Sorry for the short delay. I had the flu and then I had no idea where I wanted to go with this chapter. I think I've finally worked through the block I was having, so hopefully I'll get a few chapters written now and get the story moving.

Thanks for all of your awesome reviews, they are so encouraging and hopefully I live up to your expectations

I don't own Harry Potter or NCIS (I did splurge and buy season 2 though!)

Harry, Remus and Bill quickly made their way to the desk at St. Mungos, explaining to the healer that he was stabbed with what the suspect was a poisoned or cursed knife. After he was taken away, the three men went to the waiting area.

Remus, knowing that his wife would want to know how the mission had gone, sent his Patronus to Tonks. He was surprised when the silvery wolf went further into the hospital instead of out to find her. Standing up, he was met almost immediately by a harried looking healer that asked if he was Mr. Lupin. At his nod, she ushered him to follow her.

"Your wife is in labor Mr. Lupin, her friend brought her in but she's been more worried about you than getting through the labor safely. You need to come with me and calm her down." With that, both people started to rush faster toward Tonks's room.

Harry and Bill shared a look and jumped up to follow them down the hallway. They saw Remus enter a room and soon the healer came back into the hallway.

"She seems to be calming down a bit, but it'll be a little while until she's ready to have the baby. You can go join her friend in the waiting room, down the hall, third door on the left." She said before going back into the room to check on her patient.

Harry and Bill made their way to the waiting room and were met with a frantic and pacing Fleur. Bill rushed to her side and pulled her into a hug.

"Oh you made it! You were gone and her water broke, and I couldn't contact any of you! She wouldn't let me since your mission was so important and we didn't want to draw attention to you or have you unfocused! How did you know to find us here?" She said quickly while calming down in her husband's embrace.

"We found you by accident, Moody was stabbed so he's in with a healer right now, Remus sent Tonks a patronus and the healer came out and found him." Bill answered.

Fleur immediately started checking Bill for any injuries and when she was satisfied that he was simply tired, she moved to Harry and checked him as well.

Harry shared a look with Bill and then voiced the thoughts he'd been entertaining since they found out the Tonks was ok.

"Since our mission was a success, we need to be very careful. A few Death Eaters saw us and now that their master is gone, we need to watch our backs. I don't want you guys to end up like Neville's parents. I also think someone should watch out for Mad Eye until he's able to watch out for himself again."

"I'll watch out for Fleur and keep an eye on the hallway and Tonks's room. I'll also let Remus know to be on his guard if he comes out. Why don't you go check on Mad Eye and provide security over there. We can check in with each other in an hour." The older man said, taking charge of the situation.

Harry nodded and left to find his mentor and friend. Once back at the entrance, a healer directed him to the third floor.

Keeping a wary eye out, Harry made his way to his friend's side and was pleased to note that Moody was awake when he entered.

"Potter, gotta stay on my side until the potions kick in and let the poison seep back out. Then I should be right as rain. Where are the others? We'll have Death Eaters on us any minute; we need to practice constant vigilance!" Moody said gruffly when he saw Harry enter.

"Tonks is in labor so Remus and Bill are watching out for her and Fleur. We've discussed the probability of rogue Death Eaters so we're all on our guard and I'm here to watch your back until you're able to move around like normal. How long did the healers say you'd have to stay?"

"Not long, should be another hour at most. They'll be back in a half hour to check the progress. I didn't get to say it earlier, but nice shot. Jethro would be proud of how far you've come."

Harry was surprised, Moody didn't give compliments very often and Harry knew that saying Jethro would be proud was just another way for Moody to say he was proud as well.

"What happens now? I mean, I've worked my whole life to kill Voldemort and now that it's done I don't really know what to do. I mean, I thought about your suggestion, and I was planning to join the military. I want to do something because it's what I want, but also because I want it to mean something. Does that make sense? And how do we even get the word out the Voldemort is gone when nobody believed he was back in the first place?"

The last question was what had really been bugging Harry, they worked for the past year to get to today, but hadn't really discussed more than that. He knew that using muggle methods to kill Voldemort would not be well received by most circles, but he also knew that the wizarding world needed to know their terrorist was truly gone for good this time.

