It is dark and Kate can not take her eyes off the terrorist that is walking around autopsy. She is helping Ducky with Gerald as he has been shot in the shoulder. Kate looks at the tray near the bench. She spots the scalpel and moves towards it. She looks up at Ducky and he shakes his head. She knows it would be a bad idea but choice does she have. She steps forward as quietly as she could and takes the scalpel off the tray and hid it in her hand by her side. She walks up behind and he turned around, they starred into each others eyes and a smile grew on his face. Kate kept a straight face before quickly bringing her arm up and slicing his throat. His hand grasped hers that held the scalpel. Blood started to run down his neck, then he fell to the ground. Ducky ran over to the doors and turned the lights on and the alarm off. Kate stood there starring at the man she just killed with her bare hands. Ducky rushed over to her.
“ Caitlin are you ok?” he asked taking the scalpel out of her hand. She just nodded her head, not sure if her voice would work. Ducky patted her on the arm before going back to attend to Gerald.
“ Ducky?” Gibbs called as he and Tony entered autopsy.
“ Here Jethro. We need to get Gerald to the hospital as soon as possible, he has lost a large amount of blood” Ducky tells Gibbs.
“ Got one on the way Duck” he says. Kate was still in shock and standing over the terrorists body.
“ Kate, are you ok?” Gibbs asked holding her arms and trying to get her attention. She nodded her head again.
“ Are you sure?” he asked. She nodded again. The ambulance officers rushed in with a stretcher and they took Gerald away.
“ Tony take Kate up stairs” Gibbs ordered. Tony took the scalpel out of Kate’s hand and helped her upstairs.
“ Are you ok Duck?” Gibbs asked softly.
“ I’m fine Jethro, I just don’t know what I am going to do with him” he said walking over to the lifeless body.
“ Put him up here and wait for orders” Gibbs said. He helped Ducky lift the body onto the bench before heading upstairs himself.
Kate was sitting quietly at her desk, with Abby telling her how sorry she was. Gibbs walked past and ordered Kate to meet him in the conference room. Kate got up and with a hug from Abby she followed Gibbs up the stairs. Gibbs sat at the head of the table, next to Kate. He asked her questions about what happened, she told him everything in such detail and held herself together. Gibbs told her to go home but she refused.
“ I would rather stay here with everyone else. I don’t feel like being alone right now” she told him. Gibbs nodded his head.
“ Ok, if that’s what you want” he told her. Kate gave him a soft smile.
“ I you need to talk or anything else, I’m here to listen” he said.
“ Thank you” she said before he got up and opened the door for her. She went back to her desk where she was met with more hugs from Abby.
Everyone had finally gone home and Kate reluctantly went home alone. She got dressed and wet straight to bed. She laid in bed tossing and turning not able to sleep as every time she closed her eyes she would see him. His cold stare and smile looking at her. His blood on her hands and on the ground. She opened her eyes straight away and sat up in bed. She rubs her face and looks over at her phone. She jumped out of bed, got dressed into some comfortable clothing and left.
Kate arrived out the front of Gibbs’ house. She could see the glow of the light inside. She knocked on the door. No answer. She waited before knocking again. She waits for him to come to the door but still nothing. She then remembers he is always working on his boat in the basement. She turns the door handle and it is unlocked.
“ Gibbs” she calls out as she enters his house. She can hear footsteps and soon enough Gibbs appears from the back of the house.
“ Kate, are you ok?” he asked as eh saw Kate standing there.
“ I are…I cant sleep” she said softly. Gibbs pointed to the lounge room and Kate walked in and took a seat on his lounge. He takes a seat opposite her and waits for her to talk.
“ Every time I close my eyes I see him, what I did to him” she said just as softly as before.
“ You did what you had to do, to save yourself and your colleges” Gibbs told her in the same tone as she used.
“ I just feel so scared and I don’t know why. I just cant stop thinking about everything” she said, almost crying. Gibbs felt sorry for her. He knew she was strong, but it was obvious this one had a big impact on her. He felt partially responsible for the way she was feeling right now. He got up and sat down next to her.
“ Kate, you have to let it go. You did what needed to be done. If you hadn’t I could be telling your parents right now how sorry I am” he told her strongly. She looked up at him and saw the famous Gibbs look and it started to make her feel better. She nodded her head finally agreeing with him.
“ Can I stay here tonight? I don’t want to be alone” she said as she wiped a single tear away.
“ Sure” he said.
Kate eventually feel asleep on the lounge, Gibbs covered her with a blanket and locked the front door, for the first time in years, before heading back down to the basement.
Kate saw herself run the scalpel across his throat and looked up at his stunned face, something was different, it wasn’t who it was suppose to be.
“ Gibbs!” she screamed waking herself up. She sat up on the lounge breathing heavily. Gibbs raced in to see what was wrong.
“ What happened?” he asked looking at her. She looked horrified and shook up. Kate looked up at him. He was fine, perfect even, like always. She just started to cry. He knelt down beside the lounge and she threw her arms around him. He didn’t know what to do, he never did when it came to crying women. So he just put his arms around her and she hugged him tighter. Once she was sure it was a dream and everything was alright she was able to talk.
“ I killed you, Gibbs. I held the scalpel and I slit your throat, instead of his” she said softly looking at her hands. He put his hands on top of hers as he sat up next to her. He didn’t say a thing, he didn’t need to. Kate rested her head on his shoulder.
“ I get so scared sometimes” she tells him softly, as she gently squeezes his hand.
“ You need to get some rest” he said softly. He went to get up but Kate grabbed him and didn’t let him go.
“ Please stay. I cant sleep when I’m alone” she tells him. Her eyes were pleading him to stay with her. He sat back down next to her and put his arm around her. She cuddled up to him and closed her eyes. Soon enough her breathing evened out and she was asleep again. Gibbs decided to make her more comfortable. He picked her up carefully and took her into his room. He pulled back the covers and laid her down in the bed. He pulled the covers back over her. As he turned to leave she grabbed his hand.
“ Don’t leave me” she said softly then her hand let go of him. He walked around the bed, took his shoes, jeans and jacket off before getting into bed. Kate felt him and she rolled over and put her head on his chest and her arm draped over his stomach. He looked down at her. She looked so beautiful. He put an arm around her shoulder then kissed her forehead.
“ Never” he said softly before placing his head back on the pillow and closing his eyes.