Title: Divided Paths Entwined
Fandom: NCIS
Pairing: Kate Todd/Ziva David
Spoilers: Right through the first and second seasons to Silver Wars in season three, just to be safe.
Summary: Ever wondered why Kate couldn't stab Ari in autopsy? Why she thought his eyes looked 'kind?
Rating: M
Disclaimer: Not mine, they belong to DPB, CBS, Paramount, and whoever else. If they did belong to me, Kate would surely still be alive and married to Ziva… And possibly Abby… At the same time… Time to go wash my mind out with soap.
Author's Note: This is my first fic, so lotsa feedback will be most appreciated! Also, this story contains femme-slash, don't like it, don't read it!

"You bastard!" Kate spat at the terrorist, struggling to lift poor Gerald onto the autopsy table whilst trying to contain the bleeding from his shoulder. She couldn't believe it, that a terrorist had somehow gained access to NCIS and had taken her, Ducky and Gerald hostage. Sharp one-liners and quick-witted insults weren't going to be coming from her mouth so easily when priority now lay with tending to Gerald's gun shot wound.

"You seem like such a bright young women and that's all you can say?"

"You are a bastard!" She yelled back, wishing to God above that the terrorist would at lease stop smirking at her like that. He was so calm, almost gentlemanly with his speech when she was close to panic; very well educated, Kate thought. As she assisted Ducky with trying to stop Gerald's bleeding, she kept track of the terrorist in her peripheral vision. His composure unnerved Kate; there was an air of calm yet deadly confidence about him that did not fit the typical profile of the average terrorist. He wasn't a religious extremist, Kate surmised, as there was no mention of Allah or Jihad or infidels. She doubted he was in it for money either, as he was very well groomed and as Kate had earlier observed, probably also received one of the best educations money could buy. No, Kate couldn't put her finger on what drove this man to reduce himself to a terrorist, despite him denying such a title.

"We don't negotiate with terrorists." Kate decided to remind the terrorist of the standard federal agency policies, see if she could shake him, to make him doubt his plans.

"Caitlin, when you get to know me better, you won't call me that."

"I have no intention of getting to know you better," she retorted, disgusted at the blatant innuendos the terrorist implied as he continued to look her up and down, committing her body to memory.

"Are you sure?" He leered.

Kate was taken aback. Taking in his close proximity and looking into his light brown and somehow familiar eyes, she realised what gnawed at her mind was not what his motivations were, but of who this terrorist reminded her of. All she knew, and was appalled with herself by, was that she was drawn to this intimidating man in a way that she could only describe as some bizarre form of attraction.

When she spotted one of Ducky's scalpels she decided she had to try something. She was the only Special Agent in the room. She had a duty to Ducky and Gerald to protect them, and hopefully now, to rescue them from this deadly man.

"Kate... No!" She heard Ducky's urgent whisper as she picked up the knife. Looking over to meet his gaze, she listened to Ducky continue his warning to her. "He wants you to try!"

Concealing the weapon behind her back, Kate waited for the terrorist to slowly wander his way back in her direction. Just as he was entering her proximity again, something in her subconscious made her hesitate. Instead of instantly launching herself at the man, she drew out the knife from behind her back, revealing it to him. She wanted to prove to both herself and the terrorist that he was just that; a horrid rebel activist that simply wanted to inflict pain wherever and whenever he could.

"Dr Mallard thinks that you were daring me to pick up this knife." Kate challenged.

"The proper term is a dissecting tool," came the terrorist's reply, continuing to move closer to Kate, even though he was fully aware that the Special Agent was now armed.

"You didn't answer my question. You just wanted another excuse to shoot Gerald, didn't you?" She wanted to be right, she wanted to be sure that killing this man would be the right thing to do. So before letting her subconscious invade her mind and make her second guess herself again, she threw herself at her target, knife in hand. But the terrorist was too fast and strong for her, easily blocking her assault and holding her still up against his chest as he disarmed her.

"I had no intention of shooting Gerald again, Caitlin." The terrorist stated, his eyes bearing down into hers. Held there only mere inches from the terrorist's face did Kate's subconscious finally reveal to her aware thoughts on who this terrorist's eyes reminded her of. He leant forward to whisper in her ear so Ducky could not hear the message he was about to imply. "I did, however, want to see if I was right about you."

"Next time I'll be quicker."

"Oh, don't you wonder why you weren't now?" The smile he held on his face confirmed Kate's thoughts, and she could tell that the terrorist knew who was now flooding Kate's memory, bringing back images that were stored in her mind nearly four years ago...

Ziva...