"Kate?"
She turned. They were about five and a half hours into their trip, and Kate was getting tired. They had turned off the radio a while back when they'd lost anything but static, and she didn't quite have the guts to put a CD of Christmas carols in. Knowing Gibbs, he'd turn it off almost immediately. Even Gibbs had his limits on celebrating Christmas. They were now somewhere in Ohio. They planned to stop, as the snow was getting worse. Prime blizzard season, and the Director was expecting them to do a road trip. "What is it, Gibbs?"
"What's your family like? You never talk about them." He was looking at the road, and she rolled her eyes when she knew he wasn't watching.
"You'd know why if I told you about them."
"It can't be that bad."
"It's not… bad. I'm just kind of the black sheep of the family."
"You? The black sheep? No way." He snorted, but then grew quiet, "Tell me about them."
"Gibbs if you make me tell you my life story, I will light you on fire."
He chuckled a little, "You wouldn't be the first to try."
"What?" She asked, staring at him in amazement.
"Wife number two was a bit spiteful, so she took a swing at me when we were cooking marshmallows over the fire. And… yeah." He waved a hand dismissively. But she saw the smirk he was barely hiding.
"You're making that up!" She said, staring. She'd never taken him for a marshmallow kind of guy.
"Oh right. You've never met Diane." Noticing she was glaring at him unimpressed, he grinned. "Fine. Suspect tried to trap a kid in a burning building. A family friend."
"And you went after him?" she asked, surprised.
He shrugged, and she couldn't help but stare. He never got that into his personal life, or said that many words at once. "Someday I'll tell you about it. And the pissed-off ex. Now that I've said something, it's your turn. So… family?"
"I'd hoped you'd forgotten."
"Course not, Kate."
"Well I'm sure you heard me tell the Director that my dad is the chief of police in Carlisle. Trust me, when you're the youngest kid, you don't want to be the youngest kid of the biggest law enforcer in town. If you get in trouble, everyone knows. My mom was a very Catholic teacher- she taught history- who followed the church doctrine of popping out kids quite religiously."
He chuckled, "And I'm sure that ya would never say that to her face."
She groaned, "She'd burn me at the stake. They may be setting me on fire next."
He grinned, and looked over, "I won't let them." There was a moment of silence, as Kate thought it over. Before she could ask what he meant, and if he actually thought she couldn't save herself from her mother, he said. "You have three brothers and a sister, right?"
"Yep. John, Michael and Daniel. They all picked nice, respectable careers." He glanced at her, hearing the bitterness in her voice. "They all got married, still all live in Carlisle. Rachel got away."
He snorted derisively, and she had to remind herself that she'd gotten away too. "Huh. So being the youngest, what's that like?"
"It's no fun. But I held my own against my brothers…" she paused. "I was my high school valedictorian, joined about ten clubs and played six sports by the time I graduated."
He chuckled, "Something to prove to the guys? Haven't changed much, Kate."
"You don't need to tell me. My parents were- to say it nicely- annoyed when I got the job with the Secret Service- you know, protecting the President. Apparently protecting the leader of our country does nothing for them until I pop out a few kids. After getting married of course, or I'm going to hell. So basically getting married and pregnant is better than protecting the president. And it seems that no matter what I do, I'm the bitter spinster who's going to hell." She bit her lip, blushing as she glanced over at Gibbs. He stayed silent, and stared out the window.
"So what's a respectable career then?"
"John is an accountant. Michael's a chemistry teacher- he'd love Abby. Rachel is a psychologist who lives in Miami. And Daniel, my closest brother, is a lawyer. My parents think he'll be a judge someday." He was silent again. "Snow's coming down."
"Yeah."
"We should stop."
He grunted in response, and she almost grinned. The functional bastard mute, known to his friends as Gibbs. He had been in a good mood though, full of coffee as he was, and a lot more talkative than usual. She wondered if that was because he was away from DC, or if he was just comfortable with her. She dearly hoped it was the latter, but doubted it. He pulled off the highway, into the parking lot of a dinky motel. The parking lot was full of cars.
"Grab your go bag, Kate. Let's go check in."
She followed him into the tiny lobby.
The clerk smiled at them, "More travellers. The snow's really coming down, huh?"
Gibbs nodded, "We need two rooms."
"I'm sorry sir, but because of the weather, we only have one room left."
