Thanks for the reviews! I have some faithful readers and reviewers, and I appreciate the time you take to let me know you're reading along. Reviews always inspire the fanfiction writers on here.

I'm so happy to hear that so many of you love this universe I have created.

Happy Thanksgiving to my Canadian readers!

Love you all, Jenny Wrens

Gibbs headed down the long corridor where most of the conference and interrogation rooms were located. Room one was used mostly for the toughest interrogations, ones where the perp would be the most hostile. It was completely soundproof and had a two-way mirror attached to it complete with viewing room and security cameras. Interviews in that room could be fully recorded for later viewing. The irony of where Aimee had chosen to seek refuge was not lost on Gibbs. No one could hear him strangle her but it could be fully recorded. Gibbs groaned at his own musing, and the muscle in his jaw twitched involuntarily as he thought about how he would deal with Aimee's behaviour. Why did he keep screwing up so badly with her? Just when he thought he was making some headway, Aimee would do a complete 180. He was trying to be patient, but he felt like he was drowning.

Feeling discouraged and even more downtrodden than he thought possible, he reached room one and stood outside the door. As he reached out to open the door, Abby came scurrying around the corner murmuring quietly under her breath. Gibbs turned on his heel to speak with her but she was so distracted that she barreled right by him.

"Abby."

Abby stopped and turned to look at him, "Gibbs."

"Hey, what's up?"

Abby sucked in her bottom lip but remained quiet which was making Gibbs feel anxious.

"Abbs?"

She silently stared at him.

Gibbs walked towards her and stood in front of her. His authoritative look mixed with parental concern soon forced her to drop her gaze to the floor. Gibbs heart rate increased, wondering what was going on. His Goth girl was not normally so quiet.

"Scuttlebutt tells me the Major is sick…"

Abby's eyes shot up. "McGee is useless, Gibbs…"

Gibbs raised his hand to forestall her upcoming rampage. "McGee is not exactly trained in repairing mass spectrometers, Abbs."

Abby bit back the comments and sighed. "I've been on the phone with a technician for the past hour, Gibbs. There is nothing they can do until Monday. What am I supposed to do without the Major?"

Gibbs shrugged, not clearly understanding why Abby cared so much about her lab equipment but not daring to ask.

"Abbs, we have no impending cases right now. Tony just took the team out into the field, and it will be late in the day before Ducky even has a hair of evidence for you to worry about…"

"Gibbs! You don't understand! The Major is more than just an apparatus that I use to analyze chemical compounds…" Gibbs narrowed his eyes at her and Abby stopped mid-sentence. Gibbs understood a lot but when it came to forensics, he was not someone she could explain complicated matters with. McGee maybe, but Gibbs, not a chance. Heavying a weary sigh she fidgeted and shook her head. "Never mind, I forgot who I was talking to."

Gibbs smirked and patted her shoulder in what was a sad attempt at condolences.

"Abbs, today was slated to be a day to do paperwork, rework evidence and play catch up. There is plenty to do to keep you busy until Ducky gets new evidence. How about you use your time wisely…"

Abby's mouth twitched. "I might have fired the freakin' technician," she blurted out, looking up at him with a guilty expression.

Gibbs pinched his nose. His emotional stamina was hovering on the verge of overload but Abby's confession struck him as humorous so he had to bit his lip to keep from bursting out in laughter. He could envision how the whole conversation went down with the technician. The guy would be happily minding his business, happy that it was finally Friday and so close to the weekend and boom! Abby Sciuto enters the scene and bursts his pink little happy bubble.

"Might have?" Gibbs lifted a brow.

"Gibbs, he wasn't even listening to what I was telling him. The Major has serious symptoms, and he was supposed to diagnosis what was wrong. Gibbs, I am not a stupid person; there is a lot I can do if I know what is wrong. The guy was sloughing it off like it was unimportant. There is no way I am going to stand by and put up with such negligence."

"Abbs."

Abby shook her head. "No, Gibbs. I cannot allow such callous disregard to continue. Forensics is a very serious matter and if we allow other scientists to…"

Gibbs felt the back of his head start to ache. He would be spinning in circles with Abby if he didn't end things now. She was a passionate person; he appreciated that about her, but she was also a little too eccentric about difficulties that simply did not matter on the grand scale of things.

