In winter, what's the best way to get someone alone to talk to them? Trapping them on a ski lift is one way.

"Gibbs," she tried to move closer to him, but was stopped from doing so by the bulky skis attached to her feet. Her eyes were watering in the bitterly cold wind whipping through the valley.

"You alright there, Katie? Not too cold?" he asked, smiling at her through his ski goggles.

"Fine. Probably don't look very nice at the moment, but fine. A little chilly."

"Well I did warn ya- we're used to taking heat, not cold. And Katie? I've seen ya in all kinds of gear. And you can make the evidence jumpsuits look flattering."

She snorted, "Oh yes, that's quite the gift."

He rolled his eyes.

"So Gibbs," she nudged his shoulder, "Now that you've got me alone, what'll you do with me?"

He eyed her, "Push you down the mountain maybe if ya keep flirtin'."

"Rude."

"Katie, is there somethin' you're trying to tell me?"

"Only that I'm racing you down the mountain," she warned, with8 a grin.

"I'll win."

"Hah! Your skis better be greased if you want to get down the hill faster than me, you old fart."

"Watch your tone, young lady. I don't tolerate disrespect." He was clearly fighting to keep the smile off his face. "And my skis are better than yours any day."

"Lies."

"How about we have a little reward?"

"Mm I'm in." Kate grinned.

"Winner gets to pick what we do tonight."

"We're not skiing some more? I thought that was the point of this whole weekend."

"The point of this weekend was to get ya away from DC, Katie, and have my way with ya."

"Well you've done that," she replied, her voice dry, "Multiple times."

"Were ya keepin' a tally, or something?"

"No, but let's just say I have a very good memory." A smirk followed that, and then Kate lifted the bar, "Ready to race, old timer?"

"If I die because of this, I'm suin'."

"I know a good lawyer," Kate blew a kiss, "Get ready to have your ass kicked, Agent Gibbs."

"Not on your life, Agent Todd." He followed after her with a chuckle, before they both stopped short, staring down the valley, through the whirling snowflakes, the lodge lit up like a birthday cake in the middle of the valley. It was gorgeous. He turned to Kate, to comment on it, only to see she'd already taken off. "Kate!"

"Meet you at the bottom!" He heard her call.

XNCISX

Gibbs had gone to get their dinner from the restaurant, while Kate, having shed only her coat and ski pants, went and collapsed on the couch. Every muscle hurt, including muscles she hadn't known she had. She would gladly pass out right there on the couch. She'd won their little race, which meant that she had the privilege of deciding exactly what they'd be doing that evening.

Sleep was on her agenda. A nice bath, and then sleeping. Her shoulders were aching so badly, she didn't particularly care if Gibbs came back or not. In fact, she could probably fall asleep right there on the couch, still wearing her hat, and the scarf Gibbs had given her. She yawned, her eyes sliding shut. She couldn't even find the strength to get up and build a fire in the fireplace, or change into pajamas.

"Katie?"

She sat up, groaning in pain, and rubbing at her eyes, "What is it Gibbs?"

He was staring at her, she noticed, one eyebrow raised. "Did I wake you up?"

"I think so." She stifled a yawn. "Sorry."

He moved and sat down next to her, "You don't need to apologize Katie. I can see you're worn out."

"That isn't the half of it," she stretched again, wincing at the pain shooting through her shoulders. "Worn out and sore, like you couldn't believe. Well," she eyed him. "I'm sure you could."

"Yeah, Katie, I know all about aches and pains."

"I'm not talking about blue balls here, y'know."

"I'm insulted that ya think that little of me. I'm a former Marine, Katie. Trust me, I know about aches and pains."

"Mmm," she sighed, as he wrapped an arm around her shoulder, "Gibbs I don't know what you're planning but…"

"Someone's gotta work the knots outta your shoulders, Katie, and it ain't gonna be you."

"I'm supposed to trust you?" she asked, lazily.

"That's the general idea, considerin' I'm your boyfriend."

"Fine, Gibbs, what do you suggest?"

"I'm gonna work the knots out, and then you're gonna take a bath. After that, bed. That's an order."

She leaned into him, "Did I mention I love it when you order me around?"

"Agent Todd, it's an order, ya got that?"

"Yes Special Agent Gibbs. I hear you, loud and clear."

"I'll fix your shoulders, but first, we're gonna eat. What did you want?"

She smiled, "Didn't I tell you I wanted mozzarella sticks?"

"Mozzarella sticks aren't a meal, Katie."

"Just hand them over. If I'd wanted a parent along, I'd have invited my dad."

He grinned, and handed her the takeout container. "Careful, they're hot."

