Confrontation

Mid-afternoon the next day, Gibbs was in the kitchen, working on installing the new sink, when he heard the front door open.

"Probie!"

"In here, Mike."

Mike Franks strolled in, watching Gibbs as he tightened the last piece and got up from where he'd been lying on his back half inside the cabinet under the sink. Gibbs brushed some dirt off his jeans, then sent a mild glare Mike's way. "Thought you were coming to help this morning."

Mike grinned at him. "Made a lady friend at the bar last night."

Gibbs rolled his eyes and headed for the basement.

"Where you goin'?

"To turn the water back on!"

Mike looked around, then walked to the fridge and opened it to get a beer. He leaned against the kitchen counter, watching as Gibbs jogged back up the stairs and into the room, turning on the faucet to watch the water run and checking underneath for leaks.

"So," Mike said as he watched Gibbs start cleaning up, "where is she?"

Gibbs kept his attention focused on his tools, but a smirk played across his lips. "Upstairs."

Mike stared at him. "I ain't ready for this."

"Too bad." The female voice came from the direction of the living room. Mike turned quickly toward her, staring at the young woman who stood there, hands on her hips, a smudge of dirt on her cheek, slightly wavy brown hair piled in a messy ponytail.

Mike cleared his throat. "Well, you sure grew up nice."

Gibbs turned to stare at him, and his daughter laughed, though there was no humor in it.

"And how would you know?" she asked, eyes narrowing. "Seeing as your failure to notice me caused me to be declared dead and separated me from my father for twenty years."

Mike glanced between Gibbs and Sammie, clearly clueless about how to handle the situation.

Sammie shook her head, walking slowly into the room. She glanced at her father, who quietly asked, "Jack?"

"Locked in my room… figure if anyone is going to attack him," she gestured toward Mike, not looking at him, "it should be me." She turned toward Franks. "I still want to kick you," she stated.

Mike stared at her; she stared right back.

"Uh, Probie?"

"Yeah, Mike?"

"Got any Kevlar I can borrow?"

Gibbs snorted. "You're on your own."

Sammie stalked forward a few steps, and Mike actually backed up.

The front door opened again, and Tony walked in. "Hey, Boss – oh. Ah… I can come back."

Sammie and Mike ignored him, still staring at each other. Gibbs met his eyes and shrugged, so Tony walked into the kitchen to stand near his boss.

"Got anything to say to me?" Sammie asked Mike quietly.

Mike looked at Gibbs, who simply stared back, impassive. A quick glance at Tony showed no help from that quarter; his probie's probie was smiling slightly as he looked from Sammie to Mike and back.

Mike swore quietly, exhaled forcefully, and set his beer down on the counter. Then he looked at Sammie. "I am sorry," he said.

Sammie cocked her head slightly. "For what, exactly?"

"Uh…" Mike looked at Gibbs again, but his position mirrored his daughter's. Another glance at Tony showed the man's smile widening.

Mike shuffled his feet and cleared his throat. "I apologize for not paying enough attention to you to know that wasn't you in the morgue. My failures there have been pointed out to me… repeatedly." His shot a mild glare at Gibbs and Tony.

"You bastard!" Sammie surged forward suddenly, extending her arms to push forcefully against Mike's chest, sending him stumbling backwards.

Both Gibbs and Tony automatically shifted position, bracketing Sammie, facing Mike.

Sammie pushed him a second time. Mike reflexively grabbed one of her arms, but before either Gibbs or Tony could react, she executed a move that forced him to release her and also had him gasping for breath after she gave him a solid kick in the abdomen.

Sammie stood there, staring at him. "Bastard," she repeated, with less heat.

"I apologized, damn it," Mike protested.

"Because you had to," Sammie replied, her tone scornful. She waved one hand, indicating her father and Tony. "Like I said to my dad, forced apologies don't mean much. And what the hell… getting angry with Dad and Tony for pointing out your shortcomings?! I should kick you again."

