Sorry this chapter took longer. I was stuck on the ending, it just wouldn't come out the way I wanted, but I finally got it. :)

Again, the next chapter may be a little longer because I don't have much work done on it yet, I'm trying to work out some of the details of how it should go. But don't worry, I'll get it up. :)

Disclaimer: Don't own it. Never did, never will. (Sad, isn't it?)

'He didn't do it.'

The words continued to buzz in Tim's mind. He wasn't sure how to take them. On one hand he felt nothing but relief that his partner hadn't tried to kill himself, that his guilt had been misplaced. But on the other hand he felt nothing but deep, horrible guilt.

He'd yelled at his partner. He accused him of something that wasn't even his fault.

Granted, it wasn't his intention to lose his cool like he did. He'd never intended to get so mad at Tony. Even before Gibbs had told him Tony wasn't the one to take the pills, he knew it wasn't all Tony's doing. He knew it was partly his fault too for not noticing. No-one had noticed. But what had made him so mad, was when he thought Tony was trying to brush everything off. It had made him so angry that his partner thought his attempt to take his own life was that meaningless, that it didn't matter. He just got so mad that his friend didn't realize that he had people who cared and loved him and would have been completely crushed had he died.

And as it turned out, Tony hadn't even done anything. He'd yelled at his partner for nothing.

McGee paused outside the door, hand on the door-knob, taking a few deep breaths. He really didn't want to do this.

It wasn't that he didn't want to apologize. He'd messed up and he needed to make things right. But he really didn't want to see the look of hurt on Tony's face, or hear the disappoint in his friends voice. And more importantly, he really didn't want to lose his friendship with the older man over such a stupid mistake.

Drawing all of his courage up in one breath he opened the door and walked in, shutting the door behind him. The soft click as he shut the door was almost deafening.

He looked over the only bed. Tony was sitting up now, the restraints that had been confining him, gone.

Tony looked up as McGee entered and the younger agent almost winced.

"Hey, McGee." Tony greeted. He didn't sound angry or disappointed. That was a good sign.

"Hey." he returned quietly.

There was several moments of uncomfortable silence, neither finding quite the right words to start a conversation.

"Don't have the TV on?" McGee asked eventually, nearly head-slapping himself for the question.

"Nope, didn't feel like it, I guess."

"It's just that you mentioned a big Magnum marathon on this weekend; I thought you'd be catching up before it's over."

"Nah, as tempting as that sounds, I needed some quiet."
"Oh," McGee blushed slightly at what he assumed was an indirecet and kind way of saying 'Just leave, I want to be alone'. "Right. I'll...I'll just go." He turned and made to slip out to door, only to be stopped by Tony.

"I didn't mean you, Probie."

Tony waited until McGee had nodded, shut the door, and turned to face him before continuing.

"Was trying to remember what happened last night."

"And?" McGee asked, hoping his partner had at least retrieved a single shred of memory, something that would lead them to catch whoever it was that had did this to the senior agent.

"Nothing." Tony sighed, exasperated, throwing his head back against the pillow. "I remember going home, sitting on the couch, and then...nothing. Nada. Zilch. Zippo."

McGee nodded silently, unsure of how to reassure his partner. They had worked plenty of cases where the victim had amnesia of the event of their attack. Some of them got it back within a few hours, day, months, some even years. Others never remember at all and simply had to rely on their work and the forensic evidence to tell them what happened for the however many hours or days that was still lapsed for them.
Tony knew just as well as he did that he may never remember and there was no use in telling him that he would when no-one, not even the doctors, would be able to tell for sure.

"That sucks." he commented with a wince of sympathy.

"No kidding. It's like someone just erased it from my memory." the senior agent said with a shake of the head. "The nurse said it was probably the drugs. Taking so many, just wiped everything out."

McGee looked down. It was now or never.

"Yeah, Tony, about that...Gibbs...Gibbs told me it wasn't your fault. That you didn't take them."

