Authors Note: I'm sorry it's taken forever to update! You have no idea how bad my writers block for this story has been. Not to mention my personal life has gotten pretty crazy as well. I've been helping my friend with her series in which Gibbs has a niece named Bella Woods-she will be making an appearance in this story, so just go with it…I promise it will be fun…and entertaining…trust me, read her stories….we keep ourselves amused many a night with the writing…and its apparent…occasionally alcohol is involved so it gets comical too
Disclaimer: NCIS, Gibbs and Kate all belong to the rich people who created them first. Bella belongs to Kristi and is being stolen by me…apparently we have "Joint Custody".
Reviews are love, leave some
It's not like him to request time off; he'd rather work than twiddle his thumbs all day, but he wants to take Kate away from NCIS and DC so they can just be themselves. He explains to the Director that he wants to take a week of personal time, and give his entire team a vacation as well-for all their hard work. After much consideration, the Director agrees, and tells him to enjoy the week he's requested off, and to let his team know he wishes the same for them.
Walking back down to the bullpen, he has a smile on his face. This week is going to be great. Tony looks up as Gibbs walks over to his desk putting things in drawers and locking them. "What's going on, Boss?" Tony asks, McGee and Kate looking up as well.
"Director gave all of us a week off. Since we have no active case, which starts now," Gibbs explains, "Go do whatever it is you boys do when you do not have to be responsible." He walks over to Kate's desk as she puts the last of her things away, "Come on Agent Todd, I'll walk you to your car."
Once the doors of the elevator close, Kate slips her arm through Jethro's and kisses his cheek, "You planned this."
"Maybe," Gibbs says with a smile, turning to give Kate a light kiss on the lips. "But you know you're glad to be getting away from here and be alone."
Kate nods, "You do have a point. Where are we going?"
"Now, it wouldn't be a surprise if I told you, would it, Agent Todd," Gibbs says with a playful smile on his face.
"I'll get you to tell me, Jay. Just watch," Kate says confident in her skills.
His eye brows shoot up, "Really? How?"
Kate smiles wickedly at him, "I have my ways; and you love me."
Nodding, Gibbs kisses the side of her head, "More than you know, Kate."
-KIBBS—
Kate parks her car in Gibbs' garage when she arrives and goes around back; sneaking around like a pair of teenagers is part of the fun, she thinks, this is something she's never had to do. Walking into his kitchen, she places her bag for their 'mystery trip' on the floor and heads up to his room.
She stands in the door frame admiring him from a distance. He's such a different guy outside of work, and she's glad she's the only one who gets to see the real Jethro Gibbs. He's walking around his room in a pair of worn Levis, and no shirt; his muscular back in full view for her.
She walks quietly into the room and before she can surprise him, he says, "It's about time you walked in, Kate."
"How'd you know it was me?"
He turns and leans in giving her a loving kiss, "I know the smell of your perfume."
"Well," she says with a smile, her cheeks turning a light shade of crimson, "I'll just have to switch it up next time then, won't I?"
He chuckles, "If you'd like, but just make sure the next scent smells as good as the one you're wearing."
I have to thank the makers of 'Haiku' when we get home, she thinks as she sits on his bed with a smile. "So, you're still not gonna tell me where we're going?"
"Can't a man surprise the woman he loves?"
"He can if the woman he loves wasn't so impatient."
He winks at her, "its fun watching you squirm."
Before she has a chance to respond, his cell phone rings and she prays that they don't have a case. Noticing the smile on his face as he answers and the other person responds, she has it on good authority that they are still case free.
"Sweetheart, I told you we'd be leaving in the morning and would be there around noon," Gibbs says into the phone.
The look on Kate's face is enough to make Tony back away from Kate slowly. Once Gibbs hangs up the phone she looks at him and crosses her arms. He turns to her with a smile that quickly fades upon seeing her glare. "What?"
"That's what I'd like to know. What was that about?" she asks.
"That was about our weekend away," he answers, "Kate what's wrong?"
"Really? You're asking that question? You just called another woman-at least I'm hoping it was a woman-'sweetheart'. Who was she?"
"Ah," he says, then scoots his suitcase aside, and sits next to her. "Look, there isn't much I tell people about me, Kate, but you already know about Shannon and Kelly, but I also had a brother."
"You what? How come we've never heard about him? I thought you told someone you were an only child?"
He nods, "Yeah, I keep him to myself; he was murdered along with his wife in a Navy Base shooting leaving me to raise my niece, Bella."
"Whoa, you have a niece too?"
