A/N: ducks as various rotten foods fly past her head Sorry, sorry, sorry! I have not updated for what, a month and a half? Hmm. I only realized it once we came back from Texas and I was reminded on the 21st of March. Ahem.

Well, I am back in action- or, I hope I am, who knows -and it's all the plot bunnies' fault, because they left me alone and WOULD NOT COME. Plus, I write this on our old computer, and to get it to fanfic form it's converted to a format I can't read on this computer. Grr. So I had to reread it tonight to remember what was going on -sniffle. Sad when I can't remember my own story.

So anyways-

Disclaimer: I do not own them. If I did, at the rate I write my stories, we would get maybe about eight new episodes a year. Well, if I can only do one chapter for a month and a half, that's two chapters/episodes every three months. So, yeah.

But now I have inspiration! I am listening to the Pirates of the Caribbean soundtrack so I can't really sing along and get distracted! Music helps me think.

Onto the story-

McGee, Tony, and Kate were finishing up the scene while Gibbs stayed in the kitchen glaring at the other four men.

"You said you had a friend over this morning?" he asked Alexia, keeping his eye on Rob's team.

"Um, yeah," she replied, glancing nervously around at the five men. "Yeah, Katie."

"We're going to need to bring her in for interrogation. Do you think she could come with us to the NCIS headquarters?"

"I'll call her," Alexia said, glad for any excuse to get out of the kitchen. The room radiated mistrust.

She went to her room, walking past her parents' bedroom, and she was reminded of her mother. She didn't dare glance into the room- she knew she would be having nightmares of the grisly scene afterwards.

With trembling fingers she dialed Katie's number and waited as it rang. "Um, hi, is Katie there?"

Her mother had answered. "Yes. May I ask who's calling?"

"A-Alexia."

"Just a minute, Alexia."

She heard the phone being put down and Katie's mother's footsteps walking away. Her mother would never walk again, that was sure. She shook her head violently as if to rid herself of the thoughts. Of course, it didn't work. It only gave her a splitting headache in addition to the bloody crime scene that kept running through her head.

Alexia took a deep breath as Katie came on the line. "Alexia, are you okay?"

"What? Oh, yeah, I'm fine."

"What's up, then?"

"Oh, the team that's investigating Mom's murder wants you to come to headquarters with us so they can ask you some questions. 'Cause, you know, you were there with me this morning."

"When?"

"Uh, as soon as possible, I guess. Just come over here whenever you can, they'll probably still be processing the scene."

"Let me ask my mother," Katie responded. Alexia could tell she'd put her hand over the receiver because she heard a muffled "Mom, I have to go to the headquarters for questioning". "Yeah, that's fine," she said a moment later.

"Um, okay. It probably won't take that long."

"I'll stay with you as long as you want. I know your dad can be kind of uncooperative. Do you want anything?"

"Well, no. Thanks for the offer," she added, smiling even though Katie couldn't see it.

"No problem. See you later."

"Bye."

Long after the click on the other end was gone, Alexia kept the phone in her hand, her eyes filling with tears as she struggled gamely to regain her composure. She finally swallowed, and with a newfound confidence, replaced the receiver and walked out the door.

"Yeah, Katie's coming," Alexia told Gibbs as she walked into the kitchen, her eyes still downcast to avoid eye contact.

Gibbs nodded ever-so-slightly, still staring the men down. Mentally sizing them up, he figured they would be able to withstand maybe about five minutes of intense interrogation, possibly less for the wimpy ones.

They heard a click coming from the front door, and then the door opened. Katie was standing there, with a key in hand, smiling slightly, as if not sure how she should act around her friend and these strange people.

"I take it you're Katie," Gibbs said.

She nodded. "Uh, yeah, that's me."

"Done!" Tony called from across the hall.

"Okay, we've got two cars. How are we handling this?" Gibbs asked as soon as all the people were in the room.

"Ten spots in the car, ten people," Kate observed. "Seems pretty obvious to me."

"Two of us in each car-" Tony started.

"-with three of them in one car-" Kate interrupted.

"-and the other one with Alexia and her friend," Tony finished. "Right, boss?"

Gibbs nodded, still giving the men a steely eye. "Right. Tony, Kate, take Alexia, Katie, and that guy." He pointed to Chris, who visibly trembled. "Make him sit in front. McGee and I'll take them."

Alexia allowed herself a small smile to see her father's obvious escape plan go awry. She knew he was planning something by the look of surrender on his face. He never surrendered. Never gave up, never surrendered. He wouldn't try a thing with Gibbs in the car. No doubt he would make Rob sit in front.

Gibbs threw the keys to their car to Tony and stared down Rob, who sighed heavily and reluctantly reached into his pocket for his own car keys. With an air of innocence, he pulled them out, and lunged for Gibbs with the keys between his fingers.

Gibbs easily stopped the assault, twisting Rob's arm up and out of the way, quickly prying the keys from the pained hand, and he grabbed his wrist. Yanking him out the door with obvious disregard to the other man's pains, he jerked the door to the car open and threw Rob into the front seat with no apparent concern as Rob cried out.

Alexia laughed slightly as the others were led out, and she shut the front door. Taking the house key from the clip on her jeans belt loop, she locked it securely.

As Gibbs slammed the car door shut, he couldn't hear Rob, but could easily make out the expletive that came from his lips.

A/N: Isn't it nice to read my author's notes? I just can't resist writing them. So, was that a long enough chapter for you people? If not, tell me in a REVIEW! That's right, click the little "go" button on the bottom left of your screen and tell me what you think! If you're dying to say it sucked, tell me! If you dying to say that it's the best chapter you've ever read, say it! TELL ME, TELL ME, TELL ME!

Just think how quickly I could update if you gave me twice as many reviews as before! Maybe in two weeks! Gasp!