A/N: Thanks to everyone for reading, following, favoriting and reviewing! It's been fun and as with my other favorite stories, I'm sorry this is the end. Writing it has been a labor of love and I am particularly satisfied with it.

Thanks to my intrepid beta, Alix33 for all her help! It's been a pleasure and I look forward to working on more stories together.

I love that in Season 15, canon McGee is growing beyond his past, growing into the character many of us have wanted to see on the screen without losing any of his 'Timness'. I'm still fan-girling over two scenes this season, actions I thought we'd never see outside of fan fiction!

Chapter 22

Walking into the agency the morning of Fish's surgery, Abby wore a big smile, her hair down and pulled back, her favorite tunic and leggings, a spike-less collar and her nicest sneakers, her favorite Chucks. When she went through security, the guard pursed his lips. "I know I've been out on leave, but you look different. Not as tall."

Abby shook her head "I've been this height since I was 16."

"Huh."

She giggled a little to herself as she continued to the lab. She smiled at the director as they crossed paths, "Good morning, Leon. It's a wonderful day, isn't it?"

He nodded and then blinked, he was looking her straight in the eyes instead of up. Before he could stop himself, he looked down at her feet and then up again. "Nice Chucks, Dr. Sciuto."

"Had a wake-up call last night, Leon. A nurse at the hospital told me not to wear my jangly boots or bracelets there, called me ma'am and asked if I worked in a nightclub because I said I wear the boots to work. And yeah, she was younger than I am. I know you've looked the other way on the dress code, so did Jenny and so did Director Morrow. Not necessary any more. I'll save my fun stuff for outside the office."

"A laudable change!"

He went on his way, almost giddy with the news. This was truly a month of miracles. First Gibbs resurfaced with Tim alive if not well and now this! He could hardly wait to find a way to let HR and Legal know. They were always on his case about enforcing the dress code with her, pointing out that everyone else adhered to it and there was no reason she should be treated differently. He stopped in his tracks, realizing her hair wasn't in those pigtails things either. As he walked through the squad room, he had such a bounce in his step that DiNozzo asked him if there was news from the hospital. Leon shook his head, "Too soon, DiNozzo, but he's home, they're home."

Those who worked around the DiNozzo bullpen heard the remark and agreed it was a great reason to be happy. The good mood spread around the building as those who'd worried or even mourned Tim McGee went about with smiles on their faces. It was only later when one of the agents realized Abby's change in height was due to her lack of platform boots, that several people realized that might have had something to do with Vance's rare good mood that morning. That and Tim's return from the dead, of course.

NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS

Breena and baby Victoria had been to Gibbs' house after Jimmy called to say that Tim was out of surgery. In Breena's opinion, it was too cold and damp to leave Boss in the backyard so pushing the stroller, she, Victoria and Boss went for a walk first, assuring the dog that Leroy would be there soon. She also brought a couple of frozen, already cooked homemade meals with them, clearly marking them for Gibbs.

When Leroy walked into the house later, he was joyfully greeted by Boss and the two spent a few minutes together before Boss sped to the back door. It was a close call but he made it in time and Leroy gave him a half piece of jerky and cup of cold spruce tea that he'd brought from the hospital. Then the two of them went back outside where Boss and Leroy played for nearly an hour. When they returned to the warm house, Leroy freezing and wondering how he'd lost his 'mountain man' toughness in just a week, Boss had the other half of his jerky and the shirt Fish wore yesterday was put in his bed.

They sat together on the floor, Leroy not sure what Fish's rules for Boss regarding furniture would be, while he told Boss about Fish's headaches being so bad and how the doctor had helped him. And that he, Boss, would be able to see his Fish in a few days. He got a happy bark and a wagging tail for that and shook his head, wondering if the dog actually understood him.

After that, the two explored the house. Saving the basement for last, Leroy examined the newer appliances in the kitchen. He guessed the dishwasher made sense for DiNozzo, who liked to cook whereas it would take 2 weeks for him to accumulate enough dirty dishes to justify a dishwasher. Still, it would be nice while Fish was here and when they had family dinners. And, he reminded himself, DiNozzo would still be living here for the foreseeable future. It might take a few weeks for Chalmers to find a place of his own. He thought about that, finally deciding to run an idea past Fish and then DiNozzo.

