Aphrodesiac

by KatelynGibbs

Kate starts working at NCIS and soon discovers that some things are better left untouched. Sorry if it's confusing, I still don't know how to separate the sections from each other. I'll fix it soon. I hope.

Katelyn Todd stared at the wall, unseeing. Her first day at NCIS had been, well, less then satisfactory. Things had started badly, and stayed that way. She missed the Secret Service already, missed the demeanor, the ease, everything. She'd known these NCIS agents were crazy since she'd met them, but today had proved how much she'd underestimated their insanity. It certainly didn't help that she was trying to recover from so many losses at once. Her job, her lover, her cousin, and her optimism. With the Secret Service, she'd never had to deal with the constant tide of death, deception, and torture that flowed through the hallways of NCIS headquarters in the form of case files, evidence, bodies, and suspects. Her new partner was an insensitive asshole to whom women were playthings, and her boss was a disturbing combination of mystery and power. Just being in the same room with Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs, you could feel the unquestioned authority he had. He inspired awe and fear, but also, it seemed, an unfaltering loyalty between himself and his associates. The man was confidence incarnate, but there was something underneath the cold exterior that frightened Kate beyond belief. She drew a deep, shuddering breath, feeling her body lift off her bed as if attached to marionette strings. Her movements were made without thinking, ingrained in her by frequency, she had a hard time handling emotional trauma. Physical pain was not a difficulty, but emotions tended to take control of her body in frightening ways. She floated over to a massive cherry wood chest, engraved with beautiful frescoes, and shimmering in the darkness. The chest had been in her family for years, left to her by an aunt who had practically raised her. Her fingers closed around the elaborate cross hanging around her neck. The cool metal felt like water against her skin. Her hands reached behind her neck, unclasping the chain. She fitted the end of the cross into a lock in the chest, turning it, feeling the tumblers clatter into place. She lifted the heavy lid, gazing down at the black velvet lining the bottom. Glinting silver against it was another heirloom, entrusted to her along with the chest that held it. She ran her fingers along it, fingering the jewels and metal working. She sighed, not sadly this time, but as if she hadn't realized the weight she was carrying until she felt it melt away. Her fingers twined around the handle, and her ritual began.

Kate and Abby were down in the lab together, working on something, Kate wasn't quite sure what, for Gibbs while he and Tony did the field work. Kate didn't actually mind all that much because she enjoyed Abby's company far more then that of her male coworkers. Kate waved her hand around at the lab. "Abby, how did you get into this? Forensics I mean."

"Well, it started with going to the car wreckage places near my house. Not for the gore, just to see what happened and why. You know, action and reaction. What about you?"

Kate laughed. "I actually wanted to be a lawyer. I even spent a year at law school, but it felt like ten years in prison."

"With really boring inmates?" joked Abby. Both women laughed and Abby continued. "Admit it, you just like strapping on a gun." she teased.

"More than one." Kate teased back.

Abby looked impressed. "You packing more heat than meets the eye?"

Kate smiled wickedly. "Are those your only tattoos?" was her only reply.

"You show me yours, I'll show you mine." Abby held her hand up or a high five and Kate slapped her hand, exposing her bare palm for the first time. Abby noticed a strip of skin toned gauze across the middle. "What happened to your hand?" she asked curiously.

"Oh, I cut it last night while I was making dinner." replied Kate nonchalantly, Abby saw a coldness enter her eyes that contradicted Kate's easy-going manner.

Something's up there, she thought, but she didn't press, knowing that everyone had secrets. "I hate it when that happens." she said sympathetically, going back to her tests.

Kate gave a small smile and moved over to the computer screen, watching fingerprints flash past on the screen.

Kate fell back on her bed, releasing a frustrated scream, muffling it slightly by shoving her pillow over her face. "My name is not Katie, or Secret Service Chick, or Katie-girl, or anything except Kate or Katelyn!" she screamed into her pillow. "Where does that bastard get off using nicknames I didn't give him leave to use?" she demanded to her empty room. Her screams turned to full-bodied sobs as she threw the pillow across the room. She pushed herself up on her elbows, icy coolness settling in after her rage. It always happened this way. So much oppression was needed to keep her family happy. This led to her being skilled at separating her mind from reality. She would hold in an emotion as long as she could, then she would find somewhere private and release it. The resulting emptiness sucked her spirit farther into the darkness, the cold prison she had built for it at an early age. The result was a calm, cool, analytical woman, no emotions, no personal detail. She became whatever she was needed to be at the moment, lover, friend, enemy, or professional. A bitter laugh spilled from her lips. The perfect Catholic daughter, the perfect employee. Her gaze slid to the chest against the wall, and her head fell back so that she could see the wall behind her. A cold smile flitted across her face. The pattern had begun. How long would she last this time?

Months. She had lasted three months so far. Her need had become less frequent, and her scars had begun to heal, finally being given enough days in between times. But then Susanne had happened. Susanne McNeil. She had trusted the woman. Protected her, taken care of her, cheered her on, and what had she received in return? Her coworkers, her friends, her family, had been put in danger by the bomb the woman had set off. Kate stood in the women's room at NCIS Headquarters, standing over the sink, gazing at the image reflected back at her. She reached out a hand and touched the mirror, sure that the woman there couldn't be her. Broken, racked with pain both physical and emotional, cut, bruised, burned. The shadows under her eyes showed either a severe hangover or lack of sleep, or in this case, both. Her fingers moved back to her own face and the woman in the glass matched her movement. She turned her hand in front of her eyes, staring at the gauze that hid her slit palm, the wound that never healed. She peeled back the gauze, feeling as if her body was being controlled by someone else's mind, and for the moment, it was. Emotion had her in its grip. The red, puckered skin showed a cut, deep enough to draw blood, that was beginning to heal over. She slid her thumb over the angry line, pressing her manicured nail deep into it. She gasped as the seam split and blood bubbled out. Nothing. She felt nothing from the injury. Her head fell forward, and her body shook with suppressed sobs. Her hands pressed flat against the counter was the only thing that held her up. Finally she drew a shaky breath and left the restroom, unaware of the bloody smudges she'd left on the tiles. She nearly ran into Abby on her way out. "Hey Abbs. I was just going to come down and say goodbye. I'm going home for the night." Abby nodded.

"Get some sleep Kate, you need it after the day you've had." Kate smiled and left. Abby waltzed into the bathroom, wondering what was wrong with her friend. As she stood admiring her reflection in the mirror, she noticed the blood on the counter. Suddenly, all the clues fell into place. The eternally cut skin, the blood on the counter, the cold flash Kate sometimes got in her eyes, the way she seemed so frosty after any of her outbursts. "Katie," whispered Abby, touching the smear gently. "What are you doing to yourself?" She whirled around and ran to the bullpen. She marched straight up to Gibbs' desk.

"Gibbs! Gibbs!" she cried.

"What Abby?" he asked impatiently.

"It's Kate, something's wrong. I only just figured it out, which is really bad 'cause I'm a forensic scientist, and I should've known..."

"Abby!" he yelled.

Abby took a deep breath. "She's cutting herself Gibbs. Probably regularly. At least since she started working here."

"Shit. That stops working after a while." muttered Gibbs. "That'll make her desperate. Any clue where she might have gone?"

"She said home, but I'm pretty sure she was lying."

"Can you get coordinates off her cell?" he demanded.

Abby nodded. "Go get her, I'll send you the information as I get it."

Gibbs nodded and raced out to his car, gunning the engine. His cell rang. "Where, Abbs?"

"She's at Main and fifth."

"I'm staying on the line. Tell me if she turns and where." He kept driving, following Abby's instructions as she traced Kate's car.

"She's stopped. It's residential, 137 NW 5th..."

"I know where it is." growled Gibbs, speeding up, if that was possible.

"You do?" asked Abby, surprised.

"Yeah. It's a goddamn whore house." Gibbs hung up the phone, rifling through his glove box as he sped along the road. He pulled out a team photo Abby had taken recently and shoved it in his pocket, squealing to a stop outside his destination. The street was packed with cars. It could be worse, he thought. If she's out getting laid, she's safer than if she were trying to hurt herself more. He got out and walked up to the door.

About thirty minutes earlier, Kate had walked through the front door of the house, flashing a badge. Not her gleaming government issue, but one that was as dingy as the rooms she walked through. She walked up to the man bar and signed in. She was shown into a room upstairs. There she waited for a few moments, until a client asked to be shown up. The manager had only been at his desk for a half second when one of the men meandering the house asked for some time with Kitty. He'd handed the man a key and gone back to work. Kate was one of the best he had. When she showed. She was the best, not because she was the most beautiful, exotic, or sensual, but simply because she took orders, no matter what they were, and never complained. She took the men, and occasionally women, but usually it was men, that his other girls refused to help, The ones that hit, that hurt, that took pleasure in having the power of life and death over their toy. That made her popular. Upstairs, Kate kept her eyes closed as the door opened, shut, and was locked. She was kneeling on the bed, head down, hands resting demurely in her lap. The man shoved her backwards, shackling her wrists and ankles to the bed posts, spreading her body out before him. What happened was what usually happened. The man treated her like a toy, an inanimate object. Hitting, pinching, and generally hurting. He fucked her past pleasure and into pain, so that she would scream in pain if he so much as brushed his fingers along any part of her body. When she screamed, he would laugh and dig his thumb into one of her bruises. Finally, he grew bored, getting dressed and leaving his discarded plaything still chained to the bed, ready for the next person to have. Kate felt the pain radiate through her whole body. Pain, hatred, desperation, and fear. These were the things she felt whenever she came here. It wasn't pleasant, but at least she could still feel. That had to mean something, right?

