Reunion

Tony pulled his car into Gibbs' driveway, parking behind the truck. He turned to look at Sammie, who was staring at the house.

"You remember?"

Sammie nodded. She pointed to some of the windows on the second floor, in the corner. "That was my parents' bedroom. Mine was on the other side." She looked at the truck. "I can't believe he still has that."

"You should see his other car." Tony could tell she didn't really hear him. He looked at the house and thought he could see Gibbs standing in front of the couch, watching through the window. "Ready?"

Sammie took a deep breath, still looking at the house, then nodded again. Tony opened the car door and got out, closing it before walking around the front of the car and opening her door. She was still staring at the house. "Those roses in front, over there… Mom planted them." She reached up to tuck some of her hair behind her ear, and Tony saw that her hand was shaking.

"Hey." Tony crouched down next to her. "You sure you're ready to do this?"

She looked at him and gave him a slight smile. "I am. It's just… so many memories are flooding in. Still bits and pieces… it's like looking at old pictures, but one right after another, really fast. It's a little overwhelming."

"Take your time. No one has anyplace else to be today."

He stood, glancing at the living room window. Gibbs was definitely watching. He had told Tony he was fine with him bringing Sammie over, but Tony still felt like an intruder.

Sammie took a deep breath and muttered "Suck it up, Marine's daughter." Tony looked back at her as she shifted her weight, holding out his hand; she took it in hers and pulled herself up out of the car, hanging on to his hand tightly afterward. She looked around, pointing to the street in front of the house. "Dad taught me to ride a bike… near that fire hydrant? That's where I fell and needed stitches on my leg. Mom was so pissed at Dad. I told her it wasn't his fault, he told me to go slow, but I didn't listen."

Tony smiled at her. "Sounds very Gibbsian to me."

She looked at him, smiling slightly, and he could see how nervous she was. "He really, really wants to see you, Sammie. Promise."

Sammie glanced at the house, squared her shoulders, and started walking, pulling Tony along with her.

Gibbs had been standing at the window for the past twenty minutes, the earliest possible time in which Tony could have arrived from Ducky's house after calling him to let him know they were about to leave. He'd held the picture of Kelly that Abby had put in Tony's folder, trying to reconcile the young woman with the little girl he remembered.

When Tony helped Kelly – Sammie, he growled to himself – out of the car, he was still surprised that she wasn't a little girl. He watched as she pointed to the street near the hydrant, and guessed she was remembering the fall from her bike. That had resulted in the hardest head slap Shannon had ever given him… he almost smiled as he remembered how she had apologized later that night. He refocused on Sammie, and could see that she was nervous. Tony said something to her, and the way she straightened up and moved toward the door reminded him of how Kelly used to move when she had made her mind up about something. He tried to recognize his little girl in the woman approaching the door; the similarities were there, but the differences were overwhelming, and he realized he wasn't at all sure how to deal with this.

Still gripping Tony's hand, Sammie stepped up onto the porch. The door opened before she could knock on it, and she was face to face with her father. Gibbs' eyes were wide and a little glassy, and he subconsciously reached up to rub at his neck. He and Sammie stared at each other; she held on to Tony's hand so tightly his fingers were starting to go numb. Gibbs' hand was shaking slightly as he lowered it.

Gibbs glanced at Tony, who gave him a slight nod and gently pried Sammie's hand off his. "I'll be in the car if you need anything," he said, speaking to the space between them. He backed up a couple of steps, then turned and headed for the car, turning again to lean back against the passenger side to watch over both of them.

Sammie continued to stare at the man from twenty years of dreams and what she was beginning to realize were flashbacks. She smiled tentatively. "Things are coming back to me a little." She glanced at the driveway. "We washed the truck, that summer before you left… you and Mom got into a water fight, and she won… I think you always let her win, didn't you?" She saw a tear escape and run down his face. She blinked rapidly, and started speaking more quickly, her gaze darting from his face to the house and back. "My room was upstairs, my window faced the backyard. I used to wake up early and sneak into yours, at the other end of the hall, and pounce on you guys, but then there was that time my knee hit a really sensitive spot, and you were in so much pain, and Mom was so worried but laughing at the same time, and she said I shouldn't do that anymore, but you said it was okay, you're a Marine, you could handle it." She took a deep breath, stared into his eyes, and her own tears started to flow. "We had that picnic in the backyard, just before you left on deployment, and you promised I could have a dog when you got back, because this was going to be the last time and then it wouldn't all be Mom's responsibility." She closed her eyes, her face crumpling. "I didn't want you to go, Daddy... I didn't want you to go." She broke down at that point, her hands moving to cover her face.

Gibbs let out a low sound that might have been her name, then reached out and pulled her to him, enveloping her in a hug, hanging on tightly. Her arms went around him as she sobbed into his shirt. His face was hidden in her hair and his shoulders were shaking.

Tony watched, scrubbing away the tears running down his face. Eventually Gibbs and Sammie pulled back from each other, both wiping tears away from their own faces. Tony smiled to see Gibbs giving Sammie a brilliant grin in response to something she said; Gibbs then reached out to brush some of Sammie's hair from her face and tuck it behind her ear, and she smiled at him. Tony got the feeling that gesture had been something special between them when Sammie was little. Then they went into the house, closing the door. He cleared his throat, pushed off the car, and walked around to the driver's side. Moments later he was backing out of the driveway and heading back to Ducky's place, after sending a text to Sammie telling her to get in touch if she or her dad needed anything.

Reaction

Tony realized he'd made a mistake as soon as he walked into Ducky's home. He was bombarded with questions: Abby wanted to know what Gibbs did as soon as he saw Sammie, McGee wanted to know if Sammie was okay, if Gibbs was okay, Ziva wanted to know what Gibbs said and then what Sammie said, then Abby started guessing what was said, then Ziva wanted to know if she was right…

"Whoa, slow down, give me a sec!"

"Tony!" Abby stamped her foot. "You wouldn't say much about what happened last night with Gibbs at breakfast this morning, and you got to go with Sammie to Gibbs' place –"

"I 'got to go'?!" Tony used air quotes, suddenly furious. "I 'got to go' because Sammie asked me to; you know damn well she didn't think she should drive herself. I 'got to go' because Gibbs didn't mind me being there. I 'got to' witness incredible emotional pain in someone I care about, and you're treating it like some sporting event, as if I should be doing the play-by-play." He slammed his palm against the wall. "If you think witnessing that much anguish is special, I don't even know what to say to you."

Tim and Ziva stared at him, shocked. Abby moved back a step. "Tony, no, that's not what I –"

"Anthony, my dear boy, come into the kitchen. I've just made some hot chocolate, and it has those little marshmallows you like." Ducky gently took Tony's arm and led him into the kitchen, glancing back to see Tim and Ziva gathering around Abby, who had tears in her eyes.

Tony sat at the table, resting his elbows on it and rubbing at his eyes with the palms of his hands. "I'm sorry, Ducky. I don't know what's wrong with me."

Ducky set a mug in front of Tony and patted his shoulder before taking a seat. "There is absolutely nothing wrong with you Anthony, or with Timothy, or Ziva, or Abigail. We have witnessed Jethro's pain over the years, seen how strongly the loss of his family affected him… perhaps to a great extent defined who he is now and how he interacts with people. You've been a witness to something very private and personal, and given how much you care about Jethro, and perhaps Samantha as well, your reaction is entirely understandable."

Tony lowered his hands and picked up the mug, sipping at the hot chocolate. "Thanks, Ducky." He took another sip, then set the mug back down and wrapped his hands around it, staring at the bit of marshmallow that hadn't yet dissolved. "I just felt like such an intruder this morning. It's no one's business what happens between them, and that includes me."

Ducky cocked his head, looking at Tony thoughtfully. "I imagine you were quite strong for Jethro last night, and that you also wish to guard his privacy. And if I may be so bold as to make an assumption, I would say you have suppressed your own emotional reaction to these events and are trying to come to terms with them yourself. You are a compassionate and empathetic person, Anthony, much as you try to hide it."

