Chap 5

Everyone all sat comfortably in the layout of the room; Abby never leaving Kate's side sat under the covers beside Kate who was also sitting in her bed had the recliner up and was leaning against her fluffy pillows. Tony sat at her right, directly at her elbow, Ducky was at the recliner in the far corner in a deep discussion with Gibbs and McGee was sitting at the tip of the bed.

"And why did you pick this movie?" Kate asked as she turned towards Tony who was leaning on the chair intently staring at the screen.

"Are you kidding? Harrison Ford is awesome in this," he exclaimed as everyone turned their heads towards the screen as they watched Harrison Ford board Air Force One.

Abby smirked as she looked at Tony and Kate go along their regular banter, it was a good sign, he was so withdrawn when Kate was not at work, now he seemed to glow like a kid on his first Christmas morning.

Gibbs looked from the screen to over at Kate who was beaming in the love of her friends. He only wished he could shoe her how much she meant to him in a way she couldn't blame his actions on.

"Why am I the way I am Ducky?" he asked a little confused at his own character change.

Ducky regarded his old friend with a calming eye, he never saw Gibbs act this way and it disturbed him greatly.

"What can you possibly mean Jethro? You've been that way for 19 years, you've earned respect from your peers-"

"I don't want respect I want…" he stopped himself before saying it out loud; he ran a hand through his silvering hair and turned towards the screen again as they watched Air Force One being highjacked.

"What is it you want Jethro?" the ME asked gently as he turned towards his conflicted friend.

"I don't know anymore Duck," he murmured as he got up from his chair and walked out the door of Kate's room and gently closed the door behind him.

Kate followed his retreating form with silent and sad eyes.

Later on that night when everyone had left and the nightshift had been well on its way Kate stared at the ceiling in her darkened room. She sighed as she looked over her shoulder and smiled sadly as she saw Gibbs's sleeping form hunched over the recliner with his head resting on Kate's knee.

She felt so conflicted, he never left her side for a minute, yet when they were alone she would always punish him with her daft beliefs and merciless words. For that she felt horrible. As she gazed in his deep face she brought her hand slowly up to his face and traveled his jaw line from his ear to his mouth before she slowly traced his worry line above his eyes. She was so engrossed in this that she had not noticed Ducky standing in the doorway; leaning on the doorframe regarding their female Agent with a smile.

"You love him don't you?" the voice came from the doorway. In haste she withdrew her hand and watched embarrassed as Ducky came on the other side of the bed and slid the vacant chair to her side.

"Is it that obvious?" she asked with a small smile as she looked over at her boss's sleeping face then turned back to her loyal mentor.

All he did was smile warmly; it explained more the words that he saw right through her when it came for her affections towards her boss.

"It's just that I don't know what to do with it…I'm usually okay around him, I mean I can control myself but lately it's just that every time I see him it's like I push him further and further away," she said as she stared at her hands as if they were strangers to him.

"You cannot be more wrong my dear Caitlin," he cooed silently took her hand in his and squeezed gently.

She regarded him in a matter that was painted with confusion and he smiled. "You cannot be more wrong, everyday I looked at Gibbs he finds a reason to come to work, before you came along everyone noticed that he was slowly burning out, he found more and more refuge in his basement then he would with his friends, but then you came in the picture and it all changed, he began to loosen up, enjoy working again and most importantly he began to live again, you have no idea what you do to him Caitlin," he said as they both looked at the man lightly snoring on her knee.

"But I thought he never broke his rules," she said lamely trying to prolong her defenses I little bit longer.

"Those precious rules he follows you mean? He only invented rule 12 when you started working, he didn't want to hurt you my dear, he has 3 failed marriages on his back and relationships based on his feeling," he explained patiently as he watched her eyes brighten with tears lacing her eyes. She pressed her palm to her eyes so tightly when she relented she saw spots before she let herself fall into her pillows and shrug the covers up to her chin.

"Goodnight Caitlin," he murmured as he posed a small kiss on her forehead and slowly made his way towards the door before looking back and seeing Kate stare down at the man she grew to love during the years.

He gave her a small smile and left as silently as he had came, leaving the young woman to her thoughts.

She had stayed up most of the night watching her boss sleep. She turned towards the window and watched as stars twinkled in the midnight sky that she didn't realize Gibbs's staring at her.

"You okay?" he said as his voice was laced with heavy sleep.

She whirled around and came face to face with the man that had captured her heart.

"Couldn't sleep, sorry if I woke you," she whispered not looking at him ashamed at herself.

He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and sat up straight in his char and looked at her.

"Katie?" he asked trying to get her attention. She sniffed back tears as she met his crystal blue eyes as he thumbed away the tears slowly cascading down her porcelain face.

"I'm sorry Gibbs's I didn't mean the things I said earlier…I was…" she started but Gibbs placed an index on her lips to silence her.

"I want to apologize Katie, I was being a bastard, I deserved the cold shoulder, hell I've been given you one all week," she sniffed again as she looked at him through teary eyes as he slid his hand through hers. "Truth is I didn't want to hurt you, I can't bare the thought of me bringing you to tears, I'm sorry I put you through hell Katie, you can't even begin to think how sad I would be if you left me," he said as he drew himself closer to her.

She moved over a little to give him room and drew back the covers so he could climb in. He obliged and snuggled down beside her where she placed her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes so that the tears would relent their assault.

"I should have told you earlier Gibbs, the reason I couldn't stab Ari was because I was too much in shock of what he said he would do," she whispered between hiccups.

"He could do nothing Kate, I wouldn't let him hurt you, touch you or even cough on you without me on his back," he said lightly.

Kate smile a little then snuggle a little closer to her boss. Gibbs watched her closely as her eyes closed and her breathing evened out before he felt her hot breathing at the nape of his neck.

"I'm sorry for hurting you Katie, you don't know how much you mean to me, I get up every day in the hopes that I will be gifted a smile, a joke even a minute of your day. I love you Katie," he said before gently posing a small kiss on her lips before tugging away and closing his eyes.

"I love you too Jethro," she whispered in her sleep and she gently kissed his neck and draped her hand on his chest. Gibbs smiled for the first time this week and brought her a little closer, aware of her injuries and they fell asleep together.

FIN