In Case Of Emergency, Call Abby

A Breakthrough

Less than half an hour after the catalyst of Abby's waking nightmare, Jenny received a phone call from the front desk of NCIS, on the first floor that had her on her feet and out the door to the elevator the second she'd hung up.

When the elevator opened and Jenny disembarked, she didn't stray far from it.

"McGee! Ziva!" she called. "I'm borrowing both of you right now!"

Puzzled but compliant, they hurried towards her, not daring to say anything until they were all on the lift, and it was in motion again.

"What is happening?" Ziva asked.

"Rubyjane just turned up here, and she's currently wandering around in the lobby."

McGee immediately pummeled the down button on the button panel, wanting to make it go faster. "How the hell did she get here, director?"

"I don't know." Jenny confessed. "I didn't wait long enough to hear."

After what seemed like an eternity, although it was only forty-five seconds, the elevator finally stopped, and McGee, Ziva, and Jenny piled out.

They found Rubyjane almost immediately. She was wandering around by the benches in a very small circle, not saying very much of anything. She didn't even seem to notice that everybody in the lobby was watching her. She was also drenched, having been caught in the downpour of rain that had started outside. 

Once Jenny got everyone else to go about their business, she, McGee, and Ziva quietly approached Rubyjane, still a safe distance away from her.

"Have either of you ever seen a kid in shock before?" McGee asked his companions.

"Yes, we have." Jenny said, flashing back to hers and Ziva's most traumatizing adventure.

"It was in Afghanistan, and the child had escaped had escaped his house being blown to pieces. His name was Aasif." explained Ziva. "He was dirty, lost, and very scared. We looked after him for two days before we were able to locate his mother and reunite them."

"How did you get the little guy's attention?"

"We called to him at first," Jenny recalled. "And then Ziva ended up bribing him with an apple she had in her big rucksack."

"Well, I don't have anything like an apple on me, so I'll just talk to her."

At that, the other two backed away, leaving McGee on his own.

"Rubyjane?" he called. "Can you look over here? Please, Rubyjane?"

That question brought her back to her senses because she turned at the sound of her name, and when she saw McGee, she burst into tears of joy and made a beeline straight for him.

"Hey, kid." McGee said as he picked her up. "You're all wet from the rain outside, but I'm so happy to see you!"

Rubyjane did her best to be cheerful. "Me, too! You!"  

McGee smoothed Rubyjane's hair out of her face, where it had become plastered to it by the rain, and he even wiped her tears for her. "How did you get here tonight?"

"Daddy." she mumbled, wiping more tears.

"Any idea where he went?"

Rubyjane blew a raspberry, signifying that she neither knew nor cared—she was only a toddler, and she'd already completely given up on Onyx, ready to consider him a thing of the past. From this point on, the only man befitting the role of her father was the man whose arms she was in.

"Are you hungry?" McGee asked her.

"Ye—ACHOO!"

Rubyjane interrupted herself with a massive sneeze, and McGee immediately held her out at arm's length. The little girl thought it was hilarious and let out joy-filled giggles, but Ziva rolled her eyes and plucked Rubyjane out of McGee's hold and sat her on her own hip.