Authors Note: YAY! An update! Hope you enjoy! I will have the links to the series I'm writing with Kristi on my profile...really, give them a read! You won't regret it!
Disclaimer: See previous chapter.
After getting her Uncle and Kate settled in the guest room, they head out the door for the "big tour" as Bella has named it. Gibbs head towards the car, and Bella stops him, "Oh, I don't think so you lazy bum, we're walking. It's not that far."
"Still scared to ride in the car with me, Bells?" he asks, taking Kate's hand and heading towards his niece.
"For the safety of my life, I'm going to answer that with: 'of course not, Uncle Jay, whatever gave you that idea?'. But if asked in court, I will not lie."
"I'm not that bad of a driver!" he says, and Bella just raises an eyebrow. Turing to Kate, Gibbs asks, "Well?"
Shaking her head she says, "Oh no, I'm not getting in the middle of this one."
"Well you're no fun," Bella teases Kate before looking at her uncle. "Sometimes we need a deciding factor, don't we Uncle Jay?"
Gibbs grins, "Kate will side with me; I'll leave it at that. You're too young."
Visibly cringing, Bella responds, "Eew, gross! I don't need that visual!"
Kate chuckles, "I'll discipline him later."
"Oh GOD!" Bella shouts, and covers her eyes trying to wipe away the mental images. "Can we talk about something else?"
"Like what?" Gibbs asks with a chuckle
"Like something besides my Uncle's sex life!"
Kate shakes her head at Gibbs egging Bella on, and speaks before he can, "What is it you do in the Navy, Bella?"
"I specialize in linguistics. I can speak six verbal languages as well as sign. I get sent where they need interpreters. Accidents overseas, under cover ops, ships going in foreign waters...that kind of thing."
"Really? That sounds amazing. What languages can you speak?"
Bella looks over at Kate before looking at her uncle, a mischievous look in her eyes "Elle semble vraiment agréable. Mais, qu'elle coupe proche de mon âge ne sont pas vous ?" (she seems really nice. But, cutting it close to my age aren't you?)
Kate smiles at her, "Is that French?"
Bella beams at her, "Correct." Pausing to pull out her ID to the base guard, "They have training going on today for the firearms so we can't go to some of the buildings on the north side. We may be able to work with the drug dogs later or use the boxing ring," she says eyeing her uncle.
Gibbs chuckles, "Bella you couldn't take me last time, what makes you think you can this time."
"I've been practicing," she says with a sweet smile.
"Practice doesn't mean you can beat me sweetheart."
"No, but considering I've been doing it with a SEAL instructor, I've got a shot." Laughing at Kate's look, Bella remembers the previous topic. "Oh right. Languages. Sagte Sie, Sie sei FBI richtig? Geheimdienst?" (You said she was FBI right? Secret Service?)
Hearing FBI, Kate realizes the question is about her, she looks between Bella and Jethro, "Wait, you're talking about me?"
Bella shrugs, "I'm not trying to be rude; I planned on asking questions. But you wanted to hear the languages that I spoke, and you never specified on a topic."
"My gosh, you two are related," Kate says with a small smile, "can we not talk about me in any language that isn't English?"
Bella laughs, "Sure."
"And, no, I wasn't FBI," Kate says in answer to her question. "I don't think Fornell and I would have lasted together five minutes on the same team."
"But you've lasted a year and a half with Uncle Jay?" Bella asks with a raise of her eyebrows. "Impressive." Seeing him open his mouth to object to her comment, she quickly changes the subject, "Hey look, there's the mess hall. Anyone hungry?"
After the tour of the base, they head back to Bella's house. Being the good hostess she was raised to be, she begins prepping dinner for her company. They've decided that Bella can surprise them; she starts getting the ingredients for a casserole gathered and heaves a sigh…she really wanted Gibbs to BBQ steaks.
"So, Kate, how did you get involved with my Uncle?" Bella asks that night as the trio sits down for dinner.
"He didn't tell you?" Kate asks, Bella shakes her head in the negative. "But you knew I was secret service."
"Yeah, but I didn't know if you were still involved or not," she says. "You're not Secret Service anymore?"
"No, your Uncle offered me a job at NCIS, and I took it," Kate explains about the case the team was called for when she was on AFO. "I thought your Uncle was the most arrogant, self absorbed man I had ever met."
"You love me anyways, Katie," Jethro says with a school-boys smile.
"For some reason, I'm still not sure of, but yes, yes I do, Jethro," turning her attention back to Bella, who is smiling at the pair she continues. "The rest is pretty much history. This is a somewhat new development in our relationship. We've been dating for six and a half months, and I couldn't be happier."
Bella looks at Kate, and can't help herself from asking the question that's been on her mind all day. "I'm not trying to be rude, but how old are you?"
"Bella-" Gibbs starts, but Kate cuts her off.
"No, Jethro, its fine," turning to face Bella she answers the question. "I turned 30 a couple months ago. I know what you're thinking-there is an age gap between Jethro and I, but I don't care about our age difference, and neither does he. If we're happy what's the point in worrying over a number?"
Bella smiles at Kate, "I can't tell you how happy I am to hear that, but that wasn't really why I was asking." Bella casts a look at her uncle, "I finally got a woman close to my age who can help me reign him in when he starts to grumble about what I choose to wear or do."
Kate laughs as Gibbs says, "Not gonna happen, bug. I'll always complain if you dress in scraps of clothing, or act out."
"And here I thought I was an adult," Bella jokes. "My bad." Turning back to Kate she smiles with a shrug, "can't blame a girl for trying. But I do have another question for you Kate."
"What would that be Bella?"
"Well, you know I'm getting married. Would you be my Uncle's date? I know he'll try to be all stoic and not want to ask since we don't truly know each other that well, but I would love it if you could come."
