Part 06 of But Now I See
Disclaimers: Please see Introduction

"Caitlin, take a seat," Ducky all but ordered the pacing agent in front of him.

Kate reluctantly sat beside the doctor in the waiting room. Time was going too slowly. She was sure she'd go insane.

"So, Kate, what exactly it is that you did to convince Gibbs to have the surgery?" Tony, sitting on the other side of the medical examiner, asked. "He was dead set against the surgery only two days ago, you know."

Kate let out a small sigh and thanked God again that she had been victorious in combating Gibbs' stubbornness. "I have my ways."

Before Tony could come up with a snarky response, the door to the waiting room opened, and a redhead both Kate and Tony recognized walked into the room.

"Are you Kate Todd?" she walked right up to Kate and asked. Shocked, Kate couldn't make a sound but nodded.

"You look exactly like how Jethro described you. I'm Angie Tuscani."

"Miss Tuscani," Kate stood up and shook hands the woman. "These are my teammates: Special Agent Tony Dinozzo, Doctor Donald Mallard, Abby Sciuto."

"Please, just call me Angie." She smiled at the group now gathered around her and Kate. "How's Jethro doing?"

"He's still in surgery," Ducky answered with a look at the door thoughtfully. "He's been in there for close to an hour now, and there's at least another hour to go."

"I really have to thank you for convincing Jethro to have the surgery, Kate," the woman reached and took Kate's hand in hers. "That cousin of mine can be stubborn as a cow if he wants to. You're one of the few who manage to change his mind on things he's decided upon."

Kate's mind froze. She didn't know what to think. This woman in front of her... the mysterious woman she had thought to be Gibbs' lover... was his cousin. She didn't catch what the young woman was saying, but a short laugh brought Kate back out of her reverie.

"Jethro's never told you who I am, has he?" she said with a shake of her head. "That's just mean."

"He's a very private person," Tony murmured, and Angie nodded her head affirmatively. "He never told us, and we didn't really ask."

The group fell silent. Images of when Angie had picked Gibbs up from work kept flashing by in Kate's mind. The intimacy; the closeness. Her jealousy seemed unfounded now she knew who Angie was.

"Does anyone of you want to go grab a coffee or something?" Angie asked shortly after the conversation ended.

The teammates shook their heads.

"There's no need to worry now, is there?" Angie sighed and patted Kate's shoulder and looked at the worried faces of the others. "He's in surgery, and there's nothing much we can do. You'll need to save your energy for when he comes out of surgery."

At the blank look on their faces, Angie tried again. "I'll stay here. You guys go take a break then come back, okay?"

Abby was the first to move, and when she walked toward the door, Tony stood and fell into step beside her. Ducky followed the couple not too longer after.

Angie shifted so she was facing Kate. "Why don't you go get some coffee?"

Kate just shook her head. "I won't be able to keep anything down."

Understanding dawned in Angie's eyes, and she smiled sympathetically at Kate. "Jethro is really hard to deal with when he has his mind set on something. For the whole time I've known him, you're the only one besides my mother who is capable of persuading him."

"I'm good at persuading people," Kate smiled ruefully.

"That," Angie smiled, "and the fact that Jethro feels he should listen to you."

With a raised eyebrow, Kate looked at the woman sitting beside her, "Gibbs feels he should listen to me?" she laughed lightly despite of how anxious she was feeling. "I doubt that's the case."

"Don't let him fool you, Kate. He cares. A lot."

When Angie spotted Kate, she was kneeling in front of the statue of the Virgin Mary and was praying. Gently, she put a hand on Kate's shoulder so not to startle her. The agent looked up at her, her eyes filled with unshed tears.

"You've been here all your waking hours for the last two days, Kate," Angie said softly. She helped the other woman stand and walk away from the statue. "Why don't you go and see Jethro?"

Kate shook her head weakly. "I can't." At Angie's puzzled look, Kate expanded, "We exchanged words a few days before the surgery, and I just can't see him now."

"He asked for you when he first woke up," Angie revealed.

Kate was surprised. "He asked for me?"

"Yours was the first name he called."

Kate dipped her head and was quiet for a minute. "When did the doctor say they can take the bandage off?"

"Tomorrow afternoon, I think." Angie patted her hand gently. "I'm sure he'll want you to be there with him."

"I'll think about it," Kate said. "That's all I'll promise."