Giving a smile and nod of approval of the kitchen, including the new paint and flooring which really livened the room up, he moved toward the dining area, stopping when he noticed the big note on the wall between kitchen and dining area, "Remove if approved – load bearing?" He chuckled at that, he'd been meaning to take that wall out for almost as long as he'd lived here. Shannon had hated it but somehow other projects had first priority. DiNozzo would be happy to know it was not a load bearing wall. Even if it was, Leroy was a skilled enough builder to put in a new beam to carry the load previously supported by the wall. However, it would likely mean more new flooring. He shrugged, it was about time he gave the house more attention than making sure it stood upright and everything worked. The floor was one Diane had installed in the dining area and living room. He wasn't fond of it.

He nodded again at DiNozzo's table, it was nicer than his old one and the chairs were more comfortable. He smiled, thinking of the table he and Fish built, guessing they'd leave it in the trailer for now. And build a couple more chairs. They could use Fish's original tree limb ski poles and the tarp room poles, all of which they'd brought home with them, along with the homemade skis, Fish's rope harness and a few other items.

Upstairs hadn't been touched which almost disappointed him although he knew no one would ever touch Kelly's room. Then he realized that Fish might not be allowed stairs for a few days. He'd talk to the doctor about it before he said anything. Entering the master bedroom, he smiled. He'd moved back in here a couple of years ago and he was happy to return once again. Nothing had been changed here. The guest room would need some serious work before it could be occupied. First of all it needed a new mattress and box springs, although maybe he'd build a platform bed instead.

Wondering how big Tim's bed was, he thought about asking Ellie but settled for texting Penny, asking for the size and whether there was a headboard/footboard. He smiled when his phone rang, "Hello Jethro! Getting the house ready?"

"Hi Penny, yeah, at least Fish's room. Decided it was easier to move his bed over here than to buy a new one for my guest room. I'll do that later."

"The bed is a California King, will there be room?"

"I'll check, pretty sure I can make that work though."

"He does have a headboard attached to the bedframe, but no footboard. It's a beautiful piece of furniture, simple but elegant."

"Do you know what color stain or paint it is? I think what I'll do, with Fish's approval, is build a platform bedframe for his mattress. That way, he can have drawers in the frame because with a Cal King I don't think there will be much room for a dresser. And then he can attach his headboard when he and Ellie move to their own place. Although I could put shelves on the wall…nah, I'd rather do the drawers."

"A platform bed…" She chuckled, "You're getting thumbs up from Dave and Jim. Dave says if you need help, let him know, he's handy with a hammer. The stain is called Red Mahogany."

"Great and thanks for the info about Dave. Are you at the hospital?"

"Yes, we're taking our turns visiting Fish; Maisie and I have been in, he's resting now and then Dave and Liz will go in. The doctor eased the restrictions so the whole family can see him today. And he had a Skype chat with Sarah."

"Oh good, I was worried about both of those. Anyone from the agency there?"

"They've been in and out. Ducky and Tony popped in to say hello to our boy about an hour ago, I believe they sneaked in for a few minutes."

"Ducky can get away with it, not sure about Tony."

"He said he was going to be Jimmy for a few minutes."

He sighed and Penny laughed, "Relax, Ducky was with him and nothing happened."

"First time for everything! All right. I'm gonna figure out measurements and then hit the lumberyard. I'll be back in 2 hours."

"We'll see you then. Oh, we're having dinner at a diner Tim loves, in Silver Spring. You're welcome to join us."

"Thanks, I will. Give our lovebirds some time to themselves. Which reminds me, do you know where Ellie's living?"

"Yes, with me. Her lease ran out the end of May. She and Tim originally planned that she'd move in with him while they looked for a place together, then they'd move when his lease ran out the end of July. Instead, I persuaded her to move everything to my place, most of it is in with Tim's stuff, and stay with me."

"That's wonderful, Penny! Once he knew who she was, Fish worried about where she was living although he didn't know why."

"Bits and pieces, Jethro."

"That's for sure. Better get moving, see you later."

