All was quiet, except for the tapping on the key board and the distant ring of phones. The time was about 1500 hours, Tony and McGee were crowded around Ziva's desk. Chinese was the take out choice as always, and Tony seemed to be digging into an egg roll, while McGee was cracking open a fortune cookie.
Ziva was starring at the two 'men' that were eating rather like pigs, but that wasn't what she was staring at them for, In fact, she easily held the chop sticks in her hand, and a piece of Shrimp was crushed in between them. "Why eat Chinese food, in America?" She asked as the shrimp began slip from the grasp of the two wooden sticks.
"It's testing the experience Zi-va." Tony hissed putting a potential break in between the syllables of her name, she narrowed her eyes at him, before stuffing the shrimp in his mouth. McGee pulled the small slip of paper out of the hard cookie and scanned it with interest.
"A small chuckle at others misfortune is good now and than, but knowing when to quit shows power." He quietly whispered as Tony and Ziva stared at him with a certain contentment. Tony laughed and picked up another egg roll.
"What's that supposed Probie?" He bit into the egg roll only to have the bottom explode open, and the insides fell into his lap. Ziva and McGee began to chuckle as Tony's face fell to a frown, and at the same time a look of disgust, he grabbed a napkin and started angrily wiping of his pants.
"Tony I'm pretty sure that's what it meant." Ziva pointed out as soon as her laughter had died down enough to let her. Tony gave her a fake smile and quickly chucked a piece of mushroom at her. Ziva put her arm up and let the mushroom bounce off her jacket.
She stared back at him with angry eyes, ready to spring at him, McGee and Tony knew it. "Ziva, calm down, it was just a mushroom, nothing to kill over." McGee reasoned carefully, unsure if he was trying to protect Tony, or keep himself from becoming an eye witness to a murder.
At that moment Gibbs walked into the bullpen, and looked at Ziva, eyes narrowed ready to spring at the agent across from her. Gibbs smiled and pulled his ringing cell phone out of his pocket. "Gibbs." He stated in his signature answer.
His smile fell as however on the other end of the phone spoke. "On our way." With that he closed the phone and set it back in his pocket. Everyone set down their food and stared at Gibbs, who was digging throw his desk and grabbing his gun, he looked back at them and rolled his eyes.
"Let's go." He ordered in an annoyed face, the team stood up and started gathering their gear. "A young girl and her older brother were assaulted at their house, the brother is a Marine he's gone, the girl is dead." Gibbs announced as he made his way to elevator.
"Who called it in?" McGee asked as he followed close behind.
"A neighbor next door, he heard a disturbance, he peaked his head in, and found the living room a mess, and the girl on the ground." Gibbs explained as the elevator doors closed and they started going down. McGee pulled his jacket on as the elevator opened on their floor.
- Gibbs pulled the rubber gloves over his hands and stepped inside the living room of the house, DiNozzo followed swiftly behind him, pulling gloves over his fingers. "Neighbor said her name is Daniel Andrews, goes by Danny, her brother is Michael Andr-" Tony stopped mid-sentence when he looked down at Danny.
She was laying on the ground with several minor bruises and a bloody nose, in a pair of shorts and a bikini top. Tony starred at her with eyes open, that is until Gibbs smacked him in the back of the head. "DiNozzo, she's 15." Gibbs scolded angrily.
"Classic Tony, Dead girl lying on the ground, he's still drooling over her." McGee let a smile escape his lips as him and Ducky walked in. Ducky kneeled down beside Danny and touched her neck carefully, "Dead? This girl is still warm." Ducky explained as he examined the bruises on her neck
Suddenly, Danny's eyes shot open and she grabbed Ducky's wrist in alarm. Everyone stared at her with shock and confusion. She looked at them and started panting as if she was out of air, Gibbs turned to Tony with a shrunk down face, his eyes squinted and burned with a blaze of fire.
"I thought she was dead," Gibbs stated loudly, Danny looked up at him with confusion, what was she supposed to say? Sorry I'm not dead? Tony couldn't speak, he only stared down at her, wondering how he didn't notice her breathing.
Ziva stepped forward and pulled her jacket off her shoulders and wrapped it around Danny, giving Tony an angry glance. Tony looked surprised at her, he wasn't checking her out, he was only examining her breathing, which he seemed to miss before.
Danny started to stand up, feeling instantly dizzy, Ziva took hold of her shoulders and helped guide her to her room. Gibbs gave Tony a swift slap in the back of the head, making him grimace in pain. "I was only examining her breathing, Gibbs. Some how we ALL missed it before, or we would have known she was alive." Tony defended himself with a scrunch in his voice.
Gibbs stopped and looked back at Tony, than shook his head in disbelief. Soon Ziva came back, leaned against the wall and looked back at Gibbs. "She claims she was going to a friends house, when she came into the living room, 3 men had her brother, and one was coming at her." Ziva explained.
Gibbs narrowed his eyes than pulled back one of the curtains, "Why the hell is she wearing a bikini in mid fall, what's she doing at her friends house?" Gibbs demanded in a half yell, he dropped the curtain again, and stared back at Ziva, and at the same time Danny.
"She has an indoor pool, I go over to her house every other weekend." Danny spat angrily, Gibbs widened his eyes at her unhappiness. She sighed and looked back at Ziva, she was still leaning against the wall, while Tony was leading Ducky out.
Gibbs stepped toward her, gently laying a hand on the inner shoulder of her newly placed black sweater. She stepped back in pain with a groan of pain, Ziva stepped forward, and pulled the neck of her sweater back. A large red patch covered a majority of her neck, and blood slowly eased from it.
"Call Ducky back in, he's got some patching to do." Gibbs commanded, Danny looked up at them again, and Ziva ducked her head out the door to call for Ducky. Tony looked down at her again, trying to 'examine her breathing.' He looked into her eyes before speaking.
"What's your heart rate?" Tony questioned as he looked at her, she had the same dark hair color as Ziva, yet the same light bluish grey color of eyes as Abby. Danny rolled her eyes reached up and slapped Tony in the back of the head, her hand hit against Gibbs as he reached up to slap Tony as well.
She looked up at him and he looked down, "My team, my slap." Gibbs explained, Danny rolled her eyes and smiled, she shook her head, "The question was meant for me." Gibbs smiled at her, giving her the recognition that she deserved.