Family Portrait
Chapter 2
Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS or any characters affiliated with the show.
A/N: Here we go, guys. The second chapter is up! Thanks so much for all of the lovely reviews and for the follows and favorites. They are extremely encouraging!
After much deliberation between the two, Tony and Kate finally agreed to go with Ziva, Tim, and Abby go to NCIS. Gibbs and Jenny were relieved. At first, it didn't look like the older kids were going to let them bring the younger kids to NCIS. They hoped that the kids weren't too scared about leaving their home.
Tony's stoic expression gave nothing away, but Kate and Ziva looked worried, and Tim looked to the older kids for reassurance. Abby, on the other hand, was positively bouncing with excitement at the prospect of a new adventure. She rarely left the orphanage for anything except short walks to the corner market.
Tony held Abby's little hand in his as Kate took Tim's, and Ziva trailed behind them. Gibbs and Jenny led the way outside. They all squinted as they reached the exit and sunlight streamed in through the open door.
Franks, Stan, Ducky, and the social worker, Lisa Jones, were all waiting outside for them. Ducky and Stan smiled at the kids, and Franks gave them a friendly smirk. Abby beamed back, and Tim smiled hesitantly at them. Kate and Ziva gave them suspicious looks, and Tony just glared at them all.
Gibbs and Jenny joined the group so that they could talk to the social worker and explain the process. Tony, Kate, Ziva, Tim, and Abby would have to stay in NCIS custody as key witnesses, as they were a crucial part of the investigation and could possibly be in danger. At first, she protested, but they managed to convince her that it was for the kids' safety.
She had already gathered their meager belongings. Each child had one set of raggedy clothes and underwear. Tony had nothing else. Abby had an old, worn blankie and Kate, Ziva, and Tim had one faded photograph each. Kate had a photograph of herself, two adults, and three other kids in a metal locket. Tim had a photograph of himself, two adults, and a little girl in a cheap plastic frame, and Ziva had a photograph of herself and two other children. The social worker handed over the trash bag holding the children's worldly belongings to Jenny before turning to her new charges.
Lisa Jones smiled broadly at the kids and knelt before them, taking Abby's little hand in hers. Tony quickly jerked Abby away, as if Ms. Jones had tried to hurt her. She looked hurt for a second, then brushed it off in a professional manner. "Okay, guys, I have your things here. You are going to stay with these nice people. You'll be helping them find a bad guy, like superheroes do! And then, when the bad guys are all locked away, I'll see you and we can talk so we can find all of you wonderful places to live. That sound good to you guys?" She asked cheerfully.
It must have sounded pretty cool to Abby, because the little girl shouted excitedly. "I wanna be a superhero! I'm gonna read minds and fly and go vizzable-"
"Invisible, Abby." Kate corrected. "And you don't learn how to fly. They want us to help catch who hurt the lady in the alley."
"Oh. Phooey." Abby pouted. The disappointed look on Tim's face echoed her simple statement.
Ziva leaned in close to Tony. "What is a 'phooey'?" She asked, carefully pronouncing the new word.
Tony rolled his eyes and whispered, "Not now, Zee. I'll explain later." Turning to the social worker, he answered, "I get it. But they stay with me. You won't separate us."
It was a statement, not a question; but Lisa replied anyway, nervously biting her lower lip. "Actually, honey…it will be hard to find a foster home who will take all five of you. But you can visit each other, and-"
"I don't care about how hard it is. We're staying together." Kate stated firmly. Her voice left no room for argument.
Tim realized what was happening and he was scared. He knew he had to be brave, and one day he would be as big and brave as Tony, but for now, he was still little. He didn't know how to live without Tony and Ziva and Kate and Abby. So he slipped his hand into Tony's and squeezed. Tony squeezed back reassuringly, glancing down at him for a moment. His tough exterior remained in place, but his eyes calmed the younger boy.
Abby had no difficulty showing her fear of being taken away from those she loved more than anything in the world, and so she attached herself to her beloved Katie's leg. Her lower lip wobbled, and she shot a pleading look at Gibbs and Jenny.
