"Special Delivery"
Chapter One ("What Do You Mean...No Epidural?") ---
******10:00 In The Morning******
Abby raced full speed down the long hospital hallway, right past the reception desk on that particular floor, and almost collided with several nurses and patients.
"Where is she! Where is she!" Abby called out as she ran down the hall.
She turned a corner and headed down a second hall before long, and it wasn't long before a familiar face stopped her half-way down the hall.
"Abby." Gibbs said, grabbing the Goth forensic specialist before she could go any further. "Calm down. Here drink this." Gibbs added, handing her a big Caf-Pow cup.
"How sweet. Thank you Gibbs." Abby accepted the big cup happily, and took a big gulp of the carbonated beverage.
Gibbs gave a tiny grin at the young goth woman standing before him there in the middle of the hallway.
"Wait. You knew I was coming--how did you know I was coming?" Abby asked, quickly.
"Gibbs," Kate called out from the room that they were standing next to. "Is that Abby!?"
"Yeah." Gibbs called back.
Abby darted into the hospital room, with Gibbs following close behind, and raced right to Kate's side. "Kate." Abby nearly screamed excitedly. "How are you--H-how are you feeling?" Abby was so nervous/excited that she stammered over her words.
In the hospital room Kate was laying up in a bed with the covers pulled at least half way up over her. From all appearances Kate looked relaxed and very comfortable where she was.
"Abby I'm fine." Kate informed her friend. "The contractions only started about half an hour ago, and they're very minor pains--I barely feel them." Kate added with a chuckle.
Gibbs stood in the back corner just looking on as Abby and Kate talked with one another.
"I called Tony, Ducky, and McGee and they should be here--soon." Abby said, double checking her watch.
"Wait, you called TONY!?" Kate exclaimed, in shock. She gave an irritated sigh at her best friend.
"Well, Kate, he is your friend and I'm sure that he would want to be here." Abby pointed out. After all she was only trying to help, and be a good friend.
"Yeah, but now I'm gonna have to listen to his movie scenarios while trying to give birth." Kate whined, as she shook her head at Abby.
Gibbs chuckled to himself, hoping that Kate would not hear it.
"Gibbs," Kate said sternly from across the room. "If Tony even says the word 'movie'...promise me you'll shoot him." Kate pleaded with her husband.
About half an hour later Ducky strolled into the hospital room carrying two ballons in one hand and a brand new stuffed teady bear in the other. He wore a big smile on his face as he entered the room.
"Where shall I put these?" he asked, motioning to the items he carried in his arms.
Gibbs pointd to the small love seat/mini sofa that was set up against the wall underneath the room's single window. "Over there's good I guess." Gibbs said quietly.
"Ducky." Kate said with a smile, after the older man had laid his gifts down.
Ducky turned and walked towards Kate. "Good morning my dear caitlin." Ducky greeted the expectant mother and wife of his best friend. Ducky leaned in and he and Kate hugged for a moment. "And how are we feeling this morning?" he asked.
"A little anxious I guess." Kate replied, with a small chuckle. "Oh, I'm so glad that you could come." she added. The truth was that she was anxious and excited and nervous, and maybe even a little scared all at the same time.
"Well that is to be expected." Ducky said, with a grin. "I trust that your nursery is ready for the arrival of this little one."
"Yeah, its ready." Gibbs replied quietly. "I had DiNozzo come over last weekend and help me put on the last few touches."
"Speaking of Anthony DiNozzo," Ducky said, shoving his hands into his pockets. "I feel I should warn you, when I was in the parking garage, I thought I saw him and-"
"Careful with that McGee!" Tony's voice carried into the room from down the hallway. "That is very sensitive equipment you've got there."
"They're here." Ducky said, with a sigh.
Within a few seconds after that Tony and McGee entered the room. McGee came in behind Tony carrying what looked like it could very easily be camera equipment.
"Hiya Boss." Tony said cheerfully, holding out a coffee shop carry-out tray with four coffee cups on it. "Morning Kate." he added, with a grin as he looked over his shoulder at his partner. "Coffee. Strong?" Tony asked, offering Gibbs a cup of freshly brewed coffee that was just the way he liked it.
"Thanks DiNozzo." Gibbs thanked his senior field agent.
