A/N: This is a very long chapter with lots of different things happening. Why I don't disburse these in smaller doses is because I want you to really have a chunk of something to read. Please tell me what you think. Sheila

Esperanza

Chapter 4

Tony sat on the steps of Ducky's office early the next morning and watched people walk by. His status as a threat seemed to be forgotten. He spent a few hours on the couch in Ducky's parlor, but there was too much to process for sleeping.

The idea of McGee and Gibbs together was astounding, but not impossible in the afterworld. Love had taken a crazy turn for people in those weeks after the pandemic. He remembered nebbish Fred Seymour from accounting walking up to the statuesque Agent Carlson one day in front of everyone, and declaring that he intended to follow her to the very end. Capturing the elusive Agent Carlson had long occupied many agents' dreams, but no one had ever been brave enough to attempt it. She looked long and hard at Seymour, and Tony waited for her to shut him down. Instead, she beckoned for him to follow and they were together constantly after that. The last time he saw them, she was giving him shooting lessons down in the basement firing range.

People lost their inhibitions with their most vulnerable emotions. He would bet money that nothing of this kind had been brewing between the two before the sickness, but he understood how it could grow in a world that craved tenderness. He knew that romantic love sometimes grew between men who fought wars together. Gibbs had once told him that it was an unspoken, but special love that troops respected and allowed. DiNozzo might not understand it completely, but he was glad when anyone found joy in the afterworld, and he was prepared to do what was necessary to help them protect it.

Even though it was only 6 a.m., people were already stepping past him to knock on Ducky's door. He saw the same thing happening at Jackie's door. There was a sort of energy in the air, and he suspected that the news that Gibbs had dropped a short 6 hours earlier had already reached the edges of the community. Everyone seemed to feel the need to weigh in on it, which Tony found to be intrusive but weirdly understandable in this little community. He smiled and moved aside whenever someone stopped at Ducky's door, but then he saw Finch walking down the street.

Finch's flying days were over, but he still carried the swagger of a Navy pilot. Tony added it to his growing list of complaints about the man. The man saw Tony and hesitated, "I'm looking for Jethro. Has he returned?"

Tony shrugged, looking both ways. "Guess not."

"We should search for them."

"That's not going to happen." Tony had no status in this community, but he couldn't control his prickliness.

"You're not a member here yet. You have no power so I would suggest you dial it down."

Finch started past him up Ducky's steps, but then Tony was on his feet blocking him. "Sorry, Dr. Mallard doesn't see douchebags before 10 a.m."

"Out of my way!"

Tony shook his head. "It's your choice. If you want to start your day with a broken nose, I'm happy to accommodate you. Need a minute to think about it?"

"I was a Navy pilot."

"Well, I was a smart ass NCIS agent with penchant for putting away the worst of the worst. Which one of us do you think is the better street fighter?"

"This is not your business!"

"The hell it is! That kid you're going after- I raised him from a pup. He's my business and you will leave him alone."

"I'll file a complaint with the council."

"Sounds good. My last name is DiNozzo. Big D, little I, big N, little ozzo. I can spell check it for you if you want."

Finch turned and headed toward Jackie's house, but Tony beat him to the steps. "Leave her alone. It's too early in the morning for her to have to put up with you."

"What the hell are you doing?"

"Go on. Shoo! You have a complaint to file, remember?"

Finch heaved a sigh, turned and marched away. Tony smiled at the retreating back as he headed back to his stoop. Only he stopped dead in his tracks at who was sitting there.

Ziva seemed smaller than he remembered. Her wild, curly mane was pulled back in a ponytail, but it hadn't felt a hairbrush in days. Her clothes were fatigues and a t-shirt, but she looked as beautiful as he'd ever seen her. "Ziva?"

She sighed. "I see your bull in a china shop approach to communication hasn't changed."

"He's an asshole."

She nodded. "I stopped and talked to a few people on my way in. I heard what happened. Why are you here, Tony?"

He worked his mouth for a moment before realizing that no sound was emitting. He took a breath and started again. "You're here."

