Tony carefully straightened the last picture on the wall. Finally, the house was done, and just in time as Tim was being released from the rehab facility tomorrow. It had been a long six months on both ends, but that horrible chapter of their lives was finally coming to a close.

True to his word, Gibbs had talked to his neighbor, arranging the sale privately to save them from paying a large commission. His father had stepped in at that point, making sure the contract was legal and binding. The only real concession he'd had to make was agreeing to a ninety day escrow, which the sellers needed to move, but made their time frame for getting the house ready a little shorter than he would have liked.

Gibbs had come through for them, using his own vacation time to put on the new roof and do some other necessary repairs. The team had spent many evenings priming and painting all the walls and the ceiling, effectively sealing in any remnants of cigarette smoke that might have lingered. Then, as a housewarming present, the team had arranged for new carpet to be installed rather than try to clean the older carpet.

All this had been done happily and without complaints as Tony spent every weekend and most evenings at the rehabilitation facility while Tim slowly regained his strength and learned to once again control his body. The struggle had been long, but Tim was finally being prepared to transfer to outpatient rehab, which meant that he could finally come home. Tony was on his way there now, to spend a full day with Tim and his therapists, learning what he needed to know, then Tim was coming back with him. He could hardly wait.

The only Christmas decoration he had up was the mistletoe that Abby had given him for the entryway. He felt a little bad about that, but having Tim home was the most important thing and they could decorate next year.

Tony was just ready to walk out the door when someone knocked. The team tended to barge in, so he frowned a little as he walked to the door. Today was not a day he wanted to deal with a door to door salesman. Instead, his father was standing on the porch, suitcase in hand.

"Dad? What are you doing here?"

"Junior, did you think I was going to miss the chance to spend Christmas with you and Tim? He's coming home today, right?"

"Umm, yeah." Frantically, Tony tried to think. The improved relationship he'd been developing with his father had been wonderful for both of them, but as much as he'd grown to love the old man, he really didn't want him under foot Tim's first night home because he had plans. Plans that would hopefully include some shouting and some banging of the new bed he was hoping they'd be breaking in.

Anthony laughed. "Don't worry, I'm not staying here. After all these months apart, you two have plans, at least you better have some plans." Tony felt his ears heat up and his father laughed again, lifting up the suitcase. "I'm bunking with Jethro for the week, I just wanted to leave this here."

If his father was staying with Gibbs – and he really didn't want to think about that too much – why was his luggage needing to be here? Come to think about it, why only one suitcase? "Okay, what's, I mean..."

To answer him, his father set the suitcase on the sofa and unzipped it. Tony's breath caught in his chest when he saw what was inside it. "That's-"

"Your Grandmother Paddington's Christmas ornaments, her entire collection."

"Oh, Dad, are you sure?" He remembered his mother hanging the tiny angels on the tree, telling him the stories behind each one and how someday he would have them for his family's tree.

"I'm sure, Junior, and more than that, I'm sure that your mother would have adored Tim."

"Yeah?" He'd never really thought about it before, but he liked the sound of it.

"Yeah, so go get your man and bring him home so we can decorate tonight. Jethro and I will go pick up a tree."

Tony hugged his father. "Thanks, Dad, for everything. Tim and I will see you tonight." He found himself humming Christmas carols all the way to the rehab center.

-NCIS-

"If I didn't know better, I'd think you were glad to be leaving us."

Tim grinned at his nurse. Carol had been teasing him since she discovered him awake at 0400. "Nothing personal, but yeah, I am."

She laughed and helped him with his shoes, the only part of dressing himself that he still struggled with. "What you're really looking forward to is having uninterrupted time with that hunky man of yours." Patting his knee, she stood up. "Not that I can blame you, it's been a long six months I bet."

"You have no idea." Honestly, she didn't. It had been a year, almost to the day, since Parker had convinced him to leave Tony, to hide away and quietly die. Even longer since he'd laid next to Tony, bare skin pressing together. It was the last major step of his recovery and damn it, he wanted it.

"Okay, visiting hours don't start for a couple of hours, but if he shows up early, I'll sneak him in." It was a standing joke among the staff; they'd been 'sneaking' Tony in early since the second week.

"Thanks, Carol."

-NCIS-

"Appreciate the help, Jethro."

Gibbs just gave a shrug as he pulled away from the curb. "The boys deserve a good Christmas after everything they've been through. You got your list?"

Senior pulled out a piece of paper with many notes on it. "List and measurements. Coffee first?"

That was a given if he was going to be dragged through every mall within twenty miles. "Coffee first."

-NCIS-

"Morning, Glory." Even to DiNozzo, the joke was getting old but Gloria still smiled as she buzzed him in.

"Good morning, Tony. Today's the big day."

"Yep, finally taking him home." Tony had stopped for treats for the staff and set the three doughnut boxes down on her desk. "This is for everyone, can you make sure it gets to the break room before the doctors see it?"

They exchanged grins, both remembering the day a group of doctors touring the facility had eaten the staff's cookies, thinking they were for them. "Absolutely. We're going to miss the two of you."

Waving at Carol, Tony stopped in the door to just look. The last months of intensive therapy had really paid off. Tim was still painfully thin, but no longer twisted and spastic. He looked toward the door and smiled.

"Hey."

Tony pushed off the door and slid into the room. "Hey, yourself." He bent down and kissed Tim, giving a bit of a show to the women beaming at them from the doorway. "Today's the day."

"I know. I can't wait." Tim tilted his head just enough to see past Tony and look at their audience. "Nothing personal, ladies."

They giggled and scattered, leaving the two men alone. Fingers still tangled together, they just smiled at each other, enjoying the moment.

-NCIS-

"What are those for?" Gibbs had fully approved of the large wreath Anthony had picked out for the boys' front door, but now he was piling up another stack of smaller wreaths. These had the same mix of gold ornaments, holly sprigs and cedar branches mixed into the evergreens as the large one, but these had artificial candles in the centers. With Anthony's almost child-like enthusiasm, it was almost like shopping with DiNozzo. Laughing to himself, he admitted, that's exactly what he was doing, just with the older version.

Senior grinned even wider as he handed half the stack to Gibbs. "These are for the windows. You sure you don't mind hanging lights on their house?"

He'd cursed the hooks the former owners had left, after ripping two pairs of pants while re-roofing the house, but now he was glad he'd left them up. "Not a problem."

"Good." Nine boxes of outdoor lights went into the pile. "These are those new LED lights. I think Tim will approve. Now, let's get what we need for the inside."

Gibbs plastered on a smile. It's a good thing I love those boys.

-NCIS-

Jimmy was a little surprised to find Dorneget decorating cookies in his kitchen. "Umm... Hi, Dorney."

"Hey, Jimmy. Ziva went to go help Ducky with dinner, so Abby asked me to help finish the cookies."

Breena was grinning at that and Abby had her back to them as she pulled more cookies out of the oven, so Jimmy leaned close enough to whisper. "You got voluntold?"

"Yeah, she's kinda scary when she wants to be, but I was glad to help."

The piles of cookies covering the kitchen counters were impressive, but unusual, and very typical of Abby. "Yeah, I know."

-NCIS-

Three weeks worth of meals were lined up on the counter and ready for the freezer. Ducky carefully wrote out the last label for Ziva to stick on the foil. "Between this and Christmas leftovers, I believe Tony and Tim should be set for quite a while. Shall we get the turkey in the brine, my dear?"

Ziva smiled at him as she precisely placed the label and pressed it into place. "We shall, Ducky."

-NCIS-

"Any questions?"

Tony skimmed over the daily exercises Tim would now be doing at home in between the weekly therapy. It was pretty much what he'd been helping Tim with every evening for the last month, with the addition of longer walks. "If the weather turns bad, would a treadmill be better?"

"If it's slick out at all, that would be better. His balance has improved tremendously these last few weeks, but a bad fall would definitely slow the last stages of his recovery. You've got access to a treadmill?"

"We can use the gym aboard the Yard, but we might just go ahead and buy one."

"Either option is fine, I'll leave that up to you."

Tim joined them with his brand new, custom fitted cane, and not looking too happy about it. "I haven't needed a cane for the last two weeks, why do I need one now?"

