Hello Readers!

Thanks so much for all the lovely reviews. I'm so glad to see that people like my Janessa/Aimee universe.

Happy New Year!

I had a few hours to write and edit this afternoon so I thought I'd drop another chapter on fanfiction.

This story has taken on a life of its own. Just when I think it's heading in one direction, the characters take over and take it in another. Oh well, it makes it more fun for me. As long as I know where I'm headed, a few detours here and there make it all the more interesting LOL

Plenty more to come.

I'm so inspired by all the reviews... thanks so much!

Gibbs leaned his head against the wall, rocking it back and forth. Alone in Jenny's office allowed him some much-needed privacy. It had been twenty-four hours since he'd held Aimee in his lap reading A Wrinkle in Time to her. Twenty-four hours since he'd felt peaceful in his spirit. Everything had gone straight to hell ever since. It was hard to believe that twenty-four measly hours could make such a difference. But it did. He had exhausted every possible lead and came up empty. He was no closer to holding her in his arms than he was twenty-four hours ago when she left them. He'd searched high and low, and the local LEOS had nothing to show for their search. Hell, Gibbs had even personally attempted to pay David Brody a visit on a hunch that somehow the lunatic was involved, but it had been a rabbit trail to nowhere. Security around Brody was impenetrable. As much as he fought to beat it, he ended up defeated. No one that the powers to be didn't approve could gain access to the man. It was a humbling reality. He was Gibbs after all. Gibbs could do anything. He was above the law. Except he wasn't. Not this time. While his gut screamed expletives at him, he was forced to walk away with his tail between his legs, having no power to penetrate the red tape surrounding Brody. Gibbs grimaced and pinched his nose, feeling a headache like no other pounding at the back of his head. What good was he if he couldn't even save his own daughter? What good was he if he couldn't protect her? Damn it all to hell! What good was he?

"You really should eat something."

Gibbs inwardly groaned at the interruption to his internal flagellation. He wasn't nearly finished berating himself. He clenched his jaw, wishing that he could disappear into thin air. He didn't have the energy to hold anyone else up and he sure as hell didn't want anyone to hold him up.

"Jethro, c'mon take it. You haven't eaten or drank anything all day. Punishing yourself won't change matters. You need your strength…"

"I'm only going to say this once, Jenn. Leave me alone." His voice was dangerously low. He didn't trust himself to be around people in his state of mind.

Jenny Shepard set the sandwich she'd brought with her on a nearby table. She hadn't known Gibbs when he lost his wife and daughter, but she had seen him when he thought he'd lost them again after losing his memory. It had been disconcerting to see the strong, formidable man reduced to pieces of his former self. She wasn't about to sit by and watch him crumble again. Not when there was still hope. And there was hope. There was always hope until there wasn't. Granted, twenty-four hours was a long time for a child to be missing, and in Washington with a huge human trafficking racket always looming large on the forefront, it was heart-wrenching to think about. But there was always hope.

"Agent Gibbs," she began, using her best authoritative voice. "Stop beating yourself up! Agent DiNozzo and the rest of your team are out there combing the streets and following leads that you gave them. Why are you just standing there letting them do all the work? Your daughter is missing and she needs you!"

Gibbs grimaced, his heart hammering in his chest. He didn't move his head from the wall but continued rolling it back and forth. He squeezed his eyes tightly as images of Kelly and Shannon flashed to his mind. Their funerals. Kelly's small casket. His heart being ripped from his chest. His life being ripped from him. He couldn't breathe. A guttural sob escaped his lips as he felt hot, angry tears fall down his cheeks. He wasn't a weak man. What the hell was happening to him? Was it possible to reach your limit and lose your mind while you were still knowingly aware of it? Could a man be both sane and insane at the same time?

"Jethro…" He felt her gentle hand on the back of his head. It was a maternal touch, and for a few brief seconds, he allowed himself to imagine it was the touch of his mother, comforting him after a disappointment. "Don't give up hope. Aimee is a bright little girl…"

Gibbs stood up straight and looked at Jenny. His eyes red-rimmed. His hope light all but extinguished.

"How cold is it, Jenn?"

Jenny blinked.

"She didn't take a jacket."

"You don't know that for sure..."

"She didn't take her backpack."

"I know."

"Where could she be, Jenn?"

