The realtor turned as she walked into the kitchen, spreading her arms. "Certainly a lot of space. Top of the line appliances for dinner guests or just a quiet evening at home. So often, kitchens are either too personal or too... business-like. With this set-up, you can entertain three guests or thirty with ease."

"Wow," Kate said, tugging her purse higher onto her shoulder. "I don't know if I know thirty people."

The realtor laughed a little too hard at the joke. "Well, it's only a rough estimate, dear. If you'll follow me through here, you'll see that the living room looks out onto the full backyard. Room enough for a pool, if you desire, or a deck. One of your neighbors built a lovely cedar deck last year..."

Kate adjusted her black-rimmed glasses and scanned the room. "It's perfect," she said. "It's just what we've been looking for."

"Oh," the realtor said. "I didn't see a ring; I assumed you were moving in alone."

Kate smiled. "Oh, no. My partner and I will be living here."

She watched the realtor's face spread into an over-wide grin. "Ah, oh! Your partner!"

"That won't be a problem, will it?" Kate asked.

"No, no, of course not!" she said cheerfully. "The neighborhood is very progressive." She thought for a moment and said, "We even have an Indian couple a few houses down." She stepped forward and whispered, "I'm not being politically incorrect. They're the kind that are from India. Not the Native Americans."

Kate forced a smile. "Oh."

"Well, if you're certain your partner will agree about the house, why don't we just get the ball rolling on the paperwork right now?"

"Sounds good to me," Kate said, following the realtor back into the den.

---

Gibbs stared at the photos up on the plasma. Gunnery Sergeant Earl Watson, Lance Corporal Lee Daniels, Chief Petty Officer Nathaniel Ray and Petty Officer First Class Natasha Quinn. All four had gone missing from the same off-base housing development within the past seven months. After their disappearances, it had come out that they'd all been living with a same-sex partner.

The partners, none of whom were members of the armed forces themselves, were never harmed. Due to the secretive nature of their relationships, none of the original investigators had noticed the pattern in the abductions.

Tony came up to his desk and said, "Abby confirmed that Kate's got the realtor sold. NCIS just bought a lovely split-level suburban get-away, a home-away-from-home, a place to raise a family, put up a..."

"The realtor give off any vibes when Kate mentioned the partner?" Gibbs asked, cutting Tony off.

"Just overly PC," Tony said. "Kate's signing the final papers right now."

"And her papers are in order?"

"Yep. Captain Caitlin Towne is due to report for duty at Quantico, 0900 tomorrow morning."

Gibbs nodded. "Let's hope whoever is doing this pays attention to the neighborhood newsletter. Is Kate's partner in place?"

"Arriving as we speak."

---

Kate and the realtor stepped out of the house as the blue sedan pulled into the driveway, gravel crunching under the tires. "Oh, good. I was hoping you'd get to meet my partner."

The realtor looked like she would rather eat glass, but pasted a fake smile and followed Kate across the driveway. The door opened and Kate said, "Hey, honey. Did you have any trouble finding the place?"

Paula Cassidy smiled and looked at the house. "Nope. Is everything done? Is this it?"

"This is it. Our new home." Kate smiled and slipped her arm around Paula's waist. She drew the blonde in and put her face against Paula's cheek. "What do you think?"

"Looks like a postcard," Paula smiled. She turned and extended a hand to the realtor. "Patricia Cassini. Pleasure to meet you."

The realtor shook her hand. "Janine Dale. I'll, ah, let you two ladies get acquainted with your new home. Call if you have any problems or questions, okay?"

"Okay," Kate said. "Thank you, Janine."

They watched her get into her car and drive off before climbing onto the porch. Paula let herself into the house, scanning the entry hall. "What, you can't give your lover a kiss hello?"

"Spare me the theatrics," Kate said. She closed the front door and locked it. "Gibbs and Abby already swept the place for bugs during the open house tour. We should be safe to talk."

Paula nodded.

"Thanks for coming all the way out here for this," Kate said. "The options were me and you or Tony and McGee."

"Well, as amusing as that would have been, I jumped at the chance to get back on solid ground," Paula smirked. "The moving van will be here at seven. What do you say we order pizza?"

"Sounds like a plan," Kate sighed, scratching her head. "So we just... sit around and wait for whoever is abducting officers to make their move."

"While Gibbs and the rest of the team run around and have fun following clues." Paula grinned and said, "So. Thin crust pepperoni?"

Kate rolled her eyes. "Work, work, work."

---

Abby stood in MTAC, watching the world through Kate's eyes.

Kate and Paula had ordered and received their pizza and were sitting in the unfurnished living room of their new house. Kate had taken off her shoes and kept looking down at her socks. "Yes, Kate," Abby muttered. "They're very nice Hanes socks. Stop staring at them!"

"Little frustration I hear in your voice there, Abs?" She turned and saw Tony coming down the stadium seating, dropping into the aisle seat in the front row. He had a bag of peanuts, which he ripped open and offered her a handful. "I love this place. Think Gibbs would let me hook up my DVD player? Get some surround-sound..." He looked at the ceiling, figuring out where the speakers were.

Abby walked back and sat next to him, nodding at the screens as she took the peanuts. "How come I couldn't play Kate's girlfriend?"

"Paula's a field agent. If something goes wrong, she can take care of herself."

"And I can't?"

"It's a matter of qualifications," Tony said gently.

"Say something more comforting than that," Abby said.

He thought for a moment and said, "Gibbs didn't want to risk anything happening to you. You're far too valuable an asset."

She smiled. "That's a little better."

He glanced over at her. "If I didn't know better, I'd say that was jealousy in your voice."

"Shh," she said, waving her hand at him. "I hate to miss the coming attractions."

---

Kate adjusted her glasses and said, "It feels weird knowing someone is watching my every move. Like I have a spy camera in my head. Big Brother is watching."

Paula smiled and leaned back, staring at the boxes in the entry hall. The movers had arrived a few hours earlier, unloading their boxes in record time and disappearing into the fading sunset. All the clothes and personal belongings were from storage; various seized items that had been picked pretty much at random to fill the house with props. Kate and Paula had both packed enough of their own things for two weeks, just in case.

Paula stretched her arms out to the side, reveling in the feel of her muscles loosening. "Oh, it feels good to be off that damn ship. And back in the States! This pizza is... actually pizza. Although I'm feeling a little seasick from the lack of motion. Is that weird?"

Kate shook her head, chuckling. "The first case we had on a ship, I was weaving from side-to-side for about a day after we got back. I can only imagine what you're going through."

"Living on a ship, twenty-four seven. I feel like Andy Taylor."

"Without a Barney."

Paula laughed. "And about seventeen Otis the Drunks."

Kate sighed and put down the remnants of her last slice. "I have some toiletries; towels and toothpaste and everything if you need it."

"Packed my own. But thank you."

Kate stood and brushed the crumbs from her pants. "I'm going to head up and take a shower."

"Okay," Paula said quietly. As Kate headed upstairs, she whistled and said, "Um, Kate?" Kate turned. "Unless you want to give the guys in MTAC a show, you might want to leave the camera-equipped glasses here."

Kate blushed and took the glasses off, putting them on the kitchen counter as she passed. "I owe you one for that."

---

"Boo!" Tony said, tossing a handful of peanuts at the screen. "Worst plot twist ever!"

The director of MTAC looked at the peanuts strewn on the floor and then looked at Abby and Tony. They cowed and Abby said, "We'll be good. And he'll pick up his peanuts." She nudged Tony and he climbed out of his seat, kneeling and squinting in the darkness to find the thrown nuts. "Sorry," he mumbled to the tall, bald man. "Got a little caught up in the excitement."

---

While Kate was in the shower, Paula received their first guest. She adjusted Kate's glasses on the counter so they were aimed at the door, hoping the people at MTAC could get a good shot of whoever it was. "Just a minute!" she called. "Eight forty-five PM," she said quietly to the glasses. "Day one."

She answered the door, smiling brightly at the couple standing on the porch. "Hi!" the man said. "I'm Brian Craig and this is my wife, Sophia."

