The drive home was quiet and Gibbs used the rearview mirror to watch Tim. The little guy contently sucked his new pacifier, while he stared out the window. When they arrived home, Gibbs got Tim out of the car seat before collecting the bags out of the trunk. He nodded slightly as they passed the two agents who were on protection detail and unlocked the front door. As they walked inside, Jethro trotted over to greet the pair. "Hey boy, did you have a good day?" Gibbs asked as he dropped the bags and reached down to rub the dog's ears. Jethro barked as his tail wagged back and forth hitting Gibbs' legs. "Dog...gy" Tim tried as the pacifier fell out of his mouth onto the floor. Before Gibbs could reach down to retrieve it, Jethro grabbed it and took off with it. "Uh oh" Tim giggled as the two of them watched the dog run over and bury it in his bed. Gibbs sighed, "Uh oh is right. Good thing Abby bought some spares."

He sat the youngster on the couch and removed both of their coats. "Timmy I'll be right back, I'm going to let Jethro outside and I have a few dishes to wash." He grabbed the television remote and flipped through the channels until Tim told him to stop. Convinced Tim was occupied for a while he whistled for the dog and headed toward the back door. Once Jethro was let out, the most important item that needed cleaning was the coffee pot. He grabbed it, took it over to the sink and began scrubbing, along with the dishes from breakfast that morning.

Tim waited patiently for Gibbs to return, but it was taking longer than he expected and he was bored. He heard the water running so he decided to see what the older man was doing. The little guy knew he would be able to crawl over to the kitchen, but the challenge was getting off the couch. Learning from his previous experience he quickly situated himself on his tummy. Using what little strength he had he turned his body, dangled his feet over the edge and slowly slid down. His feet hit the floor; however, he was unable to maintain his balance and landed on his bottom with a thud. Satisfied Gibbs hadn't heard him, Tim got on his knees and began crawling toward the kitchen.

Gibbs finished washing the last dish from breakfast when he heard scratching at the back door. He turned off the water and walked over to let Jethro in. He did a double take as he turned around to see Tim sitting in the middle of the kitchen floor with a huge grin on his face. "Timmy, how did you get in here?"

The baby clapped his hands and squealed, "Me cwal."

The older man was shocked, "I see that." He then crouched down, "What a big boy you are, can you crawl over to me?"

Tim nodded and began crawling toward him. Jethro quickly came over and walked protectively alongside his master with each move he made. When he finally made it, he reached up and rested his hands' on Gibbs' knees. "Wow kiddo! I'm so proud of you! I knew you could do it."

Gibbs picked up the toddler and threw him in the air. Tim laughed deliriously as the older man continued to toss him. Gibbs took a second to catch his breath, but it wasn't long before Tim asked "More Gib" between a fit of giggles. "Oh you like that, huh?" he teased, once again throwing the baby above his head.

Tim was having fun, that is, until his tummy began to hurt. The milk he drank earlier was sloshing around inside his stomach and the repetitive motion of being tossed in the air was starting to take its toll. He cried out, to let Gibbs know he was going to be sick, but the older man didn't stop. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Gibbs stopped and Tim couldn't hold it in anymore.

Gibbs noticed the look on Tim's face, reminiscent of when his young agent would get seasick. Before he could react, Tim was expelling all the milk he drank earlier down the front of their shirts. Needing to remain calm, he gently patted the baby's back until he finished. When he looked up at Gibbs, he burst into tears. "Sowwy...Gib...I...tell...u" he choked out between sobs. As if he didn't feel guilty enough, now Gibbs had to deal with the fact Tim tried to tell him to stop. "Aww I'm sorry kiddo, I didn't know you weren't feeling good. I thought you wanted me to continue. Can you forgive me?" Tim nodded slowly then threw his arms around Gibbs' neck and buried his face. Gibbs rocked the youngster for a few minutes before walking over to the kitchen sink. "You ready to get cleaned up, partner?" Tim slowly released his grip and smiled. Gibbs sat him on the counter and grabbed some paper towels from the holder.

"First let's get this yucky shirt off, you poor thing."