Jenny chewed her bottom lip wishing she had an answer. Seeing Gibbs coming unglued wasn't exactly an easy thing to see. It was a rare sight to see, in fact. She looked around the room. In the privacy of her office, he should be allowed to unravel. If it was Makayla missing, she would have been worse and Gibbs would have been there for her. Allowing him a moment to be human was the best gift she could give him.

"I wish I knew, Jethro."

Gibbs scrubbed a hand across his face as more tears stubbornly escaped.

"What is so important about Brody that I couldn't interrogate him?" said Gibbs. Suddenly enough to give Jenny whiplash, his demeanour changed as he brushed away mutinous tears. He forced his emotions downward, no longer allowing himself to feel them. Feeling sorry for himself was a waste of time that he didn't have.

"Jethro…" began Jenny, wishing the man to allow his emotions time to settle, rather than brushing them aside.

"I'm fine, Jenn." And just like that, he was. He wasn't really but he had festered in his pity long enough to gain some sort of equilibrium and just like that he was done. "Why has the president made him off limits to NCIS?"

Jenny sighed and crossed the room to her desk, sitting down. The moment had passed and the all business-like Gibbs was back. She didn't know if she was happy with that or not.

"It's complicated, Jethro. Brody knows information that could put this country in a very perilous position. It's in our best interest to keep him on our side."

"They think he'd commit treason?"

Jenny sighed. "What does the man have to lose, Jethro? He's been sentenced to life in prison, and he doesn't see himself as anything but a hero. And in some respects, he is! He singlehandedly undermined an entire human trafficking ring. Millions of people were spared a horrible life…"

"At the expense of his own child!"

"I know that, Gibbs, but in his defence, he didn't know Aimee was his in beginning. That's on Rebecca Percy, not Brody. The man is being punished…serving a life sentence for multiple murders, among other crimes, including child endangerment. The fact remains that he is a close, personal friend of the president, and he has been instrumental in shutting down MS-13. I guess the question you have to ask yourself, is if you trust the president to know what he is doing."

Gibbs heaved a sigh. He respected the president. He really did. The man had been in leadership for two consecutive terms and things were peaceful. The President had made powerful changes and had even made a difference in the Persian Gulf as well. Gibbs had yet to make peace with it after Desert Storm but the president had more than earned his respect. And while World peace wasn't on the immediate horizon or anything of the sort, no one in the US could complain about how well the country was being run.

"You're fooling yourself if you think he shut down MS-13…"

"Okay, he put a huge chink in their armour. The point is, that for now, things are quiet, peaceful even, and people are beginning to feel safe again."

Gibbs scratched the back of his head. His gut would not stop churning. "Aimee's chip holds pertinent information that could blow the top off the whole crime ring…essentially stopping it in its tracks. I don't trust that Brody is just going to let that go. If he got his hands on her, he wouldn't so much as blink before he'd kill her for that information."

Jenny couldn't disagree with him even though she wished she could. "Let's not imagine the worst. Besides, Brody can't make a single phone call without it being traced and listened too. Hell, the man can't even use the washroom alone. There is no way he can be a threat to Aimee, Gibbs."

Gibbs clenched his fists tightly and walked towards the window. As much as he wanted to believe what Jenny was saying, he couldn't. There were just too many what-ifs and unknowns. As much as he wanted to trust his government and its leaders, he could not. He was far too jaded for that. He'd seen too much in his time as a marine and especially as an agent. Life was not all kittens and roses.

As Gibbs stood brooding and spinning things around in his head, the intercom buzzed.

"Yes, Cynthia?" said Jenny, keeping eye contact with Gibbs.

"Agent DiNozzo and David would like to speak with you, Ma'am."

"Send them in."

Jenny rose to her feet as her office door swung open. Ziva walked in first followed by Tony. Both looked distraught which struck Gibbs as disconcerting. Aimee being missing was personal to them all. He could see the weary and worried expression that had settled on both their faces. Tony had a pinched look on his face that set Gibbs teeth on edge. There was much more going on with Tony than Gibbs knew about. It took a lot to shake his protégé, and even though things were personal with Aimee, Gibbs' paternal instinct was working overtime. Tony was keeping something from him that had nothing to do with what was going on with Aimee. Gibbs ran his tongue along the top of his teeth before biting down on it. Now wasn't the time to confront Tony.

"Anything?" he asked, purposed avoiding Tony and asking Ziva instead.

Ziva shook her head. "Nothing, I am afraid."

"We checked under every rock in Washington, Boss…" said Tony, oblivious to Gibbs reading him like an open book. "She's simply disappeared into thin air."

