Chapter 4

A/N: Chapter 4 is up! Reviews are always appreciated :)

5 hours into the 9 hour long drive to Patriot, Kate reached over and grabbed Jethro's hand.

"I'm sorry. I'm not having the best of time, we're undercover, and... well I missed Rachel's birthday yesterday. I didn't get to go to Miami and celebrate and-"

Gibbs rolled his eyes. "Oh yes, 'best of time'. You only basically shut me out, Todd." he noted, remembering the way Kate treated him like a piece of dust.

Kate sighed. "Well I know. I was angry. At least I didn't sleep with DiNozzo." she muttered.

Gibbs's eyebrow raised in suspicion. "Oh yes. DiNozzo and Todd. Ew." he muttered silently. Relationships and lovers at his age was so complicated. Of course, he would never have his first love again.

Shannon Gibbs, finally happy after baby Kelly was sound asleep in her crib sat down on the couch.

"Being a mother was harder than I thought." she muttered. She stared at the beautiful wedding photo of Jethro and her on top of their fireplace.

"He's so handsome." she thought, "And I'm so glad I married him. He's perfect." she thought, starring into space, thinking about him in uniform and the Marine Corps.

"I hope he's safe." she thought, thinking about how many Marine wives and husbands had gotten the devestating home visit about the deaths of their significant other. She hoped that would never happen to her. She would never bear the pain.

"Good morning, hon." said Jethro, standing in front of her, in their living room in their cozy house. He dropped his bags and grinned wildly at her.

"Oh my Word!" whispered Shannon. "You aren't supposed to be back for another month, babe." She said, standing up and jumping onto him, holding him tight.

"Well Shan, I traded with a man who lost poker. Shannon Gibbs, I missed you." he said, giving her a kiss on the lips.

"You don't know how much I thought about you and Kelly, hon. Every day, I wondered about whether or not I'd see her again." he whispered, holding Shannon closely.

"I love you so much." announced Shannon breathlessly.

"So where is she?" demanded Gibbs, letting Shannon go and looking around his 'living room'.

"Since when did my living room become Babies R' Us?" he said, making a face of confusion.

"Ah yes, you see, some of your Marine buddies are very caring about your daughter. And you do have a very amazing wife, Jet."

Gibbs smiled. "I know. Now where is Kelly?" he demanded.

Shannon smiled at him. "Maybe I misplaced her."

Gibbs shot her a look of disbelief. "Relax you giant teddy bear," said Shannon, smiling lightly.

"She's upstairs in her crib. She's 8 months now. I have so many pictures and videos of her to show you. She looks just like you, babe." said Shannon, looking straight into his beautiful green and blue eyes.

"I wish I was their for her birth." whispered Gibbs. "No you don't." said Shannon. "I was a bloody mess, screaming and withering in pain. Your daughter didn't spare me any pain."

Gibbs laughed lightly. "Sounds like a true Gibbs. Now I want to see her. Kelly."

Shannon grinned, and opened the door to her nursery. "Hello baby, Mama's here!" she announced, scooping up her baby into her arms.

Kelly giggled. "GaGa?" she said, and then reached for Jethro. "She wants you." said Shannon.

Kelly latched onto Jethro, and put her head on his shoulder.

"She's beautiful." said Jethro. "I love all of you so much. I wouldn't trade you both for anything." He leaned over and kissed Shannon firmly on the lips.

Gibbs sighed and remembered how everything fell apart. His life... torn apart by a man who wanted to stay out of prison. Killed 3 innocent people that didn't need to die.

Maybe if he was there... maybe if he could of sacrificed himself Shannon and Kelly would of lived.

Kelly would of had a full life. Happiness. Her beauty and her brains. Maybe he could of had a son. Or another daughter. Maybe both.

"Gibbs?" asked Kate. "You okay? You've been starring at the window for a few hours now. You're super quiet and it's kind of freaking me out. I mean you're a mute and all but like I don't know if something is wrong and like-"

"Kate?" said Gibbs, "You're babbling again. There's nothing wrong, I'm just thinking. It's a long car ride. And your driving is way more smooth than mine. So it's peaceful for once."

Kate snorted. "You're right. Your driving is like King Kong being peaceful and sitting quietly. And it's really not. You drive like a maniac, Gibbs. Seriously."

Gibbs look offended. "Todd. I drive like a Marine. And I'm a da*n good one." he said, rolling his eyes. "It get's me places faster. And it's much more enjoyable. I don't have to wait."

Kate looked at Jethro and blanched. "For you. For the rest of us it's like being launched into Space without seat belts." she protested, remembering how terrified she was the first time she sat in Gibbs's car. Well... it was during a joint investigation with NCIS and the US Secret Service.

"Are you sure you're driving 70?" shrieked Kate, holding on to dear life as Gibbs drove down the road towards the Navy Yard.

"Yes, Todd. It's perfectly legal." said Jethro, grinning as he watched the expression of the "Queen of the Secret Service" holding onto the seat as tight as possible.

"If ya gonna be on my team, Todd, you better get used to it. It only took DiNozzo 3 weeks." he announced, making a right turn.

"Y'all didn't do this in the Secret Service? Pity." said Gibbs, continuing to drive recklessly, yet quickly, trying to get back to NCIS as quickly as possible.

"NO!" shouted Kate. "You're gonna hit a trashcan you idiot!" she shouted, as Gibbs swerved, trying to not hit a squirrel eating an acorn in the street.

"Miss Todd, that was a squirrel not a trashcan." he reprimended, grinning.

"We're here, Miss Todd." he said, parking in the Navy lot. "So how was it?" said Gibbs with a huge smirk on his face.

"I still remember the day I first rode in your car." whispered Kate. "You made a huge impression on me, the Marine look. Especially aboard Air Force One that day. I'll never forget how annoyed I was when you appeared with your 'big bad team' and Tony's stupid additude about the 'really hot D-cup model on the magazine'. How do you even work with him sometimes? I know I've been doing it for 2 years now, but I still can't understand it."

"Boy do I know it." said Gibbs.

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"Ziva David, you hand me that burger right now." said Tony. "Or I swear, you'll never get any of your sugar cookies Abby gave you. Because I stole them." taunted Tony.

"Tony. If you value your life, I suggest you hand me the tin of cookies back. And this burger is MINE. I paid for it."

Tony frowned. "But you're staying at my apartment! Using my electricity and water!" he protested.

Ziva smiled. "You invited me, darling. And I'm not just staying." she said, shooting Tony a flirty smile.

"If you two start making out here, I will kill someone." muttered McGee. "Where's the information about the killer? Nothing? Not even from Abby? Or Ducky?" said McGee, sighing.

"Gibbs will kill us." he said, grroaning. They had barely any leads and SECNAV wasn't exactly thrilled to put NCIS on the juristriction, as opposed to the FBI, who apparently had more Agents.

Tony's phone rang. Tony dropped the tin of cookies and grabbed his phone, while Ziva scooped up the tin.

"Very Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo at your service. Oh yes Abby. Oh really? Finally. Okay cool." he said, shutting off the phone. "Ziva, Abby's lab now."

Down in Abby's lab, they were greeted with the sound of rock music and Bert.

"Tony! Ziva! Big news okay. I found a partial print on the Navy officer's wedding ring. And guess what. It doesn't belong to his wife. I went through all evidence again and the print was fresh from like the day we got him, so the lady might be the one who saw him last. Meet Becca Walker, 22, who's a barista at the Starbucks on 22. She's the mistress. And guess what?" asked Abby, as she typed in a serial of code numbers.

"She was reported missing the same day we found the officer. BOLO is out on her and her car, so she should be easy to find. I sent her information to McGee."

"Thank you Abby." said Ziva, kissing her on the cheek.

"Has anyone heard from Gibbs and Kate yet? I heard that they're being transfered to Patriot." said Abby.

Tony shrugged. "Nothing. Must be undercover after all, they aren't doing much with NCIS for obvious reasons, Abs."

Abby frowned and stomped her foot. "That's not fair. Why couldn't of you two gone?" said Abby, whining. "I miss Gibbs. No one's brought my a Caf-Pow except for Miller and Ziva this week."

Tony winced. "I hate to tell you this Abby, but the Caf-Pow machine broke a few days ago. No Caf-Pow for anyone. The Computer Geeks in the dungeon are protesting. You could join them." suggested Tony.

Ziva slapped Tony's arm and glared at him. "Tony! That is not nice! This is a woman who has none of her favourite drink and is longing for caffine. What if you no longer had your racy magazines and weekly subscription to Victoria Secret?" she chimed, looking at her boyfriend in disblief.

Tony shot her a look of disbelif. "You're acting like I'm underage! I can buy magazines with mature content if I want!" he protested.

"And besides, it's just for fun now that I have the real, Israeli beauty." he said, smiling.

Abby groaned. "No. I will NOT have you two making out in my lab! Elevator, GO." she shouted, shooing them out of her lab before the clothes were off. "I really need Caf-Pow." she said, sadly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Back upstairs, Director Shepard was having a long moment of thinking, looking over the serial killer's hits and the ones that didn't make sense.

Sure, she had sent Jethro and Caitlin away so they would find the killer, or maybe it was because she hated the girl.

Jethro loved her, she had assumed, and he always treated her with respect. She wasn't going to get that.

She had hoped that Paris had made a huge difference, but she didn't think so. Jethro was smitten with Caitlin Todd, and there was nothing she could do to stop it.

If only... no. Seducing Leroy Jethro Gibbs and directing his order to make Kate Todd give up her NCIS badge wasn't going to work. OR was it?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ziva David and Tim McGee arived at Becca Walker's house. "Becca Walker, seems normal enough. Mistress for another Navy officer isn't going to go well for SECNAV and the wife." said Ziva, looking around the small property for any clues.

2 gunshouts rang out as they walked toward the house. Ziva and Tim drew their guns, and prepared to open the door. "NCIS, open up!" they shouted.

When they heard the sound of moaning, the kicked the door open, and stormed the house.

"Clear!" shouted Ziva, as she checked the kitchen and eating nook, "Ziva!" shouted Tim, as their getaway driver on a motarbike fled the scene.

"She's dead." said Tim. "Well, at least we have fingerprints now, McGee. Call the team." said Ziva, sighing.

one. more. dead.