A/N: Hey! Thanks for reading this! Also, I'm sorry if this is too fast-paced for anyone to understand. It's because I've got to keep the pace at par with with what Alice is feeling. An overwhelming sense of urgency. If you have any query about the story or anything, please leave a review, or PM me.

And ra ra rah ah ah! Ro mah review!

I'm sorry, I've recently gotten obsessed with Lady Gaga and simply had to put that.

The Oak was a tiny restaurant, that wouldn't have been visible to anyone not specifically looking for it. Fortunately for the restaurateur, lots of people were looking for it. Legend said that its New York cheesecake was something to kill for. Under normal circumstances, Alice would be fawning over the dessert display by now, but this state of affair could be defined as anything but normal.

The Oak was a 5 minute walk from the NCIS building. Alice fast walked the entire way, looking blank. After waiting outside for about 5 minutes, she saw Jillian hotfoot her way across the busy street. Jillian was looking terrible. Her face had faint streaks coming down from her eyes. She had worn huge, black glasses to cover her eyes; she had been crying, a lot. Alice greeted her, and they went inside.

'So, uhh... Jillian. Did Jonathan showcase any unusual or erratic behaviour... before he left for Syria?'

'No, not that I know of.' She took a fidgeted with the bowl of soup, without interest. 'You were his girlfriend. Shouldn't you know if he was... different in any way?'

Alice sighed. 'I... recently left... where we both used to work at. I was...' Alice's eyes welled up. 'Too caught up in my own thing.'

'So you don't work for the paper anymore?' Alice shook her head.

'Is that the reason you and Jonathan were fighting?'

Alice was shocked. 'What? When did I and Jonathan ever fight because of my change of job? He was... very supportive.'

Jillian shrugged. 'I don't know. I had gone to his place a few days before he was leaving, and everything was very neat. I asked him why, so he said that since your stuff was out of the way, his house appeared clean. I asked him why your stuff was out of the way, and then he said that you had changed jobs, and decided to move, and you hadn't even told him about it.'

'Wait. So he cleaned up?'

'Somewhat. You know Jonathan, with all his cameras, and pictures lying around. He can never really clean his house.'

'Umm... thanks, Jillian. That was really helpful.' Alice signalled for the check. After paying, she gathered her belongings in her purse, and got up, when Jillian caught her by the wrists.

'Alice. Before Jonathan went, he told me to tell you, that he loves you from the bottom of his heart. That was never gonna change. He just... didn't want to risk your life.' Alice nodded forcefully.

She decided to pay Jonathan's house a visit after work. Thankfully, he'd given her the keys ages ago.

At the office, she booted up her laptop and went to the Zac Efron email ID. After logging in, she went to saved drafts. There were a few saved drafts.

Talked to Robin?

Yes.

Manifests papers are at my house.

Ok.

Brilliant. McKay and Jonathan had devised a way to contact each other in a way their messages couldn't be traced. Messages couldn't be traced when you haven't sent them. She thought of this: Jonathan wanted to tell McKay something important, he went to the email ID they both shared, and saved a message as a draft. McKay then logged on to the same email ID, and could see whatever message had been saved as a draft. She just had to figure out who in the world was Robin, and find what manifests they were talking about.

Later that evening, after everything that Hetty had asked them to do, four of five members of the team left in good spirits. 'Joining us for drinks, Alice?' Deeks asked her as he wrapped his arm around Kensi.

Alice walked past him without looking up, and said, 'No. I've got stuff... to do.' Wonder if I should tell them that my stuff to do includes breaking in my boyfriend's house. She unlocked her car and got in the seat. Well, it isn't exactly breaking in, is it? He gave me the keys to his house himself. It is more like... Yeah, what the hell. Who cares if I'm breaking in?

As she was driving to Jonathan's house, her phone began to ring, with her ringtone being . She immediately picked it up to hear Rachel Baer, her editor's snappy voice at the other end.

Alice. You texted me to call you? Rachel said irritably.

'Nice to talk to you, too, Rachel. Yes, I did. I wanted to ask you something.' Alice asked, with her phone wedged between her shoulder and ear.

Well, if you're considering joining again, you'll have to go through the entire interview process again. If you want to freelance, mail your article on the paper's public email ID, not mine.

Wow. Great way to cut all ties with me, Rach. 'Uh... No. It isn't about that.'

Talk fast, Duranty. I haven't got all the time in the world.

'Yeah.' She talked faster before Rachel could disconnect their call. 'I was wondering if you knew what McKay and Jonathan were working on.'

Sorry, Duranty, even if did, I wouldn't tell you. You left, so do all your connections. Anything else?

'What? What do you mean you can't tell me? I'm still a member of the press. I still have a pass.'

Well, Alice, you may have been McKay's crown jewel, but he's gone now. I'm not gonna tell you anything. Who're you going to run to now, hmm?

Alice's blood boiled in rage. 'McKay died yesterday. Jonathan Clarke is kidnapped by god knows whom. Does that not affect you? Or, I don't know why I thought it would. McKay dying would just help you and your own selfish plans of taking over the office, wouldn't it?!' She was yelling now. 'You know what, Baer? You're not a disgusting creature. You're a DISGUSTING creature. Yes- all in capitals. You do know the power of capitals, right?'

Rachel sighed like a tired parent. Alice. I just emailed you an address. Meet me there at midnight?

Alice was surprised at Rachel's quick change of mind. 'Alright.' She put her phone back in her purse, and continued driving to Jonathan's house. She parked in Jonathan's driveway, and walked to his porch speedily. She unlocked his house and peeked in. Yes, like Jillian said, Jonathan had cleaned up best he could.

Alice entered his house, and looked at everything for a second, to take in her surroundings. Not that she hadn't been here much, but she hadn't seen this place so clean since... she had seen this place. She, knowing Jonathan, searched for the manifest papers in his library, between books. Jonathan and Alice both owned huge libraries: they were, after all, journalists who constantly had to continue expanding their prose. But Jonathan's collection of books was extravagant. He had volumes and volumes of ancient literature, self help books, fiction, non-fiction, mystery, cookery books, even though he probably hadn't cooked for even a day in his life. An entire wall in his house was dedicated to books.

She ran her hands over the spine of books while observing the titles, noting if they were of any interest. As she was going through the ancient literature books, she saw something odd. Between thick, leather bound copies of The Iliad and The Odyssey, was a tiny black gap. Alice shoved her hand through the space. Hmm. There was a book down there. With force, and adjustment of the other 2 epic poems around it, she managed to wrestle out a copy of The fault in our stars, by John Green. Ha. Found it. Strategically placed between other big books so that no one would notice it. Also, if anyone knew Jonathan well enough, they would know that he detested romance novels. He had all but romance novels in his collection. And sure enough, there were 2 pieces of paper stuck in the middle. Manifest, Alice thought greedily.

A list of names was printed on a paper. It was a flight manifest to Syria. Dated a few months before Jonathan even had plans to go. And on the other piece of paper, the same people, on their return flight from Syria.

There was one name that did make half sense to her: Marco Robins. The name on the draft said Robin. She bagged the 2 manifests and put them in her purse carefully. She pulled out her cell phone while exiting and locking Jonathan's house, and looked for the mail from Rachel Baer. It was Alice's address. Rachel wanted to meet at Alice's house. At midnight.