Chapter 39

One week later...

"I don't know. It seems so...stereotypical," Tim said.

Matt laughed. "It's not stereotypical. It's north. You're not going to get white sandy beaches up in this area...but you will get some time alone if you want it, and company if you need it."

"It's still on the beach."

"Tim, you're the one who picked this place. If you don't like it..."

"I do. It just feels so...normal."

Matt smiled. "Tim, you need some normal in your life."

"I guess...you're right. Um...so...yeah. That's the one."

Chris came running into the living room, his arms out, making his Tim-goo sound.

"Tim, maybe it's time that we try to teach him your name."

Tim reached down and picked up Chris, only wincing slightly. Chris threw his arms around Tim's neck and kissed his cheek. Tim laughed and hugged Chris, trying not to let the tears show.

"I don't...don't mind, Matt. I really don't."

Chris laughed and sat down on Tim's lap, looking impishly at his father before sticking out his tongue. Matt returned the gesture.

"He'll sometimes say 'Mom' and 'Dad'. So we know he can talk. He just doesn't think he needs to." Matt leaned over and mock scowled at Chris. "He's milking this for all it's worth. Aren't ya?"

Chris just laughed.

"So..." Matt looked up at Tim. "...Maine?"

"Yeah...Maine. Are you sure you want to fly me up there?"

"Absolutely. Just give me a couple of days to make sure the electricity is on and the water and stuff. I'll have to call and get the plane ready anyway."

"Matt...you lead a charmed life."

"No way. I worked hard for everything I've got. Yes, I've been blessed for it, but I didn't get all this from rich parents. You've met them."

"Yeah, I have. But thank you for all of this."

"Least I could do. What are you going to do about that hole-in-the-wall you've been living in?"

Tim took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I'm...giving it up."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I need to pack up all my stuff and get it put...somewhere. Not that I have a whole lot of stuff there. A lot of it should probably be junked."

"What will you do when you come back?"

Another deep breath. "I don't know yet. I'm going to stay away for a while, try to figure myself out again. I...I can't think that far ahead yet. I know I need to...but I can't right now."

"Hey, that's all right. The house is yours for as long as you want it. If you need to crash here for a while later on, you can. Would you mind having the occasional visitor?"

"Not if it's you and Judith...and Chris, of course."

"We'll call first."

"Thanks."

Matt sighed. "I won't ask again," he said.

Tim smiled. "I still think this is the right thing to do."

"Guys! Dinner!"

"Coming, hon!" Matt called back. He stood up and pulled Chris off Tim's lap. "You'd better be ready to eat, Tim. Judith is still lamenting how thin you are. She thinks that a stiff breeze could blow you right over."

"I'm sturdier than I look...but not much more."

"Maybe you should wait a bit until you get a bit stronger."

Tim shook his head as he stood up.

"No. I'm going as soon as I can. I really need to get away. I've needed to do this for a long time. I just haven't ever done it."

"All right. I'll stop nagging. You take care of yourself, though, Tim."

"Yes, mother."

Matt smiled but his tone was serious. "I mean it, Tim. If you're going to try and get yourself straightened out, you need to take care of yourself."

"That's right," Judith said as they walked into the kitchen. "And that starts right here. Sit down, Tim."

"Yes, ma'am."

"I won't try to make you eat everything on the table, but you'd better be full when you stop eating. We have plenty."

Tim smiled. "I think I can manage that."

"Good. Matt, it's your turn to say the blessing."

Matt got a squirming Chris into his high chair and then nodded. As he said the short blessing on the meal, Tim couldn't help but wonder what would come of this new decision he'd made. He really hoped it was the right one.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x

The next day...

Tim pulled up to his apartment...well, he was a passenger in Jimmy's car. He hadn't been back here for a while and, after staying with Matt for the last few days, the difference in quality was quite startling.

"You ready to go, Tim?" Jimmy asked.

"Yeah. I'm ready. I'm ready."

