Warning, Notes and Disclaimers - Please Read!

1. This is a continuation of my first two stories Reversed Psychologies and Rekindling the Flame and continues a de-aging fic. If you don't like, don't read.

2. I messed up my timeline in saying it was 2006. It should actually be 2007. I forgot that, in the US, new seasons being in Sept and not Feb like they do in Australia. So, please fast forward a year in your mind, although all characters will stay the same age. Story is set about two weeks after Rekindling the Flame. Please remember that, as it is 2007 we, as the audience to the show, have not yet met Senior or Eli David. Somalia hasn't happened and, relationships between the team members are still developing.

3. This particular story is very AU and brings together about 5 years of NCIS story lines that revolve around the whole Amsterdam mission from 1991 with Vance, the Paris mission from 1999 with Gibbs, Jenny and Decker and parts of the Judgement Day episodes. It will ultimately result in the deaths of Anatoly Zukov and Svetlana Chernitskaya. However, this will take place over a few months rather than years, as I wanted to bring it all together in a different way. Think of it as a kind of 'Sliding Doors' effect as in, different actions and reactions cause different events to take place.

4. I feel it's important to say here that I actually really like the characters of Eli David and Senior as they are portrayed in the show. Again, for the purposes of my story, I have written these two very differently and have, very much so, made them the 'bad guys'.

5. While definitely not the focus, this story does contain the discussion of and occasional spanking of minors. Again, don't like, don't read.

6. I do not own any of the characters - I just like to play with and torture them.

7. All mistakes are my own - apologies ahead of time

Chapter 1 - A Gathering Of Friends

"Tony! Ziva!" called Jenny Shepard as she fiddled with the clasp on her right earring which was stubbornly refusing to fix into place. "Inside please. You need to get ready!"

Standing in the open doorway between the kitchen and the patio, she made one final attempt at clipping the clasp together before ripping the darn things out and forgetting about it. Thankfully, the earring in question relented and finally snapped in place with a satisfying 'click'.

Looking out into the yard she could see movement in the tree house but, as yet, no miniature human forms had presented themselves.

"NOW!" she yelled, to the empty garden at large.

Finally, a small dark head appeared through the tree house door followed by tiny body wearing a pair of denim overalls and a purple t-shirt. As the young girl made her way down the ladder, jumping the final four rungs, she turned towards the house and ran forwards, arriving in the doorway thirty seconds later.

Looking back towards the tree house but seeing no further movement, Jenny peered down at her daughter and asked, "Where's your brother?"

When the only response was a small shrug of the shoulders as Ziva slipped past her and into the kitchen, Jenny turned and reached out a hand, effectively stopping the little girl in her tracks.

"What do you mean you don't know?" she asked, looking into the hot sweaty face before her. "Weren't you just with him?"

"Um…" began Ziva."Well, I was when I left the tree house but I don't know where he is now because he may have moved."

It always amazed Jenny how well five year old Ziva could flaunt the truth without actually lying.

"Ziva," she said in a warning tone. "Where is Tony?"

"I don't know Mommy," answered the little girl, her brown eyes staring innocently into Jenny's green. "He was with me a few minutes ago but he was going to hide somewhere and he didn't tell me where."

"Why was he going to hide?" asked Jenny, amazing herself with how patient she sounded.

"Because he doesn't want to go and neither do I," replied Ziva, crossing her arms and standing defiantly. "Why do we have to go anyway? Can't Abby look after us?"

Not wanting to get into the same argument they had been having for the last week since Ducky had invited them all over for dinner, Jenny took hold of Ziva's head and spun her around towards the living room.

"Go upstairs and get Daddy to run you a bath," she said, pushing Ziva gently in the back to get her moving.

Watching the five year old stomp her way out of the kitchen, Jenny heard her muttering and whining all the way up the stairs.

Turning back to the patio door, Jenny yelled, "Anthony Gibbs, if you wish to turn eleven next Sunday, I suggest you get your butt in here now!"

Hearing movement in one of the trees, Jenny turned quickly to see one of the branches sway slightly as a young boy, dressed in torn denim shorts and a faded navy t-shirt, made his way down the trunk before landing lithely onto the grass below.

Dragging his feet, Tony slowly made his way up the yard and onto the patio before slumping against the door frame, arms crossed and a look of disgruntled resignation on his face.

