Tři mariòáky vyhodí z nočního klubu. Jeden z nich se vrací pro zapomenutou kreditku a zbývající dva někdo brutálně zmlátí. Desátník Tyler na následky zranění umírá, desátník Lacomb je v těžkém stavu převezen do nemocnice. Ducky při bližším ohledání zjistí, že útok byl veden hlavně na Lacomba a smrt Tylera nebyla v plánu. Tony přijde na to, že Lacomb pochází z Gibsova rodného města v Pensylvánii. A tak se celý tým vydává zpátky za Gibsovou minulostí a za nevyslovenými tajemstvími.

Team at the crime scene: Ducky arrives in blacktie, dressed for the opera, and he is very happy, singing to himself the Mozart tune "Non piu Andrai". It is daytime. There is banter with Tony about “A Night at the Opera”, an allusion to the Marx Bros film. Then Ducky goes into ME mode (Without Mr Palmer. Again.). There was one fatal lucky blow to the sternum but the other person, who suffered more blows, is alive. So difficult to fathom luck.
Gibbs and Ducky work out, back in autopsy, that the intended victim was Ethan Lacombe (the survivor) and the dead guy just had bad luck. Abby receives the evidence in the lab, including personal effects. There is a class ring from Stillwater High. Tony is ecstatic. Tony knows that Stillwater is Gibbs’ hometown because he hacked into the records for Gibbs (and cannot believe that the others never did). Gibbs does indeed plan to take the team to Stillwater: but having realized how intensely curious Tony is, he leaves him behind. Tony is dejected, unbelieving and hang-dog. He has to chase down leads with Abby.
In Stillwater, the Sheriff turns up immediately. He is someone from Gibbs' youth and now we know that Gibbs had a hard time when he was a kid in this town.
They drive on to the aunt’s house. Gibbs and McGee go up to the house but leave Ziva on the pavement to check in with Tony by phone.
G&McG meet the aunt who is sanguine about her nephew: he died. McGee apologises that they didn’t mean to give that impression: he is in hospital.
Aunt is ecstatic: she thought he had died in the forces 4 years ago. He’s alive? She cannot wait to go and see him. The whole town thought he was dead! Off she goes.
Meanwhile on the pavement, Ziva is approached by a whitehaired old man who tells her that she is unlikely to get reception in this part of town on her mobile phone. He butters her up (he coats her with lard and bastes her in oil, frankly). She succumbs to his charm. She is curious. He knows about NCIS. He introduces himself as Jackson. He has nice eyes. Twinkly.
Out come Gibbs and McGee from the house, up the driveway to the street. Gibbs walking in his usual deliberate, cautious style: looking hard at the visitor. There is tension in the air when they start speaking. McGee and Ziva are agog.
Gibbs: Word travels fast.
Twinkly: That it does, when people open their mouths and speak with each other. You don’t call. You don’t write. Were you going to come by and say “Hi”?
Hi, Jack.
Hi, Leroy.
Ziva. McGee: Jackson Gibbs. My father. (you should see Ziva’s eyes zoom from Jackson to Gibbs: eyes wide. Pfunf on Gibbs’ stoic, unreadable face)
McGee in the Gibbs family store: "Pretty nice setup you’ve got here Mr. Gibbs", on computer at the big table in the centre of the store.
Twinkly Jackson: "You have to stay up to date otherwise you concede to time, inch by inch."
Ziva admires his photo gallery of his Nepal mountaineering trips.
Twinkly Jackson, somewhat grumpily: “I always make it a point to return home after each of my trips. Unlike some people I know.
Curious Jackson To McGee: "Does he ever talk about me, my boy?”
“I think I once heard him refer to you as dead”
Ziva (showing astonishing levels of empathy and insight) “You must have been mistaken McGee”
McGee (realising what he just said) “Er…yes, I think he probably said “Dad”” (Gosh, good save McGee).