"Have you seen her?"

He shook his head slowly. "I haven't been allowed though I did look at her from a window."

"She's everything to me now."

He nodded. "I understand."

"What do you want from me?"

He swallowed. "I don't want a life without you. I'm here to apologize. I'm here because…there's nowhere else for me to be. I want to be with you…both of you. I want to look at her and touch her."

She shook her head. "Well, you sure do want a lot of things, Tony."

"Always been that way, I suppose. Ducky says I was sick. Do you believe him?"

"Yeah, I do, but it doesn't erase what happened."

"I know."

She stood up. "I need to see my daughter now. Is she at Jackie's?"

He nodded.

She pointed a finger at him. "Don't follow me. Don't ask anything of me. If I want to talk to you, it will be when I'm ready."

He stood in the center of the street and watched her disappear into Jackie's house.

….

McGee looked up from the small campfire he was tending. "I should've known you'd come."

Gibbs slung his pack off his back and sat down. "It didn't take me nearly as long as it did the last time."

"Last time you were searching for dead bodies. It's only a three hour hike when you know where you're going."

"I heard what happened."

Tim wiped out his coffee tin and poured a cup for Jethro. "Needed to think, and this is a special place for us."

Jethro sighed. "For you, it's uncomplicated. We shared our love here. For me, it's still the place I thought I found you dead."

"Never thought about it like that." Tim had skinned a couple of squirrels and was fashioning a spit.

"Where has all this thinking taken you?"

Tim sat back on his haunches and considered the question. "I could marry Martha. She's a little older, but she understands us, and I think she would help us with this."

Jethro cocked his head. "Really? That makes sense to you?"

McGee snorted. "You got a better idea?"

"Well, you're not marrying Martha."

Tim threw his hands up. "Why not?"

"Because she can't have what's mine."

"Jethro!"

"I told them, Tim. I told Finch and others about us. By this morning, I'm sure all of Esperanza knows. I told them you were mine, and there wasn't a damn thing they could do about it."

Tim studied him for a long moment. "Are you serious?"

"Yeah, I am."

McGee laughed and pulled him into a powerful hug. "Thank God!"

"So that's what you're calling me now." Gibbs wrestled him to the ground playfully. Then he straddled him and looked down, his face changing as he stared down at him.. "I claim you, Timothy McGee. We're never going to have a ceremony nor would I want one. We just have this moment for you to know that I'll never again hide what I feel about you. For the time I have left on this world, I walk with you by my side. What do you say?"

McGee lay quietly beneath him, his hands holding Gibbs' muscled thighs. He looked up into his steel blue eyes. "I take you as my partner for life, Leroy Jethro Gibbs. I'll do it with pride and love. I'll never love another person like I love you."

Gibbs grinned. "I think we just had the first gay afterworld wedding ceremony."

"We don't know what will happen when we return."

He shrugged. "If they want us, we'll stay. If not, we're still together. Can you live with that?"

Tim nodded. "As long as I am with you."

Gibbs sighed. "If I hadn't gone the last two nights without sleep, I'd consummate the hell out of this union right now, but I'm 20 years too old for such heroics."

McGee gently pushed him off, and went for his pack. He pulled out a blanket and laid it on a bed of grass under a tree, and then he pulled off his shirt and rolled it up as a pillow. "Come here. We need to get you some sleep. I'm going to start these squirrels, and then I'm going to curl up with you and keep you warm."

For a long time that morning, McGee spooned in behind Gibbs, his arm wrapped around him protectively, his hand under Gibbs' shirt and square on his chest. The rhythm of Gibbs' strong heartbeat filled McGee with calm. A year ago, he never imagined such an intimacy was possible between them, and today, it seemed like the only completely right part of his life. In a world filled with chaos, he was allowed love and contentment, and he was deeply aware of what a miracle that was.

….

Ducky attached him to a group of women working in the fields. DiNozzo had no idea what to do with foliage of any kind; it was a miracle when he could convince himself to eat it. Ducky ignored his protests and propelled him in their direction.

