Work Text:
Tim’s Paid Time Off
Timothy McGee led as private a life as possible. While enjoying his work and learning a great deal in his position first as a temporarily assigned agent (or TAD, ‘D’ for Duty), then a probationary field agent and finally a junior agent on NCIS’s Major Crimes Response Team, commonly known as the MCRT, he felt his time off was no one else’s business but his own.
Since earning his Master’s and PhD from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, also known as MIT, Tim had guest-lectured and done weekend seminars at his alma maters, MIT and Johns Hopkins University in Maryland, as well as other colleges and universities in the US, along with a few in Canada and once in the United Kingdom.
The lectures in the UK were back to back and for those he took two weeks off from the agency, spending the first and last few days of those two weeks sleeping off his jet lag. His first guest lecture in the UK was also the occasion of his first non-work-related trip overseas and he also managed a bit of sight-seeing around the jet lag naps. As the universities paid for his air fare and lodging, it was worth using ten days of his very limited Paid Time Off. It was a good thing his family lived in Maryland so he didn’t need to take days off for travel to see them!
For the events in Canada, he was selective and careful about the timing. One year when the team was off on a Monday for the Independence Day (also known as the Fourth of July) holiday, one not celebrated in Canada, although they celebrate their own confederation as a country on July 1st, the team was also off rotation the Friday before to get their paper work done. That time his lectures were scheduled for Saturday with a follow-up seminar Sunday morning. He was able to fly to Toronto, Ontario, Friday evening after finishing his reports, give all three of his lectures on Saturday, hold the seminar Sunday morning and return home late Sunday evening, in time to rest on the Monday they had off. Although he enjoyed the lectures and the seminar, he didn’t get to see much of Toronto and made a mental note to return for a proper visit.
The MCRT was on call one weekend a month, although they sometimes ended up working on some or all of their other weekends. Gibbs never told the team ahead of time when their on-call weekends were. As Tony was always quick to ask, Tim and during his probie year Kate, followed by Ziva, didn’t worry about Gibbs not saying anything.
By the time Tim completed his probationary year and became a full-fledged junior agent, he noticed that whenever the MCRT was on call, the same Intel Analyst also seemed to be on call. That observation seemed to be confirmed when the team and the analyst were on the same three on-call weekends. After Tim got to know the analyst a little better he finally asked her if she was on the same schedule.
She nodded with a laugh, “Apparently Agent Gibbs trusts me, even though we don’t work together that often. My supervisor told me that Gibbs asked that if there is an Intel Analyst on call when the MCRT is also on call, he prefers it be me. Which is a little scary! So yes, my on-call weekends almost always coincide with yours.”
“How far ahead do you know which weekend it is?”
Looking surprised, she answered, “Two weeks ahead of the 1st of the new month, although it only has the new month on it. That gives people time to make or change their plans if they need to. It always includes the first weekend of the new month. And it’s emailed to everyone with on-call responsibilities. Don’t you get the notice?”
Tim laughed, “Not me, I’m a second year junior agent, past my probie year but still don’t rate being on anyone’s mailing list! Although I don’t think DiNozzo is notified either. Gibbs doesn’t tell us until the week of the on-call, DiNozzo always has to ask him.”
She made a face, “That’s ridiculous! There’s nothing classified about being on-call or on the schedule. And we deserve to know! Just because Gibbs might not have a personal life doesn’t mean the rest of us don’t, or at least want one!”
Tim chuckled at her add on, just about everyone at Headquarters was aware of the long hours, sometimes days, the MCRT put in.
The woman shook her head, “I’ll start forwarding the schedule to you when I get it.”
“Thanks!”
“Then you can share with DiNozzo and look like a hero. Just don’t mention my name, please!”
“I promise I won’t. If he pushes me for a name and he will, I’ll tell him it’s from someone in the new Cyber Crime unit, that’ll shut him up!”
“Thank you although, Tim, you know you don’t have to tell him.”
“Not until he figures out I have plans on certain weekends. Hopefully it will take him a couple of months. Maybe I should share with him right away.”
“Then he’ll owe you, which, knowing how he operates, won’t do you any favors.”
Tim shook his head, “You’re right. If I were braver, I’d ask Gibbs, privately, to be added to the mailing list and then play naïve when he says no one on the team gets it but him.”
“Out of curiosity, do you have a special reason to know ahead of time?”
“Yes.”
