Ducky's office
Ducky walks down the hallway to his office. Once he reaches the door, he notices the door is already open. Just slightly opened. Ducky hesitates for a moment. He considers whether he should call security or take a chance to see who his unknown guess is. Ducky slowly pushes the door open and is relieved when he notices the white-haired man sitting in the chair with his back to the door.
"Jethro," Ducky says, relieved.
Gibbs looks back at Ducky briefly. "morning Doc." Gibbs greats Ducky before he turns his head back to look out the small window. Ducky notices that something is off. Ducky walks into the office and closes the door. The door is old and doesn't always close, so it remains slightly open. Ducky takes off his hat and coat before he sits down on the chair next to Gibbs.
"How can I help you, Jethro?" Ducky asks.
"Jack. The case with Jonathan Holland."
"ahh…" Ducky says, understandable.
"I had dinner with Jack last night. We talked about the case. She told me what she remembers."
"yeah," Ducky says for Gibbs to continue.
"something doesn't add up," Gibbs says, frustrated, gets up from his chair and starts to walk back and forth in the office. "Johnny holland didn't start killing until 17 years after the dishonorable discharge from the army. His first kill, possibly, was the man who tormented him in the army. Jack looked out for Holland while they deployed together. He reached out to her on some dating page, but he is also killing women who look like Jack did back then."
"how has Jack reacted to Hollands dating request?" Ducky asks.
"why?" Gibbs asks, irritated, and stops walking and looks at Ducky. He then realizes it is a valid question. "I don't know." Gibbs says calmer and continues walking. "probably deleted them or ignored them. I don't know."
"well. I have done a little research on this man. He was either ignored, tormented, or abused his whole life."
"so what Jack's decline of dating him was the last drop for him to start killing?" Gibbs asks, frustrated.
"it is possible. You said Jack looked out for him while they served in Afghanistan." Ducky asks. Gibbs stops walking and sits down again. "yes. that is what Jack says, and it makes sense."
"yes, its sure does. Knowing how carrying and thoughtful Jacquelin is of her fellow human beings." Ducky agrees. "Jack used to look out for him. it is possible that a rejection from a person he saw as his friend could be the last drop that pushed him over the edge."
"he didn't just see her as his friend." Gibbs says like he suddenly remembered something." He thinks of her as his girlfriend. He tells people around him that she is his girlfriend or was."
"who?" Ducky asks.
"his mother had cancer, and he spoke with the nurse who took care of her. He told the nurse that he had a girlfriend in the army."
"why do I get the feeling that this nurse isn't just any nurse?" Ducky asks with a concerned look.
"Jack doesn't know," Gibbs admits. Ducky knows about Jack's daughter and that Jack's daughter is a nurse. "I need Jack to focus on the case. Jack completely lost focus on the case the last time there was a case involving her daughter."
"I don't think that is your call to make."
"well, I need her head in the game," Gibbs says, a little irritated and stands up and continues his pacing back and forth. He feels guilty about going behind Jack's back regarding her daughter, and he knows Jack will find out eventually, and he will have to deal with that. Right now, he needs to focus on the case and catching a serial killer.
"I have been thinking about why he would go after Jack. Why kill women who look like Jack did back then. Blonde hair, mid 30's and all ranked Lieutenant." Gibbs says.
"and what is your theory?" Ducky asks.
"he was very close with his mother. His mother protected him from the abuse of his father throughout his childhood. In the army, Jack protected him from the torment of fellow soldiers and superior officers. I think he fell in love with Jack because she is the perfect combination of a well accomplished, respected, and successful officer, but at the same time also beautiful, smart… perfect." Gibbs is just looking straight ahead while his voice is getting lower and lower, and it seems like he almost forgets for a moment, while he is talking, that Ducky is there.
"Are we still talking about Johnny Holland's perception of her?" Ducky asks cautiously. Gibbs immediately looks at Ducky with an annoyed look. Ducky has a small knowing look on his face, but that doesn't suit Gibbs.
"yes," he says, determined and irritated, and stands up.
"Jethro. Have you thought about why this case is bothering you so much?" Gibbs just looks utterly confused at Ducky's question. "this case is personal for you." Ducky states.
"This psycho is targeting women that looks like NCIS agent."
"and looks like more than 100.000 people in America." Ducky states. "I think this case is personal for you because it is about a man who is potentially in love with Jack."
"why should I care about this nutjob's feelings? He killed three servicemembers. Possibly 4. I care about catching him. Not whether he is in love with Jack. He could want to marry her for all I care."
"Are you sure?" Ducky asks with a skeptical look.
Gibbs shakes his head, annoyed.
"forget I asked for your opinion, Doc," Gibbs says, irritated and leaves the office, and don't even bother to close the door.
"Ohh, Jethro. Talk to her." Ducky says and heavily sighs as he stands up to walk to his treadmill to start his planned work.
Jack arrived early at the office. So, she decided to head down and consult with Ducky on a theory. The theory had been stuck in her head since her conversation with Gibbs last night. She walks down the hallway to Ducky's office and hears Ducky is talking with someone, so she waits outside for an appropriate pause in the conversation for her to knock and announce her presence. She is surprised when she hears that Ducky is talking with Gibbs. Jack overhears Ducky talking about how carrying Jack is and decides not to intervene in the conversation. Jack tries hard not to burst into the office and shout at Gibbs when she hears him talk about Faith. It takes every bit of will-power in her body to control her anger, but Jack manages to do it. Jack is about to leave and decides to come back later when she hears Gibbs talking about how he thinks Johnny saw her as competent and accomplished and beautiful and smart. The sound of Gibbs's voice with so much softness and thought gives her an odd feeling in her stomach. She reminds herself that it is Johnny's feelings Gibbs is talking about and not his own. She convinces herself that until she hears Ducky's question on whether Johnny's or Gibbs's feelings, they are discussing. Jack gets upset when Jack hears Gibbs saying that he doesn't care if Johnny has feelings for her or not, so Jack leaves before she loses control of her emotions. She goes back to her office.
Jacks office
Jack is sitting in her office on the couch with her black-framed glasses and her laptop next to her. The coffee table in front of her, covered with papers and photos. Her legs are tucked up under her as she leans forward over the documents on the coffee table. She is too occupied with her work to notice Gibbs's silent entrance until he sits down in the chair across from her. By the time he sits down, he has already been in her office, observing her for a few minutes without her ever paying attention or notice him. She doesn't look up from her work until someone knocks politely on the open door, and Ducky pokes his head in.
"permission to enter?" Ducky asks politely with his distinctive British accent. Jack looks up at him and smiles as she takes off her black-framed glasses and places them in her hair.
"yes. Hey Ducky, come on in. have a seat." Jack says and gestures to an empty chair next to Gibbs.
"Should I leave?" Gibbs asks since it doesn't seem like Jack is even noticing that he is there.
"no," she says but doesn't look at him. it almost seems like she is avoiding eye contact with him. "I need you both here." She speaks very enthusiastically like she usually does when she has made a break in the case. Jack is generally very enthusiastic when she is the one who breaks the case instead of Gibbs. It gives her a good feeling to show Gibbs that her method works.
"I have a theory." She says and starts to line up some photos of Johnny on her coffee table. They are in chronological order of Johnny's life from he was a young boy to the most reason photo of him and his mother in the hospital.
"Remember what we talked about last night, Gibbs. That we couldn't figure out why he would wait for 17 years to start killing?" Gibbs nods.
"so there was one thing that bothered me when I remembered the first conversation I ever had with Johnny on base in Afghanistan in 2003. I have been thinking about what we talked about last night, Gibbs. Johnny didn't like to harm people, not even terrorists. I reminded him of his father's abuse. I think he became a soldier to prove to himself, to the world, and his mother that he could be the opposite of what his father was, but…" Jack says and holds a dramatic pause and looks directly at Gibbs for the first time since he entered her office. "I think he was terrified of becoming his father."
"his father wasn't a killer." Gibbs points out.
"I know," Jack says, very confident but doesn't elaborate right away, which annoys Gibbs.
