"Miss Belle!" a struggled scream came from somewhere behind him, pulling Tim from his own thoughts. "Miss Belle!" He turned, hearing the screaming coming from the ambulance. McGee pushed himself to his feet, realizing only then that Gibbs had been holding onto him, and raced toward Andrea's screams. "Miss Belle!" the last scream was broken, sobbing, that turned into coughing.

"Andy?" McGee pushed his way to the side of her gurney.

She blinked up at him; tears making tracks through the blackened ash on her cheeks. "Tim?" He reached out and took her hand, realizing it was wet and as ashen as the rest of her. Her tears renewed. "They told me Miss Belle is dead... Is it true?" Tim took a shaky breath as new tears brimmed his eyes, and he nodded. Andy's face crunched painfully at the confirmation, "It's my fault... It's all my fault," her head fell back against the gurney as she cried.

McGee shook his head, "No, it's not, Andy. There was a crash..." He was cut off when her eyes suddenly rolled back in her head; monitors sounding in the ambulance.

"She's going into V fib!" one of them called. "Sir, we need to get her to the hospital."

"Can I go with her?"

"You'll have to follow us, Sir," he told him as they loaded her on and began working to help her before shutting the doors.

McGee panicked, looking all around him and finding Gibbs not a few feet behind where he'd been standing. "Boss..."

"I'll get you there, Tim."

*~.~*

Gibbs pulled up to the front of the hospital, "Go on in. I'll park and be in in a minute," he told Tim.

"You don't have to stay, Boss."

"How ya gonna get home?" he narrowed his eyes at him.

McGee shook his head, "I'm not. Not going home," he told him. "I'm staying here with Andy. Kendra was taking care of her; she would've wanted me to do this," his voice cracked and he looked away out the window.

Gibbs felt the man's heartbreak in his own chest; an all-to-familiar feeling he wouldn't wish on anyone. He found himself reaching a hand to the back of Tim's head, cupping it comfortingly, "I really am sorry about Kendra, McGee."

Kendra McGee, he thought... God...that would've been her name... Tim dug the heels of his hands against his eyes. Gibbs watched the agent's chin quiver as his face momentarily showed the despair he was feeling. And just as quickly, it was gone. Tim pulled his hands away and composed himself with a sniffle. "My overnight bag..."

"In my trunk," Gibbs replied. "Grabbed it from your car before they towed it. Go on in. I'll bring it in for you." McGee nodded and made his way out of the car. Gibbs pulled out his cell as he slowly drove toward the parking garage. Before he could even dial, it began to ring. Glancing at the caller ID, he answered, "Yeah..."

"Boss, where are you?" Tony sounded on the other line. Gibbs could hear the noise in the background; familiar enough to tell him exactly where Tony had gone.

"George Washington," he replied. "McGee's stayin' here with this Andy girl."

"Andy's alive? ...Kendra?" his voice sounded hopeful.

"Didn't make it," he told him.

"Damn...damn..." Tony's voice conveyed the sympathy he had for his partner. "How's McGee?"

"How do ya think, DiNozzo?" if he hadn't felt the pain deep in his chest, it might have come out more sarcastic as he'd meant it to be.

"I'm heading there, Boss." The call ended before Gibbs could respond.

11 111 11 111 11

Gibbs had brought McGee his bag where he was sitting in the E.R waiting room. Tim had thanked him, almost emotionless in his movements as he shuffled off to the restroom. Truth be told, it was a bit unnerving.

McGee stood in the restroom, slowly and methodically removing his suit coat and button-down shirt; laying them on the counter before grabbing a clean shirt from his bag. He felt detached from reality, as if none of this was real. He was numb.

He hadn't even realized he'd changed into his MIT shirt until he glanced haphazardly into the mirror, bringing himself back to reality enough to pick up his shirt and suit coat and roll them up. Tim began to shove them into his bag when something fell from the pocket of his coat to the floor. He crouched down to pick it up, then realized what it was and froze...

11 111 11 111 11

Tony hurriedly entered the hospital, heading through the E.R entrance until he caught sight of Gibbs sitting in the waiting area. But Gibbs seemed to be lost in his own thoughts; staring ahead at the blank wall in front of him. Tim was no where in sight. Tony quietly sat down beside his boss, waiting for him to realize that he was there. But it seemed he wasn't going to.

"Boss?" he said quietly. "You okay?" Gibbs turned his head to look at his agent and nodded after a moment. "McGee in with Andy?"

He shook his head, "No word on her condition yet. He went into the restroom to change, I think."

"How long ago was that?"

Gibbs shrugged and looked down at his watch, "Not sure. Maybe ten minutes."

Tony furrowed his brow, "You sure you're okay?"

Gibbs looked at him again, narrowing his eyes in question of why he'd be asking. "I'm fine. Just tired is all."

Tony nodded in acknowledgment, then stood. "I'm gonna check on him. When I get back, I'll grab you a coffee if you want."

Gibbs pushed out of his chair to stand, "If you're stayin' here with him, I'm gonna head home."

