I entered Abby's lab later that morning with her caffeine fix in hand (and wishing that I had one too). When I came in, very intent on working with her and McGee on tracking down more evidence while Gibbs presented the tape of my phone call with Felix to the director, I saw my father in his wheelchair (a cane in his hands), confused with being at the lab. And he wasn't appearing to be happy and it wasn't just being confined to sitting down constantly.

"Why is it that the Pentagon file on the Black Crusade, which was classified, was opened without my permission?" I heard Dad thunder at Abby and McGee. "There was a password to this and –"

"It was hacked into, Dad," I interrupted, handing Abby (relieved to see me) her Caf-Pow! "We hacked into the files because there was a direct connection with the Black Crusade and Colonel Henderson's murder and it was needed. Not to mention, Sir, two other Marines and Mara are dead because of this. Need I remind you the importance of this investigation?"

"Why, you little –" Dad began, trying to take a swing at me with his cane, but missing when I jumped to one side.

"Is there a problem here?" Gibbs asked as he came in the lab with his coffee, narrowly missing the cane as he too jumped aside and spilled an almost black liquidy mess on the floor.

"Gunny, get my daughter off of this case now!" Dad yelled. "She's hindering the investigation."

"On my boss' orders, she can't leave," Gibbs replied. "So, either you cooperate with us and stop harassing my people or you'll be sent back to the VA clinic in chains. Got it?"

"You can't order me around," Dad grumbled.

"Since I'm in charge here, you're following my orders this time." Gibbs sipped from his normal cup of coffee. "Now, Abbs, what you got for me?"

"Nothing really so far, but there's something," Abby replied in a perky voice, turning to her computer after the rude exchanges (McGee following suit, wisely enough). "Seth Austin's information on the Pentagon's Black Crusade file isn't coming up still."

"Because there isn't anything on him we could find," Dad offered, nicely enough. "We thought him to be innocent of everything…until recent events, I should say. I've been following it and it's not looking good for his queer ass."

"Other than he's been missing, connected to the child sex trade and dating Felix Henderson?" I mused out loud, ignoring Dad's statement about him being guilty and the obviously distasteful comments and his sexual orientation.

Dad looked at me. "I thought Felix was flirting with you," he said to me hotly, not believing what he was hearing. "I didn't know that he was some –"

"Enough already!" Gibbs interrupted. "Abby, what else do you have?"

"Well, McGee and I traced Felix Henderson's phone, as you've requested earlier this morning," Abby added, yawning to express a point. "Since ever he went missing a couple of days ago, his phone has been dead or turned off and we haven't been able to track him down. I mean, until a few hours ago. He was actually next door to your house, Gibbs, and hiding out in some bushes that had a good view of the house. It's kinda creepy, you know. It's almost stalker material, if you ask me."

"Abbs," Gibbs warned.

"Ok, ok, well, back to Seth Austin. Now, we know that he's on this file and we've got next to nothing on him. However, the security tape of one 'Randall Stephens', from Buxton, Maine, withdrawing his money from the Bangor, Maine TD Bank North has shown us one person."

"And another behind him," McGee added.

"Who?" Gibbs asked.

"Patience, my dear Gibbs, patience," Abby said as she brought up the security tape and zoomed in on two people. One was 'Randall Stephens' from Buxton, Maine and the other was behind him, surely someone we knew.

As the two people were showed on the screen and Abby showed a closer picture again, McGee said, "Mr. Randall Stephens was none other than Henry Austin, clearing out his bank account here in the States. He's liquidating, but the reason's been unknown."

"And the other is his son, Seth Austin, about a day after he vanished." Abby took both faces and ran them through a facial recognition program quickly, running into both Henry and Seth Austin on the Pentagon files to prove it. "The son was also clearing out his own bank account in DC and closing it, although he didn't leave his in an assumed name."

"Where are they now?" Gibbs demanded.

"After Bangor and DC, we've been trying to track any other bank and credit cards." McGee took over the computer from Abby and typed some more, revealing a paper trail. "After Maine, Henry Austin booked a one-way flight to Haiti and paid for three tickets. The flight is scheduled for this afternoon, but it was a private flier."

"When was this flight booked, McGee?"

"Umm…" McGee typed and found an answer quickly. "It was about two hours ago, Boss."

"Who would the third person be?" Dad asked, disgusted.

"Another person who likes money in the child sex trade," I answered, knowing the obvious.

"Don't be a smartass, Lyddy –"

"Captain Sullivan, what else can you tell us about your trip to Haiti in 1995?" Gibbs interrupted again. "Why are they coming after you again?"

"Again?" I asked, in a tone that said that I didn't know somebody had been after us all along.

"We've all been threatened before," Dad disclosed, telling of the dangers that I never knew about. "However, my initial trip to Haiti was because Richard Henderson, Jim's little brother, told us about this organization and how Marines and Navy personnel and both US and Haitian citizens were making a profit selling and killing Haitian children from Sud mostly. Originally, they had worked with the U. government to help these people, but Sam Waites turned it around in the early eighties."

"Then, why wasn't Simon's stories put into your file?" Gibbs asked.

