Vance and Ziva exit the elevator talking about favorite toys as kids...they've been shopping for Toys for Tots donations.

In the bull pen, McGee gets off the phone saying a Det. Kemp is on his way up to speak to Gibbs. Tony says the name sounds familiar and reveals that he dated Kemp's wife for 4 months. He's coming to NCIS to speak to them in person. Ha! Ziva starts drooling over the handsome Det. who treats Tony with disdain....Tony tells Ziva to close her mouth, Kemp is married.

Kemp tells Gibbs they ran the crime scene prints thru AFIS and got a hit for a Ned Quinn...former PO, Vietnam vet. Delivery guy (eye witness) worked with a sketch artist and came up with a rendering that looks like an older version of the database photo NCIS has of Quinn, however, the NCIS file says Quinn died in a fire in 1991 and supposedly is buried in Arlington. Gibbs tells McGee to pull the death certificate, but McGee finds a problem.

In autopsy, Abby is examining a sixpence coin which Ducky explains has been baked into every Mallard Christmas pudding since the 1850's...it brings good luck in the coming year to whoever finds it on their plate. Abby counters with "assuming nobody chokes on it!" But with no extended family living near him (I guess that explains his mom's passing), the tradition has lapsed. Abby promises that next year they'll make Christmas pudding together. Abby says she loves everything about Christmas...well, except for the chipmunk song (hey! I like that song!)...and what to get Gibbs, the man who has nothing and wants nothing?! Ducky says, "some squeaky shoes"! Right after Ducky says that, Gibbs walks in. Whoops!

Abby then leaves, leaving Gibbs and Ducky to converse. Gibbs hands Ducky a folder, saying they found finger prints at a double homicide of someone that's been dead for 17 years. The death certificate has Ducky's signature!



In the bullpen, McGee is rattling off Quinn's bio...graduated with honors U of VA, accepted to med school, but joined the Navy instead as a corpsman. Returned in 1972 and was treated for PTSD...became an addict and was in and out of rehab...wife divorced him in 1980 and got full custody of their daughter. Quinn began living on the street and supposedly died in a fire in a halfway house with 7 others. Gibbs sends McGee and Ziva to talk to the mother and daughter.

In autopsy, Ducky is listening to the recording of the autopsy...Gibbs asks if he made a mistake. The city ME was unable to make an id from the charred remains, so they hoped Ducky would be able to using Quinn's military records. Unfortunately, drug use caused "meth mouth" (dental deterioration) making dental id useless, so all they could go by was the skull and skeletal measurements...there was no DNA testing back then. Since the size of the remains seemed to match Quinn and they were found in his room with his belongings, they concluded it was him...and no one showed up later saying they were Quinn. Gibbs suggests Quinn killed someone and faked his own death. Ducky recalls Quinn was treated by a psychiatrist at Bethesda, Dr. Prior, and calls to talk to him.

McGee and Ziva arrive at Quinn's daughter's house...her daughter and grandson are also there. They explain they found Quinn's fingerprints at a crime scene, but Connie (Quinn's wife) says he's been dead for years and out of their lives since the divorce. She says Melissa's "father" is her current husband, Ed, who has raised Melissa since she was 4. Connie says she doesn't want Quinn to know where they are...he came back from Vietnam a drug addict and didn't want her help...they both moved on.

In autopsy, Ducky is speaking with Dr. Prior about Quinn's psychiatric history...Quinn was treated from 1979 to 1982...he was suffering from survivors guilt...blamed himself for a buddy's death. LOL! Dr. Prior is dressed up as Santa! Abby arrives...she heard there was a Santa in the building. She tries to pull his beard...it's real! She thinks he's there to see who's naughty and who's nice. Ha ha ha ha...she's mesmerized...squeezes the ball on his hat and takes a quick photo with him. Quinn and another corpsman switched patrols and the other guy was killed in an ambush, so he blames himself...Dr. Prior has no recollection if Quinn had violent tendencies, etc. He has to leave for the children's hospital party.

