No ordinary love

Authors warning - This fic is slash and Mpreg so if you don’t like either then please don’t read on and please don’t flame.

Warnings/categories �" Slash, established relationship, explicit, explosive sex, mpreg, violence and whumpage �" basically all the good stuff

Ok, warnings out of the way and the usual apply, NCIS does not belong to me yadda yadda yadda so now onto the story so enjoy
___________________________________________________________________________

Tim stood at his front door trying to find his keys to let himself in. He stood on the beautifully crafted porch with his bag slung over his shoulder and a bag of takeout from the restaurant his lover liked so much.

‘Aww damn it’

He quietly cursed himself as his keys fell, dropping onto the smooth oak with a jangle. He had been planning on surprising his lover with dinner and ........well with himself, but the best laid plans were thwarted by the noise his damn keys made.

He bent down to pick his keys up and looked up to see his lover’s feet waiting at the now open door. Gazing up from his position, he focused on the crystal blue eyes of one Leroy Jethro Gibbs.

‘Oh hey, sorry. This really wasn’t what I planned’

Gibbs smiled at the sheepish look on his lovers face, they had been living together for well over two years and even though they couldn’t legally marry, they were married in every other way. They had long ago made each other next of kin and everything financial had been legally changed to give each other power of attorney. Hell, they even shared a bank account.

Gibbs hooked his hand gently round Tim’s elbow and tugged him up to stand. Leaning over he kissed his lover deeply before ushering him inside and closing the door. The warmth of the house hit Tim and he found himself melting at the comfortable familiarity that he now called home. No sooner had the door closed, he found himself being stripped of his bag, coat and food and was being led into the kitchen where a large pot of coffee was brewing.

The pitter patter of paws on the wooden floors signalled the arrival of the second love of his life, even after a somewhat shaky start to the relationship, Tim soon discovered how much he loved his fur ball of a dog.

‘Hey boy, how you doing. How much of the back yard have you dug up today?’ Jethro nuzzled his wet nose into Tim’s palm and rolled onto his back, lavishing in the attention his master was giving him.

‘Only managed to dig up the roses in the corner today, either he’s learning or he’s just getting old. Ain’t that right boy’

Tim chuckled quietly as Jethro padded out, the treat Gibbs had just given him hanging out of the corner of his mouth.

‘The roses huh, guess I’ll have to replant them at the weekend’.

‘Already taken care of’

Tim felt his lover’s arms wrap around his chest and leaned back into the warm body that he loved so much. He covered Jethro’s left hand with his own, the rings they wore making a quiet dinging noise as the ring fingers connected. It was their anniversary today and Tim had been stuck in Mtac trying to track the Navy Destroyer that had fallen off the radar after the captain was murdered. Jethro hadn’t expected Tim home so soon so the sight of his lover being home this early was a pleasant surprise.

‘So, what were your plans Timmy’

Tim could feel the erection pressing firmly against his buttocks and felt his own length twitch, the arousal stirring deep in the pit of his stomach.

‘Oh, nothing special. I knew you’d be in the basement so I planned to come home with your favourite meal, set it out and come disturb you wearing nothing but my birthday suit. Damn clumsiness got in the way’

He felt a short huff of breath on his neck and then the warm lips as they began to gently caress the patch of skin on his neck just underneath his ear.

‘Mmm hmm, and then what did you have planned?’

Jethro’s voice was heavy with arousal and at that moment, Tim knew that dinner would have to wait.

‘Mmmm, don’t stop............I planned to have a leisurely bath with you and then give you a massage before spending the night having my wicked way. Happy anniversary by the way, I know we haven’t had much time together today what with you being with the director and me being tied up in Mtac’

Tim pulled a small box out of his pocket and pressed it into Jethro’s hand. Jethro pulled away and looked at the perfectly wrapped box with a small silver bow on top. Tim turned and watched, his trousers tenting uncomfortably, lustily following every move his lover made with his eyes.

Jethro unwrapped the box, his own erection still evident through his trousers and opened the lid to reveal a platinum ID bracelet with his name engraved on the top. Tim reached over and turned it over to reveal the underside to reveal another inscription.

‘Forever and always, love Tim x x’

Tim soon discovered early on in their relationship that behind the abrasive prickly man laid an old romantic that managed to make him feel so loved and special that his heart quite literally missed a beat every time he thought about him.

‘Tim, I don’t know what to say. I love it’ Jethro put on the bracelet and pulled a blindfold out of his own pocket, gently wrapping it around Tim’s eyes before guiding him up the stairs.

As they climbed the stairs, Jethro rubbed his hands up and down his lovers back, keeping a rhythm that made his lovers erection grow harder. Tim could feel the pre cum starting to dampen the front of his pants as his arousal grew deeper and deeper. He was surprised when Jethro stopped them both and he heard the sound of a key being turned, he felt his lover jolt slightly as he pushed open a door.

‘Take a step forward’

Tim obeyed and found himself being guided into the room that was used to store junk. Jethro had fitted a lock to the door so Tim couldn’t get in but it wasn’t needed because in the two weeks that followed because Tim hadn’t once asked why it was locked, Jethro wasn’t even sure he had tried to get in.

‘Tim, I’m going to take the blindfold off but I don’t want you to open your eyes until I tell you Ok’.

Tim nodded as he was pushed gently down onto what felt like a plush leather office chair. Jethro chuckled as his eyebrows knitted together in confusion.

‘Ok, now open them’.

Tim opened his eyes and blinked a couple of times while his eyes adjusted to the light. His breath hitched as he took in his surroundings and he felt tears prickling at the corner of his eyes.

Jethro had spent the past two months making the most exquisite office furniture Tim had ever seen and felt the chair being swivelled round so he was sat directly in front of a large ornate oak desk. On the top of it sat his old typewriter and his grandfather’s pipe.

‘Jethro, I.....I.......Oh my god I don’t know what to say, it’s perfect’

Jethro grinned at the look of shock on his lovers face; it still amazed him how youthful Timmy could look, especially with the look of wonder that was held in the large pale green eyes.

‘Open the present’

Tim’s gaze fell to the side of the typewriter and he sat looking at the present that was sat there. He hadn’t noticed it before and had been looking around the newly decorated office that had once been used to store all the crap that the two of them had collected.

He picked up the present and pulled off the wrapping to find a framed photograph of the two of them that had been taken at the park by Abby a couple of months earlier. At the bottom of the frame sat an engraved plaque that Tim couldn’t help but run his finger over.

‘two hearts united as one’ was the inscription and Tim felt himself well up again, he placed the picture to the left of the typewriter, carefully choosing a spot on the large desk where he would always be able to see it and stood wrapping his arms around his one true love.

‘Thank you J, I love it and I love you’

Jethro held him for a minute whilst whispering sweet nothings in his ear before pulling Tim’s head up and planting a chaste kiss on his lover’s full bottom lip.

‘How about that bath’

Tim nodded and rested his forehead against his lovers before being guided into the master bedroom.

Both men made their way into the master bedroom, their hands still entwined. They stopped in front of the large bed and kissed before Jethro pulled away and ran his finger down Tim's jawline.

‘I’ll get the bath started; you make yourself comfortable and meet me in there’

It didn’t take long for Tim to strip down completely, carefully dropping his clothes into the hamper in the corner before making his way into the en suite bathroom that they had remodelled together a few months earlier. Most days they showered together, enjoying the feeling of being together first thing in the morning and at night after a hard day’s work. Tim had finally talked his lover into remodelling after discovering how hard it was for both of them to bath in the tub that was already there. In its place sat a beautiful large cast iron bath which was supported by gold lion claw feet. It was large enough for both of them to enjoy more than a relaxing soak.

Jethro had already run the bath and was perching naked on the edge waiting for his lover to join him. The smell of the bath oil that Tim loved lingered in the air making the sight and the smells perfect.

‘Mmm, Jethro. You spoil me’.

Tim had stopped at the door and was leaning on the jamb. His eyes roamed over every inch of his lover before settling on the handsome face.

‘Come here lover’.

Jethro held out his hand and pulled Tim into a passionate embrace, he could feel his lover’s erection momentarily stab him in the chest as the force of being pulled slammed Tim into him. Tim bent down and hungrily kissed his lover, humming deeply into his mouth as his tongue dipped inside and a warm hand encased his long hard shaft moving up and down in a slow rhythm.

He pulled away as he felt the familiar stirrings in the pit of his stomach and straightened up, gasping as he felt warm wet lips swallowing him down whole. He carded his hands through the soft silver hair as his lover sucked and licked whilst playing with his balls before moving a slick finger back to encircle his puckered hole.

Tim gasped as a finger pushed in past the tight ring of muscle and started its gentle caress. It wasn’t long before another finger was pushed in and Tim cried out at the feeling of the gentle pressure against his prostate. The sounds and feelings soon became too much as Tim felt his balls start to contract.

‘Shit, J, I’m gonna..............’

He came, exploding violently in his lovers mouth which swallowed everything down before licking his lover clean. Jethro held onto Tim as his legs threatened to buckle with the force of his orgasm and kissed the smooth slender stomach before him.

‘You Ok?’

‘Mmm, I think so........that was amazing’

Tim was completely sated at the moment but Jethro knew how high Tim’s sex drive was and it wouldn’t take long before his lover took interest again.

‘How bout we get in before the water gets cold’.

Tim giggled as his lover plunged into the bath and settled back, motioning for his lover to join him. Tim stepped in and straddled his lover, his hard cock bobbing down to rest on Jethro’s stomach. It always amazed Jethro how quickly Tim could recover and get it up again, he thought of it as a testament of their love.

‘J, I want you in me’

A simple sentence that made the older man groan, his eye’s now blown from pure arousal. Tim leaned forward and kissed his lover forcefully whilst using his hand to guide his lover to his entrance. The preparation during the mind blowing blow job had loosened Tim up enough to accept his lovers large erection as he sank down easily using the water as lubrication.

‘Tim........’

Tim leaned down and kissed Jethro gently before setting an easy rhythm, the water lapping against the bath with every thrust. He pulled back and started to caress his lovers chest, pinching and rubbing Jethro’s nipples until they were completely erect and red with the abuse. He felt a hand wrap around his cock as the pace quickened, the controlled motions soon replaced by hard uncontrolled thrusting.

‘Oh my god Tim, I’m gonna...........’

Tim felt himself coming his contracting muscles pulling Jethro completely over the edge with him, both lovers coming at same time with Jethro filling Tim with warm come and Tim coating Jethro’s chest with the same.

Tim flopped forward, completely boneless. His head rested on his lover’s chest as he tried to control his breathing. It took him a moment to come round and felt Jethro’s flaccid cock still buried deep in his ass. He groaned when he pushed up, the tip of the cock brushing gently over his prostate sending aftershocks through his body.

Jethro had sat up slightly and watched as his lover pulled off and turned, settling himself between his lovers legs to rest his back against the firm chest behind him.

‘I’m loving this bath more and more every day’

Tim chuckled as the two of them relaxed, their hands resting entwined on Tim’s Chest, both in silent agreement that they belong to each other.
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Hey guys, well here’s my first NCIS fic, I understand that Mpreg and Slash isn’t everyone’s cup of tea but hey, if you don’t like it then you probably shouldn’t read any further because the mpreg begins in the next chapter.

If you did read and enjoyed, the leave me a review (I love knowing what people think) but please no flamers, it’s unfair and not constructive in any way.

Shelbylou x

2 months later..........

Tim was pulled out a deep sleep by the rising nausea that had started to plague him regularly for the past two weeks. He wasn’t particularly worried about it and had put it down to the disturbing case they had been working on recently.

It had been a particularly nasty one involving the capture and murder of a general’s 15 year old son. He had been snatched whilst doing his morning paper round and had been found four days later by passing joggers, his body washed up on the bank of a river.

The case had hit both Tim and Jethro hard and the memories that surfaced for both of them had been unpleasant and unsettling, leading to both of them working the case until the small hours in the morning, only dragging themselves home when exhaustion took hold. Tim had admitted to feeling bone weary to his lover on the drive home last night and was ushered to bed as soon as they walked through the door.

They had finally caught the suspect and all that was left was the dreaded paperwork, a report neither man was looking forward to writing.

He felt his lover move, a warm arm snaking its way around his waist, pulling Tim closer to him. On any other day this would make him feel comfortable and loved, today it just made him want to.......

‘Tim, what the.........Shit you Ok?’

Jethro was startled awake when his arm was pushed off roughly, his lover pushing the duvet off to run to the bathroom. He jumped out of bed and was met by the sight of Tim kneeling in front of the toilet, retching violently, throwing up everything he had eaten yesterday.

He quickly moved to Tim’s side, kneeling on the hard tine floor to support his lover through the worst of the retching, grimacing as the smell wafted up from the bowl. He leaned over and flushed before standing to wet the washcloth and get a glass of cold water.

‘Here, drink this. You Ok?’

Tim took the water and rinsed out his mouth, sighing as he felt a warm wet washcloth drape across the back of his neck as a warm calloused hand rubbed circles in between his shoulder blades. He felt a pang of regret as Jethro’s hand left his back and removed the washcloth from his neck leaving a cold feeling as the chill of the air snaked across his neck.

He heard the taps turn on and felt the warm washcloth being gently rubbed across his face, removing the sheen of sweat that had appeared during the violent bout.

‘Thanks, I’m fine. Something didn’t settle right’.

He felt his lovers hand gently palm his forehead before moving to his cheek. He nestled into it before starting to heave again.

‘Tim, this isn’t the first time this has happened. Let Duck take a look at you’

The concern that dripped off Jethro’s words made Tim slump, He had refused to see Ducky initially, putting it all down to the case they were working bringing back memories of seeing his best friend’s body mangled when he was a kid.

‘J, I’m good. I think the ca.......’

‘Damn it Tim, for someone so mild mannered you can be a stubborn SOB. Please, for me. I just wanna make sure you’re Ok’.

Tim started at the statement; it was very seldom Jethro used his ‘boss’ voice outside of the office and that alone sent a wave of guilt flowing through Tim.

‘Sorry J, look I’ll go down to autopsy first thing OK’.

He stood and walked unsteadily to the sink to brush his teeth. He heard his lover stand before moving behind him, hugging him tight. His head was resting on Tim’s shoulder blade, his warm cheek sitting against the chilled skin. He didn’t like being firm with his lover but knew it was the only way to get his lover checked out. He also knew that his lover would feel guilty about making him pull out the big guns.

‘Sure, listen, if it is stress then we’ll take a long weekend and go visit my dad. Stillwater’s nice at this time of year’

Tim nodded and turned to his lover, claiming him in a passionate kiss before pulling away.

‘Sounds nice, I’ll ring Jackson later to let him know. We’ve got a couple of hours before we need to get up, you mind if we go back to bed because I’m exhausted and cold’

Jethro pecked him on the cheek and guided him back to bed, both men spooning in the moonlight that streamed through the gap in the curtains. Jethro slipped his leg in between his lovers and rested his feet against Tim’s. He felt Tim’s hand rub down his arm before lacing their fingers together tightly. It wasn’t long before he felt those fingers relax and heard the sound of his lover’s soft, regular breathing, soothing him gently back to sleep.

The sound of the alarm was harsh and sliced through Tim’s head like a knife. He had woken to the loud shrieking, compounding the pounding in his exhausted head. He was relieved when he felt his lover reach over to turn it off.

Jethro rolled back and propped his head up on his hand, tracing the lines of Tim’s face with his other.

‘Morning sunshine, how’re you feeling?’

Tim opened his eyes as much as he can and tried to focus on his lover but the familiar distortions were blurring his vision. Jethro frowned at the glassy slits of green and watched as Tim’s eyes closed again, a groan escaping past his lips as he rubbed at them hard, trying to get rid of the incessant pounding and the flashing stars.

He knew it was completely pointless lying to his lover and moved his hand so it completely covered his eyes.

‘J, m’not feeling so good. Can you get me my migraine meds’

The pained, pinched expression had not gone unnoticed and he gave his lover’s hand a quick squeeze before making his way into the bathroom to grab the tablets. He had always hated the fact that the tablets had become a necessity in their medicine cabinet.

The only saving grace was that Tim didn’t suffer from them often; the bitch was that when he did he was usually knocked off his feet for a couple of days. He made his way back to the bedroom with the meds and a glass of water and helped his lover sit up long enough to take them.

‘Think you can keep them down?’

Tim leaned in to his lover and rested his head on the firm shoulder, sitting up really didn’t help at all.

‘Yeah, think so’

It was all he could manage to say, Jethro could see the effort it took to answer his lovers question. It was one that was asked every time. There were rare occasions the meds had been thrown back up meaning the only way he could get the meds in his lovers system was to either inject them or give him a tab that melted on his tongue. The latter was something the two men had been meaning to restock.

‘Ok, lay back. I’ll be back soon’

He pressed a cold compress onto Tim’s hairline and walked out of the bedroom with his phone. He needed to make a couple of calls and knew Tim would drift off as the strong meds took hold.

He ran down the stairs and made his into the kitchen to pour himself a coffee and dialled, waiting for the familiar voice on the other end.

‘Duck, it’s Jethro. Listen I need you to come over and look at Tim’.

‘Jethro, good morning. Is the dear boy Ok, it’s rather early to be ringing’

Jethro couldn’t help but smile at the chirpy voice of his friend. They had known each other for years and had soon forged a friendship bond that was as strong as ever.

‘He’s not doing well duck. He’s been feeling sick for a couple of weeks and last night hurled for an hour. He’s woken up this morning with a migraine’

‘Oh dear, I’ll be right over, the nurse has just arrived to tend to mother. Give me 15 minutes’.

‘Thanks Duck, the door’ll be open’.

He hung up and rang the office to let them know neither of them will be in today. It wasn’t too much of a problem; the case was wrapped up and they were ploughing through the mountain of paperwork, something he could do at home.

‘Ok, thanks Leon, I’ll get the reports over to you this afternoon’

He hung up the phone and took a long swig of his coffee, spluttering when he heard an ominous thud from the bedroom.

He ran up the stairs two at a time and barged into the bedroom glancing at the bed to find it empty.

He heard the whimpering before he saw his lover curled up into a ball at the side of the bed. It was obvious what he wanted to do, the small pool of bile sitting at the side of his head made it clear that the nausea had returned. Jethro sighed at the sight of the small pill sitting in the middle of it.

‘Tim, Shit, it’s Ok, think you can get back in bed. I’ve called Duck and he’ll be here any minute’.

Tim let out a strangled sound as he was lifted gently from the floor. The pounding in his head growing fiercer with every movement. It was no easy task, Tim was pretty much dead weight as his lover lifted him, finally getting him back into bed and covered up before Ducky arrived.

‘Jethro, can I come in?’

Ducky knew his friend had asked him to be there, but he had long learned to stop outside the master bedroom and knock gently.

‘Yeah, er, give me a sec Duck’

He pulled on a pair of sweats and walked over to the bedroom door, opening it to give his friend access.

Ducky looked around the room and noticed the mess on the floor. He moved quickly to the side of the bed and sat in the chair Jethro pulled over.

‘Thank you Jethro. Oh dear Timothy, I understand you are feeling quite poorly. I take it you didn’t manage to keep the tablet down dear boy’.

Tim tried to open his eyes at the sound of Ducky’s voice; he had always liked the coroner and usually found his voice somewhat comforting. Today it echoed uncomfortably through his head as the daylight assaulted his eyes making him whimper.

‘No’

The weak response made the ME frown and he turned towards Tim’s worried lover who was hovering near the end of the bed.

‘Jethro, I need to turn the lights on but I think they may be too much for poor Timothy here to bear. Can you get me something to cover his eyes?’

It wasn’t long before Jethro returned with a folded up towel and waited for Ducky to drape it gently over Tim’s eyes before turning the lights on.

The exam didn’t take very long and Tim soon felt a sharp prick in the crook of his arm. Slowly, the pounding subsided, being replaced by the medicated sleep that was needed to shift the migraine.

‘Jethro, I don’t like the way he looks. The medication should get rid of the migraine but he’s dehydrated and I doubt very much he will be able to keep any water down at this point. I’m afraid a trip to Bethesda is called for’

Jethro ran his hands through his hair, the breath he had inhaled puffing out in a long spurt.

‘Duck is that really necessary, I mean it’s jus.......’

He was cut off by an unusually sharp reply from his friend.

‘Jethro do not countermand me. He’s dehydrated and will struggle to keep fluids down. The only way to get him rehydrated is through an IV which I certainly can’t give him here. We may need an ambulance because I’m not too sure how Timothy will handle the transport’

Jethro nodded, he knew it was futile to argue with his friend and pulled out his phone to ring for an ambulance.

The trip to the hospital had been uneventful. The meds Ducky had given Tim knocked him out cold and he was unconscious throughout the paramedic’s ministrations. They had checked Tim’s vitals before lifting his limp form onto a gurney; luckily Ducky had helped Jethro pull a pair of sweat pants on so the ambulance crew weren’t dealing with a very naked unconscious Timothy McGee.

‘Dr Mallard, do you know if he has a history of hypertension, his blood pressure is a little bit high’

Ducky shook his head and turned his attention to the medic.

‘No, the boy has always been in perfect health apart from the odd Migraine and cold’

The medic nodded and helped his partner lift the gurney into the ambulance, Jethro stepped in after them after being assured Ducky would meet them there.

Tim had been hooked up to an IV in the ambulance, the much needed fluids pumping through his veins before reaching the hospital. There wasn’t much for the medic to do as Tim’s vitals all looked good apart from the high blood pressure which was probably caused by the stress of being ill.

It didn't tke long fo them to get to he hospital and Jethro watched as his lover was whisked away into an examination room. There was nothing he could do now but wait so he sat down with the clip board and filled out the hospital forms

Bethesda ..........1 hour later

Jethro currently sat in the waiting room of the hospital, both elbows resting on his knees while his hands cupped his tired face. He was jolted upright by a pat to his back and a large coffee being thrust into his hands.

‘Any news Jethro?’

Ducky watched as his friend shook his head and took a long swig of his coffee. He felt like he had been waiting for hours and was getting more worried with every passing minute. If it was a case of simple dehydration then why the hell was it taking so long.

‘Who’s here for Tim McGee?’

The two men stood and made their way over to the young doctor who had emerged from the examination room. She smiled at the sight of them, the younger of the two obviously wound tighter than a coil. Jethro looked at the Doctor, expectantly waiting to hear how Tim was doing.

‘Tim’s going to be fine. We’ve kept him on the IV to rehydrate him and have given him some medication to bring his blood pressure down. We noticed his blood sugar levels were low which may be due to the nausea. We’ve added a glucose IV to bring that up’

Ducky nodded, the relief on his face visible. He glanced to the side to see Jethro’s tense shoulders relax.

‘Can we go sit with him doc?’

Jethro looked at the doctor and she noticed his eyes were almost pleading with her.

‘Sure, I don’t see a problem with that, though I would like to keep an eye on him until tomorrow for observation’

Jethro nodded and followed Ducky into the examination room. He looked at the pale face of his lover and felt a pang of sadness, seeing his lover sick always upset him, seeing him hooked up to the two IV’s and the nasal cannula sent a pang of panic through him.

‘Jethro, it’s Ok, the oxygen is only a precaution, he probably doesn’t need it but its always better to err on the side of caution’

Jethro nodded and made his way over to his lover, picking up the hand without the IV’s, he started to trace small circles over the back of Tim’s hand with his thumb, using small soothing motions that he knew would relax his lover had he been awake.

It was eight in the evening and Tim had been moved into a small private room. He was still sleeping peacefully and Jethro hoped they would let Tim home tomorrow, something that depended on how his migraine was and on whether or not he could keep anything down. Jethro sat in the uncomfortable hard chair, his head dropping slightly as his eyes threatened to close when he heard a small groan from the bed.

He jumped up quickly and rested his hand on Tims forehead, brushing the strands of hair backwards off his face.

‘Timmy. Hey. You’re gonna be fine Ok, you’re in the hospital’

He was holding Tim’s hand and waited for the first peek of green as his lovers eyes opened slowly. It didn’t take long as Tim looked around the room, his brow furrowed with confusion.

‘Hey.........what.......’

Tim cleared his throat and tried to swallow, the hours of sleep making his mouth and throat feel as though a desert had taken root there. He felt the head of his bed rise and an ice chip being pressed to his lips.

‘Easy Timmy, this’ll help. Take it slowly. How’s your head?’

He frowned deeply at the soothing voice. He really did know his lover too well and could pinpoint the underlying concern easily.

‘Better, I just feel tired now. When can I go home?’

‘Tomorrow morning hopefully, we’re just waiting on some test results’.

Tim nodded and felt his eyelids drooping. He was pulled back by the doctor walking in the room.

‘Tim, it’s good to see you awake. How do you feel?’

She watched as her patient nodded tiredly and took that to mean he was feeling better.

‘Good, we’ve got your test results back and would like to be the first to congratulate you’

Both men looked at her, their expressions completely blank with anticipation. Jethro’s patience was waning and Tim could see his lover glaring at the Doctor. He placed his hand on Jethro’s arm to still him before he started with the typical Gibbs diatribe.

‘Can I speak freely in front of your friend?’

Tim nodded and reached his hand up to rub at his eyes.

‘Not my friend, my life partner, whatever you have to say you say in front of him’

She nodded and smiled; a sickly sweet smile that made Jethro want to slap her silly. He stayed near Tim, letting his lover ground him with the hand on his arm.

‘Ok. Tim your blood results have confirmed you are pregnant, we’re not too sure how far along yet but we’ll do an ultrasound in the morning to find out. I don’t know how much you know about male pregnancies, but they are becoming more and more common. They do hold higher risks...............’.

Jethro felt his cheeks flush and heard an ominous buzzing in his head, he didn’t actually manage to hear what else the doctor had said after ‘you’re pregnant’ because the world had greyed out around him.

Tim felt his lover jerk as his legs buckled, and reached out to try to catch him, he was too late and he looked down to find his lover out cold on the hospital floor.
___________________________________________________________________________

Well guys here you go, Chapter 2 finally up. I hope you all enjoy and as usual, please review

Shelbylou x

Jethro smiled at his lover as he pottered about in the kitchen making coffee. Tim was dressed in nothing but low slung sweatpants that rested on his hips, highlighting the tiny swelling that was starting to form. Tim was exactly 3 months pregnant to the day and Jethro had only just started to accept the doctor’s explanation for his very male lover actually being pregnant in the first place, he even found himself getting excited at the prospect of becoming a parent again.

He walked over and wrapped his arms round Tim and found his favourite spot on his lover’s shoulder and kissed lovingly at the base of Tim’s neck. He felt Tim’s head move to the right to allow better access and continued his ministration before resting his chin on the muscular shoulder, watching as the coffee brewed, thinking back to the time the doctor told them they were expecting.
_____________________________________________________________________________

1 month ago.........

‘Ok. Tim your blood results have confirmed you are pregnant, we’re not too sure how..................’

That was the last thing Jethro remembered, the rest of the sentence being drowned out by the sound of the blood rushing to his ears making it difficult to hear. He felt his knees buckle and then..........nothing until he was bought back round by someone shoving smelling salts under his nose.

‘J, you ok?’

He glanced up and realised he was lying on the floor next to Tim’s bed, two green eyes were peering down at him with such love and concern it made Jethro reach up to his lover. Tim pushed his hand through the rails and brushed his fingertips together with his lovers and watched with relief as his partner used the bed to help him stand.

‘Yeah Tim, I’m fine. Just.........never mind. Anyway, where were we?’

The doctor glanced over at the chair and pointed at it.

‘Sit and that’s not a request marine, it’s an order’

Jethro grunted and pushed the bedrail down, sitting on the bed with Tim, his arm draped over his lovers shoulders. He felt his lover nestle into his shoulder before urging the doctor to continue.

‘Huh, you really are a stubborn son of a ..............’

‘Hey doc, how bout you finish telling me what’s wrong with my partner’

Jethro was getting antsy, it wasn’t bad enough he fainted he was also trying to figure out why the hell he fainted.

‘Ok, anyway as I was saying, Tim you are pregnant. It becoming more and more common in men nowadays though you don’t usually know you can conceive unless you are in a same sex partnership, it’s not something that is tested for early on I’m afraid’.

Tim pondered the news and the doctor watched with fascination as the boyish features creased into a frown before the penny dropped and the large blue eyes widened, the prominent larger lower lip moving to form a perfect ‘o’.

The doctor looked over at Jethro and saw the blue eyes glaze over momentarily. She was moving towards the other side of the bed in case the older man took another nose dive off it. She was watching closely and saw him recover himself, his eyes scrunched closed to slits.

‘You can’t be serious doc, is this some kind of joke because if it is it’s a bad one’

‘I can assure you Jethro it’s not, you know what, I’m not going to wait until morning to do the ultrasound, we’ll do it right now’

The doctor left, leaving the two stunned lovers holding each other on the bed, returning a short while later dragging the ultrasound into the room. She lifted Tim’s gown and squirted the clear, cold gel onto his stomach before passing the wand over it. She found the correct spot and turned monitor to clearly show a tiny shape complete with small arms and legs that had started to develop.

Tim gasped as he clearly made out the shape of the head, body, arms and legs and saw a tiny fluttering on the screen.

‘Wha.......What’s that?’

He pointed a shaking finger at the pulsing pin point and felt his lover’s breath blowing on his neck as he tried to look closely at what his lover was pointing out.

The doctor grinned at the awed looks on the mens faces and pushed a button on the control panel. A moment later the room was filled by a rapid ‘whoosh whoosh whoosh’ that made Tim jump.

‘That gentlemen, is the sound of your baby’s heart beat. I’ll tell you now, it’s strong and very healthy’

Tim welled up, he had no idea where it came from but all of a sudden he was filled with an overwhelming feeling of love for the new life growing inside of him, of course he’d do his research but for the moment he actually felt complete.

Jethro looked down at his lover; he still wasn’t sure what to make of it all but the look of complete awe and love in Tim’s eyes melted his heart, he decided there and then that no matter how weird he found this, he would make the effort to support Tim no matter what he decided.

‘Do you want to know far along you are Tim’

Tim nodded and looked expectantly at the doctor.

‘Well, the foetus is approximately 1 inch long and is developing nicely. I’d say you are about 2 months into the pregnancy’

Jethro’s eyes dropped to his lover’s face and saw the tears that welled in the clear green eyes. He wasn’t sure whether they were tears of happiness or of pure shock and disgust, he hoped for Tim’s sake it was the former.

Tim moved his head and gazed into the crystal blue eyes he had come to love and cherish and smiled.

‘J, it was conceived on our anniversary’
_____________________________________________________________________________
Present day........................

Tim was released from the hospital the day after discovering he was pregnant. It wasn’t without some ‘conditions’ as the doctor had put it. Tim was in shock as he left the hospital and found himself firmly on the receiving end of a complete caffeine ban which he wasn’t too bothered about until he tasted the caffeine free coffee Jethro had bought for him.

‘J, there is no way I can drink that, it’s tastes like Camel shit’

Jethro remembered laughing until his sides hurt at the comment, it wasn’t often his lover swore but when he did he still managed to make it sound somewhat childlike.

Rather than drink the god awful decaf, Tim decided to experiment with fruit teas and soon took a shine to the raspberry leaf tea he discovered a week ago, they now had a good stock of in the cupboard and Tim soon found himself craving it at random times.

Tim melted into his lover’s embrace and waited patiently for the kettle to boil. It was mornings like this that made life worth living; It was mornings like this that made Tim feel like the luckiest man alive.

Despite being totally happy now, the past month had been hard on them both, Jethro spent the first couple of weeks hiding in his basement building his boat which did nothing but piss Tim off. Well, he didn’t mind so much for the first week, it gave him time to sit and think, to absorb the information that the hospital had given him. The second week however was a completely different story.

____________________________________________________________________________
Two weeks ago.........

Tim sat in the lounge sipping a large mug of mango tea. It wasn’t one of his favourites but it was the best of the bunch so far and seemed to help a little bit with the nausea. The morning sickness had been a real bitch and he found himself spending more time talking to the big white telephone than anything else.

He had spent the past two weeks reading up on male pregnancies and had just about got to grips with the whole thing. What he wasn’t expecting at that moment was a wave of nausea so strong he couldn’t make it to the bathroom in time, instead throwing up all over the wooden floor. He dropped to his knees and sobbed, his emotions overwhelming him and turning him into the gibbering wreck he was now.

Tim tried to pull himself together and made his way into the kitchen to grab the dustpan and the bin, he needed to clean up the mess before Jethro the dog decided to have a good sniff. As luck would have it, his beloved Alsatian was currently in the back yard trying to dig his way to god knows where, it wouldn’t be long though before he was barking at the back door to be let in.

Once the mess was cleaned up he noticed for the first time how lonely he felt, how lonely he had felt for the past two weeks if truth be told. He sat there thinking about the times he actually saw his lover an came to the conclusion that he only really saw his lover 1) at work which had to be kept completely professional and 2) in bed and the time Jethro finally showed his face was obscene and all Tim wanted to do was sleep.

The ‘bean’ as Tim lovingly nicknamed the life growing inside of him was leeching every last bit of energy he had and most nights all he wanted to do was curl up with his lover and cuddle, he wanted to hear everything was going to ok. Instead his lover got in from work and made his way straight down to the basement, coming to bed smelling of sawdust and bourbon.

‘Right, enough’s enough’

Tim disposed of the mess and let Jethro in before making his way down into the basement. He was surprised to see his lover sitting on the hard stool staring at the boat as opposed to working on it, his eyes fixed on a point without actually seeing anything. Jethro was miles away and looked haunted but at that particular moment in time, Tim didn’t care, his sorrow had turned to anger and he needed an outlet.........Damn these hormones!

‘So this is what you’ve been doing for the past two weeks J. Sitting here staring at your boat instead of being with me’

‘Timmy I....................’

Tim’s anger took fully hold and he found he didn’t want to hear what his lover had to say, it really didn’t matter anymore because Tim had convinced himself Jethro didn’t want him anymore.

‘No J, seriously. You have got to be fucking kidding me. I’m going through this as well. No scrap that, I’m the only one going through this at the moment. You know I’ve been puking for the better part of two weeks.....ALONE. You’re not even there to comfort me anymore. You’re doing a damn good job of making it obvious I’m not what you want so tomorrow I’ll get out of your hair’.

Jethro sat there stunned, not knowing what to say to his lover. He knew everything bar the not wanting him anymore part had been right and he hadn’t been there for his lover. The problem was that he didn’t know how to handle being a dad again, it had nothing to do with his pregnant partner being a man, it had everything to do with the fear that started building as soon as Tim got home from the hospital. He sat down here most nights now thinking about Shannon and found his heart breaking slowly from the grief that was resurfacing.

‘So you’re not even going to say anything, Jesus J I didn’t do this on purpose. God I’m sorry you find me so disgusting you can’t bear to be around me anymore and I’m sorry I’m one of the freaks who can actually get pregnant. You know the day we found out I felt so ill and you were there for me. I kinda miss that J, I miss eating together, I miss watching movies together. Shit J I miss you but I guess that’s not enough is it..............’

Tim’s voice boomed through the basement of their house and Jethro saw for the first time in two weeks, the raw pain that now lived in his partners eyes. He felt his heart break, the chasm getting wider and wider with every word Tim spoke.

Tim had gone quiet for a moment and when he started to speak again, his voice broke with intermittent sobs.

‘I can’t.....do this anymore J...........I’m going to go to bed...............and I’ll................be out of your hair............tomorrow. I can’t believe...............it has actually................come to this’

With that, Tim turned and ran up the steps two at a time, Jethro felt the tears prickle in his eyes and followed his lover up, finding Tim on his knees halfway to the staircase.

‘Tim please, I do............’

‘No ...........Jethro........please not..........not now. Just do........what you have been..........doing for the past two fucking weeks.........Go back to your god damn basement and wallow........in whatever it is you have been............wallowing in’

Tim stood and with his final burst of energy ran up the stairs, slamming the bedroom door before locking it.

Jethro spent a couple of hours sitting outside their bedroom, talking to Tim through the locked door before hearing the sound of Tim retching violently in the bathroom.

‘Gibb’s you idiot, the bathroom’

Jethro berated himself as he made his way to the master bathroom’s second door. They had installed a second one when the main bathroom was out of commission, that way if they had overnight visitors, then they had facilities to use.

He was relieved to find it unlocked and let himself in, his knees threatening to buckle as he took on the sight of his lover curled miserably in the foetal position on the hard tile floor. Tim still wore the sweats and t shirt he had on earlier, though the front of his t shirt was now wet where the tears had continually fallen onto it.

‘Oh Tim..........’

He moved towards his lover and pulled him up into a sitting position, he reached up and grabbed the towel, wiping it gently across his lovers face to dry the tears that were still flowing freely.

‘I’m sorry Timmy, I’m so sorry’

That became his mantra for a good twenty minutes as Tim’s tears continued to flow. He knew part of it was down to hormones but felt the guilt stab him in his twisted heart as he realised he had done this, he had broken his lover so much he didn’t feel loved anymore, god he really did earn that second B now.

‘J, why are you here. I’m......we’re not what you want anymore’

Tim’s voice was frail and hoarse at the sobbing he had done and Jethro just sat there and rocked him gently, providing the comfort Tim had so desperately needed for the past couple of weeks.

‘Tim, we need to talk but I need you to know now, at this precise moment in time. You are what I want; I love you and want you. I’ve been a bastard recently and I’m sorry, please don’t go, I couldn’t live without you’

He felt Tim burrow deeper into his arms before attempting to stand, moving away from behind his lover, he stood and put his hand out to help him up.

‘I’m cold J’

Jethro saw his lover was shivering, the shakes so violent his teeth chattered loudly, the noise reverberating off the tile walls. The sight was strange and worried Jethro, the bathroom had been fitted with under floor heating and the house was comfortably warm.

‘Tim, look at me’

He pulled Tim’s head up and looked into his eyes, grimacing at what he saw. Tim’s face was pale and clammy and Jethro noticed Tim’s breaths were coming in short bursts.

‘oh crap. Come on we need to get you into bed. I think you’re going into shock’

Jethro led him back to their large bed and wrapped him up in the blanket before pulling out his phone to call Ducky.

‘Hello.......’

Ducky’s voice was heavy with sleep, what else did he expect at 2.30 am. He sighed heavily before answering.

‘Duck, I need a house call, I think Tim’s in shock and I don’t know what to do’

‘Jethro, what........why is Tim in shock, whatever happened?’

‘Long story Duck, please I need you to come over, I’ll explain everything then’

Jethro waited for what seemed like forever before hearing the front door open and the sound of footsteps on the wooden floor. He heard Jethro growl before realising who the late night visitor actually was and padding back to his bed.

Ducky knocked on the door and entered quietly, throwing a puzzled look at his friend.

‘Duck, listen. You remember a couple of weeks ago when Tim was in hospital for a Migraine, well basically we found the cause of the nausea and........shit’

Jethro ran his hand through his hair trying to find the right words, he barely heard Tim speak as Ducky neared the bed.

‘I’m pregnant Duck, two and a half months’

Ducky paused and looked at Jethro who just nodded once started to pace the floor. If there was one thing Ducky was good at, it was concealing his own shock at the news. he was happy for the pair but knew how difficult male pregnancies could be.

‘Ok, well um, congratulations. That doesn’t explain why you are in shock tonight though Timothy, what on earth happened’.

‘Duck, we argued and I’ve lived up to the ‘b for bastard’ stigma. It’s my fault, please just help him’

Ducky frowned and turned towards Tim, doing a basic exam before turning to Jethro.

‘He’s shocky Jethro but I think he is mostly just emotionally exhausted. He needs rest so we should let him sleep’

Ducky grasped his friends arm and the two of them made their way down to the kitchen to talk over coffee.

Tim woke the next morning feeling stiff and achy, the exhaustion was still there but his head felt a lot clearer than it had the night before. He turned on his back and reached over to his lover’s side of the bed, his hand snaking over to find the sheets cold and smooth, Jethro had not come to bed last night.

Sighing he stood and made his way downstairs, he wanted nothing more than a hot cup of coffee this morning, he felt as though he needed the caffeine to clear the cobwebs. He walked into the kitchen sighing as he mentally prepared himself for a cup of fruit tea. What he wasn’t prepared for was the sight of his Lover and Ducky talking quietly over coffee, Jethro looked up and smiled, holding out his hand for Tim to join them.

‘Hey Tim, how’re you feeling today?’

‘Erm, Ok I think, just really tired and fuzzy headed’

Tim rubbed his eyes and was surprised by the feel of a BP cuff being slipped over his arm.

‘I just want to check my dear boy, you were quite ill last night’.

Tim nodded and accepted the mango tea that Jethro handed to him. He sipped at the tea and felt the cuff inflate painfully before deflating fully.

‘Oh that’s much better, back to normal Timothy. You still need rest though so I’m going to sign you off for the day’

Tim nodded and looked over at his lover, the weariness was evident in the handsome face and the blue eyes looked dull with none of the usual sparkle they usually held.

‘I’ve already rang in Tim and booked it off, we need to talk and rest Ok’.

Tim nodded and rubbed tiredly at his face, deciding that today was not going to be a good day.
___________________________________________________________________________
Present day.........

Tim finished making the coffee and added the boiling water to the teabag, letting it steep to a crimson red colour. He pulled out the bag and handed his lover his morning coffee.

‘God I miss that J, you think they’ll let me have one a day’

Jethro laughed and decided to humour Tim.

'Won’t hurt to ask Timmy, but for now, how bout you stick to those’

He pointed at the tea and his smile widened as Tim took his first sip, the look on Tim’s face relaxed with pure pleasure. Tim opened his eyes and saw his partner sitting on one of the kitchen chairs, watching him with wonder. He walked over and straddled Jethro pulling him in for a deep kiss.

‘We’re ok now aren’t we J, I mean we’ve been talking for two weeks but I just need to know’

Tim’s voice was unsure; he had moments like this where he didn’t believe everything was going to be ok now an needed to be reassured. Jethro wrapped his arms around Tim’s waist and pulled him in for a hug.

‘Yeah Tim, we’re gonna be fine, all three of us’

Hey guys, thank you so much for all your kind reviews, I’m overwhelmed by the feedback and love you all for it, you really are good for a gal’s ego he he he.
____________________________________________________________________________
I know this chapter has got a lot of background work in it, but I really feel it’s important to the story. Hope you all enjoyed reading and I promise to get Chapter 4 up soon.

Shelbylou x

A/N Hey guys, before we start I want to say a big thank you for all your support with this story. I hope I can keep living up to your expectations.

This story is going to be a bit more fluffy, no angst here because I think two chapters of beating on poor Timmy is enough for now he he he.

Anyway, Enjoy
_____________________________________________________________________________
The weather had been pleasantly warm giving Tim the opportunity to sit in the yard with Jethro, reading his book and throwing a ball for his furry friend. He had sat at the pine garden table, lounging in one of the comfortable garden chairs his lover had made. He picked up the glass and raised it to his lips, too engrossed in his reading to notice it was empty, sighing he stood up and traipsed back into the house for a refill.

Tim walked through the kitchen door with his nose still buried deep in a book and the empty glass clasped in his left hand. He loved Saturdays and recently he had been taken off call at weekends and was lavishing the feel of complete freedom for two whole days.

He reached out his hand to place the glass on the kitchen worktop and surprised himself when he felt it bump into the warm, soft t shirt his lover was wearing. He lowered the book and gazed up, his green eyes locking onto the crystal blue ones which currently held a sparkle of amusement.

‘Oh hey, sorry I thought you’d gone to the store’

Jethro smirked and pulled Tim in for a warm, passionate kiss before pulling away, his hands rubbing gently up and down his lovers sides.

‘I left two hours ago, you been sitting out there reading all this time, exactly how good is that book?’

Tim blushed, his cheeks slowly turning a deep shade of crimson.

‘Two hours? Huh, guess I lost track of time’

Placing the book on the counter, he reached over to reclaim his lover’s lips, kissing him deeply and feeling the familiar twitch of arousal stirring in the pit of his stomach. Jethro felt Tim’s hand snake its way down his body, starting at the shoulders and stopping briefly at his lovers sensitive nipples to play, making the small nubs hard. He moved down slowly, gently slipping his hand into his lover’s pants finally finding exactly what it was looking for. Tim started to rub slowly, making Jethro uncomfortably hard in his boxers.

Tim was now three and a half months pregnant, luckily the morning sickness had subsided dramatically and the exhaustion he had been feeling in the first trimester and been replaced by a permanent horniness that had Tim wanting sex twenty four seven.

‘Jethro, I want you NOW’

Jethro had been getting used to Tim’s demands for sex, for the past two weeks his lover had been insatiable, the hormones flowing freely making Tim pretty much hard all the time. Not that Jethro was complaining, he adored his partner and pleasuring him made him infinitely happy. He had spent many nights watching his debauched lover completely sated and relaxed to the point he thought he had melted into a puddle of goo on the bed.

Jethro’s eyes darkened as his hands ran down the full length of the lean body, stopping briefly to massage the tiny swollen belly. Tim growled at the contact and decided to take complete control, he pushed his lover’s sweats and boxers down roughly and reached over to the left to open the drawer that they had started to keep a tube of lube in. Jethro almost keened at the sound the cap popping and watched with complete lust as Tim carefully slicked up his fingers.

Tim went in for one more kiss and kneeled in front of his lover, practically purring at the sight of his lover’s hard cock twitching in front of his face. He admitted to loving this part of the pregnancy and loved the feeling of being completely horny all the time. He still suffered the odd migraine but all in all he felt good.

He leaned forward and teased the head of his lover’s shaft, his tongue swirling gently at the tip to lap up the pre-come that had started to drip. Jethro did keen this time, a long sharp moan that made Tim slide his mouth all the way down, taking his lover in completely. Whilst his nose was buried deep in his lover’s groin, he pushed one slick finger through the Jethro’s tight ring of muscle, avoiding his lover’s prostate at the moment because he wanted to be buried deep inside when Jethro came.

He started to move his head back towards the tip, the slow ministrations enough to make Jethro crazy but not enough to send him over the edge, Timmy was good at that, he could take his lover to the brink but not enough to completely fall. It really did drive Jethro wild.

Jethro felt his lovers tongue dip into the slit at the top of his cock as another finger joined the party in his ass, he felt as though he was going to explode, good Tim was good. He felt a pang of remorse as the warm mouth left his cock and watched as the sandy head moved upwards towards his mouth.

He could taste himself as Tim went in for a deep kiss, his fingers still buried deep in his lover’s ass. At some point a third finger had made his way in stretching him perfectly. Tim pulled away and tugged at his arm, turning his lover round so he was standing bent into the counter, hands splayed on the black granite worktop.

Jethro heard the cap pop on the lube and soon felt the blunt tip of Tim’s slick erection pushing its way inside him. He gasped as he felt the momentary burn; Tim stilled waiting for the muscles to relax, driving all the way home when he felt his lover give way.

Tim set a fast rhythm, they had spent the previous night lazily making love and now he was in the mood for hard fast sex.

‘Oh god Timmy...........’

Jethro was panting hard and Tim leaned in, reaching around his lover and weaving their fingers together on the counter top, the platinum rings clanging softly as they met.

Jethro practically screamed, the change of angle meant his lover’s hard cock was rubbing hard against his prostate on every thrust and it wasn’t long before he was coming hard and fast without his erection even being touched. Tim kept moving, the contracting muscles finally sending him over the edge, his own orgasm hard and hot, filling his lover with his hot come.

Tim rested his sweaty head between his lover’s shoulder blades as stood in complete post coital bliss. They were both panting hard and in desperate need of a shower. Tim moved back and slipped out of his lover, eliciting a groan as he brushed past Jethro’s prostate.

‘J that was.........Oh my god.......that was amazing’

Jethro turned and pulled Tim into a tender embrace, groaning when he leaned back into the wet come that coated the kitchen unit.

‘Timmy, how bout we clean up and go take a bath. Tell you what, you go run the bath and I’ll get cleaned up here’.

Tim nodded and moved out of the kitchen to prepare the bath. Jethro stood and grimaced as he felt his lover’s come drip out of him, leaving wet lines as it ran down his leg. God did he need that bath. He made quick work of cleaning the kitchen and walked upstairs to join his lover in the bathroom.
___________________________________________________________________________

He walked into the master bedroom and smiled lazily at his lover. Tim was laying down on the bed napping peacefully on top of a towel. He was completely naked, the small paunch more pronounced in the position he was in.

Jethro walked over and tapped Tim gently on the face.

‘Hey, how bout we get in that bath’

Tim opened his eyes and grinned, holding out a hand for his lover so he could pull him up. Jethro helped him up but never let go of his hand, the finger twining together gently before pulling his partner into the bathroom for an afternoon of pure relaxation before the festivities started.

‘We still got a couple of hours before everyone arrives?’

Jethro nodded as he stepped in the bath, lying back against the white cast iron, motioning for Tim to join him.

‘Yep, everything is under control, I’ve made the salad and the meat’s marinating nicely so quit worrying and get your pregnant ass in here’.

Tim laughed and stepped into the bath, settling himself between Jethro’s legs. Jethro felt Tim’s muscles relax completely as he sank into the hot water, the smells of the bath oil rising in the steam.

Tim felt his lovers arms drop across his shoulders, the hands resting just above his navel and he couldn’t help himself as he grasped the hands in his and melted completely into Jethro, his eyes had started to droop again when something popped into his head.

‘J, Can I ask you a question?’

Jethro frowned and shifted slightly so he could look down at his Tim, the tensing muscles not going unnoticed by his lover.

‘Anytime, what’s up?’

‘What were you and Ducky talking about that night we.....’

Tim’s throat had gone tight; clearing it he finished his question.

‘Sorry, The night we argued’

Tim felt his lover relax and chuckle, the sound reverberating through his lover chest onto his back.

‘What’s made you think about that?’

Tim shrugged, not wanting to admit it had been something playing on his mind since the event. He somehow needed to know what the two friends had talked about all night.

‘Ok Timmy, for a start I got an ass whooping off my best friend’

Tim giggled as Jethro started to tell him the events of that dreaded night.
____________________________________________________________________________

Two weeks ago..............
Jethro found himself being guided to the kitchen by his friend, the last couple of weeks had really taken its toll and he found himself needing to talk.

‘I’ve fucked up Duck; I just don’t know what to do’

Ducky had started the coffee and was waiting for it percolate. He walked over to his friend and laid a hand gently on his shoulder.

‘Why don’t you start by talking to me Jethro, we’ll take it from there’.

Jethro nodded and felt a stab of guilt as he thought about the raw pain reflected in Tim’s eyes that night.

‘Duck, I’m scared. I couldn’t care less about my pregnant partner being male; Jesus, I can’t believe he’d even think that. I just don’t want to lose them again. I can’t go through that again’.

Ducky placed a hot, steaming mug of coffee in front of his friend and sat on one of the other kitchen chairs.

‘Jethro, what exactly has been going on, I take it you found out when Timothy was in hospital two weeks ago’

Again Jethro nodded, his head dropping into his hands.

‘God Duck, I panicked and messed up again. He’s gonna leave me’

Ducky stared at Jethro, waiting for his friend to look at him again.

‘I’m sure that’s not the case, why don’t you start from the beginning’

‘Duck, when we got back from the hospital, Tim was exhausted so went up to bed. I went down to the basement with every intention of working on my boat, instead I found myself sitting there thinking about Shannon and Kelly’

Ducky reached over the table and patted his friend on the arm; he felt his friend’s fragility and needed to ground him.

‘It really messed with me Duck, I came home every night and needed to be alone, needed to be able to sort through these thoughts. I started to drink the bourbon that was down there and have been drunk for the better part of two weeks now’.

He heard Ducky inhale sharply and looked up to see his friends gaze harden. He continued under the scrutiny of his lifelong friend.

‘You know what he said to me Duck, He told me he was sorry I found him disgusting and sorry he was one of those freaks. He’s not Duck, I don’t think of him that way. Sure it’s weird but it’s becoming more common now’

Ducky’s gaze didn’t soften as Jethro put his heart on the table, exposing his emotions to someone other than his lover.

‘I didn’t know what to say so I just sat there like a complete bastard and listened’

Ducky’s irritation was now evident, his eyes getting harder and harder the more his friend talked.

‘Jethro, what on earth were you thinking, that poor boy has had the shock of his life. It’s one thing to be told you are pregnant under these circumstances but it’s another to have to go through it alone. How would you feel if it had been the other way round.’

Jethro hung his head in shame and continued, his voice sounding empty as he talked.

‘I don’t know, I guess I’d want him there for me. I’m not sure what happened, I think I started to grieve again and didn’t know exactly how to handle it. I grieved alone before Duck and guess I just needed that again’

‘You guess you’d want him there? My god Jethro put yourself in his shoes. He’s a man and he’s pregnant, no matter how common it’s becoming there is still stigma attached to it. He’s going to be feeling insecure at the moment and you weren’t there to comfort him.’

The shame was filling every pore in Jethro’s body; he didn’t want to hear the words but needed that kick up the ass to get him back on track

‘Jethro, regardless of how you were feeling, you now have two people in your life that need you more than ever. I’m guessing you are aware of the difficulties of Male pregnancies. I hate to say it Jethro, but you need to buck up man, that poor boy needs you now more than ever’

Jethro looked up at his friend, the steely gaze burning through him.

‘Yeah Duck, I know. I’m just not sure how to make this right. He said he’d been throwing up for the better part of two weeks and I’ve been so much of a fucking bastard that I let him do it completely alone.’

Ducky watched as his friend stood and started to pace the kitchen, the nervous energy needing to be burnt off.

‘Jethro, you know what you need to do. Tomorrow you are going to lock the basement door and you are not going to go back down there until you have talked to Timothy and cleared the air. Now if you excuse me, I’m going to go and check on him and when I get back down we’ll continue our talk’

Jethro nodded again and sat back down in the chair waiting for his friend to return.
____________________________________________________________________________
Present day...................

‘The rest of the night was spent just chatting. The talk we had the day after pretty much covered everything I talked to Duck about. He helped me put it all into perspective’.

Tim raised one of Jethro’s hands and kissed the palm.

‘I’m glad he did J’

Jethro petted the top of Tim’s hair and looked at the hand that Tim was studying, the skin had become wrinkled and puckered with the water, signalling the need to get out and get ready.

‘Hey come on, we look like prunes and everyone will be here soon’

He felt Tim shift slightly before moving forward to give him the leverage to turn round. Straddling his lover he kissed him deeply as the hormones kicked in, hardening his shaft ready for round two.

Tim stood in the bedroom wearing his favourite black shirt. He really wanted to wear his indigo dye jeans but they had started to feel a uncomfortably tight at the waist, he growled in frustration as Jethro walked in, watching his lover frantically going through his wardrobe.

‘Timmy, what’re you doing, everyone will be here soon’

He heard Tim huff as he pulled back, standing in front of the open wardrobe wearing nothing but his boxers and shirt.

‘Thanks for that J; you know this will be a hell of a lot easier if my jeans didn’t feel so damn tight anymore’

Tim slumped on the bed next to the offending garment and understanding dawned on Jethro as he made his way over, kneeling in front of his lover to comfort him.

‘Ok, so they don’t fit, just put something else on’

‘Jethro, everything is tight, I might not be showing that much but it’s enough that my clothes are getting tight. I really don’t want to pull out the fat clothes J’

‘Fat clo..............Timmy they weren’t that big and to be honest, they will probably still be too baggy now anyway. Listen, solve a problem. Put the jeans on and leave the button undone, just pull the zipper up and wear a belt’

Tim huffed a short laugh, his arms flailing as he continued.

‘Yeah right J, what if someone notices, God I’m going to get fat again aren’t I’

He flopped back onto the bed only to be pulled back up a moment later by his lover. He looked at Jethro and saw the firm boss look that let Tim know he meant business.

‘Ok, 1. you are not going to get fat again. You are pregnant and 2. How the hell are they going to see, your shirt will cover it up. So how bout you put the jeans on with a belt and we’ll go shopping tomorrow Ok’

Tim looked up and cocked one side of his mouth into a crooked smile, an evil glint in his eye.

‘Yes boss’

Jethro reached his hand back and gave him a soft Gibbs head slap before ruffling the soft sandy hair and making his way back downstairs.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Jethro had just finished preparing the food and had started moving it outside to the grill, he grinned broadly when Tim emerged wearing his Indigo jeans, the top button and belt masked by the long black shirt he wore.

‘You look good Tim, You feeling ok?’

Jethro walked over to Tim and handed him a plate of steaks before picking up the chicken that he had part cooked in the oven.

‘Yeah sorry, I didn’t mean to get all hormonal on you, I think its just nerves’

They walked out towards the grill and put the plates of meat down on the table at the side, Jethro had covered the plates with foil to stop any bugs making a meal out of their dinner.

‘Don’t worry about it, honestly, if that’s all I get in the next few months I’ll be lucky and there is absolutely no need to be nervous’

Jethro pulled Tim in for a quick kiss but they were disturbed by the door knocking.

‘You ready?’

Jethro looked into his lovers eyes and saw the blind panic that had started to build, they had organised a barbeque night for everyone so they could share the news but Tim had been fretting about it all day. Jethro secretly felt the same way, he knew their colleagues and friends were liberal minded he just didn’t know how liberal minded they were.

Squeezing his lovers hand he made way to the front door to let everyone in. Tim had moved into the kitchen, to grab the drinks, uncapping three beers for Jethro, Tony and Jimmy and pouring three glasses of wine, one each for Abby, Ziva and Ducky. He looked mournfully at the beer before grabbing the bottle of mineral water out of the fridge, pouring it into a tall glass with liberal ice cubes in.

He had just finished getting the drinks ready when he was grabbed in a bear hug so tight it took his breath away.

‘Timmy, I’ve missed you’

The arms relaxed and Tim wrapped his own arms around Abby’s waist before pecking his favourite Goth on the cheek.

‘You saw me yesterday Abbs’ he chuckled as he passed her a glass of wine.

‘I know but..........’

Tim didn’t find out why Abby missed him as Tony’s voice rang through the house.

‘Probie’

Tony walked in his arms flung wide as he made his way over to his friend in mock cuddle mode.

‘Hey Tony, don’t you dare, here have a beer instead’

He handed the beer to Tony and looked behind him to see Ziva standing talking to Jethro, his lovers lips quirking into a broad smile as the brunette chatted away happily. He grabbed a glass of wine and walked over, pecking her on the cheek as he handed it over.

Ziva turned towards Tim and looked him up and down eliciting a growl from Tony. She looked over at him and winked before turning her attention back to Tim.

‘McGee, you look nice tonight, special occasion?’

Her eyes glinted making Tim laugh out loudly, the sound echoing through the kitchen.

‘You could say that Zee, you know where Ducky and Jimmy are?’

‘They are on their way, Jimmy was picking Ducky up and you know how they argue about directions’

The laughter rang through the room and everyone was in good spirits as their two missing friends arrived.

Everyone had finished eating and was relaxing in the back yard. Tim had been replenishing everyone’s drinks throughout the night while his lover took charge of the grill, cooking the food to perfection.

Jethro and Tim had decided to use paper plates to cut back on the clean up so they had more time to sit and talk to their friends. Tony was currently rolling around on the Lawn playing with Jethro, the Alsatian practically standing on Tony’s chest as he growled at the dog, pulling at the toy in the dog’s mouth.

‘Hey Tony, you know we haven’t had a chance to clear the crap up yet’

Tony jumped up at Tim’s warning, contorting his body to check whether he had crap on him. The look on his made everyone howl with laughter.

‘Ok fur ball, that’s enough for the night’

He bent down and picked up the toy, throwing it down the lawn sending Jethro loping happily after it. He walked back and sat next to Ziva, his arm draping casually over the back of her chair. Tim handed him another beer before grabbing the cold bottle of water to pour over the ice he had just put in his glass.

‘What’s with the water McSober, you haven’t had a drink all night?’

Jethro saw his lover's hand shake slightly as he poured the water and laid a comforting hand on the small of his back. He started to rub small circles as he took point.

‘Actually Tony, That’s why we asked you here’

Tony was confused, his face scrunched up as he processed Jethro’s comment.

‘Boss, you called us here to tell us Probie’s stopped drinking, I’ve gotta tell you, it’s a bit extravagant, you could’ve told us on Monday’

Jethro grinned broadly as Ziva delivered the obligatory head slap when Tony said something stupid, he watched as she pulled her hand away and blew suggestively at the palm.

‘Zeevah, we’ve had this conversation before, only the bossman gets to do that’

Jethro reached over and smacked Tony on the head making everyone laugh again at Tony’s affronted ‘Hey’.

‘Good girl Ziva and no Tony, that is not the reason you are here. Me and Tim.........well we have some news that may come as a bit of a shock to you all’

He pulled Tim down onto his knee and started to rub his hand absently up and down his back. He glanced up at his lover and silently urged him on.

‘Ok guys, well you know I was in hospital a couple of weeks ago, well they found something......’

He was interrupted by Abby’s chorus of ‘oh my god, oh my god’. Ducky rested his hand on her forearm silencing her, her eyes shining with the tears that were threatening to fall.

‘Abby it’ Ok, it’s not a bad thing. Anyway, I’m just going to come out and say it..........I’m pregnant, three and a half months pregnant to be exact’

Jethro felt Tim slump slightly, the burden of having to tell everyone had been weighing on him for days. Looking up he tried to gauge the different reactions from the expressions on their faces.

Abby was the first to speak, jumping up quickly and bouncing her way over to the two partners.

‘Oh my god, seriously Timmy, you’re pregnant. That’s great I’m so happy for you guys’

She pulled both of them simultaneously into a hug before sitting in the chair at the side, her face beaming with pure excitement.

‘Thanks Abbs, that means a lot’

Tim reached back and grasped Abby’s hand, squeezing it gently before relaxing the grip, not letting go because he needed the reassurance from his friend.

Ziva being the stoic person she was just smiled and offered her congratulations. Tim couldn’t help but wonder whether there was actually anything that would surprise their mossad friend, in all the years he had known her, nothing had fazed her at all.

Jimmy was another one who didn’t seem surprised; he also offered his congratulations and grinned at the surprised looks on Jethro and Tim’s faces.

‘I’ve just covered Male pregnancy at med school; it’s really not that uncommon any more’

Tim grinned and felt a wave of relief as his friends accepted their situation. There was only one person left and all eyes fell on a very pale and sweaty Tony.

‘Anthony, are you alright my boy’

Ducky’s voice seemed to pull him out of his trance and he slowly moved his face towards his friends.

‘M’fine Ducky. Hey congratulations you guys.........that’s great news. Is it me or is it getting a cold out here’

Jethro looked at his senior agent and pushed Tim gently off his knee, giving his lovers backside a gentle pat as he go up. He walked around the table and knelt down, looking over his agent with concern.

‘Tony, you with me......hey....DINOZZO LOOK AT ME’

Tony moved his glassy eyes towards his boss and blinked, the sweat starting to drip down his forehead into his eyes.

