A/N: My humble apologies. I did not realize that the main charactors that I included in the title page were not kept when it actually posted - yes, this is a McGibbs pairing.

Posting the next chapter now to clarify that asap. Enjoy!


Six months ago - June 21, 2012 - 1900 Hours

Staring out at the endless sea, the full moon lighting the darkened world around him, Tim remained transfixed in place, caught up in the painful details of the case they had just closed. The events that had broken the case for them replayed relentlessly and repeatedly in his head. Once again, they had saved the person in danger, although this time it had been too close. Looks that could kill from his teammates and Team Leader had been directed at Tim when the end result had been the need to send their innocent victim to the hospital, still fighting for her life.

Tim couldn't blame any of them. Even Ducky and Jimmy had given him those looks that meant they too blamed him. Why shouldn't they? He had been the one who had fallen for that false tracking trail – the same kind of false trail he had learned to disbelieve long ago. He'd forsaken Gibbs rule – 'always double-check' and it had cost the team over thirty minutes – minutes in which Petty Officer Leanne Forrest could have been saved from the beating she'd endured at the hands of her psychotic ex-husband who'd kidnapped her and held her prisoner – for the sheer power trip that it gave him. Had they gotten there those precious thirty minutes earlier, she'd be going home to her kids instead of to the hospital, clinging to life.

Thankfully, Ducky had called them just before the boss had released them, with an update on Leanne. They were fortunate that she was expected to make a full physical recovery. The case files had been done and handed in hours ago and the team had all gone home, even Ducky and Jimmy. Still, here Tim sat, lost in a sea of self-recrimination and memories that would not leave him alone for a minute. He had nowhere to go – no one to go home to since the dog walker was keeping Jethro for the week– and certainly no thoughts of getting any sleep tonight. So here he sat, not even cognizant of the drizzling rain that had begun to fall.

The hand that gripped his cold, wet shoulder startled him out of his reverie, nearly stopping his heart. Looking up, he was just as shocked to see the boss standing there in front of him, paying no attention to the rain that had now turned into a steady downpour, going on around them.

"You alright?"

"Yeah." Tim answered automatically without moving from the bench. The physical state of being cold, wet and uncomfortable was beginning to make itself known, yet Tim ignored it all. He was too stricken by his failure to get things right and the very painful reality that he had almost cost an innocent woman her life, to care about his own physical well being.

"That why you're soaked to the bone and you didn't hear me talkin' to ya for well over a minute?" Gibbs asked dryly.

"Probably."Was Tim's unexpectedly short answer.

"McGee. You can't stay out here. C'mon. I'll drive you home."

Tim shook his head. "No, Boss. I'll be fine."

Rather than argue with the stubborn younger man, Gibbs scrutinized him for a minute before almost imperceptively shrugging his shoulders and turning around to leave. Completely buried in his thoughts, Tim never noticed Gibbs extracting his car keys from his jacket pocket.

Feeling disconnected, he watched the older man walk away, the looming depression edging even closer, as if anxious to suck him into its inky blackness. Mentally sinking slowly back behind the fog that had nearly overtaken him earlier, the young man remained sitting as still as a rock, despite the now relentlessly down pouring rain pelting him without mercy.

Not able to hear anything going on around him through the noise of the rain, Tim found himself startled yet again, when another hand was placed on him, this time, under his elbow as the grip on that hand became almost vice-like and the voice behind the person lifting him to his feet yelled loud enough to be heard over the downpour they were still out in.

"Get in the car, McGee! Now!"

In the wake of the boss's anger, Tim gave in without a fight, even trying to hurry his steps so the older man wouldn't have to get any more soaked than necessary. It was only a short two minutes later that both men were buckled up with the heat turned up in the car, as Gibbs drove them off the Navy Yard, silence ominously sliding into place as the invisible third person in the car.

***NCIS***

Forty-five minutes later, freshly showered and wearing a spare change of Gibbs' clothes, Tim was warmly tucked up under a heated blanket on Gibbs' couch in his living room; the boss man busy in the kitchen after having silently handed his youngest agent a piping hot mug of hot chocolate, pointedly waiting for him to drink most of it and leaving him alone with his thoughts. Laying his head back against the back of the couch, Tim closed his eyes against the negative thoughts trying to break through the piece of serenity he'd just been handed.

