CHAPTER XII
When Gibbs woke up beside her, he knew she was awake. Her fingers gently stroking through his hair. He tilted his head, looking up at her to gauge her reaction to their activities of the night before. She gave him that sweet, Kate smile and he knew she wasn't upset with him... she had yet to voice any displeasure with anything he showed her. He wonders again how he managed to earn the love of this perfect woman... she was everything he could ever want; smart, tough, sexy and yet so docile and willing under his control.
"Morning... you okay?" He raises up onto an elbow, looking down for any sign of discomfort in her eyes. She simply shakes her head and gives him another smile, not wanting to admit she was feeling some pain after their experiment last night.
"Morning. I just gotta use the restroom... and I didn't want to disturb you. I love to watch you sleeping." She again strokes her fingers through his hair before slipping out from under him and biting her lip as she sits up on the edge of the bed. A slight change in her breathing... a holding of her breath before she let it out is not lost on Gibbs, but before he can comment, she is up and walking away.
He watches her head into the restroom and close the door without a backwards glance. Worried, Gibbs gets up and follows, placing his ear to the door as he listens intently. He hears a low groan and then sounds of Kate relieving herself. Another low groan from her is all it takes and Gibbs has the door open, stepping into the room with her.
"Gibbs! Geez, can't a girl have some privacy?" She is standing up, leaning on the counter as she reaches over to hit the flush bar with one hand while her other is pressed low to her belly.
"You're not okay, Kate... what's wrong?" She should have known his keen hearing would detect the soft groans she tried to muffle. She forces herself to straighten up and look him in the eye. He comes to stand in front of her, his eyes narrowed as he studies her expression... seeing the tension, the worry and for the first time... doubt. His hand gently strokes up her arm, coming to rest behind her neck as his thumb slid slowly up and down her throat. "Talk to me, Kate."
"Jethro... I'm... fine. Really... I'm just a bit sore."
"From last night."
"Yes... but it's not your fault. It's just been a while... since college... I wasn't prepared..."
"I told you... I didn't want to hurt you." His worried eyes tell her that he truly regrets causing her any pain and her heart throbs with love for him.
"Hey... I'm the one who wanted more... the feel of you... inside me like that... was incredible, but..." Her eyes drop to his chest, not sure how to voice her concerns.
"But...?" His fingers gently tilt her chin back up until she is once again looking into his intense blue eyes.
"But... you were right... as usual." She grins at him and when the realization hits him, he grins back. She gently thumps her fist against his chest and admits, "You may... and I say may... have been too much. Not that I don't want to give it a try again... maybe sometime... but I am kinda sore this morning."
"Oh, Katie..." He pulls her into his arms and holds her close with her head on his chest, he kisses the top of her head. Silently cursing his lack of control, Gibbs vows to keep a tighter rein on his passion... even when she is begging him to do what he knows he shouldn't. After a few moments he kisses her again and then moves her back.
"Come on, a nice warm bath is what you need... it'll help." Kate loves Gibbs when he is in his 'take care of me' mode. She allows him to start her bath, adding the soothing jasmine oil she loves before turning back to her once more. He kisses her gently and then taps her nose before stepping back and heading for the door. "Relax for a bit. I'll have breakfast ready when you're done."
Kate is a bit late arriving at work, but thanks to Tony's trip to Norfolk no one seems to notice; or if they did, nothing was said about it. Gibbs was his usual self, but he kept a discreet watch, noting how slowly she stood up, the hesitation in her breathing when she sat back down. He silently curses his lack of self control each time and decides to give her a break.
"McGee, get the car..." Gibbs stands up and tosses the keys to his junior agent even before his head comes up at the sound of his name. To his credit, McGee catches the keys before they land on his desk and is out of his seat immediately. Tim grabs his backpack, then stops when he realizes he doesn't know where they are going. Gibbs looks from him to Kate and then clarifies their destination for both agents. "...with me... Navy Pharmacy at Bethesda. Need to find out how these two morons were able to bypass all the online security. You stay... get those reports done."
His eyes hold on Kate's for a moment longer as McGee hurries towards the elevators to go get the car. He nods slightly, knowing Kate understands his silent message when a blush colors her cheeks and she looks down. Gibbs knew she was too sore to be out doing follow ups... she could man the phones and work on her reports for the day.
Once again their exchange is overseen from above by Director Vance, and he frowns as the blush blooms on Kate's face before she lowers her eyes to her desk. He watches Gibbs walk towards the elevator, then stands there for several minutes, watching Agent Todd. He tries to recall what he read in her personnel file; Secret Service, handpicked to protect the President, expert marksman, expert in hand to hand combat and held the kickboxing record for that agency... very impressive. But what about her as a person? As a woman? He had to admit he knew next to nothing about her. Kate was very professional and went to great pains to keep her personal life away from the office.
That is until the past few months. Vance had noticed the petty pranks that DiNozzo was known for when he wasn't kept busy. He'd also noticed Gibbs' monitoring of the situation, so he hadn't felt the need to step in. He agreed with Gibbs in that decision; let Kate handle it herself, as she was very capable of doing. However, the harassment continued to the point that it was disrupting the team. Then Gibbs stepped in, as he should have; putting the young agent in his place and ending the harassment. But then a new kind of harassment came to his attention, and this was something Vance couldn't turn a blind eye to. He needed to talk to Agent Todd and soon; preferably while Gibbs and the others were out of the office... like now. Unfortunately he had a video conference with their NCIS office in Southeast Asia in five minutes and he needed to get that out of the way first... then he'd call Todd into his office for a chat.
In the bullpen, Kate sits at her desk unaware of the critical eyes watching her from above. She is staring at DiNozzo's empty desk, lost in thought as she recalls her talk with Gibbs about the extent to which her partner 'saw them'. At first she had been shocked and embarrassed about it. Then she'd been even more surprised by Gibbs' reaction. She would have expected him to be irate, jealous, protective... but he wasn't. In fact, Gibbs had sounded like he kind of liked the idea... was he into that kind of thing? Kate smirks as she realizes there are a lot more things about Gibbs she hasn't discovered yet. In the short time they've been together, she'd already discovered a whole new side to her silver haired lover. She would have pegged him as a pretty old fashioned kind of guy, but he was definitely not your average vanilla. She glances from one desk to the other and then back again, a slight smile playing at the corner of her mouth. Realizing she is still alone, she allows her mind to wander further off the straight and narrow.
Jethro and her in the middle of their intense lovemaking... when she looks over to see the shadowy figure in the doorway watching them. She imagines her initial shock, then she meets those intense green eyes, holding his gaze as Gibbs growls deep in his chest and raises her leg up under his arm; thrusting hard and deep. Then she hears another, lower groan from DiNozzo and her eyes drop to see him stroking his cock; aroused and obviously wishing he was in Gibbs' place. Then he comes towards them...
Kate's heart is racing and a soft moan escapes her, shocking her out of her day dream. Oh crap! Had she actually moaned aloud?! She takes a quick look around the room to ensure no one heard her. She clears her throat, disguising the slip as this... in case someone had heard her. She stands up carefully and makes her way to the lady's locker room... in need of some privacy! Once in the locker room, Kate checks to ensure she is alone before stepping into one of the shower stalls and drawing the curtain closed. She takes a few moments to think, but realizes it wasn't the thought of someone having overheard her that has her heart racing. It was her thoughts of a three-way with Gibbs and DiNozzo that had her panties wet.
She groans softly, wondering why in the hell she was even thinking about something like that! He was her partner, for heaven's sake! But... Gibbs was her boss and that hadn't stopped her from going after what she wanted there. She leans against the wall and turns her hot cheek to the cool tile, closing her eyes as her mind races. The tile does nothing to calm her thoughts as she is once again lost in a vision of Jethro and Tony, pressing her body between them as they both made love to her at the same time. Biting her lip to stifle another moan, Kate rolls her body against the wall, facing it as she spreads her legs... just like in her fantasy. Her hand slips up under her skirt, finding her wet core as she envisions Jethro impaling her with his large, hard manhood. She strokes herself with one hand, while her other hand curves around to spread her ass cheeks. She feels the twinge of pain as she fingers the still sore muscles there. That sensation combined with her stroking fingers has her panting hard. In her mind Tony is behind her, taking her at the same time... and with a strangled moan, Kate's teeth clamp down on her lower lip as she explodes with intense waves of pleasure rolling through her.
When Kate is once again calm and in control of her emotions, she peeks out of the shower stall before stepping out. She fixes her hair and makeup in the mirror, making sure her clothing is once again in place. The only outward sign of her inner turmoil is a sparkle in her eyes that nothing can hide. She shakes her head at her reflection, wondering how she went from being happy with an occasional date... to this woman who was obsessed with sex. In her defense, it has nothing to do with a change in herself... she's always been obsessed. She'd just never had a partner who brought out this inner desire in her. Gibbs was like a conductor, turning her body into a symphony of sensations... and now, if she had read his responses right, he wanted to add another instrument to the mix. Kate feels her body hum at the thought and gives her reflection one last grin before she heads back out to finish her day.
She is just about back to her desk when a voice from above catches her attention, "Agent Todd." She looks up to see Director Vance standing on the upper balcony, looking down at her. "If you have a moment, please?"
