A/N- WOW! So glad you all like my first chappie! Special thanks to my first reviewers, Lulubell76, PepperAnn11, Mandielouluvsewe, GagaMidnight, LifelessApril, and of course, my bestie Smush68! I sent you guys 'thank you's', but they were from Smush's email - was with her at the time, using her laptop, just wrote 'em from there, so sorry for any confusion! And for all you followers, alerters, and favoriters - many thanks! But maybe drop a review, too? Thanks, Friends in FanFiction!

Nothing in this story is mine, with the exception of the little girl. Well, she's not mine, either, she really belongs to Smush68 and Mandielouluvsewe, who both have generously permitted me to borrow both the girl and the story. Expressed, written consent and everything!

And a special shout out to my Tabby friend April, who's feeling a little down. Hope this helps, even just a little, to put a smile on your sweet face.

"Yeah, boss…uh….I think I've got a problem…."

A problem. Her. He'd barely said two words to her, and already she was a problem. Stephanie hugged her backpack closer to her chest and buried her chin in it, fighting back tears. Her father - Senior, he'd asked her to call him - had said this might happen and to not be surprised. It was nothing she did, he said, but the fact was, the DiNozzo men weren't cut out for parenting. Oh Senior had tried for the year or so she'd been with him. He just had the tendency to forget she was with him. He'd accidentally left her in a hotel in Houston once. She hadn't even known he was gone until the next morning, when Housekeeping had come in to clean the room and woke her up. Senior had already been back in New York and couldn't take the time to come back for her. He'd had the hotel add the cost of her plane ticket to his bill, and the doorman had gotten her a taxi to the airport. While on the flight back to New York, she'd wished she could stay on the plane forever. All the flight attendants were so nice to her - they gave her extra little bags of pretzels, free headphones for the movie, and called her "sweetie" and "honey." Even the pilot had talked to her, given her a pair of plastic wings and told her he'd get her to New York safely. For a few short hours she'd felt special. It all dissolved when they'd landed in New York, and she and the flight attendant walking her off the plane were met at the gate by a grubby NY City cabbie holding a sign with her name on it. He told her to hurry up, he was double parked, hope she didn't have any luggage to claim. Stephanie had turned sadly to the attendant and thanked her. She'd always remember the soft, gentle hug the young woman had given her. Mainly because she'd never gotten one before.

Yeah, at least her father had tried. He hadn't hurt her, like some of her mother's "boyfriends" sometimes did. Her mother had taken every opportunity to remind Stephanie how she'd ruined her life. She'd put up with Stephanie as long as she could before dumping her with Senior. And now her father was foisting her off on a much older brother. A brother who already considered her a "problem." Senior had warned her that her brother was much like himself, and therefore may not want a child around.

As much as she'd hoped he was wrong, Senior was turning out to be correct. Apparently her brother wasn't even going to last a day with her.

Stephanie watched him pace, tapping the envelope with all her papers in it against his leg. She hid a smile when he finally remembered he still held it. He sat down with a sigh and opened the envelope, looking overwhelmed with all the papers.

"You're name's Stephanie?"

She jumped at the question. Too nervous to speak, she could only quietly nod her head. She quickly ducked her head again at the annoyance that flashed across his face.

Tony grimaced in annoyance at his father's words, not realizing how his reactions were making his sister - his sister! - feel. 'Yeah, no kidding you're not cut out for parenting, old man, but your age has nothing to do with it,' he thought to himself angrily. As he got further into the letter, he heard a voice calling him from across the hotel lobby.

"DiNozzo!"

Saved! Hallelujah! "Boss!" Tony stood and waited as Gibbs strode across to him. When he was a few feet away, Tony went to meet him. "It's a girl, boss!"

Rolling his eyes and resisting the urge to head slap his SFA, Gibbs snuck a glance at the young girl. "Ya' think, DiNozzo?" Even with her face hidden in the top of her backpack, Gibbs saw her smile. 'She's a cutie,' he thought.

Tony was still in panic mode. "Well….but….yeah, but…..what do I do with it? ….. Her?"

Gibbs looked at the girl, assessing the situation. "Couldn't hurt,' he told himself. He motioned her to follow him, not too surprised when she was a little reluctant to do so. "You feed her, DiNozzo," he said with a gentle smile for the girl, who was approaching him slowly.

This older man, while making her nervous, also gave her a very friendly vibe. He must be her brother's boss. Is her brother going to make her his boss' problem now? Will this gentle old man help her brother send her away? When the other man motioned for her to stand and follow him, she did as she was told. She'd learned fast at her mother's feet to do what adults tell you, and do it quickly. She slowly walked behind him, grasping her backpack in a death grip.