"Why-" he began.

"Don't even bother to ask why you have to go," interrupted Jenny before Tony could speak his complaint. "You know why we have to go. Ducky invited all of us and that, Mister," she said, taking his arm and pulling him inside, "includes you. Now hurry up and take a shower otherwise we are going to be late."

"Big deal," grumbled Tony earning himself a sharp swat as he passed his mother.

"Don't be rude!" reprimanded Jenny, following behind as Tony suddenly quickened his pace up the stairs.

Stepping onto the landing, Tony almost bumped into his father as he was exiting the bathroom having just filled the bath for Ziva.

"What's up with you?" Gibbs asked, seeing the miserable look on Tony's face.

"Nothing," muttered Tony, stepping passed and heading into his room.

Seeing Jenny as, she too, stepped onto the landing, he raised his eyebrows and asked, "What's up with Tony?"

"Same as every other time we've talked about going out for dinner tonight," she responded dryly.

Suddenly noticing Jenny's attire, Gibbs gave a low wolf whistle.

"Looking good, Jen," he complimented softly, his eyes trailing the length of her body. The green dress fitted her perfectly, accentuating every curve and hollow of her body, while not being too revealing. The short sleeves, low cut bodice and knee length hemline, covered enough to be to acceptable for Mrs Mallard, while still giving Gibbs enough skin to admire.

"Thank you," replied Jenny, brushing her lips gently across his. "You scrub up pretty good yourself Jethro," she added taking in his black pants and navy blue polo shirt.

"Although," she suddenly said, pulling at the front of his shirt, "I think you'd better change this before bathing Ziva." She pulled him into the bedroom they shared and grabbed the t-shirt he had been wearing earlier, from the bed.

"Here," she said, tossing it to him. "Put this on for now."

Giving her a smile, he quickly changed the shirts and headed back into hall. Passing Tony again, he noticed the boy had a towel bundled up in his arms and was making his way into his and Jenny's en-suite.

Walking into the bathroom, he noticed Ziva wasn't in the bath.

"Ziva!" he called facing into the hall. "Hurry up and get in the bath!"

"I'm coming!" yelled back Ziva. Her tone told him she was in sympathy with Tony with regards to their evening out.

Stomping her way to the bathroom, she flung off her clothes as she walked, dumping them on the floor and leaving a trail even Hansel and Gretel couldn't miss. As she entered the bathroom, she shimmied out of her panties and huffed sulkily before holding onto the edge of the bath and climbing over. Once in, she plonked herself down with such force, the water immediately sent up a tidal wave which splashed against the porcelain sides covering Gibbs and his t-shirt in large patches of warm water.

"Ziva!" he exclaimed, sending out a silent thanks to Jenny for having the foresight to get him to change. "What's your problem Madam?"

"Nothing," she grumbled, sounding exactly like Tony had done only minutes before. She sat facing him, arms crossed and a look of complete and utter misery on her face.

Gibbs couldn't help it. He laughed.

"It's not funny Daddy!" she reprimanded him loudly. "Tonight is take-out night. I wanted to have pizza. And now we have to get all dressed up and eat fancy food that we probably don't like!"

"Oh you poor, deprived child," he teased, grabbing the bowl off the bench, scooping it through the bath and tipping water over her head. Unfortunately, just as the water began to cascade down, Ziva lifted her head in an annoyed response to his remark and finished up with a face full of warm water. As she sputtered and removed the water from her face, she looked up at him with a fierceness he hadn't seen since before she had regressed.

"Why did you do that, Daddy?" she asked crossly, wiping at her nose which seemed to have consumed some water as well.

"I didn't do it on purpose," Gibbs defended. "You moved just as I tipped it over you."

Although she knew he was right, it didn't do anything to improve her mood and she slammed her hands down into the water, splashing Gibbs once again.

Flinching back from the oncoming spray, Gibbs said crossly, "Ziva! Don't do that again."

Suddenly hit with the thought she may be able to delay proceedings, she replied artfully, "Will I get a time out, if I do?"

"No," replied Gibbs evenly, "I'll stand you up and smack your bottom."

He shook his head at her cunning. She may only be five, but she had the thought processes of one much older. No wonder Eli saw potential in her, despite the fact that he used her intelligence against her.

