"The Prodigal Son"
......Six Months Later......
Gibbs Residence...
Late Night...
Master Bedroom...
Gibbs and Abby were fast asleep in their bed.
It had been almost 6 months since Tony 'rescued' Gibbs from the wilds of Colombia.
Gibbs was so glad to be back home and back at NCIS--but most of all to be back with his family where he belonged.
Somewhere in the house the sound of glass shattering could be heard quite audibly.
Gibbs sat up in the bed, and looked around.
"Is something wrong?" Abby asked, groggily.
"I don't know." Gibbs said, quietly.
Another sound from downstairs was enough to make Abby sit up.
"What was that?" she asked, quickly.
"Stay here." Gibbs said, pulling back the covers.
Gibbs got up and walked carefully over to the dresser just six or seven feet to the right of the bed.
In the top drawer he rummaged around until he found the wooden box with a lock on it.
In the second drawer he found the key and used it to unlock the box. Inside was a small handgun, fully loaded and ready to go.
There was a crash coming from the kitchen.
"Gibbs, that wasn't the dog...he can't get into the kitchen." Abby said, her anxiety beginning to build.
"I know." Gibbs replied, quietly.
He moved over to the nearest window in the room. Their two-story house was positioned so the master bedroom overlooked the driveway area.
Gibbs moved the curtains aside so he could see down in the driveway.
Nothing in the driveway, but just out on the curb, almost out of view sat a parked car that he had never seen before.
"Abs, come with me." Gibbs said, quickly.
Gibbs opened the door and he and Abby slipped out quietly.
Gibbs made his way to the staircase.
"Get the girls, quietly." Gibbs instructed, pointing towards Chloe and Paige's room.
Abby did as instructed as Gibbs began to move quietly down the stairs.
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Gibbs Residence...
The Girl's Room...
Abby entered the girl's room and quietly woke them up, signing 'stay quiet' in ASL.
The girls climbed out of their beds and followed their mother into a corner of the room where they huddled together.
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Gibbs Residence...
In The Kitchen...
Gibbs had cleared every room along the way up to the kitchen, and had found nothing.
He did the same in the kitchen as he'd done with all the other rooms, and nothing.
Thwack!
Something smashed against the back of Gibbs' head, and sent him sprawling across the kitchen floor.
The man behind him was dressed all in black, and carried a small handgun.
Gibbs slowly rose up to his knees, shaking his head.
There was a familiar clicking sound, and Gibbs rolled to the side just in time to avoid being shot.
Gibbs scrambled back up right, once again, using the table as a half-ass shield.
The man tried to move himself into a better position, but Gibbs darted out of the way again.
"Arrrr." the man growled, angrily, as he continued to pursue Gibbs, randomly firing off shots.
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Gibbs Residence...
Living Room...
Now in the living room, Gibbs sat, panting heavily, behind the one recliner/chair in the room.
The man walked, slowly, into the room--reloading his weapon as he came.
Gibbs' mind raced at about a thousand thoughts per second.
The man got closer and closer, firing a few shots at the television blowing it beyond repair, and then at the couch--finally turning his attention to the chair.
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Gibbs Residence...
The Girls' Bedroom...
Abby sat huddled up with Chloe and Paige in a corner of their room listening intently to the commotion going on downstairs.
For a moment there was silence, no more gun shots, no more crashes in the dark.
She kissed both of her girls on the top of the head, and then she stood up.
"Mom, whe-where are you going?" Chloe asked, quietly, nervously.
"Shhhhh." Abby whispered, softly and gently. "I'll be right back, I promise."
Abby turned and silently crept from the room.
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Gibbs Residence...
Kitchen/Living Room Area...
Abby entered the kitchen, which was empty, and saw where the intruder had broken in the window on the back door, and unlocked the door to get in.
The moonlight streaming in illuminated the floor in front of the back door.
Abby could make out the shapes of some of the slightly bigger shards of glass, as well as the small handgun that Gibbs had dropped when he was hit from behind.
She walked over and picked up the gun, and that's when she heard the gun shot coming from the living room area.
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Gibbs Residence...
Living Room...
The shot soared, through the chair, just over Gibbs' head barely missing him.
