They're home! I'm so glad to be bringing the Gibbses home. I miss having them the main focus of the story. Hopefully you enjoy!

Chapter 20

Elly came through the double doors with a bright smile on his face.

"He's awake!" he shouted as he approached his friends. Cheers and words of relief were shouted just as loudly.

"Can we see him?" Abby asked, having joined them after work.

"Doc says that you can go back two by two, but be quick. They want to give him some painkillers that will make him drowsy. He's got a hell of a headache."

"We're first," Tim said, getting to his feet and motioning to Ziva.

"Indeed," Ziva said, joining him. They headed for the doors and Ducky went with them so he could talk to the doctor. They were surprised to find Sommers had obviously been crying when they entered the room.

"Hey, Sommers," Tim said quietly as they came to stand next to his bed. "How are you feeling?"

Sommers chuckled darkly. "Like I have a hole in my head. Oh, wait, I do."

Ziva smirked at him. "We are very glad you're awake."

"We were really worried," Tim said. "You scared the hell out of us."

Sommers nodded slightly. "That's what Elly said." They were quiet for a long moment, then he started again. "Thanks. You know, for caring. That… that means a lot to me."

Tim and Ziva looked at each other briefly. Both of them were taken aback by that.

"We take care of our own," Ziva said quietly.

Sommers nodded solemnly.

"The question is," Tim started, "are you one of our own? Have you made a decision about whether you are staying or going? I mean, after this, I wouldn't blame you for going."

Sommers nodded again. "If you'll have me," he said quietly, his voice breaking. He cleared his throat. "I am so, so sorry for being such a dick." He gave Ziva the slightest smile with that, and found a much larger one returned. "I'm not… I'm not happy, but Elly said that you guys can help me with that. And if you could… Well, I'd really appreciate it."

"We'll do our best," Tim assured.

"But in order for you to be happy, you will have to start with yourself," Ziva said. "That is not something that we can give you. We can support you though as you try to find what it is that makes you happy."

"I know," Sommers said. "I have a lot of work to do. But I think, if you guys help me, I can do it."

"Okay. We're in," Tim said. "To start, you need to apologize to both Gibbses as soon as they get back for what you said on Friday. You need to talk to them about why you're not happy. They aren't going to make it easy on you."

"I know! I feel so stupid! It really has nothing to do with them as two dudes. I don't want you to think that I have a problem with that. It's just that you're all so damned happy, and I'm… not. I guess I've just been jealous. Miserably jealous."

"That is good to know," Ziva said. "You should tell them that when they get home tonight."

"They're coming home?!" he asked in a panic.

"Of course they are. Between you being in a coma and Elly being such over a mess about putting you in said coma, they have to. They care about all of us, and that includes you." Tim spoke matter-of-factly, and Sommers started crying again.

"I'm sorry," he said, wiping his eyes and sucking back the snot, which made Tim grimace and reach to hand him some tissues. "I'm such a mess. I think this whole thing has made me realize how much I hate myself, and between that and this headache I'm a blubbering idiot."

"I have been there," Ziva said. "Self-realization is painful. You will not grow though without pain. Let it fuel your transformation. I find it is cathartic."

Sommers blew his nose and nodded. "Thanks."

"We need to go. Everyone else wants to come visit before they head home and get some sleep. Elly is determined to stay with you tonight." Tim patted his shoulder hesitantly, but it made Sommers smile sadly, so he smiled back.

"Thanks for being here. It really does mean a lot."

"You're welcome. We will come by tomorrow and see you again. Get some rest," Ziva instructed, then turned and led Tim out. Ducky and Abby were waiting outside the room for their turn.

"How is he?" Abby asked, slightly wringing her hands, a guilt-ridden look on her face.

"He's in a weird place," Tim said.

"Weird like how?" Abby asked.

"He's not very happy with himself right now," Ziva said.

"Be gentle, Abs," Tim said, reaching to kiss her cheek before going with Ziva out to the lobby.

Ducky led Abby into the room. The look of surprise on Sommers' face took them both off guard.

"Dr. Mallard. Abby," he said, trying to sit up some. "I didn't realize you two were here."

"As you will come to learn, I suspect," Ducky started. "I act as a sort of liaison between the hospital staff and the NCIS staff. It makes things easier when one of our own is injured."

Sommers nodded. "I appreciate that." He gave Abby a sheepish smile.

"How are you feeling?" she asked, standing at the foot of his bed.

"Horrible," he admitted. "My head hurts, my body hurts, everything hurts. And I'm so mad at myself for how I've treated all of you. I wanted to tell you all that I'm sorry. I don't know what's wrong with me. I'm not this. I hate this. I don't want to be like this."

Abby swallowed hard. "Ducky told me that you don't really want to be an agent. Is that true?"

"Pretty much. But I've realized that this team is something special, and I'd like to try to be a part of it. If you guys will let me. I completely understand if you don't want me. I've been a total prick."

Abby felt confused. She felt guilty for recording the fight and getting everyone together to watch it go down, but the man in front of her had been such a gross human being, hearing nothing but the worst of him since the first time she'd heard his name. It was going to take more than an apology to make this right, but she was also not innocent with the video of his ass-kicking on her phone.

"Well, maybe if you change, things will change for you. If you want things to get better, then you have to get better, both physically and mentally."

"I know. And Elly said he'd help me. And Tim and Ziva are going to try I think, too. I'm really going to try."

"Good," Abby said.

