Ziva approached Tony's room quietly, listening to a conversation that was taking place inside.

"But what if she gets here and we're not here and she thinks we're gone?" Tony said, worriedly.

"Someone will let her know where you are, sugar," the familiar voice of the nurse replied.

"But she might not be able to stay long, and then I won't get to see her today." Ziva chose that moment to enter, and Tony's eyes lit up. "Ziva! You made it!" he smiled.

"I told you I would come," she smiled and realized he was in a wheelchair. "Are you going somewhere?"

"Yeah, we're going outside for a walk," he replied. "Wanna come? They're takin' me down in a chair so I don't get too tired before I actually get there."

"I would love to walk with you, Tony," she told him.

Tony smiled and glanced up at Gibbs. "She's gonna walk with us, Gibbs."

"Yep, I heard," he ruffed his hair. "Ready to go?" Tony nodded enthusiastically.

*~.~*

As Tony was wheeled out of the giant sliding-glass doors out to the garden, he closed his eyes lightly against the bright sun. Feeling the warmth on his face, even amidst the cool of the evening. He breathed in, deeply.

"You okay?" Gibbs asked.

"Yeah," he nodded and opened his eyes. "It's been so long since I was outside. I almost forgot what it smelled like."

"It smells nice, yes?" Ziva asked.

"I feel like I'm taking my first breath," he said, not knowing any other way to describe it. "Think they would move my bed out here?" he asked. "I wanna be out here all day."

"I think you can stay out here until it's time to sleep," Gibbs suggested. "It'll start to get pretty cold in a while, once the sun goes down. But when we go home tomorrow, you can go out on my deck as often as you want."

"Okay," he smiled.

"You ready for your walk?" he asked.

"Yeah," he replied, moving to stand, and grateful he'd been allowed to put on some sweatpants and a teeshirt instead of wearing the gown out there. Gibbs and Ziva helped him to stand, and they began their walk as the nurse followed a bit behind them with the chair. The walked halfway around the garden without Tony needing any assistance.

"I am impressed," Ziva smiled as he walked confidently. "McGee told me that you'd be up and around, but I did not expect that you'd be so strong this soon."

Tony smiled proudly. "Did he tell you I get to go home tomorrow?"

"He did! I am very happy for you, Tony." She glanced at Gibbs, smirking as he did as well.

"Anthony!" Tony turned to the sound of Ducky's voice and nearly lost his balance had Gibbs and Ziva not been there to hold onto.

"Hi, Ducky!" Tony exclaimed, excitedly. "I didn't know you were coming, too!"

"Timothy told me your tests came back much improved and that they're releasing you tomorrow. I thought I'd stop by and see you for myself. And here you are, walking about like you were good as new," he smiled.

"I am," he claimed. "But I get tired pretty fast," he told him, and the lot of them realized he was slightly out of breath. "I think I might need a break, actually," he said as his legs began to give out.

"Whoa there," Gibbs caught him with strong arms as the nurse wheeled the chair up behind Tony. "Here we go; chair's right behind you," they lowered him down.

"I'm sorry... Hopefully, soon, I won't...need so much help," he said as he tried to catch his breath.

"It'll be soon," Gibbs squeezed his shoulder. "Don't you worry. And we don't mind helpin' you, Tony."

"I'll go get you some water," the nurse said, turning to walk back into the hospital.

"Ya know," Tony looked up at Gibbs as the three of them moved to stand in front of him, "Maybe they can give me bionic implants like The Six Million Dollar Man," he grinned. "Then you won't even have to help me at all!"

"Well," Ducky chuckled, "The problem with that is, we don't have six million dollars, for one. And there's nothing wrong with your legs, or any other part of you. You just need to exercise and you'll be good as new in no time," he smiled and patted his shoulder. Then he looked to Gibbs, "I uh...also came by to give you a bit of an update on the case." He glanced at Ziva, and she seemed to get the hint.

Looking down at Tony, she leaned in a bit, "Tony, would you like to come sit in the sun with me?" she pointed out an area in the middle of the garden that wasn't shaded. He nodded and gave her a shy smile.

"I won't keep Jethro for very long, lad," Ducky told him, and they parted ways; Gibbs and Ducky walking a bit farther down the path, and Ziva and Tony heading to a warm spot in the sun. Ziva secured the brakes on the chair. "Come sit in the grass with me," she smiled, holding her hand out for him to grasp.

"Are we allowed to?" Tony gave her an incredulous look.

"I believe it was Tony who once told me to 'live a little'," she winked. He grinned and took her hand, and they were soon giggling as they sat in the grass amidst the white daisies. "You can smell them better down here," she said.

Tony inhaled long and deep through his nose. He closed his eyes as the smell of the daisies and the fresh grass filled his nostrils. In the distance, he could hear birds chirping and people talking and cars driving by. Things he couldn't hear when he was in the bad place...

