Disclaimer: I own nothing except for a sheet of paper, a pen and my very vivid imagination as I previously stated. I would like to own Mark Harmon though… only in my wildest dreams…
A/N Please feel free to leave your reviews at the end. It really helps me write better.
The weather outside looked really, really bad. There was a storm brewing. The clouds were blocking out al the sun's rays and it was overcast and moody. It looked like it might rain a little later in the day but there was no guarantee of that. It was just a really moody day.
The team was exhausted from the past two weeks of grueling investigating. They had worked non-stop for the past two weeks to catch a kidnapper. Gibbs hated any kind of person that handled kids and women with disrespect and violence. He was okay with it if you challenged a man of your own strength but to pick on someone weaker than yourself was a bad choice. Thankfully it was Friday evening and the weekend was soon. They had filed all the paperwork and handed in all the reports and there was nothing else left for them to do.
Kate sat down at her desk and rested her head in her arms. She was dog tired. All she wanted was a nice hot shower and something to eat and a good night's undisturbed sleep for about a week. She was moody and cranky and just a pain to be around at this moment in time. The time could not go slower that it was. The watch on her desk looked like it was not moving at all. Gibbs decided not to question her about what had happened.
Tony was still a little jumpy from the day's events. He was someone who always managed to look at the bright side of life no matter how bad a situation could be. Gibbs could see him pressing keys at a furious pace on his keyboard. He could not type that fast. Then Gibbs smiled to himself as he realized that it was Tony's way of distressing. He was playing games on company time. He decided not to yell. This time his agent deserved the time to relax.
He was exhausted as well but he did well to mask it. The case had taken on an ugly turn when a little girl had been injured and Gibbs felt like there was nothing he could do for her. He had wanted to rip out the guy's heart and let him die a slow torturous death. Kate had been the one to calm him down at that time and he was grateful that she was there… not for the first time. He had grown accustomed to having her at his side to back him up and sometimes guide him. He had grown fond of her over the past year and not only at work.
At six pm Kate stood up and walked over to the elevator with all her stuff. She was calling it a day. She was met there by Abby the lab tech. Abby was Kate's closest friend in the agency and they usually confided in each other about everything. This evening however Kate was quieter than usual. She looked disturbed about something and Abby asked her if she wanted to talk abut it. Kate said that she was fine and Abby left it at that. She was not going to press the matter now. She knew better than that when to push far enough. They walked out of the building together in silence each lost in their own thoughts.
At around six thirty Gibbs grabbed his jacket and decided to leave. Tony followed not far behind him. Gibbs shifted uneasily from foot to foot and Tony knew that he was worried about something. He dare not ask Gibbs though. He knew that Gibbs was a very private person and would only tell you something if it were something that would save your life. He did not discuss anything personal or private. That was how he was. He did not want people feeling sorry for him or stuff like that. He was perfectly capable of looking after himself. All he wanted to do was go home and work on his boat. It would help him a whole lot.
As soon as Kate arrived at her apartment she walked into her bedroom and flopped onto her bed. She picked up the phone and dialed Abby's number. She needed to talk to someone about it or she was going to explode. When the phone rang for the tenth time she hung up and called the next number. "Gibbs" he answered gruffly and she hung up. That was all she needed, to know that he was home and alive and not trying to kill someone else. She put her head down on the pillow and she was fast asleep within seconds. The leaves rustled in the wind outside.
She had flashbacks of herself and the team at different scenes that they worked at. In one she and Tony were sketching and taking photographs and Tony gets a slap on the back of his head by Gibbs for saying something stupid. In another she and McGee are laughing loudly at Tony's expense… once again. She and Ducky doing an autopsy in the morgue and she and Abbs doing forensics in Abby's lab well she's actually just Abby's little helper. In the last one she sees her and Gibbs standing together and him grabbing her arm as if to hold her back from something. A shiver runs down her spine. She remembers nothing in the morning when she wakes up.
