— The story and any possible original characters are mine. NCIS, its own characters and canon aren't. —

So I started watching this old crime series a few months ago. As a kid and teenager, I always loved the show. And the first main character Richard Moser was for me the Tony DiNozzo of the time (I refuse to talk about how they ended his story. It never happened). The second main dude was all right, but nothing like the first. But he's still better than the ones that came after... Anyway, I was inspired to write something dog-related. The series is up on youtube and it even has English subtitles, for those who are interested: "Kommissar Rex". It's only few, but some episodes aren't for the too young. Just so you've been warned.

Leo

Detective Anthony DiNozzo was not only young for his badge, with a few years under his big thirty, but he had also more experience and solved cases under his belt than most others, which didn't gain him any favors among the other detectives. So it was no surprise to him when his partner had chosen to once again 'forget' that they were supposed to meet at the crime scene and why early in that morning Tony was alone, with only the cops and the people working at the crime scene as his company. Personally, he didn't mind it too much since he did his best work alone anyway. Alone and at night, when most people preferred to sleep.

The case was like any other murder case and it started like any other working day would; you get the phone call, or an order from the boss, and you drive to the crime scene. He wasn't anticipating that the day would follow him around for years to come.

"So what do we have here?" Tony asked one of the officers. The man glanced at him and when he answered the question, it was monotonic and clearly something he'd practiced saying a few times already.

"Bullet in the head. Most likely never saw it coming."

"The victim?"

"Female. Not much older from us. She is— was one of us." The monotone speech cracked slightly at the end, betraying the young man's personal feelings toward the victim.

Tony's eyes darkened. It was always more personal and close to home, when one of their own was killed. Someone who had already given their life and sometimes even their sanity for other people, to keep them safer and more ignorant of the dangers hiding out there and the dark minds behind even some of the friendliest looking faces. It was ungrateful job overall.

Who will look after the heroes and who will keep our protectors safe from their own monsters?

Seeing the Medical Examiner give him the nod, Tony walked closer. He almost flinched when he saw the body. With her eyes still open and her long red hair spread around and mixed with the dark red blood surrounding her head, it was like looking at some grotesque painting. He frowned at the way her arms almost looked like they had been positioned over her head. Even one of her legs looked strange. Only the clothes didn't match the picture, which looked very much like...

"She's dancing," Tony muttered softly to himself and he made a mental note of that. He was startled out of his musings at the sound of someone taking another close-up photo of her.

"Anthony, it's good to see you back. How was your break? I do hope you used this chance to get some rest and live a life outside the work."

Tony nodded his greetings to the Medical Examiner. "It's good to see you too, Ducky. The break was good and plenty of time to catch up on all the movies I hadn't seen yet." He ignored the frustrated huff at his lack of 'real life'. He did go out with women, when he had time and didn't feel like he'd fall asleep in the middle of a date. What more was there? "So is it what it looks like? I'd say the cause of death seems pretty obvious from where I am standing."

Doctor Donald Mallard tutted. It was unclear whether it was because of the body or because of his young friend's lack of social life outside the work. "You know that I can give my final answer only after I have done the autopsy. However, this reminds me of a good friend of mine who unfortunately got too deep in the world of crime—I was just a boy then, really—and after a one time too many he—"

"The case, Ducky..."

"Ah. Yes. It does look that way and— Anthony, my boy, where is your partner?" Ducky asked the question, which Tony had feared he would, just like he always did and as usual, he lied. Why he was covering up for her, even he wouldn't know.

"She went to get some coffee."

Ducky tutted again and the old man was once again marveling how the woman had been given the Detective badge in the first place. Yes, given. While no one knew the details, it was the worst kept secret that Major Shepard favored the young woman and had forced her to become partners with Tony who had trouble keeping anyone working with him for more than two years. His youth and experience was something of a snare to the other detectives, especially for those he had worked with, who could not accept that he was the Senior partner, despite being younger than most. And now, even though his newest partner had barely any experience under her belt, she more often than not thought that she was the boss of the two. Simply put, she was neither an investigator nor a cop. A loose cannon was more like it. As long as she was around, Tony truly was better off not having a partner at all. "Oh, Anthony..."

Ignoring the scolding look from his old friend, Tony was about to inquire the time of death, when he heard it. Looking toward the house behind them, he almost dismissed it as nothing, but then it happened again. "Was the building cleared? I think I heard something," Tony murmured and he heard it again; a scratching sound inside the house. Then there was the unmistakable sound of something crashing on the floor. He took out his SIG and slowly made his way inside. Well, as slowly as he had to without alerting whoever was in the house. If there was anyone.

