I don't know why and I'm not even sure what the point is, but if someone asks you to you do, don't you? Or at least you should. Especially if its actually written into someone's will, well not written into their will but left in the suicide note. If you're going to inherit loads of cash, why not use it to go on Holiday somewhere interesting. America seemed like a perfectly good idea, so why not use the cash your given and go see the person left in the note. So that's what I'm going to do, that's what I'm doing. Hopping on the first plane to DC, and I'd like to see anyone stop me.


Tim McGee's eyes stayed glued to the computer screen, flicking through data files and databases, trying to find anyone linked to the disappearance of a young Petty Officer. So far they were having no luck. Caitlin Todd wasn't exactly looking pleased in her seat across the diagonal from him, her eyes also glued to the screen, but with more of a death glare. Tim glanced up at her before opening another file.

The elevator door pinged on its arrival to the floor of the occupants choice and the doors slid open. Leroy Jethro Giibs stepped out into the bullpen, his cup of coffee held in his hand. He put it down on his desk and looked up at his two agents, typing away. His blue eyes moved over to the empty desk and he raised an eyebrow. "Where is DiNozzo?"
Kate looked up and over at Gibbs just as Tim did the same. They exchanged a look. Gibbs continued to stare Kate down, demanding an answer without words. "Hasn't come in yet." She answered, breaking the staring match as Gibbs' phone rang. "Gibbs." He answered on the first ring, glancing at the caller ID flash up with 'DiNozzo'. Before Gibbs could make one of his 'why the hell are you late' comments, Tony replied.

"Boss, I was held up at security, there's someone here to see you."
"Why didn't they just come up? Bring them up." Gibbs hung up before Tony had a chance to finish his sentence.

A few minutes later the elevator doors hissed open and Anthony DiNozzo walked out, unslinging his pack from his shoulder. Kate looked up from her desk. "I though you were bringing someone up." She commented, watching Tony as he tossed his bag across his desk. He shrugged. "When I asked her if she wanted to come up, she said no and ran."
"Not suprising if it was a 'she'." Kate muttered, going back to the file she'd opened on the computer. Tony seated himself behind his desk and powered up his computer. Gibbs walked passed, heading for the stairs and calling back: 'I'll be in MTAC."

Hours drifted by without incident. To be exact two and a half. Gibbs still hadn't come down from MTAC, and the rest of the team hadn't been able to find out anything useful. Tim double clicked on another file with a sigh. The fifteenth one since the long morning had began. He rubbed his tired eyes and stiffled a yawn. He glanced over at Kate and Tony, both still reading through either the paper files piled on each of their desks or trawling through the databases. He looked back at his screen, not really noticing the elavator as it clicked open. It was such a usual thing to hear the elevator no-one paid it any attention. People came and went at NCIS, coming in or coming out. The soft footsteps were masked by the usual hustle and bustle of voices, computers and shuffling paper. Tony looked up from his computer and stood up, recognising the visitor who had almost fled out of the building.

"Is Special Agent Gibbs here?" She asked in a distinctive English accent. Kate and Tim looked up from thier desks, eyeing the newcomer. Kate was the first to reply. "No, but can I take a message for him?" The English girl turned towards her, brushing back her long brown hair. "Could I wait for him?" She didn't exactly answer the question, but it seemed like a 'no'. Whatever she wanted to say, she seemed to want to say it to Gibbs in person. Kate glanced over at Tim and Tony. Tony smiled and offered his chair, pushing it out from behind his desk. "Here, I doubt he'll be long." Kate rolled her eyes at Tony's flirt. Did he ever stop. The stranger accepted the seat with a smile and crossed her jean clad legs, shrugging off her green jacket and hanging it over the back of the chair.

Again time passed. Every now and then, one of the agents would look up over thier computer moniters at the stranger who sat perfectly calmly reading a book. She was young, yearly twenties with long brown hair she kept in a pony-tail. Her dark brown eyes skimmed across the page, every so oftern glancing at the empty desk. Tony pushed back the chair he'd borrowed from a nearby empty desk and crossed his ankle to his oppersite knee, stretching his stiff shoulders. The newcomer looked over, startled by the noise after the reletive silence. Tony flashed her a smile and she replied with a less confident one of her own. More friendly than Tony's flirt. Kate looked up as footsteps echoed down the stairs behind Tony's desk. Gibbs stopped to over look the office where his three agents sat. Kate met his gaze before looking back down at the file. Gibbs entered the office just as the girl closed her book, folding down the corner to keep her place.

"Special Agent Gibbs?" She asked, standing up and flicking her pony-tail over her shoulder.
"Yes, and you are?" He asked, sitting down behind his desk.
"Madisyn Kyran. Everyone calls me Maddie." She replied. Gibbs looked at her, non-plussed. She continued.
"Do you have a Doctor Mallard working at NCIS?" She asked, playing with a strand of brown hair absentmindedly. The team looked up.
"Yes, he is a Medical Examiner." Gibbs replied shortly, fixing Madisyn with his cool blue gaze. She nodded, thinking of what to say next. Gibbs stare didn't help much as she pulled a crisp white envelope out of her bag and handed it to Gibbs. He took it and looked glanced at it. The team cranned thier heads to get a look. Gibbs turned the letter over and looked at the flap. "McGee." He called. The young agent got up and walked over. Gibbs handed him the letter. "What is that?". Tim looked at the flap closely, frowning. "It looks like a digital strip lock."
"Open it." Gibbs continued, glancing over at Zaph as she settled back into her seat, watching the scene infront of her. Tim looked at his boss. "B...But its adressed to you. And I'll need Abby." Gibbs raised his eyebrows and nodded. Madisyn watched Tim hurry passed her to the elevator. The office was plunged into the silence of people wondering what was going to happen next. After a half hour Gibbs rose from his seat. Tony and Kate watched as Gibbs walked to the young English girl and fix her with a gaze that could've had a flower withering. Why he used that look neither agent knew, but they were both sensible enough not to ask. Gibbs stepped passed Madisyn and walked to where the elevator door had just opened, Madisyn followed. Kate and Tony shared a glance. Most people waited for an invitation before following Gibbs into an elevator.

