Because it was written and I felt bad about the cliffhanger...

Enjoy!

Makayla clutched her cell phone in her hand for several moments after she hung up. Sobs racked her small frame as she worked hard to gain control of herself. She thought that hearing Gibbs' voice would give her strength and courage to keep moving but instead, it had rattled her. When she'd made up her mind of what to do earlier that day, she never wagered that she would change her mind and regret her decision. She thought she was steadfast in her plans. Now she was just terrified that she's messed up so badly there was no coming back from it. Her parents would quite literally be gobsmacked. Getting expelled from DC's best prep school was…well, it was historical. It just didn't happen. Kids who attended the school were as driven as their parents to succeed. If your family managed to get you in, you were basically taken care of for the rest of your life, virtually guaranteed a spot in the world's most renowned and prestigious colleges and universities and then the top companies recruited you. Quite simply, the world was your oyster.

The auburn haired girl wiped her nose with the back of her hand, trying hard not to take Gibbs words too much to heart. Gibbs meant well and he wanted to help. Makayla knew it and she feared it. She couldn't let him or anyone else find her. Gibbs would skin her alive with her aunt cheering him on from the sidelines, and all that would happen before she'd be sent lock, stock and barrel to some boarding school in Switzerland by her disappointed parents. Being a Wallace child left a lot to be desired. It was too much pressure to be perfect.

Determined to shake off the morning and all the drama that went with it, Makayla stood up and brushed off her jeans. She'd already shed her uniform and left behind everything remotely related to that part of her life. Now she just needed to let go of one last thing. She looked at her cell phone glumly. It was the last part that could lead them to her. Her call to Gibbs had been her way of saying goodbye…her last phone call, so to speak. She'd have to learn to live without it. She flipped the phone over and pulled the battery. Being around NCIS had taught her a thing or two and she'd paid attention...some of the time. A part of her was worried about having called Gibbs because she figured he could probably find where she was just by her cell position. She was counting on it taking a while...or so she'd seen in movies.

Makayla dropped the phone and battery on the ground where she crouched. She poked her head out from behind the building she was cowering behind and looked up towards the top floor. Her jaw dropped as she stood to her feet, suddenly forgetting where she was.

"Riley?"

XxXxNCISxXxX

Gibbs' hands shook a little as he tried to figure out what had transpired while he'd been out of the room. For the life of him, he couldn't make sense of how the teenager could have broken out the window without being stopped. Riley would have had to climb up on the shelf, thrust open the window and climb out. Surely, Stevens could have stopped him in the amount of time it had taken. His thoughts were silenced when he found Steven's on the floor and wiping the back of his mouth.

"He hit me and went ballistic," Stevens attempted to explain.

Gibbs rushed to the window where the social worker was standing helplessly and found Riley perched precariously on the ledge.

"Riley." He said calmly. Gibbs' heart stopped for a minute when he glanced down. Are you kidding me? he thought when his eyes fell on Makayla. She was standing in the middle of the driveway of the Navy Yard gaping at Riley with her mouth open. For some reason, he heard Abby's voice in his head telling him needed glasses. The irony wasn't lost on him. Gibbs blinked a few times to make sure that his mind wasn't playing tricks on him. It wasn't. He was blind as a bat when it came to reading something up close but his distance vision was sharp as a tack. "Riley." He said the boy's name again but the kid didn't look at him. Riley stared straight ahead. He hoped to hell Stevens had picked himself off the floor and alerted someone to what was going on. He didn't dare look back into the room.

"Hey, man, what's going on?" Gibbs made note of the ledge. NCIS seemed to have the widest ledges on a building known to man. Maybe it was because they'd talked one too many soldiers with PSTD off of ledges and didn't want the hassle. Gibbs easily made his way out the window and onto the ledge.

"You can't help."

"I can try." Gibbs looked down focussing on Makayla again. He saw her cover her mouth when he came into view. The girl had a front row seat and she was frozen in suspended animation. He took a deep breath and tried to slow his heart rate. The helplessness he felt in that moment wasn't even remotely describable.