Tim shivered as Gibbs slipped the shirt off over his head. "Well that's going straight to the washer, but that's okay, I have your other clothes upstairs that need to be washed."

After he removed the shirt, Gibbs wet the paper towel and began wiping down the baby's face, arms and chest. "Guess its bath time again tonight."

The little guy looked up with hopeful eyes, "Bubble?"

Gibbs chuckled, "We'll see...depends on how late it is."

Tim stuck out his bottom lip in a pout. "Pwease Gib."

He laughed again, "I said we'll see, Timmy. Now let's go upstairs so we can both get changed. Then we can figure out dinner."

He picked Tim up off the counter and headed for the stairs. He started walking up, but turned back around. He rummaged through the bags until he found a pacifier and offered it to Tim, which he gladly accepted. Yet again, Jethro was eyeing the pacifier until Gibbs looked his way, "Don't even think about it, dog, you already have one." The dog whimpered and retreated to his bed. As they made their way upstairs, Gibbs asked,

"Are you wet, Timmy?" Although he didn't confirm his diaper was wet, Gibbs could tell by the way the baby squirmed that he in fact was. Upon entering the room, they made their way over to the dresser to pick out a new shirt. "How about you choose what shirt you want to wear." Tim just shrugged his shoulders and closed his eyes. It worried Gibbs that Tim wasn't concerned with what he would be wearing. Especially since it was just that morning he had a tantrum regarding his leather jacket. He was anxious to see how regressed Tim had become in less than six hours. Gibbs sifted through the stacks of clothes until he found the onesie Abby bought earlier in the week. It had anchors all over it and Tim had found it utterly humiliating. If he didn't make a fuss over wearing it now, he was regressing quicker than Gibbs expected.

"Ahh here we go, how about this one? He asked, pulling it out from the bottom of the drawer. Tim was indifferent, he wasn't thrilled with the shirt, but he wasn't upset over it either. If this were a few days ago, Tim would have had a meltdown Gibbs thought. Concerned with his reaction, Gibbs buried the onesie back in the drawer and grabbed a red onesie and black sweatshirt from another pile. He walked over to the bed, laid Tim down and proceeded to change his own shirt, throwing it in the laundry basket by the door. Once he finished his attention turned back to Tim. "Ready to get cleaned up, sweetie?"

Not expecting an answer from the youngster, he started on what was now routine for the two of them. "Your rash is looking better" he commented, trying to keep the conversation light. However, Tim was in a daze; concentrating on the pacifier in his mouth rather than what Gibbs was saying. He barely flinched when the older man tugged the onesie over his head followed by the sweatshirt. Once Gibbs was finished he reached down and rubbed Tim's belly. "You ready to go down and play for a while?"

Tim immediately snapped out of the trance that he was in and locked eyes with Gibbs. "Glad you're back with me, buddy." Tim blushed and covered his face with his hands. "Aww come on, let's go down stairs." Holding Tim in one arm, he grabbed the laundry basket with the other and started their descent. Half way down, Gibbs phone started ringing. "If it's important, they'll leave a message," he said dropping the basket on the floor and picking up the bags of toys. They stopped in front of the television, sat down and Gibbs dumped both bags on the floor. Tim climbed out of his lap and went immediately for the blocks. "I knew you would want to play with those," Gibbs commented as he reached around Tim and dumped the bag of blocks on the floor. The youngster crawled into the middle of the pile and started stacking them. While watching Tim, his cell phone rang again, Gibbs sighed when he looked at the caller ID.

"What can I do for you, Leon?"

"How's Agent McGee doing?"

Gibbs sighed, "Well he's still a baby."

"Listen I understand this situation is tough on everyone. We just have to continue to make him comfortable."

Gibbs smiled as Tim began knocking down the stacks of blocks he piled up, "That was the plan all along, Leon. I've taken good care of him."

"I know you have Gibbs, didn't expect anything less from you. That's not what I'm calling about though."

Slightly annoyed Gibbs responded, "Would you stop beating around the bush and tell me what you need?"

There was a long pause over the phone and Gibbs thought Vance might have been disconnected. A heavy sigh reminded him the director was still there. "I need you, David and DiNozzo in court tomorrow for Grey's bond hearing."