"I'll stay," he said.

"You keep me posted...on McGee. He wants to stay here with her, but he needs to sleep. Needs to eat somethin', too. He's not gonna wanna do any of those things, but don't push him. Just keep an eye on him."

"I got it, Boss," he told him, looking him over again and realizing that he was anything but fine.

"He needs anything, you call me," he said; eyes expressing his concern.

"Go home, Gibbs. I'll take care of him," he half-expected a glare. But instead, Gibbs nodded and turned to leave. Tony continued to the restroom in search of Tim. As he pushed open the door, he saw his partner standing, facing the sink, looking down at something. He realized it was the ring box, once he saw it in the reflection in the mirror. Tony walked quietly to his side. "Hey."

McGee looked up at Tony's reflection and it took everything in Tony not to flinch at the void he could see in his friend's eyes. "Hey, Tony," he said in barely a whisper before tucking the box into his overnight bag and zipping it closed. "What are you doing here?"

"I heard about the accident on the news," he told him, keeping just as quiet, but not sure why. "I'm sorry about Kendra, Tim."

"Just...don't," he shook his head. "Don't say her name right now...please," his voice cracked.

"Okay," he nodded, unsure of what to say or do. For a long few moments, they were both silent; McGee's eyes shifting aimlessly around the counter surrounding his bag. "We should get back out there," Tony spoke up. "Ya know...in case there's news about Andy."

McGee looked at him, blinking as if suddenly realizing where he was again. He nodded and turned to pick up his bag and headed out the restroom door, Tony following behind him. Once they reached the waiting area, Tim calmly took a seat and Tony sat down beside him. "Why are you here, Tony?" Tim asked as he looked down at his feet; his elbows on the armrests and hands crossed limply in his lap.

"What do you mean?" Tony furrowed his brow.

"You don't know Andy."

"I'm not here for her," he told him.

McGee turned his head to look at him, "I'm fine."

Tony took a breath through his nose, "Well you're doin' a damn fine job of holdin' it together, McGee, but you're not fine."

Tim ran a hand down his face, closing his eyes for a moment. "I'm here to make sure Andy's gonna be okay," he explained. "That's what matters right now. It's what...Kendra would want me to focus on right now," he swallowed down the bile that rose in his throat.

After several minutes of silence in, Tony turned to McGee. "Look, I'm gonna stay here as long as you're here, okay? So if you need anything, just let me know."

"You don't have to stay here."

"Yeah, I kinda do. I promised Gibbs. Plus...I wanna be here."

Tim furrowed his brow as he looked at him, "Why?"

"Because you're my friend," he said, slightly unnerved that he had to explain that. "Something horrible just happened to you and you shouldn't be alone." Tim looked at him for a long moment before having to look away. "I'm really glad you let us meet her..." he said, almost regrettably once it left his mouth.

McGee pushed out of the chair and walked a few feet away, "Stop it...please..." he began to pace back and forth, eventually digging his hands into the hair at the back of his head. "I can't do this right now," his voice cracked. Tony stood and walked into his path, effectively bringing him to a halt. Tim's eyes were unfocused and brimmed with tears he was trying desperately to hold at bay. "It's like...none of this is real," his fingertips moved to cradle the sides of his head. "It's all a nightmare...I'll wake up soon...in Baltimore with a concussion..." he made a sound like a choking sob, covering his face with his fists. It broke Tony's heart. "Kendra's making me dinner...I'll be late but...she'll be there waiting for me..."

"Tim," Tony grabbed hold of the agent's arms. "I wish I could tell you this was all a bad dream, but it's not..." he pulled McGee into a hug. "I'm really...really sorry, McGee," he said in barely a whisper, as tears brimmed his own eyes. For a few moments, Tim let him. But then he pulled away; setting his face back into the emotionless form he'd started out with. He walked back to the chair and sat down, leaning his head back against the wall and closing his eyes. Tony watched him from where he stood, concerned but helpless as to what to do...

11 111 11 111 11 111 11

Gibbs sank down on his couch with a glass of bourbon in hand. He pinched his forehead, rubbing against the ache that had settled there hours ago. What happened to McGee today had struck something personal in Gibbs' mind; something he knew all too well, himself. The shock...the unexpectedness...the complete devastation of loss.

When Tim had taken them to meet Kendra, Gibbs was well aware of his agent's feelings for the girl. The way he acted with her, around her...the way she made him smile when she came back from a trip to the restroom... the simple things made him know. The short conversations between Tim and himself; the reaction when Kendra was brought up, reminded him of his own relationship with Shannon. Tim and Kendra...they were going to be the real deal. The fact that McGee had that torn away from him before it barely had the chance to begin, broke his own heart.

This familiar ache caused him to remember the many long days following the news of his wife and daughter's deaths. It had hurt...beyond words; beyond explanation. It still hurt. Timothy McGee didn't deserve to live the rest of his life with that pain... Gibbs downed his drink and stood, hurling the empty glass into the fireplace, angrily, as he cursed...

11 111 11 111 11

tbc...