A/N: This bunny bit me the other night - big. Not a terribly long one - but one itching to get out, nonetheless.
Don't worry - the other wip's have not been forgotten or abandoned

WARNING: A bit of unpleasantness and OC Death within the 1st two chapters.

and now...on to our story.


March 23, 2012

"….and we'll stay out and play, all night, right Daddy?"

Tim McGee glances up at the high-pitched , excited chatter of a young child, smiling at the picture she and the man walking beside her make walking hand –in hand in the direction of the playground that's just below the next rise.

The child's father, with his well-kept black hair, thin build and easy-going manner, laughs genuinely as he looks affectionately at her and Tim can see he's proud of her, a preschooler whose hair matches his own excitedly skipping alongside him, holding his big hand with her little one. His eyes protectively scan the area, briefly crossing glances with Tim but quickly returning to his daughter as he answers her question, his voice carrying clearly through the air amidst the background noise of dogs barking and people talking. "No, Shyanne. We can't stay here all night, silly goose.

The NCIS Agent idly soaking up the sun on his lunch hour on this first Friday afternoon of spring, is mesmerized by the happiness that surrounds the pair, watching them as they pass him by with barely more than a glance from the little girl. It's a happiness that seems mixed with a hint of sadness Tim can't put his finger on and smiles at the disappointed look that crosses the little girl's face as she turns it up towards her father as she pleads her case. "Da…ddy, I am not a silly…..!"

Tim shifts on the bench, stretching his legs out in front of him, the sun glinting off the badge on his belt. He watches as unexpectedly, the beautiful little girl looks back over at him, her eyes riveted to the badge. Of course! The way it's lit up by the sun now, it's no wonder she's seen it.

"Shyanne, what is it, honey?" Her father asks with concern as she tugs him in Tim's direction.

The little girl says nothing as she stops in front of the surprised NCIS Agent who embarrassingly looks at the girl's father.

"I'm sorry. It must be my badge. The sun probably caught it and brought it to her attention."

"It's okay. As long as you don't mind a little 5-year old admiration." The little girl's father replies good-naturedly, chuckling as he holds out his hand. "Andrew Edwards. And this little pest, is my daughter, Shyanne. Shyanne, find your manners please."

"Sorry, Daddy. Hi. What is that?" Her manners and inquisitiveness all come together in a rush of words as she points to Tim's belt where his badge is clipped.

Tim laughs. "Tim McGee, NCIS." He says to Andrew as he shakes his hand in return. "And it's fine. ' Turning to the little girl, he bends down at the knees so he can speak to her on her level. "Hi. My name is Tim. And this is my badge. I have to have it on for my job." He unclips his badge from his hip ad holds it out for her to touch.

In awe, Shyanne runs her fingers over the badge and looks back up at him. "It's so pretty."

Tim huffs out a laugh. "You think so?"

Shyanne nods. "Yes. Very pretty!" Turning to her father, Shyanne tugs at his hand. "Daddy is Tim a sss..tranger?"

Shaking his head, Andrew sits down on the bench, drawing his daughter up to his lap to explain things to her. "No Honey. Mr. Tim is a policeman. See his badge? That means when there's trouble – he's someone you go to for help."

"Oh. Okay. Can we go play now? Member, we're gonna stay and play all night!"

Chuckling now, the father gently chucks the little girl under the chin. "I know I promised you could play after lunch. But that doesn't mean we can stay all day, munchkin. Now, say goodbye to Mr. Tim and we'll go play."

"Goodbye, Mr. Tim!" Shyanne shouts happily as she sprints away in excitement.

"Shyanne!" Andrew hollers at her firmly. "Stop!"

Freezing in mid stride, the little girl turns to face the wrath of her father. Surprisingly, he hasn't moved. "Come back here!"

"Da…ddy!" The little girl complains loudly without moving.

"Don't!" He warns her sternly.

Once she's retraced her steps and reaches her daddy's side, he reaches for her hand and asks her a question. "What's the rule?"

"Not 's'possed to run?"

"Heh. You can run outside, munchkin. "But you can't run off without an adult with you. Not supposed to leave me behind. Remember?"

"Sorry, Daddy."

"I forgive you, honey. But keeping you safe is too important for you to run off by yourself. Okay?"

"Okay, Daddy. Can we go now? Please?"

Andrew turns to Tim. "Nice meeting you. Duty calls."

"What's duty, Daddy?" Shyanne asks bewildered.

Andrew laughs as he chases the subject back into less complicated waters. "Let's go play, Shyanne."

"Yea!" Pulling her father with her, the five year old laughs loudly in her excitement. Suddenly she stops and looks intently at her father. "Will Kira and Mommy be there, Daddy?" The little girl asks almost sadly.

Wiping a hand across his face, Andrew's face takes on the look of someone who's recently lost tragically in life.

"Daddy?" Shyanne pushes, her little voice sounding worried now that her daddy's not answering her.