Suddenly both men heard a sound coming from the kitchen.
Apparently Abby had bumped into one of the breakfast tables' chairs.
The man turned quickly in that direction, and saw Abby through open kitchen/living room dividing door.
Gibbs swallowed hard, and then jumped out from his hiding spot into view.
"Gibbs." Abby yelped, as her husband came into view behind the masked man.
"Abby get outta here!" Gibbs shouted at his wife.
"Catch!" Abby shouted back, throwing the small gun as hard as she could in Gibbs' direction.
She managed to do so and then dive out of the way just in time to avoid being shot.
The man then realizing what had happened turned back in Gibbs' direction.
Gibbs dove forward, catching the small gun in mid-air, and then slammed into the floor/ground hard.
The man raised his gun at Gibbs and his finger began to close around the trigger of his weapon.
Gibbs rolled over, pointing his gun straight up at the man.
He aqueezed the trigger quickly, a shot was heard, and then the man dropped to his knees and then onto his back right there in the middle of their living room.
Gibbs rolled onto his back, arms spread out from his body, and took in
several deep breaths.
When Abby ran into the room Gibbs was already picking himself up off of the floor.
"Jethro, are you-?"
"I'm fine, I'm fine." Gibbs assured her.
"Where are the girls?" he asked.
"Upstairs in their room."
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Gibbs Residence...
The Girls' Room...
Abby entered the girls' room, and motioned for them to get up.
"Pack your stuff." Abby instructed.
"Why?" Paige asked.
"Just-just do it, okay sweetheart." Abby said, trying her best to sound calm.
Paige did as she was told.
"Mom, you're scaring us." Chloe said, quietly.
"No, no its okay, I promise." Abby said, quietly, patting her oldest daughter gently on the cheek.
The two girls quietly, but quickly, packed one back-pack each.
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Gibbs Residence...
Living Room Area...
By this point Gibbs had turned on the lights downstairs in the living room and kitchen.
In the living room Gibbs stood looking down at the body, phone in hand.
He had called NCIS as soon as he was sure that the man was dead.
"Yeah, thanks...alright bye." Gibbs said, hanging up.
Abby and the girls entered the living room with their bags in hand.
"Dad, whats-" Chloe began, but her voice caught in her throat when she saw the man's body sprawled out on the living room floor.
Gibbs realized what she saw, and quickly ushered everyone towards the garage, assuring them that everything was alright.
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Gibbs Residence...
Garage...
The girls climbed into their mother's car as per their father's instructions, and buckled their seat belts once they were situated.
"Jethro, what are you not telling me?" Abby asked, a worried look in her eyes.
Gibbs stared at her for a moment or two, silent.
"Don't do me like that, Jethro--please." Abby said.
Gibbs sucked in a deep breath.
"Looks like he broke in through the back--into the kitchen." Gibbs said, calmly.
"No not that--I wanna know what it is that's got you all worried." Abby said, quickly.
"I hope its nothing, but something the guy said when he attacked me--I heard the same thing when I was Colombia." he said, quietly.
"Oh no." Abby said, her heart sinking in her chest.
"No, no don't--okay, I don't know if its connected yet or not. I just don't want to take any chances." he reassured her.
"I've arranged for you and the girls to stay with Ducky, for now."
He kissed her on top of the head, reassuring her further. But even still, something in his eyes and in the way he talked suggested that he was hiding something else.
Gibbs could tell by the look in her eyes that she had read or was reading him--so hiding anything else from her would be next to impossible at this point.
"Teddy." he whispered, quietly, leaning in close.
"What about-" she started to say.
Her voice caught in her throat as she realized what he it was that he was going to say.
"He's not-"
Gibbs nodded.
"Looks like he might've used a silencer." Gibbs informed her, in a low whisper, turning away from the girls line of sight.
"Oh no." Abby gasped, quietly.
"Its the only way he could've gotten by him, without us knowing or hearing anything." Gibbs continued.
Gibbs shook his head while rubbing his eyes with one hand.
"I-I just--I juist don't know how I'll tell the girls." Gibbs said, with a sigh.
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The Next Day...
NCIS HQ...
Vance's Office...
Gibbs and Tony stand in Director Vance's office.
