Author's Notes: A thanks to all my reviewers, readers, and followers! You're awesome. And thanks to G for helping me straighten Gibbs out this chapter - he was giving me grief, but we fed him coffee and this chapter finally got finished. Enjoy!

~ Monsters ~

Kensi microwaved some canned stew for their dinner, and afterwards carried Jody to the bathroom for another battle to bathe the girl. Jody still squirmed and yelled, but remained in the tub while Kensi quickly and carefully cleaned her. The incident was further stressful because Kensi had to pry the pink bear from the child's hand prior, to make sure the toy wouldn't get soaked in the bath. It was clear Jody had a safety-based attachment to the stuffed toy, but if it got wet she wouldn't be able to cuddle it until it dried.

Kensi dressed the three-year-old in new purple pyjamas, which Jody loved, and returned the bear to the child's awaiting arms. Carrying Jody to bed, Kensi snatched a book from the bedside table and settled on the bed a distance from the girl to read it. She wanted to encourage Jody to sleep, and make sure she felt relaxed enough to do so, which is where the storybook was most useful.

The simple task became much more to Kensi, however, when Jody crawled over to snuggle beside her and sucked her thumb while her bear was tucked under one arm.

Jody's attention was on the book the entire time, but Kensi kept drifting her gaze to the small child curled up beside her. Jody looked so comfortable and trusting; the sight alone stirred something inside Kensi that she wasn't sure she could risk feeling. Her bond with Jody swelled, and Kensi could no longer imagine parting from the child who depended on her saviour to keep her safe from the darkness of the world. Kensi no longer minded agonising over what to feed the girl, or struggling with simple tasks - such as dressing and bathing her. As Kensi read the story, she even wanted to sit cuddled with the sweet little girl every night to help her sleep and feel safe.

It hadn't been long enough to really call it a routine, but nevertheless Kensi knew she'd miss these moments if the worse were the happen.

Kensi had saved Jody from a terrible fate, but it was still kidnap. She had no legal claim on the child – all it would take was for someone to know what really happened that night in the warehouse and Jody would be removed from her care. Kensi couldn't breathe a word of the truth because she was afraid of losing Jody – it was the only way to make sure the girl was safe. It didn't matter that Kensi knew there were people she could trust, and who could help her keep Jody safe and a secret – her mind wasn't thinking about that. Kensi was afraid – she'd committed a crime in itself by taking Jody and not alerting anyone. She felt if she told one person, no matter who it was, somehow everyone would know. It wasn't rational, but Kensi couldn't shake it off. She couldn't stand the thought of letting Jody down in any way – it didn't matter what Kensi wanted or needed; it was all about Jody.

'Bear!' Jody pointed to the brown bear illustrated on the page of the book, jolting Kensi from her thoughts.

'Yeah, bear.' Kensi smiled, looking down at the pair of bright green eyes staring up at her.

Hearing Jody speak was an amazing sound, after the extended silence and fear the girl had demonstrated most of the time she'd been with Kensi. It was a stage of progress which gave Kensi hope, but also reassurance, that she was doing the right thing by making the little girl her sole priority above all else.

'Ly mine!' Jody lifted her pink bear, recognising the species similarities.

'Yeah.' Kensi chuckled. 'Except yours is pink, and this one is brown.' She pointed out, indicating to the stuffed animal in the storybook.

'Pink.' Jody looked at her cuddled toy. 'Brown.' She repeated, inching closer to better see the page of the book. 'Ma bear pretty.'

'Your bear is pretty.' Kensi tried not to laugh, though she smiled at the adorableness of the moment.

She'd always said she had no way with kids at all. Kensi knew it was true she had no real experience with them, and was utterly lost when it came to dealing with children of any age. Everyone who knew her knew those facts, but Jody wasn't any other kid in Kensi's eyes. The bond between them somehow smoothed out Kensi's panic and insecurities regarding children. It didn't make any sense to her, and yet there they were discussing the difference between two coloured bears.

It was a silly little topic, Kensi thought, but Jody was talking so to Kensi it was the most important discussion she'd had all day.

It also helped her have a better understanding of three-year-old communication. Kensi realised sometimes Jody's words weren't as easy to understand, but the girl had plenty of comprehension of the things she said. She could recognise animal species, could follow stories without getting confused or misunderstanding what was going on, and Jody easily learned different colours with little prompting. Kensi was relieved, and wondered if it would be worth her time to check a library for a book that could more accurately explain what to expect from the three-year-old in regards to communication and behaviour. She didn't want to miss or overlook something important just because she had no experience or real knowledge about children in general.

Though, in the very short time she'd spent with Jody so far – Kensi was learning.

'It's time for sleep now.' Kensi said, putting the book back on the bedside table. She lifted the blankets, and watched as Jody wriggled beneath them.

'Bear stay?' Jody clutched to her toy, her eyes wide with worry.

'Of course.' Kensi assured her. 'He can stay with you.'

'Ma bear a girl.'

Kensi bit back a snort. 'She can stay with you, then. I'll leave the lights on, okay?'

'Kay.' Jody yawned, slowly closing her eyes.

'Goodnight.' Kensi leaned to kiss her forehead, then stepped away from the bed.

She watched to make sure Jody had fallen asleep, then hurried to the bathroom for her shower and to change into her own new pyjamas. She'd re-packed the thrift and intended to drop it back the next morning. Kensi also had the oil-contaminated clothes in one bag, along with her police vest, and would deliver it to NCIS in the afternoon when she returned to help with the case.

Lying in the bed beside Jody, Kensi sighed and reached for her phone. Deeks hadn't texted her again, though she wished he had. Kensi wanted to tell him everything, but if she told him too much Deeks would surely take the first flight to DC. Sometimes had such a supportive and loyal partner/boyfriend had a downside, as Kensi was determined to deal with the outcome of her decision on her own. Jody was her responsibility, and to share that with someone else felt as if she was sharing the blame for what she'd chosen to do. Or as though she was saying she couldn't handle the situation.

Kensi Blye never backed down from a challenge.

Still, she was tempted. To hear his voice telling her things were going to be okay, no matter if he couldn't promise that nor understand the extent of the situation – it still would have made Kensi feel better. Sighing, she returned her phone to the bedside table and rolled onto her side to face Jody.

Kensi wished the peacefulness of the child's face when she slept would stay forever void of hurt and darkness. It was impossible to shield the little girl from every heartache of life, but for now Kensi could only hope Jody's dreams were filled with coloured bears and rainbow skies.

Kensi woke the next morning in a state of panic. She'd opened her eyes to find herself alone in the bed. The pink bear lay abandoned on the overturned sheets, and Kensi's mind raced with all the horrible scenarios she feared had happened.

'Jody?' Kensi called shakily, stricken with fear.

There was a sound from the bathroom.

Kensi realised the door had been left ajar the night before, but was now wide open. She hurried to the door-way, barely preventing from crashing into it, and exhaled a gush of relief upon seeing Jody standing unharmed by the toilet. Her relief quickly turned to guilt when she smelled the urine and saw Jody's tearful face.

'What happened?'

Jody started crying and covered her face with shame. Kensi grabbed some fresh clothes from one of the shopping bags, which rested against a wall in the bedroom, and placed them on the counter attached to the sink. As she approached Jody, Kensi realised what happened - the little girl couldn't properly reach the toilet.

Anger filled her, as Kensi berated herself for not realising it sooner. She couldn't believe it hadn't crossed her mind before. Once again, Kensi doubted her ability to care for a child if she couldn't even remember Jody would need to relieve herself at some point. The image of Jody sitting in oil and urine in the warehouse loomed in Kensi's mind - haunted her to have caused a similar event to occur under her watch.

'Honey, I'm so sorry.' Kensi said, scooping Jody up.

She fought the child to remove her urine-soaked clothes, then started a bath. The girl screamed and wailed the whole time, and Kensi wanted to cry from guilt and frustration. For a brief moment, she considered allowing someone else to take Jody – convinced as she was that surely they'd have been able to avoid this incident and take better care of the child.

