NCIS: McBaby

Chapter 36

A/N As Timmy would say, "Tank u bery musch fir all ur lub n' suppowt!" This is the end of McBaby but don't give up hope, check out my author's note at the end and I hope you enjoy the final chapter!

After starting the bath, Gibbs hustled back downstairs and bumped the temperature up on the thermostat. The fire was nearly out and he didn't feel comfortable starting a new one when he wasn't around to keep an eye on it. A hearty giggle was music to his ears as he walked into the kitchen. What he didn't expect to see was Tim straddled over Jethro's back as if he was riding a horse. The dog didn't appear to mind though, his chin rested on his paws while his eyes were partial closed. Tim was rubbing Jethro's ears, at one point wrapped his arms around the dog's neck, and then rested his chin on top of the furry head. He hated to break up the camaraderie, but with the bath running upstairs it was only a matter of time before the tub was filled.

"Having fun?" Gibbs asked as he walked over to the pair in the middle of the kitchen floor.

The voice caught Tim off guard and he buried his face against the Jethro's neck. When he realized it was Gibbs, he sat up and gave one of his famous grins, "Yesh, doggy muh howsey "

"I see that and it's very nice of him, but it's bath time. We need to get upstairs before the tub overflows."

Giving Jethro's ears one last rub, Tim extended his arms before mumbling, "Kay dada. Me gonna hab bubble?"

Chuckling, the older man gathered Tim in his arms; shutting off all the lights on his way upstairs. Jethro was quick to follow and in many ways had become more protective of Tim since they had been home. The entire night the dog stayed close, watching every move Tim made. Even so much that he refused to eat dinner. Hurrying into the bathroom, Gibbs made it to the faucet in the nick of time and turned it off.

He removed Tim's diaper and as he picked him up to put him in the bath, the toddler began peeing all over his shirt. Caught off guard and unsure of what to do, he set him down and grabbed a washcloth to use as a shield until Tim was finished. Knowing he would be extremely upset, Gibbs tried to laugh it off, but the mortified look on his little guy's face broke his heart. The tips of his ears to the bottom of his chin turned bright red before Tim burst into tears and covered his face with his hands.

Removing the washcloth and throwing it aside, Gibbs knelt down and soothingly ran his hand up and down Tim's back. "Hey, kiddo. Its okay, these kinds of things happen. It's no big deal."

Tremor after tremor racked Tim's small frame along with muffled words that Gibbs couldn't quite make out. He pulled the youngster into his lap, hoping he would find comfort in the closeness. Instantly Tim buried his face against Gibbs' shoulder too embarrassed to look the older man in the eyes. Gibbs realized that no matter what he said, nothing was going to calm the young boy down.

With one hand on the back of Tim's head and the other hand on his back, Gibbs embraced the little guy until he felt the tremors subsiding. Knowing he had to do something to break the tension, Gibbs reached in the bathtub, grabbed a handful of bubbles and placed them on top of Tim's head. Still sniffling, Tim slowly leaned back and wiped the streaks of tears with the back of his hand. Grabbing another handful of bubbles, Gibbs went to work on creating a beard for Tim's face.

"Dada," the toddler whispered as his breathing hitched.

Gibbs stopped what he was doing to give his full attention to the little one. "What is it, kiddo?"

Tim's gaze was focused on the floor, "Me so sowry. R u mad at me?"

Taking a deep breath, Gibbs used a finger to tilt Tim's chin, "I could never be angry with you, son. Unfortunately, it's something you have no control over right now." He paused, taking in the look of sadness in Tim's eyes. "I know its tough, sweetie. You have handled this whole situation better than anybody else on this team would have. I can't imagine Tony, Ziva or even me having to go through a second childhood. I'm sorry that you've had to go through this, but don't think for one second that I'm mad. I'm very proud of you."