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A/N: hey guys just a warning but some strong language in this chapter, and probably throughout from here on. Sorry if it offends anyone. That aside! Chapter Ten on a plater for you. Ok, so I've posted about five chapters in the last five days but don't get too spoiled they may slow down over the next couple days...gonna be pretty busy. Enjoy and thanks everyone for the reviews. dark rolling sea

Chapter Ten

Kate sat quietly next to Ann for a while as Ann fitted pictures into the album. She watched silently as she saw Jeb and his twin grow up in pictures. Finally she felt the burden of what happened earlier in the hotel room. She couldn't be strong anymore. She needed to talk to someone.

"Something on you mind?" Ann asked quietly, seemingly reading Kate's thoughts. Kate smiled slightly then sighed.

"Yes, I…" Kate couldn't speak. She couldn't convert the thoughts to words. She was at a loss.

"He can do that sometimes," Ann said with a smile. Kate returned it and it seemed to break the binds the he had placed on her mind. Kate looked at her hands a moment then looked up at Ann again.

"He shut me out, completely." Kate's voice was barely above a whisper. Ann nodded and looked at the picture she was holding. It showed a smiling Jeb in a baseball uniform posing. Kate thought he looked like he was about ten in the picture. Kate realized that her problem was hugely minor compared to Ann's problem at the moment. She realized that no one was here for her either. "How are you dealing with this?"

The question caught Ann off guard. She wasn't expecting to talk about Jeb. After her conversation with Kate earlier she had thought Kate would come over and unwind her anger at Gibbs. But here she was putting it aside. Ann tried to smile but it didn't work, and it quickly turned to a frown.

"I'm losing my boy," Ann said quietly.

"He's not dead yet, Ann. It's only a chance he's dying."

"Thank you, but sometimes you just know. This week is going to be hell," Ann replied, tears slowly slipping from her eyes. Kate put a gentle hand on Ann's arm and squeezed. Ann looked up with gratitude. It would be nice to have someone to go through this with, even if she didn't know the other woman.

Jeb moved slowly through his day at work. His mind was severely distracted. What do I do? How can I be strong? One thing after another. Brain Tumor, cancer, nervous system disorder, viral infection, something else, something more, something less. His brain continued to repeat the thoughts. Continued to gnaw away at his sanity. He felt himself barely conscious of what he was doing.

As the day passed along his thoughts were all but consumed with his problem. He didn't know if he would last the week. Then he thought of Hunter and remembered he had to be strong. He had to put up a face like his tiny nephew had and trudge along. He couldn't give, not yet. He didn't even know what was attacking him. He made a decision right there he had to fight all nodes of depression he felt. He couldn't let even a little bit of pity in. He reviewed his life, being born a month early, growing up with his twin not knowing a father until they were five, being adopted by a man that loved them as his own sons, the birth of his baby brother, and then sister, losing the only father he had known, torn away from him at twelve years old, finding his biological father, making a relationship, becoming a marine, losing the marine way because of a stupid drunk driver, becoming an uncle, losing a piece of his soul when he lost his twin, almost losing his life and Hunter's a year ago, and now this. He felt the cards were dealt against him. He knew what he had to do.

As soon as his shift was done he called one person he could talk to. Someone that would know how to comfort him and help him cope with this disaster. He would have preferred to have Jake next to him but he figured his friend R. J. would make a suitable replacement.

The phone rang and rang. Jeb held his breath without even realizing it. He needed his friend to pick up the phone. Finally he heard the line open.

"Donovan," a gruff voice came over the phone.

"Hey, R.J.," Jeb said softly into the phone. The emotions flooding his heart as he prepared to tell his friend his dilemma.

"Yo, that you, Jeb?"

"Yeah, I..uh…"

"What's wrong?" Donovan's voice was full of concern and Jeb took a deep breath and swallowed hard to hold the tears at bay.

"Man, I really could use an ear,"

"You got one, you know that. Always, anytime, any place. Now spill the beans brother, you in trouble?"

"Not like that, it's…it's not something I can't avoid. God this week is killing me, R. J. A fucking week I gotta wait."

"For what man?"

"The doctor, he said…he said I…it might be a tumor or cancer or something."

"Shit," It sounded more like a hiss than a word to Jeb. "You need me in Cali?"

"No, hey don't disrupt your life for me. I just need someone to talk to is all," Jeb said quickly.

"Listen, not a big deal to shuffle and come out there. I can work from Cali you know that. I can get a transfer for that sake. I'm not on tour right now I'm state side. Listen I'll get out…"

"R.J., I just need…"

"How's Kylie?"

"What?"

"How's Kylie?"