Gibbs enters his house that evening. He is too tired to do anything. He walks up to the sofa in the living room and crashes onto it. He immediately falls asleep on it. He's used to sleeping on the couch now. He falls into a deep dreamless sleep but is woken up by his ringing phone. He answers it but nobody responds from the other side. He leaves it alone and falls off to sleep again. He is awoken by the light coming into the room directly onto the couch in the morning. He always hated the placing of the couch, now he knew why. He gets up from the couch and walks into the kitchen and brews a fresh pot of coffee. He waits until it's done and takes his mug to the basement where he starts to work on his boat. He loves working on it. It takes out all his frustrations and never has anything bad to say to him.
Kate sees that her mind is still running when she wakes up and she will not be ale to stay at home and relax as she had planned. She has a quick shower and gets dressed and decides to do her weekly shopping. It takes her longer than normal but she is grateful for that because she does not want to spend any time alone with her thoughts. They keep running to forbidden places.
When she returns to her apartment a few hours later she sees that there are messages on her answering machine. She listens to them. The first on is from her mother just to ask if her daughter is still alive. He second one is from some marketing research company or the other. At this one she pays special attention it's the last one. It's form Abby inviting her for a little celebration for doing so well on the case. Kate decides that she'll pass and then realizes that if she doesn't go then everyone will be at her apartment before she knew it. She would just have to stick it out. Besides it would beat being alone on a Saturday evening, even if she was drained emotionally and physically.
Gibbs is working hard on his boat. He is completely immersed in it that he does not hear the phone ring the first two times. He hears it the third time though and is startled that someone would try and get a hold of him on the weekend. This was supposed to be their weekend off because they worked hard for the last two weeks. He answered it anyway and is surprised to hear Abby's voice on the other end.
She was inviting him to join in for celebratory drinks for good work on the case. That was supposed to be his duty being the team leader but he doesn't like socializing so he passes. He tells Abby that and hangs up before she can convince him to change his mind. He hates making her upset but he really does not have anything to celebrate at the moment.
The phone rings again but this time it's Ducky on the line. He and Ducky have been friends for ad long as he can remember and Gibbs almost always obeyed him. He doesn't answer and Ducky leaves a voicemail. Jethro I know you don't like socializing but it would do you good if you left your house for a while, even just to refresh your mind. Besides everyone is going to be there - Tony, McGee, Abby, myself and Caitlin. At the mention of the last name Gibbs decides to go. He would go just to see if she's okay.
Kate arrives at the restaurant at around eight. She sees everyone standing at the bar just chatting to each other. There are some new people there as well. She walks up to the group and stands in between Tony and Abby. Abby is so excited that Kate had decided to come that she hugs Kate on the spot. McGee and Ducky just nod their heads acknowledging her arrival. Tony looks at her from head to toe and takes a deep breath. She looks really good. Abby introduces Kate to the guy that she was talking to a few minutes ago. "Kate this is Christopher, Chris Caitlin."
Kate sees that he is tall, well built and very good looking. He has brown short hair and deep blue eyes. She is troubled by that but she decides that she is not going to let that bug her. His jaw is strong and chiseled. He looks too perfect. She learns that he is a lawyer working at JAG. He has just started out and was told that the place to get to know everyone was here. So that's why he was here. He was single and very eligible and not demanding or grumpy at all. In fact he was the perfect guy.
Damn, why couldn't she have met him earlier? They talk for a while with Tony interrupting them at regular intervals. Kate is used to it but Chris does not like it so he leads Kate further from the group. There he is able to speak more freely and without having big brother Tony listening to what he had to say.
Everyone has split into groups by the time Gibbs makes his entrance. He looks around and sees that Tony is the centre of attention nearby with a group of young ladies. Abby and McGee are talking to some weird looking people; they must be computer fanatics by the looks of it. Ducky is alone at the bar looking deep in thought and sipping on something. His eyes wander around until he finds Kate.
He sees that she's standing and talking to an attractive guy and he feels a little down. He takes the unoccupied stool next to Ducky and orders a shot of Spice Gold Rum on the rocks. It disappears in one gulp and he asks for a second. Three more follow before Ducky can ask the bar tender not to serve Gibbs anymore. What's on your mind Jethro? Nothing Duck he replies half heartedly. He doesn't want to talk about it because that would mean admitting it to himself first and that is not what he wants to do. He promised himself that the last time it was the last time. He did not want to get hurt again. He just did not have the strength for it.
He looks at her again and this time there is a flash of pain in his eyes. He does not mean for it to be there but it does and Ducky catches the look. He looks over to see what Gibbs is looking at and nothing catches his attention immediately. Then he sees that Kate and Chris are caught up in a deep conversation and Chris has one of Kate's hands in his.
Now he knows why Gibbs has been so of beat lately. He has feeling for the only female agent in their team. Well it can't be Gibbs's fault entirely Kate was definitely attractive and she could hold her own against anyone. Hell she did it the first time she met Gibbs. She could give him a run for his money. She was exactly like him only a really prettier version. She was small built with brown hair that fell in waves to her shoulders and dark brown eyes that usually twinkled with mischief. She looked absolutely pretty even now. She was wearing full black, black formal pants with a black jersey and a black jacket. Why don't you go and say hello to her Gibbs. No Duck she looks like she's having a good time. I don't want to spoil it for her. We've all had a rough two weeks they need to unwind.
Kate feels Gibbs's presence as soon as he enters but she resists the urge to look at him. She knows that she will not be able to control herself and she will ask for something that she is not entitled to have. So she keeps talking to Chris. He is a good guy and he's been entertaining her since she arrived so it was obvious that he liked her a little.
The problem was that he was not Gibbs. She looked into his eyes and immediately thought of Gibbs. This was not going to work. Either Gibbs had to leave or she was going to leave. The decision was made she asked Chris "Mind if we head somewhere else?" He did not and made his way over to get their coats from the door where Ducky and Gibbs were seated.
Abby sees that Kate and Chris are almost leaving and rushes over to see what had happened. Kate just needed to get home. She was still tired from the week and it was getting late so she thought that she'd head home. Abby sees that there is more to it but does not say anything. She calls McGee and Tony over to the bar where she is standing and they arrive within seconds. One last shot for the team she says. The bartender pours seven shots of tequila and places small salt shakers and sliced pieces of lemon next to each glass. As they line up at the bar Tony says "sorry Chris but you're not part of the team you'll have to sit this one out." Kate says nothing. She is standing next to Gibbs. Her heart is racing and she feels shaky. She needs to leave soon.
"One, two three" Abby and Tony count simultaneously. On three they all drink up. Kate has a pain in her chest from the drink but it passes quickly. There she had one for the team now she can leave. She feels a little light headed though so she sits on the empty stool next to Gibbs. There is a flash of lightning outside that brightens everything up for a split second. Then it's dark again.
She looks in his direction and she sees him looking at her. Their eyes meet and she does not want to break the connection but she knows that what she wants is not necessarily what she can have. She turns her face and breaks the eye contact. She does not want to but she is forced to. She turns the other way and sees that Ducky has Chris entertained in some conversation about the latest car model. Gibbs stands up and moves closer to her.
He places one hand on the side of her on the bar table and with the other stretches over her to get a serviette from across the counter. She is now enclosed by him. She likes the feeling. He accidentally touches her elbow and she jumps. He likes the fact that she is so unnerved by him. There is another flash of lightning.
Then he does something that they both do not expect. He places is hand on her waist. She closes her eyes, not moving just incase he takes his hand away. His fingers move on the jersey pulling it up a little until he feels her skin. There is a rumbling of thunder. It feels really soft and smooth. He does not want to remove his hand. She lifts up her hand to meet his and places her palm on the back of her hand and entwines her fingers with his. He is a little surprised by her reaction but she does not pull away and he is grateful.
He does not say anything to her inside. Instead he leads her outside onto the patio, his hand still entwined with hers. They walk through the crowd him very close to her. He does not want to break the contact just yet. The music is less harsh outside and he can talk without making a fool of himself in front of other people. Once they are alone on the patio he turns her around to face him. He sees the look that she has and he is certain that she is thinking of the kidnapper that had held the child hostage for two days.
