A/N-A * indicates sections I have pulled directly off the internet. I have written the bolded sentences that follow these sections. The * information is well documented but I am not the author. I mean no copyright infringement or disrespect. This story is for entertainment purposes only-I receive no monetary compensation. Although reviews are very rewarding!

Into the Fold Chapter 6

By midnight, Friday night, Anthony DiNozzo could say with some authority, he was on the verge of being a Vampire lore scholar.

God! What would I do without the internet!

He reviewed his notes:

*1428-Vlad the Impaler and the Dracula stories in Romania circulate. CHECK-Know all about this from the movies. Bela Lugosi, Christopher Lee, Gary Oldman NICE! Sparkly angst teen vamps, cinematic crime!

*1484-The Malleus Maleficarium (the witch hunter's bible) contains passages about vampires. Check-States demons are the cause of vampirism. I doubt Gibbs is a demon. He has too much honor and a sense of justice. He is also loyal. I don't think loyalty and demons would go together.

*1530 - "Italian scientist Ludovico Fatinelli is burned at the stake for suggesting a biological cause for vampirism in his "Treatise on Vampires". Interesting information-Fatinelli suggests that vampirism was caused by microscopic pathogens. Possible? Cool

*1560, Princess Erzsebeth (Elizabeth) Bathory, was born. Legend has it that she bathed in virgin's blood. Check-Seriously? Doubt it, kinky chick if true

*1607 the legendary "Ship of the Dead" bring vampires to North America. Creepy Story. Plausible?

*1850 - Haussman destroys Paris' Vampire Quarter. He then rebuilt the city.

*"The great irony of Haussman's work was that, while he had driven vampires from their old haunts, in building Paris' extensive sewer system he had provided them with the perfect place to hide. For the next 50 years, these vampires, known in Paris as "Haussman's Children," made their home in the sewers, emerging at night for hunting. For a short time, the French stationed troops there, but had to pull out due to high rates of desertion. During World War II, French resistance fighters hiding from the Nazis in the sewers encountered vampires in 19th-Century dress. The development of the vampire vaccine, along with more sophisticated vampire-fighting technology, eradicated vampires in Europe by the mid-1960s. However, in 1971, a rash of vampire attacks along the river Seine paralyzed Paris. French authorities, working with the assistance of the FVZA (Federal Vampire and Zombie Agency), tracked a lone vampire into the sewers. The vampire was cornered near the Place des Vosges, and perhaps the last of "Haussman's children" was destroyed." Very interesting-need more information

*1854 - The Federal Vampire and Zombie Agency in Copper Creek Siege, California was established.

*"Vampires arrived in the United States with the first European settlers and followed the general population shifts of Americans in the early days of the Republic. During this time, fighting vampires was a task left to individual bounty hunters and local militias known as the Vampire National Guard or "Vanguard"- a contraction of Vampire National Guard.

As the country grew and became increasingly urbanized, a more ambitious vampire abatement program became necessary. The Copper Creek Seige of 1855, in which vampires took over an entire California mining town, underscored the country's need for an organized, well-trained force to combat the growing plague. The Civil War delayed implementation until 1869, when President Ulysses S. Grant officially formed the Federal Vampire and Zombie Agency." WTF? Is this even true? Need more info. Love the internet but can't believe everything you read.

Tony was "vampired" out and starving. He shut off his laptop and grabbing his keys headed over to the 24 hour diner next to the motel.

Seeing the sign that said "Seat Yourself" Tony chose a booth, where he had his back to a wall, close to the emergency exit. He had a full view of the whole restaurant. He did this automatically but it was years of being a cop that enforced this action. He perused the worn menu.

The server fit the truck stop waitress stereotype. Beehive hair-do, make up caked on, press on nails in a heinous magenta and she was chomping gum as she said "Hey honey, what can I get cha?"

Tony looked at her name tag and expected it to read "Flo" or "Bertha" but it read "Clementine".

"Well, my darling Clementine….beautiful name by the way..." he gave her the DiNozzo smile

She blushed

"How about a coke to start and….I'll take a cheeseburger with onion rings."

"You got it, sweet pea!" She winked and took the cook his order.

Tony sat back and looked around the room. There were a few men, obvious truckers, sitting at the diner counter. A young couple occupied a booth near the front door of the restaurant. They only had eyes for each other. Tony envied them. Young, innocent, in love…don't know vampires are real.

Who knows? They could be vampires. He looked around again. How could you tell? That was the dilemma he was having. He had known Gibbs for years and had no clue what so ever. In fact he was still having a hard time believing Gibbs was a vampire. Gibbs doing that tricky vampire mind control thing is what really was scaring Tony now. He trusted Gibbs for years but now wondered if he had been a puppet to Gibbs. How many times had Gibbs made him obey? It sent a shiver up his spine.

Clementine set down his coke and said with concern "You ok Hun? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Wish it was just a ghost I was dealing with!" he said as he picked up his coke and took a drink

"Thanks, Clementine" he said tipping the glass her way before he set it down on the table.

She smiled at him but her face held a curiosity as to what the hell he meant by his comment.

The cook hit a bell telling her the order was up. She left Tony to go get it. She returned with his order but had to leave immediately as a new customer entered the restaurant.

Tony stuffed an onion ring into his mouth. He picked up his cheeseburger and took a huge bite. He closed his eyes savoring the delicious cheese and meat melting in his mouth.

"Damn this burger was heavenly" he thought

Tony was a hedonist. He admitted it to anyone who wanted to know. Good food and drink, fine clothes, the best of the best. If he could afford it he would do it. Life was too short to settle for second best.

Tony wasn't a snob by any means. He loved diners and dives as much as elegant restaurants and bars. This diner was proof you could get the best burger in the most simple of locations.

He was working on his third onion ring when he noticed the new customer was watching him from the counter. It was unmistakable. The guy was staring at Tony. Tony stared back as his mind began to spin.

SHIT! Could this guy be a Vampire?

The guy had the look. He was tall, thin and pale. He was dressed all in black and he had on a black leather jacket. His hair was blonde and spiky. He looked a lot like Billy Idol or that vampire on that Slayer show Abby liked so much. Tony felt fear begin to chill him. No way! He couldn't let the paranoia settle in. He looked away from the man and concentrated on his food. When he had the courage to look again the man was gone.

He blew out a breath of relief. He relaxed, finished his meal, flirted a little with Clementine, left her a nice tip, paid his bill and walked out into the night.

When he felt the steely grip of a hand take a hold of his left bicep from behind, he nearly came out of his own skin.