Werewolves of Dayton

There is a town named Dayton in the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia; I'm sure my version is nothing like the real one, and I very much doubt it's populated by werewolves.

Tim McGee and Ziva David had been quiet on the road to Dayton, each occupied with their own thoughts. About an hour out from their goal, Tim stretched his arms against the steering wheel and glanced over at his partner, taking in her narrowed eyes staring at the lights of car ahead of them.

"So… what do you think about all this?"

Ziva blinked, turning to face him. "Part of me wants to put them all in those, what do you call them, hugging jackets."

McGee smiled. "Straight jackets." He sighed. "Yeah, me too. I mean, I could totally see Tony pulling one of his ridiculous pranks, but for Ducky and Gibbs to go along with it?"

Ziva's nodded. "Did you notice? Gibbs said thank you on the phone."

"Twice!" McGee huffed an incredulous laugh.

"He must truly respect this Daniel person."

"Is a werewolf a person?"

"You do not really think we are going to a town of werewolves?"

"I don't know what to think."

Ziva shook her head and lapsed back into silence, her gaze boring into the back of the sedan carrying the team lead and his senior field agent.

McGee glanced at her again, then kept his eyes on the road. At least they finally admitted being together, he thought. Pretending we didn't know was getting old.

Tony fidgeted, drumming his fingers on the dashboard. Gibbs reached out and placed his hand on Tony's; the drumming stopped.

"What's got you so worked up?" Gibbs asked mildly.

"Ziva. I can feel her beady little eyes on the back of my head."

Gibbs laughed. "Ziva's eyes aren't beady."

Tony frowned, turning to stare at Gibbs. "I don't know if I like you paying so much attention to Ziva's eyes."

Gibbs shook his head and raised his hand, lightly tapping Tony on the top of his head. "Don't be an idiot."

Tony grinned. "Bet she thinks we've gone off the deep end."

"Sometimes I wonder if we have."

"Yeah." Tony settled back into his seat. "What the hell are we doing, walking into a town of werewolves? One or more of them are probably murderers, you know. If they'll kill their own family, what's to stop them from getting rid of us?"

Gibbs shrugged.

"Great," Tony muttered.

They pulled into Dayton a little after 1 a.m., after getting lost more than once. The town was very much off the beaten path. There were no signs leading to it; they'd gone far off the main road to get to the one that led into town.

There were no streetlights; Tony guessed the werewolves had excellent night vision. The sedan, followed by the truck, rolled slowly along the main drag until movement showed up in the headlights. Gibbs pulled over and shut off the engine, leaving the lights on. The truck stopped next to them and McGee did the same. All four agents sat quietly, looking out into the street.

Karen Haynes' body was clearly visible, lying near the curb. She lay face down, her head turned toward the cars, eyes open. She wasn't wearing a Navy uniform. Her body, however, was incidental to the rest of the scene.

There were wolves in the street. Tony counted around fourteen of them before he lost track and gave up. A few were sitting, watching the vehicles, but most of them were slinking back and forth, sniffing the air, looking at the cars and then away, constantly in motion. Some of them had darted out of the headlight's beams when the first pulled up, emerging suddenly out of the darkness to take up the same prowling motion.

Lights went on in the house closest to the body. The front door opened, and Daniel emerged, followed by a stunning woman with long, dark hair, nearly his height. They were both dressed in jeans and button-down shirts that weren't tucked in, and their feet were bare.

Gibbs took a deep breath, then opened the car door, stepping out into the road. Tony was only a half-second behind him. It took a little longer for McGee and Ziva to join them.

Daniel reached out to shake Gibbs' hand. "I thank you for coming, Agent Gibbs." He nodded to Tony.

Gibbs introduced McGee and Ziva. Daniel gave them each a shallow nod, then held out a hand to the woman standing next to him. "This is Aleksandra, my mate and our shaman."

Aleksandra stared at them all, then growled low in her throat. Ziva's posture stiffened, and McGee's hand twitched toward his gun. Gibbs glared at them, and they relaxed. He turned his attention back to Daniel's mate. "We are only here to investigate the Petty Officer's murder," he said quietly. "And Patryk's, if you want."

She continued to growl, and Tony could have sworn her eyes flashed. "We can handle this ourselves," she said in an accented voice. She turned to Daniel, clearly dismissing them. "I told you before this is too dangerous."

Daniel stroked his hand down her back. "We all know the risk of letting pack join the military. They connect us to human society. If we don't let Agent Gibbs investigate now, we risk an investigation into a missing naval officer landing on our doorstep later. Gibbs and his second already know of us and will respect our secrets."

"Foolishness," Aleksandra muttered. She stared at McGee and Ziva. "What of them?"

"Everyone on my team can be trusted," Gibbs stated.

They could hear another car approaching. The M.E. van parked on an angle, shining more light on the body. Ducky and Palmer emerged; they could all hear Jimmy's nervous chatter, which included the phrase 'nice doggie' more than once. Gibbs grimaced, but Jimmy fell silent as they reached the group.

"Dr. Mallard," Daniel said, "thank you for joining us."

Ducky smiled. "My pleasure. I'm sorry we aren't meeting again under better circumstances."

Aleksandra gazed at Ducky; she ignored Jimmy. "You are a shaman."

Ducky looked surprised. "Well now, I don't know that I merit such a distinction."

Aleksandra nodded once, sharply. "You have wisdom. You and I shall talk." She said something to Daniel in that familiar-yet-strange language, then turned and went into the house.

Daniel watched her go, then turned to Gibbs. "How do you need to proceed?"

"We need pictures of the scene and of the body, and Ducky needs to examine her. We need to collect evidence and talk to any witnesses. Do you want us to look at where Patryk was killed?"

Daniel nodded. "Yes. We have maintained both scenes for you. It would be helpful, at this juncture, to have neutral input." Daniel turned to survey the street. He spoke a single word they didn't recognize. All the wolves' motion stopped, and they turned toward him, ears pricked. Most of them then turned away and melted into the darkness. A few of the larger males shimmered and popped, turning human before they walked away. Tony could hear Ziva's sharply indrawn breath and McGee's quiet expletive.

A small, dark-furred female remained, slinking close to Daniel and rolling over on her back. Daniel smiled gently at her and spoke again. She turned her head away from him, then got to her feet. She shimmered, popped, and a young woman stood before them. She was a little taller than Ziva, with short dark brown hair and green eyes, which were focused on the ground.

Daniel watched all the human men averting their eyes and chuckled softly. "Arina," he said, "we have forgotten the human interdiction against naked skin. Go put on some clothes and then return."

Arina glanced up at the humans; her lips quirked in a tiny smile before she ducked her head and went into the same house Aleksandra had entered.

"Arina will stay with you and answer your questions. She can tell you whatever you need to know about us."

Daniel stepped back and gestured toward Haynes' body. Gibbs took it for the invitation it was. "All yours, Duck. Tony, shoot and sketch. Ziva, McGee, collect evidence." He looked at Daniel. "Who found the body?"

"There were several pack who witnessed her collapse. I will have them report to you late tomorrow morning." Daniel inclined his head, then went to the house.

Ducky and Palmer were examining the body. Tony had started his work, and McGee had followed, pale and clearly shaken by the werewolves' transformation. Ziva hadn't moved from where she stood; Gibbs went to her. "Can you handle this?"

She started slightly, then looked at him. "Yes, yes, of course… it is just…" Her voice trailed off.

"Yeah," Gibbs said. "I know. Wait 'til you get your first ghost." He waked away. "Whaddya got, Duck?"

Ziva looked around, closed her eyes for a moment, then moved toward the body.

Ducky shook his head as Gibbs joined him. "Nothing much yet, Jethro. No visible wounds. She appears to have been young and healthy. I had Mr. Palmer pull her file; there were no medical issues listed." He looked up. "Time of death is roughly late afternoon or early evening, say around 7 p.m. Until I get her to Autopsy and we can start running tests, I can't even speculate as to cause of death." He stood. "Shall I have Mr. Palmer move her?"

Gibbs shook his head. "Let's wait until we know we aren't violating any werewolf procedures."

"There is nothing; you need not worry."

Both men jumped a little; they turned to see Arina standing behind them. She was dressed as Daniel and Aleksandra had been, barefoot, in jeans and an untucked button-down shirt. Arina stood with her head higher than she'd held it in Daniel's presence, but lowered her gaze when Gibbs focused on her. "The spirit is gone," she said, gesturing to the body. "She has already crossed. We have no ritual for the carcass that remains."