She opened the lid just to check that he'd gotten what she'd asked for, and smiled at the sight of her fresh mozzarella sticks. "Oh these look amazing. Did you see Teddy?"

"He offered to drop by," Gibbs commented. "In fact, he mentioned bringing around a couple of beers."

"What did you say?" she asked, picking up one of the mozzarella sticks, before dropping it with a cry of pain, and sticking her finger in her mouth. She was certain she'd burned it.

He made an I-told-you-so face at her, and then smiled, "Then he offered that maybe we could get together for breakfast tomorrow morning."

She shot a suspicious look his way, "And you said?" While Kate could be a morning person, she refused to be when she didn't have to. She was also suspecting that she wouldn't be able to move the next day.

"I suggested brunch. Mentioned that you'd probably be tired after skiing all day today. He sorta winked at me," Gibbs ran a hand through his hair, not meeting her eye, a sure sign that he was embarrassed. "I think he was implying that I'd be keepin' ya up all night."

"If you try and keep me up all night tonight, I will shoot you."

"You came on this trip unarmed," he smiled at his own smarts, and witty comeback.

"I'll find a way."

"Is that a threat, Agent Todd, after I bought ya dinner?"

She bit into one of her mozzarella sticks, and sighed with pleasure, "I can't be bought, Agent Gibbs. And I guess the dinner you bought is edible."

"Really, because that," he gestured at her, eating her dinner, "Is a face I've seen before. Only it's usually me doing the eating."

She made a face, her cheeks turning pink. "Oh my God, Gibbs."

"That's what ya said last night, too."

"Gibbs." She threw one of her mozzarella sticks at him.

He dodged it, "Now that's just wasteful."

"Well don't worry, the rest are mine."

"Not gonna share?" he asked, grinning.

She smiled back, biting into another mozzarella stick, "Nope, these are all mine. If you want one, you can eat that one off the floor."

"I don't know where it's been, I'm not eating it off the floor."

She pointed a mozzarella stick at him, "You don't know where I've been, and you still eat me. On a regular basis, I might add."

"That's different."

"Why?" she asked, pulling the box away as he tried to grab one.

"Because," he grinned, and kissed the top of her head, "You're a lot more delicious. Now once you're done with your mozzarella sticks, I'm gonna give ya a massage. So take off your shirt."

"This sounds like an effort to get into my pants."

"I said your shirt," he said pointedly, finally succeeding in grabbing a mozzarella stick. "Not your pants. So off with the sweater and shirt."

"Well Gibbs, if your goal was to peel me out of each of my layers, I'm sorry to disappoint." She finished the mozzarella sticks and set the box down on the coffee table. "You want my shirt off."

"Easier to work with," he shrugged.

"Is it?"

"Kate, honest to god, I'm trying to help ya here. I can see you're in pain. I want to help."

"What's in it for you?"

"Nothin'. Which reminds me. Ya won our little race today, which means we can do whatever you want to do."

"Well you know…" A flash of inspiration came to her, and a slow smile spread across her face. "I do believe that the tub in the bathroom is big enough for two. And there was an awfully big bottle of bubble bath in there too…"

"I'm not takin' a bubble bath, Katie." He warned.

She batted her eyelashes at him, "Now Jethro Gibbs, I do believe you said the winner gets to decide… and if I recall… I won."

"Kate," he warned, "I told ya-,"

"I'm pulling rank."

"You're a lower rank than me."

She snorted, "Gibbs sweetie, when I'm the winner, I never let you forget. Plus I mean, you win too."

"Why's that?" he grumped.

"You get to see me naked," she said sweetly.

"Nothin' I haven't seen before."

"Sore loser," she kissed him briefly.

"I'm not the sore one," he raised an eyebrow, "But I'm tempted to rescind my offer of help."

"Ooh, you're tempted to rescind, nice big words there Professor Gibbs."

"I'd make a great professor." He actually sounded offended at that.

"Yeah except for the part where you'd probably be sued for assaulting your students on a daily basis."

"Just get undressed, Katie. And please don't pick this as the time to tell me you have a professor kink."

"Nope," she said, pulling her sweater over her head, wisps of her hair sticking up from the static. He smiled at the sight and his smile grew, as the shirt followed it, to be tossed on the floor beside the couch. "Not unless they're really hot."

"So you'd like me if I was a professor?" he asked, as she rolled over, tugging her braid out of the way.

"I'll never tell," she said sleepily.

He started massaging her shoulders, and nearly paused when he heard a gasp of pain. But a second later, it turned into a sound of pleasure as he worked at the particularly vicious knot. "You good, Katie?"

"If you were a professor…" she yawned, "I'd definitely be attracted to you."

"Thanks… I think."

