Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS; I'm just playing for my own amusement.

Dedication: To pealee, thanks for the encouragement, and your enthusiasm toward my writing.

Spoilers: Good Samaritan.

All The Elevators In Between

Chapter 1

If looks could kill, Sheriff Dupre would be burned to a crisp. She knew that he was only tolerating her advances in the interest of the case, but that didn't mean she had to like it. The Sheriff was too pushy, a trait that was on her checklist of things to dislike about women who looked at him. When the Sheriff linked arms with him and said he needed to take her to dinner, she had to hold back from saying anything. He led her away, to the cafeteria. She wanted to follow, but she was researching for the case.

Kate watched them walk away and tried to concentrate on her work. Ten minutes later, she was starting to get twitchy. She needed a break and something to eat anyway. She headed down to the cafeteria after asking Tony if he wanted anything. He shook his head no, and watched her walk away with a knowing look.

Kate stalked into the room, purposely ignoring where Gibbs and the Sheriff sat at a bench with their own sandwiches. She snatched up two sandwiches and some chips for her and Tony. She paid for the food and started to stomp away. Gibbs called her over to the table.

"Kate." He barked at her. She managed not to cringe or jump, but simply stopped and turned to face him.

"Yes, Gibbs?"

"Join us." He waved her over.

"I'm running a search. I need to get back to it."

"That wasn't a suggestion." She sighed and sat at the end of the table, as the Sheriff was across from him.

"Now Jethro, if I didn't know better, I'd say you didn't want to be alone with me." Sheriff Dupre teased. Kate wanted to slap her. Gibbs motioned for her to eat. She sighed and unwrapped her sandwich. She took a few bites, but sitting there listening to the Sheriff talk at him made her lose her appetite. She started to rewrap her food, but he turned to look at her, pinning her with a look that begged her to stay. If she'd been in the mood, it would have been funny, to see him afraid to be alone with a woman.

"You should eat more, Kate." He commented.

"Not hungry anymore." He glared at her until she picked up her sandwich and to a bite. The Sheriff watched their interaction with a raised eyebrow. He ignored her and kept his eyes on Kate. She forced herself to eat half of it before pushing it away from her. Not even his glare could make her eat more, especially sitting there with that woman. Besides, she needed to pull herself together. She was broadcasting how she felt about her boos to anyone with two eyes. She rose and tossed the rest of her dinner in the trashcan. She collected the rest for Tony, and walked out of the cafeteria, to the elevator. Gibbs and the Sheriff caught up to her while she was waiting for the lift to open. Once again, the Sheriff was talking animatedly and Gibbs was silently nodding at appropriate times. She rolled her eyes and Gibbs smirked at her in the reflection of the doors.

Once they were on the elevator, Kate pushed the button for their floor. She thought the ride would never end. The doors opened and he escorted the Sheriff off. She snagged his sleeve.

"Will you give this to Tony? I need to make a pit stop." He looked at her quizzically, but nodded. She gave him a watery smile of thanks and hit the elevator level for Abby's Lab.

Abby heard her come in and spun around on her stool. She took one look at Kate's face and asked the obvious question.

"What's wrong?"

"Not out here. Your office please."

"Sure." Abby led the way and pulled another chair over so they could sit and talk. "Ok, now spill." She gestured to the doors, and Abby closed them with a raised eyebrow.

"Ok, our cooperative sheriff is getting on my nerves. She practically drools over Gibbs."

"Jealous much."

"Yes, actually. I like him, but its more than that, Abby. I think I might be falling in love with him and it's driving me crazy that she's all over him."

"Oh, Kate." She gathered the other woman up in her arms, hugging her tightly. She saw Gibbs come in behind Kate, and look for her. He say them hugging, and the closed door.

What's up? He signed to her.

Not now, later. She answered.

Everything ok? He questioned again.

It will be. Came her reply. He nodded and walked back out of the lab. Abby gave Kate another squeeze before they sat back.

"What am I going to do? I practically gave myself away earlier when I went down to the cafeteria while they were there, and I can't tell Gibbs. I don't want to be off the team, and I think if I told him, he'd never speak to me again, and I can't handle that either."

"I know. I think its time for me to size up this sheriff, because I don't think she's any good for Papa Gibbs." Kate laughed; just what Abby was going for.

"Did you really just call him 'Papa Gibbs'?"

"I did. But don't tell anyone."

"Cross my heart."

"Good, now lets get back to work. I will take care of the Sheriff. Page me when you get back to your desk if she's not there."

Kate rode back up to her floor and headed back to her desk and the information she'd been gathering. Tony was going over the surveillance videos with Gibbs and the Sheriff. She sent a quick text to Abby. A minute later, Gibbs' phone rang. He said a few words and gestured for the Sheriff to join him. Once they were in the elevator, Tony whirled around to Kate.

"What was that about?"

"I think we'll be short a Sheriff when Gibbs returns, Abby style.

"That so devious Kate, almost Gibbs-ish. I like it."

"So do I, Tony, so do I."

Ten minutes later, Gibbs came back without the Sheriff. Kate feigned curiosity, but Tony asked the obvious question.

"What happened to Sheriff Dupre?"

"She had work of her own to do."

As it turned out, they barely saw her until they made their arrests. She didn't say a word to Kate or Tony and only a sentence or two to Gibbs. They all wondered what Abby had done to her.

When they were leaving NCIS for the evening, Kate and Gibbs shared an elevator. Tony was already gone. She couldn't resist asking what had happened.

"Abby obviously put the fear of God in the Sheriff, so what did she do exactly?"

"Well, apparently, no one can touch Papa Gibbs, without Mama Scuito's permission and that powerful Voodoo would be worked on the person in question. She even used her best Creole accent to make the statement."

"I don't get it."

"Sheriff Dupree is superstitious when it comes to Voodoo."

"Ah."

"Abby said she only gave one person permission to touch me." He reached out and flipped the emergency stop switch. "Any idea who she's talking about?"

"No, not at all. I don't know about your personal life. Do you even have a personal life? Oh, wait, Abby's met the red-head who picks you up sometimes."

"No she hasn't, and that wasn't who she was talking about."

"Then whom was she talking about, because I don't know." Gibbs moved closer, trapping her in the corner.

"You." He breathed in her ear. It was so delicious to feel his breath over her skin, but it was too much.

"Don't." She said forcefully, tears in her eyes. He looked at her questioningly. "Don't toy with me. Don't tease me about what I can't have." She ordered, the last sentence coming out as a soft whisper. She moved past him and restarted the elevator. She could feel him staring at her back. When they reached the ground floor, she was gone, only a whiff of her perfume left as evidence of her presence, to his shell shocked mind.