Realising, in her current position, she was best not to provoke her father further; Ziva sagged her shoulders and resigned herself to the fact that she was going have to go tonight regardless.

After washing her hair, Gibbs left Ziva to finish washing the rest of herself and headed back into the hall and into his and Jenny's bedroom.

Hearing the water still running, he poked his head through the en-suite door and called, "Tony, water off please. That's long enough."

"I'm not finished yet," called back Tony.

"Yes, you are!" replied Gibbs.

When, after a further 20 seconds, the taps had still not been turned off, Gibbs sighed and pushed open the door entering the room. Pulling back the shower curtain, he quickly turned off the taps and faced a dripping, angry Tony.

"Dad!" yelled Tony.

"I have spoken too many times about the length of your showers. You've been under the water for nearly ten minutes and from what I can see, you look pretty clean. Now hurry up and get dried and dressed," he added, passing Tony his towel which had been thrown on the floor, before exiting the room.

Stepping through the bedroom, Gibbs passed Jenny as she entered the room.

"Can you make sure he's out in two minutes?" he asked, flicking his head towards the en-suite before marching back into the hall without waiting for Jenny's reply.

Back in the bathroom, Gibbs reached into the water and pulled the plug, before grabbing Ziva's towel and holding it out while she begrudgingly stood up. Wrapping her up, he lifted her out and began to quickly dry her off.

"Ow, Daddy! Not so rough!" she protested as he attacked her wet hair with vigor.

Ignoring her pleas, he made short work of finishing off the rest of her body before looking around for her clean underwear.

"Where did you put your clothes?" he asked, turning back to her.

"I didn't. They're still in the bedroom," she replied.

Sighing, Gibbs wrapped the towel around her and sent her out the bathroom with the words, "You've got five minutes to be dressed before I start drying your hair."

As Ziva stomped back to her room, Gibbs quickly grabbed the dirty clothes trail she had so casually dropped, and stuffed them into the laundry basket, before making his way back to his bedroom.

Noticing there was still a light on in the en-suite, Gibbs gritted his teeth before marching into the room while yelling, "You are really pushing for a spanking right now!"

As he slammed opened the door, he was greeted, not by his son but by Jenny who was applying the last of her make-up.

"Really Jethro," she replied arching her eyebrows. "As tempting as that sounds, we really don't have time right now."

"Shut up Jen," he said, smirking. "I thought you were Tony."

"Clearly," she replied.

"Why are they pushing at every turn tonight?" he asked, frustration evident in his voice.

"Because they don't want to go," replied Jenny, blotting her lips before packing away the last of her cosmetics.

She brushed past him and into the bedroom, where she sat on the bed before putting on her watch and bracelet which had been sitting on the nightstand.

As Gibbs watched her, she continued, "They've got it into their heads that tonight is going to be tedious and uncomfortable. They're going to be forced fed fancy, weird tasting food and made to sit with their hands folded in their laps for the duration of the evening."

"How on earth did they come to that conclusion?" asked Gibbs, sitting on the bed next to her.

"Er… I think someone may have got into their ears the other day when we were discussing it," replied Jenny casually. The truth was, Abby had thoroughly enjoyed riling up Tony and Ziva with tales of Mrs Mallard and the large mansion with no computers or TV. However, not really wanting to hand Abby over to the grumpy bear that could be Gibbs, Jenny chose to omit names.

"Who would…?" began Gibbs, frowning, before realisation dawned and he growled, "Abby!"

"She was just teasing," defended Jenny, setting the time on her watch and winding it on.

"Yeah, well wait until I see her, I'll give her teasing," replied Gibbs grimly.

"Mommy!" screeched a voice from the hall. "I'm not wearing this, it's too scratchy!"

Closing her eyes to the wailing, Jenny stood. "You may have to stand in line," she quipped, as she patted his shoulder.

Making her way out the door, Jenny called in reply, "It's not scratchy Ziva. I washed it in fabric softener," before ducking her head back in the room and adding, "You might want to check that Tony's wearing what I set out for him?"

Sighing, Gibbs quickly changed back into the blue polo shirt, before entering Tony's room to make sure the young boy was dressed as his mother wished.

