Chapter Twenty One

Disclaimer: Not mine

The commotion at the door as they came slowly down the stairs was a clue of the magnitude of tonight's interruption. Katherine's mouth fell open as she looked past her own excited children to the familiar faces on the front porch. "Uncle Ray? Danny? What are you doing here?"

Her eldest brother stepped forward, wrapping her in a hug. "Hi, sis. I had some leave coming, and this old man wouldn't leave me alone about coming to see you, so here we are."

Releasing him, her eyes lit on the wizened old man in the wheelchair, who had given up most of his own life to help his widower brother raise his six children. She leaned down and hugged him warmly. He had never married, and her father had never remarried, and the two old men had lived together until her father had passed away last year. At ninety two, Ray now lived in an assisted-living facility down in Florida, where her eldest two brothers were stationed. She sighed fondly in exasperation, looking at him. "Uncle Ray, I told you on the phone, I'm fine."

"That you did, girlie, but you know me. I'm a stubborn old coot. I had to see you for myself." He looked up at her as Danny pushed him forward, over the doorstep and into the house, his keen blue eyes missing nothing and quickly shifting to Gibbs. "This the young man who found you?" he rasped, as Gibbs snorted.

Katherine smiled, taking his hand in hers. "Yes, Uncle Ray, this is Jethro Gibbs, with NCIS. He and his team found me, and he took good care of Jake and Sammy while I was gone." Her gaze found Gibbs' and no one in the room could miss the adoration they held.

"And that's not all he's done, from what I hear," the old man said slyly, prompting Katherine to blush and her brother to hide his laugh with a cough. The kids giggled, and only Gibbs was able to keep a straight face.

And Gibbs knew better. He knew a Marine when he saw one, and he knew at once that he needed this man on his side. He stepped closer, extending his right hand, waiting patiently and respectfully as the man lifted his arm with its Marine Corps tattoo to shake his. "Gunnery Sergeant Leroy Jethro Gibbs, sir," he said formally. "It's a pleasure, sir."

A smile spread across the old man's wrinkled face. "Gunnery Sergeant Raymond Cahill, Jethro Gibbs. And the pleasure is mine. But don't call me sir!"

Gibbs grinned. It was easy to see where Katherine Murphy got her fire. "It won't happen again, Gunny."

The old man's blue eyes turned solemn. "I thank you for taking care of my girl, and her kids. I can't thank you enough for that."

"No thanks, needed, s—"he cut himself off quickly. "Just doing my job."

Ray Cahill's weathered face softened. "And I thank you for putting that smile on her face, too, young man."

Gibbs' eyes lit with mirth as he thought of what he'd been doing five minutes ago to put that smile on her face. "Any time."

And Katherine knew she had to take charge of this conversation very quickly before it went downhill. "Sit down at the table, both of you. There's plenty of food left. Have you eaten?" she asked, while knowing it was a rhetorical question because it didn't matter if the men in her family had eaten or not; there was always room for more.

They sat eating and talking for an hour, and when there was a knock at the door, Jethro's eyes found hers, even as he shook his head. Would it never end? Katherine just smiled at him.

Tobias smirked at Jethro's ire as his friend opened the door. "Oh, hell, not you too," Gibbs groused, running his hand through his hair. "Aren't you supposed to be out to dinner with our ex-wife by now?"

"I'm on my way over there now. Thought I'd stop by and meet this paragon of sainthood first." His smirk let Gibbs know that he'd already gotten an earful.

Gibbs sighed. "Fine. Come in." He led Fornell to the kitchen and performed the introductions, knowing by the way the conversation resumed immediately that they were going to be at it awhile. He leaned over Katherine to kiss her cheek. "We'll be in the basement," he murmured, his glancing touch on her skin telling her he was as disappointed as she was right now, but that he understood. Her soft smile was all the answer he needed.

Gibbs poured bourbon for the both of them while Fornell eyed him in shock. "That's her family in there," he said, and Gibbs rolled his eyes. "This is serious," he finally concluded.

"Well, yeah, what did you think?" Gibbs muttered. What did anyone think?

"Not much, since you haven't said a word about her," Tobias returned evenly.

"Been busy," Gibbs growled, drawing a smile from his friend.

"You're not kidding. Has she moved in yet?"

Gibbs rolled his eyes again. "No. She's been staying here 'cause she didn't want to go home, but I'm hoping she never will."

Tobias' eyes got big. "Wow. Is she ex-wife number four?"

Jethro just glared at him.

"Wow. This is big. You do realize that she looks a lot like—"

"She's not Caitlin Todd, Tobias. Kate's dead," he said flatly, and then sighed. "Let me guess, Diane thought that was a salient point."

Tobias nodded sympathetically. "Her opening salvo, in fact."

"Diane needs to mind her own damn business," he grumbled.

"Oh, come on," Fornell practically whined. "Give me something. She's going to be hounding me all through dinner! Give me something I can tell her."

Gibbs snorted. "Tell her I said for her to mind her own damn business. Fine, tell her I told you to mind your own damn business."

Fornell sighed. "Fine. No official report. But off the record, you like her?"

Gibbs snorted again. What was this, eighth grade? But he smiled. "Be kinda hard not to."

Katherine walked carefully down the steps into Jethro's basement. Her family had gone. Her kids were in bed. There would be no more interruptions. He glanced up at her, a small smirk on his face. "Your family get off all right?"

"I sent them to the house," she told him, not wanting to start a conversation because she didn't want to talk right now. She wanted him.

When he just kept working, she moved in behind him, sliding her hands up under his T-shirt and up the long expanse of his back, followed closely by her mouth. As she traversed each vertebra, she heard his quick intake of breath. Just that quickly she had his attention. When she reached the top of his spine he turned swiftly and captured her mouth with his. Turning, he leaned back into the boat and pulled her with him until she was sprawled against his chest, standing between his legs, and he was cradling her face in his hands as he kissed her long and slow and deep.

And then she pulled back and looked at him, still standing tall and strong after Lord-knew-how-many hours on his feet. The man had to be exhausted. Smiling, she pulled him with her up the stairs to his bedroom. He frowned when he realized that this wasn't the happy ending he'd been looking forward to to cap off this marathon day. "It's okay, Gunny," she told him. "We'll have plenty of time. For now, let's go to sleep." Sighing as he sunk back into the pillows and she curled into his side, he didn't even try to argue.

TBC…