Catching Up

Sammie gave Gibbs some of her life highlights while they had tea and coffee. She told him about moving to Maryland with the Hawthornes in 1999, when Will got a job offer that was too good to pass up, high school, college, training as a veterinary technician and specializing in cardiology at the animal hospital where she worked. "It's fascinating… Dr. Hodges works with everything from rats to horses. Most of the practice is dogs and cats, but we work with some of the area breeding farms and racetracks, and there are always people who love their pet rats enough to have them treated."

"Rats?"

She nodded. "They make great pets."

Gibbs shook his head. "Don't tell DiNozzo. He had the plague years back, and rats are not his favorite animal."

Sammie stared at him. "Plague?! How does an NCIS agent in DC get the plague?"

"He acts like a dumbass and opens suspicious mail, blowing into the envelope and inhaling it."

"Wow. That's sort of fascinating, in a train wreck kind of way. He's okay now?"

Gibbs nodded. "His lungs play up every so often, especially in winter if he's not careful, but he's fine."

Sammie propped her chin on her hand and looked at him. "You guys have some weird cases. They told me some stories while we were waiting on the DNA… Tim walked you through a maze like a video game?"

"Damn computers," Gibbs muttered.

Sammie laughed, and Gibbs smiled at her, thrilled to hear that sound.

"You hungry?" he asked.

"Yes, actually."

"Sandwiches? Still like crunchy peanut butter?"

"Crunchy is the only way to go."

He grinned at her, then set about making lunch for both of them. She watched from her seat at the table, getting a sudden superimposed image of a younger version of him at the counter, and Shannon coming up behind him, hugging him and laughing with him about something. She blinked back tears, not wanting her father to see.

When he sat back down with their food, she continued her story. "Veterinary cardiology is a great field. There've been so many advances with medications, animals are living a lot longer with heart trouble." She took a big bite of her sandwich and had to hold off on speaking for a moment. "Anyway, I'm applying to University of Maryland's veterinary school… figure the experience I've gotten will help, and I want to specialize in cardiology."

Gibbs looked impressed. "That's fantastic." He drank some coffee. "I'll pay for it."

Sammie stopped mid-chew, eyes wide, then quickly finished chewing and swallowed. "What?"

He gave her a single nod. "Vet school. I'll pay for it."

"Dad, that's not necessary. I've been working for years, have saved up enough to get going, and I should be able to get a scholarship. I have what I've inherited from Momma and Pop too… haven't touched it yet."

Gibbs swallowed his own large bite of sandwich. "You should save that." He sipped his coffee. "You have student loans from college?"

She shook her head. "Education was Momma's and Pop's top priority for me; they paid for everything. They didn't want me to be held back paying off loans."

"Well, I agree with them." He reached over and tapped the back of her hand with a finger. "I can afford it, Kells."

She blinked at the nickname, then smiled, though Gibbs noticed the smile didn't quite reach her eyes. "You sure about that?" She shook her head. "Let's see if I get in first, then we can talk about it."

Sammie brought the plates to the sink once they were done eating, and she washed the dishes while Gibbs dried.

Once they were done, she looked at him seriously. "Where is Mom buried?"

Gibbs hesitated, then answered, "Cemetery a few miles from here."

"Can we go?"

He nodded.

They went in the truck, which brought back some more memories for her. She was feeling a little drained and overwhelmed, so she didn't mention them, just looked out the window without really seeing what was there.

Cemetery

Sammie stood at the grave, watching her father crouch down and trace Shannon's name with his fingers. "Hi, love," he said quietly. "Guess you've known Kelly was still here… good news is I know now too. We're together again." His head bowed for a moment, then he whispered something Sammie couldn't hear. He stood, looking at her. "Want some time?"

She nodded slowly. He rested a hand on her shoulder, kissed her cheek, then turned and walked away until he was leaning against the trunk of a large tree, looking out over the rows of gravestones.

