Gibbs was awakened from a peaceful slumber when a soft kick connected with his groin. Groaning, he blearily looked around and cast his gaze on the small toddler thrashing beside him. Before he could scoot over to avoid the onslaught of flaying tiny arms and legs, another swift kick landed in the same delicate region. Gasping as he bit down on his bottom lip he attempted to breathe through the pain. No, no, no he wasn't going to let a swift kick to his sensitive territory wake his baby up. Tim's restlessness and teething were causing more and more sleepless nights for the two of them and while the little guy could sleep during the day it was going to be an adjustment for Gibbs not to be able to nap along with him. He laid his hand on Tim's back and rubbed it gently hoping the contact would soothe the toddler back to sleep. Eventually Tim's breathing evened out as his thumb crept up to his mouth and he let out a small snuffle.

Making a mental note to get the guest room cleaned out and painted so Tim could have his own room, Gibbs climbed out of bed and headed for the shower. Once he collected the toys from Tim's bath the previous night, he turned the water on and waited for it to heat up. Although he enjoyed having Tim around, he wasn't lying when he told Ducky that the past three weeks had been difficult. As he stepped in and allowed the water to soothe his tired body he thought about how things would be different going forward. He'd already spoken with Vance regarding Tim's vacancy and decided he wouldn't be adding another team member. If they needed help with the electronic information on a case, Abby or an agent from Cyber Crimes would help fill the void. The team agreed they would pick up the slack if that meant there would be nobody to replace Tim. After all, he was irreplaceable whether he was a man or a baby.

Running the shampoo through his hair he couldn't help but wonder how Tim was going to do at daycare. They had grown close over the last three weeks and he worried how Tim was going to handle trusting others who weren't members of his team. It was going to be difficult for the both of them and even though he knew this was what was best for Timmy, that didn't make it any easier. Gibbs tried his best to explain to him that he was going to a new place to learn and make friends, but he wasn't sure how much, the toddler understood. He imagined he would feel the same way he did when they dropped Kelly off for her first day of kindergarten. He and Shannon had cried the entire drive home once they had they said their goodbyes. Although he was sure this time he wasn't going to be the only one who was going to have trouble letting go. It was going to be an interesting week.

Quickly finishing in the shower, he wrapped a towel around his waist and peeked out into the bedroom, relived to see Tim was still asleep. He'd gotten up a half hour earlier so he would have plenty of time to feed and dress his little guy. Knowing Tim could wake up at any time he began his morning routine, delighted to smell the fresh coffee emanating from downstairs. After finishing in the bathroom, he slipped on a pair of boxers and was not surprised when he walked into the bedroom and saw Tim sitting up in the middle of the bed.

"Hey, kiddo. Did daddy wake you?"

Tim looked over his shoulder; his eyes half shut, thumb in his mouth, hair a bedraggled mess.

Gibbs sat down on the bed next to him and scooped him up into his lap. Running his fingers through the baby's unkempt hair, he laughed, "You going for a new style? I think this one would make Tony proud."

Grunting, the baby nuzzled closer, while Gibbs rubbed his back allowing him time to wake up. Kissing the top of Tim's head, he spoke softly, "Big day today, buddy. You ready to go meet lots of new friends?"

The toddler whimpered and shook his head confirming Gibbs' suspicions that this was going to be a difficult day for the both of them.

"Shh Timmy, it's going to be okay. Daddy will be in the same building, but he has to work. Wouldn't you rather have fun than watch me work all day?"

Tim looked up at him, his eyes full of unshed tears that were waiting to be released. Gently wiping the stray tear that trickled down his chubby cheeks, Gibbs sighed and wondered if perhaps he was returning to work too soon. Especially since Tim was still getting used to the fact he was a baby. Sure another week would be feasible, but eventually he would have to return and that would only be denying the inevitable. Deciding he would see how Tim did today he could always scale back his hours for the rest of the week if things didn't go according to plan.

Gently picking Tim up, he lay him on the changing table and unzipped his sleeper. Rifling through the dresser drawers he realized that some of Tim's clothes were already too small and he was going to need to go shopping soon. Maybe he would bring Tony along, although with his taste in clothes, he would have to take out a small loan to be able to afford the baby designer duds. Grabbing a pair of jeans and a plaid button down shirt along with socks and a onesie he began undressing the toddler. After changing his diaper, he slipped the onesie on over his head and buttoned it, followed quickly by his socks, jeans and shoes. Sitting him up, he laughed once more at Tim's bed head. His hair was slowly becoming curlier as it grew out and Gibbs knew he would need a trim sooner rather than later. Tim had been quieter than normal and he wanted to let him know that everything was going to be all right. Slipping the shirt on and buttoning it up, he tapped him on the nose. When the youngster looked up at him he said, "Don't worry, son. Daddy is only a phone call away."

The little guy nodded solemnly and reached out his arms to be picked up. "Ah come here big boy," Gibbs soothed as he opened the door and headed downstairs. When they reached the middle of the staircase, Tim started giggling uncontrollably. Although he was relieved to hear his baby boy happy, he couldn't help but wonder what he was laughing about. Suddenly he felt a cool breeze on his legs and realized he was only wearing boxers and an undershirt.

"Is that why you were laughing?" He asked tickling Tim as he climbed the stairs back up to his bedroom. Squealing as he squirmed in Gibbs' arms, Tim continued laughing as the older man sat him on the bed and ruffled his hair. Quickly dressing, Gibbs stepped out of the closet, gathered Tim in his arms and took him into the bathroom.

"Let's try to do something with that hair."

Sitting Tim down on the toilet seat he wet his hands and ran them through the toddler's hair. Grabbing a comb he was able to tame the curls and at least make Tim look presentable.

"All right, sweetie. You ready for breakfast?"

"Ba ba,"

"I'll take that as a yes. You get milk while I get coffee."

When they reached the bottom of the stairs a very energetic Jethro bounded up to them and let out a small bark.

"Doggy," Tim squealed and reached down to try and pet the canine. Realizing he couldn't reach the toddler emitted a loud shrill that startled both human and canine Jethro.

After his ears stopped ringing, Gibbs readjusted Tim in his arms, gently grabbed his chin and sternly said, "Hey, no screaming. That's not how you're going to get what you want! "

Tim's bottom lip poked out and began quivering as he buried his face against Gibbs' chest. Sighing, the older man patted his leg motioning for the dog to follow as he walked to the back door and let him out. He knew he needed to talk to Tim, but before that he needed coffee. Pouring some in a mug he took a sip and then grabbing a bottle filled it with milk and popped it in the microwave. While he was waiting for it to finish he pried Tim's arms off from around his neck and sat him in the highchair. Using a finger to tilt his chin he locked eyes with the youngster, "Timmy, you can't scream every time you don't get your way. I would have let you pet the doggy when I had a chance to bend down. I know it's going to take practice but try to let me know when you need things in a quieter way than screaming, okay?"

Wiping the tears from the toddler's face, Gibbs waited until Tim responded with a small nod then ruffled his hair, "I still love you buddy. You ready for some milk?"

"Lub u dada."

Leaning down Gibbs kissed the top of Tim's head before turning towards the microwave to retrieve the bottle. By this time Jethro was barking to come inside and when Gibbs opened the door the dog almost plowed him over in an attempt to get out of the cold. After feeding Jethro, Gibbs made a quick breakfast of oatmeal and fruit for Tim and fed it to him while he sipped his second cup of coffee of the day. Thankful that he prepared Tim's lunch before he went to bed, he gathered it along with extra snacks and bottles. Instead of prepping the bottles at home he'd bought an extra gallon of milk and juice to leave at the daycare. Stepping back he chuckled at the amount of necessities he needed for his little guy. Gone were the days he only had to worry about carrying a cup of coffee into the office. Looking at his watch, Gibbs scanned through the diaper bag and realizing he needed more than a couple of diapers ran back upstairs and grabbed a handful. He made another mental note to buy extra diapers to keep at the daycare as well. When he came back down Tim was still working on his bottle so he decided to pack the car and allow it time to warm up before they had to leave.

"Dada," Tim called out as Gibbs stepped back into the house.

Chuckling at the milk that had dribbled down Tim's chin he wiped it off with the bib and asked, "What is it, son?"

"Out!" He mumbled as his legs swung back and forth in the chair.

"Hang on, kiddo. You ready to go bye-bye?"

"Out!" The youngster repeated causing Gibbs to chuckle at his persistence.

Unlocking the tray he slipped Tim's heavy wool coat on and zipped it up. Next came a hat and pair of mittens. Gathering him in his arms, Gibbs took one last look over his shoulder to make sure he wasn't forgetting anything. Satisfied he wasn't he once again threw a blanket over Tim and headed for the car.

Knowing Ziva always arrived at work early he called on his way in and asked if she would meet them in the parking garage to help carry the essentials he'd brought along for Tim. Texting her when he parked, she came down to meet the pair.

