Chapter 3 Gibbs VS Kate
Kate's day goes very fast with her new team. Ignoring her anger towards Gibbs' cold shoulders she focus on her job, O'Brien gives her freedom to work on her duties; Pair her up with James, one of the younger agents to conduct interview with witnesses and search for new information. Around 11, they receive a message from Roland that they found a body dump. Kate and James head to the crime scene to aid the investigation.
The female victim is in her early 20's. She starts her profiling, making quick notes to remind herself for wounds mark and rape kits, while the rest of her team collect evidences, tags and taking photograph of the dump area.
The victim is found naked facing down with her limbs tied with 2mm ropes. Kate and James return to the HQ first, to log the victim for an autopsy. She accompanies the corpse, while James goes to Abby's lab to ID the victim. As Kate rolls her corpse into the autopsy room, she sees Gibbs and Ducky stopped talking. "Oh, hi Gibbs, hi Ducky" she greets them while pushing the body, pretending not to notice anything. "Hello Caitlyn" Ducky greets her and she receives a short "Hmmh" from Gibbs. He is rather angry that Kate looks happy. Well, he guess why shouldn't she, he's been a complete ass to her.
"What do we have here?" the ME walks towards the body. And they examine the body, while Ducky makes a mental note to all of them. " Contusion to the temple, multiple stab wounds, strangulation..."" and rape kit please…Ducky, for DNA match" Kate murmurs as she stares at the victim's lifeless blue face. "And can I have the rope now?" she asks. The three of them are staring at the victim. "Psycho..." she said to herself.
Gibbs froze in fear; this is the cold case that his Katie is working on? He knew the specific case; he knew the bleak history of the case, as it was his about 6 years ago. "Ducky, can you please let me know if you are about to start on the Y incision, I would like to join if you don't mind" Kate looks at Ducky. "Oh yes Caitlyn, O'Brien told me about it and not to worry, I will pass the blood sample and rape kit to Abby, too".
"O'Brien thinks the victim is related to the Rape and Kill victim that we are working on" Kate states. "and Gibbs, O'Brien said that you have the cold case files, can I have it?" she said to Gibbs, and the man just barks "It's in the office" and left. Kate quickly follows him to the bullpen as she rolls her eyes in frustration.
Gibbs felt like his head is about to explode, It is his fault that Kate got angry with him. When he was instructed by the Director to lend her O'Brien's team, he was pissed beyond believe, but when Jenny Sheppard told him that it is his appraisal on her that made her decide to assign Kate to help another team, there is nothing he can do.
His entire move so far, he has been trying to prevent her from harm. Now she is profiling the worse cold case he once encounters. It started 6years ago; he and O'Brien were in the same team. They tag it the "Rape n Kill" because of the MO of the victims, all are raped, mutilated and dumped naked, facing down near the US Naval base… Every time they found a lead, he'll escape and it was 2 months of merry go round case, when the case was finally closed.
He has no idea that O'Brien has been reassigned to the cold case. So when he saw Kate came in with the victim, he was shocked. His Katie is hunting the psycho that has raped and killed 12 female.
He sits on his desk…confused. Kate arrives few minutes after him. He misses her presence; he misses her voice, her smile and her antics with him. He can smell her perfume, a soft fruity fragrance in front of him which makes him even crave her more. Gibbs drank her sight as she stood in front of him waiting.
She waited uncomfortably, finally she breaks the silence. "Can I borrow the files Gibbs? To help me profile the son of a bitch?" He didn't answer; He covers his face with both hands out of confusion. "What's wrong Gibbs?" she is worried. He stands up, facing his filing cabinet, search through his file and take out 12 files. "Wow...???" Kate is surprised, how many victims were there? And there goes her weekend. She carries the files and placed them on her desk.
Suddenly…
"Kate, I don't want you to take the case" he said, standing in front of her desk. "And why is that Gibbs?" she is confused by his sudden decision. It takes a while for her realize that her boss is not going to answer her. "I just don't want you to take it" he shouts at her.
She almost jumps from his shouts as she was not expecting it. "Why?" she asks him back, getting angrier by the minutes. "Just listen to me and do what I said, DO NOT TAKE THE CASE" he shouts louder than before.
Kate is shocked, angry and had enough of his shit. She walks nearer to him, stands in defiance, facing him; she has to look up because he is taller than her. The both of them do not realize that Ducky has enter the bullpen, well…Ducky is about to witness his 2nd showdown.
"You son of a bitch, you think that because I am a female, that I am not good enough to handle the case?" she fumes. "Let me tell you something GIBBS,,,I am good in what I do, I am DAMN good in what I do and that's profiling! And I will prove it to you by the solving the GOD DAMN CASE" she screams with tears in her eyes without even batting once. "If you have a problem with it, bring it to your Sheppard, and don't chew my ass because of your problems" she spats bitterly.