Kate's eyes grow wide, no she and Bella don't know each other that well, but it means the world to her that she is inviting her to her wedding. She's glad that Gibbs' niece has accepted her in her life, as well as her Uncle's. "I would be honored, Bella. Thank you. When is it?"
"About six and a half months. Connor got sent out overseas, so we had to extend the ceremony a few months. His commanding officer said he'll personally make sure he's home for it. Which works out," she says with a light laugh and a small embarrassed look, "I still don't have a dress yet."
"Well, what do you say to some 'girl time', and in the morning we could go shopping," Kate asks, and at the shocked look on Bella's face she adds, "only if you want to?"
"Thank you Kate! I would really appreciate that; if you don't mind me stealing her that is Uncle Jay."
He can't help the smile forming on his face at the two women he loves more than anything in the world, "I don't mind at all, Bug. I'm sure I can find something to do around here."
Bella beams at him, "Perfect. Oh, do me a favor and stay away from the bookcase hiding in the coat closet. Connor swears he is going build that thing if it kills him. Oh, do either one of you want wine? I am pretty sure there is some in the cabinet."
Kate laughs a little at Bella telling Gibbs to not build the book case. Her poor Gunny is gonna go crazy without something to build, and she's sure Bella doesn't have a boat hiding in the basement. "Wine would be great, Bella thank you."
"Not a problem," she says then turns to her Uncle, "Wine?"
"Do I drink wine, Bella?" Jethro teases.
"Right, bourbon it is," Bella says, standing from the table.
Pulling down a small glass and a wine glass, she pulls out a bottle that looks almost exactly like the bottle residing in Gibbs basement as well as a bottle of wine. Pouring both drinks, she hands them to their respective drinkers before taking a seat. Kate looks at her curiously, "Are you not drinking Bella?"
Bella shakes her head no, "I've decided to stop drinking."
Choking on the bourbon he's drinking Gibbs' head snaps up, "Excuse me?"
"Relax Uncle Jay. You aren't going to be a "great uncle" anytime soon." Rolling her eyes, "geez, you are worse than Connor I swear."
"Well, can you blame us?" Gibbs asks, trying to calm down. "You're a 'Gibbs' no matter which name you go by; you drink with the best of us."
"I know I do. That's why I always get in trouble when I go out drinking with Connor's buddies. They think they can out-drink me." Bella pauses and looks at him, "I hope that the day Connor and I do decide to have a kid you don't freak out like that."
Gibbs waves his hand, "Ah, it will be a mild freak out, but I'll love it anyway. You're still my little niece, its hard to see you grow up and get married and start your own family. It seems like yesterday-"
"-that you were at the hospital holding me and telling Aunt Shannon how much you wanted 'one of these'…yeah, yeah, yeah, I get it," Bella finishes, with a slight roll of her eyes, and then smiles at her Uncle, "I know where you're coming from, Uncle Jay, I do. It's just I don't like disappointing you, and it seemed like being pregnant would cause some very unpleasant 'Uncle Jay' words."
Gibbs stops and considers her words before speaking, "It will definitely be a surprise, but you know I would never say anything to hurt you. I could never be disappointed in you either."
Bella smiles warmly at Gibbs, "Good to know." Turning back to Kate she asks, "Do you have any kids?"
Kate lets out a nervous laugh, "No."
Bella nods in understanding before giving Kate a curious look, "Interesting considering your Catholic, but understandable; couldn't be Secret Service with a kid."
"There's that," Kate says, "Until recently I never really thought about it." Kate looks at Jethro trying to gage his reaction to the topic she and Bella are on, but he's just sitting there, looking down into his drink. She needs to know what he's thinking. They have only been dating for six months, and they haven't really discussed their future, hell, the team doesn't even know that they are dating.
Bella, looking between her Uncle and Kate, decides to change the subject before she digs them a deeper hole, "So, anyone up for a movie?"
-KIBBS—
Bella had gone to bed hours ago, and Kate has been watching Gibbs from the window in the guest room. He's been sitting in the back yard for over an hour, just sitting in the lawn chair. Kate puts on an old NIS sweatshirt and walks outside. She's silent for a minute, and then moves to stand in front of him.
"Can we talk?" she asks softly.
"About what?" he asks, taking a sip of his bourbon.
Kate rolls her eyes, "Jethro, come on, don't shut me out."
"I'm not shutting you out, Kate."
"That's crap, and you know it," she hisses. Pulling the second lawn chair to in front of him where she's standing, she sits across from him. "Look, about tonight and Bella's question about kids-"
"Ah, that," he whispers. "What about it?"
She shrugs, "I don't know. We've never really talked about kids or where we will be in the future." She plays nervously with the end of the sweatshirt, and then lets out a slightly mocking laugh, "You know, I figured you wouldn't want to have a marriage again, let alone another child."
"What's that supposed to mean, Kate?"
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that," she whispers. "I just figured that after what happened to Shannon and Kelly you wouldn't want to risk that with anyone."
Placing his glass of bourbon on the table, he leans forward and brushes the hair out of Kate's eyes. He grabs her hands and says, "Look at me, Kate. You know that I've been married since Shannon, but they never meant anything." Gibbs gives her a small smile, "The next time I get married I want it to mean everything to me; just like you do."
"Jethro, what-?"
"I'm not proposing, Kate, I'm just letting you know that I've been thinking about my future, and I see you. This isn't a game for me, Kate," shrugging he adds, "and if someone else comes along, then I'd be more than thrilled."
She can't help the smile that forms on her face, as she leans in and kisses him softly. "I'm so happy to hear you say that. You had me worried for a minute there. I don't wanna lose you."
"Not a chance in hell, Katie."