This is a pivotal chapter for Gibbs in the grand scheme of this story. Having seen how he coped with the loss of Shannon and Kelly over the years, I can absolutely see Diane's first reaction to what she comes upon. And I can see an incident that tore them apart being she wanted kids and he couldn't bare the thought of them.

I always got the sense that Gibbs was the great love of her life, but she would never be his. By this time, she's accepted it and finally seen how much she did love Fornell (hence her nursing him back to health and their reunion), but she still does treasure Gibbs and wouldn't want his to hurt himself further by destroying what he still has of his family. And she finally realizes what he planning to do because she does know him that well.

Usually, on any typical evening after work, Gibbs was down in his basement, working on some wood project and drinking his bourbon. It was his evening ritual, since he had so little else in his life besides his job. Most nights, he was left by himself, but not tonight, when he was engaged in something very different from his norm. He heard the front door open and his name called.

"Jethro? Jethro, I know you're here! Where are you?" the voice called needlessly as it found it's way down the basement door. Diane stood there, an unpleasant look on her face. "Is it so hard to simply call for me to let me know you're down here?" she huffed to him, even though his back was to the door.

"What do you want, Diane?" He had an idea, since he had heard from Abby earlier in the day. But he figured it was best to let Diane tell him as well.

"That Abby really is a pistol. She gave me hell at lunch today for not including her in the plans for the baby shower," she continued as she hit the bottom and approached him.

"Why are you involved in it anyway?" He didn't mean to ask, because he really didn't want to know. The words just flew out of his mouth.

By that time, however, Diane saw what he was working on at the side of the basement. "Is that…?" She almost seemed scared to ask anything further.

He looked back at the box he had hauled down from wherever it had been. Inside, there were framed pictures, baby toys that were thirty years old and a pink baby blanket that was surprisingly clean. She turned to look him directly in the eyes, but he had to turn away. "What did you come here for?"

"What are you going to do with that?" she asked him, a hint of concern in her voice. He now looked at her, confused, but she continued. "You're not planning on throwing these things away, are you?"

No, I'm not planning on getting rid of it, he wanted to say. But the words failed him.

She came closer, fingering the blanket. "I haven't seen this since…"

"Since you thought you may have been pregnant," he finished. That day was still clear as bell to him. She had told him what she suspected and he had gone to the box and pulled out the blanket. He had been holding it when she had returned, devastated that the answer had been negative.

He hadn't been as broken up about it as he should have been. He didn't want children, didn't want to replace Kelly. After she had cried on his shoulder and he had offered her some sympathy, he had thrown the blanket back in the box, then shoved that out of sight. It was shortly after that incident when they began to fall apart, when Tobias Fornell had caught her eye.

She had gotten her daughter with him, and he was relieved for that fact. Diane had a baby girl, and he wasn't the father.

"I washed it for you, packed it back in here. Don't know why, didn't think it would ever see the light of day again." She blinked, looked towards the window for the cellar. "Or the darkness of night." Then her face brightened. "Are they having a girl?" She seemed anxious for the news.

He shrugged his shoulders. "Don't know. They haven't said a word to me," he said. When she questioned him with a look, he explained. "It's what everyone thinks, from Vance on down."

She nodded, understanding. "If it is, you're giving this to them?" There was a softness to her voice that was so foreign to him. Again, he shrugged. But she smiled. "I think that is...a wonderful gesture." Her voice broke for a minute, but she recovered.

"Didn't say I was," he simply told her.

"You are and you know it. Why else would you drag this down from the attic?" Then there was a chuckle coming from her. "Tobias was right."

"Right about what?"

She calmed herself, explaining, "When he came back from Baltimore, after DiNozzo woke up, he told me you hadn't left yet and that you probably wouldn't until he was released from the hospital. He said that you think of them, all of them really, Ziva and Chuckie and Abby and DiNozzo, as your kids. And what parent wants to be away from a kid in a hospital?"

Gibbs admitted to himself that Fornell was right. They were his sons and daughters, not by blood, of course, but by accident. Ziva most of all. That caught him up in a memory. "Right over there was the spot the man who killed Agent Caitlin Todd died," he shared, though he had no idea why. "He was killed by a headshot fired from up there," now he pointed to the doorway down, "by Ziva. That man was her brother. She had been sent on that mission by her father and when she heard all he had planned, she pulled the trigger and saved my life."

For once, Diane said nothing, enthralled by the story.

"Years later, I was told that she had been told to do that to gain my trust and when I confronted her about it, she admitted that it was true, that it had been the order given. But when she actually pulled the trigger, it was not because of an order." He took a deep breath, feeling tears forming in his eyes. "That was the day I admitted I had gotten a daughter back."

He couldn't say anything further, because his phone rang. Squinting to see the number he answered the call. "Gibbs."

"Hey, boss, can I make a request from you?" DiNozzo asked across the line.

"Yeah, Tony, what do you want?" At the mention of the name, Diane stood up and quietly waved goodbye. "Hold up, I gotta take care of something." He put his hand over the mouthpiece. "Diane, step back. If Abby needs your help, she'll come to you for it."

Mutely, Diane nodded and left. Gibbs returned to the call, but Tony asked another question. "What does Abby need help with?"

"What do you want, DiNozzo?" he asked again, ignoring the second question.

"Uh, Ziva and well, I, had a rough day dealing with Orli Elbaz," he said.

"Yeah, I heard about your first encounter with Mossad," he said, grimacing at the conference call from a few days ago.

"Yeah, well, the second one didn't go any better, so I was wondering, has anything come back on my part-time reinstatement? And, if so, would it be alright if I took a few more days leave?"

"Well, Dr. Cranston hasn't handed in her evaluation, so you're still on medical leave. And, I could let her know there's no rush to get it into Vance," he replied, a small smile on his face.

"Great! Ziva and I thank you, We'll be in contact in a couple of days, just need a vacation from the vacation." Tony seemed giddy that they were being allowed more time. "Oh, also, one other question. You haven't heard from my dad since we've been away, have you?"

"No, but why would I in any case?"

"Just wondering. Thanks boss." Then he ended the call immediately.

Gibbs closed the phone and turned his attention back to the box. It was true, he wasn't going to throw away the contents before him. But, after hearing from a little birdie, he figured they'd come in handy for someone else. He figured that would write over the painful one he had through them.

The items inside were precious and deserved to be given for another little girl.