"The US government, unaware that the Black Crusade was still working under a guise of mercy, no longer wanted to be affiliated with such a group anyway and we saw no need to repeat what was already known to them," Dad replied. "They wanted to erase their history with them, so the five of us worked on Maria, who came forward to tell us about the horrors she faced. We wanted to show the world that, although underground, the Black Crusade had power and prestige and had no ties to our government at all."

"Even when they already knew?" McGee shook his head in confusion.

"Yes." Dad tapped his fingers against his cane. "We worked from 1995 onward, pretending that we didn't know its history when Richard was a part of it before the changeover, eager to see it changed again. He lost his first son to CPS because of it, but kept his other son. He went insane, just like the rest of us, because of it, but he knew that he had to redeem himself for his family, especially to Tyler. However, because he betrayed the organization he was working for, Sam Waites ordered that he be killed when seen. I was with him when that happened and had to break the news to Jim.

"We both were on a reconnaissance mission almost, exploring the premises where the Black Crusade was stationed. Richard also wanted to show me how the process worked and we even had a child with us. I don't remember his name right now, but I knew that he was willing to cooperate and we had an escape plan in effect too. I was in the picture because Richard was supposed to introduce me as a man who wanted to work for them and wanted to adapt the child. However, when we got to the entranceway, child being dragged in our hands, Richard said he wanted to see Henry Austin, Marcellin Traver and/or Sam Waites. He had some information and some new blood for the Crusade."

"It backfired," Abby said, as if to continue the story.

"Right," Dad added, an evil eye given in Abby's direction before Gibbs gave one of his own. "The guards at the door told me to leave, even if I was desperate to join them. However, they took the child immediately and shot Richard right there, straight through the heart. He was dead within seconds."

"Again, why are they after you now?" Gibbs asked in that severe tone of his.

"Nobody knew that we Marines were investigating them until now," Dad divulged quite angrily, feeling that Gibbs was stupid. "How else should I know? As soon as the Pentagon got a hold of our files in 1996, the chase to end their organization began until three more Marines died trying to. In the meantime, until now, I've received threatening letters and calls. Suspicious cars came and went by my home. I didn't bother to tell Alison or my children. Quite honestly, Gunny, it didn't involve them. They had no business and I couldn't have cared less."

"You should have come to us," Gibbs argued.

"And risk having my wife and children know my line of work? No. It was better that they didn't, especially Jay and Mara."

"But because you didn't protect your family, one of your daughters is dead and on a slab in Autopsy."

"Mara could have taken care of herself. She's a fighter."

"Well, she died fighting, all right."

McGee, Abby and I listened to the conversation with interest, following the bitterness in each ex Marines' voice, but finding out nothing more than dead people and secrets in a closet. None of it was really making sense. However, it tapped me better inside my father's mind, making me understand that deep down, he really cared for Mom. For us children, I could tell that he almost cared less for…almost being the key word here.

"My daughter was a fighter, like Alison," Dad said. "Mara was a tough woman who took on a tough job when she had the choice. She could have come back home to me."

"And let her end up like Lydia?" Gibbs took another sip of coffee. "No. Mara did fight her murderer off and almost won, had she not been gagged in the back of her throat. She was even raped. We have evidence under her fingernails that might lead us to her murderer."

"However, there is a missing condom and DNA to give to Abby," Abby added in cheerfully, putting herself in the third person.

Gibbs gave her a serious look, as if to shut her up and that he'll let her know when the evidence will be received (if the chain of evidence would get to her in time). It worked, but Abby sulked like a younger daughter should. She wanted to know why the evidence was not given to her and when it was found. Oh, hell, even McGee's ears perked up, as if to hear the reasoning too, but he knew better than to ask questions of Gibbs.

"Your 'Ducky' losing his touch?" Dad then inquired sarcastically.

"Second looks are always necessary in investigations like this," Gibbs informed him acidly. "We can't second guess here."

"May I interrupt this party for a few minutes?" Director Shepard asked, walking quietly into the lab and handing Abby the tape I used just hours before, wrapped in an evidence bag. "Now, I've reviewed the tape from last night. Yes, it is obviously authentic. However, the information given that the Black Crusade had taken back their headquarters was a serious statement and had to be proven without a doubt."

As we all held our breaths collectively (me and Abby especially), the director continued calmly. "I have called our agents in Haiti and have talked with one of them. However, it was obviously forced, as I've found out. The members of the Black Crusade working with us have turned against us and have taken over their organization again. Several agents are now dead."

"Oh, my God," Abby gasped out.

"I could have told you that," Dad sneered from his wheelchair. "Let me go down to Haiti now, Director. I can take care of all of them."

"Not you, Captain Sullivan," Director Shepard corrected him. "I'm sending Special Agent Gibbs and his team, as well as your daughter down to Haiti."

"What for? Why?" Dad's wild expressions turned from contempt to sour within seconds.

"We don't need an ailing Vietnam veteran down there, especially on with a target on his head," she answered. "Besides which, your orders are to stay here and man the fort, Captain. We need you here more than in Haiti."

Dad gulped and grumbled inaudibly, but accepted the new assignment given to him, which didn't seem all that fair to him. However, when I looked at Director Shepard and then to Gibbs, I saw them exchange a silly look. It took me a few minutes to figure it out, but when I realized what Dad's "new assignment" was about, I had to snicker to myself, despite the seriousness of the situation and how much grief I was feeling.

Being on the home front meant that Dad was being sent back to the VA hospital.