Tomorrow. Carly thought. I was going to ask Jet about "Kelly" tomorrow. It was now a month later. She was still halfway staying with him and hadn't asked him yet.

Flashback – three and a half weeks earlier

End Flashback

And that had started a trend for them. They'd spend some nights at her apartment and some nights at his house. In all that time, she still hadn't gotten the nerve up to ask him who Kelly was. Something in the way Abby avoided her questions and Jet never mentioned it told her it would not be a happy story.

Jet was at work. Carly was laid out on his couch, feverish and cold all at the same time. She hated having the flu. The only reason she was there and not at her place was because Jethro wouldn't drive her. She couldn't drive herself and he had been called in because the FBI was trying to take over a case. She curled up into the blanket and fell asleep.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Gibbs walked up the stairs to the director's office, bypassing everyone and saying nothing. He had been called in and had to leave Carly at home sick. To say he was upset would be underestimating the situation. He walked straight past Cynthia and into Jen's office. He stopped still when he saw her on the phone. Giving her a look that said she should hang it up or he would, she ended the call.

"Agent Gibbs." She began.

"Director Shepard." Gibbs said, slightly mocking and definitely impatient. "What is this I hear about the FBI taking over the Cook case?"

"They have jurisdiction, Jethro." Jen told him.

"That's bullshit. This is a Marine who died while on a Marine base. How the hell is it the FBI's jurisdiction?"

"I have been ordered to turn this case over to them, Agent Gibbs and you will comply with those orders as well."

