A/N: This story is set, more or less, at the end of season 11, although not in reference to any particular episode. It was written for the NFA On Their Own challenge.

Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS and I'm not making any money off this story.

Not That Far
by Enthusiastic Fish

All the pictures of your past are gone
So cold, so cold
Forget yourself
And who you are
Another life is not that far
~ "See Me in Shadow" by Delain

Chapter 1

"I'm really sorry, Tim. I thought for sure this would go through! My boss told me I didn't have anything to worry about."

Tim sighed and tried to avoid making eye contact with the others. "It's okay. I understand."

"You should still have fun. I know that you won't be able to get any refunds."

"Maybe I can do something about that. It seems silly for me to go by myself."

"I'm guessing that Agent Gibbs won't go for that...and he's right, you know. I've had the time off. I was forced to, but you really haven't...and you should."

"I wanted my time off to be with you," Tim said.

"Well, it's just not going to happen this time. Send me lots of pictures, and we'll figure something out."

"I will. I love you."

"I love you, too."

Tim hung up and then finally acknowledged the other people standing over his desk.

"Yes, that was Delilah. Yes, there's a problem. No, nothing is wrong with her. She's just not going to be able to come on this trip."

Tony and Ellie made semi-sympathetic faces.

"Why don't you just cancel, then?" Tony asked.

Tim hedged. "I...I didn't get anything refundable. I'd have to eat all those costs."

"You all should be working, not standing around," Gibbs said.

Tony went back to his desk and Ellie went down to check with Abby about the blood tests she was running for them. Tim stifled another sigh. He hadn't wanted this vacation anyway, but having the chance to do it with Delilah had made the annoyance worth it. Now...

"McGee, with me."

Tim looked up.

"Yes, Boss."

They walked to the elevator and got on. As Tim expected, it ground to a halt rather quickly.

"Something on your mind?"

"Boss, Delilah had to cancel. They're swamped over there right now and so...can't I just do this some other time?"

Gibbs raised an eyebrow. "Thought you said your tickets weren't refundable."

"Some of them aren't. Some are. I could probably get by with only some fines if I made my lot sound pitiful enough. I'd even try it...if you'd just let me do this later."

"When?"

Tim felt a glimmer of hope. Only a glimmer, but it was something.

"Anytime when Delilah can come. I won't fight it."

"When would that be?" Gibbs asked.

The glimmer began to fade.

"I don't know."

Gibbs shook his head.

"You need the time off, McGee."

"Everyone needs time off. We all have a lot of stress. That's the job," Tim said. "There's nothing special about me."

"Your girlfriend was caught in a bomb and was paralyzed."

"And she's fine now. She's working in Dubai! We've worked all that out."

"You were just outside at the time."

"I told you, Boss. I'm fine," Tim said, not wanting to get into that again. He'd spent enough time dealing with it already.

The eyebrow moved even higher. "And you nearly bludgeoned our suspect a couple of weeks ago because–?"

"I lost my head for a minute. It could happen to anybody."

"It didn't happen to anybody. It happened to you."

"I admitted that it was stupid of me. I shouldn't have let him get to me. ...but I didn't hit him, even if he deserved worse."

"You're too tense to be doing your job, Tim. It's understandable, but you could ruin an entire investigation with one second of being stupid. What do you think would have happened if you'd given that guy what he deserved? It doesn't matter what he said or what he did. If you'd done that, it would have ruined the case and your career."

Tim sighed.

"I don't care if you follow your original plans, but you're taking a vacation. I don't want to see you back until next week."

"But..."

"No, McGee! That's it. Visit your family. Go to Vegas. Do whatever. Take a break and come back next week."

"All right," Tim said, staring at the floor.

"McGee, you're not being punished here."

"Right."

"It's only a punishment if you treat it that way. This is what you need, and Vance agrees."

Tim didn't respond. There was nothing to say...at least, nothing he could say to get himself out of this.

Gibbs turned back on the elevator. When they got off, Tim walked back to his desk and avoided Tony's questioning gaze. He worked for the rest of the day and then got everything ready for his "vacation".

Tony was waiting for him outside.

"What's going on, Tim?"

"I'm going on vacation."

"Yeah...and?"

"And what?"

"Most people are happy about vacations. You don't seem to be. I have the feeling that you don't have much choice in the matter."

Tim debated whether or not he wanted to tell Tony.

"You're right," he said finally. "There's not much choice. In fact, there's none."

"Why?"

"Because of...my wanting to beat that guy senseless for what he did. Gibbs and Vance have decided that I'm too tense to do my job right."

"And Gibbs wouldn't let you put it off until Delilah could come?"

"No."

"So...what are you going to do?"

"Who knows? I guess I'll go on the trip I planned originally and just do a few different things that I wouldn't have done with Delilah."

"You might have fun."

"I probably will, but I'd planned to have Delilah having fun with me."

"I'm sure she wanted to, too."

"Yeah. I think she was a little nervous about it, you know with the wheelchair, but I think she was excited, too."

"Don't have too much fun. We want you to come back."

Tim laughed.

"I'm planning on coming back. I just don't think that I need this."

"Actually, you do, Tim. You have been really tense, lately. Even Ellie has noticed it, and if you got her attention long enough to notice, that's pretty bad."

"I'm hardly the only person who's been tense. We all have. Why am I the one needing a break?"

"Hey, just go and have some fun and come back and make Ellie and me jealous of you."

"Yeah, right."

Tim smiled a little and went home to pack. Then, before turning in, he looked at the brochures and maps he'd gotten before. He was really disappointed that he couldn't do this with Delilah, but maybe this would give him a chance to find out exactly what would really be wheelchair accessible for her. Delilah didn't like to be dependent on anyone for her mobility, but Tim was sure that there would be places in the park that she couldn't get to. Maybe he could figure out which places those would be.

Whether he liked it or not, he was headed to Yellowstone in the morning.