It took Gibbs about five minutes to find the main desk, and when he did, he showed the manager the photo. "Is she here?" he demanded.

"Kitty? Yes, why? Is she in trouble?"

"You'd better believe it." growled Gibbs, protectively. "Where is she?"

"Room A-3. Check her key box." Gibbs walked over to the box on the wall. "Kitty's" box was empty. He went back to the manager who was talking to another man. When he turned to Gibbs, the older man was furious, he shoved his badge in the man's face, but he didn't flinch.

"I ought to arrest you for running a prostitution business." he rumbled.

The man gazed back at him. "I'm afraid that's not possible sir. I don't run a business. I don't get paid, nor do the women. They all volunteered themselves for this."

"Volunteered?" sputtered Gibbs. Kate, his, well not his, but still, beautiful, fragile Kate had volunteered to be a prostitute? It was impossible. "Take me to that room, right now." he demanded.

"I'm afraid I can't do that. If the key is gone, that means she's busy, and if she's busy, I can't just let you in. Besides, there's only one key per room."

"I don't need a goddamn key to get in!" thundered Gibbs. "I've got a gun to blow out the locks, and a damn good kick to break the door down."

The manager was still unfazed. "I'm afraid I can't help you. You'll just have to wait until her key becomes available." Gibbs relented, realizing that he had no choice. He settled himself against the wall next to the key box, waiting for the chance to get Kate out of this hell hole. The men around the house backed down instantly from his glare, not trying to approach the box. After what seemed like a lifetime, a man came and dropped a key into "Kitty's" box. Gibbs wanted nothing more than to kill the man with his bare hands, but his fear for Kate's well-being made him grab the key and race up the stairs. He got to room A-3 and paused, not sure he wanted to see what was inside. He forced himself to open the door, and then froze. Kate was spread-eagled across the bed, delicate wrists and ankles chafing and turning red from being hand-cuffed. Her eyes were closed, head fallen back on the pillow. The shallow rise and fall of her chest assured him that she was still alive, but clearly in pain. The bruising shadows covering her snowy skin confirmed that fact. The bastard was dead.

Kate heard the door open, and tried not to move. Moving not only hurt, but usually made her clients more violent. The door swung shut, and the click of the lock was the loudest sound she'd ever heard in her life. Fear thrilled through her body, making her limbs tremble a little, as she heard a noise that rarely accompanied anything but the most violent clients she had. Not only had the door been locked, but the dead-bolt was sliding home in the doorway, ensuring that there was no way on this earth that anyone would get in until whoever had arrived was done with her. Her breathing quickened, fear twisting her stomach. She hadn't heard the steps across the room, but suddenly she felt the presence next to her. It was strong, dominant, and most definitely dangerous. She tried to hold in the quiet whimper, but failed. Then, she froze in shock. The man put a hand to her forehead, unusually gentle, and brushed her bangs out of her eyes. The touch was almost reverent in its softness. She felt her arms and legs being released from their bindings, and drew them towards her body, shrinking her already small frame into a tiny ball. The bedsprings groaned as the man sat down on the bed. He pulled her towards his chest, enveloping her in his strong, protective arms. She took a deep breath to still her body's quaking and was filled with the scent of bourbon, old-spice, coffee, and sawdust. It was a familiar scent, one that had always relaxed and comforted her. But today the smell terrified her. Her eyes flew open and she saw those famous bluish-grey eyes gazing back at her.

"Oh, god!" she gasped, burying her head in her huddled figure.
Gibbs kept his arms around her, but kissed the top of her head gently. "It's okay, Katie, honey, I'm going to get you out of here." he said softly,

"I don't want...I just...God!" she sobbed. Gibbs got up, pulling her with him gently. He helped her dress, trying to protect her bruises. Kate noticed that there was nothing sexual about the action. It was more a fatherly behavior, the desire to protect and comfort the ones he loved. He draped his jacket over her shoulders, holding her close, to keep her on her feet. He guided her out of the house and to his car. He sat her down in the passenger seat and stroked her hair soothingly before getting into the driver's seat. He drove carefully for once, and it took longer than he was used to reach his house. By this point, he had to practically carry her into the house. He led her into the bathroom, seating her on the toilet seat and running a bath. Again, he helped her with her clothes, and into the tub, closing the door softly behind him as he went to the hall closet, looking for some kind of cream for her bruises. He knew there was nothing he could do to make them stop hurting, but he could at least help them heal, and lessen the pain temporarily. He found what he was looking for and knocked on the door. When he heard the weak "Come in." he opened the door and sat down next to the bathtub.

"Are you okay, honey?" he asked quietly, the father in him coming out in her time of need.

Kate nodded, tears pouring down her cheeks. "I'm fine. I just...I..." she sank farther into the water. "I wish you hadn't seen me there." she whispered, pain in her voice. "It isn't an easy thing to explain, especially to you."

"You don't have to explain, hon." Gibbs replied, petting her head. "I already know. So does Abby, at least she knows part of it. We're worried about you, Katie." he said. Kate tried to be angry that he had called her Katie, but somehow, the way he said it made her feel loved, safe, small. It didn't feel degrading, or disrespectful the way it did when Tony DiNozzo said it. It felt like she was a little girl again, curled up asleep in her aunt's lap. The same one who had given her the chest. Aunt Joslin. Kate's visits to her house had been the only times she felt truly safe, really able to be herself. Except now. Gibbs reached for a bottle of shampoo, pausing long enough to ask, "Do you mind, honey? You've gotten a little mussed up."

Kate nodded, wrapping her arms around her breasts, trying to hide what she could of her bruised and battered body. She needn't have worried, though. Gibbs never so much as glanced at her body, he just worked the shampoo through her hair. Gradually, she began to relax under his influence. Her head fell back a little and her eyes closed, her face falling into a neutral expression. Finally Gibbs poured water over her scalp, rinsing out her hair. When he finished, he pointed to a fluffy white towel and folded robe on the counter. "Go ahead and get out whenever you're ready. I'll be in the living room." he turned and left. Kate sighed, completely submerging her body in the water for a moment, savoring the weightless feeling it caused, before she stood up, wringing out her hair and stepping onto the bath mat on the floor. She dried off and slipped into the robe. It smelled just like him. Soft, warm, and familiar. She tied the sash around her waist, wincing as the cloth pinched a patch of bruised skin. She stepped out of the room, wandering down the hallway until she came to a partially open door. She peeked through it and saw a bed and dresser. Not the living room. She turned around and went the other way, this time ending up in a large, sparsely furnished room. Sitting on the couch, reading, was Gibbs. She walked up hesitantly and sat down next to him.

"Thank you. For getting me out, I mean." she whispered, unable to look up, knowing she'd see revulsion or shame in his eyes. So she was surprised when she felt herself dragged gently into the safety of his embrace again. She looked up, a question in her eyes.

"I'm not mad, honey, I'm worried." he answered her thoughts. He took her hand in his, turning it over to show the freshly split skin. Kate turned her face away, ashamed. "You're hurting yourself. That's not okay, it's not safe."

"I know. It's the only way I can feel, though." she murmured. "The only way I know how to cope."

"I can think of lots of other ways."

Kate shook her head. "It's not like that. I hide everything so deep, sometimes I feel like I could be shot in the stomach and not feel anything. I need to be sure, I need to know I can still feel something."

Gibbs chuckled. "So go out and get laid, Kate."

"Isn't that what I just did?" she asked.

His eyes darkened, fury filling them. "No. You got yourself fucked. You let some stranger use your body as a toy, a prop. It's not the same at all, and that bastard's going to pay for what he did."

Kate shivered. This man was dangerous, even if only to those who hurt his friends. She felt her heart crack at the word friends. Everything about Gibbs, from his lithe body to his stone-cold fury reminded her of a tiger. That's what he was, a beautiful, powerful, cunning, dangerous, and passionate tiger. When she had started to feel this way about him, she didn't know, but she did know, that she couldn't picture a life without him in it. Maybe she would never be with him, but she would see him every day at work, earn his respect, learn from him. Tonight, when she'd recognized him in that dark, cold room, her personal hell, that plan had fallen to pieces. He would never respect her after this. He would never be able to look at her without remembering the way she had acted. She knew that his actions and words now meant nothing. It was just how he was. He would never kick her while she was down, but as soon as she got to her feet, the tirade would begin. Her head dropped into her lap, her fingers clasping behind her head, holding it there. What would she do with herself when he was gone from her life?

Gibbs gazed down at the broken woman in front of him, wondering how he could have missed this much pain in one of his associates. Especially Kate. Kate was his...At least he wanted her to be. Then again, he'd never been able to read her very well. She was so in control, her feelings and thoughts shielded by barrier upon barrier. Even so, he'd thought he was a good judge of people, but he'd never thought Kate would try to hurt herself. His strong, beautiful, confident Kate. Could it be that she wasn't so strong as she looked? At any rate, he knew from her body language that she expected to be thoroughly thrashed for her behavior. If she had been Tony or anyone else, she would have been right. But Kate? Not only could he not bring himself to hurt her more, he was too consumed with the desire to torture the bastard who'd done this to her. He knew it was a lifetime's worth of work, but what had his fragile, tiny Kate lived through to cause this kind of pain? He pulled her closer to him, fighting the desire to kiss her full lips. She'd suffered so much today, he was afraid that if he so much as touched her, he would hurt her. But, damn, he wanted to kiss her, wanted to make her forget everything that had happened, wanted to make her so happy that she'd never again consider taking a knife to her porcelain skin. He saw her shoulders quivering, and knew that she was crying, even though no sound was present. At any rate, he knew what was hurting her right now, and adding a relationship to her life would not help her. Right now, he would do what he had to keep her safe from herself, but his feelings would wait, the way they always did. He rubbed her arms, comfortingly. "Come on, sweetie, let's get you to bed. You should rest, then you'll feel better in the morning."