Tony stood there, still dazed. Feed her? "But….what do they eat?"

He couldn't help it. Gibbs shook his head and rolled his eyes at the girl. "You've got your work cut out for you, taking care of him. You sure you're up for it?" He smiled when she giggled softly. 'Definitely related to DiNozzo,' he thought when he saw her smile. That smile was unmistakably the DiNozzo Smile. With a wink, he nodded toward the lobby door. "She can talk, DiNozzo. Ask her!" He headed for the exit, child following behind him like an obedient puppy. When he turned, he saw Tony trying to grab up all the paperwork and keep up with him. 'Like watching all three Stooges, rolled into one,' Gibbs thought. Just before he hit the door, he realized something. He turned to the girl - he'd have to get her to tell him her name. "Where's the rest of your bags? Larry, Moe, and Curly, there, will carry them out to the car." The girl stopped, and a nervous look crossed her face. He didn't miss the way her grip on the backpack tightened. He mentally cursed the senior DiNozzo. "That it?" Gibbs gestured toward the pack, and wanted to growl when she nodded slowly and took a step or two back. What kind of parent sends their child anywhere with a single backpack of supplies? He made himself smile. "Good thing, because I don't think he could handle anything else." He nodded at Tony, and his heart felt lighter when he heard that tiny giggle again as Tony finally joined them.

"Ok, feed her. Right. Um….breakfast? Lunch? Do they need special food? Like, extra protein or something? Fast food would be bad, right?"

Gibbs just couldn't take it anymore. He gave Tony a good head slap. He missed the girl's frightened gasp.

"Right, just ask her. Thank you, boss," Tony said, a lot more calm now.

Her brother's boss had hit him! Stephanie took a few unconscious steps closer to her brother. He may be a complete stranger, and planning on giving her away, but she didn't get the feeling he'd ever hurt her. But thanks to her mother and all her 'boyfriends,' she learned that appearances can be deceiving.

Tony turned to Stephanie. "So, uh….Stephanie…..are you, uh, are you, ya' know, hungry or anything? There's a few places around here that serve breakfast, lunch and dinner all day. We could, ya' know….go get something to eat? If you're hungry, that is."

With a nervous glance at her brother's boss, Stephanie quickly looked back at Tony briefly, before ducking her head and slowly nodding. She was hungry - she hadn't eaten since the early dinner Senior had gotten her before he left, and it was now nearing noon the next day - but between her sadness at being dumped again and being a bit afraid of her brother's boss, she didn't know if anything would actually stay down. 'Like puking your guts out in front of him is really going to make him want to keep you, Stephanie,' she told herself.

Tony and Gibbs shared a look. Understanding the question Gibbs was silently asking him, Tony shook his head. No, he hadn't yet heard this kid speak. Understanding Gibbs' next look, Tony told his sister, "After we eat, I'll take you to NCIS - that's where Gibbs and I work - and introduce you to my friends." Seeing the anxiety in her eyes, he smiled. "Don't worry, they're harmless. Well, except maybe McGeek - he may bore you to death with all his computer talk, but you can do what I do, and just tune him out." Was that a giggle? "But I think you're really going to love my best friend. Her name's Abby, and she's our forensic specialist. She's smarter than McGeek, but you'd never know it. She's probably the happiest goth you'll ever meet. Her music's a little loud, but other than that, she's just awesome! Lots of fun, and she has some really cool toys to play with down in her lab." He ushered Stephanie out the door behind Gibbs. "Oh, and if she talks about her 'babies,' she means her lab equipment." They followed Gibbs to his car. Stephanie seemed reluctant to get in. Remembering something he'd read in his father's letter, Tony said, "uh, hey boss. Steph and I will follow you in my car. That way you won't have to come all the way back here to drop us off, we can just go right back to the office." He saw Stephanie's shoulders relax a bit.

Reading the look in his SFA's eyes, Gibbs glanced at the girl, saw the rigidity of her spine. She was definitely afraid of something. "Yeah, ok. Meet you at the diner?"

"Sounds good. See you there." He nodded toward his car. "C'mon, I'm parked over this way." Like a good little girl, she followed him to his car. As they sat in some noonday DC traffic, he glanced at the girl…his sister…..'Stephanie,' he reminded himself, and decided to test his theory. "You know, my boss is really a good guy. The only people I've ever seen him get mean with are the bad guys we catch. And even then, he's only mean if he has to be. He doesn't like hurting people. And he didn't hurt me when he tapped my head. It sounds a little weird, but that's really a sign of affection. And it kinda'…..gets me to focus back on topic. He wouldn't ever hurt anyone he works with. And he certainly would never hurt a kid. Never. I think he'd take cut off an arm before he ever hurt a kid." She still didn't say anything, but Tony could see she was taking in his words. Good. "I'm not asking you to be his best friend or anything, not yet. Take your time and get to know him. I just want you to know that you don't have to be afraid he's going to hurt you. Ok?" He saw a small nod. God, he hoped Abby could work her magic and bring this girl out of her shell. It was going to be difficult if the girl never spoke.

