"First of all," Gibbs continued, "why don't you tell Kate what you heard."
Grace realized it was not a request. She cleared her throat, more to give herself time to string together a coherent though than anything else, and said simply, "I know where I came from."
Kate's eyes widened and her mouth opened in shock and horror. She had intended to tell Grace eventually, of course, just not nearly so soon. To be confronted with it not only so soon but so unexpectedly was…disconcerting.
"Grace, I…" she started, completely at a loss for words. "How?" It was probably the least important question right now, but it was all she could come up with.
Gibbs cleared his throat in what, from someone else, could have been construed as embarrassment. "Ducky and I were talking."
Kate wasn't sure what to make of that. She was far too confused, upset, scared, and generally emotionally screwed up right now. She settled for getting angry; it seemed to work for Gibbs. "You were talking about my personal life?"
Grace, even in her shocked state, cringed at the tone in Kate's voice. Fortunately, Gibbs seemed to realize the source of Kate's outburst and merely raised an eyebrow.
"No, Kate," he replied coolly, "we were discussing your work habits."
The subtle admonishment subdued Kate enough for her to think more coherently. Grace, meanwhile, was growing impatient in her uncertainty.
"Look," she said, "if you want to take me back, I understand."
"What?" Kate asked, startled.
"I understand," Grace repeated. "I mean, you never wanted me in the first place. That's why you gave me up. You just took me in now because you feel guilty."
"Guilty?" Kate parroted, not following.
"For giving me up in the first place," Grace reasoned. She was beyond hurt and angry; now she was coldly composed. "And probably because my parents died, too."
Kate sat in shocked silence, not believing what she had just heard. "Is that what you think?" she managed.
"It's pretty obvious," Grace shrugged, clearly trying to distance herself emotionally. Kate felt like crying.
"Grace," she struggled, squeezing the words around the lump in her throat. "I put you up for adoption because I was sixteen years old. I couldn't take care of a child. I couldn't even let anyone know I was pregnant."
"Whatever," Grace sighed.
"No, Grace, not 'whatever'," Kate burst out, suddenly animated. "Listen to me. I took you in because you are my daughter. I want you. I love you, Grace!"
Kate slowly realized she was gripping Grace by the shoulders, so eager was she to get her point across. Grace's eyes shone with unshed tears, her expression indicating they were tears of emotion and not of pain. Kate, taking advantage of her hold on Grace, pulled her daughter into a hug, blinking back her own tears. The hug seemed to give Grace permission to relinquish control of her emotions and she clutched Kate fiercely, weeping quietly into her shoulder. Kate felt for her and wished she could take away the pain Grace must be feeling but at the same time she rejoiced at this breakthrough. Grace had never shown so much emotional abandon around Kate; Kate couldn't help the bittersweet thrill at this new trust.
Gibbs, forgotten by both, cleared his throat lightly. They pulled apart and looked at him. Had it not been such a serious moment, Gibbs might have smiled at their twin expressions of expectant puzzlement. It might not be immediately apparent that the two were mother and daughter, but there was no mistaking that they were related.
"I hate to break up this moment of familial bonding," he commented, strangely not sarcastic. "But we do have to discuss how this new…situation affects Kate's work."
"I thought we already had," Kate replied, eyes drying in the conversation's change of pace.
"Yeah," Gibbs conceded, "but some things have happened since then that make me think we need to reevaluate."
Kate frowned slightly. When Gibbs used jargon like 'reevaluate' it meant he was out of his element, slightly uncomfortable with the situation. And when Gibbs was uncertain, he was one step away from explosion. In short, tread lightly.
"First," Gibbs continued, "you've been late."
"Not very often," Kate protested.
"I know," Gibbs stopped her with a hand. "But it makes you unreliable." He paused, taking in her half-ashamed half-affronted expression. "I don't blame you," he reassured her, looking awkward at the tone of caring support in his own voice.
"Sure you don't," Kate snorted.
"I don't," Gibbs repeated. "But something does need to be done."
"Like what? I leave Grace asleep, without breakfast and without a baby– sorry, supervisor," she tossed a wry look Grace's way, "and come to work?"
Gibbs and Grace exchanged glances. "Well…why not?" Gibbs asked, eyebrows knitting together.
"Yeah, Aunt Kate," Grace chimed in, seeing an opportunity. "I am fourteen."
"She is fourteen, Kate," Gibbs echoed, somehow managing to convey both amused sarcasm and serious advice.
"But –" Kate started, realizing she would probably lose this argument anyway.
"I can get my own breakfast," Grace hurriedly rationalized. "And call Mrs. Klein myself."
"Well…" Kate knew she was beaten. Gibbs was watching amusedly from his desk, waiting for her answer, and Grace had latched on to Gibbs' apparent support of her position. Besides, they did kind of have a point. "All right," she sighed.
"Yes!" Grace cheered. "Don't worry," she added, more calmly.
Gibbs wore the little half-grin he usually reserved for occasions when Tony got egg on his face. Beckoning Grace over to his desk, he clapped her shoulder and leaned toward her conspiratorially.
"Hey, Grace," he whispered, "can you go see Abby for a while? I gotta talk to Kate."
Grace squinted at him briefly before nodding. He smiled almost nostalgically as she left, then turned to Kate with a concerned but grave expression.
"Kate," he began, his voice not allowing for interruption, "I know you don't want to talk about it, but you have got to face what happened to you. If you don't deal with it, you'll never move on."
Kate's face hardened slightly. "Respectfully, Gibbs, that is none of your business."
Gibbs, though well-intentioned, found himself caught up in the urgency of his concern. Desperate to get her to help herself, he resorted to an old fallback. "It became my business when it began affecting your work. I can't have you flipping out on every rape case."
"That's all you care about, isn't it?" Kate smirked slightly, as if confirming a suspicion.
Gibbs gave her a look and she backed down. Speaking as if it were extremely difficult, he continued deliberately. "I want you to see a therapist."
She reacted much as he had expected her to. "What? I don't need a shrink," she protested, eyes flaring. "Look, I've dealt with my demons, okay? The last thing I need is to dig them all up again."
"Kate, they've already been dug up!" he hissed. "You haven't dealt with them; that's the problem!"
"You're one to talk!" she spat. And instantly regretted it.
Gibbs didn't get mad, surprisingly. He looked like he was going to, rising from his chair with eyes blazing, but halfway up he seemed to…deflate. He sank back into his seat and sighed.
"That's exactly my point, Kate," he said, softly but firmly.