Gibbs stared silently for a moment. Her words were a clashing breath of fresh air and a scorching tongue of confusion. Kate never admitted wrongdoing. She never admitted being anything less than absolutely perfect, absolutely all of the time. Silence hung like a drape between them as he pursed his lips and folded his arms. Her eyes still held sparks of defiance, but they were fading embers and they were fading fast. She held his gaze remarkably well, only ducking down to the floor when the blue boring became too much to take.

"And what, pray tell, am I supposed to do with that?"

His voice was the silky velvet that topped the smouldering ire that lay within. He might have burgeoning feelings for Kate, as he'd done for his other three in their early days, but he was still done. There was only so much he could take. More importantly, there was only so much he could force the team to take. She deflated in front of him as she shrugged her shoulders. "You're not supposed to do anything with it," she said softly, "I know I'm done here. But…it's important to me that you know, that I know, I was wrong." She gulped down some air. "The way you are…this team…I've never seen anything like it."

When she looked at him square in the eye he could have sworn he saw the ghosts of her past there.

"I wish I could have been a part of it."

She smiled sadly and with a quick movement and a blink of an eye, her badge and gun were in his hands. She strode with deliberate steps to the door and pulled it open. Gibbs watched her go with an almost dazed expression, his eyes relatively glassy. When the light of the hall spilled into the room, he snapped back into life. "Kate," he called quietly, "Close that door and come back in here." She turned to face him, confusion splashing across her face. "Gibbs…there's nothing left to say. It would be better for everyone if I just left now, working any kind of notice period would only make matters worse."

Gibbs raised a brow and cleared his throat.

"I'm pretty sure I just told you to close that door…and come back in here."

His voice had taken on the deathly quiet timbre that brooked no argument. Even Kate knew that voice meant business. Gibbs was one of those people, that the angrier he got, the quieter he got. Feeling as low as she'd ever done professionally, she felt a fleeting moment of hope. At least she wouldn't be suffering the wrath of his sharp tongue on a daily basis. Closing the door once more, she walked slowly to face him once more. Perhaps he wanted the privilege of drawn out dismissal. It didn't seem like him, but if that's what he wanted, she wouldn't kick up a fuss. She just wanted to leave as soon as possible and shut the world out. Images of chilled white wine danced in her mind's eye as Gibbs rubbed his eyes tiredly, triggering a squirt of guilt in her gut.

"You want a choice, Kate?"

She blinked.

"Huh?"

He shrugged.

"You said you wished you could have been a part of my team. Of our team. Since you've been here, you've not tried to be. You've been on the edges of it, refusing to be a part of it. I've tried and I've tried, so have the boys and Abby. Most people would write you off and make no mistake, I'm a half second away from doing it myself. But maybe I'm that idiot that gives you one last chance and maybe you stop being that idiot that throws away every single last chance. What do you think?"

Kate merely stared with her eyes heavily shrouded in confusion.

"I don't know what you mean," she countered slowly, "I don't see how we could work together after…" She flushed and looked away. "After everything." Gibbs nodded thoughtfully as if considering her point a valid one. "I can see why you'd think that, but…that's because you miss the point of this team. We forgive, forget and move the hell on. You think I haven't had some spectacular flare ups from the boys?" He smiled wryly. "From Abby? They mightn't have been as…thorough as your outbursts, but we moved on." He shrugged and tilted his head. "I think we could move on from this. You'd have to ask the forgiveness of Tony and Tim, but I know them. I know they'll say yes." He felt tiredness prickle his eyes as he pushed on. "I'm offering you one more chance to be a part of this team, Kate. A one-time deal. You take it, or you leave it. There's no in-between."

Her eyes bulged and her eyes skipped a beat.

"What's the catch?"

The words were out her mouth before she could catch them. They sounded terribly blunt and aggressive and she knew it. Cringing slightly, she coughed and tried again. "I mean…I mean-" Gibbs held up a hand. "I know what you meant. And if you want to see it as a catch, then go on ahead. I prefer to see it as an opportunity for you to act like a woman like you has every ability to act." He stared at her confusion for a moment and shrugged. "Like you're human," he elaborated softly, "Like you make mistakes, like you learn from them. That's the kind of woman I know you can be."

