Chapter 29

Hopefully updates will be closer now. My class at school is up and running and I am not so tied up with preparing lessons etc. Well Tuesday we get the season opener. About time. Please review. We are getting close to the proposal.

It was Saturday morning again and Gibbs was in his bathroom getting ready for Maddie's wedding. He had not slept well Friday night. Many, many thoughts had gone through his mind while he had worked on the boat. When he did fall asleep he had several disturbing dreams. First, he dreamed about Kelly. It was her wedding and he was going to walk her down the aisle only instead of reaching her future husband at the altar it was a coffin with her eight year old body lying in it holding her favorite teddy bear.

Waking up in a cold sweat he came downstairs almost afraid to go to sleep again but he knew he had to get some rest and the half of bottle of bourbon was forcing him to sleep. He sat down on the couch and began to doze while reading the paper. The second dream he was at the restaurant. The music he had planned for the proposal was playing and Samantha was sitting there enjoying their Valentine dinner with a smile on her face. He got down on his knee to propose and he was transported to the car from the accident mangled and bloody. This time however it was Samantha who was lying on the ground with a sheet pulled over her head instead of Shannon. This dream woke him up at 0600. He reached for his phone and called her just to check in. She had stayed home to get ready for the wedding. After talking to her for about an hour, he felt better. Looking at himself in the mirror he was still concerned what the dreams had meant. Was he that worried about this wedding?

He checked his tie and left the bathroom. He went downstairs for another cup of coffee. Gibbs looked at the clock and realized he needed to go pick up Samantha.

Gibbs parked the charger in front of her apartment building. Just then his phone rang. "Please don't say we have a case," he thought. "Gibbs." It was Tony. "Do we have a case?"

"No Boss just wanted to ask you something."

"Well make it quick DiNozzo I need to get Samantha and head to this wedding."

"What kind of roses should I get Ziva?"

"Really DiNozzo. How should I know? Bet she would love anything you get her. "

"Don't want to piss her off Boss."

"That would not be good. Try red ones."

"Thanks Boss. Have fun at the wedding. Oh and Ziva says good luck."

"Tell her thanks for her help." Gibbs got out of the car after hanging up the phone. "Great call," he thought " Ziva just checking on the proposal."

Samantha was in the bathroom putting the finishing touches on her make-up. She was wearing a black paint suit with a white sequined shirt under the black jacket with a red rose corsage Gibbs had sent her on the lapel. She was wearing a pair of black low heeled shoes. Around her neck she had a pearl drop necklace that Gibbs had given her for Christmas. Her hair was down and hung loosely over her shoulders.

Just then she heard a knock at the door. She looked through the peep hole and saw him smiling knowing she was checking him out. Opening the door she smiled at him. "Wow you look beautiful." Gibbs said as his mouth fell open when he saw her.

"You look pretty handsome yourself." Samantha looked into his eyes. She knew he had not slept well after he called her that morning. "You ok." She put her hand on his arm and stood on her tiptoes to claim his lips in a kiss. Gibbs wrapped his arms around her waist and returned the kiss. After his dream about losing her, he had to make sure she was there and alive.

"I am now," he said when the couple came up for air. He shook his head trying to shake the symbols of his dream out of his mind.

"I know today will be hard, love. I am here for you." He smiled at her.

"I know Sweetheart." He whispered in her ear. "Let's get on the road." Closing the door behind her Gibbs' hand naturally moved to the small of her back as he escorted her to the elevator. When they got into the elevator his eyes migrated to the panel that controlled the elevator operations. He reached at hit the emergency stop. He took her in his arms and kissed her again. "That damn dream. I thought I lost you," he whispered into her ear after the kiss.

"Not going anywhere. You have to stop hitting that emergency switch on this elevator," she said resting her forehead on his chest. "You are going to get me evicted."

Gibbs smiled and rubbed the small of her back with his hand. "That would not be so bad. I think I know a place where you can stay." He started the elevator again.

The drive to the church was made in silence. Samantha held Gibbs' free hand and gently rubbed her thumb across his knuckles. She could sense the tension in his body and knew it was because of this wedding.

They got to the church and Jethro pulled the car into a parking space. He turned off the engine and ran his hand down over his face. After a few moments of silence Samantha ran her hand down his arm ending with her fingers entwined with his. "We don't have to do this you know. I am sure Maddie will understand if you don't go in."

"No," he said quietly looking her in the eyes. "I have to do this. Mattie was my daughter's best friend and she wants her to be at her wedding. Since my Kelly is no longer here I need to be there for Maddie."

Samantha smiled and kissed his cheek. She knew this was so hard for him especially since the dream he had about the wedding but he was never one to back down from something hard. "You never cease to amaze me Leroy Jethro Gibbs. Let's get this done."

He captured her lips again in one more kiss. Then looking deeply into her eyes he grabbed her hands and kissed her knuckles. "Thank you."

Gibbs got out of the car and walked around to the other side to open Sam's door. He took her hand and they walked toward the church with the other guests. The couple got a seat near the isle so Maddie could see him but close enough to the back of the church that they could leave if things got to intense.

Samantha moved in close to his shoulder and grabbed his hand. She signed into his hand "I love you."

He looked at her and signed. "I love you too."

They sat in silence as the other happy guests came in and sat down. Gibbs just continued to look at his watch. Samantha knew he was counting the minutes until he could get out of there. She gently rubbed his arm and then laid her head on his shoulder. She felt him tense as the bride's maids began to enter the room. Then the wedding march began and they stood up for the entrance of the bride.

Maddie was beautiful and Gibbs knew that Kelly would have been just as beautiful if fate had not been so unfair to her. As she passed him Maddie noticed him and smiled. She reached up and touched the necklace she was wearing. She was wearing a Strawberry Shortcake necklace. It was oblivious that it was old but Gibbs recognized it. Kelly had one just like it. They had bought it at the mall just before he left for Kuwait. He smiled and nodded that he recognized the necklace. She returned the smile as she wiped away a small tear from her eye.

Gibbs endured the ceremony holding Samantha's hand tightly. She knew how hard this was for him. As the father of the bride handed her over to her awaiting groom she felt him tense more. She spelled into his hand. "Are you ok?" Gibbs turned and looked at her and signed "yes"

As the preacher pronounced them man and wife, Gibbs smiled and relaxed. In his mind he was picturing the preacher at his wedding to Sam making her his forever. He had made it through the ceremony. He promised himself that he would go through the receiving line to congratulate the couple and then he and Sam would get out of there.

The bride and groom passed them leaving for the reception in the church fellowship hall. The other guests followed them. Gibbs and Sam got into the receiving line. Sam could feel Gibbs tense again as they got closer to Maddie and her new husband. She just held his hand.

Gibbs shook the groom's hand and leaned in to give Maddie a kiss on her cheek. "Glad you could make it Jethro. "

"I am so happy for you Maddie. I saw the necklace and I remember the day you two bought them."

"That way she was with me today. You know I would have made her my maid of honor."

"I know." He kissed her again on the cheek. "Have a happy life Maddie and call me if you ever need anything." Samantha smiled at Maddie and wished the couple her congratulations as Gibbs took her arm and led her away and toward the door. He had been there and survived. He wanted out. He wanted to be alone with Samantha. He had plans for the evening. This day was surely going to end better than it started.

As they neared the Dodge in the parking lot, he grabbed Samantha and pulled her into him. He wrapped his arms around her waist and buried his face into her hair. He needed the comfort her the smell of her hair provided him. "Ok now we can celebrate our Valentines' Day," he whispered. "I have reservations for dinner at 7. How about we go back to my place for a while?"

Samantha just shook her head. She knew he planned to either spend the rest of the afternoon in his basement or curled up on his couch watching a movie. She secretly hoped for the movie. She had not noticed how tense this day had been for her as well. "When someone you love is hurting you feel every hurt" she thought.

"I could use a couple of hours on your couch. Been a long day and a nap in your arms sounds pretty good to me." Samantha smiled as he opened the car door for her. He just smiled and signed "Your wish is my command my love."