‘Tony, you ok’

Tony nodded once, his head bobbing towards his chest sharply before being pulled up.

‘Yeah, I mean I didn’t know guys could.........you know. Tim you’re seriously pregnant? You’re not joking?’

Tim moved so he was kneeling at his lover’s side, his hand resting gently on Tony’s knee. He didn’t know what to make of Tony’s reaction, it wasn’t bad and he wasn’t disgusted, he was just deeply shocked.

‘No joke Tony, we’re really having a baby, you gonna be ok with that’

The gentleness of Tim’s voice stilled his shaking friend and their eyes met briefly. Tim didn’t know what to do or say and felt completely out of his depth.

Tony exhaled loudly before nodding his head and replying in a shaky voice.

‘Yeah McGee, it’s just a shock, you know........I really am happy for you guys’

Jethro felt a tap on his shoulder and looked over to see Ducky hovering. He patted Tony’s thigh gently and stood to let Ducky take his place kneeling on the floor. Tony’s head had dropped down to rest on his chest, it was moving up and down in time with Tony’s harsh breathing.

Ducky put his hand under Tony’s chin and lifted his head to examine him, not liking what he saw he placed two fingers at the pulse point on Tony’s neck and frowned as he felt the racing pulse. He moved quickly and pushed Tony’s head between his knees.

‘Timothy, Jethro, I believe Anthony is in mild shock, is it ok if he stays here tonight’

Tim nodded and looked over at his lover, pleading with him not to be pissed off at Tony’s reactions. Jethro looked at him confused and nodded his approval.

‘It’s probably best Duck, we have plenty of room if anyone else wants to stay over too’

Abby clapped her hands with complete joy, her pigtails bouncing up and down as her excitement took hold.

‘Yay a sleepover at boss man’s and Timmy’s, Ziva you up for it’

Ziva smiled shyly and looked sheepish; Tim looked over at her and smiled. As it turned out there was something that fazed her after all.

‘Actually Abby I will be staying tonight. We have an announcement of our own’

Five sets of eyes locked onto her, expectantly waiting for the news she was going to give.

‘Well me and Tony have been seeing each other and have been together for about a month now. Gibbs, would you mind if I shared the bed with Tony?

Tony looked up at Ziva and smiled for the first time in half an hour. He looked up and saw his boss grin at his girl, nodding his approval at them sharing a bed.

Jethro bent down and helped pick up a still shocky Tony, walking him into the house towards the guest room. Tim still couldn’t get his head round everyone’s reactions; he honestly thought they’d all look at him as if he was some kind of freak. He sighed with relief and felt Abby’s arms wrap around his neck, her head resting on his shoulder.

‘You Ok Timmy, how’re you doing?’

Tim covered Abby’s clasped hands with his own and leaned into her hug, they had been best friends for years now and he loved her with all his heart.

‘You know what Abby, I’m doing great’
____________________________________________________________________________
Phew, this is a long one. There's no angst here guys just a bit of loving and friendship. Let me know what you think

Shelbylou x

Jethro had spent most of the morning getting his ear chewed by the captain of a destroyer; he completely understood the man’s frustration but was seriously pissed off at bearing the brunt of his anger.

The team had been working on a case involving a young female Seaman. She had been found dead in Anacostia Park; face down in the river that flowed there. The investigations had soon led to the Captains son who was currently being held in custody awaiting interview.

‘Special Agent Gibbs, you will be hearing from my lawyer. Expect a visit from JAG very soon’

The communication ended abruptly leaving Jethro standing in front of a blank fuzzy screen. He pulled his head set of and threw it down on the technicians desk as he stormed past. He strode back to his desk and sat down heavily; ignoring the imploring look Tim threw his way.
____________________________________________________________________________________
Jethro’s mood hung heavily in the air making the team bury their noses deep in their work. Tim had been running background checks on the Captains son, trying to dig out as much information about the 22 year old Petty officer as he could and was currently going through the young man’s bank statements trying to find any anomalies.

‘Boss, I think I’ve got something’

Tim typed furiously and stood, moving slowly to the plasma screen. The file he had been scrutinizing on full display. Jethro moved over to the large screen standing to the left of his lover. Tim was clicking the small mouse highlighting separate areas of the bank statement.

‘Ok, Boss we were wrong about Petty Officer Petersen; I don’t think he was involved with Seaman Davies at all. I think he was being blackmailed by her.’

‘McGee, I hope you’ve got a good basis for that claim’

The barked comment made Tim flinch, he was used to his lover’s moods during cases but it didn’t take the sting out of being on the brunt end of them.

Jethro looked closely at the screen and noticed the highlighted areas showed large sums of money being transferred into the same bank account on regular intervals.

‘I have boss. You see the highlighted activity; they’re transfers to another bank account. They’re large sums J, nearly three quarters of his monthly income was being deposited’

‘He’s been transferring money? do we know where’

Tim shifted uncomfortably before pulling another document up on the screen so two bank statements sat side by side.

‘He was transferring money into Seaman Davies’s account Boss. It’s been going on for months by the look of it’

Jethro clapped Tim on the back and turned sharply barely missing the collision with the Leon Vance.

‘Director, is this urgent because I have a Petty Officer to interview’

Vance moved the toothpick to the other side of his mouth, his gaze unwavering as he stared directly at Jethro. Tim shifted onto his other foot and started to pick at a loose thread on his Jacket.

‘Gibbs, McGee my office now. DiNozzo, Go interview our suspect’

Jethro scowled and followed Vance up to his office, Tim following behind nervously buttoning his Jacket to try to hide the small swelling.
___________________________________________________________________________________
‘Sit’

Vance practically shouted the order and pointed to the comfortable chairs around the small meeting table. Tim obeyed, sinking down slowly in the leather chairs whilst secretly fretting about what was going to happen. Jethro saw the fear in his partner’s eyes and nodded his support as he sat.

Vance had been looking out of window trying to figure out what to say, he had heard the scuttlebutt and wasn't sure how to broach the subject without too much comeback. It was a situation he had been stewing on for two days and he knew he had to be careful so as not to let his prejudice’s show.

The silence was putting Jethro on edge, his morning had been a bitch so far and all he wanted to do was go down to the suspect currently being interviewed by his senior field agent.

‘Leon, there better be a damn good reason you have called us here’

Vance turned and made his way over to the table, sitting down in the chair opposite both his agents. He pulled the toothpick out of his mouth and laced his hands together on the table in front of him.

‘Ok gentlemen, there has been a certain amount of disturbing scuttlebutt flying around the Navy yard and I feel it’s my duty to put those rumours to bed.’

He looked over to Tim and noticed the way his hands clasped around his stomach as he sat there. His body language told Vance everything he needed to know.

‘Agent McGee, is there something regarding your health I should know about right now’

Tim exhaled loudly, it had been four days since telling the team about his pregnancy and he had planned to tell the Director on Monday morning. It was just unfortunate they got called out on a case leaving him no time to arrange the meeting.

‘Director, with all due respect, I wanted to come and speak to you on Monday morning but didn’t get the opportunity because of the case’

Jethro watched as Tim slowly deflated under the Director’s piercing gaze.

‘So there is something’

Tim nodded and looked up to his lover; he really didn’t know what to say and was hoping Jethro would take up the slack. Jethro cocked his head to the side and dipped his head once, goading Tim into continuing. He felt as though the news should come from Tim seeing as he was the one carrying his child.

‘Yes. Director Vance, Agent Gibbs and I are expecting’

Vance frowned and looked over at Jethro.

‘Expecting what exactly?’

Tim wanted to laugh at the feigned stupidity coming from his superior. He really couldn’t believe a man as direct as Leon Vance would play games like this.

‘Oh for god sake Leon, Tim’s pregnant with my baby’

Leon’s face darkened at Jethro’s statement as he inhaled deeply. Tim’s feeling of foreboding deepened as Leon started at his clenched fists as if trying to compose himself.

‘Agent McGee, I have turned a blind eye to the fact that you and Special Agent Gibbs are living together. I have ignored the fact that you are both legally now each other’s next of Kin. I have even ignored the bands that you both wear. What I cannot ignore is the fact that one of my MALE agents is pregnant’

Tim blanched, he had been expecting some kind of dress down but to hear the emphasis on the word male sent sparks of fear shooting through him. He knew some people would be a little less open minded about the whole thing, but to hear it from the big boss made his stomach churn.

‘Now, firstly you are going to tell me why your little ab.....issue had been kept off record’

Jethro growled knowing exactly what the director’s slip of the tongue was going to be, he just hoped Tim was a little bit more oblivious to the comment, not wanting his hormonal lover upsetting himself over such small mindedness.

‘With all due respect sir, it’s not an abnormality or an issue. I wasn’t aware that I could even conceive until I discovered I was pregnant’

Vance shifted uncomfortably in his chair, his expression never faltered as he rounded on the Junior Agent.

‘And when was that Agent McGee. You care to share with me exactly how far along you are’

Jethro was proud of Tim, he had no idea where this assertiveness had come from but he could tell by the Directors body language that it was un-nerving his superior.

‘I found out about a month and a half ago and am currently just over 3 and a half months pregnant’

Vance settled back in the chair pinching the bridge of his nose. He had no idea how he was going to handle the pregnancy and was even thinking about signing McGee off for the foreseeable future. He was very much old school and the whole male baby boom was unnerving and fed his prejudice.

‘Director Vance, I have been doing some research into the PDA, sorry, the Pregnancy Discrimination Act and think you’ll find it interesting. I will get a copy emailed to you as soon as I return to my desk. On the other issue of turning a blind eye to our relationship then I would like to draw your attention to DADT and would like to point out that whilst it doesn’t stretch to NCIS agents we still abide by it and don’t openly flaunt our relationship at work’

Vance looked like a deer caught in the headlights as he tried to process the information, what he hadn’t expected was the amount of research and preparation that had gone into Tim’s presentation. He glanced over at Jethro and caught the wink he sent to his partner.

‘Agent McGee, don’t you think the two contradict each other. Whilst the PDA protects pregnant women and the DADT policy protects both the military and its staff, they don’t exactly go hand in hand. Don’t you think your pregnancy is going to spark questions? I’m not sure how you expect to conceal your homosexual relationship in your condition’

Tim’s lips twitched, eventually falling into a small smile.

‘Director, I would just like to re-iterate, DADT doesn’t apply here at NCIS because we are a federal agency. We chose not to flaunt our relationship with respect to our colleagues and the people we have contact with on a daily basis. Now in order to keep protecting the military I suggest you put me on desk duty as soon as my condition becomes obvious’

Tim took a deep breath and continued with his speech. Jethro was practically beaming at the stoicism of his partner and if he didn’t know better he would have thought Tim had been rehearsing this for weeks.

‘As far as the PDA act goes Director, may I suggest you read the new amended act. The protection offered to women as you pointed out now extends to men with the ability to conceive. For clarification, I will email you the new act’

Tim had him over a barrel; Vance’s hands were completely tied by the law and he really couldn’t think of any loop holes he could use.

‘Agent McGee, do you remember when I told you I would rather have more agents like you over DiNozzo’

Tim looked him square in the eye and nodded; he had a feeling he knew where this was going.

‘Well I’m afraid I need to retract that statement, I’m not sure what the implications will be to this Agency but as you so graciously pointed out, there is nothing I can do about it. I’ll admit to feeling disappointed with you at the moment, I never expected you to put the reputation of NCIS at stake the way you have. When your condition becomes obvious, you will be on desk duty with restricted access to Mtac so as to limit the damage’

Jethro’s head whipped round and Tim could feel the anger radiating off him. He decided to intervene before his partner said or did something that would get them both suspended.

‘Understood Director though I disagree that my pregnancy is damaging and quite frankly find the implication insulting. If anything Director Vance, NCIS has the opportunity to shine as a more diverse agency. If it wasn’t out of respect for the Military that we represent then that comment would be taken further as Discrimination. May we be excused?’

Vance gave a curt nod and went back to the window, his body tense and unyielding to whatever Jethro wanted to say. Tim stood and shook his head before motioning to Jethro to leave the office.
___________________________________________________________________________________
Tony was still in interrogation when the two men walked into the bull pen, Tim automatically walked to his desk to email the PDA policy, not wanting to leave it a moment later. He had to admit to feeling pretty damn proud of himself though he couldn’t help feeling slightly uneasy at the reaction they got.

‘McGee, my office now’

Tim’s head whipped up to watch Jethro striding across the office. He sighed quietly and locked his computer denying anyone else access. Tim was hot on his heels, stepping into the elevator a moment later.

Jethro pressed the button down to interrogation but slammed his hand down on the emergency stop switch as soon as the elevator started its descent. Tim wasn’t sure what to expect so stood silently waiting for Jethro to speak.

‘Timmy, what the hell was that?’

Tim was stunned into complete silence; it wasn’t said in anger but was said with complete wonder. Sometimes his lover was far too hard to read. He leaned back against the wall of the elevator and relaxed whilst trying to find the right words. He huffed out a small laugh and wiped his hand over his face.

‘You know when you got up on Sunday and found me and Tony talking in the Kitchen’

‘Yeah, you said you both talked about his reaction the night before.’

Tim hung his head and sighed, he didn’t want Jethro feeling left out but he knew he would have told Tim he was being overcautious.

‘Yeah, we did. Tony is genuinely pleased for us and Ducky said part of his reaction was caused by the alcohol. That’s not what I was going to discuss though J.’

‘Ok, Go on’

‘Basically I wanted to be prepared, I mean come on J we had to meet some resistance somewhere along the line and I had a gut feeling it would be the director. So I spoke to Tony and he helped me do the research on both policies and then some. The solution seemed simple from there, as soon as the bean gets bigger and I can’t hide it anymore, I go on desk duty until after my paternity’

Jethro was speechless and Tim laughed at the expression on his face. Jethro’s eyebrows had shot up, his mouth opening and closing as if the words just didn’t want to come. Tim was still giggling when he was pulled into a quick kiss, Jethro’s hand blindly turning the elevator back on. He pulled back as soon as they started to move.

‘I’m proud of you Tim but not so happy with the Director. If you’re happy with the outcome then I guess everything’s Ok; For now anyway’

Tim grinned and grabbed Jethro’s hand, giving it a quick squeeze before the doors opened.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Tim and Jethro walked into the observation room and moved to stand beside Ziva. It looked like Tony was just finishing up and was collecting the papers and photographs off the table.
‘David, sitrep’

Ziva jumped slightly, she had been so engrossed in the proceedings she didn’t hear them enter.

‘He broke Gibbs. Tony presented him with the DNA evidence and the bank statements and he started to coo like a dove’

‘Sing like a Canary Zee, not coo like a dove’

Ziva looked over at Tim and smiled at him. Since finding out he was pregnant she didn’t have the heart to tease him and if the truth be told, it made her feel more protective over her adopted little brother’

‘Thank you Tim. Anyway he confessed and the case is officially closed’

Jethro turned and left leaving Ziva and Tim watching Tony as he stood to leave. Tim hadn’t noticed the third person sitting in the corner of the room talking on a cell phone’

‘Who’s that?’

‘That Tim is the JAG representative; she’s currently talking to Petersen’s father’

Tim watched as the lawyer gestated with her hands, obviously relaying the details to Captain Petersen. Tony chose that very moment to walk in carrying the case file.

‘Probie, how did it go?’

Tim spent the next 20 minutes relaying the contents of the meeting to his team mates. As he was telling them about the director he started to feel the resentment towards the attitude rise, pushing away any pride he felt previously. He swallowed hard and tried to suppress the feelings knowing he had to keep calm in order to keep working.

‘Anyway, it’s by the by now so, Tony you still on for the game tonight’

‘Oh god yes, I’ll bring the pizza’s’

Tim Shook his head as they all made their way to the bull pen to file their reports.
____________________________________________________________________________________
Hey everyone, well that’s got all the ‘outage’ out of the way, let me know what you think. I know I’ve been pretty vague on the PDA laws and DADT and to be honest I have no idea whether I’m right about it not extending to NCIS but hell, it’s fiction and the law had to be tweaked a wee bit anyway.
Shelbylou x

A/N Hey guys, I would just like to say a big thank you to Alisa who has been an absolute star. She has helped me out in the biggest way by letting me run ideas by her and giving her suggestions. Between us I think we have managed to come up with some pretty darn good ideas, one of which you will see at the end of the chapter.

Alisa, Thanks for everything and I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it x
__________________________________________________________________________________
Tim lay on the sofa with his head resting in Jethro’s lap. He was exhausted because they had both spent evening packing due to the trip to Stillwater they were taking the following day.
It was early July and the weather was getting hot, peaking at 73 degrees the past week. Usually Tim liked the warm weather, but the pregnancy was making him feel twice as hot and uncomfortable all the time.

It was 2100 and the heat had started to make him feel tired, so he lay down on the couch wearing nothing but boxer shorts, his head resting in Jethro’s lap while they watched a Movie. Jethro was gently carding his fingers through Tim’s short sandy hair.

‘J, don’t forget the doctor’s appointment tomorrow’

Tim was now five months pregnant and was due for his twenty week scan. They had decided to travel to Stillwater directly after the appointment after being called in to see Vance last week to be given the god awful news he was on desk duty and on restriction from Mtac. Tim knew the day would come seeing as his small paunch was now gone and his bump was visible no matter what he wore.

Being desk bound meant trawling through cold cases all week, only working the cases when his team needed him to run background checks or delve into any personal information. He took it in his stride but Jethro had noticed how uncomfortable Tim was sitting at a desk all day and worried about the effect it was having on him.

‘I know Timmy. Don’t worry we’ll be there’

Tim smiled and nestled deeper into Jethro’s lap and continued to watch the movie they had put on, it was a movie they had borrowed from Tony and even Jethro had to admit, it was quite good. He looked down at Tim and saw his eye’s start to droop, the exhaustion finally taking over. Jethro ran his hand over the baby bump that was partially resting on the pillow between Tim’s knees.

‘How you feeling Timmy, you were fidgety today’

Tim looked turned his head slightly and Jethro could see how sleepy he was starting to get. He seemed tired this week and Jethro was starting to worry.

‘Ok I guess, my hips are starting to ache a bit if I sit in the same position too long. Kinda tired too, thought I left that behind in the first trimester’

He grabbed the hand carding through his hair and kissed the palm before turning back to the movie, Jethro continued his ministrations, never taking his eyes off his lover. Tim chuckled and turned back to Jethro.

‘You know, they’re the nicer symptoms right. I’ve also got the constipation, heartburn and am starting to swell’

Jethro laughed, his hand stilling while his thumb ran soothing circles in Tim’s hairline.

‘Oh and bu........butt............butterflies. Been getting them all day. Must be nervous about something’

The sentence was interrupted by a huge yawn, Jethro swore if it was any larger the TV was going to get sucked in. Tim’s eyes had started to close but soon opened when he felt the rumbles of laughter vibrating at the back of his head.

‘Hey, what’s so funny? I can’t help it m’tired’

Jethro couldn’t help but laugh harder at the innocence in Tim’s voice, he wasn’t laughing at his sleepy partner, he was laughing because he knew exactly what the fluttering sensations were.

‘Timmy, you’re not nervous, it’s the baby. You’re starting to feel our baby moving around in there’

The hand resting on Tim’s bump started to gently move up and down, the sensations making the fluttering Tim was feeling intensify. Tim turned and looked at Jethro, his eyes screwed up slightly with confusion’

‘Five months Tim, that’s when you usually start to feel the baby move. Hey you’re not the only one doin’ research, that and it helps to have been here before, even it wasn’t in person’

Jethro’s face darkened as he remembered his letters from Shannon that detailed every step of her pregnancy. The five month mark was one that stuck in his mind because Shannon had told him about the fluttering she was feeling and how the doctor explained it was his little Kelly moving around in there. He remembered sitting in his cabin sobbing with happiness.

Tim moved onto his back and put a hand on Jethro’s cheek, he knew the memories periodically surfaced and wanted to comfort his lover as much as he could. Jethro pulled himself back and smiled tenderly at Tim.

‘Seriously, that’s the bean moving round in there, huh. Well if that’s the case then I think it likes the attention from his Pop’s’

Jethro continued to rub gently, feeling the pang of regret at not being to feel his baby move, it was something he was wishing for and couldn’t wait for the day to come when he would put his hand on Tim’s swollen stomach only to feel his child kick.

‘What do you think about finding out whether it’s a boy or girl tomorrow? We can’t keep calling it the bean or it, poor kid’ll have a complex before it’s even born’

Tim stayed quiet for a moment making Jethro think of the irony, his pregnant lover taking a pregnant pause. The thought made him want to laugh again.

‘Yeah, I’d like that. Might be useful when we decorate the nursery or choose names’

They sat in silence watching the movie, or at least Jethro was. When he looked down at Tim he saw sleep had finally claimed him. He gently rubbed his fingers over Tim’s cheeks, gently rousing him from his deep sleep.

‘Come on, let’s go to bed’

Tim sat up and rubbed tiredly at his face, he had no idea why he felt so damn exhausted all the time because he was sleeping at least 8 hours a night and napping when he got home from work. He felt Jethro’s hands wrap around his elbow to help him up before guiding him to the bedroom.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Tim lay on the bed in the clinic waiting for his examination. He was staring across the room at the pale pink wall deep in thought. His appointments always made him nervous even though so far everything was going well.
He heard the door open and turned his head to see Jethro walking in with a bottle of water in his hand. He handed Tim the water and sat down to drink the large coffee he had bought for himself.

‘They say how long it’s gonna be?’

Tim shook his head and opened the water, taking a long drink of the cold clear liquid.

‘Shouldn’t be long now J. Hey, did you ring Jackson while you were out there’

‘Yes Timothy I did. He’s fine and told us to take it easy on the drive up. Well actually he told me to take care of his favourite son in law and grandchild anyway’

Tim swatted Jethro in the chest for the comment he just made. He knew he was being a nag, but he loved Jackson and didn’t want him to fret about them being late. Jethro grinned and was about to say something when the doctor walked in grinning broadly at the couple as they waited.

‘Hey Tim, how are we today?’

She busied herself getting the ultrasound ready before turning and lifting Tim’s top up to reveal his stomach.

‘We’re Good, I just feel really tired recently. Hey, I think I can feel the bean move now’

The doctor laughed loudly at his description as she squirted the cold gel onto his abdomen making Tim inhale sharply.

‘Sorry, you know the drill by now Tim so I didn’t think you needed any warning. So, does it feel like butterflies by any chance?’

‘Oh god yeah, I thought It was nerves until J told me I should be feeling the baby round about now’

She moved the wand firmly over the bump as she tried to get the right angle.

'Well, looks like you were right Jethro, the baby is very active, looks like it’s awake at the moment’

She turned the monitor to show the baby moving around happily. Tim felt a tear slide down his cheek as he watched his child start to suck its thumb and smiled when Jethro reached over and wiped away the tear, his own eye’s moistening at the sight.

‘Ok, everything’s looking good gentlemen; do you want to know the sex?’

She looked at the pair and grinned broadly at the two heads nodding excitedly before her.

‘Congratulations, it’s a perfectly healthy little boy. He’s not shy either Tim, you see the way he’s lying, well you can see his family jewels as clear as day’

Tim felt Jethro squeeze his hand as another tear rolled down his cheek. He turned to his partner with pure joy in his eyes and grinned.

‘J, we’re having a son’

Jethro chuckled and bent down low to kiss his lover deeply. He pulled away and looked him directly in the eyes before turning back to the doctor as she cleared her throat.

‘Sorry. Oh, Tim I need to see you before you leave, do you think you could come by my office’

‘Yeah no problem, is everything ok?’

She looked over and saw how worried her patient had become and gave him a reassuring smile before wiping his stomach clean.

‘I just need to go over your test results, it shouldn’t take too long’.

Tim sat up and pulled his shirt down over his bump, he found himself really looking forward to becoming a father and ran his hand down it with adoration. He looked over at Jethro and felt his heart melt when he saw him watching Tim, his eyes full of love for his family. He stood up and laced his fingers through Jethro’s.

‘Come on J, let’s go see what the doctor wants’
____________________________________________________________________________________
‘So what’re you saying doc’

Jethro had gone on the defensive; the doctor had just told them Tim’s blood test revealed slightly higher blood sugar levels than normal.

‘Jethro, it’s nothing to worry about at the moment. There’s only a slight increase so I just want to make some minor changes to Tim’s diet’.

She pulled out a typed document and handed it over to Tim.

‘Tim, I’m worried about you developing gestational diabetes and need you to follow this diet for the time being. It’s not a major change at the moment but does include starchier foods like wholemeal bread, pasta rice etc. I also want you to make sure you eat your 5 a day’

Tim read the dietary information sheet she had just handed to him and nodded. He started to wonder whether this accounted for the tiredness and thirst he had been feeling over the past couple of weeks.

‘Is this the reason why I’m tired and thirsty all the time? I just put it down to the heat’

Her gaze never left her patient and she saw the furrowed grooves in his brow.

‘Tim, don’t worry it’s very mild and shouldn’t affect the baby too much. We’ll be monitoring you more closely to make sure it doesn’t get any worse, hopefully the diet, oh and 30 minutes of light exercise every day, should keep it at bay. I’ll also want to do a glucose tolerance test on your next appointment so I’m going to need you to come get the gel and instructions a week before’

Tim was listening intently at what she had to say, he’d walk to the ends of the earth at this moment in time if it meant his son was healthy.

‘I know what to do, when I was a kid I used to get hypoglycaemic so took a few of them then. I kinda grew out of it though’

‘Huh, Hypoglycaemia is a drop in blood sugar that is related to diabetes so I want you to keep a close eye on that. I take it you remember the symptoms’

Tim nodded and was about to answer when Jethro cut in.

‘Wait. If Tim’s problem is high blood sugar then where would that factor in’

The Doctor was patient and pulled out a pre-printed leaflet. Jethro took it and started to scan through before she started to talk again.

‘Gestational diabetes is high blood sugar caused by your pregnancy hormones blocking the effect of insulin which breaks down the sugar in your body, the sugar build up is down to the foods you eat however, if you don’t eat or skip meals then your sugar levels will drop and cause hypoglycaemic shock. Tim I want you to eat healthy food on a regular basis to maintain your sugar levels, if you feel like they are getting low then eat or drink something sweet, if you have no symptoms then I need you to steer clear of anything with a high sugar content’

Jethro could almost hear the cogs whirring in Tim’s head and he knew a good night or so would be spent doing research.

‘Well gentlemen, I understand you are taking a few days vacation so enjoy yourselves, and Tim, don’t worry and get stressed over this ok’

She stood and shook hands with her patient and his partner and sighed deeply as they left her office. If she was to be honest, she really liked them both and thought they made a great couple.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
The drive to Stillwater was uneventful and Jethro found himself pulling up outside his dad’s place six hours after leaving the doctor’s office. The drive itself only took about four hours due to the traffic being relatively clear but Jethro insisted on stopping for lunch on the way, add that to the regular breaks Tim needed to stretch his legs and the journey took a lot longer than usual.

Tim was currently sleeping peacefully, his head resting on one of the pillows that had recently become a permanent feature in the car owing to the fact that Tim needed one behind his back when travelling long distances in order to help ease the pressure in his pelvis, the other one Jethro insisted on because there was no way his lover was going to get a crick in his neck by sleeping with his head on the window.

‘Hey, sleeping beauty. We’re here’

Tim blearily opened his eyes and blinked, trying to clear the fogginess out of his head. He groaned as he stretched and rubbed at his back.

‘Back aching?’

‘No, just stiff. I think I’ve been sitting too long, it’ll loosen when I walk around a bit’

Jethro leaned over and gave Tim a quick kiss before opening the door and stepping out. He had to admit that his back was stiff as well and made a mental note to take a lot more breaks on the way home. He walked round to the other side of the car and helped Tim out, supporting him as he stretched out the kinks in his back. They were distracted by the sound of the door opening as Jackson rushed out to meet them.

‘Leroy, Timothy. It’s good to see you boys’

He hugged Jethro tight before turning to Tim.

‘My god Tim, would you look at that. How’s my favourite son in Law and grand baby doing?’

He placed his hand on Tim’s stomach and beamed, his smile reaching his eyes making them sparkle lovingly, Tim placed his hand over Jack’s and patted it gently knowing his ‘father in law’ needed the reassurance that everything was ok.

‘We’re good Jack, how about you?’

‘I’m good Tim, Shop’s doing ok and my boys are making me a grandpa. What else does an old man need?’

Tim laughed loudly and walked to the open trunk to help Jethro with the bags. Jethro handed him the small holdall and turned back to get the small suitcase. Tim jumped when the holdall was lifted out of his hands and turned to see Jackson giving Jethro the evil eye.

‘Leroy, are you crazy? Tim shouldn’t be carrying stuff. Tim go inside and make yourself comfortable, we’ll bring in the bags’

Tim chuckled and leaned over to nudge Jethro with his shoulder before walking down the path to the house, he was perfectly fine to carry the small holdall but knew better then to argue with Jackson.

‘Dad, he’s fine to carry light stuff, don’t coddle him’

‘Leroy Jethro Gibbs, while he’s here he’s going to relax and if that means he doesn’t carry anything then so be it’

Jethro grunted as he carried the luggage into the house with his Dad knowing damn well what the old man was going to be like, he always did have a soft spot for Tim and since finding out about the pregnancy he tended to ring every other night.

Once the luggage had been deposited in the bedroom, Jethro walked downstairs and heard Tim telling Jack about the doctor’s appointment.

‘.....it’s really not that bad, just a case of watching what I eat and exercise. It’s not too bad and as long as the baby is healthy then it’s worth the changes’.

Jethro crept up behind Tim and placed an envelope in front him before resting both hands on his shoulders.

Tim picked up the envelope and opened it, taking out one of the sonograms and handed it to Jackson. He was overwhelmed by the look of pure joy and love on the old man’s face and felt his eyes prickle. He leaned back to rest his head on Jethro’s stomach and sighed as his lover started to gently massage his shoulders.

‘Jack, do you want to know what it is’

Jacks eyebrows shot up as he waited for Tim to finish. Tim was beaming with pride as he looked at another one of the sonograms.

‘Jack, meet your grandson’

Jackson pulled one of the chairs out and sat next to Tim holding his hand. His eyes didn’t leave the small black and white picture as he struggled to get his emotions in check.

‘Jethro, Tim. Thank you. You’ve made an old man very happy’.
____________________________________________________________________________________
Tim and Jethro had arrived in Stillwater on Wednesday evening and had spent the last two days relaxing with Jackson and helping out in the store. The two days soon flew by and before they knew it Saturday had arrived. They were all sitting round the table in the back yard sipping on lemonade discussing their friends.

‘So, Tony and Ziva. They still an item?’

Tim had been sitting in the shade reading the newspaper and felt a small pang of guilt at the question. It hadn’t crossed his mind to update Jackson on the love lives of the team.

‘No, they broke up a few weeks back. It was amicable though, thank god’

Jackson laughed at the relieved look on Tim’s face.

‘Huh, anyone know why?’

‘Nope and we’re not going to pry either dad.’

Jackson looked over at Tim questioningly but didn’t get anywhere with him either, the younger man just shrugged his shoulders sheepishly and smiled.

‘When are they arriving?’

Jethro looked at his watch before glancing back at his father.

‘In about an hour so for god sake doesn’t go questioning them. They left it on good terms’

Jackson winked at Tim before settling back to take a long drink from his glass making Tim chuckle loudly, he had a feeling that by the end of the weekend he would know exactly why his team mates broke it off.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
They had moved into the kitchen to finish preparing dinner for everyone seeing as Stillwater was only a small town and there weren’t many places to go out and eat. Tim had discovered Jackson’s talent for cooking a long time ago and knew exactly where Jethro got his talent from, Tim watched as Jethro rubbed course ground black pepper on either side of the t bones before placing them back in the fridge and starting to prepare the whole salmon that sat on the counter.

In lieu of Tim’s new dietary requirements, the two men were making a massive effort in the foods they prepared; carefully making sure the food wasn’t too bland or boring so Tim wouldn’t get bored.

‘Timmy, you want baked potato or rice with this’

‘Baked potato please J’

Jethro nodded and started to stab at the potatoes with the knife. Tim let his mind wander and was so lost in thought he didn’t hear the door open.

‘Timmy...’

Tim didn’t have much time to prepare for the human whirlwind that blew across the room towards him, he stood up and waited for his best friend to give him the big squeeze everyone expected only to be left hanging when she bent down to give his bump a kiss.

‘And how’s our little Giblet today?’

‘He’s fine Abbs, so how bout you come up here and give me a hug’

Abbey stood up with her hands on her hips glaring at Tim.

‘I’m just saying hello to the be........wait, what did you say?

Tim’s eyes widened as he realised what he said.

‘Er......i.......Um.........’

‘Timmy you said ‘he’, it’s a boy, when did you find out’

Jethro laughed as the black pigtails bobbed up and down with every small excited jump. Jackson had been out back and knew everyone had arrived when he heard the squealing.

‘We found out Wednesday Abbs, here’

He handed her the sonogram and watched as she scrutinized every last inch, he didn’t think it was possible for her to get any more excited but was proved wrong when she flung her arms round his neck and squeezed hard.

‘Tim I’m so happy for you guys, come here Gibbs’

She let go of Tim and made her way over to Jethro, giving the same hard squeeze she had given Tim.

‘Abbs, where’s everyone else’

Oh they’re getting the bags out of the car, they won’t be long’

Tim frowned when he heard Tony and Ziva having hushed words outside the front door. He looked over at Jethro and made his way out, stopping in the hall to listen.

‘Zee, honestly I will tell them when I am ready to tell them and not before, got that’

‘Yes Tony I have got that. I just think they deserve to know seeing as two of them are in the same ship’

‘Boat Ziva, it’s boat and for the last time I KNOW ALREADY so please just drop it. Come on let’s not ruin a perfectly good weekend’

‘I wasn’t aware I was ruining it Tony, I just think you need the support’.

‘Look Zee, I know you mean well and I will speak to them I promise, now can we go in please’

Tim heard another familiar voice getting louder as they approached the front door, he decided to go out and meet them rather than make his way back to the kitchen.

‘Anthony, Ziva maybe you should wait until you are home to continue this conversation, Ahh Timothy my dear boy. How are you today?’

Tim forced himself to smile and reached out to grab the small holdall Ducky was carrying. He pulled his arm back when he saw the stern look on Ducky’s face as he walked past.

‘Come on in guy’s, Jack’ll show you to your rooms while I go make coffee’

Tony hitched his backpack higher on his shoulder and stepped towards Tim sporting the infamous DiNozzo grin.

‘Looking good Probie, I swear every time I see ya that kid grows’

He patted the bump and sauntered past leaving Ziva standing there with a trouble look on her face. Tim stepped out the front door and kissed her on the cheek.

‘You ok Zee?’

He watched his Israeli friend compose herself and was impressed by how easily the stony facade slipped into place.

‘I am fine Tim. You look well. Tony’s right the bump does seem to get bigger and bigger’

She walked into the house with her bag in her hand leaving Tim at the front door. He sighed and made his way back inside to start the coffee.
___________________________________________________________________________________________
‘So it’s a boy Probie, excellent’

They had just finished eating and were now relaxing around the table talking easily. Jackson had insisted on no alcohol but had conceded when Ducky suggested making some shandy for the group.

Ten minutes later and Ducky walked out with a large pitcher filled to the brim and seven glasses chinking precariously on a tray. He set the tray down without spilling a drop and poured everyone a drink before settling back into one of the comfortable chairs. Tim took a sip and smiled at the taste of the drink.

‘Shandy? Hey Duck, what’s in this?’

Tony was busy sniffing at his glass and grinned before taking a long drink.

‘Come on Tony, you never heard of shandy?’

Tim held an incredulous air as he sipped his drink and was trying to think of the last time Tony had drank anything other than beer. He grinned as he remembered the conversation he had with Kate about Saki bombs.

‘No Mcknowitall, I haven’t, you know I’m limited to beer, vodka or saki bombs. What can I say, I lead a sheltered life’

Tim snorted into his drink and convulsed with laughter at his friends comment, he knew better than anyone that Tony’s life had been far from sheltered and found the feigned innocent hilarious. Ducky took pity on Tony and decided to regale them with the history of the drink.

‘Anthony, it’s just beer and lemonade mixed fifty/fifty. You may know it as a Cincinnati and even though the drink originated from the United Kingdom it goes by many different names dep...........’

‘Just drink your drink DiNozzo’

Jethro loved his dear friend very much but the conversation about the drink was really starting to grate on his last nerve. He looked over at Tim and saw the far away expression on his face.

‘Hey Tim, you ok’

He reached out and placed his hand on Tim’s arm pulling his lover out of his reverie.

‘I’m ok J, just really tired. Listen guys, I’m going to head on up to bed so I’ll see you in the morning’

Tim took his empty glass and placed it in the dishwasher before making his way up to bed falling asleep pretty much as soon as his head hit the pillow.
__________________________________________________________________________________
Tony and Abby were the last people in the garden after everyone else made their way to bed. Abby had been getting a hinky feeling from her friend for a while and now noticed the troubled look on his handsome face. She walked over to bench Tony was perched on and rested her head on his shoulder.
‘What’s up Tony, you know you can talk to me’

Tony wrapped his arm around her and puller her close knowing how much she liked the closeness. He really needed to tell someone what had been eating away at him and tossed the idea of talking to Abby round in his mind. He leaned his head over to the side and rested it on top of the Goth’s head.

‘Abbs, you know I love you right. I mean you’re my little sister in everything but blood’

Abby lifted her head and looked up at him, her green eyes brimming with fear as he stared off towards the end of the garden.

‘Yeah Tony I know and I love you too. Please you’re scaring me, what’s happened? Is it Ziva?’

Tony snorted and kissed Abby’s forehead before pulling her back towards him.

‘Abbs, What I’m going to tell you, promise me it’ll go no further’

‘I promise Tony’

Tony sighed and looked down at his empty glass.

‘Me and Ziva broke up because she realised our relationship was just a cover. Hell every relationship I’ve had has been a cover of some kind, it’s just taken me a long time to realise what I really want’

Abby wrapped her arms round her friend and hugged tight as she listened intently at what he was saying, letting Tony get everything off his chest

‘Abby, Probie and the boss man have made me realise what I really am...........what I really want out of life’

He paused to gather his thoughts and started rubbing his hand absently up and down Abby’s arm.

‘Abby, what I’m trying to say is I’m Gay, always have been. All those women were just a cover for my own insecurities and fears about admitting it to the people I know and love’

‘Abby pulled away and shuffled round on the bench so she was sitting side on. She grabbed Tony’s hand and held it tight.

‘Tony, you know better than anyone that we don’t care which way you swing so stop being stupid and tell everyone’

Tony dropped his head to his chest and started to shuffle his feet, his body language conveying the typical avoidance behaviour Abby knew all too well. She placed her fingers under his chin and lifted his head round so they were eye to eye.

‘What are you so afraid of Tony?’

She watched as her friends green eyes brimmed with the tears he was so desperately trying to hold back and pulled him into a tight embrace.

‘Abby, you know my father was a bastard right’

‘Yeah Tony I know’

‘Well he doesn’t suffer fools gladly and disowned one of my uncles purely on the basis he was gay, I know he’s already practically disowned me anyway but I’ve grown up hearing nothing but homophobic comments so after a while you learn to lock those feelings away and find ways to cover your ass’

Abby pulled away and let her hands find his again.

‘Tony, we’re different, you know that’

The tears that were threatening were now free flowing and were reflecting the blue moonlight that bathed the back yard.

‘I know Abbs, trust me I know. Well, you remember when Tim told us he was pregnant and I kinda went into shock’

He waited for the small nod before continuing.

‘Well, there were rumours in our family about my uncle giving birth; those rumours went hand in hand with the ones about every man in the DiNozzo line being able to conceive. My Dad did a good job of covering it up and always said it was ‘stupid idiotic lies that should never see the light of day’, I guess I was in shock because the news bought back memories of the beating’s I used to get when I dared to ask about it’

Abby was now crying as well and the tears dripped steadily onto their clasped hands.

‘Oh Abbs I’m sorry sweetheart, I didn’t want to make you sad’

Abby reached up and cupped his cheek with her hand.

‘You are the one person who could never make me sad Tony, come on, how about we go to bed and get some sleep. You mind me jumping in with you?’

Tony shook his head and realised at that very moment that no matter what he would always have his little sister there to talk to.

‘No Abbs, I could do with a cuddle tonight’

They both picked up their glasses and made their way into the house. Tony felt like a big weight had been lifted and made his mind up to talk to his friends.

‘Abbs’

She put the glass in the dishwasher and turned to face him

‘Thanks’

She walked over and wrapped her arms around him.

‘Anytime Tony, Anytime’
_________________________________________________________________________________
Wow, it’s another long one, the creative juices are just flowing now. Hope you guys enjoyed and as usual, let me know what you think.

Shelbylou x

A/N Wow, another Chapter written, this story is really starting to come to life now. I want to say a big thank you to everyone who reviewed; you all know how to make a gal feel good about herself lol.

I have a small warning though boys and girls, there will be a slight cross over with Criminal minds starting now, there has been a lot of thought gone into using another show to cross over and as the story goes on you’ll realise why me and Alisa decided to go with this angle.

Also, another big thanks to Alisa who’s been the biggest help ever, I seriously don’t know what I’d do without her help with this one.

Shelbylou x
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Tim woke up slowly feeling unbelievably hot and sweaty and sighed as he tossed the thin sheet off him so he could sit up. At six months pregnant Tim found the heat a complete nightmare and had been cursing the weather men almost daily as they announced the unusual warm weather front causing this god damn heat wave. In DC July was normally the warmest month and the August weather usually cooled a couple of degrees, not this year though. No Tim was suffering through 72 degree humid heat, and that was at night, and it was killing him.
He glanced over at Jethro before swinging his legs over the side of the bed and winched at the all too familiar twinge in his back that had been plaguing him for the better part of two weeks. He moved his hand to the site of the pain and rubbed slowly to try and ease the ache when he felt his son kick; obviously deciding he wanted to wake up with his Daddy. He placed his other hand at the place he felt the kick and grinned broadly when he felt a flutter under his palm when the bean kicked again.

‘Hey little guy, you’re active tonight’

His whispered tones somehow managed to rouse Jethro who looked over at his lover, wincing with sympathy as he watched Tim try to sooth his aching back. He scooted across the bed and knelt behind Tim before leaning over to grab the bottle of baby oil sitting on top of the bedside cabinet.

‘Timmy you ok?’

Tim turned slightly and leaned back into Jethro, resting his head on his firm shoulder as he intercepted the outstretched arm and placed it to the side of his protruding belly button. Jethro gasped when he felt the kick and chuckled loudly at the sensation of fluttering beneath his hand.

‘Tim is that.......he’s really going for it tonight isn’t he’

Tim laughed and placed his hand on top. It was the first time anyone else had been able to feel the wonderful little kicks and flutters that Tim had been feeling since his fifth month and the fact that Jethro got to feel it before anyone else made Tim infinitely happy. The baby kicked a few more times and stopped, giving Tim the opportunity to finally get up and use the toilet. He chuckled lightly as he gently ran his hand over Jethro’s.

‘Oh yeah, while one foot was kicking your hand and the other one was using my bladder as a soccer ball, let me up J because I’ve really got to pee’

He managed to stand up and padded quietly to the bathroom. Jethro watched as the love of his life moved stiffly toward the en suite and stretched lazily before yawning. He swung his legs out of bed and quietly followed Tim into the bathroom to start a cold shower seeing as they only had an hour before the alarm went off knowing there was no way Tim was going back to bed because of the heat. Tim heard the shower and glanced over his shoulder and grinned at Jethro’s tight buttocks moving slightly as he leaned over the bath get the shower ready.

‘J what’re you doing, go back to bed and try to get some more sleep. There’s no point in us both being up this early’

Jethro turned and perched on the side of the bath lazily linking his hands so he could languidly stretch. With the light on he could see how big Tim’s bump was getting and sat staring as Tim pee’d for the third time that night.

‘J, come on, it’s one thing to stare at the whale but it’s another thing to stare at the whale whilst he’s taking care of business’

Jethro shook his head as Tim moved to wash his hands and seized the opportunity to start massaging his partners lower back. Tim groaned as warm hands started to work out the kinks and leaned forward using the sink to support himself. Jethro couldn’t help feeling turned on at the relieved moans his lover was making.

‘That’s funny because I don’t remember seeing any whales recently’

Tim huffed and hung his head as Jethro’s nimble fingers kneaded at the dull ache and felt himself starting to relax, he felt a pang of regret when the massage stopped only to melt when Jethro wrapped his strong arms round Tim and leaned into whisper in his ear.

‘All I see is my incredible...sexy...pregnant... naked partner’

Tim keened slightly as Jethro’s lips caressed the pulse point on his neck, his soft kisses accenting every word he said and making Tim harden at the attention. Jethro paused his kisses and nibbled at Tim’s ear, His voice now husky with arousal.

‘How about that shower Timmy’

He led Tim over to the shower and helped him step into the cool water, listening to the pleasured noises his lover made. His eyes darkened as the arousal deepened when Tim practically crooned as the cold water pounded down on him

‘Oh my god that’s good’

Jethro couldn’t hold back any more and stepped in behind Tim, the cold water causing goose pimples to erupt on his warm skin. He leaned over and pressed his chest to his lover’s back so he could grab the shower gel, squirting a fair amount into his hands so he could continue his sensual massage. Tim arched into the touch and felt every muscle in his back relax further at the soothing cool hands that caressed their way over every inch of his pale skin.

Jethro had always loved Tim’s body and let his hands trace the soft curves that started to return as Tim gained the pregnancy weight, he was so lost in what he was doing he jumped slightly when Tim turned suddenly and captured his lips with his own, kissing him so hard his cock twitched even more and sent sparks of pure pleasure shooting through him.

Tim’s hands trailed down Jethro’s body, paying extra attention to his Lover’s nipples before reaching down to start stroking his erection, his talented mouth tenderly kissing his partners lips as his hand fondled Jethro’s erection slowly. Tim knew exactly what he wanted and pulled back to look Jethro directly in the eye.

‘J, I want you in me’

His gaze never left Jethro’s eyes and he watched lustily as the crystal blue darkened even more, completely blowing with arousal and need. He pulled back and let Jethro manoeuvre him back round so he was facing the tiles and braced himself by placing his palms on the cool ceramic. Jethro reached over to grab the waterproof lube from the top shelf and Tim felt his hard erection momentarily press gently on his buttocks. He heard the cap pop and knew Jethro was using the clear slick liquid to slick his fingers and exhaled slowly when he felt one finger swirl round his hole before slowly pushing in. Tim couldn’t help but rock back onto the finger, prompting Jethro to start a slow rhythm that always drove his partner wild.

Tim was completely lost in the feeling and felt Jethro’s other hand smoothly run down his stomach towards his own throbbing erection and started to pump slowly whilst stretching and scissoring Tim enough to take him. Jethro was gently kissing the back of Tim’s neck and he heard Tim panting as Jethro took him closer to the edge without ever letting him fall.

‘J, I...Oh god...I need you now’

Tim felt a short lived pang of regret when Jethro removed both hands and momentarily missed the feeling of being so close to the man he loved, the pang was soon forgotten and he soon felt Jethro bend him slightly and push the blunt head of his cock against his stretched entrance.

Jethro was gentle as he pushed in slowly and stopped when he felt Tim tighten slightly at the intrusion; he waited until the muscles relaxed and pushed fully in drawing out a moan of pleasure from his partner.

He set a slow pace at first and reached round to resume the attention to Tim’s cock, his strokes matching every thrust as they melded together in pure ecstasy.

Tim gently and pushed his hips backwards to change the angle slightly and shouted loudly when Jethro’s cock brushed against his prostate with every thrust. The extra sensation was pulling his orgasm out of him gradually when he felt his son give a hard kick. Jethro stilled when he heard Tim hiss.

‘Tim?’

Tim chuckled and relaxed, revelling in sensation of his lover’s hard throbbing cock buried to the hilt inside him.

‘Sorry J. Junior knows when his daddy’s are having fun’

Jethro placed his hand on Tim’s bump and felt his son kicking, the sensation filling him with love and adoration for his family. The baby stopped moving and Tim pulled his hips forward slightly before moving back again subtly giving Jethro the prompt to start moving again, the interruption soon forgotten as the steamy sex resumed, pulling them both closer to oblivion.

The stirrings in the pit of his stomach signalled the impending orgasm and Tim felt his balls tighten. He screamed Jethro’s name loudly as he came explosively over the tiles in the shower, his clenching muscles soon teasing Jethro’s orgasm out of him as his lovers thrust deepened before coming deep inside him.

Jethro wrapped his arms back around Tim and supported him through the aftershocks with his softening cock still buried deep within Tim, he laughed loudly into Tim’s shoulder when the baby kicked at his hand again bringing Tim out of his post coital haze.

‘You think that’s weird, you should try it from my perspective’

This made Jethro laugh harder and he gently eased his way out of Tim eliciting a small moan from his lover.

‘Like you said, he knows when his parents are enjoying themselves; it was well worth getting up early for though’

Timmy laughed as they finished washing each other and stood under the cool water kissing lazily until the alarm finally shrieked. Tim pulled away and looked directly into the clear blue eyes he had come to love and grinned.

‘Looks like it’s time to get up J, I’ll make the coffee’

They stepped out of the shower and started the normal morning ritual of getting ready for work; both feeling completely rested and prepared to face the day.
___________________________________________________________________________________________
Tim and Jethro stepped out of the elevator a little after seven am and were surprised to see Tony sitting at his desk, his head nestled in his folded arms as he slept peacefully at his desk. Tim glanced at Jethro and cocked his eyebrow, grinning broadly as Jethro stormed over to his senior agent’s desk.
‘DiNozzo’

Tony jumped up at his bosses voice boomed through the bullpen and grabbed his bag before locking eyes with a highly amused Tim. He turned slowly and dumped his bag down before sinking back into his chair.

‘Morning Boss, I was just er.......’

‘Sleeping DiNozzo? Have you been here all night?’

Tony seemed to shrink into his chair at being caught out and started to absently shuffle some papers around.

‘Well er......not all night boss, I came in at midnight to finish my report and must have fallen asleep. You know I do all my.......’

‘Best work at night, yeah I know DiNozzo. Since you’re the first one here you can go get coffee’.

Tony nodded and grabbed his wallet out of his draw before standing slowly and stretching to pop his vertebrae. Jethro winced at the sound of the cracking and gave Tony his best Gibbs stare.

‘Right on it boss, hey Probie, you want anything?’

Jethro turned towards Tim and frowned deeply at Tim as he crouched down at his desk trying to turn on his computer; Jethro could see the frustration etched on Tim’s face as he crawled under his desk on all fours trying to figure out why his machine had gone on the fritz.

‘Yeah, can you grab me a diet coke please?’

Jethro scowled at Tim’s muffled voice and made a mental note to let his very pregnant lover know exactly how he felt about him crawling on the floor to fix computers.

‘McGee, go with him’

Tim found the problem and replaced the power lead which had made its way loose. He struggled as he crawled out and banged his head on the underside of his desk eliciting a sharp hiss of pain and a cringe from Jethro. He walked over and saw Tim kneeling there rubbing the back of his head and offered his hand waiting for his sheepish looking partner to take it. Tim finally grabbed hold of Jethro’s hand and stood gingerly, frowning at the fact that he couldn’t figure out whether the expression on Jethro’s face was worried or just plain pissed off.

‘We’ll talk about this later Tim, you ok?

‘Yes boss...er you want anything else from the coffee shop?’

Jethro had his back to his senior agent who was waiting patiently next to his desk and used sign language to let Tim know what he wanted him to do.

‘Tim, my guts telling me something’s off. Try to draw it out for half an hour and get him to talk’

Tim nodded and grabbed his wallet from his bag before scurrying off towards the elevator. He jabbed the button and turned to look at his friend still perching on the side of his desk, completely lost in thought.

‘Hey Tony, you coming or you gonna stand there all day’

Tony started as Tim’s voice boomed across the bull pen pulling him out of his deep thoughts. Grinning broadly he mooched over to Tim and leaned against the wall.

‘You know what McGoo, living with Gibbs has really rubbed off on you’

Jethro laughed when the elevator door opened, his two boys stepping in arguing playfully. It was good to hear Tony sounding like his old self but he was seriously worried about him since his revelations in Stillwater, especially seeing as his senior agent had started to become slightly withdrawn.
________________________________________________________________________________________________
Tim and Tony walked into the coffee shop in silence. Tony had clammed up completely on the walk over and had obviously lost himself in his thoughts again.
‘Hey Tony, you mind if we sit down for a while, my back’s killing me and the heat’s making me feel faint’

Tony looked at Tim with a concerned look on his face, his brow furrowing at the sight of Tim standing there leaning on the back of a chair rubbing his back. It wasn’t all a lie and even though Tim’s back was only slightly aching, he could feel the beads of sweat rolling down his forehead in the 82 degree morning heat. Tony pulled out the chair and helped Tim sit down.

‘I’ll go get the drinks Probie, yell if ya need me ok’

Tony was gone for five minutes and came back carrying a tray with 4 disposable coffee cups and a tall glass of ice water, he sat in the free chair and handed the glass over to his friend.

‘Drink that McGee, it’ll help cool you down. You sure you’re ok?’

Tim took a long drink of the ice water and dipped his fingers into the glass to snag one of the small cubes. He put the ice in his mouth and nodded at his friend.

‘Yeah, just the joys of pregnancy, you know I read up on the symptoms and have got pretty much all of them, and as if the heartburn, swollen feet and back ache aren’t bad enough, someone turns up the freaking heat’

Tony laughed loudly at Tim’s jovial voice knowing damn well Tim was taking everything on the chin and had been enjoying every minute of being pregnant. His laughter soon died out and his gaze dropped to the coffee in front of him. Tim frowned at the abrupt change and leaned forward slightly to put the glass on the table.

‘Tony, what’s going on, J’s worried about you and to be honest so am I’

Tony sighed deeply and looked into his friends sympathetic face, Tim had enough on his plate and really didn’t need him dumping his problems on him but he really felt like he needed to talk.

‘Tim, do you remember when we talked that morning in Stillwater’

Tim picked up his drink and nodded before he sat back and took a long drink of the ice cold water; he rested his drink on his bump and waited patiently for Tony to open up.

________________________________________________________________________________________________
One month ago................
He had woken up early with his arms full of Abby and tried to go back to sleep, the problem was his mind had started whirring and he ended up lying there wide awake at five thirty am staring at the ceiling.

He carefully extricated himself from Abby’s arms and quietly made his way to the kitchen, surprised to see Tim sitting there reading the newspaper as he waited for the kettle to boil.

‘Hey Probie, what are you doing up so early’

Time put the paper down and looked over towards the door.

‘Couldn’t get comfortable and started craving my tea, you know I could ask you the same thing’

Tony sighed and sat in the chair opposite Tim and decided to seize the opportunity to talk to his friend.

‘Carpe diem.........’

Tim heard the whispered words and looked puzzled at Tony’ choice, Latin wasn’t a language you heard the Italian speak and it confused him.

‘Seize the day Tony? You want to tell me what’s playing on your mind?’

Tony smiled, the expression not reaching his dull green eyes.

‘Tim, there’s something I need to tell you, you ok to talk this early’

Tim nodded and frowned knowing that if Tony wanted to talk this early then there must be something seriously wrong. The kettle started to whistle and sighed heavily I mean of all the things to be interrupted by it had to be the loudest kettle on the planet.

‘Sure Tony, you can make the drinks first though’

Tony chuckled and walked over the boiling kettle to make the drinks, Tim had already put the teabag in his mug and all Tony had to do was add the water and pour the coffee from the pot Tim had prepared. He handed Tim his raspberry leaf tea and sat down nursing his strong coffee.

‘I don’t know how you drink that Probie, it smells horrible’

Tim took a large sip and sighed as he felt his craving slowly melt away, even the smell of the tea had a calming effect on the pregnant man.

‘It’s really good Tony and trust me it’s the best of the bunch, that and the fact that I’ve been craving it at really strange times. You should see J’s face when I get up at three am to make one’

Tony huffed out a small laugh and drank half his coffee in one go.

‘Tony, what’s going on?’

‘Ok, Tim first off I should probably tell you I’m gay........’

Half an hour later..........

‘I don’t get it Tony; you haven’t spoken to your dad for years so why keep it from us’

Tony rubbed his hand over his face and sighed, Tim wasn’t mad but the hurt undertones to his statement upset him.

‘I was scared Probie, when you get nothing but homophobic words thrown at you it kind of makes you feel inadequate’.

‘Tony, I’m living with a man in a gay relationship and am five months pregnant with Jethro’s baby. I think it’s a fair bet me and J are going understand’

Tony leaned back in his chair drinking his coffee contemplating what Tim said and paused for a minute trying to figure out whether or not he should tell Tim everything. He decided he should.

‘I know Tim but it wasn’t just what he said. I know I haven’t spoken to him for years so should feel more comfortable with this than I am but he physically beat me every time I questioned him about my uncle. It got to the point where he finally beat me enough to believe the whole men being able to conceive issue was just folk lore. I was hospitalised when I was ten just for asking him how people knew they were gay’

Tim’s eyes were wide with shock and he started to feel physically sick at what his friend had been through. As he was trying to process the information something clicked into place, something that had been bothering him for a long time.

‘is that why it hit you so bad when we told everyone about the baby?, you realised then that it wasn’t a fallacy, Jesus Tony, why didn’t you speak to us then, were all family for god sake’

‘I know that McGee, it was just difficult. You and Gibbs were...are happy. I didn’t want to drag you down. You know I really am happy for you right, I didn’t mean to put a dampener on your night’

Tim looked at his friend half expecting some sarcastic comment to follow, non came and all Tim could see in Tony’s face was pain and heartache.

‘You didn’t Tony. Listen to me ok. No matter what we’re here for you and it really doesn’t matter which way you swing, hell you can go both ways for all I care, just do me a favour and stop hiding behind women because ultimately someone is going to get seriously hurt’

Tony looked up from his coffee and genuinely smiled for the first time that morning, Tim’s words had helped ease the anguish he had been feeling for the past few weeks.

‘You know that’s why me and Zee broke up don’t you’

Tim hadn’t given it a second thought and was slightly surprised at his friend’s admission.

‘Huh?’

‘It’s a long story but to cut a long story short we went out one night and ended up in Platinum, you know, that nightclub on 915 F Street’.

Tim nodded and remembered the time Tony took him there before he started to date Jethro, the club was high end and Tim remembered having one of the best nights out ever there.

‘Well, I was at the bar getting drinks and turned to see Zee making out with a girl’

Tim choked on his tea and sprayed the mouthful he had over the table.

‘Shit, Probie you Ok?’

Tony ran round to the other side of the table and started to slap Tim on the back, waiting patiently for Tim to finish coughing. Once the coughing eased, Tony sat back down and gripped his friends arm after noticing the way he was looking at Tony with an incredulous look on his face.

‘Er yeah....um......Tony what?

‘Huh, you didn’t know, I thought everyone knew Zee was Bi, anyway, it turns out the girl was an old girlfriend from Israel and was playing Mossad liaison to the feebies on a case. Needless to say, it gave us a chance to talk and I admitted everything to her. I thought she was going to kill me but she just pulled me into a hug and we decided there and then to end it and stay friends’

Tim smiled and looked over at Tony, the lines of worry had now smoothed making Tony look a hell of a lot more relaxed then he had been in weeks.

‘Good, I don’t fancy trying to get you two to kiss and make up again, you remember what happened after Rivkin. Listen, no matter what we’ll support you ok, just promise me you won’t bottle things up anymore’.

Tony reached over to grab his friends hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

‘Thanks Tim. You know you’re my best friend right, I mean I know I treat you bad sometimes but you lot are the closest thing to family I have’

Tim gave his friends had a squeeze back, sending the silent message back that no matter what Tony’s family would be there for him.

‘Ok Tony, enough with the sappiness, what do you say to getting breakfast ready before the troops make their way down’

Tony laughed feeling like a new man and knew that no matter what was thrown at him, he had his family there to help him through.
________________________________________________________________________________________________
Present day...........
Tim was crunching his way through his last ice cube while Tony spoke and savoured the drops of cold water that coated his tongue as it melted. Tony carried on speaking, his thumb gently tracing the embossed writing on top of the plastic coffee lid.

‘I’ve been seeing someone and to be honest it’s been going really well. We, you know, the other night and god it was good. Only problem is I started to freak yesterday because of the family ‘legacy’ and spent the entire night last night tracking back through the family records to get more information’

Tim was expecting Tony to say he’d been arguing with Abby or Ziva and was totally unprepared for the admission.

‘Shit Tony, please tell me you used protection’

Tony scowled at Tim, his mouth thinning into a line.

‘Yes McMotherhen, we did. It doesn’t stop you from worrying about it though does it?’

The words were harsh and Tony realised he had gone too far as he watched Tim deflate in front of him, his eyes shining with tears. Guilt washed over him and he reached out to grasp his friend’s hand.

‘Crap, Tim look at me...........McGee!’

Tim raised his head to look at Tony, a lone tear rolling down his face.

‘Tim I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to snap it’s just been a long night and I didn’t get anywhere fast with my research, Shit please don’t cry, I’m sorry’

Tim laughed quietly and felt his face flush as the embarrassment kicked in, god he had just started blubbing at a snapped comment from Tony in the middle of a coffee shop, could things possibly get any worse.

‘It’s ok Tony, I know you didn’t mean it, it’s just the hormones. Trust me they’re a bitch at the moment and unfortunately crying comes as part of the package’

He sat up straight and wiped the tear away from his face before looking at his watch, he didn’t really want to see Tony fidgeting and knew how uncomfortable he had just made his friend.

‘I think we should get back, how about you tell me about your new guy on the way’

Tony laughed and stood up grabbing the drinks in front of him.

‘Well we met in a bar a couple of weeks ago........’
________________________________________________________________________________________________
By the time they got back to the bullpen, Tony had Tim in stitches as he regaled him with the tales of his love life. Tim noticed how much happier Tony was with a man in his life and realised it wasn’t just some phase he was going through. Their laughter died when they stepped out of the elevator to find Jethro standing in the middle of the desks shouting at the director. Tony looked at Ziva who just shrugged and carried on watching the argument with a bewildered look on her face.
‘No Director, it’s not good enough. You can’t just come in here and tell me my team are playing babysitter to the FBI’

Vance’s jaw worked furiously and Tim could see the toothpick bobbing from one side of his mouth to the other. Vance pulled the pick out of his mouth and glared at Jethro, his eyes ablaze with anger.

