A/N: I'm bacckk! and Free for all of summer! Thank heavens! Time to get this ride going again! To everyone who's jumped on the ride & either followed or favourited this story, thanks! I love knowing people are enjoying this story! My reviewers, you all rock!
Now, without further delay, here were go! Can the team find any leads on Shannon?
Gibbs took his kids into Jenn's office & sat them down on the couch "I know things aren't easy, talk to me, how you two doing?"
Nix didn't really know how he was, he was really worried about his mum "what if we can't find mum? what if she can't get back here? What if Mac finds her first?" he whispered, it all just came out.
Kelly flashed a look at her brother, he'd voiced all her greatest fears.
"Phoenix, I want you to listen to me, I want you both to listen to me" Gibbs said looking between them "I will not stop until we find her, I wont accept not finding her." he took a breath "I think I know mum well enough to know she's obviously got a plan, especially after the notes & clues she's left us. She the smartest person I know, she'll find a way to either get back here or allow us to find her. And I don't think Mac know's her as well as us, we'll get to her first" he was certain there were still clues he hadn't worked out yet, he just needed a moment to think about it all.
That seemed to satisfy Nix, his dad looked so determined about it all "ok, could we maybe get something to eat then? I'm kinda hungry... pizza?" he finished with a grin.
Gibbs couldn't help but smile at his son's grin "We can get something to eat sure, but pizza for breakfast?"
"Why not?" Nix asked cheekily.
Kelly couldn't help herself "pizza isn't breakfast material"
Gibbs could see his son was about to retort his sister & even though he'd had it for breakfast before, she was right "what about I organise us some bacon & egg rolls for breakfast & we'll do pizza for lunch?"
Nix grinned "can we get cheese on the bacon & egg rolls too?"
Gibbs couldn't help but be surprised, that was one his favourite extra toppings "you like that too do you?"
"Yea!" Nix replied "It's awesome!"
Gibbs nodded "ok, we'll get cheese too, you want that as well Kells?"
"Ahh ok" Kelly remarked "but given our breakfast & lunch menu, can we go for something a little less fatty for dinner?"
"Soo boring! Chinese!" Nix suggested.
"We're not having takeout for every meal today" Kelly retorted, but she looked at her dad "are we?"
Gibbs hadn't really given any thought to dinner, heck, he hadn't really given thought to lunch or breakfast, now realising he was responsible again to make sure he fed people other than himself, eating hadn't really been a major priority for him. Sure he didn't starve, but he barely gave a lot of thought to the type of food he ate or making sure he ate home cooking, he wasn't really one for cooking anyway. He'd have to get back into that mind frame, right now though, he just didn't want them to argue about having pizza for breakfast & knew he could easily source the rolls "We'll find something more appropriate for dinner Kells"
"I could run home & grab some stuff, got some stuff I could throw together" Kelly suggested.
Gibbs stared at his girl, she said 'home' but clearly didn't mean his place, of course they'd have their own place, but still that rubbed him the wrong way "Maybe later we can do a run, but not right now"
"It wouldn't take long, I don't mind, probably should get some clothes & stuff for us anyway" Kelly said, she wanted to do something, not just sitting around.
"I know you don't mind angel, but I don't want you to go without me, we'll get over there a little later" Gibbs replied, he could see her start to tense up.
Kelly sighed "can I at least go to the bathroom?" would she have to be escorted there too? She wasn't a kid!
"Of course you can Kells, let me show you where it is" Gibbs replied, she was getting annoyed again, lovely.
While he waited on the overpass for her to go to the bathroom he used the time to try to clear his thoughts, but there was so much going on it wasn't funny. He was really concerned about Shannon, she was trying to make her way back to DC on her own & while he knew she wasn't a kitten, having her out there & knowing that Mac was most certainly on her trail, that just rubbed him the wrong way.
Gibbs saw his girl start to walk back, he knew she annoyed at being shut down with her idea about going home, he waited until she was near him "Kells, I know you're annoyed" he said gently taking her by her arms "I know you want to run back to your place & grab stuff and yes, I agree we should. But right now, I need to see how the team are going in finding mum. I'm going to get someone to grab breakfast for us too. Once a few things get sorted, we'll go together but I don't want you going alone, we don't know where Quinn is, I don't want either you or your brother out there right now, ok?"
Kelly sighed "Fine, let's go then"
"I'd like you to stay with your brother please" Gibbs asked, praying another argument wasn't about to start.
Kelly rolled her eyes "you do realised I'm an adult & not an eight year old child don't you?" she remarked as she headed back to the room her brother was in "and I want a coffee...black, no sugar!" she called.
Gibbs just stared after her, he leaned on the railing & dropped his head. My gosh, she used to be a stubborn kid, but she's taken that & run a marathon with it.
Ducky had ventured out of MTAC just as he watched the end of the conversation between father & daughter, he allowed his friend a few moments of alone time before approaching "Jethro? How are you?"
Gibbs looked over at his friend & just laughed.
"That good" Ducky smirked "She's..."
"her mother" Gibbs finished, that was obvious to him.
"you" Ducky corrected, he saw a lot of him in the young girl.
Gibbs raised an eyebrow at his friend "maybe a little" he finally admitted "aghh Duck, this is so screwed up. I can't even begin to imagine what they've been through"
"They weren't the only one Jethro, you went through your own pain" Ducky replied, he found it rather odd to be talking about this, given he hadn't ever spoken to him about this because he never knew.
"Not like what they've had to go through, that girl has had hell of a few months Duck & heavens only knows what they all had to go through at the hands of that bastard!" Gibbs spat.
"I'd say she's had a significant weight on those young shoulders, perhaps she needs to hear that she no longer has to support it" Ducky surmised.
Gibbs knew he was right "she plays mother hen so easily" he commented, thinking back to the pizza comment, the suggestion she could cook dinner & everything.
"Because she's had to Jethro" Ducky replied, he was about continue when he heard the door of MTAC open.
"Boss!" Tony called "Got something"
Gibbs nodded "one sec" he said before turning to Ducky "could you do a breakfast run for me?"
"of course, what do you need?" Ducky asked.
Gibbs gave the order for his family & told Ducky to add to it for everyone else, they'd all be hungry. He then rushed into MTAC "what is it?"
"We've gotten all photos of Mac & his staff off to Taylor, Dayle & all the SWAT teams" Tony reported.
Gibbs looked at Tony, that wasn't really earth shattering "what did you find?"
"I was checking the street cam's around the gold course, it's really a country club.." Tim started.
"McGee!" Gibbs barked "the point!"
Tony shared a look with Ziva, yeap, that's Gibbs!
"Think we found her, Shannon, your wife, getting into a cab" Tim stuttered.
"Show me!" Gibbs demanded.
Abby jumped up "ok Gibbs, this is a cam from the other side of the country club to where Mac's property is"
Gibbs watched the footage he was holding his breath, he stepped forward as soon as he saw her, my gosh he felt like propelling himself into the screen. She looked just as beautiful as ever, still radiant, still... just beyond gorgeous.
Jenn had to admit the look on Gibbs's face when he saw her was confronting, he looked at the screen with such longing, such love, it was a look he never gave her, she was clearly his one & only true love.
Gibbs watched as she got into a cab & it took off "How long ago was this? Where'd it go?"
"Umm, just after sunrise, so about 3 hours ago Gibbs" Abby answered.
"We're trying to track the cab now" Tony replied.
"Got it" Ziva replied having just hung up "fare got dropped off at a truck stop in Spring, Texas, roughly 30 minutes outside of Houston"
"Traffic cam's in Spring Texas, on it boss!" Tim said, knowing not to wait for the wait for the order.
"Calling Lt Taylor boss" Tony nodded.
Gibbs smirked, he had taught them well "Abs, any sight of any of Mac's men where she left from?"
"Couldn't find any Gibbs, hopefully she got away cleanly" Abby reported, glad to give him some good news?
That brought a sigh of relief to Gibbs "Ziva, see if you can speak with the taxi driver, maybe Shannon said something to him"
"They've asked the driver to call me as soon as he's got a minute Gibbs" Ziva replied
"You think she's going to try to hitch a ride with a truck back here?" Jenn asked.
"Wouldn't put it past her" Gibbs remarked, while he had reservations about that idea, it wasn't the first time she'd done something like that! The memory of her hitching a ride to one his bases came barreling into his mind, he'd been angry as hell that she'd done that, it was risky to say the least.
"Think that's wise?" Jenn asked, she saw the look she was getting "I only mean, wouldn't the bus network be better, more people around, less chance of something being able to happen, truck drivers aren't really known for their hospitality"
"And you Director, do not know my wife" Gibbs stated, she could make friends with just about anyone.
Tony & Ziva flashed each other another look, that was rather pointed. Tim & Abby had done likewise, but they were too busy trying to get into the street cams to do much else.
Jenn's eye's widened, she knew that was true, but honestly it had been 13 years, did he still know her? She also realised that ever since he'd gotten back he hadn't once called her by her name, only by her title, she wondered if that was on purpose.
Gibbs was eyeing her off when to his relief he saw Ducky re-enter, thank heavens "Ducky's bought breakfast for everyone, Abs, transfer all that down to your lab, will be easier for you & McGee to work down there. We can all work out of the lab for now. Let's go"
Abby & McGee both sent all the streams they were working to her lab, Abby was grateful, she always preferred to work in her lab. Then, along with the others followed Gibbs out of MTAC.
