Disclaimer: Don't own NCIS or its characters.

"DiNozzo, photos. McGee, bag & tag. Ziva, question the wife, I'll talk to the daughter."

Gibbs receives nods and 'Yes, Boss'es from his team members as he heads over to talk to the daughter of the naval officer she had watched attacked viciously only hours ago in the night. She was partly in shock; but mostly, grief-stricken about losing her father. And so young, too.

With a sigh, Gibbs walks over to the girl, while her mother is occupied by Ziva. "Hey there."

The girl looks up, eyes red. She's not crying as she was before, only silent tears rolling down her cheeks. She then looks away, away from the gruesome shredded corpse that is her father.

"I know what it's like." Gibbs looks over at the scene, and before he can will it to stop, an image of Shannon and Kelly flash through his memory. "There's no pain like it."

The girl is still silent, but is now watching Gibbs, who is staring off into his own world, just as she was doing moments ago.

"We have to learn to keep living and be happy, just for them." He crouches down, his knees giving a resistant groan at the motion. "D'you understand?"

She looks at him, and his eyes meet hers. They share a moment of understanding, and she gives a little sniffle.

"I'd like to ask for your help, and maybe stop this from happening to anyone else's dad. Do you think you can tell me about it?"

She wipes tears from her eyes, but new ones only replace them. She gives a weak nod, but sits down on the grass, as her constant trembling has now turned to shaking.

Gibbs gives his aged knees a rest as he sits next to her, offering her a handkerchief, which she graciously takes. "I'm going to ask a few questions before that. That might make it easier." At her nod yet again, he speaks. "Can you tell me your name?"

"Kelly Gries," she answers, and looks up at Gibbs, whose face just shows a person who had the air knocked out of him. She looks a little nervous.

Gibbs takes in a shaky breath as he recovers, and nods. "How old are you?"

"Eleven. I just turned eleven yesterday, daddy came home for my birthday," she explains, a fresh waves of tears blurring her vision. "We came out here to our favorite spot in the park and some monster tried to attack me and daddy came out and tried to save me and-and-" she chokes on her tears, beginning her heavy sobbing once more. Gibbs pulls her into a comforting hug, which she welcomingly accepts, hugging him tightly. She tries to speak through her tears, but it's muddled and broken. After a while, she calms down enough to speak. "Why-why would they hurt him so bad? Why didn't they just hurt him a little bit? Wolves aren't supposed to attack like that, are they..?"

Gibbs' eyes widen. [Wolves? I hear it was an animal, but a wolf couldn't have done that in so short a time.] "That's what we're here to find out." He rubs her back comfortingly, and her breathing slowly returns to normal. "Was your mom around when the wolves came?"

"Um.. there was only one wolf. A really big black one." She looks over at her mom, who had also been crying, and who was just as traumatized, if not more. "Mommy was here when it tried to attack me. She tried to get it to let Daddy go, but it only scratched her and she fell, and then it kept hurting daddy." She rubs her eyes, which are starting to dry up. "I ran to Mommy and sat with her while she held her arm, and I told her not to look at daddy.." Her eyes well up yet again, but she closes her eyes tight. "I didn't want her to see what was happening."

Gibbs takes a deep breath. "Kelly, it's all right. You don't have to say any more." He looks into her now-open green eyes, and a long moment of pain is shared between them both. "We're going to find out what happened, don't worry."

She nods and tries to stand up, but finds that she's too shaken up to find the strength. To assist her, Gibbs stands and helps her up, then lifts her and carries her to the mother, who had just finished with Ziva. Kelly was set back on the ground, as Ducky had finished wrapping up the mother's arm, and the mother would be unable to lift her right now.

Gibbs looks at the woman, and gives a knowing nod. "Take good care of her, Miss Gries." He watches as the mother nods to him, forcing a pained smile, and goes to her daughter, to embrace her. He turns away, but Ziva, who was just behind him, catches the shine to his eyes, and can't help but stare.

"Boss, Ducky wants to talk to you," Tony announces, headed over to the two, and Gibbs nods, heading over to Ducky without a word. Tony stops, watching Gibbs walk away, and looks at Ziva. "What was that about..?"

"The girl and her mother lost their father. Think, Tony. It is a reverse-Gibbs." She still sees the teary-eyed Gibbs, but does not mention that part.

"D'you think they'll be all right? I took photos of.. what was left. What if it was trained and come back to finish the job?"

"I have not seen one animal cause a mess like this. This looks to be the work of wild dogs, several bears and scavengers to finish.. taking it apart." Even her seasoned constitution is tested, and she gains a nauseated look. "I have never seen a more gruesome death." Luckily, the family is out of earshot for the conversation. "Does Ducky know what did it?"

"Not sure, he just kept combing over the body, looking at the marks. He looked so confused.. I'm honestly not sure if he even knows." Tony looks over at Gibbs and Ducky, who are talking, Ducky looking at the body and Gibbs.. peering off into space.

"Jethro?"

