Aphrdesiac
Chapter 1

Katelyn Todd stared at the wall, unseeing. Her first day at NCIS had been, well, less then satisfactory. Things had started badly, and stayed that way. She missed the Secret Service already, missed the demeanor, the ease, everything. She'd known these NCIS agents were crazy since she'd met them, but today had proved how much he'd underestimated their insanity. It certainly didn't help that she was trying to recover from so many losses at once. Her job, her lover, her cousin, and her optimism. With the Secret Service, she'd never had to deal with the constant tide of death, deception, and torture that flowed through the hallways of NCIS headquarters in the form of case files, evidence, bodies, and suspects. Her new partner was an insensitive asshole to whom women were playthings, and her boss was a disturbing combination of mystery and power. Just being in the same room with Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs you could feel the unquestioned authority he had. He inspired awe and fear, but also, it seemed, an unfaltering loyalty between himself and his associates. The man was confidence incarnate, but there was something underneath the cold exterior that frightened Kate beyond belief. She drew a deep, shuddering breath, feeling her body lift off her bed as if attached to marionette strings. Her movements were made without thinking, ingrained in her by frequency, she had a hard time handling emotional trauma. Physical pain was not a difficulty, but emotions tended to take control of her body in frightening ways. She floated over to a massive cherry wood chest, engraved with beautiful frescoes, and shimmering in the darkness. The chest had been in her family for years, left to her by an aunt who had practically raised her. Her fingers closed around the elaborate cross hanging around her neck. The cool metal felt like water against her skin. Her hands reached behind her neck, unclasping the chain. She fitted the end of the cross into a lock in the chest, turning it, feeling the tumblers clatter into place. She lifted the heavy lid, gazing down at the black velvet lining the bottom. Glinting silver against it was another heirloom, entrusted to her along with the chest that held it. She ran her fingers along it, fingering the jewels and metal working. She sighed, not sadly this time, but as if she hadn't realized the weight she was carrying until she felt it melt away. Her fingers twined around the handle, and her ritual began.

*****

Kate and Abby were down in the lab together, working on something, Kate wasn't quite sure what, for Gibbs while he and Tony did the field work. Kate didn't actually mind all that much because she enjoyed Abby's company far more then that of her male coworkers. Kate waved her hand around at the lab. "Abby, how did you get into this? Forensics I mean."
"Well, it started with going to the car wreckage places near my house. Not for the gore, just to see what happened and why. What about you?"
Kate laughed. "I actually wanted to be a lawyer. I even spent a year at law school, but it felt like ten years in prison."
"With really boring inmates?" joked Abby. Both women laughed and Abby continued. "Admit it, you just like strapping on a gun." she teased.
"More than one." Kate teased back.
Abby looked impressed. "You packing more heat then meets the eye?"
Kate smiled wickedly. "Are those your only tattoos?" was her only reply.
"Nice!" Abby held her hand up or a high five and Kate slapped her hand, exposing her bare palm for the first time. Abby noticed a strip of skin toned gauze across the middle. "What happened to your hand?" she asked curiously.
"Oh, I cut it last night while I was making dinner." replied Kate nonchalantly, Abby saw a coldness enter her eyes that contradicted Kate's easy-going manner.
Something's up there, she thought, but she didn't press, knowing that everyone has secrets. "I hate it when that happens." she said sympathetically, going back to her tests.
Kate gave a small smile and moved over to the computer screen, watching fingerprints flash past on the screen.