"New territory, different terrain. We're not saying you have to use it, we just want it available for you. Inside, you'll probably never need it, but if you're outside, you'll have the option."

"Okay, I guess that makes sense." It was a folding cane so Tim pulled on the handle just enough to let it fold up. "What now?"

The therapist glanced down at the chart. "You've got an appointment with Dr. Walden at two for your discharge exam. By the time you get back here after that, your discharge papers should be done."

Tony glanced down at his watch, a plan forming in his mind. "So, can we get a day pass and go have a nice lunch before we see Dr. Walden?" He gave her a waggle of his eyebrows for good measure and she laughed.

"Sure, but I will warn you, Tim, you'll be missing poached chicken and green beans."

With so many of the patients on a restricted diet, the food here was well prepared, but bland. Tony had joined Tim for meals on a fairly regular basis and poached chicken was the blandest of the bland. Tim was polite to his therapist, of course, but Tony could tell from his expression that he hoped to never even see a piece of boiled meat again.

"Thank you, but Mr. Johnson can have my share."

She kept a professional pose, but they could both see the amusement on her face. Hiram Johnson was in his late nineties and very vocal about the food. He was also convinced that Tony was a spy for Mussolini. "I'll pass the message along."

"Thanks." Tim looked down at himself. He was in the standard sweat pants, t-shirt and sneakers that all the ambulatory patients wore and Tony was pretty sure what was going through his mind.

"How about some real clothes?" Yeah, there was the smile he was waiting for.

"That sounds really good."

As they walked back to Tim's room, his therapist called out a reminder. "Don't get sidetracked you two. Remember the walls are pretty thin here."

Tim blushed and ducked his head so Tony used it as a chance to whisper in his ear. "Just remember, tonight when I help you take them off, we'll be at home, in our own bedroom."

"Oh, yeah."

Other than bending down enough to tie his shoes, Tim had been physically able to dress himself for weeks, but it was the only time Tony was able to really touch him here. Heeding the warning, he kept his touch mostly clinical, though he did spend a little extra time making sure the front of Tim's dress slacks were 'hanging straight'. He'd been surprised when Tim asked him to bring a suit, but seeing him looking like this made Tony smile. For the first time since the nightmare had been discovered, Tim looked like himself.

Black Armani with a silk shirt the same color as his eyes, Tony in his dark gray Versace with a light gray silk shirt, it could have been any regular date night when they walked out of the rehabilitation facility, hand in hand. Tony glanced down at the folded up cane in Tim's other hand. "I bet my dad could help you find a really snazzy cane, something with a real silver handle on it. Oh, I forgot to tell you, he's in town for Christmas."

"Your dad's here? Now?" Tim leaned against the car while Tony opened the door for him. "So we need to budget for a week at the Adams House?"

"Nope, no hotel for him this time." Tony was helping Tim into the car and realized how that sounded when Tim stared at him in horror. "No, no, he's not staying with us. He's actually staying with Gibbs. Course when he showed up at our door with a suitcase in his hand, I almost panicked."

That made Tim smile. "So you conned Gibbs into letting him stay there?"

"Actually, the old man did his own conning – or planning. Get this, that suitcase was filled with my nana's collection of Christmas angel ornaments that she brought from the old country. They were to always go to me when I had a spouse and home of my own. Well, they always said wife, but, you know." Tony stopped talking long enough to jog around to the driver's side of the car and climb in. "Feel free to tell me 'I told you so' as many times as you need."

"Nah." Tim squeezed his hand for a moment before letting go to allow him to start the car. "I'm just happy that for once he didn't disappoint you."

-NCIS-

The front of the house had been easy, but now Gibbs was hanging lights on the sides where the peaks were a little too high to reach with his ladder, so he had to get up on the roof and let his head hang down to see the tiny hooks. Why they were suddenly too small to see instead of the massive things he was always getting caught on would be a question for Ducky. His phone rang and his hand slipped, missing the hook for the third time. "Damn it." Still cursing under his breath, he squirmed around and managed to get his phone dug out of his pocket. It was Vance, so he couldn't even yell at him. "Yeah, Gibbs."

Got a situation. Your team can't be involved in the investigation, but I'm just giving you a heads up.