"Abby, stop working yourself into a frenzy. Just stop!"

Abby's eyes widened at Gibbs tone of voice. It was stern and brusque, but it also held a hint of distraction.

"Aimee took off on me this morning after you left, and I can't deal with your complaints about a malfunctioning machine when I need to focus on dealing with her."

Abby's face registered several emotions at once. Gibbs couldn't quite pin anyone down right away. He knew he probably shouldn't have downplayed her concerns but Abby was an adult and right now he needed her to be just that. Thankfully, Abby could sense his urgency and conceded.

"Oh, no! Are they okay, Gibbs?"

Gibbs nodded. "Yah, they're okay. Janessa is in daycare and the last I checked, Aimee was hiding from me right there." He pointed at room one and he saw Abby smirk.

"Fitting."

Gibbs smirked. "That's what I thought."

Abby sighed and dropped her hands to her sides. "Don't be too hard on her, Gibbs."

"That's the point, Abbs, I haven't been too hard on her. I think I've been pretty damn understanding, but things just keep getting worse."

'She's been through so much, Gibbs, and she's just a little girl."

"You think I don't know that? Geez, the kid breaks my heart every time I look into her eyes, but when is enough enough?" Gibbs ran a hand through his hair. He didn't mean to come unglued in front of Abby but he needed to vent too. He needed an outlet. He needed someone to talk to and bounce ideas off. The trouble was he didn't know that many people with kids and the ones that did didn't have the issues he had to deal with. He was running blind, and he had no idea what he was doing. It was a huge responsibility, and he didn't want to screw it up.

Abby suddenly wrapped her arms around him and embraced him tightly. "I know you'll do the right thing. You're Gibbs, Gibbs! You always know just the right thing to say and do. You're my superhero."

Gibbs chuckled. Abby, for her eccentricities, was his number one fan. In her eyes, he could do no wrong. It was refreshing to be so loved and adored by another person. But he knew he was far from perfect, even if Abby didn't see it.

"Thanks, Abbs." He pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Now, stop worrying about the Major and go call the technician back and apologise before Jenn comes after you. You think I'm scary? I dare you to cross that redhead."

Abby snorted. "Fine. I'll apologise but I'm not going to mean it, Gibbs, and you can't make me."

Gibbs smirked pointedly. "You think?"

Abby took a few steps back with a smirk before spinning on her heel and disappearing down the corridor. Gibbs walked towards the interrogation room once more, taking a deep breath as he opened the door. His heart fell. A quick scan of the room told him that Aimee had yet again escaped him. Somehow, she'd managed to give him the slip. Again. Gibbs walked into the room and shut the door, taking a minute to regroup. Where could she have gone this time?

XxX—NCIS—XxX

Aimee slipped outside of the evidence garage and heaved a heavy sigh. Her heart was racing in her chest still as she quickly hid behind a shrub and took a deep breath to calm down. It had been no easy task to slip past all the agents and technicians. First, she had to convince one of the agents that Agent Gibbs needed her to retrieve something from the evidence garage for him and then she had to convince him to let her search for it on her own in the evidence locker. That had not been a stress-free mission. Aimee hoped she never had to do it again. It felt like she had to lie a hundred times and each lie made her feel just a little guiltier. She didn't want to deceive anyone, not really; she just wanted to get outside to see if Janessa was outside in the daycare play yard. Thankfully, the technicians in the garage didn't pay much attention to her. She'd been there with Gibbs or one of the team so many times, most of them just assumed she was with them again.

Aimee rested for a few minutes behind the bush catching her breath and allowing her heart rate to slow down and then made her way towards the side of the building looking for the playground. Every day in the morning before lunch, the daycare children played outside. Aimee had caught a few glimpses of the playground when they arrived and left each day. It was a vast area with a large play structure, complete with a sandbox and swings. There was also a cement roadway around the outside of the play area that kids could ride trikes, scooters and other wheeled vehicles. Aimee walked over towards the back of the yard and tried to stay hidden while she searched the area for Janessa. It didn't take long until she spotted her sister. She was riding a trike pulling another girl behind her in a wagon. Aimee walked up to the fence, threading her fingers through the wire.

"Ness!" she called.

Janessa's head turned to see who was calling her. Seeing her sister, Janessa's face lit up and she parked her bike to the side and rushed over, leaving her playmate behind.

