Lab Time

Abby and Ziva were in the lab when they arrived; McGee had just gone out to pick up lunch for everyone. Tony made introductions, then texted Tim with Sammie's lunch order. Abby was clearly torn, wanting to hug her and accept her immediately as being Kelly, but still suspicious. Sammie smiled uncertainly as Abby chattered away, and Ziva looked at Tony. "You are right, she does have Gibbs' smile."

Abby gave Sammie a quick tour of the lab, and they ended up in her inner sanctum. "We're going to stay in here, in case Gibbs comes by," she stated in a tone that clearly showed she wasn't going to take no for an answer. "He brings me Caf-Pows, but he might not this afternoon 'cause we don't have a case. Hand," she stated suddenly, and Sammie looked at her, confused. "For fingerprints," Abby explained quickly. "And then I can do a cheek swab for DNA… and then we hang out and we wait, 'cause the DNA will take a while."

Sammie's brow furrowed. "I thought you already got a match on my fingerprints."

Abby nodded emphatically. "We did! And I can't even begin to tell you how weird that was. But that was on the computer… we need to verify with your actual prints."

Sammie nodded, and Abby collected her evidence. Sammie asked some questions, dredging up some memories from her college forensics class, and Abby was in her element explaining everything as she extracted DNA, prepared to run PCR, and got everything ready to run the gel. Ziva and Tony watched, until Tony checked the time and realized Gibbs and Ducky would likely be back any minute. Tony interrupted Abby, "Sammie, you going to be okay here? We need to get back to work before Gibbs comes looking for us. McGee should be here with lunch soon."

Sammie smiled at him. "I'm sure I'll be fine with Abby. Thanks, Tony."

Ziva followed Tony out of the lab. "Tony," she said as they got in the elevator, "What will we do if the tests show that Sammie is not Kelly?"

Tony sighed. "Sammie asked the same thing. I told her we would put her in protective custody until we made sure she wasn't being set up."

Ziva nodded thoughtfully. "She seems nice. Did you check for weapons?"

Tony smiled. "She made it through security without any problem."

The elevator doors opened, and McGee stepped aside to let them out. "I left your lunches on your desks… Gibbs and Ducky just got back, and Vance called Gibbs up to his office to discuss budget issues. He'll probably be there the rest of the afternoon."

Ducky rounded the corner and greeted them. "Shall we go downstairs and meet the mysterious Samantha?" he asked McGee. Tony and Ziva headed for their desks, while Ducky and McGee made their way to the lab.

Abby had shut and locked the door behind Tony and Ziva, having changed her mind about making Sammie stay in the office. She wanted to talk to her without yelling across the lab. Sammie watched as Abby worked at her lab bench, explaining the set up with the DNA ladder as a control. She vaguely remembered something about restriction enzymes and a standard curve, which thrilled Abby and launched more explanations complete with hand motions, making Sammie wonder why Abby didn't have a whiteboard. "Do you have a YouTube channel? You're great at explaining this stuff."

Abby paused and stared at her. "You think so? Most everyone here just wants the payoff, so I don't get to do too much explaining."

Sammie smiled. "I would have loved to have you as backup. My forensics prof had a really thick accent and talked too quickly. Khan Academy saved my butt a few times, but you're more fun. I guarantee you'd have a huge following of high school and college kids."

Abby's eyes shone with excitement. She opened her mouth to speak when someone knocked on the door. Her eyes narrowed. "Who is it?"

"Abby, open up! I've got lunch and Ducky."

"Timmy!" Abby ran to the door and put her hand on the handle, then glanced at Sammie and waved her back. Sammie moved closer to the wall. Abby unlocked the door and opened it a few inches. "Is Gibbs around?" she asked in a stage whisper.

"Just us, Abigail," said someone Sammie assumed to be Ducky.

