Authors Note: I know I suck so much! But in all fairness, I was on a roll with this chapter until mid January and until a couple weeks ago, I was just staring at it willing it to write itself-which never happened...I honestly don't know when I'll update again...I really haven't been in a writing mood, and I'd rather not butcher my stories by forcing something to be written, ya know what I mean?
"Jethro, are you sure you've packed everything?" Kate asks for what seems like the millionth time.
"Yes, Katie, I'm sure," he answers, then catches her mid-run from the bedroom to the stair case, "why are you stressing over this?"
Kate sighs, "Because, you're spending Christmas with my family."
"That's a good thing."
"I know it its, but this is the first time they're meeting you," Kate says, "and I haven't exactly told them that we're dating and living together. My mom is going to flip, and my dad…well, he's my dad. I'm the baby of the family and since my older sister moved out before I was ten, I've practically been the only daughter of the family."
"Kate-"
"And, god, don't get me started on my brothers," as Kate rambles on, Jethro stands there, somewhat listening to her and somewhat tuning her out. "Did you even hear what I said?"
Jethro blinks and his eyes go wide, "About what?"
"Ugh!" Kate grumbles, "You're going to be on your best behavior this week right?"
"Of course Kate, you're not dating DiNozzo."
"Thank God for that," she mumbles, and then smiles up at him. "I just want this week to be perfect."
Jethro kisses her softly, "I know, Katie, and it will. I promise."
"And if my parents ask; we haven't had sex, and we aren't living together."
"You want me to lie to your parents?"
Kate raises a shoulder and smiles mischievously, "Not lie, exactly…just…withhold information."
"How old are we again?" he asks with a chuckle.
"This isn't funny, Jethro!" Kate says, smacking him in the chest. "As far as my mother is concerned I'm still a 'delicate flower' and will stay that way until I'm married."
Jethro nods, "She's old fashioned."
"Very," Kate says firmly.
"I like that."
KIBBS
The ride to Florida was filled with silence for the first couple of hours as Kate was silently worrying about the pending week with her family. The last time she brought a boyfriend home wasn't successful. It was her first three day weekend from college and she and a young man a year ahead of her, Ethan, had been dating for about a month.
Between her father and her three brothers, Ethan had been scared off by the second day in her home town, and had decided that they'd be better off as friends. She swore to herself that she'd never bring home another guy until after he proposed.
She sure hopes that her family doesn't run Jethro off. She knows that they aren't in college anymore-but there is still a part of her that is that scared eighteen year old bringing her boyfriend home for the first time-and that part of Kate is scared to DEATH.
"You alright, Kate?" Jethro asks, an hour outside of their scheduled stop.
Kate looks over at him and smiles, "Yeah, I'm super."
Jethro takes a hand off the wheel and grabs one of Kate's. "Look, I know that you are beyond nervous about this week, but you have to stop stressing yourself out. It's not healthy."
"I know, okay," she says, "this is just huge! The last time I brought a guy home I was in college; and by the time we got back, poor Ethan was terrified to come near me, and wanted to be 'just friends'. He was already scared off by day two. I'm pretty sure had we been in his car, he would have bailed."
"Katie, I'm not going anywhere," he promises. "I've faced death on a daily basis since I was eighteen-no family of yours is gonna scare me away."
Kate smiles, "I'm sorry for implying that." Leaning over she kisses his cheek, "I love you, Jet."
"I know," he smiles, "I love you too."
KIBBS
Pulling up outside of the house where she grew up is bringing back all kinds of fond memories for Kate. The old swing is still hanging from the tree in the front, her nieces are bound to find enjoyment in the makeshift swing set during the spring and summer months, as she and her brothers did. She notices that her parents have touched up the trimming around the windows and shutters-no doubt her father's doing since he's been retired. She knows that he must have a list at least a mile long of things he's wanted to get done and now has time for.
"So, are we gonna get out or are we going to stare at your house for a week?" Jethro asks, pulling Kate form her thoughts.
Kate turns to face Jethro, with the scared eyes of a little girl, and gives him a shaky smile. "Yeah, let's go."
He gives her hand a soft squeeze, and gets out of the car, walking around and opening her door. He holds out his hand to her, "This week will be perfect, Katie, I promise."
She falls into his arms and sighs heavily, "I just don't want my family to scare you away."
"They won't."
"How do you know?"
He smiles at her, "Wild dogs couldn't scare me away from you, Kate. Trust me, okay? By the time this trip is over, I will still be by your side."