Gibbs cleared his throat and turned to the wall again. His legs felt weak like they would give out from beneath him if he didn't consciously seek support from the wall. It had been too long. Too long for Aimee to be without a coat. Too long for her to be on her own.

"Abby has been trying to reach you, Gibbs. She's worried…" began Ziva, crossing the room to stand behind the man she respected and loved so much. She didn't dare touch him. Ziva was always respectful and cautious.

Gibbs raised an arm to silence her but didn't turn around.

Ziva looked at Jenny.

Tony stood silently.

"Well, now we move on to plan B," stated Jenny, reaching for her phone. The presidential phone.

Gibbs spun on his heel. "What is plan B?"

Jenny was deadpan, an expression she'd learned from the best. "Need to know basis, Agent Gibbs."

Gibbs frowned.

Jenny dialled and placed the receiver to her ear. "Hello, Mr. President."

xXx—NCIS—xXx

Gibbs and Tony stood in the conference room staring at one another, both without words in the moment. A timid knock at the door had them both on edge but neither of them moved to answer it. The door opened and a small auburn head peeked inside.

"Agent Gibbs?"

Gibbs frowned. "Mak?"

The teenager chewed the corner of her lip and slipped inside the door. She wrung her hands nervously as she stood staring at the two men.

"Why aren't you with Abby?" Gibbs demanded.

"I was...I told her I needed to use the bathroom."

Gibbs felt his temper increase. He wasn't in any frame of mind to mess around with brazenness. He had more patience for kids than anyone he knew but right now, his tolerance level was -1000.

"I don't even want to know why. You have no business wandering around NCIS unaccompanied. Get your butt back to the lab NOW!" Makayla had been left in Abby's care while the rest of them had been searching for Aimee. It was late Sunday afternoon and they had no other choice. Makayla was stuck with them. Janessa had been left with Jackson to handle. Gibbs felt bad for ditching the little girl but again his hands were tied as well. Janessa probably needed him more than anyone right now and it was killing him not to be with her. She had been beside herself when she found out that Aimee had taken off without her. Gibbs was grateful that his father was good with Janessa. He'd been amazing with Kelly too. That knowledge was the only reason he could leave her.

"But…"

Gibbs groaned and took a menacing step towards the teen. He wasn't sure he could be held responsible for how he handled her if she chose to disobey him now.

Tony stepped in front of Gibbs and pulled the young girl in for a hug. "What's up, Mak?"

Makayla leaned into him, tears springing to her eyes causing Gibbs to relent. He took a few steps back and allowed himself to regroup.

"I'm sorry, Agent Gibbs. It's my fault!" The girl dissolved into tears and buried her face in Tony's shirt. Tony embraced her and looked at Gibbs in confusion.

Gibbs inhaled a deep breath and shook his head. Everything was turned upside down.

He crossed the room and grabbed her arm gently to turn her towards him. Tears streamed down her cheeks. He wiped them away with his thumb.

"Why do you think so?"

"B-because I do. If you hadn't been so busy getting me t-to talk to Aunt Jenny, Aimee wouldn't have had time to run away."

Gibbs and Tony exchanged a telling look. Gibbs felt fatigue wash over him. He couldn't do it anymore. He couldn't be the hero that everyone expected him to be. He felt spent.

Tony placed a hand on Makayla auburn head. "Aimee taking off is not your fault, Makayla." He grasped her chin in his hand. "Aimee made a conscious choice to run away. No one forced her to leave…" Gibbs grimaced. He hoped that those words were true. One part of him wanted her to have taken off because she was being reckless and disobedient and not something else. But his gut was screaming at him that that wasn't the case.

"It's not your fault, Makayla," Gibbs said quietly.

Makayla trembled in Tony's arms.

"The best way to help us now is to do what you're told. Don't make things worse."

The door flew open all at once and Jenny stood in the doorway along with several FBI agents. Jenny's eyes widened when she saw her niece standing in the midst of things.

"Makayla! What are you doing here?"

Tony pulled the young teen closer to him. "She's frightened, Jenny."

Jenny's eyes ignited. She turned to an agent behind her. "Get her out of here. Take her to Miss. Sciuto's lab immediately."

The agent stepped towards Makayla but the teenager dodged the burly agent, ducking under the table. She stood by the window in the interrogation room and glared at her aunt.

"It's my fault that Aimee ran away," she shouted. "I tried to tell her not to listen to him but she said she had to."

