Warnings: Plot twist ahead...
A/N: Here's is the next chapter! Reviews are always welcome :)
Drew Barnes was young, late twenties, with dark brown hair and crystal blue eyes. He was tall, he towered over both Tony and Tim but despite his broad, athletic build and his impeccable good looks—Drew was gentle natured.
Tony reached his hand across the conference room table and shook Drew's. "Thank you for coming. I know that it's a long flight from Spain."
"Are you the agent that found my nephew?" Drew asked.
"Yes. He was using my shed as a shelter," Tony replied, solemnly.
Drew rubbed a large hand over his face. "Carla and Alan always believed Eric was alive, even after the Topeka police turned their suspicions on her when they couldn't locate the baby-sitter. I remember the day they tore up their back yard, looking for Eric's body—Carla was devastated. They left Topeka shortly after that. I can't help but wonder if they had stayed, if the police had treated them better, if they'd still be alive."
Tony took a deep breath. "The baby-sitter that took Eric fled here, to D.C. She moved in with her sister and left Eric there after a month. Her sister was far from a model citizen and social services removed him from the home when he was two—he's been shipped around from foster home to foster home since."
"Was it ever brought up why the sitter took Eric?" Drew asked, almost afraid of the answer.
"From what I gathered, she wanted a baby and did whatever she could to get one," Tony replied.
"So, it didn't matter how many lives she ruined?"
"No. It didn't."
Drew sighed and dropped his elbows to the table, holding his head in his hands. "As relieved as I am to find out that Eric is alive after all these years—Agent DiNozzo, I live in Spain, in a one-bedroom flat. I work insane hours…"
Tony nodded in understanding. "Mr. Barnes, I get it—a child is a lot of work—trust me, I have two and a third one on the way. NCIS is willing to help social services find a good home for your nephew if you feel you cannot take on the responsibility."
"Would I still be able to see Eric? Be in his life?"
"I don't see why not. The family we have lined up to take him in are very open to the idea."
"You have a family that wants to adopt him?"
"Friends have been looking to adopt a second child for a while now."
Drew's broad shoulders eased. "Will I be able to meet them, Agent DiNozzo? Is that possible?"
Tony nodded. "Yes. It can be arranged."
"And Eric? When will I be able to see him?"
"Right now he's out with the potential adoptive parents; we can arrange a meeting later."
There was a knock on the door. Tony watched as it opened and Ellie stuck her head in. Her brown eyes were wide, frightened almost, and he knew something was wrong.
Ellie's eyes darted towards Drew seated at the table with his back to her, mulling over the news he had been told and probably unaware that she had entered the room. "You need to go," she told Tony, swiftly.
Tony was confused. "Go? Go where?"
She nervously wrung her hands together. "Leah just called me. She said she couldn't reach you."
He flew to his feet. His wife would not have called his partner unless there was an emergency. "Ellie, what happened?"
"It's Jack, Tony," the young woman answered, her eyes getting moist, "he's been rushed to the ER."
Her absolute worst nightmare had come to fruition that afternoon after returning from lunch with Breena and Victoria.
Leah had put the kids down for a nap, even though Jack was protesting the whole time that he wanted to go outside and play in the snow. She had then gone into her office to get to work on correcting a stack of research papers…
Tali had been the one to wake her up, gasping that Jack was blue. Leah was certain she meant that Jack had gotten into the play room and the markers… not that the child had made it out into the snow with nothing but his tee shirt and jeans on…
She had been cradling her blue baby when the EMT's arrived. They quickly scooped Jack up, Tony's Ohio State blanket and all, and rushed him to the awaiting ambulance. Somehow, Leah and Tali had squeezed into the front seat, the little girl hugging her stepmother tightly and softly crying as they flew through the streets of Arlington, the sirens wailing loudly. Somewhere during all that chaos Leah had been able to get in touch with Ellie when Tony was unreachable.
Even though Ellie promised everything was going to be fine; the best doctors would be working on Jack, Leah felt at fault. If I had not fallen asleep…
At the hospital her son was taken away and Leah was pushed back by an assertive nurse. They would take care of her son…
"Mrs. DiNozzo?" a soft voice said above the din of the emergency room waiting area.
"Yes?" Leah answered, looking up to see a middle aged woman dressed in a rather unflattering business suit.
"Paulette Keye," she introduced herself. "I'm with Virginia Family Services."
Leah clutched Tali, the little girl was snuggled underneath her chin, sucking her thumb. A social worker? Who had called a social worker in? She kept as much composure as she could. "Can I… can I help you?"
Paulette gestured towards the empty seat next to her. Leah nodded it was okay for her to sit. The social worker did, adjusting her glasses over her slender nose. "Arlington EMT's reported that your son was found in the back yard, with nothing but a tee shirt and jeans on. It's very cold today, Mrs. DiNozzo…"
She felt tears burning her eyes. Was this woman accusing her of neglect? "Yes, I know it's cold today. He was napping in his bedroom which can get very warm."
"Napping? How did he end up in the back yard?"
"He's been known to climb out of his crib."
"Your doors leading outside are not locked?"
"We… we went out for lunch… I must have… forgotten to lock the doors."
Paulette's brown eyes were judging her. Leah wanted to shrink away. "You weren't aware that he was up?"
Leah blinked rapidly, thinking of Tali's face as she told her that Jack was blue. "I…I fell asleep."
The social worker pursed her lips and nodded her head. Paulette looked at Tali, curled up in Leah's lap. "You understand that an investigation has to be opened, Mrs. DiNozzo, now that an inquiry has been filed. We'll have to set up a home visit and I would suggest that your children are placed in a temporary home until that visit is conducted and we can determine if your home is safe for them."
