A/N Well here we are the end of another story. I hope you have all enjoyed this and I thank you all for reading and leaving your reviews.

Disclaimer. I stole the rights to NCIS, and 'Fluffy' the three headed dog from Harry Potter. I tucked the rights in his collar...Go on YOU get em out! :)

Chapter 22

It had nearly been a year since Tim had left NCIS.

It would soon be time for his decision on whether to keep the house or not and worse for the first time he had to set foot back in NCIS for his meeting with Hetty Lange.

Life for him right now was awesome.

Money had not been a worry for him for some time, the house SECNAV had found for him was a large six-bed three-bath property with 3 acres of grounds. Jethro loved it there and frankly so did he. There was a large kitchen and study and a huge recording studio he had just recently had built into the property.

His music was coming along well; he had placed some advertisements and found members for his band named the McGeeks. The band had taken off and earned some acclaim around the D.C. nightclubs, with Tony, Abby and Ziva attending most of his gigs.

Gibbs and Tim visited each other quite often, the first time they met up there had been an argument.

Tim had opened his door to find Gibbs standing there, he had only been gone a month.

"Gibbs!" Tim had said surprised to see him, "Are you ok?" he asked as he saw the scowl on the older man's face.

"Tony's been shot, you weren't there to cover his six." He growled.

"Oh my God! Is he going to be alright?" Tim asked shocked and reaching for his car keys.

"He'll be fine it was just a graze but, he'd have been better if we hadn't been a man down." Gibbs had hoped to use this to change Tim's mind and get him back to work.

Tim rolled his eyes recognizing the ploy.

"It would have happened anyway, Gibbs. How often was he paired with me? You only came because you felt guilty, and you think you let him down!" Tim snapped.

"No I don't!" Gibbs retorted.

"Yes you do!" Tim was not backing down.

"No I don't, I feel like I let YOU down!" He yelled.

Tim took a step back. "You didn't you know…It was never your fault."

Gibbs came in and sat down in the chair Tim offered him and poured him a glass of bourbon.

"I'm sorry Tim; this wasn't what I wanted to say,"

Tim raised an eyebrow and looked at Gibbs skeptically. "It wasn't?"

Gibbs shook his head, "No, I wanted to support your decision, but I did feel like you were letting the team down, I thought of you all as family and treated you as such,"

Tim laughed mirthlessly. "Wow, I always thought you were a better parent, if I had been your biological child, child services would have had me years ago."

Gibbs sat up affronted, this hurt and the conversation was not going the way he had planned it.

"Just what do you mean by that?" Gibbs pushed.

"You never treated me more than the resident geek, you let Tony and the others treat me like crap….Tony had a reason, which you never looked into. Ziva had her problems….Abby used me and you allowed it. In fact, it was not until this whole mess became known that you even noticed I was on your team Gibbs. God you neglected me more than Senior did to Tony."

"I…I didn't realize." Gibbs said. "I never realized any of this or what you had gone through with your father."

"OH!" Tim said finally understanding, "You got a copy of my father's trial transcript today,"

Gibbs nodded. "How are you holding up?"

"He got life in Leavenworth; I'm awesome, especially since they needed a charge and picked child abuse…." He paused and smiled a smile worthy of Timothy, "You know what they do to child abusers in prison…don't you?"

Gibbs nodded, it was he had to admit no less than he deserved.

"Gibbs, I am not ever coming back to NCIS, I have a life now, and a girlfriend." He admitted with a smile as he looked back in the house as he watched Amy climb out of the indoor pool.

Gibbs followed his gaze and saw the girl throw on a robe and walk towards them.

"Amy, this is my friend Gibbs." Tim said.

"Hi Gibbs," Amy smiled and kissed Tim, "Baby, I'm going to get changed don't forget you have rehearsal in fifteen minutes,"

Tim smiled, "Wanna listen in?" He asked Gibbs.

Gibbs nodded, he had heard about Tim's music mostly from Tony who never seemed to shut up about it. He had yet to hear it for himself though.

Tim took Gibbs through to the studio and had him sit on a large upholstered chair in the corner.

The rest of the band turned up, said hello one by one to Gibbs and set up.

Gibbs was surprised; Tim was good, really good. He sang melodies and then put down a harmony track to their new song. He was really enjoying the guitar rift that he played in the middle of the song.

As he finished Gibbs stood up and clapped.

"I never knew you had that kind of talent," Gibbs admitted.

"He didn't," Tim, said referring to his old self. "This is all mine. This is who I was meant to be." Tim bristled expecting a fight.

Gibbs merely nodded.

Tim invited him to stay for a meal with him and Amy. By the time he left Gibbs knew Tim probably would not come back to NCIS, but that there was still a chance of a relationship with him, which was important.

For Tim realizing that Gibbs could see that the 'real' him, was different to the old McGee and that Gibbs finally saw that and now knew he was a different person in his own right meant a lot to him. Gibbs came every few weeks to visit him. It was one thing that Gibbs would reiterate on visits that he had come to see Tim and not the old McGee that helped forge, their new friendship.

For Tim, the day he had to go back to NCIS was a hard one.

Amy woke up first and got Tim's jeans and shirt ready, by the time he left he looked every inch the man he was now and no trace of McGee.

They pulled up at the gate to NCIS and got their visitor badges.

Tim stood at the elevator holding Amy's hand, "You ok love?" she asked him.

Tim nodded, although he really was not.