Gibbs felt his heart skip a beat in his chest. He was at Makayla's side before anyone in the room could blink.

"Tell her not to listen to who, Mak?"

Makayla blinked back more tears as she looked at all the eyes on her. She gulped in trepidation, feeling like she wanted to bolt from the room. Gibbs grabbed her forearms and turned her so that she was facing him directly. His cobalt blue eyes had never looked more earnest. Makayla's eyes darted to her aunts' briefly. Jenny clenched her jaw and narrowed her eyes which caused the young girl to gasp in response.

Gibbs cupped her chin gently, bringing her attention back to him. "Tell me what you know."

Makayla swallowed, tears falling down her cheeks. "After breakfast when Aimee was getting dressed, the phone in your bedroom rang. Aimee ran to get it and picked it before it could ring twice. It was like she was expecting it or something." Makayla's lip quivered.

"Go on," prompted Gibbs, continuing to stare directly into her green eyes.

Makayla swallowed again, feeling like she was being strangled. "She said he was making her leave…"

"Who, Mak?"

Makayla trembled. "I-I…s-she wouldn't tell me. S-she made me swear not to tell anyone. She said everyone would die…"

Gibbs paled as he grabbed Makayla by the arm, pulling her after him.

Jenny gaped as Gibbs all but dragged Makayla from the interrogation room towards the elevator down the hall. Makayla cried out in alarm but Gibbs kept walking.

"Jethro!" called Jenny. "Where the hell do you think you're going?"

Tony found his wits and bolted towards the elevator catching it before it closed, leaving Jenny Shepard and the FBI agents staring at empty space.

xXx—NCIS—xXx

The heavy doors slammed shut and locks fastened, clicking ominously in place. The room was dimly lit and it took a while for her eyes to adjust to the lack of light. Aimee shivered despite the fact that the room she was now in was warm. She'd been so cold for so long that she thought she might just freeze to death where she huddled. She kept telling herself that she'd done the right thing by leaving when she did. It was her job to make things right. Her stepfather had set things into motion and she had been fooling herself to believe she could just ignore it. It was up to her to finish things come what may.

"What's your name, kid?" Aimee shivered as the same man who had found her approached her. It was hard to make out his features in the darkness of the room. She didn't think she recognized who he was but it didn't matter. She was sure that David Brody had sent him and that was all she needed to know.

"Where are you taking me?" she dared to ask.

The dark haired man narrowed his eyes in confusion. "Look, kid, I'm not taking you anywhere except maybe to the police station. It's freezing out there. What are you, like eight years old? Why aren't you home with your parents? The street's no place for a kid!" His voice held a scolding tone to it.

Aimee shivered again. Maybe she was wrong. Maybe she'd screwed up again. "Y-you don't know David Brody?"

The man frowned. "FBI Brody? Why are you asking about that creep?"

"He's my dad," she managed to whisper, not fully believing the words even as she spoke them.

The man whistled and shook his head. "Tough break, kid."

Aimee looked around the dark room she was in. She couldn't make out much except the room was surrounded by walls filled with books, much like a library.

"Where are we?"

The man stooped to one knee in front of her, seemingly checking her out. He eyed her closely making Aimee feel very uncomfortable. He reached out and cupped her chin in his hand, tipping it up slightly into the light.

"Your old man do that to you?" asked the man gruffly.

Aimee pulled her head away, straining her eyes in what little light there was to get a better look at her rescuer. Her heart hammered in her chest realizing how dangerous things were for her now. She didn't know this man and he didn't seem to be who she thought he was.

"I hit my head on the roof." Aimee grimaced. She didn't know why she was telling him anything about her recent injuries. It was none of his business. "Who are you anyway?"

The man rose to his full height and turned his back to her. Aimee saw him pull something out of his pocket and then figured out it was a cigarette when he put it to his mouth and lit it in the darkness.

"You can call me Riley."

Aimee fidgeted on her feet, taking a few steps towards the doorway which she'd come in.

"You can leave, kid. I'm not stopping you. I just thought you might appreciate a warm spot for the night. It's dropping down below zero tonight," he said as he turned to face her, blowing a mouthful of smoke in her direction.

Aimee waved her hand and sputtered in the smoke. "So you don't know David Brody?"

"I know of him. Hell, everyone knows about him. He stopped that human trafficking ring several months back and chased them back underground. It was in all the papers. But I also heard he's a bastard. He'd just as soon kill his own kid…" The man stopped in his monologue and narrowed an eye at her. "You're the kid?"