She grinned, “Ooh, that’s good, Special Agent McGee. You should ask Gibbs and play it just that way. If he asks why you need to know, tell him your reasons are private.”
Tim grinned, “Operate the same way he does, got it! Thanks, Nikki, I appreciate your help!”
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The following month, before he had a chance to speak with Gibbs and after he received the next month’s on-call schedule from Nikki Jardine, he received an invitation to do three guest lectures at Princeton University, one Friday evening and two on Saturday.
Knowing by now that it was better to take a whole day off rather than count on being able to leave early, he laughed out loud at the idea of that ever happening for anything besides a medical appointment, he put in for a paid time off day, also known as a PTO, for that particular Friday.
He was a bit surprised when Gibbs approached him the next workday. As both were in early, they were alone in the bullpen and could count on quiet for at least another hour. Gibbs stood in front of Tim’s desk, “You get coffee yet?”
He nodded, “I brought some from home, came in early to finish up my reports. Finished them and the coffee.”
“Good, then walk with me, I have a couple of questions and I’ll treat for the coffee.”
Tim walked downstairs with him, not bothering to start any kind of conversation. After getting their coffees from the coffee cart, Tim deciding to have one last cup, Gibbs did a head tilt toward the river. Still not sure what was going on, Tim walked with him.
As they reached the walkway, Gibbs said, “About your request for leave. Do you have a reason for that date?”
Remembering his one word response to Nikki weeks ago, Tim decided to follow her advice.
“Yes, Boss.” He paused, before deciding to ask, “Are we on call that weekend?”
Gibbs looked surprised, “No, didn’t you see the schedule?”
Tim shook his head, “I’ve never seen an on-call schedule.” When he realized later that he’d accidentally lied as Nikki now sent the schedule to him every month, he shrugged. He didn’t like lying and he especially hated lying to Gibbs but felt it was more of a slip of the tongue than an outright lie.
“DiNozzo doesn’t share his? Did Kate?”
Tim quietly shook his head. “Kate never did and I’m not sure DiNozzo knows before he asks you.”
Gibbs swallowed a sigh, “I’ll check with him. We’re not on call that weekend. Just wanted to make sure nothing serious was going on. Although you have the time on the books you do take a lot of Fridays off, one every other month or so.”
Having not thought about that, Tim was surprised, “Is that a problem?”
“It’s not a problem but it is a pattern. I got a little concerned that you’re sick or something, having treatments. Blame that on being around Ducky so much.”
Before he could stop himself, Tim chuckled, finally saying, “Thanks, Boss. I’m not sick or anything. And I promise I’m not doing anything illegal, immoral or even sneaky. It isn’t anything to do with the agency, our team or the government, federal or state.”
“Fair enough. Do you see it continuing to happen?”
Tim nodded before saying, “I don’t understand why you’re asking, Boss. It’s my private, personal life.”
“What if we have an ‘All Hands on Deck’ alert?” Gibbs inwardly groaned, he knew that was a lame excuse but couldn’t think of anything else. Except maybe worry and he really didn’t have a reason for that either. And McGee was right, it was the man’s own business. He knew if someone tried to poke into his business, he’d probably walk away. That or glare into submission whoever was stupid enough to ask, maybe both.
“I’ll get the alert on my cell and respond accordingly. I won’t shirk my responsibilities.”
Gibbs nodded, “You’ve never done that and I trust that you won’t.”
Tim decided they were through with Gibbs’ interrogation, as politely as everything had been phrased, which was unusual and therefore a win.
Gibbs knew he had no reason to push any further, in fact, he had no right to push at all. While McGee made an occasional mistake, it was never anything that couldn’t have happened to anyone as new to their work as he was. Inwardly he winced, now concerned that he’d damaged the trust McGee had in him.
Physically shaking his head, he looked at his agent, “I trust you. None of the agents I’ve had on my team have taken time off like this.” Then he smirked, “I guess none of them had a private life.”
Tim decided he could share a bit. What he’d say was already in his file anyway, he guessed Gibbs hadn’t read it. It wouldn’t be anything to do with the real reason for the Fridays off but Gibbs wouldn’t know that. He hesitated to tell him the truth, it really wasn’t any of his business as long as he was available to do whatever was needed during a crisis affecting everyone. He decided to think later about the reasons he didn’t want to share his academic life but was willing to share details of his life he’d only ever voluntarily shared with two other people, one the agency director who’d hired him, the other his girlfriend, now former girlfriend, at MIT.