When Jody was clean, Kensi lifted her out and drained the bath water. She dressed the girl in a pair of child jeans, and a blue shirt with a sun printed on the front. Jody's mix-toned brown hair splayed over her shoulders, and Kensi decided to tie it up into a ponytail. She clipped back some loose strands that would have otherwise gotten in Jody's eyes, then held the child closely in her arms to soothe her.

'I'm going to fix this, okay?' Kensi promised, holding the sniffling three-year-old dearly. 'I'll get something so you can reach it - I'm sorry I didn't have something already.'

Jody mumbled and Kensi pulled back to see her face, unable to work out what she'd tried to say.

'What, Honey?'

'Bear!' Jody leaned hazardously backwards in Kensi's arms, almost slipping from her grip entirely, as she reached her arm in the direction of the bed.

'Okay. Why don't you sit with your bear while I get dressed.' Kensi suggested.

She put Jody on the floor. The little girl ran for the bed and climbed on, crawling across to her bear and clutched it desperately.

Kensi sighed, feeling dreadful, and gathered her new jeans and a red plaid shirt. Kensi changed, brushed her teeth, and examined the bruising on her neck just as she had the previous morning. It was getting worse, and had turned a dark shade of ugly overnight.

Wrapping a scarf around her neck, Kensi returned to the bedroom to see Jody was sitting on Kensi's side of the bed. She cuddled the pink bear close for all the comfort it offered, and watched Kensi approach.

'Are you hungry?' Kensi asked, trying to return the situation to normal. Or as normal as it could be, with Jody. 'Let's have some breakfast, okay?'

Jody nodded shyly and slid off the bed. She walked to Kensi and raised her arms to be held. Kensi lifted her up and kissed the girl's forehead, then carried her into the other room to find something edible for breakfast.

With Jody seated on her customary place on the counter, Kensi searched through the fridge for something to make them. She'd bought as many groceries as she could to last them a few days at least, but the fact remained that Kensi did not cook. She leaned back and sighed, wishing she could call Deeks across the country just to have him dazzle them with his culinary skills.

'Fine.' Kensi frowned stubbornly. 'Jody, I'm not really good at cooking – but I'm gonna try making us some eggs, okay?'

'Kay.' Jody nodded, squishing her bear to her chest.

Kensi exhaled with relief, and prepared the kitchen for what she hoped would be a decent meal. She'd cooked crispy bacon before, and a few basic things, but in general Kensi steered clear of the stove and oven area. She didn't want to have Jody behind her – the counter was safe only as long as Kensi was in close reach as it was much too high for Jody otherwise. There also wasn't enough safe space near the stove to seat Jody on a counter in her eye-range, so Kensi looked around the overall room for a solution.

'Would you like to play with your new toys while I make breakfast?' Kensi offered.

Jody nodded eagerly, and let Kensi carry her back to the bedroom. Kensi put her on the floor, and watched as Jody picked out some toys from the shopping bags. She helped the girl carry them into the main room, where Jody was content to sit on the sofa with them. The sofa had its back to the kitchen, so Kensi couldn't see her at all times, but at least she'd know if Jody wandered elsewhere.

With a nervous bite to her lower lip, Kensi returned to the kitchen to attempt her domestic bout of cooking breakfast for herself and Jody. She spent a while searching for what she needed, knowing there had to be a frying pan somewhere in the house, then tried to determined how many eggs to use.

While Kensi watched the eggs cook, she thought about how far out of her comfort zone she'd been in the last two days alone. She had a three-year-old in her care, who she'd fed, bathed, read a story to, comforted, bought clothes and toys, and now even cooked for. Kensi fidgeted uncomfortably when she realised everything she did, and was still doing, for Jody was rather motherly.

It was all the things Jody needed, and deserved, yet were generally performed by a parent.

She's yours.

Gibbs words rang in her mind, and Kensi tried to force them away. She was only giving Jody what she needed, right? She wasn't her mother; not at all. Kensi couldn't be a mother, right?

Distracted, Kensi smelled a scent she'd been afraid of and quickly flipped the eggs.

