Chapter 2

Tony, Ziva and McGee arrived at Commander Wallis's house at 2340. They all got out of the car, McGee who was eager to get away from Tony's teasing walked hastily up the path and into the house. Tony looked at Ziva "do you think he knows?"

"He will soon if you don't start acting naturally." Ziva said as she huffed off.

Gibbs had already arrived and was talking to the Commander's wife who had recently returned from a three day visit to her elderly parents. She had come home to find her husband dead on the floor of their yellow and white cottage style home.

McGee was already taking photos when Tony and Ziva got inside; Ziva joined Gibb's who was still questioning Mrs Wallis and discussing the nature of the Commander's job, which involved weapon development and testing. Meanwhile Tony had started looking around looking for any signs of foul play. He examined the body taking notes as he went. He glanced into a room with the door a jar. He pushed the door open a little more and screeched as he jumped back, right into Ziva. She laughed at him, and peered into the room. "Your not afraid of a little snake are you Tony?" She continued to laugh.

"A little snake, have you seen in that room? There's hundreds of the buggers."

"I would hardly say there are hundreds Tony." Ziva walked past him and into the room, "besides they are all tight in their enclosures. yes?" Ziva said as she took a closer look at one of the snakes. Each snake was in an appropriate tank with lights shining on them, and a label on the corner of the glass with the snake's name. Tony followed her into the room hesitantly.

"Why would anyone keep a snake? Let alone a whole room full of them."

"Actually Tony," McGee started, "they are very loyal, clean pets and they are incredibly intelligent reptiles. I didn't think you minded snakes Tony, you've mucked around with snakes before."

"I tend to only like them when I know they aren't going to kill me McVoldemort, and I don't know what half these snakes are."

Meanwhile Ziva continues to examine all the tanks, one by one looking at each snake, fascinated by them. She moved down each row, there must have been more then 50 enclosures.

"Arh Tony…" Ziva started.

"What? Just because I'm cautious, they give me the creeps. Besides it's one of the top ten more common phobias around."

"No Tony, look." Tony bent over to look into one of the tanks. The light was still on, the lid was not properly fitted and no snake to be found, Max was missing. Ziva looked at Tony as he gulped she smirked as she could almost see his mind working overtime and realising that if there was a snake missing, it could still be there. He glanced at the floor then ran out of the room, Ziva and McGee laughed and followed him out.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

It had seemed like this was an open and shut case. Commander Wallis's snake max was, like most snakes, an excellent escape artist and had gotten out of it's enclosure, and bitten him. Ducky had temporarily confirmed this at the crime scene when he'd found bite marks on the body.

After this revaluation, Mrs Wallis had informed the team that her husband had started out with one or two snakes but had enjoyed their company and when the science division at his work started investigation snake venom they had asked him to care for and milk several of their snakes as he had expert knowledge and all the equipment.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Gibbs walked into Abby's lab, caff-pow in hand. Following him in was Tony, Ziva and McGee.

"What ya got for me Abs?"

"Oh Gibbs you sure know how to spoil a girl"

"Not yet Abby... what ya got?"

"Mrs Wallis said that Max was a Copperhead pit viper right?"

"Yer, so?" Gibbs replied.

"So it wasn't. Well Max May have been but Commander Wallis's killer wasn't. Copperhead pit vipers are venomous but are not aggressive and bites almost never result in death."

"Good work Abs."

"So then what killed him?" Ziva inquired.

"I found traces of Agkistrodon contortrix venom, that's a Copper head pit viper, on his skin around the puncture wounds, but it must have been a dry bite, there was no real trace of it in his system. I did find another Toxin in his blood which I'm running through the database now."

"Let me know when it's done Abs." Gibbs said.

"On it boss man." Abby replied, saluting Gibbs as he left the room.

"So Elf Lord," Tony called to McGee. Tim stopped following Gibbs out of the room. He turned around and looked at Tony and Ziva who were whispering something to each other.

McGee was waiting for it. He'd been waiting for it. He was fully aware he'd receive quite a heckling if his team mates found out about him now writing a fantasy novel which amongst other thing included a unicorn and a satyr. They had found out his dirty little secret, his MOAS as Abby would call it. Here it came, he was about to experience, once more, the torment of Tony.

"Yes Tony?" McGee replied hesitantly.

"So I was just telling Ziva about your new book."

"Oh Timmy, you're writing your next book because already? I think we should sit down and talk about Amy." Abby interjected.

"Abby it's not like that..."

"Not like what Pro-bay? not like you didn't use our likeness to write your books? not that you wrote about Special Agent Tommy accurately."

"I'm sorry DiNozzo, but…"

"What about Lisa? She seems very meek to me. Yes?" Ziva said, looking at Tony who smirked and nodded. Ziva was a little offended by this and so she continued. "And she would never fall for a wimp like Tommy." Tony's face changed rapidly to one of displeasure.

"Ziva I…" McGee started

"Arh yes, Ladies and Gentlemen, our young Shakespeare here has started himself a new book. With new character and new twists and turns." Tony Announced

"Stop it Tony. Otherwise I'll spill your little secret you think no body knows about."

Tony and Ziva stopped dead in their tracks. No, he wouldn't, did he really know about them? Was he sure enough about their relationship that he'd spill in front of Abby?

Tony laughed nervously, "What secret Probie? I have nothing to hide." He said calling his bluff.

"Everyone has a MOAS Tony, you tried to get me to spill my Mother Of All Secrets when you were supposedly dating Jeanne." Abby replied. Ziva's heckles instantly going up at the mere mention of her name.

"Yer and we still haven't found that one out, so what is it Abs?"

luckily for everyone in the room Abby's computer started to beep.

"That's strange. Major Maspectrometer said that the toxin was made up of coagulants, haemolysins and myotoxins."

"And?" McGee asked

"And that combination is found in a neurotoxin from a snake, but it's from a common tiger snake."

"So? maybe the Commander had one of them too." Ziva asked.

"So the tiger snake is only found in Australia. Gibbs is not going to be happy!"

Sorry it's taken me so long to write, and update. Work has been crazy and why someone who has an apsolute phobia of snakes decides to write a story including one where she has to research them, is beyond me!!! just looking at the photos freaked me out!!
Oh and the tiger snake is one of the most poisonous snakes down under, I had over a hundred to choose from down here... so my fear is a little justified!!!
Will try to update sooner next time!!!