The next day, Mike and Tony were in the conference room at NCIS with Ziva. They'd explained to her everything that happened while they were in Nebraska.
"This is not possible. Shannon Gibbs was killed by the Reynosa Cartel twenty years ago," Ziva said.
"Are you sure it's her, Mike? Maybe it's a look alike," Tony said. Like Ziva, he found it hard to believe that Gibbs' wife and daughter were alive. There had been evidence of their deaths. They had been killed in a car accident when their bodyguard was shot in the head while driving.
Mike glared at Tony. "Tell me, DiNozzo, have you ever lost someone on the job?"
Tony nodded. "Yeah, of course."
"You ever forget their face?" Mike asked. He'd never forgotten Shannon's face. She was his responsibility. He was supposed to keep her safe. When she and her daughter died, he'd felt an enormous amount of guilt. Maybe that was why he'd gotten so close to Gibbs.
Tony sighed. "No."
"You know, this makes a certain degree of sense," Ziva said. She'd said it was impossible and it still seemed that way, but certain things that didn't make sense before did with the possibility of Shannon and Kelly Gibbs being alive.
"Didn't you just say it was impossible?" Tony asked.
"It still seems impossible, but at the same time plausible," Ziva said.
"Huh?" Tony asked in confusion.
"We were wondering how Gibbs was involved in this. We knew that this was about McGee's wife and mother-in-law and that he and Gibbs were bait for them, but we could never figure out why with Gibbs. If it is about his wife and daughter, it makes sense. There is also the fact that the two women we have been looking for have very similar names to Gibbs' wife and daughter. Sharon and Kelsey Gilbert…"
"Translates to Shannon and Kelly Gibbs," Mike finished for her.
"Yeah, it is a bit much for a coincidence. Rule thirty-nine," Tony stated as he began to see that this might actually be possible.
"It also explains why Joanne Fielding hired that man around the time of her daughter's 'death' and why she kept paying him," Ziva said.
"That money was funds to keep her daughter and granddaughter alive," Mike said.
"If it's true, she kept it from Gibbs. She let him believe his family was dead. What kind of soulless person does that?" Tony asked in disgust. It was horrible. Gibbs loved his wife and daughter and Tony knew that losing them must have killed him. Yet, Joanne still let him believe they were dead, even after he helped her get away with murder. It was sickening.
"Well, if it is true, Gibbs knows now," Ziva said.
"But do we know that it is true? Yeah, we've got a picture and a theory, but that's all. That picture could've been taken twenty years ago," Tony said.
Just then, the door burst open and Abby came inside. "Oh, thank God! I've been looking everywhere for you guys."
"Abby, what is it?" Tony asked.
"I found something really hinky. I mean really hinky. Off the charts kind of hinky," Abby rambled.
"What did you find?" Tony asked. He figured it couldn't be any weirder than finding out that Gibbs' wife and daughter were alive.
"I got the results on the phones and batteries you found. The phones were no help. The only prints I was able to recover were Gibbs' and McGee's, but I got a print off of one of the batteries. This is where it gets hinky. You will never guess in a million, no make that a hundred million years," Abby said. She couldn't even believe what she found. She had to recheck the results three times.
"Well, I'm gonna try anyway. Shannon Gibbs?" Mike asked.
Abby stared at Mike in disbelief. "H…how'd you know that?"
"Let's just say Nebraska was interesting," Tony said.
"I guess it is not a theory anymore," Ziva said.
"Wait, are you actually saying that Gibbs' wife and daughter are alive?" Abby asked in disbelief. She'd seen the fingerprint evidence, but she figured had to be some other explanation. After all, Shannon Gibbs was dead.
"It's looking that way. It's also looking like Gibbs and McGee left on their own accord. They chose to run," Tony said.
"But Gibbs would never do that," Abby argued. Gibbs would never run. He didn't do that kind of thing. He fought and took the bad guys down. That was who he was.
"He would for them," Mike said. He agreed that there wasn't much in this world that could make Leroy Jethro Gibbs run, but his wife and daughter could and would. He'd do anything if it meant he could be with them again.
"He's right, Abs. We all know how much Gibbs loves Shannon and Kelly. He would do anything to be with them, even go against everything he believes in. He would do this," Tony said.
"And it is not a stretch to say that McGee would as well. They are his family as well," Ziva said.
Tony's eyes widened. "Holy crap! I just realized, McGee is married to Gibbs' daughter."
"You just realized that?" Ziva asked as if he were stupid.
"Well, excuse me if I find this all a little shocking. Man, McGee is married to Gibbs' daughter. He's not gonna have to worry about the Cartel. Gibbs will finish him off himself. Hell, he's probably already killed him. Oh, if only I could've been there. I can just see McGee shaking in his boots," Tony said with an evil glint in his eyes.
Mike reached over and smacked the agent on the back off the head.
Tony yelped and rubbed the back of his head. "Right. Getting back to reality. So what now?"
Isn't it obvious? We have to find them. You guys have to talk to Shannon's mom again and get her to you where they are," Abby said.
"No," Mike said. He wasn't going to ask Joanne where they were. For one, he doubted she knew? But even if did, he wouldn't ask.
"Well, then what do you want us to do?" Ziva asked.
Mike knew they weren't going to like his answer. Hell, he didn't like it either, but he didn't see another way. He'd already failed the Gibbs family once by believing he could protect Shannon and Kelly. That was not a mistake he was willing to repeat. This time, he had to try a different tactic, one he wasn't all that comfortable with. "Nothing. We do nothing.