McGee asks "Hey what is the story on that picture there? Looks interesting." (The picture shows a thirty-ish Jackson Gibbs with an Afro-American friend, both grinning broadly at the camera, Jackson's arm resting on LJ's shoulder)
" Grand opening of the store. LJ and I opened it after too many close calls in the mine."
"LJ?"
"Leroy Jethro."
Gibbs enters the store (the bells rings).
Daddy Jackson: "Can I get you something to eat Leroy? "
Taciturn son Gibbs: "Can't. Case. "
Daddy Jackson "I can help you with that. "
The banter continues with tales of LJ working in the garage on a car he spent all his money on: Jackson says "He’d spend all of his time out in the garage working on some project. We didn’t even have electricity out there"
McGee, sotto voice to Ziva: “I can picture it”
Gibbs and Dad decide to go interview the owner of the local mine, whose daughter dated Ethan. They drive off in a car, waved off by Giblets.
As soon as car has gone up the street, Ziva and McGee turn and race into the general store like little kids, bursting with news to impart: Ziva to phone Tony, McGee to E-mail Abby.
We see Abby in her lab with Tony entering, looking at his mobile cell phone as he walks towards Abby, noting that he is getting an incoming call from Stillwater.
Abby gets McGee on the webcam on her computer screen, so Tony keeps heading towards Abby as he answers the phone: thus Ziva and McGee announce their news simultaneously but through two media:
"Gibbs has a father!"
Reply in unison as Tony and Abby peer into the webcam: "Tell me everything"
Gibbses go to visit Charles the cad who owns the mining company. Meets the daughter, her husband (son-in-law) and son. There is general denial of knowing that Ethan is alive. Gibbs is unconvinced. He is suspicious of the paternity of the child (who is the right age to be Ethan's son). Testy discussion ensues, mediated by Jackson Gibbs.
Return to the store.
Ziva says that blood on the high school ring is going to give DNA to Abby.
McGee explains that there is a YouTube video of Ethan in Iraq and it explains how Stillwater people knew he was alive: McGee has checked and found that Charles the Cad's family have seen the YouTube video. Jackson Gibbs, still looking for the innocent explanation, says that anyone could have seen it, and Gibbs points out that Charles' family lied about knowing that Ethan is alive.
Next morning: the two Gibbs' are sitting at the big oak table in the store, doing the morning coffee and newspaper-sharing routine, in the pattern clearly established from long term family habits. Gibbs junior cedes to Gibbs' senior right to have the bit of the paper that he wants, although silently cranes his neck to check what he is missing out on. (nearly the whole scene is done silently).
McGee and Ziva arrive at the store. Good morning Gibbs! Gibbs'!. (Same lack of response from each Gibbs). McGee imparts news.
Corporal briefly regained consciousness and has no memory of the attack.
Tony is trying to get the warrant to get the Charles the Cad's family records.
Jackson asks which one is Tony; McGee states that Tony will be driving up this afternoon to get the blood samples from the locals so that Abby can compare it to the blood at the scene of the crime (on the class ring).
Jackson: you line up people you don't like and make them give you blood?
Gibbs: It's not personal.
Jackson: Sure it is.
Gibbs: One of those people put Corporal Ethan in the hospital and killed his friend.
Jackson: and you know this how?
Gibbs: I can feel it.
Jackson: Feel it? That sounds very personal to me.
Gibbs: (defensively) I do this for a living.
Jackson: Some living. Just lets you feel superior to everybody else
Gibbs: What do you want me to do?
Jackson: Well how about getting some more evidence? How about DNA? I thought everything was DNA now?
(Gibbs body language is of kid to parent: exasperated but still on the right side of respectful of the other's authority. McG and Z remain fascinated. Until...).
Next shot: McGee and Ziva in a dumpster: McGee says "I was beginning to like him" and notes that Gibbs is bending over backwards to accommodate him (Gibbs Senior).
One of the employees of the Charles the Cad's company queries what is going on. Public dumpster, looking for treasures with DNA on them.
