McGee led Emmaline to another elevator. She tried to concentrate on breathing evenly, she didn't think that she would be this nervous but now that the moment was here meeting her cousin was more nerve racking than going to meet David Sanders for the first time.

"Relax Tony really is a great guy. He might act like a jerk and pretend that this is no big deal but it is. You've got nothing to worry about." McGee put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. She tensed slightly and he must have noticed the hand left her shoulder.

"Sorry."

"It's okay. You've been really nice to me Agent McGee. It's just that I'm not used to it. Being touched has never been a positive occurrence in my life."

"I'll try to remember that."

"No please don't, I want to be normal so treat me normal, just try not to take it personal if I react negatively."

He looked at her curiously for a moment and the elevator dinged, the doors opened and loud music could be heard, but he continued to stare. She found that she couldn't look away.

"Is that you Gibbs?" a woman's voice called out.

Still his gaze didn't waiver. "I'll do my best to do anything that you ask me to."

The determination and sincerity of his voice once again brought the prickling of tears to her eyes.

"Hellooooo! Who's hiding in the elevator?" The voice called out again.

McGee placed a hand on the small of her back, she tried her best not to react to the touch, and guided her out of the elevator. They walked into a room, the lab she guessed, that was brightly lit with all kinds of machines lining the walls.

"Oh! She's here Tony!" exclaimed a tall gothic woman, who bounced towards her and drew her into a hug. Emmaline tensed once again and wasn't quite sure how to respond. Her instinct was to pull away but her mind over powered the reflex telling her that this woman obviously meant her no harm.

"Abby." McGee gently pulled the woman, Abby, off of her. "You're smothering her."

"Oh sorry, I get a little excited. I'm Abby Sciuto and welcome to my lab. Oh!" she wiggled out of McGee's hold and ran over to the man who had been quietly staring at her from across the room since they had entered. Abby grabbed him by the hand and led him to stand in front of her, clicking a remote from the table on her way turning off the music.

"Hi I'm uh your cousin Anthony DiNozzo." He held out his hand and she grasped it.

"I'm Emmaline last name still to be decided." She laughed nervously," I hope you don't mind I rather like the name."

"No, I don't mind at all."

They were quiet for a moment neither of them knowing what to say. She could see right away that this wasn't a hoax they were clearly related. Their eyes were the same color, her lips were fuller than his but curved the same, her hair was blonde but the same texture and their skin was the same color.

"Um Abby I need you to come upstairs and help me defragment my computer." McGee grabbed her around the waist and practically dragged her from her own lab.

"What? McGee, you know how to do that. I think Gibbs even knows how to do that." Her protests could be heard until the elevator doors shut.

"So how was your flight?"

"Not good I got sick a lot. I'm not sure if I just don't like flying or if it's because I'm pregnant."

"Have you been to a doctor yet? Isn't that important, getting a checkup and such?"

"No I haven't yet Anthony."

"Call me Tony. Well I'm sure Ducky would know about all that we can ask him later. As for now I'm sure you're hungry since your stomach is clearly empty why don't we grab a bite to eat, if you're up to it?"

"Um, okay."

"What are you hungry for?"

"I...I don't know."

"Come on I'm not picky whatever you want I'll eat." She was fidgeting; he could see her getting more nervous and uncomfortable by the second. She seemed nervous about answering and he was about to suggest the Deli before she had a panic attack when she closed her eyes took a breath and asked for pizza.

"Awesome pizza is my favorite. Come on I know the perfect place."

Emmaline followed him out of the lab and back into the elevator. They were quiet on the way up and into the bull pen. Ducky, Palmer and the Director had left and the remaining agents were sitting at their desks with Abby sitting on McGee's desk.

"Uh Boss we're going out for pizza." Tony said as he walked up to Gibbs's desk.

"Just come back after you're done we've got things to discus."

"Will do Boss." Tony grabbed his jacket from his chair and then he and Emmaline walked to the elevator together.

They were already two slices of pizza in to their meal but they had hardly spoken to each other. Tony had tried to be his normal cheerful self but it had just been awkward. They needed to have a heart to heart and he had never been very good at those. He was also a little bit numb to the situation. It all seemed so surreal, stuff like this didn't really happen right? This would be a perfect set up for a sappy movie.

Emmaline had been very quiet for the last few minutes and seemed to be very interested in her food so he took the chance to study her. She had been very polite so far but only spoke if he spoke to her, she was open and yet closed off at the same time, he understood the instinct to keep things to himself and yet the desperate need to speak. He could easily see how uncomfortable she was walking out in the open; her eyes had constantly scanned the area for any threats while they weren't in the car or a building. It was like she had never been outside before. Getting to know her was not going to be easy.

He had spent some time, back when he thought she was dead, wondering what she would look like once she had grown up and he wasn't disappointed as he looked at her now. She looked very much like her mother. He thought about how in seven months she would be a mother herself. How was he going to support her? Could he do this? He would have to call his father soon also, getting a hold of him was going to be a challenge. He could get McGee to hunt him down.

"Tony is everything ok?"

Her soft words brought him out of his trance and he realized that he must have been starring at her for a long time.

"Just got lost in my thoughts." He tried to be reassuring.

"You don't have to worry about the details I'm just great full to be free, I'm not looking for anything but the chance to really be able to live my life." Her cheeks flushed as she said this and her last words were said into her water glass.

