Ch. 1

"So, I heard Tony's getting a ward," stated Agent Timothy McGee, a thirty-four year old man with light brown short hair, mint green eyes, and a nice build.

"You heard too?" asked a twenty-nine year old brown haired Israeli with dark brown eyes. Her name is Ziva David.

"Yes, I did. Never knew Tony would do something like this. You know, get a kid."

"I heard she wasn't really a kid," commented a greying Gibbs with bright but hard blue grey eyes.

"It's a girl? Hopefully she is young and cute like the little sister I've always wanted," added Ziva.

"Boss, what did you mean by, "wasn't really a kid"?" asked a questioning McGee.

"Just by that, you know older then twelve?" Gibbs said while trying to clear things up for Tim to comprehend.

The three of them heard the ping of the elevator and decided to go back to work, then ask Tony about the girl.

"Good morning everyone, I would like to introduce you to my ward, Sarah DiNozzo," a thirty-four year old brown haired, blue eyed Tony said with a wave of his hand to the girl standing next to him.

The girl was about five-foot-eight, with long black hair, and piercing golden brown eyes. Her bust was quite… vulumptuous for someone so skinny. She had on short shorts, white graffiti high tops, a tight black short sleeved shirt with a black, red, white, and green vest, and silly bands around her wrists.

"Hey," was all the girl said.

"Hello, I'm Ziva David, it's very nice to meet you," Ziva went up to the girl to shake her hand but the girl bowed before Ziva had the chance to put her hand out.

"How shall I call you?" Sarah asked Ziva with a very serious look on her face.

"Ziva is fine." Ziva bowed towards the girl and then went back to work.

"I'm Timothy McGee, you can call me Tim," said McGee after bowing.

"Nice to meet you Tim," the girl bowed back to him.

"My name is Leroy Gibbs, call me Boss or Gibbs," said the strict man bowing.

"Very nice to meet you Gibbs," Sarah said bowing towards the man. "You must be Tony's boss."

"I am, what all did DiNozzo tell you?"

"You were the Boss, Ziva's the kick ass Mossad/NCIS agent, and Tim's a nerd."

"Hey!" shouted Tim to Tony.

"That's all he told me."

"Ok," was all Gibbs said after that. He heard his office phone ring and then he answered it with a stern, "Hello?"

"Tony, I have to use the restroom," Sarah stated.

Tony sighed then asked, "Ziva, can you please show her where the can is?"

"Why me?" asked a frustrated Ziva.

"Me and McGoogle are both guys, which would be awkward."

"Ziva sighed long and hard, but before she could reply Gibbs said, "That's got to wait for now, Marine dead at the southeast beach."

Sarah sighed also then stated, "I can hold it."

After riding in silence for once, they arrived at the beach in which the dead Marine was laying.

"That's gross," Sarah bluntly said.

"Well, if it disgusts you to no end you can go back to the car," Tony said.

"It's not that repulsive, just that the water made his skin squishy, but it also looks like he was in a fight before he was in the water. It also looks like he was touched by acid on his forearm during the fight. It was a pretty rough one if you ask me."

The group stared at her in amazement. Ducky said after recovering, "Where did you learn how to make accusations like that?"

"I have a knack for seeing the odd things immediately, but also I watch TV," she replied with a shrug.

"Well, when you decide on what you want to do when you think the time is right, apply here miss…?"

"Sarah DiNozzo," she said bowing to her elder.

"Are you Tony's long lost sister?" Ducky asked confused.

"No, I'm his ward," she replied truthfully, smiling a little for the first time.

"Oh! I thought you were at least twenty-three. I apologize. My name is Ducky and this is my partner, Palmer," he said while bowing back to the girl, trying to not be disrespectful.

"Where did you grow up, Miss DiNozzo?" asked Palmer bowing also.

"I grew up in St. Louis Missouri."

"Oh, when did you pick up bowing instead of shaking hands?" asked Ziva.

"Well I-" Sarah started but was interrupted by Gibbs.

"Guys, back to work!"

"Yes sir!" the team shouted and went straight back to work.