Abby opened the door, ushering them in quickly before checking the hallway and shutting and locking the door. The younger man went right to the large table, setting down the paper bag and rummaging through it, while an older gentleman approached Sammie, smiling warmly and holding out his hand. "Do allow me to introduce myself… Donald Mallard, medical examiner here at NCIS. Please, call me Ducky."

Sammie reached out to shake his hand. "Hi, Ducky. I'm Sammie."

Ducky's hand was warm in hers; his left hand reached out to cover hers as he gazed at her. "Oh my… it's a pleasure to meet you, my dear. I can see Jethro in you… we shall let the DNA have the final word, but I have little doubt as to the outcome."

Abby bounced over to them. "Ducky! You shouldn't get ahead of the evidence!"

Ducky smiled at Sammie before letting go of her hand and turning to Abby, reaching out to pat her on the shoulder. "Abigail, I place my trust in science as much as you do, but I also trust the evidence of my own eyes." He turned back to Sammie. "If you don't mind, my dear girl…" Sammie shook her head, curious and amused. "Look at the angle of the cheekbones, just there… and her smile, exactly as Tony mentioned last week."

Sammie was a little embarrassed by the scrutiny, and turned with relief to the younger man who stepped up next to Abby. "Hi. I have you to thank for lunch?"

He nodded, studying her before smiling and shaking her hand. "Tim McGee. And yes, I brought lunch." His smile widened. "You do have Gibbs' smile."

Abby looked apologetically at Sammie. "It's not that I don't want to believe it," she said, and just then her computer dinged. "Fingerprint results!" she exclaimed, running to the keyboard. Her fingers ran over the keys as they all moved forward to check the screen. "100% match to Kelly Gibbs," Abby declared. They all looked at each other.

Sammie cleared her throat. "Will the DNA take long? Our labs were always done in a few hours…"

Abby shook her head. "You were probably using pre-cut samples. We're starting from scratch. DNA extraction won't take much longer, then we run PCR, then the gel, then computer analysis… but that won't take long 'cause we've got a really narrowly defined search. Either you match Gibbs or you don't." She glanced at the screen. "I'm guessing we'll have the final answer around eight tonight."

They ate lunch, and then Sammie settled in at Abby's desk to wait with some magazines and her phone while the others got on with their jobs.

DNA Doesn't Lie

Tony, Ziva, and Tim returned to the lab a little after six pm, bringing pizza, salad, and drinks. Ducky had stopped in to say he had an early dinner engagement with a friend, but would be back soon. They all sat on the floor, pizza boxes in the middle, Sammie between Abby and Tony.

"Where's Gibbs?" Abby asked.

Ziva glanced at Tony, whose mouth was full of pizza. "He came out of the director's office in a bad mood, told us to go home, and left. We assume he is angry about having spent so much time in an office instead of tracking down evil-doers and will be in his basement with the boat."

Tim grinned at her. "You make him sound like a superhero."

"He is!" Abby stated firmly.

Sammie was staring at the floor, clearly not seeing it. "A boat in his basement…" She looked up at Tony. "Wait… he's building it, right?"

"You remembering stuff?" Tony asked after swallowing his food.

Sammie nodded slowly. "Bits and pieces… nothing too coherent, but I think I remember helping him… somehow."

Everyone else exchanged glances while Sammie thought about it. Abby picked up her phone and sent a quick group text: Anyone could know about the boat. Gibbs never locks his door.

Tony picked up his own phone after it buzzed, read her message, and responded. 100% fingerprint match.

Abby frowned as she picked up her phone and answered. Maybe that's too perfect. Faked prints?

Tony scoffed quietly and sent another message. As part of her fingers? How?!

Tim and Ziva were glancing at their phones, following the conversation while they tried to talk with Sammie, who watched them all try to be subtle about the texts, suppressing her laughter. Shaking her head, she finally spoke up. "Guys, it's fine. I'd doubt me too."

Abby bit her lip; she reached up to fiddle with the collar around her neck with one hand while she reached for Sammie's hand with the other. "It's not –"

"- that you don't want to believe it. I know," Sammie smiled at her, squeezing her hand before letting go and picking up another piece of pizza. "It's okay."

