Dreams Collide

Okay, so this is super weird. I'm writing stories again. A NCIS story. Yep, this is beyond weird. Anyway, since I'm an avid Tate fan (are there still any of you out there?) this story will take you back to the good ol' days aka before the beginning of season three, when I stopped watching. This story takes place sometime during late season three or maybe the beginning of season four. Even if I didn't watch, I read the summaries online at least, watched a few youtube clips. So, on with the story, I guess.

Disclaimer: Nothing is mine. As usual. The title is from the song "Dreams Collide" by Colbie Caillat.

Chapter 1 - This is it

This was it.

She'd pictured this day, this moment, so many times over the past two years. But it didn't feel anything like in her mind. First of all it was raining. The downpour was drumming a steady beat against the slightly tinted windows of the car. She snuck a glance at the driver in the rear view mirror, his eyes were focused on the traffic. He's barely got a driver's license, she thought sarcastically. Since when did NCIS hire teenagers. Or maybe she just had been gone too long. She probably had.
Once again, she was struck by how little things had changed. Big cities like DC were on a constant pursuit for improvement, always being one step ahead, being the capital and all. But through the thick curtain of water droplets, things looked exactly the same. She sighed and suddenly felt a bit nervous. Almost reluctant. At the same time as this was what she'd been waiting for, a small part of her was worried that it wouldn't be the same, that it would be turn out to be as she had imagined for so many months. The familiar building came into view. Another sigh.

Yeah, this was it.

At the NCIS headquarters, director Shepard squirmed nervously, feeling slightly pinned down by the four pairs of eyes that were currently staring at her. Gibbs' icy blue glare was more intimidating than people might think. Like he was looking right through at the same time as he could see everything. Even the tiniest blink of an eye, any signs of giving in. She swallowed. This was far worse than awkward silence.

"Can I talk to you in private?" Gibbs suddenly said sternly, nodding towards the door of her office.

In response, she just nodded curtly and followed him out the door, mumbled a short explanation to Cynthia who quickly left her post. The door clicked shut behind them, leaving three speechless agents left at the table. Ziva didn't really know how to take this new piece of information. Her father had always told her to never ever jump to any conclusions, to start every mission with a clean slate, no assumptions made, nothing. Just focusing on the task at hand. But this she had been totally unprepared for. First of all, she'd been fooled. For that she should be angry. But she wasn't.

She slowly lifted her eyes to rest them at Tony DiNozzo. His gaze on the other hand were glued to the table, his fingers playing absently with a forgotten pen. McGee just looked confused. As confused as he'd been the first year she'd worked with them, and they'd said something he didn't quite get. Her eyes steered back to Tony. For once she didn't really know what he was thinking. She was good att reading people, back in the days her life had depended on her skill to observe people's actions, trying to get into their head, predicting their next move. But now she wasn't sure.

Outside the office, the muffled voices of Gibbs and director Shepard floated through the door but they couldn't really discern what was being said. Suddenly Tony stood, ripped the door open and sped from the room, charging past Gibbs and the director, leaving his chair spinning violently behind him. Taken aback by his albeit silent outburst, Ziva turned to McGee.

"Okay?"

Tony walked blindly from the director's office, down the stares, ignoring the looks from other agents as he practically ran past them as if they weren't there. He jammed the button to the elevator, relieved to find it empty as it arrived to his floor. He stepped in, pushing the button for the basement. Abby. She was the only one who would understand. As the cart descended slowly, he looked at himself in the mirror. Suddenly his looks were haunted. As they had been when he'd still been recovering from the plague. Yeah, it felt like someone had turned back time. Suddenly he was back in the spring of 2005. The elevator doors slid open and he stepped out, greeted by the heavy beat of Abby's music, blaring from the speakers.

Director Shepard's words still echoing. He didn't really recall that much. But the with the key words being "Ari Haswari", "The FBI" and "Special agent Caitlin Todd", it wasn't so surprising that it seemed like these past three years had never happened. Spring 2005. Yeah, a time he would never ever forget. The words kept ringing in his ears.

"Special Agent Todd is not dead"

Up in the director's office, McGee and Ziva had remained in their seats. McGee still hadn't spoken. This was surreal. As surreal as the paintings covering the walls in Abby's lab. Tony's hasty departure didn't make it better.

"Were they close?" Ziva suddenly asked. He looked up. What? What was she talking about?

"Tony and Kate, I mean" she elaborated and a flash of sadness passed over McGee's features. What did you answer to that?

