Seems like it was yesterday when I saw your face
You told me how proud you were but I walked away
If only I knew what I know today

I would hold you in my arms
I would take the pain away
Thank you for all you've done
Forgive all your mistakes
There's nothing I wouldn't do
To hear your voice again
Sometimes I want to call you but I know you won't be there



He hadn’t read the will, he wasn’t ready to yet. Reading the will meant that he was admitting she wouldn’t come back, that he wouldn’t see those bright green eyes glaring at him or smiling on him gently depending on her mood. But she’d made him the executer and he hadn’t been over to her house in a long time so he wanted to look around again. He wanted to prove to himself that he deserved the honour she’d given him by trusting him with this job, wanted to prove that he still knew her and what she would want even after all these years. But more than anything else, he wanted to surround himself with things of hers, things that looked, smelled, sounded, and felt like her, that would bring her back to him, even for a little while. He needed to feel like she would walk in the door and ask him what the hell he was doing in her house. It made him laugh to picture the soft, fiery red-head glaring up at him and doing her best to look intimidating. She didn’t scare him, per say, but she definitely scared a lot of other people and he’d always liked annoying her just for how damned sexy she’d looked when she was pissed off. He would poke at her for a few days, just little things meant to irritate her, and she would give him this ‘I know what you’re doing, you bastard’ look, then, later, he would make it up to her the only way he knew how. He had always been good at romance, it was his strong suit as long as he wanted to do it, and after days of driving her crazy he would set up the perfect date and she would forgive him. They’d been lovers on and off for a long time, the one girlfriend that he would always come back to, that had been the unspoken understanding between them. She knew he was a player, that he moved from woman to woman whenever he started getting too close, but he always came back to her, to Jenny. Beautiful Jenny Sheppard. His rock, his lover, his partner, and then his boss. He’d been furious when she became Director, not because he didn’t think she was up to it, because he’d never met an agent more capable of running the agency. But if she was the new Director, she was his boss, and he couldn’t go back to her anymore, not without risking both their careers. And that’s exactly what they’d done. He loved her, he’d always told her that, and she’d only gotten more beautiful since their last relationship seven years earlier, he’d told her that too. It had been shortly before his retirement to Mexico that she’d come to see him, ask his advice. He’d been a little drunk that night, and she had stayed, just to look after him. When he woke up in the morning and heard the shower running, smelled her perfume in his house, he’d panicked...and he’d felt whole again for the first time in a long time. He’d been worried at first, shuffled into the kitchen and had a hard time talking to the gorgeous red-head that was cooking breakfast in one of his T-shirts, but she’d quickly reassured him, and they’d picked up from there. It had only taken a couple cups of coffee and some flirty comments and they’d wound up back in bed. Later, with her lithe, slender body wrapped around him, she’d punched his arm, not very hard, but enough to make him glance over at her in amusement. ‘I should kill you for this.’ She’d teased. She’d understood though, when he needed to leave, and she’d still been there when he came back, waiting for him with a cup of coffee and a warm bed as soon as he had come back from Mexico. His heart had stopped for a moment when he’d realized that it was her that Ducky was protecting, that she was dying and she hadn’t told him. And then that horrible phone call. The one that said she’d died to protect him, taking down the people who were after them even though it cost her life. There was only one thing he regretted. The little box that sat in the drawer by his bed. It had been there for weeks and he hadn’t gotten the courage to put a ring on her finger like she deserved, hadn’t gotten to give her that final ‘I love you’ like he’d wanted to. He’d lost her before he could and now he knew that he’d never love anyone else the way he’d loved Jenny, he knew that he’d never try either. He’d tried to move on after Shannon, and it had never gone well. He wouldn’t ruin the last tastes of his love by searching for a replacement, not his time. There was no replacement.
The sky had simply opened up a few hours ago, letting out it’s grief at Jenny’s passing, and he stood on her doorstep, drenched and not particularly interested in moving. He’d been there for a long time now, reliving memories and battling with the two halves of himself. One half wanted to curl up on her bed, surround himself in her world, and sleep away the rest of his life, and the other wanted to turn away from the huge house and never breach the privacy of his lover. Finally, he pulled a key out of his pocket and slipped it into the lock. He paused for a moment, then forced himself to twist the key and push the door open. He stepped inside and took off his coat, hanging it up by the door and attempting to dry of his shoes on the mat. Her house was pristine, as always; gleaming wood structures, Victorian architecture, and brass finishes. It suited her exactly, polished and elegant and even a little old-fashioned on the outside, but inside was beauty and renovation and the ability to withstand anything, even time itself. He moved through the rooms, reorienting himself with the house. He’d never spent much time here, even during their relationships, and the time he had spent had been with her, never alone in the Victorian mansion she’d inherited from her father. Suddenly, a soft noise reached his ears and he drew his Sig Saur quietly, following the sound. It wasn’t until he reached the library, a huge warm room that looked like it belonged in a nobleman’s castle, that he discovered the source. There was a window seat, pillow-lined and secluded, and in the dark room, he only had the light of an occasional lightning flash to illuminate the silhouette. A girl, no more than sixteen, sat on the silk-clad bench, her knees drawn up to her chin with her arms wrapped around her legs and her head turned away from him as she gazed out into the storm. Another jagged bolt of lightning tore across the sky and he caught a glimpse of milky white skin, a gleaming sheet of bronze hair with an auburn shimmer to it, and a chocolate-coloured V-neck sweater over dark jeans. He reached for the light switch and flipped it, the standing lamps throwing a rosy light over the whole room. “Who are you?” he asked carefully, holstering his weapon but keeping a hand on the handle.
“I called the police.” She replied, not looking away from the rain-pelted bay window. “They’ll be here any minute, so you’d better go.” He missed the small hand that slipped under one of the silk pillows.
“I am the police.” He said, striding across the room and pulling out his badge and ID. “Special Agent Gibbs, NCIS.”
Finally, she turned to look at him and he was floored by the electric blue eyes that raked over him. “So you are.” She observed carelessly, going back to the window. “You should have been there.”
“Excuse me?” he stared at her incredulously. Had he really just been appraised, insulted, and dismissed by a kid?
“You heard me.” She replied, unfolding herself from the bench and walking over to the cabinet across the room. It was only then that he spotted the gun in her hand, a seven-shot revolver hanging loosely by her side, her finger on the trigger.
He pulled his gun back out as well, watching her warily, but she didn’t seem to be aggressive, and he realized that he seemed like a strange adult man to her, why would she trust him? “Could you put that away please?” he asked, tipping his head towards the weapon.
She glanced down at it, surprised, as if she’d forgotten she was holding it, and set it on the cabinet, pulling the door open. “Sure.” She pulled out two crystal glasses and a fluted bottle.
“You old enough to drink that?” he asked dryly.
“It’s my house.” She shrugged, pouring some of the blood-red liquid into one of the glasses “But it’s only sparkling cider, she keeps some around for me. I like the pomegranate ones. You like scotch, right?” she asked, pulling out another bottle, and he nodded. She poured a tumbler and handed it to him.
“Your house, huh?” he asked, accepting the drink and taking a sip. “Funny, I thought this was Jennifer Sheppard’s house.”
“She’s gone.” Said the girl quietly. “So it’s my house now. I don’t suppose NCIS has figured out where she is yet.”
“Have you?” he tilted his head curiously. She was a puzzle, this girl. She was very matter-of-fact about what she said, but she didn’t seem to know much, nor was she particularly interested in finding out it seemed.
She shook her head, tossing back some of her drink. “She said she was going to L.A. and not to expect her back.” Suddenly, there were tears in the girl’s eyes and she set her glass down, glaring enviously at the alcohol in his hand. She wiped at her eyes hastily with the back of her arm, avoiding his eyes. “Said she wanted to go down fighting, not wasting away in some hospital.” She muttered, her voice thick with tears. “Did you find her?” she looked up at him now, her expression desperate and helpless, and a few stray teardrops rolled down her cheeks.
Gibbs watched the girl for a moment before answering, doing his best to be gentle. “Yeah.” He nodded. “A couple of days ago.” The girl let out a strangled sob and turned away, hugging herself tightly, her shoulders shaking as she cried. He watched helplessly. He’d never been very good with crying women, and crying teenagers were much worse somehow. After a minute, he touched her shoulder gently. “What’s your relationship with Director Sheppard?” he asked.
The girl looked up at him, red-eyed and grieving. “I’m her daughter.”

