It was two days after Kate woke up.
She'd been shot, when she'd jumped in the way of a bullet for Gibbs, and it was only because she'd jumped in front of him that she hadn't been shot in the head.
It was complicated, but Gibbs could hardly complain; their greatest enemy was dead, she was alive, and after a delay of a few weeks, they were finally celebrating her birthday.
He walked into her hospital room, carrying not only bright yellow sunflowers but balloons too, presents tucked under his arms. And walking into her room was like walking into a flower shop (this led to him picturing Kate as a florist, which wasn't a bad idea), so many people had visited, and brought cards, and sent flowers and gifts.
"Happy birthday to you…. Happy birthday to you… Happy birthday dear Kaaaaatie, Happy birthday to you!" he sang, walking over and giving her a kiss.
She was giggling. "I will consider it the best present ever if you never sing again."
"I'm hurt," he said, settling into the chair next to her bed. "And just for that, ya aren't gettin' any of your presents."
She pouted for a second, before offering a winning smile. "C'mon LJ, I got shot for you. The least you can do is give me my birthday presents."
"Am I ever not gonna be in your debt, Katie? I remind ya that ya chose to jump in front of the bullet for me."
"You're blaming me?"
"Uh…" he felt like he'd stepped into a trap. "No."
She smiled at him, and stuck her tongue out at him. "I'll start opening what other people have sent me," she threatened.
He looked over the flower arrangements. "And?"
"Uh… Ducky sent daisies," she said with a smile, fiddling with his bracelet, newly restored to her wrist. "Tim and Tony went in together on some lilies, and the black roses…"
"Abby," he said with a nod.
"And don't worry, I set up a system," she said, tapping a finger against her head. "People have to call first if they're going to visit."
"Good," he said. "I don't want ya gettin' worn out."
"So protective."
"Alas, I admit it."
She reached for his hand, and watched as the balloons floated to the ceiling. "All this for me?"
"Yeah, Katie. All this for you. It's your birthday. Well, technically, and I'm so-,"
"Don't say you're sorry again," she said, placing a finger on his lips. "If you give me presents, you're forgiven."
"Excuse me, I hate to interrupt…" came a voice from the door.
It was one of the nurses. "Yes?" Kate asked.
"You're Kate Todd?" asked the nurse.
"Yep. Bullet wound and all." She smiled, and giggled a little, causing Gibbs to look at her suspiciously. Nope, her eyes were clear. At the moment, she wasn't as high as a kite. Which made him wonder exactly how much pain she was hiding beneath her smile. "What can I do you for?"
"I have a package here, sent express mail, from a Mr. Theodore Bernard."
Kate and Gibbs exchanged a look, and a smile, as Kate rolled her eyes. "Teddy," they muttered at the same time.
The nurse handed over the package. Kate tried to tear it open, but couldn't, weak as she was. Gibbs watched her struggle for a few seconds, trying not to laugh. "Need help?" he offered.
She glared at him, a glare that could easily match his own if not best it. "No," she muttered through gritted teeth. "Just give me your knife."
He passed it over, and watched as she slit the box open, pulling out a smaller box. "What is it?" he asked, interested.
"Well, on top here, there's an envelope addressed to Mr. L. J. Gibbs and Miss C. Todd, so…I'd say that's for both of us. But underneath… oooh!" she said, with a smile, showing him. "A box of macarons! I didn't know Teddy baked!"
Gibbs was mystified, staring at the box. "I didn't either… geez, ya think ya know a guy… Teddy has a lot of skills, Katie, but bakin' isn't one of them. Probably store bought."
She rolled her eyes. "Always the cynic."
"We can't all be wide-eyed idealists," he teased, taking her hand and kissing it. "Now, what's in the envelope?"
She tore it open, which took considerably less strength than opening the box, and pulled out what looked like an invitation. She gasped as she looked it over. "Gibbs!"
"What, Katie, don't leave me in suspense!"
She opened the card, cleared her throat and read out loud, "Mr. Theodore Bernard and Miss Brielle Hampton wish to invite you to their wedding!"
He had been taking a sip of his coffee, and choked on it. Wordlessly, Kate handed over a napkin from her breakfast tray, and he wiped off his face, before turning to her. "Wedding?" he wheezed.
"Yeah. Teddy is getting married again!"