"I…don't know" he said slowly. "Somedays it was war. Like they hated each other and the next it could be the exact opposite"

"He's never talked about Kate"
"What do you mean?"

"Didn't you see how he was in the beginning, when I first came here?" she said, clearly remembering how he'd refused to talk about Kate. It had taken at least four months before Ziva even heard him mention Kate's name. It seemed odd to her since he gladly bragged about all the women he "dated".

But McGee just shook his head. Of course Tony had been awfully quiet the months after Kate's death but it could be understood. He'd been there, right by her side. Of course it shook him. It was a normal reaction.

"But were they….close?" she asked again hoping that McGee would pick up on what she was asking. Because she'd always had her suspicions.

"Do you mean if they were together?"

She nodded.

"No, they weren't. Abby would have known" he said, indicating that if Abby had know then he would have as well. And he didn't.

"On my first day, when I came to the office Tony said he was picturing her naked" Ziva suddenly said. McGee stared at her. At the same time as it sounded exactly like something Tony would do, it seemed highly unlikely.

"What?"

Ziva just nodded, recalling Tony's playful voice as he was clearly talking to himself. The memory faded. Tony didn't talk like that anymore and suddenly she realized how much she'd missed. How much of her own team's history, she wasn't aware about.

Outside her office, director Shepard was once again stuck under Gibbs' glare. What was it that he wanted her to say really? She'd apologized, profusely. A knock on the door saved her. Agent Morrison stuck his head, the expression on his face making it evident that yep, he was a probie.

"Director Shepard…is this a…bad time?"

"No, no. It's okay" she almost sighed in relief as she got a justified reason to back down from Gibbs' staring contest.

This was it.

The familiar corridors of NCIS seemed foreign to her. Kate cast a glance across the room, scanning the bullpen. Half the people were unknown to her and the one's she recognized didn't seem to recognize her. This was almost like Hollywood. You could be forgotten in a minute. Something else would capture your attention instead.

"The director is expecting you" the young agent who'd moments ago been her driver, now gestured towards the staircase leading up to the director's office.
"Is Morrow still the director?"

"Morrow?"

The look on the agent's - probably a probie – face told her everything. Even if DC looked the same, NCIS certainly didn't. She followed him up the stairs. Somehow it felt like walking to the principal's office, like she'd done something wrong. As they'd passed the bullpen she'd noticed that Gibbs, Tony's and McGee's desks (if they all still worked here of course) had been empty. And the one that had once been hears was also without an occupant, at least for the moment. It dawned on her. They were waiting. The team, even if it wasn't Gibbs', was waiting. She swallowed thickly. This was definitely not like she'd thought it would be.

But on the other hand. Nothing in her life seemed to turn out as expected. They reached the closed office door. J. Shepard. Kate frowned for a moment. She couldn't recall anyone in the building with the name Shepard. She had never spoken to the director herself. The only one who'd talked to her about any of this was some agent at the FBI.

"Wait a moment" the young agent held up his palm, signalling for her to wait while he talked to the director.

Kate smiled slightly. He remined her a bit of McGee back when he started working with them. Fresh and unexperience from his computer in Norfolk. The young agent stuck his head, probably asking for permission or something. Then he waved his hand at her. Kate took a deep breath.

This was it. Her dreams coming true and shattering to pieces at the same time.

Gibbs eyed the probie warily as he disappeared out of sight for a moment. Then the door was opened and he stepped in, this time followed by a woman. A woman he knew too well but thought he would never see again. Kate.

"Agent Todd, nice to meet you" the director stepped forward, shaking Kate's hand.

Kate looked at the director briefly. A woman was running this place. She wondered what Gibbs thought of that. Then her eyes turned back to her former team leader. He hadn't changed much. The same haircut, the same penetrating gaze, the same posture.

"Gibbs…" was all she could say as she took a hesitant step closer. Since when had she been nervous around him?

"Special Agent Todd" was all he said, his voice neutral, as he looked straight at her.

The director watched their interactions. She thought Gibbs would show a bit more emotion. Because she knew that he hadn't been emotionally prepared for what Kate's death would do to him and his team and that he had his own ways of showing both happiness and sorrow. Ever since Ziva told her that Gibbs had been calling her Kate on a few occasions, she'd been fully aware of that this agent Todd had left and impression with him. But even though Jenny thought Gibbs seemed a bit too cold, agent Todd had a look of relief on her face. But Jen couldn't know that Gibbs only called her "Special Agent Todd" from affection, when he was pushing his agents, almost teasing them, driving them mad, trying to make them do an even better job.

