Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS or any of its characters…yadda …yadda… yadda :p
"What the hell happened? Michelle…"
“Ambush” the girl replied smiling tiredly then wincing as she was forced to lie down properly. “When I was bringing your dad and Tony back” Gibbs and Tony shared a look, both men couldn’t help but feel guilty. The effort this girl went through to make sure they were safe could have gotten her killed…vampire or not.
“Let me see…” Kelly ordered prying Michelle’s hands from her chest inciting a gasp from several members of the team who had moved to the side of the couch. It looked as though she was stabbed in the chest by a fairly large object. Blood began seeping from the wound as soon as it was uncovered. Kelly was furious but knowing it wouldn’t help right now did her best to remain calm. She should have been with her, if she was this wouldn’t have happened. “Stake?” she asked through gritted teeth.
“Not unless they started making stakes that throw out 240 volts when they hit you” Michelle coughed closing her eyes. Gibbs eyes darkened at that as he moved to stand behind his daughter. It was bad enough the bastards stabbed this woman, but to shock her on top of it.
“Ah, looks like I was correct in my assessment then…I’m afraid you will need your maker’s blood after all my dear” Ducky shook his head kneeling next to the couch. “Kelly why don’t you go ahead and I will tend to these gunshot wounds to give you some room, Mr. Palmer your assistance please. Oh and on your way over would you kindly grab my spare medical bag from under the bed”. “Ah…yes of course doctor” Jimmy started but replied hurriedly noting the look on Ducky’s face.
“Someone got a knife?” Kelly all but growled. Feeling something on her shoulder she turned to see Gibbs behind her offering her his. She took it with a small smile thanking him for the support. They would definitely need to have a serious talk later….that is, after she killed the vampires responsible for this.
“Kel…” Michelle started.
“Don’t start” Kelly replied giving her a look then in one swift motion before anyone could protest slashed her palm open. She held it above the wound and squeezed her fist letting the blood flow into it. They watched in amazement as after what seemed like a few moments or so the blood seeping from the chest wound ceased and actually looked like it was beginning to heal. In the meantime Ducky and Jimmy had successfully removed the bullets and were in the process of stitching the bullet holes closed. Surprisingly enough Michelle hadn’t made a single sound during all of this. She simply lay there with her arm over her head. After a few more minutes Kelly smiled satisfied with the wound’s progress and withdrew her hand, checking her partner’s mid-section quick to find an almost completely healed slice she sighed in relief and got up. The rest of the team who had been eerily quiet up to this point let out a collective breath of relief themselves. Moving over to the make-shift kitchen behind where the team had been seated she began washing her hands. Taking one more look at the injured woman Gibbs moved to join his daughter.
“I’m sorry you had to find out this way” she said softly feeling a presence next to her knowing who it was.
Gibbs leaned back against the counter looking at her and for a moment and didn’t say anything. The second she had come out of that bathroom everything clicked into place and he knew in his gut that she was his Kelly, his eyes drifting down to the blood on her hands then back to her. “Would you have told me?” he asked already knowing the answer.
Stopping the water she put her hands on the counter and looked in his direction before responding. “No…probably not. I mean what do you say really? Hey dad, I know you thought I was dead and well really I am but…” she trailed off when she felt a hand on hers. Looking up to his face she could see despite the obvious hurt he had understanding and love in his eyes and moved to hug him. “I’m so sorry dad…I love you.”
“It’s okay I know…” he replied wrapping his arms around her blinking back tears as he kissed the top of her head. “I love you too”
Tony who had been observing them smiled; despite the circumstances he was honestly really happy for his boss. He thought of the man as a father himself and knew despite the gruff pissed off exterior Gibbs presented he still harbored much grief over the loss of his first wife and daughter. He knew he and Abby had filled some of that void over the years as well as the team in itself. They weren’t blood but they were a family in every way that counted but for Kelly to actually be alive…okay not alive but here after all these years, it was a miracle. Hell who would have thought his night nurse at Bethesda would turn out to be the boss’s daughter. He cringed at the thought. Gibbs was gonna be pissed when he found that out. He already felt the tension between him, Ziva and Ducky. Truthfully he wasn’t that worried about Ducky…Gibbs had been friends with the doctor for long before Tony even worked there. Ziva on the other hand, he had to admit he was a little pissed with her himself. She’s known for the last three years and unlike Ducky who had been sworn to secrecy, never bothered to say anything. He wondered if that would be the secret that…broke the camel’s back sorta speak between herself and Gibbs. He was pulled from his thoughts when Abby bounced over to him.