Sammie took a deep breath and started talking. "Hi, Mom. I'm remembering things more and more… there's still a ton of gaps, and I may not remember a lot, but I do remember you, and how much you loved us. I keep getting flashes of you and dad together, and I'm so grateful I grew up with so much love and laughter. Momma and Pop were much the same, so I was doubly lucky." She cleared her throat. "Dad's a little lost, I think, just looking at the house and hearing how he's been married and divorced three times. Now that we're a family again, I'm gonna try to help him. I think I can get his team involved too… they really care about him. I'm guessing he's never brought any of them here, but I know they know about you. Love you, Mom." Her voice quavered; she cleared her throat again and shifted her attention to her own given name engraved in stone. "Hi, Samantha. Must have been weird, having people think you were someone else. I hope being buried with my mom has been okay. I bet you miss your parents… but maybe not, since I don't know if it really matters where you're buried. Anyway… I'm sorry I kinda stole your identity. I didn't mean to." She sighed, then looked at the third name at end of the long stone and tried to decide how she felt about it being there, then shook her head. Now was not the time to puzzle that one out. "I'll come back," she stated firmly, looking at Shannon's name.

Sammie walked over to her father, who held out his arms, welcoming her into a hug. They stood silently for a few moments; Sammie breathed in the scent of sawdust that clung to her dad, and felt something fall into place. She pulled back, smiling up at him. "Go, talk to Mom. I'll wait in the truck. Take your time." He smiled at her and started to walk back to the grave. "Oh… can I call Tony and ask him to bring my stuff? Are you okay with a dog in the house?"

"Yes, to all that."

She smiled and headed for the truck, looking back to see him sit on the ground next to Shannon's side of the stone.

Gibbs sighed as he once again traced his finger along the letters in Shannon' name. "She's amazing, Shan. Applying to vet school… specializing in cardiology. Smarter than me, that's for sure, so she takes after you that way. She's a lot like you, actually… she's observant, thoughtful, speaks her mind." He rubbed his face. "I'm so damn proud of her. And trying not to be angry about the time we've lost, just grateful she's here." He fell silent for a while, imagining what Shannon would be saying to him, advising him to let go of the anger and be thankful. "DiNozzo's team lead while I take time off… don't think there's much they won't be able to figure out, so we'll know how this happened."

He sat quietly for a few minutes, then slowly spoke up again. "Shan… when I was drowning, and I saw you, saw Kelly… she told me to go back. To live. So I did." He looked up at the sky, watching some birds fly by, then back down at the stone. "It wasn't her… couldn't have been. Was it all in my head? Was it you, pretending to be her? Don't think I would have come back if it had been you talking to me. Couldn't have left you… did it too many times when you were here. But couldn't have denied my baby girl anything… you must have known that." He looked at Kelly's name, between his and Shannon's, just as they'd often bracketed her in life. "Was it you, Samantha? Pretending to be Kelly, to help me?" He lowered his head, laughing quietly at himself, imagining how his team would react if they heard him talking like this. "Never told anyone what happened… would be tough to talk about it now. Guess I'll have to wait for the answers." He glanced over at his own name, then shook off the dark thoughts. He rested his hand on Shannon's name and ran through his mental list of all the reasons it was good to be alive, smiling as he reached the most recent addition.

Sammie sat in the truck after locking the doors and scrolled through her contacts until she found Tony's name, which she'd added after he'd given her his card when they first met. She thought briefly about texting instead of calling, then decided an actual conversation would be a lot easier.

The phone rang a couple of times before Tony picked up. "This is Tony."

"Hi Tony, it's Sammie."

"Hey! How are you doing, how's Gibbs?"

"We're good. Great, actually. We're at the cemetery, visiting mom's grave."

"Oh… uh, wow. Makes sense."

"Yeah. Did you know his name is already engraved on the stone?"

There was a moment of silence. "No… I didn't. Don't tell any of the others. Abby would freak, and try to make him talk about it, and he would be pissed."

"Maybe it doesn't mean anything."

"Like a three-for-the-price-of-two deal?"

Sammie laughed, startled. "Yeah, something like that."

"You think so?"

Sammie grew quiet. "No. No, I don't. But I'm not sure what to think. Maybe that's just what people do?"

"I could do some research, find out."

"No… let's drop it for now. Maybe I can ask him about it eventually. He told me you're in charge of finding out how I got switched with Samantha Kendall, so you have enough to deal with."

