A/N Hey Everyone! Sorry for the long delay in between chapters but I'm back now! Thank you for all your kind reviews and I really hope you enjoy. Happy New Year!

Maggie smiled softly after seeing the exchange between Tim and Gibbs. Drawing in a deep breath, she wiped the tears from her eyes and startled when Sarah grabbed her hand and pulled it into her lap. Gibbs caught the small gesture between mother and daughter and began to relax. He knew their fight regarding Tim had caused tension within the McGee family and was happy to see they'd come to an understanding.

"Dada?"

"What's up, kiddo?" Gibbs responded, lightly kissing Tim's forehead.

Tim reached up, his tiny hand hovering over the bandage on Gibbs' head. Gibbs grasped his hand and lowered it, "Daddy had a little accident, but is going to be okay."

All three McGee women maneuvered their bodies to see what Gibbs was referring to as the dimly lit room made it difficult to see. Squirming under their glare, Gibbs brushed his hair back revealing the large bandage. Feeling his face flush, he pleadingly looked at Ducky, hoping the older man would explain what happened so he wouldn't have to.

Ducky nodded, cleared his throat and waited until the three women turned their attention in his direction before beginning. "After you left this morning with Timothy, Jethro was distraught and fainted, hit his head on the curb and ended up with a nasty gash, concussion and some frostbite."

"Oh my gosh." Penny gasped and held her hand over her mouth while Sarah echoed her with a similar response and Maggie appeared unfazed by the trauma Gibbs had suffered.

"How are you feeling now Agent Gibbs? Maybe we should have waited and brought Timothy back tomm..."

"No!" Gibbs bellowed, interrupting Penny before she could finish. Chuckling lightly, Penny responded, "Or maybe not. I only meant if we would have known it would have given you time to rest before you had to deal with a toddler again."

Gibbs shook his head, "I appreciate your thoughtfulness; however, it makes me feel better knowing that Timmy is here with me. Besides this little guy..." he paused, pulled Tim close and continued "Is my life and I will do everything in my power to make sure he lives a happy, healthy life."

Maggie nodded slightly and glanced around the room, "Is there anywhere we can speak in private Agent Gibbs?"

Slightly surprised by Maggie's request, Gibbs nodded as he ran through a list of rooms in his mind that would give them adequate privacy. He certainly couldn't choose Tim's room after the destruction he caused earlier and he sure as hell didn't want Maggie in his own bedroom. Then he remembered the basement, since Tim had been regressed he hadn't spent much time in it, but it was where he felt the most comfortable and would give them privacy. Standing up, he moved Tim to his shoulder and patted his back, "I'm going to leave you with Ducky while I go talk to Maggie. Daddy will be back in a few minutes buddy."

Tim shivered and buried his face in the crook of Gibbs' neck. Gently stroking the toddler's back, Gibbs deposited him in Ducky's lap and slowly knelt down in front of the pair. "I'm just going downstairs, sweetie. Maybe while I'm gone Ducky can get you a bottle. Would you like that?"

His bottom lip quivering, Tim's thumb crept up to his mouth and he nodded slowly as Gibbs kissed the top of his head and motioned Maggie to follow him. Taking one last look over his shoulder as he exited the family room and headed toward the basement stairs, Gibbs was anxious to speak with Maggie so he could get back to Timmy. Holding the basement door open and switching on the light, Gibbs trudged down the stairs, turning around when he realized Maggie wasn't following him.

"There a problem?"

Maggie raised her eyebrows slightly, "No, Agent Gibbs it's just..." She paused and started down the set of creaky stairs, cringing at the smell of sawdust and cobwebs that laden the walls. "Isn't there a more sanitary place we can have this discussion?" Finally reaching the bottom, she looked around at the organized chaos and chuckled, "No offense, but this looks basement looks like it could double as a torture chamber." Walking deeper into the room she continued, "All these clamps and tools, not to mention the sheer creepiness is enough to give me goose bumps."

