Okay, since I had so many wonderful reviews and tons of alerts and a few favorites as well, I decided to update this fic earlier than I'd planned. I guess the trick to getting review is to put a baby in your story? Oh well, hope you enjoy! Sorry it's kind of short but chapters in my stories aren't usually very long.
As soon as they entered the bullpen, McGee sat at his computer. Tony had taken the evidence and computer down to Abby and Ziva was now sitting at her own desk holding the baby. Gibbs stood in front of McGee's desk waiting for answers.
"Boss," McGee began. "Kristopher Colwright was on a two week leave, probably spending time with his wife and their baby. It says here the child's name is Lucy Michelle Colwright, she's about six and a half months old."
"Tell me more about the Colwrights," Gibbs said.
"Okay, Patricia Colwright was a secretary for some lawyer and she worked in an office a couple miles from their home, she had no criminal record. Lieutenant Colwright's father was in the Navy, now deceased, along with his mother. His wife's mother is still living but in a nursing home, she has minor dementia, and her father was killed in a car accident when she was seven. The Lieutenant was an only child and has no other living relatives. Mrs. Colwright's only living relatives are an aunt that lives in New Zealand and a sister that lives in West Virginia. Want me to call them, Boss?"
"Do it, McGee. I'll call the Social Services people."
Tony had returned by then and now stood leaning against his desk. "Boss, what if the Colwrights' killer comes back for the kid?"
"Yeah, you said it yourself, the neighbor could have scared the killer off. He may not have been done yet," McGee said.
"We'll discuss it with the Social worker. Maybe she can stay here with the baby, so we can keep her in protective custody."
Ziva sighed for what felt like the hundredth time today. "Must I keep holding her? Surely one of you can take her for a while."
Gibbs shook his head. "Just wait until Mrs. McKinna gets here," he told her, referring to the Social worker.
"Fine."
"McGee, look through the Colwrights' phone and bank records. DiNozzo, talk to their bosses. Find out whatever you can. I'm goin' to see Ducky."
"On it, Boss."
"What about me?" Ziva called as he walked away. Baby Lucy started playing with her necklace and Ziva moved it out of her reach, grabbing a baby toy for her instead.
"Well, the baby can't tell you much so just hold on to her. Wait for Social Services." With that, he entered the elevator and disappeared, leaving Ziva frustrated and Tony and McGee amused.
"Whaddya got, Duck?" The autopsy doors slid open, allowing Gibbs entrance.
"Well, Jethro, it appears both husband and wife died instantly and around the same time from matching gunshot wounds to the head. Point-blank range."
"They must have known the killer," Gibbs commented.
"Yes, that is very likely. And he used a .22, so the bullets were still inside the skulls. I sent Mr. Palmer to bring them up to Abigail."
"Okay. What else can you tell me?"
"Aside from the gunshot wounds, the couple sustained no other injuries. I sent Abby blood samples as well. She will be able to tell you if there was anything in their bloodstream before they were killed." Ducky set down his scalpel. "Both were extremely healthy. They would have lived good long lives with their little girl if it weren't for the bastard that killed them, Jethro."
"Don't worry, Duck. We'll find him." Gibbs left, passing Palmer on the way out.
"Gibbs!" Abby spun around as he entered her lab. "This is so tragic, isn't it? Father and mother killed, baby left all alone in her crib? So sad. Is the baby cute? Where is she? Tony said Ziva had her. Isn't that weird? Ex-Mossad assassin, taking care of a baby? I would think-"
"Abs," Gibbs set her Caf-Pow! down and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Breathe. Yeah, Ziva's got the baby. Now what do you got?"
Abby did as she was told and took a deep breath. "Okay. From what I can tell from the blood pooling, they were shot right there in the kitchen and were never moved. I ran the blood from Ducky and there's nothing out of the ordinary in there. All the blood McGee collected from the scene belonged to them and the GSR on their foreheads proves they were shot at point-blank range. So far, all of the fingerprints match up to the Colwrights and there were some really little ones that I didn't run because they were obviously the baby's."