"Hey."

Tim opened his eyes and raised his head to look over at the boss but remained silent.

"Okay?"

Tim nodded as he offered a quiet response. "Yeah."

Not completely convinced, Gibbs looked him straight on for a long minute. "Finish your drink and get some sleep. Be in the basement if you need anything."

Tim nodded again. "Thanks."

After a quick nod in silent acceptance of Tim's appreciation, Gibbs turned and headed to his destination, knowing Tim needed to sleep. The sedative spiked hot chocolate would help with that and the boss hoped it would also help to keep the nightmares at bay. One never could tell how badly a case like the one they'd just had would follow them home.

He knew Tim would take this one very personal and very hard; especially when the team had all been quick to lay the blame for the time they'd lost in the investigation at the feet of the youngest agent. For that, Gibbs knew, he, as Team Leader, had to take responsibility, since the team followed his lead in things like that. It was up to him to make sure Tim got through this and to see to it that the team let Tim off the hook he should not have been on in the first place.

***NCIS***

Pulled by something he couldn't put his finger on; from the depths of yet another replay in his head of the case gone badly and with his nerves feeling pulled too tight, Tim blearily opened his eyes, and looked around the room, barely lit by the moon. Feeling off balance by not recognizing his whereabouts, he sat up and took a minute to think about what he last remembered before he'd fallen asleep. Finally remembering where he was and why he was there, Tim glanced at his watch and frowned. 0230?

Realizing he'd actually gotten a few hours of sleep, he suddenly felt too restless to sit still any longer, despite the terribly early hour and the fact that he was not at home. Wandering his way to the kitchen in the dimly lit house, the thought crossed his mind that he was thankful Gibbs hadn't turned every light out. He was startled to find the coffee pot not only half-full, but when he reached out to touch it, found it as hot as if it were just brewed. Reaching into the dish drainer, he withdrew the mug he'd used earlier for his hot chocolate and filled it with coffee, barely registering the surprise at finding it washed and dried in here instead of where he'd left it when he'd finished the drink earlier.

As he sipped at the fresh dose of caffeine, the sounds of Gibbs working in his basement reached his ears and drew him down to watch. Silently, he planted himself on the steps and turned his eyes to the older man, currently sanding away on what appeared to be another boat.

Setting the hand tool down he'd been using; Gibbs looked over at his agent. "You okay?"

"Yeah." Tim admitted. "Guess I just needed the sleep."

"Not gonna leave you that easy."

"I know." Tim answered sadly as he shifted around on the steps, his feet now on the step below the one he was sitting on. "It never does."

Gibbs walked over, sat down next to him on the step and looked at him more closely. "You still carry the others around with you." The quiet statement let Tim knew that the boss understood exactly what it was Tim wasn't expressing.

"Every day." Tim replied honestly

"You never said anything."

Tim shook his head in silent refusal to even speak on it any further.

"Can't let it get to you the way you did earlier tonight."

"Almost costing someone their life tends to hit me that way." Tim replied somberly as his shoulders lost some of their height and his head seemed to fall a little further down on his neck. "It's worse when I actually do get someone killed, of course."

"Wasn't your fault, Tim" the Boss offered. "Shouldn't have made you feel like it was."

"You didn't." Tim corrected meekly, careful not to sound like he didn't appreciate the apology he hadn't expected but was being handed. "I mean, no more than I did myself, which …"

"Needs to stop. Beating yourself up over this won't do you any good. Gotta learn to let it go."

Tim nodded because he knew the older man was right; even if putting that into practice seemed like an impossible task at the moment. In fact, he still struggled with it quite a bit, whenever life slowed down enough for him to think about things a bit.

As if he read Tim's mind, the boss spoke again, "Not easy to believe. But you'll get there."

Tim smiled softly as he looked away.

Looking Tim over carefully one more time, Gibbs briefly gripped the young man's shoulder supportively before getting to his feet. "Just remember, my door's always open."

"Thanks, Boss."

Nodding, Gibbs returned to his boat and took up sanding again, leaving Tim to think about what they'd just discussed.

Getting comfortable on the step once more, Tim went back to watching the older man work. The soothing sounds of Gibbs working, as well as the repetitive calm movements in the now comfortable silence, soon lulled him to sleep, his head falling back against the wall with a dull thump.

