Tim's heart broke hearing Sandy's sobs over the phone knowing he was too far away to do anything but offer soft platitudes over the phone. He did his best to comfort her all the while holding a tight reign on his temper. While Tim maybe known as the most even tempered member of his team it was not because he didn't have one, it was because he knew how to control and focus that energy.

Tim finally breathed a sigh of relief when he heard Steve knocking on her dorm room door. Between Steve and Jethro he felt sure Sandy would be safe until he was able to reach her... Jethro, Jethro... "Steve, holster your weapon, NOW!", Tim screamed over the phone.

"Sandy don't open the door."

Thankfully both people half the world away stop upon hearing the terror in his voice.

"What's wrong?", the question was asked in stereo.

"Jethro is trained to protect, as well as guide Sandy. If anyone he doesn't know approaches her with a weapon drawn he will see it as a threat. I didn't think you wanted to fight him off."

"Nice, Gemcity. I'll warn the others when they get here, anything else I need to know."
"Yeah," Tim groused. "Don't call me that."

Steve chuckled over the phone a silly smile on his face as he knocked once again on the door and told Sandy that it was safe for her to open it up.

Tim stayed on the phone until he heard Steve safely entered the room, "Sandy, I'm going to get on the first flight I can, I will call you as soon as I land in Hawaii."

Sandy hung up her phone but Steve stayed on his phone with Tim. "I got her Tim. She won't leave my sight until you get here."
"Thanks Steve, I'll call you with my flight info. Bye Sandy."
The girl on the floor hugging the dog just smiled.

Tim looked at his clock has he hung up the phone 0405, he had time to call the airline and purchase his ticket before he had to get to the office to explain his unexpected leave.

He arrived at the office an hour and a half later, his ticket purchase and his flight leaving at 0900, he hurried to his desk to start filling out the necessary paperwork and getting everything he would need to hand over to Gibbs to clear his workload for his leave.

He had just finish sending the leave request to HR when Gibbs entered the bullpen to begin the day.

"Hey boss, I have an emergency that I need to take care of, I need some time down."

The tension emanating from the younger man caught his attention, causing him to to move emotionally from curiosity to worry.

"What happened McGee?"
"Sandy called me from Hawaii during the night, apparently Mike Watson was released from prison a year ago and he tracked her to her dorm room."
"Is she okay?"

"Yeah, she's fine. I called in a favor and had help show up to keep an eye on her until I can get there."
"McGarrett." Gibbs growled.

"Boss, I know how you feel about Steve..."
"Dammit, McGee! HE IS DANGEROUS."

"He's a little reckless, but he's not dangerous..."
"His team was sent to extract us from the school in Afghanistan, he decided to engage with hostiles on the way back. We had civilians with us. That makes him dangerous. He doesn't think things through before he acts."

"I didn't have many options available to me at 0300, Boss."
"You could have called me Tim.", Gibbs said softly.

"Boss, he was there. You weren't, I wasn't. He got to her when I couldn't and he's keeping her safe from her father until I get there. Is my leave approved?"
"Of course, when do you leave."
"0900, I call you from the Pearl Harbor office when I get there and update you on what's happening."

"I'll give you a lift to the airport." Gibbs finally conceded, unhappily.

"Thanks, boss." Tim was grateful that Gibbs had finally approved his actions even if he didn't like them. Since the mission in Afghanistan there was a change in their relationship, neither man acknowledged it verbally and Tim had made a point to not try to figure it out mentally, but he had found many sleepless nights thinking about the older man. Tim knew he was bisexual since he was a teenager, but Gibbs was straight that was that. End of discussion.

Gibbs was watching the younger man shut down his computer, grab his badge and weapon and his overnight bag from under his desk. He didn't let himself think about the sudden feeling of abandonment he was feeling, Tim wasn't leaving him he was just going take care of his surrogate sister in Hawaii. He would return shortly and Gibbs would use the time to figure out exactly what he was feeling for the younger man. Once he got back they would have a nice long talk over cowboy steaks at his house.

The ride to the airport was silent, both men lost in thoughts of the other and neither realizing what the other was thinking.

Gibbs walked with Tim to the ticket counter, "Take care, Tim. Give Sandy my best when you see her."
"I will. Steve will keep her safe until I get there.", Tim said as much to himself as to Gibbs because he really needed to hear it.

Gibbs nodded and walked away with a wave of his hand.

"But who is going to keep both of you safe from him.", he mumbled under his breath.

AN: This is set in season one of Hawaii Five O and approximately one year after Anonymous Was A Woman in NCIS. All thoughts and comments welcomed. Please review. :) stray