When Kate stepped off the elevator the next morning, she was attacked by an incredibly emotional Abby. "Kate! You're okay! I was so worried, and Gibbs never called me back to say if he'd found you or not, we're having a girl's night tonight, no complaints. I am not letting you out of my sight, and you are most certainly never going back to that..."

Kate clapped a hand over Abby's mouth. "Don't say it, Abbs." she cautioned. "I'm not planning on going back, but I don't need the whole office finding out about what happened last night." Kate's quiet voice was weary.

Abby bounced up and down, waiting for Kate to move her hand. "Okay, but we're still going out tonight."

Kate laughed. "I'm fine with that. In fact, since it's a Friday, why don't we hang out all weekend? An adult version of a slumber party. Facials, flirting, and fun."

Abby grinned. "Great! I've got to get back to the lab, but I'll be up here as soon as the shift's over so we can go." the young woman raced back to her lab, clearly hyped up on caffeine, worry, and relief. Kate smiled softly after the retreating figure. What would she do without Abby? Without any of the people she worked with? Ducky and his hilarious monologues, McGee and his adorable innocence, Tony with his jokes and hidden sensitivity, Abby and her, well, Abbyness, and last but not least, her boss, the albino tiger. She stifled a laugh. What a name, it fit though. She walked over to her desk, getting to work and counting the minutes until she would be pampering herself.

"You're spending the whole weekend together?" demanded Tony, fascinated. "An adult sleepover?"

Kate rolled her eyes. "It will be nothing like your sorority house fantasies, Tony. We're just going to get facials and manicures and crap like that. There will be no nudity, no skinny dipping, or, god-forbid, boy-sharing on our weekend." she continued to pack up to leave, double-checking her report as she did. "And no, you can't come with us." Tony pouted as Gibbs strode into the squad-room.

"Kate, with me." She shouldered her purse and dropped her report on his desk as she hurried after him. They got into the elevator and Gibbs hit the stop button. He turned to her. "I'm going to be checking up on you for a while. Or having Abby do it. I expect you to pick up the phone when I call, and if you don't, I'll come and find you. Check-in will be random, and it won't stop until I'm sure you're not planning on shipping yourself back to that whore-house. Are we clear?"

"Crystal. There won't be any check-in necessary this weekend, I'll be with Abby until Monday. She's decided to keep me company until she's sure of the same things you are."

Gibbs nodded, satisfied. "I'll still check in, but that's good." he checked his watch. "It's a quarter 'til, you girls can leave early. I won't need you any more today, and I'll make sure people can do without Abby. Have fun, take care of yourself." he flicked the switch again and the lights went back on, the elevator shuddering down to the lab. The two coworkers got out, and Gibbs went to autopsy while Kate went to pick up Abby.

"Abbs!" she called over the rockin' music. Abby spun the dial, bringing the volume down. "Gibbs is letting us go early, are you ready to go?" Abby grinned excitedly.

"Just give me a second, I'll grab my stuff." she raced to her office and was back almost instantly, carrying a ragged black bag. "Where are we going?"

The two women reclined in the massage chairs as the green mud covering their faces worked it's magic. Women and men surrounded them, preening, grooming, pampering. Kate sighed contentedly and Abby made a little sound of agreement. "Mmm. This is great." said Kate. "We've got about fifteen more minutes 'til we're done. What do we want to do next?"

Abby considered for a moment, then her face split into a wicked smile. "I have THE most brilliant idea." she replied smugly.

"Does it involve nuns?" asked Kate jokingly.

"Oh, absolutely not!" exclaimed Abby. "The nuns would totally disapprove of my idea, not that it really matters." she pressed her back into the massage chair momentarily. "Ooh, that's nice. Okay. Kate, honey, have you ever considered getting a tattoo?"

Kate stared at Abby. "Only every day of college." she laughed. "But I decided against it when I joined the Secret Service. You can't be unobtrusive with a gorgeous tattoo."

Abby smile widened. "Well, you're not with the Secret Service anymore, and here at NCIS, we pride ourselves on our ability to attract. Every agent I've ever met is either learning how to be seductive, or already knows. They all say it's the best way to get in with your targets while undercover. What do you say?"

Kate bit her lip, thinking, then she grinned. "I'm in." she declared.

Kate and Abby walked down the sidewalk of Manhattan, giggling. Kate felt a sexiness from her new tat that was very foreign to her. The two women were wandering through Madison Avenue, peering into window fronts, looking for a good place to play around with the clothes. Suddenly, Abby grabbed Kate's arm, pointing into a window that held the most random assortment of clothes, from evening gowns, to bikinis, to lingerie, to jeans and T's. They hurried in and began grabbing clothes off the racks to try on. Kate turned to Abby. "This is a weekend out. We are going to buy the sexiest, most heartbreakingly gorgeous things to wear, and we're going to enjoy them!"

Abby laughed. "Let's give each other make-overs. I'll pick out stuff for you and you pick out stuff for me, the deal being that we have to wear those outfits this weekend, no matter what. We're going to be wild."

"Deal!" replied Kate, throwing caution to the wind. "Same goes for jewelry and hair?"

"Of course!" Abby glanced to her right and grabbed a dress off of the rack next to her. "Here's your first try on." she declared. Kate stared at the garment, a deep blue, backless, tie-neck, clinging affair. She turned her horrified gaze to Abby.

"Please god no." she said desperately.

Abby shook her head. "A deal's a deal Kate. Go try it." Kate pursed her lips and slinked off to the dressing room to try on the dress, trailed by a laughing Abby. Kate closed the small door behind her and stripped down to her bra and matching panties. She raised the dress over her head and let it slide down her body. She hand to admit, the silk felt reeeally good against her skin. She settled the hem along her thighs and stepped out of the little room. Abby gaped at her friend. "You look amazing!" she cried. Kate smiled shyly and turned to look in the mirror, then gasped. The woman looking back at her was beautiful. She'd only ever considered herself pretty, maybe her conservative dressing habits were holding back her potential. The silky fabric clung to every curve as it waterfalled down her body, shimmering when the light hit it.

She stroked the fabric. "Wow." she whispered.

Abby's glowing smile greeted her in the glass. "It's perfect."

They left the shop, each carrying a shopping bag on their arm. They'd each bought a dress, two daytime outfits, and a swimsuit. Abby's dress was a deep red, almost black, as short as Kate's, and came with matching garnet coloured stilettos. Kate had bought matching stilettos also. They both had a pair of hip-hugger jeans and two tops to go with them. Each had a near see-through peasant blouse with a hem that landed just under their bra lines, and a skin-tight top with various designs and colours. Abby's bikini matched her dress in colour and stood out against her pale skin, and Kate's was brown with golden trims. Kate stopped in the middle of the sidewalk and spun in a circle, flinging out her arms.

"Manhattan, Abby! We're in Manhattan! And we've got everything we need to hang out at a nightclub until dawn, then at a pool tomorrow and Sunday during the day, dinner and dancing at night!" laughter bubbled from her lips. "Ah, this has to be the best weekend ever!"

"Katie, you're never going to want to go back to that hell hole again. Whenever you need something, just call me and we'll have a party!" cried Abby. "I know this really amazing club a few blocks from here, wanna try?"

"Totally. Where can we change?"

Abby grinned wickedly. "On the dance floor, it's not like anyone would mind a couple of hot women stripping. They might protest when we start putting our clothes back on though." she added thoughtfully. Kate laughed and followed Abby to her club.

Kate and Abby were taking a break from dancing, standing at the bar, sipping the drinks that some men had paid for. Kate stood with one arm folded across her stomach and supporting the elbow of the other arm, which was holding her drink. The pulsing music thrummed through their bones, club lighting enhancing the effects of alcohol and heat. Abby set down her glass, pulling Kate back onto the dance floor by the arm. The two women moved with the music, staying close together so they wouldn't lose track of each other, not to mention that the floor was so packed that there wasn't much room to move. Suddenly, someone pushed past Abby, shoving her into Kate. Kate caught her friend around the waist, pulling her out of harm's way, but after the danger of being trampled had passed, they still stayed close together, Abby's back pressed against Kate's chest, Kate's arms around Abby's waist, Abby's hands covering them. As they swayed together, Kate felt her stomach twisting. Her breath caught a little, as her brain registered the attraction. She froze. Was it really possible that she was attracted to her best friend? That she wanted them to be something more? There could not be any two people more different from each other than Jethro Gibbs and Abby Sciuto. Plus, Kate had never been attracted to a woman before, it wasn't her style. But with the way their bodies felt, moving together, she didn't really care. This weekend was for experimentation, wasn't it?

Abby felt herself falling as someone bumped into her. Warm, soft arms caught her, and pulled her to safety. Her body was pressed up against Kate's, forcing her to control her body's trembling. She'd hidden her ever growing attraction to the female Special Agent for a long time, but the last night's fear had made it difficult to keep herself from throwing herself at Kate. Gibbs' rule number 12 had nothing to do with it, Abby wasn't an agent, but Kate was a good Catholic girl. She would hate Abby for ruining their friendship with something that was against her religion anyway. Slowly, she realized that even though she was no longer being pushed around, Kate hadn't let go of her, but the muscles in the arms around Abby's waist were tense. Then they relaxed. Abby was a little confused by the change, then she gasped as a set of soft lips pressed into the crook of her neck. One arm flew back to twine behind Kate's neck, pulling herself closer. Kate's low laugh sounded in her ear. "You don't mind, do you?" the voice asked softly.

