Chapter 16

Hey everybody! I'm so sorry for being so behind, but this was the last chapter and I wanted to get it as perfect as I could. FYI this is another long one and I apologize to the people who may not like what Tim's choice will be. It was a hard choice for me as much as it was for him. Anyways I hope you still like it nonetheless and I wanted to thank everyone for the reviews/favorites/alerts and sticking with this story to the end. I love you all!

Tim sat almost completely still staring at his sister's closed coffin. They had the service outside since it was such a nice day, but Tim thought about it: how could it be nice and sunny on such a depressing day. Kendall was on his right while both his parents were on his left, his mom crying and his dad the stoic man he always was. He wanted to cry, he really did, but he couldn't; he didn't think he had any tears left. McGee swallowed thickly as he closed his eyes and tried to think of the happier times with his sister. Suddenly, he felt a warm hand cover his and he opened his eyes cautiously.

"Tim?"

"I'm okay, Kenny."

Kendall looked skeptical, but Tim had a right to act like this. His sister- his baby sister who he protected all his life- was gone forever. She nodded and returned her gaze towards the minister while squeezing Tim's hand gently.

"I'm right here if you need me."

Tim looked over at his girlfriend and smiled sadly. "I know." He listened, though zoning out a few times, at the prayer by the minister and the eulogy his dad wrote. His mom had asked him to do one as well, but he had said it was too much to bear. He didn't think- no, he knew he wouldn't be able to get up in front of all these people and talk about his sister. It hurt too much. He just wanted to get this over with.

Meanwhile, Tony stepped out of his car after he parked it far from sight of anyone. He straightened his black jacket and gave a once over of his dispiriting attire. Making sure he looked presentable, he began his journey through the cemetery and towards the group. He knew Tim wasn't gonna want to see him, but he wanted to see the kid. He really missed him and McGee being gone…it's changed a lot of things. It changed him; it made him realize what he took for granted. Tony scrubbed his mouth wearily as he reached the last row and sat down in a vacant chair. He was well out of sight, yet still there for his friend.

Once the service was over, they all watched as Sarah's coffin was lowered underground. Tony was more focused on Tim, however, the sadness he saw in the kid's eyes. The hurt. The same hurt he saw when he left him all those months ago. Tim leaned into the red-headed woman on his right and he was curious as to who that was. Mom? Another sister? Friend? Girlfriend? He moved in to get a better look and to possibly talk to the guy. He really wanted to talk to him. And he was so close; if he just got in front of the large man standing between them, he would see Tim and Tim would see him.

"Do you want to go home, Tim?" The red-head whispered.

"Yeah…um…I'm kinda tired."

"Alright; hey, look at me."

Tim looked down at the mysterious red-head with teary eyes; it made Tony want to cry himself. Never had he seen Tim like this. The two held hands and the woman smiled softly.

"It'll be okay; I'm going to be with you."

McGee smiled back and before Tony knew it, Tim and the woman kissed briefly, causing Tony to grin.

"Tim, you sly dog." He was proud of his Probie for getting such a stunning looking woman…and he didn't want to ruin Tim's day even more by showing up. He had been so intent on seeing the man that he didn't actually think about how Tim would feel. He wasn't even supposed to be here. Sighing, he turned around and headed back towards his car; upon reaching the door, he had a feeling Tim might've saw him…but maybe he was just imagining things. He watched as Tim looked around before going to his car with the woman by his side. Smiling sadly, he got into his own car and drove away. Now to face Gibbs.

Tim had this weird sense that someone he knew was close. After he kissed Kendall, he felt eyes on him and out of his peripheral vision he swore that he saw Tony standing behind some guy. Frowning, he turned back to Kendall before needing to look twice; was he imagining things? Turning back around, he found that the spot behind the large man was empty. Yeah, he was imagining things.

"Come on, let's go," he whispered.

~+NCIS+~

"Where have you been?" Ziva said suspiciously as Tony sat down at his desk. The man had left for a lunch break almost two hours ago and the way he was dressed made her curious. "It looks as if you were just at a funeral."

"I was," he said simply, powering up his computer.

The Israeli woman squinted her eyes at the senior agent; she was about to ask who had died when realization, followed by anger, hit her. Good thing Gibbs was up in MTAC so he wouldn't be able to witness this.

"You went to Sarah's funeral did you not?"

Tony's silence indicated a yes.

"Tim asked you to come?" If Tim had, she was a little stung on how the man would invite someone who has hurt him so much and didn't accept that Tim had left.

"Not exactly."

"Wow, I never thought you would actually disrespect Tim that much," Ziva scoffed, standing up and going to stand in front of Tony's desk.

