A/N: Surprisingly enough I still don't own NCIS or any other things you recognise…

Chapter 25:

The drive back to D.C. seemed to last a lifetime. Driving up the coast, she'd seen endless people having fun: Children playing with Kites, teenagers surfing and couples having romantic walks. For some reason, it all seemed surreal. Like Kate was in a bubble, seeing everything around her yet not truly living it.

She hated feeling this way. As if she were a stranger to herself. Not knowing what caused it only made matters worse.

In the hours stuck to the backseat of a cab, she goes over possible actions she may have taken that landed herself in this mess.

I took some sort of crazy drug… no, I'd never do drugs….

I was drugged by someone? But that doesn't explain the bruises..

I was in a fight…at…at a bar or something where I got so drunk I though it necessary to beat up people and catch a train to Miami. Nope I don't feel hung-over.

I'm mentally insane. Well, that's probably the most likely of the 3….and that's just as crazy as the others.

Eugh, why couldn't Gibbs just TELL me! This mental torture is going to drive me insane, if I'm not already.

Surely nothing's worse than not knowing! With Gibbs, I barely know anything about him, the actual Leroy Jethro – not special agent, but that's an 'unknown' that is (although annoying at times) acceptable. It's not like Gibbs knows everything about me…

The cab pulls over for gas and the driver interrupts Kate's thoughts, "Mind if we take a lunch break, mam?"

"Oh, right, yeah sure. I'll meet you back here in, like, half an hour?" She replies.

"Fantastic, I'm starving!" The man replies as both get out of the cab.

Kate heads over to the small gas station shop. Inside, she' welcomed by a wave of cool air from the refrigerated isle. Heading in that direction, she picks out a meat free, cheese and tomato sandwich (not trusting the petrol station meat to be safe). She then turns to walk to the counter to pay. Kate adds a water bottle to the sandwich and the cashier totals the cost, "That'll be 3$" he says, in a droning tone, clearly out of his mind.

Realising she hadn't checked her pockets to see if she had any money left over from the previous night, Kate hastily empties her pockets. Taking out each ones contents, she finds: the paper with the receptionist's number, a few pennies and another piece of thick folded paper (I'll find out what that is later)before finally retrieving a crumpled 10$ note to pay with.

Picking a shady picnic bench to sit on, Kate opens the sandwich box and takes a bite. She hadn't realised how hungry she was until not. Not having breakfast, and all the stress and confusion, had completely thrown her appetite.

She'd put all the pocket's contents on the table and now begins working her way through them, returning items to their relative pockets. She scrunches up the phone number, but decides to put it in her pocket anyway. The thick folded paper is left on the bench top, the only piece she didn't recognise.

What even is this? Kate asks herself, licking her fingers as she finishes her sandwich. She takes a swig of water before opening it. She was just about able to stop herself spitting the water out at what she sees.

The image of Ari and Kate. I thought Gibbs shredded this? Did someone slip it into my pocket? She looks around, alert for possible threats, before remembering she had seen it when she was back at the motel. Again, Kate crumples the paper in front of her, and again she stops herself from throwing it away. Something was gnawing in the back of her mind, a memory or a thought or a feeling. Not knowing how to trust any of these in herself anymore.

Kate roughly runs her hands though her hair, shutting her eyes and praying this will all make sense soon. Before she does something stupid.

After the call from Kate, Gibbs had been distracted. Not commenting on any of Tony's stupid remarks and gave an almost blank stare when Abby came up to check for news.

After a few hours, Gibbs had said he was going to get coffee…. That was over an hour ago.

Tony, McGee and Abby sit in the bullpen waiting to be told what to do. The FBI had taken over the Haswari investigation due to the team's personal involvement with the case.

It almost would have been better if we'd had the case to deal with, sitting here…all I can think about is Kate. Tony hasn't even seen her since she ran out of the NCIS truck the previous night. He didn't have time to talk to her about Ari – in life or death.

Tony clenches his fist at the thought of Kate having sex with that… No, don't even think about it. You'll only end up punching McGee to make yourself feel better. And we know he bruises like a peach. Tony tells himself. Looking over at McGee, the agent seems to have something to do. Tony leans back in his chair to get a better view of the younger man's computer screen.

"Is our Elf lord conquering a new realm?" He teases as he watches McGee tap instructions violently on his keyboard; making his computer game character move.

"Be quiet, I'm trying to concentrate." He snaps back.

I may not be able to punch him, but anno, frustrate and manipulate…well, they're pretty much my middle name! Wait, middle name's…they're pretty much my….oh never mind.

Tony saunters over to the neighbouring desk as McGee mumbles techno babble at the screen.

Acknowledging McGee's growing anger he leans in to whisper in his ear, "I hate to tell you this, McBanner, but they can't hear you."

The distraction clearly pays off as McGee slams the keyboard and shouts, "I was just about to beat my RECORD!"

Abby walks over, glad for the distraction from her concern for Kate. "Really? Tony, why'd you do that?" She scowls at him.

Tony fakes innocence. "Do what?"

"Oh, come on, you did it on purpose!" McGee sands, facing off with Tony.

"Did what on purpose? Huh, McGee, what did I do?" Tony pushes, stepping closer to the other agent.

"I was asking myself the same question."
All the team's heads whip round to see Kate leaning against her desk, observing their petty argument.

"KATE! Oh, thank God you're Ok!" Abby runs to hug her before anyone else has a chance to react.

As Kate wraps her arms around the scientist, she hears Tony and McGee gasp. Lifting her head from Abby's shoulder, she wears a confused expression.

"What happened to your hands, Kate?" Tony breaths, softer and quieter than usual. As if the sight of her bloody hands changed something in him.

It dawned on her that he, nor any of the rest of the team, had ever actually seen her bleeding. She'd been bruised, beaten and malnourished, but never broken her skin.

Abby instantly pushes Kate's shoulders back away from her to examine her hands.

"I answer to your question, Tony, I don't know. I don't remember anything of last night…or yesterday. Gibbs said he'd fill in the banks." She looks around the bullpen for said agent but comes up empty. Kate winces involuntarily as Abby prods her hand.

"Sorry! Didn't mean to hurt you." Abby winces herself at causing further pain to Kate.

"You should probably get Ducky to check you over." Tony says, unable to hide the worry in his voice.

Kate's about to retort with a sarcastic comment, but Abby jumps forward, pulling Kate's arm with her. "I'll take you down!" She says brightly.

A little too brightly…she's probably trying to hide her worry too. What IS everyone so worried about? What are they hiding.

A/N: The 'McBanner' reference was to Bruce Banner from Marvel comics….better known as the Hulk. Thought it fitted quite well :D

Updates will be spaced out a bit more as I am struggling to decide where to take this. So I'm taking my time to make it really good. But when I've written it, you'll read it!

Claire :D