Silence shimmered between them once more.

"I know I make mistakes," she said quietly, "I know-"

Gibbs held up a hand as he shook his head.

"No, you don't," he argued quietly, "You know that you make mistakes in the same way you know you shouldn't snipe at Tony all the damned time. You know that you make mistakes in the same way you know that you shouldn't give Tim such a hard time. You know it, but you know you're not going to do anything about it. That's not the same thing as owning your mistakes. That's not the same thing as learning from them. You're a gifted agent, Kate, but you still have a hell of a lot to learn. And that's fine. Usually. But the problem with you is, you're the most unwilling and un-teachable young agent I have ever worked with."

He scrubbed a hand through his hair.

"Basically, you have the worst attitude problem I have ever seen."

He scorched her with a all-knowing gaze.

"You agree with that or not?"

Her lips parted slightly as she digested his unusually long bout of speech. Her mind was beginning to prickle with pain under the weight of the day's events. He was right, she could see that. But she was still who she was and who she was…didn't take criticism all that well. Emotions warred within her. She had so much that she just wanted to let go, but her pride was forming a military blockade, preventing her. He was staring at her with that quiet thoughtfulness that drove her insane on a daily basis. She closed her eyes that were rapidly going dry with tension. "I…do and I don't," she muttered eventually, with a slight shrug. Hindsight would eventually tell her that she was foolish for thinking such an answer would fly.

"Oh no," Gibbs rejected softly, "I'm not accepting that. You either agree, or you don't agree. I'm tired of letting you sit on the fence with nothing but your ego for company. And before you tell me you don't have an ego, don't. I got a big enough one of my own to recognise another. But as of yet, mine isn't costing me every single professional opportunity that comes my way. There's not going to be another agent-in-charge at the side of that door if you leave, Kate. There isn't going to be another me outside a plane, that offers you a new gig right after you've screwed up another one. Your chances are running out and I'm trying to stop that. You either help me do that, or you leave. There is no in-between, I told you that, and I meant it. So I'll ask you again, do you agree or not?"

She chewed her lip as the battle continued to rage within her.

But for once, she allowed her base instincts instead of her carefully cultivated persona, to rule.

"Yes."

Gibbs felt a bursting stream of relief trickle through him, but he hid it well. One small answer represented a serious step forwards with his most difficult agent. He pondered for a moment, unused to choosing his words with any degree of care. "You agree that you have a serious attitude problem?" he queried after a moment, wanting to drive the point home. A faint flush crossed her cheeks as a slight frown puckered her brow, but she nodded nonetheless. "Yes," she repeated, "You're not the first to point it out to me, it's not a shock or anything of the kind."

Gibbs resisted the bizarre urge to smirk as he quirked a brow.

"I'm not the first?" he murmured dryly, "How surprising."

A much more pronounced scowl crossed Kate's face as she shrugged mutinously. He hesitated for a moment, before deciding to lay his cards utterly on the table. "Alright Kate, now that we're both on the same wave length as to your issue, we got to think about fixing it. Cos you're not staying unless it's fixed, simple as that. If I go down the official route with this, with everything, then the point is moot. Morrow will insist you go. I won't have a choice or a say in the matter. That means the only channel I have left, is an unofficial channel." He shrugged. "And you know what that channel is. So the question is, do you want to leave? Or do you want to go down the official road and get booted out? Or do you want to do down the unofficial road, get this resolved and forget about it?"

He shrugged once more.

"The choice is entirely yours."

She stared at him, paling under his very eyes. Her eyes widened with the bare implications of his no-nonsense proposal. She had a considerable quantity of infamous Catholic guilt bubbling along in her veins, but she had never truly considered any real penance. Having gone to convent school, she was pretty familiar with his proposal, and yet…all she could do was stare. "Isn't…isn't there any other form of…of unofficial channel?"

She hated the tone of her voice. She hated it with a passion. It had a weak, pleading tinge to it and sent a shiver of embarrassment down her spine. She was never weak. She knew than women couldn't afford to be weak. Not in her game, not in the boys club. Something small triggered in her brain as she stared at him. He was old fashioned, sure. But…her pre conceived notions that he was a chauvinist were beginning to take heat. Maybe…this wasn't the man's world she was used to. Maybe this place could be different. The embarrassment she felt began to seep away a little. Even if she was being weak, it would be ok. She wouldn't be mocked in this room, her career wouldn't take a hit for showing any vulnerability. Before she could over think her situation any further, he cleared his throat.

"Such as?"

She gaped.

"Well…well I don't know…but there has to be…there has to be something…"

Gibbs nodded thoughtfully.

"Such as?" he repeated quietly, "I'm open to suggestions, Kate. Contrary to whatever you may think, I don't enjoy doing what I have to do to keep you all from the dung heap of office politics in this place. Far from it. If you have some alternative that you think will work better with you, then I'm all ears. The way I deal with the boys works best for them, but that doesn't mean it works best for you. So…" he fought weariness as it threatened to overtake him, "What are you thinking?"

Silence swept through the room once more.

Kate looked mildly scandalised.

"Well how am I meant to know?" she blurted out, her face knitting in confusion. "You're the one who wants to…I…." she trailed off in frustration, before hanging her head. "I don't know…ok? I don't know what you want me to say." Gibbs shrugged lightly. "You're the one who is asking me for an alternative solution, Kate," he countered reasonably, "Seems to me that you should be the one to offer some part of that solution. I'm not a mind reader, I can't tell you what you don't tell me. You say that you don't want…." He paused to rephrase. "That you can't agree to the same arrangement that I have with the boys, then offer me something different. I've already told you, I'll listen to anything you have to say."

She opened and closed her mouth like a bewildered fish, fresh out of water.

Taking pity on her, Gibbs sighed and bit the bullet.

"Kate…have you ever been spanked?"

She managed to flush and glare all at the same time.

"Yes, by you, about ten minutes ago."

Gibbs couldn't quite help the small chuckle that escaped him. "Trust me," he assured dryly, "That swat wasn't even in the same ballpark as a spanking. From me anyways." He sobered up. "I'm serious, have you?" He was always cautious not to dredge up potential issues from his peoples past when introducing his unorthodox methods. And of all his people, he knew the least about the closed off Agent Todd. She growled in her throat somewhat but nodded sharply, answering in the snarky tone that drove him nuts.. "I was raised and educated as a devout Catholic, what do you think?"

"I think it didn't do you much good," Gibbs shot back, "Manners clearly aren't your forte."

She glared.

"Well it clearly won't do me much good now then, so why try?"

Gibbs returned the glower.

"Because it's either that or you leave, or you stay and I end up killing you."

The two stared at each other then, their mutual obstinacies mirroring back at them. Gibbs fought back the urge to just lay down where he was and sleep. Kate had to be the most taxing woman he'd ever met. And that was including Jenny. "Look," he sighed, "There's no need to make a meal out of this. I want a decision. Are you leaving, or staying to face official sanctions and then leaving? Or are you staying to face unofficial sanctions so that we can put this farce behind us?" He tapped the watch on his wrist. "I know I hide it well, but I'm not getting any younger. So, what's it to be?"

Her stomach clenched.

Three options.

None of them palatable.

Not of them the norm.

None of them easy.

Her mind keened as the unfamiliar wave of indecision lanced through her. She always knew what to do. It was a part of what made her, her. Always the decisive one. Her deep seated, me against the world and women against men view of the world shimmered in front of her. Allowing him, as a man, to physically chastise her…didn't that go against everything she stood for? Didn't that make her weak? Make her a victim? She gnawed on her lip as he gazed upon her silently, offering no guidance, simply watching…watching and waiting. She felt an irritating tremble quiver down her calves. "I don't want to leave…"

He nodded, with an almost gentle shine in his eyes.

"I know."

She stared.

