Kate arrived early as always, cup in hand, she could see Ari's flowers missing from their perch on the file cabinet, now the only question was did he get rid of them after she left or before she arrived, with no flowers in either trash can she knew he'd tossed them before he left for the night. She smiled at the go cup on her desk, tucking her gear in it's usual corner and locking up her purse she put the go cup she'd brought on Gibbs's desk, taking the one from hers she headed back to the elevator and Jenny assumed Abby's lab. Jenny wanted to see the confrontation over the flowers, Kate had to know it was Gibbs that had tossed the flowers. Same as the morning before, first Gibbs and Kate but no mention of the missing flowers.
Kate smiled "Morning Gibbs." her usual lisp. Jenny noted another button up similar in color to her sling, Kate was trying to draw as little attention to herself as possible, to get back to the routine of things, she was limited to desk duty and made the most of it.
"Morning Kate." Gibbs allowed a small smile, Jenny shook her head. Kate was different from the boys, not as unique as Abby's relationship with Gibbs but not like any other woman in the building either. Tossing his empty cup he automatically picked up the one Kate left for him drinking it while he read his paper, Jenny knew he needed glasses.
Kate smirked as he moved the paper to try and focus. "Glasses Gibbs."
"I see fine Kate." he sipped his coffee.
And like clockwork McGee and his cup with the cheerful "Morning Kate!"
"Morning Tim!" she smiled brightly.
"Morning Boss." he put the cup on Gibbs's desk.
"Tim." Gibbs nodded. McGee's head gave a little jerk of surprise and then a smile at Kate who smiled back.
Strolling in barely on time Tony grinned "Hey Katie."
"Call me that again and you eat that tie." Kate glared at him as he walked passed her.
"You don't get mad when Gibbs calls you Katie." he teased. Jenny hadn't heard 'Katie'
"Maybe because he doesn't make it sound like I'm a stripper." Kate hissed throwing an un-sharpened pencil at him and catching his ear.
Taking a drink Gibbs hid the smirk in his cup.
"They're called dancers Kate." Rolling her eyes Kate went back to typing and ignoring Tony. "Morning Boss."
"Sex Machine." Gibbs said evenly glancing up.
Tony gave a faltering laugh.
Jenny nodded 'Yep, still odd.' Kate got away with more then she ever did and he'd yet to see her or Tim get head slapped.
Lunch with Ducky was always entertaining he'd tell stories and they would talk about anything and because she knew everyone talked to him she asked about her flowers. "Has anyone said anything?"
"Sorry my dear but aside from how pretty they are, no one has mentioned them at all." he shook his head.
"Probably too scared of Gibbs." she picked at her salad.
"Yes well, the man does how shall we say…have a reputation as a bastard, excuse my language, except you don't seem to be bothered by it." Ducky chuckled, Kate gave a small smile
"What are you getting at Ducky?"
"Simply an observation my dear, you are smitten."
She blushed but admitted nothing "I've seen him with the children in our cases Ducky, the wives and mothers, so no matter how big of a bastard he is I know there's a softer side to him." she admitted and sighed "But he's not as playful as he was when I first got here." it bothered her, she missed going toe to toe with him.
"You did bring a playfulness out in him that I would dare say I now only see starting once again with Ms. Scuito." Ducky had to agree glad he wasn't the only to notice the change. "I think it is more because of the cases we've had as of late, they're just really pushing him."
"I thought now that Mikal and Hamas are no longer after me he'd be fine," she sighed. "but then the case with Boone and Paula getting hurt..." Kate shook her head.
" Yes that didn't help." he nodded in agreement.
"And now Ari's pushing buttons with those damn roses…" Kate shook her head taking a sip of her tea.
She'd seen it, Ducky knew she had, Mikal and Ari's fascination with her and Gibbs didn't like it all, then dealing with Boone right after the roof top incident was almost too much. Ducky nodded, as well as she could read Gibbs he was surprised she was missing the obvious but then Gibbs was very careful around her.
Kate was surprised to see no one in the bullpen when she returned from lunch with Ducky, Tony normally asleep or playing on his phone was probably following around his latest office obsession 'The sandwich girl', McGee was probably still Abby. Coffee on her desk, she knew to be from Gibbs.
She turned on her computer. Signing in she waited, carefully shrugging out of her jacket she sighed Ducky had helped her take a full pain killer at lunch instead of a half because he saw how much pain she was in. She was sure he told Gibbs and knew that was the reason for the coffee. She adjusted her sling before sitting down. Tony bounced from heel to toe in front of her. "Spit it out." she glanced up.