‘Special Agent Gibbs, last time I looked I was the Director of NCIS and if I say you are going to support the BAU team on the case they are working on then you will support them to the best of your abilities’

Tony and Tim moved towards their desks and sidestepped the showdown that had bought the entire floor to a standstill. Looking up he noticed the familiar faces of the FBI’s Behavioural Analysis Team and realised exactly what had happened. He dragged his eyes back could feel the pure rage that was radiating off his partner as Jethro clenched his fist tight in an attempt to keep his anger in check.

‘Yes sir’

The words dripped venom as Jethro turned on his heels and grabbed the coffee Tony had just placed on his desk before storming off towards the elevator. Vance turned towards the three agents smirking with the self satisfaction that he had got one over on Leroy Jethro Gibbs.

‘I would like to introduce you all to the BAU team from Quantico. They have a disturbing case involving a serial killer and their enquiries have indicated Navy involvement. As from now, you will be supporting them in their investigations. Tim, I have briefed them on your.....er.......condition and you will provide support for Dr Reid and Miss Garcia here. Tony, Ziva, you will help with their investigation any way you can including field work. There is a briefing in half an hour and I fully expect all of you to co-operate’

He turned and walked back to his office, his smug stagger making Tim want to jump up and land a hard punch square on the directors Jaw. Frustration got the better of him and Tim turned to talk to Tony to find him deep in conversation with to Derek Morgan, the BAU expert on crimes pertaining to obsession and explosives. Shrugging he turned back to his computer and looked up to see Dr Spencer Reid looking down at him with a worried look on his face.

‘Hi Tim, how’re you doing?’

Tim smiled at his friend and looked closely at the wiry young man supporting himself on crutches. They had met years ago when Tim worked at Norfolk and had kept in touch with the incredibly talented young man after forging a friendship over numerous chess games, all of which Tim lost.

‘I’m good, you want to sit down?’

Reid perched on the edge of Tim’s desk and shook his head.

‘I’m good thanks; it’s not really as bad as it looks. I see you got your man’

Tim’s loud laugh made everyone turn their heads towards the two youngest members of the teams, all grinning when they saw the two men chatting comfortably. Hotch studied the exchange and smiled thinking about how good it was for Reid to finally relax.

‘Oh yeah and then some, Jesus little guy would you quit that already’

Reid frowned and watched as Tim tapped the spot his son was kicking. For some reason it was one thing that really freaked him out and JJ noticed the familiar look of panic that spread across his face.

‘Don’t worry I won’t make you feel, I remember the phone call after JJ made you feel her baby kick’

JJ had moved over to the two men and placed her hand on Tim’s bump looking at Tim with that doe eyed expression most women had when they saw him. Surprisingly it didn’t seem to bother Tim and he found himself grinning broadly as his little guy squirmed and kicked at the weight on his stomach.

‘He’s full of beans isn’t he, what are you McGee, 6 months?’

Tim nodded and grinned broadly at her, he was about to respond when Jethro made his way back to his desk and slammed his coffee down hard. Everyone seemed to stop what they were doing and looked over at Jethro as if they expected him to explode. Tim cleared his throat loudly before speaking.

‘Boss, we’ve er.....we’ve got a briefing in ten minutes in the conference room’

Jethro nodded and stood up, walking slowly over the BAU’s supervisory special agent. Tim noticed his stiff posture as he made his way over and started to wonder how he was going to deal with the fall out of one seriously pissed off Jethro Gibbs. To his surprise, Jethro held out his hand to shake Hotch’s hand and smiled tightly.

‘Well Agent Hotchner, looks like we’re going to be working together for a while’

Hotch accepted the hand shake and nodded, the relief obvious as the two men turned and made their way up to the briefing.
________________________________________________________________________________________________
Hey guys, sorry you didn’t get an update yesterday, I actually had this finished at around midnight last night but my internet connection decided to play up, it’s only just come back up.
Another big thank you to Alisa and I hope I’ve done you proud with this chapter.

Shelbylou

A/N â€" hey guys, there’s going to be some medical info in the next few chapters and just wanted to say that me and Alise are not doctor’s and have done our best to get the facts right (courtesy of the good old internet!) so don’t be offended or upset if there are any little inconsistencies.

I would also like to give my girl Alise a shout, she has been absolutely fantastic by helping me out with the plot for this one so if you review (please do peeps) then please make sure you give her half the credit because she has made a huge contribution to this fic. I’m going to be sharing any reviews with her so If you don’t want me to share your email address then let me know and I’ll let you know her replies.

Ok sorry for the long A/N and now to the bit you’ve all been waiting for..............
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Tim sat hunched over his typewriter in his office trying desperately to get the next chapter of his book started, the frustration got the better of him and he threw down his grandfather’s pipe that he had been fiddling with in his right hand. He slumped in his chair and absently rubbed his bump whilst staring and the stark white page in front of him.

Ordinarily, writing helped him escape the horrors at work and kept his mind focussed elsewhere, not this time though as the case they were working on was rampaged through his mind. He twirled the chair around and gazed out of the window, watching as the gentle breeze blew through the trees in the back yard. He thought back to the searches he had been doing and tried to figure out what they were missing seeing as none of them actually came back with any viable information that could be used.

He rubbed his hand through his hair in frustration, after two weeks working with the BAU they had got nowhere fast and Tim couldn’t shake the feeling that the case was going downhill with no hope getting anywhere before someone else got hurt.

He was pulled out his thoughts by something soft resting on his leg and looked down to see the doleful brown eyes of his faithful Alsatian looking up at him, Jethro had started to become slightly clingy in the past couple of weeks and seemed to follow Tim everywhere he went as if sensing something was bothering his master. Tim reached down and stroked the silky fur on his dogs head and sat in relative silence, the only sound that could be heard was the whirring of the fan that stood on the corner of his desk.

Jethro woke up with a feeling of unease and stretched his arm over to Tim’s side of the bed, it took him a moment of feeling around to realise the sheets were still folded neatly on that side of the bed and knew his lover hadn’t actually joined him. He sat up and wiped the last vestiges of sleep out of his eyes before getting up to find his wayward lover.

He didn’t have to look far and sighed when he saw the stream of light spilling out through the open door to Tim’s office. He crept over and leaned on the door jamb, his frown deepening when he spotted Tim sitting there gazing out of the window with one hand resting on the top of his growing abdomen and the other lazily scratching behind Jethro’s ear.

‘Timmy, its two thirty in the morning, what are you still doing up?’

He walked over to his lover and knelt down in front of him and both his strong hands resting on Tim’s thighs. He looked up at the tired face and watched as the green eyes sluggishly tried to track his movements.

‘Sorry J. I was trying to......er, I was.......Trying to write.....um....but I...erm...I can’t stop .....’

Jethro sighed and stood up taking both Tim’s hands in his before pulling his lover up and guiding him out of the office, reaching over to the light switch to turn the lights off as he left when he felt the trembling in the clammy hands. He turned to look closely at Tim and saw nothing but confusion and anxiety in the face of the man he loved, he thought that the stumbling confusion was down to sheer exhaustion at first, but when he looked closer he saw the fine sheen of sweat on Tim’s face and started to recognise the symptoms of hypoglycaemia that the doctor had warned them about. Cursing loudly, he reached up and placed two fingers on his partner’s smooth neck, the worry pooling in the pit of his stomach when he felt the irregular flutter of the carotid artery beating as Tim started to have palpitations.

‘Crap, Tim........Tim look at me. Did you eat the sandwich I bought up earlier?’

Tim was completely disorientated and Jethro stated to panic knowing exactly what the answer would be, he glanced behind Tim and saw the sandwich still sitting on his desk completely untouched.

‘Damn it Tim, come on’

He put his arm round Tim’s waist and guided him downstairs to the kitchen, gently helping him sit in one of the kitchen chairs before turning to pull out a carton of the sweetened apple juice he had started to buy when Tim’s boarder line gestational diabetes had been diagnosed. Jethro handed a large glass of the juice over to Tim and hovered nervously until the glass had been completely drained, replenishing the sugary drink before making another sandwich.

‘Tim, you can’t do this damn it, you’re not the only one to worry about right now’

Tim looked down at the sandwich that Jethro had put down in front of him and slowly started to eat it, never looking his lover in the eye as the shame of letting himself get into that state filed through his entire body. Jethro watched as Tim’s shoulders slumped and knew his words had been too harsh and quietly counted to ten to try to get his anger in check before continuing. He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed quietly knowing damn well Tim’s emotions were fragile at the best of times but now they’d shatter like fine crystal at the slightest blow.

‘Timmy, don’t...........talk to me, what’s bothering you’

Tim finished his sandwich and looked up at Jethro, he was a lot more alert as he faced his lover, his teeth worrying at the full bottom lip as if he was trying to figure out what to say, there was really no reason why this case was bothering him now, it just was.

‘I don’t know J, there’s no reason. We just don’t seem to be getting anywhere and in the meantime that son of a bitch is still out there carrying on as if he’s doing nothing wrong. Shit J, in the past week we’ve had three more victims to deal with and absolutely nothing to go on’

Jethro sat down and took Tim’s hands in his, silently pleased the tremors had abated and looked up into the trouble face.

‘Tim, I don’t want this eating at you, they’ll make a mistake and we’ll be there to get them. If you let it eat at you like this then we’re going to have a problem because I can’t have you endangering both your life and the life of our son’

Tim felt his eyes prickle and looked away, he had no idea how to reply and instead started to sob, his body convulsing as his hormones stampeded thorough his body allowing raw emotions to flood in. Jethro got out of his chair and moved to Tim’s side and pulled him into a strong embrace while waiting patiently for the harsh sobbing to subside. He felt the convulsions stop and sighed with relief as his lover melted into the hug.

‘J, do you remember the briefing at the beginning of the case’

Jethro nodded and thought back to the meeting, his head spinning as he tried to figure out what was bothering Tim.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Two weeks ago...........

Tim walked into the conference room and sat down in one of the chairs that surrounded the large table. He looked around and was surprised to see a few new additions and guessed the room had been made available to the BAU to use as a base of operations.

He let his eyes roam around the room and gaped at the equipment that had been strategically placed around the normally bland room, maximising every square foot of the small space. He let his eyes fall on the large plasma TV and the numerous whiteboards before spotting the large pin board at the end of the room that was already covered with various photo’s and documents.

Jethro sat next to him and rested his folded his hands on the table and Tim noticed how his face was set in a neutral expression that even Tim struggled to read. The BAU team had already taken their seats and were waiting patiently for Tony, Ziva and the director to join them and were currently looking through the case files in front of them to try and mask the uncomfortable silence that fell in the room. Tim was relieved when the door opened five minutes later and the last members of the meeting trawled in with a harassed looking Ducky in tow.

‘Gentlemen, ladies, sorry for keeping you but I thought it would be prudent to ask our Chief Medical examiner to join us, may I introduce you to Dr Donald Mallard. I have been in discussions with your superior and she has kindly agreed to let Dr Mallard review all of the victims autopsy reports as well as do the autopsy on any new victims if needed’

Ducky nodded curtly to the group and sat down opposite Jethro; Tim noticed how pinched his features were and hazarded a guess that the ME had been brow beaten into increasing his workload to accommodate the new case.

‘Ok, I think introductions are in order. Firstly I’ll introduce my team and will then hand over to Agent Hotchner’

There was a murmured agreement that gave Vance the signal to continue.

‘The team I am going to introduce are the best team we have here at NCIS and is headed up by Special Agent Jethro Gibbs and supported by three other agent’s, Senior field Agent Anthony DiNozzo, Special Agent Timothy McGee and Probationary agent Ziva David. In addition to them you have the full use of our forensics lab and any work you need doing will be done by our forensics specialist Miss Abby Sciuto who is unable to join us at the moment. Agent Hotchner’

Vance had gestured to each agent in turn as he introduced them and kept his voice soft, portraying an air of confidence in his team that Tim knew wasn’t really there. He sat down and leaned back in the chair, his folded hands held across his stomach as Hotchner took the floor.

‘My name is Supervisory Special Agent Aaron Hotchner and I am the unit chief of the Behavioural Analysis Unit. My team works alongside various law enforcement agencies to profile and help apprehend unsubs. My team is highly skilled in this area and we appreciate your help with this case’

He paused and looked around the room and noticed how Jethro had tensed slightly. He narrowed his eyes slightly and continued.

‘I’d like to introduce you all to SSA’s David Rossi, Emily Prentiss, Derek Morgan and Dr Spencer Reid, they all work as profilers on the team. SSA Jennifer Jareau works as our media Liason and the final member of our team.......’

He paused and nodded JJ who stood and turned on the large plasma before bending down to the laptop at the side which had been connected to the NCIS network, the face of a quirky woman appeared and smiled broadly at the people in the room.

‘I’m here sir’

Tim recognised her from his days at Norfolk and gave her a small nod before turning his attention back to Hotch.

‘This is Special Agent Penelope Garcia and she is our Technical analyst and will be completely at your disposal when needed’

Jethro moved slightly in his chair and crossed his arms firmly against his chest, Tim cringed knowing that his partner was uncomfortable and in any other meeting the gesture would be seen as being intimidating. He had no idea how it looked in a room full of profilers and worried about the reaction it would be getting. He was quickly pulled back to the matter at hand when Hotch walked slowly round to the NCIS team and handed them each a case file.

‘I understand you have no knowledge of this case but in order for us to work together to apprehend our Unsub you will need to know exactly what it is we are dealing with’

He gave Jethro and his team a moment to scan the contents of the file and took the opportunity to sit down with his own in front of him.

‘As you can see we have five victims to date, all of which have been kidnapped, drugged, tortured and asphyxiated. Their bodies are always left in remote places near some kind of water and are carefully dressed in a simple white robe. The reason we need your help is because of the badges that are found pinned to breast on the left hand side’

Jethro turned to the photographs and scrutinized the close up of the badge.

‘Navy insignia? Are the victims military?’

Hotch shook his head sadly.

‘No but we discovered they are all family member of Navy personnel and the insignia’s all pertain to the family members position and rank, the picture you are looking at is............’

‘NFO, or Naval Flight Officer. I’m guessing the family member works on an aircraft carrier’

Jethro was currently tracing every detail of the small gold badge and recognised the golden wings, shield and crossed anchors immediately, frowning at how much work the unsub had put into researching his victim’s families.

‘That specific family member yes but every victim is adorned with different insignia relating to a family members rank. That seems to be his signature if you like, the thing he uses to identify himself. The other thing you’ll notice are the victim’s sex and ages’

The room was filled with the sound of rustling pages as Jehtro’s team found the right page.

‘Sir, they are all 25 year old females who are currently at university’

Tim’s voice seemed to waver slightly as reality dawned on him, the victims were all students.

‘Yes Agent McGee, the one thing our unsub likes is consistency, even down to the hair colour, the colour of the eyes and the height and build. We have been trying to track them down for the better part of a month’

The room was silent as the harsh reality of the case hit home; there was a serial killer loose on the streets of Washington DC.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Present day.........

‘J, the victims were all Sarah’s age and the descriptions fit her perfectly. You know my father was a captain of a wasp class amphibious assault craft right. Shit J, it was just too risky for her to be around so I sent her home because it was scaring the crap out of me’

Tim’s breathing hitched sharply and Jethro pulled him back to his chest again, mentally head slapping himself for being so blind.

‘Oh Timmy, I’m sorry I didn’t make the connection. Why didn’t you tell me?’

Tim managed to get his tears under control and chuckled slightly at Jethro’s apology, the sound muffled by his lover’s firm chest. He pulled away again and took Jethro’s hand in his own.

‘I thought apologies were a sign of weakness J. I didn’t tell you because I thought I was being over protective and hormonal.....again. Seriously, you should have heard that conversation, she told me to stop being such a pain in the ass and that I was being overbearingly protective. It’s funny because she didn’t think twice about going back home to see the folks, I think she’s homesick’

Jethro laughed and stood up, making his way to one of the kitchen drawers to pull out the glucometer that was stored there.

‘It’s never a sign of weakness with you Timmy and Sarah’s wanted to go home for a while. Give me your finger’

Tim held out his hand and barely flinched as Jethro used the lancet to draw a small droplet of blood of the pin prick. Tim automatically put his finger against the test strip and waited for the meter to read his blood sugar levels. Tim saw Jethro’s face relax at the reading and knew they were back up thanks to his lover’s quick actions.

‘Ok good. Listen Tim, it’s nearly back to normal but I want you to get checked out by Duck first thing ok’

Tim nodded sheepishly and yawned loudly as exhaustion started to creep in. Jethro was busy packing away the equipment and joined in; damn those things really are infectious.

‘Come on, let’s go to bed, we’ve gotta be up in a few hours so we may as well make an attempt to sleep.’

Tim found himself being led into their newly air conditioned bedroom and was soon laying on his side, a pillow sitting in between his legs with his lover spooning behind him, feeling safe and comfortable as his eyes closed and sleep claimed him.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Tim was sitting on the cold autopsy table waiting patiently for Ducky to look up from the glucometer. He knew there were no lingering effects from his episode last night but didn’t want to upset his lover anymore then he already was so agreed to the examination without a fuss. Ducky pulled his glasses down his nose as the meter beeped and nodded gently to himself as he placed the small machine down on the instrument table.

‘Timothy my dear boy, I’m not happy about last night, you really should be taking better care of yourself’

Timothy suddenly found his swinging feet of great interest, his head bowed low to his chest.

‘None of that Timothy. Have you felt the little one moving at all?’

Tim smiled at the gentle admonishment from his dear friend and raised his head. He knew Ducky only had their welfare at heart and nodded happily.

‘I swear he’s trying to kick his way out Ducky. He hasn’t stopped all morning; it’s kind of comforting though’

The last statement was said quietly and Ducky couldn’t help the pang of sympathy that shot through him, he knew Tim didn’t mean any harm last night; he was just worried about how much this case was taking its toll. He deflated the blood pressure cuff he had placed over Tim’s arm and smiled at the reading.

‘Good, good. Well Timothy, you’re in fine fettle and can go. If you start to feel ill then please come and see me as soon as possible’

Ducky helped Tim slide off the high table and turned to pack his medical equipment away, Tim grabbed his hand and placed it on his bump and watched as Ducky’s face melted into a look of pure wonder when he felt the baby kicking at his hand.

‘Oh my Timothy. It truly is a miracle. You know one of my fellow student’s was expecting twins. It’s a fascinating story and she ended up sitting her exams whilst in early labo........’

He was interrupted by Tim’s phone ringing loudly.

Sorry Ducky, maybe later ok?’

The ME nodded sadly as Tim left and made a mental note to finish that story later. He watched as Tim walked to the elevator and pushed the call button whilst talking animatedly to the person on the other end.

‘Ok boss..........everything’s fine J.......yeah he’s fine...........uh huh............On my way.......got it boss, see you soon’

Tim hung up and sighed heavily as his adrenaline started to pump thorough his body, Jethro had just told him they had finally caught a break and he needed Tim there ASAP.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
The bullpen was a hive of activity as both teams swarmed around getting ready to move out. They had received an anonymous tip from the local PD about a man dragging a woman into an abandoned building near the convention centre and the woman’s description fitted the other victim’s profiles perfectly. Timing was of the essence now in order to try to save the girl before she became another body on Ducky’s slab.

Tim walked in as Jethro was pulling his bullet proof vest on and walked over to his desk to see what he could do.

‘Boss, where do you want me?’

‘Tim, go to MTAC and co-ordinate from there. There’s already a bird in the sky and we’ve got our earwigs so you’ll be able to see and hear us’

Tim turned to make his way to MTAC and paused briefly as a nagging feeling made his stomach churn. He turned and leaned over Jethro’s desk, using his hands to support himself so he could get closer.

‘J, be careful out there ok, don’t do anything stupid’

Jethro paused briefly and gave Tim a reassuring smile. He was clipping his faithful sig to his belt and winked at his lover.

‘I will Tim, just keep your eyes open for us’

Tim nodded and watched mournfully as the BAU and his friends stepped into the elevator, he had a bad feeling about this but managed to push it back as he entered MTAC and grabbed the headset before sitting down in one of the chairs. There was nothing he could do now but wait.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Tony and Ziva stayed close to the wall as they moved down the narrow passage way that led to one of the bedrooms. The house had been clear so far but they knew the unsub hadn’t been able to leave.

They had cleared all the other rooms upstairs which left one more door, Ziva reached out to grab the door handle and found it locked from the inside. Tony pushed her back and kicked hard just above the handle. The door gave and slammed against the wall drawing out a panicked shriek from the bound victim in the middle of the room.

‘NCIS, drop your weapons’

They were standing to the side of the open door and moved in slowly, their bodies set in a defensive pose as they swept the room. It was completely empty except for the young brunette woman bound to the chair, the blindfold making her flinch at every noise as the sensory deprivation intensified every sound.

Ziva glanced over to the open window and pointed at it, moving slowly towards it whilst staying close to the wall. She leaned forward slightly and watched as the rusted fire escape swayed menacingly at the added weight from the unsub.

‘Tony he’s climbed out of the window and is moving down the fire escape. It looks like it’s about to collapse so do not follow’

Ziva threw her hands up in frustration and talked into the mike that was concealed in her sleeve.

‘Harah, Gibbs he has used the fire escape to leave. It is not safe for us to follow. He is headed towards the front of the house’

Jethro was covering the front door and listened intently to Ziva over the radio; he tore down the old wooden steps and ran to the side of the building and Tim watched as his lover’s posture completely changed, his body slightly crouched as he silently crept round the side of the house holding his sig low. Tim gasped loudly when he saw the black hooded figure round the corner.

‘J he’s moving round towards you now’

The warning was too late and he watched with horror as Jethro swiftly aimed his gun at the approaching figure, the unsub reacted and raised his weapon haphazardly before he squeezed of a shot that ripped through Jethro’s vest like a hot knife through butter.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Tony had been trying to calm the victim and when he heard the shots and Tim’s frantic calls. Emily and Morgan had joined them in the bedroom and were helping him calm the victim until the paramedics arrived; he sat stock still as the drama unfolded over their earwigs, his heart skipping a beat as he listened to Tim’s frantic calls over the radio.

Tony’s blood ran cold as he bolted out of the room towards the front door and raised his weapon when he saw the unsub escape through the hedges. He ran down the wooden steps to start the pursuit stopped dead when he spotted his boss lying on the ground, a small pool of blood forming underneath his prone form.

The last thing Tony remembered was the sound of Tim’s choked sobs over his earwig as he made his way over and dropped to his knees next to his boss.

‘Oh god boss..........WE NEED AN AMBULANCE NOW’

Tbc
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Oooooh evil cliffhanger, Alise, we are the queens of cruel!

Guys, I know there isn’t much of Tony in this chapter but don’t worry, all will be revealed.

Hope you enjoyed this chapter and don’t forget to let us know what you all think!

Shelbylou

A/N â€" Hey guys, sorry for the long wait, especially seeing as we left this chapter on a cliff hanger â€" yeah I know we’re evil. I turned 30 yesterday so have been celebrating with family and really haven’t had a change to write. I just have a couple of things I would like to mention:

Public apology to my friend and co-writer Alisa, last chapter I got so wrapped up in typing the story I mis-spelled her name (doh!!) - Alisa, I’m sorry and it won’t happen again.

Alisa has worked really hard alongside me and without her this story wouldn’t be where it is. We have decided to give you the option of sending her an email to let her know how much you are enjoying the story. Her email address is neely alisa at yahoo .com (remove spaces and change 'at' to the to the symbol for it) I know for a fact that she would love to hear from you guys, we are forwarding any replies to each other because there has been so much hard work from both parties that has gone into writing this.

Ok, that’s all folks, as always we have no medical know how, just a love of writing. All our knowledge has come from good old Google so if ya do happen to be in the medical profession then sorry but Google only provides so much info.

Anyway, Enjoy and don’t forget to push that little button at the end to let us know what you think.

****************NCIS****************

Tim stood in MTAC watching the drama unfold, his eyes transfixed on the paramedics that were currently tending to Jethro. Exactly fifteen minutes had passed since Jethro had been shot and fifteen minutes since Tim’s world got completely turned upside down, if you asked Tim what he actually remembered of that fifteen minutes then the only reply he would give was that he remembered feeling numb.

The world seemed to grey around him and he felt the guilt engulf him as the shame of not spotting the unsub sooner laid heavily on his heart. He was rooted to the spot completely engrossed inthe drama in front of him and didn’t hear the door opening, only to be startled out his thoughts by an angry voice echoing through the room.

‘Special Agent Mcgee you better have a damn good reason for being in here, may I remind you of the terms you agreed to’

Tim turned slowly, the words barely registering in his confused mind and came face to face with Director Vance. The Director moved down towards Tim and followed his subordinates gaze as it slowly flitted back to the screen, what he saw sparked a wave of concern that no one thought possible from the normally steely man. He turned back to Tim, his voice softening as he recognised the early symptoms of emotional shock.

‘McGee......Tim...... What the hell happened, you care to tell me exactly why one of my Agents is being tended to by paramedics?’

Tim was watching intently as the first ambulance pulled away taking the Victim to Bethesda to be checked out, the paramedics were currently loading Jethro into the second ready to take him away for the medical help he so desperately needed. He turned his head towards the Director and watched as the man he had started to hate so many months ago moved towards the screen, his frown betraying his stoicism.

‘Jethro, he’s er........he’s....Oh god, he’s been shot. I need to get to Bethesda’

Tim pulled the headset off and threw it unceremoniously to the ground before rushing up the steps, his actions making the director tear after him.

‘McGee’

Tim couldn’t stop and he soon found himself darting down the stairs to the bullpen to grab his bag. He stumbled slightly on the last step when a firm hand wrapped around his bicep and whipped him round.

‘Director, I’ve got to go....Shit.......Jethro.........’

Somehow Tim managed to pull his arm free and started pacing as panic took hold, his heart beating so fast it felt as though it was trying to push its way through his chest.

‘No, this isn’t happening. The vest would have stopped the bullet or the bullet missed completely and he......he.........oh my god, what the hell am I going to do?’

Vance reached out and grabbed Tim’s shoulders to try to ground his agent knowing damn well the effects of emotional trauma on a person, what he wasn’t sure about was how it would effect a person who was currently six and a half months pregnant.

‘Tim listen to me, you need to calm down if not for yourself then for the baby. We don’t know the situation so how about I drive you to the hospital, we can kill two birds with one stone and I can get a sitrep from DiNozzo’

Tim eyed Vance suspiciously, when he had heard the director’s voice booming across MTAC he had expected the man to ream him a new asshole over the whole situation, especially seeing as his Supervisory Special Agent was currently injured in the line of duty. This compassion threw him and did nothing but increase helplessness that he was feeling.

‘What............um...........I don’t kno....... no, I’ll go down to Ducky and he can.......’

‘What exactly don’t you know Special Agent McGee? I passed Dr Mallard and Miss Sciuto on my way into the yard so if you want to get to Bethesda then this is your only option because I will not let you drive’

Tim felt a sharp tug on his arm as the director practically frogmarched Tim towards the elevator, only stopping to reach down and grab Tim’s bag. He felt Tim’s arm start to quake beneath his hand and slowed down slightly, his worry now turning towards his young vulnerable agent, his prejudice pushed to the side as the two me made their way slowly to the car.

****************NCIS****************

Tony was sat with his arm around Abby; his hand absently stroking her arm as her head rested lightly on his chest. Tony barely noticed the wet patch on his Armani shirt as Abby’s tears fell onto it, the dark patch on the plush charcoal grey cotton darkening with every teardrop.

He had spent the last half hour trying to figure out how it all went bad so quickly, one minute he was trying to calm the victim and the next thing he remembered was kneeling down to his boss trying to stem the steady flow of blood that was streaming out of the wound in his shoulder.

He let his eyes roam he room and watched as Hotch talked to one of the Doctors at the nurse’s station, presumably trying to get the green light to see the young woman who had come so close to becoming the next victim of the horrific serial killer.

Tony hadn’t realised he was staring and blinked before letting his eyes continue with their roaming, his gaze falling on the person standing in the doorway talking on his cell phone quietly before letting them drop slowly to the floor. HE didn’t know how long he had been sat there before Tim arrived, the arrival being heralded by Ducky’s solemn voice.

‘Ahh Timothy my dear boy, how are you holding up?’

Ducky’s eagle eyes started to visually examine Tim and took in the young man’s pale, clammy face. His thought pattern was disrupted by Tim’s small voice as it broke the silence that had fallen on his arrival.

‘Ducky, how’s Jethro?I need to know that J is ok’

Tim’s breath caught in his throat as he tried to push down the tears that were threatening and he swayed slightly as dizziness suddenly assaulted him making him sway slightly. Ducky reached out steadying arms and guided him towards one of the hard chairs in the waiting room.

‘We don’t know anything yet Timothy, please sit down and let me have a look at you’

Tim sat in one of the chairs and let the ME take his pulse, he was too lost in his own grief to notice Ducky frowning at the small pulsating throb beating too quickly beneath his fingers, and missed the dark look he gave to Ziva, nodding his head slightly towards the nurse’s station to signal the need for medical assistance.

Ziva left the room and Ducky turned his attention back to Tim.

‘Timothy, I want you to get checked by a doctor, I want to make sure there are no lasting effects from your episode last night and the shock you received today’

Tim stood up suddenly and resumed the pacing he had started in the bullpen.

‘I’m fine Ducky, please; I just need to know Jethro is ok. Ducky he’s ok right, he’s going to be fi.........’

Timothy felt a sharp stabbing pain in his abdomen and doubled over, his hand automatically resting over the source of the pain. He panted harshly and looked up at Ducky.

‘Something’s wrong Duck, get a doc...........’

Tim’s knees buckled as the world greyed around him and he barely felt Tony catch him as he fell completely into oblivion.

****************NCIS****************

‘.....worry Dr Mallard, the baby is fine. He’s in shock which caused his blood pressure to drop rapidly; this is what caused the fainting attack. We have done a complete exam and the good news is he isn’t in pre-term labour but we’re going to admit Mr McGee overnight to keep an eye on him in case of any complications’

The first thing Tim noticed was the familiar ‘whoosh, whoosh, whoosh’ of a foetal heartbeat and melted slightly as the sound of his son’s heartbeat pushed its way into his semi-unconscious mind. He woke up slowly and squinted at the harsh lights of the Emergency room, watching through blurry eyes as the doctor talked to Ducky. Tim managed to catch snapshots of the conversation and started to frown when he heard the words ‘admit’ and ‘observation’, surely he wasn’t the reason Ducky was here, there had to be another reason...............

Ducky’s focus was broken when Tim’s hand moved towards the foetal monitor that had been fitted to monitor the baby’s heartbeat.

‘Ahh Timothy, welcome back. No leave that alone for now’

‘What happened, is he ok?’

The ER doctor’s voice was gentle and silky, her warm bedside manner making Tim relax slightly.

‘May I call you Tim’

She waited for the slight nod of ascent and picked up Tim’s chart to note the readings on the monitors.

‘Ok, Tim the baby is doing well and there doesn’t seem to be any lingering effects from the shock you presented with. I believe you experienced a particularly bad Braxton hicks contraction and your blood pressure bottomed out. We now have that under control and are going to be keeping you overnight for observation but there is no reason why you can’t carry on as normal after a week or so of rest. An orderly will be in shortly to take you up to your room’

She waited for the slight nod of understanding and pulled the curtain back slightly.

‘Oh Tim, I’ve asked Dr Mallard here to update you on Mr Gibbs’ condition. It there is anything you don’t understand then please don’t hesitate to ask’

Tim looked at the Doctor, he was completely confused as his still muddy mind tried to process her last statement, his mind cleared and the memories of his traumatic afternoon flooded in.

‘Jethro. Oh god Ducky, Jethro’s hurt’

Ducky rushed over to his friend and started to brush the soft sandy hair away from his forehead, the soothing motion’s calming Tim slowly before panic set in again.

‘Timothy I need you to listen to me. Now, Jethro is going to be ok, they will be taking him down for surgery in the morning to remove the bullet and repair the muscle damage. Luckily it missed anything vital so he will recover completely in time’

Tim half sobbed with relief and let his head drop back to the pillows as exhaustion started to set in.

‘Why was he unconscious?’

Tim’s tired green eyes gazed intently at Ducky as he tried to get the answers he so desperately needed.

‘Ah well, that was an unfortunate occurrence, you see, the yard was littered with debris and Jethro hit his head on a broken brick when he fell. He has a grade two concussion which is why they can’t remove the bullet tonight’

Tim nodded and closed his eyes briefly, there were so many unanswered questions running through his mind making it difficult for him to relax.

‘How did the bullet get through the vest Ducky, that’s not right, it shouldn’t have pierced it’

Ducky frowned at the thought, he had no idea how the bullet managed to penetrate the body armour and shuddered slightly at the thought of such a powerful weapon being used against the people he now called family.

‘I don’t know Timothy, I just don’t know. As soon as we have the bullet then Abigail can run the ballistics. For now dear boy you have to rest’

He placed his hand gently on Tim’s bump above the monitor and smiled gently as the baby tried to kick it away.

‘This young man didn’t take too kindly to his father being in shock I’m afraid and you are going to be no good to Jethro if you are both in trouble’

Tim nodded and rubbed his hand over his abdomen.

‘It’s going to be ok though isn’t it, I mean the pain I felt...I know what the doctor said but...she’s certain I’m not in labour’

Ducky smiled warmly and moved his hand to rest over Tim’s.

‘No Tim, it’s not time for this little boy to make an appearance. As the good Doctor said, it was a rather strong Braxton hicks contraction bought on by the stress. As you can hear his heart beat is strong so there’s no sign of distress. Now, they’ll be here soon to move you to a room soon so please try to get as much rest as you can’

Tim fought to keep his eyes open but lost the battle completely when Ducky resumed his ministrations and gently carded his hand through Tim’s hair.

****************NCIS****************

Morgan stood leaning against the door jamb rubbing his eyes. Jesus it had been a long day and the fact that the team was currently being grilled by their Director wasn’t helping the tension levels that seemed to be raising with every passing second.

‘Agent DiNozzo that doesn’t explain how one of my agents is currently waiting for a bullet to be removed from his shoulder. Why wasn’t the fire escape covered?’

Morgan moved his hand down and placed it in his pocket letting his tired eyes drift over to Tony as the exchange took place.

‘It was covered Director, or at least we thought it was. Special Agents Prentiss and Rossi were covering the outside of the building’

Morgan moved into the centre of the room feeling the need to jump in.

‘Sir, Prentiss and Rossi were distracted by a disturbance across the street, something we are now looking into because we think it may have been a diversionary tactic’

Vance nodded and stood abruptly making Abby jump slightly in her seat.

‘Ok. Agent DiNozzo seeing as you are now the Senior agent I would like to make it clear that you are now in charge of your team, I’ll inform Agent Hotchner and will make it clear he now reports to you until Gibbs is deemed fit for duty. Ms David, I expect you and Agent McGee to follow Agent DiNozzo’s instructions to the letter do I make myself clear’

Ziva scowled briefly before schooling her expression into a neutral one that even the profilers struggled to read.

‘Crystal Director’

‘Good, DiNozzo, I expect a full report on today’s events on my desk by the end of the day tomorrow’

With that he stormed out of the waiting room leaving everyone feeling even more deflated and upset by the day’s events. Tony sighed and looked up; his eye’s meeting Morgan’s as the handsome profiler scrutinized his reaction.

‘Hey DiNozzo, how about we go and grab some coffee for everyone?’

Tony nodded and leaned over to kiss Abby gently on the forehead.

‘Hey sweetheart, can I get you anything’

Abby glanced over at him and nodded the movement so slight her pigtails barely moved.

‘Can I have some Tea please Tony?’

‘Sure you can Abb’s; you can have anything you want’

He pulled her in for a quick hug and stood to get the drinks, he was stopped by a small hand wrapping round his wrist.

‘They’re going to be ok aren’t they Tony. I mean Jethro will recover from his injuries but Timmy.........Tony what if something happens to the baby? None of them will ever get over that’

Tony knelt down in front of his Goth and pulled her towards him, he could feel he sobs starting again and started to rub her back as she wept.

‘Hey, McGoo’s going to be fine Abb’s, hell if that baby is as damn stubborn as his Daddy’s then it’s gonna take a lot more than what’s happened to affect him, hell that little guy is a Gibbs/McGee creation, that in itself has gotta make you feel better’

Abby’s sobs were replaced by a soft chuckle as she pulled away giving Tony the chance to stand.

‘Go get everyone something to drink Tony, I think they could do with the pick me up’

He gave her hand a quick squeeze and followed Morgan out into the corridor, walking in complete silence for a while as Tony tried to figure out how he was going to move the case forward and do his boss proud. Morgan nudged Tony slightly with his shoulder to pull his temporary colleague out of his thoughts.

‘You ok, that’s a lot of responsibility. Trust me I know because I’ve been there’.

Tony was silent for a moment, the answer getting lost somewhere in limbo, he knew what had to be done but the memories of leading the team when Gibbs was in Mexico were painful to say the least.

‘Yeah, I mean it’s not like I haven’t been there before. I’m just worried about this case and the way this is going to affect the team’

‘Don’t let it affect them. McGee’s the one you’ll have to watch out for though’.

Tony frowned and glanced over at Morgan, their eyes locking briefly as they walked.

‘In what way, McGee’s always been ok with things, especially since shacking up with the boss’

‘And that’s the reason why Tony, look at it this way, McGee is practically married to your boss and is currently carrying their child, hell they even wear wedding bands’

Morgan watched as Tony’s frown deepened, his eyes following the hand that had started to brush though the perfectly styled hair.

‘Shit, I hadn’t thought about it that way. I guess I was kinda hoping for some kind of reprieve this time round’

‘Don’t start worrying about it, just play it by ear. You know there are people out there who have got your back’

Tony nodded and opened the door to the hospital canteen. He let Morgan go through and placed his hand firmly on his shoulder.

‘Hey, thanks for listening to me’

He smiled softly when Morgan patted his hand gently.

‘Anytime Tony, now what does Abby drink?’

TBC

****************NCIS****************

Hey guys, Well, here’s another chapter written. I’ve decided to split the hospital scenes over two chapters because it’s getting late and I’ve got an early start in the morning because I’m going to Alton Towers. Sorry for the long wait on the update and hope you all enjoyed.

As always guys, Don’t forget to let me and Alisa know what you all think

Shelbylou x

A/N â€" Hey guys, sorry for making you wait but I haven’t had much time to write recently. This is a continuation of the last chapter because there are so many things we decided to add in. There isn’t much of Timmy and Gibb’s in this one because we decided to concentrate more on the other relationships for the time being but don’t worry, they will be back in full swing later on!

As always I want to say a big thank you to my girl Alisa, without her this story wouldn’t have turned out half as well as it has. Please let us know what you think and if you want to email her direct (and I know for a fact that she’d like to hear from you personally!) then her email address is:

neely alisa at yahoo .com (remove spaces and change 'at' to the to the symbol for it)

****************NCIS****************

Morgan sat next to Tony in the waiting room silently sipping on his hot coffee; He felt the warmth of Tony’s leg next to his and sighed quietly, he found having other people there while he waited comforting but something had been nagging at him since Director Vance had announced Tony’s temporary position as team leader, something he just couldn’t quite put his finger on. The feeling had grown on the journey back to the waiting room, the ominous silence hanging heavy in the air between them.

They had made it back to the waiting room and distributed the drinks to everybody before settling down back in the chairs to resume the waiting game that they had been playing for the better part of two hours, the atmosphere was thick with tension as they waited for news of their friends. Morgan fiddled with his coffee cup and glanced over at Tony, a small half-hearted smile gracing his face as he watched the man comfort what he understood to be his adopted little sister.

It was a relationship he understood seeing as he felt the same way about Reid and Garcia who had both been inducted into the Morgan clan a long time ago, hell, they even spent Christmas day with his family last year. What he couldn’t figure out was one aspect of the team dynamics, I mean, he understood Gibbs and McGee’s relationship â€" that was a no brainer â€" he understood where Tony, Abby and Ducky fitted in, what he couldn’t get his head around was where Ziva came into play and it bothered him, not just because she seemed prickly at the best of times, but because she was the a-typical cold fish who made it difficult for him to read.

Abby lifted her head up off Tony’s shoulder and looked over towards Morgan, cocking her head slightly with interest at the profiler’s deep interest in Tony. It struck her as strange and she wanted nothing more than to ask whether Morgan was ok but the question died on her lips when she looked up at Tony, their eyes meeting briefly before she dropped her head back to nestle in the crook of her friend’s neck.

‘Hey Abb’s, you ok sweetie?

Abby felt the tears prickle again and she swallowed hard to try to relieve the urge to cry.

‘Why haven’t we heard anything yet Tony? I mean we should have news by now shouldn’t we?’

He pulled her closer in an effort to sooth her but felt her jump up as Ducky entered the room. Ducky glanced at Tony, Abby and Ziva and removed his glasses to rub at his weary eyes.

‘Oh my, you really do all look exhausted’

He let his eyes roam around the room and noticed the remaining member of the BAU team standing so they could listen to what the ME had to say. Tony handed him a disposable mug of tea and offered a small smile when Ducky accepted it gratefully.

‘I got you earl gray Ducky, I’m not sure whether it’s the right one or not’

‘Thank you Anthony, it’s perfect. You know I started to drink this when my grandmot........’

Tony thought Abby was going to burst and watched as she bobbed up and down slightly in her agitated state. He could almost feel the frustration ooze off her when Ducky started one of his tales and tried to stop her when she moved forward slightly to interrupt.

‘Ducky! Are Timmy and the baby ok? How’s Gibbs? Please tell me they’re all going to be ok’

Ducky smiled at the excitable Goth in front of him and placed a hand gently on Abby’s shoulder to still her.

‘Of course Abigail, I’m sorry; this isn’t the time. Please calm yourself my dear and I’ll tell you’

He paused briefly to sip at the still hot tea and sighed contentedly as the earl grey soothed its way down his dry throat and looked up to address the room.

‘Young Timothy is fine and the good news is he’s not in early labour. The stress bought on a rather strong Braxton hick’s contraction and his blood pressure dropped causing him to faint. They have managed to bring his bp up to a healthier level and are moving him to a private room at this very moment. They will monitor both him and the little one overnight as a precaution’

Ducky could hear the collective sigh of relief at the news and raised the disposable cup to his mouth once again. Tony chuckled at the look of pure bliss on Ducky’s face when he inhaled the smell of bergamot deeply before taking another large drink. He nodded slightly and continued.

‘Jethro’s condition on the other hand is a bit more serious I’m afraid. The bullet somehow managed to penetrate his vest and is currently lodged in his shoulder. They will be taking him down to theatre to remove the bullet but unfortunately he has a grade two concussion so they won’t operate until tomorrow morning. He has already been moved up to his room and is resting as comfortably as he can given the circumstances’

Tony felt Ziva sidle up beside him and tried to take hold of her hand. He was startled when he felt her pull her hand back sharply and move away.

‘Ducky, leaving the bullet in his shoulder increases the risk of infection yes?’

Ducky frowned at the interchange between Tony and Ziva and shook his head sadly; he had known Ziva to completely withdraw in stressful situations and had noticed the way she moved away from her ex-lover.

‘Yes Ziva that is correct but they are more worried about the concussion then they are infection at the moment, the risks are much too high for them to operate.’

Tony had stuffed his hands in his pockets and he was shuffling his feet, he could feel the anger he had been suppressing all night start to surface, the feeling suffocating him slowly.

‘What are the risks Ducky, surely killing two fowl with one stone would be more prudent’

Ducky looked at Ziva with a deep frown, he had no idea where she was going with this kind of enquiry but quickly dismissed it as stress.

‘What do you mean Ziva? I’m afraid I don’t fully understand’

Ziva sighed loudly before continuing.

‘I have some knowledge about concussions Ducky. If it is a contra coupe injury then there is a high possibility of the brain swelling resulting in surgery anyway so maybe they could do both whilst he is down there’

Ducky laughed gently, he should have known the ex-Mossad agent would have some knowledge, albeit a little skewed, and tried to focus his attention on answering without worrying the other occupants of the room.

‘That is correct Ziva but I’m sure you’ll recall that any surgery on a patient with a concussion can result in the brain swelling, there is no need to put Jethro through that trauma if it isn’t necessary and as yet he isn’t displaying any symptoms of swelling so they are going to play it by ear and assess him in the morning, if they feel he is stable enough then they will remove the bullet. Trust me my dear; it is better for Jethro this way’

Tony felt a hand on his shoulder and turned his head slightly to see Morgan standing behind him, he had obviously noticed Tony tense as his hands balled into frustrated fists and was trying to ground the senior NCIS agent. Tony sighed and relaxed slightly only to be annoyed when Ziva decided to continue the argument.

‘But Ducky..............’

Tony turned sharply and pointed at Ziva, the receding anger now flaring up in such a way he thought his blood was boiling.

‘Ziva for the love of god would you give it a rest. You are not a doctor so let them do their damn job in peace’

Tony’s shout reverberated through the room which soon descended into a deafening silence. He stormed towards the door and turned just before he left to face Ziva again.

‘Oh and by the way David, its birds not Fowl, Birds!’

With that he left leaving everyone standing in stunned silence at the outburst. Ducky watched Ziva’s face contort slightly and moved forward to hug her.

‘No Dr Mallard, I am fine. I see we are going back to the way it was when Gibbs went to Mexico, you would think the director would have more sense than to make him team leader again.’

Ducky blanched at the harsh angry words, he didn’t often lose his temper but the blatant disrespect for Tony’s position angered him.

‘Probationary Agent David, you are angry so may I suggest you take time to calm yourself before you say something you seriously regret'

Ducky kept his voice low and neutral so as not to show the cracks that were starting for form in his calm demeanour.

‘Regret? I don’t have regrets Ducky. I’m just voicing my opinion and I will tell him to his face that I don’t think he is suited to stepping up to the bowl’

She heard the slap before feeling the sting and looked at Abby with a stunned look on her face.

‘How dare you Ziva. Those three men risked their lives to rescue you from Somalia and this is how you repay them. I thought you were our friend but obviously I was wrong’

Abby followed Tony’s footsteps and did exactly as her friend had done previously and halted at the door.

‘Oh and another by the way Ziva, its plate. Stepping up to the plate’

****************NCIS****************

Abby found Tony sitting at one of the table in the Cafeteria. It was quiet at the moment so she grabbed two coffees and mooched over to her friend.

‘You want some company Tony?’

Tony raised is head and smiled at Abby. She noticed the smile didn’t extend to his eyes and sat down replacing the empty cup in front of him.

‘Thanks Abb’s. Guess I’ve got some explaining to do’

He reached across the table and waited for Abby to take his hand; he hated feeling so damn needy but needed the comfort that was offered.

‘Not to me Tony, you wanna talk?

Tony took a deep breath and looked intently at his best friend sitting opposite him; he knew that if there was one person in the world who would listen to him without forming an opinion it would be her.

‘It’s just.........shit Abb’s, we’re back to this again. You know when bossman got amnesia through that bomb and I got the opportunity to run the team?’

Abby nodded, she had an inkling she knew where this was going but knew Tony had to get it off his chest.

‘They didn’t accept me then but now, crap; now it’s a whole lot worse. I’m not afraid to tell ya that the proverbial shit is going to hit big time’

Tony rubbed his face with his free hand and laughed hollowly. Abby started to say something but he cut her dead.

‘Don’t Abb’s, you don’t think I’ve noticed the looks Ziva’s been throwing me and did you see the way she pulled back when I tried to comfort her? And you know what the piece de resistance is going to be, well hell, throw a pregnant with the boss’s baby McGee in and we have a regular little DiNozzo hate mob going on. You know what she said last time when I told her my gut was missing something?’

Abby shook her head

‘She said quote ‘Gibbs’. For fuck sake, she couldn’t be subtle if she tried. She made it obvious by the things she said that she didn’t think I was up for it. I don’t think they like the campfires either but they help me sort things out, think I might give them a miss this time’

Abby laughed slightly and moved over to Tony to sit in his lap, her arms wrapping around his neck to pull him into a hug.

‘Ziva really said that?, huh. Listen Tony, I don’t want you to worry ok, McGee won’t be like that. Ziva I’m not too sure about but McGee? Come on it works in his favour, he gets to play senior agent for a while’

Tony wrapped his arms around his girl and leaned into her embrace.

‘He’s on desk duty remember, he doesn’t say anything but he’s already pissed enough at being stuck at that desk and now he’s got me as his boss. Trust me Abbs, that isn’t going to go down well at all’

‘Tony, please. Give it a go. Whatever you do though, don’t let them see you like this’

She stood up and sat back down in the chair, the glint in her eyes made her look slightly mischievous.

‘Tonyboy, this is your time to shine and if it takes my last ounce of strength to make you do it then by god I will make you shine like the star you are’

Tony couldn’t help but giggle and lifted Abby’s hand and kissed the palm.

‘Thanks Abb’s, I knew I could rely on you. Well you and my fella’

Abby’s eyes narrowed at the mention of Tony’s man and she decided that it would be a perfect opportunity to broach the subject that had been bothering her.

‘Hey Tony....um......don’t get upset but I’ve kinda been meaning to talk to you about that’

Tony looked up at her suspiciously; he had been expecting this conversation but had thankfully got away with it so far.

‘Listen, I know things are going really well for you right now but I’m worried. I know you use protection but nothing is a hundred percent safe. Please Tony it’s an easy test to find out whether you can conceive or not, will you get checked out for me?’

He sighed and let go of her hand

‘Abby please, I don’t want to discuss this right now ok; it’s been a long day and all I wan......’

‘Tony please, It’s for your own good, I’ll even come with you to offer moral support. What harm could it do?’

Tony looked up and saw the genuine concern in Abby’s green eyes; she really did wear her heart on her sleeve which just made it more difficult for him to turn her down.

‘Ok Abb’s just not right now, I’ve got too much to think about as it is’

She jumped up and kissed him on the cheek, part of her knew he was humouring her but the rest of her knew he would give in eventually and take the test.

‘I think you’ve got a visitor Tony. I’ll leave you two alone to talk. See you later’

He glanced behind him and blushed as his visitor walked over and replaced Abby, he had a distinct feeling that Abby knew who his new man was and judging by the tone of the ‘I’ll leave you two alone to talk’ part he knew it wouldn’t be long before they had that talk again. He watched Abby bounce out of the Cafeteria, only briefly pausing to say hello.

Tony turned and sipped at the tepid coffee, wincing at the bitter taste it left. His face softened when he felt two strong hands start to massage his shoulders and soon melted back into the touch that he had so desperately wanted throughout this whole ordeal.

‘Hey baby boy, you alright?’

****************NCIS****************

Jethro was torn from his dreamless sleep by a stabbing pain in his shoulder and the relentless pounding in his head. Damn he hated concussions at the best of times but was cursing this one for stopping the doctors sending him into a blissful medicated sleep. He sighed and gritted his teeth against the agony, turning his head slightly to see who was sitting with him.

Ducky noticed the movement and stood up next to the bed to make it easier for Jethro to see him.

‘Ah Jethro, how are you feeling?’

‘Like crap Duck, where’s Tim?’

Ducky looked down towards the raised railing on the bed and sighed; he had no idea how he was going to play this one without worrying his dear friend and making sure the stubborn fool stayed in the bed.

‘Timothy is resting at the moment Jethro and will be here in the morning’

Jethro’s eyes narrowed, he had seen the uncomfortable look in Ducky’s eyes and knew there was something he wasn’t telling him, the fact that he could read his friend like a book helped and found it strange that Tim hadn’t been there at all when he had been awake.

‘Cut the crap Duck, where is he. Is he ok?

Jethro tried to sit up but collapsed back onto the pillows panting as a new wave of pain shot through both injuries, Ducky reached over for the controls and raised it slightly allowing Jethro to sit comfortably without straining himself.

‘Jethro if I tell you then you have to promise not to worry. Firstly everything is fine with both young Timothy and the little one’

Jethro was too tired for this, all he wanted was to see Tim and then drift back off into a painless slumber but his friend was making it difficult. He felt the irritation rising and tried to give Ducky the patented Gibb’s stare, only to find himself squinting harshly against the light.

‘Ah yes, sorry Jethro they can’t give you any stronger pain killers due to the concus..........Oh sorry, anyway. Timothy fainted upon arrival after experiencing some pain in his abdomen......Jethro what......for god sake man lay down, he’s fine’

Ducky placed his hand firmly in the middle of Jethro’s chest and pushed the struggling man down firmly; he had expected a reaction like this but hoped his injuries would stop him from actually trying to get up.

‘Let me go Duck, I need to see him.......arghh’

Jethro had managed to sit up fully and had started to pull off the leads that monitored his heart; Duck pulled away his hand away and held it down in Jethro’s lap firmly whilst reattaching the leads.

‘He’s fine Jethro and the baby’s fine, it was just a reaction to the shock of seeing you injured, he’ll be in here overnight but will be in to see you in the morning’

‘They’re really ok Duck?’

Ducky couldn’t help but smile at the slurred words and nodded, he knew his friend was moments away from sleep and sat back down in the hard chair.

‘They are more than fine. You’re son has quite the little kick there. Now get some rest Jethro, you have a big day tomorrow’

‘Huh’

Ducky reached over and patted his friend’s hand knowing the confusion was part and parcel of the concussion.

‘They’ll be taking you down to theatre tomorrow morning to remove the bullet but in the meantime you need to rest. A nurse will be here in an hour to do the concussion checks so how about you try to get some sleep in the meantime’

He sat and watched as Jethro’s eyes closed and sighed with relief when he heard the shallow, rhythmic breathing that signalled sleep. He settled back and continued to read the newspaper he had bought with him and sighed quietly.

‘Jethro my dear boy, this is going to be a long night’

****************NCIS****************

Ziva sat in the waiting room feeling alone and tired, the day had taken its toll but the recent argument had left her feeling as though she was being scrutinized by Agent Hotcner and Reid. It wouldn’t have bothered her so much if they weren’t profilers but the fact that they were made her feel as though the walls were closing in on her.

Hotch had been making silent notes on his note pad when his phone rang loudly through the silent room, it gave Ziva the perfect opportunity to leave so she stood sharply and walked to the door, narrowly missing bumping into Abby on the way in. She really needed to clear the air so reached out and grabbed Abby’s arm.

‘Abby, can I talk to you please?’

Abby stopped and scowled at her with eyes full of fire and venom.

‘No Ziva you can’t. I just can’t talk to you right now because I’m so angry’

Ziva nodded slightly and felt a lone tear trickle down her face, it wasn’t often she let her emotions show but this was too much even for her to bear. She saw her team as her family and knew she had pushed too far.

Abby watched the tear quiver at Ziva’s chin before dropping silently to the silk blouse leaving a dark stain in his wake. She felt her resolve soften slightly but knew that now wouldn’t be the time to talk.

‘Ziva, no no don’t cry. I’m just really annoyed at you right now but we will talk ok’

Ziva nodded and let go of Abby’s arm, she didn’t silently walked through the door and made her way over to the nurse’s station to see where Tim had been taken.

‘Special AgentTimothy McGee, yeah he’s been taken to the OBY/GN department which is situated in building nine on the second floor but I don’t think they are letting visitors in at this time though honey so it might be better to come back tomorrow’

Ziva smiled sweetly at the elderly nurse that manned the station and thanked her, visiting hours didn’t mean anything and she knew she’d manage to get in somehow. She walked down the corridor to the elevator and punched the button, waiting patiently until the car arrived to take her to see the one person she hadn’t managed to alienate. She felt her eyes sting with the tears that threatened once again and tried to compose herself before entering the lift and making her way up to Tim.

****************NCIS****************

‘Tim, how are you feeling?’

Tim was lying on the bed feeling miserable. He was still hooked up to the foetal monitor and was currently fiddling with the thick black straps to try to make them more comfortable. He turned at the accented voice and smiled ruefully at Ziva standing in the door.

‘I’m ok Zee, just worried out of my mind and need to get to J. come on in and sit down. Have you heard how he’s doing, they won’t tell me anything’

Ziva walked over to the chair and sat down, her eye’s roamed down to Tim’s naked abdomen and couldn’t help but reach over and lay her hand on top.

‘He is fine McGee, Ducky is with him. There is no sign of swelling so the surgery has been scheduled for tomorrow morning. Is everything well McGee, I mean the baby is doing well?’

Tim sighed as the relief washed over him, he was still worried about his lover but the fact that the surgery had been scheduled was a good sigh, he chuckled lightly and relaxed back into the bed.

‘He’s fine Zee, if anything he doesn’t like this damn monitor and keeps trying to kick it off’

Ziva laughed and relaxed back watching the tiny blips on the monitor intently. Tim frowned and reached down to grab her hand, it wasn’t often he saw his friend looking so morose and it bothered him. He watched as the tears fell from her eyes and sat up as much as he could.

‘Hey, Ziva what’s happened?’

Ziva felt the embarrassment rise at her public display of emotion and pulled her hand away letting her mask fall firmly back into place.

‘It is nothing McGee; it’s just been a long day’

Tim nodded and looked at the door ruefully, he had been trying to find a way to get down to Jethro but hadn’t had much luck so far, the nurses had even gone as far as to threaten restraints if he didn’t stay in bed and leave the monitors and IV alone.

‘Yeah I know, I really want to be with him Zee but I swear the nurses on this ward are little Hitler’s and threatened to tie me down if I didn’t leave the equipment alone and stay in bed. I’ve tried to escape twice, he’s definitely ok though?’

The thought of Tim trying to escape made Ziva laugh loudly and she looked over towards the door to see the nurses bustling about outside.

‘He is not out of the forest but he is ok and the nurses mean well McGee. I’m sure Gibbs would want you to stay in that bed until they feel you are ready to leave’

He huffed and reached over to grab the drink the nurses had bought in just before Ziva arrived. He took a sip and cringed at the warm water.

‘Woods Ziva, it’s woods and I know what J would say to me leaving but I’m going out of my mind’

Ziva looked down at her hands and started to pick absently at the skin around her fingernails.

‘I can’t seem to get anything right this evening, you know the Director has given Tony the team in Gibb’s absence’

The simple statement was said quietly and Tim gagged as the mouthful of water he had made him choke slightly. Ziva stood and grabbed his arm roughly to pull him up into a sitting position and smacked his back to try to ease the coughing fit and helped him lay back against the pillows when it had passed. She reached down into her bag and grabbed the cold water bottle out and offered it to Tim.

‘Thanks. What........seriously? Shit, I mean I know he’s the senior agent but this case is tough and after last time.................’

He trailed off and thought back to when Tony had control of the team, it hadn’t really been that bad but Tony had started to take on Gibb’s traits which had annoyed the hell out of him. Tony had gone too far with the headslaps losing any bit of respect he had gained from his team mates.

‘I know McGee, trust me when I say that I understand. I got into an argument in the waiting room and verbalised my views, I don’t think anyone is happy with me right now’

Tim looked at the doleful brown eyes and sighed, he knew it wouldn’t be for long but the fact that Tony had gained control of the team once again sent a jolt of regret surging through him; Tony just didn’t take things seriously enough to be team leader

‘I’m not sure how that is going to work Zee but it’s what the director wants so we’ll just have to grin and bear it. It’s not going to be forever so just work through it ok. Let’s just concentrate on getting everyone fighting fit again. Hey don’t worry ok, everyone will calm down and today’s been stressful, we all say things in the heat of anger Zee’

Ziva nodded slightly and smiled at Tim, she really didn’t want t continue this conversation and reached down to her bag again and pulled out a deck of playing cards.

‘McGee, I bought some cards from the gift shop, why don’t we play a game, it might help you relax a little bit’

Tim reached over and pulled the table closer thankful for the diversion that the game provided, He had been sitting there bored out of his mind and worrying about his lover whilst staring at the cream walls of his hospital room and was more than relieved when Ziva arrived.

‘Ok, it might help me relax a little bit, you deal. What are we playing?’

Ziva deftly shuffled the cards and dealt them Ten cards each before placing the rest of the deck in between the two.

‘I believe you call it Gin Rummy?

They soon settled into the game and talked freely about their fears, Tim was sure of one thing though, as much as he loved Tony, the senior agent would never be able to fill his lover’s shoes.

****************NCIS****************

Tony had left the hospital at around ten and was currently standing in front of the large plasma in the bull pen. He had replayed the video of the op five times and was still clueless as to how it went south so fast. He threw down the wireless mouse and ran his hands over his face.

‘Shit, come on DiNozzo, think............’

He sat down in his chair and leaned back with his hands clasped behind his head, this case was starting to sap every last bit of resolve he had and he knew he had to find answers fast so that Vance didn’t come down on him like a ton of bricks.

‘Working late Tony, I thought you’d gone home’

He sat up in his chair and came face to face with Derek Morgan, the soft concern in those brown eyes making him chuckle lightly.

‘Yeah well, if you speak to my team they’ll tell you I do my best work at night, anyway, what are you doing here, weren’t you going back to Quantico tonight’

Morgan nodded lightly and moved round to Tony’s side of the desk and perched.

‘Yeah but my bag and car are here so I swung by to collect them. Listen, it’s been a long day and you are too tired to figure this all out now so how bout we got for a drink’

‘You’re not driving all the way to Quantico after having a drink’

Morgan’s face broke into a huge grin and he winked cheekily at Tony.

‘Yeah but you have a couch I can crash on so what do you say, I’m only gonna be coming back first thing in the morning anyway’

Tony turned off his computer and picked his Jacket up from the back of the chair.

‘I say lead the way, I know this great little bar just round the corner’

Morgan clapped Tony on the shoulder and followed him over to the elevator. Tomorrow is a new day but for now, he was going to have a drink with Tony in order to try to wind down and forget the events of the day.

****************NCIS****************

Hey guys, sorry it’s a jumpy one this time round but it was the only way I could write this chapter, you’ll understand why all the information had to be included in the later chapters.

Anyway, hope you all enjoyed and as usual, don’t forget to tell us what you think.

Shelbylou x

A/N â€" Hey guys, sorry for the delay in posting but unfortunately work got in the way during the week. We were going to post this weekend, but I had an emergency so wasn't able to post, anyway, the disaster has been averted now so here you go..............Enjoy!!

As always, a big thank you to my girl Alisa who's help has been invaluable, Between us we believe we have come up with a plot that will hopefully knock your socks off but don't be shy guys, send us a review and if you would like to contact Alisa direct then her email address is neely alisa at yahoo .com (remove spaces and change 'at' to the to the symbol for it.)

Anyway, have fun, sit back, relax and enjoy

Shelbylou and Alisa

****************NCIS****************

Tony lay on his back panting loudly, with his hands clutching at the headboard of his large king size bed. It was a recent purchase that he though necessary, especially since his lover seemed to spend more time at his apartment then he did at home. He decided it was the best thing he bought, as it was currently receiving a through workout as his partner glided slowly in and out of him with his hands clenched in the rich silk sheets at the side of his head.

The day had started badly as always recently. Jethro was still on sick leave, which meant Tony still had full control of a team that didn't seem to harbour any feelings of respect for him, something that was made blatantly obvious in the meeting today.

