Gibby, Tony, Ziva and McGee all stared expectantly at Gibbs, who didn't miss a beat.

"She had to go away for a little bit, but she thought you and I might want some special time together," he tried to persuade her.

"She had to go somewhere dangerous didn't she?" Gibby asked.

"Not dangerous," he assured her, rubbing her back gently and guiding her already drooping head down onto his shoulder, "Mommy's safe and so are you." Gibby wrapped her little arms around his neck and held on tight as she fought off sleep. She stared at the agents around her, smiling shyly at Ziva, who she recognized from that afternoon.

"Boss," McGee piped up, having noticed that his computer had finished a search, "You might want to see this."Gibbs nodded and moved so he was looking over Tim's shoulder.

"Close your eyes, Marine," he ordered Gibby, unsure of what would appear. She did so and he nodded to McGee.

"Kevin Fielding, 36 spent thirty months in prison for smashing up his ex-girlfriend's new boyfriend's car. Was released six months ago and moved here to Albuquerque a month later. During the investigation the girl claimed her had been stalking her and her best friend, who was apparently the one who had convinced her to break off the relationship."

"Two years?" Tony piped up, "Isn't that a little harsh for property damage?"

"Not if the car is the property of the FBI," McGee shot back, "Turns out both the girlfriend and the new boyfriend work at Quantico."

"Where's the guy live?" Gibbs asked, feeling the moment Gibby slipped back to sleep by the increase in weight he felt.

"There's an address in Cottonwood Heights," McGee said. He rattled it off.

"That's not far from any of the crime scenes," Bobby D commented.

"Half-mile from the first, mile from the second, and only a mile and a half from Caitlin Jennings," McGee confirmed.

"DiNozzo, David, go check it out," Gibbs ordered gruffly. Ziva headed out immediately, but Tony paused in the doorway.

"Boss," he started, "When she said 'Daddy' did she really- ow ow ow!" Gibbs chuckled as Ziva pulled Tony out of the station by his ear.

--

Tony and Ziva climbed the five flights of stairs to their suspects apartment in silence. Tony was still fixated on the appearance of young Gabriella, and Ziva's mind was reeling with what it meant in the context of her conversation with Caitlin.

They finally reached their destination and knocked on the door. They reached for their weapons when it swung open on its own.

"NCIS!" Ziva called out. She motioned with her gun for Tony to sweep the left side of the apartment while she swept the right.

"Kevin Fielding!" Tony called, "Federal Agents!" Ziva stepped into the living room and found a man sitting on the couch, flicking a lighter on and then off, repeatedly.

"Hands on your head!" Ziva ordered.

On. Off.

"Federal Agents! Put your hands on your head!" she tried again.

On. Off.

Ziva lunged at the guy, knocking the lighter out of his hands and forcing them behind his back. It was then that she saw what he'd been watching on TV. Across town, a motel was blazing. There was no word yet on survivors. As the guy looked up adoringly at the footage he spoke.

"Self-righteous little traitor had it coming."

--

Sorry that it has taken so long, everything got super hectic for a while there and wouldn't you know, my computer overheated and crashed last week and it has taken forever to get it fixed. I should have that by tomorrow, which means more updates, at least during May.