Tim sat in Gibbs's guest-room ,he was curled up in bed ,trying to hide away from the shushed voices in the house. He knew everyone by now saw the shameful photos of what he did as a child,but somewhere in his mind he heard Gibbs's voice,"You did nothing wrong,Tim,this was all done to you,with you helpless to prevent it." Even if he couldn't stop what was done to him,didn't the fact that it happened,make him dirty and an used-up whore. Just by being touched and used in such a vile way,didn't it taint his soul and fill his body with dirt? He couldn't face the person that came up the stairs and into his room,hiding his guilty face against his knees.
Tony watched the curled up figure on the bed,the desperate effort to hide his face. It cut into his soul,making his heart bleed,he cursed at fate,why did it have to be this kind,gentle soul that was hurt so brutally. He wanted nothing more to just pull the huddled figure into his arms and to hold it pressed tightly against his body,while reassuring it,that no one would ever hurt him again or touch him against his will. His own troubled childhood looked like a tiny drop in the overflowing bucket the other man had to face.
He sat on the edge of the bed,staying away from the curl-up figure,"Tim, I don't know what to say. I'm sure you already heard every cliché,on how its not your fault and that you couldn't have done anything to prevent it,so I'm not going to repeat it. I just want to say that I don't think any less of you and if you still need me as a friend I will be here." He kept his own guilt at bay,feeling that this wasn't the time to ask for forgiveness for how he taunted the younger man. He was here to be there for his friend,not for peace for his own soul.
The ashamed green eyes looked up shyly,threatening tears still shining in it,"Thanks Tony,that means a lot."
"You are welcome,I came to ask if you want to join us for dinner downstairs or would you like me to bring you some up? Everyone want to see you for themselves,to let you know that they are there for you."
"I don't know if I can ,Tony."
"Probie,you are far to brave to hide in this room forever,at some time you will need to come out,to face the world. You can just as well do it now and get it over with."
Tim got out of the bed,stretching his lanky body,"Okay ,let me just wash my face." After a pause he said unsure of himself,"Will you wait for me,face them with me?"
"Yes so hurry up,the pizza is getting cold."
Gibbs gave a silent cheer when he saw the younger man follow Tony into the kitchen,the table was surrounded by an assortment of chairs to give everyone a space to sit. Ziva pushed out a chair,motioning for Tim to sit down,"Sit here Tim,I saved the seat for you." Abby piled two big slices of pizza on a plate and set it down in front of him,"Here,take it before Tony starts,he won't leave any for the rest of us ,if we don't watch out."
Jimmy set the glass of cold milk next to his plate,"I hope milk is okay?"
A sense of peace and a sense belonging settled on Tim,this small acts showed him that they still thought of him as part of their strange dysfunctional family. He had to swallow twice before he could get the first small bite of pizza past the big lump in his throat. Although he didn't contribute to the animated discussion on the latest movie that was released,it lulled him into a sense of safety. Ziva threatened Tony with one of her sharp daggers and stole the last piece of pizza for Tim,acting like a big sister,watching out for her younger brother.
After the kitchen was cleaned up ,they gathered in the living room to watch a movie. Tim was sandwiched between Abby,burrowing into his side on one side and Ziva on the other looking out for his safety. He was surrounded by the people who loved him and cared for him,it felt like he was the richest man in the world,their acceptance like a shining beacon. They relaxed that night,resting before the hunt the next day for those responsible for hurting one of their own.
Tim found the team early the next morning,gathered around the kitchen table with papers and open laptops hard at work. He cleared a space for himself and sat down to help. Agent Basset was soon found where he was hiding out at one of his families holiday homes. Abby and Tim together traced back on how he sent the e-mails,gathering the evidence too proof that he was the guilty party. It was a clever set-up,but the egocentric man made a small mistake and didn't count on the fact that Tim knew much more about computers than he would ever be able to learn in this lifetime. The FBI promised to pick him up and to shift him back to DC.
