A/N: Back again. Finally. : )
The time Kate got to NCIS she was the last to arrive. Hurrying towards her desk she greeted her colleagues. "You're late, Kate." Tony sounded malicious.
"Only 3 minutes. Gibbs won't know if you're not telling him." Kate gave Tony a stare.
"I might consider this possibility, if you tell me the name." Tony strolled to her desk, grinning.
"Whose name?" Kate was puzzled.
"The guy you spend the night with…"
"There is no guy." Kate tried to get out.
"You're late on a normal workday without traffic-jams on your route, I checked that, and you have this I-got-laid-twinkle in your eyes and a broad smile on your face..."
"I'm sorry to disappoint you Tony, but your blackmailing is useless. There is no guy!" Tony opened his mouth to press her further.
"You need more work, DiNozzo?" Gibbs rushed into the bullpen.
"No, boss. On it, boss." Tony sped back to his cubicle.
Gibbs had stopped in front of Kate. "You're late." His voice sounded gruff as usual, but his eyes were softer. "Won't happen again." Kate suppressed a smile. "I know!"
###
Having finished her report, a few hours later, Kate went down to see Abby.
"Kate!" Abby recognized her the very moment she stepped into the lab. "Shoot! What happened? I'm dying to know." She jumped up and down in front of Kate. Not saying a word, Kate grabbed her wrist and dragged her into the office. "Abby, you have to swear to tell nobody." She begged.
"Sure thing. Everything for a friend, I promise." Abby still bounced like a 5 year-old on a saccharine shock. Saccharine AND caffeine shock. Kate thought, sitting down. "Don't keep me on tenterhooks."
"Well, to cut it short, I went home with him. We spent some time in his basement and had dinner." "AND…?" Abby seemed to burst. "And we kissed…!" "YAY!" Abby danced trough the room. "Did you…?" She started, but Kate quickly cut her short. "Not that it is your concern, but we didn't. We just shared his bed." "So, are you guys together now?" Abby voiced, what Kate asked herself since she left Gibbs this morning. "I don't know. I mean, we… …I really don't know, Abby." She seemed distraught. "What if he thinks it was a mistake?"
###
Gibbs stood outside, whilst Abby tried to calm Kate down. It hadn't been his intention to eavesdrop, but the words he had heard bothered him. I have to do something. Vigorous he moved forward and entered the office. "Gibbs-man. I'd really like to know how you do this appearing thing. How do you know when and where you're needed?" Abby still hugged Kate. "Give us a moment, Abs." Gibbs ignored her question. 'And no word to nobody!' This time he signed. Abby nodded severe and left the room, closing the door behind her.
Kate hadn't moved. She still stood with her back towards Gibbs, not wanting him to see her tears. "Katie?" Gibbs moved near and wrapped his arms around her. "It was no mistake." He quietly answered her previous question. "And you know it." Carefully he turned her around to look her in the red and swollen eyes. "This will not become a habit at work, but you need it right now." And with that he softly captured her lips with his, holding her firmly. He gently moved his lips over hers, happy as she reacted. Slowly retrieving he locked their eyes again. "We'll talk after hours." He pulled her back into his strong embrace.
###
After Kate had left to refresh herself, Gibbs brought up the reason he actually came down here. "Abs, I need you to show me how to send these message thingys."
"Finally." Abby cheered. "Sure I will learn you how to text. But why now, Boss-man? Is it because of Kate? OMG, you're getting into technology for her. That's so cute." She had thrown her arms around his neck to hug him. "I'm really glad for the two of you." She whispered in his ear. "But if you hurt her like your ex-wifes I have to kill you." The sincerity in her voice nearly made him laugh.
"The texts?!" He tried to refocus her.
###
The time went slowly that day. Around noon Abby, Kate and Ziva went out to get lunch. "So how was your dinner with Tony yesterday?" Being unable to talk with Kate about Gibbs since Ziva was around, Abby quickly had found a new victim.
"Well, it was wonderful. The restaurant was great, fantastic food and a romantic atmosphere. And Tony was really sweet." Ziva answered.
"So, you gonna give him a chance?" Abby wasn't very surprised, since nearly everybody at NCIS had known that Ziva David and Tony DiNozzo had a thing for each other.
"Yes, I think so. Like all of us know, under this big childish behavior hides a great guy. He is intelligent and loyal and would do everything for everyone from the NCIS family."
"Sounds a lot like Gibbs." Abby remarked with a glance at Kate.
"He seems to be quite serious about you." Kate ignored Abby, glad that Ziva hadn't recognized anything.
"What makes you say that?" Ziva was curious.
"As you know, normally he can't stop babbling about his dates, but this morning, when he tried to blackmail me about my alleged new guy, he didn't even mention you." The mentioning of Kate's 'alleged new guy' made Abby to stop dead, but Kate quickly grabbed her sleeve, dragging her forward, entering the Chinese-to-go shop.
###
When they returned with the food for all six of them, Henry the security agent of their office building held Kate back. "A moment Agent Todd, a delivery guy dropped this off for you." He gave her a single red rose. "Thank you, Henry." Smiling, she followed Abby and Ziva to the elevator, smelling at her rose.
###
They sat in the bullpen, eating. Suddenly Tony burst out. "You said you have no new guy, Kate. So who is this rose from."
"There is no guy, Tony."
"Cut it out, DiNozzo." Gibbs seemed on edge.
A few minutes later Kate's cell chirped, causing an I-knew-it grin from Tony. But fortunately he kept his mouth shut, although Gibbs had left for the head. Kate picked her mobile up and nearly fell off her chair, reading the sender. Since when does Gibbs know how to text? Opening her message she read: 'So there is no guy?' Smiling she typed an answer: 'I would never call you a guy, Gibbs. You're way too mature and decent for that.' She wrote everything out, not knowing if Gibbs was already into short cuts. She was surprised how quick his answer came. 'So I'm old?' He seemed to be in an ungibbsish-good mood. 'That's not what I said! And don't you think you should come back from the head soon?' She pushed send. Again he was relatively quick: 'Come get me…' Kate didn't know how she managed to only smile. 'Don't think that's a good idea.' This time he needed a little more time: 'Then do me the honor of going out for dinner with me tonight?' Her fingers were trembling from excitement as she typed: 'I'd love to.'
'Pick you up at seven.' The prosaic answer made Kate wish to see Gibbs face and hopefully a big smile on it: 'I can hardly wait.' Not expecting a reaction to that, Kate happily read his returning two words. 'Me too!'
Looking up from her cell, Kate received a questioning glance from Abby and quickly typed. 'HE asked me out for dinner.' Sending it to Abby she finally returned her attention to her lunch.
###
After sending his last text to Kate, Gibbs needed a second to get the broad smile off of his face. Well done marine. Proud of his triumph over technology, he went back to the bullpen to finish his meal.
Getting up to return to her never decreasing work, Abby signed to him. 'Congratulation, Gibbs. That was cute. Keep that up.' And left for her lab.
###
TBC...
A/N: Hope you liked it. Let me know... : )
