Warnings: Mentions of drugs and sexual assault. Spoilers for anything up to Season 7

A/N: Time for more! I hope this isn't moving along too slowly for anyone. I know that I've spent quite a bit of time on the case and introducing the new character. I think things are going to pick up in the next few chapters anyways.

If you remember last time, Gibbs had put Tony and Natalie undercover at a bar and she was drugged by some jerk. Thank you everyone for the support, its been nice to read and see :).

"Where am I?" Natalie murmured, finally coming around after eight hours.

"Georgetown University Hospital," Tony's voice answered. "Doctor's wanted to keep you overnight for observation. You gave us a little bit of a scare there, Callahan. I mean, I know GHB can knock you out, but man did your blood pressure sky-rocket and then drop dramatically."

Natalie slowly opened her eyes to see him sitting there, next to her. He had a shadow of growth on his face, his blazer was draped over the back of his chair and his beer-stained shirt from the night before was opened at the top. "Did you stay the whole night?"

Tony looked at her, softly. "Some jackass tried to assault you last night—did you think Gibbs was going to let you stay here by yourself?"

"I thought you guys arrested him?" Natalie asked, feeling the blinding pain behind her eyes exploding thanks to a nasty headache. "At least…I think I remember you arresting the guy. I…everything is a little fuzzy."

"We arrested him. But GHB takes hours to completely wear off. You were out cold, too," Tony told her. "Not in our nature to leave someone who is incapacitated alone."

Natalie looked at the pitcher of water by her bed. Tony saw where her eyes travelled and poured her a glass. He wove a hand behind her head, helped bring it to her lips and let her take a few, large gulps, before pulling the glass away. "Thanks."

Tony smiled at her as he put the glass down on the table. "Nurse should be bringing in your breakfast. Hope you like oatmeal. I tried to tell them that you'd want bacon and eggs and the whole nine yards but the ah, nurse…she didn't think that was a good idea. They want you to take it easy on your stomach."

"How long do I have to stay here?"

"Took your blood just before you woke up to test it. If the GHB is out of your system you should be able to go home."

"Gibbs mad at me?"

He shook his head. "No. Why would he be mad?"

She sighed. "Because I blew the entire operation."

"No—the bastard that drugged you blew the operation."

"What if Westfled was there? We missed our opportunity to get him."

"Doesn't mean he knows we're looking for him. Stop beating yourself up, okay? If anything it was my fault the entire operation was blown. I should have seen what he was doing and I shouldn't have left you alone," Tony argued. "I was the one that broke our cover—not you."

Natalie blinked, rapidly. "You broke cover?"

Tony nodded. "Had to. If I didn't he was going to whisk you right out of that club and who knows to where given what he was planning on doing."

She winced then at the sharp pain in her head. It reminded her of the headaches she used to wake up with when she was in college, but this one was not of her own making and it pissed her off—royally.

He reached out and patted her knee. "We'll make sure the nurse gives you something for that headache, alright?"

"Yeah…that…that sounds good. Tony?"

"Yes?"

"Why are you being so nice to me?"

Tony looked at her, puzzled. "Should I be acting…mean?"

Natalie shrugged. "I guess what I mean is we barely know each other and I know that your team is going through a huge transition right now after a loosing a member. Just figured you'd be a bit more grumpy after your partner left."

"My partner and I didn't part on the best terms," he whispered.

"Ah…you're awake and I bet hungry," the nurse said interrupting them. "Gave those federal agents quite the fright, young lady."

"So I've heard," Natalie said, softly.

The nurse swiveled her tray around and placed her breakfast down onto it. "Here, baby," she said, smiling, "eat this. You'll feel better in no time."

Natalie nodded. "Did my blood test come back yet?"

"You want to leave us so soon? We were just getting to know you."

"I have a job to do and…I…no offense…I don't like hospitals."

"Not many people do baby," the middle aged woman commented before leaving.

Tony studied her for a moment. "So, why don't you like hospitals?"

Natalie picked at her breakfast. "My younger brother had cancer, we spent a lot of time in the hospital with him. You know for treatments and illnesses. He used to get everything. I had to wear robes and masks around him when I wanted to see him. I grew up thinking that doctors and hospitals were supposed to make us better but well…watching him struggle with cancer and then pass from it…tainted my view."

"How old were you when he died?"

"Nineteen."

"I'm sorry, Natalie. That has to be rough."

Natalie shrugged again, trying to mask the hurt. "My mom keeps telling me to this day that he's in a better place and not in anymore pain. For a while that made me feel better, but…he was only fifteen when he died. He should still be here, you know?"