"Hi!" Sophia chirped, raising the covered dish she was holding. "We come bearing casserole!"

"Oh," Paula said. "Well, thank you! We've already had dinner, but... thank you so much for this." She took the dish and held it against her chest with one hand, extending the other to Brian. "I'm Patricia Cassini."

"Wonderful to have you! Welcome to the neighborhood and if there's anything you or your husband need..."

Paula shook her head. "Oh, I'm not married."

"But... well, it's just that you said 'we'..."

"Shower's free," Kate said, coming downstairs. She was wearing a robe, her wet hair smoothed down against her skull.

Paula turned and said, "Katie. This is Brian and Sophia Craig."

"Oh, you're lesbians!" Sophia said, eyes bright.

"Sophia!" Brian hissed. "You're not supposed to call them lesbians!"

"What am I supposed to call them, Brian?" Sophia asked through her pasted-on smile. "Homosexual-Americans?"

"It's fine," Kate said, joining Paula at the door. "We already knew we're lesbians."

Brian smiled. "I apologize for my wife. Sometimes I think there should be a filter on her mouth. Of course, if she did have one, I don't know that I'd ever turn it off."

From the look on Sophia's face, Brian was going to get an earful when they were alone. Kate smiled and said, "Well... thank you again for the..."

"Casserole."

"Mm," Kate said, eyes wide. "It smells delicious. We'll get the dish back to you as soon as we can."

They said their good-nights and Kate closed the door. She turned to Paula and said, "Katie? Don't call me Katie."

Paula shrugged. "Well, what am I supposed to call you? Caitlin seems formal."

"My undercover name is Caitlin. I suppose, if you wanted to give me a nickname, we could go with... just Kate."

Paula shrugged. "Sounds good to me. But that little drop-in brought up a very interesting question. What are the specifics of our relationship? How long have we been dating, what are our likes and dislikes...? Who made the first move?"

"Do you really think people will ask all those questions?" Kate asked, picking up her glasses and putting them on.

"They may ask how long we've been together."

"Okay. Three years."

"Three years?" Paula said.

"Okay, six months. Does it matter?"

Paula said, "Six months and three years are worlds different. It affects how we act together."

Kate sighed and pulled a box over to sit. "Okay. We met a year and a half ago. Your cover story is high school teacher, right?"

"Yeah," Paula said, taking a seat across from Kate.

"Okay. So I was at your school, doing a recruiting drive. We met, hit it off and started dating... and now we've decided to move in together. Bought this house, maybe start a family."

Paula smiled. "Sounds nice."

"Yeah," Kate said. "Although now I've depressed myself. My undercover character has more of a love life than I do."

Paula grinned. "Try living on a boat." She motioned at the door. "What do you think of Mr. and Mrs. Stepford? Think they had anything to do with the disappearances?"

"I don't see it," Kate said, running her fingers through her hair. "The wife didn't seem to have an issue with us. Just uncomfortable. And the guy... I can't see him doing very much his wife didn't approve of."

Paula snickered and stood up, brushing her hands and motioning at the stairs. "I'm going to go take that shower now."

"Have fun," Kate said. "The hot water faucet sticks a little."

"I'll keep it in mind," Paula said, smiling.

---

Gibbs walked down the center aisle, eyes on the screen. Kate was seated in the living room, gathering the paper towels and glasses she and Paula had used during their dinner. Tony straightened when he realized Gibbs was standing next to him. "Hey, boss. Just keeping an eye on Kate. They had a meeting with one of the neighbors... Brian and Sophia Craig."

"Yeah," Gibbs nodded, recalling the name from the file he'd received from the local cops. "Moved in four months after the first officer disappeared."

"So probably not our suspects."

Gibbs headed for the door. "Head home, you two. We'll start interviews with suspects tomorrow."

"Sounds good," Tony said, pushing himself up and jumping over the hand rail. He held his hand out to Abby to help her up and said, "You coming?"

"In a minute."

He turned his hand to wave. "See you tomorrow, Abs."

On-screen, Kate was standing at the sink, reflecting in the kitchen window. She glanced up and saw herself, smiling and waving at the camera. She tucked a wet hair behind her ear and wrinkled her nose, looking away again. "Oh, shut up," Abby sighed. "You always look great."

---

When Paula came out of the bathroom, she found Kate in the master bedroom. The house had come partially furnished, which included a bed. Kate was spreading a quilt out on the bed when Paula walked in, blinking. "Oh. I'm sorry. I just assumed..."

"What?"

"No, it's fine. I can sleep downstairs or..."

Kate stood and shook her head. "Nathaniel Ray was taken from his home in the middle of the night. Who knows when this bastard is watching us? And besides... the secret to a successful ruse is to keep it up even when you think no one is watching."

Paula smiled and walked towards the bed. "Which one of Gibbs' rules is that?"

"That's a Todd rule, actually," Kate said. She took off her robe, revealing sweatpants and a tank top. "Have a preference?" Paula looked up, smirking and Kate's eyes widened. "Uh... side. Preference. Left or... or right."

Paula shrugged and said, "I'll take this side."

"Window open or closed?"

"Open a crack, if you don't mind."

Kate went to the window and opened it a little, taking the opportunity to peer out at the neighborhood. Their house was on the corner, the street curving away from it to the left and the right. The Craig house was across the street and to the left. She had read the file on the other neighbors, but without faces to go with the names...

She closed the curtains and returned to the bed, sitting on the edge to take off her sneakers. "Do you mind if I read a bit?" Paula asked.

"No, that's fine," Kate said. She took off her glasses, aiming the lenses at the wall instead of the bed. She didn't think there were any peeping Toms in MTAC, but one couldn't be too careful. She lay down and fluffed the pillow, turning on her side to face the wall.

"Oh, we're at that point in our relationship, are we?" Paula said.

Kate smirked over her shoulder and said, "How far were you planning on carrying this assignment?"

"Do or die, for God and country, Agent Todd," Paula saluted, smirking down at her book.

Kate chuckled and said, "Good night, Patricia."

"Good night. Katie."

Kate reached up and turned off the reading lamp, casting the room into darkness.

After a few seconds, Paula said, "Very funny."

Kate snickered in the darkness.

---

Abby lay on her back, staring up at the ceiling. Despite rumors floating around NCIS, she did not sleep in a coffin every single night. She reserved it for special occasions. Like wearing lingerie under her work clothes or wearing a really fancy dress to church. Tonight felt like a twin-bed night if ever there was one.

She curled her toes under the blankets, trying not to think of Kate and Paula, across town, in bed together. Just agents, she thought. On a job together. Undercover. She sighed and brushed her hair out of her face. She knew Kate wasn't gay. It had never come up, but it seemed obvious enough. Kate, devout Kate, lovely innocent Kate who blushed at the first mention of sex. Kate was just sleeping with a woman because Gibbs had assigned her to.

So why did she feel so jealous?

---

Sometime around two in the morning, Kate discovered Paula Cassidy was a cuddly sleeper. She woke with lips against her neck, an arm draped across her midsection. She rolled onto her side, hoping to ease Paula back to her own side and ending up further entangled. She sighed and rolled her eyes, giving up the battle and letting herself be held. It had been so long since she'd fallen asleep in someone's arms, who was she to push a willing pair away?

The house sounded nothing like her apartment. When it settled, she lifted her head and sought the source of the creak. It smelled different, felt empty and hollow. Her own apartment wasn't overflowing with character and history, but at least it was hers. She had designed the shadows on the wall and it felt weird being without them.

Eventually, she relaxed enough to fall back asleep. She smoothed the back of Paula's pajama shirt and put her head back down to the pillow.

---

The next morning, Kate woke to find Paula was curled in the fetal position on the other side of the bed. She sat up and slipped out of bed, careful not to disturb the other woman. She found her robe, putting off dressing in favor of the much more dire need for coffee. She was at the top of the stairs before she remembered her glasses, going back and snagging them from the bedside table.

"Mm," Paula murmured, lifting her face from the pillow and peering questioningly at Kate.

