Warnings: Mentions of child abuse. Spoilers for anything up to Season 7

A/N: Long weekend is over and I got a lot of writing done :). Sadly, the next few weeks are going to fly by and I do not know how much writing I am going to get in. So, here is the next update. I know that in an earlier author's note I talked about the team going to Somalia, but...I had another idea instead. I don't want to spoil anything so...just keep reading haha. (Shameless self-promotion)

Guest- It's funny that you asked for more McGee, because I was thinking the other day while writing that I had not used him a lot in a while. Which is a shame, because like you, I am a fan of the team and love team centric stories. SO...with that being said, I think there will be more McGee in the future. There seems to be a plague of author's getting unfair criticism on this site recently. I've noticed I am not the only one and I don't know what is going on. Just wanted to let you know that it's guest reviews like yours that I keep the option available, which means I have to deal with the haters. But shutting the option off would be rude to people like you that have nice things or constructive critique for me.

Thank you everyone for the support, its been nice to read and see :).

"Boss," McGee said, excitement in his tone, "I think I've got something."

"Talk to me," Gibbs said, jumping up from his chair and striding over to the plasma screen.

McGee grabbed the remote and hit the clicker. "I pulled Lieutenant Westfled's phone records and credit cards. There really was nothing out of the ordinary but guess what bar he was at the night Amber was raped?"

Gibbs read the name and felt his skin crawl seeing the charges for the rounds of shots. "Was Abby able to pull any DNA from the baseball cap?"

"There was some skin and hair fibers. We should have those results back by the end of the day," McGee replied. "Tony and Natalie were going to MTAC to video conference with CFS in San Diego. I guess that's where the two reports that Natalie uncovered were filed. But, he moved around a lot as a child with his mother. So…there could be more reports out there."

"Speak to his commanding officer yet?" Gibbs asked.

McGee shook his head. "I've got a call in for him to get back to me but I haven't heard anything else yet. Westfled just transferred here in April, just a few weeks before he killed Anna Fuller and raped Amber."

Gibbs took a deep breath. Ducky had confirmed that Anna had died just like all the other victims, strangled until she could breath no more. They were looking at the same killer, they just didn't have anything to arrest him yet. Things would change if the DNA results on the hat came back to match the DNA results on Amber's rape kit. Gibbs had sent Tony and McGee earlier in the day to get a positive identification from their victim that Westfled was the one, and once that DNA matched, Gibbs could get a warrant. Now, it was just the waiting game. "When DiNozzo and Callahan get back, I want all three of you to go pay the CO a visit over at the Pentagon."

"Field trip, boss," Tony said, sauntering back into the bullpen with Natalie, "I love those."

"CFS give you anything?" Gibbs wondered.

"Whole lot of material to use if we ever get the guy in interrogation," Tony quipped. "His mother supposedly beat him, broke bones, there were concerns of sexual abuse but...like we said earlier, none of the charges ever stuck and Martin would be removed from the home only to be brought back. No wonder he turned into some sick, twisted kid."

"Unfortunately at this point we might only be able to nail him with the rape," Natalie replied, frustrated. "He's left no evidence where the murders are concerned. But...he's our guy. He fits the profile to a T."

Gibbs titled his head to one side for a moment. "McGee."

McGee perked up. "Ah, yeah boss?"

"Pull up Maggie Cole's photo."

"Ah, sure."

Gibbs turned towards the plasma and watched as the photograph appeared. "We get him in interrogation, Callahan, you're conducting it. A woman asking him questions is one thing, but a woman that resembles his mother, well, that's really going to send him over the edge."

Natalie was a bit confused. "Over the edge of what? Because…I'm not sure eliciting a violent outburst from him is going to hold up in court."

Tony pursed his lips. "No, but it might get him to confess. If we get him to wave his rights."

"Some one like Westfled is going to be cocky," Natalie said. "He might just be arrogant enough to wave his Miranda rights."

"Great, but we have one problem," Tony said. "We haven't arrested the guy yet."

McGee sighed and was about to say something when the elevator signaled its arrival and Abby bounded off, excited. "Gibbs!" she shouted, waving a piece of paper in the air. "I got the DNA results back! The DNA on the hat matches the DNA collected in Amber's rape kit."

Tony's eyes grew dark. "Boss, Amber positively identified Westfled as her attacker. This should be enough to get the arrest warrant for her rape at least."