"I'm sorry Gibbs, but I can't let you head this one." Vance said.
"Why not?" Tony asked.
"First of all, the Colombian National Government won't take too kindly to having one of their citizens shot on American soil." Vance explained.
Gibbs rolled his eyes.
"Plus, I've still got the Colombian National Government breathing down my neck from last time." Vance added.
"So then who is takin' the lead on this one?" Tony asked, flatly.
"I will." Vance said.
"You?" Gibbs said, arching his brow.
"Yes, me." Vance replied.
"The body is in autopsy waiting on Dr. Mallard to get in." Vance explained.
"Ducky should be in by now." Tony remarked, checking his watch.
Vance stood.
"That's exactly where I'm headed now." Vance said, as he headed for the door.
"Not without me your not." Gibbs said, following close behind.
"Hey, wait up." Tony called after the other two men who had already walked out the door.
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NCIS HQ...
Autopsy...
When the trio of men entered autopsy through automatic sliding door(s), Ducky was just emerging from the changing area.
"Oh Hello." Ducky greeted them, with a smile.
"A bit early aren't we?" Ducky asked, as he made his way over to the body laying on the slab.
"Sorry Duck, I'm handlin' this one." Gibbs said.
Ducky turned back to face them.
"Really?" he remarked.
"That's right Doctor, I'll be handling this one." Vance said.
"Well, alright then." the old man replied, as he turned back to the body.
"Sorry to say I can't tell you much, yet." Ducky said.
"Except that, from all appearances, he probably died from one of the three gun shot wounds to his upper torso--near the heart." Ducky explained, pointing a finger in the general area to which he was referring.
"Pretty good aim there Boss." Tony remarked, as he looked a little closer at the area that Ducky had pointed out.
Gibbs shot Tony a dirty look.
"Not-not that you have bad aim...I just meant-you know what, this one's on me Boss." Tony said, as he raised his hand and whacked himself hard on the back of the head.
Gibbs grinned, as he turned back around.
"Is that all, Doctor?" Vance asked.
Ducky had picked up a scalpal and was preparing to make the first incision.
"Well, as I said, I've only just begun my examination, Director." Ducky said, as he put the scalpal down to the body and started the incision.
"Mr. Palmer should be in anytime now, and once he's here things should go much faster." Ducky explained.
Vance sighed.
"If you find anything else, Doctor, you come straight to me--understood?" Vance said.
"You'll be the first to know, sir." Ducky said, looking up from his work.
As Vance exited autopsy through the automatic sliding door(s), Jimmy Palmer entered the room.
"Oh, h-hi Doctor Mallard...sorry I'm late." Jimmy stammered.
"You would not believe traffic this morning. It was-" he began to say, but Ducky cut him off.
"Mr. Palmer if you would be so kind as to wash up, and join me--it would be most appreciated." Ducky said.
"Oh, r-right." Jimmy said, with a rather lop-sided grin, as he turned to go change and wash up.
Gibbs stepped closer to his aging friend.
"How are they?" Gibbs asked, quietly.
Ducky looked up into his friend's eyes, and read him quite clearly.
"Abby was feeding the girls' breakfast just before I left." Ducky said.
"As far as I know, they all slept quite well last night." he added.
"Thanks Duck, I owe you." Gibbs said, quietly.
"Not at all, Jethro." Ducky replied, with a smile. "You know, I rather enjoyed having them over."
"Quite refreshing actually." he added.
"Thats right." Tony remarked.
"You're there by yourself now, aren't you--I mean since your mother passed away and all." he added.
"Quite right." Ducky agreed. "But, I do manage quite well if I do say so."
Gibbs couldn't help but grin.
Suddenly Gibbs' cell phone began to ring.
"Gibbs." he said, answerng his phone, on about the second or third ring.
Abby's voice is heard over the line.
"Are you at work?" Abby asked.
"Yeah--with Ducky." Gibbs replied, nodding.
"How're the girls?" Gibbs asked.
"Good." Abby answered. "I told them about Teddy--they're taking it pretty well." she added.
"Good." Gibbs replied.
Abby chuckled.
"I need to stop by the grocery store, and then I'll be on my-" Abby was suddenly cut off.