"Yeah, twenty-year-old case. It'll be a challenge. But we'll figure it out. We have a really high solve-rate, you know."

Sammie smiled. "You sound very proud of that. Listen… I'm going to stay here with my dad until I have to go back to Rosedale. Would you mind bringing my stuff and Jack to his house?"

"Uh… you want me to drive a car with a dog in it?"

"Is that a problem?"

"I've never driven a car with a dog in it. What if he, I dunno, decides to bite me?"

Sammie laughed. "Has he bitten you yet?"

"Well, no."

"Seemed to me he liked you this morning at breakfast."

"That was because some of my bacon accidentally fell on the floor."

"You are now his friend for life, trust me."

"Hmm. I'll see if Ducky has some left over bacon. Every time Jack looks like he wants to see if I taste like chicken, I'll toss him a piece."

"He'll have you trained in no time."

"Hey!"

"It will be fine. There's a bag of dog treats with his supplies. Take a few with you, show them to him, tell him to lie down and stay in the back seat, and he'll behave." Sammie heard some laughter in the background. "Sounds like you guys are having fun."

"Ducky suggested charades. It's me and Abby against him, Ziva, and Tim."

"Who's winning?"

"We just started, but if you want to place a bet, Abs and I are the reigning charade champions."

"Ah, which is why it's two against three."

"Nailed it."

"Well, take your time and have fun. Defend your honor."

"Will do. I'll be there later this afternoon."

"Thanks, Tony. Tell Ducky thank you for me, for letting me stay over? And tell everyone that Dad and I are doing great."

"You got it."

"See you later."

Sammie ended the call, and sat back, closing her eyes and taking a moment to stop thinking.

A few minutes later, there was a tap on the window. She opened her eyes to see her father give her a small wave before walking around the front of the truck, unlocking and opening the door, and sliding behind the wheel. "You okay, Kells?"

She nodded, smiling. "Yeah." She reached for his hand. "When I hugged you earlier, I smelled sawdust. And suddenly Kelly felt like my name."

Gibbs' smile lit up his whole face. He tugged on her hand, bringing her close for another hug. "I'm so glad to hear that."

She grinned at him when she sat back and buckled her seat belt. "Most of the people in my life know me as Sammie, and that feels like my name too… so I'll probably stick to that except with you."

Gibbs' smile faded as he nodded in acknowledgment and started the car. "You call DiNozzo?"

"Yeah. He's going to come to the house later this afternoon. They just started a game of charades."

"Abby and Tony against everyone else?"

"Uh huh."

Gibbs snorted. "The others don't have a chance."

She looked at him curiously. "You play?"

He shot her an incredulous look.

"What? You used to, with Mom and me."

He smiled softly. "That was different." He put the truck in gear and headed for the cemetery exit. "Tony and Abby can be scary together; they think alike sometimes. And they're both extroverts and physically outgoing, so the others won't come close. They'll keep trying, though."

"Sounds like they should be split up and put on different teams."

"Suggest that from a distance," he advised her.

She tilted her head and frowned slightly as she considered the implications of that, and he glanced over at her and smiled.

Rooms and Memories

Sammie turned to Gibbs as soon as they got back in the house. "Can I see the boat?"

He shook his head. "Don't have one anymore."

"Really? Ziva mentioned it yesterday… she said you were angry that you couldn't go out and be a superhero, so you went home to work on the boat."

Gibbs gave her a strange look, but decided not to ask about the superhero comment. "Ziva hasn't been here in a long time. Last boat I made, I gave away. Haven't started a new one… been making toys for kids, for Christmas."

Sammie's eyes widened. "My dad is Santa!" she said with awe, and grinned at him.

Gibbs laughed and ducked his head. "Just quicker results. And it's nice to see kids in the hospitals and at shelters smile."

"Show me the toys, then?"

He led her to the basement. There was a large section of plywood supported by sawhorses, with a bunch of partially built toys sitting on it. A few finished ones were sitting on the workbench, only two of which were already painted.