Sarah went back to the car and stayed there until she had an idea. "I need to find something sharp. I NEED IT!" she thought. While looking under the front driver's seat, she found a knife. "Finally," she sighed with relief and looked it over with interest. "I've never used one of these knifes before." She touched the tip of the knife and felt a splotch of blood form underneath the tip of the knife. "Oh dear me, this is sharper than I thought. I gotta be careful while using it." She slid the knife over her wrist, being careful not to cut to deep, and she made sure not to go above the silly bands she wore. It stung at first, but that was a familiar feeling she had from past experiences. She felt her stress, her pain, her insanity melt away. Sarah saw some napkins, from what she thought were from fast food restaurants, and she picked to help stop the bleeding, but not before licking her wounds, tasting the blood. "I really need to stop this madness, but how can I when it helps me think straighter." She sighed and put the napkins on the cuts she made.

She made sure that the knife was cleaned as best as she could get it and made sure her wrists stopped bleeding because she wouldn't know what would happen if Tony found out what she did. She liked Tony, unlike her parents, who thought yelling at her would make her stop harming herself. Before she met Tony, she was a complete mess, and that was five months ago, but he didn't know that. Sarah didn't even recognize herself after she was done dyeing her hair black. It was rather strange.

"Sarah! We're back!" shouted Tony to the lonesome girl in the car.

"Shit," she muttered under her breath trying to pull up her silly bands as fast she could without opening her fresh cuts.

"Hey there," said Ziva sliding in next to Sarah and McGee on the other side of her.

"Hi, find any clues?" Sarah asked the group nervously.

"We found a couple." Tony looked back at the girl from the front seat. "Are you OK? You seem… Nervous."

"Why would you think that? I'm perfectly fine." She laughed a little and then fell silent.

Tony narrowed his eyes at his ward, worried about her. His phone buzzed signaling he received a text message. It was from McGee.

The text read, "Maybe she has abnormal mode swings?"

Tony sighed and replied, "Hopefully that's all she has." A few seconds later McGee's phone buzzed.

"Can you please not text each other in the car. That's rude. Gibbs, can you please turn on the radio to anything but country. Please," she added.

"Why not, unless anybody has any questions for you," asked Gibbs.

"I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings from this, but why did you become a ward?" asked Ziva curiosity sparkling in her eyes.

"It doesn't bother me. My parents couldn't handle me anymore; you know how teenagers are sometimes, right guys? They also had two other children. So, they decided to get rid of the oldest and keep the younger two. I really didn't care because I couldn't handle them either," The young girl replied.

"Well, that's all I have," stated the Israeli girl.

After the question was answered Gibbs turned on the radio and "Last Name" by Carrie Underwood came on and Gibbs was about to change it when the young girl shouted, "NO!" and Tony practically had a heart attack, but Gibbs remained calm and let it stay there.

After arriving back at NCIS, Sarah practically jumped out of the car, jumping over Ziva in the process, dragged her to the elevator, and was silently whispering "Gotta go," over and over again.

After Tim and Tony broke out of their shocked gazes, they unloaded the car full of evidence (A/N: it was only two small bags, nothing big.)

"It's almost noon. Boss, do you mind if I go to McDonalds to go pick everyone up some food?" asked Tony.

Gibbs sighed then waved DiNozzo off, "Get me a black coffee, a medium fry, and a double cheese burger."

"Same! Minus the coffee, and instead make it a coke," shouts McGee while getting into the elevator to go to the "mad scientists" lab.

"Yeah, yeah. You owe me McGussler."

"Just go Tony," Gibbs pushed him back into the car and threw the keys in with Tony.

Tony texts Ziva and asks her and Sarah what they would like.

Tony's phone buzzed while he was at a stoplight when the light just turned red. He read, "I would like a salad without the meat, and an iced tea. Sarah says all she wants is a medium fry and water."

Tony sighs and thinks to himself, "She hasn't been eating a lot. I hope she isn't anorexic." Tony sighed and turned into McDonalds drive thru.

When Tony walked out of the elevator, he was tackled by Sarah who shouted, "Gimme gimme gimme!" She grabbed a box of fries and started devouring the poor fries.

"W-wow," said Tim astonished. "She must really be hungry if she is devouring those French fries."

"Oh my gosh! I haven't had these fries in forever! They are so delicious!" cried Sarah.

"Or that could be why she is mutilating them," Ziva added her two cents.

"Hey Gibbs!" Abby said as she was walking through the squad room. She had short black hair with bangs in pigtails; she has dark brown eyes, and was just about six feet tall. "Who might you be?" she asked cautiously.

"I'm Sarah DiNozzo," replied the smaller girl after swallowing a hand full of fries. She bowed to the woman opposite of her and said, "Nice to meet you…?"

