Thank you lovely readers for the kind words. Sorry for the delay here - I forgot how much I suck at writing case fics. But hey - I think we're making progress here. Tell me what you think :) Hope you enjoy, thanks for reading!

Chapter Twelve

Gibbs decided to visit Abby and see if she'd made any significant progress, while Tony went a floor lower to speak to the medical examiner. She was too busy to talk for long, but after hearing Gibbs' dilemma with Tony – "He just makes me want to slap him!" – she set down her test tube, pushed a button on a large and complicated machine then burst into a fit of giggles.

"What?"

Abby wiped her eyes, trying to suppress further laughter. "Nothing. It's just – I can't imagine what Stan would do if you slapped him on the back of the head. It's kind of kinky, bossman."

The glare Gibbs gave her was enough to set her off again.

"You got any results for me?" Gibbs asked loudly, knowing of all else, work would sober Abby up. The laughter desisted, and she grabbed a sheet of paper from the desk.

"Prints confirm the vic really is Mandy Winter, not that it's very useful information. Umm… the ME didn't get any unusual trace off the body, so I've got nothing to run there. Now I'm just working through the hundred or so fingerprints they picked up in the parking lot, but it's a long shot. This guy is seriously good, Gibbs. I mean, we know he doesn't wear gloves for whatever reason, but not a single hit so far! It's crazy."

Gibbs nodded. "Alright, thanks Abs." She leaned over for the customary kiss on her cheek then Gibbs left.

Any residual urges to slap DiNozzo vanished when he saw the young man re-enter the squad room upstairs. It seemed someone had beaten him to it; the side of Tony's face that had almost healed after his fight with the rapist was once again bright red and swollen, a small trail of blood trickling down from a cut above his eyebrow.

"DiNozzo! What the hell?"

Tony looked up at Gibbs' words and shrugged. "Must've walked into a door on my way back."

Gibbs growled and Tony sighed, sitting back down in his swivel-chair. "It's nothing Gibbs, really. Dan had some objections to my theory of someone on the inside. I guess he wasn't shy about voicing his opinions. Quite a few people around here aren't too happy with me right now."

Gibbs' hands clenched into fists and he looked around the room for the offending detective, ready to bust him back to walking a beat. Or pummel him some at least. Dan was in the hallway, talking to Melissa, the captain's assistant. Gibbs felt a hand wrap around his wrist. Tony. He gripped Gibbs' wrist tightly until the older man's hands relaxed.

"Don't, Gibbs," Tony warned. "It's not worth it. Vernski'll kick you out and Dan's no help to me if he's in a coma or whatever it is you're thinking of doing to him. Trust me, we've got bigger fish to fry."

Gibbs stared at Tony for a moment, then conceded. A rare sight for anyone familiar with Gibbs. "As soon as we catch this guy, he and I are going to have a long talk."

Tony laughed, clearly amused by his anger. He grinned cheerfully as Becker returned from his conversation. "You're doing the press conference today Dan. Don't think foundation's gonna be enough to cover this." He pointed a finger to his eye, which was almost swollen shut.

Becker eyed him, then nodded. "Right." He grabbed the proffered paper, Tony's pre-written statement then headed off to the vultures.

"I've been thinking," Tony said when Dan had returned after repeatedly warning all young women to stay home that night. "that we should stick with the police patrolling all the nightclubs tonight. But you and I should stay here. If my theory is correct –"

"Not this again DiNozzo!" Becker cut in.

"No, hear me out. If my theory is correct and there is an inside man, or at least someone following us, chances are there's going to be a victim at whichever club we visit. I don't know about you, but I'd rather not have another rape vic on my shoulders. So, we stay here instead. Best case scenario - the Friday Rapist takes the night off. Worst case - we'll be at a central location so we'll get to the scene quickly."

Becker frowned, but nodded reluctantly.

-------------------------------------------------------

At 1:34 am Saturday morning, a shrill buzzing noise filled the air. Tony groaned, lifting his head from a desk cluttered with Chinese food cartons, case files and even an incomplete crossword puzzle and began rummaging around for his ringing phone. He woke up quickly as he scrambled for the phone. He knew what would be waiting on the other end.

"Z Club," Tony announced to the room, holding the phone to his chest. He was referring to a trendy new bar that had just opened in the centre of the city. Snapping the phone shut, he turned back to Gibbs and Becker.

"Female DB, found in the middle of the street out the back of the club twelve minutes ago. Witnesses saw a man dressed in black lurking around the back exit, one of them might be able to give us a description. Let's roll." Tony grabbed his backpack and car keys, striding out of the room with Gibbs and Becker in tow.

The crime scene was taped off by the time they arrived, squad cars blocking the body from the view of the nosy spectators. "We've got an ID," James said somberly to Tony as he approached, leading the group. "Lisa Jefferies."

"Wait, what? It can't be, there must be –"

"It's her Tony. I've met her a few times, I recognized the face."

Tony swore and James patted him on the shoulder with a sad smile.

"What's going on?" Becker called out.

Tony drew on his best poker face as he turned around, trying to figure out how to tell his partner and friend that his girlfriend was dead.

TBC