DiNozzo was an expert at handling women, but these were mostly widows, and flirting was not the way to go. Still, he struck a chord telling stories of Gibbs when he met him and an awkward geeky McGee. The McGee stories were especially rich because he'd changed so very much in the last ten-eleven years. Women shook their heads and challenged him when he mimicked Tim's stuttering or his naïveté about women. They roared with laughter at the idea of McGee with mom tattooed on his ass, and they asked him questions for hours about McGee and Abby.

DiNozzo marveled at their humor and resiliency. They'd been through so much, yet they found the courage to laugh and to hope. No one acted like the work was a chore. They were fully committed to their new lives. He asked questions and learned that these women had been housewives, counselors, police officers, financial analysts, and yet they crowded around when they found plants doing poorly as if they'd been farmers their whole lives. They had such a generosity of spirit and it filled him with a desire to be worthy of their regard.

They stopped for a short lunch of sandwiches one of the women had in a cooler and they sat at the edge of the field and quietly ate. DiNozzo could sense an undercurrent of anxiety among them, and he knew it was about Gibbs and McGee. These women were deeply connected to them. It was getting easier for him to understand the bond they felt as a community. Together, they'd lived minute to minute through disease, starvation, and terror. Esperanza had been every bit the hope its name had promised, and they were willing to do everything possible to protect it.

Time went a lot faster than expected for Tony, and although he never imagined he would be much of a farmer, there was something soulful about the respect the women had for these plants and the role they played in their survival. He found himself taking greater interest and care in his work as time went by.

It was early evening when a shout sounded, and everyone's head popped up. Tony couldn't make out the distant cry, but one of the women could. "They're back! They came back!"

They quickly gathered up tools and wheelbarrows, and headed toward town. Tony looked across the horizon, and saw others reacting as well. Everyone was quickly headed toward town. It took a while for his eyes to focus on the two figures heading down from a mountain trail, but he smiled when he recognized his old friends. People were already running to greet them. They stopped just short of tackling them, but Tony smiled at the hugs, kisses, and pats that they got. As the crowd grew, they fell in line behind Gibbs and McGee, following them into town. By the time, Tony reached them, there were a couple hundred people following them. Tony called out and Tim broke away, running toward him and hugging him tightly. "I'm so happy you're with us, Tony!"

Tony's throat got thick with emotion, and all he could to is nod in response.

By the time, they entered the town square, the majority opinion was clear. Tony couldn't sense resentment anywhere. People laughed and teased Gibbs and Tim about having a big wedding and a honeymoon. Gibbs smiled through his embarrassment, and he quietly said that he and Tim had already had all the ceremony they ever needed.

Above the din sounded another voice yelling, "Gibbs! Face me, Gibbs!"

This voice was shaky and angry, and the energy of it penetrated the group, and they parted to a red-eyed Finch standing in the street. "I'm here for you, Gibbs!"

People started complaining, telling Finch to go home, but Gibbs put up a hand. "Let him talk."

Finch swayed slightly, and there was an empty bottle of whiskey at his feet. "You're trying to destroy me, Gibbs."

He shook his head. "No, Finch, we need you here. You have a lot to offer. We have to stop working against one another."

"You're angering God. It's written that what you're doing is a sin."

"Bible gets interpreted a lot of ways, Finch. Preachers choose how to shape God's message. Me loving Tim isn't going to destroy us."

Finch stomped his foot. "We follow his word or we die. It is written!"

There was a murmur among the crowd and a tall, blonde woman stepped forward. Gibbs closed his eyes when he saw her bruised face. "I'm so sorry, Laura."

Finch pointed at her. "My own wife won't let me back in the house until I apologize to you. Says I've never shown my appreciation of your sacrifice."

Laura looked at Gibbs and Tim. "My husband is a good man, but he's terribly frightened. He's obsessed with Revelations. I apologize for the harm he's caused both of you."

Gibbs glared at him. "What does God says about beating your wife?"

"You turned her against me. Thou shall not have false gods before me sayeth the Lord. She puts you before the Lord."