"No." breathed Abby. "I don't." Kate settled her hands on Abby's hips, pulling them back against her own. Her lips moved to the skin just behind Abby's ear, and Abby found herself sighing Kate's name.

Kate chuckled softly. "Tony would have a fit if he could see us right now." she whispered against Abby's skin. "How would you feel about slipping out for a little?"

Abby nodded mutely, and Kate led her off the dance floor and over to a wall where several couples were enjoying themselves immensely. Kate and Abby joined them, Kate pushing Abby up against the wall, kissing her full on the lips, deepening the kiss and angling her tongue so that she could explore the taste of Abby's mouth. Abby moaned and slid her hands deep into Kate's hair, tangling her fingers in the thick brunette locks, dragging herself closer. Kate's fingertips dug into Abby's hips before she pulled back. She ran her fingers through Abby's hair, brushing it back. "Interesting." she breathed huskily. "I don't know a man on this earth who can kiss like that, honey."

Abby smiled, her eyes clouded with desire. "I do try so hard, love." she murmured back, voice taking on a bedroom tone. Kate reached behind her head, disentangling Abby's hands from her hair and stepping back. She put a hand to Abby's cheek. "I'm new at this idea, Abbs." she said, just loud enough to hear over the music. "That was one hell of a kiss, but I'm not sure I'm ready to do it again."
Abby slid her hands up Kate's body, past her stomach, lingering on her breasts, and slipping over her shoulders. "I'll wait 'til you are, and when you know for sure, I'll be nearby." She smiled, letting go and sauntering back to the dance floor. Kate stared after her, running her fingers through her hair. What the hell had just happened? Had she really just kissed her best friend? And what about Gibbs? Had she somehow fallen for both of them? It didn't quite feel the same. And she hadn't kissed Gibbs, and she probably never would. And Abby had kissed her back. Her heels clicked across the dance floor as she followed the path Abby had taken. She caught up to the young woman quickly, feeling a surge of jealousy as she saw the young man standing with her. She trotted up to Abby, touching her arm. "Hey Abbs! We should get going soon, you know how Daddy gets when we're out too late!" she said cheerfully. She smiled at the disappointment on the man's face as he muttered a hasty goodbye and hurried off.

Abby turned to Kate, laughing. "What was that for? I might have gotten lucky." She teased.

Kate pulled her close, leaning in to whisper in her ear. "Oh, he was hoping all right, but the only one who gets to take you home tonight is me." She nipped at Abby's ear, and the young woman trembled in her arms. "Want to go somewhere more private?"

"Okay." Breathed Abby, letting herself be led off the dance floor and into a closed corner. This time, Abby took the lead, pressing Kate up against the wall and kissing her hard. "Why did you do it?" she gasped, letting her head fall back as Kate's lips moved along her neckline.

"I don't know. Does there have to be a reason?"

Abby's fingers tightened in her hair. "No, there doesn't."

When Kate woke up in their hotel the next morning, it took her a minute to realize that there was another body pressed close to hers. She glanced down and saw beautiful, tiny Abby curled into her body, her black hair out of its usual pigtails and mingling with Kate's brown strands. The previous night came back to her in a rush, and she blushed. What would Abby think of her when she woke up? And why didn't she care? She trailed her fingers over Abby's skin, fascinated by the feel of it. The Goth's eyes fluttered open, and she smiled softly up at Kate. Her expression practically made Kate's heart break, it was so trusting and sweet. Kate smiled back, kissing her deeply. When she pulled back, Abby's eyes were slightly glazed over, and she felt a foreign sense of pride that she was such a good kisser. "Ready for another day, hun?" she asked, stoking Abby's bangs.

"I think so." Murmured the Goth. She glared at Kate's phone as it rang. "Throw that out the window please."

Kate laughed. "No can do. It's Gibbs, and if I don't answer, he's going to bust down that door."

Abby pouted. "Fine, but if you're on the phone for more than two minutes, you will both pay."

Kate kissed her cheek. "Okay. Todd."

"How're you doing Kate?"

"Fine Gibbs. I told you Abby and I were having a girl's weekend. We were out pretty late last night, and your call woke her up. She's not happy."

"Tell her I'm sorry."

"Tell me yourself Gibbs." Abby piped. "We were out until three in the morning, and I had a hard time falling asleep without being in a coffin."

"You're one crazy girl, Abbs."

You have no idea, thought Kate. "I'm fine Gibbs. We won't be getting back into town until Sunday night. You really don't have to check in."

"Alright, if Abby's with you…Fine, but I'm going to have her strip search you for cuts or bruises when you get back, just to be sure."

Abby bit her lip to hide her laughter, glancing down at their two naked bodies. "Whatever you say mon capitain!"

"Good. You girls have fun. See you Monday morning." He hung up, and Abby cuddled closer to Kate.

"Oh, we'll have fun, alright." She said wickedly, knotting her fingers in Kate's hair.

Abby and Kate arrived to work on Monday, a new closeness obvious, even to Tony, although he completely failed to notice the love bites they both sported. That may have been because Abby's was under her dog collar, and Kate's was hidden by her hair, but still. When Gibbs got in that morning, he glanced Kate over, checking for any warning signs, but saw only a beautiful healthy glow that he hadn't ever seen on her before. He nodded to himself, satisfied, and things went back to their normal routine. Everyone could tell there was something different in the way Abby and Kate behaved, but no one could quite put a finger on it. McGee was beginning to feel like his ex-girlfriend's attentions were moving far from him, and Tony could see that Kate came to work whistling every morning. Neither of them thought about it enough to connect the dots though. Only Gibbs had figured out that something must have happened on their girl's weekend, but not even he could figure out what it could have been. He decided, though, that since Kate was doing so much better, he'd eventually have to talk to her. He'd sworn to tell her as soon as he could, and he wasn't going to let himself break that promise. The two of them were riding the elevator back up from interviewing a suspect when he stopped the elevator. Kate panicked, sure that she was finally going to get the boot for putting herself in the whorehouse the other night. He turned to her, thoughtfully. "How are you, Katie?"

"I'm doing really well. I haven't been having any trouble lately."

"Good, I'm glad. I wanted to talk to you."

"Look, Gibbs, I know I'm in huge trouble for going there, but this job means so much to me. Is there any chance you can forgive me for it?"

He was startled. "You think I'm going to fire you?"

"Aren't you?"

"No. I was going to ask you to dinner tomorrow." Kate was startled. Did he just…?

"Are…are you serious?" she gasped.

"Completely. Is that okay?"

"Gibbs, I…I don't think I can. I mean, what about rule 12?" she asked desperately. She was enjoying her time with Abby too much to get put off track.

"I don't give a damn about rule 12. I just want you." He said, realizing too late that his words could be construed a different way.

Kate bristled. "You may have found me in a whores-den, Gibbs, but I have standards!"

"Katie, that's not what I meant, I just meant that I…"

She cut him off, switching on the elevator. "Whatever you meant, Gibbs, the answer is still no."

Space was limited inside Abby's coffin, but to be perfectly honest, Kate didn't mind. She watched her sleeping girlfriend, smiling softly. For all that Abby put on a bristly appearance in public, she was really such a sweetheart. Kate felt a sense of pride and realized that she finally understood Tony's desire to brag about his girl toys. Only Kate didn't want to brag about how amazing in bed Abby was, not that she wasn't. She just wished she could tell the world just what a spectacular person this small, beautiful woman was. She petted the black bangs, not understanding her own feelings. Two weeks had passed since she'd refused Gibbs' advances, and she still wasn't sure why she'd done it, and four had gone by since she'd been rescued from the pits of hell. She knew perfectly well that Abby was the only reason she hadn't gone back. She didn't want to hurt the young woman. She smiled again, closing her eyes and wrapping her arms around Abby's body, pulling her in close.

"Oh my god, oh my god. I should be down there. I should've just taken the box, then Kate would be safe up here with us." Cried Abby, pacing in the squad-room. "I should be down there!" Tony looked at her curiously. She'd been freaking out like this since they discovered that Kate, Gerald, and Ducky were being held hostage by a terrorist. And she never seemed to extend the same worry to the ME or his assistant. But why was she so worried about Kate? The agent could take care of herself. "She's so stubborn! She won't do what he says and she'll get herself killed!" moaned the Goth, falling into Kate's chair.

"I'm sure she'll be fine Abbs." Soothed McGee, still hoping to score back brownie points. "Kate's a trained Agent, she's not going to put her life at risk, you know that."

"You don't know her like I do Tim!" snapped Abby furiously. Tony hid behind his computer screen, unwilling to get into this lover's quarrel.

"Abby, she'll be fine." McGee insisted.

"You can't know that! We don't know that we'll be able to get them out!" cried Abby, jumping up and running down to her lab. "Gibbs! Gibbs! Are we going to get them out soon? What have you got?"

Gibbs rolled his eyes at the forensic scientist's panic. "Calm down Abby. You can't be helpful in that state. Now, move your maspectrometer so we can get video."

Kate and Ducky were led by security out of autopsy. Kate made her way, shivering, to the women's restroom. A very anxious Abby was waiting for her there, and the second she had locked the door behind them, Abby threw her arms around her girlfriend. "Oh God, Kate! Are you alright? Did that bastard hurt you?" she gasped, covering Kate's face in kisses.

"I…I'm fine A…Abbs." Kate's teeth were chattering. "Ju…Just a little cold."

"Oh God, I'm so sorry. Come on." The two women walked out to Kate's car, Abby supporting Kate. As they walked through the parking lot, Gibbs spotted them and hurried after, hoping to get a moment with Kate. The bastard was going to pay for hurting her. But they were in the car and speeding off before he got anywhere near them. He cursed. Abby should know better. She'd always been good at picking up on his thoughts. The only team member who was, and yet she'd hurried Kate off campus. What was happening to his team?

