A/N: Hi folks, I'm sorry for the delay, but it's been super busy! I wanted to get this chapter up before I pass out from exhaustion, so I'm afraid I wont have time to reply to the reviews, sorry! But I loved reading them all & thank you all so much! I really appreciate them! To my newest followers/favourites, welcome to this wonderful journey we're on, so glad to have you with us!
Let's get straight into it!
Ted couldn't help but stare for a moment, she still looked radiant, just like she used to, she did look tired, but why wouldn't she be! He watched as she slowly & cautiously moved along the street, she hugged the store side of the footpath as she walked towards the Gibbs general store. He dug out his phone & instantly texted the others 'spotted her, west end of main street, sheriff station side, heading slowly towards general store. Do not approach, just keep a watch from a distance.'
Ted crossed the street & was about 100 yards behind her, he kept his gaze not just on her but also on the street, looking for any possible trouble spots. He then noticed that she'd picked up her pace & had even flashed a look back at him. She had clearly felt his presence, he spotted some of the team all around the street, all had their gazes on her & the street, he let off an internal groan when she started running, she clearly thought they were hired help from Mac! Crap!
Shannon was exhausted, she was in desperate need of sleep, the only thing that kept her going was her family. Making her girl leave her & put her son through what she did was the hardest thing she'd ever done in her life. It was worse than having to accept her husband had died, and there lay the kicker, she felt utter devastation when she'd overheard Mac talking about him. How on earth had she not realised that Mac had well... played her! She'd made the instant decision to leave, she'd been determined to get back to her family, back to her 2 precious children, and her dear soul mate, her Gibbs.
She hoped her decision to head for Stillwater & not DC would pay off, she knew Mac would presume that she'd try to get back but he'd expect her to go for DC, she hoped that by heading for Stillwater, perhaps Jackson was alive still? She also prayed that her man Gibbs worked out the clues, yea they were cryptic, but she had make it so, just in case Mac was tracking her somehow. She had no idea what she'd say to any of them, she really didn't, she'd just have to cross that bridge when she came to it, she knew asking for forgiveness was a given. She'd come into Stillwater the long way around on purpose, just in case someone had been following her, which when she got she into town, she didn't think was the case.
As Shannon walked further down the street, a street she'd travelled in her youth everyday, she suddenly got a very bad feeling, she saw men scattered all around the street, they were watching the street, but would also scanned their gazes back to her every so often. She'd looked over her shoulder & saw a man following her too, she had been so close, she had to do something. She veered quickly into the nearest side street & saw a garbage can, grabbing the lid, she held it firmly in her grasp & the swung it as much force as she could muster into the man as he rounded the corner, she had no idea who this man was, but she wasn't taking chances.
Ted had no choice but to follow her as she rounded a corner & went into a small side street, he rounded the corner & as soon as he did so he felt something come in contact with his midriff, he buckled over in agony & surprise. Shannon had a garbage can in her hands, in pure instinct he groaned in reaction "damn it Shannon!"
Shannon wasn't expecting that kind of reaction, she looked at him again more carefully, he was keeled over but was now looking up at her, it took less a minute for her to recognise him "Ted?" she voiced in utter shock.
Ted stood up, but rested his hands on his knees "nice to see you, you haven't lost your touch"
Shannon was gobsmacked that he was here! Her clues to Jethro had obviously worked, but Ted why was here too? Where was her husband? Where were her kids? Were they ok? Was he ok? What would say to him? What would she say to them all? She just stared at him.
Ted finally stood up & could see she was just overwhelmed "let's get to the store, Jethro should be arriving any minute, the kids are safe & sound with him, so don't worry about them. But we've gotten word that MacDonald is on his way here, so I'd like to get us back there before he arrives"
"Too late" Mac sneered.
Ted snapped around to where the voice came from, he saw Mac & his man Acron standing between them & the main street, they were effectively boxed in, this side street was in fact a dead end, it was an alley really. It had only a few doors into the stores that were one either side. He hoped though the others had seen them head into the side alley & Mac. He instantly put himself between Mac & Shannon, the venom for the man in front of him was extreme "MacDonald Fielding, you are under arrest" he stated simply.
"I don't think so" Mac replied.
"No?" Ted retorted "I'm taking you in, I don't care what state you're in, that's up to you"
"You were never the sharpest tool in the shed, but I'm sure you're not hard of hearing. I said no" Mac replied.
Ted flexed his muscles & flared his nostrils, he never liked the man "And I think you're still a delusional asshole, but it doesn't change the simple face that you are under arrest. I am taking you in, or would you prefer to wait for Gibbs?"
Mac sneered "Unfortunately, he's been tied up, he wont be making it here" he knew Quinn was taking care of the man.
Shannon had been staring at the man, she had been fearing he'd catch her before she got here but now that Ted was here with her, she wasn't so scared, but what was Mac saying? Ted had said they were fine? Were they?
Ted couldn't help but smirk "if you're thinking about the job Quinn was supposed to do, then I'd ask for your money back. He's dead, got taken down in his attempt to ambush Gibbs, he should be here any minute"
Gibbs pulled the SUV they'd taken over into the loading dock of his dad's store, he'd just gotten a text from Ted saying he'd spotted Shannon, he thanked the stars! but he wouldn't feel whole until she was in his arms.
As he got out, he saw the others all disembark out of the other cars they'd commandeered, none of them, his team, the SWAT team, the FBI Agents & other NCIS Agents had allowed themselves to be taken to hospital by the EMT's, saying they were well enough for now. The only one to have lost fight was Tripoli, given his wounds, Gibbs would have to remember to check in with him later.
"Make sure your vests & ID's are covered, side arms on you, rifles in your packs" Jenn instructed, she knew that is what Lt Taylor & the other SWAT teams were doing to stay under the radar.
