A/N: Thank you to everyone who read, alerted, and reviewed this story! Your kind words meant a lot to me.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

Tony kept losing track of time and he blamed it on his exhausted state.

Though the hotel he'd found near the hospital was quiet, he'd found sleep difficult to obtain since discovering Tim's actual fate. Tim had once again been absent from his dreams the night before, but Tony wasn't too worried. Tim had disappeared once before after being confronted with something emotional and distressing. Tony knew he'd turn up again at some point.

He found himself at Tim's bedside in the pre-dawn hours once again, the hours ticking by with an irregular stream of physicians and nurses checking up on their patient. Apparently Tim's condition didn't require constant supervision, as he was hovering in some sort of medical stasis. Not exactly healing, but not deteriorating either. At first, Tony had to explain his sudden presence, but the story he'd concocted (and the flashing of his badge) had been enough to placate the staff to let him remain at Tim's side during non-visiting hours.

Tony still hadn't come up with a plausible explanation for Tim's appearance in his dreams, nor what it meant that the young man was alive. He wished he had someone to talk to about this strange phenomenon, but he hadn't yet gathered the courage to bring it up. Yet he knew the time was quickly approaching in which he'd no longer have a choice.

Tony had managed to stall Gibbs for 24 hours, but his boss was no longer buying his feeble excuses. Gibbs was coming.

The phone call he'd received had been short and to the point. Tony refused to acknowledge that there had been a note of pleading in his voice when he'd asked his boss for a little more time, but something must have leaked through because Gibbs and Kate were both on their way to Norfolk. Part of Tony was warmed to the thought of his co-workers, his friends, coming to his aid when they had no clue what was really going on.

The less rational part of Tony was terrified.

Gibbs and Kate were walking through the door before Tony had figured out how he was going to explain Tim and his relationship to the agent. He stood, nodding his thanks to Kate who closed the door behind them.

"DiNozzo," Gibbs stated and there was so much hidden in those three syllables that Tony found himself spilling everything. He had no filter as he started at the beginning with the dreams, followed quickly by the suspicious things Tim would say but that Tony had initially ignored. He told them about Norfolk and Veitch and Tim's declaration of how his afterlife was being spent in Tony's unconsciousness. He finished with the story of getting pulled over, of his discovery of Tim's fate, and how he'd had to drive back to Norfolk to see for himself.

He avoided his teammates' eyes for as long as possible, but as the seconds ticked by after he'd concluded his side of events, he couldn't stand it any longer and he looked up into their faces. He thought he could read a little disbelief, and perhaps a bit of concern in their faces, but their reactions weren't as bad as he'd imagined they would be.

But then Kate had to start asking questions that Tony really didn't have the answers to.

"So you've been talking to a comatose person in your dreams."

"Yes."

"And… how is that possible exactly?"

"No idea."

"Are you sure you haven't met Agent McGee before and just forgot? Maybe this is all just some weird connection your subconscious is doing to try to have you remember him or something."

"That just sounds ridiculous."

"No more ridiculous than what you just told us!"

"Oh, you mean the truth?"

"What does Agent McGee have to say about all of this?"

"I don't know, he kind of freaked out after I brought him here."

"You brought him here? How?"

"I don't know. A couple of nights ago, we met up in my dream like usual. I just thought about his hospital room and it sort of just… happened."

"Why would you show him his own body?"

"The kid thought he was dead, Kate, why wouldn't I show him that he was alive?!"

"Enough." Gibbs' voice wasn't loud, but it cut through Tony's and Kate's rising voices easily enough. "You said Agent McGee was poisoned?"

"Yes," Tony confirmed. "Well, probably." At Gibbs' glare, Tony hurried on, pulling the same lab report he'd shown Abby out of his back pocket, unfolding it and handing it over to Gibbs. "They actually think he had an allergic reaction to something. But I had Abby look at his blood work and I guess the lab came back with some foreign substance in his bloodstream. She says that it's some sort of imitation of hemlock, and hemlock is poisonous."

Gibbs was silent as he stepped into Tony's personal space, glaring at him in that familiar way he does when interrogating suspects. It was very effective and Tony had to fight not to step away. "And how exactly did you get Agent McGee's bloodwork?"

"Well, I may have implied that I was leading an investigation into what had happened."

"And what did happen, DiNozzo?"

Tony refused to back down, because this was something he could answer with certainty. "Tim was poisoned. I'm sure of it."

Gibbs was silent for a moment, his eyes narrowing just a fraction, and Tony held his breath.

"Kate." Gibbs didn't look away from Tony as he summoned Kate forward, thrusting the lab printout in her general direction when she was close enough. "Find the lab. Talk to them about these results."

Tony flicked his gaze over to Kate and offered her a small smile in gratitude as she took the results with no hesitation and left the room. He turned his eyes back to Gibbs and let his smile grow in hope.

"You believe me?"

"About you talking to this man in your dreams, or that an agent of NCIS may have been a target for murder?"

"Uh…" Tony ineloquently responded. "Both?"