Sammie picked up a toy boat and looked at it carefully. "Dad, these are so well done… the craftsmanship is amazing." When there was no answer, she looked up to see Gibbs staring at her. "What?"

"Just… getting used to being called Dad again," he said, his voice a bit husky.

She smiled at him. "You're going to hear it a lot."

He smiled back, and stepped closer to look at the boat she held in her hand. "That one's for an older kid, one who can appreciate the details."

They examined the rest of the toys together for a few minutes, and then Sammie looked around the room, her expression thoughtful. "I think I remember a boat down here… either you were showing it to me or maybe I was helping somehow. But how could I help?" She looked at him curiously.

"Taught you how to sand," he said quietly, remembering.

She stood there, thinking, and he could see the change in her expression when she remembered. She looked at him, and there was a sheen to her eyes. "Maybe we can build something together?"

His answering smile was warm and happy. "I would love that."

She looked around the basement again. "You said you gave the last boat away. What did you do with the others?"

He sighed. "Burnt some after I finished 'em."

"You… burned them? After all that effort?"

Gibbs nodded, and smiled slightly. "Once I named them after the ex-wives."

Sammie's eyes widened and she stared at him. Then she started laughing. "I guess that's a lot better than some other options."

Gibbs grinned. "Hell yeah." His expression turned serious. "That last boat… named her after you… the Kelly. Gave it to Mike's granddaughter."

She blinked at that. "Franks?"

He nodded. "Took some vacation time, sailed her to his place in Mexico."

Her brow furrowed. "I hope his name bothering me doesn't bother you."

Shaking his head, he reached over to take her hand. "I think we both have a lot of questions he's gonna have to answer."

She nodded, looked around the room one more time, then said, "Can we go see my room?"

He squeezed her hand and they headed for the stairs.

Sammie hesitated in front of the closed door, looking at the wooden plaque with her name carved on it. Then she reached out, turned the handle, and took a couple of steps, standing in the doorway with her hand over her mouth, blinking rapidly. "Can I… um, do you mind…"

Gibbs grasped her shoulder and leaned in to kiss her cheek. "Take all the time you need." He turned and went back down the stairs, heading for the kitchen and more coffee.

Sammie stood where she was, letting the storm of memory flashes move through her head as they had done when she'd first arrived at the house. Once they subsided, she walked in and moved slowly through the large room, noticing the lack of dust and wondering how much time her father spent there. She looked at the books, pulling some out and flipping through them, and at the model horses and dogs sitting on the shelves. There were framed pictures, mostly of her and her parents, but also a few of her and another girl with blond hair. She picked up one of them, brow furrowed in concentration as she tried to put a name with the face. She walked over to the window and looked out at the garden in the backyard, then turned and ran out of the room and down the stairs, the picture still in her hand.

Gibbs looked up at the sound of her feet on the stairs, watching in confusion as she ran to the back door and outside. He followed, then stopped and doubled back, returning a moment later with a trowel. He crouched down next to her, holding the trowel out with one hand while picking the picture up off the ground with the other. "Here, use this."

Sammie glanced at him, then took the trowel in hands covered with soil and continued to dig. The clank of metal hitting metal seemed unusually loud. A little more digging with both hands and she pulled the box out of the ground and sat back, staring at it.

Gibbs sat next to her, watching her face. "You remember her?"

Sammie shrugged. "Yes and no. Not her name, of course." She punctuated that statement with a bitter laugh. "But I know she was important… my best friend, right?"

Gibbs nodded. "Maddie," he said quietly.

Sammie took a deep breath. "Maddie? Maddie… Maddie Tyler?"

Gibbs smiled. "Yeah." He cleared his throat. "Worked a case involving her a few years ago… she came to me for help."

Sammie looked up, staring at him. "Does she still live near here?"

Gibbs shook his head. "Moved to California. We stayed in touch… we write, a few times a year. I have her phone number."

Sammie smiled as she looked down and opened the box. "Can you write to her, tell her about me? I don't think me calling her out of the blue will work." She started poking through the box, looking at the pictures and the items in it.

"Of course."

After a few more minutes, Sammie closed the box and set it back in the ground, using her hands to cover it back up. She sat there, her gaze unfocused, then looked at her father. "I think I need to lie down," she said. "This has all been more than a little overwhelming."