Keeping his voice level, he told Gibbs of his life in Baltimore, a homeless child with no known family, living on the streets with 5 other homeless boys and 1 homeless girl along with an older boy, legally an adult, who had graduated from high school and moved on from the streets, attending Community College, working for a construction company and living in a too small apartment with several other young men.
Tim told him about searching for food, dumpster diving at the fast food restaurants, always in a hurry to beat hungry rodents to the same food, staying in a transient camp, a polite term for a homeless camp, run by a big man who somehow became a father figure to the children. How, at the time, going into foster care in Baltimore was even more dangerous than living in a tent and having to scrounge for food, working for cash doing odd jobs until he was old enough to legally work.
When Tim finished, he stopped to breathe for a couple of minutes before continuing. Gibbs, aghast at what he’d heard, realized his agent wasn’t yet done and waited, for once patient.
Finally Tim began to speak again, “My reason for telling you about it now is that I’m still uncomfortable with just one source of income and I no longer have time to write, which provided a second income starting my third year at MIT. When I finished at MIT and my department head asked if I would return to do guest lectures and possibly weekend seminars, I said yes, but not until I was through my training at FLETC and NCIS.”
He smiled, “I didn’t realize that my training at NCIS would never really stop. Anyway, while I was still at MIT, I worked part-time at a bank and then when I had to wait to get into FLETC, I worked there full-time, that was close to a year.
“When I started at the bank, I was far enough along in my studies to be part of weekend seminars and did a few guest lectures, some at MIT, although most were at other colleges in the area. I didn’t have a car, didn’t know how to drive so I could only accept lectures and seminars where there was public transportation to get there.
“When I quit the bank to attend FLETC, I stopped doing the guest lectures and seminars. I think I did three while I was aboard Norfolk base and then stopped again when you transferred me to the team. That was also because my sister received a full scholarship, so I was no longer paying her expenses.
“Now Sarah still has a full scholarship as does our younger brother Rob but I missed the lectures and seminars. It also helps me keep up with what’s going on in the world of scientific advancement. I’ve done lectures when the person before or after me has lectured about forensics and I always listen in on those, sometimes I record them, with permission, so Abby can listen as well.” He smiled, “When we published our book, we did a few lectures together but Abby was very uncomfortable doing those. Instead we worked together to come up with a one-person lecture and I did those. She liked the end part, answering questions, so if the lecture was within a couple of hours of home, she’d come along and we’d answer the questions together.”
Gibbs looked at him, “Book? You two wrote a book together?”
Tim thought later that he must have looked like a fish as he opened his mouth and then shut it again, opening it a second time to say something, changed his mind and shut it again.
Finally, he nodded, “I thought she told you. It was before you transferred me onto the team, while I was still in Norfolk. It’s a book about some of the forensics breakthroughs we had. It was cleared by the Legal Department, Director Morrow and someone from the Department of Defense before we published it.”
“A science book.”
Tim nodded and Gibbs nodded, satisfied. Then he thought of something else, “When did you do the lectures? The book must have taken some time to write and get published.”
Nodding again, Tim verbally agreed, “The writing took longer, Boss. I normally write fiction and switching to non-fiction and science rather than my usual genre was a learning process. However, Abby was already a published author, she wrote two books on forensics while she was studying for her master’s and PhD, so she knew the mechanics of writing non-fiction, especially science, and was a big help. Also, we already had a publisher lined up, due to Abby’s previous writings, and they were also a big help for me. We had a deadline, which Abby set; I never really understood why she set that particular date, at least not then. Eventually she told me that she wanted the book to be published before my first anniversary with the agency. We did it, the book was published the week before you transferred me onto the team, about 10 weeks before my first anniversary with NCIS. I still didn’t quite understand until months later when she finally told me she was certain you would transfer me onto your team but couldn’t or wouldn’t until I’d been a case agent for a year, standard procedure for newbies. She said she knew that after you transferred me I'd never have time to work on our book.”
Gibbs smiled, “Smart girl, our Abby! Yes, I spent months arguing with Morrow about transferring you onto my team as soon as possible. He refused to let me do it any earlier than those 10 weeks, although I’ve wondered if that was to remind me he was The Director.”