"NO!" Riley lurched forward a little, nearly losing his balance but then slipped down to his butt on the ledge, suspending his legs over.

Gibbs sucked in a frightened breath and then released it slowly. Having Riley sitting was much better than he could have wished for. Hopefully, that meant the boy would talk. He had time. God knew he needed the time.

"Wanna talk about what happened?"

Riley choked back a sob and rested his head against the building. He was just within arm's reach of Gibbs.

"Psst," came a voice.

Gibbs turned to see Tony leaning out the window. He tossed something towards him and Gibbs caught it the first try. Gibbs gratefully affixed the harness around his waist. If he slipped, Tony would catch him.

"I don't want to talk anymore!" Riley continued to stare straight ahead, not noticing Gibbs cinching the harness tightly.

Gibbs moved closer until he was knee to shoulder with Riley and sat down. He held his breath waiting for a reaction from the kid but none came. Riley seemed as frozen as Makayla. Gibbs looked down and saw that the young girl remained motionless with her hand over her mouth.

"Okay, you don't have to talk if you don't want to. Mind if I talk?" Gibbs looked over at Riley and the boy looked up and made eye contact with him. Gibbs could see the fear and uncertainty in his eyes. Riley was at his wit's end and terrified.

"Did I ever tell you I had a daughter?" Riley was quiet and probably confused so Gibbs went on to explain, "I don't mean Aimee or Janessa. My first child was Kelley. Cutest little thing you ever saw and smart as a whip…kinda reminds me of Makayla." Gibbs looked down to see that Makayla had still not moved. He was hoping for all he was worth that someone would notice her. His money was on McGee. McGee knew she was missing.

"What happened to her?" Riley's strained voice whispered, pulling Gibbs out of his reverie. Riley was listening and that was half the battle.

"She was killed. Her death almost killed me too."

Riley nodded in understanding. Gibbs was banking on that.

"But, Riley, one day I woke up and realized that I was still alive. I still had a purpose and that God wasn't finished with me yet." Gibbs frowned. He wasn't sure where the words had come from. He wasn't exactly what you'd call a religious person. "I don't know how but one day it stopped hurting so much that I could take a breath again so I kept going. I put one foot in front of the other and then another day went by and I survived that too." Gibbs didn't know where he was going with his story but he was willing to rattle on if Riley listened.

"My dad was right, Agent Gibbs. It was my fault." Riley spat out, wringing his hands hard.

Gibbs shook his head. "NO, Riley, your old man is wrong. Ryan's death had nothing to do with you. It happened and it sucks but it wasn't your fault. Life is made up of choices. Ryan made a choice and you have to make one too."

Ryan shook his head. "It's more complicated than that."

"Tell me."

"It's too late."

Gibbs closed his eyes a moment and opened them to see McGee and Ziva beside Makayla. Gibbs felt relief wash over him. One problem solved. They'd keep her safe. He'd kick her butt when he got his hands on her if he could stop hugging her long enough to do it.

"Makayla ran away. That's why she called me."

Riley's face paled. "W-why'd she do a stupid thing like that?" Gibbs found it almost humorous that the boy looked visibly cross about it.

"I dunno. Why don't you ask her? Looks like she didn't get too far." Gibbs pointed down into the Navy Yard that had started to become a bustle of activity. Firetrucks arrived and personnel scurried around below following carefully planned protocol. If Riley slipped, or God forbid jumped, they catch him.

Riley sucked in loudly when he looked down. "Oh, God, what am I doing?"

Gibbs reached out and settled a warm hand on Riley's knee. "It's okay, Riley. It's going to be okay."

"I really messed up, huh?" Riley's lips quaked and his breathing increased. Gibbs could feel him trembling under his hand. The kid was terrified.

"Nah, everything is okay. I can help you, buddy. You can trust me."

Tears escaped down Riley's cheeks as he glanced down at Makayla and the commotion below him.

"You can trust me, Riley. Give me your hand."