"Yeah," Tony sighed, giving Ducky a wry smile and raising his mug slightly. "Thanks."

Ducky smiled and patted Tony's arm. "You sit here and relax. I shall go talk to the others and explain a few things."

Tony drank some more hot chocolate as Ducky left the room. He sat at the table, staring into space and sipping occasionally until the mug was empty. Then he got up, went to the sink, and splashed some water on his face. After drying off and rinsing the mug, he went in search of his friends.

He found them in the living room. Abby jumped up and ran to him, enveloping him in a hug he returned with equal fervor. "I'm so sorry, Tony, but you've got to know I didn't mean it like that."

"I'm the one who's sorry, Abs. I overreacted."

She squeezed him harder, then backed away, took his hand, and led him to the loveseat, sitting next to him. Ducky was in an armchair, and Tim and Ziva were on the couch.

Ziva looked at him with sympathy. "I apologize, Tony. I do not think we considered how difficult this might be for you."

Tim nodded in agreement. "What can we do to help?"

Tony sighed and shook his head. "First off, I'm sorry I blew up. Ducky pointed out that this was more of an emotional hit on me than I realized." He rubbed the back of his head, then sat back and put his arm around Abby. "Sammie started remembering things as soon as we pulled up to the house. That was hard on her. Gibbs met her at the door. They spoke for a moment… well, it looked like Sammie was doing all the talking from what I could see. I was back at the car by then, so I couldn't hear them." Tony shifted his weight and pulled Abby closer. "Gibbs pulled her into a hug, and they both got pretty emotional… then they went in the house and I came back here."

Everyone was quiet as they thought about what might be happening at Gibbs' house. Eventually Abby spoke up, her voice subdued. "Gibbs doesn't have any doubts, does he?"

Tony shook his head, smiling slightly. "Given his reaction when he met up with Sammie on the front porch, I have to say no. I think he recognized her. And he trusts DNA evidence too… even if he doesn't really understand it."

Abby perked up at that. "Sammie said I should have a YouTube channel where I explain all the science."

Tim sat up, excited. "That's a fantastic idea, Abby! I could help with production." Ziva chimed in with her agreement, and that started a conversation about what topics Abby could start with. Tony's eyes met Ducky's, and both men smiled.

Making A Start

Gibbs led Sammie into the living room. She stood still, looking at the piles of books, the blankets folded next to the couch, the old television. She turned and walked slowly past the dining table, into the kitchen, again looking carefully at everything. When she looked back at Gibbs, there were tears running down her face. "I'm so sorry."

Gibbs' brow furrowed. "For what?"

Sammie sniffed and tried to smile, wiping away the tears. "For not remembering sooner. For not coming back earlier." She gestured at the mostly blank walls. "This isn't what it used to be… it's not a home."

Gibbs stepped forward, gathering her into his arms, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "Not your fault, not your responsibility. I made my choices." He stepped back, looking into her eyes. "Now that you're back, I can make changes."

She nodded, looking around before taking a deep breath and looking up at him. "Only if you want to."

He gave her a small smile. "I want to do anything and everything for you, Kel- ah… Sammie."

She hugged him. "You can call me Kelly. I asked the others to keep calling me Sammie, but they didn't know me… before." She stepped back and looked at him seriously. "But… you need to remember that I don't really know me from before, either." He looked at her, a little confused. "It's hard to explain. I'm remembering stuff, but only in pieces. I know my name was Kelly, but I'm not… not feeling it, I guess." She shrugged. "I seem to be having trouble with names. I remembered you and Mom, at least, I did in dreams, and some details like you being a Marine, but I didn't remember your names. Tony had to tell me. I know you're Dad, and I, I feel that, but I couldn't have told anyone what your name is… or Mom's either."

Gibbs' eyebrows shifted upwards and he gave her a small smile. "You named your dog Jack," he pointed out.

She laughed. "I couldn't have told you why, until yesterday. I did remember Grandpa Jack's name, though, when I was in Abby's lab. I wonder why his and not yours… or mine." Her eyes widened and she looked at him seriously. "Is he still…?"