Gibbs stepped toward him. "We won't tolerate abuse here! Ever!"

Finch pulled out a gun, swaying slightly, and whole crowd recoiled. "I care! So much more than you understand! I have to protect Esperanza against sin. It's the only way!"

Finch never had a chance to aim. Tony tackled him hard from behind, careful to grab at the gun as he did it. The gun fired into the soil and then Tony wrested it from him and tossed it toward Gibbs. The drunk Finch proved to be no match for DiNozzo, and soon he lay limply beneath him.

Tony looked up. "You want him in a cell?"

Gibbs allowed himself half a grin. "Good work, Tony. My people will take it from here."

Three security people were there, pulling Finch to his feet, and frog-marching him down the street. McGee turned to Laura. "What can we do for you?"

She looked down at the ground for a long moment. "Give him a chance at redemption. There isn't a stronger message in the bible than that."

Without another word, she turned and disappeared into the crowd. A small group of women followed her, and Tony got the sense that Laura Finch would be well taken care of.

Gibbs looked at McGee, and Tim nodded, turning to address the crowd. "Thank you all for your support. It's what makes this community so very special. We're sorry to have surprised you as we did, and we thank you for understanding. There is nothing more powerful than love, and I believe that the more love we have, the stronger Esperanza will be."

A woman stepped forward. "Some here might be disappointed that the two most eligible bachelors in town have been taken, but there are others of us that are very relieved. Some of us have found love of our own, and it isn't with men. We've been in hiding about this. Until now, no one has stood up to challenge Finch's voice on same sex love. We've feared his power, and what would happen to us if discovered. Thank you for taking a stand. It feels safer for the rest of us."

Jackie Vance emerged from the crowd. "As president of the Esperanza town council, I take responsibility for not countering Finch's views. It's important for a community to have the freedom to believe what is in their heart, but when one set of beliefs hurts others, we need to stand up and make that known. I should've taken the lead on that, and I apologize for not doing so."

Martha nodded. "This is a lesson to all of us. A strong community doesn't need a single set of beliefs, but we do need to step up and be heard when those beliefs threaten the safety of others in the community, even if we're not directly affected."

Gibbs looked around. "I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm hungry. Let's go find out what they cooked up for us tonight." He pulled McGee into him and kissed him on the cheek. It was probably the biggest public display of affection he'd given since he was married to Shannon. McGee blushed and couldn't contain a smile.

….

Tony hadn't seen her since she disappeared into Jackie's house that morning, and he didn't see her again until Gibbs led them into Jackie's living room after dinner. She was curled up in a chair with Amala wrapped in a blanket. It literally took his breath away to see her so maternal. When she saw Gibbs and McGee, she handed Amala off to Ducky and hugged them fiercely. He envied the trust she had in them. Her eyes caught his briefly, but she said nothing as she scooped up her daughter again and sank back into the chair.

Tony was close enough to smell the child, and her soft, sweet scent was intoxicating. He had to physically dig his fingers into the arm of the chair where he sat to keep from getting too close. He knew better. Ziva had made herself more than clear about her boundaries.

Smiling brightly, she teased McGee and Gibbs for a few moments about their union. She and Jackie had already moved Gibbs' things into McGee's small house. Tony saw the contentment in McGee as he stole glances at Gibbs. Tony had been prepared for the passion of two men, but he hadn't imagined the sweetness that could accompany such a love. It left him with a deep longing for moments like that again with Ziva- even though his gut told him that would take something close to a miracle.

"You ready for my report, Jethro?" She asked as she held up a toy for Amala's busy hands.

Gibbs looked around the room. "Give it to us."

"I found Fornell just where you said I would."

"How is Tobias?"

"He's tired. He's trying to manage over 5,000 refugees. Supplies are low, and his people are constantly fending off attacks from other groups. He needs us and he needs us bad."

Gibbs nodded. "We're almost ready for him."

She shook her head. "He can't wait anymore. He's bringing a small group of his best with him next week. He says that it has to happen now as he doesn't have five weeks of food left to sustain his people."

