A/N: Please forgive the delay with this update. It is an extremely busy time of year.

Special Thanks goes out to Shelbylou - without whom, I would not have been able to finish this story nearly as well.

Morning found Gibbs stopping in at Ducky's on his way to work. He'd arranged to be Tim's ride to work this morning and if the team leader was going to be honest, this would be a good way to check on his agent himself, one on one with no middle man. He stepped into Ducky's front entrance as his older friend opened the door and offered a warm smile. A wave of relief washed over him at the sight of Ducky looking rested and relatively relaxed because in all likelihood, it meant that Tim had a good night's sleep too.

"Good morning, Jethro."

"Mornin' Duck. Sleep alright?"

"I slept very well, thank you and I'm happy to say that our Timothy did as well. It would seem that whatever the two of you discussed over dinner last evening relieved much of his stress, enough so he was able to sleep straight through the night." The M.E. reported as they ambled toward the kitchen. "Now, there's fresh coffee brewing so shall we enjoy a cup while we are waiting for Timothy? He will be along shortly."

True to Ducky's prediction, no sooner had Gibbs fixed his fresh cup of coffee, than Tim appeared in the doorway. "Mornin' Boss."

"McGee. How you feelin' this mornin'?"

"I'm fine."

"How's the head?"

"Only hurts when I forget about it and let something hit up against it." Tim flushed slightly. "Um, Kinda forgot in the shower."

"McGee, you sure you're okay?" Gibbs asked with a worried air.

"Really, Boss. I'm fine. Nothing I can't deal with." Tim vowed.

"Okay. Ready to go?"

"Yeah." Tim turned to Ducky and smiled. "Thanks, Ducky. I'll see you later."

"You're quite welcome, young man and later is quite right. There'll be no forgetting to check in with me today, like you did yesterday. "

"I won't forget, well, I'll try not to forget." the younger man promised.

"He'll check in, Duck. I'll make sure of it, now that I know he's supposed to." Gibbs said pointedly. He'd make damn sure his agent would be there.

"Yes, well I suppose that would have helped. All right. I shall see both of you later then." Ducky allowed as the two agents headed out.

Once in the car, Gibbs left the silence in place, hoping that if Tim had something he needed to say, he'd just come right out and say it. The boss' patience was soon rewarded as the younger man did just that.

"Boss…"

"What's on your mind, McGee?"

"I was wrong."

"About?"

"Asking you to let me stay out of the field. Expecting you to change the way you handle the team. I shouldn't have done that. I'm sorry."

Gibbs was stunned into silence, although, once he reminded himself that this young man was a gentleman; polite and thoughtful; just like he'd been raised to be; he was quick to realize that he shouldn't have been surprised to hear this from him. There certainly wasn't any doubt that Tim wasn't just saying this because he thought he was supposed to; but because he wanted to and because he believed it. Gibbs knew that Tim really believed he'd been in the wrong on this.

"McGee, the only thing you've done wrong here was not coming to me sooner; but now that I've heard you out on that, I can't even fault you for that."

"Thanks." Tim offered gratefully, though the flush of his cheeks showed Gibbs that the gratitude hid a hint of embarrassment behind it.

"Are you saying you don't want to be kept out of the field?" Gibbs asked, needing the clarification once and for all.

"Yeah."

The guilt-ridden answer didn't surprise the older man one bit but still he needed to push Tim's buttons enough for the young man to understand the full spectrum of what he was asking for. "So, if I send you and Ziva after a lead together…?"

Tim swallowed hard and fought back the automatic answer before it had time to escape his control. He was silent on that question for too long, though, and Gibbs was quick to call him on it.

"McGee! I'm gonna guess that you just lied to me. Did you?"

"No! I mean I don't want to have to stay behind, but…"

"Let's cut to the chase, alright? Bottom line is you don't wanna go out in the field unless we're all going, am I right?"

