A/N: Hey there! Glad to see those who originally read "A Sliver of Hope" found the sequel! Also happy to see a few new readers as well! :)
Sorry to ramble a bit, but I wanted to say I find it funny how this started as a fic that was Tiva centered, that was just for closure to that season finale most of us were mad about but then it started to involve the other characters and then I even made some OCs. It is all thanks to you, my lovely readers that I have been able to get this far with this, I've really enjoyed writing this story and I'm glad you guys like it too. So thank you! :)

Chapter 2: Threat

Tim and Ellie arrived at the apartment building and made their way up to the DiNozzo's apartment. Ellie knocked on the door and Tony answered right away. "Hey, Gibbs told me you'd be here." He said as he let them into the apartment.

Tim nodded. "Yeah. Uh, how is Bethany doing?"

"How do you think she's doing McGee? She's worried sick about her daughter—"

"Don't give them a hard time, Tony," Ziva interrupted. "Yes, naturally she is worried, but she's doing her best to be strong. She's holding onto straws."

"Um, I think you mean grasping at straws—"

"Whatever," Ziva turned to the two agents again. "Just be careful when you talk to her. She's playing with Tali in her bedroom."

Ellie nods. "Thank you Ziva."

Tim and Ellie walked into Tali's room and Bethany was playing pickup sticks with Tali. Tali noticed them first and greeted them. "Hi Uncle Tim, and Aunty Ellie," she said not sounding like her usually cheerful self.

The two agents smile at her. Ellie gets down on her level. "Tali, is it alright if we talk to Bethany alone for a little bit in the living room?"

Tali pouted cutely, then nodded with a dramatic sigh. "Alright, I guess…" she replied reluctantly. Before Bethany stood up, she hugged her. "I-I know they'll find Mary… They have to… Uncle Gibbs will make sure of it."

Bethany smiled slightly as she hugged the young girl. "Thank you Tali." She stood up and followed Ellie and Tim into the living room, they sat on the couch and Bethany sat on the chair adjacent from them "…So I'm assuming you haven't found anything yet." Bethany asked.

Tim shook his head. "No we have not. Do you mind if we ask you a few questions?"

"No, not at all if it will help find my daughter."

"Alright, thank you." Tim replied. "So can you tell us a bit about your background, like your family?"

Bethany paused before finally nodding. "Well that's a little complicated to explain."

"Complicated how?" Ellie asked.

"I don't know who my birth parents are. I think I was given for adoption right after I was born. I was adopted by a very nice couple, they raised and took care of me as if I was their own flesh and blood. But they died in a bad car crash three years ago. So unless my birth parents are alive, I don't have anyone except Mary…"

Ellie looked at her sympathetically, "We will find her Bethany. I apologize in advance for asking, but do you still have any ties to her father?"

Bethany simply nodded. "No… That is also a complicated matter and I would rather not talk about it if I don't have to."

The two agents both nodded. "We understand," Tim said as he took out a file that had the notes from Gibbs' interview with Tali. "When Gibbs talked to Tali earlier, she said something interesting. The last thing that she remembered hearing Mary say before she blacked out was 'You know my mommy?'. She was asking that question to the man who kidnapped her," He explained. "Is it possible you have any enemies or someone who might hold a grudge against you?"

Bethany could not get herself to respond to the question. She already had a bad feeling that she knew who took her daughter. She knew that Tim and Ellie probably already had suspicions about Mary's father. Even though she didn't want to talk about it, she knew that she would have to at some point.

"Well I…" as she was about to explain her cell phone dinged, indicating that she received a text message. She took her phone out of her pocket and opened the message. Her eyes widened and filled with fear. The message read:

"Say one more word and the girl suffers."

Bethany's hands started to shake as memories of what happened four years ago flashed through her mind. She dropped the phone on the carpet.

"Bethany?" Ellie said softly as she picked up the phone and looked to her for permission to look at the message. Bethany gave her a subtle nod. Tim and Ellie both looked at the screen and another message appeared. Both were from an unknown number.

"You better be aware of your actions. You don't want to make me angry."

"We better get back to the office so we can try to trace it," Ellie said.

Tim nodded in agreement. "Yes. Bishop, you go and brief Tony and Ziva on the situation and I will call Gibbs. I know he would want us to take Bethany and them as well, into protective custody, but I'm going to call him just to inform him of what's going on."

