Here we go! Chapter 7! Enjoy!
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The news of Petty Officer Moreland's death shook the team to the core. They dealt with murders on the daily but this one was different. This one hit close to home. Though Arissa had only been with the team a few days, she had won her way into each of their hearts. The death of the Petty Officer meant that Arissa was not officially an orphan, all alone in the world.
"Go get Abby and Arissa and you guys go out to eat," said Gibbs as he took out his wallet and handed Tony some money. "Make sure she has a good time. I'll stay here and make sure Ducky starts the autopsy as soon as possible. No one speaks a word of this to Arissa."
"Maybe we should just take her back to Tony's?" said Kate out of concern for the little girl.
"No, I need you here in case something new comes up," replied Gibbs as he headed for the elevator.
The results of Moreland's autopsy would be the last piece of information they needed to close the case. Gibbs hung around autopsy with Ducky and Jimmy while the rest of team took Arissa out for burgers and ice cream. Unfortunately for Gibbs, an accident on the highway pushed back Moreland's time of arrival so by the time the team returned, Ducky was only half way through the autopsy.
Walking back into NCIS, the team was all smiles. Tony challenged Arissa to a game of tag causing Arissa to take off running ahead of the agent, laughing and giggling trying not to let Tony catch her. He was able to keep up with her until she ran into the down elevator, which forced Tony to take the stairs in order to catch up with her.
The elevator dinged as Arissa ran off and through the set of double door. She stopped dead in her tracks.
"Daddy?" shouted Arissa.
Gibbs, Ducky and Palmer all turned around to find Arissa standing in the autopsy room watching as Ducky cut into her father's lifeless body.
"What's wrong with Daddy?"
Gibbs walked over and picked up the little girl as Ducky hurried to cover up the body. He took a moment to gather his words.
"Your daddy is sleeping, Arissa."
Arissa looked towards her father's body. "Daddy wake up?"
"No, he's not going to wake up. Your daddy has gone to sleep for a long, long time, sweetheart."
"How long?"
Gibbs looked into her hazel eyes.
"He's going to sleep for a very long time, Arissa. He's going to sleep forever."
"Daddy is sleeping forever?"
"Yes, Arissa. Your daddy is sleeping forever."
"Mommy sleep forever too. Is Daddy sleeping like Mommy?" asked Arissa with a shaky voice.
Gibbs let out a heavy sigh. "Yeah, your daddy is sleeping, just like your mommy."
Silent tears began to fall from Arissa's eyes like a waterfall. He placed his hand on the back of the girl's head gently placing her head on his shoulder as he rubbed her back to comfort her. His heart sank as he heard her gentle whimpers in his ear.
"It's okay, Arissa. It's okay."
The doors to autopsy swung open as Tony rushed in huffing and puffing from running down the stairs. He stopped and rested his hands on his knees
"Ha! I took you I could caught you!" exhaled Tony before looking up to see Arissa crying in Gibbs' arms. He looked over to see the covered body on the table. "Oh no."
Arissa sat in the corner of the Bullpen curled into a tight little ball. Despite his efforts, Gibbs could not get her to talk to him and he could understand why. To see the body of someone you barely know on the autopsy table is one thing but to see the body of your loved one was another. For a child to see something like that though was just something that should never happen. Abby bought up Bert the Hippo in hopes that the toy would cheer Arissa up but there was no helping her. Not even Tony, who before was her saving grace, could get her out of her funk. Relief came when the effects of sleep finally set in.
"She's taking this pretty hard, Boss," said Tony as he laid his jacket over Arissa's sleeping form.
"You think, DiNozzo? She just saw her father lying on an autopsy table!" said Gibbs as he rubbed his hands over his eyes. "I need some coffee!"
Gibbs got up and left leaving Tony and Kate alone in the Bullpen with Arissa. Tony walked over and kneeled down next to Kate, who was clearly upset by the situation as well.
"It's okay, Kate," said Tony as her gently rubbed her back.
"I don't know what's wrong with me? All of this is just way too much on my emotions right now," said Kate on the brink of tears.
"You're pregnant, Kate. It comes with the territory."
Kate laughed to herself. "Damn, hormones!"
Tony smiled as he gently pulled Kate out of her chair moving it out of the way for that she could lay down on the floor behind her desk. He held her in his arms, gently stroking her hair as he rested his head against the wall, allowing themselves to drift off to sleep for a while.
The sound of tiny footsteps woke them both as Arissa stood in front of them with tears rolling down her face.
"Daddy's gone!" cried Arissa as she fell into Kate's chest.
Kate pulled the little girl into her arms, cradling her as she cried. "It's okay, sweetie. It's okay," cooed Kate trying to settle the girl's cries.
"I want my Daddy! I don't want to be by myself!"
The next morning, Kate awoke to find Arissa no longer in her arms.
"Arissa?" said Kate out of panic.
"Calm down. She's with McGee and Abby," said Gibbs as he worked on a stack of paper work.
Kate looked up to find Tony still asleep with his mouth wide open. Kate sat up, wiping the sleep from her eyes.
"Case is closed. The blade on Alli Jennings knife matched Officer Moreland's wounds and Abby identified two blood types on it. One was Stevens' and the other Moreland's. Only thing left is to figure out what to do with…"
"Kate!" shouted Arissa as she run towards the agent dropping into her lap.
"Hey Arissa," said Kate surprised at the girl's now happy disposition. Kate looked over to Gibbs, who just shrugged his shoulders. Neither could understand Arissa's quick emotional turnaround.
"Timmy and Abby, took me to get breakfast! We bought you and Nozzo back something too," said Arissa, holding up a plastic bag.
