I hope you enjoy this story, I am planning on writing more to it. I would love a read and review. If you have any ideas please let me know. Thanks!
Characters are not mine the belong to CBS
" Leave me alone!" Sitting on the black leather couch, Ziva switched her cellphone to her other ear and turned from her little sister to face her mothers bookshelf along the wall in the study.
"But you said you would help me." Abby stamped her foot. " I have to have it done by tomorrow."
"Just a minute, Kate." Ziva cupped her palm over the receiver and glared at her younger sister. "Can't you see I am busy. I'll help you later. Go outside and play."
"Fine, but I am telling mommy and daddy when they get home." Abby shouted as she walked out of the study, slamming its french doors closed.
With one final glare from Abby, she was off to play in the back yard. Ziva quickly got up and went to the window and looked out to make sure she saw where Abby went. As always she went straight to the tree house that their dad built them when Ziva was only 3 and Abby was only six months old. Ziva rolled her eyes and flung herself back on to the couch as she continued her conversation with Kate.
The watcher saw the little black haired girl stalk out of the house and right over to the big tree house. The sound of the slamming of the door still hung in the air, along with barking from a dog down the street.
I'll return for the dog later right now I've got more important concerns. Anticipation surged. Their daughter, so close the watchers palms itched.
The child finally climbed down from her tree house and began to swing on the old tire her dad put in just last summer. The little girls mouth moved. The watcher strained to hear what she was saying, but her voice was to soft and too quite to hear. No matter. After years of planning it wouldn't change what had to be done.
Leroy Jethro Gibbs and Jenny Gibbs will regret their very existence by the time I'm through toying with them. Everything's in place for the merry ride they are about to go on.
"Ziva. Abby," Jenny yelled when she stepped through the front door of her families house.
Abby was usually right there to greet her mommy and to tell her what happened during the day. Ever since Ziva got her own cellphone usually Abby would complain about her sister not wanting to play and how her to older brothers were always at work, or school or some sports thing.
Maybe today all the kids got along for a change. She prayed to the Lord enough in the past months concerning her children. God was probably getting tired of hearing that prayer over and over again, she thought with a chuckle as she sat her purse down on the table in the entrance. Jenny took her jacket off and hung it up on the coat rack wishing for a nice evening with her husband and four children. She cocked her head, realizing the house was to quite. Her youngest was always so full of energy that she usually kept strong up until bedtime.
Jenny walked towards her study at the back of the house. Halfway down the hall she could hear Ziva talking on the phone to someone. When she entered the study, her oldest daughter quickly shut her phone and picked up a magazine as though she hadn't seen her talking on the phone.
Ever since Ziva turned ten and got her phone she was never far away from it. Even setting limits to the use of her phone didn't stop her from spending half her walking hours on it talking to her friends- rather than her family. It was never that way with her sons. But girls are very different than boys.
"Where's your sister?"
Ziva waved her hand toward the window.
"Outback playing."
"Go get her. You two can help make dinner. Dad and the boys should be home in an hour."
"Why don't we order pizza?"
"Because we had it two nights ago, now go get your sister." Jenny left the study and headed for the kitchen to see what was in the refrigerator. Her neck stiff, she stood staring at the almost empty shelves. Must go to the store this weekend, she thought.
Ziva quickly ran towards the backdoor and opened it. "Abby!" A long pause, then she stepped out onto the deck letting the screen door bang loudly against its frame. "Abby, you'd better get inside. NOW!"
The exasperation in Ziva's voice made Jenny lift her head and turn toward the back deck. By the way Ziva was yelling Jen knew she was up for a bitter argument between her daughters again.
She walked out to the deck. "Ziva?"
Ziva peered over her shoulder at her, all her exasperation in her voice clearly visible on her face. " She's mad at me, she must be hiding."
"Why is Abby mad at you?" She positioned her self next to Ziva and quickly began scanning the yard.
" I wouldn't help her with her research paper when she wanted."
" In other words you were to busy talking with a friend and didn't want to waste your time with helping a family member out. As a family we-" Jen's words suddenly caught in her throat when she spotted one of Abby's black shoes laying next to the tree. She'd begged her parents to buy them for her and for the past month the only time they were not on her feet was when she was in bed. So why was it on the ground? Where was the other one?
Every detective instinct rose to the surface, reviving for a brief moment the dark years she had spent in L.A as a homicide investigator. There she saw a life most people would never saw. Jen forced down the panic that just for a moment surged through her. Abby was hiding, as Ziva said, probably up in the tree house. Or she'd gone over to a friend's without permission.
The mother side believed that, the detective side didn't. She quickly did one last sweep of her yard before she decided to call her husband to get home. As Jen climbed into the tree house she dialed her husbands phone.
"Hello?" Gibbs answered his phone.
" Jethro I need you home NOW!" Jen spoke into the phone.
Gibbs knew that if his wife was calling him Jethro instead of Jet something must be wrong. " I am on my way now sweetie, whats wrong? Did you miss me?" Gibbs teased not knowing what he was about to hear.
"Jethro stop! We have a big situation here at home and I need you here fast."
"I am on my way just got Tim and Tony be there in five."
"Hurry!"
Jen shut her phone and knew that Jethro would be home soon. As she waited she asked Ziva to go and call up some of Abby's friends to see if they had seen her.
Lord please just let Abby being playing a prank on her sister Jen thought as she climbed down from the tree house and ran to the bushes right next to the fence.
True to his words Gibbs pulled up to his house five minutes after his short conversation with his wife. By the tone of her voice he knew something wasn't right. He quickly pushed the drivers door open and climbed out walking quickly through his house. He walked in to the kitchen and found nothing so he jogged down the hall to her study, still she wasn't there. As he stood there he looked out the window and finally saw his wife on her hands and knees looking for something underneath the big bush next to the fence. Gibbs walked right past his two sons and right out the back door.
"Lose something?" Gibbs said as he stepped off the stair from the deck.
"Jethro stop this is serious, I can't find Abby."
As soon as Jen finished her statement she saw a set of boot prints leading towards the gate. It looked as though it was a size 9 cowboy boot. Gibbs followed her gaze and saw what she was looking at. He helped her stand up and gave her a questioning glance.
Someone had been in their yard recently
That thought renewed Jen's panic she was trying to suppress. Why would some one be in their yard? To read the gas meter? She glanced toward it as she took Gibbs's hand in hers. The meter was to far away. So why was there footprints in her yard and where was Abby?
"Jen, what is going on?" Gibbs asked
"I can't find Abby, her and Ziva got into a fight apparently today and she stormed out of the house. Ziva said she saw Abby climb up into the tree house and that was the last time she saw her." As she finished that statement a tear fell from her eye.
Gibbs knew his youngest wouldn't make her parents worry like this so something must have happened. He lead Jen back inside. As they walked in he saw Ziva crying and holding the phone limply in her hands.
Jen quickly began asking Ziva who she called. As Ziva rolled the list of names off name by name tears quickly began to fall from her eyes.
"Did anyone know where she is" Jethro asked his oldest daughter.
Ziva shook her head and ran to his arms. "Mom where is Abby?" she sobbed. "I know we got into a fight but why would she run away?"
Jen bent down and hugged her daughter, " I don't know sweetie."
Jen looked up to her husband and they had a silent conversation. Jethro picked up the house phone and dialed the station. Trembling with nervousness and worry he turned from his wife and kids as he counted the rings and waited for some one to answer.
On the fifth ring, his boss and friend Mike Franks picked up. "Sheriffs office, how may I help you?"
"Sir, Gibbs here. Abby's missing. Could you send a couple of deputies to my house?"
"Missing? What happened?" Mike asked.
"I don't know she isn't in the back yard like she is supposed to be and none of her friends have seen her today. It isn't like Abby to leave without saying anything. Abby was the one child that would follow the rules.
"Do you want to put out an Amber Alert?"
The waver in Mike's own voice forced Gibbs to dig his hands deep in his pocket, he needed to handle this as a professional not just for him but for his family and daughter. He couldn't afford to fall apart-not with what was at stake.
"I'll call back in a few minutes and let you know. Jen and I are going to go to the neighbors first."
As Jethro set the phone back on to its cradle he looked at his children. "Kids mom and I are going over to the neighbors. I need you to stay here, only open the door for Mike and some of my collegues. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes sir" they all said in unison.
Tony quickly wrapped his arms around his younger siblings and led them to the living room so they could watch a movie and try to get their minds off of their missing sister.
"Tony lock the door when we leave" Jethro shouted as he shut the door and pulled his coat on.
Jen and Gibbs didn't move until they heard the lock of the door. Jen grabbed Gibbs hand and together they proceeded to walk down the sidewalk and went to their neighbors.
It was going to be a long night until they find Abby.