Tim tilted his head in thought, finally saying, “I don’t think it was just that, Boss. He wanted me in the new Cyber Crimes Unit. It took me awhile to realize that’s what he had in mind. I finally figured out how to get my point across so he’d know I really didn’t want to do that. One day when I was up here helping with a case, I saw him at the coffee cart and filled his ears about my love for being a field agent and how I’d wanted to be one since I was a little boy, all true. I raved about how much I’d learned as a case agent and even more working with the MCRT, the satisfaction of saving someone’s life, chasing down suspects and after a successful case, frequently getting to meet the victims or their families.”
“Do you remember what case that was?”
Tim told him and Gibbs grinned, “Good timing, McGee! When he returned with his coffee that day I was in his office telling him everything you’d done on the case and how this had to be proof that you’d be a good field agent, you were already one without any real training. How did you know what to say to get through to him?”
It was Tim’s turn to grin and he did, “Cassie Yates did her Probie and Junior years here, right? Apparently Agent Pacci gave her some insights about how to get along with one’s director, specifically Director Morrow. She and I parked next to each other on Norfolk base and that’s how we got to know each other. Saying she was still in touch with some of her friends here, she gave me some pointers about Morrow.”
“And not about me?”
“No, well, yes, sort of. She said to keep my eyes and ears open, my mouth closed and absorb every piece of advice and training you gave me, IF you transferred me. I didn’t believe her when she said the same thing as Abby, that you wanted me for your team. I did not understand how a barely trained baby case agent could possibly do any good on the agency’s top team!”
“You understand now?”
“Yep, get them young before their heads are too full of other people’s opinions, training and advice and train them the way you want them to be trained.”
Gibbs chuckled, “You missed the first part, seeing you in action during that first case and realizing the potential right in front of me. It frustrated the hell out of me that Morrow didn’t see for himself, he’s usually a pretty good judge of character. When he finally gave in and transferred you, he began to understand. He still thanks me for ‘badgering him’ into pulling you onto the team.”
Tim sat there quietly, although Gibbs was sure he was processing everything. Finally the younger man shook his head, “There’s more, Boss, as far as why I still do lectures and write books. Along with living on the street, I have a younger sister, you know Sarah, and brother, Rob. As I said before, they’re in college and living on campus, on full scholarships. They’re several years younger than I am; I raised them. They lived with me on the street, in the camp, growing up in Baltimore, moving with me to Massachusetts when I started at MIT. My brother graduated from high school in Silver Spring last spring and is now in his first year at Johns Hopkins. He plans to become a pediatrician and has a long road ahead of him.
“Our sister is also a freshman although at Waverly University. She had some problems during her teen years and has worked very hard to get past all that. She got her GED and then went to Community College to take the courses she’d ignored in high school, raising her Grade Point Average high enough to get a full ride scholarship to Waverly. I’m proud of her, of both of them!
“They were very young, toddlers, when they landed in my life and I’ve been their parent ever since. We had legal guardians, although they were non-custodial, until I turned 18 and then I became their legal guardian. After living together all those years, we miss each other and now we’re trying to set aside time each month to spend an afternoon or even just a meal together.” He took a breath before saying, “They’re listed in my file.”
Gibbs scrunched his eyes, making a face which Tim thought might mean he was regretting something, “I know I have a rule about apologizing but that deserves one, McGee, I am sorry. I read the parts of your files with your education and experience but figured you’d already been vetted by the agency, I didn’t need to know anything else and if I did, I’d learn it along the way.”
Tim nodded, “And now you have. I’ve only shared all that with two other people, outside of my mother and siblings who were with me on the streets. My siblings, that is, not my mom. She was there but not living on the streets. My background is painful, personal and no one else’s business, despite DiNozzo’s belief that he has the right, even a duty, to know everything about everybody.”
“Does he still bother you? I thought that had stopped.” Gibbs decided not to address what he’d just been told, he needed time to absorb it and this wasn’t the time. Right now he was more concerned with the comment about DiNozzo.
Tim smirked, “Oh, it’s stopped. I guess you didn’t hear about him being arrested by Silver Spring PD for breaking and entering?”
Gibbs made a noise that might have been a growl before saying, “I did not. When did that happen?”
“The first or last time?”
“Both.”
“First time was shortly after you transferred me to the team and I’d moved from Norfolk to Silver Spring. I’m fairly certain he either hacked my personal records or followed me home one time after I moved. Anyway, that first time, my neighbor was just arriving home, he works for the FBI and we’d already met, and spotted DiNozzo. He took a phone photo of DiNozzo picking the locks on my door, sent it to me with a text to make sure I was all right and when I replied that I was fine but not at home, he called the Silver Spring PD. It never occurred to me that DiNozzo or anyone else I worked with at a federal agency would ever do something like that!
