I just don't get why people think I'm giving them a false sense of security… lol


"Abby, I can't thank you enough." He brushed a tear from her cheek and pulled her in close. "Everything you've done for me…" The past week had gone by in a flash. When he wasn't at work he was packing his basics into a small suitcase, his mind on overdrive at the idea of seeing his family again.

"I'd do anything for you, Gibbs. You've done so much for me; it's only fair that I return the favor. And I know you aren't supposed to take anything personal, as a safety issue, but I don't think this will give you away." Abby pulled a small silver fox from her pocket and pressed it into his hand. "Remember me and the team now and again, okay?"

"I could never forget you, ever." He dropped the little fox into his pocket and hugged her close again. "You have the number for the burn phone?"

"In my head," she tapped her finger to the side of her head and smiled. She had spent hours reciting it over and over and over again.

"Good girl."

"Be safe Gibbs, we'll all be okay. I just want to know that you are as well."

Lucas tapped his watch. "Your flight to Houston leaves soon, you've got to get going."

Abby pulled away and straightened her shirt. "Go Gibbs… Go."

He nodded and held up his hand, curling his middle and ring finger down.

Abby mirrored his movement and watched him get into the waiting cab. With one final wave he was gone. She took one shuddering breath and then another and then one more before half collapsing on his front step.

"Whoa… easy there," Lucas stepped up. "Let's get you inside."

"No!" Abby waved him away.

"Okay, okay." He sat beside her. "You loved him, didn't you?"

"More than I've ever loved anyone," Abby wiped the tears from her face. She had never admitted it to anyone before, but now that he was gone for good there was no reason to hide it.

"Then why all the trouble to find his wife and daughter? I get the curiosity in the beginning, but you could've said nothing, why essentially push him away?"

Abby thought for a moment. "Because how much as I love him is how much he loves them. What kind of person would I be if I knowingly stood in the way of that?"

"But where will you find love and happiness then?"

"Does it look like Gibbs and I were on the fast track for romance? Plus, three people are happy now. How could I put my happiness over three?"

"I think that's the most self-less thing I've ever seen anyone do."

Abby pushed up off the step. "I've got to get to work."

"You can call me, you know, if you want to talk about it."

"I don't." Abby walked away without looking back.


"He what?"

"He stopped by this morning, said he needed some time away. Handed me this to give to the director and that was it." Abby handed the paper to Vance. It basically covered everything Abby had said, he needed time away, to put him on vacation leave immediately.

Lucas was still working on a way for him to disappear completely. If things went well and he was going to stay with his girls, they would need a cover story, but likely the Director of NCIS would be brought in on the plan. But Gibbs would have three weeks to make his decision.

"If you ask me, the man needs a vacation. DiNozzo, you're team lead." Vance folded the paper and slipped it into his pocket. He wasn't thrilled about the short notice, but having Gibbs out of the office for a bit would let him re-establish who was really boss at NCIS – something Agent Gibbs tended to forget.

"He tell you anything, Abby?" Tony followed her down to her lab, curious as to why the boss would hand deliver a note to her apartment rather than face the director himself.

"He said nothing, but he looked calm, like he had thought it through, so… I asked where he was headed, but he just shook his head."

"My guess is the beach with Franks again. Would be hard to give that up."

Abby forced a smile. "Maybe." If she could force herself to believe he was with Mike, it would be easier to ignore the facts.

"Arlight, well, if you want to grab a beer or something… I know you two were close."

"I'm fine Tony. Everyone loves someone they can't have."

Tony nodded, he knew that feeling. "Maybe he's your Shannon."

Abby's head snapped up at the mention of Shannon's name, but when Tony didn't indicate that he knew anything, she let it slide. "Maybe he is."

"But he'll be back, you haven't lost him for good."

"I know," Abby forced a second smile and circled around to turn her equipment on. "I'll talk to you later, Tony."


Waverly, Nebraska.

Gibbs paced his hotel room as he waited. He had flown to Houston on his regular passport, and then flew to Omaha under the name Aaron Powell. From there he had rented a car and driven nearly an hour to a hotel in Waverly. He had been aware of every woman he passed in the small town, aware that it could be his wife or daughter. If he decided to stay with his family, he would keep his given name Leroy and change to the last name Davenport like his girls. The witness protection program recommended that people kept their own first name, even same initials to make the transition and likelihood of a slip up on the lower side. But for anyone trying to find him, Houston Texas was his last known stop. It was near enough to the Mexican border that anyone seeing his name on a flight manifest to Houston would assume Mexico had been his next stop.

