Chapter 1
Tony flopped on the couch in Jenny Sheppard's office.
"Tough night, Tony?" Jenny asked Gibbs' SFA with a smirk.
"Jeanne's on nights this week, Jain-Luca isn't sleeping through yet and I'm supposed to be on form for Gibbs!" Tony moaned closing his eyes.
Jenny crossed from behind her desk. "You could tell them you know." She said softly.
Tony laughed mirthlessly. "I can just see that conversation." He said sitting up. "Hey boss, I eloped and got married while undercover to the daughter of an arms dealer, she doesn't know who I really am and oh by the way we have a son!"
"Tony!" Jenny said.
"I'm sorry Jen, I'm just tired. I am still getting grief from the others in the way I ran the team while Gibbs was on Hiatus. I couldn't trust them with this even if it wasn't classified."
Jenny handed him a cup of coffee. "Get yourself back in the game, Oh and you need to tell Jeanne you have a conference in LA, I'm going to need you and Ziva on protection detail."
"Cool, I may actually get some sleep in." Tony smiled as he pulled out a picture of his three-month-old son.
Jenny looked at it with him, "I still say he's the cutest baby ever." She smiled.
Tony nodded in appreciation "Yep, gets it from his mother." He replied and he smiled at Jen and headed back out to the bullpen.
It had been 3 years since that conversation. His last happy memory with Jenny.
Before they had gone to L.A and she had been killed.
He had been sent on assignment as Agent Afloat as he saw it a punishment by the new Director for the death of the old one.
Moreover, he was still undercover. How could he not be, he loved Jeanne and Jain-Luca. His son was nearly three and a half now and he still had not told his teammates about them.
He did feel proud how he'd managed to keep both lives private and separate for so long, Jeanne had finished her residency and become a pediatric doctor.
Their son was smart and handsome, his dark green eyes tended to melt the heart of anyone they met. He was becoming fluent in both French and Italian as well as English and in the DiNardo household it wasn't uncommon for all three members to be talking in different languages at each other.
They had a nice three-bedroom house in the suburbs, with decent security a house befitting a university professor and his doctor wife.
The house showed they had a young family as finger paintings dotted the fridge and some of the walls; Toys were in a corner in the living room. Small wellies and wet weather gear by the front door and a small boy curled up on the couch hugging a well-loved teddy bear.
Tony sat on the sofa, running his fingers through his son's hair as he slept, Jeanne walked in and handed him a coffee and kissed him.
"Tony, I have to work an extra shift tomorrow, Can you take Luca to Daycare and can I borrow the car, mine's in the shop?" She asked.
He smiled at his wife. "Sure honey, I can take the bus to work." He sighed inwardly worried that Gibbs would moan about his being late. He got up off the sofa and lifted his sleeping son into his arms, "I'll take him up." He said heading towards his sons' bedroom.
Jeanne followed him, "Don't be too long," She smiled and headed to their bedroom.
Jain-Luca had a great daycare place, which Tony had managed to find, halfway between the hospital and the university. A bit out of the way for NCIS, but necessary for his undercover work.
… She was an undercover mission still…..wasn't she?
He loved her. That much he knew, but the CIA had asked him to keep his cover and as he saw it, it was the last thing he could do for Jenny, her last wish as it were.
Take La Grenouille/ Rene Benoit, (His father in law) down.
The team had noticed a difference in Tony since he'd come back from his time as agent afloat, he was more focused, he joked less and he never went out with the team after work…. Although they didn't really invite him.
Subconsciously, he still felt responsible for Jenny's death and so did they, Tim hadn't been there so it wasn't his fault and Ziva hadn't wanted to take the time off Jenny had offered but Tony, tired as he was had insisted. Therefore, they blamed him, as did Gibbs, although none of them would have ever come right out and said as such.
He had stopped calling McGee Probie and didn't tease him as much as he used to and he didn't push the boundaries with Ziva.
Neither of them complained as neither minded. Tony, this Tony was easier to live with and a lot less obnoxious.
Tony sat at his desk as his 'other' phone rang; he stood up and walked from his desk to the window.
"Tony." He said and listened.
He swayed a little and leant against the wall, even he thought that right now his undercover skills had just hit legendary proportions.
He took a deep breath and walked over to Gibbs, "Boss I have to leave, family emergency." Tony said
"Your father ok?" Gibbs asked, concerned for his SFA
"Yeah, just a bit sick." Tony said vaguely
He grabbed his bag and left.
Gibbs was surprised the next morning not only had he not heard from Tony but there were papers on his desk requesting the next month off.
Director Vance had already signed them, so Gibbs did too.
He tried calling Tony to see how his father was; his gut said it was more than he'd been told.
"DiNozzo." Tony said, answering his phone
"How's your father?" Gibbs asked.
"Huh?" Tony started and then he recovered, "He's getting better Boss, it's just going to take some time to get him settled, he had a heart attack, I've requested leave for a month to get him sorted." He lied.
"You need anything DiNozzo, you call OK?" Gibbs said.
"Sure, thanks." Tony replied distractedly.
Gibbs hung up and looked at the phone, his gut hadn't eased, this unnerved him but he let it go.
The man sitting in front of Professor Tony DiNardo looked with pity at the young man. He was apparently the young man's father had just had a heart attack and the poor boy was dealing with that, as well as this.
He knew the man had a son of his own and having just lost his wife in a car bombing, it seemed to him that sometimes, for some people life was just unfair.
Tony put the phone down and turned back to the funeral Director, "Sorry, work. Now about Jeanne's casket." He sighed.
