A/N: Throughout this story, italics are used to display private thoughts, a flashback or to emphasize a word. My hope is that each use is clear within the context of the story.

Oh Brother!

Chapter One

Geordie

Geordie laughed at the ridiculous amount of mail he was handed. How long had he been away from base on this op anyway? Ignoring the junk, he shuffled through the letters, finding many from his brothers and sister, huh, way more than usual. He also found one with a return address of an LJ Gibbs, one from a Jackson Gibbs, one from a P. Langston and 3 others with a J. Hubbard or a M. Hubbard in the right corner. What the heck was going on? Oh God, wasn't Gibbs Tim's boss's last name? His heart froze for a brief moment but started beating again when he clutched the last letter in the pile, another one with Tim's handwriting, the postal date after the ones from LJ Gibbs, who lived in Virginia and more likely to be Tim's boss than the Gibbs in Pennsylvania. Lastly he found an official looking one, bearing the name of a court in Virginia.

Putting that one aside, along with the ones from the Gibbses and the other strangers, he went back to sorting through the letters from his siblings. Tim had formed the habit of numbering his letters, knowing Geordie usually received all of them at once and looking at the backs of the envelopes now, he was relieved to see his younger brother had continued his routine. Picking up the stack from Robbie, he saw the same thing and smiled when he saw the ones from Sarah. Always wanting to be different, even just a little bit, she had used the alphabet for hers.

Gathering it all up, he headed for his hut, made coffee, got comfortable and started reading. Although he had threatened an unpleasant death to any who interrupted him today as he hadn't had any leave in nearly eight weeks, his CO apparently thought he was exempt from that threat and stopped in for a chat. When Geordie seemed distracted, very unusual for his focused Lieutenant, he asked and the young officer held up the pile of letters. "Those all from Tim, Sarah and Rob?" After enough missions together, the small squad knew the names of each other's family members. "Most of them. At least one is from Tim's boss and there's a bunch from complete strangers."

"So…"

"So I'm reading through Tim's letters, trying to find the one that will tell me what the heck is going on."

"I'm sure he's got it specially marked, Gord, you always say he's a genius."

"Yeah, Cap, you're right, I'll go back through."

"Ok, this can wait; you are officially on 96 hours leave, after all." Rather than deny it and cave into whatever Cap wanted him to do as he usually did, Geordie just thanked his CO as he left the small hut, then went back to reading. He'd known of Tim's growing feelings for his co-worker Ziva, and now was happy to learn she'd been brought back from Israel, although still as a Mossad officer. He wondered if she would know any of the Mossad operatives he'd worked with and then shook his head, he was more tired than he thought if he was thinking of actually asking her that. He huffed as he went on to the next letter. Oh, they'd moved in together, good for Tim. Geordie put the letter down, thinking about his little brother, who stood two inches taller than him and was the head of the family. They'd been through a lot of tough times together and Tim deserved, hell they all deserved long and happy lives. He remembered the first time he'd met Tim.

Geordie was at the bus station, one of his best places for scavenging and donations. Everyone here was on their way someplace and most of them didn't have all that much themselves, but they were more likely to give something to a kid than people with more money who usually just sneered and sometimes hit or even spat. He knew, he'd hitchhiked out to the airport once and had found it a huge disappointment, plus it had taken him two days to get back. He was hungry now; he hadn't eaten since that nice lady had given him half of her sandwich and an orange early that morning. He'd found some pennies on the bench and had quickly scooped them up. There were six of them, added to the fourteen he'd found elsewhere, he had twenty cents. He had hoped he'd find or be given more. He made another circuit of the waiting room, noticing the kid with big black boots on his legs sitting with a little girl, almost but not quite a baby. He figured they were waiting for someone and skittered past, smiling at the kid. Maybe when they got picked up by their family, the kid would give him something. They were dressed nicely, not rich but not poor either. They had two suitcases with them, the next time he wandered by he took a look at the address tag but the writing was too small. The little girl was chattering and climbing around on the bench, no wonder the kid looked tired. He wondered why he wore those ugly boots. A little while later he was back in the waiting room and saw the two sharing a sandwich. His mouth watered and he tried to smile as he watched them eat. The kid looked up and seeing the hungry look on his face; tore his half sandwich in half and gave it to him. Geordie immediately tore it in half again and tucked the little piece away for later. The kid had a soda and now he offered it to Geordie, who took it gratefully, then took off as another bus was coming in. The next time he came by, a quarter richer from a nice lady, the kid was struggling to stand up as the little girl squirmed like she had to…oh. "Timmy, I hab to gooooo!" Suddenly Geordie knew this kid, this Timmy, was in trouble. He didn't know what trouble, but he looked like he could use a hand with the little girl. He headed over as the kid had his sister climb on his back, then he rose from the bench and dragged the two cases along, trying to move his legs in those boots. Geez!