Feeling his blood pressure rise, Gibbs took a deep breath before answering. "Can't do that Leon. I'm not leaving Tim with strangers; it's too dangerous at this point in the game."

Tim was listening to Gibbs' conversation and immediately dropped the blocks he was playing with and climbed into the older man's lap. "Shh...Timmy...don't worry we'll figure this out." Gibbs soothed, wrapping one arm around the baby's chest and pulling him close.

Vance tutted, "They won't be strangers, Dr. Mallard and Mr. Palmer have agreed to stay with him. We still have agents posted outside if anything goes wrong."

"But it won't be me, Leon! Tim's my responsibility and I can tell you he's already unhappy with the possibility of me leaving him alone. Not to mention my gut is telling me not to do it."

Vance sighed, "We all want McGee safe, but the easiest way to do that is to make sure Lucy Grey stays in jail. The DA believes if NCIS' presence is in the courtroom, the judge will take that as a sign this woman is dangerous."

"But they already have the tape, Leon. Cold hard evidence against both of them."

Tim began shivering as the two men continued their conversation. Gibbs leaned down, kissed the top of his head and whispered, "Give me one minute sweetie and I'll tell you what's going on."

"I'm sorry Gibbs, but this is an order. Believe me, I wish there could be another way. It will only be for a few hours and you'll be back to your boy. The hearing is set for 1000 hours; your team is required to be there fifteen minutes ahead of time."

Gibbs sighed, "What if I say no, I'm not going to do it?"

"Well then I'll have to take the proper disciplinary actions. You're the best agent we have Gibbs, what kind of example are you setting for your team?"

"That we take care of our own!"

Unhappy that he was going to have to leave Tim, Gibbs knew if he didn't show up for court there would be repercussions. However, he still wanted to keep Vance on edge. "I may be there, I may not. Depends on how Tim is doing in the morning. Good Night, Leon!" And just like that, he hung up the phone and tossed it up on the table.

Gibbs reached down, grabbed the pacifier Tim discarded earlier and placed it in the baby's mouth. Tim was still shaking as a stray tear ran down his cheek. He wrapped his other arm around the little one and pulled him close. "Timmy, I'm not leaving you with strangers. Ducky and Palmer agreed to stay with you until I get done with court. You'll have so much fun playing with your toys you won't even notice I'm gone."

Tim pulled the pacifier out of his mouth and mumbled, "No go Dada!"

Dada? Gibbs thought, did Tim just say what I thought he said? He needed to know, if he heard him correctly. He swallowed the lump in his throat and shifted Tim towards him to see his face.

"Timmy, did you just call me dada?"

All it took was the look on Tim's face to confirm he had heard the youngster correctly. Tim blushed and covered his face with his hands. "Sowwy" Tim whispered and began squirming in an attempt to get as far away from Gibbs as possible.

Gibbs tightened his grip on the toddler, attempting to soothe him, "Hey...hey... I'm not mad at you, son. You can call me dad if you'd like; it sure makes me happy."

Desperate to know if Gibbs was serious, Tim removed his hands from his face. He looked up and locked eyes with the older man. When he saw a set of steely blue orbs welling with unshed tears, he had his answer. "Dada" he said before burying his face in Gibbs' chest.

And there it was - the simple word Gibbs never imagined would ever again be directed at him. He couldn't believe the gigantic, empty hole in his heart, there since the deaths of Kelly and Shannon, was slowly filling up again. Nobody could ever replace his girls and nobody ever tried, but knowing he was the man this baby needed to love and protect him caused Gibbs to choke up.

After a few minutes of cuddling, Tim crawled off Gibbs' lap and started playing again. Gibbs wiped his eyes and situated himself closer to the blocks. Jethro lay down next to them as they started building. They both laughed as the dog's wagging tail knocked over one stack of blocks while Tim knocked over the other one. It wasn't long until Tim was bored so they played with the other toys, enjoying each other's company.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door, which made both of them jump. Jethro started barking and Tim's eyes widened at the thought of an unwanted guest. He scooted close to his protector, desperate for reassurance. Gibbs carded his fingers through Tim's hair, "Easy kiddo, I think its Tony and Ziva." Tim extended his arms out for Gibbs and snuggled close when the older man picked him up. They walked to the door, confirmed that in fact it was Tony and Ziva and opened it.

