Chapter 14

Ducky gently touched Tim's arm and noticed that Tim was literally shaking. Gibbs had stood up and was looking around, clearly on guard for any intruders. Ducky considered what would be best to do. That Tim was terrified and nearly out of his mind was clear. The question was how far gone was he and was this permanent.

"Timothy, why don't you come inside with us?" Ducky asked. "I'll make some tea and you can tell us about what happened."

"I don't want to...go into the room. Never again. Not again. I don't want to go in there," Tim said.

"You won't. We're just going into the kitchen. All right?"

Tim looked up at him again, stared for a moment and then nodded jerkily.

"Good. Come on, then. Jethro? Some assistance?"

Gibbs nodded and leaned over to help Tim up, but Tim looked at his gun and freaked out. He pulled away, almost crabbing walking backwards in his efforts to escape. He didn't say anything, but he was even more terrified than he had been. Ducky grabbed hold of Tim's arm and was surprised when Tim actually huddled against him...trying to get away from Gibbs and his gun.

"It's all right, Timothy. Jethro's not going to hurt you." Tim just whimpered and shook his head with his eyes closed. Ducky looked at Gibbs. "Can you put the gun away for now?"

Gibbs looked around the yard once more and nodded. He holstered his gun and then approached again.

"Timothy, see? You're fine. You're safe here."

Tim opened his eyes and looked at Gibbs. He flinched a bit but didn't resist when Gibbs helped him up. He wobbled a bit on his feet but walked under his own steam. Ducky led him into the kitchen and sat him down at the table. Tim was still shaking, but he stayed where Ducky had directed him. Gibbs looked at Ducky for a moment and then walked out of the room to make a call. Ducky started getting things out for tea. Every sound made Tim jump a little. As soon as the water was on the stove, Ducky sat down beside Tim.

Tim was staring at the table vacantly.

"Timothy?"

"I didn't do it," he whispered. "...but it's my fault...but I didn't do it."

"Timothy, what are you doing in my home?"

"I called first. No one was here. No one would know. I didn't...I didn't do it."

Now that he was getting a better look at Tim, he noticed a number of stains on his clothes that looked very much like old blood...and perhaps more.

"How did you get here?"

"I drove...and drove...and then, I didn't want to drive anymore. I got out of the car...and I...I don't know. I came here."

That was likely all he'd get from Tim until he was calmer. Ducky decided that how didn't matter so much as why.

"Why did you come here?"

"No one was here...no one would know. I didn't take anything. I promise."

"I don't think you did, lad," Ducky said, smiling a little.

"I didn't...touch anything...but I went into the bathroom and...and I...I started to wash the blood off my face." Tim swallowed hard and closed his eyes again. "...but I felt sick. I threw up. I didn't...I didn't mean to...to make a mess..." Another swallow.

Ducky could see the signs. Quickly he grabbed his kitchen garbage and brought it over.

"It's all right, Timothy."

"I cleaned it up. I tried to get rid of the...the...mess."

Then, Tim made the sounds that heralded another mess. Ducky brought up the garbage can and turned Tim toward it as he started to heave. Tim threw up and didn't miss the garbage can.

"I'm not worried, Timothy," Ducky said softly when Tim was done. "Whatever you missed, I can easily clean up myself. How long have you been here?"

Tim was almost crying and he shook his head.

"I don't know."

The teakettle started to whistle and Tim jumped at the sound.

"It's just the water boiling," Ducky said gently.

He got up from the table and walked over to his tea cupboard. He decided against any of the black or oolong teas. Tim was wound up enough. He needed to calm down, and caffeine definitely wouldn't help him. He decided on making linden flower tea. That had relaxing effects, plus it had been known to help with digestive problems. Tim probably wasn't really sick, but it could calm his stomach as it calmed his mind.

He put the linden flowers into his teapot and then poured the boiling water over them. Taking care not to make any loud noises that would startle Tim anew, Ducky quietly got out tea cups and put them on a tray along with the teapot. Then, he brought them to the table and set them down.

"You're safe here, Timothy," he said, keeping his voice low. "Don't worry."

"I can't...stop...seeing it. ...and it's my fault. ...but I didn't do it...I just...had the...the gun and...all that blood on the floor. I...I can't go back...ever...can't see that again...and...but...I have to...but...I don't want to." He closed his eyes again and shook his head.

"You don't have to go back," Ducky said firmly. That much he was sure of. Whatever had happened had pushed Tim over the edge and Ducky wouldn't allow him to go back.

Gibbs came back into the room, his gun out of sight. Ducky raised his eyebrows and Gibbs nodded. The others had been told...discreetly. They would have to figure out how best to keep Tim safe because a bunch of people descending on the Mallard home right now would be a giveaway.