"How is your head?" Ducky asked.

"Hurts like a bitch."

"Does the dressing hurt in the back? Or does it hurt all over?"

"Both. I have a hole in my head after all."

Ducky smirked at him. "More than one, I'd hazard."

That made Sommers chuckle.

"Dr. Shandra assures me that you'll be better in no time. You should be home by Monday. Just try to rest, listen to your nurses and doctors, and I'll be by to check on you tomorrow. I think we need to go home and get some rest. The morning will be coming quickly."

"Thanks, Dr. Mallard. I will see you tomorrow."

"Rest up," Ducky said, then turned and led Abby from the room.

Elly and Ned came in next.

"Hi," Sommers said, feeling especially sheepish because of how he knew he'd crossed a line the other night with Ned when they crossed paths in the head.

"Hey. Greg had to go home to be with his wife, but he sends his best and is glad you're awake and safe," Elly said, coming to sit next to the bed. Ned took the chair on the other side.

"Elly told me you're going through some stuff," Ned said, taking control of the awkward vibes in the room.

Sommers sighed. "Big time. I'm sorry, man. I know I'm a dick."

"Oh, you're beyond a dick," Ned said. Elly's eyes got wide, but this wasn't friendly goofy Ned, but MTAC Ned, and like usual he was torn about how he felt. "You've been nothing but a royal pain in the ass since you came to the bullpen."

Sommers looked down at his hand and fiddled with his plastic wrist band with his name on it. "I know," he said softly.

"Why should I believe that you're going to change?" Ned demanded with an equally soft rage.

"Because I can't keep going like I am," Sommers said, raising his wet eyes to Ned. "I absolutely hate myself and my life and I don't know who I am anymore. I want to find my way back to someone who I respect, and I don't respect myself right now. I don't know how I got to be this way, but I'm going to find a way to undo it. It's not just about changing for you guys to like me. Whether I stay or I go, I'm going to change. This is no way to live."

Ned hadn't expected that. Elly had tried to prepare him, but when the tears started flowing again he was flabbergasted. His rage simmered to a halt and he felt sorry for the man in front of him. He didn't want to feel sorry for him. It was easier to be angry and hate him. It gave everyone around them a mutual enemy. But that thought made his resolve break. The fact that the younger man was laying in a hospital bed with tubes coming out of him and that he wasn't blaming them showed that he was on the wrong side of this battle. They'd put him there, together. And instead of being angry at them he was asking them for help and acceptance. It was all he'd wanted in the first place. How could he deny Sommers a second chance when he was so obviously desperate for one?

"Fine," he finally said. "But we're going to hound your ass. If you start stepping out of line, expect every single one of us to call you on it."

Sommers nodded, meeting Ned's eyes. "I expect it."

"Good," Ned said. "I need to head home for some sleep. Elly is staying here overnight with you. Be nice."

"I will," Sommers assured him.

"You'd better." Ned got up and Elly joined him. They went to the door and stepped into the hallway. "You sure you're good? Do you need anything before I leave?" Ned asked with a completely different demeanor.

"I'm fine, baby. Not my first all-nighter. Once his dad gets here in the morning I'll head home and get some sleep."

Sommers' heart leapt like it was trying to escape his chest, and a sense of panic came over him. His dad was actually coming!

"Okay," Ned said. "Try to nap. I love you."

"I love you, too." They reached to take one another's hands and Elly leaned in to kiss Ned, who gladly reciprocated.

For a brief moment, Sommers wanted to roll his eyes, but the handholding made him think of Anna again, and he went soft inside. He was suddenly sad, and once again felt very lonely. He looked away as Ned left and Elly watched him go.

Elly turned with his arms crossed and a smile on his face before coming to sit next to Sommers again. They were quiet for a long minute, then Sommers spoke up.

"I want that one day."

Elly got a flash of Ned looking out Gibbs' back door at Tony and Gibbs laying together under the stars that spring. He'd very drunkenly told Elly that he wanted that; that he wanted what they had. And now they'd found it together. He looked at Sommers with a sudden understanding.

"One day, my friend. One day."

********WDYG?********

Tony and Jethro were in the back of a military cargo plane with a group of mismatched personnel. There were a couple of Navy Seamen, an Army Sergeant, and a Marine Corporal. They were all strapped down and Tony felt like the oddball out. They'd dressed for the environment to the best of their abilities, but where Jethro fit in wearing jeans, t-shirt and windbreaker, Tony was in jeans, t-shirt and a sweater that didn't really fit the motif of their fellow passengers. He'd stolen Jethro's NCIS hat earlier. It was tattered, but he felt protected from bewildered glances of the people around him by it. The saving grace was that they had plenty of leg room to spread out.

Jethro was dozing next to him and Tony shuffled in his bag for a puzzle book to work on. He was driving himself crazy thinking about what was going on back in the States with their teams. He tried to distract himself by thinking of Amira, but that didn't help either. Her breakdown when they told her that they were coming home was as disheartening as the tantrum she'd thrown the night before. She had cried in Sierra's arms and wouldn't talk to them anymore. Sierra had texted them afterwards and explained that Amira thought she was in trouble. She'd looked so broken and sad thinking that was why they were coming home that both Tony and Jethro had a hard time sleeping.

A couple of hours into their flight, a man came from near the cockpit with a pair of headphones on with a mic. He stopped in front of them and confirmed who they were.

"Agent Gibbs?" he asked.