Standing by the bed, Tony, still only in his underwear, was eyeing off the three choices Jenny had laid out for him. As he heard the door open, he looked up and saw his father.

"Why can I just wear shorts and a t-shirt?" he grumbled staring into his Dad's eyes.

"Do I look like I'm wearing shorts and a t-shirt?" replied Gibbs, thankful he had chosen to change into the navy shirt.

He made his way into the room and sat on the bed looking at the clothes in front of Tony.

"These are OK," he said, pointing to the blue jeans and red shirt.

"Yeah, I suppose," sighed Tony, sitting down before flopping back on the bed next to his Dad.

"Come on Tony," encouraged Gibbs, resisting the urge to tickle the tummy that was now exposed in front of him. "You like Ducky, and Abby and Tim are going to be there."

He felt, rather than saw, Tony shrug.

"Don't listen to what Abby's been telling you," said Gibbs, immediately drawing Tony's attention. "She was only riling you up."

"Yeah, but what about Mrs Mallard?" asked Tony quietly, sitting up and facing his Dad. "Abby said she's really old and can't remember anything and sometimes does strange things."

"Are you worried about that?" asked Gibbs carefully, seeing for the first time, not defiance but rather fear.

"A little," said Tony. "Ziva is too," he added, very willing to share the feeling with someone.

Gibbs stood up and went to the door.

"Ziva," he called. He heard a scrambling from her room and laughed when Ziva's half dressed form appeared around the doorway.

"Come in here a minute," Gibbs commanded, waving her forward. Shrugging off the dress and leaving it on the floor, she almost ran towards him. Her eagerness to be away from the relentless debate about clothing she was currently having with her mother, was obvious.

As Jenny entered the hall, he noticed that her expression was not so joyous. Walking up to Gibbs she said sarcastically, "Thanks! I had just about got her into that dress."

"Don't worry," he murmured into her ear. "I don't think our problem has anything to do with dresses.

Frowning at him slightly, Jenny walked into the room and took a seat at Tony's desk.

"So," began Gibbs crouching down in front of Tony and Ziva who were sitting on the bed. "Tony tells me that Abby had been telling you about Mrs Mallard?"

They both nodded, wide eyed and apprehensive.

"What did she say?" asked Gibbs. He was surprised that Abby would use another person with which to tease the children. She was generally pretty sensitive when it came to others and he knew she had a soft spot for Mrs Mallard.

"She was telling us not to be scared of Mrs Mallard," began Ziva. "She said that she was a really nice lady but she was old and sometimes did strange things."

Gibbs nodded his head, relieved. Abby hadn't been trying to frighten the children, she had been trying to prepare them.

"Well," began Gibbs slowly. "Mrs Mallard is very old. And, like many old people, she has an illness called Dementia. Have you ever heard of that word before?"

Both children shook their heads.

Realising he could be here for a while, Gibbs grabbed the second chair in Tony's room and dragged it over to the bed. Taking a seat he looked at the two children.

"Dementia is a disease of the brain," he began, speaking slowly and trying to put it into terms the children would understand. "The brain stops working properly and messages don't get sent to the body like they should do. That means, people with Dementia can have memory problems. They can forget how to do things, and even forget what someone has just told them. And, yes, sometimes they do odd things because their brain no longer tells them what's acceptable and what's not. They can often say things that may sound strange or funny. But, the sad thing is, people with dementia don't realise what they are doing and they can't help it."

"Why does it happen?" asked Ziva.

"Well, it's a bit hard to explain," said Gibbs, "But I guess the easiest way would be to say that the blood that travels around our brain and keeps up alive isn't able get to some of the cells in the brain and those cells die. If too many of them die, it's starts to effect the way the brain works."

"Do all old people get De..demen…dementia?" asked Tony, trying to get his tongue around the word.

"No, not all people. And it's not only really old people who get it either. It can happen to younger people as well. It's just one of those things we don't fully understand yet," explained Gibbs.

"Does that mean you could get dementia?" asked Ziva, looking up at him with questioning brown eyes.

"I don't think so Sweet Pea," began Gibbs. "I mean, we don't really know, but I don't know of many in my family who had it. I know my grandparents didn't, and my father doesn't, so there's a good chance I won't get it either."

"That's good," said Ziva stepping off the bed and crawling into his lap. "Because it sounds scary."

