"Gibbs, this better be good," he growls.
"It's me," her voice trembles a little over the phone line.
"Katie?" his voice drops to a tender whisper. "You alright?"
"Where are you?" she sounds lost to Gibbs' ears, and he fastens his pace to the apartment. "You're not at your house."
"You're outside my house?" Gibbs asks, incredulous, and starts to laugh. "While here I am walking like a madman to your apartment?"
"Gibbs, what - "
"Jethro, Katie. Jethro," he corrects. "Marriage or no marriage. You stay put and I'll come back right now, you got that?"
His ride back to his own house is in a blur. He only knows it took all he had to keep from speeding, not because he doesn't want to rush back to his house, but he reminds himself that if he got pulled-over, it'll likely take twice as long to get to Kate.
"Katie," he jumps out of the car as soon as he turns the engine off.
She looks up from the steps she's been sitting on, "You're back." Without another word, she throws her arms around his neck and lets her tears flow.
"Hey, hey, what's wrong?" he asks against the top of her head.
"Damn hormones."
He laughs, and she laughs with him. There is no better sound to him, he realizes. Just making her laugh would be enough for him.
"Come on, let's go in before we put on a free show for my neighbours," he rests his hand against the small of her back comfortably. She walks in with him, taking his strength and sharing his body heat.
"Coffee?" he asks once he shut the door behind them and they settle beside each other in his basement, looking at the skeleton of his boat.
"No caffeine, remember?" she turns to face him fully, her hands again resting against her stomach.
"Right," he shifts, his mouth suddenly too dry and his palms too wet. He watches as she sits on a shelf, facing him and his boat, and rests her head back, her eyes close, her lashes flutter against her face.
"Do you still have the ring?" she asks without opening her eyes.
"What?"
"The ring, do you still have it?" she asks again, finally opening her eyes and looking directly at the man who fathered her baby.
Wordlessly, he reaches into his pants' pockets and takes out the velvet box that has accompanied him for quite some time now. He flips open the box and extends his arms, showing her the ring in the setting.
Kate first raises her index finger to trace over the diamond set perfectly in the middle then takes the ring out.
"Will you still take me as your wife?" she asks, her gaze concentrated on the ring she has in her hands instead of looking at him, scared of what she may see. "Me and the baby?"
She waits for his response, but instead, feels him near her. When he is standing beside her, he takes the ring from her hands, holds onto her left hand and slips the ring onto the middle finger.
"This, is not coming off, no matter what," he promises before leaning down to share a kiss with her. "This, Katie, is forever."
"Forever."