In the bullpen, Ducky tells Gibbs that nothing in the dr's notes suggests aggressive behaviour. McGee has narrowed down the corpsman killed the last week Quinn was in Vietnam to a Roger Grant. Ducky explains that Quinn went regularly to the Vietnam memorial and may pay tribute again on the anniversary of his death, 12/24....tomorrow.

At the Vietnam memorial, Tony and Ziva are watching from a car for Quinn. Tony remarks that Ziva is too fixated on Kemp. Ziva teases Tony that it could have been him that married into money...Tony tries to ignore her comments. Finally, he breaks down saying she was gorgeous...perfect...smart, witty, etc., but she's had kids and it's been years, so who knows what she looks like now. Tsk tsk tsk...there's more to love than looks, Tony! Ziva asks what happened, but Tony doesn't answer. She pushes asking if he regrets not having a wife and kids this time of year, since it's all about family...Tony goes to check out a possible suspect.

Back at the bullpen, Abby brings Gibbs and McGee some eggnog...snide stare from Gibbs, so McGee gets 2 glasses of egg nog! LOL! Palmer had to be sent home in a cab...4th year in a row! She asks about McGee, Ziva and Tony and what to get them for Christmas. Bwa ha ha ha! Gibbs suggests an attitude adjustment for Tony. McGee arrives with Melissa....Gibbs gives Abby a hug and wishes her a Merry Christmas and pushes her off so he can talk to Melissa alone, but Abby stays and eaves drops. She says her mother doesn't speak for her and she'd very much like to see her father again. Tony calls...they see Quinn...Gibbs says not to confront him, that he'll be there soon.

At the memorial, Gibbs stands in the falling snow alongside Quinn looking at Grant's name...they're the only ones there...a few candles are burning in at the base. He says no matter how many times he comes there, it still gets to him. You look at a name and see a reflection of yourself...you ARE among the fallen. Quinn says the difference is you can leave, the names don't. Gibbs replies that death is permanent...except in Quinn's case...Quinn says it's been a long time since someone has called him that.


In interrogation...Gibbs and Ducky are observing Quinn...remarking that he seems fit, clean & sober. Ziva arrives with a report...all Quinn had on him was $8 and a key to a long term downtown hotel room...no id. Gibbs tells Quinn that Metro PD is on the way to pick him up and he'll be their problem. He shows Quinn a photo of Grant...his buddy...corpsman, just like him. Says a corpsman saved his life once...Quinn realizes he's was a marine. Gibbs asks what happened at the Taylor house. Quinn says the Taylor's picked him up when he was holding out his looking-for-work sign...said they needed help decorating their house...it was their traditional way of extending a hand to those less fortunate. He says he was in the garage looking for decorations...he found them dead when he returned...he tried to do CPR on the wife, but it was too late. Gibbs asks why he ran...Quinn says he'd been dead for 17 years, so who would believe him?

In Observation, Ducky tells Ziva he's leaving to try to catch the city ME before he leaves the office.

At Quinn's apt, Tony and McGee question the landlord, then search the apt. They find a "work for money" sign, photos from Vietnam, really beautiful drawings of Vietnam...looks like a portrait of Grant. Tony says he had big big plans for Christmas eve...McGee doesn't believe him.

In interrogation, Quinn explains that some other addict he was trying to score from was the one that died in his room years ago...he figures his wife and daughter would be better off without him around and with death benefits from the service...he disappeared...it was easy, work for cash, no one needs id or a name.

Abby goes into observation and asks Ziva if Gibbs told Quinn that his daughter was there earlier asking to meet him. Ziva suggests that she stay out of it...it's a murder investigation.

In the bullpen, Tony and McGee have scavenged some food from the office party they missed. They offer some to the just arriving Ducky who seems disgusted by them. Gibbs arrives next, scarfing down some of the food. Nothing found in Quinn's apt to tie him to the murders. Ducky says it appears that Quinn really was trying to save her...they found compression bruises on her chest and the location of his fingerprints on the body. Gibbs gets a call...metro pd is there to pick up Quinn...he tells Tony and McGee to keep him there until he returns.

