It's a crisp November morning when the NCIS team arrive at Quantico Military Base. As the team alight the van, they survey the smouldering remains of a base bungalow. The Fire Department are gathering their gear as they prepare to leave. The Fire Captain approaches the agents to give then an update.
"Is one of you guys Special Agent Gibbs?" he asks wearily.
"That'd be me," Gibbs replies, producing his I.D. "Any idea how it started?"
"Sure. Gasoline. Doesn't even look like he tried to disguise it. They doused the windows and doors and cut off all means of escape. Poor bastards were trapped. Two dead, two critical," he informs the investigative team.
"Do we have the identities of the victims yet?" Gibbs asks.
"A Sergeant Tyrone Willis and his son, Nathan. His wife and 3 year old daughter are critical last I heard," the fire captain tells him. Gibbs shakes his head in disgust.
"Any witnesses?" DiNozzo asks.
"One. That guy across the street. You could start there. I gotta go. Hope you catch the creep," he says, turning back towards his men.
"We'll get him," Gibbs promises. He turns to his team, determination in his eyes. Just as Gibbs is about to assign duties, Ducky and Palmer arrive in their usual disorganised manner, Ducky chiding Palmer for his lack of map reading skills as he opens the van door.
"Hey, Duck," Gibbs calls to his old friend. "The Fire Department removed the bodies from the scene. They're over there."
Ducky throws his arms in the air in frustration. He hates when his scenes are disturbed. He mumbles something barely audible and then proceeds to the remains. Gibbs turns back to his team with a hint of a smile.
"DiNozzo, McGee, photos and evidence. Ziva, you're with me," he says, marching smartly across the road to the house the fire captain had pointed out. Ziva scurries after him. Gibbs knocks on the front door. The door is opened almost immediately by a burly middle-aged army major. Gibbs introduces himself and Ziva and is invited in. After exchanging brief small talk, Gibbs gets down to the task at hand.
"The fire captain told me that you saw something last night," he begins.
"Sure did. I was sitting on the steps out front, having a cigarette. The wife doesn't let me smoke in the house. Anyway, it was about zero three hundred hours and…"
"What were you doing up at that hour?" Ziva interrupts.
"I don't sleep so good these nights. Anyway, as I was saying, a car stopped across the street. To be honest, I didn't pass much remark. A guy in civvies got out and walked around back. I presumed that it was Sgt Willis coming home. It was when he came back around front that I thought it odd. Then he poured something on the porch. That's when I knew something was wrong. I ran inside to get the phone. By the time I came back out the porch was on fire."
"Did you get a look at the car?" Ziva asks.
"It was a black or navy Mitsubishi, I think. I'm not really good with cars," the Major admits.
"How about the man you say? Did you get a good look at him?" Gibbs asks.
"I couldn't really see. It was dark. There was another guy waiting in the car. He looked straight at me as they drove away. All I saw was that he was white, early twenties and wore a crew cut. Not much I know, sorry," he replies.
"What about the victims? Can you tell us anything about them?" Ziva asks.
"They seemed like a nice family. Kept to themselves. My daughter used to babysit sometimes. Those poor kids, who could anyone do such a thing?"
Gibbs shakes his head. He's about to ask another question when the door bursts open and a young woman with a backpack bursts though.
"Oh my God! What happened Dad?" she asks, not realising that the two agents were there. "Oh, excuse me," she apologises.
"It's okay baby," Major Stenson says, putting his arms around her. "These are NCIS agents investigating the fire across the road. This is my daughter, Kelly," he says in introduction. "I'm just answering a few questions for the agents. I'll tell you everything in a few moments. Go through to Mom. She's in the kitchen."
The young woman smiles at the two agents, her eyes lingering on Gibbs for a moment longer. There's something familiar about him. She excuses herself wondering if they'd met before but not asking. Her father and the agents continue their conversation.
"Sorry about that. She's just home from college for the weekend. She'll be so upset when she hears about those poor children," the major tells them.
The agents continue their questioning and eventually return to the scene across the road. By the time they return, Ducky has removed the bodies and left for the lab. DiNozzo and McGee are still photographing the burnt out home.
"When you're finished here, you guys head on over to the hospital and see how the wife is. Talk to her if you can. Ziva, we need to talk to Willis' C.O.," Gibbs says as he walks to his sedan.
Across the road, in the Stenson's kitchen, the young woman is asking her Dad about the male agent he had been talking to.
"Have we met him before, Dad? He looks so familiar," she asks.
"I don't think so, honey. I've never met him before," the Major tells her.
"What's his name?" she enquires.
"I can't remember. Gibson or something like that. Hold on, he left his card on the mantle," he says, returning to the living room.
"Special Agent Gibbs, NCIS," he announces on his return.
"Gibbs?" she repeats, recognising her former surname, the name she relinquished after the Stensons adopted her.
"Oh," her father says, realising the connection. "I never even thought. I wonder if he's related in someway to your family. Why don't you keep the card and give him a call sometime?" he suggests.
Kelly goes quiet, lost in thought. She hugs her Dad and takes the card and goes up to her room. She opens her closet and takes a shoebox down from the top shelf. It couldn't be, she thinks as she takes the lid off. She was convinced that her mind was playing tricks on her. She rummages feverishly through a pile of faded photographs until she finds the one she is looking for. It was a picture of a young marine in uniform, head shaved and smiling broadly for the camera, her first Dad. She remembered the day this photo was taken. He was leaving for Kuwait. There were tears and lingering hugs. She missed him so much. He was still away when the accident happened. She still couldn't remember too much about that fateful day. She recalls waking in the hospital, asking for her Mom. Little did she know that her mum had died instantly and was buried the week before she regained consciousness. Eventually they broke the news to her. For so long after she begged for her Daddy to come home, for so long she was told he was far away. Then one awful day a soldier came into her room. He was accompanied by a priest and another lady. They looked sad. It was then that what was left of her life evaporated. They told her that her Dad had been killed in action. The next few weeks in hospital were a blur until one day the same lady came into her room and told her that she was going to get a new family. That was the day she met the Stensons.
Through the tears in her eyes she again focuses on the photograph in her hand. Add a decade and a half and a few extra pounds, it certainly could be the same man she thought. She couldn't be sure. She took up the business card again. She had to know for sure. She sat on the edge of her bed for ages, trying to summon the courage to make the call, trying to figure out what to say. While she thought this could be her father, she was swamped with so many questions. Why did he pretend to die? How could he abandon her? She wanted answers. She took a deep breath and dialled the number on the card.
"Yeah, Gibbs," he answered almost immediately. The suddenness of his reply startles Kelly.
"Oh," she begins shakily. " This is Kelly Stenson, Major Stenson's daughter. We met briefly this morning."
"Oh yes, Ms. Stenson. What can I do for you?" Gibbs asks.
"Em, I was wondering if I could talk to you," she asks hesitantly.
"Sure, go right ahead," Gibbs replies.
"Would it be possible to meet you somewhere, it's important," she tells him, not wanting to talk on the phone.
"Okay," Gibbs replies, a little bewildered. "Has this something to do with the fire?"
"Yes," she lies.
"I'm on my way back to my office now but if you could come to my office, I could see you later today," Gibbs informs her. "How about 5.30pm?"
"That would be great. I'll see you then," she says before hanging up.
Gibbs is a little perplexed about the young lady and wonders what is so important that she cannot tell him over the phone. He decides not to dwell on it. She was the Willis' babysitter after all. Maybe she knew some family secrets.