Disclaimer on Part I.

AN: Hey hey, part IV for your enjoyment. This one really wrote itself so I'm pretty happy with it...no forcing or anything. All right tell me what you think!and there will be more...Part V they deal with Monday morning at the office... dark rolling sea.

Part IV: Tired of Fighting It

Gibbs came up the basement steps turning the lights off before shutting the door. He looked around his living room and didn't see Kate so he then went up the stairs. The second floor was also empty. He began to wonder where she had gotten to; he didn't think she would have left without saying something to him.

He had worked on his boat for the last couple hours. Kate had watched at first but soon she had silently made her way up the stairs. He had let her go, knowing she was still in a little bit of turmoil over what had happened Friday night.

He came back down the stairs and searched the lower level once again, finding nothing. He began to worry, not knowing where she had gone; he glanced out the front window and saw her car still in the driveway. His stomach knotted now, where did she get too?

He was about to move away from the window when something caught his eye off to the side on his porch. He turned enough to see and noticed Kate standing along the railing of his porch hugging herself tightly to fight off the chill of the air. He watched her a moment, marveling in the fact that she was here with him, before he grabbed his jacket from the hook next to the door.

He opened the door and stepped out, the cold hitting him in the face like a slap. He shivered slightly before stepping up behind Kate and draping the jacket over her shoulders. She seemed to jump slightly at his touch and he stopped. He waited for her to say something but she remained quiet, intently staring up at the moon in the sky.

"You ok?" Gibbs asked softly, leaning his chin on her shoulder as he wrapped his arms around her hips. She leaned back against him and closed her eyes, enjoying the proximity of their bodies once again. It was Sunday night and Kate had only been home once to grab a bag of clothes.

They had spent the weekend just being in each others' company, sleeping in each others' arms. A lot of talking had transpired as they felt their conformability levels soften around each other. The more time she spent there the more she felt herself sinking deeper into his grasp, feeling that she was falling hard for a man she knew she shouldn't.

Gibbs was growing nervous, as she still didn't answer him. He kissed her neck gently before he turned her around to face him. She still had her eyes closed, avoiding him. He reached up and slowly stroked her hair, waiting. Nothing came and he finally took a deep breath and let his hands drop to his side.

"No," she finally whispered as her eyes opened. He could see she was holding back the tears and it made him ache inside. He reached out and gripped her shoulder pulling her tightly to his chest as his arms wrapped around her. He rubbed a hand up and down her back as she pressed her forehead to his shoulder.

"What's wrong?" he asked calmly.

"There's been something on my mind since Friday, Gibbs," she said pulling away from him a little. After a moments pause he took a couple steps back and sat down on one of the chairs. He looked up at her with a small smile on his face.

"Yeah me too," Gibbs said knowing that they were in completely different ballparks. Kate looked down taking a deep breath and slowly letting it out. The smile disappeared from Gibbs face as his arms came across his chest. "What is it?"

"I…just…I…" Kate said, not knowing how to say what she wanted. She looked down to try and compose her thoughts before bringing her eyes back up to his. "I was wondering how Brian's wife happened to find out Friday…I mean after all you said at the office and then she shows up…"

Kate had stopped her thought and looked down with confusion on her face. Gibbs sat for a while contemplating what he should tell her. He knew the truth would be best but he didn't want her to leave tonight, he didn't want her to leave ever. He feared she would be angry with him, for what he did, but he also knew he couldn't hide it from her for ever. Kate noticed his hesitation and pursed her lips briefly before continuing on.

"She said, she hoped what HE had said was a sick joke, Gibbs…are you he?" she finally said, feeling a rush of adrenaline now that the question was out in the open air. Gibbs eyes closed on their own power, and he ducked his chin to his chest, pausing slightly before bringing his gaze back up to hers.

"I told you, Kate, I checked him out. I knew what was going to happen…" Gibbs said before Kate cut him off.

"Did you tell her?" she asked the hurt evident in her voice. Gibbs looked over her shoulder up at the moon and knew that this was going to be a bumpy conversation. She would push him until he revealed all, he wasn't quite sure he was ready. He searched his heart and his mind and the answers to his questions were surprisingly clear to him as he looked back to Kate's face.

He knew that this was the time; he was ready to face his emotion, to recognize his love, to take the risk of his lifetime for happiness. This was a defining moment in his life, and he knew what he had to do. Honesty was his only chance.

