A/N: Thanks for the reviews so far. I think you'll like this chapter.

Disclaimer: Don't own the team. I am not Don Bellisario (spelling please!). However, I do own the case and any characters that aren't in the show.

Chapter One

At the NCIS headquarters in the Navy Yard, Anthony DiNozzo was sitting at his desk throwing paper balls at his partner's waste basket. McGee was getting seriously annoyed, but tried not to show it. Finally, he snapped. "Tony, if you're trying to hit me, just do it!"

"Come on, Probie. The unaimed throw never misses." To prove his point, Tony tried again. This time, it landed in McGee's lap.

Finally, the guys' other partner, Ziva David, noticed what they were doing. "Tony, are you trying to make a basket?"

"Huh? Oh, no."

"Then stop throwing paper balls at McGee."

Just then, the team's boss Leroy Jethro Gibbs walked in, cup of coffee in hand. "Gear up," he told them.

"What's going on, Boss?" McGee asked, grabbing his gear. Tony and Ziva were way ahead of him.

"Dead petty officer in Norfolk." Gibbs didn't miss a beat as he grabbed his gear and continued walking to the elevator, his team scrambling after him. Ziva slipped in a second before the doors closed with a pleasant ding!.

"Ziva, you drive," Gibbs said, tossing the keys to her.

DiNozzo and McGee groaned as Ziva smiled. If possible, she was a worse driver than Gibbs-and that was saying a lot. The girl had only one speed when driving: fast. No, scratch that. She had two speeds: fast and faster. To put it simply, she practically almost killed everyone on the road when driving-especially Tony and McGee.

A few minutes later, everyone was inside the vehicle of torture. Ziva hit the gas, and they tore out of the Yard, on their way to Norfolk.

"So, what's the case, Boss?" McGee asked.

"I'll tell you when we get there, McGee."

Of course, as luck would have it, they were a minute away from the crime scene. Ziva hit the brakes. DiNozzo and McGee were thrown forward against their seat belts. There was a police car already there; all they had done was tape off the alley using the familiar yellow CRIME SCENE: DO NOT CROSS tape.

"Boss, are you trying to kill us?" Tony demanded as he got out of the van.

"Well, yeah, DiNozzo, I am," Gibbs said sarcastically. "Get to work. McGee. Ziva. Bag and tag. DiNizzo: statements."

McGee took out a camera and started snapping photos of the crime scene, while Ziva started looking around for evidence. While they were busy, Gibbs and Tony walked over to the police car. A middle-aged woman wearing a police uniform greeted them.

"Where are the witnesses?" Gibbs asked.

"Their homes," she replied. "I'll be happy to give you their adresses, though," she added when Gibbs fixed her with a icy stare.

"You do that. Now, where is Ducky?"

Right at that moment, Ducky and his assistant, Palmer drove up. Ducky hopped out of the van. "Grab the gurney, would you Mr. Palmer?"

"Oh sure, of cousre Doctor." Palmer scrambled out of the truck and went in back to fetch the gurney and body bag. Meanwhile, Ducky snapped on his gloves and started to examine the body.

"There are several stab wounds to the chest and her neck's slit. No sign of sexual abuse," he muttured to himself.

"Time of death?"

"Oh, I'd say she died around midnight, so she's probably been dead about nine hours, Jethro." Dr. Mallard twisted his head around to look up at his old friend.

Ziva trotted up. "I think we found the murder weapon," she said, holding out a knife stained with blood.

Gibbs looked scornful. "What kind of person leaves the murder weapon at the crime scene?"

"A stupid one?" Tony offered, coming up behind Ziva. She turned, startled, fist raised to strike. When she saw it was DiNozzo, she relaxed. She was still mad, though. "If you value your life, never try sometjhing like that again."

He backed off, holding his hands up in surrender.

"Enough messing around you two," Gibbs said. "McGee!"

"Yeah, Boss?" McGee looked up from where he was finishing up putting something in an evidence bag.

"We're done here! Get in the van."

Ziva made a grab for the keys in Gibbs's hand, but he whisked them away. "And this time, I drive."

Please R&R. I'd appreciate it!

~~ Brambleshadow