I am so, so, so sorry this is so late. I started watching this new show and just started writing fics for it. And I've been trying to finish this book, my computer hasn't been in my possession, I'm running out of excuses. Again I am sorry.

There will be a part two to this chapter the next time around, once I do research on it, so just an FYI. I just wanted to get something up before January.

So, thanks for reading, thank you for all the reviews, and I do not own these characters.

Drop me a comment if you can

See ya!

P.S. This is returning to the kids' story line, as you will read. Just another quick FYI.

NCIS

Gibbs was starting to wonder if the school had his number on speed dial. He, once again, found himself parking his car in the school's parking lot. This time, however, he wasn't being summoned by the nurse. It was the guidance counselor, the kids' teacher, and the principal who wanted to see them.

He could think of a few reasons why he was being summoned. Maybe Ziva remembered some stuff from her previous life and began hitting kids at random. Maybe Tony started pranking again and one got out of hand. Maybe Tim finally succeeded in making that robot and it was running around the school, destroying everything, and the school was expecting Gibbs to pay for all the damages.

He seriously doubted it was any of those reasons, and he wondered when in the hell he had developed an imagination. Maybe he had been hanging around Abby too much, or maybe being a dad for the past year and a half, to three, very imaginative children, was finally getting to him. Whatever the case, he just hoped his kids weren't in serious, serious trouble.

Lawrence was leaning against the front desk, filling out paperwork, but looked up when Gibbs stepped into the office. "Mr. Gibbs," the he greeted with a smile. "What brings you back to this neck of the woods?"

"Not really sure," Jethro replied softly. "I'm hoping my kids haven't started anything on fire or glued someone's fingers to their desk."

"Are they capable of that?" Lawrence asked, his eyebrows furrowed and a skeptical look on his face. He only knew them as the four little kids he occasionally aided when hurt. He didn't know them as the three adults who acted more like children than they did now.

"Maybe," Gibbs replied evasively just as the principal's door opened. She beckoned for Gibbs to come inside her office, and he said good-bye to Lawrence before following her inside.

The guidance counselor and the kids' teacher was already standing behind the desk, waiting for Gibbs, and Jethro studied each one before taking a seat in the chair the principal pointed to. He waited until she was sitting before saying, "What's this about?"

"Mr. Gibbs, I'm Ellie Harris, the guidance counselor for the grade school," a blonde woman said, stepping forward, holding her hand out.

Gibbs shook it briefly before returning his gaze to the principal. "Is this about Tony or Ziva?"

"No," the principal, Ms. Gard according to her nametag, said softly.

Tim then, Gibbs thought nodding. "Did Tim take something apart? Break something on accident? He likes to see how things work, and I told him not to…"

"What?" the kids' teacher, Mrs. Mills, gave Gibbs a confused look.

"I'm just trying to figure out what happened. Tim's a very smart kid, and he's always looking for something new to learn. Last week I found him dismantling my toaster, so I just wanted to be sure he didn't…"

"That's why we called you here, Mr. Gibbs," Harris said quickly.

"It's about how smart Tim is," Mills stated with a smile. "I've noticed, and it seems you have too, that he's gifted."

"All three of my kids are gifted," Gibbs responded, deadpanned. He knew how smart Tim was, but Tony and Ziva were smart, too. They might not be scary smart like his youngest, but they were logical in their own ways. Gibbs didn't know many six-year-olds who knew so much about weapons (he owed it all to Tony's obsession to the Ninja Turtles and the fact that Abby couldn't not answer one of the kids' questions). He was also pretty sure he didn't know of a six year old that conned an unsuspecting lab assistant to help her build a pro/con list about letting her have a sleep over with every one of her friends.

"I'm not saying they aren't, Mr. Gibbs. It's just Tim is smart," Mills' eyes widened slightly, "scary smart. I gave him some second grade math the other day, and he managed to answer ninety percent of the questions correctly. He was the first in my class to count to five hundred, he knows his alphabet backwards and forwards, he's read every, single book in my mini library."

"What Mrs. Mills is saying is we were wondering if we could test Tim's IQ?" Harris suggested excitedly, leaning forward. "A boy that smart could go places. He could graduate at twelve, be done with college by sixteen, and maybe have a PHD by twenty."

Gibbs gave the woman a sharp look and she seemed to deflate. She leaned away from him and said, "It's just something to think about."

"What Ms. Harris is trying to say," Mills said nervously, stepping forward a few steps, "is that we want to see how Tim does if we move him up a grade. But before we do that, we want to be sure he's going to be able to handle the workload. A few math problems and some reading won't tell us enough, but I have enough confidence in Tim that I know he'll be able to handle it."

"It won't take effect until next year," Gard stated her gray eyes meeting Gibbs'. She was the only one who didn't flinch at his glare, and kind of reminded him of Borin. "That is, if you consent to it."

"Look, Mr. Gibbs," Harris said quickly, sticking to her spot behind Gard, "I know you don't want to subject Tim to all these tests and questions, but not allowing us to at least test his IQ, you could be holding him back from his true potential."

Gibbs was quiet for a moment, studying the guidance counselor. He wasn't sure whether to headslap her or point a gun at her. He knew what Tim's potential was, had even exploited it a few times when he was an adult. He didn't need a test to tell him how smart his son was, nor did he need Tim to graduate high school at twelve.

But, he could tell kindergarten had been boring for Tim. He didn't outright tell Gibbs he was bored, but the older man could tell just by the way he described each one of his days. Plus, the fact that he could understand eighty percent of the words in the Harry Potter novels was a big clue. Maybe having his IQ tested, and just his IQ, wasn't such a bad thing.

"If I agree to this," Gibbs finally said, making sure each woman was looking at him, "I will only allow you to move him up one grade. I don't want him too far away from his brother and sister or the friends he's managed to make. Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal clear, Mr. Gibbs," Harris replied trying to hide a grin. "We can set up a day to have Tim tested," she continued, picking a folder up off the desk. As she began explaining what was going to happen, Gibbs really hoped he didn't make the wrong decision.