Gibbs goes to talk to Vance who's packing up gifts and getting ready to head home. Gibbs thinks Quinn is innocent and metro will prosecute without giving a second look since the evidence seems so obvious.

In the bullpen, Kemp is showing Ziva & McGee photos of his family...she ooo's and ahh's over them saying his wife is beautiful...teasing Tony. Gibbs and Vance arrive to tell Kemp that they're keeping Quinn at NCIS because they have unfinished business with him...faked death...collected death benefits. Kemp doesn't buy it, but agrees to give them until after Christmas. Vance tells Gibbs to hurry...he only has a day to prove Quinn's innocence. Abby arrives as Vance hopes none of them have plans for the holiday...and he leaves.


In the bullpen, they have a Christmas yule log channel on, playing holiday music...Gibbs tells them to keep Quinn in interrogation...they'll watch him in shifts. He tells Abby and Ducky to go home because he'll need them tomorrow. Hmmm...Ducky mentions his mother and that he has to visit her in her "new home"...she's driving the nurses crazy. Guess he had to put her in a nursing home because of her health issues. Gibbs says Kemp is so focused on Quinn that he's not even looking for other fingerprints & clues...they're going to go to the crime scene themselves. LOL...Tony grins in evil delight that doing that would drive Kemp crazy! McGee found that Mr. Taylor sued Paradigm corp for patent infringement...Tony tells them Paradigm is Kemp's father-in-law's company.

In interrogation, Quinn is having nightmares about Vietnam. Ziva and McGee are playing Battleship...they have to figure out how to get the game back in the wrapped box without anyone knowing they played with it. Quinn asks for paper and pencil since he can't sleep.

Gibbs, Tony and Ziva arrive at the Taylor's house...Tony bets he can crack the alarm before Gibbs picks the lock. He gets the code right! He based it on worn keypad numbers and knowing the Taylor's birth year 1947. Gibbs has Ziva check the couch where Quinn originally found Mrs. Taylor's body...Gibbs and Tony look through the rest of the house. Tony discovers that a chair has been moved and Ziva walks in. She holds up a bag and tells Gibbs she found a button and some fibers. Tony opens the closet in the room and finds the missing chair. When he stands up to look at the shelf above, he discovers an open and empty safe. The robbery netted more than the cash on the Taylor's and the jewelry she was wearing. A rent-a-cop shows up asking who they are...there was a silent alarm that went off because the code wasn't entered twice. Oops on Tony! The rent-a-cop says he doesn't make much money...asks if NCIS takes applications.

McGee tells Quinn his sketches are very good...he's drawing Ziva. McGee asks if he learned to draw in college. Quinn says he learned to draw in rehab.. McGee points out taht Quinn had wanted to be a doctor but Quinn says thatVietnam changed things and he no longer wanted to be a doctor.

In observation, Abby tells Tim that he called Melissa and told her about her father being there...she's waiting in the lobby. McGee says Gibbs is going to go nuts. But Abby waxes poetic about what a wonderful thing this will be to reunite father and daughter...on Christmas. McGee doesn't understand and Abby tells him that once he sees the sparkle in Quinn's eyes, he will understand. Smiling, MCGee tells Quinn he has a visitor. When he finds out who, Quinn freaks out. He tells McGee that he doesn't want to see Melissa and to tell her that she was better off when she thought he was dead. Standing behind the two-way mirror, Abby's smile turns into a frown at Quinn's reaction.

Back at the Taylor's, the rent-a-cop is flirting with Ziva and asking about a job at NCIS. Gibbs sends Ziva off to check on Tony, whose in the garage. Harvey tells Gibbs Ziva's cute. He mentions about getting a job with NCIS but one Gibbs' stare and Harvey stops and then leaves. Tony walks out of the garage holding a bloody hammer.

In the bullpen, Gibbs gets an angry call from Vance about metro freaking out that NCIS corrupted the crime scene. Vance says to get Quinn ready...metro is coming to pick him up. Abby and Tony arrive...the blood type matches the victim's and the prints are Taylor's and Quinn's.



