"So Probie what have you been up to this weekend? Abby checked and your car wasn't there Saturday morning. So did you get lucky then? Huh? Come on spill. A one night stand that went all weekend? Is that why you're looking a little tired and pale? Huh? Come on McGee."

Tony's boundless enthusiasm for lecherous details made him nearly bounce on the edge of Tim's desk.

Tim's found himself struggling to come up with something that would pass as a reasonable excuse. Every image and sensation he called up from the weekend seemed to be charged with a sensual erotic energy and even though he hadn't had sex he found himself blushed furiously.

The silky slide of the cold marble under his fingertips, the rich silk of Dante's shirt, the rush of adrenaline as it drained from his body leaving him shaking, the soft velvet darkness as Tim lay with his head resting on Dante's broad shoulder as he soothed him of his mortal fears.

"Ah Ha!" Tony crowed as Tim stumbled to try and make his mind work and come up with something other than the thrill he felt when Dante ran his hands possessively over him in farewell.

Tim looked up at Tony and remembered the reflected emotions he had sensed and cocked his head. It had been a shock to him to realize how much pain Tony carried around with him and how behind the smiling façade he presented to the world there were a lot of times he had been drowning in sorrow. And Tim had never seen it.

Tony, Tim realized had years and years of practice at hiding. Hiding his pain, his loss, his fears, even his intelligence. What emotional cataclysm had triggered the start of this defense mechanism wasn't clear except that it must have happened to him fairly young. Young enough that he had integrated it into his life almost seamlessly until even he didn't realize what he was doing.

The handsome, funny and happy jock illusion had actually become the real Tony DiNozzo which left the despairing remnants of who he once was only brief moments where they peeked out at the world behind frightened eyes.

Tim cocked his head "Why do you do that?"

"Do what McLucky?" Tony grinned.

Tim reached for Tony in the way he had learned he could reach for Dante. It was like a slight poke in the ribs, a catching of attention, a hand waiving at the edge of someone's peripheral vision.

Tony just blinked at him and Tim frowned. Nothing.

"You place so much attention onto other people that people forget to really look at you, Tony. Why don't you want people to see who you really are?"

Tony looked at McGee, the sudden change of topic catching him off guard and for an instant Tim thought he saw a flash of fear before it was smothered in a cocky grin.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I'm fine. People can look at me all they like…in fact people like looking at me because I'm so good looking. Channel DiNozzo…...all DiNozzo …all the time."

Tony smirked and strolled away happy to have the conversation back onto lighter topics.

It didn't escape Tim's attention that Tony walked away, sat down at his desk and didn't continue his harassment of McGee. Tim knew he was onto something and he felt like he had touched on a nerve. He fully intended to poke it again.

(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((

Gibbs glared at the man behind the glass. Hours and hours and nothing. Fornell stood beside him as they both sipped their coffee.

"Smug Bastard knows we don't have anything on him. He's not going to break Fornell. Hell we have both had a crack at him and he knows the longer he's here without us placing charges on him the more likely it is that he's going to walk out of here a free man."

Silence held fast in the crowded observation room as Gibbs, Fornell, Tony, Ziva and McGee all stood and watched the man they believed to be responsible for the violent butchering of four women. The frustration had grown over the days as they just couldn't prove it.

In a last ditch effort to at least for now stop the killings and show Bradford they were onto him they had managed to bring him in. Gibbs had hoped to break him and if not get a confession get something they could use, a new lead to pursue, anything. So far they had achieved nothing but empty coffee cups in the wastebasket.

"Can I speak to him Boss?" McGee's voice broke the silence and Gibbs turned surprised.

"Why? You got something you want to ask him?" Gibbs assessed his computer expert, brilliant but the most inexperienced of his team in interrogation.

Tim shrugged not really sure himself, only knowing he wanted to try and get closer to Bradford and really look into his eyes and see what sort of man he really was under that grinning, well dressed, intelligent veneer.

"It can't hurt can it? I mean no one else has had any luck and at this stage we're running on empty so I can't make it any worse.'

Gibbs smirked. Well that was true.

"Alright them McGee. Have at him. Let's see what you can do"

Tim gave Gibbs a nod and tried to stifle a smile before turning and leaving the room. He took a deep breath, calming himself and stepped into the room and introduced himself to the Monster.

"Well now what do you want? How long am I going to have to stay here? I have already told you all I haven't done anything."

Bradford huffed and dismissed the young looking agent before him. Inside he grinned. They were really scraping the bottom of the barrel now. It wouldn't be long before he was free. He might even get to play with the girl in the basement for a while if he was lucky.

Tim just smiled politely and leaned in to have a closer look at Bradford. His nostrils twitched and he took in a deep breath. What was that scent? Memory stirred in the back of his mind that didn't belong to him.

"What?" Bradford frowned at the agent who sniffed him

"You smell like blood. Old dried blood. Not yours. You should know that."

Tim found himself surprised at the confidence his voice carried. It was true. He wasn't sure how he knew it but the longer he sat in this mans presence he could not only smell the blood but he could see it. Bright and red and fresh splashed across Bradford's face and hands as he grinned, his eyes sparkling manically with delight.

Bradford sat back and stared at the young agent before him. He knew. He wasn't sure how he knew but he could see it in his green eyes. He found himself getting defensive under the implacable gaze.

"I do not smell of blood. That's ridiculous. Besides blood doesn't even have a smell!"

Tim smiled "Yes it does and you of all people know it does. The tang of iron, the musty salt, the warm heat. You must have smelt it when you cut Sharee Wild up? The cuts on her body would have meant that the blood sprayed everywhere. But you like it like that don't you? Like an abstract painting? Each victim is a new work of art completely original?"

