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
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended.