Chapter One

Alessandra Lorrenzo woke up early on a hot, Friday morning with a throbbing headache. The thoughts of last night filled her mind. She couldn't believe that her boyfriend Petty Officer Jason Winchester, spent his first night back in the US after his 6 month deployment in Iraq drinking with his buddies. He got home drunk, but she didn't have the nerve to face him. He was a violent drunk. She figured that she would face him in the morning. She looked down at her wrists, which were throbbing in pain. They were bruised. Badly. She figured that Jason had probably done something while she was sleeping. She had to talk to him. Tell him that if he didn't straighten up, he would lose her. He wasn't in bed, so she assumed that he must have passed out in front of the couch. She turned to her left, about to get out of bed and she caught her reflection in the mirror. Her long brown hair wasn't its usual sleekness, it was tangled and wild. Then she noticed dried blood on her neck. She licked her finger to clean it up, but there was no cut underneath. [i]That's odd[/i]. She looked down at her legs. They were covered in bruises. [i] I don't remember them being there[/i], she thought to herself.
As she got up, she noticed a pool of blood that trailed out of the bedroom. Her heart skipped a beat. She slowly followed the trail of blood into the kitchen. Then the blood trail stopped.
She looked around. No Jason. Now she was scared. She didn't know where the blood had come from, or even whose it was. She tried not to worry about it and grabbed herself a glass of milk from the fridge, her hand shaking as she poured it.
As she walked over to the living room, she noticed blood on the door handle. Now her panic mode went into overdrive. She opened the door handle slowly and wandered in. Alessandra dropped her glass on the floor and screamed. She found Jason.

Chapter Two

"Thank God it's Friday, right Probie," a happy Anthony DiNozzo asked Timothy McGee. McGee wasn't listening. He was too busy with whatever he was doing on his computer. Tony got out from behind his desk and slapped McGee on the back of the head.
"Ouch, what was that for?"
"I asked you a question Probie."
"Sorry," said a nervous McGee. "I was just reading an e-mail from Kate. She said she isn't getting in until later today, her flight was delayed". That was what she said, but Tony couldn't help but think that this was partly his doing. She was just putting off coming back for a few hours to avoid seeing him. Kate's sister was sick, so she went over to Miami to see her. But she was mad at him before she left. It all happened one week before she left, she and Tony did something stupid. Really Stupid.

[i] It was Valentines Day, and Kate was alone. This was the first time she had been alone on Valentines Day, ever. If she was single, she would stay with friends or go see family. But because of her job, that was impossible. She got a little drunk and called Tony, asking for him to come around so she wouldn't have to be alone.
"Tony? It's Kate."
"Kate, are you alright? You don't sound too good."
"I really need you to come over; there is something I need to tell you."
"Ok, I'll be at your place in 10 minutes."

When Tony got to Kate's place, he let himself in. He found her in the living room lying on the couch, drunk, watching old romantic comedies. "Hey Kate," he had never seen her like this before, "You don't look so good". Kate stumbled off the couch and made her way towards Tony, never losing eye contact. Even though she was drunk, her eyes sparkled and her smile lit up the room. When she got over to Tony she pushed him against the wall and kissed him. And who was Tony to resist. He had had a crush on Kate for some time, and had often dreamed of doing this.
"I love you Tony," she said between kisses. He knew it was the alcohol talking, but he didn't care. "I need to show you something," she said softly as she dragged him away to the bedroom...
[/i]

Chapter Three

"We have a dead Petty Officer," said Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs. "Officer Jason Winchester was found dead in his home."
"By who boss," asked Tony as he got up to follow Gibbs to the elevator.
"His girlfriend," replied Gibbs as he sipped his coffee.
"You know boss, I read that coffee can..." Tony stopped talking as Gibbs was staring at him.
"Do I look like I care, DiNozzo?"
"No, no you don't boss."

They had never seen a crime scene like this one before. Jason had been skinned, and a message, "Watch your back, Alessandra", scrawled up on the wall in what appeared to be Jason's blood. Almost every room in the house was blocked off, due to the blood trail. Alessandra - who was sitting in the corner of the room, crying and shaking - caught Tony's attention. "Umm, Gibbs, I think it would be a good idea if someone went and interviewed the girlfriend, and-"
"Take her statement, Tony, not her number. You must inform her that she will be moved into another house until we figure out who did this."
"Got it, Boss." Tony made his way over to Alessandra. She was looking out the window, trying to digest what had just happened. "Alessandra Lorrenzo, I presume. I'm Agent Anthony DiNozzo. I just need to ask you a few questions about your boyfriend."
"Ok, but can we please get out of here first?" Tony took Alessandra into her lounge room and sat her down on the couch.
"I know it must be hard, having to talk about this so soon after his death, but all this is crucial to solving the case. Just tell me as much as you can, ok?" Alessandra looked up
"Last night, he came home from Iraq, and he spent it with his friends drinking. He didn't even come home to see me first. He came home drunk, and he is really, really violent when he is drunk, so I went to bed," she slowly explained, holding back tears. "I woke up this morning ready to dump his sorry ass if he didn't straighten up. I guess I won't need to do that anymore. I mean, he was lucky to have me. Most girls my age are out partying, but I stayed home for 6 months while he was away. I can't believe he never said goodbye," Alessandra stuttered.
"I'm so sorry," said Tony, but he actually meant it.
"Thank You." Alessandra gave a bit of a smile. "You know, Agent DiNozzo."
"Call me Tony."
"Sorry. Tony, there is nothing scarier than waking up to a pool of blood at your feet," she said as she choked back tears.
"This may be hard for you to hear, but we are going to have to re-locate you into another house so nothing happens to you. You are now under our protection. You should probably go pack."
"How long will I be there," She questioned him. He could hear the fear in her voice.
"Hopefully no longer than a few weeks."
Alessandra and Tony made their way to her room, so she could get some clothes and her Kenny plushie, that she never went anywhere without. When Alessandra grabbed her plushie, Tony smiled. She let out a small laugh.
"What? A 20 year old girl can't have soft toys," she joked. She grabbed the photo albums and stuffed them into one of 2 bags. She zipped them up and she was ready to go.
"Alessandra. If you have any problems, even at 4 in the morning, call this number and I will come get you straight away," Tony told her.
"Ok, I will" she replied.

Chapter Four

"Good to see you back Katie. How was Miami" Tony asked Kate. She didn't reply. She still hadn't forgiven him. "Come on Kate, you haven't spoken to me in 2 weeks, and I said I was sorry," but Kate still ignored him.
"Hi Gibbs. Hi McGee. I take it we have a new case," Kate could tell that was a stupid question. Gibbs clicked a remote then a profile appeared on the screen.
"Petty Officer Jason Winchester, 25, was found dead in his home at 0600 this morning. He had been skinned and his blood was used to write a message on the wall for his girlfriend." Gibbs clicked the remote again, but this time Kate recognized the face. "Alessandra Lorrenzo, 20. She claimed that she woke up and found him like this. She is a potential target, but also a suspect."
"That, poor girl. She'd never do something like this, and she doesn't deserve all this," Kate explained to Gibbs with a hint of sadness in her voice.
"What, do you know her or something Kate?" Tony asked Kate. She didn't reply. Kate wasn't going to make up with him and pretend like things were well just because they had a case.
"The suspect is staying at a safe house. She isn't to leave or accept calls from anyone, and no-one must know her location or what has happened until we find out who killed Petty Officer Winchester," Gibbs told Kate. "The killer was careful, there was no evidence left at the scene. I need one of you to get me a lead, or else we are all screwed. McGee, get these samples down to Abby for analysis."
"Right. Got it boss," replied McGee

Chapter Five

"Hello McGee. Is it my birthday already?" asked an always happy Abby Sciuto.
"Sorry Abs, not today. We just need to see if the blood from the walls and the floor matches Petty Officer Winchester's blood," said McGee, sounding a little nervous.
"You're no fun McGee. Next time bring me some explosives, or at least a Caf-Pow. What exactly happened to this 'Petty Officer Winchester'," asked an always curious Abby.
"His girlfriend woke up to find him lying on the couch, minus the skin, and a note on the wall that said 'watch your back, Alessandra' in what appeared to be blood," McGee was trying desperately to sound exiting as he said that.
"I take it back. That was interesting" Abby said with a smile. "McGee, do you have any idea what is going on with Tony and Kate?"
"I didn't notice anything there Abs, sorry," Abby could tell he was hiding something.
"They still aren't talking, are they," McGee shook his head. "It would be nice if they could at least tell us why. Maybe Gibbs knows, I'll go ask him"
"I wouldn't do that if I were you Abby" McGee told Abby.
"Do what, McGee," said Gibbs, who chose the perfect moment to walk in,
"I was just deciding what I should wear tomorrow. I suggested I should wear a pink leather cat-suit, but McGee doesn't think so." Abby was always good at covering up.
"For once I agree with McGee. What have ya got Abs" Gibbs questioned Abby.
"I'm sorry Gibbs, but the blood from both samples you gave me matches".

"You know, Mr. Palmer, that the phrase 'watch your back' dates back to ancient times, where when you weren't looking, people would steal the clothes straight off your back. Of course in those days, clothes weren't as secure as they are now. One quick tug and you'd be walking down the street naked," an always talkative Donald "Ducky" Mallard told his assistant, Jimmy Palmer.
"Wow doctor. That really is fascinating! Where do you learn all these facts?"
"Well, when you have been working for as many years as I have, you pick up some interesting information along the way," Ducky told Jimmy as Gibbs walked in.
"You got a time of death yet, Duck?"
"Yes, about 0100 this morning."
"Good work, how about a cause?"
"He suffered a slow and painful death. First, he was beaten and his 2 bottom ribs and both wrists were broken. Then, he was bound and skinned alive. His body was moved after death, and I'm guessing that they put his blood in a bucket to make it easier to write the message, and while moving him into the living room he was dropped, leaving the pool of blood. It would make sense for the blood trail to mysteriously stop as well. Once he died, his heart would stop beating, pumping blood around his body, and therefore he wouldn't bleed anymore."
"Thanks, Duck," said Gibbs as he made his way towards the door.
"You know, this reminds me of a man I met in Tokyo," Gibbs had walked out of the lab.
"I was interested doctor," said Palmer, who was always fascinated by Ducky's stories but could never help thinking he made them up.

Chapter Six

Alessandra got out of the shower and grabbed a pair of silk pajama sweat pants and a white singlet. She was getting ready for bed. There was a rustle in the bushes. She looked behind her and could see a faint, blurry shadow from the other side of the bathroom window, staring straight back at her. Alessandra let out a small scream and went to find a mobile phone. There was someone trying to break in, and they knew she was home. She shoved a chair in front of the door and grabbed Tony's number, a mobile phone and her Kenny doll and hid in the closet. She dialed Tony's number. He was asleep, but he picked up.
"Hello?"
"Tony, someone is trying to break in. He knows I'm here. He saw me."
"I'll be there in 5 minutes. Where are you?"
"I'm in the closet."
"Stay on the phone and whatever you do, don't hang up" Alessandra heard a crash. He was in.
"Tony, he is in. I have to go now."
"No Alessandra wait," but it was too late. She had already hung up.

Alessandra sat in the closet, clutching Kenny tightly and being careful not to make a sound. [i]BANG! [/i] She heard a slam. She was really scared now. The closet door opened and she screamed. She felt a hand cover her mouth.
It was Tony.
Alessandra jumped up and gave him a hug.
"You don't know how happy I am to see you right now."
"I locked him in the lounge room. Now you stay behind me while I go in"
Tony opened the door. The room was empty, and the window was open.

Chapter Seven

"Sorry my house is such a mess. I wasn't expecting company."
"And I wasn't expecting to almost be killed, but it just panned out that way," a still shaky Alessandra told Tony.
"You do know you haven't let go of that doll since you were in the closet, right," he told her. She looked down. She was tightly holding Kenny by his hand.
"I don't want anything to happen to him," Alessandra said with a smile. Even after what she had just been through, she still had time to joke around.
"You can take the bed, I'll have the couch."
"No, I don't want to kick you out of your bed. We can share, I mean, you won't try anything funny, will you," she joked
"Of course not," he smiled back at her "If you stay on your side, I'll stay on mine."

Alessandra was sitting on the bed and staring out the window, with no almost expression on her face, but what could be seen of her emotions wasn't good.

"Are you alright," Tony asked her.
"I'm fine, just a little tired," she said while getting into bed.
"Night Alessandra."
"Actually, Tony, can I ask you something?"
"Sure," he said looking back at her.
"This isn't weird, is it? I mean, so soon after Jason's death."
"Well, we aren't doing anything."
"True," she still had more on her mind. Tony could tell.
"What's wrong? And don't say nothing, because I know it's something"
"I'm scared," she blurted out. "There is someone out there who wants me dead."
"We won't let anything happen to you. You have nothing to worry about."
"Why aren't I dead" Alessandra swallowed tears.
"Don't say that."
"No, I mean it. If someone wanted me dead, then why didn't they kill me last night, when they had the chance, instead of coming back? What do they want with me?"
"Don't worry, everything will be fine. Now get some rest." He rubbed her back to reassure her that everything was fine, even though he was having second thoughts on her safety.

Chapter Eight

"Alessandra, wake up," said Tony as he nudged her in an attempt to wake her up. She was fast asleep. He couldn't leave her here alone, and if he was late for work Gibbs would kill him. There was only one thing left to do. He pinched her nose so she couldn't breathe, and it worked. She woke up, gasping for breath. She wasn't very happy, but at least she was up. "Sorry, I couldn't be late for work, and you have to come." Alessandra rubbed her eyes and stretched her back and legs out before she looked at the time. It was 7:00. She wasn't used to getting up until at least 9:30. As she got out of bed, she stepped on something soft.
"Kenny!" She grabbed Kenny and took him into the living room. Tony looked at her, then Kenny. He had never seen a grown woman carry around a soft toy like she did with Kenny.
"Alessandra, do you mind if I ask, what's with the toy?" said Tony, trying not to offend her.
"What, you don't like South Park?" Alessandra joked. Tony smiled. He could tell there was something that she wasn't telling him, but he decided not to worry about it. He would find out a different way.
"How do you take your coffee?"
"White, with 2 sugars, and added cocoa would be nice" Alessandra placed Kenny down on the table and got up to get her coffee. She reached her arm out to grab the mug, but Tony didn't see her.
"AAAAAAHHH," Alessandra screamed as scolding hot coffee covered her only pair of clothes. Tony couldn't help but laugh. Alessandra started laughing too. "Oh crap. I don't have any spare clothes."
"Well, you are going to have to borrow some of mine," Tony laughed
Alessandra groaned and giggled at the same time. She was going to meet new people, wearing Tony's clothes.
She picked out a white, long-sleeved polo. She left the top 4 buttoned undone and pulled it so it hung over one shoulder. She found a pair of black gym shorts and rolled them up a bit so they were shorter, but still covering the bruises on her legs. Finally, she grabbed a black belt and buckled it around her waist.
"How do I look" Tony looked her up and down and smiled. "Actually, don't answer that. At least my shoes are fine" Alessandra joked. Tony grabbed his bag and Alessandra grabbed Kenny and they were off.

Chapter Nine

"Alessandra," Kate yelled across the room as she walked in.
"Kate," Alessandra was equally surprised to see her, as she greeted her with a big hug.
"It's been too long, how are you holding up?" Kate seemed very happy to see Alessandra.
"Ok, I guess. It's not something that you can just get over?"
"You still have Kenny" she said while looking down.
"Yeah," Alessandra smiled.
"Do you two know each other, or are you like this to everyone you meet," Tony asked Alessandra, as he thought there was no point in asking Kate. She wouldn't talk to him, but he was wrong.
"Alessandra grew up next to my house. Her and her sisters used to hang around all the time. We haven't seen each other in 2 years," Kate avoided eye contact while talking to him, but at least it was a start.
"Come on, there is someone I want you to meet."
"DiNozzo," shouted Gibbs as Kate and Alessandra disappeared into the elevator. "I told you she wasn't to leave the house."
"Sorry boss, but I think we can cross her off the suspect list. Petty Officer Winchester's killer came back for her last night." Gibbs looked slightly shocked.
"Get your things. We have to go back to her house and see if we missed anything. Everything is evidence, including everything at the safe house."
"Sure thing boss, just let me take care of one thing first" Tony ran off.
"McGee, you stay here and run a background check on Alessandra. Anything you can dig up that could lead us to the murderer"
"On it, Boss".

"So, you two have known each other since Alessandra could talk, and I have never heard anything about you until now," Abby was confused.
"Well, what was I supposed to say about her," Kate questioned Abby.
"I see your point. And I totally dig your threads Alice"
"Nobody has called me that since grade 3," Alessandra laughed "But thanks. They're not mine, they're Tony's. He spilt coffee on my only pair of clothes. At least Kenny's fine." Abby didn't ask. She could tell that she was emotionally attached to him, but she didn't ask why.
"How do you like staying with Tony," Abby asked.
"He's great. He is really nice to me."
"Well, he is a nice guy," Kate replied as Abby shot her a 'he is standing right behind you and I thought you hated him look'.
"Kate, I need to speak to you for a moment," Tony called out from the door.
"I'll be one second."

Kate walked over to the door and Tony pulled her away, into the emergency exit. "Tony, I'm not-"
"I just need to know where I stand," Tony cut her off.
"Excuse me," Kate sounded confused. She was.
"Did it mean anything," Tony asked her, hoping she would say yes.
"Tony, I was really drunk, and I made a mistake. You went along with it and if anyone finds out, especially Gibbs, we will both be out of our jobs. You know how he feels about this."
"Oh, ok." Tony replied, sounding disappointed "And I'm sorry if I hurt you in anyway." He kissed her on the forehead and made his way up the stairs.
"Tony," Kate shouted after him. Tony looked down at Kate. "Don't worry about it. It's not important. Gibbs is probably waiting for you."

Chapter 10

Kate returned to Abby's lab to find Alessandra and Abby, who had just gotten off the phone. Alessandra looked a little happier than Kate had seen her all day. "What did he say that could make you so happy," Kate asked Alessandra.
"Thanks to Abby, I was allowed to call two friends and tell them about what happened. As of tomorrow, I am going on with all my normal everyday activities and we need two people, who I can trust and see almost everyday on the inside. They will be here in a few hours"
"A few hours" Kate sounded shocked, "Why so long?"
"They are catching the first flight down from Connecticut. I was supposed to go up with them, but Jason was coming back so I didn't go."
"I'm so sorry."
"Don't be. You didn't kill him. But you know what the worst part is?" Alessandra's voice got softer, and they could tell she was holding back tears. "A small part of me is glad he is dead. I didn't want this to happen, but when he went out drinking, after all I'd done for him, especially when he was in Iraq he would rather go drinking. Didn't even drop by first to see me. He just came home, drunk, and expected everything to be fine." Abby and Kate just looked at her. They didn't know what to say. What could you say to that?
"Well, everything is going to be fine, you've got us" Abby gave Alessandra a reassuring hug. Alessandra forced a bit of a smile.
"Thanks guys"

Chapter Eleven

As Gibbs walked back into work, he sipped his coffee and noticed 2 girls with a duffle bag at their feet arguing with the receptionist at the front desk. "No, you don't understand. We HAVE to see Alessandra," a gorgeous young blonde argued with the receptionist.
"I'm sorry, but you don't have an appointment."
"We were told that you could direct us to her. We need to see her, it's a matter of life and death here," the beautiful young redhead replied. Gibbs smiled.
"These girls are with me," he told the receptionist. She nodded, and Gibbs picked up the bag and took the girls into the elevator. "You girls must be here to see Alessandra. Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs".
"I'm Annette LaRouge, and this is Natasha Saunderson," the blonde girl said with a smile. Gibbs looked at Natasha. She smiled at him. She looked identical to his Daughter, Kelly, if she were alive. They would be around the same age too.
"Thank you for letting us see Alessandra. She and another girl, I think her name was Abby, told us what happened over the phone. Was Jason really skinned?" Natasha looked worried.
"I'm afraid so," Gibbs replied as the elevator opened.