Then Gibbs smiled. For being Gibbs at least. The corners of his mouth shifted slightly upwards, his eyes clearing up a bit and Kate seemed to relax a bit.

"You look like you've seen a ghost, Gibbs" Kate said and Jen realized that this was probably the second and only other woman who wasn't easily intimidated by the ex-marine.

"You don't say" was his reply.

"I'll let you reunite with the team, agent Todd" the director said, excused herself and left the room.

Neither Gibbs nor Kate moved for a moment, then Gibbs started towards the door to the office and Kate suddenly hesitated. Who was her replacement? Did Gibbs really hire anyone else? Was it a woman? The door swung open and she was suddenly filled with some kind of sisterly pride when she spotted McGee. He looked older, but not in a bad way. More sure of himself, new haircut, expensive suit and expensive looking leather shoes. Across from him sat a dark haired woman, probably with Middle Eastern heritage. She scanned the room quickly for the man who'd on the paper, been her partner. It hit her like a punch in the gut.

Tony wasn't there.

Four floors below, Tony sat on one of Abby's lab stools, spinning aimlessly. He'd just told her the whole story and she was still staring at him, gaping slightly, not really knowing if she should laugh or cry or do both. Suddenly Tony felt his cell phone vibrating in his pocket. He slowly fished it out, looking at the caller ID. Gibbs. Not now, he thought and flipped it shut again, presenting his boss with the dial tone. Seconds later Abby's phone went off and even though Tony protested, she answered.

"Gibbs! Is it true? Did you know? I bet you knew! Why?!" she fired off. Tony just sighed. Of course Gibbs knew where he was.

"Yes, he's here. REALLY? I certainly will. Bye"

Then she stood abruptly grabbing Tony by the arm.

"Kate is here! Up in the director's office." Tony sighed.

The director had told them that Kate was on her way and that they could start cleaning up this mess. But Tony had already zoned out by the, thoughts wandering. It felt like he simply was out of energy. Didn't really know what to believe.

"Abby, please…."

"Tony! What do you think she'll think when she notices that you're not there?"

"Abs…"

"But it's Kate"

Tony just sighed heavily. That's the thing. It was Kate. The one and only co-worker and most important, the only real friend he'd ever lost. This was too weird. Like something out of one of the bad movies he had in his collection. Things like these were not supposed to happen!

"Tony" Abby said sincerely. "This is extremely weird I know and I don't think I get it either but…it will only be worse if you don't come"

How could she be so insightful? When she wanted to, Abby could detect your ever lie but without hating you for it. It was admirable.

"Fine"

Kate looked nervously around the room. McGee had given her a hug and seemed genuinly happy to see her, of course shocked but happy. The other woman, who obviously was her replacement, had shook her hand politely and Kate had immediately been able to pick out a slight accent with her. Now Gibbs snapped his phone shut.

"Abby and Tony will be her in a minute" he said and immediately sensed a change in Kate's demeanor.

She tensed slightly, glancing towards the door. Gibbs sighed. He'd never really understood the complexity of his agents' rather strange friendship. Unconvetional indeed but he would never admit that. As long as they didn't break any of his rules and did their job he was satisfied. Suddenly the running steps from Abby's boots could be heard, although muffled by the carpet. A blur of black pigtails and crimson stockings screeched to a halt in the doorway, her eyes immediately landing on Kate.

"KATE!" Abby hadn't changed either Kate thought with a smile as she hugged the person who'd once been and still was her best friend.

"Oh my God!!" she squealed and hugged Kate again. "What the hell happened? Why aren't you dead?! Was it the FBI's fault? It was wasn't it? Where have you been?"

"It's good to see you too, Abby" Kate said with a slight smile and Abby laughed.

Yep, this was Kate. In the flesh. As they parted Kate suddenly noticed Tony lingering in the doorway, shuffling his feed and glancing over at her. Her smile faltered a bit. It was so good to se him, just as she'd imagined, he was one of the people she'd missed the most. He smiled a fragment of his usual megawatt smile. Just as McGee, he looked older but instead of to the better, he looked…she couldn't pinpoint what. The lines on his face went a bit deeper, the lines around his mouth revealing that he still indeed smiled – a lot. Kate slowly let go of Abby, focusing her eyes on her former partner but not really knowing what to say to him. She never had the time to decide what to say as it was Tony who spoke up first.

"Hi, Kate"

And that single phrase was enough for Kate to realize that things had change more than she could ever have imagined.

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