A little angst mixed into this part along with the humor. No matter how many times I rewrote it, it always seemed to end up like this. The story just writes itself sometimes. Hope you all enjoy and once more, thanks for the reviews, etc.


One Week Later

For what seemed like the hundredth time—more like the sixth time—in the past ten minutes, Kate stole a glance at her wristwatch to see that only thirty seconds had passed since the last time she looked. She kept telling herself that everything was okay—no reason to be paranoid. He was doing this solely for the case—the search for a murderer.

She started pacing—mainly to keep her mind off other others—like her boyfriend with another woman. In his house. Possibly in the basement. Working on the boat together—she stopped pacing, seething with indescribable anger. That was their boat—hers and Gibbs'. Since it'd been the setting for their first kiss and many other things—it held a special meaning in her heart.

"Kate, take a deep breath and come sit down," Abby's voice cut through her thoughts.

Kate ran an impatient hand through her hair. "I can't, Abby," she sighed.

"Come here."

Begrudgingly, she stalked over to Abby—who was leaning against her desk. "Abby…" she trailed off, not trusting herself on what she might say. At least, now she knew how he probably felt during her date with Tom MacAllister.

"He's not going to do anything with her."

Kate sighed, "I know that. God, it's frustrating!" She leaned against the desk beside Abby. "At least Gibbs kept busy during my date with MacAllister."

"Gibbs is madly in love with you." Abby bumped Kate's shoulder.

Kate laughed softly. "Sometimes, I think we purposely avoid the tough subjects when we talk." She crossed her arms below her breast. "For the first couple of months—it was pure physical—or at least trying to be when we weren't being interrupted. And then the other week, Gibbs asked why I was still with an old man like him."

"What did you tell him?"

"The truth—that I was with him because I love him and everything about him." She stopped to gather her bearings before continuing, "Then last week, after we left here—he showed me his jealous side."

"Because of your date with Tom MacAllister?"

Kate nodded his head. "He didn't do anything that scared me—far from it actually—but it made my heart clench because he still thinks that I'm going to leave."

"Well, here's a tough question: Do you want to leave?"

Kate scoffed, "God, no! To tell you the truth, Abby, I never been any happier than these past seven months."

Abby bumped her again. "Then tell him, Kate."

"Easier said that done, Abs."

"Be more of a female Gibbs—not a bastard, but a bitch. Make him listen to you."

Before Kate could respond, the lab doors whooshed open and Gibbs sauntered in. "Hey, Abs, run the DNA on this cigarette and compare it to the butts from the murder scene," Gibbs barked.

Abby jumped up and skipped over to him. "You got it, Gibbs."

Kate stayed leaning against the desk and heard his soft footsteps coming over to her. He situated himself beside her and then nudged her foot with his own—which earned him a small smile. Then he leaned over and gently nipped at her ear—which earned him a soft melodic giggle.

"Are you still mad at me?" His tongue traced the shell of her ear.

"Did you kiss her?" There was all seriousness tone in her voice.

Gibbs thought for a few seconds of how to censor his words in a way that Kate wouldn't kill him when he actually spoke. But his silence had somewhat sealed his fate.

Kate's voice was icy. "You did kiss her!"

Oh, boy. He was in deep shit. "Katie…"

"Don't you Katie me, Jethro!"

Gibbs swallowed. He'd never witnessed Caitlin Todd pissed. Well, there's a first for everything. No matter how much he'd try to tell her that it was to gather evidence for the murder—and play on his hunch of who the murderer was.

"You such a bastard. I didn't do anything with Tom last week and yet you were jealous—not that I minded that—but need I remind you that you practically ordered me to take him up on the offer so we could gather evidence." She got up and started pacing back and forth in front of Gibbs.

"So, it's Tom now?"

"Don't you even start, Gibbs."

How could she make him feel lower than shit within a few minutes? He watched her move past him for the fourth time. On her return trip, he snagged her arm and hauled her against him. "Yes, I kissed her. More than once. Against the boat, too."

Kate saw read. She raised her fists and started pummeling his chest—just like she did when she first met him. "You are fucking asshole!"

He managed to catch her wrists and hold them away from his body. He looked at her and tears slipped from her eyes. Why did she have to start crying? He never knew what to do with a crying woman.

"Let me go," she snarled.

"No. I'm not letting you go." He released her wrists, gripped her waist and enveloped her in his strong embrace. "Ever." He whispered in her hair, "I hated doing it. Kissing her, I mean. But it needed to be done and I hope to God that Abby gets a match. I really do. I love you. I want no one else but you."

