Chapter One

Supervisory Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs had been shot by Luke Harris, through Daniel Budd and the Calling. Right now, he was on the U.S.S. Daniel Webster, under the care of Doctor Cyril Taft.

"Move, damnit!" a female voice snarled from down the hall. "Before I punt your ass to the other end of this damn ship!"

Special Agent Tony DiNozzo looked up in tired resignation. He knew that voice. "And thar she blows," he said. He had just received a call from NCIS Director Vance, ordering him to head back, find Daniel Budd, and deal with him accordingly. It didn't surprise him in the slightest that the owner of the voice had managed to get there as fast as she had.

CIA officer Joanna Teague looked at him, eyes wide. "Who's that?" she asked.

He never got to answer, because the owner of the voice appeared, charging around the corner, a harried-looking seaman chasing after, completely unaware that she was deaf.

"Tony, where the hell is my father?" Dabi Moore-Gibbs demanded.

"In there, with Doctor Taft, undergoing surgery right now, so don't even think of going in there, kid," Tony said. "Joanna, meet Dabi Moore-Gibbs, otherwise known as the Boss's Daughter. Dabi, CIA officer Joanna Teague. She's part of the case."

"Was she there when Dad was shot?" Dabi demanded, glaring at the older woman.

"We both were, and we know who did it," Tony said, "but before you go all Kill Bill on us, we've got this."

"If you had this, why the hell did it happen in the first place?" Dabi yelled, hitting Tony in the shoulder. She saw Joanna about to open her mouth and she growled, "Not a word out of your mouth, lady. I don't know you, and right now, unless you know what's happening with my dad, I don't want to know you."

Joanna's eyes went wide, but she clamped her mouth shut when Tony quickly shook his head at her. He forced Dabi to look at him, making sure she could read him.

"Your dad is with one of the best trauma doctors around, and he's a fighter. Now, Joanna and I have to head back; Vance's orders. Stay with your dad. We will stay in touch, I promise," he said.

"Tony, please, please. I don't want to lose him," Dabi said, starting to cry.

"You won't. This nice ensign is going to stay with you and keep you company, okay?" Tony said, gesturing at a hovering Navy officer who had the gold bar of an Ensign and the gold oak leaf of the Nurse Corps.

"You find this bastard, and you hurt him, you hear me? You hurt him real good," Dabi demanded.

"Loud and clear, kiddo, loud and clear," Tony promised, giving her a tight hug. "I have to go. I love you, pain my ass."

"Love you too, sonovabitch," Dabi replied, hugging him back just as tightly.

As he and Joanna walked away, he spoke quietly to the ensign. "Hope you know sign language, or you'd better find someone who does."

"I don't know sign language, but I will find someone who does," the ensign promised. "And if not, we'll manage."

"Good. If you want to keep her busy, throw her at the baking section of the galley; she's part owner of one of the best bakeries in DC."

"Understood, sir. I'll watch out for her; I promise."

"Thank you."

As Tony and Joanna walked through the ship, Joanna commented, "Cute nicknames."

"Long story. Short version; Dabi is Gibbs' daughter. She has his temper and his mouth, and we have a running prank feud. She's also part owner of Kranz Bakery, has a kick worthy of Jean-Claude Van Damme, and is very protective of her family," Tony explained. "Meningitis took her hearing when she was about six, and a drunk driver took her mother when she was about eleven."

"Must've been hard on Gibbs, raising a daughter on his own."

"He didn't. Dabi was the result of a fling Gibbs had with her mother, who died before she could work up the courage to tell him. Fate had us crossing paths with Dabi almost three years ago, just before she turned eighteen, through Abby. She'd been living with her grandparents up until then, and now lives above the bakery with her boyfriend, who happens to be a physical therapist for disabled veterans," Tony said. "She kicks, she shoots, she bakes, and when it comes to those she calls her own, you do not screw with her."

"My kind of girl. Now, let's go screw with Daniel Budd's face," Joanna said.

Much later:

Gibbs woke up slowly, hurting in places he didn't realize it was possible to hurt. He licked his dry lips, then sighed as someone put an ice chip on his lips.

"Would you like more?" a soft voice asked.

He nodded, and Dabi appeared in his line of view, placing another chip on his lips. She smiled at him.

"Hey. About time you woke up."

"Where?"

"You're still on the U.S.S. Daniel Webster with Dr. Taft, and you're hurting because you got shot in the chest and in the knee," Dabi said, hitting the call button. "Dr. Taft had his hands in your chest for a bit there, because of bullet fragments, plus you almost left us when your heart started acting funny, but you came back. Oh, and Mike Franks apparently popped by, because you told him to go away."

"Saw him."

"That's what I thought."

Another face appeared; Dr. Taft. "Ah, good. You're awake. Gave us quite the scare there for a bit, but thanks to my very capable hands, we pulled you back. I'm going to check you over, make sure everything is tick-tocking properly, and then we will start making arrangements for you to be transferred to Bethesda."

