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Post by LJ on May 6, 2005 16:36:05 GMT -5
Ch. 12 - Problems Discussed
“First of all,” Gibbs continued, “why don’t you tell Kate what you heard.”<br> Grace realized it was not a request. She cleared her throat, more to give herself time to string together a coherent though than anything else, and said simply, “I know where I came from.”<br> Kate’s eyes widened and her mouth opened in shock and horror. She had intended to tell Grace eventually, of course, just not nearly so soon. To be confronted with it not only so soon but so unexpectedly was…disconcerting.
“Grace, I…” she started, completely at a loss for words. “How?” It was probably the least important question right now, but it was all she could come up with.
Gibbs cleared his throat in what, from someone else, could have been construed as embarrassment. “Ducky and I were talking.”<br> Kate wasn’t sure what to make of that. She was far too confused, upset, scared, and generally emotionally screwed up right now. She settled for getting angry; it seemed to work for Gibbs. “You were talking about my personal life?”<br> Grace, even in her shocked state, cringed at the tone in Kate’s voice. Fortunately, Gibbs seemed to realize the source of Kate’s outburst and merely raised an eyebrow.
“No, Kate,” he replied coolly, “we were discussing your work habits.”<br> The subtle admonishment subdued Kate enough for her to think more coherently. Grace, meanwhile, was growing impatient in her uncertainty.
“Look,” she said, “if you want to take me back, I understand.”<br> “What?” Kate asked, startled.
“I understand,” Grace repeated. “I mean, you never wanted me in the first place. That’s why you gave me up. You just took me in now because you feel guilty.”<br> “Guilty?” Kate parroted, not following.
“For giving me up in the first place,” Grace reasoned. She was beyond hurt and angry; now she was coldly composed. “And probably because my parents died, too.”<br> Kate sat in shocked silence, not believing what she had just heard. “Is that what you think?” she managed.
“It’s pretty obvious,” Grace shrugged, clearly trying to distance herself emotionally. Kate felt like crying.
“Grace,” she struggled, squeezing the words around the lump in her throat. “I put you up for adoption because I was sixteen years old. I couldn’t take care of a child. I couldn’t even let anyone know I was pregnant.”<br> “Whatever,” Grace sighed.
“No, Grace, not ‘whatever’,” Kate burst out, suddenly animated. “Listen to me. I took you in because you are my daughter. I want you. I love you, Grace!”<br> Kate slowly realized she was gripping Grace by the shoulders, so eager was she to get her point across. Grace’s eyes shone with unshed tears, her expression indicating they were tears of emotion and not of pain. Kate, taking advantage of her hold on Grace, pulled her daughter into a hug, blinking back her own tears. The hug seemed to give Grace permission to relinquish control of her emotions and she clutched Kate fiercely, weeping quietly into her shoulder. Kate felt for her and wished she could take away the pain Grace must be feeling but at the same time she rejoiced at this breakthrough. Grace had never shown so much emotional abandon around Kate; Kate couldn’t help the bittersweet thrill at this new trust.
Gibbs, forgotten by both, cleared his throat lightly. They pulled apart and looked at him. Had it not been such a serious moment, Gibbs might have smiled at their twin expressions of expectant puzzlement. It might not be immediately apparent that the two were mother and daughter, but there was no mistaking that they were related.
“I hate to break up this moment of familial bonding,” he commented, strangely not sarcastic. “But we do have to discuss how this new…situation affects Kate’s work.”<br> “I thought we already had,” Kate replied, eyes drying in the conversation’s change of pace.
“Yeah,” Gibbs conceded, “but some things have happened since then that make me think we need to reevaluate.”<br> Kate frowned slightly. When Gibbs used jargon like ‘reevaluate’ it meant he was out of his element, slightly uncomfortable with the situation. And when Gibbs was uncertain, he was one step away from explosion. In short, tread lightly.
“First,” Gibbs continued, “you’ve been late.”<br> “Not very often,” Kate protested.
“I know,” Gibbs stopped her with a hand. “But it makes you unreliable.” He paused, taking in her half-ashamed half-affronted expression. “I don’t blame you,” he reassured her, looking awkward at the tone of caring support in his own voice.
“Sure you don’t,” Kate snorted.
“I don’t,” Gibbs repeated. “But something does need to be done.”<br> “Like what? I leave Grace asleep, without breakfast and without a baby– sorry, supervisor,” she tossed a wry look Grace’s way, “and come to work?”<br> Gibbs and Grace exchanged glances. “Well…why not?” Gibbs asked, eyebrows knitting together.
