Disclaimer: I who doesn't own anything, except Melanie and the other original characters.

A/N: So as promised, here's the new edition of Saving Melanie. Regarding smush68's review, the reason it's Kate not Ziva is because I want to really show the difference in how they handle kids. Twilight will occur (briefly, not majorly detailed) in this story, which in turn will lead to Melanie meeting Ziva. As for meeting Jenny, hehe, that will in turn cause Jibbs. Because who's going to let down an adorable little girl? Also, I've decided to make Melanie five instead of three. The two years will give me some leeway on what I can do with her character. Oh, and for those of you who've read the first version, I realize this is wayyy different but I think it's better because there's a connection right away between Melanie and Gibbs which is the main point and plot of the story. So, I'm done rambling now, enjoy (:

Saving Melanie

Red Paint

BANG!

The single gunshot echoed throughout the small home of the Ross household. The normally neat and tidy house now lay in ruins. Furniture was turned upside down, lamps broken, a CD lying haphazardly on top of the shattered glass coffee table. A small child stumbled out of bed upon hearing the sudden noise as she tried to find the source. She checked her parents' bedroom, which looked as if a tornado had hit. Clothes were strewn everywhere, the vanity mirror was shattered, its jagged pieces littering the plush ruby carpet. The bed was a sight as well; its top mattress tossed carelessly against the wall, while the bottom mattress hung loosely off the bedframe. Sheets, pillows, and blankets were either ripped or bloody. The little girl's eyes widened in horror, as she continued surveying the damage. She tip-toed quietly, her pajama covered feet padding quietly along the stained carpet. She went through every room, some worse than others, but still a mess regardless. A thickening streak of red on the normally beige carpet of the Ross home made her stop. Something wasn't right. Gulping, she followed the trail through the destroyed dining room, before cutting off in the living room.

Lucy Ross lay crumpled in a heap on the once beige carpet. Her once shining hazel eyes stared blankly up at the ceiling. Her silk white pajamas were turning a sickening pink color. Beside her, lay a crushed cell phone.

"M…mommy?" Melanie sniffled, as Lucy stayed motionless, her eyes forever frozen looking at the ceiling. Something was wrong, she needed to get help. She began running throughout the destroyed home, before smacking into a pair of strong, muscled legs. An evil face smirked down at her through a jet black ski mask, as the figure grabbed for her. Melanie screamed as she narrowly escaped the figure's menacing grasp, flying out of the house, forcing herself not to look back. She ran through the back door into the back yard. She didn't know where she was going, but she knew she needed to get away from that man. Her legs continued to push her forward, as she began breathing heavily, trying to catch her breath, but never stopping. It was pitch black outside, the moon barely visible through a thickening haze of clouds.

BOOM!

A clap of thunder echoed throughout the soundless night, as rain began to pour, bolts of lightning flashing before her eyes. The little girl kept running with all her might, her tiny legs going as fast they could carry her. She peeked back, only seeing the dark night behind her. Panic began to settle in. She was running from someone who was obviously a bad guy, and mommy…what had happened to mommy? But still, she pressed on, running, her breath coming out in rapid huffs and puffs. She ran through multiple yards, jumping at the sound of an angry guard dog, before she saw a sign of hope. A faint glow caught her attention in the distance. As she continued running, she could make out a house. The light was emitting from the bottom window in the front. Inside, a couch and a simple table lamp was visible through the sheer curtains. She stopped in front of the house, panting, trying to catch her breath. She went up to the door and was about to knock when she heard footsteps in the distance. A cold sweat broke over her forehead as she unthinkingly burst through the unlocked door. Outside, a stray dog passed through the yard, sniffing, before moving on and going down the street, his wet and muddy paws softly stepping on the wet asphalt. Inside the house, she looked around her measuring her surroundings. To her right was the room with the couch and the table lamp. Straight ahead was a small and simple kitchen. To her left was a set of stairs that lead to the upper level of the house. Terrified, she darted up the steps and into the first door that she could find in the hallway.

