Melinda

Chapter 3

Tony was shaken out of his reverie by Gibbs putting the photo of Max on Tony's desk.

"So why would someone be sending you pictures of Jenny Shepard's housekeepers foster son?" Gibbs asked.

Tony looked as stumped as Gibbs felt, "I dunno boss?" he said.

Vance walked between the two men, "we still have both Shepard and her father's prints on the picture, maybe the boy is related to one of them?"

"But she's dead?" Tony said, he couldn't help the pain that sentence caused, "Remember Vance, you were the last one to see her alive." Tony looked at his boss accusingly.

Vance looked away.

Tony pushed Gibbs out of the way and stormed up to Vance, "ARE YOU TRYING TO TELL ME SHE'S NOT DEAD!" He yelled. Gibbs stood behind him stunned, "DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT I WENT THROUGH!" He couldn't stop the pain in his voice.

Gibbs looked at the guilt on the Directors face and the grief on Tony's and it hit him like a punch in the gut, DiNozzo had been in love with Jenny. He knew (Because he never assumed) that they had become close friends while he was away in Mexico, but he doubted Jenny had ever let it go beyond friendship, not only was there the age thing, but he and her had history. DiNozzo knew that and he would never…would he?

"Agent DiNozzo, we did fake Director Shepard's death, she was seconded on the orders of SECNAV to go on an undercover assignment," Vance said.

Vance normally would not have revealed this on the office floor, but seeing as it was a Sunday and they were the only team in, speaking freely wasn't an issue.

"You…you faked…" Tony sank into a chair.

"I don't see why this is such an issue with you?" Vance snapped, "It certainly won't help us find her or the boy."

Tony paled as a thousand thoughts ran through his head, "Oh my God….Melinda….." he said as it added up in his head.

Tony stood up, grabbed his bag and started walking, "DiNozzo!" Gibbs barked.

"It's Melinda…..!" Tony said and pressed the elevator button.

Taking the stairs Gibbs, Ziva and McGee got to the parking lot in time to see Tony's car peel out of the Navy yard, they got in the challenger and followed.

"Where the hell is he going?" Gibbs growled.

"Don't know Boss." McGee said holding on for dear life.

Tony drove out of Washington and into the country, there was a huge mansion surrounded by fields on a hill, the others watched as Tony keyed in a number on the entry keypad and just before the gates shut they drove in behind him.

Jenny heard the sound of the keypad beeping for the main gate, "He'd remembered….it had taken him a while, but finally he had remembered." She ran down the stairs, her hair still wet where she had stripped the last of the black hair dye from her hair. She heard his car screech to a halt as she reached the bottom of the stairs.

Gibbs and the other parked up, Ziva checked her gun just to be sure.

"Where are we?" Gibbs asked.

"The plate on the front says Twelve Trees manor." McGee said.

"He may need backup." Ziva said. They watched as Tony ran from the car to be met halfway by a familiar red head.

"Jen!" Gibbs breathed, his heart leapt that she was alive, only to be crushed a moment later as his senior field agent and his ex-lover crashed together in a passionate kiss.