"What are you talking about?" Tony growled.

"I cannot believe this; going against what Tim wants…it is obvious that you cannot change your ways. I do not blame Tim for leaving and not trusting us to change."

"Ziva, I've changed."

"You call crashing a funeral changing? Punching someone in the nose? When will you learn to give people space?"

Tony stood up and towered over the woman. "I didn't talk to him! I was going to, but realized that seeing me would just make his day worse! So no, I didn't crash the funeral!"

"That does not change anything, DiNozzo," Ziva seethed. "You still went and you defied the orders to stay away from Tim unless otherwise. I do not know why Tim was friends with you or how you feel you two are even brothers, because you are a sorry excuse of one sometimes. You'll never change; even the Director said that when she talked to all of us. And I wouldn't blame Tim if he never wanted to set foot in this place ever again."

Tony clenched his jaw before pushing past Ziva and heading towards the bathroom. He couldn't listen to her anymore; mostly, because of what she had said was true. He desperately wanted to change, but every time he tried to make it right by doing what he thought was right, things just got worse. And that's exactly what Jenny had discussed to them all those months ago.

Flashback: Four Months Ago

"I'm sure you all know why I've called you four to my office this morning. It's regarding the past events of this year." Jenny looked at the members of the MCRT. "Tim as you know has left, and before you ask, I don't know for how long. I told him as long as he needed seeing as how stressed out he's been around all of you. He really didn't need that kind of stress after the dog attack. Never, in my entire life, have I seen such disrespect towards a fellow teammate. Here at NCIS, we don't tolerate harassing or spreading of rumors or any of the other things that has happened to Agent McGee. And Jethro, I don't know how you label your team members, but favoritism is not encouraged."

"Jenny-" Gibbs began.

"Jethro, I'll give you your chance to speak, but I'm not finished. DiNozzo, I'll start with you."

Tony swallowed and stared directly into Jenny's eyes. He couldn't believe this was happening; he felt like he'd been sent to the principal's office…but worse.

"I understand that you haven't done much to welcome Agent McGee to the team. Witness reports from other NCIS agents say that you harass Agent McGee, belittle him, "tease"- as you may call it- and sometimes even physically harming him."

"Jenny-"

"DiNozzo, do not interrupt me. You claim to be loyal to your teammates and you claim to be "brothers" with Agent McGee, but yet you have nothing to show for it. I understand it's your way of "toughening up" McGee, but a few times, not only other agents, but I've noticed you crossed the line. I don't know where you learned how to be like a brother, but you sure as hell don't act like one. And know you said you'd try, but I don't know if you can change from your frat boy persona to a civilized agent and friend."

Tony remained silent and looked down at his clasped hands as the Director moved onto Abby. He had never felt so embarrassed, so put down…maybe that's how Tim felt sometimes.

"Miss. Scuito, welcome back, but I'm guessing so much time away from your machines weren't fun. Onto more serious matters, though; your behavior towards McGee and in general has been severely unacceptable. I don't where you get off thinking it's okay to abuse your friends, but I really hope the time off gave you an attitude adjustment. Now, I hope you don't think that you're off the hook; Gibbs' favoritism will not be tolerated anymore. I'll let you wear your regular clothes, but if you do something wrong, Gibbs' will not be able to get you out of it and you will not dump it on someone else…like Agent McGee. I hoped you learned your lesson Abby."

"I have, Director," Abby whispered.

"Now Jethro," Jenny sighed. "I hope I don't have to say much that I haven't already said to your team. I know you think of Abby and Ziva like a daughter and Tony like a son, but where does that leave Agent McGee? Favoritism isn't what runs a team."

"I treat my team equally and Tim is my son, too. I definitely don't show favoritism."

"The hell you don't. I've seen one too many times where you give more attention to DiNozzo and Abby than you do to McGee. And Ziva, she is Mossad, but less experienced in the field, yet you send her instead of Agent McGee. I'm not trying to demean you, Ziva," Jenny said to the Israeli. "But you know how it is with Jethro."

Gibbs grumbled while rolling his eyes, waiting for Jenny to continue.

"Anyways, Jethro, McGee is taken for granted way too much and as much as I want him to return, I wouldn't blame him if he didn't. A team leader is supposed to care for all of their teammates, but you…you just leave Tim behind. He's felt put down and he feels that he isn't trusted or part of the team. That's not how things work around here. Now I seriously hope you can change for both you and Tim's sake. If not, things will change."

The room was quiet for a few moments, people musing over what had been said and what they had done.