Tony answered, "Which one?" but Jethro simply nodded.

"Uh, I guess both of you? I was told to tell you that your man woke up. He's gonna be okay."

"Oh, thank god," Tony said, resting his head on the wall behind him. Jethro nodded again, and ran his hand down his face. "Great news," Tony continued. "Thanks."

"No problem. Not able to return a message I'm afraid. Will have to wait until we're in Norfolk. Your director says a car will be waiting for you."

"Not a problem," Jethro said with another curt nod. The man nodded back and turned to leave.

"Needed that," Tony said with a relieved sigh.

"Me too," Jethro said.

"I bet Elly is through the roof ecstatic right now."

"That all depends on how Sommers is acting about it," Jethro said. "What we have to worry about now is whether or not the kid is going to try to go after Critten for it. We may be coming home to a whole different battle."

"You just had to bring me down," Tony said with a resigned sigh.

"Just being realistic."

"I know." Tony shook his head a little. "I have to tell you, I feel incredibly responsible for this. We knew it was going to happen, but didn't stop it. But at the same time, I would've paid good money to watch Elly wipe the smug smirk off that jackass' face. Concussion or no."

"Well, you did say there's video. We should've had Abby send it to us last night."

"Damn! Why didn't I think about that?"

"I distracted you," Jethro said with a smirk of his own.

Tony blushed a little and rubbed the back of his neck. "That you did."

"You still feeling okay about it today?" Jethro asked.

Tony stopped and looked Jethro directly in the eyes. "I'll be thinking about that for a long time and each time I do I'm going to be very okay with it."

Jethro smiled and looked around the plane to make sure no one could hear them before turning back to Tony. "Are you saying you want to do that again?"

Tony's eyes went wide. "I hadn't thought about it. Why? Do you want to?"

"Undecided," Jethro said with a shrug.

"We'll come back to this discussion another time. Right now, I need to brood a while about my team."

"I have my worries, too. Seen a lot of guys get hit with injuries like that and it does things to them."

"Yeah, I know. I mean, I know I joke about my concussion record, but I do get concerned about it. I've done the research. I don't know how I haven't had some serious repercussions already."

"Knew a guy. Got whacked with a shell fragment. Everything seemed fine at first, but he started having these mood swings that would put Diane's to shame. Thing is, he was almost 300 pounds of muscle. Would flip tables, pull down divider walls, and one day he tried to take on a Jeep. Ended up with another concussion, couldn't even remember his own name for a week no matter how many times we told him. But, the mood swings stopped. We all called him Hulk."

Tony chuckled at the last part, but turned serious again. "I hope that doesn't happen to Sommers. I mean, I'd hate to have him wake up from a coma only to have you shoot him in the bullpen."

"Nah," Jethro said. "We learned that the best thing to do with Hulk was give him his space."

"Not much space in the bullpen."

"That's what tasers are for," Jethro said with a wink.

Tony laughed openly and smiled at Jethro. "That's going to be my happy thought for the rest of the day. Watching you tase Sommers the next time he says something about our relationship."

"Probably wouldn't have to wait for long," Jethro grumbled. "Can't believe Critten wants us to give him another chance."

"Well, if it was going to be any of us that offered him an olive branch…" Tony started and then trailed of as he tilted to his head to the side with that "come on" look.

"Yeah. But I don't want it to take every person on the team kicking his ass in order to take him down enough pegs to fit in. If Critten did that much damage with one kick, I can only imagine what Ziva would do to him."

"Have you ever actually seen Ziva and Elly spar? It's terrifying. They don't hold back. It's like watching kung fu masters."

"They basically are, Tony."

"I know, but seriously! Take a few minutes to watch next time you get the chance. Well, that is if Elly is ever going to be able to bring himself to fight again."

"Ah, don't worry about him. He's a fighter. He knows the dangers. He'll fight again. Just needed to be reminded of the boundaries with those less experienced than him. Good lesson in using only the force necessary."

Tony nodded, not looking completely convinced.

"Get some rest. I imagine that we're going straight to the hospital when we get back. Should be interesting."

"Heh, yeah," Tony said. "I'm not you. I never could sleep on these tin cans."

"Could be worse," Jethro said, crossing his arms and propping his head up on the cargo netting to the left side of his head.

"Yeah, Ziva could be flying the plane. Can you imagine her flying like she drives?"

"Don't wanna," Jethro said as his eyes closed and Tony knew he was going to be on his own for a while.

********WDYG?********

Ellie woke up to the sounds of her mom cooking breakfast downstairs. Her brothers and dad were down there with her, and their voices floated up the stairs like a balm for her soul. She lay there for ten minutes just listening to their warm bantering and morning conversation while she thought.

She'd fallen asleep the night before considering the fact that the NCIS team leads were coming home early for their team members. She felt even more excited that these people would be safe to work with. The fact that they were willing to give up their honeymoon to support their people gave her hope that they would be the kind of people that could support her as she took on a new adventure like being an agent.

Reaching for her phone, Ellie yawned and stretched. Once her phone was in hand, she sat up and got into a comfortable position to check her email. She was happy to see the text icon had meant a text from Ned and not anyone from the NSA or her friends. She wasn't ready to explain to them what had happened.

Ned: HE'S AWAKE! And he's being all weird. Like, he apologized to me and Elly and asked us if we could help him be a better man. I think it was the painkillers. We'll have to see. Thought I'd let you know. I'm going to bed. Elly is staying at the hospital with Sommers. Hope you're sleeping well.