"I assure you Maggie the only person who has ever been tortured down here is me. Especially when I'm working on a project, fall asleep and the next morning my body reminds me that I'm too old to be sleeping on plywood anymore."

Grabbing the bottle of bourbon and two mason jars he poured each of them a small amount and then pulled up a stool for Maggie to take a seat. After taking a sip of liquid courage, Gibbs sighed as the warm, familiar feeling settled in his chest. Maggie, who'd carefully been watching, followed with a sip of her own and giggled as the alcohol tickled her throat.

"Can't tell you how long it's been since I've had a drop of alcohol, Agent Gibbs. This bourbon is top notch."

"Please, call me Jethro."

Being the investigator he was, Gibbs was curious as to why it had been so long since Maggie had supposedly had a drink, but his main concern was to get back to Timmy as soon as possible. Deciding to forgo that conversation, he continued, "What was it you wanted to talk to me about?"

Taking another sip, Maggie responded rather bluntly, "How did your daughter die?"

Swallowing past the sudden lump in his throat, Gibbs took another swig and took a seat on the saw horse. Out of all the questions he expected Maggie to bombard him with; asking about Kelly wasn't even on his radar. Running his fingers through his hair, he cleared his throat and began, "First let me start by saying I didn't expect this conversation to be about my daughter. I expected it to be about your concern for Tim."

"I do apologize, Jethro. It's only because Sarah told me you had a daughter who passed away and since Timothy had become a baby you've been a totally different person. If we're being honest with each other that is part of the reason why I agreed to give him back to you. I only know you based on the stories I've heard from Timothy and based on those stories I didn't think you were capable of raising my son with love and affection. Timothy looked up to you - he still does but in a different way now - and when you revealed to us that he'd been regressed and the two of you had bonded I couldn't believe it. Or more so, I didn't want to believe it. However, when I saw how upset he was when we drove away and later at the hotel it made me realize that you two have something very special. Forgive me, but you don't have the reputation of being the cuddly teddy bear."

"With all due respect, Maggie, you said it yourself, you don't know me. If you must know, my wife Shannon and daughter Kelly were killed in a car accident while I was serving overseas. What Sarah told you is true, while we all miss grownup Tim, baby Timmy has brought a renewed energy, purpose and most importantly love back into my life. I can't change the past, but I can promise you that Tim will grow up and know what it's like to have a father who loves him and is always there for him."

Maggie lightly touched Gibbs' hand, "I'm sorry for your loss and I know you'll be a good daddy to Tim. However, I do want to make sure that Sarah, Penny and I are still a part of his life. Perhaps we start off small, keep in contact via email with pictures, updates and visits as often as we can. When he gets older and realizes who we are and mean no harm then we can try some vacations and so on. My biggest fear was that you would take my son away and I'd never see him again."

Gibbs shook his head, but stopped abruptly as the throbbing pain from the concussion made itself known. "I understand where you're coming from and I was desperately trying to explain to you this morning that I would never do that. I know what it's like to lose a child and I would never inadvertently put someone through that type of pain." Extending his hand he waited until Maggie clasped it, "I give you my word that you are all welcome here anytime you want to see Tim."

Polishing off her drink, Maggie sighed in contentment and spoke, "I appreciate that Jethro. There's one more thing we need to discuss. Who is going to be Timothy's legal guardian and how are we going to explain his regression to the courts? As far as they're concerned, Timothy McGee is a man in his mid 30's, not a year old toddler."

Tapping his finger on his glass, Gibbs pursed his lips and thought about how they would tackle such a delicate situation.

Sarah popped the microwave door open and pulled out the bottle. Testing it on her wrist she walked back into the family room and handed it to Ducky.

"Thank you my dear." Ducky smiled warmly and held the bottle up to Tim's lips. Tim opened his mouth, clamped down on the nipple and sucked greedily while snuggling closer to the older man.

