Sorry so long for this one I've been ill with the plague. Well in this case stomach bug and a chest cold. Having COPD and a chest cold is so much fun let me tell you. This chapter is the last of this arc.

He stepped out into late afternoon sun he didn't even have to wait for his car to be called for it pulled up just as his foot stepped off of the last step. He watches DiNozzo step up to him then follow him to the car. When they get to the car his driver is standing by the door ready to open it for him.

"Adam go with agents McGee and Balboa, I need to discuss a few things with agent DiNozzo."

"Yes sir." Is the only reply the driver can give. He knows not to argue when the director as a certain tone of voice.

Vance opens the door and slips into the front seat without giving Tony a second glance. Knowing what is expected of him Tony signals to McGee and Balboa to follow with the other car.

He slips on his glasses once he is behind the wheel. "Director?"

"The office."

"Yes sir."

They had driven for less than ten minutes before Vance broke the silence. "Why?" He asks.

"I didn't understand Director Vance."

" Tom Morrow and I had informative conversation. Why did you do it, talk to the press?"

"Ah I see Deputy Director Morrow has new Intel. I wonder who squealed."

"Agent DiNozzo I find that term offensive, don't you?"

"No I don't in all honesty. I was a cop for six years, I've earned the right to say it."

Vance can't argue with him on that score he had earned that right.

"I didn't do it for you Director Vance if that's what you're wondering. You are a big boy you can take all that the press toss at you. In fact it's part of your job, but your kids, they didn't sign up for it not one little bit."

"He told me about your mother, about the M.E. ruling." Vance tells him.

Tony chuckles a sad sort of chuckle. "I swear that man has more friends than the peanut man at the circus." He lets out a long sigh. "It was never proven otherwise at least not by the powers that be at the time. There was just a lot and I mean a lot of talk, gossip filled the papers and news reports along with pictures of a man standing next to a small boy with tears running down his cheeks. What the papers didn't report or show was that after the man and child, were no longer within camera range the child was backhanded then sent to their room for being a disgrace. The funny part was the man would make sure to pinch the boy hard really hard just before the reporters came running to get the needed pictures and interviews. There were always cameras in the face of the child the reports tried to get information all the time. The child was an innocent bystander and should have never been put anywhere near the press at all. And before you ask, I never did investigate or look at the M.E. or police reports. It wouldn't change anything my mother would still be dead, besides almost all of the people involved are either retired or will be retired soon. Your children are innocent they have the misfortune of having a father who is the Director of a Federal agency. So I made a few calls, no one bothered the kids and that's what mattered and still matters."

After hearing Tony give his reasons why, Vance looks at his agent. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." Surprisingly is the simply reply that he gets in return.

"Just one question? Does Gibbs know? I mean he knows you found her and about your reaction to lilacs, but does he know about the M.E. report?"

"What if I told you I made a phone call to an old friend? Someone who could make that report get permanently lost, after Gibbs found out why I hated lilacs so much."

"That would explain why he is a free man and why your father is still breathing."

"That and the paperwork would be never ending." Tony says trying to bring some levity into the conversation.

A/N: I'm so sorry that I didn't respond to everyone who reviewed. But thank you all very much. And thank you to all the lovely people that added me to their alerts and favorites.