Disclaimer on chapter one.
AN: here you go chap 21. It's really a filler chap, not much happens. All right enjoy. dark rolling sea.
Chapter Twenty One: Time with Meg

Kate and Gibbs made their way down stairs and after having breakfast with Kathy, Doug, and Josh's family they made their way outside. It was a nice spring day in Indiana, as they sat on the porch for a while in silence. Kate was lost in thought when a car pulled in. The crunching of gravel brought her back to reality as she gazed to see who was there.

A smile crossed her lips gracefully as she noticed Meg sitting in the driver's seat of the vehicle. Kate gave a wave to her cousin who returned it emphatically. The other woman came up to the porch and leaned her elbow on the railing. Kate leaned forward in the chair she was occupying.

"Hey," she said.

"Hey. Got some time?" Meg asked Kate cocking an eyebrow. Gibbs looked at her with a smile before glancing at Kate.

"For you? Of course," Kate said with a smile, before turning to Gibbs. "Why don't you spend some time with the boys?"

"Guess I could do that," Gibbs said, his eyes holding Kate's. Meg had a grin on her face when Kate looked back at her. Kate gave her a quizzical look that made Meg suppress a laugh.

"We'll be back later," Meg said to Gibbs with a wink. Gibbs chuckled before nodding and then Kate and Meg headed towards Meg's car and drove away.

They rode in comfortable conversation, catching up on each others lives. Meg finally pulled into a parking lot of a park and stopped the car. They got out and made their way to the swing set and Kate smiled.

"Just like old times," Kate said softly. Meg couldn't suppress the grin as it spread across her face. They both sat down and started to swing slightly. Kate finally looked over at Meg. "What's up?"

"Thought we needed some time to just be us," she said her shoulders rising and falling. "Miss having you around."

"I miss you too, Meg," Kate said letting her feet drag in the rocky dirt under the swing.

"So how come I never heard about Mr. Wonderful before you sprung the news on us?" Meg asked lightly punching Kate in the shoulder. Kate grinned wide at her as a slow blush crept into her cheeks.

"Was busy I guess," Kate said a bit embarrassed.

"Busy?" Meg said with a snort of laughter. Kate smiled as she let her self drift back and forth on the swing. "A little shout out to your favorite cousin wouldn't have been that painful would it?"

Kate looked down at her feet and toed the dirt as she gently moved. She took a deep breath before looking up at her cousin. She smiled softly, thinking about her next words. "I…I didn't want to jinx it," Kate replied softly.

"Jinx it?"

"Meg, he…it was two years before we even admitted anything. I…I was afraid one day he'd wake up and think it was all a mistake and tell me that was it. I…"

"He scares you," Meg said softly turning her head to look forward as they drifted past each other.

"So much sometimes I lose sleep over it," Kate said quietly.

"But you couldn't just say, hey I met this guy?" Meg asked the smile coming to her face as she grabbed the chain to Kate's swing. Kate stopped and spun towards her cousin who had a mischievous grin on her face. Kate laughed.

"Sorry, Meg, got carried away at work," Kate said with a broad smile. "What's up with you and Donovan?"

"What?" Meg asked incredulously.

"I saw you leave together last night," Kate replied punching her cousin softly in the shoulder. "Don't deny it."

"Changing the subject?"

"What?" Kate asked innocently.

"So spill the beans, Babe, come on, you haven't told me anything about your man," Meg said with a grin. "I'm in the wedding and I barely know him!"

"He's a bastard," Kate said with a laugh. Meg gave her curious, which made Kate laugh harder. "Self proclaimed."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Look, Meg, he's a wonderful man, smart, honest, caring, great with kids, lots of passion," Kate said with a shrug.

"This the right one?" Meg asked with a smile. "You know the ones we always talked about growing up?"

"Yeah, Meg, I think so. I…I wouldn't want anyone else," Kate said, the blush spreading in her face as Meg smile widened into a grin. Kate looked away for a moment to compose herself before she looked back at Meg. "So, you and Donovan. What's the deal, Babe?"

