A/N: Thank you all for the reviews. They were so sweet. Two people made suggestions and I incorporated both ideas. Gibbs and Kate are going to have a little talk and Gibbs is going to me Kate's brother and sister-in-law. Some bits may be rushed during this chapter, for example the end is a bit rushed. I'm aware of that but I didn't know how else to explain the time that had passed by. That's always been one of my problems as a writer. Ideas or suggestions are always welcome so please let me know. This chapter is updated earlier than expected, which surprised me also. Hopefully it won't take too long to write the next one. I hope you like it and please let me know what you think.

Chapter four

It occurred to Kate that she hadn't offered Gibbs anything to drink. She was hoping he would get the hint, but she knew better. Gibbs was a stubborn man, it would not be easy to change his mind and get him to go away. Realizing that she couldn't chase him away she started thinking about what she should do next. She could talk with him or she could ignore him and focus on the kids. She knew she couldn't focus on the kids without having talked to him. She sighed, better to get it over with.

"Jason, keep on eye on your sister while I talk to Gibbs." Seeing Jason nod, she looked at Gibbs. She tipped her head towards the French doors that led to the balcony.

Gibbs was surprised, but followed her to the balcony. She wanted to talk, probably to get rid of him sooner. He looked back at the living room before stepping onto the balcony. Maddy's eyes were still on him. He smiled at her before joining Kate. He waited patiently for Kate to start talking. He was standing beside her, with his arms leaning on the railing, watching the scenery.

"I can't believe you're here." Kate started.

"You really thought you could run from me?" Gibbs turned his body towards her.

"I left because I wanted to be alone. I can't be alone with you around."

"I don't want you to be alone."

"I don't care what you want, Gibbs. Can't you understand that I need this?"

For the first time she really looked at him. In her eyes he saw the guilt and hurt that was still there. "Talk to me, Kate."

"I can't."

"Why not?" He questioned her.

"Because it's too soon. I need to think this through first."

"Can't you think and talk to me at the same time?"

She was getting frustrated. Why couldn't he accept her need to be alone? She raised her voice. "No, I can't. Don't you get it? I need to be alone. I want you to go back to NCIS. I don't want you here!"

Kate's outburst didn't surprise Gibbs. She'd probably kept this in every since he'd showed up at the cabin. Her words didn't hurt him. He knew it was her guilt and anger talking. He knew it wasn't personal. He looked at her. There were tears forming in her eyes though she was trying hard to fight them. Two days ago, when he'd been at her place, he hadn't known what to do. Now, he knew and he wasn't going to let her go. Her hair had fallen in front of her face. "Stop hiding from me, Kate. I'm not going anywhere." He said softly as he reached out to tuck the hair behind her ear. Before he could say more, Maddy appeared.

"Auntie Kate, Jason keeps playing that video game."

Kate needed a moment to recover from Gibbs gesture of affection. The man hardly showed any affection towards anyone and yet here he was. She ran her hand through her hair before turning towards her niece. She avoided Gibbs eyes, knowing she couldn't handle the softness in them. This confused her even more. Deep down she knew she had feelings for him. So far she'd been able to push them to the back of her mind. Now she had to work through her own doubts and stay on her toes to avoid falling in love with her boss. She would be able to do the last if he wasn't around, but that wasn't the case. He was here and he wasn't going anywhere.

"Let's go inside and we'll find something fun to do, okay?" Together with Maddy she walked back inside.

Gibbs was pleased with himself, he was making progress. She was still trying to keep him at arms length, but she now knew for certain that he wasn't going anywhere. They were going to work through this together, whether she wanted or not. As he returned to the living room he saw the kids getting their coats on.

"We're going to take a walk outside." Kate explained to him as she handed him his coat.

He'd just put his jacket on when he felt a small hand on his. Looking down he saw Maddy at his side. She slid her hand in his as they walked to the door. Jason was already ahead of them while Kate locked the door.

The walk through the woods was spend relaxing, enjoying the kids' company and small talk. Gibbs saw a different side of Kate. Her face lit up as she talked to Maddy and Jason. This was good for her. He could understand why she'd decided to go to the cabin. It was the prefect way to leave everything behind. Some time during the walk, Maddy had asked to ride on his back. He had let her because he couldn't say no to her. They had also played hide and seek with Kate and Maddy looking for the guys. All in all it had been a pleasant walk. They were now back at the cabin.

"You guys want some hot coco?" Kate asked as Jason and Maddy made their way to the living room. With affirmative answers from the two she made her way to the kitchen. Gibbs followed her into the kitchen.

"Do you want some coffee?" Kate asked him as she prepared the hot coco.

"Yeah, just tell me where everything is."

Kate showed him where everything was. It was silent between the two while they both prepared the drinks.

"Thank you." Kate suddenly said.

"For what?" Gibbs poured the coffee in two mugs.

"For not pushing me." She left the kitchen with the drinks for Jason and Maddy.

ABOUT and hour later there was a knock on the door. "Mommy!" Maddy yelled as she ran to the door to open it. Jason and Kate followed Maddy in a slower pace.

"Hey, how was your day?" Emily asked her daughter.

"Great! We went to the park and then I played hide and seek with Uncle Jethro!" Maddy relayed her day.

Uncle Jethro? Where did she get that from?, Kate thought. She looked at her brother and Emily who had their eyes on her. How was she going to explain this?

"And who is Uncle Jethro?" Billy asked Kate.

"Euuh, well... he's..."

"I'm Kate's boss." Gibbs' voice came from behind her. He had heard Maddy calling him Uncle. He had to admit, it sounded nice. He didn't even know the girl had remembered his name. Kate's brother didn't look a lot like Kate but they had the same determination in their eyes. Kate's sister-in-law had blond hair and kind blue eyes. "Jethro Gibbs" He introduced himself, shaking hands with Billy and Emily.

They all walked to the living room and settled down. "When are we going to eat?" Jason asked his parents.

"I've got reservations for seven o'clock at Donatello's." Billy answered. He observed Kate and her boss. They were seated on the couch opposite of him. He didn't know what to think of Jethro Gibbs. Kate trusted the man and spoke highly of him.

"We were all going out to eat. Would you like to join us, Mr. Gibbs?" Emily was surprised Kate hadn't told her boss about their plans. Ever since Gibbs introduction Kate had a distant look in her eyes.

"Sure, if nobody minds and please, call me Jethro." His eyes were on Kate. He wouldn't go if she didn't want him to. He knew how important this family time was for her. He wasn't going to impose.

Kate felt his eyes on her. "It's okay." She felt unsure of the situation. After the afternoon walk in the woods she'd felt comfortable with Gibbs around. Now with Billy and Emily around things were different. She'd seen Emily watching. She knew she was going to get questions. Questions about Gibbs that she wasn't sure she wanted to answer.

TBC..........