The desperation in her eyes melted Gibbs' heart, and he found himself remembering his own little girl desperately clinging to him... That was the last time he had seen her alive and in person, before he left for the war…He mentally head-slapped himself. 'Stay focused, Jethro.' He thought, irritated with himself. These kids needed his full attention, right here, right now.
Meanwhile, the poor social worker floundered, not really knowing what she could say that wouldn't upset the children. Jenny spoke and saved the day. "As long as you're with us, you won't be separated." She told them gently. Gibbs nodded his agreement. He knew those kids shouldn't be separated from each other. They were obviously very close.
Kate looked relieved, but Tony just stared at them, clearly suspicious of their motives. Ziva smiled softly at Gibbs before hiding behind Tony and Kate. Abby grinned at the couple and let go of her vice-like grip on Kate's leg in favor of holding her hand, and Tim breathed a sigh of relief, but held on to Tony's hand, just in case.
Agent Franks cleared his throat. "Well, Ms. Jones, we should be going. I'll need you to fax those release forms over to me."
Lisa smiled and nodded, turning to say goodbye to the kids. They all just looked at her, and she had no clue what to say to them. Her smile faltered and she hurried over to Ducky. "Can you pick James and Eleanor up at our Family Services Building around 5:30?" She asked. He nodded and tipped his hat to her politely. She smiled, got in her car, and drove away.
Stan turned to Jenny and Gibbs. "We called ahead, and they're sending one of the agency SUVs, with car seats for the little kids and everything. Dr. Roberts is driving it. His
car broke down and he needed some wheels anyway. We'll meet you back there." He and Franks got in the NCIS van and started the engine just as the SUV pulled up.
The medical examiner, Dr. Roberts, got out of the vehicle. Giving a gruff nod to the agents, he joined Ducky in examining the body of the Petty Officer.
Gibbs and Jenny turned to the kids. "You guys ready to go?" Jenny asked them. Abby grinned and nodded frantically. Ziva and Tim nodded too. Kate looked at Tony, and Tony just gave them that same look of anger and suspicion as earlier before nodding stiffly.
"Great! Let's go!" Jenny said cheerfully. They all walked over to the car.
The NCIS agents watched as Tony picked Abby up and sat her down in the car seat in the far back, carefully buckling her in before helping Ziva climb in to sit in the booster seat beside Abby. Kate lifted Tim into the car seat next to Ziva and buckled him in safely. Then Tony and Kate climbed in the middle, so that if anything happened, Gibbs and Jenny would have to get past them to get to the younger kids.
The ride back to NCIS headquarters was quiet. Abby had fallen asleep somewhere along the way. Ziva sat quietly, staring out the window at their surroundings. Kate turned back to check on the younger ones every minute or so, and Tony stared ahead, still as a statue. Tim was half-asleep, but before too long, they had pulled up to the building.
"Alright, guys, we're here." Gibbs spoke after an awkward silence. Tony and Kate climbed out of the van. Tony picked Tim up and set him down on the sidewalk before helping Ziva climb out. Kate shook Abby gently. The sleepy little girl rubbed her eyes and yawned before raising her arms to be lifted from the vehicle. Kate lifted her out and set her down beside Tim and Ziva.
Then they looked to Gibbs and Jenny, who led them through the building, stopping once every couple of minutes so that they could answer Abby's excited inquiries about everything she looked at. She never stopped looking at everything around her, her delight evident as her eyes lit up with wonder and surprise.
Franks met them at the bullpen. "Hey, little guys, how you doing?" He asked the kids with a friendly smile.
Abby grinned at him and waved. Kate caught Abby's hand. Tim smiled shyly, and Ziva shifted, uncertain of what to do. Tony just stared coldly at the man.
