"I have good news."
Director Jenny Shepard stands before us, a small smile gracing her lips.
"Gibbs has regained consciousness."
Abby jumps for joy and wraps her arms around McGee's shoulders. Ziva nods her head, a determined expression on her face. Tony and I share a look, our lips curving up gently as we sigh in relief.
"However, there's also a problem." She continues. "He has some memory loss."
"Retrogressive amnesia is totally normal after severe trauma." Abby keeps her hopes up.
"Happens every time boss smacks me on the back of the head." Tony shrugs his shoulders, to which I gently tap his head. "See? Happened again."
McGee joins in. "Well, you know, I had amnesia after my car crash."
"Your bumper car get T-boned in Legoland, probie?"
"No, Tony. I told you about when I totaled my Camaro when I was sixteen. That day is still a blank to me."
"Well, Gibbs' blank is the last fifteen years." She cuts in. "To him, it's 1991, and he's a Marine gunny sergeant wounded in Desert Storm."
Ziva frowns lightly. "He doesn't know he's an NCIS agent?"
"He didn't recognize Ducky."
"Wait. If he doesn't remember who Ducky is. . .he'll never remember us."
"I'm sure it's a temporary condition." She assures with a firm nod. "But for now, we have an Abu Sayyaf terrorist to apprehend. You're dismissed."
Tears prick my eyes as I shrug my jacket off. Before anyone can say another word, I run off to the women's restroom. A pair of footsteps follow, stopping me from locking the door.
"Eva. . ." Ziva's broken voice speaks from the other side, forcing me to let her in. "You cannot keep shutting the rest of us out."
My hands wrap around my throat as I choke out a few sobs. "It. . .It should have. . .should have been. . .me."
As my legs give up, Ziva is quick to catch me. She holds me against her as I cry out painfully, wanting nothing more than for all of this to end.
Who knows how long has passed before we return to the bullpen with the others. Every so often, Ziva looks in my direction as though to make sure I wouldn't drop to the floor sobbing again.
Tony paces up and down the bullpen, remote to the plasma screen in his hand.
"Abby, I want a reenactment of the explosion, okay?" He stops beside her. "Using crime scene photos, measurements, Ducky's ā"
"Ducky's autopsy findings. I know how to do a computer reenactment, Tony." She cuts him off.
He moves onto Ziva next. "Ziva, what'd you get out of the cook, uh. . .what's his name again?"
"Alon Atu. From the same Filipino village in Basilan as Pinpin." She stands up. "He's hardcore Abu Sayyaf. He won't talk unless ā"
"No torture. Just try."
"Fine. But you're tying my feet."
"Hands."
Tony looks towards me, and I know exactly what he wants me to do.
"Yeah, yeah." I roll my eyes. "I'll make sure she doesn't resort to torture."
I grab my bag and rush behind the liaison officer before she can leave. Catching on, she slows her pace.
That night, Tony arrives at my apartment as soon as we're let off work. He tosses a bag of takeout onto the table before pulling me into his chest.
"Is something wro ā"
"Just let me hold you."
Although I don't understand why he wants to keep me in his arms, I stay there. His chin presses against the top of my head, and I feel teardrops wet my hair.
Another night passes, and we concur in the bullpen once again. This time, McGee and Abby have an explosion reenactment ready for us.
"If Gibbs had been standing when the bomb was detonated, he'd have been blasted into the bulkhead and shredded by shrapnel." McGee pauses the video.
An animated Gibbs is pinned against the wall, pieces of shrapnel flying through the air and piercing his skin.
Abby continues. "Gibbs had to duck for cover before the bomb went off."
"He knew."
"How is that possible?"
"There is something wrong with this picture. Something wrong with what we already know." Ziva states. "We know Galib ran. We know Gibbs pursued him. We know they were in the ship's laundry. We know Galib sat on a bomb inside the oil drum."
"Now we also know Gibbs somehow knew about the bomb beforehand."
Ziva snaps her fingers abruptly. "We also know Pinpin, a missing crewman on the Bakir Kamir, is an Abu Sayyaf terrorist and probably the one who planted and detonated the bomb."
"They're right." Tony nods his head in approval. "So. . .what is wrong with this picture?"