Down in the Basement

Something was off. Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs stopped sanding his boat as he listened carefully. He sensed he wasn't alone. Cautiously, he placed the sander back on the bench, and stealthily crept up the stairs. When he got up to the ground floor, he noticed the front door was wide open, and muddy footprints littered the WELCOME mat that Abby had gotten him. He had to chuckle at the fact that whoever the intruder was, had politely wiped off their feet, because not a single footprint could be found anywhere else in the house. Now something was definitely wrong. He clutched at his gun, as he began to carefully and cautiously search the downstairs half of his home. A few moments after discovering the house was clear, it dawned on him that the muddy footprints were extremely tiny. In fact, they couldn't have belonged to someone older than ten. Confusion swept over the normally stoic-faced man, as he crept quietly up the stairs, gun still in hand. Confusion turned to nostalgia, as a faint yellow streak of light glowed softly from the first door on the left. Holstering his gun back in its place, he quietly cracked the door open further, peering into the normally empty room.

Millions of flashbacks assaulted his mind, as he re-entered the long-unused pink room. The walls were a pastel pink with butterflies painted delicately along each of them, different blues and purples blending brilliantly with one another. Toys were still on the floor, just like they'd been when they were last used. The only thing different was the occupant.

A small child, around five, sat against the wall, her knees pulled up to her chest. She must have fallen asleep from exhaustion before he had made his way up into the room because she was dozing softly, her wet hair sticking to her pale face. Her pink footed pajamas were covered in dry mud, obviously the source of the footprints on the WELCOME mat downstairs. What caught his attention the most was her appearance. Her shoulder-length hair was a beautiful light, almost auburn shade of red. His stomach lurched as he realized who he was comparing the unexpected little girl to.

He walked quietly over to her, before picking her up and gently placing her in the long-ago used bed. He turned off the lights before going to his own room. A million questions were buzzing around his brain. Who was she? Why was she here? Was she lost? Where does she live? He sighed, before finally succumbing to some much needed sleep.

A high-pitched scream pierced through the once quiet house. Gibbs jolted awake and sprinted to the room where the child from the night before had currently been sleeping. Even he wanted to tear up at the sight that greeted him, and he didn't break easily. The once sleeping child was now rocking back and forth, her knees back in their place against her chest, as tears streamed down her porcelain complexion. He flipped the switch without missing how her small body flinched at the sudden presence. He quietly went over to her, before crouching to her level, next to the bed.

"Hello," he said quietly. The little girl nodded her head through tears as her own way of saying "Hello," before sniffling some more, hugging her knees to her chest.

"What is your name?" he tried. She sniffled once more, before speaking.

"M…my name is Melanie," she sniffled.

"I-I'm sorry I atruded your house, misser. I din't mean to wake you up. I had a bad dweam," she sobbed. He climbed onto the small bed, praying it would hold his weight, as he gently placed the child in his lap.

"It's okay, Melanie," he said gently trying to soothe the shaken child. When she finally calmed down, she climbed out of his lap and sat next to him, still keeping her knees hugged firmly against her chest.

"So Melanie, where are your parents?" he asked, trying to find out why she was there. At the mention of the word "parents" she broke into tears again.

"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to upset ya, kid. I just need to know so that I can take you home, where you belong," he explained. Melanie shook her head violently.

"P-please don't make me go back dere, misser. My mommy, she's hurted weal bad! And the mean man is looking for me! I don't want to end up like mommy!" she exclaimed, climbing back into his lap again. She didn't know why, but she found that he was…what was the word her mom had used before? Truthworthy? Well, it was something like that. Gibbs rubbed circles in her back, gently, as she continued to sniffle.

"What do you mean, Melanie? What happened?" he pressed gently, trying to get more information.

"My mommy…she was hurted real bad. Dere was a loud noise and when I went to find her, she was asleep in the living room, and she was laying in red paint. I tried to wake her up…but…she wouldn't wake up! Misser, the cow was upside down and mommy's room was disroyed!" she cried, burying her head in his chest. Gibbs' gut churned sickeningly in his stomach. Suddenly, finishing his boat within a reasonable amount of time wasn't his only problem anymore.

And there you have it (: The new totally re-written version of Second Chances, now Saving Melanie. Chapter two will be posted very soon, however three and four I need to plan out and draft. I hope you enjoyed the story and I look forward to reading your reviews (: Much love to the readers and reviewers.

~gummibearsX3 (: