This is kind of a filler chapter, I guess. So exhausted because dance rehearsal ran late (which in turn made me miss NCIS). Sigh. Random: My neck hurts.

Meh, it's not beta'd. Deal with it. Please review. Won't update until I have five of the sweet little gems. Gracias.

Love you all. Disclaimed.

-Alivia

The building stood, stark against its seemingly normal surroudings. Lilly Sheppard thought it was very tall. (Or maybe she was just very small.)

Ominous. Dark. Unwelcome.

Clack. Clack. (One, two. Three, four. Five, six. Seven, eight.)

The building seemed serious, as she was pulled inside and given a nametag and had to walk through really funny metal detectors. Her frosty gaze wearily took in her surroundings.

She did not like serious things, even if her mom had kept calling her that when she last visited from school.

Her mother-

(One, two. Three. Four. Five, six.)

Momma is-

(Seven. Eight.)

Clack. Clack.

The social worker's heels stopped making their funny little noise. Mommy's heels had never sounded that loud. But Mommy wasn't that big. She didn't know this woman's hair color, or her name, for that matter, but Lilly Sheppard could not let go of her hand. The nine year old clung to it. In the time since they'd gotten off the plane, she had memorized the woman's skin texture, her nail color.

Her hands felt swollen, like a plastic glove that had been stuffed with air.

Momma showed that trick to her once. It had made her laugh. Momma laughed too.

Momma is-

D-E-A-D

Lilly had never had that as a spelling word, nor had she read it in a book. The stories they provided her with at school had never cared to mention such mature topics.

In fairytales, people never die.

She had never been taught the letters of the word, yet she could sound it out. One syllable. One meaning.

Synonym (which is just like cinnamon- Momma liked that in her hot chocolate) : Gone.

Never coming back.

Crying was not something Lilly liked to do, as it made her face hot and sticky and her head hurt.

No, she would not cry until much later, but Lilly had questions. So many.

Why? How? When? Where?

Why?

Suddenly, she didn't like God very much at all. Caroline had told her bedtime stories about how God was the man with the answers, and that he created everything. Controlled everything.

Why would God do this?

He must be really mean with all his power.

"Lillian, Director Vance is going to personally take you to your father. You'll be home soon, but you have to let go of my hand so I can talk to him, okay?"

She never looked up from the bright pink polish.

Lilly. It's Lilly! She couldn't make the words come. Just like the award ceremony.

She bit her lip so they would stop bubbling to the surface.

A lip that was already raw and bleeding and sore and tender.

It felt as if everything was suffocating her.

A nod, eventually, was drawn from the petite head. Letting go took a few seconds.

Her hand was wet with sweat.

There was a chair in the corner of the room. It wasn't as comfortable as the one on the plane, but she sat down anyway, rubbing the fabric of her plaid skirt absentmindedly between her thumb and her forefinger. She wanted to stop thinking. To go away for awhile; but not sleep.

Lilly Sheppard hated nightmares almost as much as she hated liars.

Number Five: Silence is the loudest kind of noise. Sometimes it's the best way to do things.

Leroy Jethro Gibbs felt like an elephant was sitting directly on his chest cavity. His mouth was dry. His eyes stung, as he wiped at them sharply and blinked a few times.

He had a daughter.

And even though it hurt, God it hurt, to think about her, he was so pissed off at Jen and their pride ad that stupid director's chair that she would never fill again. The one she left him for.

A daughter.

Some woman with a fancy breifcase and over-priced shoes had been there after the funeral, informing him of the fact. She reeked of lawyer. The stupid woman acted indifferent.

Jethro wanted to scream at her until his throat hurt, but he couldn't.

He wanted Jenny to magically appear with that mischevious smirk upon her gorgeous face, screaming 'Surprise!'

Fooled you, Jethro!

Ha, ha. Funny Jen.

Lilly, her name was Lilly. She'd been on the Earth for nine years.

He'd missed that much time. He should not have had to.

"Dammnit Jenny," he muttered slamming his palm down upon the wooden surface of the conference table.

It drew a cautious look from Abby, seated across from him at the table. Ziva merely gave a glance.

Jenny had left Abby a pair of high heeled boots, and the latter a hunting knife.

At least Jenny had still had her humor.

He loved how she looked in boots.

The lawyer was ten minutes late. Lilly and the social worker were to follow a half hour later.

There was a numbness to arranging the meeting. The social worker, who sounded way too young over the phone, had mentioned Lilly wasn't talking to anyone. Jethro hadn't the audacity to confer with Ducky about the subject. He had no worry.

Truth was, he himself didn't want to talk to anyone either.

But that wasn't an option anymore.

Not since he'd found out about a daughter who wasn't dead and that he'd never looked in the eyes. Not since Svetlana called him in Jenny's home. Not since he'd called her, and hadn't spoken to her, but DiNozzo.

'Boss...she's dead.'

No 'sorry' was allowed.

Jenny's dead.