Epilogue
Tim stayed at the hospital for two more days and, with no more nightmares forthcoming, Dr. Tragan released him with a warning that he needed to take it easy for a while. If he was right about the cause of the waking nightmares, there could be a relapse if he went back to work too soon. Gibbs explained it to Vance and Vance agreed to give Tim two weeks off with an evaluation at the end of that time.
To most people's surprise, Tony offered to let Tim stay with him for a few days...as a precaution against a relapse. To their even greater surprise, Tim accepted.
Tim slept almost solidly for the first couple of days. Even with his experience, he was genuinely tired out by everything he'd had to do. It was kind of nice not to have anything to do. No nightmares. No dreams. Just resting.
But after that, there were a few things that had to happen.
x.x.x.x.x.x.x
"Which one are we going to watch?" Tim asked.
"Road to Rio," Tony said, "but we need to talk about something else first."
"What?"
"Greta said that you have to die in order to save the world and that you knew that already. You told me you weren't sure."
Tim sat down on Tony's couch and stared at the TV.
"I didn't lie to you."
Tony sat down, too.
"Then, tell me how you were telling the truth!"
Tim smiled, although he still didn't make eye contact.
"I know that the knower and the dreamer have to die. ...but I don't know how much of me that is. I don't know if that means that the power will die or if it means that I will die. ...and I can't know that, Tony."
"Why not? You're the knower!"
"Because no one gets to know how they die. That would keep them from really living. They would be continually waiting for that moment. They would be continually worrying about its approach. If that's what will happen to me, I don't know it. I know what I have to do, and now, I know what power I have to use. ...but I don't know if I'll succeed and I don't know if it means I'll die."
"What do you know, McGee?"
Tim smiled and looked at Tony.
"I know that I'm really looking forward to watching Road to Rio tonight, and I hope that we can watch Road to Bali next time and have that be it...since Road to Hong Kong isn't as good as the others."
Tony kept the serious expression for a little while and then he smiled and started the DVD going.
They started watching.
"For what it's worth, Tim, I don't blame you at all for what happened in your subconscious."
"What did you dream, Tony?"
Tony shook his head.
"My dream. You're not the one who should see. Watch the movie."
Tim smiled.
"Okay."
They both focused on Bing and Bob.
x.x.x.x.x.x.x
"Patty-cake, patty-cake, baker's man. Bake me a cake as fast as you CAN!"
"That's what they get for not seeing our pictures!"
They both fell asleep before the end came.
x.x.x.x.x.x.x
Tim walked forward, eyes blank and staring, his hand sticking straight out with the dragons crawling all over it.
"No, Tim. Please!" Tony begged. "No!"
"I'm sorry, Tony."
Tim grabbed Tony and shoved his hand straight into Tony's chest. Then, he pulled it out again and had Tony's heart in his hand.
"I need everything, Tony. I need it all."
Tony fell to the ground and the dragons began eating his body.
Tony sat up, taking a deep breath and looked over at Tim who was still sleeping. He let out the inhalation in a whoosh and stared at the TV screen.
No, he'd never tell Tim about that particular dream. Tim didn't need to know about it. Ever.
He got up and walked into his bedroom and slept the rest of the night.
x.x.x.x.x.x.x
Tim walked up to the cave and looked around.
"Greta?"
"You do not have to use that name. You know what I am."
"Names are easier," Tim said.
"What do you want?"
Tim closed his eyes and thought. Then, he opened his eyes and looked down at what had appeared in his hands.
A dreamcatcher.
"What?" Greta asked.
"I want to know what Tony dreamed, what his nightmare was that he didn't want me to see."
"Why?"
"Because I'm mostly human and I want to know," Tim said, honestly.
Greta looked at him for a moment and then shrugged.
"Very well."
She took the dreamcatcher from him and threw it up in the air. It hung, suspended in place. She walked behind it and stirred up the winds until a wisp was blown into the netting. It stuck.
"That's it?"
"Yes."
Tim walked over, pulled down the wisp and turned it over in his hands.
"How do I–?" he began and then stopped. He didn't need to ask.
He knew.
Cupping his hands around the wisp, he brought it up before his eyes. He let the dreamer free. The dreamer sucked the wisp in and let it go. Tim watched as he killed his friend. Tony's nightmare...that Tim would have to kill him to save the world.
Tim smiled wanly.
"That will never happen, Tony," he whispered. "Never. I'll die, first."
Then, he let the wisp go. He looked at Greta.
"How long?"
"Not long at all. The exact time is uncertain. There are too many elements to know."
Tim nodded.
"Thank you."
He walked back down the mountain.
x.x.x.x.x.x.x
Tim woke up. He looked back toward Tony's bedroom.
"Whatever it takes, I'll do it, Tony," he said softly. "But you won't have to die. I will, first."
Tim sat quietly for a few moments. He could feel it.
The Fracture was coming.
FINIS!