"Sorry we're late." McGee mumbled. "Tony wanted to stop by the office and pick up all this stuff before we came over." he explained as he set the bags he had been carrying down on the floor.
"What is all this stuff?" Kate asked, knowing full well that she would probably regret asking the question.
Tony finished passing around the coffee cups, and then set the holder down on the chair in the corner of the room. "McGee and I are going to film the birth of your child," Tony explained, turning to face Kate. "Just think of it as my gift to you the both of you." he added, with that 'DiNozzo grin' as was his custom.
Kate screwed up her face at her partner at his suggestion/offer. "Eeww. Gross--Tony, no." Kate sputtered. "No way I'm gonna let you film my v-"
"Morning all." the doctor said as he steeped into the room effectively interrupting the currently ongoing conversation. "Sorry, was I interrupting something?" he asked, stopping short of the inside of the room's doorway.
"No, no not at all." Kate said with a smile at the doctor, and a scowl at her partner. For once she did not mind being interrupted in the middle of a conversation.
"Good." the doctor replied with a smile. "I'm Dr. Jacob Kratz, and I will be your attending physician for this little endeavor." he explained, with a lopsided grin. "I know that you were originally scheduled to be with Dr. Markus, but he had an unfortunate accident a few days ago--sprained his ankle while skiing up in the mountains."
Doctor Jacob Kratz was quite tall and from all appearances well-built--phtysically of course. He looked to be somewhere in his late thirties to early forties--at the most--and certainly appeared to have quite the spring to his step.
"Are you by chance related to a 'William' Kratz?" Ducky asked, cautiously. He knew that something about the younger doctor seemed somewhat familiar to him, but he just was not sure as to what that was--yet.
"Why yes, as a matter of fact I am." Dr. Kratz replied with a surprised grin. "William Kratz is my father."
"I thought so," Ducky replied with a smile. "I served with your father many many years ago." Ducky informed him. "Regrettably I have not had the opportunity to speak with William in quite some time."
Doctor Kratz thought for a moment and then spoke up finally. "I do seem to recall my farther saying something about serving with a Scotsman back in the day." "Yes, yes I remember now," he said finally. "Donald Mallard."
"Ahem." Kate said rather loudly, hating to break up the facinating conversation going on between the two doctors, but they had more pressing matters to attend to at the moment.
"Oh sorry." Dr. Kratz apologized, blushing a little as he ran a hand through his light-colored hair, and turning back to face Kate. "I have reviewed the test charts from this morning when you came in, and everything looks normal from what I can see." he began to explain.
Kate gave a relieved sigh, looking up at her husband who still stood in place on the other side of the room. "That's good."
"However," Dr. Kratz began once again. "I noticed that the nurse who was in here earlier documented your request for an 'Epidural'. I'm afraid that's not going to be possible." he informed her, slowly.
"WHAT!?" Kate exclaimed, the smile on her face fading to a look of 'you had better be joking Mr.'.
Dr. Kratz flipped up a few pages of the chart that he was holding in his hands. "Well, I noticed that your chart says you've been taking 'Benzate' for the last four weeks--correct?" he asked, looking up at her.
"Well yeah, for headaches," she pointed out. "I had been having some bad headaches, and couldn't sleep at night--so my doctor prescribed them. he said they were totally safe."
"Oh they are. They are." Dr. Kratz replied, reassuringly. "But Benzate has not been known, in the time that its been out on the market, to be--well--lets just say it doesn't really get along, in most cases, with the epidural." he said finally.
"Doctor, please, you don't understand." Kate said, almost pleading with the doctor standing in front of her. "I don't do pain very well. I need that epidural." she informed him, almost threateningly.
"I-I'm sorry Mrs. Gibbs. I really am." Dr. Kratz said, shaking his head at Kate. "But its just not a risk I think we should take."
Gibbs strolled towards the side of Kate's bed with the side table and set his coffee cup down, and stood there beside there.
"Ow!" Kate cried out. A sharp pain shot through her body causing her to clench up reflexively, panting through the pain until it finally subsided. Once the pain of the contraction subsided she flopped backwards against her pillow. The realization of what the next few hours were going to be like beginning to set in. "Oh boy." she whispered, just loud enough to be heard by the others.
