Wow, it has been ages since I last updated, I'm really sorry I have no excuse really, being on holidays and everything. This is a really long chapter to make up for my slow updates somewhat. I hope that you enjoy it. Thanks to those people who have reviewed. Please review people, it makes my day really. =)
Oh and I wasn't sure if everyone knew that Ari was Ziva's sister, but by some of the comments that I've heard them make I'm assuming that they do. If anyone knows how they found out, or if they actually have found out could you please tell me in a review or message me? Thank you.
"What was my birth Mother's name Mummy?" Lucy asked to fill in the looming silence, just wanting to hear her Mother's reassuring voice one more time.
"Shannon Wells," and those were her last words.
Lucy sat in a stunned silence on the edge of the bed. Blood covered her top, she jumped when Gibbs sat down next to her, his head bowed.
"She was my Mother," Lucy said it for something to say. Gibbs said nothing,
"I need to get changed," Lucy wanted to be away from people before she broke down.
"I'll drive you," Gibbs offered, sipping his coffee which he still clutched in his hands. Lucy nodded, her eyes closed with exhaustion.
*
Gibbs chose his house, it was where she was living after all and it was closest. He didn't enjoy the drive, Lucy only stared out of the window, making no attempt to start a conversation.
"Shower," Gibbs prompted Lucy when they arrived back at his house, Lucy nodded, it was if she was in some kind of dream. Wordlessly she walked to the shower and turned it on to as hot as she could bear, in an attempt to forget what her Mother's blood felt like on her skin. Lucy felt herself weaken and let a single tear slip down her face. Gibbs realised when he heard the shower stop, that Lucy had no clothes to change into when she got out of the shower, she always took clothes to the bathroom, never letting anyone see her bare skin. He slipped up into her room, where he found some jeans and a long green top which he recognised as Ziva's. 'And women claimed that he noticed nothing about them,' he thought with satisfaction.
"Lucy," Gibbs knocked softly on the door and tried the handle, he was surprised to find it open, normally Lucy always locked the door. Lucy gasped when she heard the door handle open and opened her mouth to protest too late. Gibbs walked in to see her practically naked. The first thing that struck Gibbs was her back, it was hard not to notice it. Water droplets fells through the branches of a humungous tree. It spanned her entire back with it roots starting in her lower back with blanches reaching out to her lower neck and around her shoulders. In between the master piece were scars, thick and angry on her skin. A low necklace of burns, most likely from a cigarette lined her skin, and Gibbs only saw her back. Her lower half was covered by a towel from where she was combing out her wet hair.
"Haven't you heard of knocking," Lucy hissed, the stress of her day catching up with her.
"Sorry," Gibbs muttered and drew his eyes away from her body. Lucy snatched the clothes out of his hands.
"Out," Lucy ordered Gibbs. He retreated, her scars forever imprinted in his brain.
*
When Lucy came down stairs she refused to meet Gibbs's gaze.
"I won't ask," Gibbs offered.
"I wasn't planning to tell," Lucy shut him up.
"Ask about your back," Gibbs clarified. Lucy grunted in reply, she was picking up bad habits from Gibbs.
"Can we just go into work please," Lucy tried to change the subject. Now it was Gibbs's turn to grunt.
"Gibbs," Lucy started hesitantly as they walked towards the car. "Thank you."
Gibbs turned to look at her face on and nodded his head in reply.
"You're welcome."
*
"Oi, Elf Lord," Tony tried to get McGee's attention.
"Yes Tony," McGee sighed, his eyes glued to his computer screen.
"Want to do something rebellious and nerdy, wow I didn't even think that that was possible, for you to do something rebellious and nerdy at the same time I mean," Tony started to talk to himself.
"What?" McGee interrupted him.
"Well I'm only asking Probie because it will be a big and scary step for you out into the big wide World."
"Tony," McGee said exasperated.
"Look up Lucy Walters." Tony said.
"On what Tony, information about her could be anywhere, on which data base should I look?"
Tony interrupted him. "I don't care Probie, just find her."
"Fine if I…"
Tony once again interrupted him. "Less talk more do Probie."
"Here we go," McGee sounded surprised when he found the information on her so easily. "An American citizen, adopted at birth by Rosaline Merks, who married Peter Stirlwater."