Meg laughed lightly as she ducked her head and pushed back on the swing before letting go and drifting forward. Her toes dug into the dirt as she moved through the middle. Kate grabbed the chain like Meg had done to her earlier. Meg smiled.

"Ok we left together last night ok? We talked at the get together and kind of hit it off."

"Hit it off, huh?"

"He's a great guy."

"I know," Kate said a little amused.

"You know him well?"

"He's Jeb's best friend, yeah we know him pretty well. Jethro has him in the wedding, I hope we know him well," Kate said with a smile.

"Never been around a guy like him, all proper and pressed," Meg said absently.

"Pressed?"

"Christ look at him," Meg said with a snort of laughter. "Have you ever seen a wrinkle on that man's clothes?"

"Nope," Kate said with a laugh. "He's a Marine, Meg."

"I know, just didn't know…I don't know," she replied waving her hands in front of her.

"Sound a little confused."

"Maybe, DC is a long ways away," Meg said softly.

"Sure is," Kate said with a small smile. They stopped talking for a while and simply drifted back and forth on the swings. Kate didn't know how long they sat there quietly but she started to feel a hunger creep over her. She checked her watch and smiled.

"What?" Meg asked.

"It's almost noon," Kate said with a smile. Meg nodded with a grin.

"Think they miss us?" she asked.

"Who?" Kate asked raising an eyebrow. "I know Jethro misses me, but who do you think misses you?" Kate asked pointing a finger at Meg, whose cheeks flashed crimson.

"I sound like a school girl," Meg said while trying to suppress her laughter. Kate didn't hold hers in and leaned forward on the swing to try to control it. Meg shook her head in mock frustration at Kate. "You're enjoying this."

"Yeah, I am, little bit," Kate said sitting up right on the swing. "Wanna get somethin to eat?"

"Yeah, grab something light," Meg said standing and stopping the swing by letting it hit the backs of her legs. Kate joined her and they headed towards the car. Once they were in and Meg was heading towards Subway, Kate finally spoke again.

"What's this all about, Meg?" Kate asked.

"Whacha mean?" Meg replied.

"Today," Kate said waving her hand in front of her.

"Oh. Just miss ya, really, Kate, that's the deal. And I want you to dish on Mr. Jethro Gibbs," Meg said with a smile, as they pulled into the parking lot of Subway. The two made their way into the building and each ordered a sub before they sat down at a booth.

"Dish on Mr. Jethro Gibbs?" Kate said with a smile.

"Come on, we used to talk about our boyfriends," Meg said with a cocked head and a knowing smile. Kate just shook her head slowly trying not to burst out laughing at her cousin's antics.

Kate looked at her cousin a moment before getting the smile on her face. They then spent the better part of two hours discussing one Mr. Jethro Gibbs. They fell into an easy conversation as Kate spilled and Meg probed. Finally they decided to head back to Kate's parents' house. The drive back was filled with Kate teasing Meg about Donovan.

"So you going to…pursue him?" Kate was asking Meg.

"Jeez, Kate, I've known him what, less than twenty four hours," Meg said, her cheeks blushing a deep red.

"Just wondering," Kate said. "He needs a good woman."

Meg's head snapped towards Kate with a wide eyed look. Kate couldn't help but laugh. Meg's look of shook slowly turned to a look of disbelief and embarrassment. She shook her head slowly.

"Kate," she said warningly.

"What? DC is a wonderful place to live," Kate said with a smile.

"Damn it, Kate, I just met him," Meg said softly.

They finished the drive in silence as they pulled into the driveway they noticed Gibbs, Jeb, and Donovan sitting on the porch drinking ice tea. Kate smiled and punched Meg in the arm lightly. Meg looked at her slowly with narrowed eyes as she shut the car off.

"You set this up," Meg accused.

"No I had no idea, but it looks like your lucky day," Kate said with a smile, as she opened the car door and stepped out into the warming mid afternoon sun.

TBC…