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Enjoy chapter 6!
Tim looked at his watch for the thousands time and sighed. Time seemed to be standing still at this point.
"Do you think we should try to walk?" He asked Tony, speaking for the first time since the earlier arguments. "I mean we obviously can't get out this way," he said pointing and the steep entrance they had fallen down, "and since the smoke filtered down the tunnel, there might be an opening further down."
"I can barely breathe McGee, my ankles twisted and you're certainly in no shape to carry me." Tony sighed.
"Is it broken?" McGee asked moving closer and frowning as he reached out to pull up the pants leg. Tony waved his hands away.
"It's not broken, McQuinn, Medicine Man."
"You should keep it propped up." Tim said ignoring the dismissive tone.
"Oh yeah cause that's our biggest problem." Tony said sarcastically.
"It might not be the biggest but it's stupid to compound little problems until they become big." Tim said with forced calm.
"So now I'm stupid McGenius?"
Tim glared at him. "You know what? Yeah being as stubborn as you're being, in the situation we're in, is stupid."
"Glad to know where you stand on the issue."
"I don't know why I even try." McGee muttered.
"You know you've been grouchy all day." Tony said getting angry again.
"You were pestering me all day." Tim shot back
"I do that all the time but you were unusually on edge today."
Tim got noticeably quiet and Tony suspected whatever he had said was something McGee took much more seriously than their usual sibling bickering. Tim studied the dirt intently for several moments before answering.
"Just what you said struck a nerve." He finally said. Tony raised his eyebrow.
"Care to share?
I'm just tired of…not being good enough. He said carefully, but Tony was surprised by the weariness in his voice, as if he'd had this conversation many, many times.
"Can I get some context here?" He asked giving the younger man his full attention to let him know he was serious.
"It doesn't matter Tony. What matters is no matter what I do it will never be fast enough or good enough for some people."
Suddenly it dawned on Tony. "Oh this is about the hacking. I never said it wasn't good enough." He said defensively.
"You said I could have hacked it faster." Tim said again with the same trepidation in his voice.
"I've seen you hack things faster."
"Tony do you know what level of encryption that was?" It was a rhetorical question and McGee quickly rushed on. "It's high, higher than most and despite what you and Gibbs think, the time I took to crack it was actually pretty good. Ask Abby if you don't trust me."
"I trust you."
Tim didn't answer but shook his head seemingly lost in his own thoughts. "It doesn't matter, nothing new. I was never good enough for my dad either and now I get the same disregard from Gibbs."
Tony didn't know how to respond and McGee seemed too lost in his own memories to go any further.
Tony shivered, groaning quietly at the burning the movement caused his ribs. He didn't know how many clues were left for Gibbs to find, but he hoped the team leader could pull a miracle and get them out of this mess before their condition turned more serious than it was.
Kyle rushed and stuffed the rest of his stuff into a large duffel bag sitting on the bed. He had double and triple checked to make sure he had left nothing behind, nothing to indicate he had been there. Anyone looking would see that an old woman lived her and no one else. The smallest sign was gone. He zipped up the bag and looked around the room. He paused at the kitchen door.
"Granny," he addressed the stooped figure with her back to him, "Granny, I'm leaving now."
"You got everything?" She asked her back still to him.
"Yes ma'am."
"Good." She finally turned and walked toward him. He met her half way and pulled her into a hug.
"I'll miss you, don't know when I'll see you again." He said sadly.
"Things will blow over dear, then we can get together." She said patting his check. He nodded and looked questionably as she handed him a small card.
"It's his number; you call him if you get into trouble. Oh don't look like that." She said at his doubtful gaze. "He'll take care of you, call him if you need it, but only if you need it, understand?"
"Yes ma'am."
"Good boy, now get going."
Tim shivered himself awake. Great, getting colder, I can't feel my arm at all, we're both probably going into shock… He looked over to check on Tony for the umpteenth time since entering the cave, somberly noting the flashligh's lght dimming. Tony was staring straight ahead, his eyes glassy, not blinking and beads of sweat on his forehead. Yeah, that's definitely shock. McGee though grimly.
"You ok Tony?" He asked softly. He received no answer and watched as a few seconds later Tony's eyes slid closed. Worry gripped Tim.
"Tony don't go to sleep. Stay awake." Tim said shaking Tony trying not to notice how the older agent was shaking, and ignoring the unsteadiness of his own hand.
"Leave…leave…me lone Tm." He said softly not opening his eys.
"Tony." He said urgently. "You gotta stay awake till Gibbs gets here. He's gonna headslap us both into next week if something happen to either of us."
Tony's eyelids finally opened halfway. "I don't think my head could take a Gibbs slap." He said softly.
"Mine either." Tim said encouragingly so you need to stay awake. "Okay?"
"'K."
"I don't guess you found any water in Reed's purse." Tony asked after what seemed like hours of silence, his voice sounding alarmingly small in the expanse of the tunnel.
Tim shook his head regretfully. "I wish I did. There's some water dripping off the walls of the cave but I don't know how safe it is."
"Don't boys scout know how to purify water in a situation like this? You know worst case scenario." Tony asked jokingly. Tim huffed a laugh.
"Not this boy scout. Well I do but I need some supplies that we don't have and it would help if I had two working arms." Tim said ruefully. Tony nodded absently and stared forward again.
"Too bad."
The ranger eyed the two standing outside his door with badges held up.
"Can I help you?"
"We're here about a fire that was reported earlier, a fire you ignored." Gibbs said pointedly.
"Oh come-did the Bridges sent you out here? Darn that Evelyn, always making a fuss." He pulled off his hat and ran his hand through his hair. "Yeah we had incidents every now and then but if we went chasing every smoke column-."
"You would never get to finish a Solitaire game." Ziva interrupted peeking around him inside to stare at the half finished game on his computer.
He started at her then looked at Gibbs.
"Why is NCIS here again?"
"Two of our agents are missing." He had called Abby on the way over and she confirmed the phones were still off. After a few minutes comforting her he had finally gotten off just as they pulled up to the ranger's station. "Could you show us where the fire was?"
"Umm, yeah sure, come on in."
He pulled out a large map and began searching for the coordinates.
"I did go up to the tower when Evelyn called," he said as he finally found it and placed his finger on the spot, "but it just didn't seem to be something to be concerned about."
"Lots of black smoke and no concern?" Ziva asked.
"It was dark but I couldn't see any flames." He said defensively. "Flames we worry about, smoke not so much."
"Where there's smoke there's fire yes?"
Gibbs smiled at the idiom that had practically been laid in her lap. The ranger sighed.
"Just smoke like that probably indicates the fire is dying down and smoldering, with no flames it certainly isn't spreading. The smoke column was isolated."
"What is the area?" Gibbs asked pointing to the map.
"Old mines, mine tunnels from back in the heyday, haven't been used in years. Kids go there now to mess around, smoke, drugs, start fires."
"Public land?"
"No, I…I really don't know who bought it. The mine company sold it off years ago. It's nobody local, but I'm not sure who finally got it."
"Is it close to the Baird property?" Gibbs asked looking up.
"Old lady Baird? Yeah, it butts right up to her spread."
Gibbs nodded and straightened. "I want a chopper to fly over this area."
The ranger's jaw dropped and he looked at Gibbs like he'd grown two heads. He stared for a minute and just kept opening and closing this mouth. Finally…
"You're joking."
"It's 1am, two of my agents are missing and I haven't had a cup of coffee in over five hours, no, no I am not joking." He said getting nose to nose with the man.
"It was a little smoke; it was nothing. Look, see the woods aren't even on fire." He protested. "And it certainly doesn't have anything to do with your missing agents."
"Would you prefer I tell your boss you're not looking into forest fires? You don't even have to seek them out, people call you about them."
"Come on!"
"I suggest you make the necessary arrangements." Ziva said smirking.
He opened his mouth to argue some more but, like many before him and surely many after him; he was no match for the Gibbs stare.
"I'll-I'll check on it." He said defeated. After he left the room, Ziva turned to Gibbs.