Would you tell me I was wrong?
Would you help me understand?
Are you looking down upon me?
Are you proud of who I am?
There's nothing I wouldn't do
To have just one more chance
To look into your eyes and see you looking back




Gibbs was still in a state of shock from the announcement a minute later as he led the girl back over to the window seat, sitting down with her. She’d curled up into him, even though he was a stranger, and he hesitated a moment before putting his arm around her and hugging her to him. He rubbed her arm comfortingly, his chin resting on top of her head, and she cried for a while. When she finally straightened up, wiping her eyes again, he grabbed a box of tissues off the nearby table and held them out to her. She cast him a grateful glance. “Thanks.” She sniffed, dabbing at her startlingly blue eyes. She gave a little laugh. “Sorry about your shirt.”
“No problem.” He shrugged, gazing at her. She looked just like her mother, now that he was really looking. She was built the same way, had the same bowed lips and slender, curving frame. There was a German word he’d often used to describe Jenny, zaftig. She’d blushed every time he called her that, and it applied just as easily to her daughter. All it meant was beautiful, soft, and everything else that was meant to be feminine. “You’ve had a rough week.”
“That’s for sure.” She agreed wryly. “My name’s Cali by the way. Well, Callida, but no one calls me that. Mom liked fancy names.”
“Callida. It’s pretty.” He said, rolling the name off his tongue. “But it is a little much for a teenager, huh?”
She nodded sadly, twisting her hands in her lap. “When can I see her?”
“Soon.” Gibbs promised gently. “Do you have anyone you can stay with for a while? I’m afraid I can’t let you stay here alone now that I know you’re here.”
“No one.” Cali shook her head. “It was always just Mom and me, and I don’t really get along with anyone at school very well.”
“Alright.” He sighed, rubbing his forehead tiredly. “Why don’t you go pack a bag, and I’ll take you down to NCIS. We can figure out something from there, okay?” She nodded again and disappeared. About thirty minutes later, she returned with a duffel bag over her shoulder and a big, floppy, stuffed dog held tightly in her arms. He suppressed a smile at the sight of the stuffed animal, remembering the day Jenny had gotten it. They’d been at a carnival in Paris and the dog had sat in the stake-out apartment for the remainder of the Op as a symbol of her pride that she could out-shoot him. He sighed again and led Cali out to his car, putting her bag into the trunk. He backed out of the driveway carefully, and drove more sanely than usual. Each of them was lost in their own little world of grief, so nothing was said the entire trip. When he parked back at NCIS, he brought her down to Autopsy, holding her back just outside the door. “You sure you want to do this?” he asked.
Her eyes widened and she nodded, swallowing. “Yes.”
“Come on.” They walked through the sliding glass doors and Ducky glanced up from the file he was looking at. “Jenny still here Duck?”
“Uh, yes.” replied the ME, glancing at Cali in confusion. Her face had paled and her lower lip was trembling. “Locker 413.” He instructed, watching as Gibbs guided the teenager over.
The agent stepped back, letting Cali take her own time, and the girl took a deep breath before pulling the freezer door open. She grabbed the sliding table and yanked it out, staying perfectly still for a moment as she stared at the sheet-covered body. One shaky hand reached out and folded the sheet back, revealing the Director’s face. Cali stared at her mother silently, arms dangling by her sides as tears rolled down her cheeks. Suddenly, she lurched away, hurrying over to the sink and clutching the rim, white-knuckled, and threw up. Gibbs closed his eyes and stepped over to his lover’s body, touching her forehead before pushing the tray back in and closing the door. He moved over to Cali, staying a cautious several inches away from the girl. “You okay?”
“No!” she spat, angrily, and she looked almost identical to the NCIS Director in that moment. She was breathing heavily and she cupped her hands under the faucet, filling them with water and rinsing her mouth as best she could. “Would you be?” she demanded, glaring at him. He didn’t answer and she bowed her head over the sink, taking a few deep breaths to calm herself. “I didn’t want to believe she was really dead.” She whispered.”I kept telling myself she would come home. I was waiting for her when you showed up, just waiting for her to pull into the driveway. When it was you instead.... I guess I knew somewhere, I didn’t want to believe it though.”
“I know it’s hard, Cali.” He said gently. “But it’ll be okay. Jenny would want you to keep going. I’m sure she raised you to be strong.”
“How?” she asked, her voice breaking.
“Take it one day at a time until you figure that out.” He replied. “Do your best to live a good life, that’s all she needs from you.”
She looked up at him, exhausted and helpless. “Mom never told anyone about me, did she?” she asked, looking she would burst into tears again at the answer she already knew. “Not even you. What am I supposed to do?”
“What about your dad?” asked Gibbs but Cali just shrugged. “Right. Well the only other real option is foster care I guess.”
“Or I could go home.” Retorted Cali. “They have those special circumstances things, right? The ones that let kids live by themselves before they’re eighteen?”
“They’re not going to issue one to a girl who just lost her mother.” Gibbs shook his head. “But you know, it’s after hours on a Friday. No one’s going to be in Social Services anymore. Maybe someone on my team can look after you. At least for the weekend.” She smiled gratefully and he sighed, glancing over at Ducky who had watched the whole exchange with growing understanding. “Duck, this is Cali Sheppard, Jenny’s daughter.”
“I’m so sorry for your loss.” Said Ducky sincerely. “I wish we could have met under better circumstances my dear girl.”
“Me too.” Replied Cali mournfully. “Thank you for fixing her up Ducky. I’m sure she didn’t look nearly as good when you got her.”
The Scotsman shook his head. “She has never looked less than beautiful.” He corrected gently. “Something she appears to have passed on to you.”
Cali blushed and Gibbs smiled. He tapped Cali’s shoulder and she smiled at Ducky as she followed him out.



Tony and Ziva had both been very quiet since they got back from L.A. and McGee hadn’t managed to bring them out of their guilt and grief yet. All three of them looked up when the elevator dinged and Gibbs stepped off with a girl right behind him. He strode into the bull-pen and murmured to her quietly before gesturing for his team to come with him. Cali sat down at his desk and watched them leave, staring off into the distance. She felt someone watching her and looked up to see Leon Vance leaning against the railing on the floor above. He gazed at her inscrutably and she held his gaze confidently until he looked away, then she rolled her eyes and went back to staring into space.



The team stood behind the stairs up to the top floor, looking at Gibbs expectantly. “Do any of you have room for a house guest this weekend?” he asked.
“The girl?” asked Tony. He’d been running pretty much on auto-pilot since Jenny’s death, trying to avoid his emotions. “Why does she need to stay with one of us?”
“Because right now, she hasn’t got anywhere else to go.” Replied Gibbs with a sigh. “It seems Director Sheppard had a daughter.”
“What?” gasped Ziva, horrified.
Gibbs nodded. “Her name’s Cali, she’s been alone at Jen’s house since you three left for L.A. According to her, Jen never meant to come back alive.”
Tony closed his eyes briefly. “I haven’t got any room, Boss.” He sighed.
“Me either.” Agreed Ziva, the muscles in her neck tight at the knowledge that there had been nothing she could do to save her friend and boss.
“I could probably make some space.” Offered McGee. “If it’s just for a little while, I mean.”
“Thanks Tim.” Gibbs dipped his head to his youngest agent. “I’ve got her stuff in my car, you can all head home now. It’s late, and everyone needs some sleep.”



McGee couldn’t really sleep. Too much had happened and he hadn’t gotten a good night’s sleep since Jenny’s death, knowing as he did that his partners and best friends were torturing themselves and there was nothing he could do to help them. He heard a soft clicking coming from the other room and frowned, getting up. He glanced out his bedroom door, watching the teenage girl type rapidly into the computer. “What’re you doing?” he asked, puzzled.
“When was the last time you cleaned out your computer files?” asked Cali absently. “You do a good job with all the complicated stuff, but you didn’t bother to make any sort of organization for your visible files. Everything’s spread out on your hard drive, there’s no connection, no filing system.”
He sighed, folding his arms over his chest and watching her appraisingly. “Let me guess, you clean when you’re upset.” He said, glancing around the apartment. Sure enough, his normally cluttered surfaces had been cleared off and polished.
“If I touched anything, I wrote a thorough description of the item, where it was and where I put it so you can put things back if you liked it better before.” She informed him, not looking up. “I also wrote out my system so you could replicate it in the future if you wanted. Mom hated cleaning.”
“You should get some sleep.” He pointed out gently. “I have to go in to work tomorrow, and you’re going to have to come with me. Don’t you have any homework or something?”
“I finished it earlier this...sorry, yesterday afternoon.” Replied Cali. “It’s not like I have a social life or anything after all.”
“You should.” Frowned McGee, watching her continue to reorganize his computer. “How old are you, sixteen? Seventeen?”
“Fifteen.” She corrected, finally glancing up at her host. She spun in the computer chair to face him, leaning back in it. “I’ll be sixteen in a couple of months. Mom was going to take me to Paris for my sweet sixteen. Work always kept her really busy, but she made sure she was always there for the important things.”
“You’re a sophomore?” He asked curiously. “And you know how to compartmentalize a hard drive?”
She smiled, looking pleased by his vague disbelief. “I’m a junior actually, and I’ve always been a fast learner.” Her smile faded a little. “That’s why the others don’t like me so much. I don’t get by on my family’s money and influence, I did the work.”
McGee felt an immediate kinship with the girl at this sentiment. “It gets better in the real world.” He assured her. “Money still means something, but not nearly as much. You would make a pretty good agent in few more years if you keep putting in the work. And your family’s service record wouldn’t hurt, although money wouldn’t do any good for you with the agencies.”
“I wanted to be an agent.” Agreed Cali. “But now I’m not so sure.”
“Losing someone is hard.” Comforted McGee. “And losing a parent is definitely one of the harder ones, but in my experience, some of the best cops are the ones who became cops after a loss. They’ve got more empathy and more drive than the others. Besides, Director Sheppard lasted almost thirty years with NCIS, half of it doing Special Ops with the CIA. She was an amazing agent, and a great Director. It’s in your blood.”
Cali glanced at him thoughtfully, remembering the stories Jenny had told her about her father. “Yeah, it is.”