“Ducky said given the current circumstances we should all stay here tonight” she said bouncing excitedly. “Won’t that be so cool…a sleepover! And we can get to know the bossman’s daughter and her girlfriend”
“Girlfriend?” he laughed as he turned to face her.
“Yes girlfriend…I mean neither said but it’s so obvious isn’t it?” she smiled. “And we get to learn all about vampires!”
“Yeah, forgot about that…” he said paling slightly as she pulled him over to where Tim and Ziva were sitting to give them the news.
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After the initial commotion died down everyone had been speaking quietly in their respective groups. Ducky explained things to Palmer while they cleaned up and made sure Michelle was resting comfortably, to his credit Jimmy was taking all this new found knowledge rather well and wasn’t freaking out which made it a lot easier. He actually looked a bit fascinated by it all which made the doctor chuckle. Ziva had come clean to Tony, McGee and Abby about her history with Kelly and the situation with Ari. She explained that like Ducky she had also been asked not to say anything in order to spare Gibbs any further grief. Kelly, as a vampire lived an extremely dangerous life and could be killed at any moment, she had felt it wouldn’t be fair for him to find out about her after all this time just to go through losing her twice and Ziva herself agreed with that logic. She finished apologizing to them and told them she would understand if they no longer wanted her on the team. Tony although still a little hurt because of what happened with Kate agreed with the others that despite it being a shock they understood and weren’t going to let her go that easily. She was family and although Gibbs was no doubt pissed at that moment he would also understand and everything would be alright in time. After making a mutual promise of no more secrets they changed the topic to vampires and Ziva, along with Abby’s help began explaining to the guys all about the things that go bump in the night.
In the kitchen area while getting reacquainted over a glass of bourbon and a bottle of synthetic blood Kelly briefly explained to Gibbs how she met both Ziva and Eli David, and later on how she came to meet Ducky. He knew she was glossing over the more disturbing details, especially of the fight that led up to meeting Ducky but decided to let it go. He was just happy to be here with her and he would wait until she was ready to find out the rest. She also told him why she had sworn both Ziva and the doctor to secrecy and made him promise to forgive them considering they really only had his best interest at heart. Despite being angry with the two of them for keeping something this big from him he did understand and had agreed. He too had kept secrets for the sake of the people he cared about but let her know that although he’d forgive them it still didn’t mean he was going to let them off the hook that easily. They shared a laugh and he proceeded to fill her in on some of the things that had been going on with him and the team. He told her a little about Jack down in Stillwater but stayed away from the subject of Shannon, that conversation would be better suited for another time, preferably at their home without the entire team present.
“Are you going to tell him about me?” she asked suddenly a little nervous as she set the empty bottle down on the counter.
“Yep…” Gibbs nodded setting his glass down as well, looking at her he smiled. “Think he would want to know his granddaughter’s still alive. Don’t you?”
“Dad…I’m not…” she began but he held up a hand to stop her.
“I know” he said stepping closer to her bringing one of his hands up to the side of her face. “It doesn’t matter he’d want to know, he loves you”. Putting a hand over his she nodded smiling.
“Dad there’s something else I should tell you before you find out and jump to the wrong conclusions…” she said her smile fading, better to get out in the open now before there were any more misunderstandings. “I may know one other person on your team…but not like this, he had no idea who I was until tonight”
“Which one?” he asked letting his hand fall. This just keeps getting better and better apparently. His gut was telling him either Tony or McGee; Palmer’s shock over the whole thing was too apparent so it wouldn’t be him.
“Tony…” she replied cringing slightly. “But don’t be mad at him, like I said he had no idea who I was until tonight, only that my name was Kelly. As far as he knew I was a nurse at Bethesda, I kept watch over him at night when no one else was around”.
Tony seemed to attract trouble…it was always him that got hospitalized when something went wrong on a case. He sighed shaking his head then smirked “That’s a lot of hospital visits, you’re lucky no one became suspicious”.
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