A/N: This was written for the NFA AU Times Two Challenge. It's not very long (especially for me), only 5 chapters plus an epilogue. While searching for a young boy in Shenandoah, Tim finds himself somewhere else...and he meets someone he never thought he'd see again.
Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS and I'm not making money off this story or any of my stories.
We're Bound Away
by Enthusiastic Fish
"'Tis seven years since last I've seen you
And hear your rollin' river
'Tis seven years since last I've seen you
Away, we're bound away
'Cross the wide Missouri."
Chapter 1
Tim smiled at the street performer as she finished her song. It was a capella, nothing special, but there was something about how she sang the song that caught his attention and held it fast for as long as it lasted. He'd never been to Shenandoah, not really, but the mournful tone almost made him want to go just hearing about it.
His phone rang, interrupting his enjoyment. He sighed. This was one of those times when he regretted having job that could call him in at any time of the day or night, week or weekend. He pulled out some money and turned to put it into the singer's box, but in the few seconds' of distraction, she had gone...off to find better customers, most likely. He sighed again and answered the phone.
"McGee."
"I hope you're ready to go hiking, Probie," Tony said.
"Hiking?"
"Yep. All hands on deck. Man took his son from his Navy mom. She's been afraid of the guy, got a restraining order a couple of months ago."
"Didn't work?" Tim asked as he headed for his car.
"Nope. She's in the hospital and her son is missing. LEOs just found his car in the middle of the forest. We're supposed to track him down, get the kid back without injury, preferably."
"Yeah, preferably."
"We're supposed to be the heroes. You know the drill."
"Right. Back to NCIS, first?"
"Nope. Get your hiking boots and I'll tell you where we're meeting up. I just got my marching orders. Gibbs is already on his way. Call when you're starting out and I'll give you the exact location."
"What direction?"
"Down toward Shenandoah."
"What a coincidence," Tim said. "I was just listening to a song about it."
"Down with the Old Folks at Home?" Tony asked.
Tim laughed. "That's the Swanee River, isn't it?"
"Oh, yeah. Call me back. I'm already on my way."
"Right." Tim hung up and drove home as fast as he could. He fended off Jethro, changed his clothes and then headed out, calling Tony on his way and getting the coordinates.
x.x.x.x.x.x.x
He pulled up alongside Tony's car as well as a few police vehicles. All hands on deck indeed. If the man was as dangerous as he sounded, they didn't want civilians out searching and possibly getting themselves killed in the process.
Tony saw him and gestured quickly. Tim trotted over.
"You ready?"
Tim nodded.
"Gibbs and Ziva went with the first group. We're going with the second. We don't know exactly what way he went. Guy is a washout from the Navy, but he's disguised his trail pretty well. Dogs got all confused."
"Is the kid still alive?" Tim asked. He hated to ask, but he knew it was a distinct possibility.
"No sign of blood anywhere, no body. We have to assume he is...and we want to keep it that way."
Tim nodded in mute agreement. That was something he hadn't yet had to face, and he didn't want to ruin that record with a failure to protect a young boy from his abusive father.
They joined up with six other LEOs and headed off into the forest, toward the mountains. The Shenandoah Valley spread out below them. It was a beautiful sight...or it would have been in another situation. After half a mile, they broke up into two groups of four. Then, another half a mile, two more groups of two each. Tony and Tim went further toward the mountains while the LEOs went off in a more southerly direction.
"Not how I wanted to spend my weekend," Tim said, breaking the silence.
"Not how any of us wanted to be spending our weekends," Tony said in return.
"But as long as we find the kid alive. What's his name?"
"Landon. Nine years old."
Tim had seen the picture. Cute kid, buck teeth, straight blonde hair. In looks, he took after his father.
x.x.x.x.x.x.x
They'd been searching for hours and the sun was headed toward the western horizon. Tim was tired, but neither of them wanted to stop, not knowing the danger Landon could be in right now.
"Hey, Tim. Over here," Tony said.
Tim walked over. Tony was kneeling beside a bush. A branch had been snapped recently...and not by the wind.
"No animal tracks here," Tim said softly. "What do you think?"
"I think we should get going right now," Tony said. "But carefully."
Tim smiled and nodded. Together, they headed off, following the path marked out by a branch here and there.
After ten minutes, there was a crack far ahead of them. By silent consent, they both drew their weapons and separated. In the hopes of trapping their suspect, they would come at the sound from opposite sides.
"Daddy, when are we going home?"
Tim heard the boy's voice.
"When it's time. You like camping, don't you?"
"Yeah, but I didn't tell Mom where I was going to be, and she gets worried about me a lot lately. I don't want her to worry."
"She knows where you are. She knows you're with me."
There was an ominous silence, and Tim stiffened. A sound. Had he been heard? What if Landon paid the price for that?
He took another step forward and suddenly everything started getting strange. He could hear someone singing and the world was spinning. Lights flashed in front of his eyes and yet the darkness started to spread. His gun slipped from his slack fingers and he called out for help, even though he knew that he needed to stay quiet.
Finally, he forced himself to run forward through the trees, just to get away from the pounding noise and spinning world.
...and then...
"What–?"
Tim looked around in shock.
He wasn't in the forest...was he?
"What are you doing here, Tim?"
The voice from behind him made him turn, and instead of seeing trees in the dark he saw...
"Kate?" he whispered, incredulously.
Then, as if someone had turned off a switch in his brain, Tim's eyes closed and he fell into the black.