"That's fine," Gibbs looked over at Kate. She smiled back at him, to show that she wasn't annoyed by the close quarters. It wasn't as though she'd never done this before. After all, they'd shared closer quarters on the Philadelphia and on most of the carriers they'd been on. It wasn't as though the idea of sharing a room with Gibbs made her want to run away screaming. The Navy seldom had time to consider the awkwardness of sharing a room with your mildly attractive older boss with blue eyes that could persuade pretty much any woman to do his bidding. Not Kate of course- who the hell was she kidding? And now those same eyes had turned on her quizzically in response to her silence.
"Oh! Of course."
He paid and then she handed over the key, "Room 112."
"Thanks," he smiled at the clerk, and then Kate followed him down the hall to room 112. He unlocked the door, saying "All right, gonna have to get up early tomorrow. You don't mind?"
She shrugged, "Nah. As long as we get some coffee in you, I'll be fine. As long as I don't have to deal with you when you're cranky."
He snorted, before pausing the doorway. "Oh."
She looked around him to see what the problem was, "Okay…"
Oh indeed.
There was only one bed in the promised hotel room, but it was late, and she didn't have time for semantics, nor time to think about the idea of sharing a bed with Gibbs. "I'm gonna get ready for bed," she told him, taking her bag into the bathroom. Her heart was already beating triple time, and it hadn't improved by the time she locked the door. A glance in the mirror showed that she was blushing. Not that she needed a mirror to feel the heat across her cheeks. She leaned her head against the door, cursing herself, cursing Gibbs for not sweet-talking the clerk into warning them about the room only having one bed, and mostly cursing her stupid crush and whatever the hell was between the two of them. She changed, and then walked back into the room, only to see Gibbs sitting in the chair by the bed, eyebrows raised.
"You can take the bed," he offered.
"Gibbs. You can't sleep in a chair."
"I'll sleep on the floor then," he was smirking at her, almost daring her to invite him to share the bed.
"Fine, then I'm turning up the heat for you. I doubt your disposition would be greatly improved by being frozen to the floor in the morning."
"Doesn't work," he said as she went over to the register.
"What?" she asked turning back. She was wearing blue plaid pajama pants and a baggy NCIS shirt, and was at least grateful that this trip she hadn't decided on wearing the basketball jersey. "It's a goddamn blizzard outside!"
He shrugged, "Can't be picky, Kate. It was the last room."
She smacked the register, "Damn it!" She turned to him, "In that case, you're definitely sleeping in the bed, or I'll take the floor."
"No." he said, his smirk growing. Then he looked her over, "Kate, seriously, it ain't a problem. You don't need to sacrifice the bed."
"Gibbs, I don't bite. Come on, it's already cold in here. You'll freeze and then I have to explain to the team why I made my older boss sleep on the floor. Not very charitable of me, is it?"
"No."
"Stubborn bastard."
"I'm going to the head." He walked into the bathroom, before turning, "And Kate? Don't wait up for me."
She rolled her eyes, "You really want to freeze your ass to the floor? Be my guest. I'm going to be nice and warm."
"Thank you, Agent Todd," he smirked. "Night."
She snorted, and crawled into bed, flicking off the light. She closed her eyes, and then as she heard the door open, she feigned being asleep, turning her back to the bathroom door.
And then a cold breeze slithered down her spine, as the covers were pulled back. A murmur came from behind her, "Sorry Kate."
She relaxed into the bed, comforted by the warm presence behind her. Somehow she hadn't expected this. At least, not after rule 12 had come up. "At least you won't freeze. I'd really hate to have to chip you off the floor tomorrow."
He smothered what might have been a sleepy laugh, "Night Kate."
"Good night Gibbs."
XNCISX
She didn't know where she was the next morning. She did know that the air was cold, and someone had their arms wrapped around her waist, smelling like coffee… and sawdust?
"Hmm?" she asked sleepily, blinking in the sudden light as her eyes opened.
That someone nuzzled their face into her hair, and she was suddenly wide awake. She relaxed again for a second, feeling the warmth of their embrace, before sitting straight up at the realization.
Gibbs was awake now, having regretfully relinquished his bedmate. "What's wrong, Kate?"
"N-nothing." She managed, "What time is it?"
He looked at her for a second, and started laughing. "Your hair." He said in response to her confused look.
"What's wrong with my hair?"
"It's sticking up everywhere." His eyes were alight with the grin, and then he looked down at the bare skin where her shirt had ridden up during the night. He shrugged in response to her inquiring look, and if she didn't know him so well, she'd think- Well God damn, was Gibbs embarrassed? "Sorry," he muttered, throwing back the blankets on his side of the bed. "It's about seven, now."
