Hey! I'm back with a new update! Celebrate good times, c'mon! First off, I would like to thank kinarth for pointing out a couple of major factual mistakes in my last chapter. I have since revised all the chapters and done pretty serious revisions to chapter 5 so please check those out. So now we have the first part of Kelly coming to the Potters for Christmas! Is there an "I love you" in this couple's future? How will she react to Harry extending his tour? Will the Potters accept her? Read on to find out! Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter and NCIS. I am just a mega-nerd fan as my dad would say with derision.

"Do you have your passport?"

"Yes."

"Emergency cash?"

"Yes."

"First aid kit?"

"Dad!" Kelly complained, rolling her eyes at her father's antics. "I'm going to miss my flight if you don't stop the Spanish Inquisition of my luggage."

"I just want to make sure my daughter is prepared for international travel," Gibbs replied. "Is that so wrong?"

"You're stalling," Kelly said, raising an eyebrow. She looked so much like her mother, Gibbs thought. Oh Shannon, if only you could see our girl. She's amazing.

"Okay, I'm stalling," he agreed because he was. There was no arguing around that. "Give me one last hug, Spitfire."

Kelly wrapped her arms around her dad, breathing in the scent of sawdust and bourbon. "I love you, Dad."

"I love you too," Gibbs replied, pressing a kiss to his daughter's head just as he had always done. "Be safe. Call me when you get in. Abby told me to tell you to 'text her a picture if Harry has any hot brothers because she wants one'."

She laughed at the look on her dad's face as he delivered the message. "I will. Tell Grandpa I love him and that I promise I'll make it for Christmas next year." Gibbs and Jenny were making the trip to Stillwater, Pennsylvania this year for Christmas as her Grandpa Jackson had recently hurt his knee and wasn't up to the travel to D.C.

"I will. Now go before you miss your flight." Kelly didn't look, but she knew he waited until she was out of sight before he left. She mentally made a list in her head to make sure she had remembered everything.

Usually, Kelly tried to work holidays, but when Harry invited her to come spend Christmas week with his family she couldn't resist. After cashing in on some vacation days, she booked a ticket and dug out her passport. If Harry thought his meeting with her family was stressful, she had to face his parents and his seven siblings! Seven siblings! Plus, she knew he considered Eli to be his brother and his friend (and sister-in-law) Gabrielle to be his sister. It was a lot of pressure, but Kelly was up for the challenge. After all, Harry had faced her family bravely enough. She would do so as well.

Tucked in various places amongst her luggage were gifts for Harry and his family. She had tried her best to pick out gifts based on what Harry told her they liked, but it still made her nervous. She also had gifts for Harry from her family, which had surprised Kelly slightly. Her dad and Jenny, Abby, and Ducky had all sent gifts. She suspected the team had snuck something in as well, and Breena had given her a small gift for Harry from her and Jimmy. She knew Harry had arranged for gifts for all of them to be delivered Christmas Day. She had seen the luxury of some of the gifts he had sent and protested, but Harry told her that his family had more money than they knew what to do with so it wasn't a big deal.

Time in the airport seemed to move quickly. Kelly moved through security quickly and made her way to her terminal. It was around dinner, and she grabbed a quick burger from Stake N Shake to tide her over for the evening. She smiled as she remembered how Harry had reacted to his first American cheeseburger.

On one of their first dates, she had taken him to a little burger joint by the hospital, a favorite of the doctors and nurses. They made the perfect burger and fries: just enough grease on the burger and salt on the fries. Harry had been skeptical, but once he took the first bite of his burger he moaned in delight, making Kelly laugh.

"Good?" she had asked, taking a sip of her chocolate shake.

"Brilliant," Harry replied. "They don't taste like this at home. The chips aren't as good though."

"In America, we call them fries," Kelly teased. Harry rolled his eyes at the jab but didn't say anything. "What's your favorite meal in England?"

"Steak and kidney pie, definitely," Harry answered. "With treacle tart for dessert. Or one of my mum's mincemeat pies. Those are heavenly."

Kelly had made a face at the weird sounding food, and Harry flicked a fry at her. "As you Americans say, 'don't knock it until you try it'."

Now, Kelly thought, she would get to try it. She would step into his country and experience his world for once. Before, Harry had always come to her, and her coming to him felt like something changing. It was a good change, a move forward in their relationship, but it still scared her. She knew she loved him, but she hadn't said the words yet. Maybe it was time she did.

