A/N: I just wanted to tell you guys that I have been unable to post or
write due to computer problems. I know you are impatient to read the next
chapter and I am anxious to see what you all think. I am going out of town
for five days and I will not post until I get back home. I hope this
chapter is sufficient for now. Thanks for all the reviews and
encouragement.
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"Can I do something?" Kate asked as she Gibbs chop vegetables. He was making dinner and forcing her to eat it. He'd said he didn't want her to pass out from a lack of food.
""No, you can just sit there and watch." He answered throwing the veggies in a sauce pan and watching them sizzle. He'd wanted to cook for her; he thought it might make her open up. She'd been extremely quiet ever since she had woken up. She wasn't silent; she just wasn't talking that much.
He'd worked quietly in the basement while she watched him work. He half expected her to go back to sleep, but she didn't. Instead, she'd walked over to him and asked if she could sand the next plank he put on. He was surprised, to say the least, but handed her the sanding block. While he was working on the plank, she'd started asking him how he'd learned to build a boat and if he knew how to sail. He'd answered her questions and asked her question of his own. Why she joined the secret service, where she went to high school, he'd even asked her if she knew how to sail. He was slowly coming to know more about her and her past.
"C'mon, Gibbs, let me at least set the table or something." Kate's voice broke through his thoughts.
"Okay. Dishes are in the cabinet about the sink." He wanted to talk to her. He wanted to know what had happened in her dream that made her so quiet. He wanted her to open up to him, but he knew if she opened up to him he would have to open up to her. He didn't know if he was ready for that. There was a lot about him nobody knew, even Ducky.
Kate went about setting table while she listened to Gibbs prepare dinner. She'd made a decision to talk to him about her nightmare after dinner. She wasn't sure how we going to react, but she'd already made her choice.
"Okay. You ready to eat?" Gibbs asked as he turned from the stove and put a pot in to center of the table. He pulled out a chair for her and one for himself. "What would you like to drink? There's milk, water, soda and coffee. Of course."
Kate smiled at the mention of his beloved drink. "I think I'll go with water."
"One water comin' up." He went to the fridge, got a bottle of water and a glass from the cupboard before returning to the table.
"Thank you."
They ate in silence. The only conversation was when one of them asked to pass something. Kate was preparing herself to tell Gibbs what happened. She was preparing herself to open a door she'd closed long ago. He had to know why she'd reacted how she did and that would involve a lot of bad memories and, she suspected, pain. She had to do this and it only made sense that he know.
When they were finished Gibbs cleared the table and told Kate to go into the living room to relax. He joined her after he grabbed a cup of coffee. She was starring out the window when he walked into the room. And he was struck with the sudden urge to pick her up and carry her to his bedroom, and lay down with her. He couldn't explain it, and he wasn't sure he wanted to.
She knew was back in the room. She'd felt it the moment he'd stepped in. She could feel his gaze on her as she stood by the window. She knew she had to tell him. He had to know this wasn't the first time something like this had happened to her. She'd been stalked before. The guy was clinically insane and obsessed with her.
She'd first met him on Air Force One when he'd carried the "football." She'd talked to him, like she would anyone in his position. When her shift was over and another agent took her place he'd grabbed her wrist and practically begged her to stay. She'd smiled and refused, pleading tiredness and the need to rest. He said he had understood and let her go. But while she was in the rest area for the secret service he'd walked in. He'd called her name from across the room and her fellow agents stared at her with disapproval in their gaze. No one was allowed in the area unless invited by an agent; that was never done, it was unspoken rule. But she had gone to the doorway before he could step in the room and demanded to know what he was doing there. He had told her he was looking for her; that he didn't like the new guy who was with him. She was reaching a point of irritation that was dangerous and she'd had to take a couple deep breaths before telling him to leave her alone and go back to where he was supposed to be.
It started two weeks after the flight. At first it was letters, unsigned. Then, they were signed "your secret admirer." She been flattered, at first, but when they person had started talking about marriage and forever she'd gone to her friends who told her to take it to the head of the Secret Service. They'd tried to track him down, but there was nothing to go on. So, they told her to wait it out; that maybe it would stop.
It didn't stop.
It got worse. There'd been letter tapes; she'd known it was him when she'd heard the voice. It gave her chills to think about it now. He'd told her he wanted to marry her, with or without her consent, and move to Colorado where they could be undisturbed in the mountains. He said he loved her and he'd known from the minute he'd boarded Air Force One and saw her that she would become his wife. Knowing the Secret Service would give her the same answer as the last time, she'd gone to the FBI. They had been able to track him down, albeit two months later. And her life had become semi- normal again. She had put it behind her and everyone knew not to mention it around her.
But now she was going to go back and rehash old wounds.
She turned from the window and met his gaze head on and said, "Gibbs, I need to tell you something."
+++++
"Can I do something?" Kate asked as she Gibbs chop vegetables. He was making dinner and forcing her to eat it. He'd said he didn't want her to pass out from a lack of food.
""No, you can just sit there and watch." He answered throwing the veggies in a sauce pan and watching them sizzle. He'd wanted to cook for her; he thought it might make her open up. She'd been extremely quiet ever since she had woken up. She wasn't silent; she just wasn't talking that much.
He'd worked quietly in the basement while she watched him work. He half expected her to go back to sleep, but she didn't. Instead, she'd walked over to him and asked if she could sand the next plank he put on. He was surprised, to say the least, but handed her the sanding block. While he was working on the plank, she'd started asking him how he'd learned to build a boat and if he knew how to sail. He'd answered her questions and asked her question of his own. Why she joined the secret service, where she went to high school, he'd even asked her if she knew how to sail. He was slowly coming to know more about her and her past.
"C'mon, Gibbs, let me at least set the table or something." Kate's voice broke through his thoughts.
"Okay. Dishes are in the cabinet about the sink." He wanted to talk to her. He wanted to know what had happened in her dream that made her so quiet. He wanted her to open up to him, but he knew if she opened up to him he would have to open up to her. He didn't know if he was ready for that. There was a lot about him nobody knew, even Ducky.
Kate went about setting table while she listened to Gibbs prepare dinner. She'd made a decision to talk to him about her nightmare after dinner. She wasn't sure how we going to react, but she'd already made her choice.
"Okay. You ready to eat?" Gibbs asked as he turned from the stove and put a pot in to center of the table. He pulled out a chair for her and one for himself. "What would you like to drink? There's milk, water, soda and coffee. Of course."
Kate smiled at the mention of his beloved drink. "I think I'll go with water."
"One water comin' up." He went to the fridge, got a bottle of water and a glass from the cupboard before returning to the table.
"Thank you."
They ate in silence. The only conversation was when one of them asked to pass something. Kate was preparing herself to tell Gibbs what happened. She was preparing herself to open a door she'd closed long ago. He had to know why she'd reacted how she did and that would involve a lot of bad memories and, she suspected, pain. She had to do this and it only made sense that he know.
When they were finished Gibbs cleared the table and told Kate to go into the living room to relax. He joined her after he grabbed a cup of coffee. She was starring out the window when he walked into the room. And he was struck with the sudden urge to pick her up and carry her to his bedroom, and lay down with her. He couldn't explain it, and he wasn't sure he wanted to.
She knew was back in the room. She'd felt it the moment he'd stepped in. She could feel his gaze on her as she stood by the window. She knew she had to tell him. He had to know this wasn't the first time something like this had happened to her. She'd been stalked before. The guy was clinically insane and obsessed with her.
She'd first met him on Air Force One when he'd carried the "football." She'd talked to him, like she would anyone in his position. When her shift was over and another agent took her place he'd grabbed her wrist and practically begged her to stay. She'd smiled and refused, pleading tiredness and the need to rest. He said he had understood and let her go. But while she was in the rest area for the secret service he'd walked in. He'd called her name from across the room and her fellow agents stared at her with disapproval in their gaze. No one was allowed in the area unless invited by an agent; that was never done, it was unspoken rule. But she had gone to the doorway before he could step in the room and demanded to know what he was doing there. He had told her he was looking for her; that he didn't like the new guy who was with him. She was reaching a point of irritation that was dangerous and she'd had to take a couple deep breaths before telling him to leave her alone and go back to where he was supposed to be.
It started two weeks after the flight. At first it was letters, unsigned. Then, they were signed "your secret admirer." She been flattered, at first, but when they person had started talking about marriage and forever she'd gone to her friends who told her to take it to the head of the Secret Service. They'd tried to track him down, but there was nothing to go on. So, they told her to wait it out; that maybe it would stop.
It didn't stop.
It got worse. There'd been letter tapes; she'd known it was him when she'd heard the voice. It gave her chills to think about it now. He'd told her he wanted to marry her, with or without her consent, and move to Colorado where they could be undisturbed in the mountains. He said he loved her and he'd known from the minute he'd boarded Air Force One and saw her that she would become his wife. Knowing the Secret Service would give her the same answer as the last time, she'd gone to the FBI. They had been able to track him down, albeit two months later. And her life had become semi- normal again. She had put it behind her and everyone knew not to mention it around her.
But now she was going to go back and rehash old wounds.
She turned from the window and met his gaze head on and said, "Gibbs, I need to tell you something."