Gibbs listened furiously as he was told under no uncertain terms that he wasn't allowed to go after Ari Haswari. "But sir, he shot Gerald! He kidnapped Kate! For all we know he's still got her!"

"He let her go Agent Gibbs, and she disappeared. He kidnapped her, yes, but he wouldn't do anything more than was necessary to protect his cover. He let her go."

"Then where is my agent?" demanded Gibbs. "Why has she vanished off the face of the earth? Where is Kate, Damnit!"

The Director gazed back calmly. "I don't know."

Miles away, in Ari's apartment, Kate was being returned to her personal hell. She'd never looked at the faces of the people she'd serviced at the whore house, but she never forgot a body, and when she'd felt herself pressed up against Ari in autopsy, she'd remembered the man perfectly. She'd never had a more terrifying client than this man, and now she was his hostage. She lay bound to the bed with Ari lying on his side next to her as he stroked her hair. "I recognized you the moment I saw you, Katelyn. I admit, it surprised me to see little Kitty working at NCIS. You just always seemed so obedient when I saw you." She glared at him, unable to speak with the gag in her mouth and knowing that trying to move would only hurt. She'd discovered that the last time Ari had asked for her. He knew how to tie her up so that she was forced to stay in exactly that position if she wanted to keep all her limbs attached. Now she knew why. Ari had been trained by Mossad, so he knew just what pressure points were the most effective. So for now, all she could do was glare, and she did. Ari laughed at her, sliding his hand down her body to play with the hem of her blouse. "Now, now, Katelyn. There's no need to be that way. If you cooperate, I won't have to do anything nasty." He reached a hand up and undid her gag. "There. Is that better?"

"Get your hands off me, you bastard!" she spat furiously.

He shook his head slowly. "That really won't do Katelyn. Perhaps you'll be more humble after a little time here with me."

"I'm not spending any time here with you, damnit! They'll find me, and when they do, Gibbs'll have your head on a tray."

"But didn't you know? He has new orders. Orders that forbid him from coming after me, and has been told that you were set free. No one knows you're still in my custody."

Kate felt a thrill of fear. If he was right…She shook herself. He wasn't right. Abby would know. Abby would know that something was wrong, and she would get them to come looking for her. But would it be too late? "They'll know. It's only a matter of time before they figure it out, and then no order will stop any of them from blowing your brains out."

Ari glanced at her, shoving his hands under her shirt. "Except yours. I suppose I'll just have to make you want to give it."

Kate closed her eyes against the sight of him touching her. Her body betrayed her, but with every cry for more, her hatred of him grew. Even as she lay panting in the after affects of orgasm, she swore in her mind that she would kill him if she ever got the chance.

"Gibbs?" Abby's voice was hesitant over the phone. She hadn't spoken more than was necessary since Kate had disappeared three weeks earlier. "Could you come down here for a minute?"

"Sure Abbs. I'll be right down." A little over a minute later, he was standing in the silent lab. Abby was sitting at her desk, her face gaunt and unkempt, her wastebasket free of caf-pows. She looked up at him, holding Kate's cross-key in her quivering hands.

"I need her back, Gibbs." She whispered.

The pain racked voice was impossible for Gibbs to hear. Abby had always been like a daughter to him, and he hated seeing her like this. "You know she sent in a letter of resignation, Abby. She isn't coming back. I'm sure she's fine." Gibbs couldn't bring himself to believe his words. In his opinion, Kate had been forced to write that letter, if she'd written it at all. But no one else needed to worry.

"She's not fine Gibbs. She wrote a letter to you along with her resignation, right?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"She mentioned everyone on the team. Said something nice about everyone. Except me, Gibbs. She didn't say goodbye to me. She'd never do that."

Gibbs sighed. "I know you two were friends, Abbs, but maybe she was trying to make a clean break. Besides, the letter was professional."

"But she mentioned Ducky, and even the Director. Why didn't she say anything about me?" She's right, thought Gibbs. Abby and Kate had been inseparable for months before Kate left. Even Tony had wondered why Kate hadn't written a farewell to Abby.

"I'm sure there's a logical explanation." Sighed Gibbs. "Where did you get Kate's cross?" he'd only just recognized the necklace.

"From her place. Gibbs, she doesn't even answer her cell when I call it."

"How did you get into her apartment?"

"I used my key."

Gibbs started. Why would Abby have a key to Kate's house? And why would she be going in and out? Unless…Realization dawned on him. "You've been seeing each other, haven't you?" he asked gently.

Abby nodded, crying. "We've been going out since that weekend away." She said sadly. "She hasn't even moved out, Gibbs. Everything is still in her apartment, but she's never there."

"How much time have you been spending there, Abby?" asked Gibbs gently.

"I've been staying there." She sniffed. "Since her resignation letter came in. I haven't heard from her since before Ari kidnapped her, and I'm sure she would have called me as soon as she could, 'cause she'd know I was worried. He can't have let her go Gibbs, or I would've heard from her. He's still got Kate, I know it. And she was trying to tell me that by not including me in the letter. She was trying to tell me that she wasn't okay. You have to find her!" Gibbs looked at the Goth. She was a total wreck, and she'd aged decades since Kate had been kidnapped. He loved Kate too, but he couldn't feel jealous of this young woman for succeeding where he had failed. Damnit, he'd never loved Kate that way, had he? He'd just pinned it down to that. He loved Kate the way he loved Abby, but Abby loved Kate so much that it was killing her.

"I'll get her back, Abbs. I promise. And when I do, you've got first crack at that bastard if you want it."

Kate knelt in the center of the room, praying. Ari was gone for the day, and she had some peace. Unfortunately, he took precautions when he left. The memory of the Good Wives Club case crossed her mind. She'd wanted a reenactment of what their victim had gone through, and now she was living it. Chained so that she could only reach the bathroom and gagged so that she couldn't scream for help. Not to mention stripped completely naked as a way to humiliate her. And as much as she hated Ari, she was forced to look forward to his arrival because she didn't have access to food when he was gone. Sometimes he would be out for a day or two before he came back. On those days, he would leave her with a little food, but not nearly enough. But unlike the dead Chaplain, her captor had no intentions of ever letting her go, even by death. Ari meant to break her, and she had to admit, it was tempting sometimes. As it was she had begun to obey when he told her to do something, and she no longer cursed at him whenever he spoke to her. She was breaking, slowly but surely, and she didn't know if she could hold out much longer. She still hated him though. Her life revolved around him, but she hated him. By day, he spoke sweet words of comfort and safety in her ears, and by night, he seduced her, made love to her, made her scream his name and beg him to never let her go, and yet whenever she was free of his ever present mind games, she felt her hatred growing in her heart. Felt the revulsion at her behaviour spread until she hated herself almost as much as she hated him. The only thought that really gave her peace was when she remembered the expression on Abby's face whenever Kate kissed her. A look of absolute trust and love. When she needed hope, she'd picture those moments, and, for a while, everything looked a little brighter. She'd left hints wherever she could, trying to let Abby know the truth. There was one hidden note that explained everything, if only Abby could figure out enough to find it.

Abby and Gibbs stood in Kate's house. Abby hadn't changed anything since Kate had been kidnapped, and Gibbs felt a pang to know just how heartbroken she was. He straightened up. "You said that some things were missing?"

Abby nodded. "Basically the stuff she would've packed in an overnight bag. Toothbrush, underwear, you know?"

"So she's been here. If she was here, she would've tried to leave something for us. She's an agent. She would have found some way." Kate's cross was now hanging around Abby's neck, and the young Goth had kept a hand on it all day. The cross. Gibbs stared at it for a minute. For the first time, he noticed that the engravings were in a pattern. "Like a key." He muttered. "Give me the cross, Abby, I think I have an idea." Abby hesitantly relinquished the necklace, and Gibbs hurried around the rooms, trying to find a lock that it would fit into. Half an hour later, he'd tried every lock in the house, unable to find one that it fit. He found Abby curled up on Kate's bed, crying. He sighed, and took another look around the room. He wasn't wrong, he could feel it. But there was nothing in the room that had any lock at all, let alone one that would fit the large cross. Just a bed, a dresser, and a cherry wood chest. His eyes slid back to the chest. Why were the hinges on the lid facing out? To open the box, you'd have to turn it around so the front was facing the room. "Abbs, help me move this." They grabbed the sides of the chest and rotated it. Sure enough, a massive silver lock faced them. He stuck the cross into it and turned it like a key. They both heard the tumblers falling aside, and Gibbs lifted the lid of the box. Inside were several things, but the one that drew their attention the most was the silver dagger lying on a strip of black velvet. There was a faint coppery tinge on one of the edges, but the thin layer of dust on the blade showed that it hadn't been used for quite a while. "I think we know what she was using to cut herself." Said Gibbs wryly. Then he pulled it out and started going through the other items. Abby just stared, horrified, at the blade. Gibbs found an envelope at the bottom of the chest. "Abbs. It's addressed to you." Abby snatched it from him and tore open the envelope, scanning the letter anxiously. A moment later, she burst into tears and threw the letter at Gibbs, running from the room. Gibbs picked it up.

Dear Abby,

I hope you haven't had too much worry over me. In answer to your questions, yes, I'm with Ari. That's really the only important thing, not to mention the only thing I really know for sure. I don't know what he wants with me or if I'm going to make it back home. If I don't, it's okay, really. Just take care of yourself. I don't want him going after you next. Whatever happens, I want you to remember one thing, no matter what happens to me, nothing is worth putting your life, or anyone else's in danger for my sake. I'll try to get back, but I don't want anyone doing anything stupid to try to rescue me. Tell Gibbs that Ari never let me go, he hid me in a neighboring barn until after all the LEO's had left. Then he took me back to his apartment. I was blindfolded, so I don't know anything about where it is, but I can tell you that I can hear a train from the living room. And Ari may claim to be Mossad, but there's no way in hell he's loyal. At least not in my opinion. I don't have conclusive proof, but I do have suspicions. Take care of yourself, Abbs.

