„It's your birthday!" Gibbs tried not to yell. „I don't care! I already missed 15 of them!" he talked on his cellphone when he entered the morgue. „Yeah...I know you wanna forget them...yeah...sorry,Zoe...yeah...call me when you've got time to meet... Don't get in any..." he looked at his cell phone, then at Ducky. „She has this hang-up-when-you-said-eveything-thing from me!"
„Another birthday on the run?"
„Yeah, she has to work again!"
„Well, she comes after her father!"
Gibbs gave a rare smile when Tony and Abby walked into the room arguing about something. Tony was in a really bad mood.
„What's going on with you two?"
„Nothing." mumbled Tony.
„He doesn't wanna tell me what's wrong with him!"
„Nothing, ok? My weekend won't be as I planned it, that's all!"
„Ohhh! So it's about that mysterious woman you're dating?!"
„Yeah, it's about her, but I won't tell you any more! Why don't you ask Gibbs why he is pissed off!"
Everything was fine for him as long Abby would stop to stare at him.
„Yeah Gibbs, Why such a bad mood?" oblivious she was in an excepitional good mood.
„None of you're buisness! Now get back to work!" he barked.

Tony unlocked his door. The day was long and unpleasant. All he wanted was a hot shower and then get to bed. But he had only got time to close the door before he was pressed against it. „What the hell..." he was muted by passioned kisses.
„Hey Baby!",she said quiet and soft.
„I thought you're going undercover?" he said between kisses."Or am I going to have something from you on your birthday?"
„I'm going tomorror eve. And I have to step by my father's before!"
„Zoe!" he pushed his girlfriend away to have a look at her. She had several bruises and a bandage on one hand.
„You can't go undercover like that!"
„Oh, Tony, a little make up and everything's alright!" she smiled soft at him, „It's cute that you're worried but I have my father for that! So..." she turned and started to undress „We don't have much time! I have to be at the headquarter by fife A.M.!"
Tony tried not to get turned on.
„Zoe, could we just talk for a moment?" She looked surprised at him and stopped pulling up her shirt.
„You rather wanna talk than have sex? Wow! That must be something really important!"
„How long will that go on?"
„What?"
„That undercover work!"
„I told you I don't know! I'm working on... well I can't tell you but it takes it's time!"
„Yeah you're telling me that for four months now!"
She sat on the couch.
„What do you want me to do? Quit my job?"
„No!" he sat next to her.
„Good! Because that certainly won't happen! I love my job! Just as you love yours!" she linked her hand with his. „Be serious ,Tony. It's going on well between us, right?"
„Yeah, yeah it is."
„I know we don't have much time together and we can't really go out, but this is something special!" she kissed him gentle. She was irrestistable. That's why he was still with her. Those unbelievable blue eyes of her, he got lost in them the very first time they'd met and haven't found out of them yet. And that she knows what she wants and takes it would be an understatement. She was kind of his female equivalent. She hadn't had any serious relationship before she had met him. Actually it was only another one night stand when it started. But it was too good to be a one time. So it turned to an affair. No bounderies of a relationship, just exceptional sex. At the beginning she had laughed „Girls just wanna have fun!"
Then they started to talk after sex, about their jobs, as far as possible, and about their problems. And then it was a relationship. No sleeping around anymore on both sites. They never had talked about it. After only four months they didn't need words to understand eachother anymore. At least when it came to important things.
„It is special!" he replied and kissed her in return.

„You should really lock that door of yours!" th woman said when she took the stairs down to Gibbs who was working on his boat.
„As if a lock would stop you from getting in anywhere!"
„That's right!" the redhead smiled.
„What are you doing here, Zoe?" he asked annoyed still sanding the wood.
„Can't a daughter just visit her father?"
„A daughter can. But if ther daughter is you and the father is me, you can't!"
„Touché, Jay!", she never called him dad. She met him when she was fifteen and didn't know about their relation so she called him Jay, because she neither liked Jethro nor Leroy nor Gibbs. In fact she was the only one ever who could call him Jay.
„So?"
„So what?" she asked in return, blue eyes staring at eachother. She had his eyes but the rest of her beauty of of her mothers. Sometimes it hurted him to look at her and remember his very first fiancée.
„What are you doing here, Zoe? I don't think you changed your mind and stay for another week."
„Two zero for you! No, just wanted to see you before I get to New York."
„So, it's New York this time."
„Only for a few days, more of research." they fell silent Gibbs had stopped sanding and leant against the wood sipping on a cup of wiskey.
„Don't look at me like that, Jay! I won't change my mind!"
„I need a new agent, and it would be safer for you!"
„Why's your job safer than mine?"
„Because I'm there!"
„Oh yeah! That's what I need! A job with my overprotective father!You two really start to annoy me!"
„Two? Who's the other one?"
Zoe hesitated for a moment. She was pretty aware of the fact that her father just happened to be her boyfriend's boss. They on the other hand had no clue. And she intend to keep it that way.
„My boyfriend."
„You've got a boyfriend? A real one?"
„Yes, a real one."
„What's his name?"
„You...you don't know him anyway."
„I don't care!"
„You don't have to check on him, ok?" she looked at her watch.
„Shit, got to go! Bye Jay!" she kissed her father on the cheek.
„Don't bring yourself into trouble!" he called after her.
„Please, Jay! You know me!" and she was gone.
„That's why!" he mumbled and turned back to his work.

„Next case! Gibbs against Jetson!"
Two men stepped up to the judge.
„So, Mr. Gibbs, you asked for the custody of Zoe Emilia Jetson, again?"
„Yes, sir, I did."
„Any changes in your lifestyle since last year?"
It was the seventh year in a row that Leroy Jethro Gibbs stood at this point.
„Well, I'm still working for the NCIS and I'm still divorced..."
„So no changes?!"the judge asked and Michael Jetson started to grin. He knew how this was going to end. Same procedior every year. 'Fucking Bastard'
„No, sir, no changes."
The judge sighed. He started to feel pity for Gibbs. It was the same judge two, three and four years before, only last year there was another. But the verdict was always the same. He slowly shook his head.
„Mr. Gibbs, we are here to decide what's the best for the child."
„I nkow that, sir!"
„And apart from your lifestyle I cannot think that it's good for a seven year old girl to be ripped out of envirement. Especially that this young girl had lost her mother. I'm sorry, but I can't give you the custody."
Gibbs nodded. „What about the weekend? One in a month, that's all I want!"
The judge looked into the files. Gibbs knew that look. It was only to pass time.
„I don't see any chance for that at the moment Mr.Gibbs."
They left the room.
„So, see you next year, Jethro." Michael smirked.
„You bloody bastard!" Gibbs pushed him against the wall. „First you steal me my fiancée, then my child and now you're making fun of me?"
„You couldn't have hold her any..." blood streamed out of his nose, clearly broken.
Gibbs opened his eyes. He hated that dream. T always haunted him at that time of year. Always around her birthday. If there was any year it was really important to get her it was that one. Gibbs shivered when a brise came to his sweat wettened body. Sure, to break this idiots nose didn't help him to get the custody the following years but it felt fucking good. Now he wished he would have beatem him to death. Then when he had the chance to safe his little girl. The little girl he loved more than life but never had seen.

