Chapter Two

Tony flinched when he stepped into Abby's lab; he threw up his hands to protect his defenseless eardrums from being shattered by the Goth's music that was blasting out at full volume. Gibbs was already making a beeline for her stereo.

"God!" he cried irritably, as he jabbed the STOP button on the stereo.

"HEY!" yelled Abby's indignant voice. She was sitting at her desk in the den, her feet propped up and a magazine in her hands. "Don't mess with my music!"

"You call that noise music?" said Gibbs incredulously.

"Awwwww! Who's your friend, Gibbs?" she asked, bouncing to her feet.

"This is Megan, Abs, and she needs your help solving a little problem."

"Aw! Megan, that's a really cute –" Abby broke off suddenly, as Megan turned to face her. Her mouth fell open and she stared at Megan with wide eyes. Then she frowned, marched past Gibbs and came to a stop in front of Tony. She glared at him for a few seconds before punching him hard in the arm. "How could you not tell me you have a daughter?"

Tony felt his jaw drop in shock. What is she a mind reader now? He snapped his mouth closed as anger flared in his chest. "First off, OW!" he said, rubbing his arm. "Second, I only found out about this a few hours ago! And third, we don't even know if she is my daughter, which is why we came to you. I need you to do a paternity test."

"Are you crazy? I don't need a paternity test to tell me the obvious! Just look at her, Tony, she's the spitting image of you!"

"What? No she's not!"

"I'm serious, Tony!" cried Abby insistently, grabbing his chin and twisting his head so he was forced to focus on Megan's face. "Look at her, she has your eyes, and your mouth – even her face is the same shape as yours. She's like your Mini-me, only blonde and much cuter."

"Hey!"

"Can't you see it, Tony?" she asked impatiently.

"No I can't!" he said stubbornly, pulling himself free. "Can you please just do that paternity test now?"

She narrowed her eyes at him irritably. "Fine!"

"Oh, and while you're at it, could you pull prints from this?" he asked, retrieving the sealed sandwich bag with the note inside from his pack.

Still glaring at him, she snatched the bag out of his hand and read through the note. He could see her lips forming the words 'she's your problem now' and watched her green eyes well up with tears.

"Oh! This is horrible! How could anyone abandon such a sweet little girl?" She spun on her heel and clomped towards Gibbs and Megan, her arms spread wide with the intention of hugging them both. Megan recoiled and buried her face against Gibbs' shoulder. Abby froze. "That's weird, kids normally love me."

Tony couldn't understand it either, first Gibbs couldn't get her to talk and now Abby had unwittingly scared her. He'd never heard of anything like this happening before. Like Abby said, kids usually adored her. Gibbs was now looking at Megan as if she were a puzzle he had to solve.

"Back up a bit, Abs," he said gently.

Her shoulders slumping slightly, Abby did as she was told. The ex-marine set Megan on the floor, squatting down beside her. He studied her for a moment before saying something in sign language. Tony frowned; that was an odd thing to do. To make matters more confusing, Tony saw Megan's face light up. Before his horrified eyes, he watched her raise her hands and sign something back. Abby gasped as a satisfied smile curved Gibbs' lips. Tony felt like someone had just sucker-punched him, the air froze in his lungs and the world seemed to flip on its axis. Suddenly all the pieces fell together. How could he have been so stupid? How had he not seen it sooner? No child Megan's age could maintain the kind of silence she had without a good reason and that reason was so blatantly obvious to him now that Tony could have kicked himself. Now Tony understood why she hadn't answered any of his questions; why she'd been startled when he'd tapped her on the shoulder; why she hadn't woken when his alarm had gone off; why she hadn't spoken to Gibbs; why she'd been frightened by Abby. Megan was deaf. And that realization hit him with the force of a tidal wave. The irrational part of his brain was saying 'No it can't be! This has to be a sick prank'. Of course, that was a ridiculous thought; Gibbs would never ever do such a thing. But Tony wanted it to be a prank, some kind of trick because he really, really didn't want to face the reality of the situation.

