A/N: Here is the next chapter, as promised. Thank you to all those who reviewed. Sorry I couldn't respond to you personally, school is taking up alot of my time but I know how much everyone has been waiting for this chapter so here it is and it's one of the biggest chapters of this story! Hope you enjoy.

Chapter Seven

Tony pulled up short from where he had presumably been reaching for Tim, "What?"

"Am I dead Tony? Because you're moving things and cooking and even though I was only in it a few times, I'm starting to think that this was your apartment right before you disappeared and-"

Tim stopped when Tony leaned forward and promptly smacked him upside the head. Gibbs would have been proud.

"Dude," Tony laughed, "You seriously have to chill. You start talking that fast and I'm not going to understand a word you say."

Tim, his hands still shaking, took a deep breath before speaking again, "Did I die Tony? Is that why I'm here?"

Tony's smile didn't waver, but an unidentified emotion passed over his eyes, gone before Tim could even take a guess at what it was, "You're not dead Probie."

At those words, Tim didn't know what to feel. Elated, of course, because he was still in the land of the living. But at the same time, something in McGee's gut churned because Tony had been able to answer that question even when Tim hadn't known the answer to it.

"How," Tim whispered, pausing because he didn't want to know the answer, didn't want to hear the words…

But Tony didn't answer. Instead, he just smiled that painful smile that McGee knew so well before turning around and picking up a piece of bread.

The next time Tony actually spoke, he wasn't facing McGee.

"You have to let me go."

"What?" Tim said, standing also, "What are you saying?"

Tony whirled and now anger was plastered all over his face, "You almost died Tim. You almost died because you were too tired and didn't reach your gun in time. And you were too tired because you had spent all night at Abby's computer looking for me again."

"Tony, don't," Tim tried to stop him. He didn't want to hear this, not now. He couldn't. After three years of looking for Tony…

"McGee," Tony sighed, shaking his head, "Listen to me. You guys - you, Gibbs, Ziva, Wilson and Abby - you guys are the best in the business in solving mysteries. You have one of the best closing rates in the country."

"So?" Tim said, even though he knew where Tony was going with this.

Tony sighed. He paused for a moment and Tim could tell the next words actually pained Tony to say, "If you could have found me Probie. You would have."

"So you're saying I should just give up?" Tim shouted angrily, knowing that it would be the only way to cover the wave of grief that suddenly washed over him, "Stop looking for you? Stop looking for your body?"

Tony tsked, "See, there you go again Probie. You're making it to where there are only two options. That's a fallacy you know. Not everything has to be between a rock and a hard place."

"What?" Tim said even more flustered, "What do you mean only -"

Tim was cut short when suddenly, it felt as if someone had punched him in the gut.

"There's a third option McGee," Tony said, helping Tim sit back down and making sure to keep a hand on his shoulder, "But you're not going to find it. And if you keep looking for it, it's going to kill you."

"Tony," Tim gasped, tears leaking out of his eyes because damn it, he couldn't tell if it was his gut or his heart that was hurting more, "Please…"

"Let me go Tim," Tony said sadly, "I never wanted you to end up like this."

"No…" Tim closed his eyes. His body was on fire. This - this…something was wrong. He -

"You have to McGee," Tony said sadly, "I don't want to see you dead McGee. Promise me."

"I can't…do - I can't," Tim was crying now. Everything was falling on him and he couldn't -

"Promise me McGee," Tony said, forcefully, lifting Tim's head so that they looking into each other's eyes, "Promise me."

And even though every fiber in Tim's being was yelling not to, Tim slowly nodded his head, "I promise."

Tony smiled then just as another wave of pain it McGee, "Alright Timmy. It's gonna be okay."

Tim shook his head, groaning in pain. It wasn't going to be okay. It was never going to be freaking okay again.

Tony chuckled, as if he could hear Tim's thoughts, "Yeah Probie. It is."

"And Tim?" Tim heard Tony's voice but it was far away now, "You don't always have to be the one finding things. Sometimes, you have to be found too."

Tim didn't have enough energy to understand or even remember those words but the last thing Tim felt for a long time was Tony's hand touching his belly and his head, taking his pain away.

Tim opened his eyes. The first thing he noticed was that he was in a room. A white room and somewhere in the surrounding area, someone was crying.

"Hey," A small, cool hand touched his fevered skin, "It's okay Timmy. It's okay."

Turning his head to get a better view, Tim slowly focused on the girl next to his bed.

"Ssshhh," the hand stroked his forehead, "It's going to be okay Tim."

"Abby?" Tim cried out, realizing in that moment that the person crying was himself, "Abby please-"

Tim's voiced was cracking but Abby continued to stroke his head, running her hands through his hair, "It's going to be alright Tim. I promise."

"He's gone Abby," Tim cried, trying to move only to have Abby place her hand on his chest.

"Who, Tim?" Abby asked, still petting his head.

