It was barely an hour later when Ducky walked in to the small room and saw Jo sitting with her daughter in her lap. The young girl had stopped crying but was holding on to her mother rather tight. He walked up to them. "How are you feeling my dear?"
She looked up and smiled at the man who had taken care of her head. "I'm getting batter thanks to you." She had liked him the moment she had met him.
"It's always nice to meet Jethro's friends. Although I wish the circumstances could be different." He thought over his next words carefully. "Jethro told me someone might be after you?"
She sighed deeply. "Yes."
"Then you should tell him. Let him, let us help you." He placed a hand on her shoulder in comfort.
She had heard a lot about the people who worked here and especially this man. She knew she could trust them. That she could trust Gibbs. She looked down at Lisa and spoke softly. "Yes, it would be nice if we could stop running."
The door was again opened and Gibbs walked in.
Ducky gave Jo a small smile and decided to leave.
Gibbs nodded to Ducky as they passed each other. He sat down next to Jo and carefully looked her over. "Are you feeling better?"
"Much better, thanks." She smiled at him while stroking Lisa's back.
"I haven't done anything, yet." He said hoping she would catch his drift.
She looked at him and could see how bad he wanted to help her. Help them. "Do you know who the man in my house was?"
"Yeah, low life scum who would do just about anything for money. I would say something hired him for something." He answered and simply waited.
"Yes, to take Lisa from me." She whispered hoping her daughter would not hear.
He immediately looked at Lisa who seemed to be dozing off. He looked back up at Jo. "Who?"
She sighed heavily. ".Lisa's grandfather."
He had not expected that answer. "Why?"
"Lisa's father, David, was killed when she was two. A robber killed him while he was in a store." She continued to stroke Lisa's hair as the memories came flooding back. "When he died his father, Ken, went crazy. David was his only child. When David died Ken decided he wanted custody of Lisa. It would be his only grandchild. Ken never liked me and always criticized the way I raised her."
Gibbs could see that talking about it was hard. He placed a hand gently on her back in comfort.
"There was a custody hearing but he lost." She swallowed hard thinking about the time she had to go to court to defend her right to be Lisa's mother.
Gibbs knew where she was going with this. "But he didn't let that stop him did he?"
She shook her head. "I don't know how many times I've moved to get away from him. It usually takes him at least a couple of months to find out. Once it even took a whole year. It's only been month this time." She turned to face him trying to keep the tears from falling.
His heart ached at the look she gave him. It was lost and desperate.
"I'm so tired of running." She felt the first tear fall down her cheek.
He brought out a hand and with his thumb he gently wiped the tear away. "No more running. It stop's here." He told her in determination.
Something in his voice made her believe him. Did she dare to hope? "Please help me."
He nodded. "I will." He drew her into his embrace and she laid her head on his shoulder. "I promise." This was one promise he was not going to break. He would not let that bastard destroy their life again. He didn't want to leave her but he had a man to find.
~POOF
"Oh Gibbs, that's so sad." Abby said as she typed away on the computer. "We have to help them."
"And we will." He waited as she tried to find what he was looking for.
"They will be safe here." She concentrated and in no time she had the information he needed. "He's here. I mean not here, NCIS but here in Washington. Here is his hotel." She moved so he could get a closer look.
Gibbs memorized what he needed to know. He gave Abby a quick kiss on her cheek. "Great work, Abs." With that he was off.
"Be careful." Abby whispered to the empty room.
~POOF~
He took quick steps to the room where he knew that Ken Willis was staying in. Right away he knocked on the door rather hard. There was movement inside and soon the door was opened. A man that was taller than him rather heavily built and with dark eyes stared back at him. "Yes?"
"Ken Willis?" He had seen his picture but he had to be sure.
"Yes."
Gibbs took a step closer to make sure he showed the other man that he was not afraid of him. "Stay away from Jo and Lisa Willis." As the other man seemed to think about what had been said Gibbs knew very well that Ken would not listen to him. However, he wanted the other man to know that this time Jo and Lisa would be protected from him.
"That really is none of your concern."
"Oh but it is. They are my friends and I will make sure they are kept away from you." The other man seemed to study him for a moment.
"And you are?"
Gibbs brought out his badge. "Agent Gibbs, NCIS." The other man did not seem surprised. He probably knew who lived next door to Jo and her daughter.
"Nothing will keep me from my granddaughter."
Gibbs knew a disguised threat when he heard one. "I will. If you or anyone else goes near them again to even try to take Lisa from her mother I will not be afraid to take you out." He gave the other man a stare and turned to leave. As he walked away the door was slammed shut. Jo and Lisa were not safe yet. That man was not going to give up that easily.
Ken stared at the door. Jo now had help. He had to step up his plan. He had to move quickly.
Gibbs took the stairs wondering what the man's next move would be because there would be one. His phone rang and he picked it up. "Gibbs."
"We've gone over the scene and there really isn't much to go on here." Tony spoke.
