Adrenaline is a strange type of secretion and not referred to as the 'fight or flight' hormone without just cause. Documentation shows people will react in a variety of manners when a sudden blast of adrenaline begins coursing through their systems and, depending on the person and the circumstances of the event, the hormone can make the body react in unexpected and very undesirable ways.

In some, there is actually an increase of over-all strength, with heart and respiration rates escalating, allowing the muscles of the body to receive more energy and to prepare, in essence, for battle. Blood rushes to those major muscle groups from non-intrinsic organs like the stomach, bowels, and bladder, and allows the body to ready itself for action. There are stories of mothers lifting over-turned vehicles in the attempt to rescue trapped children or of a single victim of assult beating off several attackers all because of the sudden rush of adrenaline to their systems. Those 'fight' instances, unfortunately, seem few and far in between.

On the other hand, most people react to the surge of adrenaline in the most unattractive and unappealing manner, proving the 'flight' aspect of the equation to be the strongest and, probably, the most primative response of the two. Mouths become dry, voices quaver, and sweating is prevalant on the forehead, palms of the hands, and soles of the feet. Some will experience what is commonly known as 'time distortion' and seemingly view the unfolding events around them in a slow-motion dance of detached movement. There are those who experience pre-flight shakes or jitters, limbs quaking uncontrollably and wildly, no matter what the person attempts to do to stop the unwanted motion. Fine motor skills seem to evaporate in an instant and the simple buttoning of a shirt or the zipping of a pair of pants becomes too complicated even for those who are usually dexterous and sure-fingered.

For the trio of laughing teenagers sprawled across Candace DiNozzo's floral print couch, the sudden slamming of a car door outside and the instantaneous rush of adrenaline sent them surging into action resembling something akin to the spastic antics of The Three Stooges. And, although there were no 'nyuck, nyuck, nyucks' uttered or deliberate finger pokes to the eyes, they seemed to bump into and trip all over each other in their hurried attempts to scurry back to their customary areas of rest. Tony's usually-able fingers grasped and fumbled as he tried to carefully recapture his exposed dick and return it to the safe and appropriate confines of his jeans, Josh staggered upright and immediately tripped over his own two feet, ending up crawling the remaining distance on hands and knees, and Cat frantically wiped at her come-splattered face and neck, striving to quickly erase all evidence of Tony's orgasm from her upper body. All three looked skittishly about, scanning the immediate area for any telltale sign of their prior activities, and hoping they didn't look as quilty as they all felt.

"Did I get it all?" Cat hissed as she turned toward Josh, throwing her arms wide, and displaying her body for his inspection. She clutched at the wad of paper napkins and watched as he looked her way.

"I...I think so," he responded, voice tight and a bit shaky, eyes rapidly examining the girl. He glanced Tony's way and frowned. "What in the hell are you doing?"

Cat turned swiftly toward her other friend and watched as he struggled with his pants, head down and chin tucked against his chest. She could easily see he was having serious problems with his zipper. The metal teeth were either snagged on his underwear or were refusing to align themselves for proper closure but, regardless, each scenario was equally bad.

"Shit!" Tony was getting very worried as he glanced toward the front door, expecting to hear the sound of the key turning the lock any moment, and then back to his traitorous crorch. "I can't get it up!"

"You sure didn't have any problems with that a few minutes ago," Josh nervously tossed his way, unable to control his wit, and pulling an uneasy giggle from Cat.

"Don't!" Tony frantically warned them both, breathing rapidly and wiping his damp palms against the denim of his jeans. "This is *not* funny!"

"Just pull your t-shirt down over it...nobody will notice if it's untucked," Josh suggested hastily as his eyes tracked to the front door. "Whatever you're going to do, just hurry!"

"Crap! Cat," Tony whirled to face the girl on the couch, his uncooperative zipper now at her eye level, "help me out here!"

Automatically and without hesitation, her fingers went to his pants, the smaller digits digging in to work at the stubborn closure and her mouth set in a grim but determined line. Tony looked down at the top of her head, inches away from his groin, and then back to the doorway, eyes focusing on the handle. Candace and Brian had to be close now.

"Bet you never thought you'd have Cat in front of you like this," Josh couldn't help himself.

"Shut up, Josh!" Tony and Cat yelled simultaneously without even looking his way.

"Hurry, Cat," Tony urged in a forced undertone, eyes still glued to the fingers working at hs groin. "I think I can hear footsteps."