It was early(or late). Zoe didn't care. She undressed and went under the shower. Her room was small but for an undercover action pretty good. The hot water ran down her body. It was covered with scars. Two or three of bullets, about the same of knives, she didn't count. For the last few year pain made her feel. And feeling meant life. There was not much other feeling before Tony came. Not much emotional feeling. There were only two people in the world who made her feel. Everything else was just physical. Gibbs once said she had to learn to feel again. She lookd down on her arms. Her under arms showed her the pain she had made herself feel. Six months until Gibbs noticed. She'd told Tony i was torture by a maniac on a case. Her look wandered upwards. Her inner elbows had many signs. Pointed scars of needles. The reason why she had to learn to feel again. Heroin did the effect. „It calmes you down! Makes you relax!" she heard Michael's voice. It was more than 20 years ago when he had given her the first shot but it was still there in her head. If she concentrated hard enaugh she could still feel the heroin working in her body and her brain. She got out of the shower and looked at the watch. Three thirty. Two hours until she had to be at the headquarter again. She threw herself into bed. „I surely hate birthdays!" she said before diving into sleep.
Gibbs was sitting at his desk. He had just finished his first case as the boss of his own team. His new subordiants were doing their reports when a girl around fifteen stormed into the bullpen followed by a security guy. „Sorry, sir, couldn't stop her!"
Gibbs looked at the girl. Her deep blue eyes were widened and she looked nervous and frightened.
„It's ok!" he said to the security guy.
„Hi! I'm Special Agent Gibbs, who are you?"
„I need your help, sir!" she whispered nearly inaudibly.
„Ok, and you're sure you need the NCIS?" he couldn't help it, this girl looked familiar.
She nodded.
„So, what is it?"
„Not here!" she shook her head and a dark bruise was seen when her red hair flew back.
„Ok, let me make a call and we'll get somewhere else!" he called The ME to clear the autopsy and took her there then.
„That's Ducky! He'll look at your eye, ok?" The girl nodded shyly.
Ducky smiled at her. „Don't you wanna tell me your name, sweety?" he asked.
„Zoe, Zoe Jetson."
Gibbs and Ducky changed a look.
„Why did you come, Zoe?" Gibbs asked slowly.
Zoe woke uneasy from the dream. Hell, 13 years and it still haunted her. Her phone rang again and reminded her why she had woken up. Who calls on her privat phone that late? She thought of Gibbs who's also haunted by nightmares around her birthday or a drunken Tony who had forgotten what time it was.
„Hello?" she answered it without looking at the ID.
„I'm back, Honey!"

„Good work, guys!" Gibbs said when they walked into the bullpen. They had just finished a case they had worked on for months.
„Let's do the paperwork tomorror." They started to grap their gear when a woman around 28 stormed into the room followed by a security guy. „Sorry, sri, I couldn't..."
„Zoe?" Tony and Gibbs said surprised.
„You know her?" they asked eachother, „Of course I know her!" they stared at eachother then at Zoe.
„Could we forget that for a moment?" her blue eyes linked with Gibbs'. He knew that look. It was like a déjà vue but he knew pretty well when he had seen this before. It was the same look she had exactly 13 years ago.
„What is it?"
„He's back!"
Tony and McGee changed confused looks.
„He can't be back!"
„He is, Jay!" Tony mouthed a „Jay?".
„He got life!"
„He called me!He called me from a phonebox! On my privat phone!" He's out! He broke out and he knows were I am!"
„Who?" asked Tony. He had enaugh of being ignored by his girlfriend. He wanted some answers. Zoe and Gibbs turned to Tony.
„Who's back? And why does he call you when I'm not allowed to call you? And where the hell you know Gibbs from?"
„Where do you know DiNozzo from?"asked Gibbs.
Now that the topic was on the table she had to answer it. She hadn't thought that through. Storming into the bullpen was always a good way but now her secret boyfriend was working there.
„Ok, Jay, Tony's my boyfriend, Tony, Jay's my father! Now it's out. Could we get back to the insane stepfather who broke out of prison to kill me?"
Gibbs and Tony looked at eachother in shock. Tony feared to lose his life right at that moment and Gibbs had a certain death wish for Tony. But Gibbs knew Michael Jetson. Fifteen years long he had no chance to help his daughter but now things had changed.
„He called you from a phone box?"he tried to surpress his anger, „What did he say?"
„He said „I'm back, Honey"."
„That's all?"
„Well, at the sound of his voice I lost grip of the phone and it smashed on the floor. I took the first flight after my boss said that I can't work under such circumstances. So, here I am!"
„But he's in New York, right?"
„Yeah, but he found me when I was undercover, who long will it takles for him to find me here?"
„Not long! I guess I'll be the first person he'll look for you!"
Tony had enaugh of this. He left for the break room while Gibbs called the prison Michael should be in. She followed Tony.
„So, what is it?" she asked taking a cup of coffee, „Are you gonna yell at me or don't talk to me?"
„Neither! Just a question!"
„Ok!"
„Why didn't you tell me anything?"
„Tony, these are things I try to forget! There is enaugh what reminds me to that. I didn't wanna talk about it."
He nodded „And Gibbs?"
„It was, well, I got his protective site. I didn't want to bring you into the situation that you have to hide something from him. I know Jay pretty good by now! He help me through...everything. He told me about you. He didn't know how much we two have in common, talking about our sex life. He wouldn't have liked it. I wanted to prove him first that we can make it." she smiled softly, searching his eyes. „Can we make it? Even through something like that?"she asked.
He kissed her softly but intense.
"We can!"

Tony suddenly remembered where they were and stopped kissing his girlfriend.
"Tell me about it!"
"About what?"
"Zoe, don't gimme that I-don't-know-what-you-talk-about-grab! I need to know!"
Zoe sighed.
"Well, my mother left Jay before I was born and married that guy, Michael Jetson. He was a Marine Captain. When I was four Mum died. Over dose cocain. Michael told the police he had never knew about it but he had actually given her the stuff. Of course I didn't understand all that then but I knew it. He, well, made me on a physical way understand that I better not tell it anyone."
"He hit you?" Tony was shocked when she nodded.
"It was exactly on my seventh birthday when he came into my room..."

*flashback*
The seven year old Zoe was sitting in her room. It was mainly brown and olive. She sat on the floor playing with an old barbie humming happy birthday. The door opened and a tall man entered. He sat opposite her and took the barbie.
"You're too old for that now!"
She looked frightful at him. Birthdays have never been good days.
"You're a big girl now! And being a big girl means to have duties! You're old enough to work now!"
*end flashback*

"To work?"
Zoe had stopped at that point.
"Zoe?"
She looked up at him. She hadn't talked about this for years but now it felt like yesterday.
"It seems that Mum was, well, working for him. As a prostitute."
"And you..."

*flashback*
It was evening. Zoe was sitting in a different room. She had changed and wore a cute new dress. Michael entered the room. He sat down on a couch and lightened a candle. After a few minutes he turned to Zoe.
"Gimme your arm! Don't worry! It's like medicin! It calms you down, makes you relax!"
*end flashback*

"He gave you a shot when you were seven?"
she sighed.
"Then the first time. And then I had to work."
"The job of your mother?", he was afraid to ask.

