This chapter is a little shorter then the rest but I felt like it needed to stop where it did.

"Stop keeping me out of the damn investigation!" Tim stormed into Abby's lab where Abby, Tony, Ziva, and Gibbs currently were looking over evidence collected from the Baker cabin. When Tony, Ziva, and Balboa's team had returned Gibbs had sent Tim to Ducky, hoping the doctor could keep him distracted long enough.

"Tim." Gibbs stopped him before he could fully walk into the lab and gently pushed him backwards until they were back in the hall. The door stood open as Abby, Tony, and Ziva pretended not to listen. "You're too close to this. We can't work and make sure you don't go storming off to do something stupid."

"I don't need to be babysat, Gibbs!" Tim growled. "I need to help to find my little girl."

"And you will when we actually find her. You're going to be the one she sees first. Right now all we have is evidence of where she's been."

"She and Eric weren't at that cabin right? But Lisa was. I saw Balboa bringing her in. Let me talk to her."

"No."

"What?"

"You're not talking to her."

"What the hell, Gibbs!"

"Stop!" Gibbs shook McGee's shoulders. "You need to take a step back before I arrest you."

Tim froze. "You'd do that?"

Gibbs let his mask drop, knowing the team was listening behind him, as his words softened. "If it guaranteed your safety, yes. We finally admitted our feelings for each other, I'm not losing you because of your own stupidity."

Tim was grateful this time he didn't feel like crying but he did frown. "I'm sorry."

Gibbs wrapped his arms around Tim's shoulder and pulled him closer, kissing the side of his head. Behind him he heard Abby squeal, Ziva ask when they had gotten together, and Tony cover a not so subtle laugh with a cough. When Gibbs finally let go and Tim took a step back, Gibbs knew he was going to start arguing again.

"At least let me help, please." Tim was definitely not above begging. "I promise to not do anything stupid without your permission."

That got Gibbs to laugh as he nodded and allowed Tim to follow him back into the lab. The other three were not so subtly watching a blank screen on Abby's computer. Gibbs stepped up to them. "You can ask your questions later. Right now DiNozzo and I are going to talk with Miss Barclay." He turned his attention to Tim. "You can't sit in with us but you can stay in observation. Ziva can babysit you."

Again Tony tried to cover a laugh with a cough before he was headslapped. "Thanks, boss."

Once Abby had started on the most important pieces of evidence, the fingerprints to see if any could be matched to Maddie, the four agents headed for interrogation. Ziva steered Tim right into observation while Gibbs and Tony continued into the room where Lisa Barclay had been sitting in silence for the last half hour. Ziva knew Tim wanted to walk in there so she kept herself between the younger man and the door, her attention split between watching Tim and watching the interview.

Gibbs sat down across the table from the brunette while Tony stood off to the side, in the corner by the two-way mirror.

"Miss Barclay."

Lisa looked up at Gibbs. "Yes?"

"I'll just cut right to the chase. Where are Eric Baker and Maddie McGee?"

"I don't know."

"But they were with you?"

Lisa shrugged. "My sister and her friend always seemed to have everything didn't they."

Gibbs didn't react to the sudden shift in the conversation. He knew behind him, behind the mirror, Ziva was probably holding the door closed so Tim couldn't come barreling in.

"Hannah and her wife worked hard for what they had."

"No. They used Hannah's boyfriend. Timmy." Lisa shook her head. "He did everything for them. When daddy cut her off from her inheritance Tim helped them get an apartment and then a house."

"What sort of jobs did Hannah and Carrie have?"

Lisa shrugged again. "Carrie is a school teacher and Hannah runs her own dance studio."

"So they weren't exactly hard for money."

"No but Timmy bought that house for them. It was his wedding gift to them. He even gave them children."

"What's so wrong with someone helping family?" Tony spoke for the first time.

Lisa looked at him and smiled. "Mother wanted Hannah to marry Tim. Even told her she would get her inheritance before her thirtieth birthday if she did. Hannah refused."

"Tim wasn't the one she was in love with."

A commotion in the hall stopped the conversation and Gibbs was out of the room before Tony could blink. Instead of following he sat down in the chair Gibbs had vacated and looked at the woman across from him.

"We just want to know were Maddie is, Miss Barclay."

"She's with Eric. They were going to get Esther and Blake." Lisa replied. "Eric and I want them to know their sibling. The five of us are moving to Mexico as soon as daddy gives up my inheritance."

At first Tony thought she was including Maddie as one of them when he watched her hand cup her stomach. Realizing what that meant he nodded and stood up, heading for the door. Before he opened it he turned back to her with one final question.

"Why did he kill your sister?"

Lisa looked up with wide eyes. "He didn't kill her. Eric just knocked out Carrie and went to talk with Hannah. When she didn't give him what we wanted, he took Maddie."