Gibbs stood and held out his hand, pulling her to her feet. They walked back into the house, and he looked at her. "Upstairs?"

She shook her head. "Couch?" She squeezed his hand, then let go, moving slowly into the living room.

Gibbs went to the kitchen, filled a glass with water from the sink, and brought it to her where she lay on the couch, setting it on the coffee table. She smiled at him drowsily, and he watched as she drifted off. He stood there for a moment, then picked up a blanket off the pile on a chair and covered her with it. She didn't move.

He quietly went back down to the basement, feeling a need to stop thinking. He sat down in front of the partially made toys, checking his watch, then pulled his phone from his pocket and hit speed dial 1.

"Hey, Boss."

"DiNozzo… when were you planning to bring Kelly's stuff over?"

"Any time you want. We're just hanging out at Ducky's."

"Give it a couple of hours. She just fell asleep on the couch. Been a tough day."

"Good and bad, right?"

"You got it."

"Ok… five thirty? Six?"

"Make it six."

"Aye-aye, Captain."

Silence.

"You know, Star Trek: Next Generation… Captain Jean Luc Picard, he always says 'Make it so…'… make it so, make it six, get it?"

"Elf Lord know you're just as nerdy as he is?"

"What? No!"

"Six pm, DiNozzo."

He hung up, smiling slightly, and reached for a toy plane he'd started a few nights ago.

Family Dinner

Sammie was clearing off the coffee table when there was a knock on the front door and it opened. She braced herself as Jack came running into the room and jumped up on her, his tail-less rear end wiggling with happiness. "Hey, bud! I know, nice to see you too! Were you good for Tony?" She smiled down at the dog's grinning face, rubbing his ears with both hands.

"Jack and I negotiated an accord," Tony stated as he set the box of Jack's supplies down on the floor and removed the strap of Sammie's duffle bag from his shoulder. "He didn't try to find out if I taste like chicken, and I gave him several of those bacon-flavored things."

Jack pushed off of Sammie, ran over to Tony, jumped up on him, then started sniffing around the room. There was a noise in the kitchen; Jack stood still, his head up and ears forward, then he took off toward that part of the house. Sammie and Tony could hear Gibbs' voice as he talked to the dog.

Sammie smiled at Tony. "Thanks so much for bringing Jack and my stuff, Tony."

"My pleasure." He looked at her seriously. "You okay?"

She nodded. "It's been kind of an emotional day… but a good one."

He grinned at her. "I'm glad it's going well. We're all really happy for you and Gibbs." He glanced toward the kitchen, then toward the door. "I guess I'll be going."

Sammie shook her head. "Stay for dinner?"

"Oh, um, really? Don't you guys want more time alone?"

Jack ran into the room and jumped on Sammie again, and Gibbs appeared in the foyer. "DiNozzo," he said, tilting his head toward the fireplace, "Cowboy steaks. Got three."

Tony smiled. "Best steaks in town. You sure?"

Gibbs rolled his eyes and went back to the kitchen, while Sammie laughed. "Yes," she said, "stay. You can tell me more stories about Dad."

Tony's expression was slightly panicked.

Sammie sat on the couch, with Jack sleeping at her feet. Tony was in the armchair, and they were both eating some salad while Gibbs grilled the steaks.

"So, Tony," Sammie asked, "who won charades?"

"Me and Abs, of course."

"Maybe I should play for the other team sometime."

"Challenge accepted," Tony stated in a deep voice.

Gibbs glanced over at him from his spot in front of the fire. "Any word from Vance?"

Tony cleared his throat and his expression turned serious. "We all decided we'll go back in to work tomorrow, start looking into what the hell happened. Ziva, McGee, and I are meeting with Vance at nine. Tim already sent him a report on how we found Sammie."

Gibbs nodded, turning his attention to the steaks.

"Medium rare for me, Dad."

"That apple didn't fall far from the tree," Tony commented.

Gibbs glanced over at him, raising an eyebrow, and Tony shot him a cheeky smile. Sammie watched their silent communication with amusement.