Franks turned to Gibbs and Jenny. "Alright, we need a plan. First of all, we need to get the kiddos checked out while Stan and I fill you in on what we know. Ducky is willing to help us out with the medical exam, so that the kids don't have to go to a hospital. Got a feeling that would freak them out even more, y'know?" The couple nodded and Franks continued. "From there, we'll figure out the current living arrangements and develop a schedule for around the clock protection. Are we clear?" He asked.
"Clear." Gibbs answered for them both.
"Good. Let's go."
…
"Ducky!" Stan called out when they stepped out of the elevator leading to Autopsy.
Abby gawked at him. "Who's Ducky?" She asked excitedly, her wide eyes curious.
"He's kind of like an NCIS doctor." Jenny tried to explain.
Abby's eyes widened comically. "If he's a duck, how does he fix boo-boos?"
Gibbs couldn't help laughing. Jenny stifled her own giggles and answered, "Ducky is a person, like you and me. Ducky is just a nickname for him."
Abby still looked confused, so a smiling Kate explained it to her. "Like Tony's name is really Anthony but we call him 'Tony' anyway. And how you call me 'Katie', and how you call Tim 'Timmy', and how you call Ziva 'Zeevee'. And how we call you 'Abbs' even though your name is really Abigail."
"Ohhh. Okay!" Abby nodded her understanding. Then she frowned. "I wish he was really a duck."
"Me too." Tim agreed. "That'd be cool!"
Just then, the man himself, Ducky, entered the freezing cold room. Smiling at the occupants, he quickly focused his attention on his young patients. "Why, hello! How are you all on this fine afternoon?"
"Good!" Abby chirped. "But me and Timmy wish you were a big bird." Tim looked down, embarrassed.
Ducky raised his eyebrow and chuckled at her antics. "Aren't you just delightful?" He praised her before gazing warmly at them all. "I don't believe we've been properly introduced. I am Dr. Donald Mallard. But you can call me Ducky." He said, making a show of bowing playfully.
Abby and Tim giggled. "I'm Abby!" The youngest introduced herself and went on to introduce the others. "And this is Timmy, and Katie, and Tony, and Ziva." Tim waved, giving him a small smile. Ziva just looked down, Kate gave him a polite nod, and Tony just glared at him.
Ducky nodded politely to each of them in turn. "It's a pleasure to meet you all." He said cheerfully. "I hear you all are here for a quick checkup, is that right?" He asked them, pulling on his surgical gloves.
Kate's eyes widened imperceptibly before she grabbed Abby and Tim, pulling them against her. Ziva looked at Tony in a panic. Tony stood like a stone, not changing his expression at all for a minute. Finally, he looked at Kate and gave the slightest of nods. Kate looked at him like he had gone insane, but slowly released the two youngest. Ziva looked at Tony and Kate in surprise.
Tony announced, "Abby goes first. But," he said, warning laced in his tone, "I'm not leaving anyone else near her." Turning to Abby, he whispered quietly so the adults wouldn't overhear. "It's okay, Abbs. I won't let them hurt you." Abby nodded trustingly, giving Tony her
The agents looked at each other and Ducky, smiling. Tony was obviously the leader here, and his approval meant that the other kids would follow behind him.
Stan cleared his throat and motioned for the team to follow him over to the area near the elevators so that they could speak freely. "You have the background papers?" Jenny asked quietly. Franks nodded and gave them all copies of the background papers. "Let's start with Abby."
Meanwhile, Ducky walked over to the group of children and took them over to the examination tables. After quickly spraying one down and covering it with the waxy paper, he spoke to Abby.
"Alright, dear, let's get you up here." Ducky reached for Abby, but the other kids blocked him by moving in front of her quickly. They were still suspicious of these strangers' motives. So Kate lifted Abby up while Ziva kept a suspicious eye on the Doctor, who put his hands up in a effort to keep peace.
Tony, Ziva, Tim and Kate all stared at him, trying to figure out his next move. His next move turned out to be to smile at Abby and ask her silly questions; like what her favorite color was, and her favorite animal, and her favorite food.