*flashback*
Zoe was still sitting in the room. Her eyes were nearly closed and she looked sleepy. She was humming quietly but it was no particular song, just some sort of melody. The door opened and two men entered, quietly speaking but Zoe didn't recognized them. Michael shook hands with the older man and left.
"Hi, Zoe!" his voice was high and slimy.
Zoe looked weakly over to him but couldn't really focus on him. In fact she didn't cared enough to try seriously.
He walked over to her and sat next to her.
"Is it comfortable for you, girly?"
He slowly slid his hand up her leg.
"Mhm!" Zoe mumbled. She didn't even feel the hand.
"Why don'tcha lay down?"
‚Nice man! I'm really tired!' Zoe thought and did as she was told to.
He started to unzip the dress of her.

By the time, Zoe was naked, lying on the couch.

Her body felt dump. The big hands on her small, thin legs she nearly didn't feel at all.
All of a sudden there was a big pain though. Her brain was not working correctly so it took some time to realize where the pain was coming from. Actually she realized it in its complete extent much time later. In the night it came to her fully. Not only the physical pain between her legs, which was enormous, but also the emotional pain when she understood what had happened. She was only seven but she was intelligent and had read a lot. Even about sex. She knew pretty well what it was and what it meant. What it was suppossed to be. And this, she knew what this was too. And that knowledge was worse than everything else, worse than the pain, that would go away, but it would be in her head, and that was what she feared the most in that very moment, the nightmares.
*end flashback*

Tony looked at her in shock.
"It was then when it started. I thought it would be a one time!" she laughed hollow.
"When I was fifteen I was addicted and had had sex with several hundred men."
"Wow!"
"Yeah, wow! It was on my fifteenth birthday when I came here. Jay helped me through that. He busted him and sent me on a cold turkey. People say that's bad, but they never had one with Jay!", she laughed a little.
"So, you got here because you knew your father's working here?"
"I didn't know he's my father!"
"Did he?" Tony asked confused.
"Yeah! He told me when Michael was in jail and the question what's gonna happen to me came up. That's why I call him Jay, not Dad!"
"So, those scars..."
"Are from the needles, yes."
"Actually I meant those on your forearms."
"Well, I was depressed. I couldn't really feel, well, not like all the others. I wanted to feel something else but this pain I felt for 8 years. Besides, it made me stop hearing the voices of those men."
He stroke over her back.
"And I thought I had a bad childhood."
"That's why I choosed that job. I wanted to help women and children in similiar situations and of course because of Jay."
She suddenly started to cry.
"I can't believe he's out!"
He pulled her closely when Gibbs walked into the room.
"They have no idea where he is."
He locked his eyes with Zoe's. Tony had never seen that softness and concern in Gibbs face.
"You're ok?"
Zoe pulled herself together..
"You told him?"
She nodded.
"Good! Come on, we have to talk!"

Gibbs and Zoe got into the elevator. Gibbs switch the energie button.
"Well, I thought we first..."
"What happened between you and Mum?"
"What?"
"Why did she left you?"
"I never had the chance to ask her that."
Zoe lowered her eyes.
"Don't hate your mother! It wasn't her fault."
"It wasn't her fault? She left me alone with him!"
"She didn't went to him on her own decision! He forced her! She was working for him before she was with me, you know that!"
"That's no excuse for the cocain!" Zoe grew angry.
"She was clean! I made her clean, just like you! It was his fault! Not hers!"
"C'mon, Jay! It wasn't an accident! She wrote me a letter! She didn't care about me! Neither did you!"
"That's not true! I cared! I fought for the fucking custody fourteen years but they didn't gave it to me!"
"And why did you never looked for me?"
"I couldn't!"
She looked angrily at him.
"I hate you for that!"
They weren't just words. Her eyes told him the same. It was worse than every pain he had ever felt in his life. She had never asked him that. For the last thirteen years she had just accepted it. But now everything was there again. Now all the pain in her was coming back and turned into anger. And this time it was focused on him. The last time she was too grateful that he had busted her stepfather, that he helped her through the withdrawel. That he took her. But this time there was somebody to blame. She was shaking with anger and the elevator seemed far too small for both of them now.
"I tried it!" his voice was low. Of course he felt guilty. From the moment he learned that this girl, sitting in the autopsy was his daughter. Knowing that the decision of the judge was never for the child's best. And he felt guilty right now. See her afraid of the man who made her childhood to hell. He just couldn't blame her to be angry. He himself was angry. He wished he would have killed him when he had the opportunity.
"Look, I know you're angry! I should have told you that a long time ago. I can't change what happened! I wish I could! I had no clue that... I wanted to protect you, but they didn't let me!"
His eyes went dusty. She had never seen him like that. In that moment he seemed older than ever. She could see all those years he longed to see his daughter in his eyes. And it scared her. For the first time she asked herself how it felt for him to meet her. How difficult those years were for him. How hard all the time was when she was on mission and he had no idea if she was fine and felt helpless again. How much it scared him to death when he recieved a call that she was shot down or anything, what happened often because she didn't cared about her own life.
The anger went away in waves. All of a sudden she knew that he wasn't the one to blame. That it was in fact everything but fair to yell at him. That he cared. That he cared more than anybody else ever would or had.
"I'm sorry!" her voice was rough. Her throat was dry and she thought she would suffocate on those words which stucked in there.
"I didn't mean to let everything out on you!"
He looked down on his feet.
"I don't hate you!"
"It's ok!" he said nearly inaudible.
"No, it's not, Dad!"
He looked up at her. The last word meant more than everything she'd said before. He had always thought the reason why she called him Jay was because she had meet him with fifteen. But it was because she hadn't accepted him as her Dad. But now she did.
He pulled her into a tight embrace.
"I always tried to protect you!" he whispered.
"I know, Dad! I love you!"
"I love you,too, Zoe! I love you, too!" and he let out a tear.

