Denouement

Ilena joined the conversation. "Back to the topic at hand, though, the fact remains that Ms. Kaden exists as the child's only living relative."

Tony bristled immediately, and Jackie Vance interjected hurriedly, "What does that imply? Does that mean the reducing of Agent Dinozzo as persona non grata all of a sudden?"

Bond temporarily quashed the response by abandoning his playing to climb onto Tony's lap. Rubbing his eyes he frowned at the group. Tony kissed him and stood, cradling the child against him.

Silas tucked his head down on Tony's shoulder and the agent softly patted the tiny back. "If you will all excuse us, Bond needs to recharge. He has an appointment with his nap."

Everyone conceded that a nap was the priority and Tony made his way to the stairs.

Gibbs watched Marissa as she followed their departure and noted the longing in her expression.

He caught her eye and gestured towards the stairs.

Still uncertain, she got to her feet but then looked back at the group for confirmation. Ducky urged her, "Go now. You have the opportunity to show him that you care. That will make a difference with Tony."

"Let him see that you will be the mother that baby needs," Laila added.

Gibbs crossed to her side and taking her elbow, steered her towards the steps. "I can promise that he will not turn loose of Bond unless you convince him that the child will never lack for love if he turns him over to you."

Marissa absorbed the words and climbed to the top floor.

Watching her figure disappear, Ilena shook her head, emotionally compromised at the situation in front of them. "I have rarely seen a more capable father than Tony, and I have never felt so torn about following the letter of the law."

Abby reached out and patted her arm. "We know."

The door to Tony's room stood ajar, and Marissa paused at the doorway, reluctant to proceed until invited.

The agent sat on the bed stroking the little boy's hair and gently rubbing his back, singing a soft lullabye about baby's boats and silver moons.

Noting her presence, Tony did not interrupt the nap ritual, but did point towards the chair in the corner of the room.

Thumb in mouth and clutching his stuffed dog, Silas slid into sleep.

She sat down, leaning forward to appreciate all of the signs of a toddler throughout the room- toys and stuffed animals, an array of books, and little hangers filled with outfits by the closet.

When Silas finally fell asleep, Tony slid off of the bed and covered him with a Curious George blanket, adjusting it to make sure the child would not get cold. Ruffling the baby's hair and kissing the baby's cheek, he directed his undivided attention to Marissa.

"Why are you here? I made it plain to DFACS that this no longer exists as a foster care situation. Now it has become an adoption issue." Tony turned his back as he began placing stacks of the child's clothes into dresser drawers.

She responded immediately. "I wanted to see how you would like for me to care for him."

Tony slid the drawer shut and turned to regard her. "The baby deserves a stable home, and love. I can give him that- I have given him that for weeks now."

"I know," she conceded.

"He is not going to be afraid, and he is not going to ever spend a single moment feeling he is unloved. Not a single second…."

"Not a second, I promise you." Marissa's expression changed to longing.

"I meant with me," Tony sighed. "Look, I sympathize with you, but the truth is that this child has been mine for weeks now. I have no intention of abandoning him, much less of turning him over to a complete stranger he does not trust."

She stood up and crossed to his side. "Help him trust me, then."

Shaking his head, Tony remarked with exasperation, "You are persistent! Did you hear what I just said?"

"I did." Marissa smiled slightly and reached up to put a hand over his. "I did, but I want you to tell me what I have to do to get you to let me prove my sincerity. Please, please just allow me to show you that I can take care of that beautiful boy there."

Tony's voice did not hide his agony. "And what if you can take care of him? That does not mean that could turn into a better parent than I can. You do not suddenly get super skills at child rearing."

Marissa took her time before she conceded his point, her voice low. "True, Agent Dinozzo, true, but this beautiful little guy possesses all that I have left of my sister- all that I have left of my own family."

Her pronouncement slammed into him, definitely impacting Tony's defenses, and he regarded her with sympathy.

She resumed, "Look, you have every right to fight me for custody of Silas. Believe it or not, I understand your trepidation completely. What I would wish for the three of us, though, is that you weigh what is best for him in the long run, as the years progress, with his immediate here and now."

With that, she dropped her hand and crossed to the bed, sitting gently on the edge and reaching out to caress her nephew for the first time.

Softly brushing back the toddler's curls she whispered, "Adriana lives on through this little guy, and seeing his face I realize what a precious gift he is, and that he warrants a wonderful life. You have protected him and nurtured him and guaranteed him security and love. I see that, and I think that Adriana would want her son brought up by you, Agent Dinozzo. As much as I love him and want to bring him up as my child- in my heart, you are the better parent. I am going to yield to you. I will not fight you for Silas."

Gingerly sliding off of the bed, she crossed to the door and slipped into the hall.

Absorbing the stunning turn of events, Tony massaged his temples, then hurriedly followed her.

She had reached the bottom of the stairs when he interceded. "Marissa, wait, please, I want to speak to you."

Sounds of conversation drifted from the living room. Evidently, the NCIS group had stayed to provide moral support.

Marissa waited for him to join her. "I think I have overstayed my welcome here."

Tony placed a hand on her arm and corrected her. "No, no you can remain here as long as you like."

"Why? I just told you that you won." She placed a finger to her lips to signal that she had finished speaking. "Despite my choice of career, I am far from emotionally immune. I really, really, do not want to remain in this house to have my heart shattered any more over Silas."

"Please, just listen, ok?" Tony steered her to the kitchen, away from the others. "My whole motive in this has been to fight for that baby's right to a good life, to love, and to family, and security. When you showed up here I wanted to convince myself that you would not care about my little Bond, and that you just wanted to appear altruistic by swooping in to save your sister's orphaned child."

She shook her head slowly, contradicting the claim.

Tony took a deep breath. "I have changed my mind, though. Now I understand."

"What does that mean?"

"It means," Tony paused, then clarified, "it means that Silas needs you as much as you need him. It means that I love that little fellow upstairs enough to tell you that I will give him to you. All of my life I have searched for security, for mother's love, for belonging, and have always managed to come up short. Honestly, I absolutely do not want that for Bond, I refuse to have him shortchanged."

Marissa began to softly cry, realizing the gift handed to her.

Tony reached up and used a fingertip to wipe some of the tears. Gently taking her chin in his hands he whispered, "Do not cry, Marissa. You have a little boy upstairs who needs you right now."

Exactly one week later, Tony stood pressed against the airport gate witnessing the plane carrying Marissa and Silas taxiing down the asphalt runway.

His heart shattered within him.

The past seven days had exhausted him emotionally.

Step by step, day by day, and hour by hour, he had relinquished the care of Bond to Marissa, gradually minimizing his role with the child as she maximized hers.

Nothing, though, not one single hour of the hours preceding the departure, had prepared him for the devastation he felt now.

Clenching his jaw and ramming his hands into the pockets of his corduroy pants, he threaded his way past travelers, gates, and corridors to the airport's exterior and then to the parking lot.

Gibbs leaned against the car and spotting his protégé, raised his eyebrows in question.

"Gone," he confirmed, pointing towards the horizon as he reached his boss. Catching sight of the leftover plume of exhaust streaking the horizon, he shivered.

Jethro reached out a hand and tapped Tony under the chin. "Hey, I'm proud of you, Anthony. That took an incredible amount of courage and strength."

"The name's Bond, James Bond," Tony corrected, smiling slightly as he opened the car door.