Seeing Evil
by Sammie

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters. If I did, would Kate be dead? {bares fangs}
Rating: K+, T max.
Spoilers: "See No Evil"
Summary: Missing scenes from the Season 2 premiere, "See No Evil" (Kate/Gibbs)
Author's Notes: the lines of dialogue directly from the episode are in italics.

To the Kibbs-ing gals on the "Friends of NCIS" board and LLW, who are now my greatest inspiration for Kibbs moments. ;-)

This story begins a string of stories that I'm not satisfied with but figured "What the heck" and will be posting anyhow. Here's to hoping somebody will enjoy them.

---

"I heard him," Sandy whimpered softly.

"Heard who, honey?" Kate asked gently, her hand still resting comfortingly on Sandy's arm.

"He didn't know it, but I heard him," Sandy cried. She straightened, trying to collect herself. "He told my mom...he...he..." she began to cry again "he's going to make my Dad suffer."

Tony watched as Sandy's tears came fresh, and he could see Kate wince slightly. She looked up at him, a pained look in her eyes, and then sat down next to the girl on the ground, wrapping an arm around her and pulling her close. Sandy clung to her, and Kate gathered the girl into her lap and let her cry a little bit.

Tony stood awkwardly for a moment, and then coughed slightly.

Kate hugged Sandy, who burrowed her face in the agent's shoulder. "Sandy, we're going back to NCIS headquarters, all right? You'll be safe there until we can get your mom, too."

Sandy nodded, her face still buried in Kate's shoulder, her arms still wrapped tightly around Kate's torso. The agent kept one hand firmly on Sandy, struggling to get up with the little girl still wrapped tightly around her and with her legs bound in her narrow skirt. Tony held out a hand and helped to pull her up.

They headed out into the parking lot, Sandy buried in Kate's arms, her sobs having reduced to small sniffles here and there. When they got to the car, Kate took off the girl's little bookbag, strapped Sandy into the backseat, and then climbed into the back with her. Sandy reached for her, and Kate scooted into the middle seat and strapped on her belt, then slipped an arm around the child. Sandy snuggled against her, one arm clinging to Kate's arm and the other clutching her bookbag tightly.

Tony turned on the radio to a light music station, letting it play to fill the silence. He looked briefly in the rearview mirror where Kate and Sandy sat and watched his coworker gently smooth the little girl's hair over her tear-stained cheeks.

"Hey, I'm going to stop by and pull the tapes from the train station," he said, pulling into the station office. "See if we can't get a shot of that guy dropping Sandy off."

Kate nodded. "I'll stay in the car."

Tony sighed as he got out, looking back into the backseat. Kate was already irrevocably attached to Sandy. He just hoped Gibbs wouldn't take Kate to task for it.

---

"The roof is very high," Sandy pondered as she came in through the door to NCIS headquarters, still clinging tightly to Kate's hand. Kate looked surprised. "I can hear people's voices echoing."

"Well, you're right," Kate smiled as she looked around the front door.

"Where's Agent Tony?"

"He went through the evidence locker."

"Oh."

Kate gently squeezed Sandy's hand and continued leading her down the hall. "Hi Henry."

"Agent Todd," the big African-American security guard greeted. "And who is this?" he replied cheerily, making careful note that the girl appeared blind.

"This is Sandy," Kate replied. She gave the security guard a look, indicating that she didn't want to say more in front of the little girl. Henry nodded understandingly, and Kate gave him a grateful smile.

"Hi Sandy," Henry replied, crouching down to the girl's level. "I'm Henry."

"Hello," Sandy said brightly, then followed with, "You must be very tall."

Henry chuckled. "And why do you say that?"

"Because when you were talking before your voice was very high up," the little girl said thoughtfully. "Is he tall, Agent Kate?"

Kate chuckled. "Yes, he is." She smiled at the guard. "Can we have a visitor's badge for Sandy?"

"Of course." The man picked one up from the station, then knelt down and pinned it onto the little girl's dress. "You're an official visitor with NCIS, welcome!" He smiled when the little girl beamed at him.

---

The elevator doors dinged open, and Gibbs strode into the office. He stopped at Kate's desk, where he noticed the little girl sitting in Kate's lap, her hair loose around her shoulders, eating a sandwich. He frowned slightly, watching his agent stroking Sandy's hair soothingly.

She was getting taken in by the little girl, just setting herself up for a fall.

"Where's Tony?" he asked shortly, the clipped tone covering his concern.