Gibbs finally stepped back and took a good look at Tim. Tony watched as Gibbs' stance softened, and Tony knew in that moment that Gibbs was going to back him up. Gibbs put on a show of being exasperated when he turned back to look at Tony, but he had his boss pegged. Gibbs believed him.

"Does Agent McGee remember being poisoned?"

Tony shook his head. "Nope. Last thing Tim remembers is getting ready for work that morning, hours before he was found in his office. He doesn't even remember leaving his apartment."

"Talk to his family," Gibbs ordered on his way out the door. "See if there was anyone who would have wanted him dead."

"On it boss!" Tony knew he was grinning like a loon, but he didn't care. He stopped for a moment next to Tim's bed and gently gave his shoulder a pat.

"Hang in there, Tim. We'll find out what happened. You'll see."

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

"Do you ever wonder why we can talk to each other in your dreams?"

"I try not to," Tony admits and Tim sighs. Tonight they had spent a few moments standing over Tim's still sleeping body before taking a long walk around the hospital's perimeter. The weather, as always in Tony's dreams, is beautiful, and they have no need to rush as they enjoy the warm breeze.

"I'm being serious, Tony. How is this possible?"

"You're just now asking? After how many weeks? I have no idea how, ok? Let's get back to the task at hand."

Tony is frustrated with the lack of progress with the case, and he's been spending the past few nights with Tim trying to coax anything from his memory that would point to his would-be-murderer. Though the lab did confirm Abby's findings, and Tim's poisoning is now an actual case, Tony's interviews with Tim's family have been fruitless. Kate has spent most of her time at the Norfolk base interviewing staff there, but it is slow going with most everyone commenting on how likeable Tim is, and how he goes out of his way to help others. And while Tony's past experience tells him that people usually say those things out of a sense of kindness for the victim, he knows this time is different.

Because Tim is likeable and an all-around nice guy. Who would want to hurt him?

"Look," Tony says after a while. "I don't know how. Or why. Maybe a comet zipped by too close to Earth and I suddenly got super powers. Maybe I have a brain tumor. Or maybe this is the universe trying to correct itself. I just don't know. But tell me, Tim... does it actually matter how or why?"

"I..." Tim stops and thinks for a few seconds and then smiles. "I guess not."

"Okay then."

"You never told me how your case ended," Tim says, changing the subject. "With the submariner?"

Tony shrugs, not too eager to revisit that case. "Killer stole his identity, stowed away on the sub. Tried to release sarin gas. Gibbs and Kate thwarted the plan. All in a day's work," he finishes with a smirk.

"Kate was on the sub?" Tony nods and Tim laughs. "Bet Veitch loved that."

"He wasn't thrilled with the idea to begin with, no. Not sure how he feels about the outcome, with the ends justifying the means and all that," Tony says with another shrug. "Guy's hard to get a hold of. He's been out of town for ages, making it hard for me to finish up his interview and finish the casework."

"Veitch gives me the creeps," Tim says as he shivers involuntarily. "I never know where I stand with the guy. One day he's yelling at me, the next he's bringing me food."

Tony spins around so fast he gets dizzy. "What kind of food? Quail?"

"What? No. Mostly snacks, the occasional salad for lunch."

Tony grabs Tim's face with both of his hands and gives it a firm shake. "Tim, you're a genius!" He smacks an exaggerated kiss on Tim's forehead, drops his hands and walks away. "I gotta go, uh, wake up now. I'll see you soon though, kay?"

"Tony, what…?" Tim stammers, but Tony interrupts with a wave of his hand.

"Just trust me. See you soon!"

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

"Agent DiNozzo!" Agent Roskam quickly stood from his chair as Tony entered the small office. "I wasn't aware you were coming to Norfolk today."

"Yeah, well, I heard that Captain Veitch was finally back in town. Figured a stealth approach would be best since he's been avoiding me these past few weeks."

"Oh, right. Of course. Did you need me to go get him for you?"

"No," Tony said with a shake of his head. "Agent Gibbs is talking to him now. The Petty Officer Drew case is actually not the main reason we're here. Do you know Tim McGee?"

Agent Roskam looked away a moment, looking at his prized filing system, before locking eyes again with Tony. "Yeah, of course. He was the agent who worked here before me. I'd met him a few times before…"

When Roskam trailed off, Tony filled in the gaps. "You were the one who found him here, weren't you."

"Yeah. It was awful." Roskam shook his head sadly. "What does that have to do with why you're here? I heard Lieutenant Connors at the Personnel Office say that Agent McGee had some sort of allergic reaction."

"That's not what happened." Tony moved forward and perched on the edge of Roskam's desk. He leaned forward conspiratorially. "He was poisoned."

"What?" Roskam asked, clearly shocked. "How?"

"That's why Gibbs is talking to Veitch."

Roskam shook his head. "You don't think that Veitch poisoned him, do you?" Tony only shrugged noncommittally in response. "I knew they didn't get along very well. I was witness to a few confrontations myself. Veitch plays hardball, Agent DiNozzo, and sets very high expectations. McGee just couldn't handle it. It led to a hostile work environment."