The unique little girl answered each question easily. Her favorite colors were red and black, like her plaid blankie. Her favorite animal was the hippopotamus, because "hippypottymuss" was fun to say. And her favorite food was Caf-Pow, an energy drink from the corner market where she walked with the older kids to get groceries. She was obviously bright for her age.
When the children had all relaxed slightly, Ducky broke the news to Tony and Kate. "Now, then," he said gently, "I really must examine Abigail for injuries."
Tony looked at him for a long time, his suspicions evident. Finally, he nodded tersely and turned to Abby. "Hey Abbs, you gotta let Ducky look for boo-boos to fix." He said quietly. When Abby finally nodded her agreement, Kate helped her take off her raggedy t-shirt and leggings. Ziva and Tim looked on, raising fearful eyes to Ducky.
Fully aware of the wary little eyes watching his every move, Ducky silently vowed to himself and the children that he would be careful. He took out his medical supplies and showed Abby and the older kids what each one was for before using them.
Over near the elevators, Stan was reading Abby's case history aloud. "Her full name is Abigail Jane Scuito. She's four years old. Her biological parents were teenagers. Her birth mother abandoned Abby at the Coldrock Orphanage when she was only three months old."
"What a shame." Jenny murmured. "She's too young to grow up without a mother."
They all turned to gaze at Abby, who was giggling as Ducky checked her reflexes and pretended to be hurt when she kicked him. Ziva and Tim seemed to be relaxing slightly, and even Kate was smiling slightly. But Tony seemed to be just as wary and distrustful as before.
Ducky seemed to be finished with Abby, as he motioned for Tony and Kate to help lift Tim.
"What's his story?" Gibbs asked, gesturing to Tim.
"Timothy James McGee. Five years old. Brought to Coldrock by his DSS worker a year ago after his parents and younger sister were killed in a car crash. Drunk driver hit 'em." Franks said. He shook his head. "Poor kid. He must miss his family like crazy." Tim was sitting on the exam table, swinging his legs as Ducky checked his ears, nose, and mouth with his light. Kate stood next to him, stroking his hair.
"How about Kate?" Jenny asked, looking at the motherly gesture.
"Her full name is Caitlin Jennifer Todd. She's seven. She was dropped off at Coldrock by her DSS worker four years ago, when her parents, her two older brothers, and her older sister were killed in a fire that was suspected to be the work of a serial arsonist." Stan answered.
"Well, I guess that explains that." Franks said, referring to the way Kate took care of the younger kids. "Being a mother figure is all she's known since she was three. According to this, she's been there since the week before Abby was abandoned."
"How long has Tony been there?" Gibbs asked, gazing at the protective little boy with the hard expression.
"Anthony Robert DiNozzo Junior. Eight years old. He's been at Coldrock since he was four years old, longer than any of them. He got there a month before Kate and Abby were dropped off." Stan read. "His wealthy father, DiNozzo Senior, physically and mentally abused him for the first four years of his life before abandoning him at Coldrock during a routine business trip."
"Poor kid." Gibbs shook his head.
"That explains the death glare he's been giving us since we met him." Franks said solemnly.
"It also explains why he's so protective of them all." Gibbs said, motioning to the boy, who was helping Ziva down from the table as Kate took her turn.
"What about Ziva?" Jenny asked quietly. Of all of the children, Ziva's scars were the most visible, some being very old. She couldn't have been in the United States for very long; her accent and faltering use of the English language suggested she had been there for less than a year.
"Ziva Sharai David. She's six years old." Stan read silently for a minute. Finally, he let out a soft whistle. "Oh, wow…" He whispered.
"What?" Gibbs asked impatiently.
"Listen to this, guys. She was born in Tel Aviv, Israel and lived there until seven months ago, when her father, who, by the way, happens to be the Director of Mossad, traded her and her older brother and younger sister to human traffickers in exchange for nuclear weapons. On the way to the States the plane crashed, killing her brother and sister. The traffickers then found another plane, flew here to D.C, and finally abandoned Ziva at the Coldrock Orphanage because she was fighting too hard."
