Jed pulled the car into the garage at his home and got out. He grabbed the bag full of groceries he had picked up and proceeded inside. Upon entering he threw his car keys on the kitchen counter, began unpacking the groceries and cracked open a beer. He took a nice long guzzle as he preheated the oven. The endorphins that had coursed through his veins earlier in the day were long gone, only to be replaced by uneasiness, paranoia and panic. Jed took another sip of beer, hoping the alcohol would slowly take the edge off. All he had to do was wait another twenty-four hours until his flight left. His plan was to fix dinner, get drunk and eventually pass out. He started chopping vegetables, while he reflected on the day's events. A smile formed on his face when he thought about how terrified Gibbs must be, not knowing where his little guy was. Soon his mind was flooded with memories from the past and the reason why he chose to help the Greys in the first place. The cucumber on the cutting board did not stand a chance as he lifted the knife behind his ear and swung down. He manically repeated the action several times causing chunks of cucumber to fly all over the kitchen.

"Gibbs" *Whack*

"Ruined" *Whack*

"My" *Whack*

"Life" *Whack*

"I'm glad I was able to return the favor," he added between breaths, throwing the knife on the counter before chugging what was left of the remaining beer.

After he cracked open another beer, he prepared the rest of his dinner, placed it in the oven and set the timer. While waiting for the food to be finished, he walked into the family room and turned on the television. Ironically the first station he turned to was ZNN; beer sprayed out of his mouth when he saw a report regarding the Greys. However, it was the uncanny artist rendering that made Jed uneasy. "I knew I should have worn a mask!" he mumbled under his breath as he continued to watch. When the report ended, he picked up the phone and called Ella. It wasn't until the third ring that she finally picked up.

"Jed, what's going on?" She asked with a hint of apprehension in her voice.

"Have you been watching the news? They know we took the boy, what if we get caught?"

"Yes, we saw the report. Don't you have a flight out of the country tomorrow?"

Jed paced nervously back and forth in his family room. "Well yes, but that's still twenty four hours from now. Agent Gibbs won't stop until he finds the kid."

Ella laughed cynically, "He's never going to find Tim, alive at least. Especially if he doesn't start behaving."

Her admission caught Jed off guard; he stuttered, "Now...wait...a...minute. You never said anything about killing anyone."

There was more laughter, "Jed, Jed, Jed what did you think might happen? If Lucy can't have Tim, then nobody can."

A thin layer of sweat formed on Jed's forehead and his mouth suddenly became dry, "Well keep me out of this, I never want to hear from your psychopathic ass ever again. Do I make myself clear?"

"My my how the tables suddenly turn; you needed money, I made sure you got it and now you're calling me names.

Jed threw his beer bottle against the family room wall, "I should never have agreed to this." The last sound he heard before hanging up was Ella laughing hysterically in the background. He picked up the broken pieces from the beer bottle and threw them in the trash. The timer on the oven dinged signaling his food was ready; however, Jed had lost his appetite following his conversation with Ella. He pulled the food out, set it on the counter and headed for the bedroom. "Only twenty-four more hours and I'll be as far away from this mess as possible." He said aloud as he lay down on the bed and pulled up the covers.

Lucy came in from the other room, "Who was that you were talking to?"

"Oh that was Jed, he's freaking out because he saw the news report on television. The guy has top-notch aim, but I think he's a few bricks shy of a load. We shouldn't be concerned about him though, he's got a plane ticket out of the country tomorrow."

Lucy bounced Tim on her hip, "All right, well no more phone calls, even though you have a burn phone the last thing we need is for NCIS to be able to trace it to our location."

Stoopid ladies, Abs can twace anyting. Muh famwy is gonna find me soon.

Ella scoffed, "You think I don't know that? I don't think we have to worry about anyone else calling us."

Lucy sat Tim down in front of a pile of toys, situated in the corner of the family room. "I need to take a shower and get this prison smell off me. Will you keep an eye on Timmy and get dinner started for us?"

"How do you expect me to do both at the same time?"

"Timmy's not going anywhere, just peek your head in every once in awhile and check on him. I'll be out of the shower in a little bit."

The youngster shuddered at the thought of Ella taking care of him. On the other hand it would give him a good opportunity to scope out the real estate and look around for something that could help him. Lucy knelt down next to Tim, "Mommy will be back in a little while; your Aunt Ella is in charge right now so I expect you to be good for her. Do I make myself clear?"

Terrified by the look of happiness on Ella's face, Tim nodded before turning his attention to the toys in front of him. A few of the toys were the same as the ones Abby bought him.