"Yes. She was sixteen when her parents were killed. I've told her a lot about you, and she can't wait to meet you. That's where we're going this week, Katie. She wants to meet you and she wants to show us around her Naval base."
-KIBBS—
Gibbs is up before the clock hits 4:30am, and loads the car. He makes sure he has plenty of coffee-considering Kate is not a morning person on her days off-he's in for a long four hour drive. Once Kate is in the car, and his house is locked and the alarm set, he climbs in the driver's seat, handing Kate a cup of coffee.
Snatching the mug from his hand she glares at him, "Why are we up before the sun?"
"No traffic."
"If I didn't love you so much, I'd kill you," she says before taking a sip of the steaming liquid.
"My girl is such a sweet talker," Gibbs deadpans.
Once the sun rises it seems so has everyone else, and Gibbs' road rage is in full force. Kate is silently praying that they miss every car, eighteen wheeler and anything else that comes into Gibbs' path. "Do you want me to drive, Jay?" she asks, as they swerve to miss a motorcycle that was brave enough to take on Gibbs.
"No, why?" he asks.
"Just wondered. We've been driving for a couple hours; I figured you'd want a break."
"Nope, I'm good. We're almost there anyways."
"I thought you said it was a four hour drive?" Kate asks, and then shakes her head, "Never mind, you drive like a mad man."
Gibbs chuckles, and just to mess with her, jerks the car and laughs out loud at her yelp.
-KIBBS—
The car comes to a stop outside of a small house on the Navy Base, and he honks the horn a couple times, before getting out. The door of the house opens to reveal a twenty-something woman, who runs over to the car and into Jethro's arms before Kate has time to even get out of the car.
"You're here! I missed you, Uncle Jay!" the young woman exclaims.
Kate, now out of the car and leaning on the door, smiles at the interaction. She knew Jethro was a loving man, but its another thing to see it, and feel it. Sometimes she's still shocked at how loving and caring the stone cold NCIS agent is.
"I told you I'd be here before noon, Bells."
"Uncle Jay, you drove, you were here before nine," the girl replies sarcastically.
"Yeah, I love you too," Gibbs says, and puts an arm around her shoulders, "Bella, there is someone I want you to meet." Kate walks over the short distance to them and stands next to Jethro. "Bella, this is Kate Todd."
Bella smiles, and turns to her Uncle and says jokingly, "She's not a red head, moving up in the world are you?"
"Bella," Gibbs says with a shake of his head.
"I was kidding Uncle Jay," Bella says, and turns and extends a hand to the woman in front of her, "Hi, I'm Bella."
"It's nice to meet you, Bella," Kate says, returning the hand shake.
Gibbs pulls Kate closer to him and kisses the side of her head. Bella smiles, loving that her Uncle is once again happy; it's been a long road for him, but this Kate girl seems like she's brought back the Uncle she's always loved.
"Well, come on, let's get you guys settled in the guest room then we can have an early lunch," Bella says, grabbing a bag from the car then leads Kate and Jethro into her house.
Looking around, Kate notices the pictures on the walls and on the tables, there are some of Jethro and Shannon, some of Bella and Jethro. The one that stands out the most is one just inside the door; a man in a Marine's uniform with light brown hair, very close in likeness to Gibbs, a brunette woman by his side and a teenage Bella all smiling into the camera. The last picture of them as a family hangs proudly next to two medal of honors with her parents name on them. Kate's heart constricts, knowing that this young girl has been put through too much at such a young age.
Gibbs comes up behind her, and slips his arms around her waist, "That's Nathan and Lorelai. It's still hard for Bella to look in the mirror and face her reflection, she and her mother always passed as sisters."
Kate rests her head on his shoulder, "I can't imagine going through that." Turning to give him a kiss on the cheek she whispers, "She's lucky to have you, Gunny."
"You two are gonna make me gag," Bella says from the other end of the house.
The two older adults laugh and Gibbs says, "Like you and Connor are any better."
Bella raises a hand and points, opening her mouth to speak, but drops her hand quickly. "Not the point. Besides, he's not here; he's over in Iraq, so there!"
"Who's Connor?" Kate asks.
Bells smiles and shows her ring proudly, "My fiancé, it sucks you can't meet him, but alas, duty calls."
"You found a guy that can brave Gibbs? He's a keeper, hold on to him," Kate says with a chuckle.
Bella nods, "I know right? It also helps that Uncle Jay doesn't live on base, but now that I know he can make it here in less than three hours, I'll have to warn that fiancé of mine."
Kate and Bella chuckle, and Gibbs shakes his head, "Enough with the chit-chat ladies. Didn't you want to show us around?"
To Be Continued….