Situation Shift: An Alternative Universe NCIS Fan-Fiction

Chapter 1: Assignment
It was a typical day in the squad room of NCIS. Gibbs had taken his coffee up to MTAC to be briefed by the director, McGee was typing away frantically, pulling up financial records, DiNozzo was leaned back in his chair, tossing Cheerios into his mouth and I was starting my day as I always do, by checking my e-mail. Sifting through the normal spam and forwards, there was nothing of interest so I turned to my co-workers. “Guys, do you know what’s taking Gibbs so long in MTAC this morning? Usually he’s telling us to ’grab your gear’ or barking orders at us by now.” “I do not bark orders, Agent Todd” came the all too familiar voice of our boss from behind Tony as he strode down the stairs.

I immediately straightened up in my chair and looked at my computer screen. Gibbs sat down at his desk and questioned, “Where are we on the Lieutenant Spencer case?” I piped up first, determined to dig myself out of the hole I had jumped into moments before, “There are 8 houses and 5 couples on the Cul Du Sac where the Lieutenant and his wife lived. There are three sets of prints on the murder weapon, a garden claw.” Tony chimed in next, “2 of the couples from the street have ironclad alibis for the time of death.” “Abby is still working on processing the crime scene but she’s running an analysis on some carpet fibers, DNA, as well as finishing up her examination of the blood samples from Ducky.” McGee finished. Gibbs watched us all as we gave our reports and nodded. “Right, Kate, DiNozzo, with me up to the director’s office.” McGee stood up and stammered, “Uh boss, what should I do?” Gibbs froze, turned and just looked at McGee for a couple of seconds. “I’ll . . . go help Abby in the lab.” McGee offered and left his desk while our boss continued to lead the way upstairs to the Director’s office.

We entered the Director’s office completely unaware of the task ahead of us. Director Morrow was sitting behind his desk with a case file opened in front of him. “Kate, Tony, please have a seat.” The director motioned to the two chairs in front of his desk. Tony glanced quickly at Gibbs as if asking for permission. Gibbs merely nodded and we both sat. “We are in a situation here with the Spencer case. There are too many suspects and not enough evidence to narrow it down. Miss Sciuto is still working but we need to get a jump on this murderer before he or she strikes again. That’s where you come in.” I looked from the Director, to Gibbs and back. “Oh no, no, you want me to go under cover with Tony?” The director nodded. “You can’t be serious. If I’m stuck pretending to be married to Tony you’ll have another murder on your hands.” Gibbs looked at me with that understated smile and replied, “You don’t have to pretend to be married to him.” I let out a sign of relief. “You can just pretend to be living with him.” Defeated, I looked over at my new ’husband’. He had such a Cheshire Cat grin on his face that it took all of my strength not to smack him.
Chapter 2: Groundwork

“Well Mr. and Mrs. Keagan, I really think you’re going to like this house. It isn’t technically for rent yet so you’re the first people to check it out. There are 2 Bedrooms, 1 and a half baths, and a fenced in yard, perfect for a young couple.” The realtor was practically salivating at the prospect of renting the property. “Oh we’re hoping for a biiiig family, aren’t we Pumpkin?” Tony informed the realtor as he looked at me. This was going to be a very long assignment. I fought to keep from rolling my eyes by grabbing Tony’s hand and squeezing it as hard as I could. “Oh honey, I LOVE it! Would it be possible to move in right away?” I gushed. The realtor grinned and went out to her car for the paperwork.

The second she left, Tony and I simultaneously dropped each other’s hand as if it was on fire. “Laying it on a little thick there DiNozzo.” “Just trying to be convincing Kate.” Tony fired back at me. “Look, the more convincing we are, the more likely it is that we will be invited into these people’s lives and the quicker we can figure out who the murderer is.” He continued. “And the faster we can get back to our normal lives.” I finished. “This reminds me of the film, State of Grace. . .” I groaned audibly yet he continued. “Sean Penn, Gary Oldman, Ed Harris. . . Sean Penn returns home to New York after ten years. He hooks up with childhood pal who is involved in the Irish mob run by his brother. What they don’t know is that he’s an undercover cop there to break up the gang. . .” Mercifully, the realtor returned and we went about signing the lease. We were informed that as soon as the check cleared, we would be able to move in. It could be as early as the weekend. I was so thankful that I would be able to have at least one night to myself before being shackled to Tony in false matrimony.

My peaceful DiNozzo-less life was short lived and we were moving in 2 days later. The suspects, er, neighbors, came over to introduce themselves to us while the moving crew (McGee and Palmer) moved everything in. They worked on installing the internal monitoring equipment while Tony and I installed the garden decorations fitted with bugs, cameras and motion detectors built in. By the evening, we were ready to try to endear ourselves to the neighbors by having a barbeque. There we got to know the Masons, Elliots, Jameses, Bishops, and Robertsons. We already knew that neither the Elliots nor the Robertsons were guilty since they had alibis. That left three sets of suspects. Tony took grill duty and I set about introducing myself to the wives and children of our new neighborhood. Gibbs and McGee were in our ears thanks to the surveillance equipment. The evening went very well. We were invited over to dinner by the Masons and Jameses for evenings that week. Not bad for our first night on the job.

A couple of weeks into our assignment, I had invitations to all sorts of social engagements, but NCIS was no closer to finding the murderer. Tony and I had settled into a somewhat peaceful coexistence. One night after an evening with one of the suspected couples, Tony was lying on my bed while I was brushing my teeth, “You know Kate, I don’t think that the Jameses are the murders. I mean, they seem just like a normal everyday couple. No one here seems to have the Desperate Housewives mentality.” I rinsed my mouth and left the bathroom, “Tony, you do realize that Desperate Housewives is a TV show right?” “Of course I do, Kate” he scoffed, “but you know that there has to be a ring of truth to make the show believable.”

I walked around to the side of my bed to grab my hairbrush. Tony rolled over towards me, “so honey should we have a little fun tonight?” he questioned playfully. I turned around to face him when he pulled me onto the bed. “Tony!” I yelled. It must have caught him off guard because in about 2 seconds I had him pinned on the bed, laughing. I had flashbacks to training with McGee, Tony and Gibbs. I never did get the chance to fight DiNozzo that day. The thought distracted me because the next thing I knew, Tony had rolled me off him and was in the process of trying to pin me down. Finally, the laughing diverted my attention enough that he was able to win. We were both out of breath staring at each other. I never realized how gorgeous his eyes were. The most intriguing grayish-green color I had ever seen. And his hair. . . The perfect chestnut brown and just slightly tousled by our impromptu wrestling match. I had to fight the urge to run my fingers through it. Instinctively I shook my head to clear it of these thoughts. This was Tony for crying out loud. He must have thought the same thing because he immediately let me get up and quietly went to brush his teeth as well.

Day 27 of “wedded bliss” and there was a break in the case. Thanks to one of the bugs planted during “burritos and blendeds” night at the Bishop’s house, McGee and Gibbs had ascertained that they were our number one suspects but we still needed concrete evidence. Neighborhood movie night was at their house that week so even though I was tired of the inane conversations from Jennifer Bishop, we has to suffer through another night there. I had to find out the make of their carpet to see if it was a match to the one Abby had analyzed. Jennifer and I were finishing snacks in the kitchen with a couple of the other wives and chatting. I got the information on the carpet while we were casually talking and texted Gibbs the information.

Everyone was convening in the living room and Michael Bishop was setting up the DVD on the flat screen when the lights flickered and went out. “I must have blown a fuse in the kitchen using too many of the appliances trying to get everything ready,” Jennifer mused aloud. Tony walked over to the window and peeked out. “I don’t think it was you, the whole street is black.” Michael called the power company. Of course, they “were aware of the outage and were working to restore service as soon as possible.” In the hopes that they were actually telling the truth, candles were lit and drinks were poured. After a couple of hours, it was apparent that the outage was not ending any time soon so we all headed back to our respective homes.

Tony and I stumbled around in the kitchen to find some candles. We put them all around in the living room and sat on the couch with a bottle of wine. Tony pulled out his iPod and speakers for some music and then lit a fire in the fireplace. It was a chilly October night and the fire warmed us up nicely, not to mention lit the room up. I don’t know if it was the wine, the atmosphere or both, but the next thing I knew, Tony and I were all over each other. I woke up the next morning nestled in his strong arms on the couch wearing nothing but a blanket. I was slowly recalling the night before when my phone rang. I jumped up, grabbed the blanket and sprinted as best as I could to locate my phone. It was Gibbs and he was not happy.

Apparently, the power outage knocked out the cell towers as well and we had been out of contact with MTAC for much of the night, not that we would have noticed. Since it was useless to be wearing the earwigs at that point, both Tony and I took them out when we got home. Little did we know that the power came back on some time after we had fallen asleep and NCIS had been trying to contact us for over an hour. Apparently, I had slept through five phone calls. They had enough evidence to convict the Bishops and they wanted us ready to apprehend them in 10 minutes when the rest of the team arrived.

I hung up with Gibbs and ran to wake up Tony. I shook him awake, “good morning gor . . . “he started to say before I frantically told him what was going on. He flew off the couch and up the stairs to get ready. I couldn’t wrap my mind around what had transpired but I didn’t have time to try because we needed to do our job. Everyone would be there in no time, especially if Gibbs was driving.

Chapter 3: Detour
The suspects were apprehended, interrogated, broken, and charged in a matter of hours. Our undercover endeavor came to an abrupt end. It was nice to finally be home in my own house, my own bed, and not have to be on guard 24/7. I had to admit that it was a little lonely though. Tony and I never had difficulty coming up with conversation so when I was at home, the silence was almost deafening. Back at work, it was business as usual. Tony and I never mentioned the last night of our under cover assignment.

We went back to working on our every day cases. There were two dead sailors in a car off Route 17 in Fredericksburg and we were investigating their deaths. As we were taking crime scene photos, taking measurements and bagging and tagging evidence, Tony tried to scare me to death by telling me that a snake who had wound his way around my leg was poisonous. After learning of his deception, I knocked him over and seconds later we were all running from the crime scene. While on the ground, Tony discovered that the car was wired with a bomb. For once, his smart mouth saved him (and us).

It quickly worsened, the FBI had let Ari Haswari back in the country and he had gone rogue. His plans now involved killing Gibbs. I was immediately assigned to protect my boss. After all, he’s as important to us as the President is. We ascertained that Ari has stolen a jet propelled RC plane and packed it with explosives. He was planning a terrorist attack on the families waiting for the whole Marine Amphibious Strike Group to return from the Gulf. We knew how to jam the controls thanks to Abby and McGee, but had to be within 40 miles of it to succeed. McGee was in charge of jamming it; Gibbs, Tony and I were on the task of searching the surrounding warehouses for Ari. It ended on the roof of one warehouse.