"I can't get it!" She whispered nervously, never ceasing from her diligent attempts. "Tony, I can't get it either!"

"This is not good, this is not good," Tony chanted and swallowed thickly, eyes back on the door. There was no time, now, to even make a dash upstairs. "Come on, Cat...come on."

Cat rose up on her knees, braced herself as best as she could on the soft and unsteady cushions, and yanked with all her might, immediately feeling something give. Grunting only once, Tony silently doubled over and jerked away, both hands shooting to wedge between his legs, pressing against the fabric of his jeans and the tender, injured flesh underneath.

"Oh, shit!" Josh scrunched his face in sympathetic pain and moved his hands protectively to his own crotch, watching as his friend stumbled back from the girl on the sofa and knock unsteadily against one end of the low coffee table.

Cat's eyes were wide with concern and guilt and she reached out toward his retreating form. "Tony! Oh, God, I'm so sorry!"

"I'm okay, I'm okay," he hissed through clenched teeth, wiping a bit of moisture from his eyes with the back of one hand, and slowly straightening just enough to brace himself with hands on knees. He took a couple of deep breaths before he could speak again. "Just caught a hair or two, I think. You did what I..."

The doorbeell suddenly chimed and the three youths froze, looking up in surprise. They glanced at each other, puzzled expressions clearly indicating the obvious: Candace would *not* ring her own doorbell. Immobile for a moment, it took a repeat of the sound to finally put Tony into action. As he walked the short distance from living room to foyer, he cast an anxious look back to his friends, hoping they were giving the area one last scan for any 'evidence' of their activity, and unconsciously ran a trembling hand over his now-closed zipper. When he approached the entry, he automatically remembered what had been ingrained since childhood about answering the door. Tony flipped on the porch light and peeked out through the side window, the sight that greeted him immediately sent him fumbling hurriedly to unlock and open the heavy wooden panel.

"Gunny!" He yelled with enthusiasm and launched himself at the man standing on the stoop, knowing the young agent would be able to catch him easily, no matter how much he'd grown over the years. "This is so great! What are you doing here?"

Jethro caught the youth with a quiet, surprised grunt and quickly set him on his feet, smiling at the teen and letting his eyes rake over the tall youth. Where had the years gone? There was no little boy living in this house any longer.

"Just passing through on my way home frome DC," he explained, blue eyes dancing at the obvious delight he saw in Tony's open face. "You going to invite me in?"

"Oh! Yeah...I'm sorry, Gunny. Come on in," Tony apologized and stepped to one side to allow Jethro to enter, closing the door firmly behind them and relocking it instinctively. "Candace should be home soon. She'll be happy to see you, too."

Jethro paced beside the youth as they moved toward the living room and casually draped an arm around the solid shoulders for a brief one-handed hug. "You here by yourself?"

"No," Tony smiled as they drew within sight of his friends, "this is Cat and...I think you probably remember Josh. We're just watching movies and chilling."

Jethro's keen eyes took in the room and the occupants quickly, skimming the horror movie playing in the VCR, the scattered plates holding bits of dry, discarded pizza crust, and the three slightly disheveled and guilty-looking teenagers. He arched an eyebrow at them and moved to shake both of the politely offered hands.

"So, you're Tony's Gunny," Cat stated the obvious, sitting back on the end of the couch and pulling her feet up to tuck them under her body, smiling warmly at the man. "I'm so glad to finally get the chance to meet you. I've heard so much about you and..."

"Cat," Tony warned and moved with Jethro as the man sank into the soft confines of the armchair closest to the girl, "Gunny doesn't need to hear all that."

"All what, Tony?" The young agent asked as the teen plopped himself on the floor at his feet and looked up at him with open admiration, easily seeing the love in the green eyes.

"Nothing," Tony was shaking his head and smiling. "Cat talks out of her butt all the time."

"Tony..." Jethro started to reprimand the teen, surprised he would say something like that about his friend, but was interrupted when Cat spoke.

"Is that right?" She shot back easily, bright eyes aglow with humor. "I seriously think you're confusing me with Josh. He's the one who does all his vocalizing from that end of his body."

"I do not!" The other male threw back and looked imploringly at Jethro, the younger face a mask of feigned exasperation. "See what I have to put up with all the time? I swear, I don't know why I hang around them like I do."

