Chapter Five: Four Months Later

- - - - -

March 20, 2008

Two days ago, on the 18th of March, two inches of snow had fallen on Washington D.C. Yesterday, the skies cleared a little before clouds crawled back in, dropping a little sleet.

Last night, after 7, the clouds had parted again. Late commuters recognized the weather pattern: a return to cold, maybe some melting. And that was indeed the forecast.

But something happened: By 9 p.m., the cold gave way and temperatures started to rise. At 11 p.m. it was 51 degrees, and the snow and ice were vanishing quickly. The TV meteorologists were flummoxed, and guessed a new high of 62 degrees for the next day.

Gibbs' team at NCIS had not left for the day. They didn't bother making excuses, and after awhile, long off the clock, stopped trying to convince each other to go home.

Abby was there, too, and joined the others in the squad room, where she, Ziva and Tony sat playing cards at Ziva's desk. Ducky, likewise, was there, chatting and drinking coffee with Gibbs. Even the Director had not yet gone home. She had come by once, around 10:30, to say, "Security will call me first thing, when it happens," before retreating to her office.

When the clock hit midnight, and the day rolled over to the 20th, Abby pressed her hands together in glee. "One hour and 48 minutes to go…"

As kindly as he could muster, Tony said, "Abbs, it's only a theory. We have no evidence for it."

"I know," she said. "But it'll happen. Wait and see." She was wound so tightly she could hardly make herself sit still. It has been so long…

"You don't know that," he said, in minor irritation. He was torn: he wanted to be able to agree with her. But if she was proved wrong, he didn't want to see the sad results. She wouldn't be able to bear it. I might not be able to bear it, either…

I learned to accept it when we lost Kate. I can learn to accept this, too…

"But I do know it," she replied. "In here." She put her hand on her heart. "I know…"

"I thought you were a scientist," Tony snapped back.

"Of course she is," said Gibbs. "She just listens to her heart."

They all reflected on this. Ziva called up the current outside temperature on her computer. 60 degrees! This was definitely not normal. She rose and got another cup of coffee. Jenny had kindly loaned her good coffee service set to them, and they kept draining it. No one, not one of them, could bear the idea of falling asleep now.

At 1:20 a.m. Jenny left her office and came down to sit with them. "I told security to call me on my cell instead of the landline," she said, "assuming the main entrance is used." It was nice that the big boss wanted to wait this out with them.

The outcome just had to be good, though…

1:31 a.m. Gibbs felt the need to dampen down the feeling of giddiness he felt in the others. "People, realize that even if this does come off, the squad room might not be the place."

"It'll be the place," Abby said with a firm nod of her head.

"Abby—"

"I mean, where else would he go? He loves us."

"He loves you," Ziva teased, and Abby got a little flustered and giggly.

"Abby, just consider he might have other priorities. He might go to his parents', for example—" Gibbs felt he had to get through to her; make her see balance…

"Well, that would be just plain wrong, since they're here."

"They're here?!"

Jenny nodded. "At the Marriott by the Navy Yard Metro stop. I made the arrangements myself. They said to call if…when…"

1:37 a.m. Tony rose and walked to the window. The lights around the Navy Yard glowed yellow, welcoming, as did those on the Barry, and the dots of lights across the Anacostia. He realized how lucky, how very lucky he was to have no greater trial in his life than to choose which shirt to put on in the morning. Still, there was this anticipation…and, since he couldn't tell if it was a good anticipation or a bad anticipation, it hurt…

What if we're all wrong?

Ducky said softly to Gibbs, "It took me awhile, I admit, but I've finally realized why everyone's here. It's not just for that. It's because each one wants to be here for everyone else, in case…"

"It'll happen," Gibbs surprised him by saying. "Abby's faith has rubbed off on me."

"Jethro! You?!"

Gibbs raised an eyebrow at him. "If you were a force of nature, would you dare cross Abby?"

"Well…when you put it that way…"

1:47 a.m. Some of the group began a quiet countdown. Gibbs saw their lips moving. Jenny looked like she might be praying.

1:48 a.m. They all tensed where they sat…and…nothing.

1:49 a.m. Abby was in tears, inconsolable. All her hopes, her dreams were shattered, as was her heart. She had been so sure…she'd known…

1:49.27 a.m. In the space nearly central to Gibbs' team's desks, the air warmed, then shimmered with a whirl of multicolored particles. They heard the air whiffle, barely audibly, with music; pipes and flutes. "Look!!" cried Jenny, the first to notice. They all rose and stared at the sight, gaping.

Then there came a small outward push of air, and suddenly, there he was, seated cross-legged before them, about 5 feet off the ground, just as Demeter had done back in November. He opened his eyes and grinned on seeing everyone.

