"This sucks" Tony squawked. He said sulking in his car outside Ziva's apartment. Besides being a material witness, who was this chick? After she had regaled them with her story of hitting Gibbs. Tony had been curious. Now instead of finding out just how well this woman knew his boss he got to pull guard duty while the girls got to have a sleepover.

They were both still full from lunch, which always happened when Abby bought, mused Ziva just as the kettle on the stove came to a boil. Her apartment had only one bedroom but Katie had insisted on taking the couch, "Who knows if we'll even get to sleep tonight."

"I know what you mean," said Ziva as she handed her a cup of tea, "Still you must be tired after what you went through," she took a sip, "Besides wrestling orderlies at a hospital always did tire me out."

Katie looked at her, confused at first, then she cracked a smile, "You would have done the same thing if you woke up in a strange place."

This might not be so bad, Ziva thought, at least she's interesting, "More than you know." Katie smiled again, "I guess you give Gibbs hell."

Ziva winced at the thought, "It really is a group effort, not that I'd call it hell, I'd actually say that I keep them guessing," then she shifted in her seat, "If you had to put up with DiNozzo on a regular basis you'd understand."

"It's good to be part of something," Katie began, "I've been solo for a six years now."

"As soon as we find your" Ziva stopped, "Hawke. As soon as we find him, you can get on with your life."

"What kind of life would that be Ziva? A lifetime of looking over my shoulder wondering if and when he'll show up again?" Katie shifted on the couch, "No it's always been 'till death do we part' where Michael was concerned."

Ziva became concerned, "Do you believe he'll try to kill you?"

Katie's eyes welled up, "He's already tried twice. If he didn't think I was dead right now I wouldn't be here."

"But he dropped you at the hospital, yes?"

Katie nodded, "He felt remorse for what he'd done. I can stop my pulse for a few seconds," she smiled, "It used to scare the hell out of Gibbs until he figured it out."

"You escaped by playing" she struggled with the word, "Possum?" Ziva said getting things straight, "That's amazing."

Slowly Katie became comfortable until she and Ziva were talking like old friends, "I haven't talked to anyone in a long time." Ziva smiled, "You try then you trust." Simple philosophy. Gibbs had taught her never to just hand out trust.

"What else did he teach you?" asked Ziva leaning back ready to listen. "I know you've read my father's file," she looked to see Ziva nod before proceeding, "A week later he showed up at my school to collect me for summer break" Katie thought back to that day, "I knew what had happened when I laid eyes on him. That last Christmas, Dad told me that if anything should happen to him that I was to go with Gibbs. That'd he'd look after me."

"Where was your mother?"

"Mom had died awhile back. It was always my dad and I. Dad took every cent he had and spent on my education. Since he worked out of town a lot, I was bound for Catholic boarding school."

Ziva smiled, "I bet you gave the nuns hell."

"Abby and I have the same feeling towards them. After testing them for the first few years, you grow to respect them. It was a constant in my life that I needed at the time. So I would go to school for the better part of the year, Gibbs would pick up the slack in the summer time. I don't know how he did it but he did."

Ziva got a wicked idea, "So did he teach you anything?"

"What? The Rules?" Katie smiled, stifling a yawn "He has his own way of telling you. I don't know them all. We'd go camping, he showed me tracking, survival, and basically everything the Girl Scouts didn't" What could a cookie company have to do with teaching anything about survival? Thought Ziva, "Anything else?"

"I told him I had to be ready for anything. Given my circumstances he agreed." She went onto explain, with another yawn, that Gibbs had given in and taught her everything about being a sniper. "When I got older, we had developed a quiet bond, we respected each others space and privacy. No questioning and no complaining."

Ziva giggled, "You could have been in Mossad."

Ziva could see she was dozing so she watched Katie as she slowly nodded off after that. Pleased with herself for not getting fed up with Katie, Ziva rose from her chair and stretched again just as a knock at the door sounded.

"DiNozzo" growled Ziva under her breath as she stormed to the door and swung it open, "You'd better be dying," she snapped softly.

"Believe me I Am" he said throwing up his hands, "Besides freezing and Risking Indecent Exposure," Ziva shushed him, "She hasn't slept in who knows how long…" Tony shifted, "What is wrong with you?"