"When? Where?" he demanded, snatching the invitation, setting his coffee down to read it. He noticed Kate eyeing it, and decided that it was out of her reach, considering that she was currently trapped in her hospital bed.
Mr. Theodore Bernard and Miss Brielle Hampton wish to invite you to their wedding,
At the Montague Estate Winery in Bloomington, Indiana,
On August 19th, 2005,
At 5:30 PM
And beneath that, was written a scrawled note in Teddy's handwriting.
Hey Leroy, figured you and the Missus would want to share in our happy day! I can't wait to see you and catch up. Hope you're doing well, and we hope that you can make it. Yours, Teddy (and Brielle and Jamie).
He looked up, about to remark on it, only to find Kate reaching for his coffee. "Ah, ah, ah, Katie, I don't think so." He snatched it from her. "You heard Duck, you're on caffeine restriction."
"Start drinking decaf," she snapped. "I want a coffee, Gibbs. I haven't had coffee in so long. Pleeease."
"Here, open your other presents, if it'll keep ya quiet. I'm not spoilin' ya, Katie."
"That's a lie if I ever heard one, all you've been doing is spoiling me," she said breezily, but he saw her wince as she reached for the first present he set down on her bedspread.
"You good, Katie?"
"Just a little pain, Gibbs. I'm fine."
"You're not fine. You've been shot."
"Very observant," she muttered through gritted teeth.
"Should take somethin'," he said.
"I can't. I need to have a clear head, Gibbs. You did all this for me… it's too much. I can't not be present for it."
"Katie," he said, leaning forward, and cupping her face in his hands, staring into her dark eyes. Seeing her face strained with pain was killing him. "I'd rather you be high as a kite than in pain, okay? Even if ya don't remember a thing about today."
"I want to remember my first birthday with you."
"There will be a hell of a lot more birthdays together."
"What do you even have planned for today?" she asked, innocently enough.
He smirked. "I was thinkin' presents, and then ya can have a few approved visitors, and then I'm bringin' in a dinner. I know how much ya hate hospital food."
"I hate it so much," she said with a laugh.
"But first, I want ya to medicate."
"No. At least let me open presents first."
"And I say no right back at ya, Katie."
"Too bad." She stuck out her tongue, and then did a double take. "What the hell did you get me, Gibbs? There must be at least five presents here."
"Well, Katie, I'm a sentimental fool, just like you. I wanted your first birthday to be special, even if…" He was uncomfortable. "Even if… ya know… it's not on your actual birthday." He couldn't meet her eyes, looking instead at the I.V. in her hand. It would scar, no doubt. Just one more scar that was his fault.
"Jethro, you don't honestly think I care?" she asked, gently. "What matters is I'm here. I'm alive. We're here. And we are together."
He looked up with a smile. "How is it that ya always know the right thing to say?"
"I just do, LJ. I just do." She looked out over the spread, and smiled at him. "What should I open first?"
He nudged the smallest box, "Start with the small, work your way up."
She opened it, and smiled over at him. "Thought you'd forgotten about my charm bracelet."
"It was one of the nicer gifts I've gotten ya, how could I forget?"
She looked at him, before rolling her eyes. "You spoil me."
"You're sayin' that now, you're gonna hate the rest of the gifts," he teased.
"I hope not. I was kind of hoping to not hate them at all." And then she pulled out the charms. "A heart."
"An emerald heart," he said in return. "Emerald is the birthstone for May, Katie."
"Not just a coincidence then?" she asked.
"Ya know damn well I don't believe in them."
And then as she held up the other one, a rose, she smiled, "I thought I told you it wasn't a rose."
"Havin' fully explored every inch of the tattoo, yeah, I know, Katie. But they're your favorite flowers, and… now I always think of ya when I see them."
"You are a sentimental old man," she teased.
He smirked. "And yet you're the one who's a year older."
"And a year wiser."
"I'm not sure that applies to ya, Katie. Now open the rest of your presents so that ya can take your meds."
"And be high as hell the rest of the day? No thanks."
"That is somethin' I'd really like to see."
"I don't believe that for a second."
"C'mon Katie."
"Fine," she set aside the charms, ignoring the way that her heart leapt a little at the gifts. She pulled the next bag over, tugging out the tissue paper, before wearing it as a hat.
