………………….Monday 19th of August………..

"Kate…I got a call from agent Craig on Saturday. He said you've called him twice." Gibbs wondered.

"Yeah…So what did he want?" Kate asked.

"He wondered if we had found Matilda. I said we were still working on it. I'm glad you didn't tell him the truth." Gibbs said to her. He wanted as few as possible to know about her.

"He isn't married. He puts on his ring from time to time because he has a hard time letting go. He's been divorced for a year and has two stepdaughters who are 9 and 10. Adam told me that during the periods where he don't feel like dating it feels good just to put on the ring. Nothing happened between him and Matilda. They just talked a lot. Adam and his ex-wife separated two years ago and ever since he's been fighting with his ex so he could at least meet his stepdaughters twice a month." Kate explained.

"So what you're really meaning is that you want me to tell him the truth so they can date." Gibbs told her. He knew where she was going with this.

"I asked him if he would date her but he said no. His ex-wife just agreed on letting the kids live with him for the time being. Adam feels responsible for the children since he practically raised them for the last five years. His ex-wife has some trouble so he wants to take care of his daughters. It's been quite difficult since the biological father still has his rights but he has lived on the other side of the country since him and his ex-wife split when the youngest was just one month old. He barely visits them and calls once in a while. Adam is fighting in court on getting custody and now it looks like he'll get it so that's why his wife let the kids live with him. The kids had always wanted to live with him." Kate further explained.

"I'm not stupid…You want me to see that he's perfect for her. I won't change my mind." Gibbs told her.

"Rule no 12 doesn't apply here." Kate argued.

"It's not up to you to decide. It's at least close to no 12 but I have other reasons for my decision. Things are really going well for Matilda. We shouldn't shake things up." Gibbs continued.

"Well I don't see Matilda moving from here and Adam and the kids moving from Washington so I guess you're right. Someone else is probably her Mr Right." Kate said but she wasn't about to give up yet.

………………………..

Matilda left the building for her lunch break. When she just got out she saw a man standing there just staring at her. She didn't know what to do. Go back didn't seem like an option but staying didn't seem so good either. The man went up to her.

"I knew you weren't dead. I almost lost my job because of you. We need to talk so you're coming with me." John said to her. He had a very threatening tone and Matilda guessed he had his gun on him. She didn't want to risk anything.

……………..Two hours later………….

"Have you seen Matilda?" the director asked Gibbs.

"No. Isn't she working?" Gibbs asked.

"She went on lunch two hours ago but never came back. She isn't answering her phone."

When he heard the last part he got worried.

"Christina and Sarah, please be nice here. It's just as CIA." Adam said to his girls.

Gibbs recognised his voice.

"What are you doing here?" Kate asked surprised.

"It's been too quiet and you've called me for a reason." Adam answered.

"Who is he?" the director asked.

"This is Adam Craig and his daughters. He's looking for Matilda." Kate replied.

"I thought it was a secret." The director said surprised that Kate talked about it so openly with a stranger.

"She changed her name again to Matilda Miller. We wanted as few as possible to know so she would be safe. Now she didn't come back from her lunch break." Gibbs told them.

"We need to find her. I want to talk to her." Adam told them.

"I think something has happened to her." Gibbs told him.

"John was let out of custody this weekend. I'm sure he went after her. That's why I came. I wanted to find her before he did. You were working on the case." Adam said to him.

"So of course this would be the first place for him to come. If he took her then I don't know where he could have taken her. Is he dangerous?" Gibbs asked.

"He did hit her but I don't know if he's capable to kill her." Adam answered and then he realised the girls were present.

"Girls, why don't we find you a place to be while the grown-ups talk about our job." Adam said to them.

"We know quite much about CIA dad." Christina the oldest girl said. Then she went away with her sister to some chairs further in the office.

"They seem very mature." Kate noticed.

"Emma and I talked a lot about them. They are much like Emma when she was younger. I don't want them to grow up like that. Emma made me want to fight even harder for them and now I've won. My ex-wife's lawyer said today I could get custody while she fixed her life and the judge granted the request." Adam stated.

"Why don't we cut to the chase? What everyone wants to say is that Emma, Ellie or Matilda would probably date you if you asked. Would you ask?" Tony asked Adam.

"I think I would say yes to a date but we live in different cities and I have my daughters to think about." Adam answered.

"At least your ring is off." Tony noticed.

"It's not going to be put on again either." Adam said with a smile which Kate saw.

"So let's trace her phone. If it's on then we can position in which block she is at." Gibbs told them.

…………An hour later…………

Gibbs, Adam, Tony and Kate entered the coffee shop. There were Matilda and John. Matilda saw them and then John noticed them too. The four went up to them.

"He just wanted to talk. I couldn't say no." Matilda answered.

"We're just about finished. I said I'm sorry. I'm going home now." John told them. Then he went up and left the coffee shop quite quickly.

"We got worried." Adam said.

"Don't be. I said I can take care of myself and I did." Matilda told them.

"I got custody over my daughters. They're back at NCIS if you want to meet them. I want to thank you for your encouragement." Adam said to her. He didn't know what else to say.

"I'm glad everything worked out for you." Matilda said not showing any emotion.

"Yeah." Adam said.

"Can Adam and I walk back to NCIS? I think we have a lot to talk about." Matilda wondered.

Gibbs nodded and the two were left alone.

……………..Back at NCIS a few hours later………..

"They look like a family those four." Tony said.

Matilda, Adam and the girls had spent much time together since they came back. No one knew what was said but everyone seemed quite happy.

"I'm going to call Abby and say we did a good job matchmaking." Kate said proudly.

"Adam still likes Matilda despite her past. Not many guys would do that." McGee stated.

"She's become so much stronger." Gibbs said while still looking in his papers.

Matilda was now just any other woman and you couldn't see what she had been through.

…………………

A few minutes later all four of them seemed to be in a very hurry.

"Their mother is dying. She's been in a traffic accident. Thank you for everything you did. God just don't want anything to work out for me." Matilda said in a hurry.

…………..A few hours later………………

"Team, listen up. CIA just called me. They intercepted a call between two people just before they got arrested them. They are after Matilda and hired another hit man. He is headed to my place." Gibbs said worried. He called home.

Matilda was dancing around in the living room and didn't hear both phones.

………….A few minutes later………….

Matilda was home alone. She came home early and Gibbs said he would be working late. Adam and kids had rushed back to Washington. Someone rang on the doorbell. Matilda saw who it was. She opened the door, went out and talked to John. She didn't want to let him in. It wasn't her house and she didn't know how he found out where she lived.

"You didn't think I would let you go that easy!" John said while taking up his gun.

………………

Matilda had put on her gun before she left the house. She didn't feel he could be trusted and she was right.

"Wait. Can't we talk about it?" Matilda suggested.

They started to talk for a while. Matilda sensed he didn't want to hurt her but just get back at her.

Then the team arrived. The slowly went out of the vehicles with their guns.

Matilda had an overview of what happened.

"John…If you drop your weapon they'll let you go." Matilda told him.

He looked at her and then at the team. He knew he was outnumbered and that Matilda didn't care if she died. He dropped it just as Matilda saw a rifle in the window in the house on the other side.

"NCIS get down." Matilda yelled. They all ran around the cars to safety. Shots were fired. When everyone looked up again John was lying on the ground and Matilda gone.

But John wasn't the only one who got hurt.