She stood up, shivering in the chilly room, "We should get ready to go, then." She tugged down the hem of her shirt, pretending that her face was red because she was cold, and ignored the interested look he gave her. She grabbed her bag off the bed, and walked into the bathroom. A glance in the mirror confirmed that her hair was indeed sticking up. The way he looked at her- damn him and his "romance between agents doesn't work" speech. Well, she'd ignore it. Going back home… she didn't need any extra drama. She took a while to get dressed, before making her way back into the room.
Gibbs was dressed and barking orders into his phone, conveniently not looking at her. Well two could play at that game. She repacked her bag, just as he hung up, shaking his head in disgust.
"What's wrong, Gibbs?"
"'S been less than a day," he grumbled, "And DiNozzo is already screwing around."
"I don't know why you're surprised. It is DiNozzo we're talking about. Come on, we'll grab breakfast on the road."
He nodded, and tossed her the keys, "Go start the car, I'll be out soon."
On her way out the door, she dialled the phone, dreading the moment when someone picked up.
"Todd residence, Andrew speaking." It was a commanding voice- the chief voice- but she knew it would soften once he knew who was calling.
"Hey dad, it's Kate."
"Kate!" He sounded genuinely pleased, "Your mother told me you were coming today."
"Yeah, dad it's for a case."
"Ah." But his hesitance to accept her job- and the reason she was visiting- was trumped by the desire to see her again. "Do you know when you'll get here?"
"We're in Ohio, so in about five hours. We should get there around lunchtime."
"I'll tell your mother to put out a big spread. I might be able to talk your brothers into coming."
"Don't they have to work?"
"They do. Kate, sweetie, you know I can be commanding when I want to be. They'll come if I ask."
"I know dad." It's probably the reason I don't like authority figures, she thought. Then smirked as one such authority figure walked out of the motel office. He was holding a coffee, and already looked slightly more pleasant. No doubt the caffeine was going straight to his head. He was holding another coffee and she silently thanked God, it was probably for her. He rarely bought her coffee, but had done so just yesterday… at the crime scene.
"Drive carefully, Kate. I've heard there's a lot of snow on the road today." Her father's voice in her ear brought her firmly back to the present.
"We'll be careful. You too. Don't let the bad guys shoot you."
"They haven't succeeded yet!"
She smiled, "I better go. Gibbs just got back." She hung up, as Gibbs got into the car.
"Your parents know we're coming?"
"Yes, and just a warning: most of my family will be there."
He snorted, "Let's go then."
XNCISX
"Brace yourself," she said, turning to him as they pulled into her driveway. She was sure that her heart sunk as she stared up at the impressive Victorian house.
"Nice house, Kate. Brace for what?"
"My mother," she said, and as she said it, the front door opened. Her mother, dark hair pulled back, was rushing down the steps. "Damn it, I hope dad salted the steps this morning."
"She looks pretty steady on her feet." Indeed, Rosalie Todd was still quite young-looking. And she now spent her days running around after her grandchildren.
"She is." Kate was about to swing the door open, when Gibbs' hand on her wrist stopped her.
"Kate, if you don't wanna do this-,"
"I'm fine." She smiled at him, and opened the car door.
"Liar," she heard him grumble but didn't comment. She stood there, blinking in the bright sunshine that had come out once the latest storm had cleared.
Her mother had reached the bottom of the steps, and rushed over, pulling Kate into a hug. "Caitlin!"
She stood there, hugging her back, "Hi mom."
Her mother pulled away, "Oh honey, you've got circles under your eyes! Are you getting enough sleep?"
"I- mostly yeah. I work weird hours," she said, willing herself not to look over at Gibbs who'd gotten out of the car. And then his voice was beside them.
"Hello Mrs. Todd." Damn him, he was grinning sweetly at her mother. His voice had turned from the bark of a special agent to the voice he typically used on female suspects.
"You must Mr. Gibbs."
"Agent Gibbs," he held out a hand, correcting her gently.
"Leroy Jethro Gibbs, Rosalie Todd," Kate mumbled, feeling foolish, because her mother's eyes had lit up when she'd looked between Kate and Gibbs. Uh oh. Way to go Kate. Bring a man home- your boss no less- and your mom will instantly try to set you up.
"We should go inside," she said, and her mother nodded.
"Of course, Caitlin. How was your drive?"
"It was long." Kate walked around to the trunk to grab her bag, and her mother protested.
"No Kate, I'll get one of your brothers to-,"
"Don't worry mom, I'm perfectly capable of carrying my own bag."
