AN: I own nothing. *sob* No, wait. I own this pencil. :D Ah crap. *sob* My mom bought that too. LOL. Well, I do own the- wait, not gonna tell you 'cuz that'll ruin it. You'll figure out what I'm talking about and ask me. :D Oh yeah! This is my last finished chapter so far. So, since I've not been able to post for a while, I'm making it up to you in this special double edition weekend. :D But, I probably won't be able to post again 'til next week. What a suckfest! (just wanted to use that word) Oh! And next weekend, I will hopefully be able to post the dream I had last night. There'll be probably at least 3 different stories that come from it though. Just because it's so weird. And to all you TIBBS shippers, I'm sorry, but love TATE. Mark Harmon is mine. *giggle* *mutters*Even though he's (counting) *wince* 38 years my senior. Ah well, he's the main reason I watched Freaky Friday. And the reason I'm going to eventually watch Chasing Liberty. I love old guys. Stop muttering. I know I'm a freak. And I promise you that a REALLY FUN TATE shipper story is coming soon. A humor one. :D Ah well, I should shut up now. I will TRY to write a TIBBS story. TRY! But I may just write one story with an alternate shipper pairing. TATE and KIBBS. I'm also gonna try TABBY. And one with Gerald. And I'm gonna do at least one with character death. And- Oops. Don't want to give EVERYTHING away. But one more question: Is anyone interested in co-authoring a story with me? I have so many ideas, but I'm finding it hard to do them myself. I don't wanna write all the fun ones, I wanna read 'em. Ya'll know what it's like. Ahem. Sorry. On to the story. (It'll come faster if I get reviews. *wink wink*



***************************

Tony approached his partner, who was sitting at her desk, staring off into space. "Kate," he softly said, "are you okay?"

Kate broke out of her reverie. "Hmm? Uh, yeah. I'm fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure!" she snapped.

"Look, you flew out of the morgue like a bat out of hell! Sorry for caring."

Tony snatched up his coat and strode toward the elevator.

"Tony, wait!" Kate called. When he didn't stop, she ran after him and caught him by by the arm. "Tony, please," she cried. He turned around and peered down at her.

"What?" he caustically asked.

"I-I'm sorry. I can't deal with this right now."

"Can't deal with what?"

"I-"

"Am I interrupting something?" Gibbs asked.

Kate quickly dropped Tony's arm and he looked questioningly at her. But she only averted her eyes.

"No boss," Tony replied, "I was just leaving."

Gibbs stepped out of the elevator as Tony pressed the number for the lobby. As the doors closed, a tear slipped down Kate's cheek and she quickly gathered her things, wanting more than anything to get home. "Agent Todd," Gibbs asked, "Are you alright? You-"

"Not now, Gibbs"

"I-"

"Not now," Kate bit out. " I have to go."

Gibbs silently nodded and watched his other partner leave. When the doors closed behind her, he only sighed and shook his head. She'd tell him when she was ready.

**********

"Shit!" Tony spun his car around and sped back to headquarters. Kate was going to talk to him whether she wanted to or not.

**********

Kate slammed the door of her apartment. She only made it as far as the livingroom before she collapsed on the floor, sobbing. 'Dammit', she thought. 'He was trying to help me and I blew him off. What the hell is wrong with me? I should be able to deal with this. I wasn't even raped!' "Dammit!" she screamed. Kate laid on her living room floor, crying, until she fell asleep.

**********

Abby strolled into the bullpen, humming Alien Ant Farm 's newest song. When she reached Kate's desk, she found a note for her.

------Abby,

Sorry to cancel, but I forgot I had this thing to do tonight.

Kate

As Abby leaned over to throw the post-it away, she noticed Kate's notebook was still lying on her desk. She shrugged and began reading it.

"Kate!" Tony yelled as he ran over from the elevator. "Abby, where's Kate?"

"She left. She had-"

"Thanks." Tony started to run back toward the elevator, but Abby's voice stopped him.

"Tony, I think you'd better take a look at this before you yell at her."

Abby handed him the notebook. Tony gave her a strange look and mouthed the words as he read them.

Through my tears and muffled screams

I think, "there goes my 'American Dream'"

The two car garage and the front porch swing,

Or the white picket fences aren't for me

A green eyed woman with dark brown hair,

Icy heart, and vacant stare.

But with my dark secret I brave the world

Picking up pieces of my life, unfurled

I face my colleagues, friends though they be,

I can't let them know that it happened to me.

No one was there to stop the thief

Who stole my heart, my laugh, my loving being

He took everything I held dear

With a live enactment of my worst fear

Sometimes in my sleep I relive the hell

Through nightmares that resemble too well

The night my emotions were taken from me

To be replaced by an emptiness forever to be.

"Oh my god," Tony whispered, "She was raped. And all I did was bitch at her for not telling me!"

"Calm down. There was no way you could've known."

"Because I wouldn't listen! I asked her what was wrong, but I didn't give her a chance to tell me! Dammit!"

Abby flinched as Tony slammed his fist down on Kate's desk, causing several people to look at him.

"What the hell are you staring at?! Do your damn jobs!"

"Tony, chill. Y-"

"I gotta go Abbs. I have to talk to her."

"Tony!" Abby yelled.

He waved her off as he impatiently pushed the elevator call button, then ran down the steps.

Abby was slowly shaking her head when the elevator doors opened and Gibbs strolled into the bullpen.

"I've been looking for you." he said. "Abby, what are you doing up here?"

"I was talking to Tony."

Gibbs frowned. "But he already left."

"He came back," she answered. "Then he left again."

"May I ask why?"

"He wanted to talk to Kate. He was pretty pissed."

"Kate went home right after Tony did. She was pretty upset too." Gibbs paused. "They're not-"

"No! Well, not as far as I know. Kate-He-Kate was raped."

Gibbs eyes grew large.

"I probably shouldn't have told you. I just-"

"Did Tony go to talk with her?"

"Yeah." Abby frowned. "What're you gonna do?"

"Nothing." Gibbs replied. "She'll tell me when she's ready."

"But you already know."

"She needs to deal with it on her own terms. Maybe she'll open up to Tony"

"Or withdraw from all of us."