There was a knock at the door and Gibbs rushed to answer it, but was disappointed to see a man standing there. "Mr. Gibbs, I assume?"

Gibbs nodded.

"I'm John Corte with the U.S. Marshal and I'm here to oversee your meeting with Shannon and Kelly Davenport." As Gibbs opened his mouth to protest, he spoke again. "Sorry, security reasons. They'll be here shortly."

Gibbs nodded and stepped back to let him in. He continued to pace and then stood by the window looking out over the small city. He didn't hear the soft knock on the door, his attention focused on a city that had seen his little girl grow up over the past 20 years.

"Dad?"

Gibbs turned and stood face to face with a young woman. She had his same eyes and dark hair, but her skin was as fair as Shannon's. "I once told someone that if I had one wish, it would be to hug my daughter one more time."

Kelly smiled wide and rushed forward to wrap her arms around her father.

Gibbs stood speechless as his daughter hugged him for the first time in 18 years, slowly bringing his arms up to hug her close. His eyes fell shut as he tried to fight against the tears welling up. The last time he had hugged her she was eight and he was leaving. Now she was 26 and he felt like he was finally coming home.

"Gibbs?"

His eyes flew open and he saw Shannon standing just inside the doorway. She looked the same, her delicate features and red hair was the same. She looked older and tired (but he figured he did as well) but the way she smiled at him reminded him of the first time he had seen her inside the window of the dress shop all those years ago in Stillwater. Daring to only drop one hand from Kelly, he reached out to her. When he finally had both girls in his arms, he stopped fighting the emotions and allowed himself to cry. "God, I've missed you guys-" his voice cracked "-so much."

"We're here, together, now." Shannon whispered.

Kelly pressed her face to her father's chest. If he was crying she figured she was allowed to cry as well.

"So um…" John cleared his throat. "If you think you'll be okay, I suppose I can leave."

"We'll be fine, thank you." Shannon had been concerned with Gibbs having suddenly found them after so long, but she had no doubt that they would be safe with him.

"I'll be in contact in two weeks or so to discuss further action." John opened the door. "Take care."

"I don't know what to say," Gibbs said quietly. "I don't know what… to do."

Shannon wiped at the tears on her cheeks and nodded to the bed. "Let's sit before you fall over."

Gibbs nodded and went to sit on the bed and leaned back against the headboard, taking a tissue when Kelly handed him the box she grabbed from the bathroom. Shannon sat beside him, wrapping her hands around one of his and holding it in her lap. Kelly sat at their feet, dabbing a tissue at her eyes.

"How did you find us? Mom said that being in the program meant we could never be in contact with you again."

"A friend of mine, someone I work with at NCIS is a genius when it comes to computers. She… was digging around and found something about you guys and brought it to my attention."

Shannon tensed. "If she could find us, the people who are after us could…"

"No." Gibbs shook his head. "It took her genius and high level security access to find you, you're still safe. I won't let anything happen. To either of you," he promised. "I wasn't able to be there last time, but now… No one will hurt you."

"It wasn't your fault, please don't blame yourself." Shannon leaned in to hug him again, leaning into his embrace.

"Why was your friend looking for us?"

"I… I don't really know why Abby does a lot of what she does," he was still trying to figure out what brought her to look for them. "She said she was watching a movie that mentioned the witness protection program and it made her curious. So she hacked in the U.S. department of Justice's computer system. She saw you," he turned to Shannon, "listed and came to me, but I told her she was nuts. I thought I would have known, thought I would have felt if you were still alive. She went and kept digging on her own until she knew for sure."

"Do you think she'll tell anyone where we are?"

Gibbs shook his head. "Not a chance. We've been working on a cover as to why I've left. No one will like it, but it'll keep people from looking for me. And in any case Leroy Jethro Gibbs traveled as far as Houston. I used another, untraceable alias to get to Omaha, and now that I'm here, with you, it'll be Leroy Davenport."

Shannon laughed. "It's not quite you, but it'll work."

"I don't care what people call me as long as I have you two back."

"You said NCIS, what's that?" Kelly asked.

"Navel Criminal Investigative Service, I investigate crimes within the Navy and the Marines."

"Cool! So you're a cop, or is it more like the FBI, or…?"

"Doesn't matter, I'm done with that now. Tell me about you; tell me about your lives," he reached out to touch her cheek, hair, shoulder… as if he was double checking that she was really there. They sat together until the early morning, ordering room service at some point to keep their stomachs from rumbling too much while they talked. Shannon eventually fell asleep, her head resting on Gibbs' shoulder as he and Kelly talked about her time in college. Eventually Kelly gave up the fight and fell asleep as well, leaving Gibbs to watch over his girls as they slept.

Morning came quickly, and despite having the hotel reserved for the first week, Shannon and Kelly insisted he come home with them. They had missed out on so much time together, they didn't want to waste a single second. Kelly gave him the grand tour of their little house, while Shannon made coffee. While she was waiting for it to brew, she carried his suitcase to the master bedroom and set it on the bed. Gibbs found her and wrapped his arms tightly around her from behind and pressed his face to her neck. "Never in a million years did I think this would happen."

Shannon pulled his arms tighter around her waist and leaned her head back against his shoulder. "Let's find you space in the closet, this is your home now too."

"Don't have much." Gibbs glanced at the single suitcase. "Don't need much either."

"Don't worry, dad, we'll get you some new clothes." Kelly carried in a cup of coffee and handed it to him before sitting on the bed next to his suitcase.

Gibbs took a sip and set his mug down on the bedside table and then unzipped his bag. Shannon opened the closet door and moved around a few things. He handed her the few items that were already on hangers and then waited as she cleared out a few drawers for him.

"Hey, what's this?" Kelly held up the small silver fox that Abby had given him.

Gibbs took it and turned it over in his hand a few times. "It was a gift from a friend."

"Cool. You should have it out, you know, remember your friends."

Gibbs set it down on the nightstand and stared at it a moment, wondering what Abby was doing and how the team had reacted to the news that he was on vacation the next few weeks. He hoped they weren't badgering her for information as to why he left. He had every bit of confidence that Abby wouldn't tell them the truth, but he didn't want that burden on her shoulders. It seemed like all she ever did was hide his secrets.

"Dad?"

"Hmm?" Gibbs lifted his gaze to his daughter. "What?"

"You looked sad just then, is everything okay?"

Gibbs pulled his daughter into a hug and sighed happily, "everything is perfect."

With Gibbs somewhat settled into the house where his wife and daughter had been living for the past 18 years, they headed for the kitchen to get a start on dinner. They decided on simple and while he took care of the pasta, Shannon made a salad and Kelly set the table. They showed him where the basics were and then just encouraged him to look around, open cupboards and pull out drawers.

After dinner they headed for the living room and Kelly pulled out a photo album she had put together about her time in Junior High and High School. She pointed out her friends and the few boys she had dated. Gibbs' jaw tensed and he wondered if her step father had done a good job checking into these boys before letting her go out with them. Kelly managed to avoid any mention of her step father until Gibbs saw him in a photo from her graduation.

"He was a good man?"

Kelly's shoulders dropped forward and she leaned against him. "He wasn't you."

"But he was good to you? Good to you both?" He pressed a kiss to her forehead and glanced over at Shannon.

"He was, but he struggled with the stress of his job. When he was able to retire he wanted to move to the dry heat of Arizona and it just… wasn't for me. We split on good terms and we still talk around the holidays."

Gibbs nodded.

"You didn't remarry?"

Gibbs squeezed his daughter's hand, "I did, three times. Not proud of it, but I just couldn't… My job has kept me busy and it was always my first priority."

"I'm sorry, I always assumed you were happily married again. I always wondered if I had a half sister or brother." Kelly snuggled into his side and held on tightly. "I wish you could have come with us, I wished for it so badly."

Gibbs could see the tears forming at the corner of her eyes and he pulled her even closer. "I'm here now. Can't go back and change things, so might as well enjoy our time together now."

"He wasn't a replacement, Gibbs," Shannon smiled. "He is a good man, and in the end we were better as friends. But he was good to us, and… and he was a good influence for Kelly."

"But he wasn't my dad."

"I'm glad you had someone. Glad you both had someone; you don't have to downplay anything. What about this, what is this photo from?" Gibbs pointed to another photo.

