Author's Note: Once again, there is a brief love scene in this chapter. I tried to keep it clean, but I am new at writing this type of thing so if anyone thinks the rating needs changed please let me know! Also, thanks for all the great reviews! :) A special shout-out to AnziaC...thanks for the inspiration of revealing the secret to the team, I spiced it up just a bit!
"So Kate...are you ever going to bring him around?" Tony DiNozzo asked as he chewed noisily on a breakfast burrito.
"Who?" Kate asked mildly irritated. Maggie had not slept well last night.
"Your fiancee...or did you forget that you're engaged?" Tony said as he took a big bite of his food.
"Tony...you can meet him later, right now we have work to do." Kate said sharply.
"Oh dear God...I thought that wasn't until next week." Tony said ruefully.
"What?" Kate asked as she began checking her e-mail.
"Your crankiness...I thought the PMS wouldn't start until next week." Tony mumbled.
"You freaking....creep!" Kate stuttered as she realized that somehow Tony had memorized her cycle.
"Enough DiNozzo!" Gibbs barked as he rounded the corner with two cups of coffee in his hand.
Gibbs set one cup down on Kate's desk, and he walked over to Tony and head-slapped him especially hard.
"What was that for?" Tony asked in confusion.
"Disgracing a lady." Jethro said cooly as if Tony should have already known.
Kate stuck her toungue out at Tony. She had won this round.
"How's Maggie?" Kate asked absentmindedly.
"Fine." Jethro replied with a heavy sigh. He was exhausted from the night before. Maggie had been having a lot of restless nights lately.
As soon as Tony's head was turned he and Kate winked at each other. The team may have not known outright, but by now if they didn't have their suspicions they were stupid. Everybody knew how attached Kate was to Maggie. As they had been leaving late one night Tony thought he had even heard Maggie call Kate "Mama" but she wasn't sure. Then there was the small matter of the trip to Indiana. She and Jethro had both been gone from the office for an entire week. Jethro had mumbled something about Baja, Mexico and old friends when DiNozzo had realized his boss was taking some time off, time off that happened to fall during Kate's vacation. Ducky knew all the sordid details for sure. Kate hadn't even told Abby who was her best friend. It just didn't seem like they needed to explain anything, and if they had started to explain themselves what would they say?
"We finally admitted our love for one another and now we're planning on adopting Maggie once we're legally married?" Kate shook her head as she thought about it.
"I owe you boss." Kate said as she held up the coffee cup Jethro had placed on her desk.
"Don't worry about it. You're a good worker." Gibbs said as he winked at Kate.
Kate was more than a good worker. She had many talents, and as soon as they got a decent night's rest Jethro couldn't wait for her to showcase her more hidden talents.
"Thank-you." Kate said politely as she smirked at Tony.
"You're late!" Jethro growled at Ziva David.
"I took the wrong train...will not happen again." Ziva said pointedly.
"Damn straight." Jethro growled not even looking up from his paperwork.
"Sorry boss...wreck on the 395" Tim McGee apologized as he walked in, also late.
"Drive around it next time. Use that Federal badge for more than just an ID." Jethro said dryly.
Everybody picked up on the extra grumpiness immediately. It was a day full of quiet assertions, and everybody working hard to stay out of Jethro's way. His smile softened as he snuck up behind Kate and shared an elevator ride with her to autopsy.
"What's wrong grumpy Gibbs?" Kate made a pouty face as she said it.
"You know exactly what's wrong." Jethro growled in a low voice.
"Awww....poor baby, I promise I'll make it better once we have a decent night's sleep." Kate mused as the doors opened.
Jethro let her lead the way...not out of chivalry, but pure lust. He loved the view of Kate's backside, especially when it was accentuated by a short and very tight skirt. Lately he hadn't seen enough of it to satisfy him...although he felt like his desire for Kate could never be satisfied.
Kate stopped just short of the doors leading into autopsy.
"Cool it Jethro...I can hear you getting aroused." Kate whispered it playfully in his ear.
The two strode into autopsy together, both giggling. There were no pretenses with Ducky. He already knew the whole story.
"Hello my dear friends." Ducky said as he continued working on the autopsy of a Petty Officer.
"Ducky...did McGee talk to you?" Jethro asked.
"He did." Ducky said as he handed Jethro a file folder.
"Thanks." Jethro said as he flipped thorugh the folder and shut it. Jethro placed it back on the desk.
"You're welcome...and Jethro you'd best get to telling the team eventually...their suspicions are rising." Ducky warned his best friend as Jethro and Kate strode out of the autopsy room.