Before I knew it, there was a shot at Gibbs and I dove in front of him. The bullet hit me in the abdomen, just below my vest. The pain was incredible. It felt like a black belt had round house kicked me in the stomach. That was followed immediately by a painful burning sensation. It felt like somebody took a searing hot knife and continually jabbed it in and out where the kick landed. I don’t know what happened next because I passed out from the pain.

Chapter 4: Diagnosis
My eyelids wouldn’t open no matter how hard I tried. I could hear the constant beeping of a heart monitor and voices but couldn’t distinguish who they were or what they were saying. Someone was holding my hand and stroking my hair. I wanted to wake up but it wasn’t happening. Semi-consciousness was very frustrating. I focused on moving the hand that was being held. I managed to feebly squeeze it and I heard Abby squeal with joy. “Gibbs, Tony, McGee, she just squeezed my hand. Kate, Kate can you hear me? If you can hear me, squeeze my hand again.” I focused and grasped at her hand again.

I finally fluttered my eyelids open but the room was blurry. I blinked a few times and things started to come into focus. Abby was sitting on a stool next to me, still holding my hand. McGee was behind her, touching her shoulder reassuringly. Tony was pacing at the foot of the bed. Gibbs stood in the doorway, disposable cup of hospital coffee in hand, assessing the room. “She’s awake!” shrieked Abby. “McGee, Abby, go tell the nurses that Kate’s awake” Gibbs instructed. Abby leaned over and gave me a very gentle hug, “I’m so glad you’re OK Kate. You scared me. Don’t ever do that again.” Abby instructed before taking McGee’s hand and leading him out to the nurses’ station. “T. . . Tony. . . I’m thirsty.” I croaked in a barely audible voice. “Can you get me some water?” He nodded and hurried out of the room.

Gibbs slowly walked from the door to my bedside. “What the hell were you thinking? You could have been killed!” “ Gibbs, I . . . it was my job to protect you. I did what I had to do.” I explained. “You are never allowed to be on my protection duty again. Guarding someone is one thing, but laying your life on the line is quite another.” “ What can I say Gibbs, you can take the girl out of the Secret Service. . .” I trailed off. That made my boss smile ever so slightly and I in turn let out a brief chuckle. Immediately, there was a stabbing pain in the lower right side of my stomach that took my breath away. As I recovered, the doctor entered my room. “Excuse me, but now that Miss Todd is awake, I need to examine her. You can wait in the waiting room and I will have a nurse come get you when I’m through.” Gibbs left and the doctor started his examination.

He checked my incision while filling me in on what happened. “Miss Todd, the bullet entered the lower right quadrant of your abdomen, it nicked your large intestine where it attaches to the appendix. Fortunately, the bullet did not do substantial damage to the intestine and the internal repair that was performed was not unlike an appendectomy. You’ll be sore for a while but should make a full recovery. It was extremely lucky that neither you nor the fetus were more seriously injured. A few centimeters off and the outcome could be very different.” I listened to him speak but it took a few seconds for me to process. “I’m sorry, I must have misheard you, did you say fetus?”

The doctor looked at me with a slightly confused look on his face. “Did you not know that you were pregnant Miss Todd?” I was unable to speak, so I just shook my head. “That would explain why you were in the line of fire then. You will be discharged tomorrow, after our OB/GYN gives you a clean bill of health.” The doctor hung my chart on the end of the bed and strolled out without a care in the world after he dropped the biggest possible bombshell on me.

Chapter 5: Recovery
I was in absolute shock. My mind raced back to that night on the cul du sac. We were careful. We may have been a little tipsy and caught up in the moment, but we were careful . . . weren’t we? This was insane. I was going to wake up any moment and this would all just have been a dream because I was whacked out on pain meds.

I didn’t have long to think about the knowledge I had just received because Tony returned with my water. He handed me the cup and I sucked it dry. Tony sat down on the stool previously occupied by Abby. “You know Kate; this is a bit of a role reversal for us. It wasn’t too long ago when I was in the hospital bed and you were by my side. Fortunately for you, the pneumonic plague isn’t threatening your life” he exclaimed with DiNozzo charm and that smile that both amuses and infuriates me. “Tony, we. . . I . . . we have to. . .” I started but before I could get a coherent sentence created, Abby, McGee and Gibbs came through my door. “DiNozzo, we’ve gotta go, dead marine at Quantico. McGee, drop Abby back off at NCIS, grab Ducky and Palmer and meet us there.”

Gibbs walked over to my bedside, put a fatherly hand on my wrist and said, “Glad you’re OK Kate. Rest up so you can get back to work soon” and he walked out with Tony following close behind. He waved a goodbye and was gone. “We’d better get going too, Abs. Get well soon” McGee said to me as he tried to guide Abby out of the room. Abby gave him a discontented frown. “Ok, but I’m coming back as soon as I can Kate.” She came over and gave me a big bear hug. “Great Abs, I look forward to it.” I replied. The sooner the better. We definitely need a girly chat. I thought.

