In one hand she clutched her daughter's tiny hand, and in the other hand a piece of paper. Shivering in the cold winter wind, she once again tried to keep the wind from affecting the child. The little girl whimpered, kneeling down, she hugged her tight. "I know you are tired, baby. We're almost there." Noticing the street signs, she gripped the girls hand tightly, "I promise, just hold on a bit longer, and we'll get somewhere warm and dry."

After walking another two blocks, and ignoring the stares of numerous passersby, she entered the building she had been looking for, after confirming the address written on the piece of paper. The guard frowned as he peered at her shabby clothes and that of the child next to her. "How can I help you?" he asked rudely.

Trying to keep her voice steady and ignore the distain that the guard had for her, "I am here to see Special Agent Gibbs."

Frowning even more, the guard reviewed the sign in and out roster; he noticed Gibbs was still in the building. Given Agent Gibbs reputation, he knew he would have hell to pay if he didn't notify Gibbs of a visitor—though he still had to screen all visitors. "Do you have an appointment?"

"Not exactly, but . . ." she began.

"Listen, we don't interrupt Special Agents here without reason." He sneered.

Trying to keep calm and fight down the sudden dizziness that she felt. "I have information to tell him. . ."

At that particular moment another guard stepped over, "Ring up Agent Todd and see if they want to deal with her. Chances are if its information for a case they are working on Gibbs will want to see her, and you ain't high enough on the food chain to keep your ass safe from Gibbs if he founds out you didn't send someone with information up to him"

The first guard scratched his head, and sighed heavily. Picking up the phone he called Agent Todd's desk and informed her of a visitor for Gibbs. After a brief conversation, he nodded and hung the phone up. "Agent Todd wants us to send her on up. Jefferies, escort her through security and up to Gibbs's office. They will escort her from the elevator."

Jefferies, the guard who spoke up in the woman's favor earlier, stepped out from behind the desk with a visitor badges in hand. "Madam, I will need a name to put in the log."

Gulping slightly, "Donna Roe and daughter." The guard wrote the name down, and clipped the badge to her shirt. Noticing how she jumped when he got near her, he took a step back and gestured towards the waiting elevator. "Madam, if you would head this way, I'll escort you to Special Agent Gibbs's office."

The elevator ride seemed to take forever, though she was extremely grateful to be out of the cold and wind. The weather this time of year could take drastic turns, when they had started out this morning, the temperature, while not warm, tended to be fair. A few hours later and the weather turned absolutely frigid. Once the elevator doors opened, Jefferies stepped out and placed his hand to keep the door open. "This way, Madam," seeing Catlin standing up and waving towards him, "That's Agent Todd there. She will be with you shortly and get you to Agent Gibbs."

Nodding, she gripped the little girls hand tightly; she stepped out, "Thank you, sir."

Jefferies smiled, "No problem, Madam."

She walked over to the agents that the guard indiKated. She caught some of the conversation between the two agents, at their desks. The man behind the desk on her right stood up and grabbed the dry cleaning that was hanging on his file cabinet. "I'm taking this down to Ducky, Kate."

"Did you make sure that it didn't shrink at the cleaners? I would hate for you to give Ducky a smaller suit than he gave you."

"Very funny, Kate." He smirked, "Since I wore it, I can attest that this suit can't get any smaller." As he walked past, he flashed a smile to her. "Can I help you?"

"I got it, Tony. I got a call from downstairs to assist her; she's here to see Gibbs." Catlin told him, smiling warmly at the visitor. "Please, ignore him, he's a child. The guards downstairs said you had information regarding a case?"

Trying to keep her balance, she stepped forward. "I'm not sure it's a case, Agent?" she replied.

"Catlin Todd." Kate extended her hand out to the unknown woman, "And you are?"

At that moment, the dizziness intensified and a wave of extreme weakness hit her. A massive wave of blackness hit her. Suddenly standing upright took too much energy, and her strength gave out. As she began to fall, she let go of her daughter's hand and desperately tried to keep conscious. She couldn't fail the two of them now; she had to stay awake.

Kate yelled, "Tony, call for a bus!"

Tony dropped the dry cleaning on the floor and ran back to his desk. As he picked up the phone and punched the buttons. As he began urgently requesting an ambulance, Gibbs came around the corner with his coffee. Seeing the commotion, he set the coffee on his desk and ran over to Todd and the fallen woman.

"Kate, what's going on?" Gibbs barked.

"Not sure, Gibbs." Kate replied. "She came asking to speak with you, saying she information on a case, and collapsed before she could say anything."

Gibbs noticed her clothing, which was old and patchy. It was obvious that she had worn the same clothing for quite some time now. While it may have fit the woman at some point, it definitely was too big on her now. Next to her, a small child began crying and screaming, "Mommy, Mommy!" He reached over to turn the woman's face towards him, hoping he recognized her.

Her hold on consciousness fading, however her daughter's cried fueled her determination to hold on. Opening her eyes, she saw him. Reaching out to him, time seemed to turn backwards—to the time of her childhood. Yes, his hair was grayer than she remembered, but that face didn't change. And it offered her safety and security, for both of them. "Gibbs? Protect us? Save us?"

"Save you? Save you from whom?" Gibbs questioned her.

"Hide us? Please" she begged "Help us, Dad." At that moment, the blackness overwhelmed her.