Franks swore under his breath. Jenny was just shocked into silence. Gibbs' expression hardened. He'd heard enough to want to kill the parents and guardians of these kids.
"Those kids have been through hell." He spoke, echoing everyone's thoughts. They all nodded, each wrapped in their own emotions.
"Well, they aren't going back." Franks said gruffly. "So where are they staying for now?"
"With us." Gibbs and Jenny answered simultaneously, surprising even themselves.
Stan and Franks blinked. They weren't expecting that any more than their teammates.
Shaking himself out of his surprise, Franks coughed. "Alright, then. Stan and I are on protection detail. Roll out the sofa bed, 'cause we ain't going nowhere till these kids are safe." Stan nodded his assent.
Feeling surprisingly touched, Gibbs and Jenny nodded their thanks and turned to look at their new charges. Tony was still being examined, clearly hating every second of it. So they stood back and waited for Ducky to finish his examination.
About five minutes later, Ducky was finished. Asking the kids to wait where they were while the adults talked, he grabbed his notes and walked over to the agents.
"How's it feel to have some living patients, Doc?" Stan joked.
Ducky smiled at the young agent before clearing his throat. "Let us start with Abigail. She is the healthiest of all of my new patients, and also the most well adjusted. She is slightly underweight, with minimal bruising. She is also quite possibly the most intelligent four-year-old I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. She has very unique tastes, and has an overall cheerful disposition." The team nodded. They could tell that much themselves.
"Timothy is the healthiest child besides Abigail. He is also underweight. As for the bruises, he has more than Abigail, yet markedly less than the older children. Timothy also happens to be very bright for his age. He is timid and quiet around us, but I believe that he may be more confident around his companions. He also seems more melancholy than the others. I believe his somewhat recent tragedy has saddened him." Ducky said sadly.
He continued. "Ziva is far less than the healthy weight for six years of age. She has recent bruising, and I believe it is safe to assume that they, as well as her peers', were inflicted by the horrid Mrs. Mack." Everyone's faces clouded over at the sound of her name. "She also has some very old scars that took quite some time to heal. Not only physical wounds, but emotional ones as well. Most still have not quite healed, and will take some time to do so."
Ducky cleared his throat and kept going. "Caitlin is very underweight. She's also badly bruised. These symptoms are most likely a testament to her love for the younger children, to whom she is a maternal figure. She most likely goes without food and takes beatings for them."
Sadly, he spoke again. "Which brings me to young Anthony. I believe he frequently does the same. He is the most underweight, and is nearly covered in severe bruises. He displays symptoms of severe emotional and physical abuse. He seems to be very protective of his younger companions, and is very hostile to those he believes may be a threat to their safety. Anthony is also very cautious, never letting his guard down. He trusts no one, and allows no one past his protective walls."
The team was silent, each absorbing the information and battling their feelings of anger and despair at how unfair life was for these children.
Finally, Ducky broke the silence. "Might you happen to have background information on my Eleanor and James?"
"Oh, yeah." Stan looked down at the papers in his hand, shuffling them until he found their information.
"Here it is." Franks spoke. "James Christopher Palmer. Two years old. It says here that his mother died in childbirth. His father then struggled to raise him on his own, but he suffered from severe depression. James' father dropped him off at the Coldrock Orphanage on his first birthday, and subsequently committed suicide."
Stan read aloud next. "Eleanor Anne Bishop. She's three years old. According to this, her mother was having an affair with a man who became enraged when he found out she was married. The man then murdered Eleanor's parents right in front of her. The court ruled that she be placed in a 'small group setting', a.k.a Coldrock. That was ten months ago."
Ducky's heart ached for these young lives, torn apart by tragedies. No child deserved to have such a terrible start in life. Maybe, he thought, maybe he could make their lives a little brighter.
Meanwhile, Gibbs and Jenny were hoping the same thing.
Alright, ladies and gentlemen, there's the second chapter. Hope you enjoyed it! Please Read and Review!
