I don't own NCIS or the characters.
Sorry about this chapter, it's not the best. I re-wrote it three times. This is the best one to get from A to C. Thank you for all your kind reviews.
Tim slammed on the brakes of the car. He had been within a few feet from his daughter, and he ran away like a coward. That wasn't supposed to happen. He knew he was a stranger to her. But he would know. That would be enough, it had to be.
He pulled into a gas station to turn around. Ryan was looking equally parts pissed-off and confused. He had been smart enough to keep his mouth shut… for once. Within minutes, they were back in front of the quaint house.
Ryan was sputtering behind him when he got out of the car, but Tim paid him little attention. His mind was only on one person at the moment, and that WASN'T Ryan.
Tony was standing outside the house, looking relieved to see Tim come back.
Ryan couldn't believe his luck. He was on his way to convincing Tim that maybe NCIS wasn't for him. He knew Tim had some sort of saving-the-world idea. But now he wanted to see the girl. When he had heard the name of the man and girl, he was as shocked as Tim. But how the man could want to see anything related to Stacks was beyond him. Just thinking about the man turned his stomach.
It wasn't until three years ago, that Ryan found out that Tim was a victim. Because of his age and who his father was, he disappeared from everything related to case. No one thought Ryan needed to know. But Ryan had his own secret. One he was desperate to keep quiet from everyone.
Tony watched while Tim introduced himself to everyone. He apologized for running out, citing temporary illness. Gibbs seemed to be watching Tim closely. So he wasn't surprised when Gibbs cornered him later.
"I've seen this kid before." Gibbs said.
"You have?" That shocked Tony. He thought the adoption was completely closed. Maybe Tim had followed Gibbs so he could see Anna. But that couldn't be right, he had no idea. Tim was too freaked out.
"Yeah, years ago, I was questioning a bartender at some club. I overheard some guy hitting on someone. When I looked up, I knew the kid didn't belong there. He couldn't have even been seventeen yet.
That caused Tony to freeze. Tim had told him about the only time he had ever gone to a club. The man had never been to one since or even a bar. That had to mean that he met Tim the night of the attack.
Over the years, Tim had mentioned a man who seemed like he was going to chase him out of the club. That must have been Gibbs. If Gibbs found out how close he was to Stacks, it would upset him that he was so close to the psycho, and let him slip between his fingers.
Gibbs looked at Tony's face and realized something was up.
"What's going on, DiNozzo?"
Just then a shout sounded from the kitchen. He left Tony and walked back to where everyone was.
In the kitchen, he saw his colleagues talking to one another. The shout looked like it came from Abby, who was complaining about the cake.
"Where's Anna?" he asked, when he noticed his daughter missing.
Gibbs felt his heart beating out of control when he noticed the two strangers were gone also.
He rushed into the living room, he stopped in the tracks.
On the couch Timothy McGee was seated. In his lap was Anna, she seemed enthralled with the story he was reading. He looked between his daughter and the young man. The picture they made was somehow right. Neither Anna nor Tim seemed to notice the audience they had garnered.
"Oh, Jethro, I think you have some competition," Ducky said lightly.
He felt Tony tense up beside him. There was something going on. It was there but he couldn't pinpoint it. He watched as Tim finished the story and Anna put her little arm around the man's neck.
"Did you bring me another book?" she asked him.
Gibbs was thrown a little bit. She wasn't really into books that much. Once she was big enough she told him they were too silly.
"Not this time but next time I'll bring another."
Anna squealed with delight before jumping up and running to him.
"Daddy, did you hear? McGeek is going to bring me another book," Anna said excitedly.
Tim glared at Tony, who was laughing loudly.
Gibbs leaned down and picked Anna up. "It's not nice to call people names, his name is Tim."
He really didn't have her call adults Mister or Miss because she was around them more than kids. They were her family, so it was odd to use titles.
"Sorry Tim," she said with sad eyes.
"It's okay. You didn't hurt my feelings." The young man gave Anna a big smile. It was a little funny. He had her same goofy smile.
"Do you have any children, Tim?" Gibbs asked, trying get to know the young man that his daughter was enamored with.
"I had a daughter." the man said looking at Anna longingly.
Tim didn't realize he was projecting his feelings. But it became obvious when everyone looked at him sadly.
"I'm sorry, Tim," Abby said from the doorway.
"Oh no," he said when he figured out they misunderstood. "She didn't pass away, I had to give her up for adoption." Then out of habit he talked a little about her, too much. "She'll be five tomorrow."
He should have realized that everyone would figure it out. Ever since he had come back to the house he hadn't be away from Anna once. He saw the exact second the man had put all the pieces together in his head.
It was like someone had yelled "murderer". One minute he was talking, the next his was stomach against the wall. Gibbs had his face shoved into the wall… arms twisted behind his back.
"Get her out of here," Gibbs yelled at somebody.
Tim could hear the little girl crying, trying to understand what was happening.
"Boss, let him go. He had no idea until he got here. It was me, it was all me," Tony said, it sounded like he was panicking.
Tim tuned everyone out. As soon as he was released, he made his way for the door. The sooner he left the faster Anna's life would be back to normal. He didn't want to see her just to have her life turned upside down. He just wanted the happy child that was there minutes ago, not the one that was pulled out crying.
Ryan was waiting inside the car; he had thrown a fit earlier and left. Without waiting for Tony or anyone else to come after him he started the car. Maybe he really should cancel the interview. Ryan had been on him to move to Denver with him in a few months, it was looking more attractive.