Chapter Two (Just Give Me The Damn Shot!) ---
********Four Hours Later********
"Aaahhh!" Kate cried through the latest contraction. Four hours had passed since she'd been told that she was not going to be able to have an epidural as she had originally planned, and now she was just plain miserable. She panted heavily per Ducky's guidance and instruction through the breathing techniques that she would have learned had she actually attended the Lamaze classes that her Obstetrician had recommended many months ago.
"You're performing quite splendidly Caitlin," Ducky said softly, gently patting away the sweat that was building up across her forehead with a small wash cloth. "Just remember to breathe. That's it."
Gibbs leaned over from the opposite side of his wife and planted a gentle kiss against her temple. That was his way of encouraging her and telling her how proud he was of her and how she was doing.
"Make it stop!" she whined, as the pain finally subsided and she was able to relax--at least for the moment. She was already ready for the whole painful process to be over with and done--and who wouldn't be.
Abby and McGee were nearby, as well, offering moral support and encouragement in their own way. Kate was okay with this as she knew that they were only trying to help even though she had often (in the last four hours or so) said some 'not-so-nice' things to everyone, and she truly was sorry for that.
Tony on the other hand was being more annoying than a fly on the wall. He was constantly bobbing and weaving his way in and out and around the group determined to catch every minute on film. Several times he had been literally pushed out of the way by more than one person.
"This is pure gold." Tony exclaimed excitedly. "You should count yourself lucky Kate. Not many women can say they had their children's birth made into a full-length movie."
"Tony I swear if you don't put that damn thing away I will kill yo-" she started to threaten her annoying partner, but then another contraction seized her entire body without warning.
Gibbs looked over at Abby, who was stabding nearby, with a look that he knew the Goth forensic specialist knew all too well. "Abby." Gibbs said plainly, nodding at Tony who was just a few feet away from where she and McGee stood.
Abby understood Gibbs' command, and without hesitation she reached around McGee and whacked Tony against the back of the head hard--but not too hard.
"Ow!" Tony cried out, as he lowered the camera. "What was that for!?" he demanded, glancing over at McGee.
"I swear it wasn't me Tony." McGee insisted, motioning with his eyes to Abby. "She did it."
Tony switched his focus to Abby almost at once.
Aby motioned with her head towards Gibbs, trying desperately to hide the smile and laughter that was trying to escape from within her.
Tony looked over at Gibbs next, and found his boss glaring at him. "Oh, uh sorry boss." Tony said, realizing rather quickly what Gibbs was trying to say. "I'll just put it up for now. No sense in wasting film before the 'Big Moment' arrives."
"How much longer is this gonna take, Ducky?" Kate asked, finally relaxing once more against her pillow once the painful contraction had subsided.
"Not too much longer I should think." Ducky replied reassuringly.
********One Hour Later********
Dr. Kratz walked into the room again and began checking things, fairly quickly, and scribbling notes on his that chart that he still held in his hands. After a while he looked up at a red-faced Kate. "Good news Mrs. Gibbs." he said with a grin. "You're at 8 1/2 centimeters. Almost there."
"ooh, I'd better make sure the camera's ready." Tony said, crossing the room to the camera gear.
"Please Doc. Can't you just give me the damn shot!?" Kate pleaded with Dr. Kratz.
"Sorry Mrs. Gibbs wish I could." Dr. Kratz replied sympathetically.
Kate let go of an irritated sigh as she fell backwards against her pillow, but it wasn't long before another contraction came and then dissipated.
Tony finally stood back up after checking and double checking the camera gear. "Well camera looks good and ready for the 'Big Moment'. Anyone else hungry--no--okay then." Tony said, heading for the door.
Gibbs rolled his eyes at his senior field agent. Inviting him to be here for the birth of their child may not have been the best idea after all.
"Oh hey Doc," Tony said turning around at the door. "Which way's the cafeteria?" Tony asked.
"Oh uh, 3rd floor--5th door on the right as soon as you step off of the west elevator." Kratz replied.
"Thanks." Tony said, before leaving.
"I don't know if I can take this much longer." Kate whined, as she settled back against her pillow once again.
"But you're doing so wonderfully," Abby said sweetly. "And just think soon you'll get to hold your new baby for the first time--E-ever." Abby said just getting excited thinking about it.
