A/N:This story takes place about a month after the events of the season 9 finale and makes numerous references to it. So there are many spoilers. It's a Tim and Tony friendship story written for the NFA Here, There and Everywhere challenge. Flashbacks are in italics and show up quite often. This story started out as a simple road trip but became more angsty than I'd planned. That's your warning. :)

Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS and I'm not making money off this story.

Out of the Badlands
by Enthusiastic Fish

Chapter 1

Tim mumbled in his sleep and his head thunked against the window. For a moment, Tony thought he might wake up, but thankfully, he stayed asleep. Not that it would be a problem if Tim woke up, but he needed the sleep. It was good to see him sleeping at all, even if those first couple of days after the bomb had been full of anxiety because he wasn't waking up.

...and then, after he had awakened...

"Where are we?" Tim mumbled, his eyes opening slightly.

"Minnesota," Tony said.

"Oh..." Tim's eyes closed and his head slipped back between the seat and the door.

The road trip was a last-ditch effort to get Tim back in the saddle again, and to get him to explain why he'd fallen out of the saddle. It was almost ironic that Ducky was the one with the longest-lasting problems and he hadn't even been at the building. While his recovery would take time, he was well past the danger zone...for which everyone was thankful. Jimmy was asserting himself more and seemed almost driven to make sure Autopsy ran with the same high standards Ducky had set. No one was more devoted to assuring Ducky an easy return than he was.

Tony and Ziva had been read the riot act for stupidly getting on the elevator during an evacuation due to a bomb threat. Something they could both admit had been foolish...especially after twelve hours stuck in limbo, not knowing who else was alive or what the damage had been. They'd been knocked around a bit by the shaking but hadn't been hurt too badly. Abby and Gibbs had lucked out. Vance's car had been right there outside the windows when the bomb had gone off. Both had been battered about and then buried beneath some of the rubble...which had saved them from worse injuries when some of Abby's lab supplies had ignited. Automatic sprinklers had doused the flames before they could do any more damage, but they'd both been out of commission for about a month. Tim had been found with others who had not survived (those who had been closest to the windows), a flash drive clutched tightly in his hand. The concussion had knocked him back against the desks and there had been some internal injuries. He had remained unconscious for two days before waking up in a blind panic, confused and disoriented, searching frantically for the flash drive.

"Tim, you're awake! What are you doing out here?"

Tim looked at Tony and then around him, not seeming to comprehend the question.

"I can't find it! I can't find it, Tony! I had it with me. I know I did. I wouldn't misplace it. I stayed to make sure I got it. We can't lose all that information, all those breakthroughs..."

Tim pushed past Tony and headed for the stairs...leading to the exit from the hospital.

"Whoa! Tim! Hold up there. What are you talking about? Where are you going?"

"I have to find it, Tony! I have to!"

Tony grabbed Tim and stopped his faltering progress.

"Tim! What are you looking for?" he asked, emphasizing each word.

"All the data...I backed it up. We don't know how big the explosion's going to be! We need to have a backup in case the whole building goes down."

"Tim, the bomb blew up already. Two days ago! You're in the hospital. You're not at NCIS."

Tim stared at him. "What?"

"It's over, Tim. The bomb exploded. People died."

"But the flash drive..."

"We found that. We've got it. ...Probie, are you hearing me?"

Tim looked at him in shock.

"We're still tracking down Dearing, but it's not happening now."

There was a little bit more time where Tim just stared at him. Then, he stopped trying to get to the stairs and he walked back toward his room without speaking. Tony followed him, but Tim just got back into his bed and seemed to go to sleep.

"McGee? McGee?"

Nothing.

From that moment on, Tim had withdrawn. He had spoken to a therapist as he was supposed to, but what he said in there didn't seem to help him. He had dived into searching for Dearing with single-minded intensity. He stayed as late as he was allowed...and initially, no one thought to restrict him when he came back to work. He had been out for about two weeks before he had been allowed back...but Gibbs wasn't there, and Tony could admit that he hadn't realized what Tim was doing. It had been to his chagrine that Gibbs had come back for desk duty and had noticed that Tim wasn't leaving NCIS...or rather leaving the temporary headquarters while NCIS was being repaired. He was staying all night, barely sleeping. All he wanted was to find Dearing. Nothing else mattered.

...which led them both to this place.

Tony kept driving...until he saw a sign that made him smile. He pulled off I-90 and headed for an unscheduled stop.

"Wake up, McGee! We're at our first stop!"

Tim came awake again and looked around.

"This doesn't look like...Pipestone National Monument."

"Oh, this is better," Tony said. "Official beginning to the road trip is something totally unplanned!"

"Where are we?"

"The Jolly Green Giant!"

Tim gave him a look that was all too common lately...like Tony was wasting his time by doing anything other than working.

"Tony, you've got to be kidding me." He sighed. "Why did I agree to come on this trip with you?"

Tony pulled to a stop in the small parking lot, beside what looked like a little hut. He skewered Tim with serious look.

"Because, Tim, part of you knows that this is your last chance. Whatever is up with you needs to not be up. You're pretending that it's the rest of us with the problem, but it's not us. It's you. ...and if we have to drive all the way across the country to get you to see that, we'll do it."

"That'll be a lot of gas," Tim said.

Tony grinned. "Gibbs approved the trip. I'll give him a bill."

"Right. What do we have to do here?"

"Get out of the car, pose at the statue, maybe buy a silly t-shirt. Think you can handle that, McGee?"

Tim sighed. "If you're going to make me, then, yes, I can handle it."

"Good. Get out of the car."

Tim made work of getting out of the car, and then stalked over to the statue.

"Smile, Tim. It's a huge statue of a giant who makes canned green beans! How much sillier can you get?"

Tim rolled his eyes.

"Get up on the platform, Tim! That's an order."

Another long-suffering sigh and Tim climbed up on the platform between the legs of the huge green statue. He leaned on the safety railing and stared at Tony. It wasn't quite resentment, but it was close. Tony made Tim take his picture in the same place although Tony posed and let out a loud, "Ho! Ho! Ho! Green giant!" He might have seen a fleeting smile on Tim's face, but by the time he got back down, the stone face was back.

"I want a t-shirt," Tony said, daring Tim to protest.

He didn't. Just another sigh.

Tony went into the little hut and looked around. It was close quarters, not much space, not much product, but it didn't matter. Tony zeroed in on a shirt that read I feel like a GIANT today. Perfect.

"I'm buying this for you, Tim."

"Why?"

"Because it suits you," Tony said and that was it. He bought the shirt and put it in the back seat.

Tim got back in the car. He said nothing. As soon as Tony started the car, he reclined the seat and closed his eyes.

Tony looked at him and shook his head. A lot of things weren't built in a day. Fixing whatever was wrong with Tim would be a lot the same.

At least he was getting to see all these tourist traps that he'd never had the chance to visit before. That was something. He was going to get Tim fixed...and see the sights.

Determined, Tony started the car and pulled out of the little parking lot, back to I-90, heading to their next stop.