"Yeah, right," Tony chided with a wicked grin, speaking to Josh but never letting his eyes stray from his Gunny's face. "Weren't you about to call Sarah Jamison and ask about her tweezers?"

Jethro knew it was an inside joke the moment all three teens exchanged silent looks and then suddenly dissolved into a fit of childish giggles. It was good to see Tony interacting with his peers and, even though he got the distinct impression there was more to this trio than what he was seeing on the surface, it was enough that Tony was relaxed and happy.

"When will Candace be home?" Jethro interrupted only when the laughter began to diminish, eyes twinkling with humor at their antics.

Tony continued to smile but glanced quickly to the clock on the bookshelf. "Pretty soon, I think, but she didn't say for sure. She and Brian were going out to eat and then catch a movie."

"And how are things with Brian?" He nudged the boy with the toe of one shoe and captured the mischievous eyes again. "You still behaving yourself?"

"Yes, Gunny," he huffed good-naturedly and leaned back on straightened arms, legs crossing at the ankles, "I've been a good little boy and have made nice with Brian. He's...he's real important to Candace and she seems to like him a lot. A whole lot."

Jethro nodded, knowing how much the open admission meant. Candace's growing relationship with Brian was rapidly leading to a more permanent arrangement and Jethro was happy the dear woman had found someone to love her as she deserved. He studied the youthful face and wondered if Tony was keeping a handle on his insecurities or was just tucking the raw emotion out of sight, disguising his apprehensive feelings so no one would be the wiser. Over the years, the boy had become very good at keeping important things to himself.

"I'm glad to hear it," Jethro spoke honestly and watched as Tony scooted until his back was resting against the couch, with the girl directly behind him. He saw the quick smile Tony threw her way before settling to face him again. "So, Cat, what's a pretty girl like you doing here with these two bozos on a Friday night?"

"Hey, I resemble that!" Tony barked with a cocky grin and heard his friends laugh.

"We do our scary movie night once or twice a month, Gunny. I'm sorry, is it okay for me to call you 'Gunny', too?" She asked belatedly, twisting some paper napkins nervously within her hands.

"Sure," Jethro nodded wih an indulgent smile and motioned for her to continue. "What's 'scary movie night'?"

"That's when Josh and I allow Cat to hang out with us," Tony piped in before she could respond. "The movies really aren't all that scary, Gunny, we call it that because Cat's just so damn beastly!"

"Okay, Chuckles," the girl poked Tony in the back with a stiff finger and threw the balled-up wad of napkins in Josh's direction, catching the laughing boy squarely in the face. "You're very amused now but let's just see what happens the next time you need my assistance for anything, if you know what I mean."

Tony ducked his head and a bit of color bloomed on his cheeks. He knew exactly what she meant and quickly turned apologetic eyes her way, capturing a hand and pressing a swift kiss to the inside of the wrist. Jethro watched the interplay between Tony and the girl and felt a sharp flare of something dark and possessive twist within his belly. To see the teen on such familiar physical terms with Cat was unexpected and made him realize he was witnessing an intricate part of the relationship between them. He forced down the feeling and continued to watch.

Josh was suddenly tossing the ball of napkins to Tony. "Here, dude, I think this belongs to you."

Tony let the paper wad bounce off of one shoulder but didn't reach to pick it up, the reblossoming of color on his face indicating it did, indeed, somehow belong to him. He eyed it a brief moment before looking back at Gunny.

"So," he cleared his throat as the other two teens chuckled at his discomfort, "can you stay? You can have the guest room, or mine if you want, 'cause we'll be down here all night and..."

"All night?" Jethro frowned and thought, maybe, he'd misunderstood.

"Um, yeah," Tony's innocent look was genuine and he met Jethro's direct gaze unflichingly, "we sort of stay over at the host's house on scary movie nights and this is my turn."

"And everyone's folks are okay with this?" Jethro had to ask and watched them all nod, finding the situation a bit bizarre, especially with a female in the mix. "How long have you been doing this?"

The teens looked at each other but Tony was the one to respond. "Sometime last year, I guess. Right before Christmas was the first time. Right?"

"No," Josh corrected from his chair, one lanky leg draped casually over an arm rest, "it was before Thanksgiving because the McMillian's wanted to have that big garage sale before the holidays. Remember?"

"He's right," Cat affirmed from her comfy perch and reached for her glass of soda. "My folks had us haul all that junk out. It took us all day and we fell asleep after we ate."

