A Multi-ship Story **in Editing*

*Shot*

A few weeks later, Lexi thought she was finally getting some sort of control. Her new therapist met with her weekly, and the two had worked out a system for her to deal with her emotions. While it couldn't work permanently, and Lexi knew that, it worked for now while she tried to undo what those men did to her.

"Alexis! Can you wash the dishes please?" Jenny called from somewhere upstairs. Lexi sighed and stood to do what she was asked. Gibbs and Lily had run to the store for groceries, so she was left to do the chores on this Saturday.

She started working on the dishes, letting her mind wander as she worked. She was able to recount what had happened to her now without losing it. She was so lost in thought, she didn't notice until it was too late that she was grabbing the wrong end of the dirty knife on the counter.

"Ow!" She hissed as she brought her finger to her mouth instinctively. She pulled it back to see the blood bubbling out of the inch-long cut on her index finger. She stared for a moment. She hadn't cut herself on a knife since... when was that?

Soon, she was lost in thought as she returned to washing dishes, ignoring the sting of the soap in her wound.

~~~

What seemed like seconds passed. But it couldn't have been seconds, because the sky was getting dim. Lexi furrowed her brow and looked at the sky again. Why was she outside?

She looked around and realized that she was at the park down the road, just sitting on a bench. She looked down at her finger, which still had a red line across it, although it wasn't actively bleeding anymore.

Remembering herself drifting into the memories, she closed her eyes and sighed, "Not again..."

Slowly, she made her way back home. When she got there, Gibbs's car was there, and one she didn't recognize. The door was wide open, and yellow tape was across it. Lexi's steps quickened. She ducked under the tape and called out for anyone.

She heard thudding steps coming down the stairs and turned to meet Gibbs. He actually looked surprised to see her. "Lexi!" he came closer, putting a hand on her arm, as if to make sure she was real. "Wh- Where were you??"

Lexi hesitated before saying, "I was at the park... What's going on?? Why do you have gloves on?"

He glanced back to the stairs. "Why don't you tell me what's going on? Jen's gone. There's blood upstairs, and her gun was out of its usual case."

Lexi, taking a moment to process this information, shook her head slightly. "I- I don't know. I was at the park."

"How long were you there?"

Lexi swallowed hard. She couldn't tell him that she couldn't remember. She couldn't tell him she'd lost control again. "Um.. a few minutes."

Gibbs looked at her knowingly but said nothing. He simply nodded, "Okay... Lily is in the kitchen, go sit with her."

Lexi obeyed, finding Lily at the table with her head in her hands as her elbows rested on the table. Lexi sat next to her and put a hand on her back. "Lily, everything's gonna-"

"Don't," Lily cut her off, meeting Lexi's concerned look with anger. "You don't get to say anything."

Lexi studied Lily's expression, confused. "Lily?"

Lily brushed off Lexi's hand. "You went to the park??? How could you not have been here? How do you not know what happened?"

"I.. I don't know... I went out, Jenny was fine."

"Don't even say her name. She's my mother, not yours," Lily spat anything she could think to hit Lexi. "You don't deserve anything they've given you."