Chapter 14

Gibbs and his team were finally close to wrapping up the case, since Tony and Ziva had found enough incriminating evidence to make Mark Bishop the ex-boyfriend of the victim their number one suspect right now for the murder of Laura Parker. Fortunately it didn't take long for the ex-boyfriend to admit, that he had murdered her because of the fact, she wanting a separation after he had continuously refused to fight his alcohol addiction.

He had totally lost it after she also had admitted having a new boyfriend, because she just couldn't be with a man that preferred the alcohol over her. He broke down in tears, saying how sorry he was and that he didn't want their relationship to end this way, but he just hadn't got any control of his actions. Gibbs only saw that as poor excuse, practically shoved the photo of the young navy Lt. in his face and said: "That young woman didn't deserve, to die at that young age. Don't think that you can fool me a bit with that scheme pretending to be so sorry about what you've because in my opinion you don't mean a word you say."

Then Gibbs motioned to the officer outside of the door and said: "Take that disgrace in a uniform away." He never felt that strong emotion toward a person he had apprehended during his work at a navy investigator but the female victim being only a few years older than his daughter, he was automatically worried again about the well-being of Kelly. Later back in the office he just stared a couple of minutes at the black computer screen, totally being lost in his thoughts for quite a while that he didn't notice Ziva approaching his desk. "Is everything okay with you? You kind of seemed so far away from here with your thoughts."

Gibbs slowly turned his head around to face the former Mossad Agent and wasn't surprised that she had clearly noticed, that something had been bothering him the whole day. Fortunately she had been very discreet about revealing her observation to anybody and surely wouldn't tell anybody in the team of his problems, if he asked her to. After taking one deep breath in and then finally breathing out again after a few seconds he said: "It's about Kelly, it looks like it will take a while for her to get used to living a normal life again. She seems so vulnerable right now; that I just want to be with her the whole day, so that she knows all the time that Daddy is there to protect her. Ziva took her chair from behind her desk, placed it in front of Gibbs desk and after she had sat down said: "She will get through this and if you need anything, the whole team is there to help you."

Gibbs just nodded and took one last sip of his late evening coffee, the two continued to talk for a while and then finally leaving NCIS Headquarters both driving away with their cars. On the drive home a lot was on Gibbs mind, especially that one question: What would the future hold for him and Kelly? Would he maybe marry again, so that Kelly would have a mom and dad? But he quickly banned that idea from his mind, because of his bad luck in the past with women it really wasn't that great idea to marry again. He loved Hollis very much, but he just couldn't establish that deep relationship with her like he had with his wife Shannon. In the end, no one would be able to fully replace her in his heart. Kelly welcomed her dad back home, shortly after he had finally stepped through the door and for a couple of minutes they both just stood there and were just tightly holding on to each other. Then the two went into the living room, Gibbs greeted Hollis with a short kiss on the mouth and then he told both them how his day was. Later that evening they ate together and Gibbs couldn't have felt happier then he felt right now.

The next after eating breakfast, which Hollis had prepared for them, Gibbs was on his way to work. He made his usual stop at his favorite Coffee Store near NCIS Headquarters, the waitress smiled brightly at him and said: "Can I bring you your usual coffee Gibbs?" Gibbs smiled too and just nodded. *She knows me just so well* Gibbs thought and after Iris, his usual waitress handed him his coffee he took one large sip and also had some small talk with Iris.

AN: Thanks to- KabsGibbs for adding this story to her/his favorite stories list, thanks to- hslacer for reviewing this story. I hope you like this chapter, please & review