"So I've heard," Tony shared with a careful nod.

The two agents lapsed into a short silence before Tony slapped his knee and stood, saying, "Enough of this. Gibbs will be done soon, but I brought a sort of peace offering."

"A peace offering?" Roskam asked as Tony walked out the door and retrieved a large brown paper bag that he'd left in the hall.

"Lunch!" Tony exclaimed as he pulled out two plastic containers and handed one over to the other agent. Then, rubbing one hand on the back of his neck, Tony looked up, bashful. "Look, Jerry, I wanted to apologize to you about, well, everything. Making you stay up all night at the scene... Not really taking you seriously... I would say that it was all in good fun, but the truth is working alongside you always felt weird to me. I just got this itch that something wasn't right."

Tony tossed Roskam a wrapped packet of plastic silverware and opened his own container, taking his time mixing up the contents before continuing.

"At first I couldn't put my finger on it, but now I think I've got it all figured out. It's because you aren't supposed to be here, Jerry. You're not the agent I'm supposed to be working with." Tony paused to point at Roskam with his fork. "But you are here, and I shouldn't have taken my odd feelings out on you. Aren't you going to eat your lunch?"

"A… salad?" the other agent said as he peeked under the lid of his own container. "I'm more of a hamburger and fries guy, myself."

"Really? Because that's not what your credit card history says." Tony let Roskam process that a moment as he shoved a forkful of lettuce in his mouth. "See, you seem like a smart guy, Jerry. You certainly thought you were smarter than Tim McGee, didn't you?"

"I… what? Agent DiNozzo, I don't…"

"You'd hear all about those confrontations between Veitch and McGee," Tony interrupted. "You were even here for some of them. You'd watch as Veitch would belittle McGee, push him to work harder… faster. Veitch would deny McGee access to some of his personnel and important files, and you'd see McGee struggle to solve cases without them. So what did you think, Jerry? Did you think you'd do his job better? Or maybe that Veitch would like you more?"

Agent Roskam stood, his face turning red with rage. "That's enough, Agent DiNozzo. I have no idea what you're talking about. You said that Captain Veitch was the one who poisoned McGee. I don't know why you think I had anything to do with it."

"I never said that Captin Veitch was our suspect," Tony corrected. "I said Gibbs was talking to him about it. See, it looks as though McGee thought it was Veitch that was leaving him lunch. After all, these gifts always seemed to anonymously show up the day after one of their arguments. But it was actually you."

Roskam shook his head, tossing his uneaten salad onto his desk. "I don't need to listen to this," he said as he stormed past Tony. He didn't make it out the door, however, as Gibbs and Kate blocked his path, both with their weapons drawn.

"Going somewhere?" Gibbs smirked as Kate walked behind Roskam and began slipping on some handcuffs.

"It was probably really easy to slip some of the hemlock on McGee's salad after you'd doctored it up a bit. Made it look like an allergic reaction," Tony stated, moving around so he could address Roskam one final time. "And if that failed, well, McGee would think it had been Veitch and no one else would think to question it because of the, what did you call it? Hostile work environment."

"Let's go," Kate said, giving Roskam a nudge. They gave one another one last look of contempt but then he was gone.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

"You're showing signs of waking up."

Tony thinks he maybe should have led with something else based on the range of emotions flickering across Tim's face, but the truth is he's so damn excited to talk to the real Tim that he can hardly contain it.

"That's great, isn't it?" Tony pushes just a little and Tim offers up a tentative smile.

"Yeah. I mean, yes, of course it is. It's just…" Tim trails off, looking away, and Tony follows his gaze. The sun is nearly lost to the horizon, and the sky beyond the Washington Memorial is a deep orange. It's beautiful. It's perfect… symbolic, even, if this was to be the last conversation he has with Tim in dreamland.

"What if I don't recognize you? What if… when I wake up… I don't remember any of this?" Tony startles at Tim's unexpected questions, but Tim continues on. "I mean, if this is it, will you be happy? If this is all we'll ever be, will it be enough?"

Tony turns to fully look at Tim, his eyes inconspicuously glistening in the last rays of warm sunlight. He puts a hand on Tim's shoulder and gives it a reassuring squeeze.

"Tim, even if you don't remember, I will," he says seriously. "I'm not going to suddenly stop being your friend."

"Really?"

Tony rolls his eyes at him in lieu of an actual response. "Besides, how many people will be able to say that they are friends with the NCIS agent who solved his own attempted murder case while lying in a coma?"

Tim's laugh chases away any lingering doubts he may be harboring, and Tony gives his shoulder another friendly shake before closing his eyes with a sigh.

"It'll be okay, Tim. You'll see."

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

"Tim?"

Tony would never admit to the choked sob that he was unable to hold back when Tim woke. Tony had time to pull himself together as he watched Tim blink furiously and take in his surroundings, his gaze finally landing on Tony's face. The hand currently being held by Tony trembled for a moment, but then turned palm up to return the firm grip.

"Tony." Tim's voice was soft and raspy, but Tony beamed.

"Welcome back, Tim."

The End.