A few minutes later, Gibbs brought the steaks to the coffee table on a plate, sitting next to Sammie, on the opposite side from Tony. Tony reached over and speared his with a fork, dumping it onto his plate, and Gibbs did the same for Sammie. She jumped a little as their switchblades came out. "Okay… I need one of those."

"Rule 9," both men said simultaneously.

"Always cut your steak?"

"Never go anywhere without a knife," Tony stated.

"Guess I've been breaking that one," Sammie muttered, looking enviously at their blades, then sadly at her little serrated knife.

Gibbs looked at her, smiling and chewing at the same time. "Got one for ya," he said as soon as he swallowed. He glanced at Tony, then nudged Sammie's arm. "Tell him about Franks."

Tony looked at them curiously, and Sammie turned to him. "When Dad mentioned Mike Franks, I got angry. But I don't know why. He showed me a picture, and I didn't recognize him or anything, but seeing him made me feel angry too."

"Huh. Let me think about that for a few minutes."

Gibbs nodded approvingly, and they all continued to eat in silence, until Sammie spoke up again. "What exactly are you guys going to investigate? Can you really find out what happened after so long?"

Tony glanced at Gibbs; he got a subtle nod in return, so he started explaining. "Ducky already accessed hospital records, so we know what sort of information to follow up on there. I'm guessing Ducky and Abby will handle some of that, maybe Ziva too." He ate some more steak, then continued without looking at either Gibbs or Sammie. "McGee and I will probably be leaving for Mexico… my guess is tomorrow afternoon. Vance would love to get Mike Franks' head on a plate."

Gibbs paused his chewing, then finished and swallowed the mouthful of steak. "Bringing him back?"

Tony snorted. "You think he's going to be up front with us in Mexico, Boss?"

Gibbs sighed and shook his head. "Just as well. Got some questions of my own."

Sammie nodded slowly. "I may need to take some more time off if I can. They'll probably let me if it's family business."

Gibbs grunted and Tony's eyebrows went up. He glanced at Sammie, only to find her looking at him questioningly, so he quickly looked back down at his food. He didn't think he could tell Sammie that was Gibbs-speak for 'I guess you can do that but I'm not sure I want you to' – especially not in front of Gibbs. He could feel both father's and daughter's eyes on him, so he spoke again without looking up. "We'll also need to talk to Joann."

Gibbs grunted again, and Tony winced. The 'damn it all to hell' grunt was not one of his favorites.

"Joann?" Sammie asked. "Who is she?"

Gibbs cleared his throat. "Shannon's mother. Your grandmother," he added, somewhat unnecessarily.

"Oh." Sammie stared into the dying fire. "I don't think… no, I don't remember her."

Gibbs muttered something that sounded like "no great loss," making Sammie and Tony share a quick smile.

"She and Franks were the ones who identified Samantha Kendall as you," Tony added after a moment. He glanced over at Gibbs to see the man's hands turn white from gripping his utensils so hard. "Gibbs," he said quietly. Gibbs looked at him, and Tony met his gaze. "We got this." Gibbs stared at him for a moment, then nodded, setting down his knife and fork and sitting back, staring at the fire while running his fingers through his hair.

Sammie looked from one to the other, somewhat confused but understanding at least a little of what was going on. She put her own utensils down and scooted over on the couch, putting her arms around her father. "It's okay, Dad. They'll figure it out." Gibbs exhaled loudly, letting some of his tension ebb, and put an arm around his daughter. She snuggled into him, raising her head to kiss his cheek. "And once they do, we'll kick some ass."

Tony let loose a surprised bark of laughter, causing Jack to jump up, look at him, and bark once himself. That got Sammie and Gibbs laughing, and the rest of dinner passed quietly.

Tony helped Sammie clean up, and then they both returned to their seats in the living room. Gibbs was staring at the remaining embers of the fire, his thoughts clearly elsewhere. Tony looked at Sammie and started asking questions.

"Any idea why Mike Franks' name makes you angry?"

She shook her head, pulling her legs up on the couch and propping her arm of one of the cushions. She rested her head on her hand, facing him. "I can't remember anything about him," she said after a moment's thought. "Just… when I hear his name, I want to kick something."

Tony nodded. "Pretty common reaction to the guy, actually."

She grinned. "That's what Dad said."

Tony smiled. "What kinds of things make you angry? In general, I mean."

Sammie thought about that. "Injustice. People not taking responsibility, or being patronizing" she said slowly. "Selfishness, closed-mindedness." She shrugged. "Does any of that help?"

"Maybe." Tony glanced at Gibbs; the man was still looking at the fireplace, but Tony could tell he was listening. "Close your eyes," he said to Sammie.

She looked at him, eyebrows raised, but did as he asked.

"You're eight years old," Tony said quietly. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Gibbs turn to look at him. "You're a little scared, 'cause your mom's nervous. She saw something bad happen. There's a man there, saying he's going to protect you, telling you what to do. He smells like cigarettes." When he spoke next, his voice was lower, gravelly. "You just do what I say, little ladies, and we'll get you through this. Right as rain. You got that, Probie?"

Gibbs blinked and stared at him, but Tony was more interested in the way Sammie's eyes flew open. "The bastard ignored me," she said softly.

"What?" Gibbs asked.

"He never spoke to me. Barely ever looked at me. He talked to Mom… but it was more like he talked at her." She reached up, rubbing impatiently at the tears threatening to escape. "He…" she paused, then closed her eyes. "Do that again, Tony."

Tony glanced at Gibbs, who was now sitting right next to Sammie, his arm resting on the back of the couch behind her, but not touching her. Tony continued his Franks impersonation. "You just listen to me, do what I say, and everything's gonna be just fine."

Sammie opened her eyes, and tears started to run down her face. "I remember," she said quietly. "Some, anyway. I don't know if this was the day she… the day of the accident, but I remember he was telling her what we were going to do, and she didn't want to do it. She wanted to… I don't know, I'm not sure, maybe not go at all? Or go somewhere else? Whatever it was, she didn't want to do it, but he insisted it was for the best, and now she's gone, and I –" Her voice cut off and she turned toward Gibbs, resting her forehead on his shoulder and crying quietly.

Gibbs held her tightly, murmuring into her ear. His eyes met Tony's and he nodded to him. Tony grimaced, mouthing the word 'sorry' to him. Gibbs shook his head, indicating that it had been the right move.

Sammie's tears stopped soon, and she sat up. She looked at Tony, shooting him a wry smile. "You're really good at that." She sighed as Gibbs reached over to brush some of her hair back from her face and tuck it behind her ear. "Is that what you do in interrogations?"

Tony smiled softly. "When I need to."

"I'm glad I'm not one of the bad guys." She shook her head. "He acted as if I didn't exist. Or maybe like I was an annoyance. He was focused on Mom."

"Focused on the witness," Gibbs said quietly. "On the case."

Sammie looked at him. "Maybe, yeah."

Tony looked at her seriously. "That's going to help when Tim and I go to Mexico. Thanks, Sammie. Sorry to make you go through it."

Sammie shook her head. "Don't be," she said fiercely.

Tony looked from her to Gibbs, noticing how tired they both seemed. "I should head out," he said, standing. "It's a school night for me."

Gibbs gave him an appreciative look, then asked, "Didn't you drive Kelly's car here? I can drive you home."

Tony grinned at him. "No need. Tim followed in my car, Abby followed him, she drove him back to Ducky's. My car's parked on the street."

Gibbs nodded, then got to his feet and held out his hand. Eyes wide, Tony reached out and they shook hands. "Good job today, Tony." Gibbs smiled at him.

Tony grinned, lighting up as he always did when Gibbs praised him. When he stepped back, he suddenly had an armful of Sammie, who impulsively hugged him and kissed his cheek. "Thank you so, so much, for everything," she said, holding on to him.

Tony smiled and hugged her back, then noticed Gibbs staring at the two of them, the smile gone from his face. Tony tried to step away, but Sammie was hanging on. "Uh, I'm suddenly remembering that your dad's a sniper," Tony commented, wincing as Gibbs' expression morphed into a glare.

