CHAPTER 11

"You think about that, Tony..." That? That? T-h-a-t... what was 'that'?

"When you know the answer..." Know the answer? The answer to what? That?

"You let me know..." Let Gibbs know... what? What 'that' was? Or his answer to 'that'? was it the 'one thing' like Billy Crystal in City Slickers? But even that movie never explained what the 'one thing' was supposed to be... did Gibbs know what it was? Of course he did.

"Think about that..." 'That' could be a lot of things... their conversation, his voyeurism, his response to... maybe 'that' was what Gibbs meant. But did Tony really want to think about that again and again? It was already playing in his head over and over again; nothing seemed to distract him from images of Gibbs and Kate, locked in the hottest sex... It had already gotten him in trouble with Gibbs... why would the boss want him to think about 'that'?

"Know the answer..." The answer... the answer... what answer was he supposed to know? What would Gibbs expect him to know? Was this one of Gibbs' strange training techniques? Was he expecting Tony to analyze what he'd seen? Give Gibbs a break down on their action? No, he needed to know what answer would keep Gibbs from pummeling him as he so clearly wanted to do last week?

"Then, we'll talk about it..." Talk about it... TALK about it, like a father/son thing? No, Gibbs had made it perfectly clear he hadn't liked the idea of Tony comparing him to his father. Even though in many ways, Gibbs has been more of a father to him than his real father... he in no way thought of Gibbs as a father figure. Gibbs was tough, ultra-cool... in control, in the middle of... Kate... Tony's feelings about Gibbs were definitely NOT father like.

"Talk about it..." No, talk about IT... was that what he meant? Did Gibbs want to talk about what Tony had seen? About Tony's reaction to what he'd seen? Or maybe he wanted to talk about what Tony was supposed to be thinking about... and deciding his answer... whatever the hell that was supposed to mean!

Whatever 'it' was, Tony had no doubt Gibbs' last words to him had not been casual... it was an order and Tony had better figure it out before Gibbs confronted him again and demanded an answer. Sitting at his desk with his head in his hands; the phrases spin feverishly through his brain. What the hell had he meant? Tony shakes his head, trying to scatter the tornado of thoughts spinning around his brain. When that doesn't work, he pounds his palms not so gently against his temples while muttering to himself.

"Stop, stop, stop..."

McGee, had been trying to work while keeping one eye cast in Tony's direction to observe his strange behavior. He now stops and looks over at his partner while Tony pounds on his own head and grumbles to himself. "Problem, Tony?"

"You are so observant, McClueless! Yes, I have a problem! I'm never drinking again."

"Just thought maybe I could help... geez, sorry for asking."

Tony remains silent for a few moments as he now glances over to the younger agent and realizes he may have been a bit abrupt with him. "Probie, you ever have something stuck in your head and no matter what you do... you can't get rid of it?"

"Yeah, you mean like a song, or something?" McGee sits back to give Tony his attention again.

"Or something." Tony begins to gently smack his temples again, realizing the pain did kind of relieve the swirling thoughts momentarily.

"I always go right back to the source. Play that song, or whatever... over and over again and it will disappear from your head."

"NO! Replaying it will NOT help get it out of my head, believe me."

Gibbs is standing unseen around the base of the stairs listening to his agents talking. He stopped when he heard Tony's comment about never drinking again. He hides a smirk as he listens to McGee trying to help with his dilemma and knows what he is referring to. As he is listening, Kate comes off the elevators from Abby's lab and sees him lurking by the stairs. As she walks up to him, he motions her for quiet and can't quite hide the smirk as their eyes meet. Kate is about to ask what is so funny when Gibbs silently motions her on towards the bullpen area. As she tosses a curious glance back at Gibbs, she moves around the stairs towards her desk just as McGee speaks again.

"Well, it always works for me. Maybe Kate has a suggestion for you?"

Tony's head shoots up and he comes face to face with Kate as she stops before his desk. She obviously came in on the tail end of their conversation and she doesn't understand what they were discussing. When Tony remains silent, she tilts her head curiously and turns to McGee.

"Suggestion for what, McGee?"

"Nothing! Can't a guy get any peace around here?!" Tony jumps up and heads for the elevator in a hurry to get away from the source of his torment.