Mike huffed out a laugh. "Trust me, I got the point."

There was a temporary silence, except for the sound of Mike catching his breath. Sammie stood still, facing him, her hands by her sides, eyes blazing with anger. Gibbs watched both his daughter and his mentor; he'd dealt with Mike in his own way, and was willing to take his cue from her. He glanced at Tony; his second was clearly uncertain about the situation and was about to start fidgeting. Gibbs caught his eye and Tony relaxed, standing behind Sammie, ready to back her play.

Mike was the one to set things in motion. "Good moves you got there. Probie teach you that?"

Sammie shook her head. "Ziva."

Mike paled slightly. "I'm lucky I still have all my body parts."

One corner of Sammie's lips quirked up, making her look a lot like her father. "You don't even know why I'm really angry at you."

Mike waited, but she didn't say anything else. "All right, I'll bite… why?"

Her eyes met his. She spoke softly, but the tone of her voice didn't match the anger in her expression. "I didn't remember. I'm sure you've heard that from Dad. I ended up with a great set of new parents, and since I didn't remember, I didn't know for sure what was missing." Some of her hair had come loose from the ponytail, and she impatiently reached up to tuck it behind her ear. "I'm angry because of what my Dad went through. He thought I was dead. Can you imagine what his life, what our lives, might have been like if he'd had me instead of a gravesite?" Her voice shook, but she controlled it. "I'm angry because of what happened to my mom. She didn't want to go to that new safe house… I can remember that much. She knew it was a bad idea. You didn't listen. And because you didn't listen… she died, I became someone else, and Dad went through hell."

Gibbs' eyes narrowed as he listened to her, vaguely remembering her having said something about this before. He turned to look at Mike. "That true, Mike?" Mike didn't answer, just looked at the floor, and Gibbs took a step forward. "Huh? That true? Shannon would still be alive? I would have had my family?"

Sammie turned to look at him, realizing the impact of her words. Mike seemed to be searching for something to say.

"Ah… Boss? Probably not." Tony spoke up, ignoring Mike's vehement protest.

Gibbs turned to look at him, as did Sammie. Tony's eyes met Mike's, then moved from Gibbs to Sammie and back. "Mike told me and Tim, in Mexico… how Hernandez knew where to set up to take out the driver. There was a local LEO on his payroll."

Gibbs' jaw clenched, and Sammie's brow furrowed. She reached for Gibbs' hand and stepped closer to him, holding on tightly while watching Tony, her back to Mike, who was shaking his head and looking down at the floor.

Tony caught his reaction. "What's the point now, Mike? Why hide it? It just perpetuates the anger and the guilt." He focused on Gibbs. "With someone on the inside," Tony spoke gently, his tone soothing, "odds are if Shannon won that argument, Hernandez would have had more opportunities. He was always going to be a step ahead."

Gibbs looked away, several different emotions chasing across his face before his expression shifted into one of extreme sadness. He took a deep breath, then turned back to Mike. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Mike glanced at Sammie before answering. "You were hell-bent on revenge. Wasn't gonna let you go after a cop, end up in prison for the rest of your life." He reached up to rub at his face. "Like I told DiNozzo, I handled it."

Both Gibbs and Sammie stared at him. Tony looked at him, head tilted to one side and eyebrows up. "Fine," Mike growled. He looked at Gibbs defiantly. "I sent out some messages through the right people, that the cop in question was undercover, looking to take down the cartel. He didn't survive long past that, and like I told your boys, he didn't die easy."

Sammie's eyes were wide. Gibbs looked for the truth in Mike's face, and found it. He nodded once, abruptly. Sammie turned to look at him, then pulled him into a fierce hug. Gibbs wrapped his arms around his daughter and just stood there, resting his head against hers, his eyes closed.

Tony watched Mike watch them, finding his expression difficult to interpret. After a few moments, Mike sighed, pushed away from the counter he'd been leaning against, and walked past father and daughter, heading for the front door. Tony followed, glancing back at Gibbs, who didn't react.