With another nod, this one a bit slower, Tony exited the room. He closed the door behind him and turned to see Tim pacing in front of the observation door, hands flying as he arguing with Gibbs. For his part Gibbs was leaning back against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest, not saying a word, just letting Tim rant. Ziva stood near the interrogation room door so Tony stopped next to her.

"Guess he didn't like what she was saying about her own sister."

"No he did not." Ziva rubbed at a spot on her arm.

Tony looked down at the red mark and winced. "Did he do that?"

Startled Ziva looked at her arm and then at Tony. "He tried to storm in there and I stopped him. That is when Gibbs came out."

"But he hurt you."

"It does not hurt and it was not his fault."

The ranting stopped and both looked up to find Tim had slid down the far wall and was now sitting on the floor, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. Gibbs was crouched down in front of him and whispering something neither of them could hear. Neither of them took the steps closer to hear because they felt like it should be a private conversation. When Tim nodded Gibbs stood and then helped the other man up. After a minute they turned to Tony and he stepped forward.

"Eric is taking Maddie to the grandparents'. They want to get Esther and Blake so they can move as a family to Mexico. Oh and she is apparently pregnant."

"Can we use her to get Eric?" Tim asked.

Gibbs scrubbed a hand over his face. "If he is heading for the grandparents' home for Lisa's kids that's where we need to go." He pointed to Tim. "Not you."

"Gibbs! What, no. You said..."

"I know what I said Tim but you're still not thinking clearly. If this turns into a hostage situation I need to know that you're not in there." He cupped Tim's face in his hands. "Maddie is going to need her dad."

Tim huffed. "Fine. But the moment you have her."

"I will be calling."

"Then go get my daughter back."

Gibbs resisted the urge to kiss his agent knowing they needed to wait until this was all over but Tim made the decision for him, landing a feather light kiss on his lips before pulling back with a smile. Gibbs smiled back before turning serious. Without needing to tell them Tony and Ziva followed Gibbs. Tim struggled between following them and going in to talk with Lisa. He fought both and found himself heading for his desk instead. Gibbs was just grabbing his coat.

"Maybe you should go sit with Abby."

Tim shrugged as he sat down in his chair. "I might head home. Get some things for Maddie. Clean clothes, a stuffed animal."

Gibbs nodded before heading out with the rest of the team. Tim watched them leave as he sat there in sadness and in anger. Sad because he lost his best friend and almost his daughter. Anger at the man that took them from him. Tim knew that if he ever had a chance encounter with Eric Baker all rational thoughts would be out the window, he just hoped that if it came to that Gibbs would be by his side to stop him.

When Tim pulled up to his apartment in the Porsche, thankful Gibbs had let him drive it back to the yard from the hospital earlier, Tim took a moment before finally getting out. It had only been forty minutes since his team had headed to the Barclay residence in search of Eric and Maddie, but it felt like it had been days. Taking the stairs, Tim reached his apartment in just minutes.

Stepping inside he didn't have time to react as he was hit in the side of the head by something heavy and metal. The explosion of pain raced through his head as he stumbled into the kitchen, grabbing the counter so he didn't fall. His vision blurred but when he looked up he had just a split second to duck before whatever had hit him could again. He didn't recognize who it was but Tim was pretty sure it was Eric Baker.

He tackled the man and they fell to the ground, both struggling for the upper hand. Metal skittering across the wooden floor gave Tim a clue as to what had hit him. The gun that had killed his best friend. Knowing he had to keep Baker from reaching the gun Tim swung a punch. When it connected with flesh he smiled.

It was short lived however when his phone ringing distracted him just enough for Baker to punch him back. Tim hit the floor hard and tried to grab at Baker's leg as the other man dove for the gun. Tim had just enough time to dive behind the kitchen counter before the shot rang out, but not enough time that the bullet completely missed. The pain in his arm was enough to make him scream as he fell to the floor again, clutching at his left arm as blood oozed between his fingers.

He rolled to his back as a gun was suddenly in his face, Eric looming over him. From the stories he had heard of the older man, he expected him to look crazy, maybe even have scars from fights or something. Instead Tim would file the man under handsome, if he had not been a murderer and currently pointing a gun in his face.

"Where's Lisa?"

"Where's Maddie?"

"You want the kid, bring me Lisa."

"I can't do that."

"Sure you can." Eric lowered the gun. "I'll call with instructions."

And suddenly he was gone. Tim thumped his head on the tile floor before digging his phone out of his pocket with his right hand, ignoring the blood getting everywhere. Hitting the speed dial for Gibbs, Tim let a smile slip as he looked at his wrist, void of a certain watch with a GPS tracker.