Well, yeah, his team wasn't going to be involved. They had the next three days off for McGee's homecoming and Christmas. Anything short of a major terrorist attack and he wasn't going to let them get involved. "What is it?"

There was an incident up at the women's prison. Janice Parker was stabbed to death a few hours ago.

Gibbs felt his eyes go wide. Parker's trial was supposed to start right after the first of the year. He was relieved that McGee and DiNozzo wouldn't have to go through that, but... "They're not suggesting any of the team was involved, are they?"

Suspect's not denying she did it. Celia Roberts.

That was a familiar name. McGee had been caught up in a prison riot getting a confession out of her. "Shit."

Exactly. Just to be safe, I'm sending a couple of agents up there to interview her and confirm there's been no contact between her and any of your team. There hasn't been, right?

The question pissed him off, even though he knew it was necessary. "Nope."

Good. We should have this done wrapped up by the end of the day. Tell McGee welcome home for me.

Call ended, Gibbs snapped his phone shut and went back to looking for that damned little hook.

-NCIS-

"What?"

Tim was smiling so Tony was pretty sure the question was mostly rhetorical. "Tomorrow morning, I get to wake up with you next to me."

His smile got even wider and they laced their fingers together in the middle of the table. "Yeah. I can't wait. The rest of our lives – together."

Tony understood exactly what he meant. "No more hiding, no more pretending to just be friends when strangers are around." Being completely out had been freeing in a way he'd never expected. Rubbing his thumb across Tim's ring finger, he made a decision. It might have been spur of the moment, but it felt incredibly right. "I know we planned on renewing our commitment, but let's get married instead. A real, legal marriage. Timothy McGee, will you marry me?"

Now the smile was dazzling. "Yes, oh, yes." Tim leaned across the table toward Tony, and Tony met him in the middle for a kiss. When they finally broke apart, they discovered they hadn't been as quiet as they'd thought because several other patrons in the restaurant were clapping and a moment later the waitress brought over a chocolate dessert for them to share. The restaurant owner showed up with champagne a few seconds later and they toasted to the beginning of their new life together.

-NCIS-

Ned Dorneget was a little nervous, he had to admit. He'd heard the story directly from McGee about the murder of the prison guard, the riot, and Celia Robert's surprise double confession. Now he was going to be across the table from the woman in just a matter of moment. Sure enough, a guard brought her in and sat her down as he sat down next to a female agent they'd sent with him.

"No trouble from you, Celia. You understand me?"

She smiled at the guard and Ned had to remind himself this woman was a cold blooded killer. "I'm not going to make any trouble."

After another careful look the guard left the room and Ned focused on the task at hand. "They tell me that you refused a lawyer. Would you like to reconsider before we start?"

"Nah, I'm already in for the equivalent of three lifetimes. What else can they do to me? Besides, I'm kinda proud of what I did to that little witch." Celia looked around the little room they'd been put in. "This is the same room Agent McGee interviewed me in. Did you know that?" We don't talk about it much, but Agent McGee, he's special to all of us ladies here. Even when we had him chained up and were threatening to cut off his fingers, he was polite. We don't see a lot of polite men in here you know. Then that Janice Parker comes in, bragging about how she's going to get out of here and kill him. We'd slap her around for that, but we didn't take her too seriously. Not until she started banging one of the guards to try and get him to help her escape. Then we took it seriously. I took it seriously."

Ned hoped he'd been able to keep a neutral face, but judging from her smirk, he hadn't. Trying to recover, he slid a notepad across to her. "Write it all down, especially the name of the guard."

-NCIS-

Exam finished, discharge papers signed and handed over to the rehab center, Tony and Tim were ready to go home. At least Tony thought they were ready. They'd let slip about getting married and now they were getting questioned.

"So, big fancy wedding?"

Tony decided to let Tim answer that one. Honestly, as long as his ring was on Tim's finger by the end, he really didn't care about the details at the moment.

"No, if it were up to me, I'd surprise the family with it. Have a minister just walk in and marry us in front of all of them."

"Really?" Tony turned enough to stare at him. Granted, they'd only been engaged for about two hours, and there hadn't been time to talk about it, but there was something very appealing about Tim's idea. Namely, dodging the many strong-willed people that would want to help plan and they all knew that Abby and Senior had very different ideas. "You know, I like that, and everybody is going to be at our house for the holidays... We could get a license and rings today on our way home."