"Okay, Tony, you don't have to run away." Kate and McGee turn to watch him stabbing the elevator button; grinning as his anger flares at Kate's teasing comment.

"I am not running away. I just remembered I told Gibbs I'd have those cold case files sorted by the end of the week." And with that he almost leaps into the elevator and stabs the button for the garage level storage room.

Kate and McGee stand side by side, staring at the elevators in disbelief. Had he actually said he was going to tackle the cold case files? After he'd been trying to push that off on them for the past month? "McGee, did I just hear what I think I heard?"

"Might be a lot more getting done around here if more people were like DiNozzo... get to work." Gibbs walks past them as he comments, heading for his desk. He purposely doesn't look at Kate, knowing she would see the amusement in his eyes.

Kate and McGee exchange another stunned glance, then head back to their desks before their boss has any other suggestions to keep them busy. Once seated, Kate waits a few moments and then sneaks a look over at Gibbs. He is writing quickly on a notepad, but there is still a hint of a smile curving the corner of his mouth. She can't wait to get him alone and tease the truth out of those adorable smirking lips. Instead, she sighs and gets back to work, realizing it will be this evening before that will happen.

That afternoon they caught a new case, a flight line worker on an aircraft carrier who had been claiming a back injury and was held up from deploying back to Afghanistan. The only problem was his back was fine; he was running a counterfeiting operation of medical records and doctors examinations for other military personnel trying to get out of active duty. He stumbled on the plan during his own minor back injury about six months earlier, when the ship's doctor had forgotten to fill in all of the lines on the form. Having been rotated back stateside until his injury was cleared by the Navy's doctors, Seaman Fred Potts had simply filled in the blanks with what he wanted them to read. Before he altered the document, he scanned it into his computer for future use. When that forgery wasn't caught, Potts became bolder and used his computer programs to alter the scanned document, changing the dates of his light duty status repeatedly.

It wasn't until Potts' best friend and another sailor discovered what he had done that he had to accept him as a partner. And by that, his friend had demanded that Potts provide him with a medical excuse to avoid being redeployed again. Once they were able to successfully get his buddy sidelined in Norfolk indefinitely, they decided there was money to be made with this new venture. Not only in doctor's excuses from active duty, but in forged prescriptions as well. And that greed is what finally brought them to the attention of the Chief Doctor in charge of the Military Pharmacy, Dr. Randall Blackburn.

After Dr. Blackburn turned up in their offices to report his suspicions, Gibbs sent his team into action, gathering the evidence they needed before they confronted the two idiots who masterminded this scheme. He sent Kate and McGee to recover the light duty rosters and supporting authorizations for all sailors who had been excused from duty in the past six months. A quick call to DiNozzo had him heading out to Norfolk to speak to the Base Commander about their unusually high number of sailors on disability and find out what the base doctor had to say about it.

He knew DiNozzo was still too freaked out to be around Kate so he took pity on him and sent him on the long drive to Norfolk. He knew DiNozzo wouldn't get there and back before tomorrow and he'd be lucky if he was even able to catch the Base Commander or the base doctor before they left for the day. A couple days away would do him good and give him a chance to clear his head. It would also give him a chance to have that talk with Kate and explain why DiNozzo was acting so strangely this week. In the meantime, he escorts Dr. Blackburn up to the Director's office so they could brief him on this potentially explosive case if the media got wind of it.

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That evening, Kate is lounging on her patio chair while Gibbs grills them up a couple of steaks. She sips on her wine, deep in thought as she recalls all the strange things that have been happening ever since they invited Tony to dinner last weekend. She knows Tony is avoiding her and hopes their little revelation hasn't ruined her friendship with him... because that was not her intention.

"You think our dinner plan backfired on us?"

"Hhmm? Why?" He concentrates on flipping the steaks before he turns to give her his full attention.

"DiNozzo won't even look at me... and he's avoiding me like the sight of me is... well painful or something?"

She isn't prepared for the hearty laughter that erupts from her lover and she can't help but smile at seeing him so happy. He finally stops and shakes his head as he takes a long draw from his beer, then tips the spout over their steaks, drizzling the beer over them as they sizzle and steam.

"Jethro, I'm serious. I didn't want to ruin our working relationship... or our friendship. What if Tony hates me now?"

