Stunned by the sudden concussion of noise, Kate held her breath as she lay face down on the concrete floor.
"Kate! Don't move."
Gibbs voice. His hands as he touched her, then as she opened her eyes, his gaze.
"I'm…I'm okay, Gibbs…" she managed, then saw Ducky, a relieved smile on his face.
"Ducky, did you….?"
"No, no, my dear. Timothy here was the secret weapon." He beamed, as a bruised and battered McGee came forward and helped Gibbs lift her to her feet.
"Thanks, Tim." Kate smiled, then laughed as Abby wrapped her arms around him. "Our hero!"
McGee turned red, "thanks, Abby."
"Yeah, McGee, good shot." Gibbs said gruffly, his attention now drawn to the wounded Palmer. Ducky airily waived the paramedics through as they lifted the now shackled prisoner and wheeled him through the knot of police and NCIS personnel.
Kate shivered involuntarily, then felt a coat placed around her shoulders.
"I want Duck to check you out, Kate. You look like you took a few."
Gibbs voice was rough, then Tony added, "Yeah, you did a good job on Palmer, though. I don't think he'll mess with a woman again."
Kate found herself blushing. "Thanks, Tony. But this was a team effort." She said, then looking at Ducky, added, "Our whole team."
"Well, hasn't our team forgotten something…?" Ducky asked brightly.
"Happy Birthday to you!" Abby beamed as Tony placed the candle-lit cake in front of her.
"Go ahead, Abbs, make a wish!" Gibbs tugged on her pigtail affectionately.
"Okay….." Abby shut her eyes, then blew all the candles out with one breath.
Kate led the cheers, then carried the cake to the kitchen where she and Mrs. Mallard carefully removed all the candles.
"Are you sure you have all the wax off the frosting, very bad, wax is for you." The older woman shook her finger at Kate.
"I'm sure, Mrs. Mallard. Now do you want some ice cream with your cake?" Kate felt a pang of affection for the woman, whose warning had gone unheeded.
"Yes, oh yes my dear." She beamed, then Ducky came into the kitchen and picked up the coffee pot.
"Come along, mother, mustn't monopolize Catlin." He smiled, contentment in his eyes.
As both women followed, Gibbs raised his eyes from watching Abby decipher Tony's card. He looked at Ducky and Mrs. Mallard, realizing his old friend knew he wasn't alone in caring about his mother anymore. Kate had already proposed coming and visiting once a week. He knew it would make a difference.
And Kate…. She was bruised and cut and worn out, but full of satisfaction in how she had refused to surrender to Palmer, stopped him from setting off all the explosives and getting away…
He'd learned something, besides having underestimated Palmer. And Tony's ingenuity.
His team would do anything for him, and each other.
"Gibbs?"
He started, realizing Kate had asked him something.
"Do you want some cake?"
He grinned. "Sure, Kate. But make sure it's not from where DiNozzo licked the icing."
Several sets of eyes turned toward the guilty party, who still had frosting on his finger.
He shrugged sheepishly. "It's good."
Fin
