A/N: Hola, me peeps! Sorry it's taken me so long to update this fic! I've had it written down for a long time, but I didn't know it was finished until recently. Then I kept forgetting to post it and got busy with school work and all that jazzie fun stuff, but I'm back now :D! By the way, I figured out which NCIS season it is! It's season 7 after Masquerade! You know what time it is now? That's right; it's time to introduce this chapter's special guest! In this corner, representing Maximum Ride isssssss……GAZZY!

Gazzy: What am I doing here?

Me: Didn't you hear me? You're this chapter's special guest! Now be quiet while I introduce the NCIS guest! Heeeerrrrrrrrrressss ABBY!

Abby: Hi! She took me from my Labby! Arg!

Me: Okedoke, it's about time for the chapter to get started! But first, I must state yet another disclaimer… D: Here we go!

Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS or Maximum Ride. I also do not own the whole Michael Rivkinn story- I borrowed that one from the season six finale! It was very good!

Previously: (Angel) "Who is Michael Rivkinn?"

Ziva stared in complete shock at the little girl for a few seconds before conjuring up a response. She then raised her eyebrows, her emotionless mask returning on her stunning face. "Where did you hear that name?" demanded the ex-Mosaad officer.

"You accidentally thought it when I told you to think something I'd never guess. Ziva, I need to know…" Angel answered.

Seconds after she'd finished speaking, she gasped in pain as what seemed like thousands of thoughts, images, emotions, and memories- none of them belonging to her- all flashed in her brain at once.

A man- Israeli, Angel noticed- dressed in nice clothing kissed Ziva softly on her cheek.

Tony shouting furiously at her, his brows furrowed.

Tony and the Israeli man lying on the floor of an apartment, drenched in their own deep red blood. Tony had his gun pointed at the man, Ziva had hers pointing at Tony, and the man lay pale and still on the floor- dead.

The last image was of a man in a naval uniform standing next to a woman who looked exactly like Ziva- but she surely couldn't be the tough, unstoppable ninja Angel had heard so much about. The woman in the mental picture was bruised and bleeding her head hung on her shoulders as she sat there motionless, reminding Angel of a squashed bug. The only thing assuring the little girl that the woman was alive were the deep, rasping breaths escaping her cracked lips every other second. After the images, Angel almost cried out in agony as mixed emotions associated with people's names streamed through her head. Pain… Anger… Sadness…Anger… Pain… Love… Love… Tony… Michael… Betrayal… Father… Michael… Tony…

Angel finally gave in to the pain and screamed as loud as her genetically enhanced lungs could manage. This made the pain come to an abrupt halt, and sweet little Angel slid to the floor in a fetal position, sobbing uncontrollably. The former assassin bit her lip as she watched the scene, not exactly sure what to do in this situation.

"Angel?! I… I am so sorry… I forgot- I did not mean to make you upset! Angel, please, do not cry! I will explain to you the entire story, so you understand what you saw," Ziva pleaded, not wanting to see the child cry. Angel nodded, her loose blonde curls bouncing and her clear blue eyes still filled to the brim with tears threatening to spill over.

Ziva sighed- as much as she hated to see her cry, she was not very happy about having to explain this to a child, assuming she would not understand.

"Well, Michael Rivkinn was a fellow Mosaad agent that I had dated a while ago. He became a suspect of one of the cases NCIS was investigating, and Tony was very angry because I did not share all of the information I could have. We got into a fight, and one night Tony came to my apartment to question me further when I was not at home. Rivkinn was there, and he had been drinking too much alcohol. He attacked Tony and Tony shot him. We went to Tel Aviv to speak to my father- the director of the Mosaad, and I ended up staying there and becoming an officer of the Mosaad again. They sent me to attack a terrorist ship, and I failed and got captured. They tortured me for information about NCIS. Ton- the NCIS team found and saved me, and when I came back I became an NCIS officer once again. That is all I have to say on the subject," Ziva explained emotionlessly. Her mind traveled to the ship, when DiNozzo showed up to save the day. She recalled his words like the event had happened a day ago…

*Flashback*

"So, how was your summer?" Tony asked, a forced smile plastered on his bleeding lips, despite the current situation. Typical DiNozzo- trying to make a joke out of everything…

"Out of all the people who could have found me, it had to be you…"

*Skip Scene*

"Why are you here?" she asked harshly.

"Couldn't live without you… I guess…"

*End Flashback*

Ziva, remembering Angel could read minds, shook her head to snap herself out of her reverie. Angel gave her new friend a small smile, and stood slowly from her crossed- legged position on the floor next to Ziva's desk.

"We should probably go save Nudge before she says or does something totally stupid. I was desperate when I asked her to cover for me," she suggested. Ziva nodded, giving Angel a small smile and a chuckle in return as they headed to the elevator.

Director Vance's Office…

"Leon, I'd like you to meet some… special visitors. Max, Fang, this is the Director Leon Vance of NCIS," Gibbs introduced us, failing to suppress a smirk as we stared down the Director's outstretched hand like it was made from toxic waste. Leon Vance was a serious-looking African American man with a short crew cut and a no-nonsense air about him. He had the tips of his fingers together and was looking up at us through his glasses, reminding me of Dumbledore from J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter.

"Max and Fang… Where have I heard those names before?" the Director thought aloud. "Ah, yes, the Flock, am I correct?"

"You've heard of us before?" I inquired.

"Yes, we are a federal agency, and you have been under the protection of the government. You have had naval training as well," answered Vance. "What brings you to the Naval Base?"

"Well, Gibbsy here met us while we fought off some baddies at some random convenience store that sells coffee." Ah, the poetic language of a mutant bird kid.

"I see… and why has 'Gibbsy' brought you to NCIS?" questioned Vance skeptically.

"I brought them to NCIS to question them about whatever it was that attacked them! My gut told me that these kids needed our protection! Why wasn't I informed about this, Director?!" Gibbs answered for us in a rather unfriendly tone.

"You weren't informed about this because it is classified government information. I couldn't have told you if I wanted to. Why don't you just let it go, Gibbs," answered Vance, trying to stay calm.

"Classified government information my ass!" replied Gibbs furiously. "These kids have been to hell and back, and you expect me to just let it go!"

"The government kept them a secret to keep them from these so called 'baddies' chasing after them!" I could tell the Director was starting to lose his patience.

"Well that plan obviously didn't work, considering we were just attacked by half-robot thingies created by a wacko Chinese guy that kidnapped my mother a couple weeks ago. We can take care of ourselves anyway. If it were up to me, I'd be somewhere in the tropics sipping pina- coladas out of coconuts right now. By the way, since you're so in the loop when it comes to government information, isn't said wacko Chinese guy supposed to be in jail right about now?" I asked, keeping my cool.

"Actually, yes, he is. I will notify government officials about the attack. I'm sure they will move you to a different safe-house in a matter of days. How many people know about the kids?" asked Vance, turning to Gibbs, but I cut him off before he could answer.

"Actually, we're not moving anywhere. Like I said, we can take care of ourselves. We don't need your help. We spent the first ten years of our lives being tortured by sadistic scientists, skip two years, then we spent the next two alone, and the past year we've spent on the run. If I can save the world, then I can take care of my own family. So… thanks, but no thanks," I finished as I started towards the door, but I felt a warm, calloused hand wrap around my wrist and hold me back. I whirled around to see Fang give me a stern look. "What? Let go, Fang. We're leaving, and that's final."

"Max, they're offering us protection and a nice new home. Look, I know the thought of having a home and being safe scares you, but don't you want what's best for the Flock? I know they don't want to be on the run again- even I don't want to be on the run again!" Well, well, well, wasn't that a mouthful for the supposed quiet one!