Her steps falter, suddenly wondering what happened while she was hiding in the locker room... or maybe she'd been seen!? There were no cameras in the locker room, were there? She takes a deep calming breath and nods as she continues past her desk and around to the staircase. Each step making her more nervous as Vance watches her approaching with a stern look on his face. When she stops by his side, he studies her for a moment before a polite smile graces his lips and he steps back, motioning her to precede him into his office. Kate's stomach does a flip as her anxiety triples. She walks past his secretary, who seems to be avoiding eye contact with her. Vance hesitates at his door, turning back to the woman seated outside his office.
"Hold my calls, please, Lois."
"Yes, sir, Director Vance."
Vance enters his office and closes the door softly, making it sound all the more ominous for the tense silence in the room. Kate stands at attention in front of his desk, waiting for him to be seated and address his reason for calling her in here. Vance doesn't go to his desk, but instead moves to the conference table, holding out a chair for her as he motions her into it with his other hand. She sits down, suddenly feeling like she's just been snared in a trap. She watches his every move as he takes the chair at the head of the table near her and sits down as well. Her heart is pounding hard and she wonders if he can hear it as his eyes narrow slightly as he studies her now.
"Agent Todd. You and I haven't had time to get acquainted since I've been here."
"Aahh, not really, Director, but I didn't imagine you had time for that."
"You're right about that, but I try to know everyone who works for me... even if I don't personally meet with each agent. I review their files, watch how they do their jobs... you know, observe when I can." He sits back in his chair, seeing her nervousness and wondering if she is afraid of him or the secret she is hiding. "You, Caitlin... are somewhat of an enigma to me."
"Me? I don't know how... I mean..." She quickly tries to explain, then realizes she doesn't know what he is referring to and therefore can't explain anything. Her words falter and she closes her mouth, deciding to keep her mouth shut until she knows what this is about.
"You were handpicked for the Presidential detail, you're an expert marksman, an expert at hand to hand... it's obvious you know how to handle yourself. No complaints in your file, no problems with any of your coworkers... and yet..."
"Has someone filed a complaint against me, Director?" This thought is shocking to Kate because she is always professional on the job.
"No, no complaint... just my own observations. I may be stuck up here in MTAC most of the time... but I see more than most people think. I've seen what's been going on with you."
He hesitates a moment to gauge her reaction to this... seeing if she comprehends his meaning. When her hands remain clamped together in her lap and her wide and worried eyes hold his own, he decides to explain. "I've watched you put up with the annoying antics of Agent DiNozzo for months. I've watched Gibbs sit back and let it go on..."
"Director... you don't understand..." His raised hand cuts her off and she slowly slumps back into her chair with the realization of what this is all about. She wonders just how much he knows, but keeps her eyes down on her hands.
"Oh, I get it, Agent Todd. Gibbs was doing just what I would have done... hang back, let you handle DiNozzo. It's not like you're not capable of putting him in his place... and you would have been within your rights to knock him on his ass for his behavior." Vance chuckles as her eyes fly up to his with in surprise. He shakes his finger slowly at her and continues, "Yeah, I know all about his juvenile pranks, his stalking and invading your privacy. But, what I don't understand... is why you let it go on so long? You let him continue until it started to disrupt the team... until Gibbs had to step in and knock DiNozzo down a few pegs. Why would a woman who's tried so hard to get where you are in the boy's club allow that moron to harass you like that?"
When Kate realizes he waiting until she gives some sort of accounting for her actions... or inactions, she shrugs and offers her best explanation. "He's just... DiNozzo. He's not a bad guy... and he's a hell of an agent. He's my partner and I was trying to maintain our working relationship while letting him know his juvenile pranks were getting a little old." She shrugs again and feels herself blush as she recalls how Gibbs had taken care of it. "I never asked Gibbs to step in and... do that..."
"No, Gibbs did what he had to do, Agent Todd. He has a team to run and he knew it was beginning to affect how the team functioned. You're just lucky he handled it in true 'Gibbs fashion'. Any other supervisor would have written you both up and been done with it. And that also bothers me, Agent Todd... Gibbs handled the problem with DiNozzo, but if I'm not mistaken... Gibbs has now become the problem."
The shock and confusion on Kate's face is obvious as she sits up straight in her chair, an immediate defense on the tip of her tongue. "No! What?! No, director...!" He once again silences her objection, but this time he does it by simply holding up the remote control to his wall mounted television and hitting PLAY. Kate's attention is drawn to the screen as the overhead camera angle in the elevator appears. She stares in horror as she watches Gibbs stop the elevator by hitting the stop button, then come face to face with her as they talk. Kate almost groans as she sees her hand glide up his arm, knowing what is coming next. When Gibbs pushes her back against the wall to kiss her, her hand comes up to cover her eyes, "Oh no..."
