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Title: Cherish all the simple things
By: Beverly aka Bev *too*
Pairing: Gibbs/DiNozzo & Delilah Fielding/Timothy McGee
Fandom: NCIS
Rating: G
Note: I wanted to write some fluffy little something for Christmas. So my muses came up with this.
Beta as always by my beloved sister-in-mind counselor69.
Summary: Tim thinks about Christmas and realizes that Gibbs is likely to be alone. Before he can ask him to spend the holidays with Delilah and him, things take an interesting turn.
***
Tim McGee finished his report, hit 'save', followed by 'print' and then 'send', and closed the window on his computer. Done. Finally. Just one more hour to go and they were off. Not only for the weekend but for the whole holidays. He took a look around. Bishop was at her desk, most likely also finishing up her report. She would drive home to her family. Her parents and her brothers would love her, feed her, take care of her and whenever the burden of the job would become too much for her, there would always be a shoulder for her to cry on. She would come back glowing with happiness.
His eyes drifted to Nick Torres. Just like Bishop, he concentrated on his latest report, no doubt also counting the minutes until he could leave. He had talked about a young woman he had met and that she had invited him to come over on christmas. He was glad for his colleague. He was a loyal and friendly guy and he deserved some happiness.
As did Alex Quinn. But she was still a mystery to him. She was sitting at her desk, typing away furiously, the tip of her tongue between her lips, trying her best to finish her report as fast as possible. Every few seconds she glanced at the watch on her wrist. Apparently, she was just as eager to get out as all of them. He didn't know whether she had plans for the holidays or not but he was sure that she wouldn't spend them entirely alone.
Just like Gibbs most likely did. He...
“Something on your mind, McGee?” Gibbs' voice interrupted his wandering thoughts. Startled, he snapped back to reality.
“No, boss,” he said, “everything's alright.”
“Report done?”
Tim nodded, grabbed his report from the printer and handed it over to the older man. Who would be alone on Christmas. Should he ask him to come over and spent at least one day with Delilah and him? As far as he knew, Delilah liked him, and she wouldn't be too angry with him for inviting his boss without asking her first.
Just as he was about to ask, Abby came stomping in, yelling, “Are they here yet?”
Gibbs just smiled and for a moment Tim was speechless. Never before had he seen Gibbs smile like that. It made him look twenty years younger. “Nope, Abs,” he answered, “or can you see them anywhere?”
Abby shook her head with a pout, making her pigtails swing wildly.
“Who isn't here yet?” Alex asked now, curiously looking up from her report, frowning.
“Yes,” Ellie got up from her desk, “who isn't here yet? Are you expecting someone, Abby?”
Abby grinned broadly, and made a zipping motion over her lips. Ellie frowned, too, and then even more when the elevator doors opened with their usual 'ping' and Gibbs' head shot up. Tim didn't watch the elevator but Gibbs, and he noticed the barely hidden disappointment when he saw that it was only Ducky.
“Not here, Ducky,” Gibbs grumbled, and Ducky just smiled gently, walked up to him and put a hand on his shoulder.
“They will be here in no time, Jethro. Maybe they got stuck in traffic.”
“Who?” Tim finally burst out, “WHO is stuck in traffic?”
“You will see, my dear Timothy,” Ducky smiled, and patted McGee's back. It was in this moment that Gibbs' mobile rang. He took it, and answered with a curt, “What?”
Then his face changed, it became soft and the so very rare smile was back on his face. “Still at the office,” he murmured, “yeah, I'll wait for you. Take care.”
He cast a quick glance at Abby. “They'll be here in five.” With a look at Ducky he continued, “They got stuck in traffic.” Then he waved him off when the old ME simply grinned.
Tim watched them all as the next minutes ticked by. Although Quinn, Bishop and Torres still pretended to work, he could see their eyes flit over to the elevator every few seconds.
Another shrill ring of Gibbs' cellphone startled him, and now he was not above shamelessly staring at his boss. He took the call, listened, smiled, and said, “Yeah, send them up.”
Tim held his breath as he watched the glowing numbers above the elevator until it finally came to a stop with a soft 'ping'.The doors opened and out came … a little girl. Dressed up in thick winter clothes, her dark hair bound to little pigtails. If Tim had to guess, he would have thought her about five or six. But what surprised him even more was her squealing of, “Papa! Papa!”
And while everybody simple stared at the tiny whirlwind storming towards them, Gibbs simply bent down and caught her as she ran straight in his arms.
“Hey there, sweetheart,” he murmured with a big smile on his face. “Left Daddy behind again?”
“You could say that,” another, extremly familiar voice answered, and Tim's head turned back to the elevator.
Tony.
Tim was certain that it was so quiet in the bullpen that one could hear a pin drop. With a smile equally big as Gibbs', Tony came round the corner, dressed as impeccable as always. When his eyes fell on Tim, his grin got even wider. “Cat got your tongue, probie?” he teased before he oomphed slightly when Abby threw himself with a squee into his arms. “TonyTonyTony,” she laughed. “So good to see you again.” He hugged her back tightly and patted her back gently. With his nose buried in her neck, Tim could barely understand the muffled, “Missed you too, Abbs.”