"Hello, Timmy. How are you doing today?" She questioned as Gibbs was getting him out of the car seat. Once he was finally in his daddy's arms, Tim gave Ziva a mostly toothless grin and huddled closer to his protector. Reaching out she poked his belly, "Don't you look handsome today."

Motioning to the trunk, Gibbs popped it open and slung the diaper bag over his shoulder while Ziva grabbed the gallon of milk and juice. Laughing she said, "This little guy certainly needs a whole lot of stuff."

"Tell me about, Zeever. Whatever keeps him happy."

Making their way to the elevator, the trio got a lot of stares from fellow employees causing Gibbs to roll his eyes and focus his attention on Tim. By the looks he was getting he wanted to ask if they'd never seen a baby before, but bit his tongue and ignored them. Tim was already burrowed against his chest; he refused to make him more upset by snapping at the gawkers.

Ziva, noticing the tension, decided to keep her mouth shut rather than inform Gibbs that everyone was staring because he would be the last person anyone would expect with a baby. When they reached the floor of the daycare they stepped off the elevator and immediately heard the wails of at least two different children. Relaxing a bit, Gibbs took a deep breath, relieved to hear there were other kids who were going to have a hard time letting go of their parents.

As they walked into the daycare, Tim immediately began trembling and buried his face in the crook of Gibbs' neck. The large open space had been painted in a soft pale green with a one-way mirror installed on one wall to allow the parents to check in on their kids without the worry of being seen by them. A row of cubbies was stacked against another wall with each child's name assigned to one of them. Two rocking chairs along with a changing table adorned the back wall with a door that led to another room that had a few cribs in addition to rollaway beds that were tucked up against the wall. Three large toy bins were strategically placed throughout the room as well as easels for painting, and a rocking horse. There was another door that was propped open that was labeled 'staff' and Gibbs assumed that was where the refrigerator and microwave that Vance said would be provided.

Walking deeper into the room he was greeted by Mary, an older woman who had thirty plus years experience with childcare as well as raising her own three kids. Gibbs had immediately felt comfortable with her when she interviewed and offered her a position soon after.

"Nice to see you again, Agent Gibbs." She smiled warmly and gently squeezed Tim's leg, "And who is this little fella?"

"This is my son, Timmy. He's a bit shy and not too thrilled about being here today." Tim's trembling had become more pronounced and he was crying softly against Gibbs' neck. Mary chuckled lightly, "As you can hear, none of the children are too excited to be here. He'll fit right in."

Gibbs was relieved to see there was a little girl who appeared to be around Tim's age and two boys who were no older than three.

"Is this all the kids you're expecting?"

She shook her head and took the diaper bag off Gibbs' shoulder, "We're expecting about four more children. Let me show you where Tim's cubby is and we'll see if we can get his outerwear off."

When they stopped in front of the row of cubbies, Mary turned to Ziva and extended her hand, "I'm Mary and who might you be?"

"I am Ziva David. I am a member of Agent Gibbs' team and fierce protector of this little guy." She held up the bags with the juice and milk, "Where is the refrigerator located, I will put these in there while you try to coax Tim to shed his coat."

"Kaylee!" Mary called out as a young woman appeared from the other room. Gibbs remembered her as well from the interview process. She was currently in college to become a teacher and had previously worked at another daycare. Kaylee waved to the group and shook Gibbs and Ziva's hands before focusing her attention on Tim. "Looks like he's got a pretty strong grip around your neck."

Soothingly running his hand up and down Tim's back, Gibbs nodded, "This is his first time being at a daycare. He's not too happy about it."

She smiled warmly and said, "It happens all the time, don't worry we'll take good care of him."

"Kaylee, will you show Agent David where the refrigerator is and we'll try and get this little one settled?"

"Of course," Taking one of the bags out of Ziva's hands she motioned for Ziva to follow her into the other room. Once they were gone, Gibbs headed towards one of the rocking chairs in the back of the room. When Mary went to follow, he put his hand up to stop her and whispered, "Give me a minute to calm him down and then I'll introduce you."

At that time there was another employee who was dropping off his child so Mary winked at him and headed to greet the new arrival.

Sitting down in the rocking chair, Gibbs leaned forward and kissed the top of Tim's head. Softly stroking his back he whispered, "How you doing buddy? I know it's a lot to take in but there are lots of books and fun toys to play with. I'm sure there will be coloring and painting; remember how much you love to paint? We need some more artwork for home and I need some pictures for my desk here at work. You think you could make me some today?"

He could feel Tim nod against his neck and was relieved to hear his sobs downgraded to sniffles.

