"What's going on?" Tony asked, concern coloring his tone after Charity had hung up the phone.
Charity let out a heavy sigh. "Burley and the team are on their way here."
"Why would your team be on their way here?" Jackson asked.
"The case is bringing them this way." Charity answered, not wanting to alarm her grandfather.
Tony looked at his wife and could tell that she wasn't telling them the entire truth. It was a skill she had for the most part, perfected, lying by omission. He just wasn't sure if she was leaving something out for his benefit or her grandfather's.
"I see." Jackson replied, suspicious of what his granddaughter was telling him.
"We still have some stuff to set up in the spare bedroom, Pappy can you watch AJ while we do that?" Charity asked, coming up with an excuse to talk to her husband alone.
"Sure." Jackson replied. "They're easy at this age."
Charity smiled at her grandfather as she walked over to Tony and took his hand. They walked back to the spare bedroom. "What's really going on?" Tony asked his wife, once they were alone.
Charity sighed as she plopped down on the bed. Tony sat down next to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Charity rested her head on his shoulder. "Edward Hunter Smith...a serial killer I helped put away five years ago."
"I remember reading about that in the paper." Tony said. "And didn't he kill himself in prison?"
"Apparently...he faked it." Charity answered. "And he's been killing again...and now he's coming for me."
"What?" Tony asked, thinking about the safety of his family.
Charity felt the tears stinging at her eyes. "Dammit." She muttered as she buried her face where Tony's shoulder met his neck. "Why does this always happen? Things were going great...and now this."
Tony wrapped both of his arms around his wife and pulled her into his lap. He stroked her hair and kissed the top of her head. "Nothing is going to happen to you." He said.
"I'm not worried about me." Charity replied.
"Then what are you worried about?" Tony asked.
Charity pulled back and looked at Tony. "You, AJ, Pappy, Dad." She answered. "You've already been shot because of me...not to mention before that when you got yourself captured to help me find Dad...and..."
Tony put his finger to Charity's lips to silence her. "Hey, nothing is going to happen to any of us."
"But what if it does?" Charity countered. "This bastard came close to killing me and Mike five years ago...and he's sick. And if something were to happen to you or Aj...I wouldn't be able to live with myself."
"Charity, nothing is going to happen to any of us. The only outcome is going to be that bastard isn't going to make it out of this." Tony replied, kissing her forehead.
"You can't blame me for worrying." Charity replied.
"I know, but nothing is going to happen to any of us." Tony reassured his wife.
"I knew you weren't telling me everything." Jackson said, as he entered the room, holding AJ in one arm and leaning on his cane with the other.
"How did you know?" Charity asked.
"You're my granddaughter. I've known you since the day you were born. I know when you're hiding something." Jackson replied.
It was just a few short hours later when the sedan from NCIS was pulling up in the driveway. Burley got out of the car along with Ziva and Fornell. Jackson opened the door and allowed them inside. Charity looked up in surprise to see Fornell.
"What the hell? Burley, I swore I told you when Fornell shows up to shoot on site?" Charity said.
"And here I thought motherhood might have mellowed you out." Fornell replied.
"If anything, it's making me worse." Charity replied. "I do have a son to keep safe now."
Fornell looked at Tony. "I still can't believe you signed up for dealing with this for the rest of your life. Divorce is always an option."
"Fornell, don't make me slap you upside the head like I have to with Burley." Charity replied.
"Hey, I'm only here to help protect your ass and your family." Fornell replied. "You could at least be a little bit nicer to me...and where is AJ? He needs to meet his Uncle Tobey."
Then as if on cue, AJ began to fuss and cry. Charity walked over to the bassinet and picked him up. "Don't worry sweetheart. Mommy's got you." She spoke to him, her tone soothing as she rocked him in her arms.
"A completely different person because of the baby." Fornell said, shaking his head.
Charity couldn't help but to smile down at her son as he quieted down. "That's Mommy's little man. Such a handsome and sweet baby." She said, kissing his forehead and cheeks. She then looked up at the others. "So, are we gonna figure out a strategy or what?"