"I am not scared of having a home and being safe! And I know the kids don't want to be on the run! I don't either, but I'm not doing this because I want to! I'm doing this because I have to! If you want to spend the rest of your life holed up in some cushy old safe house hidden somewhere in the remote desert, or not being able to go out because everyone who looks at you funny is dangerous, then go ahead! I want to feel safe to, but the thing is, Fang, we'll never be safe! Living under the false assumption that we are ever going to be safe would be stupid! I can't trust them, not because I'm scared, but because I've been betrayed by any adult I've ever trusted except for my mother!" I shouted. Tony, Gibbs, and Director Vance watched the whole argument in slight confusion. Fang's face suddenly changed from furious to calm and understanding.

"Max, I know that this is hard, but could we please give this a try? It's not going to hurt you is it?" he asked. I let out an exasperated sigh and calmed down considerably.

"I think it might… but you're probably right. It'll make the kids happy, so what could possibly go wrong?" Hmmm… how about the whole world being blown up by some insane scientists because I was relaxing in some safe house in Tahiti? But, other than that, it's completely risk free. Fang gave me a small smile that just made my world about ten million times brighter. La-di-da-di-da… Gee, when did I become such a softie? We turned back to the special agents and Director of NCIS.

"Okay… so, say we stay in this safe-house place. How can you 'guarantee' our safety? Hypothetically, of course…"

"I will assign two of my best special agents to stay with you until this whole problem is straightened out, but you will have to wait because, even though I am the Director of a federal agency, I cannot get you into a new house in the D.C. area for at least a few days," answered Vance officially.

"Well, where are you planning to put us until we have a house?" I asked.

"You can stay at my house until you have one of your own. Who are you assigning to live with them, Leon?" said Gibbs.

"Agents DiNozzo and David," he answered. Tony looked up, having heard the Director say his name.

"What?!" he asked, earning himself another smack on the back of the head, brought to you by Gibbs. "Sorry, boss," he mumbled.

"Now, go back to your jobs. I have work to do," ordered Vance. Tony and Gibbs nodded respectfully and led us back down to the squad room…

At the Bull Pen….

"Where the hell did everyone go?!" asked Gibbs heatedly. His brow furrowed in confusion. As I scanned the room for any sign of an attack, a small yellow sticky note stuck to the side of Ziva's desk caught my eye. I picked it up and examined it- it was a not from the others written in Angel's chicken- scratch handwriting. It read:

Dear Max, Fang, Gibbs, and Tony,

We all went down to Abby's lab- it's really boring up here. Meet us there.

-Angel, Nudge, Total, Iggy, Gazzy, Ziva, and McGee

(P.S. That was a lot of names to write down…)

"I think they went down to Abby's lab…" I told the others. Gibbs turned to me, raising an eyebrow.

"What makes you think that?" he asked skeptically.

"Well, quick thinking, intelligence, and this note that says they all went down to Abby's lab," I stated matter-of-factly. Gibbs took the note, read it, and rolled his eyes at me as we headed down to Abby's lab…

Abby's Lab…

As soon as we heard the elevator's signature ding, and the doors opened, Nudge rushed over to me, an excited grin playing on her innocent face.

"Hey, Max! How was the meeting with the Director of NCIS?! Tell me everything! Did you argue with the head of a federal agency? 'Cause if I knew one person who would, it would be you, Max! Is something exciting going to happen? Are we getting a pony?! I love ponies! They're usually so nice! I like the little ones that're like really small and cute when they're just foals! I wonder where they got the word 'foal'. I mean, it has nothing to do with the word horse, but it means a baby horse! Isn't that weird?! A lot of words just don't make any sense! Did you know that a lot of words we use today are derived from Latin? Well they are! Isn't that weird? I think I already said that… oops! If you say the word weird for long enough, it sounds so… weird! Weird, weird, weird, weird, weird, weird…"

"NUDGE! Okay, we get it!" I yelled. She stopped abruptly and stared at her feet.

"Sorry, Max… Did you have fun with the Director?" she asked.

"You could say that…. I have some… news for you guys."

A/N: Sorry for the ending… but I'll start typing up the next chapter tomorrow and hopefully it'll be up sometime this weekend! Reviews are appreciated!