When she finally let go of him, Ducky replaced her, though not quite as enthusiastic as their favorite gothgirl but also with a big hug and a murmured, “Good to see you again, Anthony. I was afraid I might have missed you.”
“Traffic was brutal,” Tony sighed, and turned to McGee. “No hug for your old boss, probie?” he teased, and Tim thought, 'What the heck', and pulled the other man into an heartfelt embrace. “Hey, Tony,” he said quietly, “really good to see you again.”
Bishop also got a hug, while Quinn and Torres got a strong handshake and a short introduction.
All the while the little girl clung to Gibbs' neck, talking a mile a minute about everything and nothing and it was just when she called him 'Papa' again, that Tim pricked up his ears.
“Am I the only one to find it weird that Tony's daughter calls the boss … that?” he whispered to Bishop who had come to stand next to him. She shook his head and was about to reply something when Tony finally walked up to Gibbs.
The next few moments seemed to happen in slow-motion and Tim could only stare. Tony stepped in front of Gibbs but didn't take his girl back. Instead he just put one hand on her back, the other on Gibbs cheek and gave him a soft kiss on the mouth.
On the mouth.
In the middle of the bullpen.
With everyone and then some watching them.
“Hey love, sorry for being late,” he murmured and bestowed another gentle kiss on Gibbs. This time a little longer. Tali giggled gave each man a smacking kiss on the cheek while they were still kissing each other. It was almost surreal domestic. And loving. And it absolutely fit not the way he had pictured Gibbs in all the years he had been working with the former Marine now.
When he looked around he saw amusement in his colleagues' eyes, and warmth, a little confusion but mostly joy. It seemed that simply nobody begrudged them the happiness they apparently had found with each other. After another quick peck, Tony took a step back and reached for Tali. But the little girl hugged Gibbs just tighter and shook her head with a serious expression. “I stay with Papa. You have me everyday, he doesn't.”
Tony nodded just as serious. “You're right, kitten. Then how about we take Papa home with us?”
Another nod, this time from Tali who turned back to Gibbs. “You ready, Papa?”
Gibbs nodded and gave the little girl in his arms a peck on the nose. “Yep. How about you say Hi and Good-bye to Abbs and Ducky while I go get my coat?”
He set her down on the floor and the girl weasled her way through all the legs until she got lifted up by Abby with another ear-piercing squeal. They huggled and cuddled each other, shared little nose-kisses and when Abby set Tali down again, she quickly ran over to Ducky who had found a chair and had sat down. With a skill that spoke of long practice, she climbed into his lap and rested her head on his shoulder. Lovingly, the old man closed his arms around her, and asked in a quiet voice what she had been up to since the last time they had seen each other. Immediately, the girl began to talk in an endearing mixture of hebrew and english.
When he caught a movement out of the corner of his eyes, he turned his head. Gibbs had returned, his dark coat over his arm. He walked quietly behind Tony, slipped his arms around his waist, rested his chin on the younger man's shoulder and together they watched Ducky interact with Tali.
Tim simply couldn't look away until a pointy elbow met his ribs. He winced and turned to Abby. She frowned at him. “You're staring,” she hissed. He rubbed the barely hurting spot on his chest and hissed back, “Did you know about … them?” He pointed with his chin in the direction of the couple. “Of course I did. They began dating as soon as Tony had left.” She sighed. “Don't look like a kicked puppy, Timmy. They weren't ready to come out as long as Tony and Tali were still travelling.”
Tim nodded. Yes, that made sense. With Tony abroad and Gibbs here … telling everybody would only have stirred the waters. “Does that mean that they're back now?” he asked silently. Abby nodded. “Came back about two months ago. Was a stressful time for the bossman. With them moving everything out of storage and into their house.”
“THEIR house?”
Abby nodded. “They all moved in with Gibbs. So now it's *their* house. Logically.”
“Logically,” Tim repeated, still feeling like he'd fallen through some weird rabbit hole. But on the other hand … they looked good together. Comfortable. Content.
Happy.
He smiled. “That's good,” he finally said. “Good for them not to be alone anymore. Especially on christmas.”
With a grin, Abby linked her arm with his. “Aren't they cute together?” she enthused quietly. Tim patted her hand, and agreed, “Yes, Abby, yes, they are.”
~*~
Gibbs pressed a kiss to Tony's ear and murmured, “This outing big enough for you?”
Tony turned slightly around and Jethro could see the sparkle in his eyes. “Yep. Timmy is still staring.” Now he giggled. God, Jethro loved that sound. Had missed it all those months he had been parted from his lover. Involuntarily, he pulled the younger man a little closer.
“Ready to go home now, sweetcheeks?” Tony grinned, and didn't even try to avoid the headslap. But instead of handing out a slap, Jethro caressed the thick hair lovingly.
“Yes,” he answered, “ready to go. Think you can tear Tali away from Ducky?”
“Hm,” Tony frowned playfully, and cocked his head. “Not sure. Ducky with all his stories is like a magnet for our little girl.”
And indeed was Tali staring adoringly up at Ducky who was telling with a quiet voice compelling stories of his life. “Give them two more minutes,” Gibbs murmured, getting once again this warm feeling in the pit of his stomach whenever Tony called Tali 'our daughter'.
Quietly, they stood there and watched the scene in front of them.
~*~
Unbeknownst to them all, Leon Vance was standing at his usual place in front of his office, taking in the whole scene unfolding below him. Gibbs and DiNozzo, he thought, moving his obligatory toothpick in his mouth from left to right. He should've seen that coming. Gibbs had been like a poked bear the weeks after DiNozzo had left but suddenly, from one day to the other, his mood had changed. He had smiled more easily, his shoulders seemed to have lifted like a weight had been removed from them. And when he had returned from Paraguay, he hadn't joined the rest of the team in McGee's appartement but had gone home.
Home to Tony, as he suspected now. With a big smile, he turned back to his office. It was time for him to finish for the holidays, too, and head home where his kids were waiting for him.
~*~
Tony could feel his cheeks hurt from grinning so broadly. Gibbs behind him, with his arms around his waist. Tali on Ducky's lap, listening to his stories. Timmy, by now also smiling. Abby, whispering with Tim, love shining in her eyes. And Bishop, Quinn and Torres, the confusion slowly leaving their faces, getting replaced by happiness.
Happiness for them. For Jethro and him. And Tali. With a very content sigh, he leaned his head back so that it rested against Jethro's, and closed his eyes for a moment. A little tug on his coat made him look down. Directly into the dark eyes of his daughter.
“Can we go home now, Daddy? You, me and Papa?” She rubbed her eyes, and yawned heartily.
“Of course, sweetie,” he answered, bent down and picked her up. In a trusting gesture, she laid her head against his shoulder and put her arms around his neck.
With a little regret, he felt Jethro remove his arms from his middle which instantly felt cold.
“Okay, team, off you go. Closing time. Off you go. Merry Christmas and now get out.”
Within minutes, the bullpen was empty except for Tony and Gibbs who stared at the closing elevator doors, and grinned at each other.
“Let's go,” Jethro grumbled, grabbed Tony's hand and together they made their way to the exit.
~*~
Tony smiled and looked up at Jethro when the older man handed him a cup of mulled wine, and sat down next to him again, pulling him close. Quietly they clinked the cups, and with a content sigh, Tony leaned back.
Gibbs kissed his shoulder, and said softly, “You liked it, huh? The great entrance you made tonight? Nice touch with sending Tali in first, by the way.”
Tony chuckled. “Thought you might like that.”
“Glad you decided to finally stay.”
Tony took Jethro's hand and pressed a kiss onto the palm. “Me, too. Glad you took me back.”
“Being here with you, Tony, that's all I ever wanted.”
Now Tony turned slightly, and frowned. “Who are you and what have you done with my emotionally retarded Marine?”
Laughing, Gibbs gave Tony the headslap he had already deserved in the office. “I love you, and you know that.”
Tony cuddled a little deeper into the older man's embrace. “I love you, too, Jethro.”
Outside the window, snow slowly began to fall, covering the world outside under a thick white blanket. In the corner of the living room stood their christmas tree, beautifully decorated in red and gold. And underneath it were the carefully wrapped gifts for Tali.
Tony closed his eyes. Merry Christmas, were his last thoughts, Merry Christmas indeed.
The end
***
Note:
The title comes from the Pentatonix Song:
The fireplace is burning bright
Shining all on me
I see the presents underneath
The good ol' Christmas tree
And I wait all night til Santa comes
To wake me from my dreams
Oh, why? cause that Christmas to me
I see the children play outside
Like angels in the snow
While mom and daddy share a kiss under the mistletoe
And we'll cherish all these simple things
Wherever we may be oh why?
Cause that's Christmas to me
I've got this Christmas song in my heart
I've got the candles glowing in the dark
I'm hanging all the stockings
By the the Christmas tree
Oh, why?
cause thats Christmas to me
I listen for the thud of reindeer
Walking on the roof
as I fall asleep to lullabies
the morning's coming soon
the only gift I'll ever need
Is the joy of family
Oh why? Cause that's christmas to me
I've got this Christmas song in my heart
I've got the candles glowing in the dark
I'm hanging all the stockings by the Christmas tree
Oh why? Cause that's Christmas to me
Oh why? Cause that's Christmas to me
The joy that fills our hearts and makes us sing
Oh why? Cause that's Christmas to me
I've got this Christmas song in my heart
I've got the candles glowing in the dark
and then for years to come we'll always know one thing
that's the love that Christmas can bring
Oh why? Cause that's Christmas to me***
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