Clamping his mouth shut so tight, the Director could almost hear his teeth creak, he turned and left her office.

~~~~~~~

"DiNozzo!" He barked, down in the bullpen.

"Yeah, boss." DiNozzo replied.

"With me." Gibbs told him and they entered the elevator. As the elevator started moving, he reached over and hit the stop button. "The evidence in the Cook case, have you made copies of it?"

"That's automatically done now, Gibbs." Tony told him.

"Turn over the originals to the FBI." Gibbs told him and saw Tony looking shocked. "According to the Director, they have jurisdiction on this case. We'll work from what we have. Now get on that. I'm going to see Abby." Gibbs told him and hit the button to start the elevator back.

The doors opened on the same floor and Tony stepped out. Fornell tried to run over, but Gibbs had the doors closed before he reached them. Gibbs stepped out into Abby's lab. The absence of Carly's presence was noticeable in how Abby worked these days. She had her music lower and it seemed to Gibbs that she was missing her friend.

"She'll be ok, Abs." He told her as he approached her chair.

"I know. It's just the flu Gibbs." Abby said and looked up at him. "It's just with everything that's gone on, the only break she's managed to catch lately is you." At the look he gave her, she smiled. "And working here, but she's had a lot of stuff happen since she started and you've been there for her."

Gibbs decided the best way to end this line of conversation was to ignore it. "The evidence in the Cook case Abs, where is it?"

Abby shot him a knowing look and said, "Boxed up for the feds, bossman. The Director ordered me to cease and desist half an hour ago."

Gibbs expression darkened and she told him quietly, "Don't worry. I already had what I needed to run the tests."

With a quick smile, Gibbs took the evidence box, signed off on it and turned to walk out. "Good work, Abby."

Smiling to his back she turned back to her computer. He didn't fool her one bit.

Gibbs watched as Fornell and his agents entered the elevator with the boxes of evidence in hand. Their ME had already taken the body from autopsy. As soon as they cleared the bullpen, Gibbs led Tony, Tim, Ziva and Michelle down to autopsy where he was met by Ducky and Abby.

"What is going on Jethro?" Ducky asked and watched as his old friend shook his head.

"The Director hasn't mentioned it Ducky. All I know is that we're all taking the afternoon off and then heading over to my house to work on this." Gibbs said and looked at each team member as they took in what he meant.

Tony was the first to speak, "Ah, boss, are you sure you're place is best? I don't think any of us wants to get the flu." When Gibbs was silent and just looking at him, he added, "Yeah, you're place is best. We need to check on Carly and see if she's ok." Again, Gibbs said nothing and Tony finally told him, "I'm shutting up now, boss."

"Good. Now that that's settled, here's what I want from each of you."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Back in the bullpen shortly after meeting with everyone, Gibbs watched Jenny walk down the stairs. He knew what was coming.

"Where is everyone going?" She wanted to know.

Gibbs looked at her and said, "Jen, my team has been working nearly non-stop for weeks now. Since the FBI took the Cook case off of our hands, I've decided to tell everyone to go home early today."

Jenny stared at him for a moment and when he said nothing else, she realized what he was going to do. Nodding her head in approval, she turned to go back upstairs and said, "You're right, everyone needs to rest up in case we get something new to do."

Standing up from his chair, Gibbs grabbed his coffee and left.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Carly had dragged herself to the kitchen and was sipping some coffee when she heard the door open. She knew the exact moment that Jet realized she wasn't on the couch because she heard him take his gun out of the holster. Smiling, she called out, "I'm in the kitchen. You can put the gun away."

She heard it slid back in the holster just before he came into the kitchen. "What are you doing up?"

"I was feeling a bit stronger and decided I needed some coffee to help me feel better. But now I'm just hungry and I no longer have the energy to fix something."

He put his hand to her forehead and shook his head. "Let me get you back to the couch and I'll heat up some of the soup you had earlier."

He started to lift her but she shook her head. "Why are you back so early? I thought the director would keep you for a while." Carly saw the look on his face and asked, "What happened, Jet?"

"We had to turn the case over to the FBI."

"What? Why?" She asked him.

"Director's orders. We turned over the evidence and the body. It's their case now." He explained.

Carly stared at him for a moment. "So what are you going to do about it?"

He raised his eyebrows at her tone. "How do you know I am going to do something?"

She rolled her eyes. "Because you're Leroy Jethro Gibbs and you don't hand over cases to the FBI that easily."

Smiling, he told her, "Everyone's coming here to go over what evidence we managed to copy before they took it."

"Then that should be everything so far. Tests results, interviews, case notes, it's all copied and stored separately from the evidence in case something happens. It's all about back-ups and covering your ass these days, Jet."

"For once, I'm glad we have the technology to back it all up without anyone realizing it. I want to know why the FBI is so interested in a young man that hasn't been in the Marines for his full two years yet."

There was a knock at the door and Carly wrapped the blanket more securely around her. "Need me to go upstairs while you all talk this over?"

"There's no need for that my dear," Ducky said as he walked into the kitchen. "We've all had our flu shots this year. Well all except for you that is." He hugged her and placed a container of soup on the table in front of her.

Carly inhaled the scent of the baked potato soup. "Oh, Ducky, you know just what I like." She told him and he beamed. She caught Jet's look and batted him on the arm. "Stop glaring at Ducky. No offense but the chicken noodle was getting a little old."