"Oh, I um, I don't know. She's well pretty down. Listen it's hard on all of us. I mean we don't find out what for a week you know?"

"Yeah, anytime you need a shoulder, you holler, I'll be there, hear me?"

"I know. I'm just so…scared," he said, his voice trailing off at the end.

"I know. It's hard not knowing. Listen though. You're one tough bastard, remember that. You're a marine, son, the best of the best. Hear me?"

"I know but it doesn't change the dark feeling, you know. It's like on your first time out on your own and you're all painted up and all the noise of the night is surrounding you, I don't know. I don't know how much more stress we can handle."

"That's it. I'm coming out there."

"No, no. It's ok, R. J. Really. I just needed to talk to someone you know, that wasn't balling their eyes out. I don't know it's just…well my dad is even weird now."

"I know. Hang in there man, and whenever you need it I'm only a phone call away, and more importantly I'm only a flight away, you hear me?"

"Yeah man, I hear ya. Thanks."

"That's what brothers are for," he said quietly.

"I really miss Jake, R. J. God how I miss him. I need him right now."

"I know, kid, I know. He's with you though. Remember that. He's inside you. He's with you every step of the way. Remember that. Just look in your heart. You can still talk to him, just close your eyes and speak from the heart. He'll hear ya, buddy."

"Thanks, really."

"Don't mention it. You just call me if ya need ANYTHING."

"Sure will. Thanks again. I'll talk to you later."

"Bye."

The call was over and Jeb felt a little lifted from his heart. R. J. Donovan was one of his closest friends from his marine days. They had met just after Jeb had finished boot camp and was assigned to Donovan's unit. They had made friends with each other quickly and stuck close to each other. It was a bond almost as tight as Jeb's bond with Jake had been, but not quite. It was comforting to know R. J. was still out there, and ready at a moment's notice to be by his side.

Kate and Ann spent the afternoon getting to know one another, sharing stories of their lives. Ann shared a lot of stories of Jeb and Jake growing up and of Hunter. She filled Kate in on Kylie and Kate was over joyed to hear the news. They fell into a comfortable spell and it helped to forget the stress and troubles that surrounded them. Gibbs failed to show up even though Kate had hoped he would come looking for her. It was all well though. Maybe she needed to give him a little space right now. She found that Ann was willing to let Kate be a part of the family no matter what. Finally the conversation turned to the problem at hand.

"So how is everyone handling this?" Kate asked quietly. Ann looked up for a second and then looked back down at her hands in her lap.

"Jeb, is overwhelmed I think. I think he may be numb from the shock. Kylie, well I'm worried about the girl, she just looked so down last night. Hunter, the brave little soul, he's put on the tough guy face and is determined to hold the glue in place I think. Jeb's brother Kayden is keeping it in, and his sister Jasmine is broken hearted. Neither wants to lose another brother."

"And Gibbs?" Ann looked at her a little shocked that Kate had called him that. Then she saw in Kate's eyes that Kate was a little shocked herself.

"I really don't know. He didn't look very good last night, and then well…you've seen him today, I haven't," she said with a shrug.

"Yeah."

"Me? I'm distraught. I don't want to lose another son. I don't want to lose another baby. But part of me feels hope and strength that this one can pull though."

Kate smiled. It was good to hear her speak like that. There was hope. There was always hope Kate thought. It was nearing dinnertime and they heard a knock on the door. Ann got up slowly and went to it. She smiled and stepped back after opening it. Kate watched as Hunter bounded in with a grin on his face. He turned and saw Kate sitting on the couch and the grin expanded ten fold. The boy raced across the room and sprang up into Kate's arms as she sat on the couch.

"Kate!" he squealed with delight and wrapped his little arms around her. She squeezed him tight and closed her eyes while she held on. When she opened them she saw Jeb and a girl standing just inside the door. Despite his problem Jeb wore a huge grin on his face, until he looked around and didn't see Gibbs. The grin started to falter and his eyes questioned Kate.

"He's uh…at the hotel I guess," Kate said quietly as Hunter slid off her lap and to the floor. He looked up at her and frowned. Jeb only nodded and then turned to Kylie.

"Kate, this is Kylie. Kylie, that's Kate, my dad's girlfriend," Jeb said with a smile. Kylie smiled and Kate returned it.

"Nice to meet you," Kate said. "And I hear congratulations are in order?" Kate saw the slight confusion on both their faces before the look of recognition come over them both. They both smiled a little and nodded. Kate just smiled at them both. They then decided inside of throwing together a frozen dinner they would go out to eat, minus Gibbs. They couldn't get a hold of him.

TBC...