Chapter 3

Tim sat at his desk, staring at his computer. A search was running itself on the screen. The sight of the empty bed was still on his mind. Someone had gotten into that child's room, snatched him and escaped before his Mother could get up the stairs. Tim wasn't going to stop until that little boy was safe in his mother's arms.

"What have we got?" Gibbs asked as he swept into the squad room with a fresh cup of coffee.

"Abby was able to get a couple of viable prints," Ellie reported. "She's still running them through AFIS."

"Good. McGee, what intel do you have for me?"

McGee was unresponsive... his eyes were glued to his computer, as if he were in a trance.

"McGee!" Gibbs shouted. Tim jumped and tore his eyes from the monitor.

"Huh? What?"

"Your intel... what have you got?"

"Oh," he clicked a few buttons. "I've been digging into Captain Dickerson's past... I'm not coming up with anyone that would want to hurt him or his family."

"Keep looking. There's got to be something out there."

"On it, Boss."

Tim's fingers flew across the keyboard, continuing his work. He wasn't going to give up until the perpetrator was behind bars.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

1993...

Tim found his mother on the living room couch, with a police officer's arm around her as she cried. His heart broke all over again as he slowly crossed the room.

"Mom."

Ellen McGee looked up at her oldest son, and then got up and enveloped him in a hug.

"Mom, I'm sorry... I-"

"It's okay, sweetie," she whispered in his ear.

"I couldn't save him, Mom... I let this happen..."

Ellen pulled away and looked into her son's eyes. She could see that he was completely torn apart.

"The police and NCIS will find him. They will bring him back to us. Okay?"

Tim nodded slowly as his mother wiped away his tears.

If NCIS couldn't find him, he was going to search every square inch of the planet until he brought him home.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"McGee."

Tim shot up at his desk. Gibbs was standing over him, holding two cups of coffee. He set one on Tim's desk.

"Did you sleep here, Tim?"

Tim checked his watch. It was 0730 hours.

"I guess I did. I'm sorry, Boss... I meant to go home."

"You'd better call Delilah before she has a BOLO put out on you."

Tim grabbed his desk phone and immediately dialed his wife's cell phone number. Gibbs took his own coffee over to his desk and sat down. He pretended to check his voice mail while he watched Tim. The gut feeling that had started the day before was even stronger now. He wasn't ready to confront Tim about his erratic behavior just yet. Barreling at him with accusations would push Tim away, and that wasn't Gibbs' objective.

Saving Tim's sanity was.

########

The Team spent the next two weeks chasing leads. Every time they thought they had something, they hit another brick wall. By 8 PM, everyone was clearly beyond frustration.

"Go home everyone, get some rest."

Torres and Ellie didn't need to be told twice, as they gathered their gear and left. Tim, however, remained at his seat, his fingers flying over the keyboard. He seemed to be in a trance as information came up on his screen at incredible speeds. Gibbs looked around the squad room. He and Tim were the last to leave. Now was the time to talk with his Agent... he couldn't let this go on any longer. Gibbs got up and walked over to Tim's desk.

"Tim."

Tim's gaze didn't falter from his computer.

"McGee," Gibbs said louder. Tim blinked, and finally looked up. "Go home, Tim."

"I'm almost done with this, Boss... I just need to-"

"Stop."

"What?"

"Stop what you're doing. You haven't moved from that chair in 24 hours. Go home to your wife. Get some rest."

"I just need a few more minutes," Tim said, starting to type again.

Gibbs reached down and unplugged Tim's computer. Tim shot to his feet in anger.

"Why did you do that? I just lost all my data!"

Gibbs threw the cord on the floor.

"Listen to me. I want to find this kid just as much as you do, but you need to take a break... and I don't mean sleeping on the floor behind your desk."

"I don't-"

"Don't lie to me. I know you've been sleeping here." Gibbs softened his features. "Tim, what's really going on? It's not just this case that's bothering you."

Tim sighed and scrubbed a hand over his face.

"It's—it's not something I've ever told anyone, and something I have to do alone."

"Why?"

"I just do. I have to fix it. I'm the only one that can."

"Fix what?"

Tim turned away from him. Gibbs walked around the desk and put a hand on Tim's shoulder.

"If you tell me what's going on, I can help you. That's what I'm here for, son. You don't have to go through it alone."

Tim took a deep, shaky breath and pushed away the pain welling up in his chest.

"When I was 15, my 3-year-old brother Corey was taken from his bedroom. I was in the next room. I was so busy with my computer and my music, that I didn't hear him screaming. I lost him, Gibbs, and I am the only one that can get him back."

TBC...