Title: Angel
Author: Mindy
Part: 3/5
See Part One for Rating, Disclaimer etc.
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Alone in the dim squad room, Tony heard the elevator ding and, from the corner of his eye, noticed his boss approaching. Unconsciously, he typed a little faster, sat up a little straighter. Gibbs, two paper cups in hand, stopped at the entrance to their section.
"Where's Ziva?" he asked tightly, brow furrowed.
Tony looked up from his computer screen. Gibbs had left the other agent in charge of looking after Caitlin Angelo.
"Head," he answered, anticipating the follow-up question.
"Where's Caitlin?" he demanded, a little louder.
"Shhh," Tony tipped his head at the curled-up lump behind Ziva's desk: "Still breathing," he smiled and assured Gibbs quietly.
Gibbs turned and moved around the desk, looking down at the sleeping girl for a long moment. Then he squatted down, gently pulling Ziva's coat up over her shoulder.
Tony looked away, somehow embarrassed by the intimacy of observing his boss in such a rare, unguarded act. Gibbs got to his feet, glancing around uncertainly then leaving the smaller cup he carried on the corner of Ziva's desk for their young ward when she awoke.
Tony peered over, commenting carefully: "Gibbs, I don't think six-year-olds drink coffee."
Gibbs took off his coat and slumped into his chair: "Hot chocolate, DiNozzo."
"Right," he breathed, nodding. He paused, glancing at the time in the corner of his computer screen: "Don't you think we should call Social Services?"
"I intend to have that kid back with her parents by dawn, DiNozzo," Gibbs replied firmly, tapping away at his keyboard with two fingers.
"Dawn is less than five hours away, Gibbs," he pointed out hesitantly: "What if--?"
"She can come home with me, if it comes to that…" he mumbled distractedly.
Tony shook his head vehemently: "Gibbs, you can't--!" he stopped when his boss raised his head, shooting him a look that could kill.
"Or Ziva, or Abby, what does it matter?…" he flustered edgily: "What matters is--"
"I know, I know," Tony muttered placatingly: "Finding her parents."
Gibbs nodded sharply, his eyes still full of constrained fire: "So give me some good news, DiNozzo."
"Aahh…" Tony winced, wishing he could comply.
"Ziva??" Gibbs tried next, rounding on the female officer as she returned to her desk, yawning widely. "Make my night," he ordered humorlessly.
"Got that covered, Gibbs!" Abby answered brightly, appearing with McGee in tow: "I've got a whoop you're gonna love."
Gibbs dipped his head once: "Lay it on me."
Abby grinned and immediately started clicking through some images on the plasma screen: "We were going through the pictures stored in the Angelos digital camera – mostly holiday stuff -- and we noticed something hinky."
"Very hinky," Gibbs muttered, rising and stepping closer to the screen, his eyes narrowed suspiciously.
"I recognize that face," Tony murmured, moving closer as well.
Abby zoomed in on an image of Caitlin playing in a park and being watched from afar by a middle-aged man with long hair and black eyes. The hood over his head and dark clothes meant to disguise him only made him stand out more in contrast to all the happy, holiday folk.
"So did we," Abby told him smugly.
"He's clearly recognizable in three separate images, Boss," McGee added as Abby clicked to the next picture of the same shady figure and shifty features in the distant background behind Christina Angelo, sunbaking at the beach.
Gibbs turned abruptly: "Tony, did you get his address??"
"Yeah, Boss," he replied promptly, rushing back to his desk and grabbing the scribbled notes he'd thought were useless.
"Let's roll," Gibbs ordered, heading for the elevator as the others pulled out their weapons and followed: "This scumbag is ours --tonight!" As his team piled onboard, Gibbs turned at the doors and yelled: "Abs! Keep an eye on Kate!"
"You got it," she yelled back, then added quietly to herself: "Good luck…"
TBC…