Only Tony and McGee were in the bullpen. Tony had been back for a while, because Gibbs had dropped him back before he went to get his coffee.
"Hey boss," Tony said quickly as he got up to greet Natasha and Annette "And hello girls, I'm Anthony DiNozzo, but you can call me Tony"
"Hi Tony, I'm Annette, or Annie and this is Natasha. Could you tell us where we could find Alessandra please, she is expecting us."
"They might still be in Abby's lab. I'll call her up for you."

"Alessandra," screamed Natasha as she walked out of the elevator. She ran up to her and gave her a hug. "I'm so sorry, and I brought you some stuff," Natasha handed her the bag.
"Thanks for that, I won't be stuck wearing Tony's clothes for another week," laughed Alessandra.
"Kate? It's great to see you," Annie smiled and gave Kate a hug.
"You know her too?" Tony asked Kate.
"She was Alessandra's best friend. When her sisters ganged up on her she would come over to my house with Annie," Kate informed Tony.
"It's a big reunion, I think I'm going to cry," Joked Tony, pretending to cry. Gibbs slapped him in the back of the head.
"I need you girls to do some undercover work," Gibbs told them.
"What kind of undercover work" Annie sounded exited.
"Alessandra is going to go on with her life as if nothing happened. If we had an agent go undercover with her everywhere, we might raise suspicions. We need you to wear hidden cameras every time you go out with Alessandra and monitor everyone around her. You can't report back here, call or e-mail. We don't know who is watching," Gibbs told the girls.
"Well, Agent Gibbs, does that mean she can come to a party tonight? It's my 22nd, and it's black tie. We won't hang around her for too long or anything, but it's kind of important," Natasha pleaded. She reminded him too much of Kelly to say no.
"Yeah, I suppose," Natasha couldn't contain her excitement.
"Thank you, Agent Gibbs! Do we need cameras or anything? I could get some fitted into the hall we are holding it in by tonight for you," she really wanted to help.
"I was just going to suggest that," said Gibbs, almost calling her Kelly.

Chapter Twelve

Annie and Natasha had left with McGee to go and secure some cameras in the hall, so Kate and Alessandra went back down to see Abby, who was testing evidence found at the safe house.
"Found anything yet,"
"Sorry Alice. Here's Kenny. He missed you" Abby handed Alessandra Kenny.
"Thanks for that," Abby still seemed confused by her attachment to Kenny, but she didn't seem to mind. Kate knew, but Abby wasn't going to ask.
"Alessandra is going to a black tie event tonight, and we need your advice," Kate asked Abby. Abby loved it when people came to her needing advice.
"I don't have anything to wear and my house is off limits," Abby wasn't sure what to say.
"Well, I guess you could buy a dress. I could take you, I am almost done here. I'll just call Gibbs now and ask," Abby picked up the phone. "Gibbs, can I take Alessandra shopping for a dress, she needs one for tonight... Yep... Thanks Gibbs" Abby hung up.
"You're lucky, if I asked he'd say no."
"I guess I just have that effect on people, Kate. Come on Alice, lets go," Alessandra gave Kenny to Kate and they left the lab.
"Well, I guess it's just you and me now Kenny."

Chapter Thirteen

"I hear this place has nice stuff," Abby told Alessandra as they walked into an Oscar de la Renta dress boutique.
"Hey Abby, I think I'll go with a strapless dress, so I can wear my hair out." They grabbed a few dresses for Alessandra to try on. As she tried on the first dress, she asked "Abby, is it just me or is there something going on between Kate and Tony?"
"They didn't talk to each other for a few weeks. Nobody knows why, they don't talk about it. All I know is it started after Valentines Day."
"You don't think that, you know…?"
"No, Kate is too smart for that," Abby informed Alessandra. She walked out of the change room wearing a dark green mermaid style dress. "Umm... try the navy blue. In a different style."
"Is it really that bad," Abby just laughed. "Alright then, I'll try on the blue."
"You seem to really like Tony."
"He's a really nice guy."
"How many times have I heard that?"
"He is more like a body guard or something. How about this one?" She walked out in a navy blue dress with a slit up the middle. Abby caught sight of the bruising on her legs.
"Alice, what's that on your legs," Abby questioned Alessandra.
"Nothing," she tried to cover up, but Abby came and pulled the dress more open to reveal dark bruises covering the inside of her legs.
"Alice, what happened?"
"I fell."
"You fell? You don't get that kind of bruising from a fall. Tell me what really happened."
"I'm not sure. I woke up to find my legs like this two days ago." Abby feared the worse, but she didn't want to make a scene. She would tell her when she got back to the car.
"Try on the black," Abby said, trying to get her mind off of it. She needed to change the subject, so she said the first thing that came to mind.
"So, anyway, what time are you going to that party?"
"Around 7:00."
"You having dinner there."
"Yeah, I think so," Alessandra came out of the dressing room in a black floor length strapless satin dress. Abby smiled. "Yes?"
"You could turn a gay man straight in that dress," Alessandra laughed.
"I'll take that as a yes."
"Definitely."

As they drove back, Abby needed to find a way to tell Alessandra without insulting her. "Sorry about before, with the bruises. I was just worried."
"Well, I swear I don't know where I got them. I just woke up with them."
"That's what I was afraid of."
"Abby, what are you talking about?"
"I don't know how to put this without offending you, so you have to promise you won't get offended," Abby had to make it clear first.
"I won't get offended Abby, trust me. Just tell me, please."
"I don't mean to alarm you, but I think whoever killed Jason may have also raped you." Alessandra's heart skipped a beat. She just looked out the front window, not knowing what to think.
"Promise me you will have a test done when we get back."
"Ok, I will."

Chapter Fourteen

"DiNozzo, you found anything yet," Gibbs asked Tony. They were doing a background check on Alessandra.
"Not yet boss, although, at her house I found a whole other wardrobe. I don't think the boyfriend knew about it, and it was locked with a combination lock. She might be hiding something."
"Do ya think, DiNozzo?" Gibbs turned to McGee. "McGee, are you waiting for an introduction?"
"Sorry boss. I couldn't find anything interesting just a few things from her childhood, like sporting awards and what high school she went to."
"Kate, you better have something worth my time"
"I didn't find anything I didn't already know. Her parents were strict Catholics, and raised her and her twin sister to be that way. They were never home, usually doing something work related. I think her parents were models or something along those lines. I was usually left looking after Alessandra and her twin sister, Kendra, who went missing when they was 13. Nobody has seen or heard anything from her ever since then."
"Kenny. It all makes sense now," whispered Tony
"What are you talking about, DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked Tony.
"You know, the little doll in the orange hooded sweater she carries around. His name is Kenny and he's from a TV show. You ever heard of South Park," Tony looked at Gibbs, who had a confused and slightly annoyed expression on his face. "I thought not. Anyway, she carries him around everywhere and won't leave him anywhere," Kate picked Kenny up off her desk.
"Kendra and Alessandra loved South Park, and they always fought over Kenny. Kendra argued that her name was closer to his, but Alessandra ended up buying him. He was the last one in stock. I can't tell you how many times she told me this story. When Kendra went missing, Alessandra said that Kenny reminded her of her sister. She always said, that if she took him around, it helped her cope with Kendra's disappearance. She just wants closure, she needs to know what happened," Kate explained.
"Why didn't we hear about her sister before," Gibbs looked annoyed.
"She doesn't like talking about it and I didn't think it was relevant."
"From now on, any evidence you find is crucial to solving this case. McGee, check the missing person's file for Kendra Lorrenzo."

Chapter Fifteen

Gibbs, Tony, Kate and McGee were standing in MTAC, about to start monitoring Natasha's party. Alessandra had a GPS chip in her shoe, which enabled them to find her in the crowd more easily. There were six screens up relaying the feed from all six cameras. One monitored the bar, three were in necklaces given to Alessandra, Annie and Natasha and the remaining two were overhead cameras.

Alessandra sat at the bar. She couldn't enjoy the party after what happened with Abby. When she had got back, Ducky told her that because of the bruising on her legs and wrists that there was a high chance that she may have been raped, and most possibly drugged while she was asleep. They wouldn't know for sure until tomorrow.
"Hey beautiful, what do you say we head back up our hotel room?"
"I'd rather stay here thank you," Alessandra just sat at the bar. She had been spending too much time with Natasha and Annie, so she had to talk with new people, so everyone back at MTAC could study the way they were communicating with her.
"Oh come on. Just for ten minutes."
"I said no."
"Fine, five."
"Which part of no don't you understand?" Alessandra got up to get away from the drunks, but they surrounded her.
"Oh come on, please" Alessandra wanted out, and it showed by the expression on her face.
"I can't take anymore of this," Said Tony as he walked out of MTAC.
"DiNozzo! Where the hell do you think you're going," Gibbs shouted after Tony.
"I'm going to go and save her."

"Do you guys even know Natasha?" Alessandra asked the drunks.
"Natasha? We're just here for the booze," one replied. They wouldn't let her leave.
"Excuse me, but could I talk to my girlfriend for a second," a familiar voice asked one of the drunks. It was Tony.
"Yeah sure, but you won't get anything out of this girl," and the drunks left.
"Thanks for that Tony, but shouldn't you be at work?"
"Aren't you happy to see me," Tony joked
"I am. It's just very unexpected seeing you here."
"Do you want to dance," he asked her.
"I thought you'd never ask." Alessandra had one last sip of her drink and went out with Tony onto the dance floor.

