It was early morning as the sun shone through the bedroom window waking the sleeping man from his dream. He opened his eyes and saw the bare back of the most gorgeous woman in the world. He slowly moved closer to her and gently placed kisses along her shoulder. The sleeping woman slowly started to wake.
“ You sure do know how to wake a woman Gibbs” she said tiredly.
“ Only you” he said kissing her shoulder once more. She slowly rolled over and faced him. She smiled softly and leant up and kissed him.
“ Morning” she said softly.
“ Morning” he replied. She snuggled in close for a morning hug. He held her close.
“ You know we should really get ready fir work” he suggested.
“ I know, but I think we could spare a couple more minutes” she said cheekily looking up at him. He knew what she wanted and he didn’t really want to say no. He rolled over and positioned himself on top of her. She smiled up at him. She placed her arms around his neck and pulled him down and kissed him. He pulled back and looked into her eyes. He knew what was coming next and he didn’t very well like it.
“ I love you” she said sweetly. Her eyes pinned his waiting for a reply. She could see him racking his brain for something to say, everything but I love you.
“ We should really get ready. We cant be late again” he said and got off the bed and headed for the bathroom.
Kate sat up and looked at the closed door and listened to the running water of the shower. She felt like crying.
‘ Its me, I know it is’ she thought to herself.
‘ If he cant say it I cant be around him’ she thought. She got up from the bed, threw on some old clothes, grabbed new ones out of the cupboard and left heading for Abby’s house.
Gibbs walked out of the bathroom in only a towel and ran his hand through his wet hair. He looked at the bed where Kate had been and she wasn’t there anymore. He walked out into the kitchen and she wasn’t there either. He looked on the key hanger and her car keys where gone.
‘ Shit’ he thought to himself. He walked back into the bedroom and got ready to for work. Today was going to be a bad day he could feel it.
He walked out of the elevator and headed towards the bullpen, coffee in his hand. He walked into the bullpen and saw Tony starring at him. He took no notice of him. He saw Kate sitting at her desk not even taking her eyes of the computer to look at him. He sat at his desk and looked at his team.
“ Where’s McGee?” he asked.
“ With Abby in the evidence locker” Tony answered. Gibbs just nodded his head. He looked over at Kate who hadn’t said a word.
5 minuets passed and still no word from Kate. The silence was eating him alive. Gibbs got up and walked over to Kate’s desk. He stood in front of it.
“ Kate” he said softly.
“ Gibbs” she said just as softly, still not looking at him.
“ We need to talk”
“ In deed we do, but here is not the best time” she said finally looking at him.
“ I think now is the only time” he replied.
“ This morning was the only time to ‘talk’. You only want to talk when it suits you. There’s nothing to talk about anyway” she said standing up to meet his gaze.
“ Kate” was all he could say.
“ Actually there is. Do you love me or just see me as a good fuck?” she said almost crying. He stood there stunned at how upset she was.
‘ Its 3 measly words’ he thought to himself.
She stepped from behind her desk and took off to the bathroom. Gibbs watched her go. He went to follow her but was stopped by Tony’s hand on his shoulder.
“ I’ll go” he said.
“ Why you?”
“ She’s not pissed off with me” Tony said and headed in the same direction as she did.
He didn’t object as he did have a point. He needed to talk to someone.
‘ Ducky’ he thought and made his way down to autopsy.
**BATHROOM**
Tony entered the lady’s bathroom when he was sure no one was looking.
“ Kate?” he called out quietly. He heard on of the cubicle doors open and Kate stepped out. Her eyes are puffy and wet.
“ Are you ok?” he asks softly. She nods and gives him a soft smile. She goes over to the sink and washes her face. Tony passes her some paper towel to dry her face. She leans against the basin with her arms crossed over her chest.
“ He can be such a bastard sometimes” she finally says. Tony walks over to her and stands next to her.
“ What did he do?” Tony asked.
“ This morning I told him I loved him and he didn’t say it back. He just went and had a shower instead” she explained.
“ I see. Do you say it often to him?”
“ No, well maybe twice a week, but its been 9 months I don’t see what the problem is. If he doesn’t love me then he needs to tell me” she said starting to sniffle.
“ Hey, don’t be like that. I‘m sure he loves he’s just not ready to tell you. I mean who couldn’t love you” he said with a smile as he put his arm around jer and pulling her into him. She uncovered her arms and hugged him.
“ Thankyou” she said.
“ Hey that’s what I’m here for” he said happily. she let him go, fixed herself up and they both walked out and went back to the bullpen.
**AUTOPSY**
Gibbs walked into autopsy looking for Ducky.
“ Ducky?” he called out.
“ I’m right here Jethro, no need to shout” Ducky said from his desk. Gibbs turned around and saw him.
“ Can we talk?” he asked.
“ Sure, is everything alright?”
“ Yeah” he lied.
“ Jethro” Ducky said knowing that everything wasn’t ok. Gibbs walked over to one of the slabs and sat in top of it.
“ Kate and I…we” he tried to explain.
“ Had a fight?” Ducky tried.
“ Not quiet”
“ Then what?”
“ She said I love you and I didn’t say it back” he finally told him.
“ Why didn’t you?”
“ I don’t know. I just”
“ You do love her right?”
“ Of course I do. She means the world to me”
“ Well then tell her that. Jethro if you don’t tell her these things you may loose her for good”
“ I know Duck, that’s what I’m afraid of”. Neither of them had heard the doors open and didn’t notice someone standing in the room with them.
“ Its been 9 months, if she was going to leave you don’t you think she would of done it by now?”
“ Yeah. I want to tell how her much she means to me, that I would do anything for her and I wouldn’t want to be with anyone else but her, but when I go to tell her I just…freeze”
“ Well you need to unfreeze and tell her. Kate is a very strong women Jethro, and I know that you have the power to make her cry and I don’t like seeing her upset because that makes you upset which you then take it out on everybody. You know someday she will ask you something and you wont be able to give her an answer and she’ll leave” Ducky said turning around and spotting Kate.
“ Caitlin, what a surprise” Ducky said. Kate smiled at him.
“ I’ll leave you two alone” he said and exited the room. Gibbs looked over at her.
“ How long were you standing there?” he asks.
“ Long enough” she said walking towards him.
“ Kate I am sorry, about this morning” he started.
“ I know” she said now standing in front of him.
“ I heard everything you said and that’s all I wanted to hear” she said with a smile. She grabbed his hands and pulled him of the slab and looked up at him. He smiled at her and leaned down and kissed her. She wrapped her arms around him in a big hug. He kissed her head and was glad everything was good again.
‘ Well, almost everything’ he thought to himself. He pulled back from her and looked down at her.
“ I love you Kate” he finally said. She smiled at his words.
“ I love you Jethro” she said and kissed him.
Author's Chapter Notes:
All he has to say is i love you....so why cant he?