"But, I think you are on to something, Jacqueline." Ducky adds in. "his father died when he was 17 of alcohol addiction, but I took a look at both Johnny's and his mother's hospital records. I would say it was only a matter of time before the abuse of Johnny's mother escalated."
"exactly," Jack says confident and puts on her glasses before she continues explaining to her two colleagues while she is looking at her notes on her computer.
"Johnny didn't start killing people until a few weeks ago when his mother died. The loss of his mother pushed him over the edge." Jack says, confident.
"I must disagree with you on this, Jacqueline," Ducky says, but he doesn't feel comfortable with it. Jack looks very bewildered at the doctor as she takes off her glasses. The so confident smile on her face has now faded away.
"I think you are overlooking an essential factor in the timeline of his life." Ducky says and looks over the line of pictures on the coffee table. "and one that I now notice you have not attributed to your, otherwise very detailed, timeline." Ducky searches through a pile of pictures on the coffee table. "I believe that there was another very stabilizing factor in this man's, otherwise very turbulent and troubled life." Ducky finally locates the picture he was looking for and adds it in the right place in the photo timeline. It is, to Jack's big surprise, a picture of her and her unit where Johnny is standing discreetly in the background looking towards the camera.
"my unit?" Jack asks, confused.
"you." Gibbs clarifies.
"yes. my dear Jacqueline," Ducky says and continues to clarify when he notices Jack's facial expression filled with confusion and concern. "Johnny's mother was not in Afghanistan with him. he was only an average soldier doing his training and before he went to Afghanistan, but he changed throughout his deployment in Afghanistan," Ducky explains.
"It is natural. Field experience is different from training." Jack explains, a little defensive.
"Jack. I found a rapport from his unit leader that explains how Johnny saved five young local boys from stepping into a minefield. His communication skills with the local teenagers were noted as exemplary."
Jack looks surprised at Gibbs when he hands her a copy of the rapport. She recognizes something in the paper.
"you told him something that led to this. Didn't you, Jack?" Gibbs asks. Jack looks up from the paper but doesn't say anything.
"Jack, Johnny went from being an average soldier with not much potential for a long, honorable career as an officer to being noticed by a superior for his potential. But a few months later, he attacks fellow soldiers and is dishonorably discharged."
"as I said, he was on edge the whole time. it was only a matter of time." Jack casually explains while she hands the copy back to Gibbs.
"Jacqueline, he was dishonorably discharged while your unit was held, hostage. He started misbehaving and disrespecting orders just a week after your unit was reported missing." Ducky explains while Jack looks down. She knows they are partially right.
"he did misbehave earlier, but I didn't report him. he was trying to attack two fellow soldiers in the mess hall. I intervened and never reported him for it." she feels guilty now, more than she did before. She did notice the timeline of escalating violence earlier, but she refused to admit that she could be the reason for the escalation. She dismissed it as a pure coincident. Johnny never actually attacked anyone until her unit was taken. She stopped him once and noticed a few other times that he seemed to attempt to do something, but he stopped when he saw her.
"Jacquelin, do you remember when you told me about your daughter, and you noticed I didn't seem surprised?" Ducky asks, and Jack nods, but she isn't sure where he is going with this or why he would bring up Faith in this conversation. The thought of what she overheard Gibbs say to Ducky earlier makes the anger she felt come back. She can't stand looking at Gibbs because she fears she might blow upon him. It is clear to her that Gibbs also avoids making eye contact with her. Jack thinks that is probably out of guilt for not informing her about Faith's connection with a serial killer.
"I told you that I had noticed your maternal instinct. It isn't so easy for you to hide."
"What is your point, Doc?" Jack asks, a little irritated now and her irritation doesn't go unnoticed by her two highly observing colleagues and friends.
"Jack, we are not accusing you of anything," Gibbs says sympathetically.
"spare me the sympathy, Gibbs." Jack snaps.