Ellie smiled brightly. She'd been so worried that Sommers was going to blame Elly and get him in trouble. That didn't sound like Sommers was holding a grudge.

Ellie: Awesome! That's great news! I slept well. About to go have breakfast with my family. Not sure how much longer I'm going to be here. I'm eager to get started on the next chapter of my life and leave this behind me.

She hit send and got out of bed to get dressed. She took down her hair, still slightly damp from her shower the night before, and ran her fingers through it. Five minutes later she was dressed in jeans, a tank, and a flannel shirt. The smells from the kitchen drew her downstairs, but halfway there she realized that the conversation had grown to quiet tones without her realizing it. She stopped on the stairs to listen, and she heard her brother John talking fervently in a quiet voice.

"She's only going to fight you if you try to suggest that. If it's what she wants, what she really wants, she's going to do it. You know Ellie. If it's an emotionally induced idea, her rational side will take over when it's time, and she'll do what's right for her. You gotta let her work it out on her own."

"But she's going to get herself killed!" George said in a register that would've been a shout if they weren't intentionally being hushed so she didn't hear. "She's not thinking straight! Mom, come on, back me up here!"

"She had applied before joining the NSA," their mother said. "If this is what she wants to do, if this is where she feels like she needs to be, then she should do it. I agree with John and your father. Give her the space and time to do what she needs to do for her."

"You can't tell me that you're not worried about this," Robbie said.

"I worry about every single one of you every single day," her mom said. "And of course, it's a dangerous field, so I'll worry more. But we thought the job she was doing was safe, and look at what happened to her."

John took the argument back up. "She's not the type to just sit back and let things happen to her. She's going to need the confidence being an agent will give her. They'll train her to fight, to protect herself, and she'll protect others in the meantime. And it sounds like these people have her back. If Ellie trusts them, then I trust them,"

Ellie smiled at that. Her brothers were all protective of her, but John was the rational one among them. He'd keep her parents on her side and her other brothers would come around. It was going to be okay. She bounded down the stairs after that, intentionally making noise. She didn't want to confront this argument. She wasn't going to change any minds today. It would take time for that.

The obvious scurry of everyone going back to what they were previously doing was ignored in favor of pouring a cup of coffee. Good mornings came up from around the room and she greeted them back. She poured her coffee and inhaled over the cup deeply. The very scent brought her senses to life and cleared her head.

"So, what's on the agenda today?" she asked the awkwardly quiet room as she moved to sit at her place at the table.

"Thought maybe you and I could spend some time together," her mom said. "Go riding, or go into town and shop a little. What are you up for?"

"Both are tempting. Maybe go into town and then do a late ride after dinner when it's cooler?"

"Smart thinking," her dad said, raising his coffee cup to her, then looked at his wife. "All your doing, dear." Her mom laughed while Ellie smiled and accepted a kiss from her dad to the top of the head with contently closed eyes.

"What are you guys going to do?" Ellie asked the guys at the table.

"Silo prep," George answered. "Grain will be coming in sooner than we can imagine."

"Next Friday," her dad confirmed.

"Will you still be here then?" Robbie asked.

"No," Ellie said thoughtfully. "I think I'm going to head back this weekend. I have some people coming in from out of town that I want to meet. I think this weekend would be the best time to do that. Plus, I need to get started on looking for a new apartment. I can't keep staying in the one Jake and I had together."

"More smart thinking," her dad said, giving her an understandingly sad smile. She gave him one back.

"You know, after the harvest, once everything is packed up, there's three weeks before we start shipping it out. We could come help you move. You know, if you wanted some help," George offered.

Ellie perked up. "That could be very helpful if you think you could. It's a really long drive just to move boxes. If you have the time, I could show you around D.C. You know, give you the tour. Hit some museums, monuments, the highlights. Make it worth the trip."

"Totally!" Robbie said excitedly. "I wanna see the art museum."

"I could be down for that," John said.

"Your father and I are going to be needed here, but you boys should go," their mom said.

"Sounds like we're going for a road trip!" George said, smacking the table as he sat down at it.

John high fived Ellie who smiled at her dad. Their mom turned to sit platters of pancakes, eggs and bacon on the table.

"Someone grab the butter. Breakfast is ready,"

********WDYG?********

Sierra sat on the couch with Amira tucked into her side asleep. The little girl had been a wreck when Tony and Jethro had told them that they were coming home. They were all really confused when she reacted so vehemently against the idea after begging for their return the night before that. She was grateful Amira opened up to her about why she was so upset, but then she'd cried herself to sleep.

This morning the little girl was a zombie. After eating a PopTart and drinking some juice she'd come into the living room and turned on the TV without even asking. Sierra let it slide, and after cleaning up from breakfast she joined her. It only took a few minutes for the sounds of sleep to be heard next to her. Sierra turned the TV off and opened a book on her phone to prep for classes while Amira slept off her emotional hangover.

She was startled by the chime that indicated she had a text. She immediately turned the sound down to keep Amira from waking up and opened the message.

Elly: I'm heading home. Sommers' dad just got here and I'm going to give them some time together. I'll sleep until 5 and then I'm going to meet the Gibbses at the hospital.

Sierra: Is he doing okay? Does his dad seem like a cool guy?

