DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NCIS OR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS ON THE SHOW!

THIS STORY CONTAINS CORPORAL PUNISHMENT/DISCIPLINARY SPANKING OF A TEENAGER BUT NOT IN THIS CHAPTER.

THIS IS MY FIRST MULTI-CHAPTER STORY!

Emma Johnson sat on the sidewalk, angry at everything. But most importantly angry at life.

How could her father do that to her? She was ashamed to call him her father. No wonder her mother ran off when Emma was a baby. He died of drug overdose.

And Emma was proud to say that she didn't care.

At fourteen, Emma had been in and out of foster homes her whole life. Her father was a drug addict and was in and out of rehabs. And now here she was again at a foster home. Of course, she was the oldest. The next kid that was closest to her in age was seven. Half her age, for crying out loud! That was Travis. Then there's four-year-old Ethan, three-year-old Tammy, and two-year-old Gia.

Mrs. Smithley, the foster mom, was in her late forties, as with her husband. They were both very nice to Emma and tried to get her to open up to them, but Emma wouldn't, being the stubborn girl that she is.

Tammy's voice came from the porch of the house. "Emma, can you braid my hair?"

Emma smiled. The two little girls at the foster home were adorable and loved Emma. Emma turned around and said, "Sure, I'm coming."

She walked into the house and up into Tammy's room. "Two braids or one?" she asked the little girl.

"Two, please!"

In ten minutes, Tammy's hair was in braided pigtails. She hugged Emma. "Thanks, Emma!"

"Anytime, kid."

Emma headed into her room. Sighing, she laid back on the bed.

Two minutes had passed when Mrs. Smithley was at the door. "Emma, there's a couple coming here shortly. Why don't you get ready?"

Emma nodded. "Okay."

Mrs. Smithley smiled before leaving to get the boys ready.

Though Emma knew that she wouldn't be adopted, she brushed her light brown hair smooth anyway. She knew that no couple was looking for a fourteen-year-old girl.

Emma put on a pair of khaki pants and a brown sweater with a V-neck with a white tank underneath. She put in silver stud earrings and made way to Gia's room.

"Need any help, Gia?" Emma asked.

Gia nodded, standing in front of her closet. "Please."

Emma smiled and grabbed a navy blue knee skirt and and white blouse for Gia.

Now for Tammy.

Walking into Tammy's room, she asked, "Want some help?"

"Thank you."

Emma chose a gray skirt and a pretty pink top for the three-year-old. She ventured back to her own room.

Soon Emma heard voices from the foyer. She looked out of her room and was able to see from where the stairs were Mr. and Mrs. Smithley talking to a couple. The woman had red hair that curled at the bottom and bangs. The man had an expression on his face that spelled out, "Don't mess with me."

Mrs. Smithley soon called down all the kids. "This is Emma, Travis, Ethan, Tammy, and Gia. We'll leave you to talk to them and see their rooms." Emma noticed that the man's face softened at the sight of the kids.

Emma immediately went back upstairs to her room. They wanted to talk to the rest of the kids, not her.

"You wanna see my room?" Tammy asked the woman.

"Sure, honey." She followed Tammy upstairs.

When walking by Emma's room, the woman smiled warmly at the fourteen-year-old, and Emma managed a weak smile back. Of course, she was happy for the kids because they'd be able to live in a good home with loving parents, but it made her heart ache knowing that no one wanted her. No matter how nice anyone was to her, she knew that in the end they'd adopt a younger kid.

Before she knew it, there was a knock on the open door of her room. It was the man from downstairs.

"Come in," she called.

"I'm Leroy Jethro Gibbs, but call me Gibbs."

"I'm Emma."

"How old are you, Emma?"

Emma's eyes almost teared up. This was always the part that turned people away. "Fourteen."

"I bet all the kids look up to you."

That took Emma by surprise. She expected him to say something to end the conversation and go talk to one of the other kids.

She gave a tiny smile. "Yeah, especially Tammy and Gia."

"What kind of stuff do you like to do?"

Emma shrugged. "I don't know, all kinds of things. I like basketball. Travis and I play in the driveway a lot. I like to dance. I'm really interested in choreography. What do you do for work?"

"I work at NCIS. That stands for-"

"Naval Criminal Investagative Service. I walk by on my way home from school. What do you do there?"

"I'm the lead agent on the Major Case Response Team. Jenny, my wife, is the building secretary, but she's also certified to be an agent, so she's sort of like a back-up agent at times."

"Cool. And by the way, you don't have to," Emma stated.

"Don't have to what?"

"Don't have to do what you're doing."

"What am I doing?"

Emma felt like she was going to cry. "You don't have to talk to me. I know you're probably interested in adopting one of the younger kids."

Gibbs walked over to Emma and put a hand on her shoulder. "That's not true, sweetie."

"Yes it is! It's too late for me!"

A few tears made their way down Emma's cheeks. She burried her face in her pillow.

Gibbs gently rubbed her back. "It's okay, Emma. Everything's going to be okay. Don't worry about anything. It's not too late for you."

He saw Jenny standing in the doorway, watching with sad eyes. She nodded at her husband twice, signaling that they should adopt Emma.

Gibbs nodded back. He whispered to Emma, "Emma, we're thinking of adopting you. How would you like that?"

Emma got up and wiped the tears from her eyes. "Really? Why?"

"Because you deserve it, sweetheart," Jenny said.

Emma smiled. "Are you sure? I'm kinda stubborn."

"If I can deal with him, I can deal with you, Emma. You're probably not stubborn at all compared to him," Jenny joked.

After goodbyes to the kids and promises to come back and see them, Emma was in the car with Gibbs and Jenny.

"We'll be home in five minutes," Jenny said to Emma.

Emma nodded and looked out the window, gazing at everything they drove by.

The car pulled into a driveway. Emma assumed that this was their house.

"I'll show you your room, Emma," Jenny announced, leading the way up the stairs.

Jenny opened a door on the left side of the hallway. "We're gonna decorate it, don't worry. You won't be stuck with boring white walls forever."

Emma smiled. "Thank you."

"Jethro and my room is right there-" Jenny pointed to a room down the hall "-the bathroom's right here, and the other two doors are spare bedrooms."

"Okay."

"Come on, let's go eat."

Emma followed Jenny. This could work out, she thought.

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