A/N: Sorry about the delay but my schedule is crazy! This will be the final chapter for this story since I'm going to focus more on my other story, Return of the Redhead, and I don't really like the direction this story took… But I appreciate all of you reading and reviewing. I'm hoping to do a happy sequel set in the future soon.

Carson awoke about a half hour after Gibbs team left, his neck and back feeling stiff from sleeping upright. He was confused, he was not in his bed, but at Tony's desk at NCIS headquarters. It took him a moment to remember why he was at NCIS, but once he did he felt sick. The last thing he remembered was asking Abby to get Fever Pitch and ice cream then sitting down at Tony's desk to wait. He must have fallen asleep there thus his stiff neck and back. He rubbed his eyes and looked around, everyone was gone except for Jenny who was sitting at Gibbs's desk reading files. He wanted to ask about his parents but he was afraid of the answer.

Jenny had been reading her case files when she heard a cracking noise coming from DiNozzo's desk, looking up she saw Carson was awake. He looked so innocence, she couldn't believe soon she would tell him both of his parents were dead. He was going to be left without any biological family, he would have to change schools, he would have to make new friends, and he would have to deal with all of this as a ten year old. Jenny's heart ached for him, this wasn't fair. Parents were supposed to be there for their kids, not leave them as ten year olds.

"Jenny?" Carson said in a small voice, he sounded scared. Jenny knew it was time for the moment of truth, the moment she had been dreading.

"Yes Carson?"

"Did Abby ever come back with the ice cream and Fever Pitch?" Jenny laughed, happy for the distraction.

"Yes but you feel asleep so Abby and I ate all the ice cream so it wouldn't melt!"

Carson pouted, "Hey that's not fair! My mom and dad always told me life wasn't fair, which is weird because they also told me life is beautiful. How can life be beautiful but not fair, fairness is good. I mean yeah life is beautiful, but it should be fair too, right Jenny?" Jenny couldn't help, but notice the way the personalities of her agents had become a part of his. He liked similar things to what Tony liked, went on long breathless rants like Abby, and had taken to pondering things like Ducky. He was certainly one incredible kid.

"Yes Carson it should, but that's not the way it goes. There are good moments in life and bad ones. Life can be beautiful at times, but it can also be quite ugly. Sometimes life is fair, sometimes it's not. It's like the old saying sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. You'll go through good times and bad times. Times when you feel like you're at the top of the world and times when you feel you're in a pit so low you'll never come out. But if you got family and friends who love and support you no matter what you'll be fine. After all life's what you make it. If I can offer you some advice from my vast experience as the great Robert Frost once said, 'In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes on.' And I promise you it does, even if it doesn't seem like it."

"Jenny my parents are dead aren't they?" Carson asked in a small, sad voice. His face had turned a pale white color and tears were falling. As Jenny watched him her heart broke for him, he looked so sad and helpless. She wanted to do something- anything to make the pain go away, but she knew all too well there was nothing she could do. Things like this take time and no amount of telling him everything will be okay was going to make this better now. Maybe in a few months, but not right now, for right now she was just going to stay with him. She moved the chair next to his and wrapped him in a big hug. He carefully climbed into her lap and sat there crying. Her silk blouse was soon drenched with his tears, but she didn't care, it could easily be replaced. Eventually he cried himself asleep in Jenny's arms and they stayed like that for a long time. Her phone had ringed multiple times, she really had to go to the bathroom, and she was hungry, but she couldn't bring herself to waking him.

Team Gibbs came running into the bullpen at 1 PM, convinced something was horribly wrong. They had been trying to reach Jenny for the past half hour, but we're having no luck. After everything that had been going on they were sure somebody had broken into NCIS headquarters and done harm to Jenny and Carson. But when they arrived they saw a scene they hadn't been expecting. Carson was curled up, asleep in Jenny's lap. Jenny's eyes were closed and her arms were wrapped tightly around him. They both looked so peaceful, like mother and son.

"Well wouldn't this make a cute photograph," Ducky whispered.

"Yes, it is quite the kayak moment," Ziva said in agreement.

"It's a Kodak moment Zi-vah," Tony said in an obnoxious tone, "a kayak is a type of boat, Kodak is a brand of cameras."

"Oh whatever, same difference," Ziva muttered.

"Go figure, you got that expression right."

"Oh shut up Tony!" Gibbs head slapped both of them, "ow!" they cried in unison.

