Chap. 6

Kate tossed and turned in her bed that night, her eyes lingering outside her bedroom window. The cool Hawaiian breeze was billowing through white satin curtains causing miniature waves in the soft fabric. She let out a sigh when the look Gibbs had shown her earlier today came back to her mind. She pulled back the light sheets from her bed and carefully slipped out of her partner's grasp of his arm around her stomach as she tip toed over to her dresser and took out her long silky white robe with orange lilies on them and wrapped it around her snuggly before walking out of her room and heading down the hall towards the steps.

She bypassed the room where Tony and his undercover wife (Ziva) were sleeping, one of them' snoring could be used to direct ships in a storm she was sure. Passed the room were McGee and Ryan were bunking in there she heard the beeping and chirping of a computer downloading something and she smiled to herself. You can take the geek away from technology but you can't take technology away from the geek. A little further down the hallway she reached the room where Calleigh and Eric were paired together in and heard muffled talking. She smiled a bit and remembered that her partner said Eric was a known talker in his sleep. At the top of the stairs her eyes were immediately drawn to the room there. She longed to talk to her old boss, she missed him a lot, missed the way he would order her extremely strong cover that she poured in the nearby plant every time he walked away, missed the days when he would share a smile with her and just to be there and listen to her when the time was in need.

She sighed and made her way down the stairs in a trance, this whole case was bringing up old feelings she had made herself forget a while ago, them coming here was like splitting an old wound open after a long time. She slipped through the back door and made her way down towards the surf, she always went down there to think on nights like these.

Gibbs was staring at the ceiling for what felt like hours.

"Why Katie?" he whispered to the ceiling fan hoping it would answer him, from the beginning he never knew how to cope with it all, for 4 years he had to wake up to another morning where Kate's smile wouldn't make his day all that easier to bear.

He sighed and grunted as he rolled over on his side and got out of bed to open his window, his room had begun to feel stuffy and he missed his boat. He pushed open his blind and was about to open his window when he saw a woman by the surf merely standing there, here robe billowing in the wind, he knew it was Kate. For a second he stood there looking down at her silhouette but his heart got the better of him. He scrambled over to his bathroom and took the robe off his hook and tore it on himself before heading out his door and down the stairs taking two at a time.

Kate looked down at her feet as the water rolled over them and buried them slowly in sand, she crossed her arms over her chest and stared out towards the black ocean and sighed. So many things were going through her mind right now, so many things she didn't know how to deal with.

She walked into the surf and walked along deep enough that her robe was barely touching the water and her ankles were submerged.

"Kind of late to go out for a swim isn't it Sara?" A voice came from behind her. She turned around with a start and her eyes widened when she saw who it was.

"Mr. Ramirez," she said as her training was slowly coming back to her and all the details of her mission coming into mind. Ramirez was one of the men she was sent to look over. He was standing at 6"5 with a dark disposition, from the very beginning she knew he was suspicious about her and her partner but tried the mask it.

The man laughed, yet his cold brown eyes remained unfazed.

"How many times have I told you to call me Antonio?" he said his voice steely and causing goose bumps to form on her arms.

Kate smiled a little for a second looked past him and saw the form of Gibbs walking towards her with a not too happy emotion on his face. Damnit Gibbs! She swore at herself and brought back her attention to one of the Smugglers.

"I should ask the same about you, what are you doing up so late?" she kept darting her vision back and forth from him to Gibbs who was now 10 feet away his stance stiffening. She smiled and walked past Antonio and met up with Gibbs.

"Who is he Katie?" he grumbled very lowly that the other man looking at him up and down and seizing him up didn't here.

"Antonio Ramirez, leader of the Cell," she smiled again and took him by the hand and rejoined the other man.

"Antonio Ramirez I'd like you to meet my brother Michael Ryan, Mike this is Antonio Ramirez from down the road," She introduced and watched as Gibbs once disturbed frown erased completely from his face and was now replaced with a cool air.

"Nice to meet you Antonio," he said gruffly as he grasped the other man's hand and gave it a squeeze.

Antonio grinned and squeezed back before withdrawing his hand and taking a step back.

"Likewise, I was about to ask Sara if she and Nate were willing to have a little formal get together tomorrow night, it's my son's anniversary and it's being held at La Riviera hotel, it would be great if you could make it as well as anyone else residing with you Sara," he said with a stiff smile. Gibbs looked over at Kate and watched as she seemed to roll that idea in her mind. Gibbs smiled tightly and nodded.

"I'm sure Sara and the rest of the family would love to," he said lightly and they both watched Antonio begin to walk backwards towards his own town house. He smiled and shot back.

"Great, it begins at 9pm, aloha," he said goodbye and gradually made his way back towards land.

"Do you mind telling me why you came outside and get mixed up with the likes of him?" Gibbs snapped sharply but kept his voice down for the benefit of not being overheard.

Kate sighed lowly and looked out towards the North Pacific Ocean and wished she could get lost in its waves. Gibbs touched her elbow lightly and made her turn towards him, but she wouldn't and couldn't meet his eyes.

"Katie?" he whispered softly. Kate swallowed back a sob and closed her eyes tight against an assault of tears.

"I'm scared Gibbs," she said slowly sliding her gaze onto the eyes that enchanted her all those years ago.

Gibbs tucked a strand of her now strawberry blond hair behind her pierced ear and kept his hand there slowly playing with silky strand. She tried to give him a smile but found that she couldn't. He might not know the new Kate, but the old Kate he knew what she liked.

"Come on, I'll make you some tea," he said as he draped his arm around her slim but solid shoulders and slowly led her towards the house.

When he reached the back door he held it open for her and looked behind him, his eyes surfed across the sand, skimmed the waves in case he say that creep he had met earlier. He walked into the kitchen and almost fell in love all over again. There was Kate sound asleep her head in her hands on the oak kitchen table, that same strand of hair he had tucked away earlier was now flittering on her cheek and he couldn't help but smile. He approached her quietly and slowly moved her body towards him and picked her up just bellow her knees and cradled her head with his collar bone. He headed up the stairs carrying her bridal style down the hall, every now and them looking down at the tough agent that now looked like a child in his arms and posed a small and delicate kiss in her hair before he stopped by her and her partner's room, he shifted her in his arms so that her head was in the crock of his neck, her breathing sending cool shivers down his spine. He twisted the knob and gently pushed his away in.

He walked over to the side of the bed that was bare and gently placed her in it; almost instinctively her partner's hand snaked his hand across her waist and brought her closer to him protectively. Gibbs watched this display with one eyebrow raised, and slowly made his way out of the room and hurried to his own.

As he quickly shut his door he leaned his back against it and closed his eyes letting out a sigh and dragged both hands down his face. I lost her once, hell if I'm going to lose her again! He made this resolve that he wouldn't make the same mistake again, and my god would he follow it through. He made his way to his bed, shed his robe and shuffled under his covers before stared at the wall separating their rooms and closed his eyes to finish a dreamless night.

Author's Note: Sorry for the extremely long wait, I was without a muse for so long and found that since you guys made my day in reviewing the least I could do was give you another chapter. Love you all!! Brit xox