Chuckling, Penny brushed the toddler's hair back and ran her fingers down his chubby cheek. "Timothy must be going through a growth spurt; he finished a bottle right before we came over here."

Ducky leaned down and kissed the top of Tim's head, "It wouldn't surprise me, he's at the age where he's going to start growing and changing more rapidly now."

"Agent Gibbs is really good with Timothy. I'm happy that Maggie agreed to allow him to continue raising my sweet grandson. After her trying afternoon with Timothy I think she came to the realization that it wasn't going to work out."

"It was that bad?"

Sarah laughed loudly, "It was terrible. Penny and I left to finish some arrangements for my dad's funeral and during the time we were gone, Tim almost swallowed a dime, peed on my mom, pulled a chair over - almost on top of him and managed to have all of us thinking he'd gotten lost."

Ducky was not surprised by the way Tim acted when he was alone with Maggie, who could blame him? He was however very surprised by the fact the toddler had apparently been lost. He knew Gibbs would be less than thrilled when he heard and wanted to tell his friend after the McGees left if Maggie hadn't already confessed. Needing to know exactly what transpired he turned toward Sarah and said, "Did I hear you correctly my dear? Timothy was lost?"

Penny and Sarah exchanged glances before the younger woman dropped down onto the couch and sunk into the pillows. Following another exchange with Penny she nervously twirled her hair between her fingers and sighed, "Timmy wasn't lost per se. Apparently when my mom called down to the front desk for a crib she left the door slightly ajar and went into the other room to change her clothes. You know from when Tim peed on her."

Ducky couldn't help the slight grin that appeared on his face and used his hand to cover his mouth. Penny on the other hand burst out laughing, imagining Tim giving Maggie a full welcome back to parenthood. The older woman's reaction caused Ducky and Sarah to laugh as well and when they finally finished and the room grew quiet once more, Tim popped the nipple out of his mouth and said, "Dat fir dada." Turning his body to see Ducky's face, he looked at the older man earnestly and continued, "Dada wike?"

"I'm sure your daddy will be very proud of you my dear."

As he wiped off the drool dribbling down Tim's chin, Ducky's heart melted when the toddler rested his head against his stomach and wrapped his tiny arms around his flanks. Gently stroking Tim's back, Ducky looked up to find the two women staring at him, reduced to puddles of goo as they watched the interaction. Shrugging his shoulders, Ducky responded, "Jethro isn't the only one who missed Timothy and vice versa. We're a family, always have been and always will be. Would you care to proceed with your story before Jethro and Maggie reappear?"

"Oh yeah, where was I?"

"Pee pee." Tim giggled and buried his face against Ducky's stomach.

Sarah chuckled at Tim's response and continued, "When we returned from our errands, the hotel was swarming with police and security looking for Tim. They had checked every square inch - or so we thought- of the building and were ready to issue an Amber Alert."

"Oh dear heavens! Who finally found our little escape artist?"

"Turns out Timmy hadn't gone anywhere at all. Penny miraculously heard him whimpering behind a couch. The poor little guy had squeezed himself between the wall and couch and used a blanket to hide under. Apparently my mom along with the police did a sloppy job of looking."

While Ducky digested that information, Penny spoke, "Of course none of this would have happened if Maggie would have taken time to rationally discuss with Agent Gibbs what was best for Timothy."

"Unfortunately some people must learn the hard way when it comes to situations like this. Not that there have been any situations like this, but I think you know what I mean." Ducky replied as he offered the rest of the bottle to the youngster.

"They've been down there for quite awhile now, what do you suppose they're talking about?"

"I wouldn't worry about that, Sarah. Jethro probably offered her a glass of bourbon and I'm guessing they're discussing young Timothy here. Perhaps parental status amongst other things."

Penny exchanged worried glances with Sarah then stood up and began pacing back and forth. Noticing the sudden change in the older woman's mood, Ducky asked, "What's wrong? Was it something I said?"

