AN: the characters belong to CBS. Enjoy!

Chapter One

I was grateful that Gibbs hadn't pressed for details as we walked back to my hotel that first night after the rain had stopped. After six years of longing for him, while never knowing when or if we'd meet again, it was more than I could express in words. At least I was able to tell him how much he'd been on my mind. As soon as Gibbs and I had said goodbye, I'd returned to my hotel room with a renewed sense of purpose. It was late and I felt even more tired than I had expected after the emotional reunion with Gibbs and Ducky. I sat down on the edge of the bed and turned the television on without sound. Next, I found my MP3 player, connected it to its speaker dock and started the music. Due to the endless period I'd spent alone, I found it nearly intolerable to sleep without some kind of sound in the room with me. My thoughts were in a jumble, racing with all the possibilities the future held. Being with Gibbs and discovering our mutual love was a beginning I couldn't have imagined only one week ago. He wanted me back on his team, which both relieved and slightly worried me. The Director had explained the changes in the team over the past few years, including the fact that Ari's half-sister, Ziva, had taken my place. From the way Vance had described it, I gathered the distinct impression that she was a valued and loved person on the team. The irrational fear that the man who loved me would be the only one to welcome my return began to torment me. It took almost two hours for me to fall asleep, but thankfully, I was spared any dreams.

A few hours later, I woke to the sound of my cell phone alarm. As soon as I turned it off, the phone rang. It was none other than Gibbs, sounding as if he had been up for hours.

"Good morning!" he said in his velvety, tender, smooth voice. "It's great to be able to call you."

"It's great to hear your voice and talk to you too, Gibbs," I replied. Stifling a yawn, I could tell that it had been a late night.

"Want to go out for breakfast?" Gibbs asked.

"Yeah! About an hour work for you?"

"Sounds great," Gibbs stated before stopping. "Do you want to see anyone else? Not if you don't want to - if you're ready."

"Who?" I asked him, thinking of only one person I'd want to see so early after my return.

"How about Abby?" It was as if Gibbs could read my mind. "Perfect!" I smiled at the thought of my best friend.

An hour later, I took the elevator down to the lobby, my heart pounding quickly in my chest. The same haunting idea of everyone moving on without me circled in each thought like sharks circling their prey. Any doubt I fought, however, was suddenly gone. I knew I had finally arrived home when I looked across the lobby at the man I loved and my best friend.

Abby let out a shriek of joy and ran toward me, her black pigtails flying and tears streaming down her face. "I've missed you so much!" she said through her tears. "Are you really here? For real?

"Yes," I assured her, "It's all real, I promise you." Gibbs grinned tenderly as Abby and I chatted for a few minutes as soon as we had both regained our composure.

"So, ladies, how about getting some brunch?"

Abby laughed. "Why, Gibbs, I didn't know or imagine that you knew about brunch. Isn't it only breakfast in the Marines?" she teased.

Soon we were sitting in the hotel restaurant, deciding not just what to order, but how to spend our day. Gibbs flipped through the weekend edition of the newspaper.

"We really should look at the real estate listings," he said, glancing at the housing section. "You can't stay in the hotel forever."

"True," Abby said. "Time to go get a whole houseful of furniture. Project! What do you say to that?"

In all truth, I hadn't really thought of it. In New York City, I had only acquired a handful of items, namely my music collection and books. It had been so long since I had considered having a place to call home.

Gibbs cleared his throat, then paused for a mind-clearing breath. "You may not need to do that, Kate," he said in a quiet voice. "I've never told anyone this, but I kept your things from before...all of them."

Abby burst into tears, as did I. How must he have felt over those six years, living with the ghost of a love he thought was lost? How could he know all I'd want upon my return was something familiar?

By days' end, we had looked at several houses and settled on one which happened to be just down the street from Gibbs. I was especially happy that we would be so close. I'd had enough isolation for the rest of my life. The other thing accomplished by that afternoon was an absolute miracle, considering my worries from the previous night.

Gibbs brought the team over and we shared our long-overdue reunion, which had none of the nightmare about it. Things didn't even reach the level of my previous worries when I found myself looking into the eyes of an absolutely apprehensive appearing Ziva.