"Now, I should punish you all with suspension, but instead you will be on call for the next month, no exceptions or arguments. And if Agent McGee decides to return, behavior is going to be different. Are we clear?"

"Yes, Director," the four said in unison.

*End Flashback*

Tony was leaning against the sink, his knuckles white as he clenched the sides. His breathing was ragged and sweat was coating his forehead. He felt sick now that he remembered the talk and now that he thought about it, he hadn't been a good brother at all.

"Tony."

He jumped at the familiar voice, not recalling the door having opened. He turned around and came face to face with Ziva. The girl never hesitated to enter the men's room and it was kind of getting annoying.

"Ziva, for the last time, this is the men's bathroom."

The woman shrugged and leaned against the wall.

"What are you doing here?" Tony turned away.

"What I said…I apologize. It's-"

"True. What you said…you're right. I haven't changed at all and if Tim ever came back, I'd probably just drive him away again….it's just…I wanted to see him, Ziva. When we last saw each other, we got off on a bad note and I just wanted to make it right. When I was in high school, there was this geeky kid, kinda like Tim, and we became friends. I don't know why, but we did; and had I known he was getting beaten up I would've…" DiNozzo clenched his fist and inhaled deeply. "He never told me and I never knew since they hit him in places that weren't exposed. I would've gotten him some help, I would've stuck up for him, but it was too late. He committed suicide in the bathroom. It's something I never wanted to see again and I vowed to myself I wouldn't let it happen again…but I did."

"McGee did not kill himself Tony," Ziva said softly.

"I know, but he left and who knows if he's ever coming back…it just feels the same, that's all. I miss him."

"I do too, Tony," Ziva said, placing a hand on the man's arm. "But we just have to be patient and wait to see what happens."

The senior agent nodded quietly before a small smile materialized on his face. "Thanks, Z."

The woman smiled back at him. "You are welcome; and we will see Tim again. Even if he decides not to come back, I'm sure he'll come to say goodbye." I hope.

~+NCIS+~

"Tim?"

Kendall entered Tim's bedroom with a hot cup of tea in her hands. The older man had slept all day and she wondered if she should be concerned. Well, yeah, she should be…all week he'd been having nightmares. And not just from the recent week; nightmares from his past…the dog issue. She wished she could understand what he was going through and she tried, but she knew it wouldn't do much. The man was still out cold and she smiled sadly as she placed the cup on the nightstand and scooted over to his side, placing a hand on his forehead.

"Tim."

The man groaned, shifting slightly until he was facing Kendall. His eyes blinked open and he smiled tiredly before grabbing her hand.

"Hey."

"Hey, yourself," Kendall smiled. "How're you feeling?"

Tim shrugged before sitting up and leaning against the headboard. "No worse. What time is it?"

"Almost five; you slept most of the day. I've been bored out of my mind."

Tim smirked as he wiped a hand across his face. "You could've woken me up."

"No, you needed to rest; I made you some tea, though." Kendall grabbed the, now, lukewarm drink and passed it to McGee.

"Thanks, Kenny," Tim said, grabbing the cup and taking a few sips. The tea reminded him of Ducky…and Ducky reminded him of NCIS…and NCIS reminded him of whether or not he wanted to go back.

"What are you thinking about?" Kendall said softly, stroking Tim's hair. He had suddenly gone quiet and his stare was blank.

"Nothing it's just…I don't know if I should go back or not."

Kendall pursed her lips and sighed. "You want to know what I think?"

Tim slid his eyes over to his girlfriend. "What?"

"I think that you should do whatever your gut and your heart tells you to do. It sounds a bit cliché and cheesy, but it works. Why don't you go there for a while and just look at it; if you really want to stay then you'll know. I can't tell you how you'll know, but you will."

"What about you?"

"What about me? I'll support you, Tim, and if I have to, I'll move here with you."

"You'd really do that?"

"Of course; I love you."

Tim grinned and pecked Kendall on the lips. "I love you, too…and thanks…you really know what to say."

"That's what I'm here for; now come on, time to get up."

"We going somewhere?" Tim yawned as he climbed out of bed.

"I made reservations at an Italian restaurant that just opened up…and then I was thinking a movie," then she smiled mischievously. "Or we could just come back here?"

Tim chuckled. "Sounds like a plan, Ms. Parker."

Kendall laughed the laugh Tim always loved to hear, making him happier than ever.

"Now come on lazy-butt, get ready."

"Aye, aye." And as Tim headed for the bathroom, his smile faded as he thought of a certain Italian man he knew. He actually kind of missed DiNozzo…and Gibbs, Ziva and Ducky…maybe even Abby. Well, right now he didn't want to think about them; right now he was going on a wonderful date with his girlfriend and he was gonna be happy.