“We’ve got to figure out where you’re going to go.” Sighed Gibbs, watching the teenager from across the empty bull-pen. He leaned back in his chair, clasping his hands behind his head and she gazed back at him, a challenging expression on her face as she mimicked his action. “You can’t stay with McGee for very long and I don’t think anyone here is too keen on the idea of shipping you off to a foster home. It’s very disruptive to your life, and Jenny was a friend.”
Cali looked at him thoughtfully, and he had the sudden feeling that the fifteen year old could see right into his soul. “You don’t like being around me.” She observed, not seeming much bothered by the fact. “I remind you of Mom, and you wonder why she never trusted you enough to mention that she had a kid.”
“It did cross my mind.” He admitted, decidedly amused by her observation. “But your wrong on that first point. I don’t mind being around you.”
She leaned forward, resting her arms on McGee’s desk. “Then why did you send me home with Tim?” she asked pointedly. “Everyone knows you’re the first one to volunteer to look after a kid during an investigation, why am I any different?”
“Because this is not an investigation.” Pointed out Gibbs. “You need a permanent home, and I’ve never volunteered to give anyone that.”
“Bull.” She retorted. “I know you were going out with her. For a long time too. You’re too close to it, and you think you’ll make the wrong choices, so you’ve been avoiding anything to do with her death. Did you ever think that maybe Mom’s will gave instructions for what to do with me?”
He started. Actually, he hadn’t thought of that, but he didn’t feel like admitting it to a child. He had a feeling she already knew though. “I haven’t had time to look at it yet.”
“Well make time.” She ordered, sounding an awful lot like she was already planning to sit in her mother’s recently vacated chair. “Because I don’t want to be bounced around foster homes for the next three years, and I know she’d make sure that wouldn’t happen.”
“The best thing she could’ve done is tell us who your father is.” Muttered Gibbs, yanking the bottom drawer of his desk open and pulling out the thick manila envelope. He stared at it for a minute and then forced himself to open it, knowing she was right. Jen would most likely have left instructions for her daughter’s well-being in her will, he’d done it for Kelly after all, and Shannon had as well. He scanned through the pages, looking for anything in connection to the name Callida. He found a couple of things, but they had to do with money and personal affects, then, just as the elevator dinged, he came across the thing he was looking for. He froze. It wasn’t possible. Life wouldn’t be so cruel, it couldn’t be true. Ziva and Tony swung their bags back behind their desks and began to give a report on their interview’s success, or lack thereof, but he wasn’t really listening. He was too focused on the words he was reading and the look on Cali’s face that made him sure she’d already known.



“You could have told me.” He said, dragging his fingers through his hair in frustration.
“I didn’t know!” she retorted. “It was just a guess. I figured her will would either confirm it or say who my father really was. Either way, I wouldn’t wind up in some stupid foster home for the rest of my life. It’s not like anyone would want a fifteen year old anyway! My chances of even getting a family were minimal at best, you know that! People don’t want to deal with someone else’s teenager.” She added bitterly.
He sighed and sat down on the couch next to her, rubbing his forehead. “I don’t know if I can help you.” He informed her quietly. “I don’t know if I can be your father.”
“Then help me get something set up so I can live on my own!” she exclaimed. “I don’t need your help, I’ve been taking care of myself since I was little. You were never there before, you don’t need to be now.”
“The hell I don’t!” he snapped, annoyed. “Whether we met before or not, you’re still my daughter and I have an obligation to make sure you’re taken care of. There’s a reason you have to get a special circumstance paper for a minor to live alone, and fifteen is not old enough for that. But it might be better for you to go into the foster system, I’m not prepared to be a parent.”
“That’s not what Mom wanted!” she exclaimed, desperately. “Or she wouldn’t have named you as my father!”
He covered his face with his hands, trying to stay calm and work out what was best as opposed to what he wanted. She was right, it would be almost impossible to place a teenager in a foster home, and she’d wind up getting bounced around schools and families for the next three years, never finding anything stable. Maybe he wasn’t the best choice to look after her, but it was Jenny’s last request of him and he couldn’t reasonably say no. Besides, a part of him was bursting with pride and delight to have found his daughter, and it would kill him to send her off to God knows where and probably never get to see her again. He took a deep breath and turned his head to look at her. Relief spread over her features as she read his answer, but he said it anyway. “I’ll do my best, okay? But you’ve got to cut me a little slack, I’m new at this.”

I'm sorry for blaming you for everything I just couldn't do
And I've hurt myself by hurting you
Some days I feel broke inside but I won't admit
Sometimes I just want to hide 'cause it's you I miss
You know it's so hard to say goodbye when it comes to this.



He blinked awake slowly, a lulling scent surrounding him. He glanced around himself, puzzled, and realized that he was no where he knew. It looked a little like the beach in Mexico that he’d stayed on, except there was nothing but white sand and crystal blue water for as far as the eye could see. The waves lapped at the shore, and the sun shone brightly, warming the shadow over his heart. “Beautiful isn’t it?” asked her soft voice, the one she reserved for when they were alone and she wasn’t pissed at him. There she was, standing next to him as if she’d always been there, as if it weren’t a miracle for her to be whole and well and...there. “It’s not so bad you know, being here. I never really had any faith before Cali was born, she was my miracle, and she made me see things differently.”
“Why didn’t you ever tell me?” he asked, afraid to ask but needing to know.
She gazed up at him sadly, her red hair dancing in the breeze. “It was after our first break-up. I was still in love, but I knew you’d fallen out, so I didn’t say anything. I didn’t want you to resent her. And then when we kept getting back together, I thought about telling you, but I knew you weren’t ready. You were still too hurt by what happened to Shannon and Kelly.”
“But I would’ve taken care of you two.” He persisted.
“I know you would have.” She smiled and brushed her fingers through his hair tenderly, like she used to after they made love. “You would have married me, and you would’ve done all the right things for Cali, but you wouldn’t have been happy. I didn’t want you to just be doing your duty by us. I knew I loved you, and I knew you weren’t sure yet, so I decided that I’d tell you when you were. The day you proposed was the day I would’ve told you about our daughter.” Tears sparkled in her bright green eyes at the thought of her child. “God, I miss her.” She murmured, coiling her arms around his neck and burying her head in his shirt. “Take care of her for me, okay?” she pleaded, voice breaking. “I know she’ll test you, and I know you don’t think you can do right by her, but I wouldn’t have chosen you if I didn’t believe you’re fully capable of being a good father to her, Jethro.”
Gibbs rubbed her back comfortingly and she pulled away, laughing anxiously as she wiped at her eyes. “Why couldn’t you ask for help, Jenny?” he asked miserably. “Why did you go out on a suicide mission?”
“I was dying anyway.” She replied softly.
“But Ducky said you could’ve lasted anywhere from six months to six years.” He pointed out, his voice thick with emotion. “Why couldn’t you stay with me for that? With Cali?”
She laughed, crying a little. “I got to protect the two of you from my mistake in Russia, that’s all that matters to me. Besides, I would’ve been wasting away in a hospital if I’d lived. You know me, I would hate that. I’d rather go down fighting to protect the ones I love, there’s more honour in it.”
“Yeah, but....”
“I can’t stay much longer Jethro.” She interrupted gently, touching his cheek. She leaned up to kiss him, pouring all of herself into the kiss. “Just promise me you’ll take care of Cali. She needs you, needs her father, now especially. Promise you’ll look after her, and I’ll have had everything I ever wanted from my life, okay?” He’d only seen Jenny cry a couple of times, but there was something so much more painful about this time.
He could barely breathe from the pressure building up in his throat as he tried not to cry with her, and he struggled to force out his words. “I was trying to propose before you left, Jenny.” He whispered hoarsely, and she smiled.
“I know.” She touched a finger to his lips. “You were never very good at hiding things from me, sweetheart. That’s why I knew I was doing the right thing. You were ready for her, ready to be there for her when I was gone. Promise me Jethro.” She seemed to be fading as she spoke, her voice growing distant and her form weaker in the glare of the sun. The day was stiflingly hot now, oppressive rather than healing. “Promise me.”
“I promise.” He barely heard the words leave his mouth and she kissed him again with all her strength.
His eyes flashed open and he was alone in his dark bedroom. He caught the scent of her perfume drifting across the room, a flash of her warm and loving presence, but it faded quickly, and he was left with an aching heart and a burning throat. He reached over to the nightstand by his bed, forcing back tears as he pulled out the little box that had sat there for weeks. He pushed himself into a sitting position, turning it over in his hand absently. He opened it, gazing at the sparkling ring sadly. It was perfect for her, if only she’d gotten to wear it. White gold and a small diamond surrounded by a delicate mint green stone he couldn’t remember the name of. Agate maybe. He sighed and set the box, still open, under the lamp on the nightstand. He sat there for a while, just looking at the ring, and then he got up and headed downstairs. He was just passing the room he’d set Cali up in when he heard a quiet sound, much like the one he’d heard at Jenny’s house the first night he’d met his daughter. He bit his lip and knocked on the door gently. “Cali?” he asked softly, but his only answer was another soft, sniffling noise. He pushed the door open cautiously and stepped inside.
Cali felt the mattress shift as he sat down next to wear she lay on her stomach, her face buried in the pillow and her headphones plugged into her ears. She didn’t want to look up, that would mean acknowledging his presence, and wasn’t ready to admit that he’d caught her crying yet. She felt a soft hand stroke her hair hesitantly and cried harder. Now she couldn’t bear to look at him, because as soon as she did she would have to push him away, alienate him, and for now the gentle touch was too needed for her to do that. As long as she couldn’t see who it was, as long as she could reasonably pretend that it was her mother’s hand in her hair, she was determined to do so. Finally, she’d cried all her tears and she hiccupped miserably, pulling the ear-buds out. “Leave me alone.” She muttered, burrowing away from him.
Gibbs dropped his hands into his lap with a sigh. “Do you want me to get you anything?”
“No.” Her throat constricted at the offer and she hated herself for pushing him away. Half of her had wanted this, while the other half wanted him to force her to look at him and tell her that everything was going to be okay.
“Okay.” Her heart sank that he gave in so easily. “Try to get some sleep, Cal, things’ll look brighter in morning.” The bedsprings groaned again and his weight was gone. She heard the door close softly and shoved her headphones back in, suddenly angry for no particular reason. Angry at her mother for abandoning her, angry at Gibbs for never being there and for bending so easily in the face of her moodiness, angry at the faceless person who had shot her mother, and angry at the world for taking her rock away, the only thing that she had been able to hold onto as she was tossed around the sea of life like a rag doll.
“Callida Aniston Gibbs.” Her mother’s disapproving voice was the best thing she could ever have heard at that moment. “I raised you better than that.” warned Jenny.
Cali hastily pulled the headphones back out of her ears and sat up, staring in shock at her mother who was sitting where Gibbs had been only a moment earlier. She threw her arms around the red-head, sobbing. “I miss you Mommy.” She whispered, burying her head in Jenny’s neck. “Why did you go? Why did you pretend to be dead?”
“I am dead, baby.” She petted her daughter’s hair gently, hugging her for a minute before pushing her away. Cali looked at her more carefully and realized that the woman didn’t leave an impression on the comforter. Her lower lip trembled and tears threatened her eyes again. Jenny wiped them away softly, gazing on her daughter with pride. “I’m so sorry I left you, sweetheart, but you’ll know why I did it someday. Jethro will take good care of you, he promised he would. He doesn’t quite know what to do yet, but he does love you Cali. Try to go easy on him, okay? For me? I’m so proud of you baby, and I’ll always be there when you need me.” She pulled Cali back again, holding her tightly. “I love you so much.” She whispered thickly.
“I love you too Mom.” Muttered Cali. “Please don’t go.”
Jenny shook her head, kissing the top of Cali’s head quickly. “I have to. But I hear you, every time you think about me,” she promised. “And I’ll always be looking out for you. You two need each other right now though. I know it’s hard, and it hurts, but you need to let him in. Be good, my angel.”
Suddenly, Cali’s alarm clock was going off and it was morning. Her headphones lay on the damp pillow, still playing music. She put them back in her ears for a moment and almost laughed aloud. Hurt by Christina Aguilera wrapped around her mind, and she felt the tears glistening on her cheeks as she sat and listened to the words that so perfectly described how she was feeling.




Do you go to church?” asked Cali quietly, picking at her breakfast.
She hadn’t spoken at all before now and he was almost startled by the sound. He set down his coffee, glancing at her curiously. “Not generally.” He replied. “But I can take you if you’d like.”
She nodded. “I would.”
“Where.... I mean, what church did you and your mom usually go to?” he asked, stumbling a little at the question. He had been raised Catholic, but he’d fallen so far out of practice that he was pretty sure it wouldn’t matter to him where he took her, but he needn’t have worried.
“Whatever Catholic church was nearest.” Shrugged Cali carelessly. “We didn’t go very often.”
“Alright.” He took another sip of coffee, trying to remember when the church he and Shannon had attended held its services. “If we leave in an hour, we should make it.” She nodded again and picked up her plate and his, heading into the kitchen. He watched her go, surprised. He’d never met a kid yet who would clear the dishes without being asked. He glanced around the house surreptitiously and realized that the normally clean house was now spotless and had most definitely been polished and shined. He followed her into the kitchen and watched her scrubbing the dishes and putting them into the washer, a neat stack of tupper-ware containers filled with leftovers stacked on the counter next to the fridge. “When did you get up this morning?” he asked, puzzled.
“About five.” She replied, glancing up from the dishes as she dried her hands on a towel. “I’m not very good at sleeping in. I wrote up a list of everything I moved,” she began, giving the same disclaimer she’d given McGee. “Although your house is a lot better than Tim’s and you don’t have a computer to organize, so mostly I was just cleaning.”
“That,” he said dryly, leaning against the wall. “Explains why Jenny’s house was always so perfect.”
Cali laughed a little and he smiled, liking the sound. She looked a lot happier than he’d seen her yet and he was glad to see that she was relaxing just a little. “Yeah. Mom hated cleaning anything, and it was always a good way for me to keep busy and work out my frustrations after school. She always teased me that if I screwed up college I could still go into the maid business.”
He chuckled. “Let’s not aim for that, though, shall we?” He quieted a little, gazing at her softly. “You’re just like your mother, you know that? I’m sorry I didn’t get to see that earlier. I wish I’d been around, Cal.”
She liked the even shorter version of her name. The thing she liked least about her name was how feminine and girly it was. Cali was a little better, but Cal but her feel like a tomboy, and somehow it made her feel special to have him come up with a name for her that no one else had. “You’re here now.” She replied, matter-of-factly, and he smiled at her gratefully. “Oh, come on, don’t get all emotional on me, I don’t think I can take it.” She exclaimed, throwing the towel in his face.
He caught it with a laugh and shook his head. “I take it back.” He chuckled. “Maybe there’s a little of me in there after all. Do you have anything to wear to church or should we stop back at Jenny’s place before we go so you can change?”
“I packed a skirt.” She replied decidedly. “That’s as churchy as I need to be.”

He couldn’t help the flash of pride he felt whenever he looked at his daughter, or the tug of sadness that he hadn’t been there for the first almost sixteen years of her life, but the pride was generally stronger. She was pretty, that was very clear, even though she spent most of her time in jeans and T-shirts and sneakers with her hair up in a ponytail. But when she put the effort into her looks, she was more than merely pretty. In his opinion, his little girl was stunning in her knee-length black skirt and the crisp white blouse that she wore for church. She’d done something with her hair and it now curled over her shoulders in waves, glowing bronze with the reddish hints that reminded him so much of Jenny’s fiery hair. She wasn’t wearing much make-up, just some colour on her eyes and a clear-coat lip gloss that made her lips shimmer a soft pink. He couldn’t help raising an eyebrow at the changes and she glared at him, instantly her mother’s daughter. “I hate skirts.” She muttered, more to herself than him, and he stifled a laugh, pretty sure it would receive the same reaction it had always gotten from Jenny; a swift elbow to the gut.
“I think you look nice.” He said instead, and she looked vaguely appeased. “Shall we?” he asked, holding out an arm to her. He was wearing one of his nicer work slacks/jacket sets, and he noticed the envious glance that she cast him over being able to wear pants as she took his arm and followed him out the door. For all that she looked and acted like her mother, she had none of the desire for glamour and femininity that Jenny had always secretly harboured. Cali was obviously just as much his daughter as hers. He ignored the wondering glances they got when they entered the church together and sat down. Most of the congregants knew him from when he had a wife and daughter before and had seen the general progression of events as he remarried, divorced, remarried, divorced.... He knew that these same people were dying to know who the girl was with him, but Cali seemed entirely unaware of the attention she was being paid, so he didn’t say anything either. He watched with interest as she moved through the service, only stumbling occasionally, and his eyes followed her slim frame as she moved across the room after to the Confession rooms. He wondered a little, what a teenager would bother to confess, and whether it would have anything to do with him.
Before he could follow this chain of thought, he felt a hand clap him on the shoulder and another, smaller set of arms hug him gently. “You’ve been gone a long time, Jethro.” Chided Melissa DeFonzo kindly. She was a sweet, motherly type who always seemed to be involved in something, the poster child for stay-at-home soccer-moms. “We’ve missed you!”
“Yeah, after service coffee hour isn’t nearly as interesting without all the case stories.” Joked her husband, Jeremy. The Italian couple were both a little older than him and had raised all their children and kicked them out of the house several years earlier. They were, in his opinion, the closest friends he’d ever had outside of work. “Where’ve you been?”
“Working.” Replied Gibbs with a laugh. “I haven’t had much time to do anything else lately unfortunately.”
“You need to take time off every now and then.” Melissa told him firmly. “Or you’ll make yourself sick.”
“Yes, maám.” Smiled Gibbs. “Well, I’m here today, aren’t I?”
“Yes you are. And with a guest.” Jeremy’s eyes sparkled in amusement. “Too young to be your girlfriend though. A niece, perhaps?”
Gibbs’s smile faded a little. “My daughter.” He corrected easily, but he knew that his pain was obvious in his eyes, and would be even more obvious in Cali’s later.
Melissa’s eyes widened in surprise and Jeremy even looked taken aback. “That...That can’t be Kelly.” Said Melissa hesitantly.
“No.” agreed Gibbs quietly. “Her name’s Cali, her mother.... Jenny was killed on duty about a week ago.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry Jethro.” Murmured Melissa, hugging him again and giving him a kiss on the cheek. “That must be very difficult for you. Jenny was such a sweetheart too. I didn’t know you two had a daughter though.”
“Neither did I.” replied Gibbs grimly. “But she’s a good kid. She wanted to come today.”
Jeremy patted Gibbs’s shoulder sympathetically. “I wish you luck, Jethro. The girls are never easy, especially as teenagers.”
Melissa nudged him, rolling her eyes and offered a more optimistic view. “If you do need any help, feel free to call us, I’ll do anything I can. Jenny was your only good choice after Shannon, if you don’t mind my saying, and I liked her.”
Gibbs chuckled at the bluntness of the comment. “I know, Melissa. Jenny was special. I may take you up on that offer, because, quite frankly, I think I’m in over my head with Cali.”
“Why don’t you two join us for lunch?” Suggested Jeremy thoughtfully. “We were planning on going to lunch anyway, and it might be a nice introduction for her. Was she living in the area before?”
“They lived in Fairfax.” Said Gibbs. “But I think they probably traveled a lot, with Jenny’s work and everything.”
“We were in Woodland Hills until Mom got the Director’s position.” Said Cali from behind him. She moved up shyly, holding out a hand to Melissa. “Hi, I guess you probably already know, but I’m Cali.”
“It’s nice to meet you dear.” Replied Melissa kindly. “I’m Melissa. My condolences about your mother, she was a lovely woman.”
Cali’s eyes were sad, but she didn’t let the emotion escape past there. “Yes, she was, thank you.”
Gibbs brushed her fingers reassuringly and she didn’t move away from the gesture this time. “What d’you think about staying out a little while longer, Cal? Melissa and Jeremy invited us to lunch with them today.”
“Sounds nice.” She agreed, nodding. “Thanks.”
“Not a problem dear.” Melissa waved it off easily. “Now, why don’t you tell me what you’ve been doing in school, you must be in, what, the tenth grade? Or the eleventh maybe. I’ve always thought....” She’d been guiding Cali away from the men during this and Gibbs and Jeremy exchanged a brief, amused glance at Melissa’s actions before following them out.