"Thank you, my dear," said Ducky. He motioned to Jimmy to proceed.

Arina smiled at him. "You are welcome." She glanced at Gibbs, her eyes moving up and away. "I am to explain our way of life to you. You need only ask whatever it is you wish to know."

Gibbs looked at her thoughtfully. "McGee!"

"Yes, Boss?"

"Get over here." He waited until McGee joined them, then spoke to Arina. "This is Tim McGee. He'll talk with you."

Arina nodded, lifting her head as she met McGee's gaze. "I am happy to meet you."

Gibbs nodded in satisfaction once, then went looking for Tony. "Any ideas?"

Tony shook his head. "Not yet." He tilted his head toward McGee and Arina. "What was that all about?"

Gibbs sighed. "She's not comfortable with me… rank, I guess. Figured she'd be happier with McGee or Ziva than with you, and Ziva needs a little more time to adjust."

"Good thinking." Tony looked at the werewolf girl for a moment, then picked up his phone and fired off a text.

McGee's phone beeped. He picked it up, read the screen, and looked at Arina. "Can you take us to Patryk's body?"

She nodded. "Whenever you like."

Patryk had been killed in the basement of a home on the outskirts of town. Ariana walked to the house with the agents; Ducky and Jimmy were following in the van. Several wolves watched as the team approached the house; one of them took several steps toward them and chuffed at Arina, who stopped and stared at the wolf. A low, rumbling growl came from its chest; Arina took a step forward. The wolf snarled at her, but turned away and disappeared into the woods.

"What was that all about?" McGee asked.

Arina looked at him and smiled. "Liza outranked me until just now."

McGee looked over his shoulder at the woods. "So, you just stare at each other and whoever backs off is the loser?"

Arina laughed. "It is not quite so simple. If Daniel had not given me this assignment, I would have backed down and Liza would have maintained her rank. If she had not challenged me just now, she would still have her rank. But she chose to challenge, and I did not have to back down because I am doing what Daniel bid me to do."

Ziva spoke up. "Why did she challenge you, if she knew she would lose?"

Arina shrugged. "She may be angry that Daniel chose me. She may be interested in Agent McGee, in which case she may see me as a rival."

McGee turned red. "Why me?"

Arina looked at him in surprise. "You are the only available male in this group."

"How do you know that?"

Arina glanced quickly at Gibbs and Tony, who were ahead of them and almost at the door. "Your leader and second are bonded. We can smell it on them."

"That's… kind of creepy."

Arina's brow furrowed as she looked at him. She laughed suddenly. "I forgot, your noses are decorative only."

Neither agent knew how to respond to that.

The basement was a mess. It was clear there'd been a fight, and it had been a violent one. Patryk's throat had been viciously savaged, and there were lacerations over much of his naked body. Ducky's tentative cause of death was the throat wound, although he couldn't be sure without getting the body back to Autopsy.

There was blood on and in Patryk's mouth; Tony crouched down and began taking samples. "Might be able to match DNA profiles, Boss."

Arina shook her head, keeping her eyes down. She remained silent until McGee asked what was wrong. "Daniel has said we will not provide any blood or tissue samples. He does not want records of living pack in the hands of humans."

Tony rocked back on his heels, looking at her thoughtfully. "Arina," he said gently.

She lowered her head a bit more, glancing at him briefly.

"Arina," he tried again, "Gibbs and I aren't pack. You don't have to defer to us." Everyone looked at her, but she didn't respond. Tony sighed. "Arina, Gibbs and I both give you permission to speak to us… you can volunteer information. This investigation will go a lot faster that way."

Arina lifted her head slightly, looking at him. She nodded, still not meeting his eyes for long. "You are a visiting pack. We are to avoid conflict, so we treat your leader and second in a manner similar to ours."

Tony nodded. "Is it –" He stopped, then started again. "I'm still going to collect samples from Patryk's body, in case Daniel changes his mind."

Ziva was taking pictures. "Who lives here?"

"No one. The family who had this house moved on to join a pack in Oregon several months ago."

"Why?" Gibbs asked.

Arina blinked, thinking. "When a new pack forms, a call goes out through the Nation. Interested individuals and families can petition to leave and join the pack. That way we preserve genetic diversity. The family here was young and interested in new opportunities."

Ziva looked at her. "I have noticed that many of your names are Eastern European."