The two women were quiet, neither wanted to worry if in fact there was nothing to worry about. Although Maggie had been sober for quite a number of years there was always the temptation. Between dealing with Tim and the fact her ex-husband had just passed away neither one of them was confidant she would refuse a drink. With the Admiral gone a lot when the kids were growing up, Maggie practically became a single mom and the stress of dealing with two young children caused her to mask the pain and resentment with alcohol. It wasn't until after she divorced the Admiral and Tim and Sarah were in high school and college that she was willing to receive treatment for alcoholism. That was another reason why Sarah was so adamant about Gibbs raising Tim. She knew if her mom did, it would bring back a lot of those old memories. There was no way she wanted her brother being raised by an alcoholic especially when there was a willing guardian who had a special bond with him.

After not receiving an answer from Penny or Sarah, Ducky cleared his throat and tried again. "What's going on? Both of your moods soured in a matter of seconds. Does it have to do with anything I said?"

Sarah looked at Penny, knowing neither of them wanted to divulge a McGee family secret. However, if there was anyone who could handle such a sensitive subject they knew it would be Ducky. Penny stared at the fire, watching the embers fly and took a deep breath. "I'm going to tell you what has us concerned Donald, but the only person you're allowed to share this information with is Agent Gibbs. I don't want the rest of his team to know because quite frankly it's none of their business."

Ducky smiled warmly, "You have my word, Penny."

The older woman proceeded to tell him about Maggie's past and how Tim was forced to grow up quicker than kids his age because of his moms' addiction. She also revealed that despite the challenges, Tim always persevered and often delved into books and school work to escape.

"That's why we suddenly became worried when you mentioned bourbon, Dr. Mallard. We could be worrying for nothing and it's possible she refused a drink but with the way today has gone it's highly unlikely. That's another reason why Tim never drank much, he was afraid he'd turn into my mother."

Patting Sarah's knee in reassurance, Ducky responded, "I appreciate you both sharing this with me. I know it couldn't have been easy. Let's hope that Maggie refused the drink and all of this anxiety has been for nothing."

"Yeah, let's hope." Sarah whispered and buried her face in her hands, not wanting to think of the ramifications if her mom had indeed had a drink.

Watching Maggie pour herself some more bourbon, Gibbs was surprised at how fast she'd gone through the first glass. Bourbon was meant to be sipped, but Maggie was plowing through it like a soft drink. Sliding the bottle out of her reach, he spoke, "I think that's enough for tonight. I have an idea on how to work out the legal guardianship. As much as I hate to get lawyers involved in anything, I know a couple who I could speak with and see what they recommend. I would prefer to legally adopt Tim."

Maggie straightened up in the stool and took another sip of bourbon, "You mean he wouldn't be my son anymore?"

"Timmy will always be your son, but if there's an accident and he needs medical attention or God forbid a surgery it would make more sense since he's living with me that I make those decisions and sign on the dotted line."

"I suppose that makes sense. Do you think you could set up a meeting with one of your lawyer friends while I'm still in town? I want to be there to hear all my options."

Gibbs nodded, "Of course, I want you to be there. It may not feel like it to you but we're in this together now. Although he'll be living with me I expect you all to be a major part of his life. As I mentioned before, my intention was never to keep you from seeing him. He deserves as much family as he can get."

"It really is a relief to hear you say that Jethro." Maggie pushed the glass of bourbon away and swayed as she stood up. Gibbs steadied her and cursed under his breath for allowing her to drink too much too fast.

"I'd say it's time to call it a night." Standing up, he grabbed hold of her arm and guided her to the stairs. Taking a few steps up, Maggie suddenly stopped and turned to face Gibbs, "There's one more favor I need to ask."

"What's that?" Gibbs responded as he continued to usher her to the top of the stairs.

"That you bring Timothy to John's funeral. I know he doesn't remember him, but I think he should be there."

