AN: I want to start off by saying thank you to everyone who has reviewed the last couple of chapters! I'm going to get back into the swing of replying to them, I promise! Your guys' feedback was greatly appreciated. I hope you like this next installment!

Chapter 12

Tony glanced over at his partner with concern. They had been driving for just over 10 minutes and he had not said a word. "I get if you don't wanna talk about it, man, but just, you can if you need to, you know."

"Appreciate it, Tony."

"I don't know what all was said between you and Gibbs, but you know he's trying to protect you."

"I'm not the one who needs protection."

"You really don't think so?" Tony glanced over at his friend. "You wanna tell me you wouldn't be willing to die to protect them?" At Tim's silence, he continued, "That's it right there, man. We've gotta protect them, not just because it's the right thing to do but because doing it protects you too. As long as they're safe, you're safe. Can't lose you McGee. I mean, really, who else am I supposed to fight with all day? Ziva? She's liable to kill me. And Gibbs; I don't even want to think what he'd do."

Tim laughed softly and smiled over at his friend. "Thanks, Tony."

"You wanna talk about it?"

"Not much to say, really. Director didn't want me to come; Gibbs agreed, I didn't and I'm here. Mind helping me bring in the stuff from the back when we get there?"

"What all you got back there, McGoo?"

"Just some stuff I had Abby grab so I could surprise Will. You'll see."

There was a proud smile on Tim's face which caused Tony to smile as well. "He seems like a pretty cool kid."

"He is."

"He into computers?"

"Doesn't have one. He says his mom has one that he can use for school work but she usually needs it for work or class so he hasn't had any real chance to play around on one. He's really into science though."

"Science huh. Bet he loved meeting our Mistress of the Dark then, eh?"

"Oh yeah. He loved the lab and I think Abby may be one of his new favorite people."

They pulled up to a small cabin and Tony turned off the car. "Here we are, our new home sweet home. The others should be here soon but lets go ahead and start unloading."

Tim nodded and stepped out of the car headed to the, now open, trunk. "What do you think?"

Tony glanced into the trunk and smiled, clapping his partner on the back "Great idea there, Probie." He reached in and pulled out a box for a four foot tree and a bag of ornaments.

"I asked her not to get anything too big since we were going to have to bring it to a safe house. I couldn't let him be without a tree on Christmas."

"And what are those?" He gestured to a box filled with wrapped packages.

"I've got some missed Christmases to make up for." Tim grabbed out his bag before grabbing the box. "One for every one I've missed." He looked back as he heard the other car pull up.

Will climbed out of the car and immediately ran up to Tony and Tim, "We get to have a tree?"

"We might be stuck in the woods but that doesn't mean it's not still Christmas." Tim adjusted the box under his arm, attempting to keep the contents out of the boy's line of sight. "Once Agent Gibbs lets us in, how about we drop off your things in the bedroom and then you, me and your mom can get this set up, huh?"

"Yes!" Will turned back toward the other adults that had walked up. "Mom, we're gonna decorate a tree."

"I see that," she looked over at Tim and smiled. "You guys didn't have to do that."

"Don't look at me," Tony cut in. "The tree's all McPapa's idea."

"Thank you, Tim."

Tim nodded before turning back towards Will. "You want to help Tony there carry the ornaments? We don't want him to break them."

Tony opened his mouth to reply but closed it when he caught the look in his partner's eye and handed the bag to the kid. "Fine then but don't go dropping them or you'll have nothing to put on this awesome tree here."

"Right."

Tony grabbed his bag and shut the trunk before leading the small group into the cabin.

The interior was sparsely decorated. A small flight of stairs across from the door led to two small bedrooms and a bathroom. To the right of the stairs was a small living room. A couch and chair sat along one wall across from the front window with a coffee table seated before them. To the left of the stairs was a kitchen with a table and chairs and a door leading to the bathroom. "Why don't you head upstairs and claim a bed," Tim said, turning to the boy at his side. "The team will get set up down here and then we'll get this tree put up."

Will nodded before running up the stairs with his backpack. Tim set his box between the couch and chair before covering it with his coat, effectively hiding it from view. Tony propped the tree box up against the wall by the door and walked over. "Lets get set up," Gibbs said as he walked in. "The three of us will be on a rotating schedule. Two people here; one back at HQ. I got first watch. Dinozzo, you'll relieve me in the morning. David, tomorrow you'll be meeting with Balboa."

"Got it, Boss."

"Yes, Gibbs."

