Ellie: Wow! I honestly didn't expect such a great reaction to this story, so to everyone that has reviewed, favourited, followed or even just read it, thank you SO much, really, it means the world! Here's an update, because you're all wonderful!

Gibbs watched from the doorway as Tony held his sister close, whispering into her hair as she calmed down.
Kate had arrived not to long after they had, and they'd combed the apartment, found the Fire Door jimmied, which they dusted and photographed, only thing left was the bedroom. But they didn't want to go in, didn't want to pull Alice away from Tony.

"DiNozzo. We're going to need evidence from in here soon." Gibbs said in the softest voice he could muster and Tony looked up, though the voice made Alice let out a sound near enough a scream. He cupped her head gently, cradling her closer to him and glanced at Gibbs.

"Sure Boss. I'll take Al to the office, see if we can get an examination done." He offered and Gibbs nodded.
Tony was careful as he stood, keeping Alice close as he lifted her bridal style, moving towards the door.
"Can I grab her coat?" He checked, nodding back when Gibbs gave him the okay. He draped the coat over Alice and grabbed the keys, heading down to the car.
"I'm gonna have to put you down to drive Al." He warned as he moved slowly down the stairs.
"And when we get to NCIS, think we can try and let Ducky examine you? For evidence, and then we can catch the bastard that did this to you." He said, sighing quietly when he didn't get any response from her bar the tightening of her grip on his shirt collar.
"But only if you're okay with it." He assured reaching the car and pulling open the door, gently setting her in the passenger seat and doing up her seatbelt.
"It's gonna be okay." He comforted, smoothing her hair before shutting the door. He could see, rather than hear her crying the second he shut the door so he hurried round the car, settling in the drivers seat and taking her hand.
"Alice, I need to drive. Do you want the radio on?" He asked, though again he got no answer, not that he was expecting one. He flicked it onto her favourite station and turned it down real low, so he could listen out for any change in her breathing or anything that might indicate a spike in her panic, or her falling asleep.

Nothing changed during the drive, though Tony barely watched the road, spending so much time glancing over to make sure Alice was okay. He still felt so sick, though he was sure not as sick as she was feeling.

"Al, we're at NCIS, I'm gonna get out of the car, then come and get you." He told her before getting out. Despite his warning he could once again see her start to cry the moment he got out of the car and shut his door. He was quick as he moved round, lifting his sister up again, making sure her coat was tucked around her. She didn't sleep in much, and now it was even less. Even if he hadn't been able to protect her in the first place, he wanted to protect her modesty now.
"Stairs or Elevator?" He asked and he was surprised when she motioned to the stairs. He nodded, kissing her head gently as he moved towards the door.
"Stairs it is." He smiled.

"Do you remember our stair game? When we'd do the times tables as we went up, because you sucked?" He tried something that he thought would make her smile.

"You got really good after we started playing that, always determined to beat me." He kissed her head again as he put his foot on the first step.
"One times three, is three."

With the amount of stairs up from the garage to Autopsy, Tony was up to the five times table by the time he reached it, but still he hadn't gotten anything from Alice. He hadn't expected anything, but he'd so feverently hoped.
He paused outside the doors, catching his breath a moment.
"This is where Ducky works, Al. He's gonna take a look at you, but I promise, I'll be right there." He assured before stepping through the doors. Ducky's face was grave, he'd quite liked Alice, from the little time he'd spent with her, and he'd hoped she'd escape all the gruesomeness that came with a job such as his and Tony's. But apparently she didn't have such luck.

"How is she?" He asked, despite knowing that as a rather stupid question. He just couldn't stand the silence and he suddenly understood Abby's need for loud music all the time.
Tony simply shook his head, words failing him slightly as he gently set her on one of the tables, keeping his hand on her back as he stayed right by her side.
"Am I doing a kit?" Ducky asked, pulling on his gloves, careful to avoid the usual snap of the latex.

"Yeah. Be careful." He advised, not entirely sure how Alice would react to a touch from someone else. Especially not where Ducky was going to have to touch.
He carefully lifted her coat from over her, wrapping it around her shoulders instead, kissing the side of her head.
"Alice, Ducky's gonna examine you. Which means he's gonna have to touch you, but I won't let him hurt you." Tony explained softly and Ducky schooled his face into the kindest one possible as he offered her a smile, stepping forward with his kit. Alice gave no sign she'd even heard Tony as she stared off into space, her eyes glazed over and glassy.
With a resigned sigh, Tony nodded to Ducky, telling him to continue. Ducky was hesitant as he examined her, trying to do everything before he did the kit, but he quickly noticed how despondent she was. He and Tony had to move her every-which-way to get the job done and not a sound left her lips, even though Ducky was certain she was uncomfortable.

"Okay, only one thing left." He admitted, having exhausted everything he could do, still getting no reaction. Tony nodded solemnly, wrapping his arm tighter around Alice as Ducky once again moved her into the correct position, crouching to take a swab.
They still got no reaction and worry etched itself across Tony's face as he gently rubbed her arm.

It didn't take long, especially considering her lack of fight, and Ducky stood, sealing off the specimen jars.
"I'm gonna write out a note, asking for some sedatives for her, I'll get someone to go and fetch them, to make her sleep. She'll need it." He explained as he set the samples aside.
"I'm so very sorry." He added on, looking at Alice, who hadn't moved and was still staring ahead into space.

Tony nodded slowly and sighed, not even bothering to see if she'd stand on her own as he lifted her back into his arms, smiling as Ducky draped her coat back over her.
"Come on then Al, I'm gonna take you to a little room where you can sit for now, till I can take you home." He explained as he walked out of Autopsy, heading for the stairs again. Anything that Alice wanted.