“Anyway, there was apparently a squad car in the area as the officers arrived before he got into my apartment. They took him in for attempted breaking and entering. I never got home that night but the PD called me, I’d already met them and have done some volunteer stints with them. Because it was Tony and he’d never done something like that to me before, I didn’t press charges.
“However, picking the locks to my apartment and trying to get into my car happened four more times but he failed on all but the last try, the fourth one. He only tried my car once, the alarm is so effective that he never tried breaking into it again. Anyway, I still have the videos from my security cameras and I warned him the third time that the next time I would press charges. He’d promised me every time not to do it again and then tried to laugh it off when he did, like I was being a bad sport.
“One day he was angry with me for a payback I gave him for some of his pranks and sure enough, that night he tried again. Again, I wasn’t home and this time, he got in although he had some problems once he was inside my place. My silent alarm alerted the PD. That resulted in an arrest.
“He called Director Shepard for help, you were on assignment somewhere. Apparently when the PD told her this was the fourth time he’d been brought in for the same offense, she was so mad at him that she left word she wouldn’t be there until Sunday, this was a Thursday night. So he spent 3 nights and 2 ¾ days in jail. She didn’t show up until early evening on Sunday and then she fixed things for him. And no, before you ask, she didn’t ask how I wanted to proceed. She never said a word to me nor did Tony. My friends at the PD told me.”
He decided he didn’t need to add all the personal information, why he knew the Silver Spring PD personnel. The Silver Spring Police Department was his brother Barry’s first job after graduating from the Police Academy and although Barry eventually moved on to Metro Baltimore PD, the officers in Silver Spring still considered Barry and his siblings, including Tim, part of them. Overall, although Tim’s family were all listed in his file, he didn’t feel it necessary or even a good idea considering DiNozzo’s nosiness, to talk about his family or his background at work or with his co-workers.
“After that, I was granted a restraining order against him being within 10 miles of my apartment. He was stopped in town twice before Shepard told him his job was on the line and made him pay the fines for violating the restraining order. He is still persona non grata in Silver Spring as far as the PD is concerned.”
Gibbs closed his eyes. “Does he still pull pranks on you at work?”
McGee shook his head, “Not since I started paying him back for the pranks he’s pulled on me. He is still the biggest pest and the nosiest person I’ve ever met but I’m beginning to find some redeeming features in him. And I know he is an excellent investigator.”
“Glad to hear all of that.” Gibbs looked at his watch, “C’mon, we’d better get back up there before he gets in.”
Tim still wasn’t sure his PTO day was approved and asked while they walked back to the building.
Gibbs huffed, “Yes, Special Agent McGee, it’s approved. Do you know these dates ahead of time, could you ask for them off all at once?”
Tim thought about that before answering, “I might be able to do that, Boss, or at least more than one at a time but it will take me a while to put together.”
“Appreciate it.”
Relieved that the whole conversation was over, both men got to work. When Tony came in, he raised an eyebrow at Tim who was smiling at him, “I stopped on the way in, there’s a bag on your desk.” He tilted his head toward Gibbs, “Boss and I already ate ours.”
“Yum, thanks McGee!”
Gibbs leaned over to as if to get something out of the bottom drawer of his desk, his face turned away from the younger agents, smiling and smirking to himself, thinking about what Tim said about Tony, ‘beginning to find some redeeming features’, his ass! Somewhere along the line those two had become friends or at least friendly, without either of them realizing it. Although geez, Tony’s behavior, he was glad he hadn’t known although he really should have.
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It took Tim awhile to figure out how to go about determining what Fridays he’d need off before even being invited as a guest lecturer. Finally, he studied the academic calendars of the colleges and universities he’d already been to and found a pattern, which made him think of Gibbs’ comment about his requests being a pattern.
After he stopped laughing, he sent an email to Pete Donovan, still the head of the department Tim had been in while at MIT, telling him his theory and asking if it was anywhere near reality. Pete called him, chuckling, confirming he was right, asking how he’d figured it out and why.
Telling him the why, Pete said he could help with that, he would quietly put the word out that due to Dr. McGee’s ‘regular’ job, it would be very helpful if he could schedule time off for his guest lectures and seminars all at once or at least more than one at a time. If any school wanted to bring him in for guest lectures or seminars in the next 3 months, to let him know the dates as soon as possible.