Gibbs swore. "I knew it! I knew that bastard was rogue!" he muttered angrily. He got up, pocketing the letter, and went to find Abby. This needed to be brought to the Director.

Ari slapped her across the face and she tumbled backwards, hitting her head on the corner of the dresser. He towered over her. "Did you really think I wouldn't find out about your little plan?" he demanded.

"I don't know what you're talking about." She said, crying out as he hit her again.

"That little freak, Abby Sciuto, has been hanging around your house for ages. What were you trying to accomplish?"

"Nothing! I swear!" she whimpered. "I didn't know Abby had been there!"

Ari's face turned from a raging storm to an emotionless slate. "I believe you Katelyn." He knelt down in front of her, tipping her chin up to face him. She found herself gazing deep into those cold eyes. "I believe that you didn't know about Ms. Sciuto's visits. What I don't believe is that you didn't try to get a message out about your whereabouts. It's been almost two months, yet no one in NCIS is looking for you. They really accepted that resignation letter I had you send in." he frowned. "Agent Gibbs is better than that. Which makes me wonder whether you didn't really give him some sort of clue." He grabbed her arm and yanked her to her feet, throwing her onto the bed. Within moments, she was bound, hand and foot, and Ari was climbing on top of her. "You know I can hurt you, Katelyn, and you also know that I have refrained from doing so. Now, tell me what your message said, or I shall be forced to rescind that privilege."

Fear spread across Kate's face, but she maintained her position. "I didn't send any kind of message. You've hardly given me the chance, have you? And as for why Gibbs hasn't come after you yet, you told me that he had orders not to. Isn't it possible that he's been forced to obey that order?" she asked weakly. She had a part to play, and she had to play it well. Ari watched her for a moment, but he seemed to accept her answer. Not that she pretended for a moment that she actually knew what he thought.

"It's possible, even if it is unlikely." He grinned. "But this means that you've been an obedient hostage." He said, delighted. "You know what that means, yes?"

"That you'll let me go?" asked Kate hopefully.

He laughed, a cold, harsh sound. "And why would I do that, Katelyn?" he rested his hand on her stomach. "No, it means I have succeeded. I've broken Special Agent Katelyn Todd, and made her become Kitty permanently." He got off her and began undressing. "This calls for celebration, don't you think?" Kate closed her eyes. Perhaps she could play this to her advantage. She felt him align his body with hers. "Perhaps now that you have decided to obey, we can make life a little more enjoyable for you." He murmured, running his hands down her sides. She shivered, her breathing coming a little faster, and he smirked. "We could make things so much easier, Katelyn. If you accept certain terms, you might even earn back a little freedom."

Her eyes opened again, wild with hope and desire. "I would do anything." She breathed. "Anything to be free."

"Would you agree to marry me? Bear my children? Adhere to my way of life?" he asked, tilting her hips upward for better access. She gasped, afraid again. If she married him, there would be legal repercussions. She wouldn't be able to testify against him. He knew that. As for children, Kate had dreamed of being a mother someday, but she'd never be able to even look at any child that came from this monster. And adhering to his way of life would make her his slave, his property, she was sure of it. But if she didn't say yes, what would he do to her? He read the struggle in her mind. "I thought you were going to be an obedient hostage, Katelyn." He growled. "I can still change my mind about whether or not I believe you've been telling the truth." He warned.

"Just don't hurt me and I'll do anything you say." She promised rashly. "Just please don't hurt me anymore."

He dropped his head to hers and captured her lips, forcing them open so he could explore her mouth with his tongue. She breathed in his scent and knew that she had never felt more terrified in her life. Abby had been staying in her apartment, that much was clear, but would the forensic scientist be able to read the signs and get the necessary information to Gibbs? And would she still be Katelyn Todd when they did?

Gibbs thrust the letter under the Director's nose. "I told you, Jen. I told you that bastard still had her hostage. We have to find her, who knows what she's going through."

The Director scanned the letter and looked back up at Gibbs, surprised. "Where did you get this?" she asked stunned.

"In Kate's apartment. Abby knew where her spare key was and let me in." he lied. No need to give out information that Kate obviously hadn't wanted to share. "It was hidden in her bedroom. Is this enough proof for you? Do I have your permission to bring him down now?"

The director stared at the letter in her hands, disbelieving. How could Mossad have let their agent get away with this? "Absolutely Jethro. I'll speak to Director Davíd about this. Get your team on it now, it's a top priority. Agent Todd has been hostage for almost two months, let's not let it get to be any more." Gibbs nodded and headed back out to the squad-room.

"McGee, DiNozzo, Ziva, let's get moving. We've got a missing person's case to cover." He paused. "Actually, I think you should stay off this one Ziva." He amended. Ziva was Mossad, and Ari's handler. He wasn't sure he trusted her to keep information to herself about this case.

"Gibbs, I can help." Protested Ziva. Gibbs had been fairly accepting lately, what had changed?

"Do you still believe Ari is a good agent?" asked Gibbs.

"Of course."

"Then you'd better stay off this one." Replied Gibbs, calmly. "In fact, go talk to the Director. Maybe you should just stay on a different team for a while. This case is going to be long term."

Ziva got up, stung, and hurried up the steps to the Director's office. She came into the office without knocking, and paused when she heard her father's voice coming out of the phone. "I have a hard time believing this, Director Sheppard." He was saying.

"So did I until I saw the note. Both the handwriting and the signature are identical to her resignation letter, and I can't ignore this. If my agent is in trouble, I refuse to take chances. I've instructed a team of agents to look into this, and I've emailed you a scan of the letter." She waited as the Director of Mossad checked his email and read the copy.

"Oh dear." He murmured. "This isn't good at all. You're right. He's out of hand. You have my permission to assign Ziva to the case. She'll be helpful in finding where Ari is hiding your agent."

"She's right here. Shall I brief her?"

"Please do. My apologies to you and Agent Gibbs. I should have believed him."

"So should I, Eli, so should I. Have a good day." She hung up. "I presume you heard that?" she asked Ziva.

Ziva nodded. "Who were you talking about?" she asked curiously.

"We have found conclusive proof that Ari Haswari has been holding Special Agent Katelyn Todd hostage for the last two months." Replied Jenny. "Are you comfortable with taking him down? Because if you are, we need to know where he might be keeping her."

Ziva was stunned. "But…but he wouldn't! Not for so long. I mean, I know he held her hostage for a day or so a few times, but he would never put our allies in unnecessary danger." She protested.

"Read for yourself." Replied Jenny grimly.

Ziva scanned the letter. "Oh, God. Oh God I'm so sorry Director. I never thought he would do such a thing."

"There will be time for apologies after we find Agent Todd. Do you know what that description is of?"

Ziva nodded. "His apartment down in Stauntford. Here's the address." She scribbled something down on a notepad. "He probably won't stay there long, though. I'll get you all the addresses I have for him." Ziva turned and hurried down to the squad room. Tony and Gibbs were discussing plans of attack while McGee tried to track Ari down. "Gibbs, I can help. Director Sheppard told me. I'm on your side. My Director has assigned me to help you and to take down Ari when we find him. You were right, I'm sorry. He will not cause trouble again."

Gibbs glanced up at her. "You sure you can help?"

"I can give you the address of every known safe house where he might be and I'm the only one who is trained well enough to beat him." She said confidently. "Ari thinks he's safe, he doesn't know we know about this, but he'll still move around. My guess is, he's no longer in Stauntford. Also, your Agent, Agent Todd, is a woman?"

"What does that matter? So are you, she's still a good fighter." Snapped Abby, protectively.

"I believe it. That's not what worries me. In Israel, we have laws very similar to your own. A woman cannot testify against her husband. Ari knows that. He is also trained in how to break down a prisoner. I worry that he may be applying those tactics to Agent Todd. Please don't misunderstand me, but, you may be surprised at the condition you find her in when we finally track them down."

"Kate will be fine." Hissed Abby, turning and running back to the lab. Only Gibbs understood how much that warning hurt her.

"Alright Ziva. What have you got for us?"

Kate lay on her stomach, sickened by the prospect in front of her. Ari had told her that when he came back this time, they would go to a courthouse to get married. She felt bile rise in her throat at the thought. Kate Haswari. She shivered. So far, he had found just the right ways to torment her. Except for the one that would make her truly obedient, and for that she was grateful. She knelt, praying as always, wishing that this hell would end. She heard the front door click and bit her lip, waiting. Time to get married.

So much for a romantic honeymoon, she thought miserably. She watched out the rearview mirror as the apartment she'd been kept in for two months vanished into the distance. After about two miles, Ari pulled over and blindfolded her, still obviously not confidant in her obedience. An hour later, she heard the motor stop, and Ari led her into the new home, picking her up and carrying her over the threshold like a normal groom would do. Once he'd set her down on the bed, he undid her blindfold and let her look around. They were in a house now, and he seemed to be fairly comfortable with letting her wander around on her own. She found the bathroom and looked at her reflection. A woman gazed back at her, a woman with a gentle smile on her lips and tears in her eyes, a woman who most would look at and say, isn't she lucky? Looks, a loving husband, no need to go out and work, I'd love to trade places with her. And Kate, knowing the pain and fear behind the façade, would be just as happy to trade with them except that she would never let anyone else experience this hell. She went into the kitchen and glanced at the knives on the counter. She didn't expect to be able to stab Ari with one of them, but perhaps it was time to break her promise to Abby and Gibbs. She was in pain anyway, and there was nothing anyone could do to stop it. She might as well have something familiar to keep her sane. She walked back to the bedroom, curling up under the covers. For the first night in two months, he left her alone, not trying to torture her, seduce her, or even talk to her. Soon she heard his level breathing and let herself cry, soaking the pillow in tears. When would she be rescued? When would she see her friends and family again?

