The Protector

Heartland

Morning came around too soon for her. Well, more like Gibbs woke up way too early for her liking. She had forgotten how much of a morning bird he was. Still, she laid on the edge of the bed half asleep, watching him go about his morning routine. Once he was ready to go, they walked out of the house and back into his father's store. Alex laid by his chair, as Gibbs and his dad sat at the table, drinking coffee and reading the paper.

Alex moved to lay on her side, stretching her legs out. 'This has got to be the slowest case ever.' Hearing the doorbell ring, she glanced up as McGee and Ziva walked in.

"Morning, Gibbs." Tim raised a brow, slightly confused. "Gibbses."

Ziva bit back a smirk, getting down to the point. "Corporal LaCombe Briefly regained consciousness, but, uh, he has no memory of the attack."

"Tony's trying to secure a court order for the Winslows family. To take blood samples. Financial records." Tim's voice quieted down at the end, sharing a look of confusion with Ziva.

Alex lifted her head up once more, quirking a brow to see why. Gibbs and his father were simply sipping their coffee and reading the paper. 'What the hell was Gibbs trying to prove here.' Walking around, she took a seat beside Ziva and Tim, watching the duo.

"Who is this Tony?" Jackson asked without looking up from his paper.

'Like father like son.' Alex snorted.

"He will be driving up this afternoon." Ziva choked on her laugh, covering her mouth behind her hand.

"So, how's it go? You line up people you don't like and make 'em give you blood?" Jackson asked. Well demanded was more like it.

Gibbs sighed. "It's not personal."

"Sure it is."

"One of those guys put that kid in the hospital. Killed his friend."

"Yeah, and you know this how?"

"I can feel it."

"Feelings. That sounds very personal to me."

Alex was starting to get whiplash from looking at each man. Yet, not once did they look up from their papers. 'God, now I know where he gets his stubbornness from.'

"I do this for a living." Gibbs stretched out his words as if he was speaking to a toddler.

"Some living." Jackson scoffed. "Just to let you feel superior to everybody else."

'Oh, that did it.' Alex stepped back, nipping at the back of Ziva and Tim's knees. Getting them to move away from the duo and huddle in the corner. 'Cover your heads and assume the position. The bomb is about to off.'

Gibbs removed his glasses, finally looking up from his paper and glaring at his father. "What do you want me to do?"

Jackson mimicked Gibbs's movements, giving him a glare of his own. "Why do you say you think they're responsible? How about getting some more evidence first? How about that? How about DNA? I thought everything was DNA now."

'I thought that was why we were getting the blood for.' Her ears twitched at hearing nothing, but silence. All three heads looked back, to find Gibbs staring at them. 'Oh shit.'

And that is how they found themselves in the trash. Well Tim and Ziva, Alex kept watched on the men a few feet away. They were currently going through the trash bins of Winslows's mining company.

"Shame, I was really starting to like him." Tim mumbled as he rummaged through a trash bag.

Ziva nodded. "Me, too."