Umm...please don't kill me. Haha I'm SO sorry it took me...six months...or something ridiculous. But I have a few chapters written, so be ready for that!

Just some feedback questions; do you guys like how long the chapters are? Too long? Short and fast or longer and a bit more spread out? Anything to help. And suggestions always taken!

After much too long of a break...chapter 4!

The opening of the elevator doors drew the eyes of the whole NCIS team. In walked the two long awaited arrivals, a tall man leading a younger girl holding a backpack over to his desk. Ignoring the rest of his team, he allowed her to sit in his seat and asked her if she wanted anything to drink or eat, if there was anything he could do at all for her. More from shock than anything else she replied that she was fine. Ziva could tell that the girl had obviously heard the news about her mother, for she was shaking slightly and her face was an unnatural white in color.

Her mother...

Her reserved, passionate, loving mother...

Just gone? She wouldn't accept it.

Katherine took in "The Pit", as Mr. DiNozzo had called it, and saw four other people staring straight at her. "Oh," quietly escaped her mouth, causing three of them to break and smile and making her feel safer in the hands of the government. Not very many good stories had come out of situations like this.

The other man in the room was the first to speak.

"Well...ah, so. Katherine. My name is Timothy McGee, but you can call me Tim. This is Ziva David," he said, signaling to the darker woman sitting across the aisle from her, "you know Tony, and this is our boss. Leroy Gibbs." Shyly, she lifted her hand at each name and said hello. After introductions, there was a pause in the conversation where the agents headed back to their desks. Katherine sat in the rolling chair from Tony and looked around, feeling better.

Jumping up, she said, "I think I'm gonna go get some...water," and walked over to where Tony had pointed. Looking back at the team before she went out of sight, she mentally took a picture to evaluate them and get a grip on her situation.

McGee. The guy who had introduced her to everyone seemed pleasant. A little nerdy, too, based on the amount of electronics sitting on his desk. Katherine had always thought of herself as someone who was good with technology, but he surpassed her by miles. His suit was a dark blue jacket over tan pants and a white shirt; what she guessed as standard uniform. Tony's outfit was almost identical.

The woman, Ziva, looked like she could kick some serious ass. She was about the same height as Katherine, but obviously more built up. Spending many hours training and at the gym would do that to you, she guessed. Ziva seemed nice enough, though as the only woman on a team of four could harden you without you noticing it. It had happened before, not anything out of the ordinary.

As Katherine rounded the corner into the dining area she was glad it was empty. She sat down at the plastic table with a soft thud, and placed the opened soda bottle in front of her. Staring into the slowly rising bubbles, she finally allowed herself to think of her mother.

Katherine and her mother had always been close. Never knowing her father, it left her with only one parent to know, and she took all the advantage of it that she could. Other kids at school complained about having just their mom or dad live with them, but strangely enough Katherine was ok with it. Years ago she had come to peace about not knowing her second parent. That just meant that she would bond more with her mother than share attention between two people.

Now that Katherine was old enough to care and look after herself, her mom had packed ship and moved them out of the naval base where she worked. Katherine thought it was weird, and kept telling her mother that she should be around those she worked with, but arguing with her parent had been like hitting a brick wall. You never got anywhere, and it was not a very bright idea.

Anna had always had the American dream family in her mind; living in a small town, where the people were close, and families safe and secure from harm and trouble. Taking a drink from the bubbly drink in front of her, Katherine laughed darkly at how her mother would take this situation into her well laid out plans.

At the time, it seemed like a good idea to set her head down on the table. Just to clear it, she thought. But hours of homework from the day before had taken its toll, and within minutes she fell asleep immediately, not minding the cold plastic against her cheek.

Back at the work area, Tony was a nervous wreck. Everyone could tell but no one wanted to be the first to mention it.

Finally, the leader took matters into his own hands Gibbs walked over to his desk and whispered to the man, "Tony. You look like you're about to bust. You better get yourself sorted out and back to normal fast or I'm pulling you." Tony barely seemed to notice the warning for he continued to type away at his computer, trying desperately to find anything on Anna. Gibbs threw his arms up, walked around the desk and yanked the senior agent out of his seat.

"Hey! What the-" he yelled, but was cut off by the look on his boss's face. "Shut up, DiNozzo" was the only response he got, and was literally dragged into the elevator that Gibb's called his office. Once the power had been cut and only the two standing in the elevator, Gibbs turned on the younger man. "What the hell is up with you? So what we have a piece of new meat in here," Tony cringed at his use of the word, "it happens. Remember when McGee had his sister here? He didn't freak out. And When Zeva's friend stayed with us? What's so different, huh? Is there something I'm missing here?" Tony just stared into the grey eyes, terrified that anyone find out. This kind of thing would get him not only pulled from the case, but placed as a prime suspect in a missing persons case.

"What is that girl..." and as Gibbs looked back at the green in Tony's eyes, it clicked. He slammed his fist against the wall of the elevator, and the small box shook. "Please tell me this isn't what I'm thinking. This can't happen now, DiNozzo, not NOW!" Tony opened his mouth to speak, but Gibbs cut him off, saying he had to tell the rest of the team how this changed the situation of the case. "Did you think about that? Did you? Because now we're housing the next-in-line of a potential kidnapping. If anyone is in danger, it's her."

Finally Tony could speak. "Then isn't this the best place for her to be? Safe inside the NCIS walls?"

"You mean safe beside her father?"

The words left a painful sting on Tony's sting being the first time it was actually said out loud. "You were a father, Gibbs. You know how this is."

Sighing and rubbing his eyes, Gibbs silently agreed. He knew exactly how it was. A daughter...the whole world of love wrapped up inside one person...the only problem was how quickly they could be taken away from you. And you could never see that coming.

Gibbs finally came to a decision. "Fine. She'll stay here. But tonight she'll be moved to a safe house until further notice. We'll switch off nightshifts guards. Everyone will be put into rotation. Ziva, McGee, Palmer, Ducky, Abby, you and I"

The fact that everyone he worked with was going to be staying with her surprised him. "Don't you think it's a little...weird to have grown men watch her?" The sentence itself sounded weird, and earned him a shooting look from Gibbs in return.

"Abby will take the first watch tonight."

Tony's eyes went wide. "But boss...Abby's a little crazy, and, no offence to her, I don't want my...daughter...stuck sleeping next to a coffin that contains a girl with a farting hippo."

"DiNozzo, this will be a test." Once the elevator jumped back to life and brought them back to the office, he called over his shoulder to the man left in the elevator, "if she can survive Abby, she can survive just about anything."

I am oh so excited to write Abby

Love you all! R&R!

Next chapter up soon! I promise this time!