He looked startled for a moment but before he could say anything, Tony and Abby walked in trailed by Michelle, Tim and Palmer. Abby grabbed Carly in a quick hug and said, "You have got to get better soon. The lab is too quiet without you."

Jet grabbed a spoon for Carly to eat her soup with and everyone sat down to go over the evidence in the Cook murder.

Carly was feverish again that night. Tossing and turning in bed while Gibbs alternated between covering her up and getting her to drink water to stay hydrated. By the early morning hours, her fever finally broke and he left her to rest while he went to the basement.

The team still hadn't been called in on another case, so Gibbs drank his coffee while reviewing all the information from their investigation into the death of Private Cook. Abby ran the prints through AFIS and the military database and the only thing that came up was his service record. One year 7 months in service, all stateside. He was one of the lucky ones that hadn't been sent to Iraq or one of several other countries the US were currently stationed in. Not so lucky once you thought it out though. If he had been overseas, he might still be alive. Nothing in the file indicated that there was any reason for someone to kill him.

Gibbs was on his second cup of coffee when he heard the shuffle of Carly's feet as they came into view. She stepped onto the landing leading down into the basement and he could tell by the way she was looking that she was on the road to recovery. He was glad. Seeing her sick had been tough. He hadn't been responsible for the 24/7 care of someone who was sick in a long time. Not that he'd had to take care of her. She had pretty much insisted at first that he take her home and stay away until she was better. But there was no way he could have done that. He watched her walk down the steps to join him beside his work table knowing that he worried about her well-being more than he was comfortable with.

She was staring at the boat. He knew she was proud of it and all the hours he had put into it. He also knew she was curious about the name he had given it. By the way she was biting her lip, he could tell that today was the day for the truth.

"Jet." She started in a voice roughened with sleep and her illness. "I want to ask you a question and if it's none of my business, let me know, ok?"

"She was my daughter." Gibbs said quietly.

Carly's head jerked up and around to look at him. "Your daughter?"

Shutting his eyes, he recalled the memories that were never far below the surface. "She was so young. She and my wife were killed in 1991. I was serving overseas, Desert Storm. Shannon, my wife, had witnessed a crime and reported it. She and Kelly were killed for it, for silence." He opened his eyes to see Carly's filled with tears and pain.

Not moving or reaching out, she whispered, "Oh, Jethro," quietly as tears slid down her cheeks.

He fought back his own tears as he watched her cry for him. Pulling her into his arms, he sat with his head resting on top of hers. Breathing in the scent of the herbal shampoo she used, he continued. "He was Mexican, a drug dealer. He was never brought to trial, never arrested."

Carly squeezed him hard and with an insight into him that frightened him at times, she said, "He deserved what he got, Jethro." She pulled back to look at him and he wondered if she found it in his face. "He wouldn't have been brought to trial here. He died because of the way he lived." She said with a certainty that showed how well she had come to know him.

He pulled her head back down to his shoulder and swallowed hard, thinking about his beautiful baby girl and how happy she had made his life. Holding Carly, hearing her sniffle and feeling her tears falling onto his arm, Gibbs control cracked the tiniest bit and a few tears of his own fell into her hair.

Carly walked slowly around the lab. It was her first day back and her strength had yet to return completely. To be truthful, she wasn't sure what had drained her the most – the flu or Jet's revelation about his first wife and daughter.

Four times. He'd been married four times. And one of those four women had been perfect for him. She loved him as he was, Marine and all. She survived him being stationed away from her and their daughter. And her love for him was as bright as the sunlight outside the building. Jethro had finally shown her a picture that morning of the three of them. Lord, but they had made a beautiful family. And surprise, Shannon was a redhead. Carly wondered to herself if Jet had even realized he had dated only redheaded women as a way of trying to find a woman like Shannon again.

She felt as if there was a band around her chest and something kept tightening the band. Biting her lip hard, she tasted blood and realized she was more bothered by this than she had admitted to herself. When she realized her hands were shaking with her upset, she decided to be useful.

"What all did you get on Private Cook again, Abby?" Carly asked.

"A whole lot of nothing. He was actually one of the few people that don't keep secrets and he didn't need to. There was nothing in his past that could hurt him and nothing in his present that gives any motive for murder."

"What about his parents?" She asked again.

Abby put her Caff-Pow down and stared at her. "His what?"

Signing and saying it at the same time, Carly repeated, "His parents? His family? Was there anything in their background that would give someone a motive to kill him?"

"I can't believe Gibbs didn't think of that." Abby told her, fingers flying over her keyboard. "Or Tony. Or even me. I normally look into everything but with the Feds taking the case over, I didn't go back that far. And of course, Gibbs was preoccupied with you being sick and all. I'm so glad you're back, by the way. It's been so quiet around here without you. I really can't believe…" She stopped in the middle of the sentence and clicked on her mouse to bring the information up on the big screen.

They both read the background and said, "His parents didn't exist before 1980."

They looked at each other and reached for to turn on the video link to call Jet.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Standing in the lab with the Director present, Abby and Carly explained what they found. "Before 1980, Mr. and Mrs. Cook were not around. Not as Mr. and Mrs. Cook anyway."

