A/N: Now it's time for the actual crossover 'verse to show up, albeit briefly.

Chapter 7

By the time Ducky and Palmer arrived on the scene, the team and finished processing the area immediately surrounding the body and had moved off to look for evidence of the vehicle and perpetrator. The M.E. completed the initial exam with his usual efficiency, although Gibbs noticed that he was much more abrupt with his assistant than normal.

After Ducky had taken the necessary temperature readings from the body and surrounding environment, Gibbs crouched down next to the body and met Ducky's gaze.

"What do ya got for me, Duck?"

"I'd estimate time of death was between 2200 and 0200. I'll be able to get a better approximation once we get her back to Autopsy." Gibbs nodded and waited until Palmer had the body zipped into a body bag and had left to retrieve a gurney from the van before approaching Ducky again.

"Something on your mind, Dr. Mallard?"

"Serial murder, obviously. These are truly disturbing crimes, Jethro."

"Yep. I meant is there anything else on your mind? Or at least some reason why you've been snapping at Palmer more than normal?"

Before Ducky could respond, Palmer returned with the gurney and Gibbs helped him haul the body out of the ditch and up onto the stretcher. After it had been secured, Palmer pushed the gurney towards the waiting van, followed by Ducky and Gibbs. They loaded the body into the van and once the doors were closed Ducky addressed his assistant.

"Mr. Palmer, why don't you go wait up front. You can read over one of the maps to familiarize yourself with the route home."

"But I though that's why we got the GPS… I'll go sit in the van." Palmer hurried off and once they heard the front door slam Ducky turned to Gibbs.

"I went to go see Timothy this morning and spoke to his doctors. He is scheduled for several tests this afternoon and I requested a copy of the results. I expect to have them this evening if you wish to hear what was found."

"Is there something wrong with him? Something they didn't find last night?"

"We shall have to wait and see."

"Did you talk to him?"

"I did. The conversation was, shall we say, enlightening."

"And?"

"And I don't think it's something we should be discussing in public."

"Alright. My place, 2200?"

"That should work."

"I'll let the rest of them know. What about Palmer?"

"I believe we can include him, but I would like that chance to speak to him, first, and I would prefer to be the one to extend the invitation if it is warranted."

"Understood."

"Now if you'll excuse me…"

"Yep. See ya later, Duck."

Gibbs watched as Ducky climbed into the van and it drove off, wondering just what that conversation with McGee had revealed. Once the van was no longer in view he headed back to where the rest of the team was working, hoping that this was the last such scene from this particular killer that they would see.

XXX

Several hours later the team returned to the bullpen, frustrated with the results of their investigation.

"What do you have for me?" Gibbs demanded as soon as they stepped off the elevator.

"Squat," Powers replied as he flopped into his seat. "I questioned every bus driver that passed near Mrs. Brody's place and Quantico last night or early this morning. No one remembers seeing her."

"Same for the taxi drivers," Ziva added. "Less than twenty fares for the whole area, and none of them remember anyone who even looked like the Corporal. I have put in a request for all surveillance cameras along the route from the great aunt's house to the bus stop and the surrounding blocks. Abby will be working on those as soon as they come in. You get anything from the people on base, Tony?"

"No," Tony growled as he threw his bag under the desk. "Boss and I questioned everyone who could have been in the area."

"Someone saw something," Gibbs declared. "Nobody's invisible."

"No. Just really damn lucky."

Gibbs sent Tony a glare before turning to Powers. "Put a rush on that request for those tapes, Powers. I'm going for coffee."

"Sure, Gibbs."

Powers picked up his phone and started to dial as Ziva sat down to type up her notes and start checking into the background of the taxi drivers she interviewed. Tony started to work at his own computer, never saying a word. Powers finished his request, hung up the phone, and watched the silent pair for several minutes before finally breaking his own silence.

"OK, am I missing something? You guys have all been way too tense. Something's upset all of you, even Gibbs. What happened?"

Tony ignored him so Ziva answered.

"McGee has finally woken up. It happened last night."

Powers' eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Well that's a good thing, right? That he's awake?"

"Yes, but his recovery will be long and difficult."

"But he will recover?"

"Yeah, he will," Tony snapped. "He's not a 'lost cause'. I'm going to go see Abby."

Tony ignored the shocked expressions of his teammates and headed for the stairs. By the time he reached Abby's lab he had cooled off a little and was ready to get his mind back on the case.

"Hey, Abbs," he called as he walked into the lab. She looked up from her microscope, her expression stormy. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"It doesn't look like 'nothing'. What's bugging you?"

"This!" She pointed to the sample on the microscope's stage. "Fingernail scrapings from Corporal Brody. There's nothing except a few dead cells, and those are probably hers. I'd expect fibers, or dirt, or even skin from our perpetrator, but there's no foreign material here at all."

"So he cleaned up after himself. Guy knows his forensics."