*****

Kate fell back on her bed, releasing a frustrated scream, muffling it slightly by shoving her pillow over her face. "My name is not Katie, or Secret Service Chick, or Katie-girl, or anything except Kate or Katelyn!" she screamed into her pillow. "Where does that bastard get off using nicknames I didn't give him leave to use?" she demanded to her empty room. Her screams turned to full-bodied sobs as she threw the pillow across the room. She pushed herself up on her elbows, icey coolness settling in after her rage. It always happened this way. So much oppression was needed to keep her family happy. This led to her being skilled at separating her mind from reality. She would hold in an emotion as long as she could, then she would find somewhere private and release it. The resulting emptiness sucked her spirit farther into the darkness, the cold prison she had built for it at an early age. The result was a calm, cool, analytical woman, no emotions, no personal detail. She became whatever she was needed to be at the moment, lover, friend, enemy, or professional. A bitter laugh spilled from her lips. The perfect Christian daughter, the perfect employee. Her gaze slid to the chest against the wall, and her head fell back so that she could see the wall behind her. A cold smile flitted across her face. The pattern had begun. How long would she last this time?

*****

Months. She had lasted three months so far. Her need was becoming less frequent, and her scars were beginning to heal, finally being given enough days in between times. But then Susanne had happened. Susanne McNeil. She had trusted the woman. Protected her, taken care of her, cheered her on, and what had she received in return? Her coworkers, her friends, her family, had been put in danger by the bomb the woman had set off. Kate stood in the women's room at NCIS Headquarters, standing over the sink, gazing at the image reflected back at her. She reached out a hand and touched the mirror, sure that the woman there couldn't be her. Broken, racked with pain both physical and emotional, cut, bruised, burned. The shadows under her eyes showed either a severe hangover or lack of sleep, or in this case, both. Her fingers moved back to her own face and the woman in the glass matched her movement. She turned her hand in front of her eyes, staring at the gauze that hid her slit palm, the wound that never healed. She peeled back the gauze, feeling as if her body was being controlled by someone else's mind, and for the moment, it was. Emotion had her in its grip. The red, puckered skin showed a cut, just deep enough to draw blood, that was beginning to heal over. She slid her thumb over the angry line, pressing her manicured nail deep into it. She gasped as the seam split and blood bubbled out. Nothing. She felt nothing from the injury. Her head fell forward, and her body shook with suppressed sobs. Her hands pressed flat against the counter was the only thing that held her up. Finally she drew a shaky breath and left the restroom, unaware of the bloody smudges she'd left on the tiles. She nearly ran into Abby on her way out. "Hey Abbs.I was just going to come down and say goodbye. I'm going home for the night." Abby nodded.
"Get some sleep Kate, you need it after the day you've had." Kate smiled and left. Abby waltzed into the bathroom, wondering what was wrong with her friend. As she stood admiring her reflection in the mirror, she noticed the blood on the counter. Suddenly, all the clues ell into place. The eternally cut skin, the blood on the counter, the cold flash Kate sometimes got in her eyes, the way she seemed so frosty after any of her outbursts. "Kate," whispered Abby, touching the smear gently. "What are you doing to yourself?" She whirled around and ran to the bullpen. She marched straight up to Gibbs' desk. "Gibbs! Gibbs!" she cried.
"What Abby?" he asked impatiently.
"It's Kate, something's wrong. I only just figured it out, which is really bad 'cause I'm a forensics scientist, and I should've known..."
"Abby!" he yelled.
Abby took a deep breath. "She's cutting herself Gibbs. Probably regularly. At least since she started working here."
"Shit. That stops working after a while." muttered Gibbs. "That'll make her desperate. Any clue where she might have gone?"
"She said home, but I'm pretty sure she was lying."
"Can you get coordinates off her car?" he demanded.
Abby nodded. "Go get her, I'll send you the information as I get it."
Gibbs nodded and raced out to his car, gunning the engine. His cell rang. "Where, Abbs?"
"She's at Main and fifth."
"I'm staying on the line. Tell me if she turns and where." He kept driving, following Abby's instructions as she traced Kate's car.
"She's stopped. It's residential, 137 NW 5th..."
"I know where it is." growled Gibbs, speeding up, if that was possible.
"You do?" asked Abby, surprised.
"Yeah. It's a goddamn whore house." Gibbs hung up the phone, rifling through his glovebox as he sped along the road. He pulled out a team photo Abby had taken recently and shoved it in his pocket, squeeling to a stop outside his destination. The street was packed with cars. It could be worse, he thought. If she's out getting laid, she's safer than if she were trying to hurt herself more. He got out and walked up to the door.

*****

About thirty minutes earlier, Kate had walked through the the front door of the house, flashing a badge. Not her gleaming government issue, but one that was as dingy as the rooms she walked through. She walked up to the man bar and signed in. She was shown into a room upstairs. There she waited for a few moments, until a client asked to be shown up. The manager had only been at his desk for a half second when one of the men meandering the house asked for some time with Kitty. He'd handed the man a key and gone back to work. Kate was one of the best he had, when she showed up. She was the best, not because she was the most beautiful, exotic, or sensual, but simply because she took orders, no matter what they were, and never complained. She took the men, and occasionally women, but usually it was men, that his other girls refused to help, The ones that hit, that hurt, that took pleasure in having the power of life and death over their toy. That made her popular. Upstairs, Kate kept her eyes closed as the door opened, shut, and was locked. She was kneeling on the bed, head down, hands resting demurely in her lap. The man shoved her backwards, shackling her wrists and ankles to the bed posts, spreading her body out before him. What happened was what usually happened. The man treated her like a toy, an inanimate object. Hitting, pinching, and generally hurting. He fucked her past pleasure and into pain, so that she would scream in pain if he so much as brushed his fingers along any part of her body. When she screamed, he would laugh and dig his thumb into one of her bruises. Finally, he grew bored, getting dressed and leaving his discarded plaything still chained to the bed, ready for the next person to have. Kate felt the pain radiate through her whole body. Pain, hatred, desperation, and fear. These were the things she felt whenever she came here. It wasn't pleasant, but at least she could still feel. That had to mean something, right?

*****

It took Gibbs about five minutes to find the main desk, and when he did, he showed the manager the photo. "Is she here?" he demanded.
"Kitty. Yes, why? Is she in trouble?"
"You'd better believe it." growled Gibbs, protectively. "Where is she?"
"Room A-3. Check her key box." Gibbs walked over to the box on the wall. "Kitty's" box was empty. He went back to the manager who was talking to another man. When he turned to Gibbs, the older man was furious, he shoved his badge in the man's face, but he didn't flinch.
"I ought to arrest you for running a prostitution business." he rumbled.
The man gazed back at him. "I'm afraid that's not possible sir. I don't run a business. I don't get paid, nor do the women. They all volunteered themselves for this."
"Volunteered?" sputtered Gibbs. Kate, his, well not his, but still, beautiful, fragile Kate had volunteered to be a prostitute? It was impossible. "Take me to that room, right now." he demanded.
"I'm afraid I can't do that. If the key is gone, that means she's busy, and if she's busy, I can't just let you in. Besides, there's only one key per room."
"I don't need a goddamn key to get in!" thundered Gibbs. "I've got a gun to blow out the locks, and a damn good kick to break the door down."
The manager was still unfazed. "I'm afraid I can't help you. You'll just have to wait until her key becomes available." Gibbs relented, realizing that he had no choice. He settled himself against the wall next to the key box, waiting for the chance to get KAte out of this hell hole. The men around the house backed down instantly from his glare, not trying to approach the box. After what seemed like a lifetime, a man came and dropped a key into "Kitty's" box. Gibbs wanted nothing more than to kill the man with his bare hands, but his fear for Kate's well-being made him grab the key and race up the stairs. He got o room A-3 and paused, not sure he wanted to see what was inside. He forced himself to open the door, and then froze. Kate was spread-eagled across the bed, delicate wrists and ankles chafing and turning red from being hand-cuffed. Her eyes were closed, head fallen back on the pillow. The shallow rise and fall of her chest assured him that she was still alive, but clearly in pain. The bruising shadows covering her snowy skin confirmed that fact. The bastard was dead.

*****

Kate heard the door open, and tried not to move. Moving not only hurt, but usually made her clients more violent. The door swung shut, and the click of the lock was the loudest sound she'd ever heard in her life. Fear thrilled through her body, making her limbs tremble a little, as she heard a noise that rarely accompanied anything but the most violent clients she had. Not only had the door been locked, but the dead-bolt was sliding home in the doorway, ensuring that there was no way on this earth that no one would get in until whoever had arrived was done with her. Her breathing quickened, fear twisting her stomach. She hadn't heard the steps across the room, but suddenly she felt the presence next to her. It was strong, dominant, and most definitely dangerous. She tried to hold in the quiet whimper, but failed. Then, she froze in shock. The man put a hand to her forehead, unusually gentle, and brushed her bangs out of her eyes. Th touch was almost reverent in its softness. She felt her arms and legs being released from their bindings, and drew them towards her body, shrinking her already small frame into a tiny ball. The bedsprings groaned as the man sat down on the bed. He pulled her towards his chest, enveloping her in his strong, protective arms. She took a deep breath to still her body's quaking and was filled with the scent of bourbon, old-spice, coffee, and sawdust. It was a familiar scent, one that had always relaxed and comforted her. But today the smell terrified her. Her eyes flew open and she saw those famous blueish-grey eyes gazing back at her.
"Oh, god!" she gasped, burying her head in her huddled figure.
Gibbs kept his arms around her, but kissed the top of her head gently. "It's okay, Kate, honey, I'm going to get you out of here." he said softly,
"I don't want...I just...God!" she sobbed. Gibbs got up, pulling her with him gently. He helped her dress, trying to protect her bruises. Kate noticed that there was nothing sexual about the action. It was more a fatherly behavior, the desire to protect and comfort the ones he loved. He draped his jacket over her shoulders, holding her close, to keep her on her feet. He guided her out of the house and to his car. He sat her down in the passenger seat and stroked her hair soothingly before getting into the driver's seat. He drove carefully for once, and it took longer than he was used to to reach his house. By this point, he had to practically carry her into the house. He led her into the bathroom, seating her on the toilet seat and running a bath. Again, he helped her with her clothes, and into the tub, closing the door softly behind him as he went to the hall closet, looking for some kind of cream for her bruises. He knew there was nothing he could do to make them stop hurting, but he could at least help them heal, and lessen the pain temporarily. He found what he was looking for and knocked on the door. When he heard the weak "Come in." he opened the door and sat down next to the bathtub.
"Are you okay, honey?" he asked quietly, the father in him coming out in her time of need.
Kate nodded, tears pouring down her cheeks. "I'm fine. I just...I..." she sank farther into the water. "I wish you hadn't seen me there." she whispered, pain in her voice. "It isn't an easy thing to explain, especially to you."
"You don't have to explain, hon." Gibbs replied, petting her head. "I already know. So does abby, at least she knows part of it. We're worried about you, Katie." he said. Kate tried to be angry that he had called her Katie, but somehow, the way he said it made her feel loved, safe, small. It didn't feel degrading, or disrespectful the way it did when Tony DiNozzo said it. It felt like she was a little girl again, curled up asleep in her aunt's lap. The same one who had given her the chest. Aunt Joslin. Kate's visits to her house had been the only times she felt truly safe, really able to be herself. Except now. Gibbs reached for a bottle of shampoo, pausing long enough to ask, "Do you mind, honey? You've gotten a little mussed up."
Kate nodded, wrapping her arms around her breasts, trying to hide what she could of her bruised and battered body. She needn't have worried, though. Gibbs never so much as glanced at her body, he just worked the shampoo through her hair. Gradually, she began to relax under his influence. Her head fell back a little and her eyes closed, her face falling into a neutral expression. Finally Gibbs poured water over her scalp, rinsing out her hair. When he finished, he pointed to a fluffy white towel and folded robe on the counter. "Go ahead and get out whenever you're ready. I'll be in the living room." he turned and left. Kate sighed, completely submerging her body in the water for a moment, savoring the weightless feeling it caused, before she stood up, wringing out her hair and stepping onto the bath mat on the floor. She dried off and slipped into the robe. It smelled just like him. Soft, warm, and familiar. She tied the sash around her waist, wincing as the cloth pinched a patch of bruised skin. She stepped out of the room, wandering down the hallway until she came to a partially open door. She peeked through it and saw a bed and dresser. Not the living room. She turned around and went the other way, this time ending up in a large, sparsely furnished room. Sitting on the couch, reading, was Gibbs. She walked up hesitantly and sat down next to him. "Thank you. For getting me out, I mean." she whispered, unable to look up, knowing she'd see revulsion or shame in his eyes. So she was surprised when she felt herself dragged gently into the safety of his embrace again. She looked up, a question in her eyes.
"I'm not mad, honey, I'm worried." he answered her thoughts. He took her hand in his, turning it over to show the freshly split skin. Kate turned her face away, ashamed. "You're hurting yourself. That's not okay, it's not safe."
"I know. It's the only way I can feel, though." she murmured. "The only way I know how to cope."
"I can think of lots of other ways."
Kate shook her head. "It's not like that. I hide everything so deep, sometimes I feel like I could be shot in the stomach and not feel anything. I need to be sure, I need to know I can still feel something."
Gibbs chuckled. "So go out and get laid, Kate."
"Isn't that what I just did?" she asked.
His eyes darkened, fury filling them. "No. You got yourself fucked. You let some stranger use your body as a toy, a prop. It's no the same at all, and that bastard's going to pay for what he did."
Kate shivered. This man was dangerous, even if only to those who hurt his friends. She felt her heart crack at the word friends. Everything about Gibbs, from his lithe body to his stonecold fury reminded her of a tiger. That's what he was, a beautiful, powerful, cunning, dangerous, and passionate tiger. When she had fallen for him, she didn't know, but she did know, that she couldn't picture a life without him in it. Maybe she would never be with him, but she would see him every day at work, earn his respect, learn from him. Tonight, when she'd recognized him in that dark, cold room, her personal hell, that plan had fallen to pieces. He would never respect her after this. He would never be able to look at her without remembering the way she had acted. She knew that his actions and words now meant nothing. It was just how he was. He would never kick her while she was down, but as soon as she got to her feet, the tirade would begin. Her head dropped into her lap, her fingers clasping behind her head, holding it there. What would she do with herself when he was gone from her life?

*****

Gibbs gazed down at the broken woman in front of him, wondering how he could have missed this much pain in one of his associates. Especially Kate. Kate was his...At least he wanted her to be. Then again, he'd never been able to read her very well. She was so in control, her feelings and thoughts shielded by barrier upon barrier. Even so, he'd thought he was a good judge o people, but he'd never thought Kate would try to hurt herself. His strong, beautiful, confident Kate. Could it be that she wasn't so strong as she looked? At any rate, he knew from her body language that she expected to be thoroughly thrashed for her behavior. If she had been Tony or anyone else, she would have been right. But Kate? Not only could he not bring himself to hurt her more, he was too consumed with the desire to torture the bastard who'd done this to her. He knew it was a lifetime's worth of work, but what had his fragile, tiny Kate lived through to cause this kind of pain? He pulled her closer to him, fighting the desire to kiss her full lips. She'd suffered so much today, he was afraid that if he so much as touched her, he would hurt her. But, damn, he wanted to kiss her, wanted to make her forget everything that had happened, wanted to make her so happy that she'd never again consider taking a knife to her porcelain skin. He saw her shoulders quivering, and knew that she was crying, even though no sound was present. At any rate, he knew what was hurting her right now, and adding a relationship to her life would not help her. Right now, he would do what he had to to keep her safe from herself, but his feelings would wait, the way they always did. He rubbed her arms, comfortingly. "Come on, sweetie, let's get you to bed. You should rest, then you'll feel better in the morning."

Aphrodesiac
Chapter 2
Confusion

When Kate stepped off the elevator the next morning, she was attacked by an incredibly emotional Abby. "Kate! You're okay! I was so worried, and Gibbs never called me back to say if he'd found you or not, we're having a girl's night tonight, no complaints. I am not letting you out of my sight, and you are most certainly never going back to that..."
Kate clapped a hand over Abby's mouth. "Don't say it, Abbs." she cautioned. "I'm not planning on going back, but I don't need the whole office finding out about what happened last night." Kate's voice was weary.
Abby bounced up and down, waiting for Kate to move her hand. "Okay, but we're still going out tonight."
Kate laughed. "I'm fine with that. In fact, since it's a Friday, why don't we hang out all weekend? An adult version of a slumber party. Facials, flirting, grooming, and fun."
Abby grinned. "Great! I've got to get back to the lab, but I'll be up here as soon as the shifts over so we can go." the young woman raced back to her lab, clearly hyped up on caffine, worry, and relief. Kate smiled softly after the retreating figure. What would she do without Abby? Without any of the people she worked with? Ducky and his hilarious monologues, Tony with his jokes and hidden sensitivity, Abby and her, well, Abbyness, and last but not least, her boss, the albino tiger. She stifled a laugh. What a name, it fit though. She walked over to her desk, getting to work and counting the minutes until she would be pampering herself.

*****

"You're spending the whole weekend together?" demanded Tony, fascinated. "An adult sleepover?"
Kate rolled her eyes. "It will be nothing like your sorority house fantasies, Tony. We're just going to get facials and manicures and crap like that. There will be no nudity, no skinny dipping, or, god-forbid, boy-sharing on our weekend." she continued to pack up to leave, double-checking her report as she did. "And no, you can't come with us." Tony pouted as Gibbs strode into the squad-room.
"Kate, with me." She shouldered her purse and slid dropped her report on his desk as she hurried after him. They got into the elevator and Gibbs hit the stop button. He turned to her. "I'm going to be checking up on you for a while. Or having Abby do it. I expect you to pick up the phone when I call, and if you don't, I'll come and find you. Check-in will be random, and it won't stop until I'm sure you're not planning on shipping yourself back to that whore-house. Are we clear?"
"Crystal. There won't be any check-in necasary this weekend, I'll be with Abby until Monday. She's decided to keep me company until she's sure of the same things you are."
Gibbs nodded, satisfied. "I'll still check in, but that's good." he checked his watch. "It's a quarter til, you girls can leave early. I won't need you any more today, and I'll make sure people can do without Abby. Have fun, take care of yourself." he flicked the switch again and the lights went back on, the elevator shuddering down to the lab. The two coworkers got out, and Gibbs went to autopsy while Kate went to pick up Abby.
"Abbs!" she called over the rockin' music. Abby spun the dial, bringing the volume down. "Gibbs is letting us go early, are you ready to go?" Abby grinned excitedly.
"Just give me a second, I'll grab my stuff." she raced to her office and was back almost instantly, carrying a ragged black bag. "Where are we going?"

*****

The two women reclined in the massage chairs as the green mud covering their faces worked it's magic. Women and men surrounded them, preening, grooming, pampering. Kate sighed contentedly and Abby made a little sound of agreement. "Mmm. This is great." said Kate. "We've got about fifteen more minutes 'til we're done. What do we want to do next?"
Abby considered for a moment, then her face split into a wicked smile. "I have THE most brilliant idea." she replied smugly.
"Does it involve nuns?" asked Kate jokingly.
"Oh, absolutely not!" exclaimed Abby. "The nuns would totally disapprove of my idea, not that it really matters." she pressed her back into the massage chair momentarily. "Ooh, that's nice. Okay. Kate, honey, have you ever considered getting a tattoo?"
Kate stared at Abby. "Only every day of college." she laughed. "But I decided against it when I joined the Secret Service. You can't be unoobtrusive with a gorgeous tattoo."
Abby smile widened. "Well, you're not with the Secret Service anymore, and here at NCIS, we pride ourselves on our ability to attract the opposite sex. Every agent I've ever met is either learning how to be seductive, or already knows. They all say it's the best way to get in with your targets while undercover. What do you say?"
Kate bit her lip, thinking, then she grinned. "I'm in." she declared.

*****

Kate and Abby walked down the sidewalk of Manhatten, giggling. Kate felt a sexiness from her new tat that was very foreign to her. The two women were wandering through Madison Avenue, peering into window fronts, looking for a good place to play around with the clothes. Suddenly, Abby grabbed Kate's arm, pointing into a window that held the most random assortment of clothes, from evening gowns, to bikinis, to lingerie, to jeans and T's. They hurried in and began grabbing clothes off the racks to try on. Kate turned to Abby. "This is a weekend out. We are going to buy the sexiest, most heartbreakingly gorgeous things to wear, and we're going to enjoy them!"
Abby laughed. "Let's give each other make-overs. I'll pick out stuff for you and you pick out stuff for me, the deal being that we have to wear those outfits this weekend, no matter what. We're going to be wild."
"Deal!" replied Kate, throwing caution to the wind. "Same goes for jewelery and hair?"
"Of course!" Abby glanced to her right and grabbed a dress off of the rack next to her. "Here's your first try on." she declared. Kate stared at the garment, a deep blue, backless, tie-neck, clinging affair. She turned her horrified gaze to Abby.
"Please god no." she said desparately.
Abby shook her head. "A deal's a deal Kate. Go try it." Kate pursed her lips and slinked off to the dressing room to try on the dress, trailed by a laughing Abby. Kate closed the small door behind her and stripped down to her bra and matching panties. She raised the dress over her head and let it slide down her body. She hand to admit, the silk felt reeeally good against her skin. She settled the hem along her thighs and stepped out of the little room. Abby gaped at her friend. "You look amazing!" she cried. Kate smiled shyly and turned to look in the mirror, then gasped. The woman looking back at her was beautiful. She'd only ever considered herself pretty, maybe her conservative dressing habits were holding back her potential. The silky fabric clung to every curve as it waterfalled down her body, shimmering when the light hit it.
She stroked the fabric. "Wow." she whispered.
Abby's glowing smile greeted her in the glass. "It's perfect."

*****

They left the shop, each carrying a shopping bag on their arm. They'd each bought a dress, two daytime outfits, and a swimsuit. Abby's dress was a deep red, almost black, as short as Kate's, and cama with matching garnet coloured stilettoes. Kate had bought matching stilettoes also. The both had a pair of hip-hugger jeans and two tops to go with them. Each had a near-see through peasant blouse with a hem that landed just under their bralines, and a skin-tight top with various designs and colours. Abby's bikini matched her dress in colour and stood out against her pale skin, and Kate's was brown with golden trims. Kate stoppedc in the middle of the sidewalk and spun in a circle, flinging out her arms. "Manhatten, Abby! We're in Manhatten! And we've got everything we need to hang out at a nightclub until dawn, then at a pool tomorrow and Sunday during the day, dinner and dancing at night!" laughter bubbled from her lips. "Ugh, this has to be the best weekend ever!"
"Katie, you're never going to want to go back to that hell hole again. Whenever you need something, just call me and we'll have a party!" cried Abby. "I know this really amazing club a few blocks from here, wanna try?"
"Totally. Where can we change?"
Abby grinned wickedly. "On the dance floor, it's not like anyone would mind a couple of hot women stripping. They might protest when we start putting our clothes back on though." she added thoughtfully. Kate laughed and followed Abby to her club.