"Aimee! Is Gibbs with you?" she asked excitedly. " I wanna show him how I can hop on one foot now." Janessa began to hop on one foot as proof of her accomplishment, her face flushed in childish happiness.

"That's good, Ness!" said Aimee, smiling at her sister kindly. "No, Gibbs isn't here, it's just me."

Janessa stopped hopping as her face fell in disappointment. "Did you runs away again?"

Aimee frowned. "It's not running away, Nessie. I already told you that."

Janessa brushed her long blonde hair out of her face. "Aimee, I wanna stay with daddy…"

"Stop calling him that! He's not our daddy."

Tears welled up in Janessa's eyes as she walked closer to the fence. "He is too our daddy."

"No, he isn't." Aimee looked up at the fence determining how high it was and if she thought Janessa could climb it on her own without help. "Ness, do you think you can climb over the fence?"

Janessa's face paled as she shook her head adamantly. "No, Aimee, I might fall."

Aimee reached out and patted Janessa's fingers through the fence. "You won't, Nessie, I promise I'd catch you."

Janessa looked unconvinced. "Where are we gonna go?"

"Canada."

"But, why, Aimee? Mr. Gibbs and everybody is our family…"

"Stop saying that! Do you really think Gibbs cares about what happens to us? We're just in the way all the time. It's time to go."

Janessa's eyes widened and her bottom lip trembled. "I don't wanna runs away. Mr. Gibbs gets mad when we do that."

Aimee sighed, feeling annoyed. "Ness, don't you want to see the igloos and dog sleds in Canada? I read this book, and it showed pictures of people living in houses all made of snow and ice. Wouldn't it be fun to live in an ice house?"

Janessa shook her head. "I don't wanna go, Aimee."

Aimee reached through the fence and pinched Janessa hard enough to cause her to cry out in pain. Janessa pulled away with tears in her eyes, staring at Aimee in alarm.

"Janessa Percy! I'm your sister and you have to listen to me. Climb that fence right now so we can go!"

Janessa took a few steps backward, shaking her head. "No, Mr. Gibbs says to tells you no."

Aimee felt her heart rate pick up and she had to bite her tongue not to yell at her younger sister. She didn't want to draw attention from a daycare staff. As it was, they were hidden just behind the play structure and none of the staff could see them. She moved closer to the fence and pressed her face against it, making her voice low but clear.

"If you don't come with me right now, I'm leaving without you and you will never see me again!"

Janessa's bottom lip quivered and tears rolled down her cheeks. She took a few steps closer to her sister as her vision blurred.

"You'd really goes away forebber and ebber?"

"Yes, I would."

Janessa's hands began to tremble as she thought of Aimee running away and never seeing her again. Tears cascaded down her small cheeks making it next to impossible to see. She rubbed at her eyes, dirt and grim mixing with tears on her face. Her hair blew in the breeze as she considered her next move.

"Well, are you coming or not? I don't have all day." Aimee's voice was cross.

Janessa sniffed and wiped at her eyes again. She walked to the fence and entwined her fingers in the wire, looking at Aimee with uncertainty. Aimee walked closer and patted her hand gently.

"You can do it, Ness. It's not so far up and once you get over, you can jump and I can catch you."

Janessa looked up at the top of the eight-foot-high fence and shivered as she began to climb the enclosure. Slowly she stuck her small sneakers into each hole of the wire fence and pulled herself up higher and higher until she reached the top. She swung her leg over and sat on the top breathing heavily from the exertion. Aimee bit her lip as she watched her younger sister rest at the top. She risked a peek around the corner at the two daycare staff supervising the children, hoping they wouldn't notice Janessa sitting on the top of the fence. Both adults had their back to the fence and were busy helping other children, not noticing anything was awry.

"Hurry, Nessie, before they see you!" she hissed, trying to make her voice loud enough to be heard by Janessa but not the adults.

Janessa sniffled again. "I'm scared, Aimee. It's a long ways down. What if I falls?"

Aimee stood directly underneath her sister. "You won't. Just turn around and hook your foot in the fence and climb down. I'll catch you if you slip. I promise."

"Are you sure, Aimee?"

"Janessa, just do it before someone see you!" snapped Aimee.

