Hello again my fellow fanfiction readers and writers. I hope you enjoy this new chapter. Disclaimer- this is not beta'd and I don't own anything.

After hearing Tim's admittance, Vance silently reached across the table and put his hand on Tim's shoulder for support. "You made it and became a great man, no matter what the circumstances were. You succeeded. Now you help other kids succeed. Always remember that, remember those you help, those you have saved."

Tim's eyes started to water. "I haven't been able to save them all. Some still fall through the cracks. You know those days I ask for the day off? Th- Tho-Those are the days they s-slip. I always try to help but sometimes I can't." Tim had tears streaming down his cheeks and was choking on sobs

By this point, Vance had stood and walked over behind Tim and pulled him into a hug. "Tim. Whatever they did wasn't your fault. Sometimes there is nothing you can do. You tried to help them and that is what matters most." Vance took Tim's face in his hands and used his thumbs to wipe the tears away. "You tried your best, on top of a job you do to protect the nation. You do all can."

Tim sobbed into Vance's shoulder, grabbing on to his shirt and curled it into his fists. Vance just wrapped his arms around Tim again, tighter this time. "I-I couldn't save them. Nick… O-Olivia…. Campbell… S-S-Sophia… Tom… Jeremy… I couldn't save them. I-I couldn't save them…." Tim continued to say that, getting softer each time and sobbing slowly subsiding as he continued to hide his face in Vance's shoulder, tears still falling.

"Tim. Think of those you have saved, those you have helped. Think of them. The ones who have a better chance at life because of you." Vance urged into Tim's ear, still holding him tightly.

After a few minutes, Tim went limp in his arms, exhausted. Vance continued to cradle him for a few more minutes before Kayla walked into the room to get some water. She stopped when she saw the position they were in. "Kayla. I need you to go get Jared. I need his help getting Tim to the couch. He has had a rough night." Vance whispered. Kayla nodded her head before turning around and ran up the stairs to get her brother.

Seconds later he heard two sets of footsteps going down the stairs and both children came into the room. "Jared. Help me bring him into the family room and get him onto the couch. Just grab his left arm and I'll get his right." Jared nodded and grabbed the arm. Between the two of them, they were able to half carry, half drag Tim into the other room and maneuver him onto the couch. Kayla grabbed the blanket from the other sofa and put it onto Tim, tucking him in.

"Thanks for the help. I'm going to call Dr. Mallard to come over and check on him. You two can go to bed." Vance said with a sigh.

"Daddy? Is he going to be alright?" Kayla asked, scared of her new favorite agent being hurt.

"Physically, yes. Mentally, I'm not sure. He helps kids in his off time and sometimes bad things happen to those kids and it hurts him. Just like it would hurt me if either of you two get hurt." Vance said as he was always truthful with his kids, before bending down and hugging both tightly. "Thanks guys I needed that. Now I need to call Dr. Mallard. Goodnight. I love you."

"Love you too, Daddy." Kayla said softly, mindful of the sleeping man in the room, and hugged Vance again.

"Goodnight. Love you too, dad." Jared responded, before leading his younger sister away with an arm around her shoulder, looking very much like the overprotective older brother he was.

Vance grabbed his phone from the other room, where he had set it earlier before any of this blew up. He called Ducky and waited a few seconds. Ducky answered on the second ring. "Hello." Ducky said in a pleasant tone, Scottish accent as prevalent as ever.

"Dr. Mallard. I need a favor. Are you busy tonight?" Vance asked tiredly, the day's events wearing on him.

"No. I was just reading a book. Are you alright? You sound exhausted."

"That's because I am. Can you come to my house? I will explain everything when you get here, but I need you to check up on Tim McGee, so bring your medical bag."

"Timothy is at your house I take it?"

"Yes."

"Alright I will be there is five to ten minutes." With that, Ducky hung up.

Vance sighed and sat on the couch opposite of the one holding Tim. He started to go over the conversation in his head. 'If every day he has asked off has been for one of the kids, then that is around something happening once every two months. Have the kids been killing themselves or have they been attempting to or what? What has happened to those kids he mentioned? Nick, Olivia, Campbell, Sophia, Tom, and Jeremy. What happened to those kids?' He continued to think about the possibilities when he heard the telltale signs of the vintage Morgan that no doubt belonged to Ducky. Vance stood and walked to the door so he could open it before Ducky knocked.

"Hello, Dr. Mallard. Thank you for coming on such short notice."

"It was no problem Director. Though I must insist that you call me Ducky. Where is young Timothy and what happened to him?"

"He is asleep in the family room. He exhausted himself from talking about a hard topic and I wanted to make sure that was the only reason he practically passed out."

"Of course. Please show the way, sir." Ducky followed the director into the house and into the room with their sleeping friend.

Ducky took one look at Tim and started his exam. "Oh Timothy. What has happened to you this time, my dear boy?" He said while taking his blood pressure.

While Ducky started his exam Vance went to the kitchen to get the doctor and himself something to drink. He walked back into the room with two cups of tea. "Well doctor, is he alright?"

"He is asleep right now and whatever that conversation was had no lasting effects on him but there is a problem."

"What's that doctor?"

"He has some old injuries."

"Old injuries? From what?"

"I'm not sure, but I think it was a case."

"Why do you think that?"

"Because he has numerous scars on his body, I'm not sure what from though, and was... um…"

"Yes, Doctor?"

"Well…" Ducky took a deep breath. "It appears that he was shot."

Yet again I must apologize about the slight delay. I hope you enjoyed the sadness that was this chapter. I will write again soon, I hope.