This would have to be the worst case Kate has ever been on. In all her 5 years at working at NCIS she has never had a case that has pulled at her heart strings more then this one…and for the wrong reasons.
It started off with a marine killed on an army base. Then a visit to a Major Swagnor who says he was on a date with a Stephanie Flynn.
“ Stephanie Bronwyn Flynn?” Gibbs asks Swagnor.
“ You know her?” Kate asks surprised at Gibbs’ reaction to the name.
“ Uh huh. I was married to her” he says softly. Kate was shocked at this. They soon arrived back at NCIS HQ they went straight to the Directors office, ignoring any comments or questions that they received from Tony and McGee.
“ Do you think he should divorce himself from this case Agent Todd?” Director Shepard asked with a grin on her face.
“ No director” Kate answered immediately.
“ Nor do I. I don’t see any problems if you conduct the interviews. DO you have a problem with Agent Todd interviewing your ex-wife agent Gibbs?”
“ Do I have a choice?” he asked, knowing what the answer will be.
“ No” replied both women in unison.
“ Problem solved” Director Shepard said with a smile as they both turned and left her office. They went back to the bullpen and explained what they had discovered. They all made their way to interrogation except for Gibbs.
Kate entered the room and saw a Red head sitting cross legged on the seat. She had to admit she fairly pretty. Gibbs did have good taste, she had to give him that.
“ What time did Major Swagnor arrive at your house?” Kate asked the women, the hole time she couldn’t help thinking what had happened between her and Gibbs.
“ How long where you and Gibbs married for?” she asked not even thinking about the question or the consequence. Tony and McGee looked at each other not sure of what she was doing.
“ 14 months” she finally answered. Soon enough Gibbs burst through the door of the interrogation room with two cups of coffee in his hands. He puts one on the table for Stephanie and hands the other to Kate. Stephanie got up from her chair and followed Gibbs. Kate stayed back not wanting anything to do with it. She could tell they were
Having a conversation that was long over due. Kate couldn’t take much more of it and decided to go see Ducky.
*autopsy*
“ Ducky” Kate called out as soon as she entered autopsy.
“ Right here. No need to shout” he said with a little chuckle in his voice.
“ What can I do for you?” he asked looking at a very stressed Kate.
“ I just had to interrogate Gibbs’ ex-wife number 3. I just need someone to talk to” she said walking around.
“ Well you’ve come to the right place” he said.
“ About Jethro” Kate finished her sentence. She had not called him Gibbs, which Ducky picked up on and knew exactly what she wanted to know.
With enough probing Kate got what she wanted out of him.
“ Divorced 3 times, married 4” he said mater of factly.
“ Jethro’s married?” Kate exclaimed as she was now dating someone who was still married.
“ Oh good heavens no” he said with a little laugh at her reaction.
“ Then what…oh” Kate finally realises what is meant by married 4.
“ Oh my god what happened?”
“ Hi wife witnessed a murder, correctly identified him and he went after her and his only daughter” Ducky said, recalling it like it only happened weeks ago.
“ What was her name?”
“ Shannon was his wife and Kelly was his daughter”
“ He named the boat after Kelly” she said. Just then Gibbs walked through the door wanting to know if Ducky ad found anything odd with the body. Kate did not look at him and when she did she only felt pain. She left with Gibbs to pay the Director another visit.
They exited the Directors office and headed towards the bullpen. Kate went to head for the stairs when Gibbs stopped her and re-directed her to the elevator. The doors dinged opened and they stepped inside. As soon as the doors were closed Gibbs flipped the emergency switch which stopped the elevator from moving.
“ You gonna tell me?” he asked gruffly.
“ Tell you what?”
“ What’s bugging you”. Her cover was blown. He knew that something was wrong with her.
“ How long have we been together for?” she asks hoping for the right answer. Gibbs moves and flicks the switch off. Kate sighs and switches on.
“ Weeks” he finally replies, looking at her.
“ Months” she says correcting him.
“ Meaning many weeks” he tries to save himself.
“ We’ve shared a lot haven’t we”
“ Yeah”
“ Divorced 3 times” she says slowly.
“ I told you that” he points out not knowing where this is going.
“ Married 4. You never told me about your first wife Shannon or that you had a daughter Kelly. Why Jethro?” she says with pleading eyes.
“ They’re dead, end of story. I put it behind me” he said turning away from her.
“ Have you?” she pushes. He reaches for the switch again. She knows she went over board with that comment.
“ Jet” she says softly but he doesn’t look at her. She feels bad for bringing it up but for this relationship to work he has to be truthful with her and keeping something like that from her isn’t being truthful.
The case is over and no more Stephanie Flynn and so to celebrate Gibbs took her out to diner. They arrived back at Gibbs’ house and down to the basement.
“ A romantic night out ends in your basement, who would of thought” Kate says as Gibbs leads her down the stairs.
They reach the bottom and head towards the boat when they are stopped in their tracks but Stephanie, who has obviously had a drink or two.
Kate isn’t very surprised that she is here unexpectantly. Stephanie holds up a pair of keys.
“ I thought I lost them” Gibbs said as she handed them to him.
“ I don’t need them anymore. I should go” she says making her way up the stairs. Gibbs turns to Kate and she just nods her head. He follows Stephanie out to accompany her to her car.
While Kate waited for Gibbs to return she decided to look around his workshop. It’s a bit different from what she remembers from last time. She looked through drawings of designs for his boats. She then came across a tape and a very old tape player. She put it in and played it. The music that came out was beautiful. Played on a piano the nursery rhyme ‘hush little baby’. Kate smiled to herself. Then the music stopped and a little voice filled the basement.
“ What do you think Daddy. I got second place” the young girl’s voice said with excitement.
“ Jethro you would of loved it” a woman’s voice then said. Kate stands up straight as the realization of who is on this tape sinks in. She turns around and see’s Gibbs sitting on the stairs looking at his hands. He looks up at her and she can see the hurt in his eyes.
“ Gibbs I…I’m sorry” she said then ran past him and out of his house. He sat there in silence as he listened to her car leave.
Story Notes:
Author's Chapter Notes:
a case brings back an ex into Gibbs' life.
Chapter End Notes: