A/N: This is a story that demonstrates my acceptance of the circumstances in which Tim got a dog in season 5. Thus, there are spoilers for season 5 up to and including Dog Tags, which happens to be my least favorite episode of season 5. Warning: This is a fairly gruesome story, not particularly graphic but I leave no doubt about what is happening.

The title comes from a saying by Kafka: "All knowledge, the totality of all questions and all answers is contained within the dog."

The Totality of All Questions and All Answers
by Enthusiastic Fish

Chapter 1

1985...

"What in the name of all that is holy are you doing, Nathan?"

"Nothing, Mom."

"Let me see. What have you done to Josie?"

"She's just a dog, Mom."

"She is our dog, and we do not torture our pets, Nathan! Ever! You untie that dog and put her in the pickup. I'll take her to the vet. Sometimes...I don't know where you get this from."

"I read about it in a book, Mom. I just wanted to see if it would work."

"Cutting open our lab and seeing her insides?"

"People did it. It's called vivisection. Doctors did it."

"You are not a doctor, Nathan. Nor do we live in the Middle Ages like the people in those books you keep reading. Now, do I have to tell you twice?"

"No, Mom. Can I come? I want to see her get stitched up."

"No! You have chores to do. You clean up all this blood. I see you doing this again, and I'll write your father."

"Dad won't care. All he cares about is the Navy."

1990...

"So...what did Dad do wrong?"

"Nothing!"

"But he was arrested."

"Don't you take that tone with me!"

"What tone?"

"Insolence."

"It's just a question, Mom. Dad got arrested, didn't he? Or are you going to lie about that, too?"

"Lie? Get out. I don't know why you keep coming home. You don't like it here. Your sister is still scared to death of you."

"Are you?"

"You're my son. I may be disappointed, but I'm not afraid."

"Maybe you should be, Mom. Dad's not going to be around now for a long time."

1995...

"I told you that you should be afraid, Mom."

Silence.

"Dana was smart to get out. She could see the signs even if you refused to."

Silence.

"She even changed her name. I know she told you not to let me come home anymore."

Silence.

"I wasn't coming home for you, anyway. I was coming home for Josie."

Silence.

"Josie! Josie! Come here, girl!"

A soft whimper.

"Josie! I hear you! I know you're still around."

The soft clattering of paws on the hardwood floor in the dining room.

Soft feet, barely making a sound.

A dead body, the blood already seeping into the rug.

A yelp.

Then, silence.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x

2005...

San Diego, CA

A shadow in the trees...

A woman walking alone, enjoying the sunshine.

No sounds beyond those of the surrounding city.

...and the dog beside her on the leash.

The jingling of the collar.

A snapping twig...

"Hello?"

A soft growling, hackles raised.

"Sh! It's okay, Evita. Let's just go home."

Turning...

A softly descending knife, first at the dog.

Without a sound.

A hard knock on the head...

A falling body, caught before it hit the ground.

Silence.

Soft scraping of limp feet on the path.

Silence.

Only blood pooling on the trail.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x

Camp Pendleton, CA

Whining, scratching at the door.

"We'll go out, Julio! We'll go, I promise!"

More whining.

A laugh, amused, cut off by a phone call.

"Come in? Now? I just got home! Can't I have a break from work even one day a week?"

Silence. No whining.

"Fine. Fine. You'll have to explain it to Julio, though."

A beep of disconnect. Clattering in the kitchen.

"Sorry, Julio! We'll have to wait."

Silence.

"Julio?"

Blood seeping into the carpet.

"Julio!"

A scream, swiftly cut off.

Silence.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x

Pearl Harbor, HI

A ball sailing through the air, into the ocean.

"Go get it! Go, Freckles!"

Barking. Eager.

"I feel so dumb calling you Freckles. I should never have let Janene name you."

Silence, only the crashing of the waves on the shore.

"Freckles! Come!"

A body floating in the surf.

"Freckles!"

The water turning red around the body.

A man smoothly pulled underwater.

Silence.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x

2006...

Bangor, WA

"I got fired today, ma dear. Too many days drunk on the job."

Panting, soft barks.

"Thanks, Sammy. I knew I could count on you for sympathy. You don't mind if I sleep away my sorrows, do you? You can even chew on my shoes while I'm sleeping."

Whining.

"We'll go out tomorrow. I promise."

A hiccup. A yawn.

Sleep. Snoring.

Silence.

Knife descending.

Dead.

Unknown...a camera in the hallway.

A man taken away from an old run down apartment.

Silence.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x

2007...

Camp LeJeune, NC

Silence.

Deep breathing in the darkness. Two.

Long days of watching for this one night.

A knife descends.

One breathing in the darkness.

No more...

Silence.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x

Mayport, FL

"They're saying that it's the people with dogs."

"People with dogs? That's got to be like half the employees."

Two speaking. One target.

"Half?"

"Well, both of us have dogs."

"Speaking of which, I have to go home. Mine will probably have torn up half my house by now."

Laughter. Worry, but not much.

"Bye, Silvia. See you next week."

"See ya later, Karen."

An hour later.

A dog...blood on the floor.

A phone in hand, begging for help...

Too slow.

Silence.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x

Pensacola, FL

Faster now. Night.

Sleep. Soft breathing. A whole family.

More daring, more risk.

Dog, chained outside.

A knife descending...to silence.

One unlocked door, forgotten.

Through the house, up the stairs.

The bedroom.

Two sleeping, opposite sides of the bed.

A fight earlier.

A careful shifting of the covers.

Silence.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x

2008...

Newport, RI

"It's too cold to go out tonight, Dragon."

The voice, tinged with anxiety.

Whining. Barking.

"No! We're not going out tonight!"

A growl.

Panic, tangible...

"I'm calling. I don't care if they think I'm crazy. I don't care how secure this apartment is."

Beeping of a phone.

Silence.

"Dragon?" Hysteria.

Running feet toward the door.

Soft padding.

Silence...but unknown...another camera...another photo.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x

Norfolk, VA

"Are you sure it's a good idea to take Clover with us?"

"Honey, we live next door to a military base. We'll be fine."

"One person got taken from her own home."

"Unless you're willing to get rid of Clover, we can't think that I'm next."

"Clover is like family!"

"Exactly. We don't cave to terrorists in battle and we won't in our home. Now, are you ready to run?"

Door, opens and closes.

Running, empty streets.

Through a park.

A knife descends.

A scream.

"Run."

Another scream.

Running feet...but only two feet...not four.

Silence.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x

Silver Spring, MD

Night.

An open window.

A man asleep. A dog sleeping nearby.

Perfect.

A target acquired.

Silence.