Title : All I have
Fiction : KIBBS
Genre : Established relationship, tragedy
Warning : Slight mention of 9/11
Rating : Teen / PG 13
Disclaimer : NCIS...definitely not mine!

Kibbs series: Trouble & Problem ~ Marital Bliss ~ Imagine ~ Cursed &Blessed ~Drool~ All I have ~ Immortality (end)
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Special thanks to my BETA (MV)…
Thanks for the review…Dani, Dolphinsiren, kibbslover, mathhhh, shanahan, alli-cameron, HockeyRocks, Manue82, hellraiser, I heart TV ‘tv luvin hottie, mcabello, louise1717, cleo nightingale, snake666, maelace, orangeangel, melissa09, Cutest ever, Bart simpson roc, Pandy Roxy chick, Alex eames rox, artemis3107(Julia), Jemasableu27, Ditte3, Navy babe, The real Mrs Harmon, boheman buddy…and many more.
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Chapter 1 Draconian

Grim

Director Gibbs is in the foulest mood ever; Fornell just left his office. They were locked in a heated argument about the Mossad bastard Haswari, which made passers-by cringe at the shouts from the NCIS latest director's office, next to MTAC.
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Gibbs acknowledges that it is the FBI's failure to control the double agent, the bloody fucking terrorist, it is not Fornell's fault; he is just a God damned messenger, an operator, working under his superior, but still...Gibbs can't help it but to blame the man who married his ex wife and has already divorced her of course. They shout for about half an hour and then…
"We can not turn on each other Gibbs! We can't do that, that's what the bastard wants!" Fornell is losing his edge. "You tie my hands yet you expect me to swim Fornell" Gibbs hisses at him, "Your hands are tied in public Gibbs. NCIS hands are not tied in reality Gibbs! So stop being a fucking bastard and we'll figure out a way to clean up the mess!
Al Qaeda will not have one of its main cell operators dead! We'll figure out a way Gibbs, we have no choice…we do not want another 9/11…" Fornell is tired from all the shouting; he is sitting in front of Gibbs's desk. "No shit Fornell, it's my staff, my men, their livelihood we are talking about. It's my family's life we are talking about, I might be a fucking bastard, but I am not heartless and I am not willing to jeopardize their safety"
Gibbs is slumped on his chair, exhausted, drained.
"How do we let it happen? This way? On our ground, our fucking payroll. 9/11 taught us NOTHING!...nothing at all...how is this possible? How...how could FBI set him free? Roaming...after what he did to Kate?" Gibbs is lost...lost for words, lost in terror. They are both lost for words, but somehow, an hour later Fornell exits the office with new surge of hope.

Gibbs and Fornell grew closer after Gibbs saved Fornell's ass and the Mossad incident; they are both bastards and somehow they manage to get along fairly well. The FBI Director hates the NCIS's new Director, therefore he appointed Fornell to liaise between the two agencies. Gibbs couldn't care less what the freaking FBI Director thinks about him, he was glad that Fornell shows his face instead of what the hell is his name.
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Jethro Gibbs is still struggling, the best he knows how, to lead NCIS, as the new Director, replacing Morrow. He struggles to be less vicious with his words, he struggles to curbs his sarcasm, he hates meeting, now he deals with them, and he misses his old job. In one word, Jethro Gibbs is struggling.
His Katie has been his rock, all this time, supporting him. It was her idea for him to take courses over the freaking internet. Before he said NO! She told him that she'll help him with EVERYTHING! All he has to do is read and study and she'll do the rest: applying, typing, emailing and so on, and he said yes.
Without her help, he is lost, without her continuous support and encouragement, believing in him, he would probably have stepped down within a month. Gibbs often wonders whether or not Morrow waited, waited for him to marry Kate, then appointed him to the position because Morrow knew that Kate will push him to succeed, that he is not alone, he has Kate by his side.

In the midst of adjusting to the new position, new responsibilities, missing his old duties; the Mossad case is thrown unto his lap…Gibbs bets that everybody remembers the day he shouted for his secretary to connect him to the FBI Director while calling Fornell by his mobile. After months of "forced negotiations" between NCIS and FBI, he calms down, but he'll never rest until Haswari is six feet under.
Fear is killing Gibbs slowly: fear for his Robert and Kate's safety. He never knew such fear, unless he counts the time Haswari snatched Kate while she was expecting Robert...NO...NOT AGAIN!...not on his watch! This time, Jethro Gibbs decides to share the bleak information with his wife and his woman told him that she believes in him and that he'll kick Haswari's ass.
Just last week during the monthly meeting with his senior agents, he told them about the Mossad case; he wanted them to be aware of the hidden danger.

Fornell left about an hour ago. Then Gibbs remembers that he has a lunch date with Ducky and his wife...and his tot of course, he hardly spends any time with the people that he loves the most.
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Where are you?

And where is Kate? She was supposed to have been here half an hour ago. Kate dropped Robert off with Abby about two hours ago, he knows about it because that's when Fornell arrived and he heard Roberts's chatter from his bullpen and he couldn't help it but peeked at them. Then Kate told him that she'll be back within an hour for their lunch date, swiftly kissed him and left in a hurry before he managed to ask her anything.
Gibbs has been calling his wife for several times but she is not answering her mobile. Apparently his sassy wife turned off her mobile, why on earth would she turn off her mobile in times like this? She knows how much he hates it if he can't be in touch with her. "Katie...where the hell are you..." he whispers in dread, and tries to call her again.
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Caitlyn Todd is biting her lower lips in trepidation. She is nervous...waiting...in the blasted cold waiting room! Her mobile is switched off. She glances at the time; it's past noon. She was supposed to have met Jethro by noon and she knows that he would freak out if she is late and he can't reach her...oh hell!
She doesn't care, she turned off her mobile a while ago, wanting some peace; so many things are running through her already crowded mind.

"Mrs. Gibbs" she finds her new title funny. She hastily stands up and walks into the examination room. "Good afternoon Caitlyn, nice to see you again" the old MD flashes his kind smile at her, "How's Ducky and Robert? And how's your beloved husband doing?" Her MD is talkative too. Dr. Strebel loves to chat, he could talk for hours.
"Good, they are all well, Robert is growing like a weed, getting harder to handle..." Kate and her OB-GYN laugh together quietly.
"So?" Kate asks anxiously. The OB-GYN smiles at her "its positive Caitlyn, you are pregnant "Kate smiles, exhaling loudly: the suspense is over. "Give me a few minutes and we'll do an ultrasound, OK, Caitlyn?" doctor Strebel says as he exits the room to attend another urgent patient.

Kate looks at her watch and gasps: she is definitely late! She switches on her mobile: Damn! 10 messages from him! She calls him. Robert must be hungry
She calls to cancel their lunch date and she wonders how her overly protective husband would react to her turning off her mobile for more than an hour. Honey" she starts talking to him as usual. He cuts her off: "Kate...where are you? You OK?" he is so relieved to hear her voice. Gibbs is still in his office, signing papers.

His secretary shakes her head, looking at her new boss who is the complete opposite of Morrow…Nevertheless, a good man but working with him hasn't been a piece of cake: his communication skills and temperament...They're – how shall she put it? – Bad!
Mrs. Adams imagines it's not easy living with this man and she knows Caitlyn Todd fairly well, a pleasant, kind and pretty young lady and now married to this gruff man in front of her.
Her new boss, the new NCIS director is a no nonsense kind of man, hates paperwork, doesn't believe in cooperation and negotiation, especially with other agency. She pities Special Agent Dinozzo, a rather cute looking agent who got head slaps every now and then, but Mrs. Adams can see Dinozzo and other agents' loyalty to him are unquestionable.

And now he is barraging his wife with questions, on the phone. He looks worried rather than angry or annoyed, and as a 60 year old woman who has seen all types of men; she has seen his love for his wife.
"I'm OK, don't worry, I'll be late...sorry, I have to cancel...it takes..." Kate tries answering his questions. "Kate where are you? Do you want me to pick you up?" he cuts her off again.
"No, no, no Jethro I'll drive, I am just going to be a bit late, you go ahead with Ducky and Robert, and I'll see you guys later, OK? Bye, love you" and Caitlyn Todd hangs up on Gibbs before he manages to cut her off again.
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Gibbs notices that Ducky arrived with Robert while he was on the phone, his ME is holding Robert's hand "Dadiiii" Roberts greets his dad as he enters the office, that's one of the reasons Gibbs is distracted and couldn't ask Kate more questions and then she hung up on him.
"Madam..." Robert calls Mrs. Adams "madam", "Oh you sweet little thing..." Mrs. Adams takes his tiny hand from Ducky; she kisses him all over; the boy is simply...adorable, his rosy cheeks, his bulging tummy...his soft blue eyes...who could refuse those eyes? How could Director Gibbs have such a cute charming little boy? she wonders; he looks like his mother though. "Kate is not joining us Ducky" Gibbs tells his ME; Mrs. Adams lets the boy slip to the floor and the tot dashes to his dad.
Gibbs hoists him to his lap. The second Robert sits on his lap, his chubby fingers tries to pulls his dad's gun from the holster. "Gun...daddy...gun...Bobby want..." he struggles with the thing. "No Bobby..." his dad says to him, messing his combed hair. "Your guns are at home..."

"Where's Caitlyn, Jethro?" Ducky innocently asks. He regrets his question a few minutes later. "I have no idea, Ducky..." Gibbs answers. Ducky thought he looks pissed.
If not for the two year old on his lap, teasing his dad, somehow appeasing him, Jethro Gibbs would look like the devil himself.
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The news

Something is off, Gibbs is thinking. As he continuously blocks his son's hands from his gun, he makes the call. "McGee...track Kate..." he calls for McGee, who by now knows better than to asks question when his boss sounds agitated like he is right now!
"Yes boss" He quickly answers and tracks his ex team mate. While Gibbs waits, he looks at his boy, concentrating hard to unclasp his gun holder. No Bobby..." he speaks to him softly; the boy's inquisitive fingers try to unhook the clasps from the holster
Robert looks at his sweet old dad and cocks his head. "Yes, daddy...GUN...Bang...bang..." insisting to him. "It's not a toy Robert..."
"Boss..." McGee calls out to him "McGee..." he is anxious, waiting for the result.
"Kate is at Bethesda...Boss..."
"What?"
"Yeah Boss, I am sure..." and Gibbs hangs up on him, he was not questioning McGee's finding, he was shocked. Hospital? What on earth is she doing at the hospital? What's wrong with her? She has been rather quiet and withdrawn for the last two weeks, not that he spent much time with her...but he never thought...
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Gibbs quickly passes his boy to Ducky and Mrs. Adam, and he dashes out to his car and screeches out of the parking lot to Bethesda.
He is lost in his "day mares" that Kate is sick, that she is not telling him about it. She did look pale; horrible thoughts come across his mind as he drives towards the hospital, he hopes McGee is wrong. What if Kate is terminally ill? He wants to quit his job so that he can be with her...and..."Stop it!" he says to himself, "get over yourself!" Kate would never do that to him, she is so young, almost fifteen years younger than him.
She couldn't be sick... but why is she hiding the truth from him? "Oh God, please" he prays in silence, he begs desperately "don't rip us apart when things are going so well in our life, please have mercy on us"

He arrives at the Bethesda parking lot. Within minutes he strides towards the hospital's main entrance. He tries his luck. He calls Kate again. She answers him knowingly.
"Yes, Jethro, I won't be much longer, I'll be a little bit late and I'll..." she is used to him by now. "Kate! I am at Bethesda! Where are you?"
"What?!?" Kate couldn't believe her ears...how could he? Damn! He tracked her.
"Katie, I am here, where are you? What's wrong with you?" he sounds nervous and...loud!
"Oh dear God...Jethro..." Kate covers her face with her hand, her husband is insane! She sees Strebel laughing at her.
"Just tell me where you are! Don't you trust your own husband? After all we've been through" She cuts him off…"I am fine…I am just…" and he cuts her off.
"Katie, I am the father of your child? What aren't you telling me? I can handle it Katie, we'll face it together, whatever it is..." he sounds like Ducky with an edge!
"Jethro!!!" Kate has had enough. "Yeah, Kate?! Where..." he wants to know where the HELL she is! "I am pregnant; you are going to be the father of MY CHILDREN!"...silence...Gibbs looks like an idiot in the middle of busy hospital lobby. He can't believe the news, he thought she is sick. "I am at the maternity wing" and she hangs up on him, rather annoyed! She already concocted an elaborate scheme to tell him the news.
DAMN! He ruins everything.
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The old MD tries to hides his amusement, looking down at his patient already lying down on the slab, "the father?" "YEP!" she is pissed, and Strebel remembers how crazy Special Agent Gibbs can be. It takes Gibbs less than three minutes to reach his wife. They hear a knock on the door "Enter" Strebel says and Kate sees Gibbs's head peaking past the door. He nods and greets the aging MD and then "Katie, I am so happy" as he walks towards her, she is in a hospital gown on the exam table, he kisses her head repeatedly
"I am sorry I snapped...I didn't know...sorry Katie" Kate thinks he looks really guilty, the man hardly ever apologizes and she is in a good mood, so she decides to let it go. She nods grumpily at him..."OK then...ready?...ready to see your future baby?" and they both nod. Half an hour later they are out of Bethesda. Gibbs keeps in kissing his wife: her nose, her lips. He is embracing her, holding her close; the man is damn happy and excited with the new addition to their small family, he takes Kate to her car and they drive back to the HQ, together.
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"ONE...TWO...THREE...FOUR...FIVE...SIX...SEVEN...EIGHT...TEN...DUCKIII" Roberts bellows his counting skills, showing off AND he goes on "uno…dos…tres...cuatro…cinco" and he stops: that's all he knows how to count in Spanish, his mommy taught him. He goes on..."ein...zwei…drei...vier...funf..." Roberts stops. That's all he knows in German, once again from his mommy.
"Sehr gut Robert, bueno, good boy, Robert..." Ducky is all over him, Robert is counting some of his autopsy tools on side counter as he sits on the cold slab. The ME kisses his cheeks and flicks his nose. "Although you missed 'nine' my boy" Robert cocks his head and remembers "eight NINE ten" he claps his hands as he finishes his counting. "OK Robert, now I count, you learn OK?" Ducky shows all his ten fingers, and then takes off his shoes and socks, showing all twenty digits.

And he counts from one to twenty as he wiggles his toes to the boy sitting on the slab. But instead of repeating after Ducky, Robert claps his hands excitedly at Ducky for counting.
Ducky is now laughing so hard the tears run down his cheeks. "Robert, you've been such a good boy!" and the boy nods excitedly. "You are so smart, so, you deserve...this!" and he whips out a small pack of Gummy Bears. "Gummy yummy Ducky..." he greets the Gummy Bears. "OPEN" he shouts excitedly and fidgets as he waits for Ducky to feed him.

Then Ducky pops a green Gummy Bear into his mouth; "Thank you" he manages to say in between the chewing. "You are welcome Robert" Ducky says. Then Robert's small hand snatches the pack from Ducky's hand, and before Ducky can stop him, Robert takes out a piece of red Gummy Bear and slips it into Ducky's mouth.
"Ducky eat...yummy!" he exclaims. Ducky beams at his "grandson" fondly.
NCIS's ME is amazed at his growth, grateful for his presence and proud of his intelligent. "Who is Robert Jethro Gibbs?" he asks. "Me" as Robert points to himself.
"Who's your grandfather?" "Du..ki" he answers with his full mouth and points at the ME.
"Ahh...my boy, you warm my heart" Ducky says to him lovingly, stroking his hair.
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The automatic doors slide open.
"Bobby..." Kate calls for her big baby. She walks into the Autopsy with Gibbs by her side. "MOMMY...DADDY..." he greets his parents after he quickly swallows his Gummy Bear as Ducky lowers him to the floor...and pitter...pat...he walks towards two of his other favorite people in the world.
Kate hoists the excited running boy up as he reaches her. She kisses him all over and discovers his face is sticky. "Bobby, did you eat Gummy Bears?" she looks at the boy sternly, pretending to be angry at him. "No mommy...no!...no yummy..." he lies to get out of trouble. His dad almost laughs then he realizes. Gibbs picks him up from Kate's arms. Kate is still kissing the boy's tummy.
"Kate, I don't think you should pick him up anymore, let me." The boy weighs about 28 pounds now. Kate pouts at him, but lets him take Robert from her.

"Aren't you going to tell Ducky?" Gibbs asks her…"Tell me what Caitlyn?" Ducky hears his name mentioned. "Are you sure you really want to know?" Kate teases him.
"What is it Caitlyn don't keep me in suspense...you know there is..." he is about to starts telling his stories to her."Ducky, we are having another baby" Kate says to the surprised ME who is looking at her with his mouth gaped open, his eyes are shining with happiness.
He says nothing, he just hugs Caitlyn and kisses her temple. "Bless you my child."
Gibbs sees that his old ME is in tears. "Congratulation Jethro." Ducky quickly hugs Gibbs with Bobby in the middle and Robert laughs: being hugged by two people at the same time is fun!
"Thanks Ducky" he says to him and notices that the ME is shoe less and sock less.
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"HEY!...what's going on?' Abby finds her friends and boss hugging and kissing each other in the middle of Autopsy room.
Minutes later:
Dinozzo and McGee hear Abby's high pitched scream – all the way from Autopsy. DAMN!!! They look at each other in question, then fear and rush down to the source of the terrifying scream.
Other agents thought Gibbs must have killed somebody, the inevitable has happened!
At the end of the day Ducky said it calls for a celebration. The man is giddy with happiness, he is going to have another grandchild, he is such in a good mood, he doesn't snap at Jimmy, his apprentice.
And for a moment, just for one moment, Gibbs forgot about Haswari, wrapped in his dream, his family, his life!
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-Tbc-nova2007

Chapter 2 Celebration and Tragedy

Bash

When Ducky and Gibbs decide to have a BBQ during the weekend, Kate just nods, since she is not supposed to be involved in the preparation.

Her husband has gone mental again! This time Ducky is there to support him. The doting ME and Gibbs plan and execute the mission “BBQ on the weekend” of course with the help of the usual three stooges, while she is stuck with Robert in the house, playing hide and seek.

The busy adults can’t afford to have the tiny disruptive force around. Robert is not a baby who can be placed in his box anymore…oh no!!! Not anymore, now he walks around… and he has a mind of his own, not a baby anymore. Abby says he is like a “beagle” following its nose…Robert follows his eyes and nose too.

The boy loves dogs, all kind of dogs: from the huge Rotweillers to tiny Chihuahuas not to forget stray dogs and cats; he would stick his face against the pet’s shop window and refused to budge until he is satisfied and made his mom or dad promise to get him a dog when he is fifty…yeah…no kidding “five –zero”, he has no concept of age yet! He must have thought that he’ll get a dog when he is five, since he is “two” now.

Kate freaked when he dashes over to O’Brien’s old 80 pounds Rotweiller, he runs excitedly to the black beautiful dog and screams “doggie!!!” at the top of his lungs; he hugs, kisses and strokes the dog’s fur. Gibbs and O’Brien said to Kate that it’s OK! But none of them left his side…

It takes Gibbs and Kate about half an hour to convince Robert to go home…all they hear all the way from O’Brien’s house to theirs are, “Bobby wants doggie…please…Bobby wants doggie” over and over again until Kate glares at him.
That evening, Robert pants like a dog and crawls on his hands and feet, he even barked - like “doggie” he said and to make it worse, cool aunt Abby joins in the fun, with her gothic dog collar, all Ducky manages to say is “Oh my dear God”
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Just last week:
Kate found her ME is a very distressing condition, back from a trip to the supermarket with Robert. Ducky was pale. He came in and asked for a glass of water.

Gibbs was surprised, but instead of his usual interrogation, he gave the ME the requested glass of water and they watched him gulp the entire content down his throat within seconds.
After a few minutes, Ducky spoke.” I lost Robert for a while. God, I was so scared. He was right beside me, I was holding his hand and I lost him…” Ducky stops talking for a second to breathe.
Kate was so sorry for the old man she felt like spanking her son, who was oblivious to everything, taking his own sweet time drinking his juice from his sippy cup on Ducky’s lap. Ducky went on. "I have never felt that scared in my life before. I was just picking up a box of cereal; the next thing I know, the boy is GONE!!!

I searched high and low, I even went to the parking lot and the storage areas…” Ducky exhaled anxiously…“I found him at the end counter, by the cash register; he made the sweet cashier lady open and closes the cash register! The lady said he loved the sound” Ducky finally explained to the parents.

Kate glared at Robert and the boy just grinned at her. Gibbs raised his brows, not knowing how to react. But of course, Ducky said it was not Robert’s fault, he is so young, he just is curious about everything, and that he is too young to understand.
Kate doesn’t think that Robert is too young to understand, she makes a note at the back of her mind, to discipline Robert when Ducky and her husband are not around.
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Last night Robert tried to help his dad set up table for today’s BBQ, but he was more of a hindrance than a help. The boy wanted to play with his dad, he managed to knock his head to the wooden table and bawled loudly in pain and last night he slept with a green bump on his temple and his father didn’t manage to set up anything for the BBQ.

So, because of the “beautiful new” bump on his head, Robert slept in parents’ room.
See, the two year old has a room of his own, next to his mom and dad’s; by the time he was a mere one and a half years old and able to walk, he wanted his own room, he called it his “basement”, with no boat of course, but filled with his gun and rifle collection.

His daddy built a wooden cupboard for him to store his toys along with his medium sized bed. Gibbs transformed the nursery into a cool two year old’s sanctuary, all hand made by him. He christened the room by “breaking the lock” on the door!!!
Kate laughed her head off. Robert couldn’t understand when his dad said to him that he’ll get a lock to his door when he is 17, the innocent boy just nodded excitedly, agreeing to everything his dad wants. Kate hoped he was joking, but her husband never jokes! Poor Robert, she thought.

But Robert sleeps with his parents whenever he acquires new bumps, or when he is sick which he seldom is, then he would latch on to his mom or dad and forget about “his basement” for a while, tucked in safely and warm on the huge bed between his angels.
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BBQ

Gibbs must have told “the three stooges” to arrive early.
The BBQ is supposed to start past noon, but McGee, James and Tony arrive before nine in the morning. After they have a quick breakfast together, the day is started with music and beer, while Robert is still sleeping amongst pillows on his parents’ bed.
Kate is bound to the kitchen, the men refused to let her help, but soon Abby arrives and they have a great time. Kate love Abby’s jokes and crazy ideas.

Soon, Ducky and Mrs. Adams arrive. Abby looks at them with her questioning wicked eyes, arching her eyebrows, only to receive a head slap from Gibbs, “Hey, I didn’t say anything!” she complains. ”I didn’t say anything either, Abby” he gives his wife a kiss and walks back to the backyard.
He looks damn hot in his old shirt and BDU pants, Kate thought.
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It is almost ten in the morning.
Robert is surprised when he is awake from his slumber. He hears noise from downstairs. He quickly slips down from the bed and walks out in his PJs, only to be stopped by a door, like a barrier that blocks the stairways. His dad built it when he learned how to crawl.

Gibbs can hear his little voice calling him; "Daddy…mommy…Bobby want go down…mommy…daddy…Bobby awake!!!...please…” as he rattles the wooden barriers with both hands.
His dad smiles to himself, walks up and frees him. His bump is now dark green!

The boy is pleased when he sees lots of people, he claps his hands as he exclaims “Bobby house FULL of people…” and he waddles through the activity, flashing his smiles to his admires, calling everybody’s name.
Man! The attention he gets with his new bump on his head…the boy said that he didn’t cry and it doesn’t hurt, but when his Ducky asks, he said that it hurts! And he got it because he was helping his dad in his backyard!

Kate is in the kitchen, preparing some of the cold meals and she is listening to his lies.

“Yeah right! Help???” she couldn’t believe it.
“He told me that it doesn’t hurt one bit!” Abby whispers to Kate
“But he told Ducky a different story” McGee passes by the kitchen and comments.

Kate decides to approach the naughty boy and sees him in Ducky’s lap with a pack of not-very-small M&M’s and she quickly grabs it from his tiny clutches. "Robert…NO, please!”, Ducky just keeps quiet, being caught red handed and Robert pouts unhappily at his mom but he dares not say anything.
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Then the old man takes him by the hand to the backyard to “help”. After a while he forgets about his M&M’s and enjoys the merriment, he walks back and forth between his backyard and kitchen, he helps by opening the back door for the people going back and forth.
Tony calls him the “chubby doorstopper”
After awhile Robert gets bored and he starts showing off his counting skills; Gibbs can hear his voice from the back of the house.
Robert counts, “One, two, three, four, five, and six…” and so on…then in Spanish and German.

Robert receives another batch of sweet which he quickly slips into his PJs pocket; the boy runs free in his house, the guys adores him and they can not wait for the 2nd mini Gibbs.
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O’Brien arrives with his wife and his grandson, a two and half year old boy named Billy. For the first time in Robert’s life, he has a friend his size and age. He takes Billy by the hand and shows the boy his house: down to the basement, shows his dad’s boat and his “personal basement/room” to his new friend. O’Brien assigns James to be the glorified sitter and the three of them have a great time.
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The BBQ starts around one at noon. It is a beautiful Sunday…the wind is cool and the weather is warm: perfect for the outdoor gathering. Buckets and ice boxes filled with meat, sausages, beers, wine, juice and cold milk are placed on the side table; the picnic table is set in the middle of the spacious backyard. Gibbs passes the BBQ thongs to Dinozzo, and he spends his time sticking by his Katie.

By the time they start eating, there are more than two dozen people and two kids. Balboa, Patchi and Roland and some other people stayed for an hour or so and then they left.
However there is a guest that left all of them stunned! It is the FBI’s Fornell; but after O’Brien, Gibbs and the lady of the house greets him warmly (for NCIS standards) the rest of the guys warm up to him and by the time they tuck into the food, the awkwardness is gone.

Robert and Billy refused to sit with the adult, they exchanged the worn-out James with McGee, still chewing his food, but he goes along. Chasing the kids, running around, circling the table all over the backyard, teasing Tony who is still stuck at the grill, rolling around on the grass, playing hide and seek, planes and with the water hose until Gibbs walks up to them and said “No” sternly and asks his son to put where it belongs.
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An hour later:
Robert and Billy come running towards Kate at the head of the table willingly because they are hungry. “Mommy…Bobby hungry, Bobby wants to eat…and Billy too…” huffing and puffing, trying to catch his breath, he doesn’t forget his dearest new friend.
Kate gives each of them a fork with a sausage. They each grab the fork and when they are about to run with their food; Gibbs catches them in time and makes them sit on the table among the adults. McGee can finally digest his food in peace.

They both eat quietly and they want more, so Kate gives them each a plate of sausage, egg and potato salad with a slice of bread. “Euwww…” Billy looks at the salad unhappily, covering his mouth with his stubby fingers.
“Don’t you like salad Billy? Robert loves salad…see…” Kate asks him as she points to her son who is eating his food with gusto, grinning at them with his full mouth, so Billy unwillingly eats his salad because he doesn’t want to lose to his new friend.
Robert eats by himself even though he spills on his face, clothes and table…sometimes the floor too. His dad lets him have fun with his food; occasionally helping him cut his food into manageable pieces.

At the other end of the table, his dad is in deep conversation with Fornell and the boy doesn’t want to disturb, so he just picks up his sausage and eats it with his hand. “Yummy” he says to himself…and drinks his milk.
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Out of the blue:
“Daddy…Billy stay with Bobby?” he tugs Gibbs’s arm. He looks at the boy, “I don’t think so Robert, Billy has his mom and dad too, just like you, he can’t stay with us…” he explains to him…

For a moment he just looks at his dad still chewing his food, perhaps he asked the wrong person, Billy belongs to “Obi”; Robert turns his body, looking at O’Brien the sweet giant, “OBI…Billy stay with Bobby???” he asks expectantly.

O’Brien and his wife laugh, looking at Gibbs and Kate, “You haven’t told the boy?”
“Actually, no…Kate?” Gibbs asks his wife, but she just smiles at him and says, “I carry the baby for nine months, why don’t you tell Robert…your turn…Jethro”
And Gibbs thought how hard can it be?

“Robert, you are going to have a brother or a sister…” he looks at the boy
”NO” Robert replies quickly, none too pleased with the news.
“No?” Gibbs is shocked.
“NO!” Robert insists, repeating himself.
Abby and Kate try really hard to hide their laughter. Gibbs gives it another go.
“Do you understand brother or sister, Robert?” he looks at the boy who is still eating.
“NO, daddy, NO! Bobby wants doggie!” he said point blank, no negotiation, he doesn’t need a brother or sister, a dog would do just fine or better!
Gibbs frowns in confusion, but he doesn’t give up easily.
“Robert, we are going to have another baby, would you like a baby?” Gibbs gives it another try, how hard can it be explaining to a two year old. Robert nods like a fifty year old man. “Yes” he says seriously.
Thank God, Gibbs thought “OK, then we are going have a baby boy or girl and you are…” wrong sentence! Robert is very unhappy; he quickly replies
“No daddy! No no, no girl, Bobby wants boy!” if he can’t have a dog, another boy would do.
“But Robert…we can’t choose and it…!” Gibbs is looking at Robert’s frown, blazing blue eyes, just like his!
“NO! Daddy NO! Please!” he scowls angrily at his daft dad, arguing his case.
-------------------------------------------

Tony who is now sitting on with the guys, just gapes at the scene: Gibbs senior versus Gibbs Junior; Ducky just smiles at them, O’Brien and Fornell are stunned! Finally, Gibbs has a problem convincing someone to agree with him.

“Kate…” he asks for her support.”Don’t worry about it, Jethro, he can’t understand the concept of sibling, perhaps later when he sees my growing belly, me turning into a penguin, he’ll understand” she teases him with a grin.

Robert has already moved past the boy or girl problem, after he is finished with his meal, he tugs Billy’s elbow, “Come on” and they are about to run away from the table, to play, already eying Abby to accompany them.
Kate manages to grab him by his elbow, it’s his nap time. “NO mommy…no, no, no, mommy, no sleep! Please…please no” the two year old begs desperately
“Bobby!” Kate warns him for his whining
”no sleep please mommy" looking at his dad for help.
“OK, Bobby, but no running, no jumping, you are going to bed early tonight, no arguments, OK???” she asks him as he pulls away from her.
“OK mommy YES” he takes the offer and quickly left with Billy, running inside the house with their toys, screaming in joy, forgetting Abby.
“Gibbs, I think Joshua is rubbing off on Robert, pretty soon he’ll be able to say ‘girls have cooties’” Abby laughs.
“Very funny Abby” Kate says to the Goth.
“Yeah, true, we have to make Joshua stop saying his slogan." Gibbs agrees with Abby. Gibbs never dream he could have his own set of Trouble and Problem, but pretty soon, they’ll have another kid; he couldn’t be happier.

Not that they ever thought of protection…hell no! Once after they had Robert, Kate asked him about “protection”. He gave her the look. “Protection against what Katie?” he teased her; “Robert sleeping with us is our protection”
No wonder Kate is pregnant again.
-------------------------------------------

Fornell comments on the Gibbs boy. “Your son is very smart, but he has got your antics Gibbs," a polite way of saying that Robert has his temperament.
Then Tony laughs…”Do you remember when he was pissed off because we wouldn’t let him…hey…where is he? Where are the tots?’ Tony looks around for Robert and Billy…no noise from the kids, they are out of sight.

“Inside, probably showing off ‘his boat’ to Billy” Kate saw them dashing inside the house. The overly protective father stands up right away. “I think they are probably in the basement” as he walks across the yard towards the door leading to the kitchen.

When he is out of sight; Kate whispers to James, who is still tired from tagging along with the kids, they drained his energy more than chasing suspects on the run; “If it wasn’t illegal, he’d plant a chip in his son, so that he could track him.” James just nods with his mouth still full of steak…his boss is overtly protective.
------------------------------------------

The crash

When they are all relaxed and full the guys decide to move the gathering inside the house.
It is much cooler inside, Tony and James are still hogging the beer, while Fornell is getting ready to go back to his HQ, he just received a call from his boss, when out of nowhere, they hear a shrill sound of a car screeching from the front of the house.

Kate’s heart stops beating for a second before she screams her son’s name and dashes to her house. Ducky and O’Brien freezes and everybody stops in fear and shock as they hear the horrifying noise. All of them make a mad scramble to the front, Dinozzo, Fornell and James sprint through the side door, while the rest follow Kate’s path through the house.
----------------------------------------

A few minutes before:
As Gibbs enters his house, it’s all quiet, too quiet. “Robert, Billy” he calls for them. No answer. He strides to the basement…nothing, he only sees the evidence of the boys’ presence, their toys are scattered on the floor near the boat’s skeleton.

He knows Robert loves to play hide and seek or tag, but for some reason he is worried, something is not right, his gut is churning with alarm.

”BILLY……ROBERT JETHRO GIBBS, I said come out right now!” he bellows…nothing…eerily quiet…something is wrong…. His son knows he is not joking when he calls his full name…he knows it! He is not there…Where the hell are they? Gibbs quickly climbs up from his basement…to his living room.

“GOD” he whispers to himself as he sees the front door of his house is ajar, he doesn’t lock the door when they have guests coming.

He runs outside only to find Robert and Billy by the perimeter of the front lot playing with their planes and guns…DAMN IT! On the outside! They are running in circles, all over the lot and street.

He wants to bellow Robert’s name, but nothing comes out, his eyes go blurry on him. His baby is on the street, oblivious to danger; Billy is now standing at the edge of his lot, lost in thought, busy fixing his plane toy, oblivious to his surroundings.
Robert sees his dad exit his house. His eyes enlarged happily.

His dad is a lot of fun. “Daddy…come here…” he jumps and waves to his dad, beckoning him; and when he sees his dad sprint towards him, Robert runs further: into the street, because he thought his dad was going to play tag with him.
The boy doesn’t notice the speeding car ahead.
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-Tbc-nova2007- Special thanks to my BETA (MV) for putting up with my bad English!

Please review, let me know what you think…Thanks!!!

Chapter 3 Unfortunate events

The crash

Gibbs doesn’t breathe, words catch in his throat and as he runs towards Robert, he sees a car tearing along the street. Gibbs hears a voice "NO…" and only realized later on that it was his and then he hears a deafening screech from the car.
Seconds before, Robert was still jumping, laughing to his dad, but the two year old stopped being merry when he heard a loud noise from his side, scaring him and then flashes of colors coming at him.

Gibbs sees Robert's life flash before him; he would die if his son is hurt that way, no way on hell would he let that happen, not after everything he held on to…and he lunges at the small body in the middle of the street.

He feels the impact and the small boy gasps really hard as Gibbs tackles him, toppling down on the pavement. Unable to stop rolling; he covers his son small body with his, protecting him and Gibbs prays, he prays that he is the one who is hurt instead of Robert. Then the man feels a quick hot searing pain on his outer thigh and then it is all over.

Gibbs feels his son move and shivers in his hold and hears his cry. He sees no blood on him; he exhales and thanks God for keeping them unharmed. He barely sees the guys sprinting towards them, vaguely hears Kate's scream and sees her running closer from the other side of the street.

Dinozzo and James reach Gibbs before Fornell. James is about to heave his boss from the ground, to make sure that he has Robert with him. There is a look of terror in the agent's eyes.
Dinozzo notices blood dripping from Gibbs's thigh and he grabs Robert from Gibbs’s hold to ease his burden. But the crying boy screams louder, refusing to be parted from his dad. Tears streak down his dirty face, scratches all over his limbs and cheek.

“It’s OK son…it’s OK…it’s over, daddy is here…please don't cry" Gibbs whispers to Robert repeatedly who is still bawling furiously in his arms, he strokes his head and body, kissing him.
Kate reaches them in tears, hugging both of them.
"Bobby…" Kate cries and takes their son from her husband. "Mommy…" Robert calls out piteously and his continues his cry.
“It’s OK, baby, Mommy is here" she hugs him tight, and assessing his minor wound, she realizes that Gibbs is bleeding "Jethro, you are bleeding"

"I'm OK Kate" he says to her, looking at the boy in her arms, he doesn't give a shit about his bleeding, it’s nothing.
Ducky helps him walk towards his house even though he doesn't need his help, Abby fusses over Robert, walking with Kate. O'Brien left Billy with his wife and joins Fornell to make sure the driver is all right. As they pass the lot, Gibbs sees Billy being scolded by his grandmother. He is glad it is all over.
----------------------------------------------

They are all in the living room:
The guys are still freaked out. Gibbs is sitting on the sofa while Ducky takes a look at his injury; he feels fine, just minor scrapes, bruises and cuts. "Kate?" he asks his wife about the boy's condition.

Robert is still crying, and Kate nods at him, reassuring him. "He is just shocked, he is all right…" Kate has the boy on her lap, gripping her shirt, while Abby cleans and disinfects his minor wounds. The scrapes are minor to the adults, but for Robert, the shocking experience and the stings all over his face, hands and legs are terrible, they hurt!

"I need to stitch you up, Jethro" Ducky says to him.
"SO, stitch me up Ducky" Gibbs says nonchalantly, like nothing bad had happened to him.
“I am good, you left some of your medical supplies in your previous room, right Ducky?" the ME just nods and McGee runs to get the ME his bag.

Robert is still crying, mostly from the trauma, but he stops when his mom says to him and shows him that his daddy doesn't cry. Robert glances at his dad on the couch and he calms down, looking at his dad being stitches up

"Bobby wants daddy, please" the boy sobs miserably to Kate, but before Kate can say no, his dad approves his request, "Come Robert, sit with daddy" calling and opening his arms to him; and the tot slips from his mom's lap and walks to him and embraces his dad as he pulls him unto his lap.

"Robert, you scared the hell out of me" Gibbs whispers tenderly to his son.
"Daddy pain?" the tot looks up at him with his teary blue eyes.
"No Robert, it is not painful" Gibbs shakes his head and smiles at him, he feels Robert's touch on his dirty bruised face, his tiny hand is stroking his dad's cheek, soothing, Gibbs felt. For a moment, Gibbs is lost in thought, then he noticed the somber atmosphere around him…the guys are really quiet and worried.

Then…"I am all right guys, in fact…somebody, give me a beer!" and within seconds Dinozzo hands him a cold beer. Robert is quiet in his arms, too quiet for Gibbs’s liking, hiding his face on his chest, the boy is grabbing his shirt with his fierce little fists, holding on to him while he is kissing his head and counting his blessings.

Gibbs starts feeling the multiple sharp pains on his thigh but disregards the discomfort, not looking at it; but he glances at Ducky. The old man is pale and shaking. “Ducky, it’s all right everything is all right" he knows how close they were to losing the boy and Ducky just nods at him, unable to speak a word.

"Jethro, here, let me help you change". Kate touches his head; she is standing beside him with his clothes. Robert wants to cry when Kate pulls him from his dad, but she explains to him that she will return him to his dad once he's changed, and he says "OK".

So, after his dad was cleaned and changed, Robert quickly returns to his dad without having asked. Kate notices that the boy's pants are torn, but decides to wait and let him be with his dad.
---------------------------------------------

Losing grip

Half an hour later, Gibbs is all patched up.
Kate picks Robert up from his lap and she finds her son in deep sleep and he lets out a groan of discontent at being taken away from his coffee smelling safe haven. She gently takes the sleeping boy to her room to be cleaned and changed. Abby tags along with them.

Soon, O'Brien and his wife excused themselves with Billy still pleading that he wants to come back and play with his friend, until his grandmother glared at him.

Gibbs feels sorry for the boy and says to him "Billy you are always welcome here, and when Robert is better, we'll take him to play with you, OK?" and Billy grins at Gibbs. A few moments ago, Billy almost got spanked by his grandmother.
He was looking curiously at Gibbs being stitched up by Ducky, he came closer to them and commented. "WOW!!! COOL!!!" if it wasn’t for the guys laughing at his comment, the boy would have been spanked by his grandma.

The rest of the guys stay and help clear the backyard and Ducky decides to stay the night with the Gibbs family. The ME quickly left Gibbs to check on Robert upstairs.
Gibbs is alone in his living room, with his beer and coffee from his wife, seated on his couch. He will have a long talk with his son when he is feeling better, he doesn't blame the boy, and he is only a two year old: what does he know about safety? Robert is his responsibility and he almost failed him.
A split second later and their lives could have been changed forever. He shivers in trepidation.

"Are you all right boss?" Tony calls, he has been looking at his boss for quite some time, holding an empty beer can and sipping hot coffee…ugh…
"Do I NOT look all right to you DiNozzo?" Gibbs answers his agent, still looking at his empty beer can. Tony smiles sadly and answers; "No boss, you don't look all right, you almost lost your son, boss" Gibbs stays really quiet. DiNozzo is right, he almost lost Robert.

Once again his senior agent disturbs him.
Tony sat down on the opposite couch, "Boss, I am not close to my mom, let alone my father, even a donkey would know that: he laughs uncomfortably, with sarcasm in his voice.
Tony stops and thinks about his memories of the past four years in NCIS.

"But for the past couple of years, I saw what you have: Firstly: You married my partner in crime. I hoped you married for the last time, because…man! If you divorced her, she'll shoot you, she is fierce, you know boss, worse than your ex one, two and three!” Tony laughs uncomfortably trying to mask his emotion.
Gibbs is about to throw his empty beer can at Tony before he quickly continues…
"Then you guys have Robert and I saw how you love him and I saw how he loved you back" Tony was looking at his shoes, then he stops fidgeting and looks up at Gibbs, straight at his eyes, just like Robert's eyes.

" I see in his eyes…every time Robert looks at you, the love, the admiration, the trust he has in you and Kate…is…incredible, it is beyond measure, you have to see it to believe it boss"
At the same time, Ducky exits the master bedroom, he has just finished checking on Robert; his grandson has been cleaned, changed, medicated and is now asleep; he is about to ask DiNozzo to move his ass and help the others, when the old man stops in his tracks and listens.
"I would die from grief if I ever lost mine" Tony says quietly. The usually goofy senior agent is shocked at his own admission to his boss; he hardly ever shares his feeling with anyone, let alone a hard ass ex marine, his strict boss.

Tony never thought of having a family, he hates his family, and to the Italian Casanova getting married would mean strapping on the old ball and chain. Then his grumpy boss got hitched to his partner, and a few years later they are blessed with a son. So when he looks at his boss, suddenly the old ball and chain doesn't look too bad at all.
Anthony DiNozzo loves more than his share of female company, he enjoys one night stands, social gatherings and the thrill of flirting with beautiful women everyday, but at the end of the day; when he is home, all tired from his work and life he comes home to nothing! Nobody! Emptiness, no achievement. He has nothing! Nobody to greet him by the door, nobody to share his deepest fear and hopes.

For the past years he often watched Gibbs with envy when he saw Kate waiting for him by the door with Robert in her arms, saw the boy's small hands waving to his dad, screaming for him; saw Gibbs's deep blue eyes shining with love for his wife and boy…sure, Kate never fails to invite him in to join the family, but it’s different.

Since his boss and Kate got married, he noticed subtle differences. Tony can actually see happiness and contentment in his eyes, his boss doesn't hang around in their HQ as late as he used to AND Tony noticed Gibbs glancing at the time, his boss wanted to go home to his family. Everything changes for the better.
Hell! Sometimes his old boss is back as his grumpy self when they argue, but the next day he comes to work with a grin on his face. Tony starts to long for what he sees in Gibbs's new life with Kate, BUT the man is not sure yet, until Robert Jethro Gibbs arrived.

The goofy agent witnessed how the family strengthened with the arrival of their son, despite their struggles between the boy and work, they are happy. And now Tony is sure that he wants all that; he wants all that they have, he wants to have a family just like them, and his libertine life is not that appetizing anymore.
"I think you are a great father Gibbs" he admits to the man sitting on the couch.
“I think you've done a wonderful job with your family" Tony says to Gibbs.
Near the stairs, listening quietly, Ducky exhales with a smile and he decides not to chase DiNozzo away.

"Dinozzo, I almost lost him” Gibbs finally speaks. "Do you know how close it was?"
“Do you know how I felt when I saw him..." he couldn't say the word.
“I almost failed him" Gibbs admits to himself rather than Tony.

"BUT you didn't boss, you didn't" Tony cuts him short “after all this time, after all you've been through with Kate, with Haswari...everything is all right now! You haven't failed anybody! Everything is all right and that's what matters!" Tony looks at him with enthusiasm that things are going to be all right.
--------------------------------------------

All of a sudden:
"Daddiiiii…daddiiii…Bobby wants daddiiii" they hear his distressing wails from upstairs. Robert keeps calling for his dad and Gibbs hears Kate’s voice, trying to rouse him from his dream, telling him that he was dreaming. Gibbs couldn't stand hearing his calls. "Bobby wants daddiiiii…daddiiii".

He raises himself from the couch.
"Boss?!?" he hears McGee worried voice.
"What McGee?" he glares at him.
"Nothing boss" McGee quickly shakes his head and changes his mind, his boss can not be deterred by mere stitches.
The stitches hurt like hell, but hearing his son calling for him over and over again hurt him more than the blasted stitches; the pain is nothing compared to failing to calm his son.

Helped by DiNozzo he paces to his room; on his way up he hears Ducky’s, Abby’s and Kate’s voices over Robert's call and the boy has started to cry by then. "Dadiiiii…Bobby wants daddiiiii….".
None of the adults are happy to see him, only Robert greets him with a cry and raises his hands to him; the boy is already awake, sitting in the middle of the bed with tears streaking down his cheeks.

Kate is upset when she sees her limping husband in the room, she was already thinking of taking his pillow and blanket to the living room so that he doesn't have to climb the stairs.
"Jethro, you leg, your stitches are fresh" she hisses at him while stroking her son's body.
“It’s OK Kate" he limps towards the bed.
"Come Robert" he smiles to boy, he can see the fresh bruises and scrapes on his skin.

Slowly he lies down on his bed, getting closer to Robert's body, the boy is sweating and crying, his face is flushed, he raises his arms weakly, waiting for Gibbs to hug him.
Gibbs lies on his side awkwardly because of his wound, the second he rests his body on the bed, Robert inches towards him, at the same time he pulls the boy to him, then Robert snuggles into chest, still sobbing.

The tot talks to his dad "Bobby is scared, don't leave Bobby" Gibbs keeps him close, while telling him that everything is all right. He sees Abby bat her eyelashes furiously trying to stop her tears with no success.

Ten minutes later, the two year old is asleep and soon his dad is too. Kate arranges her boys as comfortable as possible, closes the blinds and leaves them in peace, leaving the door open so that she can hear them and she goes to the living room to join the rest of the guys.
---------------------------------------------

Within an hour, the mess from the bash has been cleared; the guys are sitting quietly in the living area, still trying to comprehend what just happened to their Director and mentor, everything was hunky dory when suddenly Robert was almost hit by a car…

Kate arrives in the living room, she plops on the couch, right next to Abby.
"How are they?" Abby asks the lady of the house, "They are sleeping, Abby” Kate replies weakly, she feels like crying again.
"Don't worry Caitlin, they'll be fine" Ducky assures her.
"Ducky I was so scared, it happened so fast, I didn't know what to do, Robert almost got hit by a car…"
"We were all scared Caitlyn" Ducky murmurs to himself, losing his touch again, he was shaken to the bone when he saw Gibbs rolling on the pavement, not knowing whether the man managed to grab the boy out of harm's way or not.

"Oh, come on Kate, everything is all right now, they are fine! The BBQ might be over BUT DiNozzo and the gang are staying put, until you chase us from your house" DiNozzo tries to cheer her up.
"Yeah and Ducky is staying for the night, so they'll be taken care of" McGee adds.
"Speaking of me…" Ducky remembers, "McGee, go to the drug store and get these drugs, Jethro and Robert will be needing them" as Ducky hands him the list. McGee quickly leaves to the drug store with Abby.
---------------------------------------------------

It is almost past six in the evening when Robert and Gibbs wakes up.
True to Ducky's prediction, they both have fevers, for Gibbs fever doesn't really bother him, but the little boy suffers more than his dad, he is very quiet, fortunately he doesn't cry but he is fussy, he basically only lets three people in the world (his world) carry him and they are his mommy, daddy and Ducky, the rest can stay clear, that is his attitude for the night. Kate is thankful that Ducky stays the night.

That night after Jethro and Robert are asleep comfortably, Kate is with Ducky, in his room. "Ducky, why don't you move in with us…like good old times?" Kate asks the ME expectantly.
Before Ducky can answer her Kate continues. "We love having you here and I don't like you living by yourself" and the talkative ME starts.

"Oh Caitlin, I am not alone, my niece is with me, work is closer from my place, I don't want to sell my house, it belonged to my great grandfather and…" Kate smiles and ogles him.
"What Caitlin?" Ducky is surprised at her expression.
"Ducky…I know your niece doesn't live with you anymore, she went back home about six months ago, by the way, she didn't take care of you very well, we know you live alone and nobody is asking you to sell your beloved great grandfather’s house, all I am saying is that I don't like it that you live alone in that big house."

"Caitlin, I might be alone, but I am not lonely, I have you guys, the whole goofy gang at work…" Ducky is embarrassed to be caught lying.

"Precisely, you have us! Move in with us Ducky, Robert loves spending time with you and another one is coming, we love having you in the house, think about it, OK Ducky?" Kate looks at him lovingly, kisses his wrinkled cheek and walks out of the room.
"Think about it, I had better let you rest, goodnight Ducky".
"Goodnight Caitlin" Ducky is already lost in thought about possibilities. He is not young anymore actually, he is damned old and he loves living with them. He recalls the six months he lived with the Gibbs and the new arrival, it was the best.

That night the old man sleeps with a smile on his face, he sleeps a dreamless sleep, and he is safe, asleep in a place where two people know how to shoot, even though Jethro is rather battered right now.
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The next morning, after making sure everything is all right, Kate and Ducky leave together to the HQ. She informs Mrs. Adams that Gibbs would not be able to work. Mrs. Adams nods knowingly, she is worried about them.

With that Kate returns home with a bunch of urgent documents and files for Gibbs and delivers them back when he is done; she is NCIS delivery services for three days, while Gibbs and Robert are at home resting and enjoying each other’s company.

Previously, before they had Robert, if Gibbs had to stay home because he was sick or wounded, Kate would be returning home to a crazed, bored man, but now, she comes home to a contented man and boy! They hardly spend time together, and they are enjoying their "man" time, having "man talks"…that's Robert's latest word.

When Kate asks him what did he do with his dad, the boy answers swiftly, “Bobby and daddy had man talks”, Kate looks at Robert in a weird way, what on earth is man talks and she hears her husband laughing from the room.
Later she finds out that “the man talk” is a long talk about safety issues, not to cross the street alone and not to touch anybody's guns. For three days Gibbs spends most of his time with his son in the basement and backyard; after three days they look healthier than ever.

On the second night, Robert already plans ahead with his dad, what they are going to do, "Bobby play with Billy and Obi's doggie tomorrow?", Gibbs laughs and says, "No. Bobby stays with daddy, we are making a boat, OK?”

"OK, Bobby like boat!" the kid agrees and he wants more
"And tomorrow's tomorrow? We play gun?" He doesn't know how to say the day after tomorrow, so he just repeats tomorrow.
Gibbs answers sadly, "No Bobby, the day after tomorrow, daddy has to go back to work, daddy can't play with you during the day anymore, but we'll play at night, when I come home early, OK?" he asks for his conformation.

Robert looks between his dad and mom, his dad seldom comes home early, if his mother doesn't bring him to the office, he hardly ever sees his dad, let alone play with him, but the kid just nods quietly. Gibbs notices the disappointment in his eyes and face.
Kate feels sorry for him. "And we'll visit your daddy, Tony, Abby, Ducky and everybody in the office! Right Bobby?"
And the kid nods quietly still. His mischievous mind is working…"But daddy's leg still hurts, right?” he asks his mom and dad expectantly…..and the neighbors can hear Gibbs' laughter.
"Robert that's not nice!!!" Kate is shocked,
"But, daddy’s leg still hurts, daddy stay home with Bobby!!!" the kid tries to explain his "honorable" intention and Kate bursts out laughing uncontrollably; and Robert sticks to his dad like glue for the entire two days.
---------------------------------------------

Ex

On the third morning, Kate comes early to the HQ for the last time, by tomorrow Gibbs would be fit enough to go back to work, his stitches are healing well. Actually if he wanted to, he could return to work today, but she knows he wants to spend more time with his son.
Hours later, Abby and James are with Kate, walking out of the HQ, talking about Ducky when Kate bumps into somebody, a few meters away from the HQ's entrance.

“Oh sorry” she quickly apologizes, then: "Caitlin Todd? Kate?" the man calls her, and Kate looks up at the man.
“Oh my God, Luke!” she could not believe her eyes, she is looking at her ex boyfriend from many years ago, from when she was about to join Secret Service, they dated for quite some time, a year maybe; then she got too busy and he hardly kept up with the relationship and they fell apart.
The man hugs her and kisses her head. ”How are you doing Katie?" he beams at the beautiful woman in his arms fondly.
"Good Luke, great actually" she looks at him happily, it's been so long. "You look great Katie" he murmurs to her and kisses both her cheeks.

Meanwhile, Abby and James are gaping at the scene, they are standing right beside their Kate and the man hardly notices them – focusing on Kate – and they can see that.
This is fun, James and Abby look at each other in awe, then minutes later, this is NOT good, they decide. Some other man is calling their boss's wife Katie and hugging her and kissing her cheek, but still! Boss Gibbs is not going to be very happy! For once, they are glad that Gibbs is not at work today.
"Thanks Luke, you look great too" Kate replies sincerely. "And how are things? How is Laura doing?" she knows that her ex got married a year after they broke up, she is about to gloat about her new family when she sees his eyes change and Kate holds her tongue.
“Not so good actually, long story Katie" He looks the other way, not wanting her pity, then he notices that Kate's friends are gawking at them.
"I am sorry Luke, I didn't mean to pry, I didn't know" She realizes his discomfort.
"We are finalizing our divorce" he says to her.
Kate feels awful, why on earth did she ask about his wife, why is she so nosy! "Sorry Luke, I didn't know" She apologizes and she is glad she hasn’t gloated about her Jethro and Robert yet.

The man must have felt uncomfortable with Abby and James watching him so closely. Abby notices he shifts uneasily, Abby decides NOT to like him! There is something evil about him! "Damn, you watched too many horror story girl…" Abby berates herself.
"Look Katie, I am kind of in a rush, can we talk some other time? Can I call you tonight?" he asks her
"Sure!" she just glad that he ended their conversation.
"Can I have your number?" "Here, let me beam you" and Kate doesn't ask for his number, James noticed.
"Good to see you Katie, call you tonight" he said his goodbye and again Abby noticed, he hugged her before entering the HQ.

Kate exhales heavily, "me and my big mouth" she feels guilty.

Anyway, "guys, I have got to go, I am going home to my boys, they need to be fed” she winks at them, "we'll talk about Ducky some other time, and I'll talk to him again" and Kate walks to her car, stops in her tracks, turns her body, facing at Abby and James.
“Guys” she looks at the both of them slyly.
"Yeah???" Abby answers her equally slyly.
"Are you guys dating?" Kate asks, and they are both stunned!
Not because of her question is personal, they are used to it, the gang are close and they pry in everybody's business. Abby and James are stunned because they thought Kate is about to asked them not to tell Gibbs about the encounter with the "smooch guy".
They don’t answer her. Kate just smiled and left them in the parking lot.

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-Tbc- nova2007
THANK YOU BETA (MV)!!!
OK guys…I don’t want Bobby to die, sorry for the long posting, changes needs to be done.

Chapter 4 All hell breaks loose


Kate arrives at home:

“Momiiiiiiii” Robert greets her as he runs towards her in joy before she even closes the door. Gibbs is behind him, walking towards her at his own pace.

Robert reaches his mother and hugs her legs, looking up at her. Kate bends down to his level, kisses his cheeks and asks him “Hi baby, you are all clean and dressed, have you been a good boy with daddy?”
“Yes!” Robert answers quickly, but he has something else he wants his mom to know. “Daddy bad boy!!!” He is frowning at his mother, his blue eyes shining, just like his dad’s. Gibbs is right by their side by then.
“What did you do Jethro?” Kate is laughing with him, but before he can answer her, Robert speaks up” Bobby don’t want girl! Bobby want Boy!”
“Oh I see” Kate realizes that Gibbs tried to convince their son about the possibility of a baby girl.

“Bobby” Kate exhales and picks him up. “Look, mommy is a girl, don’t you love mommy?” Kate asks him.
Robert looks confused, “Yes” he says, he does love him mother.

