A/N: Hi, it's me again. First I want to thank you for all the reviews. They are the best. Second, I'm sorry it took so long to update but I was kind of busy the last couple of weeks.

Summary: Who is calling Kate? I can promise you, it's nothing bad.

A/N 2: This connection wasn't planned when I started writing the fanfic. Actually this story was planned to be centered on Tony (Logan) and Max but now it's more KIBBS in it than Tony and Max. What can I say; somehow the story got a live of its own. Hope you still like it. On with it.

Part 21

'Katie-bug'? It had been 15 years since she had heard that nickname the last time. She had gotten that nick-name from a teacher. At first he was a guest-teacher at one of her law classes, but time moved on and the two of them became friends, close friends. He had been a CSI, a Crime Scene Investigator with Las Vegas Crime Lab. And he had been a doctor of Entomology; a guy working with bugs and spiders. But soon they became friends, first because of his work. Kate was really interested in the work of CSIs. Could be useful when she had finished college and became an attorney.

Any ideas?
"Caitlin, are you still with me? You are awful quiet."

"You can imagine that. I haven't heard of you in 15 years. And now you call out of the blue. I'm very surprised. You were the last one I imagined calling. What reason did I earn this honor?"

"I missed you all those years. You never told me why you left. Actually you never said good-bye."

"Then I do it now. Good-bye, Grissom."

"Don't hang up, Katie-bug. I really would like to speak with you. Don't you think I have earned an explanation?" Dr. Gilbert Grissom pleaded, really fearing Kate would hang up on him.

"I don't know if you should have an explanation. It took you 15 years to call me. You could have done this earlier, why now? I don't need any complications in my life just now." Gibbs looked at Kate with a questioning look. He was worried about her, he had never seen her this emotional on a phone call. And he supposed it wasn't good for her nor for their baby.

"I won't make any complications. I just want my old friend back. And you know me; I was never good with people. It took an eternity for me to open up to you. I trusted you and then you betrayed me. I never understand your reason for leaving. Care to explain? And it wasn't easy to find you."

"I did my best. Okay, I will try to explain just to make peace with you. At first everything was okay. Our friendship was something special for me. I looked forward to each meeting with you. Wednesday was the best day in the week since we had our regular meeting there. Nothing could destroy the joy I was feeling all day long. But then one day you didn't show up. I waited for hours. I even called the police station and the hospital just to make sure you weren't there. The next day you had a class on College. I saw you but you didn't saw me. You were very deep in thoughts. I even called your name but you didn't hear me. But you were okay, that was enough for me. I was less worried after I saw you. I thought you were you having some trouble at work, so I waited for the next Wednesday. Again you didn't show up. Friday after that I was out with my room mate. We went to a club, I didn't want but she dragged me along. Her boy-friend invited us. It was the 'French Palace'. I have never been there. At first I was shocked, but I was more shocked when I saw you there. It was not only that you would visit such a place; it was the way you looked at the stripper. You had a different look in your eyes that the rest of the man. They had just the look of lust but you, I don't know. Perhaps it was love; yes it was the look of a man who is deep in love with a woman. You were in love with the woman on stage. That was the reason you didn't show up for our meetings. You didn't need me anymore. So I did the only reasonable thing. I left for good, ready to begin a new life somewhere else without you and our friendship."

"You don't make any sense. You left because you saw me at the 'French Palace' looking at some girl. Why didn't you ask me what I was doing there?"

"Would you have answered me? I don't think so, Gil. But you can tell me now. Why had you been at a Strip club looking at a stripper with this look of love?"

"First of all, she was an exotic dancer, no stripper. I didn't know I had this look, but now I can imagine the reason for it. You were right; I had had much of trouble but not work related. I was on my way to our meeting when a young woman ran into me. She was crying. Something in her behavior made me want to help her. So I brought her to my house and tried to help her. She had had a fight with her boyfriend, a rather violent guy. He had beaten her. She was afraid to go back to him, so I offered her to stay at my place for some days. She was too afraid to run into him, so I walked her to work and stayed there as long as she danced. She was the exotic dancer I had been watching there."

"That's so unlike you, Grissom. We had known each other for nearly two years and I had never been to your home. So you just take a stranger with you but not your friend?"

"You haven't seen her, Katie-bug. She cried very hard, like a small child waking up from a terrible nightmare. And she was hurt. She had had several broken rips, a broken arm and a mild concussion. What would you have done?"