Her flight started boarded, and Kelly stood up, grabbing her bag. She smiled because, despite all her worries, she would see Harry soon. That would always be a good thing to Kelly Gibbs. Nothing else mattered, not even the overprotective siblings who would be waiting for her at the airport…

Sirius leaned against one of the walls of the luggage claim area, watching the Muggles walk by in a hurry. Muggles had always seemed a bit odd to him, but he tried his best to understand them. He had taken Muggle Studies as an elective because he realized after Harry's illness that this was his brother's world now. The Muggle world was Harry's world, and Sirius had to know it in order to help protect Harry in it (not that his brother made that easier, of course). Sirius was his eldest brother, and it was his job to watch out for him. You're the man of the house when Daddy's not home, his mother had told him before she died. That means you have to take care of your siblings. You have to watch over them, especially Harry. He's the smallest. He had promised her he would, and Sirius took that promise seriously.

"When is this bird supposed to get here?" he complained to his younger sister Shelia, who was perched on a nearby windowsill and typing away on one of those insanse Muggle devices. Fleur had tried to get him to get one, but he still preferred sending an owl. Harry called him 'old-fashioned'.

"Her name is Kelly, and her flight just landed. She'll be down here soon," Shelia replied, looking up from the screen of her phone. Most of the text were from the group chat her family had started to keep an eye on Harry as he recovered. He was doing well in his physical therapy, but her older brother always liked testing his limits. And maybe they were being a little overprotective, but could you blame them? Wizards were used to instant cures, instant relief, instant everything, but that didn't exist in Harry's world. He had to heal everything naturally, and as a trained Healer that made her nervous.

"Remind me why we're here again?" Sirius asked, tapping his fingers on the pockets of his jeans.

"You're here to pick up Kelly and help her with her luggage, and I'm here because Harry wanted someone nice to be with you when she arrived."

"Also, he was getting tired of you hovering over him like an invalid," Sirius stated.

"Also that," Shelia agreed, pocketing her phone. Harry wasn't breaking any rules for now, and it was best to save the battery. She was constantly losing chargers. If only there were a way to charge her phone magically...

"I'm plenty nice," Sirius grumbled, looking very much like his namesake in the moment.

Shelia raised an eyebrow. "Really? That's why you look like one of the goblins at your bank during a Ministry visit?"

Sirius winced. That was his least favorite day of the year at the bank. "I just don't know about this girl, Shel. What do we even know about her?"

"We know that Harry cares about her, maybe even loves her, and that he's never brought any of his Muggle girlfriends home before." In fact, the family found out about most of those relationships after they had ended from Gabrielle. Harry was never that forthcoming about his love life. Shelia couldn't blame him. The Potter Inquisition Squad (as Gabrielle had dubbed it once) was fearsome.

"Do you think he'll tell her about us?" Sirius asked vaguely, not wanting to risk the Statue of Secrecy in the middle of an airport by using the M-word.

"I think if they are serious, he'll have to eventually," Shelia replied. "It's not a secret that you can really keep for long." It was also one that could make or break a relationship as both well knew. Their dad had told them stories of Lily's sister being disgusted and envious of her magic and refusing to have anything to do with her. Harry had been terrified to tell Eli of magic when they first became friends years ago, and the whole family was collectively relieved when the information didn't seem to faze Eli. Shelia suspected that fear of rejection was part of the reason Harry kept his dates far away from home. The Potter were a weird enough family on their own, but add in magic and it could easily scare someone off.

Sirius just sighed, looking back to the crowd that had started to arrive to collect their luggage. God, he hoped his little brother knew what he was doing. Shelia nudged his arm when she spotted a pretty redhead lifting a suitcase off the luggage carousel. "That's Kelly. Now go help and don't forget to be nice!" Sirius messed up her hair in response, causing Shelia to swat his arm away.

He approached the redhead calmly. "Kelly Gibbs?" he asked carefully in case his sister had been wrong.

The redhead smiled at him. "You must be Harry's brother. Sirius, am I correct?"

Sirius nodded. "Please, let me help," he offered. Kelly agreed, and he lifted her last bag of the carousel. "Wow, you travel light," he couldn't help but remark. He loved his wife, truly, but Fleur packed like she was moving.