"I didn't." Tony confirmed. This is exactly what he'd been afraid of; that McGee wouldn't believe him. He knew how things must have looked and he didn't blame McGee for thinking the way he did. He just wished he'd have believed Gibbs and they could quit fighting. Right now he needed his partner to watch back. He needed his friend.

"No! No, I know that. Well, now I do." McGee corrected quickly, not wanting Tony to get the wrong impression.
"Oh. Oh, well that's good." Tony responded, nearly breathing a huge sigh of relief. McGee did believe him. Thank God. Now, why in the world was he acting like he was about ready to walk to the gallows?

"Look, Tony, I...I am sorry...for, you know, yelling at you...like I did...I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions...I should have heard you out, but I just...just got so mad. And I'm...really sorry for what I said."

There was silence for just a few seconds before Tony responded with a snort of laughter. McGee winched. Okay, so not the best of a apologizes, he decided, but he had hoped Tony would accept it. He couldn't blame him really for scoffing, after the things he'd said. But he could hope.

"You're an idiot, Probie, did you know that?" Tony said.

McGee bit his lip and hung his head. "Yeah, actually I do, now."

"And that, my friend, is why you're an idiot."

"Huh?"

Tony shook his head. "I didn't mean you were an idiot for blowing up. You're an idiot for thinking that any of this was your fault. Need to stop blaming yourself, Probie."

McGee raised in eyebrow slightly in disbelief.

"You think you're the only one to blow up at his partner before?" Tony asked.

"No." the younger man answered.

"Then what's the problem?"

"Because I am probably the only one to yell at their injured partner, for something that wasn't even their fault."

"Ha! You really do think you're the only one to have done that, don't you?" Without waiting for answer, Tony added, "You should have been there when I lost my cool with Gibbs."
"You blew up at Gibbs?" McGee's eyes widened and smirk played at the corner of his mouth.

"Yup." Tony grinned, seemingly proud of the fact.

"And you're still alive?" the younger man asked.

Tony threw his head back and laughed. "I think he was kinda surprised. I doubt any of his other probies had bothered to stand up to him like that before."

"You were a probie?" McGee nearly chocked at that.

Tony's grin widened. "Seven months as an agent."

McGee's mouth dropped. It's not that he couldn't picture Tony standing up to Gibbs. Not at all. He'd seem him go head to head with Gibbs before and he knew Tony would be willing to do it again if he thought it was necessary. But he just couldn't imagine that any probie, especially one who hadn't even been on the team for one full year, could blow off steam at Gibbs like that and still have a job 8 years later.

Seeing he had indeed gotten the younger man's attention and curiosity, Tony smirked a little, nodding him over.

Hesitating for only a few seconds, McGee made his way over to his partner, pulling up his previously vacated chair closer to the bed.

"We had been working the case for about a week for about week before we caught a lead so Gibbs was about ready to go postal anyway..." Tony started; noting McGee was already listening with rapt attention, he continued on telling him about how the case had finally come to a head when Gibbs had managed to procure the name of their small times arms dealer from one of his buyers. And, impatient as always, Gibbs had called Tony on his way to the location instead of waiting to meet up with Tony and have backup. Needless to say, Tony had arrived in good time, but not before his boss had taken a round to the arm. Three inches to the left and the older man would most certainly have been dead.

After having an hour and half to stew over it at the hospital while waiting for his boss, the more angry the probie agent had gotten. Most especially after he had realized just how close his new boss and mentor had come to being killed. So when the older man had come out, with a newly casted arm, and had tried to brush off the bullet wound in his arm as a lucky shot on the opponents part, Tony had lost his cool just a little. He'd ended up yelling at Gibbs right there in the hospital parking lot, attracting the attention of a couple or so dozen vistors on their way in to see loved ones and nurses who were out on break.

Gibbs had seemed more than slightly surprised at the little rant, but said nothing. Only waiting a few mere minutes after Tony's yelling ceased to ask him if he was through.

Tony hadn't said any more on the subject after that, simply driving his boss home before going to the office to square things with away at the for the boss.