He had flashes of last time he was here and he held onto her tighter.

The elevator doors opened and Tony stepped out. He broke into a huge smile.

"Tim! I had hoped I would be here before you got here. I figured after the last time you were here you wouldn't want to do this alone." He said.

Tim visibly relaxed, "Thanks Tony." He said and the three of them rode up together.

A few agents stopped Tim to say hello surprised to see him, most were surprised on how much healthier he looked.

"Tim!" Abby called as she and Ducky walked around the corner as Tony, Tim and Amy walked towards the bullpen.

"Hi, Abby, Ducky how are you?" Tim asked.

"Good, good my boy." Ducky replied

Tim smiled, "I have to go and see Director Lange," he said instead of heading back into the elevator he walked through and up the stairs nodding to Gibbs and Ziva as he went. Amy waited in the bullpen with Tony.

Tim walked into the outer office and walked up to Hetty's secretary "Tim McGee to see Director Lange." He said curtly.

The secretary picked up the phone and informed Hetty he was there as Gibbs walked into the office.

"Hey Tim, Hetty asked me to be here as well." Gibbs told him.

"Sure, is Amy ok downstairs?" he asked.

"Yep, Tony's staying with her." He replied. Tim relaxed, Tony and Amy got on really well and he knew she would be protected for any overzealous agents who wanted information on him.

They entered the office and Tim was surprised how different it look from when either Jenny Sheppard or Leon Vance were directors. There were pictures of celebrities from old movie stars to President Obama. A teapot was on the desk with two cups and a coffee for Gibbs.

"Please sit," Hetty, said motioning for them to sit at the conference table. "Tea Mr. McGee?" she asked.

"Oolong?" Tim asked,

"Of course," Hetty said and began to pour.

"You drink Tea?!" Gibbs said surprised.

Tim smiled, "Yes Gibbs."

"Mr. McGee, it has been a year since you handed me your resignation." Hetty said getting right to the point. "Have you decided whether or not you wish to make it official?"

"I have and I will not be returning. My band is taking off we are getting regular bookings, I will be getting married in the summer and I have decided to keep the house."

"Leon thought as much, he has arranged for the house to be given to you as part of your severance package." Hetty told him.

Tim smiled, "I'm kinda glad Leon took on the role of SECNAV. It's made the whole thing easier."

Hetty nodded understanding.

"Agent Gibbs. You now officially have a vacancy, do you have anyone in mind to take over Mr. McGee's position?" she asked.

"Actually, I know I have no right but, I have a suggestion….if you're interested?" Tim said.

"Always Tim, who do you think would be a good fit?" Gibbs asked.

"Ned Dorneget." Tim said, "He can cope with Tony, he's a good investigator and he's trustworthy."

Gibbs sat and thought about it. "Mmmm, that's a good fit."

"Well, Agent…sorry Mr. McGee I am sorry to see you go but I do wish you all the best in your endeavors." Hetty says

"Thank you," Tim smiled, "Tony mentioned you like music, so I thought you'd like these." He said handing her two tickets to his next gig.

"Ah, yes I remember when Frank was starting out I used to help him with his wardrobe choices." She said reminiscing.

"Frank?" Tim asked.

"Sinatra, Tim," Gibbs filled in helpfully. Tim grinned. "Wow!" he said as he stood up and shook her hand.

Tim and Gibbs walked downstairs as Amy was filling Ziva in on the wedding, "I have my last fitting for the dress next week, Sarah's booked the day off."

"I am sure you will be a beautiful bride," Ziva said smiling at her.

"Yes she will," Tim said walking up behind her and kissing her on the neck. She giggled and turned around.

"Are you all done Tim?" she asked,

"Yep, I'm just a regular Joe now." He smiled feeling totally free.

"Congrats Tim," Tony said shaking his hand, "Off to conquer the big wide world then?"

"I sure am." Tim smiled. He grabbed Amy's hand and with a handshake from Gibbs Tim left NCIS forever.

Epilogue.

Tim looked around the church at his mom, Gibbs and the others from NCIS and his many new friends and Amy's family.

The door opened and his attention and his breath were taken by the sight of his bride as she walked down the aisle. Tony nudged him, "Breathe Tim, you're gonna be fine." He said.

Tim turned and looked at his best friend and best man.

"Thanks Tony, for everything." He tried to put everything he felt into that sentence. However, Tony understood, in the last year the pair had been through a lot together and their friendship was stronger than ever before. For once Tony just wanted for Tim, anything that would make him happy.

Tim looked around at the people who had been through the horrors of the past year and a half with him, he was grateful they had all helped him come safely out the other side.

His mom and sister, who had loved him and been there for him.

Gibbs and the team, who although they had 'lost' their Tim had accepted the 'new' Tim and had found a way to keep him a part of their life and help support him in his new one.

Watching the team interact at the reception for Tim was his test. He had left. He could not go back. He knew that. However, he wondered if somewhere inside him there was a small part of the old Tim left that wanted to be a part of the team again.

He was surprised to find that there was not. He enjoyed seeing them, he loved having them there, but he had no desire to be a part of the team again and felt a lot more comfortable when his band mates came over with a beer for him and a laugh and a joke. He relaxed in their company and laughed as Shaun his drummer cracked a joke about him becoming a hen-pecked husband.

Tim looked over as Gibbs caught his eye and raised a glass to him silently. He nodded in response and walked over to his bride and his family.

Finally, Tim was Tim and he was whole.