Note: Can't believe I forgot to add this to the last chapter of Serendipity! Thanks to everyone for reading, following, fave'ing and reviewing!

Set about 6 months after the beginning of Serendipity, this story has 53 chapters, divided into three parts.

PART ONE

Chapter 1

Tim listened to Ty's recitation of his day while they headed home. Usually a very conscientious driver, these last few days his attention was diverted to the road behind him. Tonight was no different; his suspicions were finally confirmed. He cleared his throat. "Tyler, I need your help for a few minutes. Need you and Brynie to be as quiet as you can be while I call Poppy."

"Then can I tell you more after?"

"Yes, when we get home."

"Ok Daddy."

Using his headset, Tim contacted his father.

"Gibbs. Tim, you on the way home?"

"Being followed, this is the third time this week; didn't see them yesterday. There are two or three different cars; looks like they rotate."

"Where are you now? We'll notify Metro PD and have them escort you home and I'll tell Vance, we'll set up a protection detail. Notice anything outside of the house?"

"Coordinates are on my GPS. Haven't noticed anything at the house, but I'm mostly too busy to look and you're usually there in the evenings."

"Good point and I haven't noticed anything." There was a pause before Gibbs continued, "Tony's got your GPS and talking with Metro. Stay on the line, let me know when they get there."

There was silence on the line for a few minutes and then his father heard Tim sigh in relief. "Ok, two squads with us and it looks like they're going to take us home."

"Good, I need to update Vance and then I'm on my way. DiNozzo says Metro will stay with you for protection until we can get a detail over there."

Before children, Tim would have scoffed but things were different now.

Aboard the Navy Yard, Gibbs flew upstairs and met Vance just coming out of MTAC. "Tim's got trouble, he's being followed. We got Metro in place and they'll stay at the house until we can get a detail over there."

Vance nodded to his Lead agent, "Any idea who or why?"

"Don't know what he's working on; he said it's pretty hot."

Vance knew the case Gibbs referred to; while it was a possibility, it wasn't a strong one. "All right, a team of four. Two front, two back. Overnight and in the meantime see what we can find out and then we'll figure out how to proceed."

He made the necessary call as he watched Gibbs hurry back to the bullpen. As expected the older man grabbed his jacket and weapon, ready to get home to his son and grandchildren.

Tony was waiting. "Boss, Tim sent us the plate for tonight's vehicle, Ellie's running it."

"I've got a hit."

The two men were joined at the plasma by Bob Chalmers, now a permanent member of the team, and Ellie, who grabbed the remote.

"It's a government vehicle, currently shows in use by the Marshals Services."

"Shit!"

Gibbs flew back up the stairs and into Vance's office. He was on the phone and not looking happy. He hung up, "Gibbs,"

The older man interrupted, "Tail car is in use by the U.S. Marshals. Is Tim under a protection detail he doesn't know about?"

Vance looked deeply disturbed. "We need to talk, but not here. Send your team home, tell them it was a false alarm, all is well."

"Leon!"

The steely glance from his boss meant it was useless to protest. Pulling his cell from his pocket, he called his second in command. "DiNozzo, Vance has new information. Tim and the kids are safe, false alarm. Take off for the day, all of you. We'll start fresh in the morning."

"Boss!"

"21." Rule 21, simply put, said to follow orders without asking questions.

"Will do, but under protest."

Gibbs disconnected and looked at Vance. "They're leaving and won't go any further with it."

"Good. You should go and I'll meet you at Tim's in two hours."

Gibbs had a bad feeling about that. "Anything we can do in the meantime?"

Vance shook his head, rubbing his eyebrow with his left index finger; Gibbs nodded, turned and left the office. Grabbing his weapon and jacket, he took a couple of other items from his desk. Rather than drive his car, he signed out an agency vehicle, calling his son as he drove off the Yard. "Tail is in use by the Marshals. Vance called off the NCIS protection detail and is meeting us at your place in two hours."

There was dead silence before Tim said, "You driving your car?"

"No, agency car. I just signed it out."

"Stop at the bank and get cash. Wipe out the family savings account, but only in cash. You're on my bank account if you have time withdraw mine too, including savings. Leave the siblings' account alone though please."

"Will do, I'll be there soon."

They'd opened a joint savings account a few months ago, to start saving for the kids' educations. Gibbs left a hundred dollars in that, took the rest in cash, and then emptied his checking and personal savings as well as Tim's. If nothing happened, they could re-deposit it all.

He pulled into Tim's driveway and when the garage door opened, drove forward. Tim was in the kitchen, feeding the kids. "I've got bags packed for us, but I didn't have time for you."

"Go bag's in the sedan and I'll pack more, be back in 15."

"Dad."

"Leon gave me a signal. As long as we're all together."

"Yeah ok. Love you."

"Me too."

Gibbs was glad he never sauntered anywhere; right now, he wanted to run down the sidewalk to his house. Once there, he quickly packed including photos of his parents, Shannon and Kelly, Tim and the kids, one of the team and one with Franks and Fornell. He was back at Tim's in fourteen minutes.

"You know, we don't know if they'll allow us to take our stuff."

"At least we'll have the cash."