The next day, I was released from the hospital. Before they let me go, I had a full prenatal exam, complete with ultrasound. It was such a surreal experience. I still hadn’t wrapped my mind around the fact that not only was I pregnant, but Tony was the father! I tried to decipher the images to see our child. It still didn’t seem real. That is until the doctor flipped a switch and a foreign sound like a stampede filled the exam room. “That’s your baby’s heartbeat, nice and strong. There seems to be no ill effects of your near miss on the fetus.” My eyes welled up with tears. I was instantly in love with this little person. My new OB/GYN sent me home with a list of suggested reading, a sample of prenatal vitamins, and an appointment card for my next checkup in a month.

I was still not allowed back to work thanks to my gunshot wound. It was actually a blessing in disguise since I had no idea how or what I was going to tell Gibbs. I couldn’t go back to working in the field, at least for the foreseeable future. However, as soon as I told the director, Gibbs or both about the baby, I would have to tell everyone. My coworkers were investigators and they would want to know why I was reassigned.

Chapter 6: Confidante
One evening, Abby arrived at my door with Chinese food, chick flicks, and some Ben and Jerry’s. The whole team had been working on a particularly difficult case so it was the first opportunity for us to get together since I was released from the hospital. “Spill it Kate. What’s on your mind? You were totally distracted and I don’t think you even watched he movie.” Abby questioned. “You know me so well. I have something to tell you.” She scooted closer to me on the couch and put her pint of ice cream down.

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. “I’m pregnant Abs.” I blurted out. There was silence so I slowly opened my eyes. Abby was staring at me, unblinking and motionless. It felt like an eternity before she spoke. “Oh my God Kate, that’s fabulous!” I shouldn’t have been shocked by her reaction but I was. Abby always sees the bright side of everything. She truly is the happiest Goth in the world. “So, Ms. Todd, who’s the daddy?” She questioned with a sly smile.

Well that was a short-lived reprieve. Of course my best friend would know that I didn’t have a boyfriend. “Ummmmm . . .” I stalled. “Kate, I promise I won’t judge.” “The baby’s father is . . . Tony.” I thought Abby was going to pass out from the look on her face. I quickly tried to explain what had happened, “We were caught up in the undercover mission, the power was out, and there was a fire in the fireplace and wine. . .” I trailed off, defeated in my attempt at an explanation. “Not judging Kate, I’m just trying to picture Tony even holding a baby and I’m coming up blank.” “I know, I know. Worse still, I have NO idea how to tell him. Tony is such a bachelor. Hell, he’s still a frat boy. I don’t think he’ll take the news well.” Abby put her arm around me. “Maybe he’ll surprise you.”

Chapter 7: Return
My cell phone trilled as I was trying to get dressed. Nothing looked right. It felt like every outfit accentuated the baby bump I thought I had. I was certain that every top I tried on was a bulletin board screaming, “Kate’s knocked up.” I flipped open my phone on the way back to my closet. “Kate Todd” I answered. It was Abby. “So first day back . . . are you psyched?” “Petrified is more like it. We had to change directors while I was on leave. Director Shepard doesn’t know me, or how valuable I am to Gibbs’s team. Even though Director Morrow was tough, he still knew what I was capable of and would know that I would be a useful part of the team, even though I can’t go into the field,” I babbled almost incoherently. “Whoa, whoa, Kate slow down. Not only does your reputation precede you, but you know that Gibbs will want you on his side, no matter what.”

“Ok, enough about that, let’s move on to the fact that I have NOTHING to wear that doesn’t make me look exceedingly pregnant.” Abby chuckled, “Kate, I’m sure that’s not the case. You’re just concerned that the guys will figure out something before you have a chance to tell them. Wear the black top you bought when we were at the spa with your grey slacks and a cardigan. You’ll look fabulous.” Leave it to her to find the perfect outfit in my closet from across the city! “Thanks Abs, I’ve gotta run and get ready. I’ll see you at work.” “ Keep me posted and relax Kate, it will all work out.” Abby reassured me.

I walked into the squad room full of trepidation. Tony, McGee and Gibbs were all sitting at their desks. My desk was vacant, and the desk on the far side of McGee was occupied by a woman I could only assume was Ziva David, the Mossad officer who had started working with NCIS while I was on leave.

I watched the scene for a moment from afar. It was very odd to witness what everyone else sees when they catch a glimpse of our workday. The sounds, the scene, everything was just as it always was except Ziva was my understudy in this show. Maybe Gibbs wouldn’t want to keep me as a part of the team when I couldn’t do my job 100% but this other woman could?

I didn’t have a long time to contemplate it because Tony noticed me at the elevator first and stood up. “Hey guys, look who’s back. Say Kate, when you drink water, does it come out your gunshot wound like it does in cartoons? ” He questioned. Gibbs smacked him in the back of the head. Some things never change. “Shut up DiNozzo.” “Sorry boss.” “Welcome back Kate. This is Ziva David. She has been helping out since you’ve been gone.” Gibbs motioned to Ziva and she offered her hand to me. I shook it and tried my best to be friendly even though I was feeling a bit like my position had been usurped. I couldn’t put it off any longer. Every moment that passed was a moment closer to a phone call and then the “grab your gear” command from Gibbs. He needed to know what was going on with me and we had to find out what the Director would do.

Chapter 8: Admittance
“Um Gibbs, can I talk to you please? In private?” I had to rip off the band-aid and I had to do it now. Gibbs looked up from his computer and nodded. I followed him into his “office” behind the stairs to MTAC. “OK Kate, what’s up?” Gibbs questioned. “Right to the point, that’s what I love about you Gibbs. We . . . well I . . . have a problem. Not so much a problem, but a situation.”

I was floundering. I couldn’t find the right words. “Kate. . .” Gibbs continued. “I can’t go into the field anymore. Well, at least not now. Maybe some day . . .” I was beating around the bush. “Look, I understand that you were injured in the line of duty but you have to shake it off and get back on the horse.” This was not going the way I had envisioned. “I can’t do that . . . my doctor . . . my . . . OB/GYN won’t let me.”

I watched my boss’s face as I uttered that last sentence. I would never, ever play poker with him. The silence was driving me crazy, even though it was only a matter of seconds. I had to fill the void. “I don’t know what that means for me here at NCIS. I can still help with investigations, profiling, all of that.” Gibbs looked at me. “OK” was all he said. “OK? What’s that mean Gibbs? I tell you I’m pregnant. . . OK I didn’t out and out tell you that I’m pregnant but you’re a smart man, so you figured it out. I need to know where I stand with the team. What the Director will do with me. I don’t want Tony and McGee to know, not yet. . .”

Gibbs put a hand on my shoulder and spoke, “I’ll talk to Director Shepard. You’ll be in house. I’ll tell DiNozzo and McGee that Ziva needs experience in how we do things here at NCIS and you still need recovery time. It will be OK Kate.” I let out a huge sigh of relief. The worst part of my day was over. My next hurdle to overcome was to tell Tony he was going to be a father. That could wait for another day.


Or week.
Chapter 9: Scuttlebutt
Gibbs was right and everything was going very smoothly. The five of us made a good team. I actually enjoyed having Ziva as a part of the group. It helped to keep Tony in check. Life had gotten almost back to normal except I had to fight the urge to saddle up when Gibbs and the rest of the team got the call to investigate a crime scene. I think everyone liked having me on desk duty because I was in charge of most of the grunt work.

One morning, Tony came in and something was clearly bothering him. He was not his normal, jovial self. I tried to talk to him but he was very callous. Ziva and McGee picked up on it and made themselves scarce after Gibbs had headed down to autopsy to check in with Ducky. Tony stormed over to my desk in a flash. “When were you planning on telling me Kate? Were you even going to tell me?” he demanded.

I was taken aback. “Tony, what the hell are you talking about?” I was legitimately confused. He gave me a disgusted look. “I know about the baby Kate. How long were you planning to try to hide it? You couldn’t have thought that we wouldn’t notice eventually.” I glanced down at my stomach. I didn’t think that it was noticeable. It seemed as though I had put on a pound or two, but it wasn’t overt. “Tony, I. . . I was going to tell you, but I couldn’t seem to find the right words. I’m sorry.”

He wasn’t listening to me, “I had to overhear, Abby telling McGee that I’m going to be a father. I would have thought that you would have had the courtesy to tell me to my face.” I was going to kill Abby. “I had a right to know about this Kate. I can’t believe this. It’s not exactly something I was expecting or planning for. I’m not really a kid kind of person.”

Now I was getting pissed at him. “Look Tony, I know that you are not the commitment type and certainly not the parental type. You don’t have to worry about this baby or me. I can take care of him or her on my own. Your life won’t be impacted at all. You can still be the perpetual frat boy, chase every skirt that comes your way and live your life as you always have. Pretend like that night on the cul du sac never happened and go about your business Tony. I don’t want you in this baby’s life if you’re going to behave this way!” I screamed at him and stormed out.

I was livid. A thousand thoughts were swirling around in my head. Although I never deluded myself by thinking that Tony would be thrilled with impending fatherhood, I never expected him to come unhinged like that. I knew that I should have told him as soon as I found out but that was water under the bridge. He did have a right to be pissed. It actually wasn’t too hard to see his perspective. Virtually everyone at NCIS knew he was going to be a father before he did. I composed myself and returned to my desk.

I had decided to apologize but Tony was nowhere to be seen. McGee and Ziva had returned though. McGee looked up as I sat down and questioned, “He knows doesn’t he?” I nodded. “Please don’t be mad at Abby. I had a hunch you were . . . in a delicate condition and I forced it out of her. We had no idea that Tony was there.” I glared at him quizzically, “How did you know McGee?” He gave me a little smile, “You had a change in appetite, were wearing looser clothes and the fact that you were now on desk duty was the icing on the cake.” McGee had to read women’s magazines and be so damn observant.

At that moment, Gibbs returned from autopsy. “What are we all doing standing around?” Ziva, who had been silent until now spoke up, “Tony overheard Abby telling McGee that Kate is knocked off, confronted her, they argued and he stormed out.” I sighed, “Up Ziva, it’s knocked up.”

Chapter 10: Reassignment
I ate lunch in the lab with Abby. Tony had returned shortly after Gibbs but the tension was too much to bear. “Kate, I am sooooooooo sorry!” She apologized for the fifth time. I rolled my eyes at her. “Abby, please stop apologizing. It’s my fault. I should have told Tony weeks ago when I first found out. I don’t know how I can work with him though. He’s so angry. I’ve NEVER seen him like this.” My eyes welled up with tears. Damn hormones! “He’ll calm down Kate. It’s Tony; I’ve never known him to hold a grudge.” Glancing at my watch I left my stool at Abby’s desk, “Gotta go Abs, lunch hour is over. It’s time to face the music.” She smiled at me sympathetically as I trudged to the elevator.

Days and weeks passed, but Tony was still very angry. He was all business when we had to interact. It was driving me crazy. I made an appointment with the director. Something had to give. I knocked on the door and was invited in. “Good morning Director Shepard.” She looked up from her paperwork. “Special Agent Todd, how can I help you?”