XNCISX

Kate was somehow moving under her own steam, heading for the stairs to go draw their bubble bath- of course she'd won out over Gibbs, he could be such a softie when it came to her.

There was a knock on the door, and Gibbs, who was so used to having a weapon on him, assessed the scene in front of him. The empty takeout boxes were on the coffee table, and incriminatingly enough, there were Kate's shirt and sweater, discarded on the floor. He'd brought her down the skimpy white dressing gown she usually wore around the house on weekends, and that she'd somehow brought with her, just so she wasn't walking around naked. They hadn't quite reached that point in the relationship, comfortable as they were with each other.

He felt more married to her than he'd been with any of his four wives… and they had been dating barely a month.

He picked up the shirt and sweater, before going over to the door, hanging them on the coat rack right by the door. He opened it, only to find Teddy.

"Did I not tell ya no to the beers?"

Teddy blinked and grinned, "What a welcome! I am well aware you said no to the beers-,"

"But ya decided to come anyway?"

"No, no, no. Nothing like that. Is Tater Todd sleeping?"

"Running a bath. She's worn out."

"I'm sure," Teddy said pointedly, "Well, I was telling our pastry chef, Brielle, all about you and Kate, and she insisted that I bring you these." He held out a bakery box. "Courtesy of Chef Brielle."

"What are they?"

"Gee," Teddy grinned, "A box from a pastry chef, I wonder."

"Pastries. Thanks Teddy. Appreciate it."

"You better, I don't do this kinda stuff for everyone, Leroy."

"Ted, really, this is all too much," Gibbs grinned, "So I'm buying brunch tomorrow. A full brunch, for all of us, at eleven tomorrow morning. Can you get us a table?"

"Sure. And I'm not letting you pay for brunch for the three of us!"

"You'll have to," Gibbs smiled, "it's not an option, Ted."

"Fine." Teddy turned, "Enjoy your evening."

"You too Ted. And thank you. Again."

"Anything for you and the Missus." Teddy smiled, and walked away.

Gibbs carried the pastry boxes upstairs, wondering if there was any way he could get out of taking a bubble bath. Sitting in cold bath water wasn't his idea of a good time.

And then he opened the bathroom door, only to find Kate already sitting in the tub. Mesmerized, he took a step forward, taking in the bubbles, and the dim lighting, and the flickering candles along the edge of the sunken bathtub. Kate's form was hidden by all the bubbles, and her hair was pinned up. She turned and smiled at him, the smile that dug through the six thousand layers right to his heart, the way she always did. "What do you have there?"

"Pastries, courtesy of-,"

"Teddy," she interrupted, smiling.

"Teddy," he agreed.

"Well soldier, what are you waiting for? Strip."

He set down the pastry box by the edge of the tub, and shed his clothes, kicking them towards the door, before walking over to her, with a smile on his lips. He sunk into the water, wincing at the heat of the water, and the protesting of his tired muscles.

Kate settled onto his lap, adding more warmth against his skin, she leaned her head back on his shoulder, staring up at the ceiling. He wondered what she was thinking, and didn't have to wonder for too long, because the next moment, she spoke.

"Gibbs?"

"Yeah, Katie, what is it?"

"Thank you."

"What are ya thanking me for?" He yawned himself, feeling Kate relaxed against him, and realized that bubble baths weren't as bad as he'd initially thought.

"I'm thanking you for this. This weekend. The skiing, the getting away from DC."

"Katie, I know… I know it's only been a month."

"Uh oh," she murmured, "This doesn't sound like a good start."

"Hush, I'm tryin' to be romantic."

"It's working," she teased. He administered a pinch to her butt, making her squirm on top of him, "Gibbs!"

"Can ya let me talk?"

"Yes, I guess I can."

"I love you, Katie. I know that now. Knew it from the day I met ya."

"I love you too, Jethro." Her voice was soft.

"I wanted to give ya a gift, I wanted to get away for the weekend, just the two of us."

"Gibbs?" she turned so they were looking into each other's eyes, "You know that I don't care about big romantic gestures right?"

"Yeah, I know. But I still want to spoil ya, and treat ya to things…" He trailed off.

"I appreciate the big gestures, but Gibbs… I just need you. No big gestures, no big gifts… Just me and you. Together." She reached through the water, grabbing his hand and squeezing it.

He leaned down and kissed her, "You always know the right thing to say."

"Well now, Gibbs, I think that this has been a success, don't you?"

"Katie?"

"Yes?"

"If I loved ya any more, I think my heart might burst."

Her smile was the brightest thing in the room, and she turned around, so she was sitting and facing him, "Well don't do anything that's bad for your health."

"Yes, Katie, but if you're bad for my health, all I gotta say is… I'll die a happy man." He leaned in and kissed her again.