'Damn it.' She grumbled.

Deeks made it look so easy, but Kensi soon realised the act of flipping eggs in itself was a skill. After another minute, they no longer resembled the white and yellow eggs Kensi had envisioned. They weren't charcoal, though, so hopefully appearances had little impact on the taste.

'Jody!' Kensi called the girl when she'd finished placing the mangled eggs onto two plates – a smaller one for Jody, and the bigger-sized one for herself.

Jody was startled by the sound and dropped a colourful toy on the floor. She spun around, then slipped off the couch to see what Kensi was doing. Seeing the food, Jody hurried over and raised her arms expectantly.

Kensi lifted the girl onto her usual counter and placed the plate beside her, with a glass of juice to accompany it. She watched worriedly as Jody stared at the misshapen eggs for a while, hesitant, then slowly raised her fork to try it.

'Is it okay?' Kensi checked when Jody chewed. The girl nodded her head, and Kensi released the breath she'd been holding. 'Good.' She made a mug of coffee nearby, then returned to eat her own breakfast beside where Jody sat.

While the pair ate their meal, Kensi mused on how to spend the morning.

She briefly wished she'd decided to go to NCIS all day, rather than just in the afternoon, but knew she couldn't. Kensi had to make sure Jody was taken care of, and it would be a lot harder to do that when she was distracted by a case. It left them with a free morning, however, and Kensi had no idea how to spend it. Normally she'd go for a run, and watch some Top Model she'd saved up in her VCR.

With Jody, she couldn't do either of those things.

Sighing, Kensi took the empty plates and the glasses to the sink. She sent Jody back to the sofa where the toys were, and occupied her time with washing the dishes. It was usually a chore she despised, but the safe house wasn't modern or fancy enough to have its own dishwasher. The task passed time, though, so Kensi didn't mind as much.

Afterwards, she decided to go for a walk to the mall and buy Jody a much-needed step stool - so she'd be able to read the toilet. It was a necessity, and the guilt still weighed heavily on Kensi's mind.

'Hey, Jody.' Kensi walked around to face the girl. 'Would you like to go for another walk to the mall? We need to buy you a step stool.'

Jody halted her action of violently hitting two dolls together, then looked over at Kensi. She considered the request, then nodded her head, and dropped the toys. Jody retrieved her pink bear from where she'd safely put it on the coffee table, and clutched it under one arm while she approached Kensi.

Lifting her arms up to be held, Jody frowned when Kensi declined.

'We're going to take the stroller.' Kensi said, walking to the space beside front door where it sat.

Jody kicked lightly at the carpet floor, then nodded and walked over. Kensi picked her up and placed the girl into the stroller. Kensi checked she had everything they needed, then left the house and locked the door behind her.

Outside was a bit cloudy, but not enough to worry about rain.

Kensi pushed the stroller along an already-familiar path to the mall, thinking about anything else she might need to buy to make things easier for Jody. She was still frustrated at herself for not realising Jody couldn't reach the toilet on her own. They'd made such good progress the night before, with Jody actually holding a conversation for the first time since she was rescued, and Kensi hoped she hadn't messed everything up.

With at least four hours to spare until she was due at NCIS, Kensi tried to take her time with the shopping. However, she located the perfect wooden step stool after only fifteen minutes of looking around – even Jody nodded her head with approval.

Kensi steered the stroller around the mall for a while longer, looking at various pieces of furniture and equipment that were designed for kids. All she ended up adding to the step stool purchase were a few matching plastic kids plates and cups – each a different colour, as well as a brand new pair of purple and white shoes to replace the thrift ones Jody had been wearing, which hadn't quite fit her. She switched the old shoes with the new ones the moment they left the store, and Jody waved her feet back and forth to admire their shiny appearance.

~ P ~

On the way back to the safe house, Kensi decided to take a detour.

She wandered the longer distance, checking her phone for the GPS mapped location of what she was looking for. They soon arrived at a lush green park with appropriate child-safe fencing surrounding a colourful playground. There were four other parents there and twice as many kids.

'You wanna play for a while?' Kensi walked around the stroller and crouched beside Jody, enabling the girl to be at eye-level yet also have a clear view of the park. She'd conducted enough interrogations to know that standing over the little girl would come across as very intimating and imposing.

She wanted Jody to feel at ease, not threatened.

Jody squirmed and held her bear closer to her chest, looking from Kensi to the other kids running around with smiles on their faces. She didn't object, though her shyness was very clear. Kensi lifted her out of the stroller, and placed Jody on the ground. The girl watched the other children playing and laughing, then looked up at Kensi to check she was still allowed to play there.

'Stay where I can see you.' Kensi instructed, trying to ignore her swelling bout of nervousness. The place was fully fenced, and she would choose the bench closest to the only main gate, but still it made her anxious. 'I'll call you when it's time to go. Jody, you don't want to get your bear dirty though – she can wait for you here.'

Jody looked at Kensi, frowning slightly at the third time she'd been called by a name she hadn't heard before. The girl accepted it was what Kensi called her, and carefully tucked her bear into the stroller. Watching Kensi, Jody waited until she'd been given the signal of permission to go play with the other kids.

Kensi exhaled with relief when Jody walked away. There was unease in the girl's entire posture and the way she tugged downwards at the hem of her shirt, but Jody kept walking forward until she reached the playground. She swerved around to make sure Kensi was still there, then slowly started climbing some steps with careful, deliberate motions.

Kensi walked to the bench, positioning the stroller beside her, and sank onto the seat with a long exhale. She counted nine children playing, apart from Jody - and four parents; a father talking on his phone, a woman with an infant, a couple bickering on the other side of the park, and a mother with blonde hair who approached Kensi the moment she saw her sitting down.

'I haven't seen you here before.' She said, as her way of greeting Kensi.

'We're just passing through.' Kensi said, though it wasn't technically a lie.

She'd been undercover many times, and she channelled those skills when faced with a rush questions from the curious other woman. She was tempted to tell her to go away, and not allow the minor distraction, but Kensi wanted to keep up appearances.

The less suspicion she raised, the better.

'Your daughter is very shy, like my son.' The mother said, indicating to a dark-haired six-year-old being pushed on the swings by an older girl. 'How old is yours? Oh, pardon me – where are my manners? I'm Catherine.'

'Kensi.' She answered. 'She's three.' Kensi kept her reactions in check, and knew that to assume Jody was her daughter was the natural thought to conclude when she'd showed up at the park with the little girl in a stroller.

The conversation continued, and Kensi tried not to be bothered by it. She'd soon invented quite a story about having gained custody from her ex-fiance, and then rambled about heading home to her loving boyfriend after their trip. Kensi hadn't meant to get carried away, but her mind had conjured the thought of what it would be like when she got back to LA – hopefully with Jody still in her care. Deeks was great with kids, Kensi knew, and couldn't help smiling at the imagination of the three of them sitting on his couch together.

She had no idea if it was possible, or if everything would fall apart before she even got to leave DC, but it was nice to picture a happy ending while she chatted with the other mother.

Despite her constant talking, and trying to discreetly pry parenting tips from Catherine, Kensi kept an eagle's eye on Jody. The girl hadn't interacted with any of the other kids, preferring to avoid them entirely, as she climbed up steps and slid down slides. She repeated the same actions over and over – Kensi could tell she was content but Jody didn't smile or laugh like the other kids did.

'Your ex-fiance must have been very unkind.' Catherine commented, glancing at Jody for a moment.

'He was.' Kensi said shortly. Gale Boyd had been a monster.

She tensed when the father on the phone spotted his eight-year-old son trying to climb a side of the slide he wasn't supposed to. The man hung up his phone and hurried into the scene, scolding his son and tugging him off the slide before the boy could hurt himself. Jody had been standing nearby, and panic-stricken terror filled her eyes at the incident – the furious man towered over her only feet away.

Kensi immediately realised the otherwise innocent moment had triggered something dark in Jody's mind.

'We better go.' Kensi said to Catherine, trying to sound casual. 'We have a meeting soon, and it looks like it might rain.'