"Yeah." Tim breathed a sigh of relief as his boss got exactly what it was that he had been trying to say.

"And if it's chasing down a lead?" Again, Gibbs pushed the hypothetical situation past where he knew the young man had thought about it.

"I could go alone." Tim's timid suggestion spoke volumes of where his fear still lay with his teammates.

"I'm not in the habit of sending you guys out alone if I don't have to, McGee. You know that. Not gonna start doin' it now. Any lead chasing comes up, I'll let Tony and Ziva handle it. Fair enough? I'll see if I can get Ducky to lift the restriction as long as we limit your field work to taking the photos."

"Thanks Boss."

"McGee." Gibbs' tone changed slightly and became more sympathetic.

"Boss?"

"Need you to work on fixing this with your teammates."

"Boss, I don't know wha…" Tim was shocked at the gentle request and felt as though he'd just been put on the spot in the biggest way. He was saved from having to carry on by Gibbs interrupting him.

"Gonna take all of you working through it, Tim."

The dose of common sense jolted Tim, just as Gibbs had known it would. "I'll….Boss, I'll try. I can do that much."

"I know, McGee. I believe in you."

"You do?" Tim couldn't help the question as it passed his lips and cringed inside, thinking of how much he sounded like a child.

"More than you realize."

Tim felt some of the tension leave him as they rode through the predawn darkness toward the Navy Yard and grinned broadly, the very action brightening the dark interior of the car.

The official start of the workday was still twenty minutes away when the *ding* of the elevator announced the arrival of Tony and Ziva. As they strolled into the squad room together, they ground to a complete halt, almost in tandem, as they took in the sight in front of them. It wasn't the sight of Tim already engrossed in whatever information he was ruthlessly hunting down on his computer that had rooted them to the spot in shock, but rather, it was the sight of a piping hot cup of something, and a bagged something else that signified breakfast sitting on each of their desks that had done the trick.

*thawack*
*thawack*

"Can't get any work done just standin' there." Gibbs quipped as he came through the squad room and headed to his desk.

A quick glance out of the corner of his eye over in Tim's direction reassured him that his youngest agent was back in the groove of things and if Tony and Ziva would fall in line, things would soon be as normal as possible under the circumstances. Just as he'd hoped, the two new arrivals did just that, snapping out of their surprise and getting settled in behind their desks after offering the pre-occupied Tim a greeting, which of course, he did not return.

Shrugging it off since he was obviously busy, they both booted up their computers and enjoyed their breakfast while they waited for the chance to check their emails. Within a minute, both could be seen perusing their screens; and both froze as their eyes took in the email in front of them.

Tony and Ziva:

All is forgiven. Let's move on without dragging this on any further. We have to work together and we can't do that with this hanging over our heads.

Can we move past this now and start working together as a team again, please?
Tim.

Ziva was quick to respond as the guilt rose up once again and needed to be let out before she could move on. She needed Tim to know how badly she felt about what she'd done before she could forgive herself and she wouldn't be able to move on until she could do that.

McGee.

I apologize for the way I have been treating you. My eyes have been opened to what I was doing to you. I now know that I have behaved wrongly and I thank you for finding it in your heart to forgive me. I had lost sight of our friendship and forgotten about the things that truly matter and am deeply grateful that you did not do the same.

I promise not to forget again. I am deeply sorry for everything that has happened and hope that your faith and trust that I will watch out for you can be repaired because I know that that trust has been broken…not permanently I hope, but I know that it will take time.

Please allow me to try and earn that trust back.

I miss our friendship as well.

Ziva.

Gibbs watched out of the corner of his eye as Ziva typed steadily with obvious determination, Sliding his glance across the room to his Senior Field Agent, the boss was not surprised to find him doing the same thing. With a small smile, he turned his glance to the only agent in the room doing any actual work. Obviously the young man had emailed his teammates as a way to do what Gibbs had prompted him to do; help his teammates work through this situation and do what they could to get things back on track. Suddenly, Tony stopped typing and sat back and looked at his monitor, almost as if he was silently ordering it to do something.

