Chapter 1

HELP! SOS! ER! 911! SOMEBODY! ANYBODY! GET TO THE BAKERY YESTERDAY!

That was the message Gibbs woke up to and it was from his daughter, Dabi. That same message had also been sent to Tony, Tim, Ellie, Abby, Ducky, and even Tobias.

Gibbs didn't think; he just reacted. Grabbing his gun and his keys, he took off towards the Kranz Bakery, pausing long enough to throw on a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt that looked like they had seen better days.

He was sure he broke every speed limit on the way and was surprised he didn't get pulled over by a cop. Then again, it was nearly 5 in the morning...

When he pulled in to the alley of the bakery, he wasn't surprised to see Tony's car right behind his, with Tim and Ellie not far behind.

Then he saw the tarp-covered form near the main back door and the bullet holes near the form and his blood went cold.

"Dabi!" he yelled, grabbing his gun and charging into the bakery.

He found Dabi and Leo and even Mary and Owen in the main office. Then he stared.

Owen was shirtless, wearing nothing but jeans, and cradling a tiny (very tiny) dark-haired baby against his bare chest. Gibbs could only just see the baby's head over the towel and shirt covering its body, which was practically disappearing under the former Navy officer's large hands.

"Dabi? What the hell?" Gibbs demanded, grunting as Tony and Tim crashed in to him.

"Boss! Dabi! What? Who?" Tony demanded, gun also out.

Dabi groaned in disbelief.

"Who's the baby and what's with the tarp outside?" Gibbs demanded.

"The baby's mother is under the tarp," Owen explained. "She's dead."

"I was opening the bay doors in prep for today when I saw her," Dabi explained. "She was in pretty bad shape and looked desperate. I was going to try and help her and was already yelling for help when someone in a dark-coloured car drove through the alley and took a shot at her and she tried to protect her baby."

"I heard the shots and came running," Owen admitted. "Didn't see the shooter, but this little lady's mother was dying; bleeding from a shoulder wound and possible birth complications." He sighed heavily. "I gave my word to her I would keep her baby safe."

"I covered her up with a tarp and yelled for you guys," Dabi admitted. "I may have over-done it a bit on the yelling, but I was panicking."

"Did either of you know the mother?" Gibbs asked, while Tony, Tim, and Ellie went to check on the body, see what else they could find, and catch Abby and Tobias.

Both Dabi and Owen shook their heads. "Never seen her before," said Owen. "She did call her baby the brightest star in her life before she died."

"My heavens!" Ducky yelped, bustling in.

Then Tony reappeared, a look of concern on his face. Tobias was right behind him, looking like he'd just fallen out of bed. Then again, they all did, with the exception of Dabi.

"Boss, we have a problem," said Tony. "Uncle Toby here, recognized the victim."

"I don't know her name, just her face," Tobias admitted. "She was an informant for us against the Mexican cartel. The agent I was talking to, her handler, said she dropped off the grid a few months back. I think we know why."

"Get a name and find out if this place is in danger now," Gibbs snapped.

"Hearing you loud and clear," Tobias said.

"I think we'd best get this little nipper weighed and fed," said Ducky. "And I shall call Mr. Palmer and have him quietly take our poor lady to the morgue for now."

A scale in the bakery told them the baby, a girl, weighted only 4 pounds, 8 ounces, and was rough the length of a litre bottle of pop. She was wearing nothing but a rudimentary cloth diaper and her cord was tied off with a piece of thread.

"She's preterm," Ducky guessed, watching as Owen carefully returned the baby to his chest, cradling her protectively. "The stress of being shot must have brought on early labour for the mother, poor dear. And at the very least, a day or so ago."

"She's gonna need to be checked out, Duck," said Gibbs. "Know anybody you trust?"

"Indeed I do; a fine fellow of a paediatrician. If I ask, he won't ask too many unnecessary questions," Ducky replied.

"And this little one is going to need food, diapers, and clothes pronto," said Sharee, bustling in with a bag full of stuff from a local drug store that was open twenty-four hours. One of those things included formula and bottles. As soon as the bottle was ready, Owen offered it to the baby, who latched on hungrily, while Sharee quickly put a small diaper on the baby and showed both Mary and Owen how to snuggly wrap her so she was warm in the blanket Sharee had also managed to find.

"What are we going to call you, hmm, sweetie?" Owen asked the baby. "I promised your mother I'd take care of you."

"No," said Mary, gently wrapping her arms around both of them. "We'll take care of her. That's what I love about you and one of the reasons I agreed to marry you."

There was a choking noise from Dabi, who was staring at them, eyes wide and coffee cup near her mouth.

"Did I just see you right? You two are getting married?" she asked.

"He asked me last night," Mary admitted sheepishly. "We're both at the stage of our lives where we want a family and, God willing, we may have one already."

"About blasted time!" Sharee snapped.

Palmer appeared. "She's loaded up," he said quietly. "Abby, Tim, and Ellie have started processing the scene."

"Excellent, Mr. Palmer," said Ducky.

"Now we just have to figure out how to keep things quiet until we know more," said Gibbs.

"If you mean the staff, they won't be a problem," said Dabi. "The junior staff doesn't start coming in until a bit later, and the senior staff are people I trust and have known for years. If we ask, they'll help."

"And I am going to need help and a truck," said Sharee. "I need a driver who can actually lift things."

"Pick on Jonathan when he comes in," said Owen, carefully shifting the baby to his shoulder to burp her. "He's due in in about half an hour and the twerp could use the exercise."

"Good. Do you have a spare bedroom you can convert in to a nursery?" Sharee asked.

"There's the guest room," Mary admitted. "It's the right size and right across from the master bedroom."

"Excellent," said Sharee.

In due course, Jonathan showed up and was roped into helping Sharee for the day. The paediatrician showed up, a Dr. Rick Lakers, and he quickly examined the baby, giving her the necessary medication.

"Preterm, definitely, but healthy. Her lungs are sound, which is always a concern, and her reflexes are good. So, other than being a bit earlier than I would have liked, this little lady should be just fine. You are going to have to file a birth certificate somehow."

"We'll figure that out in a bit. Do you know when she was born?" Gibbs asked.

"A day ago at the most, based on the condition of her cord, and based on the way it was cut, I doubt her mother had access to proper post-maternity care," said Rick.

Then there was a faint popping noise and Owen wrinkled his nose. "Wrong end, sweetie," he said to the baby. "Or at least I hope that was gas."

"I'll most likely be meconium," said Rick. "It's common after birth and for the first day or so as her amniotic fluid makes its way through her system. She could be due for a diaper change."

"Have fun," Dabi smirked, watching Owen's face turn green.

Then he suddenly yelped. "Chest hair! Chest hair!"