AN: I've got a laptop to write on now- It needs a replacement keyboard. I'm using a regular one right now which is really awkward and delays my typing speed like whoa. I just need to somehow summon $35 to appear magically in my account so I can order it and install.
Anyway, here ya go!

*~.~*

"Is it really you or am I dreaming?" Tony asked, his eyes shimmering with unshed tears. "McGee?"

"Tony, you're awake," Tim said, concern in his voice as Gibbs stood from the table and took the few steps to get to his SFA.

"We weren't sure how long it'd take you to wake up this time. Real glad you didn't take too long," Gibbs said before pulling him into an embrace. He felt Tony's arms grab around him fiercely, a breath shakily escaping.

"God am I glad to see you guys. I've missed the hell outta you." His eyes squeezed shut and Tim watched tears stream from them. "Fornell finally send me back? I can't really remember..."

Gibbs pulled away, keeping him at arms length as he appraised him. "What's the last thing you do remember?"

"Uhhh..." Tony looked at him strangely. "Getting ready for bed." His eyes darted somewhere in front of him in thought then. "I think someone...stuck me in the neck," he said as he rubbed the side of his neck absentmindedly.

"C'mon," Gibbs said as he led Tony to sit where he had previously been. "You hungry?"

"Starving."

"Here," he said, sliding his plate to him.

"Thanks," he replied, immediately digging in.

"Is there more, Tim?"

"Sure, boss. I'll make more toast too." He stood and put two slices of bread in the toaster, then picked up the frying pan to scoop more eggs onto Tony's plate. He stood there and watched him eat for a moment. A thought occurred to him and he went to the fridge, got out the half gallon of milk, stuck the pan in the sink and grabbed a clean glass. The toast popped, so McGee abandoned the glass for a moment to fix that, then brought it and the milk to Tony.

"Hey thanks, man," Tony said around a mouthful of food.

Tim took a seat beside him, Gibbs on the other side, observing. "So," Tim began, "You remember being undercover, then being stuck with something," he verified.

"Pretty sure it was a needle," Tony replied.

"Anything after that?"

"Waking up here. What'd you guys come rescue me from the endless torture Fornell called an apartment? Because don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled to be back and elated that all that's over with, but I'm a little hazy on why exactly it's all over."

"You were kidnapped," Gibbs said. "John Townsend ring a bell?"

"Johnny? Yeah he was my lead mark."

"He shot you and Fornell."

Tony dropped his fork to the plate and looked back and forth between Tim and Gibbs. "Is he okay?"

"He was grazed. He's at Bethesda for observation. You weren't so lucky. At least...not at first."

"That bastard killed you," Tim chimed in. "Shot you in the head. You were dead, Tony. In cold storage for half a day almost."

Tony would've been more shaken if he wasn't so concerned by the haunted look in McGee's eyes. "Wait... What?" He began looking himself over. "I may have missed something here..."

"Your ability to heal is back," Gibbs told him. "We were on our way back home with you in a body bag, dead. Then suddenly your heart started up."

Tony was silent for a couple of minutes, his eyes focusing on the table top as he thought everything over. "How did you even find us?" he asked when he finally spoke again.

Gibbs glanced to McGee, then pulled his ringing phone from his pocket, stood from the table and answered the call in the living room.

"You told me," Tim replied to his question.

"Uhhh what does that mean exactly?"

"I don't think you knew it, but you were sending signals for weeks."

"Signals..?"

"I was feeling your emotions. Man, I thought I was losing my mind. Coupled with the fact that we were missing you so damn much, I swear I would've cracked if I hadn't figured it out." Tony said nothing, but his gaze had fallen back on the table as he absorbed the words. "Then I was getting visions of that place they took you to. It's how we got to you in time to get Townsend. Unfortunately not before he got you in the temple..."

Tony looked at him again. "He shot me in the head... No wonder there's time missing in there."

"When he shot you it did something to me," Tim continued. Tony immediately met his eyes again. "I was out cold a few hours. Couldn't even speak after that. There was something...just... I don't know how to explain it."

"Like something got torn out," Tony surmised.

"Yeah. But then when your heart started beating, I could feel it. I mean before I opened up that body bag I just knew. I knew you were back somehow."

Gibbs had finished his call and was merely standing in the doorway listening in on the conversation. He had figured Tim had felt something that had made him want to open that body bag, but hearing him say it made it real. They were still connected by whatever force Tony had used to save him.

"It's a little strange that we still have that," Tony said. "I don't mean that it's bad, I just mean... When you shot Gideon, he was absolutely out of my head for good. Although..."

"He's been sleeping since then," Tim finished for him.

"This is so weird," Tony said with a laugh as he pushed up nervously from the table. "I can't believe after all this time, this stuff is still inside me."

"We were surprised too... But the whole visions thing kinda hinted at it."

"I wonder if..." Tony didn't bother to finish his statement, but rather turned to his seat and held his arm out toward his mostly empty plate. Immediately it rose from the table. "Oh my God." He moved it all the way to the sink. Then he went back for Gibbs' plate and did the same. "This is... This is...exciting and terrifying and I'm not sure how to feel right now." He turned back to the table and held both hands out, levitating the chairs, Tim in one of them.

"Uh.. Uhhhhhhh! Tony?"

"Look at this! Gibbs, are your seeing this?" Tony turned his head and levitated the broom in the corner, then made it sweep. "I'm the freaking Sorcerer's Apprentice!"

"Okay, you might wanna put Tim down before he gets seasick all over my kitchen," Gibbs said. Tony laughed, but obliged and carefully set everything back in its place.

"I... That was...awesome!" he said with a huge grin. Then blood poured from his nose. Tim hurriedly grabbed a rag and handed it to him.

