Jenny found herself waiting in the conference room for Tony and Ziva. Gibbs had alerted her to the fact that they would be bringing Senior straight there. A sketch artist had already been sent for from another part of the building. For now, there was time to kill.

And Jenny had set up camp to wait because she liked learning about her teams' personal lives. In whichever way she could.

Like she was really going to pass up a chance to meet the legendary Anthony DiNozzo Senior. If only to see if Tony's innumerable yarns about him were even real.

"Okay, dad." Tony said as they entered the conference room. "Ziva will keep you company while I—oh… Hello."

Tony had noticed Jenny's presence now. So had Senior and Ziva.

But Jenny laughed she she walked over to them. "Gibbs gave me gave me a heads up that your dad was on the way here to work with a sketch artist. Care to make introductions?"

Tony cleared his throat. "Of course. Director Jenny Shepard, this is my dad, Anthony DiNozzo Senior."

"How do you do?" Jenny said as her new acquaintance shook her hand. "It's wonderful to finally see the man behind the stories Tony has been regaling us with."

"Fun stories, I hope." chirped Senior. "But I could happily tell you many more about my son."

"More like bend her ear…" Tony muttered to one.

"We appreciate what help you can contribute to this case." Jenny told Senior. "Feel free to ask your son or Ziva if you need something."

"Thank you, m'am."

Jenny took his answer in stride before turning to Tony. "The sketch artist has already been called for, but he seems to be caught up in his current task. I will go check his ETA."

Tony stammered, "But Gibbs won't like it if he catches you making a phone call I should be doing."

"He isn't my boss. But I know he likes his people to be doing any and all grunt work, but he also likes them focused. And last I checked, you two have a few important things to discuss. Or am I wrong?"

"No." Tony shook his head when he realized what she was doing. "Thanks, m'am. We will get to it."

"Good answer."

Jenny then gave a bob of acknowledgment to her entire company and left.

Senior eyed his company when Jenny had closed the door behind herself.

"What did that lovely lady mean by 'a few important things'?" he wanted to know. "Is this about what I said at the hotel? I apologize now for any toes I may have stepped on."

Ziva told him, "None have been. But… We do need to talk."

"I am all ears now." Senior remarked as they all sat at the table together. "Please try me."

Together, Tony and Ziva told Senior everything about the recent events that had unfolded in their lives. He listened without interruption. But he felt stunned by the end.

"So," Senior finally said after Tony and Ziva had finished. "You two went through all of that, and you're also engaged now?"

"Yes." Tony and Ziva answered together.

"When was the proposal? And where?"

Ziva responded, "In the hospital, when I was recovering from the abduction. Rivka had an extra issue that needed mending. She is perfectly well now."

"That's great." Senior leaned back in his chair. "How are her big sisters today?"

"Ella and Alison were cheerful when we dropped them off at the nanny's house this morning." Tony recalled. "Our kids are very happy people in general."

Senior's heart lightened at this. "Junior, I already know that you and Ziva are best friends, but do you two love each other? Neither of you are in this because you have three children? Or because you told me that Ziva wants to be an American citizen?"

"She is the love of my life."

"He is the love of my life."

Both answers had been in perfect unison.

Senior laughed. "Wow. All I can say is congratulations to you both… And that I really should come around more often. I'm so pleased for how things have turned out. Do either of you have pictures of your daughters on hand at the moment?"

"I do!" Tony dug a picture out of his wallet and handed it to his father. "Here you go. That's Ella holding Alison on the couch at home. I took that picture last month."

Senior gazed fondly upon his granddaughters. They were beautiful.

"Wow." he slid the picture back and turned his focus to his almost-daughter-in-law. "Ziva, the children are beautiful. And they look a lot like you."

"Indeed. That is what my father said."

"Too bad I missed him. I'll come back next time he does…" the old man's voice trailed off as he pondered a new thought.

But the others understood.

"Are you wondering if you can meet Ella and Alison?" Ziva asked.

"Yes." answered Senior.

"We would love that, but I am sure you understand we must ask you to wait until after the case is over, yes?"

"Mhm. I am happy to wait—after all, wonderful things come to those who do." Senior smiled again. "There is no need to worry about me leaving town. I will make arrangements when I get back to The Adams House to stay around for as long as it takes. Family is important."

"Wow. That is kind."

"You are family, my dear."

Meanwhile… Tony was beginning to feel a tad wary.

He loved his father. Truly. But the man was also known to be somewhat self-serving. It wasn't in his nature to think this far ahead if there wasn't something in it for him. Especially a foreseeable financial benefit.

