When Delilah Fielding was first introduced in Season 11, I was curious about her surname being the same as Gibbs' first wife, Shannon Fielding Gibbs, wondering if the show writers would eventually mention a connection. I waited several years (!) but there's nothing yet, so I've made my own connection for them. While Fielding is not an unusual surname, it's not in the US current 100, yes I checked. Once I established the character of Mac (McKenzie) Fielding and his background in "Serendipity", it was easy enough to bring in Delilah's father. Unfortunately, I got sidetracked after I outlined this story and Charlie was introduced in "Notes in the Key of Life" instead of this one. So this version of Charlie is not quite the same one you've met in "Notes in the Key of Life". And his wife's name is Carol here, which was my original name for her. Hope you enjoy!
Also a shout out to Emerald1, whose story: "Secret Agent Man" inspired me to explore the version of Delilah that's featured in this series.
Timeline: Following the events of "After", during Ellie's pregnancy with the McGees' sixth child.
HOMECOMING
A Serendipity Story
Chapter One
Prologue
Tim frowned as he listened to Tony. He was relating news he'd heard from a friend who worked at the Department of Defense, news that involved Tim's former girlfriend, Delilah Fielding, and her family.
Delilah's downward spiral continued after Tim found her cheating on him, leaving their apartment for the last time after she reluctantly repaid him the thousands of dollars she owed him. According to Tony's source, her lover left her not long after, although not quickly enough to save his marriage. Shortly after he broke up with her, debt collectors began calling her at work.
She'd then moved to a DoD office in San Diego, CA, closer to her parents in Arizona, changed her phone number and kept it private as possible. Hoping to buy herself a little more time or perhaps genuinely hoping for help in paying off her debts, she contacted a credit counseling organization.
As Tony had heard the story, Delilah didn't understand why everything and everyone seemed to be against her. Her friends rallied behind her but they couldn't pay her debts.
When Tony said that, Tim asked him how the friend knew so much and Tony shrugged, "Remember Ellie finding out through the Federal Agency grapevine that you left her because she cheated? I guess she has no shame or feels the world owes her. She told her friends and co-workers all of this!"
Unfortunately, he wasn't done with the story. There was more trouble, Delilah decided that a child would ground her and eventually had a little girl she named Eleni. After four months, when Delilah decided the infant was too much trouble, her parents took her, eventually adopting her. That was followed by some sort of financial trouble with her parents. Then her mother died suddenly and her father was left to raise a young child, barely a toddler, by himself.
Eventually Delilah, banking on her award winning, excellent work for the DoD, requested a transfer to Dubai and was given it, including a generous transfer package. Selling nearly everything, she moved overseas, leaving behind the wreckage of her family. There she lived comfortably in a furnished apartment paid for by the DoD, with her transportation fully paid for by her employer, that due to her injuries from the attack at the Gala.
When Tony finally finished, Tim stared at him, appalled. "I can't believe she did all that. I mean, I do believe it but it's all so strange, beginning with the way she never had any money when we lived together – and she made a lot more than I did! She wasn't that way before the Gala. She's a totally different person now. Although she always loved designer clothes and shoes, before she was hurt she only bought what she could afford or waited for sales. And I can't believe she ditched her baby! Benham Parsa did this to her and now it's affected her family. Her poor dad!"
The two men talked about everything that had happened for a while. That night, Tim told Ellie and they decided to track down the Colonel's address and send him a card with a note.