Chapter 5: The Difference

FINALLY COMPLETED! I really hated to say goodbye to this story, since I've had so much fun with it, I kind of stalled with posting this. But here's the conclusion. It does contain a spoiler for the JAG eps Ice Queen and Meltdown and assumes that part of what happened on the JAG series finale didn't really happen.

Coming towards them was a young woman dressed in the uniform of a Marine First Lieutenant. A woman in her early twenties. Strawberry blond hair pulled back in a chignon. Bright blue eyes that were shining in his direction. And a smile that lit up her face and was so very familiar.

Gibbs took an unconscious step towards her. Everything in him felt alive with hope as he whispered, "Kelly?"

"Sorry, I got caught up researching and lost track of time." Her voice was more mature, that of a woman instead of a child, but still unmistakably her.

"Kelly?" Gibbs repeated, his own voice shaking.

"Yes, Dad?" came the uncertain reply. Tears welled up in Gibbs' eyes and he stepped forward to do something he hadn't been able to do for 16 years and didn't think he'd ever get to do again. Jethro Gibbs reached out and pulled his daughter into a hug.

"Dad, you're crying." Kelly's voice was soft. "Is everything all right?" Gibbs hugged her again.

"Oh, sweetheart, everything is very all right." He stepped back slightly. "Let me look at you."

Kelly started smiling. "Dad, are you getting emotional because this is your first time seeing me as a JAG attorney in uniform?" She laughed and gave him a light slap on the shoulder. "And you were teasing Mom about that this morning!"

"Your Mom." Gibbs was overcome with a second wave of emotion. He shook his head, still smiling, and caught sight of Mr. Jones standing near the stairwell. The angel had a smile on his face and he nodded slightly. Gibbs looked back at his daughter.

"Kelly, wait here just one minute. There's someone I need to talk to."

Gibbs heard Kelly's worried voice as he started for the stairs, asking, "Tony, is he okay?"

"I don't know, Kel. He started acting kind of funny a few minutes ago." Gibbs just shook his head and approached the stairs.

"Shannon and Kelly...aren't dead," Gibbs said softly. The angel nodded and Gibbs shook his head in wonder. "How?"

"You chose to look a second time," Mr. Jones said simply. "And to quote Robert Frost, that made all the difference. The Iraqi snipers shot you twice—in the chest and abdomen—and you had to be airlifted out of Iraq to a European hospital. They notified Shannon and she and Kelly flew out. That was on January 31. And she didn't come back to the US until your condition stabilized enough for you to travel, almost three weeks later."

"But she saw Hernandez kill the Marine on February 12," Gibbs said slowly. Mr. Jones nodded.

"Since she wasn't in Oceanside to see the murder, Hernandez had no reason to want her dead. Now she works part-time as a 911 dispatcher and Kelly just started her first day at JAG." Jones winked. "Which is why she's here in the office. You're taking her out for lunch to celebrate."

Gibbs' eyes were still glistening. "Anything else?"

"Uh, you're also meeting Shannon at 3:30 at Ashwood Junior High, for a parent-teacher conference," Jones replied. Gibbs stared at him.

"I've got another child?"

"Two, actually. Lisa, who your wife got pregnant with just before you shipped out to Desert Storm, and Jack. He came along two years after Lisa and has been making your lives very interesting lately with the way he never does his homework."

"I don't know how to thank you for all this," Gibbs said softly. "But I'll remember it for the rest of my life."

"First of all, I didn't do anything. You did, by making the right choice," Jones told him. "Secondly, only if you plan on dying in the next few seconds. Once I'm gone, all you'll remember is your new life with Shannon and your children. And of course, Rule Number Eight."

"Never take anything for granted," Gibbs said hoarsely. "Never take anything for granted."

0

"So I guess this means that you coming by the office won't always be a good thing anymore," Ziva joked. Kelly grinned.

"As long as Dad heads your team, you guys will be safe. I can't work anything he's worked because of conflict of interest. But the rest of the agents here..."

"Will mind their manners or they'll have me to deal with," Gibbs said smoothly as he rejoined the group. "Sorry about that. You ready to go?"

"Absolutely," Kelly said with a smile. "See you guys later."

"So how's your first day going?" Gibbs asked as they stepped into the elevator.

"Pretty good. Commander Rabb has me researching an old case." Kelly glanced at her father. "Isn't that the guy you…"

"Uh-huh," Gibbs said dryly. Kelly winced.

"That explains the look he gave me when he heard my name."

The elevator doors opened and they stepped out, noticing that a heavy rain had started. Kelly put her cover on her head and grimaced. "Should have grabbed my coat."

"You and me both," Gibbs answered. "Come on, let's make a run for it."

They still managed to get drenched by the time they reached Kelly's vehicle. As Kelly prepared to pull out of the parking lot, Gibbs asked, "So why are you looking into an old case?"

"You know that drug dealer who's coming up on trial for killing that Naval Corpsman?"

Gibbs nodded. "Pedro Hernandez—arrested last year.

"Looks like he also killed a Marine 16 years ago in Oceanside, California. That's the case I'm looking into."

Gibbs stared at his daughter. "We lived in Oceanside 16 years ago," he remarked.

Kelly nodded. "Yeah, when you were still in the Corps. I know. Creepy, isn't it? I mean, that could have been you or something."

Gibbs just shook his head, as the rain streamed against the car window.

THE END!