The best and the worst of times

Chapter 29th

"Leon, did you know any of this that the Cartel will be going after Special Agent Gibbs?" Melissa asks him while on the flight heading for California.

Shaking his head slightly. "I had a suspicious Melissa that they will go after him. However in order for Gibbs to actually run after the vehicle at the restaurant they had just arrived for dinner. It was a waitress that had mention seeing the vehicle outside and he ran after the car."

"Jesus! Does Gibbs have some type of a death wish or something?" she suggested with her comment sitting next to the love of her life.

"He's had one ever since his first wife and daughter had been killed by the Cartel Pedro Herandez." Leon needed to say.

"It's a real shame. It's too bad that Lt. Loriele Baskins had to hook up with this man and fall in love with him?" she said with the shake of her head and with the stewardess bringing over drinks before a meal was going to be served.

Leon said the following..." Thanks." he said. "However if Gibbs is happy with the woman. I am glad in a way that after all of the pain he had been through with the loss of Jacqueline Sloane, Diane, and most of all Shannon and his daughter Kelly." "I know this may sound crazy Leon. Think about this what if Shannon and Kelly aren't dead and are staying inside some type of Witness protection program after 34 years?" "It's plausible Melissa. But why haven't come forward as yet?" he suggested with taking a sip of his Budweiser beer can that was given by the stewardess. "Maybe they have some forward knowing that Special Agent Gibbs had been shot?" she said. "You know something I don't know Melissa?" he exclaimed.

Special Agent Gibbs had been moved to ICU after being operated on by the doctors and Loreile was sitting by his side after being told that he wasn't going to wake for some time.

She had downstairs to the cafe to have something to eat and drink knowing it was going to be a long wait. She was in a strange hospital instead of Bethesda hospital. She had finished her Turkey sandwich, diet cola, and salad.

She had noticed this woman having to be in her early forties. She bumped into her rushing out of the door. "I am truly sorry about all this ma'am."

"No problem." Loriele had to say. I am heading up to ICU. You?" she was being nosey with asking of the question.

"Same. We might as well walk to the same elevator and floor?" The black-haired woman had to say only there to observe for now until she was ready with her plan.

Once they had walked out of the elevator with Loreile heading for ICU. Meanwhile, the other woman went in the opposite direction to head for the waiting area.

Walking into Leroy Jethro Gibbs darkened room for the moment. She turned up the lights slightly having to be still asleep from the surgery. She had pulled up a chair in order to sit next to him and wait...

It wasn't until an hour later having fallen asleep. She heard something coming out of his mouth. She rushed up off the chair to head on over to his side. "Jethro tries and takes it easy-you're in a hospital," she said to him by placing her hand over his silver hair.

"What happened?" he croaked out his response. He was in need of water to drink with his throat and lips dry.

"Drive-by shooting with the Cartel members shooting you in the shoulder and right leg. You're going to be immobile for a few days Jethro. Try and sleep now. Okay?" she gently touches his cheek with a soft kiss. "Love you, baby." she cried out.

"I don't wish to sleep. I want to talk to you while I can stay awake," he said. "I love you as well Loreile. It's always been hard for me to say those words over the years."

"Okay. But I can bet you said those words to Shannon and your daughter Kelly?" she commented with watching his face.

"I did. But never to Diane and the others and including the woman I was dating."

"There is one woman I need to ask you about and that is Major Ellen Wallace?" she was sure that she had heard that he was in love with her before breaking off the engagement and her death during 9/11.

"I did. She was a special woman. However, will all of my past I wasn't able to get past the anger I had been feeling with the death of Shannon and Kelly." he croaked out with the response.

"When her body was found and Doctor Palmer had told me the name of the body after checking her dentures. I was in complete shock and no doubt that my team was able to figure out the complete truth. And having to advise her father General Wallace still alive."

"When was the last time you had spoken with him?" she wanted to know about this special man.

"A year ago as he was coming back from a seminar in California," he said. "General Wallace was glad to hear from me and my achievements.