Stepping underneath the tape separating the alleyway from prying eyes, Gibbs called out, "What do we have, Duck?"

"From first appearances it looks as though the poor man was beaten to death," the older man replied, glancing up from the body. His eyes drifted from Gibbs over to Jenny. "Is this your new addition?"

"Yes," Gibbs told him shortly.

Smiling, Ducky leaned forward. "Doctor Donald Mallard, but everyone calls me Ducky."

Jenny graced him with a smile. "Jenny Sheppard."

"Well if you'd like to step forward I'll talk you through what we have here."

For a brief moment, Gibbs thought he saw the confident façade of Jennifer Sheppard falter, the smile flickering and her already pale complexion waning slightly. The composure was back in place as quickly as it had left her and she nodded. "Of course."

They stepped forward and even Gibbs couldn't help but wince at the sight of the battered and bloodied body thrown across the garbage bags that decorated the alleyway. The man was even still dressed in his uniform. Kneeling down beside the body, Ducky tutted softly. "I'm afraid that this was a rather messy and protracted end for the poor man, there is grey matter everywhere and the blood splatters on the wall here are arterial sprays, both his throat and his wrists were slashed, although I believe that from the jagged cuts on the wrists they were gained as he attempted to defend himself. I'll be able to give you more detail once I get him back to Autopsy but from first look I'd ay cause of death was exanguination…in lamens terms, blood loss. It's safe bet that he died in this alleyway, if he'd been moved there would be less splatter."

Gibbs squinted at the body. "Is there something in his mouth?"

Ducky frowned in concentration, noting the glint of metal that was only just jutting out of his mouth. "There may be…" He managed to open the stiffened jaw and pulled out a bloodied chain and dog tags. "Oh dear."

Jenny couldn't help the horrified noise that escaped from her lips, truth be told she felt like someone had just twisted her stomach. She averted her gaze as she felt her boss's curious eyes on her. "So we have an ID then," she choked out.

"Possibly, although you shouldn't just make that assumption," Gibbs replied. "What's the name on them?"

"Joseph Cooper." Ducky dropped them carefully into an evidence bag and handed them to Gibbs.

Stan approached them from behind, his voice cutting though the heavy silence that had now engulfed the small group. "Boss, I spoke to Metro PD. Our victim was found just over an hour ago by a waitress taking out the rubbish. This is the back of a café, it shuts relatively early though and there's no security cameras. Apart from that we don't have anything as of yet."

"Go talk to the witness. Sheppard sketch the crime scene." Gibbs noted with interest the way she looked almost grateful for that task and how she rushed away from the body as though the hounds of hell were snapping at her feet.

"So what do you think of your new Agent?" Ducky asked, eyeing Gibbs curiously.

He shrugged. "Not sure yet," he replied thoughtfully.

"She's certainly very pretty." Gibbs shot him a dark glare that only provoked a chuckle as he added, "And she's a red head."

Sucking in an annoyed breath, he turned on his heel, calling back, "I'm going to take a look around, see if I can find anything that might be useful."

Watching his friend depart, Ducky gave a wry laugh the next few months could be quite interesting.

Tapping his pen against his desk, Gibbs watched Jenny carefully as she stared at her computer screen thoughtfully. As he watched her, he couldn't help but wonder just how squeamish she was, and whether or not she'd get past it, because if she couldn't then she was of no use to him. "What have you got?" he asked finally.

She swung her chair so that she was facing him. "I pulled up Petty Officer Cooper's record. The picture attached matches that of our victim, although I'm sure you'll still want a formal ID done, speaking of which I have the details of next of kin."

Gibbs raised an eyebrow, normally he had to prod the new Agent into doing things, take them through it in baby steps. "Good," he nodded. "We'll go see Ducky and then go talk to his next of kin."

He felt an uncharacteristic tug of amusement at the way her cheeks paled and she forced out, "In Autopsy?"

"That is where he works."

"Of course." Jenny shot him a small smile as she got to her feet, and he made sure that she walked in front of him so that she couldn't see his grin.

