Gibbs sat deep in conversation with his old friend, wondering when she was going to come right out with it and say it. Say that she was going to collect. He didn't mind, he owed her after all, but he'd been here for 45 minutes and so far all he heard was how well her daughter Jessie was doing at school and the fact that her neighbours were pissing her off.

Andrea James was one of Gibb's oldest friends, a social worker from D.C. She had met him just before his deployment during which Shannon and Kelly were killed. When he returned, she watched over him, keeping her distance but always there. She pulled him back from the edge when he thought it got all too tough. The fact that he was here and, let's face it, relatively sane, had a lot to do with Andrea. So yes, he owed her.

"But I'm guessing you want me to cut the BS and tell you why I called you?" Andrea asked, having drawn out the one sided conversation long enough,

"If you wouldn't mind," Gibbs retorted, and then felt guilty, "what can I help you with?"

"It's not me you can help………..it's her."
Andrea slid across a thin file and opened it to the first page. In the top, right hand corner was a photo of a young girl with long blonde hair and dark blue eyes, which were wide and terrified. Her skin was pale, like she'd been sick. Gibbs read down.

Kristin Delaney, 14 years old from Baltimore. Recently removed from her home after an alleged assault by her father, prominent lawyer Jack Delaney. Suspicion of other assaults and multiple anonymous tips offs of child abuse over the past 5 years. Gibbs looked up.

"I don't understand how I can help?"
"Kristin was removed from her home a week ago and placed in foster care while the abuse was investigated and if necessary the case went to family court. She was there for 3 days when she was attacked on her way home from school. Nobody saw anything and she won't talk about it, which makes us think her father was involved. He is being investigated over a range of things, embezzlement, tax fraud and the police have reason to believe Kristin knows the inners workings of her father's company. He'd want to keep her quiet."
"Is she ok?" Gibbs enquired,

"She wouldn't let anyone examine her past what we could see, so we know she has a black eye. But we're not taking the risk again. I want her out of there and around people who can look out for her. I need someone I can trust. Jack Delaney knows too many people and has too much sway over people, I need her with someone I can trust."
It suddenly all made sense, she needed a guardian.

"You want me to look after her? Jesus Andrea, she's a 14 year old girl, what do I know about looking after a 14 year old girl?"
"Gibbs, if there is something I know about you it's that you could protect anyone. She seems like a good kid, she just needs a break. Please."
But she knew she already had him. Smiling to herself she slid over a post-it with the address of the foster home.

"She'll be waiting, pick her up this afternoon, I'll come over on Saturday and make sure everything's ok."
Gibbs just nodded, looking the photo.

"Gibbs," Andrea said as she stood up, "Shannon would be very proud of you, she was always helping out strays, she hung on to you didn't she?"

Back at the office, Gibbs sat in MTAC waiting for a video conference link up with Kristin's file in his hand praying he had the strength he needed to help this girl. He felt the chair next to him sag down and saw DiNozzo sitting next to him. Silently, Gibbs passed him the file.

"This is what your lunch meeting with Andrea was about?"
Tony had met Andrea once or twice in the past and had been wondering what she needed with his boss.

"She needs me to look after this kid while they figure out if he embezzling, tax evading father is abusing her."
"Shit," DiNozzo responded then winced automatically, "sorry Boss, but that's a bombshell. Since you have her file I assume you said yes?"
"I was supposed to leave to pick her up 15 minutes ago but this god damn link up keeps dropping out"
"Want me to get her?"

It was one of those moments Gibbs loved the senior agent like a son he'd never had.

"Would you? Just bring her back here then I'll take her home. Thanks Tony."
DiNozzo smiled, Gibbs never called him Tony. As he stood up to leave Gibbs called him back over. Bending over to pick up the address paper he'd forgotten he yelped as Gibb's hand collided with the back of his head.

"Don't swear in front of her."

Kristin sat on the bed of the foster home with a book open in front of her. The book would have been an easy read for a 9 year old, or a dumb 10 year old so it wasn't really grabbing her attention but she kept going. She heard the doorbell ring and wondered if it was this mysterious Gibbs she was supposedly going home with. Her social worker, Andrea, had given her a brief back story. Navy cop, old friend, going to protect her. Kristin didn't care. It was further away from Baltimore and maybe, just maybe he would be intimidating enough that he father would stay away, just for a little while. Deep down though, she wondered if he'd be any different. Absent minded, she rubbed the bruise over her left eye and pushed her normally straight fringe to the side in a poor attempt to cover it. Hearing footsteps she straightened up and closed her book. The carer, Mrs Ward or Woods or something walked in with a young man who didn't look old enough or scary enough to be Andrea's friend.

