A/N: This is the third story in the "Life" universe, so if you haven't read "A New Life" or "A Life Reclaimed" – stop reading. This won't make any sense. For everyone else, here we go again! Thanks for coming along for the next installment and for all the great reviews at the end of the last one. Loved how shocked so many of you were. Congrats to TheBreakfastGenie, AliyahNCIS and teardrops of ink who, granted after the fact, got the big giant clue I gave - Sam's mom was named Vivienne because that's the name of the actress who played Gibbs' mysterious redhead the first three seasons (and is the real life wife of Donald Bellisario).

***JIBBS***JIBBS***JIBBS***

Gibbs looked at Sam in shock. "She's your mother?" The boy nodded. "Who's your father?"

Jenny's heart was racing at the realization. She shifted Julia in her arms and turned to her husband. "You are, Jethro."

The others gathered around them exchanged shocked looks, unsure what to think.

Gibbs stiffened, shifting his eyes from Sam to his wife. "What?" He turned his attention to Tony, trying to keep his temper in check. "Is she right?"

Tony swallowed hard. He saw all eyes were on him – none more so than Sam. "Hey, buddy, why don't you go upstairs and visit Cynthia, okay?"

The young boy's eyes were wide, his lower lip quivering. "Tony, what's happening?"

The look on his face made the special agent's heart hurt. "Don't be scared, Sam. It's going to be all right. I promise. But I need you to go upstairs, okay?"

Sam nodded sadly. "Okay, Tony."

As he got down off the table, Jenny's eyes widened. She and Jethro shared a look, both incredulous over their exchange.

The boy looked up at Gibbs before he left and kicked him in the shin. "You're mean! You better be nice to Tony."

"Sam!" Tony was appalled.

"Hey," yelled Jenny at the same time, shocked by his behavior. "We don't kick people." When she saw her husband's stunned expression, she added, "Especially ones who weren't able to walk a few weeks ago."

Sam frowned and muttered under his breath, "You're mean, too."

No one else spoke – instead all eyes followed Sam as he stomped off towards Cynthia's office. Once he was safely behind the door, Gibbs was in Tony's face. "I want answers."

Tony nodded. "She's right." He ignored the gasps he heard around him – instead reaching inside his desk for a card. "This is their family lawyer. You should contact him."

Ziva walked over to them. "How could you not tell us?"

Tony tried to keep his anger in check. "Because there was no way I was having Gibbs be the last to know. You don't like it? Too bad. It was my call to make."

McGee and Abby shared a look. Ducky and Holly both leaned against Gibbs' desk, hardly believing what they were hearing.

Jenny could see her husband was bubbling with rage. Mildred walked by and she quickly handed her Julia, saying she would be up soon. She kissed her daughter on the cheek and watched as Gibbs was too preoccupied to notice. "FYI, she's teething and can sit on her own," she whispered before motioning for the nanny to go. "Tony, start at the beginning. What happened?"

He looked at Jenny and then at his boss. "His parents were walking to their car early in the morning when it blew up. Both are really bad off but alive. Long story short, he didn't have any other family here, and there was no way I was letting your son end up in the hands of Social Services. So I've been taking care of him."

Head swirling, Gibbs could barely wrap his head around what Tony was telling him. Jenny was overwhelmed too, but she managed to ask an important question. "When did this happen?"

"Two weeks ago when –"

Gibbs became unhinged. "Two weeks? You've known he was my son for two weeks? Why the hell didn't you call me?"

"You were on your honeymoon. Your life was about to change forever. I thought the least I could do was give you both these last two weeks to –"

"You thought? If you did, you'd realize that wasn't your call to make, DiNozzo!" screamed Gibbs.

Jenny looked around and saw the entire room was glued to their drama. "Jethro, calm down."

He turned his icy glare on her, instantly shutting her up, before he turned back to Tony – his voice eerily calm. "I'm the one who should've been taking care of him, especially after something like that! How dare you…" He stopped himself, realizing he was quickly losing control.

Jenny took a deep breath. "You said he was a witness. Has the case been solved? Is he still in danger?"

Gibbs perked up, wanting to hear the answer himself.

Tony was too shaken up by Gibbs' anger to answer, so Ziva stepped forward. "The case is still open, so yes, Sam is still in danger – and so are his parents." She saw the look on Gibbs' face and backtracked. "I mean his mother and stepfather."

Gibbs walked over to his desk, reached in and grabbed his badge and sidearm. He ignored his wife's surprised look but gave her a stern warning. "Don't you dare apologize for me," he said before heading up the stairs to find Sam.

Once he was out of sight, she leaned over to Tony. "I'm sorry. He's in shock. I guess we all are."

"I really blew it, didn't I? I thought I was doing what he would have wanted. I stepped up; I handled things. I…" he stopped, shaking his head. "How could I have been so wrong?"

Abby stepped forward. "Tony, you were amazing. Director, you have no idea all that Tony did."

"Abby is correct," added Ziva. "Gibbs should not have come down like that on him. He has no idea what these last two weeks have been like for either of them."