The two men went outside; Tony shut the door behind him and looked at Mike.

"Gonna head back to Mexico," the older man said slowly. "Tell Probie to call me if he wants to yell at me some more." Mike grimaced. "Not much good I'm gonna do here." His eyes met Tony's. "You tell that girl she's as much of a firecracker as her mom was, maybe more." He rubbed at his gut where she'd kicked him, shaking his head. "Had no business grabbing her, even if she did shove me first. Know better than to put my hand on a woman like that."

Tony shot him a smile with no warmth. "You're probably lucky she got you before either of us did."

Mike nodded, glanced at the house, then back at Tony. "Gonna go spend some time with Layla and Amira. Tell Kelly Amira will never have to worry about being ignored."

Tony shook his head. "Don't think that was ever a possibility. Different situations… I'll give you that much."

"Thanks," Mike said; Tony wasn't sure whether he was being sarcastic. Mike gave him a curt nod, then set off down the street.

Aftermath

Tony stood on the front porch and watched until Franks was out of sight. He figured the man was going to either call for a cab or flag one down if he walked far enough to get to some of the main roads.

The door opened behind him, and he turned to see Sammie standing there with one hand on the doorknob, a small smile on her face. "Coming back in?"

"Sure." Tony grinned at her. "Nice moves in there."

Her smile widened. "That felt great! I never thought I'd actually kick him."

"Ziva taught you well."

Sammie laughed. "She did… that's how I made him let go of me. The kick, though… a few years of self-defense classes." The smile faded, and she looked at him seriously. "Thanks for the backup. I did notice."

Tony nodded to her. "Of course. Any day I'm in the front row to see Mike Franks get his ass kicked is a good day." His eyes searched her face. "You alright?"

"I am." She leaned against the door jamb, her hand still holding the door in place. Her gaze wandered along the street. "I still don't remember Franks himself so much as I remember how he made me feel." She focused on Tony's face. "It's true, what I said. I'm not upset so much for my own sake, not now, like I was that night you had dinner with us." She sighed. "I hate what losing us did to Dad."

Tony nodded. "I get that. You've made him so much happier, though. Maybe focus on what's ahead?"

Sammie looked at him, her expression grave, then nodded. "Yeah…. I will. Thanks." Her face brightened. "What do you think of the changes he's making to the house?"

"Well," Tony hedged, smiling ruefully, "I didn't really notice… I was so focused on what was happening with all of you."

"I guess things got a little tense in there, huh?" She straightened up and pushed the door open. "Come see!"

Tony followed her inside, seeing how much brighter the house looked with the new paint on the walls and new flooring and cabinet doors in the kitchen. "Wow… he did all this in less than four days?"

Sammie wrinkled her nose. "I guess Franks helped."

"He did." Gibbs came down the stairs with Jack. "Dog started scratching on the door, so I figured I'd let him out."

Jack ran to Sammie, nudging her hand with his nose.

"I'd better take him on a walk." Sammie went to the coat rack where the leash was hanging, and grabbed a container of baggies that she attached to her belt loop. "Back soon!"

The two men watched them go, then turned to look at each other. "Drink?" Gibbs asked.

"Uh, no, thanks, Boss… gotta go back to work." Tony followed Gibbs as he walked into the kitchen, pulled a beer from the fridge, then set it down on the counter unopened as he noticed a slow drip coming from the newly installed sink. Gibbs started checking fittings then grabbed a small wrench and began tightening various things Tony couldn't have named if he tried.

Gibbs glanced over at him. "Why'd ya come over?"

Tony leaned his hip against the counter, watching the sink repair with interest. "Vance asked me to update you on the inter-agency conference we had this morning."

Gibbs refocused on the sink. "It interfere with the case?"

"Nah. McGee did some techie thing, found our suspect. He and Ziva tracked him down, and they tag-teamed him in interrogation."

Gibbs smiled. "Ziva play bad cop?"

