Temperance felt the warm radiance of the sun on her body. Not even the salty breeze from the ocean could chill her. She leaned back in the folding beach chair, feeling the most relaxed she could remember being in a long, long time. No work, no dead bodies filling her eyes. Even though she wore a straw floppy hat and sunglasses to protect her from the damaging effects of the sun, she occasionally purposefully moved her face towards the golden globe, taking in its warmth in full. She smiled as, above the sound of the waves, she heard her family at play back on the boat. She opened her eyes. Even with her sunglasses, the bright sunlight blinded her for a few seconds. She looked towards Calliope, anchored approximately 100 yards away. The distance did not seem far at all. She could see everything clearly. Almost as though she could reach out and touch it. Temperance saw, with horror, JJ balanced on the gunwale, his arms triumphantly extended above his head, crowing at his accomplishment. Seeley held onto his hands as JJ fought to maintain his balance. She could see Seeley's bright smile framed by his dark goatee. After all this time she was mildly surprised the feelings seeing him stirred within her. Temperance licked her lips. Reaching down beside her, she found the water bottle; opened the top, and drank the warm liquid. She smiled as she watched Seeley pick him up; helicoptering him around, complete with sound effects. "Vroom….Vroom…Whoosh!" JJ's laughing giggle answered her husband's roughhousing.

She turned her head slightly to see Cricket, further back on the deck, bouncing Christy on her hip. She could hear Cricket's lilting voice, "Beep…Beep!" as she pressed her finger to Christy's nose. Her daughter's laughter fluttered from the blue-white boat to the sandy shore. Each time Cricket advanced her finger to her nose, Christy would reach for her hand. And then, pulled it laughingly full into her nose. Cricket moved to sit upon the back rail, still laughingly playing "Got your nose!" with her granddaughter.

Temperance turned to the bow, where she saw a young man seeming to be explaining something very deep and personal to a young, bikini-clad girl. She was actually a year older than Parker. But like his father, Temperance would always see Parker as a little boy. Even now, when he was preparing for college. This was his last summer as a boy. Someone with no responsibilities…other than to his family. Seeley, Rebecca, her, JJ, Christy and Brent. 'And now Elizabeth,' Temperance thought as her eyes moved to the young woman. She sighed audibly. 'Am I really old enough to have a son going to college and becoming engaged?' She looked again to her husband, now holding JJ on his hip with one hand and playing Peek-a-boo with the other.

"Hey Bones!" Temperance's attention moved to the sound. Parker waved to her from the bow. Seeing his smile, she knew what was coming. "She said, 'Yes'," he yelled as, arms above his head, he prepared to dive into the water.

Smiling, she waved back. She watched as Parker arced towards the water. Her joy vanished as the sound of a rifle shot and the appearance of the entrance wound onto his back stunned her. He fell awkwardly into the water. She stood, turning back to the copse of trees lining the beach, scanning them for any indication of where the shot had originated. Seeing nothing, she turned back to the boat. Both Cricket and Seeley had stopped their play. Surprised, they worked to comprehend the situation.

Temperance heard another shot ring out from the trees. She began running towards Calliope, sunglasses and hat dropping into the soft sand. She saw Cricket, still holding Christy, stagger and then fall backwards. She tried to push her granddaughter back onto the deck as she fell…but she missed. Christy hit the railing and slid down the rear of the boat; disappearing into the water, a second after Cricket's splash into the deep.

It seemed to take forever for Temperance to reach the crashing and then receding waves. She cried out, for her husband, her daughter, her mother, her son. 'Seeley!' her mind screamed…and then, 'Where's Jon?' More shots pierced the air. Elizabeth's screams were abruptly cut off. Temperance could hear JJ's cries, but nothing from Seeley. 'Is he still alive?' she thought. Horror washed over her like the waves attempting to drag her feet from under her.

She saw Jon emerge from the cabin, carrying his sniper rifle. Looking past Temperance, towards the trees, he raised the rifle to firing position. Another shot stabbed the air. Her hands flew to her ears as she saw Jon drop the rifle over the side and slump atop the gunwale. A thin line of red began inching its way to the waterline. As she ran, she could hear the bullets around her thudding into the water. 'It's only a matter of time,' she thought.