Gibbs suddenly remembers, he interrupts them; “Kate, when are you going back to Dr. Strebel?” He haven’t heard his wife talking about appointments, he remembers she had plenty of them with their first child. “Oh, I am not sure, thanks for reminding me, I’ll find out right away”

Kate is walking towards the living room with her son in her arms “HEY let’s go out for lunch! You are going back to work tomorrow, we won’t see much of you anymore” Kate decides.
Gibbs takes Robert from her arms, “C’mon Robert…Kate you shouldn’t carry him anymore”. Kate just keeps quiet, Robert pouts unhappily but he doesn’t say a word, her boy is quite smart, he seems to know just when to push his luck with his dad and when to keep quiet.
Kate thinks Robert understands when his dad is not joking. She also knows that despite her husband’s infamous temper, he loves his family.
-------------------------------------------------

Jealous

That night, all hell breaks loose.
It is past seven, Robert is eating his ice cream, he’s been a good boy and Kate promised him he could eat his choice of food IF he was good! And he’s been very good. Kate is with her son in the living room, helping the boy so he doesn’t make too much of a mess.

The phone rings, Gibbs is in the basement and he picks up the phone. A few seconds later, “Katie, it’s yours!” he bellows from the basement.
“Don’t make too much mess Bobby” Kate messes his tidy hair and speaks to her son before she leaves him. He just nods, he is engrossed in his yummy dessert.

“Todd” Kate answer her nearest line, which is by the kitchen’s island
“Oh Hi Luke” and she sees Gibbs walking out from the basement, walking into the kitchen and washing his hands in the sink.
“Katie, sorry! Did I catch you at a bad time?” Luke asks.
“Oh no it’s OK, I was feeding my son, but he can manage” Kate replies quickly, somehow she feels sorry for the man.
“I see so it is your husband who answered the phone” more of a statement than a question.
“Yep! The one and only” She jokes with her ex and she feels Gibbs’s hands circling her waist, he is kissing her neck.
“Jethro, I am on the phone” Kate whispers uncomfortably to him.
“Sure, sure Luke! OK. When? All right! What time? Sure, not a problem” Kate manages to converse with Luke as she tries to get out from Gibbs's “Octopus hands”. She continues, “OK! Sure, I’ll bring my son with me, OK, bye!” and she hangs up.

“Jethro!” She scowls halfheartedly; she knows that he is NOT happy with the call. She turns, facing him.
"He doesn’t know that you are married?” he questions Kate.
“I guess not Jethro and I didn’t tell him because he is going through a divorce” Kate looks at him, sees a tinge of insecurity in his eyes, “Why do you ask?” Kate asks him but instead of answering her, he bombards her with questions.
“Why did he call? Who is he?” Gibbs is NOT known for his subtlety. He is still holding her in his arms, caging her with her back on the kitchen’s island.
“He is my ex, Jethro. We dated long time ago” Kate explains as she tries to get out from his arms.

“MOMMY” Robert calls out for his mom, he drops his ice cream bowl on the floor.
“Coming sweetie!” Saved by her son, Gibbs regretfully lets her go to attend the boy.
--------------------------------------------

That night Gibbs skips his dinner and works on his boat.
When Kate asks him he says he is not hungry and she leaves him alone. By nine, after she put Robert to bed in his “own private basement” next his parents’ room; Kate starts on her chores.
Her mobile rings, “Hi Tony” She sees the caller ID.
“Hmm…OK! Sure! Not a problem…oh no! Not Thursday Tony, I got a doctor’s appointment, OK! Who? You are kidding me?"
Kate is nodding, talking on her mobile and she is surprised by the news.
She turns, about to exit the kitchen, she stops in her tracks as she sees Gibbs eating! Eating his dinner which she was about to put away because he said he wasn’t hungry.

“OK Tony, I will see you then, be good!” and she hangs up.
She pulls up a chair and sits next to her husband who is acting like her two year old when he is mad, Men!!! Gibbs is not talking, he is eating and ignoring his wife. She wants to laugh out loud but realizes that it is not wise.

Not knowing what else to do, Kate leaves her seat. She gently cups her husband’s face and looks into his deep blue eyes.
She can see uncertainty and fear of abandonment in them and says to him: “Jethro, you have nothing to be jealous about, absolutely nothing! I love you very much” she kisses his temple twice, smiles at him sadly and leaves him to finish his dinner in peace.
In her heart, Kate knows her husband is agitated about her ex calling. Men and their egos - unbelievable! She should be more jealous, she should be madder than him; he’s been married and divorced THREE times! The man has THREE ex-wives, YET he is jealous of her mere ex, incomprehensible, Kate thinks.

Oh no, Tony! Kate remembers the news Tony told her minutes ago, Gibbs is going to have a fit! Kate ignores her trouble, takes her late shower, checks on Robert and goes to bed; she already knows that her husband won’t be joining her until much later.
It is past midnight when Kate is awoken and realizes that her husband is joining her in bed. She is in his arms, he hugs her tight, “I love you Kate” she hears him whisper, he sounds so sad and troubled.

Kate can’t take it anymore, she slowly turns, facing him.
She gazes into his eyes, the night light gives a yellow warm glow to his face, she looks at him with all the love she can muster, to show him that he has nothing to worry about, hoping it might heal his soul just a tiny bit.
“You are not asleep yet?” he sounds surprised.
“I was waiting for you, then I fell asleep” she strokes his hair. There is nothing left to be said, she can only show him, Kate kisses him gently, he reciprocates with passion and neediness.

Minutes later, their clothes are discarded and they are making love. They love everything about it, but somehow, that night their lovemaking is rather savage and hard on his part and she matches his desires with equal passion, following his rhythm.
Afterwards, Kate lies sated in his arms, listening to his breathing, smelling his fragrance, when he finally admits the truth: “Katie, I am so afraid of losing you, that you would leave me like…”
And Kate finishes his sentence “…like your ex wives” What is it with men and their egos and insecurity? “Do I look like any of your ex wives, baby?” she wonders and laughs with him.
“No, Katie…hell no” he can’t help himself and laughs into her naked breasts.
“So, do me a favor and don’t compare me with them, pleeeeease” Kate begs. They are feeling peace and contentment. Suddenly Kate remembers, she remembers that she has to tell him the news, the reason why Tony called hours ago; she would rather tell him than somebody else informing him at work, and have him burst into the HQ tomorrow morning.

“Jethro I have to tell you about something…” Kate starts treading her way.
“What is it sweetie?” he is getting sleepy.
“It’s about Lt. Cobalt, my ex” She decides to go straight to the point and she feels him stiffen in her embrace and he is looking into her eyes.
“Tony called! Lt. Cobalt is involved in some kind of naval research and he asked for NCIS's help and Tony wants me to help the team, his case!” and she feels him shift, creating some distance between them.
“What? Who the hell made the decision?” Gibbs can’t believe what he is hearing from his wife who is still lying naked in their bed. What a nightmare, he’s only been away for three days!
“I don’t know Jethro! What did you do? Tony doesn’t know that we are…we were involved! Jethro, it is just a coincidence!” she stresses the fact.
“I don’t believe in coincidence Kate!” He snaps
“Don’t you trust me?” Kate asks purposefully, she is already sitting on the bed.
“Yes I do! It is him that I don’t trust” he is getting angrier by the second, even though he knows that it is NOT her fault.
“So?” Kate tries to understand.
“So what Kate?” he asks
“So, if I don’t give him any chances, nothing is going to happen!” she is losing her mind.
He cuts her short, “so?”
“SO what Jethro?” Kate finally snaps.
“So, you think he is going to try?” They are facing each other, like in combat!
“NO, I didn’t say that Jethro!” she looks at him incredulously.
“I don’t like it that he calls you Katie! I don’t like it that he doesn’t know that you are married! I don’t like it that you are seeing him, NO WAY IN HELL you are taking my son to see him! And…” AND KATE CUTS HIM SHORT FOR REAL!
“Robert is my son too! And what else don’t you like BOSS?!?” She asks him angrily.
“You are pregnant! I don’t want you to be involved in any case, anyway Kate” He ignores her sarcasm, calling him boss and goes on.
“That’s your excuse?” Kate exclaims.
“That is NOT an excuse Kate! It is the reason! Case closed Kate! I don’t want to talk about it anymore” He ends the conversation! Bloody jerk!
“You don’t trust me! After all these years, after all we’ve been through, I don’t get it!” Kate is fuming mad. She moves away from the bed, slips down and starts pacing. She stumbles around the dark room, looking for her nightie.
“Where do you think you are going Kate? He asks as he sees her about to leave.
“Away from you…Boss!” and she slams the door on him.
Gibbs hears her furious footsteps to Robert’s room, he knows…she must be crying and yet…there is nothing he can do to make her feel better.
----------------------------------------------

They both do not sleep a wink. He regrets being so harsh to her, he hates seeing her upset, especially because of him, but the same time he can’t help himself, he can not control his jealousy, he can not control his emotions.

Kate is upset that her husband doesn’t trust her! How could he? She regrets that his mind and heart are still corrupted by his past failures. So, after all these years, she hasn’t managed to heal his broken heart; she fears that she could never heal his pain.
By the time she calmed down, it is already dawn. “Enough crying and sulking Kate! You are not a baby!" She berates herself.
She is looking at her precious child, sleeping peacefully, a miniature of her with her husband’s "eccentric” characteristics, to put it nicely. She has to forgive Jethro, she has to find a way to makes things work, her Bobby is counting on her and Jethro to do the right thing and she can only hope that her husband feels the same way.

Kate couldn’t sleep, she wants to starts her day, it's morning and there is no point holding a grudge against the man she loves anyway. Kate goes downstairs, walking towards the kitchen and she notices light from the basement. YEP! He is already working on his boat, and it is only past six!
Suddenly she feels like crying again.

Kate enters their basement; she sits in the middle of the stairs, looking at her Jethro working furiously, almost angrily, at the wooden beams of the boat skeleton. A few seconds later, he stops working and sees her sitting miserably on the stairs, she looks worn out. Kate can’t help it, she has to know, and the fight can’t go on.
“Jethro, have I ever done something that makes you doubt my loyalty to you?” holding her tears back.
“No Katie, never!” he answers quickly. She has been a wonderful mother and wife to him and Robert, never once did she neglect them.
“So? Why are you behaving this way? Why are you so jealous?” she asks.
“I don’t know Katie…I don’t know…its just the way I am…” he murmurs, not looking at her, in a way he is embarrassed by his behavior, and he goes on, “I…just don’t want to lose you Katie, that’s all” he looks into her teary eyes.
“Jethro, I am not leaving you! I love you! You are my husband! For God’s sake I am pregnant with our second child…” Kate tries really hard to hold in her tears, but she is losing the battle and her tears fall down her cheeks where she is seated on the stairs, hugging her legs.
“The only way you would lose me would be if you cheat on me, or I die!!! And I believe that you wouldn’t cheat on me.” Damn hormones! Damn husband! She is crying like a baby.
Gibbs drops his tools carelessly, shocked at her reaction and quickly strides to her, takes her in his arms and holds her close to him. The woman already spoke about death and he hates it.
“I am sorry Kate, I am so sorry…I am sorry, I don’t know why…forgive me…” he murmurs as he rocks her in his arms, he regrets their fight last night deeply; she is obviously still shaken by it.
“Don’t cry Kate, please. I want this to work, I want out marriage to work” he continues.
“Jethro you can not punish me for your ex wives' mistakes” Kate manages to speak through her tears, “You have to believe me, you have to believe in us, if you want this to work…” she is crying, she lets go of all the bad emotions in her.
“OK Kate! Please, don’t cry! Everything will be all right, I promise! I’ll change! For us!” He is desperate to make her stop crying.
“Yeah? You promise that you’ll try???” Kate looks up at him hopefully, after all Jethro Gibbs hardly ever lies…to her, anyway.
“Have I ever broken a promise to you?” he asks.
“No” she smiles and shakes her head, tears still falling down her face. She looks so distraught, with bags under her eyes, she looks exhausted, it is his fault, he mentally hurt her, Gibbs thinks.
“Please stop crying Kate! I promise everything will be all right. Please don’t cry, it’s not good for the baby” he coaxes her and sees her wipe her eyes as she nods her head, agreeing with him.
Then:

“MOMMY…DADDY…MOMMY…DADDY…Bobby awake…Bobby wants to go down, please…” Robert calls out to his parents to set him free. They both hear their son calling for them, he sounds so innocent, so happy to start the day.

Hearing his voice calms the distraught husband and wife. His voice makes them smile at each other; they hear him again as they walk towards the boy.
“Pleeeeeease….” Roberts begs and rattles the door playfully with his hands.
“Bobby wants to go to work” he bellows, he wants to go to the HQ!
Then his eyes light up when he sees his mom and dad, he explains his behavior, “Bobby wants to go to work!” just like his dad, “Bobby wants to go to work, with Ducky!”

Gibbs looks at his wife, questioning her with his eyes, yes, he has given her his ridiculous ultimatum last night about her meeting her ex and helping Tony, but he needs her to decide for herself.
Kate looks at her husband and she decides, she decides that she loves him more than her pride. “Not today Bobby, daddy is very busy at the office, OK? And you are going to accompany mommy to Doctor and then we go to the grocery…and we pick daddy at office, OK???” she baits the boy.

Robert thinks long and hard, the two year old weighs the consequences, then he decides, “OK”, and he nods to them.
“Kate…” Gibbs wants to talk to her about the decision and the case, but Kate interrupts him, “Let’s not talk in front of him, he is very perceptive you know” she signals her husband with her eyes.
“OK, we’ll talk tonight, OK Katie, I promise, we’ll fix everything” he agrees with her.
“OK” she smiles at him.
“I’ll go to Strebel with you Katie” he remembers.
“Oh Jethro, you shouldn’t! After three days you’ll be very busy today and I’ll be fine, this is not my first and I have Robert with me!” Then she looks at the boy “Yes, Robert?”
And he said proudly, “Yes, Bobby loves mommy, Bobby go with mommy”

Robert kisses his mother and the tot notices his mom's eyes are different! They are all red and wet, “Mommy cry?” the inquisitive boy asks, cupping his mother’s face.
Kate doesn’t know what to say to him and she just ignores his question, instead she changes the subject. Gibbs looks uncomfortable and feels ashamed in front of his son.
“OK Jethro, it is all set! We’ll pick you up in the evening, go, get ready sweetie, we’ll have our breakfast” she urges him and he goes along.

One hour later, his son and wife stand by the door, waving at him. “Bye daddy” Roberts waves excitedly
“Bye Robert, I’ll see you tonight! Be good! And we’ll talk Kate, I promise” he says and she nods in a reassuring way.
-------------------------------------

On his way to the HQ, Gibbs is lost in thought, on auto pilot.
He is embarrassed by his own behavior, he realizes that Kate never does anything to makes him doubt her loyalty, yet he acted like a jerk, an insanely jealous man; he can not comprehend the rage he felt last night.

He hurt her feelings, he hates himself for doing that, he can’t help himself for being such a draconian ass.
He recalled the first time he met her on Air Force One; how fiercely independent she was. She is still is! A bright woman he fell in love years ago and why can’t he accept her the way she is today? What is the matter with him? He has NO intention of crushing her spirit. Hell NO! But why can’t he handle her independence? Why the hell is he so jealous of her? Gibbs sighs dejectedly.

It is probably because he doesn’t believe that he deserves her; it is because he still thinks that she is too good for him, all his previous wives left him! Gibbs thought he was drunk when he proposed to her and she said YES!!! He was deliriously happy when he found out she was expecting his child, his child, unbelievable! Not for once in his sorry life did he imagine he would have a family, have a child.

Just last week, he found out that she is expecting their second child. He was stunned - not that he was not happy - he was just not expecting it. He didn't dare dream about a second child while he is still blissfully happy with Robert! He was not expecting more blessings, because for the past five years his life has been too good to be true.

Gibbs smiles, not that they opted for any contraceptive; their method of birth control is Robert’s disruptive force. He loves her more than life, yet he is crushing her spirit. His fear is when Kate realizes that he is not good enough for her; then she’ll leave him and take Robert away from him. He shivers in fear as he imagines such things, he shakes his head, as if trying to disperse his negative thoughts.

Kate loves him, she would never do that to him, it is not logical; all she has done since there were married was to support him and his career, she even sacrificed her career for him, when he was appointed Director. Gibbs knows how much she loves and takes pride in her job, but for him, she sacrificed it! He should never doubt her loyalty, he is an old bastard, guilt is eating him alive, he should know better!
--------------------------------------

NCIS HQ
Within half an hour of driving from his home to the HQ, Gibbs made up his mind, he’ll make things right with Kate, and she’ll not regret marrying him. Despite his resolution, he arrives in the HQ in a foul mood.
He needs to talk to that knucklehead DiNozzo about Lt. Cobalt and learn about the case but when he reaches his office, he sees his amount of work, Lt Cobalt will have to wait!
He enters his office.

Mrs. Adams sees murders in his eyes, she sighs heavily, this is not going to be a good day. Then she hears his mobile ring.
Gibbs reaches for it, he received a text message from “her”, he reads and grin, it's from his Kate, it says “I love you and Robert loves you too!”
But because of his eyesight, he never bothered to learn to text message.

To make things simpler, he calls Kate. “I love you too Katie” and he strides towards his desk.
Mrs. Adams sighs in relief, it is going to be an OK day after all.
Gibbs thinks that everything is going to be all right, everything will be fine; he’ll concentrate on the blasted paperwork.
And bless his secretary for pushing all of his meetings to next week.
Then they’ll have a long peaceful talk tonight, then he’ll take care of DiNozzo and Lt. Cobalt - his mind goes on. Soon, he is taking care of his load of work, along with some due dates, hiring, budgeting, expense accounts, decisions, decisions, decisions! He misses field work.

Then Gibbs comes across a letter, a letter that drastically changes his mood.
“Ducky.” He is reading Ducky’s letter of resignation.
Without another word, he stands up and stalks to the Autopsy room, leaving Mrs. Adams bewildered…
-----------------------------------------------

-Tbc-nova2007
Thanks for the BETA (MV)

Chapter 5 Milk, coffee, ice cream and tears


Director Gibbs stalks to the Autopsy room and several passers-by stop as they see his displeased face.
He could have called his ME, but no! He wants some explanation, he needs to talk to the man himself. What the hell is going on? Is Ducky all right? Why won't the old man discuss the matter with him first? Is it because of his new position? All thoughts go through his mind as he strides towards Autopsy.

"Ducky!!!" He bellows as he enters the cold pristine room. What he sees, does NOT please him, he only sees the daft Palmer and Gerald.
"Where's Ducky?" He asks both of them, who are attending a corpse on the slab; Palmer begins to stutter, not knowing what to say. Gerald, who is more used to Gibbs's style, answers the man "It's his day off Gibbs" he explains calmly.

The Director frowns; it is true, he is not up to date with their schedule anymore, it is DiNozzo's responsibility now. Without saying a word, Gibbs leaves the Autopsy, leaving the two younger ME bewildered, what did Ducky do?

Gibbs calls Ducky's mobile, the old man had better not have turned off his mobile. Gibbs is about to lose his sanity, he only left work for three days and…
"DR. Mallard speaking" Ducky answers
"Ducky! What the hell is going on?" Gibbs questions the man, he is in the elevator, a couple of agents who are about to enter the elevator decide to use the stairs instead!
"Jethro, today is my only day off in a month! Please…leave me alone! You can shout as much as you want when I am back tomorrow! And I am so angry with you right now!!!" then the ME hangs up on his Director.

"What???" Gibbs murmurs in disbelief, he forcefully presses his number again.
"Ducky! Where the hell are you? And what is the meaning of…Is that Robert???" he hears his son's voice on the background as he is about to yell at his ME. He can hear his boy's voice very clearly, wanting to snatch Ducky's mobile.
"Hellooooo" Roberts manages to grab Ducky's mobile; by this time, Gibbs has entered his office and Mrs. Adams is already waiting for him by his desk.
"Robert! Is Ducky at home with you???" he asks the two year old, he has been worried about the ME, while the blasted man is at his house.
"Yes daddy, Ducky with Bobby" he answers, he is in the backyard with Ducky.
"Come home daddy, pleeeeeeeeeeeease" he begs his dad
"I can't Bobby, daddy is very busy right now. I will see you tonight, OK son! Put Ducky on!" he orders.
"Say please, daddy…" Robert refuses to give the phone back to

Ducky; the old ME is having the time in his life, Caitlin couldn't manage to teach Gibbs to say ‘please' and it looks like the boy is teaching his dad what his mother instilled in him.
Gibbs can't believe his ears, there is nothing else he can do. "Please" he speaks uncomfortably, out of the corner of his eye, he can see his secretary, trying desperately to hide her amusement.

It is going to be a long day. Gibbs covers his face.
"OK daddy!" he quickly passes the phone to Ducky
"Jethro, my time is precious, I hardly ever spend time with Robert, so why don't we talk over dinner at your house, I'll see you later Jethro" and Ducky hangs up.
Gibbs can't believe his day.
---------------------------------------------

This morning, Ducky arrived at the Gibbs house only a few minutes after he left the house. Kate opens the door for him, she looks surprised.
"Ducky, come in" she lets the ME in.
Dr. Mallard looks at her face, "Caitlin, what's wrong? Are you OK?"
"Yes of course, I am all right! Come in Ducky, Robert is inside" Kate looks down, avoiding Ducky's worried gaze, her eyes are still red from crying.

Robert must have heard his Ducky's voice, the tot comes out from the kitchen, lunges at the ME, he is glad for the extra company, he misses his dad playing with him; then Kate left the two of them to continue her chores and getting breakfast ready for the three of them.

Ducky finds out everything from Robert Jethro Gibbs, after he bribes Robert with Gummy Bears, he questions the innocent boy:
"So, have you been a good boy Robert?" he kisses the top of his head, the two year old is occupied with the candy, he just nods his head.
"Did mommy cry?"
"Yes" he nods
"Did she cry this morning?"
"Yes" he nods again; this time he speaks up "Mommy sleeps with Bobby" he says while chewing a Gummy Bear.
Ducky is surprised, this is NOT good! He decides to press on:
"Did your mommy cry last night too?"
"Bobby don't know" the kid shrugs his shoulders and stops his chewing, looking up at the ME.
"Daddy made mommy cry?" Ducky asks again, what the hell did Gibbs do to Caitlin?
But Robert keeps quiet, he doesn't answer the question. Ducky thought the boy looked upset and unsure of himself. He shouldn't have asked the detail.
"It's OK Robert, you don't have to answer me, if you don't want to, OK?" and the old man who rarely holds him because of his rheumatism, hugs and picks the boy up and takes him to the backyard. He will deal with his dad later.

Later that day, Bobby wants to go to the park with Ducky, so Kate drops them at the park and left for grocery. She canceled the doctor's appointment, she is NOT in the mood for her appointment, so she rescheduled.
-----------------------------------------------------

The two year old and Ducky are having the time of their lives. The aging man doesn't feel his backache and rheumatism when he is having fun with the child; his laughter, antics and company are making the ME happy. In the park, the two of them enjoy the day, the fresh air does wonders for their appetite.

They make a leisurely stop at a café, seated at the veranda, basking in the evening sun, they both enjoy their ‘tea time" with sandwiches, ice cream and iced milk coffee for Robert of course, a son of a coffee addict, he knows exactly what to order, but he likes his milk and coffee cold, not hot like his daddy, he tells the waitress; the waitress gawks at the boy and Ducky.
"Are you sure, Sir? You allow your grandson to drink coffee???" she asks the grandpa
"Yes, Bobby wants cold milk coffee, please" the kid answers the confused woman.

Ducky understands the woman's concern, but he confirms the two year old's order, before the waitress nods warily and places their order.
Soon, they are enjoying the delicious food. Ducky lovingly tucks a napkin into Robert's shirt because he makes a huge mess when he eats by himself, the waitress smiles when she looks at the scene, a sweet old man with a blue eyed cherub.
First they ate the sandwiches, then the ice cream; Robert scoops his ice cream and dunks it in his milk coffee.
"Yummy" he said, grinning at Ducky. Ducky looks at the melting floats of ice cream in the milk coffee, it looks scrumptious and he follows Robert's move, dumping his ice cream in his coffee too.
Robert finished his meal, even the skeptical waitress is impressed! The boy leans back in the chair, looks down at his bulging stomach and rubs it! Ducky does the same thing; the tot says "Bobby full".

After Ducky paid their bill, they continue their slower walk along the path. The old man holds the tiny hand, to make sure he doesn't lose the boy again.

The NCIS ME takes his time to educate the kid, showing him different types of trees, colors, bicycles, fishes, ducks, squirrels and everything else in the park, well…Ducky loves to talk! And he also thinks it is crucial for the boy's mind to be challenged, it doesn't matter to him that the two year old does not fully understand most of his words.

The boy listens to his Ducky, he doesn't run around like when he plays with his daddy, he seems to understand that Ducky is old and he walks much slower than his dad, the kid never once leaves his side; he obediently stays by Ducky's side, holding his hand, interested in whatever Ducky is talking about and sometimes he can not help himself and he mimics Ducky's gestures and some words.

Suddenly it is dusk.
Ducky sees Caitlin's car driving slowly by the park lot; it is about time to pick the child's father, NCIS's grumpy director, he guesses.

"Robert, your mother is here, I think we are going to pick up your father at N-C-I-S" he spells for Robert, and the kid nods then he hops gaily to the car.
"Ducky come with Bobby! N-C-I-S, come Ducky! Mommyyyyyyy" he screams to his mother.
"Hi guys" Kate greets them, she feels much better than this morning.
"Have you been a good boy with Ducky?" she skeptically asks her son
"Yes" Robert nods
"Did you run around and disappear on Ducky again?" she ogles the two year old
"No" he shakes his head
"Did you eat anything sweet?" Kate interrogates
Robert thinks hard for a while and, "NO mommy" he shakes his head, ‘ice cream is NOT anything sweet' and Ducky coughs uncomfortably, the sly boy lies to his mother.
"OK, then you can have a scoop of ice cream tonight" Kate is satisfied with his behavior, she sees no ice cream stain on his blue shirt.

"C'mon Ducky, it's pretty late!" Kate opens the door for the man
"We go Daddy office…N-C…?" he forgot
"N-C-I-S" Ducky reminds him
"We go N-C-I-S mommy" he shows off to his surprised mom
"You know NCIS Robert?" Kate kisses his cheeks and hoists him into his car seat, and she realizes something.
"Robert Jethro Gibbs! You ate ICE CREAM!" His cheeks are sticky.
"Yes mommy" he admits, and he explains before his mom corners him, "Bobby eat ice cream, not anything sweet" he defends his answers.
Kate crosses her arms across her chest, looking at the boy sternly.
Not knowing what to answer, she sighs, admits defeat and walks to the driver's seat, hiding her laughter.
"Let's go office mommy" Robert is already strapped in the seat.
"No Bobby! Daddy is not in the office anymore, and he will come straight home" she explains to the boy.
"Dinner is ready. Ducky, I assume you'll be joining us and spending the night, right? It is your day off" Kate asks the man sitting beside her.
"It would be my pleasure Caitlin" Ducky beams at her, his answer is greeted by Robert's shout, "YES…Ducky stay with Bobby tonight" and the boy cheers, words that none of the adults understand.
-------------------------------------------

The second they step into the house, Robert tugs Ducky all the way to his room, he wants to show Ducky something without his mother's knowledge.
"Oh dear" Ducky murmurs to himself, as the boy pulls out a wooden box which he hides inside his toy wooden box, which his dad made for him, the small box is filled with candy!
"Shhh…" the kid placed his index finger at his lips, signaling Ducky to keep it down
"Mommy don't know" he whispers in the ME's ear, then he takes one out, unwraps the candy and slips it into Ducky's mouth; the old man is shocked, he assumed the kid was going to eat the candy but he offers it to him instead.
"Thank you Robert, Ducky likes candy too"
-------------------------------------------------
It is almost seven when the man of the house arrives home; he couldn't believe his day, now that he is home, he is reminded of their problem from last night.
As he steps into the warm cozy house, he is greeted by the two year old. "Daddiiiii" and Robert throws himself at him before he sheds his coat.

He picks up the excited two year old and the boy starts babbling about his day with Ducky. In five minutes he already knows about the park, ice cream, milk coffee and his ME is going to spend the night there.
"Good evening Jethro" Ducky greets him, Gibbs wearily nods to acknowledge the ME.
"Hi sweetie" Kate walks to her husband, kisses him and takes Robert from him and puts the boy down, "Robert is a big boy now, daddy is tired"
"Hi Kate" he greets her with a sigh, kisses her temple; it has not been a good day for him.
"How was your appointment with Strebel?" he asks his wife.
Kate tenses, she completely forgot to make up an excuse for him, oh…the hell with it! For ‘normal' people, they wouldn't notice the sudden change of her gestures and facial expression, but Gibbs, who spends half of his life interrogating suspects, he noticed the subtle changes.
"What's wrong Kate?" He asks Kate who is refusing to look at him
"I rescheduled the appointment" she answers.
Ducky who was engrossed in the Discovery channel, witnesses the disharmony in the couple.
"What? Why?" Gibbs sounds surprised
"Nothing Jethro! I am going tomorrow instead of today…no specific reason, no big deal, I just didn't feel like it" she looks into his eyes in defiance.
"Kate!" Gibbs can't believe his ears
"Jethro, please! Not now, not in front of…the boy, we'll talk later" Kate reminds him
Gibbs looks down and sees his son looking back and forth between his mother and father, he looks sad and confused, but unable to comprehend the situation; he seldom sees them argue.
Gibbs nods, agreeing with Kate.
It is going to be a hell of a long night!