"Kate," Gibbs was suddenly in front of her, blocking her mom from views, "I've got the bags. Go. Say hi to your family."
She looked up at him, "Are you sure?"
He grinned, "Course."
By this point, her mother was chattering away, and as Kate looked up, she noticed the house wasn't decorated yet. She found this somewhat surprising, knowing her parents. Unless they planned on recruiting her for decorating.
She allowed herself to be led up the steps to their house, and she internally prepared herself for what was likely a gauntlet of her siblings, their spouses and kids. She wished Rachel could be there, but doubted it. Why would Rachel come back to a snow-covered Indiana, when she could spend Christmas in Miami? The front door opened, and the first person she saw was her father.
"Dad," she smiled, and he pulled her into a hug.
He pulled away, "Kate, sweetheart, you're practically skin and bones! Haven't you been eating?"
"Of course I've been eating, dad-,"
"Well no matter. Your mother and Edie have put together a fantastic lunch. We'll get you to a healthy weight again in no time."
"How's Edie doing?" Edie was the wife of her favorite brother, and only a year Kate's senior. She was also at the moment, eight months pregnant.
"She's due around Christmas, but it's starting to look like it could be any day now." Her father was now grinning proudly, the way he always did when his grandchildren were mentioned "She thinks this one is going to be a girl."
"Good to know."
"Kate…?"
She turned to see that Gibbs was finally at the door. He straightened when he saw Andrew Todd, and the two men spent a few moments sizing each other up. Her father held out a hand, and said, "Andrew Todd, Kate's father. It's a pleasure to have you staying with us."
Gibbs shook it, "Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs. Thank you for letting us stay with you while we work on this case."
The smile froze on Andrew's face, but he nodded graciously, "I'll show you where the two of you will be staying. Come on, it's just up the stairs."
Kate took her bag from Gibbs with a muttering of thanks, before following her father upstairs. He opened the door to her old room, and gestured into it with a grin, "Milady."
Kate dropped her bag on the floor, and then watched as her father showed Gibbs into the room next to hers. They shared a bathroom, of course. No doubt her mother's doing. She had likely heard that Kate was bringing her boss back home and decided then and there that she'd take her daughter's future into her own hands, age difference be damned. Because as long as Kate was childless, it was hard to please her parents, as she was consistently reminded.
"You've got 10 minutes," her father called to her as he walked past. "And then it's time to eat. Your mother and Edie have been cooking all morning, in between watching the kids."
"All two of them," she mumbled to herself, before turning to the mirror.
"What?"
"Nothing, dad." She walked and closed the door to her bedroom, and sighed, pulling a brush out of her bag, and setting to work on her hair that had miraculously become manageable despite sharing a bed with her boss…she felt her cheeks heat up again, the blush evident in the mirror.
"Kate."
She whirled around, to see Gibbs leaning against the doorframe of their shared bathroom. "Gibbs. You scared me."
"Everything okay?" No doubt he was asking because she was the exact color of a ripe tomato.
"I'm fine, Gibbs."
"That's the third time you've lied to me about that."
"I'll try and remember rule seven next time, and be a little more specific."
"Is this your room?" he asked, stepping in. The walls were still a pale blue. A poster hung on one, advertising the movie The Princess Bride. She nodded, as he grinned up at it. "I thought DiNozzo was the film geek."
"This from the man who kept singing the praises of Air Force One when we first met," she retorted. "One of my friends worked at the movie theatre and they gave me that poster. It's my favorite movie. You know, aside from Indiana Jones."
He grinned at her, "Another Harrison Ford fan? Aw Kate, I never knew."
She made a face, "I hope that your extensive charm can hold up for meeting the whole family."
His grin didn't slip, though she pretended that she couldn't see the slight anxiety in his eyes. He merely nodded, "Well let me know, Kate. And if they get to be too much- not hard from what ya told me- just say something."
She was confused, "Like what?"
He looked down at her and raised an eyebrow, "Tell you what, Kate. Mention the word tattoo."
She stared up at him, annoyed, "Tattoo, really Gibbs?"
He smirked at the reminder, his eyes dropping to her lips, before he became serious again. "Kate. I'll get ya outta there. You're allowed to ask for help, ya know?"
"I know." She squared her shoulders, and held out a hand. His eyebrows inched up incrementally at the sight, but he took it. "You ready?"
"Whenever you are, Cap'n."
She chuckled and was surprised by the look of pride on his face, the one he usually gave her at the end of a difficult case, or when she'd made a particularly accurate profile. She didn't dare consider what it meant here.