The elevator ride was silent and short. Madisyn eyed Gibbs a few times before the doors opened and Gibbs strode out down the corridor. Abby's lab was easily big enough for the four of them. Abby looked up with a huge smile as Gibbs entered. "What you got Abs?" He asked, looking over the Goth's shoulder as she poked the letter with a gloved hand.
"Nothing dangerous in there, just a piece of paper." Abby told him and looked over at Madisyn. "Mystery Post-Woman?" She asked, standing up and flicking back a pig-tail. Gibbs didn't answer the question but pushed another.
"Opened it?" Abby nodded. "Sure have! Was just about to call you." She peeled off the flap, the digital strip lock flickering a pale green before the light went out. Abby pulled out the single folded piece of paper and opened it, reading out what was written in neat script.

"Special Agent Gibbs, NCIS.
You will not remember me or my daughter, Madisyn, for you have never met us, or heard of us. But I wish for your help. Madisyn needs her father, and you know where he is. Find him and let me rest in peace. Let my daughter meet her father, Donald Mallard.

Your sincearly,
Jennifer Kyran.

Gibbs looked up at the girl in front of him, leaning against the wall with her dark eyes staring at the note in Abby's hands. She raised her own blank gaze to meet a matching one given by Gibbs. No expression flitted between the two for a good few minutes. Abby and Tim exchanged glances, wondering which one would crack first. Madisyn was the first to speak.
"I didn't know what was in it; I just brought it to where I was told." She explained as some sort of explanation. Gibbs picked up Abby's phone, dialing the number without taking his blue eyes off Madisyn. The girl took the time to look around the lab. The bright spark that she had in her eyes hadn't faded in the least bit; she looked alert and interested, wondering what was actually going on. She didn't listen to Gibbs' brief conversation before he placed the receiver down and strode back to the door and the elevator, followed at a slightly less hectic pace by Madisyn.

Madisyn had assumed that they were going back to the office, but when the doors opened once more, they were somewhere completely different. She didn't ask where, but she could guess. The doors slid back to reveal two men clad in scrubs and a few large flat metal tables. Madisyn swallowed as she got used to the smell, and the cold. She immediately regretted not bringing her coat down. The voices that had been muffled by the door stopped as Gibbs walked over to where the dead body lay stretched out on the table. "Dignified." She muttered, not able to stop herself. She had a habit of making comments whenever the moment took its fancy. However, no-one else seemed to notice.
"Ahh Jethro." Came an unmistakable English accent. "I was just telling Mr. Palmer where the word 'stereotype' came from." The man had his back to Gibbs and Madisyn, examining the body. Madisyn looked away for a second as the body came into full view. Not something you'd want to see on a full stomach. "Well, our young office died of a gunshot wound to the skull. Death would have been instantaneous. Someone broke his neck post mortem." He concluded.
"Why?" Madisyn couldn't help herself asking out loud. She immediately regretted it when all the eyes in the room that could see turned to look at her. She shrugged her shoulders and looked at the three faces. Donald Mallard straightened up and glanced at Gibbs.
"Miss Kyran, Ducky." Gibbs introduced her. "She says she's your daughter."

"DNA!" Abby exclaimed, typing frantically on her computer. "DNA never lies!" Tim nodded, sitting back on his chair and sighing. He wondered how Tony and Kate were doing with their endless amounts of paper-work. He felt sorry for them, then he remembered that he would be doing it as well, if something hadn't come up. He silently praised Madisyn from saving him from another clean file of a Navy Officer or Seaman who would probably not be connected to Petty Officer Alvin Crosswarld. Abby pushed him off his chair so she could get to one of her precious computers. He stood up obediently and leaned over her shoulder to watch. The bleeps and clicks of the keyboard and the computer meant something to Abby and Tim, but for the two agents standing at the door, it was just garble.

Tony stepped forward, Kate following behind him. "I know you're there." Abby called without turning around. Tony glanced at Kate, maybe it was rubbing off Gibbs, but at least Abby didn't creep up on people. "Got anything yet?" Kate asked, taking a vacant chair by the computer. "Give science time, Kate!" Abby replied, watching the flashing images on the screen. The computer bleeped in a way that Tony could only think was smug. How could a computer be smug? Abby started typing again, faster and faster until her hands were a blur. The computer bleeped again and she stopped, frowning. "What is it?" Kate asked, leaning forward. Abby tipped her head onto one side, thinking fast. She started typing again without replying. The computer flashed up red, a warning sign in black letters on a red background. Kate stood up. "What's that?" Abby raised her eyebrows.

"Restricted access." A voice behind the four said. They all turned to see Madisyn leaning against the doorway. "The police got the same, I just don't exist." She shrugged, allowing her pony-tail to fall over one shoulder. She smiled at the blank faces. "Don't ask me, I don't know why. But for some reason, I don't exist on any Police or government file. Is that a bad thing?" Her cheerful smile stayed in place, not fazed by the confused an in one case accusing look from the NCIS team in front of her. She sighed, it was going to be a long day. "I don't get it, and I stopped trying a while ago." She sighed, stepping into the room. "Although, now I do know, I was told by MI5 not to tell anyone."

"I hate Spooks." Kate muttered.
"Me too." Madisyn replied, Kate raised an eyebrow, surprise she had heard her across the room and above the continuous clicking and bleeping of Abby's instruments. "I'm under protective custody." Madisyn admitted, watching the eyebrows rise as she propped herself up onto a table which was currently empty of bits of paper or plastic bags.
"Why?" Tony voiced the question the rest of the team were thinking.
"Well, I wasn't really. My mum witnessed a serial killer doing what he did best and filmed it. The murdering bastard was never caught so we were put in protective custody before being moved from Pangborne, where we lived to Oxford. Turned out the bastard had an inside man working for the Police and tried to track us down using DNA and such so they basically wiped our records or something like that." Madisyn shrugged again. There was silence before Gibbs voice broke through the tension and thoughts that were almost visibly zooming about the room.
"So why come to NCIS now?" Madisyn jumped off the table and turned to Gibbs.

"Because of the letter. My mum wrote a suicide note telling me to find my father, who she says is called Donald Mallard, so here I am, following the directions on this-" She pulled out a sheaf of paper from her pocket and unfolded it. It was a hand-written letter, the same handwriting that the letter addressed to Gibbs had been.
"In here it asks me to come to NCIS Head Quarters and find Donald Mallard to give him this. I just haven't given it to him yet. I'm not allowed to, apparently, until I am given protective custody." She rolled her eyes, tossing the sheaf of paper onto the table beside her. "So, whose house do I get to stay at first?"

Tony slid his keys into his door and pushed it open. He held the door open for Madisyn who gave him a smile and walked in. Lucky DiNozzo, chosen for protection duty. Why him? All he wanted was a good night’s sleep, maybe watch a movie or two, not baby-sit a twenty year old English chick. She was pretty, okay, but he'd already had to cancel his evening plans and wasn't in the best of moods. Madisyn's comments and remarks weren't making it any easier, either. He shut the door behind her and clicked the catch on to lock the door. Careful was not usually someone Tony was famous for, but when at home and on protection details, he might as well make an effort not to get her killed.

Madisyn seated herself on the sofa, dumping her bag on the floor. She crossed her legs as she kicked off her shoes, looking around with interest. "Make yourself at home." Tony murmured, putting his own bag down on the coffee table. "I will, thanks." Madisyn replied, smiling up at Tony. Tony couldn't resist, okay, she wasn't that annoying. He made his way into the kitchen, taking off his jacket and hanging it over the nearest surface. "Hungry?" He called into the other room.
"Starving." The reply was eager and the footsteps across the room made him glance through the doorway. He turned back to the fridge as Madisyn trawled through his large collection of DVDs. Madisyn joined him a moment later in the kitchen. She looked over his shoulder into the fridge, raising her eyebrows. "Don't eat in much, do you?" She asked, leaning her chin on his shoulder. Tony straightened up. "But I do own a world class number of take-away menus." Madisyn laughed softly, following out of the kitchen and seating herself back on the sofa.

"How many films do you own?" Madisyn asked, between mouthfuls of what really was pretty good take-away food. Tony turned his gaze to the piles of DVDs.
"I never really counted them, but I know I have more than one of loads of stuff."
"Like what?"
"Um, I know I have two of Romeo and Juliet."
"The one with Leonardo di Caprio or Leonard Whiting?" Madisyn asked, sitting up to crane over Tony to look at the collection again.
"Franco Zeffirelli." Tony replied, leaning back on the sofa.
"I love that one! Much better than the one set in Verona Beach."
"I agree with you." Tony replied pulling it out from the shelf case.
"But the 1996 Baz Luhrmann versions alright. Leonardo di Caprio does play a good Romeo, but Claire Danes was never a good Juliet."
"Really? I preferred her to Olivia Hussey." Tony replied, pushing the DVD player on and picking up the remote.
"Really, I thought Olivia Hussey would be your type."
"And Claire Danes isn't?" Madisyn laughed and brought her legs up onto the sofa, kicking off her shoes. She curled up, her knees up by her chest as she turned her eyes towards the screen. Tony turned his eyes over to her, not moving his head. A fighting spirit indeed. She smiled and turned back to the TV.

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The small crack in the curtains let the tiniest sliver of moonlight cross the room. The silver streak crossed the peaceful, sleeping face of Madisyn as she turned over, pulling the blanket over her shoulders. Tony hadn't wanted to wake her when the movie had finished. She looked so peaceful curled up on the sofa, her pony tail band had come out and her long hair falling over her shoulders. He'd simply covered her with a warm beige blanket and headed off to bed, making sure the entrances to the apartment were secured.

Madisyn rolled over again, pulling her knees tighter into her body, curling up into as tight a ball as she could. It wasn't she was cold, she just felt...vulnerable. The light sleep she'd managed to get on the plane on the way over had left her feeling even more tired than before, but she still couldn't stay asleep for more than an hour or so. She kept waking up, wondering where she was, it only took a few moments each time to remember the details but she was used to moving around, safe house to safe house.

After a while longer of tossing and turning, Madisyn managed to find refuge in the darkness of sleep. Her tiredness made sure she didn't notice the soft click that noted the arrival of someone not wanted. Welcomed arrivals didn't need to pick locks. The door opened a fraction, stopping as the intruder realized the curb chain was still attached. A gloved hand slid into a pocket and pulled out a sharp metal instrument. Two more clicks, slightly softer, and the door opened more, letting the intruder creep in. Madisyn muttered something in her sleep and turned over, the blanket falling to the floor. A gloved hand reached down and retrieved it, folding it carefully, smoothing out the creases as the intruder placed the perfectly folded blanket on the back of the sofa. The black clad stranger swatted down, raising a hand to stroke back Madisyn's hair from her face. She muttered slightly in her sleep and raised a hand to her cheek, brushing against the coarse material of a glove. Her brown eyes flickered open. She turned over and screamed before a hand was thrust over her mouth.

Tony had been sleeping peacefully, his duvet down by his feet as he kicked in his sleep. The sheet was rucked up and slightly crumpled as he turned in his sleep. The apartment was silent, the only sound coming from the traffic on the road outside. Then the short scream ripped through the night. He sat up and instinctively reached for his gun. He got out of bed and held the gun up, opening the door to his bedroom.
"Let go of her and put your hands up." He called calmly to the black clad and hooded figure holding Madisyn. He was about to call again, more forcefully when everything faded and went black.
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The two empty coffee cups from Starbucks in the trash can before eleven thirty told Kate Gibbs was not having a good morning. She glanced over at the empty desk opposite her and caught Tim's gaze staring in the same direction. Tim quickly turned his eyes back to the computer screen as Gibbs came in from MTAC. He didn't look like he was in a good mood. He looked over at Kate. No expecting an invitation to start, or even a question she stood up. The remote for the large screen opposite Gibbs desk in her hand, she started reporting.
"We pulled up everything we could find on the protective custody of Kyran, but the Spooks weren’t' very helpful. They refused to give over any information about the murderer except his name: Simon Ivydowns. All they told us was that he had a team of around six, they've managed to catch two of them, but Ivydowns has been off the radar for a while." As she spoke she brought up a very unflattering newspaper picture of a tall, muscular man with a mop of black hair, evil little brown eyes and a straggly beard.

"We looked up Ivydowns, but could only find what the Spooks had already told us. Thirty-six years old, English, born in Cholsey, parents died when he was eleven, went into foster care and went to collage in Didcot. Dropped out of uni before becoming something of a petty thief escalating up to Murdered when he joined a known violent gang in Manchester. That's all we could find." She finished, putting down her file and looking at the photograph taken from the Daily Telegraph in 2006. It shoved Ivydowns with two other large, muscular men under a bridge next to a fetid and dark green river.