Dr. Mallard is now standing right in front of them. Kate notices the man, grab his arm, "Let's go Ducky, I am ready!". As Kate pulls poor Ducky away from the bullpen, she said to Gibbs "And Gibbs, if you really think that I am not good enough or for whatever reason, you regret having hired me. Do us both a favor and transfer me to O'Brien or any other team!" "C'mon Ducky!" she pulls him impatiently. "Oh,,,, my..." Ducky murmurs to himself, this is bad.
Gibbs strides towards them near the stairs; before she realized he pulls her arm forcefully towards him with Ducky still on her other side. "Katie" he shouts at her and pulls at the same time. "Auww, you are hurting me!! Let go!" she shouts back and tries to struggles out of his strong grip.
He releases her and if not because of Ducky she might have fallen down the stairs.
"Don't touch me" she screams and tears running down her tired face…Gibbs feels so guilty…looking at her broken face, but nothing comes out from his throat.
The impromptu tug of war has invited several audiences. At the same time, O'Brien was climbing the stairs and witnesses the whole scene, he saw Kate in tears and his colleague in rage.
"THAT'S ENOUGH!!!" Ducky finally shouts, his ears are ringing and his head is pounding, the youngsters are giving him a headache "Kate, go with O'Brien to autopsy, wait for me there!" he orders. And he grabs Gibbs by his arm back to his bullpen; while O'Brien takes Kate by the shoulder to go to the autopsy room…his gut feeling is right.
"What are you trying to prove?" Ducky shouts at Gibbs. Gibbs throws himself at his chair; Dr. Mallard thought he saw tears in his eyes, but chooses to ignore it, but his tone changes.
"Are you trying to chase her away?" he asks him, " What are you doing, Jethro?" "She is the best thing that ever happens to you…my friend", he is not answering, frustrated. "Jethro you have to talk to me, don't do things that you'll regret later" said Ducky patiently.
"Sheppard is trying to get rid of her from me" Gibbs shouts. "No, Jethro, Sheppard could never chase her away from you; it is YOU who chase her away" he replied angrily, how can such a brilliant man in his job, can be this hopeless and daft in his personal life…After a moment of silence..." I don't know what I am doing Ducky, I just don't want her to get hurt" he said. "Then tell her that, don't shut people that care for you Jethro, please... listen to me" Ducky begs.
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Meanwhile, in the autopsy rooms…
O'Brien is trying to console Kate when Ducky enters. Kate was embarrassed for O'Brien to see her like this. When she saw Ducky, she stands up and said" I'm ok, I am ready guys..." she gives them the look not to argue with her. Ducky shakes his head; this girl has learned the worse from the best, that's learning to be stubborn, from Gibbs.
O'Brien signals Ducky that Kate will be all right. Ducky exhales and decides to follows her wishes; she's been through enough…being harassed by the man that actually loves her. And O'Brien walks out the door to go to Gibbs' bullpen as he originally plans to, before the tug of war.
"Gibbs! How are you doing, sorry to interrupt, but I came up her to borrow our cold case from you" he said while wiping his glasses. Gibbs points to the files on Kate's desk.
"Oh, Kate got it already...impressive!" he admits. "Ok then!" O'Brien walks back to the elevator, Kate is definitely brave, and he thought she won't have the courage to request the files from her boss.
Gibbs can't see any other way to avoid this, on how to make sure that his Katie is safe, be damn with O'Brien knowing his feeling towards her, they are alone, this is his chance. "Please take care of her, O'Brien" he said... "She is my life". O'Brien stops in his track and sighs in regret "I know Gibbs... don't you worry and you know where my office, you know my number, and you will let me know if you need anything" he said.
"Thank you" Gibbs stands up from his chair. O'Brien looks at Gibbs knowingly, "and I will need your expertise on things, since you know the case, and we'll nail the son of a bitch as soon as possible. My patient is running dry Gibbs" he said as he went into the elevator.
As O'Brien is walking to his bullpen; Director Sheppard calls him, "O'Brien can I see you in my office?" O'Brien didn't say much, he just enters her office…waiting, he is standing with hands closed in front of him. "Yes?" he asks. He is slowly but surely losing his patient and respect with his new director." what's all the commotion at the stairs?" She asks him slyly; "I wont call it a commotion...just Dr. Mallard, Gibbs and I, debating whose dead bodies will be taken care of first, you know we are always backed up", "But, we've agreed that my victim will have the priority, Gibbs knows how important it is to you"
"Oh.. I see" she is surprised. " and how is agent Todd doing?" she asks him, " Not a problem, she is great and right now she is assisting Dr. Mallard with the Y incision" He answers impatiently, "Anything else Ms Sheppard? I should get going, we are hot on our case" Sheppard does not reply she just nods her head and trying to hide her anger…
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-Tbc-nova2006-edited
Author's Chapter Notes:
The fight
Chapter End Notes:
Who is going to win?