Hi, here is the next chapter. Please enjoy.
"So agent Todd, I think it's time to look what's left of your apartment." Kate nodded. She had pushed that thought behind successfully, because of his comfortable companionship.
Silently both went to his front door where Kate found the pair of shoes that possibly was the only one she owned now. Gibbs stood already outside and held the car door open for her as she came out with little Toni on her heels. Kate sat in and Gibbs saw how emotionally affected she was. He placed his hand on her shoulder. "Everything will turn out fine. You'll see." She nodded without looking up. So he closed her door and went over to the driver's side.
The drive was silent. Kate was so lost in her thought that at first she didn't notice Gibbs pulling in her driveway. Gibbs was shocked as they arrived at her building. All windows on Kate's floor were broken and black smoke traces painted the former white cladding. Kate was in shock too. The scene of destruction was worse in today's sunlight than in yesterday's dark. Both got out of the car and walked over to a young fireman, who must've been placed here to keep the building under surveillance.
Kate found her voice, even when to Gibbs she sounded small and broken. "Hello, I'm Caitlin Todd. I lived on the second floor in 2F. Is it possible to get in there?" The young man looked on his clipboard and his face filled with pity. "Yes Ms. Todd. The structural engineer cleared the building, but please be careful. A lot of broken glass is lying everywhere and don't be too optimistic. The fire didn't leave much behind." Kate nodded and looked back at the windows that former filled her living area with daylight. Gibbs stood behind her and felt the urge to take her in his arms and undo every pain she had to go through. But his self control let him stay behind her. The only thing he could do, was saying something that gave her the strength to move her feet. "You're not alone, Kate."
As they arrived at her floor the walls were over and over black from smoke and the burnt smell was biting in the respiratory tract. Reaching her apartment door that didn't exist anymore, a low "Oh my god!" escaped Kate's mouth as they entered. The fireman hadn't overdone. In her living room was nothing left that would be worth to save. Slowly she went to her former bedroom. She hoped that perhaps in there the fire hadn't ravaged like in her living area. Maybe a part of her life was still intact in the room behind the door in front of her. But as she opened all her hopes were wrecked to dust as she saw the ruins of the life she'd known.
On the floor near the burnt bed frame stood a little metal box. She went to get it, knowing exactly what the content had been. It contained all her favorite photos of her family, friends and … past. She cowered down and opened it. A gasp could be heard and hot tears began to trace lines on her cheeks. Gibbs, who had only watched her walking through the destructions, now rushed to her side and held her while she cried.
He watched at the content of that box, which seemed to be a great loss for Kate. It must've been photos of all people that meant a lot to her. Now only fragments were left. At some of them one could still make out what the picture had shown. Some of them seemed to be from work. At most of them the team members were visible, Tony and Ducky, Abby, McGee and her, and one of him smiling at something, but all pictures were burnt partly. Then he saw other pictures of people he didn't recognize but just looked like Kate's family. All were fragments now.
Kate burrowed her head in his chest and he stroked her back and whispered assuring words into her hair. "Everything is lost, Gibbs. What do I do now? I've nowhere to go." She sobbed and even his soft voice couldn't calm her. So he took her face into his palms and searched her eyes. Then he spoke again with a low but sincere tone. "Kate, listen to me! I told you, you're not alone and you can stay at my place till you find somewhere to start new. Now let's get out of here! We have a lot to do." She questioned him with her eyes and wanted to … she didn't know what she wanted right now. "But, Gibbs…" he silenced her by lying his index finger on her sweet lips and with a look that told her, he'd meant what he'd said.
Gibbs helped her to her feet and led her silently out of the building. As they got outside Kate stopped and turned back again. Deeply inhaling she told herself to move on. 'I'm strong enough and I'm not alone.' She looked at Gibbs, who already reached the car and opened the door for her. Smiling she went in his direction. "So what now Gibbs?"
Gibbs took the smile as a sign of her returning strength and gave her one of his so rarely seen 100percent smiles as answer. "I think we need to go shopping. You can hardly go to work in my USMC-shirts and running pants." One corner of his lips turned upstairs. "Even when Tony's face would be worth it." Kate laughed. "You could make it an order and I do it." She challenged him. Now Gibbs was sure, the old Kate was back. "I think about it." He never lost this whimsically smile as he started the engine. "The mall… There you go."
Kate was surprised. Never in her life had she imagined him to drive her there. Kate had thought he would drive back to his house, where she could take her own car. Never in her whole life had she expected him go shopping with her. Her surprise must've been written all over her face and Gibbs grinned at that. "What? I thought you'll need someone to carry all your bags and except of that, I need to buy some groceries when you stay at my place." Never had she thought that he would be this generous, even when she already knew that behind his b-for-bastard-attitude was a caring and lovable man. One of his rules filled her mind. 'Always expect the unexpected!' She smiled softly at him and placed her hand over his. "Thank you" she whispered. In response he entwined his fingers with hers and squeezed them.
The rest of the ride was uneventful and in comfortable silence. As they reached their target the first shop they went to was a clothes shop, where Kate would find something more appropriate for her all day life. They had spent already one hour in the shop and the sales clerk was making the money of the day. Kate had chosen at least five combinations of clothes for work and free time. Every new thing she wore, she showed to Gibbs for his judgment, who sat in a chair and enjoyed the show.
Gibbs waited patiently for her getting ready and studied a moment the world outside of the shop, while the sales woman spoke to Kate behind the curtains. "Show it to your husband. He'll tell you that you look stunning." She opened the curtains without waiting for Kate's permission. Gibbs had registered only the husband-part of their conversation and looked back in the direction of Kate's changing cubicle.