Gibbs switched on the energy button.
"DiNozzo and me will always be with you!"
"Dad? Can't we let Tony out of this?"
"What? I thought you're..."
"We are! That's why! I don't want him in danger! You are already in it, but he..."
"I know what you mean, but DiNozzo is a good agent, even if I don't tell him that often, he's really..."
"I know! But Michael was a marine, and he doesn't care who gets in his way! You know him! He killed two cops before you could bust him!"
"Yeah, I know Jetson! But I also know DiNozzo! As strange as it sounds, he seems to care about you, a lot! He won't just stay out of that! I guess it's a question of pride for him!"
She nodded.
"He can be pretty stolid!"
"Yeah, yeah he can! It seems that you're made for each other!" he teased.
"What does that mean?" she said laughing and punched him on the upper arm.
He smiled. He was just happy that his cheerful Zoe was back. The Zoe not even a bullet could take the optimism away.
"So, were they our emotional outbursts for today?"
"You'll never know! At least I'm a woman after all!"
They left the elevator laughing at Abby's lab.
The goth turned to face them.
"Somebody's in a good mood, eh?"
"Best you can be in such a situation, Abs! This is my daughter Zoe. Zoe, this is our forensic specialist Abby!"
"Hi! Cool tattoo!" Zoe smiled.
"Thanks! The bossman never told me about you!"
"He never does! He's not a talking person!" the women laughed.
"Ok, I see you seem to gonna like eachother. Abs, do you mind if Zoe stays with you for a while?"
"No prob, Gibbs!"
"Why should I stay in the lab?"
"So I can make out a plan with my team!"
"But I wanna..."
"No, you're not gonna be involved!"
She gave her father one of her looks.
"Don't look at me like that young lady!" the words had come out by themselves. It was like talking to his younger daughter Kelly for a second. He searched for better words.
"You will not bring yourself into danger as you always do! Not this time! Did I made my point clear?"
"Yes, Dad!"
He went to leave.
"You got more tattoos?" Zoe picked up the conversation with Abby.
"Oh, yeah! Look at that!" she showed her the one on her forearm.
"Cool! Oh, you should see the one I have on my..."
Gibbs hand turned on his heels to look shocked at his daughter.
"The one I saw in own of my magazins."
He turned and left before he found out more about his little girl than he wanted.
"So, where do you have yours?" Abby grinned.
Zoe showed her the boa head on her coccyx.
"Cool!"
Zoe smiled.
"So, what did the bossman mean that you bring yourself into danger?"
"I work undercover. Well, not at the moment!"
"It's a case why you're here?"
"Well, not in that sence! My stepfather broke out of prison. Long story short: he probably wants to kill me!"
Abby understood that Zoe didn't want to talk about it.
"You know the rest of the team already?"
"Nice change of topic!"Zoe smirked and Abby flushed a little. It really wasn't the best try.
"I know Tony."
"Only Tony? Not McGee?"
"Well, I know him from that what Dad had told me, but I haven't spoken to him yet."
"But to Tony?"
"You're curious aren't you?!"
"Yes I am!"
"Tony and I, we, well, he's my boyfriend."
"You're the mysterious woman? Wow! Didn't imagine you like that!" Abby said surprised looking at Zoe up and down.
"The mysterious woman?"
"Well, Tony didn't talk much about you, but now I understand it, you're Gibbs daughter! By the way, does he know?"
"Well, since today, yeah."
"How long is it going?"
"4 months."
"And DiNozzo hid it that long from the bossman? Wow!"
"Well, Tony had no idea!"
"Oh! You know, I was surprised that Tony stays that long with a woman!"
"Well, I can tell you, I'm surprised too. Even that I stayed that long with one man!"
"Really?"

*flashback*
Tony stepped into the store. It was pretty late but Gibbs had insisted that he went there to question the store keeper.
"Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo, NCIS, I have some..."
"What does that stand for? Is it like CSI?"
"It stands for Naval Criminal Investigive Service." A woman's voice came from behind Tony. He turned and looked into the most beautiful blue eyes he had ever seen.
"Sorry, but where are the shampoos?" she asked the store keeper.
"Second floor on the left."
"Thanks!" she gave Tony a sexy smile and went away. He looked after her for a moment but went back to work then.
After twenty minutes he had all answers he was able to get and left the store.
"Got everything you wanted?" he heard the voice again.
"Not everything!" he answered smiling.
"You got to work all night?"
"Why are you wondering?"
"I thought we could have a little drink."
"I just have to give my boss the information. Then I'm off duty."
"Good!" she gave him a paper.
"Meet me there! See you later, Anthony!" she smiled and left.
*end flashback*
"Wow! That's what I would expect from him!" Abby said.
"How did it go on?"
*flashback*
Zoe was sitting in a bar. Tony entered. Searching the room for her.
"Hello Anthony!" she said softly.
"Please call me Tony! You've got a name, too?"
"Zoe!"
"Zoe, nice name!"
*end flashback*
"Ok, fast forward, please!"
Zoe smiled.
"There isn't much to tell further."
"It ended there?"
"Nooo! We had absolute phenomenol sex, of course! The whole night!"
Abby laughed.
"That's what I thought! But I still wonder why he stayed!"
Zoe thought a second.
"Well, I guess some mysteries aren't meant to be revealed."
"C'mon! There must have been a reason!"
"I guess it just fit! All those years I searched a man who, well, give it to me!"
"You mean, an orgasm?"
Zoe flushed a little and Abby laughed. Of course she didn't know Zoe's story so it was rather funny. Zoe just shrugged.
"I knew he was the employee of my father but he was..."
she searched for the right word.
"*the man* I looked for"

The door to Abby's lab opened and Tony went in. Before he saw them he heard them laughing. He knew that Zoe was a cheerful and open person just like Abby and would normally not be surprised that they like eachother but since this was a day when he had seen Zoe that emotional he had barely seen anybody before he was a bit confused.
"Have a good time, you two?" he asked smiling.
"Sure! You choosed yourself a good girl!",Abby laughed.
"So you told her?" he asked Zoe in a serious tone.
"I thought now that Dad knows it isn't a secret anymore."
Tony's confusion increased.
"Since when do you call him Dad?"
"Since we had a really good talk in the elevator!"
‚Ah! The magic elevator' Tony thought and asked himself how many people had wished that it wouldn't have that energy button when they were in there with Gibbs. But this was his daughter and Tony wouldn't even be surprised if she had switched it. He slowly started to realize that he didn't know her that good he had thought.
He sat next to her.
"Hey Abs, Gibbs want you upstairs."
"Okay!" she was off.
"So, Is this kinda a panic room for me?"
"What?" Tony looked at her. Wondering how much bigger his confusion could become.
"It was ok that I have to stay here with Abby. But why do I have to stay here with you since she is upstairs?"
"Don't you wanna be here with me?"
"You know what I mean!"
She looked at her boyfriend. His childish smile didn't reach his eyes. They were sad, full of concern.
"Gibbs don't want you up there. He thinks you wanna be involved if you knou what we are up to."
Zoe opened her mouth to protest.
"And I think that too!" he continued before a single sound had left her lips. His smile totally gone.
She smiled slightly at him.
"You know, Tony, I'm used to deal with maniacs! Well, sure this time he is focused directly on me, but I got shot, several times, I got stabed, also more than one time and some had their very own way to try to kill me! I'm like a cat! I have nine lifes! And I still got a few left!"
She sat on his lap and rested her head on his shoulders. He wrapped his arms tightly around her.
"But this very moment! Right here, with you, is perfect! I would never exchange with anyone!"
She kissed him gently and put her head back into the same spot it was before.
It was perfect. Well, her weight was heavy on one leg but he didn't want her to stand up. Not now. This moment was too good. Actually she wasn't what he expected to be the woman of his life. Sure he had thought about marriage and children some nights, never to a particular woman, just in generell. He then thought of a woman who has nothing to do with his job. A woman he doesn't have to worry that she could die every day. Sure, it was a nice imagination to rescue the life of the woman you love, but that's not what he needed, actually it wasn't what he wanted. He always thought of that typical marriage. A woman with a normal job, maybe two or three kids. A nice life. A house outside the city, maybe a dog or a cat. But with Zoe it was nothing of that. With her he would never have a quiet life. She was a FBI agent. With heart and soul. Just like Gibbs a NCIS agent. But God he loved this woman! Every inch of her skin, every word she says, every smile she sent to him. He fell head over heels for her. That was the reason why he stayed. Why he never had the desire to leave. Never felt bored. He didn't feel claustrophibic like he usually did when a relationship went on longer than a few nights or became more than sex. But this was different. She didn't pushed him into something he didn't want. Their relationship grew with them. In their own rythm. He knew she felt the same. Just by this small gesture. Sitting in his lap and feel comfortable. That she feel relaxed and safe with him. And that was the reason. That was the reason why it worked out. Because they were equal. They were equal in mind, in feelings, in everything. Maybe he didn't knew all about her, but from this moment on, maybe even before he knew her. And that was what mattered for him. He knew her better than anyone would ever do. No matter how long they talk to her, how long they know her. He even knew her better than Gibbs. Well maybe not better, but different. You always have secrets from your father. But she had no secrets from him. Not really. When she was with him, she was totally herself. No acting. No cover. And he was the same with her. He never felt that wanted and needed by anyone. He didn't need to have sex with her or kiss her passionately what would lea to sex, talking about those two who barely could let their hands off eachother. That was just an effect of what they had. She was right. This very moment was perfect. He felt close to her. Just sitting her, holding her. Helping her somehow through this hard time. Afraid of his own feelings, not because of the feelings itself, but because of the all time presence of possible loss, possible death which was lying on this relationship like a blanket and threatened to destoy everything. But he stayed. He was there. And knew that it was exactly what she wants. Not more, not less.
He softly kissed her top of her head.
"That's exactly where I want to be!"