The younger woman shook her head furiously and hugged the little girl in her lap tighter. "No! If you have to conduct an investigation, fine. I have nothing to hide! But you are not taking my kids away from me!"
"Leah?" Tony questioned, appearing in front of her, looking a bit dazed. "What… what is going on?"
"She wants to take them away!" Leah cried getting to her feet and lunging towards her husband. "It was an accident, Tony! I swear to God! I was correcting papers and I dozed off and Jack got outside… I didn't hear him get out!"
Tony watched as she collapsed against him in a fitful of sobs. He gently put his arms around her and Tali and hugged them. His green eyes shifted towards the spindly social worker. He knew that an investigation was going to be in store, if the EMTs and doctors felt that there was neglect transpiring, but taking Tali and Jack out of the home was rash decision. "My wife would never intentionally put our son in danger," he said, sternly.
Paulette stood and pulled on her blazer. "Mr. DiNozzo, your son was found outside by your two-year-old daughter, in less than adequate clothing for the winter weather, while your wife slept. You might not think there is cause for concern, but there is."
Leah whimpered against his shoulder. She felt Tony stiffen, his posture changing.
"I know how the system works. You're not taking my kids."
"Mr. DiNozzo…"
"It's Agent DiNozzo."
Clearly the social worker was surprised to find out that he worked in law enforcement. Still, she was under pressure by her superiors not to take anything lightly—too many kids had fallen through the cracks, some had ended up dead eventually because they didn't work fast enough. Paulette pushed her glasses back. "Agent DiNozzo, if everything checks out, then your kids will not be gone more than a few days."
Tony clenched his jaw. "You're talking about ripping away a two-year-old and sixteen month old from their home, from their parents and putting them with strangers. Tell me how that's acceptable for them? There's no history of my wife or I neglecting or abusing our kids—you have no grounds to swoop in here and try to make an example out of us."
Paulette sputtered that she was just trying to do her job, realizing that the couples' protests had garnered the judgmental eyes of several others in the waiting room directed at her. It appeared that Tony was going to put up a fight…
"Mrs. DiNozzo?" a voice said over the commotion of the ER.
"Yes?" Leah responded, pushing away from her husband and handing Tali to him. "Is he okay? Is my baby alright?"
Tucking the clipboard in his hand underneath his arm, the doctor stepped towards them. "Your son is responding well to treatment. He still isn't awake yet, but we're getting his temperature back up. I'd like to keep him overnight in the ICU to monitor him but I expect him to make a full recovery."
Tony sighed in relief. At least Jack was going to be alright. Now, there was the problem of an impending social services investigation. He suddenly related to Alan and Carla Barnes, being investigated for the death of their baby when in reality their baby had been stolen… "How long do you think he was outside, doctor?"
The doctor shook his head. "Hour, hour and a half tops. It's extremely cold today so it doesn't take long for hypothermia to set in, and since Jackson is small; he isn't the first child to sneak out into the cold to play in the snow and end up here in the emergency room, let's put it to you that way."
"Can I see my baby, Doctor?" Leah asked in a small voice.
"I don't see why not," the doctor said.
"Doctor Green, Virgina Family Services is investigating this; we would like no contact between the children and their parents."
"Paulette, that seems a bit extreme. I know you're under pressure from the State, but there were no other signs that Jackson is being abused and neglected."
Her eyes shifted towards the couple. Tony glared, his jaw tight, as if he was telling her to spend her time on the kids that really needed her help. Paulette sighed and relented. "Very well, doctor. I will not remove Tali and Jack from the home; but I will be stopping by for a home visit."
Tony reached for his wife's hand, silently accepted that the social worker was not going to go away easily, but at least she wasn't taking his kids. He asked the doctor if the family would be allowed to see Jack. The doctor agreed, and giving his wife's hand a squeeze, he promised her that they were going to get through this minor crisis.
Gibbs was not surprised when his phone rang and Virgina Social Services flashed across the screen. In his haste to get to the hospital and his family Tony had probably not called Heather Miller and let her know that they had located Eric's uncle and found a family willing to adopt him.
Taking his glasses off, Gibbs answered the phone. He listened patiently as the social worker introduced herself, it wasn't Heather Miller, but the lead agent didn't think any of that—until the woman revealed why she was calling. "What?" he snapped. "You're conducting an investigation on Leah DiNozzo? Why?"
His raised voice stirred Tim and Ellie from their paper work. Both agents peered at each other, shock evident on their faces. Gibbs was more outraged than shocked. "Those kids are well taken care of. Yes, I'm aware that Jack wandered out into the cold… no, she would never intentionally put her son at risk. If she says she forgot to lock the backdoor, she forgot to lock the backdoor."
Gibbs ire on continued to grow as the social worker apparently bombarded him with more questions. "I understand that this is routine… I just think you're wasting your time, Ms. Keye," he said before telling her one more time that Tali and Jack were in good hands, and then he said good-bye, hanging up and slamming the receiver down.
"Boss?" Tim ventured to ask, anxiously.
"Apparently EMTs opened an inquiry with social services," Gibbs answered.
"What? Jack's a curious, stubborn toddler—he found a way outside," Tim said. "It wasn't like Leah threw him out there or wasn't paying attention to him."
"She fell asleep in her office correcting."
"Oh… but still! Obviously it was an accident!"
Gibbs got to his feet and grabbed his coat. He instructed Tim and Ellie to get in touch with Eric's social worker, inform her that they had a plan for the boy, and he could be found in Arlington—with Tony and Leah. It appeared they needed everyone in their corner at the moment.
Promise, we'll check back in with Eric next chapter. And Tony and Leah's case DOES have something to do with the story, you'll see...