"Tony's gone Abby," Tim continued to cry, not caring that the sobs added to the pain in his stomach, "And I promised I wouldn't - wouldn't -"

"Shush now," Abby leaned in a placed a cool kiss on his fevered skin. Seeing Tim this way made Abby's heart hurt. He was like a little brother away from home and she couldn't do anything but speak, hoping that it would make some difference, "It'll get better soon. Just sleep Timmy; I'll be here when you wake up again."

"Promise?" Tim's voice cracked on the word but he didn't try repeating himself, his energy slowly waning.

Abby smiled at him but McGee could see that it hurt, "I promise McGee. I'll be here."

And McGee closed his eyes again, knowing that the darkness would take his pain away.

Gibbs glanced up from where he was finishing the final touches on his boat's name. Someone was walking down his steps and based off the speed in which the person was descending, Gibbs knew it could only be one person.

"What are you doing here McGee?" Gibbs asked, raising an eyebrow at his Senior Field Agent, "Abby catches you out of bed, much less in my basement, and she'll skin you alive."

McGee just shook his head, "I've been out of the hospital for almost three weeks Boss. The Doc said I could start moving around some. Besides, Abby's always been a bit overprotective."

"You almost died Tim," Gibbs said, giving a toned down version of his patent glare to his agent, "If Wilson hadn't of shot that petty officer, you would have been dead before any of us could have even gotten to you."

Tim had the decency to look embarrassed at least, "I know Boss. And I'm sorry."

Gibbs walked over and gave the younger man a gentle head slap, "What'd I say about saying sorry McGee?"

Tim, who didn't seem the least bit put off by the smack, smiled, "Alright Boss."

Gibbs briefly smiled before asking his next question, "So what are you doing here McGee?"

Tim sat down slowly, the area where the stitches had been still sore, "When I was in the hospital, I did some thinking."

"That so?" Gibbs asked, going back to working on his boat.

"Yeah," Tim continued, not minding the fact that Gibbs wasn't giving him his undivided attention. It was easier, for McGee at least, to say this while Gibbs wasn't staring at him, "And, I know…I mean I think -"

"Spit it out McGee," Gibbs said, keeping the chuckle out of his voice.

McGee sighed once before spitting it out, "I think I'm going to stop looking for Tony."

Gibbs paused for a fraction of a second, "I see," Gibbs said, setting down the toothbrush, popping his back as he turned and faced McGee, "What changed your mind?"

Tim shrugged, suddenly finding his shoes fascinating, "It's just," he sighed, "I almost died Boss. Things like that…they tend to put some stuff into perspective."

"Yeah, they do," Gibbs agreed, but when he didn't say anything else, Tim continued.

"And well," Tim scratched his head, "I - I spent years looking for Tony, Boss, I know you know that, but in those years, I - I haven't been doing much else."

"You got a dog," Gibbs replied gruffly.

"Yeah but," Tim shook his head, "While I love Probie, it isn't the same. I was dating people Boss, before Tony disappeared. I mean, I looked up to Tony and everything, he was a great agent, but I could never see myself living in an apartment for the rest of my life. I don't want that. I want the house, the wife and the 2.5 kids or whatever the average number is right now. And when I was laying there in that bed Boss, I realized that in the last three years, I haven't once, oncegone somewhere with someone other than the people on our team. If I had died right then Boss, I never would have gotten married or had a kid. I never would have even owned a home for goodness sakes."

Tim looked at Gibbs but Gibbs just stared, silently beckoning for McGee to continue.

"And I know Tony was my friend," Tim rubbed the back of his head nervously, "But I can't - I won't waste my life looking Boss. He wouldn't - Tony wouldn't have liked that. Wherever he is, whatever happened..." Tim paused, looking around the room before finishing his sentence, "He wouldn't have wanted this for me Boss."

Gibbs nodded, walking around his boat slowly, digesting what Tim had just spilled out.

"Okay McGee," Gibbs slowly nodded, seeming to come to his own decision, "Now get over here and help me with this last part."

Tim stood, a bit shocked at Gibbs acceptance of all he had to say, but deciding that he had known all along that his Boss would support his decision, no matter what.

"You named you boat…" Tim trailed off, lifting one hand to trace over the letters that were already dry.

"Figured it was appropriate," Gibbs smiled, before tossing a brace at McGee's chest, "Now hold this steady. This last letter is always a pain in my ass to paint."

Smiling, Tim did as he was told.

Finding: to locate, attain, or obtain by search or effort; to recover something lost or misplaced

Symphony: Something characterized by a harmonious combination of elements.

Fin

A/N: I know. *dodges tomatoes, grapes and....watermelons! O.o'* But, if I must say one thing before I go hide away from flying healthy food.....

The next story will be up as soon as I recieve the first chapter back from my beta. And I promise. The next story...well. You'll like the next story. :)

Thanks to all who reviewed and thanks to all those who lurk (I do it myself so who am I to judge) and also, thanks to my beta and...um....thanks....nope. That's about everyone. lol (This is what happens when you write a A/N while watching the SAG awards...)

Be on the lookout for the next story I post, The Shaping Melody. And as to why all the names have a musical component in them...well, I'll let you figure out why. :)

Till next time!

Oh and btw, a sneak preview to those who guess the name of Gibbs' boat. :)