"Oh, yeah," Tony's smile was a little lopsided as the memory took hold and Jethro could see there was more to the story than that. He waited but when nothing else was offered in explanation, the young agent refocused on the youth on the floor.

"Tony," Jethro grew serious as he thought of the reasons for his appearance at the DiNozzo home tonight, "do you suppose your friends would excuse us for a bit while we have a little conversation in the kitchen?"

Tony frowned and shrugged, easily pushing from the floor and rising to his feet. "Sure, Gunny. Is there something wrong?"

"No," Jethro was quick to assure, waiting until Tony had made eye contact with both friends. "Everyhting's fine. Just some private stuff I want to run by you."

The duo walked the short distance to the cooking area and Tony hopped to perch himself atop one of the cabinets, watching as Jethro went directly to the near-by coffee maker and began brewing a pot. The ex-Marine was familiar in the comfortable kitchen and knew no one would mind if he made himself at home. In fact, Candace would probably be insulted if he didn't. Tony studied his Gunny carefully as the sure hands methodically collected a filter from the box, placed it inside the machine, and proceeded to scoop out the appropriate measure of fragrant grounds from the container. He'd seen this done countless times but always enjoyed the precise manner Gunny used in all his tasks and would, quite frankly, watch the man do just about anything. When the machine was on, Jethro turned to face the smiling boy and leaned back against the counter.

"So," Jethro stated, crossing his arms and looking Tony straight in the eye.

"So," Tony repeated expectantly and smiled even wider, unable to contain his joy any longer. "Shit, Gunny! I'm so happy to see you here tonight! When we heard the car outside, we thought it was Candace and Brian coming home. When I looked out and saw your face, I couldn't believe it. Do you think you can stay awhile? For the night, at least?"

"Can't do it this time, as much as I'd like to," Jethro immediately saw the smile dim and the disappointment cloud the green eyes and reached to rest a comforting hand on one of Tony's knees, "but I've stopped by for a couple of reasons. I was hoping to give you and Candace the news together but, since she's not here, you can pass it along for me. She can call me at home or at work if she wants to talk things over."

"Okay, Gunny. Whatever you say," Tony could tell from the tone this was serious. "What's going on?"

Jethro gazed at the teenager's face and, once again, was captured by the striking good looks and expressive eyes. To see Tony so happy and relaxed in his home, in the company of his good friends, was a balm for his soul. There wasn't a day that went by when he didn't think about the teen, hoping he was healthy and contented. The boy's world might have been vastly different if he'd been forced to live with his maternal grandfather and Jethro suppressed a shudder to think how this vibrant, energetic spirit could have been, and almost was, dampened or extinguished. Pushing those thoughts away, he concentrated on the here and now.

"Do you still want to meet with your father?"

The quietly asked question brought everything to a halt, the kitchen becoming still and silent, time, itself, seemingly ceasing to exist. The two males eyed each other from the across the small distance, eyes searching, searching, searching...

Tony suddenly sucked in a quick, sharp breath and eased slowly down from the counter, taking a moment to steady himself before moving carefully to stand in front of Jethro. He gazed into the face of the man who meant more to him than anything else and he could clearly see the truth: Frank DiNozzo had been found.

Jethro nodded and pulled the trembling boy into a tight embrace, feeling the responding hug grow a little shaky. Tony snugged his face into the juncture of the man's neck and shoulder, breathing in the familiar scent deeply, and hung on for all he was worth, thoughts twisting and tumbling within his mind. Frank DiNozzo...his father. He wanted to meet the man, to finally see his face, and to find out, once and for all, why he'd been so quick to discard him like a second-hand item of clothing or a piece of used furniture. He didn't hate Frank DiNozzo, not anymore, but simply wanted to hear what he had to say and get on with the rest of his life, knowing he was now loved and accepted by people who'd taken him in and raised him as one of their own. Candace called it closure. Whatever. Tony raised his face from the warm security of Gunny's shoulder and looked directly into the clear, blue eyes.

"I love you so much, Gunny," he whispered a little tight-throated and teary-eyed. "Thank you so much for doing this for me."

Jethro could only nod as he gazed into Tony's sweet face, pulling the teen roughly back against his body, and quickly planting a brief, hot kiss to the smooth forehead. It felt good to hold the youth like this, maybe a little too good, and Jethro swiftly loosened his hold, gently turning away and reaching toward the cabinet he knew held the drinking glasses and mugs. He felt Tony shift a few steps back and used his peripheral vision to spy as the boy lowered his head and shoved his hands into the confines of his pockets. He sighed and turned back to face him.