Riley nodded and reached out his hand.

"Take it real easy, force your weight to the wall and push yourself up. Okay? You okay?"

Riley did as Gibbs commanded and the two of them were able to rise to their feet. Riley's eyes were wide open and his mouth was gaping as he breathed heavily.

"Look at me, Riley," commanded Gibbs. He didn't want to boy looking down now. He just wanted him to focus on looking at him. "Riley! Look me in the eyes."

Riley obeyed.

"Good. Now give me your hand. Take it real slow."

Riley moved his hand closest to Gibbs and pulled it up until Gibbs had it firmly in his. Gibbs winced at how cold and clammy it was. The kid was pretty far gone. Gibbs could feel the teen's pulse hammering hard against his hand.

"Okay. Now sidestep slowly," he instructed, taking a few shuffling steps back towards the window. "Don't look down!" he admonished when Riley's eyes fell downcast. "Look at me. Just shuffle slowly, feeling your way. Keep your eyes on me, buddy. I've got you. You're safe."

Gibbs shivered as they sidestepped slowly. He didn't dare take his eyes off Riley as the kid bore a hole into his soul. Tears continued to trace a path down Riley's cheeks but he kept shuffling his feet sideway. Gibbs could feel the warmth radiating from the window as he drew closer. He'd forgotten how cold it was standing on the ledge. Thanksgiving was approaching. He thought of how his father would make him host a huge dinner with all the fixings, forcing him to make traditions with the girls. A smile played around the corners of his lips at the thought. Outwardly he was gruff but inwardly, kids made him a marshmallow.

His hand came to the entrance of the window and he gripped the sill hard. He felt a strong hand grasp his arm but he still didn't dare risk a look. They were almost there.

"You're doing great, Riley. We're almost back inside. You cold? It's colder outside than I thought today." He felt Riley's clammy hand slip a little and he fumbled quickly to rectify that. His own hand had become just as damp. Maybe that was why he felt so cold. Quickly readjusting his hold, he slipped his hand past Riley's wrist and secured a better grip there. He kept slowly walking and thinking that it was the longest walk of his life.

"Makayla," Riley managed to sputter out.

Gibbs broke eye contact and looked down. Makayla was running towards them with McGee on her tail. He could vaguely hear her screams as the wind carried it in his direction.

It was then Riley slipped. Gibbs felt his shoulder tear out of its socket by Riley's weight but he didn't let go. He grimaced and tried to keep his balance as he teetered on the edge of the ledge. Within seconds he lost the battle and fell. Time seemed to stop as he gasped for air. He tried to reason with himself in those seconds. He was harnessed. Tony would catch him. He looked down at Riley's horrified face. The pain in his shoulder took his breath away. He braced himself. When he reached the end of his rope, the jolt was going to be agonizing but he wouldn't let go.

Gibbs screamed in excruciating pain when he felt the jolt, expected or not, he nearly passed out. He looked down at Riley who was dangling below him. He had to get the kid to climb up him because there was no way he'd be able to pull him up. His arm was useless.

"Riley! My shoulder's dislocated. You have to climb up," he said through gritted teeth.

Riley looked up at him, in obvious shock from the fall but Gibbs saw him nod. Riley was a trained Marine. He could pull himself up. He felt the kid start to pull himself upward. Gibbs grimaced from the pain and bit down on his lip. He felt his teeth sink into the meaty flesh and he tasted blood.

"Boss, you alright?" Gibbs forced himself to look up and nod at Tony. "Hang on, I'll pull you up."

He felt Tony and whoever else must be helping slowly pull him and Riley upward. As they were hauled up, Riley struggled to climb up Gibbs. The pain was unbearable for several more seconds until Gibbs felt Riley wrap his arms around his waist and release his injured arm. It dangled uselessly at his side.

"Atta boy, Rye, keep climbing," he heard himself say. His arm ached but it was bearable now. He breathed a sigh of relief when Riley's face came into view. Gibbs put his good arm around him and nodded. Several minutes later, Tony pulled them inside.