"Hey," Kate said quietly. "Coffee?"

"Black," Paula said, dropping her face back into the pillow.

"Decaf?"

"Bring me decaf and I'll divorce you."

Kate chuckled and left the bedroom again. She was halfway down the stairs when the doorbell rang. She tied her robe closed and adjusted her glasses, hoping the MTAC guys were already on duty. She sniffled and opened the door, blinking through the foggy lenses at the man on the porch. "Yes?"

"Caitlin Towne?" he asked.

"Mm-hmm."

"Julian Carey. Block president, president of the Neighborhood Watch, designated welcome wagon." He smiled and glanced at the top of her head. "I... didn't wake you up, did I?"

Kate remembered with horror that she hadn't even been to the bathroom yet. She reached up and, to her dismay, found that her hair had wound itself into a rat's next. "Um... I was on my way down for some coffee... it's no problem."

"I could come back another time if it's more..."

"No, I'm fine," Kate said. "What can I do for you?"

"Well," he said, kneeling and picking up the basket in front of him. "I just wanted to drop off the official Cedar Lane Red Carpet Cornucopia. We have blueberry muffins, banana nut bread, some apple juice, apples and oranges... just bunches of snacks for you."

"Oh," Kate said, taking the huge basket from him. "Wow. Thank you, Mr. Carey."

"Julian, please," he said.

"All right, then I'm Kate... lin. Caitlin."

This time, it was Paula who came downstairs in the middle of the conversation. Kate turned and said, "Oh, Pat. This is Julian Carey. He wanted to drop off our breakfast, kind man that he is."

"Oh," Paula said, making her way over. She cinched her robe and said, "They deliver scrambled eggs in these parts?"

Julian's smile seemed to waver and he said, "Ooh, you two are a couple?"

"Mm-hmm," Paula said, putting a hand on Kate's shoulder. "Met about a year and a half ago. Finally decided to take the plunge and move in together." She leaned in and pecked Kate's lips. Kate was too surprised to return the kiss, hoping Julian wrote off any apprehension on her part as grogginess.

"Well! That's... that's great," he said, nodding a bit too emphatically to be sincere. He grinned and said, "Well, I-I'll let you ladies get back to your morning. Sorry to have disturbed you so early."

"It's no problem, Julian," Kate said.

"Just, ah, wanted to introduce myself. Oh, and to remind you that Wednesday is trash day. Have your bin on the corner by 8:30 or it might not get picked up."

"Oh, speaking of 8:30," Paula said, "We were thinking of having a housewarming party, here on the deck, this Friday. Would that be all right?"

"Yes, of course."

"Great. It starts at 8:30 if you want to stop by."

He forced a smile and nodded. "I'll... try to drop by."

They said good-bye and closed the door. Kate handed the basket to Paula and said, "Well, he's not the guy."

"What makes you say that?" Paula asked, peering into the basket to see what kind of goodies they'd gotten.

"Everyone who has gone missing is in a homosexual relationship. Besides the neighborhood, it's the only thing linking all of the abductions. Unless that guy is self-hating and in the closet..."

Paula smirked. "Just because a guy bakes..."

"And calls himself the official Cedar Lane welcome wagon?"

Paula shrugged and headed for the kitchen, Kate trailing behind. "Be nice. And give me a blueberry muffin."

---

Gibbs pulled out a chair, sitting it in front of his desk as he rounded to the other side. "Have a seat, Mr. Lyons. Can I get you something to drink?"

"No, I'm fine," Ethan Lyons said, taking a seat and pressing his hands between his knees. He was focused on the back wall, the one containing the photos of NCIS' Most Wanted. "I'm a little nervous being in... you know... a government agency."

Gibbs smiled. "We'll try to make it as painless as possible. I just have a few questions about Lance Corporal Lee Daniels."

Lyons nodded slowly. "I don't like to talk about that. But... anything to help catch the bastard who..." He closed his eyes.

"Need a moment?"

"No. Please, go on."

"I just need to go over what happened that night again. Just to be clear on what happened."

Lyons cleared his throat and closed his eyes. "We were on the back deck, barbequing. I went inside to get some more drinks and use the bathroom and I got distracted by something on the television." He sighed and leaned forward. "I fell asleep. When I woke up, I went outside to find Lee. His beer was still on the deck chair. I remember, because I told him a thousand times to put it on the table.

"So I called his name a couple of times, walked around to the front of the house... no sign of him. I went to bed, figuring he'd be in after a while and tell me... you know, that he'd gone across the street or something." He sighed and said, "When... I woke up the next morning and he wasn't there... I assumed he'd gone to the base early. I thought he was mad at me. So, I went to work and came home, cooked him a big dinner to apologize for... whatever. I finally called the base at 6:30 and they told me he'd never been in." He bit his bottom lip and said, "I didn't realize the man I love was missing. For almost twenty-four hours, I didn't have a clue, Agent Gibbs."

"It's all right," Gibbs said.

"And since then... those other people. Is this all because we're gay?"

"We're still exploring options," Gibbs said. "But I don't like coincidences. Every person who has disappeared lived in the same neighborhood, they've all been military officers and they've all been in homosexual relationships. There's a chance they're unconnected, but..."

"I understand." He stood and extended his hand. "Thank you for listening, Agent Gibbs."

Gibbs shook the man's hand and said, "We'll do everything we can to find out what happened. That's a promise."

"Thank you," Lyons said again.

Gibbs watched the man go before sitting again, pulling the file in front of him. He flipped it open and found the name of Petty Officer Natasha Quinn's girlfriend.

---

Paula watched Ethan Lyons pull into the driveway next door, waving from her porch as she pretended to check her mailbox. "Hi!" She made her way across the drive to speak to him. "We haven't had a chance to meet yet. I'm Patricia Cassini."

"Pleasure to meet you," Lyons murmured.

"Is something wrong?"

He forced a smile. "No. I'm just... reliving some painful memories."

"Oh. That's too bad. Well, my partner and I just moved in here and we're thinking of having some people from the neighborhood over tomorrow. You're welcome to join us..."

"Your partner?" he said. "You're..."

Paula smiled. "I'm starting to feel I should introduce myself that way. Hello, I'm Patricia Cassini, schoolteacher, 35, gay."

"I'm sorry. I-I apologize, I do. It's just that..." He looked out at the street and said, "Is your partner in the military?"

"Yes. She's a Marine captain..."

"Then you made a bad decision. This neighborhood isn't exactly... safe."

Paula frowned. "You're starting to scare me, here."

"I'm sorry. Please, I'm... not trying to run you out. But my partner is a Lance Corporal. He disappeared about seven months ago and there have been three other unsolved disappearances since. All of them military officers, all of them in a homosexual relationship, all of them living in this neighborhood."

"Oh, my God," Paula said.

"Just take this as it's meant. I don't want to run you off, but I think you should be aware something is going on here."

"Forewarned is forearmed, right? I appreciate the head's-up..."

"Ethan."

"Ethan." She nodded. "My partner's name is Kate... Caitlin Towne. I'll call her, let her know to be careful."

He nodded. "It was nice meeting you, Patricia. And I'll drop by the party. Sounds like it could be... fun..." He smiled sadly. "I, uh, haven't... had much fun in the past seven months."

Paula smiled sadly and watched him go into the house.

---

Tony reached over and took the white t-shirt from Gibbs' basket. "You mind? My white load is a little uneven."

Gibbs glared at him and took the shirt back.

"That's all right," Tony muttered. "That's fine. I have a couple of light gray shirts that'll be just fine."

Gibbs ignored him, continuing to load his washer. The front door of the Laundromat swung open behind them and Tony turned, watching Kate as she found an empty table nearby and began sorting her clothes. "Business casual. I like it."

Kate ignored him. She was wearing her work-out clothes; a purple Spandex top and black leggings and an oversized sweatshirt unzipped over it all. Her hair was in a loose ponytail, strands sticking up all over the place. A few strands were hung up on her glasses. Gibbs carried his basket over and set it down next to hers. "Pardon me," he said.