Abby turned and looked at him. He realized his mouth was hanging open and he quickly snapped it shut but there must have been something in his expression that caused her concern because in a tentative voice she said: "Tony, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," he said, forcing a neutral expression onto his face. Gibbs glanced over at him too; his smile gone. "How-how old is she?"

Gibbs turned back to Megan and relayed the question in sign language. Megan, who looked utterly overjoyed to have someone to 'talk' to at last, rapidly signed back.

"Almost four," said Gibbs.

Almost four, thought Tony, feeling oddly dazed by the information. "When's her birthday?" he heard himself ask.

"Seventh of August," Gibbs translated as Megan signed the answer.

"That's next week!" exclaimed Abby, sounding excited by the prospect.

Tony, on the other hand, was rapidly doing the maths. Turning four next week, so she was born in 2006, which means she was conceived sometime in November 2005. He felt his insides turn to ice; he'd been afraid of that. It meant that Megan had been conceived in the months following Kate's death; when Tony had been an utter mess. He'd hidden it of course; no-one at work had suspected he was struggling to cope. He had put on a brave face and fooled everyone into thinking he was 'fine'. When in truth he was barely keeping it together. For months he was plagued with nightmares. Night after night he would relive that day on the rooftop before eventually waking in a cold sweat, trying to wipe the imaginary blood from his face. He couldn't talk to Abby about it because she needed him to be strong; he was dealing with a dead partner, she was dealing with the loss of a friend. So Tony dealt with his grief the only way he knew how, burying himself in work and seeking solace in booze and women when he was off the clock. It wasn't a permanent fix but it helped chase away most of his nightmares. Unfortunately, this meant there were a lot of drunken nights where Tony couldn't account for his actions. Plenty of opportunities where he could have impregnated some woman whose name he wouldn't remember in the morning.

"Breathe, Tony," said Gibbs quietly.

Tony, who hadn't even been aware he was holding his breath, returned to the present and inhaled a deep breath before slowly releasing it again. He must have zoned out for a moment because Gibbs was suddenly standing in front of him. He was staring at him with those piercing blue eyes of his with something akin to concern.

"You alright?" he asked.

"I'm fine!"

"Don't lie to me, Tony."

Damn it all, he never could disobey a direct order, not from Gibbs at least. "Alright, alright . . . so I may be freaking out ever so slightly," he muttered reluctantly. "This is . . . a lot to take in."

"I know that, Tony, just try to relax. We'll figure this out," said Gibbs. "Abby," he turned to the Goth, who was kneeling on the floor, signing to Megan. "Paternity test."

"You got it, Gibbs," said Abby, rising to her feet energetically. "And don't worry, Tony, sign language is easy to learn. I'll teach you!"

"Abby," snapped Gibbs, warningly.

"Right, paternity test. I'll just get some cheek swabs."

As Abby went to fetch the swabs, Tony collapsed into a swivel chair and stared at his reflection in one of the blank computer screens. He was trying his hardest to relax but it was difficult. The thought that he might be a father was scary enough a few hours ago, but now it was downright terrifying. Caring for a child was one thing, but caring for a deaf child . . . well, that was a huge responsibility. Tony wasn't the kind of guy equipped for dealing with such a responsibility. If this paternity test came back positive and proved that he was indeed Megan's father Tony wasn't sure what he'd do.

"Here you go, Tony."

He jumped as Abby's voice suddenly jarred him from his thoughts. Flushing slightly, he accepted the cheek swab from the forensic scientist. He stared at it for several long minutes with such intensity you'd almost think he was staring at the barrow of a gun.

"You need a hand with that, Tony?" asked Gibbs, a knowing smirk playing about his lips.

"Uh . . . no, boss," said Tony, swabbing the inside of his cheek.

"How long until you get the results, Abs?" asked Gibbs, lifting Megan into his arms once more.

"Should have them ready for you first thing tomorrow," said Abby brightly.