"I helped out at the Children's theater, this was the cast photo." Kelly continued to flip through the scrap book, pointing out her favorite photos and explaining some of the bigger events in her life. Eventually she yawned and rubbed at her eyes. "I'm so tired, but I don't want to go to sleep."

"You have to work tomorrow?"

"I'm supposed to go in to the newspaper office," Kelly nodded. "Maybe I can take the day off, or work from home."

"Go to work," he bumped he shoulder against hers. "I'll be here when you get back. We can pick up where we left off."

"I have tomorrow off," Shannon tucked a lock of Kelly's hair behind her ear. "Maybe you can get home a little early and we can go out and grab a bite to eat. Maybe that Chinese place you like. If I remember correctly, your father is rather fond of cashew chicken."

Gibbs didn't bother to hide the smile.

"Cashew chicken is my favorite, too! Alright, then I'm headed to bed." She jumped up and then turned and bent to hug Shannon and then Gibbs, holding a little longer than necessary. "I'm so glad you're here. I love you, dad."

"Love you too." He couldn't remember the last time he'd said it so easily and actually meant it. Gibbs watched her go and then pushed the scrapbook on the coffee table and pulled Shannon to sit where Kelly had been between them. "I still don't know what to think."

"It's hard to believe after all these years…"

"Thought you were dead." Gibbs pressed his lips to her forehead and hugged her close.

"I'm so sorry Jethro, I wish things could have been different, but you were overseas and they couldn't get ahold of you and then… they said we had to move on, forget about you. They scared me so bad, told me Kelly would be their first target if they knew we were still alive and I couldn't… I couldn't put her in danger like that."

"I know," Gibbs soothed. "I don't blame you."

Shannon cried against his chest and it wasn't long before hot tears burned at the corner of his eyes. They sat together for almost an hour – just being. They didn't talk or look at photos, they just sat together lost in their thoughts until they had trouble staying awake.

They crawled into bed and lay side-by-side. It took a moment for them to relax and eventually, Gibbs ended up with his arms wrapped tightly around her, his face buried in her hair. He wanted to blame the exhaustion, but it didn't go unnoticed that his body hadn't reacted to her the way it so often did in his dreams. But for the first time in a long time, Gibbs wasn't plagued by nightmares and he slept through the night.

He woke early though, before Shannon and Kelly and headed downstairs to the kitchen to get the coffee going. It took a few tries before finding the coffee filters, but soon the scent of coffee filled the room. He was halfway through his first cup when he heard footsteps on the stairs and Kelly appeared. "Morning."

"Morning," she yawned and nodded when he held up an empty cup.

He poured her a cup while she grabbed a bowl, cereal and milk and carried it all to the table. They sat together quietly, sharing the paper that Gibbs had carried in from the front porch, until Kelly headed back up to shower and dress for work.

"Don't let mom sleep in too long, she'll sleep past ten if you let her."

"I remember," Gibbs smiled. "Have a good day at work." He watched as Kelly headed down the drive to her car. Quietly, he turned back to his coffee and the newspaper while he waited for Shannon to wake.


By the end of his two weeks, Gibbs was starting to feel restless. He'd already found a car, so he wasn't stuck at home all day while Shannon and Kelly were at work, but Waverly wasn't a big town, and even a day in Lincoln didn't satisfy he need to do something. Shannon had suggested a small woodworking project in their garage, but he didn't have any tools and after checking out the garage, there wasn't much room to work either. He settled for some minor repairs on the house, fixing a loose step leading up to the front porch, fixing the squeaky hinge on the back door and climbing up on the ladder to clear the gutters.

He needed a job, but it wasn't clear if they would be staying in Waverly or if the program would be moving them elsewhere. Being a nurse, there were no shortage of job opportunities and Kelly could keep her freelance work going. Part of what he needed was the physical work to tire his body and mind. It played over and over in his head that maybe Shannon didn't fight as hard to get him with them the first year or so. He understood her not wanting to put Kelly into danger, but he would've gone to the ends of the earth if there had been a way to reunite his little family.

He needed something – needed to feel useful. The few hours in the evening he spent with Shannon and Kelly were good – Kelly was a never ending supply of stories and Gibbs wondered what his father was doing.

"Is Grandpa… Grandpa Jack still alive?"

"He is," Gibbs nodded. "Doing good. I was just thinking that you sure like to tell stories like him."

"Can he join us?"