"It's no problem," Kate assured him. She loaded a few clothes into the washing machine, added detergent and fed quarters to the machine. When the water began to slosh inside, she carried her empty basket over to the row of ugly orange chairs and withdrew a paperback novel from her bag.

"I'm reading the same book," Gibbs said, taking a seat two chairs away from her.

"Small world," Kate said.

He smiled and crossed his legs, watching the clerk turn pages in the newspaper. "Spoke to the loved ones left behind," he said quietly. "None of them saw anything, no one remembered anything suspicious."

"Suspects?" Kate asked, eyeing the front of the store.

"No one concrete. You?"

"Spoke to a couple of the neighbors. Invited them over for a housewarming party tomorrow. Nothing jumped out at us."

"Let me know what you learn at the party." He paused and said, "You come here often?"

Kate closed the book on her thumb and moved two seats down, away from Gibbs. At the washing machines, DiNozzo cracked up and turned away before Gibbs could glare at him.

---

Kate dumped the clothes in the bedroom and headed downstairs. Paula was on the back porch, surreptitiously watching the neighbors. Kate, keeping in character, bent down and wrapped her arms around Paula's shoulders. "Hi."

"Hi," Paula said, reaching up and squeezing Kate's arm. "How was the Laundromat?"

"Informative. Some old guy tried to hit on me."

Paula smiled, wondering if Gibbs was back at NCIS observing them. "Come on inside," Kate said. She took Paula's hand and led her off the deck, into the living room. They stood by the back door, foreheads together. Paula looked at the back door out of the corner of her eye. "Do you think anyone's watching?" she asked.

"I don't know." She looked down at Paula's lips and said, "I never had a chance to ask you... What was with that kiss this morning?"

"I was in the moment," Paula shrugged. "Should I not have..."

"No," Kate said quickly. "No, it was good. Just... a little warning next time. Would be good."

"Okay," Paula smiled. "Well, fair warning... tomorrow at the party might be a good time for some public displays of affection. See who reacts to it."

"Good idea," Kate said.

Paula nodded. "I'll let you lead the way on that. I'm... not exactly sure what you're comfortable with."

Kate smiled. "I guess I do have a puritanical reputation around the office."

"Well, it's mostly DiNozzo. So his idea of puritanical..."

Kate laughed. "Well, in the line of duty, I'm not averse to a little groping." She put her hands on Paula's hips and tilted her head, lightly brushing her lips against Paula's. "A little tender kiss. Just to sell us as a couple."

"And if I stroked your hair off your cheek," Paula said, demonstrating and cupping her palm against Kate's face.

Kate lowered her eyes, looking at Paula's lips. "That'd be appropriate."

Paula looked into Kate's eyes and saw her own, suddenly realizing, "Are your glasses on?"

Kate stepped back and covered her glasses with her hand.

---

Tony shook his head, reclining in an MTAC chair. "Man, I love this show."

---

They ordered Chinese for dinner, as a change of pace. Paula had spent most of the day unpacking the boxes, trying to make the random objects picked out by NCIS agents fit in the home. The photographs on the wall were supplied by Kate and Paula themselves, pictures of parents and of themselves as kids. Kate was staring at a photo of Paula wearing riding clothes as she unwrapped her chopsticks. "You ride?" she asked when Paula returned from the kitchen.

"I did," Paula said. She took a seat and looked at the picture. "I was thrown when I was twelve. Never got over it. I just... couldn't trust a horse after that."

"Were you badly hurt?"

"Shoulder and broken collarbone."

"I thought you were supposed to get right back on after you were thrown."

Paula nodded. "Oh, you are." She sighed and shook her head. "And I did. For about a month, just to appease my parents and physical therapist. Show them I wasn't scared so much as... turned off. After that, horses were just big, frightening animals." She pressed her lips together and looked down at her food. "How about you? Horses...?"

"No," Kate shook her head. "I always wanted one, but I could barely balance a bicycle."

Paula smiled and said, "So, I invited most of the neighborhood to our little soiree."

"Get any 'I'm a killer' vibes from any of them?"

"Unfortunately, no. Not that easy," she sighed and brushed her hair. "Looks like we'll have to do the party thing. Is Gibbs coming?"

"No. Lyons has met him, knows he's NCIS. But my brother Tony will be here."

"Tony Towne?"

Kate laughed and shook her head. "Oh, poor Tony." She took off her glasses and set them on the table, aiming them at the back door. "I hate looking at you and thinking someone else is spying on it."

Paula smiled. "That's nice."

Kate fished a dumpling from her take-out container and slipped it into her mouth, staring at the glasses and wondering if Paula would try to kiss her again now that they were off.

---

Gibbs sat in the darkened squad room, staring at the computer screen. Tony came back to his desk, grabbing his backpack and looking over at Gibbs. "Kate and Paula headed for bed. I'm calling it a night."

"Where's McGee?" Gibbs asked.

"Down with Abby. They've got Petty Officer Quinn's car down in the evidence garage; the one they found abandoned on the side of the road. Trying to see if whoever grabbed her left any evidence."

"See you tomorrow, DiNozzo."

"See ya, boss."

Gibbs, alone again, leaned back and stared at the list of neighbors. No criminal records, no warrants or anything suspicious in their histories. It was a typical American neighborhood. And, according to Julian Carey's file, he'd lived with two men over the past nine years and never had an issue. So the connection was definitely military. An anti-gays-in-the-military statement?

He had run full background checks on a couple of the names. Brian Craig had been arrested at age 22 for marijuana possession, mostly a case of the cop trying to make an example to Brian's friends. He spent the night in jail and was released the next day into his father's custody. The neighbor a few houses down from Kate and Paula had been picked up on a domestic disturbance call.

He sighed and shut down the computer. It would probably hit him in the morning. For now... he needed to give his boat some TLC.

---

Kate showered and changed into a long t-shirt and panties, heading in to bed. Paula was already under the quilt, curled on her side. Kate closed the window and shut off the reading light, stretching out on her side of the bed. After a moment, she rolled onto her side and slid closer to Paula. She kissed Paula's shoulder through her pajama shirt, slipping a hand around her waist.

"Kate," Paula whispered. "What are you doing?"

"Playing a part," Kate said.

Paula rolled onto her back and looked up at Kate, brushing her hair out of her face. "Are you sure?"

Kate shrugged and leaned down, kissing Paula's lips. "I've been thinking about kissing you," Kate whispered, "since this morning." She flicked her tongue against Paula's top lip and shifted, straddling Paula's body.

Paula automatically put her hands on Kate's thighs, fingertips under the hem of her t-shirt. She tensed her fingers, surprised at the muscles she felt beneath the satin skin. "God, you're rock hard..."

"And I thought one woman couldn't tell that to another..."

Paula laughed and was surprised again, this time by a full-on kiss. She felt Kate's tongue in her mouth and felt herself give in. Her hands moved up and she dug her fingernails into the curve of her ass. Kate groaned into Paula's mouth and broke the kiss, rising and pulling the t-shirt over her head.

"Have you ever done this before?" Paula asked, eyes locked on Kate's bare breasts.

"Once," Kate whispered.

Paula moved her hands up, covering Kate's breasts with them and brushing her thumbs over the erect nipples. "Are you cold?"

"I'm hot," Kate said, blushing.

Paula licked her lips and pushed herself off the mattress, kissing Kate's chest and wrapping her hands around the other woman's slender body. She pressed her hands flat against Kate's shoulder blades and pulled her close, burying her face between Kate's breasts. "I've never been with a woman before," she admitted, sliding her hands down. She slid them under the waistband of Kate's panties.

Kate sighed and buried her face in Paula's hair. "The first woman I slept with was my best friend. It was tender. I want to be like that for you."

Paula moved her lips to Kate's nipple and gently bit it, stroking the bud with her tongue. Kate sighed and pushed Paula down onto the mattress, covering her with her body. Paula reached up and slid her hands between the mattress and the headboard, bending her knees. Kate sat up and looked down, working the buttons on Paula's pajamas and exposing her chest.

"You're so beautiful," Kate whispered. She lowered her head and kissed the swell of Paula's breast, away from the nipple. Paula shivered and closed her eyes. Kate moved herself until she felt the curve of Paula's hip between her legs. She kissed her way up to Paula's neck, burying herself in the curly blonde hair as she pressed herself against Paula's hip.

"That's good," Paula whispered.

Kate moved her hand up and cupped Paula's breast, riding her in slow, steady strokes, rolling her shoulders and squeezing her legs around Paula's body.

Kate put the palm of her hand against Paula's chest, feeling her heartbeat, feeling how it quickened. She moved her lips up to Paula's ear and whispered, quick words, forgotten as soon as they were spoken, and Paula moaned replies.

When Kate came, she tightened her hand on Paula's breast and bit gently down on her shoulder. Paula arched her back, moving one hand between her legs and stroking herself as she knew Kate's orgasm had crested. When Kate could move again, she rearranged herself and lay next to Paula, covering her hand and guiding her masturbation. Paula arched her back against the mattress, gritting her teeth as she came.

When the static cleared and they were alive again, Paula blinked a few times before turning to face Kate. She cleared her throat and stroked Kate's face in the darkness. "Good night, Patricia," Kate smiled.

"Good night, Caitlin."

---

Kate looked up as Paula came downstairs, looking uncomfortably aware of what had happened last night. "Morning," she said. "I smell bacon."

"And scrambled eggs," Kate said. "Sleep well?"

"I did. Very well."

"I made a list of things you'll need to pick up for the party. Chips, salsa, punch, things like that." She handed the sheet of yellow paper across the counter and said, "Anything else we might need?"

Paula scanned the list. "No, not that I can see." She sighed. "I didn't have a housewarming party for my real house."

Kate smiled and served a plate of eggs to Paula. "Hope scrambled is all right. It's the only thing I can make."

"Scrambled is perfect." She poured a glass of orange juice for herself and Kate, carrying her drink and plate over to the table. "So, you're working today?"

"Briefly," Kate said, taking a seat across from Paula. "That's the joy of being undercover; the boss can pull strings to make sure you don't do very much actual work."

Paula smiled.

"So. Last night..."

Paula cringed and said, "Yeah."

"I want to apologize if I did... anything that..."

"No, it's me who should be apologizing. I just... lay there while you were..." She blushed and gestured with her bacon.

Kate smiled. "I wasn't exactly complaining."

Paula took a sip of her orange juice and said, "It... probably can't happen again. Just for convenience sake. But it was... fantastic. And wonderful. And... the best I've had in a long time. But... can I just ask what brought it on?"

Kate leaned back. "I don't know. It's something I've been dealing with since I was fifteen. Always attracted to my girlfriends... I've always fought it. But last night, sleeping next to you, with you wrapped around me..."

Paula winced. "I've been told I'm a cuddly sleeper."

"You've been told correctly," Kate assured her. "It just felt like a natural progression. I knew I would regret not taking the opportunity."

"Well, I'm... I'm very glad you did."

They ate the rest of their breakfast in companionable. Kate finished first and put her dishes in the sink. Paula walked her to the front door and pulled off the camera glasses. "This is just for you and me," she whispered, aiming the lenses at the kitchen as she kissed Kate good-bye. "Have a good day."

Kate smiled and said, "Thank you." She replaced her glasses and headed out.

---

Tony dumped his backpack and looked over at Gibbs' desk. "You did go home last night, didn't you, boss?"

"Thought of something last night," Gibbs said, typing something before turning to the screen. "Whoever is taking these officers may be making a statement against gays in the military."

"Right," Tony said, walking over. "But we checked. No one in the neighborhood has a record of serving in the military."

"No one in the neighborhood," Gibbs said. "We didn't check family members."

"Anyone jump out at you?" Tony asked, coming around behind Gibbs' desk to look at the screen.

"Sophia Craig's uncle was in the Air Force. The neighbor on the corner has a brother in the army who was killed two years ago in Iraq. Find anything you can on them."

"On it, boss."

Gibbs' phone rang and he snatched it up, listening for a moment. "Abby's got something. You stay here and work on those backgrounds. When McGee gets here, send him down."

---

Abby paced around the front of the car, clapping her hands together when Gibbs arrived. "Okay, this is the car found abandoned when Petty Officer Quinn disappeared, right?"

"Right," Gibbs said.

She moved to the driver's side and pointed at the front seat. "Notice anything?"

Gibbs peered through the open window and shook his head. "What am I supposed to be seeing?"

"Natasha Quinn was five feet five inches according to her driver's license. I'm a little taller than that, so..." She slipped behind the wheel and put both hands at ten and two. "Now notice anything?"

"You're not smashed in."

"Exactly. This car was last driven by someone taller than our petite Petty Officer."

"Her girlfriend?"

"Already called and checked. She's five-foot-four."

"Good work, Abby. I don't suppose you..."

"Checked the driver's seat and floorboards for trace?" Abby said, climbing from the car. "Random bits of gravel, dirt and a crushed leaf. Various fast food detritus, which is common. A lot of this is probably from Petty Officer Quinn, but the gravel could give us a location for her abduction."

Gibbs nodded. "The driveway at Quinn's house is pavement, not gravel. There are only three houses with gravel driveways in that neighborhood..." He worked his memory and said, "The house we bought for Kate and Agent Cassidy, Brian and Sophia Craig's house and Julian Carey's. Sophia Craig has an uncle in the military."

Abby frowned. "Is that important?"

"Possibly." He turned to her and said, "What time did you get in this morning?"

"Five."

"Go get some rest, Abs," Gibbs said, heading for the elevator.

"Right," Abby nodded. "Home."

---

The MTAC director looked up, sighing as Abby entered the room again. "I'm going to start charging you people admission."

Abby ignored him and climbed into the seats, taking one front-row center. She put her feet up on the hand rail, watching as Kate drove through an idyllic neighborhood. "Where were you last night, Caitlin?" Abby muttered. "And why did you leave your James Bond glasses on the living room table all night?"

She chewed on her bottom lip, trying to figure out what Kate had been up to the night before and trying to figure out why she suddenly felt so damn jealous.

---

Paula moved to the living room window, watching the neighborhood. Brian and Sophia were home, packing the back of their station wagon for a trip. Sophia paused at the head of the driveway, berating Brian about something while he continued to pack the car obliviously. She walked out to get the mail, 'accidentally' catching their eye and waving. Sophia started over and Paula paused on the sidewalk.

"Morning!" she said. "Any luck finding work?"

"Oh, I have an interview with a school on Monday," she lied. Before Sophia could question her further, she nodded at the half-loaded car. "Looks like you're taking a trip."

"Yes, we're leaving tomorrow. Don't worry, we'll still be here for your party with bells on. 8:30, right?"

"That's right," Paula said. "Where are you guys heading?"

"Charlotte," Brian said. "We're visiting her mother. For two days!" He forced a smile and heaved another bag into the back of the car.

Sophia glared at him before turning back to Paula. "So... where is Caitlin today?"

"Oh, she's at work. We moved here because she had a transfer, so... there's no job-search for her."

"Oh, how wonderful! It's so wonderful that you moved here for her. Really shows commitment!"

Paula smiled and said, "Well, I'll let you guys get back to your packing."

"Okay! See you tonight!"

Paula wished them well and headed inside. Brian and Sophia leaving... it could eliminate them as suspects, strengthen their viability as the kidnappers or be completely innocuous. She sighed and dropped the mail on the foyer table. Mostly bills, flyers and...

She frowned when she saw the unstamped envelope. She shifted the envelopes so she could see the address label. It said Caitlin and Patricia Towne, but... who would send them mail here? She ripped the envelope open, spilling the contents into her hand. It was a simple note, written on notebook paper in Gibbs' steady hand.

"Sophia Craig has an uncle in the military. The driver's seat in Natasha Quinn's car was adjusted for someone of her height. We're looking into getting more, but for now keep an eye on her."

