Hopeless Light

Gibbs found himself captured in a rare, and eerily placid moment. A heavy contrast to the previous week in which the population fell by thousands at a time, and the world was catastrophically engulfed by a sea of raging virus and foaming from the mouth freaks.

Chorused questions bounced off his ears, a haunting hum around him, and all he heard was a mild ringing. The team, their voices, everything blurred; defocused visions of the lab, his heart hammering against his ribs in slow motion, his blood surging through his body, and his palms sweaty. His mind raced, too fast for him to make coherent sense of, too much information, and action from the past week teasing every corner of his brain, intimidating him.

His heart rate increased. His breathing quickened, and his heart pounded again. Gradually, it became louder until it was a siren, and suddenly became quiet, and pulled back, then snapped into motion as he caught up with his thoughts.

"How many Roamers got in?" Gibbs barked, squinting to better focus on the screen.

Roamers. They title the team had somehow given the people who were no longer themselves; no longer people. The infected. The decomposing, bloody, foaming from the mouth, animated beings that violently attack, scratch, and bite every (and any) living person who crosses their path.

McGee replayed the tape. "A dozen, maybe."

"I need numbers, McGee. Make sure there are no surprises waiting for us up there." Gibbs said, whilst checking the bullets in his gun.

"I counted 13 exactly. But boss, the camera was disconnected, leaving that full two minute window for anything, or anyone to wander in." He gulped, eyes wide with fear.

Gibbs nodded, understanding, and proceeded to bark orders. "Tony, with me, Ziva too. McGee, I want you here with Abby and Ducky. Pull up security camera's, how's outside MTAC look?"

"Elevators clear, none on top, or on the stairs, but there are…" McGee trailed off, enhancing the footage.

"What is it?"

"They've all grouped up by your desk."

"I see that, but why?"

"I don't know, if you look back, everything is in order, then after the camera's shut off, your desk has been moved, and this filing cabinet right here," he pointed to it on the screen, "has been moved."

"Someone's under there."

McGee nodded. "That's the only logically reason they'd be bunched up like that."

"Okay," he turned to the others. "We'll take the elevator up to MTAC, higher ground is better. We can see what's coming, and what we're up against."

Tony and Ziva nodded their agreement, and each loaded their guns. They piled into the elevator and pressed the button up to MTAC, guns and knives at the ready.

Once the doors sprung open, Gibbs edged out onto the upper level, scanning for any signs of danger. When he was sure there was none, they lowered their weapons. Tony grabbed a broken desk chair that was tipped over, and shoved it between the elevator doors, forcing them to stay open.

They looked out over the balcony, papers scattered the floor, like fallen leaves in winter. There was blood splatter and trails on just about every surface, and the lights dimly flickered. The room was only brightened by the sun seeping through the cracks of the barricaded window.

"Boss!" Tony spoke quietly, as to not attract any unwanted attention.

Gibbs squinted, "Yeah, I see it, Tony. Use your knives on the strays, on the group too. Only use your gun if it's necessary. Escape routes are through the stairwell: bang on the door loud, and twice, McGee will let you in. Or, back up these steps, to the elevator, and down to the lab again. Got it?"

"Copy that, boss."

"Got it," Ziva nodded.

The few stray Roamers at the bottom of the stairs were taken out easily, the ones wandering the bullpen too, as Tony, Ziva and Gibbs stayed in a triangular formation and closed in, driving their knives into the backs of skulls. They quietly surrounded the group who were snarling, and clawing at Gibbs' tipped over desk. Tony and Ziva dragged one each from the outer edges of the huddle, finishing them off quickly, whilst Gibbs simultaneously took out two of them, gun in his holster and a knife gripped in each hand. One stumbled behind him, but Ziva interjected quickly, kicking it the floor where Tony finished it with a knife through the temple.

Gibbs nodded his thanks, and crouched down, removing a wooden penknife from the leg of one of the Roamers. He tilted his head, narrowing his eyes as he inspected it further, and then slipped it in his pocket.