Bradford gaped. How had the boy known that? It was only something he voiced in his own head as he disposed of the bodies. The individual beauty of the soaring arcs of blood splatter as life drained out in violent surges.

Gibbs twitched in surprise as he watched Bradford fumble for the cool mask of control he had been wearing comfortably for hours. Damn McGee was getting under his skin already and he had only been in there a few minutes.

Tim watched as Bradford tried to regain his footing again.

"You have already had every piece of my clothing checked for traces of blood and found nothing. You are just making nonsense up. Trying to scare me. Trying to rattle me."

"Do you have something to be scared off Bradford? We will find the clothes that do have the blood on them. It may take us some time but this is what we do, day in and day out. So since we have nothing better to do than to chase you we will eventually find the clothes and then we will charge you."

Tim smiled warmly at the monster across from him.

Bradford realized that the Boy was far more dangerous than he had originally thought. A threat. He didn't like threats. He was tired, he had been here for what felt like days. He wasn't going to let some wide eyed boy trick him into saying something now. He was lying, he couldn't small blood on him no matter what his eyes said. He must have found a way to make his eyes lie. That made him dangerous. Unreadable.

"Are you threatening me? Why don't you leave me alone? You can't prove anything so let me GO!" Bradford angrily voiced his frustration and Gibbs watched as he almost rose out of his chair. Gibbs grabbed Tony's arm as he instinctively stepped forward to protect his young team mate.

"Tony. He's ok. He's going a good job. Leave him"

Dante stirred in his coffin, feeling agitated. Something was happening.

Tim stared again into Bradford's eyes trying to see who he really was. All he could see was a memory almost of blood. Blood and more blood. Blood dripping down his face and being wiped away. Smeared across a cheek.

Dante reached for his companion to feel what was happening.

Dripping, gushing, pooling. So much of it. Blood belonging to four women. Bright red blood. Red hair. Black hair. Brown hair. Streaked hair.

Blonde.

Tim's eyes grew wide.

"There is another isn't there? Another woman somewhere? You're just waiting for the attention to die down and then you're going to kill her too, aren't you?"

Bradford screamed and lunged at Tim and grabbed his throat, shaking him. How could he have known that? It was impossible. She hadn't even been reported missing.

Bradford snarled as all genteel elegance disappeared and revealed the true killer underneath. With brute strength and crazed eyes he dragged a surprised McGee over the table, digging his fingers into the soft flesh of his neck as Tim scrabbled with alarm trying to free himself.

"Holy Shit!" Gibbs swore and pushed his way to the door as the silence on the other side of the glass as the two men stared at each other erupted into violence. NO!

Dante hissed in anger as he felt Tim's panicked gasps and felt another's nails pierce his skin. How dare he touch HIS companion!

Dante reached for the man through Tim and glared at him. Death was coming and he would not be merciful.

Bradford through his rage screamed in fear as he watched the panicked but gentle green eyes of the man he was holding by the throat turn blazing blue and ice cold. Eternal painful death waited for him. He could feel his heart, that had been pounding with adrenaline suddenly slow as if squeezed and his breath caught as it seemed someone else fought his grasp. He felt freezing cold numbing his fingers as he dug into the tender warmth. Gruesome images assailed him of his impending death even as he squeezed the life out of the boy. His own blood arcing through the air to the demon's joyful glee. His flesh sliced open to be examined by the world.

Knowing as he looked into the cold blue eyes that it was his last chance he hurled the demon across the table and started scrabbling in terror at the walls in the far corner.

"Let me out! Get me away from him. He's going to kill me! Let me out! I confess. I swear. I'll tell you were she is. Just let me OUT!"

Bradley screeched in his terror as all his darkest fears stalked him driving him nearly insane.

"McGee!" Gibbs had been through the door in a flash followed by the others but it felt like a lifetime. McGee's crumpled body lay in the corner while Bradley clawed at the walls his fingertips already bloody from his terror, leaving blurred stripes down the walls.

"Shit!" Gibbs pointed to Tony and Ziva to watch Bradley in his madness while he edged around the desk to McGee.

Gibbs knelt at McGee's side and he reached for his young agent only to have McGee draw a deep shuddering breath. Gibbs heart hammered in his chest as Tim moved, his head hanging down as he supported himself on his elbows, shaking.

Thank god. Gibbs shook his head as he helped Tim to his feet where he stood there swaying, the livid crimson marks across his throat clear for all to see.

Tim blinked furiously as he found himself almost standing in Gibbs supportive embrace.

"What happened? Did he break?"

Gibbs smiled.

"Did he break? Damn McGee I don't know exactly how you did it but ….you did good. You Ok?"

Tim looked at Gibbs his gentle green eyes slightly puzzled. "I….I think so"

Bradley turned and saw Tim and started screaming again.

"Don't let him look at me. He's going to kill me. I'll do whatever you want!"

Gibbs glared "Tony, Ziva get him out of here"

Tim watched weakly as Bradley was dragged off babbling his confession.

Gibbs turned to McGee "How did you know there was another one? Another woman?"

Tim bit his lips. How had he known? What could he say?

He shrugged "Lucky guess? Thought I would try and stir him up a bit?"

Gibbs laughed, short and bitter.

"Well you did that. Come on lets get Ducky to take a look at you"

Tim allowed Gibbs to guide him from the room. Gibbs watched him warily seeing Tim's face grow a little blank in his distraction.

Thank you

Dante smiled at the mind touch of his companion and settled back deeper into his sleep.

Foolish mortal trying to take what was his.

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(Do please review and let me know that your still reading. I hope you enjoyed this more action packed chapter. Precious)