~+NCIS+~

Three Days Later

Tim stepped out of the elevator and into the ever so familiar building. He got off on the balcony floor just in case the team was there, but it was only seven so no one had arrived yet. He leaned against the rail and scanned the room below. He had to admit, there had been some good memories…and some bad ones. They had been his family- his very dysfunctional family- and many times they had his six; they talked him through tough times- like Tony had done for him when he shot the cop or when Kate died. Ziva had come over to cook for him and when he'd got sick one time, she cared for him. Abby, as childish as she was, had her moments; he remembered the good times where she and him worked endlessly in the lab together. It had been fun. And Gibbs…was just Gibbs. Like Kendall, he knew the right things to say- most of the time- and the guy was like a father figure to him since his real dad was never really there for him. Ducky was like a grandfather and he knew he'd miss the man's stories if he left. Jimmy, even though they weren't close, they had some good times, especially when the man invited him over for some new MMORPG game he'd gotten. So as much as they betrayed him, he knew he'd still miss them; it'd be weird to not see them around anymore. Tony's jokes to lighten the mood, Ziva's many mistaken idioms, Ducky's stories, Abby's music, Jimmy's awkwardness, and Gibbs' dry sense of humor and few worded sentences.

But there were the bad things he had to take into consideration as well. All the hurtful things Tony had said and done, Ziva- as good of a friend as she was- just standing there and laughing along, how Abby constantly used and belittled him, Ducky and how he sometimes didn't think of Tim's feelings, and Gibbs' betrayal, accusing attitude and insensitivity he had towards him sometimes. It hurt…and it sucked, because it was so hard to make the right decision. Taking a deep breath, he walked towards the Director's office, still unsure about what he was gonna do. Just as he was about to knock on the door, it opened and he came face to face with Leroy Jethro Gibbs.

"Tim," Gibbs said, clearly surprised.

Tim gave the older man a small smile, meeting the blue eyes. "Hey." And without another word, he slid past him into the room, knowing the man was still watching him until he shut the door.

"Tim," the Director smiled. "It's good to see you again; you look better."

"Thank you; I feel better, too."

"I'm presuming you've made a decision?"

"Yes, I have," Tim sighed, sitting down across from the woman. This was it; whatever he chose would change his life forever. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes briefly before he began to speak. He hoped he was making the right choice.

~+NCIS+~

Twenty Minutes Later

"Are you sure, Tim?

"Yes, I'm sure; it'll be hard for a while, but I'll get used to it and so will the team. I'm sure they can make it work."

"Alright then, I'll get the paperwork all set up and when you come in tomorrow, it'll be all ready for you to sign."

"Thank you." Tim got up as a weight lifted off his chest. He shook hands with Jenny and smiled. It was done. He made towards the door and as soon as he opened it, he bumped into Gibbs once again.

"Gibbs," he really hoped the man hadn't heard his and Jenny's conversation.

"I didn't hear anything, Tim." As much as he wanted to eavesdrop on the meeting, he promised himself that he'd change. And that meant staying out of Tim's business unless it was life-threatening or the kid wanted him to. So he sat on the couch for the next twenty minutes and waited; as much as he hated to do it, he waited. And when he heard the doorknob turn, he jumped up and stood by the door. He knew the meeting was about whether or not Tim wanted to continue working at NCIS. But he had a gut feeling that there was going to be bad news.

"What's the verdict?"

Tim looked hesitant…almost scared to tell Gibbs. "Umm…can I talk to you in your office?"

Smirking slightly, Gibbs nodded and he pointed towards the exit and back out onto the balcony. As they made for the stairs, Tim saw that Tony and Ziva had arrived and were now sitting at their desks. He stopped short just as Gibbs got the fourth step.

"Wait."

Gibbs turned around and looked at his maybe ex-agent in concern.

"Umm, I don't think I'm ready for them to see me…not right now."

The older man nodded in understanding as he came back up the stairs and walked towards the elevator with McGee by his side. Once inside the safety of the compartment, Tim pressed the button for the lobby and the doors closed before the elevator jolted to life. When Gibbs felt like they were a little ways down, he flicked the switch causing the light to go off and the elevator froze.

"Tim, talk to me."

"There's really not much to say," McGee said, clearing his throat and running a hand through his hair.

"Are you leaving?"

Tim swallowed and looked Gibbs in the eyes. "I don't think this is a good place to talk."

"Tim, we're alone; no one can hear us."

"I know, but…" he leaned over and flipped the power back on. "I want to say this once; can you…if you can get everyone at your house tonight, uh, well," Tim ended with a shrug. The doors opened and McGee stood in the entrance.

"Sure Tim; what time?"

"I'll come at six thirty…if that's alright with you?

"Don't need to ask, Tim," Gibbs smiled, patting the younger man's shoulder. "Door's always open."

"Thanks…I'll see you later." With that Tim disappeared from sight.

Gibbs sighed heavily as pressed the button for his floor. His gut was nagging him more than ever and it wasn't a good thing. He had a feeling that Timothy McGee would no longer be an NCIS agent- his NCIS agent; he just hoped, for once, that his gut was wrong

~+NCIS+~

0625 HRS

"Boss, what are we doing here? Are we waiting for someone?"

Gibbs remained silent as he poured another cup of bourbon for himself. Thankfully, no one had anything to do so the whole team had come over around six and stationed in the living room, apparently- to everyone's except Gibbs' knowledge- waiting for someone else to arrive. Gibbs already knew Tim was coming, yet the others didn't. Tim had asked him not to say anything and he promised not to tell.

"Patience Anthony; I'm sure Jethro has a good reason for having us here…right Jethro?"

"Yep."

Tony groaned. He was tired; they had a boring day at work mostly because all they did was friggin cold cases. He wanted to go home and sleep for the rest of the weekend. When Gibbs had called, he was just getting ready to shower; he wasn't particularly happy to be here right at the moment.

Ziva just sat quietly on the arm of the couch with a cup of tea in her hands. She had a feeling of who might be coming. Maybe because she had seen McGee when the man and Gibbs were up on the balcony? But she wasn't gonna tell Tony or anyone else about; they were just gonna have to wait for the surprise. She smiled to herself before taking another sip of the drink. Gibbs glanced at his watch and then at the door; he knew Tim would never lie or bail, but he was starting to wonder whether the kid would show. By six thirty-five there was still no sign of Tim and now Gibbs' doubtfulness was replaced with worry. He knew better than to think Tim would skip out on them; maybe something bad had happened? Maybe something happened to him and he couldn't call or do anything to get help. Gibbs was starting to get worried; just as he was about to call Tim's cell, there was a knock on the door. The whole room went still and quiet as they glanced at the door and then at Gibbs. When Tony made a move towards it, Gibbs stopped him and shook his head.

"Go sit."

Reluctantly, the senior agent did, but he wouldn't keep his eyes off the door. Who the hell was coming over? The team waited anxiously as Gibbs turned the doorknob and opened the door, yet he blocked the entrance so no one could see who was standing outside.

"Boss, who is it?" Tony said impatiently.

Smirking, he moved out of the way and all he heard were gasps. The man standing in the door was none other Timothy 'no name' McGee. The man took a deep breath, his chest heaving before he spoke.

"Hey."

"Tim?"

"Timothy?"

"Timmy?"

There were three equally shocked faces in the room; Ziva and Gibbs were the only ones that knew. Gibbs patted Tim on the shoulder and led him to the couch; when he gestured him to sit, Tim shook his head.

"I'll only be here for a few minutes."

Shrugging, Gibbs leaned against the armchair. "So Tim…"

The junior agent took a deep breath and looked at everyone staring anxiously back at him. He bit his lip in hesitation before he spoke softly.

"Umm, I've spoken to the Director about a few things. I've had a lot of time to think and I've gotten some opinions from others; it was a really hard decision for me to make. I love my job and…you guys. No matter how spiteful you all can be at times, you're like a family when I need it most. I know it's not completely intentional when you hurt me," Tim saw Tony grimace and Abby look to the floor sadly, so he continued quickly. "And it'll take me a while to get used to it and a hellova long time for you to earn it, but…I forgive you, and…I'm coming back."

The tension in the room cracked, filled with sounds of relief. Out of nowhere, Tony was immediately in front of him and he pulled Tim into a tight embrace. Tentative, he slowly brought his arms around Tony and smiled weakly.

Thank god. It had been hard without Tim around for seven months. It'd be worse if it'd been forever. And not just because of the computer work being a bitch without the genius, but he needed a guy friend…he needed a brother. And Gibbs, as much as he liked the guy, would never be able to fit that slot. No one would. "I'm sorry, Tim; I'm so sorry. I promise I'll change."

"No you won't Tony," Tim said, breaking away, but still had a smile on his face. "I know you can't, because that's who you are. Just try not to cross the line, okay?"

"Okay kid." Tony stepped back, grinning, and moved out of the way so Ziva could come over.

"I am glad you decided to stay; I would've missed you too much," the woman said as she hugged Tim and pecked him on the cheek.