*****

Kate and Abby were taking a break from dancing, standing at the bar, sipping the drinks that some young men had paid for. Kate stood with one arm folded across her stomach and supporting the elbow of the other arm, which was holding her drink. The pulsing music thrummed through their bones, club lighting enhancing the effects of alcohol and heat. Abby set down her glass, pulling Kate back onto the dance floor by the arm. The two women moved with the music, staying close together so they wouldn't lose track of each other, not to mention the floor was so packed that there wasn't much room to move. Suddenly, someone pushed past Abby, shoving her into Kate. Kate caught her friend around the waist, pulling her out of harm's way, but after the danger of being trampled had passed, they still stayed close together, Abby's back pressed against Kate's chest, Kate's arms around Abby's waist, Abby's hands covering them. As they swayed together, Kate felt her stomach twisting the way it always did around Gibbs. Her breath caught a little, as her brain registered the attraction. She froze. Was it really possible that she was attracted to her best friend? That she wanted them to be something more? There could not be any two people more different from each other than Jethro Gibbs and Abby Sciuto. Plus, Kate had never been attracted to a woman before, it wasn't her style. But with the way their bodies felt, moving together, she didn't really care. This weekend was for experimentation, wasn't it?

*****

Abby felt herself falling as someone bumped into her. Warm, soft arms caught her, and pulled her to safety. Her body was pressed up against Kate's, forcing her to control her body's trembling. She'd hidden her ever growing attraction to the female Special Agent for a long time, but the last night's fear had made it difficult to keep herself from throwing herself at Kate. Gibbs' rule number 12 had nothing to do with it, Abby wasn't an agent, but Kate was a good Catholic girl. She would hate Abby for ruining their friendship with something that was against her religion anyway. Slowly, she realized that even though she was no longer being pushed around, Kate hadn't let go of her, but the muscles in the arms around Abby's waist were tense. Then they relaxed. Abby was a little confused by the change, then she gasped as a set of soft lips pressed into the crook of her neck. One arm flew back to twine behind Kate's neck, pulling herself closer. Kate's low laugh sounded in her ear. "You don't mind, do you?" the voice asked softly.
"No." breathed Abby. "I don't." Kate settled her hands on Abby's hips, pulling them back against her own. Her lips moved to the skin just behind Abby's ear, and Abby found herself sighing Kate's name. Kate chuckled softly. "Tony would have a fit if he could see us right now." she whispered against Abby's skin. "How would you feel about slipping out for a little?"
Abby nodded mutely, and Kate led her off the dance floor and over to a wall where several couples were enjoying themselves immensely. Kate and Abby joined them, Kate pushing Abby up against the wall, kissing her full on the lips, deepening the kiss and angling her tongue so that she could explore the taste of Abby's mouth. Abby moaned and slid her hands deep into Kate's hair, tangling her fingers in the thick brunette locks, dragging herself closer. Kate's fingertips dug into Abby's hips before she pulled back. She ran her fingers through Abby's hair, brushing it back. "Interesting." she breathed huskily. "I don't know a man on this earth who can kiss like that, honey."
Abby smiled, her eyes clouded with desire. "I do try so hard, love." she murmured back, voice taking on a bedroom tone. Kate reached behind her head, disentangling Abby's hands from her hair and stepping back. She put a hand to Abby's cheek. "I'm new at this idea, Abbs." she said, just loud enough to hear over the music. "That was one hell of a kiss, but I'm not sure I'm ready to do it again."
Abby slid her hands up Kate's body, past her stomach, lingering on her breasts, and slipping over her shoulders. "I'll wait 'til you are, and when you know for sure, I'll be nearby." She smiled, letting go and sauntering back to the dance floor. Kate stared after her, running her fingers through her hair. Was it possible to be in love with two people, different from each other in every way, at the exact same time?