So something had to be up. Right?

Tony rose to his feet when there was a knock at the door. He opened it to find that the sketch artist had finally arrived.

"What's kept you, Chester?" Tony asked as he entered.

"Another department needed me. It just took a little bit longer than expected. Sorry about that." Chester shuffled the materials in his arms. "Director Shepard said our guest today is your father?"

Tony nodded. "Bingo. You treat the man like royalty, alright? I will personally haunt you when I die if you don't."

Ziva called from the table, "Just leave him be! Perhaps you should go back to your desk?"

Realizing that there wasn't much for him to be doing, as it was, Tony heeded her suggestion and exited.

Ziva stayed behind to keep an eye on things. Doing so had already been requested of her by Jenny ahead of time.

Senior turned out to have what Ziva suspected to be a photographic memory. By the time that Chester had completed the sketch, it was extremely detailed. More than what a regular of picture of his usually was.

He showed it to the visitor. "Sir, is this who you saw today?"

Senior nodded in confirmation. But he was now lost in thought. Ziva noticed.

"Chester," she strolled up to the man. "I thank you for your service to us once more. May I have the picture?"

He dated and signed it, detached the paper from his sketchbook, and handed it over. "Here you go. Is there anything else you need me for?"

"No. I will see you about."

"Right back at you, Officer David. Have a nice day."

Ziva wished Chester the same. He gathered his materials and showed himself out.

Ziva sent a quick 'mission accomplished' text to Tony before walking back to Senior.

"You have remembered something else." the officer stated. "I saw your mind go elsewhere. Please tell me."

Senior looked at Ziva. "I remembered something about Weintraub."

"Go on, Anthony. Please."

"Before he and Peters left, he had to button up his coat. That's when I noticed something on his belt. A weapon."

"Oh? Could you possibly identify it?"

"Unfortunately, I am all thumbs in that area because I am a pacifist, but I know that I saw a sheath. Perhaps for a knife? There was also something special about it."

Ziva grew more curious. "Like a monogram or a logo?"

"Yes. It had a saying on it, but I don't think it was in English."

Ziva produced a pen and field book from her windbreaker. "Could you write it down for me?"

Senior did. To the best of his ability. It felt like a shot in the dark.

But Ziva was impressed by the end result. "Wow. 'Non sibi sed patriae.' I believe that says 'not for self, but country' in Latin."

Senior gaped at Ziva. "You know Latin?!"

"I have learned ten languages, actually. Latin is number five because it was required in at my preparatory school in Tel Aviv. And… It is one of my favorites that I know."

Ziva pocketed her things just as a she noticed new text came in from Tony.

Gang's all here. They want to meet dad now.

Ziva sent a fast response of, See you momentarily before storing her phone and beckoning to Senior.

"Come now." she said. "You and I have accomplished everything. We have one more stop to make."

Jenny had ventured to the bullpen by now. She wanted to see how the team would react around the elder DiNozzo. Curiosity was becoming her today.

"None of you have officially met Mister DiNozzo?" she asked the others as she perched on the edge of Gibbs' desk.

"No, m'am." confirmed McGee. "There wasn't really an opportunity for that to happen at the hotel."

"How's that?"

"I drove the truck. Ziva rode shotgun—Tony's dad insisted."

"It's true." Tony confirmed. "My dad is nice like that. I rode with him in back."

Jenny arched an eyebrow. "Gibbs rode in his car alone?"

Tony joked, "Maybe that was for the best: all of us know how fast he is behind the wheel."

"Hm. That's a good point." But Jenny's eyes fell to Gibbs to see what he made of the jest.

From his desk, Gibbs gave a slight incline of the head to Ducky. He happened to be standing closest to Tony. The doctor read his friend like a book and promptly delivered Tony of a (soft) slap on the back of the head. Tony winced in reaction but said nothing. He'd walked into that. Jenny just shook her head: she had anticipated a head slap. Gibbs? He just felt amused. Never a dull moment around here.

Abby spoke up. "The rest of us are here now because of curiosity."

Palmer nodded in agreement. He was just happy to be included.

The elevator doors dinged and slid open before the conversation could go further. Gibbs got to his feet. Everyone else hastily made themselves presentable.

"I believe," Ziva said to Senior as she escorted him in to the middle of MCRT bullpen. "That it is time for you the rest our my team now. Your son and I shall make introductions."

Tony steered his father to the head desk. "You've already met the director, but allow me to introduce you to our team's intrepid leader, Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs. He's cool. Works with wood. Loves bourbon."

Senior shook the other man's hand. "It's good to finally see the man whom Junior has told me so many stories about."

