NCIS: McBaby

Chapter 16

Thirty minutes later, a quiet whimpering awakened Gibbs. He opened his eyes to see Jethro sitting at the end of the bed. Tim was using his arm as a pillow so he carefully extracted himself and sat up. "What is it, boy?" he whispered as he stood up and grabbed his gun off the nightstand. He took one last look at Tim, then with his gun poised, quietly made his way downstairs. After he cleared the room he checked the doors and windows, relieved to see they had not been tampered with. Jethro began scratching at the back door, desperate for some relief. Gibbs took a deep breath and exhaled, "You scared me buddy; I thought there was an intruder here." Jethro cocked his head, gave a small bark and dashed outside once Gibbs opened the door. Attempting to relieve his worry, he followed Jethro outside, scanned the perimeter and waited while the dog finished.

When they came inside, Gibbs gave Jethro a treat and told him to keep an eye out while he went to collect the packages from that morning. Jethro gave a small bark and retreated to the family room to enjoy his treat. It only took Gibbs two trips to unload all the bags and he started a pot of coffee while he put the groceries away. After Gibbs finished he set the baby monitor on the kitchen table and sat down to read the newspaper.

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Visiting hours had just begun at the Correctional Treatment Facility when Ella Grey arrived. She was giddy with excitement to tell her sister what she observed earlier that morning. After being searched she was allowed to enter the cafeteria to wait for her sister to arrive. A few moments later, prisoners began entering the room as Ella searched for her sister. She spotted Lucy from across the room and motioned for her to come sit down. Lucy reached out to hug her sister, but was stopped by one of the guards.

"Hey Lucy, it's good to see you. I've missed being able to talk to you."

Lucy smiled, "Good to see you too! So, tell me everything! Were you successful with our plan?"

Ella gave her sister a cynical smile. "Of course I was, was there ever any doubt? I gave Agent McGee a double dose to ensure he will be a baby much longer than a week. He is currently under the care of Agent Gibbs."

Lucy clapped her hands together, "Great job! How do you know that he is under Agent Gibbs' care?"

Ella smiled "Well, I observed them at the store today. I was able to get close to them without any suspicion. Agent Gibbs is very committed to taking care of his baby." She laughed then continued "Agent McGee is the perfect baby. He is so adorable! You are going to love him!"

"I'm so excited to get my hands on him! Now we just have to figure out a way to get me out of here. My court date is set for Thursday and my lawyer thinks he can get me out on bail. But you have to promise me if my bail is denied, you will still carry out the plan.

Ella reached across the table and grabbed Lucy's hands "I'm fully committed, you have done so much for me it's the least I can do for you. I can't wait to make him scream."

Lucy raised her eyebrows, "Now, now don't get ahead of yourself," she admonished Ella before continuing," We will discuss that when the time arrives."

Ella got up to leave but turned back to her sister, "Don't worry, you have a really good lawyer and in a few days you will have the baby of your dreams."

Lucy squeezed Ella's hand and watched her exit the building.

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Gibbs was half way through the paper when a noise on the baby monitor caught his attention. Tim was in the throws of a nightmare, rolling around on the bed and babbling in his sleep. Gibbs immediately dropped the paper, taking the steps two at a time in a rush to reach him. He burst into the room and immediately sat down on the bed deciding the easiest way to wake Tim without frightening him further. He put his hand on Tim's back to steady him then leaned down and began whispering in his ear. "Timmy, wake up! You're having a nightmare kiddo." Tim slowly opened his eyes then burst into tears upon seeing Gibbs. He pulled Tim into his lap while rubbing small circles on his back. "Shh...shh you're alright." Gibbs soothed as Tim sobbed into his chest. Once Tim was able to calm down, Gibbs pulled him back to see his face. "Did you have a nightmare? Do you want to tell me what it was about?" Tim sniffled and his breathing hitched before whispering, "Grey". Gibbs sighed and used his sleeve to wipe the remaining tears from Tim's face. "Aww buddy, I told you that we would do every thing in our power to keep you safe." Gibbs kissed the top of Tim's head before he laid him down to check his diaper. He hissed when he noticed the chaffing on Tim's legs didn't look any better than it did earlier that morning. He made a mental note to ask Ducky for a stronger ointment.

