This is another long one, I hope it doesn't drag. I couldn't find a good spot to split it, so I didn't.

This is going to be intense ... hang on ...

Looking at the taunting eyes and mouth curled into a mocking smile, the group's blood ran cold.

"No, Ziva. Absolutely not!" Gibbs growled. "There is no way that I am going to trust that man to guide us!"

"Gibbs ..."

"Guide? And why would you need me to guide you?" Ari's voice dripped with sarcasm.

Ziva tried to respond, but Tony beat her to it. "None of your business!"

"You were the ones who summoned me ... remember." He crossed his arms and regarded the trio then he laughed at them.

"Ziva, do it again. Get someone else, I will not ..."

"Enough!" Ziva cried out. She spun around to Gibbs and Tony. "We cannot do this again. The mirror is good for only one trip. The time it would take to get another ..."

"Ziva ..."

"NO!" She turned back to Ari. "He cannot harm us. It is part of the spell."

"Oh, I may not be able to harm you, but I could have you going around in circles for all of eternity." He gave them a vicious smile. "However, I do not wish to be with you any more than you wish to be with me." He dropped his arms and turned to leave.

Ziva was becoming desperate, she cried out, "Consisto!", and Ari stopped in his tracks. He turned back to her and crossed his arms again. "You're Latin has improved."

"Brother, please, we need your help! We are here in search of a soul."

"You know that once a soul leaves the body ..."

Ziva shook her head vigorously. "His body lives. Death ripped out his soul and left the body alive."

"Ziva ..." Gibbs tried to get her to stop, he reached out and grabbed her arm.

She shook him off, and continued. "We are here to bring our friend back."

"Why should I help you?"

"Because you are the one who answered the summons!"

Ari went to respond when the sound of someone running echoed through the area.

The trio went on high alert, until they realized that it sounded like a single set of small feet hitting the grey hard ground and not a stampede.

From behind Ari, they could see a child running towards them. They couldn't see his face because his head was down. All they could tell was that he had brown hair. His arms were pumping furiously as he ran straight towards Ari.

When he got closer, the team could see that he was about five-years-old, he wore torn jeans and a faded, ripped blue, long sleeve tee-shirt. He ran right to Ari and wrapped his arms around the man's leg, buried his face, and held on as if his life depended on it.

Then something happened that none of them would have ever thought possible, Ari's face soften. He uncrossed his arms and put a hand on the boy's head. "As you can see, I have other concerns." He shook his head. "No, I cannot be the one to guide you."

The three were taken aback, not only had his face soften, but so had his voice. The boy trembled and Ari ran a hand through his hair, in an effort to comfort him.

"Ari? Who is that boy?"

"Just another lost soul, same as me."

Tony huffed a sarcastic laugh.

"What, Agent DiNozzo, you don't think that I am lost." A taunting smile played on his lips.

"Hardly."

Before Ari could respond, he was once again interrupted. A loud, booming, female voice that seemed to come from everywhere yelled, "TIMOTHY MCGEE!"

The small child shook worse and buried his head further into Ari's leg. Ari bent down and took the boy's face in his hands. "You do not have to go with her. Stay with me, Neri, do you hear me? Focus on my voice."

Terrified green eyes looked onto his brown ones, but the shaking continued. The voice once again called out the boy's name. His eyes became glazed over as a figure appeared behind the two. It was a woman in her early to mid- twenties, brown hair, and severe gray eyes. Her clothes looked like she had thrown them on in a hurry. Her dark brown skirt was off-center and her white blouse was only half tucked in. She stormed right up to the boy, grabbed his arm and yanked him away from Ari.

"What have I told you about leaving your room when I have friends over?!" The woman cupped her hand and stuck him in the ear. "Well!"

"I'm sorry, Mommy."

Gibbs, Tony and Ziva were so shocked by what they were witnessing that they were frozen to the spot.

"Sorry! I'll give you sorry ..." She struck him again in the ear and started dragging him away. The odd thing was that even though she was dragging him way, the four silent observers were always at the same vantage point.

"I just had to use the bathroom, I didn't mean to see your guy friend."

She struck him again. "I don't care if you're puking your guts out! When I say stay in your room, I mean it!"