Tony didn't know what it was like to los a sibling because he didn't have one, but he did know what it was like to lose people close to him at a young age. His mother—Kate—Paula. All those women should still be alive today. They had all died much too young. "Well, like the nurse said, there aren't a lot of people who do like hospitals."

"Why don't you like them?" she asked, honestly while she ate.

"Oh…never said I didn't," he deflected. She tossed him a look. He sighed. "Four years ago I almost died in one. Just like you... I don't have fond memories." And just like you I want to get the hell out of them once I'm in.

Natalie finished her oatmeal and then took the painkillers that the nurse had left for her with the rest of her water. Now that she had eaten, she found that the nurse was right, she was feeling a bit better. Hopefully her blood tests came back negative for the drugs and she could be on her way. Tony sitting here baby-sitting her was no help to Gibbs and they really needed to find Westfled before he killed someone else.

Tony's cell phone rang and broke the silence. He excused himself and went out into the hall just as the doctor was coming in.

"Got good news for you, Detective," he said with a smile. "Your blood tests came back negative. You're free to go. I'll have the nurse draft up the paper work at the front desk. I'm assuming that Agent DiNozzo will be driving you back to your hotel?"

"I didn't ask," Natalie confessed, her eyes watching Tony through the glass door. "But I'm sure he would."

The doctor wrote something down on her chart and pointed towards a plastic bag. "Another agent brought some clothes for you to change into. You're more than welcome to use the shower here before you go."

Natalie shot a look at the bag and didn't even here him leave. She shouldn't be surprised that either Gibbs, or perhaps even McGee, had gone to her hotel room to get her clothes. Personal boundaries my ass, she thought as she slipped out of the bed and went to get the bag.

Tony was still outside talking on his cell phone and didn't even notice that she had disappeared into the bathroom. The hospital shower wasn't as nice and spacious as the one in her hotel, but it felt good to wash her hair and get all the grim off. By the time she was down, Tony was off the phone waiting for her. "You up for going into NCIS today?"

"Sure, why?"

"Another body was found. We need to nail this bastard and fast."

"Where was the body found?"

"Pond in Rock Creek Park. Gibbs, McGee and Ducky are on their way."

Natalie clipped her badge to her jeans, and then slipped on her holster. "What are we waiting for? Let's go."

Tony had to grin at her eagerness, determination, and as they left the room, he whispered, "Let's not tell the nurse you're going to work, okay?"

"Okay," Natalie said with a laugh, "I promise I won't say a word."

Gibbs pulled his sedan up at the crime scene. Quickly he got out of the car and headed towards the yellow tape. He could see that Ducky and Palmer were already working on the body and McGee was taking sketches. Tony was off interviewing the two teens that had discovered the body and Natalie was hovering around the medical examiner.

He lifted the tape and stepped under, taking sure strides towards his diligently working team. "Doctor give you the all clear to work?" he directed the question towards Natalie.

"My blood test came back negative. GHB is out of my system if that's what you're wondering," Natalie answered. "Besides this is more important."

"Jethro," Ducky said, looking up at the team leader, "As much as I would love to debate whether or not Ms. Callahan should have stayed at her hotel to rest today, I'm afraid that we do have another victim of our serial killer on our hands."

Gibbs scowled. "Did you get that report from San Diego yet?"

Ducky nodded. "It was delivered this morning. I haven't had time to look over it or Lieutenant Westfled's file. Perhaps…Ms. Callahan can do that once we get back to NCIS?"

"Profile Lieutenant Westfled?" Natalie inquired. "You don't have someone to do that?"

We did—once, Gibbs thought sadly, remembering Kate. "Ducky could do it. But he's going to be in the middle of an autopsy. Could use the help, Callahan."

Natalie smiled, broadly. "It shouldn't take me too long to come up with a profile, Gibbs. I mean…men like this…they're a certain type and all…but the file would help me better understand why he does all this…you know—" she stopped when she saw the lead agent shoot her a glare. "Sorry. Didn't mean to ramble."

Gibbs looked over his shoulder at Tony. "Go ramble to Tony. He likes to do the same thing."

"Boss," McGee said, stepping up to him. "Found tire tracks not too far from here. Maybe that's how Westfled transported the body to the park."

"Take a cast for Abby."

"Already done."

Gibbs nodded, curtly and glanced down at the body of the young woman that had been found. She looked just like all the other victims, just like Amber Hamel. His skin crawled thinking about this scumbag still on the loose. "Time of death, Duck?"

Ducky pulled the liver probe from their victim. "I'd estimate about three days ago. Perhaps we should check with the local police and find out if any missing persons reports have been filed."