"It's not scary honey," said Gibbs running his fingers through her still wet hair. "It's just really sad. Especially for the families when their loved one doesn't remember who they are anymore."

"Poor Ducky," said Tony shaking his head.

"Yes," replied Gibbs looking at him. "But, at the moment, Mrs Mallard still knows who he is most of the time, she just forgets about the other people around her."

He noticed both children were still looking apprehensive.

"Look," he began. "There's no reason for you to be frightened. She's not going to hurt you or anything. She just may forget who you are or she may keep asking you the same questions. Just be polite and answer her. Anyway, Ducky knows what's she's like and I'm sure he'll keep her distracted somehow. OK?"

As both children nodded solemnly, Gibbs smiled.

"So, has that been the main reason why you haven't wanted to go tonight?" asked Gibbs trying to make eye contact with both of them.

"I guess so," answered Tony. "That, and missing out on Take-out night."

"What if we don't like the food Daddy?" asked Ziva. "Do we have to eat it?"

At this point Jenny stood and sat on the bed next to Tony.

"I'm sure you'll love the food," she answered. "But, if there's something you don't like, just put it to one side of your plate and leave it there. You don't need to make any comment about it."

"But what if all the food is sitting there?" asked Ziva again.

"I'm sure it won't be," replied Jenny. "Besides, you like different foods," she added, looking at Ziva, "You're the one who encourages Tony to eat stuff."

Ziva shrugged.

"Maybe," she reluctantly agreed.

"Just give it a chance," suggested Gibbs. "Besides, Ducky may surprise you."

Standing up, Gibbs lifted Ziva off his lap and set her on the floor.

"Now, how about you go and get yourself all gussied up like your mother, and Tony and I'll do our best to meet with your approval," suggested Gibbs, directing Ziva to the door. "We need to go in less than ten minutes," he added looking at his watch.

As Jenny stood and, taking Ziva's hand, led her out of the bedroom, Tony looked back at his choices.

"I think I'll go with the jeans and the red shirt," he said, picking up the shirt and placing his over his head.

"Good choice," agreed Gibbs. "I'll meet you downstairs when you're done. Don't forget to brush your teeth!"

Exactly twelve minutes later, the family were heading out the front door. Having decided to let Tony and Ziva take their DS games with them just in case they should get bored, Gibbs informed them that they were to stay in Jenny's purse unless things got desperate. Agreeing reluctantly, both children had handed them over before being herded out the door and into the car.

Arriving at Ducky's twenty five minutes later, they were welcomed by the kindly gentleman as he opened the large, impressive front door.

"Well good evening," he greeted, stepping aside so the family could enter. "It's so lovely to have you here. Abby and Tim have already arrived as has Mr Palmer, so we are just waiting on the soup to heat through before we can begin dinner. Your timing is perfect."

As Gibbs passed his friend, he held out his hand and shook Ducky's warmly.

"Thanks Duck," he said.

Allowing Jenny and the children to enter the living room, Gibbs held back slightly then turned to the M.E.

"The kids were a little worried about meeting your mother," he began quietly. "But I've explained as best I can about Dementia, so hopefully they will be OK. Just giving you a pre-warning," he said smiling.

"Not to worry, good man," replied Ducky, his hand on Gibbs' shoulder. "I can understand their apprehension. She's actually quite good tonight so, fingers crossed, we may get through the evening with minimum disasters."

As both men smiled at each other, they entered the living room where Jenny, Abby, Tim and Jimmy were exchanging pleasantries.

"Ah Donald," came a voice from the hallway. "You must introduce me to our guests."

As everyone's head turned to the doorway, an elderly woman, wearing a deep crimson evening gown, gracefully entered the room, her arms swaying in polite greeting.

"Good evening, Mother," greeted Ducky, taking his Mother's arm in his. "I'd like you to meet some very special friends of mine."

As the introductions were performed, Gibbs couldn't help but compare it to being introduced to the Queen. Mrs Mallard stood erect as each person stepped forward and took her hand politely, complimenting her on either her dress, house or both, before stepping back to allow the next person to perform the ritual. When it finally came to Tony and Ziva's turn, both Gibbs and Jenny held their breath. But they need not have worried. Mrs Mallard acknowledged the children fondly, admiring Ziva's curls and complementing Tony on what a handsome young man he was.

