Abby tried to hold back her tears as she looked down at McGee as he lay in the hospital bed. Tony had said he was better. Much better.

He must have lied surely because if this is what he looked like better then she really didn't want to know what he had looked like when he had been worse.

She wanted to hold him so tight and never let him go.

He had lost weight even in the short time he had been sick and his skin was sallow and pale. They had turned off the ultra violet lights but the harsh white hospital lighting just showed up the dark circles under his eyes and his dry slightly blood stained lips. His adorable soft baby faced features seemed to sag and his skin seemed too hot and flushed.

The case had broken and she had finally been able to come and visit. She had only continued to work to find an answer or a cure in the hope that it might save him but he was pulling through on his own. She couldn't believe that in such a short space of time their lives had been turned upside down. It had only been really hours and McGee had almost died and now hours later he was slowly (apparently) getting stronger. But it would be weeks until he was back at her side where he belonged. Until then she would have to be the one that looked out for him.

Tim opened his big eyes and Abby tried to smile and hide from the pain she saw there.

"Abby" Tim's voice was so faint and weak she wanted to cry.

She saw him try to smile and knew he was doing it only to try and make her feel better. Abby bit her lip and looked down at her sweet gentle friend. How like him to be in so much pain and try and make her feel better.

She knew him though.

She knew him as a friend, colleague and even as a lover. They had spent hours by each others side and she knew.

She knew that he was afraid.

She knew that he was in pain.

She looked around and checked that for now they were alone. And then she gently held him in her arms and whispered softly into his ear.

"It's ok Timmy. You don't have to be brave with me. I know you're scared and I know it hurts. And that's ok I'm here now."

Tim inhaled the scent of her shampoo and her love and suddenly started crying desperately. The hot salt tears seared his tired eyes and coursed down his cheeks but now he had started he couldn't stop. It hurt to cry and it hurt to breathe but he knew he couldn't keep it in any longer. He wasn't Tony and he wasn't Gibbs who seemed to be able to look death in the eye and not care. He had been so frightened and he was still so scared at what was happening to him.

Even if the others didn't know he knew how close it had been. He had nearly died. Everything he had wanted to do with his life would have been unfinished.

Abby ran her hands up and down his arms and continued to hold him as he cried and trembled in her arms. She would never tell anyone about this and that he trusted her enough to reveal himself without the barriers of bravado and deception warmed her.

Tim cried and gasped and allowed himself to be comforted as he relived his terror of drowning helpless inside his own body until exhaustion over came him and he fell asleep in Abby's arms.

"Shussh now Timmy I will be here. I will always be here. Sleep now. You will be safe."

*******************************************************************

When Tim woke hours later he was in pain and felt exhausted from the energy he had expended crying into Abby's shoulder. At the same time though he felt strangely better somehow, more relaxed and the knot of fear he had in his belly had dissipated.

He hurt and he was tired but he was alive. And he was going to stay that way.

She had stayed with him for hours and every time he woke or twitched she had reached for him and gentled him and talked quietly to him until he had fallen asleep again. She had wiped the evidence of tears from his cheeks with a cool cloth and straightened his disturbed blankets so he looked peaceful. The last time he had woken she had kissed him on the cheek and told him his sister was here.

With a smile meant just for him Abby had told him she would come back and see him soon. Tim wanted to thank her for being there and for simply knowing what he needed even when he didn't. He struggled into a sort of sitting position and reached for her.

"Abby…….I"

She put her finger to his lips stilling them and smiled.

"I know Timmy. I know."

With that she had quietly left. And Sarah had taken up her watch with no less care and attention. And he had again slept.

Tim looked across and saw Sarah watching him from a chair beside his bed with red tear strained eyes. She looked tiny and a complete mess with her thick hair sticking up in every direction. He smiled at her and she stood and came across to his bed.

"Hey"

Tim decided he would be keeping all answers short for a while as just that one word sent flames through his chest.

"Hey you." Sarah slipped her hand into his and put on her best 'bossy' face

"You really should get some more sleep you know Tim. You look like crap"

Tim smiled at Sarah's familiar politeness and allowed himself to succumb once again to the soft painless visions of sleep.

