Ch. 6

"Do any of you guys know what the visitors look like?" asked Tony to the other four in the room with a concerned look on his face.

"I have no clue," replied Ziva, scratching her head.

"I think there are four of them," McGee responded, looking to see if Gibbs had anything else to say. Gibbs shook his head.

"I'm sorry, Tony. I haven't heard anything besides what Tim said," answered Abby, giving Tony a hug to comfort his thoughts. Tony hugged the woman back, feeling better than before.

"Good day, everyone!" called out Ducky towards the team. He noticed the people looking glum. He frowned, but didn't want to ask, thinking that it was something to do with Sarah. "The visitors are with the Director right now, if you were wondering. Strange people, I think, but I shouldn't be judging them."

"What makes you say that, Ducky?" asked Gibbs, looking at the Doctor with a look in his eyes.

"Well, they didn't seem normal when I talked to them, like they were stressed, even the little one. It was like they had something pent up inside of them that they needed to get out."

"Tony, maybe you should check on Sarah. Just in case," suggested Ziva. "I don't want anything else to happen to her."

"OK, I'll be right back." Tony left and went upstairs to find the girl.

Tony looked under his desk for the girl, but she wasn't there. He was hoping she was in the snack room, which was Tony's next stop.

Sarah wasn't there either. He looked in the bathrooms. In the last one when he was about to give up, he heard sniffling. She was in the last stall, when he looked Sarah's wounds on her arms were bleeding. "Sarah, why are you bleeding?" Tony asked her, but she didn't answer him. She just kept sniffling. "Sarah, it's me, Tony. Sweet heart, can you hear me?"

Sarah looked up to him, but she didn't say anything for a while. When she finally spoke she said, "I'm sorry, Tony. I was so scared. I didn't know what to do, so I opened them. I'm so, so sorry, Tony. I really am. Please, believe me." A new batch of tears started flowing from her eyes, and she squeezed them shut. She didn't want to see Tony angry, sad, mad, or disappointed right now.

"Sarah, I believe you. I always want you to remember this," Tony paused for a second so Sarah could open her eyes and look at him, "Everybody here at NCIS wants to be there to comfort you. Every last one of us, I want you to remember that. You can come and tell us whatever you want, and we'll be supportive of you, no matter what you say. Do you get what I'm saying, Sarah?" Sarah nodded her head, and wiped the tears out her eyes.

"Yeah, I get what you're saying," she replied, smiling at the man. "I'm just gonna stay in here for a little while longer, OK?"

"That's fine Sarah, but if you want to talk with any of us, we'll be in Abby's lab. Do you know where that is from here?" asked Tony, looking directly in her eyes, wanting the truth.

"Yes, I do. Thanks for everything, Tony."

Tony left the girl in the can, but not before giving a kiss on the forehead. "The parenting might be tough, but it's a great experience, and it brings me happiness."

Once back in the lab, Tony found that Ducky was no longer there. Tony assumed that he went back to the autopsy room.

"Did you find Sarah, Tony?" asked McGee, unease glinting in the man's eyes.

"Yes, I did. She was scared, but I think she'll be fine now," responded Tony to the group. They all felt relief flowing through them. They all sat in a comfortable silence for a few minutes, just enjoying the company of each other.

All of a sudden they heard a scream. They all knew it was her. They ran out into the hallway, but didn't see her or any sign of her.

"Everybody, check all of the bathrooms, closets, and vacant rooms, Abby, check security videos from just at a few minutes ago, and Tony you're with me," Gibbs instructed, walking out with Tony hot on his trail.

"Sarah, I'm sorry for not being there to protect you again. I'm so sorry," Tony thought with a tear rolling down his cheek.

"Tony, come on! You'll check this side of the hallway, and I'll check this one, you got it?"

"Yes, Boss, clear as day."