"Anthony!" Ducky called after his young friend and looking around he frowned when he realized no one had even noticed that their Detective had disappeared from the scene. To be fair, Tony could be both that person who always had everyone's attention and he could also blend in with his background, but this was still not right. "Not right at all..."

If the building looked on the outside like it wouldn't last for another year, inside it looked like a complete death trap, but Tony still checked every room in the surprisingly spacious building. Carefully opening another door, he was beginning to think he'd imagined hearing anything at all. That moment of doubt was why he wasn't prepared to face what hit him next and Tony barely had time to even realize something was moving toward him from the shadows. He was slammed painfully on the old filthy floor, leaving a big cloud of dust around him and his attacker.

To his shock he wasn't looking at some perp who had caught him unawares, but instead he was staring straight in the eyes of an unusual pair of blue eyes. For a split second Tony started panicking when he thought the animal pinning him on the ground was some wild beast. A wolf of all things. A wolf with blue eyes... There was a first time for everything and it would be his usual luck to be mauled by some wild animal. Then he saw the collar around the dog's neck. So it was a dog, right..? But for all the silver fur, huge size and the blazing eyes of a killer, the animal didn't look anything like a trained house pet.

Swallowing nervously at the low growling and bare teeth far too close to his neck, Tony had no doubt that the beast could easily rip his throat open. He caught a glimpse of the name on the collar. "Jethro..." Tony sounded and looked much calmer than he really felt, but that was only a testament to his undercover skills. He could easily fool even himself if needed and right now there was the lingering understanding that he shouldn't show the animal any fear.

The dog was still growling at his prey and Tony didn't think he would be fast enough to reach his gun, which he had dropped on the floor next to him. The wolf-dog would've no doubt been much faster.

"Jethro. You look like a good boy." What a lie. The silver monster looked anything but good. This was his very own 'the Hound of the Baskervilles ' and somehow he didn't think saying 'attaboy' would be taken too kindly... He could be wrong, but for a moment Tony thought that the blue eyes narrowed, but whatever else it may or may not be, it was still just a dog, so Tony kept talking and praying quietly for his backup to show up, which seemed to have gone AWOL on him once again. Then again, he had left without checking if anyone had even noticed him leaving.

"I'm one of the good guys. A cop. Well, I'm a Detective, if you want to be specific." Great, now he was talking to the dog as if it could understand him. At least Jethro had stopped showing teeth, so Tony took that as a good sign to keep talking, "I'm not your enemy. I'm a friend?" Dear God, let one of the words be the miracle word that meant the dog understood to not kill him...

The man and the dog stared at each other for a time that could've been an eternity or a mere second. Tony held his breath the whole time, until he became light headed and felt like he was becoming one with the floor as things became hazy for a short while. After that all he saw were the blue eyes. He was no dog—or wolf—expert, but he was pretty sure this dog wasn't anything you could learn to understand by reading textbooks.

A cold nose against his cheek reminded him his lungs needed some oxygen. "I know... I know..." Tony mumbled as he finally dared to breathe again. Then he coughed when he inhaled some of the dust still floating around them, sparkling under the first rays of the bright morning sun. He was still pinned down and his back and the back of his head were protesting. The dog was also even heavier than it looked.

Jethro finally moved, not away from his 'victim', but to get a good scent of the man who was surrounded by so many different scents that it was driving the dog almost mad with confusion and curiosity. Most humans had clear specific scents, mingled with other scents they picked up daily that weren't dominant. This human didn't seem to have any one clear scent. He had to take his time with this one. He nudged his new plaything with his nose again. While he wasn't an old dog yet, he wasn't a puppy either, but the human clearly was still just a pup since his youthful scent wasn't that different from the human puppies. Jethro liked the young ones. Most of them.

"What's gotten you so excited all of a sudden?" Tony was baffled as the dog started wagging its tail and was now licking his cheek. He shuddered as he remembered seeing his neighbor's dog licking at its genitalia that morning. "Stop that."

Much to his relief, the big dog finally moved, but it was still watching him carefully as Tony slowly stood up. His back was going to really hurt tomorrow and probably sporting few bruises. Not to mention his head, which he never failed to hurt one way or another. He mourned as he could only imagine what his clothes looked like. At least it was better than being covered in blood again. That stuff was nasty and he'd ruined many good outfits that way.

Tony eyed the dog warily. "Come on... Let's get out of here."

