Chap. 4

New arrangements

The man pulled Gibbs hair so he tilted his head to face Kate, blue ones met brown. Gibbs's expression was cool and un-worried he knew he could trust Kate to make the right choice he just hopped she would forget about him and clip the bastard.

Kate's barrel was pointed directly between McGraw's eyes and her eyes slit into a dangerous degree that would make an experienced killer cringe.

All of a sudden a horn flared from the street causing McGraw's attention to falter at the object at hand and he shifted his gaze at the window for a split second.

Kate took that opportunity and pulled back the trigger. A shot ran out in the room and Gibbs's eyes widened whose gun went off? A second later Tim McGraw slumped to the ground eyes plastered open staring at Kate in disbelief.

She stood there her gun still poised frozen in space the nozzle smoking from the shot. "See how the tables can turn bastard?" She repeated no tone or emotion in her voice.

Gibbs got up still clutching at his stomach and made his way over to her. He heard an engine rev but didn't pay any attention to it.

"Katie?" He walked up to her and gently took the gun from her hands and tossed it on the bed. She stared at the body as hers was shaking immensely. For a trained gunman she felt pretty embarrassed. Gibbs took her in his arms and wrapped her in a hug. It took a minute for Kate to react but she looped her arms around his neck slowly and before she knew it tears were gliding down her cheeks and onto Gibbs's gray sports coat.

"Shhh…its okay Katie it's done." He placed his chin on top of hers and whispered reassurance in her ear; she nodded and hick-upped once before she gently un-tangled herself from his embrace. Before she left his arms he posed a kiss on her hair and tucked a strand of silk behind her ear.

Kate sniffed and sat on her bed and she merely stared at the body the cadaver's eyes were opened wide and her chocolate brown ones met with lifeless green ones.

Gibbs walked over to the bed and took a blanket from it and covered the body with it making sure neither the body nor Kate could see each other.

He walked back towards Kate and leaned on one knee in front of her.

"Kate…" He said trying to get her attention; she eyed him slowly as her gaze pierced his. ", you made the right choice Katie don't kick yourself for it." Gibbs said as he took one of her hands in his and gentle rubbed her knuckles with a callused thumb. They never took their eyes off each other, the air growing thick with sexual tension. For a fleeting moment Gibbs tore his gaze from her eyes and made his way down to her lips briefly before meeting her brown eyes again.

Slowly Gibbs inched the hand not holding Kate's closer to her cheek and cupped it behind her ear, his hand sliding beneath her veil of damp brown hair. He brought her head closer to his until they were mere millimeters away from each other; they both closed their eyes prepared for the inevitable, when a voice boomed from down stairs.

"Anyone up there?" A female voice rang out which both agents identified it

as Director Shepard. Gibbs and Kate stopped and reluctantly opened their eyes. He was so close she could feel his hot breath on her lips. Embarrassed about the intrusion she leaned her forehead against his in defeat as a blush swept over her cheeks. He smiled at the look on her face and placed a sweet lingering kiss on her forehead; one that promised more and indicated at least a slice of his true feelings towards her.

Gibbs made his way downstairs as Kate stayed up to change and treat her womb. She kept her eyes on the body as she moved around her room gathering clothes and throwing away the bra McGraw had touched into the waste basket. She took out a turquoise ¾ length shirt and black cargo pants with little strings on the cuffs dangling with turquoise beads at the end of them, and made her way to the Master Bathroom and locked the door behind her.

As a team of Crime Scene Clean-up made their way through the living room picking up every bit of evidence and bagging it Gibbs and Jennifer sat across from each other at the kitchen table.

"What happened Jethro?" She asked as she laced her fingers on top of the hard wood furniture. Gibbs ran a hand through his silver hair and met his eyes to her green ones.

