Rating: FR-15 for language

Summary: Sequel to "The Truth Remains." After seeing Tony in the elevator at NCIS, Tim finds himself unable to stop thinking about him, and decides to tell Tony the reason he decided to leave.

Notes: Song-fic, extended from "The Truth Remains." There is a third and final part, to be posted at a later date. The song is "Gone" by NSYNC. (Lyrics left out to comply with site rules - full story with lyrics embedded can be found on AO3).

Warning: This fic, and the one before it, is not strictly in canon. At all. As a result, Tony, and Tim especially, are going to be acting out of character.

He should have said something.

That was all Tim could think about since he let the elevator doors close at the squad room level without saying a word to Tony.

He should have said something.

Anything.

He let the elevator take him back to Cyber Crimes, and he made his way quietly to his desk. He dropped the file into his inbox and practically fell into his chair. He had code to finish decrypting for a case of Balboa's, and the Lead Agent needed the information fast. Tim smiled. Balboa was almost like Gibbs, in his mannerisms.

As the code whizzed by on his computer screen, Tim started to feel himself getting sluggish. He took a sip of his coffee, and cringed when he realized it was cold, and stale.

He'd have realized that if he weren't still thinking about Tony.

Tim was a good fit for Cyber Crimes, and he was excellent at his job, but he longed to be back on Gibbs' team. He wasn't sure what he'd been thinking when he put in for a transfer, or why on Earth Gibbs had let him do it, but he regretted it more every day.

There was only one way he was going to get any work done, or get any sleep, for that matter.

He had to see Tony. Tonight.

The day had gone on for far too long. Tony was glad to be home at such an early hour. He'd taken off as soon as his paperwork was done on their current case. Gibbs hadn't said much. He acknowledged Tony's departure with a nod of his head.

He changed into sweats and grabbed himself a beer. He flipped on the basketball game and sat down on the couch to settle in for the night.

A knock on his door an hour later roused him from a restless sleep.

I must have fallen asleep during the game.

He pushed himself off the couch and went to answer the door.

His breath caught in his throat when he saw Tim standing there, hands shoved in his coat pockets.

"What are you doing here?" Tony managed to say.

"Can we talk?"

Tony stared into his former partner's eyes. There was something different about them. Something...glassy.

"Have you been drinking?"

"A little."

"Get in here and sit down, before you fall down, McGee."

Tim felt the blow in the pit of his stomach. He deserved to be called by his last name. Tony hadn't done that in years. He tried not to stumble as he came in and sat down on the couch.

"What's on your mind?" Tony asked as he sat down in the recliner across from Tim, and turned off the TV.

Tim didn't say anything.

"Come on, Tim. You take off in the middle of the night, don't leave a note, and then have the balls to transfer down to Cyber Crimes, without so much as a word as to why. You obviously came over here to tell me something after two months, so tell me."

"I owe you an explanation for doing what I did," Tim finally said. "There's no possible way to tell you that won't result in me not leaving here with a black eye, so I'm just going to tell you straight out. The night after you came home without Ziva, I went to a bar and had more to drink than I've ever had in my life. I ended up in the backseat of my car with a woman I barely knew. I don't remember much of what happened, but I remember sleeping with her, and missing cash from my wallet the next morning when I woke up in my car."

"You slept with a hooker?" Tony said angrily.

"I'm not sure whether she was or not," Tim confessed. "I remember talking to her at the bar, and having several drinks with her. When I left the bar, I remember feeling lightheaded, and then I remember being in the backseat of my car with her."

"So you either let some random woman drug you, or you got drunk and slept with a hooker."

Tim nodded, eyes dropping to his lap.

"I was embarrassed. I called into work that day, told Gibbs I had the flu. I went to Abby's after that."

"That explains why you never came home that night."

Tim nodded.

"I came back here around 2 a.m. and packed up my stuff. You were out cold in bed. You didn't even move."

"Why didn't you at least leave a note? Who just leaves someone cold, and doesn't even leave a note, or even call the next day?"

"I-I'm sorry. I know that's empty now, coming two months later, but I'm so sorry, Tony."

"I can't believe you didn't come to me, Tim! You never do things like that, ever,and you know that I know that. How is leaving me and transferring to Cyber Crimes a way to solve the problem?"

"I really fucked this up, didn't I?"

"That's the understatement of the millennium, Tim."

There was a pause in the conversation. Tim started to stand up.

"I have to go."

"Not so fast, McEasyPants. Sit down. You're not driving anywhere with alcohol in your system."

"You called me a McNickname," Tim said, trying to smile, as he fell back onto the couch.

"It wasn't a compliment."

Tim's smile faded.

"Listen, Tony, I-"

"No, you listen to me this time," Tony said sternly, interrupting him. "Was our relationship worth anything to you? Our friendship?"

"You know it did - it does," Tim said. He was starting sober up a bit, and a headache was coming on.

"I call bullshit on that answer. If you cared, you would have come to me and told me what happened. We could have gotten through that just fine. Everyone makes mistakes. What you did to me is inexcusable."

"I wish I could take it all back."

"It's too late for that now."

"Is there ever a chance we could be friends again?"

"I'm going to need time," Tony said as he reached behind the couch and came up with a blanket. "This isn't something that can be fixed with a couple of "I'm sorry's" and a movie night. You treated me like a piece of garbage, and that's not cool at all."

"I'm sorry."

"I know you are." Tony tossed him a blanket. "Get some sleep. I'm taking your keys and locking them in my safe. You don't leave until you're sober."

"Okay."

Tony turned and stormed into his room, Tim's keys in his hand, and slammed the door behind him. Tim flinched as the door slammed.

How the hell am I going to fix this?

He lay down on the couch and pulled the Ohio State blanket over himself. He was asleep as soon as his head hit the throw pillow.

The smell of coffee woke Tim up early the next morning. He sat up and looked toward the kitchen. Tony was pouring some coffee into a travel mug. He was dressed for work.

Tim spotted his car keys on the coffee table. He got up and folded the blanket, and set it on the couch. He picked up his keys, put on his coat and left.

He didn't see Tony come into the living room, holding a second cup of coffee, and he didn't see Tony throw it against the wall in anger.

But the truth remains, you're...

Part Three Coming Soon...