Chap 7

Kate walked into her bathroom with a large cup of 'Macadamia Nut' she shut her door and smiled at what Jill did for her. She lit all Kate's favourite candles on the shelves and corners of the tub; she had filled her bath with bubbles and had put on her favourite Vanessa Carlton CD. She made a mental note to get her something in return. Kate took a long sip of her coffee and stripped off of her old wet clothes and slipped into her paradise. She turned on her CD and let Vanessa Carlton fill the bathroom.

"Making my way downtown
Walking fast
Faces pass
And I'm home bound

Gibbs smiled when he finally found the correct exit and street he looked from house to house when he saw a mail box that said 'Allegretti Todd' on it, the little light on a rock displayed the white box. He parked his car on the side of the road and hopped out.

Staring blankly ahead
Just making my way
Making a way
Through the crowd

Kate sighed as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath and submerged under the scented water for a second and came back up, she whipped excess soap from her face on the hands and leaned back. Scrubbing herself with a washcloth whilst singing to the song, she paused when she reached her arm, she turned it around to find her old slit scars from a year ago, she never thought of it lately, but now she found it ridiculous and childish. She could only imagine what her friends would say if they saw it, it drew a laugh from her as she resumed washing herself.

And I need you
And I miss you
And now I wonder...

Gibbs walked up her lawn and was bombarded with a wave of nerves. What would he say if she answered, what would he do if she didn't answer. He stepped on to her porch and was about to knock when a voice shot at him across the lawn.

"Are you Special Agent Jethro Gibbs?" Jill asked as she was joined by her husband, by the looks on their faces they weren't the welcome party. The old man stood with his hands crossed over his chest, though an old man you could clearly see he still worked out from the size of his biceps. Beside him was a frail old woman her hands were on her hips and she had a scowl on her face.

"Yes mam I am." He said as he stepped off the porch and slowly made his way across the lawn.

If I could fall
Into the sky
Do you think time
Would pass me by
'Cause you know I'd walk
A thousand miles
If I could
Just see you
Tonight

Kate relaxed and closed her eyes again slowly drifting away to sleep, she had to admit that the old woman knew her stuff. Jill was a famous masseuse when she was younger; she had worked at the spa down town, 2 blokes away from NCIS. The scents of all the mixed candles made Kate feel like she was in a meadow full of wild flowers, the water like she was in the middle of summer instead of early spring. She took another sip of her coffee and let the atmosphere wash away all her pain, anger and sorrow.

It's always times like these
When I think of you
And I wonder
If you ever
Think of me

"You have no right coming over here after what you did to Katie, she hasn't told us but we know, she's never so much as shed a tear, nothing other then smile and brighten everyone's day, I can't have you change her spirit." Jill sneered as her husband put his hands on her shoulders, that was his way of saying he backed her up a hundred percent.

"If you knew half the things about her that we do you'd understand, she lived with two military parents who believed in discipline and not emotion, we give her the emotion and we see her blossom every day, she comes home with a giant smile on her face and rants on about you, we've never seen her so happy and relaxed. But when you step over the line and hurt I'll have to tell you to step down." This time Arnold spoke up his words we're met with his wife's nodding head and a wrinkled brows.

"I didn't mean to hurt her, we just said things we didn't mean, I've come to fix my mistakes and hopefully save a friendship." Gibbs said he looked over his shoulder and saw the living room light go on and Kate appear with her hair wet in a silk white robe with pale orange lilies on it. He watched her head to the fireplace and light a fire, then head to her bookshelf to pick out a book with a yellow cover and sit down on the arm chair facing the big living room window.

"She wouldn't cry over anything Agent Gibbs, she's a strong girl, it took something personal to hit her that way." Jill said leaning into her husbands strong arms.

'Cause everything's so wrong
And I don't belong
Living in your
Precious memories

Kate relaxed in her father's old armchair, she shifted her pose to throwing her feet over an arm and lean against the other, she opened her book and began reading, forgetting for the moment of the man standing in her yard. All she did was listen to Vanessa and drift in her book.

'Cause I need you
And I miss you
And now I wonder...

Gibbs stared a moment longer as the light of the flames licked and danced over Kate's body, the light made her skin look milky white and as smooth as silk. Her hair was drying in waves that ended just below her shoulders.

He turned over to the old couple a swallowed. "I brought up her latest relationship and she brought up mine, we fought a while, she stormed out and that's it." Jill gasped at the words she left her porch and walked up to Gibbs. Once in front of him she slapped his cheek, surprising Gibbs, but clearly not the husband who merely cracked a grin.

"How could you brink up Jack, what in this world possessed you to bring him up! Do you know what he did to her, what he did to our Katie!" She glared at him. Gibbs never stepped down but slowly felt his anger rise again, not towards the woman but towards Jack. "One day when she came home she was in tears, stumbling out of her car, and falling every few steps, her clothes were ripped, her hair a mess, she had a pierced lip and a dried bloody nose and her left eye was as black as your heart!"

Gibbs figured out the rest, he looked again at Kate and walked up to her door.


If I could fall
Into the sky
Do you think time
Would pass me by
'Cause you know I'd walk
A thousand miles
If I could
Just see you
Tonight

Author's Note: By the way I love this song!D hope you like it…Review please!

Brit –xox-