She hurried forward and called Jody's name. The girl was frozen to the spot and didn't turn towards Kensi at all. The father saw Kensi rushing towards him and moved out of the way, confused why a little girl was staring fearfully at him.

'What happened?' The man asked with concern, nudging his son back to the playground.

Kensi glared at him, then scooped Jody into her arms. The girl yelped at the action, and swerved around to see it was only Kensi who had her, then curled against her form. The little girl whimpered as she buried her face against Kensi's scarf and hair.

'Is she alright?' Catherine worried, when Kensi returned to the stroller with Jody sniffling in her arms.

'She's fine.' Kensi dismissed, reaching to hand Jody the pink bear.

The child grabbed it tightly, and held it close, while Kensi placed her back into the stroller. Jody saw Catherine watching her, and used the bear to conceal her face.

Kensi barely uttered farewells to the Catherine, before she left the park and made sure to secure the gate closed along the way. With an exhale, Kensi checked on Jody again, and turned to take them back to the safe house.

Kensi and Jody arrived at NCIS a little after one in the morning.

After the incident at the park, Kensi had spent extra time at the house playing with Jody although she'd initially felt silly using little toys - unless it was the building blocks. It was awkward at first, but Jody seemed to enjoy having someone to share her toys with so Kensi played with her for over an hour. She gave the girl ham sandwiches for lunch, cut into tiny triangles like her mother used to do, then they headed outside to call a cab.

There was no need for the stroller, so Kensi had left it at the house. Jody was very relieved, whereas Kensi missed having her hands free.

She made sure the contaminated clothes she and Jody had worn at the warehouse were sent to Abby – as per Gibbs' request the night before. She carried Jody up the stairs to the bullpen; the girl had once again kicked a fuss at the idea of going in an elevator. This time there was a flurry of activity in the room - with agents and other employees passing by or sitting at desks. Kensi rubbed Jody's back, who clutched to her bear and hid her face when confronted with the casual commotion, then walked forward.

'Type faster, McSlow!' Tony whined, standing behind McGee's desk to watch him work.

Kensi observed them from the sidelines, remaining near the desk Gibbs had insisted she could use the night before. Gibbs wasn't there, and the indicated desk beside his remained empty. Jody whined in her arms, which caught the attention of the other two, and Kensi kissed her forehead to assure her everything was okay.

'Huh.' Tony straightened, watching the pair curiously. 'You must be Agent Blye? The boss told us to expect you.'

'Hey.' McGee smiled at Kensi, recognising her.

'Hi.' Kensi returned. She was relieved to see McGee, who was at least somewhat familiar to her, though Tony she'd only seen very briefly on the screen in the old Ops Center.

The moment was politely awkward, until Gibbs strolled into the room with a cup of coffee in hand. He saw Kensi standing there, and paused. Gibbs looked at his coffee, took a sip, then gestured for her to follow him.

Gibbs led her to an empty conference room, and shut the door.

Kensi watched him, and knew she wouldn't like whatever discussion they were about to have. Jody felt heavier in her arms, and the child's grip on the bear slackened. Kensi winced when the toy fell to the floor, realising Jody had fallen asleep and she couldn't risk picking up the bear without waking the girl.

Gibbs bent to retrieve it, and Kensi placed it on the corner of the table.

'What?' Kensi wanted to know why he'd called her away from the bullpen to speak privately. Panic swarmed senses, though Kensi pushed itdown and stubbornly stared back at the older agent.

'Are you okay?' He asked.

'What?' Kensi lowered her voice, surprised. 'Yeah. I'm fine.' She frowned stubbornly, shifting the weight of the sleeping three-year-old in her arms.

'Kids are hard work.' Gibbs commented, taking another sip from his coffee.

'I told you, I'm fine.' Kensi frowned. 'Can we cut to the chase? Did you find out something?'

'You wanna lay her down somewhere first?' Gibbs glanced at Jody, knowing little kids could be heavy when they slept. Besides, the case wasn't really something for her ears - even if the little girl was clearly asleep. 'The Director has a couch in his office. She'll be safe there while we work.'

