Chapter 22 - Down Time

It was nearing ten o'clock by the time the NCIS team finally left the bar. McGee and Abby went off together and Tony excused himself to chase some blonde chic he met (no surprise there).

Gibbs, Kate, and Trisha got into the same car and headed for Kate's apartment so she could get some things. They drove in a comfortable silence for a while before Kate spoke up.

"So what made you do this, Gibbs?" she asked as she looked out the car window.

"What, you mean drive you to your place?" he responded, knowing full well what she meant.

Kate rolled her eyes and turned her head, smirking at him. "You know what I mean. What made you sing that song in front of all those strangers?"

Gibbs sighed and pressed the break as the car neared a red light. He thought for a moment, his fingers grasping and releasing the steering wheel. "It was really Trisha's idea, Kate. You've got her to thank. I was more for a nice little dinner… but the kid wanted more of the, and I quote, 'shock and awe' factor." Gibbs stepped on the accelerator as the light turned green again.

"Hey!" Trisha called from the back seat. "Ya know, Gibbs, you weren't supposed to listen in on my entire conversation with Abby…" She grinned at him through the rearview mirror. "But I'm in a good mood, so I'll let it slide. But just this once," she quickly added. "So… Kate… were you, ya know, shocked that the Gunny over there sang to you?"

Kate laughed, "Oh yea, most definitely. And awed… among some other things." She reached over and squeezed Gibbs' hand.

He grasped her hand gently and smiled back at her before turning his attention to the road. Gibbs pulled the car to a stop in front of Kate's apartment building. "Do you want us to wait for you or would you rather meet me back at the house?" he asked as Kate unbuckled her seatbelt.

She thought briefly before responding. "I kind of want to grab a shower first, so why don't you two go home and I'll be over in a little bit. Is that ok?"

Gibbs leaned over and kissed Kate gently. "That's fine," he murmured against her lips. He watched as Kate left his car and walked into her building. "Trisha," Gibbs called, "you want to sit in the front seat?" When he got no reply, Gibbs turned around in the driver's seat to find his little girl fast asleep, her head leaning against the car window. He smiled before he drove off towards his house.

Trisha woke up with a start to find herself laying in her bed, snugly tucked under her blankets. She glanced at the alarm clock on the nightstand. 2:03am. She sighed and turned on her side, making an attempt to fall back to sleep. After a few more minutes of restless tossing and turning, Trisha untangled the sheets from her body and went to the kitchen for a drink of water.

After she placed her empty glass on the counter, she walked into the living room to find the television still on, the volume muted. Trisha ambled around the couch and found Gibbs and Kate asleep on the floor. Gibbs was lying flat on his back and Kate was curled into his right side, her head buried into his ribcage. Trisha smiled as she watched Kate move a little, causing Gibbs to reflexively wrap his right arm around her body.

Removing a blanket from the end of the couch, Trisha gently draped it over the sleeping pair. She sat down on the floor next to Gibbs and simply watched him sleep. Her attention soon turned to the TV as she picked up the remote from its current resting place on the floor. Trisha flipped through a few channels before she hit the cartoon station. She spent the next half hour watching the TV in silence and absentmindedly running her fingers through Gibbs' hair as he slept.

When she stopped her gentle caress, Gibbs slowly roused from his dream land. He watched Trisha's face as she stared at the images flashing across the silent screen, but he could tell that she was thinking instead. Gibbs picked his left hand up off the floor and gently touched Trisha's shoulder. He felt her jump at the unexpected contact. "What are you doin' up at this hour?" he whispered quietly.

Trisha relaxed under his touch and shrugged. "Couldn't sleep."

Gibbs nodded and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "Come on, lay down with me."

She scooted down the carpet and crawled under the blanket she had placed on Gibbs and Kate. Trisha felt him pull her against his body as she placed her ear over his heart.

"Listening to my heart beat again, hmm?" Gibbs asked as he rubbed Trisha's back.

She closed her eyes and smiled. "Makes me feel safe, Gibbs," Trisha whispered.

He fell silent again for a short time. "Hey kid?"

"Yea?" she responded.

Gibbs ran his hand up to Trisha's head and stroked her hair gently. "I just wanted to say… you know… thanks. I owe you one."

"For what?" Trisha tilted her head back so she could look up at Gibbs' face.

"Kate's here because of you. It was all your idea, Trish," he whispered as he looked down at her.

Trisha let her head drop back down as she closed her eyes again. "Yea, but you did a pretty good job yourself. And you don't owe me anything, Gibbs. Letting me be here with you like this… that's good enough for me."

Gibbs picked his head up and kissed the top of her head. "Trisha," he started slowly, "I had Abby and McGee find out where your mom and dad are buried today. After Kate goes to work tomorrow morning, if you want to, we can go see them. But only if you want to. I don't want to force you or anything. And I can wait in the car if you want me to."

She nodded. "I'd like to see them, Gibbs. But I want you right there with me." Trisha found Gibbs' hand and squeezed it.

"I can do that," he agreed. "But let's get some sleep now, ok?"

Trisha yawned. "Ok. Night, Gibbs." She moved her body and nestled her face into his neck. "Love you," she whispered.

Gibbs hugged Trisha with his left arm and Kate with his right. "Love you both," he whispered to their sleeping forms.