The idea for this one struck me while I was sweeping up cake after a birthday party at my job. I watch small children at birthday parties so they don't fall off of inflatable slides and obstacle courses and my boss doesn't get sued waiver or no waiver. I serve them pizza and cake too. My favorite ones are the eight-eleven year old boys who think it'll be funny to throw the cake at the referee and see what she does. I normally threaten them with cleaning up the mess, and then they're little angels.

But anyways, enjoy this Bête Noire interpretation. Kate just turned 13 like two days before Bête Noire occurs in March 2004. Because I'm getting confused writing this, Agent Todd will be referred to as Todd or Caitlin. Kate Gibbs will still be Kate. Review please!

Oh, I also don't own the lyrics to Absolutely (Story of a Girl). I just like that song, and Tony sees Kate as his baby sister and he sings it when she's upset 'cuz it cheers her up. Just don't sue me.

NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS

Kate sat at her Dad's desk playing solitaire on his computer. She was now officially a teenager, got out of school that day because of her psychical at the most randomest time of the day, and got to go to work with her Dad. It was a good day for her.

"So, Kate," Tony said from his desk. Two heads turned his way, one strawberry blond, and one brunette. "My cousin Kate."

Kate Todd huffed and went back to her task.

"Yeah, T?" Kate replied. 'Today's visit to NCIS is brought to you by DECEPTION and its good pal SNEAKINESS' Kate thought to herself.

"I'm gonna make a coffee run. You wanna come?" Tony asked as he pulled on a jacket and grabbed his pack.

"Nope." Kate replied as she clicked on the ace of hearts. "Can you grab me a medium cocoa from Dunkins though?" she added as an afterthought.

"Sure, Squirt." Tony said. "You want anything Big Kate?" Tony teased.

"Sure." Agent Todd said. "You gone."

"Geeze." Tony said. "No need to get to feisty with the kid around."

"As of Sunday I'm officially a teenager Tony." The younger Kate pointed out.

"I know. I was at your party. No need to remind me." Tony called as he headed for the elevators. "Hey, Abby!"

Abby Scuito was approaching the Bull Pen with a box full of evidence that Ducky needed back in the Morgue. Abby couldn't go down herself after her horrible nightmare about the Autopsy room. "Hey, Kate?" Abby asked.

"Yeah, Abby." Agent Todd replied as she looked up and saw the box of evidence Abby had propped up on her desk.

Little Kate tuned out most of their conversation; she was too busy trying to beat her own high score in solitaire. All she heard that Agent Kate had to do was deliver the box to the Autopsy room doors. Ducky and her Dad would never even know she had gone…

"Can I come Kate?" she asked as she stood up. "You're just going to the door and I won't see any body if Dr. Ducky has it down at the other end." Kate said hoping it would work. "I promise not to tell Tony or Agent Gibbs that you let me come down to autopsy. Please?"

Agent Todd sighed and said "Come on. You can push the buttons for me."

"Yay!" Kate squealed as she headed for the elevator bay. "Thank you thank you thank you!" she chanted as she punched in the 'down' button.

Kate Todd giggled at the enthusiasm displayed by the younger Kate as the girl danced around to a song in her head.

"How come Abby's not taking this down to Ducky's?" the younger Kate asked her older counterpart.

"She had a nightmare a couple of weeks ago that's made her very afraid of the autopsy suite." Todd explained as she shifted the heavy box. "She can't even push the down button on the elevator anymore."

"That's so sad." Kate said. "I was afraid of heights for the longest time until Tony brought me to the Washington Monument and we could see the whole city from the top." Kate babbled on. "It was so pretty and I wasn't afraid anymore. Tony's afraid of vampires. I made him watch Queen of the Damned and a Buffy the Vampire Slayer marathon and I swear he almost wet his pants."

Agent Todd laughed and said. "You're an evil little girl, you know that?"