Tony had never felt this complete but in that very moment with this woman he loved more than anything else. Maybe it lasted only for a few seconds, maybe for a minute but for Zoe and Tony time had lost its meaning.
But like everything what was good for Tony it didn't last forever.
His cell phone rang and Gibbs told him to get upstairs with Zoe. He sounded really pissed so they didn't wait long.

When the door of the elvator opened he let go of Zoe's hand. The last thing he needed now was a killing gaze by his boss.
Zoe looked protesting at him. All she needed now was the comforting and supporting hand of his.
Suddenly a familiar voice came to their ears arguing with Gibbs.
„Fornell!" she stepped up to them.
„What the hell are you doing here?"
„I'm taking over the case!"
„You're doing what?" Zoe and Tony were shocked. Gibbs was still walking up and down the room fuming with anger.
„If you think you can take this case away from me you're wrong! Very wrong!"
„Jethro, let's face the facts..."
„I give a shit on the facts! She is my daughter!"
„Yes, that is one reason why you shouldn't do that!"
Gibbs seemed to be jewing his own tongue.
He got very close to Fornell. His voice was low, nearly inaudible.
„Tobias, I'll say it very clear and only one time! I will solve this case! Me and my team! And no other! This was my case thirteen years ago and it is my case now! Did I make my point clear?"
Fornell nodded.
Gibbs walked back to his desk.
„She won't be doing anything here!" Fornell pointed at Zoe.
„You can't tell me to stay out of this!" Zoe said.
„You are a FBI Agent, my FBI Agent! Gibbs made a clear point that only his team is working on this case!"
Now it was Zoe fuming with anger.
Tony was surprised that she can look so much like her father. In fact he asked himself why he had never noticed it before.
Fornell became nervous. The eyes which were staring at him were so much like those which stared at him a few moments earlier. And the had exactly the same effect.
„Then I'm changing to the NCIS!"
„You can't just decide to change!"
„He needs an Agent and asked me to come before! Besides everything is better than to work for you!"
She turned to Gibbs.
„Is that a deal?"
Gibbs was so confused he just nodded.
For several months he tried to get his daughter to his team. Not only because she was his daughter but she was also a damn good Field Agent. But right now he almost regretted to take her to his team. Because now he had to shot her before she stayed out of this case on her own.
„Any more questions, Agent Fornell?"
Zoe still looked angrily so Fornell didn't dare to say something. He just turned and left.
„So, where to start?"
Zoe smiled and everybody stared at her.

Gibbs cleared his throat to overplay his confusion.
"You won't go on field."
He simply said, his voice not as strong and ordering as usual.
Tony was not really surprised, at least this was his daughter.
But Zoe knew the failure in chosing the right tone had nothing to do with their relation.
"I did what you asked me for several months! Now it is on you to do me a favour."
"You didn't do me a favour! At least not because you changed into my team!"
Blue eyes locked together. Neither McGee nor Abby nor Tony dared to speak. This was a father-daughter thing. Or better a Gibbs-Zoe thing. And everybody who knows Gibbs knew that you better stay out of this. If you talk into this now both will turn all their energy on you.
"Elevator!" Gibbs said when he realized that all attention was turned on them.
Without another word Zoe and Gibbs stepped out.
Tony watched after them.
On one hand he thanked god that he wasn't in that conversation. He was pretty sure that his name will be in once or twice but he wouldn't have to answer questions before he had the chance to clear some things with Zoe.
On the other hand he would give everything to hear it. He wanted to hear what she thinks, what she feels. Sure, she was open to him, in the last few hours more than anytime else.
He suddenly felt two pairs of eyes focused on his neck.
He turned and saw Abby and McGee staring at him.
"What?"

"You will not going on field!"
Gibbs said after switching the energy button.
"Oh, yes, I will!"
"Zoe, everything we do is to safe you! We can't protect you propely when you're out there!"
"Dad, you say it is your case. Well, probably that's true. But this is my fight! Former I wasn't strong enough to take it but now I am! Sure he was a marine but he was in prison for thirteen years!"
"I'm not worried about that! You could handle people like him. I'm just worried that you can't handle just him!"
Zoe looked down at the floor.
"You say it made him less dangerous that he was in prison. I say it made him more dangerous. What do you think he thought about. He planned this. Maybe from the first day he was there!"
Gibbs gaze made her shiver. There was nothing left of that firm bastard they all knew. In this very moment he looked weak. If anybody could see him now, they would know that his children where the point to attack him.
"I need to be in, Dad! This is my fight! And I'll take it! I don't care if I die over it, death can't scare me! This has to be solved, once and for all!"
She switched on the button.
Gibbs knew there was no point to argue.
He would have to find a way to protect her somehow. Maybe she didn't care about her life, he did enough for both of them.

Tony couldn't find the words to explain what he thought about what Gibbs had told him.
"You can't seriously think that Zoe listens to me more than to you."
Gibbs shifted uncomfortably. He didn't like the fact that he needed help at all, especially not when it comes to the protection of his daughter.
"In this situation she doesn't fully trust me. But she trusts you."
"I can't tell her to stay out! You know her."
"Yes, I know her and I can feel that there is something beyond me. Something why she actually cares about her life. And it has nothing to do with me. I can't really point out what it is but most likely I guess it has to do with you."
Tony slowly shook his head.
"Even if there is something, she won't stay out! I mean she did everything to make clear that she won't. She even changed to the NCIS."
Gibbs nodded.
"If I ask her to stay out she'll be pissed with me, too and then we have we'll have no chance to look after her." Tony explained.
He knew Zoe well enough to know that she wants to be alone when she's pissed. Then the place to find her was her garage where she built a car (‚At least it's not a boat' Tony smiled to himself).
"I'll agree to have an eye on her, but that's all I can do."
Gibbs nodded once more. This was at least something. And he would have somebody to blame if anything happened to Zoe.
"Boss, we have a clue!"
McGee voice came over to Gibbs and Tony.

