Note: During and after Witness (2x14).

ALEXANDRIA, KATE'S APARTMENT; NOVEMBER 17, 2004, 17:00

Her mouth was throbbing, the slap Adler had given her had caused one a tooth to become cracked and an infection had developed. Standing in her kitchen, she made mashed potatoes since it didn't hurt to eat them.

A bark from Azra made her turn, she found Ari in the door way…her bruise was fading but not gone. He walked over upon spotting it and touched her cheek, she moved away.

"Who has done this?" His voice was calm and gentle yet full of anger at the same time.

"An ex-boyfriend, he's currently in the hospital for this." She looked back at the pot of instant mashed potatoes, "I'm fine besides needing a root canal."

"What happened Caitlin?"

"He gripped my hand too tight and I told him to let go. When he didn't, I tried to pull away. He slapped me when I…he wanted a submissive woman, must be genetics."

"What do you mean?"

Kate turned off the stove and pulled out two plates before going to the fridge and pulled out lasagna…she might as well feed him while he was there. "His mother is American while his father is from Saudi Arabia, his father left after finding out his mother was pregnant."

"Your tooth?"

"Chipped when he slapped me, it's infected but I'm terrified of the dentist." She chuckled as she warmed up the lasagna, "had a phobia since I was a child after I saw my sister get a root canal."

After warming the food, she placed it on the plates…at least the lasagna on his plate. She held out the plate and he eyed her.

"You're here; I might as well feed you. It's not kosher but its food." He took it and picked up her plate as well, taking them to the table. Kate sat down and they shared the meal, "how have you been?"

"I saw you four days ago Caitlin."

"Who called the other night?" She tried another approach but she knew he had seen it.

He eyed her, "my sister…I met her at the embassy, she believed I would be up because of the time difference. She prefers, even on missions, to stay with Israeli time. It was morning in Tel Aviv when she called."

"You don't…you stay on whatever time zone you are in." Ari chuckled and nodded, "it's my mother's recipe…chicken instead of beef. She preferred poultry to meat, I do not understand why."

"You prefer fish to other foods," she eyed him before shaking her head. "I told you I would be watching."

"More like stalking." Kate laughed before pressing her hands to her cheek and abandoned her food, pushing the plate away. "Tony suggested a hypnotist but I don't know if it will work. I've cancelled three times and I have an appointment with the hypnotist tomorrow, I hope it works."

Ari reached over and pulled her hand away, pressing against her cheek. "Your jaw is swollen; you need to see a dentist…the gums enflamed." He stood and walked to her fridge, pulling out a handful of ice and grabbed the nearby dishtowel.

After wrapping the ice up, Ari sat down and pressed it to her cheek. "It's cold and hurts…no." She pushed it away but he put it back on her cheek.

"It will numb it…it won't last long but it will sooth it momentarily." He took her hand and held it against the ice pack, removing his hands. "We did this often in the Gaza Strip for enflamed gums…we went through buckets of it."

Soon Kate removed the ice and pressed against her cheek, "the pain is gone, how long will it last?"

"Ten minutes, but no more than fifteen." His phone rang and he looked at it…his sister. He answered it, much to Kate's surprised. "Ziva…not tonight, you are where? How did you…Ziva you are not a member of the Israeli Embassy, you cannot get immunity, you need to stop.

"I will come but this is the last time, I cannot afford to produce bail every time you get into a bar fight. You are assigned as my control officer but it seems I am yours…where is Michael?" Ari stood and walked toward the kitchen window, Kate watched him. "I will not post his bail, Mossad can…where are you?" He turned to find Kate gone; she came back second later with a pen and paper. Writing down the address, he nodded at his sister's comment. "How much is bail? I'll be there soon."

Closing his phone, he eyed Kate and she shook her head. "I do it all the time for my brothers, go."

"You will see a dentist?" She nodded and he leaned over and kissed her head. "I will have to personally return my sister and her partner to Israel…it is how it is always done. I will call you my Caitlin."

He left and she smiled, watching him go. "Laila tov Ari."

He turned to her, "Leila sa'eeda Caitlin."

She nodded and watched him close the door as he left; she bent down next to Azra and petted her. "He won't be back for a while."

ALEXANDRIA, KATE'S APARTMENT; NOVEMBER 20, 2004, 19:00

Kate sat up going through a scrapbook when she felt a kiss on her head; she turned to find Ari looking at her.

"You're back."

"Yes," he pulled the scrapbook from her hands and looked at it as he walked around the couch sitting beside her. "Why are you going through memories Caitlin?"

"A case got me thinking, that was my first few days after my Secret Service training, when I was picked as an agent. I was so naïve then and thought I could save everyone." Kate smiled, "McGee couldn't save a witness and he's been hard on himself since…I remembered those days and wanted to see them."

She watched as he flipped through her life, not going back but instead going forward. He found a picture of her and Tony sparing in the gym, he was flat on his back with her foot on his chest and her arms in a fighting position. "I see even Agent DiNozzo is no match for you or did he allow you to do that?"

Kate laughed and shook her head, "no I took him out fast, it was right after I joined. We had what Gibbs calls 'close combat training' and apparently he thought it funny enough to take a photo of me placing Tony on his back. I beat him at the range all the time…I mean look at this."

She turned a few pages and pointed to a picture of Tony starring at her target…she was laughing.

"McGee took that one."

"Four shots to the head, two to the chest and two to the abdomen." Ari eyed her and she smirked, "I am glad I did not give you the chance to shoot me."

"I am too, how is your sister?" She reached over and closed the book, "get a reprimand for causing another bar fight?"

"Yes, our father told her if she did it again she would not like the consequences." Ari reached out and pushed her hair back, "how is your mouth?"

"Nothing to it." She smiled and he ran the back of his hand across her jaw. They were both interrupted by Azra, who jumped into Ari's lap and licked his hand. "Someone else missed you."

"You missed me Caitlin?" He seemed surprised so she nodded.

"I did." She yawned and stood up, "I'm going to bed, you know the way out."

She got ready for bed and just as she was falling asleep, she felt a hand pushing her hair back and a kiss placed on her head. "Laila tov my beautiful Caitlin, sweet dreams."

Translations:

Laila tov: Hebrew for Goodnight

Leila sa'eeda: Arabic for Goodnight