A/N: The other story I wrote for the NFA Secret Santa Fic Exchange. I was a backup this time and was asked to write a Kibbs story which is not really my area of expertise. However, I did my best. It's set in season 1.

Disclaimer: As always, I do not own NCIS or its characters and I'm not making money off this story.

Amid the Winter's Snow
by Enthusiastic Fish

Kate put on her coat and left NCIS. Her first Christmas away from her family in a long time. She had been scheduled to work on Christmas Day, and she didn't mind it. Logically, she knew she was the low man on the totem pole and that required assignments that others didn't want to do. She hadn't protested, although she had given back as good as she got from Tony when he had tried to rub it in. No way was she going to let Tony get one over on her.

As she walked out of the building, she looked up and was surprised to see clouds. It had been sunny all day. Maybe it would snow. One of the things she didn't care much for about DC. It was much too warm in winter. She didn't mind that all the time, but at Christmas, there should be snow.

Kate smiled to herself as she thought about the arguments she used to have with her brothers about that. They had said that, because the first Christmas had probably been in the spring in Israel, there wouldn't have been snow anyway. That had, inevitably, led to shouting matches which had become physical altercations before they had been pulled apart. It had never taken much for that when they were all younger.

Family was what Christmas was about. Family, not work. No matter how much they drove her crazy, Kate would miss spending time with her family, all the traditions that had built up over the years.

There was one thing that she could do, though, and that was go to the Midnight Mass. It had actually been a couple of years since she had attended. While she always made it for Christmas Day, often, it had been in the early morning hours that she got home, too late for that family tradition.

Decision made, Kate lengthened her stride and headed to her car with purpose. Home for a quick dinner and a little bit of a rest. Then, she could go to the church.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x

Kate walked into the church and smiled at how many people were there. Faith was easy to remember at Christmas time. She found an empty pew and sat down to wait for the Mass to start.

"Saving the space for anyone?"

Kate was startled...mostly because she recognized the voice. She looked up.

"Gibbs...what are you doing here?"

Gibbs raised an eyebrow. "Same thing you are, I'd assume."

Kate flushed. Leave it to Gibbs to point out the obvious. She scooted over a little bit and Gibbs sat down by her.

"I didn't know you were Catholic," she said.

"Surprised?"

"Well...you don't really...act like it."

Gibbs smiled a little. "Thanks."

Then, the Mass began and Kate tried to focus on that instead of on Gibbs sitting beside her. However, it was hard. He was sitting right next to her, and she couldn't help paying attention to what he did. She was surprised to see that Gibbs knew when to stand, when to sit. He went up with her to take the Eucharist. Then, he sat beside her again.

Mass was lovely. Kate always liked attending when she could, but she had to confess that she was a little distracted by Gibbs being there so unexpectedly.

When the Mass ended, Gibbs got up with her and followed her out of the church. He even waited while she put on her coat and hat, making it obvious that he wasn't just going to head home and sleep.

"So, what now?" she asked.

Gibbs raised an eyebrow.

"You have any plans?" he asked.

"No."

"Are you going to bed?"

"Not very tired at the moment."

"Then, come on."

"Why? Where?"

"Relax for once, Kate, and come on."

Kate furrowed her brow. "I relax. I'm relaxed all the time. Why would you think I'm not relaxed?"

Gibbs chuckled. "Because you're not."

Kate was ready to be irritated, but then, Gibbs held out his hand.

"Come on."

Something about Gibbs' expression made her relent. She took his hand and he pulled her along the sidewalk, away from the church and to his car. Then, he drove out of DC.

"Where are we going?"

"You'll see."

"Okay. Why are we going there?"

"You'll see."

Kate stifled a sigh. Gibbs was terse at the best of times. Right now, he was positively uncommunicative. She didn't know why she'd agreed to spend time after midnight with him.

What was I thinking?

He pulled off the road, seemingly nowhere. Then, he got out.

"What are we doing here?" Kate asked.

"Come on."