The sound of car smashing against car is/was heard over the phone.
"Abs?"
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In Abby's Car...
On The Highway/Freeway...
Abby, Chloe, and Paige bounced in their seats from the impact.
Abby looked up into the rear view mirror, and saw the car that had hit them trying to regain his control behind her.
"What the hell!" Abby exclaimed.
"Abs?" came Gibbs' voice over the phone (again).
"Who the hell does this guy think he is." Abby swore, under her breath.
"Abby are you guys okay?" Gibbs asked.
Abby started to answer, but as she did she looked up into the rear-view mirror.
In the mirror she saw the car from before speeding up, quickly, in their (meaning Abby and the girls) direction.
Just before it hit them, Abby looked back over the seat(s) at Chloe and Paige.
"Hang on to something!" she screamed.
Suddenly the car smashed into the back of Abby's car, hard, once again--nearly forcing them off of the road.
Abby and the girls screamed with the impact.
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NCIS HQ...
Autopsy...
"Abs!?"
Over the phone Gibbs could hear everything--the crashing noises, the screaming--everything.
"Jethro, I think this guy's tryin' to kill us." Abby said, over the phone, in a panicked voice.
"Where are you?" Gibbs asked.
Ducky and Tony were now staring at Gibbs, aware that something was wrong.
"What is it?" Ducky asked, sensing that something was wrong.
After a moment of silence Abby resumed.
"He just tried to run us off the road." she said, frantically.
"Where are you right now?" Gibbs asked, quickly.
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In Abby's Car...
"Mommy." Paige sobbed, in the back seat, as she felt a sore spot (a bump) that was forming on the side of her head.
"Its okay sweetheart--everything's gonna be okay." Abby said, putting on a brave face, and trying to reassure her youngest daughter.
"Are you somewhere where you can get off of the road--somewhere crowded?" Gibbs' voice came over the phone.
Abby tried to speak, but before she could the guy following her closed in to ram her car once again.
Abby quickly swerved into the next lane to avoid being hit again.
The sounds of cars swerving and car horns blaring came through the phone so that Gibbs could hear all of it.
"Abby get off of the road, and find somewhere heavily crowded--and stay put, we'll find you." he instructed her, over the phone.
"Alright, just please--hurry." she said, just before she hung up the phone.
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NCIS HQ...
Autopsy...
"What...what is it?" Ducky asked, quickly.
"I'll explain later Duck, I promise." Gibbs said, as he turned away and headed for the door.
"Boss-" Tony started to say.
"DiNozzo, with me!" Gibbs barked, as he hurried from the room.
"On your six Boss." Tony replied, as he hurried after his boss.
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NCIS HQ...
Hallway...
As Gibbs and Tony hurried down the hallway away from autopsy.
"DiNozzo, get Ziva and McGee." Gibbs instructed. "Tell McGee to bring his computer."
"Right boss." Tony replied.
"Meet me in the parking lot--you've got two minutes." Gibbs said, as he reached the elevator.
Gibbs reached out and slapped the up button right outside the elevator.
"On it." Tony said, as he turned sharply just after the elevator and took the stairs several steps at a time.
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Wooded/Forest Area...
Abby pulled off of the highway and headed into a wooded, park-like area.
"Girls, when I stop I want you to jump out and run...run as fast as you can and don't stop." Abby instructed Chloe and Paige.
"Mom, what's going on?" Chloe asked, nervously.
"Its gonna be okay, I promise." Abby said, trying to put on a brave face.
"Ready," she began.
Abby pulled the car to a sudden stop at the edge of the park.
"Go!" she commanded.
Chloe and Paige did as they were told, and left the car at full speed.
Abby leapt from the car and followed after them as fast as she could, looking back over her shoulder once to see the two guys that had been in the other car beginning to give chase on foot.
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In The Car...
Not Too Far Away...
Gibbs drove while Tony and Ziva sat in the back seat(s).
McGee sat in the front, close to Gibbs, working feverishly at/on the lap top that he had brought with him.
"Anytime now McGee." Tony said, leaning over the edge of the seat.
McGee did not even look up, but blew an irritated sigh. He began rambling on with a lot of technical jargon trying to explain what it was that he was doing.