"How about we get you some lunch, kiddo." Gibbs suggested as he carried Tim downstairs. Jethro met them and followed them into the kitchen. "Know what you might like?" he asked while he sat Tim down. Tim shrugged his shoulders, smiled then spoke, "cookies." Gibbs laughed, "Nice try! If you eat all of your lunch then you can have one." Tim nodded and tried again "Naner?" Gibbs smiled, "Well a banana sounds better than a cookie, but you still need to eat something with a little more substance." Gibbs began digging though the refrigerator, searching for the supplies to make sandwiches. He looked over his shoulder and chuckled at the sight of Jethro sitting with his head in Tim's lap while he ran his fingers through the dog's fur. While it was on his mind, he pulled out his phone and hit the speed dial to speak with Ducky.

"Hello" Ducky answered cheerfully.

"Duck, I need you to do me a favor regarding Tim."

"Is everything alright with Timothy? He's not hurt again is he?"

"No he's fine, but he does have a bit of a diaper rash and some chaffing on his inner thighs that is bothering him. The ointment that Abby got isn't working. Could you bring over something stronger?"

"Oh dear, we must keep a close eye on that to make sure it does not become infected. I'll need to examine him Jethro."

"He is not going to like that Duck. But we can give it a try."

Ducky sighed, "Listen Jethro, I know you want Timothy to be able to make his own decisions, but when it comes to medical care, he needs to understand we know what is best for him."

Gibbs knew Ducky was right, but still wanted Tim to have a say in his own care. "We will discuss it with him once you get here."

"Sounds good Jethro, I will be over later this afternoon."

He cut Tim's sandwich into bite size pieces, then peeled a banana and repeated the process. He filled a bottle and brought lunch over to the table. Jethro whined when Gibbs scooted him away so that he could sit closer to Tim in case he wanted a drink. Tim's mouth began watering when Gibbs set the plate down in front of him. Before Gibbs could get a bib tied around his neck Tim began shoving pieces of banana in his mouth.

"Whoa! Whoa! Take it easy there son, where's the fire? I don't want you choking, I wouldn't be able to live with myself if something happened to you."

Tim blushed and carefully began chewing the pieces already in his mouth. Satisfied Tim's needs were taken care of for a moment, he picked up his own sandwich and was ready to take a bite when his phone rang. He groaned then looked at the caller ID.

"DiNozzo, please tell me you have some information that can be helpful to our investigation."

"Hey Boss, well that depends on your meaning of helpful. We're are on our way over with a picture of a possible suspect."

Gibbs sighed, "Better than we currently have, which is nothing. We'll see you in a few minutes."

Gibbs hung up and returned his attention to his sandwich. He smiled as Tim looked up and had banana smeared all over his nose, lips and chin.

"That was Tony on the phone, they should be here soon. They have a picture they want you to look at."

Tim nodded and reached for the bottle. "Here, let me help you" Gibbs suggested. Grabbing the bottle and guiding it toward his lips, Tim sucked contentedly and was excited when Gibbs asked if he wanted to try and hold it on his own. Because the nipple was already in Tim's mouth, Gibbs figured it would be easier for Tim to attempt to hold the bottle rather than test his hand eye coordination skills again. Tim's little hands shook as he reached up and grabbed on to both sides of the bottle. Certain that Tim had a tight grip, Gibbs released his own to watch as Tim's eyes filled with pride at the small accomplishment. "Nice job, son! I told you that you would get it, eventually." Tim pulled the bottle away and smiled as milk dripped out of the side of his mouth. Gibbs laughed as he reached over and helped Tim set the bottle back on the table. Just as Gibbs wiped the milk off Tim's face there was a knock on the door.