Kate smiles at him and is just about to lean up to kiss him when the door to the house opens, and she hears her father's voice, "Katie-girl, is that you?"
Kate takes a deep breath and turns around with a big smile on her face, and runs towards her father, "Hi, Daddy!" she wraps her father in a hug and says, "I missed you!" And it's true, no matter how scared she is of her father scaring Jethro away, she's always been the youngest, and has always been her daddy's little girl.
"I missed you too, baby!" John Todd says, kissing his daughters cheek. He holds her at arm's length and says, "Well, let me look at you." He takes in her appearance, noting that the only major change is that she's very thin. "Don't they have food in Washington, DC? You're wasting away."
Kate laughs, "Yes, dad, they have food, but I eat healthy and I don't eat red meat very much."
"Well, this week we have to fix that," he says chuckling. Finally noticing Jethro over Kate's shoulder, John says, "Who's this?"
Here goes nothing! Kate smiles at her dad, and holds her hand out to Jethro, who takes it and stands next to Kate. "Dad, this is Jethro, we've been dating for a little over eight months. Jet, this is my dad, John Todd."
Jethro extends his hand to the leader of the Todd family and smiles, "It's a pleasure to meet you sir, and you have quite the daughter."
John shakes his hand, "Nice to meet you as well, and thank you, she is something, isn't she?"
Before they can say anything else, Kate jumps in, "Is mom here?"
"Yes, she's preparing dinner, your brothers should be here in a couple hours," John says, smiling at his daughter. "Why don't we go in and settle you into your room, and see how your mother is doing?"
Kate smiles, "Sounds great."
KIBBS
She never thought she'd be in this room again. It has gone untouched since she moved out when she left for college. Once her dad closes the door to leave her and Jethro alone, she waits until she hears his footsteps descend the staircase.
She falls on to the bed, and puts her head in her hands, "Ugh! He hates you!"
"What?"
Kate looks up at her boyfriend, "My dad. He hates you."
"How can you tell?"
"I'm a profiler, Jethro," Kate reminds him. "His body language, his hesitation to shake your hand, his 'matter of fact' tone of voice when you complemented him on having 'quite the daughter'…he doesn't even know you and already he hates you."
Jethro kneels in front of Kate and places his hands on her cheeks, pulling her in for a loving kiss. After he pulls away, he grabs Kate's hands. "This is only day one of us being here, I have six more days to make him love me as much as you do. Relax, Katie."
Kate's face softens and she leans in and kisses him once more, "No one can love you as much as I do; it's not possible."
KIBBS
Down in the kitchen, John paces the floor and tells his wife, Lorraine, about Kate's guest. "He's got to be at least ten years her senior, Lor! He's an experienced man."
Lorraine stops stirring the pasta long enough to turn to her husband, "Katie is a smart girl; she wouldn't get herself into something she couldn't handle, John."
"It's not her I'm worried about, it's him. What if he's married with children of his own and leading my baby on? She's the one who's going to get hurt in the end."
"John, please," Lorraine says, thinking back to the last time Kate brought someone home, "Don't ruin this for her. She's told me a little bit about him during our phone calls, and he sounds wonderful. Don't make this visit like the last time. We were lucky she even brought him considering the last time she brought a man home."
"What has she told you about him?" John asks, never liking that he's been left out of anything.
"He's a wonderful man, he cares for her, shows her everyday how much he loves her, treats her like a princess, and has family values," she answers, "This is the first time I've heard love in Kate's voice when she talks about her boyfriend. He's different, John. Give him a chance-Lord knows that's what I'm doing."
"What are you doing, Mom?" Kate asks, walking into the kitchen. Her mother turns around and her smile takes up the largest part of her face.
"Baby, I missed you!" her mother says, closing the distance between them, Kate returns her mother's hug and smiles.
"I missed you too, mom," she says, after their greeting, Kate turns to Jethro, "Mom, this is my boyfriend, Jethro."
Lorraine holds her hand out and says, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Jethro. Kate's told me so much about you."
Taking the older woman's hand in his, he smiles, "Likewise. Kate speaks very highly of you; I can see why Kate's so beautiful."
Kate raises her eyebrows and looks at Jethro, really? Sucking up to my mom?
Lorraine giggles, "You're sweet."
Gibbs smiles and turns to Kate, "You hear that? I'm sweet."
Kate shakes her head and smiles. She was right…this was gonna be a long week….