Suddenly, the shelf of land under her disappeared. She dropped into the deep expanse. Brackish water filled her throat. She kicked and pulled with her arms; clawing for the surface. Finally, she broke free! Her head and torso punched through the surface, above the waves. She labored trying to pull in air. But she still couldn't breathe! Seawater filled her lungs as she dropped below the surface. She caught a glimpse of Christy's bright pink swimsuit bobbing close by. Oh, so close. She reached out, kicking her legs; trying to propel her to her daughter. Her lungs ached, hungry for air. Her limbs slowed, and finally hung free in the rocking current.

Week 2 - Thursday, Late Night

Temperance's eyes flew open. She was in darkness. No, not total darkness. A red glow from a digital clock lit her surroundings. '11:47' The glow of white light reflecting off the floorboards from under the door aided her ability to make out her surroundings. She was home. In her own bed. She felt her husband's arm cradling her. The smell of his cologne filled her nostrils. The warmth of his body eased the tenseness from her. 'It was a dream,' she thought. 'No, not a dream. A nightmare.' He stirred as she turned her body to face him. "Sorry," she whispered.

Groggily he said, "No problem. I felt you jump. Myoclonic jerk?" he asked.

She shook her head, "Bad dream."

"Again?" he asked. "You haven't had one in a couple of days, have you?"

She inhaled deeply; his aroma soothed her. "This is a different one..." she started. A sound from downstairs stopped her. Her body tensed; her eyes opened completely. She looked and saw Seeley's eyes, open and alert; lacking any trace of drowsiness. She whispered, "Did you hear…"

"Shhh…" They waited a moment before he whispered as he shook his head, "Can't be an intruder. The security alarm would have sounded."

They waited. Temperance said in a low voice, "Did you set the alarm before coming to bed?"

Seeley, his ears still focused beyond the closed door, intoned, "Didn't you?"

They looked into each other's eyes. They heard a definite 'Clink' from beyond the door.

Simultaneously Seeley and Temperance threw the bedcovers off and exited the bed. Standing over their gun safes, their fingers searched for the grooves atop the safe. Once found, they worked the buttons at their fingertips. Almost in unison, both drawers opened. Still in the darkened room, Seeley reached in and withdrew his semi-automatic and magazine. By rote, he inserted the magazine into the weapon's grip, and then working the slide, chambered a round. Looking over at his wife, he saw Temperance had withdrawn her revolver and was looking towards him. Moving over to her, he said in a low voice, "I don't suppose, for the sake of the baby, you would consider waiting here?" Temperance looked at him with such haughty disdain he almost felt a fool for even asking the question.

"How do you propose stopping me?" she whispered.

Seeley nodded and started moving towards the door.

Seeley and Temperance slowly crept through the open door, towards the staircase. They could both see the white light, possibly from the kitchen / dining room area, streaming up from downstairs. Seeley slowly moved down the hallway, his back to the left-side wall. Temperance followed, watching him. He was dressed in only his dark blue boxer shorts. Holding his semi-automatic in his right hand, his left hand clasped the other in the steady position. He held the gun itself not full out in front of him, but angled towards the floor. He moved silently and slowly sideways; his bare feet slid along the floorboards in a crossover-step motion. As he moved, Temperance could see the quadriceps in his upper legs work. The latissimus dorsi muscles of his back and obliques contracted and relaxed with his movements. He had moved almost a quarter way down the hall when he stopped. He raised his left hand in a "Stop" gesture to Temperance who was behind him and slightly to the right, more towards the center of the hallway.

He turned to her. Seeing her position, he motioned for her to either move to the right side of the hallway, or move into position behind him. He watched as she moved over to place her back to the other wall. She, like him, was still dressed for bed. She wore white cotton panties with a white, spaghetti-strapped cotton camisole. They held their breath as another 'Clink' came from downstairs. It sounded like two pieces of ceramic clashing together. Quickly, Seeley ran through their artifacts. 'Is there anything ceramic down there a thief, or worse, would really be interested in?' He couldn't think of anything.