Tim seemed to be on the same wavelength. "Married before Christmas? I'd really like that. The only hard part will be finding an officiant on this short of notice."

"Not hard at all." Carol was beaming at the couple. "Remember, my life partner is ordained. I can call her if you'd like." They did remember. Trudy Collins' day job was as a psychologist. She had talked to Tim a few times while he'd been a patient here and had even done some couple's counseling as they sorted through the fallout from Parker's attack. It had been her original suggestion that they do something, even if it was just between the two of them, to symbolize the repair of their union.

And thus the easiest wedding on the east coast was planned.

-NCIS-

"What's left?" It had started raining while he was up on the roof and now Gibbs was soaked. Hopefully, the outside was finished, because he was pretty close to finished himself. Stepping inside the house, he had to blink. "Wow."

Christmas had certainly come to Tony and Tim's home. Candles and twinkling lights filled the living room with a warm glow. Ivory poinsettias, which Gibbs had lugged in earlier, now had their pots wrapped in gold and silver fabric that caught the light. Crystal candelabras and greenery covered the mantel, reproduction mercury glass balls tucked in between the sprays along with beautiful ribbons. The only thing undone was the tree. Only lights and garland were on the tree, while the heirloom ornaments were laid out on a nearby table, ready for Tony and Tim.

"What do you think, Jethro?" Anthony looked pleased with his work, but also a little bit nervous. Gibbs had seen that expression on the younger DiNozzo more times than he could count.

"It looks really good. They'll love it." Gibbs was feeling somewhat under dressed in addition to being too wet and muddy to risk going any further than the tile entry. "Do you want me to turn on the lights on the wreaths before I run home to change?"

Anthony picked up what looked to be some sort of remote. "No need." With one push of the button the soft LED candles could be seen shining through the windows. "Figured that was ten dollars well spent."

Decorations were a lot fancier than the last time he'd bought any. "Works for me. I'll be back in a few – don't want to drip on their new carpet."

"I'll put some coffee on while you're gone."

It would be way too weak, but Gibbs appreciated the effort. Luckily he knew where Tony stashed some instant that he could add to it. "Thanks."

-NCIS-

Tim was happy. More than that, he was content. He and Tony had repaired what Janice had destroyed and their relationship was stronger than ever. He was finally released from inpatient care and finally going home. He'd seen dozens of pictures and had even been able to carefully walk through it when he'd gotten a day pass for Thanksgiving. What he hadn't seen was what it looked like now. After the new paint and carpet, after their furniture had been moved in.

He was looking around, trying to spot the house as they drove down the street. He remembered basically where it was, but he was looking for a place with no Christmas lights up, and almost missed it. "You stinker, you did get lights up."

"I did?" Tony brought the car to a near stop, still in the middle of the road and they both stared. White lights followed the eaves across the front of the house and up onto the gables and around. More white lights outlined the porch and the large front window. There was a large wreath on the front door, while smaller wreaths hung centered on the windows, a candle flickering in the middle. "Wow, it looks amazing. So, what do you think? Gibbs or my dad?"

Tim thought about it for a minute. "Well, I can't see Gibbs actually shopping and designing all the decorations, but I can't see your father out on a ladder hanging lights, so maybe both?"

"Yeah, I bet you're right."

Several familiar cars lined the street, showing that the entire gang was there and Tim squeezed Tony's hand after they pulled into the driveway. "Got everybody here without having to do anything."

"Perfect."

-NCIS-

"Got everybody here without having to do anything."

Tony had known that everyone planned on being there, but he still let out a sigh of relief that nothing had derailed the plans. Shutting the engine off, he brought their joined hands up to his lips and kissed Tim's fingers. "Perfect." Realizing the moment he'd been waiting for had finally arrived, he found himself tearing up.

"Tony?"

Tim looked worried and Tony shook his head. "When you were so sick and frail, this is what kept me going. Every night I dreamed about walking into our home with you and here we are. You made it."

"No, we made it. I couldn't have done it without you. You're the reason I couldn't give up."