"Not you two" Gibbs ordered looking at Harry & McGee "you're staying with Kelly & Phoenix" before he led the group through the back door into his father's store.
It had been well, quite a while since he'd been here last, but it had barely changed. He was fairly nervous about seeing his dad, so he walked slowly into the actual store "hello? Dad?"
Nix was a mere step behind his dad, his sister was right next to him. He'd always wondered about his grandfather, about his store & he would have tried to look at everything but his nerves for meeting the man overrode everything else.
"Hello?" Gibbs called louder, he wasn't liking this, the store was empty! He tensed instantly & turned to Peters "heard anything?"
"not since the last group text" Peters said, he wasn't liking it either "we'll head outside & see if we can see anything, boys, let's go!"
Tony watched as Peters & his team all went outside "plan boss?"
Gibbs didn't waste any time, he walked straight over to the counter & took his kids with him, he lifted the trap door into the cellar.
Kelly saw what her dad was doing "you want us to go into the cellar?"
Gibbs nodded "yes Kells, I want you two to stay down there out of the way & out of sight." he replied, then turned to Harry & McGee "you two are going down there too, stay down there until the all the clear is given by either me, your dad, Tony or the Director?"
"Yes Gibbs" Harry nodded. "Yes Boss" Tim nodded.
Gibbs took them & Buster down the stairs & turned the light on "everything will be ok, I just need to make sure you guys are safe while I get mum & deal with things, gramps should have been here, so there's something not right & I don't want you guys in the line of fire. I'll be as quick as I can"
Nix didn't like it, his dad was again leaving them but he knew his dad wouldn't budge on anything & that maybe he was right to keep out of the way "be careful" he was still petrified that something would happen to his dad.
Gibbs crouched down to look at his son "I promise pal, I'll be back before you know it, with mum"
"Boss!" Tony called.
Gibbs could hear the urgency in Tony's voice, he looked at his girl "Back soon angel, I promise you"
Kelly just nodded, she like her brother was petrified that something might happen to their dad or their mum, she just leaned against Harry as he stood next to her.
Gibbs clicked his fingers "Buster!" he pointed at the floor that was at the foot of the trap door stairs & waited for Buster to reach it "stay!" he commanded, he knew Buster wouldn't let anyone get past him.
Harry felt her lean into him as they watched Gibbs head back up the stairs "don't forget what I said, your dad can handle things & now being here, with my dad, they'll be an unstoppable force"
Kelly had to smile at that "Superman & Batman"
"Rambo & Terminator?" Harry countered.
"Hulk & Spiderman" Nix offered as he stood in his sister's embrace.
Tim had to admit he again felt a tinge of jealousy as he watched Kelly & Harry interact, what was happening to him? He wasn't sure, but he took a stance near the foot of the stairs just behind Buster, if anyone wanted down, they'd have to go through him! Well, Buster first, but then him.
Gibbs rushed back up the stairs & promptly closed the trap door "what's going on?"
"MacDonald's been spotted sir, a short way down the street, he's in the alley where Lt Taylor & your wife were last spotted, the teams are moving to try to cover & intercept" SWAT Officer Brown reported.
Gibbs tensed, he turned to Banks & Maurice "you two stay put, no one gets through that trap door, no one comes in"
"yes Gibbs" Banks & Maurice replied.
"Fornell, send one of your men over to the sheriff's office, give them a heads up at what is likely to happen" Jenn instructed, unsure if any of the SWAT teams had done that already.
"Wallace, get going" Fornell ordered, seeing his man head off instantly.
Gibbs walked out & instantly had Tony, Ziva, Fornell, Johns & Jenn on his six, where was Franks?
"He's staying behind as well, wants to make sure no one gets to your children" Jenn offered as she took in his look.
Gibbs just nodded, he scanned the direction Brown was pointing to & immediately saw numerous men herding bystanders away from a certain area, he then saw his dad, he took a breath, he hadn't seen the man in... well.. but he was heading straight for the alley, with the Winchester! "Brown, you and Johns get that guy back to a safe distance & keep him that way" he ordered taking full command & pointing directly at his father.
"yes sir" Brown & Johns replied & headed off.
Gibbs overtook them both, he even rushed straight past his dad, he had a target, his eyes honed in on the men he saw standing in the alley, their backs were to him, but he'd recognise that man anywhere!
"Spread out, we need to cover him" Jenn instructed "Fornell, speak with SWAT & get a team to see if they can get behind them or to the side or something & let's make some sweeps to see if they're alone or not" she said motioning towards some of the men she now saw as clear as day were SWAT, even in their civvies.
Gibbs reached the edge of the alley & slowed, he nodded to the SWAT officer's who were taking up position on either side of the alleyway. He waited just out of sight, he need to calm down, he knew he was about to lay eyes on his wife for the first time & he couldn't let that distract him from the threat that Mac presented. He took a deep breath as he could hear Mac telling them he was going to be held up & couldn't help but smirk at Ted reply, he pushed himself forward, knowing this was the perfect time to present himself, Ted was just finishing up..
"...Gibbs should be here any minute" Ted finished.
"He's here" Gibbs stated staring at the back on Mac's head.
Mac spun around instantly & locked his eyes on Gibbs, what the fuck? Quinn had assured him he was taken care of! How the hell did Gibbs get the better of Quinn? He was beyond furious, looks like he'd have to use his backup plan! All he knew was that he wasn't going down in this, not to this man!
A/N: The good news? Gibbs is right there in Mac's face. Bad news Mac's there! And what's this backup plan he's got? Just how will things go?
I'm starting back at university very soon, so I can't promise an update in the very near future, but I will try to update as soon as possible!
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