This story doesn't require a ton of preface, just a warning for some discussion of child abuse. Nothing too heavy, but worth noting. As always, reviews are the best presents! Constructive criticism is welcome. Enjoy!

Gibbs walked into the bullpen and dropped a stack of manila folders onto his desk. Tony, Ziva, and McGee jumped up immediately and stepped out from behind their desks. They'd been working on the murder of a Petty Officer David Johnson, who had been found shot in his apartment the previous afternoon. Gibbs had just delivered the bullet to Abby, who began tracing it right away.

"McGee, update."

Tim pulled up a picture on the screen. "Suspect is a former Petty Officer Michael Williams, retired six years ago, currently unemployed. Wife died just before he retired, and he's got a kid, Jake, about ten years old. He served with Johnson briefly, and they apparently had a pretty contentious relationship."

"Phone records indicate they'd been talking again recently, and he left several pretty angry messages on Johnson's phone over the two days before Johnson was killed," Ziva cut in. "Abby lifted his prints off several surfaces in the apartment, and we've got him on a security camera in the drug store down the street just before the time of the murder."

"Bring him in," Gibbs answered.

"He's on his way," McGee said. "Baltimore PD grabbed him trying to sneak beer out of a grocery store an hour ago. They should be here any minute."

"His kid's on the tape too, Boss," Tony said. "Problem is nobody seems to know where he is."

Ziva sat back down at her desk. "Even if he is not an accomplice in the murder, he will need to be located to place him with another guardian while his father is in custody."

Gibbs nodded. "McGee, see if you can find the kid. DiNozzo, David, downstairs with me."

The three agents rode down the elevator together in silence. Williams sat in the interrogation room, his hands folded on the table. Gibbs entered the room while Ziva and Tony stationed themselves behind the one-way mirror to observe. Gibbs dropped his file on the table and sat down. He slid a photograph of David Johnson across the table.

"You know this guy?"

Williams shrugged. "Served with him awhile. Why?"

"He's dead."

"Is he. Huh."

"Yeah. And you killed him."

Williams just laughed. "You big shots think you can just pin whatever you want on anybody. You got proof?"

"We've got footage of you on the same block just before the time of the murder," Gibbs answered. "Not to mention a bunch of angry messages on Officer Johnson's cell phone."

"That's a crime now, is it? Being on the same block where a murder's committed?"

"And we've got your fingerprints all over the crime scene."

The suspect's nonchalant expression turned to a glare. "You bastard."

"What was your problem with Johnson?" Gibbs asked, undeterred.

Williams sat back and crossed his arms. "I ain't saying nothing until I've got a lawyer," he said firmly.

Gibbs sighed and stood up. "Where's your kid?"

"You deaf, old man? Said I ain't saying nothing."

"Your son, Jake," Gibbs said irritably. "We've got to get ahold of him so we can get him someplace to stay while you're here."

"Let him rot in the streets. Same to me. Ain't saying nothing."

Gibbs slapped his folder against the table in frustration. "We're trying to put your kid somewhere safe!"

Williams just glared at him, arms crossed across his chest. Gibbs shoved his chair back under the table and stormed out of the room. Tony and Ziva followed him silently down the hallway and into the elevator.

"Good news, Boss," Tim said as they reentered the bullpen. "They found the kid. Police picked him up for shoplifting, they've got him down at the station."

Tony snorted. "Like father like son, huh?"

McGee ignored him. "We gotta go down and get him though, one suspect delivery's as much as we're going to get from them in one day. You want me to go?"

Gibbs shook his head and grabbed his keys from his desk. "I'll go down. You three keep digging, see if you can find anything else on Williams. And nobody goes in that interrogation room until I get back, understand?"

It took Gibbs fifteen minutes to get to the precinct. He walked up to the officer at the desk and flashed his badge.

"NCIS, Special Agent Gibbs. I'm coming to get Jake Williams."

The officer nodded and disappeared into the back. A moment later he emerged with a small, skinny boy with a mop of brown hair on his head. He looked up at Gibbs, his expression unreadable.

"Jake? I'm Special Agent Gibbs," Gibbs introduced himself again. "We've got your father back at headquarters. We need to bring you down as well."

Jake nodded. "Yes, sir."

Gibbs blinked. While he hadn't ever really thought a ten-year-old could be too much trouble, after the insults Williams Senior had dropped so casually, this docile and polite boy was the last thing he'd expected.

"You shouldn't have any trouble with him," the policeman said. "He's been perfectly cooperative since he's been here. Nice change from the usual shoplifters."

"What did he take?" Gibbs asked.

"Jar of peanut butter and a loaf of bread," the officer answered, chuckling. "Also a change from usual."

Gibbs stared at the kid a moment before beckoning for him to follow him out to the car. Jake did so silently, climbing into the back seat when Gibbs opened the door.

"Jake, we've got your father in custody," Gibbs explained as they pulled back onto the road. "Do you know what that means?"

"Yes, sir."

"We think he's committed a serious crime. We're going to need to ask you some questions as well when we get back to headquarters, all right? Just some routine things we need to know about."

"Yes, sir."

Jake didn't speak again until they got back to headquarters. Gibbs walked him into the building and into one of the smaller conference rooms. There was no sense in intimidating the boy. He jerked his head at Tony as they passed the bullpen. The younger agent hurried to follow.

"Jake, this is Special Agent DiNozzo," Gibbs said as they sat down. "He's going to help me ask some of the questions. It's important that you answer them as truthfully as you can. Tell me, were you in school yesterday?"

Jake bit his lip. "Is my dad here?"

"We'll let you see your dad as soon as we can," Tony answered him. "That's not going to be for a little while, though. Right now we need you to answer Agent Gibbs' questions, okay?"

The boy glanced at the door nervously before looking back at Gibbs. "No, sir," he said finally. "I wasn't in school yesterday."

"Were you sick?" Gibbs asked.

"No, sir."

"Does your dad know you skipped class?" Jake chewed on his bottom lip again. "Jake, it's important you answer us truthfully," Gibbs prompted.

The boy looked down. "Yes, sir, he knows."

"Then why are you worried about getting in trouble?" Tony asked, confused.

"Dad says I'm not supposed to tell people I don't go to school."

Gibbs and Tony glanced at each other.

"What did you do yesterday?" Gibbs asked. "Tell us as much as you can remember."

"Did my chores at home," Jake answered. "Took about all morning. Dad woke up a little before lunch. Said I had to help him with some errands. We went to this drug store, not the one we usually go to, one farther away. We bought a bunch of stuff. He told me I had to take it home for him and he had some more errands to run. So I took the stuff back home."

"When did your father come back?"

"About an hour later, maybe. A long time."

"And what happened after that?" Jake looked down again. "Jake, remember we need you to help us here."

Jake nodded slowly. "Yes, sir. Dad came back home and asked where I put the stuff from the drug store. I'd put it away so he packed it back up and left."

"When did he come back?"

"He didn't, sir," Jake said. "I haven't seen him since yesterday. Only Dad says I'm not supposed to tell people he leaves me alone. Especially cops."

Gibbs shook his head. "Thank you for telling us. That helps us out a lot. We need you to wait here awhile, all right?"

Tony ripped the used pages off the top of his notepad and slid it across the table. "Here, you can hang onto this in case you want to draw or something. I don't have any crayons, but you can use the pen."

Jake took the notepad and both agents stood up and started for the door. Just as Gibbs turned the handle, the boy spoke.

"Is my dad in trouble?"

The two agents turned around. "Yeah," Gibbs said finally. "Your dad's in some trouble. We're going to work it out though, okay? And we're going to make sure you're well taken care of, no matter what happens."