"He's downstairs," Kate replied. "He pulled the videos from the train station, and I bagged Sandy's barettes - he's taking all that to Abby."

Gibbs crossed to his desk, satisfied but still not willing to condone Kate's attachment to Sandy. He turned to the plasma, occupying himself with the latest information. He could almost feel the little girl pause, then his sharp hearing caught Sandy's whisper to Kate: "Is he mad?"

Kate's light laughter rang out, and out of the corner of his eye he watched as she gave the little girl a gentle but warm squeeze. "It's all right," he could hear her soft murmur in the little girl's ear, obviously designed to try to be lower than the bustle of the office noise around them. He wouldn't have heard it without his superb hearing. "He's just generally kind of grumpy."

"Oh." Sandy paused. "How come?"

"Well, we have a difficult job, Sandy. We have to catch lots of bad guys."

"Like the one who took me and my mom?"

"Mmm-hmm."

"But you and Agent Tony aren't grumpy."

Kate chuckled. "True. But Agent Gibbs is a good man," she replied, even softer than before, and now quietly serious. "He's responsible and he's smart. He'll help catch the bad guy who took you and your mom. And he can be nice, sometimes."

Sandy nodded, then went back to her sandwich.

"I'm going to get Ducky," Gibbs replied shortly, turning and heading out.

---

"...that is horrifying." Ducky shook his head as he followed Gibbs out of the elevator. "Where is she now?"

"She's with Kate," Gibbs replied, indicating where the little girl sat in Kate's lap, listening to the music coming from her computer.

The two men watched as Sandy giggled at something, and Kate smiled gently, protectively, still stroking her back comfortingly.

Ducky paused, and then turned to Gibbs. "Kate is very good with her," he commented. "She is quite natural with children."

Gibbs just grunted.

"She's getting attached, isn't she," Ducky murmured.

Gibbs nodded.

Ducky sighed, and then approached. "Caitlin," he greeted the young woman.

"Ducky," Kate greeted, turning in her chair.

"Come, let's sit in that desk back there," Ducky waved, indicating a far desk behind Gibbs' and Kate's. He knew that they would be talking about the case soon, and he preferred the little girl be farther away from them than not.

He watched as Kate set the child on her feet, then got up herself and led the girl to the back seat. Sandy climbed onto the desk chair, gently spinning from side to side. "Sandy, this is my friend Dr. Mallard," Kate replied, kneeling to her level and putting a gentle hand on the child's knee. "He's just going to check to make sure you didn't get hurt, all right?"

Sandy nodded, then held up her wrists. "My wrists hurt," the little girl announced. "He tied my wrists on to the chair's arms."

"Well, then, let's begin there," Ducky said, opening up his medicine box to get some medicinal cream and gauze.



Kate returned to her desk, quickly taking that time to catch up on the Watson files on her desk. She frowned as a shadow fell over her desk. "Yes?"

Gibbs looked at her for a moment. "You're getting attached, Kate."

"She's just got kidnapped, Gibbs," Kate retorted. "She's traumatized. She needs that kind of comfort, and that kind of trust."

"It's starting to cloud your judgment, Kate."

"No it's not."

"Like how you didn't think that bastard wasn't going to kill both Mrs. Watson and Sandy the minute he got the money?"

Kate snapped back slightly, wounded at his harsh tone, and fell silent.

Gibbs gave her another pointed look, then turned back to his own things. He hated being so sharp, but he was not ready for his agent to be set up for an emotional fall with a little girl who wasn't hers, anyhow.

Even so, he could almost hear the little voice in his head yelling that he wasn't much better. Just because he hadn't yet talked to Sandy didn't mean he worried for the small child.

And it didn't mean that he had been blind to Kate, and how she had been with Sandy. She had won the little girl's trust effortlessly; Tony had told him that Kate had carried Sandy all the way to the car from the phone booth, and that Sandy wouldn't let go the entire time they were in the car. Seeing the little girl sitting in Kate's lap, eating the turkey sandwich, looking amazingly recovered from her ordeal, his agent's gentle, soothing caressing touch on the girl's back - Kate was cut out to be a mother.

Gibbs growled in frustration and crushed the thought. They had more pressing issues at hand. He knew that in the dark of his basement, when this was all over, it would all come back to him - and whether he wanted to or not, he'd have plenty of time to think about Kate then.

---

"How's she doing, Duck?" Gibbs asked as the ME approached.

"Remarkably well, considering the circumstances," Ducky replied. Circumstances, indeed.

"What does she remember?" Gibbs asked.

"Unfortunately, everything."

"Except for where she was." Tony wasn't optimistic.

"Maybe you haven't asked the right questions," Ducky replied enigmatically. He was sure that Sandy could provide them all the information they needed.

"Well, she's eight and blind, Ducky," Tony began doubtfully. "It's not a great help in a situation like - "

Ducky held up a finger, and Tony fell quiet. The ME then said quietly, a smile turning up the corners of his mouth. "Sandy - are you thirsty?"

From a couple rows back came the little voice: "A little bit. Can I have some water?"

Ducky smiled, and Gibbs grinned back.

Kate went first, crossing over to where the little girl sat. She knelt to her level, whispering into Sandy's ear. The girl willingly placed her hand in Kate's and hopped down from the chair, then came over, hiding behind the female agent. "Sandy," Kate said gently, "we're going to ask you some questions about what happened. You going to be okay with that?"

Sandy nodded, and Kate lifted her up to sit on Gibbs' desk. "Is Agent Gibbs here?" Sandy asked.

"Yes, he's right here," Kate replied, slightly surprised. "How did you know?"

"'Cause I can smell his coffee," Sandy replied, and both Ducky and Kate chuckled. "He had coffee when he was talking to you before, but I couldn't smell it when he went to find Dr. Mallard. He smells like coffee."

Tony was unable to suppress a snort of laughter.

"Sandy," Gibbs replied, gently crouching down to her level. "Sandy, I'm Agent Gibbs."

The small child fell quiet for a moment, tensing slightly, and Gibbs could see Kate give the little girl's hand a gentle squeeze. Kate suddenly seemed to remember what he'd said before about her attachment, and slowly retracted her hand.

"Hi," Sandy said in a small voice.

"This is for you," Gibbs replied, handing her a small juice box. "It's very hot in here, so I thought you'd like some apple juice. I put the straw in."

Sandy smiled, relaxing. She beamed and took the box. "Thank you."

"How are you doing?" Gibbs asked gently, brushing the little girl's hair behind her shoulder. He could see exactly why Kate had fallen head over heels for Sandy. "Do your wrists still hurt?"

Sandy shook her head, still drinking her apple juice. When she'd had her fill, she began patting around her carefully, trying to find a place to set down the box. Kate carefully took it from her and set it down on Gibbs' desk, right behind where Sandy sat. "Are you ready, honey?" Kate asked softly.

Sandy nodded.

"Sandy," Gibbs said seriously, but gently. "This is really important. Can you tell us anything about the car you were driven in?"

---

Tony watched as Jill Watson ran towards them, her arms still bound behind her, sobbing through her gag. Kate quickly ushered her behind the wall, holstering her weapon as Tony and Gibbs advanced and took Grayson.

Kate quickly untied the gag and cut open the cuffs, Mrs. Watson sobbing tears of relief. The agent hugged her tightly, then quickly guided her down off the train. "My little girl," the woman exclaimed. "Where's Sandy?"

"We picked up Sandy, no problem," Kate assured. "She's been with us at NCIS headquarters ever since."

Mrs. Watson breathed a sigh of relief. "I can't thank you enough."

"You should thank Sandy," Kate replied, guiding the woman through the maze of abandoned trains to where the NCIS car was parked. "You have an incredible daughter. She was determined to help you save you."

The other woman tried to wipe away her tears.

Kate held out a cell phone, dialing for autopsy. When she heard Ducky's voice, she said, "Hey Ducky."

"Caitlin! Did you - "

"We did," Kate replied, smiling at Jill Watson as she answered Ducky. "Is Sandy there?"

There was happy shouting and a slight scuffle on the other end, and then the little girl's voice came on the line. "Mommy?"

"Hold on, honey," Kate replied, and handed the phone to Mrs. Watson.

"Sandy? Sweetheart?" Jill Watson exclaimed, clutching the phone.

By now the backup had been called, and Tony was shoving a cuffed Grayson into another vehicle. Gibbs was on the phone, instructing McGee to tell Captain Watson that they had his wife and had caught the kidnapper.

Kate watched, rubbing her arm slightly, as she watched Sandy's mother on the phone with her daughter, and Sandy's delighted voice coming over the line.

---

"Daddy!" Sandy shrieked as her father ran in to the bullpen, scooping her up into a huge hug and kissing her, tears of relief running down his face. Capt. Watson reached an arm around to his wife, kissing her soundly as he pulled her close to him. Both of them kissed Sandy on her cheeks at the same time. "Everything's gonna be all right now, sweetheart," Captain Watson assured her. "Everything."