Not recognizing the infamous dance when she saw it Tony barged inside, "Bathroom Now!"

"Quiet!" snapped Ziva shutting the door and chasing after him.

"As a church mouse" he looked from side to side, "A little Help?"

Ziva pointed to DiNozzo's sanctuary, "Thank You" said Tony almost limping to the door.

Ziva turned after sensing someone behind her. She thought she had closed the door. She gasped, but caught herself before she squealed, Gibbs stood in the foyer of her apartment, "Is this his idea of perimeter security?" Ziva shook her head, "Bathroom" she said pointing in Tony's direction. "Hasn't he ever heard of a tree or a bush?"

"I find it hard to believe that Tony's shy" Ziva said ushering Gibbs inside, "Katie's asleep in here." Gibbs followed Ziva inside just as Tony exited the bathroom, "You know Ziva I think you can add 'denying the bathroom' to your repertoire of interrogation techniques. She eyed him then Gibbs, "Oh, Boss, I Uh" Gibbs held up his hand because DiNozzo was being too loud, "Sorry Boss" not noticing Katie asleep not three feet away from where they stood. Tony looked at Gibbs, "I wouldn't" he knew what Tony was going to do and he also knew what Katie would do to him, "Not if you don't want to loose a finger."

Tony smile froze, "Almost did today." Then he backed off from trying to wake Katie. As soon as he withdrew Gibbs advanced to wake her. Ziva pulled Tony by his sleeve into the kitchen area. But Tony tried to stay because he thought Gibbs was going to give her a light head slap. Instead he placed his hand gently between her shoulder blades. He recalled that was how he woke her when she was at his house for the summer. Katie awoke instantly, "Sorry cat nap Gibbs, what's up?"

They had parted company unhappily seven years ago. That was the first time Gibbs had met Michael Hawke. He didn't pass the smell test with him. Given the honest relationship he had with Katie, Gibbs told her so directly but Katie wasn't hearing any of it. They had shown up at his doorstep so Hawke could ask Gibbs permission to marry Katie. Having had lost his child early in life, before she could even entertain the idea of getting married herself, then being entrusted with the life of his best friends daughter. Gibbs wasn't necessarily happy. She knew what he would say, sure enough it was downhill from the get-go. Gibbs said his peace then waited for Katie to respond. It wasn't what he expected from her. She looked straight into his eyes the unleashed her left-hook, "I'm not Kelly, Gibbs. You're not my father, you never were." That was that, Katie had walked out of his life.

Now she was back. To Gibbs she seemed broken, a shell of herself. Hawke had beaten the spirit out of her. Before opening his mouth Gibbs hoped silently that Ziva was gaining Katie's trust enough so he wouldn't be able to use what Katie knew to find Hawke.

"Did I interrupt your beauty sleep kiddo?" Gibbs asked handing her his coffee.

Katie sighed, "When you're burning the candle at both ends who knows when you'll find time to sleep again."

She made an excellent point, "Where did you learn to be so sensible?"

She smiled and took another swig of coffee before passing it back to him, "This Marine raised me, taught me everything I know." That got a smile from both of them.

"I also taught you never to leave things unfinished."

Katie nodded, "It's not going to bother me."

Gibbs looked into her eyes, knowing full well she couldn't lie to him, "Alright," then he stood, "Glad we got that straight."

In the kitchen Tony was leaning over the bar, "Oh my God she drinks his coffee! How can she stand it?"

Ziva smiled, "You sound like a girl when you whisper."

He gave her a condescending gaze, "She broke Rule 23."

"Not when he gave it to her" Ziva put her hand over her mouth.

Tony smiled, "Ah so your keen ninja Mossad spider senses were listening in on our bosses conversation." That was not why Ziva covered her mouth. Tony turned quickly after seeing Ziva's face; he was behind him again, just standing there

"Boss." A familiar silence filled the room as Gibbs let Tony sweat, "Tony" DiNozzo pointed to the door and Gibbs nodded quickly. Then the two men left the room quietly, "What was that about?" asked Ziva closing the door. Katie folded her arms; "He wanted to make sure that if we find Michael, if I have to," Ziva cut her off, "Are you willing to kill him if it comes down to it."