"Are ya sure you aren't high already?" he asked politely, staring at her tissue paper hat.
She grinned at him. "Nope!" And then she looked down into the bag, before raising her eyebrows, unimpressed. "Seriously, Gibbs?"
"What? I just saw it, and thought of ya…" He was trying to keep a straight face as she pulled out the stuffed frog.
She rolled her eyes. "Okay, it is kind of cute."
"Didn't come with balls though, sorry Katie." She giggled at that, and snuggled up with the frog underneath her chin.
"It is pretty adorable."
"Kinda like someone else I know," he teased.
"Not me. Must be my nieces."
"Must be," he agreed. "I love your nieces."
"Currently they're your nieces too, Gibbs."
"Oh. We got married, and ya didn't tell me?" he asked, his heart leaping uncomfortably in his chest at the thought of marrying Kate. He could only hope… that someday she'd be willing to take that leap with him.
She threw the frog at him, and he caught it neatly, setting it on the edge of the bed. She opened the next bag quickly, balling up the tissue paper and pitching it at him like a baseball player. "You play baseball?" he asked, amused.
"Yeah, swing both ways too."
"Must be a hell of a player," he teased.
"I'm good at the game," she retorted, but she was smiling too. She looked into the bag, and burst out laughing, before pulling out the mug. "Where'd you find this?"
"I had help," he admitted, looking at it with a grin. It was a mug with a Hello my name is… sticker on it, and all it said was Hello my name is… Inigo Montoya, you killed my father, prepare to die. It was from Kate's favorite movie, The Princess Bride, and he knew that it would make her smile over her coffee every morning. "Ya like it?"
"Yes, Gibbs, I love it! It's… wow. You must have put in a lot of work… I definitely didn't deserve this."
"Katie, for starters, you're my girlfriend, I kinda have to spoil ya, and you also got shot for me, so I can't… not spoil ya, okay? And that's still not everything." He nudged the next bag towards her. "In case you're lookin' for somethin' to do while you're in recovery."
She looked confused for a second, before opening it to find a stack of ten paperback books. "Gibbs! This is too much, these must have cost a fortune! Books are expensive, you know that!"
"Yeah, and the way you tear through them means you'll be done these in…oh about a week." He dodged the book she'd tossed his way. "Now Katie, that's just not nice."
"Book 'em, Danno!" she said with a grin, and he groaned at the pun, but she was giggling even as she said it.
"You're not nearly as funny as ya think you are!"
"I'm funnier than you!" she retorted.
"Looks aren't everything!" he said with a grin.
Rolling her eyes, she grabbed the next bag, grinning when she found what was inside. "Isn't this a little excessive?" she asked, pulling out not one, not two, but three bags of gummy worms.
"No, Katie, you've got the biggest sweet tooth out of everyone I know."
"Size doesn't matter," she said sweetly. He just rolled his eyes, and pushed the next bag her way.
"Just open your damn presents, so I can drug ya."
"That sounds like you intend to have your way with me."
"Nope, not accordin' to Ducky," he grumbled. Ducky had expressly forbidden Kate from drinking caffeine or alcohol, or engaging in strenuous activities, which apparently included anything sexual, as Ducky had said, sternly looking between the two of them. Gibbs had felt like a scolded child, or perhaps a teen receiving "the talk" from his parents, but he and Kate had merely grinned at each other.
"Gibbs, I don't need sex to be happy. Do you?"
"No," he admitted. "I just… want you."
"Romantic," she teased, before pulling out the sweater. "…LJ?" she asked, confused, looking towards him.
"Oh c'mon Katie, use your special agent smarts. What does it look like?" he teased.
It was one of his USMC sweaters, one that Katie frequently stole from Gibbs. In fact, she wore it more than he did at this point, not that he could really mind. She looked beautiful in everything, including clothes she stole from him. "It's yours though."
"Katie, it looks better on ya anyway."
He watched, and his heart broke a little as she lifted the sweater to her nose and inhaled, looking completely at peace for a second. Was this how she felt about him? Like he was her peace? Because if so, he felt the exact same way about her. And then she looked up at him, eyes full of tears. "Did I mention you're the most amazing partner ever?"
"I think ya win, Katie. You did take a bullet for me."
"Forget about that," she said softly. "Please. I would do it again if I had to."
"Don't, Katie."