Tony looked over what he'd put into the email he intended to send to Tim. He wanted it to be right, with no chance of being taken the wrong way.

McGoo:

Thanks for breakfast and the forgiveness that it signifies. Man, I've been a jackass!
Look, I'm sorry for going along with it all. I gave your safety and trust in us the cold shoulder just because I was pissed at you.
I know we argue and disagree, but hell, that's who we are.
Look at it this way, we're the dynamic Duo…trio, and we work well together. I'll do whatever it takes to get that back, just let me try, please?
I promise you – it won't happen again.
You've always had my back and I was too focused on what you'd written to remember who the real Probie really is.
I'm sorry. Hope I can earn your trust back. I will ALWAYS have your back out there – and from now on – in here too.

Tony.

Tim felt a small smile tug at the corners of his mouth at the emails, especially Tony's and hit the reply button and quickly got busy hammering out an answer that would hopefully move things along where they needed to go from here; forward

Tony

Dynamic trio? There's no way you get to be batman! You can be Robin and guess Ziva's catwoman by default?
Don't even wanna think about who Gibbs is in this scenerio.

Tim

He was rewarded a minute later, by Tony snorting his coffee over the keyboard. "No way, McGoo! Robin?"

Tim chuckled and opened a new email before starting to type out the message that would hopefully repair the remaining broken relationship to be addressed.

Down in the lab, Abby wiped at the tear that slid down her face as she read the email from Tim.

Abby:

Can we please get past this and get back to the way things used to be? I need things to go back to that as much as possible, but I can't do it alone.

Thanks
Tim.

Between everything Gibbs and Tony and Ziva had said last night, the reminders of what Tim had gone through the last time this had happened and now this email from Tim, Abby was left with no doubt as to what she needed to do. She needed to take the olive branch of a peace offering that Tim was offering even as she knew it should have made that first move herself. She had been in the wrong, not Tim. But, Gibbs was right regardless; they needed to move past this and somehow pick up the pieces of Tim's shattered trust in them along the way and work hard to help him put those pieces back together.

Not knowing how to get her best friend's trust back hurt but knowing she'd helped the others rob Tim of that trust in the first place hurt even worse. If Tim was willing to move past this and try to get things back the way they should be, no one should try and stop that. As she opened the reply box to send him an answer, she smiled as hope loomed on the horizon and good intentions once again returned to her heart.

Timmy:

I'm waving a white flag…okay, it's black with white skulls on it, but it's all I have right now.

I'm offering an olive branch in return and hope that you'll forgive me. You came to me to talk about what you were going through and I was careless about you getting hurt because of something you should be overflowing with pride about. I'm sorry, Timmy.

You have to keep writing, no matter what. If it makes you happy and helps keep the monsters that this job awakens, away, then keep writing, no matter what we foolishly spout off about it. As your friends, we should be proud of your accomplishments, not treating you badly for them.

I am sorry.

Let's do dinner sometime soon, please?...or maybe Brainmatter? I hear they're in town.
Better yet, you pick something, since you really don't like them and are too much of a gentleman to tell me so.

Love
Abby

Up in the squad room, Tim smiled with relief as he read the responses from his teammates. Then again, this relief had been easy to come by since it had been based on the fear that they wouldn't appreciate his gesture of good will both physical, with breakfast; and written, with the emails.

As he basked in the glow of the serious change in atmosphere that now permeated the squad room, the moment was cut short by the next words out of the boss' mouth a mere ten minute later.

"Gear Up! Got a dead Marine at Quantico! McGee, gas the truck! Tony, get Ducky."

Tony froze, "McGee? But, I thought…"

"Whole team goes out on the first call, DiNozzo, you know that."