"You want to take a look around at all the toys?

Tim slowly turned his head to take a peek around the room then immediately returned to his previous position. Sighing loudly, Gibbs whispered, "Daddy's not going anywhere yet, can we at least take your coat and hat off?" Another small nod and Gibbs pulled the hat off, smirking at the blonde ringlets of curls as they scattered in different directions.

"Good job, kiddo. Now let's get this jacket off, I can already tell that you're sweating."

Grasping the zipper of the jacket between his fingers he pulled down and let the jacket fall open. "Timmy, you're going to have to sit up so daddy can take it off. Can you be a big boy and do that for me?"

"Yesh," Tim whispered and with Gibbs' help, sat up straight so the older man could remove his arms from the jacket. Relieved that Tim didn't bury his face against his neck again, Gibbs lightly rubbed his back. "I packed Hero in your bag, would he make you feel better?"

"Uh huh," he mumbled sticking his thumb in his mouth and leaning back against Gibbs' chest. Gibbs caught Ziva's attention, motioned towards the diaper bag and mouthed "Hero."

Confused, she unzipped the bag and spotting the dog on top pulled it out. Receiving a nod of confirmation she brought the dog over and handed it to Tim. He sighed contently and hugged the creature to his chest. Realizing it was going to be a while until Gibbs made it to the bullpen she decided to go ahead without him.

"I am going to head downstairs; I have some emails waiting for me." She kissed Tim on the cheek, "I will see you later, Timmy. Have fun today."

As Ziva left, Mary approached the duo and knelt down in front of them. Putting her hand on Tim's knee she gently squeezed and was startled when Tim giggled.

"Ooh, I see someone is ticklish. I'll have to remember that. What's your doggy's name?"

"Hewo," Tim mumbled around the thumb in his mouth and tried to melt deeper into Gibbs' chest.

"Did you say Hero, sweetie?"

When there was no response from Tim, Gibbs confirmed that was the dog's name and that he'd gotten it from his 'Uncle' Tony.

"Well, that's a nice name for a dog. Did he come up with that all on his own?"

Before he could reply, Tim blurted out, "Dada muh Hewo."

"Aww bless your heart, Tim." Mary's voice hitched at the sweet response from the little boy whom she was beginning to learn had a very close relationship with his father.

"That's my boy," Gibbs' replied as his phone started buzzing. Sighing at the interruption he pulled it out of his pocket to check the caller ID. Flipping it open he answered gruffly, "Gibbs."

"Gibbs, I need to see you in my office to discuss some important information regarding McG...er...Tim."

"Little busy right now, Leon. Can it wait until I get Tim settled in here at the daycare?"

"My office in 10 minutes, Gibbs."

Angrily Gibbs snapped the phone shut only to find Tim and Mary studying him intently. "That was Director Vance, he needs to see me."

Tim whimpered and grabbed hold of Gibbs' shirt with his free hand. Leaning down he whispered, "Should we ask Mrs. Mary if you could paint? Would you like that?"

"Painting sounds like lots of fun Tim. I'll pull the table out and maybe all the kids would like to paint. I'll go get everything ready."

Clinging to Gibbs as if he were drowning, tears welled up in Tim's eyes as the older man stood up and walked over to where Mary and Kaylee were setting up the small table to allow the kids to paint. There were still a few parents that had kids hanging on to them and they all hoped this would be a welcome distraction for the youngsters so they could say their goodbyes and get to work. Once the drop cloth along with the table and chairs were set up the teachers passed out smocks to the remaining parents and put them on the kids whose parents had already left.

Slipping the smock on Tim, Gibbs looked at Hero who was still clutched tightly against his chest. "Timmy boy, why don't we put doggy somewhere so he doesn't get paint on him."

"No," Tim whined as tears started spilling down his face. Running his hand down his face, Gibbs admitted defeat and didn't suggest it again. It wasn't worth the tears and heartache, if Hero got paint on him then he would throw him in the wash and hoped it would come out. His heart felt like it was being ripped it two as he pried Tim's grip from his neck and sat him down in the chair.

Kaylee placed a few brushes and a plate of paint in front of each kid followed by Mary who handed out giant sheets of paper. Noticing the hesitancy in his little boy, Gibbs picked up one of the paintbrushes, dipped it in paint and handed it to Tim. Looking around at all the other kids and then at his dad in approval, Tim eventually began making small brush strokes on the paper.

Gibbs knelt down and watched as the toddler became more confident and soon had a paintbrush in each hand as he went to town, spreading paint all over the paper. Realizing now might be a good time to try and sneak out he kissed Tim on the cheek, "Your painting is going to be beautiful my boy. Daddy's got to go to work but you'll have fun here with Kaylee and Mary."