"Tomorrow?" cried Tony indignantly.

"Hey, you should consider yourself lucky, Tony, most people have to wait weeks before they get the results back," said Abby.

"What am I supposed to do until then?" he demanded, because he honestly had no idea.

"I don't suppose you made Megan breakfast this morning, did you, DiNozzo?" Gibbs interrupted before Abby could reply. Tony's guilty silence was all the answer he needed. He rolled his eyes.

"Hey! I was in a hurry!"

"Yeah, yeah," said Gibbs, turning to leave. "C'mon, DiNozzo, lets go."

"Where we going, boss?" asked Tony, jogging after Gibbs.

"To get this kid some breakfast, DiNozzo!" snapped Gibbs.

"How can you think of food at a time like this?"

"Look who's talking, Tony!" retorted Gibbs.

Abby rolled her eyes as she watched her two friends step onto the elevator. She took the seat Tony had just vacated and read through the sealed note again. "What kind of mother dumps their kid at somebody's door in the middle of the night?" she grumbled under her breath. "I promise you, Miss . . . Sicko-Mom," she continued a little louder, "if you've left enough breadcrumbs for me to follow, I will track you down just so I can have the pleasure of punching you in the nose! And if you think I'm bad just wait until Gibbs gets his hands on you!"

"Do you get the feeling we're missing something, McGee?"

"Missing something?" asked McGee distractedly.

"Gibbs says he's going for coffee then, minutes later, he returns with Tony – who's late and looks like some kind of homo –"

"Hobo," corrected McGee.

"Whatever!" Ziva hissed. "Anyway, Tony has with him a small child and, instead of explaining what's going on, he follows Gibbs to the back elevator to visit Abby. When they finally return, they all leave the building without giving a reason."

"What's your point?" asked McGee, who was only half listening.

"Doesn't it strike you as odd?" she demanded, glaring down at him as he typed away on his keyboard. He didn't respond. "McGee!"

"What?"

"Don't you think it's odd?" she repeated.

"What? That Tony was late? Or that he followed Gibbs like a lost puppy dog, like he always does?" asked McGee.

"That he had a child with him!" cried Ziva, annoyed that McGee wasn't suitably curious about the situation.

"Maybe it was his niece," he suggested, vainly hoping she would drop the subject and let him get on with his work.

"The man is an only child, McGee!"

"Cousin then," he said, growing impatient.

"Don't all his relatives live in New York?"

"Maybe he's babysitting for a neighbor or something."

"McGee, in all the time you've known him, have you ever heard of Tony babysitting a child ever?" she asked incredulously.

McGee's fingers fell still on the keyboard. He glanced up at Ziva who was leaning over his desk. "You have a good point," he said. "Wait, how do you know they went to Abby's lab?"

"I called her."

"What'd she say?"

"Not much," said Ziva irritably. "She just assured me that Tony would explain everything when he got back!"

"Hmm, that's weird," said McGee. "I mean, the part about Abby not saying much is weird, usually she can't shut up."

"Something is going on," said Ziva. "I can feel it."

It was with a feeling of bemusement that Tony devoured his blueberry pancakes. Gibbs had brought them to a small diner, a few blocks from the Navy Yard. Tony had shared breakfast with his boss plenty of times before but never quite like this; with a little girl sitting across from them, imitating his every move. He was pretending like he hadn't noticed. Unfortunately, the same could not be said for Gibbs, Megan's antics had not escaped his sharp eyes and the ex-marine wasn't even trying to hide his amused grin. The fact that Megan had also ordered blueberry pancakes wasn't helping matters either; Tony put it down as coincidence, Abby would probably call it 'inherited taste'. She had surprised both of them when she had read through the menu and picked out exactly what she wanted without any help from Gibbs. Tony was amazed a child her age was able to read so well; he'd been a six year old kindergartener when he learned to read. The kid's smart, I'll give her that. He took a sip of his orange juice and glanced up to see Megan mimic him with her cup of milk.

