GIBBS

"What did Jimmy say to you?"

Gibbs almost choked on his coffee. "What?"

"Before he walked away, when you..." She mimed grabbing someone's sweatshirt and shaking them.

"Oh." Oh indeed. Oh shit, to be exact. The Loser (having met him, Gibbs had decided he was a big enough loser to deserve it as a title) had made some ill advised remark about Kate's morals and exactly how she'd got Gibbs to come sort him out. Even though it wasn't true, he didn't know quite how to phrase that in a way that wouldn't be likely to upset, offend, or at the least embarrass her.

She sighed at his hesitation. "He accused me of sleeping around, didn't he?"

That was one way of putting it. "Somethin' like that."

"I'm really sorry you got caught up in this, Gibbs."

She looked ashamed, and he set down his mug so he could reach across the table and take her hand in both of his.

"Don't apologise." She opened her mouth to interrupt him, but he stopped her with a look. "No, not 'cause it's a sign of weakness. You have nothing to apologise for. Not your fault the guy's a jerk."

She bowed her head. "But I went out with him, didn't I? I let him into my life." She took a large gulp from her coffee, and he had the strong impression it was at least partly to shut herself up.

He squeezed her hand, lightly chafed it. "Your fingers are cold." It was a lousy subject change, but he had always been better at the practical, physical side of providing comfort. If he started attempting to talk to her about emotions and relationships, he'd probably go and reveal something he really shouldn't. He already felt like he was playing with fire spending this much time with her, taking on her ex, behaving, if he was honest, much more like a boyfriend than a boss.

Her fingers curled into his as she took another sip of coffee, and Gibbs wondered exactly how he'd ended up in her kitchen, holding her hand across the table. This was rapidly getting into dangerous territory, though that still wasn't enough to make him let go just yet.

"Thank you. For..." She shrugged a shoulder. "You know, defending my honour and stuff. For not thinking badly of me." He could tell she was trying to sound casual, jokey even. Trying to sound as if this didn't bother her. But he knew her well enough to hear the emotion she tried so hard to hide. "For being here."

"Hey." He waited till she looked up. "What are friends for?" he asked with a smile. She smiled back - it was a bit crooked, a little fragile, but it was there. Giving her hand another squeeze, he reluctantly released it, then reached for his coffee again to keep his hands out of any more mischief.

They sat in companionable silence for a few more minutes, and Gibbs realised he was running out of coffee and out of reasonable excuses to stay any longer. She was OK, her stalker had left, and he was getting low on self control. He drank the last mouthful in his cup, sighed, pushed his chair back from the table. "I guess you better take me home."

She looked startled for a second, then nodded, getting up and grabbing her keys from the countertop as she followed him out of the kitchen.

It was only when he reached the front door that he realised she was no longer behind him.

"Kate." He looked over his shoulder. "You OK?"

"Gibbs, I..." Her voice cracked a little and her eyes were swimming.

"Katie?"