NCIS

I'm glad this got good reviews. I'm always scared to start new stories, not knowing what people will think about it. And a couple of people pointed out the mistake I made last chapter. Ziva would know that Tony was in Baltimore, my bad, I forgot she would have found out everything about each of the team when she first joined.

"So...who is this Lester?" Ziva asked, arms crossed as she looked at the screen.

"Lester Emilio Randalls." Abby announced, bringing up a profile.

"The last case Tony and Delilah did together." Gibbs said, walking into the lab and handing Abby her Big Gulp. "He was a pain in their ass. When he got away, they got split up, and Tony came here."

"How do you know so much about her, boss?" Tim asked.

"She visited a few times before you joined." Gibbs said.

"Scared her off?" Ziva asked, looking at Tim. He gave her a dirty look and she just grinned slightly before looking back at the screen.

"He's been causing trouble on and off for the last eight years since then." Abby said. "But see because he's like some Mafia guy or something, nothing can really be traced to him. His last crime that he got away with was killing a marine so we have liable reason to take this case."

"Knew you'd come through Abs." Gibbs said, kissing the goth girl's head. She smiled proudly and sipped her drink. "How long ago was that?"

"Ten months." Abby said. "The uh...case the other team had that they couldn't solve, that was it. Lester Randalls had the alibi, the witnesses...and the money to get out of it."

"But we know it was him." Gibbs said.

"Uh huh." Abby said, nodding. Her black pigtails flopping around her head. "I've used all the information Tony and this Delilah had on him, and each crime fits into his profile. It's just...no real way to prove he did any of it."

"Unless we get him to confess." Ziva said.

"No one's going under cover for this, David." Gibbs said, his eyes on the screen. "It doesn't work." Everyone was silent as they studied the profile. The only noise was Abby sipping her Big Gulp.

"How is it that Tony cares so deeply for a woman he has not seen in...seven or eight years?" Ziva asked.

"Somethings you just never lose or forget." Gibbs said absently.

Ten Years Ago - Baltimore

"Doing okay over there DiNozzo?" Lila asked, mockingly with a slight smile on her face.

"I've been doing this stuff a lot longer then you have sweetheart." Tony said.

"Uh huh." Lila said, crouching by the dead body. "Poor guy...didn't see it coming." Tony looked over the body. The face was smashed in, it's hands were bent and twisted at grotesque angles, and there was a mass amount of blood between the legs.

"I say it's a feminist hate crime." Tony said.

"Why, because his balls are smashed?" Lila asked, making Tony flinch.

"Absolutely." He said. "No guy would do that to another guy."

"This is Baltimore, DiNozzo." Lila said, standing up. "Anyone would do anything to anyone here."

"Oh, kinky." Tony said.

"It's amazing you've lasted a month here already." Lila said.

"I'm persistent." Tony said. "And you sort of like it."

"I'm sort of engaged." Lila said, rolling her eyes and turning back to the body.

"Doesn't mean you can't still appreciate other things." Tony said.

"Work, DiNozzo." Lila said. Tony shook his head and crouched down, looking over the body. He started taking pictures as Lila moved around the scene.

"You know...I don't like your fiancee." Tony said.

"That's a surprise." Lila said, sarcastically.

"No I mean it, he gives off the wrong vibes." Tony said. "I don't trust him."

"He's a great guy, drop it Dinny." Lila said.

"Dinny?" Tony asked, looking at his partner.

"It's shorter then DiNozzo." Lila said, shrugging.

"So's Tony." Tony said.

"You're Dinny." Lila said.

"Whatever...damn, you really can't shorten Curtis much can you?" Tony asked. Lila just smirked.

Present

"Mr DiNozzo." Tony looked up at a nurse talking to him. "Do you know if there's anyone that we'd need to call? Family...friends?"

"Only family of hers that I know...is dead." Tony said.

"We'll do a search." The nurse said, nodding slightly. Tony nodded as well before turning his eyes back to Lila. He gave her good hand a slight squeeze. He was glad that it was warm at least, instead of cooling.

"Always gotta give me a hard time don't ya?" Tony said, laughing slightly. "No matter what the situation." He brushed his thumb across the back of her hand, running over a scar there. He sighed and looked down. "You gotta keep giving me hard times you know." He looked up at Lila's face. "I'll be right back, I promise this time." He stood up and walked out of the room, needing to think.