"Yeah," Kate said, just as another contraction seized her. "Too bad it won't be soon enough." she added, as the pain once again subsided.
********Two And A Half Hours Later********
Everything was setup and in motion. Tony was back behind the camera, after having finished the two doughnuts he'd retrieved from the hospital cafeteria. They had placed Kate's leg up in the stirrups, and nearly the final stretch in the race. Dr. Kratz sat at the foot of the hospital bed coaching Kate every step of the way.
"Okay," Dr. Kratz said, looking up at Kate. "Take a breather."
Kate did just that trying desperately to catch her breath enough so that she could get this horrible, painful process finally over with.
"Okay, one more time. Push." Dr. Kratz instructed her.
Kate did as she was told once more, and nearly let out a deafening scream towards the end of it.
Tony was continuously bobbing and weaving between the group trying to get the best shots possible for the video. He got pushed out of the way several times by several different people.
"Almost there Mrs. Gibbs." Dr. Kratz informed her. "I can see your baby's head. I just need you to give me one more real good push, can you do that?"
Kate nodded quickly, sweat pouring off of her brow, sucked in a really deep breath, and upon Dr. Kratz's command began to push with everything that she could muster up from deep within herself and much more.
"Keep going. Keep going. You're almost--" Dr. Kratz said, still coaching Kate through the process.
EEEHhhAAAAhhhh!" Kate cried out once the last of her strength was finally gone.
"THERE!" Dr. Kratz cried out, as the little baby finally slid out and into his waiting hands/arms. After a brief moment or so Dr. Kratz looked up with a big smile across his face. "Congratulations you two," he said to Gibbs and Kate. "Its a girl."
The sound of a newborn baby crying filled the entire room. There wasn't a dry eye in the entire room at that particular moment in time.
"A girl," Kate gasped, almost in disbelief. "We have a girl." she repeated, nearly breathless at this point.
"You did it Kate," Abby squealed with excitement, her eyes glistening with emotion, as she stared down at the tiny baby that the doctor was holding up.
Dr. Kratz laid the little newborn up onto Kate's chest while he tended to cutting the umbilical cord.
"Hey there baby," Kate said sweetly through her tears as she touched the little infants tiny hand(s) and fingers. "We made a little girl Jethro." Kate said, looking up at her husband through her tears of relief and joy.
"Yes!" Tony jeered loudly, hoisting the big camera up over his head triumphantly. "And I got it all on tape." he said excitedly. Suddenly his stomach began to churn wildly.
"McGee hold on to this for me." Tony said shoving the camera into the younger agents hands without warning. "I'll b-be right back!" he added, as he quickly darted from the room, a touch of green in his face as he ran away.
Abby and McGee both laughed at Tony as he ran away from the scene.
"Well done my dear Caitlin," Ducky whispered from just a few feet away from the happy couple. "Well done indeed."
The couple, Gibbs and Kate, kissed as the nurses finally carried the baby away to be cleaned up and dressed.
"I'm proud of you Katie," Gibbs whispered in his wife's ear, still holding her hand, as he gently kissed her temple.
Chapter Three (Welcome Home Baby Kristen) ---
It was about three days later when mother and daughter were allowed to finally come home from the hospital. Ducky held the door open for Gibbs and Kate as they entered the Gibbs household. Their 'hospital party' had thought enough to follow them home from the hospital. Ducky said it was just to make sure that they got their safely and to make sure that the house was baby proof and what not.
Gibbs and Kate had only laughed at their friends.
"Easy does it now." Ducky said, as he watched Gibbs carry the sleeping infant, slowly and carefully, into the house.
Kate stood just out of the way of the door in the living room area of their home, and watched her husband, who now sat on the sofa, holding their sleeping infant daughter so carefully and gently. "He's gonna be a great father." she thought to herself with a sigh.
Tony and McGee finished bringing in the rest of the stuff from out in the car. "Where do you want this stuff?" Tony whispered, quite loudly, as he stood in the doorway holding three medium-sized bags.
"Those are the baby's things right?" she askedm peering over into one of the bags. "They can go in the baby's room--but make sure they're out of the way for now."
Tony rolled his eyes at Kate as he stalked off towards the nursery.
McGee came in behind Tony carrying only one bag and the baby's car seat which he had been instructed to bring inside.
