Kate was working at her desk, re-checking her report for Gibbs like always. She didn’t like handing it and it being returned because she didn’t spell check or misplaced a few comers and full stops. Her work is interrupted when she receives an email.
Katie,
Am taking you out to dinner. Pick you up at 7pm.
Where that black dress that looks gorgeous on you, (you know the one I’m talking about).
Bring a bag for the weekend.
Gibbs
She glanced over at him once she had read it. He had never invited her to stay over at his and they had been dating for six months. It was always her place. He looked over at her, feeling her eyes on him. She smiled at him then went back to her report. There was no need to reply, he knew she would be ready.
Gibbs pulled up out the front of his house.
“ We have been together six months and I have never seen your house” Kate said as she stared at his house.
“ There is a reason for that” he tells her quietly.
“ Which is?” she asked with a smile. Gibbs motioned towards his house.
“ It’s inside” he told her then got out of the car. He came around and helped Kate out of the car, taking her hand and leading her to the front door. He stopped in front of the door and turned back to face him. Kate looked up at him.
“ Are we going inside or eating out on the front step?” she asked, humour in her tone. Gibbs took a deep breath.
“ I just want you to know that I wanted to tell you earlier, I just never knew how?” he said. Kate was really confused now.
“ Tell me what Jethro?” she asked losing her patience. He finally turned around and opened the door and pulled Kate inside. Kate stopped when she saw the dining room table set for three people. A young brunette came out with plates of food and placed them on the table.
“ Kelly” Gibbs said, getting the young girls attention.
“ Oh hi, I didn’t expect you this early” she said happily She came over and greeted Gibbs first. Then smiled at Kate. Kate stood there, a confused expression on her face. Gibbs then did the introduction.
“ Kelly this is Kate. Kate, this is my daughter Kelly” he said happily. Kate looked from Kelly up to Gibbs.
“ Uh daughter? I…I didn’t think…I didn’t know you had a daughter” she stammered trying to come to terms with this new information. Gibbs looked down at Kelly.
“ I’ll go get the drinks” she said and made her way back into the kitchen. Gibbs then took a step closer to Kate.
“ Only Ducky knows” he told her. She nodded.
“ And which one does she belong to one, two or three?” she asked. She noticed his eyes glaze over and his gaze turn down.
“ Neither” he told her.
“ What? Jethro your giving me a lot of questions but no answers” she told him. Then Kelly came back in with three glasses and a bottle of lemonade.
“ Well dinners all ready” she told them happily.
“ I’ll explain later” he told her, took her hand again and lead her to her seat. They sat down and started to eat in silence. Kelly was never one for awkward silences so she started off the conversation.
“ Dad has told me a lot about you. What was it like protecting the President?” she asked enthusiastically.
“ Well it wasn’t all as exciting as one would think. A lot of it was just standing around, checking ID’s. Sometimes it kind of felt like I was a bouncer” Kate joked.
“ Except you got to carry a gun” Gibbs pointed out.
“ And that’s how you guys met” Kelly said. Kate looked over at Gibbs.
‘ How much did he tell her?’ she thought.
“ Yes, on Air Force One” Kate answered.
“ Yeah, so when was it that you noticed you liked him?” Kelly asked. Gibbs almost choked on his food.
“ Kelly” he scolded her. Kelly gave him her ‘chill’ look, before turning her attention back to Kate.
“ Um, well” she started.
“ Kate you don’t have to answer her” Gibbs told her.
“ It’s ok Jet, she knows your side of the story” she said with a smile.
“ It was after I was taken hostage for the second time. That was when I knew my feelings for him went deeper than just boss and subordinate” Kate told Kelly. She nodded her head.
“ So how old were you when you got your tattoo Kelly asked. Gibbs just shook his head at his daughter.
“ How much have you told her?” Kate asked him. Gibbs opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out.
“ Everything that he loves about you” Kelly answered for him. Kate looked over at Gibbs with a smile.
After getting to know each other more Kelly cleared the table and went to her room to let them talk. There was still a lot to be explained. Gibbs led Kate over to the lounge and sat her down. He sat down next to her, facing her. Kate waited for him to start explaining.
“ Kelly doesn’t belong to any of my ex-wives, but my first wife Shannon” he started explaining. Kate sat there listening.
“ Shannon and Kelly were involved in a car accident, their driver was shot by a sniper. Kelly was lucky to survive” he said so softly Kate almost couldn’t hear him.
“ When was this?” she manage to ask.
“ I was still in the corps. Kelly was seven” he said. Kate nodded her head.
“ I don’t know what to say” she said softly. She couldn’t look at him, he looked so hurt and it was breaking her heart. She knew by now he wasn’t one for apologies or sympathies so she steered clear of them.
“ Tell me what you’re thinking?” he asked. She let out a sigh.
“ I think you are a very lucky man. Your daughter adores you, even after all the things you two have been through. I can’t understand why no one knows about her or Shannon” she told him.
“ If no one knows about her, no one can harm her. It’s my past and I want to keep it there” he told her. She finally looked at him.
“ Thank you for telling me” she said.
“ You’re not mad?” he asked. Kate shook her head.
“ Why would you think I would be mad? Confused and surprised maybe, but definitely not mad” she said moving closer to him.
“ I kept the biggest secret from you. We agreed not secrets between us” he said. Kate reached out and gently touched his face.
“ You had good reason to keep the secret and I don’t blame you, but I am glad you told me and if it was a ploy to get rid of me, it didn’t work” she said with a small smile as she moved even closer to him. He smiled to.
“ I don’t want to get rid of you Kate. Not just yet” he told her before leaning in and kissing her.
Author's Chapter Notes:
how Kate and kelly meet
Chapter End Notes:
this story came to me after all the other chapters and thought it had to be put in.this is only one of the version i came up with.