A/N Disclaimer: I do not own these characters; just borrowed them for an original, story.

Moonlight on a Summer Night

Chapter 1 The Scene

The case had been weird from the start. Even Abby decided the case took the "Major Hinkiness" award. A dead Marine captain, a wealthy Senator and a remote family retreat were not so out of the ordinary in themselves, but when the dead Marine was hung from the flagpole of the Senator's mountain estate, and the Senator was found bound and gagged and nearly dead in the Marine's apartment, things got interesting in a hurry. The unusual heat and humidity for the area also made for some additional weirdness.

The MCRT had obtained a warrant to search the remote property, the main house and all outbuildings on the property. Gibbs' gut was screaming that they had missed something on the first search. They had taken two vehicles; Tim and Gibbs in one and Tony and Ziva in the other. The two-hour ride to the estate was uneventful. The views from the mountain roads that led to the Senator's property were stunning. The final approach was a packed dirt road lined with trees that opened into the clearing for the house and other buildings.

From the wrap-around porch, in every direction, one could see the mountain range. Because of the weather, a haze enveloped the panorama in every direction. Stepping out of the cars was a rude assault of hot and humid air. The agents were sweating almost immediately.

"Get to work." Gibbs set his no nonsense tone. "The faster we find something, the sooner we can get out of this heat."

The team worked for several hours both inside and outside the house. In the garden next to the flagpole, they found the dead Marine's boots and a knife. Inside, they found long, white animal hairs in the family room, the half-bath off the kitchen and the master suite. Mud on the kitchen floor, a greasy hand print in the hallway, a gritty substance that looked like rock salt and hot pink paint on the patio were photographed, documented and collected.

The turn to the weird came when Ziva found several fingers that had been cut into pieces and scattered about the back patio. More photos, more documentation and the finger pieces were put in evidence bags and then into a cooler.

"DiNozzo. David. Stay here and finish up. McGee, with me and back to DC." The team packed evidence and gear into Gibbs' vehicle, and soon he and Tim were headed down the mountain road.

Ziva and Tony wordlessly turned and did a final sweep of the house and porch. The sky had grown cloudy and the humidity more oppressive. Ziva looked out over the property and pointed to a huge dark storm cloud rapidly approaching. "Storm incoming."

They finished the final sweep just as the storm hit. The wind suddenly whipped up and a torrent of rain let loose. A flash and then a clap of thunder sent the two inside the house for safety. Tony took off his cap and jacket and loosened his tie. He was pretty sure his clothing was soaked through with sweat. Ziva had also shed her crime scene garb and looked very much more comfortable in her sleeveless top. At least the house had air conditioning.

"Guess we are here until the storm passes. I'll call boss-man and let him know about the storm." Tony placed the call. It went to voice mail, so he left a message for Gibbs about the storm and that they would leave when it cleared out. He also sent a text to Tim with the same information.

Ziva had drifted into the family room and was looking at the books on the shelves that lined an entire wall of the room. Tony was checking out the old upright piano. A bright flash, followed immediately by thunder that shook the house made both of them jump. A second flash, a second roar of thunder that shook everything, and then a third one. A large cracking sound accompanied the thunder and they both watched as one of the old pine trees near the edge of the cleared area exploded and fell, taking two more pines with it.

Another lightning flash revealed the trees had fallen across the roadway down the mountain. The power flickered and went out, leaving the two agents in semi-darkness.

"I do not think we are getting out of here tonight, Tony." Ziva moved closer to him as she spoke. Tony was digging in his pocket for his phone. He dialed Gibbs' number and listened.

"Gibbs."

"Yeah, Boss. We got a problem up here."

"Gonna keep me guessing DiNozzo?

"Lightning hit a tree and now there are at least three of them blocking the road. No power either." Tony informed Gibbs. "Looks like we may be stuck here overnight."

"Find anything else?"

"Nope."

"Settle in and I'll let you know when we can get those trees cleared and get you out. Stay out of trouble, DiNozzo." Tony could hear Gibbs' smirk on the other end. Him and Ziva, trouble? Depends on whose definition you are using. Gibbs cut the call short.

"It's you and me, kid." Tony looked at Ziva in the darkened room and grinned.

"We have been in worse situations." Ziva moved even closer to him. "And, I quite like being stuck in the middle of nowhere with you." She placed a hand on his chest, and brushed her lips on his.