"Oh thanks McGee," Kate said quietly with a smile. "My suitcase can go in the master bedroom, and the car seat can just go down in the basement I guess--for now anyway."
McGee nodded with a smile at Kate. "Sure thing." he replied, before heading off to put the things that he was carrying away.
Abby came inside last, closing the door carefully and quietly behind her. "Aaw," she said upon seeing father and daughter together on the sofa. "They are so cute together." she said sweetly.
"They are aren't they." Kate said in agreement with Abby.
"Oh just so you guys know," Abby said, turnig to face Kate. "If you ever need a babysitter-"
"Don't worry Abby," Kate said with a quiet chuckle. "You'll be the first person we call."
"Good." Abby replied with a smile.
Tony and McGee returned to the front of the house after a few minutes had passed by. "Everything's been put away." McGee informed Kate and Gibbs. "I even went ahead and hooked up your baby monitors for you." he added, as he handed Kate the monitor that she and Gibbs would have to keep with them.
"Thanks Tim." Kate replied quietly, with a smile, accepting the monitor from McGee.
"Well McGoogle," Tony said laying his arm over McGee's shoulder. "We, meaning you and I, have some 'work' to do."
"Like what Tony?" McGee demanded.
"Editing, Special Effects--ya know movie magic stuff." Tony said, a sparkle appearing in his eyes.
"Sorry Tony, I saw the birth once already--I don't need to see it again." McGee said, waving Tony off.
"Alright then," Tony said. "I'll do it myself--or maybe I can get Abby to help me. She's good with computers and technology stuff."
"Okay you guys," Kate said, motioning towards the door. "I think its time for you to leave."
Ducky reassured Kate and Gibbs before he left behind the others. "Everything seems to be in good shape." he said, as he approached Kate. "If you need anything--anything at all. You know how to reach me." he added.
"I look forward to our next meeting, little angel." Ducky whispered over his shoulder (meant for the baby) as he left.
Kate crossed the room and sat down on the sofa next to her husband. "Whatcha thinking about?" Kate asked softly. Something about the whole scene just seemed oh so very right. yet she got no answer from her husband. "I am her mother ya know," Kate pointed out. "I do get to hold her at some point--right?"
"She's beautiful Kate." Gibbs said quietly, as he gazed upon the sleeping infant resting in his arms. "Beautiful like her mother." he added.
Kate blushed, but then shook it off. "Yeah well, we know she got daddy's eyes." Kate pointed out, remembering the scene from the hospital.
Gibbs was so taken by the beautiful little girl that he was holding. It had been such a long time since he had felt these feelings that he was feeling now. "I can't believe she's ours." he said in a whisper.
Kate leaned over and kissed her husband on the cheek.
As they watched the little baby gave a tiny yawn right there in her father's arm.
"I think we should lay her down in her crib." Kate suggested in a low whisper. Kate held out her hands as Gibbs slowly and carefully handed over the slumbering child.
Kate stood slowly, and then the two of them made their way into the nursery. Kate gently laid their daughter in her crib, and the two of the stood silently looking over her for a few moments before they decided it was time to retreat.
"I think I could probably use a little nap myself." Kate commented, in a low voice, as they exited the nursery. She gave a little yawn as Gibbs leaned in for a kiss.
"Why don't you go lay down in our bed for awhile." Gibbs suggested quietly. "I mean what you went through to bring our child into this world was-" he started to say, as they re-entered the living room a few brief moments later.
"-Hell." Kate finished his sentence, with a grin.
"Well, yeah for lack of a better term." he agreed.
They stopped in the center of the living room and face each other exchanging a few kisses here and there. "Sure you'll be okay by yourself--if I take a nap?" Kate asked, quietly.
"Yeah. Sure." Gibbs replied, between kisses. "Go on." he prodded her.
It wasn't long at all before he was in the basement working on various unfinished projects (quietly of course), and Kate was fast asleep beneath the covers of the large bed that she and Gibbs shared (after taking a quick shower of course).
And all was right with the world.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Just Another Day..."
Chapter One (Not In Front of The Baby) ---
"Got that address yet McGee?" Gibbs asked as he strolled around the corner of the bullpen, coffee cup in hand as usual, and headed straight for his desk.
