Nicolai Luka Anthony DiNozzo. Yup, that's my name. Only, most people refrain to 'Nico' or 'Luke'. How long have I lived here now? Ten years. I guess I should tell my story.

My dad left my mom before I was born. Well, technically he left her. I was never supposed to happen. I was the result of a one- day- and- night relationship. I wonder what that says about my parents. Oh well, nothing can be changed. So, my mother raised me, but I always knew that she resented me. See, she was only 20 when I was born, so she was still in college.

When I was five, one day I fell asleep in my bed and the next day I woke up in a dumpster. At first I was scared. Really scared. But then I found a switchblade and a couple of other cool and interesting items in that dumpster. I knew my mom didn't want me back.

I decided that it was a good idea to learn English, seeing that I could only speak Italian at that point. So, I faked a name and an address and spent about a year going to the public library everyday. That's how I learned pretty much everything I know now.

For the next three years, I lived in the greater Philadelphia area. I had found (cough- stolen- cough) a good backpack and kept my necessities in it: the switchblade, a few other knives, an iPod (which I was writing new apps for daily), and at all times some food. Some days, all I got was a pack of tic- tacs. On other days, someone would take me to a shelter for some food. But on most days I either found a soup kitchen or I ate other people's leftovers.

One night in June when I was eight, the best thing ever happened to me.

I was in a small alley between two skyscrapers, trying to get some sleep, when I noticed someone standing at the end of the alley. I had often dealt with other homeless people, so I decided to ignore them. It was only on closer inspection that I noticed that the man was wearing an expensive looking suit. And he was walking towards me. Great, I thought, he probably has at least a couple of twenties in his pockets. I had become a master pick- pocket by then

As the man drew closer, I noticed something about him. He looked no more than 19, and he looked like the suit he was dressed in was extremely uncomfortable. I decided to talk to him, the craziest idea I had had so far.

"Do you always wear suits like that?" I asked, using the cuteness factor as not to raise any suspicions.

He just looked at me. "You are aware that this is a shady part of town, kid. Bad things happen here." He was definitely British.

"Yeah."

"What're you doing here then? Where're your mummy and daddy? Are you lost?"

I shrugged.

"So, have you lost your parents?"

I nodded.

"I'll help you find them."

I shook my head.

"Okay, what's your name then?"

"None of your business."

"Do you even have a family?"

I shook my head again. Time to do something. I pulled a 'look at that horrible thing flying at us' act. I pretended to tremble and pointed at a point right past the man's left shoulder.

"Look! Danger!" I screamed, and then, I ran. I have always been a good runner. I've run away from most things in my life. By now, the guy had caught on and was sprinting to keep up. At the end of the alley I stood, laughing and waiting.

Once he had caught up with me I grinned, and said "you look funny when you run."

He just nodded, smiled, and said "okay, you got me. My name's Diego and I've been watching you for quite some time. You really are a remarkable little kid, you know that? Well, back to your question, no, I don't wear suits like this all the time, only when Marco wants me to recruit someone."

And that's how it started. Diego took me back to Marco's place, an old coal mine just outside Washington, DC, where I also met the rest of the gang, or, what was the rest of the gang then. We've grown by two people. In total, there were seven of us. There is Marco, the leader, Diego, the mastermind behind plans, Leuca, the math genius girl, me, the athlete and caretaker of business, Elli, the negotiator, Sam, the scout, and finally Chetan, the youngest. In total, there are five boys and two girls and we all get along like a family (which is not perfect at all times).

Today was not good. I blanked. Screwed up. Messed up. What ever you want to call it. Now they think I'm some freaky clever kid. For a moment, I was five again, reading about DNA for the first time. Of course only 'deoxyribonucleic acid' would come to my mind.

When I got back to the coal mine (the inside had been made possible to live in, it was actually quit nice), I went straight to my room. It was still early in the day, so nobody would be home yet. Wrong. I had forgotten about Leuca, who had had the day off today. Of course, she heard me. My room is on the top level, and there are no other rooms except for Marco's there, and Marco doesn't ever return before eleven p.m., so of course, she knew that it was me.

"How'd it go? Was I right? Is that NCIS agent really your dad?" she asked. I couldn't help but laugh inwardly. She was such a curious girl at only twelve years, yet so intelligent. Damn it, I've got to stop speaking like that.

"I screwed up, Leuca. That agent didn't even know that he was my dad, so I left some DNA samples, only I called them 'deoxyribonucleic acid samples' and then I ran. I messed up really bad."

I felt her sitting down on the bed next to me. "I'm sure you did fine. I would've also blanked if I meat my dad for the first time."

"But I'm not even sure if he's my dad." I replied.

"Nico, I ran your DNA through all possible tests, and they all match the agent's."

"Yeah, that's why I blanked. I saw the resemblance. He is my dad." I finished and put my head in my hands again.

Leuca gave me a small hug and returned to her computers downstairs. No, there isn't anything between us. In fact, I could've sworn she was my sister.

Well, I guess I should at least have fun with what I started now. Toying with people's minds has always been fun. And toying with people's electronics. Their geeks might be good, but our Leuca is better. Believe me, I know.

-NCIS-

"Abby!" Gibbs practically shouted over the blaring music in the lab. Abby turned, and was surprised as always to see Gibbs.

"Aww, Gibbs," she started, turning the music down. "My ding-er hasn't ding-ed yet." Her sentence was interrupted by a ding from the computer behind her. "Gibbs, I have a ding, I mean, a match! The DNA you gave me matches the other DNA." She noticed Gibb's face fall. "That's good, right?"

"Abby, you matched a teenaged criminal's DNA to Tony's." Gibbs hated saying every single word of that sentence. Damn it, DiNozzo, damn it, he thought to himself. Damn it!

"Did Abby have results, boss?" Tony asked anxiously as Gibbs strode into the bullpen.

"He's yours, DiNozzo."

Tony just stood in front of the plasma TV, dumbstruck.

"Ey DiNozzo! The case, please?"

"Oh, yes, sorry, boss, right, the case. Uh, the victim is Lance Corporal Diane di Pietri. She has dual citizenship in the U.S. and in Italy and- oh crap!"

"What?"

"I think that she's his mother."

"Whose mother?" Gibbs asked, though he had a good idea of who Tony was talking about.

"That criminal, I mean, my son."