Lookie here, I'm updating this story. I just gotta say 'WOW!'

Yes, sorry this is a tad late. I piled on too many projects and this one, alas, fell to the bottom of the barrel. But I am doing better, so here's hoping you get faster updates.

So, thanks for reviewing, alerting, and favoriting last chapter. Thanks for reading. Drop me a comment if you can. And I do not own these characters.

Bye!


Since being released from the hospital, McGee had started getting a few of his memories back. He remembered the well, remembered the rain, he even remembered the initial kidnapping, but he still, for the life of him, couldn't place a face or a name. What bothered him most about this is he knew he knew who it was, it was a name just on the tip of his tongue, but his memory just wouldn't dredge up the information he wanted.

So, instead, he used what he could remember to aid his team in finding the perp. Just like with Tony, Vance didn't want Tim working the case, but he hadn't been reprimanded for helping so he figured Vance wasn't exactly following his own word.

The elevator dinged, catching McGee's attention, and he looked up from his computer to see Tony walking towards the bullpen. His cuts and bruises were fading and he wasn't walking nearly as slowly, but he still looked as if he went ten rounds with a concrete block. The team hadn't seen him in two days, not since his bail hearing. Tim had a feeling he was trying to stay out of things, but if he knew his brother like he did, DiNozzo could never sit around while the others may need him.

"Hey Tim-Tim," he greeted with a forced smile, taking a seat in his desk chair. "Where's Gibbs and Ziva?" He nodded at the two empty desks, slowly rolling his chair back and forth.

"They are following up on a few witnesses," McGee replied turning his chair to look at Tony, "from the day you stole that car."

"Ah," Tony responded nodding, looking around the bullpen. "How are you?" he asked suddenly, locking eyes with the younger man.

"I'm fine. My memory is still a bit fuzzy, but it's coming back." Tim began typing again, something bothering him, and finally he looked up and softly said, "I'm sorry for this."

"McGee…" Tim could hear the underlying warning in that one word.

"No, Tony, listen. If I hadn't been grabbed then none of this would be happening." He looked down at his desk and muttered, "Maybe you should have just let me die."

"Never say that Tim," Tony snapped and McGee looked up, spotting the desperation in his brother's eyes. "Me going to jail is not your fault. It'd never be your fault, and if it came down to it I'd do it again in a heartbeat if it meant that you were safe. You're the most…" he trailed off, clearing his throat. "You're the most important person in my life. I-I don't know what I'd do…"

The elevator dinged, cutting Tony off, and both guys looked towards the car to see Ziva and Gibbs exit. Tim looked away, rubbing his eyes, while Tony stood up. "I know I'm not supposed to be here," he started meeting Gibbs' eyes, "but I thought I could help."

"You're a conflict of interest, DiNozzo," Vance said from above the team and they all looked up to see him leaning over the balcony. "I can't have you work this case, Tony."

"But…"

"I'm sorry, DiNozzo, but it's final. You'd be better off going back home." The director then pushed away from the metal edge and walked back into his office, shutting the door behind him. Tony looked at each of his teammates in turn, his eyes settling on McGee's the longest, before heading towards the elevator.

Tim jumped up, racing towards Tony, skidding to a halt as he entered the newly opened car. He gave the older man a helpless look, but all Tony did was smile and say, "Make sure you catch the son of a bitch for me, Tim-Tim." The doors closed, leaving McGee still standing there, still wracked with guilt. No matter what Tony said, Tim would never stop feeling like this was his fault.

NCIS

Tony shouldn't be there, but he couldn't help it. He slowly walked around the well he had found Tim, trying to find any clue as to who left him down there, but the rain had washed anything helpful away. He wracked his brain, trying to recall what Abby and Ziva had said about the case, but they hadn't said much. The only thing that they really said, or more like hinted at, that really intrigued him, was that nobody claimed the car he stole. It was still sitting at the impound lot. So, why would someone go to the trouble of reporting their car stolen if they weren't going to claim it?

He had mentioned this fact to Abby, and she had agreed with him, but the team still couldn't figure out if the hacker had pretended to be the car's owner or actually had been the car's owner. The plates could have been phony after all, so it was hard to say.

Tony heavily sat down, letting his legs dangle into the pit, burying his face in his hands. He kept replaying what Tim had said to him in the bullpen. His brother shouldn't have to feel all this guilt. This was all on Tony. The voice had told him he had taken his brother…

He looked up suddenly, eyes wide, and jumped to his feet. Why didn't he see it before? The answer was right in front of him all along. He just had to find out who he had killed or put away. That was a long list, and it would take a while, but surely someone out there wanted revenge for one of the many perps' whose reigns he was responsible for ending.

He jumped to his feet, heading back towards his car, but froze when he spotted a faded carving in a tall, gnarled tree. He moved towards it, reading the letters etched into the bark: Marty and Adam Cooper: Sempiternum Fratres.

Tony dug out his phone, bringing up the translating app he had McGee help him download, and typed in the words. He waited a few seconds, but finally his results gave him an answer. Two words that had him committing the two names to memory:

Brother's Forever…


For those of you who've read A Brother's Love, you know who's behind this without actually knowing WHO is behind this. According to the wiki page, the man responsible for this might have been using an alias, so I get free reign to call him whatever I want. So, his real name is Marty Cooper. Just a quick FYI.