The Prodigal Son

By RascalFlattsS

Disclaimer: Do not own NCIS.

Sorry, I haven't updated in a while. It has been very busy at work and the weather has been…well… crazy. But finally, a break! And a nice three-day weekend to write FanFiction. Hooray!

"Jimmy, I'm your father."

Jimmy stared at Gibbs. "I'm sorry?" he repeated.

"I'm your father," repeated Gibbs.

"No," said Jimmy softly. "That's not possible-"

"It is," said Gibbs. "Duck ran a DNA test to be sure-"

"You ran my DNA!" shouted Jimmy. He jumped up so fast that the chair knocked over, hitting the floor with a loud clang. "How could you do that? You had no right!" Jimmy stood up and went to walk past Gibbs. Gibbs grabbed his arm and spun him back around.

"Wait!" said Gibbs. "We need to talk-"

"We have nothing to talk about!" shouted Jimmy. "First of all you took my DNA without my permission and now you tell me you're my father! The father who abandons me-and now you want to talk? Forget it!"

He pulled his arm of his grip. "And stay the hell away from me," Jimmy said as he ran out of the autopsy. He didn't even bother to apologize to Ducky as he ran past him.

Ducky stumbled. He looked up and watched Jimmy run out. He looked back at Gibbs. "Jethro?"

"I blew it Duck," said Gibbs. "I blew it."

"How hard is to find a twenty year old file?" asked Tony. "What are you worried about? Catching the plague?"

The clerk rolled his eyes. "Here you are, Agent." He handed Tony a small file.

Tony grabbed the file and opened it. He flipped through the file. "Wait a minute," said Tony.

"Huh?" asked the clerk.

"Where the rest of the file?" asked Tony.

"That is the file," said the clerk.

"No," said Tony. "There were 4 people in the car that night-the NCIS agent, Shannon Gibbs and her two kids." Tony gestured to the file. "This report only talks mentions three- Agent Robins, Shannon and Kelly Gibbs. It doesn't mention their son."

The clerk rolled his eyes. "That's because that we keep the murder file separate from the missing person files."

Tony raised an eyebrow, "And why the hell would you need a missing persons file on a murder case?"

"Maybe because there was a missing person," said the clerk.

"Who?" asked Tony.

"Kyle Gibbs," said the clerk in an obvious "duh" sort of way.

It was like he had seen a ghost...

Realization hit Tony like a freight train. "Get me that file!" Tony shouted. "NOW!"

Jimmy sat on the edge of the pier overlooking the river, with his feet dangling over the edge. He looked over the water, watching the sun set. His brain was still trying to work through what Agent Gibbs had told him

Agent Gibbs can't be my father…he just can't be…it's not possible….

Jimmy was so lost in thought that he never noticed another person was walking towards until he felt a hand on his shoulder. Jimmy yelped in surprised and jumped up. The sudden movement threw his balance off and he started to fall forward into the river. Jimmy waited for the cold river water to hit him. Instead he felt someone grabbed the back of his shirt and yanked him back onto the pier.

"If you fall in the river again, I'm not jumping in after you," said Tony.

"Agent DiNozzo?" asked Jimmy. "How do you know I was here?"

"Please," said Tony. "I am a highly skilled NCIS agent; I know how to find people." Jimmy raised an eyebrow. Tony threw his hands in the air, "Fine! I had Abby track you through the GPS in your phone."

"Great," said Jimmy. He looked back over the Potomac. "Just add to the list of injustices I have suffered at the hands of the federal government today."

Tony sat down on the pier next to Jimmy. "Abby told me about the DNA test. I assume you would be the son?"

Jimmy nodded, "Yes and Gibbs is my father. But I assumed you already knew that?"

"I figured," said Tony.

The two men sat in silence, overlooking the water.

"I can't believe it," said Jimmy softly after a few minutes time. "After all these years, he just comes back into my life and goes "I'm your father," and expects everything to be okay? After he abandoned me when I was a little baby, he thinks he can come back and be my dad?"

"Is that what you think happened?" asked Tony.

"I read my file," said Jimmy. "I was found outside of an orphanage in Denver when I was 18 months old. No note, no nothing. Just abandoned." Tony sighed as he listened to the bitterness in Jimmy's voice.

"Here," said Tony. He handed Jimmy a thick vanilla file.

"What this?" asked Jimmy.

"Your file," said Tony. "When you were 18 months old, your mom and older sister were killed in a car crashed, along with the NCIS agent assigned to protect them. Your mom had witnessed the murder of a sailor by some drug lord and she reported to NCIS. A gunman shot the NCIS agent who was driving, causing the accident.

"They never found you. Ducky's note indicates that the car seat mostly likely protected you during the crash. The theory is that the killer came to check and make sure…well…anyway, when he got to the car, he discovered you were still alive. They think that because you were so young and couldn't identify him, the killer decided to let you live. Or maybe the killer had a child of his own who you reminded him of and he couldn't kill you. Or maybe he thought he could make some money selling you to a desperate parentless couple. Who the hell knows? All that we do know is that you were kidnapped.

"Gibbs was serving overseas at the time. When he was told what happened, he ran out into the battlefield and hit a minefield. He was in a coma for three weeks. When he finally came to, the trail was long gone.

"Most of the file," continued Tony, "is filled with Gibbs' notes on his investigation to find you. As you can see it, it's pretty thick." He gestured to the file. He sighed, "Your father didn't abandon you, Jimmy. He's been searching for you every day for the last 22 years."

There was a moment of silence, "Why are you telling me this?" asked Jimmy softly.

"Because," said Tony, "You deserve to know the truth. And because, I don't want to find your father after all these years, just to lose him again over a stupid misunderstanding."

Jimmy smiled softly, "Thanks," He stood up and started to walk down the pier.

Tony got up and followed him, "Where are you going?"

"To talk to Gibbs," said Jimmy. "I just hope I can catch a cab…"

"Forget the cab," said Tony, "I'll give you a lift."

"Seriously?" asked Jimmy.

"Seriously," said Tony. The two men walked over to Tony's car.

"Will you let me run the siren?" asked Jimmy hopefully.

"Sure, Palmer. Sure."

Please R&R!