Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

Spoilers: After "Split Decision" but before "Weak Link"

All The Elevators In Between

Chapter 15

She wasn't sure what to make of him asking her over to his house. She'd never been there, and when they'd been together before, they'd been at her apartment. She grabbed some pajamas, and a clean suit and shirt. She looked around her apartment, briefly wondering how the night was going to play out. She left a few minutes later and headed toward Gibbs house. He'd sent the directions to his house through her PDA. She followed then and pulled up in front of a nice two-story house. I looked a little Victorian, and not exactly what she would see him living in. She knocked on the door, and heard him call for her to come in. The door was unlocked and she let herself in.

Gibbs was in the kitchen, cooking something over the stove. He was still dressed in the casual clothes he put on at work. Whatever he was cooking smelled wonderful. She dropped her bag by the couch and her coat over the arm. He didn't turn to look at her. She stepped up behind him wrapping her arms around his waist. She buried her face in his back and breathed his scent. There was something so delicious about the way he smelled, sawdust, soap, and warm male. He brushed his hands over her, enjoying her warmth against his back. He pulled her around so that she was standing next to him where he could kiss her properly. He pulled back so that he could plate the dinner he'd made for them.

They ate dinner in silence, both watching the other. Whatever he made tasted as good as it smelled, but she didn't pay much attention to what she was eating. She was completely focused on him, just as he was on her. When they were finished, he dumped their dishes in the sink. He led her into his living room. She had glanced around when she first came in, taking in the sparse furniture and books lining the shelves. Now all she saw was him. He pulled her into a kiss. He ran his fingers under her shirt, brushing them against her skin. She sighed into his mouth, tangling her own fingers in his hair. He pushed them over to the couch and sat them down with a slightly less than graceful plop. He cupped her jaw as he deepened their kiss. They broke apart for air. She smiled up at him.

"I feel like a teenager, making out on the couch before my parents come home." He smirked and nodded. She rested her head on his shoulder, breathing in his scent again. She couldn't seem to get enough of him. She was comfortable in his presence, but wanted him to take the lead on where their night was going. She didn't want to push him to fast. "Will you show me your boat?" She asked. He gave her a curious look, but nodded. He took her hand and led her down the stairs to the basement. She saw the skeleton of the hull and ran her fingers along it.

"How do you get it out of here once its built?"

"Magic." He joked.

"Seriously, Gibbs, how?"

"I'll figure it out when I actually finish one."

"Finish one? How many have you made?" Their romantic moment had been losing ground to something a little more playful, but it was starting to taper off there. He looked at the ground, kind of sheepish, and if she didn't know him better, almost embarrassed. She started to doubt her resolve when it came to asking personal questions about him. "Never mind, I shouldn't have asked that." She said quickly and turned back to the boat. He looked up at her then, studying her. He could see just a hint of her profile as she looked over his creation. He knew that she was testing the boundaries of their relationship by asking her questions. She wanted to know more about him, just like he wanted to know more about her. It was the way of being a couple. He thought about it for a moment, gathering what he wanted to tell her.

"You already know that I have three ex-wives." He said quietly. She turned around to face him, and nodded. It had come up before. "But I've been married four times." Her eyes widened. There were only two explanations for the fourth, death, or he was still married to her. She waited for him to continue. He gauged her reaction. He wasn't sure if she was surprised that he'd been married more than three times or if it was over the fact that only three were exes. When he didn't immediately speak, she tried to read his face and eyes. They told her that wife number four hurt him the most.

"You don't have to tell me, if you aren't ready to talk about it." She said taking a step toward him, her hand warm on his arm where she touched him. He nodded again, unable to speak past the lump in his throat. It was so hard to talk about Shannon and Kelly. But seeing the trust, warmth, and love in Kate's eyes, made him want to tell her everything.