It wasn't until almost a week later, after catching a glance at his bosses' official report, that he'd realized his mistake. Gibbs hadn't rushed into the scene because of impatience. He'd rushed in because they'd snatched an unfortunate civilian who'd happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, using the poor woman as a hostage. She'd run off after her release and the shooting started, eager to get away from the danger.
After reading the report, he had seriously considered just resigning then and there, before deciding that since he'd had the guts to yell at his boss, he should at least have the guts to apologize.

"You actually tried to apologize? To Gibbs?" McGee asked, smirking ever so slightly at the thought.

"Well, maybe not in so many words. I had been working there seven months, Probie. I wasn't completely dense." the field agent replied with a smirk of his own, "I'd figured out by then that if I tried to apologize, Gibbs'd smack me upside the head."
McGee's only response was a snort of amusement. "Okay, so you didn't apologize. What did you say to him then?" he asked, genuine curiosity in his voice.

"Told him I was an idiot." Tony said smiling as he grabbed one of the jello cups the nurses has brought in earlier and popped off the lid, "He agreed."

This time McGee couldn't help himself, he laughed. Tony apprantly didn't mind in the least since he started to laugh right along with him.

After their laughter had quieted into silence, Tony continued. "You know what else he told me, Probie?"

McGee raised his brow in question.

"He said not to worry about it. We're all idiots sometimes. And most of the time, you don't even mean to be one, it just happens."

The younger agent contemplated that for a moment, Tony did have a point.

"So, see, McGee? You're not the only one." Tony comforted.

"Yeah, but I still broke one of Gibbs' rules. 'Never assume'. And I should have trusted you more."

Tony sighed heavily, putting his near empty jello cup and spoon back on the tray.

"Look, Tim, you did what anyone would expect you to do. I can imagine what it must have looked liked." noticing McGee was still skeptical, he added, "Look at it this way, Gibbs, human lie-detector Gibbs, didn't believe me either."

McGee smirked a little in amusement, but didn't answer.

Rolling his eyes in fond frustration, Tony said, "You're a good friend, Tim. Whether you believe it or not. Maybe you misjudged this time. So what, it happens. The point is, you may have been mad at me, but I know you, Probie. You still cared and would have stuck by me. That's what counts."

Tim cocked his head to the side, considering Tony's words. He was right of course. He had been mad at Tony, and even more so at himself. But the fact that Tony was his friend and that his friend needed his help, didn't change. And just because he was mad, defiantly didn't mean he was going to abandon his friend and partner. He would have helped Tony no matter what.

A small smile played at his lips as his guilt started to disappear. Maybe things would work out.

"So, friends, again?" Tony asked, smiling widely as he stuck out a hand.

Looking first at the hand and then up to his partner's smile, McGee shook his head before taking the offered hand and agreeing, "Friends."

McGee's own smile couldn't help but widen when Tony gave him one of his true, genuine, DiNozzo smiles.

The silence they fell into after that was much more comfortable and content than the last.

Of course, that didn't mean the silence would last.

"Wait until I tell Ziva." Tony's spoke up after a few moments.

McGee looked over at his partners, raising his eyebrows. His only answer was a smirk from Tony.

His eyes narrowed at Tony as the suspicion started forming in his mind, "You're not gonna let me live this down, are you? That I apologized to you."

"Nope." Tony replied with the widest, most irritating grin he could muster.

Instead of getting annoyed though, McGee smiled back.

He knew that Tony would keep his word and probably torment him to insanity and back, but so long as he was alive to do it he couldn't be happier.

Gibbs eyes scanned the waiting room with a quick, cursory glance, as he waited impatiently for the owner of the phone-number he had just dialed to pick up.

There was a pair of young women, obviously sisters if their matching looks were anything to go by, sitting across the way; one girl was idly flipping through a magazine while the other impatiently tapped her foot. A little across from them was a slightly elder couple, who kept sneaking glances at their watches in turn, an air of anxiousness surrounding them. And finally was a lone man, middle-aged man. Gibbs watched as he paced the length of the room, from one end to the other, the look of worry and impatience a constant expression on the man's face.

