Part 06 of Reactions
Disclaimers: I don't own the characters from NCIS.... But I DO CONSIDER this
story line my imagination and creation! (can I copyright that? *grin*)
~*~*~*~*~*~*
Kate turned around, her eyes wide in shock at being caught.
"You know ... "
"I could smell your shampoo – or whatever it is that you put on – in the mornings when I woke up," Gibbs confirmed.
When Kate fell silent, Gibbs looked at her helplessly. He wanted nothing more than to go over and hug her to him so she wouldn't even think about going away, but he was confined to the bed for the time being. "Please, Kate, we need to talk."
Kate could see the fatigue in his eyes, and knew that the short conversation must be exhausting his still recovering body. She also knew that it took a lot for Gibbs to show so much emotion, and that probably had to do with the medicine.
"You need your rest," she said softly, moving forward so she could brush the hair off his forehead. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't leave him--not when he was hurting. She felt too much for him.
"We need to talk," he insisted, and he was frustrated at how his body couldn't stay awake. The attempts to stay up during the night did take a lot out of him, especially without coffee.
"I'm not going anywhere. At least not yet," Kate promised. "We can talk when you're better. Now, you need your rest."
"You're not leaving?" he asked, hope soaring.
"Not yet," she confirmed. "Now, you go back to sleep."
"Promise me you'll be back to visit sometime when I'm awake," he requested.
Kate nodded her consent, "You really should rest now, Gibbs."
"It's Jethro," he corrected, his eyes already closed.
"Sorry?"
"Jethro," Gibbs murmured sleepily. "Name's Jethro."
~*~*~*~*~*~*
Gibbs heard Kate's soft murmuring before he opened his eyes. He thought he was still in his dream until he saw the agent sitting beside his bed, looking at him.
"Kate?"
"You're awake," She handed him a cup of water and quickly looked away. "Here. Drink this."
"Thanks."
Neither of them talked for a while. Kate chose to concentrate on her hands in her lap while Gibbs studied her.
Emotions were running wild inside Kate. She didn't know what to think anymore. Gibbs' prompting to call him "Jethro" spoke volumes. It was a different level. A lot more personal--and that would be her undoing.
She almost ran to the cafeteria to inform Tony that she would stay with Gibbs, so eager was she to return to his side. She would content herself with watching him sleep and simply being close to him again.
Gibbs finally broke the silence. "You're here."
Kate let out a soft chuckle. "Yes, I'm here, Gibbs. I'm not your imagination."
"I thought I said you should be calling me Jethro now," was all Gibbs said before a coughing spell started.
Kate was hovering over him in an instant, trying to make him feel better. His heart warmed at her apparent worries.
"Are you still upset?" he asked after drinking another small cup of water. "You were planning on leaving."
"I was," she nodded, looking away from him.
"Are you still going to go away?"
"I... I don't know," she admitted, finally voicing her hesitation in leaving the man she loved.
"I will come after you," Gibbs simply stated. "I will find you and then come after you."
"Why?" Kate said barely above a whisper. The knowledge that he would leave everything and go after her was overwhelming.
Gibbs looked right into her eyes, letting her see for herself what he felt. Kate saw ... and knew ... and understood the emotions she was allowed to see. Gibbs could not easily voice what he felt: he was a man of action, not of words.
"What about all your rules?" she questioned softly.
"Rules are there for people to break," Gibbs pointed out with a grin, and then turned sober again. "Please, Kate. At least give us one more try. Don't leave."
"Are you willing to give us a try, Gibbs? Really give us a try?"
He took her smaller hand in his own and brought it to his lips. "Yes. And this will work."
"You know ... "
"I could smell your shampoo – or whatever it is that you put on – in the mornings when I woke up," Gibbs confirmed.
When Kate fell silent, Gibbs looked at her helplessly. He wanted nothing more than to go over and hug her to him so she wouldn't even think about going away, but he was confined to the bed for the time being. "Please, Kate, we need to talk."
Kate could see the fatigue in his eyes, and knew that the short conversation must be exhausting his still recovering body. She also knew that it took a lot for Gibbs to show so much emotion, and that probably had to do with the medicine.
"You need your rest," she said softly, moving forward so she could brush the hair off his forehead. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't leave him--not when he was hurting. She felt too much for him.
"We need to talk," he insisted, and he was frustrated at how his body couldn't stay awake. The attempts to stay up during the night did take a lot out of him, especially without coffee.
"I'm not going anywhere. At least not yet," Kate promised. "We can talk when you're better. Now, you need your rest."
"You're not leaving?" he asked, hope soaring.
"Not yet," she confirmed. "Now, you go back to sleep."
"Promise me you'll be back to visit sometime when I'm awake," he requested.
Kate nodded her consent, "You really should rest now, Gibbs."
"It's Jethro," he corrected, his eyes already closed.
"Sorry?"
"Jethro," Gibbs murmured sleepily. "Name's Jethro."
~*~*~*~*~*~*
Gibbs heard Kate's soft murmuring before he opened his eyes. He thought he was still in his dream until he saw the agent sitting beside his bed, looking at him.
"Kate?"
"You're awake," She handed him a cup of water and quickly looked away. "Here. Drink this."
"Thanks."
Neither of them talked for a while. Kate chose to concentrate on her hands in her lap while Gibbs studied her.
Emotions were running wild inside Kate. She didn't know what to think anymore. Gibbs' prompting to call him "Jethro" spoke volumes. It was a different level. A lot more personal--and that would be her undoing.
She almost ran to the cafeteria to inform Tony that she would stay with Gibbs, so eager was she to return to his side. She would content herself with watching him sleep and simply being close to him again.
Gibbs finally broke the silence. "You're here."
Kate let out a soft chuckle. "Yes, I'm here, Gibbs. I'm not your imagination."
"I thought I said you should be calling me Jethro now," was all Gibbs said before a coughing spell started.
Kate was hovering over him in an instant, trying to make him feel better. His heart warmed at her apparent worries.
"Are you still upset?" he asked after drinking another small cup of water. "You were planning on leaving."
"I was," she nodded, looking away from him.
"Are you still going to go away?"
"I... I don't know," she admitted, finally voicing her hesitation in leaving the man she loved.
"I will come after you," Gibbs simply stated. "I will find you and then come after you."
"Why?" Kate said barely above a whisper. The knowledge that he would leave everything and go after her was overwhelming.
Gibbs looked right into her eyes, letting her see for herself what he felt. Kate saw ... and knew ... and understood the emotions she was allowed to see. Gibbs could not easily voice what he felt: he was a man of action, not of words.
"What about all your rules?" she questioned softly.
"Rules are there for people to break," Gibbs pointed out with a grin, and then turned sober again. "Please, Kate. At least give us one more try. Don't leave."
"Are you willing to give us a try, Gibbs? Really give us a try?"
He took her smaller hand in his own and brought it to his lips. "Yes. And this will work."