"That's mommy's good boy," Lucy responded giving Tim a kiss on the forehead as she stood up and headed for the shower.

"All right you little brat, play nice, I'll be in the kitchen if you need me."

I'm no' a bwat! U a fweak wait til muh dada gets heaw. He's gonna make u pay!

Now that Ella was in the kitchen, Tim took the opportunity to survey the room. He looked around, searching for anything that could be of use to him. His heart sunk when he didn't see a cell phone or even a land line. It appeared the only phone in the house was tucked away inside Ella's pocket. There was no security system either and even if there had been it would probably be too high off the ground for him to reach. Soon he heard footsteps emanating from the other room; as they got closer he turned his attention back to the pile of toys in front of him. He could see Ella watching him in his peripheral vision; she watched him for a moment until she was satisfied he was keeping out of trouble. As she turned back toward the kitchen, Tim released the breath he didn't know he was holding. When he was beginning to think that all hope was lost, he spotted one of the sister's purses lying on the floor only a few feet from him.

Hmm what's dat ober dere?

Realizing this may be his only opportunity to peek inside; he got up on all fours. He needed to move fast as it would only be a matter of minutes before either Ella came back in to check on him or Lucy was done in the shower.

Tanks Toey for teachin' me how to cwral.

He quietly started to crawl over to the purse, stopping every once in awhile to look in both directions to make sure he wouldn't be caught. As he reached his destination, he heard footsteps coming from the kitchen. Just as he was ready to hurry back towards the toys he heard Ella exclaim angrily, "Damn boiling water, now I have a mess to clean up!" Tim took a deep breath and quickly rifled through the purse as fast as his little hands would allow. There wasn't a cell phone, but something did catch his eye. There was an envelope that had three tiny pills in it; unsure of what they were he grabbed one and slid it in the pocket of the overalls Lucy had changed him into after his nap. He threw the remaining contents back in the purse and quickly crawled back to the pile of toys just as Lucy was stepping out of the bathroom. Tim's heart raced as she entered the family room and looked around. He was afraid to make eye contact with her for fear of giving himself away. Just when Tim thought her scrutiny might kill him, Ella called out that dinner was ready.

"Come on, honey lets go see what Aunt Ella made for dinner, it smells wonderful." Lucy collected Tim in her arms and walked into the kitchen.

Gweat how am I gonna gibe da pills to em?

As Lucy buckled Tim in the highchair, Ella sat two glasses of water and a bottle for Tim on the table. Taking it as a sign, Tim quickly looked over his shoulder at the sisters who were busy making plates for themselves. His tiny hand shook as he reached into his pocket and pulled out the pill. Taking one last look over his shoulder to confirm they were still busy, he quickly dropped the pill in one of the glasses of water. He held his breath as the water fizzed up a bit, but quickly returned to normal. Unaware of what the pill was he at least hoped it would buy him some time before the team could find him.

"You know, the kid has been awfully quiet since you went to take a shower." Ella remarked as she sat down at the table.

Lucy tied a bib around Tim's neck and put a plate of spaghetti in front of him, "I told you he would eventually calm down."

Tim looked down at the plate, pushed it away and crossed his arms. He was starving, but he was worried Ella might have dosed his with drugs. Lucy took a bite, put her fork down and pushed the plate back in Tim's direction. "I'm going to give you a choice, you can either eat on your own or I'm going to feed you. You're going to eat; it's only a matter if you want it to be on your own terms."

Ella chuckled as she took a drink of water from the glass Tim dropped the pill in. "I told you he was still a brat, just because he's quieter doesn't mean he'll behave."

Tim was bursting at the seams with excitement as he watched Ella take a drink of water. Ha ha cwazy lady someting gonna happen ta u. Not wanting to give himself away, he hesitantly grabbed a few of the spaghetti noodles, sniffed them and deposited them in his mouth.

Lucy reached over, pushed his hair off to one side and smiled; "Now there's mommy's good boy." She laughed at the fact Tim already had sauce all over his face, "Looks like someone is going to need a bath tonight." Tim's eyes got wide at the thought of getting a bath. Even though he didn't want one from Lucy he still enjoyed them. He swallowed the food in his mouth, looked up from his plate and asked, "Bubble?"

Ella scoffed before Lucy could reply, "He doesn't deserve a bubble bath after the way he's treated me today."

Lucy rolled her eyes at her sister, "I'll make you a deal kiddo, you be good for the rest of the night and you can have a bubble bath, okay?"