"Not yet boss, but I'm working on it as we speak." McGee informed his boss from across the bullpen.
"Well work faster." Gibbs snapped.
"Hey boss, where's Kate?" Tony asked from his desk across the bullpen. He was curious after all. He had seen Kate get up and leave the room with the baby in her arms (yeah that's right they brought baby Kristen to work with them), and he had not seen her since then--that was almost half an hour ago.
"Feeding the baby." Gibbs replied very plainly, without looking up from his computer screen.
"Ooh," Tony said, standing up with (surprise) the camera from before in his hands. "Sounds like another good 'home movie' opportunity." he said, fixing to make his way out from around the desk. "Where is she at?" Tony asked.
"Gibbs glanced across the room at his senior field agent. "DiNozzo." Gibbs bellowed.
"Yeah boss?" Tony replied, frozen to the spot where he stood. He had caught his boss' cold stare from across the room and somehow he just knew he was in trouble, but then again...
"Sit." Gibbs commanded, very authoritatively.
Tony obliged almost as soon as the order was given, stowing the camera away back inside its carrying case.
"Good boy." Gibbs added, with a hidden grin.
Behind his own computer McGee couldn't help but grin secretly.
Around the corner the elevator pinged announcing, as it always did, someone else's arrival on that floor. When the elevator door(s) opened Kate stepped off carrying baby Kristen (or Krissy as she was affectionately nicknamed) in her arms.
"Hi Kate." Tony greeted his partner with a grin as she strolled into the squad room.
"Hi. Tony." Kate replied, nervously.
"So. How'd it go?" Gibbs asked, as he watched Kate gently place their daughter back into her carrier, which she had setting behind her desk, and cover her up.
"Your daughter now has a full tummy which, I'm hoping, means that she'll sleep for awhile so I can get some work done." Kate informed Gibbs, as she strolled slowly towards his desk.
"Hmm. Maybe." Gibbs replied, glancing up at his beautiful wife as she sat down on the edge of his desk.
"I see you've got these two working hard." Kate said, looking around at Tony and McGee sitting at their desks quietly.
"Hmm." Gibbs scoffed. "More like 'hardly working'." he said with a grin.
"By the way our babysitter canceled on us." Kate informed Gibbs in a low voice. "Guess we're gonna have to cancel our plans for tonight--Again."
She and Gibbs HAD planned to go out to dinner after work, and maybe, possibly even see a movie or do something else; but as usual they just couldn't seem to keep a babysitter for very long.
It had been almost two months since they' brought their precious little angel home from the hospital. Two weeks since Kate had started back to work, and even then Kate was having trouble staying away from her daughter or more than just a few minutes at any given time. This fact gave Gibbs considerable reason to believe that Kate was the one doing all the canceling, and not the babysitters themselves.
"Well, sounds like you, me, Krissy, and chinese takeout." Gibbs replied, in a low voice--and you're really good I'll pick up a movie from the rental place on my way home." he added.
"Really, that sounds swell-" she started to say as she leaned in to kiss her husband on the lips.
"Got it boss!" McGee called out, suddenly jumping up from his chair behind his desk. "I found that address you were looking for."
Gibbs grinned sheepishly at Kate, as he kissed her back quickly. "Sorry." he said quietly, as he stood up. "Duty calls." Gibbs reached down and retrieved his badge and Sig from the top, right drawer of his desk.
"Yeah, I know." she replied, turning and walking back to her own desk.
"McGee. You stay here and help Kate." Gibbs commanded loudly, as he walked over and took the piece of paper that McGee was holding out in his hand.
"Right boss." McGee replied, with a nod.
"DiNozzo. With me." Gibbs called over his shoulder as he headed towards the elevator.
"On your six Boss!" Tony called out, as he grabbed up his things and gave chase as quickly as he could.
Kate entered the living room of their home later that night. She had just put baby Krissy down in her crib to sleep. She strolled casually towards her husband who sat waiting for her on the sofa.
Kate had changed out of the restraints of her work clothes and into something much more comfortable. She wore a tight red tank top shirt and a pair of black pajama bottoms (along with a pair of white socks). She had also pulled her hair back into a pony tail.
