Tim was just drifting off to sleep with a smile on his face after Ziva's visit when he heard shuffling feet. Blinking his tired eyes back open after his very long and strange night he came face to face with Batty, Buzzard, Reynolds and Wolverine who peered at him nervously as if he might leap suddenly from his bed and threaten them all.

Tim smiled reassuringly and winced as his battered face objected.

"Hi guys. It's good to see you again."

"Hello uhhh Special Agent McGee" Batty rather formally intoned as if he had been learning the unfamiliar name by rote on his journey from the Plaza, which he probably had.

There was an awkward silence for a moment as each wondered who would start.

Tim blushed slightly. It seemed like a betrayal of these good kind people. He had lied to them and they had done nothing but be friendly and helpful to him. He started haltingly trying to get his slightly scrambled thoughts together.

"Ah so you heard that I'm NOT the real Toby Wilson. You probably also know that I went undercover after a threat against him was received. Well I would like to say that I'm sorry. I didn't like lying to you all. I had to pretend to be Dr Wilson because he had been threatened by people who wanted to get their hands on a new strain of Super Wheat he had created. I want you to know I did genuinely enjoy your company these last couple of days. That wasn't a front to hold my cover. You guys really helped me keep it together when I got nervous. And I'm sorry I couldn't tell you."

Reynolds nodded and the others followed suit before Batty stepped forward with a strangely shaped, newspaper wrapped bundle in his hands.

"We understand that you couldn't say anything. And trust me we saw how dangerous it could have been. Imagine if one of us was threatened for our research? We wouldn't know WHAT to do. I'm just glad that there are good people out there who are protecting us, even when we don't normally know anything about it."

There were murmurs of agreement from the men and Tim had to smile at these gentle intelligent men.

"It was just a surprise that all. It's still a bit weird you know? I keep wondering what parts of you are the 'Toby' ones and which parts are the …um what would you like us to call you now?"

"Tim is fine."

Buzzard looked consideringly at Tim, taking in his now green eyes and his wedding band less finger.

"So you and …..Damita aren't marred?"

Tim sighed "No. Her name is Ziva David and she is a Mossad Liaison Officer stationed with us at NCIS."

"NCIS?"

Tim couldn't help but smile at the familiar confusion

"Naval Criminal Investigative Services"

"Ahhhh but you two aren't …you know together?" Buzzard pushed curiously while the others studied him with grins on their faces. Tim found himself blushing as he furiously studied the floor.

"No Ziva and I aren't…well actually just before you came in and……not that we are together but well ….maybe we might go out…for a drink or something after work…..maybe..I don't know."

Batty laughed and clapped Tim on the shoulder.

"Oh ok well we can cover for YOU if you like while you and Ziva pretend that your not head over heels for each other? We could cook up something…..although that blush of yours and those red ears are kind of tricky to hide."

Buzzard snickered knowingly

"You know what? I'm still going to call you Elbee. Because I still think you are a Lucky Bastard. You could have been killed or who knows what and instead here you are tucked up safe and sound in bed. AND now you don't have to do the big presentation tomorrow"

Everyone laughed and Tim realized that it was true. He felt relief flood over him. They didn't hate him or resent him for tricking him. They in fact seemed to admire him even more than when they thought he was Dr Toby Wilson. Hopefully the real Toby Wilson could be flown back in time and he could rightfully make his own presentation of his own work at the Convention.

"Oh we uh brought you a gift too." Wolverine nudged Batty further forward.

"Guys you didn't have to do that"

Tim unwrapped the strange and very badly wrapped bundle to find several large rolls of Duct Tape.

"It's very handy in almost all situations" Reynolds assured Tim and the others nodded. Tim grinned as he remembered them eagerly taping up "Bob".

"By the way what were you guys doing down in the boiler room at that time of night?"

Tim asked curiously as he realized he didn't actually know. And how different things might have turned out if his new friends hadn't been there as a distraction.

"Uhhhh Well would you look at that? It seems visiting hours have long since finished. We better be getting back to the Hotel. You might get to sleep in but we have to get up and listen to sequential gene splicing analysis."

Batty blushed and looked embarrassed and started shuffling towards the door. The others all attempted to look innocent and failed and Tim scrutinized them carefully. They had been up to something all right.

Still whatever it was he was sure it could be fixed. With duct tape.

He waved farewell and then Reynolds stuck his head around the door.

"Hey Tim? If the real Toby Wilson turns up and he isn't as fun as you, could we swap back for the last couple of days of the conference? Cause having you around has been really great. Best Conference ever. He might be tired or whatever. So you could come to the lectures and then afterwards we could go play Poker like we were going to?"

Tim laughed and chucked the wad of newspaper that they had used to wrap his 'gift' at the doorway.