"I'll stick McGee and DiNozzo on that," Gibbs said. "Callahan's gonna be working with you on that profile, Duck. Hope you don't mind working with a Boston girl—after all they were the ones that stole America from the Brits."

"Jethro, the American Revolution was hundreds of years ago," Ducky replied while the team leader walked away, "And I'm from Scotland! Not England!"

Gibbs just smiled and kept walking.

"Hey, Ducky," Natalie said about an hour after they returned to NCIS. "What did you say the name of the victim from San Diego was?"

"Ah… Lieutenant Commander Maggie Cole," Ducky replied while he worked on the latest autopsy of Jane Doe. "Why do you ask my dear?"

Natalie shuffled some papers around on Ducky's desk to find the one she was looking for. "Because…Maggie Cole was Martin Westfled's mother." She looked up at the medical examiner in deep thought. "His mother was assaulted by her boyfriend during her first tour of duty at the age of 22 but NCIS or NIS at the time couldn't make the charges stick. She got pregnant as a result of the rape."

Ducky stopped what he was doing. "It's not unusual for a serial killer's first victim to be someone close to them."

"There's nothing to suggest why he did it though," Natalie replied. "I mean…my whole theory was that he was embarrassed by a woman and needed to make them feel inferior to him, so he rapes and kills them. But…why start with his mother?"

"Perhaps his mother is the root of the entire problem," Ducky suggested as he weighed the victim's heart.

Natalie suddenly got another idea and flipped her laptop open. She did a quick search for any cases surrounding Maggie Cole and her son. "Lieutenant Cole was put under investigation twice for abusing her son. Each time CFS closed the case and didn't remove Martin from the home. Perhaps…her abuse of him triggered those feelings of inferiority. Wonder if CFS will let me look at their files?"

Ducky chuckled. "Good luck with that my dear. Those records are juvenile. They are probably sealed."

"We have an active murder investigation. We might be able to get them unsealed."

"Hey," Tony said as the doors to autopsy swished open, "we got name for our Jane Doe from Metro. Parents filed a report three nights ago for their daughter, Anna Fuller."

Ducky sighed. "Are we keeping the case or handing it over to Metro?"

Tony smiled, gently. He had changed since the crime scene and shaved and was looking a bit more refreshed. "Well, when I informed them that we were investigating a Navy lieutenant for her murder, the detective was more than happy to hand the case over. Guess he has a lot on his plate right now. You two come up with anything putting those brains together?"

Natalie jumped off the chair. "Actually we did. Westfled's first victim was his mother."

"You're joking," Tony said. "His mother?"

"Not joking. It appears his mother abused him as a child. There are at least two sealed cases with CFS," Natalie said. "I was just going to go over there and see if I could get them unsealed."

Tony looked at her, incredulously. "Without a warrant?"

Natalie frowned. "It's a murder investigation."

"Come on, Lacey. Let's go get that warrant just in case."

"If I'm Lacey, does that make you Cagney?"

Tony tossed a glare at a chuckling Ducky before leaving autopsy, Natalie on his heels. "I should make you stay here. You know, you did spend the night at the hospital."

Natalie shrugged. "I feel fine. Besides, I'm helping Gibbs out—not working for you—so you can't order me around."

"I'm the senior field agent and so, yes, I can."

"Are you always this demanding?" Natalie asked.

"Yeah…especially when the safety of my team is concerned," Tony replied, firmly. "And as long as you're working on this case with us, you're a member of the team, and those rules apply to you too."

Gibbs hated to be called away from a case, but Vance was insisting. The SSA strode casually into the Director's office, and stated, "This better be quick, Leon, my team is close to catching a serial killer."

Vance moved past the agent and slammed the door shut. "I just got off the phone with some contacts in the Middle East. Seems like Ms. David has rejoined Mossad."

"No surprise there, Leon," Gibbs said with a shrug. "Her father tell you that?"

"Haven't spoken to Eli since we were in Tel Aviv," Vance confessed. "And even if I did, I'm not sure he'd tell me a damn thing. I only called to make sure my intel was right because Ziva's silence has me a bit worried."

Gibbs gave him a puzzled look. "You haven't heard from her?"

Vance shook his head. "Not a peep. Do you know if anyone on your team has heard from her?"

"I doubt she'd call, DiNozzo. But no one has mentioned hearing from her."

"It's odd, Gibbs."

"I agree."

Vance sighed and fixed his suit coat. "It's odd and I have a bad feeling about it."

Gibbs titled his head before leaving the office, "Me too, Leon. Me too."