"Ahh that would be the team, sit tight and I'll be right back. And don't even think about giving Jethro any of your sandwich, you need to eat that." Tim blushed and gave a small smile.

Gibbs greeted Tony and Ziva and led them into the kitchen. Tim was picking at his sandwich but turned to look when they entered the room. Tony was the first one to speak, "Hey Probie, how are you doing today?"

"Kay" Tim replied shoving a piece of deli meat in his mouth.

Ziva smiled, "It looks like you certainly have an appetite, that is good, yes?"

Turning the focus off Tim, Gibbs changed the subject. "So where is Abby? I was positive that she would have hitched a ride with you two."

Tony and Ziva exchanged nervous glances, neither of them sure how Gibbs would react to Abby's behavior. Gibbs noticed the tension and spoke up, "What happened? Why is she not here right now?"

Ziva sighed, "When we met in the lab this morning to go through footage, Abby was complaining about how she didn't think that you or Tim wanted anything to do with her. She doesn't understand why all of your attention is focused on Tim right now. I got cross with her. I told her when she felt like being part of the team again, she could help us."

Ziva closed her eyes, waiting for a head slap for treating Abby that way. But, when it never came, she opened her eyes to see Gibbs tending to Tim.

Once Gibbs was satisfied that Tim was clean, he grabbed a cookie from the pantry and handed it to him. He sat down in the chair next to Tim and smirked when Tim reached out for him. "Come here kiddo", he said as he lifted Tim out of the chair and onto his lap. Tim smiled and closed his eyes as he leaned back against Gibbs' chest while he sucked on the Nutter Butter.

It was only after Gibbs had Tim comfortable did he speak about Abby. "I'm sorry to hear that Abby was such a pain this morning. It seems that because she's having issues with this situation, she might need to find a new team. I'll speak with her later."

Tony and Ziva were shocked that Gibbs would even suggest such a drastic action, but then again he made it clear from the beginning of this nightmare that Tim was his top priority. Was it possible that Abby wasn't his favorite anymore? It sure seemed that way to them. Since Tim had become a baby, they were treated to a whole different side of Gibbs. A sweet, sensitive, nurturing side they didn't even know existed. Little Tim was good for Gibbs, he allowed him to be human again.

Determined to break the tension in the room, Tony pulled the photograph out of his pocket and slid it across the table. "It's probably nothing, but this woman looked vaguely familiar to me."

Gibbs grabbed his reading glasses and held the picture up so both he and Tim could take a look. He took one glance at the picture and threw it down on the table. Tim turned white as a ghost and started shaking violently before dropping his cookie on the floor. Tony and Ziva exchanged worried looks as Tim began sobbing.

Desperate for answers, Tony blurted out "What is it boss? How do you and Tim know this woman?"

Gibbs wrapped his arms around Tim who was beginning to hyperventilate.

"Easy, easy Timmy. I don't want you to make yourself sick" Gibbs soothed.

But it was too late for reassurances as Tim began heaving, expelling all the lunch he just finished eating. Most of it landed on the table, but some of it landed down the front of Tim and on Gibbs' jeans. Uncertain if he was done, Ziva ran to get the trashcan as Gibbs positioned Tim's body over it. Sure enough, not a second later Gibbs winced as Tim's small frame was racked with tremors as he emptied the rest of his stomach contents into the trash. Tony stood up, went to the sink and wet a few paper towels so Gibbs could clean Tim up.

Gibbs took the offered paper towels and gently began tending to Tim. He was still shaking and sweat dripped from his brow. Gibbs was able to wipe most of the vomit up with one towel and used the second to wipe away the tears and sweat that coated his face. He carded his hand through Tim's hair, worried at how flushed he had become and ordered DiNozzo to go into the bathroom and get a cold washcloth. By the time Tony returned, Gibbs had managed to get Tim's breathing under control but he was still shaking. Gibbs folded the washcloth in half and held it to Tim's forehead.

Convinced that Gibbs had the situation under control, Tony couldn't hold his tongue any longer.

"Boss, will you please tell us what the hell is going on? How do you and Tim know this woman?"

Gibbs sighed, as he continued to dab the washcloth on Tim's face and neck. "When Tim and I went shopping this morning, there was an "employee" who came up to us and asked if we needed help. And I let her help us!"

Gibbs banged his fist on the table, "She touched Tim, damnit!"

"It's the same woman from that photo...I had a bad feeling about her at the store but I just pushed her to the back of my mind. My attention was focused on Tim. Then when we left, I had a gut feeling that something wasn't right. She must have been watching us in the parking lot."

Tony tried to reassure him, "Boss...it's not your fault. How could you know that she had anything to do with this?

Gibbs stared at Tony for a while before yelling, "Because it's my job to know, DiNozzo! It's my job to protect Tim!"

The room was silent, each agent buried in their own thoughts. Tim, who was still sniffling a little bit, shifted in Gibbs' lap so that he could see his face. He then reached up and ran his little hand down Gibbs' cheek before whispering "twust u Gib." Gibbs sighed and grabbed Tim's hand in his own before leaning down and kissing the top of his head. "Thanks sweetie" he said, his term of endearment surprising both Tony and Ziva.

Tim's moment of reassurance toward him snapped Gibbs out of his funk. Before they could bat an eye he was firmly barking out orders as to what needed to be done next.

"First off, we need a BOLO out on this woman, any idea who she is?"

"Tony and I believe she is a relative of Grey's because they look similar, but we are having a hard time tracking down a specific name or relation."

"Well look harder! Pull some strings! I want a name for this psychopath! Tony, Tim will need a protection detail 24/7...call Vance and let him know what's going on."

"Sure thing, Boss."

Gibbs then turned to Tim, "Hey babe, are you ready to go get cleaned up?"

Tim nodded and Gibbs used the washcloth he had to wipe off any chunks of vomit that were on either of them before standing up and carrying Tim upstairs.

Once they left Tony turned to Ziva and said, "I have never seen Gibbs be that kind or gentle to anyone. Tim is definitely changing him for the better."

Ziva nodded and pulled out her phone, attempting to call in some favors owed her by other agencies.

Gibbs took Tim in the bathroom and stripped him down. Luckily the vomit had not soaked through his sweatpants so Gibbs just grabbed a couple of baby wipes and cleansed the skin until he could put him in the bath later on. Tim was exhausted as Gibbs brought him back to the bedroom to change his diaper and get a new set of clothes on him. He stuck his thumb in his mouth and allowed Gibbs to carry out his ministrations. By the time Gibbs was slipping a new pair of sweatpants on, Tim was in dreamland. Gibbs took the opportunity to change his own clothes before cradling Tim in his arms and bringing him back downstairs.

Tony and Ziva were sitting on the couch when Gibbs came in with a sleeping Tim. He figured it would be the perfect opportunity to get the crib set up now that he had someone who could watch Tim and an additional person to help him.

"Alright, I need to get the crib set up, who wants to watch Tim and who wants to help me?" Tony and Ziva exchanged glances, both of them wanting to be with Tim at that moment.

Seeing the desperation in Tony's eyes, Ziva quietly whispered that she would help Gibbs. Gibbs nodded as Tony arranged himself comfortably on the couch while Gibbs slipped a sleeping Tim into his arms. Tim shifted for a moment then snuggled closer to Tony's chest before his breathing evened out.

Gibbs and Ziva both smiled as Tony ran his hand through Tim's hair in an attempt to soothe him.

"We'll be right upstairs if you need anything, DiNozzo." Gibbs reassured him.

Tony nodded then motioned for them to leave as he turned his attention back to the sleeping baby in his arms.