Gibbs turns his attention to his friend. "I'm listening Duck. You sure?"

"Positive. I can't be certain what attacked this man. I'll have Abby run tests for all sorts of animals, but my suspicions are that someone in an animal costume did this. If they have, we are dealing with, if you'll forgive my phrasing, one sick puppy." He pauses, before holding a vial with a few grey and black shaggy hairs. "This is the hair from the beast. Place that with the other evidence, will you?" Ducky wouldn't admit it, but just having them in his possession made his stomach perform a flip-flop.

"Yeah, Duck. Thanks." Jethro takes the vial, but isn't prepared for the strange feeling of dread when he takes them. He quickly transports them to the pile of evidence, and is surprised to feel the feeling dissipate when he is free of the hairs. [What in hell are we dealing with?]

"DiNozzo!" Gibbs is back by the carcass, and Tony runs over.

"Yeah Boss?"

"What can you say about the body? Anything at all to help us." He scans it over with his flashlight for a better look. It's dawn, but the sun still hasn't arisen, and it's slightly foggy out now, draping an eerie mist over the scene. [Abby would love this,] he muses. [She would blame this on a werewolf or something, full moon and graveyard atmosphere.]

"Well.. I don't know. I heard the.. attacker, animal, described as looking either like a man-sized wolf or dog. It was black, had creepy-looking white eyes, and.. from what I heard, had shreds of fabric on its body, as if someone tried to catch it, or.." He frowns, looking at Gibbs. "Abby would totally call it a werewolf. The fabric looked kind of like clothes, I heard."

"Didja find any of the fabric?"

"..Boss?"

"That the wolf was wearing! Did you find any?"

"Uh, y-yeah, actually, it's with the evidence.. Y'don't think it'll tell us much, do you..?"

"Maybe it'll tell us where it's from." He looks around, and nods. "I think we're done here. Clean up and let's go."

"Sure thing, Boss."

Just as everyone is finishing, they hear a girl scream; Kelly is pointing toward the end of the park, where a large black wolf is running towards them, mouth hanging open in anticipation, white teeth glinting in the rays of the rising sun. The figure of the creature is much clearer now; the size of an average man, with arms and legs very akin to one; a face like a wolf-but with white eyes, no pupils. It looks as though it's hungry and enraged, and it's racing straight for Kelly.

Without needing to speak, the team rips out their weapons, but the wolf's movement is erratic, and they're only getting shots to the wolf's body; except for Gibbs, who is trying to aim for the head.

Tony runs over to Kelly, being closest to her, and aims; but the shot only lands in its shoulder. He waves his arms and calls out to get its attention, to pull it off Kelly. "Hey! Over here, you big stupid animal! 'Ey!"

The creature veers its target, now heading for Tony, who erks and starts running, fear setting into the deepest parts of him, gripping him to not even have the sense to turn and shoot point-blank.

"DiNozzo! You idiot, run towards me!" Gibbs yells, aiming again, but is still unable to get a good shot.

Tony hears Gibbs, but not what he says; glances over at Gibbs-and loses footing, trips and hits the ground. In moments, the wolf is on him, clawing at him, attacking every part that he can.

"TONY!" Gibbs runs forward, tailed by Ziva and McGee, whilst Ducky and Palmer quickly prepare for emergency medical assistance.

Three agents shoot relentlessly at the creature, even with Gibbs getting a shot into its skull-before it backs off, turning and running into the woods, its blood shimmering in the light of the rising sun as it runs off. Tony is laying on the ground, sprawled in an awkward position.. and to everyone's horror, not moving.

"Tony! Tony, can you hear me?" Gibbs gets to him first, checking Tony's vitals as Ducky and Palmer bring the necessities. "Tony, stay with me.."

All Tony can do is let out a little gurgle, followed by a grunt. Blood seeps out the corner of his mouth, matching the blood on the rest of him. A four-clawed gash across his face. A vicious-looking bite all across his neck. Shredded clothing. Scratches on the chest, with a five-clawed puncture straight into the right lung. Chunks of flesh hanging by threads and laying around him on the bloodied grass. Hell, he's almost been scalped. Everyone stares in horror as Ducky rushes to stabalize their friend, Palmer assisting, needing to be nudged once from a horrified stupor by Ducky before everything runs smoothly.

Ziva watches the woods, wanting to go after the creature-but at the same time, she's terrified to leave Tony, at the thought that she'll be gone when he dies. She remains, but this time, it's her own tears that surprise her. She quickly wipes them away, but she can't seem to turn off the switch-and soon, her cheeks are stained with tears, and she's trembling. McGee is standing next to her, and he himself is struck with horror-in response to her crying, he does the only thing he can, pulling her into a comforting hug, something they both need.

After Ducky declares that Tony will live, they immediately load him into the van to rush him to a hospital for better medical care, to stitch him up and get him rest. Everyone watches the van drive off, still in a stupor over what had just happened.

The sounds of Tony's yelling and screaming.. it is not something they will soon forget.