Melinda

Chapter 6

Tony figured before he tackled this thing head on he needed to make one last stop.

The autopsy door swished open and Jimmy was standing there his face like thunder, "So you finally did it?" He said Ducky looked at him concerned he didn't know what his assistant was mad at Tony for and he turned to watch the two men.

"Yep," Tony deadpanned.

Jimmy face broke into a grin, "God! Tony, I wish you had warned me I would have loved to see their faces."

Tony smiled back, "The best bit was Gibbs and Vance having to call me sir?"

"Anthony have I missed something?" Ducky asked.

"Yeah Ducky, you may wanna sit down, you too Palmer…Jenny's back." He said. "And she's not dead, it was a ruse, she was undercover."

Even Palmer who had been best man at the wedding, hadn't heard she was back. "So….Gibbs knows?" Jimmy asked.

Tony nodded, "It's why he fired me….well he as good as fired me, he gave me a transfer request form and told me to get my ass off his team."

Ducky looked upset, "Anthony, Jethro thinks a lot of you, I can see how Jenny coming back into his life is a shock, we all thought she was dead and I know Jethro will be having conflicting feelings for her."

"He'd better not be!" Tony snapped.

"Anthony, Am I missing something?" Ducky asked.

Tony sighed and took a deep breath, "Jenny and I are married, and the kid we are looking for is our son. I've left Gibbs' team and am now the Director of NCS." He figured that covered everything.

"When were you and the Director married?" Ducky asked.

"Just after my car blew up."

"Oh my dear boy, then when Director Shepard died in that shoot out and you were on protection detail…." Ducky let the thought trail off.

"Yeah Ducky, I thought I had lost my wife and was in mourning and Director Vance sent me away." Tony said sadly.

"And your son?" Ducky asked really feeling for all that Tony had suffered alone.

"Didn't know about him until yesterday, Jen's been sending me covert emails since he was born, but I didn't know he was mine." Tony produced the latest photo that Jen had left on his windshield and passed the photo to Ducky. "His name is Anthony Jethro DiNozzo the third, although he thinks his name is Max Watson."

"That's Noemi and Tom's boy?" Ducky said. "I always thought the eyes looked familiar."

"You knew?" Tony looked surprised.

Ducky smiled, "My boy had I had anything stronger than an inkling I would have told you straight away. " Ducky said honestly.

Tony looked at the older man, "You know…when we get him back, he could use a decent grandfather figure…if you're up for it?"

Ducky smiled, "I would be honored, although I thought that role would have been more reserved for Jethro?"

Tony's face fell, "So did I, but when push comes to shove, it seems Gibbs is no better than my father." The sadness that Tony was trying to hold in came off him in waves, "I'm sorry Ducky, but I have to go, I will expect you over for dinner, when this is over," he said and wrote an address on a piece of paper and walked out of autopsy as Ducky turned to Jimmy.

"I think you need to fill me in?"

Waiting for the elevator he heard Jimmy worry about saying anything and he leant back and did a thumbs up sign and barely suppressed a chuckle as Jimmy said, "Well it looks like I have the green light, sit down Dr. Mallard, I have a lot to tell you about my best friend."

Gibbs walked into the bullpen, he had a small pang of regret when he looked at DiNozzo's empty desk and shot him a glance as he saw his Ex-SFA walk along the mezzanine towards Vance's office. "Sit Rep?" he said and waited.

"I've been tracing the ip address that the kidnapper used sending the photo, I think I may have an area, but I'm not sure yet." McGee said.

"I have been looking into Watson's connections with Shepard and apart from Max Watson being Jenny Shep…DiNozzo's son, there is no connection that I can find."

"McGee!" Gibbs snapped. Having realized he was just about to turn to Tony for an answer.

"Nothing yet Boss. Maybe Abby has something?" he offered hopefully looking for an excuse to get out of there.

Gibbs nodded and Tim all but ran for the elevator.

DiNozzo walked into Vance's outer office, "Agent…I mean Director DiNozzo, Director Vance had to leave but has offered you my help and the use of his office while he's gone.

Tony smiled his thanks and walked in and sat behind the desk.

He picked up the phone and called John Brennan with a Sit Rep.

"So, Can you send over what I need?" Tony asked. He smiled as an answer came back in the affirmative.

"Oh and DiNozzo…I'm sending your protection detail too."

"Really!" Tony groaned, although he understood why he needed them. He turned and scrolled through the names on the computer, "I just sent you an email, I want these guys here ASAP, and I need them on the team to find Banks and Shepard." He said. He waited while John sorted some things out and then said, "Ok ten minutes," and put the phone down.

He walked to the balcony and looked down, Ziva and Gibbs were in the bullpen, he figured that Tim had run to Abby's for safety, poor Probie going to have to step up and deal with the boss' wrath now.

He walked down and stopped Agent Smith walking through the offices, "Smith, I need a small work area for myself and a team of four others." Smith looked at him like he had just been beamed in from the twilight zone.

"And why would I help you DiNozzo, You're not under Gibb's protection anymore," He snapped.

Tony smiled knowing that Gibbs could here, "I was never under Gibbs' protection, you were all under mine, I am now the Director of NCS if you want a job by the end of the day you'll haul ass and get me a work area," Tony said using his voice to its full authority.

Smith quaked as Gibbs walked up, "What ya standing there for Smith, the Director gave you an order."

"D…Director?" Smith shook realizing Tony wasn't having him on, "Ye...Yes sir!" he squeaked and jumped to it.

Within five minutes the empty space that had once upon a time been occupied by Barrett's team was set up for Director DiNozzo and the NCS team.

Jenny came up; Tony smiled and directed her to where they were working.

Jenny sat at her desk and started getting her files and pulling pictures and information up onto the plasma that Tony had had erected behind his desk.

Chris Cruzer came into the bullpen next an Agent with the CIA for fifteen years, she had a mind that easily rivaled McGee's and was even more proficient on computers. Heena Amir was next she had been working with NCS for ten years seven of them on assignment in the Middle East and her hand to hand combat skills had no equal. Tony looked around at his team, now all he needed was the last player.

The elevator opened and the last member of his team stepped out and walked past Gibbs who just managed to stop himself staring, "DiNozzo." The man said in his usual, you are lower than dirt manner.

"That's Director to you…." Tony said.

The newest agent to arrive looked him up and down and barley concealed a smirk. "I would have thought you would have gone with Boss?"

Tony stood up and stood toe to toe with the man.

He sighed and grinned back at him, "Sit down Kort." He said resigned.

Kort grinned throwing a look at Gibbs, "On it Boss." He said and sat down.