In the meantime, Nikki Jardine, Tim’s friend the Intel Analyst, told him who was in charge of the on-call schedule. He met with the scheduler, discovering that the schedule was set up quarterly although distributed monthly. The woman said she gave up sending out a quarterly schedule, she ended up answering too many phone calls and emails after the first month because people couldn’t find their schedules. She rolled her eyes while describing what had to happen if there were changes, and there were almost always changes, apparently it was a mess. She was happy to send Tim a copy of the next quarter’s on-call schedule.
The next time both Gibbs and he were early, before Ziva arrived, Tim asked Gibbs to join him for a cup of coffee. With a chuckle, Gibbs agreed and the two of them walked downstairs to the coffee cart. This time, they talked on the way down, having discovered both were baseball fans, although not for the same teams, and they’d each watched games last night.
After they had their coffees, they headed for the river walk again. Once they were away from everyone, Tim smiled, “I wanted to give you an update. Ms. Roslinda, who handles the on-call scheduling, was kind enough to give me next quarter’s schedule, at least as it stands now and I’ll be putting in for three PTO days for the quarter, so you’ll only have one form to handle.”
“Good, thanks for doing that. What if the schedule changes?”
Tim shrugged, “Then I’m here.”
“And that’s all right?”
Tim nodded, “Sure, this is my priority.”
With the new plan in place, Tim’s extra-curricular guest lecturing gigs continued without any problems. After revising the way he scheduled the lectures, he realized that Gibbs’ question about an “All Hands on Deck” situation and his answer that he’d respond also needed some attention. Before he signed the contract for his next lecture, he asked that a clause be added covering any schedule changes over which he had no control or emergency situations so that he could respond and do whatever he could from wherever he was.
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Life and criminal investigations continued on. One spring a few years later, a jerk in the US Attorney General’s office decided to target Gibbs for his sometimes unorthodox ways of handling criminal cases and Tim, Tony and Ziva quit the agency, turning in their weapons, IDs and badges, in an effort to keep Gibbs from prison.
Tony sublet his apartment for a few months, grateful to find someone who would be in DC for a four month internship. Then he forced himself to go to work for his father, insisting it was only temporary. He and Tim, by now good friends, promised each other and themselves they’d stay in touch.
In the meantime, Tim found himself in a quandary. He’d recently met and started dating a woman named Delilah Fielding and they were getting along very well. However, he was loath to live on his savings which meant he needed to find work, even if it was out of the area, which would mean resorting to Skype or phone calls with Dee.
Because he had no idea when or even if he, Tony and Ziva would be asked to return, he hoped to find something that wouldn’t be full-time and would pay him more than his agency salary, that is, his former agency salary. Neither he nor Tony had heard anything from Ziva, except that she’d decided to look for work outside of the DC area. Both men worried that even with her new US citizenship she might have returned to Mossad.
Tim’s brother Bill, the eldest of all the siblings, had his own construction company in Baltimore and during the summer worked from dawn until about 2 PM when the buildup of the heat and humidity made working conditions too miserable for his crew. When he heard the somewhat sanitized version his brother told their family about leaving NCIS, he invited Tim to move into his second bedroom and just pay something toward the utilities. His apartment complex was convenient to the train and perhaps best of all during the hot summers, had a pool and was closer to the beaches of Chesapeake Bay than Silver Spring.
The offer was too good for Tim to pass up and as he’d been thinking about finding a larger apartment, he gave up his Silver Spring place, storing whatever he wanted to keep at their mother’s house and moving his bedroom furniture into Bill’s second bedroom. Because Bill had two bedrooms, he also had two assigned parking spaces in a secured garage, so the Porsche took the second space. Whenever he needed to go into DC or Virginia, Tim did his best to take the train, unless it was for a date with Dee, then he drove the Porsche.
At MIT, when Pete Donovan heard from Larry Porter, Tim’s friend and mentor, that Dr. McGee was no longer working for the federal government, he found room in the budget for a guest lecture, emailed Tim an invitation and then sat back to wait.
Tim received the invitation, telling Delilah about it. It was only one weekend, he’d be back in time for them to have dinner together on Sunday. She smiled, “That’s sweet, Tim. Would it be possible for me to go with you? I’d love to hear your lecture, to see you strut your academic stuff. I’ve been to Boston but I’ve never been to MIT.”