"You work on that," Gibbs said, "McGee, take Callahan and go over to the Pentagon and talk to the CO." He strode out of the bullpen and towards the stairs, "I'll bring Vance up to speed. Let's move! We've got another dirt bag to collar!"

It did not take Natalie long to learn that Tim McGee was very different from his partner. Even down to the way they carried themselves. While Tony walked with sure, confident strides everywhere he went, Tim seemed to be more hesitant when he was out in the field than when he was in the office. And he didn't use a harsh, demanding tone when he requested to see Westfled's commanding officer like Tony probably would have.

Both men intrigued her, and then there was Gibbs, all wrapped up in mystery. She felt like he was looking into her very soul when he looked at her and she didn't very much like the feeling. He had a way of making people feel vulnerable around him. Which, maybe that was why his team had such a high closure rate—he definitely demanded the best from his team and they definitely delivered. She had made sure to check her facts before coming to Washington in the first place, but none of her background checks had prepared her for the complexity that was known as Team Gibbs around the Navy Yard.

"Captain," the Petty Officer said, knocking on the door, and putting a halt to her thoughts for the time being, "NCIS is here to see you." There was no answer behind the glass and the young man tapped on the door again. "Sir?" he questioned. When there was no answer this time he tried the knob but it was locked. He was surprised. "Captain, why is your door locked?"

Tim nervously looked at Natalie. "Did he go out?"

"Not while I've been standing here," the Petty Officer said, picking up the phone. "I can call his cellphone and find him for you."

"Please," Tim said, with nod.

After the Petty Officer had finished dialing the number, immediately a ring tone could be heard coming from the office. The young man was startled. "Odd. He takes that thing everywhere."

Natalie studied the door for a moment. "Do you have a key?"

"Ah no ma'am. I'd have to call maintenance."

"No worries," Natalie said, looking at the lock closer this time, "I think I got this." She pulled a credit card from her wallet and slid it between the lock and door and yanked upwards, quickly. The lock popped out and the door swung open. "You probably should look into better locks," she told the young man as she guided the door open, pulling her weapon.

McGee was a little shaken by her just breaking in like that. It was uncanny how much she channeled Gibbs and Tony by that simple action alone. "Um…we should probably wait for maintenance, or for the Captain to get back…I don't think he'd appreciate it that we're breaking and entering his office like this."

Natalie ignored him as she stepped deeper into the office. "I don't think the Captain is going to mind too much," she said, holstering her weapon.

"Why do you say that?" McGee replied, stepping into the office and going to join her. His eyes fell on the body at the foot of the desk.

"Because," Natalie stated the obvious, "he's dead."

Tony slipped his NCIS windbreaker on over his suit and followed behind Gibbs into the Pentagon. Finding Captain Lazaro dead was not apart of the plan, of course, this whole case was not going according to plain. "He's slipping boss," Tony whispered as the pair entered the office and flashed the Military Police their badges.

Gibbs huffed and agreed with his second, but stopped mid-stride when he saw that Natalie was sitting outside the office. "Callahan? Why aren't you helping McGee?"

"MP's said I wasn't NCIS, therefore I cannot be in there investigating," Natalie said, with a bit of a pout. "I showed them my real life badge from Boston myself. They responded by taking my gun."

"Sir," the leader of the MP's said, "I was told that only NCIS was to be investigating this."

Gibbs resisted the urge to roll his eyes and gestured with his index finger for Natalie to stand up. "Ms. Callahan is in the process of becoming an NCIS agent, her paper work hasn't cleared yet—some kind of mix up. Right now she's working as a liaison for the Boston Police Department."

The MP was slightly confused. "So, she's on your team, sir?"

"Uh-huh. Can she have her gun back?"

"Yes, sir."

Natalie was handed her weapon and allowed to go into the office behind Gibbs and Tony. When she was out of the earshot of the MP's she laughed, "Wow, nice little white lie there, Gibbs. Telling them that I was training to become an agent."

Gibbs gave her a little smirk before going about his work. Tony chuckled as he handed her a pair of latex gloves. "How'd you get into the office?" he asked, snapping his own gloves on.

"I picked the lock with my credit card. You would think the Pentagon would have better locks on these doors," Natalie said.