'No.' Kensi said, without consideration, as she placed a hand on Jody's back and held her closer.

The last time she'd left Jody alone to sleep, the girl had woken from a terrifying nightmare and Kensi hadn't been there right away to comfort her. She wasn't going to let that happen again, nor did she want to entrust Jody to anyone's care – not even the Director of NCIS himself.

'Are you sure?' Gibbs raised an eyebrow. 'Kids can get heavy. Vance's secretary can watch her; she's got clearance and she's good.'

'No.' Kensi stated stubbornly. 'It's fine. What have you got?'

'You don't trust the NCIS Director's secretary with a kid?' Gibbs narrowed his eyes, knowing she was hiding something.

'I don't trust anyone with her.' Kensi stated, frustrated that he wouldn't just tell her what she needed to know so she could entirely avoid the conversation about Jody. 'I don't care who they are. She's my responsibility.'

'Responsibility or child?' Gibbs questioned, noticing it was the second time Kensi had referred to Jody as her responsibility instead of her daughter. 'Is that all, Blye? She's a kid, not a possession.'

'I know that!' Kensi growled, then inhaled a sharp breath.

The stern look look on his face implied he was not a man for her to lose her temper with, especially when she needed his authority and help regarding the warehouse case.

'I'm not gonna let anything happen to her.' Kensi said, her mind flooding with images of Jody sitting in the darkened space of the warehouse. She'd promised to keep the little girl safe at all costs. 'I won't let anyone take her away.'

Gibbs looked at the girl again, taking in her features and the fierce protectiveness Kensi demonstrated. Apart from the hair colour, there were nothing obvious in her appearance that related mother to child. Though, her face was almost always turned from him so Gibbs couldn't be sure. Yet, the phrase Kensi said about not having Jody taken away, rather than a statement only about keeping her from harms ways, stirred a suspicion in Gibbs.

He'd briefly considered it before, but now it was clear to him that more was going on than Kensi was openly saying.

'You kidnapped her.' Gibbs spoke it as a statement, though his eyes lacked accusation. He needed to know the truth of the situation, and yet his gut told him if his theory was true than there was likely even more to the story than he originally assumed.

'I...' Kensi darted her gaze to the floor, feeling her heartbeat quicken with alarm. In an instant, everything could fall apart. She was scared - she couldn't speak.

'It's a simple question.' Gibbs said. 'Why'd you do it?'

'I have to keep her safe.' Kensi insisted, swallowing anxiously. 'I promised her that much. She needs me. Please, don't make me do this.'

'Who are you keeping her safe from?' Gibbs asked.

'I can't say.' Kensi pressed her lips together, and shifted the weight in her aching arms.

'Do I have to call your Operations Manager to figure out what the hell is going on here?' Gibbs cautioned, hoping Kensi would tell him on her own.

'No!' Kensi urgently stepped forward, frantic at the idea of someone telling Hetty about what was going on during a supposed "vacation" to DC while under a classified alias.

Kensi shuddered at the thought of how Hetty might react.

She carefully switched Jody to her other hip, and winced at the situation she found herself in. Deeks was right; she wasn't quite as good at certain cover stories once she was put on the spot and under pressure. And Gibbs wasn't going to let it go. Fear gripped Kensi tighter than Gale had ever managed – it suffocated all confidence and security Kensi had felt up until that moment. All her hopes and stubbornness faded - replaced only with the shocking thought of having Jody ripped from her arms.

Kensi would never forgive herself if that happened.

'I found her at the warehouse, okay?' She said, furiously brushing a tear aside with her spare hand. 'We went in to rescue the twins - we couldn't risk waiting for an authorised search warrant. Those kids were in Hell and if we'd waited any longer they'd have suffered to death at the hands of that monster, Gale Boyd. Myself and a Detective were separated from the others. Gale found us, and we fought. He was shot, and when I was on the ground I found her – no one would ever have noticed her if I hadn't glanced underneath the netting over some crates.'

Gibbs remained quiet while Kensi spoke. He tossed his empty coffee cup away, and tried to keep his own emotions in check. The thought of anyone harming a child made him sick, but he had received the full warehouse report that morning.