"If you two don't stop fighting you're going to wake them up," Gibbs whispered in a hissing tone. He was pretty certain he shouldn't have to tell grown federal agents to play nicely in the sandbox, yet he found himself doing so quite frequently. One day he was going to figure out how they could be such darn good agents when they were so immature.

"It's a little late for that, I'm up," Jenny said, sending all fighting into a dead stop. Ducky shook his head and Jimmy tried to hide a small laugh as Gibbs glared at Tony and Ziva causing them both to drop their heads in shame. They looked like two small children who had been caught stealing cookies for the cookie jar. Jenny had to smile at the scene, sometimes she felt like Gibbs's team was a group of children instead of highly trained federal agents.

"We were worried about you Jen. Rule #3."

"I know never be unreachable, but he cried himself to sleep on my lap so I couldn't exactly reach my phone."

"I take it the poor lad didn't take the news well," Ducky said in a concerned tone.

"You could say that, he soaked my blouse." It wasn't until after she said she realized how self-centered that sounded, "not that I care of course! I was just…I didn't mean that like it came out."

"It's okay Director happens to the best of us sometimes," McGee said, "unless you're Tony and in that case it happens all the time." The group burst out into laughter as Abby walked into the bullpen.

"What's so funny?" she asked confused.

"McGee just owned Tony," Jenny explained, earning her confused looks from both Gibbs and Ducky. Both were confused as to how McGee suddenly "owned" Tony. Ziva, Abby, and McGee all understood and were impressed that she had used the word. Tony knew what it meant as well, but he was too embarrassed by getting owned by the probie to be impressed that Jenny had used the word. Abby ran over and high fived McGee before turning to Gibbs.

"You don't know what owned means Gibbs?" Abby asked in disbelief.

"I'm afraid I don't either Abigail. I'm not up to date on the new lingo."

Abby was just about to explain what it meant when Carson woke up. "What's going on?" he asked sleepily, looking around. He was surprise to see all of his NCIS friends surrounding him with concerned looks.

"It's okay Carson, sorry for waking you," Jenny said in a soft tone as she unwrapped her arms from around him. Her arms were quite stiff, but it was well worth it.

"Agent Gibbs is a sign of weakness to cry?" he asked.

Gibbs sighed, he had never been one for crying. It wasn't that he thought it was a sign of weakness, he just didn't like to. It didn't mean he never did, after the death of his wife and daughter he had shed quite a few tears, but it made him feel weak anyhow. Not that he would ever tell Carson that.

"Never Carson, it means you're alive. Some people might tell you it is, but it's not. It's only human to do so especially after something awful happens."

"Okay," Carson sighed, "I guess I was just hoping they were still alive and now I know they're not my emotions got the best of me." He still felt ashamed for crying, despite what Gibbs had said. He couldn't imagine a big, strong marine like Gibbs crying.

"You should never be ashamed of having emotions Carson," Jenny said, "it's better to let it out then keep it bottled in."

"I don't have any other family besides them, what's going to happen to me?" He was concerned, he knew kids without parents went into foster care. He had a classmate who had been in the foster care system and said it was awful. He didn't want to be put in foster care!

"Your parents made me your legal guardian," Jenny explained, "meaning that I become in charge of caring and providing for you. You'll come live with me!"

"Really?" Carson asked, his face brightening for the first time all day. It was such a relief to know he wouldn't be placed in foster care.

"Yes, we can decorate the guest room however you like and add some more kid friendly touches to the house. You'll have to change schools though, but you can still visit your old friends. Everything may not seem okay now but it will be soon."

"Is agent Gibbs going to live with us?" Carson asked eager to know. Everyone turned to face Jenny who's face had turned a bright shade of red.

"I'll be around Carson, don't worry," Gibbs said ending Jenny's embarrassment.

"And we'll be there to support you every step of the way," Jimmy added. Everybody was shocked, that just might be the most he had ever said in front of Gibbs.

"I've got your back, if anybody messes with you they report to me," Tony added, sounding a lot like a protective older brother.

"I'll teach you how to kill them with a paperclip if they try," Ziva said, earning a glare from Jenny.

"I'll help you with science!" Abby added cheerfully.

"I can help you with English and computers," McGee offered.

"I have a vast knowledge of history, I'd be more than willing to share," Ducky added.

"And I'm good at math so I'm all set! Thanks you guys for being so kind," Carson said sincerely grateful for the wonderful family he had found in the NCIS agents. Everything might not feel okay now, but with their help everything would be okay soon.

The end.