Elly: Sommers is doing fine, just in a lot of pain right now. His dad seems a little distant, but not too bad. Kinda worried about something I heard while walking out. I think his dad is going to blame me hardcore for the incident.

Sierra: OH, that blows.

Elly: Yeah. Hopefully he doesn't change Sommers' mind about coming down on me. I think it'll be okay though.

Sierra: From what you said about Sommers last night, I'm sure everything will be fine.

Elly: I really hope so. This talk with his dad could go 1 of 2 ways. Either he connects w/his dad on a deeper level and he moves forward with his plan to be a better man. OR. And I really hope this doesn't happen, but his dad could tell him to toughen up and that he's a wuss for getting his ass kicked and that he's disappointed in him. Which will make him tailspin back into that personality he (and we) hates.

Sierra: Not necessarily! He could tell his dad what he's really feeling if he says he's a wuss. He could tell him off.

Elly: I really don't want to see that happen. He's struggling with feeling lonely. Cutting ties w/his family wouldn't help things any.

Sierra: He wouldn't have to cut ties, but it would be helpful to get it all out in the open and talk about how he's felt. We'll just have to wait and see. No sense in driving yourself crazy over it. Get some sleep

Sierra put down her phone and looked at the sleeping girl next to her. All of this talk about sleep was making her want a nap. She gently moved Amira and shifted until she was laying on the couch with Amira laying on her. It didn't take long for her to fall asleep as well.

********WDYG?********

Sommers was still in shock that his dad was sitting next to him. He'd just explained what had happened during the fight to him, and his dad was pissed.

"Someone needs to kick that kid's ass! I'll show him how it's done."

That protective exclamation both terrified and enheartened him. His dad had never been protective like that over him. Then again, he'd never been in the hospital like this. He felt like he had to come clean though before his dad took off and chased Elly down in the parking lot, if for no other reason than he knew that would end with his dad in a bed right next to his.

"Dad, it's cool. I'm not mad at all. I deserved it. Honestly. I've been a total jerk lately. For a long time really. I'm not… I'm not good with that. This was the wake up call I needed. And he didn't intend to do this kind of damage. If nothing else, it's taught me that I need to work on my fighting skills."

His dad got really quiet for a minute and stared at him. "What do your superiors have to say about this?" he asked quietly, but still angrily.

"My director is coming by today to check on me apparently. I don't know how he feels about it. My boss is coming back early from his honeymoon just to make sure I'm okay. It doesn't matter though. I'm okay with it. I mean, it hurts like a bitch, but putting me in the hospital was an accident. If I were Elly and I had the chance to give me a beat down, I probably would've done it, too. I mean it, Dad. I've been a royal prick. I'm just… I'm not me lately."

"Your boss is coming back from his honeymoon? If I were him I'd be looking for someone's head on a platter!"

"Well, I think Gibbs wanted my head on a platter before he left, so I guess this makes us even."

"Gibbs your boss?"

"Yeah."

"Why'd he want your head on a platter? What did you do?"

Sommers took a deep breath and let it out, but he swallowed and then started the story about what he'd said in the conference room.

"Kyle, you didn't."

Sommers nodded, sucking on his top lip in a shameful grimace. "Yeah… I did. Like I said, I've been an asshole lately."

"I didn't raise you to be a bigot! Why would you…? I don't understand!"

"I'm not!" Sommers shouted. "I don't care that they're dudes! I just! I don't know!"

"You've gotta know something! You can't talk to your superiors that way! That's completely inexcusable! I can't believe you'd do something like that!"

Kyle closed his eyes in pain. The shouting had his head pounding, and he held up his hand in a motion to stop and rubbed his temple with the other one.

"Damn." His dad shook his head. They sat in silence for a long minute, but Kyle didn't open his eyes. They were full of tears from pain and the thoughts running a marathon through his head.

"I'm just so fucking lonely," he whispered, shaking his head as the tears slipped out. "And these people are so fucking happy together and it just makes me sick with jealousy."

His dad's head tilted to the side and he looked at him with sad eyes. "Oh, Kyle."

Sommers still didn't open his eyes though. He didn't have the courage to if he was going to get this all out.

"I've been such a dick to everyone for years because I've been so unhappy, but it's all come to a head here. I hate myself, and it doesn't surprise me that everyone else hates me, too."

"No one hates you, Kyle," his dad said softly.

Sommers finally opened his eyes and looked directly into his dad's through his tears. "Yes, they do. And I deserve it."

"Why do you keep saying that? What have you done that's so horrible?"

Sommers laughed darkly. "Oh! Where to begin?" He rested his head back on the bed but looked at the ceiling as he thought about his many indiscretions. "How about being an arrogant asshole that only thinks about himself? I keep playing over the past few weeks, and I realized that every time I opened my mouth it was to either make a sarcastic comment or complain. I've sabotaged the relationships of women I wanted to date to make them available for me. I've done things I'm really not proud of when I've been rejected. I just don't treat people right, Dad. Not right at all. And now I've got these great people around me and I've treated them like they're idiots. Like they're the weak ones, but that's not true. I'm the weak one."

"Just because you got your ass handed to you doesn't mean you're weak," his dad tried to interject, but Sommers shook his head.

"No, Dad. That's not what I'm talking about. I'm weak in so many other ways. And I just don't know how I'm going to fix it. My team and Elly said they'd help me though. I asked them to, and they said they'd fix it for me so that the boss isn't mad at me anymore, and that they'd help me fit in. That they'd help me change."