"Look at that guy, in Natasha's camera. I think he did something to Alessandra's drink."
"Kate, what proof do you have?"
"The way he is looking around, and he was hanging around the bar for a long time."
"McGee!"
"Yes, Boss."
"Get a positive ID on this guy. And find me something else so I can bring him in for questioning. Kate, did Alessandra drink out of the glass that he tampered with?"
"I think she had a sip just before he went out."
"When she comes in tomorrow, schedule her for a drug test. We need to find out what he put in that glass."

"Tony, I feel dizzy."
"Do you want to go?"
"No, I need to stay here so I can find out who wants me dead."
"Ok, it's your call. When you want to go, just say so," Alessandra fell backwards, but Tony lunged forward and caught her. "Are you alright?"
"Never better," Alessandra put her hands around Tony's face and kissed him. She stopped and smiled. Tony smiled back and kissed her again. "I think I want to go home now."

Meanwhile, back at MTAC Kate's heart broke. She never realized that she had feelings for Tony, but she wasn't going to let them get in the way of him and Alessandra. She had watched her grow up and was too close to her to let anything get in the way of their friendship, especially Tony. It didn't matter to her that they hadn't seen each other in two years. Then it hit her. If Alessandra had to go through what she had just gone through with Tony, it might just kill her. After everything she had been through in the past two days, plus the fact that Alessandra was a very strict catholic didn't help either.

Chapter 16

Alessandra woke up with no recollection on the night before. Tony was already up. She looked down, and noticed she wasn't wearing anything. Alessandra pulled up the covers quickly, hoping no-one saw. "Tony," she called. He would know what had happened, he had to.
"What's wrong?" he looked at her, blankets pulled up to her chin. He couldn't help but laugh. Alessandra didn't think it was funny.
"What happened last night?"
"You mean you don't remember?" Alessandra shook her head. Tony felt really bad.
"Did we," her voice trailed off. He didn't know what to say, but she could tell from the look on his face. "I'll take that as a yes. Who made the first move?"
"You did," Tony said with confidence. She felt really bad now, especially so soon after what happened with Jason. "I'm going to go take a shower before we leave for work."
"You can't take a shower. I need a shower."
"It's my house," Tony teased, trying to cheer her up. It worked.
"And I'm the guest."
"I'm having a shower and you can't stop me."
"Ladies first." Alessandra figured that there was no way she could win this argument "Please Tony, can I have a shower?"
"Unless you want to have a shower with me, you have no hope Alessandra," Tony smiled. Alessandra slyly smiled back.
"Ok then, I will." He wasn't expecting her to say that.

Alessandra and Tony got out of the shower, only to find they only had one dry towel. The other one had fallen into a puddle.
"Mine," Alessandra grabbed the dry and wrapped it around her self. She smiled.
"Can I have the dry one Alessandra?"
"Nope. I didn't get my own shower, it's the least you can do."
"I'll get you a different one."
"I don't want a new one, I want this one."
"You owe me one." Tony grabbed the wet towel, wrapped it around him and opened the bathroom door to go and get a dry towel. He paused at the door.
"Alessandra, you might want to see this," She walked over to the door and screamed.

Chapter 17

"Oh wow," gasped McGee as he walked into Tony's apartment. "Who would have thought that your house would become a crime scene?" After McGee said that he regretted it.
"Do you think this is funny, Probie?"
"No, sorry Tony."
"Well you should be. Look at Alessandra," she was shaking. The wall facing the bathroom door had 'We are watching you, Alessandra' painted in blood like before, only this time there was no body, but pictures that had been taken of her since Jason's death.

"I'm sorry, I found Kenny, he was under the bed," Kate handed Alessandra Kenny. Kate wasn't mad at her, just Tony.
"Thanks, good thing he was under the bed, otherwise he could have been slashed or something." She gave Kenny a hug.
"You can stay with me if you want." She put her arm around her shoulders and tried to comfort her.
"What if they find me there too? Oh god, they know my name, where I'm staying, who knows what else they know," Alessandra cried.
"At least you're not hurt, and we won't let them get to you again."
"Kate actually, could I-"
"You can stay with me for as long as you want."
"Kate, what you do think they want from me?"
"Honestly, I don't know."
"I'm scared. And now that we know that there is more than one it's going to be harder to find who did this."
"Alessandra. Listen to me, we will find out who did this. And when Gibbs is done with him he will be sorry he ever touched you," Kate assured her. Alessandra felt a little better, but she was still terrified.

"Umm, Boss, I think you should have a look at these," stuttered McGee as he went through the photos. "These appear to be recent, not that you didn't already know that."
"DiNozzo," Gibbs called out to Tony. He didn't look happy. "What is this?" Gibbs pulled out a photo, and a piece of paper fell to the ground. McGee picked it up. It was recent, like 2 hours ago recent. Tony felt like an idiot. On top of that, his boss saw the picture that made it even more embarrassing.
"He was watching us in the shower?"
"Boss, I think you should see this," McGee handed Gibbs a note. 'These are not the only prints we have. Beware'. Gibbs looked angry.
"If these are released then Tony will have no choice but to leave NCIS."

Chapter 18

"So you two had a shower together," Abby teased Alessandra.
"We only had enough time for one shower and he was being stubborn, so we had one together."
"It looks like you did more than that."
"Abby! Could you just, please."
"I'm sorry, but a picture tells a thousand words. Also, the fact he is kissing you too is a bit of a give away. You slept with him, didn't you?"
"When did this become your business?"
"Whoa, sorry. I'll take that as a yes. But I'm guessing only because you were drunk."
"I don't drink."
"Did you drink any liquids, even water?"
"I had few sips of some water."
"Well, we think your drink may have been spiked. You will need a drug test."
"Somebody hates me. Have you got the rape test results back yet?" Alessandra couldn't handle all this.
"Actually, I don-" Abby was cut off by her computer insanely beeping, "Hold on a sec, I do."
"And?"
"Lets see, negative."
"Negative? Why do I have the bruising then?" Alessandra wasn't relieved, but a little more on-edge than before.
"I'm not sure, you'll have to ask Gibbs that."
"Ask me what, Abs," Gibbs said from behind Abby, handing her a Caf-Pow.
"Gibbs! Don't sneak up on me like that!"
"You had something to ask me?"
"Yes. Alessandra's rape test came back negative, but she is covered in bruises that are consistent with rape."
"Sorry, I don't know." he turned to Alessandra. "Kate wanted to see you."
"Ok." Alessandra got of her chair, grabbed Kenny and left the lab to go see Kate. When Abby was sure she couldn't hear them, she told Gibbs something.
"Gibbs, I think I know what they did to Alessandra."
"So do I. One of our killers is female, and they want her to suffer"
"That's what I thought."

Chapter 19

"So can I stay with you tonight?"
"Sorry Alessandra. Gibbs told me that you and Tony have to stay in another safe house, this one is an apartment that no-one has been to in years. Don't worry, you'll be fine this time. This place is deserted, but it still locks up well. They won't find you in there."
"Kate, I want to stay with you at your house. Not at another stupid safe house."
"I will try and arrange that for tomorrow" Kate gave Alessandra a re-assuring smile.
"Alessandra, do you know a man called Dawson Foster?" McGee called out from the other side of the bullpen.
"Sorry, doesn't ring a bell. Why?"
"He and Jason were caught dealing drugs at a training camp a few years back. Jason got off with a warning, claiming that the drugs were Foster's and he dragged him into it. Foster got a dishonorable discharge."
"I'll go and tell Gibbs. Where is he?" Kate asked
"I think he is with Abby," McGee responded.
"Ok then, I'll go see him. Alessandra, you stay here with McGee."
"Sure," Alessandra smiled.

Just before the elevator door shut, Kate saw someone's arm stop the door so they could get in. It was Tony. ‘Great', she thought. The last person she wanted so see.
"Hey Kate" She didn't respond, so he stopped the elevator. "I'm sorry about Alessandra, but you made it clear that you weren't interested."
"I just can't understand how you can move on so fast," Kate stared at Tony in disbelief.
"With practice," Tony joked. Kate didn't find it funny. "How come you are only mad at me?"
"Alessandra didn't know about us. It's not her fault."
"I'm sorry Kate," Kate turned away from him and hit the stop button to start the elevator up again.
"If you hurt Alessandra in anyway, you will be sorry. I'll see to it that the rest of your life will be miserable, are we clear?"
"Wow, harsh Katie," the elevator opened and Kate stormed out, leaving Tony to think about what she said.

Chapter 20

Tony continued down the elevator, still thinking if Kate really meant everything she said. He thought that Ducky might be able to help him. He was usually pretty helpful, what with his life experience and all. Only problem was, if Ducky found out about him and Kate, Gibbs would kill him, if she hadn't already.

"Hey Ducky, I need your advice on something."
"Why, what is it my dear boy?" Ducky had always been nice to Tony.
"Well, I have this friend who got really drunk and had a one night stand, and he thought it was more than that, but only she was drunk. He asked her about it, and she said that she didn't have any feelings for him. So there was this other girl who he liked, and she liked him, but had just had a nasty fight with her boyfriend just before he died. Then the other girl caught him and this girl making out, and she knew that they went home together and now she won't talk to him. But the second girl didn't know about him and the first girl. No-one did, they kept it a secret because they worked together and their boss would kill him if he found out," Tony said quickly.
"Well, at least you tried to straighten things out with Kate. I can understand why she is mad about you. It's not Alessandra's fault so it makes sense that they are still talking to each other. You still need to try and get through to Kate, and tell her that you still want to be friends, otherwise she will be very hard to work with," Ducky had deciphered everything Tony had said. He was shocked.
"This isn't me that we are talking about, it's a friend."
"Don't be silly Tony, I know it's you."
"You won't tell Gibbs, will you?"
"Of course not, Tony. Why, this reminds me of the time back when I was in collage, and an old-"
"Thanks Ducky," Tony cut him off, and left autopsy.