"He is a good man," Gibbs shook Senior's hand in return. "And an extremely valuable asset to this team."

"What a nice thing to hear. Thank you."

Tony now moved Senior away from Gibbs before they could get to swapping stories about him (for this was a personal nightmare) and on to the next person.

He said of the next person with a flourish, "Dad, this is Special Agent Timothy McGee."

"Ah." there connected a dot in Senior's head. "Your other partner in crime, as well as the one and only Thom E. Gemcity."

At the mention of his alias, McGee only just managed to stifle a groan. "You've read my book?"

"Uh-huh. Do you think you'll ever publish a sequel?"

McGee opened his mouth to respond. But... He didn't get so much as a word out before a chorus of other voices answered for him.

"He had better not." chimed Ziva, Gibbs, Tony, Abby, Ducky, and Palmer as one.

McGee gave a nervous laugh. "I guess that's that, sir."

"But you and Tony have lots of adventures together?" Senior pressed.

"That's one way to put it. But I wouldn't trade it for anything. Tony is as good as my brother." said McGee with an honest dose of sincerity. "God only know where I'd be without him."

Tony shuffled his feet as he said to his dad, "I could say the same thing about Tim. I do drive him up the wall, but that's out of brotherly love. And he knows it."

"It's true." McGee confirmed.

"Outstanding." Senior shook McGee's hand. "It makes me very happy to know that my son surrounds himself with people he's so fond of."

Ziva joined the others who hadn't been introduced yet. Each person immediately fell into place.

"Here is the rest of our team." Ziva beckoned to Senior. "Do come say hello now."

Senior closed the gap between them in a few strides.

"What is everyone's names?" he asked.

Ziva indicated each person in turn. "Here we now have our delightful forensics expert, Abigail Sciuto, along with our dear Doctor Donald Mallard, and his charming assistant, James Palmer. They are also like family to us."

DiNozzo Senior shook hands with each of them and then zeroed on Ducky.

"Sir," he said. "Would your namesake be the Mallard steam locomotive?"

Ducky voiced great surprise at the inquiry. "Yes—that is exactly it. No one has ever guessed correctly. How did you?"

Somehow, Senior didn't feed too much off of the doctor's giddiness. "I happen to know a thing or two about locomotion history."

"Incredible. We must go for drinks."

"That is within the realm of possibility." Senior promised him.

Ducky made a sound of approval and stepped back.

Next, Palmer seemed startled when Senior looked at him knowingly. Much like he knew a secret.

The assistant tried not to appear too meek. "Yes?"

"You're Palmer, huh?" asked Senior. "The same guy who somehow got his shoes totally superglued to the floor? While still in them?"

Palmer's cheeks burned as the memory came flooding back. Tony and Ziva had managed to prank him spectacularly a few months prior. Why? A bet had been lost.

"How do you know about that?" Palmer asked the old man.

He answered, "My son talks. A lot. But I will have you know that Junior has gotten himself into scrapes far more ridiculous than that."

Palmer perked up. "Really? Like what?"

Utter quiet fell over the rest of the group almost at once. They wanted to hear.

But Tony felt a deep sense of dread. They had once again found themselves amongst choppy waters. It would be no fun to spill stupid secrets if they couldn't all go drinking together.

"Let's mind that today, dad." he told his father. "Now is not the time to go down rabbit trails. I have one last person for you to officially meet."

He approached the person. "Hello, Abigail."

The scientist beamed. "Hi—please just call me Abby! I'm so happy to meet you. And… I have many questions about Tony's childhood."

"As do we all…" Jenny murmured.

Tony hung his head. "Why me?"

Gibbs finally broke up the gathering. "Okay. I think that's enough—we have a job to do. Tony's dad has a life. Come on. Time to say good-bye."

Abby feigned her disappointment first, but still made her own farewell before heading to the lift. She had to return to the lab. Ducky and Palmer soon followed. Jenny left after them. Boring administrative duties were calling.

McGee returned to his desk.

An agent passing by the MCRT's bullpen cluster was assigned to drive Senior back into town.

Reality called. For everyone.

Ziva had a start after a few moments when she realized that her teammates were watching her. Expectant now.

She stood straighter. "Yes?"

Gibbs told her, "Time to talk about that sketch."

Tony added, "Anything else get discussed?"

"We noticed that Chester left the conference room first." McGee added. "You and Senior stayed for awhile."

"That, we did. Quite a lot was discussed." Ziva sighed. "It may or may not complicate matters now."

"Ziva!" the others cried as one.

She sighed again. "Well… It goes like this…"