"Sitrep?" Gibbs asked.

"Tony and Officer Teague are chasing after the Calling somewhere back on land, Tim and Ellie got hit with a stolen vehicle case involving a bunch of stupid Privates who claim they didn't know the vehicle was stolen, Vance has been square dancing with pretty much all the letters over the Calling bullshit, oh, and the captain, Captain Melandes, he doesn't like me," Dabi said, having been keeping in constant contact with everyone.

"Why?" Gibbs asked, flinching when Taft flashed a light in his eyes to check his reflexes.

"Because your daughter is making the head baker on this ship cry," Taft said, checking his feet for his spinal reflexes. "She took the Navy dietary guideline book and tossed it out the window, and now the ship is sitting two inches lower in the water from all the weight the crew has been putting on because of what she's been serving for dessert and snacks."

"I screwed up the poor man's inventory and menu for the next week," Dabi said, smirking.

"Good," Gibbs said. "Luke?"

"They haven't found him, but I have no doubt he will be found again," Dabi said, having been appraised of the situation. She still wasn't quite sure what to think of the whole kid bomber-slash-terrorist thing.

"Better," Gibbs said. "You done poking me?" he asked Taft.

"For now. Everything appears to be doing good so far. It's going to be a while before you can do any tap dancing, but you'll be able to move from the bed to the couch in a few days. Get some rest. I'll check on you again later," Taft said.

"Coffee," Gibbs said, starting to drift off.

"I'll get you a cup, Dad, even if I have to make it myself," Dabi promised. He felt her kiss his head. "Love you."

"Love you, too."

Twenty-four hours later:

"She did what?!" Gibbs yelped, staring at Captain Melandes, who had come down to visit him.

"She punched out a SEAL because he made a sexist remark about Ensign Stryder that he hadn't realized she saw, because she lip-read him from across the room," Melandes said calmly.

"Beautiful punch too," Taft said. "Flying leap right off the mess bench. Looked like something right out of MMA."

"Don't forget the follow-up," Melandes said. "She didn't break any bones, but she certainly fractured a few of his ribs and gave him a very nice black eye and a beautiful split lip."

Gibbs groaned. "She studies kickboxing and Marine hand-to-hand combat," he admitted, wondering if Dabi was going to be facing assault charges and whether or not he could bribe or threaten the Agent Afloat. "And she made friends with a pair of SEALs about a year ago, who might have taught her a few things."

"That's what she said," Melandes said, nodding.

"What about charges?" Gibbs asked, carefully taking a sip of his coffee that Dabi had brought him. Prior experience had taught him to be careful about such things. Dabi was currently grabbing a quick shower, thanks to Ensign Stryder, whom had rapidly become her friend on board the ship.

"No charges. The SEAL was too embarrassed to admit he got his lights punched out by a girl," Melandes said. "He was also told that if he tried to press charges, he would be facing charges of sexual harassment himself, partly for calling Ensign Stryder a nursemaid, and partly for calling Dabi the Little Mermaid."

Gibbs cringed. "She hates that. Says Ariel is a dreamer and a wimp in a fight. Says she'd rather be called Black Widow," he explained.

"Right, right. Natasha Romanoff, from all those Marvel movies," Taft said. "Red hair, wicked punch. Makes sense."

"That's actually what our SEAL commander, Captain Allerford, called her," Melandes admitted. "He was in the mess hall when the incident happened. Trust me, Lieutenant Junior Grade McCullens will not be giving your daughter any trouble, or any other woman for that matter, not if he values his career as a SEAL."

"Good," Gibbs said. He sighed tiredly. "Not that I don't appreciate the services of your ship, Captain, but how much longer am I going to be here?"

"That's up to the doc," Melandes said.

"Another twenty-four hours, just to be safe, and then we'll transport you to Bethesda for a while," Taft said. "I want to keep an eye on your chest and knee, make sure no further complications develop. Besides, it's not like you're in a position to argue with me anyway."

"Get between me and my coffee and I'll show you arguing," Gibbs grumbled.

"And if I suggest you switch to decaf?" Taft asked.

"Dad's a former Marine, and an NCIS veteran, Doctor," Dabi said, joining them, carrying her own cup of coffee. She had caught the last bit as she entered the room. "Do you really want the answer to that?"

"Rule Twenty-Three," Gibbs said, taking another sip of his coffee.

"Which is?" Taft asked.

"Never mess with a Marine's coffee, if you want to live," Dabi recited. "Which is sort of my Rule Twelve; screw with my coffee first thing in the morning, and I screw with your face all day."

Melandes and Taft stared at them, eyes a bit wide.

"You're serious," Taft said.

"Ask DiNozzo about the burn mark he got on his ass because he put pickling salt in her coffee on April Fool's Day last year," Gibbs said calmly.