I have to say, this might not be my most reviewed story, but the reviews I am getting are detailed and thought provoking. The saying is true, it's not the quantity, it the quality. Thank you all so very much!

Also, to those of you who are just reading, that is wonderful! I appreciate you coming along on the adventure.

Everyone hang in there ... only three more chapters to go!

Gibbs, Tony, and Ziva all woke up with a start. They were back in the cave from where they started. They sat up looking around them.

The beautiful mirror they had used was cracked and broken, as were the Mountain Ash branches, otherwise everything was the same ... exactly the same. They even had the same amount of supplies.

Also, it was just the three of them.

Tony and Gibbs started looking around to see if Tim was anywhere nearby. On autopilot, Ziva began breaking apart the mirror and burying the pieces, just as the Priestess had instructed. Once done, she kept a piece with her, to make sure there couldn't be a complete portal, even though she had started to question the validity of her experience.

Everything was done in silence. None of them wanted to voice the doubt they each had, that the whole thing had been nothing but a hallucination caused by the concoction they drank.

After twenty minutes, they were ready to leave the cave. When they emerged, the sun was just starting to set.

None of them looked at each other and none spoke. They hiked back to Gibbs' car, reaching it just as daylight faded into night. They dumped their supplies in the trunk and morosely climbed inside.

Gibbs started the car and they traveled down the path that turned from dirt road, to gravel to paved. It wasn't until they passed the last sign for the park that the silence was broken.

Ziva cried.

Understanding how she felt, Tony put an arm around her shoulder and pulled her close. He buried his face in her hair, as he too cried.

Gibbs stayed stoic, knowing that he would need to be their rock. He would let his grief out when he was alone ... just like he always did.

After another ten minutes of driving, silence once again reigned. It was suddenly broken by Gibbs' phone ringing. He made no attempt to answer it.

After a brief pause, Tony's phone rang ... then Ziva's. By the ring tone from each phone, they all knew who it was trying to reach them, Abby.

Gibbs' wiped his hand over his face, noting the lack of growth of facial hair. We can't have been gone for too long. There's no way all of that happened in just so short a period of a time. It had to all be a dream ... or a nightmare.

Each phone rang again, in the same order. On the third time, Tony took pity on Abby and decided to answer. "Hey, Abbs. Yeah, we're all together. We just needed ... What?! Wait, slow down. Are you sure? Yeah, okay. We'll be there as fast as we can."

As Tony hung up the phone, Gibbs wasn't sure they were ready to face anyone, least of all Abby. "DiNozzo, I don't ..."

Tony however broke into a huge grin. "His brain just jumped started."

Gibbs slammed on the breaks and skidded them to a stop. He turned to look at his senior agent.

Ziva was also watching him with rapt attention.

"Abby said it started over an hour ago. All the sudden his brain activity went from potted plant to sleeping person. She was there when it started, his eyes began moving under their lids and she swears she saw his left pinky move. They think ..." he had to swallow hard to keep his emotions in check so that he could finish. "If his brain activity continues, they think he might wake up in a couple of days. They need decisions made, which mean they need you there Boss."

Gibbs stared at Tony, actually unable to have a reaction, being so overwhelmed with emotion.

"Of course!"

Ziva's exclamation startled both men. They turned to look at her.

"His soul had to go back to his body." She was smiling and wiping her eyes ... however these were tears of joy.

"And his body was in the hospital! Boss, we gotta get a move on it!"

Everything finally clicked for Gibbs. He quickly turned around in his seat. He threw the car in drive and breaking every driving law in the country, he got them to the hospital as fast as the car would take them.

XXXX

As soon as they entered the wing where Tim was staying, they were met with whirlwind Abby.

"Where the hell have you guys been?! I've been trying you for hours! Why are all of you dressed for hiking? Why would you go hiking at a time like this?! Never mind! You're here now! They want to do all kinds of tests on Timmy. Some are even suggesting keeping him in a coma for awhile! Can you believe it! After all this time of wanting him to wake up now they want to keep him asleep! You can't let them do that! Right?"