I took a deep breath. “I have a request. Would it be possible for me to transfer to a different department, at least temporarily?” The Director looked at me quizzically, “I thought you enjoyed working for Agent Gibbs?” “Oh I do, completely. That’s not the problem.” I quickly glanced down at my hand resting absentmindedly on my definite little baby belly, and continued, “There is a bit of a conflict with one of my co-workers and I think it would be easier to put some distance between us, at least for a little while.”

Jenny Shepard grinned slightly, “You and Agent DiNozzo didn’t follow Gibbs’ Rule # 12 did you?” Sheepishly, I shook my head. “I don’t want this conflict to affect my work so I was hoping that you could use my expertise elsewhere.” The Director paused for a moment and searched something on her computer. “I will temporarily transfer you to Agent Cassidy’s team. I hope that your . . . difficulties with Agent DiNozzo will be remedied and I can send you back to Agent Gibbs. He really values you as a member of his team.” “ Thank you so much Director. When do I report for duty with Agent Cassidy?” “ As soon as you can get packed up. I will let her know to expect you.” She explained. “Thank you again.” I said as I turned back towards the door and exited.

The door to the elevator opened. Tony, Ziva and McGee were all at their respective desks finishing lunch. I quietly returned to my desk. “Kate, want some fries?” McGee offered. I shook my head and grabbed a paper box from next to the copier. I started to empty the contents of my drawers into the box. “What are you doing?” Ziva questioned. I inhaled deeply, “I’ve been temporarily transferred to Agent Cassidy’s team.”

I scanned the faces of my co-workers. McGee was confused and shocked, Gibbs had an expression of annoyance, Tony wouldn’t look up from his desk and I couldn’t read Ziva. Continuing to pack my belongings, Gibbs yelled to the rest of the team, “What is everyone standing around for? Get back to work.”

He strode over to my desk. “Is this really what you want?” he questioned. I thought for a second, “No, but it’s what needs to be done for the good of the team. It’s apparent that Tony can’t work with me and that means we’re not doing our jobs. I want to thank you for helping and backing me. I hope that I’ll be back working here soon.

Chapter 11: Resurface
“Agent Todd, would you please come with me?” Agent Cassidy asked. “Of course, where to?” She led me to the elevator and pressed the button to the fourth floor, my old office. “Are you looking to send me back to Gibbs already?” I questioned casually. She chuckled, “not exactly.” was all she said.

As we walked into the office, all of my former colleagues, including Abby and Ducky were there around the plasma. Tony tried to look away but couldn’t and managed a quick once over glance of me. It had been almost 2 months since I transferred and I’d changed quite a bit. “Hi everyone. What’s going on?” The looks on my co-workers faces were not what I would have hoped for. Each person looked noticeably on edge. I turned to my true boss, “Gibbs . . .?” I questioned.

“Ari Haswari has resurfaced. The FBI still believes that he is working undercover for them in Hamas and Al-Qaeda. I don’t buy it.” “OK, well thanks for the update. . .” I started. “We have reason to believe that he is still after Gibbs. I know Ari and he does not give up. What he will do is find another way to get to his target.” Ziva continued. McGee spoke up next, “He’s always had an obsession with you Kate. That’s why we are securing your house, setting up surveillance, and one of us will be with you at all times until we get Ari.”

I wanted to argue; to tell them that I didn’t need protection but at that moment someone, a someone I loved very dearly, kicked me in the ribs. It reminded me that my decisions no longer only affected my life. I was in no position to disagree since the team had a point about Ari. We had definitely had too many interactions and I didn’t need that psycho near me, especially now.

It was very different being on the receiving end of a protection detail. I spent that first day, back in my old office and in the lab with Abby. I missed working with them . . . a lot. Agent Cassidy’s team was great and very welcoming, but no one could hold a candle to Gibbs’s motley crew. The whole day, everyone was behaving as normal.

Before I knew it, quitting time had arrived and I was being escorted home. Tony was assigned the first shift. Of course, Gibbs would force us to deal with one another. The ride home was quiet. Neither of us knew what to say. We never had trouble making conversation before. “I’m used to being the one protecting, not the one being protected.” I commented, trying to break the ice and silence. “It is odd” Tony nodded “It will be really weird when you go to sleep tonight. We’re usually the two awake while our charges catch some Zs.”

We arrived at my house and I surveyed the yard. There was a new security camera out front. In the house, there were more cameras and a few motion detectors. The team was nothing if not thorough. “Tony, can I get you something to drink or eat?” I offered. He sat down at the breakfast bar. “Cup of coffee?” he asked. I set about starting the espresso machine.

“So I never got a chance to ask, how did you discover that Ari was back?” I needed to know everything about this. “We were delivered an unsigned message to NCIS making references to the hostage situation in autopsy as well as the shooting on the rooftop. Gibbs asked Fornell and he confirmed that Ari was let back into the country.” Hearing Tony explain all that sent a shiver straight down my spine. I had flashbacks to that night in Autopsy when he shot Gerald as well as when he shot Marta without flinching while he was holding me captive. I shook it off. “I think I’m going to take a nice hot shower. You need anything Tony?” “ Kate, I’m not here as a house guest. I’m fine.” He paused for a second, “Do you still sing Britney Spears in the shower?” He smiled slightly at me for the first time in months as I left the room.