"McGee!" Gibbs barked, without looking over.
"Right, right--its coming through...now." McGee said, as the information finally popped up onto his computer screen.
"I've tracked her cell phone to Centennial Park." McGee informed them.
"Centennial Park, that's not too far from where we are now." Tony remarked.
"How is a park a crowded area?" Ziva asked, referring to the instructions that Gibbs had given to Abby.
"Maybe she didn't have a choice." Tony suggested.
"Boss, according to this--her cell phone is stationary." McGee informed Gibbs, looking up at his boss. "She's not moving."
Gibbs didn't look over at McGee--didn't say a word, just pressed his foot down on the accelerator casuing the car to lurch forward, rapidly picking up speed.
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In The Park...
Abby ran as fast as she could behind her daughters as they desperately fled to escape their pursuers.
Normally Abby would have stood her ground and fought off her attacker--somehow--but having children had changed her somewhat.
One of the men finally got close enough to wrap his fingers around the edge of Abby's coat.
She quickly shrugged out of it, causing the man to lose his balance and stumble backwards.
"Keep going!" Abby shouted.
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Outside The Park...
Gibbs and the team pulled up to a stop behind Abby's car.
The four of them jumped out weapons at the ready.
Gibbs peered inside the car, and saw Abby's cell phone lying in the seat.
"She left her phone in the car." Gibbs said, flatly.
Tony peered into the car that was parked beside Abby's car.
"This must be the perp's car." Tony said.
"Empty." Ziva pointed out, looking over her husband's shoulder.
Suddenly a gun shot is heard echoing through the park.
"Spread out!" Gibbs instructed, as the four of them immediately headed/ran into the park.
......Elsewhere In The Park......
One of the men finally caught up to Abby once again, and managed to grab her, and tackle her to the ground.
Abby struggled against her attacker desperate to free herself from his grip.
Chloe and Paige stopped and looked back at their mother, in distress.
"Mommy!" Paige screamed, as she ran toward her mother.
Chloe started to run after her sister.
Abby looked up.
"Paige, no!" Abby screamed. "Run away! Save yourself!" Abby begged her youngest daughter.
The second man grabbed Chloe just before she could reach her sister's side.
Chloe and the man struggled.
After hearing her mother begging her to run, Paige finally obeyed--tears streaming down her cheeks as she ran into a more wooded area.
......Wooded Area......
Paige had run a fair distance when a pair of arms stepped out of nowhere and snatched her up.
"AAAAaaahhhhhhhhh!" Paige screamed.
"Shhhhhh, shhhh, shhhh." Tony whispered, softly.
Paige thrashed around in Tony's arms, briefly.
"Paige its me, Uncle Tony." Tony said, softly.
Paige threw her arms around her adopted uncle's neck and held on--sobbing against his shoulder.
"Shhhhhh." he whispered. "Its okay...its okay." he said, as he rocked her against him.
......Back Out In The Open Park Area......
The man now had Abby standing on her feet, and had pressed a gun to her temple.
Just a short distance away Chloe looked up--still struggling with the second man--and saw her dad.
"Dad!" she said, loudly.
The man whispered something--in another language--into Abby's ear, and then placed his finger around the trigger of his gun.
Suddenly, Gibbs' arms wrapped around the man's throat/neck in a sort of choke hold.
"Surprise." Gibbs whispered.
The man dropped his hold on Abby--and his gun--and she fell to the ground and then rolled out of the way.
Gibbs struggled with the man.
The man elbowed Gibbs in the ribs, Gibbs faltered a bit, but he did not let go.
The man began to slowly stop struggling as Gibbs' choke hold was depriving him of oxygen.
The man started to go limp in Gibbs' arms.
"Stop--let him go!" the second man shouted, suddenly pressing a gun to Chloe's temple.
Gibbs looked up.
"Daddy!" Chloe cried, tears staining her cheeks.
"Or I will shoot her--right here." the second man threatened.
"We leave, alive, or she dies." the second man continued, being more explicit with his threat.
"Daddy, I don't wanna die." Chloe sobbed.
Gibbs' mind was racing by this point.
"It's okay, it's okay--everything's gonna be alright." Gibbs said, trying to reassure his daughter.