"Thanks Ziva."

Ducky came over and shook the younger man's hand while patting his arm. "It's good to have you back lad; you look well."

Tim smiled at this.

"Yeah, McSkinny," Tony chipped in. "Look at you: you lost the whiteness, you've shed a few L-B's…how much?"

"Almost thirty-five."

"Woo," Tony grinned. "Girl?" He wasn't gonna talk about how he'd shown up at the funeral uninvited. One: because Gibbs' didn't know…or maybe he did, and two: he wasn't sure if Tim knew he had been there.

"Umm, yeah…her name is Kendall. I met her at my job back in Ohio."

"Good for you, Tim," Tony smiled. He was proud of his Probie. His Probie, growing up.

And then Abby came up. Tim wasn't afraid of her being jealous of him getting a girlfriend. He had grown a few back at home and he'd start standing up to her if he had to…and this time he knew Gibbs would have his back…hopefully. He hoped trusting the man- trusting everyone- again would be the right thing.

"Hey, Tim," Abby said quietly. She came up in front of him and it seemed like she was waiting for permission to hug him.

Sighing inwardly, Tim held out his arms and let Abby hug him, surprisingly, gently. He smiled and hugged her back.

"I am so sorry, Tim, for the way I've treated you. There's totally no excuse for it. And I promise I'll do anything to make it up to you."

"Abs there's no need. I accept your apology…just give it time, because…"

"I know…things will be different between us, but I'll try my best to earn your forgiveness."

"I know you will, Abby." Once they pulled apart they all started talking about the things Tim missed when he was gone. Around 0738, Tim yawned and scrubbed his eyes tiredly. Gibbs knew the kid was beat, and he was wondering if he should offer the guest bed to him.

"So Tim," Ziva said. "When are you thinking of returning?"

"Well, tomorrow I'm gonna sign some papers with the Director, but I should be back Monday."

"A fresh start," Ducky replied.

"Yeah…well, I should head out."

"You sure you don't want to crash here?"

Tim looked down at his watch. He was kinda tired and Kendall was spending the night with his parents and he didn't really feel like driving.

"Sure; I guess one night couldn't hurt."

"But shouldn't you be getting home to Kendall?" Tony said, waggling his eyebrows.

Tim rolled his eyes and smirked. "No, she's with my parents tonight. They're leaving tomorrow morning and she's bringing them to the airport." Tim sat down on the couch and wiped his face; these last two weeks have been exhausting.

"Alright," Tony said, noticing this. "Time for us to go; see you later, Pro…er- Tim." He pat Tim on the shoulder before ushering everyone out the door. Just as Gibbs was about to shut the door, Tony turned back around and looked at Tim who was staring into the fire tiredly.

"He'll be okay, DiNozzo."

"Yeah…I know." With that he left as Gibbs shut the door. The horrible gut feeling he had earlier had gone away, replaced with relief and contentment. Tim was coming back; the man he considered his son was coming back.

"Tim, the guest bed is ready if you want to-" he stopped his sentence when he noticed Tim comfortably passed out on the couch, snoring lightly and his face peaceful. He smirked as he went to him and draped a blanket over the kid's body before tending to the fire. He went back over to McGee and squeezed the man's shoulder gently.

"Night, Tim." And just as he was about to head upstairs, he heard a faint voice come from the couch.

"Night…Boss."

Gibbs smiled, feeling better than he had in months. Tim leaving sort of left a hole in his heart where his entire family was; now it was filling up again. He took a deep breath and headed upstairs to get some much needed rest.

~+NCIS+~

Two Days Later

Tim sighed heavily as he stepped out of the warm shower and into the chilly air. Tomorrow was his first day back and to be honest, he was more nervous than excited. He was worried if the team would really keep their word…that they would treat him better. He'd just have to wait and see. It was almost ten and he was ready to hit the hay early tonight; Kendall was already asleep and he couldn't wait to go lay down with her. Her hair smelled so good after she took showers and he just wanted to curl up with her forever. Once he shaved and pulled on a t-shirt and sweatpants, Tim flipped off the light and made his way to the bedroom. Just as he was about to climb in bed, there was a soft knock on the door. Who the hell was here at ten o' clock? Groaning, he slowly walked out of his room and down the hall towards the door; not even bothering to look through the peephole, he unlocked the door and swung it open, coming face to face with the one and only Tony DiNozzo.

"Hey Tim," the man smiled.

"Tony? What are you doing here?" Tim moved out of the way and let DiNozzo inside. Something was hinky; the man was dressed up and to Tim, he knew Tony had an idea. "Tony."

"I'm taking you out."