"Gibbs, we have a suspect. His name is Dawson Foster and Jason got him discharged."
"Does Alessandra know Foster?" Gibbs sternly asked Kate.
"She has never heard of him or seen his face before. Why?"
"We think that this was an attack on Alessandra, not Petty Officer Winchester."
"Why would you say that?" Kate was confused.
"Kate, you might not want to hear this, but you have to promise me that you will not tell Alessandra anything until we are entirely sure," Abby told Kate. She thought that if she told Kate it might not be as bad as if Gibbs were to tell her. Kate nodded. She needed to know, no matter how bad it was. The fact is, this was reality, and whether she liked it or not it was true. There wasn't much she could do about what had already been done.
"I need coffee," and Gibbs walked out, leaving Abby to tell Kate in private. Gibbs didn't want to stick around for her reaction.
"Her rape kit came back negative."
"That's good, right?" Kate was confused.
"Not necessarily. We, Gibbs and I, think that one of the killers was female."
"She was raped by a girl?" Kate yelled, but keeping her voice down at the end, realizing what she had done.
"No, that wouldn't have this result. There is still a possibility that she was, but not by a girl. These tests are never 100% accurate."
"So what did happen to her?" Kate asked Abby. Alessandra stood outside Abby's lab about to enter, but stopped once Abby started explaining to Kate what they did to her. She wanted to know, and if no-one would tell her, then she would find out for herself.
"She was beaten, to make it look like rape. Her wrists were bound together too." Kate wiped away a tear forming in the corner of her eye.
"Those sick bastards. What about last night, with her drink. Was it spiked?"
"She has taken a drug analysis test so we will know what happened last night. How she was beaten without waking up still gets me. If she was drugged then, they would still be in her system. We should know tomorrow"
"Tomorrow, doesn't it normally take less time to get that done?"
"There is a bug in the system. Nothing major, but we can't view test results at the risk of them leaking out. We can identify the drug but won't actually get to see what it is until tomorrow, when the bug should be gone. I'm running a cleanup now."
"Abby, what do you think happened." Kate sincerely asked her.
"Personally, I think she was drugged then bound, possibly raped, and beaten. There was a pool of blood near the bed, so there is a possibility that Jason witnessed them beating her, but we will never know. Unless, that is, the killer confesses" Kate swallowed more tears. Alessandra was like a little sister to Kate. She never could have imagined that the two seemingly perfect Lorrenzo twins from next door would grow up to have one missing and one involved in such a disturbing case.
"Kendra would freak if she found out what was happening to her sister. They want her to suffer, and will most likely torture her until she goes over the edge."
"I'm sorry Kate. But we will find them, if it's the last thing we do," Abby vowed.

Outside the lab, Alessandra just stood there, clutching Kenny tightly with tears streaming down her face. She was scared. She was nervous. She didn't want to know how far they would go.

Chapter 21

"Alessandra, I have to go out tonight. My college buddy Phil is having a bachelor party and I promised him that I'd go, months ago. Will you be ok here by yourself?"
"Tony, I'm 20 years old. I'm not a little girl anymore, I can take care of myself."
"Ok, but call if you need me and I will come straight back."
"I hear you loud and clear. Now go, have fun. I'll be fine. ‘So You Think You Can Dance' is on tonight, followed by a ‘South Park' marathon." Alessandra was a TV buff, similar to how he was a movie expert. He loved that about her.
"You have everything planned. I'll see you in a few hours. And don't fall asleep."
Once Tony had left the house, she turned on the TV and watched about 5 minutes of ‘So You Think You Can Dance' before sneaking out the back door.

The one thing Tony failed to tell Alessandra was that Phil's bachelor party was at a burlesque-style exotic dancing club.

As Tony entered the club to the pounding sound of Ramalama Bang Bang, he spotted Phil and greeted him at a private booth he booked out especially for this. There were about 10 other guys, 7 of which Tony knew from college, one he knew as Phil's brother and 2 guys he had never met before. Half of them were already drunk, just like Tony was planning to do, that is, before Alessandra came along.

"In 10 minutes we get to choose a dancer to give us a private performance," Phil told Tony. The other guys cheered. "We should probably pick one now, what do you say guys?" they cheered even louder. Tony felt a guilty that he didn't feel guilty about this, especially after what happened with Kate, and now Alessandra.
"Wow, look at that one," Phil's brother, who was extremely drunk, said as he pointed out a girl who was clearly getting all the attention.
"She's gorgeous," a guy called Marty shouted. She clearly was. Even though they couldn't see her face. She had long brown hair, tanned skin and a perfectly toned body, just like a Victoria's Secret model, thought Tony, who was now slightly drunk. She was wearing black silk hipster underwear with a matching red silk bra with black lace over the top.

"I just spoke to the guy who owns this. He said her name is Daemona Von Tease and we can have her over here in 10 minutes." The guys cheered. Daemona turned around, so her face was visible. The guys, now all drunk, started hollering and cheering even more. Her face has gorgeous, but familiar. His heart skipped a beat.
"No, we can't have her," Tony told the rest of the guys. They weren't happy to hear this.
"Why not, are you gay?" one of the guys Tony didn't know called out to him. The other guys roared with laughter.
"No, because I know her, and her name isn't Daemona." All the guys expressed their disappointment, loudly. Very loudly.

Tony stared at the dancer in disbelief. The guys had caught her attention. She looked at Tony, stopped dancing and ran off the mini platform and pole she was dancing on. Tony ran after her, and followed her into a hallway. He grabbed her just before she got into the dressing rooms.

It was Alessandra.

Chapter 22

"Alessandra, what are you doing here? You should be at home."
"I'm sorry I-" a big, bald security guard grabbed Tony's shoulder.
"You'll have to leave sir."
"But I wasn't doing anything wrong," Tony stuttered. Great, he thought. He sounded like McGee.
"Just back off Antonio, he's with me."
"Ok, but if he gives you any trouble…" he turned to Tony "then he is out. Are we clear?"
"Crystal. Now if you could just leave us alone for a sec," the guard snorted and walked off.
"Nice guy."
"You're kidding right," Alessandra stated sarcastically.
"Alessandra, you shouldn't have come here. You could have been kidnapped, or worse, killed."
"I can look after myself, and I have to get back to work," Alessandra went to walk away, but Tony stepped in front of her.
"I can't let you do this. I have to look after you so nothing bad happens. When you work in a place like this, then that is not that unlikely."
"It can't be that bad here. You're here."
"I told you I was going to a bachelor party. Why would you even work in a place like this? You could be a model, an actress, a singer."
"A singer?"
"I've heard you sing around work, in Abby's lab, and you're good. Alessandra, you could be anything you want. But instead you work here."
"Do you think I'm happy about it?" Alessandra cried "I have no money. I've lost contact with my family, and I was too embarrassed to ask anyone for money. Jason was away in Iraq, what was I supposed to do?"
"Alessandra, there are better ways to make money."
"I really need to get back to work, they could fire me," she tried to get away again, but Tony stepped in front of her and grabbed her shoulder.
"I can't let you."
"Why, because it's your job to make sure I don't get hurt?" She looked him in the eyes. He looked sincere.
"No, because I don't want anything bad to ever happen to you. Honest." He kissed her on the forehead to assure her everything was alright and that he meant what he said. He wiped the tears from her face. "Just promise me that you won't do anything like this again. When it is all over, we can find you another job."
"On one condition."
"You name it."
"You will find out who is after me and stop them."
"That's fair." She hugged him
"I'm so sorry, Tony." He rubbed her back and kissed the top of her head.
"Everything will be fine. Put this on," he handed her his coat.
"Thanks" she put it on. It was big, but it covered her up.
"Now, I'll take you home. I think we can still catch some of that South Park marathon if we hurry." She laughed.
"That would be great."
"I just need to say goodbye to all the guys. We can call here tomorrow and tell them that you quit." She nodded.

"Woooo! Look who Tony's got for our own little private dance." They all cheered.
"Cool it guys. I'm taking her home." He realized that was the wrong thing to say.
"Ooh, you lucky bastard." Alessandra giggled
"I didn't mean it like that. She is-" he almost forgot he couldn't mention the case, even to a load of drunks. "She is my girlfriend." they all clapped and cheered. "I'd better get her home. Congratulations on everything Phil," Phil slurred something to Tony, but he couldn't make out a single word. "Yeah, you too," he guessed.
"You understood that?" Alessandra whispered.
"No, not really. Now let's get you home."
"About time," she joked.

Chapter 23

"Alessandra, hurry up! I'll be late for work!"
"Can you wait, maybe 5 more minutes?" Alessandra asked. She was frantically looking around the little room they spent the previous night in.
"What's wrong?" Alessandra stopped looking for a second.
"I can't find Kenny. I looked everywhere. I left him right here before I left last night. I don't remember if I saw him when we came in or not."
"Are you sure you didn't leave him with Kate, or in Abby's lab?"
"I don't think so."
"Alessandra," he wasn't sure he should ask about why Kenny was so special to her or just let it go. He thought he knew, based on what Kate told him, but it wasn't the same as being told by her. "Do you mind if I ask why Kenny is so special?" Alessandra swallowed.
"I have a twin sister. Her name was Kendra."
"Was?" asked Tony. He knew what she was going to say.
"She went missing when I, we, were 13, 3 weeks after our 13th birthday. We loved South Park, especially Kenny. I was always jealous of Kendra because her name resembled his. Her nickname was Kenny, so for our 13th birthday, she got Kenny, and I got a soft cat toy because my nickname was Catty"
"Catty?"
"I know" she laughed "No resemblance. But I didn't like being called Alice."
"I'll pretend that makes sense. Have you heard anything from Kendra?"
"No. The day she went missing, I didn't think much of it. We were close, but I loved her Kenny toy, so I took it. I told Kate that it was mine and I got the last one in stock, because I felt a little guilty that I had taken it. After about 3 days, I really started to worry. I started taking Kenny everywhere, like Kendra used to. I started to think, if I took him everywhere, that maybe, she would stay alive. I know that's impossible. I'm sorry, you probably think all this is stupid." That was a completely different story to the one that Kate had told him. He wondered how she would react if she found out he knew the real side, and she knew a made-up side Alessandra had used as a cover up.
"It's not stupid. He means a lot to you so we'll find him."
"I can't make you late to work though, so I'll look after work."