Even through the evening darkness, Gibbs can see the worry in her eyes. He grins and again shakes his head as he realizes the time has come to tell Kate the whole truth. He removes the steaks from the grill and folds a piece of foil over the platter to let them settle for a few minutes. Then he comes to sit on the edge of Kate's lounge chair by her legs and looks her in the eye. "He doesn't hate you, honey... he's just a bit overwhelmed at the moment and doesn't know what to do about it."

"Overwhelmed? With what? Trying to act like an adult for a change?"

Resting an arm on either side of her hips as he supports his weight, Gibbs leans in to kiss her with slow intensity. He indulges in one more kiss before he forces himself to pull back from her eager mouth with a sigh. When her eyes meet his he admits, "No, Katie... he saw us... that night."

"Well, yeah... that was the plan, right? For him to see us together?"

"Yeah... but he SAW us... in the biblical sense." He hesitates a moment, letting his words sink in, but when she still has a confused look on her face he adds, "In your bedroom?"

"OH MY GOD! You mean...? While we were...?" Kate's hands fly up to cover her face, stunned and embarrassed at hearing that DiNozzo was watching them make love. She suddenly recalls how Gibbs had teased her about not being able to keep quiet. Her hand snaps out to swat his shoulder, "You knew!"

"Yup. Looked over my shoulder and there he was... standing in the doorway watching us." Gibbs watches her carefully for her reaction to this information.

Kate slowly lowers her hands and holds his gaze as she tries to rationalize things. "You think he knew... you know, what we were doing?"

Gibbs laughs again and Kate is quick to give him another smack on his arm. Gibbs easily grabs her hand, trapping it in his own as he brings it to his lips for a quick caress. "Oh he knew, all right...and he liked what he saw."

"How do you know that?" She knows the answer as soon as she voices her question and her cheeks flame red as Gibbs chuckles at her again. "Oh, shut up."

Gibbs studies her for a moment, realizing this is hard for her to adjust to and decides to let her know how he feels. "Hey, there's nothing to be embarrassed about. We accomplished our plan... Tony definitely saw us together. And if the way he was stroking his cock was any indication he liked what he was seeing."

"Really?! DiNozzo was that excited? Just from watching us?" Her embarrassment is still making her uncomfortable, but the knowledge that Tony got excited watching them caused a cascade of tremors to flutter through her belly.

"We just stared at each other while he stood there stroking his cock. Thought he was gonna come in and join us there for a minute..."

"Then what happened?" She is more and more intrigued with this revelation.

"Well, then this incredibly hot, sexy woman wrapped her hand up into my hair and demanded my attention... something about being sooo close?" He lowers his voice to a husky growl as he leans in to whisper the last words into her ear and he feels her shiver in response.

He nibbles on her ear, gliding his wet mouth down along her throat until he nips her gently and growls playfully. Kate moans as she wraps her arms around his back, drawing him in closer as she enjoys his caress. When he pulls back to look in her eyes, he can see the desire simmering in her and grazes his lips over hers before he adds, "It was hot... knowing he was watching... wanting you as much as I do."

Before Kate can reply, his mouth drops on hers with determination and her head is forced back onto the headrest as he demands entry into the sweetness within. He fully plunders her mouth with demanding swipes of his tongue and she gives him everything and demands more in return. It is a long time before he finally pulls back, nibbling on her lip, "Behave yourself... dinner is getting cold and you know I'm gonna need my energy for later."

She giggles and allows him to stand up, holding his hand one long moment until he turns back to her and she can see the evidence of his desire. She strokes her hand over the bulge in his pants and moans softly. Gibbs rolls his eyes, but he loves how eager Kate is touch him. He grabs her hand and pulls her up so they can go enjoy their dinner; because he has plans for furthering her education later tonight.

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Kate drifts out of a peaceful sleep into the quiet peace of early morning silence. The only sound is the deep even breathing of the man beside her and a smile curves her lips as she takes a moment to listen. Gibbs is lying on his stomach, his head on the pillow next to hers, his arm and one leg flung possessively over her. She'd discovered that no matter what position they were in, Gibbs had to be touching her at all times, even in his sleep. If he wasn't, he would wake up immediately to remedy the situation. It made her feel desired, and safe, and loved and proud that she could have such an effect on how soundly Gibbs was able to sleep now.