"Yeah it's been a while since you used those," he said. "Baby steps, show off."

Tony laughed as he held the cloth to his nose. Then without warning he crumbled to the floor unconscious...

*~.~*

"C'mon, come back to us, Tony." Tony could hear Gibbs talking beside him, and he tried to open his eyes, but the current pain in his head was making that super difficult. He groaned instead, giving them a sign that he was conscious. "That's it. Just gotta open your eyes."

"I know your head's killing you," Tim said. "If you can sit up, I've got a glass of milk here with your name on it." Without opening his eyes, Tony reached out on either side of him, seeking assistance. Gibbs pulled him up a bit and slid a knee behind Tony's back so he could lean back on it. "Here ya go, Tony. Just let me hold it, and you drink." Tim put a hand behind Tony's head and led the glass to Tony's lips. Tony drank from it, slowly at first, and then grabbed the glass with his own hand and began guzzling the rest down.

'Ahh...does a body good," Tony said with a grin as he was now able to open his eyes. "Thanks, guys," he said as he handed the glass back to Tim, glancing between the two of them for a moment before pushing himself up to stand. "Sorry about that. Guess I need some field time with it before I try doing something like that again."

"You start out small," Gibbs demanded. "And no doing it alone."

"Sorry, boss. I was just so surprised at how easy it was. I mean...much easier than before. I feel stronger, but obviously it's not gonna be that simple."

"We need to figure out a way to counteract the reaction," Tim said. "Maybe create a supplement you can take daily that would time-release." It was easy to slide back into Contingency-mode, even after years without having to think much about it besides the constant checking in with Camper. "I can have a meeting with Abby and Ducky about it. Maybe we could figure something out together."

"Well you go do that, McGeeksquad. In fact, force everyone over here after work. I missed the hell outta everyone and I'd kill for a family get together."

*~.~*

The whole group had come by once they knew Tony was awake and okay. They were seated around the table, squished together in some places but not necessarily complaining either. They were just about finished with their meal when Ellie went for a refill.

"Allow me, dear lady," Tony said before Ellie could reach for the pitcher. "I've been practicing all day," he said with a grin. Ellie expected him to simply pour her drink for her. Instead, she watched the pitcher lift off of the table by itself. Her face was unreadable, like almost everyone else except Jimmy and Abby who simply looked excited; Abby tapping her fingers together in a silent clap.

"Say when," Tony said as the pitcher began to tip and pour into her glass. She seemed mesmerized, right up until the glass was on the brink of full, and she shook her head as if to clear it.

"When." The pitcher lowered back down to its original position on the table. As the group gave him a round of applause, Gibbs and McGee watched Tony's face for any sign of impending discomfort, but saw none. "Holy crap, Tony!" Bishop said once her words came back to her. "That's...amazing!"

"If I ever lose my place at NCIS, I know I can always perform at cruises, eh?" he said with a smirk. He felt Gibbs' hand smack the back of his head. "Sorry, boss." It had been far too long since he'd had one of those, and as he gazed over at the older agent, Gibbs' slight grin gave away that he'd felt as nostalgic about it.

"Okay, so about this supplement project," Abby said to Tim. "You know I researched it a bit back when we initially discovered how it helps Tony to recover. I'm theorizing that it has to do with the lactose. The glucose and galactose combination seems to be hyper reactive to the Contingency molecules."

While she, Tim and Ducky discussed the subject along with Jimmy, the others began to clear the table.

"Before you say anything," Tony said as he put a pile of dishes beside the sink. "You said small, and that was small."

"I also said not alone," Gibbs replied.

"I was here the whole time. And I had milk on hand through it all." Tony held up a finger when Gibbs seemed ready to argue about the semantics. "Better to seek forgiveness than ask permission."

Gibbs clamped his mouth shut, turning to the sink in thought as he started the water running. "Fine," he said finally. "You're forgiven. This time. Next time, you come get me."

"Scout's honor," he replied. "As penance, I'll do the dishes."

"I was gonna make you do that anyway," Gibbs said with a smirk.

Ellie smiled at them. "I'll dry!"

"Boss, can I-"

"No."

"You're no fun, Gibbs."

"I didn't say I was entertaining anyone tonight." He grinned and went back out to the table.

"He's a party pooper, that one," Tony said to Bishop. She let out a small laugh before tackling Tony with a huge hug. "Whoa! What's all this for?" he asked, hesitantly returning the hug.

"I just missed you being around," she replied, the pulled away and looked up at him. "I'm really glad you're back."

"Thanks," he said with a grin. "Now multiply that times a thousand and you'll get how glad I am to be back." She smiled back at him, but then Tony's grin faded. His eyes narrowed and he wasn't exactly looking at her anymore. It wasn't until he put a hand over his stomach and made a pain-filled grunting sound that she became worried.

"Tony? Are you sick?"

*~.~*

Gibbs half listened to the conversation between the medical scholars as he stacked up the rest of the things needing to be taken back to the kitchen. He understood some of it, but the bigger words he new to be Latin or something, started sounding like code language, and he opted out. He looked over at McGee when the younger man suddenly stopped talking. His eyes were downcast, moving quickly back and forth as though he were thinking. The pinch in his brows and sudden acceleration in his breathing, however, had Gibbs walking to him.

"Tim?" he asked, a hand on his shoulder.

Tim looked up at him with somewhat bloodshot eyes. "It's Gideon," he said, eyes wide with apprehension.

"What?"

"He's communicating with Tony..."

A plate crashing to the floor had them both looking toward the kitchen before rushing in. "Tony?" Ellie had his face in her hands where they stood. Tony was stock still, arms loosely hanging at his sides as he stood there. The most frightening part, though, was how his eyes were completely white. Or perhaps rolled so far back into his head that they couldn't see them anymore...