She plopped down onto the sofa beside Gibbs, and watched him flip through the TV channels a few times before speaking up. "Krissy's fed, and in bed." she informed Gibbs, quietly. After a minute or two of only silence and no answer from the 'functional mute' that was her husband she spoke again. "I could make us some popcorn--ya know to go with our movie." she suggested.
Gibbs switched the television off, via the off button on the remote control, and the screen went dark cutting the overall light in the room by a little more than half. He was silent for a brief moment before he turned to her and locked his eyes with hers. "Its you. Isn't it?" he asked calmly and quietly, not breaking his eye contact with the beautiful brunette.
Kate wasn't sure how to best answer Gibbs' question so she chose, instead, to remain silent.
No answer from Kate. Gibbs sighed, as he searched for more words. "The babysitter's haven't been cancelling have they?" he asked, almost as if he were making a statement more than asking a question. "You're the one whose been cancelling." he added.
Kate knew she was caught, but she tried her best to appear as if she was offended in some way. "What are you saying, Gibbs?" Kate countered, defensively. "Are you accusing me of something?"
Gibbs smirked at his wife. "Only of not being honest with me." he replied, in a low voice. He knew he was right about his wife's intentions, and he wasn't angry with or at her. He just wanted her to be honest with him about it--that was all.
"I don't believe you." Kate said, as she stood up where she was. "We have a little bad luck with babysitters, and you want to blame me." she said aloud, in a tone of almost utter disbelief. She crossed her arms defiantely across her chest and turned away from him.
Gibbs stood up, with a really stupid, smug look plastered across his own face as he reached out for his beautiful brunette wife. "Honey, if you're not ready to be away from the baby yet--then you could've said something the first time." he said quietly, wrapping his arms around her body and pulling her close.
Kate's eyes sparkled with emotion as she accepted her husband's embrace. "I-I wanted to," she started to say. "But you had gone through all the trouble of making plans and everything--that I just--I just didn't want to hurt your feelings." she told him quietly, reaching back and rubbing his arm gently.
"Since when has anyone ever been able to hurt my feelings?" he quipped, rather smugly, as he hugged his wife tight.
Kate's eyes glistened with moist emotion as she remembered how they almost didn't get married--about the fights they had, about the surgeries that Gibbs had gone through just so that he could walk again--everything that had happened back then had just been so overwhelming for both of them. "When I left you," she whispered. "I hurt you then."
Gibbs chuckled sweetly, and spun Kate around in his arms. He looked into her eyes for a brief moment and then kissed her square on the lips. The kiss was deep and passionate and threatened to envelope the both of them in sheer ecstasy right on the spot where they stood. When he pulled back he gently wiped away a tear that had begun to roll down her cheek. "That was then, Kate." he said softly. "And besides...I won't let that happen again."
They stood their staring into each other's eyes for what seemed like forever until neither one of them could hold a straight face any longer, and they both started to laugh. "Alright," Gibbs said finally. "Now, how about that popcorn and movie?" he asked with a grin.
Kate laughed at her husband's sense of humor. "I'll get the popcorn." she offered, as she turned in the direction of the kitchen.
Gibbs held her back for a moment longer, and swatted her on the behind, (not too hard though).
Kate jumped slightly, away from him, with a devilish grin on her face. "What was that for!?"
"THAT," Gibbs replied, with a smug grin spread across his own face. "Was just a little taste of what'll happen if you ever do anything like that again."
"Really," she retorted, arching her brow, and her smile getting bigger by the second. "Is that so 'Mr. Gibbs?"
"HmHmm." was his only reply.
"Well then I guess maybe I'll only be a 'bad girl' every once in a while." she said, in a low, seductive voice that she knew would stir him up on the inside (because it usually did). Then, with a lop-sided grin, she headed off towards the kitchen to make some popcorn.
............To Be Continued in "Part Three"............
Author's Chapter Notes:
Kate has the baby, and then they bring the baby home for the very first time.
Chapter End Notes:
Sorry, for those of you that may have noticed, I did/have make/made a few changes here and there; but its only because I felt that the changes that I made would ultimately make for a better story. So please, bare with me, and I'm sure that you guys will not be disappointed.
P.S. And Yes, the medication mentioned in the story that Kate is currently taking, I made it up just for this story.
P.S. And Yes, the medication mentioned in the story that Kate is currently taking, I made it up just for this story.