They were now suddenly in a house and the boy was being drug up a flight of stairs, trying desperately to get his footing. "God! You have ruined my life! I wish you had never been born!" Once they reached the landing she hit the boy again. "And your father! What does he do? He leaves me here to deal with you while he is off playing around with his friends on that stupid ship!" After another strike, she continued to drag him towards a room.

"No, Mommy! Please! I'll do better! Please!" She open-palm slapped him right across his face, stunning the boy into silence.

"SHUT UP!"

They all were now in what appeared to be a little boy's room: twin sized bed cover by blue sheets that had anchors and sailboats on it; plain white dresser and toy chest; a sturdy, but unvarnished, oak desk; and that was it. The rest room was quite bare.

The woman headed towards the built-in closet. She yanked the door open, threw the boy inside then slammed the door closed. "Stay there until I say you can come out! If you're lucky, I'll let you have breakfast in the morning!"

She left the room, turning the light off as she went, plunging them all into darkness.

Team Gibbs knew they hadn't moved a muscle, but had somehow witnessed the entire situation. While they tried to wrap their minds around what had happened, the scene shifted again. Now they were actually inside the closet, which made no sense, what-so-ever.

The boy was curled into a tight ball, head buried in his knees, rocking and slightly shaking as he tried to cry silently.

Ari knelt down and spoke very softly. "Neri?"

The boy looked up and threw himself at Ari. He wrapped his small hands around the back of the man's neck in a hug, and clung to him. Ari wrapped his arms around the boy's trembling body and pulled him close. Soon, two little legs wound themselves around Ari's midsection.

The Israeli stood easily, bringing the boy with him. He was rubbing the child's back and speaking in a calming voice. The closet faded away and they were all back to the barren landscape.

"What the hell what that?" Gibbs asked in a hushed voice, hoping not to scare the child. Praying that the boy wasn't who he thought he was.

Ari addressed them in such a soft voice, that if they hadn't been looking at him, none of Team Gibbs would have thought it was the same man. "A memory. This young one has not been here long enough to learn to control them ... some never do." Ari had slid one arm under the boy's bottom, to give support. Although, the child had such a tight hold with his arms and legs, Ari could have let go completely and the boy wouldn't have moved.

"A ... a memory? You mean that actually happened to him?" DiNozzo asked in horror.

Ari nodded. "Do you understand now, why I cannot help you?"

Ziva started walking toward her brother. "But ... he is who we came for."

"What?"

"That is Timothy McGee, correct?"

Again, Ari nodded.

"That is our Timothy McGee, correct?"

"I do not ..." Ari stopped in his lie, glanced at the child and then back to the team. "Yes, this is the person you know."

"Why is he a child? I mean, he is an adult. Why would his soul be that of a child?" Ziva asked, still slowly making her way towards the two.

Ari sighed. The hand that had been rubbing the child's back, now ran through his own hair. "Souls can be ... complicated." He looked at the three, and saw confused faces. "Have you ever come across someone that you could describe as an old soul. They may have been just a child or young adult, but something about them gave the feeling of experience and age."

The three agents nodded.

"Well, he is just the opposite. He is a young soul." He shifted the boy to a more comfortable position. "When souls leave the body, they are in their purest form, they can represent themselves anyway they want; old; young; childlike; middle-aged. Anything, as long as it is true to who they are."

He took a moment to closely look at the group. Gibbs' face held a look of devastation, DiNozzo's guilt, and Ziva's desperation. That was a shock. My sister has never been desperate. I wonder ... Then he remembered something she said. "So tell me, sister, why did Death claim his soul.", he said sneering at her.

Ziva stopped her advance. "We took him for granted."

"People are taken for granted everyday. It is more than that."

"Tim was meant to die many years ago, however, he impressed Death so much that his soul was spared ... with one condition ... that his life never be ... squandered, yes, that was the word, squandered. Which is what we did. Death was so angry with us, and for Tim allowing it to happen, that he ... 'took back what was his'."

Ari held the boy closer. "If this is what Death wishes, then I will not go against that ... against him."

Ziva shook her head. "I think this is a test for us ... so that we can prove that we are worthy to be Tim's friends."

"Oh, why is that?"

"Before he left, Death told me the next steps could only be taken by the strong of will and brave of heart." Ziva lifted her head and stood tall.

Ari looked at the child in his arms. Tim's eyes met his, then the boy reached up and put a loving hand on Ari's cheek and smiled. Ari grasped the small hand and returned the smile. He looked back at the team that had been the bane of his former life and came to a decision. "Very well. I shall help you."