"Get back to NCIS.'" With that he hung up the phone. As he exited the front of the hotel something was not quite right. He hurried over to his car.
"Agent Gibbs?"
He turned and saw the gun that was pointed at him. Shit!
~POOF ~
"Wow that is some story." Tony said as Abby nodded. "No wonder the kid was freaked out."
"Where is Gibbs now?" Ziva asked as Abby put her Caf Pow down.
"He went to the hotel where Ken Willis is staying." She rounded the desk and tried to see what Tim was working on.
"Alone?" Tim wondered out loud.
"You know Gibbs." Tony answered instead. "Wonder where he is? He should have been here by now."
"I'm right here." There was a raspy voice behind them.
They turned and saw Gibbs enter but what drew their eyes was the blood on his arm. "I'm fine. It's just a scratch. Ken Willis works faster than I thought."
"He shot you?" Abby hurried over to him and carefully looked at his arm. .
"Someone did and now that someone is dead. Where is Jo and Lisa?" He looked at Abby for the answer.
Abby did not look at him as she continued to study the scratch. "They are with Ducky in my lab."
There was no hesitation as Gibbs gently brushed Abby away and made his way out of the bullpen.
Four people simply stared at each other in his wake. It was Tony who took charge. "Come on people we've got work to do."
~POOF~
Jo watched as her daughter slept. Hopefully this time it would be without any nightmares. She heard the sound of the elevator and looked up to see him walking inside. The blood caught her eye first.
Ducky had seen it as well. "Jethro, my goodness, are you alright?"
"I'm fine. It's just a scratch." He tried to reassure them both.
"Let me get something to clean that up." Ducky rose and left rather quickly.
Gibbs took a quick look at Lisa who was sleeping on Abby's futon. "I talked to Ken."
"What? You cannot be serious? That man cannot be reasoned with." She got up and walked over to him. She knew this would happen.
"So I noticed. It's just a scratch." He tried to reassure her again as he saw she was beginning to panic.
"I have to get out of here." She started to walk aback to Lisa when a hand gently grabbed her arm. She turned and saw him motioning for her to step outside the lab.
He kept his hand on her arm as they took a few steps and when he turned to her he let go of her arm. "You are not going anywhere."
"You have been hurt because of me and I tried really hard not to let that happen." She started to pace back and forth.
"That's why you didn't tell me about what was going on." He waited for her to answer as he knew she would.
She stopped her pacing. "Yes. I can't let that happen."
He took a step closer to her and closed the space between them. "This is not your fault. What that idiot does is not your doing. We will help you and Lisa. We will make this stop once and for all."
She sighed as she took in the seriousness on his face. "I do not have a choice do I?"
This time he gave her a small smile in return. "Nope."
She really didn't want to have to run any more. And what were the chances for finding someone who was willing to help them again.
"Besides when this is over…." Gibbs spoke up and waited for her to look at him again. When she did he continued. "I'm going to ask you out and I hope you say yes."
She liked that idea. The thought of having this whole mess be over and done with. She also liked the idea of going out with him. She smiled back at him.
They stood there just watching each other. Gibbs knew this was a bad time to kiss her and the elevator seemed to agree with him.
Ducky stepped out and headed straight for his patient. "Come along, let's take a look at that arm shell we?" He pushed Gibbs to the nearest chair.
Gibbs sat down and let Ducky go to work. Over his friend's shoulder he looked at Jo and smiled. She returned the gesture.
~POOF~
Tony rubbed his tired eyes. He couldn't be tired now. They needed to help Jo and Lisa. "So what do we do Boss?"
Gibbs thought about it. He wasn't sure. Until Ken could be dealt with Jo and Lisa weren't safe. "We need to lure him somehow."
Jo walked in to the bullpen and she had heard those last words. "You know I've been thinking about that."
Gibbs was surprised to see her up here. "What?"
"I don't know if this will work but what if I go back to my house, alone then maybe he will show up. You know confront me." She came to stand in front of his desk.
Tony, Tim and Ziva looked over at Gibbs. They knew he would not like that idea at all.
There was no way he would agree to that. "No, absolutely not. I will not have you risk getting hurt or worse. That man is crazy. I won't agree to that."
"This time it is you who do not have a choice." She crossed her arms in front of her.
The three agents looked at each other. No one ever spoke to Gibbs like that.
"You wanted to help me, fine but I have to do my part. Don't expect me to sit around and doing nothing while you guys risk your lives." She stood there and glared at him.
"We risk our lives every day." Gibbs tried to convince her.
"Not for me." She threw back at him.
He knew he was not going to win this one. He could try but that would only cost them time. "Ok, fine but we will be watching and if something seems wrong I will act."
She nodded at him satisfied with that. "I'll be downstairs with Lisa. Let me know when we can go."
He watched her walk away and he didn't know it was possible but he liked her even more. She had fire. Still he did not like the plan one bit. He caught three faces staring at him. "What?" Immediately they all looked elsewhere.