"Abby," replied the pale woman. "It's nice to meet you also. Wait a second! Are you Tony's ward?"

Sarah nodded at this then replied, "Yes, I am." She smiled slightly at the older being before her.

"So how is Tony treating you?" Abby asked with a bright smile, taking Sarah by her shoulders and walking Sarah towards her lab.

"Oh, Abby? Did you need to tell me something?" inquired Gibbs.

"Oh! Yes! The sample skin Ducky sent me had traces of acid in it. Guess which kind?" Gibbs gave Abby a look so she goes right on saying, "Pure acid."

"Isn't that very dangerous?" asked Sarah with a sort of terrified look in her eyes.

"Yes, very much so. I can't believe this poor man's arm didn't get burned right through to the bone."

"McGee, find out if the acid was purchased by anyone on base for the past five days, and Ziva find out if there was a disturbance report at a factory where they have acids lying around," Gibbs ordered out heading towards the Directors office.

"Gibbs, another thing!" Gibbs turned around to see what Abby had to say. "The John Doe's name is Frank Sanchelski."

"Thanks Abs. Tony, find out more about our dead man."

"Tony," started Sarah, "what should I do know since you're working?"

"Well, you can go get something to eat from the vending machines, or you can go hang out with Abby," replied Tony not taking a single look away from his work.

"Can't I do both?"

Tony sighed and grabbed his wallet from his inside coat pocket and gave the girl two dollars. "If you can find Abby's lab on your own, you can stay, but if you cannot find her lab within ten minutes after getting your snack then come straight back here. Do you got it?" he asked looking straight into her eyes while handing Sarah her water.

"Yes! Thanks Tony!" Off Sarah went with a skip in her step.

Tony shook his head and went back to researching about the dead marine. Ziva interrupted his thoughts by saying, "Is that suck a good idea to let her wonder the halls by herself?"

"She has a visitors pass with her so she should be fine; plus if she can't find it she'll ask the people around her. She's a very smart girl," Tony replied with a smile in Ziva's direction.

"Yeah, we should trust her with that responsibility. See if she can get around fine," Tim remarked.

After saying that the three of them heard Tony's work phone ring, and he answered with a, "Hello, this is special agent Anthony DiNozzo speaking. … Yes sir, I'll bring her right there, after I find her." With that Tony put down the phone not wanting to hear his boss yell at him.

"Did something happen?" asked a concerned Ziva.

"The Director wants to meet Sarah for some odd reason. I hope it isn't for some odd reason."

"Well, I hope it goes well. Good luck to you both!" shouted McGee after Tony.

After getting to the snack room he saw Sarah eating a strawberry pop tart at one of the many tables in the snack room. "Sarah!" Tony shouted towards the girl, getting her attention. "Director Vance, my boss's boss, wants to see you."

"Why?" Sarah asked the simple question which made Tony forget how old Sarah actually is.

"I don't know honey, but we need to get going before Gibbs gets totally pissed at me for letting you wander around NCIS alone," Tony replied grabbing onto Sarah's wrist above her silly bands, which made her sigh mentally, know of the pain cause when someone grabbing her new cuts.

Tony knocked at the door and after hearing the approval of the Director; he opened the door, came in first then announced Sarah while she came in. The Director showed shock in his eyes, but not on his face.

"Hello, sir," Sarah politely said while bowing.

"Hello, Miss DiNozzo, please sit down," the Director pointed to a chair in front of his desk, then sat down opposite of her. Tony sat next to Sarah and Gibbs kept standing near the wall.

"Please call me Sarah," the girl insisted.

"Alright, Sarah, I have called you here to ask you a few simple questions. First question: do you mind taking a polygraph?"

"No sir, I do not mind at all."

"Next question: do you mind talking to Ducky for a while?"

"No, not at all, Director. What shall I talk with Ducky?" asked the girl cluelessly.

"Well, he's going to ask you a couple of personal, but not too personal, questions. Is that OK?

"Yes, that is completely OK with me."

"And lastly Gibbs will ask you the final questions, alright?" finished the Director.

"OK!" the young woman said standing up from her seat.

"One last thing," he said standing up from his seat also. He handed Tony a folder. "The things in this folder have where Sarah will be going to and at what time she will be going at. Understood?"