After they ate and while they waited for the DNA results, they told Sammie stories about the team… funny ones, including a few about Gibbs. They had a great time telling her about his recent stint in a real-life video game. Sammie relaxed as time passed, and Abby was obviously warming up to her more and more. Ducky returned, sharing the details of his dinner, pulling the chair out from behind Abby's desk to sit down while they waited.

When the computer dinged with results, everyone fell silent. Sammie reached for Tony's hand, gripping it hard. Abby ran to the monitor, looked at it, then started bouncing in her platform boots. "Welcome home, Kelly!" she exclaimed, her face beaming.

They all got up and moved to the computer, staring at the clear match showing Gibbs' picture next to Sammie's. Sammie burst into tears, sobbing as she turned and hugged Tony, who held her tightly, blinking away the moisture in his own eyes. Abby hugged Ducky. Ziva looked from the monitor to Sammie and back, turning away slightly when her eyes welled up and her chin started to tremble.+ Tim reached over, pulling her into a one-armed hug and kissing her temple. She gave him a wavering smile, then closed her eyes and rested her head on his shoulder.

Abby was babbling excitedly to Ducky, whose joyful expression said everything that needed to be said. And Tony held on to Sammie while she sniffled and got herself under control, looking at the pictures on the monitor, his mind racing as he considered what this would mean for Gibbs.

A short time later, they were all back on the floor in Abby's office, while Ducky sat close by in the chair. Sammie had recovered fairly quickly, and now she sat with one hand held firmly in Abby's, the other in Tony's. "I think… I think I still want you to call me Sammie," she said quietly. "I've been Sammie a lot longer than I was Kelly."

There were murmurs of agreement all around. "Are you okay?" Abby asked.

Sammie laughed softly. "I'm really not sure." Her eyes met Abby's. "Ever since I woke up in that hospital, things just felt off. Like I had two separate lives. Bits and pieces are coming back… I think I remember my grandfather. Dad's dad… Jackson, right?" She raised her head to look at Tony. "You showed me his picture."

Tony nodded, and Ducky smiled at her. "He's a lovely man. He'll be thrilled to have you back."

She turned to Ducky. "How am I remembering so much now, after so long?"

"The mind is capable of much when it needs to protect itself. Perhaps seeing the pictures allowed you to break through walls you put up subconsciously. Perhaps you were simply ready to know." Ducky paused thoughtfully. "All those years ago, everyone in the hospital was telling you who you were, correct?"

Sammie nodded. "All the doctors and nurses told me my head injury was responsible for my confusion… and my adoptive mom was actually one of my nurses."

Ducky cleared his throat. "You were young and impressionable, in addition to dealing with physical, mental, and emotional trauma; I imagine it was easier to accept what you were told. And so, forgive me, my dear, once you lost your adoptive parents and any reinforcement of that message halted, you were essentially free to rediscover your past."

Sammie blinked as she considered that. "My adoptive parents were wonderful to me. I had a great life with them." Abby squeezed her hand.

Ducky nodded encouragingly. "I am very glad you did."

"But… the dreams of my… real, I guess, parents got more frequent a few months after Pop died."

Ducky smiled. "Your adoptive parents clearly loved you and only did what they thought was best, based on the information they had." He tilted his head slightly as he considered. "Well… this is all speculation, but perhaps the loss of your adoptive parents and the lack of hearing about the supposed effects of your head injury allowed the memories to resurface. It may very well be that had Anthony contacted you several years ago, you wouldn't have been able to recall anything of your life as Kelly Gibbs."

Sammie bit her lip and nodded, then looked away from Ducky to Tony, squeezing Tony's hand. "I'm so glad you all found me."

Tony smiled at her. "Not as glad as Gibbs will be."

Ziva spoke up. "How are we going to tell Gibbs?"

Abby's eyes lit up. "Let's go over to his house now!"

Ziva, Tim, Tony, Abby, and Sammie all started talking at once. Ducky watched them for a moment, shaking his head. He spoke up, a surprising note of command in his voice causing them all to fall silent. "Absolutely not."

Abby looked imploringly at Ducky. "But, Ducky, he's waited so long!"

Ducky looked at her over the top of his glasses. "That's just it, Abigail. He has not been waiting at all. For twenty years, his reality has been that Kelly died along with her mother." His gaze moved to Sammie. "I am sorry, my dear… but we cannot simply blindside him with this information. It would not be fair."

Sammie nodded. She opened her mouth to speak, then closed it, cleared her throat, and tried again. "Is… is he going to be happy to see me?" she asked in a small voice.

"What?!" Abby stared at Sammie, her mouth hanging open.

Sammie was having trouble making eye contact with anyone. Tony gently strengthened his hold on her hand, offering support. "It's just… I mean, it's been such a long time." Her voice wavered. "Maybe he's moved on… maybe this is a complication he doesn't need."

Ducky held up a hand to forestall the verbal explosion he knew was about to happen. "Samantha," he said firmly, "Jethro has never stopped loving you or your mother. Yes, this will be a shock, but absolutely nothing could make him happier."

Everyone chimed in at that point, reassuring her that her father would be beyond thrilled to have her back in his life.

When there was a lull in the conversation, Tim spoke up. "Ziva asked the right question… how do we tell Gibbs? Ducky, you've known him the longest."

Ducky nodded. "Indeed I have." He looked at Tony. "You, Anthony, should go tell him this evening."

Tony's eyes widened, and he frowned. "I sorta thought maybe he would take it better coming from you, Ducky."

"Jethro trusts you, Anthony. If I had been the one to find Samantha and talk with her first, I would indeed be the logical choice. But you have the first-hand knowledge of finding Jethro's daughter and of your conversations, so I think you would be best suited to answer any of Jethro's questions."

Tony grimaced. "He could be pissed that we didn't tell him right away." He sighed. "More head slaps."

Sammie let out a surprised giggle. "I think Mom used to do that to him, as a joke. Well, mostly joking."

Ziva looked at her. "Sammie, where are you staying?"

"With a friend on the other side of town… I texted her earlier, asked her to look after Jack for me. She's got to go back to work tomorrow, so I was going to go home tonight. I have the week off, though, so I can stay in the area until Sunday night. I can get a hotel room if there's one that takes dogs."

Ducky looked at her thoughtfully. "Samantha, I would be happy to offer you my home as a place to stay. You are welcome to bring your dog." He glanced at Ziva and Abby. "Perhaps all three of you would like to stay over tonight?"

When Sammie mentioned that her car was at her friend's apartment, Ziva immediately offered to drive Sammie there to pick up her things and Jack. Tim tried to warn Sammie about Ziva's driving, which resulted in a short argument between him and Ziva. Abby ran to the computer and started printing several pages.

Tony stood to one side, looking uncomfortable after Abby handed him a folder with printouts of the evidence. "You'll need this," she said, before going to her desk to grab her things.

Ducky approached Tony. "You really are the best person to break this news to him, Anthony."

Tony raised his eyebrows. "You sure about that?"

Ducky nodded seriously. "Absolutely. There are very few people Jethro trusts with his own emotions. Myself, Tobias Fornell, and you are the only ones that come to mind at present."

Tony looked down at the folder in his hand and nodded, absurdly pleased by that statement. He looked up as Sammie approached him. "Tony… will you find out if I can see my dad tomorrow? And if I can… will you go with me?"

Tony looked at her seriously. "I can't imagine he would really want me there, but I'll take you."

Ducky smiled at them both, then turned to the others, who quieted immediately. "Before we leave, I wish to go speak with the director. Jethro will need some time away from the office, and I believe it will be easier for me to explain, rather than put him in that position." He looked at Tony. "You'd best head out, Anthony. Jethro will need time to process this."

Tony nodded and left.