There was yet another long pause. "Well," his dad started, then sat back and stared at him until he stared back. "Sounds like you're manning up about it."

Sommers wasn't expecting that.

"Manning up and setting things straight. I'm proud of you."

Sommers felt like he'd been punched in the chest with those words. He couldn't remember his dad ever saying he was proud of him. He'd acted like it when he became an agent, but he'd never said it. He wasn't sure of what to do or say, but before he could figure it out a sob escaped from his chest.

"You okay? You need me to get the nurse?" his dad asked frantically, suddenly very afraid of the way his son was reacting.

Sommers shook his head. "No, no. Just can't believe it took a coma and hole in my brain to finally make you proud of me," he said with another dark laugh.

"I'm not proud of you because you have a damn hole in your head, Kyle! I'm proud of you because you're admitting that you're not the best you can be and you're going to work on trying to be better! That's what a real man does- tries to be the best he can be. If you're not being your best self, you'd better be working on being your best self. And that's what you're doing."

Kyle nodded and wiped at his eyes, then reached for the tissues next to him. He blew his nose and took a deep breath.

"I think whatever version of myself I am right now needs to sleep some," he said with a wavering voice.

His dad nodded, a look of concern back on his face. "Get some rest. I'm going to go get checked into the hotel and I'll be back in a couple of hours. What can I bring you?"

"Maybe something to eat? Food here sucks. Elly smuggled me a Snickers earlier, but breakfast was gross."

"What's around here to eat?"

"All sorts of stuff. Just nothing spicy. I can't get up to use the bathroom right now and yeah."

His dad nodded with a wince. "Understood. I'll be back by 1300."

"Thanks, Dad." His dad turned to walk out the door, but Sommers called after him. "Hey, Dad?" He turned to look at him, his hand on the doorframe. "Thanks for being here."

His dad nodded and left him alone with a kaleidoscope of thoughts and emotions he knew he didn't have a hope at figuring out. Instead he pressed the button for the nurse. He wanted some painkillers and some sleep. He'd figure it all out when he didn't feel like he had a hole in his head.

********WDYG?********

Rise: Hey birthday boy! You still coming tomorrow?

When Elly woke up from his rather long nap he found the text from Rise he'd been afraid of. He wanted to follow through with his birthday plans so bad, but at the same time, he felt like he wasn't going to enjoy himself if Sommers was still in the hospital. However, now that Sommers' dad was in town it might be better if he stayed away from the hospital.

Elly: Hopefully. Got a coworker in the hospital.

Elly: Okay. I kinda put a coworker in the hospital. Training accident.

Elly: I could really use a night out, and I'm totally hoping we can still do this, but I gotta see how he's doing tonight before I commit.

Rise: Dude! I totally understand! That's gotta have you feeling some kinda way. Is he okay?

Elly winced.

Elly: Not really. I fractured his skull and he had to have a hole drilled in his head to let fluid out. He was in a coma for a while and everything. I feel like shit.

Rise: Aw man! That's real! I'm sorry. So totally understand if you can't be here tomorrow. But if you can, I'd still love to have you. That cutie of yours too.

That made Elly smile. He'd figured out that Rise had a little bit of a crush on both he and Ned. He'd told Ned, and the confidently fearless reaction he'd gotten out of him was so hot that they were naked for hours afterwards. He tried not to think about it as he poured a bowl of cereal. He didn't have time for that, and when he really thought about it, he couldn't remember the last time he'd had an orgasm without Ned in the same room.

He smirked to himself. It just wouldn't be the same without him now. He looked down at the engagement band on his finger and the smirk turned into a fond smile. He was hoping that they'd have some time to focus on the wedding this week, but it had been so busy and hectic that he hadn't given it a moment's thought. Not to mention the thought of moving in together and buying a house was taking up the rare moments of free time he had.

The cereal crunched in his mouth as he thought about that house they'd seen online that was so freaking perfect. He knew they weren't going to find anything like that in their price range. They'd have to do the starter home thing, and work their way up from there. He pulled his phone out and pulled up the realty site. It didn't take long to find, and he practically drooled over the photos as he scrolled through them again.

The screen changed on his phone and he saw an incoming call from his brother. He was kind of surprised by it, but answered.

"Hey, what's up?" he asked.

"Nothing much. Just calling to check on how you're doing." Eric sounded relaxed, and that boded well for the conversation, so Elly was honest.

"I'm scrolling through the photos of this freaking amazing house we found but can't afford before I head to the hospital."

"Hold up. Why the hospital?"

Elly sighed and told him the story about what had happened.

"Damn, Eli. I'm glad he's going to be okay! That could've really screwed you."

"Yeah, I know. Thankfully it's turning out ten times better than I could've imagined so far, but I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop."

"I would be, too. I mean, you put a dude in a coma!"

"He's not in it anymore!" Elly said with a sheepish blush rising up his neck to his cheeks. "It's going to be okay."

"Alright. If you say so. So, tell me about this house you're looking at."

"I'll just send you the link. Hold on." Elly put the phone on speaker and texted Eric the link. He could hear Eric's phone vibrate when the message came through a few seconds later.

"Hold on. Let me pull this up," Eric said, now obviously on speaker. Thirty seconds later Elly could hear a "Hmm…" come through the line. "That's a really nice house, but it's kinda big for you."

"Well," Elly started, chewing his bottom lip as he decided if he wanted to share this with Eric. He shrugged. He'd find out eventually, right? "We're hoping to adopt in the future, and we wanted to find a house big enough for a family."