Ellie nods. "Yes that is what I was also thinking." She hurried out of the living room to the kitchen where Tony and Ziva were. And Tim called Gibbs.

Gibbs was on his way down to the morgue. His phone rang and he promptly answered, "Yeah, Gibbs."

"Boss, we have a situation. Our kidnapper has made contact with Ms. Shields. We're being watched. We are evacuating her as well as the DiNozzos them immediately… I uh just thought you should know."

"Well then get to it McGee, you're already wasting time" Gibbs responded impatiently.

"On it boss." McGee hung up the phone.

"Ah, hello Jethro," Ducky said as Gibbs entered the morgue. "How may I help you?"

"Why do you think I need help Duck?" Gibbs asked.

"Well... You're not currently on a murder case, so you're not here for autopsy results... Something else must be on your mind."

Gibbs nodded.

"So… What is it then?"

"Since I saw Ms. Shields at Tony and Ziva's wedding, I've had a feeling that I have seen her before."

"Well have you seen her before Jethro?"

Gibbs shrugged. "That's what I am unsure of." A memory soon played through his head.

November 9, 2005

Gibbs stopped by the grocery store one night on his way home from work. Jenny Shepard had now been the NCIS director for a few months. He was not completely thrilled about it, but he was starting to get used to it.

"Hello Jethro," a familiar voice said from behind him.

'Well, speak of the devil.' Gibbs thought snarkily. He nodded to her. "Hello Director."

"We're off hours, you know that you can just call me Jenny."

"Well, okay then, Jenny."

They were approaching the produce section of the store and they saw a young girl who was probably about six years old standing by where the watermelons were. She was crying. Naturally, Gibbs slowly approached the girl. Jenny watched from a small distance. Gibbs knelt down to her level but also made sure to keep a bit of distance. He spoke softly, "Hey, what's wrong?"

"I-I… I can't find my mommy…" the girl said crying.

"What does she look like? We can help you find her."

"Um, she is kinda tall, has curly blonde hair and she's wearing a red coat and jeans."

It was a vague description, but it was still better than nothing. Gibbs happened to have an unused tissue in his pocket. He took it out and gently wiped her tears. "Alright, let's go find her then," he smiled at her.

Jenny looked at the scene in front of her feeling slightly astonished. She never knew that Gibbs was good with kids. She was not even sure if he liked kids either. She smiled, it was a side of him that she had never seen before. She walked over to them.

"Um, so what's your name? My name is Bethany," the little girl had calmed down significantly. Once the girl had said her name, Jenny was shocked for a moment. 'It's probably just a coincidence…' she thought. Despite Gibbs' thoughts on coincidence, she was just going to accept this as one for the sake of her sanity. But she still could not help but wonder.

"My name is Jethro, and this is Jenny." Gibbs said before standing back up.

"Thank you for helping me Mr. Jethro and Ms. Jenny…"

They both smiled at her. "It's no problem Bethany," Jenny replied softly.

"Bethany!" they heard a woman's voice shout from a couple aisles down.

"That's my mommy's voice!" Bethany exclaimed with relief.

Jenny and Gibbs walked with her towards where the voice had come from. They came across a woman that had fit Bethany's description. Once they came in eyesight of her, Bethany ran into her mother's arms.

"Bethany, what I told you that you need to stay close to me so you don't get lost," her mother said to her firmly, but softly.

"I know mommy… I'm sorry, it won't happen again. Mr. Jethro and Ms. Jenny helped me find you again!" she exclaimed smiling.

The mother smiled and kissed her daughter's forehead and then faced Gibbs and Jenny. "Thank you very much for helping my daughter." She introduced herself as she shook their hands, "My name is Anne."

"You're welcome Anne," Jenny said nodding at her. She smiled. 'Well, if she is my daughter, or even if she isn't, at least she is happy and healthy.'

Present

"Jethro?"

Gibbs snapped out of his reminiscing and looked at Ducky. "Sorry Ducky, maybe I'm just a little tired," he lied.

"Or you could be having a sense of de ja vu. Sometimes even seeing someone just once in the past can bring these intuitive feelings you are having. Now, if you are willing to share, what were you just thinking about?"

"Just a memory from the past. It's insignificant."

"Then why am I getting the feeling that it actually IS of significance?" Ducky pressed. "Do you even want my help, Jethro?"

Gibbs walked out of the morgue without another word. Ducky sighed. I'll never fully understand that man.

A/N: Thanks for reading! Please review :)