Chapter 12: Protection
It’s amazing how relaxing a simple shower can be. I wasn’t worried about Ari or the odd silences between Tony and me. My stomach growled and I headed out of my bedroom to grab a quick snack before bed. There was a light on down the hall in the guest room. I had started to redecorate it into a nursery. I quietly crept to the door.

Peering around the door jam, I spied Tony walking slowly around the room. He picked up a stuffed green frog and shook it gently, listening to the tinkling bell in it. His next stop on the nursery tour was the closet with tiny unisex clothes hanging up by size. From there he crossed to the changing table, which I had already stocked with newborn diapers and wipes. It was almost as if Tony were taking in a crime scene. He was studying everything so carefully.

All of a sudden, he placed the frog on the changing table and picked up one of the frames on the dresser. It was ceramic with a cutout for an ultrasound picture and had the phrase “Love at First Sight,” scrawled across the top in sage green. My latest sonogram printout was showing through the window. Tony stared at it for a while. At that moment, my stomach growled again, and alerting DiNozzo that he wasn’t alone. He put the framed picture back on the bureau with lightning speed. Clearing his throat, he strode out of the room past me and down to the mini control center in my living room. I silently went down to the kitchen to get my banana and headed back up to bed without trying to talk to Tony.

Gibbs was in charge of protection duty the following evening. I wouldn’t have thought that my boss would take a turn babysitting me, but there he was, sitting on my couch, flipping through one of my coffee table books. I entered the living room with my cup of tea and a mug of coffee for him. “Thank you,” Gibbs nodded at me. I sat down on the opposite end of the couch.

We sat there in silence for a while. I didn’t really know what to say to him. We had been in a similar, silent situation while Tony was undercover as an ex-con and I had tried to break the silence cycle then to no avail. My back was starting to ache, so I squirmed and stretched to try to relieve some of the pressure the baby was putting on my spine.
“Getting a bit uncomfortable now that you’re nearing the end huh?” I turned to look at Gibbs as he continued, “my first wife was so uncomfortable when she was pregnant with Kelly. She had a softball that she would have me roll up and down her back for hours to relieve the strain.”

“I didn’t know you had any kids.” I commented. His peaceful reminiscent expression suddenly hardened. “I don’t, not anymore. She and her mother were killed by a drug dealer while I was fighting in Desert Storm.” I sat there, trying to find the right words. “Oh Gibbs. . . I’m so sorry. No wonder you don’t talk about your private life.”

He sat there motionless for a moment. “No one at NCIS, not even Ducky knows about Shannon and Kelly.” I nodded. Gibbs didn’t say it, but I knew he didn’t want me to make this privileged information public. He made so much more sense to me now, how protective he is of everyone on our team and why he freaked out when I risked my life for him. “You and that little one had better get some rest. I’ll see you in the morning.” Gibbs stated as he reopened the coffee table book that he had been looking at. I followed his directions and headed up to bed.

The next day in the squad room, I was hoping that Tony, Ziva and McGee had come up with more intel on Ari and were well on their way to catching him. I didn’t like having to be watched all the time. It made me uneasy. The workday flew by as it had the previous couple of days. In the evening, Ziva was on the protection detail. The following few weeks passed in much the same way, work at NCIS during the day and a different co-worker would provide surveillance at my house at night.

One day after lunch, I had to go to a prenatal appointment. Tony and Ziva were out on an investigation, so McGee had the honor of escorting me. Poor Probie, he was so incredibly uncomfortable. When the doctor called my name, he stood up to come with me. “Tim, you should stay here. I won’t be long.” The look of relief was evident on his face. My appointment was completely routine and before I knew it, the doctor was telling me that she’d see me in 2 weeks and to call if I needed anything.

I left the exam room and headed down the hallway towards the waiting area. As I walked, I scanned the literature my OB gave me on the third trimester. I heard a door open to my left. I turned to look at the source of the sound and spotted a person in a mask. At the same time, I was grabbed from behind. A hand was clasped over my mouth and the perpetrator lifted me off my feet. I was carried down the emergency stairs and thrust into a waiting van in the parking garage. “Caitlin, it has been quite a long time since I have seen you. It seems congratulations are in order,” came an all too familiar voice from the driver’s seat. It was Ari Haswari.

Chapter 13: Showdown
Panic grabbed me in a vice-like grip when I heard his voice. I was unarmed, pregnant, and face to face with the terrorist who had been after the NCIS team for over 2 years. Not to mention the fact that a bullet from his gun, aimed at Gibbs had threatened my life only a few months ago. I desperately tried to keep my outward composure.

When I was sure that my voice wouldn’t break in fright I spoke, “Ari . . . I wish I could say I’m surprised to see you but I’m not. I knew it was only a matter of time before you resurfaced. To what do I owe this impromptu, unwelcome visit?” He grinned slyly at me, “Your words hurt Caitlin, you are not happy to see me?” I squinted my eyes at him. “Well, let’s see . . . the last time you were around, I landed in the hospital, fighting for my life after you tried to kill my boss.” “I assure you, neither your life nor that of your unborn child is in jeopardy. I merely wanted to speak to you.” I looked at him incredulously, “then why kidnap me and throw me in a van?”