"Oh, yes, Agent Todd... it appears we have another more serious problem here, don't we?"
"When did we get cameras in the elevators?" Her mind is barely functioning as it reels with the possibilities.
"That's not really the issue right now, but since you asked... I had them installed after that sexual harassment claim by that female prisoner. Now, I want to know what the hell is going on, Agent Todd. At first, I thought you were the victim of sexual harassment by DiNozzo and I was okay with Gibbs stepping in to handle it... but now, I'm wondering who's harassing who?"
Kate finally turns her eyes from the screen that has gone dark again. His words have registered in her haze and she looks at him with a critical eye now. "What is that supposed to mean, Director?"
"Well, it's obvious there's more between you and Gibbs than him being your boss. No wonder he knocked the shit out of DiNozzo... I would have, but just how much control does he have over you?"
Kate holds his gaze for a long moment trying to decide how best to explain the situation. She decides to just rip the Band-Aid off, quickly get it out in the open. "It's not like that. Gibbs and I have been seeing each other for several months now. There is no harassment, no stalking, no intimidation and nothing remotely related to this job... well, except that DiNozzo's behavior may have been the catalyst for us."
"So, what do you call that?" He points the remote at the dark screen once more, but doesn't need to push PLAY again for her to know what he is talking about.
Kate sighs and tries to compose herself, but can't help the slight smirk as she answers, "That... was a one time... lapse in judgment... and it has not happened since."
Vance studies her for a long moment, trying to decide how best to handle this situation. As long as there wasn't any inappropriate harassment by Gibbs' he really didn't need to get involved. He was concerned about them working together, but if it had been going on for months was there a problem? He believed they could maintain their professional relationship and keep this out of the office. As if reading his thoughts, Kate leans forward in her chair, tracing her finger along a grain in the wooden table before she speaks.
"To my knowledge, there's nothing in the NCIS regulations about relationships between co-workers."
"Is that so? And does that go for a supervisor with an employee working directly under him... aahh, no pun intended."
"I do not believe there are any restrictions in that regard either. Unlike the more strict regulations I worked under at the Secret Service."
"So you checked that out when you agreed to come work for Gibbs, huh? Was that part of your decision to leave the Secret Service, Agent Todd?"
"No, it was not... but as I am sure you are aware, that was why I resigned from that department. I cannot deny my past, Director. All I can tell you, with one hundred percent certainty, is that this is NOT a pattern for me. What I have with Gibbs is special and I will do everything in my power to make this work."
He once again studies her for a long moment, debating whether to let this go or take action now to prevent future problems. "You're aware of Gibbs' track record, I know. He's not known for making things 'work'... but, I believe... if anyone can keep Gibbs in line, it's you."
"I don't know how true that is, but I can tell you... we are both trying to make this work." Again the silence stretches between them as Kate holds her breath, waiting for the Director to decide her fate.
"Okay, here's the deal, Agent Todd. I'm gonna put this little talk into my memory vault. We'll keep this between you and me, understood? Gibbs doesn't need to know... but if for any reason... this thing with you two overflows into the workplace... if anyone finds out...
"They will, Sir... we're planning to tell our team. And we know it'll get around once I move in with him next month."
"I see, so ... if anyone complains to me... that's it. I'll transfer you so fast your head will spin. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes, Sir... understood." She nods and then lets out a deep sigh, glad the outcome wasn't her immediate termination. When she dares to look up at him again, he still looks stern, but not as much as before. She gives a quick nod to the dark screen and asks, "As long as we're working out the terms here... can I request that this tape be erased? I'd hate to have it turn up again... you know at some inappropriate moment."
"Agent Todd... are you accusing me of keeping incriminating evidence for my own personal agenda?" His words are serious, but the corner of his mouth curls up in a half grin to soften the effect of his words, "Not that I wouldn't love to hold this over Gibbs' head... but you have my word it will be completely erased from the system."
She nods, not wanting to push her luck any further. His continued silence signals the end of their talk and she stands up to leave. She walks to the door, then turns back with a grin of her own as she asks one more question. "So... just out of curiosity... are there any more hidden cameras I should be aware of, Director Vance?"
Vance actually laughs at this and shakes his head in denial. "That is need to know, Agent Todd... and with your history... I think it best to keep you guessing. Now get out of here."
He watches as she gives him a smile before pulling the door open and strutting out with much more confidence than when she entered. Vance stands up to lean out and let Lois know she can send calls through now before closing his door again. He stops before the television and once again punches the button, bringing the elevator scene up on the screen again. He can't resist watching it one more time before he deletes the file. His finger hovers over the erase button before he punches it and watches as the image disappears from the database for good. He sighs, "Lucky bastard."