McGee took over the explanation and told them, "It took some doing, but we found out who they really are. In 1978 Mark Sawyer and his wife Lara witnessed a botched bank robbery become a massacre. The only reason prosecutors think the Sawyer's were spared is because Lara was noticeably pregnant at the time with Private Cook's sister. The Sawyer's saw the robbers, they testified against them in 1979 and were then entered into the Witness Protection Program. Their identities were changed and seven years later, Eric Cook was born."

The Director looked at McGee. "Do I want to know how you found all that out?"

Looking down, McGee decided that not answering her question was the best way to go.

"That's what I thought." Jen said and looked around the room, "Good job guys. We have possible motive but who back then would have known about the WPP and is around today to act on all this?"

Abby clicked a button and brought up the pictures of two of the men involved in the robbery 28 years previously.

"They escaped." Carly spoke up. She was getting tired from her first day back and was glad that Jet was behind her. "FBI put out BOLO's on them in Missouri, but we think they've come after the son as some sort of retribution/payback for the Cooks testifying against them. They could see she was pregnant at the time of the robbery and having spent 28 years in a federal prison, they might be looking to right the wrong they think was done to them."

Nodding, Jethro sent the team to their desks to track down those two men as best they could. When it was just Abby, Carly and Jet in the lab, he leaned down and kissed Carly's lips before walking out, leaving both women in shock that he would kiss her at work.

Gibbs sent Tony and Ziva to surveil Eric Cook's sister. If the killer was one or both of the robbers, it stood to reason that the sister was in danger as well. On day two of the stake out, Fornell marched into the bull pen and demanded to talk with Gibbs.

"Conference room." Gibbs said and they walked into the elevator. Hitting the switch, Gibbs stared ahead and waited for Fornell to show his hand first. It didn't take long.

"What the hell are thinking pursuing this case? You were ordered off this investigation Jethro."

Without turning, Gibbs said, "You'd do the same thing Tobias if the CIA or NCIS took a case from you. You don't stop when you're ordered to if one of your own is killed."

Fornell looked at Gibbs and grunted. "He was a Marine, yes, but he wasn't one of your's, Jethro. You never served with him, you never met him."

"That's where you're wrong Tobias." Gibbs told him as he started the elevator back up. As the doors opened and he stepped through, he said over his shoulder, "I met him the day he died."

The doors shut on Fornell's shocked expression and McGee looked over puzzled. "How did you meet Eric Cook the day he died, boss?"

With a quick look, Gibbs replied, "I met him the same time Ducky did."

Understanding dawned as McGee watched Gibbs sit down at his desk to go over the evidence one more time.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"I can't believe he made me go on a stake-out with you."

"Oh, please, I can't be the worst stake-out partner you've ever had."

The comment earned a look and the reply, "If not the worst then certainly close."

Rolling her eyes, Ziva asked, "What makes me such a horrible partner, Tony?"

"I can't believe you don't know how to play Boggle." Tony said.

Exasperated, Ziva explained to him, "Tony, forgive me for not taking the time to learn every American game before coming to work with you. However, in my country when we are sent to surveil someone, we don't waste time playing games."

Tony frowned. "We've been here two days. Nothing is going to happen…" he trailed off watching a man dragging a woman across the lawn in front of them.

Ziva looked at the pictures of the men from the robbery and back up at the man across the street. "This is stupid." She said as they quickly got out of the car. "Why is he grabbing her from the house?"

They ran across the street and yelled, "Freeze, Federal Agents!"

The man stopped still and looked around. By this time, the FBI had also arrived in the yard and the man had several guns aimed at him. Growling in his anger and frustration, he thrust the woman to the ground. The FBI swooped in and arrested him while Tony and Ziva helped Diane Cook to her feet.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Carly and Abby were stunned that the case had ended so quickly. They shot questions at Jet and Tony left and right.

"Was he stupid?"

"Did he want to get caught?"

"What was he thinking?"

"He killed his partner?"

"Why on earth didn't he just run when he had the chance?"

The two men looked at each other and then at the women whose mouths were moving at the speed of light. Shrugging, they shut them up the only way that would work. They kissed them.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

He answered the door after the first knock. Well considering who was knocking, there really wasn't a beginning and end to the knock, just a steady beating on the door until he opened it. He saw the look on her face and decided to let her tell him what was wrong. It didn't take long.

"I just spent two whole days in a van with Tony."

Smiling, Ducky motioned Ziva inside. "You poor dear. Come in and I'll make us some tea."

Ziva sighed in relief and followed him to the kitchen where she had a lively discussion with his mother while they waited for the tea to be ready.

Ziva was invited back to dinner the following night by Mrs. Mallard. She had accepted the invitation and showed up a little early, nervous and standing on the doorstep. Ducky answered the door with his mother right behind him. She looked curiously at Ziva but smiled when the younger woman smiled at her. Ziva realized she did not recognize her and resigned herself to hearing some of the same questions over again. She answered them with a patience that no one but Ducky would believe her capable. As the night went on, she chatted with Mrs. Mallard and laughed with Ducky. It was very nice to be part of their little world for the evening. Ducky walked her to the door and as he was telling her goodnight she kissed him softly on the lips.

At his look of surprise, she told him, "Thank you for a wonderful evening, Ducky. I had a great time."