They were in a forest. There was a blace with less trees and it looked like somebody was here.
"Zoe, take photos of the scene, Tony, do the skizzes."
Gibbs went over to the man who found the place.
"You think it could have been Jetson?"
Tony asked carefully watching Zoe's expression. Maybe this trip would change her mind to stay in.
She took more photos then bend down and took a picture lying on the floor.
"If it's not Jetson, I ask myself where this guy got a picture of me when I was ten from."
She answered showing him the photo. He grimaced for a moment. She didn't seemed to give up her intention to solve this case herself or at least be involved.
It was then when she heard movement in the trees.
She looked around and everybody noticed her standing, listening, gun out.
Tony and Gibbs placed themselves near her, ready to jump into fire if necessary.
There was one shot. Then silence. Zoe could feel blood running down her right arm. Then there was a gasp for air and a nump "pflump".
Zoe looked down and saw Tony lying on the ground.
The silence seemed to killed her. Actualy there was a lot of noise around her suddenly. The Police Officer who had called them was now calling an ambulance. Gibbs and McGee where trying to make out where the shot had come from.
But no sound was getting in Zoe's ear.
She collapsed next to her lover.
She took his hand, crying silently.
At least she thought it was silently, in fact she was sobbing loudly.
"Tony...You can't..."
"Zoe..." his voice was low, shivering, sending chills up her vein. She couldn't look at him.
"Zoe...*cough* look at me..."
She slowly opened her eyes. The first she saw was the bleeding wound on his stomach. His light blue shirt was nearly complete dark with blood. Wincing she tried to focuse on his face. He was pale. She could see the pain in his features.
"I..*cough*...want you to stay...*cough*...in, Zoe. You understand me?"
She shook her head sobbing.
"Tony, I can't..."
"Zoe..*cough*...I need you to know something..."
"Don't do that Tony! Don't say good bye to me! You'll make it!"
"Zoe, I...*cough*...I...love you, more than anything else."
"I love you, too, Tony! But you'll make it! You hear me? You can't die! You can't let me alone! Not now"
She bent down to kiss the love of her life gentle.
"Promise me...*cough*...to stay in...promise!"
Zoe slowly nodded.
He smiled weakly at her.
The paramedics arrived and she was pulled away by Gibbs.
She started to struggle with him.
"HE CAN'T DIE! HE MUSTN'T! I DON'T ALLOW IT!"
She yelled and started to beat her father on the chest. The older man tried to calm her down and eventually made it.

Gibbs pulled Zoe into his house. A nurse had told him that Tony was in an emergency surgery and that it would take at least a few hourse. McGee and Abby stayed and promissed that they would call if there is something new.
At the moment he didn't want Zoe there. He wanted her to sleep a bit, or at least rest. She surely hadn't slept enough the last few days. First on the undercover case and then over this, he knew his daughter well enough.
He had settled her on the couch. He was not sure that all information he had given to her had reached her but they weren't any good anyway.
"He'll be alright, Zoe. I'm sure about that! He is a though guy!"
Zoe just sat absent on the couch.
"He can't leave me! Not now!"
"It's gonna be alright!"
"No, it's not! I'm not ready!"
Gibbs was pretty sure that she didn't meant Tony's possible death.
"You're not ready for what?"
Zoe sobbed quitely.
"I'm not ready to...to raise a child on my own."
Gibbs couldn't believe what he just had heard.
"Actually I'm not ready for a child at all! But with a dead father?"
Gibbs took a deep breath.
As if she hadn't enough problems at the moment, now she was pregnant, too.
In the last few years she hadn't showed the intention to marry. And about children she certainly didn't thought.
Different feeling were growing in him. Sure he hadn't thought of Zoe as a nun but now it was certain, no way to deny it. He felt anger for the man who brought it into this situation but suddenly remembered that Tony had no choice. He didn't choose to left her with a child, probably he didn't even know about it.
"I'll get you some water."
He certainly couldn't deal with that information right now. His best Field Agent was lying in a hospital, his nemesis was on a run and after his daughter. And now it was not only her life but the life of his unborn grandchild.
He just left the kitchen when the doorbell rang.
He looked through the little window in his door and saw his ex wife Shannon.
He opened.
"What are you doing here?"
Shannon's smile vanished.
"What do you mean? It's your weekend!"
His little daughter came running.
"Daddy!"
she jumped on his arms.
"Wow! Honey! You're getting to big for that!"
He hugged her, then let her down so she could get her stuff.
"I can't take her this weekend! I'm on a case."
"Jethro, how often have you told me that?"
"I'm sorry, but this time I really can't take Kelly!"
The little blond girl came back.
"Why don't you come in for a moment."
He gave Shannon a look to make her understand.
They entered the house and Zoe stood in the hallway, looking for the promised water.
"Big Z!"
Kelly hugged her big sister.
When she was just learning to speak Zoe had a lot of fun teaching her. Everytime neither her father or Shannon were in the room she teached her things like Big Z, Jay, and some other words. It took long to get her from Jay back to Daddy.
"She'll never stop to call you Big Z!"
"Well, she was to small to say Queen Z!"
Zoe smiled slightly. But Shannon knew her pretty well, too, and saw that it didn't reach her eyes.
"I guess you're here for a reason. At least it is a pretty special occasion when you visit your father."
"Shannon!" Gibbs said in a warning tone.
Shannon had always showed Zoe what she thought of her. She never shared Gibbs opinion that Zoe needs space and that she would find it in New York on the FBI training.
"Hey, Sweety, what do you think, shall we go in the living room and you tell me everything in your life!"
"No, Kelly, I think we better go now! You can stay here next weekend!"
"Shannon, let her a few minutes with her sister."
Gibbs look was not the usual.
Zoe waited, when nothing happened she let Kelly into the other room.

Kelly was beaming to meet her big sister. Kelly was the only one she had called regulary but haven't met her since chrismas which was about nine months ago. She was a little sunshine and always light up Zoe's mood only with the sound of her voice. When she talked about her school, her friends. When she is so excited to hear from Big Z that she talks that fast that Zoe doesn't understand a single word. She was that kind of child she never was.
Zoe instinctively touched her belly. Now she knew that that was what she wanted.
But in the same moment the picture of Tony in the park came to her mind. She started to cry again and buried her face in her hands.
"Zoe? Is everything ok?"
He little sister sat next to her on the couch and put an arm around her.
"There, there! Everything is gonna be alright!"
Zoe had to laugh at that. This girl was too sweet.
"I don't like it when you're sad!"
Kelly said. She had seen her that more often.
In the past she had had some bad fights with Shannon. Actually everytime she came home. When she was in the room with Shannon she didn't show it but it always ended the same way. She was sitting in her room, crying. Comforted by this little girl.
"Was Mummy mean to you?"
"It's not about your Mum, sweety, it's my boyfriend, he is not very well."
"He will be alright!"
"I hope so!"
Kelly had the same blue eyes of Gibbs.
She hugged her sister tightly.
Gibbs entered the room and Zoe wipped the tears away. She wouldn't show Shannon how weak she was.
"Abby called. The surgery is over. Kelly will drive home with Shannon."

