Tues, March 26th 2012

Waking much more rested the next morning, Tim takes the time to stretch once he's gotten out of bed. Next on his agenda is a long hot shower since he's alone in the house for the time being. Ducky, he knows has already left to get Andrew discharged from the hospital and Dustin will be here within an hour to drop Shyanne off with him while he goes to help his brother and Ducky.

With Dustin taking Shyanne with him again last night after they'd gotten the guest room set up for Andrew and had a good dinner around Ducky's dinning room table, Tim had been able to turn in early and sleep well. He smiles softly to himself now as it hits him that for some reason, the awful dreams that plagued him in the hospital, hadn't revisited him last night. Definitely something to be grateful for. Excited yipping from Rex and actual barking from Pepper out in the backyard breaks through Tim's thoughts and he speeds up heading down to the breakfast he knows he's expected to eat.

Wanting some time with Pepper before Shyanne arrives, Tim skips breakfast momentarily but fixes himself a cup of coffee and takes it with him outside. "Hey, buddy. Got to come out early this mornin' huh? Ducky's got you spoiled already with the doggie door, doesn't he?" Tim croons to his pet as he sets his cup of coffee down on the table and scoops him up into his lap and loves on him, making sure to scratch Pepper where he loves it best, behind his ears. "You like that?" Tim teases as he stops for a minute.

Pepper jumps down and races across the yard and races back as if suddenly unable to stop running, Rex trying to keep up. Tim smiles as the energized dogs run back across the yard. Thinking of trying something he used to do with his first sheltie, Tim opens his arms wide for Pepper and watches in awe as he too, jumps up into Tim's arms, as if knowing the sign for an open armed embrace. Tim laughs. "Oh, yeah! This is awesome!" Hugging Pepper to his chest now, Tim sits back down with him and cuddles with him quietly, Rex laying tiredly at his feet.

Moments go by and Tim steels himself to do what he has to. "Sorry, Buddy, Gotta go eat before Shyanne gets here." Setting Pepper down on the ground, Tim picks up his coffee cup and heads back inside, both dogs dogging his steps as they keep up with him. "You wanna come with me, huh? " He chuckles. "Ok, but you have to behave in the house."

He's amazed at how well both four footed kids actually do behave as he sets about warming up his breakfast and rewarding them with an early morning breakfast of their own. "Good boys!" Knowing they'll be right behind him as he leaves the house, Tim closes the door and shuffles over to the picnic table to enjoy the fresh air while he eats. Sure enough, it's not a minute later and both dogs are sitting at his feet patiently waiting.

"Oh, no. No food from the table. Go play." Tim firmly tells them both. "Go on. Go play."

Without further hesitation, both Pepper and Rex are gone from his view, running around the yard in circles, entertaining him with their antics while he eats. "Hmm. Maybe I'll have to get Pepper his own playmate as well as a house."

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"I'm so happy Daddy's coming home today!" Shyanne exclaims excitedly for the umpteenth time since being dropped off with Tim a mere twenty minutes ago.

"I know, Honey." Tim tells her patiently. "So let's make sure the dogs are all tired out when he gets here okay? That way they'll stay out of the way and even stay quiet and he can get some rest. He's gonna need a lot of that. C'mon let's play with them some more."

"Okay!" Without another word, the five year old is across the yard like a shot calling for her pet, laughing contagiously at his and Pepper's antics.

Tim thinks about the progression of things in her father's case. Everything could have gone much worse. Luckily, they had the guilty party and all the hard evidence they needed. None of Andrew's family had come to steal his daughter from him so they could all rest easy on that note. And to make things even better, Andrew was finally well enough to come home to his daughter. With Ducky's help, the man will be back on his feet soon and then he'll be able to take his daughter home and resume their lives together, hopefully having come out of this with a few more friends and a brighter perspective on life now that he seems less stressed out as if he's no longer expecting trouble at every turn.

Even his house hunting is looking up. In the short time he's been looking this morning, he's found a few prospects that he's looking forward to actually going to see and to make things even more real and interesting, Gibbs has volunteered to go with him when he checks them out.

Speaking of Gibbs. Tim has to stop on that thought. He's amazed at the Gibbs' he's seen this past week. It's a side to the man he never knew existed or expected to see. He can't help but be touched at the time and effort the man has poured into being there for Tim, even if it was for Shyanne's sake.

***********NCIS**********

Two Months Later

With no further complications, thanks to Ducky's extra-careful watchfulness and the patient's determination, Andrew's recovery has been quick and steady, allowing him to return to his own life with his daughter and Rex in just six weeks. For the sake of keeping the agents and the good M.E. updated on his progress and at the same time giving them time with his daughter, the recently recovered father has promised to come back to Ducky's weekly for at least the next month. Dinner on Saturday nights is the plan for such get-togethers and Tim is looking forward to them.

He misses Shyanne and her exuberance and love of life but he's found his own once more, thanks in large to Gibbs and of course, Pepper. Searching for a home to call his own, with Gibbs' help, they'd found the best fit surprisingly enough, right next door to the boss himself. The young man had hesitated to accept the idea of buying the house next to the boss, that is until the Team Leader himself had promised him he didn't have any reason not to back Tim's plan. With that support in his pocket, the sale had gone through very quickly thanks in part to Tim's large down payment as well as his restored credit rating and hefty savings account with Thom E. Gemcity written all over it.

Sitting on his own back porch now as Pepper frolics in the yard, he's still able to marvel and enjoy at the changes in his life that have come about. It's just as Tim figured it would be, along with some pretty amazing frosting for the cake this has been. Who'd have thought that he and Gibbs would have worked their relationship over the rough spots at long last, smoothed out enough that he actually enjoys talking to the man now? And who on earth would have ever thought Gibbs would enjoy spending time with Tim like this?

All it had taken was a little digging down into the deeper self that he's long kept hidden away for fear of exposure or ridicule. The part of himself that can admit he needs help or feels personal pain. Unexpected long talks with Gibbs while pouring over available houses for sale had opened that door and it hadn't yet closed between them. That's what had made it possible for Tim to openly field Gibbs' thoughts on the idea of his moving in next door. it was the only reason Tim felt truly comfortable doing so.

Tim had been shocked to the roots of his hair when the boss had suggested opening the fence between the two yards for the sheltie. The older man had even strongly hinted that once Tim had settled in there would be a new friend for Pepper to spend time with while the humans who lived with them worked. The older man had even laughed outloud when Tim told he he'd be worried about the 'door's always open' creed Gibbs lived by. His answer had shocked Tim even more. "Nuthin' wrong with changin' that."

"You all right?"

Startled by the question coming from the boss who'd just arrived through the yard, Tim smiles as the older man sits down and offers Tim a cold drink. "Yeah. Thanks to you, I'm more than okay."

Gibbs shrugs. "All I did was help, Tim."

"No, Boss. You did a lot more than help. You took the time to actually talk to me."

"Long overdue, Tim. Long overdue."

"Better late than never, Boss." Tim smiles as he takes a drink of his coke, relishing his own chance to hide behind a drink for once. "Better late than never."