"Kristin, this is Anthony DiNozzo, he works with Mr Gibbs"
Tony held out his hand and Kristin stood and shook it softly

"Gibbs got held up at a meeting so I'm going to take you over to him, ok?" Tony asked all the while observing the bruise across her temple Mrs Ward had warned him about.
Kristin nodded, picked up her things and followed Tony to the car. As she put her things in the trunk, Tony asked the carer,

"Is there anything else I should know?"
"She hasn't said a full sentence since she got here, you know as much about her as I do."
Tony got into the driver's seat and looked at Kristin who had turned to look out the window. From this new angle he could see a bruise on the side of her neck. Starting the car he said,

"By the way, you can call me Tony"
Kristin looked over, surprised to have him talk to her, but she didn't reply.

"Nice shiner," Tony said light-heartedly, "How did you hide the neck bruise from them?"
Kristin still didn't reply, but looked at Tony, slightly confused. Tony tapped the NCIS sticker on the dashboard,

"Naval Criminal…"
"I know what it stands for"
"Well, then lets just say it's my job to notice"

Kristin smirked but decided he seemed harmless enough, he was actually kind of cute.
"I didn't hide it, I just saw it this morning, it doesn't hurt, don't worry about it"

"Yeah well, the woman said you didn't see a doctor, Gibb's will want you to see ours."
At the mention of Gibbs, Tony saw Kristin stiffen and look away. She was scared of him. Or scared of the image she had of him. Pulling up to a red light he looked at her.
"Listen, first impressions are rough and Gibb's doesn't give a great one. He's an intimidating man. He's strict and gruff, but he's also kind and fair…."
Kristin looked at him, willing him to get to the point,

"He won't hurt you," Tony said in almost a whisper.

At NCIS, Kristin and Tony walked into a now empty MTAC where Gibbs was collecting papers and barking orders at the computer geeks. Seeing someone behind him he turned around to see Tony and a young girl, a few steps behind him.

"You must be Kristin?" Gibbs asked holding out his hand.

Kristin nodded silently and shook his hand.

"Boss, do you have a minute?" Tony and Gibbs walked away from Kristin as Tony started to explain,

"She has bruises on her face and I found new ones on her neck, she winced like 3 times in the car, she's hurt from that attack, but she won't talk"

"We'll go see Ducky, thanks Tony."

In the elevator down to autopsy, Gibbs noticed Kristin standing as far away from him as possible in the corner. As they walked towards autopsy, she kept a few steps back at all times.
"Jethro!" Ducky, exclaimed, "This must be young Kristin, very well, come over and have a seat, I apologise that for the most part my patients are dead, but this towel is clean and I'm sure it will suffice.

Noticeably overwhelmed Kristin pushed herself up onto the table, wincing at the exertion.

Chatting away Ducky began examining the young girl, but it did not go unnoticed that she didn't take her eyes of Gibbs the whole time. Looking particularly intimidated by him, Ducky gestured for him to turn around so he could examine her ribs.
"Now my dear, I need you to roll up the bottom of your shirt so I can feel your ribs"
Kristin looked down, afraid to meet the kind man's eyes.
"I promise I won't hurt her, but I need to know if you have a broken rib."
Fighting a losing battle, Kristin raised her shirt a few inches, revealing the dark blue bruise where she assumed she had been kicked. As Ducky gently pressed around he ribs she jumped at every new contact.

Suitably satisfied nothing was broken, Ducky lowered the shirt and squeezed her knee. Coming over to Gibbs he spoke softly,
"Jethro, I think she just has some bruising, no sign of concussion or internal bleeding but see if she can take it easy for a few days and ill look at her again next week."
"Thanks Duck"
"No problem, but Jethro?"
"Mmmm?" Gibbs was now watching Kristin who was staring resolutely at the ground.

"Be careful with her, she's absolutely terrified. She has all the classic signs of someone who's been abused, so just don't scare her."
"I know Ducky. I know"

Finally at home, Gibbs showed Kristin upstairs to her room before showing her the rest of the house. The ride home had been quite, he'd asked a few questions which she'd answered with yes or no sir. He hated that but didn't correct her, if that's how she'd been raised it wouldn't help to start criticising her now.

"So I have all the paper work I think you need for school, so I'll take you there tomorrow. One of Tony's friends works at the local school so he'll show you around and get you set up. Then tomorrow night we'll have a chat about a few things. Ok?"
"Yes sir," Kristin replied softly, "Thank you…for everything"
"You're welcome. You look exhausted, go to bed. Everything won't seem so bad in the morning."

As she lay her head down and pulled the covers around her, Kristin didn't let herself get her hopes up that this man could really be as nice as Tony wanted her to believe. But right now, she had to trust him. She didn't have anyone else left.