"Shyanne, honey we talked about this, remember? Heaven? Where your mommy's daddy has been since before you were born and now where Mommy, Granny and Kiara and Gammy are, too?"

With tears shimmering in her eyes, Shyanne looks down at the ground. "Oh. I firgot…car acc…dent."

"That's right, honey." Andrew pulls his daughter to him and hugs her close, rubbing her back soothingly. "It's okay, Sweetheart. Sometimes, for a minute, I forget, too"

Her sunny disposition turned around, Shyanne plops herself down on the ground. "I don't wanna go without 'Kira' or Gammy! **sniffle** **sniffle** I want Mommy!."

"Oh Honey. I know this is the first time you're going to a playground without sissy. And I know Gammy played with you and Sissy all the time. But we need to try with just you and me anyway. Okay? We both miss mommy, but we have each other." Andrew tugs on her hand until she gives up and lets him pull her up to her feet. "C'mon I'll race you. Think you can run faster than me?"

"Yes! C'mon, Daddy!" Shyanne's gone from his grasp in a heartbeat and he's after her in a flash.

Tim watches in sadness mixed with mirth as the pair make good time crossing the grass towards the playground catching up to each other, rolling on the ground together and stopping to catch their breaths. He can't help but feel for the little girl and her loss of a sister and mother so early in her young life; not to mention; from the sounds of it, both grandmothers – and all at once, too. Lingering as if needing to see that they're going to be okay, Tim watches as they stand to their feet and stand still for a few moments, their voices carrying on the airwaves. "Wow, you are fast!"

"C'mon, Daddy, let's do it again!"

"Oh, no, honey. Daddy' tuckered out! Let's just walk from here okay?"

Glancing around the park, Tim smiles at the pockets of people enjoying life to the fullest on this beautiful spring day. Scores of people lounging on the grass with a book or laptop in front of them, some spending time with their dogs on extended leashes as they play fetch with them without bothering anyone around them, while others, like himself, just sit there in peace, enjoying the weather while they can.

Getting to his feet, he sighs. It's time to get back to work. It might be a slow day with Ziva and Tony away on a case and Abby on vacation, but it's still a work day for him and he really doesn't need the boss mad at him for something as preventable as being late from lunch. Tim takes one last glance in the direction that Andrew and his daughter are headed before he turns to leave. Funny, while the pair is still visible, there's no other kids coming or going from that direction. The only person around them is that one tall guy jogging the trail. Oh well. The playground is kinda fun when it's not crowded.

Turning away, Tim slowly heads back in the direction of the parking lot where he parked his car, sending up a silent prayer that that little girl's life know only happiness and joy from here on. It sounds like she's already had enough sorrow and heartbreak to last her a lifetime.

**************NCIS******************

""I waited all day, Daddy! C'mon!" Shyanne remembers thinking this morning that she wanted to come here. She's bubbling with excitement now. Her momentary voyage back into grief over her mommy and little sister's fairly recent deaths, pushed aside by her five-year old's mind attraction to all things fun and spending time playing with Daddy.

"Shyanne, there's plenty of daylight left you know. We don't have to hurt ourselves trying to get there faster, ya know."

Finally, they're going to the playground! She's been waiting all day! Glancing around, she noticed lots of people here at the place Daddy said was a park. She didn't see any slides yet or very many kids her size. She notices a man walking fast coming from out of the woods up ahead. He's too far away for her to recognize him but she does like how fast he's walking. One day I'll walk that fast just to see how much fun it really is. In typical short attention-span thinking, her mind goes back to Mr. Tim's badge. She liked Mr. Tim and she liked his badge. But, she's happy to finally be going where she's been wanting to go and she can't get there fast enough. She pulls harder on Daddy's hand.

"Shyanne, it's okay! Slow down!"

As her eyes came back to her daddy walking beside her, Shyanne sees the fast moving man again as she hears her daddy's direction to slow down. Somehow, he's gotten a lot closer already! Feeling different all of a sudden, Shyanne steps back closer to her daddy. She doesn't know that man who's now wearing a funny looking mask over his face with holes for his eyes, nose and mouth, but he looks like he's coming right at Daddy - fast and her and for some reason he makes her feel the need to be as close to Daddy as she can be.

"Thank you for slowing down, sweetie." Andrew tells his daughter, his eyes scanning the park to his left.

No one's gonna knock her daddy down! Stepping in front of her father, Shyanne stops and waits. The man will have to move away from daddy now! Why is he wearing that over his face, anyway?

"Whoa, honey!" Andrew exclaims as she steps in front of him, forcing him to step on her little feet. "Honey! What's the….umph!"

Knocked to the ground along with the man who'd run into them and her daddy, Shyanne has no air with which to scream. She can't breathe. Her heart's beating loudly in her chest and everything hurts! The pain all over from falling feels terrible and Daddy must be hurt too because he's not getting up. Finally her breath comes back and she sends it back out in a terrified scream that rips through the air "Daddy! DADDY!"