Back in the shop: the father and son have a heart to heart : Gibbs senior says he appreciates that Gibbs is making an effort not to tear the town apart. Gibbs is helping to price cans of beans (and clearly knows how to wielding the pricing stamp). "Tell me about this investigator thing of yours" Gibbs senior notes that they haven't talked since the funeral. "I adored that wife of yours. And I adored that child too. I always figured it was Shannon who sent me the Christmas cards". Gibbs keeps stamping and ignores the Shannon reference and answers the original question: "It's like what you do. You like to tell stories. Most of mine start with a dead body. If you look at how they got that way, they come back to life. Meet the people they knew. You see what they try to show you. You read what they try to hide"
Gibbs Sr notes that people come into the store all the time and tell me stories, what are they trying to hide? Insecurity. Need assurance their life means something.
"Leroy, what did I do at the funeral?"
Gibbs stops and looks at him: "Apart from showing up with a date?"
"I always thought that your mum and I had a love story for the ages. I didn't mind giving up the skies and working underground. I wanted to give you the white picket fence dream."
(Gibbs: "And you did.")
"But you see, things did not work out between your mum and me. When she died, I know how mad that made you. I know how angry you were that I got on with my life. I saw the look on your face, how you wanted vengeance. Now, that look went away when you met Shannon but it came back quick after they died. I knew what that meant. You wanted someone to take it out on. Didn't matter what I said."
(Gibbs: "It never did. What do you see now?" (meaning "What look do you see now on my face"?))
Charles the Cad comes into the shop to lodge a complaint about the invasion of privacy etc of his people. Why can't we settle things like men?
Gibbs shakes his head and remembers teenage fights with Charles the Cad. Unfair fights loaded against the young Gibbs.
Charles challenges Gibbs who refuses to take the bait.
Ziva and McGee are at the Cad's house, going through garbage. Emily the daughter comes out to the veranda and talks to Ziva. She is upset. Confesses that she saw the video on the internet. Says he was her best friend. Is that all? Yes. Emily's husband arrives and tells Ziva to leave.
McGee at the store announces that he has a load of garbage in the car for Abby. Gibbs is sweeping the store while McGee tried to ask why Gibbs is treating the case with kid gloves. Gibbs asks why McGee isn't on the road (taking the evidence to Abby). McGee gets told off for whinging at Gibbs (Yesterday I am acting too fast, today I am acting too slow. You want to front load tomorrow's complaints or do I have to wait until the sun comes up).
KABOOM! explosion outside. Gibbs drops the broom and runs outside. McGee and Z and Gibbs Snr follow (Jackson yells "Jethro? Everyone ok?" and Gibbs just says, with fatalism in his voice, "Yeah, fine"). McGee says all our evidence was in there. And Gibbs Snr finally concedes "Awright, let's do it your way".
Street outside shop: Abby and Tony arrive. Tony groans as he leaves the car: McGee just asks "Pass a lot of VW beetles on the way up?" Tony whispers "Abby cheats at Punch Buggy". McGee: "I know".
Tony enters the shop, cautiously, with a big grin on his face, not spotting Gibbs and smiling at Jackson, eyes alight. But as soon as Gibbs barks "DiNozzo", Tony goes into work mode and hands over warrants for DNA on the family of Charles the Cad. Gibbs orders him to the mine with Abby to get DNA, but Tony points out problem of only one car. Gibbs Sr says "I got one", which surprises Gibbs.
In the garage: the car that Gibbs bought as a 17 year old, restored and in full glory. Even painted the colour he wanted.
Next we hear the roar (ROAR) of that boy's toy, as it comes round the corner at speed, with a GRINNING Gibbs at the wheel and Dad in the passenger seat, with Winchester Rifle in hand. They go to Charles the Cad family and get the DNA. The Winchester was used by Jackson to keep the town sheriff out of the house, having been alerted by the Cad.
Back at the store, Jackson announces that it went smoothly which is good as he has no idea where the bullets for the gun would be.
