Epilog

Here a big shout out to finlura for betaing this chapter for me. Before I get all the what the heck's? I would like to remind you all of the prolog and that Tim is telling the Marine the story on a rooftop. It been a long time in coming, but here for your approval is the last chapter of The Rose and the Sunflower.

Looking at the man Tim offered his hand, "This isn't the end of the end of the world. Don't throw away everything you've worked for as a Marine for something you can beat."

"Ten years?" was the timid question.

"Yeah ten years and they haven't all been easy ones, but I'm still around to piss off my team. What about you, John, are you willing take this like a Marine or are you going to take the easy way out and hurt the people who care about you?" Tim asked the other man reaching out his hand to take. Everyone held their collective breath as they watched the young man deciding his fate.

"Marine," was the simple reply. Grasping the offered had he allowed himself to be lead to the safety of the rooftop amid cheering personnel.

"Hoo-ah," Tim answered. Looking around he was glad that they were back where it was a lot safer, and that the young man for some reason had chosen a spot to jump were it was next to impossible to be filmed by a camera crew on the ground. He had been spotted by someone in the adjacent building. There was still fear in his eyes, but also a willingness to fight had showed up as well in his whole demeanor.

Watching the Marine being lead away by a medic Tim could feel his teams eyes on him wanting to know more, heading for the car he didn't give them a chance to ask anything. When they had piled into the sedan he made the decision to make for a little restaurant in the area.

"Umm, the Yard is in the other direction Boss," Steven his senior agent reminded him.

"We missed lunch and I'm hungry got a problem with that?" he mock growled.

"No Boss, of course not," was the reply. Everyone laughed when the man's stomach growled in agreement.

"You had cancer Boss?" Tara the youngest on his team asked timidly.

"Yeah I'm in remission though," he replied impressed that she had the courage to ask the question.

"Has it come back?" Joan asked wanting to get her own question in before Boss had enough of them.

"Twice, but nether time was bad as the first go around," he responded quietly enjoying their unusual boldness.

"When are we going to meet your girl Boss?" Steven tried again.

"She passed six years go," he snapped and instantly regretted it.

"Oh," the younger man cringed, and was silent the rest of the drive.

The place was a homey mom and pop joint that he had been coming to for years having been introduced to it by Tony. Pretending to look at the menu he secretly watched his SA, the man had a kicked puppy air about him and Tim was pissed at himself for causing it. His girls were talking quietly to each other clearly wanting to ask more questions but afraid of the reaction. When the old women who helped run the place came up for their orders he let everyone else order first.

"It's good to see you again Grace. I'll have the usually and put his on my tab," Tim told her nodding to the man across from him.

"Thanks Boss," he replied give him a mega watt smile knowing that this was his bosses way of saying sorry.

"We had two good years together before she passed. That's when I got into undercover work. Director Sheppard offered me the chance to go to Europe after it happened and I needed the change," Tim said answering the question before it was even asked.

The team took the reply to mean that they were allowed to ask questions again and started in on him enjoying the moment just as much as he was. When they ended back the Navy Yard he went up to see Jenny, and smirked when he found that she had already poured the brandy for him. She knew him too far too well. Three months after he had gone into remission she herself had been diagnosed with a brain tumor, watching him go through everything had given her the strength to take the experimental treatment that Ducky had offered. They had grown close as he supported her through the often painful treatment and that closeness had continued to this day.

"An unusual case for the techno-ghosts," she smiled as they settled down on the couch.

"True, but rewarding none the less," Tim replied chuckling at the nickname for his team,

"So where did you send the MCRT that they couldn't respond to this one?"

"Norfolk, a computer case, Tony and Ziva will be glad to see you are home, and not just for your computer expertise in this one. Have you ever regretted the path you've taken it's, so different from how it begin," she asked softly.

"Not once, Gibbs gave me the chance to grow when he got me out of the personal office at Norfolk and it was him that nudged me towards taking the position you had offered me."

"Really, Jethro let you go?" was the surprised question.

"Boss knew I was lost and needed to stop being reminded of Sophia so he head slapped me in the right direction and I've never regretted it Jenny. Well working a dog into an undercover op was an issue but other than that it was worth it," he chuckled.

"Yes Jethro did take some working, but you did figure it out and he was useful in that drug case you had," she laughed. "I'm sorry to hear that you lost him."

"Thank you, it was his time, if Jethro hadn't passed that night I would have taken him to a vet. It was hard to watch him go but harder to watch him suffer. The rest of the team was there and they helped a lot," he responded with a sad smile. The team loved the dog just as much as he did and had grieved with him at the loss.

"I'm keeping you here for a bit, you've been absent far too long, and your team was never meant to do long stints away. Will you come to the ball it's been a few years?" Jenny asked hopefully.

"I will. It has been far too long. Yes, I know I've been avoiding it, but I'm ready I think," he replied a little surprised himself at his answer.

They chatted awhile longer mostly gossip, before Tim headed out saying that he need to make sure his team didn't get themselves in to trouble again, Jenny's laughter followed him out. Leaning against the balcony railing he watched his team talking with their friends. He smiled a little at the nickname they had been given, techno-ghosts. The director had told it to him just before they had left for Spain six months ago, the techno was due to the gadgets they used and abused and the ghosts was due to them being an undercover team. Unlike the LA team his was a totally mobile team allowing them to go anywhere in the world on a moment's notice. Laughing he watched Tara beat her senior agent with a file for a comment that he had made. The man was better at stepping in it then Tony was. Tim couldn't help comparing her to his own first year. In the eight months that she was on the team the woman had held her own a lot better than he had.

Watching the MCRT walk through the elevator doors without Gibbs was still strange, Tim though as he walked down the stairs to meet his friends. He hadn't been home enough for it to really sink in yet. A gun shot to his bad knee had forced the man into retirement a year ago, giving the lead to DiNozzo. He was proud of his friend it was hard taking over for someone like Gibbs, but the Italian had found his place as team leader. It had been strange taking care of the older man in the weeks and months following the injury, but they both stood by him through it all and got him to the other side. When Gibbs had told them about his and Jenny's relationship they had both busted a gut laughing having figured it out from the start. It just meant letting one more person into their crazy family. His one regret was losing the closeness he had shared with Abby. They had patched thing up but the patch was a little frayed and it had turned into a working relationship only going out when the team was involved. After making plans for a late supper with his friends he told his team to head home. They needed to get something nice for charity ball coming. Ignoring Tony's pleases for computer help Tim headed out to his car. He needed to get sunflowers before he went to Livie's grave. It had been a long time since he had visited her and they had some catching up to do.