“Yeah, Aunt Kate,” Grace chimed in, seeing an opportunity. “I am fourteen.”<br> “She is fourteen, Kate,” Gibbs echoed, somehow managing to convey both amused sarcasm and serious advice.
“But –” Kate started, realizing she would probably lose this argument anyway.
“I can get my own breakfast,” Grace hurriedly rationalized. “And call Mrs. Klein myself.”<br> “Well…” Kate knew she was beaten. Gibbs was watching amusedly from his desk, waiting for her answer, and Grace had latched on to Gibbs’ apparent support of her position. Besides, they did kind of have a point. “All right,” she sighed.
“Yes!” Grace cheered. “Don’t worry,” she added, more calmly.
Gibbs wore the little half-grin he usually reserved for occasions when Tony got egg on his face. Beckoning Grace over to his desk, he clapped her shoulder and leaned toward her conspiratorially.
“Hey, Grace,” he whispered, “can you go see Abby for a while? I gotta talk to Kate.”<br> Grace squinted at him briefly before nodding. He smiled almost nostalgically as she left, then turned to Kate with a concerned but grave expression.
“Kate,” he began, his voice not allowing for interruption, “I know you don’t want to talk about it, but you have got to face what happened to you. If you don’t deal with it, you’ll never move on.”<br> Kate’s face hardened slightly. “Respectfully, Gibbs, that is none of your business.”<br> Gibbs, though well-intentioned, found himself caught up in the urgency of his concern. Desperate to get her to help herself, he resorted to an old fallback. “It became my business when it began affecting your work. I can’t have you flipping out on every rape case.”<br> “That’s all you care about, isn’t it?” Kate smirked slightly, as if confirming a suspicion.
Gibbs gave her a look and she backed down. Speaking as if it were extremely difficult, he continued deliberately. “I want you to see a therapist.”<br> She reacted much as he had expected her to. “What? I don’t need a shrink,” she protested, eyes flaring. “Look, I’ve dealt with my demons, okay? The last thing I need is to dig them all up again.”<br> “Kate, they’ve already been dug up!” he hissed. “You haven’t dealt with them; that’s the problem!”<br> “You’re one to talk!” she spat. And instantly regretted it.
Gibbs didn’t get mad, surprisingly. He looked like he was going to, rising from his chair with eyes blazing, but halfway up he seemed to…deflate. He sank back into his seat and sighed.
“That’s exactly my point, Kate,” he said, softly but firmly.
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Post by LJ on Apr 29, 2005 18:32:48 GMT -5
Ch. 11 - Grace's Discovery
“Why does he want me to come?” Grace asked, slightly worried. She hadn’t seen much of Gibbs but what she had seen suggested he wasn’t they type to call for a social chat. She had agreed readily last night, mostly for the opportunity to see Abby and Ducky again, but she was growing steadily more nervous as they drove.
“I don’t know. Maybe –” Kate stopped herself.
“Maybe what?” Grace had inherited her mother’s curiosity.
Kate sighed. Why not? “I was late to work yesterday because of the whole cereal fiasco. Gibbs wasn’t exactly mad, but then I made a really big mistake interviewing someone. He’s already not happy about our situation, and yesterday…well, I think maybe he wants to talk to both of us. Set some parameters.”<br> Grace nodded, though more in acknowledgement than understanding. Great, she thought. Aunt Kate’s hard-as-nails boss wants to talk about rules. This’ll be fun.
Gibbs was not at his desk when they arrived, so Kate sent Grace to Abby’s lab to hang out. Grace was all too happy to postpone the moment where she would have to face the frustrated former Marine. Approaching the lab, she was surprised to hear no loud music blaring. According to Kate, Abby always played her music at almost unbelievable decibels. If there was no noise, there was no Abby.
Disappointed, Grace changed direction and headed downstairs. She hadn’t been to see Ducky in his lair before but following the hall signs wasn’t too difficult. The elevator opened right in front of Autopsy and Grace walked in, pleased with herself for finding the way.
Voices were floating in the air, slightly distorted by the strange acoustics of the room. Grace was fairly certain she could identify Ducky’s voice, though, coming from what appeared to be a small office of sorts. Not wanting to interrupt, she crept back toward the elevator. Until, that is, she heard her own name.
“It’s certainly not fair to Grace,” Ducky was saying. Grace couldn’t help herself; she listened.
“I know that, Ducky,” an exasperated voice groused. It sounded like it might be Agent Gibbs. “But if this keeps happening…”
“Jethro, they just need a little time,” Ducky replied, confirming Grace’s suspicion about the identity of the second speaker. “Settling in to new routines isn’t easy, for anyone. I’m sure the tardiness will stop before too long.”<br> There was an odd sound of moving air that Grace realized must be Gibbs sighing. “You know what’s really weird? The late thing doesn’t bother me so much.”<br> “You, Jethro?” Ducky wondered aloud, his tone a cross between surprise and amused sarcasm.