She frowned and walked to the phone, dialing the number for Gibbs' personal line. When he answered, she said, "Uncle Jethro! I didn't catch you at a bad time, did I?"

"No... not at all. What's up?"

"Oh, nothing. Just trying not to go crazy in suburbia. My neighbors, though, they have the right idea. Getting out of town for the weekend." She laughed and said, "I've been here all of three days, I'm already thinking of leaving with them."

Gibbs paused. "Which neighbors?"

"Brian and Sophia Craig. Great people, really, very sweet. They're coming to the little soiree we're throwing tonight, leaving tomorrow."

"Okay. Thanks for the heads up."

"It was nice talking to you, Uncle Jethro."

She hung up and returned to the window, pushing aside the curtain and watching the 'happy' couple continue packing for their trip. She wondered now if Kate would be their unwilling travel companion...

---

Gibbs spent the morning digging into Brian and Sophia Craig's criminal histories. He'd already found Brian's night in jail, but he wasn't convinced that was all that existed. McGee reported, "Brian and Sophia Craig moved to the neighborhood from a small town in Manassas. They moved in four months after the last disappearance, right after the second couple moved into the neighborhood."

Gibbs leaned back in his chair. "Four homosexual couples, all of them with ties to the military, move into the same edition within a handful of months of each other?"

"Maybe the realtor advertised on Craigslist," McGee said.

"Brian and Sophia Craig have a list?"

McGee glanced at Tony and said, "Ah... no, I was... talking about the, the online... it's a sort of..."

"It's the classifieds section of the newspaper online," Tony said.

"Exactly."

Gibbs stood and said, "Could there be an online listing for this house?"

McGee glanced at Tony. "Well... I-I wasn't being serious. But I suppose there's a chance..."

"Find out, McGee."

"On it."

Gibbs looked at Tony. "What do you have on Sophia Craig?"

"Arrested once in 1991. We missed it because it was before she married Brian Craig, so the charge was against Sophia Betancourt. Assault and battery. Victim refused to press charges, because Sophia was her friend."

"Why the assault?"

"According to the victim... ooh. She had just come out to Sophia."

"Of the closet?" McGee asked.

Tony turned and looked at him. "No, probie, she came out of the witness protection program."

"A friend tells Sophia Craig she's gay, prompting an attack," Gibbs said.

"Think it could be a coincidence?" Tony asked, smirking. Gibbs glared at him and the smile vanished. "Should we grab her before she leaves town?" "No. If she sees you here and then at the party, it could blow Kate and Paula's cover. And she will be at the party, because we have nothing to hold her on. But you keep a close eye on her, you got me, DiNozzo?"

"Loud and clear, boss."

Tony moved to McGee's desk and said, "What do you think, probie? Maybe a nice Hawaiian shirt... khaki pants... what are the hip kids wearing to parties these days?" He laughed and slapped McGee on the shoulder. "Oh, I'm sorry. You wouldn't know that, would you?"

McGee glared at him and went back to searching for an online directory of homes for sale.

---

Kate arrived home at the same time Paula did, helping her carry in groceries. "Anything new to report?" Kate asked as they walked into the house.

"Gibbs thinks Sophia Craig is our best bet. I'm not sure what all they have, but I do know Brian and Sophia are headed out of town this weekend."

"Probably not a coincidence," Kate said, taking off her glasses. "If you're okay down here, I'm going to head upstairs and grab a quick shower."

"Okay," Paula said.

Kate left her glasses on the foyer table, facedown. She brushed her shoulder against Paula's as she headed to the stairs. Paula looked at the camera glasses for a moment and watched Kate head upstairs. She quickly put away the cold groceries and hurried upstairs, pausing outside the master bathroom. What if she'd misconstrued Kate's signals? What if leaving the glasses downstairs was just because she was going to be in the shower?

She eased the door open and looked at the blurred outline of Kate through the shower curtain. She stripped quickly, bending down to pull off her socks and underwear before she pushed the curtain aside and looked at Kate's bare back.

Kate looked over her shoulder, crossing her arms over her chest. "Yes?"

"I... was just..."

Kate smiled. "As long as you're here," she looped her hair around her hand, draping it over her shoulder, "you can do my back."

Paula smiled and stepped into the tub. She smoothed her hand down the small of Kate's back, chasing droplets of water over the curve of Kate's spine. "You're not at all what I expected, Caitlin Todd," Paula whispered as she pressed the knuckle of her finger into the dimples above Kate's ass.

Kate bowed her head and leaned against the wall as Paula's hand ventured lower. She closed her eyes and sighed. She spread her legs and pressed her feet against the sides of the tub, praying she didn't slip and fall. Paula kissed Kate's shoulders, running her tongue over the water and trying to differentiate between the shower and sweat. Kate rocked against Paula's hands, deciding not to complain that this was not what she meant by 'do my back,' and relished the feeling of two, three fingers working against her.

She came, jerking slightly against Paula's hand before turning to face her. Paula kissed her own fingers before offering them to Kate and meeting her in a kiss. Kate smoothed Paula's hair out of her face and said, "We should be getting ready for the party."

"We are."

"How do you figure?"

Paula nipped at the corner of Kate's mouth. "I'm getting my fill of you. So I won't be all over you at the party."

"Well, by all means," Kate said, pushing Paula back. "Let me fill you."

---

The first guest to arrive was Ethan Lyons. Kate answered the door in a blue silk blouse and white trousers, stepping back to allow him inside. "Hello, thanks for coming. I'm Caitlin Towne."

"Ethan Lyons," he said, tentatively taking her hand. "I live, uh, right next door..."

"I think I've seen you around. Please, make yourself comfortable. Refreshments are out on the deck and the rest of the guests should be arriving any minute." Before she could close the door, Brian and Sophia started across the street from their house. Kate waited for them on the porch, greeting them with a smile when they got near. "Hello! Thanks for coming."

"Wouldn't miss it!" Brian said.

Sophia said, "Now, your... um, your... Patricia. She told you that we had to leave early...?"

"Yes, it'll be fine. I really appreciate you making the time to drop in." Sophia smiled and headed inside. "Refreshments are on the deck." She smiled at Brian and said, "Brian, thanks for coming."

"I consider it one last breath of fresh air before spending two days with Sophia and her mother." He smiled and then tilted his head. "Is that... I apologize, I shouldn't ask..."

Kate touched her right ear, where Brian had been looking. "No, it's all right. I'm just a little hard of hearing in this ear. I only wear it at parties and social events. Like tonight!" She laughed and he smiled, a little embarrassed about pointing it out. Kate shut the front door and scanned the party.

Paula was already talking with Ethan, while Sophia and Brian were making a plate of chips and dip. Paula had put on some music, a low instrumental piece that wasn't intrusive. Kate smiled; it was almost like a real house. She sighed and headed into the kitchen, knowing that someone - possibly Gibbs - was watching the party through her eyes.

"Can you hear me?" she whispered.

"Loud and clear," came Gibbs' voice through her ear piece.

"Ethan Lyons and the Craigs have arrived," she whispered, pretending to mix a salad. "Any more suspects?"

"Sophia Craig was arrested in the nineties for attacking a girlfriend who revealed she was gay."

"History of homophobia?" Kate whispered, watching the woman across the room. "But she moved in four months after the first disappearance."

"We're working on that," Gibbs assured her. "For now, keep your eye on her. DiNozzo should be there soon."

"Okay. I'll be in touch."

She picked up the salad bowl and headed into the other room. Paula smiled as Kate approached, kissing her cheek when she was near. "Hey, honey. I was just telling Brian here how we met."

Kate glanced at Sophia and said, "Well, it's not all that interesting. I just saw her in the hallway and couldn't tear my eyes off of her."

Sophia smiled, a pinched expression that didn't reach her eyes. She glanced at the stereo and said, "So, are we expecting any other guests?"

"Well, I hope so. We invited the entire neighborhood." Kate put a hand on Paula's shoulder and said, "Honey, why don't you take a look outside, see if there are any stragglers."

