Never in a million years would Mica Gibbs think that she would be sad that Lori had moved out. Even though she made an honest attempt to get along with her. She still saw her foster-sister as a condescending bully. Watching Lori pack her bags that morning had left her feeling somewhat empty inside all day. Even though Lori seemed honestly happy when she was with the Callahan's. Much happier than she ever was with the Gibbs's. Gibbs had taken the day off that day to help Lori and Katie get packed and moved in with the Callahan's. Which meant that Mica could skip daycare. Another surprise was that she actually missed daycare. Going to daycare meant seeing Shane and playing NCIS with him during outside time. Her other best friend Erica Vance was slowly getting back to her old self. Even though her mom was still really sick and going to die soon. She was getting help from a grief counselor through hospice. Which according to her dad was a special kind of hospital that helped people who were dying and their families. She was kind of in shock that her "Aunt" Jackie was dying. Her and Gracie's mom had become surrogate mothers to her after her own mother was killed. Now Mrs. Vance was dying and Mrs. Hollis had begun acting strange and cold. Gracie that was another thing. What had happened to her third best friend? Her dad had been searching for a month and still nothing. The next week was The Fourth of July and Mica still hadn't received her invitation to the annual Hollis family pool party and barbeque.

"Mica! We're going to Grandpa Ducky's for dinner!" Gibbs called.

"OK! I'll get my shoes on and be right down!" Mica called back

"Great, I'll be in the car! We have to pick up Tony real quick on the way!" Gibbs replied.

Gibbs looked at his daughter in the seat beside him. She had been unusually quiet all day. He was getting a little worried about her. She had a lot going on in her life. A lot of things that a seven-year old shouldn't have to go through. He was hoping that a nice dinner with her grandpa Ducky and big brother Tony would put a smile on her face. She had her mother's smile and he wanted nothing more than to see her happy again.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Gibbs asked as the drove down the road.

"I feel bad about Lori." Mica replied.

"I do too sweetie but she was really unhappy." Gibbs replied.

"Why?" Mica asked.

"Well I can't answer that but sometimes people are just unhappy in a place and the only thing they can do about it is move on." Gibbs explained.

"Would she have been in happier with you if it weren't for me?" Mica asked.

"Maybe but I would have been unhappy for a really long time if it weren't for you." Gibbs replied.

"You would?" Mica asked.

"Of course you are my little girl." Gibbs replied.

"Always?" Mica asked.

"Always and forever." Gibbs replied.

"Good" Mica replied.

"Is anything else bothering you?" Gibbs asked.

"Have you heard anything else about Gracie?" Mica asked.

"No but if I don't hear something soon. I am going over there again." Gibbs replied.

"Can I go with you?" Mica asked.

"No, I do not know what I am going find." Gibbs replied.

"Gracie has to be OK! I love her so much. She just has to be OK." Mica sobbed.

"I am sure she is just fine but it is better to be safe than sorry." Gibbs assured completely unaware that in a matter of hours his little girls world would be rocked to its very core by a horrific tragedy involving her best friend.

Gracie rolled over on her bed. Her stomach ached from hunger. Her parents were only feeding her once every other day, if that. Last week she went three days without eating. She got a bottle of water every day and that was all she got. She knew what they were doing. They were trying to make her weak and unable to think or function on her own. That way she wouldn't be able to tell anybody that her parents were the ones who took the hit out on director Vance and if she did they would think she was delirious from malnutrition. She looked up at the top of the stairs. There was a bright light. Was she dying? No the door was partially open. She pulled herself off the mattress and drug herself up the stairs. It took everything she could to climb up to the main level of the house. She struggled into the living room. Her parents were no where in sight but her mom's cellphone was on the couch. She made her way over and shakily dialed what she hoped was Mr. Gibbs's number.

Gibbs was sitting on the couch watching an ancient movie on the Western Channel. Mica had inherited her mothers hatred of westerns but he still loved the genre and Tony was always game to watch any classic but tonight was a school night as Tony called him and the SFA had a meeting with director Vance early in the morning. So Gibbs was watching another movie alone after the girls had gone to bed. He was so entranced by the movie that the sound of his phone reading made him jump.

"Hello?" Gibbs answered.

"Mr. Gibbs?" Gracie asked.

"Gracie! Mica will be so happy to hear from you! She is upstairs but I can call her down." Gibbs replied.

"No, Mr. Gibbs I need to talk to you." Gracie corrected.

"What's wrong? Is everything OK?" Gibbs asked.

"No it's not." Gracie replied.

"OK tell me what's happening and then put your mom or dad on." Gibbs replied.

"My parents are the problem." Gracie admitted.

"What's wrong? Are they hurting you?" Gibbs questioned.

"Yes the..." Gracie started.

"What the hell are you doing up here!" Mr. Hollis boomed on the other end.

"I was uh..." Gracie replied.

"Why are you using my phone! That is my property not yours you little bitch!" Mrs. Hollis barked, Gibbs could hear the sound of a hand hitting a cheek on the other end.

"I am sorry." Gracie whimpered.

"We told you to stay in the basement! Get your ass down there now!" Mr. Hollis ordered.

"No!" Gracie snapped.

"OK then! You leave me no other choice." Mr. Hollis replied.

"What? No! Agghhh!" Gracie cried.

"Gracie? Are you alright?!" Gibbs asked finally able to speak after the initial shock of what he was hearing.

*BANG*

"Gracie? Gracie?! GRACIE?!" Gibbs yelled.

A/N: Should I continue? Will Gracie survive? Either way Gibbs is going to have to deal with his own grief over Kelly. While helping his surviving daughter cope. Please review and thanks for reading.