*Bete Noire*
Kate sits silently on the couch hugging her knees as she watches the late news.
‘ NCIS Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs and ME Assistant Gerald Jackson were shot tonight as a believed terrorist snuck into the buildings autopsy room and took members of the agency hostage. The suspected terrorist fled the building after a shoot out between him and Agent Gibbs. Both men are recovering in Bethesda Naval Hospital’ the news reader said as pictures of ambulances in font of NICS HQ flashed up on the screen.
She sat there as pictures of today’s events filled her mind. She could not get rid of the terrorists face when she went to stab him but he stopped her and she got caught in his eyes. Then pictures of Gibbs being wheeled out on the stretcher and taken away in the ambulance filled her head and she couldn’t help but think.
‘ Its my fault. If I had stabbed him it would have been over and not ended like this’ she thought. She started to cry as she felt the sickness grow in her stomach. She was scared and disappointed at the same time.
She lifted her head as she heard a knock at the door. She dried her eyes as best she could as she made her way to the door.
“ Gibbs! What are you doing here?” she asks surprised to see him. She lets him in.
“ I wanted to see how you were doing” he said stepping inside.
“ But your supposed to be in the hospital. Why aren’t you?”
“ I left”
“ But your not well enough”
“ Kate, I don’t care about me. I care about you. How are you?” he asked looking at her sternly. She looked up at him. She could feel the tears coming to the surface once again.
“ I thought I had lost you” she said as the tears were now falling down her face. Gibbs walked over to her and wrapped his good arm around her. She wrapped her arms around him and buried her head in his chest.
“ You will never lose me” he said as he kissed her head.
The next day Ducky went over to Gibbs’ place after Kate had told him he had left the hospital.
“ Duck I’m fine. Kate is just worried. You know how she is” he said as he lead his old friend down to the basement.
“ I think its more then that Jethro. I think she is feeling guilty that he shot you” Ducky said taking up a seat next to his bench.
“ She doesn’t need to feel guilty. It wasn’t her fault” he said puzzled. He could never understand women.
“ I guess its because she had the opportunity to stab the man but didn’t”
“ What do you mean?” he asked surprised.
“ She didn’t tell you?”
“ No but you are”
“ Caitlin took a scalpel of a tray and lunge for him but he got hold of her and she couldn’t” he tried to explain.
“ Couldn’t or wouldn’t Duck?” he asked looking at him.
“ Couldn’t. She was as scared as the rest of us. I wouldn’t blame her for freezing when he grabbed her. Jethro the only one to blame here is that bastard” Ducky said getting p of his chair.
“ Now you get up stairs and rest that shoulder” Ducky ordered before leaving.
Once Ducky was gone he decided to ring Kate to see what Ducky was talking about.
“ Hello” Kate answered her phone.
“ What are you doing?” he asked without a greeting.
“ Um doing some washing. Why?”
“ I need to talk to you”
“ About what?”
“ About how you couldn’t stab the terrorist that shot me instead” he said emotionless.
“ Gibbs its not what you think” she started to explain.
“ He had shot Gerald and yet you still didn’t kill him. What were you thinking?” he said sounding pissed off.
“ I know and I am sorry but telling me what I should of done isn’t going to help anyone. I already feel bad enough alright, so just leave it and me alone for a while” she told him and hung up. She couldn’t believe what she had just said to him. She really didn’t want him to leave her alone but she needed space at the moment.
He was angry at her but at the same time knew she must have been scared for her and Ducky’s safety down there. After all he wasn’t there to save her.