Tim’s face lit up, “That’s a great idea, Dee, if you can get the time off. My first lecture is Friday evening so we can fly up if you can get off work early. There’s a flight at 1630 from Reagan that gets us into Boston an hour later. Then we can take the ‘T’, their rapid transit, out to Cambridge.”
“Wonderful. Do you usually fly?”
“Only if I don’t have time to take the train, that’s more comfortable. Takes longer than flying but it’s much more relaxing. There’s a train at 1355 that reaches Cambridge at 1600.”
“Oh, that’s not bad at all! I’ll take the whole day off, otherwise I’ll never get out of there! Where are we staying?”
He smiled, “The university has a couple of residences on campus for guests, they’re very nice, or we can stay at a hotel.”
Considering that this would be his income until something else came along, Dee asked about the places on campus and smiled, thinking they sounded like more fun anyway. They were private, no one else would be staying there and they could Uber or rent a car to go out later or for breakfast Saturday morning. She was excited that she’d also meet Tim’s friends and mentors, especially the Porters. It was too bad they had to leave on Sunday, she’d always wanted to visit Cape Cod.
When she said as much to Tim, he raised an eyebrow at her. “We can do that if you can also take Monday off. We’ll rent a car and drive out Sunday afternoon. Most of the traffic will be going the other way. Then we’ll drive back to Boston Monday evening and fly home.”
She smiled, “Or we can drive back Tuesday evening. I don’t want to pass up the chance to see as much as I can!” She looked at him, “Have you been there before?”
He nodded, “Twice while we lived up there. The first time was during my second year at MIT, the Porters, Sarah, Rob, a friend, the Drs. Biros-Santos, who were my friend’s legal guardians, and I took two cars and drove out there over spring break, staying for close to a week. It was beautiful but a little too chilly to swim in the ocean. We stayed in a hotel with a heated pool, did our swimming there and just walked on the beaches. I think we still have photos from that first visit.
“The second time was shortly before I left for FLETC. My mom and brothers Bill and Barry flew to Boston, my brothers’ first flight anywhere. Larry Porter rented a 14 passenger van which was pretty comfortable for the 8 of us, our landlady Mrs. Ferguson went with us. Friday and Monday were school holidays for Rob and we stayed 4 days and nights and this time the ocean was warm enough for swimming. Larry taught Barry, Rob, Bill and me how to swim in the ocean, parallel to the shore. That was a lot of fun and was a great way to celebrate the end of our years in Massachusetts. The day after we returned from the Cape, Mom, Barry, Bill and I took the train to DC and then I continued on to FLETC in Georgia, the sessions at the local FLETCs were full. I didn’t mind, I’d never been to Georgia and it was interesting.
“I had an awful time leaving without Rob and Sarah but they weren’t done with school for that term and were old enough and safe enough to stay with Mrs. Ferguson, with the Porters also close by and in touch. They stayed with Mrs. F. until I was done and knew where I’d be posted. She brought them to the center on a Friday about halfway through the course. They took the train both ways and all three of them had a great time. All I wanted to do was hold onto the kids. I cried when they got there and again when they left.”
“That must have been so hard! I’m glad you had your trip before all that, that sounded like a lot of fun! Your sister didn’t go to the Cape with you the second time?”
“No, she had a part-time job after school and didn’t want to take any time off. I think she worked full-time on the Monday and Fridays they were off, extra income was always welcome.”
“Oh, too bad! I think we’d better stay two nights, one doesn’t sound anywhere near long enough.” She gave Tim a kiss. “How about we split the cost? And I’ll pay my way to and from Massachusetts. Otherwise, you’ll be spending the money you’re there to earn before we even get home.”
He thought about that before nodding, “Thank you for understanding.” Reaching for her, he kissed her deeply.
The next time they spoke, she asked how he’d feel if his mentors asked him to join the faculty. Tim looked at her in surprise, he’d been so excited and relieved at the offer for the guest lectures he hadn’t even thought of that. Then he shook his head, “It would be a wonderful gesture but I hope I’ll be asked to return to work at the agency.”
“Will there be invitations from other schools for guest lectures?”
He chuckled, “There might be. I called Larry Porter after I saw the invitation and he told me that Pete Donovan sent an email to his contemporaries letting them know I was available for summer classes or guest lectures and to get moving before my regular bosses demanded I return to my ‘regular job’.”
“Then this could really be fun, traveling around the country!”
Now he laughed, “How much leave do you have?”
She smiled, giving him a quick kiss, “I’ll make it work.”
***The End***