He started moving forward again in his practiced cross-step style. Temperance, not having the opportunity to use those skills merely shuffled her back foot to align with her right foot, and then extended her lead foot out. The two moved on in silence. Three-quarters of the way to the railing overlooking the downstairs room the sound of rushing water surprised them. They stopped and looked at one another in confusion. Temperance shook her head. The two advanced further.

As Seeley came to the corner, he saw the flash of a hooded figure duck down below the countertop. He motioned for Temperance to move quickly to the other side of the stairwell. As silently as she could, she scurried to the other side of the stairs. Seeley and Temperance exchanged looks. In that brief exchange, they knew each would die for the other. Seeley steeled himself and moved around the corner. He saw the hooded figure rise up.

Keeping as much of himself as he could behind the wall, he quickly leveled his weapon over the banister at the figure. "Freeze!" he barked. Temperance moved from behind her bit of cover and over the banister leveled her weapon at the figure. The figure stopped, empty hands frozen at shoulder level. Above the sound of the rushing water in the sink Seeley yelled, "Let me see your face! Right hand...drop the hood!" The figure moved his hand to the crown of the hood and pushed it back. Wide-eyed the boy looked up at the man and woman with weapons drawn on him. A white earphone cord dropped from his left ear. Seeley recognized the intruder immediately. "Parker!" he exclaimed, dropping his arm to point his weapon at the floor. Seeley's mouth opened, unable to speak.

Temperance, like Seeley, angled her weapon away from her husband's son. She exhaled heavily in a rush of relief. Pressing her weapon in her right hand atop the banister, she ran the fingers of her left through her hair. She looked at Seeley.

Visibly shaken, Seeley combed his fingers through his hair and then ran his palm over his face, "Parker," he said shakily. "What...what are you doing here?"

Parker, eyes still wide, and hands still in the gesture of surrender said nervously, "Can I move now?"

Seeley squeezed his eyes tightly shut and nodded. Temperance imagined he was silently giving thanks for not shooting his own son. Seeley asked, "Why didn't you tell us you were coming over?" Then more gruffly, "I could have shot you!"

Parker pulled the other earphone from his ear. "I thought Mom told you." He reached over and turned the water off. "She and Brent are going up to Kodiak to finalize the move tonight. She said it was okay for me to stay with you guys until they got back on Monday. They dropped me off on the way to the airport. I figured you and Bones were in bed for the night, and didn't want to disturb you." He looked over to Temperance, who was trying to steady herself.

Seeley moved to the top of the stairs. He looked at his wife, trying to ascertain if she was all right. Moving towards him, Temperance nodded. She reached out with her free hand and placed it upon his right shoulder. Seeley turned back to Parker. "I'm sorry, Parker. We weren't expecting you until tomorrow night. When we heard the noise..."

Parker closed the dishwasher, his task of loading the dishes from the sink to the dishwasher completed. "I'm sorry for the noise, Dad. I was going to get something to eat, and then I saw the dishes in the sink..."

Seeley started down the stairs. He shook his head, "No, Parker. You don't have to apologize. You just startled us is all. If Rebecca could have called to tell us you were coming early..."

Parker was drying his hands with a kitchen towel, "Mom said she called you."

Seeley looked puzzled. "When?"

"Monday night."

Seeley felt Temperance's hand on his shoulder. She was on the stairs behind him. Realization struck him. Monday night! He was still taking the pain medication! Understanding flooded his face. "I know what happened," he said, understanding tingeing his voice. "I was on pain medication Monday night. I was kind of loopy. I'm sorry, Parker. It wasn't your Mom's fault...I forgot."

"You were on pain meds? What for?"

Seeley waved his hands in a dismissive motion. He saw Parker follow the white bandage on his forearm. Shaking his head, "Nothing important. We can talk about it later. You hungry?" He began moving down the stairs again. He felt Temperance behind him on the stairs, when a thought ran through his mind. He stopped so suddenly Temperance almost climbed upon his back. He motioned for Parker to wait and then turned to her, blocking Parker's view of her. In a low voice he said, "Where do you think you're going?"