****************NCIS****************

Six hours earlier..............

Tony sat in the BAU's temporary office at NCIS waiting for Tim and Ziva. He had sent them both a meeting request specifying the time of the meeting,but so far neither of them had turned up. He sat back in his chair and looked up at the clock, sighing loudly when he noticed the time. He started to stand when he heard the door to the meeting room open and his two wayward agents walked in.

'McGee; Ziva, I'm glad you made it, I specifically told you 0200 and we'll talk about this later'

Ziva looked up from the case file that she was carrying and scowled at her senior agent, her distaste at Tony ordering her about evident to everyone in the room.

'Yes well Tony, I was talking to Abby about the results from the last victim, I'm so sorry it cut into the meeting time'

The malice dripped from every word she spoke and Tony watched as her eyes narrowed at him, the daggers desperately trying to penetrate the emotional wall he had built up over the past month.

'Sorry Tony, I was down in the lab and the elevators out again, I had to walk up the stairs from Abby's lab'

Tim had been reasonably civil recently, though there had been moments in the past three weeks when Tim seemed to argue with the decisions Tony made, not because he disagreed with them, but because he was just being down right argumentative.

'We'll talk about this later; we have a lot to go through at the moment so shall we?'

Tim gently lowered himself into one of the chairs and suppressed a groan, at seven and a half months pregnant the pressure from carrying the baby had caused painful back spasms and the sciatica was slowly becoming unbearable. He had mentioned it at his last OBY/GN appointment and had been given a Nexcare pregnancy bump support to wear during the day. He remembered looking at the doctor as if she was crazy at the time when she had handed him the ugly 'girdle' but once it was strapped on, the relief was instant and it was now a necessity at all times other than when he was in bed.

Hotch stood up and walked over to the plasma where pictures of the victims were displayed.

'As you are all aware, the most recent victim was discovered just outside the navy yard on the banks of the Anacostia River. There are two things that concern us. The first is the close proximity, in some way he is taunting us, almost gloating. The second being the fact that he seems to have broadened his horizons to the Royal Navy'

Ziva was looking over the photographs in her case file and frowned at the alien insignia before her.

'It is not a badge insignia but has been stitched onto the sleeve. I do not recognise this insignia at all'

Tony stood up and took the wireless mouse from Hotch and used it to enlarge the area of the photo that held the insignia.

'It's the stripes of the UK Royal Navy, if I remember my insignia's then these are the stripes of a Commodore first class in World War two'

Hotch nodded and sat back down in his chair.

'The victim is the granddaughter of Commodore William Seaton who settled in Washington when he retired back in 1963. Commodore Seaton's record was impeccable just like the other victims'

He glanced over at Reid and nodded slightly to let his agent continue. Reid cleared his throat and started to hand round a bound document.

'I have compiled a report that comprehensively details what we know so far and my thoughts on our unsub. I have been going over the evidence and am concerned with the clear fixation on the Navy, my theory has been based on the evidence we have which seems to be pointing at some kind of psychosis ,though it is difficult to pinpoint the exact illness. One thing is evident however, the fixation on Naval insignia is almost obsessive and the placement of it on the left hand side seems poignant. Abby was taking evidence from the robes and noticed the placement was identical on each one, usually over the left breast exactly twelve inches from the neckline of the robe. Until now that is'

Tony leaned across the table and gently lowered the report he had been handed.

'How did you come to that conclusion? I mean so far we have nothing, but the fact that the unsub is male and was possibly either in the Navy or linked somehow. Where's the evidence that suggest psychosis'

Reid smiled ruefully and reached round to grab the crutches that were propped up against the table behind him. He hobbled to the plasma and pulled up a picture of a small used syringe.

'As you know, we found this at the crime scene. The syringe contained traces of haloperidol or generic street name Haldol. The dosage of the drug was high, suggesting a severe psychotic break'.

Tony shook his head roughly.

'How do we know this is from the unsub?'

'We don't, it's a theory so far though one thing I can be sure of is the Unsub is showing signs of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. The way he arranges his victims down to the placement of their limbs is too perfect. There was an identifying label on the syringe though, which means we should be able to track it back to the place it was dispensed'

Tony was confused, after weeks of trying to track down an unsub who was meticulous enough to leave minimal evidence, he couldn't understand why all of a sudden the MO changed so dramatically.

'But why leave the syringe? I mean he left the body right outside the naval base and then left evidence that could potentially lead us to him. It makes no sense' .

Hotch sat back in his chair and huffed slightly. He knew the NCIS team were good at what they do. But the cracks had been bothering him recently; the fact that Tony was so negative about the new evidence mirrored his recent mood perfectly.

'Agent DiNozzo, it is currently the only possible lead we have so we should follow up on it to the best of our abilities. Now we have been called back to Quantico this afternoon, so I would appreciate your help with tracing the information on the label. I have asked Garcia to go through the victim's emails and bank statements and would appreciate it if Agent McGee could assist given his extensive knowledge of computers. She is on route as we speak'.

Tony nodded and stood before turning to his team.

'McGee, you'll be working with Garcia.Ziva, I want you to track the information on the syringe. Agent Hotchner, I'll let you know our findings'.

Ziva stood and stormed out of the briefing slamming the door behind her, Tony sighed heavily and ran his fingers through his hair. He watched as Tim stood, pausing briefly with a wince as he straightened up.

'You ok Probie? Youknow if the stairs are killing you, then you should go home'.

Tim finally straightened and looked over briefly at Tony.

'I'm fine DiNozzo. I'll go and wait for Garcia in the bull pen'

'McGee, there is no point of you being in pain and Gibbs will head slap me into next year if he knows you're uncomfortable. Go, I'm sure Garcia can cope with the searches'

Tim picked up his case file and turned towards the door, his body stiffening under Tony's scrutiny.

'I'm fine Tony, Jesus would you just let it go'

Tony walked round the chair and placed his hand of Tim's shoulder only to be surprised when Tim turned abruptly and squared up to him.

'For the last time I'm fine DiNozzo. Just because Gibbs isn't here, doesn't mean youget to fill hisshoesby mothering me all the time. It's bad enough you are trying to turn into him once again at work, but that seriously doesn't give you the damn right to tell me to go home'.

Tony stepped back and silently counted to ten, he knew Tim and Ziva had issues with him taking on Jethro's position in his absence, but the fact that it had been verbalised threw him slightly.

'Agent McGee, you are going to go home and rest. You're mind isn't going to be on the case if you are in pain. I'll discuss your blatant disregard for my authority at a later time. That's an order McGee'

Tim turned and stormed out of the meeting room with anger that rivalled Ziva's leaving Tony standing in the middle of the meeting room with no idea of what had had done or said to trigger Tim's response.

'Tony, I think you need to talk to the director about this, it's obvious that they feel threatened in some way. But to be honest, the behaviour I have just observed is not acceptable and needs to be addressed'

Tony turned to Hotch and snorted, he had totally forgotten about the BAU and could feel five pairs of eyes burning holes in his back.

'I'll deal with, for now let's concentrate on the case'

Hotch nodded and watched as the senior agent left the conference room before turning to his team.

'Morgan, I want you to stay behind ok. I think NCIS .....and Agent DiNozzo' He added quietly 'could use some support at the moment and I don't want Garcia working in an environment that will make her uncomfortable'

Morgan paused momentarily and glanced at Hotch.

'Sure, what do you want me to do?'

'Assist Garcia but I want you to do me a favour. I've been profiling the team since the shooting and I want your take on Agent David'

****************NCIS****************

Three hours later..........

Tony's phone beeped loudly startling him out of his reverie, he picked up his phone and smiled slightly at the text message he received.

"Baby boy, it's nearly six so how about we finish up and grab some dinner?"

His grin slowly widened as he sent a reply message.

"Sure, we're done for the day anyway. What's on the menu?"

Once the message was sent he turned off his computer and bent down to pick up his bag.

'Ziva, I think we've done enough so let's call it a day'

She stood up slowly and walked over to Tony's desk with her arms folded angrily over her chest.

'I do not believe we are DiNozzo. Gibb's wouldn't send us home when there is still work to be done'

Tony felt his muscles tense at the short statement. He honestly didn't give a damn whether Ziva stayed or not, but was starting to feel the exhaustion creep up on him. He slung his bag over his shoulder and walked around his desk.

'I'm not Gibbs Ziva!'

He was horrified when Ziva sneered at him, her teeth baring like a dog on the defensive.

'No Tony, you are not and don't you ever forget that'

She turned and returned to her desk, typing furiously on the keyboard leaving Tony standing there in stunned silence, a warm hand in the small of his back pulled him out of his thoughts and turned to see Morgan standing behind him.

'Let's go Tony, you'll think better after a good night's sleep'

Tony let Morgan lead him to the newly repaired elevator and stepped in, it wasn't long before he hit the emergency stop and stepped back to the rear wall letting his head drop to his chest.

'Look at me baby boy'

Tony raised his head and foundhimself nose to nose with Morgan, he smiled weakly and leaned forward to passionately kiss the man that had become more than just a passing fling in the past couple of months. He pulled away and settled his head in the crook of his lover's neck and melted when he felt two strong arms wrap around his shoulders.

I don't want to go to dinner Derek; can we just go to my place instead?'

Morgan kissed Tony's forehead gently and chuckled before reaching over and flicking the switch on again.

'Sure Tony, whatever you want. Hey does this mean I'm the one on the menu tonight?'

Tony's loud laughter reverberated through the elevator, the one thing he loved about Morgan was the fact that no matter what happened during the day and no matter what went wrong, the man possessed an uncanny ability to make the world seem right somehow.

'Now that does sound appetising. I'll see you in ten'

****************NCIS****************

6.45pm

Tony parked his car in his usual space and made his way up to his apartment slowly, as he was opening the door he felt Morgan's arms wrap around his waist and hummed slightly at the light kisses that were fluttering against the back of his neck. He opened the door and guided them both into the short hallway before turning and claiming Morgan's lips.

The kiss was slow and sensuous sending quivers of pure pleasure shooting through every nerve in his body. He hummed slighting, his chest vibrating under Morgan's strong hands.

Tony felt Morgan gently push his Armani jacket down his shoulders and shuddered slightly as his lover moved away to hang the jacket in the closet, the loss of Morgan's body against his own made him feel slightly chilled. He reached up to loosen his tie but his hand was intercepted and he felt a small tug as he was led slowly to the bedroom, with only brief pauses so Morgan could turn and kiss him briefly, the caresses feeling like pure silk.

He leaned into Morgan slightly as they finally made their way into the bedroom. When they finally walked through the door, Morgan turned and pulled Tony closer, his kisses winding theirway slowly down Tony's throat. He paid special attention to the throbbing pulse point as he slowly removed Tony's tie and worked his deft fingers down each button on his shirt to slowly reveal Tony's tanned, toned chest.

Tony felt the moist heat slowly descend and gasped loudly, he hadn't been expecting the attention Morgan was giving each one of his nipples, each one being sucked and teased until they stood firm, the small hard buds becoming more sensitive with every passing moment.

'Derek.......oh god.......don't stop'

Morgan chuckled slightly and stood up, his soft brown eyes gazing into Tony's completely debauched face as he loosened Tony's belt and flicked open the button on Tony's pants. He moved in to claim Tony's mouth again and elicited a small groan from Tony when he smoothed both hands down the Italians side and tucked his fingers gently in the waistband, deftly pushing them down far enough so that they dropped to the floor. He pulled away and knelt in front of Tony.

'Lean on the dresser for a minute baby boy'.

Tony obeyed and leaned casually against the solid wood dresser that Jethro had crafted for him when he moved in. He glanced down and watched Derek gently lift each foot, removing his shoes and socks before pulling the pants fully off his lover. Tony shivered slightly as the cool air teased his skin, the breeze that entered through the small open window had managed to pull Tony out of headspace enough to let Morgan pull him towards the bed.

'D, too many clothes'.

Tony tried to resist Morgan's firm hands as they pushed him down on the bed.

'Let me take care of it baby. You just sit there and relax and let me do the work. I'm going to be the one pampering you tonight. Turn onto your stomach'

Tony flipped over and buried himself in the soft pillow, he had no idea what his lover had planned and angled his head slightly to see Morgan make his way back over, the contours of his muscular body highlighted by the faint slither of light that dripped in through the curtains.

'Relax Tony. I'm gonna take care of you tonight ok'

Tony hummed slightly when he felt two slick hands gently start to massage his tense back, the skilled fingers running over every inch of the tanned skin, making sure every last kink and knot was worked out leaving Tony feeling boneless and completely at ease. Tony keened with pleasure.

'That is amazing D, where the hell have you been all my life'

Morgan sat back on his heels and pushed Tony over onto his back, the fluid movement shifted Tony more into the centre of the King size bed and gave Morgan the perfect opportunity to pop the cap off the lube and slick his fingers up. Tony placed his feet flat on the mattress giving his lover better access as the fingers that slid inside him moments before stretched and scissored perfectly, preparing him for his lover's large throbbing cock.

Morgan loved this part and took his time, he revelled in the fact that Tony liked to be toyed with. He made a snap decision and gently lowered his head to kiss the tip of Tony's erection before licking a wet strip down the visible vein that ran from the tip all the way down to the balls, his movement's slow and loving. He ran his tongue towards the tip and circled the head of Tony's cock gently, licking away the pre-come that had started to leak out.

Morgan knew Tony wouldn't last long and decided to tease him even more, he took Tony's cock in his mouth in one fluid motion, he could feel the tip tickle the back of his throat and moved up, adding suction to his ministrations. He continued to stretch and suck and smiled at his breathless lover beneath him.

Tony groaned again when the sensations made him harden further, the combination of his lovers fingers inside him, brushing gently over his prostate and those talented lips working their magic over his erection was pulling him closer and closer to the edge. He felt a warm hand circle the base of his cock and moaned as the pressure slowly ebbed his orgasm away.

'I think a cock ring may be in order baby boy, I'm not sure you're gonna last'

Tony growled

'Enough talking already. Come here and kiss me D'

Morgan moved back up towards him and used the excess lube on his hand to slick himself up. He settled down between Tony's legs and craned his neck down to meet Tony's lips. They were still kissing when Morgan pushed in, the tip of his large erection breaking through the tight ring of muscle easily. He felt Tony pant below him and stopped to let his lover adjust, he didn't have to wait long and was soon pushing himself deeper into Tony until his cock was fully buried to the hilt.

'Move...........please........oh god.............D MOVE NOW!'

Tony's plea'sspurred him into action and they soon found a slow sensuous rhythm, a rhythm that had them moving together in perfect harmony.

****************NCIS****************

8pm â€" Present time

Tony lay on his back panting loudly, with his hands clutching at the headboard of his large king size bed. It was a recent purchase that he though necessary, especially since his lover seemed to spend more time at his apartment then he did at home. He decided it was the best thing he bought, as it was currently receiving a through workout as his partner glided slowly in and out of him with his hands clenched in the rich silk sheets at the side of his head.................

Tony could feel his orgasm building slowly, the familiar curling in the pit of stomach left him completely breathless as he lay there and watched his lover moving slowly above him. Morgan dropped his head onto Tony's shoulder and started to slowly lose their rhythm as the need for release because more and more urgent.

'Tony......Nnng..........I'm gonna..........Come for me Baby boy'

Morgan's husky voice was all it took to send Tony over the edge, his tight muscles clenched firmly around his lover's cock as his orgasm raged through him, his hotcum spilling between them. He felt Morgan tenseand thrust one more time before feeling the warmth of his lovers cum as it spilled relentlessly inside of him.

'Shit......that was.......D that was................'

'Perfect?'

Tony chuckled and held Morgan tight, His lovers softening cock still buried deep in Tony as they held each other tenderly.

Morgan pulled out gently with a groan, his overly sensitive cock protesting painfully at the sensation. He rolled off to lie beside Tony. He hadn't been much of a hugger before meeting Tony but now he liked nothing more than snuggling up with the one he loved. Tony turned over and scooted over, nestling his head comfortably on Morgan's shoulder, his long legs knotted gently in-between his lover's legs. He gently draped his arm over Morgan's stomach and sighed contentedly.

'D, I now it hasn't been that long but........'

Morgan started to run his hand absently up and own Tony's arm when he felt his lover tense slightly, the nerves were evident by the slight pause. He angled his head and looked down warily at his partner.

'It's just that......well........I love you D'

Morgan glanced down and kissed Tony's forehead tenderly. They had only know each other a short time but, both men knew they belonged together. He smiled when he pulled away.

I love you too Tony'

They both lay there, bodies entwined and hearts beating as one before sleep slowly claimed them'

****************NCIS****************

Here you go guys, another chapter finished. There isn't much of Tim and Jethro in this chapter but they will be back full force in the next.

To everyone who guessed our 'secret' little pairing then well done, give yourselves a pat on the back and an 'atta boy/girl' in true Gibbs style.

Alisa, as always thanks for you truly invaluable help, I seriously don't know where I'd be without you x

A/N â€" Just want to say another huge thank you to my girl Alisa for all her help and guidance with this story, she has been my rock with writing this.

I know for a fact Alisa would love to hear from you so if you would like to get in contact with her then her email address is:

neely alisa at yahoo .com (remove spaces and change 'at' to the to the symbol for it.)

Just to let you all know, this is sort of a continuation from the last chapter, just from Jethro and Timmy’s perspective. There is small warning for you all, this chapter has got some pretty bad language (including the ‘F’ word) so I’m going to apologise in advance for any offence taken. Who knew our Timmy had such a potty mouth lol.

Anyway enjoy

****************NCIS****************

4.30pm................................

Jethro sat back in the large, luxurious leather recliner and sighed heavily. It had been a month since the shooting and his shoulder had been steadily improving, the only problem was the tears to the muscles in his shoulder were taking too damn long to heal for his liking and the damn sling he had to wear to support the joint was just a bit inconvenience to him.

He reached back and pulled at the small tab sitting at the nape of his neck and smiled at the satisfying ripping sound of the Velcro as he undid the slings straps, he figured he wasn’t doing anything but relaxing with the TV on so he could get away with enjoying the freedom for a little while. He stretched his arm out and tried to rub away the soreness the movement caused, god he hated this. He hated the fact that some son of a bitch had kept him away from the job that he loved, but most of all he hated the fact that his seven and a half months pregnant partner had struggled between work and taking care of him. The stress had been immense and recently his Timmy had struggled with severe back pain and sciatica which was caused by the position the baby was sitting in, spine to spine with Tim, the pressure of the position trapping his sciatic nerve and the large bump pulling Tim’s back into an uncomfortable curve.

Jethro decided to ring Tim to see how he was doing but as soon as he grabbed the phone it started to ring. He chuckled and pressed the answer button expecting Tim at the other end.

‘Hey, I was just about to ring you. How’re you doing?’

‘I’m not sure why you would be ringing me Agent Gibbs unless you have already been informed of the issues surrounding your team’.

Jethro stiffened at the clipped tone of the director, he still had a couple of weeks left of sick leave and found the fact that his superior had called him strange to say the least.

‘Director Vance. Sorry, I thought you were McGee’.

The director huffed slightly and Jethro heard his leather office chair creak slightly as the director sat down to make himself comfortable.

‘Guessed as much. We’ve got a lot to discuss Gibbs but firstly do you want to tell me why David and McGee are making DiNozzo’s life hell at the moment?’

Gibbs sat up sharply and winched as his shoulder pulled painfully, he knew that whatever the director had to say was going to be bad and the thought started to piss him off.

‘What! Leon I’ve been on sick for the better part of a month, so how bout you tell me what’s going on with my team because as far as I was concerned everything was ok’.

Jethro started to think back to how Tim had been over the past few weeks but came up with nothing. Apart from his back issues at the moment and a little bit of tiredness, Tim seemed ok considering. He had even kept Jethro completely up to date with the case on a regular basis, but there was no mention of any tension within the team.

‘What apart from the fact that one of them is ready to give bir..........’

Jethro snarled at the comment, he thought the directors resolve had softened slightly after the shooting, Jesus how wrong could he be? He knew Vance was old school and hated the fact that the government had put contingency plans in place to give pregnant men the same rights as women but so far he had managed to keep his prejudice to himself.

‘He’s still got a month before he goes on paternity Vance and I seriously doubt that is really one of the issues. Unless of course you wanna go through our lawyers because if I remember rightly you can’t discriminate against Tim for being pregnant’.

‘Agent Gibbs, it is an issue when he being disrespectful of his team leader when he gets sent home because his back is causing him problems. Now, I wouldn’t expect anyone to treat their team leader in the manner by which both Agent McGee and Agent David has and refuse to let anyone use their pregnancy as an excuse. I wouldn’t tolerate it if he was a pregnant woman either Agent Gibbs, so let’s get this straight now, if his pregnancy continues cause him pain and he can’t do his job then I will put him on sick leave until his paternity starts’.

God this was not good, Jethro had no idea what his team had done to warrant a phone call from the director whilst he was on sick leave but it didn’t sound good, especially after the heated words the two men just shared.

‘You better fill me in Leon’.

He heard Leon sigh on the other end of the phone and sat back gingerly when his shoulder protested angrily, He felt his frustration start to rise at the silence of the other end of the phone and was about to snap at his superior when Vance started to talk.

‘The elevators been out of order today and McGee’s had to use the stairs which has caused him a certain amount of pain. We know his back has been bothering him and we have made allowances but today was particularly hard, hell Gibbs he couldn’t walk without wincing. He walked into a briefing clearly in pain and DiNozzo suggested he go home, but got a verbal assault for his concern. I won’t tolerate it Gibbs, especially not in front of the BAU’.

Jethro didn’t know what to say, it was so unlike his mild mannered Lover to verbally abuse someone, hell when the argued Tim was either too damn assertive or walked away. Jethro had to admit to being worried and knew the recent stress would factor in, even so, there was no way he was going to let Tim be so disrespectful. Vance paused for a second and continued.

‘Agent Hotchner came to see me to voice his concerns. Shit Jethro, he’s profiled you all and recent events have not painted NCIS in a good light’.

‘Cut the crap Leon! What exactly did Tim say to DiNozzo?’

‘He told him he would never fill your shoes and that it was bad enough he was trying to be you, the best comment was the one where DiNozzo didn’t have the right to send him home. He completely undermined DiNozzo’s authority in front of another agency Gibbs and I for one won’t stand for interagency relations being compromised by the personal feelings of my staff. You better talk to him Gibbs, if you don’t I will’.

Jethro sighed loudly and rubbed his eyes roughly. He couldn’t help wonder why Tim hadn’t gone to him if he was feeling frustrated with the way the team was being led.

‘I’ll talk to him, he might listen more if it comes from me. What about Ziva?’

Leon laughed bitterly, Ziva had been a moot point for him for years and he hated the fact that she had been taken on permanently by NCIS.

‘She’s being prickly and disrespectful; you know how she gets Gibbs. She needs to rein in the sly looks and her temper because she is making it difficult for anyone to work with her. I will suspend her if she carries on because it is completely unacceptable, especially if she keeps telling DiNozzo he isn’t you. She is aggressive at the best of times but recently.....recently she is being a pain in the ass’.

Jethro knew what he had to do and had his game plan already mapped out in his head.

‘I’ll talk to them Leon. Is Tim still at the office or did he leave already?’

‘From what I can make out the briefing ended at about three and he pretty much stormed out then, I presumed he’d go straight home’.

Jethro looked at the clock on the wall and frowned when he read the time, 17.15, it takes half hour to get home so where the hell was Tim?

‘Shit, look I’ll talk to them both ok, let me handle them for now. Listen, can you email me the profiles Agent Hotchner put together?’

‘I’ll send it right away. Just make sure you do deal with this Gibbs, because if you don’t then I sure as well will’.

The line went dead leaving Jethro sitting there holding the phone deep in thought. He had no idea things had got so bad at the office and wondered why the hell DiNozzo hadn’t come to him earlier. Truth be known, he knew deep down why but the fact that he knew his senior agent would be suffering silently with his defences being broken down brick by brick stung. He held down the speed dial button to Tim’s cell phone and listened to it ring a few times before going straight to voice mail.

‘This is Special Agent Timothy McGee, I’m sorry I can’t take your call right now but please leave a message and I’ll contact you as soon as possible’

Jethro waited patiently for the beep.

‘Damn it Tim where the hell are you? Ring me back ok, I need to know you’re alright’

He hung up and threw the phone down on the sofa with frustration, if Tim had left at three then where the hell was he? He felt a cold nose nudge his hand and looked down at the sullen furry face of his namesake.

‘What’s the matter boy, you wanna go out?’

Jethro watched as the Alsatian jumped up and ran to the French doors, waiting patiently for his master to let him out. Jethro opened the doors and watched silently as their dog ran around the back yard happily. He didn’t know how long he had been standing there for but was pulled out of his thoughts by the front door slamming; he turned slowly and watched as his heavily pregnant partner slowly made his way into the living room.

****************NCIS****************

5.30pm â€" Present time

‘Where the hell have you been McGee?’

Tim had been deep in thought and felt dog tired, his back hurt like hell and all he wanted to do was have a hot shower to try to ease his discomfort. He had spent the better part of two and a half hours just driving around to try to clear his head and had no intention of getting into an argument with Jethro.

‘I’ve been at work J, I’m gonna go for a shower’.

Jethro moved forward and grabbed Tim’s arm roughly to stop him climbing the stairs, he wanted to know what the hell was going on and demanded answers now.

‘Oh is that a fact Agent McGee, you wanna try that again’.

Tim seemed to shrink slightly at the words and whirled round to face his thoroughly pissed off lover, the movement sending shooting pains through his lower back and down his left leg as though someone had decided to prod at him with red hot pokers. He reached out and grabbed Jethro’s limp arm for balance, his face contorted with pain.

‘Arghhh, damn it J, what the hell is with the Agent McGee?’

Jethro pulled him arm away sharply and pointed at Tim.

‘I’ve had a call from the director and I’ve gotta tell you, I’m really pissed with the way you and Ziva are treating DiNozzo. I also happen to know you left the office at three and it only takes a half hour to get home, so you wanna tell me what your problem is and where the hell you have been’.

Tim started to move towards the large couch but found himself blocked by his lover.

‘I needed to clear my head ok! Now get the fuck out of the way and let me sit down because my back is killing me’.

‘No!’

Tim looked up and gritted his teeth, he hated arguing with Jethro and at any other time he would be able to bite his tongue or walk away, now? Well now was different, he was in pain, his son was using his internal organs for target practice and he was hormonal...........damn, this was going to get ugly.

‘Ok, you wanna know what’s going on. For the past three weeks I have had to put up with DiNozzo trying to fill your shoes once again, shit J, he’s even got the glare going on. To top it off every morning we have to endure a ‘campfire’ and then he has the fucking nerve to send me home this afternoon. You have no idea what it has been like the past few months knowing I’ve been on shaky ground with the director anyway. I’ve managed to keep my head down and do my job but Tony sending me home just proves him right doesn’t it’.

Jethro stepped aside and let Tim sit down carefully on the couch, he watched as his lover grasped the bottom of his back and grunt painfully when he lowered himself slowly down. His anger abated slightly and he moved to kneel in front of Tim.

‘Timmy it doesn’t give you the right to disrespect him like that, he’s the team leader and I expect him to be treated with the same level of respect as me’

Tim’s eyes flew up to meet Jethro’s crystal blue ones.

‘Doesn’t give me the righ............you have no idea do you boss. Him sending me home has just proved exactly what everyone has been thinking recently and has given that smug bastard Vance a weapon to use. Don’t you get it Gibbs, everyone thinks the good little pregnant male lover of the boss can’t do his job properly because of his condition but now..........crap’.

Tim swiped harshly at the tears that were threatening to fall; he didn’t want to cry but the hormones pretty much made it inevitable at the moment. He leaned back against the back of the couch and felt Jethro grasp his hand to pull him forward into a hug. Tim’s anger boiled again and he pulled away to sharply, his back protested the movement making him gasp painfully.

‘Nnng, No J, you don’t get to do that right now. I’ve had a shitty day and I come home to this. What the fuck do you want from me right now? You know what, don’t answer that, just.............just leave me alone’

Jethro pulled his hands away and stood up hovering menacingly over Tim.

‘What do I want you to do Tim? I want you to start taking better care of yourself, what you fail to realise is that if I was there I would have sent your sorry ass home too and yes, that means I am in full support of DiNozzo’s actions’

Jethro turned and stormed towards the stairs but stopped and turned, his eyes glinting with the anger he had managed to curb earlier.

‘Oh and for the record Agent McGee, I expect Special Agent DiNozzo to be treated with the same kind of respect you give me, do I make myself clear’

He watched as Tim struggled to his feet and turned slowly, his face contorted with more than just physical pain. He refused to let his defences drop this time, Tim was out of line and needed to be told.

‘Crystal boss, seeing as that’s how were gonna play it I’ll get out of your house’

Tim walked towards the sideboard near the front door and grabbed his car keys, Jethro watched as a deep sob escaped his lover and moved to stand in front of the door.

‘Don’t be so god damn childish Tim, and what the fuck! Your house, if I remember rightly your name is on the deeds as well so it’s our house’

His finger was pointing directly in Tim’s tear stained face, he notice how Tim didn’t make eye contact but looked blankly at something in his hand, he followed Tim’s gaze down and saw the wedding band Tim usually wore glinting in his palm.

‘And you can put that back on too. You know what Tim, I haven’t got the energy to deal with this right now but you’re not leaving this house. When you have grown up slightly and pulled your head out of your ass, then we’ll discuss this like adults’.

Tim replaced the band and threw his keys against the wall.

‘Fine Jethro, if that’s what you want’

Tim turned, the fight had gone completely out of him and had left him feeling both physically and emotionally drained by the whole thing. He just wanted to curl up alone and sleep, he wanted to forget the pain he was feeling but most worryingly he just didn’t want to do this anymore.

Tim took his jacket off and loosened his tie, luckily he had found a website that catered for pregnant men and he had been able to pick up a couple of suits and shirts to wear for work, the only problem he had was the fact that he had to wear his shirts un tucked, other than that, he looked quite smart. He debated going upstairs to change into his sweats and t shirt but decided against it and sat down carefully on the couch. It didn’t take long for the tears to flow freely as he sat there weeping uncontrollably, totally unable to curl into himself because of the huge bump in front of him.

Jethro stood at the foot of the stairs, he was torn between comforting his lover and just walking away knowing if he comforted Tim, his message would be lost. He made the decision and turned to walk upstairs intending to leave Tim to think about everything that had transpired during the course of the day and to make another phone call he knew would be difficult.

****************NCIS****************

Gibbs took out his phone and scrolled through his phonebook, he was still angry from his conversation with Tim but knew it was a call that just couldn’t wait.

‘Hello’.

Gibbs sighed heavily at the clipped tone; it was all he could do to keep his anger in check.

‘Ziva its Gibbs. We need to talk about a conversation I had with the director’

‘And what exactly did the director have to say?’

Jesus, her attitude stunk, add that to the worst argument he had ever had with Tim and you could bet your bottom dollar his anger was going to overflow.

‘Quit the attitude now Agent David, DiNozzo might let it go but I certainly won’t. I just wanted to let you know that if you carry on baiting him the way I know damn well you are doing then I will place you on suspension and will have to seriously rethink your position on the team, do you understand’

‘I wasn’t aware that there was anything wrong with my attitude but yes I understand Gibbs’

Gibbs sucked in another breath and tried to calm his rage, he was thankful Ziva wasn’t in front of him because he could rip her head off right about now.

‘If you understand then you must be aware there’s an issue Ziva, knock it on the head now. DiNozzo is in charge of the team and if you have an issue with it then take it up with the director, until then, you will do whatever Tony tells you to, if he wants coffee, you fetch, if he wants you to work on the case then you do so without argument. If I hear you are still giving him dirty looks then you’re out on your ass, got it?’

He heard Ziva swear loudly in Hebrew.

‘Fine but I would like it on record that I don’t think Tony is suited to lead the team and think it was a mistake to make him temporary team leader’

Jethro had heard enough and decided to cut the conversation short.

‘Fine Agent David, write it up and hand it to the director, in the meantime if you ever undermine your superiors again then you will find yourself unemployed. Trust me when I say this Agent David, Your actions have not put us in a good light with the BAU and NCIS is currently a laughing stock. You are not off the hook and I will be going through disciplinary procedures when I return to work’

He slammed the phone shut and moved towards the bathroom, god he wanted a shower but knew how badly Tim was hurting right now so started to run hot water into their large tub. Once it was filled he turned the bath taps off and made his way downstairs to Tim. He knew how upset Tim had got and didn’t want to leave him stewing for too long.

He walked quietly into the living room and panicked slightly when he didn’t see Timmy sitting where he had left him; he glanced towards the door and noticed the tossed keys still lying on the floor and it took a moment for him to hear the low snuffle coming from the sofa. He moved his way round cringing when he saw Tim curled up asleep, his face red and puffy with crying. He knelt down in front of his lover again and gently placed his hand on Tim’s shoulder to shake him awake.

‘Timmy, come on wake up, sleeping down here has got to be hurting your back’.

Tim woke up groggily and rubbed his hand over his still moist cheeks, it looked as though he had cried himself to sleep and his eyes were still glassy and damp from the excessive tears.

‘What..........J? Oh god J, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry’.

Jethro leaned down and kissed Tim gently on the forehead before running his hand through the sandy hair.

‘It’s ok Timmy, were done arguing. Just do me a favour and apologise to DiNozzo ok, he’s your friend and deserves that much’.

Tim nodded and held out his hand for help, it had been a while since he had been able to hoist himself off the couch without help and was grateful when Jethro took his hand.

‘Where’s your sling J, you should be wearing it’.

Jethro chuckled slightly and pointed to the coffee table in the middle of the room.

‘Thought I’d take it off for a while, come on I’ve ran you a bath to help with your back’

Jethro pulled Tim up and frowned deeply at the strangled cry of pain that escaped Tim. He had no idea his lovers back had been this bad, he moved in and wrapped his arms around Tim and supported him through the worst of the painful spasm.

‘Think you can stand?’

Tim nodded and stood gingerly.

‘Don’t think I should have fallen asleep on the couch, my backs completely seized.....omph’

‘What’s the matter Tim?’

Tim smiled ruefully and gripped onto Jethro’s arm fiercly.

‘Your son doesn’t like us arguing very much, he’s decided that using my spine as a mattress isn’t good enough so he’s using my ribs as a football. It doesn’t hurt, it’s just uncomfortable and takes me by surprise’.

Jethro chuckled and helped Tim climb the stairs to the bathroom. It wasn’t long before he had Tim relaxing in the hot bath.

‘Tim I don’t like you’re back hurting so much so I’m gonna call Duck to come check you out Ok’

Tim had let his eyes drift shut and was nearly asleep when Jethro’s voice rang through the bathroom. He nodded gently and let the hot water ease his aches and pains.

‘Ok. J, can you let Tony know I won’t be in tomorrow’

Jethro chuckled and rubbed the bump that was poking through the water fondly.

‘Sure Timmy, I’ll let him know’

Jethro walked into the bedroom and Tim could soon hear him talking quietly to Ducky, if the truth be told, this was one part of pregnancy that was really starting to get him down and with only a month and a half to go, he couldn’t wait for the birth.

He relaxed further and soon fell asleep with the hot water lapping around him, it had been a rough day, but he knew he could always rely on Jethro to take care of him in the end.

TBC



****************NCIS****************
Hey guys, well here it is, another chapter written, I hope you all enjoyed and please hit that little button below to let us know what you think because your reviews really do make our day.

Thanks guys

Shelbylou and Alisa x

A/N Hi guys, I just want to apologise for the long wait but real life seriously got in the way (Unfortunately I work full time and this week has been a bit hectic). Anyway, I've finally pulled my finger out of my arse and have managed to get some writing in so I hope you all enjoy.

As always, A big thank you to Alisa, Girl you have been my rock throughout this story and have provided a lot of insight and direction.

I know for a fact Alisa would love to hear from you so if you would like to get in contact with her then her email address is:

neely alisa at yahoo .com (remove spaces and change 'at' to the to the symbol for it.)

Ok guys, It's another continuation because there is just too much for one chapter!

****************NCIS****************

Tim relaxed in the large bath and let the hot water soothe his aching back and leg. He was at the stage of his pregnancy now, that was just becoming damn painful and he found himself desperately wanting his due date to arrive quickly. He'd loved everything else about being pregnant even down to the little foot in his ribs, but the back pain? That was something he was struggling with.

He let his eyes close and listened carefully to Jethro's voice rumble gently through the bedroom, the sound was low enough to hear, but not loud enough to make out the words. Tim sighed and dropped his head back against the cool surface of the tub. He lay there remembering the events of the day and sighed, the argument was still fresh in his mind and he started to feel his eyes prickle once again as the tears started to stream silently down his face.

Jethro walked back into the bathroom and looked over towards his lover frowning deeply, as Tim lay there rubbing his bump lovingly. It wasn't Tim's gentle caresses that made him frown, it was the tears that silently streaked down his face. He made his way over and perched on the side of the bath and ran his rough calloused hand down Tim's face, stopping briefly to rub his thumb over his lovers hot cheek.

'Ok Duck............yeah that's fine, the doors open.............I will, see you soon'.

He hung up the phone and knelt down at the side of the bath. Tim turned towards him and smiled ruefully with a puffy face.

'Hey J'.

Jethro's heart melted at the raw pain in his lover's eyes, he wanted nothing more than to take it away but knew the argument had affected him deeply and it would take time for Tim to calm down. He reached over and swiped away another tear as it started to roll down his lover's cheek.

'Right back at ya. Aw come on Timmy, don't cry. You ok?'

Tim nodded and sat up slowly, wincing at the sharp pull in his back as the change in position aggravated his already throbbing back. Jethro stood and wrapped his arms around Tim's shoulders to support him.

'Easy, come on let's get you out. Duck said you shouldn't stay in long anyways'.

Tim soon found himself being helped out of the Tub but was unprepared for the screaming pain that ripped through his lower back. He tried to bite back his agonised cries, but found it difficult when he twisted to step out and let out a strangled cry startling Jethro into holding Tim closer until the spasm was over. Jethro was used to Tim wincing as the pull in his back twinged from time to time, but the all out cries of agony tore through his heart.

'Slowly Timmy. That's it, come on let get you dried off and in bed ok?'

Tim was standing on the large bath mat at the side of the bath and was clinging onto to Jethro with all his might, the pain was relentless and he wanted nothing more than to slip into bed and try to sleep the day away. He closed his eyes and rested his forehead on Jethro's shoulder as his lover dried him gently with the large bath towel.

'J, I need my sweats if Ducky's coming over'

Jethro chuckled and supported Tim to the bedroom.

'I don't think you'll be needing them, Duck wants to do a full check because he's worried'

Tim groaned loudly and gingerly sat on the bed holding his back. He let Jethro help him lay down on his side, the full body pillow that had become necessity pushed firmly between his legs.

'Define full check J'

Jethro chuckled and moved over to pull the lube out of the drawer in the bedside cabinet.

'I told him how bad your back was, he wants to make sure you're not in labour so I guess he'll be needing this'

Jethro had been too busy teasing Tim that he hadn't noticed the door to the bedroom open revealing a soggy, bedraggled Ducky.

'Ah, there you both are. The weather has taken a turn for the worse I'm afraid. Jethro, Timothy, I heard Jethro in the back yard and let him in. Unfortunately he's a little bit wet so I left him in the kitchen'

Tim looked over to Jethro and frowned, he had been so caught up in the argument and his own thoughts he hadn't even given his faithful Alsatian a thought.

'J?'

Jethro reached down and pushed Tim's hair back off his forehead.

'It's ok Timmy, I let him out just before you got in and totally forgot he was out there. I'll go down and try to dry him off some while Duck see to you'

He stood up and made his way out of the bedroom to give Duck the chance to examine Tim and hopefully talk to him about what has been going on at the office, if anything, Duck was perfect for that and Jethro knew his Timmy was in good hands.

'Ok Timothy, shall we?'

Timothy felt the light sheet being pulled back and hissed with pain when ducky probed his sore back.

'Oh dear Timothy, I'm afraid you'll be off work for the foreseeable future my dear boy. How long has it been this bad?'

Tim sighed and rubbed his bump unconsciously, the action had become so normal to him recently he didn't realised he was doing it.

'Just today ducky, but it's been getting worse over the past couple of weeks'

Ducky nodded and reached over to his bag to grab some gloves out.

'Timothy, I need to check........'

'It's ok Ducky, just..........just.......let's get it over with'

Ducky chuckled slightly and squirted lubricant on his finger before pulling back the sheet further to reveal Tim's naked body.

'Timothy, would you like Jethro present for this?'

Tim nodded slightly. He had hated the dreaded internal exams that accompanied every Doctors visit, but always found them slightly easier somehow when Jethro accompanied him. He was surprised by the deep, soft voice that seemed to float gently over towards the bed.

'I'm here duck, where do you want me?'

Ducky turned his head slightly towards the door, and gestured for Jethro to sit in front of Tim and hold his hand.

'Just comfort Timothy Jethro; this is going to be uncomfortable'.

Jethro sat down on the edge of the bed and laced his fingers through Tim's, his other hand rubbed gentle circles over his lover's temples to try to ease some of the suffering. He smiled slightly at the look of pure horror on Tim's face when Ducky parted Tim's cheeks and pushed his finger gently inside to start the internal exam. The smile wasn't of amusement; it was the smile Jethro had taken on to comfort Tim when things got too much and always noticed Timmy's demeanour change slightly for the better when he saw it.

Tim relaxed completely when Ducky withdrew his finger and sighed, he was starting to feel tired and hoped Ducky would be able to give him something more than Tylenol for his aching back.

'Well my dear boy, the good news is you are not in labour. The bad news, well I'm sure you already know that Timothy. Unfortunately, a man's body has evolved enough to allow natural birth but hasn't evolved enough to take the strain of carrying the excess weight. A woman body is slightly more malleable and is designed to carry children where as............'

'Duck! Can ya give him anything for the pain?'

Tim looked up gratefully at his lover and smiled; he had heard that speech a thousand times over the past few months and was glad he wouldn't have to endure it again.

'Ah, yes of course Jethro. Timothy, I can give you a muscle relaxant called Flexeril, it is a category B medication so is perfectly safe to use. Unfortunately, I can't prescribe anything stronger than Tylenol'

Ducky pulled out a syringe and swiftly injected the muscle relaxant, Tim's face scrunched slightly as the needle punctured his pale skin. Ducky and Jethro helped Tim sit up slightly to take the pain killers and Tim leaned into Jethro as his lover ran gentle circles over the spasming muscles in his tight back. It wasn't long before Jethro felt his lover practically melt into him and recognised the soft, regular breaths.

Ducky reached up to take Tim's pulse and laughed softly before pulling a glucometer out of his bag and hoped his young patient wouldn't wake up. He decided to be quick and swiftly pricked Tim's finger so he could place a drop of blood on small test strip.

Ducky winced slightly as the lancet clicked, he was expecting some kind of response but Tim stayed dead to the world and Ducky couldn't help but think that it was a pretty firm testament to Tim's exhaustion, because even with the medication he would have normally have woken up to the sharp prick in his finger. Ducky seemed pleased with the results smiled reassuringly at a worried looking Jethro.

'He's asleep Jethro, don't worry. Muscle relaxants tend to have that affect. He's been exhausted recently as well so how about we let him sleep'.

Jethro nodded slightly and turned his attention back to Tim while Ducky packed his stuff away. Jethro waited for his old friend to leave and gently pulled Tim back onto the full body pillow so he'd sleep in a more comfortable position before kissing him softly on the forehead and following his friend downstairs.

****************NCIS****************

Ducky sat opposite Jethro in the living room, he had a feeling there was something playing on his friends mind and decided to stay behind to try to make Jethro talk. He picked up the large cup of Earl Grey tea and drank quietly. He glanced up to see Jethro sitting on the large couch, somehow he had conceded and now had a lapful of Tim's dogs head as the large Alsatian stretched across the other two seats.

'Hey Duck. Tim and the baby really ok?'

Ducky sighed and wearily placed the cup in the small saucer he held. He remembered being extremely grateful when young Timothy bought the four small bone china tea cups and saucers for him to use when he visited, he really didn't like mugs very much.

'I won't lie to you Jethro, I'm going to be signing him off work, he probably won't return until his paternity leave is over'.

Jethro raised his eyebrow at Duck and cocked his head to the side, he had no idea Tim's health had taken such a drastic spiral downhill, and realised at that very moment, that he had paid less attention to the his lover over the past few month.

'Shit, Duck I didn't.......I've been too wrapped up in getting better to realise'.

'And Timothy wouldn't have it any other way Jethro. That's the problem you see, he's been so focussed on getting you better he didn't exactly take care of himself the way he should have done. For a start, he said his back has been getting bad for a fortnight or so, why didn't he come to me because I could at least have made him more comfortable'.

Jethro leaned back on the large couch and exhaled loudly, he was annoyed because of Tim's stupidity and wanted to go talk to him to find out why the hell he took his own health so lightly. Add that to Tim's behaviour towards Tony, hell that was going to be one long conversation.

'Duck, what exactly is the diagnosis here? I need to know, because I'd rather know what the hell to look out for'.

Ducky had just finished off his tea and stood to take his cup into the kitchen for a refill. He soon returned with a full cup and the jug from the coffee maker for Jethro.

Jethro glance up at his old friend bringing the refills and felt a sharp pang of worry. He took the jug and filled his own mug.

'Damn this can't be good if Duck's bringing out the full jug'

He sighed as the thought crossed his mind and sat back quietly in anticipation of Ducky's diagnosis.

'His back is extremely painful at the moment Jethro, you know what the cause of that is and unfortunately I can't do anything but treat the symptoms. He is currently twenty nine weeks pregnant and though the survival rate of a foetus this young is currently ninety percent, I would feel much happier with him carrying that child to term. Honestly? With all the stress he has been under these past few weeks, I'll admit to being pleasantly surprised that he hasn't actually gone into premature labour'.

Jethro nodded, he felt numb and looked up towards his dear old friend.

'Jethro, I don't want that boy moving out of bed for a few days, he needs to rest his back. Unfortunately that extends to using the bathroom. I'll be honest Jethro, he's made his back worse by not resting when needed and now the only thing we can do is treat the pain as best we can'.

Jethro sucked in a sharp breath and gazed at his old friend, he knew Tim would refuse point blank to use a bedpan and the embarrassment would kill him, even in front of his lover.

'He's not going to agree to that duck'

Ducky shook his head and removed his glasses so he could clean them on his handkerchief.

'I know Jethro, but if he is to give birth naturally, then he needs to help himself by resting now. The baby will change position soon enough which will provide a certain amount of relief but then we have the problem of the baby engaging. Once he engages the pressure in Tim's pelvis will cause him problems though it's a short term pain seeing as birth follows shortly after. I can make another suggestion though'.

Jethro looked over at his friend expectantly; he would do anything to ease his lover's pain.

'Massage my friend. Back rubs will help keep the muscles relaxed and loose, but don't use any scented oils because the majority of them are harmful to people with child'.

Jethro laughed loudly as he stood up and walked over to clap Ducky on the back.

'That I can do duck. Listen, I need to talk to you about what's going on at work. I hear DiNozzo's having a rough time of it recently'.

Ducky really wasn't surprised, at least he would have been if it had been anyone else but Leroy Jethro Gibbs. Sometimes he thought the man was psychic though his rational mind told him otherwise. Jethro walked back to the couch and sat down heavily.

'You know Jethro? No, I don't want to know how you found out whilst you are supposed to be on sick leave. But seeing as you already seem appraised on the situation, I will tell you what I know. Anthony came down to see me this afternoon after his little altercations with Timothy and Ziva'.

Ducky felt a wet nose nuzzle his hand and looked down to see Jethro nudging at his hand for some attention; he started to stroke the silky fur before continuing.

'I'm worried Jethro, Anthony's blood pressure is through the roof and I'm afraid his team mates are not making it any easier, he feels undermined in front of the BAU and the case is starting to get on top of him. Now he has assured me he will find time to try to relax, but feels that both Tim and Ziva hate him right now'.

Jethro had stood up mid way through Ducky's explanation and started to pace in front of the fireplace. He looked over at his friend and sighed heavily before sitting down, knowing full well that Ducky wouldn't continue with him pacing the way he was.

'Duck, Tim's in pain and by what you have been telling me he has been for weeks. I don't doubt it's one of the reasons for him snapping, but Ziva? I can't work that one out'.

Ducky watched his friend stand and walk towards the window, it was a clear night and the moon cast an eerie pale blue glow over the back yard.

'I don't know Jethro, though I have my suspicions. My first thought would be jealously, our young little Probationary agent likes to be in control and she finds it difficult to adjust to the lack of authority she had with the Mossad. It's no excuse Jethro and young Anthony has done very well with both the case and inter departmental relations in your absence'.

Jethro rubbed his hands over his face, god he felt exhausted and the news that both his partner and his probie had been causing Tony problems tore him in two, he stood wondering what the hell happened to his team and looked over at Ducky.

'Tony tell you exactly what happened?'

Ducky shook his head.

'No, he's too loyal for that. Sometimes I wonder about him Jethro, because he will do anything for his friends and when they hurt him, he just suffers in silence. Ach, would you look at the time. Jethro let Timothy sleep for a couple of hours and then wake him up to eat something, preferably something sweet. His blood sugar was slightly low an hour ago, but not enough to cause any concern'

Ducky stood and walked over to the coat rack beside the front door, out of habit he always made sure he took off not only his trilby hat and coat, but his shoes as well. He slipped his feet into the loafers and grabbed his coat and hat.

'Hey Duck, thanks'

Ducky smiled and donned his hat. The weather wasn't quite cold yet, but the nights had been getting steadily cooler as the summer swiftly changed to fall.

'you are very welcome Jethro, now I know you need to talk to Timothy about his behaviour but for now go easy on him because he has been quite civil up until today. I'll be talking to the director tomorrow and will fill out all the appropriate paperwork though I think the director may want to see him at one point'

Jethro opened the door and handed Ducky his bag, his curiosity was starting to peak and despite the late hour, he wanted to check his emails to see whether or not the Director had forwarded the profiles.

'Goodnight Jethro, try to get some sleep yourself my dear friend, you really should take the opportunity now because once that little one arrives............'.

Jethro chuckled and assured Ducky he would rest, he closed the door and walked up to the bedroom to check on Tim.

He wasn't surprised Tim was still asleep and grabbed his laptop off the dressing table, it had become a permanent fixture in the bedroom during his recover and he was thankful that Tim had the good sense to hook up a wireless network a week after he moved in.

He bent down and kissed Tim's forehead, it was cool so he unfolded the blanket that draped over the end of the bed and wrapped it around his lover's shoulders so Tim didn't get too cold. He walked down the stairs and sat down on the sofa with the laptop balancing on his knee, he logged on and noticed the file from the director, there was no message to with the attachment so he opened them up and sat back to read the profiles.

****************NCIS****************

A month and a half ago.................

'No Director, it's not good enough. You can't just come in here,and tell me my team are playing babysitter to the FBI'

Jethro watched as the toothpick bobbed from one side of the director'smouth to the other, the motion seemed to do nothing but piss him off even further and he found himself clenching his hands into fists to stop him punching that toothpick so far down his throat he'd be shitting splinters for a week. Vance's eyes narrowed slightly before he decided to take complete control of the situation.

'Special Agent Gibbs, last time I looked I was the Director of NCIS and if I say you are going to support the BAU team on the case they are working on then you will support them to the best of your abilities'.

Jethro caught Tony and Tim move towards their desks, there was miniscule sense of amusement when Tim tried to sidestep the showdown only to brush the directors side with his expanding bump, he looked up and saw a sea of unfamiliar faces but noticed a different look on his lover's face, recognition. Shit, he'd forgotten the fact that Tim had worked with these guys before. With a resigned sigh he clenched his teeth and growled out his reply.

'Yes sir'

He knew the words dripped with venom but at that precise point in time Jethro really didn't give a flying fuck, all he wanted to do was get out of there before he actually managed to get himself fired or worse, locked up for assaulting that smarmy son of a bitch director. Jethro turned and grabbed the coffee that he saw Tony drop on his desk and stormed off towards the elevator. He had no idea where he was going, but his gut was telling him to go somewhere quiet because there was one phone call he had to make at this point in the game.

Jethro walked out of the building and made his way over to the river, it was warm and sunny which helped when Jethro sat down on one of the benches that ran along the banks and pulled out his phone to dial his old friends number.

'Fornell'

Gibbs took a long swig of his coffee and crossed one leg over the other so he could rest his hand holding the coffee on his knee.

'Tobias, it's Gibbs.I need you to give me some intel on one your teams'

Jethro heard Fornell sigh on the other end and smiled slightly, it was a well known fact that the two men didn't really get on, of course it was all fabricated because they had been firm friends for a number of years.

'What do ya need Jethro'

'Try to sound a little bit more enthusiastic next time Tobias. We've just had the BAU sicced on us, I want to know what we're working with here because I don't want to have to worry about working with people I don't know'

Jethro laughed at the cursing on the other end of the line, Fornell was a good guy but Jethro knew he had to be rubbing him up the wrong way with his questions.

'Shit Jethro, we're in the middle of a case and you ring me for this? They're good people and their profiling has got me out of the crap on more than one occasion'.

Jethro slugged back the last of the his coffee,and watched as one of the small maintenance boats chugged across the water towards one of the ships docked there. He loved sitting here watching the world slowly pass by,but couldn't help the feeling of loss because his Timmy wasn't there.

'I need specifics; you'd do the same if I stuck you with NCIS agents for the foreseeable future'

Fornell huffed slightly before answering.

'Ok, Jethro I'm going to give you the short version so listen up. SSA Aaron Hotchner is the unit chief and a damn fine profiler. He's known to be a stuck up bastard but he gets the job done and is always thorough. He lost his wife recently and left SSA Derek Morgan in charge of the team for a while,whilst he took some time off to get his head together. Jethro it would be easier to send you their damn files'

Jethro sat there watching the crew of the maintenance boat board the ship and sighed loudly.

'Tobias I've got a briefing soon and want to be prepared so we're going to have to do it this way for now. I'll still want those files later'

'Ok, well let's see, Derek Morgan. He took over theteam in Hotch's absence and I've gotta say Jethro, the boy did well. He managed to lead the team through cases and got them solved no problems. He is confident and assertive which is one of the qualities that his team respect so much. Hell, he pinpointed my man in a case last year and actually diffused a bomb too, saved a lot of people'.

Jethro was silent as he sat there, he decided to head over to the coffee shop for another coffee. He stood carefully and threw the empty carton in the trash. There was one member he had been interested in.

'What about that young guy...er...Reid'

'Dr Spencer Reid. Shit the kids a damn genius. He graduated high school at twelve and had a few doctorates by the time he was nineteen. You know, he worked a case for three weeks with us and in that time he read 10 books, I swear I've never seen anything like it. He got a good memory too, not photographic......damn it begins with an E'

Gibbs smiled and for once knew exactly what his friend was trying to say, hell if truth be known, Tim had exactly the same kind of memory too.

'Eidetic Tobias'

'Yeah that's the one. He's damn brilliant but a bit timid for my liking. Anyway, Prentiss. She's ok and is close to Morgan. Strauss bought her in originally to try to bump Hotch from the team, but she refused and quit. I remember having a conversation with her about politics and she's a girl after your own heart Jethro, she hates them. Something to do with her mother being an Ambassador in the Ukraine'.

Jethro chuckled softly and knew he was going to like this girl, loyal with a hatred of red tape and the political bullshit that flew around, he'd like to talk to that one.

'That leaves SSA Jareau Tobias'

He heard his friend laugh at the end of the phone.

'No, that leaves JJ and Garcia. JJ is the media liason and from what I can make out she chooses the cases the team works on as well as liases with other FBI divisions and police departments. She's a good girl Jethro and is extremely close to Reid. To be honest she's probably the person who chose the case you're now on and spoke to the director about your co-operation. Finally, Garcia. You can't help but love her Jethro, she's a real character. Garcia is the technical analyst and very rarely leaves Quantico. Don't get McGee in a room with her, because they'll be there forever more. She's damn quirky too, last time I spoke to her she called me sweet cheeks. Oh and she's best friends with Morgan'

Jethro had decided against another coffee when he realised what time it was and started to walk back to NCIS headquarters, the briefing was due to start soon and he didn't want to be late.

'Thanks Tobias, I appreciate it. Listen give Emily a hug from me and McGee ok'

He showed his pass to the security at the door and walked into the building.

'Sure thing Jethro, Hey, how's McGee doing?'

'He's good. Vance has him on desk duty though, mainly because he's got an impressive bump going on. Apart from that everything's looking good. I can't wait for the baby but we've gotta lot of work to do'

Fornell howled with laughter on the other end before replying.

'I hear ya, you'll never be ready though you know that right?'

Fornell broke off suddenly and Jethro heard the muffled 'yeah ok' on the other end.

'Listen I've got to go, I've been summoned by the big boss. I'll come by later with the files ok'

'Yeah, no problem and Thanks, I appreciate your help'

Jethro waited for the obligatory goodbye and snapped his phone shut feeling better now he had some intel on the FBI team he would now be working with temporarily.

****************NCIS****************

Present time..........

Jethro sat back on the couch and sighed heavily at the files on screen, he had never been one for computers and preferred reading a good old fashioned piece of paper. He clicked print and waited for the team profiles to start spitting out on the wireless printer Tim insisted on buying. He smiled at the memory and had to admit Tim's argument of 'J, you have no idea where to plug the printer wire in, all you do is click the print button and it'll come off where ever you are in the house', had him sold on the sleek modern device.

He put the laptop on the coffee table and walked over to the printer to collect the paper and grab the other coffee pot that Ducky had the good sense to slip under the machine. He knew it was going to be a long night so decided to settle in the recliner by the window and pulled the lever for the foot plate. He picked up his mug and started to read:

Name: Ziva David

Position: Probationary Agent

Age: 30

- Lacks social skills though seems organised and strategic in her approach.

- Finds it difficult to adjust to her lower position at NCIS and seems to have some authority issues.

- Seems insulted to a degree at having her 'partner' lead the team and has so far shown no respect to his position so continues to undermine his authority.

- Her aggressive behaviour is a concern; she seems to assert herself through violence and scathing remarks that leaves the victims feeling inadequate and frightened.

- She is detached and doesn't seem to be aware of her teams feelings.

- Show's classic signs of narcissism.

In summary, Ziva David doesn't trust or respect her team and has shown nothing but contempt for Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo. She seems to thrive on being able to undermine people's authority which strains the team dynamics even more than it is already.

Her strength is in her work, it is meticulous though I feel the negatives may seriously out weight this in the long run. Her detachment and emotionless stance is a good asset to have with both unsub's and victims though this carries through completely to her daily working relationships and makes it difficult for other people to relate to her.

Her strategic abilities and organisation are a great strength when it comes to her work at NCIS but can make her seem manipulative at times when in the office with colleagues. She isn't aware of how uncomfortable she can make the people around her which in my opinion makes her a very dangerous and volatile person.

'Ah Ziva. What the fuck is going on with you?'

Jethro felt himself shrinking further into the recliner at the piss poor profile the probie of the team had received. If he were to be honest, some of the behaviours rang true but all in all the report was damning and he knew there was a hell of a lot of troubleshooting that would be needed to pull her out of the stinking, large hole she had dug herself into.

Jethro re-read the profile and sighed heavily, he had never known Ziva to act the way she seemed to have done recently and he struggled to get his head around the fact that she was being so volatile at the moment. His memory hovered on the evening Tony and Ziva had announced their relationship, hell he knew they weren't together anymore and it had been a shock to discover Tony was gay but there was really no reason at all for the level of animosity he knew about.

He pulled off the sheet off the top of the pile and pushed it to the back so he could read Tony's profile.

Name: Anthony DiNozzo

Position: Senior Field Agent

Age: 42

Uses humour as a means of escape.

- Acts like the office 'clown' and tries to bait his colleagues.

- Seems to take situations lightly though does show some respect and reverence when needed.

- Thorough in his work though does tend to work deadlines to the death and can be sloppy in the delivery when doing paperwork.

- Has good relationships with most of the team but recent events have put a huge strain on them.

- Likes to let his subordinates know what their position in the team is and uses nicknames to bait them.

- Has developed 'Gibbs' like qualities in his role as temporary team leader, he tends to take on traits of his manager that antagonises the team.

In summary, Anthony DiNozzo is a valuable member of the team and despite his recent problems whilst being team leader, he has shown himself in a different light all together.

He has tendencies to act like the court jester though I feel they are a mask to hide his true feelings and despite having his subordinates undermine his authority, he has managed to keep that mask firmly in place and the work he has done on the case has been excellent. He has a certain flair with interrogation and questioning and shows empathy when needed.

Jethro snorted, how could someone bullet all the bad points and then look at his strengths in the summary. Sure Tony could be a cocky son of a bitch at times but all in all he was a damn good agent. He had the feeling that there was going to be a hell of a lot of damage control to be done, especially seeing as these profiles had been emailed to him by Vance.

He put Tony's profile to the back of the pile and looked over the next one, his interest peaked when he saw it was Tim's.

Name: Timothy McGee

Position: Special Agent

Age: 33

- Analytical and methodical in his approach.

- Struggles with assertiveness and has a tendency to be nervous.

- He is seen to be the 'baby' of the team and can sometimes be seen to be being protected by his other team members.

- Seems to harbour a lot of pent up frustrations though this is no doubt linked to his current condition and the limitation that it has placed on him in the office.

- Can be highly strung at times and whilst he seems mild mannered can snap easily.

- His recent actions suggest he is trying to detach himself, he has become emotionally unstable and withdrawn, choosing only to be civil to people rather than engage in conversations.

In summary, I believe the majority of Agent Timothy McGee's issues are surrounding his current condition and the stress that has been caused by his partner being injured in the line of duty. His work hasn't suffered though I do feel as though his frustration at being on limited duty is evident.

He has always been completely analytical and methodical in his work and has always been thorough though sometimes it seems as though his mind focuses on certain tasks which makes it difficult for him to communicate effectively in the team.

I would like to commend Agent McGee on his ability to keep his home life separated from his work life and despite the fact that they are interlinked, the working relationship he has with his partner is excellent.

I have spoken to Dr Mallard and have expressed my concerns because I feel that his actions have been a result of stress as opposed to insubordination.

Jethro sighed heavily, he knew Tim had been under an immense amount of stress but it still didn't excuse the fact that his actions had hurt Tony and he worried that their friendship and working relationship had been damaged. He pushed this one to the back and resigned himself to having a little chat with his ailing partner.

The name at the top of the next profile put a smile on his face and he sat back nursing his coffee to read.

Name: Abby Sciuto

Position: Forensic Specialist

Age: 31

- Upbeat and talkative.