"Yes, and we already knew that." She slammed her fist on the table, causing Tony to flinch in surprise. "Five women, Tony, and we're no closer to catching this guy than when we started. Forensics is failing me. It's failing them, and—"

"Abby." Tony put his hands on her shoulders. "We'll figure it out."

"How?"

"Somehow, somewhere, this guy is going to make a mistake. Maybe he already has. We'll find it." He smiled. "You'll find it."

Her shoulders drooped under his hands and she wrapped her arms around him. "I know, but… It's just so frustrating."

"Especially when you'd really rather be somewhere else," he added as he returned the hug.

She looked up at him and smiled weakly. "Yeah. How did you know?"

"Because I know you, Abby. When you're worried about someone, it's not that hard to tell."

"I just keep remembering how scared he was. I only got to talk to him for like a minute and then… He's so alone, Tony."

"You'll get to see him tonight, which reminds me: Gibbs wants us all at his place at 2200. Ducky's bringing some of McGee's test results or something."

"Tests? For what?"

"He didn't say."

"Will I have time to go visit Tim before?"

"Probably, but right now you need to focus, Abby. Help us catch this guy before he kills again."

"OK." She took a deep breath. "I'll leave no stone unturned." He released her and she stepped back, just as Powers walked into the lab, carrying a stack of DVDs.

"Abby, I got the first batch of… Am I interrupting something?"

"No. I was just telling Tony what I found so far."

"Which is?"

"Nothing," Tony replied, the sharpness in his voice he had displayed earlier returning.

"Oh. OK. Well, as I was saying, I have the first batch of surveillance tapes—"

"Fine." Abby grabbed the chain of custody form and quickly signed it before relieving him of the stack of tapes. "I better get started."

"If you need any help, I can—"

"I'm fine."

"Well, OK then. See you later." He left, and Tony turned back to Abby.

"You sure you're OK?"

"Yeah. Thanks, Tony. I'll let you guys know as soon as I find something."

"Good." He gave her arm a gentle squeeze and headed for the elevator. As soon as he left the lab he saw that Powers was waiting by the elevator doors and briefly considered taking the stairs before he joined the other man. Once the elevator arrived and they were inside, Powers flipped the switch and turned to Tony.

"Look, man, I'm sorry about the crack I made yesterday. It was uncalled for."

"So why'd you say it?"

Powers sighed. "When I was a kid, my father was in an accident. He wound up in a coma for years and never woke up. We pretty much knew from the beginning that he wouldn't. My mother ignored everything for the sake of staying with my father, and… I guess there's still some residual resentment there."

"You're saying she shouldn't have supported him?"

"Not if that meant her kids got taken away by social services due to neglect."

"Ouch."

"Yeah. Different perspective."

"Fine." Tony flipped the switch and the elevator started to move. "Just don't do it again… and don't let Gibbs catch you using his office."

"Got it."

The rest of the ride was made in silence, and when they reached their floor the two men got back to work without another word.

XXX

Gibbs walked through the doors of Autopsy and saw that Palmer was carefully stitching up the Y-incision on Corporal Brody while Ducky was sitting at his computer, typing. Palmer gave him a nervous smile as he finished the last stitch and clipped the thread before he covered the body with a sheet and made a hasty exit.

Ducky didn't seem to notice his presence so Gibbs walked over to Ducky's desk and leaned against it, his back to the wall.

"Duck?"

The M.E. glanced up, an angry expression on his face.

"I'm afraid I don't have much to add. Same type of wound to the throat as the previous four victims. No trace in the wound, although I did send swabs to Abigail. Corporal Brody was sexually assaulted, but there were no fluids or foreign hairs present. The body was clean." He removed his glasses and carefully cleaned the lenses with a handkerchief before continuing. "I may have a new perspective on his behavior, however."

"Yeah? You know why he's doing this?"

"No, but I strongly suspect that these murders are not his only kills. He is far too methodical, too routine, to not have done this before. This is a set script, and it took him some time to develop it."

"You think there are more victims out there?"

"Yes, but I also suspect they may not have been found. They served as 'practice', as much as it pains me to consider such actions, before his final performance."

"Do you think he changed his victim profile, too?"

"It's possible. Of course, we know they were not Marines. We've checked the other bases and none have reported similar crimes."

"All right. We'll expand our search."

"That would be wise."

"OK." He studied the M.E. for a few moments. "Are you ready to tell me what else is bothering you?"

Ducky shook his head. "Later. Right now I need to concentrate on this report." He glanced up at Gibbs. "Don't worry, Jethro, I promise I will reveal the source of my consternation, but seeing how I only wish to do it once, I will wait until we are all gathered."

"Is that going to include Palmer?"

"Yes. I have already spoken to him about last night's events, and he has promised to be discrete." Ducky managed a wry grin. "Although I suspect that has more to do with your influence than mine."

Gibbs chuckled. "Probably. Are we still on for 2200?"

"I believe I will be finished in time, yes."

"Good. Later, Duck."

Ducky just waved as he returned his attention to his computer and Gibbs headed back to the bullpen to see if anyone was having luck tracking their current monster.