He settled her down in one of the conference rooms, sitting her on the table and carefully arranging chairs into a makeshift bed, since Ducky had promised to get them sedatives.
"Al... you wanna talk to me?" He asked, now crouching before her with his hands resting on her knees.
"Please? I know things are scary and you're hurting, but I need to know you're still in there Alice..." He pleaded gently, hoping he could get through to her.
Something seemed to, at least a little, as she looked down at him, though she still said nothing. He did his best to smile at her, reaching up to cup her face, his thumb gently tracing her cheek bone.
"I got you Al. You're safe now."

They were still in the same position when Gerald arrived, ten minutes later, with the sedatives Ducky had requested.
"One pill, Tony." He instructed, handing over a strip, though he kept the box.
"Ducky's orders. He doesn't want Alice to end up doing something stupid." Gerald explained when Tony shot him a look.
With a sigh, Tony stood, popped one of the pills out onto his hand and grabbed a polysterine cup of water from the dispenser.

"Alice, you need to take this." He said, holding the pill out to her. When she didn't move, he sighed and pressed the small capsule to her lips. She opened her mouth and he gently rested it upon her tongue for her, before pulling back. He watched her throat bounce as she swallowed. He didn't even bother offering her the water, just gently pressed the cup to her lips, tipping it till she drank.

"She'll be out in ten minutes with these ones." Gerald explained with a sad smile, motioning to the chairs.
"She won't have to stay on those long. I heard Director on the phone, demanding an airbed and blankets be brought up. I think Gibbs called." He nodded before leaving, not giving Tony a chance to properly process the last bit. Everyone was on his side today, but for all the wrong reasons.

"Time to lay down Al, you'll be asleep soon." He promised, pulling off his jacket and bunching it up for her to use as a pillow before manoeuvring her onto the chairs, stroking her hair the way their Mom had done when one of them was sick.

Gerald was right as within ten minutes, Alice was unconscious, out for the count. Tony slumped against the chairs, not bothering to get up from the floor as tears flooded his eyes.
He should have told Gibbs he'd get to the paperwork tomorrow, he should have brought her to work with him, he should have gotten someone to stay with her, he should have done something to protect her. This was all his fault.

"I'm so sorry Al. It's my job to keep you safe, I promised." He whispered, lifting his head to stroke hers gently, tears pouring down his face.
He wasn't normally one to cry, but this was his sister, been his sister for most of his life, despite him telling Kate different. That was his Father's stipulation, not his.

His head shot up as the door opened and he did his best to wipe his face as Director Morrow stepped in, motioning in two agents that were carrying an already inflated airbed along with pillows and blankets.
Under his direction, they set it down in the corner, before exiting hastily, leaving the Director alone with Tony, who was still trying to compose himself enough to move Alice safely.

"How you holding up DiNozzo?" He asked, resting by the door and eyeing his agent. Tony simply nodded, finally calm enough to lift Alice, moving her over to the bed and setting her down, setting the blanket over her and tucking it around her, re-taking his seat on the floor beside her.
"You need anything?" The Director asked, now moving into the room and seating himself nearby, simply watching Tony and the sleeping Alice.

"No Sir. Just to catch the bastard that did this to her." Tony stated, his teeth clenching without his permission. The Director nodded, offering him a consoling smile.

"That's actually what I'm here to talk about. See, this is a very unusual case, in terms of connection. We checked, it is in our jurisdiction, but your relation to the victim is causing us trouble, so you now have a choice." He explained, leaning forward slightly.
"You can either work on the case, let someone else take protection detail on the Victim, or we can take you off the case and you take her home. That's all we can offer." Morrow explained, his face betraying his sympathy to Tony's situation. Tony frowned, glancing down at Alice, before back up to the Director.

"I..." He couldn't make his brain work properly, so instead he simply looked back to his sister, still unable to wrap his head around what had happened to her today, especially now she looked so at peace.

"I'll give you a little while to decide, but if you don't, we'll have to decide for you and you'll be off the case." Director Morrow stood slowly, sighing.
"And I'm sorry, Tony." He added on before he left the room, once again leaving Tony alone with his thoughts.

"What am I gonna do, Al? If I take the case on, I can't see you till it's done or cold... but if I don't take the case, I can't catch the bastard that did this to you." He breathed in slowly, and then out, doing his best not to cry again. Crying wouldn't help right now.

He was joined, half an hour later, by Kate and Gibbs, both looking concerned, though Gibbs hid it in his usual manner.
"You made a decision?" Kate asked, noting the way Tony hovered next to the airbed, never more than a few feet from Alice, who was unconscious. Ducky had told them about the sedatives, so that was no surprise.

"I have." Tony nodded, gently stroking Alice's head before standing, his legs dead and his limbs shaking, though his resolve was clear on his face.
"I'm taking the case." He stepped up close to the two people that he'd trust with his life, squaring up more Gibbs than Kate.
"You take care of her. You keep her safe and I swear if I hear one report of her having a panic, there will be consequences." He stated, turning to shoot Kate a glare too, before stalking from the room to start investigating.

Kate glanced at Gibbs, raising her eyebrow at him.
"You're letting him get away with threatening you?" She asked in disbelief. She didn't think any situation would make Gibbs this soft. Gibbs shrugged, shifting until he was comfortable in the seat he had chosen once Tony had left.

"For now. He needs something to direct his energy towards. And if threatening me helps for now, then I'll let it slide." He explained before waving his hand at Kate.
"Go help Tony. I'll take first watch while we decide where to put her." He commanded, though Kate couldn't help but note the fact his voice was softer than normal. She filed it away for later, nodding as she quickly departed from the room.

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