Letting out a collective sigh, Gibbs and Jenny turned to each other and smirked.

"Donald, please ask Arthur to pour us some drinks?" she asked before taking a seat on the chaise lounge.

"Mother, Arthur doesn't work for us anymore," reminded Ducky. "But, don't worry, I shall pour the drinks."

As Ducky disappeared out of the room, everyone set about finding a spot to sit. The room was well equipped with arm chairs and couches, so it didn't take long before everyone was seated and polite conversation had begun.

When Ducky re-emerged from the hall carrying a tray of drinks, he was accompanied by Brigette who had obviously been in the kitchen seeing to the meal.

"Hey Brigette," greeted Abby, standing up and taking the petite woman's hand. "I wondered if you were here."

"Yes," replied Brigette, smiling at the group. "I was just in the kitchen getting everything ready."

"Brigette?" called Mrs Mallard questioningly. "Who's Brigette? This is Cecelia our housemaid."

"No, Mother," replied Ducky patiently. "Cecelia hasn't worked for us for well over twenty years. This is Brigette, remember?"

"No I don't, Donald," replied Mrs Mallard brusquely. "When did we hire Brigette?"

"We didn't hire Brigette, Mother," explained an exasperated Ducky. "Brigette is my… friend."

"Your friend, Donald?" repeated Mrs Mallard rather loudly. "Since when do you have lady friends? Are you sleeping together?"

"Mother!" exclaimed Ducky, blushing furiously.

"Well," interrupted Brigette, before Ducky shrunk even further from embarrassment. "How about we all come through to the dining room? Please bring your drinks."

As the party stepped through into the next room, they were faced with a beautiful, large mahogany table on which sat a ten place setting, leaving two places empty.

"What a gorgeous dining table," exclaimed Jenny, as she stepped forward to admire the blue and white china dishes.

"Why thank you Jennifer," replied Ducky. "Yes, this table, and the china, have been in my family for over three generations."

Ducky moved to the head of the table and began directing.

"Now, Abigail if you'd like to sit over there, and Timothy you're next to Abigail, followed by Mr Palmer." Ducky pointed to his left. "And Mother, you, of course are in your usual seat," he added patting the chair next to Abby and the one closest to himself on the left.

"Jethro, you and the Director are on this side with Ziva next to Jennifer and Anthony next to you." Ducky now pointed to his right. "And Brigette darling you, of course, are next to me," he finished, indicating the seat just to his right, next to Tony.

As everyone took their allocated seats, Gibbs reached for the red wine bottle and, after checking who wished to have some, proceeded to pour the wine into the fine stemmed glasses. Jenny did the same with the white wine, while Brigette indicated that the jug of apple juice would be suitable for the children.

Once the drinks were poured, Brigette and Ducky left the room, returning shortly with a tureen of home-made vegetable soup and a wicker basket filled with bread rolls.

Having ladled out the soup, Ducky placed the tureen on the serving table next to him, then stood at his place and lifted his glass.

"A toast," he announced and the dinner guests rose to join him.

"Some hae meat, and canna eat,
And some wad eat that want it;
But we hae meat, and we can eat -
And sae the Lord be thankit."

As everyone took a drink and resumed their seats, Ziva looked up at Jenny and said, "Huh?"

"Oh my dear," began Ducky, unfolding his napkin and lifting his spoon. "That is a Scottish blessing. It tells us that some people have everything they need but are unable to enjoy it, while others have nothing and yearn for just a taste. But we are blessed because we have what we need and we can enjoy it, and so we give thanks to God."

Nodding her head in understanding, Ziva turned to her bowl and picked up her spoon. Looking up the table at Tony, she saw he was eating heartily and therefore decided it must be OK. Taking a small spoonful, she lifted it to her lips and took a tentative swallow. It was, in fact, delicious and in no time at all, she had emptied her bowl without even giving a thought to the bread.

Gibbs had been right. Ducky had certainly kept the children in mind when planning the evening's menu. After the soup, they enjoyed a hearty beef roast with baked vegetables and, for desert, the adults indulged in a sherry trifle while Tony and Ziva enjoyed ice-cream sundaes.

"That was delicious," remarked Tim, as he gently placed the spoon back into his desert glass. "My compliments to the chefs."