Cali sat under the boat frame while her father worked, watching him curiously. “So, how are you going to get to school tomorrow?” he asked, not pausing in his work.
“I used to walk.” She replied thoughtfully. “But I don’t think it’s close enough anymore. I could drive.”
Now he stopped, raising an eyebrow at her. “You don’t have a license.” He pointed out dryly. “You’re not sixteen for a while yet. Where is this place anyway? And if you don’t get along with the kids, can’t you just transfer to a high school here in DC?”
“Because Mom already paid the tuition for this year and it’s non-refundable.” Replied Cali. “It’s a really good school. They have kids who stay there during the week, I could talk to the headmaster about boarding.” She offered.
He frowned, not remotely pleased by this suggestion. “I’m not going to send you away for school.” He informed her decidedly. “That is definitely not an option. Well, when do classes start in the morning? Maybe I can drive you.”
She looked up at him, startled that he would want to take so much of an interest already. “My first class is at seven thirty.”
“Would it be okay if I got you there at seven?” he asked, going back to the boat.
“It’s not like I’ll be the only one there.” She shrugged. “I could take a taxi, though, you know.”
But he shook his head again. “In the afternoon maybe, but I don’t want you alone in DC in the n morning. I work crime scenes for a living, Cal, a pretty girl alone in DC at seven in the morning? I don’t think so.”
She felt a proud glow at having been called pretty, even by her father, but also an annoyance that he was implying she couldn’t take care of herself. “I used to walk. That’s more dangerous than taking a cab. Besides, Mom taught me how to fight, I’m good.”
“Yeah, I’ll bet you are.” Laughed Gibbs. “I should’ve known. But I’m not saying that you’re helpless, I’m just saying that I’d be worried out of my mind all day and I’d about hit the ceiling every time I got a call from Dispatch. Just humour me and let me drive you in the mornings.”
“Kay.” She shrugged, pushing herself up and swinging out from under the boat. “I’m gonna go to bed. Night.”
“Night Cal.” He sighed, watching her jog up the steps. He wasn’t completely oblivious to the fact that she hadn’t ever addressed him directly in the last three days, not as Dad, not as Leroy, Jethro, or even as Agent Gibbs. She simply avoided any form of a name for him. It hurt a little, but he pushed the pain away, knowing that she was just not comfortable enough with him yet. After all, they’d only met each other for the first time three days ago, and she’d very pointedly blamed him for...for Jenny’s death or for not being around? He wasn’t entirely sure which, but either way, he knew he couldn’t expect her to just act like there was nothing weird about this. It was just going to take time.

“This is a high school?” he asked, incredulously, as he parked. It looked more like an old mansion than a school, only it had wrought iron gates in front and heavier security than the Navy Yard at NCIS.
Cali rolled her eyes, unbuckling her seat belt and grabbing her bag from her feet. “A private high school, yeah, with Senators’ kids and foreign diplomats, and I think we have a couple of sheik’s sons too. Director of the CIA and FBI both sent their kids here.”
“No wonder Jenny sent you here.” Muttered Gibbs, half to himself. “How in hell did she afford a place like this? Not even the director’s job pays this well, but as an agent?”
“Grandperé set up a fund for me before he died. I think I was, like, four.” Shrugged the girl. “Mom inherited the house from him too. He made sure we’d never have to worry about money. See you later.”
She pushed the door open but he caught her by the arm. “Hey, I’m going to go in and work out all the paperwork, okay? Do you mind if I take a look around?”
Cali shouldered her bag. “Go ahead. It’s not like I have a reputation to protect or anything.” She teased.
He rolled his eyes. “Nice, thanks.” But the corner of his mouth twitched up and she knew he was trying not to laugh. “I’ll be sure to stay out of your way. Do me a favour, and try not to get into any trouble today, okay?”
“I’m not that much like Mom.” She retorted, closing the door. He shook his head, amused, and got out, heading into the school after her and towards the office.
He felt very out of place in a building that seemed to be filled with wealthy teenagers who were the very definition of both parts of the description. Mini-DiNozzos, he observed to himself wryly. He managed to find another adult somewhere in the maze of designer labels and clothes that made the father in him die a little inside. He thanked God silently for the fact that his daughter was content to dress a lot like Ziva did, going for comfort and classic style rather than fashion, before asking after the main office. The man looked at him like was a little nuts, then realized he was serious and pointed him toward the headmaster’s quarters. Gibbs shook his head, in disbelief this time, and hoped he’d figure out this world at some point. The headmaster seemed like a nice enough guy, although it took a while to explain that he wasn’t trying to enroll a student. Once that little miscommunication was straightened out, things went fairly smoothly. “Ms. Sheppard never said anything about Callida’s father coming in.” The man, Fredericks the name-plate read, informed him. “I’m afraid I’ll have to call her and....”
“That’s sort of the problem, sir.” Said Gibbs as the other man reached for the phone on his desk. “Jenny’s dead.”
“Oh dear.” Fredericks looked appalled. “Oh, my, I’m terribly sorry for your loss. Do you mind my asking...” he didn’t finish the sentence, but Gibbs knew what he was asking.
“She and the two agents with her were attacked in L.A last week.” he said, giving the official story. “It appears to have been random, but she didn’t survive the firefight.”
He saw anxiety in Fredericks expression. “But you said this was a week ago. Callida has been attending classes all week, and none of this came to light sooner.”
Gibbs shifted in his chair, holding the headmaster’s gaze steadily but sadly. “We only just found out about Cali on Friday. She came as a bit of a surprise to the agency. And to me.”
“Oh! So you really are her father, you didn’t simply adopt her?” clarified Fredericks, and Gibbs nodded. “Well, in that case, I don’t see why there should be any problem. You’ll have to go through the same checks as any other parent of course, but I see no cause for worry where Callida is concerned. She will, of course, be granted leniency because of her mother’s passing, and I imagine you’ll want to take her out of classes for the funeral.”
“If you don’t mind, sir, I would like that.” Agreed Gibbs. “I’d also like for knowledge of Jenny’s death to remain as private as possible. The investigation is still in progress, and I know that Cali would rather not have a fuss made over her.”
“Of course.” Assured Fredericks. “That’s a perfectly reasonable request. So, I imagine you’ll be wanting to look around the school, just to be sure that you want Callida to continue here. I can take you on a tour right now, or later if you’d prefer, and before you leave, I’ll just make sure you get a copy of the papers for the background check et cetera. I don’t imagine there will be a problem, seeing as you work for NCIS, but I’m afraid it’s standard. If you’ll come with me please?”
Gibbs followed the man through the school, understanding most of the endless stream of comments from his guide, but not all. Personally, he didn’t see anything wrong with a public high school, but he could definitely see the advantages of the facilities here, and he couldn’t help but be impressed. After a general tour, the headmaster also pulled out a copy of Cali’s schedule and brought him to each class. They stood at the back of the classroom and listened for a while in each one, to get a feel for the teachers and the subjects, Gibbs figured. When they reached Cali’s second period class, he spotted the girl in her seat, standing out amongst all the kids who looked like they had their own personal make-up and hair crew in her lavender eye shadow and her hair pinned up loosely in one of those plastic claw things. He heard the teacher call her name and she glanced up from whatever she’d been doing before (obviously not paying attention, he thought to himself) and answered. He smiled a little at the precise, very correct answer she gave in her usual matter-of-fact style before she went back to her previous task. From here it looked like she was doodling in her notebook. He felt a little bubble of pride in his chest at the surprised, yet pleased look of the teacher when he’d expected to catch a student not paying attention and had gotten exactly the answer he was looking for instead. It pleased Gibbs to know that his daughter was just as bright as her mother, and just as good at multi-tasking as he was. It was a good combination. Fredericks led him to the next class, and this time Gibbs understood exactly what he was saying, because it wasn’t some jumble of statistics. “As you’ve seen, Callida is one of our best students, and a great favourite among the teachers. She’s very intelligent, and I won’t lie, it would be a great loss to the school if she didn’t continue to attend. She’s a star student, and I often use her work to show potential parents. I hope you will let her continue to attend.”
Now, Gibbs’s B.S. meter was pretty good, and he knew that these were the kinds of pick-up lines that were used on rich parents all the time, but from his observations, the headmaster knew that he wasn’t a parent who could be sold B.S., nor would it really be all that useful if he was because he didn’t have the money to matter that much. If Fredericks was trying to convince him to let Cali stay, it wasn’t because he could do good things for the school, it was because his daughter made the school look good. “I intend to let Cali make that decision.” He replied easily. “I trust her and Jenny’s choices on this one far more than I trust my own. If Cali thinks this is where she needs to be, then I won’t pull her out.”
Fredericks looked absolutely delighted to have managed to hold onto his star-student and Gibbs felt that flash of pride again that he was getting very accustomed to feeling in connection to his daughter. “Excellent!” said the man, happily. “I’ll get you a new parent’s packet, you won’t have to do all of it, just the parents’ information, and I’ll get you week-long visitor’s pass so you can get through security, then I’ll update Callida’s information from the packet.”
The two men headed back to Fredericks’s office and Gibbs accepted the thick stack of papers that he knew he would be filling out for the next three days. He spent the whole drive back to DC and NCIS headquarters lost in thought. He really needed to go through Jenny’s will now, because if the numbers he’d managed to catch during his tour were right, there was no way in hell he could afford to keep sending Cali to the school after this year’s tuition ran out. What had she said? Something about a fund set up by her grandfather when she was little? Hopefully Jenny had managed to transfer the accounts to his name so he could use them, otherwise he’d have a hell of a time trying to get access to the money, and he didn’t have anything he could use between now and then. Fortunately, he wasn’t paying out alimony checks anymore since all of his ex-wives had gotten remarried at least once, so he could afford a daughter, just not the school. Damn, he really hoped Jenny had worked this all out already, ‘cause he really hated lawyers. Rule number twenty-six, never involve lawyers. Before he knew it, he was back at work, and he sighed as he got out of the car. Time to go do lots of paperwork. And explain to his team that he had a daughter. Wonderful.