In interrogation, Gibbs shows Quinn the hammer...it's Quinn's from his tool box. Gibbs says it's getting harder and harder to believe him. Quinn rants about being a vet, stoner, man with no name...he's got to be guilty.

In the bullpen, Kemp is impatient, telling Tony that if he had a family, he'd understand. Gibbs arrives and says Quinn is on the way up. Kemp asks for an explanation of why they broke into the crime scene. Smirky Gibbs asks why Kemp didn't relieve himself from the case...conflict of interest because of his father-in-law's involvement with Taylor via the lawsuit. They hand over Quinn when he arrives. Under his breath, Tony asks Gibbs if they're going to tell Kemp they found the murder weapon...Gibbs shrugs and replies that he never asked! Ha!

In the lab, Abby sips the Caf-Pow from Gibbs and cringes...they put nutmeg in it for the holidays! The hair was Mrs. Taylor's, the button was made for a clothing manufacturer who makes military and police uniforms...she's still working on the fibers. She found a fabric print on the button from a fabric glove...leather and she can probably match it if they bring her a glove. Bwa ha ha ha! She plants a big one on Gibbs cheek and then points out he's standing under the mistletoe...massive SWAK leaving him with a lipstick imprint on his left cheek.

In the bullpen, McGee found out via the internet that the Taylor's alarm was deactivated between the time Kemp sealed the house and Gibbs broke in...it was reactivated 4 1/2 minutes later. Gibbs tells Tony to call Kemp and have him meet them at the Taylors, while Ziva gets the car.

At the Taylor's house, the team meets with Kemp who goes ballistic, asking if they have lives. Kemp asks what they are doing and Gibbs tells him they are arresting a murder. They point out to Kemp that someone They go into the house and show Kemp the empty safe...tell him someone planted the murder weapon in the garage while Quinn was in custody, between the time Kemp sealed the house and NCIS was there. Kemp is pissed that they didn't tell him they had a murder weapon. Gibbs asks who else knew about the alarm code.

Outside, the rent-a-cop, Harvey, shows up. Ziva asks him if he lost a button and she holds up the one they found and states that it seems to match those on his uniform. He also has worn leather gloves that will probably match the fabric print Abby found. Tony pulls the gloves out of Harvey's pocket. Harvey freaks and pulls out his taser...the team isn't too concerned telling him he only has one shot and it will be non-fatal. Ziva points out there are 5 of them and they all have real guns. Harvey shoots McGee!!!!!!!! And tries to run off, but Gibbs tackles him. Tony tells McGee to just breathe through it.

Back at NCIS, the team assembles in MTAC as McGee tries to queue up a movie. They tell Ducky that Harvey confessed. Abby handmade gifts for the team...a cotton ball bouquet for Ziva in a huge beaker and 9mm cufflinks for Ducky. Tony rubs his feet along the rug saying "friction makes static", then he touches McGee's ear! McGee tells him to knock it off as he's still dealing with the effects of the tazar. They start to watch "It's a Wonderful Life", a DiNozzo family tradition. Abby wants to wait until Gibbs arrives, but Ziva tells them Gibbs said to start without him.

Gibbs is driving Quinn up to a decorated house...it's Melissa's home. Quinn starts to freak out...he's poison...he ruins lives. Gibbs tells him to give himself a little credit...he's not the same person he was all those years ago...this is what Melissa needs. Oh *sniff*...Gibbs looks at Quinn and says, "If I had one wish for Christmas, it would be to hug my daughter...that can never be....you have that chance." Quinn exits the car to head to the house...knocks on the window and hands Gibbs a rolled up sheet of paper....it's sketches of the NCIS team members on what is supposed to be book pages. Gibbs smiles and places it on the passenger seat as he watches Quinn knock on the door. Melissa invites him in and Gibbs watches as Quinn picks up and hugs his grandson. In the car, Gibbs dials his cell and someone answers.... Gibb says, "Merry Christmas, dad." and we hear the reply, "Merry Christmas Son."