"Bobby help daddy" he takes his dad's hand and they walk together to the master bedroom where his dad usually showers and changes before dinner, the kid already knows the ritual by heart.
Ducky looks at the scene and his mind wanders just for a moment; The bastard Jethro Gibbs about fifteen years ago, before the man was married for the fourth time, that awful bleak period in his life, coming home to an empty cold house, just his boat and dust awaiting him.
Look at him now with Caitlin, the ME liked the spunky girl the first time he laid eyes on her in Air Force One, a female Secret Service Agent, at that time he didn't know they existed.
Then NCIS's bastard hired her and naturally a few years later he married the woman. Now they have a boy, making Jethro more and more tolerable each day, he never hears him shout at his son, he barely lifts a finger at the mischievous boy.

"Ducky…Ducky" Kate calls him.
"Are you all right?" she looks worried, she places her hand on the man's shoulder.
"Oh yeah, I am sorry, I was just thinking, looking at Robert…" Ducky explains.
"Yeah I know…he is very close to his dad, he adores the bastard" Kate teases.
"You should have seen how he stuck to him during Jethro's three days off" Kate adds
The little kid loves company, for him, the more the merrier.

Kate tells Ducky about an incident few months ago, during the time Robert was waiting for his dad to take his shower, he decided to pick his dad's shirt, all Gibbs saw as he exited the bathroom was his son's butt, sticking out from the cupboard, and Ducky's laughter can be heard by Gibbs on the second floor.
-------------------------------------

Dinner was pleasant and fun
When Gibbs is about to hoist his son to his high chair, he refused: "No daddy, Bobby big boy" he wishes to be seated in the adults' chair and Gibbs lets him be.
It is funny how they can only see half of his head poking out above the table.
"Oh Bobby! You can't sit there, you are too little" Kate sees the boy's head.
Ducky has an idea, he quickly goes to his old room where he left some of his books and belongings, and he comes out with two thick textbooks and places them under the kid's bum.
Robert is used to having guests at his dining table, his parents host plenty of "single Federal Agents" who hardly have time or bother to cook. Most of the time, Ducky, Abby, Tony, McGee or James would join them for dinner.
The old ME can see the strain between the couple, mostly from Caitlin, she is a little bit distant with her husband.
Even the two year old is not happy with his parents, out of the blue, the tot asks:
"Mommy angry with daddy?" he looks at his mother who chokes on her drink when she hears the question; his dad steals a glance to his mother.
Kate is sweating bullets, not knowing what to say to the kid.
"No Bobby, I am not mad with anybody" she quickly spoon feeds Robert so that he doesn't ask any more questions.
The boy closes his mouth and shakes his head, he is not done talking.
Gibbs is trying his best to put on a straight face.

"Daddy angry with mommy?" he turns to his dad
"No Robert, I am not" There is no privacy in this house, Gibbs thinks, his son is NOT a baby anymore.
Robert looks at Ducky for a while, unfamiliar with the cold atmosphere, the man just smiles at him, then:
"OK Daddy! Kiss mommy!" he orders his dad and Ducky chokes on his wine.
Gibbs is looking at the boy's blue eyes, realizes what an ass he's been, he is glad to have his family and he wouldn't have it otherwise.
Kate is about to scold Robert for being nosy, when her husband cups her face and kisses her for one long minute.
"I am a fool, I am sorry Kate" he whispers to her when he breaks the kiss with Kate already melting from his kiss. Her face is bright red from embarrassment and happiness.
"OK, Bobby happy" he declares and continues his meal in peace, while Ducky sighs in satisfaction.
But a few minutes later, the kid puts down his fork:
And, "Bobby want ice cream, mommy, please" he remembers the promise.

Within seconds, before Kate registers his demand and says "no" because he's already eaten his ice cream that evening, Gibbs stands up and walks to the fridge, takes out a tub of ice cream. His son just saved the day, he can have anything in the world, even ice cream.
Kate can't believe how a two year old can manipulate a seasoned investigator. She is speechless when her husband calls the boy to sit in his lap and spoon feeds him chocolate ice cream…from the tub!
"Jethro, you know what he is doing to you, don't you?" Ducky gawks at him
"Yeah, I know Ducky and I am glad he did" Gibbs answers the ME and kisses his son's head.
After ten minutes of chocolate ice cream moments, Kate intervenes, she says " That's enough Jethro" and Robert grins at his dad "thank you" and slowly slips down from his lap; that's how Robert saved the day.
---------------------------------------

That night, Gibbs Jr. insists for Ducky to sleep in ‘his basement', he tugs Ducky all the way to his room, while scaring the ME, telling lies that the room nearest to the kitchen, which Ducky used to occupy is full of ghosts.
Gibbs is in the kitchen doing the dishes when Kate laughs loudly, hearing the boy's lie.
"He got that from you!" Kate manages to speak amid her laughter, for a few seconds she forgot about what an ass her husband been.
"I don't lie like Robert, Kate" Gibbs looks at her
"Yeah you do! When you interrogate suspects Jethro, you lie your ass off" she finally stops laughing. The couple look at each other, drown in each other's eyes, they realized that there are things they have to settle but they are sure that everything is going to be all right.

It is almost ten when Ducky is in his robe and Robert is in his pajamas, the old man takes care of everything; he is about to read him stories from the "jungle book" when Gibbs knocks at the door.
"Ducky, can I have a minute with you?" Gibbs is standing by the door with his coffee.
"Of course Jethro…" Ducky puts down the book; Robert interrupts the conversation
"Bobby too" he decides as he quickly slips down from his bed
"Why don't you wait for Ducky in your room?" the ME tries to persuades the kid
"No, Bobby follow" he wants to join them.
Kate is in their bedroom, she hears everything, her son is quite nosy. She enters Robert's room, "Robert…baby" Kate bends down to his level, "Mommy is lonely, Bobby, stay with mommy please?" she asks Robert who is already holding Ducky's hand. The kid thinks long and hard before he nods and follows his mother instead of the men.
---------------------------------------------

Gibbs and the ME are in the basement, he pours the old man bourbon in a clean shot glass, Ducky notices. His life is in much better shape than before…before he married for the last time, he hopes.
Ducky makes himself comfortable with his bourbon, sitting on the comfortable battered old couch by the corner, while Gibbs starts working on his boat; the old man knows that he needs time to open up to him. Ducky is about to be lulled to sleep when Gibbs speaks to him:
"Ducky, I read your letter today, your resignation letter"
"Oh yes, I know" Ducky replies and awakens slightly.
"Why Ducky? Are you unhappy with things at NCIS?"
"Oh Jethro, I am an old man. I want to resign and enjoy what's left of my time here. And young Palmer and Gerald are more than ready to take over my job" Ducky explains, his eyes closed, feeling the warmth from the liquid gold Bourbon.
Gibbs gazes at the ME for a while after he hears the explanation.
"I see. I thought you are unhappy at work" Gibbs is partly relieved.
"Oh no, what makes you think that? I have never been happier than these few years" Ducky thinks about the decades he has worked in NCIS.
"When are you planning to retire?"
"Perhaps, by the end of the year, after Christmas…about time your second child will arrive…I think"
Suddenly he remembers about the trip to the park this afternoon. "I had a great time today, in the park…with your son. He makes me happy Jethro…" Ducky sighs and opens his eyes.
"Couldn't imagine my life without the boy, Ducky" Gibbs places his tool down and pours himself a glass of Bourbon.
"He showed me his secret box today, do you know about it?" Ducky wonders
"Yeah, I gave him that box, it was mine. A week later I checked out the content…" Gibbs laughs, as Ducky interrupts, "…it's filled with candies, that's where he's been hiding them from Kate"

Gibbs is reminded with his Kate when Ducky mentions her name, "Ducky, Kate refused to see Strebel today, she canceled her appointment" he sighs heavily.
"I didn't know that" Ducky is surprised.
"I don't know what to do Ducky" Gibbs realized that shouting his displeasure is NOT going to work on Kate, she is not his agents and she is still pissed with him from the previous night.
"What I know is that you made her cry. Robert saw his mother cry…I assume you will fix whatever it is…" Ducky looks at his weary friend, and wonders why on earth is he still trapped in this nightmare.
"I don't know Ducky…" Gibbs is not sure what he can do to improve the situation.

Ducky has had enough of Gibbs, he seldom gives advice, but he can't help it anymore. "Jethro, don't be a bastard in your own home! You have every single thing you ever dreamed of: better job, a loving wife, A SON! And Kate is expecting your 2nd child…" Ducky sounds really upset and angry; Gibbs looks at the ME who is getting angrier by the second.
"Don't ruin it Jethro! Kate will never bash your head with a bat, or a golf club or whatever it is! She will not stick around for the alimony! They are not her style. She will just walk away…Please Jethro, don't ruin it for you and your family…" with that Ducky decides to leave the daft man alone, while he walks back to his beloved baby boy.
-----------------------------------------------------

"Hi Ducky" Ducky hears Kate's whisper as he enters the darkened room, only the night table lamp is on; he sees the boy is asleep in his bed, he still has his mother's hair in his grip as Kate is lying next to him.
"He wanted to wait for you, in his room…not mine" Kate explains, as she loosens the boy's grip and slips down from the bed.
"Sleep tight Ducky" Kate kisses Ducky's temple before she exits the room.

Ducky stops her, "Caitlin, how's my next grandchild doing?"
"I haven't seen Strebel yet" Kate speaks uncomfortably, she feels like she is putting the old man down; she slowly walks away before Ducky calls her again.
"Caitlin…be patient with our Jethro, it is at times like these that he needs you more than ever" Ducky holds both of her hands, then he hugs the woman he loves like a daughter he never had. It feels so good and comforting that Kate couldn't help but cry in his arms, after a while she feels better and she smiles sadly and nods at Ducky.
"I have given him all that I can give Ducky, but I guess it is not enough to heal his pain" and Kate returns to her empty room, her husband is still in the basement with his boat. Ducky stares at the empty space where Kate stood just a minute ago, he can only wish that the hard headed man comes to his senses before it is too late.

-Tbc-

Chapter 6 The return of Kate Todd


After the talk with Ducky, Kate returns to her empty room.
She decides to work on her laptop, Gibbs is in the middle of his course, she is just going a last minute check that all his assignments are forwarded.
After his five minute long round of locking all doors and windows, it is almost midnight when he returns to their room. "Katie, it's late" he said to his wife as he enters the room.
Kate's eyes are still glued to the screen, "a few more minutes" she replies.

Assuming that she is still annoyed with him, he doesn't know what to say to her, instead he stood by her side, looking down at her working at her laptop for quite some time.
The old Gibbs would have slammed the laptop down and taken her to bed, no questions asked. This time, he gazes at her for quite some time, then his gaze goes down to her still flat tummy. All of a sudden, he kisses the top of her head, "Katie…please…don't punish our child because you hate me" he murmurs in regret.
Kate is shocked at his comment.
"God! How could you think of me that way? And I don't hate you! I am just angry with you" she stands up from the chair, and pulls him to their bed.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, they talked. "I was thinking that I wanted to take Robert to Jeremy's…just for a week or two" she noticed his tense face, then she quickly continues, "It's been a year since Robert saw Jaclyn and Joshua"
"Kate" he cuts her off - he is not going to let her go in the middle of their fight.
"I was planning the trip before I found out that I am pregnant again, so don't worry, I am not leaving."
He looks so relieved that she smiles. "And I am not punishing the baby because I am angry at you Jethro, I am not heartless," she sighs, weary with the fight, wishing that it is over soon.
"I'll go to Strebel with you tomorrow, all right?" He insists and she nods.
"C'mon Kate, you should sleep, let's go to bed" he pulls her hand.

"Oh no…we are not done talking Jethro!" Kate holds his hand, looks him in the eyes. the questions. "Do you still have a problem with my ex? And what about me helping DiNozzo with the Cobalt case?" Gibbs really wishes he doesn't have to answer
"I don't know Kate." He looks away from her.
"Yes you know! You always know Jethro! Do you trust me?"
"Yes" plain and simple
"One hundred percent?"
"Yes" he is sure of that.
That night, they come to a conclusion that he wound not oppose her helping Lt. Cobalt case as long as she is never alone with him. Kate rolls her eyes at him but she agrees with his condition. That night, or shall they say morning, they sleep in peace, the anger between them has been put behind them.
--------------------------------------------------

FBI

He groans when he hears his mobile waking him up from the deep slumber. He notices the woman in his arms, snuggling on his chest, she stirs slightly from the noise. He blindly reaches over for the blasted thing.
Blurry, he reads the ID Caller ‘Fornell_FBI'. "Gibbs" he answers as he glances at the time, five in the morning.
"Gibbs, I have bad news" He hears Fornell's voice filled with terror and anger. He already knows who the hell he is talking about.
"Where are you?"
"I am at NCIS's back lot"
"Be right there" Gibbs says and hangs up on the FBI agent.

Kate has been listening to the call and feels him stiffen by the second. She looks up at him, questioning him with her eyes when he hangs up his mobile and confirms her fear.
Fifteen minutes later, the Director is by his door, ready to leave for the HQ, he had roused his senior agents to meet him at the HQ, A.S.A.P. Kate runs to him from the kitchen with his huge cup of coffee.

"Kate, please…don't run. And I am so sorry, I can't go with you" He can't believe the bad timing.
Kate interrupts him with a kiss. "I know, it's OK…It's OK Jethro, and I will see you at the HQ, OK. Be careful please".
He kisses her goodbye.
"I love you, Kate," he says before he hurriedly leaves for work.
After her husband drives off, Kate stays frozen on the spot, staring at the empty lot, lost in her turbulent thoughts, until Ducky calls her, "Caitlin"

She snaps to the present, closes the door and walks inside her house.
The ME is standing in front of Robert's room, looking down at her from the 2nd floor. "Ducky, it's still early, go back to bed" she looks up at the ME in his robe.
"Jethro left for the HQ?" He heard his car.
Kate nods and answers, "Haswari" and Ducky's face changes.
"I had better go too" he decides.
"Ducky, you have no reason to go, it is still early, we don't know what really happen and…"
The ME shakes his head. "They need me there" and walks inside the room.
Half an hour later the old man left the house for the HQ.
Ducky cursed the day Haswari ended up in his Autopsy.
--------------------------------------

After Ducky left the house, leaving Kate alone with her kid, for the first time since she lived there, she feels unsafe. Hastily, she locks the main door and then she runs to the back of the house to lock the back door.
Satisfied with the essential security in her house, she heads to the boy's room to check on Robert who is still asleep, oblivious to his parents' despair.
"I won't let that man hurt you in any way "she whispers to him, she remembers the few days she was in Haswari's hands, the man abused and hurt her.
"Your dad will make sure of that too"

That morning, ex NCIS Special Agent Todd does not do her daily chores; instead she goes to her room and takes out a silver box which she hasn't touched since the day she quit the agency.
Carefully, she opens the box, regretting the reason it has to be open; there she sees her Sig Sauer, undisturbed for two years; she has had no reason to use her gun.

Since she married Gibbs, she doesn't sleep with her gun under her pillow, the last time she slept with her gun under her pillow her husband accidentally knocked it off as he slipped his arm under her pillow to hug her closer…and he looked at her incredulously, and said that as long as he was still breathing she had no reason to sleep with her gun under her pillow in their own bed.

The day she quit her job because Gibbs was appointed as the Director, she almost cried when she put it away. It seems unreal to Kate now that she is looking at her trusted Sig Sauer, because the Mossad Psycho is on the loose again.
She stations herself at Gibb's desk and swiftly cleans her gun thoroughly, reloading the bullets.
It has been too long, but she still hasn't forgotten how powerful and destructive it can be; she holds her Sig in her grip, remembering its feel.

She is so engrossed in her task, she doesn't realize that her toddler is already awake and walking towards his parents' room, still sleepy and tugging his small blanket with him.
Kate notices her son is the room when he is few feet away from where she is sitting, with her gun and ammunition on the table…too late to hide the gun from his sight.
"WOW…mommy has gun???" he exclaims, suddenly awake from his sleepiness, his eyes enlarged in excitement; he recognized everybody's gun in his dad's office.
Some kids love cars and airplanes, but not Robert! Guns are his passion, even though he only touches them with his fingertips.
His Uncle Tony loves to make fun of him, making him guess which one is his dad's and the knuckle head agent's gun…and he knows the difference. He has touched everybody's gun in NCIS, even the securities' at the HQ's entrance.

And until that moment, he never knew his mother with a gun, a black shining beautiful gun! Before Kate manages to answer her son, he runs to her legs and climbs up to her leg, and she hoists him up.
"Bobby!!! Don't touch the gun! Remember your talk with your dad?" she reminds him.
"What talk mommy?" he pretends
"Robert!" Kate warns him again as she sees his hands inching towards the ammunition and gun on the table while Kate is busy cleaning the nozzle.
"Mommy's gun?" he asks again, but since his mother hasn't answered his question, his hands are off the table.
Kate nods, "Yes, it's mommy's when mommy was still working" and she looks at him fondly, she remembers how Gibbs and she struggled, meeting their needs, juggling between their hectic work and family…it was crazy.
"Mommy go back work???" he concludes positively, his hands are inching towards the gun again. He thought if his mom goes back to work…that means he is coming to work too!
"No Robert, I am just cleaning the old gun" she replies and again, she swiftly grabs Robert's hands away from the weapon, "No Robert! Please, don't play with it, it is not a toy"
"Bobby likes gun, mommy" the kid insists, still eyeing his mother's beautiful gun, he continues, "Bobby has lots of gunsssss"
"You know what Robert, why don't you tidy your basement, get ready and you can bring one of your guns and we'll go out…" she said to her son.
"Two mommy, two" he wants to bring more; Kate sighs, this is what has been happening since her son learnt how to count.

"OK" she agrees; Robert is so happy, he says OK and slips down to the floor and dashes to his room to "tidy" up his bed, which means to put away his toys and to pull his blanket swiftly over his bed, he doesn't know how to make his bed yet! Then, he opens his big wooden box and chooses TWO out of his gun collection.
----------------------------------------------

Toast

Three FBI agents in their black suits crowd the NCIS's morgue. Special Agent DiNozzo is not pleased with the fact that FBI is all over his morgue! They are looking at what seems to be…a badly burnt corpse.
"Damn…he is TOAST!!!" DiNozzo couldn't help himself, the corpse is charcoal black, and it looks fragile too. He yawns and continues, "Are you sure, this is…yours?" he asks the morose looking FBI agents.
"We believe so, he is Agent Steve Goldsmith" one of the men in black speaks up.
"And…you guys find him in our compound?" DiNozzo tries to understand how an FBI agent can be found burned dead in his HQ's complex.
"We received a distress call from Agent Goldsmith, about half an hour before we found him…" the man is looking at his dead friend.
"That's the last we heard from him and where we tracked him…" he manages to answer DiNozzo.
"What was he doing?" DiNozzo is curious.
"I believe it is confidential Special Agent DiNozzo" the FBI man is back to his usual ass!
"Well! Confidential or not, NCIS got the body guys, so why don't you…" DiNozzo is getting angry by the second until he is cut of by his ME barging into his domain. Thirty minutes ago, he received an order from his boss to come to the HQ, pronto. Now that he is here, looking at a toasted corpse and the FBI is being an ass, as usual.

"What's the hold up? What do we have here?" Ducky brusquely enters "his" morgue, he seems to be wide awake and on the edge.
"Oh my…he is toast, charcoal" he says as he straightens his specs and analyzes the corpse more closely.
"I assume you have his dental record at hand?" he asks without looking at the FBI agents…and they nod, still disturbed by the death of their colleague.
"We'll soon find out how you died, my friend! I hope you were not burned alive, for your sake" Ducky speaks calmly to the corpse, as he always does.
------------------------------------

In the Director's office, 1300 hours.
Gibbs and Fornell had just finished their shouting match.
Half an hour ago they heard from Dinozzo that Ducky was able to ID the burned victim and their fear is confirmed. The victim is FBI Agent Matt Angus, Haswari's partner, actually more his controller than partner, which the FBI forced on Haswari. So the hunt has started, Haswari killed the FBI agent; he is uncontrollable and on the loose.
The FBI and NCIS are in trouble because a psychopath is free to do or destroy whatever he wishes. And even though they managed to apprehend the terrorist, they are officially unable to terminate the vermin, because of his double agent position.
That is one of the reasons why Gibbs has been in shouting matches for the past three months with the FBI Directors and other agencies.

After DiNozzo's report on Ducky's finding, both Fornell and Gibbs are still inside the office, vainly strategizing their plan B. They have no other choice; both men are in the midst of their talk when Kate enters the office, her son is asleep in her arms, head perched on her shoulder.
"Oh, sorry, I didn't know. Mrs. Adam said to go right in" Kate sees Fornell rising from the chair, the guys are not shouting, which seldom happens.
"It's all right Kate" Gibbs looks exhausted.
"Todd…he is asleep?" Fornell walks to her and he gently lifts the sleeping boy from his mother into his arms and he laughs as he notices the toy guns stuck to the kid's shorts and Kate slips them off.
Fornell smiles, looking at the cherubic face in his arms, unaware of the dangers around him; he doesn't have any children from his two marriages; he loves childrens' unspoiled minds, especially since he met his friends' son.
Kate notices the distress and tension in the room, "How is it? How bad is it? What happened?" she bombards Gibbs with questions, all day long, she's been thinking about all the bleak possibilities.

Gibbs could have slapped his own stupid head after telling his wife what really happened.
"It's bad Kate, his partner is dead, we found him in the back lot. Now, he is free to do whatever he wishes and he has the connections and money to do so, we don't know…" he stops in the middle of his sentence.
Kate looks worried, her face paled considerably, she thought they would have news on Haswari's activities, NOT Haswari as a free man; without realizing, she covers her mouth and cries.
"Katie, don't worry, it's not too late, it's going to be all right" Gibbs says, but in his mind, he slaps his own head.
"What are we going to do?" Kate asks him, but before Gibbs answers her question, Fornell intervenes.
"We are going to get the son of a bitch, and when we have him, he'll wish that he was dead, Todd" Fornell interrupts the couple.
He is sitting on the side sofa, Robert is sleeping on his chest. Looking at the child's serene face has somehow given him some hope.

Gibbs changes the subject, "How was the appointment?"
"Nothing special, just blood tests and the usual, I'll see him again in a week or so" she replies.
"Oh…and Robert almost destroyed his office!" Kate shakes her head at the boy; she is reminded of the child's antics with her old OB-GYN who is Ducky's friend.
She tells him what happened at the OB-GYN: their son touched every foreign tool he saw, he was quite nosy too, asking "What can they do?" and comparing them to his guns. He also said that his Ducky has the same or better tools than what the OB-GYN has. He even had the audacity to invite Strebel to his bullpen and saying he'll take the man to Ducky's cold room.

They are disturbed by a knock:
DiNozzo enters the office and starts complaining. "Boss, the FBI is being an ass!"
"Nothing new DiNozzo…nothing new" Gibbs comments.
"Result?" he snaps at DiNozzo.
"Positive ID Boss and Ducky is sure that the man was "toasted" alive…soot in his lungs and throat, traces of Gaso…" he shuts up as he sees Kate's face.
He quickly changes the subject, "the toast belongs to him" he points at Fornell who is glaring at the obnoxious NCIS jerk, but unable to do anything because he is holding a child.
Kate scolds DiNozzo for being an insensitive knucklehead as usual, but the knucklehead grins at his ex-partner.
Suddenly, Kate stops talking and turn around, facing Gibbs:
"I can help! I can profile! I know him the best!!!" She realizes her strengths and she should have offered her services a long time ago, before it got worse.
"She has a point, Boss" DiNozzo looks at his director.
DiNozzo and Fornell dare not take sides; they realize that for NCIS's sake, the Director should hire her back, but as her husband…hell no! Gibbs is in a very precarious position.

"I don't think so Kate" he starts to distance himself from her.
Kate moves closer to him, "NCIS does not currently have a profiler, I am a profiler!" she spells out the deal to him.
"Kate, I will not allow you to return to NCIS, especially for Haswari…" Gibbs refuses.
"Jethro, listen to me…" Kate tries.
"No Kate…I said NO!" He is about to bellow his decision when Kate thought of another way.
"Guys, can we talk in private, please…" Kate is still looking at him but he is refusing to look at her in the eyes.

DiNozzo and Fornell leave the couple.
Fornell still has the sleeping toddler in his arms, unwilling to put him down yet. ;DiNozzo tries to take Robert from the FBI Agent, but Fornell slaps his hand away.
"Hey! He is NCIS's baby!" DiNozzo is annoyed, how dare he touch Robert, who belongs to NCIS.
Fornell walks away with the toddler still perched on his chest, leaving the knucklehead Agent behind him, but DiNozzo pesters the man; he tries to take Robert again…and receives another brusque slap to his hand.
They are outside Gibbs's office now, standing near Mrs. Adams's desk. If not because of Fornell, she would have shood DiNozzo away for making too much noise.
DiNozzo complains, "His mom and dad are ‘pure' NCIS"
"Special Agent Todd was Secret Service DiNozzo" Fornell answers his complaints calmly.
"EX! EX-SECRET SERVICE! She was NCIS when she quit!!!" Dinozzo reminds Fornell angrily and quite loudly, receiving a hawk like glare from the secretary.
----------------------------------------

In the Director's office.
"Jethro, please listen to me, hear me out. You have to make the best decision for the department and you are not a field Agent anymore, you are a Director sweetie…" She reasons with him.
Gibbs walks away from her, heading towards his chair, behind the huge table, barricading himself physically and hopefully emotionally from her pleas. "Kate, you are my wife, you are carrying MY child, I would be a fool if I let you in the circle again Kate," he tries to make her understand the dilemma.
"But, NCIS needs me. You guys need me. We do not want more bloodshed Jethro!" Kate replies.
"No Kate" Gibbs realizes that his back is literally against the wall.
"And I swear that I will be office bound. I promise! I will help from the Headquarters, not the field!" she bargains and continues her speech before he answers her, "…you have to admit, the bastard has got me twice, and I know him better than Ducky does!"
"And you thought he had kind eyes Kate" Gibbs replies with a pang of jealousy.
"He was not born that way Jethro! Life made him a monster…and are you jealous???" Kate couldn't believe her ears.

Half an hour later, after many arguments, deals, threats and much begging…and finally one sweet kiss between the two of them, the Director reinstates Special Agent Todd ‘temporarily' to NCIS.
--------------------------------------

They walk out from the office.
Kate is excited with the new deal but Gibbs is looking grim despite the sweet kiss he got from his Kate. They stop in their track and witness DiNozzo still bickering with Fornell about their son, with Mrs. Adams looking aggravated.
Without a word, Gibbs strides to them and takes what belongs to him…his son... from Fornell. Problem solved.
"DiNozzo, Kate will help you profile Haswari…" Gibbs announces

DiNozzo's cheers of happiness and jumps stop Gibbs's speech.
DiNozzo hugs his ex partner, he misses her terribly.
"Kate, don't you miss our truck???" DiNozzo eyes gleam with happy memories.
"Do you remember when…" he shuts up when he sees Kate's eyes changes by the mention of their beloved truck.
"She is office bound, DiNozzo!" Gibbs snaps, but he couldn't continue because the boy in his arms stirs from his loud voice.
"C'mon Tony!" Kate shoves DiNozzo away from her husband who can't shout because of her sleeping son, but before she goes down the stairs, she returns and kisses them both, "You have my mobile" she whispers to Gibbs.
Kate did not expect his hand. He manages to grab her elbow quickly.
"Kate, I will NOT be needing your mobile, I'll be calling your desk phone, all right?!" he warns her…and she winks at him.