"Gibbs." Ziva whispered, nodding to the muffled whimpering coming from behind his desk.

Gibbs, as a mere precaution, readied his knife, and Tony helped him lift the desk, to reveal a young girl, huddled into the corner, hugging her knees to her chest.

As light flooded over her, she lifted her head to look at the strangers now standing over her. When she looked up, she had a face of someone he might have known, long ago; a familiarity he couldn't quite pin down. Her eyes were spectacularly unusual: deep pools of ocean blue, with a golden brown halo circling her pupils. Her hair was ash-brown, dishevelled, and on top of her head sit a dirty, and fraying, white, flowery head band. On, and around her nose freckles sat, contrasting against her pale skin. And, despite the terrified expression she was sporting, the single dimple on her right cheek was still noticeable.

"That's my knife." Her voice was sweet, yet didn't lack force.

Gibbs glanced toward the penknife visible from his pocket, "Yours?"

"Yeah. Rule nine: Never go anywhere without a knife."

Tony's head snapped round, as did Ziva's, both baffled at the young girl's knowledge of Gibbs' infamous rules.

She started to stand, and Ziva aimed her gun, but the girl put her hands up in surrender as she stood, moving more slowly this time. "Gibbs, right?"

Gibbs looked between Ziva and Tony, before nodding slowly. "What's your name, sweetheart?"

"Annalise."

"Where are your parents, Annalise?"

"Gibbs, we have a situation!" Ziva shouted, as if out of nowhere, a group of Roamers flooded into the squad room.

"How many, Ziva!"

"Too many to count Gibbs."

"Shit." He whispered through gritted teeth. "Okay, back to the lab, now! We'll have to take the stairs back down to Abby, we're too cut off." He observed, shoving Annalise behind him protectively.

His hand went to his pocket but when he didn't find the knife he glanced at Annalise, who was in a read-to-fight stance, knife at the ready.

"You know how to use that?"

Annalise gave him a sharp nod, with not a hint of hesitation in her gaze, but the fear was still evident on her tear-stained face.

"Stay behind me." He ordered.

Somehow, they made their way through the sea of Roamers safely, and Gibbs' fist was now pounding on the door to the lab for it to be sprung open only seconds later by McGee as the four from outside fled in, and chained the door again.

"Gibbs! Who is this?"

"Gimme a minute, Abs." Gibbs slowly caught his breath, and used his jeans to clean off his knife.

"Thank you, Gibbs." Annalise spoke sheepishly, keeping close to him as she eyed the rest of the team.

He glanced at her and bopped his head, "Everyone, this is Annalise."

"Jethro, where are her parents?"

"That's just what I asked, Duck, before we were surrounded." Gibbs turned back toward her, "Your mom, is she a Naval officer, a Lieutenant? That why she send you here?"

She shook her head, "no, she worked in this place, we both lived there. Loads of scientists around, people in white coats like yours," she gestured to where Abby stood, "but she didn't tell me anything about it. Always used to say it was boring grown-up stuff."

"Do ya know why she told ya to come here?"

"She said out of everyone, we can trust Gibbs."

"I know her?"

"A long time ago."

"What did you say your name was?" Tony interjected, he had been trying to pin down her familiar face ever since they'd returned to the lab.

"Annalise. Ann, after my grandmother. Annalise Todd."

"Todd!" Abby shrieked.

Ziva rushed over, "Todd? As in, Caitlin Todd?"

"Yeah, Kate Todd, why?" She blinked innocently.

Gibbs hadn't spoken, his mouth agape and his eyes glazed over. "Your- Kate, your mum? She's alive?"

"I don't know, these people are bad. They used to hurt her… She never told me but I knew they did, I saw the blood, and the bruises, and that's why we've been running. That's why I know how to use a knife properly, she taught me." Annalise blinked a few times, an attempt to focus her eyes as her head spun. She smiled gratefully when Abby pushed a chair toward her to sit on, she did.

Gibbs stood up and paced, before clutching his gun and aiming it at Annalise. "What the hell do you want, why are you here?"