- Likes physical contact with her colleagues and tends to 'hug' a lot.

- Addicted to caffeine.

- Has strong work ethics though is often her own worst critic.

- Anthropomorphises her lab equipment.

- Very strong bond with Special Agent Gibbs' team, father/daughter relationship with Agent Gibbs.

- Gothic in style and plays her music loudly in the lab.

- Defensive and loyal - will stand up for her friends and colleagues.

In summary, Abby Sciuto is a very quirky young woman who is a huge asset to the team. She has the ability to make people feel welcome and comfortable around her though her style can sometimes portray a different picture to outsiders.

I have noticed certain quirks that could be problematic, she tends to enjoy working alone and her strong bond with Agent Gibbs' team can sometimes mean her concern over them can over shadow her work. I have noticed she will defend her team when necessary and is loyal to a fault.

I am concerned about the level of physical contact she has with her team though that could be explained by the deep bond she seems to share with them all.

The fact that she has named her lab equipment and seems to 'connect' with it in some way could be deemed worrying to some but my observations of the way in which she works don't concur with those opinions.

All in all, Miss Sciuto is an asset.

Jethro giggled quietly because Hotch really did seem to have Abby down to a T and he felt comfortable knowing that no matter how much damage control was needed, hers would be the one profile that needed no work.

He glanced over at the clock and sighed heavily, damn it was 0100 and he was starting to feel tired and his shoulder hurt like hell. He glanced over at the coffee table and gazed at his sling, he shouldn't have taken it off in the first place but he was only supposed to be relaxing, not having a full blown slanging match and helping move his lover around. He rubbed his face and leaned over to grab the laptop from the coffee table so he could send a quick email before turning in for the night.

To: Ziva David

From:Leroy Jethro Gibbs

Cc: Leon Vance

Bcc:

Subject: Disciplinary procedures

Ziva

I've just read a profile that the BAU put together and need to talk to you about your recent actions.

The profile has shown you in a poor light and had been forwarded to the Director. In lieu of this, I'm going to move forward with a disciplinary and need to arrange a meeting on my return to work.

I am deeply disappointed that it has come to this, but you need to realised your actions are unacceptable.

Senior Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs

NCIS

He clicked the send button and sighed heavily, he had to keep the email professional and if the truth be told, had he been in the office he would have pulled her into his 'office' and raked her ass over the coal. Hell he probably still would, this email was purely for the director to show he was dealing with the issues in a professional manner.

He stood up gingerly and made his way to bed.

****************NCIS****************

Tim woke up to the sunlight streaming through the open curtains of their bedroom, the angle of the sun told him they'd slept later than usual. He turned slightly and hissed as the muscles protested harshly against the movement. The loud hiss woke Jethro and was instantly propped up hovering over Tim.

'It's ok J, I...........sssss....fuck...........I need to go to the bathroom. Can you help'

Jethro reached over to the bedside cabinet and grabbed the urinal that he had been given when he left the hospital. He had been on complete bed rest at the time, so Ducky had managed to get one for him to use. He stood and walked round to Tim's side of the bed.

'No way J, absolutely not! I can make it to the bathroom, I just need hel.......'

Jethro raised his hand to stop Tim dead in his tracks.

'Dr's orders Timmy, you're stuck there for a couple of days to let your muscles heal. The only time you'll be getting up is to..you know...because as much as I love ya, that's something I won't clean up'.

Tim scowled and pulled the blankets back. Jethro watched with amazement as his lovers bump seemed to ripple gently with every movement their son made.

'He's active this morning'

Tim grunted and rolled onto his back. At this angle it was difficult for him to reach down with the urinal so Jethro slapped his hands away and helped him take care of business.

'I know he's active Jethro, he's currently playing merry hell with my internal organs. Shit, do you have any idea how embarrassing this actually is?'

Jethro chuckled and reached over to the box of tissues so he could dry Tim off.

'Yeah, if I recall I was in your position a few weeks ago so suck it up tough guy'

Tim muttered something under his breath and let Jethro roll him back onto his left hand side, it seemed to be the only position that held a modicum of comfort at the moment and for that Tim was grateful.

He heard his lover pour the contents down the toilet before washing it out and taking care of business himself. The fact that he was now bed ridded for a few days bothered Tim and he started to worry that this show of weakness would paint him in whole new light with Jethro and the Director.

'Hey, you ok?'

Jethro had returned to Tim's side of the bed and knelt down to see the look of sheer anguish on his lovers face.

'Yeah, just you know, this sucks J. I'm already under a microscope at work and everyone's waiting for me to drop the god damn ball all the time. As if being pregnant isn't hard enough, I gotta deal with being treated like I can't do my Job'

Jethro sat back on his heels and sighed heavily because from what he had heard, no one had mentioned Tim's pregnancy before Tony after the briefing.

'Tim, no one looks at you that way. Jesus, is that the reason why you've been acting like that? You know Tim, Tony's hurting right now because he thinks his team and his friends hate him'.

Tim started to sob again, damn hormones because on any other day he would be able to keep his emotions in check.

'I don't hate him J, I'm just sick of people walking on egg shells around me and I already told you I'd speak to him to apologise'

Jethro grabbed another tissue and wiped the tears from Tim's face.

'I know Tim but last night I was reading some profiles Hotch sent over to Vance and NCIS's name is shit at the moment. The fact that vance has em means you're gonna have to go in for a meeting at some point to talk to him'.

Tim sat up suddenly and screamed as the pain tore through every muscle in his back and travelled unmercifully down his leg. Jethro jumped up and held onto his lover until the spasms eased enough for him to gently lower Tim back down.

'Tim, for god sake would ya just stay still. Shit! I can't do anything about it because we're together and it has gone directly to the Director. I will tell you this though, your attitude has stunk recently but I understand why and that's what matters at the moment, that and getting you back up on your feet'.

Tim snorted and stared directly out of the large window.

'Damn it Tim look at me'.

Jethro put his hand on Tim's cheek and waited for the large green eyes to focus souly on him.

'Duck's signed you off sick until you paternity so you won't be working anyway, it's only a few weeks so don't worry about what people think right now. All you need to worry about is getting better and building a few bridges ok?'

Tim nodded and winced slightly.

'Duck'll be over this morning to give you a shot of that muscle relaxant so how about I go down and fix us some breakfast?'

Jethro waited for the almost silent 'ok' from his lover and leaned in for a kiss. He knew this argument wasn't closed yet but right now, Tim could do without the stress. He made his way down to the kitchen to make breakfast and let Jethro out into the backyard, he stood watching carefully through the open doors nursing a mug of coffee as waited patiently for the breakfast to cook, his mind flicked through all the evidence that had been presented and he knew that it was going to be a long couple of weeks.

****************NCIS****************

Derek woke up slowly and kept his eyes closed as his mind tried to pull through the fog of sleep. He opened his eyes and looked down at the messy bed head hair of his lover and grinned as he remembered the previous night. He had planned on making the night theirs and knew he had succeeded in comforting Tony as much as possible after the horrific day his lover had.

Derek tightened his grip on Tony as he shifted slightly in his sleep and he looked down listening to his lover's breathing as it changed slightly. He discovered early on that Tony was a big hugger and loved the physical contact in bed which was something Derek honestly didn't mind. His grin widened when Tony wrapped his leg round his own and pushed his foot underneath. They had already been sleeping about as close as they could and Tony had fallen asleep in his post coital haze with his head resting on Derek's shoulder and his arm wrapped tightly around his waist.

Tony was still deeply asleep and Derek watched as his beautiful Italian lover seemed to melt even further into him, it was times like this that he found himself truly thankful he had met Tony that night outside the nightclub and found his mind wander to that fateful night.

****************NCIS****************

Two months and three weeks ago................

Derek walked outside with Penelope and helped her into a cab, she was staying with a friend in DC for the night so he knew she didn't have far to go before she was home.

'Ok babygirl, I expect a phone call or a text message telling me you got home alright'.

Penelope giggled loudly and leaned in to peck him on the cheek.

'Sure sweet cheeks, right back at ya'

He huffed out a laugh and turned to the cab driver.

'I got your number so you better take care of my girl here ok?'

He reached over and handed the driver a twenty before closing the cab door and waving his best friend off when the cab pulled away from the curb. He knew deep down she'd be ok but had felt doubly protective of her after she had been shot at work, probably down to the fact that out of all of them, she was the one person that hadn't deserved to get hurt and he wanted to make sure that Penelope didn't have to go through that level of pain and suffering again.

Derek turned but wasn't paying any attention to where he was going and barged straight into a tall, dark, handsome man.

'Crap, I'm sorry. You ok?'

The man snorted a sarcastic laugh and nodded his head.

'Yeah, well physically anyway. Not too sure how I feel about my girl locking lips with her girlfriend in there though'

Derek shook his head with disbelief and held out his hand.

'That's rough, hey I'm Derek Morgan'

The tall Adonis took his hand and shook it firmly.

'Tony DiNozzo. Guess I better hail a cab because Ziva's gonna be staying behind with her plaything'.

He watched as Tony ran his hands through his hair and felt instantly attracted to the guy despite the fact that Tony had pretty much told him he was straight. He leaned forward to try to hear what Tony was muttering under his breath.

'Probably for the better though seeing as I've finally realised women aren't what I want'

Derek laughed loudly but stopped at the hurt, puppydog hazel eyes that glared back at him.

'Sorry, it's just that..........I'm from Quantico so I'm staying at the Mayflower so how bout we go and grab coffee there, it's not far'

Tony looked into Derek's dark, warm eyes and nodded. He had no idea why he agreed but was starting to feel the attraction tugging at every fibre in his body.

'Sure, that'll be good, you wanna grab a cab or walk?'

Derek turned and whistled loudly to hail a cab and grinned widely at his new friend, that infectious grin made Tony laugh loudly as he looked over at the look on Derek's face, his laughs rang loud and he struggled to choke out his reply though his giggles.

'Cab it is then'

They both got into the cab chuckling together, neither man realising exactly how easy it was for them to chat as they made their way to the hotel.

****************NCIS****************

Tony and Derek had been sat in the bar for the better part of two hours talking, they had both fallen into the conversation with complete ease and the pure animal magnetism flowed between like arch's of electricity.

Derek decided to grab the bull by the horns and leaned over, he figured it was make or break and seriously, what was the worst that could happen?, Tony would reject him, hell, after the vibes he'd been getting, he highly doubted that. He leaned in even further and exhaled slightly before moving in to kiss Tony's soft, sweet lips. At first there was no response and his new friend sat stock still.

Seconds passed and Derek felt those wonderful, delicious lips part and soon found himself in a heated make out session in the middle of the bar. He pulled away panting, shit had this guy really just kissed him to the point he forgot to breath?

'Damn Tony, you want to come up to my room?'

He let his eyes wander over every inch of Tony's body and finally lingered on Tony's sexy green eyes, watching them completely dilate with pure arousal. Derek stood up and grabbed Tony's hand before heading towards the elevators with a deep ache in his rapidly hardening cock.

'Derek........er........'

'What's the matter babyboy, you do want this right?'

Tony felt his face flush and giggled nervously.

'Hell yeah, I was just wondering....er...Shit! Have you got anything?'

Derek's laugh boomed through the quiet lobby and he wrapped his arms around Tony's waist to pull him closer so he could whisper in his ear.

'I'm fully stocked Tony, so how bout we go and have some fun'.

Tony felt Derek's hand slowly move down to cup his throbbing erection, he always hated being hard in trousers and realised he wanted nothing more at that moment but to be naked with this Adonis of a man buried hilt deep inside of him.

'God I want you right now Derek'.

The elevator doors opened and Tony felt himself being pushed inside towards the rear wall forcefully. Derek punched the button for the fifth floor. The two new lovers pretty much kissed theirway to the room, their lips becoming more and more swollen and debauched as they made their way into the suite.

Tony heard the door close behind them and pulled away long enough to look around the room. He grinned at the large double bed and shrugged out of his jacket whilst Derek closed the curtains.

'Don't want an audience Derek?'

Derek turned and growled, In the short space of time he had taken to close the curtains, Tony had managed to remove his light weight Jacket and stood there with his shirt completely unbuttoned showing off his perfectly formed, tanned torso. Derek's cock twitched and he growled wildly at the sight of this perfect man standing in front of him.

Tony slowly walked over to the bed and sat down seductively.

'What are you waiting for Derek? Come here and fuck me!'

Derek practically ran round to the side of the bed Tony had claimed and pushed him down roughly, his hands unrelenting as they explored every inch of that deliciously naked torso. Tony panted into Derek's mouth when he felt his nipples being tweaked roughly.

'D, too many clothes............off!'

He fisted Derek's t-shirt before grabbing hungrily at the hem and swiftly pulling it over Derek's muscular, lean body.

'Impatient are we Tony?'

Tony huffed and reached down to start unbuttoning his conquest's jeans and let his teeth graze Derek's bottom lip. It wasn't long before he had those damn jeans off, the motion of pulling them down over that silky mocha backside taking the boxers with them. All of a sudden he felt over dressed gasped when Derek pulled away and yanked him up to stand at the side of the bed. He couldn't help but look down at his bed partners huge cock and felt unbelievably turned on when Derek kicked his feet out of his shoes and stepped out of the jeans gracefully, leaving him standing there completely naked.

'You too babyboy'

Derek slid the black shirt down over Tony's arms and caressed every inch of the Italians body on his way down to the tight blue jeans. He could already make out the bulge as Tony's hard erection tried fruitlessly to tent the tight denim. He chuckled slightly and undid Tony's belt before making quick work of the jeans, pushing them down over the perfect hips. He gasped when that caged cock sprang out at him and pushed Tony down roughly on the bed so he could finally free his conquest of all his clothes.

They were both naked at long last! The pure heat rolling off their bodies at that moment made the lust explode between them and they soon found themselves making out roughly on the large bed, their limbs tangling and their cocks rubbing together in perfect harmony. It wasn't long before Tony felt Derek shift downwards and gasped when he felt Derek's tongue lap at the pre-come that was dripping out of the head of his hard shaft.

Tony let one of his hands rest on top of Derek's head and he soon found himself in pure heaven when Derek swallowed him down in one swift movement, the deep throat action slowly driving Tony down into oblivion.

Derek had this down to a T and Tony felt him slowly move back up with the right amount of suction and a teasing swirl of the tongue at the tip, it was enough to bring Tony completely to the edge but not enough to throw him over.........damn it was driving him wild!

He let Derek move his legs so his feet lay flat on the bed and felt a slick finger slowly push through the tight ring of muscle. Between the finger action and the blow job, Tony seriously wondered how long he was going to last, he didn't have to worry though because Derek seemed to know exactly how to keep him hovering on that precipice and managed to avoid Tony's sweet spot in order to stop him from coming.

It was Ten agonising minutes later when Tony felt Derek's three fingers pull out of him and Derek's sweet warm mouth leave his cock. The pang of regret that ran through Tony was harsh and he found himself whimpering loudly at the lost. Derek giggled at the sound and climbed up to nip at Tony's lips as he lined up and slowly pushed his way inside, pausing momentarily to let the prepared ring of muscle relax fully so he could finally drive home. He paused for a minute to let Tony adjust to his huge, thick erection and slowly nipped at the side of his lover's long neck.

'Shit D.........Oh my god............Move already!'

Tony's cried when Derek moved out slowly before slamming back in with brute force, this wasn't the night for making love, this was pure animal sex and something that the two men desperately needed. Derek pushed himself up on his arms to adjust the angle and pounded into Tony, their bodies moving so quickly that the slapping sound of skin on skin rang loudly through the room. He knew he'd got the right position when Tony screamed out loudly.

'Fuck D.......Shit don't stop..........I'm gonna............Arggghhh'.

Derek felt Tony cum violently, his hot seed splashing his stomach as he continued to pound into Tony. It wasn't long before Tony's spasming muscles pulled him over the edge and he felt himself cum explosively inside Tony.

Derek Pulled out of Tony slowly and groaned as painful aftershocks shot through his softening cock, he carefully rolled to the side and pulled off the abused condom before tying it and throwing it in the trash can at the side of the bed.

'Wow........that was........just..........wow!'

Derek laughed loudly at Tony's effort at speech and got up to get a washcloth from the bathroom to clean them both up, he knew the moment he walked in and saw this completely debauched, sleepy man in his bed that this was the person he wanted to settle down with and made the decision to woo him as much as he could.

'Tony, stay?'

Tony chuckled and heaved himself up on his elbows.

'I'm not going anywhere D, just wake me up for breakfast in the morning'

****************NCIS****************

Present day............

The memory of that first night had always made Derek feel lucky and he sighed slightly as Tony's moved, pulling him out of his reverie. He glanced down to see those handsome green eye's he had fallen in love with peering up at him.

'Hey babyboy, how're you feeling this morning?'

Tony groaned and tried burying his face deeper into Derek's shoulder. Derek pulled him in closer and kissed the top of his head lovingly.

'Crap, it can't be morning all ready. You know, I just can't help wondering what shit will come my way today'

Derek chuckled and turned onto his side slightly.

'Well if it makes you feel any better, you've got more people on your side then you think'

Tony raised his head and looked up at him questioningly because if the past few weeks were anything to go by, the only person who seemed to have his six was the man who was currently cradling him in his strong arms.

'You know how I went down to the labs yesterday to give Abb's the evidence, well Ziva stomped past me like a bat out of hell and I seemed to walk into to a seriously pissed off Abby Sciuto'

Tony couldn't help but laugh and knew exactly what kind of reception Ziva would have got down at the lab seeing as he had spent many nights when Derek was at Quantico crying on her Abby's shoulder.

'Yeah? What did my Goth have to say for herself?'

Derek's hand had started rubbing circles on Tony's back, the motion soothing every on edge nerve in the Italians body.

'In a nutshell, I better watch my back. You know she can kill me........'

'Without leaving a trace of evidence, you better watch your back honey because Abby's got my six in the biggest way and I don't want to have to hurt her for killing my partner'

Derek giggled loudly and disentangled himself from Tony so he could get up.

'Don't worry babyboy, we had a little heart to heart and I think I've managed to win her over'

Tony burrowed deeper into the covers and chuckled lightly.

'With a smile like that you'd win anyone over'

That comment earned Tony a sharp swat on the ass as Derek walked by and the loud 'Hey!' was enough to send him spiralling into a fit of the giggles as he moved towards the door.

'I'm going to go make us coffee baby, I'll see you downstairs'

****************NCIS****************

Woah, this one is a long one. I thought I'd leave you all on a happy note with this one with a hotflashback of Tony and Derek's meeting.

Hope you all enjoyed and I'm really sorry for making you all wait so long.

The next chapter is all Alisa's, she had a fantastic idea so worked with it, I know for a fact she's been working really hard to get it ready so it shouldn't be too long before the next posting.

Don't forget to let us know what you think

Shelbylou and Alisa x

**Chapter Fourteen -- Meet Me Halfway**

**October 4, 2010 -- 0330 Hours**

A quiet whimper escaped Abby as she attempted to roll over in the bed, realizing that Tony was holding her tightly against him. Kicking the sheets from her body, she forced her tired eyes open, nudging Tony gently.

"T..." She whimpered. "Move over."

"Mmm?" He groaned, running his hand over her belly lazily, not opening his eyes.

"I'm hot. Move over."

He tightened his grip on her waist, making her whimper again. "Tony, please wake up."

The Italian opened his eyes immediately and sat up, coughing deeply before turning to his girl. "Are you okay, Abs? What's wrong?"

"It's hot." She rolled over and looked up at him, cringing when she heard another dry cough tear from his throat. "Baby, you're getting worse."

"Nah, I'm fine." He said, brushing her hair out of her face. "Was I hurting you?"

She shook her head, sitting up next to him as best she could with her belly. "You know you have to be careful, Tony. Your lungs can't take you being sick." Reaching up, she cupped his cheek in her hand, frowning when she felt the heat radiating off of him. "You've got a fever."

"No, I don't. I'm fine, Abby."

"You always say that, T, but you're running a fever. I'm gonna call the doctor." She said, picking up her cell phone off the nightstand.

"Abby." He said firmly, snatching the phone from her hand. "I. Am. Fine. Let's go back to bed, please."

"At least let me get you a cool cloth." She said, pushing herself off the bed and walking into the bathroom, wetting a washcloth and going back to the bed. "Lay down."

He did as he was told, resting his head against the pillow as she joined him and placed the cloth on his forehead. It made him shiver at first, but he had to admit that it felt good against his flushed skin. Abby smiled and curled up next to him again, resting her head on his shoulder.

Tony fell back asleep quickly with his girl running her fingers through his hair to relax him. She stayed awake for most of the night, checking her lover's temperature every so often. She finally fell asleep sometime around 0600, finally having gotten Tony's temperature down to a reasonable level.

The Italian woke up suddenly, his stomach twisted in knots. He moved the Goth off of his chest gently, not wanting to wake her, before making his way to the bathroom. Abby woke up at the sudden loss of his warm body and sat up, hearing his vomiting.

"Tony?" She called, rolling off the bed slowly and making her way toward the bathroom.

He met her at the doorway, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "You should be sleeping, baby."

"I'm fine T. You're the one who's sick."

"Abby, I told you last night I'm fine. Come on, let's get back to bed." He said, resting a hand at the small of her back and leading her back to the large bed.

She allowed the Italian to help her into bed and frowned over at him. "I really wish you would let me take you to the doctor, T. It would make me feel a lot better."

"Listen, I have a thing about doctors, okay? I just don't like them." He sighed, realizing his voice was a little more tense than he had intended. "I'm sorry. Let's get some more sleep and if I'm still coughing when we wake up, I'll call Ducky and see what he says, okay?"

Groaning, she conceded, relaxing against the pillows with him. "Fine. But if he tells you to go to the doctor, you have to go, okay?"

"Yes ma'am." He grinned, pulling her close to him. "I love you and your persistence, Abs, but I swear I'm fine. If anything, it's just a little cold and I'll be over it in a few days."

"Uh huh, sure." She brushed his fast growing hair off his forehead and leaned up to kiss him quickly. "At least your fever's gone down. You know, Gibbs would kill you if he saw your hair right now. All shaggy."

"Maybe, but you love it." He smirked, closing his eyes.

Shifting slightly on the bed, she smiled when she felt him snuggle up closer, holding her against him. Though she'd been worried about her lover during the night, she was hopeful that it was just a fleeting thing. Releasing a quiet sigh, she lowered her head to his chest, allowing the sound of his breathing to lull her to sleep.

**Two Hours Later**

Abby woke up to her lover's raspy breathing in her ear and sat up, shaking Tony's shoulder firmly.

"Tony. T, wake up."

"Mmf. Go to sleep, babe." He mumbled, coughing deeply as he ran a hand over her leg.

"T..." She groaned, dropping her head back against the headboard. "Please..."

Looking back down at him, she found that he was already back asleep, his hand resting on her hip. Shaking her head, she ran her fingers through his hair, pausing on his forehead and frowning when she realized his fever had back gone up.

She reached over to the nightstand and picked up her phone, dialing the number for her brother's house, knowing that Britty would still be there after dropping Jack off at school.

"Hello?"

"B, I need a favor."

The redhead immediately recognized the distraught tone that her sister-in-law was trying to hide. "Abby, what's wrong?"

"Tony's sick. Do...do you have anything, like for, I don't know..."

"Hey, calm down. What's going on with Tony?"

"He...he's been coughing, he's got a fever, his breathing is raspy...he had the plague, Britty! His lungs are scarred, they can't handle him getting sick."

"Abs, breathe. I'll be over in a few with some medicine for him."

"Okay." She said, looking down at Tony again. "We're in room 508. Thanks, Britty."

"Sure, hon. I'll see you in a bit."

The Goth snapped the phone shut and snuggled back down in the bed, allowing Tony to pull her close and wrap his arms over her growing belly while he slept. She tried to relax while waiting for Britty to show up, climbing out of the bed quickly when she finally heard the knock on the door.

"Wha? Abs?" The Italian managed, opening his eyes sleepily as his girl climbed out of their bed. "What's wrong?"

"Nothin' baby, its just the door. Britty brought you some medicine."

Tony groaned and rolled over, covering his head with a pillow as he coughed. She opened the door and let the redhead in, smiling when she handed over the medicine.

"Abby, how much sleep have you had?" She asked, noticing her friend's slumped shoulders and the dark circles under her eyes.

"I'm good, B. Just worried about Tony."

"You have to get your rest. And I'll bet you were up all night with him, weren't you?"

Abby frowned, watching as her lover tossed and turned on the bed. "He's sick." She whispered, turning back to the redhead. "He won't take care of himself, so I have to do it for him."

She laughed, setting her purse on the table. "You both are bullheaded, you know that? You need sleep for that baby, Abby."

The slightly younger woman opened her mouth to retort when a quiet moan coming from the bed caught her attention.

"Tony?"

Struggling to untangle himself from the sheets, he practically fell from the bed before he bolted for the bathroom. Abby took off after him, kneeling next to him on the bathroom floor as he vomited.

She got him another washcloth when he sat back, letting him wipe his mouth before standing up. "Tony, I'm calling Ducky right now and having your medical file faxed here. You're going to the doctor." Abby said, her hand shaking nervously as she rubbed his back.

"No, I'm not. I'm..."

"If you say fine, DiNozzo, I'll kick your ass to the hospital myself." Britty said, standing in the doorway with her arms crossed.

"I just need some more sleep." He said, coughing again. "The cough is nothing, its just a cold."

"I don't think so, Tony. C'mon, you're coming back to the house with us." She said, looking at Abby. "Pack him some clothes, huh?"

She watched as the raven-haired woman left the bathroom before turning back to Tony who was leaning on the counter. "She needs her rest, Tony, and she's not getting it because she was up all night worried sick about you."

"I agree, and I didn't know she had been up all night. Take her, I'll stay here. I can take care of myself."

"You're leavin' me with no choice." She warned, pulling out her phone and dialing Gibbs' number. "Hi Gibbs, it's Britty, Abby's sister..."

Tony pushed himself off the counter and grabbed the phone from Britty, covering it with his hand. "You called Gibbs?" He hissed.

"Desperate times call for desperate measures." She smirked, plucking the device out of his hands. "Yeah, Gibbs? Sorry about that, your senior field agent stole my phone. Anyway, he's sick and refuses to see a doctor despite Abby begging him to and its starting to affect her sleep." She paused, letting the older man speak. "Talk to him? Sure." She grinned, holding the phone out to him.

He scowled at her as he took the phone and put it to his ear. "Hey Boss."

"Why you bein' difficult, DiNozzo?"

"I'm not! I just don't wanna go to the doctor, you know I don't like that stuff Boss!"

Gibbs remained silent for a moment before speaking. "You had better stop stressing Abby out and start cooperating, DiNozzo, or so help me I'll be on the next flight there and goin' to the doctor will be the least of your worries. We clear?"

"Crystal." He mumbled, snapping the phone shut and handing it back to Britty when Gibbs hung up. "Fine, I'll go."

"I knew you'd see it my way."

**Later That Night**

A quiet sigh escaped Tony as he shifted on the comfortable couch, his eyelids drooping heavily. It had been a long day, and if he was being completely honest with himself, he still felt like crap. His entire body ached and his chest hurt from coughing, though he'd never admit as much to Abby.

"You okay baby?" She asked, reaching over to run her fingers through his hair.

"'M alright," he mumbled, his voice hoarse.

"You ready to go to bed?"

"We can sit up a little longer." He coughed deeply, bending at the waist as he tried to clear the phlegm from his lungs.

"C'mon, T. Let's go upstairs, you need your rest." Abby said, pushing herself off the couch before offering her hand to Tony.

He coughed again, brushing her hand away as he stood up and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I can walk, sweetheart."

"Abby, can we talk for a sec?" Britty asked, poking her head into the living room.

"Sure." She said, resting her hand on her belly and turning to Tony. "Its the second door on the left, baby. I'll be up in a minute."

He nodded and made his way up the stairs to Abby's bedroom. The Goth walked into the kitchen and sat on a barstool, watching as her friend washed the dishes from dinner. "What's up, B?"

The redhead looked over at her friend, noticing the tired look on her face. "Maybe you should take J's room, Abs. He can camp out downstairs tonight."

"No, I'm not taking Jackie's bed. I'll be fine in the room with Tony."

She chuckled. "You two better get some sleep, I don't wanna hear you goin' at it all night."

The Goth could feel her cheeks reddening at her friend's teasing. "We haven't... We aren't..."

"Well why the hell not?"

"That...that's how we fixed everything before. I don't want this...us...to be all about sex again. It didn't work last time." She paused, noticing how Britty rolled her eyes.

"You know, sex usually helps make relationships stronger. It's a piece of yourself that you're giving to the other person."

"You don't believe that, B. You and I both know it. If you did, you wouldn't have slept with..." She was interrupted by her friend's hand covering her mouth.

"We agreed we weren't going to discuss that ever again. You promised." She smirked. "Anyway, I learned that in my Human Sexuality class junior year. I just can't believe you two aren't back to sleeping together yet. When I was pregnant, I couldn't get enough of Bradley."

"Well, he's too sick anyway, so it doesn't matter." Abby sniffled, looking away from Britty.

"What's wrong?" The redhead asked, studying the pregnant woman.

The Goth sniffled again before she dropped her head into her hands, starting to shake as she sobbed quietly.

"Hey, hey..." Britty said, wrapping her arms around the younger woman. "Don't cry, Abs. It's okay."

"I...I'm sorry. I...he's so sick, and...and I just want him to be okay." Abby managed, allowing the slightly older woman to hold her while she cried.

"Shh..." She soothed, rubbing her back softly. "He'll be fine, honey. Tony's tough, you know that better than anyone."

The raven-haired woman sniffled, looking up at her friend. "Yeah, I know."

"He'll be better in a few days, okay? He got his medicine from the doctor..." She stopped, looking up when Bradley appeared at the bottom of the stairs.

"Abby?" He started, moving toward his sister and touching her cheek. "What's the matter, baby girl?"

"She's alright." Britty said, smiling at the her husband. "Just needs some rest. Go on upstairs, we'll see you in the morning for breakfast."

She nodded, swiping at the tears on her cheeks before heading up the stairs silently, leaving the couple alone in the kitchen.

"She's a wreck." Britty said, turning back to finish the dishes.

"Yeah, I can see that. That why he's here instead of his hotel?"

"You saw her, Bradley. She wasn't about to leave him alone in that hotel and she needs her rest. She hasn't slept since yesterday morning."

"You shoulda called me. I would have gotten her home without a fuss." He boasted, wrapping his arms around his wife's waist.

"You really don't want him here, do you?" She asked, drying her hands again and turning in his arms to face him. "You feeling threatened?"

"I just like having my wife's full attention. And I can't say I enjoy you playing nursemaid to my sister's boyfriend."

"Would you rather I play nursemaid to you?" She smirked, running a finger over his jaw playfully.

Bradley groaned, dropping his lips to her neck and nipping gently. "Upstairs." He whispered, releasing her and smacking her ass lightly. "Now."

She arched an eyebrow at him and pulled her t shirt over her head, tossing it on the floor at his feet before turning and heading up the stairs. "Yes, sir."

He followed the trail of her discarded clothing, picking it up as he made his way up to their bedroom, closing the door behind them.

**Abby's Room**

Abby stood in the doorway to the bathroom, leaning against the frame as she watched her lover sleep. Walking slowly over to the bed, she sat on the edge and dropped her head into her hands again, crying quietly.

It seemed like everything had finally hit her in the past few days, and on top of everything she was going through with her mood swings, Tony was sick and not willing to take care of himself.

Rolling over at the sound of her quiet sniffling, Tony forced his tired eyes open, barely stifling a yawn. "Baby?"

"Go back to sleep sweetheart," she responded quietly, her voice thick with tears.

Pushing himself up, he ran a tired hand over his face, squinting in the darkness. "You okay?"

"I'm fine, T," she said, turning to face him with a forced smile. Leaning over, she pressed a kiss to his forehead, pleased when she realized he didn't feel quite as warm. "Go back to bed, huh? You need your rest."

"Lay with me?" He asked, his mouth turned down in a frown as he eyed her carefully. He knew she'd been worried about him, despite the fact that he tried to assure her he was fine. "C'mon," he tried again, reaching for her hand to tug her closer to him.

Allowing herself to be pulled against his chest, she settled against him, swiping discreetly at the tears on her cheeks.

"What's the matter?" He asked, pressing a kiss to the top of her head, his voice hoarse.

"You have to start taking better care of yourself, Tony," she blurted out.

"Abby," he sighed, hugging her against his side. "It's not that I'm not taking care of myself, but you know I have a thing about doctors."

"But it's ridiculous!"

"Yeah, you say that because you haven't had the plague. Listen, I know I have to be careful because of my lungs, but I just...I don't expect you or anyone else to understand but I can't do doctors, okay?"

"I know that, Tony. I know how much going bothers you, but you have got to take care of yourself! It's not just me who's depending on you anymore," she cried, losing the battle with her tears again.

He was silent, resting his large hand over her belly and smiling sadly when he felt their child move inside of her. "I know. But there's plenty of people around that are willing and able to help you if need be." He said, attempting to reassure her.

"You're an idiot." The Goth spat, pulling away from him and moving to leave the room.

Tony reached out for her, grabbing her arm gently. "Abby, wait! What did I do?"

"You think I want to rely on someone else to help me raise our child? I want *you* to be there. Not Bradley or Gibbs or McGee. You."

His grip loosened and she pulled away from him, choosing to sit on the edge of the bed again, her back to him.

"Abby, sweetheart..."

"Just...just go back to sleep, Tony. I don't feel up to talking about this right now."

He laid back against the pillows, knowing better than to argue with her when she got this way. She would come to him when she was ready to talk. A few minutes later he felt her lay down, her back still to him as she attempted to get comfortable.

After awhile, the Italian turned over and touched her shoulder gently. "You awake?"

"Mhmm."

He sighed, pressing a kiss into her hair. "I didn't mean to upset you." He whispered, reaching over to tug her back against his chest. "I'm sorry."

"You just...you don't get it, Tony. I need you. I can't do this without you."

"I'm not goin' anywhere, Abs." Tightening his grip around her expanding waist, he pulled her closer, burying his face in her hair as he breathed in her scent.

Another tear slid down Abby's cheek as she closed her eyes, savoring the feeling of his arms around her as they fell asleep.

Authors Note: Hey guys, just a quick note to say a big thank you for all your reviews, they really do make our day.

****************NCIS****************

Jethro stood in the middle of the bullpen and glared at his defiant looking best friend who seemed oblivious to the famous look that, if it had been anyone else, would have a grown man quivering with fear where they stood. He watched Ducky's face harden before his mouth quirked a small half hearted smile.

'Jethro, it is pointless you standing there glaring at me, I have made the decision and am on my way up to see the Director to hand in the necessary paperwork. Anthony and Derek will both be signed off until next week regardless of what you do or say my friend'.

Ducky started to turn in order to walk away but was stopped by a firm hand on his bicep, it wasn't painful, but it was enough to stop the elderly ME in his tracks. Ducky knew that Jethro had been kept out of the loop and wasn't surprised when the team leader demanded answers.

'You wanna tell me what the hell is going on Duck! I have one agent being a bitch and playing the victim of poor leadership, one agent off sick because of pregnancy issues and one that is NOW signed off because of what, Stress?'

Ducky nodded sadly and looked up at Jethro, he had no idea how much his dear friend knew about the situation that had occurred today, though felt as though it was his duty to tell Jethro and to remind him that his duty of care had been somewhat shaky of late.

'Huh. Jethro are you really so blind? Honestly I expected better of you, now I understand that things have been somewhat........problematic so to speak, and by that I mean...............'.

Jethro's patience was at an all time low and he huffed out a breath of frustration at Ducky's speech.

'Damn it Duck, just get to the point already!'

Ducky seemed to grow in stature with anger and Jethro watched as his small frame squared up to his friend with his finger jabbing directly in his chest.

'MY point Jethro, is the fact that YOU have been told on numerous occasions about the issues with the team, especially the ones surrounding Ziva's behaviour of late. Now, I can understand Timothy's attitude to a degree, the dear boy has had a lot on his plate. But Ziva's? There's no justification, it was only a matter of time until Anthony finally snapped Jethro. In all fairness to you, there has been a lot going on, but now things are reaching a modicum of normality, I WILL NOT stand to have the situation continue'

Jethro was shocked, it was the first time his friend had ever raised his voice to him, for some reason that fact alone made Jethro think twice about arguing with Ducky. He felt as though he had that damn devil on one shoulder and the damn angel on the other.

'Damn it to hell Duck, I've done everything I can that is in my official capacity, she even had a meeting with the director and is pending a disciplinary at this very moment. What else could I have done?'

Ducky backed down slightly and looked up at his friend.

'You should have been there for Anthony Jethro, not once did you call to make sure he was alright and whether or not he needed help. Once again you played the silent saviour and tried to halt the situation in a way that was unproductive. You need to bear in mind, that whilst you were on sick leave, that boy has done everything possible to run the team and solve the case, and with detriment to his health I must add. He is exhausted and run down and Ziva really hasn't helped matters today. You want my honest opinion Jethro, then here it is, It's a good job he has got young Derek because recently his support system has been questionable both on a personal and professional level'.

Jethro pondered Ducky's words and was stopped from answering when the director's voice boomed through the bull pen.

'Dr Mallard. We have a meeting scheduled for five minutes ago. I have got a family to go home to'.

Ducky nodded slightly in Jethro's direction and headed up the stairs to meet with the director. Jethro shook his head slightly and turned to grab his gear and turn his computer off. He paused for a moment and dialled the all too familiar number on his desk phone and listened patiently as it rang a couple of times. He smiled gently at the out of breath 'hello' at the other end.

'Hey Timmy, you been running?'

He heard Tim laugh on the other end of the phone and grinned broadly, that laugh was always music to his ears.

'Oh hey, and no to the running, I am currently waddling my way to the kitchen to turn the steak, seems like your son has decided laying across the bottom of my diaphragm is a good idea. It doesn't leave a lot of breathing room, I tell ya. You on your way home J?'

Jethro couldn't help but laugh loudly at the jovial description of their son's new sleeping position. Now that Tim's back had eased considerably thanks to a lot of r & r, massages and Ducky's pregnancy safe pills, his lover had started to enjoy the pregnancy again, though he did find the breathlessness a little bit of a pain in the backside, especially seeing as the doctor told them at their last neo natal appointment that their son was going to be at least seven pounds and his living space was getting a bit cramped. Every time Jethro thought back to that appointment he chuckled, not at Tim's discomfort, but at the look on his face when the doctor told him his son would more than likely be looking for more innovative ways to stretch out at the moment.

'Sorry Timmy, I'm gonna be late tonight, just put the steak in the oven on low heat and I'll be home as soon as I can'.

He heard Tim pottering about in the kitchen before replying.

'Don't be too late J, the steak will be tough if we leave it too long'.

Jethro hung his head and sighed because he had no idea how long his 'chore' would take.

'I shouldn't be too late, if I am then I'll grab some takeout to save cooking again'

'Ok J, I'll see you soon, love you'.

With a broad grin, Jethro felt a wave of affection was over him.

'Love you too and I'll be as quick as I can'.

He hung up the phone and sighed loudly before grabbing his car keys, knowing that his next stop was not going to be a pleasant one.

****************NCIS****************

'Shit......'

Jethro swore loudly when he pulled out of the yard and got caught in the normal rush hour traffic. It wasn't usually too much of a problem, but tonight he had somewhere he needed to be and didn't want to leave it too late. Sighing he pulled out his phone and dialled Fornell's number.

'Fornell'

He punched the horn at the Jackass in front him when the small car cut in front of him, making him swerve sharply.

'Fucking asshole................Oh crap, Tobias, its Jethro, sorry some ass just cut in front of me. Listen, do ya remember me asking you for the BAU files?'

He heard Tobias sigh quietly on the other end of the phone.

'Yeah, about that Jethro, I haven't had a chance to get them to ya, I'm flat out at the moment'.

This was something Jethro knew well, there was many a time he hadn't been able to get around to stuff outside of work because of a case.

'I know, but I need to as a favour and need it pretty quickly, well ASAP to be honest. Can you drop Derek Morgan's file off at my house tonight?'

Jethro's patience waned at the traffic and he signalled left to turn off and take the back streets.

'Sure, no problem. I need to leave early tonight because it's Emily's birthday so I'll drop it off. I've got em all here ready but haven't had the chance. You want everyone's?'

Subconsciously, Jethro shook his head and turned the wheel.

'No, just Morgan's for now. I might not be in, but Tim is so just hand it to him. Can you make sure it's in an envelope?'

'No worries Jethro, how's Tim doing? He must be ready to drop any day now'.

Jethro huffed out a laugh and shook his head; he could always rely on Tobias to make Tim's pregnancy to sound so ............normal for lack of a better word.

'Not quite, he's only at seven and half months, though for the size of him you'd think he was full term. The docs reckon it's gonna be at least a seven pounder'.

He heard the hiss of air as Tobias sucked in a breath. Jethro completely understood the reaction and cringed every time he thought of his lover having to try to push a baby that size out.

'Ouch........'

'Yeah, tell me about it. Tim has taken it on the chin though and is adamant he wants a normal birth, hell if it was me I'd tell 'm to go ahead and schedule the c-section'

Jethro laughed at his comment, this wasn't a new argument and he had been trying to convince Tim to have the C-section. He had finally backed down when Tim made the point about the recovery time and actually seemed enthusiastic about the birth.

'Me too...........yeah, ok leave it on my desk........Jethro I've gotta go, I'll drop it off tonight'.

Jethro was used to the interruptions by colleagues during phone calls and smiled slightly at the memories of times gone by when he had stopped talking to the people on the other end of the phone to acknowledge them; he said his goodbyes and Tobias hung up the phone.

Jethro snapped his cell shut before tossing it on the seat and It wasn't long before he was pulling up to the curb outside Tony's apartment block. He sat and stared for a few minutes, debating internally with himself as to whether or not he was making the right decision and slapped his hand firmly on the steering wheel with frustration.

He soon made up his mind and squared his shoulders. All he could think of at that moment was 'come marine, you're not going into battle' and it was that sentiment that tipped the balance. He pushed the door open, hoping and praying that he could do some damage control to his battered subordinate before the day managed to get more of a grip then it already had.

****************NCIS****************

Derek was sitting on the bed he shared with Tony reading with his lover curled up in his lap fast asleep, he knew that no matter what, Tony had finally cried himself into a deep sleep which anyone would be hard pushed to wake him up from. He gently carded his fingers through the soft, damp hair that hadn't dried properly from the bath he made Tony share with him in order to get his tense, distraught lover to relax and re read the page he was on for the third time.

He put the book down and sighed heavily, at first he was able to read the first few chapters of 'Twilight', but now he found himself just staring at Tony's face. His lover had finally relaxed and was sleeping peacefully after a couple of nail biting moments where Derek thought he was starting with a nightmare. All he could do was try to make Tony comfortable and placated him gently with soothing words and caresses. To him, Tony looked like some kind of Italian Adonis, his tanned face had the uniquely, handsome qualities that he had been drawn to from day one.

Tonight though, was a different story. Tony's face was lined with worry, and even in sleep, these lines didn't relax. He glanced at the clock and noticed it was six thirty and slipped out of the bed gently, deftly guiding Tony down to one of the luxurious goose down pillows and covering him with the angora comforter that adorned the bed. He kissed Tony on the forehead and was making his way down to the kitchen, when he heard a knock at the door. He rubbed his hand over his face and answered to find himself face to face with Leroy Jethro Gibbs.

'Agent Gibbs, is there anything I can help you with?'

Derek watched with a shot of satisfaction as Jethro seemed to deflate slightly under his unwavering gaze. He would keep it professional, though he couldn't help feeling slightly superior at the moment.

'I need to talk with Tony. Is he here Morgan?'

Derek watched Jethro compose himself and shook his head.

'He's asleep Gibbs, and he will stay that way. He's exhausted and needs the rest; whatever you have to say to him can wait until Monday when he's back in the office'.

Jethro balled his hands into fists and took a step forward to try to get into Tony's apartment. He was stopped by Derek's outstretched arm pushing a splayed hand dead centre of his chest to block him from moving any further.

'GIBBS! I'm warning you, he's resting and there is no way in hell you are coming in to make him relieve a traumatic experience. Shit, I've had a battle to get him to calm down enough to sleep and you want to pull everything to the surface again, seriously, what's wrong with you people?'.

To an outsider, this was a battle of wills, two lions wanting to protect their cub and mate. On one hand, you have Jethro. The fatherly figure; wanting to protect his surrogate son and make amends for his shortfalls. On the other you have Derek. The soul mate; wanting to protect his lover from any more harm, both sides would fight tooth and nail for their aim, but tonight Jethro knew he was at a disadvantage. There was no way Derek was going to let him past the threshold and looked as though he would forcibly remove Jethro given half the chance, that and the fact that Tony was asleep, and even Jethro had to admit that it was the best thing for him.

'Fine Agent Morgan, you let Tony know I expect to see him first thing on Monday in the conference room to discuss the situation at hand'.

Derek snorted out a bitter laugh at Jethro's harsh tone and dropped his hand.

'I'll let him know Agent Gibb's, now if you don't mind, I'm busy'

With that he slammed the door leaving an extremely pissed off Jethro standing outside the door. At that point he didn't care and turned to go into the kitchen to grab a beer and fix both him and Tony a sandwich, he wouldn't wake Tony up, but wanted to make sure he had something to hand when his lover did.

****************NCIS****************

Jethro pulled up outside his and Tim's house and cut the engine, he sat there for a while to calm down before opening the door and grabbing his jacket off the passenger seat. He had slowly felt his anger dissipate into nothing more than a mild annoyance, and if he were to be honest to himself, he had to admit to feeling slightly relieved that someone was there to take care of Tony, despite the fact that he felt redundant at that moment.

He pulled his keys out of his pocket as he neared the house and walked up the perfectly made wooden porch he had built a few years ago towards the front door. He wasn't surprised when he heard Jethro barking behind the door and smirked slightly before putting the key in the lock and walking in through the small hallway.

'Timmy, I'm home, sorry I'm so la.............'

He stopped dead in his tracks and listened to Tim's voice as it floated out from the kitchen. He followed his lover's voice and stood leaning on the door jamb that led into the kitchen. He frowned when he realised who Tim was talking to and had to resist walking over to the table where Tim was sitting, to grab the cell phone that was currently glued to Tim's ear.

'Listen Zee, I've gotta go..... Yeah, but I still think you need to talk to him.....No, but seriously this whole situation has gotten out of control now and you need help.....Uh huh.....yep.....no I'm not saying that what you did wasn't required, what I'm saying is you've gone about it in the worst way possible and the whole situation needs to be rectified.....NO ZIVA! Whatever you do don't go and talk to Tony, Jesus are you trying t.....Right, listen, I've really gotta go ok.....Yeah, speak to you soon'.

Jethro watched as Tim flipped the phone shut and ran his hand over the tired looking face.

'TIM, WHAT THE FUCK?'

Tim jumped and winced as the movement jarred his sore back, it had got better in recent weeks thanks to the TLC he had received all round, but still twanged painfully with the extra weight he was carrying.

'Shit J, you startled me. What's wrong?'

Tim stood up and waddled over to Jethro to lean in for a kiss.

'WHAT'S THE MATTER? Why the hell are you talking to Ziva?'

Tim stopped and rested his right hand on his vast expanding belly. Jethro noticed the look of sheer confusion and hurt on Tim's face and huffed out an ironic laugh.

'WHY? Because she rang and needed someone to fucking talk to. That's why J. Shit, I know she's in the wrong and she's gone about things in the worst possible freaking way, but at the end of the day she needs help'.

Jethro pulled away from the door and made his way over to the fridge to grab a beer, to Tim, Jethro seemed to be either mulling over his words or trying his best to

'To bitch you mean? I expected better of you Tim'.

He felt Tim move behind him and started slightly when Tim took the beer out of his hand and took a large swig, damn the day had un-nerved him.

'To bitch? shit J, you know me better than that. Why the hell would I bitch with her, if anything, I've just spent the better part of a fucking hour trying to calm her down and get her to talk to your stubborn ass'.

Jethro stood there and gazed with shock as Tim took another swig of the beer before handing it back to him, he didn't like Tim drinking whilst he was pregnant and snatched the bottle back out of his lover's pregnancy swollen hands.

'Tell me why the fuck I would I want to talk to her McGee? After what Probationary Agent David has done today, she's damn lucky she's still got a fucking job. To top it off, one of his so called friends, can't even be bothered to try to contact him'.

Tim sighed heavily and sank back down in the chair, he was trying to ignore the movement in his abdomen but couldn't help wince when their son jabbed a foot so far into his ribs that he felt winded for a moment.

He rubbed his hand over his face and sighed heavily, he had been trying for the better part of two weeks to contact Tony, he had sent text messages, he had sent emails and he had tried to call. Hell he had even hand written a letter and mailed it to Tony's home address. All his efforts had been stonewalled and left him feeling both emotionally and physically tired, the fact that he had been trying to convince Ziva to get the help she needed from Jethro was practically the straw that broke the camel's back. He moved his hand back down and shifted slightly so he could rub gently at the spot where his son was playing soccer with his internal organs and looked up at Jethro.

'J, I'm not going to argue with you over Ziva ok, you're gonna have to trust me when I say I'm trying to get her to tone it down and talk to someone who can help. As far as talking to Tony, well right back at'cha Boss, it's not like you've made a monumental amount of effort either!'

Jethro finished his beer and just stood glaring at Tim, he knew he shouldn't be arguing with his lover and felt the anger abate when Tim pulled the 'Boss' card, it had reduced enough for him to stand and listen and he realised at that moment how tired and haggard Tim looked and frowned. Tim raised both his hands in exasperation and snapped out a plea to his lover.

'Say something, Jesus I'm tired of this shit. You know how hard I've been trying to actually apologise to Tony? All he does is ignore me J, I snapped and I'm being punished for it. SHIT, you know what, sometimes I think that this pregnancy was the worst fucking thing that has ever happened because it's caused nothing but fucking heartache all round'.

Tim stopped for a moment and heaved in a heavy breath, his tirade had left him feeling breathless and even more drained then he already was. Jethro knew he had to rein this in before Tim's stress induced premature labour. He moved towards Tim but was thwarted by a hand firmly pushing him back.

'Add that to trying to stop Zee doing something stupid and, you know what, I am both physically and emotionally exhausted J, what do you want me to do?.................you know what, scrap that. I'm going out, dinners in the oven and there's an envelope Fornell dropped off for you on the coffee table'.

Tim moved slowly towards the door but was stopped by Jethro blocking his way.

'Tim, don't ok............... '.

'Don't want J? Look, you obviously don't trust me and you won't unless I try to fix this so I'm going out and don't know when I'll be back. You might get a phone call from Ziva. I told her she needs to talk to you herself because I'm done trying to play the peacekeeper and the help she needs is more than what I can actually offer at the moment. I've got my own fucking problems and I'm seven and half months pregnant to boot...........GOD DAMN IT!'

He pushed his way past Jethro and grabbed his car keys off the side before opening the door.

'Tim, come on, you shouldn't be driving and we need to talk'.

Tim swung around with an amazing grace given his present condition and jabbed his finger towards Jethro.

'Damn right we need to talk Gibbs, you have no idea about what's going on and I'm sick of taking the brunt of it all. I'm going to try to put a stop to this now, in the meantime, if Ziva calls then do me a favour and at least try to hear her out ok'.

Jethro's head snapped up so fast Tim was surprised it didn't dislodge itself from his shoulders.

'HEAR HER OUT? DAMN IT TIM SHE DAMN NEAR CAUSED TONY TO HAVE A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN TODAY'.

Tim blanched at the screamed words and felt his anger broil.

'I know Gibbs, that's exactly why I've been trying to get her to talk to you; it's gone to fucking far. I'm going to go and try to build some bridges of my own. Don't wait up; I wouldn't want to be any more fucking trouble than I obviously already am'.

Jethro watched Tim turn and leave, the house shaking ominously when his lover slammed the door so hard he was pleasantly surprised it didn't rebound off the hinges. He ran to the front door and pulled it open to go and stop Tim, but was met with the sight of Tim tearing out of the driveway, the tires squealing in his wake. He sighed heavily and hung his head so it rested on his chest.

'Well that went well Jethro'

He turned and walked back into the kitchen to grab another beer, but changed his mind and reached for the bottle of bourbon in the cupboard. He poured himself a healthy slug and knocked it back before running his hand angrily though his hair, he had no idea why he had attacked Tim like that, but his feelings about Ziva at this moment, were fraught and the fact that his lover had seemingly sided with her stung.

Jethro poured himself another glass of bourbon and walked into the den to grab the file off the coffee table, it was the one file that peaked his interest and he wanted to know exactly who it was, that was talking care of his senior agent.

****************NCIS****************

Tim pulled up outside Tony's apartment block and sighed heavily, the argument he had just had with Jethro was buzzing around in his mind, but enough was enough, he was determined to at least try to sort this horrible mess out. He heaved his hulking frame out of his car and walked stiffly towards the entrance to the apartments, damn he missed driving, but the stiffness it caused recently was something he could live happily without.

Once Tim reached the elevators, he punched the call button and waited patiently for it to arrive. He was still standing there 5 minutes later when an elderly lady Tim recognised as Tony's neighbour tapped him on the shoulder. He turned around and smiled broadly at her.

'Hey Mrs Argyll, how're you today?'

Mrs Argyll, or Aggy to her friends, returned Tim's smile and shuffled the shopping bags she held in her frail hands.

'oooh, no complaints Tim, how about you? You've been busy since last time I saw you'.

She reached out and patted Tim's heavily distended abdomen and offered him a smile that reminded him of his grandma.

'Sure have Mrs. Argyll. Er, you want a hand with those?'

The old woman looked slightly affronted and pulled back the bags she held.

'Oh no you don't young man; you're carrying quite enough and will struggle up those stairs just as much as I will at the moment'.

Tim pulled his arm back slightly and rested it on the old lady's shoulder instead.

'Stairs? The lift out of order again?'

'Yeah, damn things been out for a couple of days now. Anyway, it's late and as much as I enjoy talking to you Tim, I really need to be getting home to feed my cat'.

Tim moved back slightly and let Aggy past, he had always had a soft spot for Tony's old neighbour and followed her up the stairs. Surprisingly, Aggy was quite the agile old bird and soon manoeuvred herself up to her apartment with ease. She dropped her bags and knocked sharply on Tony's door and looked over with concern at her heavily pregnant friend, the same friend that, a year ago helped her to set up the wireless network that had allowed her to keep in contact with all her family in Florida.

'Dear, Dear. You probably should have gone home Tim, look at you! You can't breat..........'

She was cut short by the door opening and turned to greet tony, her smile faltering slightly when she noticed it was Derek.

'Ahh, Derek. Is Tony home, he has a visitor who I think may need a little help at the moment'.

Derek looked up and saw Tim leaning with one arm against the wall, the heavy breathing signalling the climb up the five flights of stairs to see Tony.

'Aw crap McGee. Thanks Aggy, I'll take it from here'.

Aggy bent down to pick up her bags but Derek beat her to it and picked up the fairly light shopping to follow her into her apartment. He was back in a couple of minutes and shook his head sadly at Tim.

'Why'd you come McGee, damn you look like shit warmed over. Listen, Tony's in bed and I don't want to wake him. To be perfectly honest, I don't think I even want you near him'.

Tim looked up and gulped in a large lungful of air. Derek was trying to be nice, but he could hear the underlying twist of anger directed towards him. He straightened up and turned slightly to look at the stairs, nodding sadly, he twisted back to Derek.

'Erm, yeah ok, it's just.........never mind, can you er........can you let him know I called'

Tim felt deflated and turned to started the painful descent down the stairs only to be called back by the familiar voice of his friend.

'Tim.........Derek are you crazy, look at him! He at least needs to rest before tackling those stairs.......hey Mcdaddy, get your pregnant ass back here'.

Tim turned at the bottom of the first flight of stairs to see Tony shooting down them to help him. He smiled gratefully and accepted the outstretched hand.

'What're you doing Probie? You should have just turned right back round when you knew the lift was out of order'.

Tim huffed out a small laugh, or at least he meant it to sound like a laugh but the slow ascent back up the stairs was making him feel as though the very last bit of air was being squeezed painfully out of his lungs.

'Come on in McGee, you want a drink?'

Tim nodded gratefully and sank into one of the kitchen chairs.

'Er...Just water please Tony'.

Tony nodded and busied himself getting the ice out of the freezer. Whilst Tony was preparing the drinks, Tim felt a presence behind him and turned to see Derek standing in the doorway with his arms crossed.

'Hey D, will ya do me a favour and go down to Mamma B's to pick up some of that fantastically good homemade soup?'

Derek huffed and shook his head, the action itself only meriting a hard glare from his lover.

'Please D. Look I'm hungry and I could really eat some good soup..............D'.

Tim looked up to see Tony pouting at his lover and couldn't help but smile.

'You gonna be ok babyboy?'

Tony laughed for the first time that day and winked at Tim.

'Hell yeah, what do you think Probie's gonna do, I think he's over his hissy fit now'.

Tim felt the heat of a blush rise up from his neck and into his face and stared down at the floor. Derek must have turned to walk away because he heard the door close felt Tony's hand on his shoulder.

'Come on McGee, that chairs got to be killing you, how bout we take this into the lounge'.

He accepted Tony's hand and winced as his back finally protested against the journey up the stairs he took recently.

'Back still playing up then?'

Tim huffed out a laugh and nodded as he lowered himself gingerly into one of the large, comfortable black armchairs.

'It's not too bad now. Duck thinks I managed to injure it on top of the general, good old pregnancy pains'.

Tony frowned slightly and looked over at his............at what was his friend.

'Fucking hell Tim, you knocked your back out running up and down the stairs when the elevator was out at NCIS and here you are doing exactly the same to what? To visit?'

Tim hung his head down and rubbed his hand sub-consciously down his bump.

'Tony I came to apologise ok. Jesus, I miss my friend'.

Tony's brow furrowed even more and Tim noticed how ill Tony actually looked. He rubbed his hand over his face and turned his gaze back to the Italian.

'Tony look, I know I'm probably the last person you wanna hear from right now, but I really am sorry about what happened. You have no idea how much it has been tearing me apart, I've called, I've sent text messages, I've sent emails. Shit Tony, I even wrote you a god damn letter because I want to fix this'.

Tony slumped back into the couch and hung his head back on the back.

'I know Probie, but I'm not sure how it can be fixed. You have no idea how it feels having your team mates, no, your friends turn on you like that. You were frustrated and in pain Tim, I'll give you that one, but there still wasn't any need for the way you talked to me'.

Tim felt the sting of tears threaten and nodded.

'I know. I've been a dick and I'm sorry tony, what can I do to fix this? Please Tony, I need you to help me out here'.

Tony's head snapped up as though the tendons were on an elastic band and he glared at Tim before noticing the raw pain that resided in those big green, moist eyes.

'I don't know Probie. That I can't answer, hey do you mind if we don't talk about this right now. It's been a bitch of a day and all I want to do is eat soup and fall into bed'.

As if Tony could smell the soup from down the hall, the door opened and Derek walked in carrying a paper bag from Mamma B's. He looked over at his lover and Tim and frowned.

'Everything ok baby boy?'

Tony nodded and stood up to accept the soup from his lover and started to make his way to the bedroom. He stopped and turned to face Tim.

'Look, we will talk ok. Just not tonight, believe it or not, I miss you too Probie'.

He turned towards Derek and flicked his head in Tim's direction.

'D, can you make sure Tim makes it down the stairs ok'

Tony waited for the nod and carried on into the bedroom, closing the door as he went.

Tim watched the door close and felt a lone tear roll down his cheek, he knew there was hope and the fact that Tony told him they would talk, but he still had the nagging feeling that this was going to take a while. He looked up to see Derek holding out a tissue, Tim took it and wiped at his eyes before letting Derek help him up from the chair.

'Come on McGee, it's getting late and you don't wanna be in trouble with your better half do ya'.

Tim laughed, he just couldn't seem to help it, and accepted the offered help out of the apartment and down the stairs. When they reached his car he turned towards Derek and sighed tiredly.

'Hey Morgan, thanks for letting me try with tony, I appreciate it'.

Derek sighed and looked over at Tim, the man looked dead on his feet and it made his gut clench knowing the drive home he had.

'McGee, you ok to drive man?'

Tim laughed sardonically and nodded.

'yeah, I'm good. Listen, how about you and Tony come over for dinner on Saturday night, it'll give us a chance to talk things through and might help him realise that we don't hate him. When I said what I did to him, I was pissed at NCIS in general because no matter what I did at that point seemed to matter to the director and he was looking for a way to get me out'.

Derek looked concerned, his opinion of NCIS was at an all time low, now, it had pretty much hit rock bottom.

'I'm not the one you need to be talking to McGee. Shit, ok, here's what we're gonna do. We'll come for dinner on Saturday night, that'll give T time to calm down, and then take it from there. He feels as though you hate him right now Tim and that aint gonna be easy to fix. It can be done though, mainly because he misses your friendship'.

Tim nodded and unlocked the car before stepping into the driver's seat. He looked up at Derek who was leaning down at him, using the door for support.

'Thanks Derek, I appreciate it'.

Derek nodded once and closed the door. He waited for Tim to pull away and then pulled out his phone to dial Jethro.

'Gibbs, it's Morgan........everythings fine........Tim's on his way home but he's beat and his backs playing up again..... No, the elevator was out so he walked up the stairs.......Calm down Gibbs, we didn't turn him away, but just make sure he's ok tonight......yeah......Ok'

He hung up and walked back up to the apartment to be with Tony, if anything, the situation was bad but he knew damn well Tim's state of mind came from being in pain and wanted nothing more than Tony's pain to be eased by having someone else he could confide in.

****************NCIS****************

Derek walked through the apartment and grabbed his homemade soup before making his way into the bedroom, he stopped and scratched his head when he realised Tony wasn't there.

'Tony.........'

He backtracked through the apartment calling his lover's name and stopped dead with a grin on his face when he saw Tony curled up on the couch, fast asleep. He bent down to give Tony a kiss on the cheek and pulled the comforter down to cover his partner.

Derek walked over to the sideboard and grabbed his laptop, there was one email he needed to send tonight and with any luck, it would be acted on quickly. Turning to the kitchen he booted up his laptop and connected to the wireless network Tony had set up, god that thing was convenient. Opening a new email, he started to type:

To: Leon Vance; Leroy Jethro Gibbs

CC:

BCC: Aaron Hotchner; Erin Strauss

From: Derek Morgan

Subject: Grievance

Director Vance

I would like to file an official grievance about the treatment of Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo......................................................................

The email didn't take long and after proof reading it, he clicked the send button. Feeling pleased with himself he went over to Tony and woke him up briefly to slip in underneath his head. He carded his fingers through the silken hair and sighed, Oh yeah. People are going to pay.