"But…I don't…I can't…." She pawed her hair in frustration. "I can't let you beat me." Gibbs barely suppressed his eye roll. "Well good, because I have no intention of beating you. No matter how annoying you are." Kate practically mewled in frustration. "But you just said-"

"That we can address this with a spanking, not a beating."

He raised a brow.

"I thought I'd already illustrated the difference between the two?"

She opened her mouth to sharply contradict but found the words died in her throat. He was right. Not that she was about to admit it, but he was right. The singular swat he'd given her, when she extracting the momentous embarrassment that went with it, didn't feel abusive. It felt like the same kind of exasperated chastisement her parents would issue as a kid when she would throw her infamous tantrums. The same kind of chastisement that would instantly put an end to such histrionics and a moment later would find her in the arms of her mother or father. She swallowed heavily. Confusion dogged her, conflicting emotions tore at her.

"I'm an adult."

Gibbs had to fight really, really hard not to burst out laughing at the petulant tone.

"You are," he agreed, almost cordially, "But sometimes you act like the most spoiled little brat I have ever met. Sometimes you act as far removed from Special Agent Todd that I don't even recognise you. Sometimes Kate…you act like nothing more than a massive pain in my ass. Does that mean you're not an adult? No. Does that mean that you still have some growing up to do? Yes. Does that make you weird or underdeveloped or whatever the hell else is rattling around your brain? No. Does it make you just as screwed up as the rest of us?"

His eyes intensified.

"Yes."

She felt her mouth fall open slightly.

"You've been spending too much time around Ducky."

Gibbs snorted.

"Tell me about it."

She felt a small smile tug at the corners of her mouth as panic began to course through her. She was…well she was beginning to consider it. The way he explained it, it all seemed to simple. A straight forward equation of action and consequence. She couldn't deny she felt sick with guilt over her treatment of Tony and Tim. It was an almost viscous regret. She stiffened her shoulders as something caught her eye.

She breathed deeply as she gestured towards Gibbs' belt and raised a questioning brow.

"With that?"

He glanced down and hesitated. Truth be told, if it were one of the boys standing in front of him, it would be with that. He had to take into account that the punishment, if she accepted it, was for her performance in the field as well as her outburst in the bullpen. The infractions weren't small. But it was her first time. He breathed deeply and let his instincts overtake any real reasoning. "No," he said quietly, "Not this time. If you decide this, I mean. This time…" he cleared his throat, "This time I'll just use my hand."

She flushed visibly.

"I don't….I can't…." She shook her head furiously. "I don't know…."

Gibbs nodded immediately, but before he could open his mouth, she beat him to it.

"Would everyone know?"

His eyes widened as he swung his head from side to side. "Under no circumstances. Kate…you are free to tell whoever, whatever you want. But from my side of things, no one will ever know. I can promise you that." He spread his hand around the room. "Whatever is said and done in this room, stays in this room. I give you my word."

She had no issue in believing him.

"Kate, I'm not going to force you into anything. But...I do need an answer. Are you staying or are you going?"

She gulped as her raw instincts overtook any form of cognitive defences.

"Staying."

He felt a small tornado of relief blow through him. He had somehow known she would make that decision and yet, it was still a massive breath of fresh air. She was salvageable. She could learn and she could grow…and she could be one of the best agents he'd ever seen. Nodding thoughtfully, he tilted his head at her.

"And you know what that means?"

The blush that coloured her cheeks was dangerously crimson, but her voice was clear and steady.

"Yes."

For a moment, he was the one that was conflicted. He hated punishing any of his people. He hated it with a passion. But when it was the first time…it was especially heinous. He didn't know their tells and he didn't know their differences. That came with time and experience. Deciding to just act on impulse and trust himself, he moved forwards. The chair creaked somewhat as he pulled it out from the conference table and set it in the middle of the floor. When he turned back to face her, she was reverting back to a deathly pale.

"I could explain the ins and outs of this. I could spend all day talking to you about it, or we could just get it over and done with. You know roughly what to expect and I hope you know that I would never take it too far. I don't want to be here and you don't want to be here, so let's just get this done so that we don't have to be here. Ok?"