“Yeah, I know,” Gibbs laughed slightly before sobering again. “But after yesterday, I’m more worried about her psych status. You should have seen her, Duck, screaming at that woman. If she hadn’t been crying so hard, I would’ve thought she was going to hit her. It was unnerving. I mean, Kate of all people!”<br> “Yes, it is disturbing, isn’t it? Poor Caitlin has never allowed herself to face what happened to her, to feel emotion regarding it, and thus she has never truly healed. Grace’s arrival has caused all the memories and emotions that she had not dealt with adequately fourteen years ago to resurface.”<br> “I understand that; I just don’t know if I can let her keep working after this. Her judgment is seriously impaired.”<br> “Once she truly allows herself to feel the emotions, she will be able to deal with them and move on.”<br> “And you say you’re not a shrink,” Gibbs commented wryly. Ducky chuckled lightly before Gibbs continued in a troubled voice. “I can’t just take her off every rape case we get. What if she hauls off and socks a suspect during an interrogation? We can’t risk the legal consequences.”<br> “Your concerns are certainly valid, Jethro. However, you must understand that her anger is not at the rapist. She is angry at herself for, in her mind, allowing it to happen. In fact, very little of her emotion has to do with the rapist at all. It’s a very internal crime, as far as emotional fallout.”<br> Grace stepped backwards, shocked at the revelation. Aside from feeling terrible for Kate’s violation, it didn’t take a giant leap of imagination to connect the dots. Fourteen years ago? No wonder Kate was so reticent about Dominic Fleming.
Unaware of her surroundings, Grace backed right into a surgical table. The contents clattered noisily and she cringed, anticipating her inevitable discovery. The voices ceased abruptly and the two men scurried out of the office, looking around for the source of the racket.
Grace was standing sheepishly among an assortment of stainless steel surgical implements, her face trying to decide between an expression of shame and one of defiance. It settled, somewhat in the middle, on shock.
“Oh, dear,” sighed Ducky, eyes deeply sympathetic.
“Grace,” Gibbs addressed her more straightforwardly, “let’s go upstairs. We need to talk to Kate.”<br> Grace didn’t respond but when Gibbs put his hand on her shoulder and guided her gently toward the door, she followed docilely. The elevator ride upstairs was silent, as was the interminable walk to Kate’s desk. Grace was coming out of her shocked state and beginning to get a little miffed. Why had Kate not told her? She knew, rationally, that it had been for her own protection but it still hurt that her…mother…didn’t think she could handle the information.
She also realized why Aunt Kate had taken her back. Of course she hadn’t wanted Grace as a baby; it wasn’t as if she’d planned to have a child. But now, fourteen years later, she felt guilty about abandoning her child and was absolving her guilt by reclaiming Grace.
They finally came to a halt in front of Kate’s desk, Gibbs’ hand still on Grace’s shoulder. Kate looked up, startled, as Gibbs cleared his throat meaningfully.
“Gibbs!” she exclaimed. Grace’s presence and their serious expressions told her that this was not a pleasure call. “What’s the matter?”<br> Gibbs’ tone gave away nothing as he said seriously, “We need to talk. All of us.”<br>
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Post by LJ on Apr 22, 2005 18:26:54 GMT -5
She hoisted herself into the passenger side of the truck and shut the door numbly, still not quite understanding what had happened. Suddenly, the emotions caught up to her and she started crying. Unable to stop the great heaving sobs, she buried her head in her hands and let the tears come. She hadn’t cried like this since she was little.
Before long she had exhausted both her lungs and her tear ducts and leaned against the window, squeezing her eyes shut and breathing deeply. She tried to contain the emotions that had broken out after their fourteen-year captivity, unsuccessfully. She hadn’t allowed herself to feel this deeply for a long time.
By the time Gibbs came out to the car Kate was dozing fitfully in her seat, completely worn out by her emotional outburst. She woke up when he slammed his door but kept her eyes closed and her breathing deep; she didn’t want to talk to Gibbs right now. She was a terrible actress and she knew it, but if Gibbs noticed anything amiss he didn’t mention it. Maybe he didn’t want to talk, either. More likely he was too angry at her unprofessional behavior to speak.
The drive back was almost unbelievably quiet. Even when Kate dared to sit up, Gibbs maintained the stony silence and refused to look at her. Kate certainly wasn’t about to start the conversation, so they both continued to pretend the other wasn’t in the car. The three-hour trip seemed like an eternity.