He knew "monster" was an accurate term for the bastard, Gale Boyd.

'The Detective said the girl's name was Joanna.' Kensi fidgeted and grit her teeth, physically fighting all her urges to just take Jody and leave. It was too late – now the truth had to come out. 'She has no one but a lawyer father who abuses her. There's nothing on him – nothing to arrest him. I will not let Jody go back to him, or to anyone who might hurt her.'

'I hate lawyers.' Gibbs muttered.

'My partner was a lawyer.' Kensi frowned. 'What happens now?'

'Now, we catch a dirtbag.' Gibbs nodded. 'The warehouse contained classified military-grade equipment and chemicals. It is now an official NCIS investigation. Joanna-'

'Jody.' Kensi corrected. 'I'm here on an alias. I attached her to it, as Jody. I had to make sure she had full medical insurance and benefits.'

'Jody is now under NCIS protection.'

'What?' Kensi stared, clutching the girl tighter.

'It's what I brought you in here to tell you.' Gibbs shrugged, as if it was no big deal. His eyes remained serious, however, but Kensi didn't notice. 'Hey. She's under your protection, Blye. Legally, no one can take that little girl away from you.'

'Thank you.' Kensi exhaled with relief, feeling a heaviness lift from her chest when she realised it was no longer something that could cost her career and freedom.

Jody was legally in her care, and no one could touch her as long as Kensi was around.

'Don't thank me.' Gibbs said, preparing to vacate the room. 'I'm just doing what's best for Jody. You're exactly what that girl needs right now - don't screw it up.'

Kensi watched him leave the conference room, and exhaled a long breath. Not wasting any time, Kensi dug her phone out of her pocket and texted Deeks. She stared at the screen for a while, then sent the message, and gathered the pink bear from the table.

~ Deeks, call me when you have a moment. If you promise not to leave LA, I'll tell you everything. I don't need my partner to back me up – I just need my boyfriend to talk to.

She was convinced she could handle Jody on her own, but mentally she missed having Deeks to cheer her up when things got too serious or stressful. She had tried to push him away, worrying he'd show up at her doorstep, but Kensi recognised some things were easier when she had moral support. The irrational side of her mind begun to calm, paving way for progress and a willingness to believe she no longer had to fear for Jody being discovered and taken from her.

Gibbs had a way of imposing confidence with his words, and Kensi believed him when he said Jody wasn't going anywhere without her.

Kensi left the room, feeling a renewed sense of purpose, and returned to the bullpen. The atmosphere in the room was possibly even more tense than the conference room had been.

'What've you got?' Gibbs asked his team.

Tony and McGee looked at each other, then Tony sighed and stepped forward.

'Bad news, Boss.' Tony reported. 'Gale might not own most of the stuff in the warehouse.'

'He owned the warehouse. He was there.' Kensi stated, feeling her stomach sink with the expressions on the other agent's faces. What could possibly go wrong now?

'Co-owned it, actually.' McGee said. 'Gale has a twenty-eight-year-old son, Ronald Boyd. He was arrested a few years back for molesting two kids: a four-year-old boy and his six-year-old sister. They didn't have enough to hold him, so the charges didn't stick.'

While the others talked, Kensi looked to the screen where a younger-looking version of Gale appeared. There was a difference, though. Kensi didn't have a very clear view of Gale during the struggle or afterwards, but the younger man on the screen surpassed even his father in creepiness.

His eyes were blacked with ill-intents and his smirk sent cold shivers down her spine.

Gripping Jody in her arms, Kensi felt her entire body go numb with the worse possible thought that could occur to her: if Gale Boyd truly hadn't kidnapped or hurt Jody, then his son must have. Ronald Boyd, as Tony soon revealed, was still out there somewhere. To make matters worse - apparently his unproven, though undoubted, crime count against children was even higher than Gale's. The monster who had caused Jody so much pain and fear was out there lapping up his undeserved freedom.

They'd slain one monster that night at the warehouse, but now an even darker one roamed free.