"I'll see what I can do." He replied opening the door and taking a deep breath, relieved that their conversation was over and he could get back to his baby.

Maggie pulled her body away from Gibbs as she stumbled through the kitchen into the family room.

"You ready to gooooo?" Maggie slurred as she leaned on a chair for support. Penny and Sarah sighed when they saw the state she was in and quickly rushed over to her. Ducky frowned sympathetically when he noticed she had indeed caved and shared a drink with Gibbs. Handing Timmy off to Gibbs, Ducky collected their coats and managed to help Sarah with Maggie. Once they were bundled up, Sarah turned to kiss Tim on the cheek, "I'm glad you're happy baby brother. We'll see you soon."

Tim giggled and rested his head against Gibbs' shoulder. The two women each took hold of Maggie's arms and led her out the door. Ducky waited until the McGees were backing out of the driveway until he shut the door and looked at Gibbs.

"My god, Jethro! How much did she have to drink?"

"Oh, I don't know, Duck. What's the big deal? She's had a long day and I figured a drink would loosen her up a little bit."

Ducky ran his fingers through his hair and walked over to stoke the fire. Gibbs followed behind and took a seat on the couch, cradling Tim in his arms while stroking his cheek. Leaning down to kiss Tim's forehead, he suddenly remembered what Maggie had said in the basement about how long it had been since she had a drop of alcohol. Glancing up he met Ducky's gaze and shrugged his shoulders, "How was I supposed to know?"

"You weren't, Jethro. I'll call Penny in the morning and see how Maggie's doing. With your concussion and the pain medication in your system you shouldn't have had any either."

Gibbs rolled his eyes, "I only had a sip or two. Believe me I know it's dangerous to mix that combination."

Tim snuggled closer to Gibbs as he yawned and struggled to keep his eyes open. Gibbs gently rubbed his arm and whispered, "You ready for bed, sweetie?"

"Yesh dada." Tim mumbled sticking his thumb in his mouth and letting out a small snuffle as he let the strong heartbeat of his daddy comfort him.

Ducky smiled as Gibbs began rubbing small circles on Tim's forehead. It was the first time that week he'd seen his friend relaxed and genuinely happy. The past few days Gibbs had been worried about starting back to work and then when he received word the McGees were looking for Tim that was the straw that broke the camel's back. Yawning, he noticed Gibbs dozing off on the couch and gently squeezed his shoulder causing the younger man to jerk awake. The sudden motioned startled Tim; disoriented and exhausted, he began crying.

"Shh sweetie you're okay. Daddy's here and there's nothing to worry about." Gibbs tried to console him as he stood up and moved him to his shoulder. Gently rubbing the youngster's back he was able to comfort him and grabbed the half drunken bottle off the table. Turning toward Ducky, he said, "Thanks for all your help today, Duck. It's been a long day and I really appreciate all you've done for both Timmy and me."

"You're quite welcome my friend. I'm going to stay on the couch tonight and I'll check on you periodically because you still have your concussion. How's your head feeling?"

It's starting to throb but I'm going to take some Tylenol once I get upstairs. Don't want to take anything too strong as I have to be able to hear Timmy if he needs me."

Ducky rubbed the toddler's back, "Make sure you get plenty of sleep and if you need to take something stronger then let me know. I can listen for Timothy if need be."

Gibbs stifled a yawn, "Poor guy had quite the day so I'm sure he'll sleep through the night. However, I'll let you know if I need you."

"He's not the only one who's had a long day, Jethro." Guiding Gibbs toward the stairs, he motioned for the younger man to head to his room. "Go get some rest."

As Tim and Gibbs ascended the stairs the toddler lifted his head from Gibbs' shoulder and looked at him lovingly. "Me mish u dada. I lub u bery mush."

Laying a kiss to Tim's forehead, Gibbs replied, "I love you too, kiddo. From now on it's me and you against the world. I'll never let anyone take you from me ever again."