Flashback
"I will stay safe, I will come home" he told his family before he left for another tour in the golf.
"I love you Jethro" Shannon's voice chimed out.
"I love you daddy" Kelly said with tears in her eyes
"I love you" he said as he slipped out the door with one last kiss and hug.
End flash back
He sat at his desk memories filing his mind like it happened only yesterday. 15 years ago the unthinkable happened. His family murdered his body injured. Leroy Jethro Gibbs had it all a good military career a loving family waiting for him whenever he was at home. Even great health.
"Boss the victims name is petty officer Tommy Grenwald. Stationed at the pentagon. Last seen Thursday leaving work he was supposed to meet with his ex-fiancé but never showed." Special agent Anthony Dinozzo said as Gibbs entered the bullpen.
"Find her bring her in" he told them.
Gibbs and Dinozzo made their way to the house of the fiancé. "Name is Lt Kelly McNeil graduated top of her class at MIT now stationed in here in Norfolk. 25 years old moved to New Orleans at the age of 8 with her mother and unborn sister Leah. Father died in the gulf before the move." Tony told the older man.
Ding dong. A young woman answered the door with a small child on her hip. She looked to be about three years old. "Can I help you?" She asked
"Yes I'm special agent Dinozzo this is special agent Gibbs we are here to talk to you about your ex-fiancé Tommy Grenwald"
"What about him"
"Lt McNeil we need you to come down to NCIS do you have someone to watch her?"
"Yes, mom can you watch Tanzi for me I have to go deal with a few things she said as she handed the small girl off to a familiar redhead who's hair was fading to a slight grey. If Gibbs had been paying attention he would have noticed the similarities.
"Come here Tanz"
"Special Agent Dinozzo why are you and Gibbs here" Special Agent derrick Channing asked as he rounded the corner from inside.
"We could ask you the same thing agent Channing"
"I'll meet you at NCIS to explain." The four of them made their way to headquarters.
****
"Start explaining Channing" Gibbs demanded after he sent Dinozzo down stairs with McNeil.
"You know I'm the official liaison with the FBI as the witness protection officer. You must keep the questioning of McNeil to the guidelines of the program"
"Due to the case my director will make you inform me of her entire case. So you might wanna start talkin." Gibbs told him flatly.
"He's right Agent Channing. It's time to tell Gibbs the truth, Gibbs if you'll follow me" director Vance put in.
They entered the director's office Gibbs remained standing while the other two took their seats.
"Kelly McNeil was placed in the witness protection program with her mother and unborn sister. As Ncis we have been keeping close tabs on them due to the fact that the husband was a marine..." Director Vance started.
"Once a marine always a marine director" Gibbs butted in.
"Anyway" he started again as he began putting files up onto his computer "once you finish the interrogation we will finish this conversation."
Down stairs Gibbs entered interrogation one where Tony had placed the ex-fiancé. "Where were you Thursday at 17:30?"
"At Walters diner waiting for Tommy to get there. He never showed. What happened did he do something bad"
"I'll ask the questions" he said coldly " why did your engagement to Grenwald end?"
"He found out I was pregnant. He left me saying he never wanted anything to do with us"
"The small girl from the house"
"Yes sir"
"Why were you set to meet him"
"I wanted him to meet her no child should have to live without their father. Every child deserves to know their father."
"Did you call him"
"Yes I wanted to force him to meet her" she said.
Meanwhile in the observation box.
"Director" tony said as Vance walked in the room.
"How bad is it"
"He's pressuring the answers out of her. It's not too bad yet. He's getting angry though" Kate told him.
"If he only knew it was his own daughter sitting there trembling in front of him. Tony and Kate looked at the director with shocked expressions.
Back in interrogation.
"I have had to go for the past 18 years without my father, no child should have to go through that. My sister never even got to meet him, I was 8 years old when I lost all contact. Do you know what it's like to have to lose the person or people who mean the most to you. I don't want Tanzania to live like that" she continued her bright pale blue eyes blazing into his bright pale blue ones. If you looked close enough the similarities would become very visible.
"Yes I do. I understand" that's when it clicked in her head, Agent Gibbs looked very familiar for a reason. She went off into her mind pulling out the last image of her father.
Flashback
"I will stay safe, I will come home" he told her and her mother.
"I love you Jethro" her mother said with tears brimming on her eyes.
"I love you daddy" she said with her own tears.
"I love you" he replied as he kissed them both gave them a hug and slipped out the door. She sat there crying for hours with her mother.
End flashback.
"Your free to go." He told her as he looked away leaving the room by slamming the door. She cringed as the loud bang from the door reached her ears. Tony entered the room with Kate.
"What happened to Tommy"
"He was murdered Thursday" Kate told her.
"Oh my god"
"We are very sorry" they just stood in silence for a few momments.