Zoe sat at Tony's bed. His features weren't peacful. Not to her.
She could hear the doctor talking to Gibbs outside the room.
"His condition is critical. He lost pretty much blood and some of his inner organs were injured. We could stop the internal bleeding for the moment but it doesn't look good."
Gibbs nodded slowly.
"Chances?"
"If he wakes up 60 % if he stay in this coma 30% or less."
"What if he wakes up?"
The "If" made Zoe angry. There shouldn't be an if, maybe a when, but no if!
"Will he fully recover?"
Zoe knew pretty well why Gibbs asked that question. He was his listed as Tony's next of kin, so he would be asked first to turn off the machines. But the hell would froze over and heaven would burn before she let anybody turn this machines off.
"Well, at the moment I can't answer your question."
"Ok, thank you anyway."
Gibbs said low and returned to his daughter.
"I will not let him die!"
She simply said. Gibbs knew what she was talking about.
"I didn't thought so."
He looked intense at her.
"You really should go to my place and get some rest. Abby will stay with Tony!"
She shook her head.
"You know, I don't understand this. I was there! I was in the open! He could have killed me! Why haven't he killed me? Then and there?"
Gibbs didn't answer. He knew why, just as Zoe did. She knew perfectly that Michael wants to see her suffer.
And he didn't knew any lie which could comfort her.

Every day there was this young woman sitting at the bed of this good looking coma patient.
All the nurses pitied her. They always gave her a comforting smile when they went in and out the room.
She said there, every day, singing quitely to him. Somewhere she had heard that music is good for coma patients. And she also had heard that it is good to talk to them.

"Such a lonely day, and it's mine
the most loneliest day of my liiife.
Such a lonely day should be banned
It's a day that I can't stand.

The most loneliest day of my life
The most loneliest day of my life

Such a lonely day shouldn't exist
It's a day that I never missed
Such a lonely day and it's mine
The most loneliest day of my liiife.

And if you go, I wanna go with you
And if you die, I wanna die with you
Take your hand and walk away

The most loneliest day of my life
The most loneliest day of my life
The most loneliest day of my life

Such a lonely day and it's mine
It's a day I'm glad I survived..."

She started to sob again.

Days became weeks, weekes became months.
There was only a little change in his condition. Nothing major.
Zoe did the best to hide her pregnancy but she was in the seventh month now and it started to get hard. The doctor had told her that she's critical and has to stay calm.
But nothing could move her away from Tony's side.
It was as if she feared he could die the very moment she went away.
At least she was safe. There were alway two Marines watching the door until they catch Jetson. That was a little comfort to Gibbs. But he started to worry what would happen to Zoe when the child was born.
She couldn't sit in the hospital next to Tony all day long with a newborn.
She was depressive, she had talked much to him the last months, in fact she hadn't talked much to anybody but to Tony.
In the last few months nothing changed.

It was a pretty hot day. Gibbs and McGee were again following a trace. Nothing in the last months had brought them any further and Gibbs started to get frustrated. And to get frustrated meant for him to get pissed off every single day. And that meant that McGee really hated his life. Without Tony all the anger in Gibbs was focused on him, all day long.

They stormed an abandonned house. McGee walked right behind Gibbs when he felt a hit on his head and everything went black.

When he blinked his eyes open he was still lying in that house. He hadn't been moved an inch. He looked around. No sign of Gibbs. He looked at his watch. It was nearly 6 PM. He was gone for more than a hour. No way that Gibbs would have left him here. He was gone. Why he was gone? He got his cell phone and called him. No answer.

8 PM

"Sweety, you should really go home and rest!"
"Abby, nothing will move me from this bed, except the birth pranks."
Abby sighed. Every day the same conversation. 8 months and two weeks. Pranks wouldn't be that surprising anymore.
Suddenly they heard McGee arguing with one of the Marines.
"I'm Special Agent Timothy McGee! I was here yesterday!"
Abby and Zoe looked at eachother.
"Of course I look like on the picture!"
"McGee?"
Abby got up and out of the room.
Zoe could see them talking. Abby seemed shocked and McGee looked nervous over to Zoe now and then.
They entered the room. The look on Abby's face made Zoe know exactly somehing had happened.
"Honey,"Abby talked very calm to her.
"Gibbs, he is , well lost."
"Lost?"
"We guess he is kidnapped."
"You guess?"
Abby and McGee changed nervous looks.

Gibbs was sitting in a room. His hands and feet were cuffed tightly. He couldn't move an inch. For more than two hours he was sitting here but he had lost time.
The door opened and a tall man entered.
"Well, well, well, Jethro. Long time, eh?"
"Why are you wasting time?"
"Well, Jethro, you best Field Agent is lying in that hospital."
Gibbs wanted to punch him only for mention Tony.
"You are here, Zoe is pregnant, at least month seven or eigth. There is only that weak guy of yours. I have all time I need!"
"Why are you doing that? Zoe can't see you doing it."
"Jethro, not everything is about Zoe."
Gibbs raised an eyebrow.
"Well, yeah, it is about Zoe. But this time, I want her on her own."
"She won't be that stupid to come."
"She will!"
He got up and left the room again.

Zoe had left the hospital. In a unaware moment she got away. Abby and McGee were searching everywhere. She drove to a house.
The door was open. Not a good sign. She got out of the car. It was Tony's Mustang. She walked towards the door. She had stepped by her place and had her gun.
Kelly's bicile was lying on the ground. She walked slowly, listening to every sound. But there was none. The house was deserted. The living room was a mess. The couch and several chairs were turned over.
"He doesn't even try to hide it!" she said to herself.
"Where are you, you bastard?"
In that moment her cell phone rang. She had a new one.
"Hello?"
"Hi, honey!"
"What do you want?"
"Meet you at home!"
He hung up.
She turned around and hurried as fast as possible to the car.

The door opened and Jetson entered again. But this time he wasn't alone. He threw Shannon and Kelly into the room. The little girl was crying. Gibbs could hear her sobbing ever through the duck tape over her mouth. Shannon looked frightfull at Gibbs.
"Why don't you let them out! They have nothing to do with it!"
Jetson sat Shannon on a chair opposite Gibbs. Kelly was still lying on the floor.
Jetson pulled out a hammer.
‚This is nothing good!' Gibbs thought.
"Honey close your eyes!" he said to Kelly and she did.
Jetson grinned at Gibbs.
He grabbed Shannon's face.
"Doesn't she remind you on somebody?"
Gibbs gave him an evil look.
"Beauty is very fragile!"
he beat her on time with the hammer over her jaw. By the sound Gibbs knew it was irreparable broken.
Shannon's eyes filled with tears. Her cry was never heard.