"Can you tell her to stop doing that?" he said, setting his glass down.

"Doing what?" asked Gibbs, feigning ignorance.

"Copying me!" he said, exasperated.

"They say imitation is the highest form of flattery."

"Yeah, well its also annoying," grumbled Tony.

"It means she likes you, Tony!" said Gibbs irritably.

"Can't she find another way to express that?" he whined.

Gibbs rolled his eyes and signed something to Megan, causing her to giggle. Tony tried to ignore how cute she looked with a milk moustache and the way her eyes sort of sparkled when she smiled. C'mon, Tony, man up! There is no way in hell you are forming a bond with this kid!

"That was about me, wasn't it?" he asked. Gibbs' half-smile confirmed it was. "Why don't you ask her something useful like where she lives or what her last name is? Something that will help us find her mom!"

"What's your rush, DiNozzo?"

Tony clenched his fists and resisted the stupid urge to punch the ex-marine in the face, who seemed to be enjoying his predicament far too much for Tony's liking. Part of him felt compelled to tell the truth, to explain to Gibbs the reason he was in such a rush to find this woman was so he could give Megan back and get on with his life and pretend like none of this had ever happened. Unfortunately, he figured telling Gibbs the truth would only earn him a head-slap, so he remained silent. Gibbs sighed and set his coffee cup down to sign something to Megan. Tony had watched Gibbs and Abby sign enough times to each other to recognize that Megan was spelling something when she replied, exactly what she was spelling he had no idea.

"Last name is Wilson," Gibbs translated. Even as he spoke he was signing again. Tony waited anxiously as Megan signed back. "Lives in Franklin with her grandmother."

"Grandmother?" Tony pounced on the word like it was a lifeline. "She has a grandmother? That's good, right?"

Unfortunately, Megan wasn't finished yet. "Grandmother's dead," explained Gibbs. "She says her mother came back to attend the funeral, then she packed up her things, they got on a bus and they went to your apartment."

"Wait, came back? You telling me her mom doesn't look after her?" asked Tony.

"No, her grandmother raised her since she was a baby," Gibbs translated. "She says," he paused, frowning slightly. "She says her mother doesn't want her because she's deaf."

Tony felt a surge of guilt and shame rise up in him like an angry wave. Here he was feeling sorry for himself when this little girl had just lost her grandmother and been abandoned by her mother for a second time. This information merely strengthened his resolve to track down this chick, only his motives weren't entirely selfish anymore. He glanced across the table at her and watched her stick a large forkful of pancake into her mouth. She stared back at him as she chewed. He could feel Gibbs' eyes boring into the side of his head.

"Does she have any other family?" he asked.

"Do you really think she would have been left at your doorstep if she did, DiNozzo?" said Gibbs.

"I guess not," muttered Tony.

"Have you thought about what you're gonna do, if those tests come back positive?" Gibbs asked casually, taking another sip of coffee.

"Not really," said Tony, pushing his plate away. "Kinda scared to."

"Becoming a father is a scary thing, DiNozzo," said Gibbs, smiling. He set his empty coffee cup on the table. "I remember how scared I was when Shannon told me she was pregnant."

Tony could hardly believe his ears; Gibbs rarely discussed his daughter and first wife. He glanced over at his boss and was surprised to see the somewhat wistful expression on Gibbs' face. "Really?" he said.

"Yeah, that all changed the first time I held Kelly in my arms," murmured Gibbs. He cleared his throat and reached into his jacket for his wallet. "We should be heading back, DiNozzo," he said gruffly. He stood up, set some money on the table and held his hand out to Megan. Wiping her mouth, she hopped off her chair and clasped his callused fingers in her tiny hand.

"On your six, boss," said Tony, rising to follow them.

"Here you go, Ziva," said McGee, setting her Berry Mango Madness fruit smoothie on her desk. He figured since Gibbs was out and the fact they weren't currently on a case, meant it was safe for him to go on a coffee run, or in this case coffee/smoothie run.

