Thanks for sticking with me! The next story, Operation Lazarus, should in theory answer all your questions from this and the previous two stories, including how Jasper 'knows' Tony. It should go up in the next few days.

Special thanks to Kristen!

Chapter 12: Epilogue

Sitting in the hotel room, Gibbs sensed that something was off.

He wasn't sure what it was. His team and Jenny had just told Mark Sutcliff what they believed had happened to his son. The man seemed thankful that they had discovered the truth, but there was something hidden underneath it.

"What would you like us to do?" Jenny asked.

Mark considered it. "I presume you can't rule it murder without some form of proof?"

She shook her head. "It would be difficult," she admitted.

"Could you try? Please? I don't want it on record that he killed himself."

"I'll see what I can do," she promised.

Everyone shook his hand as they left.

Gibbs reached the car before he realized what the man had been hiding. Mark Sutcliff was scared.


As the plane started to take off, Jenny reached across and caught Gibbs' hand.

He squeezed it tightly, clearly remembering that she didn't like flying.

She closed her eyes, and squeezed back.


Mark Sutcliff woke up with a start. Someone else was in his room!

He tried to reach for something, anything that he could use as a weapon. Nothing.

Darius Sophocles stood opposite him, gun in hand. "Got the money?" he asked.

"I just need more time," he pleaded, grateful that his wife was staying with friends.

"I gave you time," Darius growled. "You got the damn Director of NCIS prying into my business. I lost fifteen men due to her and her friend. And I didn't even get to kill her."

"I'm sorry," he implored. "Just a little more time."

Darius pulled the trigger.

"Guess you should have paid me what your son owed," he muttered as he left the room.


"There they are, there they are, there they are, there they are!" Abby squealed, bouncing up and down on the spot.

Ducky laid a hand on her arm in a futile attempt to calm her. "See, Abigail, they are fine," he soothed.

"Why didn't Timmy call me then?" She raced over to the team and hugged McGee tightly.

"Hey Abby," Tony offered.

She ignored Tony, and punched McGee's arm instead. "Why didn't you call?"

"My phone's been playing up," he protested.

"You could have borrowed someone else's phone," she told him.

"Do you know how expensive a call would have been?"

"One call! To say that you were okay!"

"You could have called someone else!" he protested.

"Sometimes it is best not to argue," Ducky joined in.

Jenny and Gibbs shared small smiles. If only he knew…


She answered her cell phone. "Shepard."

"Lily? We've got him. Stage three of Operation Lazarus can begin."

THE END... for now...