"You're most welcome Tim," replied Brigette. "Would you like some more trifle?"

"No, thank you, " said Tim rubbing his stomach. "I don't think I could eat another bite."

"So, young man," began Mrs Mallard looking directly at Tony. "What is it you like to do in your spare time?"

"Um," began Tony, a little nervous at being singled out. "Well, we have a tree house I like to play in, and I like to beat my score on the DS."

"And what, pray tell, is a D S?" inquired Mrs Mallard.
"It's a game," explained Tony. "You put in cartridges and pictures come up on a screen and you press these buttons and play."

Seeing the bewildered look on elderly lady's face, Tony added, "I can show you after dinner if you'd like?"

About to step in and explain that it wouldn't be necessary, Gibbs was surprised when Mrs Mallard clapped her hands together and said jovially, "Well, that sounds just splendid. Yes, you must show me this D S thing. Where is it, young man?"

"Um…my Mom has it in her purse. Hang on and I'll just get it."

As Tony was about to stand, Gibbs put his hand on his shoulder and said, "Just wait a minute Tony until everyone is ready to leave the table."

Seeing the disappointed look on Tony's face, Ducky stood and announced, "Well if everyone is quite finished, how about we retire to the sitting room for some coffee?"

As Tony pushed back his chair, he caught Ducky's eye and grinned when the gentleman winked at him.

Twenty minutes later as almost everyone was enjoying a cup of coffee and listening politely while Ducky regaled them with tales from his youth; Tony, Ziva and Mrs Mallard were huddled in one corner of the room focused intently on Tony's DS.

Mrs Mallard, sitting in one of the arm chairs, held the DS in her frail hands while Tony and Ziva knelt on either side. Having explained what each button did, Tony was impressed with the quick way Mrs Mallard caught onto the concept of the game.

"That's it my fine, little green man, you just take that, and that!" she said, as she continually pressed the buttons effectively killing off the enemy again and again.

"Wow, Mrs Mallard!" exclaimed Tony. "You're really good at this. Much better than my Dad."

Gibbs rolled his eyes and Jenny smirked at him.

"Donald," announced Mrs Mallard in a loud, commanding voice. "You must get me one of these. I haven't had this much fun since I travelled through Africa."

"Yes Mother," acknowledged Ducky automatically, grinning at the group before continuing with his curreny tale.

He was was about to delve into how he and a friend had managed to sneak up to the bell tower while in his final year at Edinburgh University, when Jenny's cell began to ring.

Knowing it was her work phone, Jenny excused herself to answer the call. When she returned ten minutes later, her face was pale and a worried expression was etched on her brow.

"What's up?" asked Gibbs, immediately noticing the change in her demeanor.

Glancing quickly over towards Tony and Ziva, she was relieved to see they were still completely engrossed in showing Mrs Mallard the tips and tricks of the game.

Turning back to the group, she said, "That was Fornell."

"What did he want?" asked Gibbs, suddenly alarmed as to why Fornell would be ringing the Director of NCIS on a Saturday evening.

Everyone sat forward, giving their full attention to Jenny.

"He's currently at Bethesda Hospital," she began, choosing to remain standing. "Apparently, a five year old boy wandered in there about twelve hours ago, bruised, bleeding and extremely malnourished."

"But what's that got to do with NCIS, my dear," asked Ducky, voicing what everyone was thinking.

"They took DNA and fingerprints when he first arrived as he was babbling on about who he was and they couldn't seem to get a straight answer. Well," she said looking directly at Gibbs. "They now have those results."

"Go on," urged Gibbs, not liking where this was going. "Who is he?"

Taking a deep breath, Jenny continued, "It would appear, according to the DNA results, our five year old boy is actually Sergeant Major Douglas Redding, a 54 year old who was reported missing two months ago."

Everyone stared at Jenny.

"But… how can that be?" asked Jimmy, perplexed.

Ducky slowly closed his eyes and shook his head in disbelief. Opening them once again, he turned to Jimmy and said calmly, "Well Mr Palmer, it would seem that our old friend Trentwood was not working alone as we first thought."

As realisation dawned, all heads turned to Tony and Ziva who were happily playing in the corner with Mrs Mallard.

Were they're lives about to be turned upside down once again?