*******************************************************************

"Hey McGee!"

Tony stuck his phone inside the door and wiggled it before poking his head around into the room.

"I need you to say Luke I am your father. That voice you got going at the moment is just perfect. I want to put it on my answering machine"

Tim just shook his head and didn't bother to reply. Tony grinned and stepped into the room the relief that his partner was conscious evident on his face.

"Hey Tony."

Sarah gave Tony a quick waive and a greeting before she returned to Tim's bedside and gave him a kiss on the cheek. She smiled down at her big brother before pronouncing with an eye roll that she was leaving.

"I better go now Tim and let you have some more rest. Mom and Dad won't be far away. I'm collecting them off the plane from their holiday you rudely interrupted by practically dying in a couple of hours.

So now I'm going to go home and shower and change and hopefully have a nap myself. I want to have some energy to face Moms massive freak out when she sees her precious baby in hospital. And you know Dad's going to pretend he's ok but he will go all quiet and won't stop squeezing your hand until you get pins and needles in it. And then they will automatically be worried about me too and they are going to fuss like crazy over me and we will probably end up having a big fight.

So don't forget you are going to owe me BIG TIME. I want you to remember that when it comes to Christmas this year. Don't be stingy Tim."

Sarah stood smiling with her hands on her hips giving Tim one of her patented 'I can't believe what a situation you have put me in' sort of looks.

Tony laughed at Sarah's jaded description of her family. "Sounds like good times Sarah, good times."

Sarah just poked her tongue out at Tony and rudely pulled a face.

"Hey Sarah! You just let me know if you want to cry into my shoulder again Ok? I'm going to need a new shirt." Tony held his arms out and indicated his very expensive, stylish and currently extremely rumpled shirt he was wearing.

Sarah simply laughed and punched him in the shoulder as she left.

Tony made an 'owww' face and rubbed his sore shoulder before turning back to McGee.

"Hell of right hook your sis has there Probie"

Tim's weary bloodshot eyes narrowed and he attempted to struggle further upright in his bed. Tony and Sarah? Over his dead body. Ok there was probably a better decription he could use. When hell froze over? Yeah that was better.

"What were ……..you doing ……….holding my …….sister Tony?" Tim gasped suspiciously

Tony laughed and perched casually on the end of Tim's bed.

"Oh you know the usual damsel in distress stuff, stop her taking out an orderly, being her punching bag, listening to her telling me how great you are for hours at a time. Blah blah hero worship blah blah"

Tim concentrated on his painful breathing for a moment as he glared at Tony and Tony finally realized that McGee was being serious.

"Uh no no no I have no plans regarding your sister. I mean she is your sister. Pretty and kind of spunky…."

Tim's glare intensified and Tony back peddled frantically "but totally wrong for me"

"She's way too ………young for you" Tim slowly rasped as big brother mode completely kicked in.

"And she's ….too good ……..for you. "

Tim finally finished. He looked like he wanted to say more but the effort that required seemed to be too much and he sagged back against the bed clutching and twisting at the blankets anxiously.

Tony nodded soothingly realizing that McGee was probably right He wasn't very good with women. Okay he was very good with women just not in the long term. Besides he kind of liked the whole little sister thing. Maybe afterward this was all over he could take Sarah out for a milkshake and a movie?

One look at McGee who still seemed disturbed at the very idea Tony had even met Sarah and Tony decided that was probably another very bad idea. Still it was good to see him talking again.

And a little teasing wouldn't hurt would it? He knew that he promised himself he would knock it off but just once for old time's sake?

Tony grinned mischievously "So what I'm good enough to be your partner but not to comfort your sister who's upset because you had to go and snatch some stupid letter?"

Tim glared at Tony and sucked in a deeper more confident breath.

"Yes"

*******************************************************************

Gibbs watched through the glass with a smirk as his two agents started bickering again. It was a little slower than usual but there was definite affection in the tone.

Thank god it looked like everything was returning to normal.

Gibbs smiled across at Kate who had just come down for her own visit with McGee. It was good to have everyone together again. And safe.

(Thank you to those who reviewed and alerted this story. I hope you enjoyed. Please let me know if you did. Precious)