Annalise stood on shaky legs, her eyes narrowing as she glared at him down the barrel of the gun. Gibbs didn't know if it was terrifying or upsetting that Annalise didn't flinch a muscle, causing him to retreat a little.

"Jethro!" Ducky hissed, coming to stand in front of Annalise, "for heaven's sake, she's but a child, put the gun away."

Gibbs lowered his gun and placed it on the table with a loud clang. "Kate's dead, Duck. She has been for what, 11 years? Her blood was on my shirt! I went to her funeral- we all did! You did her damn autopsy!"

"My mom is not dead," she pushed passed Ducky and took a few steps toward Gibbs. "She told me to come here. She told me I could trust you, and I don't want her to die, she's all I have." Annalise's voice cracked.

Gibbs gulped, taking a deep breath to calm himself, "she really alive?"

"Yeah. And if she saw you point that gun at me she'd probably shoot you." Her smile was somewhat innocent, and yet threatening all the same.

"Well, she's destined to." Gibbs grumbled under his breath. "You have a father?"

"No."

"Where is she?"

"We were running a lot, we never stayed anywhere longer than a night. We were trapped by four men, I'd seen them before, they work with my mom. We ran to this alley but it was a dead-end, she boosted me up, and told me to come here." She gulped down the newly formed lump in her throat, averting her eyes to the floor as sat back down on the chair and she fiddled with the fraying sleeve on her sweater.

Gibbs squatted down to her level, sympathetically brushing two fingers over her hand. "Did you see what happened after that?"

Kate tiptoed and tugged on the ladder of the fire-escape. "Come on!" She growled, but despite her efforts, the ladder was jammed. Kate gave up, frantically searching for any other escape route, she didn't find one. "Ann, I'll give you a boost, you're going to have to get there on your own okay?"

"Mom, I can't." Annalise's big blue eyes shone, and tears spilled down her cheeks.

"You can. You are so strong, baby girl." Kate pulled Annalise close to her chest, and kissed her head. "Don't worry about me. When you get up there, you run okay? You run, and run, and you don't stop running until you're inside NCIS. Find Gibbs, remember, I told you about Gibbs?"

"Mom…" Annalise clung to her.

"Hey," Kate kneeled down, cupping her tiny cheek in her hand. "You are strong, you are so strong. And Gibbs, he will take care of you, I know he will. I need you to be safe. I need you to get there, Ann, promise me."

"I promise," Annalise nodded, her face scrunched up as she sobbed.

Kate used her palms to dry Annalise's cheeks, ignoring the tears falling down her own, and placed a lilac backpack on Annalise's shoulders. "Once you're up there you don't look back, okay? You keep going. You got your knife?"

"Never go anywhere without it." She gulped proudly, and hugged Kate one last time, "I love you, mom."

Kate gripped her close, and pressed a kiss in her hair. "Oh, Ann, I love you too." She whirled round when the four men began to close in on them, and she interlocked her fingers, using them as a step to boost Annalise high enough so she could climb onto the fire escape.

Annalise ran, and didn't look back.

She frowned, "I don't know. I didn't look back. I have to find her." She began to pant, painful memories tugging on her chest, and welling in her eyes.

"I'll go." Tony said.

"No, I will." McGee argued.

"We all will," added Ziva.

"No." Gibbs shook his head, brows furrowed in concentration.

"Fine, I'll go myself." Annalise stepped forward toward the door, and almost collapsed, but Gibbs caught her, and sat her down.

"Abby, get her some water. Duck, check her over." Gibbs crouched down to her again, brushing some hair away from her face. "You are in no state to be going anywhere. You're most likely dehydrated, and exhausted."

"I have medicine, it's in my backpack. I was climbing through a fence when it got caught, I had to shrug it off, there were too many Roamers to get it free."

"What medicine? We might have some."

She shook her head, "it's made for me only, otherwise I have really bad tummy aches, and dizzy, sometimes I throw up, or pass out. I don't know what it's called."

