Usual disclaimer – don't own, not earning anything (except from my legit employment of course), it's purely for entertainment of the masses

What can I say - thank you again for all the feedback and reviews! I continue to be amazed and flattered at your responses, again I bow to your superior tastes. I feel as high as Abby on too much Caf-Pow!

Now, trauma not, the slight dip continues, but things will get better and - well to say anymore would spoil the finish. Read On Dear Reader - let me know what you think!

Thanks again to my beta reader and poster - Know Your Dog…Tony in a small towel? Soon, sooooooon!

"Tony, I don't know what to say to you..." Kate started.

"Why bother Kate? You've obviously made your choice" Tony said and walked away from her.

"My choice?"

"Ah, c'mon Kate, don't play the dumb female here. It really doesn't suit you."

"Tony, you are being ridiculous again"

"Me? Ridiculous? I'm not the one playing two guys off against each other!"

"I beg your pardon?"

"If that's the closest I'm going to get to an apology, I guess we're done, aren't we?"

"I guess we are DiNozzo" Kate picked up the hem of her dress and marched up the stairs back into the room. She paused a moment to collect herself, and as she did so, Abby came over to her.

"I saw you come through the doors - are you okay?" she asked her friend.

Kate blinked heavily. She was damned if she was going to cry in front of her friend. Damn DiNozzo! She thought.

"Not really Abbs. In fact, I'm going home."

"No! Kate, its not even midnight! Why - what's happened? Is it something we've done?"

"Abby, please believe me, its nothing you, or Tim, or Ducky have done. I just think its best if I leave."

"Kate, please don't. Look, we'll step outside for a few, talk to me - please don't just leave like this?" Abby pleaded with Kate.

Kate caught a stray tear as it escaped her eye. "Okay."

"I'll meet you in the lobby in a couple of minutes - don't worry, I won't tell the guys. Promise me you won't take off?"

"I promise"

"Good. I'll just be a second" Abby took off to the table to pick up her wrap and cell. Tucking the compact phone into the hidden pocket of her dress and making her apologies she walked to the lobby.

Kate was there, standing in the shadows. Abby took her friend's arm, and the stepped out the main doors of the building along deserted streets of the base.

"C'mon Kate, spill. You were really looking forward to tonight, and now you can't wait to get away. What's happened?"

Kate took a deep breath, shuddering slightly as she fought not to cry. "Tony."

"Tony? What has he done?"

"Nothing much."

"Kate, he must have done something! You two arrived together, and I have to admit, you looked cute together! You've danced together too, and it was going so well - have you argued?"

Kate looked down at the sidewalk. She nodded.

"What about?"

"Gibbs"

"Gibbs! What's that ab- oh." The penny dropped. "Tony is upset about that."

Kate's head shot up. "That?"

"Kate, as your friend, I have to tell you. I've noticed."

"Noticed what?"

"Noticed how you and Gibbs are. With each other."

"I don't know what you mean!" Kate retorted.

"Kate, c'mon! He's a good-looking guy, even if he is, well, older than I normally go for."

"This from the girl who dated her 60 year old tutor in college!"

"He was 62 actually! Anyway, we're not talking about me! We're talking about the Silver Haired Fox."

"How come you can call him that and get away with it?"

"Well, in my case, familiarity has bred acceptance - not contempt! Kate, I can see you're attracted to Gibbs, and I don't need my degree in Forensics to see that."

Kate stopped as Abby said this. She turned to her friend. "Abby, I'm going to tell you this now, and you have to swear it remains between us - and no one else."

Abby thought for a second. "Okay. I promise. Not even on pain of death."

Kate took a deep breath. "I am attracted to Gibbs. He is one of the most fascinating men I have ever met. He's intelligent, and sharp minded, and his analytical skills are amazing! He can be maddening, sure, and when he's got the bit between his teeth about something - like that terrorist guy - you just know he won't let go till he gets a result. He can be rude, and abrasive and short tempered and can drive you up the wall with his single-mindedness!"

"Preaching to the choir here! Kate, I know all of this. He has his good points too you know?"

"Abby I know! He can be so kind and thoughtful. Look how he was with the Commander's daughter, the one who was blind? He can be charming and even flirtatious, which has never failed to amaze me! The man has been married three times, so he must be doing something right!"

"Yeah, but all those ended in acrimonious divorce Kate!"

"I know! It doesn't stop me being attracted to him though." Kate clenched her fists; frustrated at the situation she was in. "He is one of the most complex people I have ever known, let alone worked with. He is at the same time the best and yet worst boss I have ever worked for. There were nights when I first started working with you guys when I went home and sobbed, when I wondered if I had made the right call, should I have accepted Gibbs' offer of a place on the team? I know now I was meant to be here, that it's where I belong, but that doesn't make it easy."

"I knew you struggled at first, but I never knew you were finding it so tough." Abby told her friend.

"You helped me, you really did, and still do. Abby, I don't know how I'd cope if I didn't have you as my friend" Kate told her, "And then I realised that Ducky had taken me under his wing and I wasn't even aware of it! I spent so much time trying to keep up with everyone, trying not to let anyone see how nervous I was about this new career, that I didn't realise I was already part of the team till I turned round one day and saw it."

"Kate, you never acted nervous. You always seem so calm and assured – I think that kinda threw a lot of people. Oh! Not me, hey, I've seen agents come and go, but the way we all are right now is special - you do know that don't you?" Abby asked her.

"Special? C'mon Abby, we are good at what we do, damn good, but even I know it can't last forever. One of us will get promoted, or be posted someplace, and that'll be that."

"That's what makes this important Kate. Gibbs, Tony, You, McGee, Me and Ducky - even Jimmy Palmer, this is the best team I've ever been part of, and it's great! That's what makes this so hard."

"Abby, nothing is going to happen here. Other than dancing with Gibbs, I'm not going to act on this attraction, hard though it is at times." She smiled sadly. "Besides, it's not like its mutual."

"Actually I think it is." Abby paused while Kate absorbed this.

"What! Abby, don't mess with me here!"

"Kate, this isn't something I would mess with! He doesn't think anyone notices him watching you - in a non-stalky way obviously. C'mon girl, the man is Spec. Ops trained with the Marines! If he doesn't want you to know something - from what's in your annual report to how he feels about you, he certainly isn't going to give that information away."

"Abby, how do you know this?"

"That he likes you? He remembers the way you like your coffee, and never remembers anyone else's order like that. He appraises you when you're not watching - and even if he works late…"

"Abby he works late every night"

"Let me finish! Okay, so when he works late, he quite often finishes straight after you. I've come up a couple of times and seen him standing by the window making sure you are safely in your car."

"Abby, stop this! Listen, nothing can happen here - okay? Not only is he my boss - repeat - my BOSS, he's the one to have said to me - in Gitmo - 'Rule 12 - Romance between agents never works'. Abby, if that's not laying it on the line, I don't know what is."

"So, you've never been attracted to someone you've worked with and it's worked?"

"I'd be lying if I said No. It just makes things difficult if it all goes bad."

"I can see that. Hmmmm."

"What's that for?"

"Well, as well as Gibbs watching you, you do know that Tony does the same - right?"

"Tony! He never has time surely? He keeps so busy with his string of disposable one-night stands and plethora of so-called dates! Besides, the bickering between us should be enough to warn him off. He's childish, and arrogant and annoying and superficial and, and, and, and..." Kate trailed off.

"And it doesn't stop you being attracted to him either?" Abby asked wryly.

"Truth?" Kate replied sheepishly.

"Truth."

"No. It doesn't."

"A-ha! I knew it!"

"Great. Well, there you go Abbs. I'm stuck between the Devil and Deep Blue Sea. I am attracted to both my colleague and my Boss. Casanova or self-proclaimed Bastard. Aren't I a lucky girl?"

"Kate, you don't have to make a choice you know. Hey, Gibbs is the one who told you about his Rule 12"

"Romance between agents doesn't work? Oh yeah. I know. What a mess I'm making of tonight!"

"Kate, you're not doing anything wrong!"

"I'm not so sure. I come here with Tony but let myself be monopolised by Gibbs."

"Ever tried saying 'no' to Gibbs?"

"That's exactly what I said to Tony! He wouldn't listen! He said I'd used him! I really haven't y'know. We - Okay, I hoped Gibbs would come along tonight, but he was so adamant that he wouldn't, I had reconciled myself to his decision. So, when he did show, I felt I owed him a few dances – okay don't look at me like that!" she responded to Abby's raised eyebrow "A few dances - as a thank you for coming along. And, anyway - he's danced with you too!"

"He has. More with you though..."

"He's a good dancer! So is Tony - and when I haven't been dancing with Gibbs, I've mainly been with Tony - dancing and talking - so it's not like I've ignored him." Kate threw her arms in the air in despair, "Men! They drive a woman mad!"

"So," Abby asked her friend, "What are you going to do?"

"Well, we've been out here long enough" Kate stood tall, put her shoulders back and pulled out her compact mirror to check her make up. "I think we should go back in there so I can try and sort this mess out."

"Okay! Lead on My Lady!" Abby curtsied to her friend and they made their way back to the Gala with purposeful steps.

TBC