Once the two got to the end of the hallway, on Tony's side, the last door that they checked was looked. Tony put his ear to the door and he heard muffled screams. "Shit!" Tony silently yelled. He broke down the door, and yelled, "NCIS!" He spotted five occupants in the room, one of them being a crying Sarah in the middle of the room, looking towards him with pain, fear, and gratitude in her eyes.

The other four were gathered in a circle around her. The oldest one was a woman around the age of fifty, the youngest being around ten years old, the oldest male was around mid-forties, and the youngest girl looked around thirteen. "You are all under arrest for violence on NCIS property, and I'm guessing you're Sarah's family?" They all shook their head, trying to lie to Tony, but Tony knew, in their eyes he could see that they were ling. Sarah vigorously nodded her head yes. She wanted them far away from her. SO far away that she wouldn't see them ever again. "You're going to have to take a DNA test, but if it comes to that, then you will be arrested for obstruction of justice, and abuse of your own child or sibling."

Then he saw the fear in their eyes, but something was hiding behind that fear; it was power. They knew that they won't be put in jail. Even if they were put in jail, they knew a way to get to Sarah from that place. They knew what made her scared, they knew what made her cry, and they knew what made her tic.

When all four of them have left with escorts, two each, Sarah had not yet gotten up. Tony walked over to the girl and held her in his arms. "I'm so sorry that I couldn't protect you, Sarah. I'm sorry that you were taken from right under my nose. I'm so sorry," whispered Tony under his breath.

The girl looked up at him, and gave him a small smile and said, "You did your best, Tony. Thank you for coming to rescue me."

Five and a half years later led to Tony adopting Sarah officially, many weddings, and Sarah getting a college degree in criminal justice. The team was all there. Ducky, who had retired at age seventy-three, Abby still worked at NCIS, but married McGee, who also still worked for NCIS, Gibbs was the new Director of NCIS, and Tony married Ziva and they both work at NCIS.

"Sarah, congratulations on getting a spot at NCIS!" shouted Abby, crushing the girl in a hug.

"Thank you, Abby, but can you let me go? I can't breathe!" cried out Sarah. She laughed as she was put down on the ground again. "I'm really happy to be here! It's going to be so much fun working with you all! It's going to be just like when I first met you all. Minus the blood, death, kidnapping, hospital visits, and worrying."

"Oh, we're still going to worry about you, Sarah. No matter how old you are," commented Ziva, giving the girl a look.

"Fine, mom, whatever you say." Sarah could visibly see Ziva boil with anger. The girl smirked because she knew how Ziva hated her calling her mom. Ziva says it makes her feel old.

"How many times do I have to tell you? Do NOT call me mom. Call me Ziva again, please?" Ziva pleaded with the girl, which seemed like a daily occasion for the two.

"Daddy, Mommy's being mean! Tell her not to say that!" Sarah cried running behind her adoptive father.

"Just listen to her for once, Sarah. It'll be easier for you if you do," Tony said, trying to convince the girl to try and stop her shenanigans.

"Tony, you're never any fun anymore," the girl accused the older man.

He sighed and replied to the girls accusation with, "That's because I'm your boss now, and I don't want any of my team mates to get hurt."

"Fine," replied the girl flopping back into her seat, which was Tony's old spot. "Ziva, what's for dinner tonight?"

"Abby's going to have a party at her house for your success at becoming an NCIS agent," responded her adoptive mother with a big smile on her face.

"Wow, wait a second. I did not agree to this! Why haven't I heard of this until now?" questioned McGee with a highly confused expression on his face.

"I don't know, Probie. It's your wife we're talking about," retorted Sarah while spinning in her chair.

"When did you pick up that nickname for me, Sarah?" asked an angered Tim, already knowing who was behind the doing of the deed. Tony just whistled away while sitting back in his chair, not caring that McGee knew that he started the nickname. "Tony?"

"Yes, Probie?" This angered Tim even more, but he didn't give in to the child antics that Tony egged on about.

Sarah looked out the windows, and she thought to herself, "I'm home again. Thank the good Lord in Heaven."

-THE END! Or is it not? I don't know, I'll post a poll and you all decide!-