"Where is your backpack?"

"Not far from the alley. But, I can't just leave my mom out there! She's more important than that."

"I didn't say she wasn't. Where is this alley, if I'm going to find her, that'll be the place to start."

"I can draw you a map, I'm good with stuff like that, I remembered the important signs, and weird looking trees, and rocks." She rummaged through her pocket and pulled out a small piece of paper, "I wrote them all down."

Gibbs eyed her, before taking the paper from her and looking at it, and then back up to her. "You're smart, just like your mom."

Annalise grinned, and God, if Gibbs squinted his eyes and tilted his head, he'd swear it was Kate sitting there.

"Sorry about the gun." He whispered, giving her a little peck on her cheek.

"Don't apologise, it's a sign of weakness."

"You know, those are my rules." Gibbs teased.

She shrugged, "so?"

"So, I can break my own rules."

She giggled lightly, "it's okay. You didn't know you could trust me. It's a smart precaution."

Gibbs smiled, nodding at her. She really was Kate's double. As Gibbs stood again, Annalise gripped his hand. "Please, bring my mom back."

Gibbs gulped. "I'll try."

He brushed his hand over her hair once more before meeting with the group. "Tony, you're coming with me. She doesn't look well, really looks like she needs that medicine soon so when we find it, you're going to take it back. From there I'll find Kate."

"Boss, she could be anywhere." Tony pointed out.

"I agree, Gibbs. This is not a good idea. I will come with you." Ziva stepped forward.

"No. If those people come looking for Ann, hell, they could have followed her here which means putting everyone's life in danger, especially hers. We need people here, especially you Ziva."

"Okay." Ziva agreed, "I will stay."

Ducky joined them. "I will give her a blood test, make sure she is hydrated and give her some vitamins."

"Thanks, Duck. Get her to eat something, too." Ducky nodded and returned to his duties.

Gibbs took two strides and stood behind Annalise where she was sketching out the map from her memory. "You finished?"

"Mom told me you weren't patient," she mumbled to herself, before pointing to a spot on the faintly drawn map. "This is the alley, it's a dead-end, mom helped me climb up the fire escape." She moved her finger slightly to the left, and tapped. "This is where I lost my backpack, it's a parking lot near Joe's Diner. There's a tree that has a heart and some letters carved on it. Can't remember what though."

"This is really, really good, Ann. This is gonna help find your mom."

"That's kinda the point." She looked up at him.

Gibbs rolled his eyes, "just as sarcastic as your mom."

"More, actually. If I remember correctly." Tony smirked.

"Tony and I are going, then he'll come back with the medicine and I'll carry on from there to find Kate. I'll be a few hours, a day at the most."

"A day on your own, Jethro. That isn't wise."

"What isn't wise is leaving Annalise unprotected with only one person who knows how to fight. I need them here, Duck." He lowered his voice, pulling Ducky to one side. "If Kate is out there, if I even manage to find her, I'm going to bring her to her little girl. She trusted me enough with that, I am going to do that. For her."

"It is a suicide mission, out there with those… Beasts, and all on your own."

"I'll be fine, Duck." He reloaded his gun, and shoved some spare bullets into his coat pocket.

"Just come back in one piece, Jethro. And bring Caitlin home."

"That's the plan." Gibbs looked over at Annalise and gave her a small, reassuring smile which she returned. "We'll go out through the back. When we signal on the camera, Abs, you open the shutters, only enough for us to crouch under, and once we're out shut them."

Abby hugged him, and Tony, tightly. "Be safe, both of you."

"We'll be back in no time." Tony hugged her back.

"Abs, she's been through a lot, take her mind off of it, talk to her, distract her." Gibbs asked, glancing toward Annalise who was devouring some chocolate.

"Yes, Gibbs." Abby saluted him.

Gibbs and Tony geared up. The rescue mission, and Gibbs' personal 'I need answers,' mission, had only just begun. Both exceptionally unaware of the raw, hidden truth that Annalise's arrival would soon unveil.