Tony laughed. "Not exactly. Tim played confused probie who ended up needing to leave the room in search of missing paperwork, and Ziva played coy seductress. Guy obviously thought he had the upper hand with both of them, and she had him eating out of her hand in no time. She had a confession within half an hour. I watched the tape after the conference. You'd be proud of them."

Gibbs opened up the cabinet under the sink, and lowered himself to the ground, lying on his back and making some mysterious adjustments. "I am," he stated matter-of-factly. "Proud of all of you." He got back up and tried the faucet again; the drip was gone.

He packed away the tools, then turned to look at Tony curiously. His second's gaze was unfocused and he seemed deep in thought. "So… the conference?"

Tony blinked. "Oh, yeah… I think the whole thing was about agreeing to cooperate more effectively when jurisdiction is shared."

"You think… you don't know?"

"Honestly, it was kind of boring. Agency heads did all the talking, team leads were all seated in the background. Supposed to be seen and not heard." He smiled, meeting Gibbs' eyes. "Think Vance was just as happy you weren't there. FBI guy asked if you were present."

Gibbs snorted. "Don't know why they keep trying. We handle cases involving Navy and Marines. Period." He closed the cabinet doors with a little more force than necessary. "Now I know why Leon didn't push harder last night," he muttered.

"What was that, Boss?"

Gibbs sighed. "Vance stopped by last night, asked me to come in for that conference. Told him to bring you in. He didn't push."

"Ahh," Tony nodded. "He didn't want you there, but he wanted the other directors to know he tried." He tapped his fingers on the counter. "So basically, nothing changes for our cases."

Gibbs nodded decisively. "Nope."

Tony followed Gibbs as he brought the toolbox to the hall closet and stashed it there. "Anyway, Boss, that's why I came over… and I would have left, but it looked like maybe Sammie could use some backup."

Gibbs suppressed the smile that threatened to form on his lips. "Against Mike? She had it covered."

"Clearly," Tony stated, his tone shaded with admiration.

Gibbs affected a stern expression and turned to look at his second. "You think I can't back up my own daughter?"

Tony paled visibly and backed up a step. "Uh, no, Boss, of course not… just, you know, one of us to take him out, one to shield her." He grimaced. "And that sounded ridiculous, given what just happened."

Gibbs laughed at that. "No kidding. Kelly's been dying to kick Mike since I first mentioned his name."

Tony smiled. "She told me she didn't think she'd actually do it." He looked around the room, clearly wanting to change the subject. "Place looks nice, Boss."

"Thanks."

There was a moment of silence, then Tony sighed. "I should get back to work, check the reports, write my own."

Gibbs followed him to the door. "If you're free tomorrow, I could use a hand with a few things."

"Yeah?"

"Bringing in some new appliances, then tackling some of the stuff in the attic. Kelly's been up there today, and she's also gonna do more in her room."

"Sure, I can come over. What time?"

"Any time you like."

Tony nodded. "See you tomorrow, Boss." He left the house, shutting the door behind him.

Gibbs smiled to himself, watching out the window as Tony headed for his car and met Kelly and Jack as they came up the driveway. He couldn't hear what they were saying, but he could watch their body language, and he did so with close attention to detail. Kelly faced Tony straight on, talking to Jack when the dog tried to jump up on him, smiling at Tony, talking with him earnestly. He could tell that she was just being herself, and he was happy to see that she wasn't playing games. "You'd be proud of her, Shan," he whispered.

Gibbs could also see Tony's expression from where he stood; his second looked concerned, then smiled, his hands moving as he told some sort of story that got Kelly laughing. Tony's face was relaxed, open, nothing like the man on the prowl when he was hoping to get a random woman into his bed. Gibbs smiled softly, gazing at his daughter, that smile turning into a grin when Kelly leaned forward to kiss Tony on the cheek before waving to him and heading down the other side of the street with Jack. His daughter may not play games, but she definitely strategized. He watched Tony as his second watched her leave, standing with a slight smile on his face, then shaking himself, glancing at his watch, and moving quickly to his car.