Gibbs rose from his seat and walked over to the screen, studying it carefully. "Is that the Themes?" He asked, voicing one of the only rivers he knew the name of. The question took Tim and Kate back.
"Um." Kate muttered, flicking through her file. Tim started typing on his computer. Tim looked up. "It could be, or it could be the River Pang." He replied reading off his screen. The look Gibbs gave him made him keep typing. "Judging from the size of the bridge." He replied quickly. "It is most probably the river Themes, either in Didcot or Cholsey, it runs through both."

Kate had been thinking. She didn't know a great deal about England and its Geography, but she knew who might. "Does the river Pang run through Pangbourne?" She asked Tim. Gibbs turned to Kate as Tim started typing once more. "Yes." He replied shortly, looking at the map on his screen. Gibbs raised his eyebrows.
"Madisyn was born in Pangbourne." Kate replied shortly before picking up the phone to call Ducky.

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"Tony? Tony?"
The voice seemed very far off, welcome but far away. The field agent tried to open his eyes, but the throbbing behind his eyelids wasn't one he really wanted to face. The events of last night started to seep back into his brain, spinning around in the wrong order. It was like a puzzle trying to fit the jagged edges together. Something clicked.

Tony groaned and opened his green eyes. Everything was slightly blurry, but he blinked it back into focus. The dull throb wasn't actually as bad as he had first thought. He pushed himself up off the ground. A second person helped him into a sitting position.
"Okay?" Madisyn asked, sitting back down against the wall next to Tony.
"Yeah," Tony replied, turning to the young English girl beside him. "Have they done anything to you?"
"Except lock me in a large stone box with only you for company?" Madisyn tried to lighten the mood. It didn't really help, but it might've been better if she'd tried to brighten up the room. There was one dusty light-bulb that didn't give a great deal of illumination, but at least Tony could see Madisyn's features clearly enough. He let his eyes sweep over her, making sure she didn't have any injuries: She only had one that he could make out, a thin cut above her left cheek. Otherwise she just looked cold. She had her arms wrapped around herself and brought her knees up to her chest.
"How's...how's your head?" She asked, her dark brown eyes only showing a slight flicker of fear. He smiled, putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
"I've been hit harder by my Boss." He assured her. She forced a smile, but he could see the unsurity in her brown eyes. She was trying to believe him, but something told her it was her fault he was here. For once, Madisyn's over active imagination was correct.

Ducky sat in Tony's vacant chair. He looked at the photograph on the table in front of him. The one Madisyn had provided for the team. It showed a pretty dark haired woman in a blue dress holding onto the arm of someone who could only be a younger Ducky. Kate and Tim had gone quiet, letting Ducky remember what had happened exactly twenty one years ago. He'd told of what he could remember of Jennifer Kyran, but that was only short. He'd lost contact when he'd moved to America or was it France? He had no recollection of Madisyn except when she had turned up the day before. The Kyrans were a mystery.

Gibbs had long since finished his coffee, Tim and Kate had been trying to find anything on Ivydowns. Tim pressed the carriage return button. "Boss?" He called urgently. Gibbs looked up from his own computer monitor. "Someone has rented out some sort of ware-house under the name of one of the men MI5 already says have been caught." He reported, bringing it up on the screen. Gibbs took one look at it and grabbed his gun and pack. Tim and Kate didn't need to be told as they did the same and followed the lead agent towards one of the black sedans.
-----------------------------------------
Madisyn yawned, her tired eyes closing as she leaned her head on Tony's shoulder. He didn't protest, but kept looking for some sort of crack that could be a door. It was really just a large metal and stone box. Maybe four metres by four metres with a ceiling only two metres or so above them. There didn't seem to be a door, but there was a crack in the stonework. Tony gently moved Madisyn's head from his shoulder, her body following as he lowered her to the ground. She didn't seem to wake up. He dug into his pocket for the flap that held his knife. Always carry a knife. The young agent slid the knife into the crack and ran the blade up its length, checking how far up and down it went. His discovery was that it stopped about two feet from the bottom and a foot or so from the top. Easily big enough for a door. He jogged the knife blade from side to side, trying to enlarge the gap slightly.

He succeeded after several minutes, but he might as well not bothered. The sound of a bullet ricocheting off the outside of the stone caused him to fall to the floor. Madisyn woke with a start, curling into a ball in the corner, her head cowering behind her knees. Tony crawled over to her when he was sure the shot was a one time thing. Madisyn looked over her knees at Tony, her breathing quick as fear took over. Tony put a comforting hand on her shoulder. Her breathing slowed down and she took another look around.
"Well I guess trying to escape isn't something we'll be trying again soon." She muttered, stretching out her stiff legs.
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Gibbs driving seemed to be getting worse by the day. Kate and Tim hung on for dear life, as Abby fed them instructions as to how to get to the warehouse. At another instruction Gibbs yanked the wheel around, causing Tim to grab onto the seat in front of him with one hand and catch hold of his lap-top with the other. Gibbs ignored the stifled yelp from Kate as another tire screeching turn took them through a narrow lane and into a large expanse of warehouses.
"What number, McGee?" Gibbs demanded from the drivers seat.
"Twenty-Seven." Tim replied, looking at his screen. "Near the east side and on the left after the admin office." He barely had time to finish talking as Gibbs slammed his foot down on the accelerator and sped off down the passages.

The warehouse wasn't big and it looked more like a barn, and it smelled like one too. Straw was stacked up around the walls. Either the owner had a large number of rabbits or it was a new way of sound proofing. The team spread out, guns held up, covering as much ground as possible. The com links that they communicated through crackled every now and then as one of them reported in finding a room or section clear.

The team met up in the middle of the warehouse/barn, looking annoyed. Gibbs just looked angry.
"Nothing?"
"Nothing, boss." Kate and Tim replied together. Gibbs turned on his heel and stormed back to the sedan. His cell rang, he pulled it out expecting to see Abby flash up on the caller ID but 'DiNozzo' flashed up on the blue background. Since then Tony's cell had been off and the GPS chip hadn't been working. Gibbs spoke into his com link to Abby.
"Trace the call to my cell." He said briefly before answering with his usual answer.
"Gibbs."
"Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs. Good afternoon." The voice was distorted by some sort of voice inhibiter, but the accent was easy to place as English.
"I have been waiting for a call but you...agent was reluctant to give up his mobile. In any case, he screamed your name and young Madisyn hasn't said a word yet. It was a pleasure talking to you Agent Gibbs." The caller hung up. The man had talked so fast that it was hard to process all the information and even Gibbs hadn't been able to get a word in edgeways.
"Abby did you get a fix?"
"No! It wasn't long enough." Gibbs swore and quickly got into the sedan and slammed the door. Kate and Tim got in quickly and Kate had only just managed to close the door when Gibbs sent the sedan speeding back towards the road.

Madisyn pulled her thin jacket around her shoulders, watching Tony pace the small space they were enclosed in. Her usually bright eyes were masked the fear. Fear about what she'd managed to get herself into. Fear about what she'd managed to get Tony into. He was no part of whatever rather sickening game Ivydown was playing with them. He'd just been in the wrong place at the wrong time. She sighed, standing up to stretch her legs. Tony looked around and tried to give her a reassuring smile. Someone had taken his watch, his new watch he'd like to add, so he hadn't a clue what time it was or how long they'd been there. He was sure Gibbs would come, come before it was too late. He always did.

He took the step and a half that took him to the other side of the cube/box. Madisyn returned the smile. She was stiff, tired and hungry, but she knew Tony would be the same. Nothing happened when you complained. It was one of the skills in life, so learn not to complain, and if you did, you really had to mean it. Another thing Madisyn had heard and wasn't going to forget. When you break a rule, you break them good and hard. She couldn't remember where she'd heard it before, but she knew she had.

What they'd thought was a door was pushed open and light poured into the box, making them both flinch. Tony recovered first, blinking as his eyes ajusted. He stepped forward to see his kidnappers and opened his mouth to speak. The butt of a rifle whacked him in the gut and he doubled over. Madisyn stepped forward in shock, or reflex.

"What was that for?" She accused the three men in front of her. Each either had a rifle or what looked like a long range snipers weapon. Why they'd need one was a mystery for her, but she didn't care at the moment.
"Well I'm too much of a gentleman to hit a woman." The lead man drawled, watching Tony as he straightened up.
"Too bad I'm not enough of a lady to stop myself hitting you." Madisyn snarled back. Tony quickly placed a hand on her shoulder to keep her at bay as fire burnt in her dark eyes.

"Arn't you going to ask us what all this is about? Shout at us or start crying?" Tony met Madisyn's eyes as they both shook their heads.
"You're rubbish prisoners." The drawl continued. The man was tall and bulky, but they couldn't see his features, they were covered by a hood and a mask. Madisyn didn't exactly know anything about kidnapping and such, but she was still slightly suspicious of the man infront of her. He was too calm, but then again he kept fiddling with his gun, sliding a gloved hand up and down it as if he was dusting it. Tony had noticed it as well. He rubbed the back of hid neck and looked around the small enclosed space.

"Anyway we can upgrade?" He asked. A taller man behind the leader stepped forward.
"You think this is some sort of game?" He snapped in a distinctively American accent, so very different to the Brit in front of him.
"Isn't it?" Madisyn asked with mock suprise. The man swung his gun at her, but Tony caught the butt and twisted. The man let go with a yell, leaving Tony with a long barreled rifle in his grasp. He swung it up and aimed it at the lead man.
"I enjoy this game." He muttered as the second and third men behind the brit retreated, yelling something Tony didn't listen to. The Brit just laughed, stepping back and swinging the door closed before Tony could stop it. He sighed and gave the door a whack with his palm but to no avail. He turned back to Madisyn who shrugged her shoulders and stretched her arms up.
"You're doing well for a civilian." Tony commented, smiling.
"Thanks," she replied, leaning back against the wall. "I hope you know how to fire that thing as well as you know your movies." She remarked back, folding her arms across her chest. Tony could see she was shaking slighly. He crossed over to her and laid the hand, becoming a sort of tradition, on her shoulder before she wrapped her arms around him for comfort. Well he was used to that, but he let his own arm curve around her shoulders.

"Thanks." She repeated, mumbling this time into his shoulder.
"You're welcome."
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Gibbs didn't even sit down on his chair when he reached his desk. He simply logged onto his computer, Kate and Tim did the same, to continue trawling through the little data they had on Ivydown. Kate did sit down and flicked through the slim file she had on the British criminal. Tim continued checking the data they had on the computers and what MI5 had sent them. He was beginning to realised why Kate hated Spooks.

Gibbs pulled his cell out of his pocket as it started vibrating. He flipped it open and looked at the caller ID. "McGee, trace." He called before answering.
"Where is my agent?"
"Patience is not your virtue, my good man." The accent drawled at him. "You're laddy is fine, of course he will not be for long."
"What do you want?" Gibbs answered curtly, keeping the anger out of his voice well.
"To stop digging into the case. Leave the Kyrans alone and I will give you back your agent."
"You will give us back Madisyn as well." It was not a question.
"I will not."
"Why?" Gibbs stared at the table in front of him to stop the emotion rising in his voice.
"Because she is my daughter." The line went dead, the last thing was a soft echo of a laugh from more than one voice. Gibbs snapped the phone shut, murder in his cold blue eyes. He turned the stare on Tim who smiled.

The wall slid back and light cascaded down into the room. This time neither Tony or Madisyn flinched. They both just stood up from where they had been leaning up on the wall. Tony hefted the gun, he'd checked and the rounds were full and loaded. There were five guys this time; one had his hand in a bandage. They all lunged at the nod of the leader. Tony whacked the first one under the chin, sending him reeling back whilst Madisyn caught her knee in the mans groin. He doubled over.

But a second and third hand grabbed the gun and wrenched it from Tony's grasp, another grabbed his arms and pulled them roughly behind him back. His head was turned roughly and he saw Madisyn with the leader standing over her and pushing a long needle into the girls neck. She fell limp after too short a time. Tony tried to struggle but his attempts were futile as three of the large hit men pushed him to his knees. The leader had taken another needle from his belt and flicked it gently. He seemed so engrossed by making sure not a single air bubble was in there one of the men had to cough. He looked up and smiled, even behind the mask Tony could tell the man was grinning. He held the needle up and pushed it into Tony's neck. He felt the cold liquid enter his blood stream, and then he knew no more.
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Gibbs at the wheel twice in one day was not improving his mood. He'd lost an agent who wasn't even undercover. Wasn't even on a case as such. Protection duty at his own apartment. When Kate and Tim had come back from checking Tony's apartment, the struggle had been obvious. The coffee table was smashed and the bed room sheets had been stripped. But what had been odd was the perfectly folded sheets and blanket all lie on or over the back of the sofa. Every odd.