She smiles as she realizes it probably has something to do with the fact that she wore him out every night. Gibbs never showed any sign of not being able to keep up, but there was hardly a night when they hadn't made love at least twice... sometimes more. Gibbs was so experienced, so skilled as a lover that she was putty in his hands. He molded her into a new and exciting fantasy and even though she was feeling a bit sore right now, with Gibbs it was good, it was incredibly hot and she always felt safe. Like last night...

Gibbs had rolled her onto her belly, lavishing hot, wet kisses down her back. He nipped her rounded globes; his deep husky whisper about how he cherished her perfect ass. Then with slow, patient hands he positioned her on her knees, caressing her with his hands as she turned her face to the side to watch. Then with a sly smile he bent to nip her ass again, making her whimper turn into a moan as his tongue slid down the cleft. Feeling his tongue exploring her so intimately, circling her while his fingers slid suddenly inside her wet canal was an extraordinary sensation. She'd never been kissed on her ass, not literally on the puckered hole and she wanted to move away. Then he groaned thrust his two fingers into her harder, in time with his stroking tongue and she was lost.

At some point, Gibbs removed his fingers, dripping with her juices and replaced them with his throbbing cock. He knelt between her legs, breathing hard to control his own desire as he slowly pushed his cock deep inside her. When he was fully embedded, he stopped, allowing his wet fingers to now take over the job of stimulating her ass. His fingers would swirl around, dip towards the center and breech the tense ring of muscle briefly before moving off to circle again. Kate was moaning, not sure if she wanted more or less, but desperate for something. Gibbs' husky voice had drifted down to her, "You ever had it in your ass, Katie?"

"Yes... in college...mmmnnn... Football jock, all muscle except where it counted... he liked it that way."

"Did you like it?" Gibbs smiles at her answer, having learned something more about Kate.

"Mmnn... no... not... really... he was too small... I couldn't hardly feel it... not like you. God it feels so good when you're inside me, Jethro..." She moaned again and pushed her hips back against him, urging him to move, but he remains still and she realizes why he is asking, "Is that what you want?"

"There is so much I want to do to you... with you... but I'm afraid I'd be too much..."

"No, it's okay... if you want it... so do I..." She again moves her hips back against his and he groans and thrusts slowly a couple of times. "Please... baby..."

Her pleading voice was almost his undoing as she again pushed back against him. He moved slowly to just experiment a bit... to see how she takes it. His two fingers had pressed in once more, going a bit deeper before they stopped when Kate moaned loudly. He was about to withdraw when she pushed back once more with a breathless sigh when he wiggled his fingers inside her ass. With a few more slow thrusts Gibbs had the timing down, thrusting into both her ass and her canal; causing Kate to gasp with each stroke as she was overcome by wave after wave of intense sensation. Wanting more, Kate arched back, turning to look at the tense control on Gibbs' face and huskily pleaded with him to continue.

"Please... more... aahh... I want it... you..." Their eyes hold for a moment until Gibbs finally pulls his fingers out of her and moves back to bring his wet cock out into his hand. She continues to hold his eyes as he repositions his cock with one hand, while moving her hips to a different angle for his entry. He presses the head in slowly, unsure he can even breech the tight ring of muscle. Kate's eyes flutter shut and a gasp escapes her as he moves deeper, then stops. He doesn't move as he gives her time to adjust to his invasion, but then her hand comes back to curve around his hip, pressing him closer.

"Ohh, God, Katie... you're so fucking tight..." he moves out slowly and then back in, moving a little deeper each time until his hips are flush against her ass. He stopped and again to let her adjust, but he also needed to take a moment to regain control before he brought this lesson to a premature end.

Kate moaned loudly, dropped her shoulders back onto the bed; panting softly as her hand once again pressed his hip closer. Gibbs knew he had to be gentle... he would never risk hurting her even though she was wanting more at the moment. He pushed in deep, holding her flush against his hips as he rolled his hips against her, grinding his shaft inside her as his fingers did the same over her clit. With a hoarse cry, Kate's world shattered as she experienced a whole different type of breathtakingly intense orgasm. Gibbs felt her go rigid, the contractions trapping him deep inside her body and he growled, "Oh fuck!" and pushed hard and fast a few times before he exploded, his whole body tense as his world was rocked by the intense sensations.