Abby is working at the table in the middle of the store, and Jackson is just rapt, watching her. He flirts madly with her. She laps it up whilst remaining very cool (Oh Abby you are sooo cool!). "Are you always this awkward around girls?" She announces her results of DNA testing the rustic way.
McGee shows Gibbs two time cards for workers who were supposedly at the mine at the time of the crime but the signatures on the cards are identical (and one of the Cad's family).
Abby's big announcement of the DNA results: Father and son have same blood anomaly
Gibbs at the Charles the Cad mansion, family at the dining table. Son-in-law is surprised to learn that his son is his son, (he believed that Ethan was the illegitimate father of the kid). Gibbs announces that it is Charles the Cad who is Ethan's father: he was keeping his daughter away from her boyfriend because HER BOYFRIEND WAS HER BROTHER (oh, the joys of rural anywhere, on TV stereotypes). So we know that the son-in-law killed Ethan because he believed Ethan was the kid's father (whereas he was actually the uncle: Oh dear!).
Back outside the shop: Abby and McGee race to be riding shotgun, but find Ziva in the seat ahead of them, innocently asking "What?" and batting her eyelashes.
Tony comes out and says to Jackson he has a few questions. Gibbs says "You got two". Tony asks "Where do I start" and Gibbs says "You got one left"
Tony asks did Jackson teach Gibbs the rules? Jackson says I didn't teach him much of anything. Gibbs says, as he takes the car keys from Tony's hand, "He taught me to drive!" and Tony protests that he's got that problem which means he won't be able to ride on the backseat middle hump. Jackson intervenes and hands over the keys to the yellow peril boy's toy car: it's just cluttering up the garage. Tony shakes his hand, tells him "You're a great man, Jackson Gibbs. Thanks for the sweater." And escapes to the driver's seat. So we are left with Gibbs, who has just been given the keys to the dream machine of his youth, facing the man whom he stopped speaking to, punishing him for moving on with his (Jackson's) life (irrationally punishing him, with silence) while Gibbs life had just crashed down around his ears a second time (1-lost his mother in his teens 2-lost his wife and daughter while fighting overseas approx. age 24.)
Jackson: I know you hate it when I use a 100 words when a couple would do, but give us a call sometime.
It's the least I could do. Goodbye son. Gibbs steps forward and hooks Jackson into a hug and whispers in his ear "Bye Dad". And Jackson looks very very close to tears. So we see Gibbs in the car, pulling up at the level crossing by the railway, waiting while warning bells ding-ding-ding, and he looks over at the railway platform with its empty bench. The car radio is playing
("Summer turned to winter
And the snow it turned to rain
And the rain turned into tears upon your face
I hardly recognize the girl you are today
And God I hope it\'s not too late
It\'s not too late")
while he remembers back when he was a teenager in uniform, in 1976, arriving at that bench, all youthful shyness because that redhead he has been admiring all summer is sitting there. He sits, shoots a glance at her, she catches him and he looks away, but can't help himself, he turns his head again, and she notices him. (The music hits an instrumental bridge during the first part of their conversation) She asks:
What were you and those guys fighting about
I don't even remember
You should stop
Are you waiting for the train too (DUMB QUESTION! Recover! Recover!) Er, we could sit together?
I don't know. It's a long ride. But you're not a lumberjack
No
I got a rule. It's either number 1 or number 3: never date a lumberjack. (music kicks in, very softly in the background: "Cause you are not alone....", while their conversation continues complete with the awkward pauses of youthful unsophistication)
You got a rule for everything?
Workin' on it! Everyone needs a code they can live by. What''s your name?
(awkwardly) Leroy Jethro Gibbs
I'm just gonna call you Gibbs
You can call me anything you want. (...And Babe you're not lost)
I'm Shannon. (and the music swells...
When your world's crashing down, And you can't bear the cross, I said Babe you're not lost)
And the wail of the train passing by brings him back to the present, and he is sitting there, just looking back down the years, neither smiling nor frowning. Just remembering.
Punf on Gibbs' face.