"You should know how worried young Anthony was," Ducky was saying, as he inserted the liver probe. Gibbs sighed, and shook his head.

"Can we not talk about this now, Duck?" he asked. Ducky looked up at him. Gibbs was looking at him with his 'please, not now' look.

"Alright, Jethro. We will talk about this at a later date."

"Mm… I have a whole week free if you want." Was Gibbs reply. Ducky looked up at him, studying his friend's expression. He wasn't smiling.

"Time of death was two hours ago." He said, and paused, as Gibbs ingested the information. "Cause of death? Drug allergy, perhaps, which led to asphyxiation, as seen from this poor man's eyes." Gibbs, sharp as ever, noticed something.

"Don't people with common allergies carry epi-pens with them?" he asked, noting Ziva re-entering the office.

"Yes they do, Jethro. But our Marine doesn't seem to have one on him." Ducky said.

"I'll have McGee bag all his personal effects." Gibbs said. Ducky nodded.

"Tread lightly, Jethro. There's thin ice all around you." He said. Gibbs raised an eyebrow, and nodded.

"Uh huh. I know." Gibbs said, and headed over to the agents. "Talk to me."

"Our victim is Petty Officer Anthony Daniels, Charles Petrelli's colleague. Lieutenant Colonel Holly Worth is also his CO." Ziva said.

"Where was Worth at 12p.m?" Gibbs asked. Ziva looked at her notebook.

"Lunch with a Lieutenant General Wilson Andrews." She said. Gibbs nodded.

"Ziva. Rule number three." (Author's note: Gibbs' rule number three is: 'Don't believe what you're told, double check'.) Gibbs said. "McGee, personal effects, DiNozzo, evidence."

"On it boss." Tony said, and paused. "Are you leaving?" Gibbs gave him a stare, and DiNozzo turned away, and began to collect the bagged evidence.

"No. We all know how that turned out the last time."

… … … …

Ziva entered the squad room. McGee was the only one at his desk, Tony and the Boss were nowhere to be seen. "Where's the others?" she asked, lowering her backpack onto the floor. McGee raised his head.

"Tony's getting coffee," he said, "And Gibbs is-"

"Gibbs is here." Gibbs said, entering the squad room, and headed to his desk. "Where's DiNozzo?" Tony hurried into the squad room, carrying four coffee cups in a holder.

"Hey boss." He said, handing him a coffee cup. McGee stood to take his cup, and Tony offered Ziva one, taking the last one for himself.

"Not strong enough, DiNozzo." Gibbs said, but did not toss the cup into the trash, much to the team's surprise, and took another sip. "Coffee break's over. Whaddya got?" The three simultaneously put down their coffee cups, and McGee pointed the mouse at the plasma screen. The ID shots of Charles Petrelli and Anthony Daniels sprang up on the screen. McGee clicked again, and Charles Petrelli's info flashed up.

"Petty Officer Charles Petrelli." Tony announced. "Works along with Petty Officer Anthony Daniels. Currently in the infirmary, dispensing medicine. His financials are normal, for a Marine."

"His CO, Lieutenant Colonel Holly Worth, says that 'Petty Officer Charles Petrelli was a brave, responsible Marine etcetera etcetera' and that 'she was lucky to have served with him'. No criminal records." Ziva said. "In other words-"

"He was a great Marine." Gibbs finished.

"Yes." Ziva said, nodding. McGee clicked again, and Anthony Daniels' info flashed up.

"Petty Officer Anthony Daniels." McGee said. "In the same unit as Petty Officer Charles Petrelli. Normal financials, was involved in a bar fight once, when he was a teen."

"Other than that, good Marine." Ziva said.

"Ziva. Worth's alibi?" Gibbs asked.

"Checks out. And I triple checked with video footage too." Ziva replied.

"DiNozzo. Check out the officers' homes. Take Ziva with you." Gibbs said. "McGee, do a background check on Lieutenant Colonel Worth." Tony and Ziva grabbed their backpacks, Tony swiping the car keys from Ziva's desk.

"Tony!" she protested.

"I'm driving." Tony insisted, and Ziva gave him an annoyed look, as they stepped into the lift. McGee sighed, and began typing away at his computer, as Gibbs headed in the direction of the other elevator.

… … … …

The elevator doors dinged open, and Gibbs walked into Abby's lab, a Caf-pow! in hand. "Whaddya got, Abbs?" he asked. Abby turned, smiling, pink rubber bands holding up her pigtails.

"Plenty, Gibbs." She replied, pigtails bobbing excitedly. "First up, the maggots. They have been there for about a week, confirming Ducky's estimation of time of death."

"Accurate, huh?"

"Yup. And also, Charles Petrelli was not drugged, not on alcohol, at least, not anything that would show up on the tox screen." Gibbs smiled.

"You certainly meant your 'plenty', Abbs." He said.

"And I'm not done yet, Gibbs. I found sand flies on the body." She said.

"So?"

"I sifted and went through the sand you guys brought back-no sand flies." Abby announced proudly, adding hand actions to emphasize her point. Gibbs smiled again, and handed her the Caf-pow!.

"Good job, Abbs." Abby took a sip.

"Wanna talk about it, Gibbs?" she asked. Gibbs stopped, at the doorway, and turned to face her, suspiciously.

"Talk about what?" he replied, eyes narrowing. She cocked her head to one side.

"You know what I'm talking about. Today, yesterday." Abby said. "And don't think I don't know what's going on, like that fight. If I didn't show up when I did, Tony would be needing more than four stitches, and goodness knows what state McGee would be in."

"I know." He said.

"So let's talk about it now?" Abby asked. Gibbs took a long look at her light green eyes, thinking.

"No. You already know." He gave her a kiss on the forehead, a smile, and entered the elevator, leaving a very confused Abby behind him.

A/N I did say this was going to be like a regular case episode fic:) So here's a more case-oriented chapter! Do review/follow/favorite! Thanks!:D I'll be uploading another chapter so please read that! (There may or may not be a little bit of Tiva in it:P )

-Eliza:)