"I want to tell you." He paused again and she waited patiently this time, without interrupting him. "I was married just after I entered the Marines. Her name was Shannon. I'd known her since we were kids. We dated in high school. She was from my hometown. We were married after my first tour of duty. She was bright, funny, beautiful, a redhead." He said the last with a smirk. "I loved her very much. I couldn't imagine myself without her. We had a daughter, Kelly. She was just like her mother. By then I was in Special Forces. I pissed off the wrong people and they retaliated. Shannon and Kelly were killed. Kelly was eight. I fell apart after that. I didn't know how to be just Gibbs anymore without them. I wasn't a husband or a father anymore. I had nothing to come home to, to look forward to. So I threw myself into my job. I married Ginger for unknown reasons. Most likely because she was a redhead and I was trying to bring Shannon back to life in anyway I could. Diane was just plain vicious, and a redhead as well." He paused with a small smirk playing across his lips.

"I'm guessing she was the seven iron."

"Yeah. And Stephanie was the last one. We were on assignment in Moscow. That marriage didn't survive because we lost our baby. She miscarried about two months into the pregnancy. We fell apart after that."

"Stephanie was a redhead too." He nodded.

"I was trying to find Shannon again. It's hard to let go of your first love. The one you intended to build a life with. But then I met you, and there's something so special about you. I know you deserve better than what you're getting with me. You deserve someone who isn't so jaded by life, and someone who doesn't have so many issues, but I do love you Kate." He looked away then, unable to say anymore.

"I'm glad you told me, that you trust me enough to confide in me. I want you to know that you can always tell me anything, and I will love you no matter what. Unless of course you decide to cheat, and then I'll just shoot you. I'm sure the judge would rule it justifiable homicide if I explained it just right." He laughed, pulling her into his arms. That was what she'd been going for, to inject a little humor into a very serious discussion. "I love you Jethro, nothing is going to change that." She pressed her lips to his, allowing the passion she had for him to wash over them both. She started back toward the stairs, pulling him along with her.

They broke off their kiss long enough to walk up the stairs and back into his living room. He picked up her bag and pulled her down the hall to his bedroom. As soon as the door was shut behind them, he pulled her into another kiss. This time it was a little flirty, and he had her laughing of the teasing nips he ran over her neck and to her shoulder. She pushed his shirt up and ran her hands over his waist. He took the hint and pulled it off over his head, along with his undershirt. Kate loved his chest. She pressed a kiss to his chest, over his heart. He played with the edges of her sweater and the button down she was wearing under it, teasing her with brushes of his fingers over her sides. She pulled back a little to tug off her top. He had to force himself to start breathing again upon seeing her in an emerald lace bra. He leaned in to kiss her again, wanting to taste her over and over again. More of their clothes followed the rest until he was standing in only his boxers, she in the panties that matched her bra.

He rubbed his thumb pads over her nipples, delighting in the soft sighs and little moans that escaped her mouth in time with his touch. He wrapped his arms around her and felt the delicious brush of her skin against his own. He layed her on the bed, watching the way her eyes were half closed and her mouth open, lips swollen from the kisses they'd shared. Her hair spilled over his pillow like chocolate. He slid her panties off, and she sat up enough to help him out of his boxers. He covered her with his body, and the feel of his skin fully touch her was like fire.

He covered her face, neck and chest with little kisses. He looked into her eyes, silently asking if she was sure, if she was ready. She nodded at him. He eased into her. He wanted their first time together to be memorable, not just a quick fuck before falling asleep. He wanted to make love to her. He caressed her, and for a moment she felt like his hands were everywhere in at one time. They moved together, a gentle rocking, that brought them closer to the edge with every movement. Their kisses were just as deep, mimicking their lower bodies actions. And when she reached that final moment before she tumbled over into ecstasy, he was right there with her, falling as well, before the world erupted into stars around them.

He cradled her close to his chest, loving the feeling of her breath against his neck. He knew that she wasn't asleep. Every now and then her fingers would trace random patterns on his side. But neither one of them said a word. They didn't need to say anything at all. It was a perfect moment between them, the first of many to come, he hoped silently.