It took eight days seven hours and thirty six minutes to get a warrant to search Ari Haswari's apartment in Stauntford. And as soon as they got it, Gibbs, Ziva, McGee, and Tony were at the apartment, breaking down the door. The house was empty. They'd expected that. They hadn't really believed he and Kate would still be there when they arrived. But they did find evidence of Ari and Kate being there. They knew that Kate would try to leave them any clue as to her existence, so they pulled out every bit of furniture left in the apartment, opened all the drawers, and finally, they found what they were looking for. In the bathroom, under the sink was a series of tic marks, and next to those was a sketch of an NCIS badge with the initials K.T. on it. Ziva closed her eyes briefly. How could Ari have gotten so far off track? And how had she not seen it? They searched for hours, but didn't find any sign of where the two might be headed now. Finally, Gibbs turned to the manager. "Did he leave a forwarding address?" he demanded.

"N…No. But he didn't have his mail delivered here to begin with. He had a P.O. box."

"Do you know what that is?"

"I don't think so. It's not really important though, right?"

McGee, Ziva, and Tony winced simultaneously as Gibbs turned on the manager slowly. "No, Mr. Barnes. It's not important at all." He said, his tone dangerously nice. His employees started moving towards the door. "The life of one of my agents rests on it, and the man has a price on his head in every country around the world, and that P.O. Box may be the only way to find him, but it's not important at all. What the hell do you think? If my agent dies because you can't remember a goddamned P.O. Box that you probably heard the address of at some time or another, I will most definitely be pissed. Now, think. What was the P.O. number?"

The manager shrank back. "It was local, I know that. The same city, state and zip as the apartment, and I think the number was 53 or 35. I only glanced at it once, okay?"

Gibbs turned away and walked out the door, gesturing for his team to follow, as they headed for the post office.

Kate hung her head in shame, sobbing into her hands. He'd notice soon if he hadn't already. "Goddamnit!" she screamed, throwing her pillow against the wall. "Goddamn him! Goddamn sex! Goddamn reproduction! Goddamn everything!" she reduced to sobs again. Why? Why the hell was this happening? Why was it that every time she'd ever tried to get pregnant, she'd failed miserably, but the one time when she prayed day and night for one or the other of them to be sterile, she conceived? Her sobs slowed, and she knew that she'd cried herself dry in the last few weeks. The day after they arrived, she'd begun cutting herself again, and now, three months later, she noticed the dwindling affect of the blade sliding across her skin. She noticed, but there was nothing she could do. She tried changing where she cut, and that worked for a while. It made a huge difference when she sliced at her neck and shoulders than when she cut her palm or leg. But now even that was failing, and she didn't have a whore house to sentence herself to anymore. She didn't know what she would do when the knives stopped helping, she'd never had to worry about that before. Her head fell back on the blankets. It had been five months since Ari had kidnapped her from lunch with Tony and Ducky. Five months since she'd felt safe, five months since she'd kissed Abby, five months since she'd been happy and hopeful. She stared at the ceiling and wondered if Abby had moved on or if she was still sleeping in Kate's bed at her apartment, waiting for Gibbs to bring her girlfriend home.

Abby sat in front of the cherry chest in Kate's room, cradling the cross-key. She knew what lay just behind that lid, knew that it had cut Kate's flesh, touched her blood. She stared at it, understanding for the first time the desperation that had forced Kate to slide the blade over her skin. That need to feel, the fear that if you were shot in the stomach, you wouldn't feel a thing. In a trance-like state, she lifted the lid, feeling as if she could see Kate right next to her, performing the same ritual and pleading with Abby not to fall, not to make her mistakes. Suddenly, someone grabbed her arm. Tony and McGee stared at her, Tony's hand still gripping her arm. "What the hell are you doing here Abby?" demanded Tony.

"Does it matter?" she asked, emotionless.

"Yeah! It matters. Why are you here, and why did Gibbs know you would be?"

She gazed up at the two men, her eyes dull and lifeless. "How should I know? Now let go of me, I've got stuff to do."

"You were going to kill yourself weren't you?" asked McGee, nodding towards the silver dagger.

"No. I just need to feel something. Now leave me alone. I'm busy."

"Hell no, Abbs, you're coming with us." Declared Tony, pulling the young Goth to her feet. "We all miss Kate, Abbs. We're trying to find her. It's hard, I know, and it's taking a really long time, but we're going to find her, and in the meantime, you need to take care of yourself. We all do."

Kate's voice rang in her ears. "Take care of yourself Abby. Don't do anything stupid. I'll try to get back, but if I don't it's really okay." Abby burst into tears, burying her head in her lap and sobbing. Tony and McGee glanced at her, then Tony leaned over and picked her up, carrying her out to the car. When they got back to the office, Gibbs took over, lifting the Goth into his lap and holding her while she cried. "It's okay, Abbs. It's okay. Kate's going to be fine. You know she wouldn't want you doing anything like that to yourself. She would want you to take good care of yourself so you'll be her good old Abby when she comes home." He murmured. McGee and Tony really had no idea what any of that meant, but Abby was calming down and just hiccupping a little.

"She's got to come home soon." She wailed.

"She will Abby. She will." Gibbs nodded to Ziva, who came over and helped the young woman to her feet and led her over to Kate's old desk, sitting her down. Then she came back. "I want her to stay with you, and I want you to keep an eye on her. She's really depressed and if we're not careful, she might do something dangerous. Check her for cuts and burns and bruises or anything like that, and don't let her handle fire or sharp objects. I'm going to have McGee watch her when she's down in the lab. We need to watch her until we get Kate back." Ziva didn't really understand, but she nodded and led Abby down to her car. Gibbs turned to Tony and McGee. "We need to find Kate. Now."

Kate lay in a hospital bed, breathing heavily. She sent a silent prayer up to God. She'd miscarried. Miscarried the child that she'd conceived by that bastard. And she even had to stay in the hospital for a few nights. And Ari had to go home. Without her. He sat next to her for now, whispering comforts to her as he mourned their child and believed that she did the same. She kept her face blank and in shock, hoping he wouldn't discover the fraud. The nurse came in to tell the 'grieving couple' that visiting hours were over and he had to go home. Kate let her face fall, and he leaned in, kissing her cheek gently. "The doctor says you need it." He told her gently. "Just be good and do what they tell you so you can come home that much sooner."

She recognized what might be a warning, but knew that he was much more sure of her dependency on him than he had been when she first discovered she was pregnant. She nodded silently, blinking back tears, and kept her fingers on his hand as long as she could before he was gone. The nurse turned to her. "If there's anything you need, Mrs. Robinson…"

"Could…Could I just have some toothpaste?" she asked sadly. The nurse nodded and was back soon with a small tube of toothpaste.

"The restrooms are down that way." She pointed. Kate's eyes moved to where she was pointing, and saw that, just around the corner, she'd seen some phones when they wheeled her to her room.

"Thank you." She stood in the bathroom, brushing her teeth for five minutes, and then splashed some water on her face. She opened the door a crack and peeked out. All the nurses were busy. She hurried over to the phones, and dialed Gibbs' extension at NCIS.

"Special Agent Gibbs, how can I help you?"

"Gibbs, it's Kate, I only have a second." She whispered.

"Kate! Are you okay? How did you get away?"

"Shut up!" she hissed. "I'm at Providence hospital under the name Katelyn Robinson. He had to give the address when he called 911." She listed the address and said goodbye, hurrying back to her room and hoping that her call had gone unnoticed. No such luck. Ari arrived at her hospital room within minutes, and grabbed her, leading her out to the car. He put on the blindfold, but not before she saw the suitcase in the back seat. She swallowed. As he sped down the road, she heard him sigh.

"I really thought you were finally going to behave Katelyn." He said sadly. She could picture him shaking his head as he said it. "I am truly disappointed. I had hoped I wouldn't be forced to take drastic measures with you this time."

"I didn't do anything." She whispered, terrified.

"You made a phone call."

"I was trying to call you, but I couldn't remember the number and I got someone else."

"Don't lie to me, Katelyn. You know I detest lying. I should hate to have another thing to punish you for."

"I swear it's true." She whimpered.

"Shut up now." He growled. "While you still have a chance to earn forgiveness. I know that you called Agent Gibbs, I know you gave him information, I know that information is false. I also know Agent Gibbs is very clever. He'll figure out the truth sooner or later, so I'm forced to not only lift up and move, which is very inconvenient, but to punish you for your behaviour. You really need to learn how to be more cooperative." Kate felt fear rise in her. This was never going to end was it?

Kate was on her hands and knees, shaking in pain. He hadn't been joking when he said she was going to be punished. He'd chained her to the floor in their new house, a place that, by the sound of it, was in the middle of nowhere, and beaten her. Bruises were growing where she'd been hit, kicked, and slapped, and she stayed on the ground as he slept. She wanted to cry, but couldn't. He'd left her shackled in place while he slept comfortably. And before he'd left her there, he'd whispered in her ear that this was only the beginning, and then spat on her. The night passed at a snail's pace, and when the sun rose, she hadn't slept at all. At seven, he woke, giving her a sharp kick that made her collapse as he passed. She lay on the floor, unmoving, listening as the front door was shut and locked and as his car drove away. God, everything hurt, and she was starving. She tried to get up and collapsed again, cradling her newly twisted ankle. She couldn't even move an inch in these chains, and no one knew where she was. The tears came, loud and bitter, and she didn't stop crying for hours.

