"Are you going to let me in, or make me stand out here?" Gibbs asked with a small smirk as he looked at Kate's stricken face. She blinked a few times, coming out of her initial shock, before nodding and stepping aside so she could allow him to enter. She waited until he was halfway through her living room before shutting the door and locking it. She turned and walked slowly after him, sitting down in the same spot Abby had occupied only minutes earlier. Tony glanced up, and deciding that Gibbs wasn't anything too exciting, let her head drop back onto her paws before dozing off again.

As Gibbs sat down and looked over at Kate. She looked exhausted and he finally took in her appearance. If he had been anyone else, he might have blushed at her choice of attire. Her shorts didn't do much to cover her long legs and her tank top hugged all of her curves.

"Were you sleeping? Abby didn't say anything..."

"No." Kate took her seat on Tony's other side, shaking her head slowly. "I was trying to but then Abby called and came over. I couldn't sleep anyway." She immediately kicked herself mentally at what she had blurted out. She averted his eyes, instead tucking her legs underneath her and settling back against her sofa's cushions.

"Kate," Gibbs sighed, "I don't understand. I'm sorry if you felt like I forced myself on you, I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable or like I was pushing you."

"Never apologize," Kate pointed out with a hint of a smile. "I'm not sure I fully understand either but I meant everything I said. This isn't just sudden. I've been falling for you for a while now, I just wasn't expecting you to... kiss me. It wasn't the reaction I had been expecting. I didn't mean to bolt out of there like that. I don't know what was going through my head. I just needed to think." She nodded, mostly to herself and looked up, meeting Gibbs eyes. He was staring back at her, his eyes shifting emotions too quickly for her to read them clearly. She was only relieved and surprised that he would even let his guard down for her to try to. Leroy Jethro Gibbs did not let anyone in. He made it very clear in the last two years she had worked for him. But then, why was he letting her see what he was thinking? After all, your eyes were how your soul expressed itself. She took a deep breath and waited for him to say something, but he didn't. He rubbed his faced tiredly and leaned forward so his elbows rested on his knees, his face cradled in his hands.

Kate looked away and let her eyes wander through her apartment, silently reading the covers of books she had lying around the room. After a few minutes of silence, she was startled back into reality by his gruff voice. She nearly jumped out of her skin, and her head flew to the side, sending her dark curls flying over her shoulder.

"Kate," he started, "Damn it. I don't know what got into me. Romantic relationships never work out between agents! I've seen it firsthand. I don't want you to be like every other woman in my life, Kate. You mean too much to me. I don't think I could bear you walking out on me like everyone else has. You know how I am. I never talk to anyone, I'm a bastard most of the time I spend around people. And I'm sixteen years older than you. How can you love me? How can you have any faith in me at all?"

Kate held her breath as he restated the reason for rule number 12. How could he kiss her and then decide that it wasn't worth it? How could he be asking her why she loved him, giving her a list of all his faults and be saying that they wouldn't work out? How could he?

The pressure behind Kate's eyes became too much, and she closed her eyes. Kate, don't cry. You can't let him see you hurt. She opened her eyes and turned to glare icily at Gibbs. She put up her walls; she would not be hurt by another man, let alone this one.

Gibbs finally lifted his head out of his hands and looked over at the brunette next to him. He was shocked to see her staring at him, an angry kind of hurt flashing through her eyes. He sat up completely and reached a hand over to settle on hers, but she quickly slipped it away. "Katie," he whispered as he re-winded the whole conversation in his head. What had he said to upset Kate?

"Don't call me that." Kate sighed as she tore her eyes away from his and let them wander to the coffee table, still littered with the ice cream tub and the bag of marshmallows. "If you truly believe that we won't work out, why are you here? If you just dropped by to say that, you can leave now. I get the point. I was never even expecting for you to return anything. Just leave, okay? Don't make this any harder than it is." She tossed her legs over the edge of the dark chocolate colored sofa, and stood quickly before heading towards the door.

"That's not what I meant, Kate. I just don't want to lose you." He explained as he followed her towards the front of the room.

Kate turned angrily and stared the man in front of her down. "How would you know? You're not even giving us a chance! How do you expect to know if you would lose me if you aren't willing to try?! You have to be the most idiotic man I have ever met!" She clasped a hand over her face in exasperation.

Gibbs grinned at that. "Yeah, I've heard that a few times." The grin suddenly fell and his face turned serious as he looked at Kate. "I didn't say I didn't want to try. All I'm saying is that I am who I am. If you know what you're getting into, then so be it. I love you too, Caitlin Todd. Just make sure you really mean it back and that you really want this."

Kate dropped her hand and looked at Gibbs, an incredulous look crossed her features and she took a deep breath before swallowing. This was her time.

This was their time.

__x.X.x__

TBC...