"Right. On it, Boss!" Tony answered as he hit the speed dial on his phone for the M.E. while scurrying to catch up with the others for the elevator ride down to the car.

Even though the emails had done their job and lightened the load on everyone's shoulders about the entire situation, the car ride to the crime scene was still remarkably quiet. While Tim sat behind Gibbs as he drove, Tony sat behind Ziva who had wordlessly claimed the shotgun position and had been shocked when Tony simply let her do it without a fight. Each Agent seemed lost in their own thoughts and Gibbs was slightly unnerved by the ominous silence that made the atmosphere in the car feel heavy. Finally, after a good ten minutes of quiet, the boss couldn't keep quiet any longer.

"Somebody wanna tell me what the hell's goin' on?"

"Boss?"

"Boss?"

"Gibbs?"

"This car is NEVER this quiet when you're all in it! SOMEBODY better start talkin'!"

"Think we've all just got a lot on our minds, Boss." Tony answered humbly.

"Yeah?"

"Yes, Boss." Tim answered quietly as the other two quickly agreed with his assessment.

"Well, you all better have your heads on straight. It's been a while since I had to head slap any of you and I really don't wanna have to do it now!"

"But, Boss, didn't you just…?"

"You want a head slap, Tony?" Gibbs growled out before Tony had a chance to protest.

"No, Boss." The younger man answered quickly even as he stuffed his argument back down where it wouldn't escape out of his mouth. Obviously the head slap from earlier didn't count in the boss' book. Well, okay, he could do this. He could work and not earn the real headslap of a pissed off Gibbs.

Gibbs stood beside Ducky and watched as his team processed the scene before them. Ducky and Jimmy had already bagged up the body and had it strapped down on a gurney ready for transport.

"Timothy seems to be back in the rhythm of things ." Ducky said and nodded towards Tim. "What happened?"

"Don't know, Duck. He bought them all breakfast and I think he sent emails out to everyone. Judging by the clicking that was going on, they answered. I know he appreciates you lifiting the 48 hour restriction so he can be out here with them."

"You think? You guess?" Ducky asked with a mischievous gleam in his eyes. "Is that the famous, Leroy Jethro Gibbs admitting that he doesn't know for sure?"

"Don't make me head slap ya, Duck." Gibbs smirked.

"Wouldn't dream of it, my friend." Ducky frowned slightly. "They are awfully quiet. It's just not normal."

"Said they had stuff on their minds. Just gotta let them work through it."

"Yes, quite. It's going to take time I'm afraid. The damage was beginning to take root. I believe it can be repaired though."

"I know." Gibbs agreed. "You heading back?"

"Yes. There's not much more we can do here. Will you do me a favor and send young Timothy down to me when we get back, please?" Ducky's comment from earlier in the morning came back to Gibbs.

"Yeah. Don't want him skipping out on you again, especially with him working out here sooner than he was supposed to have been."

"Thank you. Timothy seems to be fine, however, it does merit keeping a closer eye on him for the rest of that window. Now, Mr. Palmer. Let's get our friend back to autopsy." Jimmy stepped forward and started to move the gurney towards the van. "I shall see you back at work."

"See you later, Duck." Gibbs watched them go with a frown and turned back to his team. It looked as though they were all finishing up, so he strode forward, pulling the car keys out of his pocket as he walked.

"McGee!" Tim jumped slightly from where he was crouched down packing away the camera.

"Yeah, Boss?"

Gibbs tossed him the keys and watched as he fumbled before catching them. "You're driving."

"Huh?" Tim's confusion was clear on his face and Gibbs couldn't help the small curl of his lips.

"What part of that don't you understand, McGee. Pack up, let's go."

"Boss?"

"You got a problem, DiNozzo?" Gibbs was strangely pleased to see the confused look that passed between Tony and Ziva. "Well?"

"Well..It's just that…"

"What?" Gibbs snapped. Tony stood up and moved to stand near Gibbs so he could talk quietly.