She stood frozen to the spot and felt her head move up and down in the absence of her brain.

He nodded and sat down, crooking a finger at her.

"Good. Now, come here."

To her intense shame, she was too frightened to move.

"Gibbs…"

His eyes held nothing of the burning fury that had raged when they first entered the room.

In fact…they were soft.

"Trust me, Kate. Just trust me."

She felt her legs move under her without actually recognising they were hers. The room grew larger as she walked and it seemed an impossible task to reach his side. But eventually, she did, and she found herself slightly lightheaded. "Gibbs…" He reached out and gently took her wrist. "Don't over think, don't over analyse, just trust yourself." His warm touch surprised her. As did the softness of his grasp. He looked up at her, solemnity burning in his eyes. "Last chance Kate, are you sure? Are you absolutely sure about this?"

She flinched slightly, but nodded with that surety that would stand to her in years to come.

Before she could even process another thought, her hold on gravity shifted. All of a sudden, she was no longer upright. All of a sudden, she was in a position she hadn't been in for many years. All of a sudden, a warm hand was wrapping around her waist as she was upended over an unimaginable knee. All of a sudden she was extremely sorry she'd taken off her long business jacket because Gibbs didn't waste any time.

Because he didn't want to give her the chance to panic.

First time or not, he didn't hold back. Holding her tightly, he brought his hand down on her upturned backside with a resounding crack. Familiar or not with the position and as stoic as she was, Kate couldn't suppress the surprised yowl that escaped her. Her dark hair framed her face as it screwed up in a pained whimper. Before the pain of the first stinging swat could even begin to dissipate, he landed another and then another. Before long the room was singing with the sounds of his broad hand to her prone behind. He said nothing as he was settling into dishing out her first brush with his techniques. She knew why she was where she was, him telling her again would just be rubbing salt in the wounds.

Kate couldn't quite believe the burning sensation that was ripping through her backside. She'd been spanked many times before, but she realised as a particularly punishing smack fell, that she'd been very sheltered. To her horror, tears were springing up in her eyes. It wasn't just from the pain, it was from the guilt. It was from the shame she felt about being in her current position. It was the look on Tony and Tim's faces. It was the thoughts of packing up another desk, another apartment. It was the thought of being alone and friendless again.

It was everything.

She was so tired…of everything. Of keeping everything in.

He felt her torso inflate and deflate with something he knew was a lot more than a response to a simple spanking. The girl had so much inner conflict. She was much too hard on herself, much too often. She was driven, but didn't know how to enjoy the moment. She was comfortable with her own company, but needed the company of others. He sighed sadly as he pulled her tighter to him, her inevitable squirming easily dealt with. He was being hard on her. He was using the leathery nature of his hand to its fullest effect and he knew she was hurting. Tipping his knee upwards, he began the application of a suitable coat of red to her presented sit spots. It was one of the hardest "first time" spanking he'd ever dished out.

A second later, the first tears fell and the first, albeit muffled sob was heard.

He felt her sadness as he forced himself to continue. He hated doing this, he really, really hated it. As she began weeping softly over his knee, he resolved to wind her punishment down. Truthfully, he'd been tough enough on her and he had no doubt that a lesson had been well learnt. She'd been over his knee for a pretty long time. Lightening up on the intensity of the swats, he slowed their speed. Before long, the last swat had fallen and his hand fell lightly upon her back, circling it gently.

She hiccoughed under the soft touch, but made no effort to move.

The floor beneath her was damp with her tears as she realised it was over. The sudden closeness of their situation hit her like a freight truck and she jerked away from his hand, scrambling to right herself. Instantly removing it and allowing her space, Gibbs stood in tandem. Her face was flushed and damp, locks of her hair sticking to her tear stained cheeks. Her eyes were wet and red rimmed, flickering uneasily. The urge to reach and rub her throbbing behind was screaming at her, but she resisted. She needed to go, to lick her wounds. She needed to be alone to truly grovel in her humiliation. She needed to….

"Kate," he murmured, breaking into her thoughts, "Look at me."