XXX

"Damn it, it's 2210. Where's Abby?" Tony groused. The rest of the old team had already arrived.

"I'm here," Abby replied breathlessly as she clomped down the stairs. "I stopped by to visit Tim."

"How is he?"

"He was sleeping. Just sleeping, don't worry, I asked. I didn't wake him up because he still looks like he really needs the rest."

"I am sure he does. Now, shall we get started?"

"Yeah. Tell us what's been eatin' at ya, Duck."

Ducky smiled. "I believe it's customary to give the listeners a choice between hearing the good news or bad news first."

"I'll take the good first. I think we've had enough 'bad' to last us awhile."

"I'm afraid I must agree, Anthony. Very well. I have spoken to Timothy's doctors and reviewed his latest test results. As you are aware, he was entered in a study to help defray some of his medical costs, and as part of that study he underwent several types of treatment while in the coma to reduce the atrophy of the muscles in his limbs. The initial tests indicate that they were successful, and that while it will take time for Timothy to regain his strength, it will not take as long as it would had he not had the treatment."

"That is good news."

"Indeed. He also underwent a CAT-scan and an MRI to determine if there are any residual issues resulting from the trauma he sustained in the accident. There do not appear to be any significant areas of damage that would affect his mental recovery. However, there was something odd in his MRI. It appears as though one area of his brain is experiencing increased activity: the area in his frontal lobe that is associated with the sense of touch."

"Is that how he… got the information he gave us?"

Ducky ignored Tony's question and continued. "When I spoke to Timothy this morning, he seemed to know how long he had been in a coma, and also what had happened to his family. He made these statements while I was touching him. If I had seen his test results at that time, I would have believed that physical contact, prompted by his increased brain activity associated with the tactile sense, allowed him to focus and retrieve memories of things that were said around him while he was in the coma."

"That makes sense, I guess," Palmer mused.

"But you said you 'would have believed', Duck. You're saying you don't anymore?"

"No, because up to a certain point, all of the information Timothy has given us could have been acquired from things that could have been said, either consciously or not, while in his presence."

"So what changed your mind?"

"Timothy told me something that he could not possibly have known. No one besides myself and one other person had the information, and some of it… I didn't even know until he told me."

"What did he tell you?"

"I'm afraid that shall have to wait until another time. Much later. Suffice to say, it led me to believe that Timothy's supposed ability to perceive things beyond what he should know is no longer mere conjecture."

"You're saying he's what? Psychic?"

"I'm saying that he is in possession of a very new human ability… or a very old one." Ducky pulled a folder from his briefcase and set it on the workbench. "I began a search of the literature to see if this particular ability has been documented. I found many mentions, although almost all were anecdotal and none of them were backed by any sort of scientific documentation. That is, until I came across the case of one John Smith."

"John Smith? Sounds like an alias."

"True, but it was his real name. This young man was a high school teacher who lived in a small town in Maine. In 1970, after a terrible automobile accident he was in a coma for nearly five years."

"Five? Damn. I'm really glad Probie didn't sleep that long… Thanks, Boss."

"After he awoke from the coma, he was supposedly was able to tell people things concerning them, things he had no way of knowing, simply by touching a person or an object that belonged to them. He assisted the local sheriff in solving a string of murders and he was able to save a large number of teenagers from perishing in a fire."

"Wow. That's… Is he still alive?"

"I'm afraid not. It seems he became obsessed with a political candidate and attempted to assassinate him. Smith was shot by the man's guards, but if he had not been killed he would not have survived more than a few months due to an inoperable brain tumor. Many believed that was the reason behind his erratic behavior, although his doctor did not."

Tony paled. "Are you saying that McGee…?"

"I certainly hope that Timothy is not destined for such a fate. His scans do not show any signs of such an anomaly, but neither did Mr. Smith's upon his awakening. It is something we would be watching for, very carefully."

"So what can we do to make sure he doesn't blow a gasket like this Smith guy?"

Ducky sighed. "It appears that Mr. Smith isolated himself due to public awareness of his abilities and that could very well have contributed to his problems. He never got a chance to return to any semblance of normalcy after his coma."

"We won't let that happen to Tim," Abby declared. "We won't let him be alone, and we won't…"

"We will not tell anyone of the things he has said. We will protect his secret. Yes?"

"Of course, but we can't be with him all of the time. What if he starts tell other people these things?"

"I believe we will have to have that discussion with Timothy, and soon. He did seem to be aware that what he told me was not something he should have known. We will have to work with him to help him control his reactions when he's faced with these… visions, for lack of a better word."

"I'll talk to him," Tony volunteered. "I need to anyway. And I owe him."

"I think we will all need to speak to him at some point, to show he has our support. That will be helpful to him and will aid in his recovery, yes?"

"Indeed, Ziva. We will not let him fall by the wayside."

"All right. Project McNormal is a go… Thanks, Boss."

TBC…

A/N 2: Yes, I borrowed a line from the movie as well ;)