It didn't take long for the group to settle in. Tim set up his sleeping bag between the beds and the door of the small room where Taylor and Will would be sleeping. Tony set himself up in the other room upstairs and Ziva took one of the sedans back to headquarters.

The coffee table was pushed up against the wall beneath the window and the small tree was quickly set up on top of it, its multicolored lights glowing softly. Tim pulled the small ornaments out of the bag Abby had provided and handed them to Taylor and Will to hang on the tree.

Tony watched the small family from the couch eating popcorn while Gibbs stood near the kitchen window with a cup of coffee. Tony was sporadically tossing popcorn kernels at Tim's head, earning him an exasperated glance in return.

After a small meal all except for Gibbs retired upstairs to bed.

Tim wasn't sure how much time had passed when he was awoken by the sound of the door opening. He glanced up and saw Taylor quietly making her way out into the hallway.

Sitting up, he glanced over to the second bed and saw Will still asleep. Rolling out of his sleeping bag and standing up slowly, so as not to accidentally wake the boy, Tim quietly reached into his backpack, pulling out a small package, and followed her from the room.

He found her sitting at the bottom of the stairs, staring silently staring at the small tree. "Everything ok?"

She looked up at him silently for a moment before sighing, "No, and it won't be for a while, will it."

He sat down beside her and looked over at her. "I know this isn't how you'd ever want to spend Christmas but, we just want to make sure that you're safe. This won't last forever."

"I don't understand why it's happening in the first place. I barely know Alex."

"We'll figure it out."

"Is it horrible that part of me is grateful that woman ran into me?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, it really sucks that now we're all stuck in the middle of nowhere and that Will's Christmas was nearly ruined; but, if she hadn't run into me, I don't know if I would have ever gotten the nerve to try and find you again."

"Taylor," Tiim began with a sigh.

"I know. I screwed up. And I know that you're pissed at me. I get it but Tim, Will gets a chance to know his dad. You get a chance to know him and I…" she trailed off for a moment, looking back at the tree. "I missed you, Tim. Every day."

Tim rubbed his hands tiredly across his face before staring down at the floor. "I am mad. I know you said you were messed up and that you went to therapy. I understand that part. I'm mad that you didn't have enough faith in me. You didn't trust me. I should have been your first phone call, but I wasn't. Part of me does understand why, but a bigger part is…" He trailed off for a moment.

Taylor looked back over at him but didn't say anything. After a couple of minutes he looked up and glanced over toward the tree. "It hurts. Every year that I could get off, I spent out at the lake because you were dead and I missed you so much. No relationship has worked out for me since you. No one could ever fill that hole that you dying left in me; and then I come to find out it was all a lie."

"Tim, I."

"I know that it was your dad that told me you were dead," Tim continued, cutting her off. "I know that you never purposefully led me to believe that you were dead. But you still just up and vanished.

"You were the only reason I even survived high school long enough to graduate. That last year, you were the reason I dragged myself out of bed in the morning. I know that your father is an ass; I've always known that. I wanted to be the one who got you away from him. I wanted you to move across the country and be with me. I…" Tim caught himself as the volume of his voice started to rise. "I loved you, and you just left."

"You don't know how many nights I dreamed of you telling me that." Tim looked over in time to see a solitary tear drift down her cheek. "After you went away for school, I missed you so much. The hallways were so much lonelier. I mean, I know I had other friends, but it just wasn't right. My father was happy you were gone, and then I started to feel sick. I dreamt about you all the time. That you'd show up and we'd just run away. I loved you too. So much. I know I screwed up. I screwed up so freaking bad, but I am praying that you can find it in yourself to forgive me. Maybe not right this moment, but some day; and then, just maybe, we could start over?"

When Tim didn't respond right away, she continued, "I can't believe what you've already done for Will. You gave him back Christmas, Tim, and, regardless of anything else that happens, I will never be able to thank you enough for that."

Tim sighed and smiled slightly, bumping her shoulder gently with his. He reached down beside him and grabbed the small package of Nutter Butters that he had grabbed from his bag and held them out to her.

She looked down at them for a moment before taking them from him. "You remember."

"Happy birthday Taylor." He smiled slightly at her, laying his head gently atop hers for a moment before standing up and walking back upstairs.

AN: Sorry for the delay in this chapter guys! We had some family things come up and life got so hectic for a bit that I just didn't have time to write. Couple that with the fact that I've started writing a new original series and well...That last scene has been playing in my head since I started this story and I'm so happy its finally out there. Please let me know what you guys thing and I'll see you soon!