Zoe stepped to the front door. It was unlocked.
She hadn't called McGee. This was her fight, not his. No need for him in danger.
She stepped down to the basement and entered the room where he made her doing her "job".
Shannon was lying on the floor lifeless. At least she assumed it was Shannon because her face was to damaged to identify.
Gibbs was sitting on a chair. He still threw up. Probably he had watched the whole time.
Kelly was still lying in a corner, crying, eyes closed.
Michael stood in the middle of the room. Smiling at her.
He grabbed Gibbs by his hair and held the hammer over his head. If she would shoot him now, the hammer would at least knoch Gibbs out. And since she didn't knew how much he had to bear already sh couldn't take the risk.
"Put that gun down, Honey!"
She let the gun fall down.
"Let them go!"
Jetson only laughed hollow.
"You got what you want, so let them go!"
"You think I got what I want? You really think that?"
"I'm here! Am I not?"
"I wanted to show you something!"
"What?"
"You know, when somebody's born there is that place in life. It is what it is. You can't change it! You were meant to be a whore! Like your mother!"
"Shut...up!"
She pressed out between her teeth.
Jetson smiled.
"You know, only a few people ever get the chance to change their life. You had this chance, but you wasted it. You couldn't deny what you are. Even if the men weren't paying you were a whore! How many were there? Three or four hundred?"
Gibbs looked weak but disappointed at her. Again, he never thought of her as a nun but this...
"You know, I had a good life."
Jetson continued.
"Until you thought you could change your life! Maybe you would have made it. A father, a sister, that boyfriend of yours and a child on the way. You don't think I could have let that happen, do you?"
e let go off Gibbs hair and turned to Kelly.
He held her and raised the hammer.
"You know, people say, bones of children grow better than those of adults. Shall we try?"
In that moment Gibbs had taken all strengh left in his body and threw himself against Jetson.
Kelly feel on the floor again and Jetson started to hit Gibbs with the hammer.
In that moment Zoe had time to get her gun up.
"Leave him alone!"
She pointed the gun at Michael. He stood up, let Gibbs left behind.
"You can't shoot me! How many people have you ever shot?"
Zoe couldn't really tell.
"Three! And two of them not deadly!"
She had raised her gun and aimed on his forehead.
"I can! You think noone can change their life? They can! I did! Maybe they won't canonize me but I'm not a whore! You will go straight to hell for this! And that is even too good for you! You don't even deserve death! But I'm not that stupid to let you get away again!"
She pulled the trigger.

Gibbs entered together with Kelly the room of Tony. His condition was getting better every day. The doctor was very glad to tell them that a full recover is very possible.
"It's like a wonder! Nearly eight months no change and then this."
"It's not a wonder! He just wanted to stay out of trouble. No we got this bastard he can wake up."
Gibbs answered.
The doctor looked asking at him.
"He's just joking!"
The little girl said.
They entered the room. He was glad to see that his daughter was smiling when she saw Tony. She had met him only once before but had a crush on him immediatly.
‚The DiNozzo-charme seems to effect all my daughters' he thought to himself.
It was two weeks now from the day in the basement. They had been asked a lot of questions.
Kelly had told them, truly, that she had her eyes closed all the time.
Gibbs had told them that Jetson had tried to kill him when Zoe shot the bastard (he really said the bastard thing).
Zoe told them that it was more of an accident that she found them.
After that Zoe's doctor told her to stay in bed until the birth.
Tony blinked his eyes open.
"Morning, DiNozzo!"
The voice of his boss came to his ear and he turned his head.
"Hi, boss." His voice was rough.
"Hi Tony!"
"Hey, Kelly, how you doing?"
He said a little cheered up.
The girls face went a bit sad.
"Pretty good."
Abby entered the room.
After she danced a bit for his awaking and talked to him a bit she whispered something into Gibbs ear.
"Hey, Honey, go with Abby, ok?" he told his daughter.
When they left the room he started to tell Tony.
"Before you ask, Zoe is more than fine! She'll arrive in a few minutes."
"How long have I been here?"
"About eight months."
Tony swallowed hard.
"And Jetson?"
"Dead."
Tony couldn't surpresse a grin.
"But we lost Shannon over it."
"Shannon? Kelly's mother?"
Gibbs nodded sadly.

In that moment Kelly stormed into the room.
"Can I tell him now?"
"Tell me what?"
Tony asked curious by the beaming girl.
Kelly looked at her father. Gibbs nodded.
"I'm a auntie!"
"You're a what?"
"Kelly, was that the way, we said you can tell him?"
"Sorry, Daddy. Tony, here are your children!"
"Children?"
Both men said.
"I thought you knew?"
Tony said to Gibbs.
"I knew of one!"
Zoe entered on a wheel chair. Two little babies were placed in her arms.
Abby pushed her to Tony's side.
"You were pregnant?"
"Well, I just noticed it before, well..."
She looked at him, a little afraid of his reaction. His expression was unreadable.
"Ok, let me introduce, Tony, these are Jay and Shannon, kids that your dad!"
"Jay?"
Gibbs asked.
"You called him Jethro?"
"Noo! You know I don't like the name! I called him James!"
She smiled at him then at Tony. She looked tired, she just came from the birth.
"I wanted to show them to you immidiatly when I heard you woke up!"
Tony streched out an arm.
"Oh, Abby could you?"
Abby took James from Zoe and handed him to Tony. Gibbs took Shannon and sat on a chair so Kelly could see her little niece.
Tony looked at James and a bright smile formed on his face.
"This is a nice way to wake up!"
"I love you Tony."
"I love you, too, Zoe."
He looked back at his little baby boy.
"DiNozzo, or Jetson?"
"DiNozzo! What a question!"
Zoe answered.
Gibbs gave Shannon back to her mother and they left to give the new family a little privacy.
"What about you changing your name into DiNozzo, too. It would be stupid if your children have anohter name than you."
He said innocently.
He looked at him piercingly.
"Tony, is that your way to ask me to marry you?"
He turned to look at her fully .
"Zoe Emilia Jetson, will you marry me? The father of your most beautiful children, the man who loves you more than life itself?"
Now it was on Zoe to smile brightly.
"Yes! Anthony James DiNozzo! I will marry you, the father of my children and the love of my life!"
They beamed at eachother.
They both looked back to their future.
Of course all the otheres had stood at the door the whole time.
They came in and congratulated them.
"I hope small James will get my features, no offend boss!"
Tony laughed.
"I glad enough if he gets your temper!"
Zoe said smiling.

Three months later.

Zoe and Kelly entered the bullpen with a twin babycarriage.
Tony jumped up to kiss her and his kids. He also pecked Kelly on the cheek. Gibbs had bought a duplex house. It was the easiest way because Kelly stayed most of the day with Zoe and the babies.
"What are you doing here?"
Tony asked a bit suspicious.
"Don't worry, we were just a few blocks away, shopping. Thought I bring you something to eat."
They looked at eachother for a moment.
"You won't start to work until the kids are six! We agreed on that!"
Tony said.
"But can't we change? Tony, I really wanna work again!"
"Hey probie, why don't you go down with the kids, to see Abby."
Tony called and McGee, one of the kids godfather, beamed at it.
He pulled her close to him. He kissed her passionately.
"I arranged that Gibbs takes the kids for a weekend."
"That sounds good!"
"I also booked a hotel in Florida! We know what that means?"
He grinned still holding her tight.
"Oh, yes! But I'm a married woman! What will my husband think of it?"
"Mhm, I thinks it's gonna be a weekend with us,"
he kissed her on the right of her neck.
"a bed,"
he kissed her on the left of her neck.
"and roomservice!"
he kissed her again.

It was a nice evening. All her friends were there for dinner.
Gibbs, McGee, Abby, Ducky, Kelly, her beloved husband. Her wonderful children were sleeping quitely.
Tony gave her a kiss on the cheek and settled himself next to her on the table after all plates for a perfect Thanksgiving dinner were placed on it.
She took her glass and raised it for a toast.
"To my place in life!"

END