"Okay," Paula smiled. She pecked Kate's lips, a much more fluid move now that they'd been intimate, and headed to the front door.

"I know one more for sure who is coming; my brother, Tony."

"Oh, that's wonderful!" Sophia said, brightening now that the topic was a bit more comfortable. "Is he from around here?"

"Yes... Falls Church."

"He works in law enforcement," Gibbs said in her earpiece.

"He's a cop."

"Oh, how wonderful!" Sophia said. Kate watched her carefully; the news of a cop coming to the party didn't seem to affect her one way or another.

"Either she's very confident she won't get caught," Gibbs said. "Or she's not the kidnapper."

'Who else could it be?' Kate wondered to herself. Ethan Lyons was standing by the patio door, watching the sky. Ethan? Could he have killed his lover and then staged the rest of the abductions to cover it up? Make it look like the work of a serial killer? Until the other guests arrived...

Kate looked around, suddenly nervous. "Where's Patricia?"

"Hmm?" Sophia asked, looking around. "I don't know... last I saw, she was heading for the door."

"Last thing I remember," Brian half-sang, "she was runnin' for the door."

"No one likes the Eagles anymore," Sophia muttered. She glanced at Kate, who excused herself and rushed to the front of the house. Sophia sighed. "New couples. Always have to be five inches from each other."

Brian laughed. "Yeah. What were we thinking?"

Sophia glared at him and went to talk to Ethan.

Brian sighed and downed the rest of his punch. "Seven hour drive to Charlotte. Can't wait."

Kate, meanwhile, threw open the front door and rushed onto the porch. All of the abductees so far had been the military officer, but what if the kidnapper was changing his tactics? Since NCIS was giving the case attention, he might want to distract them. Plant doubt about whether or not this was connected.

Her shoes crunched on the gravel of the driveway as she scanned the front yard. "I can't find Paula," she said in a hiss.

Gibbs said, "Do you think she's been taken?"

"I don't know. I don't know." She was breathing heavily, eyes wide behind her glasses.

"You talk to yourself, too, I see?"

She spun around, taking a step back. Julian Carey held up his hands in surrender. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to intrude."

"Have you seen Patricia?"

"Oh, is that who you're looking for?" he said, looking back towards the house. "I just saw her inside, I thought."

Kate went up onto the porch and saw Paula standing by the stereo with Ethan Lyons. She sighed and touched her glasses, shaking her head. "God." She put on a smile and faced Julian again. "Sorry. I'm... it's just jitters."

"I understand," he smiled. "I was actually wondering if you could help me. I brought a snack tray and... well, it's a little unwieldy. I could use a hand carrying it."

"Sure," Kate said, adrenaline slowing. She followed him down the driveway, towards his house. "So you talk to yourself, too?"

"Mm-hmm," he nodded, laughing. "Of course, when I call for my lovers, I usually get their names right."

"Pardon?"

"I could've sworn I heard you say you couldn't find Paula."

Kate laughed, trying to hide her discomfort. "I don't think I even know a Paula. I guess I was more frantic than I realized."

"Yeah. Guess so."

Sometime in the tone of his voice made her turn, catching the blackjack on her jaw instead of the back of her skull. She went down to her hands and knees, the earpiece of her glasses breaking. They swung down over her face as Carey swung his small black bag again. The weight hit her in the center of the forehead and knocked her flat on her back. The glasses settled haphazardly against her face, lenses turned toward the open door of her house where the party was still raging.

---

Paula excused herself and answered the ringing phone. "Patricia Cassini," she said.

"Julian Carey just took Kate. He's outside."

Paula dropped the phone and ran into the hall, pausing only long enough to pull her gun from the hiding place under the foyer table. "Whoa," Sophia said, eyeing the weapon. "What's going..."

Paula ignored her and pushed through the open front door. Headlights swam across the front yard and she took aim at the driver's side window, only relenting when Tony raised his hands through the window. "What's going on?"

"Julian Carey has Kate!"

Tony pulled his gun and joined Paula scanning the neighborhood.

"What the hell is going on?" Ethan asked, joining Brian and Sophia on the porch. Another group of neighbors stood stock-still at the edge of the lawn, arriving late to the party and finding instead what appeared to be a hostage situation.

"Paula!" Tony shouted.

"Who is Paula?" Sophia asked.

A car two houses down had just come to life, headlights blazing as it squealed out of the driveway. Tony and Paula ran to the street, firing at the car.

The party guests hit the deck, screaming. Tony was in the street and the car swerved to hit him. He jumped out of the way at the last moment, slamming into a brick mailbox and tearing the shoulder of his jacket open. He cursed and stumbled to his feet, running down the street. Paula brought her gun up, but Tony pushed it down. "You may hit the trunk. He may've put Kate there."

He pulled out his cell, dialing Gibbs' number as he ran back to his car.

---

Gibbs pulled the headset off, shoving it into Abby's hands. "Keep an eye on her," he said, eyes on the screen. Kate had been dropped into a truck, the screen now completely black. "If she comes to, talk to her. Keep her calm."

He ran from the room as Abby fitted the headset over her bun. "Don't worry, Kate," she said. "Gibbs will find you."

---

Tony and Paula peeled out of the driveway, leaving the party guests on the porch in a stupor. "I'm sure she's fine," Tony said, gripping the wheel hard.

Paula ignored him, drumming her fingers against the dashboard. Tony glanced over at her and said, "I mean it. We've got a BOLO out on Carey's car, Gibbs has Metro rolling already... he's not getting away with her."

"Would you just drive, DiNozzo?" Paula said sharply.

He turned back to the road and turned out of the edition, spotting the receding taillights of Carey's vehicle. "See? Not going anywhere."

He pressed his foot tighter to the gas pedal.

---

Abby was staring at the screen when a spot of light suddenly swept from the bottom right corner to the top left of the image. She jumped, moving the microphone over to her lips. "Kate? Are you there?"

Static, and then, "A--y."

"I think your speaker is broken. Don't try and talk, the crazy guy might hear you. Just... nod if you can hear me."

The little white spot moved up and down. The image trembled and then the image was almost entirely black. "What just happened?" Abby asked.

"I'll switch to low-light," the MTAC director said, typing the command.

Suddenly, Kate's green-tinted face appeared on the screen. There was mud caked along the right side of her face, blood dripping from her nose and a cut on her cheek. Her eyes, turned reflective in the light, scanned the darkness. "Whoa, Kate, very Blair Witch."

Kate smiled a little, tears glistening in her eyes.

"Don't worry. Gibbs is on his way. Tony and Paula saw you get grabbed and they're right behind the bastard." She bit her bottom lip, finding it harder and harder to look at Kate's eyes. "And I'm here, Kate. I'm here."

Kate touched her glasses, fingers huge against the lenses. Abby moved down from the stadium seating, going up to the screen and covering Kate's fingertip with her whole hand. "I'm touching your finger, Kate. You'll be fine."

"I----cared--by."

"I know you're scared," Abby whispered, reading Kate's lips. "I know you're scared. Just hold on tight. Gibbs will find you." She bit her lip and brushed her knuckles across her cheek.

---

Tony glanced to his right as the sedan sped up behind them. "Looks like the cavalry is here," he said. The siren on Gibbs' dash was lighting the entire inside of the car, revealing McGee in the passenger seat. Tony moved to one side of the road to let him pass. Gibbs sped forward, closing the distance between him and Carey in, literally, the blink of an eye. "Catch up with him," Paula said.

Tony pushed the car harder, watching as Gibbs overtook Carey and spun in front of him. Gibbs sedan blocked the roadway, giving Carey nowhere to go. He slammed into the front of Gibbs car, right in front of the driver's side door, and started pushing it. Tony cursed under his breath and weaved to the side, getting himself into position. He clipped the back bumper of Carey's car, knocking it off-balance.

Gibbs' car became an immobile blockade and Carye finally came to a stop. Tony, McGee and Paula were out of their cars in an instant, guns drawn, screaming at Carey to get out of the car with his hands up. He kicked his door open, stretching both hands into the air and falling out of the car to his knees. Paula grabbed the back of the man's collar and shoved him forward, pressing her knee into the small of his back.