With a questioning look, she motioned to Parker, "I was going to help get him something to eat," she said in just as low a voice. Looking around her husband, she asked in her normal voice, "Are you hungry Parker? I've got some vegetarian lasagna I can heat up?"

Parker nodded in appreciation, "That'd be great," he smiled. The intense experience of a couple of moments ago receding into memory. "Or I can heat it up," he turned back towards the refrigerator.

Seeley stood in front of his wife. "Not dressed like that, you're not," he said still in a low voice.

Confused, Temperance looked down at her clothing, "Why? What's the matter..." she started in a lower voice as well.

Levelly, Seeley explained, "You need to go and either put on a robe or some other," he paused a moment and then completed his thought, sounding definitive, "more clothing."

"What?" She couldn't believe what he had just said. Sure, Seeley could be a prude sometimes, but this was Parker! "What's wrong with..." She caught the look in Seeley's eyes and knew this was something serious. She looked at her clothing again. "You think this will arouse his prurient interest?" she asked astounded. Seeley's eyes told her she had hit upon it. "He's seen more of my skin when we've been on the boat."

"Are you guys fighting?" Parker asked.

In unison, Temperance and Seeley looked towards Parker and said, "No." Seeley, continued, "We're just...settling an issue that we hadn't encountered before." Seeing Parker's accepting nod, Seeley turned back to Temperance.

"It's not the amount of skin," Seeley explained. "It's the psychological suggestion of the clothes." Temperance looked at him as though he had lost his mind. "You're wearing underwear, not a bathing suit. It's called 'intimate apparel' for a reason. It's a different level of intimacy than a bathing suit. It's that level of intimacy that does things to a male's head."

"But that's Parker!" Temperance countered. "Even if I accept your premise that there's a psychological difference, I'm like a mother to him."

"But you're not his mother," Seeley said. His tone was not malicious, or full of jealousy. "You are a beautiful woman," Temperance's eyes looked at Seeley skeptically, thinking the charm offensive is coming. He continued, "Wearing somewhat provocative underwear in his presence." Now Temperance looked at him in disbelief. He said simply, "I can see the outline of your nipples and the cleft of..." he looked to her lower torso. Temperance's mouth opened in surprise. "Now, I know how close we are as a family, but you are not his biological mother." With his back still to Parker, "And that," Seeley pointed at him with his thumb, "is a thirteen year old boy."

Temperance got it. Suddenly conscious how little she was actually wearing, she moved her arm to cover her breasts and her other hand to hide her, admittedly covered but still visible, genitalia. She looked to her husband with a shy, almost embarrassed expression. Seeley smiled at her, "Don't worry." He leaned in to her, "If he wasn't here, I would drink in the view wishing you would put on a fashion show more often." Temperance smiled. "But if it's all the same to you, I don't want my son having the same thoughts I'm having about my wife."

Temperance chuckled, "All right. I see your point." She reached out for Seeley's gun. "I'll put these away and be right down," she did a small curtsey, "properly clothed." She smiled. Seeley returned her smile as he handed over his weapon. She continued as she turned to start back up the stairs, "Just remember this conversation the next time you decide to walk around shirtless in front of Amy, Emma and Hayley." Seeley's jaw dropped. Temperance leaned in and kissed his forehead. "Do you really think teenage boys are the only creatures who can look at an older, adult figure with lustful intent?" Before he could answer, she quickly mounted the stairs, feeling his dumfounded expression on her as she moved upwards.

Once she had gained the second floor, she turned back to see Seeley and Parker embracing. Temperance made a mental note to bring Seeley a t-shirt and sweatpants as well. As she walked down the hall towards the bedroom, she heard a loud squeak from one of the floorboards. She stopped and picked her foot up and then stepped down again. There it was again. The floorboard creaked and squeaked as her weight increased. Odd that she had never noticed it before. She looked around, and in shocked realization saw it was in the exact spot where Seeley had stopped her. As she continued down the hall, she smiled and shook her head. Her admiration of his skills validated once again.