The signal from the cell had taken them back to the warehouse, but slightly beyond. Behind the warehouses was a wide area of grass and rubble where a building had been demolished. Off to the south west was a small collection of shipping containers and an old firing box. They hadn't been able to find out what a small metal and stone firing box was doing on the waste ground, but that was where the call had com from. Gibbs unholstered his gun and advanced on the box, Kate and Tim moving out around the edge. It was open, if only slightly. Gibbs reached out a cautious hand and pulled it open. Inside was dark. A dusty light bulb ran to a generator which was clicking rhythmically and something was lying on the floor.

It was too small to be a person, just a small heap. Gibbs edged closer and nudged it with his foot. He knew what it was, but making sure there was nothing underneath it was essential. It was a shirt. One of Tony's shirts. He sighed and pulled on a glove.

Kate and Tim appeared at the door just as Gibbs emerged.
"Secure the area." He walked off, taking his cell out of his pocket. Underneath the shirt had been the remains of DiNozzo's cell phone. Smashed to pieces but oddly placed in an exact row, spaced out with what seemed to be a fingers width. Something here was wrong, and he wasn't leaving here until every scrap of evidence had been uncovered. He was not giving up.

Tony woke slowly, aware of numbness over most of his body. He moved his head, regaining feeling down the most part of his torso. He took a look around the dark interior of the barn he now found himself in. He tried to raise a hand, but felt the harsh burn of a rope as it twisted around his wrist. He turned his head as far as he could to look down. His wrists were securly tied with some sort of thick cord rather than rope. It was fibre, and for some reason pink. He turned his head just that little inch further to see what he was tied to. He wasn't actually tied to a chair, but to something that looked like what you tied horses to outside bars in old western movies. It was just one long piece of wood suspended by two large barrels. He gave it an experimental tugg but received no effect, but a slight pain as the cords dug into his wrists.

He took another look around the interior, trying to search out for Madisyn. He stopped another chair off to his right and called her name, but got no reply. Her chin was resting on her chest, rising and falling as she breathed. At least it was easy to see she was actually breathing. Tony tried again, with slightly more force. Again he got no reply. It was only when he tried for a third time that he saw the flicker of movement in her wrists. Her fingers twitched, figuring out why her hands were in a rather un-natural position behind her back. Her dark eyes opened and she blinked into focus.
"You're persitant, arn't you." She muttered, testing the strength of the cords binding her wrists. Tony sighed with slight relief. Madisyn looked over at Tony and frowned.
"You're shirtless." She remarked.
"Well done, Sherlock." He answered sarcastically. "Sadly, you're not." Madisyn stuck out her tongue at him before breaking into a weak smile.

"So...You married Agent DiNozzo?" Madisyn asked after a few minutes of trying to slide out of the cords. Tony looked over at her, raising his eyebrows. "I was only asking." Madisyn muttered. "Just trying to start a conversation." Bordom wasn't helped. It just made of think of all the horrible things they might do to Tony and herself. The images weren't pretty.

This time Tony tried.
"What's England like?" He asked.
"Cold...Wet." Madisyn replied.
"So not very different."
"To where? The North Pole."
"No polar Bears."
"I thought they did live in the North Pole."
"I think it's south."
"You don't really get on with your father, did you?" Tony turned to look her in the eye, his forehead lining into a frown.
"What?"
"You don't really get on with your father."
"How did you know?"
"Well it was a fifty per cent chance I was right and you would've contradicted me if I was wrong."
Tony didn't get a chance to reply as the doors at the far end opened and two men walked in. Both were not hooded and only one was carrying a gun. The shorter of the two walked over and sat on the rail between Madisyn and Tony, making sure both could see him clearly.

"Comfortable?" He asked in his English drawl, addressing Tony.
"Not really." Madisyn replied.
"Was I talking to you?" The man turned with a hint of anger in his voice.
"Oh, sorry. I thought you were a gentleman, and gentlemen always address the ladies first."
The man got up and strutted over to her. She flinched as he raised a hand, but he just ran a gloved finger down her cheek. She pulled away and was rewarded with a stinging slap across her right cheek. She could hear Tony's chair creak but her head had snapped in the other direction. She waggled her jaw slightly, hearing it click. The man infront of her lifted his hand again and slid his index finger down her cheek. She didn't pull back, but turned her head enough to see Tony just before the gunman swung the gun butt into his midriff.

"No!" Madisyn yelped. The man's hand stiffened.
"Quiet! Quieten down for Simon." His voice was slightly higher pitched than it had been and caused Madisyn to look at the man in disgust.
"Ivydown." She spat, only turning as another thud of something hard and painful hitting muscle made her wince. She cried out again, this time an idea struck her.
"Would you do something for me?" She asked in a sickly sweet voice. Simon smiled and she did the same.
"I would do anything for my beautiful daughter." Madisyn had to clench her jaw to keep in character.
"Let Tony go home." She forced out, trying to be as light and sweet as possible. This man made her feel sick, and this was her father? No, that couldn't be right...could it? Ivydown straightened up.
"Quint, stop." He said. "Bring me a phone." The man lifted his gun from where Tony was panting. Madisyn swallowed and tried to catch his eye, but he didn't look up. Ivydown looked the gunman up and down.
"Why are your lapels not straight and your jacket is only zipped half way up. It should be zipped three quarters of the way and the lapels of your coat should always be level!" His voice was near to a scream. The man nodded and Ivydown snatched the phone away, dialing the number he'd memorized from Tony's cell
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Gibbs took one last glance over the crime scene. It was clean except for one parellel pair of skid marks that Tim had found up near the road five metres from the box. They must have been made from a large heavy car acelorating fast. A van or an SUV, maybe. But otherwizse there was nothing except the almost perfect circle of a twenty metre radius of cleared ground. There was not a rock or piece of rubble anywhere in the circle and it looked as if it had been completely swept clear. That was odd in and of itself.