She'd stopped trying to keep track of the days. She'd kept hope, kept counting, all the way up to fourteen months. Then she'd given up. She'd been held hostage for almost a year and a half, with not a breath of rescue. The beatings had stopped, but she didn't have any freedom now. Ari would simply chain her to the bathroom wall and then lock her in whenever he left the house. He'd made her watch as he burned her clothes, and she knew what he meant. She was never leaving this house again. She would never get a second chance. She ate when he felt like feeding her, and she obeyed every order, every request, for fear of another terrifying round of beatings. The beatings had taken away all desire to cut herself. She never wanted to hurt again, and she was sure that if she was ever free, she would never fall victim to the emptiness again. She no longer looked forward to the time when Ari came home from whatever he did during the day, because it didn't necessarily mean food, and definitely meant work. When he was home, she serviced him, or got fucked. He no longer made love to her or tried to seduce her into obedience. He knew it didn't work, so he didn't try anymore. She was no longer his pet experiment in breaking down a strong will. She was just a toy. She knew that the only reason she was still alive right now, was because Ari hadn't grown tired of his toy yet, but when he did, she didn't think much of her chance of survival. All she did now was try to separate her mind from her body and pray. Prayer was all that was left for her, and she refused to let it go.

Back at NCIS headquarters, everyone, even Abby, had given up on ever seeing Kate again. But even though they'd given up, they still spent every spare moment they had searching for her, especially Abby and Ziva. Abby had turned to her work to keep her sane after the year mark had passed, and Ziva blamed herself for Kate's kidnapping. The two women agreed fully and completely on that point, and Ziva had taken it upon herself to find Kate and take care of Abby in the meantime. One day, the two had been walking down the street when they passed the club where Abby and Kate had first begun their relationship. Abby had broken down crying, and Ziva led her to a bench, sitting them both down and holding the Goth in her arms as the young woman cried. Suddenly, she felt eyes on her, her Mossad training putting her on the alert. She didn't see anyone though, so she gave up and turned her attention back to a sobbing Abby.

A short distance away, Ari stood smirking as he glanced at the photo he'd taken. If this didn't break the bitch, nothing would.

A printout was tossed to the ground in front of her. Kate looked up at the man towering over her. "Look at it." He commanded. She glanced back down and froze. Abby. Her beautiful, perfect Abby. Her heart sped up just seeing her face again. But then she saw the caramel arm. Her eyes followed the arm up to the woman attached to it. An absolutely gorgeous, exotic young woman, holding Abby in her arms on the street. Kate's heart split in two. Abby had given her up and moved on. She knew it was best, but she couldn't believe that the Goth hadn't waited just a little longer. From the look of it, these two were very attached. It wasn't until the photo started to curl at the edges, that she realized she'd been sobbing over it, soaking it with her tears. She dabbed at the photo hastily, trying to save Abby's face from blurring, but failed. Her whole body was shaking, the pain too much to handle. For the first time, she felt an overwhelming desire to put her porcelain hands around Ari's throat and strangle him, watch the life-light fade from his eyes, end the bastard's life in one moment of total fury and pain. He was staring down at her, watching her world shatter, she could feel it, and she could also feel her body bursting, unable to contain all this pain. She screamed. It was a long, loud, heartbreaking sound, one that she was sure could be heard for miles around. She kept screaming as he walked away, leaving her there, chained naked to the wall as her pain was ripped out of her.

Special Agent Michelle Lee and Jimmy Palmer were driving down the country road, trying to find a good place to stop for lunch. "What about right up there?" asked Jimmy, pointing to a meadow with a creek running through the middle.

Michelle shook her head. "That's someone's house." She replied. Sure enough, on the other side of the creek rested a quiet little cottage. Suddenly, they heard a terrible, inhuman scream, the worst sound either of them had ever heard. A man strode out of the cottage and got into a car, speeding off, but the screaming continued. "On second thought, maybe we should stop here." Muttered Michelle, jerking the wheel and parking in the grass. She slammed the car door behind her as she got out, pulling out her weapon with Jimmy right behind her. She gestured to him to open the door, and she spun inside the house, gun at the ready, as soon as he did. She cleared each of the rooms she came to, just in case, until they reached the master bedroom. The scream had been reduced to sobs, and Michelle carefully opened the door, gun still drawn. She paused when she saw the figure on the floor. A broken ball of a woman, naked and bruised. Long, tangled brown hair hung in disarray over her shoulders, and a photo lay by her side. She put her gun back in its holster, quickly, and knelt down beside the woman. "Call for back-up, Jimmy, he might come back. " she turned back, noticing the chain that led from her wrists to the wall. "Hey, my name's Special Agent Lee, NCIS, I'm here to help you. What's your name?"

The woman looked up at her, her face dirty and tear-stained. "Special Agent Katelyn Todd," She replied hoarsely, her voice quiet from disuse. "You can't possibly imagine how good it is to see you."

Michelle gaped for a moment, but recovered quickly. She pulled a knife out of her pocket and got to work picking the locks on the chains. Jimmy had finally reached NCIS headquarters. "Hello, dispatch, this is Jimmy Palmer the assistant ME. I've found Special Agent Todd. She's been hostage in a country house." He rattled off the address, and gave out a few more pieces of information before hanging up.

Michelle finished with the locks. "Do you want us to get you out of here before back-up comes, or do you want to wait?" she asked Kate.

"I'll wait. They're probably going to send Gibbs, and he wouldn't appreciate you leaving."

Michelle nodded. "He scares me sometimes."

Kate smiled kindly, or tried to, she was in too much pain to be successful. "You just have to get to know him." She winced as she rubbed her wrists, appreciative of the freedom. "I don't suppose you have anything for me to wear?"

Michelle nodded. "I usually keep a spare outfit in my car, just in case. Could you go get it, Jimmy?"

"I'll be right back." He hurried out, and soon he was back with a blouse and a pair of sweatpants. He handed them to Kate and turned around so she could get dressed. Kate rolled her eyes a little at that, but didn't say anything. Once she was dressed, Michelle helped her over to the bed, letting her sit down, and they waited for back-up to arrive.

Gibbs, Ziva, McGee, and Tony only took fifteen minutes to get there, having kicked into light speed when they'd heard from dispatch. They cleared the rooms as they made their way down to the bedroom, but Ari hadn't returned. As soon as they reached the bedroom, Gibbs and McGee replaced their weapons, while Ziva and Tony kept them drawn and at the ready. Gibbs nodded to Jimmy and Michelle, gratefully. "Thanks for finding her, you two. Can you take a couple of passengers back to NCIS?"

"Yeah." Said Michelle. "I can fit two more into my car."

"Good." Gibbs turned back to his team. "I'm going to go back with them and Kate. Can you take
Ari if he shows up? A replacement team will be down soon, and then we're going to start working on tracking that bastard down."

The other three agents nodded, and Gibbs and Michelle drew their weapons to shield their two unarmed colleagues.

Gibbs held Kate in the dark elevator as she cried. This was even worse than when he'd found her in the whore-house. At least then, she'd still had some of her pride and fire, but now it was completely wiped out. He wondered what had happened to her to cause it. Kate's tears turned to hiccups, and she wiped at her eyes. "Talk to me, Katie." He said softly. "What did he do to you?"

Kate hugged herself tightly. "He…He hurt me." She sniffed, feeling small. "I used to…you know…" she glanced down, ashamed. "For him at that whore house, that's why he picked me. He was trying to get me to be like that all the time. He forced me to marry him, and he found out about Abby." Her voice broke. "Abby gave up on me, didn't she?" she asked, her voice wavering. Gibbs could tell she was about to cry again. "She gave up and moved on. He showed me a picture of her new girlfriend."

Gibbs glanced at her. "You mean that photo that you had?" she nodded, starting to cry. "That was Officer Davíd, Kate. They're not dating, I assigned Ziva to protect Abby. Abby tried to cut herself like you did, and we were afraid she would commit suicide if we couldn't find you in time. Abbs never gave up on you."

Kate stared at him in shock. "Is…Is she alright, did you stop her?"

"She's perfectly healthy, except for being partially insane. She really loves you, Kate." He told her soothingly.

"Can I go and see her?" asked Kate hesitantly.

"I wouldn't dream of stopping you." Replied Gibbs, starting the elevator back up. The silver doors parted on the second to last floor, opening directly across from Abby's lab. Kate grabbed the rail to support herself as she saw the young Goth's back, then she raced out, barely pausing to push the sliding glass door aside.

Abby didn't turn around, and so she gasped in surprise when Kate's arms came around her. "Kate?" she whispered, barely able to believe it.

Kate buried her head in Abby's hair. "I'm here baby, I'm home. Oh, god I missed you."

Abby whirled around in Kate's arms, throwing her arms around the agent's neck. "Katie! Kate, are you okay? Did that son of a bitch hurt you?"

"I'm alright, honey. I'm fine. " Kate murmured back.

Gibbs watched from the doorway, admiring Kate for her strength. Maybe she'd bounce back quicker than he'd thought. "I hate to interrupt, girls, but the others are going to be down soon. Maybe you two should head home for the day."

Abby pulled away, shaking her head, furiously. "No. I've got to help you find him."

"Abby." Said Kate softly, petting the scientist's hair. "Abbs, don't hurt yourself like this. All the anger, it's just hurting you and it won't help you find Ari. Please. Please come home with me."

Abby struggled with the plea, half of her wanting to spend every second finding Ari, and the other half never wanting to let Kate out of her sight again. The latter half won. "Okay. Come on, I'll drive you home."