"You're not ready!" Tony said. "What will we do with 5,000 malnourished people? It will bury us."

Jethro nodded. "Tobias and I started working on this six months ago. Tim knows as does Ducky, Ziva, Jackie, and Martha. We've had groups scouting, and we've found two more communities similar to Esperanza. Martha, our quartermaster, has been putting together the essentials to start those communities. My people have been transporting those supplies and hiding them on site."

Tony shook his head. "How do you have supplies for two more communities?"

"We've been stripping abandoned, small towns of resources for a year now. We didn't tell anyone else because people would demand that we use it. We're all hungry for the luxuries we miss. It would've been too much to have people know about it but not touch it."

Tim sighed. "We're going to have to meet with people tomorrow. We'll need volunteers to help these people establish their communities, and we're going to need a hospital for about 200 of the sickest here in Esperanza."

"Do you think people will go for this?"

Ducky nodded. "It will be hard, but we have to grow in order to survive. Fornell brings with him almost four hundred trained federal personnel as well as a large arsenal, something we lack. We need those people. Where they are now, there is too much competition for resources. Bringing them up here spreads the population. Makes it easier for survival. Plus, we live a nicely defendable area. There is only one road that can be used to reach us. In the end, it's better for all of us."

"How will we get everyone up here safely?"

Gibbs took a sip of coffee. "We've been stockpiling fuel, and we have trucks and three semis specially fitted. We can do it over the course of three nights along with the vehicles Fornell can supply. It's going to be hard, and in the end, people will know where we are, but we'll be prepared to defend ourselves, if other groups follow."

Tony swallowed. "This is crazy."

"We need you," Tim said softly.

He grinned. "Well, you know me. I've always liked crazy."

"Good, DiNozzo, you're mine starting tomorrow. I understand you spent the day in the fields, but I'm sure the plants will recover. I need you for some of the logistics of this."

"On it, Boss."

Gibbs couldn't hide a grin. "You earned it. I'm Boss again."

Ziva cleared her throat. "I have a bit of problem. The next few days, I'm going to be leaving early morning with my team to reclaim resources about 100 miles east of here. Going to need a babysitter."

Jackie started to respond, but Ducky put a hand on her arm. Gibbs looked at Tony. "I guess you'll be working late shift."

"What!"

"It's time you start spending time with your child."

Tony's eyes widened. "No! Ducky, tell them!"

"You won't be alone. Ziva and I talked about it. We'll take turns with you."

He looked at her. "Are you sure, Ziva?"

She looked down at Amala. "I'm not ready to deal with you, but I won't keep you from knowing her. Get some sleep, Tony. I'm leaving at 6 a.m."

….

Tim pulled his shirt over his head slowly. Even in his thirties, his torso was smooth and lean. Then he reached down and unbuttoned his jeans.

"Stop!" Gibbs sat in bed, one hand on his hairy chest as his breathing deepened. "Take those long fingers and rub your nipples. Imagine what it'll be like when my teeth are teasing them."

Closing his eyes, Tim twisted his nipples. Gibbs smiled. "You have some sort of growth in your jeans. Reach down and rub it gently. Think about what it's going to feel like when my tongue is licking it up and down."

McGee threw back his head and groaned. "I'm going to lose it, Jethro."

"Come on! You're a young guy. I'm expecting at least three orgasms out of you on our wedding night."

Breathing hard, he fixed his green eyes on Gibbs. "I need to touch you."

Gibbs shook his head. "You're unbuttoned. Now, I want you to work those jeans slowly down those long legs, but keep the boxers on."

"Oh God, you're making me do a striptease."

"What have I told you about calling me that?"

McGee laughed as he wriggled out of his jeans.

"Now, come over here and stand next to the bed. I want to see what all the fuss is about."

Gibbs reached over and put his strong hands on McGee's hips. "You're so beautiful, Tim."