"Yes, Director," both Tony and Sarah said. The two went out the door into the squad room, but Gibbs stayed behind waiting for the two to get out of hearing range.

"What the hell is this about?" demanded Gibbs, looking at the Director with fire in his eyes.

"Well, if she wants to come here regularly without having to get a visitors pass every time, she has to answer some questions."

Gibbs looked at the Director, then turned away and let out a small smile while whispering, "So that's it? How sweet is that?"

"Don't think I'm going to sweet Gibbs, or else I have to get hard on everything that happens here." He looked directly at the more experienced man's eyes with purpose in them.

The older man scoffed at him saying, "I didn't mean that Leon." Gibbs walked out of the room also, but only to await Sarah so he can ask her the questions assigned to him.

"OK, Sarah," started Abby flipping the switch on the polygraph, "I would like to start now, if you don't mind."

"Go ahead and ask me," the girl said boldly.

"What is your name?"

"Sarah Louise DiNozzo," Sarah said short and sweet.

"No lie detected; any other names?"

"I have given death to all other names that I have been given."

"OK then. How old are you?"

"Sixteen years old."

"Do you have a permit or license?"

"Yes, I have my license."

"Do you have any mental problems?"

"No I do not." Sarah new how to keep her heart calm, just in case she had to do something like this polygraph test; she trained herself.

"Do you have any special talents?"

"Singing and acting."

"Which city did you grow up in?"

"St. Louis."

"Why did you become a ward?"

"My parents couldn't handle a rambunctious teen like me, and they didn't want me to set an example to my kid brother and sister, so they decided the best way to handle was to send me off."

"That's all I have for you! Thanks, Sarah!" Abby shouted while hugging the younger girl.

"Thanks Abs," was all Tony had to say to the energetic Goth girl.

"You're welcome, Tony!"

"Now we have to go see Ducky in conference room number four. Are you ready to go see him, Sarah?" Tony asked the tired looking girl. When he received a nod, Tony pressed the elevator button to go up.

"Well hello, Sarah! How are you this fine afternoon?" asked a happy Ducky, smiling at the glum girl.

"Not so well, Ducky," the girl replied the continued, "I'm really tired now. I feel like I should go take a nap then go for a run."

"Well, that's a start to our discussion. What else are you feeling?"

"Like, I should go audition for a musical, mostly Cats or The Music Man."

"Sarah, that is very interesting. What do you like to do in your free time?" It was a simple enough question, but it got the girl thinking.

"I like to read, write, draw, and sing."

"That's very interesting, Sarah. What type of music do you listen to?"

"Anything plus the country songs I do like to listen to. Rap is OK."

"Do you like to use the internet in your free time?"

"Oh! Yes I do, I forgot about that," she laughed at this and then stopped and stared at Ducky, waiting for her next question.

"Ok, that is all the questions I have for you. Thank you Sarah, Anthony," Ducky said cheerfully, waving the two off.

"Now we go to conference room number one," stated Tony hoping to get these meetings over with as soon as possible.

"Hello Sarah, DiNozzo. Let's begin. How many times have been to a hospital?" Gibbs asked Sarah straight forward.

"I have been to the hospital three times. Once when I was born, another when I was seven or five because my parents thought something was wrong with me, and the last time was because I got bit by a Pit-bull," Sarah calmly said to the man on the other side of the table.

"Are you sure that is all?" asked Gibbs, noticing the terror of something getting out that she didn't want others to know about.

"Yes, sir that is all."

"Tony, can you please leave the room for a second. I have to ask Sarah something in private."

"OK, Boss. I got you," Tony replied, seeming like his energy has been drained from worry and exhaustion.

After Tony left, Gibbs said, "Honey, DiNozzo is very worried about you, can you please tell me what you don't want Tony to know."

"I can't. I promised myself I wouldn't tell anyone, but him, when the time is right of course," she replied to the older man, fixing her eyes on her hands, seeing a little bit of her cuts through the bracelets she wore. "I don't know if I trust you completely just yet, Gibbs." The girl started crying softly to herself. She didn't know Gibbs got up until she felt a hand on her back trying to sooth her pain away.

"Tell me when you think it's time, and then we'll talk, OK?"

"Sounds good, Gibbs." She whipped her tears away and stood up, and exited the door with Gibbs following behind the girl.

-END OF CHAPTER ONE! I HOPE YOU ALL LIKED IT! I MADE SOME ALTERATIONS-