Hi, thanks for all your reviews and for reading! I believe one more chapter after this one

(Working on another sequel to Other Side of the Coin)

xxx

Gibbs held up his hand when he heard a shot fired in the underground shelter not too long after McCadden had entered. They were now surrounding the hatch to the cellar, ready to move forward. He trotted the last couple of steps, approaching the hatch door then swiftly lifting it while addressing the occupants, "NCIS! Drop your weapons and come out with your hands up!" When there was no obvious signs of anyone vacating, he motioned for his team to proceed.

Another shot was heard, causing them to stop with caution. Ziva resumed, barreling past Gibbs and Tony, "McGee!" She entered, running down the stairs,just in time to see Tim take down McCadden, as they both fell against the wall of the cellar. Tim rose, then staggered, his wrists bound behind his back.

Tim faintly heard Gibbs' voice, followed by Ziva's, announce their presence as they entered the cellar. He felt a huge sense of relief as he collapsed to his knees from complete exhaustion, his head bowing forward onto his chest. His eyes closed and his body swayed. McCadden struggled to stand back up while aiming his gun directly at Tim's chest.

"Tim! No!"

"Probie!"

All within the same time frame, a shot blast filled the room as Ziva stopped, taking aim; sending a knife into the side of McCadden's knee while Tony had already dove, flying across the room, slamming into Tim and knocking the air out of him while sending him crashing to his side, as they both landed roughly onto the floor. McCadden went down, dropping his gun, screaming as he clutched his knee with both hands.

Tim lay under Tony, feeling too weak to open his eyes, let alone, move his body. He allowed himself to succumb to the position he fell in, yielding to the dirt floor. A muted moan escaped his battered lips when he was rolled over to his back, "Tim! Are you hit?! Speak to me!" Tim winced when a hand repeatedly patted the sides of his face.

"Tony? Don't yell... I can hear you. I'm tired...and I have a... headache."

"Huh? Your arm...it's bleeding! There's blood on your chest...Boss!" Tony was frantically applying pressure to a spot on Tim's upper chest as he dully cried out in unrelenting pain. "McCadden shot him in the arm and... chest! It's really bad!" Gibbs was across the small room, assisting the surveillance team in apprehending McCadden, and the commander. They had already called an ambulance. Gibbs released a resounding groan, then spoke loudly from across the room with concern, "Apply pressure,Tony!The ambulance is on its way. I'll be over in a sec!"

Tim took a moment to concentrate as he studied Tony, leaning directly over him. "No, that's you Tony, he shot you...in the arm. I'm...already shot...and, you're ...bleeding on me." Tim's words were weak and slow; his eyes began to close as he started to welcome the black that dominated his vision.

"Hey! We both got shot in the arm, probie!" Tony gave Tim a little enthusiastic shake.

Tim's eyes popped open, "Yeah, something for the...scrapbooks, huh?"

He felt his face cradled in two compassionate hands, his head nestled in a warm lap. "McGee, are you okay? Please...look at me. I need to see your eyes...your beautiful eyes...open." He cracked his eyelids, an energy building in his chest, elated to finally see the face of the person he thought of the whole time his life was hanging in the balance while trying not to believe he had no chance of survival. One of the remote people in the background who had helped him through this while not having a single clue how much she meant to him.

"Ziva." He smiled. Their eyes met as she tried to contain the flood of emotions that consumed her. She held her closed mouth, attempting to contain a cry of accomplishment. "Tony...please, help me get him up off this cold floor." Her voice was shaky and broken as she futilely tugged on his shoulders.

Tony scooched over then looped his hands under McGee's arms, pulling him up, as Tim cringed. With Tim's close contact, Tony was suddenly overwhelmed with the fact that his lost team mate was indeed alive, wrapping his arms around him from behind, his emotions getting the better of him as he pulled the young man into a strong hug, while resting his cheek on his shoulder. "Tim...buddy...finally. I thought we'd never get you back. I thought you died...then I heard the shots..."

The commander and McCadden were taken into custody and lead away by the backup team. Fred and George were unconscious and restrained as they would remain where they were till the paramedics arrived. Gibbs had finished securing the area so joined his team, smiling ear to ear. He kneeled by Tim cupping his cheek, "You're going to be all right. You don't know how long I've been wanting to say that."

Tim opened his eyes, tilting his head in George's direction. "Boss...is that one there, Mike-I mean... George going to be okay? He saved my life."

"He should be okay, Tim. He was shot in the shoulder." Tim sighed. "Cut him loose, DiNozzo."

Tim's eyes were now closed as he was fading fast. He slumped to the side as Tony held him up so Ziva was able to carefully cut his ropes. As soon as he was loose, tears of pain streamed down his face, his arms falling limply to his sides, his stiff muscles, releasing with the forceful sensation of pins and needles combined with shooting streaks of sharp pain. With the release came a second wind for Tim, a realization that he was free and saved. He relished in the fact that his family was now surrounding him; wallowing in appreciation with his recovery. With Tony's arms encircling him, warmly and Ziva compassionately stroking his forehead he felt he could finally let go of the fight. Tim tried his best to speak, touched by Gibbs' contentedness and smile of admiration that he readily possessed, "Boss...yous.. found me... Thanks... for that." Tony held him tighter as he drifted off.

"Oh, McGee." Ziva leaned against Tony, wrapping her arms around her boys, knowing she could finally relax and the fear of not knowing if Tim would be recovered was gone.

"Boss, did McCadden say why? Did you get any kind of clues why all this happened?"
"No, but what I heard form the commander, McCadden and the commander were 'business associates' and it would seem that once he found out Fred had abducted Tim, McCadden saw it as a chance to locate a witness registered in WitSec that would tie him in with some kind of case that he was involved in. I'm sure we'll be getting more answers soon after McCadden is interrogated. How bad is Tim?"

Ziva quietly answered, "He'll be fine, Gibbs, now that this ordeal is finally over and we can take him home."