"Please." She squeezed his hand. "Don't feel guilty. I did it because I love you, and because I wanted to protect you. And I know that you're going to hate yourself for it, so I'm telling you: please, just accept that it happened. I know you'd do the same. Okay?"
"Katie," he said, his voice heavy with emotions, "How is it that even when it's your birthday, you're the one givin' me presents?"
She smiled. "Just gifted I guess."
"And I'm gifted with you."
She blushed, and it stood out in her pale cheeks. She snuggled up with Gibbs' sweater, like a baby blanket, and the sight made him a little happier. He'd always wondered if she'd be happier, or better off without him, but he couldn't deny, seeing her so happy around him, it made him love her even more than he thought possible.
She reached for the last bag, unaware that he was holding his breath, and pulled out the champagne, confused as ever. She looked up at him. "Gibbs, I can't drink. You heard Ducky."
"It's non-alcoholic."
"What are we celebrating?" she asked.
And he wished he had a camera for whatever happened next, because he simply smiled, and said, "Oh, I dunno Katie, you being awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom?"
Her mouth dropped open, as she stared at him, wordlessly. He moved over and sat on the edge of the bed instead, taking her hand in his. He grinned at her, and kissed her on the forehead. And then watched as she started crying. "Really?" she asked through her tears. "You're serious?"
"Endorsement went through a few days ago. Figured I'd surprise ya."
She wrapped her arms around him, hugging him as tightly as she could manage with the I.V. in her and in her weakened state. And then she kissed him deeply, before pulling away, and shaking her head. "Jethro… thank you."
"Don't thank me. A hero should get a reward for being a hero," he said softly, before kissing her again. When he pulled away, he smiled. The kind of smile only Kate could draw from him. "And consider it your birthday present."
XNCISX
She was giggling a little, as he got their dinner ready. She'd been slightly grounded while everyone else was visiting, enough so that she managed to give no indication to either Tony or Tim that she was in love with Gibbs, and he was oddly proud of her for keeping it to herself while on some pretty heavy painkillers.
But now, as he brought the food over, he noticed the giggling, and asked. "Somethin' funny?"
"Your hair… it's very silvery…. It's like starlight…" she said, staring at him.
"All right, Katie, I think that's enough painkillers for you," he said, handing her the tray. She looked down on it, before beaming up at him.
"You remembered my… cheese sticks." She looked down at them, confused for a second. "And my… noodles and cheese."
He grinned. He was enjoying the slightly-high Katie on painkillers. She'd be doped up for the rest of the night, at least. "You mean your mozzarella sticks, and macaroni and cheese?"
She nodded. "Yeah… that." She patted the bed, beside her. "C'mon LJ, lie down with me."
"I'm not takin' advantage of a lady when she's higher than the International Space Station," he said.
"Just… sit on the bed with me while we chew dinner… eat dinner," she said, correcting herself.
He was trying not to laugh, but switched the TV on. It was an old M*A*S*H re-run, and he turned to her. "This okay?"
"I love M*A*S*H!" she cried, excited, and he smiled, kissing her on the forehead.
"Eat your dinner, Katie. C'mon. Don't make me feed you."
She obligingly ate her dinner, giggling at the jokes on the show, as Gibbs crammed himself in next to her on the hospital bed, which as a rule were not built for two. Watching the show, Kate ate her dinner in record time, and then leaned her head on his shoulder. "I'm sorry."
"Why are ya apologizin', Katie?"
She looked up at him, and he could see the hint of sanity hiding in among the painkiller haze. "I know you didn't want me to jump in the way for you. And I'm sorry that I made you worry."
"I'm in love with ya, Katie. It's my job to worry."
She nodded, her eyelids drooping. "This… was my best birthday yet."
"And we didn't even have cake!" he joked.
"I didn't need cake… you were sweet enough."
He kissed her on the forehead, as he took her hand in hers. "Happy birthday Katie. I love you."
"I love you more," she mumbled, before drifting off into a doze. And maybe she was high on painkillers, and wouldn't remember a word of their conversation in the morning, but he didn't care. It had been a low-key birthday, but as he stroked her hair, he gave thanks that she'd lived to celebrate with him.
"No, Katie," he mumbled, still stroking her hair, as she slept soundly in his arms, "I definitely love ya more."
And what a present that knowledge was.