"It's just that…Boss, Probie drives really slow. It'll take forever to get back to the Navy Yard."

"That so?"

"Yeah, I mean wouldn't it be bet….."

**Thwack**

"Obviously not." Tony muttered and went back to packing away his gear. Gibbs looked at Ziva and noticed that she had been quiet, though the look on her face betrayed how she really felt about the situation.

"Da'vid, take the evidence and put it in the trunk. DiNozzo, hurry up. McGee, with me!" Tim finished what he was doing and stood up to swing his pack over his shoulder. "Today, McGee!"

"Coming, Boss." Tim hurried after Gibbs and soon made it to Gibbs' side. "Everything okay, Boss?"

"Why wouldn't it be?"

"it's just that, well, you never ask me to drive."

Gibbs glanced sideways at Tim and gave a small shrug. "You don't wanna drive?"

"No…I mean, yeah of course I do, it's just…Boss, why…?" Tim rushed to get the last part of his question out hoping that Gibbs wouldn't dish out a headslap for him asking.

"You questioning my directions, McGee?"

"Not really, Boss, but I'm curious."

"Look at it this way, McGee; they put you through hell for a second time. This is your chance to turn the tables on them." Gibbs smiled. "They hate how carefully you drive."

"Um…Okay." Tim frowned. "I think."

"Trust me on this, McGee."

"I do. I don't understand it, but I do trust you, Boss." Tim answered honestly.

"Put your gear in the trunk and get in. I call shotgun." Tim couldn't help but laugh as he opened the trunk and dropped his bag in, waiting next to the open door for Tony and Ziva to do the same.

"Shotgu…"

"Don't even think about it, DiNozzo. Get in." Gibb stood at the front passenger door glaring at his two agents in the hope that his silent message would get across, loud and clear.

One word! Just one word from either of you about the way he drives, and your feet won't touch the ground."

Tony eyed Gibbs warily, aware that Ziva was doing the same before she walked round to the other door and got in the back. Tony opened the car door and stood leaning on it, staring at his Boss. Gibbs' gaze didn't falter at all.

"Boss?"

"Yeah?" Gibbs replied coolly.

"I get it." With that, Tony stepped in and closed the car door, waiting for Tim and Gibbs to get in. Gibbs caught Tim watching the exchange and nodded his head in silent support.

"Well, McGee, come on! We haven't got all day!"

Tim grinned broadly and opened the door. "On it, Boss." He said as he got in and started the engine. Once Gibbs was settled and had his seatbelt on, Tim pulled away.

"Probie! how about we stop off at that little Italian place. You know the one, they make fantastic meatballs?" Tony called from the back.

"Tony, that's out of our way and we need to get this evidence back to, Abby."

"Zee-vah! Come on, I'm hungry."

"You are always hungry." She answered with pure exasperation lacing her tone.

"She's got you there, Tony." Tim chuckled. "There's a place on the way, we can stop there."

"But…."

Gibbs let the conversation fade into the background and watched the scenery as it flew past at a steady rate. Maybe things were going to look up now, and hopefully Tim would be able to find the peace he needed to forgive everyone for what they did and be able to rebuild his trust in them so he could get on with life as it should be once again.

"Boss, you okay?" Tim asked quietly some ten minutes later as he took note of Gibbs' pensive mood that seemed to border on sadness. He was grateful that Tony and Ziva had gone inside to order the food; leaving himself and Gibbs alone in the car. It made asking this question less problematic and easier to get out.

Gibbs looked over at the young man who, even with everything he was working his way through, was still quick to worry about those around him; and smiled as he answered him with heartfelt sincerity. "Yeah, McGee. I am now."

"Me, too, Boss. Thank you for that."

Gibbs nodded in silent acceptance of Tim's gratitude and turned back toward the window.

"We'll get things back to where they should be, Boss. I promise."

"I know, McGee. I know."

FINIS