Fornell and Gibbs can hear DiNozzo starting his fun; he is telling Kate that she should call him ‘Boss' and Kate is saying ‘no way' and messing his finely combed hair.
"I never thought that you'll hire her back Gibbs" Fornell is looking at the man standing beside him.
"I am NOT hiring her back! I am just reinstating her! There is a difference Fornell" Gibbs is denying the truth.
"I think you made the right decision" Fornell enters the office.
"I don't think so…and I might change my decision at any time" Gibbs seems confused.
"We'll get the traitor once and for all, Haswari won't see Todd, we'll make sure of that."
Fornell calms Gibbs down.
"Like hell Fornell."
Gibbs is angry with himself for the situation.
"I am taking the body back Gibbs."
Fornell sighs wearily.
He has had enough shit from Haswari, who has been killing his men, four bodies thus far.
"I want to see the body, then I'll come over to your HQ once I am done here."

He quickly placed the boy on the couch, then from his personal cupboard he pulls out a small pillow and blanket, making the boy as comfortable as possible: Robert has spent countless times sleeping in his dad's office and bullpen.
Fornell is gazing at the hard ass bastard that used to give him shit, taking care of his son, "You love him, don't you Gibbs"
"More than my life…"
"For the first time in my life, I am jealous of you Gibbs" Fornell laughs bitterly and they both left the office to the morgue.
------------------------------------------------

Bullpen
"You all right Kate?" DiNozzo looks at her with concern; they just spent half an hour in the autopsy with Ducky dissecting a ‘black' burned corpse and Ducky was not pleased with DiNozzo for bringing Kate there.

Even though she was mostly asking the FBI Agents questions, she blanched considerably as she heard the cracking sound of ribs being cut open, and couldn't help it but to look.
But DiNozzo knows Kate quite well, having worked with her for more than two years, he knows that her pride won't let her admit that the autopsy is bothering her.
"I am fine Tony, but I am glad that I haven't had my lunch though" she admits, drinking her water from the bottle like she always does.
"Here Kate" McGee offers her crackers and milk, he is glad that she is joining the team again, she used to save his ass when Gibbs was still their boss.
"Thanks McGee" Kate beams at the man whom Abby called ‘one sweet geek'
"Glad to have you back Kate" McGee nods to her.
"Suck up…" DiNozzo whispers to McGee and shoves the man purposely, jealous that Kate is beaming at him.
He has known Kate longer.
McGee pulls a face at him.

DiNozzo decides to tease his ex-partner. "Hey Kate I didn't know that Lt. Cobalt is your ex!"
"Yeah, we dated for a while," she replies innocently
"So…you are going to help you EX, Katie girl" DiNozzo flashes his kinky grin
Kate still doesn't realize what Tony is doing.
"I've thought about that Tony, but I decided not to, I think the Mossad case with the FBI is…"
DiNozzo interrupts her. "Boss is jealous!!! Isn't he? That's why you are not going to do the case".
He is standing very close to her, annoying her. McGee just exhales, realizing what his knucklehead boss is doing.
"NO!" Kate answers the man in disbelief, but somehow angry because he guessed right!
"Tony…" McGee tries to stops his ‘new' boss from making a mistake, he just saw Gibbs coming down the stairs.
"SHHHH! Probie! Shut it!" DiNozzo shush him.
"Admit it Kate! Your husband is jealous! Big Boss ORDERED you NOT to take the case." He looks at her slyly; her face is flushed, but she is controlling her anger.
DiNozzo is not done yet, it's been too long since he pissed her off, the last time was when she was pregnant and he commented that she waddled like a penguin and made her cry.
"AW KATE! You've lost your touch! Where is the sassy Kate I used to know?
Kate is fuming mad by now and still unable to answer DiNozzo.
She has forgotten how annoying and what a pain in the ass he can be.
DiNozzo doesn't know just when to stop. "You've become a docile housewife, poor Katie! You are…"
____TWACK____TWACK______
DiNozzo flinches and covers his head.
Gibbs heard everything! His wife is almost in tears, but after the slaps, she is grinning in satisfaction, swiftly wiping her tears in embarrassment. She is extremely sensitive when she is pregnant, and McGee is enjoying the slaps.
--------------------------------------------

-Tbc-nova2007-Beta(MV)

Chapter 7 Mischief managed


"Boss, I just miss teasing my ex partner" DiNozzo hurriedly explains.
Gibbs disregards his reason and barks his verdict: "You are handing the Cobalt case to McGee!" he points at astounded McGee.
"I want you one hundred percent on Haswari! You have James and Balboa. Kate will ONLY profile! Office bound! Do I make myself clear DiNozzo?" He asks the senior agent.
"Yes Boss" DiNozzo replies.
"I'll see you in my office, once you are done for the day." Gibbs walks past him to reaches Kate.

"C'mon Kate" he places his hand on her lower back, guiding her away from the bullpen towards his office. Kate sticks out her tongue at DiNozzo, grabs her crackers and milk from the table, thanks McGee and follows him.
-----------------------

Gibbs expresses his concern to her on their way up: "Kate, I don't want you exerting yourself…for God's sakes, you are two months pregnant. One of the reasons I agreed to let you back at the HQ to profile Haswari is because I think you and Robert are safer here." He admits to her, not caring anymore if she is offended by the reason.

"I know Jethro" Kate whispers as she leans closer to him, "I feel safer when you are around too" she said with a small smile.
"I am going to start profiling…and what about Robert?" she is concerned about the boy wellbeing, its been so long since she last worked, she's been a full time mother to him.
Gibbs thinks he'll be all right, "He'll be fine with me or the guys and he loves it here"
"I am just concerned about his meals and stuff, he is not used to…" she stops talking at they enter his office, located next to MTAC.

Gibbs and Kate freeze as they open the door and witness Robert sitting on Fornell's lap…eating, eating croissants and drinking milk from a straw, which Kate assumes Fornell got from one of Gibbs's personal cupboards.
Fornell is patiently feeding the kid, Robert is practically eating from Fornell's hand as he is busy unclasping the Agent's gun's holster, as he repeatedly says, "Bobby love gun" and babbles his own words that Kate is sure the FBI Agent does not understand, the kid is quite slow with his language skills, her niece could speak in full sentence by the time she was two.
Them he sees his parents, "Mommy, Bobby eat"

"Todd, your boy said he is hungry, so I had the croissant and milk delivered" Fornell explains; he asks the kid "Do you like it Robert?"
Robert grins and said "Yes Foni, yummy" he cannot pronounces Fornell.
Oh my God, Kate hears her son call the Agent, Foni: "Robert, his name is not Foni, can you say Fornell?"
But the tot just looks at his mother and Fornell, confused.
"It's OK Todd, I don't mind" Fornell speaks up as he makes sure his gun is still safely tucked in the holster.
"Yeah Kate! Fornell is a sissy" Gibbs adds as he strides towards his chair.
Kate kisses her son's cheeks before she left, "Be good Bobby, I'll see you later"
The boy asks, "Where mommy go? Bobby follow" looking at his mother but his hands are still holding the gun.
"No no Bobby, you stay with daddy and Foni…sorry Fornell, mommy is going to catch a bad guy, OK! Wait for mommy here" she kisses him again. Robert just nods his head, he doesn't mind being with his dad and Fony, who he's seen many times in his house and office.
------------------------------

Gibbs is to have a short meeting with the FBI director in a few hours, his secretary reminds him of the appointment. He is just keen on catching Haswari and his ‘cells'; he doesn't care what he has to do to get them.

"Gibbs, let my men join your team "Fornell proposes
"You got to be kidding! FBI and NCIS do not mix Fornell, you should know that by now!" Gibbs explains
"Gibbs, for the sake of catching the damn terrorist, we have to…"
Gibbs is quiet for quite sometime, looking at the FBI Agent, pondering the consequences, then he says: "My team, my lead…DiNozzo's call! Not yours!" he counters.
"Deal! You damn bastard" Fornell takes his chances.
And…"DAMN" Robert remembers the word that he has forgotten for quite some time.

Fornell looks at the father of the child…stunned!
"Oh no" Gibbs covers his face in disbelief, the boy has stopped saying ‘damn' for almost a year, now he remembers the cursed word again, Kate is going to chew his ass.
"Does Todd know he can curse?" Fornell asks.

Gibbs buzzes the Lab for Abby; and the Goth is delighted to have Robert for the evening, and when she finds out that her favorite boy is coming to the HQ every day because Kate is back with them, she plans to bring all her soft toys and stationery to work!
She hugs Gibbs tightly and kisses his cheeks gleefully.
"Thank you Boss man!!!" she exclaims and, "Bobby too" he wants to be kissed and hugged too!
After saying his good bye to Foni and his dad, he holds Abby's hand and follows her to the Lab, "tattoo" he comments, Tony taught him to say tattoo.

The usual five minutes trip to the Lab is stretched into fifteen minutes, they are stopped every a couple of steps by other agents and staff, asking question to the little kid; one hour later, the whole building knows that Todd is back and Robert is in the house!
--------------------------

The day passes really quickly, with DiNozzo and his team on the field; Kate is almost alone in her bullpen with Robert sitting on McGee's chair, the agent downloaded a computer game for the boy, hoping that he will stay put on his desk. Apart from a few administrative staff walking pass the bullpen, only the two of them occupied the bullpen.

McGee left the HQ to meet with Lt. Cobalt; he was stunned when Gibbs dumped the case to him, it is true that the case is not high profile BUT he is solely responsible for it. McGee was so nervous with the challenge that he tripped in front of the elevator, but quickly regained his composure before anybody saw him.
Kate is staying put on her desk, she took her son from Abby because the lab technician is swamped with the Mossad case.
So, Kate stays in front of the computer screen, searching for Haswari's ‘top secret' file, just given access from the FBI; hell, they should have given the file to NCIS years ago; Kate is angry with bureaucracy and segregation.

One hour later, Robert is already bored with the computer game, his mother is on the phone with the immigration and she's been staring at the computer screen for such a long time, Robert peeks at his mother.
"Mommy, Bobby want to play" he says from behind the monitor as he is turning around on the swiveling chair.
"Wait Robert" Kate says to him, still busy on the phone, she's been put on hold dozens of times, she is not going to hang up because the boy wants to play.

Knowing that his mother is ignoring him, he slips down his chair and walks up to her. His is already as tall as the table. He stands on his toes in front of the table, peeking in between the screen and PC, before he makes a turn and reaches Kate's legs, tugging his mother, wanting to play or get out from the bullpen.
"Wait Bobby" Kate hastily asks the boy to stop tugging her while she is on the phone.

The kid fidgets for a while and decided otherwise, he climbs up to his mom's lap and Kate hoists him with her free hand, Robert wonders what kind of game his mommy is hooked on, playing with it for such a long time, then he sees Haswari's face on the fifteen inches screen.
"Who, mommy?" he points at the man on the screen.
"He is the bad guy your dad and everybody are trying to catch" she explains to Robert, as she presses the enter button on the keyboard, somehow she is not comfortable with Robert looking at Haswari's face.

Kate's mobile rings:
"Todd" she is frustrated and hangs up on the immigration and answers the call without looking at the ID caller. She leans backwards as her son tries to snatch her mobile.
"Katie, it's Luke" It's her ex.
"Oh hi Luke…Robert! Stop please!" Kate is trying to listen to the call while her son wants to talk to whoever his mother is talking to. The lieutenant can hear the boy's voice, but he is not in a good mood; an hour ago, he was surprised to found McGee in front of his door step, instead of Special Agent DiNozzo and his ex-girlfriend, as the Special Agent said that she'll help him with the case.
"Kate, do you know anything about my case being transferred to another agent?" He asks her.
"Yes, Special Agent McGee is handling your case. Is he not there yet? He left hours ago" Kate starts to wonder whether Tony gave the correct address and file to McGee.
"Yes, he is here. Aren't you going to help DiNozzo with my case?" he sounds really displeased.
"Luke, there is a change of plan" she is glad Tony didn't mess up the paperwork and information to McGee.
"DiNozzo is with the Mo…" then she realized that it is confidential and it is NONE of his business, it is NCIS's right to assign any agents as they see fit or competent, and McGee is more than competent!

"Look…is there a problem with Special Agent McGee???" Kate is getting impatient with Luke's pettiness, he came for help and the department is willing to help, but he is being really demanding now, then she sees her boy pulling her drawer open, rummaging through her stuff and finding her gun and he takes it out.
"Robert Jethro Gibbs!!! Don't touch it. I said NO!" Kate snaps at Robert.
The boy pulls a long face, not happy with being shouted at, pouts and stays really still, looking down at the floor.
"Luke, I am sure McGee is more than capable to help you with your problem" she continues.
"Yeah, I am sure Kate…I thought you cared" and the man hangs up on her.
Kate looks at her mobile in disbelief, hangs up and turns her attention to her son who is sulking on her lap.
"Robert! Mommy is really busy, mommy is working to catch the bad guy, to help Tony, Balboa, and daddy to catch the bad guy, do you understand Robert?"
The two year old just nods…once.
"I know you are bored, but Abby and Ducky are very busy too; your dad is not in the office! Everybody else is working, can you please behave and be a good boy?" Kate tries to make him understand.
Robert is still not looking at his mother who just shouted at him, he nods again and Kate sees a single tear streaks down his cheek. Oh dear God, the kid has been spoiled by the entire department, his sitters and his dad; she just snaps at him once and he is crying, then she hears him.
"Sorry mommy" and with his tubby arm, he brusquely wipes his tears…then Kate feels really guilty for snapping at him, he is only two.

"I am sorry I shouted at you. Look! Tomorrow, we'll bring your toys, OK Bobby?"
"OK mommy" he nods again, blinking his teary eyes, and add, "and gun"
"Of course, you may bring your gun! Now wait here…Mommy is going to buy Gummy Bears for Bobby, don't go anywhere, OK" Kate locks her drawers, placed the boy on her chair and left him as she goes to the vending machine.
So, the kid waits on the chair like he is told! He looks out the huge window on the side, he sees the sky…it is light orange, soon it will turn to dark orange, then it is going to be dark soon.

Suddenly, the phone on Kate's desk rings.

The little boy looks at the ringing phone, he looks right and left, sees nobody is around to answer the phone; then he decides to answers it, he used to do it at home and his parents never scold him for picking up the phone.
He straightens himself from the seat, he tries to reach for the phone but he can't, he is way too short to reach it; so Robert Gibbs stands on the chair and answers the phone:
"Hello"
"Robert???"
"Daddyyyyy" ecstatic, hearing his dad's voice on the phone.
"Are you alone there, boy? Where's your mom?"
"Mommy buy Bobby Gummy Bear" he answers
Gibbs is in the FBI HQ with Fornell and his director; he received several files and autopsy reports on previous agents that had been assassinated by Haswari, along with the bastard's last assignment; he is going to forward them to Kate to profile.

He decides to call his wife, instead, his boy picked up his call and his wife is away buying the boy candy? Very strange and unlikely, he imagines.
But Robert explains: "Bobby bad boy…mommy angry, Bobby cry" he said dejectedly to his dad.
Oh, so his wife feels guilty for scolding Robert and she is buying him candy because of guilt, Gibbs smiles and scratches his head absentmindedly. "OK OK, now be good and stay where you are, all right son?" he orders the boy
"Daddy come home…please" he begs sadly.

Without realizing it, he leans against the table, his feet pushes the chair; the chair rolls backward and Robert slips from the chair, knocks his head against the table and falls. The boy bawls at the top of his lungs like there is no tomorrow. The phone set crashes on top of his body, making him cry even louder.
Gibbs hears the crash and the deafening cries through his mobile, "Robert! Robert!" he shouts his name, too late, the kid must have fallen from the chair.
He hangs up and calls Kate's mobile…no answer, she must have left it on her table or purse. He starts cursing under his breath.

Then, he calls his ME's mobile, calling through the operators takes too much time:
"Dr. Mallard" Ducky answers the call
"Ducky!!! Robert has fallen, he is in the bullpen, at Kate's table! "
Ducky understands his friend's incomplete sentence, "Be right there, Jethro" he hangs up and hastily strides to the bullpen, with his bloody scrubs on, if not for Palmer's reminder, he would have gone up with the scrubs like that.

Kate hears his cries while she is still in the elevator, "Oh no…" she whispers in trepidation, pressing the open button on the elevator repeatedly.
She runs towards her desk, "OH…Robert" as she sees her boy sprawled on the floor, with the heavy phone set on top of his body. She assesses the injury and quickly carries him to the head, where the first aid kit is.
Minutes later, Ducky arrives in the bullpen, breathless.
He can see the messes by Kate's desk, the evidence of a recent fall are all over the area: Phone set on the floor, chair pushed back against the partition, BUT no Robert!

His mobile doesn't stop ringing, he sees the caller ID: it is the boy's father; he ignores the annoying rings and searches for the boy, there must be some explanation; after five minutes Ducky is sweating bullets, nervous, his hands shake as he calls from the nearest intercom to the security base, to seal all exits at the HQ; when they ask the reason, Ducky manages to say: "We lost the boy" and no further question is asked, they lost the Director's two year old in the midst of a Mossad disappearance.

Within two minutes, they program for all the exits to be sealed and start sweeping the floors and staircases.
Ducky answers the inevitable calls, "Jethro, I can't find Robert! But don't worry, the security has sealed all the exits"
"What do you mean, you can't find him??? He was there barely minutes ago, I spoke to him! He picked up the phone! Where's Kate?" Gibbs is shouting in the middle of FBI's hall.
"I am coming back…" he decides.
"No Jethro! It's no use! We've sealed the entire building. No one can get in or out, so don't…" and Ducky hears the voice he's been desperately searching for.
"Ducky" Robert sobs his name as he exits the head in his mom's arms
"Robert…" the ME hangs up his mobile
"Ducky" the little boy calls piteously
"Caitlin! What happened?" as he picks his grandson from his mother.
"He must have stood on the chair and slipped, he is all right Ducky" Kate calms the sweating nervous man. Robert starts sobbing…again, as he is in Ducky's arms.

Minutes after Ducky found the ‘lost boy', two of the security personnel enter the bullpen in a hurry, the head of security had ordered a search for the little man, they've searched the entire floor…with no result, while being in touch with the Control room, knowing that their colleagues have no result as well.
"We couldn't find Robert, we've searched the entire floor and the other guys are searching the entire…Hey!!! Robert! Ducky, you found the boy!" One of them exclaims with sighs of relief, while the others contact the Control room, informing their base that the boy is found! And to give the green light to reopen the building ASAP.

Kate is confused with the racket, "he's been with me the whole time…in the head" she looks at Ducky
"It's my fault Caitlin, I am sorry! Jethro called, he said that Robert is hurt in the bullpen, I couldn't find him, I panicked, I couldn't take the chance, so I asked them to seal the building!" He breathlessly explains to Kate, with Robert already in his arms, looking miserable.
"Oh no!!!" Kate whispers in distress, what have they done?
"But…how did Jethro know?" she is still baffled
"He called your desk, and Robert picked up the phone" Ducky is so pleased that Robert is not missing, he doesn't care about the false alarm.

They are now in front of Kate's desk; she is about to pick up her son from the ME to place him on the table but he refused, grasping Ducky's shirt, "Bobby hurt" he moans to Ducky who is still fussing at him.
Then, they are surprised with the sudden arrival of Abby from the stairs.
Abby arrives at the bullpen breathless…barefooted!
"Robert! You found Robert! Thank God" she shouts, still trying to catch her breath.
"Bobby hurt" he said to one of his sitters with drawings on her body.
"OH BOBBY! Your head" Abby lightly touches his forehead and picks him up from Ducky.
Kate has been looking at Abby's feet for quite sometime, "Abby! Where's your shoes?" Kate stares at her feet in awe.
"OHHH, those damn clogs! I couldn't run fast with them, and they kill my toes when I use the stairs…so I took them off!" she cuddles the boy while kissing the boy's new bump softly, as Robert places his head on her shoulder.

About ten minutes later:
Tony and James arrive in the bullpen, they seem anxious.
"What happened? We were waiting at the entrance for fifteen minutes…You lost Robert? How…" Tony said as he and James enter the bullpen.
"Bobby hurt" he sadly explains to the new arrival; Kate thinks her son sounds like a broken record, but somehow she is angry with herself, blaming herself for his fall.
"Oh you found the naughty boy! OH my…Robert, your head! You have a new bump!!!" Tony laughs, about to take him from Abby, when:
The ‘ding' sound of elevator brings Gibbs into the bullpen. They can see that the man is distraught. "Did you find him??? Is he OK?" he shouts at he charges into the bullpen, even before he sees the small crowd.
"Daddyyyy" He shouts for his dad, as Gibbs strides to him.
"Bobby hurt" he explains to his dad as he picks him up from between Abby and DiNozzo. Then the kid starts sobbing again in his dad's embrace.

Kate rolls her eyes in annoyance and embarrassment for the racket that they caused, just half a day after she started working at the HQ, her son has caused so much trouble that it disrupts the entire building.
"Daddy go home" The kid murmurs to his dad, circling his arms around Gibbs' neck, lying his head on his shoulder.
--------------------------------------------

They decide to call it a day to take their son home; it is almost six by the time they leave HQ.
The second they enter their house; Robert slips down from his dad and dashes towards his room, the two year old can not be contained, Kate is pissed off.

"You all right Kate?" Gibbs asks her while shedding his coat - it was the wrong question.
"OH yeah…wonderful Jethro! Wonderful!" she strides to the kitchen, then walks back towards the living room where he is still looking at the mail.
"…the WHOLE building is sealed because of YOUR son! The second I left him, he got into mischief! Do you know what he did in Abby's lab?" Kate talks non stop - just like Ducky, but pissed off.
"He jumped on Abby's old Futon! He jumped and he jumped and he jumped! And it broke!" Kate continues.
"Kate" Gibbs tries to calm her down.
"…I am not done talking" Kate continues, "I said 'no jumping,' he said 'jump jump jump,' Kate shakes her head, "after I threatened to smack him, he stopped, but it was too late, the futon had already broken" Kate breathes deeply.
"Then he was quiet, Abby gave him drawing papers and a water color set…you know, to keep him quiet…" All this time, her husband is just standing in front at her...looking at her.
"Kate…" He tries again, but fails miserably.
"Wait! You got to hear this! He stayed quiet for ten minutes or so, then he decided that he needed more water…and he poured Abby's Caff-Pow onto his color palette!!!"
Kate is unstoppable, "And with me, he banged his head to the desk!"
"Kate…Kate, calm down…he is only two, what do you expect from him, he was bored" Gibbs tries to calm his wife down, he is afraid she would go up to Robert's room and smack him, her face is flushed!

Then, they hear the unmistakable voice of their son: "Mommy…where's Bobby's Gummy?" he peeks from the rail, at the second floor, asking for his promised candy innocently.
Kate's mouth's gapes open, looking at their son from the second floor; apparently, his new bump doesn't dampen his spirit. Kate laughs in defeat and throws herself in Gibbs's arms.
"After dinner son" Gibbs replies.
"Now?" he tries his luck
Gibbs just manages to shake his head, signaling him NO, while trying to put on a straight face and refraining from laughing.
He rubs Kate's back brusquely.
"Kate, I have to go to the FBI" he murmurs, she just nods, still hiding her face on his shirt. Then she looks up at him and says, "Call me if you need help"

Gibbs grabs his coat. Robert is looking at his dad, thinking: why is he putting on his coat again?
"Robert, I have to go back to work, be a good boy and wait for me at home, all right?" as he walks closer, looking at the top of the stairs where his son is standing.
"Where daddy go? The sun is sleeping daddy, don't go" he means to say it's already late and dark outside. Abby once told him that when it is dark, the sun has gone to bed and so must he.
"Daddy has to go Robert, it's a very important meeting, do you understand?" He explains
"No" Robert is about to climb down the stairs to stop his dad from going away. Gibbs walks up to him and whispers to the kid who is obviously not pleased.

A few minutes later, Kate sees her son send his dad to the door, kissing him goodbye and waving. No tantrum or crying.
Kate wonders what her husband said to the kid. "What did daddy say Bobby?" she asks curiously.
"Secret mommy, daddy said ‘man talk'" and he tugs Kate's hand towards the kitchen for his dinner, so that he can have his Gummy as soon as possible.
For the first time, Kate wishes that her second child is a girl!
----------------------------------------------
-Tbc-nova2007-Beta (MV)

Chapter 8 FBI and NCIS


It was one of those days that everything good and bad comes together within 24hours. Gibbs is worn out, apart from his family and his department that he cares for, everything else is not right. He despises the feeling he has every single day that Haswari is on the run, he can not bear remembering how he almost killed Kate.
He thought his son went missing a few hours ago - nothing serious, but enough to make his hands shake. With Haswari roaming free on American soil, every little thing that happens, becomes big and serious. What could he do if the bastard kidnapped his son? How can he go on living if the bastard takes Robert or Kate's life?
He is NOT afraid for his own life, because he knows that Haswari will take him last…after he has suffered and lost everything he loves and will die from grief.

He received information from Fornell that the Al-Qaeda is behind Haswari, the institution supports the man financially and morally. He knows that with the right cheque book anything is possible.
The FBI believes that Haswari is on his family and people; even Abby is on the list, they believe he has a strange fascination with females, and he enjoys killing them, somehow. Gibbs wonders what has happened to him to make him such a monster.
FBI profiler conforms that the vermin is obsessed with Special Agent Caitlin Todd. Haswari talked about her to his control officer, apparently Caitlin is the only woman that managed to touch his soulless heart, it's her eyes and fierceness, he said. The Agent who retold the story is already dead at Haswari's hand, there is no way Gibbs can question him.
What's worse, the FBI just conformed his theory that Haswari has made Gibbs his personal problem, he is out to make him suffer, connecting him and Todd.
"It is even worse, Gibbs: you married his woman and you fathered her child" he recalled Fornell's comment.
"What the fuck are you talking about Fornell?" Gibbs couldn't believe his ears. "She is NOT his woman and YES! I am the father of her children! Not child!" he shouts at the exhausted FBI agent. That was before he called Kate and Robert picked up the phone and fell from the chair, creating mayhem in the HQ.
-----------------------------------

Director Gibbs slowly sheds his coat, feeling depressed.
Half an hour ago, he stepped away from the FBI HQ with no results to belay their impending doom. By the time he reaches home, it is past one in the morning; he is dead tired and he needs COFFEE.
"Jethro…" he hears his wife calls for him and looks up.
"You are not asleep yet Kate?" he remembers that she slept a lot during her first pregnancy, he recalled the time she stepped into their house, dashed towards their bed and slept - before anything else.
Kate just shakes her head, offering no explanation. Instead, "Have you had you dinner?" as she descends from the second floor.
"Yeah I did" he lies to her, "Go back to bed Kate" he doesn't want her to fuss over him.
Kate is used to his brusque method by now, "your coffee" she changes the subject and it works.
He nods with a sigh, "thanks..." and he goes to the kitchen's island, where the coffee pot is…and he sees food! His dinner on the counter awaits him.
Right after he poured his coffee, he placed himself on the chair, put down his coffee and ate his dinner, hungrily.
His lunch was a stolen pizza from his agent and he hasn't has his dinner yet. Gibbs is as hungry as a wolf; he is so used to having proper meals that missing meals has started affecting his body.
"How was the meeting?" Kate places her hand on his shoulder and kisses his head lightly, looking at her hungry man, "do you want more?"
He nods as he still chewing his dinner and she reheats another portion for him.
Gibbs swallows his food and shares the latest news: "We came up with another plan! Only the FBI Director, me, O'Brien, DiNozzo, Fornell and now, you, know about it! Its ‘need to know only' Kate, to avoid possible leaks, we don't know how far up the food chain it goes… " he excitedly explains.
Kate looks at his wrinkled eyes and tired face: "Eat your food first Jethro, you'll tell me when you are all done OK" she urges him.
Kate just feels sorry for him, he is worn out and deeply involved in the case, not even Morrow did that. Last night he told her that "over his dead body" will that Haswari hurt any of his people.
"I'm good Kate" he says indifferently, as he lets go of his knife and pulls her closer to his side and kisses her tummy.
"How's Robert?" he was rather worried about the boy with a new bump on his head - his son.
Kate laughs, "Well, his bump has darkened…he said it's ‘blue' "she points to her forehead, mimicking her son. He laughs, his boy is unbelievable!
"He packed his bag for tomorrow," she continues.
"Bag? What bag? For what?" he continues eating.
"Oh…his stuff, his guns, his toys…his necessities" she explains and Gibbs almost chokes on his coffee.
"Is that his bag by the door???" he saw a small backpack by the door as he entered his house.
"Yep! He packed and placed it himself" Kate says proudly.

