4 months
Tony was balancing a spoon on his nose then trying to get the attention of every one. McGee looked up and rolled his eyes, Amelia Kate's replacement laughed and shook her head before finishing what she was doing. The spoon fell when Tony felt a sharp tap on the back of his head "sorry boss."
"Don't be sorry just change"
"That's a new one."
"Friend told me now go to lunch I have a meeting with the director take Abby with you"
Tony looked over at Tim who shrugged they both got up, knowing better then to question Gibbs when he was in a mood. Amelia got us as well following the two men.
Even the best fall down sometimes
Even the wrong words seem to rhyme
Out of the doubt that fills my mind
I somehow find
You and I collide
The song was cut from the small sports car by the women inside. She continued humming it as she raised the roof, and hopped out. Locking it and dropping her keys in her bag.
"I find that hard to believe Tony I really do"
"No he's serious Gibbs did shoot her." Amelia looked over at the young women who had joined them. She couldn't believe what she was hearing Gibbs had shot the women she was replacing. Who had replaced someone else. She looked nervously around.
"You don't think he'll shoot me do you?"
"If he was going to he would have done so already Kate was only here three months before he shot her" Amelia breathed a sigh of relief. Her attention was caught by a woman walking towards them. She had light brown hair down to just above her shoulders; she wore a knee length denim skirt, and white blouse. With black small heeled shoes.
"There's someone Tony would chase." Tony and Abby looked up. Both smiled.
"That looks a lot like Kate"
"Get off Tony Kate has dark brown hair" McGee rolled his eyes. Abby slung her arm over her boyfriends should. "Timmy its called change remember she's been in recovery for the last four months"
When the women in front of them raised her sunglasses Tony was gone. He ran over to her picking her up and spinning her round. "Tony put me down," she squealed
"Why Katie? Tell me one good reason why?"
"Cos I have heals on and cos in one quick move I can make sure you never reproduce."
"That's a good reason" he placed her down only to be tackled by Abby.
"Your alright Oh I could have killed Gibbs in fact I did, didn't talk to him for a month" Kate looked over at Tony who nodded.
"Thanks Ab's but I'm fine really."
Kate smiled at McGee and asked him how he'd been before noticing, a women standing behind them all.
"Who's your little friend Tony?"
"Oh shit Kate this Amelia your replacement"
Kate feigned shock. "I've been replaced I knew I should never have trusted Gibbs"
"Uh Kate you were shot you kind of needed replacing"
"It was a joke McGeek" she suddenly found her arm stinging as Abby hit her.
"Ow what the hell was that for" Abby just glared at her. This was not the Kate they remembered their Kate was more serious. Kate noticing this suddenly laughed causing her friends to jump.
"First off it was a joke I knew they'd have to find a replacement, secondly I've spent four months with my brother's one of who likes to think he's a comedian. As for the car" she pointed at the shinny red little car.
"It's on loan from my dad till my brother's get mine fixed or get me a new one as they totaled mine. On the way home from a party two months ago; I would have been back then but I had to stick around and look after them they are such babies a few broken bones and it's the end of the world"
Tony laughed and pulled her into a hug. Amelia was yet to say anything she just stood there waiting for them to go to lunch. She didn't know Kate and she probably never would.
"So Katie what are you doing here?"
"Meeting with the director and Gibbs, Just hoping he doesn't have a gun on him when I walk in"
"So you know it was him?" Tony looked down at the ground while McGee and Abby looked away.
"My dad told me, first off he wanted to blame you as well but my older brother Mitchell told him about when mum and Ziva died and dad relented. I'm not too thrilled to be seeing Gibbs, I knew the man didn't like me that much but to shoot me well that was a surprise."
"You'll have the director there to she'll stop him or he'll be living in the dog house for a week."
Kate looked up at Tony who grinned as an answer to her unasked question.
"Really well this should be interesting, I'd better go, I'll see you guys later it was nice to meet you sort of Amelia." Kate walked off with her friends watching her walk towards the building.
"Oh to be a fly on the wall," said Abby McGee and Amelia laughed then looked over at Tony to see his reaction to notice that he was still watching Kate walk away.
"You know we could say anything and I bet he wouldn't notice."
Abby raised an eyebrow, "Well we've always known he's had a thing for Kate even Ziva knew. She told me when they came back from her birthday party last year"
Tony turned back to them at this point. "Say what now?" The three of them laughed and walked off. He ran to catch up to them trying to find out what Abby had said but not one of them said anything.
Kate took a deep breath and walked into the director's office. Standing in front of the desk was Jen Shepard along with Gibbs. "You look well Agent Todd"
"Thank you director"
"Gibbs" she nodded then looked away looking at her hands Jen moved behind her desk and sat down signaling for them to sit down. The chairs were close together. Kate pulled it an arm's reach away from Gibbs and sat down. Gibbs noticed this and looked at Jen who told him not to say anything with her eyes; he rolled his and let it go.
"Kate now I'm sure you're wondering why I've called you in." Kate nodded.
"Well the agent who replaced you here Gibbs has asked to keep her on the team. Which sadly means I'll have to let you" Kate nodded, in some ways she was glad she wasn't sure if she could work with Gibbs again, he was a good man and she knew that but, ever since she started her she could always feel him judge her.
"Now I've made arrangements for you join your old team in LA is that alright with you." Kate nodded she'd always enjoyed working in LA the team was great that and she knew she wasn't going to get shot by her boss on a mission.
"Well I guess that is all it was great to have you here for the amount of time we did have you I'm really sorry we couldn't do anything else for you"
"That's perfectly alright director" she extended her had to shake Jen's her blouse lifting up enough for Gibbs to see the scar that started at her belly button. He looked away quickly knowing it was he who gave her that scar.
She nodded at him then left.
The meeting overall only took half an hour. She wondered down the stairs to find Tony sitting at his desk. Doing well God on knew what he was doing. He smiled as she walked past.
"When you coming back?" Kate stopped and turned around, biting her lower lip.
"Ask Gibbs" was all she said, before walking away. She was waiting for the elevator when she heard him yelling at Gibbs who didn't look the least bit intimidated.
The doors opened and Tim and Amelia walked out. "See you round some time Tim"
"Err ok" he said confused. Amelia looked from Kate to the now red faced Tony. She guessed what was going on. "Sorry"
"Its fine it'll make my dad happy"
The doors closed and she was gone.
"What's going on why did Kate say she she'd see me round some time when's she coming back?"
"Never Gibbs here decided he like the new probie better" he walked past Amelia bumping her with his shoulder. She looked over at him shocked he'd never called her that. Neither had he ever been so mean. It wasn't her fault. And by the looks of where he was going she knew there would be a forensic scientist who would be just as angry with her. She looked over at Tim who smiled weakly before sitting at his desk. In a matter of an hour she'd lost all the friends she made here. Well at least for now she had Ducky and Gerald.
"What no way that's the last straw I've had it with him. What's with this power trip anyway; first handing over a case to Cassidy which got Ziva killed, then shooting Kate, now kicking her off the team? Don't get me wrong Amelia's nice and everything but she's no Kate" Abby was just as mad with Gibbs as Tony. She finished what she was doing. It was for someone else; then headed up to the bull pen.
She stood in front of Gibbs's desk hands on her hips. "What is it Abby?"
"No more, I will not process anything for you anymore shooting her I got over but making sure she could not come back to where she belongs, no you've done it now Gibbs you can find another lab rat and another lab to get your answers from mine is now closed to you for good, no sorry Abby or any amount of Caf-Pow will fix what you have done. First you let that cow Paula kill my best friend then you take my other one away no more Abby's full range service is now closed to you and that, that PROBIE" She stalked away not even looking at Amelia.
Tony glared at Gibbs then headed up to the directors office. "Don't do it DiNozzo or else"
"What you gonna shoot me too? You've changed yeah you were a bastard then but now you're beyond that you're on the same level as Ari." Tony continued to walk up the stairs, and into the directors office.
"Thought I would see you soon where is Abby I thought she'd been in here as well?"
"She's closed her doors to Gibbs she won't do anything for him, not now not ever"
Jen nodded she knew this was coming she'd told Gibbs this would happen that everything would blow up in his face but he didn't listen. He said it would blow over, she on the other hand doubted that. She'd spent a day down in the lab with Abby once all she talked about was Kate and Ziva and how cool it would have been to work with both of them.
"I expected as much. I tried to talk him out of it agent DiNozzo I did really but there was no changing his mind."
"Then I have to do this I've almost lost her once this year she's the only one who knew what I went through with Ziva I can't lose her" he handed in his badge and gun.
"Tony you don't have to do this"
"It was Gibbs's choice he played his hand now I'm playing mine"
The rest of the day was the same, first Tony then McGee followed by Abby, and Gerald although his was different reason. This was when she realized how loved Kate was. Even in the four months she'd been here. It seemed only Gibbs that had a problem with her.
It was six and the bull pen was in change over mode, the day shift leaving while the night shift started. The only two left from the day shift were Gibbs and Amelia.
Jen walked down the stairs shaking her head she wasn't used to seeing two completely empty desks they were bare and she didn't like it.