Janessa sucked in her bottom lip in trepidation as she slowly swung her foot over the fence. Her hands were sweaty and her heart was racing both from fear and weariness. As she looked down to secure her footing, her hand slipped and she slid down a few inches on the fence before she caught herself. Janessa began to cry in fear as she clung to the fence.

"Aimee, I'm scared."

"Hang on, Nessie, you're okay. I promise. You can do it!"

Janessa held onto the fence, her fingers aching and she sobbed. "I can't, Aimee. I can't!"

Aimee saw one of the daycare workers glance their way and panicking, Aimee climbed the fence and pulled at Janessa's foot. If the teacher got to them first, they would never be able to get away before Gibbs caught them.

Janessa cried out in terror. "I'm gonna falls!"

Aimee continued to pull at Janessa's leg hoping to encourage her to climb down further but the younger girl clung to the fence for dear life, still higher than five feet up the fence.

"Hey, what's going on over there?" shouted a voice.

Aimee jumped down from the fence and looked to see one of the daycare staff running towards them.

"You have to let go, Ness, now! Someone's coming. Jump and I'll catch you, I promise. Jump!" pleaded Aimee, her heart dancing the tango in her chest.

Janessa continued to cry, shivering as she looked down at Aimee. She was frozen in fear, not knowing what to do. Her fingers were stinging and as she tried to reposition herself, one of her clammy hands started to slip and before she could catch herself, Janessa footing slipped and she fell.

XxX—NCIS—XxX

Gibbs got off the elevator and entered the evidence garage. Another agent had mentioned to him that he had seen Aimee playing around in the evidence locker. Gibbs felt sick at the thought of the young girl roaming around unsupervised. He still hadn't fully recovered from Aimee's brush with death in the morgue drawers. The only good thing that had come from the incident was that he'd learned that Aimee was a girl of her word. She said she wouldn't go to Autopsy anymore and she hadn't. Jimmy had even invited her down with Gibbs permission but the little girl had adamantly refused. The experience had permanently cured her from messing around down there, and frankly, Gibbs didn't mind at all. It just meant it was one less place he had to worry about.

"Hi, Agent Gibbs. Wondered when I'd see you. One of your kids was down here earlier so I figured you or one of your team was close by," said a voice from behind a car hood.

Gibbs lifted a brow as he immediately searched for the body belonging to the voice. The technician was bent over the engine of a black SUV.

"When did you see her?"

The guy looked up, pulling a rag from his back pocket and wiping his hands. "Dunno, maybe 20 minutes ago? I was wondering what was bringing you down here, anyway. Abby ain't here this morning."

Gibbs growled. "Didn't you think it was strange she was on her own, St. Claire?"

The man shook his head. "Nah, DiNozzo has had those kids with him hundreds of times and more times than not, they are running all over the garage."

Gibbs glared at the man, not really angry with him but more annoyed that no one in the evidence garage would think it was odd that Aimee was on her own. He made a mental note to head smack DiNozzo for his carelessness with the girls.

"Did you see where she went?"

The man shrugged and leaned back over the engine. "Mighta went outside to look at the ducks or something but I dunno for sure. I've been putting this vehicle back together for the Director all morning. FBI wants it for perusing."

Gibbs smacked his fist down on the vehicle in frustration. The technician might have jumped at the noise had he not been used to Gibbs' frustrated outbursts. It wasn't unusual for him or another agent to take their frustration out on the side of a vehicle. The guy shrugged and kept working in nonchalance.

"Damn it," Gibbs mutter under his breath as he began stalking out the front door of the garage. He panned the area quickly, feeling more and more irritated. Aimee would need to sit for a very long time before he dealt with her. He was borderline furious now, and he wouldn't want to do or say anything he'd regret.

As he rounded the corner of the building, he froze mid-step and gasped out loud. In the distance, he could see a small child hanging off the top of the enclosure to the daycare playground. NCIS was fully enclosed in an eight-foot-high privacy fence. The Navy was big on privacy and keeping away the prying eyes of civilians. From the outside, no one could see what happened within the enclosed area. The daycare was on the far side of the fenced in area, and it used the one side of the privacy fence as part of its enclosure and it was very high, too high for any child to climb safely. Before Gibbs could even give anything much thought, he bolted towards the fence line. As he grew closer, he recognised the small child as Janessa. He watched in horror when the child lost her footing and fell to the ground.