Tim nodded then turned his attention back to the plate. The spaghetti was good, although not as good as his dada's. However, he wasn't sure if it was good because he was so hungry or for the simple fact it was good. Cwazy lady ghetti is no' bad but it's gettin dawrk and I mish muh dada. Me hope he comesh soon! Me lube him so much, I hope he know dat.

***NCIS***

Gibbs paced back and forth across the bullpen as Tony and Ziva sifted through the thousands of cases Gibbs had worked over the past twenty years. They could tell he was deep in thought, trying to pinpoint exactly why the Greys' accomplice looked familiar to him. Nevertheless, the energy and aura he gave off made it hard for Tony and Ziva to concentrate. Finally, after an hour of pacing, Tony took a deep breath and made a suggestion, "Hey boss, why don't you make a coffee run...you know...clear your head." The younger agent closed his eyes, prepared for the head slap he knew his statement would most certainly bring. However, he was surprised that when he opened his eyes, Gibbs was half way to the elevator. Ziva chuckled, "Good idea, Tony. He was driving me nuts."

Tony rubbed his eyes, "I know, me too. There has to be a connection somewhere, but I don't think it's going to be in these case files."

As they continued working, the back elevator dinged, as the doors opened Ducky and Jimmy stepped into the bullpen.

Ducky glanced around, "Where's Jethro?"

Tony stopped working and looked up, "Uhh he's making a coffee run. I told him to take a break and try to clear his head. The man who is the Greys' accomplice looks familiar to him. He is going to wear a hole in the carpet with all the pacing back and forth he's been doing."

Ducky sighed, "Yes, Abigail told me about her conversation with him earlier. She's afraid he's going to lose it soon."

Ziva got up to grab another case file from the boxes scattered all over the bullpen, "Well I think Gibbs will be fine, he is just under a lot of pressure, that is all."

Ducky squeezed her shoulder, "I certainly hope you are right, my dear. Mr. Palmer and I came up here to see if we could be of any assistance."

Jimmy gave a small smile, "Yeah, what can we do to help?"

Tony and Ziva exchanged smirks and pointed to the various boxes. The two men nodded and grabbed a few files. "Where should we sit?" Jimmy asked hesitantly.

Tony motioned towards McGee's desk, "It will be cozy, but if you pull up another chair you can use Tim's desk. That way if you have any questions we'll be right here."

Ducky and Jimmy got themselves situated at McGee's desk; Tony was right, it was a bit crowded, but they would do anything for Tim. After a few moments of quiet Jimmy straightened up in his chair, "Sorry guys, who or what exactly are we looking for?"

Tony handed him a copy of the artist rendering, "That is the Greys' accomplice. We're looking through these files to figure out if he resembles anyone from Gibbs' prior cases. He doesn't have to be a suspect, he could be the victim for all we know."

"Gotcha," Jimmy replied as he went back to the task at hand. Fifteen minutes later, Gibbs returned from his coffee run, surprised to see the bullpen had added two extra members. He stopped in front of McGee's desk, stared at the two men then finally sat down at his own. Not too long after he sat down, he was up again, pacing back and forth in front of the desks. Finally Ducky spoke up, "Jethro, you pacing back and forth will not help us find Timothy any faster." Gibbs froze, turned to face Ducky and put his hands on his hips. Tony, Ziva and Jimmy cringed at the exasperated look on Gibbs' face. They waited with bated breath for the two to start arguing, but were surprised when it never came. "Well what do you suggest I do, Duck?"

"There are a lot of files here; might I suggest you start browsing through them with the rest of us?"

Gibbs nodded, pulled a few files out of the box and returned to his desk. He knew Ducky was right, the only way they would find Tim was good old-fashioned detective work. After they had been working for a while, Jimmy leaned over and whispered something to Ducky. The older man nodded and cleared his throat to get everyone's attention. "Mr. Palmer has something he would like to tell you."

Suddenly nervous that the attention was turned on him, Jimmy took a deep breath and stuttered, "Well...I...was...going... to tell you this earlier, but I kind of forgot." Ducky sighed and put his hand on Jimmy's shoulder, "Tell them about the dog, Mr. Palmer." Jimmy laughed apprehensively, "Yes, I spoke with the vet and he said Jethro was doing well. They don't expect any long-term side effects, but they wanted to keep him overnight for observation. He can probably go home tomorrow."

The team was relieved to hear Jethro was going to be okay. None of them would have wanted to break that news to Tim. "Thanks again, Palmer...you know for saving the dog," Gibbs mumbled before turning back to the files in front of him.

