An Unknown Child
7
Sonya walked over to Quinn and shook hands with her.
"I take it you have news?"
"He didn't tell you?"
"No."
"Fine; according to DNA testing one Shannon Gibbs is my mother. However she did in fact pass away a mere hours after my birth; following her eldest daughter Kelly. My father is Leroy Jethro Gibbs; then a sniper serving in Desert storm, now Special Agent for NCIS and head of the MCRT."
"He is your father?" Sonya asked; nodding her head in Gibbs' direction.
"Yes and we called you to tell you and find out any paperwork I need to fill out to keep her until she turns 18." Gibbs told her; for the moment Ziva was forgotten.
"Ok" She turned from facing Gibbs to face Quinn. "Do you want to stay with him?"
"He is my father, all I have left. My life in Tucson is over; all my memories from that place will be tainted by the knowledge of what that man did."
"Very well. I will bring the papers in an hour; I didn't think to bring them now."
"See you then Sonya." Both Gibbs and Quinn said at the same time.
"How long before its official?"
"By the end of the week. It should be no problem you being the biological father and the quote 'adopted' family having no others and having committed the crime of kidnapping. But if anything comes up I'll let you know. See you in an hour." She turned around and left. Gibbs suddenly remembered Ziva and turned to her.
"I know that you know about Shannon and Kelly and that you haven't told anyone about them and for that I thank you. So I would like you to keep this to yourself for a time. At least until its official and I'll tell the whole team. But you need to act surprised when I do. Abby, Ducky and Jen know; we told them last night. So keep it quiet when around the boys; got it?"
"Yes Gibbs; I got it." He nodded and sat down. He saw her lists and read through them.
"How long will we be gone?"
"I was thinking leaving on Saturday and returning the following Sunday. And I was hoping that we could get this done sooner; rather than later."
"I agree. Let's go talk to Jen now." He started walking up the catwalk with Quinn following. No one sat outside the Director's Office; so Gibbs barged in and Quinn followed more sedately. She looked annoyed at Gibbs but flashed a small smile at Quinn who easily returned it.
"What can I do for you special Agent Gibbs?" Her voice was slightly icy and it shocked Gibbs; Quinn however thought she knew what was behind it.
"How much unused vacation time do I have?"
"About two and a half months. Why?"
"I need at least the next two weeks off. We need to get her situated her and get her stuff from Tucson."
Jenny smiled warmly at Quinn once again before turning back to Gibbs. "Done,"
"I want to come in tomorrow and tell the team."
"Also done." Gibbs nodded and turned and left. Quinn stayed behind and turned back to Jenny.
"I wanted to ask you something else, Jenny?" Jenny nodded and Quinn took a deep breath.
"I wanted to ask you how you were handling all of this."
"You, Shannon and Kelly?"
"Yeah."
"I knew in Europe that he had a secret, but I had my own so I didn't push. However it doesn't surprise me to find out he had and has a kid; he's always been good with him."
"So you don't trust him any less?"
"No; I still trust him with my life."
"But not with your heart?"
"What?"
"I saw your face last night when you went to the bathroom. After he made his comment about his last ex-wife and so I asked Ducky."
"And he told you?"
"That you were lovers until you left him."
"My biggest regret some days; most days actually. But at the time I wanted to get to the top so bad that I went against my heart."
"So his last ex-wife was used to 'get over' you? You never knew that?"
"I think my heart did, but my mind managed to convince itself that he never really loved me."
"Ok now answer me this: Why should I not tear you a new one for breaking his heart?"
"I broke his heart?"
"You did. You didn't see his face when he told us about his last ex-wife; it's a look I know well: anguish. And now I know that you are the cause. So I ask you again: why should I not tear you a new one for breaking his heart?"
"Quinn, nothing that you could do to me for that will ever amount to what happens every time I see him." She said that with such conviction that Quinn forgave her and walked over and gave the older woman a hug.
"I wanted to know if that was how you felt. But what is stopping you from trying to get him back?"
"This job is. I need to protect the reputation of this agency if not myself. That and I don't think that he'll take me back now; it's too late."
"Then earn that right back. Stop flirting with him all the time and not follow through. Show him that you want him back. And if he asks what happened you say that you realized that you were again choosing the job over him and that it was time to stop. Then tell him that you still love him."
"Why is this so important to you, Quinn?"
"Because the first day I was here I felt something. I have no way to describe it but it was like a feeling in my heart that I needed to get to know you. You didn't treat me like I'm a stupid teenager who wanted to get back at her negligent father; you heard me out. No one else did, and I wanted to get to know you. When I heard you talk and take care of everything; I knew that I had found the woman who would finish what Shannon and my 'mother' started." With that she leaned over and kissed Jenny's cheek then left the office; leaving a shocked Jenny behind. Gibbs was waiting for her at the foot of the stairs. Sonya was near him holding a file of papers. When Quinn reached to bottom of the stairs she handed the folder to Gibbs and left.
Gibbs and Quinn waited ten minutes then followed. They got into his truck and drove home. They spent the rest of the day going through the paperwork and filling it out. They went to bed that night tired and knowing that tomorrow they would tell the rest of the team about Quinn, Shannon and Kelly; along with the news that Gibbs would be gone for the next 2 weeks to get Quinn all set up.