"Hey, Kate. Did I leave Kenny with you?"
"Sorry Alessandra. Why, did you lose him?" Alessandra nodded. Kate gave her a hug. "We will find Kendra. Whoever is doing all this to you might be the same people who took her."
"I'm not sure to hope that they are or aren't." She had a point. It had been seven years since Kendra went missing. Alessandra didn't even know how Kendra was taken, no-one would tell her.
"When we are done with this case, I'll see if we can get Gibbs to allow us to see her file." Gibbs walked in. "I'll ask him now, actually, today might not be a good day" he was carrying two cups of coffee.
"I think I know what we are doing today," Tony told himself
"And what would that be," asked McGee.
"Today is interrogation day. Watch out Alessandra, he can get nasty in there," Kate shot Tony a hate glare.
"Relax. It's nothing to worry about. You have nothing to hide." She looked at Tony. She didn't know what Kate would do when she found out where she worked.

Chapter 24

"So, why are you down here again?" Abby asked Alessandra.
"I'm looking for Kenny, and I think Gibbs is interrogating Natasha and Annette."
"I haven't seen Kenny since you took him home yesterday, I swear. Natasha and Annette, are they the redhead and the blonde who were here the other day?"
"That's right," Alessandra nodded.
"So you're not allowed to see them."
"Not until after the interrogation. I didn't even know they were here until they were in the rooms."
"Ok" Abby looked at Alessandra. It was obvious about how she missed Kendra.
"Alice," she looked up at Abby. "Kate told me about Kendra." Alessandra sighed.
"Kendra was my best friend, and Kenny was the only thing of meaning that didn't go missing with her."
"I'm so sorry," Abby said as she gave Alessandra a hug. Alessandra let out a bit of a forced laugh.
"That's the second time I've heard that today."
"So you've told Tony?"
"Yes."
"So you know that you made it so Kate and Tony don't talk to each other anymore?"
"I did what?"
"Kate saw you and Tony, at the party and the pictures."
"Oh crap, what have I done?"
"It's not your fault. It's Tony's. At least, according to Kate."
"You don't think it's my fault, do you?"
"Oh, of course not. In the few days I've known you I'd never think that you would do something like that" Alessandra held Bert up to Abby like she was going to throw him. "No, don't throw Bert!"
"I wasn't gonna."
"Ok, fine. I don't think it was your fault. Honest."
"I believe that. Why would Kate be so mad in the first place? Were her and Tony-" Abby knew Kate would kill her if she told.
"No, they weren't. Kate is just worried about how Tony will treat you. He does have a bad reputation when it comes to commitment."
"Oh," Alessandra seemed disappointed. Abby didn't mean to upset her.
"No, don't worry. It's never too late for him to change."
"That's good." Alessandra seemed a bit happier now.

Kate and Tony looked through the one way mirror into interrogation room 2, where Gibbs was interrogating Natasha. He had just done with Annette in room 1, and now she was flirting like mad with McGee who was in there with her. McGee wasn't used to this sort of attention - other than with Abby - and he enjoyed it.

"If you know I didn't do anything wrong, then why am I here? You do believe me when I said I would never hurt Alessandra, didn't you?" Natasha asked Gibbs.
"I believed you. And your alibi checked out. We just need to know what kind of person Alessandra was, and if there was anyone who would want her dead"
"No-one would want her dead. She didn't have many enemies."
"Not many. That means she still had some."
"There were a few girls who didn't like her in school, but they wouldn't want her dead"
"I'll need names."
"Ok. There was a girl in the year below us. Her name was Hallie-" but before she could finish an alarm went off. "What's that?" Natasha asked in a panic as the alarm got louder.
"We need to get out of here. You need to stay with me."

Natasha followed Gibbs as he went to round up all the agents.
"You must remain in pairs. Do not lose sight of your partner," he told each of them. Gibbs paired up with Natasha, Annette with McGee, so that left Kate with Tony. When they got to the bullpen, they stopped. "Everyone wait here while I go and get Abby and Alessandra." And Gibbs ran down the stairs, as the elevator was not allowed to be used in an emergency.
"What is going on?" Annette asked, hoping someone might have a faint clue.
"Either something has caught fire, there is a viral contamination in Autopsy or the Lab, there is someone in the building who shouldn't be here or a bomb threat. It could be anything." Tony told everyone.
"Has this happened before?"
"Once, before Kate and McGee joined up. It was a false alarm though. Some homeless guy came in because he was hungry or something."
"Let's just hope that's the case this time," Kate said, to no-one in particular.

"What is going on Abby?" Gibbs asked when he found her and Alessandra outside the Lab shaking.
"We don't really know. One minute, we were just talking, and the next, BAM" Abby shouted. "Something flies in through the window" She slowed her voice down and softened her tone a bit. "Then we got a message that said 'you have 30 minutes'. Then the alarm went off. I'm worried that there might be a bomb in NCIS headquarters"

Chapter 25

"We have to get out of here," Gibbs took Abby and Alessandra to the stairs, because the elevator would be too slow. "You two are paired up. You must not lose sight of each other and know where the other one is at all times."
"Ok."
"Got it Gibbs."
"Good."

When Gibbs, Abby and Alessandra got up to where everyone was, they had to leave. Immediately.
"Where are we going?" Abby asked.
"Everyone is going to a separate hotel with their partner."
"I'd like to swap partners then."
"Too bad Kate, you're stuck with DiNozzo," Kate rolled her eyes and looked at Tony, who was now grinning madly. She resisted the urge to elbow him in the stomach.
"You will not be able to contact anyone until you get a call from either me or the director saying so. You are not to leave your hotel rooms under any circumstances. Are we clear?"
"Yes," everyone replied.
"Good."
"Gibbs," Natasha said shyly, "if you don't mind me asking, when are we going to find out why the alarm went off."
"We won't know for sure until tomorrow. We have people coming and inspecting the premises in a few hours. If the note said 30 minutes and it was a bomb then it should have exploded by then," Kate, Tony and McGee had never seen Gibbs talk so much in his life.
"The Director has arranged for 4 cabs to pick us up and drop us each off at a hotel different to the person before us. You will not get preference in the room or the hotel"
"Boss," Tony butted in
"What is it DiNozzo?" Gibbs snapped
"Do we get room service?"
"Your meals will be provided."
"But do we get-"
"You will not get preference in anything" Gibbs cut him off. He was annoyed now.
"Ok boss. Sorry boss."
"Shut up DiNozzo, you're starting to sound like McGee."
"Hey," yelled McGee "Boss," he softened his voice realizing he had just yelled at Gibbs
"And you're turning into DiNozzo."

Chapter 26

"Well McGee, what do you think?" Annette asked McGee when they arrived at the hotel. It was an average looking hotel with an old TV, 2 rooms - one of which was a bathroom - and 2 double beds. Only problem was, one of the beds had a spring poking out of the middle.
"I think Abby is going to kill me."
"Why do you say that?" McGee pointed to the bed with the broken spring.
"We can share."
"That's what I was afraid of."
"Well then you get the bed with the spring or the floor. I get this bed," she said while jumping on the bed that wasn't broken.
"Careful there Annette, you could break the only good bed," McGee stuttered
"First off, it's Annie. Secondly," she stopped jumping "why should you care when you get that bed," she said pointing the other bed.
"This is going to be a long night," muttered McGee to himself.
"What was that?" Annie looked at him
"Nothing. I'm just saying that Gibbs probably got himself the really good hotel."
"Well, he is your boss."
"But that doesn't mean-"
"Sorry, but it sorta does," Annie laughed. "Anyway, let's see what's on TV. Now, where is the remote?"

Chapter 27

"Wow, look at this place," Natasha was in awe of the hotel room. There was only one bedroom, but it was huge. Large enough to fit 2 King-sized beds. The bedroom had an en suite with a shower and a bathtub. Plus, there was a kitchen and an eating room, which Natasha had never seen in a hotel room before.
"We got one of the 2 good ones," Gibbs told Natasha.
"So, Agent Gibbs, tell me a bit about your self. What is going on in the world of Leroy Jethro Gibbs?" Natasha asked. Gibbs laughed.
"Nothing much."
"Oh come on, there has to be something. Anything. You ever been married?"
"3 times."
"3 times! Oh wow. Anything else?"
"That's it."
"No it's not. That's what you said before. Then you said you had been married 3 times. That isn't nothing."
"That's what they mean to me," they both laughed. "What about you and your family?" Gibbs had taken a shine to Natasha.
"Well, when I was 8 I was in a car accident. My mom died and I got amnesia when I was thrown out of the car windshield because I wasn't wearing a seatbelt. I can't even remember if my dad died in the crash too, or even what my name was. I was put in the orphanage and my adopted parents named me. Until then I was known as 'amnesia girl'. I don't know much about my real family. All I know is that my dad was a marine and my mom's name began with an S. My adopted family wouldn't tell me anything else." Gibbs tried to hide his shock. He didn't want to get his hopes up, so he asked another question.
"What were they like?"
"They were nice at first, but then they got a little snappy and demanding. Once the birth of their first child, they forgot I was their daughter too. They treated me like a maid. Not even, because maids are treated better than they acted towards me. I was with them for about 2 years before I called Child Services. They sent me to a new family up in Connecticut. They were really nice to me. It helped that they were millionaires. I kept my first name, but got their last name. Natasha Smith held too many bad memories, but I had gotten too used to the name Natasha to change it. So now I am Natasha Tarah Saunderson. I got to choose my middle name" she smiled. Her smile was so familiar. It reminded him of Shannon. Natasha had to be Kelly, but Gibbs didn't know for sure. After all, he couldn't just say 'Natasha, I am your father'. That sounded too much like Star Wars, or one of those movies Tony was always bringing up.