"Yes," he said simply, honestly, and confidently. Kate searched his face, the unspoken question of why written across it. Gibbs licked his lips and looked away as he composed the rest of his answer. "I told you I checked him out, Kate. He was lying to you, he was married. I…I just…I don't know," he said shaking his head as he finished.

"You don't know? Gibbs, why did you check up on him?"

"You wouldn't believe me," he mumbled waving a hand idly dismissing her question, avoiding her gaze. She could see he was struggling with what to tell her, but she also knew she wouldn't stop pushing.

"Try me," she said gently, stepping over to him and squatting down between his legs. Her arms came to rest along his thighs, elbows on knees. He looked down at her and slowly nodded his head. Without breaking eye contact he continued.

"He was going to hurt you, Kate; you had that sparkle in your eye. You were falling for him and he was going to hurt you. He was taken, I…I couldn't let it happen," Gibbs said his voice trailing off. Kate studied him for a long moment, making Gibbs slightly uncomfortable. Finally she stood and slid into the seat next to him.

"So you told his wife," Kate said with sorrow.

"Yes. She deserved to know," Gibbs said looking away.

"But you didn't tell me," Kate said, the hurt evident in her voice that he couldn't tell her what was going to happen.

"Would you have believed me?" Gibbs asked as he idly picked at the arm of the chair.

"I don't know," Kate said honestly. She reached over and grabbed his hand in her own and interlocked her fingers. "But you could have tried."

"You would have been angry that I pried into your personal life," he said as his brow creased. "I couldn't make myself bring the sorrow down on you."

"Bring the sorrow down on me?"

"If I had told you, I would have been the one to instigate the sorrow in your heart, Kate, it would have been my doing," Gibbs said looking her in the eye.

"You could have warned me," Kate continued. Gibbs sighed and looked down at their hands unsure of how to let her know that she had to find this out on her own.

"Kate, how would you have felt if you were the wife?" he asked suddenly looking back up at her. The question caught her off guard but then she thought about. Her stomach flipped at the thought of it the other way around. "Besides I tried to warn you."

"When?"

"When I left," he said squeezing her hand gently.

"You call that a warning?"

"I told you that you didn't know him and when you said he was a good man I said maybe maybe not."

"That's not a warning, Gibbs," Kate said with a smile. His shoulders rose and fell once. Kate nodded slowly. "Speaking of what you said at the office,"

"What?" he asked cautiously.

"What made you say all that? I mean you were free and clear, and then you said so long as I know what I was doing. It baited me, Gibbs, you would have avoided a conversation altogether with me. Why did you say something?"

"Sometimes the heart speaks without the minds permission," Gibbs said softly as he stared off over the railing at the darkness. Kate studied his face before she spoke again.

"Is that what happened?" Kate asked causing Gibbs to turn his head slowly and meet her gaze.

"It has been getting harder and harder to fight what's inside me, Kate. I try every day to push it further and further away, but it always comes back. I attempt to store away the feelings and the emotions in a box, but the ones for you escape," he said before he shook his head slowly and realized he was rambling. He licked his lips and returned his eyes to the moon in the sky above.

"Gibbs?" she asked slowly, waiting until he drew his attention to her once again before she continued. "How long have you…felt…"

"It's something that's pretty constant, Kate. For a couple years now, it just sits in my mind. I'm unable to walk away, it's more than attraction," he said almost shyly. Kate smiled at his awkwardness.

"Why now?"

"Why not?"

"But what made you say what you said in the office?"

"I was tired of you crying over love," he said in a whisper. She almost didn't hear the words, but as they registered in her mind the smile on her face grew larger.

"Did you check up on all the men I dated?" Kate asked suddenly. His eyes quickly snapped to hers before he locked them on the railing in front of them. The embarrassment and guilt that flashed over his face amused Kate. "You did."

"Caught me," he said sheepishly with a shrug. "I…"

"It's ok, Gibbs, you don't have to explain. I think I understand. Can I just ask one thing?"

"Anything," Gibbs said sincerely.

"Why now?"

"What do you mean?"

"Why ask now? Why did you say all that at the office now?"

"Oh. Guess I was just tired of fighting it," he said with a smile as he pulled her over the arms of the chairs so that he could kiss her. As she pulled back from the kiss she smiled at him and nodded, leaning down for a second kiss.