"This tattoo is an impressive bit of artwork." Ducky said, turning the body's arm over to indicate to a tattoo on the dead man's wrist. The same waist Tony was aiming to look at before Tim started yelling.

"He's part of Randalls' gang alright." Gibbs said.

"Yes, so it would seem." Ducky said. "How is Tony doing?"

"I don't know." Gibbs said. "He hasn't left the hospital all night, I haven't talked to him since I left there."

"It's a shame what happened to Delilah." Ducky said. "She's such a bright young lady." He looked over the dead body before him. "Abby said that the prints on Delilah's next match this man's fingers."

"Yeah." Gibbs said. "Do me a favour."

"Of course." Ducky said.

"If Tony comes around or calls...don't give him any information." Gibbs said. "I'm worried he'll do something stupid."

"As am I, Jethro." Ducky said.

Ten Years Ago - Baltimore

Tony stood back and watched, because that's all he could do, she wouldn't let him near her. He stood and watched as Todd, Lila's Fiancee, was carted away in handcuffs and a police car. Lila stood nearby, arms crossed, eyes blank.

He had been the killer.

Not only that, but he was a wanted criminal, having assaulted and raped several young girls since before he met Lila.

Tony shook his head and drifted his eyes from the cop car over to his partner. Her whole expression was blank as she watched the car drive off. The only thing that gave anything away was her finger nails digging into her arm. She had a bright red hand print on her face from when they had tracked down Todd and he had slapped her in his attempt to escape. Tony had ultimately been the one to take the man down and he narrowly avoided getting stabbed by a concealed knife.

"Together, right baby? Together."

Todd had said that to Lila, trying to get her sympathy. Thinking he could turn her off her job and let him go. When she had shook her head violently, proving she would do no such thing, the man had lost it.

"Lila..." Tony started.

"Just don't DiNozzo." Lila said. "I'm not in the mood for your 'I told you so'."

"I was going to say sorry." Tony said. Lila looked at him. "That wasn't an easy thing to do, I know." He walked over to her slowly and carefully pried her hands off her arms. He knew, under the sleeves, there would be little crescents marking her skin, probably leaving bruises behind as well. "It hurts to do what's right."

"Yeah." Lila said, quietly. She looked down at where Tony held her hands. She took a deep breath and let it out in a long sigh. "Guess I have a lot of cancellations to make."

"Guess so...unless you can manage to find a guy in two months." Tony said. Lila laughed slightly and shook her head, causing Tony to smile a bit. "I'll help...any way I can."

"Why?" Lila asked.

"Because...well...you're my partner." Tony said. "And...that's what partners do, help out each other."

"You're gonna stick around for a long while, aren't you?" Lila asked.

"You bet." Tony said, smiling. "And you and me...we're gonna be the best team this force has ever had." He put his arm around Lila's shoulders and started leading her back to their vehicle. "We're gonna rock this force. Nothing's gonna split us up."

"Nothing?" Lila asked.

"Well...unless we suddenly get sick of each other and try to kill each other in our sleep." Tony said. Lila laughed slightly.

Present

"Tony." Abby's voice carried down the hospital hallway and Tony turned around just in time to catch the little goth girl colliding into his chest for a tight hug. He nearly dropped his coffee but managed to keep a firm hold on it. "Oh Tony I'm so so sorry about Lila. Is she going to be okay?"

"Well she's not on the edge of death anymore." Tony said, simply. "You got good news for me Abs?"

"Well..." Abby said.

"I know Gibbs doesn't want me knowing the progress." Tony said. "But I can't do nothing Abby."

"Well...the team has a reason to dig into this." Abby said. "Previous victim was a marine. If I get anything remotely useful, I'll let you know." Tony nodded his thanks. "I brought you soup." He looked down to see that Abby was indeed holding a little tupperware container with what looked like chicken noodle soup in it.

"You're the best Abs." Tony said.

"I know." Abby said, smiling.

So I'm trying to keep the flashbacks in order. Trying to keep the team from saying certain things that would bring up other flashback appearances is hard work lol.