Tony sighed. "I'll do you a deal. You tell me your age and I'll remove those cuffs"
"You mean these cuffs?" she dangled open cuffs from her finger.
"Shit!" Tony swore and almost ran off the road. "How'd you get those off?"
"You obviously don't know that girls carry bobby pins like, all the time"
The ride back to NCIS was relatively uneventful. After Alex revealed she had taken the cuffs off DiNozzo had stopped the car and re cuffed her. He tried to ask her a few more questions but the only response he got was a "You know I'd a minor right? Therefore, you legally can't question me anymore if I ask for a lawyer, so I'm asking for a lawyer"
Now Tony glanced back at her and saw that she'd fallen into a light doze against the window. He turned the last corner and pulled into the NCIS garage.
"Hey Alex, it's time to wake up. We're here"
"I'm awake" she snapped, blinking a couple of times. She felt a little hot but there was no way in hell she was going to tell some random NCIS agent that.
He helped her out of the car and over to the elevator.
"Where're you talking me?"
"Up to the main building" he scanned his eye and the doors opened with that ever so familiar ding.
Stepping inside DiNozzo started giving Alex a rundown of what would happen.
"We have to ring the social worker and get them to send someone to talk with you before we can question you"
Alex snorted "You think I actually want a lawyer or whatever. I was just saying that so you'd shut up"
Tony opened and shut his mouth a few times, trying to think of what to say.
"It's still recommended you have one. Usually we do not conduct an interview with a minor without a parent or social worker present"
Alex looked at him disbelievingly. "I've basically been living on the streets and looking after myself for three years. You think I can't handle a bit of questioning from a couple of feds?"
"No, well yes…wait what?" he spluttered, not used to bring showed up by a young girl.
Before Tony could dig himself into a deeper hole the doors opened onto the orange walled bullpens. Ushering Alex forward Tony lead her across the room and into the first unoccupied interrogation room.
"You hungry?" he asked her.
"No" she muttered, feeling a little nauseous. She could tell that a familiar feeling of a migraine was coming on. Placing her head on the table she laid her face against the cool surface. Keeping up a hard appearance took a lot of effort.
Tony picked up on her mood. He pulled up the chair on the other side of the table.
"Hey, you okay?"
"Do you reckon you could turn the lights down a little more?" she asked softly.
"Yeah" he crossed to the door. "I'm going to be gone for a little while, you sure you don't want anything?"
"Nope" she murmured. Tony left and a few seconds later the room dimmed.
"Hey Ducky, hey boss" Tony strode through the autopsy doors.
"Make it to interrogation alright then DiNozzo"
"Yes boss, no more trouble, although remind everyone that when cuffing teenaged girls you should remove all bobby pins from their possession".
Gibbs gave Tony a rare smile before turning to Ducky.
"What have you got Duck?"
"This gentleman has had an unfortunate encounter with a gun. Shot a point blank range if these burn marks show us anything. The bruises have the same pattern as that of someone who has been in a recent fight. Professional by the looks of things. These bruises here and here show that the opponent favours the left hook" Ducky indicated to the mottling on the chest. "The size of the bruises indicates that it was someone with relatively small fists. Most likely a woman or small man. This reminds me of a case I once worked on. Yes, I was in the Himalayas when we came across this most unfortunate poor man…"
"Hey Ducky, while I'm thinking about it. Alex seems to be running a temperature or something. She was looking a little pale" Tony remarked, cutting through Ducky's rambling.
"Thanks Duck" Gibbs said over his shoulder on the way out.
"Anthony, I will come up and take a look at your Alex in half an hour. Mr Palmer can finish up here"
"Well, she's not my Alex Ducky, she's…"
"DiNozzo!"
"Coming Boss".
Half an hour later Ducky turned up outside interrogation with his medical bag. He joined Gibbs and Tony in the observation room. Alex sat in interrogation, scrunched into the corner of the room closest to the two way mirror. She had her head resting on her knees with her eyes closed.
"Ah Jethro and Anthony, I take it this is the girl?"
"Yeah Duck, this is her. Her name's Alexandra" Gibbs nodded. "We don't know her medical history or her age, Abby is trying to find out now"
Just on cue Gibbs phone rung.
"Gibbs"
"Hey Gibbs, you know that girl you found. Her name is Alexandra Opal Templeton, but of course you already know that. She's fifteen. She has regular school grades, but she's really good at boxing, I mean like phenomenally awesome. She qualified for nationals but couldn't afford the training or anything so the squad had to let her go. She's has multiple broken bones, the most recent was a spiral fracture of the humerus a couple of months ago. Doctors couldn't determine cause as Alex wouldn't disclose anything"
"Thanks Abs"
"You owe me a Caf-Pow!" she sung before she hung up.
Gibbs pocketed his phone and watched as Tony and Ducky entered the interrogation room.
"Hey Alex, this is my friend Doctor Mallard. He's going to check you over, make sure you're okay" Tony informed her.
Alex shifted her head slightly on her knees and murmured an inaudible response but didn't open her eyes. She could feel a migraine coming on and needed the lights to go away.
"Call me Ducky my dear. Now, I take it that this light is bothering you. Would you like me to get it turned off?"
"Yes please" she whispered.
Ducky looked at the mirror and in two seconds the lights were turned down as low as possible without darkness.
"Hey Alex, Do you think you could look at Ducky for a bit, just until he makes sure you're okay?"
Alex lifted her head and looked at the elderly man.
"I'm alright, I'm just getting a migraine" she told him softly.
"And you get them often?"
"Occasionally. I can normally sleep them off"
Ducky turned to Tony.
"Anthony, I need you to get a cot set up in here for Alex to use"
Tony jumped up.
"Right away Duck." It scared him seeing this feisty girl so unresponsive. Where was that flare? Alex moaned softly as the pain came at her in a large wave. It blacked out her vision and filled her hearing. For a while all she could do is block out anything and everything as she tried to fight the pain.
"Now Agent DiNozzo!" Ducky barked, getting out his thermometer.
In all of half an hour Tony had roped in three or four probies to set up a cot for Alex to sleep on. He helped her from her crouched position on the floor onto the cot. As he covered her in a blanket he heard a whispered "Thank you".
"No problemo" he replied, making light of the situation.
Alex caught on to his attempt. "You know, when this is over, I'm going to give you hell"