"It's nothing too spectacular just some breakfast burritos from the deli down the street," said McGee as he sat down at his desk.
Arissa took a burrito out of the bag and handed it to Kate. Instantly, the smell caused Kate's stomach to churn. Kate placed her hand over her mouth and took off for the bathroom.
"I think the baby make her sick again," said Arissa to Abby as she handed her breakfast.
"Yeah, I think so," replied Abby scooping the little girl into his lap so she could eat breakfast with her at Tony's desk.
"What's the matter with Kate?" asked McGee, confused.
"I don't think, Kate likes breakfast burritos, McGee," said Gibbs, taking a bite of his breakfast.
"She always eats them? I even got her turkey sausage."
"Not anymore! I told you to get her fruit instead," said Abby smiling at Gibbs as he smiled back.
Tony woke up and looked around the Bullpen.
"I smell burritos!" said Tony as he noticed the plastic bag sitting next to him. He reached in and picked up the last remaining burrito.
"DiNozzo!" shouted Gibbs.
"Yeah, Gibbs?" asked Tony in mid-bite.
Gibbs nodded towards the restrooms and Tony realized that Kate was no longer sleeping in his lap.
"Oh," said Tony as he put down the burrito and headed for the restrooms.
"Am I missing something?" asked McGee, still confused.
"What would you be missing, McGee?" asked Gibbs.
"Is it just me or does something about Kate just seems off lately? I mean she's tired easily, she has been sick a lot and I don't know if you noticed but I think she is putting on a bit of weight?"
"McGee? You know a woman's weight is a very sensitive subject!" spat Abby.
"I'm just saying, if I didn't know better I would think Kate was…"
Tony and Kate rounded the corner. McGee looked over to Gibbs who simply smiled to himself.
"You okay, Kate?" asked Arissa out of concern.
"Yeah, I'm fine, Arissa," replied Kate as she sat down at her desk with Tony.
"The baby doesn't like your breakfast?"
McGee's ears shot up at the word "baby".
"Baby? Kate, are you?" asked McGee.
"Yes, I'm pregnant, McGee." said Kate.
McGee smiled big. "Congratulations! Err, wait? This is a good thing, right?
"Yes, McGee!"
"Well, who's the father? Is it Sam? I liked him!"
"Sorry to disappoint you, Probie," interjected Tony.
"You, Tony? You and Kate? But how? When?"
"Four months ago and I really hope I don't have to explain "how" to you, McGee?"
"I know "how," Tony! I mean what about Rule 12?"
"What about rule 12?" asked Gibbs. "Surely, everyone on the team follows the rules, right McGee?"
McGee was speechless as he looked over to Abby who just smiled.
"What's rule 12?" asked Arissa innocently, resulting in laughter from the team.
Gibbs dismissed his team to enjoy what was left of their weekend. After getting Arissa in the tub and bathed, they dressed her in the black skull pajamas that Abby had brought her over the day before. It was still pretty early in the day but after such a turbulent night, Arissa was quite tired. Tony and Kate were more than relived to find her curled up in Tony's bed not long after her bath.
Tony and Kate took the opportunity to shower and change into some comfortable clothes. Tony threw on one of his old Alpha Chi Delta shirts and a pair of sweats while Kate opted for her USC basketball jersey and a pair of shorts, in hopes of keeping cool.
In desperate need of some decent sleep, Kate and Tony climbed into bed next to Arissa. Tony laid down in the middle using his body was a barrier between Arissa and Kate, who was way too tired to even complain when Tony cuddled with her. The moment was short lived with Arissa's tiny fist made contact with the back of Tony's head forcing him and Kate to retreat to the couch.
The rest of the day was pretty relaxing. Arissa woke up a few hours later and joined Kate and Tony in the living room, playing with the toys McGee brought her. The three enjoyed a lunch of sandwiches and chip, thanks to Abby stocking Tony's kitchen, while watching a movie, which they all dozed off through. Arissa rested peacefully and surprisingly nonviolently in Kate's arms while Tony napped on the floor beside them. As evening rolled around, Kate tried her best to make them a spaghetti dinner but was unable to handle the smell of the ground beef leaving the task to Tony. After dinner, Kate settled into Tony's bed with Arissa. Kate cuddled with the little girl, which seemed to keep her still as she slept.
"You're a natural at this, Kate," said Tony admiring Kate's handling of the little girl as he laid down in bed next to the two.
"You think so? Cause she had me worried there for a minute," replied Kate.
"Looking at her now? I don't think you have much to worry about," yawned Tony. "This has been one hell of a weekend, huh?"
"Tell me about it! But it wasn't too bad having a little one around. It was good practice for when ours arrives."
"It's amazing how quickly she bounced back from all of this?"
"She's one tough little girl. I only hope ours is as sweet as she is? Oh, that's right! This kid is half yours!"
"Very funny, Kate!"
"Shot! With everything going on, I totally forgot that we the sixteen week ultrasound tomorrow!"
"Sixteen weeks, huh? I wonder if we can see what he looks like? All the books say that they can hear you now…"
"You've been reading, Tony?"
"I can read, Kate!"
"No, I mean you've been reading about the baby and the pregnancy?"
"If I learned anything from Gibbs, it's anticipation! The books also say that the nausea should lessen about this time for mommy."
"I don't know about that," laughed Kate as she turned her attention back to Arissa. "What's going to happen with her?"
"I don't know. Hopefully her grandparents come forward for her."
"What if they don't, Tony?"
Tony said nothing.
What do you think? Reviews are welcomed! Update coming soon :-)