Before we can get an answer, Ducky calls us down to Autopsy.
"Neck bone's cut. The cervical vertebra was cut very deeply." He displays through the magnifying glass. "You were slashed from ear to ear, weren't you?"
"Machete or bolo knife." Tony peers into the neck area of the remains.
McGee tightens his lips. "If Galib was dead, who did Gibbs follow into the laundry compartment?"
We bring the captain back to interrogation, this time setting him up with just Ziva. I watch from the backroom with McGee and Tony.
Unlike before, Ziva draws one of her weapons.
"That's not loaded, is it?" McGee gulps nervously.
Tony stares into the room, watching the captain's facial expression. "Would Gibbs allow Ziva to carry a loaded weapon in there?"
"No. Of course not."
"And I'm not Gibbs, right?"
"Damn it, Tony."
Ziva circles around to the captain's side of the room. She presses him against the double glass, the muzzle of her gun hovering in front of his forehead.
"That's the NCIS ID photo of Special Agent Abog Galib that I showed Gibbs." Jenny nods towards the photograph displayed on one of the plasmas. "What's your point, DiNozzo?"
"A scary one, director." Tony clicks the remote once, and a picture of Pinpin appears right next to the other. "Captain Mahir admitted to Ziva that Pinpin passed himself off as Galib at the Customs check."
Her jaw drops slightly. "And Gibbs would have expected Galib to change his appearance going undercover."
"Dirtying himself up, growing out a mustache and longer hair." I point out.
"So when Pinpin handed him Galib's passport, it was good enough."
"Handed me." I clear my throat, and the others look at me. "I was the one who recognized the picture and gave it to Gibbs."
Jenny places a hand on my shoulder, squeezing it gently. "It's not your fault. "
Words can only do so much.
"Galib's documents are vetted to get him on any crew in the world."
"Including the Cape Fear and Cape Horn."
"We sent a second BOLO with Pinpin's photo." Ziva mentions. "Both ships confirmed he was not onboard."
Tony glances down at her. "We'll send it again, then. This time with Abog Galib."
While the team works hard to find our terrorist, I finally muster up enough courage to go to the hospital. It's dark in Gibbs' room, and he wakes up at full alert when I touch his hand.
"Eva." He whispers.
Ziva had visited him earlier and helped retrieve most of his memories of the past fifteen years, including meeting all of us.
"My father. . .he left me when I was younger. And I. . ." My lips quiver. "And I've always wanted to know what it's like to have a dad. Someone who will be there for you every moment."
His hand wraps around my own, and he stands up from the bed.
"Kelly." He holds my face in his hands. "You remind me so much of Kelly."
I furrow my brows but don't question it. He's still recovering, and I can't force him to tell me something I probably shouldn't know.
"Oh, Eva."
I drive him back to headquarters where he can take over in MTAC. He greets the others in his usual way, and it feels like he's back to normal.
But only temporarily.
Unfortunately, the Cape Fear is blown up, killing everyone on board including Pinpin. According to NSO Deputy Director Welsh, an accident at sea is better than an act of terrorism.
Once Gibbs returns to the bullpen, he looks for his personal possessions in the top drawer.
"Oh, uh, I got them here, boss." Tony stumbles out of his chair, carrying Gibbs' things. "I had to get them from the medics when they. . .you know, took you."
"Appreciate it." Gibbs stares down at the objects. "You'll do." He shoves the gun and badge into Tony's hands. "It's your team now."
He walks to McGee next.
"Tim. . .you're a good agent. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise." They shake hands.
Abby tears up, her voice breaking. "G-Gibbs?"
The elder man simply places a finger over her lips, shutting her up. He leans forward and presses a kiss against her cheek.
Afterwards, he stops in front of me. "Stop blaming yourself for my own mistakes." A shaky sigh slips when he touches my cheek. "Take care of him. You're the only one who can."
He finally reaches Ziva.
"I owe you, Ziva." He pats her shoulder calmly.
She nods her head, a taunting smile on her lips. "I'll collect, Gibbs."
Wrapping an arm around Ducky's shoulders, the two walk towards the elevator. But he stops and turns, facing us once more.
"Semper fi."