"So do we know who 'Flower Boy' is?" he grinned.
"Why would I tell you if I did?" Kate scoffed.
"Is it Fornell?" Tony asked making a face as if he'd just disgusted himself. "Eww."
Tony's head bounced forward with a 'thwack' "Leaving Kate and Flower Boy alone, yes Boss." his head bounced forward again with another 'thwack' Kate smirked "Sitting down, yes Boss." Tony started to slide past Gibbs but stopped when he noticed his boss stiffen up. Seeing both men look to the elevator, Gibbs glaring while Tony wore a look of disbelief Kate stood to see what or who could elicit these two drastic reactions. "Why's he here?"
Ari Haswari and Special Agent Paula Cassidy had come out of the elevator and they were heading right for the stairs.
"Gibbs?" Kate lisped glancing back at her boss, surprised to find Gibbs right behind her, she felt his hand on her hip saw his shoulders square and his jaw clench as the two men came closer. Ari glared at Gibbs but said nothing, Gibbs glared back, Kate moved closer to Gibbs, her back resting against his chest.
"I get he saved Kate, but I don't like him."
"Don't have to." Gibbs grumbled watching him go up the stairs.
"And he didn't 'save Kate' it's his fault I got targeted in the first damn place." she muttered folding her arm across her sling, "That psycho Mikal wouldn't have grabbed me if Ari hadn't first." she felt Gibbs jerk, knowing Gibbs was looking down at her, she cringed Gibbs hadn't known that part, she felt his fingers press into her hip holding her tighter, she knew she'd have to explain it later.
Gibbs stood in her office frowning "No Kate can't go, she's not healed."
"This isn't a call you get to make Agent Gibbs, I need your entire team on this, now get them in the conference room in five minutes." Jenny looked back at the files in front of her, checking through for even the smallest detail, she could feel him glaring at her but he did as he was ordered.
Going to the railing he looked down in time to see Kate elbow DiNozzo. "DiNozzo, McGee, Kate!" the trio looked up, Kate frowned, her shoulder hurt but she wasn't going to let Gibbs see. "Conference room!" Gibbs waited at the top of the steps, Tony first, Gibbs quickly smacked him in the back of the head the loud 'thwack' ignored by the others in the bullpen below.
"Leave Kate alone, yes Boss." Tony quipped rubbing the back of his head.
McGee followed behind Tony, nervously not saying anything.
Kate defiantly bringing up the rear, coffee in hand and the very reason she was fighting with Tony, she wouldn't apologize Tony started it when he'd tried to take her coffee and she knew Gibbs would quote rule 6 at her if she did. Gibbs glanced at her shoulder but said nothing, just turned and followed her, Ducky was already at the table as was Ari and Agent Cassidy, Gibbs nodded at McGee who was waiting by the door to close it behind them.
"Good morning." Jenny smiled at them as they took their seats around the table, Tony next to Ducky while McGee and Kate sat opposite of them, McGee pushing Kate's chair in. Quite the little gentleman, Jenny bit back a smile. Gibbs dropped in the seat on the other side of Kate. Cassidy and the team nodded to one another, she knew they weren't going to be happy.
Once the door was locked, by the little brunette who'd been shadowing Jenny, Jenny began handing out files. Kate first. Gibbs saw her immediately frown when she opened her file and began to read, something soured her instantly.
"So what's the deal? Blackmail, drugs…" Tony had yet to open his file, McGee and Kate however were looking at one another with slight confusion.
"The 'deal' as you so delicately put it Agent DiNozzo, is murder." Jenny dropped a spare set of reading glasses on Gibbs's unopened folder. He frowned brushing them off, Kate shook her head.
"Oh." Tony sat up straighter.
"We are on a joint mission with Mossad," Gibbs huffed as she said Mossad "is there a problem Agent Gibbs?" Jenny crossed her arms.
"Yea Mossad has already kidnapped, beat up and shot a couple of my people." Jenny would hardly call hit in the lip beat up and she was sure the ex Secret Service agent felt the same "Do you really think I want to work with them?" Jenny noted Gibbs said 'I' and not 'we' and nothing of himself getting shot, still a Neanderthal.
Jenny was not going to waste her time reminding him that Mikal was rogue and Mossad had nothing to do with it, "As I have said before Agent Gibbs we did not do this." Ari said lazily.
