AN: I don't own any of the NCIS Characters or any of the show's storylines that I may refer to from time to time, but the rest of the plot is mine.

3. Reminiscing

Gibbs knocked on Lucy's office door and went in. The office wasn't much bigger than a broom cupboard, with a desk pushed into an alcove along one wall and a couple of visitors chairs and cupboard. Shelving with medical books and a few personal photos lined the wall above her desk. She looked up from the report she was writing. "Hi, they're not here yet" Lucy said.

"I know, I just wanted to get out of the room" he confessed. "Did your CPO say anything when he was brought in last night?"

"Nothing, he never regained consciousness." She said looking up as he took a chair. "I wish I could tell you more" She finished.

"I know. ... Luce, when this is all over would you come to DC, have dinner with me?" He asked watching her.

"I don't know that's such a good idea, Jethro. Last time should have taught us something" she answered hardly daring to look at him.

"Yeah, maybe it should. Maybe I should do what I should have done then." He stood up. Lucy's pager went off.

"They're here. I have to go. We'll talk later." Lucy quickly left the room. As she walked down the corridor she was thinking about him. She needed some air, well at least to be in a bigger space away from him. She had been unsettled ever since he arrived. It had really shaken her that he was leading the investigation team. She smiled, Jessie would be pleased, they'd been close after Dan died. She'd seen him as her new father for a while, until their paths went in new directions. The last few years had been hard, even her and Jessie hadn't spent much time together. Lucy wondered what would happen now.

Gibbs looked around the office. His eyes settled on the photos over her desk. Some were recent others older. He focused on one of Lucy and Jessica, he remembered the day he took it, shortly before he'd left them in England. He picked it up and studied it. He was still standing looking at it when Lucy returned.

"You remember that?"

"Yeah, she reminded me so much of Kelly that day" He admitted.

"It's my favourite photo, ... keep it." She told him. He looked at her.

"We need to talk." He stated quietly as he removed the photo from the frame. The tension between them was charged. Lucy watched him.

"Not here ... not now." The look in her eyes pleaded with him not to push the point. He nodded, after all he didn't quite know what he wanted to say to her. Well he knew, but he didn't want to take the chance that she wanted to hear it. "... I came to tell you it isn't Philips, it's a US Marine Lt Sanders. He's been beaten, but I think he'll be ok. They're running tests on him now, I have no idea if its connected to our British sailors. I'll let you know when you can talk to him"

"Ok. What are his injuries?" Gibbs asked trying to keep focused.

"Cracked ribs, severe bruising, his face is pretty messed up. I'll know more when the X-rays come back" She answered. "I need to get back. I'll have someone call you when you can talk to him." Gibbs nodded and they left her office. She turned and headed back into the clinic as calmly as she could. She was tired, her emotions were all over the place and she didn't know how to deal with Gibbs. Watching him stare at the photo was almost if the last 8 years hadn't existed. She checked on the Marine and completed her rounds in a daze.

Gibbs returned to the conference room. Kate looked up as he entered. "Gibbs, we've sorted these out, there's nothing obvious"

"Well look for the unobvious – something kicked off last night and we need to find it. There's a possibility that a Marine Lt Sanders was involved. Go find out about him, what he's working on, where he was last night. Don't come back without answers" he snapped at them. They looked at each other. Tony opened his mouth to say something, but thought better of it and left with Kate.

After her rounds Lucy went to the ship to report to the commander. He could tell she was tired and kept things informal. She gave him an update.

"How long have you been on duty?" he asked her gently.

"Almost 48 hours sir" She answered.

"Then I'll get Lt Briggs to cover tonight, you go home and get some rest. Get off the base if you have to. You hand over no later than 1700 and you are not to be back in clinic until at least 1000 tomorrow is that clear?" He became a little firmer, knowing she would protest.

"Sir I-" As predicted she tried to argue, but he wouldn't have it.

"Lucy, you had a busy night, you're exhausted, I need my chief medic to be able to function properly. Briggs can cover at the clinic and Dandridge can babysit NCIS." He saw her nod, accepting the order. "I don't mean to pry but do you know Agent Gibbs?"

Lucy looked up at him a little surprised. "Yes sir, ... He served with my husband in the Marine Corps. We shared ... He helped me through the difficult time after Dan was killed. We lost touch a while ago." She told him. He nodded encouragingly.

"It's obviously brought up a lot of memories, if you need time to catch up, you do what you have to, but remember you are off duty until 1000 tomorrow." He instructed.

"Yes, sir" She accepted, reluctantly.

Lucy saluted and left his office. He watched her go. He thought about Lucy's father who he had worked with closely over the years, sadly he had died in a car accident shortly before Jessica had been born. Commander Barrett had requested Lucy for this assignment knowing it was her last commission before she left the navy for new things. It was also his last rotation before he retired. He felt in some ways like she was his daughter. He hoped his ploy would work, something about the way she interacted with the NCIS agent gave him a good feeling and he hoped if they had time together she could be happy.

Lucy returned to the conference room, Kate was alone with the files, Lucy was pleased she didn't want to see Gibbs again just then. Kate looked up from the computer she had set up. "Any news?" she asked.

"Lt Sanders has regained consciousness, Je-Gibbs and Dinozzo are with him. Gibbs asked for this record." She said handing over a file.

"You already knew Gibbs didn't you?" Kate asked.

"It was a long time ago." Lucy admitted, before leaving the room. Kate looked over the file.

When Gibbs and Tony returned she handed the file to Gibbs. "Captain Hammond dropped this in. Doesn't give us anything new except that there's evidence of drugs in his system. No indication what, d'you want me to find out?" She asked. Gibbs stared at her and took the file.

"I'll do it." He left to look for Lucy.

He went to her office, he wasn't sure, but his gut told him something was wrong. There was no response to the knock on her office door, so he opened it and saw Lucy apparently asleep on the desk. He went in and closed the door. He knelt down at her side and brushed a stray hair off her face. She stirred a little.

"Luce, wake up I need your help" He gently tried to stir her.

"Jethro? What are you-, where?" she seemed confused and dazed. Gibbs helped her sit up and saw the open sugar packet on the desk which scared him.

"Lucy! You have to wake up!"