He skidded to a stop, "Need some help?"

"Gotta get my sister to the bathroom."

"Ok, it's this way, here." He didn't try to take the cases or touch either the kid or the little sister; the kid seemed relieved to have someone at least show him the way to the bathroom. When he went into the men's room with him, he wasn't sure if he was freaking the kid out more or what. The little girl, Sarah was her name, did her thing, leaving the stall door open and Geordie carefully looked away. Afterward, her brother lifted her up to the sink to wash her hands. Looking at the kid Timmy in the mirror, Geordie saw that his green eyes were tired and he looked lost and hurt. Geordie knew how that felt. Remembering his father on his good days, teaching him about honor and service, he decided to help these two if he could. "My name's Geordie Perry."

"I'm Tim McGee and this is my little sister Sarah. Say hi, Sarah."

The little girl looked up at him, giving him a big smile and he lost his heart. When he asked who they were waiting for, Tim told him for his stepmother's cousins, but they had been waiting all day and there had been nobody looking for two children. He had asked the man in the ticket office a few times but the last time the man had looked at him funny, so he thought he wouldn't ask him again.

Geordie nodded, that guy wasn't really mean, but he was a rule follower and if he saw Tim and Sarah around much longer, he'd probably call CPS. He said the name out, Child Protection Services and he saw Tim didn't like that idea. Geordie had a thought, then, that might help, "I stay about three blocks from here. You could stay there overnight and then come back tomorrow. That guy," he pointed to the man in the office, "won't be here tomorrow 'coz it's Sunday."

"Will there be room there for both of us?"

"Yeah, you can stay with Juanita tonight; she takes care of all the first-timer kids by themselves. Maybe the cousins got the day wrong or somethin'."

"Ok, it's almost seven so I guess they're not coming today."

"Do you want me to carry Sarah on my shoulders or I could help you with the cases." Tim looked at him for a long time and Geordie forced himself not to fidget. Finally the kid said, "If you could carry Sarah, I can handle the cases."

But he couldn't, his legs were too wobbly and he walked like that monster Geordie had seen in a movie once…Frankenstein.

"What happened to your legs, are they always like that?"

Tim glared at the sidewalk as he struggled to move. "No, I was in a car wreck and they were broken, kind of smashed up. These are supposed to be walking casts, but they don't work very well." He stopped and leaned against a building and Geordie looked at him. He knew the kid was younger than him, Geordie was twelve, but he couldn't figure out how much younger the new kid was.

"How old are you Tim?"

"Nine."

"Sarah?"

"She's three."

"Huh, well I'm twelve. I have another idea, better…we'll go to the camp, but it's still nearly three blocks, that's too far for your mashed up legs."

"Yeah."

"Ok, look, see in that doorway there?"

Tim peered into the shadows and saw…a shopping cart? "The shopping cart?"

"Yeah, I'm gonna get that and put you and your cases in it? Then Sarah can walk or maybe she'll fit in the cart."

"Ok."

Geordie pulled the cart out and looked around. Three kids, no one was paying any attention to them. Tim climbed up on a step and then into the cart. Sarah climbed like a little monkey on top of her brother and then Geordie carefully put the two cases in the cart, standing them up. The cart was kind of heavy, but Geordie was strong and pushed it along to the transient camp without much trouble. He brought them to Juanita who growled at him but smiled at little Sarah. She told them they'd have to share a sleeping bag as she only had one extra. Tim smiled at her and said he had one in his suitcase. Geordie left, telling them what tent he was in and that he'd be by tomorrow to help them get back to the bus station if they wanted. He looked back as he walked away and saw Tim watching after him, looking a little scared. He smiled back at the kid and Tim smiled back, there that was better.