Jenny answered tightly. "I wouldn't suggest using that reasoning on him if I were you, Ziva. I feel horrible about the way he treated Tony, but he has every right to be upset." She leaned her head back and then side-to-side, obviously feeling the tension, before she took a deep breath and sighed. "We all do," she added quietly. She took one last look at Vivienne.

Tony noticed her staring. "How'd you know?"

Jenny bit her lower lip before answering. "I connected the dots. You were so insistent to speak with us privately. I recognized her from one of my first weeks as director, when they looked intimate walking to the elevator."

Ziva's eyes lit up with recognition. "That is where she is from. I remember that. Tony, I asked you then who the woman was." He glared, letting her know now wasn't the time.

"The look on your face, Tony… and then when I looked at the boy himself – and saw my husband's eyes staring back at me," continued Jenny, almost to herself. She motioned around her eyes. "This area… he looked just like Jethro did at that age. I saw pictures Jack had up at his house… it was uncanny. I just knew." She looked up towards her office, wondering what was happening but knowing better than to interrupt.

Gibbs stood in the doorway for a few moments, watching Cynthia interact with Sam. The boy was sitting on her desk with his back to him, showing off his sneakers. It hurt Gibbs to realize that everyone at NCIS seemed to know his son better than he did. When Cynthia noticed him, he motioned for her to go. She looked around, uncomfortable - unsure if she should. When she looked at him again, she saw the pleading in his eyes.

"Sam, I'll be back," she said. She slipped past Gibbs and out the door.

He shut the door and locked it, not wanting to be disturbed. He then walked over to Sam and sat down in Cynthia's chair. "Hi there."

Sam remained silent, keeping his eyes on his hands in front of him. The older man scared him, and he didn't know what to do.

Gibbs always thought he was good with kids, but he was suddenly at a loss with how to reach Sam. "Do you know who I am?" He was taken aback when the boy glared at him.

"Yeah."

He smiled, relieved. He wasn't sure if the boy had understood what they were discussing earlier.

"You're Gibbs. Is Tony okay?"

Gibbs sighed, disappointed. He narrowed his eyes at him. "Yeah. Why wouldn't he be?"

"You were being mean."

Gibbs scoffed. "No, I wasn't."

"Were too."

The older man scrubbed his hand down his face. "So can you tell me a little bit about yourself?"

He stuck out his lower lip and remained silent.

Gibbs cocked his head to the side. "Please?"

"I'm Sam."

Gibbs couldn't help but smile. "Hi Sam. How old are you?"

"I'm four," he said, holding up four fingers to make his point. "I'm suppose to be in school but haven't gone since…" His lower lip began to quiver.

"That's okay. I understand. You'll go back, but first –" A knock at the door interrupted his train of thought. "Uh oh. I should probably get that. This isn't my office, and I locked the door."

Sam snorted, amused.

Gibbs stood up and opened the door to his wife. "Oops."

"It's okay," she said softly. "You two all right in here?"

Gibbs reached for her hand, threading their fingers together as he guided her to Cynthia's desk. "Sam, I want you to meet my wife, Jenny. She's the big boss around here. It's actually her office in there," he said, pointing into the other room.

Sam was confused. "I thought that was Holly's office."

Jenny smirked. "You're on a first name basis with the Assistant Director? You must be pretty special."

The boy wasn't impressed. He still remembered that she yelled at him, and he was wary of her. So he glared at her.

Jenny looked at her husband. "I see certain things are genetic."

His lips curled up in acknowledgement.

"I did have a purpose in coming up here," she continued. Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard Julia crying. She quickly went to the doorway. "I'll be right there, Mildred." She walked back over to Gibbs and whispered in his ear, "The doctor called. You can go talk with Vivienne now. But she's badly burned. Seeing her may traumatize Sam, so not sure if you want to bring him."

Gibbs glanced over at the boy. "He can wear a blindfold, but he needs to see her."

Sam's eyes widened. "Are you talking about my mommy? Can I see her?"

The desperation in his eyes touched both of the adults who were with him. Jenny nodded, understanding. "Take him. I hope you get the answers you seek. But she's been through a lot. Be gentle." She squeezed his hand and kissed him on the cheek. "Can you send Holly up if you see her?"

He nodded and kissed her on the forehead. "I love you."

"Love you too," she said as she headed for her office. Jenny turned back one last time. "See you later, Sam." He remained guarded with her. She sighed before heading inside.

"Come on," Gibbs said, motioning for Sam to follow him. The two walked down the stairs. He was relieved to see Tony wasn't in the bullpen. He didn't see Holly, but he did see Cynthia speaking with Ziva. "She's back in her office and wants Assistant Director Mann up there. Can you find her?" Cynthia nodded. Gibbs walked over to McGee, who annoyed him the least earlier. "We're going to see Vivienne, but I need to be read in. Can you come?"

"Sure, Boss."

Gibbs looked at Sam. "You got a car seat or booster seat for driving in the car?" The boy nodded. "Where's DiNozzo?"

Ziva perked up. "I'll find him and let him know to meet you in the garage with it."

Gibbs nodded. He looked down at his son. "Time to get some answers." He then narrowed his eyes at the picture of Vivienne on the plasma screen. "Way past time."