"He's living in Syracuse, has been there for several years, and runs a neighborhood tavern in one of the better sections of the city," Jethro fell into the comfortable cadence of reporting the facts as he knew them. "He's still unmarried but has fathered two other children by two different women." He caught Tony's grimace. "One is a gorl of ten and the other is a boy of eight. From the records I came across, he's been paying child support regularly for them since the day they were born." Tony was turning away and gazing out the window over the sink, looking at nothing but the endless darkness outside. "He's been in and out of trouble with the law but has remained fairly clean during the past five years...only a couple of minor traffic violations and nothing more. He's making payments on a home he purchased almost four years ago and lives there with a woman who waits tables in his tavern. Been with her, on and off, for almost two years."

Tony sighed heavily and turned back to face Jethro, the glint of anger burning in his eyes. "The bastard has other kids, huh? Well, isn't that a real kick in the nuts."

"There's no indication he has anything to do with them besides throwing cash their way through their mothers."

Tony shook his head, gave a humorless laugh, and spoke bitterly. "Cat would call him a 'sperm donor'."

"That about sums him up," Jethro agreed with the assessment and eyed the teen warily, not liking the edgy, irate expression forming on the young face. "You okay with this?"

"Hell, no, I'm not okay with this!" Tony snapped back. "I don't give a shit about his life, Gunny. He's nothing but a stranger to me."

"You know that's not true or you wouldn't be pushing so hard to see him," Jethro stressed calmly and took a step closer. "If you want to know why he dumped you all those years ago, you need to understand the man."

"That's bullshit! Telling me what his life is like today doesn't do me any good at all," the teen's voice was getting louder and his eyes wild and he actually had the gall to point a finger in the man's face. "The things I want to know happened a long tome ago, Gunny, and you standing here feeding me all this other crap about him just makes me want to hit something. All I need to know is where he is and if he'll agree to see me. That's all."

"Tony..."

The teen began to shift restlessly from foot to foot. "Son of a bitch..."

"Watch your mouth," Jethro had heard just about enough of the inappropriate language.

Tony whirled, looking him straight in the eye, and spat. "God damn, *fucking* son of a bitch!"

Tony!" Jethro grabbed a handful of the boy's soft t-shirt and yanked hard, once, bringing them nose to nose. "Calm down right now. Do you understand?"

"What's going on in here?"

Jethro and Tony froze at the sound of the deep voice and turned, as one, to face the new arrival, seeing the concerned frown and the anxious eyes darting back and forth between them. The tension was thick, as was the testosterone, and Jethro broke the strange tableau by calmly releasing his grip on Tony's shirt and turning to pour himself a cup of coffee.

"How you doing, Brian?" The ex-Marine asked casually as he faced the man now moving toward the kitchen table. He saw Brian cast a quick, assessing look in Tony's direction. "Want some coffee?"

"No, Jethro, I don't believe I do," Brian replied while pulling a chair out and sitting down. The eyes went back to the boy. "You all right, Tony?"

Tony shifted under Brian's intense gaze and nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. Couldn't be better."

Brian studied him silently and knew from the tone of the boy's voice he wasn't 'fine' but, before he could inquire, Candace came briskly into the kitchen. Unaware of the harsh words that had just been spoken or the scene that had greeted Brian's arrival, she quickly approached Jethro, wide smile lighting her face.

"Jethro! What a pleasant surprise. What brings you to our neck of the woods tonight?"

Jethro met her easy embrace with genuine affection. "You know me...can't stay away from this family."

"This is your family, too," she scolded and stepped to Tony, greeting him with a brief touch to the face. "You okay, sweetie?"

"Yeah," he offered her a weak smile and pushed by the adults. "Excuse me while I go back to my guests."

And he was gone.

Candace watched the retreating figure with confusion until she saw the looks the two men were exchanging. Moving to sit in one of the unoccupied seats, Candace crossed her arms over her chest and sighed.

"Okay, somebody better tell me what's going on."

It didn't take Jethro long to explain the situation, his conversation with Tony, and the strange scene Brian had witnessed on his arrival. He reviewed all information about Frank DiNozzo with the two adults and let them know how adversely Tony had reacted.

"But he still wants to meet with that horrible man?" Candace asked, sipping at the coffee Brian had gotten for her sometime during Jethro's explanation.

