Chapter 21
While the three sat at the table they chatted a lot and Gibbs was happy that for some hours, his daughter could forget about all her troubles. But one thing he knew for sure: He needed to talk with Kelly about what had happened from the day he thought, that she and her mother had been killed by assassin paid by the drug dealer Pedro Hernandez up until she surprisingly returned back into his life. He didn't want to that for himself; he also wanted to help Kelly coping with the unimaginable pain she had suffered during the last years. He remembered that in Kuwait like it was yesterday, the pain that he had felt inside had been almost too much for him to bear with. He had promised to himself on that day, to find who did this, make him pay and all he thought about on the flight home to a now big empty house was vengeance.
Flashback
Gibbs had returned just recently from the Desert Storm Operation in Kuwait and after having done some research, he had found out that his wife Shannon had witnessed a murder of a marine while Gibbs was in Kuwait. The NIS had provided Shannon with a bodyguard, because the Special Agent in Charge of this Case Mike Franks knew that Pedro Hernandez would definitely try to take out the main witness in this murder case against him. But one day on the drive home, the NCIS agent that sat on the driver seat got shot in the head by a sniper and that resulted in an accident that killed Shannon and Kelly at once.
Right now he was standing in the office of Mike Franks, talking with him about the case, he telling Gibbs that Hernandez had fled to Mexico and the Mexican authorities weren't able to find him anywhere. Gibbs could tell very well that Franks didn't believe a word, that the Mexican police said to him but Mike told him that his hands were bound by higher ups and that he of course couldn't give him Hernandez location if he knew it. A little later Franks excused himself to the bathroom, because the file lay open on Franks table, Gibbs took the file and looked through it after Mike was out of side. After a long trip to Mexico, he made a short pause for coffee in a café in the city center and he was very determined to find the man that was responsible for the death of his loved ones no matter how long it was going to take.
End Flashback
Hollis looked at him a little concerned, as she realized that Gibbs was somewhere else with his thoughts and that he probably didn't remember something good. "What is it Jethro? You seem a little bit off for a while now, if something is bothering you right now, you know that you can tell me everything right?" Gibbs looked deep into her eyes for a moment, wiping away that thoughtful expression quickly and answered: "Everything is alright but thanks for asking Hollis I appreciate your concern. I just got a little thoughtful because I thought about the fact, that I have my wonderful daughter back into my life and woman who loves me. I've really got to say that you two look really wonderful tonight in your dresses and now a toast to you Kelly." Gibbs and Hollis raised their wine glasses and Kelly her glass with Coca Cola and they all clinked glasses. Kelly had followed this whole conversation and she knew her father so well, to know right at this moment that he didn't tell the whole truth and that he was bothered by one thing only : Answers to questions like how she had survived the accident a couple of years ago? She needed to talk with him, when they were back at home because they both needed some questions answered. Later the three finally arrived back home and as they sat together on the couch in the living room, Kelly said to Hollis and her father: "This was really nice tonight we should this more often dad." Gibbs smiled at her as she said that, kissed her softly on her forehead and answered: "I'm glad you enjoyed the spontaneous dinner at the restaurant that much sweetheart."
Flashback
Pedro Hernandez was driving down a muddy road with his old truck, looking very relaxed at this moment but what he didn't know was that his life would end very sudden shortly by a bullet from a sniper rifle of Ex-Marine Gunnery Sargent Leroy Jethro Gibbs. That one shot, that Jethro fired at Hernandez was aimed straight at his head and resulted in the immediate death of the well-known Mexican drug dealer.
End Flashback
As Hollis finally went to bed later in the evening, Kelly and her dad were the only ones left sitting on the couch in the living room. They sat there in silence for quite a while, because no one knew exactly what to say right now before Kelly finally broke the uncomfortable silence: "So…..did you marry after mom had died?" Gibbs got thoughtful for a moment again, thinking about his three ex-wives really wasn't exactly something positive to look back on but after some hesitation on his part, he finally answered: "Yeah I did, three times actually but none of them couldn't replace your mom and it all weren't happy marriages to say the least. Having you back in my life, makes it more easily to cope with the fact that I lost that beautiful woman that your mother was forever.
You do look a lot like your mother and she certainly would be proud, if she could see right now what a wonderful young lady you have become." Some tears of joys started to come down her cheeks as her father said those very touching words, Gibbs instantly tightly hugged her and while crying at his chest she said in between sobs: I miss her so much dad, I miss her so much." He softly caressed her back and answered: "I miss her too."
After her sobs had finally died down, Kelly reminded her dad of the little episode in the restaurant tonight and that she knew what was bothering him all the time. So she told him all things, that happened years ago, from the day Jethro had thought she and Shannon had died in a horrible car crash up onto the point where she surprisingly returned back into his life.
AN: Thanks to- Jmckenne for adding this story to her/his favorite stories list, Thanks to- Mary for reviewing this story, Thanks to- Ice and Fire dragon for adding this story to her/his favorite stories list. I didn't want to go in details in this chapter yet, because this one would have been too long in the end. Kelly's story will be told in the next chapter and I hope I can write that, without leaving any logic holes behind in the end. I hope you liked this chapter and as always: Please read and review