Tim nodded and the two of them divided the cash between them, Gibbs insisting his son take two-thirds of it. "Just in case we're separated."

"I sure hope we're jumping to wrong conclusions."

"Makes sense, though, with Leon's warning. But I hope you're right; then we unpack and put the money back in the bank."

"I've been trying to think what this could be about."

Gibbs just shook his head. "Too many cases to think about."

Vance showed up nearly a half hour earlier than expected. He nodded to them and kissed the kids who had early baths and were in their jammies.

While Tim put Ty and Brynie to bed, Vance avoided Gibbs, wandering restlessly around the house. Finally, Tim returned to the living room and Vance started talking.

"I have not received orders to keep quiet, so here it is. From what little information I've been able to get, the inquiries into Tim's kidnapping by Joann Fielding, adoption by the McGees and your team's questions to the Navy about Tim's letters have caused a problem somewhere and DHS called in the Marshals. They'll be here in a few minutes. Don't know any more than that."

He reached into his jacket pocket, removing an envelope. "I pulled together what I could; ids and passports for the four of you if you decide to go elsewhere. Backstories are included. Where are Rob and Sarah?"

"In the UK. Rob's in medical school, Sarah in a graduate program. We talk once a week, just spoke last night." While his son was talking, Gibbs took the envelope from Leon and put it in his sea bag.

Shoulders slumping, Tim looked at their boss, "What about Ellie? We're in a serious relationship Leon; I don't want to hurt her."

"Tell the marshals but I don't think there will be anything they can do. And you know they're the ones responsible for the cover story." He looked at the luggage. "Good thinking. Need cash?"

"No, thanks, Leon. I drove an agency sedan home; it's here in the garage."

"All right, I'll worry about it later. Use burn phones to call, you know my emergency number?"

Both men shook their heads. "Yes but no, whatever this is, we won't endanger you or your family."

Tim took a deep breath, "What about Abby?"

The three men looked at each other and then Gibbs rolled his head around to release some of the tension before saying, "I need to leave her a message, something that sounds plausible so she won't freak out and try to track us."

He picked up his cell phone and punched Abby's work number. "Hey Abs, sorry this is last minute but couldn't say anything before. Tim and I are going to be away for a while. Don't worry; it's something that has to be done but not dangerous. Kids are safe; don't worry about them either. I'm counting on you to be strong; don't expect to hear from us. I know you can do this, Abs, I have faith in you."

He hung up and made a face. "That's not far from the truth."

Vance nodded. "Thank you. I also have an idea to keep her busy." He stood looking at them before throwing protocol out the window and wrapping his arms around both of them. "Stay safe, stay together, good luck, I'll watch over the others and hope and pray you're home soon. Damn proud of both of you."

They hugged back and he left, going out through the back gate to the alley behind the house where he'd left his car. The two men did more preparation, watching the sky grow darker, figuring the marshals would show when it was full dark. Shortly before 2100 hours, a van pulled into the driveway and two men walked to the front door.

Tim waited until they knocked and then spoke through the door. "Badges and IDs out where I can read them."

Those were presented and held up to the peephole. He opened the door to a question from one of the Marshals as they walked in, "You were expecting us?"

"You've been following me, right?"

"Not us specifically but yes, you've been under protection."

"So, yeah when Metro PD was called off we figured I was under a protection detail of some sort. What happens now? My children are asleep in bed."

The taller man shook his head, "We have orders to place you in Witness Protection and you've got to go tonight. I'm Tompkins, he's Davis."

"All of us are going?"

"You four."

"What about my girlfriend?"

"Is she here and have you said anything to her?"

"She's also a federal agent, knows I was being followed and probably that Metro and NCIS got pulled off."

Gibbs nodded. "Yeah, she knows that."

"No, just you four." He looked at the luggage. "Got anything with your names, address, anything personal?"

"Photos."

"No photos, letters or anything that can link you to anything here. Clothes, books, and toys for the kids that's it."

The other marshal started going through the bags, removing all of Gibbs' photos and stopping to look through the envelope from Vance. "You can keep this but if you decide to leave the program, let us know."

They nodded as Tim's suitcase and then the kids' were searched. The rejected photos were set around the living and family rooms as if they belonged; other rejected items were thrown on Tim's bed. Tim handed over his electronics: laptop, phone, iPad and other devices. He was allowed to take the portable DVD player, DVDs and what few CDs he still had. Gibbs handed over his phone without being asked for it, saying, "I don't have a computer or any other electronics."

Watching the men go through everything, Tim was very glad his latest book was due to be released in a week; the advance he'd been paid was a big part of the cash Dad had withdrawn and his royalty checks went straight into the siblings' joint account. He'd started doing that with his first check when they were still in recovery mode after years of poverty and he'd never stopped, withdrawing funds only when he truly needed something. There was also an offshore account that automatically received a percentage of each royalty check.

"Can you tell us why?"

"Not us, not now."

Later then, that gave them some hope. The Gibbses went upstairs to get the kids, wrapping them in blankets and carrying them out to the van where they found safety seats for Ty and Brynie. After strapping them in, Tim settled between his children while Dad climbed into the seat in the back, their bags were loaded and they drove off into the night.