Sammie pulled back, looking up at him. "Sorry… I'm tired, and Abby was right, you give great hugs." She frowned at Tony's apprehensive expression, then looked at her father. "What's wrong?"

Gibbs continued to glare at Tony, who sighed and looked at Sammie. "I don't think I was supposed to let that slip."

"Let what slip?" She turned and looked at her father, then rolled her eyes. "The sniper thing? I already knew that."

Gibbs focused on her, surprised. "How?"

She sighed and pointed at the mantle. Both men looked where she pointed, at a framed picture of him in a ghillie suit, standing with a few other Marines.

"Oh, right," Gibbs said, sounding a little sheepish.

Tony and Sammie grinned at each other, an expression Tony quickly erased when Gibbs looked at him. "Alright, I'm headed out. I'll keep you posted, Boss."

Gibbs nodded his thanks, then spoke up. "Thinking we might head to Stillwater tomorrow, see Jack," he said, partly so Tony would know, partly to see what Sammie thought of the idea.

She smiled. "I can't wait for Jack to meet Jack!"

Gibbs gave her a funny look. "I think he'll be far happier to see you."

Tony gave them a wave and headed for the door, thinking about how nice it had been to feel like part of Gibbs' family.

Sammie watched as Gibbs poured himself another cup of coffee. "How can you possibly sleep at night?"

He grinned at her. "I've built up a tolerance."

She shook her head. "That's frightening." She looked down at Jack, who was nudging her arm. "I need to walk him."

Gibbs nodded. "I'll go with you."

"I got this, Dad. I've been walking him alone at night for several years now." She smiled at him, softening her tone. "He's protective of me. When he was only about nine months old, I was walking him after a late shift at work. Some guy came up behind me… I knew he was there and had this in my hand," she held up a small container of pepper spray, "but Jack got in-between us and snarled at the guy, and he took off in a hurry." She reached down to scratch behind his ears. "Unusual for such a young dog, but he's special. Aren't you, bud?"

Jack's rear end wiggled as he grinned up at her.

Gibbs watched as Sammie clipped the leash to Jack's collar, trying not to worry. He knew it wasn't rational, and he knew why he didn't want her walking out the door without him, but that wasn't making it any easier. She glanced up at him and he could see that she knew and understood.

"I've taken self-defense classes," she told him, trying to reassure him. "And Ziva has offered to teach me some of her favorite moves." Her face lit up. "Actually, she did teach me and Abby one of them last night… want me to show you?"

Gibbs held up his hands, shaking his head. "No, if it's the one I think it is, I'll pass… but it does make me feel better."

Sammie grinned at him. "I'm not going anywhere." Her smile faded. "I lost you, I lost Pop, and now I have you back… no way I'm squandering this opportunity." She closed the distance between them, kissed him on the cheek, then headed for the front door with Jack trotting along beside her.

Gibbs watched them go, then pulled his phone out of his pocked. He pressed a button, waiting several rings before his father picked up.

"Leroy! I wasn't expecting to hear from you again so soon."

"Hey, Dad. Okay if I come up tomorrow morning? Stay 'til Sunday?"

"Well, sure. Everything okay? Hasn't been all that long since your last visit."

"If you don't want me to come," Gibbs started, smiling slightly.

"Don't be ridiculous, son," Jack interrupted. "All I asked was if everything is okay."

"Have a surprise for you… want to share it in person."

"Yeah? Sounds good. Too late for me to get someone to cover the store, so plan to get here around lunchtime."

"Will do, Dad… you're really going to like this one."

"You didn't go and get married again, did you?"

Gibbs snorted. "Hell, no."

"Good. See you tomorrow, son."

"Bye, Dad."

Gibbs hung up, then weighed his options. He could pace around waiting for his daughter to return, or he could have faith in her and her dog and do what he would normally do… go down to the basement and work on the toys. He knew telling her he'd go with her hadn't gone over well, just like telling her he'd pay for vet school hadn't thrilled her either. He could almost hear Shannon in his head, telling him 'Kelly's an adult, you have to let her make her own decisions, give her space.' He sighed. "Think I'm going to be missing you even more, Shan," he said quietly as he headed for the basement.