"Jack. I think you helped to keep this young man sane. Your maternal instinct and natural care for people around you helped this young man." Ducky explains while Jack stands up and starts pacing back and forth on the floor behind Ducky and Gibbs. "yeah, and if my unit didn't get kidnapped, he wouldn't have been dishonorably discharged or started killing people." Jack says loud, almost yelling, and frustrated.
"Jack. I think the reason why this young man hasn't killed anyone before is that he has been searching for you. He had his mother when he was a child, and, in the army, he had you. You looked out for him. he needed you."
"great, he saw me as his mother." Jack snaps, frustrated.
"Actually, Jack. I think he was in love with you and wanted to become the man you saw in him. he listened to you." Gibbs explains calmly to her, but it doesn't seem to calm her down.
"I didn't see anything in him, Gibbs." Jack snaps. She gets surprised by her reaction and stops pacing.
"he wanted to become the man that you saw he had potential to be, and this rapport shows that he could do so," Gibbs explains. Jack just looks furious at Gibbs.
"I'm sorry," Jack says after a moment of silence where she has had time to clear her head. She sits back down on the couch.
"Jack. You might not have seen anything in him as a romantic partner, but you saw his potential. You helped him towards being a good soldier. It is your natural instincts to see the good in people." Ducky explains with a sympathetic smile that softens Jack's otherwise current hostile attitude towards Gibbs and Ducky.
"yeah." Jack says, frustrated. "and how did that go? I produced a killer."
At the same moment, it knocks on the door. When Jack looks up to see who her new visitor is, she meets the eyes of her very shocked daughter.
"Faith." Jack says, surprised. "hey. What are you doing here?"
"apparently interrupting." Faith says.
"oh, no, no-no. I was talking about a guy I tried to help years ago."
"Tess Hollands, son?" Faith asks and looks over at Gibbs.
"yes. how do you know him?" Jack asks and immediately seems very concerned while she gets a sick feeling in her stomach by the thought of her daughter knowing a killer. Jack immediately turns to Gibbs too when she notices Faith is looking over at Gibbs.
"Agent Gibbs asked me about him a couple of days ago. So, it was you he was talking about?" Faith asks. Jack looks confused between Gibbs and Faith.
"I think his version had a few modifications of the truth," Gibbs explains, referring to Jonathan Holland, who had called Jack his girlfriend.
"I hope so." Faith says with apparent disgust.
"what version?" Jack asks Gibbs. When neither Gibbs nor Faith answers her question, Jack grabs a photo of Johnathan Holland and gets up from the couch and shows it to Faith. "do you know this guy?"
"yes, that is him." Faith steps closer into the office. "Is he trying to hurt you? you talked about producing a killer, and Agent Gibbs mentioned that he might try to hurt you." Faith sounds deeply concerned.
"There is no indication of that." Jack quickly says reassuringly to Faith and then turns to Gibbs with an accusing look.
"you don't need to protect me. I am not a little girl." Faith says with softness in her voice to her mom.
"right," Jack says apologetically to Faith but can't help but shyly smile when she notices the knowing smile on Ducky's face. Ducky has recognized how Jack cannot put away her maternal instinct to protect her daughter from the truth. "I know you are not. You can handle the truth."
"did you get anything from my picture frame, Agent Gibbs?" Faith asks.
"yeah, we got fingerprints confirming he is the guy who took it. we just still don't know why."
"picture frame?" Jack asks, confused. "when did you guys talk, and why haven't I ben informed if you went to question my daughter."
"she over the age of 18, Jack. She wasn't under arrest, which means neither her parents are required to be informed, or legal representation was necessary." Gibbs insists when he feels Jack is getting irritated with him and his actions.
"It was just a conversation." Faith says and gently places her hand on Jack's arm to calm her down, but Jack still seems very irritated with Gibbs.
"we will let you two have a conversation," Ducky says and stands up. Gibbs doesn't follow Ducky's lead at first. He is concerned about Jack, but once Ducky grabs Gibb's wrist, he gets the hint and stands up and follows Ducky out of the office.
"so, what did Agent Gibbs tell you?" Jack asks. That is the last thing Gibs hear of the conversation before Ducky closes the door behind them.