"He probably could, we'll have to talk to John Corte when he calls again. I know he would love to see you."

"I miss him."

Gibbs told her more about his store, but left out the details of their estrangement for so many years. He had told Shannon more of the details of his strained relationship with his father and her mother, and a bit more about his failed marriages.

He surprised himself with how much he found himself wanting to tell Abby. Wanting to share the success of Kelly's writing, how she had graduated the top of her class. There were small places in and around town that he found himself thinking of how much Abby would enjoy it – small shops and cafes. He did a double-take at a gas station – he had gone inside to pay with cash and there was a giant Caf-Pow dispenser behind the counter. He'd opened his mouth to ask for one out of habit, but stopped himself before he could get the words out. Hopefully Tony was keeping her well supplied with caffeine.


Washington, DC

"Anyone seen Abby yet today?" Tony set his coffee beside the keyboard and shrugged out of his jacket before sitting down.

"She's not in yet?" Ziva looked up.

"I haven't seen her," McGee said with a shake of his head. "You check her lab?"

"Was just there," Tony nodded. "Left a Caf-Pow! in the fridge, but her lab was dark still. Maybe Gibbs is back and they are… you know, taking their time."

McGee rolled his eyes and switched on his computer. It would make sense though. Abby hadn't mentioned anything the day before about Gibbs coming back, but if he was, there was no doubt Abby would drive over to welcome him back – bringing donuts and coffee and the office gossip (that Gibbs didn't care about) as a one-person welcome home committee. She had been a little subdued the past two weeks with Gibbs gone, but it was to be expected.

"Gibbs wouldn't be late thought," Ziva said as she glanced at the watch on her wrist. "If he is back in town and back to work, he would be here by now, no?"

Tony frowned. "Ziva's right. Maybe I'll give her a call." He dialed Abby from his cell and listened as the phone rang a few times and went to voicemail. Leaving a brief message asking her to call, he hung up and slipped his phone back into his pocket. "Ok, so my gut isn't quite on par with the big boss, but something doesn't feel right."

"Maybe give her until lunch and then drive by her place?" McGee suggested.

"Yeah," Tony nodded and then stood. "Maybe Ducky knows something, he's in right?" When Ziva confirmed that she had seen him on her way in, he headed down to autopsy to see what he could find out. Twenty minutes later Tony was in his car and headed toward Abby's apartment. Ducky hadn't heard from her since they had left NCIS the night before, and she wasn't answering her cell.

When he saw her car parked outside her building, Tony breathed a sigh of relief. He took the stairs up to the second floor and tapped his knuckles against the door. When she didn't answer he knocked a bit harder before deciding to pick the lock. As he knelt and pulled his lock-pick kit from his pocket he noticed the tell-tale signs of scratching from someone unskilled at picking locks. With a hand on his gun, Tony tried the doorknob and a surge of worry went through him when the door swung open. The apartment was dark, but before switching the light on, he could see that her place had been tossed.

He resisted calling out for her, instead going room to room with his gun, looking for any sign of her. When he found none, he pulled his phone out and dialed Ziva. "Get McGee and get over here, now." He hurried back to his car to grab the camera and kit he kept in his truck and rushed back to her apartment. He called her phone again and grimaced when he heard her phone ringing in her bedroom. He found it attached to the charger beside her bed, so he assumed it was sometime between going to bed and his first missed call at 9:20am.

"Tony?" McGee's tentative voice called out. "You in here?"

"Yeah," Tony headed down the hallway to meet his team. "Abby's missing."

"I… I… I see that." Both McGee and Ziva looked around, their eyes wide with disbelief at the mess in Abby's apartment.

"She put up a good fight," Ziva commented dryly, looking at the broken lamp on the floor and the picture frames hanging haphazardly on the wall.

"Bag and tag anything you think will help us. McGee, see if you can find her laptop. I'm going to call the landlord and see if there are any cameras in the hallway, and if not, I'm going for traffic cams. Then I'm going to talk to the neighbors." Tony was halfway to the door when he stopped and turned around. "And for fuck sake, get Gibbs back here."


TBC….

*happy sigh* I've missed the good old evil!hat.

Also, I hate when people hold the next chapter hostage for reviews… but what is the consensus of holding chapters hostage for chapters of other fics…? *ahem* gosgirl, FWandFS and Gibbsredhoodie…