He never noticed the older man look over at him with an almost affectionate expression on his face or even realized some thirty minutes later, that he was being helped up the stairs and over to the couch where he was gently laid out. Neither the pillow being tucked under his head, the blanket being placed over him, nor the gentle hand sweeping the hair back from his face registered with him.

***NCIS***

Morning found Tim waking up at five, his usual wake-up time, on Gibbs' couch, but this time he felt no sense of disorientation or even concern. In fact, he felt rested and as close to being at peace as he could, considering the events of the previous day. Getting up to face the day, he was met by the sight of his gym bag from the trunk of his car, sitting on the chair, waiting for him and his need to take a shower before heading in to work.

Unwilling to impose on the man or disrupt his routine any longer, Tim made quick work of downing a cup of coffee, writing out a brief note for Gibbs and heading outside to call for a cab. He walked away from the house while he waited for his ride to get there, so the sounds of an approaching car wouldn't wake the Team Leader. Ten minutes later, Tim was on his way home for a quick shower and a change of clothes as Gibbs was left peacefully undisturbed.

Tim made it to work, loaded down with coffee and breakfast for everyone, in time to get them all safely delivered to the appropriate desk and still have him sliding into his own chair, just in time to see Gibbs stroll in off the elevator at 0630.

After a brief 'Mornin', Boss.' Tim got busy starting up his workstation. Feeling the boss's eyes on him, he looked over at him, to find the man carefully watching him, just as he'd done the night before. With no words spoken, Gibbs silently asked and Tim replied in kind. He was fine, thanks to the boss's show of human kindness.

The workday progressed as though nothing out of the ordinary had taken place the night before and for that, Tim was thankful. He was still in shock that Gibbs had lifted him up out of the depression he'd been sinking into; without a single word or look that screamed disappointed. Reinvigorated, Tim threw his head back into the game, this time, without looking back.

By the end of the day, he was exhausted, after ignoring the continued angry glances from Tony and even a handful from Abby – and those despite the breakfast to which he'd treated them. He found himself feeling the returning wave of emotions that had nearly cast him adrift the night before as the squad room emptied out and he was once again alone and feeling the weight of the returning negative feelings. It was clear the others were still angry at how close they'd come to losing Leanne and Tim didn't blame them, and Gibbs' reassurances from last night seemed like something he'd dreamed up to make himself feel better.

Tonight, he seemed to fall into automatic pilot as his feet took him out to his car and he found himself driving somewhere he'd never before driven uninvited. Twenty minutes later found him sitting out front, his car turned off and his bruised psyche calming down, as if just by being here, things could be set back into perspective.

"Just remember, my door's always open."

Those most welcome words from the night before coming back to him now with vivid clarity in the voice he trusted above all others, now served to push him to get out of his car. Before he realized it, he was once again sitting on Gibbs' basement steps, watching the man work with his hands, a calm feeling finally settling over him, allowing him to relax his mind, body and soul.

This time Tim's arrival didn't seem to disturb Gibbs; in fact, it didn't seem to register at all and for some reason, the younger man found comfort in that realization; almost as much comfort as he found in silently soaking up the older man's presence. This silence was indeed golden.

Oddly enough, it was Gibbs who eventually shattered the silence and with something so surprising, it left Tim speechless. "Owe you an apology, Tim."

At the sight of Tim's mouth dropping open in shock, Gibbs smirked before he once again got serious. "Meant to talk to the team today – straighten them out about the case. Got away from me. I'll talk to 'em, ALL of 'em, first thing in the morning."

"Thanks, Boss." Tim was quick to respond to the rare showing of genuine remorse from the man.

A more comfortable feeling slipped into the silence that now filled the air between them. The two kept each other company for the rest of that night, the hours just slipping away. Their companionable peace and quiet was broken only when the older man stopped working for the night, helped the half asleep younger man to his feet, walked him up the stairs, and settled him once more on the couch, just as he'd done the night before.

Again, Tim never noticed that look or felt the gentle sweep of that hand across his face brushing the hair out off to the side. The things he did notice came to him the next morning. He felt a new feeling of security and inner calm that was beginning to settle in his soul, the pain of his past transgressions slowly easing from his conscious mind and the sense of both strength and comfort he felt in Gibbs' presence.