Soon, Ziva watched as he leaned toward her and laid his head on her shoulder, hugging both of his arms around Ziva's arm that was closest to him. "Thanks for being my friend, Ziva," he whispered.

Her heart nearly melted and she had to blink back a tear. "Thank you for being mine."

*~.~*

"Shaun Cullen is being charged with first degree murder," Ducky informed Gibbs as they walked. "And conspiracy to commit murder, along with the charge for assisting Michael in covering up the murder of Jessica Cullen. There's no chance for bail or parole before the trial."

"Good," Gibbs nodded, stopping in the path and turning to face where Ziva and Tony sat.

Ducky grew concerned as Gibbs' focus seemed to wander, "Are you alright, Jethro?"

Gibbs looked at him and took a breath. "I'm worried about Tony. I'm not so sure this 'identity' is new."

"Whatever do you mean?" he narrowed his eyes.

"He remembers seein' things that happened years ago, Duck. He's been sayin' he can see sometimes, when Tony is scared or sad. He remembers bein' sick with the plague. He remembers watchin' Kate die," he met Ducky's eyes.

Ducky's eyes darted about somewhere in the air between them, in thought. "Oh my. Well...that certainly was...unexpected."

"What's it mean, though?"

"It could mean a number of things...or it could mean nothing. He may simply have displaced memories from our Tony, intermingled with his own. Or...there was another trauma in his life where this identity became separated from his own. But there are no records of any such trauma happening, and certainly nothing indicating he'd ever been treated in a psychiatric facility."

"What does this mean for his recovery, Ducky?" Gibbs asked, worriedly, as he looked across the garden at Tony, who was now resting his head on Ziva's shoulder.

"I'm not exactly certain of that, Jethro," he replied, regretfully. "It's something you should mention to the specialist you'll have coming to the house."

Gibbs nodded and his attention was drawn toward Tony again, just as a little girl with her head wrapped in bandages wheeled up to where they were sitting. He recognized her...and her toy. He began a quick pace toward them...

*~.~*

"Hi," a little girl's voice pulled Tony from near sleep, and he turned to look up at her.

"Hi," he replied.

"Hello," Ziva said. "What is your name?"

"Charlotte."

"Hello, Charlotte."

"What happened to your head?" Tony asked with a furrowed brow.

"Nothin' anymore," she said. "I had Rasmussen's encephalitis. They had to do surgery, but this is on 'cause the stitches are still in. I'm in the room two doors down from you," she told him.

"Really?" Tony asked.

"Yup. And I'm real sorry my bear made you scared," she frowned and looked down at her lap.

"...What?" Tony cocked his head.

"When the song was playin', I heard you get real scared, and I heard the man in your room say it was 'cause of my toy. I didn't know it would scare anybody."

Tony was vaguely aware of Gibbs coming toward them, slowing his pace as he listened to them talk.

"It's okay," Tony told her. "It didn't scare me; just made me remember somethin' bad that happened."

"Somethin' that made you sick and have to come to the hospital?" she asked. Tony nodded. "Are you gonna be okay?" she asked, eying the bandages on his wrists and the back of his neck.

"Yep. I go home tomorrow. What about you? Are you gonna be okay now?"

"That's what the doctors say, and my mom. But I've gotta stay a lot longer 'cause I gotta learn to walk all over again."

"You forgot how to walk?" Tony gave her an incredulous look.

Charlotte giggled, "The sickness made me forget how to walk, Tony. But the sickness is gone now, so I can learn again."

"How'd you know my name?" he asked.

"I heard the man say it, when you were crying..." she looked down at her bear.

"How old are you, Charlotte?" Ziva asked, attempting to change the subject.

"I'm ten and a half," she smiled.

Tony smiled big, "Me too!"

Charlotte broke into a fit of giggles, "You're funny, Tony!" Tony bit his lip, remembering that he didn't really look ten years old at all.

"Come now, Charlotte," a woman said as she approached her chair and gripped the handles. "It's time for you medication and a nap."

"Aw...okay. Bye, Tony!" she waved.

"See ya later," he said softly and waved back. He looked up at Gibbs as he reached them, blocking the sun. "That was Charlotte," he told him.

"I heard," he smirked.

"She's nice," he looked down as he plucked some of the grass with his fingers.

Gibbs crouched down in front of him, "Somethin' wrong?"

"She can't walk," he said. "She's gotta learn all over again." He met Gibbs' eyes, "Guess I'm pretty lucky, huh?"

Gibbs mouth curled up on one side. "C'mon, Tony," he ruffed his hair as he stood and held out a hand, "Before the nurse comes back an' catches you in the grass."

