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Chapter 6
[phone ringing]
Gibbs looked down to his desk, not recognising the number. It was a local number, he could tell from the area code. After a few seconds he picked up his phone.
"Hello I'm looking for a Mr Dinozzo" the man on the other line spoke. His voice was strong, but calm.
"He's busy" Gibbs responded, "can I take a message?"
"It's Carl Wilson here, I'm one of the teachers here a-" before he had time to finish his sentence Gibbs interrupted him, there is only one reason a teacher would ask to speak to Tony.
"Wait a teacher? Is Tali there? Is she okay? What's happened?"
The teacher cleared his voice, a small cough down the phone, the tension of just a few seconds over-riding his mind. All the possibilities swirling round his head, he needed to know if she was okay, he couldn't lose another member of the family.
"She's been involved in an... Well, an incident of sorts. Could you ask Mr Dinozzo to come and collect her?"
"He's busy, I'm her uncle, well... not biologically but I've known her for most her life, her father isn't available, I'm next best. I'm on my way" Gibbs hung up his phone and ran straight for the elevator, he promised Ziva he'd protect Tali, and he wasn't going to let anybody get in the way of that. Tony was on a stake out, one that couldn't come out of, anyway, best not worry him until they had the full story.
Minutes later Gibbs arrived at the school, teenagers everywhere, normally Gibbs worst nightmare however right now, Tali was the only thing on his mind. Making his way to the front desk, millions of possibilities were running through his head. She is only 13, how bad could it be? "Sir, are you here about Tali?"
Gibbs recognised the voice from earlier on the phone. "Special agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs, where is she? What happened?"
"She was in a fight with another student, he was in bad shape, he's been sent to the hospital. He was unconscious, do you realise how serious this is Mr Gibbs? Luckily he's awake and just seems to have a small concussion or Tali could have faced legal charges. I don't know what's going on at home but normally this kind of behaviour comes from children who have experienced it themselves"
"Are you suggesting Tali is being abused? Because that is not the case." Gibbs said, his voice becoming more and more aggravated "I know every single person who has ever been anywhere near that girl and I am telling you, it's not possible. Let me see her" Gibbs said, voice getting louder, more fearful.
"Mr Gibbs, please calm down" the teacher said, again in his soft, calm voice.
"Don't tell me to CALM DOWN WHEN YOU ARE MAKING ACCUSATIONS ABOUT MY FAMILY. THAT GIRL HAS HAD A HARDER CHILDHOOD THAN MOST KIDS HER AGE BUT ABUSE IS NOT THE REASON. LET ME SEE HER"
"Right this way sir" the teacher said, taken back by the harsh tone that had left Gibbs mouth "just in here"
Gibbs walked into the room seeing Tali sat on the floor, curled up in the corner of the room. Her hair over her face, trying to hide from the harsh reality of what she had done. "Tal" she looked up from the corner where she sat, her body staying still. Gibbs voice was calm caring, one that not many people had heard. "Hey, Tali, look at me, I'm not mad, I just want to know what happened" the girl still never spoke. Her eyes welling to the brim, fighting back the tears. She was strong, she wouldn't show the pain.
Gibbs closed the door behind himself, then went to the corner of the room. He sat on the floor next to the girl and held her shoulder. He knew she wasn't ready to talk but that was okay. She was safe.
Gibbs pulled the girl towards him, holding her gently by the shoulder, she rested her head on his chest and for the first time let the tears drip down her face. Once they started, they wouldn't stop, so many tears trapped in such a small body. They sat there for what felt like hours but neither spoke, they just took comfort in each other's presence.
"He said I was adopted" Tali said in the smallest of voices "he said that my skin tone was different than Abba's so that meant I couldn't be his and I know that... That it's stupid and I tried to explain about Ima and how she was from Israel but he wouldn't stop saying all these things and he said that Ima didn't want me anymore and that's why I'm in America and then... And then" Tali stopped, working out how to form her sentence "he got closer to me, to close and I was scared and I hit him to keep him away but it felt so good and I just couldn't stop. I didn't want to hurt him I was just so angry"
Gibbs just looked at the girl, he knew most families would punish a child for this but with Tal, he knew that wouldn't work, she was different, and these circumstances were different. He got up, helping the girl up as he went, they made their way out side and to the car when Gibbs said "Hey Tal? You know how you said all of your anger came out at once?"
"Yeah"
"Your mother did the exact same thing, she even did it to your dad once" Gibbs said with a small laugh "do you know what that means?"
The girl shook her head
"It means you can't be adopted, no matter what that boy said, you are definitely your mothers, and your dad, well, you have his eyes. You are perfect, you were wanted, and I know that your dad, Abba, won't be happy with what you did, but I also know you won't do it again. If you're ever angry like that, all you've got to do is keep it in until the end of the day."
"And then what?"
"I'll show you"
Gibbs pulled up the car outside NCIS and took the young girl down to the gym, where the agents get their strength. He walked over to the other side of the room. "Your mom used to come here when she was angry, she would spend hours punching this bag, getting all her anger out" he reached into his pocket, retrieving a set of keys and removed one. "This" he said "was the key to your mothers locker" They walked over, Tali following Gibbs, wondering what he would do next. He opened the locker "and these he said signalling inside, were her boxing gloves, and now they're yours" he spoke calmly while placing the key into Tali's palm. "So when you're angry just get through to the end of the day, then come here. Ring me, or your dad or uncle Tim or aunt Abby and we will bring you here. We just don't want you getting hurt, or anybody else for that matter"
"Thank you" she said with a slight stammer, this wasn't what she had expected to happen. "Uncle Gibbs? Do you think Ima would be disappointed with me, annoyed with me?"
"Nope, I think... No, I know she wouldn't. She may be a little upset but in the end she would have done the same thing as me"
"How do you know that?"
"Because if you were Kelly, I'd have done it too" the girl looked up and smiled "come on, let's get you home."