"We brought dinner," Tony announced holding up two bags of food. Tim clapped his hands, clearly hungry after the busy day. Ziva shed her coat then walked back to the pair; extending her arms, "Come see me, Tim." The youngster shied away at first, forcing Gibbs to lean down and whisper, "Go see Ziva, kiddo. That way I can get your laundry in the wash."

"It is okay, Tim. Tony told me you can crawl now and you two worked on walking. Will you show me?" She asked trying to coax the toddler out of Gibbs' arms. Tim was contemplating her offer; glancing between the pair before hesitantly reaching out his arms for her. Gibbs ruffled his hair, "That's my boy," he praised. Tony stepped out of the kitchen, "The crawling demonstration will have to wait; dinner is ready."

Gibbs grabbed the laundry basket off the floor and headed to the laundry room, "I need to get this laundry in. I'll be in there in a moment. Will someone get Tim a fresh bottle, please?"

"You got it, boss." Tony called out from the kitchen as Ziva sat down with Tim in her lap. "How come you always get to feed him, Ziva?" Tony whined as he filled the bottle and popped it in the microwave. Ziva looked over her shoulder and smirked, "Because Tony, I did not get to teach him how to crawl." Tony's shoulders slumped, "Yeah, I guess we're even then."

Just as the microwave beeped, Gibbs came in from the other room, grabbed a bib from the counter and tied it around Tim's neck. "So what did you bring for dinner?" Gibbs asked as he took a seat. Tony grabbed the bottle from the microwave and sat down, "We figured after the day we had, everyone could use some comfort food. We got fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, corn and potato wedges." "Sounds good." Gibbs responded as he began removing lids from containers and making a plate for Tim. He slid the plate in front of him, "Here you go, kiddo. Eat up, I know you're hungry." However, the toddler didn't move except to push the plate away. Ziva scooped up a spoonful of mash potatoes and offered it to him, "Come on, sweetie. You have to eat something." She put the spoon up to the youngster's mouth, but he wouldn't budge. Gibbs put his fork down, concerned, he tilted Tim's chin up to make eye contact, "What's wrong, son? Are you not feeling well?" Tim shook his head then whispered, "Me want dada."

Tony, who had just taken a sip of water, started choking when he heard Tim's response. Embarrassed, Tim lowered his head and played with his hands. Ziva rubbed her hands down Tim's arms, "It is okay Tim, just ignore Tony."

Tony scoffed, "I wasn't making fun of him, I was just surprised, that's all. I'm sorry Timmy, if you want to call Gibbs dad, that's fine by me."

Gibbs shot him a dirty look, "Well I'm so glad he has your approval, DiNozzo."

DiNozzo shrugged his shoulders and continued eating. Gibbs scooted his chair closer to Ziva's and patted Tim on the leg. The little one looked up, between the tears in his eyes and the slight pout; Gibbs couldn't help but feel sorry for him. "I told you earlier, Tim, that it makes me happy when you call me that. Don't be embarrassed or think that you're a burden because you're certainly not." Tim slowly nodded and reached out his little arms. "Ahh come to daddy! " Gibbs soothed, lifting the toddler into his lap.

Ziva moved the plate over in front of Tim then encouraged him, "Alright, everyone needs to eat before it gets cold." Gibbs scooped up some macaroni and cheese and offered it to Tim. Hesitant at first he studied it then opened his mouth to allow Gibbs to feed him. After he finished swallowing Tony asked, "Is it good, Probie?"

"Mmm, Hmm." Tim nodded, whining for the next bite. Realizing the dilemma Gibbs shrugged his shoulders and stated, "Just use your hand's Timmy. You need a bath tonight anyways." Because Tim always followed Gibbs' orders as an adult it was no surprise to any of them he began digging in with gusto. The three adults laughed when Tim looked up and half the food was on his face and bib. He motioned for the bottle and took a long drink before returning to his food.

