In 1996, Mike retired, he'd had enough of the hell of NCIS politics years before, he would rather kill his enemies swiftly and with prejudice than prosecute them fully, but he'd spent years forcing that part of himself down to protect his team and keep the together. Then came the Khobar towers and he couldn't hold back anymore. The failures' of the DSS and CIA grated at him. He'd gone to Gibbs early in July and told him he would have to leave DC or he was going to be responsible for an utter slaughter. Gibbs understood the failures' had directly led to the deaths of 19 servicemen, and nobody was going to pay. However Gibbs couldn't retire, he needed NCIS to stave blood lust, and he needed the hunt and the prey. Mike explained the blood lust would calm eventually and then he could get by with caffeine, but for the moment if he wanted to keep the beast at bay, he had to keep working. Whenever he felt the beast rise, he feel the back of his head, the memory of Ginger's golf club splitting his skull would remain with him.

Gibb's started working directly for Special Agent Riley McAllister, a man who seemed to use NCIS as his own private spy network. In the next year Gibbs found himself on repeated undercover missions, which suited him well, black ops meant no need to recover a body, no need to hide injuries. It also however caused the deaths of the others of Mike's original team, Gibbs felt there loss in the blood, and it spurred him on. Then he was assigned Jenny Shepherd she as young, and ambitious and the best human partner Gibbs had been given since being turned. She was curious about his skills though, his super human powers became obvious when running reconnaissance, and she couldn't help but notice that despite her partner being a sniper, their Marks tended to die in a more close quarter attack.

Finally they were pinned down in an attic in Marseille, with no way out, except a hail of bullets, they had no chance of escape, and no way to signal for extraction. Gibbs new he would survive any attack, the men hunting them were human and fallible armed only with semi-automatic weaponry, but Jenny would be killed, she looked at him and shrugged.

"I know what you are" she told him "and I'm not afraid to die".

He looked at her "How? How do you know?"

"My father, he was killed by a Vampire" she shrugged "Gibbs I don't want to die in a hail of bullets"

"You'd prefer to die at my hands?" he asked her.

"You can turn me can't you?" she asked "We'll both get out of here if you do?"

"It'll hurt" he warned her.

"But I'll live?"

"No, you'll be like me, you'll need blood to live, and the person you were will be dead, your body will be claimed by a Daemon, it's not an easy option."

"Can you smell my blood?" she asked, dropping her voice an octave, "do you know how I want you?"

"You'll be dead, you'll never be able to have children, to grow old, and most likely one day some hunter will slay you." He backed away from her, as the monster inside him stirred.

"Please Gibbs" she begged "I'll be a better agent, faster, stronger…" she'd stepped one step to close and he interrupted her with a strong passionate kiss. He growled and ripped at her shirt and cargo pants, having her naked beside him in seconds, he'd never let the beast attack like this before, it was freeing, it was what it wanted. "Gibbs?" she panted and questioned.

"Are you sure this is what you want Shepherd?" he growled again "you want to be like me?" She looked into his eyes they'd gone black and sparkled, the hypnotic stare had her trapped.

"Will it hurt?" she begged quietly.

The human part of Gibbs brain kicked in at her pitiful voice, "Jenny, if you let me take you first, I promise it won't hurt" he told her.

She looked up and found his eyes were blue again, it was impossible not to trust those eyes, "OK" she nodded, closing her eyes and let him drop her gently on the floor.

Jenny and Gibbs travelled across Europe after that, two vampires working together made tracking easier, their assassination rate increased, as lovers they could share their kills, it worked perfectly, until Paris. Traditionally a Vampire is always in thrall to their Sire, and at first Jenny was entirely Gibbs property, to do with as he wished, when he wished. However she was still the ambitious woman she'd been as a human, she wanted new challengers, and new partners, she also wanted her own thrall. Gibbs had taught her everything he knew, and in turned passed on information about Hunters and Slayers, the primal urge to keep his mate safe. In doing that he'd explained Ducky's role at NCIS, and so that was who she turned too when she wanted out.

Gibbs was surprised when Ducky arrived in Paris, but greeted his old friend, the man they were chasing down had a Gendarme accomplice. Gibbs killed the Mark, and Ducky in a moment of relived youth pushed the Gendarme 30ft into a lake. They ended up on the run, and Jenny who was acting as control, couldn't save them from the law. Gibbs was livid and betrayed, Ducky was worried for his friend. The day of their court hearing however, Gibbs felt Jenny close, coming out of the jail, he looked across the road to the river finding a boat moored as close as possible. His eyes narrowed and he saw her standing hands on hips waiting. Grabbing Ducky's bound wrist Gibbs fought the Gendarmes around them, he ran across to his mate, dragging the older man with him. While the chaos continued, they made their escape.

The next evening they boarded a plane, while Ducky slept Jenny and Gibbs made love over and over. Laughing at their escape, Gibbs loving her company, the taste of her blood, the feeling of completely trusting his partner. When the plane landed in Schiphol, Jenny left to fill out some paperwork, Ducky and Jethro still laughing about the Gendarmes face when Ducky pushed them. After a while the plane started to taxi Gibbs looked around for Jenny and Ducky grabbed his arm. "She's gone Jethro" he told him

"What?"

"She's left, she's taken a mission in the Middle East"

"Her coat?" Gibbs showed the man Jenny's brown overcoat still lying on her chair "She left?"

Three weeks later Gibbs met Stephanie Flynn, he was being sent to Moscow and McAllister had asked him to find a wife as cover. Initially Gibbs had considered trawling the Vamp bars, then he'd met her. She was desperate for adventure for travel, she didn't know what he was, and unlike with Dianne, where he'd fought to hide his nature, this time his blood lust was somewhat sated. He became addicted to coffee instead. Sadly however after their hurried wedding ceremony and relocation to Moscow, Gibbs realised the mistake he'd make. She wanted children, it was all she'd talk about. He disappeared into his mission, spent very little time at home, and slept his way through the Vamp population of Moscow. It was there he met a Vampire called G Callen, he couldn't remember his mortal life, he couldn't remember being turned, and the CIA was using him to run Ops because he was good and fast. Gibbs explained to him there was a better life, a safer life, hiding his nature away with a close knit team. He told G of the clan Mike had built up, his desire to have his own. They ran an op through Moscow and Eastern Europe ending in Serbia, in a massive shoot out. Callen realised Gibbs was right, the CIA didn't care for him. They parted in Belgrade, Callen promising to leave the CIA, Gibbs promising to put in a good word with the Director NCIS. He'd been gone 8 weeks, when he returned Stephanie shouted at him for a good hour he'd missed several fertility appointments, in the end he shouted he was infertile. 4 weeks later he was living back in DC, awaiting his third divorce.