"Natasha, I don't know how to tell you this, but before the 3 marriages I told you about, I was married to a woman named Shannon. We had a baby girl who we named Kelly. I was in the Marine Core and when Kelly was 8 I was called to fight a war in Kuwait. I got a call when I was there telling me that my wife and daughter had been killed in an accident, when the driver of the car they were in was shot. They witnessed a crime, and were being protected by the NIS, which is now called NCIS. That's why I got the job there."
"You don't think I could be Kelly?"
"It's possible. After all, they said the bodies were horribly destroyed in the crash. For all I know, there could have been a third passenger who was mistaken for Kelly."
"Well, in that case, I want a DNA test. You know, just in case you are my real dad."
"I'll organize one for when we get back."

Chapter 28

"Oh Katie, look at this place. It's like something from... you know, I can't think of any movies to explain how bad this place looks" Tony said in disgust as he looked around his hotel room. There were roaches, spiders, ants and any other bug you can think of. It looked as if it hadn't been cleaned in years. There were 2 rooms, a bathroom with a dirty shower, rusted sink, broken mirror and a toilet... with a broken flush button. The other room had no TV, no radio, a table with a hole in the middle and 2 chairs stained with something they didn't want to know. The worst thing was, there was only one bed. A very small bed at that.
"Oh great," Kate walked over to the bed and sat on it.
"Looks like we will be sharing a bed tonight Katie." Tony walked over and sat next to Kate.
"No. I'm not sharing a bed with you Tony. Not if that was the last bed on earth."
"So, do you want to put 2 chairs together or sleep on the floor," Kate looked down at the floor. It was sticky, crawling with bugs and there were parts of the carpet that looked like they had grown to life.
"I get the bed. You get the floor," Tony let out a sarcastic laugh.
"Ok, I'll take the floor. And then, maybe we can call Gibbs and ask him for a raise. While we are at it why don't we just ask Elvis to do our laundry," Tony softened his voice and slowed it down a bit "Come on Kate, why can't we share?"
"Bad memories. And who is to say you won't try again."
"First, I won't do anything that makes you uncomfortable. I never want to hurt you. I wouldn't be able to live with myself. The only reason I went out with Alessandra is because you weren't interested. I'm sorry if it hurt you. I didn't mean to. I'd take everything back if I could." Kate's eyes widened. She had no idea he felt that way. "Secondly you made a move on me."
"You know, you almost had me until that last dumb remark. You need to learn how to shut up while you're ahead."
"It's part of my charm."
"Well, Prince Charming, you can sleep on the floor."
"Kate, I was kidding."
"I don't care."
"Katie," Tony got down on his knees and knelt down in front of Kate. She almost forgot why she was mad at him. "I'm sorry. About everything. I really do like you Kate. I like you a lot. And I know you don't like breaking the rules. But if you're willing to give me another chance, I'm willing to go as slow as you want."
"I couldn't. What about Alessandra? She likes you and she has been through so much. I can't do that to her."
"You don't have to. I don't think she likes me that much anyway. She was drunk, or drugged."
"So was I..."
"It was different with you Kate. Ever since I first met you I felt something like I have with no other person. Everything was meaningless, up until you and I-"
"Shut up and kiss me DiNozzo." Tony smiled got off his knees and kissed her. Kate never remembered that he was this good.
"Do I still get the floor," Tony asked with a smile on his face
"Only if you're bad," Kate teased
"Is that a request," Tony joked playfully. Kate just smiled and kissed him again.

Chapter 29

"Whoa, Gibbs must really love you Abby!" Alessandra said as she looked around the hotel room in awe. They were staying in a Penthouse. Only one bedroom, but there were 2 double beds in there so it didn't matter. There was an eating area, kitchen, bathroom, 40 inch flat screen TV and a massage chair.
"I get the chair first," screamed Abby as she ran to the chair.
"5 minutes."
"20."
"10."
"Deal. Then you get it for 10."
"That sounds fair."

There was nothing that interested them both on TV for another few hours, so they turned it off and just sat there.
"I still can't believe what happened back at the lab," Abby broke the silence.
"I know. That voice... where did it come from?" Alessandra had a hint of fear in her voice.
"I don't know. I don't even want to think about it."

"Haha! Mine went the furthest!" Abby gloated.
"No, my paper plane SO went further than yours," Alessandra complained.
"You're just jealous."
"Jealous? Of what?"
"I won."
"You did not win. I won. You jus-" Abby clamped her hand over Alessandra's mouth "Did you hear that?" Abby whispered.
"Hear what?" Alessandra whispered back.
"That."
"What?"
"If I knew what it was, I wouldn't be asking?"

They stood there silent for a few minutes, and either of them heard anything.
"Nothing. I'm starting to think you're just pulling my cha-" Alessandra stopped talking. "I heard it" Alessandra softened her voice again.
"What do you think it was?"
"I have no idea. It sounded halfway between a rattle and someone stomping."

They waited a few more minutes and didn't hear anything again.
"You know I'm getting pretty sick of this sh-AHHHHHHHH" A rock went through the window of Abby's lab, scaring Alessandra and Abby
"Where the hell did that come from?"
"I have no idea. We should probably get away from the window just in case."
"Do not move," said a robotic voice
"What? Who said that?"
"Alessandra, I think we should get Gibbs."
"You have 30 minutes."
"30 minutes till what? Where are you coming from?"
"Look," Abby pointed to a flashing device near the window "I think it's a speaker."
"Great. Abby..." Alessandra was freaking out. The alarm went off and they both screamed.
"Alessandra, we have to stay here."
"We can't stay here!"
"In an emergency, we must stay outside the lab until Gibbs comes and gets us. All we can do is wait and hope he comes soon."

Chapter 30

"Abby, it's my turn on the chair."
"5 more minutes."
"You said that 5 minutes ago!"
"Oh fine." Abby got out of the chair "Hey, do you want popcorn or something?"
"Yeah sure. I've been feeling really hungry lately for no reason. I'll check the TV guide again for movies"

2 identical 13 year old girls sat in the park playing a clapping game. They were smiling, laughing, not a care in the world. The first girl had a cat toy under her arm, and the second girl had a Kenny toy in her lap. Both toys had ribbons tied around the neck. Twisted rhymes were very popular, with everyone singing "Mrs. Lucy", while these girls had a more X-rated version they had gotten from South Park. The girls started chanting;
"Mrs. Landers was a health nut, she cooked food in a wok. Mr. Harris was her boyfriend and he had a great big
Cock-a-doodle-doodle, the rooster just won't quit, and I don't want my breakfast because it tastes like
Shitzus make good house pets, they're cuddly and sweet; monkeys aren't good to have 'cause they like to beat their
Dictate what I'm saying, 'cause it will bring you luck, and if you all don't like it I don't give a flying-

"ALICE!"
"Wha- Huh?"
"You were in a trance."
"No I wasn't."
"Yes you were, I've been calling you for ages. What were you thinking about?"
"Nothing," Abby could tell it wasn't nothing.
"You miss Kendra, don't you?"
"Yeah," Alessandra sighed "You know, when I had Kenny, it always felt like a small part of her was with me. Gave me hope she was still alive."
"Oh, I'm sorry."
"It's not your fault. You wanted to ask me something?"
"Oh, yeah. Do you like butter on our popcorn?"
"Extra please."
"That's they way I like it too," Abby came out with the popcorn.
"Thanks for that." she grabbed a handful of popcorn.
"Any good movies?"
"Well, we can choose between Material Girls -"
"Ugh no, I'm not a Hilary Duff fan."
"Good, either am I. There is also Napoleon Dynamite, House of Wax, the Sponge-Bob Movie, Love Actually, Scary Movie 3, the Notebook and White Chicks"
"As much as I love Napoleon Dynamite and Scary Movie 3, I'm in the mood for a horror movie"
"So House of Wax?"
"Definitely. There is nothing better than a Scary Movie before bed."

Abby and Alessandra had been watching House of Wax for about 30 minutes when there was a knock on the door.
"I'll get it. You stay here Alessandra. It's obvious that you have never seen this movie."
"How did you know?"
"You're shaking," Abby laughed.
"I didn't think it was that noticeable."

Abby looked through the peephole and there was no-one there. That's strange . Abby opened the door a bit and when she saw something at the door opened it fully to get a better look. She stood there in shock. She felt sick
"Umm, Alessandra. You might need to see this."
"What is it?" Alessandra got out of her chair and made her way over to the door.
Alessandra screamed. She felt weak. Now she was certain someone was stalking her.

Chapter 31

At the door Abby and Alessandra stared at Alessandra's Kenny toy lying at the front door. This should have been happy for her, after all, she thought she'd lost him. But this was different. He was covered in blood and a bloody dagger was stabbed in the middle of him, holding on a piece of paper. "We Killed Kenny" the note said, written in the killer's signature, in blood.
"You don't think," Alessandra asked Abby
"Honestly, I don't know". They were of course, referring to Kendra.
"She has been missing for 7 years now," Alessandra cried. "Why didn't they do this sooner?"
"You know what, I changed my mind. I think someone is just trying to scare you."
"Is Kenny evidence now?"
"Yes. We have to call Gibbs."
"But we don't know where he is staying. Plus, he said not to call him."
"Well Alice, don't you think this is important?"
"Yeah, I do."
"So I'm gonna call Gibbs," Abby walked over to the phone. She picked it up, and stopped. "Where is he staying?"
"And I would know this because..."
"Sorry. Didn't think. I'll try his cell."
Abby wasn't hesitant when she called Gibbs.