"Well boy, it's not going to be easy. The aurors will still need to bring in as many Death Eaters as they can find. Probably the best idea would be for you to meet with Kingsley and let him know what happened today and we go from there. He might suggest that we all leave for our own protection. Are you going to be prepared to make a decision like that?" Moody asked, looking at Harry closely.

"That's what I was afraid of. I know it's been hard on Kingsley to be the minister during this time, and I agree we need to meet with him. I am a bit afraid of what he'll say. I think he'll agree with using whatever methods were needed to finish Voldemort off, but I know that the Wizengamot is full of old purebloods that won't agree. I have no desire to be dragged through the mud for killing Voldemort, nor do I want any more fame. If Kingsley suggests leaving the British wizarding world behind I think I'll be able to live with that." Harry said. It was kind of nice to know what to expect from his conversation with the minister.

At that point the healer came in to check Moody's wound. After poking and prodding at him, she declared him ready to leave and had him sign the necessary paperwork.

Both men made their way back to the labor and delivery ward waiting room and joined Bill and Fleur who had been discussing much of the same things as Moody and Harry.

A few moments later Remus joined the group with a brilliant smile on his face. "It's a boy! Ted Remus Lupin, he's perfect and he's already started to change his hair color!"

Harry was the first out of his seat to congratulate the man, and gave him a tight hug. Moody clapped him on the back and Bill and Fleur each gave him a hug as well, Fleur adding a kiss to the cheek.

"We can only have one person at a time come to visit for a little while, Harry would you like to be first?" Remus offered and held his arm out in invitation.

Walking into the room, Harry was surprised to see Tonks sitting up in bed with a little blue bundle held in her arms. She looked tired but not horrible like he expected.

She seemed to notice his thought process and smiled, he'd never been around babies or pregnant women, which he had made abundantly clear the past several months.

"I'm ok Harry; we heal pretty quickly with magic. Would you like to hold him?" She offered with another radiant smile.

He bent down and kissed her on the cheek before Remus sat him down in the chair next to the bed. The proud daddy carefully picked up baby Ted and set him in Harry's arms.

Harry was in awe looking down at the little baby face. Teddy's eyes were closed and his mouth was slightly open in a sort of half grin. His hair had a bluish tint that could only mean the baby was a metamorphagus like his mom.

"Harry, we would be honored if you would be Teddy's godfather. We know that the future is sort of up in the air for all of us right now, but knowing that you'll always be there for our boy and even if you're away, that you'll write to him and love him is more than enough for us." Remus said, looking at his friend who had grown so much in the past year.

"I, I'd like that." Harry said with a little grin, overwhelmed at the trust and love being shown to him by his friends, his family.

"I'll always be here for you to talk to buddy, I will never leave you alone and you'll always have a place for me, you'll always have someone in your corner wanting what is best for you. Of course, I'll have to teach you the Marauders ways, uncle Siri would be disappointed if you never learned how to prank." He said to the sleeping baby in his arms.

Knowing that the others wanted to come in, he looked back up at Tonks and Remus.

"Thank you guys, so much. It means the world to me that you would trust me with this. I promise I will always be there for Teddy. Moody and I were talking and Bill and Fleur agreed, I'm going to meet with Kingsley tonight and let him know what happened today. I'll take whatever he has to say, but that might mean leaving Britain, or at least the British wizarding world. Even then, I will always write and let you know where I am, I need you in my life and I will not abandon Teddy just because I have to leave physically." He said with a lump in his throat. He'd just been given the greatest gift he could ask for, and he knew deep down that he would have to leave.

Remus came up and enveloped the younger man in a tight hug again.

"Harry, we will always be proud of the man you have become. You are always welcome in our home and in our lives. If Kingsley suggests that you leave, we'll work through it. I know you wanted to join the military and I can't tell you how proud that makes me. We will support you in whatever you have to do. Just please stay in touch as much as possible ok?" He said, knowing that Harry needed to hear that they wouldn't abandon him.

Harry nodded and made his way out of the room, letting the others have their visits before he and Moody sent a note out to Kingsley to meet them that night at Grimmauld Place.

He had a lot to think about and a few ideas to contemplate before his meeting that night. If what he thought was true, he had a chance at a new beginning.