I'm sorry that it has taken me so long to update guys. School takes up a lot of my time. I usually don't get home 'til about 5:00 and then it is homework, chores, dinner, shower then bed. So I don't have much time to write my stories... or TYPE them anyways. Plus, my dog just died on Sunday and my mom & sister have been really upset about that and... okay. Enough with my excuses.

Please forgive me!

The autopsy room was cold and quiet and Ducky could feel his skin tingling beneath his lab coat. Not sure if it was the cool air or nervousness that was making his skin tingle, Ducky let the silence of autopsy engulf him... only his thoughts and death there to break the silence.

After getting the results back from Nick's tox-screening, Ducky had been horrified. A lethal amount of cyanide had been injected into Nick's bloodstream. Once he thought about it... cyanide was always lethal. Therefore, the gunshot to the head, wasn't what killed him. Normally a post mortem shot would have been painfully obvious, but he'd missed it somehow. Maybe he was getting too old for this. Maybe he could not longer be the Chief Medical Examiner.

"What's going on Ducky?" Gibbs asked, barging through the doors of autopsy.

"I'm afraid that I've come across some new evidence Jethro. Our Lieutenant wasn't shot to death," Ducky reciterated.

"Keep going Duck. I don't have time for guessing games."

"When young Nicholas first came to me, I ran a tox-screening, just to be thourough. As it turns out, cyanide was injected into his blood."

"Painful?"

"Not necassarily Gibbs. Any of several compounds that contain the radical CN having a chemical valence of one, react with and inactivate respiratory enzymes, and are rapidly lethal producing drowsiness, tachycardia, coma and finally... death. Sometimes, it is more painful then others."

"Right. So we're not looking for a gun. We need someone who has access to cyanide. We can basically rule out Andy Hallot, for the time being."

"Right you are Jethro, but unfortunately, we can't rule out Abigail."

"Katie, you know I am sorry," Tony heard Andy say through the speaker of interrogation room two. He had decided to sit in and keep an eye on Andy while Kate questioned him. McGee was over in interrogation room one, with Abby watching through the one-way mirror.

Tony had faith that McGee could interrogate someone without screwing up. Besides, Abby was there to keep a close eye on him. She had wanted to watch and see if maybe she could catch Haven in a lie.

Meanwhile, Tony kept an eye on Kate and Andy. Of course, Kate had no idea that she was being watched, by Tony at least. She probably figured that Abby was looking in while McGee and Tony were in the other interrogation room.

"Where were you that morning around the time of Nick's death?" Kate questioned Andy.

"I was asleep I guess. Come on Katie, quit dodging my questions. Why won't you forgive me? I just lost control... hitting you... I... I am so sorry," Andy stuttered.

Kate just stared at him, stone faced, not saying a word.

"It will never happen again. I promise Katie."

"You know what, it only takes one time," Kate stated as she rose from her chair. Andy began to stand too. "Wait here. I'll have another agent escort you out."

"But Katie..."

"Oh and Mr. Hallot..." Kate could see the pain on his face when she called him that, her hand resting on the door. "My name is Special Agent Todd. Not Katie." With those last words, she slammed the door to interrogation and began to walk down the hall.

"Andy Hallot didn't do it," Gibbs said as they all sat around in the bullpen. "Ducky ran a tox-screening on Nick and found cyanide. That is what killed him, not the gunshot."

"This is such bull," Kate mumbled.

"What?" Tony asked.

Kate began to raise her voice. "Thanks to this new found evidence, we can rule out people that we don't trust such as Andy, but Abby is still on our suspect list. She didn't do it... and you know that Gibbs!"

After she'd finished ranting, her face was flush and her breath came in short gasps.

"Kate, can I talk to you for a minute?" Tony inquired.

"We've talked already Tony."

"This is important. Please?" he begged.

"Fine," Kate replied as she made her way to the elevator.

"Gibbs, is it alright if we go for some coffee?" Tony asked, pulling up the latter.

"Just make it quick DiNozzo," Gibbs grumbled as the elevator doors closed.

They walked down the street, Tony following behind Kate. Neither had said a word since they'd left the building and at the moment, it was the best thing.

Suddenly, Kate came to a halt, surprising Tony. "You know," she said, turning around to face him. "You said you needed to talk to me. No where in that conversation did you mention coffee."

Tony could see the slight grin on her face. "Coffee is included with the WHOLE Anthony DiNozzo package," Tony replied, waving his hands Vanna White style.

The grin on Kate's face turned into a smile and she couldn't help but laugh.

I know that it kinda sucks, but the next chapter should be better.