The three sat silently while the linden flowers steeped in the water. Even Gibbs seemed content to stay quiet. Tim was still shaking and he had started staring at the table again. What was clear, though, is that they wouldn't be able to get the whole story out of Tim until he was calmer. He had given information but in such a disjointed fashion that it was hard to understand what he meant.

After a few minutes, Ducky poured the tea, even including Gibbs. Gibbs raised an eyebrow with a bit of a smile. Ducky just grinned and poured.

"Timothy, would you like some honey in your tea?"

A shaky nod. Ducky gave it a dollop and slid the tea over into Tim's view.

"There you go."

For a few seconds, Tim didn't move. Then, a hesitant, shaking hand reached out and picked up the cup. Tim's head lifted and he brought the tea to his lips and sipped. No one spoke for about twenty minutes. Tim was still hunched over, afraid of whatever he had seen, but his shaking had eased considerably.

"Timothy?"

"Yeah?"

A response to a question was good, no matter how brief.

"How are you feeling?"

Tim shrugged.

"Are you tired?"

Another shrug.

"Come then, lad. Why don't you take a rest? Whatever you have to say will keep until later, I'd wager."

"I slept on the floor," Tim said. "I didn't touch your things."

Ducky was surprised at that. Tim had been here longer than he'd thought.

"I'm inviting you to sleep in a bed, Timothy. You're not intruding."

He urged Tim to his feet, gently peeled his fingers off the teacup and then led him to a spare room. He sat Tim down on the bed and then eased him down. Tim curled into a fetal position as Ducky put the blanket over him.

"That's right, lad. Just relax. Rest. You're fine. You're safe."

Tim's eyes closed, but he was far from relaxed. Ducky hesitated a moment. This might be too close contact for Tim. It wasn't as though they were close at all...but then, how long had it been since Tim had let someone comfort him? He reached out and rubbed Tim's back. Tim tensed up first but then gradually started to relax. For a while, there was no sound. Tim was almost asleep when he suddenly jerked, almost to wakefulness.

"You're safe, Timothy. It's all right."

Tim relaxed and in moments, he was asleep. Ducky stayed silent for a few more minutes, making sure that Tim was really sleeping. Then, he sighed and looked back at Gibbs who was standing in the doorway. He gestured to another chair. He didn't want to leave Tim alone. Not now.

"What did he say?" Gibbs asked, keeping his voice low.

"Not much, I'm afraid, and even less that was coherent," Ducky said. "He said that he didn't kill whoever it was but that it was his fault. There's blood on his clothes. He said it was on his face as well. Spatter...more than blood."

"You're saying a head shot?"

"Possibly. Impossible to say for sure without tests...or a body."

"If so...he couldn't have killed the person," Gibbs said. "He'd have to have much longer arms."

Ducky smiled. "Agreed. He said nothing about who the victim is. He also apparently couldn't remember how he got here."

"We may not be particularly safe staying here, Duck," Gibbs said. "If he's in hiding, that means that they're looking for him. We can't stay here forever."

"We can stay here long enough. Timothy will likely be better after he wakes up. We can get him out of here if you think he'll be safer elsewhere."

"The question is...will he be willing to let you help him when he's in his right mind."

"He's already come to me for help. I'm not going to let him go back to a place that has terrified him to this extent."

"We'll need to explain that to him."

"What about you?"

"Stan called in a favor, says that I owe him big. The McGees are on their way over here, right now. Abby is seeing if she can get into the airlines and find their itinerary. Tony and Ziva are going to the airport to see if they can meet them. I wouldn't put it past these guys to try and intercept the McGees."

"What about his sister?"

"We decided to send Lee to bring her to NCIS until we can get together."

"You're trusting Agent Lee?"

"She won't stand out at Waverley."

"True."

"And Tony's going to call the retirement home and make sure that no one can get to your mother."

"Who are these people, Jethro?" Ducky asked. "What is it that allows them such freedom to do these things?"

"That's what we're going to find out. McGee needs to help us."

"Perhaps this is the time to get his help. He's been shocked out of his former state, to the extent that he broke into my home. This is not normal behavior. I may not know Timothy well, but I would guess that he has not behaved out of character ever since he has worked for DARPA."

"We'll have to see, and I don't want to give up on him, but if he's giving up on himself..."

"We won't let him."

Gibbs nodded.

"I'm going to clear the area."

Ducky nodded and resumed his place, guarding Tim as he slept.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x

Michelle Lee was not an experienced agent. She wasn't sure she liked being a field agent. It was just so different for her, and law made so much more sense.

...but right now, she was searching for Sarah McGee, not knowing her at all, having only a picture, and being told that this was something completely secret and she had to convince Sarah to come with her. This was not what she had thought she'd signed up for. Still, it was a little bracing that Gibbs was actually trusting her with something like this. She'd never really felt part of the group.

There she was.

"Sarah!" Michelle called out and waved as if she knew her.

Sarah turned and looked at her with something akin to suspicion.

"Who are you?" she asked.