So engrossed in his painting, Tim turned and whispered, "Lub u dada." And then he got right back to it. Taking a deep breath and swallowing the lump in his throat Gibbs quietly made his way over to the door, motioning Mary to follow him. While still keeping a close on Tim from a far he addressed the older woman, "Please take good care of my Timmy."

Mary smiled warmly and patted him on the back, "Of course, Agent Gibbs. If he's inconsolable we'll call you but we like the children to form a bond with us too. I've been doing this for a long time and there hasn't been a child I haven't conquered yet. He'll be fine."

Nodding slowly, Gibbs sighed, "His lunch in the fridge, it's a sandwich and some fruit and then he gets a bottle of milk afterwards. He likes it warmed up and Vance assured me you had a microwave you could put it in."

Smiling at the anxiety written all over Gibbs' face she ushered him towards the door. "Don't worry about a thing; we'll call you if there's a problem."

Taking one last look over his shoulder at his little boy, Gibbs' shoulders slumped as he shut the door behind him. Walking over to the one-way mirror he stood watching for quite some time until a voice startled him.

"Tim is going to be just fine."

Recognizing the voice he turned around to see Vance standing with his arms folded across his chest, a toothpick sticking out of his mouth.

"I thought you gave up that habit."

Vance sighed and pulled the toothpick out of his mouth, "Yeah, I thought I did too, but I catch myself chewing on it when I'm stressed out. I told you I needed you in my office over a half an hour ago. I figured you weren't able to tear yourself away from here yet."

"What's so important? Because right now the most important person in my life is that little boy."

"Let's go to my office, in fact what I need to talk to you about does involve that little boy."

Gibbs suddenly had an unsettling feeling in his gut and judging by the look on Vance's face he had a right to be worried. Following the Director to his office he paced back and forth while Vance took a seat behind his desk. Motioning to the chair in front of his desk, Vance sighed and said, "Take a seat."

"No thanks, I'd rather stand. Now what's so important that you had to come find me?"

"I got a call from Sec Nav yesterday afternoon. Admiral McGee has been admitted to the hospital and not expected to live very much longer. The family is looking for Tim. I can cover for a little while Gibbs, but sooner or later they're going to want to know where Tim is."

A million thoughts ran through Gibbs' mind as he collapsed into the chair. How would Tim's family react to him being regressed and ultimately having to relive his childhood? Would the McGee family demand custody of the little guy, thus barring him from being able to raise him? Would Tim even remember anyone from his family? Suddenly feeling overwhelmed his heart started racing and he worked to catch his breath. Concerned with his agent's reaction, Vance came out from behind his desk and pulled up a chair up next to Gibbs.

"I know you and Tim have become extremely close, but don't you think it's only right that his family knows the truth about what happened to him? If Tim was your son..."

"He IS my son!" Gibbs bellowed and pounded his fists down on the desk. "The Admiral didn't care about Tim his entire life, treated him like crap and as far as I'm concerned Tim's mom allowed it to happen. Why should I care if they get to see their son again? He's mine now and you better believe I'm not giving him up without a fight!"

An awkward silence reigned in the office, as the two men were obviously both deep in thought.

Finally Vance spoke, "I didn't expect you to, Gibbs. You have very valid points and there's nobody more deserving of a proper upbringing than Tim. And there's nobody more deserving to have a second chance at parenting than you. But the best thing to do now is get everything out in the open and straightened out with his family. Make them believe that you're the best person to raise Tim."

Gibbs ran his fingers through his hair, "Do you happen to know the Admiral's location?"

"He's at Bethesda, apparently after retiring from the Navy he chose to stay close to Washington to be near his kids because of his ongoing reconciliation with Tim."

"Last I heard Sarah is still in town but what about Penny and Tim's mother who's living in Texas? I'm assuming she would come to show her support for Tim and Sarah even though she and the Admiral are no longer married."

Gently patting Gibbs on the knee, Vance stood up, "I'll make some calls and see what I can find out. In the meantime you need to figure out how you plan to handle this whole situation."

"Yeah, thanks." Gibbs whispered as he left the office and soon found himself wandering back towards the daycare. There was no way he could lose Tim after suffering through the losses of Shannon and Kelly. He loved Tim as if he was the son he never had; life was worth living again with his little boy around. There was no chance in hell that he would let anyone take that feeling or Tim away from him. If the McGees wanted a fight over him then they were going to get one.