I apologize I'm still dealing with an injured thumb
Decorating had been quick and easy, Gibbs and Danny brought up a slender table, only 2 foot wide but long enough to hold 12 stockings, one for each of them and of course Toni. After covering it with a white runner Rachel and Danny placed the Nativity scene and menorah on top while Gibbs and Kate decorated the tree, simple white light lights with red bulbs and a white and red light up star. It was Kate that place the stockings with Gibbs and herself first but the rest by age Ducky first and Ziva last, not counting Toni. Not that the dog needed a stocking as Gibbs spoiled her rotten with toys and treats.
They moved to the outside where Danny helped with the lights while the girls watched or as Gibbs said they were there to catch Danny if her fell off the ladder. Kate hung the red and silver wreath on the single sticky hook on the front door below the large oval window, like they had at Danny and Rachel's houses they took pictures, some posed for and some not.
It had been a long time since the trio had looked forward to a Christmas, Gibbs could see they were all truly relaxed and enjoying themselves.
His arm was draped over her waist like it was every morning since they'd been sharing a bed, the only thing that ever changed was if she was facing him or not. His preferred way to wake her up when she was facing him was light kisses on the tip of her nose, Kate smirked hearing the gruff "Merry Christmas." she blamed the sawdust.
"Merry Christmas." eyes still closed she tilted her head knowing he would give her a kiss before climbing out of bed to start his morning routine, it may have been Christmas morning but until there were children involved she would choose sleeping late. Stretching Kate rolled out of bed grabbing her robe she pulled it on heading down the stair, she knew her siblings would arrive around noon and the others at 6. It was the team's rotation off, so they wouldn't be called in unless something drastic happened.
Shuffling over to the coffee pot Kate was thankful it was automatic and she'd set it the night before after returning from midnight mass with Gibbs and her siblings. she'd made doughnuts the night before, it had been tradition in the Todd household to have hot chocolate and doughnuts before opening your presents. She was going to warm them up with the cinnamon rolls she was making for actual breakfast. She knew it was early but she knew her parents were up so she called leaving her cell phone on speaker, it was the landline so she knew she couldn't be put on speaker due to the age of the phone but she could get passed around depending on if her brothers had spent the night with their wives and children.
Hearing the yell from her father "It's Christmas, who calls on Christmas!" Kate sighed rolling her eyes waiting for her mother's voice.
"Hello?"
"Merry Christmas Mom." Kate said while preheating her oven, she already gotten the small cookie sheet and pan she was using for the cinnamon rolls out.
"It's Katie!" she knew her mom had covered the phone because it was a muffled yelled. "Good morning Katie, Merry Christmas, were you able to catch a last minute flight? Do you need us to pick you up?"
"No Mom, I'm still at home, I told you I'm having Christmas with my boyfriend, Rachel and Danny..." Kate looked at her phone, she'd heard the click, her mother had hung up on her. It hurt but she wasn't going to dwell on it, she wasn't going to let them and their attitudes towards her and her siblings ruin her day. Her phone ringing Kate grinned poking it "Merry Christmas Abby."
"Merry Christmas Kate!" the Goth practically yelled, it was exactly the call she needed "I'm not interrupting anything am I?" she could tell Abby had her on speaker phone as well.
"No Abs," Kate chuckled "I'm just making breakfast, Gibbs is taking a shower."
"It's funny how you still call him Gibbs." Abby laughed.
Kate couldn't help herself smirking she teased in a sultry voice "Not always."
"Eww, no Kate." she didn't have to see Abby cringe but Kate knew she was, laughing Kate continued to move about the kitchen.
"Are you spending the morning with your Nuns?"
"Yes, I'm getting ready to go help serve breakfast."
"Don't let me keep you." Kate called grabbing the tube of premade rolls from the fridge.
"Nah, I cawn eep you compny ile ooh ake breafast."
"Lips?" Kate asked with a chuckle at the mispronounced sentence.
"Yes." Abby laughed after smacking her lips. "So what's for breakfast?"
"Cinnamon rolls and doughnuts." Kate said before smacking the tube against the counter getting it to pop. She could handle gun fire but the stupid can made her jump on occasions. "I'm going to start the pies in a little bit, apple and pumpkin, Danny and Rachel are going to do theirs when they get here later." Kate explained setting each cinnamon roll in the high edged pan, the oven beeping Kate tucked them in it before closing the oven, Kate set the timer before grabbing her and Gibbs coffee cups I'm going to go shower Abs I'll see you later." she would put the doughnuts in the oven when she came back downstairs.
"See you later, Merry Christmas Kate."
"Merry Christmas Abby." Kate smiled hanging up.
Gibbs grinned Kate was happily sitting sipping what he thought was her coffee until he saw the whip cream on top, holding up a doughnut she gestured to his coffee cup. "Cinnamon rolls will be done in a few minutes." Sitting down he pulled her legs up on his lap before taking his stocking that she was holding out to him, "You said you wanted a Todd Christmas, minus the chaos of course."
"I did." Gibbs said taking the candy cane out of the stocking and hooking it to his shirt collar, trying to look in the stocking his view stopped by an orange.
"It countered the chocolates in the bottom of the sock." Kate explained, her stocking laid on the table with a couple small crumpled wrapping paper balls and candy wrappers.
Putting the orange on the table Gibbs shoved his hand in the stocking pulling out a small present, opening it he smirked, it was a toy car, a pick up truck similar to his own. Placing it next to the orange he pushed his hand into the stocking once more, another wrapped present, he chuckled as soon as he tore off the corner of the paper, it was a small pack of army men. "So if this is what your brothers got what did you girls get?"
"Jacks and jump rope, even the last year I went, I donated them to Toys for Tots the next year."
"Sounds like a plan." Gibbs nodded putting them next to the truck, he was going to keep the truck, he'd put something else in the box at work next year. Reaching in one last time he found the chocolate "Jackpot." catching all the random chocolates in his hand he pulled them out offering them to Kate, who of course, took one.
Opening it up she popped it in her mouth tilting her head, they both heard the oven going off, slipping off of Gibbs and the couch she headed to the kitchen with Gibbs following right behind with his coffee in hand. After they opened their presents from each other they were going to start on their parts of Christmas dinner.
Gibbs grabbed the remaining doughnut while Kate took the cinnamon rolls out of the oven, they would come back to them when they had cooled a little.