Tim got out of the car and headed up to his apartment, Jimmy trailing behind. Obviously, Ducky couldn't be there to help, and Abby had been called into work. ...and Tim wasn't about to ask anyone else. He had very little desire to reveal his living conditions to anyone.

When they got up to his door, Jed came out almost instantly.

"Tim! Where you been?"

Tim smiled. "Hey, Jed. Just some...chaos I had to deal with."

"Chaos, huh? You're looking pretty run down. What's up?"

"I'm moving out."

Jed nodded. "About time."

"What?" Tim asked in surprise.

"You never did fit in here, Tim. About time you got back where you belong."

"And where's that?"

"Anywhere not here...pretty much."

"What about you?"

"What about me? I've carved out my little place in the world, and thanks to you, it's a bit better than it was."

Tim flushed and shook his head.

"Don't even start on the denial, Tim. I know better. You here to help him out?" Jed asked Jimmy suddenly.

"Yeah?"

"Good. Get him out of here."

"Yes, sir!" Jimmy said enthusiastically...and then saluted.

Jed returned the salute in true military fashion and then shooed them away. Tim opened his door and let Jimmy in. They looked around at what was there.

"What are you taking with you and what are you tossing?" Jimmy asked.

"Yeah, McGee. What needs to go out to the trash?"

Tim spun around at the unexpected voice.

"T-Tony!" he stuttered.

Tony smiled slightly.

"Y-You should be at...at work!"

"I'm sick," Tony answered without even a hint of embarrassment.

"What...What are you...doing here?" Tim asked.

"Hauling stuff out to the trash since that's what you seem to need."

"Why?"

"Many hands make light work...or so I've heard."

Tim just gaped at him.

"McGee...you're packing up?"

"Uh...uh...yeah...right...um... Everything in the...the kitchen...part of the room...that can all be tossed. It's no good. I'm...going to pack up my...my clothes."

Jimmy smiled. "And me?"

"I'm keeping my books. All of them."

"Okay. I'll start boxing them up."

"Thanks." Tim looked at Tony who'd gone over to the kitchen without any further comment.

They worked in a silence that varied only in the level of tension in the air. It was considerably less when either Tim or Tony was out of the room. Still, there wasn't much to pack up. Tim was keeping his clothes, his books. Not much else. Then, he looked at his record player.

"Wait," he said before Jimmy could pack it into a box.

"What?"

Tim picked up the record player.

"Could you get the records?"

"I got them," Tony said.

They walked out of Tim's apartment and to Jed's door. Tim knocked...with his elbow.

"What is it?"

"Jed?"

The door opened.

"What are you doing, Tim?"

"I want you to have this, Jed."

"Couldn't do that. Couldn't take what's yours."

"Not permanently...but for now. I don't need it for now...and I'd like to know that they're being listened to. You'll appreciate it."

"You really want to leave this here?"

Tim smiled. "Then, I can come and get it later."

"All right. I suppose if you mean it...the least I can do for you."

"You don't owe me anything, Jed."

"Course I do."

"No! I told you before. You don't owe me a thing."

"Why would you?" Tony asked.

"Hey, fed," Jed said with a smile. "Your friend here doesn't think that standing up for a poor old man is a good reason to owe a favor."

"You would have figured it out," Tim said with a side glance at Tony.

"What?" Tony asked.

Jed grinned at Tim and then focused on Tony. "You see...Tim here was walking down the hall when he saw two guys at my door. They were saying that they had a bill I hadn't paid and that if I didn't pay them right then, they'd be forced to report me to some such place."

"It was a scam," Tim muttered. It still made him mad. "Jerks."

"Well, I couldn't read the paper. Too small of print for me to decipher it. Sometimes, the mail isn't too good at being delivered on time. It was possible."

"But it was wrong," Tim said. "I could tell by the way they weren't letting him get a good look at the bill. They were holding it out of his reach, hoping he'd just pay."

