A/N: Just so you all know, the keyboard can be your enemy. I've had so many ideas running through my head lately for this story, but none of them want to take root. The keyboard never wants to put my ideas into the right words so that is why I haven't posted in SO long.
It was a day Gibbs would remember forever. It happened while he was at the office on Wednesday, June 23rd. He and Tony were doing their best to find more leads on Kate's case. They weren't having any luck so Gibbs decided to call it a day, at 3:30. He told Tony to go home or whatever he wanted to do, that he was leaving and that he would see him on Friday. He picked up his coat and left.
That's when everything went wrong. While he was pulling off the freeway he ran over a nail and had to pull over so he could replace the flat. When he finally got back on the road his 'check engine' light came on right before the car ran out of gas. His cursed the powers that be for all that was happening to him at the moment. But then he remembered that he had a beautiful woman waiting for him at home, and she didn't know he was coming home so he could surprise her. He smiled and looked up to the sky and thanked God for the chance to love this woman. So he called the tow company, who luckily had just got a call from right down the street, and told them he just needed some gas to get home. He waited all of five minutes then he was on his way home.
He opened the door quietly, so as not to give away he was home yet. He didn't see her anywhere on the first floor, so he went down to the basement. It wasn't usual for him to find her sleeping on the couch down there or working on their boat. Yes, their boat. He hadn't told her yet, but he was going to name it after her. But when he didn't find her in the basement he got a funny feeling. She was never upstairs when he got home. But then again, he never got home this early. So he shrugged it off, and headed for the stairs.
That's when he heard it; a scream. It sounded muffled, like someone had a hand over her mouth. He grabbed his gun and bolted for the stairs. He took them three at a time, and sprinted towards the bedroom. He found her lying on the bed with her hands tied to the bed posts to prevent her from moving. She was naked except for her bra and panties. She was gagged with what looked to be a sock. But that isn't what caught his attention first. It was the man that was lying atop her, fully clothed.
Before Gibbs could formulate a thought, he felt himself moving towards the bed and watched as his own hands pulled the man up by his neck and threw him on the floor. Gibbs was on him in a second; fists punching anywhere they could reach. He was blind with anger. Angry at the man for doing this to the woman he loved. Angry at himself for not being there. And angry at the guards that were supposed to be guarding her while he was at the office. He let his anger out through his fists, letting the bastard know that what he'd done was the worst thing he could do in his life. And when he finally let up the man's nose was bleeding and he was unconscious. Gibbs pulled the handcuffs from his back pocket and cuffed the man's wrist then used the other to cuff him to cuff him to the bed. And just for good measure he pushed the guy's head back with enough force to ensure a concussion.
When that was done, he stood up and looked at Kate. He moved to undo the gag from her mouth then undid the ties holding her wrists. When he was finished he took off his coat and draped it around her shoulders and took her out of the room and down stairs. When he stopped and turned towards the couch in the living she shook her head and led him down to the basement. They sat down on the couch and he held her with one arm around her shoulders while he took out his phone.
"This is Special Agent Gibbs; I need an ambulance and police here now." He hung up before the person on the other line could ask any questions.
He then pulled Kate to sit in his lap while he held her. She buried her head in his chest and clung to him for dear life. And they stayed like that until the police arrived. They didn't need words; they just needed to feel the other one. Gibbs left her down in the basement while he answered questions from the police. And when they asked for Kate's statement, Gibbs calmly told them to shut the hell up and get out of his house. Oh, and that they would be in at the soonest possible convenience to give them her statement.
When they were gone and the perp was taken away he went back down to the basement. She was still on the couch starring at the boat. When he started walking down the stairs she looked up at him and smiled. He gave her a sad smile in return and sat down next to her. He pulled her against him and laid his head on her shoulder. Only then did he let his emotions go. He felt the tears come and he didn't try to stop them. He pulled her closer to him, just to smell her unique scent.
When she fist felt the wetness on her neck, she thought he was kissing her. But when she didn't feel his lips, she looked down as far as she could and saw that he wasn't kissing her, he was crying.
"Hey, Gibbs." She said it softly, and brought his head up so she could look into her eyes. "What is it?"
He just shook his head, not ready to answer. He just looked into her eyes and tried to convey with a look the feelings he was feeling inside. Anger, at himself. Love, more than he ever thought possible. Relief, she was safe and in his arms. Fear, she was almost taken from him. And he knew she saw them all when he saw tears come to her eyes as well.
It was then, while he was crying and shaken up, that he said the words that he'd been longing to say for almost as long as she'd been working at NCIS. "I love you, Kate."
It was a day Gibbs would remember forever. It happened while he was at the office on Wednesday, June 23rd. He and Tony were doing their best to find more leads on Kate's case. They weren't having any luck so Gibbs decided to call it a day, at 3:30. He told Tony to go home or whatever he wanted to do, that he was leaving and that he would see him on Friday. He picked up his coat and left.
That's when everything went wrong. While he was pulling off the freeway he ran over a nail and had to pull over so he could replace the flat. When he finally got back on the road his 'check engine' light came on right before the car ran out of gas. His cursed the powers that be for all that was happening to him at the moment. But then he remembered that he had a beautiful woman waiting for him at home, and she didn't know he was coming home so he could surprise her. He smiled and looked up to the sky and thanked God for the chance to love this woman. So he called the tow company, who luckily had just got a call from right down the street, and told them he just needed some gas to get home. He waited all of five minutes then he was on his way home.
He opened the door quietly, so as not to give away he was home yet. He didn't see her anywhere on the first floor, so he went down to the basement. It wasn't usual for him to find her sleeping on the couch down there or working on their boat. Yes, their boat. He hadn't told her yet, but he was going to name it after her. But when he didn't find her in the basement he got a funny feeling. She was never upstairs when he got home. But then again, he never got home this early. So he shrugged it off, and headed for the stairs.
That's when he heard it; a scream. It sounded muffled, like someone had a hand over her mouth. He grabbed his gun and bolted for the stairs. He took them three at a time, and sprinted towards the bedroom. He found her lying on the bed with her hands tied to the bed posts to prevent her from moving. She was naked except for her bra and panties. She was gagged with what looked to be a sock. But that isn't what caught his attention first. It was the man that was lying atop her, fully clothed.
Before Gibbs could formulate a thought, he felt himself moving towards the bed and watched as his own hands pulled the man up by his neck and threw him on the floor. Gibbs was on him in a second; fists punching anywhere they could reach. He was blind with anger. Angry at the man for doing this to the woman he loved. Angry at himself for not being there. And angry at the guards that were supposed to be guarding her while he was at the office. He let his anger out through his fists, letting the bastard know that what he'd done was the worst thing he could do in his life. And when he finally let up the man's nose was bleeding and he was unconscious. Gibbs pulled the handcuffs from his back pocket and cuffed the man's wrist then used the other to cuff him to cuff him to the bed. And just for good measure he pushed the guy's head back with enough force to ensure a concussion.
When that was done, he stood up and looked at Kate. He moved to undo the gag from her mouth then undid the ties holding her wrists. When he was finished he took off his coat and draped it around her shoulders and took her out of the room and down stairs. When he stopped and turned towards the couch in the living she shook her head and led him down to the basement. They sat down on the couch and he held her with one arm around her shoulders while he took out his phone.
"This is Special Agent Gibbs; I need an ambulance and police here now." He hung up before the person on the other line could ask any questions.
He then pulled Kate to sit in his lap while he held her. She buried her head in his chest and clung to him for dear life. And they stayed like that until the police arrived. They didn't need words; they just needed to feel the other one. Gibbs left her down in the basement while he answered questions from the police. And when they asked for Kate's statement, Gibbs calmly told them to shut the hell up and get out of his house. Oh, and that they would be in at the soonest possible convenience to give them her statement.
When they were gone and the perp was taken away he went back down to the basement. She was still on the couch starring at the boat. When he started walking down the stairs she looked up at him and smiled. He gave her a sad smile in return and sat down next to her. He pulled her against him and laid his head on her shoulder. Only then did he let his emotions go. He felt the tears come and he didn't try to stop them. He pulled her closer to him, just to smell her unique scent.
When she fist felt the wetness on her neck, she thought he was kissing her. But when she didn't feel his lips, she looked down as far as she could and saw that he wasn't kissing her, he was crying.
"Hey, Gibbs." She said it softly, and brought his head up so she could look into her eyes. "What is it?"
He just shook his head, not ready to answer. He just looked into her eyes and tried to convey with a look the feelings he was feeling inside. Anger, at himself. Love, more than he ever thought possible. Relief, she was safe and in his arms. Fear, she was almost taken from him. And he knew she saw them all when he saw tears come to her eyes as well.
It was then, while he was crying and shaken up, that he said the words that he'd been longing to say for almost as long as she'd been working at NCIS. "I love you, Kate."