Running Away



Disclaimer: Gibbs, Kate, and the song ‘Running Away' by Fuel are not mine. ::pouts:: Damn…..and I thought I really had a chance there. Oh, and Linda isn't mine either, but I gave her a name!

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Linda was up visiting relatives for the weekend, and Gibbs was left alone to work on his boat and his work, as he had been for so many weekends before. At least that was what he led Linda to believe, he thought to himself, as he drove over to Georgetown, the scent of sawdust and a musty basement still clinging to him. He doesn't think when he does this, because thinking about it would lead to questioning it, and if he questioned it he knew he would stop it. And he didn't want to stop it.

He and Linda had been seeing each other on and off for about the past year and a half. He didn't know what attracted him to her. She was just like the others, the other wives and girlfriends, down to the hair color. Maybe he was a glutton for punishment, and longed for the heartache he seemed to associate with women like Linda. So what attracted him to Kate Todd, after all these years?

Caitlin Todd was different. How, he couldn't exactly put his finger on. She was an agent that worked with him, must as his first wife had been. She was intelligent, beautiful, and funny, just as the others had been as well. But something, perhaps the fire in her eyes, the occasional bite in her tone, made her different. She could stare him down, and win, so maybe that's what drew him to her.

The car, as well as his mind, seemed to be on autopilot as he continued to make the journey to her apartment. He turned the radio up, as if to drown out his thoughts, and it worked for a little while, until he passed the small pub that had led to this whole thing.

And then the memories started flooding back to him. He was feeling generous after a case, and proposed that the gang go out for some drinks and unwind. Everyone but Ducky was able to make it, and they had a fun night, unwinding after a hard week. And then, all too soon, they were suddenly alone. Abby and McGee had left, presumably went back to Abby's apartment, and Tony had left allegedly to meet up with a ‘hot date'.

Gibbs found himself opening up that night to Kate, and vice versa with each sip of their respective drinks. They were in no way drunk, but their inhibitions were lowered and their emotions less guarded. And one thing led to another, and they ended up in Kate's bed.

They promised each other that it was a one time thing. While not a mistake, it would never happen again, and wouldn't affect their working relationship.

But the next week at work, whenever one would looks at the other, they were transported back to that night, that bed, and could suddenly feel the other beside them. It was a temptation and as it turned out, neither could resist. He showed up at her apartment one night, and before she could question him, he had claimed her lips with his, and they burned his mark into her soft skin. And so once had become twice.

The next morning, they had made each other the same promise as before, that it wouldn't happen again. But now both were hooked. They knew what the other had to offer, and they both knew that no matter what the other said, they would come back to this. Neither were strong enough to resist.

That was months ago now, and their half-hearted promises had been forgotten and it its place, the early morning light was filled with whispered sweet nothings, something most would not expect from Jethro Gibbs. No one except for his Katie of course.

But this relationship they had going was not without problems. Whenever Linda would pick him up, he could see her straighten and avert her eyes. Other times Kate couldn't hide her jealousy as the redhead would kiss him openly, and they would drive off together. Later when Gibbs would go to see her, he wanted nothing more than to allay her fears, and assure her that she was the one that he truly cared for. But it didn't feel quite right, because if this was true, why would he still be with Linda?

But somehow, Kate kept this up. He was always afraid that one night he would show up to her apartment and she would be sharing her heart and her bed with someone else. He told her this once, and she laughed softly, and placed her palm against his cheek. "You're the only one for me, Jethro Gibbs. I don't care about Linda, whether or not you believe that." She smiled as she kissed him softly. "Besides, I happen to like my men older." She said, smiling.

A grin, something that was becoming more and more frequent when he thought of Katie, graced his aged face. He was now standing in front of her door, and prepared to knock. As she opened the door to him, she greeted him with a smile. Unlike many nights when they were too caught up in the moment to offer a proper greeting, she just stepped into his arms and wrapped her arms around his waist. "Hi Gibbs." She whispered.

She inhaled his scent, her face buried in the crook of his neck. This was something that had always bothered him. He knew that she could smell another woman on him, and yet she kissed him, touched him, and loved him all the same. He wasn't sure how she did it. Maybe that's why he almost always worked on his boat before he came over. He didn't want her to think about Linda while she was in his arms. Hell, he didn't want to think about Linda while his Katie was in his arms. It just felt wrong. So why did it feel so right, when they had their meetings?

Gibbs tightened his hold on her waist. He could tell that this last case had hit her hard, and he wanted to make sure that she was okay. She turned her face up to his, and he lightly kissed her, reassuring both of them of the others presence.

"I think that I might be in love with you Gibbs." She said, her smile tinged with sadness. But before he could call her on it, she settled her lips onto his, stopping his thoughts.

Deep down, Gibbs knew this was wrong, and that he should break it off with one of the women. But he just couldn't bring himself to do it. ‘How could something so wrong,' Gibbs thought to himself, as Katie led him to her bedroom, ‘Feel so right?'

Notes: Short and bittersweet, and based off the song 'It's So Easy' by Sheryl Crow!

