Seemed to take a long time to write this probably because I didn't have much of it written before hand like I have most of the other chapters.
Thank you guys so much for your kind words regarding this story. I appreciate it! Happy weekend! :)
"What's taking so long?" Gibbs growled as Ranger Davis placed the phone back on its cradle. Davis swiveled in his chair and gestured toward the window.
"In case you didn't notice when you drove up I don't just have a chopper sitting out there waiting for me to use. We share one with a couple of the surrounding counties. It's over is Anderson County now." Gibbs eyes narrowed as Davis continued. "They'll bring it here, if my supervisor approves it."
Gibbs glared and pulled out his phone. It took several rings before it was finally picked up.
"Vance, and whoever this is had better have a damn good reason for waking me up."
"Two missing agents good enough for you Leon?"
Gibbs stepped out of the room and Davis looked at Ziva.
"Is he always like that?"
She had been glaring at him also. "Two of his team is missing. You are fortunate he has been this patient."
When Gibbs came back in he started going over the map again.
"Gibbs?" Ziva asked the unspoken question.
"Just wait Ziver."
"Wait for what?" Davis frowned.
Gibbs ignored him in favor of going over with Ziva areas to search and how many agents would be needed if a ground search were conducted. Ten minutes later the Ranger Station phone rang.
"Ranger Davis." His eyebrows shot up. "They're bringing it over now?" He listened a few more seconds and flushed. "It wasn't a fire sir, it was just smoke."
"Well, yes sir." Gibbs and Ziva heard a voice raised on the phone. "Yes, sir." He said dejectedly before slowly hanging up.
"So we're good to go." Gibbs smirked.
"Chopper should be here in twenty minutes, then yes, you will be good to go." Davis said grudgingly. "You didn't have to sic the head honcho on me."
"Weren't making progress any other way."
Davis turned back to his paperwork mumbling something about federal agents and their lack of respect for the system.
"Tony!" Tony shook himself awake as he heard someone yelling his name. He didn't want to wake up, just wanted to sleep. In fact he wasn't sure he wasn't still asleep. It was so dark.
His whole chest still felt like it was on fire when he moved. Thought fire wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing because he was also freezing, chilled to the bone. He shivered once more.
"Hey are you back with me?" A weak voice to his left asked.
"Yeah." He answered hoarsely. "What's going on? Did I fall asleep?"
"Yeah. We should try to keep each other awake. Sleeping like this is not good for concussions, shock, hypothermia, probably all of what we have."
"Ok you're actually worse than Ziva at pep talks." Tony moaned. "Did the light run out?"
"Almost, so I turned if off. Maybe if we have an emergency it will be just enough."
Tony grunted happy at least there was a reason for the pitch black. "How you feel Tim?" He asked quietly. There was silence for quite a while. Tony couldn't see so he just waited until Tim's quiet voice came out of the darkness.
"Same pain as before, just magnified by ten, add in cold so…"
"Yeah, me too." Tony admitted.
"How long do you think it will take before they find us?"
"Don't know." Tony sighed. "Probably not long, if Gibb's gut has anything to do with it."
"Hope so."
Tony frowned at the tremor in the younger man's voice. He hated to think of the shape they were both in. Not that it was life threatening…yet.
"So…" He started.
"Yeah?"
"You and Gibbs."
"Tony…just…forget I said anything…about that."
Tony frowned though Tim couldn't see him.
"Tony I mean it please." Tim pleaded. "You're hurt, probably in shock and I unloaded on you, that was selfish, just forget about it. I shouldn't have said anything."
Tony still didn't say anything.
"I was out of line." Tim continued. "Gibbs is my Boss and like I said before, he doesn't owe me anything besides having my six in the field. He certainly didn't sign me on to be my dad. I was just tired and talking."
"We're a team McGee. You deserve to feel like part of the family." Tony argued.
"We are not a family, Tony." McGee said hotly. "We are a team; they are not one and the same. Now some members of the team happen to have formed familial bonds, but we are not a family."
It got very quiet again and Tony almost smirked thinking that Tim was sulking but this wasn't a laughing matter to him.
"So is this you saying we aren't a family because you really don't think we are? Or do you tell yourself we're not because you don't believe you're a part of it and so you don't recognize its existence because the exclusion you feel would hurt too much." He asked already knowing the answer. He had to wait several minutes before he heard Tim draw a deep breath to answer.
"You…have definitely been listening to Ducky too long." Tim said quietly and with no conviction in his voice. The statement was simple probably because it was the only thought his mind could form as he tried to push down the bitterness and pain of rejection that had bubbled to the surface. Tony was exactly right and it scared Tim that he had read the situation that well. He had never intended anyone to get a glimpse of the ache he felt, sometime to his very soul, but apparently he hadn't hidden it well enough and basically confessing it to DiNozzo a short while ago hadn't helped either.
"Keep telling yourself that Probie." Tony said lightly..
"Promise you won't say anything to Gibbs." Tim pleaded. "Tony please." He beseeched again when Tony didn't answer.
"I won't say anything to Gibbs." Tony conceded. "But that doesn't mean I won't hassle you every day until you do because I think he needs and would want to know."
Tim sighed realizing that was the best he would get at the moment. "Fine."
Ranger Davis sighed in relief as the chopper lifted into the air. He had given the pilot the coordinated of the smoke and transferred the two agents to him, for him to deal with.
"It'll only take us a few minutes to get there. Be kind of hard to see at this time of night with the moon so low. Sunrise is in two hours though." The pilot yelled.
Gibb nodded. "Can you land somewhere?"
"Think so, there should be a field not too far from there."
Thirty minutes later the chopper touched down about a half a mile from where the pilot pointed out the smoke had originated from.
"I'll wait for you." The pilot said shutting the engine down. "I couldn't spot much from up there but you should have much better luck on foot."
"What do you think?" Gibbs asked.
"Best guess…fire in one of the mines." He said scratching his head. "Kids like to go in some of the shallower ones and have parties. When they have big fires down there that leads to lots of smoke but no visible fire. There was a huge bonfire they started a couple of years ago like that. Kind of funny smoked all the kids right out of the cave." He laughed then sobered. "I hope this doesn't have anything to do with your agents though Agent Gibbs. I do hope you find them though."
"Me too, thanks."
Tim didn't realize he'd fallen asleep until he was awakened by the sound of someone moaning.
As he groggily tried to get his bearing he suddenly remembered where they were and realized the moans were coming from beside him. He groped around for the flashlight and flipped it on when he found it.
His mouth set in a thin line when he saw how weak the glow of the flashlight was. Still it cast enough light to make out his partners face.
Tony wasn't conscious, but didn't seem to be sleeping either. His face was covered in a sheen of sweat and he was softly moaning and shivering. McGee reached out and to his neck. He swallowed down his panic as he felt the racing pulse.
"Tony, please wake up." He whispered. There was no response and the shivering only increased. He pulled Tony close to try and keep both of them warm, avoiding jarring either of their injuries. Tony's body continued to shake and as McGee felt himself drift off to sleep he prayed Gibbs would find them soon.
Hope it doesn't feel like I'm dragging this out, but it has been so long since I posted I wanted to get something up. Anyway thank you all for reading and please let me know what you think! :)