They disconnected and Jethro looked in the catch-all drawer in the kitchen for the keys to either of his trucks. When they weren't there, he remembered seeing something new in the entryway. There he found several sturdy hooks with various keys hanging from them and a small shelf below. Recognizing the new truck keys by the souvenir Grand Tetons key fob Fish bought him as a joke, he grabbed them and then stopped, realizing he didn't know the measurements of a California King. He made a face, this one time he could really use Fish's smart phone. Then he chuckled, first thing was to find a pattern or plan for a platform bed with drawers and that would certainly have the measurements on them for different sized beds.

Once at the yard, he zeroed in on the plans and quickly found one he liked, with two drawers on each side and a drop down panel on the end with a shallow compartment inside for extra pillows or whatever was needed. He looked at the top piece, wondering if it would be the right width and height to attach the headboard.

Shaking his head at his disorganization, he always knew measurements for everything, he looked through the plans for a regular bedframe with headboard hook-ups. Frustrated, he took the book to a counter to look through.

He smiled when one of the guys he knew pretty well approached him, "Gibbs, haven't seen you in months! How are you and where you been?"

"Fine, Johnny, been away for a few months. And apparently I've forgotten everything I ever knew about starting a project! I want to make a platform bed with drawers and I found the plan I want. But there's also an existing headboard that I want to incorporate and I didn't think of measuring anything before I came in."

"Not a problem. What size bed?"

When Jethro told him, they worked it out so the headboard could be attached and have enough support from the usually lighter weight platform frame. Within an hour they had the wood and all the hardware he'd need, along with a hand drawn schematic for the headboard support.

Home again, he hauled the lumber to the basement and then took Boss for a walk before putting him in the backyard for a few minutes. Looking at the door from the kitchen to his backyard, he thought he'd also install a doggie door. Good thing he was retired!

After that he took a long hot shower, dried off, found some clean clothes in his dresser and thought how strange it felt not to be rummaging through his pack for a pair of clean socks.

Back downstairs, he brought the dog in. Telling Boss he'd be back in a few hours, Ellie would stay with Fish tonight, he drove back to the hospital, thinking it was too bad they couldn't bring the trailer and leave it in the parking lot. Boss could sleep in there, they could take turns taking him out during the day and he could sleep there with him at night. But hospitals aren't camp grounds and generally don't want patients to have visitors 24/7. And Fish would be home in 4 more days.

Sticking his head into the waiting room, he smiled at the crowd. Evidently the family had all visited now as Tony and Abby were in with Fish while Leon and Rick Carter were waiting for their turn. Ellie was tucked in between Penny and Maisie, sound asleep. He smiled at that, glad to see her so well taken care of by Fish's family. Or maybe she was taking care of them.

He found an empty spot and sat down. He'd sit with his boy during the mandated rest time between visitors. Then he thought about Tony and Abby being in there at the same time and shaking his head, stood up again. Leon looked up at him, "Dr. Sciuto wore sneakers today. Said she was done with the boots at work."

Gibbs stared at him, finally blinking, "Abby Sciuto?"

Rick laughed out loud while the others looked interested. Leon gave Agent Carter a look but he continued laughing.

"Leon…that's a pretty good joke."

"Thank you. But it's not."

"Wow. She's…ever since I've known her, right, Rick?"

Rick Carter nodded, wiping his eyes. "Yeah. And her hair, Gibbs."

"Her hair?"

"No pigtails."

He sat back down to contemplate that. Then he shook his head, "She started wearing those all the time when Kate died. The day after, her hair was down. I remember that, no music and her hair was down."

Rick nodded. "The second day, before you went to Indiana for the funeral, she wore the pigtails. And she's worn them every day since."

From her corner, Ellie suddenly spoke, her eyes still closed, "Not every day. She sometimes wears a top knot or braids. And the pigtails are because Kate talked her into them in the first place, said they looked cute."

"You know that?"

Ellie opened her eyes and sat up, looking like she was making a decision. Finally she straightened her shoulders. "When I came in from the other agency, I was accepted because I was consulting. After we caught Pa…the bad guy, you brought me onto the team and everything changed. I was now sitting at a desk with this massive history and I didn't know what it was. And Kate - it was like she'd died the day before, a sensitive subject and I didn't want to put my foot in my mouth. So I asked Abby. After she stopped crying, she told me about Kate and Ziva and the roles they played on the team. Ducky and Tim have since told me more. Anyway, Abby showed me the team photo albums and told me everything she could about Caitlyn Todd. She and Kate were best friends. She's kept in touch with her family. Director Vance, when you brought Rachel Cranston in, Abby pretended she didn't know her although I'm seeing now that you knew that. Good!"