The woman in the passenger seat sat in silence. Arms crossed, she looked through the driver's side window. Her index and middle finger tapped alternately upon her left bicep through the trench coat sleeve. He had been gone almost a half-hour. She silently cursed herself for allowing him to go alone. They were partners. How could he have gone off without her? 'Where is he?' she thought.

She angled her head down. The light was still on in the apartment. She felt a tug on her hair. Reaching back, she impatiently pulled the ponytail from inside the coat. Her dark eyes scanned the ground level area in front of the parked car. She angled her body to take in a 360-degree scan of the area. The car that dropped the hooded figure off had not come back. She saw a figure advancing from the direction of the apartment building. Her breathing shallowed as her hand moved underneath the fabric of her overcoat.

Then she saw the lean figure pass underneath a streetlight. His familiar face filled her with warmth. Wind fluttered his brown hair as he rotated his head to look right, then left before crossing the street. She smiled slightly. Not just in relief that no harm had come to him, but in the childhood ritual he still retained for crossing the street. A brief gust of wind blew his black overcoat open revealing the holstered sidearm and badge he wore on his belt. He quickly pulled the fabric closed in front of him as he jogged over to the car. She saw his strong hand reach out and open the door.

Sliding into the driver's seat, Special Agent Tony DiNozzo smiled as he looked to Agent Ziva David. "Miss me, Honey?" he said.

"Not at all," Ziva said impassively. Her steady voice belied her relief at his safe return.

"Not in the least bit worried?"

"Not in the least. Who was it?"

Tony reached down between the seats and pulled out a file folder. "Booth's son, I think." His finger moved through the information. "Yeah, here it is. Parker." He replaced the file folder.

"How did you find that out?"

"I listened through the door." He turned to Ziva. "When Booth yelled out the boy's name I realized it was someone he knew."

Ziva nodded quietly. The two agents sat quietly for a number of minutes. When Ziva finally spoke, it was not in her usual, haughty tone. "Do you ever get the feeling you are missing out on life?"

Tony turned to her, "What do you mean? Missing out on what?"

"Family...children..." She fell silent a moment. "I mean," she continued, "with our job. Our choice of what we do with our lives. How many of us actually have family to share our lives with?"

"Well," Tony said. "You've got family. You're father's still back in Israel."

Ziva subtly shook her head. She looked out the windshield, "No... not anymore. Not since..."

"Yeah," Tony said softly.

Ziva continued, "I mean, look at Gibbs, and Ducky, and McGee and Abby and..."

"Me?" Tony finished for her. "Yeah, my dad's still alive. But he's probably off somewhere pulling another of his cons on some unsuspecting millionaire. Always seems to land on his feet."

"But Gibbs has been married what? Four times?"

"That we know of," Tony agreed.

"Neither he nor Ducky have children," Ziva continued.

"Well, Gibbs did have a daughter once."

"But she died long before he became an agent." She fell silent again. After a moment she continued, "Since he's been in NCIS, no children. The same with Ducky. McGee and Abbey fall into and out of relationships. Sometimes with each other, most times with others. Nothing ever lasts."

"Yeah," Tony agreed. "Our jobs are kind of tough on relationships. In our line of work, trusting someone else is not part of our job descriptions."

"Exactly," Ziva agreed. "If something happened to Gibbs, or Ducky, or..." she looked at Tony. She shook her head as if to get back on track. "Who would grieve besides co-workers? What progeny would there be to remember us?" She looked away.

"You're worried about someone not remembering you?"

Ziva pressed the window button. As the glass disappeared into the doorframe she said, "I just wonder sometimes...what it would be like to be like the Booths." She ticked her head in the apartment's direction. "Married, planning a future, having children. I can't help thinking there has to be something more than catching bad guys." She gently rubbed her forehead.

"Hey," Tony said. "If you really wanted a relationship," she looked over at Tony. He continued, "You'll find one." He reached out and placed his hand on her shoulder. He continued, in an obvious lighter tone, "Your problem is that you're too intimidating."

Ziva smiled, "Intimidating? Me?"

