Chapter 5

(Chloe's Pov.)

I still didn't know what that thing was. If it was a dark spirit like Derek said, than why could he see it? It made no sense to me.

I half walked, half ran to Vance's office, Derek right behind me. I jumped the steps two at a time, and when I got to the door, Simon and Tori were just leaving.

"I don't believe it," Simon screeched.

"We are in no way related," Tori yelled. "Vance just needs to get his head out of his…"

"What happened to you guys?" Simon questioned us.

I ignored him, and pushed past into the office. Gibbs and Vance were still inside talking. When they saw us, they froze.

"What happened," Gibbs growled, glaring at Derek, as if he did something.

"I was summoning and while talking with- her- she all of a sudden disappeared, and things started flying around, and this thing appeared and tried to choke me. I don't know what all happened, but it wants us to stop investigating. Derek thinks it's a dark spirit."

"And you don't think so?" Vance asked, and I shook my head.

"How could it be? Derek could see it."

Vance paled and it was clear to say that I shocked him. "Oh god."

"You know something about this," Gibbs asked coldly.

"I shouldn't say…"

"For god's sake- one of my agents was almost killed today, and you don't want to tell me?"

"I was going to say I shouldn't say for surety, but I might know what's going on." He looked at all of us. "When I left the Edison group they were talking about a new kind of seeing. They were trying to make it possible for normal people to see ghosts. I guess it worked."

(Derek's Pov.)

I had to say, I didn't like this. I'm not even sure if that was a dark spirit. I could have mixed it up with a demon.

We walked back down to the bullpen were the three agents were typing on their computers and asking Simon and Tori questions. When Simon saw us, he jumped up and said, "What happened? Chloe looks like she was just in a fight in a shredder."

"That's a bit dramatic, Simon," Chloe said, rolling her eyes.

I looked at him and mouthed tell you later. He looked angry about it, but nodded.

Chloe went and sat down at her desk. She picked up a file and started to read it.

"So," Tori said. "What are we supposed to do?"

"Don't know," Chloe muttered. "Ask Gibbs when he gets here."

Tori threw her hands up in frustration. "Really? That's all? You're not even going to talk to us?"

Chloe glared at her over the file. "I have a job to do, and I intend on doing it."

Soon it became dark, and people started leaving. Gibbs came back, sipping coffee.

"So," I said. "What are we supposed to do? Where are we staying?"

"You'll be going to your safe house now," he answered, taking a sip.

"Now?" he nodded. "Okay. Is Chloe staying with us?" she looked up.

"I live with Gibbs," she said. "I'll be staying here for most of the night anyway finishing up files."

"You can't stay up all night with those files."

"I've done it before."

"I don't get it. What's so special about this case? Why's it important to you?"

"Because of the person."

"Who."

For the first time she didn't answer.

"I'm going to find out one way or another," I said.

She sighed, putting the file down, and looked at me. "Miss. Talbot. She was killed."

"What? I was just at her apartment today? How long has she been died?"

"Two days," an old man said, coming in to the area. "It's been two days. By the way, I'm Doctor Mallard. Medical examiner. But you can call me Ducky. Everyone dose."

"How was she killed Duck," Gibbs said.

"A gunshot to the head. But that's not all. She was also beaten."

"By what?"

"That's the thing. I don't know. It wasn't an object, but it isn't a fist. It makes no sense."

I looked at Chloe, and found her looking at me.

"I might know what Ducky," She said. "I had an encounter with it today."

"Does it have something to do with why you're all beat up," Ziva asked.

"Yes, it does."

"We should get you kids to the safe house," Gibbs said.

"If Chloe was attacked I think she should come with us," Simon said.

"It's not going to hurt me," Chloe said. "It doesn't want me."

"Then what does it want," Agent McGee asked.

"For us to stop investigating."

"But we can't do that," Tony said. "We can't just drop it."

"Well it expects us to."

(Gibb's Pov.)

The kids had left to go to the safe house, and I had forced Abby and McGee to go home. I walked into the bullpen and found Ziva and Tony gone, probably at the vending machines, and Chloe at her desk, head resting on an open folder, asleep.

I smiled. She looked so peaceful. And after today's events, I'm surprised. She found out someone she knew was dead, she saw people she once cared about who had abandoned her again, she was attacked, and she had to go through the daily troubles of being an NCIS agent.

I walked over to her, sitting her up in the chair, and closing the file. She was still a small little thing, and I felt the need to be careful as I lifted her up into my arms, and carried her to the elevators.

I passed Tony and Ziva, and nodded to them as I left. People would glance at me, but that was all. To them, this was my daughter.

I drove home carefully, not wanting to wake Chloe up, and carried her to her room. I pulled down the covers, and set her down. I pulled them back up, tucking her in for the night. I missed my Wife and child every moment of every day, and Chloe will never replace Kelly, but she is like another daughter to me.

I smiled, brushing back some of her hair. I had always loved kids, but Chloe wasn't a kid anymore. But that didn't stop me from caring for her. The moment I saw her, back in that ally way, I knew I had to protect her.

And if I didn't… it would be like losing Kelly and Sharon again.

I promised myself that if Derek or Simon or Tori hurt her again, in any way, they would have h*** to pay.