Tim and Kate walked up, Tim with the camera around his neck and Kate with her pack slung over her shoulder. Kate had opened her mouth to say something when Gibbs' phone rang. He flipped it open and looked at the caller ID. He didn't recognise the number and neither did the SIM card in his cell. "Gibbs." he answered the call.
"Mr. Special Agent Gibbs." Garbled a somewhat hysterical male voice. It was also speaking so fast it slurred a lot of the words.
"Yes." Gibbs managed to say before the man charged onwards.
"My Madisyn says Mr. Special Agent Tall Man needs to go home so you need to come and get him. I can tell you where, I will and...and you come and get him. Madisyn says he is getting tired and I think when he was playing with Quint he hurt himself, but he hasn't said anything yet. I think he's gone to sleep. But I don't want him walking the streets at night. Its not safe you know. He's in the Dolphin farm with Madisyn now, so come and get him before the hour is passed because Madisyn also needs to go to sleep, she looks very tired. I don't know what that Mr. Tall Agent Man Special did with her but she is tired. Come and get Mr. Agent Special Man Tall and be smart. Must always be smart. Can't be scruffy. Won't do, just won't do!" And the call was disconnected with the fading mutterings of the derranged English man about smart jackets and lapels.

"So you believe him?" Kate asked as she gripped onto whatever she could. It was always the safest thing to do when Gibbs got behind the wheel. Gibbs didn't reply. Personally, Kate didn't trust the infomation Ivydiwn had given over the phone, but when Gibbs followed his gut it was hard to reason with him. He slammed his foot down on the acelorator and sped out, setting another set of skid marks ten feet behind the first set.

Tim grabbed onto the back of Kate's seat to stop himself whacking into the door as Gibbs turned what had to be an illegal corner. Kate tried again. "How can you be sure he's not just playing you?"
"He's not." Gibbs replied, eyes fixed on the road ahead. Kate left it at that, usually she would've pushed but she was starting to feel if she opened her mouth she'd throw up. Not nice, not nice.

Dolphin Farm was a small collection of run down buildings. Two were large storage houses for straw and hay and two were large stable blocks. Tim had looked up the history of the Farm only to find it had been a private Riding and Carriage Driving Stables. Large fields surrounded the farm, stretching up around to the sky met the ground. Gibbs closed the door of the sedan with a soft click, pulling out his Sig. Tim and Kate copied him, scanning the area for hostiles. There were enough places to hide a sniper. But as they approched the first barn, they had no trouble. If they were waiting to see if they'd get into a better position they'd missed their chance. Gibbs reached out a hand to check for wires or such on the door. When he was sure there were none, Tim and Gibbs pulled the door free. They slid open without protest. It obviously hadn't been abandoned for long if the hinges were still in good condition.

Gibbs held up the torch under the butt of his gun, scanning the interior of the dingy barn. Straw seemed to be packed to the cieling. Either it was an odd way of decorating or it was natural sound-proofing. The small beam of light spread out and the three agents caught thier eye on the wooden rail suspended from two barrels. Two chairs were securly tied to the rail, but only one was occupied. Gibbs waved a hand at Tim to move out, covering the area. Kate did the same without the command. Gibbs still had his gun up as he made his way towards the slumped figure. "Clear!" Came the two agents shouts.

"Tony?" Gibbs voice tried to wake Tony up as he checked the steady pulse in the young mans neck. The agent didn't react. "Tony." He tried again, hearing that Tim had already brought out his cell to call for an ambulence. Gibbs took the pen-knife out of his pocket, slicing through the bailing twine that tied Tony's wrists and feet together. He caught the agents shoulders as he slumped forward. He lowered Tony to the floor, casting his eyes over the agents injuries. Bruises across his chest and midriff, but otherwise he couldn't see anything else.

Tony's eyelids flickered before he opened his eyes. He wasn't really suprised as he stared up at the cieling above him rather than the floor.
"What took you, boss?" He managed to mutter before the pain in his ribcage made him cough. He groaned flexing his fingers to try and restore the blood flow. He looked around as far as he could, seeing he was on the floor.
"Madisyn?" He managed to choke out before Gibbs sushed him, in less words.

The sirans that marked the approch of the medics was a welcomed sound to Tony. The pain across his chest wasn't getting any easier to deal with and it wasn't exactly comfortable when he breathed. Gibbs has already had to stop him slipping into the darkness of the unconscious more than once. He'd found something to hold onto and let it cut into his hand as he tried to focus on it. It had helped.

Two medics jogged up, the green bags over their shoulders. Then Tony blacked out.
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Madisyn rubbed her sore wrists, looking around another dismal and diserted cavern of misery. It might have been a rather strong way of putting it, but it wasn't exactly The House Of Happy. She crossed her legs on the bed and took another look around. Well at least she wasn't tied up. It was more like the first place, except made of wood. There was a matress on the floor and a two piece door. Like a stable. Both top and bottom were locked shut with a lock on each. She raised a hand to the tender spot on her neck where the second needle had struck. It had taken longer for all the feeling to come back into her body, but she had guessed that was just because she was tired. She was no doctor so she couldn't be sure of what it actually was.

She stood up, stretching the stiff muscles in her legs. She made her way over to the door and gave it an experimental push. The hinges creaked but it didn't give way. She pressed her ear up to the door but couldn't hear anything. So useful, stuck in a stable block. She'd never been too keen on horses, and staying in a stable had never been on her top ten destinations to sleep in.

Time passed. She didn't know how long, but she knew that hunger and thirst were quickly taking away what reserves of energy she still had. She rubbed her eyes in an attempt to keep awake. She needed something to do, something to concentrate on. Just as she was thinking this, the soft footfalls outside in the aisle outside caught her attention. There was a jangling of keys and the top of the door swung back on its hinges with an ear splitting creak. The barrel of a long nosed rifle entered her field of vision. She swallowed, eyes not leaving the dark hole where the bullet sped through with a sickening CRACK.

Gibbs picked up his cell once more. One down one to go. He had allowed himself a breath of relief when Tony had been, but only for a second. He couldn't relax, not yet. As had been stated. One down, but still one to go. He wouldn't let Madisyn go, not yet, not ever if he could. He wasn't one to give up and he wasn't going to start now.