She was talking so fast, that none of them actually understood anything of what she was saying. Luckily, Dr. Mallard made his entrance.

"Ah, good! Jethro, I'm so glad Abigail finally got in touch with you. Did she bring you up to speed?"

"She tried Duck."

Ducky chuckled. "Yes, well, we are all very excited." He walked over to the vibrating goth. "Abigail, why don't you stay here with Anthony and Ziva. You can tell them ..."

"But I already did!"

"... again, what is going on, while I take Jethro to met with Timothy's doctors. Alright?"

"Yeah! Sure, Duckman!"

Ducky grabbed Gibbs' arm and lead him away.

Abby wrung her hands. "Why couldn't I get a hold of anyone? I was so happy, then I was so worried. I ... I didn't know what to feel!" A few tears trailed down her face, even though she was trying hard to contain herself.

Tony smiled. He walked over to her and pulled her into a big hug. "Sorry Abs. We needed to ... blow off some steam and Bossman thought the best and least destructive way would be to go for a hike. Guess our phones were out of range."

Abby let herself melt into the embrace. She cried; for joy, for worry, for relief. "He's coming back to Tony! Some of the doctors think it's a false start, but I know he's coming back! I can feel it!" She pulled back and looked up to him, looking like a lost little girl. "You believe me, right?"

Tony pulled her close again, tucking her head under his chin, looking straight at Ziva when he talked. "Yeah, Abbs. I believe you. In fact, I think there is a lot more stuff that I believe in now."

Ziva nodded her agreement.

After Abby got the tears out of her system, all three of them sat down and she told them again everything that had happened ... a lot slower this time.

XXXX

Gibbs sat by Tim's bedside, holding his hand which was now warm with life flowing through it. He could also feel small muscle movements, even more of an indication that his youngest boy was going to come back to them soon.

He pretended to listen to all the doctors, including Ducky, but he knew what was going on. After an hour, he put his foot down, stating that everyone would wait for Tim to wake up on his own. No medicine was to be given, no tests, nothing. Gibbs called it, 'letting nature take its course'.

Some of the doctors tried to argue with Gibbs about it, but he tuned them out and went back to watching over his boy.

Ducky smiled. He had not seen his old friend this content for a long time. Knowing that Timothy was getting ready to join them again had fixed what was broken in the team leader. Dr. Mallard shushed all the other doctors and chased them out of the room. He then turned and stood watching two people that he cared for healing. The ache that had been in his chest for months finally went away.

XXXX

Three days later, Tim finally opened his eyes.

Gibbs had known exactly when it would happen and made sure he was there when it did. Ever since he had come back from the underworld, he had felt a connection and a pull towards Tim.

So did Tony and Ziva. The three of them had been talking about everything since their return. They had reached several conclusions.

First, they had been witness to the worst times in Tim's life ... things he never wanted them to know. They agreed not to ever bring it up to him - it would be too hard to explain how they knew and could ruin his trust in them if he felt they went digging into his past. Second, was that Tim had shared his light with everyone in the Marsh, including them, so now back in the living world, it manifested itself as a sixth sense when it came to him. Third, was what to do with this new connection.

DiNozzo was the first to voice his concerns. "In the Marsh, I had to concentrate and really work to find Tim, but now, all I have to do is barely think of him and I can tell you how he's feeling. I don't know if he's gonna like that once he's awake."

After much debating, they decided to try their best to be the same around Tim ... as much as they possibly could and not let their new found insight change how they treated their friend. They knew it was going to be hard, but hoped they could pass it off as finally realizing how much he meant to all of them.

Now, looking at his youngest boy's sleepy, confused green eyes, he was glad of the connection. He reached out and cupped Tim's face, guiding him to meet Gibbs' ice blue eyes.

"B-boss? I ..."

Gibbs smiled. It felt like an eternity since he had hear the kid call him boss. "I'm here Tim ... I'm right here."

