A new family

Confrontation

The afternoon continued to pass slowly. Around 4:30 p.m, Gibbs got up and headed for the elevator. At that moment, Rose's phone rang and after a very short conversation, she stood up abruptly and ran for the elevator. "Agent Gibbs, wait!" she said. Gibbs ran his hand through the doors that were already closing and Rose entered.

" Thank you ! In fact, the day I arrived I had a badge problem so the front desk gave me a temporary one and he just called me to tell me it was good. Suddenly, I go down to find it and test it." She explained when Gibbs hadn't asked her for anything. 

 "- And you ?

- Coffee. Gibbs replied simply.

- Oh I see. I only drink coffee in the morning after breakfast and at noon at the end of my meal, but I have noticed since yesterday that you drink a lot of it. You know my mother also drank a lot of coffee. But she always told me that she had been influenced by my dad who drank tons of it." She said as if nothing had happened.

It was too much for Gibbs who could not stand this little game anymore. As the elevator was between the first floor and the ground floor and it would open in a few seconds, Gibbs pressed the emergency button and the elevator came to a halt, all lights off. Rose looked more than surprised.

"Do you intend to continue your little game for a long time?" Gibbs said almost angry.

However, Rose didn't flinch and returned Gibbs the stern look he was giving her.

"You don't impress me you know, Agent Gibbs. Since I arrived, your entire team has looked at me like an alien except Agents Bishop and Torres who seem to be the most normal people around me. So it's not your darkened elevator number that's going to scare me." She answered still so confident.

Gibbs suddenly felt like he was standing in front of Jenny as an argument was about to break out between the two of them. Yet he, too, had no intention of giving in. Thus, he redirected the discussion to the subject that HIM wanted to talk about.

"How long did you think we were going to take to find out the truth ..."  Seeing that Rose was silent, he ended his sentence by pointing at her in a way that proved he knew things "... Miss Shepard .." . This tactic paid off as Rose finally decided to respond.

"- But are you sure you know the whole truth, Agent Gibbs?

- I think I know a lot of it ...

- I would say you know the tip of the iceberg but let me judge for myself." Rose said defiantly.

Gibbs hesitated for a few moments but finally decided to play the game.

"Last name: Shepard, First name: Rose, Place of birth: Paris, Date of birth: July 27, 2000, Mother's last name: Shepard, Mother's first name: Jennifer, Mother's profession: NCIS agent at the time of birth became director of NCIS five years later, Place of residence: Paris and I imagine Washington from time to time and finally ... father unknown in civil status but your mother and you know who it is. "

Despite the lights out, Gibbs noticed the red that appeared on Rose's cheeks. But she still seemed so determined.

"- And you Agent Gibbs ... do you think you might know my father?  She asked perfectly relaxed

- Indeed, it is possible that I know him ... it seems to me that he worked with your mother ... "

Rose paused for a moment and turned to Gibbs and frowned.

"- You wanted me to stop playing, but I have the impression that you are playing with me, Agent Gibbs. I can't tell if you are sure what you are saying or if you are trying to preach the wrong to know the right.

- The secret to a good bluff is not to bluff, Miss Shepard. Besides, your mother used this rule well, although I don't think she knows it. Because I also know that your alias is actually made up of two last names: Predash and another starting with the letter G ... And I have another rule ... Rule # 39 which says

- There is no such thing as coincidence. Finished Rose smiling.

- Well there you go, I think you have your answer as to whether I know your father ... Gibbs said

- Have you known that for a long time? Rose asked more timidly

- Yesterday.

- Oh ok ... If not for your first question, my mother told me that you and your team were very good. But when I got there, I found out that Agents Dinozzo and David were no longer there and that only Agent McGee and you were left ... as well as Doctor Mallard and Doctor Palmer. So I thought there were going to be two possibilities. Either you were going to find out pretty quickly, which in my mind was about two or three weeks, and your team would take longer. Either you were going to take a long time to figure it out. Without excluding a third possibility which was where you fired me before you even understood. "

Gibbs and Rose laughed at that last sentence before she continued.

"But hey, here again, one of your rule comes into play. Rule #51: sometimes, you're wrong ... You finally took less than 24 hours ... Well that's not all but we have an investigation to solve and you still don't have your coffee, I still don't have my badge and people are going to get impatient if they wait for that elevator." She hit the emergency button and the elevator started up again.

Gibbs then asked one last question just before the doors opened onto the agency hall.

And here is finally the moment when Rose and Gibbs talk to each other and understand that they both know the truth. Although apparently, according to Rose, Gibbs is still unaware of certain things.See you tomorrow for two new chapters!