"I can read Probie," Tony protested.
"Hang on," Tony said as McGee started to rush down the information on her.
"Tony I really don't feel comfortable doing this, I feel like we are going behind her back, she's like a friend now and her and Ziva…" McGee didn't miss the look that swept into Tony's eyes when Ziva's name was mentioned.
"Well, that's cause she's Ziva's sister in law," Tony sat back.
"What?" McGee asked not following where Tony was going.
"Ari, is her sister." Tony explained.
"Half sister," a voice broke through to remind them. Both men looked up red handed to see that Gibbs and Lucy had just entered the bull pen. Gibbs walked up and slapped both of them on the back of the head.
"Ow," Tony and McGee said at the same time.
"I think that I'll go and see Ducky," Lucy said softly. "I still have to identify the body." Lucy refused to meet anyone's eyes as she spoke. When she was gone Gibbs walked straight back over to the men.
"What does it say about her family?" Gibbs asked McGee who leant over McGee's desk to see the computer.
"She was adopted as a baby Boss, that adoptive Mother, the one who died, married when she was five to a CIA agent who didn't spend much time in the country but when he did it looks like he abused his family. Several charges by neighbours for disturbance, but nothing on the abuse because the bruises ect weren't enough to prove that he was guilty because neither of them, Lucy or her Mother, brought the charges against him. He divorced and she remarried a marine, our dead marine." Tony told Gibbs.
"Birth parents?" Gibbs asked patiently.
"Umm, one Shannon Wells, but that's her maiden name she got married to…" McGee trailed off as he realised who she was married to.
"Leroy Jethro Gibbs," Gibbs finished and headed out to autopsy.
"Well, that was unexpected," Tony smirked, McGee only glared at him.
*
Gibbs took the stairs, knowing that that would be how Lucy would go, he ran into her when he was half way down.
"You aren't very fit," Lucy chastised, forcing a smile onto her face.
"Did you know who your parents were?" Gibbs asked bluntly.
"No, until today I thought that the women now lying dead on your autopsy table was my Mother, I thought that she had gotten pregnant by mistake and that I was the mistake." Lucy muttered.
"I'm your Father," Gibbs told her, unsure at how else to tell her, he knew that she was smart enough to work it out and he wanted to be the one to tell her. Lucy stared at him, open mouthed in shock.
"What? How?" Gibbs savoured the shocked look on her face.
"Your birth Mother, Shannon Wells, she married me." Gibbs explained in as few words as he could manage.
"You didn't know?" Lucy inquired.
"No," Gibbs replied shortly.
"But how?" Lucy asked.
"How old are you?" Gibbs ignored her question.
"Twenty five, but I don't see how that makes a difference."
"So Kelly would have been two, she wouldn't remember you or her Mum being pregnant," Gibbs was thinking out loud, he relaxed slightly with the knowledge that his daughter hadn't lied to him. "I was away for about five months that year." Gibbs desperately searched his memory for any hint that Shannon had being pregnant, but brought up nothing.
"I don't believe it," Lucy whispered to herself. "So you're Nissi's Grandfather, and Ari's Father in law, wow this is weird." Gibbs had to smile, she had understatements down to an art form.
"I wish that you had been my Father," Lucy stated. Gibbs was shocked, it was so out of the blue, so unexpected…
"I can be your Father now," the thought of being able to be a Father again made his heart constrict.
"Daddy," the young woman tried it out, enjoying the sound of it rolling off her tongue.
Gibbs moved forwards and enveloped her in a hug. He felt her finch when he first touched her, but ignored it, he would have been surprised if she'd had no reaction. She fit in his arms well, she buried her face into his shoulder, he smelt of wood dust and alcohol. She liked it.
*
"Nissi," Lucy was beaming, she and Gibbs had dropped into her day care centre to see her. "I have a surprise for you." Lucy sounded very excited, she watched her daughter's face light up at the thought of a surprise.
"You have a Grandfather!"
Nissi's eyebrows furrowed. "Who Ima?"
"Gibbs, Grandpa Gibbs." Lucy informed her daughter.
"Really Ima?" Nissi looked for Gibbs's nod of agreement. "Yay!" The young child exclaimed and walked over to him with uncommon restraint for her age to hug him. Gibbs lifted her up, whispering promises of ice-cream in her ear.