"Yes," Jethro nodded. "Candace, I know this is really short notice and maybe it wasn't my place to get so involved but I called Frank and he's willing to meet with Tony next weekend."

Candace was visibly shocked. "You...you called him? Why?"

"I wanted to know, straight up, if he'd be willing to talk to Tony. I didn't want to give you or, God forbid, Tony his phone number just to have him tell you to go to hell. I had to get a feel of the man, to make sure he wouldn't hurt you or Tony. I still can't guarantee he won't say or do something to injure but, at least, it will be a chance for them to speak to each other and, maybe, help Tony resolve whatever is giving him problems. I didn't mean to overstep any boundaries but..."

"Jethro," Candace shut him up by reaching out to grab his hand, "you didn't overstep. Everything you've done for Tony, starting from the moment Jimmy and I brought him to the cabin for you and Mike to watch all those years ago, has been in his best interest and I'd be a fool to think you'd ever do anything to the contrary. I trust you with doing what's right for him...always have and always will."

Jethro was humbled and gripped her hand just as tightly, nodding at her admission. He'd hoped she'd react like this but had learned, long ago, never to take anything for granted. Human nature was tricky.

"So, next weekend going to be okay? I'd like to go with you, if it's all right. To tell you the truth, I'd like to be the one to call Frank back and set up the time and place. It'll give me a chance to talk to a buddy of mine on the force there who'll give me some advice about good places for these types of meet. Frank DiNozzo seems fairly harmless right now but I don't want any other DiNozzo to stick their noses in where they're not wanted."

"You don't really think something like that could happen?" Candace was concerned.

"No but it's best to be on the safe side. We don't want to ever forget what happened with Robert DiNozzo."

Candace shuddered and looked to the man sitting next to her. "You're scheduled to be out of town next weekend, aren't you, Brian?"

"I'm sorry, honey," Brian was apologizing but looked at Jethro. "If I can't make this trip with you, then having Jethro there would make me feel better about the whole situation. Where's the meet?"

"Syracuse."

"New York?" Candace squeeked. "Oh, I had no idea we'd have to go so far to see that man."

"Is it a problem?" Jethro could see her apprehension, wondering if it was a matter of time away from work or lack of money or...another thought suddenly entered his mind. "Candace, have you spoken to Senator Hathaway about Tony seeing his father?"

From the look he received he immediately knew the answer. He sighed and shook his head.

"I was meaning to do it, I swear I was, but just got a little...busy."

"Busy," Jethro repeated blandly and nailed her with a knowing look. "How busy could you have been for the past two years?"

The two men exchanged knowing looks and had to laugh at Candace's discomfort. They both knew she would resist speaking to Hathaway for as long as possible but also knew she'd fight like the dickens to bring closure to Tony's past. Candace caught the look the men traded and shot them both an evil glare.

"Oh, just shut up...both of you."

They talked awhile longer before Jethro announced he had to get back on the road. Candace tried to get him to stay longer but understood his pressing need to get home, especially since Saturday morning was the usual time to speak to his little Lilly Marie on the phone. There really wasn't much talking from the toddler's end but Jethro was able to reconnect with her and have Carolyn update him with the events in the child's life for the week.

Just as Jethro was getting ready to step away from Candace's home and move to his car, he turned back to face the woman where she stood on the porch. She saw his hesitation and thought he wanted to speak again to Tony but, instead, he just looked right at her.

"Jethro? What is it?"

"I actually had something else to tell you both tonight but decided against saying anything to Tony after the way he reacted to the news about his father. Candace, I'm thinking about asking Diane to marry me."

"Jethro..."

"Just let me finish. I know Tony didn't react well when I married Carolyn, so I didn't want to throw this at him along with the other news. I'll tell him myself after we get next weekend out of the way and he's had a chance to come to terms with whatever happens. Okay?"

Candace smiled and nodded. "Whatever you think is best, Jethro. I won't say a word to him. I promise."

"Thanks," he smiled and began to turn away.

"Jethro," she called softly and waited until she had his attention again. "Thank you for doing this. Both Tony and I love you very much."

Jethro nodded and caught a glimpse of the teen looking out one of the front windows. "I know. I love you both, too."

Raising a hand to wave goodbye to the youth, he waited until the gesture was returned, turned, and was gone. It was going to be a long, lonely drive home to Norfolk.


TBC