"Bull shit. You personally held three members of my team hostage and shot one."
"We need to focus on what is happening now." Jenny ignored Gibbs's glare. "The Navy has lost ten separate Middle Eastern translators, the evidence in these 'accidental' deaths was sent to us. More specifically to Ms. Scuito and Doctor Mallard." Ducky nodded. "Both have agreed that the evidence in many of the cases was and I quote Ms. Scuito 'Hinky.', the reason we are working with Mossad is three were Israeli."
Gibbs eyebrow shot up at the word 'Hinky', for him it meant she was trying to get along with Abby after the fiasco of the wardrobe memo.
"Oh joy." Tony gave a squeal of mock excitement which caused Gibbs to raise an eyebrow at him, Tony lowered his head and went back to half reading half paying attention.
Jenny gestured to the brunette "Agent McGee this is Mossad liaison Officer Ziva David, she is your partner you are to be looking through all of the computer aspects of this case." McGee gave the brunette a nod.
Gibbs frowned, but said nothing as he squinted and continued to read his file. 'Levi Anderson Darron: father of Thomas, divorced and remarried Katherine Braxton.' with only one other female agent in the room, Gibbs glanced over to find Kate's eyes darting between him and DiNozzo before looking back down at her file. With Tim off the table as her husband she was silently hoping for Gibbs, he was at least professional.
'Katherine Ann (Braxton) Darron: Interpreter, wife of Levi Darron.' Jenny watched Kate for a moment, it seemed the woman was trying to decide which of the men was the lesser of two evils. Her bastard boss or playboy partner, her eyes never went towards Ari who hadn't taken his eyes off the brunette since she'd entered the room.
"Your cover is simple." Jenny grabbed the clicker from the table in front of her, "Agent Gibbs and Agent Todd are playing Gunny and Mrs. Darron. Agent DiNozzo you are her brother, what ever evidence they come across you will bring to us." Jenny watched Kate, relief, relief that she wasn't playing Tony's wife. "Doctor Mallard will play your father Agent Todd, this way he may continue to help in your recovery." Kate nodded. "Familiarize yourselves you have two weeks. Get her a desk Agent Gibbs."
"What about the investigation itself?" Tony frowned.
"Paula Cassidy's team is leading the investigation with Officer Haswari and he will be watching Agents Gibbs and Todd." Jenny said simply
"Um...So we're just supposed to..."
"We're bait Tony." Kate frowned.
"Oh." Tony frowned as well "I…I don't like that." he shook his head standing after Gibbs did. "Cassidy's a good Agent but I don't like it." Tony nodded to Paula who nodded back, she understood being left out of an investigation.
Kate's composure never changing she closed her folder and before she could figure out how to carry both the coffee and folder Gibbs had her folder with his. Ladies first he let Kate out of the conference room ahead of him, Kate never walked ahead of Tony if she could help it, but it never bothered her with Gibbs.
Tony spotted them, more roses on Kate's desk he giggled with excitement rushing down the stairs past her only to have Gibbs snatch him by his tie forcing Tony to stop or be choked. Kate bit back a smirk at the gagging noise behind her. Abby sat at Kate's desk smiling contemplatively at the orange roses "Care to explain orange roses to me Ducky?" Kate asked gesturing with her coffee, the older man blushed.
"Desire." a slight husk to her already exotic voice Ziva answered for Ducky "Passion, a strong want."
"Oh." Kate blushed, she heard a loud 'thwack' from behind her she didn't have to look she knew Gibbs had smacked Tony with the file folders stopping him from making whatever comment he was about to.
"This guy's got it bad Kate." Abby giggled. Kate didn't have to ask how Abby knew it was the same man, it was obvious, the same clear vase as the other one this time with an orange ribbon tied around it, Abby switched spots with her. Kate situated her file, flowers and desk before grabbing her jacket with which Ducky helped her to put on.
"McGee desk." Gibbs barked releasing Tony's tie.
"Officer David." McGee gestured towards his desk, Ziva lead the way "Right here." he waved her to the desk on the other side of the partition next to his.
"Thank you Agent Mu-Gee and it is Ziva." he blushed, she smiled sweetly at him. "Do you wish to go over your procedures for our part in this and I will let you know what Mossad expects." the boy nodded numbly.