He took one hand and ran it down his smooth chest and onto his groin, gently cupping his cock and balls. Then he slipped his hand in the boxers, stroking him gently. "Hold on, baby. Hold on."

Tim groaned his desire. Then Gibbs removed his hand. "Turn around, Tim."

Tim turned his back to Gibbs, and he started massaging McGee's ass. "We talked about making love with penetration. Do you still want that?"

"Yes," he panted.

"Are you sure?"

"Please Jethro! Yes. Very much. Please!"

"Okay." Jethro grabbed the waistband of McGee's boxers and tugged them down. He massaged the globes, letting a finger slip between them. "I'm going to make love to you all night, baby. We're not even going to be tired tomorrow 'cause the memories of it are going to be so fresh. I'm going to take my time here 'cause I want to make it good for you."

Tim looked over his shoulder, his whole body trembling. "Please let me touch you!"

Jethro turned him toward him again, completely naked and hard. "You're absolutely breathtaking, Tim."

Not waiting for any further direction, Tim turned and climbed on top of Jethro. Panting, he cupped the older man's face in his hands. "Take me now, Jethro."

Gibbs pulled him down and rolled over on top of him, kissing him hard. "I got you, my love. Going to take good care of you now."

….

"You're grinning like a Cheshire cat. I'm just not sure you should be holding a child with that look on your face." Tony watched Tim as he held Amala and fed her strained peas and cereal.

"You take her then," Tim said as he aimed another spoonful at her mouth. The child was unceasingly clever, and seemed to enjoy thwarting his efforts to get the food inside her mouth.

Tony grimaced. "Not ready. Guess I'll have to put up with your afterglow."

"Get over it, Tony. I'm in love."

Tony leaned closer to Amala. "Is she getting any of that food in her mouth?"

"She likes to play."

"I don't think she likes peas."

"She likes peas, Tony. Babies like peas," Tim said as he successfully landed a spoonful in her mouth.

Tony frowned. "She just pushed that whole spoonful out of her mouth."

Tim held her up and studied her. "I think she's done. Here, hold her while I get a washcloth."

"No!" Tony panicked but Tim ignored him and placed her in his lap, taking his hands and placing them so he cradled her neck and held her in.

Tony stared down at her as she smacked her lips at him and reached for his face with grimy hands. His breath caught as he realized that he was holding his daughter. A feeling shot through him unlike anything he'd ever experienced. He looked up to find Tim smiling at him. "She's very much like you. I see you whenever I look at that tiny face."

"Can I do this?"

"With my whole heart, I believe you can."

"But you'll change all her dirty diapers, right?"

Tim handed him the damp washcloth. "I just saw it on your face, Tony. You fell in love with her, didn't you? Before, you were in awe of her, but I just caught that look of fierce commitment on your face. You'll protect her to the very end, won't you?"

Unable to speak, Tony nodded at him. Tim knelt beside him, taking the washcloth and finding the food Tony missed under her chin. Then he handed Tony a toy. "She loves this."

Tony watched fascinated as she grabbed at it and slammed it against his chest in an effort to produce noise. It made him grin.

Tim sat down. "Can I ask you about my dad?"

Tony looked up, blinking. "Oh God, I forgot about that."

"Is my dad a bad guy, Tony?"

He took a breath. "I don't know. He's efficient and strong, and his city is amazing. He's tough and uncompromising. If you can't pull your weight, then you're gone."

"What does that mean?"

Tony shook his head. "I never found out."

"Did he ask about me?"

"Yes."

Tim studied him for a moment. "You're not qualifying that answer with anything. That tells me what I need to know."

"I don't know what's in your father's heart."

"That's not a surprise," Tim said as he got up. "I'm not sure he even has one."

….

Jethro knelt beside Ducky who was massaging a bump on Nell Hanson's head. "Is she going to be okay, Duck?"

He nodded. "A small concussion. I'll put her in my infirmary two days and you can have her back."

The young woman looked up. "I'm so sorry, Jethro. I never imagined. Jefferson Finch was my neighbor. He was hung over. I didn't see any harm in taking him out to the latrine."

