Chapter 1: The mysterious Red Head

Very special agent Tony DiNozzo was early, something that he never was. Normally he strolled into the bullpen between 8.55 and 9.05am but this morning something was different, and he could feel it. He was up early and even stopped to get coffee on his way into work. As he stepped off the elevator Tony was not expecting to see any of the team, yet to his surprise as he scanned the bullpen he saw a red head sitting on Ziva's desk. Flashing that 100 watt DiNozzo grin Tony took his sunglasses off "Well hello there can I help you miss?" She was young looking medium length red hair and piercing blue eyes maybe about 13 or 14. Someone that young shouldn't be left unattended in the bullpen.

"No thank you I'm waiting for Jenny Shepard" Shepard?! Could this be Shepard's kid, it could be possible, but those eyes were blue, could Gibbs have a secret kid?

"Well you see Director Shepard's office is right up there." Tony turned and pointed to the catwalk, turning back to take another look at the young redhead sitting there she was wearing a pair of high waisted black jeans with a pink crop top. "I didn't catch your name. I'm Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo".

"That's because I didn't give you my name Special Agent DiNozzo. I do know fine well where Jenny's office is however this used to be her desk back in '99 and I am avoiding actually going up there" Just before Tony could ask the mystery red head any more questions Gibbs walks round the corner and stops dead at the sight of the mystery red head.

"Rory." He said with a warning and she shot him a smile.

"That hasn't been her desk since you were about 7" Leroy Jethro Gibbs could not believe what he was witnessing Jen hadn't told him she was coming home. Rory was apparently refusing to come back from London until after school broke up for Christmas as a sort of punishment for both her parents, but there she was standing in his bullpen.

"I know, just not ready to go up yet." Something in her eyes suggested to Gibbs that miss Rory wasn't telling the truth.

"I'll take you up". They stared at each other for a moment, eyes doing all the talking, Tony was mesmerised. The red head finally gave in, pushing herself off the desk and grabbing her hand bag. The red head practically ran up the stairs and Gibbs caught up with her quickly. Stopping outside Jenny's outer office he pulled Rory to face him. "Your mom didn't tell me you were coming Ror." He said pulling her into a hug, she was tense but loosened up eventually. When he stepped back she was refusing to make eye contact with him. "Rory does your mom know you're coming." Rory shook her head and he growled barging past Cynthia into Jenny's office, Cynthia had tried to stop him, but it was of no use, it never was. Rory stayed outside the door, not wanting to be involved in the confrontation.

"Agent Gibbs you really could do with learning some manners, most people knock before entering someone's closed office." Jenny said with a very annoyed tone but there was a playfulness to it, she enjoyed the game. Jenny hadn't really seen Gibbs much this week, it was Friday and the team had been working on cold cases all week as there was nothing new, no reason for them to talk. As bad as it sounds part of her had hoped for a case, for there to be a reason for them to talk. In the few months she'd been back things were tense, they started off flirty, but she knew she couldn't give in, no matter what she wanted and now things were just tense, almost bitter.

"There was a delivery left on your old desk I was just very kindly escorting it up for you Director." The mocking tone of the way he said Director really made her blood boil sometimes, but what delivery? Gibbs wasn't holding a package. Before Jenny could even open her mouth to ask what it was Gibbs grabbed Rory by the arm and dragged her into the office, slamming the door shut behind him.

"Aurora Joy Shepard-Gibbs what the hell are you doing here!" Okay so her mom looked pissed. It wasn't that Rory didn't know there was a possibility she would be pissed she figured it would come later, when she found out exactly how she ended up in the office. Rory was not for making eye contact so Jenny, who had now made her way out from behind her desk turned her attention onto Gibbs "And what had you got to do with this Jethro hm" Okay she was pissed. Gibbs glared at her; Jenny glared back. God you could cut the sexual tension with a knife.

"Nothin', just found her siting on your old desk chatting to DiNozzo figured it was best to bring her up here to you" he said with a shrug of the shoulders. Jenny gave him the curtest of nods and both parents turned back to glare at their child.

