My apologizes, school and family took my time
"Abs?" Kate peaked into the Goth's lab, the music as always was cranked up while the girl worked.
"Kate!" grabbing her remote Abby turned down the music.
"I heard from a little bird you're not playing well with others this morning." Kate walked to the large silver table that Abby had her file on.
"Gibbs." Abby muttered.
"No, Jenny," Kate corrected shaking her her head "she noticed how frosty you were with Gibbs and asked me if something is wrong."
"Oh." Abby hung her head.
"Abby, you can't take my choices, my decisions out on him just because they involve him." Kate said disappointed reminding the younger girl "It's early in our relationship, I've just been promoted, we have a lot to deal with here at work before we start discussing children or marriage." she wasn't going to tell her that they'd already started discussing, Kate was, for the most part, a private person.
"Sorry Kate." Abby mumbled.
"I'm not the one you were snippy with." Kate reminded.
"So how do I apologize without having to apologize, you know he hates that." Abby asked.
"Give the man a coffee." Kate shrugged.
"Does that work for you?" Abby asked adding the final paper to her file before closing it.
"No," Kate smirked "other things work for me." Abby's mouth dropped open having no reply. "I'll see you later I have lunch with Ducky."
"How has your morning been my dear?" Ducky asked sipping his water.
"I have my team settled, a few signed up for classes, the Director wants them all to have the same courses I was required to take while I was with Secret Service."
"And how did Agent Rourke take that little piece of news?" Ducky wasn't sure the gruff agent would agree with the schooling.
"Only one declined, she said she'd miss the action too much, Rourke checked with his wife and she said yes so once his vacation is over I'll have my full team, he's looking forward to seeing how college has changed in the years since he first attended." Kate sipped her drink "How about you, how are your classes going Ducky?"
"Classes?"
"Gibbs mentioned you were taking courses that dealt with profiling." Kate explained.
"Yes, well I am hoping it will help me understand my guests better." Ducky answered.
"Well if you ever change your mind, you can always come work in an office with a window." Kate grinned at him, Ducky chuckled.
For the most part lunch was Ducky checking up on her settling in, though Kate did switch it up and ask him about his latest girlfriend. To which Ducky replied with a chuckle "A gentleman does not kiss and tell."
"When do we get to meet her?" Kate asked wondering if it was serious or just a brief fling for the couple, Ducky was a ladies man, hearing a chuckle from the older man Kate knew it was the later.
"Jethro says your brother will be in town for the holidays, please extend the invitation to him, family is always welcome."
"I will." Kate promised. "How are the boys getting along with Ziva?"
Ducky chuckled again answering "Timothy, is Timothy and Anthony is Anthony."
"So a sweetheart and an ass." Kate rolled her eyes.
"Miss David has put him in his place, much like you used to but in a different way." Ducky assured her with a smile, Kate nodded understanding Ziva was a little more brazen then she was.
"I know when I stopped by the bullpen earlier she said something to him that had him speechless." Kate admitted.
Ducky chuckled "Yes, I too have witnessed that."
"Anything new on the case Ducky?" Kate asked changing the subject.
"Hasn't Jethro said?" Ducky asked curious.
"Not since last night, if I was having lunch with him I would be asking him and not you." Kate chuckled.
Nodding Ducky answered "Nothing new, just waiting on information from two companies, legal red tape and such."
He didn't need to look up from the file on his desk to know Abby was in the bullpen, he could tell by the clumping of her boots, finally looking up when the clumping stopped in front of his desk "Abs?" straight faced she held out the go cup from the coffee cart to him, nodding he took it.
"Hey Boss," Tony entered with Ziva and McGee "hey Abs." he nodded to her holding up a couple papers to Gibbs "The company finally coughed up their records, we have two leads."
"Gear up let's go." Gibbs stood up, the trio hurried to their desks getting their go bags before they all headed to the elevator. "Ziva you're with me." Gibbs snatched one of the papers from Tony.
Kate stood with Ziva watching through the mirror as Gibbs questioned the reluctant witness, a freshman and fraternity pledge who happen to be on the archery team. While the other boys clumped together and refused to talk the boy's father, a blue color working man, told him to talk to Gibbs. Father and son sat across the table from the agent "Gibbs thinks it is some sort of hazing that went wrong," Ziva explained before asking "what is hazing?"
"Something, that despite being against college rules, fraternities and sororities still do." Kate shook her head "It's always immature and often dangerous things to prove they fit with their peers, it can be anything as simple as drinking a dangerous amount of alcohol to running naked across the campus, whatever it is, it's meant to torment and humiliate them."
"It's meant to be a bonding experience." Tony said entering the room.
"Boot camp is a bonding experience." Ziva said watching Gibbs slide a pen and paper to the boy across the table.
"As you guys have your hands full I'm going to finish up my things and head home." Kate said giving Ziva's arm a squeeze. "Call me we'll set up a girls night, I'll introduce you to a few of the girls in the office."
"So you can call them girls but I can't?" Tony scoffed.
"I say it with respect you say it like a guy talking about strippers." Kate quipped leaving the duo behind in the room.
The steaks were on the grill in the fireplace, the water for the mac and cheese hung from the hook over the fire while a small pan with green beans shared the grill with the steaks. Kate had cooked the entire last week, he understood it relaxed her, something about cooking with her grandmother but he still wanted to give her a night off. Pulling the pan with the mac and cheese in it to him Gibbs gave it a quick stir before placing it on one of the hot pads on the table, the green beans were next, he was giving them time to cool a little as the steaks were nearly finished.
Coming down the stairs in one of his green 'Marines' shirt Kate smiled at the sight before her "A girl could get used to this." Gibbs smirked accepting the kiss to the top of his head as she took her place on the couch covering her legs with the small blanket. Toni was waiting in her basket by the fireplace, her little food dish right in front of it, Kate knew Gibbs was going to give the dog a couple bits of the steak, she saw them away from the main fire cooling. She knew before she left the office that they had the guy in custody, it had been an accident during hazing, the man had been in the wrong place at the wrong time. She didn't know the details but she was sure Abby would tell her in the morning so she left Gibbs alone about it, she just wanted a quiet evening.
Fixing both plates he slid hers over in front of her before he cut the bits smaller, Kate smirked at her spoiled dog as she patiently waited for the pieces to be deposited into her bowl.
They ate quietly, they both enjoyed the silence but Kate could hear the radio playing in the basement, she knew he'd been down there before coming up and making dinner and knew he would go back down, she'd join him with her sketch book, she'd draw him while he worked on her sister's chess set.
"What do you mean it's finished?" Kate asked following Gibbs over to the work table.
Pulling the towel off of it he smiled, the board itself was actually the lid to the caved box that held the pieces, the last thing he'd done was add the felt to the bottom of the pieces. Picking up the queen Kate smiled at it, they were simple yet elegant and her sister would love it. "What's your brother into?"
"Danny?" Kate asked putting the piece back in the box.
"He's the one moving here." Gibbs wasn't asking, he knew it was.
"Books, well cooking so he has a lot of cook books and recipe boxes, he prefers to have them at his finger tips instead of a lap top, tablet or computer." Kate shrugged, she'd bought him cook books for his last four birthdays. Gibbs nodded looking to his wood supplies, he was going to have to get more for what he was planning. "I see the wheels turning, what's on your mind?"
"Book shelf." Gibbs shrugged. "I'll go over and get measurements this weekend and then get started."
"So are you saying there's nothing to do tonight?" Kate glanced around the basement.
"Not tonight."