"Who the hell are you?" he coughed.

She pushed his face against the asphalt and sneered, "I'm an NCIS federal agent. You're under arrest."

Tony popped the trunk from the driver's seat and headed to the back of the car. Kate was curled in the fetal position, holding her glasses and staring into the lenses. "Kate?" he asked, breathing hard, the intensity of the moment fighting the adrenaline surging through his veins. "You all right?"

"Yeah," she said, still staring into the lenses. "I'm fine."

From the other car, McGee said, "Tony!"

He looked up, suddenly realizing Gibbs hadn't gotten out of the car yet. "Probie?"

"You'd better call an ambulance."

---

"Seriously, Jethro, theatrics like that are meant for action stars. And them, only because they used highly trained stunt doubles and are paid millions of dollars. I'm afraid neither is applicable to you."

Gibbs smirked. "I'll keep that in mind, Ducky."

"You're lucky you ended up with only a sprain. If Mr. Carey had chosen to hit your door instead of the front wall..."

"I know, Duck."

Ducky sighed and helped Gibbs off the table. "Now, I want you to take it easy, Jethro. I want you seated as much as possible." He looked at his old friend and said, "You're not thinking of interrogating Mr. Carey, are you?"

"No," Gibbs smiled. "I have someone else doing that for me."

---

Julian Carey looked up, eyebrows knitting together as he watched Kate walk around the table and sit across from him. "You're..."

"Special Agent Caitlin Todd," she said. She opened a file, sliding it across the table to him. "I'd like to know where these people are."

He stared at the photos, not answering. Kate took them back and flipped them at his side of the table one at a time. "Gunnery Sergeant Earl Watson. Lance Corporal Lee Daniels, Chief Petty Officer Nathaniel Ray and Petty Officer First Class Natasha Quinn. The four people you took from their homes, from their cars. Where are they? Are any of them still alive?"

Carey shook his head slowly. "No."

"No, you didn't do it?" Kate asked. "Or no, they're not alive?"

"They're dead," Carey said quietly.

Kate leaned back and crossed her arms over her chest. "Why did you do it?"

"You looked me up. Read all about me. You should know everything about me by now."

"At the house, I turned my back on you," Kate said. "So obviously, I don't know everything. So why don't you just explain it for me, Mr. Carey? How do you go from the official neighborhood welcome wagon to nearly breaking my nose with a blackjack?"

Julian looked up, locking eyes with her. "Are you really a lesbian, Agent Todd?"

"That's not relevant."

He sighed and looked down at the photographs. "I'm gay. That part wasn't a lie." He sniffed and shook his head. "You want a reason?" He shifted the photos around so they were in the order they'd been taken. "You want a reason?" he repeated quietly. "I don't have a reason for you."

Kate took the folder from him, stuffing the photos safely inside. "You don't have to give me a reason, Mr. Carey. But when you refuse to give one to the jury? They'll make sure you fry."

He smirked as she stood, walking out of the room. She slammed the door behind herself and took a moment, cleansing her mind of the man's presence. She didn't doubt that he didn't have a reason. That was the frightening thing. She brushed a hand down the front of her blouse and headed back to the squad room.

---

"Boss, I think I have something."

As Gibbs approached the screen, moving gingerly on his injured ankle, McGee raised his clicker to change the image on the screen. It showed a slimmer, younger version of Julian Carey. "Meet Julian Ayers. I took a chance and emailed his photo to Quantico, West Point, the US Naval Academy... an instructor at the Naval Academy recognized him."

"I thought we ran background checks on all of the neighbors," Tony said.

"We did. Carey is his mother's maiden name, apparently. According to his instructor, Carey was outted his first year, with all the inherent bullying and ridicule that goes with that. After a year of abuse, he dropped out and dropped off the map. According to public records, Julian Carey moved into the neighborhood not long after that."

Tony frowned. "What about the abductions? Why did that just start?"

McGee held up a finger, indicating patience. "He lived quietly for about ten years and then... this." He clicked the screen again, showing a real-estate ad for Janine Dale. "Dale Real Estate was investigated about a year ago. It seems they were ghetto-izing several neighborhoods. They would only show certain ethnicities houses in certain neighborhoods, effectively creating neighborhoods that were all-white, all-black, all-Hispanic..."

Gibbs said, "She chose to create this neighborhood as an ethnically-diverse example to the Better Business Bureau."

McGee nodded. "If they investigated further, they could point to the number of ethnicities they'd placed in this neighborhood alone. The fact that so many were military..." He shrugged. "Well, it is close to Quantico."

"Good work, McGee," Gibbs said.

McGee smiled and Gibbs continued, "Before you plan the congratulatory party, care to figure out what he did with our missing officers?"

"Oh, right," McGee said, hurrying back to his desk.

---

Kate walked back into interrogation. "Hello, Special Agent Caitlin Todd," Carey said. "How is your face?"

She dropped her file on the table. "Julian Ayers." His smile fell. "You are hereby charged with the murders of Gunnery Sergeant Earl Watson. Lance Corporal Lee Daniels, Chief Petty Officer Nathaniel Ray and Petty Officer First Class Natasha Quinn."

He shook his head. "You couldn't have found their bodies."

"Your car has a GPS. OnStar. All our forensics team had to do was punch in your last set of coordinates." His face fell. Kate smiled and said, "Next time you might want to just go from memory." She rounded to his side of the table, forcing him up. "Julian Ayers, you have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you..."

---

After she finished saying her good-byes to Gibbs, McGee and Tony, Paula moved towards the elevator with Kate. "Heading back to the Kennedy?" Kate asked.

"Yep. More crime and punishment aboard an aircraft carrier," Paula smiled.

"About... what happened between us..."

"It doesn't have to be complicated or painful," Paula interrupted. "I'll be at sea. We may not see each other for... months. And when we meet up again... we'll see if we feel the same. If we're still unattached. We'll see where the road takes us. But... we shouldn't make commitments."

"No," Kate agreed. "That would just end up being... painful."

"Long distance relationships," she nodded. After a moment, she smiled. "Just so you know, I enjoyed playing your partner."

"Who was playing?" Kate asked, leaning in and kissing the corner of Paula's mouth. She squeezed Paula's hand and whispered in her ear, "I'll see you."

"Yes, you will." Paula smiled and brushed Kate's cheek. "Good-bye, Kate."

Kate stepped back, letting her enter the elevator. When Paula was gone, Kate headed back to her desk and was stopped by a flash of black under the stairs. She changed direction and found Abby, standing in the corner. "Is Gibbs punishing you?" Kate asked with a smile.

Abby smirked. "No." She reached up and touched the bandage on Kate's cheek. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, it'll heal without a scar, thank goodness."

"Not that. The whole... car trunk thing."

Kate smiled. "I thought I would have nightmares about it. And I did dream about it last night. But before it gets too scary, I hear your voice saying you were touching my finger." She leaned in and kissed Abby. Abby's eyes were wide, her lips responding automatically to the press of Kate's.

When the kiss broke, Abby said, "That... I never..."

"I never thought I'd have to make the first move with you," Kate grinned.

"I never thought you'd want the first move."

Kate brushed a hair out of Abby's eyes and shrugged. "I learned a few things about myself during this case. Like whose voice could calm me if I'm kidnapped and locked in a trunk. Do you think Gibbs would've comforted me? Or Tony, or even Paula? I was calm because it was you, Abs."

"What about Paula?"

"She's going back to the Kennedy," Kate said. "We both agreed it'd be easier if we were unattached, uncommitted."

Abby shrugged and said, "So... you're just going to hop from her bed to mine?"

Kate smiled. "Who said anything about hopping into bed right away?"

Abby arched and eyebrow and stepped forward, putting her head on Kate's shoulder. Kate embraced her and smelled her hair. They wouldn't go to bed right away. There'd be dating, getting to know one another, tentative explorations. Eventually... who knew?

The possibilities were endless.

End