Tony laughed, "Well, a former Mossad assassin. Now an NCIS agent. Someone who could kick your butt, kill you, and probably get rid of the body so nobody would ever find it." He looked at her smiling back at him, "At least you know the guy you eventually end up with will make sure he never makes you mad."

She closed her eyes, but continued to smile. Reaching back, she pulled the elastic band from her hair. Spreading her hair out, she asked, "Do I...intimidate you, Tony?"

Tony hit the driver's side window button. He laughed. "You forget. I've seen you at your best...and at your worst." He looked at her, "I remember when you wanted to kill me once."

"Only once?" Ziva laughed.

"Yeah," Tony joined in on the laughter. "But you never did." He shook his head, "No, you don't intimidate me." Ziva smiled at him. The two sat in a comfortable silence until Tony said, "You should be careful, Ziva. You may be sending mixed signals to men." She looked at him confused. "That thing you did with your hair." She shook her head, still not understanding. He continued, "When you shook your hair out. In older movies, that was a signal the uptight, proper woman was getting ready to get all wild and nasty," he smiled.

Ziva looked at him incredulously. He continued, "It's true. You'd see a librarian, or teacher, or businesswoman all dressed up in business attire. With her hair tightly pinned up or severely pulled back. Sometimes...actually most of the time she'd be wearing these big glasses too." Tony put both of his hands, each making a circle, up to his eyes. "And she'd come off really prim and proper."

"Prim?"

"It's another word for conventional, formal...proper."

"So she's proper and proper?"

Tony shook his head in understanding at the redundancy. "I know. But anyway," Tony rotated his torso back and forth. "She's all proper, and then when she's ready for some action, she removes her glasses." Tony aped the gesture of seductively removing a set of glasses. "Let's her hair flow free," he shook his head wildly. "And she's up for anything."

"And this was in all American movies?"

Tony nodded, "Just about."

Ziva uncertainly moved her head about, her hair barely moving. Tony said, "No, you've got to get your hair really moving." To show her he began moving his head around more fiercely. Ziva followed suit. "That's it!" Tony exclaimed and began tossing his head around with her.

So absorbed in their hair tossing, they didn't see the car moving towards their position with its lights off.

The car had moved from the oncoming lane to stop next to Tony's open window. The sound of the car's window motor cranking brought Tony and Ziva out of their head spasms. Their hands automatically reached for their weapons.

McGee's voice filtered from the open window, "What are you guys doing?" he asked, truly perplexed.

"Oh...ahh," Tony said. "I was just explaining to Ziva about women's signals," he turned to Ziva, his breath catching in his throat. With her hair full and free, she seemed to be looking at him with unbridled sensuality. Her eyes seemed to sparkle; her slyly smiling lips seemed to promise so much more to him. He coughed, and turned back to McGee, "What are you doing here?"

McGee responded, "Well, Gibbs..."

"Called him to meet me here to relieve you two," Gibbs' almost lilting voice surprised Tony and Ziva coming from Ziva's open window. As they turned to look out the window, they jumped in surprise to see he had knelt down and was looking directly at them. "Gaaaah!" they exclaimed.

Ziva, recovering, looked towards the floorboards, "How long have you been there?"

Gibbs shook his head, "Only a minute or so. Why?"

"No reason," Tony looked towards the roof.

Gibbs nodded, "You guys can take off." He looked through the car to McGee, "You can take their spot when they leave." He made a motion for Tim to drive down the street and turn around.

McGee nodded, "Anything happen?" he asked Tony.

Shaking his head, Tony answered, "Booth's kid showed up a little while ago. Outside of that, nothing." McGee nodded.

As McGee and Tony talked, Gibbs said in a low voice to Ziva, "You know, I'm surprised with all your undercover work for Mossad, as well as NCIS," he cocked his head, "and just throughout your dating life you didn't know the thing about the hair." His intelligent blue eyes seemed to be laughing.

Ziva smiled back. Just as low she said, "Who said I didn't?"

Gibbs smiled with genuine amusement as he stood up. He tapped twice on the roof of Tony's car and made a circular motion to McGee with an upraised index finger. "Let's go." He looked back down to the open window. Catching Ziva's attention he said, "You two go get some sleep. I'll see you in the morning."