"The bullets?"
"Running the striations through ballistics but nothing yet. I have a feeling it's going to come up empty so-" her computer beeped. "Yep, I was right, no match in the system for the bullets."
"Anything else?"
"I got into the computer. The password was really easy, it was just the baby's name, 'Lucymichelle.' If you can spare McGee, maybe he can come help me look through it?"
"Sure," Gibbs agreed. He kissed her on the cheek. "Thanks, Abs."
"You're welcome, Gibbs. And thanks for the Caf-Pow!" she called, taking a sip.
When Gibbs returned, Mrs. McKinna, the Social worker, was just exiting the other elevator.
"Mrs. McKinna," he greeted.
"Agent Gibbs." She smiled and nodded at him. "So what is it this time? Another genius child?"
"No. Just a baby," Ziva said, rising from her chair.
"It's possible the killer might come after the baby, he killed both of her parents before he got interrupted by their neighbor," Gibbs told Mrs. McKinna. "Is it possible for you to stay here with the baby? We can't send her to the Social Services place. Not without an agent and we can't spare one of those."
"Sorry, Agent Gibbs, but we can't really spare people either at the moment. I'll stay for an hour, but then I have to get back. I can make arrangements for the child to remain here, under agent custody, if that's any help?"
"Sure," Gibbs replied. "Make it happen. I'm goin' for coffee." He turned to Tony and McGee. "You two got anything for me?"
Tony cupped his hand over the receiver on his phone. "Almost done, Boss. I'll let you know when you get back."
"Same here," McGee said, not glancing up from his computer screen.
Gibbs nodded and left.
"Here," Ziva said, holding the dozing baby out to Mrs. McKinna. "I really need to use the restroom and nobody has taken this baby from me since we were at the house."
Mrs. McKinna laughed. "Okay, Ziva, give her here." she took the baby in her arms and Ziva rushed off. The baby opened her eyes as soon as she was shifted from one set of arms to another. Catching sight of the Social worker that was holding her, Lucy began to cry, startling every agent in the room. "Hey now, hush, little one! I'm not gonna hurt ya!" But the baby wouldn't stop and the agents, non-team Gibbs agents especially, were beginning to get irritated.
"Can't you shut her up?" Agent Barrett asked from the other side of the bullpen's divider.
"I'm a Social worker, not the baby whisperer," Mrs. McKinna replied, somewhat snarky.
"Can't you try?" McGee asked, much more politely than Barrett.
"I am! Little one just doesn't wanna stop."
At that moment, Ziva returned to the bullpen, wincing at the noise. All of the other agents were standing and glaring at the baby now. Why were Gibbs and his team always the ones causing problems?
"Here, take her, Agent David. She's been crying the whole time you were gone!"
And as soon as the baby was in Ziva's arms, the crying ended. She sighed. Why did the baby have to only like her? Didn't kids usually like Gibbs the best?
Once it was silent again all of the agents groaned in relief. "Thank God," one of them, Agent Mark Tanner, said.
"Just keep the thing in Agent David's arms. Please!" Agent Barrett suggested, sitting back down at her desk, as did all the others.
Ziva rolled her eyes. "There has to be somebody else this child likes," she said desperately. "I cannot hold her for the rest of my life!"
"Relax, Zee-vah," Tony said. "You only have to hold her for the rest of the case! Then Patricia Colwright's aunt or sister can take her."
"Gee, thank you, To-nee. That makes me feel so much better!"
"Jeesh, no need to yell, Probette. I was just joking with ya."
"Tony! Do not call me Probette or I will kill you with this baby."
"Grump," Tony mumbled, typing randomly on his keyboard.
"Excuse me?"
"I said, no death threats around or involving the baby, Probie. Not nice," Tony corrected quickly.
"Enough! I thought you were done with the probie nicknames, Tony."
"Fine," Tony said. "I am now. Promise." He smiled at her and she frowned. She returned to her desk and took a seat. The baby had slept through the whole argument peacefully.
This is going to be a long case, Ziva thought grimly.
That's all for now. Thanks for reading!