Chapter 7 - Abby's POV
I ran as if in a daze towards the computer room, where McGee was typing away furiously at a laptop.
When he saw me with tears in my eyes however, he immediately stopped, staring at me confused, "... Abby? You ok?".
I shook my head and he came over just in time for me to break down crying in his arms.
"Hey, Abby, shhh, it's ok" He whispered, rubbing my back gently, "Now come on, tell me what's happened".
"Oh it's horrible McGee" I sobbed, before a new wave of tears took over.
"Abby... Abs come on, deep breaths ok?" He told me and I silently nodded, forcing myself to calm down.
McGee pulled back and stared at me, "Good. Now tell me what happened?".
"It's Alex" I sniffed and he tensed up slightly, "... Go on".
"Well Di Nozzo brought him down to- to my lab as a new friend and then I hugged him and g-gave him Bert to hold but he said he wasn't used to it and then I said that he was adorable and stuff and h-he replied that he was 17 years old and that he was NOT a baby and then I said he grew up too fast and then he- he- he's actually really weird like a soldier but that- that's not possible cause he's still a little baby but it is possible cause it's happened now and I think I did something wrong and now I'm really scared".
McGee stared at me, "... Let's just go see him, ok?".
I nodded before suddenly realising I had eye liner running down my face.
"You go on again" I said, "I've just got to fix my make-up".
He smiled briefly at me before walking back down the corridor, and I took a few calming breaths.
Everything was going to be fine.
I was going to be fine.
The team was going to be fine.
And little Alex was going to be fine.
... If only I would stop lying to myself.
A small while later, I re-entered my lab, make-up all fixed and a happy grin on my face.
I stopped suddenly, glancing around only to find the room deserted... Except for Alex.
He was sitting in a chair in the corner of the room, glaring at Bert, who was on the table next to him.
I couldn't help but laugh slightly.
The 17 year old's head snapped up, and he quickly jumped to his feet, but I gave him a reassuring smile, "No, please, sit".
He slowly sat back down, keeping a wary eye on me at all times.
I sighed, walking over to the small note left on my deck.
Frowning, I picked it up, reading it quietly to myself.
"Dear Abby, McGeek and I had to go. Gibbs orders. So we left the kid with you. Hope you don't mind. Love, Tony... PS. He's still acting really weird, and the only way we got him to sit was to actually yell the order at him. And even then he did it reluctantly. But you're good at cheering people up, so see what you can do".
Smiling brightly again, I spun around to find Alex having another staring match with the stuffed animal.
Unsurprisingly, Bert was winning.
"... You want me to put on music?" I asked suddenly.
"Whatever pleases you, m'am".
"Ok... What kind?" I asked again and Alex frowned, "... Whatever kind you like, m'am".
I sighed.
I'd been trying to get him to go back to normal for the past two hours.
I talked about music, clothes, football, computers, food, anything and everything I could think off.
I tried to get him to do this, to do that, to give me a hug, to do yoga, but nothing worked.
I had even thrown a paper ball at his face, just to see how he would re-act.
He easily dodged it.
Nothing I tried had any effect on him what-so-ever.
He remained impassive, silent, but still on high awareness of what was happening around him.
And it mind of scared me.
"WE'RE BACK!".
I spun around to find Di Nozzo burst through the door, grinning at me.
Alex immediately straightened up in the chair he seemed to permanently stay in, and Tony glanced over at him, frowning, "No look on the kid then?".
"What do you mean 'No luck on the kid'?" Someone demanded and we he flinched as Ziva stormed in, glaring at him.
Di Nozzo scratched the back of his head awkwardly, "Ah... Alex's gone crazy".
She stared at him, before turning to face the teenager in the corner, "... Alex?".
No answer.
She frowned, walking over closer to him, "Alex? Hey, you ok?".
"Yes m'am" the Kid replied automatically and she abruptly stopped, "... Get Gibbs".
"I don't KNOW what happened, alright!" Tony exclaimed, after Gibbs had interrogated him for the millionth time.
Gibbs was angry.
No, he was beyond that.
Gibbs was FURIOUS.
And he had ordered every single one of the members on this team up into the Bullpen for a 'Family Meeting'.
I think it's that he felt something for the kid.
He was protective of him, maybe.
Or else, it's the fact that he was VERY protective of Ziva, and Alex was like her little brother.
Which meat Gibbs was protective of him too.
Either way, he was sure as hell was demanding answers.
"Abby?" He questioned, spinning around to face me.
I bit my lip, "... All I said was I thought he had grown up too fast. That's it".
He nodded once, before turning to McGee.
The geek held his hands up in defence, "Don't look at me Boss, I wasn't even in the room".
"Well, will SOMEBODY give me answers!" Gibbs yelled and I flinched slightly at his tone.
Gibbs never got angry.
Ever.
And right now he looked murderous.
The boss took a deep breath, turning to Ziva, "When was Alex trained as a soldier?".
"The first time? He was 14" She replied, "But then... No... That's not right... Forget it".
"Ziva, anything could help this case right now" He said gently, "We need to know the details before we can get the facts".
She glanced up at us, seeming to think, before sighing, "... When Alex was 16, he went off the map... Disappeared... Went missing... No one heard from him for almost a full seven months... Then he suddenly reappeared at MI6 doorstep, battered and bruised, but refusing to speak of what had happened... They just sent him on a mission within the week, but... Well... He was never quite the same again".
"He went off grid for almost seven months?" Gibbs asked quietly and she nodded, "Not even I know what went down during that time. No one does".
"Could he have been brainwashed into being... THIS?" Di Nozzo asked.
She slowly nodded, "It could have happened. But it might not have... I mean, nobody in this entire world even knew what CONTINENT he was on for just over half a year".
"But it's still possible" McGee finished quietly, speaking the unspoken words that were all on our minds.
Gibbs glanced up at Ducky, "Only one way to find out...".