Gibbs was sitting on the couch, watching an old movie on his ancient television when Kelly returned with Jack. He watched her as she picked a few small burrs off his coat before letting him wander into the kitchen for some water. She smiled at him and joined him on the couch. "What'cha watching?"

"Movie."

She turned to look at him, her expression a mix of exasperation and amusement. In that instant she looked so much like Shannon that he almost couldn't breathe due to the wave of grief that moved through him.

"Dad? What's wrong?"

He shook his head, smiling at her as he reached over to brush her hair back from her face, then wiped away the smudge on her cheek. "Nothing's wrong. You looked just like your mom for a second there." He looked down at the floor for a moment, his face creased in thought. "You know," he said slowly, "you were never a different person."

"Um… what?"

"You told Mike you became someone else. I don't think you did."

Sammie rested her arm against the back of the couch, propping her head up on her hand. "I forgot who I was. Don't our memories shape us?"

Gibbs ducked his head, smiling. "You should have a long talk with Ducky about that sort of thing." He looked up at her. "You're still you. I see a lot of the same mannerisms that you had when you were little. You aren't a stranger to me. You're one person."

Sammie considered that, catching her lip between her teeth as she thought. "Maybe… you could be right. I've been thinking of everything as having to reconcile two different lives. Maybe if I think of my life as a single journey, things will get easier." She looked at him, smiling. "Not that they've been all that difficult, honestly." She sat up. "What if you'd refused to believe I was me? That would have been so awful." Her eyes widened, filled with humor and a little mischief. "What if we'd run into each other in that coffee shop near the Navy Yard, that day I met with Tony? Do you think you would have recognized me?"

Gibbs thought about it. "You look enough like your mother that I'm sure I would have noticed. Would it have occurred to me that you would be my daughter? I doubt it. Twenty years of believing you were dead, Kells."

"Hmm." She sat back, thinking. "Tony said maybe I should focus on what's ahead, instead of what's in the past."

"He said that?"

She nodded.

Gibbs blinked and reached for the beer on the coffee table. "That's pretty smart, for DiNozzo."

"Hey!" Sammie poked him in the shoulder. "Not nice."

Gibbs just turned his head and smirked at her; she blushed. "Dad!"

He sat back, drank some beer, the turned and looked at her, raising his eyebrows. "He's coming over tomorrow to help with the attic and the appliances."

Sammie's face reddened a bit more. "Okay… good to know." She looked at him. "I was thinking of asking Ziva and Abby if they'd like to come over and help me go through my room. I'm sure Abby knows a lot of charities that could use some of my old stuff, and Ziva tells great stories."

"Ziva? Stories?"

Sammie nodded. "Uh huh. And I think it would be good to have new friends there, rather than get caught up in memories." Her brow furrowed. "You better ask Tim to come over too, so he doesn't feel left out."

Gibbs smiled. "Why don't you text Tony, ask him to bring Tim, tell him we'll have a pizza party later on?"

Sammie grinned. "You are the best dad ever!" She pulled out her phone and started sending messages.

Jack wandered in from the kitchen, jumped up on the couch between Sammie and Gibbs, and settled in, resting his head on Gibbs' leg. Gibbs sighed, feeling water from Jack's bowl seeping into his jeans, and watched his daughter laughing as she read responses from his team.

"Hey," he said quietly.

She looked over at him. "What?"

"You good? After what happened with Mike?"

She looked at him for a moment, then smiled. "Very good." She held his gaze for a moment, letting him see the truth in her reply, then refocused on her phone, smiling as she replied to one of her new friends.

Author's Note: This chapter gave me fits... I'm not sure why. It was a struggle to write, and I wouldn't be surprised if that shows somehow... I'm not able to see it at this point. I'm going to start posting on Sundays instead of Saturdays... work is going to be busier moving forward, and I'll probably have less time to write during the week. I'll do my best to continue posting weekly!