“She had a daughter.” Muttered Tony sadly. “I’m the reason that kid’s an orphan.”
“Gibbs’ll find her father, Tony.” Assured McGee. “Cali will be fine, don’t worry. It’s not your fault.” Ziva didn’t take either side, she agreed with both of her partners. If Tony hadn’t insisted that they let Jenny alone when she ordered them to, she might not be dead, but at the same time, none of them had known that anything like this could happen. “Tell him Ziva, tell him it’s not his fault.” Ziva glanced up, but was saved from answering by the ding of the elevator.
“Hey Boss.” Greeted Tony, trying not to let any of his self-doubt slip through.
McGee immediately jumped on this new opportunity. “Did you find Cali’s dad, Boss?” he asked hoping that Gibbs would understand what he was doing.
“Yeah, I found him.” Replied Gibbs grimly.
“See Tony? She’s fine. You followed orders, and it turned out badly, but that happens sometimes.”
Tony looked up at his friend, pain in his eyes. “The kid probably hates me, McGee.” He sighed, not even bothering with his usual teasing names. “Probably blames me for her mother’s death, and she should.”
“Actually, DiNozzo, I’m pretty sure she blames me.” Commented Gibbs quietly, surprising everybody.
Ziva was the first to regain speech. “Why? You weren’t even there.”
“Exactly.” Gibbs sat down at his desk with his massive pile of paperwork, sighing and rubbing his eyes tiredly. “I was never there.”
McGee was actually the first one to realize what he meant, which was almost as surprising as what he realized. “You’re her father.” He said, stunned.
“Bingo, Tim.” Sighed Gibbs, uncapping his pen and starting in on the papers.
“How come you didn’t say anything earlier Gibbs?” asked Ziva, puzzled.
Gibbs looked up at her tiredly. “I didn’t know, Ziva, Jenny never told me. The first I’d ever heard about Cali was when I walked into Jenny’s house and found her sitting in the library. She’d been there, by herself, since you three left for L.A.”
“I’m really sorry Boss.” Said Tony desperately. “I screwed up, but I’m so sorry.”
“It’s not your fault DiNozzo.” Shrugged Gibbs. “Tim’s right. You two got direct orders from you director, there was nothing you could do. Besides, Jenny was dying anyway. She had cancer, and no one knew how much time she had left. She chose to die a hero’s death instead of wasting away in a hospital bed, and I don’t think that’s something any of us could argue with her about.” He glanced around at his team, all of whom were looking at each other in mingled shock and agreement. “Beating yourself over something you had nothing to do with isn’t going to do anyone much good.”



“Who was that guy?”
“I could see his gun, maybe he’s security for some new kid.”
“I heard he was looking at the school for the President’s daughters.”
“They’re not in highschool yet, you idiot. I heard it was for a Saudi Prince, you know what sticklers they are for security.”
Cali ignored the whispers as she went through her classes, not really caring to correct the misconceptions. It amused her to hear all of her classmates bizarre theories. But finally someone managed to actually hit on a piece of truth. “Angela saw him with Sheppard this morning.”
They all turned to stare at her curiously and she gritted her teeth, trying to pretend she hadn’t heard all the gossiping and that she couldn’t feel their eyes drilling into her back. She’d been an anomaly in school since she arrived, because she never talked about her parents, she dressed like any other person the street (the word riff-raff had been tossed after her a lot when she first started attending), and for the longest time it had been rumoured that she was a scholarship student, charity. Now all the kids were second-guessing their theories and trying to figure out who she might be that she needed a body guard to come through and check out the school. Finally one of the snobbier girls tapped her on the shoulder and she closed her eyes briefly, trying to control her temper before glancing up carelessly. If there was anything she’d inherited from her mother, it was her temper, and her acting skills. “Can I help you Amanda?” she asked sweetly. And the ability to remember anyone’s name, regardless of whether or not she’d ever spoken to them in her life.
“Is it true that the guy Fredericks was showing around the school this morning was your bodyguard?” asked Amanda nonchalantly, but curiosity glinted in her eyes. The other kids were rich, but they had no idea how to be politicians like their mommies and daddies were. “I mean, does he really work for you?”
Cali wanted to roll her eyes. These people thought everyone worked for them, the thought never crossed their minds that the adults pulled the strings instead. “No, he works for my mom.” She replied carelessly, not bothering to mention that her mother was dead. She didn’t want to start crying in the middle of school. Her reputation SO didn’t need that. “He’s not my bodyguard, he was just here to take a look around, reevaluate whether or not I should be going here.”
“Like whether or not you would be safe here?” asked one of the boys, James his name was.
“The academics.” She corrected.
“Oh.” None of them cared about the academics, it wasn’t nearly as interesting as the idea that the school nobody might turn out to be a somebody. Amanda barged on with the more interesting theory, trying to act friendly with Cali in case it might get her up close with someone more cool and important than her other friends, someone on her level. “So who’s your mom? You’ve never said. Is she, like, an ambassador or something?”
Cali shrugged like there was nothing less interesting to talk about than her mom. “She used to work with the CIA, now she’s Director of a federal agency, I can never really remember which one.” She thought this would make them back off, after all what was cool or exciting about law enforcement? But she’d said a magic word, and suddenly there were whispers everywhere, spreading the word that Callida’s mother was CIA. She swore silently, the crossed herself hastily. She was determined to stay on God’s good side as best she knew how right now, because she didn’t think she could take another round of bad karma. But the last thing she’d wanted was to make people think she was cool and exciting, she just wanted them all to leave her alone.
“Did she ever get captured?” asked one of the girls, excitedly.
“Is she part of some classified stuff?”
“Have you gotten to meet anyone important?”
“How many people has she killed?”
Cali slammed her book shut, frustrated, and started packing her bag up to the dismay of her new-found ‘best friends’. She swung her bag over her shoulder and headed over to the door. To her horror, though, a teacher caught her as she was walking through, and gave her a sympathetic look. “Sir....” she began, trying to stop the man from saying it while she still could, but the words were already spilling out of his mouth.
“I’m sorry to hear about your mother, Callida.” Said the man. “She was an amazing woman.”
Tears stung in Cali’s eyes and the man seemed to realize too late what had happened. The whispers began new rounds and Cali pushed out the door, almost running down the hallway. She yanked the door to an empty classroom open and slammed it closed behind her, sinking down against the door, her shoulders shaking with silent tears. After a few minutes, she lifted her head out of her lap, wiping at her eyes. She started when she caught sight of the boy watching her from across the room. She’d thought the classroom was empty. “I...I didn’t mean to...damnit.” she sighed, trying to scrub the redness from her eyes, a self-defeating mission. He handed her a box of tissues silently, and she got her first good look at him in the dim light. He was a kid that had shown up last year. Cali had felt an immediate kinship with him because he seemed to be in the same situation as her, not rich or powerful, a nobody who had gotten mixed into a school of somebodies because of the good classes. She’d tried to strike up a friendship with him, but he’d quickly proved to be anti-social, or so she’d thought. “Thanks.” She muttered, accepting the tissues and drying her eyes properly. He sat down on the floor next to her and she glanced at him curiously, appraising him carefully for the first time. “Toda.” She said, repeating her gratitude in Hebrew and hoping she was right.
Sure enough, he looked at her, surprised, and a smile spread across his face. “You speak Hebrew.” He observed, in the same language.
“Some.” She replied, shaping her mouth around the sounds. They felt different from what she was used to, but she knew it would only take her a few minutes to get into the swing of it. “I like languages, it’s fun to be able to surprise people by knowing how to speak to them on their own terms.”
“I agree.” He laughed, in lightly accented English. “You’re Callida right?”
“Cali.” She corrected, switching back to English as well. “And you’re Jacob. Thanks for the tissues.”
“No problem.” He shrugged. “And it’s Jake. What were you so upset about anyway?”
She sighed, banging her head back against the door. “I’m having a really shitty day.” She replied, giving up on her twenty-four hour attempt to stop cursing. “Pardon my French.” She added, in case he was offended, but he waved it off. “I didn’t think there was anyone else in here, and I needed to vent.”
“I generally find that talking to someone makes my shitty days much better.” He said, grinning at the reciprocal use of a curse.
She smiled too, even laughing a little. “Yeah, yeah me too. Normally I would call my mom, wherever she was that day, and talk to her about it, but....” she trailed off, yanking out another tissue and daubing under her eye to keep the tears from spilling out.
“Ah.” He glanced at her sympathetically, and she felt a little bit better, like he really understood, and he did. “You must be Jenny Sheppard’s daughter.” Cali’s head jerked up and she stared at him shocked. “Ziva’s my cousin.” He explained. “Ziva Davíd? Anyway, she keeps an eye on me now that I’m in the area. She might have mentioned something, and when I remembered your name, well....” he shrugged apologetically.
Cali shook her head. “So are you going to be Mossad too?” she asked curiously.
“Maybe.” Replied Jacob thoughtfully. “It’s a family business, but then again, so is yours, and you probably aren’t so sure about what you want to do.”
“I’m going to be an agent too.” Said Cali quietly. She wasn’t sure when she’d realized that Tim was right, it was in her blood and she would do it well, but she knew it was true now.
He smiled at her, laughter in his eyes. “Then I guess I will be also.” He laughed. “After all, you’ve just screwed up my entire basis for thinking I could choose another career.”
“You based your beliefs on me?” she asked dryly, raising an eyebrow.
“Absolutely.” He replied, seriously. “I’ve been formulating these theories for the last year based on you and your family, but I promise I’m not a stalker.”
“That’s comforting.” She laughed, relaxing.
He seemed to sense the change and his smile widened a little. “I guess it wouldn’t be would it?” he pulled the box out of her hand and tossed it across the room with such accuracy that it landed, right-side-up on the table. He looked very pleased with himself and she couldn’t help giggling. He feigned indignance. “Oh come on, wasn’t it the least bit impressive? I’m trying here, you’ve got to give me something.”
“It was very impressive.” She giggled, but he couldn’t be appeased if he couldn’t take her seriously. “I’m sorry, it’s just...I’ve never seen anyone so proud of throwing a tissue box across the room.” She gasped with laughter, feeling a stitch form in her side. He grinned and the two of them sat in companionable silence for a while before the loudspeaker sounded the switch classes signal. He climbed to his feet and offered her a hand up. She took it and he helped her to her feet, handing her the bag that she dropped to the ground earlier. “Toda.” She said again, feeling much better.
“I hope you feel better.” He said gently, pulling the door back open. “You know, I think we both have the same class this period. You want to walk with me?”
“Sure.” She murmured, grateful not to have to say goodbye to her new friend just yet. They made their way over to her class slowly, not talking and not needing to.
But when they finally reached the door, he clapped a hand to his forehead, his eyes sparkling with laughter. “I completely forgot. I don’t have Civics until next period. Oh well, at least I got to walk with a pretty girl.” And before she could so much as laugh, he was gone. She smiled to herself, secretly pleased, as she made her way over to her seat, and not even the whispers that surrounded her now could quite bring down her improved spirits.