Michelle hurried over so that she could be closer and talk more softly.

"My name is Michelle Lee. I work for NCIS."

"The Navy? Why are you here? What do you want with me?"

"It's about your brother."

"Tim? Is something wrong? Last I talked to him, he was going to be working at DARPA 24-7 for a while."

"I don't know everything, but we're worried that the people your brother works for might start targeting his family."

"Why?"

"He just showed up at Dr. Mallard's house and we're hoping that we'll be able to do something to get him out."

Sarah stopped in her tracks. "Out? You mean...forever?"

"Yes."

"Sign me up! Where do I go? When will we get there?" she asked.

She grabbed Michelle's arm. Michelle was surprised at how excited she was. She had expected more suspicion.

"Have you talked to my parents yet?"

"No. We don't know when they're going to get here."

"I know! They're getting here this afternoon." Sarah paused. "I...I kind of promised Tim that I wouldn't ever upset my life for him...but I think that I'm going to say, forget that promise. I'm totally blowing off my classes. This is way more important. Let's go!"

Michelle laughed a little. "Okay. Let's go. I'll call my boss and you can tell him when your parents are coming."

"Okay! Great!"

Michelle let Sarah almost drag her away from the campus. That had been easier than she expected.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x

Tim woke up with a kind of blunt feeling. He didn't want to think about what had happened, but it was right there at the front of his brain. Instead, he pushed away the emotion attached to it and tried to ignore the shock that hit him anew.

"Timothy."

Then, he suddenly remembered where he was and who had been here. He sat up quickly and looked around.

"You're all right, Timothy. You're safe here."

Tim looked around again. There was Ducky sitting on a chair, looking at him calmly. Tim shook his head.

"No. I-I shouldn't be here."

"Where should you be, then, Timothy? The place you ran from...coming here?"

"Yes. I have to." Tim started to get up.

...and was surprised when Ducky stopped him.

"Why?"

"Because it's my fault!" Tim said. "It's my fault and I can't let that happen again. Not again." The memory welled up in his mind again. Mr. Orlen...and... "Never..."

"Why do you say it's your fault, Timothy? Because they told you that?"

"Yes!" Tim said.

"Well, it's wrong. They are wrong. You are wrong for believing them. You told me that a man was killed. Is that true?"

Tim closed his eyes. All that blood...

"Yes," he whispered.

"And you did not pull the trigger."

"No."

"Then, it's not your fault."

"Yes, it is!"

"Why? Tell me why it is that it has to be your fault."

"He was asking...questions...about me...and they can't have questions. So they killed him because of me."

There was some silence. Tim chanced opening his eyes and looking at Ducky. The expression he saw could only be called pitying.

"No, Timothy. It's not your fault just because they say it is."

"It could have been my dad there. They said that it could have been him," Tim said...and it was so easy to imagine.

"All the more reason to stay away."

"No. They can do whatever they want to do and they could..." Tim didn't even want to finish the thought.

Ducky smiled at him.

"Timothy, they are not all-knowing. They are not all-powerful. If these are the same men who have controlled your life, I can understand your fear of them...but you have a chance to escape them now."

"I can't," Tim said. "They'll find my family. They'll..."

"We're already taking steps to protect them, Timothy."

"It won't work!" Tim said. "They can... They'll find..."

"Timothy, listen to me. Really listen, just for a moment. All right? I realize that you're afraid, that you're still suffering from the shock of whatever you witnessed, but listen to me. Will you?"

"Okay."

"This murder that you saw is not your fault. These people cannot change reality with their words. You didn't kill him and that means it is not your fault. You didn't tell them to do it. You were clearly shocked by the violence. You did not kill anyone. You are not at fault here. Your family will not pay the price. You can be free, Timothy...as you want to be."

"I don't know if...if I can..."

"Let yourself believe?"

Tim nodded.

"Abigail told me about the chains you put on your character in that game. Why do that in a world you can make for yourself?"

"It's all there is," Tim said. "I brought it on myself. I don't deserve to get away."

"Yes, you do," Ducky said. "Timothy...you do. You deserve to be free. Is that what you want?"

Tim shook his head, not because he didn't want it, but because the thought of it almost gave him a physical pain.

"Answer me, Timothy. Just this once. Do you want to be free?"

The answer was right there. It had been there from the first moment he had realized that he was still in a prison. He had simply hidden from it, knowing that it could never happen. Or if it could, the price was too high. Now, Ducky was telling him to voice it, to admit to what he wanted. Tim was afraid of saying it, afraid that the very act of admitting what he wanted would lead to swift retribution.

"I'm the only one here, Timothy. No one else will hear. Do you want to be free?"

Tim closed his eyes again and saw Mr. Orlen's body on the floor. He could almost see his father there instead.

"Yes," he said and started to cry. "I want to be free."

"Then, we'll help you," Ducky said. "We'll help you get free...and be safe."