Gibbs was leading the team out when Ducky motioned behind him, he saw Jenn hadn't moved "When I said Ducky had bought breakfast for all of us, I meant all of us Director, or are you passing it up?"
"I'll be down in a minute, just have to make a few calls regarding some agency business" Jenn answered, she had a phone call to make.
Gibbs headed into the Director's office & saw his son lying down on one of the couches, his daughter on the other hand was on the other one reading a book "what ya reading?"
"The Bronze Horseman, was sitting on the shelf" Kelly replied "any news on mum?"
"yes, but let me wake your brother" Gibbs replied, he wanted to tell them together.
Kelly smirked, she stretched her foot out so it reached his arm & poked him "easy"
Nix felt the poke & moaned "what?"
Gibbs tried to hide the smile at the groggy moan, he was obviously tired "hey sleepy head" he said gently ruffling his hair, hmm.. maybe a haircut was needed, it was pretty shaggy.
Nix saw his dad "mum?"
"She's out of the neighbourhood, we found street cam footage of her getting into a taxi on the other side of that country club, she left there 3 hours ago, it dropped her off somewhere in Spring, Texas" Gibbs reported "there's no sign of Mac finding her yet" he quickly added.
"Spring Texas?" Kelly asked "that's near that Wet 'n Wild place, it's past the airport"
"You've been there Kells?" Gibbs asked, a little surprised.
"Yea we have" Kelly answered.
"That's where we went after Wet 'n Wild that time where we got those awesome pancakes!" Nix added
Kelly smirked "you only liked it cause it was at a truck stop & you got to see all those massive 18 wheelers!"
Gibbs eye's widened "truck stop?"
"Yea, it rocked!" Nix grinned "There were these awesome trucks, they were massive, one was painted to be like Optimus Prime"
"Sounds great" Gibbs smiled "the taxi dropped mum off at a truck stop"
Kelly's eye's widened "it was probably that one then! Ted has to..."
"He's on his way angel" Gibbs interrupted her, trying to calm her. He realised though that his wife was leaving breadcrumbs & the best people that would know them were his kids "We're going to go down to Abby's lab, Ducky's brought breakfast & we'll see where things are at"
Nix looked around the lab as he came in, while Abby was still a little full on for him, this lab looked cool.
Kelly got a look around the lab, it was like no science lab she'd been in for school.
Abby saw them come in & went to greet them "welcome to my humble abode, the Lab of Abby or Labby as I like to call it" she said with her arms stretched wide.
Kelly felt her brother retreat into her again, when would this girl get the hint? She put a protective arm around around him "looks interesting".
Gibbs saw the reaction his kids got from Abby, he motioned her back to the desk & gave her a 'calm down' look. He turned his attention to his kids "come on, let's go in there & have breakfast"
Tony was standing next to Abby "Abs, go easy huh?"
"It's just so exciting, I mean horrible about what happened & all, but exciting! Gibbs has kids! Can't wait to get to know them" Abby replied, she'd hoped Kelly was now ok with her after the hospital thing.
"It might be Abs, but they're clearly not a fan of over exuberant displays from people they don't know, so if you want to get to know them, tone it down" Tony replied.
Abby nodded "ok" she knew he was right.
Tony headed into the other room, they'd brought in a bunch of chairs & another small table, he saw Gibbs handing out all the rolls "thanks boss" as he took a seat next to Phoenix he couldn't help but notice something oozing off his roll "what's on your roll?"
"Cheese" Nix said with his mouth full.
"Squirt, swallow first" Kelly said eyeing her brother.
Ducky gave a glance to Gibbs at this, she was certainly playing mother hen, he saw the acknowledgement in his friends eyes of this.
Nix rolled his eyes at his sister "he understood me"
Tony had to admit he did, but he kept his mouth shut.
"Not the point, it's rude" Kelly replied.
"Ahh boss?" Tim asked cautiously, he saw there was some tension, but wasn't sure what.
Gibbs made sure to swallow first before speaking "what you got?"
"Ah one of Lt Taylor's men called, they're trying to access Mac's security system to see if they can see anything, but they can't get in. He wondered if maybe..." Tim said, but didn't finish
"I can get in" Kelly smirked "can you link me in?"
Getting the ok from Gibbs Tim nodded "sure Abby's linked in already, she's tried to get in but can't... You know the password?"
"I can get in" was all Kelly said as she walked out to the computer.
Tim wondered what that meant.
A/N: They've got a lead, yay! Question is how far behind her is Mac? What will the security system show them? What facts will Gibbs learn that will rip him up?
I always love hearing your comments/thoughts, so please review away! More up soon!