It took a moment for McGee to fully focus on his boss. When he finally did, he furrowed his brows in concentration. "Need to tell you ..."

"What Tim? What do you need to tell me?"

"Abby found something ... but I can't remember ..."

Gibbs couldn't help it, he laughed. Figures the first thing on the kid's mind is the last case he was working on. "It's okay, Tim. I know."

"You do?"

"Yup, so why don't you relax and try again when your a little more ready?" Gibbs stroked his thumb across Tim's cheek as he spoke.

"Okay, Boss, okay." Tim was starting to drift off again, so his next words were so soft, that if there had been anyone else in the room, they wouldn't have heard him. "You'll still be here?"

Gibbs smiled. "Absolutely."

A soft smile crossed Tim's face as he drifted back off again.

Gibbs leaned in close. "I will always be here for you, son. always."

XXXX

Three more days passed before Tim once again opened his eyes. And, once again, Gibbs was there. This time Tim stayed awake for an hour before drifting off.

From there, Tim started opening his eyes every day. Each time got longer and soon he was awake several times a day. Each time he opened his eyes, Gibbs was there. Soon the rest of the team started to visit and it seemed he had a revolving door of visitors, but Gibbs was always there.

Tim drew strength from the team leader's presence, especially as he tried to understand what happened to him.

Knowing how it would look if he didn't allow the doctors to run some tests, Gibbs allowed them a little leeway. He never allowed anything too invasive and kept a close eye on how McGee was handling being an experiment.

He knew the exact day Tim had reached his limit. Gibbs walked into the hospital, feeling Tim's defeated mood. He shooed everyone out of McGee's room and sat on the edge of the bed. "Talk to me."

Tim wouldn't met his eyes. "Nothing, it's nothing."

Gibbs delivered a gentle head-slap. "I can tell by the way you're slouching and the tone of your voice that it's not nothing ... so what's wrong?"

McGee slowly raised his eyes to met Gibbs'. "I ... I'm tired of all these tests, but ..." He looked away again.

Gibbs reached out, grabbed Tim's chin and made the young man look at him. "But what?"

Tim swallowed, trying to be brave as he voiced his worry. "What if they can't find out what's wrong with me? What if I collapse again? What if instead of in the bullpen I'm driving ... or I'm out in the field? I could hurt someone ... get one of you guys killed ..." A lone tear tracked its way down his face.

Upset to see Tim beating himself up over something that wasn't his fault made Gibbs' heart hurt. He used his thumb to wipe the tear way. "What if I told you that I know it will never happen again?"

"You don't know that."

"Yes, I do."

"How? All these tests and ..."

Gibbs let go of Tim's chin and gave another soft head-slap, forcing him to stop his ramble and focus on his team leader. "Because, I know. Call it a gut feeling."

When Tim didn't look convinced, Gibbs pressed on. "Have my gut feelings ever been wrong?"

"Well, no ... but ..."

"It won't be wrong this time either. Do you trust me?"

"Of course, Boss. That's not the issue."

"Then what is?"

"Can you trust me?"

Gibbs just stared at him dumbfounded.

"What if I'm driving Abby to court and I black out again? Or, I'm in the field with Tony when a suspect starts shooting? Or ..."

"Won't happen."

"Boss ..."

"Look at me Tim. Really look at me. Do I look like I'm worried?"

McGee didn't answer right away as he searched Gibbs' face and eyes. He found nothing but trust and support. "You're really sure?"

Gibbs nodded. "So what do you say ... had enough of being a pin cushion?"

"And then some."

Gibbs smiled. "Alright, I'll take care of it." He stood and started to leave. He could feel the gratitude rolling off of McGee.

"Boss, I ..."

"You're welcome." He turned back to his agent. "Just be ready."

"Ready? Ready for what?"

"Now that you won't be a lab rat anymore, they're gonna try to get you out of here quickly. I'm sure your physical therapy is going to step up a notch or two."

Tim's face went blank for a moment, the he smiled brightly. "I am definitely ready for that!"