"What? Tony-"

"Tim, please hear me out; I just wanna catch up with you. I know the last time we saw each other- besides seeing you at Gibbs' place- we didn't really part on a good note and…I just want to make it up to you…and we never really hung out outside of work. We need to start doing that more often."

"I was just going to bed," Tim said hesitantly.

"Come on, just for a couple hours?"

Tim looked towards the bedroom that was calling for him…but Tony was right; if they were gonna reconcile, they had to start somewhere. He smiled weakly at the older man and exhaled in defeat.

"Alright, just let me get ready."

Tony replied with a smile. "Okay, take your time man."

With that, Tim disappeared back in his bedroom while Tony went into the man's study, checking out the awesome record collection he had. Tim went to his closet and pulled on a simple Armani suit, minus the tie, and pulled on some shoes. He went over to the bed and watched his girlfriend sleep for a moment before brushing the red hair behind her ear.

"Kendall? Kenny."

"Hmm, Tim what's the matter?" Kendall opened her tired green eyes that flashed with worry.

"Nothing…um, my…co-worker," he wasn't quite ready to say friend yet, "And I, we're just gonna catch up; is that okay?"

"Sure," Kendall smiled. "Go have fun; just don't come home too late."

"Don't worry; I'll only be gone a few hours. My spare gun is on the nightstand just in case you need it."

"Tim, it's not like you live in the middle of thug-town; I'll be fine."

Tim smirked. "I know it's just…"

"I'll be careful, sweetie. You just be careful and have a good time." She leaned forward and they kissed for five long seconds. Tim didn't want to pull apart, he wanted to cherish this moment for so much longer, but Tony was waiting.

"Alright," Kendall said, patting Tim on the cheek. "Go on, get out of here."

"Okay…love you Kenny."

"Love you too Tim."

Tim exited the bedroom and went to the kitchen to grab his wallet.

"Ready?" Tony said coming from the study.

"Yeah, let's go."

~+NCIS+~

"So," Tony said before taking a sip of beer. Tim did the same as he waited for the older man to continue. "When do I get to meet Kendall?"

"Tony-"

"I'm just kidding, man," Tony chuckled. Tim snorted a laugh and shook his head. "How are you Tim? What happened after you left?"

The younger agent took another sip of his beer and cleared his throat. And for the next fifteen minutes, McGee told Tony everything he did while he was gone. His job, how he met Kendall, his first date with her and everything else in between.

"Wow, you've been McBusy…have you proposed to her yet?"

Tim sputtered, nearly choking on his drink. He looked at the senior agent incredulously, his eyes wide.

"Of course not, we haven't been together that long."

"Tim, I think seven months is long enough if you look this happy," Tony grinned, bumping shoulders with the younger man which earned him a small smile.

"I guess I never really thought about it."

"Let me ask you this McLoverboy: do you love her?"

"Obviously."

"Does she love you?"

"I would like to hope so, yeah."

"Is she the one?"

Tim opened his mouth but no sound emerged. He really had to think about the question for a moment. Kendall was the love of his life, but he hadn't really had a good track record with woman. He just didn't want to get hurt again…but then he remembered what Kendall told him the day he confessed about it.

"Timothy McGee, I don't care about your past, all I care about is your future and my future with you. I want to be with you forever and I will never hurt you…I promise."

Tim looked at Tony with a small smile. "Yeah…yeah she's the one."

"Good for you, buddy," then he reached into his pocket, pulling something out and concealing it in his hand. Tim frowned and waited anxiously to see what Tony was hiding.

"Hold out your hand."

"You're not proposing to me are you?"

Tony rolled his eyes and sighed. "Just give me your hand."

Still unsure, Tim slowly held out his palm.

"I want you to have this," he said, placing an object in Tim's hand. It was a ring. "It was my mom's; she gave it to me before she died for when I got married…but seeing as you may beat me to the punch, it's yours."

Tim was shocked; he really couldn't believe this, that Tony would do something like this. The man had been so insensitive and such a harasser so many months back, but now he was giving him advice and giving him something that meant so much to the Italian.

"Tony, you really don't have to do this."

"You're right I don't, but I am."

"This was meant for you; I can't take it," Tim said, holding it out to give back to Tony.

"You aren't taking it; I'm giving it to you. I know this probably won't make up for all the shit I've done to you and I know that I haven't acted like an older brother these past years, but you deserve this. Kendall deserves it."

Tim looked from the senior agent then down to the gold and green gem ring. He swallowed before taking a deep breath. "I really don't know what to say, Tony…thanks."

"No problemo Tim. I really hope things work out with you and your lady."