"Dr. Cranston made full disclosure before her first visit."

Jethro sat in thought before looking at Rick, "Before Kate died, Abby was different."

Rick thought about it and then nodded in agreement. He turned to Vance, "She was eccentric, brilliant, warm and funny but I don't ever remember her being over the top."

Jethro nodded, "Same here."

"You think the trauma of what happened affected her."

"Yeah. Affected all of us. And then Shepard brought David in and forc…put her on my team, that was tough to swallow. The assassin's handler and half-sister. Tim was the only one who could look her in the eye. "

Vance's eyebrows rose, "You didn't select her?"

"No, only four people I didn't handpick for my team. Brent Langer, Daniel Keating, Michele Lee and Ziva David."

Ellie looked puzzled, "I thought Lee was on DiNozzo's team when you were uh…?"

"On my margarita safari, as Tony calls it?" He turned to the others, "During a case I was in an explosion and lost 15 years worth of memories, the most recent 15 years. Took me months to recuperate and I chose to do it at my former boss's home in Mexico."

He turned back to Ellie, "She was but she was also briefly assigned to my team." He gave her a look and she nodded, he'd tell her later.

Leon shook his head, "What he's not saying is that I assigned Lee to his team when I sent the others away. I had reasons but didn't share them right away."

Dave frowned, "Is that when Tim got kicked downstairs to the basement? Demoted?"

Leon tensed, this was not his favorite topic. He'd made some serious tactical errors during that time and it was only Gibbs' and McGee's dogged persistence and refusal to let grudges get in the way of their work that got them through it. A good man, a good agent, Langer, was killed and initially blamed for the security leak. It was weeks before they finally caught Lee, a traitor and the murderer of Agent Langer. The debacle that followed ended with the deaths of her and her blackmailer-traitor but not before a public firefight that injured Gibbs and more than one civilian.

Gibbs nodded, "Not our finest hour, Admiral. Unfortunately, the Secretary of the Navy decided he needed us to work in the dark, blind if you will. And McGee came through with flying colors, didn't he, Leon?"

"He did at that. And then gave me 2 pages of bullet points arguing to put him back on Gibbs' team." He chuckled, "I had Gibbs in one ear and McGee in the other and I'd already approved his transfer. And he recouped his pay and rank, the demotion never made it as far as the DoD."

Crane was still glowering, "Was that Davenport?"

"Yes."

He muttered to himself but sat back, apparently satisfied while Gibbs, Carter and Vance thought about the miserable months afterward, with no trust for the director from the field teams or many other employees aboard the Yard. The agents worried they'd been stuck with yet another director with a personal agenda. Or that their teams would be similarly torn apart. McGee's record may have been cleaned up, his pay and rank restored, but despite his refusal to talk about it, people knew and were angry that it had happened. By that time Vance knew he'd made a huge mistake and it was done, he couldn't change history. While he eventually did earn their trust, he learned hard lessons through his failure to communicate even a fabricated reason for what he'd done to Gibbs' team, specifically to Agent McGee.

Gibbs left the room, admitting to himself that he was escaping. During the short walk to his son's room, he concentrated on the fun he'd had with Boss earlier, how happy the dog was to see him and how he seemed to understand that he and Fish could see each other in a few days.

By the time he walked in the door, he was relaxed and smiling, greeting Abby with a kiss, and Tony with a hug, another kiss for Fish who smiled at him. "Thought I'd invite myself to the party."

Tony looked at him with some trepidation, "You were at the house?"

"Yeah, looks great; I like the new furniture and the paint. Did a good job, Anthony!"

"Wow, that's…I'm glad."

"Let me know how much it was, I'll pay you back. And I'll get that stuff out of the garage, call the thrift stores."

Abby fidgeted before saying, "Uh, Gibbs, we already called around, sent photos of the couch, table, chairs and icebox. There's a jun…antique dealer who wants the icebox and maybe the table and chairs. But nobody wants the couch."

Gibbs shrugged, "All right, it goes to the dump then. Bought it at a thrift store, geez, DiNozzo, about the time you started with me. It's time."

Both visitors visibly relaxed and he chuckled, shaking his head, "You weren't worried?"

Fish answered, "None of them knew if the couch had any meaning for you. Ducky, Fornell, even one of your neighbors tried to remember when you'd gotten it but couldn't."

At the puzzled look from his dad, he smiled, "Apparently amnesiacs are good people to confide in. Or at least I am."

Leroy laughed while Abby and Tony cringed. When Tony's phone buzzed, they gave Fish gentle hugs, saying goodnight.

Fish moved his eyes to the other man. "How's Boss and is Ellie asleep?"

"He's fine and Ellie's dozing, she's staying with you tonight and I'll stay tomorrow night. Boss seemed a little lonely but we took a walk and he scoped out the neighborhood. Then we played in the backyard, the fresh air felt good and the snow's less than 2 feet deep here. We cuddled for a bit on the floor in the living room, wasn't sure what your rules would be for furniture so we opted for the floor. I told him that the doctor had helped get rid of your headaches and that he'd be able to see you in a few days and I swear he understood me. He wagged his tail and gave his happy bark."

"He probably did and I'm glad." He opened his mouth to say something else but a yawn escaped.

"Come on, I'll recline your bed, you need to rest! You had brain surgery today, 7 hours worth!"

"Oh yeah, forgot…not!" He was asleep in less than a minute. Leroy sat beside him and took his hand in his, smiling when he got a squeeze. "Sleep!"

He was still asleep when his rest hour was up and Leon and Rick poked their heads in the door. Leroy motioned them in and they looked curiously at Fish's turban-wrapped head with what looked like bean bags on each side of his neck. Glad both men knew ASL, Leroy told them it was to keep him from moving his head for the first 24 hours after surgery. Leaving get-well and welcome home cards, the two men left as quietly as they'd come in.

Half an hour later, Ellie came in, smiled at finding Fish still asleep and signed that Penny and the others were ready for dinner if he wanted to join them. He nodded, replying he'd stop in after dinner.

Dave and Jim rode with him to the diner, while Penny, Liz and Maisie followed. Jim's wife Claire was home with their two children and Leon and Rick had declined the invitation for dinner.

Jim looked around the big truck as they rode. "This is pretty comfortable. Did you ever sleep in here?"

"Yes, on the way into the mountains after the first snow fall and one other night when I was too tired and depressed to put the tent up. That was the day I nearly lost the truck in a sinkhole. When it was cold out, the cab was easier and warmer and the bench seat is long enough for me to stretch out. I had my sleeping bag and all my clothes, weapons, food, cooking things in here. On the way out, with Fish and Boss, we thought we were going to have to a couple of times, but we'd made a framework in the back, put a tarp up and over and the tent went underneath so we were plenty warm. We had a fire bowl so we'd have a campfire near the tail gate, sit and read for a couple of hours in the evenings before putting the fire out and going inside the tent. Our table was in there and a heater we'd leave on until we went to sleep. We'd play cards for a few hours, take Boss out for our last pit stop and then we'd turn in. Worked out well, except it was a pain to put the food up in the trees every night, take them down every morning, make sure you got out or put in everything."

"To keep the bears away?"

"Yeah."

"Besides the bear at the door and the ones you killed, did you see any around the food?"

Leroy nodded, telling them about the smoker, that was another night he'd forgotten about, sleeping in the cab, the paw prints after the second snow and the bear they saw going for the trees after the door incident.

"Wow, that's frightening."

"Oh yeah. Although I think the wolves scared us more. Bears are one at a time and Fish always had the pepper spray with him. The wolves we saw were never alone and they're a fierce adversary. They can run and they can climb. Beautiful animals though."

Jim shuddered, "And I thought sharks were bad!"

Leroy nodded, "They scared me plenty when I was active duty."

Dave's response was that he wanted to hear about the sinkhole and would it scare the women? Leroy laughed, "No more than it scared me! I was so mad at myself, I'd been warned to backpack in, leave the truck a couple miles west of the creek. But that was before I found the sock and the 'G' and I guess I was so excited and relieved afterward that I forgot all about Chuck's cautions."

They'd reached the diner and followed the ladies in. Penny and Maisie smiled at the hostess, "Hello, Nancy!"

"Dr. Langston, Mrs. Hubbard, how are you?"

Maisie answered with a big smile, "We're wonderful, our Tim is safely home."

Nancy's jaw dropped and her lips curved into a smile as she blinked back tears. "Oh my Lord, that's wonderful. I'm so relieved and happy! Where is he?"

"In Bethesda Hospital, he had surgery today. He had a head injury that didn't heal all the way so the doctors went in and fixed it."

"Oh dear, can he have visitors yet?"

Penny shook her head, "Just family for now. He has amnesia and he's just met all of us for the first time. Except for Jethro…do you know Tim's boss Jethro Gibbs?"

She smiled at Gibbs, shaking his hand, "We've never met but I've heard many good things about you! So Tim remembered you?"

"No. I went to Wyoming to find him, he rescued me and then winter hit and we lived in a cave for 6 months until we could get out."

"Oh my word! Thank you for going after him, he's such a good man. And he found you, I'm guessing there are some stories there."

He smiled, "A few."

She shook her head as the door behind them opened again, "And I'll have to wait to hear them. Come on, let's get you seated and fed."

Once seated and their beverage orders taken, Jim leaned over, "Time for the sinkhole story, unless it's gory."

Gibbs chuckled, "It's not gory. How about after we get our orders in?"

"Ok."

Their server quickly brought their drinks and took their orders. Leroy chuckled as he ordered scrambled eggs, potatoes and bacon.

When he looked up after handing over his menu, the others were staring at him. He smiled, "That's Fish's favorite breakfast. Before we reached West Boston, he'd never had bacon and he went a little overboard. In fact, he did that with a lot of food. One night he just had dessert, no dinner, and we bought some antacids on the way home. Good thing too!"

Maisie smiled, "He does love to eat! But since he became a field agent, he's careful about his weight."

Leroy smiled and nodded, "Does a good job with that. Sometimes he puts DiNozzo and me to shame."

"What's this about a sinkhole?"

"Well, I was in Grid 19, the one after I found the sock and…" He told the story of the truck starting to sink, getting out and seeing it sink further. Removing the wood, placing it on the tarps and then carefully moving the containers of diesel fuel even farther from the truck. Clearing everything else out from the back of the truck and then, worried about the sinkhole 'eating' the truck, clearing out the cab too.

"It wasn't snowing yet, it was cold but I had my tent, three sleeping bags – I brought two and Chuck loaned me another one – plenty of blankets, wood, food and water. I'd be all right if I lost the truck." He told them about the buckets of rocks and carefully placing them under the back wheels, finding pieces of wood to give the wheels more to grab onto.

"Have to admit, I was pretty worried and scared that I'd have to give up the search for Tim or at least cause another delay and I'd already had to wait 4 months because I hurt my knee! The last thing I did was tie rope around my waist and the sturdiest tree I could find. Then I tied another piece to the steering wheel and to a couple of other trees. That was about all I could think to do. Finally, I turned the ignition and eased the truck forward. And it moved forward. Thank God! I moved it, as slowly as I could stand, about 2 miles west of the sinkhole and then spent a few hours moving the wood, fuel and everything else back into the truck. I was in bad shape that night, tired, still upset with myself, and just plain lonely. Don't think I've ever felt so alone. I think I slept in the cab and I got the hell out of there as soon as I could. But not before I put up a warning sign."

He smiled, "The next day I found the 'G' on the rock in the creek. And then I was out of the woods onto a meadow and from there I drove on a dirt road over a ridge straight onto another meadow. Where I called home to tell them Tim was alive. That was a wonderful day! It was also the first snow day."

He answered their questions until their meals arrived. After that, he held up his hand, he wanted to eat while the food was hot. While he was enjoying a cup of chamomile tea, he answered a few more questions, told them about cutting down a Christmas tree and the surprise decorations each had made. He grinned, "I'll bring the sketchbook tomorrow. Fish is great at sketching and I did a few of him so you can see him in all his hairy glory."

Penny laughed, telling them again about his scraggly beard and hair. Leroy huffed, "I trimmed both as much as he'd let me. Fish is a very independent man, he had his own ideas and that was that."

"Was it…are they different?"

"Fish and Tim?"

Jim nodded and Leroy tilted his head in thought. "They're different for me. I've been Tim's boss ever since we've known each other and although we've become closer over the years, there was always that line, that barrier and it's the same with DiNozzo, even now. But that didn't and doesn't exist between Fish and me. And I like that a lot. He's his own man, he had no problems telling me when he did or didn't like something and we talked about everything under the sun. He's as curious, kind and smart as Tim but more assertive and confident. He doesn't have 37 years of Tim's experiences, what he calls baggage. And before I got there, he'd had several weeks with just Boss for company, in the mountains. The people who rescued him taught him how to hunt and he's clever in thinking of ways to trap and carry his kills. Sorry, Penny." She smiled, shaking her head.

"He developed plenty of confidence in those weeks. He and Boss killed their first bear to claim the cave, which gave them food and the furs he'd need for winter. He made more arrows and killed deer, had a knife to prepare them. Had some matches but also knew how to start a fire without them. Built a 3 layer fire circle and then a smoker! His rescuers also taught him how to make bowls and things from clay and fire them so when he found clay, he made bowls, big and little and spoons. He used animal bones as cooking tools and to create a three piece spit to roast meat. When he was building his smoker, he needed to fill in the gaps and again used clay. When we built the frame for the door to the cave, he filled in the gaps with his clay.

"Before I got there, when he had enough deerskin, he made a back pack, a water bag, bedding to go with the furs and deerskin 'curtains' across the opening to the cave. He figured out how to make a sled so he and Boss could bring in larger kills. Did you know he made me a deerskin shirt for Christmas? I'll show you, when he's feeling up to a party, we'll have one at my place, maybe he and I will wear our mountain finery. And that's been great to experience."

He paused for breath before smiling, "My first day in his valley, I was slashed and knocked down by a bear and this very calm and very familiar voice says, while the bear is growling and roaring over me, 'don't move, I've got him' and then carefully sprays bear-pepper spray in the animal's face. I've seen Tim in action many times, I know how he reacts to threats and violence but that was amazing. Then the day the wolves were after us, he was in the back of the truck, managed to get our food bags down and stood there, trying to distract them. He'd bagged a turkey and Boss caught a rabbit and two chickens. Fish stood there and calmly threw the rabbit to the wolves. No change, they never hesitated. He threw one of the chickens and when that didn't work he shot the rifle over their heads, he was trying his best not to kill. That didn't work either. Now the truck is moving at about 10 miles an hour, I'm pushing it through several feet of snow, hoping we don't hit anything. And Fish keeps his balance, tracks the leader, who's moving about 5 seconds behind us now, aims and fires. He hits his target, the leader's head, which takes him and another wolf down and that does it. But he did it from a moving vehicle, firing at a moving, unpredictable target. I'll never forget that."

He paused again before shaking his head, "That was incredible but what happened the day before we left…wow. I've never seen or heard Tim the way Fish was that day – when that bear, and both of us wonder if it was the same bear who beat on the door, attacked Boss. Bear reached out to slash at Boss and as his claws made contact, Boss threw himself down hard into the snow. Fish roared as loudly as the bear, fired, blew the bear's head off in one shot from my rifle. And then broke the rifle open, handed it to me while he ran to his dog. That was…I'll never forget that. Thank God Boss had powdery snow to fall into, that and Fish's quick shot saved him from serious injury."

He took a sip of tea, "He killed everything else, the other bears, the deer, the turkey, rabbits, chickens, the antelope - with his bow and arrows. We brought down an elk together. Didn't kill too many chickens as he collected eggs whenever he could find them."

Dave and Jim beamed proudly while Liz, Penny and Maisie sat there absorbing everything. Maisie shook her head, "He was always a gentle boy, like his mother and grandfather. But he loved archery and he and Drew had a running competition about how accurately they could shoot."

Liz smiled, "He went camping with us whenever Dave was home and always wanted to know what was what and why. Dave taught him what he knew about tracking and what to watch for. We taught him how to make a fire pit and build fires."

Maisie was lost in memory, "I remember the first overnight he had with the Webelos, his scout troop. He came home so excited because they'd learned how to make a fire by rubbing sticks together over a tinder pile. He insisted on showing us so he and Drew built a tinder pile and then Tim rubbed the sticks together and sure enough, got a spark out of them that lit the tinder pile. I think he was prouder that day than when he graduated from MIT!"