"Is he always like this" she asked the other two agents.
"Yes but it's worse today then another day" Kate told her sweetly.
"Because it's the day I died"
"You know?" Tony asked.
"Yes I figured it out I had forgotten but his eyes..."
"Are your eyes" Kate concluded.
"Yes" they lead her out of the building and back to her home where her mother met her at the door with a very eager little girl.
"Momma"
"Hey princess" she said to her little girl.
"Mrs. McNeil. I'm agent Dinozzo this is agent Todd. May we come in before Channing gets her."
"Yes"
"Our boss is being informed of your existence as we speak, we just want to warn you a lot has changed in the past however many years"
"I haven't a clue what you talking about Agent Dinozzo"
"Mom they know there director told them as I was being interrogated, rather harshly. Does he think I killed Tommy?" She asked
"Yes he does"
"Who" just then Tony's phone started to ring.
"Gibbs I can explain we just made sure she got home safe, ya no it was Kates idea"
"Tony"
"Sorry boss be back in 10" the call ended.
"Gibbs as in Leroy Jethro Gibbs?"
"Yes mom, he was at the door before, he's frikin freaky"
"I wish we could all go and hide right now" Kate said sadly.
"We have to get back but I would be a bit on edge if I were you" he is not the same man you remember from before.
****
"Director you better tell me everything now!" Gibbs demanded.
"Like I said before Kelly McNeil was placed into the witness protection program at the age of 8 with her mother and unborn sister. They had been in a car accident due to the fact that a Mexican drug lord had shot the NIS Agent who was driving their vehicle. The body has never been found so we have no idea if he is still alive. They just moved back to dc three years ago. The youngest who is 18 this year is attending school here." He said placing three photos and files up onto the plasma. Gibbs shook his head in shock. Shannon. Kelly... Young girl named Leah Jane. "There identity is to stay hidden until Pedro Hernandez is found dead or alive. If he is alive then he must be put away before we can..."
"That's my family you bastard, they are not staying hidden. Hernandez is dead, I murdered that bastard as soon as I found him 18 years ago. There is nothing you can do but let my family go. Director."
*********
Kelly sat in the living room of the home she shared with her mother, sister and daughter. "Mom, what do you think is going to happen?"
"I don't know sweetie. I don't know"
Cartoons played on the T.V, fresh baked cookies sat in the kitchen intoxicating the house. But overall silence pierced through the minds of the two who remembered and knew of their life before all hell broke loose. Just then there was a knock on the door. Leah ran to get it.
"Hello" she answered, a grey haired man stood in the door way.
"Is your mom and sister here?"
"Yup come on in" she directed him to the still quiet living room. Leah looked over to the mantel and upon seeing a picture of her mother and who she knew to be her father on their wedding day she realized just who she let into the house. She now knew that for whatever reason he had found out the truth.
Kelly stood up so she was facing him " Did you come here to yell at me some more, interrogate me for more information I don't have on Tommy. I don't know anything. I don't know who wanted to kill him." she was crying now. Tanzi looked up to her mom with concern then back to her show.
"I'm not here about the case. Director Vance told me what happened. He told me that they have been hiding you from a man who is already dead for the last 18 years."
"He's dead. how do you know?" Shannon asked.
"Because I killed him. For killing you. A casualty of war, nothing more" he replied. Shannon ran to him, pulling him as close as he could. He held her tightly. Crying to each other, whispering sweet nothings, calming each other again. finally he was blissfully happy. Kelly stood by watching, unable to move or speak. "I'm sorry I didn't find you earlier." he told them.
"You wouldn't have, we stayed hidden for so long it became second nature. You would not have been able to find us even if you knew we were alive."
Finally Kelly spoke "Did you know it was me in the room back at NCIS?"
"No, I didn't find out until after I left the room"
She then ran to him much like her mother. He held her like he did when she was a child. For the next three days they remained together, catching up on everything they missed. He was getting to know his daughter whom he had never met and his grandchild whom he knew would be amazing at everything. They were finally a family. They all moved back into the old house still owned by Gibbs. Leah accepted him after a few hours. Happy to have a father figure like she always wanted.
Happiness was at last on the menu for the rest of their lives. It turned out that an ex girlfriend had murdered Tommy Grenwald after she found out he was going to go back to Kelly and raise their family. Kelly was sad for a while but eventually she moved on with her life and found a man who she would marry. They would raise two more children together. Gibbs continued to work for NCIS until his retirement day. Shannon worked as a nurse for just as long. Leah went through law school and is now known as one of the best criminal defence lawyers in the state.
This is the story of how the Gibbs family found each other after all the years of being apart. The tale of happiness and love. Forever a family. Leroy Jethro Gibbs, Shannon Gibbs, Kelly Gibbs, Leah Gibbs. And so many more to come.
The End