After school got out, Jacob found her again and offered to share a cab out to the Navy Yard if she was going that way. She accepted and the two of them hailed a taxi outside the school, giving the NCIS headquarters address. A half an hour later, they got out, tipping the driver, and headed into the building. Cali wasn’t entirely sure why she’d decided to come here instead of going home, maybe just because she didn’t think of it as home yet. It still felt like Gibbs’s house to her, and she didn’t feel comfortable staying there alone all afternoon, especially without any homework to do (which she knew very well had only happened in classes that she was in). But whatever it was, she was here now, and she realized that she was about to show up at her father’s work with a boy. Oh. Shit. She fidgeted a little in the elevator, and if Jacob noticed he didn’t say anything. She took a deep breath as the doors slid open and they stepped out, one after the other. “Hi Tim.” She greeted brightly, dragging a chair over and sitting down between his and Gibbs’s desks.
She didn’t completely ignore her father, but she only gave him a brief nod of acknowledgement. He suppressed the urge to roll his eyes and eyed the boy who’d come in after her with some suspicion. He’d settled himself next to Ziva and the two were chatting comfortably, not that this was particularly reassuring for him. “did you need something Cal?” he asked, deciding to get to the point.
Cali shrugged, still not knowing what to say about why she’d come. “I figured here was as good a place to be as any.” She replied. “And that it would be the more interesting of my options. I was thinking maybe I could use the gym.”
“I don’t think anyone reserved it for today, so yeah, that shouldn’t be a problem.” He said. “Who’s your friend?”
She’d been expecting this at some point, but she was pleased by how casually he asked. She didn’t really feel that he had earned the right to be protective yet. They might get along just fine, and she intended to give him every shot, like her mother had asked, but it didn’t mean that he was her father. Not yet. “This is Jacob, he’s Ziva’s cousin, he goes to my school.” And he’s really sweet, she added in her own head. She didn’t dare say it out loud, though, or the thought about him being really cute too.... She shook herself a little and bounced back out of her chair. “Alright, bye guys.” She announced, heading over to the stairs.
“Cal!” Gibbs called her back. “Why don’t you bring Jacob with you? Maybe you can show him around a little.” She understood what he was doing. He was offering her a chance to hang out on her own with a boy he knew she liked. In an office full of armed federal agents, maybe, but there would be no parental supervision.
“Sure.” She replied, like it was no big deal, but her eyes glowed at her father. “Come on Jacob.”
He watched the two teenagers head out, not liking the way Jacob’s eyes never left Cali. He turned back to the bull-pen with a scowl and Tony glanced at him. “Boss, you do realize you just sent your daughter off on her own with a boy, right?” he pointed out nervously. He wasn’t sure whether or not this comment would get him a head-slap.
“Yeah, I’m aware of that, DiNozzo.” Growled Gibbs. “I may have to kill your cousin, Ziva, but if I’m forced to do so, he may as well die happy.”



She’d changed into the gym clothes in her bag quickly and was now beating up a punching bag, her face twisted in grim concentration as she pummeled the bag with her fists. Her hair was pinned up in a messy ponytail/bun and she was wearing a tank-top and sweatpants for better maneuverability, and no shoes or socks. She hated wearing things on her feet, it felt too contained. She could feel several pairs of eyes on her, and felt a stab of pride that she could draw the impressed gaze of the adult agents with her fighting. But there was one pair that felt different from the others and she knew it was Jacob, watching her with interest. She could tell that she fascinated him and she liked it, it felt nice to have someone look at her that way. She enjoyed the knowledge that she could draw the attention of a future or present Mossad operative, it gave her an ego boost of about six points out of ten. Suddenly, she felt a second pair of different eyes. These were also interested, but not the same way. It wasn’t attraction, it was like an art critic looking at a newly discovered piece by a famous artist, appraising and trying to figure out if she was worth anything to him. He seemed to decide that she was, because she felt the body heat next to her as he started to punch the bag next to hers. “You’re Sheppard’s daughter.” Came the voice, a good mask over his curiosity, but not quite good enough.
“What of it?” she asked through gritted teeth as she threw another solid kick at her punching bag.
“Leon Vance. I succeeded your mother as Director of NCIS.” He said, leveling up as he watched her fight from the corner of his eye. He was making it an indirect competition, and she was determined to win. She recognized him as the man who had been watching her when Gibbs first brought her in to NCIS, and she knew that she didn’t particularly like him, it was just a feeling, but she’d always trusted her gut, it had never steered her wrong before. “If you don’t mind my saying so, you don’t look very much like Jenny.”
“I do mind.” She said, not bothering to look at him. She could read people well and she knew that it irritated him to be treated like this, especially by a kid. “I’m not my mom, but I know a politician when I see one. I don’t want to play that game, sir, it’s not my thing.”
“I see.” He observed, amused. “And what is your thing, Miss Sheppard?”
Cali stopped, breathing only a little heavier than usual, and turned to look at him, holding his gaze easily. “Honesty.” She replied bluntly. “I don’t like politics, they make you lie and bend, just to make other people happy and pad the budget. I’d rather be on my feet all day, getting the real picture and being able to give some kind of closure to people. Don’t get me wrong, Mom was good at her job, and she never budged from her position if she had to, but I take after the rest of my family more. She was the first politician, and she’s likely to be the last.”
Leon offered her a friendly smile, but she didn’t like it, didn’t buy it. “Well, allow me to say that your talents will always be welcome at NCIS. Come see me sometime when you start looking for a job.”
She nodded shortly. “I may take you up on that.” she replied, turning back to her punching bag. “But if I were you, I wouldn’t count on holding the position that long. I’ve got an easy decade between now and when I start looking into agencies. I don’t want nepotism, sir, it might be better for me to go into FBI or CIA instead.”
“But you won’t.” he said knowingly. “You’ve got history here, and you’ll come back to it for the same reasons that marines go to FLET-C after they finish their tours.”
“Cut it out Leon.” Came a dangerously quiet voice from behind them. Cali turned to see Gibbs, a look on his face that told her he’d heard the whole conversation, and she turned away from the two men, heading over to where Jacob stood on the other side of the gym.
“Got a problem Gibbs?” asked Leon, not seeming to notice the tension in the older man’s body language.
“Yeah, I have to say I do.” Replied Gibbs slowly. “I’ve got a problem with you trying to recruit a fifteen years old who just lost her mother. What, exactly, do you think you’re doing?”
Leon paused mid-punch and turned to look at his agent. “I offered her a job once she’s old enough, there’s nothing wrong with that.” He said calmly.
Gibbs glared at his new boss. He had liked Leon, ten years ago, but the last year or so had proved to him that the man had changed, a lot, and Gibbs didn’t like or trust him anymore. “She’s fifteen. You’re trying to take advantage of her. Don’t.”
“A little protective, don’t you think Gibbs?” asked Leon casually. “We all liked Jenny, you don’t have any more say over that girl than anyone else.”
“Cali isn’t Jen.” Growled Gibbs. “And I’d have to disagree with you Leon, I’ve got every say over her.”
“Ah.” Gibbs hated the way Vance said that, like it was some dirty, shameful secret that couldn’t be said out loud, like he ought to be ashamed to connect himself to Cali and Jenny that way. “Well, then I guess she won’t be accepting my offer. Seems she doesn’t like nepotism.”
He moved to turn back to the punching bag, to leave that last remaining sting in his agent, but Gibbs caught his arm. “Don’t go after her.”
“She’s got talent, Gibbs, you should be proud of her for that.” Replied Leon, turning the tables again.
“Oh, I am.” Agreed Gibbs, still holding the new director’s gaze firmly.
Leon gave up on the idea that he might get back to his workout. At least now he knew where the girl got it from. “I checked her out, she’s got more potential than you realize.” He explained. “She’s an excellent student, top in her school, and pretty high up when she tests in the district. The girl could get into just about any college she wanted to. She’s got a talent with languages, she can fight,” he gestured to the punching bag that Cali had so recently vacated. “She’s everything an agency could want and more. I’d be stupid not to try and get her for NCIS.”
A thought occurred to Gibbs, one that he really didn’t like. “You read Jen’s file.” He accused. “You knew she had a child, but you didn’t say anything.”
“After Director Sheppard died, I did look up her next-of-kin, yes.” Agreed Leon, like that wasn’t a big deal.
Gibbs loomed over the other man, furious. “She was alone in that house for a week.” He growled. “What the hell were you playing at? What were you trying to do? Make her think everyone had walked out on her and then show up as the hero with a life-vest?” Leon didn’t say anything and Gibbs knew he was right. “Stay away from my daughter, Leon.” He warned darkly. He turned away and headed over to where Cali and Jacob were talking quietly. He touched her arm gently, his eyes still stormy with anger at the thought that Vance had left her on her own for a week and would have left her longer if he hadn’t shown up. “Time to go, Cal.”
“It’s only four.” She protested, glancing up at him.
But he shook his head, decidedly. All he wanted to do was get her as far away from Vance as possible, and he didn’t care if it meant leaving early. “Come on, I’ll take you home.”
He tried to lead her out of the gym, but she pulled away from him, still in a bad mood. “I don’t need you to protect me from Vance.” She told him, annoyed. “I can take care of myself.”
“I know you can Cali.” He sighed, not really capable of arguing with her right now.
“Then why are you treating me like a baby?” she demanded, putting her hands on her hips. She didn’t think he would have an answer, not with Jacob standing a few feet away and trying not to listen in on the argument, but she was wrong.
“Because you are my baby.” He replied, a little hesitant and sad. “No matter how old you get or how well you can take care of yourself.”
She glared at him, her electric blue eyes flashing with anger, embarrassment, and resentment.. “I don’t care what Mom said!” she spat at him, furious. “You’re not my father!” and with that she stalked out of the gym, leaving him feeling exhausted and helpless.
He sighed, dragging his fingers through his hair and glancing at Jacob. “Do yourself a favour, kid.” He told the boy, and Jacob could read the sorrow in his voice as he said it. “Don’t get involved with the Sheppard women. Your life will be a lot easier.”
“I don’t really think I can help it, sir.” Said Jacob, the appropriate amount of apology and respect in his tone.
Gibbs nodded slowly. “Then I hope you’re a fast learner.”