*The Truth is Out There*
“ He hates me” Kate says as she sits opposite tony at the new Chinese restaurant.
“ Who? Gibbs?” Tony asked confused.
“ Yep”
“ Why do you care so much if he hates you? I mean I don’t cry every time he hits me” he said taking a bite of a bread roll. She didn’t say anything. She looked at him in a way that said ‘ He is more then just my boss’.
“ Oh so you and him have been” he said with a smirk.
“ Yes and I would hope you will keep it to yourself if you want to keep living”
“ Why what are you going to?”
“ Its not me you have to worry about, its Gibbs” she said with a smile. Tony looked at her and could tell she was scared. Scared of loosing her job and the guy she loved.
“ Look if it helps I’m sure he doesn’t hate you. Yeah he’s probably pissed at you but he’ll get over it” he said sincerely. She has never seem him like this. So…so caring.
“ Thanks Tony, I needed to hear that” she said with a smile.
“ Ok so what do we want to eat” he said happily looking at the menu.
“ Well actually I think I might head off. But thankyou” she said as she got up.
“ But I cant eat here by myself” he complained.
“ Take it home. Here, deserts on me” she said laying some money on the table and leaving.
“ Thanks Kate” He yelled after her.
Once Kate arrived home she decided to call Gibbs so they could try and sort things out. She didn’t want it all to end like this because after all still loved him.
She dialled his number and waited. There was no answer at home so she tried his mobile.
“ Gibbs” he answered after a long while.
“ Its me” she said softly.
“ Kate I don’t” he started.
“ I know but you don’t have to say anything. Just listen”
“ Ok” he breathed. She could tell he was in the car as he sounded muffled and could only just hear the radio.
“ I know I did the wrong thing by you and everyone else but you have to know I was scared and when I went to stab him he grabbed me and I couldn’t move. I was frozen. When I saw you get taken away by the ambulance I was scared of loosing you and I hated myself for not ending it when I had the chance. Gibbs please believe me when I say I am so sorry for not doing what I should of and please don’t hate me” she said. He could hear the sadness in her voice.
“ Kate I don’t hate you. I could never hate you. What would make you think that?”
“ The past couple of days you have hardly spoken a word to me and when you did it some how reflected the events that night”
“ I’m sorry” he said then hung up on her.
‘ Great’ she thought to herself. She sat on the couch looking at the phone hoping he would call her back. She had thoughts running through her head so loudly she didn’t hear the front door open and close. It wasn’t until she heard his voice that she knew she wasn’t going to be alone tonight.
“ He’s not going to call back you know”
“ Is that a fact” she said not turning around.
“ Yep” he said before he bent down and kissed her neck.
“ I’ve missed you so much” she whispered to him. She turned around and faced him. She looked up into his eyes and smiled. She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him. She pulled him down to her on the couch and started to take of his clothes and he did the same with her. She took his shirt off and ran her hands over his chest. She watched her hands do it and stopped when she saw his scar from where he was shot. She was frozen, couldn’t take her eyes off it.
“ I’m sorry Gibbs “ she whispered. At first she didn’t know what he was saying sorry for until he felt her finger run over it and he looked down.
“ Kate stop it” he says kissing her. She looked up at him.
“ I’m here with you know. That’s all that matters” he said and kissed her again. She felt better and they carried on with their actions long into the night.

* Reveille*
Before events
Gibbs exits the elevator and enters the darkened autopsy room. He spots the black body bag on the slab. He makes his way to the slab, he stops and looks around. He sees Ducky standing in the distance. He does not look good.
Gibbs’ heart is pounding and can be heard everywhere. He takes a breath and extends his hands and un-zips the bad to reveille Kate’s life-less body lying there with a bullet hole in her forehead. His heart stops and he can hear screams. He looks back over to the corner and Ducky is not there. Instead he can see the terrorists snarling face.
“ Gibbs wake up” Kate yells at him. She was awoken by his muffled screams. He sits up with a start. He was breathing deeply and had broken out in a sweat.
“ Hey its ok. Calm down” she said soothingly. He looked at her. His eyes showed terror.
“ He’s back” he breathed finally.
“ Who’s back?”. Gibbs’ eyes went black.
“ Him” was all he said and she knew who he was talking about.
“ How do you know? What was it?” she asked brushing his hair from his sweaty brow.
“ You. He.” He took a breath before he began again.
“ I opened a body bag and it was you. You were just lying there” he was in a daze. She didn’t know what to say. She has never seen him like this.
“ And?”
“ He was there. He was just grinning like he had won”. She looked at him.
“ It was just a dream. Don’t worry about it. I’m here and he’s not. I’m not going anywhere” she told him. She leaned over and kissed him. She ran a hand through his hair.
“ He will never win. Come on lets get some sleep” she said and he laied back down. She cuddled up next to him, resting her head on his chest. He wrapped his arms around her not wanting to let her go ever.
After the events
Kate got taken back to NCIS HQ so Ducky could fix her lip up. When Abby saw her she would not let go of her.
“ Abby please I’m fine” she said sounding unconvincing.
“ Kate I was so scared. I thought” she didn’t finish her sentence. Abby let go of her.
They heard a ding and all looked towards the back elevator and saw Gibbs on the phone. Kate’s heart skipped a beat as she saw the one person she had wanted to see all day.
Gibbs eneterd the bullpen and looked up to see everyone looking at him especially Kate. His heart stopped as he saw her safe and sound, except for the lip. He could tell she needed him right now but was to sacred to show it in front of everyone. He needed her to so he decided to deal with their needs.
He practically ran to Kate and threw his arms around her small body. She did the same to him and she couldn’t help but let the tears out.
“ It’s ok. Your safe now” he whispered to her and kissed her head.
The others didn’t know what to make of this scene. It was so sweet but yet they were shocked that they didn’t know about these two. Abby couldn’t help but shed a tear or so and Ducky noticed and comforted her as well.
“ I was so scared” she told him.
“ I know. It’s over now. Lets get you home” he said. Gibbs grabbed their stuff and walked her out.
He took her to his place as he thought she might not feel as safe if they stayed at hers.
They sat on the couch just holding on to each other. They both have never been so scared in their lives.
“ Gibbs” she said softly.
“ Mmm”
“ I love you” she said for only the second time in their relationship.
“ I love you to” he whispered in her ear. He kissed her and they decided to go to bed to make this day end.

NOTE: I will be staring season 2 ASAP.