Arina smiled at her. "Some packs maintain that part of our heritage. The first to come here to this world began their stay in Eastern Europe."

"Why," McGee hesitated, then began again, "why would that wolf be interested in me? I'm human."

"We can bond with humans. Sometimes we have human children, sometimes we have pups. It's another way to preserve diversity. A pack lacking variation has little long-term success."

Tony wanted to tease McGee about having a litter of puppies, but he didn't want to offend Arina, so he kept his mouth shut.

Gibbs was looking at Patryk's body. "Any idea why he'd be here?"

Arina was clearly uncomfortable talking to him; she looked at McGee, who nodded encouragingly. "Ah, none, actually. His home is in the middle of town, next to Daniel and Aleksandra."

Gibbs' eyes narrowed. "He was Daniel's second, which means he was a good fighter?"

"Yes. He was one of the best. Very strong."

"So, it's not likely just one other wolf could take him out."

Arina's eyes widened; she shook her head. "Not likely, no, but I think Daniel would be able to say better than I."

Tony spoke up. "He's in human form… does that mean he died as a human? That he wasn't fighting as a wolf?"

Arina shook her head, pointing to the blood samples Tony had bagged. "He bit someone during the fight. He would have been wolf to do that." She paused, thinking. "Sometimes, in a serious fight, combatants agree to rest. Changing forms can speed healing."

Tony looked at Gibbs. "There was a fight, and Patryk thought it was safe to take a break, changed form, and got his throat ripped out?"

Arina gasped, shocked. "That would be… I don't have a word for it. Pack who did such would be outcast."

Gibbs nodded thoughtfully, then moved to help Ducky get to his feet. "Duck?"

The M.E. shrugged. "Not much more I can do here, Jethro. I'll have to take him back home to find out if he was drugged or in some other way impaired." Jimmy moved forward with the gurney and they began preparations to take Patryk out to the van.

Arina hesitantly touched McGee's arm. "Daniel has a house ready for all of you. You must be tired." She looked at Ducky. "Shaman Mallard, Aleksandra wished me to extend her invitation to tea in the morning before you leave." She smiled at him. "We have stocked the kitchen for you."

Ducky smiled at her. "Please let her know I would be delighted, my dear."

Arina returned the smile, then glanced at Gibbs and Tony, finally settling on Tony. "Daniel wished me to tell you he will be happy to speak with both of you at the same time." She turned to McGee and Ziva. "Daniel also wished you to know that he will send the witnesses to Karen's death to be interviewed. They have all been told to cooperate fully."

Gibbs nodded. "Let's go get some rest."

A short time later, Gibbs and Tony were alone in the master bedroom. Gibbs was lying on his back in bed, his head resting on his hands, watching Tony pace.

"Rule 1 is already toast… they've had plenty of time to put a story together." Tony stopped his pacing and looked accusingly at Gibbs. "Why aren't you more upset about that? You should be upset about that."

Gibbs shrugged. "Can't do anything about it now." He moved one arm and patted the bed next to him. "C'mon Tone, take a load off."

Tony smiled and sat down. They stared at each other for a moment, and then Tony was up and pacing again. Gibbs managed to suppress his urge to laugh.

"I feel like we're in hostile territory," Tony complained. "Our weapons are useless since we don't have silver bullets. We're surrounded by wolves who could decide to take us out at any moment. The alpha female clearly doesn't want us here."

Gibbs levered himself up into a sitting position, leaning back against the headboard. "What's really bothering you, Tony?"

Tony turned to face Gibbs and put his hands on his hips. "There's no lock on the door, Jethro! What if Ziva decides to get an eyeful?"

"Like a lock would stop her?"

Tony wrinkled his nose. "You have a point."

Gibbs smiled at him. "As far as the wolves go, if they didn't want us here, Daniel wouldn't have told us about Patryk. Ducky and Abby will be able to make some headway after Duck gets the bodies back to DC. And I don't really care if Ziva comes in… but if you do, we can just relax tonight. There's no rule saying we have to have sex every night."

"There isn't?!" Tony grinned at him. "Why the hell not? Make one."

Gibbs laughed and waved Tony over. "Let's go, Tony. Bed. Now. Sleep."

Tony glanced at the door, then sighed and crawled into bed, curling up in Gibbs' arms.