"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"
Tony silently left the room. He shut the door as quietly as possible and spun around to leave, only instead of finding an empty hall he almost stepped smack bang into Gibbs.
"Hey-y Boss" he coughed, trying to cover up his fright.
"What's with you DiNozzo?"
"Ah, nothing Boss"
"Good" Gibbs started off down the corridor, beckoning over his shoulder for Tony to follow.
"Hey boss, so what do we actually know about Alex's history?"
"Ziva and McGee are doing some digging into her past now." Gibbs said, coming out into the squad room.
Over at the Bullpens Ziva and McGee were involved in some sort of argument.
"Ziva, you're being unreasonable. Just because she's fifteen doesn't mean she's not capable of murder. You can't look past the evidence"
"Probie, Ziva. If there's anything to argue about I'll be the one doing it. Now, what exactly are we arguing about?" Tony cut across Ziva before she could retaliate to McGee's comment.
"We found out that Templeton wasn't Alex's biological father. Her real father died when she was six months. McGee was trying to tell me that this is enough evidence to suspect Alex of murder" Ziva claimed.
"Ziva you have to look at the facts. If Alex…"
Tony looked between them both and then at Gibbs who gave him the 'it's your problem' look. He turned back to Ziva and McGee.
"Both of you, zip it or you'll be doing my reports for the year!" he threatened.
The two teammates stopped arguing with looks of indignation on their faces.
"Right, now both of you have shut up, what did you find?" he asked.
Ziva and McGee both scrambled for the clicker to show Tony and Gibbs. They ended up with Ziva standing over McGee, twisting his arm behind his back.
"I know how to torture people to the brink of death without actually killing them" she hissed. "I suggest you give it to me".
McGee handed the clicker over without hesitation.
As she pointed it at the screen a picture of a beautiful woman flashed up on the screen.
"This is Angela Templeton. Born Angela Waters, in Los Angeles, California she married her high school sweetheart Thomas Miller. They had Alex one year later. Six months after Alex was born Thomas Miller died in a car crash coming home from work. A year after that Angela Templeton moved here where she met and married Matthew Templeton"
"Good work Ziva. Nice try McFiesty, but letting Ziva have the clicker was probably a good idea" Tony beamed at McGee.
"Was there any signs of domestic abuse?" Gibbs suddenly asked.
"Ah yes Boss" McGee stammered, taken aback at the sudden question. "On several occasions police were called to the Templeton household before and after the death of Angela Templeton. She had many visits to the ER which were filed under abuse, but Angela refused to press charges"
"Coffee time! Probie, your turn. I'll take the regular but can you please pick up an iced tea as well"
"Do you have any idea how insufferable you are?" groaned McGee. "What do you want an iced tea for? Just trying to make getting four coffees back here that much harder?"
"No McSnarky, it's for Alex. We can't let her die of thirst. Pick up some food on the way. Pizza."
"Who left you in charge? I want Thai" Ziva cut in.
"No Ziva, Thai is for people with crazy money and no taste buds. We're having Pizza!"
"Tony, you have to expand your tastes. We're having Thai because…"
"Hey!" Gibbs voice cut across the arguing agents. "If you don't settle down you'll all be eating cat food"
An hour and a half later McGee stepped out of the elevator balancing five cups of liquid and a few pizza boxes.
"I still don't see why we had to get pizza" Ziva said in her strong accent, shaking her head. She took a box from McGee and opened it. "Cold pizza at that"
"How many fifteen year olds would pick Thai over Pizza Ziva?" Gibbs asked. Picking up a box of pizza and the iced tea he started walking towards the interrogation rooms. The last thing he heard was Tony's voice drifting loudly across the bullpens. "Way to spoil the pizza McOverdue"
Entering the observation room briefly Gibbs was surprised to find Ducky watching Alex's sleeping form.
"Hey Duck"
"Jethro"
Joining Ducky next to the two way mirror Gibbs held out the pizza.
"Ah Jethro, you live entirely too much on that substance. One would question the levels of your cholesterol"
Gibbs withdrew the untouched box and threw it on the table behind him.
"Agent's gotta eat Ducky"
They returned to silence, observing Alex.
Alex woke from her pain induced sleep with only traces of her last headache. Someone had placed another blanket over her. She rubbed her eyes drowsily and swung her feet onto the ground.
"Hello?" she called cautiously. Letting her guard down had been a big mistake. So was joking with that agent. What was his name? Tim? Thomas? Tony? Yes, that was it. Tony. He knew how to play a cover, just as well as herself.
The door to the interrogation opened and Gibbs walked in.
"Hey Alex. You feeling better?"
"A little"
Gibbs took a seat on the side closest to the mirror, placing the iced tea and pizza on the table.
"Take a seat"
Alex slid into the spare seat, taking a sip of the tea.
"Thank you" she yawned.
"Okay Alex, I heard from Tony that you waved a lawyer. Is that correct?"
Nodding through a mouthful of pizza Alex tried to talk. "Is there any reason I need one?"
"Nope. I'm just going to question you a bit about your dad"
"He wasn't my dad!"
"You didn't seem to mind agent DiNozzo calling him your father"
"He didn't know that he wasn't. You do. You're trying to bait me" Alex shot at Gibbs.
Gibbs lips turned up in a slight smile. This girl was good.
"So you have a problem when people call him your father?"
"That bastard abused my mother from the day she married him to the day she died. After that he started in on me. So yeah, I have a slight problem."
"Did you ever fight back?" Gibbs probed further.
"What do you think? I'm a boxer. Of course I fought back. These..." Alex pulled up her shirt, "These are what he did."
Alex's torso was a mess of bruises, scars and scratches. Gibbs took in a sharp breath as he saw the damage.
"When did you last see him? He asked, trying not to let the damage get to him. He'd seen a lot of things in his life as a marine, but abuse to a child was among the worst.
"Wednesday. That's when we last went at it"
"So if I was to ask you where you were you could give me someone who could place you away from the crime scene?"
"Yeah sure. Like I told that other agent, Tony. I basically live on the streets. Take me back there and I can give you a witness."