For a few moments, the couple talks about their joy, about their son. She retells the incidents when he tried to call his mobile from the speed dial on the phone, but she managed to stop him.
For a few moments they are lost in their dreams, away from the harsh reality that there is a mad terrorist on the run, hunting them. Gibbs decides to omit the profiler's report on the Mossad Agent's fascination with Kate.
----------------------------------

The next day, by seven in the morning the three of them leave the house for the HQ much earlier than his usual nine o'clock schedule, there is still much to do with the impending case. Gibbs is very involved with his agents' cases, especially this one.
When he wakes up, Kate's side of the bed is empty; he only sees Robert sprawled beside him, one of his fists is grabbing his shirt, and his tubby leg is on his thigh; after kissing him repeatedly he goes down and finds Kate in the kitchen, doing chores and getting Robert's food ready for the day, junk food is not an option for the two year old.

Robert is still asleep when Gibbs carries him to the car, still in his baby blue pajamas. After strapping their boy to his baby chair, they are all set.
Gibbs expresses his concern to the woman who is still sleepy, sitting quietly besides him. "Kate! I wish…I wish you were not involved in this matter! I wish you were not back at the HQ with Haswari on our tail, especially with your condition" he glances at her tummy that has slightly enlarged.
Kate laughs, trying to ease his mind, but she says the wrong thing, "I am not sick, I am not dying Jethro…I am pregnant!"
"Kate! Please" he sounds upset.
"Sorry" she forgets how sensitive he is talking about death! And the man was a Marine.
After a long uncomfortable silence that makes Kate want to slap her own head, he continues: "You should be at home, resting…not chasing a lunatic" he pauses for a while before he starts. "Do you remember your condition when you had Robert?" he angrily recalled.
She quickly interrupts him, "I'll do that when Haswari is in your hands, baby."
As he is still driving, he steals a glance at her, "you think we'll be able to nail the son of a bitch?" he sound so unsure, full of self-doubt.
"With the plan you are concocting with Fornell, the FBI and our guys - one hundred percent GIBBS," she is so sure that he'll take care of it, just like he always does.
She adds, "And with me…in the office! DiNozzo and others in the field, the bastard has no chance Jethro"
Gibbs smiles, a new surge of confidence in his heart.
"Mommy" they hear him call for Kate.
"Hi baby" Kate turns, looking at her precious boy.
"Hi son!" Gibbs greets him cheerfully.
"Daddy" he yawns and rubs his eyes, then he looks to his right and left, checking his surroundings. The last time he remembers, he was asleep in the big warm bed with his mom.
Then he scratches his head - just like his dad, still confused.
"We are going to the office Bobby," Kate explains, smiling at him.
He yawns and "N-C-I-S" he spells it out
Gibbs is surprised: "You know NCIS Robert?"
Hearing the tinge of surprise from his dad, the kid nods proudly.
"Ducky taught him." Kate says to her husband.
Then, "Bobby's bag!!!" the kid cries out, he remember his bag of goodies.
"It's here Bobby, mommy remembered" she points out the bag to him.

The boy with a bluish green bump on his forehead nods and falls right back asleep again, rocked by the car's movement, the two year old thinks his dad is an avid driver, the best driver in the world; little does he know that his dad drives like a mad man when he is NOT around.
---------------------------------------

Gibbs drops his wife and boy by the entrance. "Go on Kate, I'll park the car and take care of our stuff," and he drives off to his parking space.

A set of green eyes are watching the woman, the woman and a boy, with hate and disappointment in his cold eyes; he has been waiting for hours, just to make sure that he caught up with her; but when he sees an older man dropping her by the office's entrance, he assumed that he is her husband.
Bloody bitch, he murmurs in hatred. He had his chances, her husband left her in the deserted entrance; he throws his cigarettes away and is about to stride to her when he stops and changes his move. He sees security personnel approaching Kate and the little boy who couldn't be more than two.
What an irony: his life, his future has just ended, hers is just starting.
He has to wait, he has to be patient, he will get to her when she is alone.
-------------------------------------------
Gibbs grabs his suit and Kate's bag, his tie is loose on his neck; Kate takes care of his dislike of ties by already tying the tie into a perfect triangle knot and all he has to do is slip them on and tighten the tie.
He strides to the entrance after he parked his car…his beloved car, he didn't even change his car when he got the Director position.
Gibbs is lost. In his mind, he is already planning his day ahead; full of questions, plans to be executed, possible answers and making sure that…
Suddenly, he stops in his tracks, like a tiger being hunted by another animal, higher in the food chain. His decades of experience told him that something is amiss. ‘Haswari' he murmurs to himself.
He checks his surroundings, as best as he could: empty, deserted, only a few cars scattered around the premises. He feels uneasy, his gut is telling him that something is not right, he feels like he is being watched.

"Morning Boss!" McGee's light greeting wakes him from his sudden watch
"McGee" he acknowledges his agent, it is only seven in the morning, and the boy has arrived.
McGee sees his Director glancing at the time and he explains his early arrival. "I came early for paperwork and some identity search boss…the case is going nowhere, something is hinky." He sounds disappointed with himself.
Gibbs nods at him: "Let DiNozzo knows if you need help, O'Brien has more experience with your type of case, you can ask him" he encourages him, he is rather fond of the geek who he knows that Abby is smitten with.
"Yes Boss" McGee answers him, and asks: "Is Kate here Boss?"
"Yes! She is already inside" He looks at the computer geek.
"Great! I need her help, she dated the man and she…" he shuts his mouth the moment he sees Gibbs's face - it is NOT good!
‘I mean…I mean…well…I mean…I don't know what I mean Boss" he stutters.
"Speak up!" Gibbs stops and looks at him, right in front of the HQ's entrance.
"I mean, I need help to profile Boss! And…and in the office boss, just to profile, I am not taking Kate anywhere else boss. I know she is office bound, and I have no intention…" McGee long winded explanation is cut short by Gibbs.
"Brief me" he barks as they enter the Security check - since he is the only Director who brings his loaded gun with him.
With confidence McGee briefs the NCIS Director. Gibbs is pleased with his preliminary details, within five minutes, he got the core of the case and he is not happy with Lt.Cobalt.
He gives McGee some direction in the elevator, the Agent listens to his Director, nodding, why the hell hasn't he thought about it yet.
---------------------------------------

Bullpen - the elevator doors open.

Director Gibbs and Special Agent McGee enter the carpeted empty bullpen, greeted by a boy's voice, chattering away with his mother. For a few seconds Gibbs's face change - he smiles as he listens to the voice, McGee notices, there is a certain peace and bliss in his usually fierce eyes.
Robert Jethro Gibbs is sitting on the carpeted floor, at the corner of his mother's cubicle, behind his mom's chair, just about to start pulling out ALL his toys and guns from his backpack, he is still in his pajamas.

"Kate! I need to talk to you" he goes to her directly and grabs her elbow to pull her aside, he needs to discuss Lt.Cobalt's case with her and to warns her on her ex.

"Good morning Robert" McGee greets the cheerful little boy who has emptied half of his bag on the floor, he bends to Robert's level, patting the chubby boy's head and he witnesses a noticeable bluish bump on his forehead.
"Robert! What happened to your head?" McGee exclaims and sits beside the boy in Kate's cubicle.
"Bobby hurt! There!" he answers as he points angrily at Kate's table, where he fell yesterday.
"Oh, I am so sorry Robert…did you cry? Does it hurt?"
"No" he lies as he shakes his head purposefully, somehow he knows that crying is embarrassing.
"Good boy!" McGee praises him, he doubts that the boy didn't bawl his lungs out, judging by the size and color of the bump, it must be quite bad. And "Here, for the bravest boy in NCIS!!!" as McGee hands the boy a chocolate bar, his only breakfast.
Robert accepts the chocolate bar gleefully and grins at McGee. "Thank you, open please" he remembers his manners.
McGee smiles at his Director's son, unwraps the chocolate bar and places it back in the kid's hand and the kid enjoys the agent's breakfast.
Minutes later, he takes the chocolate from his mouth and waves it in front of his friend's face, wanting to share the yummy, and McGee accepts the offer and takes a bite from it - little Gibbs is friendly and not greedy.
"Bobby has gun!!!" the kid says to him, after he eyes McGee's real gun with great interest.
--------------------------------------

Gibbs and Kate return to the desk, only to find a boy eating chocolate in his pajamas and a thirty year old Special Agent playing with toy guns and a ‘teddy bear in Marine Uniform'.
"Sorry Boss" McGee rises from the floor and excuses himself.
"OH Robert! Chocolate? McGee, this is your breakfast, isn't it?" Kate looks at her son, her hands on her hip.
"It's OK Kate!" McGee quickly answers, he witnesses Robert gripping the bar tighter in his small fist, afraid that his mother would take it from him.
Gibbs smirks, he is looking at the tot still enjoying the chocolate, ignoring his mother, "I have got to go Katie, I'll be with Fornell for the entire day, and be back before six…call me, be good Robert! Don't wander off by yourself and don't get another bump, please" Gibbs says to the two year old.
"OK BOSS" Robert answers his dad, just like McGee.
Gibbs laughs and roughly kisses his cheeks which cause him to giggle. "I love you son" he whispers to him, and he left to go to the FBI and McGee left to find Lt. Cobalt.
----------------------------------------------

FBI HQ
"Boss, why are we here? Why are we in FBI HQ? I thought we hated those jackasses, it is their fault that Haswari is on the loose" DiNozzo is frustrated, the case is going nowhere, he has not slept a wink in over forty eight hours.
"We do hate them DiNozzo" the Director answers him, surprisingly calm, he understands his frustration.
"And?" DiNozzo sits next to O'Brien, who is glued to his laptop, communicating with Kate.
"And What?" Gibbs gives his senior agent, his "I am about to lose my patient" look.
O'Brien sighs, unglues his eyes from the screen, he sees Kate wincing as she manages to overhear Gibbs's tone to DiNozzo.
"Tony, we do hate them…but this time, we have no choice but to work with them" O'Brien talking to DiNozzo calms Gibbs - who is already on the edge - down.
"You trust them O'Brien? Boss?" DiNozzo remembers all the tricks and confrontations with the Female Body Inspector (FBI), that's what he calls them. DiNozzo is about to start another argument when Gibbs suddenly rises from his seat and leaves them, entering another room.

Three hours later, it is a deal! There is no turning back; for the first time in history, NCIS's senior agents are paired up with FBI Agents; Fornell chose his men, he has chosen three seasoned agents whose partners have been assassinated by Haswari.
"Boss, why are there three of them? There are only two of us?" asks Tony, dissatisfied with what he sees.
Before Gibbs can gather all his strength NOT to smack his own senior agent in front of the FBI agents, Tony is cut short by the sound of elevator doors opened:
"Director Gibbs" the person greets Gibbs.
"Special Agent Cassidy" he acknowledges the woman.
"Paula?" DiNozzo is dumbstruck.
"Tony" she greets him with a smile, the man is unbelievably childish but sweet in is own way.
"O'Brien" he introduces himself, shaking the woman's hand.
"That answers your question DiNozzo?" Gibbs glares at him.
-------------------------------

Kate hasn't had the chance to change her boy from his pajamas, she is already swamped with information requests from DiNozzo. He and O'Brien are going straight to the FBI while Balboa and James are in the field.
McGee called her half an hour ago, he couldn't find the Lt at the designated meeting place, Kate advices him to continue with the investigation and drop by his place at the end of the day to check on the man.
And Robert Jethro Gibbs is bored!
He has no one to play with, his usually jam packed bullpen is empty, his mother is on the phone, all…the…time!
The two year old strolls around the bullpen, investigating what his friends left on their desk - not much by the way, they are all used to locking their drawers since he started learning how to walk and open drawers…looking for guns.
Pretty soon, he starts calling for Abby and Ducky, peeking through the glass door, "Abby…Ducky…Abby…Ducky…play with Bobby, please" he begs as he presses his face against the glass door.

Kate stretches her neck and looks at her desperately bored son calling for his sitters; she laughs as she sees three of his guns are slipped inside his pajamas, she feels sorry for him that he is caged up in the bullpen, but she is really busy.
"Abby and Ducky are very busy Bobby, please don't roam around." Kate receives a phone call from Mossad. They are NOT happy with NCIS and the FBI, but they can go to hell, Kate thought.
Kate hears the elevator doors open, she catches a glimpse of the boy running madly towards the opened elevator, expecting to see someone he can play with, and then she hears a familiar voice, but can't quite place it.

A woman in a blue suit steps off the elevator, she is surprised to find a toddler in a Federal office, let alone in his pajamas, looking at her hopefully. His clear blue eyes are captivating, his button nose and reddish face are sweet.
"Hello" she greets him.
"Hello" the boy is not shy, he is used to meeting strangers on a daily basis.
The woman in a blue suit bends to his level, pats his head gently and asks, "What's your name little boy?"
"BOBBY" he answers proudly.
She cocks her head, Bobby…OH…Gibbs's son.
"Bobby has gun!" he exclaims to her.
She pretends to look surprised and afraid of the gun, the boy pretends to shoot her, by that time someone rises from the seat and approaches them. "Robert! Don't!" It is Kate.
"Paula???" Kate is surprised to finally see her, Gibbs told her about his intention of having Paula to help them, and they are terribly understaffed.
"Kate! Nice to see you, Mrs. Gibbs!" Cassidy hugs her.
"Very funny Agent Cassidy!" Kate replies, she laughs as she remembers how Tony fell head over heels for the woman.
All this time Robert is fidgeting, looking back and forth from his mother to the pretty woman in blue.
"Robert, this is Aunt Paula" Kate says to her son.
"So, I get to meet the famous Robert Gibbs? He has his eyes you know, not his temper I hope "Paula looks at the kid and his mother.
She has been meaning to ask Kate, "What happened to his head, Kate?"
Before Kate can explain, Robert intervenes: "Bobby hurt! There! Come! Come to Bobby's bullpen" he tugs Cassidy; he wants to show her where he fell down. Not too shabby, Robert thought, a new friend to play with. And Special Agent Cassidy follows the boy, before she could tell Kate that she is supposed to meet Gibbs.
-----------------------------

"Boss, you should have told me that you transferred her all the way to DC boss to help us boss" DiNozzo is excited.
"Because I don't want you to start day dreaming about her DiNozzo…and who said anything about transferring Cassidy?" Gibbs exhales
"You should have paired her up with me, instead of Fornell's man" he tries his luck, one last time, but received a deathly glares from his director and___TWACK___ he shuts up, suddenly his day is not looking too bleak at all.
"Arrange accommodation for her DiNozzo…AND don't even think about it!!!" he barks.
"I wouldn't dare Boss!" He swallows his saliva.
--------------------------------

Gibbs returns to his HQ by six; his senior agents are all paired up with the FBI agents. He wonders how DiNozzo will arrange Cassidy's accommodation. He walks straight to Kate's desk; his wife is typing on her keyboard, at the same time talking on the phone, he assumes it must be to McGee.

His son is fast asleep, on a makeshift blanket on the carpeted floor, behind his mother's chair, "Kate why didn't you let him sleep in my office or the lab with Abby?" he bends his stiff knees, gently stroking Robert's hair and his thumb grazes his bump; looking at his ruddy fresh face, his breathing is even and peaceful.
Kate covers the phone, "No no no, I want to keep an eye on him, he broke Abby's futon, remember? And the Autopsy slab is NOT an option, he is not you Jethro!" and she returns to her conversation on the phone.
Gibbs stays with the boy for a minute before Kate hangs up, "He missed his afternoon nap, he made Palmer and Gerald chase him all over Autopsy and Lab"

"We should go, when you are done Kate, I am meeting Fornell in our place tonight, we don't have to stay" he sees Kate stretching her back and nodding. Gibbs is about to tell his wife that she doesn't have to be at the HQ tomorrow, before the elevator doors are opened and Cassidy enters the bullpen.
"Papa Gibbs" Cassidy teases him.
Gibbs just ignores her, arranging the sleeping boy more comfortably, and he remembers: "Has Special Agent DiNozzo arranged your accommodation Cassidy?"
"Hmm, yes he did! He placed me with Dr. Mallard" Cassidy answers the man, she is now leaning against Kate's desk, looking at the usually scary looking Gibbs making his boy comfortable, what a sight.
"He placed you with Ducky?" he is pleased with Tony's decision.
Cassidy is a Federal Agent with a gun, she can protect Ducky at the same time, she doesn't have to stay in a hotel which has inadequate security. Excellent job DiNozzo, he praises his agent in his heart.
"I have come here to get my stuff, got to go Gibbs, Kate, I'll see you tomorrow" she excuses herself, her FBI partner is waiting for her at the cafeteria.
"Be careful Paula, I am glad Tony placed you with Ducky" Kate expresses her concern.
Gibbs picks up his son along with his blanket from the floor and rests him on his chest as Kate gathers her stuff and Robert's bag, getting ready to go home.
---------------------------

He has been waiting for hours; the woman doesn't step out from the blasted HQ. But he stays vigil and patient, waiting for his moment to settle his score. He has been waiting for her to pass by with no success, no sight of her, until now.
--------------------------------
Tbc-nova2007-Beta (MV)

Chapter 9 Malicious assault


As Gibbs, with Robert in his arms and Kate by his side, is about to step into the elevator, DiNozzo and his FBI partner enter the bullpen in a hurry, blocking their path to the elevator.
"Caught you on time, Boss! I need the file for his director," Tony crudely points at the man beside him, and the older FBI agent just glares at him.
"It's in my office," Gibbs retorts
"Jethro, let me have him," as Kate takes Robert from Gibbs before he can protest. "We'll wait for you in the car." Kate holds Robert in one arm, her other hand asking for the car key.
Gibbs strides to his office followed by DiNozzo.
"You are NOT allowed in the Director's office!" DiNozzo says to his partner, before he runs after Gibbs.
"How the hell did he get the job?" The annoyed FBI expresses his feeling.
"My dashing smile!!!" DiNozzo shouts from the second floor but shuts his mouth as the secretary glares at him – almost hawk like.
------------------------------------

Robert is so tired from his activities that he is not roused when his dad and mom pick him up; he is tired from running around with Palmer, a weird ME in training with Ducky. Robert bullied Palmer to play with him, the man was flushed and puffing when Kate finally found her boy and asked him to stop playing and take his nap.
So, he is all comfortable in his mother's arms, his both hands circling her neck.

Then he hears an unfamiliar man's voice, but could not be bothered to open his eyes, snuggling deeper into his mother, but when his mother sways backward, he raises his head and he hears shouts - definitely angry shouts.
He feels another jerk and he falls down onto the asphalt. The shock of being let go and pain from falling on the asphalt make him cry.
He feels a burn and sting over his limbs and a knock to his temple; then he sees his mother being pushed away from him by a stranger as he sits and bawls in pain and fear.
The stranger is facing his mother, screaming at her. He watches the man raising his arm at her and smacking her really hard and he screams louder calling for his mom and dad.
Suddenly the crazy stranger turns, facing him. Robert feels him pulls his arm and he is shook roughly, the scary man shouts at him and he cries even louder.
His mother lunges at the man and pushes him away and kicks him hard; but the man is crazy, he returns to them and tries to pulls him away from his mother. But his fierce mother is not having any of that and she covers him with her body.
Then he hears his mother groan in pain before he hears another angry shout, a shout that he is familiar with – it belongs to his dad.
Then Robert loses his focus, a few seconds later he hears a very loud bang – just once and then it is all over - only the pain stays.
--------------------------------

A few minutes before:

"KATIE!"
Kate freezes for a second before she speeds up her pace.
But he grabs her arms, stopping her. It's him - it's her ex, Lt. Cobalt.
No wonder McGee couldn't find him, he's been waiting for her all this time. Kate is afraid for their safety, she can fight, she can defend herself, but not with her child in her arms.
Her husband and McGee had expressed their concern about the man and she had decided to avoid him at all cost, but now he is stalking her.
"Luke!" she tries to act as normal as possible, hoping that Gibbs would arrive as soon as possible.
"You lying bitch!"
"What the hell are you talking about?" she thought, oh no, not with her son in her arms.
"You ruined my life! You intervened with my case!"
"Luke! Calm down! What's wrong?"
Kate feels a hard blow to her left cheek and she staggers backward; Robert stirs from his sleep and rubs his eyes sleepily and Kate holds him tighter.
"You are married to the Director of NCIS? You slut! Sleeping with your boss, Kate?"
"So what Luke?!"
"You manipulated him, you made him transfer my case to another agent, I thought you wanted to help me."
"What does my husband have to do with any of this?" Kate sees no escape, her explanation is not going to matter and she starts walking back to the entrance, which is on the other side of the building.
"You lying bitch! You ruined my life! I've closed the case myself!" Lt Cobalt hisses at her.

Luke pulls her arms, breaking her hold of the boy, and the kid falls to the asphalt gutter and he shoves Kate away from the toddler. Kate sees that her ex is infuriated with Robert's tearful piercing cries; and he grabs his small arm, shaking him roughly as she tries to stop him.
She lunges at Luke, shoves him away from her precious son, and covers Robert with her body as she catches a glimpse of him attacking her again. Kate groans from the sharp pain she feels on her ribs, the cowards kicks her, hoping she'll move away from Robert – but it is not going to happen; she hears Robert's cry, calling for her and his dad.
The crazed man yanks her hair, lifting her up involuntarily, but out of nowhere she hears ‘his shout' – Gibbs's angry shout and she finally able to breathe, everything is going to be all right, he will never let anybody hurt them.
--------------------------

Gibbs is handing the USB flash to DiNozzo when he vaguely hears a shout, his curious nature makes him look outside his side window. He is not prepared to see the scene: It is his wife staggering backwards from a blow to her face.
Someone is attacking his wife and son.
Leroy Jethro Gibbs sprints for his life, he runs to them. He pushes the emergency door, right beside his office, causing the alarm to set off – then he climbs down the stairs, much faster than the elevator.

DiNozzo is taken aback with the Big Boss's behaviour. Then he looks out of the window. Something must have caught his interest. "Dear God!" DiNozzo murmurs in horror.
DiNozzo follows his Director's lead, he sees Robert in the gutter and Kate is attacked violently by the man who NCIS had agreed to help.
---------------------------------------------

Gibbs's lungs are burning as he holds his breath in fear – running madly towards his reasons to live, everything he does is for them and nothing else…
As he opens the building's emergency door, he witnesses Robert being jerked away from the gutter and Kate attacking Lt. Cobalt, pushing him away from their son who is sprawled in the gutter, calling for Kate and him.
Gibbs sees Kate crouching over his small body to protect him from the assault, but he is too late, he sees Lt. Cobalt kick his wife on her side. Kate is pregnant, he feels like a fool, how could he let this happen.
Her groans of pain and Robert's cries fuel his anger
Gibbs attacks the man and punches him in the face and gut, pushing him as far away from his wife and kid. He blindly kicks the man until his sight is blurry from his sweat. When he stops, Lt Cobalt is on the ground – groaning and twisting in pain.
Gibbs runs to Kate who is still covering Robert with her body. As he pulls them up from the gutter, holding her, he hears a single gunshot being fired – very near to him.
And when he looks up, he sees his trusted senior agent, aiming behind him, he is aiming at Lt Cobalt who apparently was armed and dangerous. DiNozzo sees the man about to fire at his boss who is still covering Kate and Robert. Gibbs is thankful that Dinozzo is there.

Within seconds, the security personnel arrive at the scene, along with other agents. Gibbs hears DiNozzo shout his orders to them to seal off the scene and start processing.
Gibbs is not paying attention to any of that, Kate is in excruciating pain. After lifting them up from the gutter, he assesses Robert's condition and he sees blood on him – his son is bleeding on his forehead and limbs.
"Bethesda," is all he manages to spit out to DiNozzo who is picking up Robert from him.
He carries Kate in his arms, her ankle has started to swell and she can hardly stand up from the pain. Striding to the nearest car in sight, DiNozzo howls for the key and one of the agents throws the key into DiNozzo's hand.
The fifteen minute long trip to the hospital seems like eternity in purgatory.
Kate is pressing her face against his chest, stopping herself from crying in pain, and Robert is in the arms of DiNozzo, who is driving the car, screaming for his mom and dad. DiNozzo drives with one hand, while the other is holding the crying kid, with the utmost concentration he drives to the Naval hospital.
----------------------------------

At Bethesda, the medical team takes Kate and Robert to separate cubicles. One of the senior nurses halts them from going with the patients, asking them to wait outside. Gibbs is torn between his wife and kid, confused and afraid. He goes blank, lost in his own nightmare.
He can vaguely hear DiNozzo making several calls to their HQ. He is rooted to the waiting bench – waiting for immediate news from the medical team. DiNozzo looks at his director, who is staring into empty space, the man looks like he is in a trance.
"Boss…boss" finally Gibbs hears his call – and he just nods.
"They'll be all right, Boss! Dr. Stebel is on his way, Ducky personally requested him"
"Kate is pregnant," Gibbs murmurs to himself, ignoring DiNozzo.
DiNozzo looks at his Director, unable to answer his statement.

They both hear Gibbs's mobile ring. DiNozzo witnesses his Boss for the first time in his life taking the phone out of his pocket and giving it to him without even checking the caller ID.
The Special Agent swiftly answers the call; it is one of the FBI's Directors, looking for his Boss who is too shaken to answer the call. Professionally, DiNozzo takes care of his request and tells the man that his Director is occupied, but he will forward any messages to him.
---------------------------------------

Gibbs hears a cry and he is snapped back into the present.
He finds his son being wheeled out from his cubicle – all patched up, he feels like crying himself and he wishes he can trade places with him.
"Are you his father?" the Doc asks him.
"Yes," feeling ashamed and incompetent.
"You need to sign the form, for your son and wife," the Doc continues, "Your son is going to have an x-ray right now, and you can come with him." Without waiting for his answer the Doctor leaves him, standing there with the forms in his hand, unable to make a decision.
"Boss! Go with Robert, Boss, I'll wait for Kate!" DiNozzo looks him in the eyes.
He nods and he follows his son to the x-ray room. Robert is crying and screaming for his mom at the top of his lungs, bystanders are looking at the poor kid pitifully.
Little Robert is in pain, he cries until he coughs and gags and they have to sedate him for the X ray.

Within ten minutes after his x ray, the toddler is awake. He groggily opens his eyes, calls for his mother and starts pulling at the bandages on his head and limbs. He catches a glimpse of his dad and he raises his hands to him, this time bawling for him instead of his mother.
Gibbs couldn't watch him vomit again, "Can I pick him up?" he asks the nurse and she nods at him reassuringly.
Soon after he takes his son in his arms, patting his back, stopping his hand from ripping off the bandage, the Doctor gives the verdict to him: "He has four stitches on his temple, bruises and cuts on his limbs, no concussion and he'll be all right"
Gibbs is so pleased with the outcome that he starts kissing his son's streaky cheeks and walks to the nearest vending machine and buys him bags of candy.

Unfortunately the poor kid just looks at the colorful bags which he usually loves and disregards them. When a nurse wishes to take the little patient from his dad he says "no" softly and rest his face on his dad's shoulder, Gibbs feels him grip his lapel tighter, afraid that they'll take him away from his safe haven.
Gibbs receives a call from DiNozzo, Kate is out of the room and Strebel is with her. After making sure everything is all right with Robert and signing him off, he walks to the emergency wing for his wife. The place is packed with his friends.
Abby, DiNozzo, McGee, O'Brien and James are surrounding the bed. Kate is resting, he can see her bruises on her cheek, some cuts on her lips and limbs; apart from that she seems to be fine.

The first words from Kate mouth was: "I'm fine, just bruises, cuts and a sprained ankle. You might have to carry me around, Jethro," she manages to joke.
"How's Robert…oh poor Bobby! Come here" she asks for him.
"He is fine, no concussion," Gibbs manages to spit the words from his dry mouth.
"Bobby hurt" the boy says and leans his body into his mom, wanting to be with her.

McGee is ashamed and uncomfortable, "I am so sorry, Boss, Kate, Bobby," he feels such immense guilt that he is not looking into their eyes – it is his fault that they are hurt that way.
"Oh no, McGee! It is not your fault! Luke is crazy! He was angry because he thought I asked Jethro to disregard his case and didn't help him like I promised him!" Kate touches McGee's hand, "It is NOT your fault that he is crazy, McGee!"
This time, she feels her husband's hand on her arm and she looks up at him, "I hope his wife is all right" she expresses her concern to him.
"Don't worry about it, Kate."
Everybody else is quiet, not daring to look into Kate's eyes, afraid she might suspect something that DiNozzo has warned them NOT to tell her.
"He is now lying on Ducky's slab," DiNozzo quickly changes the subject.
"I'll have the pleasure of weighing his black heart, Caitlin" Ducky adds as he is patting Robert's back who is lying on Kate's chest.
"Has his wife been informed?" She wants to make sure.
DiNozzo clears his throat, "Don't worry, Kate, I'll take care of everything, all right?" he wants her to have peace of mind and forget about the case.
"Kate, don't you trust DiNozzo?" her husband asks her and she nods at him.
"Of course" she replies weakly, she is too sleepy to notice the discomfort amongst them.
-------------------------------------

Two hours later after Strebel and the hospital clear their condition, the whole gang takes them home before anything else. Soon after they reach home, Kate and the boy fall asleep in each other's arms – finally tucked in their safe home, away from danger.
Little do they know, that night Fornell comes over and by morning almost half of NCIS's agents have come and gone from their house. Boxes of files, laptops and boards are transferred from the HQ to the residents, making as little noise as possible; only stray cats and a raven witness the organized movement.
Gibbs is with his wife and kid in his room, while trusting the project to DiNozzo and O'Brien.

