"I like her, she suits you."

Gibbs looked up from the partially sculpted chess piece in his hand, Shannon stood on the bottom step watching him, her blue eyes sparkling. "I don't know what to do Shan." Gibbs admitted to the red headed woman.

"Yes you do," Shannon scoffed shaking her head "you're afraid, afraid of what? That you'll forget me, forget Kelly?" walking towards him she held her arm out to her side dropping it on Kelly's shoulder as the little girl appeared at her side. "Jethro we want you happy, Kate makes you happy you need to grab life and stop coming back to us. We will always be here and we know you will not forget about us but Jethro you need to live."

"She's pretty Daddy."

Gibbs chuckled, he wasn't going to argue but it did feel weird admitting his feelings for another woman to Shannon. "I've been watching you Gibbs, I know she can help you move on, live again, with her you can have everything." Gibbs glanced down to Kelly. "Yes Gibbs, everything. She's not replacing us, we know that but you need to know that too. You love her and you will love any child or children you have with her too and it will never diminish what we had."

Kate watched him from the top of the stairs, he was zoned out, staring at the chess piece in his hand. They still had no leads on their case, they knew it couldn't physically be the wife because she'd dislocated her shoulder and was unable to draw a bow, there was no evidence of an affair either way. Leaving him to his thoughts Kate returned to the kitchen grabbing her ingredients, she was making a simple dinner, baked chicken, mashed potatoes and peas.

She wasn't surprised when he came up from the basement when the chicken was pulled from the oven "Smells good." waiting for her to put the pan down he wrapped around her hugging her from behind.

Leaning back against him Kate rested her hands on his "Wash up, I'll serve." kissing her temple he released her doing as she said, a quick shower to remove the sawdust.

It was the case, they were discussing the case, Gibbs had no idea how to bring up children, they hadn't even discussed marriage. "It's looking wrong place, wrong time unless something comes back from surrounding areas."

Kate snorted most local law enforcement hated working with anyone not local and to them that included NCIS even though most had never heard of them. "Not everyone can be like Sheriff Dupray," Kate reminded, "hand delivering everything they had, talking to the other local police departments..." Kate smirked, Gibbs chuckled.

"She was persistent."

"Very." Kate agreed, taking a sip Kate softly said "So I know it's more than the case, I just don't know what it is that has you so quiet, do you want to talk about it or do you want to wait until after the case?"

Opening then closing his mouth Gibbs sighed ready for anything as he told her "Now." putting down his fork Gibbs cleared his throat "I overheard you and Abby." Kate's eyes narrowed "Accident," Gibbs held up his hands "accident Katie."

"Really?" her eyebrow arched.

"Kate I..." instead of swearing it hadn't been on purpose Gibbs sighed "I know you read my file, you know about Shannon and Kelly and I know about Donald." Kate stiffened up at the mention of her ex boyfriend "You don't have to choose with me." Gibbs murmured "If you want kids Kate we'll have them, as many as you want."

"Gibbs you don't have to..."

"Kate," grabbing her hand that rested on the table Gibbs shook his head "I know what I heard, and I know what I want...I want kids, with you." Gibbs insisted, he'd actually thought about, fantasized about it, "A little girl with Uncle Tony wrapped around her finger, a little boy blowing things up with Auntie Abby." Keeping her hand in his Gibbs stood up moving next to Kate before kneeling down "I didn't want kids with the others Kate, but I want them with you."

Kate cupped his cheek softly asking "Are you sure? I know it can't be easy for you after." Kate left the rest of the sentence unsaid.

"Yea." he nodded. "I will always love them but they are my past, you are my future." he promised, leaning forward he kissed her forehead. Sighing he whispered "We should finish eating and talk more about this."

"I won't run Jethro, I believe you." Kate softly promised. "But we do need to talk, timeline wise."

Letting her hand go Gibbs nodded in agreement before slowly standing and returning to his seat. "You just got promoted."

"I'm not my mother, I don't believe in a one or the other when it comes to having a career or family, I can do both, we can do both." Kate promised.

"You're Catholic." Gibbs pointed out.

"Obviously not that Catholic." Kate reminded to which Gibbs gave a slight chuckle. "My parents may push for marriage before children but if it's not for us then it's not for us." Kate assured him.

"So what are we saying? If it happens it happens?" Gibbs asked.

"Yes Gunny, we are saying if it happens, it happens," Kate smirked, Gibbs grinned when she added "I'm sure Tony has a pool already set up, he's sad he missed the dating pool."

"Who did win that?" Gibbs asked before taking a bite of his chicken.

"Rourke." Kate chuckled "I think he will be an excellent profiler."

"He likes donuts, not the fancy ones just round cake donuts with his morning coffee." Gibbs said after swallowing his bite, he had seen him with the donuts every morning they met at the coffee cart.

"I'll keep that in mind." Kate promised.

It wasn't until they were in bed and Gibbs had his arms wrapped around her that he broached the subject of children again, it was barely a whisper.

"How many of those do you have left?"

Kate knew what he was talking about, her birth control was on the nightstand on her side of the bed, she took it every morning. "Two weeks." she answered just as softly asking "Should I refill?"

"That's up to you."

"No us, I said if it happens, it happens" she reminded "the only way it will happen is if I stop taking them." squirming until she was on her back Kate asked him once she could clearly see his face "So I ask you Leroy Jethro Gibbs, are you ready to see what happens?"

Gibbs nodded "Yea."

"Well then I will not refill them." tilting her chin up she gave a slight pucker of her lips laughing when instead Gibbs attacked her neck and rolled on top of her. "It's not going to happen now."

"Practice." Gibbs wiggled his eyebrows before kissing her.