Ziva burst into a smile and ran the rest of the way to them, Gibbs and DiNozzo not far behind. She came to a stand still in front of the man who had been her brother and met his eyes. "Thank you. I ..." words left her and she shook her head, "... just, thank you. May I hold him?"

Ari couldn't believe the emotion in his sister's voice. Her partners joined her, hope written all over their faces. "This still not going to be easy."

"We know, brother. Please may I ..."

"You can try."

The joy on her face faltered. She reached out to the boy. "Tim, may I hold you."

Tim didn't move, he looked right through Ziva, as if she wasn't't there.

She looked to her brother for an explanation.

"As I said, he is young. There is much that he hasn't had time to master."

"Just say he can't see us." Tony gruffed.

"I did." Ari smiled, he knew he was going to enjoy antagonizing them. "It is something that needs to be overcome."

Gibbs raise an eyebrow. "Okay, how?"

"I don't know."

Gibbs glared and gave him a hard look.

Ari laughed. "Really, I don't know. Just because I am dead doesn't mean that I'm an expert on all of this. I have no idea how to teach someone to acknowledge the living."

All three of them stared at him in shock.

"Brother, how ..."

"Don't worry, the Priestess' concoction is working."

"Then ..." Gibbs started to question.

Ari sighed. "Do you know where you are?"

"The underworld, duh."

"Obviously, Agent DiNozzo." Ari rolled his eyes. "You are at the very edge of the Land of Lost Souls, at the precipice that touches the living world ..." he gestured to the rocky hill behind them, "... and you all arrived at the same exact moment, not to mention the spell to summon a guide."

"What about when there's a plane crash or some other accident with multiple casualties?" Tony asked, genuinely curious.

"When there is a mass death, the souls are dispersed. They will arrive at different times and in different locations." Ari shifted Tim again and sat down. Tim readjusted himself so that he was sitting on Ari's thigh, settled into the crook of his arm, and sighed contently.

The three agents looked at each other, then also sat down.

Ari grabbed a rock and started drawing in the grey dirt. "Our destination is the Golden Halls ..."

"Golden Halls, as in golden fields, as in the Elysian Fields ...ow! ... Boss, what ..."

"Can it DiNozzo! None of that is important right now." Gibbs said as he pulled his hand back. He knew that this information was going to be very important and didn't want any interruptions.

Ari glared at them. "Anyway ... to reach the Golden Halls, first we have to be ferried across the Bloody River. We will work our way down the stairs and through each increasingly harsh level. Then, we wade through the Marsh of Regret; and make our way to the River of Fire. By that time you will have to have won the child's trust."

"Why?" Gibbs asked.

"Do you know who Maat is?"

Ziva nodded. "It is the Egyptian God who would weigh the heart of the dead, if it weighed less than a feather then you were considered pure and could pass, if not then you would be be devoured."

Ari smiled and nodded. "They were pretty close. Maat is the guardian of the bridge that crosses the River of Fire. If Maat feels you are worthy you can attempt to cross the bridge. If not, you are thrown into the fire to burn for all eternity. You, as living souls, should be able to cross the bridge. I know the child will be fine, but me ..." Now his smile turned wicked. "Well, let's just say that all the sunscreen in the world wouldn't help me."

Each digested what Ari said. Tony and Ziva looked at Gibbs, who nodded, giving them permission to ask questions.

Ziva went first. "How long do you think all of that will take us?"

"I don't know. Time here doesn't have any meaning. The time we've been talking, it could have taken five minutes, or five hours, or days, or years, or centuries." Ari looked genuinely frustrated. "There's just no way to know for certain."

Tony took his turn. "Why do the levels get worse the closer we get to the Golden Halls? I'm guessing that's were all the 'virtuous' ..." he made the quotation signs with his fingers "... souls are housed. You would think the worst would be the furthest out."

"Well, would you really want the worst souls that close to the living world ... where they could possibly find a way to pass thru?"

"Could they do that?"

"Eventually, I would think so."

Gibbs threw in a question. "What keeps them from trying now?"

"The true definition of evil is a soul that wants to take what is good and devour it. An evil soul will be drawn to a source of good, its like a drug to them."

"So by keeping the Golden Hall at the center of the underworld, it keeps the evil souls distracted and away from the living world." DiNozzo added.