As she stood in the elevator on it's route to Autopsy, Jenny couldn't help but curse her squeamishness. She'd get over it - of that fact she had no doubt - but she couldn't help but feel that her new boss was taking some sort of sadistic pleasure out of her discomfort.

As the doors opened and she stepped closer to the automatic glass doors, she took in a deep breath in preparation for what she was about to see.

At the swish of the doors, Ducky looked up from the Petty Officer's body. He smiled in greeting. "I wondered when I'd see you again."

"Does that mean you have something for us?" Gibbs asked casually.

"I can tell you what happened to Joseph here." He turned his attention to Jenny. "The dead still have much to tell us you know my dear, you just have to look beneath the surface of things, sometimes quite literally." Jenny smiled, meeting his eyes in a desperate attempt not to look into the open chest cavity that was only a few feet in front of her. She was thwarted in that attempt however when he continued, "Step forward, the pair of you."

Jenny winced as she came face to face with the innards of their victim, she wanted to look elsewhere but she could feel Gibbs eyes boring into her, obviously waiting for her to turn away. She focussed instead on the friendly face of the doctor in front of her, as he began to fill them in. "There was a fight, in which the Petty Officer here was an active participant, you can see abrasions on the knuckles and smears of blood that I don't believe were his own. And before you ask, Jethro I have sent all samples to the lab. At some point a knife was produced, not a large knife, I would put it as a Stanley knife. So he puts his arms up in an attempt to defend himself and his wrists are slashed. Weakened from blood loss, our killer takes the advantage and slams his head against the wall, splattering grey matter everywhere and killing him. You can see the impact of that action here."

Jenny felt her ears buzz as she listened to his spiel, as she looked away from his actions, she caught sight of his open chest. Glancing back up she looked at the smashed up skull and quickly turned away as she felt her stomach jump. Knowing what was coming next she stepped away from the body, ready to run to the sink. The problem being that Gibbs had chosen this precise moment to put his hand on her shoulder in concern, stilling her. The words, "Are you Ok?" had just left his lips when she threw up, all over his shoes. She looked up at him in abject horror.

"Oh God," she muttered. "I'm so sorry."

His eyes flickered shut for a moment, before they focussed again on her face and he ground out, "Don't apologize, it's a sign of weakness."

"But I…"

"Go. I'll meet you upstairs in ten."

"Um…" Jenny struggled to find the words to try and defend herself - probably because there weren't any. Finally she nodded and half walked, half ran from the room.

Gibbs looked over to where Ducky was standing, struggling to contain his laughter. "It never really works for you when you try to chivalrous, does it?"

"I need something a little more helpful than that."

After cleaning his shoes the best he could, Gibbs headed back up to the bull-pit to where a shame-faced Jenny was seated. She looked down at his shoes and winced. "I'll replace them," she told him quietly.

He waved his arm. "It doesn't really matter." He pulled his chair over and dropped into it so that he was facing her. "Can you get over this? I can't have you throwing up every time you step in there and you can't avoid it."

"I can, I just wasn't prepared to see…that."

Scanning her green eyes, he saw that she was convinced of her answer and he was prepared to give her the benefit of the doubt, which was unusual for him. He nodded and getting back to his feet, he informed her, "We're going to speak to the next of kin, grab your coat."

Jenny smiled at him gratefully as she followed him out.

Taking in a deep breath, Kelly eyes her grandmother nervously as she twisted her hands nervously. "Gran…Is it ok if I go out to meet my friends?"

Joanne placed the crossword she was doing onto the small table next to her chair and frowned at her granddaughter. "Does your father let you go out after school?"

Kelly pulled a face. "You know what he's like, he won't let me do anything…ever."

Her eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "I don't think he'd approve."

"He doesn't really need to know," Kelly replied, her tone wheedling. She let her voice waver as she continued, "I never get to see my friends, I'm always left out of everything."

"I suppose so then." Joanne smiled warmly. "As long as your back at quarter to six for your dinner it can be our little secret." She watched happily as Kelly beamed at her and threw her arms around her.

"Oh thank you, Gran. I love you."

"And I love you too darling, now go and get ready, and be careful."

"I will, promise." Kelly skipped out of the room, smiling triumphantly.