Unfortunately with the death of Lt. Cobalt, his wife and baby girl who is just six months old were shot dead before he attacked Kate.
McGee finds their bodies still undisturbed on their bed, the man shot them while they were asleep. His wife was filing for a divorce and the man couldn't dealt with it.
Gibbs takes his time, after making sure that Kate and his son are settled, asleep in their house to visit autopsy to witness the result. He finds Ducky talking to the three bodies with hatred at Lt. Cobalt. Ducky is pretty disturbed when he opens the baby girl.
"His wife and daughter," Gibbs reconfirms, he can't believe the irony.
"Yes Jethro, unfortunately…I will place the mother and daughter in one drawer when I am done," Ducky exhales with sadness, "so that she is not lonely," Ducky whispers to himself.
"I am glad Caitlin didn't marry this bastard," Ducky says with hatred and continues his autopsy.
Gibbs stays for quite some time, looking at the mother and daughter whose life ended by the hands of the person who should be protecting them with his life.
---------------------------------------------

Home HQ

Kate wakes up alone on her bed at about nine in the morning.
The sun's rays escape the blinds and shine into her room; groggily she looks around her room, familiar with the surroundings: framed pictures of her family, some candles and clothes on the chairs. She takes a deep breath and smells her and her husband's familiar fragrances.
It must be late, Kate speculates from the sunrays in her room – then she remembers, she panics, her son! Where is her son? Who was sleeping in her arms? He is nowhere to be seen.
She doubts that her husband took him to work, he is in no condition to be in their HQ, but it is late, maybe Jethro sees no other way but to bring their boy to work.
Kate winces as she rises from the bed, her entire body hurts like hell, her ankle is blue and swollen, it is very painful as she puts pressure on her feet to stand up and walk. Very slowly she keeps going, holding onto the rails, climbing down the stairs.

She is not prepared to see what she witnesses.
Kate sees three men in uniform, marine uniform to be precise, whom she doesn't recognize, some agents, white boards, printer and laptop units.
The three men greet her "ma'am" politely, she is too stunned to reply – she just gawks at them, roaming around in her house, actually the three men just exits her basement, walking towards her kitchen…looking for coffee! What on earth is going on in her house?
She gasps when her husband calls her, "What are you doing up?" rather loudly.
"Jethro," she murmurs – confused, not looking at him, still mesmerized by the makeshift office in her house.
"Kate! What are you doing here? You are supposed to be in bed," he sounds mad.
Then Kate snaps out of her confusion, "Jethro?!? What are you doing here? You are supposed to be at work! Where is Robert? And what's going on? Oh…hi Paula"
"Kate let's go to the bedroom," he ignores her question, guiding her towards their room – with no success.
She refuses to budge, he is afraid he might hurt her sprained ankle even more if he pulls her, it looks terribly swollen and painful.
"Where is Robert?" Kate is as stubborn as him now.
"Kate, let's talk in the room," he blocks her view, hoping that she'll submit to his wishes.
"I said, where is Robert?" she is losing her patience, being treated like an invalid – still not budging even by an inch.
Gibbs sighs and admits defeat; the woman is not going to calm down until she sees the boy with the bump, various scrapes and stitches, "C'mon…"

Since that morning he has let the boy have anything he asks for, which includes: chocolate milk, "cold" as he requested early in the morning, Gummy bears and Ice cream – his mom is still asleep and his daddy pretty much gives him everything.
Gibbs feels guilty that he was hurt.
"He is fine," Gibbs mutters to the worried mother, thinking about how he had let him have whatever he asked for earlier in the day and received several sweet smiles and a happy grin from his boy.
-------------------------------
Little Gibbs and the snipers

They can see him among the uniformed men Kate saw earlier. Sitting on one of their laps, comfortably chattering away, Kate doubts that they fully understand his words.
The little guy is touching an open black case in awe while explaining to his new friends just how much he loves guns! The men ask about his stitches and he retells the story how his mommy and him were attacked by a crazy man.
One of the men said that he will shoot the villain that hurt him, Robert nods excitedly and said "yes" and touches the velvety soft black case again, saying repeatedly like a broken record that he loves guns.
Gibbs and Kate can see that Robert is obviously enjoying the attention from his new friends in uniform.

"He is fine, Kate, Ducky was here earlier and he'll be back to check on him again," he guides his wife back inside the house, this time she goes along, walking back slowly with her sprained ankle.
"And the marines?" she asks him as they walk.
"They are Marine snipers, Kate, one of them was my best friend while I was in the service, the other two are his men." Kate nods, and "C'mon, I'll tell you about our plan in the room" he urges her as he guides inside.
Meanwhile:
Robert is having the time of his life, assessing the fellows' rifles, they are huge, not like his dad's, Tony's or the other agents' at the office, he thinks and they each have a big black case which can snap open.
The toddler politely asks, "Bobby touch???"
"I don't know, kid, I don't think your mom and dad will approve," one of the older men answers the cute kid who is in his pajamas with bandages on his head, he can see fresh abrasions on his arms too.
"What's that you are wearing?" the other younger Marine tries to change the topic.
"Bobby's…hmmm…badge! Like daddy's," he shows it off to them all.
"Yeah? What does it say?"
"N-C-I-S! Like daddy's," he answers proudly.
Robert Gibbs is very fond of the gold shiny badge that his dad has on his belt all the time, and a few days ago, his dad gave him a smaller version of the badge and pinned it to his jacket and he's been wearing it all the time.

Then Robert remembers:
"Please, Bobby touch, please," he begs.
The three of them laugh, amazed at his focus - just like the old bastard - and they let him touch the unassembled rifle still in the case.
Sam, the older sniper who is a Master Gunnery Sergeant, decides to rock the boat – at Gibbs's expense, of course, "You know, son, your dad has the same one as this"
Robert who was concentrating on the rifle, stops looking at the item and looks up at the men, all quiet – digesting the new information, before Sam continues:
"Your dad has never showed you his big gun???"
"No!" Robert exclaims, shaking his battered head, kind of disappointed with the news, is it possible that his dad has the same big gun?
"Daddy's gun – SMALL!" Robert compares angrily.
"OH NO!!! Your dad has a very big gun! Just like this!" Sam replies to his best friend's son who is suddenly excited about the possibilities.

The other two marines just gawk at their senior.
Robert slips down from his lap. "Bobby asks daddy!!!" he pitter pats to inside his house, not wanting to waste precious time.
They can hear his cute but loud calls, "Daddiiiii…daddiiiii" all the way from the backyard.
"Why the hell did you do that, Sam?" one of the younger snipers asks his superior who is now laughing his head off.
"Yeah, Sam, why?" the other one is curious too, he knows that Sam and Gibbs are good friends and they've been in combat together.
Sam laughs and answers, "For revenge! For getting married to a hot younger chick! That old bastard, bloody hell!" his body shakes as he laughs.
"Oh that! I saw the missus! She is hot! And she is pregnant again!"
"I know, lucky bastard," Sam replies, but he doesn't elaborate how Gibbs and his wife met, hell! Air force One! The chick was in the Secret Service before the old bastard recruited her and a few years later married her, life is unfair, he thinks.
Not that his old friend has not paid his dues: Gunnery Sergeant Gibbs married several crazy women who managed to bash his head. Sam quickly snaps out of his day dream, instead he gives important information to the two snipers.
"Yeah, the bastard who we are hunting, kidnapped her when she was heavy with the boy," Sam sighs, he wonders how his friend must have reacted towards the incidents.
Sam throws Haswari's profile into their laps, "That is the son of a bitch we are hunting, but we are NOT to kill him"
"What???"
"Yes! That and rules of engagement! We are NOT to kill him, just to wound him and hand him over to the FBI, yeah I know, I know! It's killing Gibbs too," Sam says as he sees the men's unsatisfied faces, "Our hands are tied, boys."

Their discussion is disturbed by the arrival of the two Gibbs's.
"There daddy! BIG GUN! Bobby shows daddy!" they can hear the kid's voice, as he is tugging his dad towards them.
"What the hell did you say to my son?" Gibbs glares at the group.
"Nothing! I just told him that you have the same one, like ours," Sam plays the innocent card.
"Very funny, Sam."
"Where daddy? Where???" his son looks up at him, with his clear blue eyes, unchanged by the terrible experience he just went through.
His rifle is stowed away in his basement, Kate has the key to the drawer. He gave it to her when she moved into his house, before they were even married.
Gibbs sees that his old friend is grinning cheerfully, glad at his discomfort, his son is bugging him about the rifle – and the blasted man is enjoying his distress!
"I have the gun locked away, Robert, I'll show it to you when you are old enough, all right, son?" he tries his luck – but it is not that easy to deter his son.
"When old daddy? When?" he is not getting it.
"When Bobby is old enough, daddy will show you the gun, OK?"
"Bobby old now daddy!" he tugs his dad impatiently.
At the edge of his vision, Gibbs sees his friends grinning like idiots.
"Daddy, Bobby old, daddy" Robert moves his feet impatiently – excited.
"Not now, Robert, you are still too young," Gibbs is losing his edge.
"Bobby FIVE daddy!" he shows his age – lying about it, while showing all his five fingers, just like Ducky taught him.
One of the younger sniper howls with laughter but shuts up after Gibbs glares at him.
"Now daddy, pleaseeee" he hugs his dad's leg, looking up at him sadly
"Bobby hurt" he reminds his dad and Master Gunnery Sergeant Sam howls with laughter until his body shakes.
"Yeah Gibbs, when?" Sam adds, amidst his laughter.
Gibbs sees no other way, he bends down to the boy's level and whispers to him for quite some time, the Master Gunnery Sergeants notices; looking at the boy seriously in the eyes – and the two year old nods, agreeing.

The three marines stop laughing and start wondering. They are dumbstruck, they thought they'll see the Director of NCIS having to handle the boy's throwing a tantrum. But no! The kid nods and says "OK".
"Bobby plays with daddy's friends?"
"Yeah, sure! Ask Sam how many wives he had?" Gibbs urges the kid.
"OK" and Robert lets go of his dad's leg and dashes towards the men – asking questions that they can not answer.
By noon, the little boy manages to make Sam assembles his rifle. He looks at the man assembling the rifle in awe and claps his hands eagerly when Sam finishes assembling the gun.

That afternoon, Ducky visits his little patient again.
Robert just winces and says that it is painful when Ducky changes the dressing – he doesn't cry one bit. The old man said that he is the bravest boy he has ever seen in his entire life, he truly deserves the shiny gold badge.
Gibbs is with them when Ducky takes care of his son, looking at the scene – his battered boy. He has to find Haswari as soon as possible, his son deserves a safer life, a better life. Gibbs wonders how long it will take Haswari to take the bait. Not long, he hopes.

Gibbs sighs but manages to smile at his little guy, showing off his tiny NCIS badges that he gave him few days ago. The kid loves him and he wants to have all that he had, therefore he always used his NIS child T-shirt, still too big for him, but he doesn't care about the size; all he cares is wearing the same thing as his dad. He throws a fit when his mom hides the shirt, because she wants him to wear other clothes as well.
Snapping out of his day dream, looking at the three snipers selected by him and O'Brien when discussing the plan - Gibbs knows that things are going to be rough, soon.
----------------------------------
-Tbc-nova2007-BETA (MV)

Chapter 10 The bait


Mostly Robert POV.

For three days his dad stays at home.
He doesn't get to see his mom very often, except when he goes to bed. His dad practically confines his mom in their room.
For three long days his dad runs the household and NCIS from home.
He is not lonely, even though his dad is very busy and doesn't play with him and his mom is not there to spend time with him…because he has plenty of friends; people walk in and out of his house.
He loves opening the door to see who are coming and sending his guests out. Robert Gibbs was very busy during the three days: opening doors, going up and down the basement, peeking at his mom by the door, but his dad always managed to catch him before he enters the room.
He also received plenty of candy from the agents and his new friends who felt sorry for his battered head – above all he enjoyed the days.
--------------------------------------

One evening, his dad, Tony and the pretty woman who he met in the office are seated in the kitchen. His kitchen island is transformed into a compact office. Full of stuff he is NOT allowed to touch, his dad had warned him and he promised to be a good boy and not touch the stuff.
He is looking at the three people gazing into their computer screen, all serious and quiet. His dad's glasses are perched on his nose. Then Robert turns his attention to Tony and his female friend, who are seated quite close to each other.
He wonders about Tony who is always staying near to the pretty girl. He tugs Tony's arm and asks: "Tony's wife?" he asks Tony innocently, he only understands the word "wife" like his mom and dad.
Tony grins and Paula looks surprised.

Gibbs immediately looks up from his papers, glaring at his senior agents. They are sitting very close to each other, there is definitely something going on between the two, even his two year old notices.
"Oh nooo sweetie, no way" Paula replies - her face is red.
"Why not?" Robert doesn't get it, he tilts his head, looking at the couple.
Gibbs pulls off his glasses and answers for the couple, "because…" Damn it! But he can not continue his line, his rule! One of his mottos!
Paula smiles at little Gibbs and old Gibbs, "…because romance between agents do not work, Gibbs?"
Gibbs can only smirk at her and Tony who is grinning like an idiot.
"Robert! YOU are living proof that romance between agents DO work!" Tony tickles Robert's bulging tummy, teasing him.
The little boy laughs – but still curious. "Bobby…don't know" he says while laughing, he doesn't understand the conversation. He is about to climb up on Tony's lap when he hears someone and changes his mind.
"Don't be nosy, sweetheart," Kate gently reminds him – she is standing by the kitchen archway.
"MOMMY! Mommy awake!" he excitedly greets his mom who he rarely sees because his dad said that his mom is sleeping – all the time, that's what his dad told him anyway.
He runs to his mom and hugs her leg. "Pick Bobby up, mommy?" he requests
But before his mom can say anything, his dad reminds him, "Robert…"
And Paula sees the two year old put on his unhappy face but he doesn't say anything, just hugs his mom's leg affectionately.
"Kate! What are you doing up?" Gibbs walks to her in a hurry, about to drag her back to their room.
"Jethro, NO! I am not going back to the room!"
"But, Kate, you are sick and I don't think…"
Kate cuts him off. "No Jethro no! I am bored to death!"
"No, daddy no!!! Mommy says NO, daddy!" he pushes his dad away from his mom who refuses to go to sleep again, he knows how bad it is to be forced to sleep when he doesn't feel like it, he feels sorry for his mom.
Tony and Paula try really hard to hide their snickers. Only the little Gibbs dares do that to their Director.

Kate smiles smugly at her husband, satisfied with her son's reaction that manages to stop him from forcing her to return to their room. Her husband has gone mental because of her condition. Yesterday, he practically locked her in the room, and she threatened to shoot the door if he didn't open the door immediately.
"Daddy bad boy, mommy!" Robert complains to his mom, at the same time soothing his mom. "Mommy stays with Bobby" he decides for them - and a mischievous smile is etched on Kate's face while facing her stunned husband, their son is on her side.
But Robert sort of realized that he is being disobedient to his dad, he looks at his surprised dad and asks gently: "OK. daddy?" asking for his permission still. And Gibbs's nod, surrendering to their wish.
Tony couldn't control his laughter: "HAHAHAHA…" DiNozzo laughs at the scene, smacking his thigh.
Kate and Gibbs glare at him, while Robert frowns, he doesn't understand why Tony is laughing at them. Tony shuts up as he receives a deathly glare from a hormonal lady and a fierce director.
He clears his throat uncomfortably, as Robert reaches him. Tony whispers to the chubby toddler, and seconds later Robert covers his mouth to stop his laughter.

Robert blurts out what Tony whispered to him: "Tony said mommy fat!"
"He did?" Kate speaks dangerously softly, looking at a regretful DiNozzo, as she slowly walks to him where he is sitting with Paula beside him. She is not fat, her stomach is hardly showing.
And -----TWACK----- from Kate.
-----TWACK-----from Paula-----TWACK-----from Gibbs.
"Poor Tony" The little kid exclaims in pity.
Then they hear a door bell:
"OOH BOBBY'S FRIEND" he shouts in excitement, as he dashes towards the main door and opens the door for his friends.
"Friends?" Kate shakes her head, looking at her boy greeting the three marines, and "He doesn't have friends his age, Jethro" Kate regrets.
"Come in, Bobby's home!" Robert signals them to enter his house, greeting them.
One of the older Marines, swoops and places him on his shoulder. Gibbs can hear his laughter. "Where's big guns?" Robert looks for the black case they usually carry with them. Instead, they give him candy and he is too preoccupied with the candy to look for the guns again.
---------------------------

The bait

That day is the last day little Robert sees the three Marines at the same time. After that he only sees one of them alternately and when he asks where the other two Marines are, they always said that they are working…to catch a bad guy.
It was one of the ‘best' weeks for Gibbs's boy.
His dad hardly left his home and if he did, either Tony or McGee was there to replace his dad; even though they don't play with him, Robert enjoyed their company.
Kate witnesses her active curious boy being quite obedient when Tony or McGee orders him not to play by the windows. Her son doesn't answer back, but he quickly takes his toys and moves away from the windows and plays somewhere else.
It was the worst seven days for Jethro Gibbs and his agents. The whole of NCIS are on their toes – waiting for Haswari to take the bait.

Gibbs and Fornell have calculated that Haswari will either strike at his house or the HQ, and the terrorist doesn't care whether it is day or night. That is why O'Brien and him handpicked three snipers from the Marines.
One sniper is stationed at the roof top of the NCIS's HQ, only two guard the HQ from dusk to dawn: a few hours before the HQ is opened and a few hours after the HQ is closed. There is no overtime or loitering allowed until the case is closed.
Fortunately most of the windows at the Federal Offices are bulletproof so the first shot is free, for the sniper to aim at the attacker. They are all depending on the Marine sniper to shoot Haswari before he makes the second or third shot, which could shatter the glass and penetrate the HQ and hurt someone.
Not that simple with his house, it is too late to install bulletproof glass on his windows. Haswari and his ‘cell' would have noticed the activities and his plan wouldn't work. They assume that they are being watched, so they stationed two snipers at his house; each has a twelve hour shift.
The two snipers at his house pay special attention NOT to be noticed by his son, or the boy would follows them up to the attic. Kate is not allowed to go out for their grocery and errands anymore, not even Abby is allowed to stay at her home.

By the fifth day, the goth chick is going crazy! She is biting her nails because she is all nervous and cooped up in the Director's house that Tony placed her in.
Abby misses her coffin terribly, but bossy Tony insisted that she stays put with the Gibbs family until the case is clear. She thanks God that the boy is there to keep her company. Dubiously, Special Agent James is their errand boy – because delivery is not an option, Tony decided.
For the entire ‘fun' week, Robert only gets shouted at once by his usually sweet dad.
It was in one fine afternoon, only his parents were in the house, everybody is else was at work. The kid looked outside the window, what a nice warm shiny day. He thought he'll bring his planes and toys out to play at the backyard…his backyard.
He was just about to line up his planes when he heard a crash and an angry shout from the kitchen, with the window facing him.
The two year old looked up and he saw the back door being slammed open! His dad stormed out of the house and ran to him. He thought his dad looked scary, he shouted his name, very loudly – once; which made him jump just slightly from the shock and fear.
---------------------------

A few minutes earlier:
Gibbs was coming out of his basement, when he looked for his boy who was nowhere in sight. He was cleaning his rifle, forgotten until his son mentioned it few days ago – asking about its existence.
The house is quiet…too quiet.
"Kate, is Robert with you?" he shouts to her who is upstairs.
"No, he was waiting for you, in front of the basement," Kate replies, a few seconds later. "Did you lock the basement?"
He did lock the basement, too many grotesque pictures of Haswari's victims who are mostly FBI Agents. He doesn't want the boy roaming around the basement with such things on the table and pinned to the wall and board.
He was sipping his coffee, when he found a small toy plane on his way to the kitchen looking for his son. Then his eyes enlarged in horror. From the corner of his eyes he saw his son just about to settle himself in the corner of his backyard, a perfect target, about to line up his toys along the hedge.
Gibbs dropped his coffee mug on the spot, he heard a clatter of the shattered mug as he stormed out to get his son, already shouting his name as loudly as he could.
Kate heard the sound of a shattered mug and a very loud shout of Robert's name. Her heart stopped for a second, and with her sprained ankle she carried herself down to the source of the noise as fast as she could.

By the time her bruised ankle and legs carried her to the kitchen, all she saw, were a broken mug and spilled coffee on the tiles – Gibbs entered through the back door, carrying their crying boy inside the house.
"What happ…" as she saw them and she already guessed that the boy ventured outside their home.
"Mommiiiii" he called amidst his sobs.
"Ooh Bobby…we told you not to go outside!" Kate sighs sadly as she takes him from his father's shaking arms – she noticed.
Poor Bobby! His bump is still visible, along with the bandage and stitches as a result of them being attacked by her crazy ex boyfriend. And now he got shouted at by his usually sweet dad who doesn't allow him to go outside their house because a psychotic killer is on the run – what a life.
"I shouted at him," Gibbs felt like he has to explain the reason Bobby cried.
"Oh, I heard, Jethro" Kate replied.
"Come on Robert, daddy is not mad at you, he was just…surprised," Kate is confused, choosing her words carefully as they've agreed not to tell him about Haswari.
"Daddy angry!" He buried his face in Kate's breasts, waling piteously – refusing to look at Gibbs.
That day Gibbs felt immense guilt. After his son stopped crying, he cleaned up the grotesque pictures in the basement and took Robert down "to make Daddy's boat", equipped with a tub of ice cream and he made the boy who was busy eating his ice cream and promise never to go outside until they said he could.
----------------------------------

That night Abby was called back to the HQ. DiNozzo found a body dump, this time their victim is a civilian – shot in the forehead, then dumped in their complex – they have no clue where the man was killed.
Just as they predicted, Haswari is going ‘blind' in rage, the man is losing his control, he is getting impatient.
Only the three of them are in the house that fateful night plus the Marine sniper in the attic. Robert is somehow still afraid of his dad who never shouted at him before in his entire two years. He told his parents that he wished to sleep in his own room.
Gibbs looked at Kate dejectedly, asking for her opinion and she nodded at him.

That night Gibbs worked on his boat, but this time his beloved skeleton of a boat could not distract his mind from his worries over the case and the guilt over his son.
The Snipers warned him not to loiter around the house, especially near the windows, his main lights are all off.
Quietly, he opened the door to Robert's room, peeking at his baby boy who was sleeping in peace, with one night lamp on – he is afraid of the dark, just like his mother.
Gibbs couldn't help himself but went over to his son and sat by his side. Poor boy, he noticed all his stitches and bruises: on his temple and limbs. He leaned down to kiss his face.
The boy is roused. "Daddy" he groggily called for him as he yawned and closed his eyes again.
"Hey, son" he whispered to him and stroked his hair. Robert smiled sleepily at his dad.
"Where is your gun?" Gibbs asked him, kissing his button nose.
"Here." he pointed at his pillow.
"OK, goodnight son"
"Goodnight, daddy"
"Are you still angry at me, Bobby?"
"No, daddy"
"Yeah?"
"Bobby loves daddy" he murmured to his dad and fall right back to sleep – it's been a long day for him.
It is the sentence that Gibbs has been craving for since the incident, now he can sleep with less guilt.
-------------------------------

The hit
It must have been almost dawn when the hit took place.
Gibbs and Kate are sleeping as peacefully as they can within the grim situation. He kept their door unlocked, just in case their son decided to join them in the middle of the night.
They are both awoken by a single gunshot, a shattered glass…followed by a cry from the room next door and then another equally terrifying gunshot. He can hear from the gunshots' different sounds that these were not from regular arms, those were from rifles.
Gibbs jumped on his feet and charged to the source of the cries, he turned on the light as he calculated that infra red goggles were being used by the enemy's sniper.
"SWITCH ON ALL THE LIGHTS, KATE!" he shouted as he reached Robert's room.
"ROBERT!" He called for him, he saw him already sitting up in bed, gripping his blanket in terror, the loud shots must be terrifying for him.
"Daddy!" he wailed in tears and he shivered from the shock.
"Basement" that was all he managed to say to Kate and they rushed to the basement, away from possible attack.
"Lock the door, Kate!" He brusquely reminded her, as he struggled to open his rifle drawer and readied his rifle.
"DO NOT OPEN THE DOOR FOR ANYBODY BUT OUR GUYS OR FORNELL, KATE! YOU HEAR ME?" he shouted as he was about to leave them.
"Jethro, NO!" Kate refused to let him walk out of the basement, she was pulling his arm.
"Kate, remember! Do not open the door for anybody but our guys, I have a key". He ignored her distress.
"Jethro, NO! Please, let Sam handle it!" Kate begged.
"Here, take this…" he put his gun into her hand.
"Daddy NO!!! NO" Robert screamed at the top of his lungs, holding unto his leg – refusing to let him go.
"Wait for daddy here, Robert! I will come back to get you! Daddy promises, OK!!!" He kissed his teary face with force and pried his small hands from his leg.
"Take care of mommy for daddy, OK?" He ignored his cries.
"Kate…" there were so much he wished he could tell then – so many things he never got to tell her - afraid that he won't have the chance to do so. But he changed his mind, he has no time, he kissed her and Robert and dashed out of the basement, ignoring their protests. He could still hear them calling for him as he locked the basement from outside.
That was an hour ago.