"I love you, too," she whispered. "Why did you do it?"

"Because we needed evidence for the case. I had a hunch as to who the murderer was."

She shook her head. "No, I didn't mean that. Why did you go through with relationship when you said in Gitmo that romances between agents never work?"

He laughed softly, "I don't know the answer."

"That's not a good answer."

"Right now, that's all I got." He kissed her forehead. "But I do know that I love you. That I want to be with you." He pressed his forehead against hers and whispered, "Marry me, Katie."

"What?" A shocked expression formed on her face. "Gibbs…Jethro, are you serious?"

"Yes, I am." His hands speared themselves into her auburn tresses. "I know that I'm a long shot in being husband material—and not to mention my track record."

She licked her lips. "You're not doing a good job of persuading me to say yes."

"I'm truly sorry about tonight. It's not my fault that single women seem to flock to me."

Kate cocked her head. "Okay, definitely not going to make me say yes with that comment. So, it's my fault that they always ask me if you're single. And on top of that, I never know what to say."

"Katie, if you say yes, then you can tell the next woman that I'm taken. That I'm yours."

"Hmm, much better in the persuasion department. You drive a hard bargain." She ran her thumb over his lower lip as she whispered lowly, "Yes." One simple word.


Her Forensics Lab was quiet. A little too quiet. Just fifteen minutes ago, Kate had been yelling at Gibbs—shouting words that Abby had never heard come out of her friend's mouth. With the amount of silence, Abby wondered if Kate had disposed of Gibbs. She had never heard Kate that pissed off before—and Tony could drive her up one wall and down the other, but she always maintained a certain sense of decorum.

But with Gibbs—Abby could only hope that the make up sex was exceptional.

She made the decision to peek around her work station—just to make sure neither one had offed the other—and smiled.

Gibbs was sitting in her desk chair and somehow managed to have Kate nestled in his lap. Both of his hands were absentmindly stroking her—his left one had slid underneath her shirt and was stroking her stomach just above the waistband of her pants and the right was nestled on one of Kate's breasts.

Kate had her hand tucked beneath the collar of her his polo shirt and she was nibbling his neck. He whispered something to her and a smile formed on her lips as she continued her nibbling.

Abby tore herself away from the scene—it was rude to spy—and refocused on the task at hand—the DNA analysis.

Thirty minutes passed before someone entered her lab—that someone being McGee. "Hey, Abs, do you know where Gibbs is?" He asked and was immediately reprimanded.

"Be quiet, McGee."

"What'd I say?"

"Gibbs is at my desk." Abby waved a hand in the general direction. But before McGee could take one step, she grabbed a fistful of his shirt. "He shall not be disturbed. But you may take a peek to appease yourself that he is alive."

"Abby, what is wrong with you?" She ignored his comment and steered him quietly around her work station.

She noticed his eyes grow large with surprised at what they saw. Kate and Gibbs had dozed off in the past half hour—but their hands were still in same positions as they'd been thirty minutes prior.

McGee whispered shockingly, "Kate and Gibbs?"

"Don't tell me you didn't know, Probie." Tony said behind the other two. "Well, isn't that such a cute Hallmark moment in there?"

"You two knew?"

Tony answered, "Just the last two weeks. We saw them necking in the parking lot."

McGee whistled, "Wow! How did they manage to hide if for…?" He trailed off, not knowing how long the ruse had been.

Tony picked up once again, "I haven't the slightest clue."

"I know. Kate told me."

"Well, do tell, Abs. Don't leave me and McGee hanging. The suspense is killing us?"

Abby sucker punched him in the arm. "Don't be so dramatic, Tony. They've been together since Kate's kidnapping."

"Damn! I'm totally off my game. I can't believe I didn't notice anything for seven months." Tony shook his head in disbelief.

"Tony, they were very sneaky about it. And now that I know, I understand why they hid it from everyone." Abby steered the two men back behind her work station.

"Abs…"

"No, Tony. It's not our business. If they want to tell us, then okay. But we shouldn't spy on them." Abby glared at both of them.


One Month Later

How had her life turned upside down in one whole day? She went from being engaged to throwing her ex-fiancée's ring at his head all in one work day. After today, she understood what Gibbs meant while in Gitmo.

"Romances between agents never work."

"Are you speaking from experience?"

