Tony and Charity were in the car, Charity driving, on their way to interview Staff Sergeant Laura Wilks. "Why don't you want to talk to Laura Wilks?" Tony asked Charity.

"Because she didn't do it." Charity answered, not taking her hard gaze from the road.

"How do you know that?" Tony asked.

"My gut." Charity answered.

"Well, my gut says she's the number one suspect." Tony countered.

"Look, she's a good woman, a good Marine. She wouldn't do it. She wouldn't ruin her life for this scumbag." Charity answered.

"There's something you're not telling me." Tony replied.

"Petty Officer Jan Wilks was raped just a couple of months ago. She killed herself two weeks ago." Charity answered, holding in a sigh. "They just burried her last week."

"All the more reason Laura has to murder this man." Tony replied.

So what if she did? Charity thought to herself. She took a scumbag off the streets. She wanted to get revenge for her sister's death. Her younger sister. Charity shook the thought form her mind. "Just let me do the talking. The family already trusts me."

"Alright." Tony agreed. He didn't say it, but his gut was telling him that there was more Charity wasn't telling him.

They soon arrived at the Wilks' family home. They got out of the car and walked up the front steps. Charity knocked on the front door. Julia Wilks, the younger sister answered the door. "Agent Gibbs, I haven't seen you in a while." She greeted. "What can I do for you?"

"Is your sister home? I need to speak with her for a moment." Charity answered.

"Yeah, she's here." Julia answered. She then stepped back. "Come in."

"Thank you." Charity replied, smiling sweetly at the girl. Julia had just turned eighteen.

"Have a seat on the couch. I'll go let Laura know you're here. Can I offer you a drink or anything?"

"Nothing thank you, though." Charity answered.

Julia nodded and then headed to the back of the house. A few moments later, Laura emerged from the back. "Charity, it's good to see you again." Laura greeted as if they were old friends.

"You, too Staff Sergeant." Charity greeted standing up. "This is Detective DiNozzo with Metro."

"Nice to meet you." Laura greeted. Then she turned her attention back to Charity. "What is this about?"

"We found the man that raped Jan." Charity answered.

"Is he in jail?" Laura asked.

"No, he was found dead in the park this morning." Charity answered.

"Oh." Laura replied, feeling shocked. "Have you found out who did it?"

"Not yet." Charity replied. "We are looking into it."

"When you do, please let me know, so I can thank them."

Tony cleared his throat as if prompting Charity. Charity took the hint. She tossed him a glare and then put all of her attention on Laura. "I hate to even be bringing this up, but where were you last night between midnight and one am?"

"I was here in bed." Laura answered.

"Is there anyone who can confirm your alliby?" Tony asked.

"Yes, Julia and I were both home all night." Laura answered. "What is this about? You don't think that I did it?"

"Did you meet a man in the park last night?" Charity asked.

Laura's eyes widened. "Y..yes I did. Why?"

"We found a condom in the park. It had the man's DNA, the man who raped Jan, on the inside. Your DNA was found on the outside." Charity answered, her voice going soft.

Laura gasped. "He told me his name was Jason Mathews. He worked at the funeral home. He said that he had met my sister a couple of times...I can't believe..." She then trailed off.

Charity reached a hand over and patted Laura's hand. "I'm sorry." Charity said. "I'm truely sorry."

"I think it's best you leave." Julia spoke up from the doorway.

Charity nodded and then she and Tony left and headed back to NCIS. Burley was sitting at his desk and Dan had taken up residence at one of the empty desks. Charity walked over to her own desk. "How'd it go?" Burley asked.

"She didn't kill him." Charity answered.

"That reaction still doesn't eliminate her as a suspect." Tony countered.

"Yes, it does." Charity replied. "She was half sick when she found out she'd slept with the man that had done harm to her sister."

"It's called acting." Tony replied.

"And I can tell you she wasn't."

"Your gut again?" Tony asked.

"Yes, my gut." Charity answered. Then she rose from her desk and left.

"Where is she going?" Tony asked, looking at Burley.

"The same place she always goes to think." He answered.

Charity...

Charity lay with her back on the garage floor. She had a wrench in her hand and was working on putting the car together. Working on the old car always helped her think. Of course she wouldn't have needed to think if it weren't for DiNozzo. He was making her question her gut.

Why? Why is he getting to me? She scolded herself internally. I've never questioned my gut instincts before. They've always been right. That's what makes me so damn good at what I do.

"A pair of feminine legs sticking out from underneath a classic car. I think that this is the dream of several men." came the voice that had become an annoyance to her.

"Are you following me now, DiNozzo?" Charity asked, not coming out from under the car.

"Wellm it seems to be the only way to talk to you." Tony answered. "A 1971 Challenger RT. Nice car."

"It will be once I'm finished." Charity replied. "If you're going to insist on being here, then make yourself useful and hand me that socket wrench."

Tony grabbed the socket wrench and then handed it to her. "So, are you going to tell me why your gut tells you the Staff Sergeant wasn't acting?"

"I don't have to justify myself to you." Charity answered. She tweaked a few more things with the socket wrench before coming out from under the car.

Tony looked at her. Her face and hands were covered in grease. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to get cleaned up." She started to walk into her house, Tony following her. "That was a hint for you to leave."

"I know." Tony replied. "I'm not leaving until you talk to me."

"Then you're going to be here for while." Charity replied. She then pushed him back out into the garage and shut and locked the door. She quickly made sure all the doors were shut and locked, before heading up to the bathroom and taking a shower.

Charity stripped herself free of her clothes and slipped into the shower. She turned the water on and let the heat of it wash over her and relax her tense muscles. Once she had finished her shower, she dried off. She slipped into an old tshirt with the words Senper Fi written across the front and a pair of panties. She then grabbed the dog tags and slipped them on.

Charity then headed down the stairs and walked into the kitchen. She turned on her coffee pot and then walked into the living room to wait. "You know for a federal agent, your locks suck." came Tony's voice, from the couch.

"You broke into my house." Charity stated.

"Way to state the obvious." Tony replied. "That would explain why you know Marine combat techniques."

"What are you talking about?" Charity asked.

"Semper Fi and dog tags." Tony answered. "Although it looks like it's not just dog tags on that chain."

"These aren't mine." Charity replied. "They were my father's."

"Is he the man in this picture?" Tony asked, holding up a picture he'd found sitting on the coffee table.

"Get out of my house." Charity ordered.

"No can do, Miss Gibbs." Tony replied, getting up and walking towards her. "Not until we solve this case."

"You're insufferable." She told him, her blue eyes burning into him.

"I've been called worse." He told her. "Now, we are working on this case and you are getting over whatever it is that emotionally connects you to Laura Wilks."

They stood there staring and glaring at each other for what felt like an eternity. After a few moments the coffee pot dinged, signaling that it was ready. "Coffee is done." She told him.

"Good, we're gonna need it." Tony replied. He then held up a file. "If we're going to solve this case."

"Alright." Charity agreed. "The sooner we solve this case, the sooner I can get rid of you."

"Now that's the spirit." Tony replied, a smirk on his face.

A/N: I hope you guys are enjoying this story. I think this one may be my personal favorite so far. I like the fire between Tony and Charity. I hope you guys are enjoying this as much as I am. Please read and review. I love hearing your thoughts and ideas.