Geordie shook his head, who knew they'd grow up to be brothers? His decision to help young Timmy that day had been one of the best he'd ever made. He'd been on his own for two years by the time he met Tim, after his dad had finally succumbed to his alcohol addiction. He got by ok, he was always hungry and he knew he needed clothes, but he was alive and nobody bothered him. He was doing well in school and planned to join the Marines when he was old enough. Just like his dad, only Geordie wouldn't drink or do drugs. To join the Marines, he needed to finish high school or so his dad had always told him.

Putting his memories away for now, U.S. Marine Lieutenant Geordie Perry picked up the letter he'd been reading and finishing it, tucked it away. He never threw his letters out until he got home for a visit. That way he could re-read them on the flights home and have everything fresh in his mind. Still a little worried about having a letter from Tim's boss, Geordie chose Tim's last letter to read first. He felt like laughing and crying when he opened it. It was very brief; Tim had probably written it at work. It started "Dear Geo" which was an old nickname and just seeing that told him things were ok. Tim wrote that Gibbs had mentioned he'd mailed Geordie a letter and Tim didn't want Geordie to see it and panic, thinking something was wrong with him. Tim was fine, Rob and Sarah were fine, Ziva was fine, there was nothing for Geordie to worry about, just get his butt home, he'd been away far too long as, Tim added "you haven't been home since Jesus was a Corporal." Geordie did laugh now, huffing out his worry. Trust Tim to make sure he knew all was well. Ok, now he could go back to the start. He had read Tim's first letter, now he'd read Rob's and then Sarah's; then go to the next one. Although he alternated between Rob and Sarah in letter-reading order, he always read Tim's letter first so he could catch any 'vibe' going on in the family. Sarah was sometimes overly dramatic and Rob didn't like to worry him. Tim understood his need to be part of the family even when he couldn't be there and would let him know what was going on. Just as he had with his 'don't worry about Gibbs' letter' note.

As Geordie picked up the next letter, he caught sight of the mound of laundry waiting for him. Sighing, he tucked the next few letters in his pocket, stuffed his laundry in a bag and headed over to their laundry facilities. He read two letters during a wash load and got caught up on what Tim was able to tell him about the hounding by those stupid jerks the FBI and then the news that knocked his socks off, Tim's paternity. He had his notepad with him to jot items down he wanted to mention when he wrote, so now he wrote Tim a quick note letting him know he'd gotten all their letters and he was excited about their 'new' dad – and that he appreciated Tim's last letter. While his first load of clean clothes was drying, he popped into their small office, asked for an envelope, addressed it and sent it out in the day's dispatch. Since they were Special Forces, electronic communication was forbidden while out in the field as they were now. Most of the time, they lived a rather old-fashioned, very basic and very stealthy life in between their missions. Geordie noticed his CO was in the office and on their sat phone, so he ducked back out to the laundry before he was noticed. Now he knew why he had so many letters from complete strangers, they must be part of the McGee/Gibbs clan. He continued with his siblings' letters, saving the 'new family' ones for later.

Tim pulled the mail out of their mailbox and grinned when he saw Geordie's scrawl on a weather-beaten envelope. Opening it, he saw the quick note with a longer P.S. that his brother was doing laundry and working his way through their letters and would write more later. Walking back inside, he shared the note with Ziva and then sent Rob and Sarah texts that they'd had a note from Geordie. Hearing from their brother truly was a "red letter" day for them. They just wished they could see him more often. Or ever.

Rob

After helping one of his patients back into bed after a walk, Rob read his text from Tim and was happy they'd heard from Geordie. He decided now was a good time for his break, he could give Tim a call. His current job had him working in various parts of the hospital where he hoped to do his internship. As an aide, he kept his eyes open and learned a great deal about what goes on in a hospital, not only the patients, but staff as well. He'd already seen some practices he knew he would not be using and others that he'd jotted down as excellent ideas. Mostly though, he was too busy to think and on his breaks he studied. He studied morning, noon and night following the dream he'd had since he was a little kid, to become a doctor. As he eased into a chair in the break room, he remembered the Christmas he'd gotten the doctor's kit.

They were in their tent and Timpa was wiping his face, neck, arms and hands clean. Sarah was waiting; she had to be done last because she always got dirty again. Timpa had found a red sweater for him at the thrift store, it had taken his big brother all year to find the money to pay for it but he did and Robbie got to wear it today. He was five years old, in first grade and today they were going to get their present from Santa. He started to wiggle. "Hold still, Robbie, I'm almost done. You want to be clean and shiny for Santa Claus, don't you?"