"I received a questionable e-mail earlier on and came over to check on Ka…Special Agent Todd." He said covering up what he was about to say. He pinched the bridge of his nose and re-capped the Director through the whole story never breaking eye contact and only doing so when he sensed Kate's presence in the room. He gave her a once over and was immediately aroused. Since when did I have these feelings? He asked himself as he watched her get water from the fridge and place one in front of him and the Director. Who are you kidding Jethro you've liked her the minute you commandeered Air Force One with her on it and shoved her in the head! The other part of his brain said to himself as he watched both women talk. He could tell Kate was still stressed of the whole situation both her body language hid the fact well. Only his 19 years of expertise gave him the signs. Her sandaled foot was tapping the ground rapidly making little tapping noise, he glance at her feet and smile inwardly when he noticed her nails were painted with a light shade of pink.

"Jethro!" Jennifer said making him snap back to reality. Jennifer was about Kate's height give or take a few inches. She had strawberry blond hair; heavy on the berry and piercing green eyes. It was the eyes that led to their brief affair in Paris a couple of years ago, and truth be told the only eyes that ever bewitched him more the Jen's were Kate's chocolate-mocha ones. Jen rolled her eyes and continued talking with both of them.

"It's come to my attention that after this display of hatred that neither of you are truly safe where you are so I've come to the conclusion of putting you both in the Witness Protection Program."

Kate's jaw dropped, she was a hard-core NCIS Agent and a hell of a Secret Service Agent as well, no way in hell would she allow to be hidden away like a child; useless and defenseless. She opened her mouth to protest but Jen beat her to it.

"No if's and's or but's Kate, today was a close call, and I'll be damned if I give either of two best Agents up on a silver platter." She said sternly her emerald eyes just as intense. Gibbs stared in disbelief of what he was hearing.

"You don't think this is a little rash?" He asked her, his eyes in slits.

"Would I order it if it weren't?" She challenged. She looked at Kate for a minute if she wanted to add anything but the woman merely stared ahead in the distance taking sips of her water often and the tapping of the foot increased until Gibbs had enough of it and gently nudged it with his own, he surprised them both when he kept his foot beside hers both touching both shy yet tenderly as he held her hand as well, noticing that her fingernails were painting the same shade of ice pink. Kate got up a while later and took the water bottle with her as she stared a moment at the two Agents.

"You'll both return in the ME's truck. To everyone's knowledge you are both deceased." She turned to leave when Gibbs cleared his throat and she turned around with a sigh. "Yes Special Agent Gibbs?" She said as she un-corked the cap and took a long gulp of the water.

"So no one at NCIS can contact us and vise versa?" He asked tapping his own bottle against the table impatiently, before un-screwing it and drinking a 1/3 of the sweet nectar that Kate gave him; hey it wasn't coffee but the fact that Kate had given it to him made it much more wanting.

"Wow Gibbs your deducting skills never cease to amaze me." She said coyly and turned around and left leaving both Kate and Gibbs to sit at the table dazed at the revelations.

Kate sighed frustratingly as they placed her in a body bag and partially zipped it to the top. She bit the side of her mouth enforcing her not to speak her mind at the moment. Gibbs stared at her as she bent down and complied to them zipping her in, he was still able to hear that her breathing wasn't labored but quickening. As he lowered himself in his bag he spoke to her.

"Everything alright Kate?" He asked as the EMT's zipped him up to his mouth and picked him up and placed him on a gurney as they did to Kate.

"Yah, not to fond of confined spaces though, I just need to focus so if I don't answer you in the future don't take it personally." She perched her lips and breathed deeply squinting her eyes shut and flexing and un-flexing her hands.

Gibbs nodded to himself as he relaxed his body and took a deep breath.

The minute Kate heard the back doors open she hastily un-zipped the body bag and shot up pinching the bridge of her nose and hugging her knees gently rocking back and forth slowly.

Gibbs was at her side the very minute she started the rocking. He sat down beside and threw an arm around her shoulder and moved her towards him and gently sitting her on his lap.

"Just give me a minute." She said as she took in a deep breath and slowly breathed in taking her time and relishing the open space. She opened her eyes and moved her eyes around the truck rapidly.

"It's different when you're the one in the back heh?" He asked as he moved his arm up and down her arm causing little friction to circulate throughout her body. She took another shaky breath and nodded while plastering on a fake smile. In a brief second later she leaned her head against his shoulder and her eyes glazed over a little.

"Why do you think they were after our files?" Kate asked staring longly at the doors to flush open and feel the warmth of the sun and the avid infinity amount of space called Washington.

"Well I would guess they would contain a chunk of our lives in them such as your past in Secret Service and mine in the Marines." He said as he tightened his grip when the truck went over a speed bump.

"Sorry Special Agent Gibbs." The driver apologized and turned the truck towards the parking lot. Gibbs returned a look of annoyance and re-focused on Kate.

"No offense but what does your past have to do with anything I mean you were a Gunny weren't you? I mean is the relevant to anything?" She asked in a ghost of a whisper basically only meant for her to witness but Gibbs caught every word.

"I suppose I've pissed off a lot of people in Panama as a Sniper Assassin but as far as I can think of…you'll need a pen and paper for it all…I'm not the most compatible guy." He said. It raised a little chuckle out of Kate nervous as she might have been it was a much better state then her earlier one.

The truck stopped and they heard Tony's angry voice outside.

"What do you mean they're in the back, you have to be dead to be in back!" He exclaimed loudly as he and the EMT's made their way toward the back of the truck. Gibbs sighed as both he and Kate hurriedly lowered themselves in the bags once more.

"Kate, I know this is really uncomfortable but bear with me okay only for a little while until we're in the morgue okay…just think about focusing on something, relax you're face, render your breathing to basically nothing and focus just focus on me okay, I'll be right beside you the whole time." He said as she took another breath and maneuvered the zipper shakily all the way over her face.

She ran what Gibbs had said in her mind over and over like a black and white movie. Focus, focus, focus, gentle breathing, relax your facial expression…focus, just focus.

The EMT's opened the double latched doors in the back and Tony shoved then out of the way.

"Oh my god." He said in a non-believable whisper. He stared at the two body bags. He jumped in and un-zipped the first one. He took in a breath when he unzipped it down to Gibbs's chin. His eyes were closed, his manner cool and relaxed. He zipped it up gently and punched the inside of the van in anger.

McGee, Abby, Ducky and Palmer ran out to the van when they heard the news. Abby slowly crept over to the opening and climbed in.

"It's all a joke is it. A sick joke right?" She asked hopefully. Tony solemnly shook his head and slowly un-zipped Kate's body bag as well. Abby broke out in tears as she looked at Kate's angelic face; her eyes were closed, yet unlike Gibbs her face was tinged in pain.

They all stepped out as the EMT's put them on stretchers. The group stood beside each other huddled closely; Ducky's head was down and he sighed sadly. Abby was in Tony's arms; her head tucked under his chin as tears slowly started to fall down her cheeks and onto Tony's shirt. McGee was solemn his expression showed nothing as they all followed them into 'Autopsy'.

Once they were on their respectable slabs the EMT's left glumly feeling sorry for the group of mourners and head towards their unit.

McGee and Tony helped Ducky un-zip Gibbs and place him on the metal slab. When they placed the neck supporter beneath his neck they moved onto Kate's body. As they unzipped her a sob came out of Abby in the corner of the room. Tony delicately lowered her on the slab and gently put the neck supporter beneath her neck as well. He ran his hand over her hair and tucked a stray strand behind her ear. He leaned forward and gently placed a kissed on her forehead and backed up and continued running his fingers through her hair as he spoke to her.

"Hey Katie, you wouldn't believe how shocked I was when they told me you were killed. My life crashed to the ground and record speed. My life no longer had meaning and never will. You were like a sister to me, and to clear the air I only made fun of you because you were the only woman I knew to take it like a man and send it right back. I know you can't hear me but I just want you to remember that no matter how I treated you I loved you and will until the end of time. I'm proud of you kid, you rolled with the punches and sent them flying back with as much effect. I'm really gonna miss you Katie." He sniffed back tears and once again posed a quivering kiss on her forehead and stepped back.

Abby walked up to Kate and held her hand with her black-nailed ones and kissed the top of hers.

"I don't know what to say Kate; I wasn't prepared for your life to end this way, not now not ever. You were an awesome person Kate, and my best friend. You had a golden personality that drew everyone to you. The first day I met you I knew; sure you were stiff and business like but underneath it all, you were the party animal I knew you were. The day we got out tattoos meant the world to me, I'll never forget you Kate, and you'll always be in my heart." She let out a choked sob and brought her hands up to the back of her neck and un-clasped her chocker and looked at it for a second before she slid it around Kate's neck and clasped it snugly. She drew back and kissed the top of Kate's hand once more and joined Tony who slid his arm around her shoulder and brought her closer.

McGee stepped with clenched fists; he was sweating slightly as he traced her cheekbones with his index.

"I liked you a lot Kate, you were the first one to welcome me in this family, and you stood by me when my life was hitting rock bottom. I can't even count the number of times you saved my life, that's what I like mostly about you Kate; your heart was as big as your brain. You cherished everyone for who they really were, and not for what they appeared to be. You always put your friends and other peoples lives before yours and I bet that's what you did today wasn't it; protecting the people you love. I promise Kate that I will find who did this to you, I will not rest until the Bastard has paid for the sin he has committed. Goodbye Kate, you'll always be with me; you'll always be my guardian angel." He sniffed and lowered his head so that he too good gently pose a kiss on her forehead. He stepped back as the group watched a second as Ducky tended to her with tears streaming down his eyes. As one they turned towards Gibbs and in turn began paying him their regrets and love.

Ducky coughed a sob as he moved Kate's hair away from her face.

"My dearest Caitlin, you of all people did not deserve this fate, you were meant to live a happy life, have children and a wonderful husband, who would take care of you and love just the way you care and love everyone around you. You were meant to grow old with your husband, and when the day did eventually came when your time has passed it would have been a painless and a death of no suffering. You have brought life to those around you and were an immense impact on everyone's life. I knew that the moment I met you on Air Force One. When I met you I noticed that since you've joined the team both Jethro and Anthony's lives made sense. You're the reason they get up in the morning and come to work my dear and as a matter of fact so do I." He cupped her face and regarded her intently. He was about to look away when he noticed tears falling from her eyes and her sides shaking slowly. He hurriedly searched for a pulse and was confused when he found one.

Right before he was about to mention it the Director walked in and gathered them all upstairs as the group took a head start Ducky stayed behind and leaned against the counter.

"Can you explain to me Madam Director why you send two living breathing agents to my Autopsy and run with the chance I open them up?" Ducky said as he looked at both Gibbs and Kate slowly get up and Kate walked over to where Gibbs sat on the slab as he hugged her as she cried.

"My sincerest apologies Dr Mallard, I admit it was rather rash of me to send them to you in this particular way but it was and is the only way we could sneak them out of the crime scene and the fastest way possible to issue them in the Witness Protection Program." Ducky looked from the Director to Gibbs who was whispering comfortingly in Kate's ear as she subsided in her weeping and she pulled free sitting beside him holding his hand. Ducky walked over to where the two Agents sat and looked at them like if it were the first time he had met them.

"You both gave me a bloody fright you're aware of that? Coming into my lab posing as cadavers, risking yourselves to be removed from the family we have formed." He brought Kate up in a hug and stood back when she breathed in a sharp breath when he nicked her elbow. "You know I would rather it be your elbow then your life Caitlin." Kate smiled slightly and held out her elbow as Ducky cleaned it and stitched it. As she was getting sewed up the Director gave both Kate and Gibbs portfolios to look over on their trip to their new destination.

Author's Note: Hey my fellow fictionners…another lengthy chappy for ya'll to enjoy please tell me what you think… Brit -x0x-