She did not.

She would not.

Her breathing was deep and erratic as she stared down at the floor, her pride wounded beyond all repair. The reality of the fact that she'd just been spanked like some stupid kid was truly hitting home and her ego shuddered under the onslaught that such a realisation engendered. How could she see him every day? How could she work with him? How could she have let what just happened, happen? How could…

"Kate," he repeated quietly, "Look at me."

She shook her head vehemently, shame creeping up on her like a dense smog. She had just acted like everything she despised. She had acted like a weak, simpering fool of a woman. She had acted like a woman that needed a man to show her the right path. She had acted like everything she had sworn to oppose. There was no way she could look at him.

But the gentle finger under the chin had other ideas.

His eyes met hers and she braced herself for the gleam of victory she was sure would be in them. She tried to reach up her arm to smack his hand away, but it wouldn't cooperate. Her chin was cupped in his hand and his eyes were empty of any victory. She watched as he took a deep breath, clearly steeling himself.

"Stop it. Stop over thinking. All you need to know and believe is this. You did something wrong and you were punished for it. You disobeyed me in the field and you lashed out at the boys. Both things are forgotten about it now, they're in the past and that's where they'll stay." He knew he had to add something, and resolved there and then to do it. Honesty was something he valued, and he owed it to her. "If something like this ever happens again on the other hand…" he gestured to her slacks, "those will be coming down. I give you fair warning."

He let go of her chin and took a step back.

His instincts were screaming at him and he was having a hard time forcing them down. He wanted to hold her, to wipe away the straggling tears that were sluggishly making their way down her face. But he knew…she wasn't ready. He knew she didn't yet understand the finality of his discipline methods. The others knew that when their punishment was over, it was over. It was clear as he studied her, that she didn't get that yet. And that would take time and he would just have to be patient.

But hell…it was hard.

She swallowed repeatedly as her breathing came under control. She clearly had no idea what to do with herself. She couldn't look him in the eye, her gaze flickering around the walls as she sniffled slightly. He watched her quietly, knowing that to say the wrong thing at such a crucial conjuncture would be a catastrophe. As she scrubbed her hand across her eyes, he found he could remain silent no longer.

"How're you doing?"

No answer.

He cursed himself.

Stupid question.

"Kate," he tried again, gently, "Look at me."

She gazed further down at the floor for a moment before tilting her head in his direction. He took a step closer. "Talk to me. Tell me what you're thinking." His voice was its usual authoritative self, but it carried a gentle tinge that had her looking twice. She flushed slightly as she chewed her lip and shook her head silently. He frowned and tried again. "C'mon, talk to me. I told you nothing leaves this room and I meant it."

She chewed her lip even more ferociously as the inner battle continued to rage.

"I cried."

Gibbs blinked.

"Huh?"

She sighed a watery sigh, reeking of frustration. Dropping her gaze once more she shrugged and shuffled on the spot. Gibbs felt confusion batter him. "Kate…is that what you're most fixated upon right now?" he asked, trying to keep the incredulity out of his tone, "that you cried?" Even with her head bowed he could see the flush intensify as she nodded mutely. She felt fresh tears prick her eyes and she impatiently blinked them away. She felt him move towards her and expected to flinch, to shy away from him, but she didn't. Physically, she felt sore but pretty relaxed. Emotionally, she was a wreck.

Gibbs halted directly and in front of her and hesitated, but just for a minute.

She resisted him fiercely for a moment, as he knew she would. He held her tightly, but let enough room for her to wriggle out if she really wanted. She froze in the embrace, that came so naturally for the others, standing stiff against him, unsure. But…after a minute, his familiar scent and her sudden overbearing weariness got the better of even her, and she stopped pushing him away. She didn't cling to him like Abby did, but she did melt against his chest, allowing the surprising comfort to wash over her.

He relaxed with her and pressed a soft kiss onto the top of her head as he assuaged her concerns.

"A spanking is s'posed to hurt, Kate. I expect tears. Nothing to be embarrassed about. Nothing at all."