He would have said something in response if she had given him the chance. Instead, she turned and fairly flew down the walk to her car.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Jethro woke alone and looked around the bedroom. He noticed Carly's clothes lying across the chair in the corner and relaxed. She was still here and it was almost a certainty that she was wearing his shirt. He got up and went downstairs looking for her. She wasn't in the kitchen but he noticed the coffee cup sitting on the table. He turned and walked down the hall; sure enough the door to the basement was open enough that he could see a light on downstairs. He pushed the door open all the way and looked down but didn't see her. He quickly went down the steps to find her curled up under his boat. Stopping, he smiled at the sight. She had brought a pillow and blanket from the couch down here and had fallen asleep under his boat.

In the middle of deciding what he should do, her eyes blinked open. Sleep still heavy on her eyes, she looked at him and smiled the little one that she only smiled for him. "Jet." She said and she wriggled under the blanket.

He ducked under the boat. "Room enough for two down here?" he asked her.

She lifted the blanket, "Of course, but you know that. You built her." She nodded at the boat and snuggled into his side as he lay beside her.

"What made you come down here?"

"Hmmmm. You seem to be able to get a lot of thinking done down here. So I decided to try it."

"Did it work?"

She nuzzled her face into his neck, turned and her leg moved to cover his. "Not really. Once I got settled and warm, I feel asleep." She kissed his neck, still more asleep than awake.

Jethro kept silent. He knew if she wanted to explain she would and she did.

"I've been thinking about Shannon and Kelly. I hate that you went through that Jet. I hate that you lost them. And I realized that Shannon helped make you the man you are today just as much as the Marines did. Your love for her and Kelly is still there and that won't ever change. That's so rare and beautiful, Jet, not everyone finds that."

She fell silent and for several minutes, Jethro thought she had fallen back asleep until her hand moved across his chest to rest on his cheek and she kissed him softly. "You're the one I want, Jet." She said and left it at that.

As she slowly relaxed against him, he went over everything she said. He pressed a rough kiss to her head once he understood that she had just told him that she loved him. In her own way and not to replace Shannon in his heart, she was telling him she loved him. And heaven help him, she had just made him aware that his heart had room to love one more.

~The End~ (for now)

~Calalily~

Ziva was invited back to dinner the following night by Mrs. Mallard. She had accepted the invitation and showed up a little early, nervous and standing on the doorstep. Ducky answered the door with his mother right behind him. She looked curiously at Ziva but smiled when the younger woman smiled at her. Ziva realized she did not recognize her and resigned herself to hearing some of the same questions over again. She answered them with a patience that no one but Ducky would believe her capable. As the night went on, she chatted with Mrs. Mallard and laughed with Ducky. It was very nice to be part of their little world for the evening. Ducky walked her to the door and as he was telling her goodnight she kissed him softly on the lips.

At his look of surprise, she told him, "Thank you for a wonderful evening, Ducky. I had a great time."

He would have said something in response if she had given him the chance. Instead, she turned and fairly flew down the walk to her car.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Jethro woke alone and looked around the bedroom. He noticed Carly's clothes lying across the chair in the corner and relaxed. She was still here and it was almost a certainty that she was wearing his shirt. He got up and went downstairs looking for her. She wasn't in the kitchen but he noticed the coffee cup sitting on the table. He turned and walked down the hall; sure enough the door to the basement was open enough that he could see a light on downstairs. He pushed the door open all the way and looked down but didn't see her. He quickly went down the steps to find her curled up under his boat. Stopping, he smiled at the sight. She had brought a pillow and blanket from the couch down here and had fallen asleep under his boat.

In the middle of deciding what he should do, her eyes blinked open. Sleep still heavy on her eyes, she looked at him and smiled the little one that she only smiled for him. "Jet." She said and she wriggled under the blanket.

He ducked under the boat. "Room enough for two down here?" he asked her.

She lifted the blanket, "Of course, but you know that. You built her." She nodded at the boat and snuggled into his side as he lay beside her.

"What made you come down here?"

"Hmmmm. You seem to be able to get a lot of thinking done down here. So I decided to try it."

"Did it work?"

She nuzzled her face into his neck, turned and her leg moved to cover his. "Not really. Once I got settled and warm, I feel asleep." She kissed his neck, still more asleep than awake.

Jethro kept silent. He knew if she wanted to explain she would and she did.

"I've been thinking about Shannon and Kelly. I hate that you went through that Jet. I hate that you lost them. And I realized that Shannon helped make you the man you are today just as much as the Marines did. Your love for her and Kelly is still there and that won't ever change. That's so rare and beautiful, Jet, not everyone finds that."

She fell silent and for several minutes, Jethro thought she had fallen back asleep until her hand moved across his chest to rest on his cheek and she kissed him softly. "You're the one I want, Jet." She said and left it at that.

As she slowly relaxed against him, he went over everything she said. He pressed a rough kiss to her head once he understood that she had just told him that she loved him. In her own way and not to replace Shannon in his heart, she was telling him she loved him. And heaven help him, she had just made him aware that his heart had room to love one more.

~The End~ (for now)

~Calalily~