There she stood in all her glory, in a burgundy silk negligee. Gibbs stopped breathing instantly. It was just like a materialization of one of his dreams of her. Kate didn't know if she should say or do something. She just stood there and locked her eyes with his. Unable to speak he indicated her to turn around with a circling of his finger and she did. The gown was cut low in the back and ended just there where not too much is revealed, but definitely fantasy is inspired.
Gibbs rose and walked over to where she looked in the mirror. He stopped right behind her and searched her eyes in the glass. He leaned down a bit to whisper in her ear. "She's right. You look stunning, Kate. But…don't wear that in front of me." His voice was soft and seductively to Kate. She saw desire and want in his eyes that had never left hers. Her heart had missed a beat as his breath tingled down her neck and his radiating warmth embraced her skin. She closed her eyes, lost in his nearness, but as she opened them again he was gone. Gibbs had turned and brought some distance between them. "You should take it Kate." He said without looking at her.
Again he sat down in his chair and tried to calm his pounding heart. 'She doesn't want you. She doesn't want you….' Became his mantra in fighting for self control. Kate had disappeared behind the curtains and leaned now against the wall of her changing cubicle. Her whole world was turning upside down. 'There it was again. Desire and want, just like this morning in his kitchen.' One part of her mind told her, but the other part fought too. 'Oh, don't go there. Want is not love. He never would risk friendship for something flighty like want and by no means with you.' "Grrh! Shut up!" she said low enough that only she could hear it. But she forgot about Gibbs excellent hearing sense. He had heard it.
Kate sighed and straightened to slip in one of her new free time outfits. As she got out of the cubicle, Gibbs face showed no sign of anything, just like nothing had happened. 'Unreadable as ever' Kate thought and went to pay.
It was a good thing Gibbs had come with her. Never in the world would she be able to carry all the bags alone. They brought them back to his car and started a new shopping round. Kate still needed new shoes and underwear.
At first they went to a shoe store. A young salesman helped Kate with the choice. Gibbs eyed skeptically at the young man, who flirted openly with Kate. 'Where are all the 60 years old, blind, happy married or female salesclerks, when you need one?' he groaned silently as he watched them. 'Great, now you'll get jealous, old man. This is not good!' Then he heard it. "Can I call you sometime?" the kid asked and Gibbs saw Kate, how she took a card from the young man and scribbled something on it, then took the chosen shoes and went to the cash desk.
As both stepped outside the store Gibbs couldn't take it anymore. He blocked her way and glared at her. "How can you give a stranger like him your phone number?" Kate looked at him, silently smiling at his outburst of temper. "I haven't!" she said with a self confident smirk on her lips. Gibbs stared at her disbelievingly. "I wrote the number of a dating service on it." She said, turned away from him and headed for the next shop. Gibbs wasn't able to say a word. She had surprised him, but what was more surprisingly, was his incapability to hide his jealousy.
He followed her in a short distance and as she reached the lingerie shop, they agreed it would be best if Gibbs went to the groceries store while Kate would buy her underwear. Kate told him that she would find him in there when she would be ready and so they parted. And indeed buying the underwear didn't take long, even when two of her chosen undies could definitely called x rated.
Entering the groceries store, at first she couldn't find Gibbs, but as she rounded a pallet of ketchup bottles, she spotted him turning into the next corridor with a totally overloaded cart. "God Gibbs, I hope that is for the whole next month and not just for next week!" Kate greeted him happily. She glanced at the carts content and pointed accusingly at the articles in it. "Is anything in there that hadn't grunted, lowed or neighed at one time, Gibbs?" Gibbs grinning whimsically reached inside and pulled out a pack of frozen fish. "That's what I thought, Gibbs." Kate smiled at him. "Let's make another round!" It wasn't an invitation. It was meant as order, so they started for a second round.
Kate sorted out some of Gibbs chosen food and replaced it with healthier things. But she did it in a way she would not tread on his toes. Gibbs only watched her and smiled at her reasoning why he shouldn't eat some of the food he'd chosen. 'I could get used to this.' He thought. Sometimes he missed having a normal life with doing silly thing like that and never had he imagined it to be so much fun to go shopping.
One hour later
As they arrived at Gibbs house, Kate swallowed hard as her interims home came in view. Gibbs parked his car right beside Kate's. It felt strange, but not in a bad way and that confused her even more. In trance Kate got out of his car and followed him to his front door. She stared at him, while he opened the door for her. Toni, who felt a lot more at home as Kate, had already raced into the house. Still standing on his doorway Gibbs made a step towards Kate, knowing what her problem must be. He placed one of the groceries bags in her arms and with a clear voice brought her out of her thoughts. "Kitchen, Kate!" Kate shook her head lightly. "What?... Oh yes!" then stepped inside and went to the kitchen.
Gibbs had placed the other bags on the kitchen counter and leaned now at the sink, sipping on a glass of water. The shopping trip had made him thirsty like a camel. Kate started to refill the refrigerator. "Okay marine, what would you say if I cook us spaghetti with my famous broccoli-shrimp-cream sauce?" Kate asked still sorting through the items. She had her back to him so she couldn't see how his lips had turned upwards, but as she got no response from him she turned and saw him softly smiling at her.
"What? I thought that now that I live in your house for a while, at least I can cook dinner for you." Gibbs was still grinning and walked over to her, invading her personal space. It wasn't the first time he'd done that and usually it didn't make her nervous at all, but now her heart missed a beat as he leaned down a bit to whisper in her ear. "Next time Kate, call me Jethro, at least when we're at home. And… I'm not a marine anymore." Kate stared at him wide eyed and her mouth formed a perfect 'O'. Gibbs was still smiling as he left her alone in the kitchen. From outside he called "Spaghetti is fine, Kate. I'll bring in the rest of your bags." Kate stood there in shock, speechless. 'Have I just called my boss, the hard-as-bone-Gibbs what I think I have? Oh dear God!'
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