"Seriously?!" Eric said excitedly. "You wanna have kids?"

"Yeah," Elly said with a smile. He felt excitement bubbling in himself at Eric's tone.

"Dude, Carolyn is going to be so freaking psyched about that!"

"You think?" Elly asked, feeling sheepish again.

"Definitely! She's going to be the proudest grandma ever! You've got to tell her about that. I bet it would make her life!"

"Maybe after everything around here settles down I'll call her and talk to her about it. I need to get going to the hospital though. Call me later?"

"Sure. Just wanted to tell you happy birthday before anyone else did." Elly laughed at the mischief in Eric's voice.

"Thanks, bro. Gotta go."

"See ya."

Elly hung up with a shake of his head. He grabbed his jacket and headed for the door with a smile on his face. He was really glad that he and Eric were connecting. And the thought of Carolyn being excited about being a grandma made him warm inside. He texted Ned about the conversation as he headed downstairs towards his car.

Ned: That's really sweet! I wanna be in the room when you tell her. I bet I'll be able to hear the squeals through the phone from across the room.

Elly: Probably. I just don't want to get her hopes set on it to the point that she rushes us. I want us to take our own time. I think we're going fast enough, ya know?

Ned: I totally get that. I didn't mind Greg figuring it out earlier, but I know he's going to be chill about it. I don't know Carolyn well enough to know how she'd react.

Elly: She'd mean well, but… yanno.

Ned: Yeah. I'm heading towards the parking garage. You on the way to the hospital?

Elly: Getting in my car right now. See you there. Xx

Ned: See you soon. Love you. X

********WDYG?********

Tony was exhausted by the time he got out of the car in front of the airport garage. He was glad Jethro had slept well on the plane because he was going to need to drive. Tony napped from Norfolk, but it had left him brain fuzzy.

They thanked their driver and headed for the garage, wheeling their luggage with them. Tony yawned loudly and Jethro glanced at him. "We're stopping for coffee."

"Thank god," Tony said. They got on the elevator to take them up to the level where they'd left their car parked. "I can't believe we have to go see Sommers before we go see our daughter."

"I don't want to have to leave Amira again after we get home. I think us leaving again immediately after getting there would cause problems."

"I totally agree, but the last person I want to see right now after that flight and leaving my honeymoon early is Kyle Sommers."

"Yeah, me too, but our teams will probably be there. Should make up for it."

Tony smiled as he lifted his suitcase to put it in the trunk. "It will be nice to see the guys. Gotta make sure Elly's okay."

"There ya go," Jethro encouraged and got in on the driver's side.

It didn't take long to stop for coffee and get to the hospital. They made their way up to the room that Elly had told them Sommers had been moved to. They could tell they were getting close because of all the voices they heard. Tony and Jethro looked at each other and both couldn't help the smile that broke out on their faces.

They walked into the room and everyone looked up. There was a cacophony of "Gibbs! Tony! Boss!" from around the room in various tones and pitches. The room was packed with both teams and Jimmy and Abby, who immediately ran up and wrapped the two men in a group hug.

"Hey Abs," Jethro said while Tony said, "Hi Abby."

"We're so glad you're home!" she announced for everyone.

"Here, here!" Elly said, smiling at Tony.

"We're glad to see all of you," Tony said. "But I think we need to have a talk with Sommers and Elly."

"Say no more," Greg said. "I've gotta get home to Tiff anyway." He got up from his seat on the windowsill and headed for the door.

"Oh, did you find out if she is okay with you coming to dinner Sunday evening?" Ziva asked him as they moved together towards the door.

"We're going to have to wait to see how she's feeling. We have her friend coming in from out of town to help her tomorrow, so I'm thinking it should be okay, but I can't stay out late."

"Dinner?" Tony asked.

"Yeah," Tim said, stopping in front of them on the way out. "Ziva invited us out to Dion's Sunday night to recover from this week. You guys free?"

The two glanced at each other. "Shouldn't be a problem. Sounds good," Jethro answered for them.

"Great," Abby said, leading Jimmy past them. "We'll be in the lobby when you guys are done."

"We'll be out in a bit," Jethro assured her.

Ned passed the two on Tony's side. "Glad you're home, Boss," he said. Tony reached up and grasped his shoulder for a moment and gave him a smile.

Finally, the room was down to Sommers, who looked pale as a ghost and terrified in the bed, and Elly who looked sheepish and shamefaced as he thought about what they were about to talk about.

"How ya feeling, Sommers?" Jethro asked, coming closer to the bed and pulling a chair up next to him.

"Like hell," he answered honestly.

"To be expected," Tony assured, sitting in the chair next to Elly on the opposite side of the bed. He reached and gave him a shoulder squeeze, too. "How are you feeling?" he asked Elly.

"Like shit."

"Okay, so we've got hell and shit," Tony joked. "But let's talk about this and see what we can do to fix it."

"I-" Sommers started, then cleared his throat and tried to sit up a little straighter. "Can I start?" He said it with a respectful tone that neither leader was used to hearing from him, and so Jethro nodded at him. "I am so, so sorry about what I said the other day in the conference room. I've had a lot of time to think, and I think the reason I've been such a jerk is that your teams, and you, are all just so happy, and I'm really not. I've been bitter and jealous, and I've been a total asshole, and I'm really sorry."

"What made you realize this?" Jethro asked.

