October 20th 2008 2: pm

NCIS OFFICE

Samantha was working on some reports she had told Gibbs she would help Tony do when Gibbs came storming in. "Get your gear we got a dead Officer." Gibbs said.

They all stood and started going to the elevator when Gibbs rounded on them. He pinpointed Samantha. "Gracie?" Gibbs asked.

"Downstairs like always." Samantha said smirking going to push the button to beckon the elevator.

Once on the elevator Gibbs turns to ask her something else. "Yes I took my insulin and other meds." Samantha said.

Gibbs nodded with a tiny smirk. "Good." Gibbs said handing her the federal car keys.

"You can drive to the scene." Gibbs said heading to the car leaving Kate Tony and Tim to deal with the truck.

"Anyone find this unfair?" Tony asked.

"Nah. Gibbs needs time with her." Kate said smiling as she got into the drivers side of the truck.

4: PM

ABBY'S LAB

Tim Samantha Gibbs Tony and Kate all came into the lab to see what Abby had from the prints Kate sent her through the computer. "Good you guys are here. Me and my lab assistant just found something for you." Abby said smiling at them.

"Well are you gonna tell us or we gonna guess?" Gibbs asked.

"Right. The identity of the prints belong to a Ray Azaria. But the prints on the knife belong to Jack Kale. Here his last address." Abby said handing them a piece of paper.

"Thanks. Samantha you're with me." Gibbs said.

"Wait mommy Poppa." Gracie said running after them.

"What is it?" Gibbs asked squatting to be at his granddaughters eye level.

Gracie leaned over and hugged him. "Be careful." She said.

Kate Abby Tim and Tony were all smiling. "I will be." Gibbs said kissing her cheek.

Samantha leaned down and kissed her daughter. "Keep grandpa out of trouble." Samantha said smirking at her daughter.

"Easy peasy." Gracie said as they got on the elevator.

Tony had snuck up behind her. "You think it's easy huh." Tony said tickling her mercilessly.

"Grampy stop." Gracie said laughing from all the tickling.

"Why?" Tony asked.

"Cus." Gracie said.

"Oh fine. I'll stop if you'll come help me look up some phone records." Tony asked.

"Ok." Gracie said. Tony picked her up and went up to the bull pen.

SUPPOSED KALE HOUSE

Gibbs and Samantha pulled up and walked up. As Samantha saw in the window she saw heavily armed men. She pulled her gun and Gibbs followed. "2 armed men in front room." Samantha said.

Gibbs takes hold of the door and forces it into one of the armed mens face knocking him back. Samantha had her gun drawn on the other man. "NCIS freeze." Gibbs said.

They all looked up when the bathroom door opened and Tobias Fornell stepped out buckling his belt. Gibbs just stood there. "What is going on Gibbs?" Fornell asked.

"Had a dead body. Print on the knife comes back to a Jack Kale. I need to question him." Gibbs said.

'That can't happen." Fornell said.

"Why not?" Gibbs asked.

"Kale is in protective custody. I can't allow you to ask him questions that could get him killed." Fornell said.

"I need answers Tobias. What am I supposed to tell that boys family back in the morgue. Just let me ask some questions." Gibbs said.

"Fine. But I'll be in the room." Fornell said. They both went into the back which left Samantha out in the main room with the two agents from FBI.

5:30 PM

NCIS BULL PEN

Tony was at his desk with Gracie in his lap looking up phone records. Kate was getting a jacket ready about the dead Marine. Tim was down in the lab talking with Abby. Gibbs and Samantha came in and Gibbs was mad. "Uh oh I think Poppa is mad." Tony said to Gracie.

"You damn right I am." Gibbs almost hollered. Gracie shrunk into Tony's embrace.

"Alright how about toning it down a little." Tony said sternly to his lover while hugging Gracie.

"Gracie why don't you and me down and see if Aunt Abby has some fruit cups in her fridge for you." Samantha said picking her daughter up.

"Why is Poppa upset?" Gracie was heard as she and Samantha went to the elevator leading to Abby's lab.

"Good question why are you upset?" Tony asked standing.

"Jack Kale is being watched by the FBI." Gibbs said as McGee and Samantha came up.

"McGee find out what Kale is a witness to." Gibbs said.

"Will do boss." McGee said getting on his computer.

Gibbs spared a look at Samantha who just looked right back at him. "She ok?" Gibbs asked.

Samantha nodded. "Yeah. I told her the reason and she said and I quote 'Poppa will catch him. He always does'." Samantha said smiling.

"I hope she's right." Gibbs said.

"Jack Kale was a witness to whoa." McGee said.

"What is it McGee?" Gibbs said.

"It's a big Mafia case Boss. Kale was a witness to a shooting on a street corner." Tim said.

Samantha getting interested did some research herself and came up with some more information. "Says here that the Mafia boss has escaped every time the agents tried to get him. Fornell was the agent." Samantha said.

"What we gonna do Gibbs?" Kate asked.

"I'm gonna get some information out of Fornell." Gibbs said as his cell rang.

"Yeah Gibbs." He said. "Be right there." He said hanging up.

"Abby has something for me. And some information on the case." Gibbs said standing and heading to the elevator. Everyone followed.

"Wonder what Abby could have for Gibbs." McGee said.

"A swift kick in the ass." Tony said from behind.

"Why?" McGee asked clueless.

"For scaring the baby of the team." Samantha said stepping onto the elevator.

ABBY'S LAB

Gibbs and team entered to find Abby looking into her microscope. "Whatcha got for us Abs?" Gibbs asked.

Abby rounded on him. "I got bone to pick with you Gibbs." Abby said staring at him.

"Ok Abs what did I do?" Gibbs asked already knowing what he had done.

"I wanna know why you yelled in front of Gracie." Abby said.

"Ah damn. Where's my girl at Abs?" Gibbs asked.

"In my office watching cartoons. I don't know why but she has a lot of faith in you." Abby said.

"Give them whatcha got on the case Abs. I'm gonna go check on her." Gibbs said stepped into the office area of the lab.

Gracie was sitting on a cot Abby had there for her. "Hey Poppa." Gracie said.

"Hey. I hear I scared you when I yelled upstairs. Is that true?" Gibbs asked muting the tv.

"Yes it is." Gracie said quietly.

"Baby Poppa is sorry for scaring you. But he got upset cause the case didn't go as he had planned." Gibbs said.

"It's alright Poppa." Gracie said climbing into his lap and kissing his cheek.

"I'm forgiven?" Gibbs asked.

"Yep." Gracie said smiling.

Gibbs kissed her and picked her up. "Let's go see if Aunt Abby has found anything useful." Gibbs said going back out into the lab. He stood behind next to Tony and Gracie propped her free hand on his shoulder.

"Mommy what are Aunt Abby and Uncle Tim looking at?" Gracie asked.

"Don't ask." Tony said.

Gibbs phone rang and he answered it. "Gibbs." He said.

After a few minutes he hangs up. "What was it?" Tony asked.

"Kale escaped witness protection. Fornell is on his way here." Gibbs said kissing Gracie's cheek quickly and setting her down and leaving.

"Maybe we'll get some answers now." Kate said.

"Not likely." Tony said leading the group sans McGee out of the lab.

BULL PEN

Tim came up to the bull pen an hour later to find Gibbs and Fornell going at it. Death glares that is. "McGee tap into the GPS that is planted on Kale. Send it to the Federal car. Samantha is with me and Fornell." Gibbs said. Samantha grabbed her stuff and followed the two older men out.

"Wonder why he's taking Sam." Tim said.

"So he won't be tempted to kill Fornell." Tony said working on his computer.

Wednesday Oct 22nd

NOON

Samantha was working on finding a link to Kale and another crime when Tim and Tony came up from Abby's lab. Samantha looked up cause they were standing at her desk. "Can I help you guys with something?" Samantha asked.

"Tell us why Gibbs is taking you everywhere and not one of us." Tony said.

Samantha rolled her eyes. "Maybe cause you 2 act like spoiled brats." Samantha said as Gibbs came through.

"Get the warrant to get a hold on Kale?" Tony asked.

"No." Gibbs said.

"Gibbs I think we have to sit back and let this play out." Fornell said.

"Like hell." Gibbs said then turned to everyone on his team.

"Gear up. We're gonna go and escort the Mafia boss himself." Gibbs said.

ESCORT PLACE

The agents were scattered all around the court yard. When the FBI brought the Mafia King out they all watched as Kale came out of no where and shot him dead on the spot. "Dinozzo McGee cuff him and take him to NCIS." Gibbs said.

"I had to do it." Kale said.

"I understand why you did it. But now you're gonna go to jail." Gibbs said standing in front of Kale.

LATER THAT NIGHT

DINOZZO/GIBBS PLACE

Tony was doing the dishes when Gibbs came up from the basement. Tony looked over at him. "You ok?" He asked drying his hands.

"Yeah." Gibbs said sitting down.

"I got a question." Tony said sitting down looking at Gibbs.

"You want an invitation?" Gibbs asked.

"Why you taking Samantha on all the cases all the interviews." Tony asked leaning back.

Gibbs sighed. "I guess to make her feel like she's a part of the team." Gibbs said.

"What? Sammie knows she's part of the team." Tony said.

"Does she Tony?" Gibbs asked irritated.

"Jet do you honestly think she would sit back and let you or anyone for that matter walk over her. She don't let me do it and I'm her dad." Tony said.

"Tony she's 22. When you were away she did your job effortlessly. It was like she had bee doing it for years. She took care of me when you were away. Hell her and Gracie moved in here for the time you were gone." Gibbs said.

Tony smirked. "Jet she did that cause she cares about you. And probably she needed comfort herself. She may not call you dad but she loves you like one." Tony said rubbing Jethro's arm.

"I guess I take her out on cases more now cause I want her to feel I trust her with my back. Cause I trust her a lot more than I trust our director." Gibbs said.

"She knows you trust her. She wouldn't of taken the position on the team." Tony said.

"I just feel maybe she mite feel demoted. I mean she was running everything you did while you was gone. And then you come back everyone looks to you and she's I don't just an outcast" Gibbs said.

Tony smiled and kissed his lover. "I love you so much." Tony said.

"What was that about?" Gibbs asked dumbfounded.

"That was for thinking of Samantha." Tony said.

"Speaking of thinking of her. When do you think Tim will pull his head out of his ass and ask her out." Gibbs said. Tony just laughed and kissed him again.

TBC

NEXT EPISODE IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS.