purely because she had had the good fortune to meet the man, first.
"She is violation of her section thirty-two agreement and leaving note means that she can not claim a mental health defence." Sharon explained, shooting the good doctor. "Sorry Ducky, I know that you and Agent Gibbs are friends with her."
"Were friends with her." Gibbs stepped in, correcting the lawyer who the head of the NCIS legal department. "She is planning to kill my daughter. She is planning to kill my agent. All because the two of them became friends and in evolved into something more. How could you think that I could still be friends with her?"
"On the off chance that Miss Sciuto knows where Agent McGee and Miss Gibbs are vacationing, we should warn them of the potential threat." Leon Vance advised, tossing his cell onto the desk. "Call them, Gibbs."
"I can't just call them, Director." Gibbs argued. "They are ... Where they are vacationing has no cell service ... Tim took his sat phone, but even then, the reception is spotty at best. They need to be outside to get reception and given that it is the middle of January, I very much doubt they will be outside."
"Do you know the physical location?" Leon insisted. "You could drive out and speak with them and drive back."
"Yes I know and No, I won't go. It is a five hour drive, one way Director." Gibbs sighed in frustration. "Look, we can try to contact them first."
"Are they ... ?" Ducky asked Gibbs and Gibbs heard the unasked question.
Gibbs rubbed the back of his neck. "Well yeah, Duck." Gibbs grinned at his friend. "It's remote and it's isolated. A regular car isn't getting anyone in there. The only way anyone can access them is through a four by four SUV, a treacherous hike on foot through dense, icy bushland, a helo drop or some impressive upstream, tricky maneuvering of an inflatable dingy. That's if you don't hit one of the many sharp, jagged rocks."
"So, basically no one can get to them." Sharon surmised and Gibbs rolled his eyes at her.
"Never say never, Ms Beals." Gibbs grinned. "If I need to I could easily make in there, any of the ways I mentioned. I have driven my challenger down there before."
"Whatever happened to a romantic getaway at a quaint, little bed and breakfast?" Leon muttered and Ducky and Gibbs laughed.
"Director Vance, if you have ever seen this place in person, you would choose it over a bed and breakfast." Ducky told him.
"It is my family cabin, Director." Gibbs announced, keeping the location to himself. "We are very secretive of it's location. Ducky has been there, as has Tobias. Both were blindfolded with one hour to go and have no idea where it is. The cabin is well and truly remote and isolated. They are a fair distance to the nearest neighbour and even further from town."
Leon Vance finally picked up on what Gibbs was not saying. The young couple in question had deliberately chosen somewhere isolated and remote, to be truly alone with one another. "Right, I am giving you two hours, Gibbs. If you can't speak with them or get in contact with them, you and another agent are going in."
"Tobias." Gibbs replied. "Tobias Fornell, I will take him with me."
"I'd prefer if we kept this in house, Gibbs." Sharon began admonishing Gibbs for suggesting an FBI agent over someone at NCIS or even on his own team.
"Argent Tobias Fornell of the FBI is Tim's father." Gibbs fired back a little more harshly than he meant to at the head of legal. "His son is in danger. My daughter is in danger. As fathers, we are going in."
"Take my SUV, Gibbs." Leon ordered his subordinate, as Ducky made the call to Tobias. A ringing cell phone that the belonged to the Director pierced through the air of the office. Vance answered it curtly. He made noises of agreement, but nothing else was said before he disconnected the call. "Go get our people and watch your backs, the threat just escalated."