'Been there.' Gibbs couldn't help think, as he watched the man continue to wear a hole into the floor. He couldn't count the number of times he walked through one waiting room or another, in a constant path, trying to wear off some of the adrenaline and worry he was feeling as he waited for information on a team-mate or friend.

'Too many times,' Gibbs thought with a slight, inward grimace, 'Too many dang times.'

And as DiNozzo had just proved last night, it could happen again at any time, to any one of them.

"Abby Scutio forensic extraordinaire here, how may I help you?" the perky voice echoed through the phone's speaker, interrupting Gibbs' depressing train of thought.

"Hey, Abs."

"Gibbs!" Abby's voice chirped excitedly through the phone and Gibbs' had to smirk. "What up, Bossman?"

"I need a favor, Abs."

"Sure thing, Gibbs. Whatca need?" she asked expectantly.

"I need you to go to the lab and run tests for finger prints off somethin' for me."
"We have a case?"

"No, no case." he answered simply.
"Then why do I need to run prints?" the goth questioned confusedly.

"Abby, It's...It's a long story." he replied with a sigh. He knew she would hate the lack of explanation, but he needed her to focus on her work and if she knew Tony was in the hospital, she would have too hard a time concentrating.

"Alright, but after you're done doing whatever it is you're doing, you had better tell me whats going on." she said in her best threatening voice.

"I will, Abby." he promised.

"Promise?"

He sighed, "Promise."

"Good." She said with finality, "Now. What am I running prints off of?"

"A bottle of Oxycontin."

"Oxycontin? Wow, that's some pretty powerful stuff. The gave my uncle Henry some at the ER after he crashed his Harley a couple of years ago. He was like 'Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds' for like twp days."

"Abs." he interrupted with a sigh.

"Right. So, am I coming to pick it up, or..."

He smirked at her attempt to dig out more information, "It'll be in the lab when you get there, Abby."

He heard her sigh. "Okay, I'm on my way now, Gibbs."

Shaking his head fondly, he snapped the phone shut, and turned back towards Tony's room. Hopefully by now Tony and Tim and resolved their misunderstanading and things would be back to normal between the two. Well, at least as normal as those two could be.

He paused in his stride, however, as he caught sight of a familar face as the person turned the corner and made their way towards the exit.

"McGee!" he called, causing the younger man to stop in his tracks and backtrack to meet up with his boss.

"Yeah, boss?"
"Where ya' going?"

"I was going to grab us something to eat...Tony coned a pizza out of me, so..." he trailed off shrugging his shoulders with a small smirk on his lips.

Gibbs nearly smiled at that. Everything was obviously right between the two partners again.

Nodding, he pulled the now tissue wrapped pill bottle McGee had handed him last night out of his pocket.

"Stop and drop this off at the Yard, would ya', McGee? Abby's on her way into the lab to run prints."

"Abby?" he asked, accepting the bottle with a slightly surprised look, "Does she know...?"

"No. Didn't tell her. But she knows somethings up."

McGee nodded, turning on his heel and heading for the door again.

"Hey, McGee!"

The younger man turned again, raising his eyebrows in question.

"Might wanna hurry before she gets in. May not make it out alive if ya' don't." he added with all the seriousness in his his voice as if he had just told someone their relative had just died, but his eyes held a flash of amusement.

Smirking, McGee nodded, turned back around, and left.

With a small smile of his own, Gibbs turned back and headed in the direction of Tony's room.

If nothing else, Gibbs mused, they were one step closer to things being back to normal.

Just a side note, the line about Abby's uncle being 'Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds' isn't mine. I happened to be watching an episode of the Nanny when writing that scene, and they used a similar line in the show. It just kina fit with what I was writing and I love that particular scene in the Nanny so much, I just had to add it, lol! :)

I'm not to happy with how I ended the scene with Tony and Tim either, but I hope you guys like it.

Anyway, PLEASE leave me a review. They fuel my muse, and get my fingers typing faster. ;)