Kate smiled a little wistfully, watching the joyful family reunion. "Kinda makes you think."

Tony had no idea what she was talking about. "'Bout what?"

Kate shrugged slightly. "Having kids someday," she replied, smiling as she looked down at Tony before turning back to the family.

"Yeah," Tony replied as they watched Gibbs approach the family. He then said thoughtfully, "I don't think I could handle that." He paused and then shook his head. Nope. He couldn't handle having kids. Maybe for another three or four decades.

Kate rolled her eyes playfully as she headed back to her desk. "Why am I not surprised."

"I just...I don't think I can do this fatherhood thing," Tony replied, shrugging defensively. "Too much responsibility."

Kate shook her head. So typical.

"But, if you find some guy who actually wants to have kids, I'll be their awesomely fun Uncle Tony," he grinned wide, drumming on his desk for effect. "With you as their mother, they'd be the most boring kids in the world." He grinned.

"Oh, like I'd let my children go out with you," Kate retorted in a 'ha, very funny' tone. "And what do you mean 'some guy who actually wants to have kids'? There are guys who want children."

"No there aren't."

"Gibbs likes children," Kate replied pointedly. "Look how he was with Sandy and with all the other children we've come across."

"Yeah, but it's GIBBS," Tony replied, waving a hand. "He's not - "

"I think Gibbs more than counts as a man," Kate scoffed in amusement, clicking on her computer with her mouse. Across the way, Tony bounced his eyebrows at her, a wiseguy grin crossing his face. Kate paused a moment, what she'd just said slowly dawning on her. "That didn't come out the way I intended. That's not what I meant," she insisted, the fun tone gone. Tony just kept grinning at her discomfiture. "Tony!"

---

It was on the ride back to headquarters that it all sank in for her. Tony and Agent Axelrod were escorting Captain Watson back to headquarters for booking, and Gibbs was driving back - oddly, below the speed limit. Kate sat in the passenger's side seat. The highways were empty at this late hour, just a few cars here and there. As they passed each highway light, a flash of yellow would light up the car and then disappear.

The car was deathly silent, the brief moment of levity Kate had spouted earlier about the FBI entirely gone. Little wonder.

That bastard had done this to his own family - let them be kidnapped by a man who tacitly threatened to assault his wife, permanently and violently deafen his own daughter - all for money. He didn't deserve either his loving, resilient wife or his brilliant little girl.

Kate sat next to him, and the earlier fuming seemed to have gone. She sat quietly now, looking out the window.

Gibbs wondered if this hadn't hit her harder than usual, given her attachment to Sandy.

"You okay?" he asked gruffly.

"I'm fine."

"You don't look fine."

She was quiet, and just as they pulled into the lot, she murmured, "How can we tell Jill Watson and Sandy that HE planned this, let this happen to them for money?" She was struggling for control, trying to quash her anger, and almost looking ill with sad anger. "Does it ever get easier?"

Gibbs just sighed.

---

"Hi!" Sandy beamed happily at the pair standing in the doorway to their home. "Hi Agent Gibbs! Hi Agent Kate!"

"Agent Gibbs, Agent Todd," Mrs. Watson greeted with a welcoming smile. "Please, come in."

"I hope we won't be imposing," Gibbs began.

"No, no," Mrs. Watson waved them inside. "We were just finishing breakfast. Can I get you anything? Some coffee?"

"That would be great, thank you."

Sandy reached up towards them, stepping between them and slipping her left hand into Kate's right, and her small right hand into Gibbs' left, and she carefully led them into the kitchen. Mrs. Watson indicated their breakfast table, and set two cups of hot coffee before them, setting before them a small tray with cream, sugar, and milk.

Sandy happily climbed into her chair and finished off her orange juice.

"So," Mrs. Watson smiled at them. "I'm sorry, but if you're looking for Michael - he went to the office late last night. He said he'd have to clean up a lot and try to get that money back which he sent, and that he might not be back until today."

Kate gave her a weak smile.

"So...did you find out who hired Petty Officer Grayson?" Jill Watson asked.

"Yes," Gibbs said slowly. "Yes, we did."

"Oh, thank God," the woman murmured.

Gibbs' eyes darted to Kate, who took another sip of her coffee and set the cup down in the saucer. "Mrs. Watson, if you don't mind," Kate smiled as calmly as she could. "I'd like to borrow Sandy to play me something on the piano."