Kate sighed and got out of the car. Then, she let Gibbs lead her through some trees to a clearing. She stopped and stared. The trees unexpectedly opened up on a wide vista. In the cold night, she couldn't see any details, but there was something beautiful about the view.

"Wow."

"Yep."

Kate looked out over the silent space. It was like staring at another world. It was dark. It was night, but there was some light coming from...somewhere. Just enough to be amazed.

"I didn't know there was anyplace like this close to DC."

"There aren't many."

"Why did you bring me here, Gibbs?" Kate asked. "Don't you have people to spend the holidays with?"

"Nope."

"Why me?"

"Figured you'd appreciate it."

Kate raised an eyebrow.

"Since you were working."

Kate knew that Gibbs wasn't really the kind of person who wanted warm gestures or expressions of gratitude. It just wasn't the way he was. Still, she really did appreciate that he'd brought her to this place, just to show her the view. She hesitated and then, reached out and touched his arm.

"Thanks," she said, sincerely. "It is beautiful."

Then, for some reason, she was reluctant to take her hand away. She stood there, gently holding his arm, unsure of why she wasn't stepping back.

Gibbs smiled a little and looked at her hand. Kate felt her face start to burn and she was glad that the darkness covered the fact that she was definitely blushing.

She turned back to the view.

"So... what do you do on Christmas?" she asked and knew she sounded stupid.

"Work on my boat, usually."

"You don't have any family?"

"Not really."

"So you do have family, but you don't want to be with them?"

"Sure."

Nowhere to go there. She was about to suggest that Gibbs take her home when he suddenly returned the question.

"Do you have any plans for Christmas Day?"

She glanced over and shrugged. "Work. Then, I'll call home. Maybe, I'll order some takeout, watch all the terrible Christmas movies they show this time of year. Nothing exciting."

That was probably too much information. Kate kicked herself for saying more than she probably wanted Gibbs to know about her personal life.

Surprisingly, Gibbs didn't seem annoyed by her sharing. He was just looking at her. The silence was more than a little awkward.

"I usually manage to get home, even if it's just for Christmas Day. It's been a while since I didn't do that. My family drives me nuts, especially my brothers, but at Christmas..." she trailed off.

"It's about family," Gibbs said softly.

"Yeah."

They both turned and started back to the car. Then, Kate looked at Gibbs and said something she would never have imagined that she'd say.

"Do you want to spend Christmas with me, Gibbs?" she asked.

It was dark enough that she couldn't see his expression, but his silence spoke volumes.

"I mean, there's no sense in both of us being alone on a day meant for families."

Another long silence, but this time, Kate kept herself from talking to fill it.

"I'm not watching stupid Christmas movies," Gibbs said.

Kate laughed.

"That's fine. TV fills the silence when I want sound."

"What's wrong with silence?"

"Nothing...if that's what you want. On Christmas, I don't."

They got in the car and Gibbs drove Kate home. She didn't bother to ask how he knew where she lived. There were ways of finding out, without even invoking Gibbs' seeming omniscience. She got out and went inside.

...and then, she realized that Gibbs hadn't exactly answered her.

"Well, I guess I can find out tomorrow," she said aloud.

Then, she went to bed.

x.x.x.x.x.x.x

There was still no snow the next morning, and Kate was disappointed. However, it wasn't as though she could order the weather to change to suit her desires.

She got ready for work and headed in. Gibbs was there, saying nothing, as usual. Nothing big happened that day. Thank goodness. A crime committed on Christmas would seem twice as bad as any other day. Instead, Kate worked on finishing up reports, looking through some cold case files, and in general, saying very little. Christmas music was playing which kept it from being silent.

When the end of the day came, Gibbs was nowhere to be found. Kate looked around, considered waiting and then decided that Gibbs hadn't really wanted to hang out with her on Christmas. She wouldn't be surprised. He seemed to be a loner, and maybe he just wanted it that way. It wasn't like they were really friends or anything, anyway. Every overture she'd made had been rebuffed. Gibbs seemed to want to maintain professional distance. That was his prerogative.

One more look around the bullpen and Kate shrugged to herself.