"Thanks Reynolds. I will see what I can do. It might be tricky with my knee but I promise to keep in touch"

Reynolds gave him a cheeky salute and along with the others headed down the corridor.

Tim lay back and listened to them disappearing down the hallway. He couldn't help but grin as he heard them.

"Where's that pretty nurse? We could ask her for directions?"

"I'm not going to take the elevator. You never know who might be in there. With a gun"

"Well I'm not taking the stairs. We're like 12 stories up"

"I'm telling you we are going the wrong way. Its turn left at the end of the corridor and we went right"

"As long as we get to a cab I don't care. Oh a vending machine. Anyone want candy?"

Tim's eyes drifted shut as he settled deeper into the thick soft pillows and allowed the soft darkness to claim him for a while.

*******************************************************************

Tony plastered himself to the wall and edged carefully into the room, ducking as a nurse walked past.

"McGee!" Tony hissed loudly from the floor as he crawled commando style across the linoleum.

Tim sighed and tried to ignore DiNozzo hoping that maybe if he thought he was asleep he might just leave him alone.

"McGee! I know you can hear me!. And if you can't I'm just gonna wake you up anyway."

Tim rolled his eyes and yawning sat up in bed, glaring at Tony.

"What do you want Tony? The painkillers are kicking in nicely and I could really do with a good sleep"

Tony pouted "I just wanted to say well done McGee. You survived your first undercover mission. You didn't get shot, well you got a little beat up but not too bad. Ziva hasn't got a scratch on her, Fornell looks like the cat that got the cream and he's pulling in people left, right and center for kidnapping, assault you name it. Toby and Damita are apparently fine and declaring their love for each other constantly after their so called 'near death experience'. One of the agents had to actually ask them to tone it down. They were getting a bit too hot and heavy with each other in the back of the transport vehicle."

Tim blinked and couldn't hide his surprise "You wanted to congratulate me?"

Tony grinned "Sure. You convinced hundreds of people that you were someone else. That's hard to do. And next time it will be a bit easier and you will know what to expect."

Tim couldn't help the smile that came to his face. Sometime Tony could be a real butt head, but sometimes he really came through.

"Thanks Tony. That really means a lot"

Tony gave Tim an awkward salute with his own bandaged arm and tossed Tim a t-shirt.

Tim leaned down the bed and held it up

"What's this?"

Tony smiled "Courtesy of the Operation Sourdough Surveillance Team. They always have a t-shit made in commemoration of the Op. Kind of a tradition.

Tim opened it up and read out the letters on the front

"Shush now remember not to tell Tony how I managed to swallow the handcuff key when you were demonstrating Gummi Bears having sex while sitting on my chest?"

Tim blushed as he remembered the very incident he was hoping to hide from Tony. Ziva had found it hilarious and so had he until he choked on something. Tony wagged his finger at him.

"Now actually it was a tough decision as they only pick the best line from the Op for the t-shirt. We had to vote but I think it was wondering exactly what Ziva was doing with the Gummi Bears AND you while you were handcuffed to the chair that won them over in the end. Personally I think it was some of the things you were talking to yourself about in the bathroom that should have gone on there."

Tim froze.

"I'm sorry what?"

Tony waggled his eyebrows "It appears when you are distracted you talk to yourself McGee. Good to know. By the way Timmy loves Ziva, Timmy Loves Ziva, Timmy Loves Ziva……"

Tim frowned in embarrassment and threw the t-shirt at Tony's face to try and get him to shut up. It just made Tony laugh harder as he watched Tim squirming.

"Hey McGee. It's ok. She's a hot chick and from what I was over hearing when YOU were out of the room you don't have anything to worry about."

"Really?" Tim couldn't help the hopeful rise in his voice.

"Yeah really. I don't know what you did but she's into you in a big way."

Tim looked up at Tony with a worried look in his eyes. Him and Ziva? Could they make it work? Team mates and partners and lovers? Just the thought of a date with her both thrilled and terrified him.

Tony shook his head "Hey don't look at me. I don't do relationships remember? If you want to give it a try I say go for it. She will probably kill you and I will have to break in a new Probie but what are friends for huh?"

Tim sighed and felt his eyes lids growing even heavier. He tried to keep them open so he could say something important. His mind was filling with happy laughing eyes and beautiful long thick dark hair. And this time it wasn't Tony's.

Tony stood up from the edge of the bed and watched as Tim's head sagged down onto his chest. He turned and quietly snuck out towards the door watching for any nurses who might catch him way out of visiting hours. Now that he had delivered his message he was kind of hoping to get caught. Tony paused and considered if left or right held the most caught by naughty nurse opportunities.

"Thanks Tony" Came the sleepy voice from behind him and Tony grinned as he disappeared down the hallway. Left.