AN: still nothing….crap

Also, I can't believe that the fourth chapter is here! I hope everyone is enjoying this story! Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, alerted, and added me to their favorites! Also, thank you SO much to my beta reader wayamy27narf! Now, on to the chapter!

Four hours later, and a truck full of evidence, the team returned back to NCIS Headquarters. In addition to the evidence, a new guest for Ducky, they had interviews and backgrounds on what seemed a million people to go through. The two remaining cars, since Ducky and Palmer returned at an earlier time, parked in their spots one by one. Slowly, everyone climbed out of their vehicles and headed towards the back ends to hear their next move.

"Ziva, take the evidence to Abby then help with the backgrounds. McGee, get the id of the victim confirmed from Ducky, then start running backgrounds. DiNozzo, help McGee. "While Gibbs gruffly gave his orders to the agents, they all nodded in understanding.

After everyone knew what their tasks would be, everyone cleaned up their cars from any trash during the trip and grabbed their gears. Before Ziva could protest, however, Tony grabbed her gear since she was handling the evidence. She shot him a grateful glance; even if it had I could have gotten it, in it and followed the men into the elevator.

ZIVA POV

DING

"Abby!" I yelled over the mind blowing blaring music of one of her favorite bands – Brain Matter. She didn't hear me. "ABBY!" I yelled out her name again setting the evidence bin down on the metal table. This time she heard me and turned the music down.

"ZIVA!" Abby yelled back in much delight. Despite her being Goth, she was the happiest person I have ever seen! Due to me being ex-Mossad, I did not trust people very easily or have close friends, but she quickly has become my best girl friend.

"Here is a gift!" I said while motioning to the bin on the metal table.

"Oooooo, what did you bring me?" She asked as she bounced over to the evidence. She was hungrily eyeing the evidence while she put on her latex gloves. She started to take the evidence out so we could have a few minutes of girl talk.

"Can you believe that I was not allowed to drive!" I remarked still irked by the order for Tony to drive. I did not want to waste any of the few minutes we had.

"I bet Tony was having fun with that." She said while logging a piece of evidence.

"You are right about that." I nodded in confirmation.

"What movie reference did he make?" She asked knowing Tony all too well with his movie knowledge.

"This one was from Nightmare on Elm Street. I also happened to ask him how he can properly function and work with all that movie knowledge." I said leaning down on the metal table.

Abby made a snorting sound then replied, "You know, I have often wondered that myself." At least she agreed with me. She then signed the chain of custody forms for the evidence.

"Do you know that McGee is writing another book?" I asked curiously to see if she had anything to spill.

"Good! I can't wait to see what happens to Lisa and Tommy as well as McGregor and Amy!" She said while bouncing on the balls of her feet.

DING

"Abby, I have some samples for you." Palmer said stepping off the elevator samples in hand.

"I will come and talk to you later, Abby. Bye!" I said while waving and walking to the elevator.

"Ok. Bye!" She replied, half waiving, half signing chain of custody papers, and half holding samples.

I stepped into the elevator and pushed the button that would end up being the destination, which would be the bullpen for this elevator ride. After I watched the doors close, I wondered what new obstacles we would be facing on this case.

TONY'S POV

Inwardly groaning all the way to the elevator, in the elevator, and up to the bullpen, I kept thinking of how tedious this task was going to be. At least I didn't have to do it alone. After McGee got off at Autopsy, we rode the elevator until it was Ziva's stop at Abby's lab. As soon as the doors opened, I could hear her famous music playing. I watched as Ziva glide off the elevator and towards the lab. Then there were two, I thought as Gibbs and I were left for the rest of the short elevator ride.

When we reached our floor, we stepped out of the elevator and walked over to where our desks were in the bullpen. I sat Ziva's gear by her desk and walked across to where my desk was. I signed on my computer, put my gun in the drawer, and then locked it. By that time, McGee had found his way to his desk.

"So, McGoo, how should we do this?" I asked looking over at him.

"Well, I figure we can start by splitting up the floors. I'll take the first floor, fourth floor, and the victim. You can take the second floor, fifth floor, and police. Then when Ziva gets here, she can take the third floor and the employees. McGee said after he rolled his eyes at yet another nickname.

"Sounds good." I said while walking over to McGee's desk to get a copy of the hotel's registry list. I was also trying to watch for the elevator to arrive. It never feels like a complete team when Ziva is gone, hell, I don't feel complete – but I'd never tell her that. I don't think she feels the same.

As we started our tedious and time consuming tasks of running background on what seemed everyone under the sun, a shrill sound of a cell phone going off erupted and made me jump.

"Yeah, Gibbs." Gibbs barked into his phone. "On my way." He simply replied standing up. Both McGee and I watched Gibbs walk up the stairs to the director's office.

