As Leroy Jethro Gibbs prepares for his first Christmas without his wife and daughter, flashbacks reveal the unlikely journey that led to his first day on the job as a special agent.

When the evidence room is broken into and significant cash goes missing, the team looks into a connection to a recent case. Also, Lala opens up to Gibbs, and Kowalski struggles to move forward.

After the shocking developments in the Sandman case, the team works with the FBI to investigate further; while Wheeler struggles to hold onto his job, his family reaches a crisis point.