"Not your fault, Nell. Just glad you're okay." He helped her up, and then Ducky put an arm around her waist and led her away.

Gibbs squinted into the distance. Finch had an hour head start with a stolen jeep. Gibbs thought about tracking him, but it would take a lot of resources and it would be very public. He suspected Finch would run out of gas, and eventually make his way back. For all his trouble, Gibbs' gut told him that Finch was a coward, not a fighter.

….

A week later, it was still dark when two vans drove into Esperanza with no headlights. They slowly rolled to a stop, and people quietly climbed out of the vans until there was a crowd of more than 30 people. Gibbs found Fornell at the head of the group and he hugged him. Then he gestured for the group to follow him into the town hall. Inside, there were plates of sandwiches and cookies. Jackie made sure everyone took something.

Fornell looked down at the food in his hand. "I haven't had fresh baked goods in months."

Gibbs smiled. "The cookies are a little bland. We haven't figured out chocolate chips yet."

"You didn't recognize Emily?"

"What?" Gibbs swiveled his head and saw a thin, blonde teen sitting down with four cookies in her hand. "Hey!"

She smiled up at him. "Hi Uncle Jethro!"

Fornell rolled his eyes. "She'll get up and hug you just as soon as she eats all of your baked goods."

He smiled at her affectionately. "She's welcome to whatever she needs."

"Can she stay here with you until I get settled? I'm risking a lot dragging her up and down this mountain. Scares me."

"Of course! She should be here where it's safer."

Ducky and McGee walked up, and Fornell hugged them both. And then he saw DiNozzo and waved him over. "Ziva said you were still in D.C. Glad you got out of there, Tony."

Fornell looked at Ducky. "Have you found him?"

"Found who?"

"I brought someone for you."

Ducky scanned the room. "What are you talking about?"

"I bet he never got off the van," Fornell said softly.

"What's going on?" Gibbs asked.

Fornell sighed. "Lots of rogue groups wandering up and down the Eastern Seaboard. Some good but most are the stuff made of nightmares. They steal, they rape, and they kill. A couple of groups even enslave people for work. We got intel on one of the groups being in the area a few weeks ago. I got a posse together and we raided them. We didn't show any mercy. Animals like that don't deserve it. We found about 20 people in chains including your assistant, Ducky."

"Jimmy?" He whispered.

"He's badly traumatized. He lost his fiancée to those beasts. I told him where he was going tonight, but I couldn't get any reaction out of him."

"Poor Jimmy!"

"Let's go get him," Tony said, starting for the door.

"No!" Ducky put up a hand. "We can't overwhelm him. Please, let me take care of him."

Gibbs nodded. "Duck's right. Let him take the lead."

Fornell climbed into the dark van and lead Ducky to the back. A thin, pale figure sat in the corner of the last seat staring out the window. His curly hair was gone, replaced by short stubble, and his wire-rimmed glasses were missing. He didn't look up when Fornell approached. "I brought Ducky."

Jimmy shook his head. "Please don't waste your time, Dr. Mallard. I'm not going to stay."

Ducky sat down beside him. "I've missed you, Mr. Palmer. It did this old heart some good to hear that you were among us still."

Jimmy's mouth twitched. "They raped her and I had to watch. And then they killed her. Because I was a doctor, they let me live, and I was forced to stay and help them survive. Living is punishment for me. Tell me it's okay to join her. I want to but I can't seem to find the energy to get there."

Ducky heaved a shaky sigh and took Jimmy's hand. "You've always taken my advice, my boy, and while you're no longer my assistant, I have further direction to give you. I can't grant you death because we need you so desperately. Tonight, you'll come with me to my home, and you'll eat some real food. Then you'll sleep. Tomorrow, we'll start all over. Day by day. Do you understand?"

His voice was barely a whisper. "But it's so painful."

"To lose you, my very best friend, so quickly after I have found you again would break my fragile heart. Grant an old man some happiness, Jimmy."

Slowly, he nodded and looked at Ducky. "For you. Only for you."

….

TBC