Laying on his back with his hands behind his head G. Callen looked up at the night sky as a small smile spread onto his lips. She still lived there; she still used the same soap and she still slept in one of his T - shirts.
Kelly opened the front door of her home, throwing her keys down, not caring where they landed. She walked up the stairs to her room.
The place was quiet and she was grateful for that. She sat down on his side of the bed, picking up the towel that was on the floor as she did; it was something she never noticed when she was home earlier. She picked it up and smelt it; it smelt like him and for the first time since he had left she cried.
Amy Callen stood nervously in MTAC waiting.
Ten minutes ago she was at her desk finishing paperwork when she was told she was needed in MTAC with a call waiting from LA.
Amy stood up and searched the floor for her father in law but he was nowhere to be seen, she even looked to the catwalk in the hope that her 'uncle' would be there but he wasn't.
So here she stood in MTAC waiting with the worst possible scenarios running through her head. Looking at the screen she saw movement and let out a breath when she saw her mother- the thoughts about her Godfather Sam Hanna standing there telling her that her mother was dead quickly left her mind.
With red eyes Kelly had made the decision to tell her children about their father before they heard it from anyone else. Kelly watched on the screen as her daughter slowly relaxed.
Amy watched the screen noticing on the bottom right hand side another person was joining their conversation - her brother Dominic
'Mum. Everything OK?' Amy instantly asked upon seeing her mother.
'Yes' Kelly replied a little too quickly.
Amy raised her eyebrow 'You sure? If this was NCIS business it would be just you and me. But Dom's here as well' she finished gesturing towards her brother's face on the screen.
'Mum what's wrong. Your eyes are all red. Has something happened?' inquired Dom, upon observation of his mother.
'We found your father'
Amy's breath hitched. They found her father. Her daddy. The man she worshipped.
Dom looked at the screen. They found his father. His dad. The man who taught him things. The man who made him become a man before he needed to
'Have you spoken to him?' Amy softly asked.
'No. I've only seen CCTV footage'
'So you don't know its him?' Dom inquired.
'It's him. I identified him. Uncle Sam Identified him' Kelly stated.
'I'm coming to LA' Amy declared.
'No' Kelly began. 'No. Not until I've spoken to him' she finished wearily.
'Mum' Amy started to argue.
'Amy Shannon' Kelly stated sternly.
'Look out Ames, first and middle name' Dom teased his older sister.
'Shut up, Dominic Leroy Jethro'
'Kids!' exclaimed Kelly just as her son was to return a comment to his sister 'You can come to LA once I've spoken to him' And with nothing more to say Kelly cut the connection.
'I've got to go Dommie. I'll call you tonight'
'Yeah Bye'
Cutting the conversation off with her children Kelly left OPS. Once she got to the bottom of the stairs she made her way to her office to find Sam waiting for her.
'Sam' she acknowledged.
"Kelly. You OK' he asked noticing her red eyes.
Kelly nodded 'I'm fine. I've been up in OPS. I just told the kids'.
_
Amy DiNozzo left MTAC, walking slowly across the catwalk and down the stairs. At the last stair she sat down, rested her chin in her knees and thought about what had just happened.
Rounding the corner after exiting the back elevator and walking towards the stairs were former team members; NCIS Director Timothy McGee and Snr Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo laughing.
'Hey Amy' Tony said noticing the young woman.
'What?' asked Amy, looking up to see the two men in front of her 'Oh hey Tony. Uncle Tim'
'You OK' Asked Tim.
''Uh Yeah I think so'
'No Your not. He said as he sat down beside her. 'I've known you since you were a baby, Your my daughter in law. I know when something's wrong. said Tony who stood in front of her.
'Same here Amy' agreed Tim.
Amy sighed. 'Mum found Dad'
'Dead' asked a hopeful Tony.
'Alive. CCTV footage. She hasn't spoken to him.. He's apparently turned into a ghost again'
'Take the afternoon off' stated Tim.
'I can't do that'
'Yes you can' Tim argued back 'Your uncle is the Director of this Agency and I say you can'
'Well I'm not one to argue with the Director'
'He's alive. Say something Tim' demanded Tony after they watched Amy gather her things and leave the building.
'I know' Tim returned softly
'You knew?!'
'Kelly told me last night'
'Well who else knows. Wait you think Gibbs knows?'
'He does. And so does her team'
'Ha! well when Gibbs get a hold of him...'
_
Amy DiNozzo wasn't sure where to go in the middle of the day. She didn't want to go home; no one was there - her husband was at work, one daughter was at a friend's place, the other visiting her grandmother in LA. Her best friend Harper was on holidays with her family and she couldn't talk to her so she went to the place where she would feel safe.
Retired NCIS Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs was surprised to find his granddaughter's car parked out the front of his house in the middle of the day during a working week. He parked his own car in the drive, got out and curiously entered his own home.
Amy stood in her Grandfather's basement her back towards the stairs; facing the workbench. At hearing a creak on the stairs Amy turned around 'Grandpa' she acknowledged as Gibbs walked down the stairs towards his granddaughter, arching an eyebrow in question as he saw her holding a mason jar full of bourbon.
'Amy. What's going on?'
Amy looked guilty. 'Well Uh. I was um trying to figure out how to unlock the draw to get your sniper rifle'
'I wasn't talking about that. I was talking about your mason jar'
'Oh! Dad's alive'
'I know' Gibbs replied cautiously.
'You knew? Then why didn't you tell me?' Amy demanded.
Gibbs motioned for her to come to him and she did with both sitting down on the stairs. 'Your mother told me a few days ago. Asked me not to tell you or your brother, wanted to tell you herself. Amy stealing my rifle isn't going to help'
Hanging up the phone after finishing his conversation with his sister later that night Dominic Callen brushed his hand over his face as he walked to his bedroom and fell into bed looking at the ceiling. As he did his wife turned over placing a hand on his chest.
'Everything OK in DC?'
'Yeah he agreed. 'DC's not the problem. LA is'
'Kelly' she stated in concern sitting up in bed. 'Is everything OK with your mum?'
'My dad's alive'
'Dom'
'He was spotted on CCTV then disappeared again'
'Are you going to LA'
'Yeah. Me and Amy were just talking about it. As soon as possible' he answered knowing what the next question would be.
'Dom. Are you OK?'
Dominic shrugged 'I don't know'
As G. Callen lay on his swag he sighed. He didn't really know what had come over him today - breaking into his own home; well his wife's home.
He had let his guard down, something he hadn't done in a very long time. He felt guilty
Maybe it was time to stop searching. Maybe his father in law was right.