"Yup." Kate responded as the elevator reached its destination. "I enjoy being evil oh so much. Nobody expects it from me, and when I strike, I leave stunned people in my wake."

"Like Tony?" Todd asked as she waved to Ducky.

"Leave it by the door, Abby!" Ducky called from the other side of the door.

Agent Todd caught on quickly. Kate didn't and almost blew it as Todd told Ducky she had 'gotten over her fear'. "Get back on the elevator." Kate Todd hissed to the younger girl. "Now."

It was too late. The doors to the autopsy suite hissed open and a man with a gun emerged and ordered them inside.

"When did labrats start carrying SIG Sauers?" the man asked them

"We are soooooo screwed." Kate said as they were ushered into Autopsy. "And I'm sooooo dead when my parents find out about this."

The man in the green scrubs, Kate was now calling him MIG for short ordered them on to the top of two of the autopsy tables and made Gerald and Ducky sit on the floor at the base of a third.

The MIG quickly patted Kate down and found nothing other than her Game Boy and some money for a CafPow!.

He quickly moved on to Agent Todd and asked, "No throw away?" He checked her ID. "Special Agent Caitlin Todd. Are you any good with this gun, Caitlin?"

"Give it back and I'll demonstrate." The agent replied.

"Hmm… Ever fire it in anger?" the man asked her.

"I would love to right now." Kate stifled a giggle. Agent Todd was funny when she was pissed.

"Did you shoot Qassam?" Kate Todd ignored him. "Did you put that double tap in his heart?"

"She didn't shoot him." Ducky said from the floor.

"Then who did?" the terrorist demanded.

"Probably my Dad." Kate said from her table.

Ducky said "Special Agent Gibbs," at the same time.

"Ducky!" Caitlin said.

"That name rings a bell Dr. Mallard."

"Don't answer this bas-…" Caitlin stopped herself; she didn't want to swear in front of the young girl, even if she was Tony's supposed cousin and had just claimed Gibbs as her father.

"It's okay." Kate said. "I go to public school. You were going to say bastard."

"You mustn't chastise the good doctor, Caitlin. At least, until you learn all my rules."

"I don't play by terrorist rules." Agent Todd said angrily.

"Who says I'm a terrorist?" he asked as he tossed bagged evidence to the side.

"Uh… You're holding us hostage with a gun in Autopsy in a federal agency." Kate said. "That pretty much screams terrorist to me."

The MIG just chuckled as he pocketed the blood sample from Qassam. "Is this all of the evidence Doctor?"

"From what I can see from here it is." Ducky said. "Gerald?"

"It looks like all of it." The assistant replied.

"Caitlin, you may roll over now, if you keep your hands where they are on top of your head." The MIG instructed, and both Caitlins did so.

"I said Caitlin, only." The terrorist said when he saw that Kate had rolled over on to her back as well.

"It's my name too." Kate said. "Caitlin Erica Gibbs is my full name. Duh." She hadn't lost the sense of when not to use the word 'duh'.

"This is much too confusing." The man said. "What do your friends call you?"

"Kate." Ducky answered for her.

"Then when I say Kate, I am referring to you. Now Caitlin, did Special Agents search Qassam's room?"

Caitlin didn't respond.

"Where is the evidence that was bagged and tagged?"

"Evidence Lock-Up." Kate responded as she saw the man reach for the gun in his pants pocket. Caitlin looked at her like she was crazy. "What?" Kate said. "He's got gun, you don't and I don't wanna die only two days after becoming a teenager."

The man chuckled again; he found the teenager to be entertaining.

"Doctor, please explain the rules to stubborn little Caitlin."

"If we lie, or he thinks we're lying, he'll put a bullet in one of Gerald's joints.

"Ouch." Kate hissed.

"More specifically, his ball and socket joints. And you omitted one condition." He said.

"Oh, did I?" Ducky asked.

"Yes, you did." The man replied.

"Oh. Yes, we mustn't try to trick him."

"Young Kate," the man said. "Is there another room through that door?" He was pointing the gun in the direction of Ducky's desk.

"I think so." Kate said.

"Go and find out." The man ordered.

"Okay." Kate said as she hopped off the table and opened the door. "Uh, there's a lined closet for the scrubs and a bunch of doors in a hallway."

"Go into that closet and wait in there until I come and get you." He ordered her.

"Okey dokey." Kate said as she complied and the door shut behind her. She turned on the light in the closet and piled some scrubs together on the floor to make a bean bag type chair.

MTAC

"Gibbs—DiNozzo" Tony said over the TAC-One channel on their walkie talkies. "Kate Todd just ran past the doors in Autopsy; she just ran by again."

"I read you, DiNozzo." Gibbs said. "Standby."

Director Morrow turned and watched Gibbs approach him. "There's no video from Autopsy."

"It's looking like a hostage situation, Director." Jethro said gravely. "Four of our people, Doctor Mallard, his assistant Gerald Jackson, and Special Agent Kate Todd."

"And the fourth?" Morrow asked.

"My daughter." Gibbs replied grimly.

"Damn." Morrow spat out. "Are you positive?"

"DiNozzo saw her walking through a door to the linen closet. Abby said she went with Agent Todd to deliver the evidence back to Autopsy."

"Let's find out." Morrow said. "Start the tape."

"Yes, Sir." Charlie, the MTAC techie said as he pressed 'RECORD' and dialed Autopsy for Agent Gibbs.

"Autopsy." Ducky's voice said through the phone after several rings.

"Ducky, what's with the infectious autopsy?" Jethro asked.

"It's purely precautionary," was the terse reply.

"That why you took the evidence back?"

"Yes, sorry." Ducky said. "I'm really busy, Jethro."

"Hey, is Kate or Agent Todd there?"

"No. No, they both left a few minutes ago." Ducky replied trying to sound casual.

"Okay. If Kate comes back down will you tell her I want to see her up in MTAC? I've been looking for her everywhere."

"Of course." Ducky said.

"Oh, and let me know when you're done, Duck. You've got me curious."

The line cut off before Ducky responded.

"Unknown man in Autopsy wearing greens. Medium build and height." Tony said on TAC-One.

"Copy." Gibbs said.

"The FBI Hostage Rescue Team will be on site in seven minutes." Director Morrow told Gibbs. "We need eyes in Autopsy."

"I'm on it." Gibbs said as he raced out of MTAC.

Autopsy, Kate's Closet

Kate pulled her red Game Boy SP out of her back pocket and slid her Quidditch World Cup cartridge in. She had found Gerald's back up MP3 player, and according to the clock on it, she'd been sitting in the closet for almost an hour and a half. She had dug around the little room for a while but hadn't found any headphones. Not fun. Kate was bored out of her mind, she was in the middle of practicing her seeker skills, for Gryffindor of course, when the door opened and the terrorist stood in the door frame.

Kate looked up and caught the tail end of a fleeting smile. "What's your name?" She asked innocently.

"Why do you wish to know?" The man asked.

"So I'm not calling you 'the guy who's holding me and my friends hostage in Autopsy' in my head." Kate replied. "It's a really long name."

"I see your dilemma." He said as he sat on a cardboard box across from Kate. "You may call me," the man paused for a moment and thought about it. "Ari."

"Like Ziva's brother." Kate responded without thinking. "She's friends with my step-mom."

Ari smiled and thought to himself, 'If this is the girl that Ziva mentioned last time I saw her, I'm in a lot of trouble with Mossad when I am through here.' Out loud he said, "I don't have a sister named Ziva. I used to have one named Tali."

"What happened to her?" Kate asked quietly as she turned her game off.

"A suicide bomber walked into the café she was in one day when she was sixteen." Ari said.

"Oh," Kate said. "My sister Kelly and my Mom died in a car accident a month after I was born. Today would have been Kelly's twenty first birthday."

Ari nodded and said "I am sorry." He understood the pain Kate felt, although he had known his sister much longer than Kate had known hers or her mother.

"Thanks." Kate murmured.

"Come." Ari said as he stood. He offered a hand to Kate. "It is time for you to rejoin us."

Kate took his hand and he pulled her into a standing position. "Oh, and do not worry about Gerald. He will be fine."

"Why shouldn't I…Oh." Kate said as she caught sight of Gerald from the doorway. Gerald was being held up on the autopsy table by Caitlin and Ducky. The Coroner's assistant's left shoulder was wrapped in gauze and his arm was in a sling. "What happened to him?" Kate asked Ducky.

"I tried to trick our friend here." Ducky explained as he and Caitlin help Gerald lay down. "And he followed through on his threat."

Kate turned around and put her hands on her hips before she addressed Ari. "Is that why you sent me into that closet for an hour and a half?"

"Yes, young one." Ari replied as he walked over to the table Gerald was on. "I did not think you needed to experience someone being shot in front of you at your youthful age."

"Okay…" Kate said. "But did you really have to shoot him, Ari?"

"Yes, Kate. I did." Ari replied. "Doctor Mallard broke the rules. There are consequences for that, remember?"

"I remember." Kate said as she hopped onto an empty table. "Would you shoot me if I broke one of the rules?"

Her question made Ari pause and think for a moment. It went against his morals to shoot at children. He counted anyone under the age of twenty a child, and to him, Kate was definitely a child. "No." Ari responded. "I do not shoot children. I would send you out of the room again and shoot Gerald in the knee."

"Oh. I think I'm gonna follow the rules to a tee." Kate said.

"Wise choice." Ari replied. "A very wise choice."

Kate lay down and closed her eyes. "Hey, Ducky?" she called.

"Yes, Kate?" Ducky replied.

"Do you think Dad'll come down soon to try and rescue us?" Kate asked. "I wanna go home." Kate was just this close to crying. Today had to be the scariest day of her entire life.

"I'm sure Jethro is trying his hardest, Kate." Ducky said comfortingly. "But rescue missions like this take time."

Kate nodded and rolled on to her side facing away from the others and towards the coolers. "Can you let me go?" she asked Ari. "Please?"

Ari sighed. He knew he would have to let the girl out before the FBI team showed up, but he was slowly growing attached to her. She was innocent in all of this. Her only crime was being in the wrong place at the wrong time. "Yes. But not for another five minutes."

It had been two minutes since Director Morrow had informed Jethro that the FBI team was on its way.

"Why do I have to wait that long?" Kate asked as the tears began to fall down her face. "I'm scared and I want my Daddy. Please?" Kate pleaded with him.

Ari sighed again. "Get off the table." He ordered.

Kate did as she was told. "Now go and walk through the doors and straight across the hall and up the stairwell." Ari ordered. "I want them to see you are unharmed."

Kate nodded and practically ran to the doors and across the hall. She ripped the door open and was met with the muzzle to Tony's SIG.

Kate did the only normal thing and screamed. Tony dropped his weapon and pulled her into a hug. "I'm sorry, Katie Baby." Tony said as he squeezed her. "I didn't know it was you."

Kate just sobbed into his shoulder.

"Gibbs—DiNozzo. I've got Kate. Repeat I've got your daughter."

"DiNozzo—Gibbs. Repeat?" Gibbs said.

"I've got Katie." Tony said. "She's pretty shaken up, Boss. I'm gonna bring her up to the Bull Pen now."

"I read you DiNozzo."

"Tony." Kate said as she cried into his shoulder. "He…he…shot…shot…" she trailed off into a fresh wave of tears.

"Who did he shoot?" Tony asked worriedly. "And where did he shoot them?"