Breakfast at the diner was a quiet affair. Despite their best efforts to engage Stephanie in conversation, all Tony and Gibbs got in return was a nod or the shake of her head. She hadn't even talked to order her own food, hadn't even opened the menu. Just nodded to what Tony ordered. Diane, their regular waitress, was a wise, older lady - seventy, if she was a day - and did her best to bring Stephanie out. Told the girl she wouldn't wish that heart attack of a meal that Tony was having on anyone, maybe she'd rather have pancakes, with whipped cream and strawberries? Although her eyes lit up, Stephanie still didn't answer. No? Then how about a cheeseburger and fries, with a thick chocolate milkshake? They all could practically see Stephanie drooling, but still, she wouldn't say what she wanted.

Oh, all that food sounded delicious! Stephanie heard her stomach rumble, and she was sure the others could hear it too. She was conflicted. She'd never been allowed to get whatever she wanted at a restaurant - her mother and her boyfriends didn't want her to cost them too much money. So she always ate what they told her to. She looked at Tony, almost in tears, begging him with her eyes to make the decision for her.

Tony got the message - not sure why Steph didn't want to make the decision for herself, so he made an executive decision. "Tell ya' what, Diane. Why don't you bring both? The pancakes and the cheeseburger. That way she can see how good your breakfasts and your lunches are." He heard the small gasp from his sister, and felt her tensing up. "And you know that whatever she doesn't finish…"

Diane finished his sentence with a big smile, "you'll gladly finish for her, growing boy that you are." She rubbed Tony's head , then collected the menus, laughing when Gibbs mentioned Tony growing out, not up.

When the food was delivered, Stephanie didn't know where to start, it all looked so good, but there was so much! Her brother had ordered it, she had to eat it all. That was another rule - her mother didn't care if Stephanie was full. If they were spending money in a restaurant on her, she was damn well going to eat everything on her plate. So she dug into her meal, happy to be eating, yet sad at the same time.

Tony and Gibbs watched as Stephanie made an effort to eat everything in front of her. Tony felt bad that she felt she had to clean her plate, so he tried a joke. "Hey, I hope you're saving me something!" The joke backfired. He'd startled Stephanie so much that she jumped, knocking over her chocolate shake in the process. Tony heard a dismayed squeak, then saw Stephanie freeze in fear, her eyes following the river of chocolate running to the edges of the table. "It's ok, Stephanie," he said, hoping to put her at ease. "It's ok, it was an accident…."

Diane had come running over with a cloth to clean it up. Gibbs saw the girl was starting to hyperventilate. Probably expected him or Tony to, at the least, yell at her. If not worse. "Tony," he murmured, gesturing for the younger man to bring Stephanie outside. Staying was going to make her pass out. With a nod, Tony helped Stephanie out of her chair and led her out, telling her it was 'ok' the whole way. Gibbs handed Diane the money for their meals and apologized.

"Don't you apologize for that poor girl," Diane said firmly. "Just promise me you'll find the bastard that treated her so bad, and make him pay."

Gibbs gave her his determined smile - the one that made the bad guys cringe. "Count on it." He walked out to the cars, seeing Tony kneeling by Stephanie's side where she sat in the passenger seat, still trying to assure her that it was all ok. "Tony….."

Looking up, Tony read the orders in Gibbs' eyes, and nodded. "Got it, boss." Get Stephanie checked out by Ducky, then bring her to Abby. He'd planned on doing that anyway. Meeting the rest of the team could wait. Stephanie needed the warmth and genuine kindness that only Ducky and Abby could provide. Tony wiped away one more tear off her cheek, then stood and shut the door. Walking around to the driver's side. Stopping in the open door, he called to his boss. "Gibbs? Sometimes….." he left the statement dangling.

Gibbs understood exactly what his SFA was telling him. "Me, too, DiNozzo. Me, too." He got in the car and drove away. Yeah, sometimes he hated DiNozzos's father, too.

TABBY~~TABBY~~TABBY~~TABBY~~TABBY~~TABBY~~TABBY~~NCIS~~TABBY~~TABBY~~TABBY~~TABBY~~TABBY~~TABBY~~TABBY

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