She melted further against him and he knew she got it. She believed it, because it was true. He held her for a lot longer than he would the others, and was surprised that she allowed it, and even more surprised by how much he needed it too. When he eventually prised her away slowly, she was still red eyed and puffy faced, but she seemed…peaceful. There were no barbs, no sarcastic remarks…if anything she just seemed exhausted.

"You should get some sleep. You look beat."

She smiled a half smile.

"I was beat."

He stared for a moment, before rolling his eyes. "I guess it was moronic to think you could be cured of that smart mouth of yours." She graced him with half a smirk, before sobering some. "So…what now?" she asked awkwardly, "What do we….how do we…"

Gibbs raised a brow.

"Nothing, that's what is going to happen now. Other than the fact that you're going to apologise to the boys, this whole deal…and the blip in the field, is done. It's over and we'll never speak of it again and it will never happen again."

He eyed her with a sudden sternness.

"Right?"

Somehow, she just knew the right answer.

"Right."

Confusion dogged her face a moment later.

"So….that's it?" She tried very hard to ignore the still burning pain in her rear. "It's done?"

Gibbs nodded simply.

"It's done."

Silence billowed between them for a moment as she digested that. She expected to be filled with disbelief and scorn. At him and herself. But…she wasn't. She felt light, tired as all hell, but light. Like the way she used to feel after confession as a kid. Like she was clean again. Like she was on a fresh slate and all the bad things she'd done were a memory in someone else's scrapbook. She gazed at him quietly, before parting her lips slowly.

"I get why you do this…why you choose uhh, this way."

He smiled.

"I knew you would."

She glared.

"You did not."

Chuckling, he nodded in defeat. "Naw, you're right…I didn't. In my defence though, you're harder to read than those damn memos they send to my email every day. Most of the time, it's like reading a different language." He smiled at her. "Which is pretty much like how it feels talking to you. Seeing as I don't speak Todd-ese and all. It's a very difficult tongue." She narrowed her eyes good naturedly, astonished by how comfortable she felt with the man who had been wailing on her ass a mere ten or so minutes ago.

"Is this going to happen again?"

The question was out before she could stop it, she needed to know. She always needed to know.

Gibbs shrugged.

"That's up to you. I'd rather it never had to happen again but…"

She stared.

"You think it will?"

He shrugged again.

"I think you have a hell of a long way to go." His eyes suddenly brimmed with pride. "But I think you've also come a hell of a long way today." Usually, he wouldn't be so open, but…this was an unusually charged situation. "Proud of what you did here today, Kate. You did more than just accept the consequences of your actions. You faced your flaws as a person….and I know that ain't easy, but you did it." He reached out an squeezed her shoulder. "I think you could have a very long and very strong career here, if you wanted."

She swallowed deeply and took a deep breath, speaking softly. "On your team?" The sudden childlike vulnerability of her voice cut him deep as he nodded. "Uh huh." The two stared at each other for a moment, each lost to their own thoughts. Neither said anything for a second. As the pain began to subside a little, Kate cleared her throat. There was something she needed to ask. Rubbing a hand through her now limp hair, she steeled herself.

"Gibbs?"

He blinked out his reverie, tilting his head invitingly toward her.

"Kate?"

She cleared her throat once more.

"What if Tony and Tim don't want me on the team anymore?"

Gibbs smiled a rather sad smile.

"They will, they'll want you."

She frowned, unsure.

"How can you know?"

He moved forwards and threw an arm around her shoulders, guiding her to the door. He suddenly knew they needed to put distance between them and the foreboding four walls. Opening the door and allowing the room to bathe in light, he dropped another quick kiss on her head and tucked her gently under the chin with a wink.

"I know… because I know my boys. I've known them a long time, I've known them from the start."

He squeezed her gently.

"Just like I'm beginning to know you."

….

Batch Update A/N: Thanks a lot for the reviews/messages asking how I am due to the break in posting. I've just been super busy is all! Just another thank you for all the feedback, especially to guest reviewers who I can't message (Fan, GuestG etc, you guys are great), and to all readers! Until next time.

_Inks.

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