What's Wrong With Bunny Slippers?

(Hello all! Ok, I was thinking on musing to myself, and decided to give myself some words to get a new story started, as I have not gotten any more from my muse for the other…so, I let my fingers type in close to ten words….bunny slippers, backpack, baby powder, c-4, blanket, couch, cartoons, electronic store. I was not sure what was going to happen, but hey, with a few words it can take you in a different direction, or give you some new ideas!)My story is AU, as a good deal of the stories I enjoy from NCIS are when they are enjoying each other and not putting each other down…goes to show I am a competent Tony follower . I am not a Tiva fan, but I do enjoy good stories! Friendship is very important to me, and I believe that Tim and Tony have a friendship much like brothers would, don't you think? Not sure where I would put this story, but I am thinking earlier on when Kate was with them, and maybe was never killed, just to switch it up from my other story. )

Chapter One

It was after six pm, and the little boy sat cross-legged on the floor in the video electronics store of the small mall, sitting quietly and watching one of the televisions with cartoons playing on it. Wearing green pj's with Toy Story characters on it and blue bunny slippers; he looked like a bored child waiting for a parent to finish choosing something from the vast array of electronics, videos, and games before going home to bed on a school night. On his back he wore a small backpack, festooned with Winnie the Pooh. People walked around him, giving him barely a glance, until a worker noticed him for the fourth time in the last hour. Concerned with why the child was still there, she walked up to him and bent down to get his attention. "Hey kiddo, where's your mom or dad? Do you need…." She gasped when he turned to look at her, his eyes showing a glazed drugged state, and the diminutive spots of red dotting his face and the front of his pajamas. He just looked at her stricken face for a moment, and then turning back to the television he was watching, oblivious to her staring. Quickly she stood up and backed away, striding toward the manager. "Ray? Call the police and an ambulance…the child…something's very wrong…"

NCISNCISNCISNCISNCIS

Tim laughed, "So, what you are saying is that just because I have an online girlfriend who plays WOW, I will never meet her, nor will I ever marry? Need I remind you of the multiple people who have met online via games and online dating and have made it with their relationships?" Tony chuckled as Tim continued to spiel out his percentage facts for reasons only he knew his relationship would work. He continued to type out his report that was actually one due the next day, seeing as how they were on cold cases until a real case was called in. He had already gone through the required amount, and was just making it look like he was still working on them so as to not make the others jealous. Lucky for them all he was not bored yet, though ten minutes from now, all bets were off. Tony smirked, making Tim looking at him now suspiciously, then warily as he recognized the smirk.

'Uh oh,' Tim thought, 'that was his prank or joking look.' Got to find a way to distract him before we all get into trouble; not that they really got into trouble, but sometimes they went too far, where the whole floor would forget to work and join in, 'which was fun,' Tim mused, but only when they could stop it before they got caught. He remembered the time when the paper wads were all over the floor and they were all busy throwing them when Vance had come out of the main elevator, something he rarely did as he used the one nearer to his office, and had gotten hit with multiple paper balls from multiple people as soon as the door opened. Tim snorted, trying to not explode at that remembrance of his shocked face amidst their terrified ones, and Tony's eyes turned from the screen to see his friend trying to stop from busting up laughing. "What has you in such a good mood, Probie? Do tell, must be good if you can't hold it in." Tim coughed and tried to stop, but couldn't - even as he gasped out, "Vance hit by paper wad war…" He lost it even as he shook, trying to keep it quiet, remembering Vance's face, and Tony choked, his typing skittering across the screen as he too remembered. Heck, that had only been last week…someone else must have overheard Tim gasp out his sentence, because they heard someone else bust up laughing. Even though there were not many in right now, and Kate was out filing something from the cold case she was working on. As quickly as they could the people who were laughing got themselves back under control, but it was difficult until a phone rang nearby and it had to be answered.