Relieved to see Tim eating, Gibbs decided to let the other two know about his conversation with Vance. "The director called right before you two got here tonight. The three of us are due in court tomorrow morning for Grey's bond hearing."

"Wait, why boss?

"Why do we need to be there, Gibbs?"

They asked simultaneously. Gibbs held his hands up in the air, warning them to calm down. "The district attorney believes if NCIS is present in the court room then the judge will deny her bail."

Tony threw his fork down on the table, "Well, who's going to watch Tim when we're gone?"

Gibbs sighed, "Ducky and Palmer have volunteered to sit with him while we're gone. Listen, I already voiced my unhappiness to Vance regarding this situation. As much as I don't want to do it, if it keeps Grey in jail then we need to be there. Am I clear?"

Both agents nodded. "Good, glad that's settled. So did you find out any information from the hunting store owner?"

Ziva took a notepad out of her back pocket, laid it on the table and started speaking, "The owner remembers the transaction based on the receipt. He was a white male, between thirty and forty years old, brown hair. He purchased a tranquilizer gun and a package of darts. Paid in cash and that is all we know at this point."

Gibbs ran his fingers through his hair, he didn't like the sound of a tranquilizer gun being purchased, but at least it wasn't a real gun.

"Security footage?"

Tony nodded, "Oh yeah, boss...the owner was a bit paranoid to say the least. Abby's combing through it back at the lab, based on the day and time stamp we gave her. She'll let us know if she finds something."

Gibbs wrapped his arms around Tim, "Nothing is going to happen to you, son." He then addressed Tony and Ziva, "I expect nothing but the best from both of you until this mess is over and we are clear there are no more threats."

Ziva stood up and went to the sink to wet some paper towels. She brought them back to the table and started wiping off Tim's hands and face. "I see someone enjoyed their dinner, huh?"

Tim blushed as Ziva carried out her ministrations. The toddler shifted his body weight and looked up at Gibbs, "Me cwal?" The older man looked at his watch, "You can play for a little bit, but you still need a bath and we're headed to bed early tonight, kiddo." Tim flashed his puppy dog eyes,"Bubble?" Gibbs laughed, "You my dear, are relentless but I think we can squeeze in a bubble bath tonight."

Tim grinned, "Pway now?"

Gibbs started tickling Tim, but eased up, remembering they had just eaten. "Go play, squirt," he said lifting the baby off his lap and onto the floor. The three agents watched as Tim headed for the living room.

Tony sighed, "They grow up so fast don't they?"

Gibbs chuckled, "I'm going to clean up in here, you two go keep an eye on him."

Suddenly there was a loud scream followed by crying coming from the living room. The three agents jumped out of their chairs, Gibbs knocking his over in a rush to get to the living room. When they arrived, Jethro had one end of Tim's new stuff dog in his mouth, while Tim had the other end. The baby was pulling desperately to win back his new dog but Jethro's strength was too much for him. "Jethro...Drop it!" Gibbs yelled. The dog pulled one more time, completely ripping the head off the animal. The three agents watched in horror as the momentum caused Tim to fall back and hit his head on the floor. Gibbs rushed over, sat down and pulled the crying baby into his lap. Tim buried his face against Gibbs' chest, took hold of his shirt and continued sobbing. The older man kept up a steady flow of endearments as he rubbed the back of Tim's head with his hand. "Shh...shh sweetie you're alright."

"Boss?"

Gibbs looked up to see Tony standing with an ice pack. "Thanks Tony" he said, holding the pack to the back of Tim's head.

Ziva came over and knelt beside the pair. She rubbed her hand up and down the baby's back. "Do you want me to call Ducky?"

"Nah, he's a tough little guy, it probably scared him more than hurt him." Gibbs reassured her. Moments later Tim pulled away from Gibbs, his sobbing downgraded to sniffles. Gibbs took a tissue from Ziva, wiped the tears from his face and told him to blow his nose. "Geesh, that's the second item of Tim's that Jethro has ruined today." The four of them looked over at the dog, lying in his bed with his chin on his paws. "Bad Jethro!" Gibbs admonished him. The dog whimpered and used one paw to cover his face.