"Yeth Timmy, I'll be good."

Sarah laughed, "You're always good, Robbie."

"Am not."

"Are too!"

"Ok, both of you, stop or no one gets to see Santa or get a present."

"Thorry, Timmy." Timpa patted him on the head and Robbie knew his big brother wasn't really mad at him. He looked at Sarah who was a year older than him and never let him forget it. She stuck her tongue out at him but he just closed his eyes, thinking of what he wanted from Santa. He liked surprises, good surprises, so he thought of a few things he'd like.

Then he thought of something. "Timmy, ith Geordie coming with uth today?" Robbie groaned, his baby teeth were falling out but his new teeth weren't in yet so he sounded like a baby all the time. "Thupid teeth."

Tim gave him a last dab and looked at the youngest in the family. "Your teeth will come in, Robbie; everyone has to go through it."

"Did you?"

"Yes, I did and I probably sounded just like you."

"Really?"

"Yep really, big guy. Now go sit on the bed while I tackle little Miss Stuck out Tongue."

Robbie and Sarah both giggled at Timmy's name for her. She wanted a present, so she decided to be good for awhile. She stuck her face up for her brother to wash, although she really didn't think she was that dirty. Once her face, neck, hands and arms were clean, Tim turned, still holding onto her. "Look Sarah, I found your socks that you got last year."

"I don't want them, Timmy."

"But Sarah, they have little reindeer on them, remember the story I told you about Rudolph?" She nodded. "Look, if you press this reindeer's nose, it lights up, just like Rudolph."

She whispered, "But someone else wore them before."

Timmy swallowed, "Yeah Sweetie, they did, we don't have money for new stuff. But remember last year, Ruth at the store gave them to you as her Christmas present, Sarah. I bet she'd be really happy to see you wear them again." Sarah loved Ruth, so she smiled and nodded and her brother helped her with the socks.

Shoes went on last and then Tim brushed their hair – and his own – again. "Geordie won't be going with for presents today but Miss Lu said he can join us for dinner at the shelter tonight, isn't that nice?" Rob and Sarah nodded, over the summer they'd gotten used to having Geo, their nickname for him, around more while they were living in their hidey holes. He'd helped them find food and helped Tim with his healing wound.

They left their tent and walked with their cases the few blocks to the Mission shelter. Rob remembered when they lived there and his mother stayed with them sometimes. She was gone now; he hadn't seen her since before summer, since Timmy got stabbed. Her leaving kind of hurt and he hunched his shoulders. Tim squeezed his hand and Robbie looked up to see his brother smiling at him. Oh yeah, Christmas and Santa, see it sounded right in his head. Stupid teeth.

Walking into the shelter, they saw a number of their friends and schoolmates. Tim shooed them toward the kids their age, sitting around a Christmas tree decorated with paper chains and homemade ornaments the children made when a local business donated the materials. Robbie looked back and saw his brother moving their stuff over to where some of his friends sat. Timmy always seemed to know when he was looking for him and now he turned his head and smiled at Sarah and him. Robbie watched where Timmy sat down and then turned around again, feeling secure, knowing his brother was watching out for them as always. He remembered what he'd been taught about God, who he kind of thought was Santa Claus and now he said thank you again that Timmy was all right, the really bad stab and cut was better now. Timmy let him help rub the special stuff on it, the stuff the doctor at the clinic had given them when they'd finally come back to the camp, after they didn't have to hide from the police anymore .

He made himself stop thinking of that because it was too scary. He looked up, his eyes wide as Santa came into the room, laughing in his funny 'ho ho ho' way. Oh boy, here comes a present! He'd been a good boy this year; he worked hard at his homework and did his best to help Timmy find bottles and cans so they could eat more. He hadn't even fought with Sarah, well, not that much. He watched as the other kids got their presents, watched them tear the paper and stuff off and find out what they got. Billy McDonald got a little drum, yeah that looked like fun. Tiffany Crusoe got a doll, eww no thanks, but she liked it. Seth Barnes got an action figure; that would be fun too. And then it was his turn. He walked up to Santa and remembered to say please and thank you, hoping that would go on next year's list on the 'good' side. He sat down in the circle again, you had to or you didn't get any candy later, and carefully unwrapped his present. It was kind of big and square, not too heavy though and he got more excited as he tried to get all the paper off. Feeling someone behind him, he turned to find his brother. He pulled the last piece of paper and saw a box, like a lunch box, only it had a picture of a man with a thing around his neck like Dr. Kelly at the clinic had. He saw the two pieces of the box that fit together and pushed them apart, but there was tape on them.