Tony looked at Tim with a gleam of mischief in his eyes, "Wonder what would be better than that?" Tim grinned back, he wondering too. They had later heard from Vance's receptionist that she had heard him bust up laughing in the office after he had given them all a stern talking to.

"Better than what, Dinozzo?"

"Oh hey Gibbs, we were just remembering…"

"Remember later, we got a lone child case with the local LEO's."

"What? Why" Both Tim and Tony said at once, even as Kate came out of the elevator and into the bullpen. She looked to Gibbs in askance for a moment, and then nodded quietly as Gibbs stated his usual "Grab your gear!"

He would tell them what he knew on the way to where they were going, but Tony asked, "Does Ducky need to be with, any bodies?"

"None yet that we know of, but they said that they needed the NCIS MCRT team there. The child was found at an electronics store in the small strip mall near Bethesda. They have an ambulance there taking a look at the child, so far he has said nothing, but there is small blood spatter across his pajamas and face. That is all I know so far, and was able to take a blood sample of the spatter without scaring him more than he is." All were quiet with their own thoughts, especially Tony, who remembered his time after his mother had died when he was young. To deal with a child near the same age as he to go through a trauma even worse than what he went through; he barely controlled the shiver down his back, then jumped as Gibbs said, "Dinozzo, you ok?" He looked at his boss, who glanced at him, and nodded. "I'm fine, boss."

Gibbs gave him another glance even as they got in the car as Ziva and Tim got the van in case the local LEO's wanted more help processing, or in case the main crime scene was found. He did not state the rest of what had been asked by the LEO's. They would find out soon enough.

When they arrived, they saw an ambulance and four police cars near the entrance. Ushered inside, they walked toward the electronics store, and Tony smiled sadly, as this was one of his favorite stores to go to; now, he was not sure he was going to enjoy coming there. He sighed, and smiled at the manager as he was recognized. "Tony! Hey man, glad you are one to come; the poor kid won't talk, and he won't move from in front of the television." A cop shushed him as well as glared, and Tony gave the cop a glare back, to which he backed down. Gibbs stated, "Tim, check surveillance with the locals, Kate, talk with the workers; Tony, with me." All nodded and went their ways. Tony followed to where they saw a medic from the ambulance standing near a couple of detectives, one a woman, and she looked sad yet determined. When she saw Tony, she smiled slightly, "Hey Tony, long time no see. You still owe me that drink." He winked at her even as Gibbs glared, stating, "Sit rep!" She nodded, even as her partner gave introductions pointing at the female first then himself, "Detective Adams, Detective Gains. We got the call about an hour ago, and the child still will not move, nor will he let anyone touch him. We did manage to get the medics to look him over in a cursory way, and the medic was able to talk him into getting his backpack off him. We found this, but no name or phone number on the pack, inside or out." With his gloved hands he showed them the pack with which inside was a blanket, a military cap, superhero color book, and something that looked like playdoh but all knew it wasn't, as the tell tale block was all too familiar. Tony looked grim even as Gibbs squatted down near the child to get a closer look at him; he started to speak to him even as he had a strange sense of déjà vu, "Hey kiddo, where's your mommy? Can you tell me where she is?" The child turned his head slowly, again staring glassily at him for a moment, and Gibbs turned pale. "Tony, come here please," to which his SFA did, squatting down next to him warily. He sucked in his breath, "What the…" Gibbs nodded, turning to look at Tony, and the child turned a bit further to the second voice, and stared at the now pale SFA. Both stared at each other, the child confused, Tony the same as he stared into his own eyes. "Boss, he looks like me at that age…" The child stared at him, finally speaking, "Daddy?"

Tony stared in shock at the small boy, his thoughts jumbled, and thinking frantically back on the few women he had been with over the years. Not as many as he always joked about to his coworkers, but even calculating the age of the child, he could not figure who….he grimaced inwardly, as that would not help for the time being. He could only now look at a small replica of himself and only scream inside, wondering why he was never told of well, his son, barring a DNA test. Shaking out of his thoughts, he just caught himself barely as the child launched himself at him, and he found himself almost halfway laying down now with a small child in his arms, clinging tightly. He saw all of the people standing around staring now at him, and he shook his head, mouthing, "I don't know," and shaking his head in confusion. His old friend Detective Adams looked at him in confusion as well, stating, "Do you know….?" To which he shook his head yet again, looking down in awe at the small boy. Instinctively he wrapped his arms around the child, feeling strange yet truly weirded out at the same time. "Hey kiddo, what's your mommy's name?" Tony asked him, to which he heard a mumbled, "Mommy," and he shook his head, grimacing, even as Gibbs chuckled at the situation. Tony glared at him, yet feeling the amusement of the situation. Most kids a young age didn't think of their parents as any other name than that, no matter what other people called them.

"We need to do a DNA test, boss," Tony muttered, though the other detectives heard, and all nodded, truly curious. Detective Adams, Amy, looked at Tony in sorrow, as she could see the mixture of emotions roiling across her old friends face. They had once dated a few times when he was in Baltimore, but they had only ever been friends, and enjoyed going out and to movies together when they could. With their busy lives they only had time to email now, but this…this was beyond her help. She could only hope that his boss and coworkers, whom Tony had ranted and raved about to her (heck, no one was perfect!) were helpful through this. She looked at her partner, a married man who looked with sorrow at a child who was very nearly the age of one of his own, and stated formally, "Gains, the child should go with them, so testing can get done quickly, and maybe with Tony… will get more out of the child." Gains nodded, affirming his thoughts were the same as hers. "Right, why don't you take the child to your offices, have him checked out with whom you trust at this time, and we will all keep in touch, unless you want one of your team members to stay with us to keep more in the loop?" Gibbs nodded at him, he liking this no nonsense Detective who loved the job, so his gut told him. Not all cops gave him that feeling, but these two did, and as one knew Tony, more respect went their way.

Tony could only gulp as he got to his feet with the child still firmly attached with small arms around his neck, his head crooked under his chin and watched as Kate and Tim stared at him, too far away to have heard or seen what had just transpired, but the surprise in both of their faces was almost laughable – that is, if he felt like laughing right now. As he and Gibbs walked toward them, Gibbs told them curtly that they would be staying here and working with Adams and Gains, when Kate looked at Tony, asking, "Tony, do you know this kid?" He closed his eyes, shaking his head. "Kate," he whispered, "he has my eyes," to which both she and Tim stared at their friend, both stunned. Tim answered first, "Right boss, Tony, we will stay here and make sure that we figure this out, and you both go to take care of the little guy. Want me to call Ducky and Abby to warn them, or…" Tim shook his head, unsure if that would even help with this strange situation. Gibbs just shrugged, he too at a loss. Kate moved closer to Tony and the little boy who still clung to Tony, yet he now peeked out to the side, and she got a glimpse of a very familiar young profile, and she hesitantly smiled at him, her shock barely hidden, "My God, Tony, it's phenomenal…"she knew that was not the word she could truly describe this situation, but it was a bizarre situation. Gibbs started walking toward the entrance of the store, and Tony followed, his arms not letting go of the precious child he held. He felt, well, if he was honest with himself, he was both terrified and ecstatic. Terrified that this would prove to be a fluke, yet it may be true, and ecstatic it was something that he someday wanted, yet not sure about the timing. Inwardly he shrugged, as he would have to stand up in the situation and take one day at a time, no matter what happened. He saw Gibbs on the phone ahead, calling Ducky he presumed, as the Duckman could keep Abby calm until they got there. 'Oh boy, would that be a conversation,' he mused to himself.

Author's note: So, what do you think so far? Would you like to give me some more words that just pop into your head for this story, and we will see where it leads? Also, I challenge all you writers to give yourself at least ten words that just pop into your head, and see where they lead you! Please Review, I enjoy the communications! That button down below…Please? T