"Aurora you have 30 seconds to tell me why the hell you are in my office at 0800 on a Monday morning when it is what, 1pm in London, where you should be in school right now!" Rory weighed her options; she hadn't really got this far with her plan. She had thought about what she was going say on the 8 hour flight over but nothing felt quite right so she just decided it would come to her. "I'm waiting"

"I mean technically it's a school holiday today so I shouldn't be in school." Not a good thing to say. Rory watched as her mother's face got redder by the second and her father tensed up behind her. The glare she was receiving said it all and Rory flopped herself down on the couch.

"Aurora Joy so help me god you tell me right now how the hell you are here." Rory winced at the use of Aurora Joy, she only got that when she was in BIG trouble. Jenny turned her attention to the father of her child, "do you fancy saying something Jethro!" She screeched and he rolled his eyes.

"Ror why don't you just," Jenny cut him off.

"Do not be sweet with her Jethro." He threw his hands up in defeat.

"I snuck out of school" Rory mumbled.

"You are 14 years old Aurora how the hell did you manage to sneak out of your very expensive boarding school and sneak out of the country!" Rory looked at her dad, hoping he would help her, but he was glaring, and Rory closed her eyes before speaking up.

"It's a holiday today, so I got a pass to stay at Auntie Mags from Sunday-Monday, but really I just left Sunday night, got on a red eye and flew from Heathrow to D.C. Then I got a cab and headed over here. My old pass works so they just let me right through, headed up here and sat on your old desk until dad found me." When Jenny had been a probie they had made a special NCIS badge up for so she could get in and out of the building without much agro.

Jenny got up to say something before her intercom system went off, "Director Shepard, you have an important meeting in MTAC with SECNAV." Cynthia said and Jenny pursed her lips.

"Cynthia I will be there in 5 minutes." Jenny turned to Jethro who was on the phone.

"Dead body." He said to her and Jenny pinched the edge of her nose.

"Well someone needs to watch her." She said indicating to her daughter, "she may do another disappearing act on us." Jenny spat and Gibbs nodded.

"I'll take her to Abby's lab Jen." Jenny glared at him, "she knows Rory's my daughter Jen, doesn't know who her mom is." Jenny nodded getting up to walk in front of her daughter who had just stood up and gave her a hug.

"I missed you Rory." She said placing a kiss on the side of her head before exiting the room.

Gibbs turned to her daughter and dragged her across the catwalk into the elevator. The elevator had barely begun its descent towards Abby's lab when he hit the switch and turned to his daughter. "This is not over Rory you hear me." Rory nodded and looked at the floor.
"Do not mention to Abby who your mom is Rory, I don't know if she wants that." He flipped the switch and Rory turned to her dad as the doors opened.

"Don't worry dad, I won't go blabbing about being moms big mistake." Gibbs looked down at her and cocked an eyebrow. "She told a reporter she didn't have kids dad, nice to know where you stand, easy to forget about when you live across the world." Gibbs took a sharp breath. Rory had flown all of this way because of what had been said at an interview a week or so ago.

When Rory walked into the Lab the music was blaring. "Abby!" Gibbs yelled and she spun around in her chair to face him.

"Hey Gibbs, I-" She stopped in her track and ran over engulfing Rory in a hug. "Rory!" turning to Gibbs and hitting him on the shoulder. "You didn't tell me she was coming home." Abby pouted, she spoke to Rory often and spoke to Gibbs about Rory even more. She knew how badly the pair wanted Rory to be in D.C. so Abby couldn't understand why he hadn't told her the good news.

"She didn't tell me Abs," he glared, "I'm off on a case need you to look after her for a bit." Abby nodded.

"Of course, we will have so much fun!" Abby squealed.

"Negative Abs, she's in a lot of trouble, just keep her out of anymore because I don't want another earful from her mother about our 14 year out getting on a plane across the world and no one being any the wiser." Abby saluted Gibbs as he left and turned to Rory smirking.