Tony picked up the stuffed dog and threw it in the trash. "Ziva and I will get you a new one after we leave court, how does that sound, Timmy?" The toddler smiled, "Tank u Toey." Gibbs had planned on giving Tim some playtime but because of this incident, he decided to give him extra time in the bath and put him to bed early. He knew it would only be a matter of time before the youngster began getting cranky and he wanted him to enjoy the bath. "How about this, Timmy, let's go do your bath right now and then before bed I'll read you a story." Tim was in no shape to argue with him and he really wanted a bubble bath so he smiled and said, "yesh".

Alright say good night to Tony and Ziva, you'll see them in the morning. "Night Zeba, Night Toey; me lube you," Ziva leaned over and kissed his cheek. "Aww Tim that's so sweet, we love you too." Gibbs collected Tim in his arms and stood up. He started walking toward the stairs until Tim yelled out, "No!" Alarmed at the toddler's sudden outburst he stopped, "What's wrong buddy?"

"Toey" Tim whispered, DiNozzo walked over and stood in front of Gibbs. He melted when the little guy grabbed his hand, pulled him close and reached out to give him a hug."

"Night Toey" he said before pulling away, safely ensconced in Gibbs' arms once more. "You ready Timmy?" Gibbs asked as he took the first couple of stairs. "Yesh dada" he answered cheerfully. A smiled formed on Gibbs' face; Dada was a word he would never get tired of hearing. He bounced Tim in his arms as they continued their climb upstairs.

Once the pair was gone, Tony walked over and sat next to Ziva on the couch. He grabbed the remote control and started flipping through the channels. Ziva kicked off her shoes and lifted her legs up on the couch, using Tony's lap as a leg rest. "Want a foot massage?" Tony asked as he ran a fingernail down the bottom of her foot. She squirmed, "You know, Tim is regressing at quite a rapid pace. What if Grey is right and he will remain a baby forever?"

"Yeah, I know. The truth is I'm worried about our young Probie. This morning he was having a fit over not being fashionable enough and tonight he's calling Gibbs daddy."

Ziva snickered, "If I did not know better, I would say you are jealous."

Tony huffed, "Ahh but that is where you're wrong Ziva. Nobody wants to be in Tim's position. Truth of the matter is I do miss adult Tim. All his little quirks not to mention our bantering back and forth.

"Me too Tony, I love baby Tim, but I will admit that I miss our friend too. We just have to hope this will all be over soon and he will be back to his normal self in no time."

"It gives me comfort to know that Tim has the best person in the world taking care of him. Well, you know if it can't be me."

Ziva smiled at Tony's admission, "Would you even know how to change a diaper, Tony?

He scoffed, "I'm offended Ziva." He paused then continued, "Okay maybe not at first, but Gibbs could have taught me. He's such a natural; patient, loving, protective."

"Uh huh," she snickered, "I would pay good money to see you change a diaper. How about we watch some television and try to keep our minds off this regression stuff for a while."

Tim had been in the bath for nearly twenty minutes, playing with some bath toys Abby bought a few days ago. Between the emotional day he'd had and the warm soothing water he was beginning to fall asleep. Gibbs decided it was time to call it a night; he gave the baby a final rinse and lifted him out of the tub. After he was diapered, Gibbs pulled Tim's new dog sleeper out of the dresser and held it up. "Look what you get to wear tonight, sweetie!" Tim gave him a lazy smile as his eyes drifted closed. He slipped the outfit on, zipped it up and adjusted the feet. Because the little guy was almost asleep, Gibbs decided to skip the story. He took the pacifier out of his pocket, inserted it in Tim's mouth and carried him over to the recliner. Once he started rocking, Gibbs leaned down and kissed Tim's forehead, enjoying his baby smell. Cherishing the skin-to-skin contact he kept his cheek nuzzled against Tim's forehead and closed his eyes. At that moment in time, all the stress of the past week was gone, replaced by a simple paternal joy Gibbs hadn't felt in decades.