Kelly laughed. "Rule #60: If you don't need it, don't pack it," she recited as if from memory. "One of my dad's rules."

"I could sign off on that one. Think I could get it crocheted on a pillow?"

Shelia rolled her eyes at her big brother and smiled at Kelly. "Ignore this prat. We all do. I'm Shelia, by the way. Nice to meet you."

"Likewise. You're the doctor, right? In London?" Kelly questioned. "Harry told me you just finished your residency. What do you specialize in?"

Sirius knew that in that moment Shelia was sold on Kelly. The two girls chatted about their jobs and particularly difficult patients, Kelly rolling one bag behind her as Sirius carried the others. He loaded them both in the back of their car. Shelia insisted Kelly sit in the front to get the best views of the city and the drive. Conversation navigating out of the airport was casual and easy. Sirius didn't talk as much as Shelia did, preferring to listen and form an opinion on his brother's new girlfriend. So far, he liked what he heard.

Eventually, Kelly asked the question that had pressing on her mind since Harry called her from the hospital. "How badly was Harry hurt?" Shelia and Sirius shared a look. "And please don't water it down because you think I can't handle it. I know injuries are a part of his job, and I've accepted that. My dad was a Marine, and so I know how it works. I just need to know."

If Kelly had been looking to impress them, she had certainly managed it. "He was shot in the shoulder and aggravated the injury further by using a fireman's carry to bring a fellow Marine to the medic. He then took a bullet in the abdomen to prevent another soldier from being fatally hit. The doctors say he lost about three pints of blood. It was a miracle he even made it to surgery," Shelia explained, leaving the potions part out of the story. It was better for Harry that the Muggles thought that part of the story a miracle.

Kelly closed her eyes briefly as if Shelia's words had pained her. "Of course he did," she muttered softly. "Of course she did." It wasn't said bitterly, though, like she was mad at him. It was said resignedly, like exactly the thing she had been afraid of happening happened.

The rest of the ride was quieter, Shelia pointing out the occasional landmark, but mostly everyone was lost in their own thoughts. Kelly could perfectly see Harry's actions in her head: the first shot, his struggle to carry his fellow Marine to safety, the second idiotically brave shot… She had asked him not to be a hero, but she realized that it would never be a possibility for him. Harry was a hero, and like her dad she would just have to love him and worry about him. Either that, or she would have to give him up. Kelly didn't really consider that an option at all. Not now.

It didn't take long for the Potter's car to pull into the driveway of a luxurious manor. Kelly knew she was staring, eyebrows raised, at the splendor of the place.

"Potter Manor has been in our family for over 300 years," Shelia stated, noticing Kelly's shock. "Really, I think Mum and Dad would prefer a smaller place, but tradition is tradition."

Sirius made a face at his sister's statement, causing Kelly to laugh, tension leaving her body. The house didn't really matter in the long run. She was here to see Harry. God, she had missed him.

Sirius helped Kelly with her bags while Shelia unlocked the front door. He set them down in the foyer as Shelia turned to Kelly. "Don't worry about your bags. Our butler will bring them upstairs."

"Thank you," Kelly said sincerely, looking around the room. Despite the ornateness of the house, it still felt homey. The colors were warm and welcoming, and there were family pictures everywhere.

"Well, we best be going," Shelia said, looking at her brother. "Mum wanted us to go get a Christmas tree."

"She did?" Sirius asked, obviously confused.

"She did," Shelia repeated. "Go start the car. I'll be out in a second." She rolled her eyes as her brother left the room. "Boys," she muttered.

"Your mom didn't want you to go get a Christmas tree, did she?" Kelly asked.

"Nope," Shelia replied. "She texted me saying that the family was going out for dinner and asked if we could keep an eye out for Harry. They won't be home for a few hours yet. Enjoy."

Shelia walked towards the door, leaving Kelly confused. "Why would you do this for me?"

"My brother smiles when he talks about you. He laughs more, and I've missed that," Shelia replied. "If you make him happy, I'll do anything to help." Shelia paused. "Just be good to him, okay?"

Kelly nodded, no words coming out of her mouth. Shelia smiled widely in response. "Good. It's the second door at the end of the hall." She walked out the door, and Kelly wasted no time going upstairs. She wanted to stop and look at all the family photos, to see what Harry was like as a boy, but there would be time for that.