Penny chuckled, "Nelson and I didn't get to see him as often and my husband was not a camper. When Tim was with us, we went bowling, swimming, saw movies. Nelson always thought it was strange that swimming in water didn't bother Tim in the slightest but put him on an air mattress or a tube and sure enough, he'd start to get sick. His father never understood that it wasn't psychological, it's physical."

Leroy looked a little embarrassed, "Took me awhile to understand that too. And nothing worked until he tried ginger root and sea bands."

Liz and Maisie smiled proudly and he raised his eyebrows. Liz said, "I had a stomach ailment and someone suggested I try ginger root. Not tea or cookies but the pure root. So I did and it worked. I wrote Tim to tell him but never heard anything about it."

Maisie added, "In the meantime, I saw sea bands in a magazine and how the acupressure buttons might help avoid seasickness. I called Tim, I was so excited. He told me about Liz's letter and that he'd already tried the ginger root. He said it helped a little but in the end he was still sick. So I ordered a few sets of the sea bands and sent them to him – now you can buy them anywhere. He tried them by themselves and like the ginger, they helped some but not enough. Then he decided to try them together and that did the trick."

Leroy tilted his head, "When I bought a canoe in Wyoming, Jimmy put ginger root and sea bands in the medical bag I took with me. Fish got carsick on one of the rougher ridges, it was snowy, steep, slippery and I was driving. He made it over the ridge but then I stopped because I recognized the symptoms and sure enough he got sick. That night he found the ginger root and sea bands in the bag and used them and that was it, no more carsick."

He looked around, "Who taught him first aid?"

Jim grinned, "Claire did, she's a nurse and I'm sure Mum taught him the same things she taught me as a kid and whatever he learned in Scouts. But one time he was at our place and mentioned being worried about someone who'd been hurt…might have been you…and the doctors weren't with you. You were bleeding pretty badly and other than putting pressure on, they didn't have anything else useful in the first aid kit. So Claire taught him what she called First Aid 102."

"Yeah, that was me. They had pressure on my leg but couldn't do anything else - luckily the EMTs got there quickly. I remember Tim putting medical things in his gear bag one day soon after. I asked him what they were; he looked at me and said, 'Things so we can take care of you next time. You lost too much blood, we're not doing that again.' We all took a Red Cross First Aid class after that, too, McGee's suggestion."

NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS

Over the next few days, it became evident that Fish's injury was finally healing. He was moved to a regular room the day after his second MRI. He was happy about that as Leroy, Ellie and other members of the family began bringing him 'regular' food. He approved of the breakfast specials, was wild about sweet potato fries and fell in love with Grammie's Butterscotch Scotties, cookies. He'd been so busy with his love of bacon on the drive across country that he'd neglected to try cookies. And as much as Leroy loved his grandmother's Almond-Orange cake, he really didn't have much of a sweet tooth and thus hadn't mentioned the deliciousness of cookies.

Fish forgave him for the missed cookie opportunities when his surrogate father brought Boss for a visit. By that time Fish was mobile, needed no help to balance, thank you very much, and met Boss and his dad in the hospital atrium. Several minutes early, Fish sat on a comfortable couch, waiting for his visitors and people watching. When Boss saw him, he was so happy he jumped into Fish's lap, licked both sides of his face and then put his head on his master's shoulder, turning his snout into Fish's neck where he closed his eyes and rested with his master holding him tightly. Fish was so happy, he cried. Leroy waited as long as he could stand it, at least 7 seconds, before joining his companions, holding onto both of them and shedding his own tears.

Eventually they talked, telling Boss about the hospital and showing him Fish's new 'hat', his bandages. Then Fish turned to Leroy, "You got us home, you got me to the hospital in time, you did good, Dad. Thank you…we love you!"

Boss apparently agreed as he licked Leroy's face. Hearing applause and laughter, they looked up to see their extended family gathered around. Ellie joined them, laughing when Boss licked her face. Fish grinned and stuck his tongue out as if to imitate Boss but kissed her instead. The people and companion he loved the most were with him. No matter who he'd been, who he was now or whoever he'd be in the future, he was safe, he loved and was loved, he was home.

The End

Thanks for coming along and Happy Thanksgiving!