Kate composed herself and dragged Robert to a corner, she sat on the cold floor, cocked the gun ready and hugged her son – calming him down.
But he was inconsolable – he ended up crying himself to sleep in her arms as she swayed her body forth and back.
She was crying with her boy, unable to stop her tears from falling, afraid to lose her husband. She cursed herself for not stabbing Haswari while she had the chance. Then all of this wouldn't have to happen.
They were hiding behind the boat's skeleton for almost an hour or so, Kate lost track – until she heard him…
"Katie?" Gibbs called for her as he unlocked the basement.
"JETHRO!" she snapped out of her nightmare, so glad to hear his voice.
Gibbs ran to his wife and kid, who were crouching in a hidden corner – and he hugged them with all his might. "It's all right, its over, we go him, we got the bastard"
They felt their son move, he was sandwiched in between them. Gibbs kissed his son roughly, relieved that the dark shadow that had been following them for the past four years was finally captured.
"Daddy…don't go, no" Robert was jerked awake and grabbed his dad.
"I am not doing anywhere, Robert"
Then:
"GIBBS!" he heard Fornell's voice and other activities in their house – they can hear cars arriving.
"Robert, take care of your mother for me, OK? Daddy has to meet Fornell, OK, Robert? Can you do that for me?" he asked the two year old who was still gripping his shirt tightly.
"The FBI is here, they are clearing the scene, I don't want…" he doesn't want Robert to see the crime scene.
"I understand, go Jethro, we'll wait for you here." Kate interrupted him as she pried Robert's hands from his shirt.
"We'll wait for daddy here! Right, Robert?" she coaxed her son, who refused to answer his dad, but he didn't cry anymore, just sadly looked as his dad went away…again.
-------------------------------------------

Gibbs didn't want Kate and Robert to be present when the FBI cleared their house and Sam was there with his ‘hot' rifle. He had agreed to let the FBI took over the crime scene while NCIS ran the investigation – "a fair deal" as the FBI Director said as they shook on it.
"You are contaminating the evidence!" one of the FBI crime scene investigators warned DiNozzo.
"You have got to be kidding me!" DiNozzo lashed out at the geeky looking FBI Agent.
"He is with us!" Fornell snapped at his imbecile.
"DiNozzo, tell Abby that she is…" Gibbs ordered him.
"Don't worry, Boss, I got it all covered! I just want to make sure that these jerks are competent!" he said before he left for his team.
"We did it, Gibbs!" Fornell slapped his back.
"We did…finally"
"Aren't you going to celebrate?"
"My only regret is that he is still alive," he murmured to himself more than Fornell.
"Gibbs, give it a break, give it time, we are already processing his transfer as we speak, Guantanamo is going to be his home and…"
Out of the blue, they hear a little boy's voice in distress:
"DADDY DADDY! MOMMY HURT!!!"
------------------------------------

That was twelve hours ago.
Right now Kate is asleep in their room, undisturbed by the activities in the house, while her husband is waiting diligently by her side.
Five hours ago, she was rushed to the hospital. She suffered minor spotting and acute cramps. Strebel – her OBGYN - is very displeased with her condition.
The old usually soft spoken man was NOT happy at all, he was angry at Gibbs. Kate was so stressed out, the Doctor sedated her. She vaguely saw Strebel scolding Gibbs while they were in the hospital, her tears and sleepiness must had blurred her vision.
Kate thought: "Who dared to scold her stern grumpy husband?"
Strebel gave Gibbs an ultimatum: That he may only take her home IF he was competent to take care of her, at least three days of total bed rest and Kate is not permitted to carry their ‘growing' son anymore.
The victory of capturing the Mossad vermin was slightly dampened by Kate's current condition.
Gibbs was shocked to his core when he heard Robert's call from the basement that Kate was hurt. She was crouching and holding her stomach in pain – crying, when he found her.
He picked his panicking son and placed him in Fornell's care as he rushed Kate to the Emergency Room – again. They could hear their son's distressed cries as they exited the house.
---------------------------

It is almost nightfall when Kate managed to convince, plead with and threaten her OBGYN and Gibbs to be released from the hospital. She argued that she would like to go home for her rest, she hated hospitals and couldn't possible rest there.
Actually she wanted to be home with Robert – no way in hell she is spending the night there.
Her son was asleep when they reached home, he was asleep in the arms of Ducky who was sitting on the living room couch – Robert must has been crying for the whole day.
Kate just managed to kiss his streaky flushed face before Gibbs took her to their room.
"Kate, Robert will be all right with Ducky, please. Don't worry, you need to rest." He looked at her intently; and she nodded before she rested her eyes and fell asleep.
-------------------------

The next day Kate is awakened by soft cool touches on her face – the touch is soothing as she slowly opens her eyes, only to see her son looking down at her, he must be sitting beside her.
His soft blue eyes are looking at her with worry and care, he is stroking her temple and hair. He mimics how she used to take care of him when he was sick.
He calls her in a whisper: "Mommy…mommy awake?"
Kate nods, she opens her mouth to say yes but nothing comes out – her lips are parched. Her head is killing her, her neck and limbs are aching – her whole body hurts, she has no energy to move or do anything, she is lethargic.
Then, Robert declares: "Bobby love mommy" and the two year old kisses her temple. "Mommy want yummy?"
Kate couldn't help herself, she cups her son's face and kisses his head.
"No thank you" she manages to croak.
"Where's daddy?" she asks him.
"Daddy in basement! Angry…very angry…with Fony" he informs her with a hushed voice.
He must have heard the yelling, Kate guesses. "It's OK, Bobby, stay with mommy, all right?"
"OK, mommy! Bobby take care of mommy" he says proudly, rather happy that his mom is awake. The yelling from the closed basement scared him.
Kate is thirsty, looking for the glass of water on the night stand. Robert notices her discomfort. "Bobby take for mommy" he says as he quickly slips down from the bed and carefully lifts the glass from the nightstand to his mother. Carefully, so he doesn't spill.
Afterwards, he climbs back up the bed again. Kate feels drained, she slowly drinks her water and rests her head on the pillow. She fears she is coming down with a fever.
"Bobby, help! Get mommy's mobile?"
"OK" Robert replies quickly and he exits the room, he knows exactly where his mom's small phone is.
Two minutes later he returns with her mobile. "Thank you, sweetheart", she rubs the boy's hand before she makes the call to her trusted ME.
"Ducky."
"Caitlin, how are you feeling?"
"Ducky, I am scared…" Kate starts to sob.
Ducky panics. "What's wrong?" He lowers his tool on the slab and signals Jimmy to continue.
"I don't feel too good and I think I have a fever." She is so scared for the wellbeing of her unborn child.
"Don't you worry, my child, I'll be right over, right now!"
"Please, Ducky."
"Where's Gibbs?" He is so nervous he calls Jethro Gibbs.
"He is with Fornell."
"I'll be right there before you know it," and Ducky hangs up on her.
Kate closes her eyes, tears must have dropped on her face, as she feels Robert's finger wiping her face. With her eyes still closed, she breathes deeply, trying to control her morning sickness and headache – she has no energy to even crawl to the bathroom.
Robert is afraid. The toddler decides to do something. He dashes out of the room and shouts with all his might: "DADDY DADDY DADDY!!!"
Seconds later, he hears the basement door slam open. "Robert, what's wrong?" as he sprints to him.
Roberts head is poking through the railing's gap. "Mommy hurt again." This time he cries from fear, his mom has never been sick before.
----------------------------------------

-Tbc-nova2007-BETA (MV)
THANK YOU FOR BETA'ing

Chapter 11 repercussion


Oh no, Kate thinks as she hears the racket. She doesn't wish to bother him, he is with Fornell – working; he should be in the office not with her at home. Gibbs pales considerably, he climbs two steps at a time. He swoops up his son and passes him to Fornell.
"Bathroom," that's all she manages to say to him, and he carries her to the bathroom where she hurls.
Robert peeks quietly around the door with tears down his ruddy cheeks. "Mommy" he murmurs. He has managed to escape from Fornell.
"Your mom is all right, Robert. Stay with Fornell," Gibbs says to the boy, but he doesn't budge.
--------------------------------------

It was a terrible week.
Yes, Haswari was captured – he is now in the hands of the FBI, but the man is a slick piece of vermin. He manages to convince the FBI that there is another 9/11 coming – very soon and he will talk if they submit to his conditions.
Gibbs can never rest when Haswari is not dead or at least know of his impending doom. That evening, he just received the FBI Director in his office – the shouting match was terribly long and – loud.

Fornell and DiNozzo waited outside the office, this time they didn't bicker. They are both worried about "Haswari's fate"; on the one hand they know that the man should be dead or in jail for the rest of his remaining life. But on the other hand, what if they can stop another 9/11, they can save thousands of lives, hundreds of families don't have to suffer and grieve.
Gibbs doesn't believe Haswari, he doesn't believe that Haswari is willing to help them, if ever there is another terrorist attack, the Director of NCIS believe that he would be one of the master minds behind it. So letting him free to communicate is a grave mistake.

After two hours of coercive negotiations, the FBI big boss left the NCIS HQ and Fornell nodded to DiNozzo before he follows his boss.
DiNozzo exhales deeply and enters the office, he is tired, actually he is exhausted, they've been sleep deprived for weeks:
"Boss."
"Close the door."
"So, what's going to happen, Boss?"
"It's no good, DiNozzo, they are going to let Haswari communicate. They are pending his transfer to Gitmo."
"They are letting him go?" DiNozzo asks in horror – after all they've been through, all the pain and terror, he has flashbacks of when Ari kidnapped Kate.
"Not physically – they are placing him in a minimum security prison, to let him ‘communicate' with the cell, under surveillance of course." Gibbs can't believe his own words. But a deal is a deal, he made a deal with the FBI for NCIS to run the investigation and the FBI to take over the crime scene and handle the captured Haswari.
"I don't believe this! How could they be so naïve? Believing Haswari?" DiNozzo rambles on. "What do you want us to do, Boss?"
"I'll let you know, come to my house with O'Brien and Cassidy, just the three of you. Do you understand, DiNozzo?"
"Yes, Boss." Tony knows Gibbs very well, his boss is going to do something – unofficially.
"DiNozzo" Gibbs calls his senior agent as he is about to exit his office.
"Yes, Boss?"
"Meanwhile – let ALL of your men use the stupid bullet proof jackets, even Abby and Ducky, we are not taking chances here."
DiNozzo just nods, gazing at his boss for quite some time, the man suddenly looks older than he actually is and he let him alone and closes the door behind him.
--------------------------------------------

The Director's lament

"It is lonely being at the top, Kate," he murmurs to his wife. They are home, lying on their bed.
"I can imagine." Kate strokes his white ash hair, gazing into his eyes.
"I miss field work" he admits.
"I know baby, I know."
"I'm not doing well in what I am…"
Kate interrupts him: "DON'T you dare doubt yourself!!!"
"It's true, Kate – how could I let this happen? I thought things were going to be different when I took Morrow's chair! I thought I could handle it!" Gibbs is frustrated.
"Jethro, you did what you could, you did your best."
"My best is not good enough, Kate."
"You made the deal, you had to! You had no choice, if you did not offer that the FBI could have Haswari, they were not going to let you run the investigation, NCIS won't lead the investigation" Kate reminds him.
He is not listening to her. "Sometimes, I just, I just want to step down." He pauses for a second. Kate keeps quiet, giving him the chance to let it all out.
"Before, when I had a problem, I went to Morrow. I talked to O'Brien. We could discuss things, EVEN FORNELL!!!" he is frustrated
"Now…now, I AM Morrow! I can't discuss my problem with DiNozzo or O'Brien, let alone Fornell! Kate, my back is against the wall," he is weary.
"Hey, you are not alone – I am here! Have you forgotten? See, the fact that I am NOT working for NCIS, makes me an eligible ‘partner' for you to discuss matters with," Kate tries to appease his aggravation.
"AND your wife is an ex Secret Service and ex NCIS Agent!" Kate teases him.
He starts smiling, he is relaxing.
"Hey Jethro, you are not alone, you are never alone. We can talk, we can discuss things – anything, I can help you, we'll fight through this together, OK?
OK, baby?" she snuggles closer to him.
"OK," he smiles at her; he is the luckiest man alive. As long as he has Kate and Robert by his side, he can do anything, he can handle anything – as long as they are safe with him.
Out of the blue, his doubt, his fear and disappointment disappear into thin air.
"Don't leave me, Kate."
"Where on earth am I going? You practically locked me in our room!" Kate pouts as she complains half heartedly, rather glad that his spirits have improved slightly.
"I miss Robert!" she declares.
"He is fine, he is with Ducky, having the time of his life, the old man spoils him" Gibbs shakes his head. Ducky practically says ‘yes' to anything his son wants.
"When can I spend time with him? I can't wait"
"Soon, Kate, we'll get Strebel and Ducky to clear you and you get to spend time with Robert again. Damn Kate, he's grown!" he remembers that just yesterday the boy managed to open their fridge – for the first time in his life.
Gibbs caught him red handed and with a chocolatey face! And the tiny perpetrator just grinned at him as he interrogated him. The boy only said that he likes chocolate and the cold fridge.
------------------------------------------

Over the last week, Kate caught flu and she had a fever.
Ducky forbid Kate from seeing or spending time with Robert because of her cold and the fact that she needed her bed rest.
So, that noon, after the visit to Strebel, Kate is cleared! She is healthy enough and her baby is fine, she is entering her 2nd trimester. Gibbs was a nervous wreck that morning, until he could see his child on the monitor.

Apart from not carrying Robert and gaining some weight Kate is in decent condition – Strebel concludes. The old talkative OB-GYN decides to share something with the couple.
"You know, Caitlin, I met Robert the other day, when I last visited you at home. Do you know what he said and did to me?" Strebel is amused.
But Kate is NOT amused.
"What???" she is afraid that after one week without her supervision, Robert has turned into a juvenile delinquent and was rude to the man – she looks at Gibbs who looks just as surprised as her.
"He secretly called me to his room – dragged me aside," Strebel chuckles as he recalls the incident.
"And???" Kate is afraid to hear the truth – but she is curious.
"And he told me that his mom is hurt. Well, he meant to tell me that you are sick, then he pulled out five candies from his long johns' pocket and gave them to me" Strebel continues.
Kate and Gibbs just gape at the old MD, they can already guess what their two year old was doing.
"His exact words were ‘make mommy better please' and he offered me candies"
Their son just bribed the MD!
"I am so sorry, Doc," Kate is afraid that the man is offended.
"Oh no, that was fun! A two year old who I helped bring into this world already understands the concept of bribery and politics – in his own innocent way, of course," then Strebel starts laughing.
Strebel – like Ducky - loves to talk, so he continues: "So, please, give this to the boy"
Kate sees the man pull out a bag of gummy bear and pushes it onto the table in front of her.
"Oh, that's not necessary Doc." Kate tries to refuse the bag of candy. What is it with Robert and candy?
Gibbs clears his throat uncomfortably, he is having the time of his life. His wife simply can not refuse the pack of Gummy Bears from the MD.
"Oh I insist! Tell him it is from me," Strebel said fondly.
-----------------------------------------------------------

Gibbs laughs all the way home. He is very pleased that his wife and unborn child are healthy and amused at his son's antics. He can't believe what his two year old is capable of.
But many times, Ducky lectured him that it is due to human evolution, that the next generation will always be more advanced – survival of the fittest.

Then he hears Kate exclaim:
"AHA! There he is" and both of them see their pride and joy – at the front porch, in Fornell's arms, they must be waiting for them.
"MOMMY!!!!!!!" he screams loudly as he sees his dad's car.
This morning he told his mommy that he missed her very very very much, and Kate told her that they are going to a doctor, and as soon as she is back, she is going to spend time with him.
"He doesn't call for me, Kate" Gibbs pretends to be jealous.
"Jethro, please, he has hardly seen me for a week!" Kate complains, "even though we live under the same roof"
Gibbs drives very slowly into his lot – afraid that the boy might charge to the car. As expected, he sees Robert slip down from Fornell's hold, but the warned FBI bastard holds the boy's arm until the car has stopped.
"Mommy! Bobby misses mommy!" he expresses his happiness – as he opens Kate's side of the door.
"Bobby kiss Mommy's tummy!" he said as he kisses Kate's showing stomach repeatedly – he mimics his old dad.
Robert doesn't ask to be picked up by his mom, Gibbs witnesses. He had another ‘man talk' with him.
"Mommy plays with Bobby" her two year old requested.
"Todd" Fornell greets Kate as he approaches them.
"Fony," Kate teases him. "Did he give you a hard time, Fornell?" Kate wonders.
"NO! Not at all, he's been good and nice – unlike his bastard dad!" Fornell replies.
"Fornell!" Kate scolds him. He is not supposed to curse in front of Robert who absorbs words like a sponge.
"Sorry. I forgot!"
Then Robert notices something colorful that he loves – peeking from Kate's purse.
"For Bobby, mommy?" he asks sweetly, looking up at his mother.
"Yes Bobby, it is from the kind Doctor who you bribed the other day." Kate frowns at her son.
He doesn't really understand the word ‘bribe', so he just looks at his mom sweetly and the pack of Gummy bear expectantly – waiting for his mom to surrender the goodies.

They walk inside with Robert chattering, AFTER Kate places the candy in his hands.
"What the hell are you eating Fornell?!" Gibbs finally asks his friend.
"Oh, it's from your son: candy," Fornell answers innocently.
Gibbs looks at the usually grumpy agent in disbelief.
"What???" Fornell is uncomfortable with Gibbs' look of disbelief.
"Just never thought I'll be seeing you eat CANDY" Gibbs laughs.
"They are good! He gave me two…hey, your boy can count! And for your information, I never thought I'll see you with a child. Wives, I've seen plenty of times, but not a child," Fornell replies smugly.
"Bite your tongue! You ass! It is children, not child!" Gibbs snaps and continues: "I've fired my divorce attorney years ago. I can introduce him to you if you are interested?" Gibbs slyly offers.
Fornell is lost for words, he just smirks at Gibbs.
Gibbs heads towards his house, he smiles when Fornell is not looking – he can hear the cartoon show is on, the child must have made his mother watch cartoons with him.
Then:
"Gibbs!" Fornell calls him
"What, Fony?" he jokes.
Fornell doesn't answer him and when Gibbs realizes that Fornell is not following him into the house, he guesses something is wrong.
When he turns and sees Fornell's expression, he knows something is horribly wrong – it must be Ari Haswari, his plague, his nightmare.
Suddenly Fornell sees his friend looking weary, frustrated and older.
------------------------------------------------

Body count

It is late – actually it must be almost dawn.
Gibbs falls asleep in MTAC, when the night technician wakes him up, he sees the time, it is two in the morning and he decides to go home.
Nothing out of the ordinary happens as he drives home, but then as he gets closer to his house, something is different. He vaguely sees light and crowds from the street leading to his compound.
A few feet away from his house then he sees it all – lights, cars and people gathering at his front lot and almost half of his neighborhood is around his house, watching. He sees DiNozzo, Ducky, Abby, O'Brien, catches a glimpse of Balboa, Fornell and some other agents. What the hell is going on? What kind of a joke is this?
Gibbs's heart stops beating when he sees it, when he sees the dreaded yellow crime scene tape around his house. He can not breathe – time stays still, all quiet, it is surreal to him.
Oh no God, no, please…don't let anything happen to my family, my reason to live.

He stops his car on the street, unable to drive anymore.
Like a dream, he steps out of his car and walks towards the crowd, in front of his main doors.
All of a sudden, his men restrain him, blocking him from going into his own house – holding him back, talking some nonsense to him, but it is just a blur to him. He is not hearing anything.
The ex Gunnery Sergeant, the Director of the NCIS just focuses on the two gurneys being rolled out by his men from his house. He sees Palmer and Gerald pushing the gurneys from his house – because his dearest friend Ducky is just sitting on the front steps of his porch, shaking and crying, like a little boy – sobbing uncontrollably, with Abby on his side, hugging him.
Annoyed at being held back from his destination, Gibbs starts pushing his men. When it fails, he starts punching them, he hears and sees DiNozzo, McGee, Fornell and somebody else restraining him.

Then Abby leaves Ducky's side and runs to him, his techie was in a mess, black heavy mascara are streaking down her face. Abby dashes to him and embraces him, "Gibbs, I am so sorry, Gibbs, I'm so sorry"
Gibbs doesn't feels the sudden rain that hits the earth. He is numb, his world is shattered. He can smell the musty smells when rain hits the hot concrete.
He shoves Abby aside, struggles against DiNozzo, Fornell and McGee who are restraining him. He shouts, "KATE!!! ROBERT!!!" There is no reply.

He tries again: "KATE!!! ROBERT!!!" again and again, calling their name – hoping, just hoping that they might walk out of their house, where his son took his first step – walk out alive.
Then he would quit his job, take his wife and son far away, anywhere; to starts a new life and be damned with everything else. Be damned with his job, his responsibility, his duties – he paid his dues.
But it is not happening, he keeps calling for them desperately until his voice is gone, he can't breathe properly. His agents are crying too, he has never seen them that broken.
"FOR GOD'S SAKE! LET HIM GO!!!" Ducky shouts – and they let him go.

Gibbs totters to the body bags on the gurneys. Palmer and Gerald quickly move back to give him some space.
He can't bring himself to open the bag. He feels the rain coming down hard, he looks around him and sees all his guys, his friends. They are forming a circle around him, their faces are beaten, lost, standing like statues amidst the sudden heavy rain.
He opens the first body bag, his hands shaking – lifeless cloudy brown eyes greet him, they are Kate's. Her neck is slit open, dried blood already formed around her open wound.
He sees Kate turning her slit neck, looking him in the eyes and, "Jethro, where were you? I was calling for you"
"I was at the office, Kate," the guys hear him whisper to the dead body.
Abby covers her mouth, trying to stop her cries. She runs away from the circle. Ducky is still rooted to his front porch, swaying back and forth, crying out of grief and shock, unable to carry himself to the circle.
Gibbs hugs Kate's lifeless body, he calls for her again, perhaps she would open her eyes and talk to him again, but nothing happens, she doesn't talk to him anymore – and his unborn child dies with her.

He lets go of his dead wife, his shirt is soaked with her blood.
Gibbs opens the other body bag with his bloody hands. He sees his son's head with a hole in between his still open eyes. Robert's usually lively blue eyes are cold and cloudy – lifeless.
Then he sees his toddler looking at him and speaking. "Daddy, Bobby scared, daddy go home," the child begs.
Gibbs screams in grief, calling Robert's name while holding the child's bloody head, pressing it against his chest, then he empties his stomach on the ground. It is too late, there is no redemption.

There is nothing the guys can do – they just stand in the rain, tears streak down their faces, speechless, watching their Director fall to his knees, screaming for his wife and son, begging for mercy.
Within the radius of half a mile, his howls of sorrow and anguish can be heard and there is nothing anybody can do. Only regret.
-------------------------------

A break

"Daddy, daddy, Jethro."

He hears them call for him. He feels a touch to his shoulder and he snaps out of his nightmare.
Gibbs jumps from his chair and falls to the ground - it is not asphalt - it is not hard and cold, there is no rain, he is not wet and his shirt is not soaked with blood.
"Jethro, are you all right?" He hears her voice, his Katie's voice – vaguely.

He is breathing hard, tugging his suffocating tie violently, trying to loosen it but failing. In his frantic effort Kate tries to help him; she notices his haggard breathing, his hands are clammy, he looks like he is in pain, fighting for air.
Oh no, Kate thought, a heart attack? She fears the worst has happened.
"Bobby, get Ducky, hurry!" she orders the stunned toddler.
"OK mommy," he quickly replies and is about to pitter pat to his Ducky. He is not allowed to use the elevator…yet, and he still can't reach the buttons anyway, but he can use the stairs – he already formulate his way, OR, he could just screams Ducky's name, his Ducky bounds to come to him.
But as he makes a few steps away, Gibbs manages to grab Robert's elbow and tugs the little guy towards him. "NO" he shouts frantically, not wanting his son to leave his side.
The toddler topples down to his dad's lap. Gibbs hugs him fiercely and sobs. With his other hand he hold Kate's head against their head.

Kate guesses that he had nightmares about their death. Her husband has mentioned a couple of time that the one thing he is most afraid of is losing her and Robert – and the hell with everything else. He must have fallen asleep in MTAC.
Kate hugs him and calmly strokes his back. Minutes later their son starts wailing, he doesn't understand what is going on. Why is his father crying and sad? He has never seen his hero cry and sad before – hurt, yes, but not crying.
Gibbs stops his sobbing, Kate wipes his tears away with her fingers. The man is practically drenched in his sweat and tears.
"It's just a stupid dream, Jethro," she murmurs to him.
"Kate! I can not lose you and Robert! I can not." He admits his fear. His nightmare is still fresh in his mind, he can still smell their blood, he can still feel the wrecked pain in his heart.
"You won't! I promised!" Kate smiles and looks at him softly.
Gibbs nods, wanting to believe her vague promise.
Kate turns her attention to the wailing boy in his long john and jacket. "Bobby, stop crying," she tries to take him from his father.
"No, it's OK, Kate," he refused to have him taken away from him, his presence gives him comfort and warmth that can not be replaced.

He calms his son down by coaxing him, telling him that everything is OK, that nobody is sick or sad anymore, promising him his favorite food at the vending machine and that he'll let him ‘touch' his real gun.
"Daddy, go home?" Robert sadly asks his dad.
"OK, Robert! You come to pick me up, son?" he distracts the boy.
"Yes," he nods seriously.
Then, Robert and Kate hears a stomach's growl: it's Gibbs's stomach, growling for food, he hasn't has his dinner yet. He sees the time, it is almost midnight.
Robert cups his dad's face with both hands. "Poor daddy, daddy hungry. Bobby hungry too," as he lets go of one of his hands and rubs his fat tummy, signaling that he is hungry – and they all laugh.

The sadness is broken. On their way out from the HQ, his boy tugs his hand and asks for his promised candy…and he got it; for once Kate doesn't stop Gibbs from buying candy for the sly kid.
Gibbs loves listening to his nonsensical chatter. Robert explains to the night shift security guard that, "Bobby is taking Daddy home." Gibbs loves hearing his cute voice and is proud of being his father, because in his dream, he had lost him.
The three of them go home right away. Gibbs wanted to stop at 7/11, a convenience store for food but Kate said NO! Junk food is not an option.
Robert is confused. "Daddy hungry, mommy!" he reminds his mother, quite upset with his mother for refusing his dad food.
"For God's sake, I know, Robert. No, I am not starving your dad, don't worry." Kate rolls her eyes in slight annoyance.
When the trio reached home, Kate orders her son to stay with her, to ‘help' in the kitchen, to give her husband time to shower and rest without the boy waiting for him. Believe it or not, Robert will sometimes ‘chat' with his dad while his dad is actually in the shower.

Half an hour later he returns from his wash – squeaky clean, with his gun in his hand. He locks all the windows and doors. Kate notices the metallic ‘item' in his hand as he makes his way around their house, but chooses to ignore its presence.
When he enters his kitchen, it is warm and full of activities.
"Roast is in the grill. Your coffee" Kate greets him.
"Chicken, daddy." his kid adds, informing his dad of the menu. Robert is placing bread rolls on the plates – Kate made him wear this apron that go all the way to his ankles.
It is past one in the morning. Kate breaks one of her own rules: for their kid to be in bed by nine and asleep by ten.
Gibbs is sipping his hot coffee when sees his boy. "Bobby hungry, mommy," the boy stands in front of the stove impatiently, looking at the chicken roasting away with potatoes and carrots.
"What are you wearing, Robert?" His dad pinches his button nose.
The boy in his long johns and apron answers him. "Bobby help mommy cook. Bobby wear THIS!" he answers smartly.
"All he did is to place the bread on the plates and bother me." Kate murmurs to him.
Half an hour later, they tuck in.
Robert is very happily seated between his parents. He is quite a chatter box that night. He makes his dad eat vegetables, advising Gibbs that vegetables are healthy.
"You need to take a break from Ducky, Robert." Gibbs is chewing his portion of peas and carrots – unhappily.
"Carrot for eyes, daddy," the talkative two year old explains to his grumpy dad.
Kate laughs, she can't manage to make her husband eat vegetables or say please too often – but surely her son is successful.
And they hear their two year old praise his father. "Daddy, good boy" nodding his tiny head in satisfaction, mimicking Ducky – as Gibbs finishes his vegetables.
Kate's laughter is stopped by the door bell.

"Bobby open," he is about to slip down from his chair, when his dad stops him.
"NO" Gibbs said sternly, rising from his chair with his gun in his hand to open the door, call him paranoid or crazy, he doesn't give a damn.
Kate keeps quiet. By now she is used to all of his antics.
Robert gapes at his dad, answering the door with his gun. His dad is going to shoot their guests?
"Who daddy shot, mommy?" he looks at his mother questioningly.
Before Kate manages to answer him with a lie, they hear Fornell's voice by the door.
"Daddy shot Fony?" Robert asks in terror – he likes Fony, the man is not too bad. Not as great as Ducky, but definitely OK. And Fornell has given him lots of candies which he stashed in his private ‘collection' box.
"Maybe" Kate doesn't know what to say, Gibbs is very angry with the FBI.

At the door:
"You are not welcome Fornell," Gibbs says point blank.
"I am not discussing anything right now, I am having dinner with my family, actually breakfast, you should go!" He concludes, about to close the door on Fornell.
They hear Kate's voice from the kitchen. "Fornell, have you eaten?"
"Not yet, Todd," Fornell replies.
"FONY! DADDY SHOT FONY!" Robert squeals from the kitchen, warning his friend to run away.
"Come in and join us." Kate invites him in.
Fornell lets himself in. "Todd invited me" he says to Gibbs as he slips inside.
Fornell enters the homely environment and arrives in the kitchen. "WOW" he exclaims as he sees the feast. For a divorced man – that is a feast.
"Robert, are you are still awake?" Fornell pats his head, because he hardly ever sees the boy past ten at night.
"Yes! Bobby awake," Robert answers the obvious question.
"Fony, eat?" the boy greets him politely.
The four of them eat merrily, enveloped in their own world, away from their gruesome work and tragedy.
Fornell makes pancakes for dessert. He tells Kate that she doesn't have to lift a finger as he is there to help with the dishes. Robert chooses to sit on Gibbs's lap – he is being spoon fed pancakes with ice cream and maple syrup by his dad, once in a while flashing his happy famous grin.
Fornell witnesses him requesting that a few spoonfuls of coffee from his dad's cup be added to his cold milk - truly Gibbs's son and unquestionably, very attached to the bastard.
The second Robert yawns and rests his sleepy head on Gibbs's chest, Fornell thanks them for the awesome meal and leaves the house. Haswari have to wait, the Gibbs has paid their dues.
Kate has been wondering about her husband's bete noire but couldn't ask him because Robert is ‘stuck' to his dad. When she enters their room, she sees the father and son already asleep.
Robert is perched on Gibbs's chest and the boy is not light anymore. Gibbs placed his both hands on the boy's body, protectively – holding him close. They look peaceful, not a care in the world.
Kate decides that she can wait to hear about his dream when he is ready to tell her. She covers her boys with blanket and joins them in their dreamless slumber.
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-End-nova2007-BETA (MV) THANKS TO MY BETA!