I took one last look at the elevator trying to will it to come with Ziva. Seeing no immediate result, I looked down at my list of names to start.

DING

I looked up and saw Ziva walking my way off the elevator. I tried not to smile.

"Glad you could join us Zee-vah." I said leaning back in my chair and using one of her nicknames that I normally used.

REGULAR POV

Ignoring Tony, Ziva walked over to where McGee sat at his desk. "McGee, what can I do?"

"Run background on this stack." He said while holding out a stack of papers.

"Will do." She confirmed while looking over the papers and walking over to her desk.

A few hours later, everyone was finishing up background checks, when Tony was the first to speak. "If I have to do anymore backgrounds, I will kill myself." He said stretching far back in his chair.

"Stop whining." McGee simply said while not looking up from his list of people.

"I wonder where Gibbs is? Ziva, will you finish my list so I can see if he needs any help from one very special agent?" DiNozzo asked hoping to get out of anymore background searches.

"No, and if you do not sit back down and finish your backgrounds, I will kill you myself." Ziva shot back barely glancing up from her list of names.

"Fine bossy." Tony grumbled and looked back down at his list of names.

A few names later, one triumphant very special agent DiNozzo shot up out of his chair with his arms raised in triumph, exclaiming, "Finally, I'm done!"

With McGee and Ziva staring oddly at him, they shot a glance to each other, and then McGee was the first to speak. "Tony, hate to break it to you, but Ziva and I have been done."

DiNozzo opened his mouth to give a retort, but before he could even speak, a grizzly voice boomed, "Whaddya got?" Gibbs walked in the bullpen to his team.

"Amber Marie Stacy, age 29, saw a guy in a hood with his face covered walk quickly in the hotel. He then proceeded to the elevator. Later one that night, around 10 PM, she saw the same guy walking almost sprinting out of the hotel with two other guys on his heels. She and her new husband were staying in room 104."

McGee still had the floor and clicked up four new pictures. He magnified each one as he spoke about them. "First off, we have the victim. Command Sergeant Major Roger Steve Snead. He has a record that consists of drunken bar fights, speeding tickets, and a domestic disturbance all of which occurred ten or more years ago. He is 45 and divorced. He lives in Rockville, MA and was in Morgantown to give a lecture at WVU."

"This is Ellie Laura Smith," McGee clicked the next picture, "the victim's ex-wife. She is 50, and lives in Princeton, West Virginia. She is employed by First Community Bank as a loan officer. She also has a record which consists of one single incident that is vehicular damage. According to her statement, she caused major damage to the victim's vehicle when she caught him cheating on her."

"Next, we have Presley Michael Smith," McGee brought up the next picture, "the ex-wife's new husband. He is 52. He used to be best friends with the victim. He also has a slight record of drunken bar fights, and disturbing the peace. He works as the manager of Ramey Automotive in Princeton, West Virginia."

"Last but not least," McGee brought up the remaining picture, "we have Roxanne Lilly Evans. Age 32 and a well known gold digger and prostitute. She was apparently the victim's mistress, but dumped right after the divorce. She works at a doctor's office as a secretary which is where they met."

"Good McGee." Gibbs gave him praise after his report. "Anything else?"

"Boss, Abigail Judith Murry, age 32. She reported she heard several muffled sounds from the room above her, which was the victim's room. She also said that she heard voices from four different men." McGee reported while reading his notes.

"Good. Ok, here is the deal. Because of who the victim was, SecNav wants this closed asap." Gibbs reported. Everyone nodded in understanding. Gibbs continued, "I went and spoke to Abby and Ducky. Abby said that while she is still processing the evidence, what she could tell me is that the cell phone belonged to Roxanne with several calls being made to the victim. Also, there was a used condom with DNA that matched Presley and Ellie. Ducky reported that all the carvings and slashes were made before he died as a result from drowning."

"Ziva, DiNozzo. I want you to go home and pack. You guys are going back to West Virginia. I need you to interview Presley, Ellie, and Roxanne. I also need you to take a look around where the victim was going to interview. McGee, help Abby with the cell phone traces and the knife trace." Gibbs said while tossing the car keys to DiNozzo.

MEANWHILE SOMEWHERE IN D.C…

"Keep an eye on the investigators. I don't want them getting too close." A nervous man spoke through his phone.

"We will do that. What do we do if they start getting too close?" One of the men asked.

"You know what to do, but make it look accidental. Also, be sure to keep me updated. Do I make myself clear?" The first man tried to make himself forceful.

"We know how to do our jobs." The second guy said looking out the front windshield starting at NCIS.

"Good. I will be in touch and awaiting your call." The first man said as he hung up.

AN: DUH DUH DUH! I hope that you like the story! Now, it's your turn! You know what to do! :D