Alexander John Rider Gibbs (crossover NCIS/Alex Rider)

3

And indeed it was OK. As Fornell said, Alex proved that he can pretty good care of himself. He was a good, clever boy, responsible, obedient, and polite with good grades in school. Alex was mentally very mature. It wasn't like living with a child, but with another adult. Maybe it was about the only thing that might bother Gibbs. The boy was fine, too much ok. They killed his family, recently he came in to strange house, Gibbs adopted an unknown guy, who acted like nothing. Looking at him was confusing because he seemed alright, but you knew that he wasn't OK, actually how much he looks like fine, it showed, how much he wasn't. You knew, that he didn't behave in this way and Gibbs had suspected, that the boy developed a "protection shell", which nobody can see through it in order to nobody could see his weaknesses. This reaction on this psychological pressure Gibbs seen in older agents. However, he was silent, if the boy doesn't himself decide to talk about it, it is useless to push him into it. He will wait, and even if Alex never fails to open to him, will be hoping, that the time, granted asylum and love, will a little help this boys.

The days turned into weeks, weeks have changed in months, and it did not matter, because otherwise everything went still the same... but and then the case came. Someone almost fatally attacked Ziva, who although survived, but it was tight, and the only thing, what they had, was one blurry photo. He passed it across all databases, but nothing. He was sitting in the evening in the kitchen with a glass of water, because drinking coffee, when you have a sleep problem, isn't the best what man can do, and thought about it. Neither he hadn't noticed that his adoptive son came to him and leaning on the table beside him.

"What happened?" he asked, and Gibbs flinched in alarm.

"Nothing, just another case," he replied. Why would he drag Alex into it? He doesn't have to immediately scare him.

"Yeah, but not just any. Because if it was that, you haven't this look and you aren't sitting here, but you will be working on the ship down in the cellar," boy deduced. That was another thing that slightly bothered Gibbs. The boy had an excellent observation skills and was able to put two and two together faster than anyone he knew from work. He would be a great agent.

"Alex, it's late, you ought to go to bed."

"Hmmm, are you little bit bothering by guilt and helplessness, so I suppose that it is about one of your subordinates. Probably he was attacked, it was serious, but he didn't die, because if that were so, you will be angrier, sad and we were invited to the funeral." Christ, why the boy must be so damn good! Gibbs thought.

"Yeah, you are right. This is about Ziva, she was attacked. Her life hung in the balance, and we have just one poor photo of the offender," he finally confessed. But why did he actually say it Alex? As if that boy could do something with that.

"Do you have it here?" Alex asked.

"What the photo?" Gibbs didn't understand.

"Yeah," Alex nodded and Gibbs gave it to him. The boy looked at the photo, and then furrowed his brow.

"This is Klaus, a German mercenary," he grumbled

"You know him..." Gibbs couldn't believe his ears.

"Yeah, unfortunately," Alex sighed. "He isn't exactly the good guy, or stupid. I understand that you want revenge, but if there is opportunity, get away from it."

"Wait, what are you trying to say?" Gibbs shook his head.

"Gibbs, this guy is among the top international assassins. He is among those at which Ziva as a trained killer Mossad, she was lucky to survive." Gibbs swallowed hard.

"Okay, and how do you know him?" Now he already had to ask.

Alex sighed. "I guess the answer: "top secret", will not be enough. I don't know, what you were told, but about a year ago we were together at the training center at Malagosto."

Gibbs paled. As really? He really heard, what he heard? Did Alex really mean it?! Alex wasn't laughing, so it wasn't a joke! "You and the murderer at the training center," he repeated dully. "At the training center of what?"

"SCORPIA, former international terrorist organization engaged in almost each of the criminal activities. Malagosto, was the island where they trained killers. With Klaus, we were quite good friends," Alex paused when he saw, how Gibbs was looking at him after those words. "Don't look at me like that, I never said that I am holy."

"No, but you have never say that you're a murderer," Gibbs croaked. Oh my god! The child is killer! What's the world coming to?! Didn't he kill even his past adoptive parents? He lied coldly, without remorse, he played a wolf in sheep's clothing!

"I don't regret the people who I killed, only those I failed to protect. Same as you," Alex told.

"But it is something different," Gibbs growled.

"No, it's exactly the same. Maybe I was there of my own volition, but I betrayed the SCORPIA... or it betrayed me, I'm not sure it's a little more complicated. However, the fact remains that because of this my action, we managed to save, not tens, not hundreds, but thousands of lives, children's lives!" Alex said.

"We, you and who?" Gibbs asked, but he wasn't sure if he really wants to know. If he wants to hear the whole truth, if he wants to know more, because Alex's dark past was so much shade darker than Gibbs thought it could ever be.

"Those bastards really didn't say you anything, huh?" Alex shook his head in disgust, but not due to Gibbs, but he again furious over the heads of the intelligence services. "MI6," he finally answered his adoptive father.

"MI6?" Gibbs repeated, but then he realized why this organization. After all, Alex was Briton. It was easy to forget it, because Alex could perfectly hide his accent.

"Yes, MI6, CIA, ASIS and everyone else who want, and with whom the British are on good terms. I was an agent, more than a year and a very successful for my own good." Gibbs scanned Alex by his eyes and searched one small gesture that pointed out that he had lied. But Alex didn't lie. His instincts told it to him and Gibbs always believed his instincts, though in this case it was crazy.

"Are you saying that the world's secret services used for their dirty actions of the minor?!"

Alex didn't answer, it was pretty obvious what he said. He continued. "Even before the first mission SCORPIA and training on Malagosto, I had behind several successful missions."

"So it wasn't even the last," agent NCIS deduced.

"I wish it was the last mission," Alex nodded. There was a long silence, when Gibbs was desperately trying to process in his head what he just heard from Alex, and Alex was thinking if was wise to all this just tell to Gibbs.

Ultimately it was Gibbs, who broke the silence. "So this is why your adoption was in directed by the FBI, which tried to let you with some soldier."

"Exactly, finally they realized, that civilian will never understand my needs and it does more problems. Finally, they realized that my happy retirement is their happy future," Alex had to maliciously grin at the word "retirement" and was not the only Gibbs had to laugh too, because hear from a sixteen year old, that he is retired, it was really quaint. But then he became seriously again.

"Okay, but I want to hear everything."

"It is clear to me, but now I'm not ready to tell you all. It'll take a while, but in the meantime I can help with that," Alex waved photo.

"How to help?" Alex's adoptive father demanded. "Let it be, I'll take care of it. I'll contact with my old acquaintances and you will get him in a few weeks," Alex said simply.

"Alex, I don't know if I want, would you do something like that again..."

"I will not do it just for you, and Ziva. This guy is a former member of SCORPIA, he would try to kill me, as soon as he will see me, like other members of this organization which I destroyed. I need to send them a clear message, so that they stayed away from me, you and your team. His head on a silver platter will be perfect," Alex explained. Gibbs desperately shook his head.

"Good, but you will not kill anyone!" Gibbs ordered because, he felt from that sentence about head, what would the boy was capable of. God, such coolness! He is just kid and he thinking so bloodthirsty! What MI6 did with this guy?!

"I will try to," Alex promised quietly.