His mind was racing he knew what he needed to do, but something was bothering him, and he did not know what it was.
"Not if you don't do as I say!" the second man shouted, pressing the muzzle of his weapon into Chloe's temple harder.
Chloe couldn't help but scream out in fear at the feel of the weapon's muzzle being pressed against her head.
"Okay!" Gibbs shouted to the second man, suddenly. "Okay!"
He let go of the man he was holding in a choke hold, and the man fell to the ground on his knees gasping for air.
The man then reached for his gun, which was laying not more than a few inches away, and stood up, turned, and pointed it at Gibbs.
The man said something in his native tongue, just as he aimed his weapon right over Gibbs' heart.
Suddenly there was a gun shot, blood sprayed onto Gibbs' shirt, as the man slowly sank backwards onto the ground--dead.
Ziva emerged from a thicket of dense foliage near a slightly more wooded area of the park, gun drawn and at the ready.
The second man tightened his grip on Chloe--slightly frightened by what he had seen.
He pressed the gun, more firmly, against Chloe's temple.
"She dies!" he yelled at Gibbs.
"NO!" Abby and Gibbs cried out, in unison, as the man went to make good on his promise.
"Don't move." McGee said, firmly, as he laid the muzzle of his Sig against the man's temple.
The man froze in his tracks.
"Drop the weapon--slowly." McGee instructed him.
The man did as he was told, dropping his weapon and then kicking it away.
"Now the girl." McGee continued.
The man did as told once again--letting Chloe go.
As soon as he had let Chloe go, McGee quickly handcuffed the man, and puched him face down to the ground.
Gibbs and Abby raced over to Chloe who was sobbing, on her knees.
"Chlo--princess." Gibbs said, as he dropped to his knees, pulling his daughter into his arms.
Chloe sobbed against her father's chest.
"Its alright, its okay--you're okay." Gibbs whispered as he rocked her.
Ziva ran the last few steps over to their side.
"Everyone okay?" she asked.
"I-I don't know." Abby replied. "Where's Paige?"
Gibbs looked up--as did Chloe--and looked around.
"Paige!" Gibbs yelled at the top of his voice.
"Paige!" Abby yelled--as well.
Suddenly Tony walked out of a dense pocket of foliage, with Paige by his side.
And upon seeing her mother, father, and sister all togethr, and all okay--she took off running towards them.
The four of them embraced in a family hug, almost immediately.
"Angel face--mommy's angel face." Abby sobbed, as she held her 10 year old daughter close.
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Outside The Park...
By The Cars...
Several (several) minutes later they all gathered around the vehicles.
Gibbs shoved the handcuffed man into the backseat of Abby's car, and then he slammed the door shut.
"Ziva." Gibbs said.
"Yes." Ziva replied.
Gibbs held up the keys to Abby's car.
Abby and the girls were climbing into the back of Gibbs' car.
"You're driving Abby's car." Gibbs informed her.
"Yes sir." Ziva said, as she took the keys from Gibbs.
"Tony, go with her." Gibbs instructed.
"On it boss." Tony replied, waslking around to the passenger side of the car.
McGee had climbed into the passenger seat of Gibbs' car per his boss's orders.
As Gibbs started to climb behind the wheel of his car, he leaned out.
Ziva was just about to climb behind the wheel of Abby's car, when Gibbs called her name.
"And Ziva," Gibbs said, getting her attention.
Ziva turned in his direction.
"We need to get back to NCIS--fast." Gibbs said, almost with a grin.
As Ziva sat down in the seat, and closed the car door behind her--Tony recognized the look that she had in her eyes.
In Gibbs' car--Gibbs turned the key and started his car.
He looked over at McGee, before pulling away.
"By the way, McGee, nice work." Gibbs said, quietly.
Then they all pulled back out onto the highway and headed for NCIS.
------------To Be Continued In "A Night At NCIS"------------
.........This Chapter Is Not Yet Finished.........
Author's Chapter Notes:
The hit is out! Gibbs and the team experience what is commonly referred to as--Backlash...
Chapter End Notes:
You guys have probably noticed that I started this one, and then re-wrote it over again. The reason for this is because I decided that I didn't really like the original version.