Author's note: I was going to hold off until I had more before posting, but alas I have become lazy again…It yet again, ain't the greatest chapter, but neither is this story. I think that if I actually get back to working on this, it should be wrapped up quite soon…maybe.
Kate leaned back in her chair, stretching her arms above her head. It provided a welcome, however brief reprieve from the strain on her back. She shifted uncomfortably in her chair before returning her attention to the paperwork Gibbs had her going over. It had been a rough morning, and she still hadn't found someone to drive her to her doctor's appointment. She hadn't told Tony about the appointment because she knew it would upset him that he wouldn't be there to take her.
It had been hard visiting him that morning, dropping off his things without exploding into an emotional mess. She had wanted to tell him things, deeply personal things, emotional things, sappy things that she had never thought that she'd ever want to say to anyone. But Abby was there and she hadn't felt like it was the time or the place to get into it. She had asked him how he was doing. They had smiled at each other, held their hands clasped together briefly. He had caressed her stomach, asked how 'they' were. Neither had felt like picking on the other in their usual fashion. There was something strange hanging between them. She didn't have the time to figure it out then, and she was too uncomfortable to think about it no, especially with the developing headache.
Tony must have had been getting antsy stuck in the hospital, as she knew he would, because he had called her three times already since she had gotten to the office. He had nothing in particular to say, and she had work that Gibbs expected to be done, so she had been curt with him. Maybe that's why she felt bad. There was something else nagging at the back of her mind, separate from the hundreds of other concerns she currently had, which she just couldn't put her finger on. But she didn't have time for ethereal concerns at the moment. She needed to focus on things like her work, and how she was going to get to the doctor's office.
Kate shifted uncomfortably in her chair again as she tried to focus on the information contained on the paper in her hand. A stinging sensation in her back caused her to jump slightly then utter a pained 'Ow!' and winced as she attempted to massage the angry muscle with her free hand. She looked up to notice Agent McGee staring at her from behind his computer. He quickly ducked away, pretending to be working when they made eye contact.
A thought occurred to Kate. Why hadn't she thought of asking McGee before? He was a nice guy, would probably be willing to help her out. Wait, she remembered why she hadn't wanted to ask him. She hadn't wanted to drag more people into the ordeal; she still didn't. Plus, it would probably piss Tony off if she told him that McGee had been able to take her to her appointment when he hadn't. Sure, Tony would act fine on the surface, maybe crack a joke, but he would feel hurt and jealous on the inside. He liked McGee, but he also resented him, and felt threatened by him. But at this point, Kate had really stopped caring. She decided to deal with the immediate issues, and let Tony sort out his ego later.
"Hey! McGee!" she called to the agent sitting at his desk from across the room. "Come here for a second."
He looked at her bewilderedly until she motioned him over and he got up to approach her desk apprehensively. She knew that id she wanted to ask a favor of someone, the best tactic would be to go to them and behave as amiably as possible. But she was tired, in pain, and very pregnant, as well as generally sick of life. People would have to start bending to her needs a little more.
"W-what is it, Kate?" McGee asked. He always seemed nervous about something. The way he was looking at her now made her think that he believed she was about to go into labor or throw something at him. She wasn't in the mood to placate his troubled mind. It was hard enough to concentrate on sounding pleasant, or even civil.
"I have a huge favor to ask of you, McGee-Tim," she tried using his first name to signify that it was not work-related. It only served to make him appear more pensive. Deciding best not to drag it out, She continued. "I have a doctor's appointment at 3 O'clock today, and I have no way to get there."
She tried smiling, but was only able to wince. McGee seemed to understand her predicament despite the bizarre expression she gave him. "And you're wondering if I could take you?"
Kate nodded her head in confirmation, feeling like she was pulling teeth. Why did her life have to be so difficult lately?
"I'd be happy to, Kate," McGee said, putting an end to one of Kate's many problems. "Provided that it's okay with Gibbs…"
"That what's okay with me?" came the voice of their boss, and what they had both known would be the major issue with Kate's request. She jumped slightly in her chair. She had gotten used to the way he snuck up on people, but the distractions of her pregnancy woes had made her less wary as of late.
"Since Tony's in the hospital and Abby's so busy with work, McGee offered to help me out by taking me to my doctor's appointment this afternoon," Kate explained.
"That was nice of him," Gibbs said matter-of-factly, then took a sip from his coffee. He proceeded to walk to his desk and thumb through a stack of papers. "Where are the financials on Corporal Martin?"
"Right here, Gibbs," Kate said, rising unsteadily to her feet and brandishing a folder. "I've already gone through them…like you asked me to." Just because she was pregnant didn't mean she couldn't still help out on the cases! "Guess who cosigned all of his loans and has been making his car payments for the last five months."
"I don't know, Kate," Gibbs snapped. He hated it when they played games with the information that he wanted. "His girlfriend!"
"Nope," Kate answered back, cheerful over the fact that Gibbs guessed wrong despite the glare she was receiving. Normally, it wouldn't have mattered to her, but she was in a bad mood, and the small glory made her feel better. However, she still had enough sense to reveal the true answer before Gibbs really snapped at her. "It's his mother."
Gibbs seemed to brighten over the information revealed to him. "A momma's boy, eh? And we all know where momma's boys run to when they're in trouble."
"Home to mother?" McGee said, just catching on to what Kate and Gibbs had already concluded.
"Yup," Gibbs confirmed, too pleased that the suspect was in his sights to scold McGee for stating the obvious. "Address, Kate?"
"It's right here, Gibbs," Kate said, pointing it out on one of the numerous financial records that she had poured through that morning.
"McGee, you're with me," Gibbs ordered as he holstered his weapon and grabbed his coffee. He then headed towards the door. McGee grabbed his gear and gave an apologetic look as he followed the older man.
"Gibbs, you're going now?" Kate asked, quickly growing concerned.
"Uh-yeah!" Gibbs said more than slightly sarcastically then added more seriously, "You do want to get the guy who shot Tony, don't you, Kate?"
"Yes. Of course," Kate replied to her boss who had stopped halfway to the elevator to stare at her with scrutiny. "It's just that it's over an hour's drive each way and it's already after noon."
Gibbs turned to head toward the elevator again, and shouted back his response to Kate as he entered it. "Don't worry. I'll have McGee back in plenty of time to take you to your appointment!"
Kate sighed and sat back down in her chair at her desk. She knew Gibbs was as good as his word, but she also knew how he got when he was chasing down a suspect, especially one he had a personal vendetta against.