Time to go home.

Kate drove home, disappointed that there was still no snow in spite of the continued cloud cover. In fact, there was a little drizzle on her windshield. Rain. Not snow.

She went inside and started preparing for a quiet Christmas evening with some takeout, her sweats and Christmas movies. Maybe some ice cream directly from the carton for dessert.

Before she could change, there was a knock at the door.

Could it be...

She walked over and looked through the peephole. She crafted an unconcerned smile on her face. Then, she opened the door.

"Hey, Gibbs. Change your mind?"

Gibbs shrugged and actually seemed a little uncertain. Very strange for a man who rarely showed anything.

"You want to come out?" he asked.

"Sure. Just give me a minute."

Kate closed the door, quickly changed into something a little more casual but still nice and then hurried back. Gibbs was still waiting there.

"Where do you want to go?" she asked.

"Let's just walk for a while."

"It was starting to rain when I came home."

"A little rain won't hurt."

"No, but that doesn't make it nice."

"Let's walk," he said again.

"Okay."

They started down the sidewalk, and Kate glanced at Gibbs a few times. She wasn't sure what was going on, but it sure seemed different from yesterday when Gibbs had been fully in control of everything that happened.

They walked for a while without speaking.

"Is something going on?" Kate asked.

"Like what?" Gibbs asked.

"I don't know. That's why I'm asking you."

Gibbs smiled and looked down the street, not at her.

"You look good, Kate."

Kate stopped and stared at Gibbs. He stopped and raised an eyebrow.

"Did I say something shocking?"

"Yes, actually."

"Why?"

"Because...it almost seems like you're clumsily trying to flirt with me."

He took one step toward her.

"And if I was?"

Well, that wasn't clumsy. Kate blushed. She hated when her body reacted without her mind's permission.

"Well?" he asked.

"Well what?"

"You trying to pretend you never thought about it?"

She blushed more brightly. Kate knew her cheeks were flaming red by now. She tried to get a hold of herself. What was it about Gibbs that could make her act like this?

Stop it, Kate. Don't be an idiot.

She cleared her throat. "When you hired me, you said that you'd fire me before I could quit if I dated someone I worked with."

"Is that all that's stopping you?"

"Gibbs...what's happening here? Where did this come from? You say nothing, do nothing, let no one in, share nothing about yourself. ...and suddenly, you're making a pass at me. It's like I stepped out of my apartment and into an alternate universe. What's going on?"

There was no response for a moment, and Kate couldn't let that stand.

"Okay. I'm not desperate, Gibbs. I'm not afraid of being alone. I don't need you to pretend just to..."

"I'm not pretending."

"Then, be clear," Kate said. "I don't want to have to try and interpret your near-grunts. If you have something to say, then, say it. I told you that I don't always like silence. If you want silence, then, you've come to the wrong place."

Another pause.

"I think you're beautiful, Kate."

It was said so matter-of-factly that the meaning went over Kate's head for a second. Then, her mouth opened and nothing came out.

"What?"

"I think you heard me."

"What?"

"You're beautiful. When you're not trying so hard to fit in, you have something that I...miss."

"Miss? Meaning you had it before?"

"Yes."

Kate wasn't sure she wanted to prod in this area, but she also thought that she probably needed to considering what was happening.

"And what is it?"

"Not sure there's a word for it."

Then, Gibbs held out his hand. Kate hesitated and then placed her hand in his. He held it firmly, but gently.

"That."

"What?"

"Trusting me enough to do this." He looked at their clasped hands.

Kate furrowed her brow, but she didn't pull her hand away. Without speaking, they started walking again...holding hands. For a little while, neither of them did anything more than walk. Then, Kate's practical side momentarily took precedence again.

"Gibbs...what did you have?"

He stopped and looked at her.

"A family."

"And I give you that?"

"I think you could...if you wanted to."

"Gibbs...I..." Then, Kate looked around.

Snow was falling from the sky, drifting gently down. Beautiful, perfect flakes.

"Snow," she said and smiled, tipping her face up toward the sky.