I slipped my hand covertly in my coat pocket while he tried to explain what he was doing in DC and how he was not a threat. I pressed speed dial number 1 on my cell, Gibbs. Before he could pick up, I disconnected the call and redialed. I couldn’t run the risk of Gibbs answering and Ari hearing his voice. I repeated this a couple of times in the hopes that Gibbs would know what I was doing and just listen when the call finally connected. Ari was rambling on about how he was now purely working for Mossad and other stories I’ve heard before. I let the cell phone connect, left it on and crossed my fingers.

Hours later, I was still in Ari’s custody. I was no closer to really knowing why he had kidnapped me. My assumption was that I was bait to draw out Gibbs. Unfortunately, I knew he would take it hook, line and sinker. “Do you need anything Caitlin?” Ari questioned. “To go home,” was my reply. He chuckled and moved to put a hand on my stomach. “How are you adjusting to the idea of impending motherhood? I didn’t think it was on your . . . agenda.” I slapped his hand away and glared at him. “You do not get to ask me personal things like that!” I screamed. He wasn’t fazed, “I struck a nerve. It amazes me how fiercely protective a mother is towards her child.” “She has to be with people like you walking around.”

All of a sudden, one of his henchmen burst in the room and started shouting in Arabic. Ari grabbed me by the arm, shoved me through a door and left me in the closet. I tried the door but he had locked me in. All I could do was listen and wait. There was a lot of shouting, both in English and in Arabic. Before I knew it, there was a barrage of gunshots. I retreated to the back corner of the closet, sat down, pulled my knees up as far as I could and covered my face.

Seconds or hours could have passed. Suddenly, the door opened and I was blinded by light. I was scooped up into strong familiar arms. I was carried out of the closet and placed gently onto a chair. “Kate, are you alright? He didn’t hurt you or the baby did he?” Tony asked frantically. “No, we’re fine; just a little shaken up. What happened? I had the cheap seats for the conflict.”

“It’s over Kate. The fight came down to Gibbs and Ari, face to face. He knocked Gibbs’s weapon out of his hand and Ari raised a gun to shoot him. Ziva beat Ari to the punch and shot Ari smack dab in the middle of his forehead.” I was shocked. I couldn’t believe that it was finally over. “I want you checked out. I’m taking you to the hospital.” Tony stated.

“Tony, really, I’m fine. Ari barely laid a hand on me aside from shoving me in the closet. The baby has been moving around and I’ve already seen a doctor today.” Tony wouldn’t take no for an answer, “Look, Kate, you may be feeling fine right now but you could be in shock. I won’t take a risk with you or our baby. You are going to be checked out if I have to carry you there myself.”

I grinned at him. “What are you smiling about?” he questioned. “You said, ‘our baby’ and didn’t pass out. You’re making progress.” I chuckled. Tony knelt down on the floor in front of me and put a hand gently on my belly. “Kate, when Gibbs got your phone call and realized that Ari had kidnapped you, my heart nearly stopped. I couldn’t deal with the thought that you or the baby could be hurt or killed. It made me realize how much you both mean to me. I can’t believe how cold I was to you when I found out about this” he rubbed my belly lovingly. “I want to be a part of his or her life Kate, as well as yours. I hope you’ll let me.”

My eyes were welling up with tears. Damn hormones got me again! “Of course Tony.” He smiled his patented DiNozzo grin and hugged me tightly. “Ok, let’s go get the 2 of you checked out.” Tony took my hand and led me out of the room.

Chapter 14: Newborn
I could not believe my eyes. She had to be the most gorgeous newborn ever. My daughter was nestled peacefully in my arms and I couldn’t stop gazing at her. Every one of her features was perfect, from her baby blue eyes to her tiny shell pink toenails. I was so entranced by my little girl that I didn’t even see Tony come into the hospital room. He sat on the edge of the bed and gingerly picked up the baby’s hand. She instinctively curled her petite fingers around one of his. Immediately, a proud grin spread across his face.

“McGee just called; everyone is on their way up.” Tony informed me. “Are you ready for them? Is she?” The baby wiggled a bit and let out a coo. “I think that’s a yes.” I smiled at him. Just then, Abby bounded into the room, dragging McGee by the hand behind her. “Oh my God Kate, she’s stunning! Can I hold her?” Abby gushed. “Of course Abs.” I replied and handed the baby over to my best friend. Tony stiffened up, “Don’t forget to support her head.” He reminded her. Abby rolled her eyes at him, “Tony, I have held babies before. Have you?” That shut him up fast.

The rest of our team entered the room. “My dear, your daughter is gorgeous. Well done!” Ducky exclaimed as he handed me a bouquet of flowers in a vase. Gibbs, ever the silent one, stood over to the side, taking in the scene. Ziva, still unsure of her position in the family aspect of our team, smiled politely and took up position next to Gibbs. The baby was handed from person to person starting with McGee. He held her as if she were made of glass. Tony was very good though and didn’t make fun of poor Probie, probably because he was still getting used to holding his daughter as well and was not much more confident.

While she was in Gibbs’s arms, Abby asked the question that was on everyone’s minds, “So guys, what is this little princess’s name?” I glanced at Tony and he nodded his head. I scanned the faces of our friends and co-workers before stopping at Gibbs. “Her name is Kelly Abigail.” I declared proudly. Abby squealed, “Really? Thanks guys!” and gave Tony and me a huge hug. Gibbs simply glanced down at the now sleeping brown-haired little angel in his arms and then caught my eye. He flashed me a look of approval and thanks before handing Kelly over to DiNozzo. “A beautiful name for a beautiful girl,” Declared Ducky.

The End