She thought they could make it work. Up until today—the past month had been wondrous. The whole team now knew about their relationship—Abby informed them that McGee found out when he saw them snuggling at Abby's desk when he came in search of Gibbs—and it hadn't interfered with the team dynamic. Tony was annoying sometimes though—asking her lewd questions about her and Gibbs' sex life—but she put up with him. She knew he'd been trying to get a rise out of her—just like her three older brothers.

In her family, it was difficult to be the baby. At an early age, she had to learn to fight her own battles—and protect herself. Which probably explains why she was always punching DiNozzo in the stomach—she'd done the same thing to all her brothers. And got defensive with Gibbs earlier today.

"What the hell were you thinking?" He dragged her into the small alcove beneath the stairs.

"Assuming from your tone, I wasn't thinking at all!" Her stance became defensive—arms crossed over her chest and back was ram rod straight.

His gaze was icy. "Don't put words into my mouth."

"Don't call me stupid!"

He groaned. God, she was infuriating! "You should've taken back up."

"Why? Because I'm a woman?"

"Kate," he growled, losing his patience with her.

She shook her head in disbelief. "Would you be saying this if was Tony who met with her? Would you be acting like this if we weren't engaged?"

Gibbs sighed, "You could've been hurt. Ian Hitch doesn't play around."

"Don't you remember: I am a federal agent. I can protect myself. And I don't need you—or any man for that matter—to protect me." She turned and walked away from me, ending the conversation.

The rest of the day—they barely spoke to each other and you could've cut the tension with a knife. Kate was seething from the fact that Gibbs never rebutted her comment on him acting irrational if it'd been Tony being surprised by Ian Hitch. She hated being treated differently because of being a woman. She loved Gibbs—even a jealous Gibbs—but a controlling Gibbs was too much to handle. If he couldn't trust her judgment and that she'd do everything possible to keep herself safe while out in the field—then what were they doing here?

At the end of the day, Gibbs confronted her at her car. It didn't go well—and Kate lost her temper, withdrew the ring from her finger and threw it at him, before getting into her car and driving off.

Now here she was—at home with her new companion, Toni—regretting letting her temper get the best of her. Gibbs just brought the worst out of her when he made her angry.

Since the moment she arrived at her apartment, she'd been trying to see their argument from his point of view. It was difficult—due to the fact that she always got ticked off at his behavior since she was a woman—but in a small way, she understood where he was coming from. There'd been times when she'd been worried about him—for him—but she tried not to project those emotions on him or their relationship. Their relationship was outside of the workplace—at NCIS, they were Special Agents. Today, Gibbs forgot that part.

Kate flicked a glance at her empty left ring finger—missing the simple solitaire. She groaned in frustration. She really screwed up—well, they both did. Another groan exited her mouth. What she hated the most—more than admitting she was wrong—was admitting she was wrong to one Jethro Gibbs.


He poured himself another two fingers of bourbon and then went back to working on his boat—sanding out his frustrations. Amazing that in one month, he became the happiest man and then lost it all—because of his stupid mouth. Not to mention temper, too.

He kept forgetting who Kate was—a strong woman, capable of protecting herself. Former Secret Service Agent and now NCIS Special Agent. She wasn't Shannon—his first wife—whom he lost while deployed to Kuwait. Kate and Shannon were two totally different women—but they both challenged him and drove him insane, too. And neither dealt with his bullshit.

A small part of his heart would always belong to Shannon—she was his first love—but Kate was his future. He hoped she'd be—he knew there'd be a lot groveling in the near future in order to with Kate back. He loved her. He didn't want to lose her. Didn't want his life to go back to black and white. With Kate, he lived in vivid Technicolor.

He heard a sound on the basement steps and caught a glimpse of a white and brown blur before the Jack Russell Terrier appeared at his feet. "Hey, baby girl." He was rewarded with a lick on his hand.

Kate then descended into the basement. "Hey there."

He put down the sandpaper and went over to her. "I was a fucking bastard." He chuckled at her expression—mouth open and eyes wide. "I was being irrational. Ducky made me realize that."

"Jethro, have you tried to see from her point of view?" The ME looked at his friend.

"Duck, she went in there unprepared!"

"I understand your concerns. We're both chilivarious men—not used to having women on the front lines."

Gibbs whispered, "I love her, Duck."

The ME smiled. "I know, Jethro. I have seen the way you look at Caitlin."

Gibbs smiled.

"Tell me this; would you be behaving this way if Tony had been the one and not Caitlin?"

"Fuck me," Gibbs hissed. He ran a hand down his face. "Kate asked me the same question and I never answered her."

"Exactly my point, Jethro." Ducky patted his friend on the shoulder before returning to his work.

Kate mentally told herself to thank Ducky tomorrow morning. "I was wrong, too. I shouldn't have blown up at you." She clasped her hands together. "It's just that I've always taken care of myself—I'm the baby in the family—and I'm still not used to the fact of having someone taking care of me."

"Same here, Katie." He closed the distance between them and cupped her cheek. "It'll be difficult, but I'll try not to worry about you when I'm not around—and not jump down your throat when you return. I love you," he whispered.

She whispered back, "Love you, too. Um, I didn't hurt you when I threw the ring at your head?"

"No. Much easier to handle than a baseball bat or a 7 iron.

Kate laughed softly. "Do you mind if Toni and I stay the night?"

"Stay forever." Gibbs kissed her waiting lips. "I'm so sorry. If I do something like that…"

She cut in, "Oh, don't worry—I plan on shooting you if you act like again."

"Um, thanks for the tip." He eyed her warily.

"No problem."


He found her asleep on the couch two hours later—her book long forgotten in her lap and Toni nestled between her legs with her chin propped on one of Kate's legs. He loved watching her sleep—it seemed to be the only time she truly relaxed.

He went over, bent down and gently scooped her up into his arms. Toni was not amused at being disturbed, but she immediately retreated upstairs to the bedroom.

Kate sighed, "Mmm, Gibbs?" Her arms went around his neck. She purred and snuggled into his embrace and brushed her nose against his neck.

Quickly, he cleared the stairs and walked into his bedroom—to find the terrier already asleep again at the foot of the bed. He deposited Kate in the middle and the proceeded to undress himself down to his boxers before focusing on Kate. He stripped her down to her underwear—boy shorts tonight—and tucked her underneath the covers before crawling in and settling in behind her.

"I'm sorry that I'm tired," she whispered softly.

"Ssh, it's okay." He buried his nose in her auburn tresses—breathing in the scent of her shampoo—lavender—as he fell asleep.


Kate looked up from her desk and watched Tony gather up his gear. Her lips quirked at the sight he made—hurrying like a little kid eager to play with their new toy on Christmas morning. "You got a hot date tonight, Tony?"

"Wouldn't you like to know about it?"

"Not really, but with your loose lips, we'll obviously know about it tomorrow morning."

Tony sarcastically laughed, "Ha, ha, ha. Very funny, Katie." Kate shot him an icy glare at him calling her Katie as he slung his backpack over her shoulder. "See you tomorrow, Gibbs."

"'Night, DiNozzo." Gibbs acknowledged the younger agent as he read over a report. "Kate, you should head out, too."

"Nah, I'll wait."

Gibbs looked up at her. She was leaning back in her chair, facing his desk—her desk lamp casting an alluring shadow on her features. Her eyes had darkened to a rich mocha brown and he knew right away what she was thinking. She consciously crossed her legs, causing her skirt to ride up on her thighs.

Swallowing the lump in his throat, he returned his attention to the report. Faintly he heard her laugh. "Something funny, ?"

"Nope. Not a thing." She stood up from the chair and stood in front of his desk. "You finished yet?"

"Nope."

"How long?"

"Don't know."

Kate scoffed, "Will you look at me?"

He obliged. "Yes, Kate?" Bad mistake. Her arms were crossed beneath her breasts—pushing them higher beneath her buttoned down shirt. Her nipples pressed against the material of her bra and shirt. Then she flicked her tongue out from between her lips, licking them.

"I'm not tired anymore, Jethro."

Fighting the urge to throw her down onto her desk and sink into her slick warmth—Gibbs leaned back in his chair. "Is that so?" his voice husky from arousal.

Noticing the bulge in his slack, Kate bit her tongue. He happened to be enjoying this as much as she. "Yes. So, how long are you going to be?"

"You want to make it up to me?"

She shook her head. "I want to make it up to us. I want to lose control with you." She inhaled through her nose. "If I wasn't afraid of someone walking through the bullpen—this late—I'd say throw me down on my desk."

God! Did she just read my mind? "Really?"

Kate nodded her head. "But, I'm not that brave. I'm still a prude in that particular department." She retreated back to her desk—closed down her computer and gathered up her gear. "Before you leave tonight, you'll want to get that hard-on under control. I'll see you at my apartment."

She strolled to the elevator—Gibbs groaned in frustration when her delectable backside disappeared from his view. He started rereading the report—damning DiNozzo for not being able to master basic English.


To Be Continued...