****************NCIS****************

Tim slowly pulled in and parked in his usual spot in the driveway. Even though they had a double garage, habit soon dictated the fact that it was easier for them todrive the cars straight out when they were on call, rather than mess around with the garage doors.

He didn't know how long he had sat there for; he had been completely lost in his thoughts when he felt the door give way under his arm.

****************NCIS****************

Jethro had been sitting out on the porch waiting for Tim to come home, for some reason the phone call he received from Morgan unsettled him and he wanted to make sure his lover was ok. He was currently sitting in the dark nursing a mug of hot coffee when he saw Tim's car pull into the driveway, he stood up and slowly made his way down to meet his partner. When he neared the car, he stopped and stood broken hearted at the way Tim's elbow rested on the door at the bottom of the window, Tim's left hand cupping his forehead as his full body convulsively shook with the sobs that were obviously tormenting him right now. Jethro gave him a couple of minutes and reached out to open the door, his gut twisting at how jumpy Tim was at that moment.

'Hey hey, Sorry Timmy. Hey, talk to me, you alright?'

Tim laughed loudly and nodded.

'J, I'm pregnant and hormonal. You decide'.

Jethro huffed out a short laugh and helped Tim out of the car. He could tell how bad Tim's back was at that moment and reached back to place his hand in the small of his lover's back in order to rub small circles as they made their way inside.

'What's going on Tim, talk to me'.

'Nothing J, Oh....erm....listen, Derek and Tony are coming over for Dinner on Saturday night'.

Jethro's eyes widened and he grabbed Tim's arm to stop him.

'How.....wha.......How did you get him to agree to that?'

Tim looked over at Jethro sheepishly and sighed, he really didn't want to do this right now and the pull of going to bed with a nice muscle relaxant really did sound appealing.

'He didn't, Derek said he'd get him to come because we need to talk. Is that ok?'

Jethro laughed, not a small chuckle, but an all out, gut busting laugh that soon had Tim chuckling alongside him.

'That's fine Timmy, That's absolutely fine. Hell, if it gets you two to talk then I'm sure I can rustle something up. How's he doing?'

Tim and Jethro started to walk again and soon found themselves sitting on the larch couch in their lounge.

'He looks like shit warmed over J, but he's doing better apparently. I left him eating soup and going to get some rest'.

'Yeah, that's good. Timmy, look I'm sorry ok. It's just been a shitty day and when I got home and heard you talking to Ziva, well you know what happened. Just do me a favour and don't take off like that again, I've been worried sick'.

Tim shuffled forward on the couch and sat rubbing his back.

'Sorry J, I was just getting royally pissed at being ignored and when we argued...........Well you've heard the saying about the straw that broke the camel's back'.

Jethro nodded and noticed how stiffly Tim was sitting on the large couch. He stood up and pulled Tim to his feet.

'Yeah, I have but you know it's supposed to be figurative right? How about a back massage Tim?'

Tim's eyes widened and he felt a complete surge of horniness run through him, the thought of Jethro massaging his aching muscles made his cock twitch. He pulled Jethro into him and assaulted his lover with a passionate kiss. He pulled away and winked at Jethro.

'Sounds good, but does it have to stop at that J, You know I haven't had any in weeks'.

Jethro giggled and gazed into Tim's clear green eyes, he could see the pupils were blown with arousal.

'It's not like we've been up to much recently. You sure you're up to it now Tim?'

'I'm sure, I want you J, I want you in me'.

That last statement sent jolts of pleasure to Jethro's cock and he felt his trousers straining against the increasing pressure and he pulled away and tugged Tim towards the stairs.

****************NCIS****************

Tim was lying on his side with a pillow in between his legs, he was currently feeling torn between a feeling of sheer relief and contentment as Jethro gently massaged away the kinks that had formed from Tim over exerting himself. The other feeling he had was sheer arousal, his hard cock pushed into the pillow every time Jethro massaged another kink out. He practically keened when Jethro moved away from him only to let out a small 'ooohh' when Jethro gently pushed one slick finger into Tim to start stretching him gently, Jethro soon had three fingers inside Tim and felt Tim pushing back. He crooked a finger and started to rub Tim's prostate over and over again.

'Oh god, J........right there......Oh god I'm gonna.......Nnnngggghhhhh'.

Jethro's eyes were now completely blown, the fact that he had made his Timmy come just from the penetration was a sight to behold, he knew for sure Tim would soon be ready for another round and continued his ministrations through the aftershocks that wracked Tim's body.

'J, I want you in me NOW....'

Jethro lined up and started to push in to Tim but was met with resistance when Tim placed his hand on Jethro's hip.

'Not like this J, I want to see your face........'

Jethro could almost hear Tim blushing and rubbed his hand over his lovers bump.

'Like......Like we used to. I like seeing your face when you come'.

Tim stood slowly and turned to push Jethro over onto the bed, a stray thought entered his head as he straddled his lover and he soon found himself in fits of laughter.

'Timmy? What's so funny?'

Tim calmed down and looked down at Jethro's confused face.

'Nothing J, it's silly. We don't use this position much and all I've got rolling through my head is Ride em' cowboy'.

Jethro giggled alongside Tim as he gently massaged his bump before moving his hands up to gently pinch Tim's nipples.

'Well ye-ha lover boy, how bout you come here and give this old cowboy some lovin' because ya know he's awaitin'.

Tim leaned forward to kiss Jethro but hissed when his nipples were tweaked slightly.

'Sorry, they're a bit sensitive at the moment......'.

Jethro pulled his head up to meet Tim's lips and reached down to help guide Tim down onto his hard cock, he groaned with pleasure when Tim slid down easily, his cock buried so deep in Tim that his balls were nestled against Tim's skin.

'Oh my god, that feels so good J'.

Jethro raised his hands as Tim's bump got in the way of him leaning down to get any kind of purchase, Tim looked down gratefully and grabbed his lovers hands, his long fingers entwining lovingly as he used their knotted hands for leverage and moved himself up and down, every movement impaling on Jethro's hard throbbing cock. He shifted forward slightly and screamed when the hard member struck his prostate.

'Oh, mmm, J I'm gonn..........Arrrghhh, Jethro, yeah.........'

Tim came explosively and his movements because erratic and furiously fast as the never ending stream of seamen coated Jethro's chest. Jethro could feel his balls contracting as Tim's tight muscles contracted over and over again against his erection and it wasn't long before Tim felt his hips start to move and heard the grunting that usually signalled the impending orgasm.

'Shi...Tim, so good.........Oh yeah Timmy ...........Tim'

Jethro came and Tim felt his warm seed fill him, the feeling was comforting and he keened his approval.

Tim rocked back on his heels before lifting himself carefully off Jethro so he could lie down and nestle his body against his lover. Jethro had his arm wrapped protectively over Tim's shoulders though his other hand was still entwined happily with Tim's.

'I miss this J'.

Jethro hummed his approval and kissed the top of Tim's head.

'Me too Timmy'.

Tim was just drifting off to sleep, his usual full body pillow had been replaced by Jethro and he was contented, sated and sleepy. As his mind started to shut off, he heard a low rumble resonate through Jethro's chest and looked up to see him laughing.

'what so funny?'

'Timmy, you and your damn cowboys'.

Tim frowned and raised his head and furrowed his brown in confusion, he wasn't expecting the next quote to come out of his lover mouth, but once it did it left the two of them giggling like school girls.

'Well Tim, Get off your horse and drink you milk'.

****************NCIS****************

HI guys, well here it is, another chapter. We had a hell of a lot more to put into this, but it was starting to move more into mammoth size chapters we have had the last couple of times.

Oh, and there's 10 points up for grabs if anyone can tell us where Gibbs' last quote came from and who said it.

PS â€" don't forget to click that little review button, you know how much me and Alisa love hearing from you all

co-author's note: due to family issues for me, this will be the last chapter posted for a little while....I'm sorry to do this you, because you've had some slightly long waits recently for the last couple of chapters...but, I'm sure....you can understand.....just so you, we ARE working on future chapters....just be patient with us....and please, DO review we want to hear from you.

thanks & enjoy your EASTER. *

alisa & shelbylou

Tim was thrown out of his nightmare and woke to find Jethro hovering over him looking worried. It had been a while since he had nightmares, but the events of the past few weeks and his growing worry about the birth had been pushing his stress levels through the roof. He lay there with a cold sweat covering his skin and tried to calm his breathing down.

"Timmy, hey, you ok?" Jethro's face appeared in his line of sight and he cringed slightly internally at the look of sheer concern on it.

Tim nodded and held out his hand to his lover, he was at the stage now, that short of rolling off the bed, there was no way his enormous bump would let him sit up unaided. Jethro stood up and grabbed Tim's hand to make short work of pulling him into a sitting position. Tim groaned at the pull in his back and pulled Jethro down into a bone shattering hug.

"You want to tell me what's going on, what were you dreaming about?"

"This one was about the birth, I had a dream that he.....Jesus, I can't do this J, I can't......there's no way he's going to fit through there."

Jethro laughed and thought back to their last doctor's appointment where they had put the birth plan in place. Tim had opted for the natural birth and they had already set down the plans that were soon going to be actioned. He had the birth plan memorised and was busy running through it in his mind as he held Tim firmly. No matter what, after the months of his lover carrying his child, he was going to stick to that plan and make sure Tim got all the support and love he needed to get him through it.

Birth plan for Timothy McGee

Tim is 33 and pregnant with his first baby. He plans to give birth in hospital and a very succinct birth plan wanting to stick to the things that are most important for him. He has opted for a natural birth with C-section only being an option if absolutely necessary.

Birth companion/s

Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Partner and medical proxy)

Dr. Donald Mallard (Physician)

Pain relief
Relaxation and breathing techniques for as long as possible. Birthing pool, though not for the delivery; Gas and air, pethidine and a Tens machine. No epidural unless needed.

Monitoring
Intermittent monitoring -- not continuous electronic monitoring if at all possible.

Interventions
As few as possible â€" he doesn't want forceps or suction cup unless absolutely necessary.

Delivery positions
On all fours or on back with stirrups.

Other notes
This birth plan is not meant to be rigid and Tim is happy to change it with discussion, if any issues occur in labour. Tim has also specified soft Jazz music to be played throughout to help with relaxation and has specified the following tools:

Bath/Birthing pool

Labouring Ball

Stereo

Patient is aware of the possibility of needing an enema and has signed the consent forms for medical interference if needed. There will be a medical presence in the room in the form of a midwife and a doctor given the high risks that accompany male pregnancies.

Those conditions had been burnt into Jethro's mind and he vowed that whatever Tim wanted, Tim would get given the fact that he had painstakingly carried his child all these months.

Tim pulled away and glanced over at the clock, it read 6am and he huffed out a sarcastic laugh.

"How's that for an alarm clock J. You wanna help your heffa boyfriend into the shower?"

Jethro swatted Tim lightly on the back of the head and stood to help Tim out of bed.

"Heffa my ass Tim. Come on, there's still enough room for two in there."

He giggled at the mumbled 'just about' and led his stiff, sore lover to the bathroom. They were both soon enjoying the feel of a lazy morning shower together and Tim leaned forward with both arms folded on the tiles so he could rest his head. Jethro reached over and squirted shower gel into his hand and used it to slowly massage Tim's back eliciting a groan of sheer pleasure out of him.

"You feel ok today Timmy?"

"No worse than I have been. Just stiff and sore and you're son is trying push my internal organs out of the way to make room in there. Apart from that, I'm peachy."

Jethro shook his head and frowned, Tim's tone was light but he knew how uncomfortable his lover had been feeling recently and that fact disturbed him.

"Not much longer now Tim and you'll soon be back to normal."

"Yeah, I know. The problem is, it's the transition in-between that has me worried."

Jethro wrapped his arms around Tim and kissed Tim on the shoulder.

"There's always another option Timmy."

"No J, not unless I take 6 weeks to recover. I now it's coming and I'm excited. The birth just scares the shit out of me a little bit."

"We'll get through it Timmy, you've got me there and I'll do what I can to make you comfortable ok? Come on, we're pruning and I need a coffee."

****************NCIS****************

Tim and Jethro were sat in the kitchen ten minutes later eating breakfast. Recently Tim had discovered a god awful craving for cereal and a glass of milk in the mornings which had amused Jethro no end.

"Daddy's reverting back to childhood I see."

"May as well make the most of it because after this one's born, it's back to the diet for me. You know how hard it's going to be to shift this don't you?"

Jethro chuckled to himself and moved behind Tim to start massaging his shoulders. The problem Tim had, was the fact that he spent a good amount of time before the pregnancy trying to lose that little bit of excess weight he had always carried and he'd succeeded. Tim was lucky in a way, and whilst packing a few extra pregnancy pounds, most of the excess weight was around the vast bump his partner was now sporting.

"Mmm, that's nice."

"I know it's going to be hard Tim and I know you're scared, but no matter what I love you and as long as you are both healthy then that's all that matters."

He followed his comment with a patented head slap and stepped away to grab his coffee from the counter.

"Ow. J, what the hell?"

"That's for thinking you're fat and for being stu..." He was interrupted by his phone ringing.

"Yeah Gibbs."

"Gibbs, it's Director Vance. I need you to come see me when you get in."

"There a problem Leon?"

"I need to discuss Ziva and McGee's attitudes with you before she comes in."

"Ok, I'll be there."

He snapped the phone shut and looked over at Tim with a solemn look on his face.

"You ok J?"

"Yeah, Vance wants me to meet him this morning to discuss you and Ziva." He watched as Tim's face fell and walked over to crouch down in front of him.

"It'll be ok Tim, he can't go overboard with the punishment and yours will be a walk in the park compared to Ziva's."

Tim nodded and stood up slowly with a wince.

"I know J. Hey listen. Do you mind if I go see my parents today. I haven't seen them in a while and want to see them before..."

"Just be careful ok?" He waited for the nod and kissed Tim chastely on the lips before heading out of the door to work, leaving Tim sitting there grinning broadly at the prospect of getting to see his family. He always worried about Tim driving recently but thanked his lucky stars that Tim was currently driving something safer and more comfortable than his Porsche having conceding to buying something more suitable for families........The Porsche was still parked in the garage though because even Jethro had to admit to loving the feel of driving that baby.

****************NCIS****************

Gibb's walked into the bullpen and dumped his bag on the floor next to his desk. It was weird knowing that there wouldn't be anyone inhabiting the desks around him and it was eerily silent in his part of the office. He looked over at Tim's desk and smiled briefly and the thought of his lover at home carrying his child. He was pulled out of his reverie by the director's voice floating down from the balcony above.

"Agent Gibbs, I expect you in my office in 10 minutes. Make sure you read your emails."

Gibbs sighed heavily and booted up his computer. It didn't take him long to realise why the director was so keen to speak to him and he sat back sighing heavily. There was obviously something going on with Ziva given Tim's reactions to him being so damn stubborn. What he couldn't figure out was exactly what it was and that bothered him. Clicking print, he waited before collecting the document and walking up to the director's office.

"Leon." He greeted the director with a sharp nod of his head.

"Jethro sit down. We have a lot to discuss." Jethro sat in one the large office chairs and placed the email in front of him.

"I see you've read our little complaint."

"Yeah, and I don't know what we can do about Leon."

"I've got an idea, but I need to talk to you about Agent McGee first."

Jethro felt his walls shoot up around him and had to fight to keep his hackles from rising. It was one thing he knew was coming and early on in their relationship, Tim and Jethro had vowed to keep their relationship out of the office. Granted it had been difficult the past few months with Tim being pregnant, but it hadn't ever been an issue before and truth be told, it wasn't too much of an issue early on in the pregnancy.

"Go on."

"I understand that whilst his actions were mild in comparison, I still feel I need to reprimand him."

Jethro nodded sadly and waited for the director to continue.

"I don't think he needs any more pressure at the moment, so I'm not going to call him in but I am going to write him up and knock him back to probationary agent for three months upon his return after paternity leave."

"That's a bit harsh Leon, he..."

"Disrespected his senior agent in front of another agency. I think that in itself merits a write up. The fact that we are currently down another field agent because he had a minor breakdown over the attitudes of his colleagues serves to act as a reason why the punishment stands as it does."

Jethro couldn't argue with that, though he knew Tim would take the news badly.

"Ok, I'll give you that one Leon, but do me a favour and hold off callin' him until I get the opportunity to speak to him myself."

"Wasn't planning on calling him Gibbs, He'll get an official letter and a date for a meeting on the first day of his return to work. The letter won't arrive for a couple more days which gives you ample time to talk to him about it all."

Gibbs nodded, there was really nothing he could say without sounding biased so sat and listened like the good little lemming the director wanted him to be. He didn't like it, but then again neither would Tim. All they had to do was sit and ride out the torrid 3 months of being probationary agent and hope that Tony wouldn'trazz Tim too much.

"Ok, I'll talk to him but you have to be available if he wants to discuss it with you. Don't dismiss him because he's off work sick."

"Paternity Gibbs."

"Doesn't start for a month or so. Right now he's signed off on sick leave."

The director looked slightly abashed at being corrected by his insubordinate and nodded curtly. There really was no point in arguing the point seeing as Gibbs was right and all he had to do was pull Tim's personnel file to see that.

"Right; Probationary Agent Ziva David. As you can see we have an issue with email that was sent by SSA Derek Morgan, though I'm going to admit to being confused as to why an FBI agent seems fit to issue a complaint like this one."

Gibbs new damn well why Derek had done what he had done but it wasn't his place to be divulging that kind of personal information. So he kept quiet and reached over to pick up the email. He started to read it again having only briefly flicked through and scowled hard at what he saw.

To: Leon Vance; Leroy Jethro Gibbs

CC:

BCC: Aaron Hotchner; Erin Strauss

From: Derek Morgan

Subject: Grievance

Director Vance

I would like to file an official grievance about the treatment of Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo. It has come to my attention over the past few months that Agent DiNozzo has been met with nothing but contempt from his team mates.

There are separate issues that need to be addressed, the main one being the complete disregard for the temporary status Agent DiNozzo had been granted in absence of his team leader. I am appalled to have witnessed the event that took place between Probationary Agent Ziva David and Special Agent DiNozzo and feel as though the whole debacle has left a stain on the relationships between the two agencies.

It has not painted NCIS in a good light which has served to do nothing but add increasing pressure to a case that is already stressful enough and without the much needed resources, will continue to be highly stressful.

I would like to say, that the events that have already been outlined in previous conversations cannot be ignored and have resulted in the Agent DiNozzo's slight Mental breakdown and a loss in confidence that we cannot afford to lose right now. In short, the complete disrespect that has been shown by Probationary Agent David was escalated by the violent outburst she had in the men's bathroom and I would appreciate it if you would look into this matter.

I have sent copies of this email to both my Section chief and Director Strauss who will contact you in due course.

Yours

Supervisory Special Agent Derek Morgan.

FBI

Gibbs huffed out the breath that he wasn't even aware he was holding and glanced up towards the director.

"This isn't good Leon, it's gone to Strauss."

"That I know Gibbs and have already been on the phone discussing the options we have. She has agreed to let us continue to work with them on this case and we seriously need to use this as an opportunity to really shine and get our reputation back on track. Now we have Ziva on suspension, I believe you and Tony can take the slack and rein it in. I'll have a TAD assigned to do the donkey work for you both so you can both concentrate on solving the case."

"So this has turned into an ego stroking session for the FBI?"

"No, it's turned into a damage control exercise because we fucked up Gibbs." Leon's angry voice filled the room.

"Ok, so where do we go from here?"

"I'm putting Ziva on 3 months suspension without pay and some sessions with the agency therapies. I'm also suggesting she follow some kind of anger management programme. She will also get an official reprimand in her file as will Agent McGee, though McGee's will only be on there for a year and Ziva's will be permanent."

"Must be bad to get a permanent black mark."

"It is bad Agent Gibbs, don't underestimate the damage that has been done here. This whole shitty situation has had a knock on effect that threatens to topple our status as one of the best crime fighting agencies out there and I have to be seen to be doing something. I'd appreciate it if you could talk to Agent David and arrange for a meeting between the three of us to discuss her actions."

Gibbs nodded his understanding and let his thoughts trail back to the profiles that Agent Hotchner had done on his team. They hadn't been good, and that teamed with the problems now had made NCIS look like fools.

"Understood. Is there anything else?"

"No, that's all." Vance waited for Jethro to get to the door "Oh, there is one other thing. How's Tim doing?"

"Do you really care Leon, let's not pretend you give a shit when you are against his lifestyle and the fact that he is pregnant."

"Let's just say my wife helped me be a bit more understanding of the matter. You didn't answer my question."

Gibbs huffed out a sarcastic laugh and rubbed his hand across his face.

"He's ok, just nervous about the birth and this has got him rattled. Emotionally he's up and down because of the hormones and his back gives him grief on a daily basis. He's bored shitless with being at home all day and can't do the simple things because of the strain it might put on him."

Vance laughed loudly; he remembered every single part of his wife's pregnancies that Jethro had just explained.

"So all in all, the pregnancies going well, my wife had exactly the same issues going on at that stage, but say's it's all worth it in the end."

"He knows that, doesn't make it any easier on him now."

"No it doesn't, but you can assure him that it's all worth it when you get to hold that little one in your arms for the first time. I've got some calls that I need to make so if you'll excuse me."

Gibbs nodded and made his way to his desk to ring Ziva and organise a meeting.

****************NCIS****************

Jethro walked down the stairs into the bullpen wondering how the hell he was going to broach the subject with Ziva. He knew it had to be done, but the fact that she was a prickly character at the best of times just made it difficult. He remembered the evidence that Abby was working through and decided to go down and see her before making that dreaded call. He strode over to the elevator and pushed the call button waiting patiently for it to arrive, there was one stop he had to make first and even he had to admit, the caffeine injection from his favourite coffee shop would be welcome right about now.

He walked out of the building and turned to walk down the street, smiling slightly, he thought back to Tim and realised, that in the grand scheme of things, the last of his lovers worries would be a write up and being busted back for a few months, hell, with the baby coming Tim's time would be pretty much taken up by their son........their son, he liked the sound of that.

****************NCIS****************

Jethro walked into the lab carrying two coffees and a large Cafpow for Abby. He smiled at the low level of the music and watched intently as Abby and Penelope Garcia hunched over the workspace talking animatedly about something that was obviously not work related.

"....so here I am, helping you guys out and picking up the slack for Tim whilst he's out. It's hard because I'm currently answering to two agencies and trying to work on the cases that come along."

"I hope you get the recognition you deserve Pen, it's not easy filling in for someone."

Jethro hear Garcia chuckle slightly.

"Nope, but my babies always take care of me and I've got you to keep me sane here Goth girl."

This time it was Abby's turn to laugh.

"And I'll always be here too. Hey, what do you think to this? It's too cute."

"Perfect. Abby, we need to do the games."

"Yay games. I love the games that are out there. Ooh Ooh, I've got the perfect one but we need pictures of everyone as a baby to play."

"That sounds interesting, do tell."

"We hold out the pictures for everyone to see and they have to guess who the baby is. It's fun and a good laugh because everyone gets talking about that particular baby shot. There are usually some embarrassing ones in there too."

Laughter rang through the lab as they discussed their devious little plan.

"Ok, I'll give you that one. What about the diaper game. We split the guests into teams and they have a small amount of time to put a diaper on their selected team mate. It's good fun, what with the 1 minute time limit, it's interesting to see how everyone fares."

"I like that one. Ooh can you imagine Gibbs in a diaper."

The giggles were too much so he silently moved behind the two of them to see what they were up to. Spread around on the work surface, were various blue items and decorations for a baby shower and he cringed, it was one thing for these two to be excited, but another to foist a party on Tim.

"Keep imagining Abbs, because it's never going to happen."

Abby almost leapt a foot out of her chair at his voice but her shock was short lived when she realised he was back. She stood up and wrapped her arms around him in a bone breaking hug not paying attention to the drinks that Garcia had just rescued from his hands.

"Abbs, need to breath."

"Sorry Gibbs. How's Timmy? I need to go see him but haven't been able to get away recently."

"He's doing good, having nightmares about the birth and his back's still playing up but apart from that he's ok. Said the baby's going to be a soccer player given the amount of kicks he's been gettin'."

Abby bounced with delight, she loved the fact that there would soon be a new addition to the brood and her excitement was almost infectious.

"I will say though Abbs, a baby shower probably isn't the best idea right about now so how 'bout we hold off."

Her face fell, it was one thing that she really wanted to do for them seeing as the past few weeks had been stressful and it hurt slightly that Jethro had basically rained on her parade.

"No way! After all the stress, this is exactly what everyone needs and Timmy's not going to be pregnant forever so we need to do this now."

"How do you know we're gonna stop at one." Jethro couldn't help the small smile.

"It's his first Gibbs, we're doing this and there's nothing you can do to stop us."

"She's right Gibbs, come on what harm can it do." Garcia couldn't hold back any longer, she loved Tim and was enjoying every minute or organising something for him.

"Ok, Ok. Jesus, you two don't give up do ya. Just nothing over the top. Keep it simple."

Abby's indignant pose soon melted away leaving her bouncing around happily. Jethro reached round her and grabbed the Cafpow and one of the coffees and handed them over to both of the ladies.

"Thanks. How did you know Garcia was down here?....No, I don't want to know, it'll ruin the magic that surrounds you."

Jethro was getting inpatient, there was something else he needed to do right now and felt better knowing that his girl was more than ok.

"Abbs, I've gotta go ok. Don't spend too much time on this. Garcia, thanks for stepping up to the plate and helpin' with Tim's side of things, surprising how lost we are without our Geek in the office."

That comment landed him a hard punch on his arm from Abby and he reached round to grab his coffee before he turned to walk out of the lab to make that dreaded phone call.

"Gibbs, Gibbs." Jethro stopped and turned round to look at Abbs.

"You know the shower's at your place don't you."

"Yeah Abbs, I know."

With that, he walked out with a huge grin on his face. No matter what, he could always rely on his Goth to make him smile, though that smile soon faded at the thought of what he had to do next.

Damn it Ziva, why do you have to make it so hard.

Ziva sat alone in her apartment staring blankly into oblivion as thoughts of the whole, torrid affair ran through her mind. She knew there would be a punishment involved. Shit, it was a distinct possibility that she would find herself without a job, but it was worth it........or was it, was the price she paid too high?

She was torn, every fibre in her body wanted nothing more than to go back to Tony to see whether or not he was alright because she had been a woman possessed and the guilt was eating away at her, every pang worming its way to her heart like a diseased maggot gorging on deadened flesh. She was broken, there was no denying that and she had no idea where she could go from here. Mossad? No! That option had recently been taken away from her, not that she'd ever go back anyway. NCIS? Maybe, that is if she hadn't been fired. She sighed heavily and swiped at her face harshly to wipe away the tears that started to flow freely down her cheeks. She was pulled out of her reverie by the shrill ringing of her phone, picking it up, she felt a moment of sheer panic when she realised that it was her boss ringing her. She answered, trying to keep her voice steady and calm.

"Hello."

"Ziva, its Gibbs. Can you talk?" Jethro's tone was cold, something that didn't go missed by Ziva.

"Yes Gibbs. What can I do for you?"

"We need you to come in for a meeting this afternoon Ziva, it'll just be you, Me and Director Vance."

"My punishment?" Her voice faltered slightly at the realisation that her fate would soon be disclosed.

"Yeah Ziva, can you make it?"

"Yes. Gibbs....Boss, please, I need to speak to you before the meeting. It's important." Ziva's totally un-characteristic pleading melted Jethro's heart for a second until he thought back to the state that Tony had been in and the fact that he had actually argued with Tim over his Probationary agent.

"Why Ziva? Do you even understand the full impact of your actions at this moment or are you going to try to justify what you did. I gotta tell ya, if it's the latter then you can forget it."

She hadn't realised that she was holding her breath and exhaled with a large sob.

"I understand fully what drove me to do what I did. It is you that does not realise why, something I'm hoping to rectify. Please Gibbs, I need to explain."

"McGee knows doesn't he?"

"Yes."

"Are my partner and baby at risk Ziva?" Jehtro's tone had gone quiet, too quiet and it made her heart stutter painfully. "AGENT DAVID! If they are at risk then I need to know now!"

"They are not at risk, they will not be harmed." Her reply was earnest and cut through the rising panic that was palpable in Jethro's tone.

"Meet me at the usual coffee place at 11.30am."

"I'll be there....Gibbs?" She paused waiting for his acknowledgement.

"Yeah."

"Thank you."

****************NCIS****************

Jethro sat in the coffee shop waiting for Ziva to arrive. He was antsy, no one could deny that, but it was something he had to do. It was purely curiosity at what his Probationary Agent had to say for herself that kept him sitting there nursing his second cup of coffee and as the time ticked on, he had a gut feeling that she wouldn't show. For the first time, his gut was wrong as Ziva practically ran up to him.

"Gibbs, sorry I was stuck in traffic. Can I get you another coffee." She was out of breath at her speedy stint from her car and desperately needed a drink.

"I'm good Ziva. Go grab yourself a drink and we'll talk."

He watched as she moved away and waited patiently for her to come back, he didn't have to wait long and she was soon making her way over with a large coffee and a bottle of water. She sat down heavily and opened the water to take a long slug.

"So, what do you want to talk about Ziva?"

She put the cap on the bottle and set it down on the table before turning her full attention to Jethro.

"I feel as though I should at least try to explain my actions. They were so out of character and I have had some time to think about them."

Gibbs shook his head.

"Not out of character for you Ziva. Exaggerated yes, but out of character? You have a temper, we know that. Whatever made you see red that day better have a damn good reason attached to it."

Ziva's mask slipped slightly and she had the good grace to look slightly abashed at his comment. Yeah, she did have a temper but she didn't usually do anything like she had, she was just scared.

"I am frightened Gibbs. I have some issues with my father at the moment that is, as Tony would say, stressing me in."

"Out Ziva, it's stressing you out. You wanna elaborate?"

"Not really, you just need to know that it was the only way in which I could keep Tony safe." She glimpsed a look of worry as it passed over his face "No one else is in danger Gibbs, Tim and the baby are safe. You are safe!"

Gibbs shook his head.

"I'm not worried about myself Ziva, but if this hurts anyone else then I'm gonna worry about it." Ziva nodded sadly. "That includes you Ziva, you know that don't you?"

"Why? I can look after myself."

Gibbs huffed out a sharp laugh.

"Yeah? Really? Because from where I'm sitting you're scared shitless about something that you won't tell me about and you've hurt one of the people that put their lives on their line to drag your sorry ass back from Somalia. So why don't we try that one again!" Gibbs was pissed, what was it about Ziva that made her think she wasn't as important. For fuck sake she was on his team and he never left a man behind.

"Huh. That was something I wasn't expecting."

"yeah, I'm just full of surprises. Look, as soon as this little issue of yours hits home again Ziva, I'm not going to hold back and will come down on you so hard; you won't know what's hit you. That clear?"

"Crystal. I do have one question, well two actually."

"Go on."

"How's Tony?" Her concern was genuine which did nothing but twist the knife further into Jethro's gut. He had no idea what the hell was bothering her, or why she did what she did to seemingly protect Tony. None of it made sense but he knew that pushing the prickly Ex Mossad would do nothing but make her clam up.

"He's doing ok. Tim went to see him the other day and managed to start sorting it out with him." He watched Ziva nod sadly, she did look relieved though which was a good sign, at least she felt slightly remorseful.

"And Tim? How are he and the baby doing?"

"You know that Ziva, you speak to him practically daily." She smiled at his comment and nodded.

"Yes I do. He has been my rock."

"And it's that reason that makes me worry. If anything happens to him or my son as a result...."

"Nothing will happen to them. You have my word Gibbs. The problem was that Tony and I were da..."

"Dating? I don't understand, Damn it Ziva why are you being so damn evasive."

Ziva felt the tear prickle again and sucked in a deep cleansing breath.

"My second question..."

"You've asked me two already?" Ziva laughed softly at his comment and shook her head.

"If the time comes when I have to walk away, then I need you to let me go this time. After Rivkin died...After Somalia, you came and you saved me, but sometimes people can't be saved so promise me you will not try."

"I can't promise that Ziva. Tony? He's a different story. I won't lie to you, I'm royally pissed at what you have done and the way in which you have treated Tony. You have shown nothing but hatred, disrespect and contempt and have managed to show him up in front of anther agency. That's not easy to forgive."

Ziva gazed down at her coffee before deciding to close the conversation.

"What time is my meeting."

Gibbs looked at his watch and sighed, they had 20 minutes to high tail it over to head quarters.

"Soon, we should be going." He reached over and grabbed Ziva's hand "whenever you feel you can come to me, I'll listen ok? But if you pull a stunt like that again, you're ass is mine."

She nodded morosely and picked up her coffee. With a curt nod, she made her way to her car and go in feeling a deep rooted sense of dread at what was going to happen.

Jethro sat there watching her leave and shook his head sadly, he couldn't help the thoughts that ran through his head at the time....

Damn she's gonna be hard work, I'll be keepin' my on that situation!

Jethro walked into NCIS and showed security his badge, he had no idea why it felt as though he was walking that green mile to the director's office, but he did. After the conversation he'd had with Ziva, there was something that just wasn't sitting right; something was off and his gut was telling him that no matter what, he had to find out before the situation started to affect everyone he cared about...Especially Tim and his son.

"Gibbs?" Ziva's voice had gotten smaller and smaller as they reached the door and she seemed to be shrinking into herself "What if they send me home. I can't go home."

"I doubt they'll do that Ziva. Come on, you've gotta face up to it sooner or later."

"I know Gibbs, but I can't...I just don't want to be sent back to Israel." Her edgy pleas made Jethro stop and round on her; he had no idea why she was so adamant about staying in the U.S. but there was a tinge of fear to her voice that made his gut clench.

"I don't think they'll deport you because of this Ziva. Now listen up, me and you are going to have a damn good talk because for some reason you're shit scared of something and I wanna know why. Right now, we've got a meeting to go to so come on." He wrapped his hand around her bicep and gently guided her into the building. She could almost feel the scornful looks of the other team when they reached the bull pen and hung her head low.

"I cannot do this. Everyone now hates me; please just let me go."

"No! You've done wrong and now you are going to face up to everyone. They don't hate you Ziva, they just don't understand what the hell happened. Listen, to be honest, no one knows what's going on, well no one outside the team anyway. The people that were here just know Tony collapsed so come on Ziva, I haven't got all day."

Ziva followed him up to the director's office and sat in one of the chairs facing the assistant's desk. It was strange; the feelings of deep rooted fear that she now felt were a stark contrast to the usually brusque, stoic agent she had fought hard to become.

"Agent Gibbs. Da'vid." The Director's voice greeted them from the door to his office letting them know that he was ready for them.

"Leon. Where do you want us?"

"Meeting table's fine. Can we get you anything?" Jethro held up his coffee to let Vance know he was good and glanced over at Ziva.

"I am fine. Thank you."

"Good, well take a seat and we'll get started shall we." Vance sat down in one of the chairs and waited patiently for his two agents to settle down.

"I'm not going to beat about the bush or waste time on pleasantries. Probationary Agent Da'vid, I presume you know why you are here?" He watched as Ziva nodded her head.

"Yes."

"Then I presume you know that your actions were totally unacceptable and have put this agencies reputation in an extremely compromising position. Your actions have not only caused physical and emotional injury to your superior, they have put our relations with the BAU in a spin. Do you have any idea what you have done?"

"With all due respect, I don't see how my actions could affect the relationship between NCIS and the BAU." Ziva's petulant voice rang true across the meeting table and left Jethro scowling.

"AGENT DA'VID! Back down."

"Gibbs I..."

"No Ziva, cut the attitude. Jesus, don't you think you're in enough trouble as it is." Jethro watched Ziva deflate as her actions sunk in.

"I am sorry. "

"Ziva, you really have no idea do you? Well let me fill you in. If it wasn't bad enough that you undermined DiNozzo's authority that way, you then physically and verbally abuse him in the bathroom. The mens bathroom I hasten to add. That was done in the presence of Special Agent Morgan of the BAU who had deigned to raise a formal complaint against you. That is something we will not take lightly."

Ziva nodded at the statement and glance up at the director.

"I understand and I am sorry for everything that has happened."

"Do you?" Vance locked eyes with Ziva and held his gaze until she looked away with discomfort.

"Do I what?"

"Understand."

"More than you will ever know Director Vance. What is my punishment?" Ziva couldn't see the point in going over everything again and was anxious to find out exactly what was in store for her.

"We'll get to that. Now do you want to explain exactly what happened?"

"You know what happened. I'm not proud of my actions, but I cannot take it back now." Gibbs glared at Ziva from the other side of the table.

"Ziva, what the hell is going on here? You need to tell us before you completely screw your career up." Gibbs was pissed and all this pussy footing around was making him antsy.

"Gibbs, I can't..." Ziva's hands flew up to emphasise her point. There was no way in hell she could disclose the secret she was holding; even thought it was killing her.

"Like hell you can't. Ziva, we need to know so we can help."

"You think you know what it is like? Well you do not. Please, give me my punishment and do not ask me anymore questions."

"I see your attitude hasn't improved Da'vid. Well then, in lieu of recent events and the formal complaint you are now officially suspended from duty without pay for a total of one month. In that month, you are forbidden to contact any of your team or staff here at NCIS." Vance paused to let the information sink in "You will also have a permanent reprimand in your file which will stay with you for the remainder of your employment with us and will be fully disclosed should you seek further employment."

Ziva nodded her head in agreement and glanced down towards the floor in shame.

"What about McGee. He is not in work at the moment and has been a good friend. Will I be able to contact him?"

Jethro's eyes narrowed at the request; he didn't want Ziva to cause him any more undue stress given the stage of his pregnancy but he also knew that Tim would be more upset at the verdict.

"Leon, Ti...McGee isn't likely to return to work till after his paternity leave." Vance glare at Gibbs and narrowed his eyes slightly at the interruption.

"What part of 'Team'and 'staff'do you not understand? Last time I looked, Agent McGee was still on the payroll."

Jethro was about to answer, but felt Ziva kick his shin under the table. He glanced over at her and watched as she nodded tightly and pursed her lips before replying.

"Understood."

"You will also have to go through a full regime of anger management classes and sessions with the psychologist; both of whom are obliged to report directly to me if they feel you are not making progress." Ziva's head shot up at that last bit of her punishment and Gibbs could see the panic in her eyes.

"But that information is confidential, they cannot tell you what I say."

"No, but they can inform me if they feel you are not progressing or are a threat."

"Ziva, this isn't up for discussion, you know that right." Jethro's calm voice cut through her horror and she nodded. "It's for your own good."

"I know Gibbs. It's just...I have never done well with psychological examination."

"Well you may not have a choice in the matter. It is part of the terms I'm laying out on the table. Now, you will receive a formal letter outlining everything that has been said today alongside the dates for your appointments. Should you need to discuss this further then please contact Cynthia and she'll arrange for an appointment. Dismissed."

Ziva and Jethro stood and left the director's office in silence and Gibbs could almost feel the shame rolling off his probationary agent.

"Ziva. With me"

"What? Why? I'm..." Ziva looked at him with a defiant curiosity in her eyes that betrayed her true feelings.

"Because I say so Da'vid. With me NOW!"

Ziva followed him down the stairs and walked to the elevator and could feel people's eyes boring into her; she kept her head hung low with shame and knew that it would never be the same for her here again. She stopped at the doors next to Jethro and waited for them to open knowing damn well that he was going to flick the emergency stop so he could talk to her; she wasn't wrong and as soon as they started moving, she felt the familiar lurch as they came to a stop.

"You've gotta stop this, Ziva. You're not helping yourself with the way you are acting." Jethro's soft, emotionless voice struck her hard and she visibly flinched.

"Stop what? I don't know what else to do. I am shamed and will not be able to redeem myself easily, yes?"

"That about sums it up." Jethro decided that it was best to be honest rather than beat about the bush "But it's not a total loss. Ziva, you know as well as I do that things can be sorted but it 's gonna take a lot of hard work on your part."

Ziva glanced over at him and saw the crystal blue eyes scrutinising her reactions. She felt something shift at that moment; something strangely comforting that made her want to redeem herself and build the bridges that she had burnt down with her actions.

"I will try." She shook her head sadly "I am not sure how, but I will try."

"Ziva..." Gibbs ran his hand through is hair with frustration "I've asked you before and I'm gonna ask you again. Is Tim in danger? Hell, are any of us in danger?"

"No. Tony is no lon..." She stopped what she was going to say and shook her head. In one moment of weakness, she had very nearly blurted out what was going on.

"Fuck! Ziva talk to me. Tony's no longer in danger? That's what you were going to say right? What about everyone else? What about you?"

"No. I am not in danger and neither is anyone else." She shook her head sadly "McGee has been my rock and I love him dearly for being there but I have asked too much of him and will let him be so that he can enjoy the rest of his pregnancy in peace. I am sorry for..."

"Tim wouldn't have it any other way. He likes to know his friends are okay and do what he can. But you've got to remember that he's heavily pregnant at the moment and the past couple of months haven't been easy on him." Jethro interrupted her and hoped that she took on board what he was saying.

"I know and I am sorry for adding to his burdens. I will not contact him again as Director Vance has requested."

"What? Ziva listen to me. I know you don't have many friends here in DC and I know what you gave up when you left Mossad. If you wanna call, then call. I won't tell vance; just don't put my family in danger. Any of them."

Ziva understood the warning and nodded. She had tears in her eyes at his kindness and tried desperately to rein in her emotions.

"I will try, Gibbs. I cannot promise more than that."

"That's all I ask Ziva." With that, Gibbs reached over and flicked the switch to get the elevator moving once again.

****************NCIS****************

Tony woke up with a hazy, thick feeling in his head. The events of yesterday left him feeling more emotionally and physically drained than he ever had before. He shifted slightly and moaned when his bladder told him that it needed attention.

"Shit."

He swung his long legs out of the bed and sighed heavily as he sat there perching on the edge. Glancing at the clock on the nightstand told him that it was 5.30pm. He shook his head knowing that he had pretty much slept the day away with Derek.

"T?" Derek's sleepy, muffled voice startled Tony slightly but when he turned he couldn't help but grin at the sight of Derek hugging his pillow.

"Go back to sleep. I just need to pee."

"what time is it?" Tony wasn't even sure whether or not Derek was fully awake and the slurred tone confirmed that.

"5.30. I'm gonna hit the head and I'll be right back."

Derek sat up enough to lean on his elbow and frowned at Tony's hunched up appearance.

"You alright, Babyboy?"

"I think so." Tony stood and started to walk towards the bathroom "Just...you know. I'll be back soon."

Derek watched Tony walk to the bathroom and flopped back down on the bed. He had pretty much spent the night nursing Tony through numerous nightmares which had eventually led to his boyfriend feeling emotionally wrought enough to cry with frustration. They had then sat up talking until late in the morning and had finally rolled over and gone back to sleep at about midday. Right now, tiredness reined and even though the afternoon nap had been uneventful, the lack of sleep the night before laid heavily on them. He heard the toilet flush and the sound of the faucet running and waited for Tony to walk back in. It didn't take long and he soon felt the familiar dip in the bed.

"Come here." Derek had rolled onto his back and held out his arm to lure Tony close.

"Hmm..." Tony lay down with his head on Derek's shoulder and felt security wrap round him as Derek wrapped his arm round him. "That's nice."

"Good. You sleep better?"

"Yeah. I'm just...you know."

"I know. Oh, hey. McGee and Gibbs want us over for dinner tomorrow night. You up for it?" Derek threw the question out there with the hope that he wouldn't be making the phone call to say they couldn't make it. He flashed Tony his hundred kilowatt smile when the Italian glanced up at him.

"Dinner? Urgh..." Tony dropped his head heavily on Derek's shoulder "Why?"

"McGee asked us over and I thought it might be a good idea. Told him I'd ask you first though."

"Huh. The guy's seven and a half months pregnant and he wants us over? He's a glutton for punishment." Tony chuckled slightly; the very action lightening Derek's heart slightly.

"Nah. I think he's bored, I mean come on. He's gonna be stuck at home for the foreseeable future and Gibbs has to work." Derek kissed Tony on the top of his head "And I think he misses his best friend. He's really sorry for snapping, T."

"Alright." The reply was so quiet that Derek had to strain to hear him. If the truth be told, Tony did want to speak to Tim and wanted that friendship back.

"Yes?"

"Yeah."

"Cool. I'll send McGee a text message to let him know." Derek pulled out his phone and started tapping out the message.

"I don't know what to say to him. I know he wasn't the one causing all of this, but I still feel as though he let me down." Tony's admission shocked Derek slightly.

"He was in Pain, T. Give him a chance because you know how much it took out of him coming here the way he did yesterday."

"I know. Did he get home okay?"

"I rang Gibbs to let him know that his wayward lover was on the way home. I haven't heard otherwise so I guess everything's fine." Derek sighed "Just give him a chance."

"I'll try."

Derek tightened his grip on his lover and kissed the top of his head.

"You won't regret it, T."

****************NCIS****************

Jethro pulled up to the house and sighed when Tim's car wasn't there. He knew that his lover had gone to see his parent's, but he still worried about the fact that Tim was out and about and wasn't getting the level of rest that he needed. He cut the engine and stepped out but just as he was closing the door, Tim's car pulled into the driveway making him grin. His smile was returned as he walked over to the other car and opened the door.

"Have fun?" Jethro held out his hand to help his lover out of the car.

"Guess so. Mom and Sarah Clucked; dad was normal and Jethro got spoilt rotten. At the sound of his name, the Alsatian jumped out of the car with his tail wagging, earning him an enthusiastic greeting from his namesake.

"You feeling okay? You look tired."

"I'm good. Just rea...re...ready for a bath and a nap." Tim yawned halfway through his sentence earning him a chuckle from the older man.

"Come on. I might join you in that bath if you're lucky."

"Promises, promises." The playful tone earned Tim a loving cuff around the back of the head. "Hey!"

Tim followed Jethro into the house and started to climb the stairs. He stopped half way up with a groan that had Jethro glancing in his direction.

"Timmy?"

"Braxton Hicks. Nothing to worry about." He carried on up the stairs feeling guilty for worrying his partner over nothing and missed the deep frown on Jethro's face as he struggled to climb.

Once in the bedroom, he shucked off his shoes and made his way to the bathroom to start the bath running.

"You want bubble's or oil?" Tim shouted out as he turned on the faucets and picked up the two bottles that were now a permanent fixture in the bathroom. It was one thing that he had to give up on having the hot water soothe his muscles but there was no way he was giving up on this little bit of luxury.

"No need to shout, I'm right behind ya." Tim felt Jethro's arms wrap around him and leaned back comfortably against his lover's chest. He couldn't help but Grin when Jethro smoothed his hands down his vast pregnancy bump. "We got any of that oil left?"

Tim knew the one he meant; it was the one that Abby had mixed especially for him knowing that it would help him relax. When Tim had asked what oils she had used, she was sheepish and refused to let him in on her 'trade secret'. Needless to say, it did smell good and helped him relax no end. Tim raised his right hand with the small bottle in it.

"We've got enough for tonight. Abbs said she'd mix some more for us." Tim reached over and poured what was left of the oil into the bath before leaning back again with a groan as his back pulled painfully.

"You sure this is just Braxton hicks? I'm gonna call Duck and..."

"This is my back and yeah, I'm pretty sure I'm not in labour. You remember what the doc said when we saw her last." Jethro moved back and put his hand on Tim's arm to turn him round. Once Tim was facing him, he pulled him in for a hug and started to massage Tim's back; he couldn't help but wince at the tightness he found there.

"No wonder. You're muscles are so tight I'm surprised you can walk at all."

"Maybe I over did it a little bit today." Tim admitted sheepishly. The day had completely taken it out of him and all the walking he had done was causing his back to spasm with pain. "We kinda went shopping this morning whilst dad took Jethro to the park and lost track of time."

"What the...Please tell me you wasn't on your feet all day."

"Not all day. We stopped for lunch." Tim groaned when Jethro pulled back and glared at him "Come on, J. It wasn't that bad."

"Bad enough to hurt your back! No arguments. Duck is gonna check you over." Jethro's tone told Tim he was serious and left Tim shaking his head with amazement at how protective his lover could be.

"Can I at least have my bath first?" Tim offered a rueful smile which seemed to melt Jethro's hardened frustration.

"Only if..."

"I let Ducky come over and check to make sure our son hasn't decided to make an early appearance. I promise. Now come on, help me in because seriously, I'm struggling with this as well now." Jethro helped Tim strip out of his clothes ad stood back to admire his naked lover. "Quit it, J. You know how self conscious I am at the moment."

"Even with me?"

Tim chuckled lightly "Especially with you. I finally lose all the weight and felt good about myself; hell, you made me feel good about myself and now I'm right back at square one. You know, mom and Sarah actually tried to convince me I was glowing. In the middle of a shop!"

"You gotta love em and you'll always be sexy to me. So, what did you buy?" If Jethro was going to be honest, Tim did have that kind of radiance that's associated with pregnancy...Not that he'd ever admit it to his lover; not after the look he got last time.

"Me? Nothing. I don't want to get anything without you being there. Mom and Sarah though, Jesus, I don't think our son is going to need clothes for a long time."

Jethro grabbed Tim's outstretched arm and helped him into the warm bath.

"You leave them in the car?" He smiled at the look of pure bliss on Tim's face. Tim nodded and chuckled.

"The trunk is full. They didn't listen to me at all when I told them we didn't need that much."

"Sounds about right. We'll get them later but for now..."

"You're gonna join me in the bath?" Tim looked up at his lover with hopeful eyes and playfully pouted when Jethro shook his head.

"Quit pouting, Timmy. I'm gonna call Ducky and then join you in the bath."

Jethro walked out of the bedroom and pulled his phone out of his pocket before starting to strip. He pulled off his shirt and sat heavily on the bed to ring Ducky.

"Hello, Dr. Mallard."

"Duck, Its Gibbs."

"Jethro. Is everything alright?"Gibbs felt a twang of guilt at calling his old friend because he knew that the M.E. was wound tight about the stress that Tim had been under.

"I think so. Listen, can you come over and check on Tim in about an hour. He's had some cramping and his backs playing up."

"Cramping? How bad?"

"Not too bad. He said its normal but I'd feel better if you came over."

"Of course. Jethro, be careful and keep an eye on him. I'm sure it's just a case of him having Braxton Hicks contractions but until I get there, I'm going to need you to watch out for the signs we talked about. Just a precaution mind you, so don't start worrying."

Jethro thought back to that conversation and was surprised that he remembered pretty much everything that Ducky told him to watch for.

"Will do, Duck. I think his back is the way it is because he's over done it today but I wanna be sure."

"Oh dear, the boy will never learn."Jethro smiled at the chuckle on the other end of the phone "Regardless, I'll look him over anyway. See you in an hour."

The phone went dead and Jethro shook his head at the voice that travelled in from the bathroom.

"Now that you've finished playing mother hen, get your ass in here because there's something else that I wanna talk to you about." Jethro sighed heavily and quickly stripped off the rest of his clothes. When he reached the bathroom, Tim was sitting up waiting for is lover; something that made Jethro chuckle slightly. As the older man climbed in the large tub; He frowned at the temperature of the water and glared down at Tim.

"Isn't this too hot? I though..."

"It's fine. I even checked with that damn thermometer you insist on." To emphasise his point, Tim Picked it up and waved it slightly before dropping it back into the bath. "You'll see."

"I believe ya. What do you wanna talk about?" Jethro slipped down behind Tim and let his partner settle back against his chest. He wrapped his arms around Tim's waist and let his hands rest on the bump. Tim sighed contentedly and completely melted into Jethro.

"When we were out, we stopped for coffee and mom kind of blindsided me with something that got me thinking."

"About?" That got Jethro's curiosity going and he cocked his head to the side to get a better view of Tim's face.

"About the fact that it is now legal for same sex couples to marry in D.C." Tim flushed slightly and shook his head before giggling. "You should have seen them. I swear, when they gang up on you like that there's nothing that you can do but sit and listen."

"Is that a proposal, Timmy?" Jethro leaned down and nuzzled at his lovers neck.

"In the bath? Not exactly the most romantic thing is it? So no; but I would like to...you know...some day. We're practically married as it is." Tim grabbed Jethro's left hand and fiddled with the ring that he wore. "I love you, J. I'm about to have our son and want you to be my husband; not just in spirit, but legally."

"That sounds like a proposal to me."

"Huh, guess it does doesn't it? It's not like I could get down on one knee anyway at the moment." Tim felt Jethro's laugh rumble through his back.

"Well, how about we get you through the birth and then we'll start looking into it. How does that sound."

Tim sighed with contentment and nodded his head.

"I'd love that, J."

****************NCIS****************

Ducky opened the front door to his friend's house and quickly rid himself of the light jacket that he was wearing. He had long ago had the go ahead to come and go freely but still paused in the hallway to announce his arrival.

"Jethro? Timothy?"

"Up here Duck." Jethro's call floated down the stairs and the M.E. made his way up to his friends. When he reached the bedroom, he smiled when he saw Tim sitting cross legged on the bed.

"Timothy. How are you feeling?" He noticed that his young, heavily pregnant friend was still slightly damp after his bath and had foregone the t-shirt to sit there in nothing but his pyjama bottoms.

"Better now I've had a bath."

"Still say it was too hot." Jethro grumbled his complaint as he walked out of the bedroom. "And you shouldn't sit like that. It makes you're back worse."

"Jethro." Ducky's warning startled his friend and he shook his head when he saw Tim stick his tongue out at his lover. "Now Timothy, you know the drill."

Jethro helped Tim lay down on his back and sat down by his side carding his fingers through his lover's hair. Ducky made quick work of palpitating the bump and laughed when the baby kicked at his hand.

"Still active I see. Well, the baby hasn't engaged which is a good sign. Have the pains stopped?"

"It's not really pains. Just tightening. It kinda knocks the breath out of me a bit though." Tim decided that honesty would be the best policy here and smiled ruefully at Ducky. "You don't have to..."

"I'm afraid so, my dear boy. So, lift your hips a wee bit and roll onto your side." Tim lifted his hips and flushed red when Ducky scooted his pants down.

"I love it when you get all embarrassed, Timmy." Jethro's playful tone earned him a scowl.

"Yeah well. I just hope you're not the one having to do this next time."

"I can't have kids. You know that."

"The tests aren't foolproof you know."

Ducky chuckled at the banter and helped Tim roll onto his side. Instead of his pillow, Tim used Jethro's legs as the support he needed. It was soon over and the Tim heard Ducky remove the glove with a pop.

"Jethro, Timothy is definitely not in labour. I believe our boy is getting quite adept at recognizing Braxton Hicks. I will say though, Timothy, Your back muscles are painfully knotted." Ducky probed Tim's sore back and frowned. "I think it may be prudent to take your muscle relaxants and pain killers tonight and I want you to rest as much as you can tomorrow because you appear to have over done it a little bit today."

"Tony and Derek are coming for dinner tomorrow night, Ducky. I can't spend all day in bed because we'..."

"I'll go get the groceries so you can rest." Jethro knew how much Tim was looking forward to spending the day with him but didn't want to put Tim at risk. He helped Tim move onto his back again and leaned down to pull his lover's pyjama bottoms back up again.

"I know but I really wanted to go with you. We don't get to do things like that very often." Tim was practically sulking at losing that bit of time with Jethro.

"Timothy, look at it this way. You rest tomorrow and by the evening you will be able to enjoy the meal without being too tired or in pain. Trust me, dear boy. I'm a doctor." The twinkle in Ducky's eyes seemed to help Tim calm down and he could see the exact moment his young, heavily pregnant friend conceded to spending the day in bed. "If you wish, I will come over and keep you company whilst Jethro goes out to get the groceries."

"Thanks Ducky, I'd appreciate that."

Ducky patted his bump and stood up.

"Well gentlemen. Now that my house calls are over, I am going to go home and get some sleep. What time do you want me to come by?"

"About 12 Duck? Why don't you join us? You can stay the day and eat Dinner with your family." Jethro threw the invitation out there knowing that his friend had gone out of his way to come over and put his mind at rest.

"Ah, I have plans for tomorrow night but thank you. I shall see you tomorrow." With that, he left leaving Tim and Jethro sitting in the bed. Tim yawned loudly and started to doze off but was nudged by his lover.

"Come on Timmy. Under the covers and I'll go get you some water so you can take your pills."

"Come on J! It's still early."

"It's coming up to nine and you're exhausted. You heard the doc, rest!" Tim sat up with Jethro's help and scooted up the bed so he could climb under the covers. Once Jethro got him to take his pills, it wasn't long before Tim was laying down with his body pillow comfortably manipulated so he could lay on his side to use it for support. Within minutes of Jethro pulling the comforter up to his shoulders, he was out like a light.

"Sleep well, Timmy." With that, the older man bent down and kissed his lover on the forehead.

****************NCIS****************

Jethro left Tim sleeping peacefully and walked downstairs to retrieve the file that he had left on the kitchen table. He understood that Derek had helped him out by phoning when Tim was on his way back the other night, but he still had that nagging feeling that bugged him. He knew damn well that he was acting like an over protective father, but he wanted to check out the man Tony had taken as his own. He poured himself a coffee and carried the file into the living room so he could sit and read the profile that Tobias had sent over in comfort.

Name: Derek Morgan

Position:Supervisory Special Agent (SSA), Temporary Interim Unit Chief (Stand in for SSA Aaron Hotchner during sebatical)

Date of birth: 20 April 1970

Age: 30

- Morgan is a confident and assertive character and will stand up for the things that matter to him.

- Black belt in Judo and runs the FBI self-defence classes for both Agents and the general public.

- Has previously served in a bomb squad unit with the Chicago Police Department after attending Northwestern University. He gained his undergraduate and Law degree from the afore mentioned University.

- Specialises in crimes pertaining to obsession and has a wide knowledge of explosives.

- Good team player.

- Has been sexually abused in the past which has led to some trust issues in recent years. This came to light when he was offered the position of head of the New York field office but turned it down when his superior, SSA Hotchner failed to recommend him for the job claiming the trust issues would hold him back.

- Watched as his father was shot down when he was 9 years old and gained a juvenile criminal record for fighting before meeting Carl Buford who took him under his wing and acted as a surrogate father to Agent Morgan. This was the man who sexually assaulted Morgan (as previously mentioned)

In Summary, Derek Morgan has proven himself as a true team player. He has a good working relationship with his peers; especially Dr. Spencer Reed and Penelope Garcia. His trust issues have been known to hold him back at times, though he has made considerable progress in trusting people without too much fear of being let down. It is understood that these trust issues stem from being sexually assaulted by the man who he grew to love as a surrogate father; something which has had a lasting impact on him. Despite this, he has excelled in trying to overcome his fears of rejection and holds people he loves and trusts closely.

The one downfall, Agent Morgan does hold is the fact that he tends to be impulsive and that has been a common theme throughout his career; in recent years, he has been known to drive a bomb to safety and has stood his ground on numerous occasions. Each time was for the benefit of his team and with a total disregard for his own safety.

Recently, he has made claims to being in a relationship and it has been noticed that his demeanour has changed considerably. He is more relaxed and focused and the quality of his work has continued to exceed expectation of his superiors.

All in all, Derek is an asset to the team.

Gibbs sat back and sighed heavily. There was information in there that he knew he shouldn't have been privy too, but he was glad he was and the insight that the short profile provided managed to melt away any bit of doubt he had that Tony's lover would hurt him because by the sound of it, Derek Morgan was loyal to a fault and his recent actions had proven him to be supportive.

"J, you coming to bed."

The sound of Tim's sleepy voice travelled over to him from the staircase and startled him. When he turned, he frowned at the sight of Tim standing there rubbing at his stomach. Jethro stood up with a concerned frown on his face.

"You okay, Timmy?"

"Yeah, just wanted some water and saw you sitting there. What're you doing?" Tim descended the last few stairs and made his way into the kitchen knowing his partner would follow.

"Just going over a profile. Why didn't you call?" Jethro manoeuvred Tim to the kitchen chair and got the water out of the fridge. All of a sudden he was struck by the thought that Tim hadn't eaten yet and swapped it for a glass of apple juice. "You want a sandwich?"

"Hmmm. That would be nice." He watched as Jethro pulled the stuff out of the fridge "I thought you'd be in the basement working on your special project."

"I'll give you that one but my little project is nearly done." Jethro finished the sandwich and put it in front of Tim "Eat that and we'll go to bed because you look as though you could sleep for a year; that and Duck told you to rest."

"I was, but woke up and you weren't there. The bed was cold without you and I was thirsty."

Jethro frowned at Tim and sat down beside him. "Blood sugar?"

"No. Just haven't had enough to drink today. I'm fine, J. You worry too much." Tim started to eat his sandwich; it was delicious and he soon managed to finish it all off. Jethro knew that Ducky had checked it earlier as part of his ministrations, but still worried about Tim having a hypoglycaemic reaction.

"Thanks. That was really good." Tim was genuinely grateful for the special treatment he was getting and watched as Jethro took the plate and put it in the dishwasher."Come to bed, J."

"Come on then. We've got a big day ahead of us tomorrow."

"Well, you have. I get to lounge about in bed all day getting my kidney's kicked by your son." Jethro helped him stand and pulled him into a hug.

"How is he my son when he's playing soccer with your organs?" Jethro chuckled slightly.

"Because you don't get to feel it from this angle." Tim grumped before winking at his partner.

"Yeah, but you wouldn't have it any other way."

"I know. Love you, J." Tim kissed Jethro sensually and pulled away to look over his lover's handsome face. Jethro smiled warmly and pulled him in for a hug.

"I love you too, Timmy."

Jethro woke up slowly still spooned up against Tim. His knee was covering the leg that wasn't draped over the full body pillow and one arm was resting over his lover's side on the vast bump. He nestled his nose into the base of Tim's neck and sighed happily knowing that no matter what, he had exactly what he needed right here...his life partner and his son.

He glanced up over Tim's shoulder and looked at the clock on the nightstand; 0530, there was no way Jethro was getting up at this time on a Saturday morning and decided to snuggle until he felt ready to get up.

"J? You alright?" Tim's sleep muffled voice made Jethro grin; he loved it when Tim was all sleep mussed and relaxed.

"Yeah. Sorry, didn't mean to wake you."

"S'ok." Tim snuffled slightly and drifted back off to sleep. Jethro let his partners rhythmic breathing sooth him and soon fell into a peaceful, comfortable sleep wrapped around the person that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.

****************NCIS****************

Ducky stood at Jethro and Tim's front door knocking loudly. He'd been standing there for the better part of twenty minutes and frowned when he got no answer; sure he was early, but the fact that it was now 11.45 and there was no answer from his friends concerned him. He put down his bag and pulled out his cell phone to ring Jethro.