Then, she noticed how close Gibbs was standing to her. She looked at him.

"It's snowing," she said.

"I can see that."

"That's what I wanted for Christmas."

"Glad I could help."

Kate smiled.

"Right. Not even you can control the weather."

"I don't have to."

Kate took a breath. "You're standing really close."

"Do you want me to back off? Just say so."

Kate said nothing and Gibbs' mouth stretched into a knowing smile. It was almost infuriating. Couldn't he get one thing wrong?

Finally, she just decided to throw caution to the winds. What did she have to lose at this point?

She reached up and kissed him.

It was almost a move of defiance, showing that Gibbs wasn't going to be in charge of everything.

...but then...

Gibbs let go of her hand and wrapped his arms around her, lengthening out the kiss more than she had expected. Her defiance faded and she felt herself starting to melt.

Part of her mind just wouldn't relent. It insisted on questioning the situation. Why did Gibbs have to be so good at this? Why was she letting herself fall like this? How stupid was it to get involved with one's supervisor? What if things didn't work out? What if–?

Then, the other part of her mind took over and insisted on just enjoying the kiss.

But then, it was over. Gibbs let her go. He stepped back just enough so that she could look at him without craning her neck. He reached out and brushed a few snowflakes out of her hair. There was nothing of his usual cynical and knowing expression. In fact, there was a question in his eyes. He didn't say anything, but he was asking without words.

Do you want this?

Kate looked searchingly at him. It was a good question to ask now before she fell any deeper than she already had. She really hadn't dated anyone since Tim had been killed, since she'd quit the Secret Service and joined up with NCIS. It had been hard enough just realizing that the man she'd been secretly dating had been murdered. Then, she had left her job. Then, she'd had a new job almost before she could really think about it. All in all, she'd had plenty to fill her plate without adding a new relationship to the mix.

...and this would be a real complication. Gibbs would not be an easy man to get involved with. He was so withdrawn, so reticent to share. Did she really want to get into that kind of relationship?

But he definitely had unplumbed depths. It might be worth seeing how deep they went.

With a breath, she nodded without speaking.

This time, Gibbs initiated the kiss. It was much more gentle than the last one. Kate didn't try to control it this time. It was a long kiss, but the separation was almost a disappointment.

"I've wanted to do that for weeks."

"You have?"

"Yeah."

Kate blushed. She wasn't used to Gibbs being so...open, so clear.

"So...now what?" she asked.

"That's up to you."

"Is it?"

"Yeah."

Kate looked at him. Then, she took a step back and held out her hand.

"I want to go for a walk in the snow."

Gibbs smiled and took her hand. Then, they started walking together through the streets of DC. This time Kate didn't need sound. Silence was perfect as the flakes came gently down. She found that this quiet walk, holding hands, was not as childish as she might have thought it would be. Somehow, it made sense.

They walked for about half an hour and then stopped and got something to eat at a restaurant that was open on Christmas evening. Nothing big or heavy, just enough. Then, it was back out into the snow for the walk back to Kate's place.

At the door, Kate hesitated and then turned back.

"Now what, Gibbs? Is it just tonight? Or is this more?"

"Do you want it to be more?"

"I'm not big on the concept of a one-night stand. That's not my thing."

"Not mine, either."

"So?"

"I want it to be more."

"So do I," Kate said.

Gibbs leaned in, not for a kiss but to whisper in her ear.

"Then, I'll see you tomorrow morning. Breakfast."

"Okay," she whispered back. Then, briefly, her usual practicality asserted itself. "If you stand me up, Gibbs..."

"I won't."

"If you do..."

"I won't."

"Okay."

Gibbs stepped back and left. Kate went inside and sat down on her couch. For a few minutes, she just sat there, thinking about what had happened. Then, finally, a goofy smile crossed her lips.

The last thing she'd expected to come out of her Christmas had been romance.

She got up and walked to the window and looked out at the snow that was still falling. It wasn't a blizzard by any means, just that beautiful light, fluffy snow.

Beautiful.

FINIS!