She knocked on Harry's door gently, and when she got no response she twisted the nob open. Harry was lying on his bed, hair mussed and fully immersed in a novel. "Shel, I am a grown man. I do not need a nursemaid," he complained, never looking up from the page he was on.

"Are you sure about that?" Kelly asked, leaning against his dresser. Harry immediately threw his novel to the ground at hearing the familiar voice. He looked up to see his girlfriend smirking at him.

"Well, I think I could make an exception," he stated.

"Is that right, Lieutenant?" she teased, loving how she could make him blush.

"Only if she isn't so far away, however. I am an injured man, you know," he quipped. Kelly sat on the very edge of his bed.

"This close enough?" She shook her hair out of its ponytail, knowing full well how much he loved her hair.

"Not close enough," he replied, reaching for her to pull her near. He groaned a bit when it jostled his abdomen wound. Kelly switched right into nurse mode.

"Are you okay? Did you rip a stitch? Do you need-" she rambled, worry written all over her face.

"Kells, I'm fine," he reassured her, tucking a piece of her hair behind her ear. "I'd be even better if you came closer and snuggled with me."

Kelly smiled, still worried, as she nestled herself by Harry's side, careful not to jostle any injuries. She rested her head carefully on his chest, breathing in his scent.

"I thought I told you not to be a hero," Kelly mumbled into his collarbone, tracing patterns on his chest with her fingers. She loved small moments like this with Harry, just laying with him, nothing to do but be with each other. It killed her to think it all could have been over like that.

Harry pressed a kiss to her temple. "I really tried not to be, love," he said honestly. He never wanted to hurt Kelly, not in a billion years, but he also had to be able to live with himself. "I couldn't help it."

Kelly sighed. "I know," she replied. "That's what I love about you."

"Love?" Harry repeated, a huge smile overtaking his face.

"Love," Kelly confirmed, suddenly nervous. What if Harry didn't… As if he could sense her worries, Harry kissed her softly.

"I love you too, Kelly Gibbs," he whispered reverently. Kelly couldn't help but smile, kissing him over and over again. Eventually, she settled back into his arms, contently warm and suddenly sleeping.

"Nap?" she suggested lazily.

"Nap and then other stuff," Harry agreed, wiggling his eyebrows ridiculously. Kelly giggled.

"Harry, you're injured," she pointed out.

"Injured, not dead." Seeing his girlfriend's look, Harry compromised. "We'll be careful, love. If I'm hurting, I'll let you know."

"Promise?" Kelly pressed.

"Promise," Harry agreed.

"Okay, but nap first."

Kelly quickly fell asleep, already exhausted from her flight and the time difference, but Harry stayed up and just watched her sleep. This, he decided, was what happiness felt like. Listening to Kelly's adorable kitten snores, his mind eventually wandered to his latest debriefing and wondered if he really wanted to renew his commitment. What would Harry be missing out on if he, and could he live with himself if he didn't? With these questions brewing in his mind, Harry tried to focus on the beautiful girl sleeping in his arms. For now, he would enjoy this, Harry decided. He could worry about everything else later.

kinarth: Part of my mistake here was being an ignorant American who doesn't know any hospitals in the UK and was too lazy to Google it. Sorry about that! The other part is me having never visited someone after surgery until after I wrote that chapter. My mom had a hip replacement about a month later, and I soon learned how hazy the aftermath of the surgery was for her. I might go back and fix that mistake later. Thanks for your feedback!

Cateagle: Yeah, it is! I have four older brothers so I feel Harry's pain; overprotective siblings are always intimidating. I gave Harry the potions mostly because I couldn't figure out a way for him not to die with those injuries, and I really wanted to portray Harry as a brave and selfless Marine. Glad to hear I'm doing it right.

xs18: I'm glad you took a chance on me! I always love seeing that I'm on someone's favorite authors list. It makes me giddy. I also love receiving reviews so thanks for that too. Harry might have had it too easy with Gibbs, and I might revisit that in a later chapter… Harry does not have a vision problem in this fic, but I didn't know that it was something that affected army enlistment. I guess I could have guessed, but I never really thought about it much. Does it depend on how bad your vision is? Thanks for sharing that. You learn something new every day. And don't worry! Kelly's reaction will be in this chapter. Hope you enjoy it!