*~.~*

It was late evening when Tony agreed to return to the room, and immediately fell asleep once his head hit the pillow. Gibbs was pulling the blanket up over his shoulders when he heard a light tapping on the door. He turned to see Charlotte's mother leaning up against the trim with a small smile on her face.

"I was hoping to catch him while he was awake," she whispered.

"Just fell asleep a couple of minutes ago," Gibbs replied, stepping a bit closer so they could continue whispering.

"I'm Karen," she held her hand out and Gibbs took it.

"Gibbs," he introduced himself. She nodded, as if she'd already known.

"I just...wanted to thank him. I haven't heard Charlie laugh like that in a really long time. I was beginning to think I wouldn't again," her eyes shone a bit, but she smiled and shook her head to keep any threatening tears away.

"Tony has that affect on people," he smiled. "I heard her talkin' to him. She's a real smart girl."

"Yes, she is. I'm very lucky. We're both very lucky. I was terrified about the surgery, but she's doing so well, I think it was the right decision. Difficult...but right," she smiled.

Gibbs cocked his head, "The right ones usually are."

She nodded, and there was a silence that filled the air as the both looked over at Tony's sleeping form curled up facing away from them. "I take it, since he calls you by name, that he's not your son?"

Gibbs smirked, "No, he's not. We work together. But...I'd be proud to call him my son."

"That's sweet," she grinned. "Though you don't look old enough to be his father."

He smiled at that, "Flattery...will only get you so far, Karen."

She silently laughed. "We um..." her face grew serious, "Didn't mean to eavesdrop, Gibbs. But being cooped up in a small room for weeks without a television, you tend to start listening to what's going on on the floor." He narrowed his eyes as she continued to talk. "I don't know what happened to Tony, but I wanted you to know...Charlotte's been praying for him since he came here; for whatever it's worth," she gave him a small smile. "And for as long as we've been in and out of hospitals, she's never talked to anyone else. She's always been a good judge of character, and she seems to have grown pretty fond of him."

"He usually doesn't click very well with kids," he smirked. "I think he'll be surprised to hear that."

"When he comes to visit his nurse, Tara, Charlie would be thrilled if he came in to say hello."

"We'll do that, Karen. It was good to meet you."

11 00 11 00 11

...The Bad Place...

Tony awoke to a banging sound; an insistent pounding that echoed over and over in his head. He groaned and covered his ears, curling into himself where he lay under the table. He couldn't tell where the noise was coming from, but it wouldn't stop.

Part of him thought maybe Cullen had accidentally locked himself out. He hadn't seen him in days, and the darkness, though cold and lonely, was better than whatever Cullen would do to him if he came back.

Try as he might, Tony hadn't been able to move out from under the table. And truth be told, he didn't try very hard. Knowing his luck, as soon as he did, Cullen would walk in and find him, and he couldn't chance that; he couldn't take any more...

The pounding grew louder and more persistent. It seemed like someone was yelling on the other side. But all Tony could think was that Cullen was going to bang that door down, come in and start doing more horrid things to him. All he'd been waiting for, was to die... If Cullen came in, he'd give him water and just enough of something to keep him alive for more torture. But Tony couldn't take it again. No more. He wanted to die, and he'd waited for so long. But death never came...

He pressed his hands tighter against his ears. And he cried...

11 00 11 00 11

When Gibbs woke up, the sun was shining through the window. As he stretched, he glanced at his watch to find it was nearing 0700. He looked over at Tony. To his surprise, Tony was awake; or at least he seemed to be. His eyes were open and looking up and to the left.

Gibbs tried to find what he might be looking at, but there was nothing in that line of vision. He stood and made his way to the bed. Tony didn't flinch. He kept staring, almost as if he were sleeping with his eyes open. It gave Gibbs a chill and he reached a hand out to his shoulder.

"Tony?" he called quietly.

Tony blinked and looked over at him. For a moment, he seemed a bit confused. But then he focused and gave Gibbs a small smile. "G'morning, Gibbs."

"Mornin'," Gibbs raised his brows. "What were you doin' just now?"

Tony's eyes darted around before settling back on Gibbs. "Trying to find Tony," he said in a small voice.

Gibbs narrowed his eyes and sat down on the edge of the bed, "How?"

Tony looked at him for a long moment before answering, "I go to the door. But it's locked," he looked down at the blanket. "I know he's inside, and I keep pounding on the door, yelling for him to open it, but he doesn't hear me."

A look of shame crossed over Tony's face, and Gibbs took hold of his hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "You tried, and that's what matters," he told him. "Maybe he'll hear you next time."

Tony considered his words and his eyes wandered over to the window and suddenly grew wide. "It's morning," he said, realizing what it meant, now.

"Yep."

"I get to go home today," he looked at Gibbs for verification.

"Yep, ya do," he gave him a small smile.

11 00 11 00 11

Tbc...