Sandy smiled brightly at her mother, who just chuckled. "Go ahead."

Sandy happily slid off her chair and hurried to the door, waiting until she heard the clicks of Kate's heels on the tiles come closer. Kate made sure to close the kitchen door behind them, and they came to the piano, where Sandy pulled out the bench and sat down on the one side, leaving enough room for the female agent next to her. "What would you like to hear, Agent Kate?" Sandy asked politely but excitedly.

"Anything you'd like to play for me, Sandy." Kate could feel her gut clenching, knowing what was going on in the kitchen.

"This is my dad's favorite," Sandy announced and began to play.



"Is something wrong, Agent Gibbs?" Jill Watson frowned, seeing the agent's face. "I thought you said you caught the man who hired Petty Officer Grayson."

"We did," Gibbs replied slowly. "We did."

"Well, then what's the problem?"



Kate blinked, trying to keep her composure as the little girl played on while telling her how much her father liked this piece, and how he had asked her piano teacher if she could play it, and how he remembered the piece because that was what was playing the first time Daddy met Mommy at a Navy ball.

Kate closed her eyes, trying to keep suppressed her anger at Captain Michael Watson.

"Are you okay, Agent Kate?" Sandy suddently stopped playing, reaching a hand up towards Kate's face, her fingers gently running over her features. "How come you're sad? Didn't you catch the bad guy?"

"Yes, we did," Kate said softly, letting the child feel her face.

"So how come you're sad?"

"Because," Kate said softly. "Because sometimes the bad guys are disguised as very good guys."

Sandy blinked. "Oh. So they look like good guys?"

"Yes," Kate said softly, and suddenly, impulsively, hugged Sandy tight. "And sometimes these types of bad guys hurt people they're supposed to love very much."

"Oh," Sandy said quietly. "That's bad."

"Yes, it is."

The two fell silent for a moment, and then Sandy frowned. "Is Mommy crying?" she asked, suddenly sitting up, turning in the direction of the kitchen. "Why is Mommy crying?"

---

Kate sat quietly in the passenger's seat, waiting outside Gibbs' coffeeshop as he made a coffee run. She didn't want to go inside; she wasn't up to dealing with people yet today. It had been over two hours since they'd gone to the Watsons' home, having stayed as Jill Watson first tried to digest the news and then deal with having to inform their daughter vaguely as to why Daddy wouldn't be coming home for awhile.

Kate could almost feel the crushing burden now on Jill Watson's shoulders, having to deal with the sudden shock of her husband's betrayal, and then the realization that without his captain's income in addition to hers she might not be able to keep Sandy in her school for the blind, and everything else that came with that horrifying news.

Sandy had run to Gibbs, asking if he couldn't do something to get her father out of jail, not realizing the extent of his crime. Kate could still see the pain on his face, peeking out from the mask he constantly wore.

The driver's side door opened, and Gibbs came in with two cups. He set them down, slid into the seat, and shut the door. He leaned his head against the headrest for a moment, staring up at the felt on the car's ceiling. He then handed one cup to Kate.

She looked started, but took it, slightly puzzled.

"Think we could both use coffee," he replied, giving no further explanation.

She nodded, more grateful than she suspected he knew.

They sat in companionable silence for a long time in the car, in their parking spot, the noon traffic going past them, the chatter of pedestrians on the sidewalk.

"Listen," he said carefully, finally, then paused. "Tony and Ducky know where we are, what we did this morning," he said, his tone heavy with responsibility. "McGee and Abby don't, and I don't want to depress them by telling them. DiNozzo and Ducky don't need to know how this went, either."

Kate nodded. She understood. Gibbs was not going to let the others have to deal with his own feelings about the case, and he was just going to put up a brave, things-as-usual front in order to keep them from knowing exactly what had happened that morning.

She felt comforted, even happy that he was willing to bring her along on this, that he had allowed her to share this emotional burden with him, that they were bearing it together. She'd put on a happy face for her teammates. She nodded.

Gibbs acknowledged her nod and started up the car. He pulled into the traffic and they started heading towards headquarters.

"We did good, Special Agent Todd," he finally said, quietly, repeating her earlier words back to her. He didn't look over at her, keeping his eyes unusually focused on the road ahead of him.

She certainly didn't feel it. "Did we, Agent Gibbs?" she returned his words back to him.

He looked at her briefly. "Yes. Yes, you did."

END