He can see the fear in her eyes and he pulls her as close to him as he possibly can. She is tense and tries to fight his movement at first but then succumbs to it when she realizes that he is not going to give up. Her body leans against his and her head rests on his chest. Her ear lies just near his heart so that she can hear it beat. He places one hand on the back of her head and the other across her back. He makes her feel safe and that nothing will ever be able to harm her. She wants to stay like that forever, but she knows that it's not possible. He does not have the same feelings as she does, and the fact that he is her boss does not help.
Chris looks around and sees that Kate is no longer at the bar. He searches the place with his eyes and it comes to a rest when he sees the two people outside on the patio. He is surprised. He did not know that they were in a relationship or he would never have went up to her and talked to her. He looks questioningly at Ducky. All Ducky can do is give him a blank look. He would never betray Gibbs's trust in him. Besides Gibbs was looking out for his team and there was nothing wrong with that.
It was the first time in a while that he had shown any concern for anyone. Chris knew that he did not stand a chance. He knew it when Kate had looked at Gibbs before they had all drank their tequila shots and he had definitely got the message loud and clear when Tony had excluded him from their party. He picked up his coat and walked to his car.
The air was a lot colder now and he felt Kate shivering next to him. He led her toward the parking lot and her car. She took out her keys from her pocket and he saw that her hands were blue from the cold. He could not let her go home like that. He would see to it that she was warm and safe in her own bed before he went to sleep. He took the keys from her hand and helped her into he passenger seat of her car. He could always come and fetch his tomorrow.
The drive to her house was too short for his liking. They were there too quickly. He helped her into apartment and settled her into bed. He had prepared a hot water bottle to warm up her feet so that they could warm up faster and she could sleep better. He sat on the chair next to her bed facing her. He could sit like that all night if he wanted. The sound of the coffee machine brought him back to reality. He had brewed some just so that Kate could drink some and warm up a little. When he saw that she was too weak to hold the mug herself he held it up for her. She took small sips and he felt better now that he could see some colour coming back into her.
When she had finished the coffee he returned the mug to the kitchen and walked for the last time towards her bedroom just to make sure that she was okay and then he would leave. When he entered her bedroom he saw that she was now lying down and her eyes were closed. He walked up to her side of the bed and leaned down to kiss her forehead. Then he straightened up, turned around and was ready to take his first step out when he felt her hand on his wrist.
"Please don't leave me alone tonight." It was a request and he could have turned her down but he didn't. Instead he was happy that for once she had asked him to do something for her. He slipped off his shoes and jacket and lay down on the bed next to her. He placed one arm under her head and the other around her waist. She was grateful he was there. She would not have managed if it were anyone else. She did not want it to be anyone else. Her hand found his and she held onto it as if she were reassuring herself that it was not just a dream.
He was falling asleep too quickly for his liking. He was holding the woman of his dreams in his arms in bed and he was falling asleep. Well it could have been worse; he could have been asleep in his cold basement alone on his floor. He moved up a little to place a last goodnight kiss on Kate's cheek but at that moment she turned her head do hat she could face him. His lips brushed hers and his heart skipped a beat. She turned her whole body now so that she was fully facing him and she lifted her face up so that she could look at him.
Then she made the next move, and she did not care about the consequences. She placed her lips on his and slowly started kissing him. He did not protest at all and let her kiss him. When he thought she was not giving it her all he deepened the kiss. It was the best kiss he had ever had in his life and he did not want it to end, but it had to at some point. She was the first to break away and he knew that it was over.
All he could do now was lie next to her and hold her and make her feel safe and that was enough for both of them. When he thought that she was fully asleep he whispered "I love you Caitlin" to which she squeezed his hand in response. He froze but she held on tighter not wanting to lose him and reassuring him at the same time. The rain had started to come down now and all the lightning and thunder was over. It was calm and still.
The air in the office on Monday was clear and fresh and Gibbs and Kate were in better moods than the last week. There was a different feel to their relationship but nobody questioned it. The thunderstorm that had been brewing for days was over. It was now calm and peaceful and if it did become stormy again Gibbs would walk up to Kate and place his hand in hers and calm her down and it always worked. She was grateful now that he was there.
please do not forget to leave your thoughts. it will be highly appreciated