"Well, part of it was the royal ass kicking Critten gave me." He dipped his head in a bow towards Elly who declined his head humbly in return. "He called me on my shit, and I needed someone to. I…" He looked nervously at Elly, who nodded encouragingly at him. He looked back to Jethro and swallowed. "I never really wanted to be an agent. I'd wanted to go into forensics, but when I told my dad I was going to study criminal justice, he got really excited thinking I wanted to be a cop, and I just… I wanted to make him proud. So… I followed a path that led me here. And I'm not happy. I haven't been happy for a long time. And I've been taking it out on everyone around me while trying to pretend that I'm happy doing this when I'm not."

"Does that mean you're resigning?" Tony asked calmly.

Sommers shook his head no slightly. "No, not yet."

"Why not?" Jethro asked.

"Well, that's the other thing. I had these dreams in the coma. A lot of them really sucked, you know. They were memories of the worst of me, and I can still see them clear as day. But I also had some good dreams, where I was a part of this team and that I was happy. When I woke up, and Elly was still here with me, and the teams were all waiting to see me, I realized that I have people here that care about me, even though I've been a total prick. And I-" His voice cracked and he swallowed hard as his eyes misted over. He blinked back the tears and took a deep breath, but his voice was squeaky as it came out. "I really need that. People, that is. I need someone to be together with. If that makes sense."

"And we're all committed to helping him be better," Elly said, looking between the three other men and resting on Jethro. "All of us. He asked us to help him be a better person, and we're dedicated to making that happen."

Jethro nodded slightly and looked back at Sommers. "That's a good short term solution, but what about long term plans? You can't be happy in this career if it's not what you really want to do. It takes too much dedication and energy. If you're not careful it can suck the life out of you. What's the plan?"

"I haven't figured that out yet. I was hoping you could help me." His eyes were locked on Jethro's, and the older man saw honesty there where he'd only seen bitter sarcasm before. He knew he was looking at a different man than he left.

"What would it take for you to get your schooling for forensics?" he asked him.

Sommers' eyes lit up involuntarily. "I don't know."

"You need to go back to school and finish it," Tony said.

"How can I do that and still be an agent?" he asked.

"You may not be able to," Jethro said.

"But with how many courses you can do online now, I wouldn't be surprised if you could get away with it," Tony suggested. "And if you really suck up to Abby, she could probably help you."

Jethro chuffed a laugh and gave a smirk to Tony. "Yeah, sure."

"I was thinking the same thing," Elly said. "I know she won't take an assistant, but she might be willing to take a student, at least occasionally. Even Ducky suggested it." He looked at Sommers. "He's right though. You'd have to really suck up to her. Forgiveness doesn't come easy with Abby."

"I'd have time to win her over anyway, because it would be at least a semester before I have any questions to take to her. I'd have to play catch up." Sommers was brighter than any of them had ever seen him. "That would be amazing," he said softly, his voice radiating awe. They were all quiet for a minute. "I can… I can picture this whole different life, ya know? One where I don't hate myself. But I can't get there from out there. I need to be here to do it."

Jethro nodded slowly. "Okay. We'll give it a try. But you're on probation. You do one damn thing to step out of line, and I'll send you packing."

Sommers nodded emphatically, and then winced as he reached for the back of his head. He grimaced and then took a deep breath. "Sorry. I've got a hole in my head."

"We've heard," Tony said. "So, about that." The attention turned to Elly.

"I've felt like shit since he went unconscious. I don't know what else I can say or do, but tell me and I'll do it."

"We're not going to do anything to you," Tony said.

"Really? But… ya know… I gave a teammate a concussion. I, ya know, cracked his skull open. You've gotta do something." Elly stared at them in disbelief.

"Why?" Sommers asked. "It's my head, not theirs, and I'm not doing anything about it. Hell, when I'm not hurting anymore, I'll be grateful. My dad is kinda pissed at you, but I've called off the dogs so to speak. After all, I don't want you to put my dad in here next to me, and I have no doubts that would happen."

"Really?" Elly asked, feeling both defeated and relieved.

"Man, I'm not going to let them do anything to you. I needed this."

"We're not going to let anything happen to you either," Tony said. "You're a good man, Elly Critten. Your guilty conscience is enough of a punishment."

"We're going to have to work on getting you to pull your strength though. You and Ziva will be spending some time sparring until she says you're a master at it," Jethro added. "This can't happen to a perp."

Elly swallowed and nodded. "That's totally fair. Getting my ass beat by Ziva is a definite fair trade."

All of them laughed and Elly turned pink.

"Ow," Sommers said, wincing through a chuckle. "Laughing definitely makes my head hurt. I think it's time for more painkillers."

"And I think it's time we get home and see our daughter," Tony said.

"Agreed," Jethro said. "When they springing you?" he asked Sommers.

"Saturday. I've got to be under observation for another 48 hours or so, and then I have to come back next week to get the dressing changed twice and make sure my head is healing correctly."

"I volunteered to take him home and to his appointments next week. Ducky said he can't come back to work for at least another week."

"Sounds good. Let us know if anything changes," Tony said.

"Will do," Elly said. He and Sommers watched them leave the room, and Elly turned to Sommers who fell back on the bed with a smile and a sigh.

"Holy shit. That couldn't have gone better," Sommers said, looking at Elly. "Thank you."

"Nothing to thank me for. You've got a hell of a road ahead of you. Get ready."