"Yeah, Gibbs." Jethro sounded as if he'd only just woken up when he answered and it struck ducky that he might have just woken his friend up.

"Jethro. I apologise for waking you, my friend but it's a quarter to twelve and I believe I was going to keep Timothy company whilst you ran you errands."

"What?...Oh shit." Ducky heard the rustle of material and Tim's sleep laden voice question his lover. "It's alright, Timmy. We slept in and it's nearly twelve...Jesus, Duck I can't believe we slept in this late. I'll be down in a minute."

"No rush. I have coffee and lunch for us all, though I think you may prefer something from the breakfast menu seeing as you have just woken up." Ducky chuckled warmly into his phone. "And by coffee, I should probably say I have gotten Timothy a decaf mocha that he seems so fond of recently. That is, when he's not drinking his tea."

"He'll appreciate that Duck. I'm at the door now."

Ducky heard the line go dead just before the door was unlocked and opened to reveal his sleep rumpled friend standing there with the worst bed head he had ever seen. With a grin, Ducky made his way into the house and headed towards the kitchen. Jethro followed with a yawn and settled himself down in one of the kitchen chairs.

"I see you slept well. I do hope you didn't keep that young man up last night, Jethro. He was supposed to be resting." Ducky chastised lightly as he passed Jethro his large, strong black coffee.

"We did. He went to sleep when you left but got up to get some water and something to eat a couple of hours later. We went to bed straight after and must have slept for longer than I thought."

"So it seems. I take it Timothy is awake?"

"I'm up, Ducky." Tim walked stiffly into the kitchen holding his back; something that made both the older men winch and frown with sympathy.

"Good morning, Timothy. I see your back is still bothering you."

"Not really. I think I just slept in the same position all night and I'm a bit stiff." Tim made his way over to Jethro and tried to lean down. "Damn...You need to come to me, J."

Jethro stood up and gave Tim a good morning kiss before moving behind him and gently massaging his back. Tim groaned when one of the knots released.

"How is that even possible? It was relaxed when we went back to bed."

"Yeah, and the extra weight I'm carrying up front has done nothing for the curve of my spine. Seriously, it's the new posture that is killing me right about now."

Jethro had to admit that as the months had gone on, Tim's spine had curved to accommodate the ever growing bump and the extra stress on his vertebrae was making the muscles tense painfully to support the extra weight.

"Timothy, why don't you wear the pregnancy girdle any more. There was a time when you wouldn't go without it but recently..."

"I haven't really been out much to wear it and when I went out yesterday, I guess I forgot." Tim shrugged his shoulders and looked sheepish at his answer. "I'm paying for it now though."

"Then why in the world haven't you got it on...and don't deny the fact, young man. The way you are carrying yourself is a give away to the fact that there is no extra support."

"Duck, come on he's just got up. Tell you what, you get the lunch...breakfast, whatever, set out and I'll take my stubborn boyfriend upstairs to help him put it on."

"J, I don't nee..."

"Yeah, you do." Jethro guided Tim back towards the bedroom and left Ducky setting the table so he could dish out the fresh, deli sandwiches he had bought with him. When they reached the bedroom, Jethro grabbed the girdle and the muscle relaxants from the dresser.

"Here. Take these, put this on and then spend the rest of the day relaxing."

"I don't want to spend it in bed, J. I get bored." Tim took the tablets and grabbed the bottle of water off the nightstand before swallowing them down.

"Then spend it on the couch with Duck. We've got a big T.V. down there. Watch a movie."

"Now that sounds like a plan. Wonder what he likes to watch. I'm guessing some kind of murder mystery."

"No idea. I didn't really watch movies before you so I couldn't tell ya." Jethro handed Tim the girdle and stepped back "Get that on and see if it helps. If it doesn't I'm gonna mention it at the next doc's appointment."

Tim shook his head and raised his eyebrows "You worry too much."

"Someone's gotta look after you and I'm not planning on giving that up any time soon. Live with it, Timmy."

Tim chuckled and wrapped the girdle round his waist. It looked awful, but as Tim fastened it at the underside of his bump, he felt the extra support instantly take some of the pressure off his back. He adjusted it so that it was comfortable and sighed happily.

"Better?"

Tim nodded "Yeah, Thanks."

"Good. Now come on. You've got your favourite decaf mocha crap downstairs and Duck's bought lunch."

"Favourite decaf mocha crap?"Tim couldn't help but tease at that comment knowing that Jethro thought it was a crime to add milk or cream to coffee.

"Yeah and you know it! I don't know how you drink that stuff."

"Hey, it's good and it's nowhere near as bad as that rotgut you call coffee. I have no idea how you're body doesn't constantly vibrate with the level of caffeine in it." Tim shook his head.

"Guess I got used to it." With a shrug, he held out his hand and guided Tim to the bedroom door.

The two of them walked down the stairs hand in hand to spend time with Ducky before Jethro had to run his errands. When they reached the bottom of the stairs, Tim felt a tug on his hand as Jethro stopped in his tracks and turned to see what was wrong.

"What?"

"Nothing, Timmy. I'm just thinking how lucky I am."

****************NCIS****************

Derek and Tony were walking around the grocery store to pick up a few essentials that they needed. Well, ok. It was more than a few essentials and the cart was overflowing with enough groceries to keep them going for the next week.

"You sure we need all this, D?" Tony was busy scrutinizing the stuff that Derek had thrown in.

"Hell yeah, baby boy. If you think you are going to live off take out when you are with me, then you have another thing coming." Derek leaned forward and stole a kiss. "I've been bought up with a house full of women and they managed to show me a thing or two when it comes to cooking. Hell, my mom is the meanest cook you'll ever meet."

"I'll look forward to it. When's that again?" Tony chuckled slightly and leaned in get another kiss.

"As soon as this damn case is wrapped up so we can take that leave time we talked about. Anyway, what fruit do you like?" Derek picked up a mango and inspected it.

"Fruit? Er..."

"T. Come on, you need to start eating more of this stuff and it's easier if you get the stuff you like."

"Ok, ok." Tony held his hands up in mock surrender and grinned. He pointed to the fruit in Derek's hand. "I like mango's but only if they're firm. Can we get some cherries and strawberries? Oh and maybe some raspberries, yeah, that's what I like."

"Sure. You go grab them and I'll go grab a watermelon." Derek watched as Tony moved over to the berries and laughed at the confused look on his lover's face...Damn, he was out of his comfort zone. He was startled when he heard a low, gruff voice greet him from behind.

"Morgan. What're you doin' here? Don't tell me you got DiNozzo in a grocery store?"

"Gibbs, hey. Yeah, can you believe it? I'll have our boy trained before you know it."

Jethro laughed and shook his head at the sight of an oblivious Tony trying to pick his fruit.

"Now that's gotta be a first. You guys still okay for tonight?"

"Sure am. Listen, I was gonna ring you but seeing as you're here I'll just tell you." Derek reached into the trolley and grabbed a couple of ingredients out. "I make a wickedly tasty chocolate fudge cake and was gonna make dessert for us all. That is, if you haven't got anything planned already."

"Nope, not a thing and Tim would love you for that. Recently his sweet tooth has kicked in and anything chocolate seems to be his poison." Jethro shook his head at the memories of him trying to limit the amount of chocolate his lover ate, Oh yeah; the glucometer was being well used recently.

"Sounds perfect for him then, I've even got some vanilla ice cream freezing as we speak." Tony chose that moment to glance up with 3 punnets of strawberries, cherries and raspberries in his hand and made his way over with a smile.

"Hey, boss. How's it going?" He glanced at Derek and noticed him eyeing the pineapples. "Hell no! There is no way one of them is making its way into our apartment."

"Aww, Come on, T. I love pineapples."

"Then you better not kiss me with that on your lips because, ewww." Tony scrunched up his face at the thought making Jethro laugh.

"Never been one for the dreaded fruit, DiNozzo?"

Jethro saw the flash of fear that crossed through Tony's eyes but saw that he was making the effort. He felt the knot of tension in his gut release slightly.

"Not really. Boss.." Tony leaned in as if he was starting some kind of conspiracy. "You gotta save me from the fruit. What's wrong with Pizza?"

"Come on, Baby boy. Nothing's wrong with Pizza, just not every night." Derek jumped in.

"Sure. Hey, boss. You didn't tell me how things are going."

"Good. McGee's backs playing him up, but apart from that he's alright. Thanks for taking care of him the other night by the way. I appreciate that, because the damn stubborn fool sure can't take care of himself when he's in that mood."

"No worries, Gibbs. I couldn't let Probie go without resting first. His back's still bad? He gonna be okay for tonight?" Tony was genuinely concerned for Tim and couldn't help the big brother instinct that kicked in. Truth be told, he was hoping Jethro was going to say tonight was still on because once he'd warmed to the idea, he had found himself looking forward to being able to relax and, hopefully, talk things through with Tim.

"Yeah, he's good. Duck's got him on the muscle relaxants and pain killers and we've got him wearing the girdle again. He wasn't too bad this morning and managed to get a good few hours in last night." Jethro offered up a small smile to the two young men in front of him. "Listen, DiNozzo. He's lookin' forward to trying to make it up to you tonight. He hasn't said anything, but I can see it in his face. He misses you."

"I miss him too, Boss. You want me to be honest?" he waited for Jethro to nod his head "I'm lookin' forward to being able to clear the air. I know why he did what he did and don't want that to come between us. It wasn't as bad as...you know. Anyway, we'll be there." He placed the fruit in the basket and shook his head before turning to look at Derek. "Now have we got enough?"

"Yeah, Baby boy. We've got enough." Derek turned to Jethro. "We'll see you at six?"

"Six is good. Hope you like steak because I've got the grill ready."

"Sounds good. We'll see you later."

Jethro watched the two younger men move towards the check out and shook his head. Tonight was going to be interesting, but hopefully it would provide them with enough relaxed conversation and friendship that they would be able to repair whatever damage had been done to the relationship. He carried on with his shopping feeling lighter and more at ease with the dinner, knowing that it was the one thing that would finally make Tim completely relax.

****************NCIS****************

Tim was sitting on the couch next to Ducky and had his feet resting up on the coffee table on top of a cushion. The two of them had settled in to watch an old Movie that was showing on cable with popcorn and some homemade lemonade that Ducky had brought with him. As Tim watched, he found his concentration lapsing more and more as his questions ran rampant through his mind.

"Ducky. Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course, my dear boy. What seems to be the problem?" Ducky turned his attention to Tim and smiled warmly at him.

"It's not really a problem. Well, it is, but not really." Tim frowned slightly. "It's just that...I've been having these nightmares about, you know...the birth."

Ducky chuckled at the sheepish look on Tim's face.

"And you are starting to worry about it."

"No... Yeah... I don't know. I mean, I'm really looking forward to finally holding my son but the thought of popping out a baby his size is kinda scaring me. I mean, how the hell is that going to work?" Tim threw his hands up in mock defeat making Ducky laugh at the action.

"Timothy, it's perfectly natural for you to have reservations, but I assure you that you will stretch naturally to give birth to the little one."

"Little? He's huge and how?"

"Ahh, the old age question. Granted, this little one is slightly larger than most, but it's not uncommon. In men it works slightly differently given the placement of the birthing canal. Now, I could tell you the mechanics of what will happen or I can try to reassure you that you can indeed facilitate the size of your son."

Tim laughed loudly and shook his head.

"I really don't need to know the mechanics. That would freak me out more. He's going to be alright though, isn't he?" Tim's brow knitted into a frown and Ducky watched as he shook his head. "Sorry, Duck. These dreams have got me a little bit...You know."

"It's perfectly normal. Most expectant mothers or fathers experience them at some stage of the pregnancy. I have no doubt in my mind that the little one is going to be healthy, loved and will have you and Jethro wrapped round his little finger. When is your next doctor's appointment?"

"Um...a week on Monday." Tim shrugged. "They're going to do another scan just to be on the safe side but apart from that it's just going to be a normal appointment."

"Good. Well, I think it's going to be a good idea for you to sit down with them and discuss your birth plan in detail. Now is the time when you want to start bringing together, especially seeing as you are moving into your eighth month."

"I know and I'm pretty much set on the plan I have. Are you still alright to be there? I mean, I don't want to put you under any pressure, it's just that..."

"Heavens, Timothy." Ducky jumped in and cut Tim off mid sentence "You really are a worrier. I am honoured that you have asked and I would like nothing more than to be there to help you bring your son into the world."

"Thanks. That means a lot." Their attention was pulled away by Jethro walking in with the groceries he had bought. He grinned broadly at the sight of his lover relaxing with his best friend and dropped everything off in the kitchen before making his way in.

"So, what're you two talking about?"

"Nothing, we were just chatting. You get everything?"

"Sure did. I picked you up some of that non alcoholic beer so you don't feel too left out." Jethro moved and sat next to Tim on the couch before reaching out and stroking his hand down the bump.

"Thanks. Ducky, you sure you don't want to join us tonight? You're more than welcome."

"I know I am and thank you but unfortunately I can't. I have plans that unfortunately cannot be broken. I will however, stay for the coffee that I know Jethro is going to make."

Jethro tried to glare at the M.E. but found it hard to maintain given the mischievous look that he had grown fond of over the years. He shook his head and grinned broadly.

"I'll just go make the coffee then, shall I?"

****************NCIS****************

Tony handed Derek the fruit that they had bought and cocked his head slightly. With a wicked grin he narrowed his eyes and moved behind his lover as he placed them in the fridge.

"You know how much fun we can have with them?" He moved his hands down to cup Derek's backside and squeezed gently.

"Yeah? Hmm, I think my boyfriend has a kink for fruit." Derek turned and pulled Tony in for a deep, sensuous kiss.

"Who doesn't like food play? I could blindfold you and feed you fruit just before having my wicked way with you."

"Blindfold me? Now, let me think about that one...Ok, I've thought about it and I like that idea. But, for now I need to get this cake baked because no doubt Gibbs has told McGee and if he's got a sweet tooth, then he's gonna be looking forward to it." He nuzzled Tony's ear and nipped at the lobe.

"Oh god." Tony's breathing hitched slightly at the attention. "You know he can't eat too much sugar right?"

Derek pulled back with a confused frown on his face. "Why?"

"He's a border line Gestational diabetic." Tony shrugged "Probably why he's craving sugar right about now. It'd kill me!"

"He'll be alright with the chocolate cake. It's only this once." Derek dived in for a fierce kiss and Tony could feel his erection pushing against his groin. "Anyway, you like food play? Just think about what I could do with chocolate frosting. I can layer you..."

He was interrupted by his cell phone ringing and dropped his head onto Tony's shoulder. He pulled out the phone and read the caller id. "Damn, It's Strauss. Sorry baby. Hold that thought...or erection." He added with a wicked grin.

"Yeah, Morgan."

"Agent Morgan. I'm sorry to call on a Saturday but we've got a slight problem here that we might need your help with."

"Problem? Director, is it going to involve me coming in this weekend because I've got something really important that I need to do."

"No. Not this weekend, but you are being recalled to Quantico for the week." Derek scowled at the news.

"Why?"

"I'll debrief you first thing on Monday morning. Agent Hotchner has approved your absence from the team."

"Yes Ma'am. I'll be there."

"Excellent. Good evening, Agent Morgan. Have a good weekend." Derek flipped his phone closed and shook his head sadly.

"What?"

"I've been recalled back to Quantico next week. I have no idea why, but I won't be around. Will you be alright?" he moved forward and cupped Tony's face.

"Of course." Tony grinned and snorted out the laugh that Derek soon came to know as his facade, his mask when he wasn't happy about something.

"No you won't. Look, I'll try to get back in the evenings, alright. I'm sorry." Derek kissed Tony again before laying his head on his lovers shoulder. "Damn, I hate this."

"Look, D. It's your job and no doubt the roles will be reversed at some point. Don't sweat it. Just...Just be on the other end of the phone."

"Always, Baby. Always. So, how about I show you how to bake."

"Show me? I'm not good with anything kitchen based, D."

"You'll learn." Derek grabbed Tony's hand and pulled him over to the counter to finish packing away the groceries and prepare the cake.

Jethro attached the gas bottle and glanced up just in time to see Tim bend down to add fuel to the patio heater.

"Hey, I'll do that, Timmy. Come on, sit down."

"J, you can't expect me to sit down and let you do everything." Tim said with exasperation.

"Sure you can. You've been doing more than you think for months now, so relax while you can."

"Urgh, I hate feeling usel..." Tim was cut off by the doorbell ringing.

"Not useless, just need to take it easy." Jethro glanced at his watch. "They're early."

"Well go let them in then. We can have a drink before Dinner." Tim smiled warmly at his lover and followed him into the house. "I'll grab the beer."

Jethro walked to the door and opened it to find Tony and Derek standing there hand in hand looking nervous. "Come on in. Tim's just getting the beer."

"Thanks, Boss. Beer? Probie allowed to drink?"

"Nope. He's go that non-alcoholic stuff."

"Now that's just cruel." Derek jumped in with a grin. "Taking away caffeine is bad enough, but beer?"

They all laughed loudly and turned at the sound of Tim's voice as he waddled up behind them.

"It's not that bad and trust me; it ain't worth the famous Gibbs glare."

"Boss, you don't. Come on, in the office sure, but at home?" Tony added with a cheeky wink to Tim."

"Don't think because we're off duty I won't head slap you DiNozzo." Jethro nodded once in the direction of the patio.

"Come on, we're all set outside, just need to get the heaters going."

"Yes, Boss." Tony rolled his eyes and placed his hand in the middle of Tim's back. "So, Probie. Where's the mutt?"

"In the yard, I think. He was with J last time I was out there."

As if he could sense the visitor, Jethro came bounding in and jumped up at Tony with excitement. "You miss me? You big daft thing." Tony knelt down and chuckled when the Alsatian rolled over onto this back for a belly rub.

Tim and Derek watched for a minute before making their way outside and taking their seats. Within an hour, the conversation was comfortable and they were tucking into the steaks that Jethro had prepared. So far, everything was going brilliantly.

Tim waddled into the kitchen with the plates and put them on top of the counter. As he bent down to open the dishwasher, he hissed as a Braxton hicks hit suddenly.

"Woah! Hey, you okay, McDaddy?" Tony grabbed Tim by the arms and guided him to the chair. "Hang on, I'll get Gibbs."

"No. Tony, it's normal. Trust me, he's fine and definitely not ready for making his great escape just yet."

"Normal? McGee, now is not the time to be all stoic."

"I'm not. It's just Braxton's that caught me off guard. They've gone now." Tim moved to stand up. "You go on back out there. I'll load the dishwasher and will be right behind you."

"The hell you will. You and Tony get your asses back out there and relax. Leave this to me and Morgan to sort out." Gibbs walked into the kitchen carrying the last of the stuff to be washed up. "What're you waiting for?"

With a sigh, Tim let Tony help him out of the chair and the two of them made their way back out to the patio to relax while their men cleaned up. Rather than sit on the patio chairs, they made their way over to the garden swing and settled down on the comfortable padded cushions.

"Soooo..." Tony said as he settled down. "How're you really doing?"

Tim huffed out a laugh and shook his head. "I'm bloated, my back is never going to be right after this, I have more aches and pains than should ever be humanly normal and am pretty much fed up with being pregnant. Apart from that, I'm peachy." He grinned at Tony and watched as his friend chuckled to himself.

"Going well then? Just think, in about a month's time he'll be here causing mayhem. Make the most of it while you can." Tony took a swig of his beer and leaned back before he starting gently rocking using his foot for leverage. "I'll be honest, I'm looking' forward to having a little nephew to spoil."

"Nephew?"

"Hell yeah. That kid is gonna have Uncle Tony, Uncle Derek, Aunty Ziva and Aunty Abby on board. Not to forget Uncle Jimmy and Grandpa Ducky."

"He's a lucky kid." Tim sighed heavily and glanced down at the untouched bottle he was holding. "Look, Tony. I really am sorry about what happened. I was just so frustrated and took it out on you. I was wrong to. You have no idea how much I regret what happened."

Tony looked over and felt his heart pull at the hang dog expression on Tim's face. "I know, Tim. You've got to bear in mind how much pressure I was under that day. I mean, the boss was out with an injury, Ziva was being a bitch and the job of team leader fell bang slap into my lap. That's a lotta responsibility, you know? I never wanted Gibbs' job and never asked for it, but you and Zee just made it difficult."

Tim nodded sadly and felt the tears prickle in his eyes...Damn, what have I done?

"I'm sorry. Tony, I miss you. I miss my best friend. We talk about everything and sure, you tease, but that's just the way we are. I don't know what I can do to make it up to you." He watched as his friend shrugged.

"Just...Shit. Just don't ever do that again. I mean you undermined me in front of the BAU crew and made me feel small. It's not something expected from you."

"I know. Trust me, I know." Tim's quiet, choked reply worried Tony and when he looked more closely at Tim, he saw the wet trails reflecting the moonlight.

"Jesus, Tim no. Don't cry, look we can repair this okay? We can get over it because our friendship is too strong not too. BUT...you've gotta give me time to sort everything out in my head. What Ziva did, really threw me off my game and this was just caught up somewhere in there."

"I'll give you all the time you need, Tony. I just don't want it to be irreparable." Tim started to fiddle with the bottle in his hand and watched Jethro loping after a moth.

"We're good, Probie. Just give it time, okay. That's all I ask."

Tim looked over to Tony with a rueful smile and nodded his head. "I can do that. So, what are your plans for the rest of the night?"

"Garcia and Abby want us to meet them at a club later on. Wanna come?" Tony grinned knowing that Tim wouldn't have gone clubbing with them even before he was pregnant.

"You know, right now I really, really do but..."

"Seriously?"

"Yeah. I'm getting cabin fever at the moment and it's driving me up the wall. I'll be glad when Ada...the baby's here."

"Woah! You've chosen the name?" Tony sat up straight and looked at Tim with a hopeful look on his face. "Come on Probie, spill it!"

Tim shook his head and rubbed his hand down his stomach. "Gimme your hand."

"Why?"

"I want to hold it! What do you think?" He said lightly and waited for Tony to hold out his hand and grabbed it before placing it over the space where his son was kicking.

"Is that? Oh my god is that..."

"What?" Jethro walked out with Derek carrying a tray of hot drinks for everyone.

"The baby's kicking." Tim replied with a contented look on his face.

"Yeah and McGee nearly let the name slip and won't tell me what it is." Tony kept his eyes planted firmly on his hand and grinned "And Wow!"

"Sorry, it just slipped out."

"You can tell 'em if you want too." Jethro added lightly as he threw down a cushion and sat between Tim's legs. Derek moved to Tony and did the same but Tony leaned forward and rested his chin on the top of his lover's head whilst his arms draped comfortable round his shoulders.

"Yeah, go on, Probie. You can't leave it there now." Tony cajoled.

Tim grinned and shook his head at the three pairs of expectant eyes that looked his way.

"Well..."

Tony was still sitting next to Tim chatting comfortably, when he noticed Tim stifling a yawn. He grinned broadly and checked his watch.

"Tired, Probie?"

"A bit. Jesus, I'm sorry. Some host I am." Tim replied apologetically.

"Most hosts aren't heavily pregnant with problems to boot. It's getting late now anyway and we've gotta meet Abby and Garcia in an hour or so. Come on, waddle me to the door." Tony stood up and offered Tim his hand with a grin. "one, two…."

On the count of three, Tony pulled Tim to his feet and rested his hand on his friends shoulder to steady him.

"Thanks. You know, I can't wait for the day when I can stand up without help…." Tim glanced down at where his feet should be and groaned. "Not to mention the day I can actually see my feet again."

"Not long now, McGee. Just think of the day you get to hold that baby in your arms." Morgan chimed in as he grabbed his and Tony's jackets out of the closet.

"I know and to make it worse, Gibbs is already plotting something. I can see it in his eyes." Tim answered with a wary eye to his lover. Jethro smirked at the comment and shook his head. "Don't stand there lookin' innocent J, I know you."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah!" Tim chuckled at the innocent look Jethro had adopted. "Hmph!" Jethro moved behind Tim and wrapped his arms around him, letting his hands rest on the pregnancy bump.

"Wouldn't wanna spoil the surprise." The older man growled and kissed Tim's neck.

"On that note, we've gotta get going, guys." Tony smirked from the door and took the coat that Derek offered.

"Alright. I'll see ya on Monday, DiNozzo." Jethro clapped him on the shoulder and opened the front door. "Have fun tonight and watch out for the girls. You know what they're like."

"Look out for the girls? Gibbs, you know as well as we do that we're the ones that need lookin' out for. Those two can take care of themselves." Derek said eliciting a small chuckle from Jethro.

"Yeah. Now go on, you don't wanna leave them waiting."

"Yeah. Thanks for Dinner, It's been a really good evening." Tony remarked and grinned towards Tim knowing that it had been more productive than anyone will ever know.

"It really has, Tony. Your welcome." Tim moved forward to stand next to Tony . "Have a beer for me, would'ya. J still won't let me have one."

Tony chuckled. "Sure, McGoo. See you later guys." Tony walked out the door and waited for Derek to join him.

"Hey, McGee." Tim looked at Derek and waited patiently for what he had to say. "Thanks. I appreciate the effort. I haven't seen him that relaxed in days."

Tim nodded and smiled ruefully. "I really am sorry. I don…"

"McGee….Tim. It's over. You and Tony are good, alright?" Derek watched as Tim nodded sadly. "Hey, he doesn't hold a grudge when it comes to his friends. It's just still raw. Give him a few days and he'll be back to his normal self."

Tim nodded at Derek's comment and offered up a smile of thanks.

"D! Come on!" Tony called from where he stood and winked at Tim and Jethro. "Seriously guys, for a Feebie, he's always keepin' me waiting!"

"I'm coming, T!" He turned to the couple in front of him and waved. "See you all next week. Gibbs, take care of my man."

"I'll keep him in line, Morgan. You can count on that." Derek grinned and left, leaving Gibbs standing there with his arm wrapped around Tim's waist. He reached over and closed the door but heard a sniffle behind him, which made him frown. When he turned, he saw Tim trying to swipe away at the tears that had started running down his face. "Hey, you okay? What's wrong?"

"Nothing! That's the problem!" Tim shot back as he flushed with embarrassment. "It's been perfect. Me and Tony talked and everything's gonna be fine. Yet, here I am sobbing like a damn baby."

Jethro moved forward and wrapped Tim up in his arms. With a sigh, Tim melted in and tried to accommodate his growing girth.

"I hate this."

"What?" Gibbs said with a frown.

"The hormones. Not being able to hug you without one of us having to lean. I've had enough now. I want him here." Tim admitted and felt Jethro pull back. "J, I'm sorry. But the pain, the breathlessness, the…"

"I know. Come on." Jethro led them to the living room and sat down. "Come here."

Tim sat next to his lover and let Jethro arrange them so that he was sitting with his back against Jethro's chest. The position was perfect and he sighed happily, as he let his head rest on the solid shoulder behind him. He felt Jethro's arm drape around him and reached up to lace his fingers through his partners.

"I know it's hard. But not long now, okay?"

"Okay." Tim answered with a small voice and let his eyes droop closed as tiredness caught up with him.

"So, how'd it go with Tony?" Gibbs asked in hope that the change of subject would alleviate any fears that Tim had.

"Hmm?...Oh, good." Tim forced his eyes open to answer the question. "It's going to take time, but he's okay."

"Good."

"Said, I'd give him time. If that's what he needs then I can be patient." Tim's words were starting to slur together as exhaustion caught up with him. "How'd it go with, Derek?"

"Tony's got himself a good man there." Jethro replied as he started to tell Tim what had happened.

Two hours ago…..

Jethro watched Tim and Tony walk out of the kitchen and moved to finish loading the dishwasher.

"He's struggling isn't he?" Derek asked with a pang of sympathy for the obvious discomfort that Tim was having at the moment.

"Yeah. More than he'd ever admit." Derek caught the concern that dripped off Jethro's words and frowned heavily.

"He's gonna be okay, Gibbs. He's tough and will pretty much do anything to protect your son."

"I know. I just wish all this shit hadn't happened. He's not coping with it."

"Seems to be doin' alright. I'll admit, I was worried when he turned up. Damn fool walked up the stairs." Derek remembered the look on Tim's face when he opened the door. "Thought he was going into labor."

"That bad?"

"He didn't look good."

Jethro shook his head. "He's got a damn stubborn streak in him. No one see's it often, but when he digs his heels in….." He trailed off mid thought feeling worried about what Derek had just told him.

"He's alright. Looks pretty relaxed tonight. I can tell the pregnancies taking its toll now that the tyke's getting bigger." Derek offered up. "You think they're alright out there?"

"Tim and Tony? Hell yeah! Leave 'em. They need to talk." With the last plate loaded, Jethro added the detergent and closed the dishwasher.

"Yeah, I know. I just worry about them because from what Tony said, they're tight. How's Vance with you these days?"

"Hasn't caused any more problems. Why?"

"Just something I noticed. I know he was good with McGee when you were shot, but he doesn't really talk to him anymore. He even went through Tony a couple of times when he needed searches rather than go straight to Tim."

"You've got to be shitting me! I thought that was sorted." Jethro had no idea that Vance was being that way and the fact that Tim hadn't said anything, just pissed him off more.

"Look, McGee's been on sick recently, so Vance can't get to him. I just wanted you to know what I saw because I don't think Tim's thought anything of it with everything else that's been going on." It had been something that had been bothering Derek for a while but in lieu of what had happened, he'd completely forgotten.

"Sounds like Tim. I'll talk to him. Beer?" Jethro grabbed a couple of beers from the fridge and handed one to Derek. "So, how're you with all this?"

"With what happened or with being here now?"

"Both."

"With what happened; Pissed. But for Tony's sake I'll keep the peace. I'm more pissed at Da'vid to be honest so Tim's safe." He took a slug of his beer. "Tonight? I've enjoyed it and can see that they've got a good friendship. I'm just glad it's getting back on track, but I've gotta tell you, it hasn't been easy."

Jethro nodded at the comment and decided that honesty would be the best policy. "I know what you mean. Ziva's a hardass and went too far. As far as the boys go, they'll be alright. They've been through worse."

"I know. So, how about some cake?" Derek moved to the fridge and pulled out the cake. "Tim alright with it?"

"Honestly? Probably not. His sugar's all over the place at the moment."Jethro admitted sadly and shook his head. "But I can't see one slice doin' any harm."

"Sure?"

"Why not. It's only once and he's been good with what he eats." Jethro thought back to the chocolate that Tim taken to eating recently. "Huh. You know, I take that back. With all the candy he's eating it's no wonder his sugar isn't all over the place."

Derek raised his eyebrow at Jethro's comment and moved to put the cake back.

"Hey! Don't you dare! He knows it's there and he'll just have to cut down this week." He watched as the cake was placed on the counter and sliced. "Just so you know, I value my life."

Derek laughed loudly at the comment and plated up before turning to Jethro with a serious look on his face as his impending departure weighed heavily on his mind.

"Gibbs, look. I've been called back to Quantico next week and I need you to do me a favor."

"You want me to look out for, DiNozzo?" Jethro supplied and waited for the clarification that he needed. Derek nodded. "We can do that. Don't worry, we'll look after him for ya."

"Thanks. So, how about we get out there and make sure world war three hasn't started."

The two men walked out of the kitchen carrying their wares hoping that everything was alright with their men.

****************NCIS****************

"Hey, Timmy?" Jethro nudged his lover to wake him up. He smiled when Tim's eyes opened blearily. "Come on. Bed."

"M'comfy"

"You'll be more comfortable in bed." He disentangled himself from Tim and reached out a hand to help him up. "Come on."

As they walked up the stairs, Jethro frowned and realized that he hadn't actually asked Tim about Vance and that Tim had fallen asleep before he had gotten to that.

"Why didn't you tell me about Vance?" He stopped when Tim halted on the stairs in front of him and gently nudged his pregnant lover in the back to get him moving again.

"What about him?"

"He's been ignoring you." Gibbs stated knowingly and felt Tim's back stiffen under his hand. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Why? It's not important and really doesn't matter. He doesn't approve, I get that." Tim stopped again outside the bedroom door and turned to his lover with a saddened look on his face. "He never will accept us, but you know what? I don't care. I've got my family and am more than happy."

"Tim, if he made it worse for you when I wasn't there…"

"You'll what?" Tim yelled defensively, the very motion telling Jethro that he'd been right.

"Hey!...Hey! Calm down. What did he do?" He watched Tim physically deflate in front of him and his heart broke.

"Nothing. Just…..It was just the odd look here and there. He didn't actually speak to me directly and when I snapped at Tony, I'd just been down to Abby's lab and he was there. He kinda…" Tim stopped himself before causing anymore trouble. "You know what, J. I'm tired. I just want to sleep." He turned and started to make his way into the bedroom but was stopped by Jethro's hand on his shoulder.

"He kinda what?" Jethro growled, but at the same time enveloped Tim in his arms. "Talk to me."

"He pushed past me and I lost my balance." Tim admitted with a blush. "If Abby hadn't of been there then I would have hit the deck. I wrenched my back and then there was the problem with the elevator so I had to walk up the stairs. I was pissed beyond belief and took it out on Tony."

"Son of a…..Why didn't you tell me?" Jethro demanded with so much force that Tim stumbled back to get away from him. "You should have told me!" He bellowed, the fury rolling off him in waves.

"J…I…I didn't know what to say." Tim defended "How cou…..I've….I can't do this. I just can't." Tim's knees gave way as tears flowed freely down his cheeks. "I'm sorry…..I'm so….."

"Crap! No…Tim I'm not angry at you. You don't have anything to apologize for. I'm sorry, okay. I'm sorry." Jethro knelt down and pulled Tim close. "Shhh, It's alright."

It took a good fifteen minutes before Tim calmed down enough so that he could talk. Jethro pulled back slightly and looked his lover over. "Tim?"

"I'm okay." Came the quiet reply. "Just….I'm tired, J."

"Timmy, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you."

"Sign of weakness." Jethro smiled slightly at Tim's comment.

"Not to you, it's never a sign of weakness with you. You want Duck?"

"No. I'm good. Just help me up off the floor because I don't think I'm gonna make it on my own." Jethro stood up and helped Tim stand.

"I'm gonna talk to Vance first thing on Monday. He coul…"

"No!"

"No? Tim, he could have hurt you. Hell, he DID hurt you!" Jethro argued.

"It's done with. Please, don't open old wounds, J. Can we…I just wanna sleep." Tim started to wander towards the bathroom to wash his face.

"Okay. That's fine, but you need to tell me about stuff like this, Tim. Don't keep secrets." Tim froze at the bathroom door and turned to look at Jethro.

"Sorry."

Jethro walked up to him and kissed him chastely. "Go, get cleaned up and we'll go to bed. You really alright?"

"Damn hormones!" Tim quipped but Jethro knew him too well and wanted nothing more than to erase the past half hour and take away his lover's pain. Tim glanced at him and frowned. " I'm good, J."

"No. You're not, but you will be. Go on. Take care of business and I'll give you a backrub."

Tim nodded and turned to walk into the bathroom so he could wash away the evidence of his mini meltdown hoping beyond hope, that he hadn't just made the situation worse.

****************NCIS****************

Tony stepped out of the taxi and waited for Derek to join him. They had decided to drop the car off at his apartment so that they could both have a beer and enjoy the night without worrying about leaving it anywhere if they overindulged.

"You ready, babyboy?"

"Sure am. I've been lookin' forward to spending some time with the girls. I will admit, I'm nervous about meeting Garcia though." Tony admitted ruefully.

"Don't be. She's just like Abby but a lot less Gothic." Tony chuckled at the image that was starting to form in his ind. "Hey, don't get me wrong. Doesn't mean she's not quirky, but since meeting Abby, I started wondering whether they were separated at birth."

"Freaky." Tony joked and kissed Derek on the lips. He heard his lover hum and pulled away.

"Freaky isn't the word. Pen was telling me what they're planning for the baby shower and I don't envy the guys right about now."

"Bad?"

"Nah, just not what you'd expect for Gibbs." Derek glanced at his watch. "Crap, we're late. Come on, T. We need to be getting in there or else they'll think we've abandoned them.

Tony took Derek's hand and let himself be led to the front of the queue where Derek simply grinned at the bouncer on duty.

"Huggy! How's it goin' man?" Tony cocked his head slightly and tried to figure out why this huge, middleaged man mountain was called 'Huggy'. Various scenario's shot through his mind but with each one, he drew a blank.

"Hey Hey, well if it isn't Derek Morgan. I'm good my man, how're you? Who's this fine lookin' young man you've got with you?"

Derek laughed heartily and nodded towards Tony. "This is my better half, the one and only Tony DiNozzo. Tony, this is Harley 'Huggy' Jones. He's an old friend of the family."

"What d'ya know. The boy's finally settled down. I was talkin' to your Momma the other day and she did mention that you found yourself a man."

"Yeah? Huh. Guess she's happy about it then." Derek stated knowingly and winked at Harley. "When are you going back to see them? No doubt she's cornered you into going."

"Hell yeah. For a white woman, that girl is gutsy. I daren't say no to your, Momma. You know that." Harley chuckled gently to himself. "You can't help but love her though. I'll be going up next weekend with Mary and the kids. I think your sisters are gonna be there too."

Tony watched the exchange and started getting a picture of how tight Derek's family was.

"Yeah? Huh. I might see if we can get up. It might be a problem next weekend though, so we'll have to see."

"Well, if you can, it'll be great having the family together again." Harley turned towards Tony and Grinned. "And knowing, Derek's family, that includes you now. So Tony, what do you do for living. You're a fed too?"

Tony nodded and grinned back. "Sure am. NCIS."

"Ha, a navy guy. Well, welcome to the family NCIS. I've gotta let you go in because that line's getting angry." He nodded towards the queue and lifted the rope up to let them in. "Have a good night. If you make it to light's up, I'll have a drink with you boys and we'll chat."

"Sounds good, man. See you later." Derek replied clapped Harley on the shoulder before guiding Tony into the club.

***NCIS***

"Hey, D?" Tony said loudly over the booming music that greeted them at the cloak room. He smiled warmly when Derek wrapped his arm around his shoulders and pulled him in for a kiss.

"Hmmm. What's up, babyboy?"

"Why do you call him 'Huggy'?" Derek's laugh boomed over music making Tony flush slightly.

"Huggy bear. Apparently his style was just like Huggy bear back in the day and the nickname stuck."

Tony couldn't help but chuckle and shook his head. "Damn, that's one to be stuck with when you're that big."

"Sure is, but you should see him with the kids. He's fantastic! He plays with them and then lets them all climb up for a cuddle before fallin' asleep….That includes him as well."

They both laughed as the checked in their coats and made their way into the crowded club. Just as Tony was about to break off to go to the bar, he was startled by a pair of hands wrapping round his eyes and a kiss ghosting his neck. He spun around and swept Abby up in his arms and twirled her round.

"Tony!" She shrieked happily and hugged him tight when he put her down. "Derek! Yay, you both made it." Derek was the next victim of one of Abby's bone crushing hugs.

"Of course! What, you think I was gonna let him mope tonight?" He joked and felt Abby slap him on the arm.

"No, of course not. Ooh ooh, how'd it go with Timmy and Gibbs?"

"Good. Me and Probie have kissed and made up…" Tony told her lightly before dipping down so he could whisper loudly in her ear. "But don't tell D or the Boss because you know, they might not like it."

"Hey! I heard that!" Derek chided and took Tony's hand. "Where've you left my girl, Scuito?"

"Come on. We got here early and got a table near the dance floor. It's perfect, and the seats are comfy…but if you think you're both sittin' down all night, then you've got another thing coming!"

Abby guided them to the seats and they settled down comfortably. Tony nudged Abby slightly when she wrapped herself around his arm and hugged tight with her head on his shoulder. Derek had sat down and was currently hugging Penelope tight and grinned at his lover when his geek mirrored Abby and kept a firm grip on his arm.

"You okay, Abbs?"

She nodded into his shoulder. "Yep. It's just…Tony I was so worried about you and then Jimmy came to me with your blood samples and told me what had happened and then the following day, Gibbs told me that you wouldn't be in for the rest of the week…"

"Woah, hey! Abby, breath. Jeez. Abbs, I'm okay and it's all sorted between me and McGoo. I'm sorry, I should have called."

"Yes! You should!" She said loudly and thumped him on the shoulder. "But…Okay, I spoke to Gibbs and he told me not to call and that you were being taken care of by Derek but I wanted to. You know that right?"

"I know, Abbs. I know. Look, its okay now, right? So how about we enjoy the night because I don't know about you, but I'm lookin' forward to spending time with my friends, having a drink and dancing the night away with two gorgeous ladies and my man."

"Kay." Abby turned to Derek with a frown and let go of his arm so that she could lean forward. "Gibbs said that you wouldn't let him see Tony the night after the thing with Ziva. You stood up to Gibbs, hell, that's not something that people do readily and it takes guts. If you're willing to go head to head with the Boss, then I trust you with my, Tony."

Derek had been sitting with his arm around Garcia, but disentangled himself enough to lean forward to hear what she had to say. He scooted round to Tony and sat shoulder to shoulder with his boyfriend.

"Gibbs wasn't my concern, Abby. Tony was and he'd only been asleep a short time when Gibbs showed up. There was no way in Hell I was gonna put him through anything else that night because it took me forever to calm him down the first time."

Tony nodded. "He was my godsend. If he hadn't been there….Look, I needed this last few day's off, Abbs and D got me through them. All we've been doing is taking it easy. I just couldn't deal until I had it set in my own mind. Hell, It was all I could do to deal with McGee, but I'm glad I did." He trailed off and shook his head. "Don't think I'll ever forgive Ziva though."

Garcia sat and watched as Derek grabbed Tony's hand and started to rub soothing circles in his palm; it was that movement that let her know how perfect they were for each other as love and total understanding of each other's needs leeched from them.

"You know what I can't get my head around?" Tony asked to no one in particular. He didn't wait for an answer before carrying on. "I have no idea what I did! I mean, there was no reason for her to be so bitchy about stuff, but she acted as though she hated me."

"Hey!" Derek called softly and turned so that he could use his free hand to cup Tony's chin and pull him round to look at him. "It's over, babyboy. Okay, she can't hurt you. It's you, me and the terrible twins here; the night is ours, so how about we enjoy it."

"I hear you there, Sugar. I need a drink. You guys want one?"

"You have the best ideas, babygirl. How about I take the dark princess there, and go get the drinks. You can get to know Tony better…Your usual?"

"Yep." Penelope replied and scooted round to Tony. Tony just grinned and nodded before watching Abby and Derek disappear into the crowd to get the drinks.

"Oh…Hang on." Penelope pulled out her phone and started texting. At Tony's inquisitive look, she chuckled. "I want some nuts. Please tell me he's got his phone on him?"

"Yeah, the only time he hasn't is when we're in bed." Tony huffed out a laugh and eyed Penelope carefully. "So you know, D just from work or from way back?"

"Just from work. But we've been close for ages now." Her phone dinged and she giggled before showing Tony her pink phone. He read the message and shook his head with a huge grin…Alright Mamma. Anything for you xx

"So…" she said and snapped the phone shut. "I'm kinda glad we're alone because I wanted to talk to you."

"About?" Tony asked and frowned.

"You're worrying, Tonyboy. Stop! Look, I know Abby gave my boy a warning..."Her face crinkled slightly as though she was trying to remember something. "I think it went something like…"

"She can kill him and leave no forensic evidence?" Tony supplied. Penelope grinned broadly and nodded.

"Yeah, I think that was it."

"Sounds about right. So; let me guess, you're gonna give me a similar warning." Tony's head dropped to his chest and he sighed heavily. She had no idea what had happened, but right now he didn't know whether he was strong enough to deal with this.

"Kill you? Not physically, but I can do a lot of damage with a computer." Penelope winked at him but reached out to touch his arm at the deep rooted sadness that she saw in his face. "Hey, I just wanted to say take care of him…each other. That's all. You okay?"

"Yeah." Tony said distractedly, though his thoughts were telling him something different…Damned if I know what I'd do if D wasn't there. There's no way I would have gotten through everything alone; and I would have been alone. What the hell did I do to deserve this? What…

"Hey. Earth to Tony." Penelope called with a frown. "You okay?"

"Sorry. Um, yeah just thinking." At that moment, Derek and Abby returned with the drinks and the nuts that Penelope had ordered. Derek frowned at the saddened look that flashed through his lovers eyes.

"You okay?"

"I'm good, D."

"Pen, you promised to be nice to him. He's been through enough recently without you giving him hell as well." Derek chastised and passed his friend her drink.

"I didn't!"

Tony looked up and shook his head. "D, she didn't say anything wrong. She just gave me the same warning that Abbs gave you…don't you sit there lookin' all innocent Abigail Scuito. I know you what you said." Abby blushed and sipped at her drink.

"You sure you're okay." Derek asked and caressed Tony's cheek.

"I'm good. Now apologize to your girl because I have it on good authority that she's a computer geek and can destroy you with a keyboard."

"Ain't that the truth." Derek bent down to kiss Penelope on the cheek. "Sorry, babygirl. I'm a little…."

"Protective?" Tony answered and laughed at affronted look he got from his partner. "Don't you look at me like that Derek Morgan. You know you've been fending off the big bad world for me…" he leaned over to give him a kiss. "And you also know how grateful I am for it."

"Anyway, Tony, I can see how much you make my little Derek Happy. That's all I ask."

"Ooh, ooh I love this song. Who's gonna dance with me?" Abby interrupted and jumped up before starting to bounce where she stood.

"No yet, Abbs." Tony answered and saw Penelope shake her head. Derek snorted out a laugh and stood up.

"Lead the way, Abbygirl." They bounced off happily towards the dance floor, leaving Tony and Penelope sitting there in silence. Tony's head sank to his chest again as he played with the label on his beer.

"Okay. Talk to me!"

"About what?"

"What's wrong with you? There's something on your mind?" Penelope offered him one of her nuts and moved to sit next to him again. "I just want you to be happy, okay. Nothing more. I don't have it in me to be deceptive; what you see is what you get."

Tony glanced over at Derek and Abby and smiled ruefully as the two of them bopped away to the music. "He tell you what happened?"

"He didn't have to. I think you guys call it scuttlebutt?"

"Yeah? You know what that is?" Tony asked incredulously.

"I learnt a lot working with you guys. Like I said before, I see how happy he's been since meeting you and I have it on good authority that he completely understands what it's like to take over leading a unit the way you do. The difference is, you got slammed with a team that showed you no respect where as we just accepted it and made the best out of a bad situation."

Tony raised his head and gazed at her. "That's just it though. He had the respect and support of his team mates. I didn't. I got nothing but bitched at before being taken down in the men's room by someone I thought was a friend…."

"Tony…" she tried to interrupt but was cut dead by his hand.

"You know what? It hurts! It hurts like hell, and I'm still pissed at Probie's attitude but understand it. I get what he did. What I can't wrap my head around is why the fuck Ziva did what she did." Tony pulled in a sharp breath and felt his unannounced anger deflate at the look in Penelope's eyes. "Aw hell, Pen, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…I'm just so damn…I.." Tony's eyes welled up unexpectedly and he swiped at them in the hope that she didn't see.

"No, Tony I'm the one that should apologize. I know it's been tough because…" she paused and sighed heavily. "Because Derek talks to me. He didn't want to burden you with it all so he called me. Don't be mad at him."

"Mad? I'm not mad. I'm just relieved he had someone there." Abby and Derek chose that exact moment to come back to the table and were laughing so hard that they were out of breath when they sat down. Derek's laughter was short lived when he saw the glassy look in Tony's eyes.

"What's happened?"

"Nothing, D. I'm just being stupid and emotional again." Tony explained and offered a small smile.

"Bullshit, Tony. Something's upset you." He turned to Penelope with a frown. "Pen?"

She ignored Derek's hard tone and rested her hand on Tony's knee. "Tony, listen to me, Sweet cheeks, okay? You're a good agent and from what I saw when you headed the team, you did a fantastic job. Don't let the Bastard's drag you down because you know they will. I will admit, I didn't hit it off with Ziva. She was too prickly for my liking, but…and this is a big but, it's obvious that you liked her because you're hurt by her actions. You say you made it up with Tim?"

Tony just nodded as his mind threatened to run amok. "Yeah. It's not a hundred percent, but it's getting there. Look, We're here to have fun. Right?" He looked at them all expectantly and waited for someone to answer.

"Sure did, T. We came here to meet these two gorgeous ladies and enjoy ourselves. It's been a tough week, so let me take care of you." Derek leaned in for a kiss and sat back to rest his forehead against Tony's. "You sure you're okay?"

"I'm good. I promise." With one more sweep of their lips, they broke apart and reached down to get their drinks.

"Aww, that's just so sweet. I hope I'm lucky enough to find someone who loves me like that." Abby fawned. "I just want to be happy, too. Is that too much to ask?"

"There's someone out there for everybody, Abbs." Garcia said cheerfully, feeling happier at seeing the relationship that Derek was in was definitely looking as though it was starting to blossom into something more permanent. "I haven't had much luck but I'm still not giving up."

Tony glanced at the dance floor and grinned happily. "Hey guys. We came here to dance, so let's go dance." He saw his lover nod before standing up and holding out his hand. "D. Dance with me!"

"Jeez, demanding much?"

Tony shrugged and narrowed his eyes. "Don't say you don't like it. Come on, already." With a chuckle, Derek let himself be led to the dance floor and soon got into the beat of the music as he danced with Tony. It didn't stop him throwing furtive looks his partners way though. Tony must have picked up on this and wrapped his arm around Derek's shoulders, frowning at the knotted muscles that met him.

"Damn! Derek, relax. I'm not gonna break. I'm with you and the girls and we're here to have fun. It just got a little bit deep, that's all. Everything's good."

"I know." Derek pulled him in for a kiss. "I just want to make it go away completely. You shouldn't still be getting pissed about what happened…Shit! It shouldn't have happened in the first place!"

"Hey! I get that you don't like it. I really do, but it did happen and it's going to take more than a few days to get over this. Don't make me say we're here to have fun, yet again! Come on, Morgan. Shake that ass!"

Derek laughed heartily and picked up the beat once again, knowing that no matter what, he loved Tony and would walk through fire if it meant keeping his lover happy and healthy.

***NCIS***

From where she stood, she could see the two men dancing closely on the dance floor; their every move exuding nothing but love and affection for each other. With a wry grin, she pulled out her phone and started scrolling through her phone book so she could find whom she wanted….Eli Da'vid. She selected the text message option and tapped out a sinister, cryptic message before nodding happily and hitting the send key.

'Z has cut ties. Phase 2 will be in operation in the morning'

Tim woke up to the feeling of a familiar hand carding through his hair. “Hmm…S’nice.� He murmured sleepily and nuzzled into the touch. “Morning.�

“Morning to you too. Hey Timmy, what do you say about going to see Dad today?� Tim opened his eyes at Jethro’s suggestion and noticed the dusky dawn that was barely breaking through the gap in the curtains.

“What time is it?� He asked with a frown and groaned as he rolled off his full body pillow onto his back. “Still dark.�

Jethro chuckled. “Nah, the suns just coming up. Thought I’d surprise you.� He reached down to help Tim sit up before bending down and kissing Tim’s vast pregnancy bump. “Hey, you. You gotta be good for your Daddy today, Okay?� He was rewarded by a ripple in the skin as his son kicked out; the very action eliciting a small ‘oof’ from his lover.

“J, you know you’ve got work tomorrow, right? I mean, as much as I’d love to go see Jac…Dad, I don’t know whether I’d be up for sitting in a car for that long, twice in one day.�

Jethro smiled at Tim warmly and claimed his lips chastely. “I know. I wouldn’t worry about it.�

“What?�

“Don’t worry about it. I sent Vance a text message telling him I won’t be in tomorrow.� Jethro shook his head at Tim’s frown and helped pull him up so that he was sitting and caressed his face. “How’re you doing?�

“Um..okay I think. Wait, you sent a text message.�

“Yep. I did.�

Tim thought back to the night before and scrubbed a hand over his face. “Please tell me you didn’t say anything stupid.�

“I didn’t. Told him I was taking tomorrow and that DiNozzo can work cold cases or help Abby. I might have mentioned wanting to talk to him first thing….�

“J! I told you to leave it!� Tim swung his legs round and tried to stand up. “Little help here.�

Jethro reached down and grasped Tim’s arms to pull him up. “I’m just going to ask him about it. I promise not to do anything stupid, okay?�

“Just make sure you don’t. We can’t afford for your job to be hanging by a damn thread as well.� Tim replied vehemently and winched when the baby moved and settled right on top of his bladder. “Shit, I really need to go to the head.�

“You gotta go that badly?� Jethro asked with a bemused smirk as he watched Tim waddle quickly across the room rubbing at his back as he went.

“You have no idea! He’s laying on my damn bladder! I’m sure it’s his favorite spot!� Tim’s griping got quieter as he entered the bathroom and Jethro couldn’t help but cringe at the sound of Tim’s never ending stream hitting the pan.
“Jesus. You really did have to go.�

“Told you!� Tim sniped and the sound of running water could be heard as he washed his hands. “Ok, fine, we’ll go. Does Dad know we’re coming?�

“He will. As soon as I tell him.�

“What if he’s not there. Come on J, we can’t just…� Tim tried to protest but was halted by Jethro’s finger on his lips.

“He’s there. I spoke to him yesterday and he said he’s painting the store today. I can give him a hand while you relax.� Jethro frowned when Tim yawned and moved to help him sit down on the bed. “Hey, if you don’t wanna go, we’ll stay here.�

“It’s not that. I’d love to see Dad before it’s too late and I can’t travel, it’s just…� Tim sighed and shook his head. “You know what? I’m tired and being and ass. Grab the bags and I’ll sort out what we’re going to need.�

With a grin, Jethro cupped Tim’s face and rubbed at his cheek with his thumb. “Already taken care of. Even put your pillows in the car so you’ll be comfortable.�

“You…Huh, Should’ve known. Alright then, I’m going to shower and get ready.� Tim let his lover help him stand and leaned forward to wrap his arms around Jethro. “I’m sorry.�

“Don’t be. Want me to join you?�

“No…well yeah, but it’ll be quicker if you don’t.� Tim pulled back and grinned wickedly. “You can go and make me a cup of raspberry leaf tea though.�

“You got it. Go on, it’ll be ready by the time you get out. I thought we’d stop and grab some breakfast from somewhere on the way. It’ll give you the chance to stretch your legs.�

“Sounds good. Now go! Otherwise I won’t be able to resist your offer of a shower.� Tim’s eyebrows furrowed as he pouted and Jethro couldn’t help but giggle at the motion. With a shake of his head, he was making his way downstairs, hoping he’d dodged the bullet with the Vance situation so that they could enjoy the time they had together.

***NCIS***

Tim bit back a groan as his back and hips twinged painfully. They had been on the road for an hour and a half and the pain had been gradually building.

“Hey, you alright?� Jethro asked softly and reached over to grasp Tim’s hand. He frowned when Tim’s grip tightened and his lover shook his head.

“No, not really, J. I need to stop.�

“Damn it! Why didn’t you say something!�

“It’s not that bad. I just need to stretch my legs for a minute.� Tim tried to downplay his pain, knowing how much his lover hated him being in pain.

“You need to tell me, Tim. I don’t want you uncomfortable…Jesus, we should have stayed home.�

Tim sighed heavily and shook his head. “No! We shouldn’t J. Don’t do this okay? just find somewhere to pull over so I can work the kinks out of my back and hips.�

An errant thought crossed Jethro’s mind, making his breath hitch in his throat. “You’re not…Tim please tell me this isn’t…� He couldn’t find the words and was grateful for his other half’s sharp mind.

“I’m not in labor. This is just the normal aches and pains that knock me on my ass when I sit still for too long. Trust me, you’ll be the second to know when he’s ready for the world.�

“Second? Who’s the first?�

“I think I might get a head start on you there, J.� Tim said wryly and sighed with relief when Jethro pulled into a roadside diner. “Hey, you think we can get some breakfast as well?�

“That’s the plan. You need to hit the head?�

“Hell yeah.� Jethro snorted out a laugh and got out of the car so he could go round and help Tim get out. He moved to the passenger side and opened the door just as Tim unbuckled his seatbelt.

“Take it slow.�

“No other way to…ow!� Tim slowly stood up and stretched out his back. “You pack those muscle relaxants?�

“Yeah. That bad.� Jethro replied with a worried look on his face.

“Yeah, pretty much. I think my muscles have seized up a bit. Can you bring them with you? I don’t want to take them on an empty stomach.�

“I’ve got them here.� Tim watched as his partner pulled the tablets out of his pocket and smirked.

“Uh huh. You had this all planned out didn’t ya.�

“Yup.�

Tim chuckled and let Jethro support him into the diner and once he’d hit the bathroom and relieved himself, he was soon settled down at the table looking over the menu hungrily. “You know what I really fancy right now?�

“What? Something weird and wonderful?�

“Over easy eggs and bacon on toast and a chocolate milkshake made with ice cream.�

Jethro smiled warmly and shook his head. “You sure the milkshake is a good idea after Morgan’s chocolate cake last night? Don’t want your sugar levels going screwy.�

“My sugar is fine. I checked when I got out of the shower this morning. Anyway, one’s not going to hurt.� The waitress arrived at that point in the conversation and they both placed their orders. Jethro decided to have the same as Tim to eat, but decided against the milkshake and order a large coffee instead.

“Hey, Timmy. I’m gonna hit the head before the food comes.�

“Okay. I promise not to drive off and leave you in the middle of nowhere.�

“Like you can fit behind a wheel now anyway.� Jethro joked and reached over to squeeze Tim’s hand before standing up. “Won’t be long.�

Tim nodded and smiled when the waitress bought over his milkshake. “Here you go, honey. I know what it’s like to be as far gone as you and need that sugar fix. How long have you got left?�

“Too long.� Tim laughed and shook his head. “Little over a month now, I just wish it was sooner.�

The waitress grinned and shook her head. “Make the most of it. It won’t be long before you’re wishing for the peace and quiet. You know what it is?�

“Yeah, it’s a boy and I can’t wait until he’s here.� The waitress chuckled heartily making Tim grin. “How many have you got?�

“Me? Oh honey, too many. I foster as well.� She put down the tray she was carrying and pulled a small photograph wallet out of her apron. “I carry these with me all the time. I lost my husband a couple of years ago and it made me realize that I wanted them with at all times.� She turned and looked at the guy behind the counter. “Hey, Jed. I’m taking my break.�

“Go ahead, momma. That’s fine with me.� She turned and handed the wallet to Tim before sitting down at the table.

“Go ahead honey, take a look through. I promise you now, there’s nothing incriminating in there.�

Tim couldn’t help but laugh warmly and looked at her. “I’m Tim…� He glanced around the restaurant and frowned when he didn’t see Jethro. “And my wayward other half is Jethro.�

“That him?� She asked and pointed out of the window. Tim nodded when he Saw his Lover on the phone.

“Yeah, that’s him. He’s probably talking to his dad. That’s where were heading.�

She nodded and turned back to Tim. “Well Tim, My name is Sue, but most people call me Momma because of what I do.�

“What do you prefer?� Tim asked through a laugh and opened the photo wallet.

“Honestly? Momma. It makes me feel loved.� She replied warmly. “I’ve got 4 of my own, 3 adopted and 3 foster kids who stayed with me. There were reasons why I couldn’t adopt them, but when they moved them on, they always found their way back to me. Never could get rid of them….not that I’d ever want too.� Tim could feel the pride and love rolling off this warm, gentle woman and relaxed further.

“Wow! 10, that must be hard.�

“Sometimes. To be honest, I wouldn’t change it for the world. The fosters…well, they’ve been mine for years…are all grown up and have gone to the local college. They’re all bright as buttons but were hindered by their problems early on. It’s been a rough ride at times, but we get there and all my kids turned out good. Megan…� she took the wallet and flicked through until she found a picture of a pretty young woman with flaming red hair. “That’s my Meg, she was abused by her father and when she came to me she didn’t say a word to anyone. We pulled her out of her shell though and now she’s an intern at the local hospital. She’s still affected by it, but she’s gotten her confidence back.�

“What about the others?� Tim found talking to this woman so easy, that he felt comfortable with asking her.

“Joe…that’s him there. Oh he was the rebel and ran away from the state home to get back to us all. He’s doing computer programming at the college and wants to join the Navy when he graduates. He lost his parent’s in a car accident when he was young.� Tim shook his head.

“So much for a kid to deal with. I’m a bit of a computer geek myself and work for NCIS.�

“NCIS huh? Wow, now how’s that for co-incidence.� She beamed at him and turned the sleeve over. “This one…bless him, that’s Alex. He’s had so much to put up with.� Tim noticed the scars that mottled the right side of the young mans face and frowned. “oh honey, do not feel sorry for him. He leads a full life and can shrug off any comments without being too hurt. He was burnt when he was younger. His parent’s left him alone to go out drinking and someone set the house on fire. They were alcoholics that didn’t want kids in the first place and the poor kid suffered for it.�

Tim felt the breath rush out of his lungs. “I’m sorry…Jesus how can they do that to their kids?�

“The world isn’t all roses, Tim. But there are some diamonds in it that shine. He’s currently running counseling sessions for kids who need it. A lot of them look up to him and admire what he does so they open up to him easily. Him and Joe both run a gym in town to teach the kids boxing, I have to say, it helps keep them out of trouble.�

“Who the kids?� Tim asked as he looked through the album.

“Uh huh…and my two boys. They both share a love of boxing and when they were younger it helped focus their anger and turn it into something fair. Saved them fighting on the streets anyhow.�

Tim nodded and made a mental note to come back one day to see what he could do to help. “The others?�

Momma beamed with pride. “The ones I carried myself are still in high school and are doing really well…� she turned the page again. “That’s them there, Faith, Eve and Naomi. All girls, which is why I’m thankful for my boys. The 3 adopted all have handicaps of some kind. Dana’s a downs baby but has got the biggest heart you’ll ever see. Frank…well, he’s ADHD and is a handful, but he’s young still. He’s in high school, and doing well. And then we have the baby, that’s Carlos. He’s got the mental age of a 5 year old even though he’s 12 and can’t talk. Doesn’t let that hold him back though, his school is for special children like him and he gets one to ones with a teacher that has taught him basic sign language. Now he just signs what he wants rather than get frustrated.�

“I admire you, Momma.� Tim said with awe and flicked through the rest of the photo’s. when he hit one with the whole family, he felt a gentle hand on his arm.

“There’s my better half. That ugly looking man there is my Colin.� She chuckled to herself. “That was our standing joke; he’d always say he’d never be beautiful but to me, he was in every way. I loved that cranky old Bastard and he taught those kids well. They miss him dearly and we make a point of going down to the cemetery every other week to put flowers down for him. I tell ya, it’s a sight to behold. 11 of us going down carrying flowers.�

“You all take a bunch down?� Tim asked gently.