"Judging by the amount of security just to get into the building, I'm thinking locks on the doors were not a priority. Did McGee panic? He always hates when we break and enter," Tony said with a smile. "Even when we have probable cause to do so. Little-by-the-book-McGee. I really am fond of him."

Gibbs shot him a glare across the room. Tony quickly shut up and went to work, taking photographs. He pulled his camera back slightly when he caught sight of someone on the desk. "Hey, Callahan, what do you think this is?" he asked, pointing towards a white powder.

Natalie paused and waited until Tony had snapped a photograph. "Could be a roofie. Looks like there's a water ring where a glass was sitting next to it."

"Petty Officer Wilson confirmed that Lieutenant Westfled was the last person to enter the office before we got here," McGee reported coming back into the office. "He didn't think anything was up when the Lieutenant left, said he was acting normal."

"He didn't hear anything?" Gibbs asked.

"No."

Ducky and Palmer shouldered their way into the room then. "Ah, what have we here gentleman...and lady," he said smiling at Natalie.

Gibbs pointed towards the body. "Captain Raymond Lazaro. McGee and Callahan came here to interview him about Lieutenant Westfled and found him dead. Looks like blunt force trama to the head, Duck."

"Yes," Ducky said, leaning down to inspect the body. "Judging from the pooling of blood, I would say the same thing. Although, there are no signs of a struggle, which you think there would be if someone was about to bash your head on a desk."

"Could he have been drugged?" Tony asked, pointing back to the white powder on the desk.

"Oh, certainly, it would explain why there are no defense wounds," Ducky said. "His killer waited until he was inhibited by the drug. As you all were witness to when Ms. Callahan was given the GHB, these types of drugs are very powerful and act quickly. I will have to run blood tests. You should bag that powder, Anthony. Abby can determine what type of drug it is or if it is just sugar from the Captain's breakfast."

Tony nodded his head and began to bag the powder. As he was doing so, Natalie pressed the voicemail button on the Captain's phone. Most of the messages were from co-workers, one from his wife, and the last one was from McGee. "Captain Lazaro, this is Special Agent Timothy McGee from NCIS. We need to speak to you about Lieutenant Martin Westfled. He's a suspect in a sexual assault case and we need to ask you a few questions. If you could call me back at this number, it's very much appreciated."

Natale stared at the phone for a moment. "McGee."

"Yeah?"

"Can you determine when these messages were retrieved?"

"We should be able to. I would just have to access the Pentagon's switchboard."

Tony cocked a small grin at her, "What's going on in that pretty little head, Detective?"

Natale glared at him, half in jest, half not. "What if Lieutenant Westfled came in here when the Captain retrieved the message? Maybe he stayed so they could talk about it, and he felt cornered. So he drugged Lazaro, and then killed him."

"Kind of harsh," Tony said. "We hadn't even arrested him yet."

"Westfled isn't used to being caught. And he knew he was caught the moment McGee said he was suspect," Natalie argued. "Remember we talked about him slipping up? Well...this is his slip up. This was a spur of the moment kill."

Tony let his camera fall around his neck. "He keeps the roofies on him at all times, just in case. One doesn't know when one is going to need them."

Natalie nodded. "McGee and I found prints all over this place before the MP's kicked me out. Any bets that some belong to Martin?"

"I'm not a betting man," Tony said with a shrug.

"You place bets all the time," McGee snapped at him. "Do I need to remind you of the Kentucky Derby last year?"

"I thought you said we'd never speak of that again?" Tony countered.

Gibbs wanted to slap both of them on the back of the head, but resisted. Instead he smiled at Natalie, and said, "See...thinking like an agent already." He ordered the team to finish up. He was going to go ask for security footage and then head out for coffee.

Natalie, still wondering what made Gibbs think she was thinking like an agent, asked, "Why doesn't he just get his coffee intravenously?"

"Because," Tony teased, "He wouldn't be able to enjoy it that way." He packed his gear and informed the rest of them that he was going to put a BOLO out for Westfled's car. "He couldn't have gotten too far. We're gonna get him today."

"Mister Palmer let's get the Captain out of here and back to NCIS," Ducky said, finishing up himself.

"Right away, Dr. Mallard," Palmer said cheerfully, going to retrieve the gurney.

Natalie and McGee cleaned up the rest of the gear and packed it. On their way back to the NCIS truck, she inquired, "So...tell me about the Kentucky Derby last year..."

McGee gave her a huge grin before diving straight into the story.