Cali wasn’t entirely sure where she was, and she stopped dead in the middle of the hallway, leaning back against the wall. She banged her head back, hard, and kicked the wall viciously. He didn’t have a right to be protective of her, he’d only known her four days and he’d only known they were related for three. As far as she was concerned, he had no business trying to fight her battles for her. Her mother had never done that, she’d let Cali fight things out her way, and if Gibbs thought just because Jenny’s will had named him as Cali’s father that he could control her life, he was so very wrong. She wouldn’t let him control her, she was her own person, almost a woman, and she didn’t need his help. Her back stiffened with resolve and a steely glint entered her eyes.
In the quiet, she could hear the quiet thrumming of a bass, and her soul immediately reached out to it. She’d always been a sucker for music, and the rhythm that was pulsing through the building had a cradling affect on her tired mind. The music grew louder with every step she took in its direction until all she could hear, feel, even see, was the rolling beat inside her head as she stood in the sliding glass doorway. Her eyes were a little dreamy as she stood there, letting the music wash over her. It was powerful and loud and heavy and controlling, and she loved it. Finally, she noticed the petite woman in a lab-coat standing in front of a computer wearing knee-high platform combat boots. The woman’s pitch-black hair was in two braids like a school girl’s, and there was a spider-web tat across her neck and metal-studded leather all over her. Cali grinned, recognizing the fashionable side of Goth-drama. The Goth’s back straightened nervously as she felt eyes on her and she turned her head slowly. She jumped when she saw Cali standing there. “Whoa! Hey!” yelped Abby, startled. She examined Cali carefully, taking in the electric blue eyes, stylishly careless workout clothes and scarlet toenails. “Don’t do that!” she sighed, clutching her racing heart dramatically. She dropped into her computer chair and spun around in a circle. “You must be the Boss-man’s daughter.” She observed, eyeing Cali fondly.
The teenager’s fists clenched and her anger returned. “Why would you think that?”
Abby grinned, wagging her finger in Cali’s general direction. “Not many people with baby blues like that darlin’.” She laughed. “Plus, the team put together a picture of what Gibbs’s and the Director’s kid would look like a few years back, and you’re practically a carbon-copy of that picture.” She spun around again, giggling at the dizzy sensation it gave her. “We’ve been waiting for those two to have Gibblets for a long time. Well, I have anyway. I guess we didn’t have to.”
“He’s not my father.” She muttered, furious. She plopped down into a chair, watching Abby suspiciously. “I like your music by the way.”
The Goth tossed her a sympathetic glance. “Thanks. Having some trouble bonding after what happened to your mom?”
Cali sighed, her head falling back over the back of the chair. “He thinks that just because Mom asked him to look after me it gives him the right to go all Prom Night on me. I don’t need him getting into my business, I can handle Vance on my own.”
“Whoa.” Abby looked shocked. “Honey, Director Vance is....” she glanced around, making sure he wasn’t in the room. “He’s a slimy bastard.” She whispered conspiratorially. “And he’ll do anything to get what he wants, Gibbs knows that. Don’t get mad at him for playing defense there, if Vance is trying to get a hold of you, we’ll all help him. It’s got nothing to do with you and everything to do with Vance and his arrogance.”
Cali looked surprised. “What do you mean, trying to get a hold of me? I’m only fifteen, I’m useless to the agency.”
“No, honey, you’re only useless on the payroll.” Abby pointed out. “You’re still young enough that if he can get you to train for him, manipulate you, he can mold you into whatever kind of agent he wants. It’s wrong, but he’ll do it.”
Suddenly Cali was ashamed of herself for pushing her father away like she had, for hurting him that way. She sighed and dropped her head into her hands. “God, I’m stupid.” She mumbled.
“No, babe, you’re a kid.” Laughed Abby. “You don’t need to know everything yet, it’s a time to have a little fun in life.” Abby tossed a hacky sack at the girl and it hit her on the head. Cali let out a sound of protest and flung it back, unable to help the lopsided smile that fluttered across her lips. Abby grinned wickedly. “There she is!” she exclaimed gleefully. “Awesome arm by the way. Hey, I’ll make you a deal.” Cali listened, interestedly. “You go tell your dad you didn’t mean what you said and try to work this all out with him, and I’ll see if I can talk him into letting me have you for the weekend. We’ll have fun, a real girls’ night out, no guys allowed, and you can let loose a little for once.”
Cali glanced at her warily. “I don’t even know you.” She pointed out.
Abby shrugged, still grinning. “I don’t know you either, but do you really think either of us could claim to be Gibbs’s favourite girls and not get along perfectly? I’ve known Gibbs for years, and I wouldn’t ever have lasted at NCIS if I hadn’t gotten on his good side. I may look scary, but I’m really just a puppy.”
She said this with a very straight face and Cali couldn’t help laughing along with her. “That’s probably true.” She sighed, biting her lip. “Do I have to apologize?”
“Yes.” replied Abby firmly. “You’re worse than your father, you know that? At least he knows better than to ask. Now go ahead and talk to him and then come on back. I’ll work on my speech for later.”



Cali fidgeted uncomfortably by the bull-pen, waiting for McGee to get off the phone. When he set the receiver down, he turned to her, smiling. “What’s up?”
“Do you know where I can find my dad?” she asked, trying out the new word carefully.
“Uh, I’m not sure where he is, but I think he’ll be back soon.” Replied McGee amicably. “If you want to stick around, he’ll probably show up soon.”
She nodded and sat down at Gibbs’s desk, turning the computer chair in a bored half-circle. “Where is everybody?” she asked, puzzled.
McGee looked up at her, refocusing his eyes from his monitor. “Uh, well, Tony went out to interview a suspect, Ziva had to drive her cousin back home, and Gibbs, well, like I said, I’m not entirely sure where Gibbs is.”
Cali frowned, swinging her legs a little. She felt a pair of eyes on her and looked up, casting a true Gibbs scowl up at Vance where he stood watching her from the railings. Just then, the elevator doors opened and she saw Gibbs inside. She hurried over and slipped in before he could step out and hit the button calmly. As soon as the elevator started moving again, she flipped the emergency switch, and stood, looking down at her hands uncomfortably. “I...I just wanted...to say....” she struggled with the words, not quite knowing how to say it. “I’m sorry I said you weren’t my father.” She blurted, flushing deeply. Gibbs just looked at her, surprised and quiet, so she barged on, trying to say the right thing. “It was mean, and I know you were just trying to help, and I shouldn’t have gotten so mad, I just.... I don’t know what to do without Mom.” She finished helplessly. “I don’t know how to deal with anything anymore, and everything’s changing all at once.”
Gibbs watched her sadly, and reached out to pull her into a hug. She let him fold her up, sniffing a little, and he rubbed his hand along her back soothingly. “I understand.” He sighed gently, relieved that the argument hadn’t lasted long. He knew very well that the Sheppard temper was perfectly capable of lasting days, if not longer. “But it’s going to be okay, Cal, I promise. We’ll figure this out together, alright?”
She nodded, her face buried in his shirt. “Kay.” She muttered, curling up tighter.
He pushed her back with a sigh, holding onto her shoulders. “There’s something I’d like you to have, Cali.” He said, gazing at her sadly. “I meant to give it to Jenny, but I never got the chance, and I think you should have it.”
Cali’s expression was confused as he pulled out the little box that he’d been carrying around with him for the last few days, unwilling to part with its contents. He placed the box in her palm, closing her fingers around it and hugging her again, pressing his cheek to the top of her head. When she pulled back, she flipped the lid open and gasped. “It’s so pretty.” She whispered, staring at the ring. Her eyes darted back up to her father’s and she looked like she was about to cry. “But...But I....”
“It belongs to you.” He said decidedly. “Jenny would want you to have it, and so do I. Maybe...Maybe it’ll help you hold onto the good memories of her.”
“Thank you.” She whispered, plucking the delicate ring out of the box and slipping it onto her finger. Her eyes lit up at the sight of it and she wrapped her arms around him happily. “Thank you Daddy.”
He closed his eyes, burying his face in his daughter’s hair, and knew there were a few tears on his cheeks. He’d keep his promise to her, and they’d make this work. Together, they could learn to live without Jennifer Sheppard.