Hey there! Sorry for the horribly late update... You know how school is... I've barely had time to breathe, haha :) Anyways, this chapter is pretty much pointless, other than showing the relationship between Kate, Arty, and Tony, haha :) And a small reference that may or may not have something to do with the resolution of this story. But you wouldn't see it now, haha... Oh yeah, and for those of you who read my other stories, I have finally finished Home and I've been working furiously on Attention. Thanks you guys for reading my story! Buon divertimento!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize

Characters are only slightly AU

~Very Special Agent Bandit

All We Are

Chapter 7

The blonde-haired girl woke with a start and a monstrous yawn. As Arty stretched out lazily across the chair, something caught her eye. Kate had left a file open, and she was no where to be found. She scanned the rest of the bullpen, and figured since it was empty, she had a clear go. Even as she stood from the chair, she glanced upstairs to make sure Gibbs wasn't there, or exiting a room. She knelt down and took the file carefully into her hands, and started to read it. After all, she wanted to know as much about the case as she could.

"What are you doing?" She spun around, and met Kate's eyes.

She gave the agent a huge, megawatt smile, and looked innocently up at her. "You didn't honestly think you could leave me alone, and not have me shuffle through your stuff, now did you?"

Arty stood slowly, being carefully not to hit Kate, who was looking at her with a fierce expression and her hands on her hips. Arty nearly crumpled to the ground at the look. "No, I didn't. I was just downstairs getting something to eat."

"Sorry," Arty squeaked, nearly crumpling to the ground from Kate's stare. "I-I didn't mean to… Sorry K-Kate-e-e-e."

The anger disappeared just like that, and Kate raised an eyebrow, "Katie?"

"I'm sorry," Arty straightened up, her mind still racing, "I swear I didn't mean to."

"No, it's okay, I kind of like it," Kate smiled and went around to her desk, Arty trailing her.

"But doesn't Tony call you that?" Arty ventured, looking over Kate's shoulder as she turned on her computer. Kate brushed Arty away, but her grin widened.

"When DiNozzo calls me that, it sounds disgusting and sexist and horrible," Kate stood up and faced Arty, "But when you say it, it sounds nice and sweet."

"Awesome," Arty grinned at Kate, who then squeezed her shoulder gently before moving past her. "What movie are we going to watch tonight?"

Kate looked back at the girl with a devious smile, "I hope you like horror films."

Arty groaned and rolled her eyes, "Not again," they both burst out in giggles.

Arty watched all of the four special agents work with certain interest. It was so quiet, aside from the clicking of the keyboard keys and the scribbling of pens on paper; Arty could almost hear crickets chirping in the background, despite it being three in the afternoon. She couldn't take it. She stood up rather suddenly and loudly, and captured all of the agent's attention in a heartbeat.

"Do you know what move this reminds me of?" She squinted her eyes at them all.

There was a long awkward pause, which included several eye rolling and more scribbling, "No, what move does this remind you of?" Tony saved her from embarrassing herself.

"My Cousin Vinny," Arty said in a dramatic voice. Tony stood up and stared at her incredulously. He rounded his desk, and deflected the long glare Gibbs was shooting him.

"How in the world does this remind you of My Cousin Vinny?" Tony glanced at her suspiciously, his eyes narrowed down to slits.

"Well," Arty shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot, "I'm not really sure. Just all the lawyering and paperwork, and somehow watching you guys reminds me of it."

Tony raised an eyebrow, and opened his mouth to speak when Kate spoke up, "What's My Cousin Vinny?"

"A movie," Tony shrugged.

Kate shot him a questioning look. Arty gasped and placed a hand on her heart, "You've never heard of My Cousin Vinny?"

"No," Kate looked at them both warily, "Should I have?"

"Yes," Tony's expression had turned from surprise to exhaustion to surprise again.

Arty turned around in wide circles, her arms flung out. She caught all of their eyes, "Have none of you heard of My Cousin Vinny, except for Tony?"

She was met with blank expressions. She groaned and looked up at Tony.

"You know? Like youts and lawyering?" Arty glanced desperately around her.

"And that one kid stole the can of tuna. And that other lawyer who was like 'I'm so scared, I hate being a lawyer.' Remember?" Tony came to her rescue, pointing to McGee, "I showed you it the other day! Come on McGeek!"

The two were met with three pairs of listless stares. Arty scoffed and Tony groaned in embarrassment. They exchanged glances, and Arty suddenly jumped into his arms bridal style, opening her arms wide.

"Ta-da!" they both said simultaneously, and grinned wide.

It was then that Abby came up stairs, having pushed the wrong button, and decided she could still check on the team. Arty turned her head and saw Abby at that moment, standing next to Kate, one eyebrow raised, a smirk planted on her lips. Arty smiled cheesily, and jumped from Tony's arms.

"Sorry," Arty strolled back to her chair, where she sat down once again, "I was in a movie mood."

Tony snickered and went back to his desk. The rest of the team was still staring at them. Arty rolled her eyes slowly.

"Come on," she clapped twice, "Chop chop, get back to work!" she was met with even more blank stares. She rolled her eyes again and looked at Gibbs.

"Get back to work," he barked, and went to his own desk. The team scurried everywhere, Kate and McGee to their desks, and Abby went sprinting towards her lab. Arty folded her arms in a pleased manner.

Arty groaned and buried her head in her arms, "So this guy, what's-his-face, isn't going to help us at all? He's a dead end?" She peaked up at Kate from Tony's desk.

Kate nodded grimly. Arty groaned again, "And Mrs. Clark certainly didn't do it. The worker at Walgreens confirmed that."

"Yep," Kate started to type lightning fast as she listened to Arty complain.

"So, we can't advance any further on the case, since I most certainly didn't do it, and we have no more suspects," Arty buried her face again.

"We'll find suspects, Art," Kate replied soothingly, glancing up at the distressed thirteen-year-old.

"I just want you to find the killer," she sat up and threw her arms into the air with frustration, "Is that just too much to ask of everybody? Why can't the killer just turn himself freakin' in?"

"You're tired," Kate gave a soft chuckle, "Two more hours, than we can head come, okay?"

Arty nodded her approval, obviously still upset about the suspects, and still dreading the horror movie, but returned to her original position non-the-less.

"Hey, hey, you two," Tony basically skipped into the bullpen. He spun around three times before handing Arty a box of Chinese food. She snatched it hungrily, and giggled quietly.

"Wow," Tony handed Kate her own box of Chinese, "Feeling a little Golum-ish today?"

"It's Sméagol," Arty smirked, but continued the open the box slowly, glaring at it as if it was the best thing in the world.

Tony shrugged, "Same difference," he muttered before turning to her and in his best impression of Sméagol said, "The precious, the precious."

Arty growled, and took out her chopsticks. Kate smirked in the background and leaned back in her chair, continuing to watch the two bicker in their odd ways. Tony turned and tossed Arty a fork. She caught it without the slightest hint of difficulty and raised an eyebrow at him.

"What's this for?" she raised it as she chewed on her food.

"Well, I figured you might need it," Tony pulled up McGee's chair so he was facing Kate and Arty both.

"For what?"

"For…eating?" he dug into his own box.

"I can use chopsticks perfectly fine, thanks," she sniffed, and threw the fork down onto Tony's desk.

Tony didn't say anything, but watched as she picked a piece of beef, focused on it, and picked it up. At that moment, her fingers slipped, and the cheap, wooden, chopsticks feel to the ground along with the meat. She groaned and leaned back, before picking up the fork and spearing another piece of food.

"Oh yes, perfectly fine," Tony rolled his eyes, and Kate started to snicker uncontrollably.

She shot him a murderous glare, and he started to snicker too, but Kate instantly stopped, and buried her face behind her computer, "I didn't think it was funny," her voice was muffled as she spoke quietly.

"I did," Tony smiled brightly, ducking as Arty threw a pencil at him. "I could have you arrested for that."

"Oh really?" Arty smirked and looked at him in a devious way. She nodded her head in a mocking way, "Try me."

She jumped over his desk and smirked at him in a taunting way.

He smiled at her, and punched her in the arm playfully. She raised her eyebrow in surprise, and returned the punch, though less playfully. He snorted and punched her again. She parroted him. The two continued in this way, before Arty finally tackled him to the ground, pinning him down.

"I wasn't prepared," Tony breathed, as Arty gave a small chuckle, and Kate was bursting out in laughter, doubled over as she watched them.

"Sure you weren't," Arty winked at him.

"I just can't wait until Gibbs magically appears and catches you," Tony winked back.

"He won't catch me. He's down in Abby's lab."

"He won't be there long," Tony shook his head rapidly.

Arty leaned back, so she was sitting on his knees, "Truce?"

She extended her hand to him, "Truce," he agreed. She quickly helped him up, with Kate's help, and they all exchanged smiles.

"For now," she added under her breath, so quiet that there was no possibility that anyone could hear.

"I'm telling you, Tony, you can't find anything by staring at a picture," Arty poked the agent's arm to get his attention. "You've got to take a break sometime."

"He works his best when he doesn't stop, Arty, it's best not to disturb him," McGee said lightly, as he began researching on his computer.

"It's true, you should just leave him," Kate nodded as she stepped into the bullpen, looking gently at Tony.

"It's a picture of my house blown to bits!" Arty flung up her arms up in frustration, "There is nothing to see!"

"There is," Tony finally spoke, his voice quiet as he studied the disaster-filled photograph with amazing interest.

"What are you hoping to find?" Arty turned to him, "A person holding up a big flashing sign, saying, 'I'm the killer! Here I am! Catch me!'?"

"I was hoping for it," he joked, turning towards her with a wide grin.

"You would," Arty replied listlessly, her mouth open, "Sometimes, for being a very special agent who is supposed to be smart, you really can be dumb."

Tony cocked one eyebrow at her, "What?"

"She means you are an idiot," Kate called from her desk seat.

"I am not!" Tony huffed, crossing his arms.

Arty snorted and shook her head at Kate. "How much longer until we can leave?"

"One hour," Kate replied, checking her watch for a split second.

"Geez," Tony had turned back to the screen, "Don't sound so excited."

"I did sound excited," Arty smiled charmingly, "About leaving you."

Tony huffed again.

"Come on Katie, let's go," Arty yawned, "I'm tired."

Kate cupped her chin, "Don't whine."

Arty chuckled, "But I am," Kate held up a finger as she packed up her bag, before slinging it over her shoulder and slipping on a light jacket.

"Now let's go."

Arty raced towards the elevator, and stood there, tapping her foot impatiently as if she'd been waiting there for a long time. "You have the patience of a pea," Kate smiled brightly at her as she stepped into the elevator herself.

They both watched the doors close, very, very slowly. Arty groaned, "I have less patience than peas do."

"So, how was your day?" Kate turned to her and patted her shoulder.

"You were there for more than half of my day," Arty snickered, sticking her hands in the jacket she'd put on.

"Not all of it though," they both chuckled lightly.

"I am so tired," Arty whined as she leaned against the wall of the elevator.

"Stop complaining, we're almost home," Kate rolled her eyes.

"We're not even in the car yet, Katie," Arty smirked, but stepped forward none-the-less.

"I suppose since you're so tired we're not going to watch the movie tonight?" Kate tempted Arty deviously, her face glowing as she looked at the blonde-haired-girl.

"Of course we're going to watch the movie," she blocked the look Kate gave her, "Horror film or not. I still need to be educated so I can keep up with Tony."

"Everything's a competition with you and Tony isn't it?" the two stepped out of the cool, metal elevator, and into the even cooler air. They both headed in the direction of Kate's car.

"Look who's talking," Arty gave Kate an innocent grin as she slid into the passenger seat of the car.

"Well," Kate paused, "We've known each other for a year now. Of course it's going to be a competition. How long have you known each other? Two weeks?"

"One," Arty snapped, pulling her seatbelt into place and leaned back in the comfortable leather chair as Kate started up the engine.

"So I find it a little odd that you two already treat each other like family," Kate turned up the heater and watched the road for cars going for a midnight ride.

"Well, Tony goes along with it. And he's a fun guy to be around," Arty shrugged and rested her head against her window.

"I thought you liked him?"

Arty pulled her head from the glass and looked Kate sternly in the eye, "If you tell…"

"I won't. I swore, remember?" Kate smiled mischievously and met Arty's glare.

"I don't like him as much now, okay? That's it. It's just 'cause I find him a little cute. Don't tell me you don't have a crush on him. 'Cause I know you do," she gave a ferocious yawn and settled against the window again.

"I don't," Kate elbowed her.

"You do," Arty replied in a mocking voice.

"I don't, and stop arguing with me," Kate snapped, and they exchanged glances. Arty sighed and raised her hands in surrender.

"All right, all right, fine, you don't like Tony DiNozzo," she smiled and turned on the radio, blasting Journey through the car.

"You aren't normal," Kate shouted over the awesome guitar riffs.

"How so?"

"Most girls your age wouldn't listen to Journey. It'd be Hilary Duff or Raven Symone. Or they'd be screaming over Jesse McCartney."

"Nah… I've just decided upon the fact that I was born too late."

A/N: Haha, just for the record, I am in LOVE with Journey, and thus the reference. And if any of you wanted to know, I decided the song they were listening to was Lovin', Touchin', Squeezin'... O_o which is oddly my favorite song of theirs. Anyways, I hope you liked it and didn't think it was too pointless or silly, haha :) It's basically a filler chapter, just so I can make the chapter longer... Thanks! :)

Here's a sneak peek of chapter 8:

"Wait, wait, zoom in," Arty opened her mouth, pointing at McGee as she examined the picture closely.

"Do you recognize this person, Arty?" Gibbs stepped forward, his eyes bright.

"Yeah- no... it can't be-" And suddenly Arty was gone, racing towards the elevator.

"Arts?"

Haha, I hope you liked that preview :)

Candy77: First off, thank you SO much for reading my fic, haha :) And second off, you're awesome... :) Hope you like this chapter... :)

THANKS TO ALL OF YOU READ AND REVIEWED! LOVE YOU ALL 3 YOU DESERVE CAF-POW! ;)