"Come on let's take this back to the office."

They picked up their leftovers in silence and made the short walk back to the car.

Tony put his keys into the ignition but didn't start the car. He sat back and took a deep breath before turning to face his newly found cousin.

"After my mother died my aunt made a point of going out of her way to make sure that I was doing alright. My dad wasn't really ever around so when my aunt was in town she made sure to take care of me and I loved her very much. I was eighteen when she came home to settle down and marry your dad. I didn't like him much but he made Aunt Lorie happy so I played nice."

You were born two months before I graduated and your mom begged me to spend the summer with her before I went away to college so that you would recognize me when I came back to visit. She had me changing your diapers, feeding you, burping you, and laying you down for naps. And you were cute, didn't cry at all just a happy fat and pink baby. I called you Emmy. Well I went to UNI and would come home in between semesters and you still knew who I was. Before you started talking you would get all excited when you saw me and you had this infectious giggle, before I knew it I was coming home and you were talking and walking and wouldn't leave me alone until I left again for school."

"And then I was called out of class one day and told that my aunt and uncle had been murdered and you were missing. Your disappearance was the reason I joined the Baltimore PD. I wanted to protect people from feeling the loss that I felt that day."

Tony took a deep breath, turned back into his seat and started the car. "So I hope you understand where I'm coming from when I want to make sure that you have nothing left to worry about or be afraid in your new life. The bare minimum is just not going to cut it. I'm going to fuss over you and over do things and you're just going to have to learn to accept it okay?" he let go of the steering wheel with his right hand holding it open palm up silently asking her to take it.

"I'll try." Emmaline laid her hand in his and gently squeezed it. They drove back once again in silence but neither let go of the others hand until they had to get out of the car.

The bull pen was empty aside from Gibbs w

hen they got back.

"Come on" he said heading for the stairs not bothering to see if the followed, "everyone is in Vance's office."

In the office Vance was sitting in one of the single chairs as was Ducky, Abby was in Vance's desk chair spinning, while Palmer, McGee and Ziva stood, that left the couch for Tony, Gibbs and Emmy who sat in between the two.

"Well Emmaline we have all your identification papers sorted out thanks to Miss Sciuto." Vance handed her a manila folder, "in here you will find a birth certificate, identification card, driver's license, social security, and passport. Your name is Emmaline Lea Palmer."

Tony and Emmy both looked at Palmer in confusion.

"I have a distant cousin who ran away when she got pregnant; she was erased from the family tree." Palmer rubbed the back of his head nervously.

"Palmer is unassuming; no one will look into his life like they would yours DiNozzo. We need to keep her as unattached to you as possible. If anyone looking for her knows about her kidnapping it's a safe bet that they are going to investigate you."Gibbs said cutting off any complaints his senior agent was about to voice.

"For this weekend Emmaline can stay at your apartment with you Agent DiNozzo," Vance waited for Tony's nod of confirmation before he continued, "on Monday we will provide an apartment for you in Silver Springs near Agent McGee's apartment, as far as employment we need a new mail deliver, do you think you could fill the position?" Emmaline nodded her head, "good do you have any questions or requests?"

Emmaline paused for a moment debating what she should say before glancing at Tony who gave her a small nudge encouraging her to speak. "I was wondering if I could finish school. I uh wasn't taught anything that wasn't directly related to accounting." Her face blushed slightly at the admission.

"Under your new identity you already have an education, Miss Palmer." Emmy's face fell a little for a moment but she recovered quickly, nodding in understanding.

"Director I would be more than happy to instruct Miss Palmer on the areas of study that she is lacking in. It would not hamper my work either." Ducky offered smiling at Emmy.

"Alright as long as you can handle it I don't mind. Anything else? No? Alright Miss Palmer it's up to you to be as independent as possible we don't want any attention drawn to you, having said that we are all here to support you. Don't hesitate to ask for that help. Everyone is dismissed for the day."

They all exited the office aside from the Director, Gibbs and Ducky.

"Well Duck?"

"The young woman is quite remarkable, she is an excellent actress."

"You think she's lying to us Dr. Mallard?"

"No you mistake me. She is very good at camouflaging how damaged she really is. If you look close enough you can see how uncomfortable she is. She doesn't know how to act normal so she observes everyone and mimics how we act. I could see how unnatural for her it was to speak. I imagine she wasn't allowed to express her needs before now and she is very unfamiliar with kindness or even politeness. You said yourself Jethro that she thanked Timothy for opening the door for her and that she was deeply affected by his offering a handkerchief. She is very adaptive and shows a great deal of self control when it comes to her actions and reactions."

"This will not be easy for her but I think she will do well. She will have to learn mostly from experience but I will do my best to teach her how to act in society as academia. I would suggest to all of us not to push her, to keep in mind that healthy interactions with people are foreign to her and are not her second nature. It would be easy for her to keep her distance although I don't think that is what she wants."

"So we keep an eye on her and support her, give positive re-enforcement." Vance summed up. Ducky nodded, "you think DiNozzo can do that?"

"Oh he already has, Anthony might have you believe that he is shallow but he didn't get to this position for nothing, he is very observant and sensitive when he needs to be." Ducky argued.

"Don't underestimate my Senior Field Agent Leon." Gibbs agreed with the ME.