CHAPTER 2

Tony and Ziva stood with their mouths hanging open.

"Probie, your sister has a kid?" Tony asked.

"No. Emma's mom is a friend of Abby's. When Sam has to work Abby babysits. Emma likes to come over and play with Jethro." McGee explained. "Officer, what happened?"

Officer Peg walked over to the NCIS agents, "The neighbors reported sounds of an argument. Glass breaking, screaming, yelling, things being thrown. They knew a little girl lived here and the mom is single, they were concerned about both of their safety. My partner and I arrived on the scene. The door was open, the living room looks like a tornado went through it and this little one was in the middle looking for her mom. We swept the house, no one is in there. Our CSU team arrived a little bit before you did. EMTs checked out the girl and she's fine. Scared but fine. She hasn't been able to tell us what happened but I don't know if she didn't see it or if she is just too little to say what happened. I'm assuming it's the latter of the two. You know anyone who would want to hurt her mom?"

"Yea, just one." McGee said, "I have to call Abby and make sure she is OK." McGee pulled out his cell phone and speed dialed Abby's cell. "Abby, are you OK?...Something happened to Sam....Emma is fine, but you might want to get down here...Tell Gibbs you need to get down here...Abby I promise, Emma is fine...ok I'll see you in a bit."

"Who would want to hurt a single mother?" Ziva asked.

"Her ex." McGee shifted Emma in his arms, "She left her ex when Emma was about six months old. He was an abusive alcoholic so Sam left. For the last year and a half, since Emma turned one, Sam has been trying to get Mark's parental rights terminated but it's still sitting in the court system."

"OK, McGee write down all you know about the ex and anything else that might be helpful. Ziva, bag and tag, I'll sketch and take pictures. Officer, NCIS will take it from here. We will need anything your CSU team found." Tony said authoritatively.

"Sure thing Agent DiNozzo." Peg turned back towards the house, "Hey Kevin! Wrap up, we're out of here."

DiNozzo, McGee and David waited until the local officers were out of the house and the evidence was given to them before entering.

"Uncle Tim, I hungry." Emma said.

Tim sat Emma down in her booster seat at the table and placed a small dish of animal crackers and a sippy cup of juice in front of her. Emma quietly ate while McGee wrote down anything he could think of about Sam, while DiNozzo and Ziva processed the crime scene.

~*~*~*~*~

"What have we got?" Gibbs entered the living room.

"Missing single mother, in a nasty custody battle. The mother just so happens to be the friend of our resident forensic specialist and our little probie." Tony explained. "We've got everything bagged, tagged, sketched, and photographed."

"Boss, I've jotted down everything I could think of about Sam and Mark. I've also got Sam's computer bagged and tagged." McGee said.

"What about the girl? What do we do with her?" Ziva asked.

"Abby is listed as next of kin. McGee, you and the little one are with me. Ziva, DiNozzo take the evidence."

~*~*~*~*~*~

"Abby! Abs!?" McGee yelled over Abby's music.

"Timmy! Is Emma OK? Where is she?" Abby bounced over next to McGee.

"Upstairs. With Gibbs."

"Really?" She raised her eyebrows in surprise.

"See that was my reaction too. Got anything from the evidence yet?"

"No I'm still processing some of it. Prints at the scene only match Sam." Abby sighed and sat in a chair behind the lab table. "Tim do you really think Mark took her?"

"Who else would have, Abs?" Tim put his arms around Abby from behind her and laid his chin on her shoulder. "Sam will be alright Abs. She can take care of herself."

"What about Emma?"

"What do you mean?"

"What if something happens to Sam? Then what?" Abby said.

"Well, you are Emma's next of kin. And you are a great aunt. Also you have me. At anytime, I'm here Abs." McGee tightened his grip on Abby, "I promise, Sam will be OK."

Abby tilted her head to look at McGee, "You can't promise that Tim." She said solemnly.

A/N: In case anyone wants to know. Emma is 2 1/2yrs old.