That sounded pretty good and Tony kissed him again. "Welcome home, Babe."

-NCIS-

"They're here, oh, they're here. Why are they just sitting there? Oh! They're kissing."

Ducky watched in amusement as Ziva deftly steered her away from the front window. "We should not spy on them."

"But... but..."

"Come, let us check on the food on last time. Everything needs to be perfect to welcome them home."

Ducky shared a smile with Gibbs before turning to Senior, who was carefully making sure that the champagne glasses were perfectly lined up on the table. "A word, Anthony, before the boys come in?"

"Is something wrong, Ducky? Did Tim's doctor-"

He rushed to reassure Senior. "No, everything is fine. I was able to track down your late wife's medical records and review them. Jethro and I thought it might help you to know the truth. Nothing you did or didn't do affected her eventual outcome. I'm afraid the treatment during that time was totally ineffective. The only way she could have been saved would have been for her to start treatment six months before she ever showed any symptoms, and even then the survival rate was less than ten percent."

"So it wasn't me? I didn't...?"

Ducky laid his hand on Senior's arm. "No, Anthony, it was out of your hands long before she ever made her first appointment. The guilt was never yours and it's time to let it go." He got a shaky nod and turned Senior toward the door. "Now, let's concentrate on the future and two young men we all care about deeply, all right?"

"Absolutely – and Ducky? Thank you."

-NCIS-

"Witnesses."

The random word stopped Tony in his tracks. "What?"

"We need two witnesses to sign at the wedding."

"Umm, Tim, we're going to have a whole room of them." Tony wasn't quite sure what the problem was, then Tim reminded him of one simple fact.

"Yeah, and only two of them can sign."

Nope, he hadn't thought about that at all. "Shit. Okay, umm, you're the smart one. Any suggestions?"

"How about Gibbs and your father?"

It would mean the world to him to have Gibbs stand up with them and put his name on their marriage certificate and after the support they'd been given in these last six months, his dad was a close second. "You're sure?"

"Absolutely. Besides, two father figures, Abby and Ziva won't be offended." Tim flashed him a grin. "Now let's get in there before Carol and Trudy arrive."

Hand in hand they walked up to the door, Abby flinging it open before they stepped onto the porch.

"It's about time you guys." She hugged them both, Tim especially hard and long, before stepping back to let them in.

Tony let out a low whistle. Every corner of the place absolutely glowed. The tree was ready for them to hang the family ornaments and the table was positively groaning with the weight of the food piled high. Not Christmas dinner, that was still a few days away, but dozens of appetizer platters, both hot and cold. There was even champagne ready for them and Ziva was snapping pictures with a borrowed Agency camera. "It's perfect."

Tim grinned at him and leaned close enough to whisper in his ear. "We couldn't have planned it better ourselves."

"I know." They were surrounded by friends and Tony enjoyed the love for a few minutes before tugging Tim closer to the tree. They only had about an hour before Carol and Trudy arrived and he wanted the tree done so they could be married in front of it.

They each hung one ornament before waving the rest of the gang over to help. Shifting around, they managed to spend at least a few moments with each of their friends. Tony started with his dad. "I never thought the place could look this good. Thanks, Dad."

"I was glad to do it, Junior, wanted Tim to come home to a real Christmas this year. Besides, Jethro helped."

-NCIS-

Abby latched onto McGee first thing, but after a few dozen hugs and a couple of ornaments added to the tree, he managed to stand next to Gibbs.

"How ya' doing, Tim?"

"I'm good, Boss. It's good to be out of the rehab center and it's really good to be home, to finally be able to move forward, you know? As soon as the trial is over, we can finally put all of this behind us. Tony and I both wanted you to know how much your support has meant to the both of us. You made sure we both kept our heads on straight and worked through all of what happened."

"You boys have something special, always have. True second chances are rare and I was glad to help with it."

An odd something had flashed across Gibbs' eyes. At first Tim thought it was about the memory of Shannon, then he realized that it happened when he mentioned the trial. "Boss? Something going on that we should know about?"

"Nothing bad, at least not as far as we're concerned. It can wait until tomorrow."

"Something about the trial? Have they changed the dates?"

Gibbs sighed, he'd probably been hoping Tim would had dropped it, but Janice Parker was still a very large figure of fear in Tim's mind and he needed to know everything that was going on. That familiar 'come here' look crossed Gibbs' face and Tony appeared at their sides a moment later. "I don't know all the details yet, but Parker's done. She pissed off the wrong person at the prison."

Tony got it first. "She's dead?"

"Yeah."

Tim saw the silent communication between the two, Tony wanting details and Gibbs telling him later, but honestly Tim didn't care about those details. She was dead. She was gone, and she was never going to touch their lives again. When Tony's arms wrapped around him, he soaked up the love. "It's over. It's finally, really over."

"It is, McLove. Today really is the start of our new lives."

"I can't wait." Gibbs was looking at them curiously, which made them both smile. Ziva was waiting for her turn to hang an ornament with Tim, so squeezing his hand one more time, he moved away, letting Tony and Gibbs have a few minutes together.

-NCIS-

When Tim moved away, Gibbs was expecting questions from DiNozzo.

"Boss, I wanted to thank you."

"Like I told McGee, getting a second chance with someone you love is something that doesn't happen very often. Grab on and hold it with both hands."

"Well, we probably wouldn't be here now if it weren't for you, but I also mean about my dad. I know he can be a handful and I bet he's had you running around all day putting up the lights and-"

"Hey, you boys home and together again? It was worth it."

-NCIS-

Tim turned to find Senior waiting for him. "Mr. DiNozzo, I'm so glad you're here for the holidays."

Tony's dad wrapped him in a warm and gentle hug. "Now, Tim, what have I told you? You're family, so it's Anthony." Stepping back to study him, he held onto Tim's arms. "You look amazing. We get a few more pounds on you and it'll be like you were never sick at all."

Smiling, Tim looked over Senior's shoulder and saw another car pulling up. "Thank you – Anthony – I'm getting there and Tony and I are taking this fresh start very seriously." Across the room Tony looked out the window at the new arrivals before turning back to smile at Tim. Staying close to Senior, Tim watched as Tony did the same with Gibbs as Abby opened the front door.

-NCIS-

Checking the house numbers, Trudy Collins pointed out their destination. "That one right there, with all the cars around it."

"I see it." Carol found a place to park, right behind a bright red roadster. "You ready?"

"Yes." After Carol called her earlier, Trudy had met up with the two men as they were picking out rings to plan the surprise ceremony. It was highly unusual, but she felt very comfortable with the sudden wedding. Several couples counseling sessions had given her a real insight into Tony and Tim's emotional journey and she was happy to escort them through the next step, even though she'd been a bit surprised by how traditional they wanted the actual ceremony. "I've got their vows right here."

"When was the last time you did a wedding that didn't involve something unusual?"

That made her laugh. As a female, non-denominational, lesbian minister she tended to attract couples that thought outside the box. In fact, she'd had to go home and actually dig out a copy of traditional vows since she didn't have any in her files. "Probably never, which makes it unusual in its own right."

"I guess so." Carol opened the trunk and got out the small, folding podium Trudy used while performing weddings. Once she handed that over, she picked up the box containing four boutonnieres, two each of a single rose bud for the two 'fathers' and two that were slightly more elaborate for the grooms.

The front door was open, a tall woman in pigtails standing on the porch as they walked up. Trudy didn't recognize her, but she recognized Carol. "Carol, hi. You missing Timmy already?"

"Something like that. Abby, this is my partner, Trudy. Trudy, this is one of Tony and Tim's dearest friends, Abby."

"Hello, Abby."

"Umm, hi." Abby seemed pleased with the introduction, but very confused by what they were doing there and what they were carrying. Traditional or not, this was going to be fun.

-NCIS-

Grinning so hard his face hurt, Tony stood with Gibbs and held his hand out for Tim, who joined him at the tree, tugging Senior along with him.

"Boys?"

Ignoring his father's question for the moment, Tony pointed out a spot next to the tree. "How about right there?"

"Perfect." Trudy starting unfolding the legs on her small lectern while Carol pinned a white rose boutonniere on each of the grooms before slipping off to stand in back of Trudy. He could tell that the team was starting to put it together. Ducky, Jimmy and Breena were grinning widely and Abby was starting to tear up. Ziva automatically started snapping pictures so Tony picked up the two smaller boutonnieres and handed one to Tim before he turned to his father. He'd never seen such a look of pride and love on his father's face as when he pinned the rose bud to his jacket. Next to him, Gibbs' eyes were suspiciously bright as Tim placed the matching rose.

Clearing his throat, Tony started to talk. "Today is the beginning of our new life together and this time we're going to do it right. No more secrets, no more hiding from anyone. Tim's mine and I'm his and we're going to declare it in front of our friends, in front of God and in front of the law with our dads as our legal witnesses."

Abby's arms started flailing around. "Oh, my God. Oh, my God. You guys are getting married? For real? Like right now?"

Tim smiled at her, then turned his attention back to Tony. "Right now."

Their two fathers were right behind them, their friends were surrounding them. It was everything he ever wanted and Tony nodded to Trudy as he took Tim's hand. Smiling, she opened her bible.

"Friends and family of Tony and Tim, welcome. The ceremony may be a surprise," she waited for the laughter to die down before continuing, "but their love is not and that is what we are celebrating today. All of us want to be loved, it is in our nature as human beings, and the highest form of love between two people is within a monogamous, committed relationship. I've had the pleasure of talking to these two men as they recovered and strengthened their bond and prepared for their life going forward. It has been one of the most unconventional paths I have ever witnessed, but also one of the strongest. Shall we begin?"

Looking around, there was only joy in the room and Trudy opened up the freshly printed vows.

"Tony and Tim, your marriage today is the public and legal joining of your souls that have already been united as on in your hearts, and forged in the fires you have walked through. Let us begin.

"Do you, Tony, take Tim to be your lawfully wedded husband, to live together in marriage? Do you promise to love him, comfort him, honor and keep him for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, and forsaking all others, be faithful only to him, for as long as you both shall live?

"I do."

"Do you, Tim, take Tony to be your lawfully wedded husband, to live together in marriage? Do you promise to love him, comfort him, honor and keep him for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, and forsaking all others, be faithful only to him, for as long as you both shall live?

"I do."

"The rings?"

Carol stepped forward just enough to hand over the rings that she'd been holding since the four of them had been at the jewelers. Trudy took them both before setting one down on the podium and holding the other ring out to Tony.

"Tony, as you place the ring on Tim's finger, please repeat after me."

He took the ring before taking Tim's left hand into his, slipping the ring just past the tip of Tim's finger.

Seeing that they were ready, she started. "I give you this ring to wear. As a symbol of my abiding love.

"I give you this ring to wear, as a symbol of my abiding love."

"My eternal faith, and my undying devotion. It is an outward reminder of our inner unity."

Tony slowly slid the ring into place as he repeated the words. "My eternal faith, and my undying devotion. It is an outward reminder of our inner unity."

"And now, Tim?" The second ring was handed over. They were both very traditional rings in gold, one slightly wider than the other. She waited while Tim took Tony's hand and prepared to slide the ring into place. "I give you this ring to wear, as a symbol of my abiding love."

Tim's voice was somewhat softer, but it carried easily in the quiet room. "I give you this ring to wear, as a symbol of my abiding love."

"My eternal faith, and my undying devotion. It is an outward reminder of our inner unity."

"My eternal faith, and my undying devotion. It is an outward reminder of our inner unity." Tim bit his lip as he carefully pushed the ring onto Tony's finger. Finally the two men were smiling at each other, both blinking back tears as Trudy finished the ceremony.

"By the powers vested in me, I now pronounce you married. You may kiss your husband."

Smiling and laughing through his tears, Tony did just that.

a/n - and we made it. Thanks for sticking with me. I've got a cake to decorate for a little sweet somebody's birthday, so you won't see anything from me for the rest of the week, but I'm finishing up the last of five connected stories for the h/c bingo. I should start posting that on Monday, each chapter a stand-alone story. I think. It is my son's last week here in the states before he returns to his Army post to begin physical therapy so I may not be on here quite as much. Either way, once I start to post, it means the last story is finished. I've also got a solo gen story from the same bingo card that will be going up on my other profile.