While Gibbs and Carthew were following up with Ducky in autopsy, Greer and Normand remained in the bullpen going over the victim's credit card statements. Their work was interrupted when an unknown man was escorted into the bullpen. He didn't offer any personal information other than his first name and that he was looking for Leroy, but he was adept at engaging the agents in small talk.

The three of them were still chatting when Gibbs and Carthew walked up behind the stranger. Normand was the first to spot them. He looked guilty as he said, "Hey, Gibbs, you have a visitor."

The man in question turned around to face Gibbs and the two men silently stared at each other. After several tense moments, Gibbs was the first to speak. "Hi, Jack."

"Hi, Leroy."

"What are you doing here, Dad?"

"You don't call. You don't write. I thought it was about time I came for a visit. You got time for a coffee?"

"Kinda workin' right now." To prove his point, Gibbs shifted his focus to his agents. "Greer," he barked. "The Captain's sister here yet?"

"I put her in the conference room."

"Carthew, you're with me. Greer, Normand, get back to work."

Without waiting to see if his team followed his orders, Gibbs took off for the conference room. He was nearly out of sight when Jackson called after him, "I'll be waiting." Gibbs raised one hand in a half-hearted acknowledgement, but kept walking.

NCIS NCIS NCIS

When Gibbs and Carthew returned to the bullpen, Jackson was sitting at Gibbs' desk. Gibbs looked to Greer for an explanation, but she kept her eyes firmly on her computer screen. Before Gibbs could force the issue, Jack walked up beside him and bumped her hip against his. "I was going to ask if you wanted to go to lunch, but it looks like you already have plans," she remarked, nodding toward his desk.

Jackson stood up to introduce himself. "I'm Jackson Gibbs. Leroy's father."

"It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Special Agent Jacqueline Sloane," Jack replied as she closed the distance between them and shook Jackson's hand.

"You can call me Jack."

"You can call me Jack."

"Awkward!" sang Carthew, earning a menacing glare from Gibbs.

"Jackson, Sloane," dictated Gibbs, pointing at them each in turn. "Problem solved."

"Excuse him. I swear his mother and I tried to teach him some manners," Jackson apologized to the group. To Jack, he added, "It's nice to meet you, Sloane. I was about to try to convince Leroy to have lunch with me, would you like to join us?"

Jack's gaze flitted to Gibbs, who was scowling at her. She knew his relationship with his father was strained and that this was the first time they'd seen each other in years, which meant lunch was going to be a tense, unpleasant event that could only be made worse by an audience. Jack was determined not to be that audience, so she chose to decline Jackson's invitation. With a polite smile, she said, "It's kind of you to ask, but I'm sure you two have a lot to catch up on. Maybe next time."

"Are you sure I can't convince you?"

"I'm sure and I really should get going. It was great to meet you though," Jack reiterated her earlier pleasantry with an air of finality, then turned to leave. As she passed Gibbs, she brushed her fingers against the back of his hand and whispered, "Be nice."

Gibbs watched Jack walk out of the bullpen and get on the elevator. When the elevator doors closed behind her, he glanced at his dad and jerked his head in the direction of the elevator. "Let's go."

"Where?"

"Lunch."

NCIS NCIS NCIS

Gibbs took Jackson to the diner. As they entered the building, they were promptly greeted by Elaine, who handed a menu to Jackson and ushered them to Gibbs' usual booth. She gave Jackson a few minutes to review the menu, then returned to pour them each a cup of coffee and take their orders. When she left them alone the second time, Gibbs expected Jackson to explain the reason for his visit. However, Jackson seemed content to drink his coffee while watching his son do the same.

It didn't take long for Gibbs to get fed up with what he perceived as a waste of his time. When his frustration got the better of him, he set his coffee mug down with a loud thunk. "You gonna tell me why you're here?"

Jackson snorted in disgust at Gibbs' impatience. "Are you dating Sloane?" he asked nonchalantly.

"You drive all the way down here to ask who I'm dating?"

"No, I drove all the way down here to have coffee and talk, but now we're having lunch and I'm asking questions. So, are you dating Sloane?"

"Yeah."

"And is that her little girl in the picture behind your desk?"

"Yeah. Faith."

"How old is she?"

"Almost eight."

"The same age as Kelly. I adored that child. And I adored that wife of yours, too. Always figured it was Shannon that sent me the Christmas cards," Jackson reminisced as he relived cherished memories of time spent with his daughter-in-law and granddaughter. Slowly, his memories faded and his thoughts drifted from Shannon and Kelly to Sloane and Faith. "Listen to me, Leroy," he demanded. "I don't know Sloane or Faith, but don't you think they deserve better than being used as substitutes for Shannon and Kelly?"

"Not what I'm doing. Already learned the hard way that you can't replace people. This time I'm trying to move on."

"I remember when your mom died. I know how mad that made you. I know how much you hated me for getting on with my life. Saw the look in your face, how you wanted vengeance. Well, that look went away when you met Shannon, but it came back quick after they died. If you found a way to let all of that go, I'm really happy for you."

Gibbs cocked his head to one side and shrugged. "Like I said, I'm trying."

"And Sloane and Faith, they help?"

"Yeah, Dad, they help."

"Good. Now, tell me about this investigator thing of yours. We haven't talked since you started it."

NCIS NCIS NCIS

After lunch, Gibbs went back to NCIS and headed straight to Jack's office. The door was open, so he walked in and shut it behind him. The click of the door latch caused Jack to look up at him from where she was sitting on the couch reading a file. "Hey, Gibbs," she said with a smile. As he crossed the room and sat down next to her, she closed the file and tossed it onto the coffee table in front of her. "How was lunch? Did you and your dad talk?"

"Sorta. He asked about you."

"Me? What did you tell him?"

"That you're good for me. You and Faith."

"Aw, that's sweet. You're good for us too." Jack slid closer to Gibbs until she was pressed against his side. She had just rested her arm on his thigh and laid her head on his shoulder when she suddenly pulled away. "Wait!" she exclaimed. "Where's your dad now?"

"Going home."

"Already? Isn't it, like, a four-hour drive to Stillwater? That's an eight-hour round trip just for lunch! Why didn't you let him stay the night?"

Gibbs groaned. "Give me some credit, Jack," he admonished. "I offered. He had to get back to the store."

"That's too bad. I wanted to meet him."

Frowning, Gibbs wondered if Jack had lost her mind or possibly hit her head while he was at lunch. He surreptitiously checked her for any obvious signs of trauma. When he found none, he tentatively reminded her, "You did meet hime."

Jack rolled her eyes. "I mean properly. As your girlfriend."

"And that matters?"

"Yes."

"Okay."

"Okay, what?"

"I'll figure something out," promised Gibbs as he lifted his arm and brought it down around Jack's shoulders.

Jack was willing to accept Gibbs' answer, at least for the time being, so she allowed herself to be pulled into his embrace. With a happy sigh, Jack relaxed against Gibbs and asked, "How long do you think we have before someone comes looking for us?"

"Not long."

"Then we better enjoy it."