"Alive? Oh, yeah. And still able to drive me crazy." He reached over and brushed her hair back from her face, the way he used to when she was little. "I haven't told him yet. About you. Thinking that needs to happen in person."

Sammie nodded. "Definitely." She looked toward the stairs. "My room?"

He followed her gaze. "Same as the last time you were there."

"Really?"

He nodded. "Want to go see?"

"Not just yet." She shot him a sheepish smile. "Might trigger more memories than I can handle right now. Maybe a little later?"

He nodded. "Anything you want."

She grinned suddenly. "You always were the more permissive parent."

Gibbs laughed. "Had to do something to make up for being gone as much as I was." The smile faded from his face as he looked at her. "I should have been here."

She took his hand and pulled him over to the couch. They sat, with her on his right side, and she automatically pulled her legs up and leaned into him. Gibbs closed his eyes as he put his arm around her, remembering how they would often sit like that, with Shannon on the other side of Kelly. He felt his wife's absence in a way he hadn't in a long time; the sense of loss was sharper, more painful, in contrast to Kelly's presence.

"It wasn't your fault."

"What?"

"What happened to Mom, to me." She snuggled into his side, like she used to when she was a child. "I don't remember it, but I know it wasn't your fault."

"You'll probably have to keep telling me that. Only been blaming myself for twenty years."

She reached for his hand and squeezed it, hard. "I'll keep telling you until you believe it."

They sat like that for a few minutes. Gibbs was still having a hard time believing this was real.

Sammie sat up suddenly. "Tell me about your life. I mean, I know you were a Marine, and you're an NCIS agent now, and everyone's boss… but what else have you done for the past twenty years?"

"I'm not everyone's boss!" Gibbs protested.

"I know you're Tony's boss. He told me that when he first thought I might be Kelly. I was going to come to the Navy Yard yesterday, but he wanted me to meet him in a different part of town. Wouldn't explain why, but it made sense when he told me you were his boss."

Gibbs looked at her, raising an eyebrow.

"No one wanted to risk me running into you, not until they were sure I really was Kelly." She smiled at him. "You work with great people."

He nodded. "Yeah, been lucky that way."

She rested her elbow on a cushion and propped her head on her hand. "So? Tell me about your life."

Gibbs opened his mouth, then shut it, not sure where to start.

"Did you ever think of getting married again?"

Gibbs groaned and let his face fall into his hands.

"What? What does that mean?"

Keeping his face hidden behind his left hand, he held up three fingers on his right.

"No! You got married again… three times?!"

Gibbs nodded, keeping his face covered; he was pretty sure it was beet red.

Sammie tapped him on the shoulder until he looked up. "Three divorces?" she asked.

He nodded.

"Why?"

Gibbs sighed. "Tried to replace your mom. Didn't like being alone… but only wanted to be with her."

Sammie looked at him thoughtfully. "What made you marry them?"

He reclined against the back of the couch, staring up at the ceiling. "Was tough being alone. They were… interested, I guess. They liked me, I liked them." He mumbled something else she almost didn't catch.

"You did not just say they all had red hair."

Gibbs grimaced and nodded.

Sammie poked him hard in the upper arm, shaking her head. "I may not remember all that much, but I do know Mom was so much more than just red hair."

"Of course she was. That's why none of 'em worked out."

Sammie's eyes were suddenly huge. "Do… do I have siblings?"

Gibbs shook his head. "No. Couldn't risk losing another child."

"Oh," she said, quietly.

Gibbs reached for her hand and entwined their fingers, then brought both their hands to his chest. They sat like that for several minutes, until he asked a question. "Tell me about your adoptive parents?"

Sammie smiled. "They were good people. Momma, her name was Lyssa Hawthorne. She was one of my nurses, and she spent a lot of time with me after I woke up in the hospital. She and Pop, Will Hawthorne, they'd tried to have kids for a long time, and had been considering adopting. Momma started spending time with me even when she was off-shift, and when it was clear that there were no Kendalls out there looking for me and CPS started making noise about finding a foster home for when I was released from the hospital, Momma brought Pop to meet me. Soon after that they petitioned CPS to foster me with the intention of adopting. They had to go through foster parent training, I think, but I was stuck in the hospital for a long time anyway." She sighed and the smile left her face. "I miss them."