He turned to Tim and his big brother reached over and took the tape off for him and asked him if he knew what it was. Robbie nodded, "I think it'th a doctor kit, Timmy, 'coz he hath the 'thcope thing around his neck like Doctor Kelly wearth at the clinic."

"You're right, Rob, good job little brother." Robbie didn't want to take anything out of the kit now, afraid they would get lost with all the other kids around. He'd wait until they got home to their tent and maybe Timmy would help him, oooh, maybe Timmy could be the sick person. He carefully closed the case and then looked to see what Sarah had gotten. Tim was helping her get through tape when Lu, the nice lady who worked there, came up. "Tim, go back to your group sweetie so you can get your present, I'll help Sarah." Robbie looked up with wide eyes and tapped Sarah on the arm. "Tharah, letth go watch Timmy open hith prethent." She made a face, she still hadn't removed all the tape and Lu was going to help her, but she wanted to see what Timmy got so she nodded, "Ok!"

Taking their presents, they ran across the room where they sometimes still had breakfast and wiggled their way in to sit next to their brother. He smiled at them and widened his eyes to show how excited he was to have a present - and the box was pretty big too. Like Robbie, Timpa tore the paper off slowly, finally revealing a cardboard box with a picture of a lantern on it. Timmy's eyes lit up, if this was one of the new wind up LED lanterns, that would be so cool. It was and he hugged it to him. "Now we can read after dark!" The other kids ooh'd and aah'd. Robbie looked at it, "Doeth it need batterieth, Timpa?"

"No, Robbie, that's what makes it so special. You just wind it up and it runs for awhile, we'll see how long and then you wind it some more." Robbie nodded, happy his brother got that. They had a flashlight but only used it in 'mergencies because they couldn't afford new batteries. Timmy said there was a way for the sun to make the flashlights work but he didn't know how yet. Timmy was going to be a scientist when he grew up and make things work without batteries or electric.

Tim pulled Sarah onto his lap, "Here Sweetie, let me help you with that tape now. I'm sorry I got called away." She looked at him and patted his face, "That's ok, Timpa, it was time for your present. And I like surprises to last a long time." They finally got her package open and found warm "Little Mermaid" slippers and a book called "Little Women". By the time they were four and five, Tim had taught both Sarah and Robbie to read. Sarah loved to read and was as excited by the book as she was by the slippers. "Now I don't have to wear all my socks to bed every night, Timmy! And I can read this book with your lantern!"

"That's right, Sissy!"

"And I can operate on you, Timpa – and you Tharah!" Tim took his bits of papers and Sarah's bit of paper and they threw them up in the air,

"Yay, Merry Christmas!" Only Robbie's came out "Merry Chrithmath!"

Tim whispered in their ears, "You need to go back to your circle, don't forget the candy!"

"Ooooh!" Both kids went flying back to their circle, just in time for the little stockings with the candy to be passed out. Tim's age group got candy canes and Tim also got a card from Lu which he decided to open later. Lu was really nice to them; when they'd stayed here, she let Tim help wash up and work in the kitchen in the mornings before school; he got extra food for his little family that way. Now that they'd had to leave the shelter as kids weren't allowed to stay without an adult Lu let them come for showers, laundry and breakfast on the days she worked which were Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. So they were clean four days a week and they had plastic jugs taken from a recycle bin that they filled with water for the other days. Sometimes they could get water and breakfast on the other days but not always and never any showers or laundry.

Rob was startled out of his reverie by the chime of a page. He shook his head, so much for calling Tim, oh well; he'd probably needed the little rest. Quickly draining the rest of his coffee, something he had in common with their new dad, he tossed the cup and headed back out to the floor.

A/N: The only information about USMC Special Forces I didn't create for this story are Geordie and his CO's ranks and whatever information there is on the show, if there's anything else that really exists, yay! The rest is creative license, including the references to Special Forces as SPF.