"Thank you, McGee," said Ziva, giving him a bright smile.

"Gibbs and Tony back yet?" he asked, making his way back to his desk.

"No, not yet," said Ziva.

"I guess they weren't going for coffee then," he said.

"I guess not," she muttered.

"Look I'm sure they'll be back soon and we'll get some answers," he assured her.

Ding! Ziva sprung out of her chair to see Gibbs and Tony step out of the elevator. "Speak of the demon," she said gleefully.

"Devil," said McGee.

"What?"

"Uh, the phrase is: speak of the devil," he explained.

"What's the difference?" she asked impatiently.

"Well, actually –" Ziva glared at him, obviously not interested. "Never mind."

Gibbs, Tony and the little girl casually made their way into the bullpen. Tony tossed his gear down, dropped into his chair and switched on his computer. Gibbs sat at his own desk and pulled the girl onto his lap. Ziva glanced between them expectantly.

"Well?" she said, after several minutes had gone past without a word spoken from either of them.

"Well what, David?" Gibbs asked.

"Isn't anyone going to explain what's going on? Like who your friend is?" she demanded.

"Why don't you ask DiNozzo?" he said.

"Tony?" she snapped, glaring across the bullpen at him.

"Well, Ziva this is Megan Wilson, she's almost four, I found her at my doorstep early this morning – which is why I was late, by the way – and according to the note she had with her, there is a very good chance that I'm her . . . father," explained Tony bluntly.

"SSSSSSSSSSPPPPPPPSSSTTTT!" said McGee, as he sprayed his computer screen and keyboard with coffee. "What?" he spluttered.

"You got a little something on your chin there, McSpittle," said Tony, tapping his own chin with a pen.

"Are you telling me somebody was actually stupid enough to –?"

"You really feel like finishing that sentence, McGee?" Gibbs interrupted sharply, his expression suddenly fierce.

"Er . . ." said McGee.

"No, let him finish, boss," said Tony angrily. "Go on, Probie, stupid enough to do what? Sleep with me? Leave a kid in my care? Or maybe you think a woman must be stupid to have one with me? Well c'mon, Probie, which is it?"

"DiNozzo!" said Gibbs, warningly.

"Tony, I didn't mean it like –"

"The hell you didn't!" snapped Tony. "What about you, Ziva? You have an opinion you'd like to share?"

Ziva was staring at him open-mouthed. She looked stunned and a little pale, though she seemed to come to her senses under Tony's furious glare. She smoothed her features into a neutral expression. "Only," she said hesitantly, "that I am not entirely surprised." McGee, however, didn't believe her; he'd never seen anyone look more surprised than she had a few minutes ago.

"Oh! Of course!" said Tony with a sarcastic smile. "'Cause everyone knows that it was inevitable that Anthony DiNozzo would knock up a woman who, four years later, would abandon her child because she…" he broke off and took a deep breath. "You know what, screw this!" He surged to his feet. "I'm gonna check on Abby; see if she's got anything off that note!" With that he stormed off.

Gibbs sighed. "Nice going you two," he said.

"I'm sorry, Gibbs, but what did he expect?" Ziva snapped.

"Oh, I don't know, Ziva, maybe a little support from his colleagues?" said Gibbs angrily.

"You can't honestly ask us to be happy about the fact that Tony, as he aptly put it, knocked up some bimbo who has now decided to abandon her own daughter!" said Ziva incredulously.

"Ziva!" hissed McGee, nodding pointedly towards Megan.

"Aw, that's alright, McGee," said Gibbs dryly. "Ziva can badmouth Megan's mom till she's blue in the face, Megan won't take any notice."

"Boss?" asked McGee, confused.

"What DiNozzo forgot to tell you is the reason Megan was abandoned is because her mother couldn't cope with a deaf child," explained Gibbs. He rose to his feet, took Megan by the hand and took off towards the back elevator, leaving McGee and Ziva staring after him in shock.