“Oh honey, the plot isn’t big enough for that. No, the kids all take a white rose down each and I take lilies.�

Tim nodded his understanding and looked up at the strong woman sitting opposite him. “Unity.�

“Sorry?� She cocked her head slightly with curiosity and watched as he looked back down at the photo.

“Unity. White roses mean unity Momma. It’s fitting.� Tim looked up from the family photo that his eyes had been drawn back too and could see the love and adoration shining brightly in her eyes. “can I ask you a personal question?�

“Sure honey.�

“How do you do it? I mean, how do you find the time and money to do what you do?�

“It’s hard, but we get by the best we can. The oldest kids who work help pay towards the house and the colleges around here granted them all scholarships, which helped us out. I never wanted money to hold back their dreams. Oh, and we have a little bit saved up and Colin had insurance that helped no end. When he was here, he worked like a dog trying to provide for us all and refused to let me get a job…� She looked down at the table and sighed sadly. “Guess that’s what killed the old coot in the end. His big ole heart couldn’t take the strain and gave up on him.�

“I’m sorry.� Tim reached over and grasped her hand. “I didn’t mean to dredge up old memories.�

Momma chuckled and shook her head before grinning at him. “It’s the memories that keep me sane, honey. Don’t ever let go of them because ultimately, they’re what keep you going.�

“Momma, I need help over here. We’ve got a possey of bikers just pulled up.� Jed called from the counter where he was working furiously taking orders from the leather clad crew that had just rolled in.

“I’m a coming, I’m a coming…Well, guess that’s my break done with. Tim, it has been a pleasure.� She stood up and reached down to the bump to give it a gentle rub. “You make sure you bring that boy in to see me, you hear!�

“I promise.� With a warm smile, she set off to help Jed behind the counter. Tim picked up his milkshake and groaned happily at the taste.

“You enjoying that?� Jethro sat down opposite him and reached over to grasp Tim’s hand.

“More than you will ever know.� Tim replied happily. “You know, I’m starving. I could eat a horse.�

“Not in my diner, Tim. We only serve the best.� Momma placed their order in front of them and walked back to the counter to get the coffee pot for Jethro. When she returned, she filled up his mug. “And you must be Daddy number 2. I’ve been having a nice chat with your partner here.�

“Yeah? What about?� Jethro nodded his thanks and looked up into the warm face of the woman in serving him.

“Just family. He’s a good boy; you make sure you keep hold of him.�

“I plan to.� Jethro answered happily and offered Tim a warm smile. “I’ve got too much to lose to do otherwise.�

Momma nodded and walked away to go about her day. “So, Timmy. You been making friends.� Tim nodded and filled Jethro in on what they’d been talking about. It wasn’t long before Jethro was sitting there, stunned at what he’d been told. Tim glanced his way and smiled.

"Who were you on the phone to?"

"Dad. He said he's looking forward the visit and to tell you to take it easy." Jethro answered between bites.

"Like I have a choice." Tim said knowingly. "You were out there all that time talking to Dad?"

"Nope." Jethro sighed heavily. "Vance called right after I got off the phone. Said tomorrow is okay, but he wants the paper work on his desk first thing Tuesday morning."

Tim put his fork down and paled at the news. "What....J, Please tell me you didn't say anything stu...."

"I didn't mention it at all. Just said 'Yes sir' and left it at that." he reached over and grabbed Tim's hand and started to rub circles on his palm. "Stop worrying, okay? It’s not good for you two."

"I know. I can't help it, J."

Jethro shook his head. "don't I know it." Tim relaxed at that and picked up his fork to finish his breakfast. The tight knot of worry didn't leave him though, but he did manage to push it back. By the time they were ready to leave, Momma dropped what she was doing and rushed over to them to give them both a hug.

“Don’t forget to stop in with that baby when he’s here. Where are you boys heading anyway?�

“Stillwater. Dad lives there.�

“Well then, you’ll be needing this.� She handed Jethro a flask of coffee and Tim a flask of milkshake with a wink “Just don’t tell Jed.�

Jethro winked at her and smiled. “It’ll be our secret. We’ll stop by on the way home and drop the flasks back into you.�

“You do that. I’ll have the coffee waiting.�

With a grin and a quick hug for the woman, they both made their way back to the car wondering how some random stranger could be so warm and friendly. It was a rarity, but if anything, it taught them both that the world isn’t as harsh as what it seems, and that no matter what, friends and family are the things that truly matter.

Jethro pulled up in front of Jack's store and gave a small smile. He was home and despite his rocky relationship he'd had with his Dad in the past, coming back here always put his heart at ease. Since getting together with Tim, the relationship had thrived and thankfully,Jackson loved Tim just as much as the old man loved him. He glanced over and grinned at the sight of Tim sleeping peacefully with both hands resting on top of his large pregnant belly; the sight sending sparks of affection running through him. With a gentle shake of his head, he reached over and rubbed the large bump lovingly before leaning over and kissing Tim on his cheek.

"Come on Timmy, we're here." Tim opened his eyes and blearily looked around. After a moment, he recognized the store and sighed happily.

"At last. J, you might want to help me out."

Jethro nodded and kissed Tim chastely on the lips before cutting the engine and stepping out so he could go and help his stiff partner out of the car. Sure, the muscle relaxants helped, but the diner stop had been a couple of hours ago and the pills always knocked Tim out for a while. Once he got round to the passenger side, he opened the door and leaned in to help Tim out.

"Why don't you go surprise Dad while I grab the bags." Jethro said with a slight nod towards the store. "He's gonna be in there because once he gets started, he won't stop till it's done."

"Like father like son." Tim replied and leaned in so he could wrap his arms around his partner. He happily rested his head on Jethro's shoulder and sighed contentedly. "I could stay like this forever."

"Me too, but right now you need to loosen up and the only way to do that is by waddling around."

"Waddling? Damn, like a duck. I know, I know. I'll go get the coffee started." Jethro chuckled and waited until he was sure that Tim was loose enough to walk by himself. Satisfied that he was, he watched him walk towards the store and moved to grab the bags.

***NCIS***

Tim opened the door quietly and poked his head round so he could peek in to see where Jackson was. He grinned at the sight of the dustsheets that had been placed over the shelves and shook his head when he spotted Jackson standing on some step ladders carefully cutting in with a paintbrush in the corner. Tim opened the door fully and silently cursed as the small bell above the door dinged.

"Sorry folks, we're closed." Came Jackson's cheery reply. "Should be open in a couple of days though."

Mischief ran through Tim's mind as he moved to stand a foot away from the ladder. "Couple of days huh? Well that sucks. Guess we'll be going back to Washington until you're open." He turned slightly, and grinned when Jack's loud, commanding voice stopped him.

"Tim?...Well damn! Don't you dare, Son. You come right back here and let your old man look at you."

Tim laughed loudly and turned back to Jackson. The love that he felt for this old man was only paralleled by the love that he felt for his own mom and dad. "Thought we'd surprise you before I get even bigger and can't even fit in the car anymore."

Jackson joined in the laughing with a hearty chuckle and rubbed his hand over the bump. "Before you get even bigger? Well, would you look at that! That boy is growing well." Tim could hear the sheer love and adoration in his father in law's voice and smiled warmly before putting his hand over Jackson's.

"Oh he's growing alright. I don't think he's got much more room in there so hopefully it won't be long now."

"When's he due again?" Tim was about to answer when Jethro walked in carrying the bags.

"November 15th." He dropped the bags and made his way over to his father. "Hey Dad. How're you doing?"

"Huh, so that's what…2 more months?"

Tim shook his head and put on a disgusted affront. "Oh God no! 6 weeks and counting. I'm fed up now." Both Gibbs men laughed loudly making Tim blush. "Sorry."

"Sign of weakness and you have nothing to apologize for. It's been rough." Jackson frowned at that piece of news and eyed his boys warily.

"Rough? I think you boys better come on back and tell me about it…." He paused briefly and shook his head. "You know what, I've done enough here. How about we go home and I'll make us something to eat."

They all agreed and Jethro helped his dad clean the brushes as Tim watched on with fascination at both men working so well together. Before long, they were done and the store was locked up tight so that they could make their way to the house where Jethro was raised.

***NCIS***

Tony walked through to his bedroom and leaned against the doorframe to watch Derek pack. Over the past few months, Derek's stuff had migrated to Washington and truth be told, he practically lived there now anyway. With a sigh, he moved into the room and stood behind Derek so that he could wrap his arms around his lover and rest his head on his shoulder.

"You really have to go?"

"Sorry Babyboy, if I could get out of it I would. Hey, you have the girls, and Gibbs and Tim will be back soon enough." Derek turned and pulled Tony into a tight embrace. "Anyway, there's plenty to keep you going tomorrow and I hear Pen is planning on coming to work with you. She's commandeering Tim's desk apparently."

Tony laughed and shook his head. "Better computers. McGeek has all the best equipment, but he's pretty much the only one of us that knows how to use it."

"Ain't that the truth? So…I don't have to leave for a couple of hours yet. Strauss doesn't want me in the office till tomorrow morning so how about a little loving to see us through the long, lonely week." Derek started to nibble at Tony's neck, drawing out a loud groan of pleasure. "Hmm…you agree."

"Hell yeah, I agree….You thi…think I'm gonna turn you down?" Tony's hands sensually slipped round as Derek captured his mouth and licked along his lips. Tony opened his mouth and let his lover's tongue dip in before starting to kiss back sexily as he unbutton Derek's shirt. They stood there kissing as they slowly undressed and caressed each other, both needed the connection that it brought. Once they were both topless, Derek pulled away and dropped to his knees to start working on Tony's jeans.

"Damn, button fly? You don't like to make things easy for someone as hungry as I am." Tony chuckled slightly and ran his hands over his lover's head, loving the feel of the coarse hair that tickled his palms.

"Easy? You want easy? I plan to make you work, D. A week is a long time and I wanna be able to touch myself during that time with thoughts of your mouth doing dirty, loving things to me right before you fill me and leave your mark."

Derek's eyes darkened as he finally managed to undo the buttons and roughly pushed them down. He could see his lover's arousal as the tight fitting black boxer briefs tented. With a predatory growl, he started to lick and tease Tony's erection through the material as his hands skimmed the waistband. "You know how much I like the Gucci hipsters right?"

"I kn…D! Oh….I know. Why'd you think I wo..wore them." Derek paused briefly and looked up at Tony with a confused frown.

"Really?"

Tony nodded and moved his hands to cup his lover's cheeks before caressing them gently with his thumbs. "I couldn't let you go without…something. we've got a couple of hours if you're gonna make good time so I wanted to make the most of it."

"Then let's not waste any Babyboy." Derek shucked off Tony's underwear and sat there waiting for him to step out of them. As soon as Tony's feet were back on the floor, he wrapped his arms around the muscular thighs in front of him and started to massage the fleshy domes of his partner's ass as though he was burning the feel of them into his fingertips. Without missing a beat, he licked the sensitive vein that ran under Tony's cock and swirled gently at the head before moving back down to suck in one of the balls.

"Oh sweet…D…Nnggg."

Tony's encouragement spurred him on and he let the ball pop out of his mouth as he licked that stripe back up again and took Tony in deep, relaxing the back of his throat as the large, thick erection bumped against it. Tony's hands were once again on Derek's head as the pressure on his cock increased and that wonderfully talented tongue…oh god the tongue!...swirled and brought him closer to the edge of orgasm. He felt the tingle start deep in his spine and increase as his erection hardened and his balls drew up. "I'm gonn….Aww come on!"

Derek chuckled as he pulled Tony's balls down and squeezed around the base of his shaft. "Not yet. Not till I'm buried so deep in you, you can taste me."

"You'd be tasting me right now if you hadn't stopped!" Tony grumped and watched as Derek's eyes twinkled.

"Oh I tasted you all right. I licked enough pre-cum off there to keep me happy." With a wicked grin, he stood up and pulled Tony in close so he could kiss him. Tony melted into the kiss and could faintly taste himself on his lover's lips as his hands dropped down to the sweats that Derek wore. Pulling away, he started to slide them down and grinned when he didn't feel the elastic waistband of underwear.

"Commando?"

"Wanted to be comfortable." Tony growled and pushed them down so that he could palm at the thick cock that he'd grown incredibly fond of. With a slight fondle and stroke down the length, he gently backed Derek up until the back of his knees hit the edge of the bed.

"Hmm…I appear to have reached my final destination."

"T…damn, if you don't stop that, this is going to be over before it's even begun…" Derek's eyes rolled slightly before they closed altogether. He knew, that if he was going to make love to Tony, then they'd have to wait a while if he came now and he wanted to make sure they had time for a few more moments of sensual loving. He brought himself back from the brink and pulled his hips back so that Tony let go of his pulsing erection. "On the bed! Now."

Tony's predatory growl as he reached forward for that handful once again was met by his lover's deep, steamy gaze as he stepped away and padded barefoot to the drawer where they kept the new tubes of lube. He could feel his lover's eyes follow him and new that he was looking at his tight ass and wondered if he could convince Tony to reciprocate what he was about to give when they'd recovered.

"How do you want me?" Tony's voice had dropped an octave and was deep and husky with desire, arousal and love.

Derek thought for a moment before turning his gaze to his partner. "On your front, T. I want to see you; see your eyes."

"I'm glad you said that." Tony replied as he lay down on the bed with his legs open wide and bent at the knees in clear invitation of getting the man he loved there with him. "Come here, I wanna hold you."

"Just hold me?" Derek chuckled and made his way over before kneeling between his lover's legs and rubbing gently on his thighs. "I thought you wanted more than that."

"I want to feel loved, D. I don't want a quick wham bam thank you ma…Um…yeah forget I said that…." Tony gazed into the deep, rich dark brown eyes that reminded him of dark chocolate and smiled softly. "I want you. I want to feel loved and to make you feel loved. I want us to spend the day reaffirming what we feel before you leave for a week."

Derek's face had softened as Tony spoke. This was so different from the clown persona that the man often wore, this was the softer, more sensual Tony that only he got to see. "I can do that Babyboy. I love you." Derek lowered himself down so that his hands were resting on either side of Tony's head and he lowered himself down to kiss him gently. It wasn't a lust filled kiss, but passionate and loving. He moved away from the soft lips and started to kiss downwards, making sure every bit of skin that his mouth touched, was transfused with love.

"Mmm, s'nice." Tony muttered and gently rubbed the back of Derek's head. The trail of kisses stopped at his nipples and he groaned when his lover took one between his lips and sucked gently, making the nub fully hard. "Don't…please don't stop."

Derek smiled around the nipple between his lips and licked it before taking between his teeth and pulling sharply. Tony sucked in a huge gulping breath and moaned as Derek continued to suck and praise him. He moved across and did the same to the other nipple before moving down and dipping his tongue in Tony's belly button.

"Hmm…Tony." Derek raised his head and smiled at his partner. "I love you, Babyboy. Don't ever forget that, okay?"

"I love you too, D. Always." Derek smiled and popped the cap off the lube so that he could slick his fingers up. With one swift move, he took Tony in his mouth and swallowed him down so that his nose was buried deep in his groin. He inhaled loudly, taking in the musky scent that was all Tony and gently rubbed round Tony's tight entrance before slipping a finger inside. He started to move gently, his mouth taking Tony to the edge with every movement but not quite letting him fall over as his finger gently moved inside and tagged his prostate time and time again.

Tony arched into the touches and felt the electricity set every nerve on fire when Derek touched the right spot inside of him. The added sensation of the sucking. The licking and swirling around his rock hard cock just enhanced his pleasure as his lover gradually sent him higher and higher. He felt the hand disappear and groaned at the loss before a second finger was pushed inside. Derek pulled off and started to stroke lovingly on Tony's stomach.

"Shhh, I won't leave you hanging for long. I won't hurt you though, T." Hazel eyes gazed up at him before rolling back and enjoying the fullness that Derek's fingers provided. He barely heard his lover's soothing tone as a third finger was added and he was stretched until he relaxed completely.

"Enou…Enough. I'm ready, D. Now! I'm ready…"

Derek grinned and pulled his fingers free before reaching for the lube and slicking up his own leaking cock. With one swift move he knelt up once again and lined himself up as he propped himself up with one hand so that he could guide himself in. He felt Tony's muscles relax completely around him and pushed in fully so that he was completely sheathed up to the hilt.

"Now I'm home…" Derek whispered as he lowered himself down so that his elbows rested at the side of Tony's head and kissed his lover chastely on the lips. He smiled around the kiss when Tony's legs wrapped around him, holding him close.

"This will always be your home, D. Don't move just yet, I wanna feel you."

"Mmmm, this is nice, Babyboy." Derek agreed but groaned when Tony's muscles clenched down on his cock. "I need to move."

"I need you to move too." Tony panted out and relaxed the grip on Derek's hips so that his lover could move. He set a slow languid rhythm that connected the fully and as he gazed deep into Tony's green eyes, he knew that this man was the one he'd been waiting for all these years.

"D…" Tony's whisper brought him round and he realized that the slow pace was driving Tony wild. He moved so that he was propped up on his arms and started to thrust deeper and faster, adjusting the angle so that he tagged Tony's prostate on every turn. "Oh…..D…..tha….I'm gonna…D…."

Derek felt Tony move underneath him, meeting him thrust for thrust right before he felt the tingling in his spine that signaled his own pending orgasm. "T, let go lover….take me with you."

"Flying…oh my God, I'm fly…..Nnggg….ahhhh." Tony came hard and splattered them both with white, pearly cum as his cock finally let go of the orgasm that he'd been holding back. Derek made a noise that rumbled from deep in his throat as the increased pressure on his own erection pulled him totally over the edge. Tony felt the warmth spread inside him and knew that his lover was coming and by the look of sheer ecstasy on that handsome, beautiful face, he knew that he was coming hard. With a final grunt, Derek collapsed bonelessly on top of him with sweat peppering his body and making it shine in the light of the room.

"Don't move…" Tony whispered and wrapped his arms around his lover. He hadn't moved his legs yet, stopping Derek from pulling out despite the member rapidly softening.

"We should get cleaned up…"

"No. Stay..please. I want to feel you a little longer." Derek lifted his head and kissed Tony sensuously before settling back down and sighing contentedly as the post coital bliss rolled through him.

"I won't go anywhere, but we might stick together if we stay like this too long." There was no answer and with a frown, he looked up and saw that Tony had fallen asleep still wrapped around him, with Derek still buried deep in his ass. With another sigh, Derek laid his head back down and followed Tony into slumber knowing that no matter what, he'd always have today to get him through the long week ahead.

***NCIS***

Jackson couldn't help but smile at the sight of his boys curled up on the sofa holding each other softly as they talked. It was quite a sight to behold and he only wished that his wife could be there to see it. Sure, Tim had been a surprise; not a bad one, but a surprise nonetheless given the fact that his boy had been married to women before. Truth be told he'd suspected that Jethro was bi sexual a long time ago, but the fact that he'd found another soul mate was something that had melted his heart and made him the happiest man alive…the fact that they were giving him a grandson was amazing as well. There were no words that could describe the feeling of a new little one being brought into the fold and as much as he missed Kelly and Shannon, he knew that the little boy would help fill the void that they left.

"Penny for them, Dad." Tim said quietly with a warm smile. "You've been sitting there thinking for a while.

Jackson returned the smile, his blue eyes twinkling gently in the ducky evening light. "Just thinking about how good you two look together and how I'm a lucky man right about now."

Jethro chuckled and Tim felt the rumbles reverberate against his chest. "You're not the only one Dad." He rubbed his hand down Tim's bump and frowned as it tightened momentarily before releasing. Before he could say anything, Jack was there beside them with a concerned look on his face.

"Tim, what's wrong son?"

Tim sighed heavily and shook his head. "Nothing, just a Braxton hicks contraction. They happen more now. Seriously guys, it's nothing to worry about."

"You sure?" Jethro asked as he rested his head against Tim's. "You don't wanna get it checked out?"

"Not in labor, J. Really, I'm okay. I know what they feel like now." Tim shifted slightly and reached out to take Jacksons hand. With a smile, he guided it to the spot that his son was kicking and let the older Gibbs man feel his grandson for the first time. The look of surprise that quickly melted into a look of sheer amazement made Tim infinitely happy and he couldn't help but sigh happily, as he settled his back against Jethro's shoulder.

"He's a wriggler." Jackson chuckled out, but kept his hand right where his grandson was moving about. "I can't wait to meet you little one."

"We can't either dad." Jethro said with a gentleness that surprised Tim slightly and he sat there letting the father/son bonding moment wash over him.

"You look tired Tim. Maybe you boys should go on up to bed because I want to get to the store early tomorrow morning. Leroy, you still going to help out son?"

Tim felt Jethro nod and sighed. "You know, I am pretty tired. I was tired this morning if I'm going to be honest. It's only early and I'm ready to slee…." He was cut off by his cell phone ringing and he fumbled around to get it out of his pocket. "It's Tony….Hey, Tony. How're things going?"

"Probie! It's been a good weekend. So, how's Jack doing?" Tim struggled to sit up and felt two pairs of hands getting him upright before helping him stand. He gave them both a wide smile of thanks and padded towards the kitchen so that he could go sit on the chairs out back. He sighed happily as the cooler air met him and sank down in one of the chairs.

"He's good. The boss is going to help him paint the store tomorrow and I'm going to…hell, who knows what I'm going to do." He heard Tony chuckle on the other end and couldn't help but join in. "Has Derek gone back yet?"

"Unfortunately, he left a couple of hours ago. Oh hey, thanks for convincing Abby to let me have Jethro till you guys come back tomorrow. She wasn't letting him go without a fight, but he's curled up next to me now. You know, she spoils this mutt rotten right?"

Tim huffed out a small laugh and nodded. "Yeah, I know. I swear, whenever she has him he comes home a couple of pounds heavier and he can't afford to put anymore weight on."

"Tell me about it. He jumped up and damn near knocked me off my feet. It's nice though, having him here. You sure you want him back McGoo?"

"Hey, you can look after him all week if he helps. Just drop him off with me before work and pick him up when you've done. That way, he gets to be around people all the time." He heard Jethro whine in the background right before Tony soothed him. "I'm guessing he wants food huh?"

"Heck no. He's had enough. Abbs put his kibble down right before I picked him up and his bowl was full. He ate the whole lot while I was there. I think he wants to go out so I'll take him for a run when we've done talking."

Tim could just imagine their dog running rings around Abby and Tony, though knew Tony had a little bit more restraint than their Goth. "Be careful at this time Tony. I don't want you running into trouble."

"Nah, it'll be fine. I'm gonna drive him into the navy yard and let him run around on the grass there. Abbs said she'd come too, so I'll go pick her up on the way."

"You just came back from there didn't you?" Tim asked with a frown.

"About an hour ago, but you know what she's like. She rang as soon as I walked through the door with him to make sure he was alright. How'd you put up with that, Probie?" Tim heard Tony laugh and felt warmed knowing that the friendship was back on track.

"Hey, she knows not to cross Gibbs and telling us how to take care of our dog, will be like her trying to tell us how to raise our kid."

"I hear you there, Probie. Anyway, I told her I was gonna take him out and she told me she was coming too. I've got a feeling I might have a visitor tonight." Tim remembered how pushy Abby could be and that his friend was right. Abby would be staying the night…and possibly the nights running up to Derek's return too.

"Just don't let her push you around, okay?" Tim warned gently and felt two warm hands rest on his shoulders. He melted into the kneading as the massaged the tension away and it was all he could do not to moan with pleasure.

"Nah, she's a pussycat really. Hey, I've gotta go because I don't wanna leave it too late. Now you listen up Probie, you are NOT to help paint that store and you will relax and enjoy yourself with Jack and the bossman, okay?"

Tim huffed slightly and rolled his eyes. "Yes dad."

"I'm serious, Tim. No stress alright, because I don't want to get that midnight call to come to Stillwater because you've gone into labor." Tim shook his head and leaned back against Jethro's chest.

"What is it with everyone being worried about him coming early? Dad and J damn near took me to the hospital a while ago." The comment wasn't snapped, it was exasperated, and he heard Tony sigh.

"Why? Probie don't make me come out there just to give you a head slap. The boss taught me well."

"Nothing, Tony. Just a Braxton that J felt and Dad saw. They can be a bit painful at times, but that's all it was. It wasn't a real contraction."

"How'd you know?" Tony asked and Tim couldn't help but smile before answering.

"Because the doctor told me what to expect. Really, Tony. I'm fine."

"Alright then. I'll take your word for it, but let the Gibbs men take care of you while they can, okay?"

"Okay. I can do that. Hey, I'm gonna get going because I'm exhausted. Be careful if you take him out this late Tony. Please, for me?" Tim needed that reassurance that Tony wouldn't take any unnecessary risks because his dog wanted to be walked; that would be another thing he'd have weighing on his conscience and things were only just now getting back to normal.

"I'll be careful. Hey, I've got McMutt and Abby with me. Between the three of us, we're a force to be reckoned with. I'm gonna go Probie. I'll speak to you tomorrow."

"You will. Night Tony." Tony said his goodnights and Tim hung up his phone before humming happily at the continued, gentle massage.

"He okay?" Jethro's voice was low and gruff as he carried on with his ministrations. Tim nodded and sat up with a sigh.

"Yeah, he's got Jethro and he's taking him out tonight. I think Abbs is gonna be there with him this week. By the sound of it she can't bear to be away from our dog…oh, and we seriously need to talk to her about feeding him so damn much. Tony said he walked in on her filling his bowl right up with Kibble."

Gibbs stood up and moved round to stand in front of Tim and held out his hand to help his lover stand up. "Huh, that's why he comes back heavier than ever when he's been with her is it?"

"Yeah, guess so. J, can we go to bed, I'm really tired." Jethro wrapped his arms around Tim and kissed his temple.

"Sure. Dads just waiting to say goodnight and we'll turn in okay?"

With a nod from Tim, they both made their way inside hand in hand, knowing that everything was finally back on an even keel…or at least it was getting there. They both stopped when they saw Jack sitting there dozing in the lazy boy and took a moment to enjoy seeing the older man looking so peaceful.

"I'll go and wake him." Jethro gave his lover's hand a squeeze before moving over to Jackson and kneeling in front of him. "Dad..." He said with a gentle shake of the shoulder. "Come on, you'll be more comfortable in bed."

Jackson stirred and opened his eyes. "Leroy...sorry, I must have dozed off. You boys going to bed now?"

"Yeah Dad. I need to get Tim to bed before he falls asleep on his feet. Come on." Jethro stood up and pulled the old man to his feet before kissing him gently on the cheek. "You get some rest. I'll have coffee going in the morning."

Jackson nodded around a yawn. "Sounds good son. Goodnight." He walked over to Tim, and gently patted his cheek before giving him a goodnight peck and patting his belly. "Good night, Tim. Sweet dreams and you little one…" He said to Tim's bump. "Try and let your Daddy get some rest tonight."

Tim chuckled warmly and placed his hand over Jackson's. "I'll sleep through it anyway. I'm really that tired."

"Make sure you get some rest. That's what you boys are here for. Good night." With a smile, he left the room and made his way up to bed. Tim sighed tiredly and rubbed at his eyes.

"Hey." Tim dropped his hand and looked at his lover. "Come on, bedtime for you too."

Tim nodded and followed his lover knowing that for the first time in weeks, they could relax totally without repercussions or worry that the case would tear them apart.

Tony woke up and stretched languidly in his large bed. He smiled when he glanced down and saw Abby's black, raven hair splayed across his chest from where she had her head laid down on his chest, and wished it were Derek's head there instead. He felt her stir and rubbed at her back to wake the Goth up further.

"Good morning." She said huskily through a yawn. "What time is it?"

Tony glanced at the alarm clock on the nightstand and cringed. "Damn, it's 0530. We better get up, because I've a meeting with the BAU at 0800 and we gotta get McMutt fed, watered and walked before we leave."

Abby sat up and looked at Tony. "I'm going to take him to work. He's a good dog, so he won't be any trouble in the lab and that way he won't be here all on his own."

Tony shook his head and pushed the covers back so he could step out of bed. "No way Abbs, Gibbs will kill us if anything happens to Jet and you know as well as I do that the lab isn't safe for him."

"So you want to leave him here all on his own?" Abby protested, though the whine in her voice was laid on so thick, that even she cringed slightly. "Please, Tony. I'll take real good care of him and I promise not to let him near anything dangerous."

The hopeful look on Abby's face made Tony's resolve melt away, and he found himself listening to the little devil sitting on his left shoulder. "All right, BUT...and you gotta listen to me here Abbs...he's your responsibility and if anything happens to him, you are totally responsible. Take care of the Mutt!"

Abby grinned and nodded. "I will. I mean, of course I will!" Her giddy tone changed to a slightly disgusted one. Tony chuckled and shook his head before getting up to hit the head. Abby's phone rang just as he walked into the bathroom.

"It's Pen..." She shouted out before answering her phone. "Hi Pen."

"Abby! How's my favourite Gothgirl today?"

"I'm good. I stayed with Tony and Jethro last night after we took him for a run at the Navy yard." She heard Garcia chuckle on the other end.

"Who? Tony or the dog?"Abby giggled gleefully and shook her head. She had rang Garcia the night before to catch up on the plans for the babyshower, so the lovable BAU geek had pretty much caught up on all the gossip.

"Well that depends."

"I can imagine. So my dove, what time are you both due at NCIS?"Abby thought for a moment before answering.

"Tony's got a meeting with your team at 8, so we'll probably be there at around 7. I'm bringing Jethro with me so, he doesn't feel lonely while we're at work. Oh hey, what about you? We can grab breakfast on the way and eat it down in the lab."

"Sounds good. How about you two get your backsides here and I'll pick the breakfast up. I'm already ready to go and I know this little place that have amazing Danishes."

"Okay, we'll meet you in Chez Abby at what? Seven thirty?"

"Make it seven fifteen. We can talk a bit then as well. You and Tony bring the coffee."

Abby grinned at Tony as he walked in and waited for him to sit back down on the bed before leaning into him. "Sure thing. I'll need my cafpow anyway." She heard Garcia chuckle on the other end before saying her goodbyes and yawning loudly when she'd put the phone down on the nightstand.

"Tired?" Tony asked and shook his head. "Knew we shouldn't have watched that movie last night."

She shook her head and smiled at him. "Nah, you needed it. Oh hey, Garcia's going to meet us in the lab for breakfast. That okay?"

"Sure thing. You go and shower and I'll go make coffee" Tony replied and stopped to kiss her on the cheek. "Hurry up okay. If we're gonna make plenty of time for breakfast, then we're gonna have to hustle."

"Hustle?" Abby said as she walked into the bathroom. "Haven't heard that for a while."

Tony grinned and shook his head. "Just don't spend hours in there."

"Yeah, yeah." She replied making Tony chuckle. He walked over to his closet and looked at the clothes that hung there. It was normal looking in here now and seeing some of Derek's gear hanging languidly next to his own. He grinned at the maroon sweater that he loved seeing his partner wear and pulled it out so he could put it on. He decided on black, casual cargo pants to go with it and finished dressing. Once done, he slipped on his shoes and made his way down to make the coffee. While it was brewing, he decided to throw caution to the wind and ring Tim, hoping that it wasn't too early because he knew he'd be tied up in meetings all day.

"Yeah, Gibbs."Tony frowned when the boss answered his Probie's phone, but took in the sleepy quality to the gruff voice.

"Gibbs. Tim okay?" He heard some rustling and waited for Gibbs to answer.

"He's sleepin' DiNozzo. So was I,till Tim's phone started vibrating off the damn nightstand."

"Shit.... Sorry, boss. I've got meetings this morning, and just wanted to make sure he was really alright. I was a bit worried about those pains."

Jethro sighed softly before yawning. "I know, Tony. Me and dad have been on pins all night. I got up to get a drink and dad was stood in the kitchen waiting for the kettle to boil."

"Is he going to get checked out? Better be safe than sorry, right?"

"He hasn't got a choice in the matter. Me and dad decided to take him first thing before we start working on the store. I'd be happier knowing he's not in slow labour or anything. There's still a couple of months to go yet and it hasn't been easy on him."

"Sorry." Tony replied automatically. Truth be told, he'd started feeling guilty over the whole thing and knew that while in the throes of his small bout of depression, He'd pretty much made Tim's life miserable.

"Sign of weakness and what the hell are you feeling guilty for?"

"I dunno. Just feel like I was partly to blame. You know how it goes." Tony admitted ruefully.

"Jesus, you two are too much alike sometimes. Just get over it. Pain made him a bastard, and there's a few little details that he forgot to mention at the time. It's over between you two now and it's all business as normal."

Tony knew what the boss meant and nodded his head. "Yeah, I know. I just worry...wait! what few little details?"

"Don't worry about it. I've got it in hand and we'l...Morning." Tony grinned when he heard Tim's sleepy greeting. "Sorry, Tim woke up grumbling about a bowling ball on his bladder kicking the crap out of his ribs. Sounds like fun."

"It'll be worth it in the end." Tony replied. "Can I talk to him now he's awake?"

"Yeah. Give him a minute to finish up in the bathroom though."

"Hey boss? Is this situation something I need to be worried about. I just want to know, if I can do anything."

"You just concentrate on keeping things going with the BAU. Concentrate on the case and I'll fill you in tomorrow. Okay, Tim's here. I'll passyou over."

"What?...oh...Hi Tony."Tony frowned at how tired Tim sounded, and hoped that it was just a case of him struggling to shirk sleep off.

"McGoo, you sound tired."

"Thanks." Tim responded drily before yawning. "Kept waking up. If I don't need to pee, then i've got Braxton hicks kicking in. It's not as if I've got anything else to do today but rest, so I'll catch up. You okay?"

Tony laughed softly. "I'm fine. Me, McMutt and Abbs watched a movie last night and went to bed right afterwards. I think Jethro was too tired to do anything when we got back."

"He always crashes after a good run. It does him good though,because no doubt he'll need to lose weight after being fed by Abby."

"She means well." Tony replied. "But yeah, I know what you mean. So, Probie. You're gonna get these pains seen to right?"

"Huh? No. Why would I do that?"

"Because McGoo. You're having them too frequently and we're worried. Just humor us okay?" He heard a sigh on the other end of the phone. "Come on. What harm can it do?"

"I don't have much of a choice. Gibbs is glaring at me,so no doubt the Gibbs men will drag me off."

"Good. Hey, I've gotta go, but let me know how it goes." He said his goodbyes with Tim and hung up the phone so he could prepare the coffee. He decided to put them in the travel mugs that he kept in the house for when they left on the hop, and handed Abby's over to her when she clomped into the kitchen in her platforms.

"Thanks. You ready to go?"

"I'm ready. Let me just grab my keys and we'll be on our way." He moved to the sideboard and grabbed what he needed before they both set out.

***NCIS***

"Mother hens! That's what you all are, mother hens." Tim grumbled as he fumbled with the pregnancy girdle that helped support his back. "I swear, Junior. You're gonna be watched like a hawk when you're here so you better be prepared."

"Hey, sunshine. Got up on the wrong side of the bed?" Jethro replied with a short, huffed laugh and handed Tim his t-shirt before leaning in to kiss his lover. "And technically, you're the mother so that's a moot point."

"Whatever. Do I really need to go to the hospital?" Tim replied with a slight petulant tone. He hadn't slept well at all the night before and wanted nothing more than for Jethro and Jack to leave him alone to nap. He loved them both dearly, but the fact that his lover had pretty much woken up everytime he did, meant the older man was more worried than he needed to be.

Jethro sighed heavily and rubbed his hand over his face wearily, because this was an argument that they'd had before going to sleep and in the hours that followed. "Yeah, you do. Come on, Timmy. I know you're tired, fed up and hurting, but you've gotta give us some leeway. Don't think I don't know how many times you woke up last night. You look like death warmed over. Oh yeah, that and I could feel your abdomen tightening for most of the night."

Tim grimaced and waddled out off the bedroom, so that he could at least get a cup of tea before they left. Jethro followed him out and sighed with relief when his very pregnant partner greeted Jack with a kiss to the forehead and a smile.

"Good morning, Tim. How're you doing today?" Jack asked merrily. "Jethro told me we're taking a trip to the hospital. What's the matter?"

"Just tired, but I'm good apart from being used as a football and regretting drinking so much before bed." Tim sighed. "Sorry, I'm grouchy and really don't need to go the hospital. J thinks I do, but seriously, there's nothing wrong. Just because..."

"Just because what?" Jack cut in and watched the wince on Tim's face as he reached for the tea bags.

"J felt my bump tightening a bit last night and he's getting worried. It feels like it always does and the Doctor said it was normal to have Braxton's so much. Apparently it's something that happens with men because for what it's worth, our bodies are still evolving. I'm okay dad. Just fed up, sore and want Junior out."

Jackson winced in sympathy and pushed a chair out from the table with his foot. "Sit. You should be taking it easy. What're you drinking?"

"Dad, I can make a cup of tea. Come on, I'm not an invalid." Tim whined, earning him a head slap from the older Gibbs man. "And hey! Now I know where Jethro gets it from." He turned at the laughing from Jethro and scowled. "You can quit it as well."

"What do you expect. You're whining like a damn child." Jack jumped in.

"Aww come on, Dad." Tim sighed heavily and chuckled. "Okay, guess I am. I'm being pissy, that's all. J is hellbent on taking me to the hospital,when I don't need to go. I'm gonna be getting fingers shoved there enough as it is and would like to keep that pleasure to the bare minimum if I can help it."

"Don't complain when I do it." Jethro said briefly, as he kissed his dad on the cheek and moved to pour himself a coffee. He heard his father choke slightly and shook his head. "Sorry, Dad."

"So you should be, Leroy. I don't care who you fall in love with, but I'll be damned if I wanna hear about your sex life." He finished preparing Tim's tea and set it down in front of him. "Raspberry leaf. You didn't tell me what you wanted, so I went with the one I thought you liked."

"Perfect. Dad..." Tim paused momentarily and reached round to grasp the old man's hand. "I'm sorry. I'm being a grouch and you don't deserve that."

"Don't worry about it, son. Just let me and Leroy take you to get checked out and I'll let you tell us that you told us so when it's all clear." Jack squeezed Tim's hand and sat back down to finish drinking his own drink. "So, what's the plan of action? We all head down...and yes I'm coming. If you think you're leaving me here you've got another thing coming."

"We'll go together if that's what you want, Dad. Just don't expect to be in the room." Jethro said and sat down. "Sports?" Jack handed it over and shook his head. Between Tim and his son, he was surprised he had a paper left. Tim grinned when Jack separated the paper for him to share and sat back to read his half. "How about I take you both for breakfast before we hop over to the hospital?" He asked from behind the tabloid.

"If you're thinking breakfast before hospital, then you can't be that worried." Tim muttered to himself. He felt two pairs of eyes glaring at him and looked up from the article he was reading with an innocent blink. "What?"

"I'm plenty worried. Don't let the fact that we're stopping off first fool ya. You said you're fine, so I'm taking your word for it there. If it's not, then i'm gonna head slap you into next year. It's called trust, so deal with it." Jethro huffed out and went back to reading the latest sports news. Tim scowled slightly but thought better than to argue with his lover, because once he'd dug his heels in, there was no way of changing his mind.

"So..." Jack cut through the light tension that had descended there and shook the paper out before folding it up again. "What time do you boys want to leave? I know a great little place for breakfast that is pretty quiet this early."

Jethro nodded his head. "Martha's?"

"Best bacon and eggs around." Jack said with dreamy look on his face. "Coffee's good as well. If we leave soon, then the ER will be pretty quiet as well."

Tim's scowl grew slightly and he almost choked on his tea when he felt Jethro kick him under the table. When he looked up, he saw his lover glaring at him. "What? I'm just reading the paper."

"Yeah? Because from where I'm sitting it looks like you're gonna turn that milk sour with the look on your face." Jack shushed his son and turned to Tim. With a gentle smile he reached over and put his hand on Tim's arm.

"Son, I know you're uncomfortable and I remember Leroy's momma getting royally pissed off with me fussing when she got to your stage, but you've got to let us worry. It's all we've got because we can't stop you being in pain and feeling uncomfortable. Its part and parcel of what we do and all I ask is that you humor us. Please, Tim. We just want to make sure that you're alright because we're worried."

Tim's face softened slightly. "About the baby." He said knowingly and was surprised when Jack shook his head.

"About both of you. We love you too much and male pregnancies carry a higher risk than female ones. You've had a tough time of it, and right now you're suffering. You know as well as I do, that statistics have shown a higher chance of premature births." Jack stood up and put his mug in the sink.

"You've been reading up." Tim replied with a soft smile. "Okay, I'll go but I'm reserving that right to say 'I told you so' when I get the all clear."

"Wouldn't dream of taking that away from you, son." Jack chuckled and turned to face his boys. "So. You two ready?"

Tim finished his tea and stood up before groaning and leaning forward to lean on the table as his back seized. "Damn it!"

"Tim!" Gibbs ran round and helped Tim lower himself down. "Jesus. This is more than just Braxton hick's contractions and you know it. We'll get breakfast later. Right now, I want to..."

"Back. J! It's my back. The muscles just seized."

"Completely?" Jethro asked with concern and stood directly behind his lover to massage out the knots. "Okay. Take it easy...Dad, can you go and get the bottle of pills from the nightstand. There's two there, just bring them both."

"What's going on, Leroy?" Gibbs frowned at the worried tone to his father's voice and shook his head.

"Just his back. The muscle relaxants should sort that out."

Jack walked out of the room to get the meds leaving his son to deal with Tim. This wasn't right and no matter what, he was determined to get that kid checked over because he didn't think any of them could handle losing either the baby, or Tim.

***NCIS***

Tony sat there listening to Penelope talking about her latest beau. Her bubbly personality was infectious to a fault and Tony couldn't help but relax as they ate their food and chatted about things that were of little consequence.

"So, he comes round with a bottle of wine, dinner and candles. It was so sweet! He's cute. I will admit I think I've landed on my feet with him." Tony could see the spark of attraction and happiness as it permeated through her. It was nice to see, and after the past few months, just being able to sit down like this and relax was nice.

Abby giggled with glee and clapped her hands. "Ooh everyone's settling down. I just need things to go alright with my first date and we can all double...triple date."

Tony grinned and looked at his watch. "Aw crap! I've gotta see Ducky before the meeting. It's 8 now so I've gotta be quick."

"Sure thing Tony boy. I'll see you upstairs soon enough. Hey, you spoken to Derek?" She asked and reached over to tug gently at the top that Tony had put on. "And that looks familiar. You missing your man, sweet cheeks?"

"What makes you say that?" Tony asked innocently.

"You're wearing his favourite shirt. That one makes him irresistibly sexy. I swear, if he wasn't gay..."

Tony flushed slightly and shook his head with a grin. "Lucky for me he is. I spoke to him last night and he's okay. If anything, he's working the case there as well. Okay ladies, I've gotta go so I'll love ya and leave ya. Speak to you two later. Stay out of trouble and don't do anything I wouldn't do."

"And that would be?" Pen asked with a smirk and giggled when Abby shrugged.

"Pretty much nothing. Tony's up for anything."

Tony shook his head and made his way out grinning as he listened to the girls giggling fading into the background. His grin faltered slightly as he made his way down to autopsy so Ducky could have his wicked way with the medical equipment. He loved the old man sure, but he hated the fact that he was about to be pricked like a pincushion and checked over to make sure he was okay. Damn the first day back! Not only was he behind, but he had a fun meeting with Vance later on this afternoon and a few hundred emails to get through. Yeah, welcome back!

He walked into autopsy and grinned when he saw Ducky putting some kind of cream on Jimmy's back. "Don't tell me you've done a Probie and met with the demon poison ivy? Do I even want to know how you got it all over your back?"

"What?...Um no. Dr. Mallard was just..." Jimmy stammered and blushed furiously.

"Oh for heaven's sake, Mr. Palmer. Just tell him. This is nowhere near as embarrassing as what he's thinking at the moment." Ducky tutted at Jimmy's coyness and shook his head.

"It's a tattoo. I got a tattoo with Breena and Dr. Mallard is just rubbing some Vaseline on it for me to stop it from drying out." He admitted but frowned when Tony burst out laughing. "What?"

"You got a tat? Please don't tell me you've reacted the same way you did to the henna. That was just...urgh." Tony shuddered at the memory andmoved to stand beside Ducky. He gasped at the large tattoo that now adorned his friends entire upper back. It was impressive and Tony didn't even want to think about the pain involved in having that done. "Damn, gremlin, that's pretty damn nice!"

"You like it?"

"Yeah. Looks kinda familiar though." Tony scruitinized the ink and shook his head. "Where've I seen that before?"

"It's the same as that henna tat. Breena got one as well, but nothing as big." Jimmy's face lit up when he talked about his girlfriend. "We liked thehenna so decided to get them done permanently."

"Okay. Well you are done here, Mr. Palmer. Do you want a dressing on it to stop your scrubs rubbing?" Ducky capped the Vaseline and snapped off his gloves. Jimmy shook his head and started putting a t-shirt on before his scrub top. "Very well. Just let me know if it starts irritating. That's a big tattoo for a first time, young man and you don't want to ruin the design by scratching. I have some topical lotion that would help take the edge off the itch."

"I will, Doctor Mallard. Thank you for helping me out with."

"You are quite welcome, young man. Now, would you mind taking those samples to Abigail? I'm interested in knowing whether the results are the same as the others."

Jimmy moved to the table and picked up the tub with several vials in it. With a sheepish grin, he walked out of autopsy leaving Tony in Ducky's capable hands. "When's the wedding?" Tony asked with an easy grin and shook his head. "Who ever thought our little Jimmy would settle down."

Ducky nodded and pulled on a pair of fresh gloves. "It's nice to see the boy happy. It's been a while and hmm... You know, I do believe he has bought her a ring and was planning to propose this weekend. He's flying her over to his parent's beach house, which is fairly secluded. It's perfect from what he says. I just hope he hasn't changed his mind because he hasn't mentioned it in a while."

Tony nodded and hopped up on the nearest table. "Romantic. So, what's the order of the day? You gonna stick me with needles and send me on my way?" He asked hopefully, knowing that he had a meeting with the BAU in less than half an hour, and didn't want to turn up late after what happened.

"Blood tests and then a general check-up. I want to make sure you're really alright, though you do appear to be outwardly back to your old self." Ducky frowned as he contemplated where to start before shrugging. "Bloods first I think."

"Why'd you want blood when I was having a...huh. What would you call it? Oh yeah, a nervous breakdown." The sarcasm that dripped from the last part of Tony's statement didn't go amiss with Ducky who just hmmm'd and put the tourniquet on.

"I'd personally call it stress and possibly a touch of depression. I just want to make sure you're physically healthy, because you know as well as I do what both conditions can do to the body. Arm out, Anthony...that's it. Make a fist." Ducky found the vein straight away and drew a couple of vials of blood. Tony cringed but took it on the chin.

"Depression? Ducky, come on. I'm not depressed."

"Now." Ducky replied succinctly. "But back then, I fear the stress got on top of you. Jethro is back now, so you have help, but to be in your situation must have taken its toll."

Tony nodded and let Ducky take his blood pressure and check his lungs. "Yeah, guess so. I've got a meeting in about ten that I can't miss. Is there much more to do?"

"All done. I have to say, you're in good health young man. Go on. I'll send your blood up to Abigail to test and shall let you know. In the meantime, would you mind taking this upstairs because it will help with your meeting?" Ducky handed Tony the latest autopsy report with a smile and took of his gloves. "So, things are going well with Derek, I take it. You seem settled."

Tony grinned and nodded his head. "More than you'll ever know. It's great." Ducky smiled back and Tony could see the approval deep in his eyes. He jumped down and with a quick thanks, made his way up to the meeting.

***NCIS***

"Go on. Say it." Jethro huffed out as they left the hospital. Tim was still frowning at having the internal exam and Jethro knew that it'd take a lot to make it up to him. "You know you wanna."

Tim sighed heavily. "Say what? Right now, I want coffee, breakfast and to sit in a chair so no one else can stick their damn fingers up my ass today."

"I don't envy you son." Jack added and shook his head. "Damn invasive if you ask me. They couldn't check any other way?"

Jethro shook his head and opened the car before helping Tim in. "Nope, but wait till you're pushing him out and remember that a couple of fingers was nothing." He placed his hand lovingly on Tim's shoulder and leaned in for a kiss. "I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault. You're worried. I get that, I really do. I'm fine. Junior's fine and we're both having the time of our lives, so how about you hop in the car and take us for breakfast because your baby is hungry."

Jack chuckled and when Tim looked up, Jethro was smirking at him with a glint in his eye. "Which one?"

"The little one squirming about on my bladder ,because daddy had to drink stupid amounts of water for the ultrasound and will be peeing all day." Tim said sweetly and leaned up to kiss his lover. "Come on. You've got work to do and you're not doing it on an empty stomach. Dad, you hungry?"

Jack climbed in the car nodding his head. He pulled out his wallet and slipped another small photo in there.

"How many of them have you got?" Jethro asked as he peered round and saw the small pile of pictures there.

"Leroy, I have kept everyone you boys have sent me. They're the first pictures of my grandson and I plan to cherish them. Speaking of which, when am I going to get pictures of you two boys together?"

"We'll send you some. There's no way you're getting near me with a camera looking like this." Tim chuckled and made to do up his seatbelt, thankful that Jethro had bought him the seatbelt adjuster that made it sit over his bump comfortably. "Anyway, you'll be getting full family one's after he's born. With you in them, Dad."

"You want me in them? Now why would you want an old man like me in those pictures?"

"Because you're family." Jethro said and set off. "What do you two say to grabbing breakfast to go and going back home to eat? It's pretty nice so we can sit out back."

Both his dad and his partner agreed and they soon set off to get the breakfast.

***NCIS***

Ziva parked up outside the house that she'd been too with her friend's months before and sighed. This was a bad idea, but she needed help and the only way in which she was going to get it, was by biting the bullet and going ahead with what she had planned. Luckily, she'd figured out that her father wasn't involved, but there was still a renegade group of ex Mossad vigilantes after her and that wasn't something she would be taking lightly anymore. With the help of her father and some trusted family friends, she'd managed to throw her vigilante's off the scent, and hoped and prayed that they hadn't followed her up here. She stepped out of the rental car and walked up to the house so that she could knock on the door to speak to Jethro and Tim about what had happened; she just hated the fact that she was ruining their break to do so. With a hesitant knock, she waited patiently and almost cried with frustration when there was no answer. This was it! This was her chance to make things right and finally put the situation to bed so that everyone could move forward. She leaned forward and rested her head on the door and let the tears roll down her face with frustration and grief. Shewas so lost in her own mind and the heaving of her body as the sobs overwhelmed her, that she didn't hear the footsteps behind her and started when a warm hand rested on her shoulder.

"Ziva? What're you doing here?" She whipped round at the sound of Tim's voice and chocked on a sob as she flung her arms around him.

"Tim. I am so sorry. I didn't want to come here but...but I need help."

Tim frowned and held her tight to him. "Help with what, Zee? What's going on?"

"That's something we'd all like to know." Ziva let go of Tim and looked over at Jethro with fear and worry in her eyes. She nodded her head and wiped at the tears in her eyes.

"I need to tell you. I need...Gibbs, things cannot continue this way. I cannot live the way I am because someone will either get hurt or..."

"Or?"

"Or I will end up being killed because if they can't have me, then no one can."

Jethro's eyes narrowed dangerously as he listened to Ziva and for the first time ever, he saw something in those dark brown eyes; something he never thought he'd see there...pure, unadulterated terror.

***NCIS***

"What we know about the suspect so far, is that he's not working alone and he seems to have a religious belief that is coming through in all of his killings. He slipped with his last victim though, and I think we were wrong in our original profile."

Tony frowned heavily and read through the report of the last crime scene. "In what way?"

"The victim was laid out identically to the others apart from one thing." Hotch answered. "Either he's getting sloppy, or he just doesn't care anymore. Either way, it makes him more dangerous. What we found, was this." He passed Tony a bag with a necklace in it and the senior NCIS agent felt the air whoosh out of his lungs with surprise.

"You're kidding, right? This was with the body?"

They all nodded and Spencer leaned forward so he could lean on the table. "It was found about a foot away from the body, but we believe that it came from the unsub. The fact that it's the Star of David, makes me believe that the unsub isn't trying to 'cleanse' the unpure, but is leaving a message. So far, all of the victims have been devout Christians, so we believe this is now more about purging people with Christian beliefs because he possibly thinks it conflicts with his own."

"How...?"

"We don't know. Not for sure." Hotch replied before Tony could answer. "We work on elimination and right now, this is a theory that we will be building on."

Tony didn't know what to say and felt is gut clench. The Star of David meant that the Israeli's were involved and his gut told him, that there was a distinct possibility that Ziva was too.

"Jesus. That means...damn it! I need to speak to the Director. Is there anything else that we need to know?" Tony asked feeling the urgency of the situation rise.

"Not at the moment. You've read through our reports and know where we are up to with it. So far there have been seven victims and all of them have been killed in the same way. There would have been eight, but as you know, we managed to stop him before getting as far as killing her." Hotch supplied. Tony's mind wandered to the day that his boss had been shot and frowned.

"Yeah. We all remember that."

"Tony, I have to ask. Is Ziva Da'vid involved in this?"

"I don't know, Spencer. That's something we need to find out. I don't think she'll be directly involved, but the fact that the Israeli's are back in town doesn't look good."

The BAU team went quiet as they processed the information. "Listen, even after what happened, I don't think she'll be involved in the way you are thinking. Knowing Mossad, it's possible that they're involved but how, I don't know. Vance has ties to Eli Da'vid, so i'll speak to him to see what we can find out."

Tony stood up and walked out of the room, leaving the FBI team to work their side of the investigation. He couldn't help but feel that a day that started off relatively well, was going downhill fast and right now he wished he had Derek there to support him.

***NCIS***

"Sit." Jethro ordered his agent and placed a mug of coffee down in front of her when she sat down slowly in a kitchen chair. They'd all eaten breakfast out on the patio and it had given the three men a good chance to look her over. Of course, they hadn't liked what they saw, and were shocked at the sight of her sitting there picking at her food, looking too thin and pale, with dark circles under her eyes. "Talk to me."

"I...Gibbs, I am sorry. This has all got out of hand now."

"What has?" Jethro sat down with his own coffee and sat there patiently waiting for her to find the words she needed.

"I have been followed for months now by two people who I hoped never to see again. They trained with me in Mossad and were good agent's until they turned and becamevigilante's. They have a small band of people who follow them, but...but this is not easy for me."

"Why?"

"Because..." A lone tear trailed down her pale face and she wiped it away with a tissue that was handed to her. "Because, Nafi...sorry, Naftali, is my younger brother who has never forgiven me for taking the life of our older brother. He does not wish to hear the details, he just knows what I did and doesn't believe that I deserve friends or happiness."

Jethro understood and hated where this was going. If vigilante's were after Ziva and were taking out everything that she was close too... "Were you followed?"

"No. My father made sure I have protection and help. But it is not enough. Nafi knows all of his ways though, as we all do. I have intel that has shown him following the decoy, but..."

"Intel? Damn it Ziva. You need to be more specific."

"My father had sub-cue transmitters injected into all of us when we were children. They are checked periodically to make sure they are still working, though they can be jammed as we all know by what happened in Somalia."

Jethro stood up and starting pacing. He didn't know she'd had a transmitter fitted and blocked or not, it would have been useful information to have. "I didn't know. So your father can keep tabs on you?"

"Yes. But my transmitter was removed last week." She rolled up her sleeve and held out her arm. Gibbs saw a small, healing scar there from where someone had performed minor surgery. "My father flew in when he found out what was happening and had it removed. It is safer this way. It has been injected into the decoy and she is currently being guarded by numerous agents."

"What if he kills her?" Jethro couldn't believe what he was hearing and hated the fact that someone might possibly be sacrificed.

"He won't. She is way above his level in Mossad and knows how to take care of herself. We have people on her all the time. He won't get close." She jumped when a hand slapped down in front of her and looked up to see Jethro's clear blue eyes glaring at her dangerously.

"He found you!"

"She will have the transmitter removed and it will be destroyed when he is far enough away. They have instructions that I know little pieces of. Gibbs, we must stop him. He will kill more and even though he was never any good at the espionage part of the job, he does have knowledge and skills that make him dangerous. He is trigger happy and won't think twice at shooting at anyone that gets in his way."

"You said he wasn't a threat!" Jethro yelled harshly.

"No. I said he wasn't any good. He is still very much a threat and the fact that he has evaded everyone up until now is worrysome. I asked my father to track Nafi's transmitter, but it appears it has been deactivated."

Jethro nodded and sat down. "Okay. First things first, we need to tell Vance and DiNozzo. They can pass the information down to the BAU." He sat down and thought back to the situation with his team. "Why did you do what you did?"

"Which part?" She asked sarcastically .

"With Tony. Why?"

Her eyes welled with tears once again at the mention of her lost friendship. "Because they threatened to kill him if I didn't cut all ties. It was the only way to stop him from coming after me and trying to get involved." Her body convulsed slightly as a sob escaped. "It is worth it to keep him alive, but I miss his friendship."

"So you did it to keep him safe? Jesus. Ziva, you should have come to me!" Jethro shouted and rubbed his hand over his face.

"I couldn't."

Jethro's eyes narrowed as he took in the short, succinct statement. He put his finger under her chin and turned her face towards his own. "Ziva! You should have come to me!"

Ziva nodded and broke down completely. Gibbs now understood the situation a bit better, but needed to know details of what was going on. That meant talking to Vance in the morning. Right now, he needed to speak to Tony and find out what it was he knew to see if the pieces linked. "Okay. I'm going to ring Tony ,and let him know what's going on. Tim's going to stay here while I help my dad out, but you're more than welcome to stay with him."

"What will happen?" Ziva asked softly and looked him directly in the eye.

"DiNozzo can fill Vance in, and we'll go in and see him tomorrow. I don't want you going in alone, and Tony'll be able to spend the day filling in the blanks with what you have told us. You said he's been pulled off track. We need to know where he is, and exactly where your decoy plans to end up."

"I will speak to my father."

"You do that. Get as much information as you can." Jethro stood up and leaned down to kiss the top of her head. "WE'll sort it out."

Ziva nodded and sat there gazing at the table top. She was trying to compose herself and didn't hear her boss leave. It wasn't long, before she felt two strong arms wrap around her from behind started before realizing Tim had come back in. He stood up and gently massaged her shoulders. "I am sorry, Tim."

"Don't be. It's alright."

"You heard?" She asked tentatively.

"Yeah. I heard. Tell you what, I know for a fact your father will have people guarding this house with their lives, so going out isn't an option. How about we try and do what we can this end while J sort's it out with NCIS."

Ziva nodded and let Tim help her up so that they could go and figure out what they needed to do.

***NCIS***

Vance stood by the window listening to Ducky give a slimmed down version of his findings. It was standard procedure for the teams physician to send a report, but Ducky felt the need to talk the Director though every time.

"All in all, young Anthony is more than ready to come back to work. All tests are fine, though I do advise keeping an eye on him for the next couple of days. It's hard coming back to work after time off."

"What about the bloodwork?" Vance asked. There was one thing that his M.E. had skirted around and that was the issue of the results for the senior agent.

"Ah, yes. I would like to speak to Anthony first if you will. There is nothing untoward in there, but still, there's something that I should discuss with my patient before it goes any further. It won't hinder his duties as an Agent, Leon, so there is no urgency in you knowing if you need to at all. That is up to Anthony, I'm afraid."

Vance frowned and scrutinized Ducky for a moment before speaking. "So, it's not going to hinder his performance?"

"It shouldn't. I have given you the report which signs Anthony back in for Duty. You will not need to know anything else but that."

With a nod, Vance finally sat down and leaned back in his chair. "Is there anything else on your mind about Agent DiNozzo?"

"Not on my mind per say, but I do however have a request that you don't hold what happened against him. Timothy's relationship with Anthony is back on track and he understands Timothy's actions and the reasons behind them. However, Ziva's actions forced his hand with the snap and I won't have you looking at him as weak."

"I don't." Vance said calmly. "Why would I? I'm not a monster, Dr. Mallard. He'll be treated the same way as he was before."

Ducky nodded and stood up to leave.

"One more thing. Do you want to explain why Agent Gibbs felt the need to take an impromptu long weekend this weekend? We're in the middle of a case."

Ducky sighed heavily. "And why on earth would you be asking me? That is a conversation that you will need to have with Jethro. I am not your spy, Director Vance. I am the Medical Examiner and personal NCIS physician for the MRCT team and my assistant. I will not be pulled into the politics that surround whatever you are planning. May I suggest, that if you have questions, then you ask the people that are involved rather than looking for an informer within the organisation."

At that point, Ducky's patience was thinned to the barest of threads and right now Vance was skating on thin ice. There was something in Vance's eyes that stopped him though; something that told him that the Director felt as though what he'd said had been wrong.

"Dr. Mallard, I'm not looking for an informer and I'm sorry for putting you in that position. I will speak to the relevant people."

Ducky was about to answer when the door opened and Tony walked in carrying a casefile. Instead of carrying on, he simply glared at Vance before bidding him good day and storming out of the office. Tony's eyes were wide with shock as he watched the scene and he couldn't help but wonder what had gone on between the two.

"Yes, Agent DiNozzo." The barked tone shocked Tony slightly, but he shook it off and dropped the file off on Vance's desk. "What's this?"

"More evidence from the case. We need you to talk to Eli Da'vid because we believe there are some renegade ex Mossad agents involved. We need as much intel as possible and we know you've got the means to directly contact them."

Vance's eyes narrowed slightly and he leaned forward to take the file. With a heavy heart, he opened it up and started to read the information contained within. "You sure?"

"Evidence links to it and Gibbs has spoken to Ziva. The boss is going to call me later to fill in the gaps his email left out, but going off the meeting I've just had with the BAU, it's an angle I think we should work."

"Alright then." The director said quietly. "I want you to keep digging to see what you can find. Gibbs is back tomorrow ,so we can talk to him then."

Tony nodded and walked out of the room wanting nothing more than to talk to Derek. The day was going steadily from bad to worse but there was something keeping him level headed through it all. He sighed when his phone rang shrilly and sighed heavily when he saw Abby's name come up on the screen.

"Hey, Abbs. I'm kinda busy right now. Is it important?" he asked knowing that she probably hadn't processed all the samples just yet.

"Tony! Get down here! Now!" He cringed at Abby's barked order.

"I'm in the middle of a case, Abbs. Seriously can it wai..."

"No! It can't. Tony, Ducky's down here and we need to talk to you. It's about your bloodwork."

Tony's heart dropped and he snapped his phone shut before turning and heading off to the elevator that would take him to meet his fate. His gut clenched at the thought of something being wrong and he just knew, that whatever it was, it had to be serious for her to get Ducky down there as well.