***NCIS***

Throughout dinner Tim kept a close eye on Ella, hoping there would be a change in her behavior or demeanor. However, he became disappointed when the pill seemingly had no effect on her. After dinner, Lucy carried him back out to the family room and put him back down in front of the toys. He didn't feel like playing, instead he lay down on the floor and watched television. After an hour, he began to doze off until he felt himself being lifted off the ground. "Dada?" he mumbled, full of hope as his vision came back into focus.

"No, I already told you sweetie, your daddy is gone. You'll never see him again. Since you were such a good boy I have a bubble bath all ready for you."

Tim started bawling at the thought of not being able to see his family again.

"Aww its okay baby, this bath will make you feel so much better and help you sleep." Lucy tried to reassure him as she laid him on the changing table and undressed him. Tim continued to cry until he saw the bathtub full of glorious bubbles. "Bubble," he whispered as Lucy sat him down in the tub and gave him a variety of toys to play with. Lucy skimmed the newspaper while occasionally glancing over at Tim, who was content in his own little world for the time being. It wasn't until Ella appeared at the bathroom door that he even glanced in Lucy's direction. The bubbles had a way of mesmerizing Tim, but when he heard Ella's voice, a part of his brain clicked on again, urging him to pay attention. He smiled, recognizing Ella wasn't the same person she had been all day. Her eyes had a distant look, while she kept herself propped up against the door. As a wave of dizziness hit, she grabbed hold of the door handle and waited for it to pass.

"Suddenly I'm not feeling well, I'm going to hit the sack early tonight."

Lucy stood up, "I can't leave Tim alone in the bath, you think you can make it back to your room?"

"Yeah, yeah I'll be fine. I think all the excitement from today is finally catching up to me. You'll see, tomorrow morning I'll be back to my old self."

"Well all right, only if you're sure." Lucy replied as she patted Ella on the cheek.

Dis is gonna be gweat! Somting no' wright with da cwazy lady!

Lucy took a look at her watch and turned to Tim in the bath, "Time for bed lil' guy. Mommy's going to wash your hair, then it's time to get out."

Tim sulked as Lucy efficiently washed his hair, rinsed him off and wrapped him in a towel. "Let's get you dressed and then I'll get a nice warm bottle for you. How does that sound?"

Umm ba ba pwobably be good ta help me sweep.

After Lucy finished dressing Tim, she laid him in the crib and headed for the kitchen. As she prepared the bottle, she thought back to how long in advance this plan had been put in place and how ecstatic she was that Tim would finally have a loving childhood.

***NCIS***

As the night moved on, the team had made it half way through the case files. Gibbs surprised everyone when six large pizzas arrived, giving them a much-needed break. While they ate and shared their favorite Tim stories, Gibbs excused himself.

Tony noticed his departure and turned to the others, "You think I should go after him? Make sure that he doesn't do anything stupid?"

Ducky squeezed his arm; "I think it would be best if we leave him alone for the time being. Jethro is used to working out his own demons, that shouldn't change now."

Gibbs went into the bathroom, locked the door, splashed some cold water on his face and took a few deep breaths. At one point the deep breaths turned into sobbing, which he couldn't control. All the pent up frustration, anger, sadness and worry was finally being released in gut-wrenching sobs. After allowing himself a few minutes of vulnerability, he splashed some more water on his face and exited the restroom feeling much better than he had since this nightmare began.

The other team members watched as Gibbs returned with a bounce in his step and one purpose, to get his boy back. His aura had changed dramatically and the energy he was expressing was reminiscent of the old Gibbs.

"You okay, boss?" Tony asked around a mouth full of pizza.

Gibbs sighed as he sat back down at his desk, "I'm fine, Tony. However, if you don't finish that pizza quickly, you won't be."

"What? I can eat and work at the same time." Tony complained as he stuffed the rest of the slice in his mouth and went back to the file in front of him.

"Good to have you back, Jethro." Ducky winked at him before settling in again.

As it got later into the night, the team, with the exception of Gibbs, would take short catnaps in order to keep them going. Abby had been in touch with him throughout the night, but she still didn't have a name for the mystery man. Nevertheless, she was able to collect DNA from one of the tranquilizer darts and was running that through all the databases as well. Around five in the morning, Gibbs looked around the bullpen and couldn't help but smile at the various sleeping positions of his team. Just when he thought about closing his eyes for a few minutes, the phone rang. His heart rate sped up when he saw the caller ID read, "Abby."

"Abs, what do you have?"

There was a small squeal of delight on the other end of the line, "I've got your man, Gibbs!"