"Ah see, you can be taught." While he was speaking, Tim had picked up Ari's hand. He was tracing his fingers, then holding hands, then bending each of Ari's fingers, then holding from the other side, then repeating.

Gibbs was watching this, jealously building as he remember that Kelly used to do that with his hand when she wanted to sit with him, but was bored with the adult conversation going on.

Air caught his eye and gave a smug look.

"Why does he trust you?"

Ari looked at Tim, joyfully and obliviously playing with his hand, then to Gibbs. "Tell you what, if you, all three of you, can gain his trust, then I will tell you."

Tony, missing the deeper exchanging going on between Ari and Gibbs, threw out the next question. "Doesn't he think it's weird that your talking to people he can't see?"

"It is not unusual." Again with the blank looks, sheeze! Ari shook his head. "It is too much to explain, you will understand more the longer you are here. If I need to address him, he will know." Ari looked at the child still playing with his hand. "Neri? Are you doing alright?"

Tim looked up, smiled and energetically nodded. Then went back to playing with the long, agile and strong fingers.

Ziva started to ask why Ari was addressing him with such a term of endearment, but Tony spoke first.

"Why isn't he talking? Is something wrong?"

Ari shook his head as he stood. Tim stood on his own, but kept holding onto Ari's hand. "He will speak when the need arises. Now, even though time has no meaning to me, I am sure that it is paramount to you. Shall we get moving?" He didn't wait for a response, instead he turned and started walking.

The others fell into formation several steps behind. The walk was quiet, there really wasn't anything left to be said ... for now. The scenery never changed, it was as if they were on a tread mill, going no where fast ... but no one questioned it.

They took a break only when the three living souls needed to stop their stomachs from rumbling. Still, not a word was said.

Once they were moving again, the three noticed that no matter what, Tim was always touching Ari. Whether he was being carried piggy back, or riding on Ari's shoulders, or cradled in his arms, or holding his hand as he walked. The boy never let go of Ari.

Each had their own theory as to why, but still nothing was said. As each step passed, jealousy was growing for each of them. Tony as a best friend and Gibbs as a father. Ziva had it two-fold. Not only was she jealous of not being the one to give Tim attention, it was also because Ari had never shown such gentleness with either her or Tali.

For awhile, they were like a regular family, but since Ari was older, he always seemed to have an agenda. Even when he was playing with his little sisters, he was guarded and distant. She never got to see him as he was now: smiling, carefree and doting.

Ari stopped suddenly and turned to them. "You all had better get your feelings under control. In this world any negative emotion can be your downfall." He turned back around and continued walking.

Team looked at each other. Gibbs sighed, shook his head and kept walking.

The next break was also when the team needed to eat. While working on their rations, Gibbs had a question for Ziva. "Do we need to worry about sleep?"

"The Priestess said it would be a good idea. That way we are not depending solely on the Ginseng for strength."

"When should we have more of that?" Tony asked as he was unrolling his sleeping bag.

"I am not sure. She said that we would know when more was needed, that ..." Ziva cocked her head to the side trying to remember the conversation, "... that we would feel it." She shrugged, then went to her backpack and pulled out four amethyst crystals.

"What are those for?"

"These, Tony, will put up a barrier while we rest." She turned to her brother. "I can make this large enough to envelope you as well."

While Tony and Gibbs waited with baited breath, Ari shook his head. "Do not drain the crystals more than necessary. A soul does not need sleep. We will be fine." He sat on the ground, Indian style, and Tim curled up in his lap.

Team Gibbs exchanged looks, but said nothing. Gibbs and Tony padded down for the night while Ziva placed the crystals and chanted. Once she had also laid out her sleeping bag, they all fell asleep very quickly.

Ari watched over them. What the hell am I doing? I shouldn't be helping them! What is wrong with me?! Movement in his lap drew his attention downward. Tim was shifting to get more comfortable, he sighed happily when he found just the right position.

Ari smiled. "I guess helping isn't really all that bad."

Tim had turned on his side, facing away from Ari. He reached back to grab the older man's hand and pulled it over himself, like a protective blanket.

"Nope, not that bad at all."

I hope no one was too upset that I didn't reissue a warning about the child abuse ... I didn't want to take way from Tim's reveal. However, more is coming ... if you need/want, please re-read the disclaimer in chapter 1.

I hope everyone is buckled in ... the wild ride has begun!