Same disclaimer as before, and the song (while different) still doesn't belong to me.

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Kate laid her head on Gibbs' chest, idly twirling his chest hair around her fingers. His hand came down to lightly caress her hair, tangling his large hands in her silky brown locks. Kate smiled and snuggled deeper into her lover's side.

They had been doing this for a few months now, but Kate wasn't completely sure what to classify ‘this' as. She had told him tonight that she loved him, but she didn't know how he felt about her. Of course he cared for her, she knew they were more than fuck-buddies, but how much more, she wasn't sure. She sighed heavily and felt Gibbs' place a kiss on her head. She imagined that he had thoughts like this too when they were finished, she knew that reality always hit hardest in this moment.

Gibbs was different from all the other men she had dated. They were, as Alicia referred to them, boy toys. She had her fun and then they would part ways. But with Gibbs it was different. He was an intense man, and being with him was intense. Intense, but very, very fun. She smiled slightly at that thought, but then the guilt came back around again. He was involved. She was, by definition, the other woman, and she knew it was wrong.

She could feel Gibbs' breathing even out, and looked up at him, a smile on her face. Oh no, he wasn't like the other men she dated. But she wouldn't have him any other way. She kissed his chest lightly and slid out from his warm embrace. He shifted a bit, but did not wake. She needed to think some things out, and she couldn't do that in his strong arms, sleep calling sweetly to her.

She put on her black silk robe and walked out into her apartment, careful not to trip over any discarded clothing. She sat on the couch, fiddling with the tie that held her robe together, and was lost in thought.

She didn't know why she did this. He was her boss, he was involved with another woman, and many other reasons that only came to her now, at night. But all these things were outweighed by one thing. Her love for him. She knew that it was cliché, but the look in his eye when he saw her, the little grin that he had whenever he thought that no one was looking, that's what kept her coming back. Jethro Gibbs was like a drug, and Caitlin Todd had willingly become an addict.

They hadn't meant for it to go this far. It was a one time thing, that turned into a two time thing, and now it was a more times than she could count thing. She could still remember that first night though, she could see the need in his eyes, and feel it in his touch. But the thing she remembered most was the fear she felt. What would he think in the morning? Did he consider it a mistake? Would he even be there when she woke up? Demons like this had plagued her until she fell into a restless sleep.

She remembered being so relieved when she woke up in his arms the next morning, recalling the feel of loneliness and rejection she had felt before when she had woken up alone. But then he told her it couldn't happen again and she went along with it because she was afraid of her real feelings for him.

But the next day at work, she could feel his gaze burning into her. She could feel the heat from him whenever he stood close to her, and she couldn't help but breathe in his scent. It was an intoxicating mix of sawdust, coffee and a light aftershave. It was Gibbs. When he showed up at her apartment a few nights after their first encounter she was surprised, but welcomed him with open arms. She couldn't deny him when they both wanted it so bad.

He had made her the same promise the next morning, but she knew it was a lie. They couldn't just walk away from this. At least, she hoped that she wasn't the only one hopelessly entangled in her feelings. But when he came back, her fears were quieted for a little while. Until she saw Linda again.

Linda was the mysterious redhead that had been such an enigma to Kate and her coworkers…okay, her and Tony for about the past year, at least it had been about a year when Kate and Gibbs started this affair. Kate had forgotten about her until one night, Gibbs was walking out with her, and there she was, in her silver Mercedes looking smart and put together. Kate looked down at her wrinkled pants, and ran a hand through her mussed hair, suddenly feeling very inadequate compared to this woman. Gibbs gave her a look that she had come to know as his "I'll see you later" look, and quietly slipped into the car.

That night, Gibbs had come to her, and she had given into him willingly. But afterwards, when she usually slipped into sleep with him, she stayed awake. She tried to analyze what was going on, why she did this. And that was the start of nights like this, nights where she couldn't help but question her actions.

But she wasn't alone in her doubts. One night, Gibbs confided to her he was afraid she's find someone younger and leave him out in the cold. She tried to tell him that would never happen, but she wasn't sure if he believed her or not. In an odd way, it was comforting to know she wasn't the only self-conscious one.

Kate chuckled ruefully from on the couch. She and Gibbs made quite the pair. Sometimes, she longed to go out and be like a normal couple, but another side of her liked just being alone with him, watching him build his boat, occasionally helping him. She knew that what they had was by no means a normal relationship, with the whole she was his subordinate thing, and the, him being involved thing, but in the long run, this was one of the most stable relationships she had ever been in.

Kate heard a rustling coming from her room and turned toward the door, and saw Gibbs standing there. "Come back to bed sweetheart." He said, his voice rough and husky with sleep. She grinned slightly at the endearment; they would only pop out when he was really exhausted.

She wondered randomly if they came from his mouth easier when he was with Linda, but pushed those thoughts away quickly. He was with her tonight, and she would enjoy it while she could. She could forget for one more night her ‘other woman' status, she thought, as she walked back into the bedroom and into her lover's waiting arms.