It was slightly disconcerting how easy it was for him to guide the dog to where he wanted, but since it made things easier for now, Tony wasn't going to question it. The closer they made it to the door, so much more pathetic the big animal became. The change was almost dramatic, changing the dog's entire personality. By the time they stepped outside, Jethro was whining heartbreakingly. Moving slowly closer to the body, the dog's head was hanging low and the tail looked lifeless.

"What's with the... dog? It's a dog, right?" someone asked with clear wonderment and some fearful respect.

Tony ignored the question and he stared at Jethro who was now sitting close to the body and whining softly, those blue eyes never leaving the body even after it disappeared inside the body bag. When the body was moved away, Jethro tried to follow, but Tony grabbed him by the collar and held him back.

Having spent a moment frowning at his young friend's almost filthy new look, Ducky finally looked at the animal next to him. "Oh my. That's Jethro... Shannon's dog."

"Shannon who?"

"Our victim. Shannon Fielding."

"You knew her?" Tony frowned since usually he knew everyone from low to high positions and yet he knew nothing about the female cop.

Ducky looked almost pained. "She was a good friend. In fact, whenever she was unable to take Jethro with her, she often left him with me. I am one of the few people on the very short list of those who can touch Jethro without getting my hand ripped off, which is why I am also his unofficial personal vet. The poor dog is not very fond of almost anyone. Men or other animals."

"Isn't he trained?"

"He is, but Jethro has always been... difficult case. He's also the only dog who made it through the training of one Mike Franks. The man is the biggest bastard you could ever meet. Ruined many of his trainables... It needed one woman's touch to truly get him to behave. The dog. I do not believe there is any hope left for that man."

"Well, this dog might be our only witness. I found him inside one of the rooms in the house. I wonder what Shepard would say if I told her I'm taking a dog under my protective custody." Tony smirked and he was almost looking forward to that little conversation. There was no love shared between him and his boss who loved using him for her own personal gain with far too much liberty.

"Anthony... I'm not sure that is a good idea..."

Crouching down, Tony didn't think much of it as he held his hand over Jethro's head. Seeing as for now the dog sat quietly and looking obedient, Tony gently rubbed that spot behind the ears in a soothing manner. Looking up, he saw his old friend staring at them with a strange look on his face. "Ducky... How worried should I be? He's a police dog, right? Clearly not a pet. But from what you've been telling me so far... Is he any good? Does he listen to any commands, coming from someone other than her?"

Ducky seemed thoughtful as he studied the two. "Jethro has always been one of a kind and meant for more than being a partner for a simple police officer. Don't get me wrong. Shannon was good at what she did, but she was never going to be an investigator nor work on big cases where a dog like Jethro could be much more useful. If someone else is able to control him..."

For being such highly decorated Detective, Tony could be awfully dumb when it was about him. "And if I can't find someone like that? What will happen to him then? Does Shannon have a family who could take him?"

Ducky sighed and shook his head. He should've known better than try going with the more subtle way with someone who didn't understand what a big deal it was that he was able to hold his hand over the head of a dog who would've by now ripped off even his—Ducky's—hand. "No. I am afraid her family never liked Jethro and he was already a lost cause before Shannon. She was the only one for him. I fear that his time is running short."

Tony didn't like the implications behind that and he frowned. He had already made up his mind to take the dog with him, until he found someone who could handle such beast. Man or a dog, he didn't like to think where the grieving animal would be put if no one could handle it... They looked at each other, the man and the dog, both studying the other. Tony spoke so quietly that only Jethro's keen ears caught it, "I'm sorry. You really loved her, didn't you?"

Someone—he didn't bother seeing who—spoke to him as if he had completely lost his mind and perhaps he had, "You really are thinking about taking that thing with you? You're crazy, man. I've seen some of the things it has done, heard things even worse, and it's a miracle it hasn't been put to sleep yet."

"Maybe," Tony admitted. What was he doing? Children, animals... He never quite knew what to do with them. The only real experience he had came through the cases he worked on and those situations were anything but ideal. As for his own childhood... Well, he'd had to be like a small adult before he could even walk. Pets had been completely out of the question.

"You're insane."

"Enough," Ducky almost growled and the young man who had spoken, nearly shrunk under the steely gaze, which was unusual for Ducky.

Meanwhile, Tony had stopped listening to them as he was only then wondering how to smuggle this giant animal inside his apartment without anyone noticing. The only animals allowed were small ones, like the one next-door to his apartment that looked more like a rat. He hated rats with passion, so that didn't help, nor did the constant yapping. Jethro was a mountain of small dogs. The dog Mount Everest. Standing side by side, Jethro's head reached somewhere around his waist, and he was a tall man. If worst happened, Jethro could eat that rat for breakfast.

This was clearly a huge mistake... No pun intended.