"Gibbs," he stated when he answered his phone.
"GIBBS! We need you here right now."
"Abby, what did I say about calling?"
"No, this is important. They know where Alessandra and I are."
"Are you sure about that Abs?"
"Yes! We found Kenny, he was at our door drenched in blood and there was a dagger in him with a note attached and it said ‘we killed Kenny' in blood and Alice's sister's nickname was Kenny and she is missing and we are really worried and we need you here like right now," Abby rushed.
"We're on our way now. Stay where you are and do NOT touch Lenny."
"Kenny."
"Doesn't matter, it's the same thing." And with that, Gibbs hung up.

"He is coming, and we can't touch Kenny."
"I'm scared."
"So am I Alice," Abby hugged Alessandra "Everything will be fine... I hope."

Chapter 32

Tony and Kate were lying in bed and the phone rang.
"Should I get that?" Tony asked
"No," Kate was clearly comfortable, resting her head on Tony's chest
"Fine, I won't." the phone went to message bank
"DiNozzo! Pick up the damn phone or else I will-"
"Boss, sorry about that, I was asleep. Is everything Ok?"
"No. Benny turned up. He was soaked in blood and at the doorstep of where Abby and Alessandra are staying."
"Benny?"
"That thing she always carries around."
"Oh, you mean Kenny."
"That's what I said."
"Ok, sorry Boss. Whose blood was it," Tony asked. Kate sat up at the sound of the word blood
"Now how do you think I'd know that DiNozzo?"
"Sorry boss, I'll slap myself," just before he could, Kate slapped him in the back of the head. He turned to Kate and she smiled. He smiled back.
"Now hurry up, a cab will pick you up in about 10 minutes," Gibbs hung up.
"What happened?" Kate asked
"Kenny turned up, soaked in blood at Abby and Alessandra's hotel room door. We have 10 minutes to get ready."
"Only 10 minutes? Tony, you pack up our stuff, I'm gonna go have a quick shower" Kate said as she ran into the bathroom with the blanket from the bed wrapped around her "Actually on second thought, I might wait until later to shower. I forgot how disgusting this room was." Tony laughed

They both grabbed the nearest clothes to them, shoved them on and got the little stuff they brought together and headed off towards the lobby.

Chapter 33

"Oh my god," Annie screamed as she got to the crime scene. She had never seen anything like this before. Natasha on the other-hand seemed to be a little more adjusted to the blood, like she had seen it before.
"Annie, are you sure you want to be here now?" McGee asked
"I have to be here for Alessandra. Where is she?"
"She is with Abby?"
"Where the heck are Kate and DiNozzo?"
"Umm, I don't know, they haven't turned up yet?"
"Do you deal with things like this everyday?"
"Yes, but they are usually bodies and not toys," Annie started shaking
"I could never do this."
"McGee, go and take Annette and Natasha to Abby and Alessandra."
"I'm fine here Gibbs, this is interesting. I want to help, if that's alright."
"Until Kate and DiNozzo get here, then you can help." He threw her a pair of gloves.
"Annette, do you want to help," Gibbs asked
"Oh no, I think I'll be fine with Abby and Alessandra thank you." She ran out of the room. Gibbs smiled.
"Yeah, I didn't think so."
"Well, what do we have here," Ducky asked as he strolled into the scene
"Alessandra's doll thing is soaked in blood. He had a dagger through him and this note was attached." Gibbs showed Ducky the note.
"The doll bleed out?" Ducky was clearly confused.
"No, it went missing and turned up right here, covered in blood."
"Oh, that makes more sense."

"Hey boss, what did we miss?" Tony asked as he finally arrived.
"Every thing. We are done here."
"Boss, how come Abby and Alessandra got to stay here and Kate and I got a dump that smelt like pee?"
"Because, I like Abby more than you. She is never late."
"But the scene was here, she couldn't be late to where she was-" Gibbs shot him a look "Oh, ok boss."
"How's Alessandra holding up," Kate asked Natasha.
"Not well, she thinks the blood is from Kendra, because of the note."
"The note?"
"Over here," Natasha led Kate to Kenny and the note.
"Oh my god, I can't imagine how she must be feeling right now. Personally, do you think it's Kendra?"
"No, actually, I don't. Whoever they are seem to want to scare Alessandra. This could be a hoax."
"Or, it could be part of something much bigger."
"That too. Whatever this is, we should be sure that none of us go anywhere alone. After all, he could go after one of us to try and scare her next."
"Good point Natasha. I think having Gibbs around for a night has rubbed off on you." Natasha smiled at Kate's remark.

Chapter 34

"So, this sample is from Kenny?"
"Correct," Kate answered Abby.
"And this is why Alessandra got to go shopping with Natasha, Annie and Tony, so she wouldn't see the results."
"Once again you are correct."
"It's kinda of funny, Tony shopping with three girls. The question is, do any of them have the power over his credit card?"
"I don't think so. He left his wallet here, he only brought his gun."
"Ok, that makes sense. I wouldn't leave without a gun either after what just happened."
"Abby, can I talk to you alone for a second," Gibbs asked as he walked in and handed Abby a Caf-Pow.
"Whoa, where did you come from?"
"I'm leaving now" Kate walked out.
"Abby, I need you to do another DNA test matching these 2 hairs. Do you think you can do that?"
"Yeah ok. What's this for?"
"Just matching from the two crime scenes."
"But one hair is long and red and the other is short and silver."
"It might be a father daughter or husband and wife effort."
"Ok Bossman. I'll get it done as soon as possible. And send Kate back in."

"What was that about?" Kate asked.
"He wants me to test these two samples and see if they match. He said they're from the crime scene, but I don't believe him. Look." Abby handed Kate the glass containers holding each hair.
"The silver one looks like it could be from Gibbs, and the red from Natasha. It's about the right length. You don't think-"
"That Natasha is Gibbs secret love child? Could be," Abby cut Kate off. "So Kate, how was your night with Tony?"
"Good, you?"
"We made popcorn and watched House of Wax, and then we found Kenny. I need more info on your night."
"We stayed in a really crappy apartment with no TV."
"Well, something must have gone right, you two are talking again. And I saw the way you looked at him. Did you-"
"Does it matter?"
"I'll take that as a yes. When are you going to tell Alessandra."
"I wasn't planning on telling anyone."
"Oh come on Kate, we are your friends. Friends tell friends everything. And Alessandra is gonna want to know what's going on with her and Tony. She seemed confused about it yesterday."
"Alright, I'll tell her, but no-one else. And I'm trusting you to keep this a secret too."
"You've got my word." Abby smiled

Chapter 35

"You guys are back early," McGee said as Tony and Alessandra walked into the bullpen. "Where are Natasha and Annie?"
"At home, asleep. Apparently, you snore McGee."
"I do not!"
"Annie said she couldn't sleep."
"Then she was exaggerating."
"Annie has never lied in her life Tim," Alessandra pointed out
"Well, maybe a little, but not that much."
"Sure Timmy, we believe you." Tony patted McGee on the top of his head.
"Hey Alessandra, you don't look to good, are you alright?" McGee asked, changing the subject.
"Uh, yeah, I'm fine. I need to go to the ladies room, then I'm gonna go down and see Abby."
"Ok." McGee and Tony watched as Alessandra went into the elevator.
"I think something is wrong with her. That seems like the 20th time she has been to the bathroom today." Tony still had his eyes fixated on the elevator.
"I've noticed that too. Should we talk to her about it?"
"Probie, if there is one thing I know about women, is if she doesn't have a problem and we ask her if she has one, then she will kill us."
"And if she has a problem?"
"Then we might be in trouble."

"How did you go shopping?" Kate asked Alessandra.
"I didn't get anything, if that's what you mean. I almost bought a puppy, but then I remembered that if I got one, he could be brutally murdered in three days just to spite me."
"Don't be silly, we won't let anyone get to you. As long as you are in our hands you'll be fine."
"Thanks. That made me feel a little better"
"Good to see I have that effect. So, are you and Tony..."
"No, definately not. I can't risk getting to close to anyone right now. I mean, you saw the, well…"
"Yeah, I know."
"Speaking of Tony, do you know where he is?"
"Yeah, he's in the bullpen with McGee."
"Alright then, I'll see you later."
"See you," Alessandra said as Kate left the bathroom. There was a sharp pain in Alessandra's stomach. Great she thought. As she made her way into Abby's lab, she debated whether or not to tell Abby.

"Hey Alice! You get anything?"
"Abby, I need to talk to you for a second."
"Ok, sure. What do you need to talk about?"
"I think, I mean, I'm not sure, I really don't know."
"Spit it out."
"I think I'm pregnant."
"We need to do a test. We can get it done here, right now."
"Thanks Abby. And not a word of this to anyone, especially Kate."


Chapter 36

"Hey Kate." Tony walked into the bullpen. Kate was sitting alone, as McGee had gone off somewhere.
"What do you want Tony?"
"I was just thinking, if you're not doing anything tonight, if you wanted to…"
"Yes?"
"Go out on our first official date?" Kate loved it when he acted coy.
"I'd love to, but I think it depends on how the case is going."
"Oh, ok," Tony sounded more than a little disappointed. Kate couldn't stand to see him like that.
"How about if we are still at the office around dinner time, then we can find our own little spot and eat alone together." Tony smiled.
"Ok, I'll hold you to that."

"The suspense is killing me."
"Alessandra, if I had the results right here, would you want to know."
"Yes!" Abby gave her a look "No, I don't know."
"I better get your mind off the subject. So, what did you think of House of Wax?"
"It was good. That Wade guy was really hot."
"Yeah, I know. He's on Supernatural right?"
"Yeah. I love that show."
"What's the older brother's name? Dean, or something?"
"Yeah, that's right."
"Man, he is hot."
"I know." Alessandra laughed. Abby really knew how to get her mind off of things.

Several machines started beeping.
"Abby, I think the thing is done."
"Yeah, you're right. I've got the results to all three tests. The blood, the hair, and your test."