"Taken her to a hospital and called the police. That was a case for the cops. That guy needed to be put behind bars, I hope he is there. You did call the police, didn't you?"

"No I didn't. I had to promise Catherine that I wouldn't call the cops. She would handle that her way."

"So he is still out there, beating up females?"

"No, Katie-bug. He won't harm anyone again. He's dead, almost two years now. But that's not the topic. Eddie was a bad person, but he could be a nice person, too."

"And you know this because?"

"I knew him and his family. I had been there for his wife and his daughter."

"That would be this Catherine woman, I suppose. See it was good I left. So you could put all your time to your new love."

"Caitlin, what's the matter with you? I have never seen you like this. You were never that aggressive."

"Well, 15 years are a long time. People change, and that's the way I changed." Now Gibbs was really worried about her. Who was the person calling and why was Kate the way she was at the moment?

"I don't believe that. You could never been like that. I'm sorry if you made you aggressive but I just needed to hear you again. I really missed you and I would love to see you again. How about you come visiting me? There is so much I want to show you, my friends, my family, my home and my work. Vegas had changed over the last 15 years. What do you think?"

"I don't know, Gil. You know, I have my own life now. I don't now if I can see you anytime soon."

"Speaking of your life, where do you live and what's your profession. I didn't find you when I searched among attorney."

"I just worked a couple of weeks as DA. Then I moved to Washington DC, got hooked up with Secret Service and guarded the President. At the moment I'm working with NCIS and I think I will spend the rest of my life working here. That's the first place I feel at home. But we have so much to work at the moment so I don't see a chance to visit you."

"But you will think about it. At least one time you have to come up. In about three months. Do you think you can manage that?" Gil asked, not telling more.

"I don't think so, but I will try my best. I'm sorry but I have some work to do. Thanks for calling; it was really good hearing you. Good-bye Gil."

Kate flipped her phone close and let out a deep breath. Gibbs was watching her closely.

"I didn't know you can lie like this. Good to know." Gibbs smiled but Kate didn't react. Gibbs was worried. He got up and went over to her desk. There he sat down on the edge of it and took one of Kate's hands.

"Problems honey? You didn't seem to be this happy about the call."

"No problems, at least I hope. It was just an old friend from College."

"Why don't I believe you?" Gibbs smiled and kissed Kate's hand.

"It was really an old friend. We haven't been in contact for 15 years. I was just surprised by his calling."

"15 years is a long time. Why did that happen?"

"Partly because of me, I misinterpreted a situation. I never asked his reasons for being there and he never explained the situation either."

"But he explained it now, did he?" Gibbs asked watching her close.

"Yes he did. After 15 years. I can't believe he called after all those years. I really missed him and our friendship but I don't know if I can start again. 15 years is a long time and persons change. I don't know what kind of person he is now, and so does he. I'm not the little student I was back than."

"But there is a way to learn to know him again. You just have to keep in contact with him. And I can tell that is what you want, don't you."

"I think so. Griss invited me to visit him."

"But you didn't take the offer? I heard you saying something about a lot of work? You know that we don't have much to do at the moment. And you still have some vacation left."

"I know, but I don't want to go up there all alone." Kate smiled.

"And I'm not going to let you. You are stuck with me. So where are we heading?"

"The city of sin." Kate said.

"Las Vegas? What were you doing in Vegas?"

"I spent my college days there. A really nice city. Don't look like that, Jethro. I was not in gambling or stripping if you think that. So, you really come and visit Dr. Grissom with me?"

"Dr. Grissom as in Gil Grissom, the leader of one of the best CSI shift in the US?"

"That would be him. Do you know him?"

"I have read a lot about him. You really know him? I can't believe it, you are full of surprise. So when are we going?" Gibbs asked excited, really looking forward to meet Dr. Grissom.

"Very soon, I think. How about next week? I don't know how long I'm up for traveling. Do you think that's possible?"

"I'm positive about that. We can leave Tony in charge as long as we are away. So, you are calling your friend and tell him we are coming and I arrange some flight tickets for us."

Gibbs went back to his desk and got on the phone. Kate called Gil and told him that she would come on next Sunday. She didn't tell him that Gibbs was coming, too.

So nothing bad happened. Like told you before, this wasn't planned. Did you like it? Tell me what you think! PLEASE.