AD Walter Skinner showed up personally at Gibbs's house to apologise to the young agent and to gather the evidence the team got against him. Agent Basset was lucky to only go to jail,it could have been worse if the team got to him first,but the FBI would handle the case. Ziva and Abby felt that their duty to justice was denied as both of them knew methods to get rid of him that would be very painful and just what he deserved.
They then earnestly set out to lure the paedophile that abducted Tim,working till late at night before Ducky ushered them all to bed. During the night they woke up to the screams of fear as their gentle team-mate struggled through his nightmares. Everyone of them clenched their teeth in anger and promised with renewed persistence that they would find the monster that was responsible for it.
Gibbs rocked the sobbing man gently in his arms,soothing him to calmness with his soft,reassuring voice. He motioned for the hovering team members to leave them alone and to help their team-mate keep his dignity.
The team watched sadly as their friend joined the hunt again the next day with his eyes looking exhausted and haunted. No-one said a word about what happened the previous night,but the simple acts they did for him showed their silent support and they were relieved when the fear and uncertainty drained from his eyes and were replaced with a steely determination. Gibbs watched them in pride and was once again reminded of the privilege he had to work with such a dedicated group of people. Even Jimmy tried to help,although he was still uncertain of his own place in the team,he brewed the coffee and brought the food and Caff-Pows,eager to do the grunt tasks.
It was two days later that they had a lead on the paedophile,tracing him to a house just out of DC. Gibbs notified Vance and the team with an army of back-up set out for the house. Tim insisted on joining the task force,although Gibbs and the rest of the team wanted him to stay safely at the house. He pleaded desperately,"I need to face him for myself,to purge my soul of him." They couldn't deny the pleading eyes and at the end he and Jimmy joined the team.
The house was surrounded by a swarm of buzzing NCIS agents, the door was kicked open by Tony and they rushed in,the shouts of "NCIS" resounding like a battle-cry through the house. They stood in shocked silence,when they saw the big figure bending over the small fragile body,crying out in terror. A single shot rang out through the air and he slumped down,next to the frightened tied up boy.
Tim rushed forward,keeping every one away from the startled and frightened boy,"Everything is going to be okay,we are federal agents ,here to help you." He showed his badge to the small boy and tentatively touched him and then covered his naked,bruised body with his warm jacket."Tony get a blanket and call Jimmy.", he ordered. "Gibbs help me untie him!"
The little boy was untied and Tim sat down with the sobbing and shivering boy,"Its okay,everything is okay now. Your parents are going to be so happy that you stayed so strong and stayed alive for them." The team watched,their eyes filled with tears,in some way this act brought peace to their hurt team-mate and they could hear in his voice the things that he needed to be said when he was just a victim of the same monster.
"Jimmy here is a doctor and he is just going to check if there is something we can do for you. The ambulance is already on the way to take you to the hospital and we are going to fetch your parents."
The boy gripped onto Tim,but allowed the cursory exam. He wolfed down the juice Jimmy gave him,while still holding onto Tim with one hand. He started to whimper in fear once more ,when the EMTs arrived and wouldn't let go of Tim. Tim climbed into the ambulance with the small boy and the rest of the team set out to go and fetch his parents.
Rose and Frank Samuels hovered near the telephone for the last week,waiting anxiously for news on their little boy,they were exhausted and devastated. With everyday that passed their fear increased and hopelessness set in. Rose opened the door as soon as the two sedans stopped in front of their house her pleading eyes scanning the faces in front of her eyes,"My Daniel...?"
Gibbs saw the unbridled fear and quickly answered ,"We found him and he is alive." She almost stumbled to the floor and was tightly grasped by her shaking husband,he hoarsely asked,his voice filled with tears,"Can we see him?"
Tony gave a big comforting smile,"I think that there is nothing he would want more."
The tired team watched in awe as the frightened boy was reunited with his family. They watched as his mother and father held him protectively between their closely pressed bodies. Tim watched them with tears running down his face,looking at the way his family just accepted him unconditionally,realising that it was his parents that let him down and not the other way around.