Tossing her things in the corner of her cubby as they had Ziva kept her file and headed back up to the conference room with McGee following behind her. Tony chancing a glance at her ass received a quick 'thwack' to the back of the head with the filed Gibbs still had in hand "Thank you Boss." he grinned.
"Does that happen often Agent Mu-Gee?"
"Multiple times a day." McGee grimaced.
"It is like your Stooges. Yes?"
Jenny saw McGee roll his eyes and continue to follow Ziva back in the room they came from. "If we step off it puts us back. But there are days I think Tony enjoys it." Jenny nodded Tim did get the occasional head slap, she just hadn't seen it yet.
It wasn't Abby that helped her home with her roses, it was Gibbs. He carried the orange roses leaving their gear in their vehicles for his second trip. Making sure the Jack Russell terrier was clear of the door before he closed it with his foot. Hanging her purse up on a hook by the door she headed for her room to change, her purple roses in the center of her coffee table Gibbs decided to see if there was room in her dining room only to find she didn't have one, only a breakfast nook. Settling the orange roses in the center of the table he went back for their gear, snagging the file from his bag he simply set Kate's bag on the floor in front of the couch.
"Shit!"
"Kate!" Gibbs scrambled over the back of the couch racing into Kate's room, she sat on the edge of her bed leaned forward clutching at her shoulder, her sling tossed on the bed next to a new set of clothes "Kate." he dropped to his knees in front of her, his hands on either side of her, he ducked his head trying to look into her eyes but she wouldn't move.
Gibbs." a pain filled groaning lisp of his name she kept her chin tucked to her chest and her eyes tightly closed "Lost my balance… forgot… tried to catch myself." she ground out still not looking up. She'd been trying to get out of her slacks, she's managed to get one leg off, the other was at her knee.
Gibbs cringed, her saving grace was that she fell on the bed and not the floor or it would have been worse. "Let's get you changed and I'll call Ducky." his voice soft, he tugged gently on the pant leg. She nodded but still refused to look up, he was not going to see her cry. Easing the slacks off he tossed them on the bed, she had leggings next to her. First one leg and then the other up to her knee, she was going to have to stand for the rest, his thumbs hooked in the waist of them he sat back on his haunches so she could stand. It wasn't the first time he saw her with no pants, she didn't wear pajama pants to bed in Cuba just shorty shorts. Once she stood, he tried to focus on the shirt in front of his face and not the soft pale bare skin he was touching, pulling the leggings up as he stood he allowed his fingers to skim up her bare thighs, his finger tips on fire from the simple contact. Adjusting the waist band he kept his hands away from her butt as tempting as it was. He swallowed before speaking. "Can you take another pill?"
She nodded finally looking up, her eyes clear but the pain still evident. He walked with her to the couch his hand on her back, helping her get the sling back on before leaving her. Going first to the kitchen for a bottled water then her purse for the pill bottle he sat down next to her handing her the purse, for all his brutish behavior and even his stealing of her water and drinking of her coffee he never invaded her privacy. Handing him the pill bottle she tossed the purse on the table, handing her a full pill he then opened and handed her the water before tossing the pill bottle back into her purse. "Thank you."
He nodded, pulling his phone out and hitting Ducky's number, he waited "….Duck…Kate took a tumble….yea…..yea….." and then he hung up, never good bye, he just snapped the phone shut. "I'll order something for dinner, do you have menus?"
"Drawer by the fridge." she slowly leaned forward grabbing her file.
Chinese food and Ducky arrived at the same time, the duo disappeared into the bedroom, Gibbs stayed by the door, he told himself it was in case Ducky needed him. He could hear the older man chastising Kate even though he couldn't hear the words, he knew the tone, he'd been on the receiving end of Ducky's lectures enough.
Examined and in a new shirt with Ducky's help Kate rejoined Gibbs in the living room, her file waiting for her. "Well I'll let you two alone to get acquainted."
Gibbs arched his eyebrow at the older man as he smiled and closed the door.
Coffee from Gibbs and a single blue rose in the same style of clear vase greeted Kate in the morning. Situating all her gear she grabbed her coffee and headed for Abby. "Abs this time it's a single blue."
Ever the faithful best friend Abby looked up flowers and their meaning for Kate "Impossible, unobtainable ." Abby bit her lip "He wants you, but thinks he can't have you Kate."
"I don't even know who he is Abby." Kate sighed.
"I know who you'd like it to be." Abby folded her arms.
"You're the only one who gets flowers from him." Kate shook her head gesturing to the black roses in Abby's clear refrigerator.