"TIM!!!!" Abby's delighted scream was enough to almost puncture eardrums throughout the Navy Yard. She ran forward even as he turned off whatever spell permitted the levitation, and dropped softly to the ground. "TIM!!!!! Oh, thank God. You're back!! You're back!! You're back!"

She hugged him, kissed him, wanted him all to herself, but of course this was not going to happen, since everyone else was surrounding him, wanting to touch him, talk to him, be acknowledged by him.

Tim McGee was back.

"You're late!" Abby scolded, gently. "Spring, the vernal equinox, began at 1:48 a.m. Eastern Standard Time. You were almost a minute and a half late! What's your excuse, buster? And it better be good!!" All for show; she only wanted to hold him and never let him go.

He grinned, that warm, guile-free, McGee grin. "I'm still new at long-distance time travel. I got a little lost. But Demeter and Helios are great teachers, so I wasn't too far off."

Tony punched him in the arm playfully. "Hey, where can I get a dress like yours, Probie?" Then he looked a trifle abashed. Was 'Probie' the right thing to say to Tim anymore?

But Tim only smiled and looked down at his snowy white chiton and matching himation "You know this is a unisex outfit, Tony. Do you think you're man enough to carry it off?" They both laughed. "Well, Greece is a little warmer than Washington. I hope I still have a spare set of clothes here at NCIS? You just don't know how much you miss a button-down shirt until you don't have one to wear."

To Gibbs, Tim outwards looked like the Tim they'd all known —he'd swear Tim's hair hadn't grown even a bit, and maybe it hadn't— but now and then there was a flicker in his eye of something else: something older, tempered in other ways; perhaps even beyond the knowledge of mere mortals…

Tim removed the circlet he wore, the headband of golden leaves, and set it on his desk, then looked up at the others, a question in his eyes. "Uh, do I still have my job? Because I want to work…"

Jenny smiled warmly. "You still have your job. We had to do a lot of fudging to set you up on extended leave, but you're back on the books as of normal start time today."

"Thanks, Director!" He laughed and ran a hand through his hair, giddy as the rest of them. "Man, I have a list of things I need to do! I need to recertify in firearms…I feel really rusty there. I need to call my parents!"

Abby squeezed his hand. "They're here in town."

"They're here?!"

"I convinced them you'd come back here. I've been on the phone with them over 100 times, Tim. Every day since you were gone! I feel like I know them now."

"You must! That's more than I ever called them! If that's the case, you've got to come see them with me."

She squeezed his hand. "I'd like that."

He gazed fondly at his desk. Someone had kept it dusted: the cleaning crew, or his friends? "I'm so glad to see this place again…every stray paperclip, my Slinky, the lower right drawer that doesn't close right…My cell phone charger! The battery ran down long ago. Not that I could call anyone, you know." He didn't add that the battery had run down because he'd kept turning his phone on, looking at the picture he'd taken of Abby, asleep.

Abby laughed. "Well, it's all yours again, forever and ever! And you'll never be away from us again; that's what matters! We'll put this nightmare behind us."

A wave of cold water seemed to flow over him, and he stroked her hand. "Abby…"

"What?" Something in his tone, his movement, frightened her.

He met her eyes, his green to hers. "Abby, I'm not…on September 22, at 12:44 Eastern Daylight Time…"

"No…"

"Abby, I have to. I thought you understood that, since you figured out I'd return here at the start of spring…"

"No! NO!!! Tim, you're not a god! You're mortal! You can't—"

He took her face in his hands, tenderly. "Abby, that was the agreement I made with Hades. Six months in the underworld, and six months here, every year, as Persephone had done. If I don't, the seasons would get out of balance, and crops wouldn't grow right. Demeter's spell had been in place for too long. It can't be altered now without global destruction. Someone has to mark time in the underworld."

"But next spring?" Ziva ventured.

"Next spring I'll be back. On the dot, this time!"

Abby still felt as if her heart had been ripped out and unevenly restitched in her chest. This was not the outcome she'd hoped for. "Well, well, you'd better," she faltered, trying to be brave, and wiping her tears. "Come on, you! Change into your street clothes, and let's go wake up your parents!"

"They don't do middle-of-the-night well. Let's wait until daybreak."

"Fine," she said, taking his arm again. "In the meantime, I'll drive you home. Well, to my place. Don't make me drive all the way to Silver Spring and back to my place at this hour."

He grinned. "Sounds good."

The others were yawning. "Ohhh," moaned Tony. "Do I go home for about three hours of sleep, or sack out here?"

"You all can take half a day admin leave," said Jenny. "Just be in by noon."

"Thanks, Director!" They started to pull on coats, then thought better of it, considering the temperature, and carried the coats.

Gibbs studied Tim, who still had Abby clinging to him. Maybe something good has come out of all this. He had a million questions, but they could all wait. They had Tim for the next six months, after all.