"Gibbs, why are we doing this? We should be looking for Tony and McGee, not doing his job."
"Even if the fire means nothing if will give us an aerial view of the land. They and the car has to have disappeared somewhere. We can't search as much land as there is on foot and I don't want to wait for a search party."
Ziva nodded and said a silent Hebrew prayer of safety for her friends.
"Hey Tony." McGee said suddenly.
"Hmmm?" Tony had been awake but focusing was not coming easy presently.
"Are you ok?"
Tony looked at him for a few seconds. "I'm fine McGee. How are you?" He asked sincerely. Tim had definitely seen better days, he looked exhausted. Tony inwardly cringed when he remembered it might be because he had managed to drag both of them from a car about to explode all while being injured himself.
"I'm ok." McGee answered. He licked his lips. "Listen, um, I didn't, I mean I don't think…"
Tony half smiled, knowing where this was going, knowing his younger partner would crack and wondered if he should rescue his probie from his own apology. He listened to him beat around the bush for a few more seconds before he decided to have mercy.
"I know Tim." He said quietly.
"No, you don't." Tim said wanting to finish. "I never should have said that about you not being cut out for being a team leader."
"Hey maybe you were right." Tony said lightly with a touch of bitterness.
"No, you did a great job, really."
"Then why did you say it?" Tony asked and Tim could see the hurt. He dropped his head in shame.
"I don't know, I guess…you know when little kids get their feeling hurt they lash out and try to hurt someone else."
Tony grinned despite himself. "You were having a temper tantrum?"
McGee winced. "Yeah I guess so, maybe. It was just so wrong."
"What, me taking over the team?" Tony asked heatedly.
"No, the way Gibbs left. I mean I always thought he would announce his retirement, there would be a few weeks and then he would retire. Still be in the area, still come by NCIS cause he wouldn't be able to let it go…"
"That's funny. I always thought he'd go in a storm of bullets." Tony mused.
"I don't like to think about that, not really. I just...never thought he would be able to let it go." Tim said shaking his head.
"Yeah, me either." Tony sighed.
"I thought you were a really good team leader, Tony. I really did. You stepped up during a really hard time and did a great job."
Tony searched his eyes but all he saw was sincerity. "You mean that or just saying it?"
Tim grimaced. "I wish I could say I don't say things I don't mean but I guess I do. I do mean that though."
"Thanks. And I do trust you, Tim. I wouldn't go out into the field with you if I didn't trust you."
"I know, Tony." He said quietly. He frowned.
"What?" Tony asked. Tim looked up at him.
"Why do you change thought in different circumstances, different situation?" McGee asked cocking his head. "I mean you're one person then you put on a mask. I just don't understand. We never know who we're going to be dealing with, adult Tony or middle school Tony. It's frustrating."
"Different Tony for different situations." Tony smiled sadly.
"Tony you don't have to be fifteen different people just be yourself." Tim said quietly.
"Ah my dear Probie, once the mystery is gone the relationship is dead." Suddenly Tony's eyes widened. "Mystery! McGee, don't you see what this is?"
"What?" Tim asked confused and more than a little worried.
Tony grinned. "I don't know why I didn't think of it sooner, must be a head injury."
"What?" Tim asked again, more urgently.
"Arsenic and Old Lace", Carey Grant, 1944, based off a Broadway play. Sweet, kind old lady lures men to her house and poisons their tea." Tony said speaking quickly and with more energy than McGee had seen from him in several hours.
"She didn't poison us she drugged us." Tim pointed out.
"McGee we don't quibble with details in matters like this."
"Matters like wha-?"
Tony shushed him and continued his monolog. McGee sat back and smiled grateful at least that this would keep Tony awake.
Yikes, how do these chapters get so long? It's like my fingers have a mind of their own and just keep typing. I had meant to make it shorter, but when I get on Tony/Tim conversations I just can't seem to stop.
Hope you guys liked it. The majority of reviews seemed to want a quick end to the feud which suited me fine because that's how I had it tentatively written. Even if this wasn't exactly what you wanted I hope it ended up to your liking. And yay, we're halfway through the week! :)