Aimee spun on her heel and yanked on the door to escape. The man held out a firm hand and kept the door firmly shut. He quickly tossed his cigarette to the floor and stomped on it to extinguish the flame.

"What a minute!" He growled, leaning on the door.

"You said I could go, so I'm leaving!" snapped Aimee, visibly trembling.

Riley licked his lips. "Not so fast, kid. Relax, I'm not going to hurt you."

Aimee sucked in a quick breath and backed away from him. Riley lurched forward and grasped her firmly by the arm. He picked her up effortlessly and brought her into the light. Tears filled her eyes as she struggled to free herself. To say she was terrified would have been an understatement. Aimee blinked a few times until her vision cleared the tears and her pupils adjusted to the brighter light. She felt her backside being firmly planted on a table and Riley rested his arms on either side of her legs, leaning in close enough to invade her personal space. Aimee gaped at him. In the brighter light, she was able to get a good look at her rescuer or captor, whatever the case was. Despite Riley's face being dirty and his beard overgrown, his dark brown eyes looked kind. His dark brown hair was short and cut into a military cut. Aimee blinked a few times and realised that the man was also dressed in military fatigues.

"You're in the military?" she asked, forgetting herself.

Riley smiled at her just then and his smile was as kind as his eyes. Aimee felt herself relax. Maybe she could trust him.

"I am."

Aimee looked closer trying to decide if she could distinguish which military branch Riley was part of. His uniform was filthy making it hard to decide.

"Marine, right?"

Riley looked taken aback. "Yes, I am at that. How'd you figure that out?"

Forgetting herself, Aimee giggled. "Oh, that's easy. Marines wear tan coloured fatigues."

Riley continued staring at her. "You're right, we do. You gonna tell me the truth of how you got those cuts and bruises on your face and why you're out wandering around on your own with no jacket?"

Aimee shook her head. She didn't want to tell him anything else. It hit her that now things were seriously messed up. If Riley knew Gibbs, the jig was up before she'd even had a chance to do what was right. She had to remember that she had an agenda to fulfill. If she didn't away and be visible to whomever Brody wanted to get her, there was no telling what he would do to her new family.

Riley patted her knee gently. "I understand, kid. I really do." Riley began to pace back and forth. "Finding you has really messed with my plans as well. My conscience would never allow me just let you walk off on your own. You don't even have a jacket, for Pete's sake."

Aimee scowled suddenly wondering more about the marine. Why was he not with his unit? Was he on active duty? Was he AWOL or a deserter? It seemed odd to her that he would be either. Riley continued pacing for several more minutes and then stopped. He scratched the back of his head and turned to face her once more.

"Will you at least tell me your name? A kid is a goat and you certainly don't look like a goat to me. I'd rather have a name to call you."

Aimee bit her lip considering his words before shaking her head. "It's better you don't know."

Riley shrugged. "Suit yourself." He was quiet a moment and then spoke again. "If you won't tell me a name, I'll give you one. Let's see, well, you don't have red hair so I can't call you Annie, and I can't really think of any famous blonde hair little girls, can you?"

Aimee scrunched up her face in disdain making Riley break out laughing.

"Well, I think I'll call you Jane."

"Jane? That's original," commented Aimee disapprovingly.

Riley chuckled. "Well, you could always tell me your real name, you know."

Aimee sighed and slid off the table. "Jane is fine, besides I'm only staying one night. Tomorrow I need to go."

Riley nodded and rested against the table he's set Aimee on. Aimee walked into the dimness of the room and sat down, leaning against the outside door.

"So you're AWOL, huh?"

Aimee heard Riley suck in a sharp intake of air. "Geez, kid. How old are you, anyway?"

"Doesn't matter. I've been around enough to know about stuff. How long have you been AWOL? You could be in a lot of trouble if you don't return to your unit even if you're not on active duty."

Riley lit up another cigarette. "I'll tell you what. I'll answer your questions if you answer mine. Deal?"

Aimee pulled her legs up and wrapped her arms around them, resting her chin on her knees. She was hungry and fatigue was washing over her but at least she wasn't cold. She had been so cold before and regretted not grabbing a jacket when she left. David Brody was warned her to leave everything behind. She was even wearing the clothes she wore the night her mother and Sarah were killed. She was supposed to take nothing.

"I can't do that, Riley. The less you know the better."

Riley nodded solemnly.