Gibbs squeezed her hand.

"Momma died in 2006… pancreatic cancer. It was quick. Once she was diagnosed, she didn't have much time left. So it was me and Pop for a few years, and then he had a massive heart attack one day while he was out on his morning run." She sat up, letting go of Gibbs' hand to wipe tears from her eyes again, then took his hand back and rested her head on his shoulder. "You would have liked them. Pop used to say we were meant to be a family… now I'm thinking they were supposed to keep me safe for you."

Gibbs clenched his jaw, and Sammie felt the tension. "Dad? You okay?"

He sighed and forced himself to relax. "Yeah, honey, I am. Just… feeling a lot of contradictory things right now." She was the one to squeeze his hand. "I'm glad you had them and that they took such good care of you, and I'm jealous as hell that they got to see you grow up."

They were quiet again; neither one knew what to say to that. Sammie finally spoke up. "Momma used to say things happen for a reason. I don't mean that Mom was supposed to die, or I was supposed to grow up without you, but maybe good things came from the bad."

"Like what?"

She suppressed a smile at his petulant tone. "Like all the good things you've done as an NCIS agent. Tony said you have enemies… people don't get enemies unless they do something important." She raised her head to look up at him. "And everyone you work with… they obviously care about you a lot. They're protective of you, like a family."

"You met everyone?"

"lf everyone is Tony, Abby, Ducky, Tim, and Ziva, then yes."

"Yeah, you met all the most important people." He nudged her gently with his shoulder, getting up off the couch when she sat up. "Gonna get some coffee. Want something to drink?"

"Black tea, if you have it."

He nodded. "I keep some around for when Duck stops by."

Sammie held out a hand; Gibbs grasped it and pulled her to her feet, then led her to the kitchen. She leaned against the refrigerator, watching as he started the coffee maker and began heating water for tea.

"What happened?" she asked. "To Mom, and me?"

Gibbs took a deep breath, resting his hands on the counter, staring down at them. He reminded himself that she was an adult, that she had the right to know. "Shannon witnessed the murder of a Marine by a drug dealer. You and Shannon were put in protective custody because she was going to testify against him. You were both being driven somewhere by an NIS agent, when the drug dealer shot him. The car accident killed Shannon, and supposedly you as well." He turned to look at her.

Sammie looked back at him. "I don't remember… not any of it." She tilted her head. "NIS, not NCIS?"

"Name changed."

"Ah." She considered him. "You came back, and we were gone. I wasn't, not really… but you couldn't know that."

Gibbs shook his head. "Tony and the others are going to try to find out what happened."

"How did you become an NCIS agent?"

"I went to see the agent in charge of the case, Mike Franks. He ended up recruiting me."

Sammie's eyes narrowed. "Mike Franks… I don't remember him, but the name makes me feel… kinda pissed off."

Gibbs chuckled. "That's a pretty common reaction, actually."

"Do you have a picture?"

Gibbs thought about it, then went into the living room. He opened a drawer, rifled through it, then walked back into the kitchen with a picture of himself and Mike, handing it over to her.

She looked at it carefully, then shook her head. "Nope… but for some reason I feel angry looking at him."

His watched with concern as she looked at the picture. "Be sure to tell Tony later."

She looked up at him, confused. "Why?"

"He'll be leading the investigation into what happened."

"Why not you?"

Gibbs shook his head. "Too close to it. Besides, I'm taking time off to spend with you… assuming you want me to." He suddenly felt uncertain, remembering that she had her own life.

"Of course I want you to!" She stepped forward to hug him again. "I don't have to go back to work until Monday. Can I stay here with you?"

Gibbs wrapped his arms around her and closed his eyes. "Of course you can," he said, his voice breaking slightly.

They stood there for a while, even though the kettle was whistling loudly.