"We have to tell them Jethro...the sooner the better." Kate said with hostility as she pressed elevator button for the third floor.
"Why are you so cranky?" Jethro demanded.
He knew Kate was short on sleep, but damnit so was he.
"How long did it last between you two?" Kate asked petulantly as she folded her arms and glared at Jethro.
"What?" Jethro asked confused by Kate's irrational questioning.
"You bastard...how long did you sleep with Jenny?" Kate demanded as she hit the power button on the elevator.
"Just Paris...and Madrid...and Italy. She left me a Dear John letter, and I've never looked back. Jethro explained quietly.
"Really?" Kate smiled triumphantly.
Jenny was gorgeous, but it was clear that Jethro wasn't wasting any of his time on her.
"You know...she and Pacci have quite the thing?" Jethro said as he raised his eyebrow at Kate.
"Good for Chris, he deserves a nice woman." Kate said genuinely happy.
"Satisfied?" Jethro asked coyly as he hit the button for the elevator.
"Partially." Kate said as Jethro lightly swatted her bottom before the doors opened into the bullpen.
Kate Todd was satisfied that she didn't have to worry about Jenny. The new Director seemed nice enough, but she was also extremely beautiful. Kate could tell just by the way Jethro looked at her...she hadn't been an ex-wife of course, she had been a lover. All of Kate's fears were extinguished. Jenny had Pacci, and Kate had Jethro. There was no need to worry about the Director swooping in and stealing Jethro.
"I cannot believe she slept all night!" Kate said triumphantly as she watched Ducky's Morgan pull out of the driveway. Maggie was securely fastened into her car seat in the back of the lovely vehicle.
It was Saturday morning. Abby, Tony and Tim would all be arriving shortly. Kate and Jethro had lured them with the promise of lunch. In reality they would be serving lunch and telling them the whole truth. Kate and Jethro were in love, and Maggie would soon legally be their child.
Ducky had graciously taken Maggie to the zoo for a day of fun and excitment.
"We have some time." Jethro said as he snuck up behind Kate as she was curling a section of hair.
She could see his reflection in the mirror, and he checked his watch.
"Jethro...maybe later." Kate said as he continued curling her hair.
"By then Ducky will have returned with Maggie." Jethro said as he moved closer to Kate.
"Let me just finish my hair." Kate sighed heavily.
Jethro could feel something in her mood shift. Usually Kate was more than happy to make love with Jethro, but something had changed.
"What's wrong?" Jethro asked as he stood behind Kate and planted a kiss on her bare shoulder.
"What if they're mad?" Kate asked woefully as she set down her curling iron.
"Kate they are our friends." Jethro said as he wrapped an arm around her bare waist.
She was clad in a Zebra print matching bra and panty set, and nothing else. Jethro loved seeing Kate like that, with all her bare skin and curves exposed.
"So friends get mad at eachother." Kate said as she tossed her curls to soften them.
"If they're that upset maybe we shouldn't stay friends with them." Jethro directed as his hands traveled upwards to Kate's bra.
"It's easier said than done." Kate was still tense as she said it.
Jethro decided Kate was too tense for her own good, and there was only one way to relax her. One hand traveled lower and finally settled in the place Jethro had searched for. His insistent touches made Kate forget everything.
"Has it been that long?" Kate practically growled as she rested her elbows on the bathroom counter to steady herself.
"Seventeen days." Jethro said cooly.
It had seemed like an eternity for the both of them , but with work, and Maggie's sleepless nights there was no energy left when they finally had time alone.
"Jethro...just one request..." Kate was panting under his delicate touch.
"What's that?" He asked as he stopped to remove his shirt.
She looked at him in the mirror.
"Go slow...I want it to last." Kate said as Jethro continued to roam his hands up and down Kate's body.
Kate was vaguely aware of being turned around and changing positions several times, catching their reflections in the large mirror...she knew she was screaming a lot, and the endeavor would be worth the sore vocal cords.
***Meanwhile, downstairs at the Gibbs residence***
Timothy McGee had no choice but to park his small silver convertible on the street. Kate's car was already occupying the only parking spot in the driveway. "Gibbs must have gone to get the food" Tim thought to himself, noting that Jethro's car was nowhere in sight. He was slightly early, but that was all right. He and Kate could chat for a few minutes.
Tim made his way to the front door knowing that Kate had let herself in. He wasn't sure what this meeting was about, but he thought it might have something to do with their newest team member Ziva. Tim knew there had to be a reason why she was left off the guest list. McGee took his shoes off in the front hall and made his way through the kitchen calling out Kate's name. He thought she was in the living room. That was until he heard her screams from upstairs.
McGee drew his weapon and bounded up the stairs. Somebody was clearly hurting Kate. The screams were insistent, and definetly feminine. McGee kept his gun out and followed the screams to the bedroom at the furthest end of the hall. The door was ajar and the screams were echoing off the walls. McGee made his way into the room. Nobody was there, that's when he noticed the lights in the en-suite bathroom. The screams were definetly coming from inside the bathroom.
McGee busted his way through the closed door.
"Federal Agent!" He screamed brandishing his weapon.
"Damn it!" Jethro's voice echoed off the tiled walls.
Timothy McGee's blue eyes widened in shock and horror at the sight. He closed his eyes tightly hoping to provide Kate with some type of modesty. He really hadn't seen that much of her...a bit of thigh, and the side of a breast. He had seen more of Jethro than anything. That was still too much for the young agent to handle. He holstered his weapon with his eyes still tightly shut.
"What the Hell McGee!?" Jethro yelled as he slowly manuvered Kate into a less precarious position.
"I'm really really sorry! I thought somebody was hurting Kate!" McGee yelled...his eyes still shut.
"Get the hell out of here and go back downstairs!" Jethro bellowed.
With his eyes still closed McGee felt his way out of the bedroom and opened his eyes only when he was in the hallway.
Kate looked at Jethro. In his blue eyes she could only see frustration. They had both been so close...and McGee had ruined it. Not intentionally, but for a Federal Agent McGee should have put the puzzle pieces together. Kate had no shame left.
"At least it wasn't DiNozzo." She said as Jethro gently placed her firmly on her own two feet.
"Thank God." Jethro whispered.
Tony catching them in the act would have been a nightmare. They would have never lived it down.
"Get decent." Jethro said as he picked his clothes up off the bathroom floor and angrily got re-dressed.
Kate made her way downstairs. Tim McGee was nervously pacing in the kitchen.
"I'm so sorry Kate...my resignation letter will be on Gibb's desk by lunch on Monday." The probie agent said sadly.
"Tim...chill out, I think it's hilarious." Kate said as she eyed McGee carefully. Then the two burst into uncontrollable laughter.
"McGee! Get over here!" Gibbs barked from the living room. He wanted to speak to McGee privately...man to man.
McGee stopped laughing and headed to the living room. He was preparing for everything. Gibbs might shoot, stab, or mame him in some other horrifying way. He might fire him, and last but not least McGee braced himself for the mother of all head-slaps.
"Tim...thank-you." Jethro said uncharacteristically.
"Whhat?" McGee sputtered in surprise.
"You took the time to think about Kate...about keeping her safe. You're one hell of an Agent, even on the weekends." Jethro said with his small smirk.
McGee smiled at the rare compliment.
"I didn't mean to interrupt anything personal." McGee said as he looked at the carpet.
"I know." Tim said as he looked his boss in the eye.
" I was promised food!' Tony's voice rang out from the kitchen.
"Pizza is on it's way. Abby's bringing it." Kate supplied hoping to keep Tony calm.
"Here I am!" Abby announced triumphantly as she carried two pizza boxes into the kitchen.
"Smells good." Jethro said as he and Tim made their way to the kitchen.
Abby set the food down on the table, and Kate produced napkins, plates, and sodas for everyone. Kate caught Abby's glare.
"How does she know where everything is?" Abby wondered to herself.
Abby got her answer as Jethro took a few sodas out of Kate's full hands.
"Let me help you dear." Jethro said as he leaned down and kissed Kate's lips.
Three shocked faces stared at them.
"Wow...don't we have a rule for this?" Tony asked as his pizza fell back to his plate.
"Forget the rules...they were made to be broken." Jethro said as he wrapped an arm around Kate.
"Except number nine...always have your knife." Jethro added as he kissed Kate again.
"Yeah...knives are kinda ummm important." McGee added.
"So...when's the wedding?" Abby squealed as she shoved her way between Jethro and Kate to hug them both.
"We're not sure." Kate said honestly.
"I think it went well." Kate said as she bustled about the master bedroom putting away clean laundry.
It was getting late. The team had left, and Ducky had offered to keep Maggie overnight. Jethro and Kate had cheerfully accepted the offer, desperate for some private time.
"Stop putting the laundry away and get over here." Jethro said as he patted the empty space on the bed next to him.
Kate was more than happy to oblige. After all she wanted to finish what had been started hours ago.
"That certainly beat putting away laundry." Kate chuckled afterwards as a hand lazily rested on Jethro's muscular chest.
"Or building a boat." Jethro said as he rolled on top of Kate and kissed her passionately preparing for round two.