Jed laughed. "Mr. Nosy here stormed over and grabbed the bill and then read it out loud for me. It was a fake. As soon as he read off the company and what they were supposedly charging me for, I knew it for certain. They weren't too happy about that."

"What did they do?" Tony asked.

"Nothing," Tim said...and instantly knew that it wasn't going to fly. Jed was enjoying himself too much.

"Nothing? They slammed you against the wall and you think that's nothing?"

"Didn't even leave a mark," Tim said. "If I'd been smart I would have got their names and stuff."

"Wouldn't have mattered," Jed said. "But he did that for me and he was a bit dazed by the blow. So I took him into his apartment and saw his records. He's been good enough to share them."

Tim put the record player on the table...and then took the records from Tony.

"Just keep them for a while. I'll come back to get them. Promise."

Jed just laughed and nodded. "All right, Tim. That's a promise." Then, he got a little gruff. "I'll miss you around here."

Tim swallowed and smiled. "Yeah. Me, too."

"Well, you've done what you wanted. Now, go on. Get out of here."

"Okay. Thanks, Jed."

"Thank you, Tim."

Tim shook hands with Jed and then they all left.

"That's a good thing you did, McGee," Tony said.

Tim shrugged. "S-Someone had to."

"I'll bet no one else would have."

"Probably not. Not around here." Tim screwed up his courage and looked Tony in the eye. "Thanks...for helping out."

"No problem. That everything?"

"Yeah."

"All right. I guess I've miraculously recovered and I'll get to work. I'm glad you're doing better."

"Thanks," Tim said and then his courage failed him and he looked away from Tony...and only listened as he walked down the steps.

"Hey, Tim?"

"Yeah, Jimmy?"

"That it?"

"Yeah. I'm ready to go."

"You sure?" Jimmy asked with surprising perspicacity.

Tim looked at him and smiled. "Yeah. I'm ready."

"You haven't told them, have you."

"No. They won't care."

"That's not true...and you know it."

Tim just shrugged and walked out of the building, leaving a part of his life behind.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x

Four days later...

Tim walked into the house. It wasn't monstrous by any means, but it was plenty big...and it looked out on a small, private beach. The beach wasn't white and sandy. Mostly rocks...with a bit of sand, yes. It was secluded. This house was the only one in the area. But there was a small town not far away. There was a car he could use. Matt had even promised a bicycle if he was interested in that. The fridge was stocked and he wouldn't need to go shopping for a while.

He looked around and took a deep breath. He was in a place with absolutely no connotations for him. No positive or negative associations. If there was anywhere a reset could take place, it was here.

I have time. Finally, I have time.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x

"I thought he was staying with you, Ducky," Gibbs said.

"He's not."

"He go back to Ohio?"

Ducky shook his head as he prepared to leave the hospital. He had asked Gibbs for a ride...knowing that it would cause Gibbs to ask why Tim wasn't doing it.

"No."

"Where is he, then?"

"Maine, I believe."

"Why Maine?"

"To be alone and to figure himself and his life out. He decided it couldn't be done here."

Gibbs paused for a few seconds and then nodded.

"How long?"

"I don't know...beyond that it will likely be more than a few weeks. I believe his friend provided him with a place to stay."

"And he wanted to be alone?"

"Yes."

"He keeping in contact with someone?"

"Yes. I made him promise to talk to me. I believe he will be talking with his psychiatrist once a week. Matt and Judith are already planning on paying him a visit."

Gibbs nodded again and drove Ducky home in silence. When they arrived, Ducky got carefully out of the car and Gibbs helped him inside. After making sure that he was settled, Gibbs headed for the front door...and then stopped.

"McGee know you'd be telling us?"

"He didn't think you'd ask, but he didn't prohibit me from sharing his whereabouts."

One more nod and Gibbs walked toward the door...only to stop again.

"Let me know...how he's doing."

"Of course."

Then, Gibbs walked out. Ducky sighed a little and then smiled. He guessed that there would be subtle and not-so-subtle questions from here on.

And he was glad of it.