Kate had gone to the hospital with Tony and Tim was still trying to map the area thoroughly. Abby had sent the blue-prints to his lap-top and he was trying to fix each building to the ones on the blueprint. He frowned slightly.
"Boss, I think I found something." Gibbs turned
"You think, McGee." He fixed the young agent with a steady glare, pushing him to talk.
"Um...there is a building not on-." He was cut off by the crack of a gun shot. Both agents instinctively dropped to the ground, getting under cover.

When nothing else happened, Gibbs crawled over to Tim, his gun out.
"Continue, McGee." Gibbs demanded to the younger agent who swallowed and continued his sentence.
"There a building not on the blue-print." Tim finished, pointing to the one off to their right, standing on its own. It looked slightly newer than the others but nothing else was odd. It was just another stable block. Gibbs gestured with his head and moved off under the cover of the other buildings. Both agents spread out around the edge of the building, looking for a doorway.
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Madisyn watched the gun butt as it toppled from the dead fingers. The masked man behind the door collapsed sideways. Madisyn didn't moved from the spot she was crouched on the bed. She swallowed as the bottom of the door swung back to reveal Ivydown crouching over the body of the gunman. There was a pistol in his hand. An old one, very old. He turned his manic eyes towards her. She clenched her jaw, pushing down the fear and replacing it with hatred. Hatred of the man who had driven her mother to suicide, hatred of the man who had made her life just too complicated, hatred of her father. Staying away, never visiting, he might have been an insane phycopath, but that wasn't an excuse in her books.

It helped.

He approched, the pistol held tightly in his hand.
"See? Daddy is protecting you. Daddy's always here to protect you." He caressed her cheek again, looking into her dark eyes but only seeing what he wanted. He saw love and longing rather than burning hatred. He looked down at his daughter.
"Sleep, my Madisyn, sleep so we can go home." Home, yeah right. But she'd had a plan formulated in her head from the moment he'd entered the room. She wasn't one to just tell, but whatever happened, it would work. At least she hoped it would. It wouldn't hurt, well, it wouldn't hurt her at least.

Ivydown let her lie her head down on the mattress. He turned and picked up a horse rug that was hung over the door. He draped it over her as she closed her eyes. He left soon after letting her 'sleep'. He didn't even bother to lock the top door.
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Tim found the door and motioned to his boss. Gibbs crept over, gun help up. The door was open, but there was no sound some inside. Gibbs looked down the length of an aisle of stables, most with thier doors open. Some had the bottoms closed but the tops opened. This, unlike some of the other buildings may have looked newer, but still hadn't been used for a while, longer than the others. The smell of mouldy straw was strong.

Gibbs pulled the door open and stepped in, followed by Tim, both agents had the issue guns ready.
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Madisyn didn't react as the tell tale creak of the barn door echoed down the aisle. She heard hurried footsteps and a yelp from Ivydown. She heard him fumbling with the lock on the bottom door and a shout from one of the agents. Hands grabbed her by the shoulders, but still she remained still. Ivydown pulled her out, dragging her to the end of the barn aisle, brandishing his old service pistol.

"Simon Ivydown." Special Agent Gibbs voice cut through the silence.
"I won't give her up! My daughter, I love her." His voice trailed off as he looked down at Madisyn.
"Then why have you got a gun held at her." Ivydown looked up.
"No-one can have her if I can't. She has no-one else and she would be miserable. My Madisyn! My little girl! Leave us alone!" He backed away more, his back pressing up against the wall. He hugged Madisyn tighter to his chest.
"We're not trying to take her away from you. We just want to check." Gibbs said calmly, edging slightly closer.
"Why wouldn't she be fine. She's with daddy. Daddy will always keep her safe!" He was rambling, letting Madisyn slip from his grasp.

From Gibbs point in front of Ivydown, he was her dark eyes open and give him a sly wink. As Ivydown scrabbled to take a better hold of Madisyn she straightened and brought a knee into his groin. Her spare hand which wasn't on his shoulders, grasped the gun as his fingers let go. He curled into a ball and got a well deserved, in Madisyn's opinion, kick in the midriff. He groaned just as Gibbs and Tim arrived beside her. Tim leaned down and cuffed him.
"Read him his rights." Gibbs instructed as Tim pulled Ivydown off the floor.
"He doesn't deserve any." Madisyn muttered, brushing down her dirty jeans. Gibbs glanced at her with a rare smile. Tim led Ivydown out towards the light and Madisyn followed after Gibbs, stretching the tired and stiff muscles in her lower limbs.

The bruises had healed nicely, the broken rib was taken longer, but the doctors had assured Gibbs that Tony would be out within two days. Coming back to Tony's room from getting a cup of coffee, he noticed someone sitting in the only comfortable chair in the room. He'd only been gone a few minutes, but the figure seemed to have made herself at home. She'd kicked off her shoes and sat talking to Tony, who'd been fast asleep when Gibbs' left. Her long brown hair was tied up in a pony-tail and the long green coat was hung over a chair. The only difference was the cut above her cheek. Three stiches visible through the glass. Gibbs didn't feel he needed to disturb them and turned on his heel.




"Wow I got off easy." Madisyn smiled as Tony propped himself up on the pillows.
"You have no idea." Tony returned the smile.
"Sorry-" She was cut off.
"Don't apologize, its a sign of weakness."
"Really?" She shook her head, bringing her knees up into a more comfortable position.
"So, why d'you think your mum said Ducky was your father?"
"Ducky?"
"Doctor Mallard."
"Oh I get it, like a Mallard, type of duck!" Madisyn grinned. Tony raised his eyebrows.
"I dunno really. Maybe because we're both English so it would be the easiest person to believe."
"But why?"
"You call yourself an investigator."
"I do, I'm interregating you."
"Oh, well in my opinion it was just a way to get into NCIS. But I don't know why I'd want to get into NCIS." She shrugged, pushing back her pony-tail.
"Can I try interregating?"
"Do I trust you to interregate me with a broken rib."
"Why don't you get on with your father?"

Tony watched her with a steady green gaze, unbroken as it met with her equally steady brown one. He wasn't sure whether to answer or not, but he guessed it couldn't do any harm.
"Where should I start."
"At the end"
"What?"
"More interesting than the start, its like having a prologue in...Romeo and Juliet." They both grinned as Tony started, leaving out bits here and there. But Madisyn didn't seem to mind. She listen attentively, laughing in the right places and being utterly sarcastic in basically every other place.