Tim smirked as he picked up his beer bottle and held it out. Tony did the same and they clicked them together.

"Me too."

~+NCIS+~

The Next Morning: 0723

Seven. Seven more minutes until McGee got here. Tony tapped his foot and looked at his watch; McGee promised 0730 if not, a little earlier. The kid was always on time and- not just him, but everyone else- was excited for the man's arrival. Ziva had left for the café twenty minutes earlier to get a welcoming back present; Gibbs was somewhere around the building and it left Tony alone in the bullpen. He looked at his watch again, unable to contain his anxiousness; he stood up and paced the area, hands behind his back. He just hoped the man wasn't too hungover; the kid was a lightweight and after two beers, McGee was laughing like a little girl. That's when he decided to bring him home; he was gonna stick to his word. Only two hours. The man needed to get back to his lady anyways and he was proud of his friend for getting someone who really cared for him. Unlike those other bitches that really broke his heart. And from now on he was gonna stick by the man no matter what.

"Did he get here yet?" Ziva panted as she ran into the bullpen with a bag and coffee in her hand. She placed them on Tim's desk and turned back to Tony.

"What do you think Ziver? Don't worry; he's still got five minutes."

"Who's got five minutes?" A voice said from the stairwell.

The two turned around and found Tim standing on the second ledge with a small smile on his face.

"Tim!" Ziva smiled as she ran to the bottom of the stairwell while Tim walked down the rest of the steps. She nearly tackled him like Abby used to.

"Ah, Ziva, hey," Tim smiled, hugging the Israeli.

"Tim it is so great to see you."

"You too Z, but we saw each other a couple days ago."

"I know, but it just seemed like forever."

Ziva let go as Tony came up, patting McGee on the back. "When did you get here?"

"An hour ago; I had to finish some more paperwork."

"Well, it's great to see you nonetheless."

The three walked back to the bullpen, Ziva clinging to Tim's arm and Tony walking in front of them.

"Gibbs here yet?" Asked McGee.

"Yeah he's here somewhere. But you know him," Tony turned around to face his two teammates with a grin. "Probably getting another gallon of coffee that he doesn't need when it's not even that cold out." As Tony continued, Gibbs quietly came up behind the senior agent with a smirk on his face. Tim and Ziva's eyes went wide and tried to contain their smiles. "But I guess an old man's gotta have something to keep him from taking a nap on the job, right?"

Tim and Ziva remained silent causing the grin to fall from Tony's face, all his color draining. "He's right behind me isn't he?"

"Yeah," Ziva chuckled.

Almost immediately Gibbs smacked the back of Tony's head eliciting a pained groan from the man. "A little warning might be nice next time you guys."

Ziva and Tim laughed when they heard some other familiar voices.

"Timothy, I'm so glad that you decided to return," Ducky said as he gave McGee a hug.

"Hey, McGee," Jimmy smiled while he shook Tim's hand. "It's great to see you again."

"You too; the both of you."

And then Abby came up with a small smile on her face and a bouquet of blue flowers in her arms. "Hey Timmy; I'm so glad you decided to give all of us a second chance." She passed him the flowers and Tim gratefully took them.

"Thank you, Abby." He gave her a one armed hug and kissed her on the head. When they pulled away, McGee looked at everyone. "I really hope I made the right choice…choosing to stay. I really want to work with you guys again; I just don't want to deal with repeat occurrences again."

"It'll never happen again, Tim," Gibbs said, squeezing Tim's shoulder.

"Thanks Boss."

Gibbs grinned. Boss. Coming from the kid, it had a nice ring to it. When McGee called him 'Gibbs' it just showed the older man that Tim had no respect or trust in him. He was glad the old, yet improved Timothy McGee had returned as well as a new and improved team. Tim had a positive effect on everyone and he would never again allow something like this to happen.

"Alright, we have a case to work on; Tony, you and Tim go talk to the witness and get him caught up. Ziva…"

Tim smiled as he grabbed his gear and the breakfast Ziva bought for him. Things were actually changing around here. For once, he wasn't gonna be chained to a computer- though he did like doing that once in a while- and he was going out into the field like a real federal agent should. He caught Gibbs' eyes as he began to leave and the older man nodded with a smirk. He returned the gesture before getting into the elevator with Tony. Things were changing and he was glad he could trust his family again. He was glad he gave them a second chance.

FINIS

Finally after 7 months and 6 days Mauled is officially finished! I'm so grateful for all the reviews and ecstatic that I got 200+! You guys are the best. Now on to my other stories and when I'm done those, I have another NCIS story in mind :) stay tuned! REVIEWS!