"Gerald." Kate said. "In his shoulder joint. He made me wait in the linen closet until they cleaned Gerald up."

"Kate, this is really important. How many dirt bags are there in Autopsy?" Tony asked as he sat down on the stairs and pulled Kate onto his lap.

"Just one. He said I could call him Ari." Kate said. "I don't know if that's really his name."

"It's okay." Tony said as he hugged Kate again. "You're safe now." He kept repeating the mantra to her for a few minutes.

"Tony?" Kate asked in a shaky voice. "Can you sing the song?"

Tony smiled. "Sure, Kate. From the beginning or just the chorus?"

"I don't care." Kate said. "Just sing it please."

"This is the story of girl, who cried a river and drowned the whole world. And while she looks so sad in photographs, I absolutely love her when she smiles." Tony sang. He sang it to Kate whenever she was upset. Most of the time it was over the phone, but she loved it when he sang the song in person.

"How many days in a year? She woke up with hope but only found tears. And I can be so insincere, making her promises never for real." Kate sang the next verse.

Tony chuckled and hugged her again. "This is the story of a girl who cried a river and drowned the whole world. And while she looks so sad in photographs I absolutely love her. This is the story of a GIRL who cried a river and drowned the whole WORLD, and while she looks so sad and lonely there, I absolutely love her when she smiles." Tony finished. "You gonna be okay for now, Squirt?"

Kate sniffled. "I think so, T."

"Come on, then." Tony said as they stood up. "Let's get out of here before the shit hits the fan."

Kate nodded as they raced up the stairs as some of the Hostage Rescue Team came racing down them. The seven minutes were up. Ari was as good as caught.

NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS~NCIS

Later that night Kate sat with her Dad in the basement of their house. Jethro was dressed in scrubs and his arm was in a sling. Ari had shot him during the confusion from the flash bang thingy.

"I'm sorry he shot you Daddy." Kate said as she lay her head on his good shoulder. "He didn't hurt me if that's what you were wondering."

Jethro nodded. "I should ground you until the end of eternity for going down to Autopsy like that, but you help us anticipate what was going on in there."

"How?" Kate asked.

"By telling Tony how many gunmen there were and if anybody was injured." Jethro explained.

"Oh." Kate said. "I just thought I should tell somebody because, truthfully, Gerald looked awful when I saw him."

Jethro nodded. "Director Morrow's impressed big time, Princess. He wants you to come in tomorrow so you can discuss what happened and make a statement."

"Shouldn't I be doing that tonight?" Kate asked.

"A psychologist from the FBI doesn't think so. You need to time to register the trauma or something." Jethro said. "Personally I think you should have done it tonight and stayed home from school for the week."

"So I'm staying home for the week?" Kate asked.

"No." Jethro said. "The shrink talked me into letting you stay home for two weeks with two visits to her office per week until June or she feels you've recovered enough."

"Fun stuff." Kate said sarcastically. "So Gerald's gonna be okay?"

"Ducky said he needs surgery and a lot of physical therapy, but he should be okay within a year or two." Jethro said. He checked his watch. "Look at the time! It's time for all good little former hostages to go to bed."

"Daaaad." Kate said. "Not funny."

Jethro chuckled and pushed her towards the stairs. "Go before Jenny comes down here and chews me out."

"Fine." Kate huffed. As she climbed the stairs as she paused and looked at her father staring at the still of Ari from the camera Jethro had fed through the floor from Abby's lab. "He told me his name was Ari." Kate said. "I don't know how that'll help, but now you have his name."

"Thank you, Katie." Jethro said.

"Welcome, Daddy." Kate replied as she lingered in the doorway. "I love you."

"Love you too, Princess." Jethro said gruffly. "Go to bed."

Kate just nodded and disappeared from the doorframe. Jethro picked up the SIG from the workbench and aimed it the picture across the basement and fired two rounds into the chest of this 'Ari'. He couldn't wait to kill the bastard himself.