When they finally arrived back at headquarters, there were only three cars in the parking lot. Kate recognized hers, Gibbs’, and (she was fairly certain) Director Morrow’s.
“I didn’t realize it was so late,” Kate commented. She hadn’t really meant to say anything but the stillness begged to be filled.
Gibbs still wouldn’t look at her and acknowledged her comment only with a small grunt. Kate tried to discern his expression – futilely, as always. She really didn’t want to ask, but she had to know…<br> “Should I come in tomorrow?” she whispered, staring at the ground.
Gibbs glared at her; there was no other word for it. She could feel his penetrating gaze burning through the top of her head. Finally, after what felt like hours, he responded.
“Yeah,” he nodded, squinting unhappily. “And bring Grace.”<br> Kate knew the surprise was apparent on her face but Gibbs apparently didn’t feel she needed to know more. She wasn’t about to argue.
Gibbs walked briskly to his car and squealed out of the parking lot, leaving Kate alone by her vehicle. She cursed her inability to control herself and wondered, seriously, if she would have a job by this time tomorrow.
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Post by LJ on Apr 22, 2005 18:26:00 GMT -5
Ch. 10 - Problems Begin
“You’re late.”<br> “I know. I’m sorry,” Kate apologized, setting her things down quickly.
Gibbs waited a moment before pressing. “Care to explain?”<br> Not really, Kate thought. She couldn’t say that, though. Instead, she sighed slightly before coming out with, “We were out of cereal.”<br> Again, Gibbs paused as if waiting for her to continue. When she didn’t, he pressed again. “And?”<br> “I had to go get some from the store.” Kate saw the look of disbelief creeping over her boss’ face and launched into a nervous explanation. “We didn’t have anything else to eat except oatmeal and some leftover pizza. Grace is allergic to oatmeal, I had to go out and buy some more cereal.”<br> “What’s wrong with cold pizza?” Gibbs asked, the smallest of twinkles in his eye suggesting that he was done grilling her and was now just kidding around. As much as Gibbs ever kidded, that is.
Kate either missed the twinkle or chose to ignore it. “Gibbs, she’s a growing girl. She needs a bit more nutrition in the morning than cold pizza.”<br> Gibbs raised an eyebrow at this maternal vehemence from his subordinate. She sounded like a mother. Shaking his head slightly in wonderment, he moved on.
“Tony’s talking to Abby about the semen. McGee’s working on the computer. You’re with me; we’re going to talk to the victim.” Gibbs watched Kate carefully, scrutinizing her every move.
Kate could feel his eyes on her and determined not to react. She knew, objectively, that he wasn’t going to fire her for being late, but it still always felt like he was judging her, constantly weighing whether or not she was fit to continue working with him.
The victim lived in a modest brownstone just outside the base. The drive there was silent, though Kate could swear she saw Gibbs watching her out of the corner of his eye. She just focused on the road. When they arrived at the house, Gibbs did his usual visual sweep of the area before turning to Kate.
“Let me do the talking, okay?”<br> Kate was surprised but wasn’t about to argue with Gibbs. “Yeah, sure. You’re the boss.”<br> Gibbs squinted at her as if to make sure she really agreed, then knocked briskly. After a couple of moments, they heard hurried footsteps and an exasperated, “Just a minute!”<br> “Mrs. Schroeder,” Gibbs greeted when the door finally opened. “We just have a few more questions for you.”<br> The harried woman looked from Kate to Gibbs in confusion. Reddened eyes suggested she’d been crying recently. “Agent Gibbs? What more could you ask?”<br> “Just a few more questions, Mrs. Schroeder,” Gibbs repeated. “It won’t take long.”<br> “Okay,” Mrs. Schroeder replied, still looking unsure of the situation. “Come in, I guess.”<br> As they settled on the couch, Kate found herself instinctively observing the area. The walls were covered in photos of Lieutenant and Mrs. Schroeder, the living room comfortably disheveled, the kitchen invitingly bright. Mrs. Schroeder herself looked less than her best; she had obviously been crying and appeared not to have slept for several days. The woman reminded Kate disconcertingly of herself in appearance and attitude.
“Mrs. Schroeder, do you know Kevin Underhill?” Gibbs began, his tone gentle but unyielding.
“No,” she shook her head, frowning, “why?”<br> Gibbs ignored her question. “Could you tell us again what happened that night?”<br> A fleeting, pained look crossed her face and she took a deep, shuddering breath before nodding. “I went to a bar. I was lonely; I wanted to be around people. A man approached me and I could smell the alcohol on his breath. He seemed harmless, though, so I let him dance with me. Then he started toward the door, dragging me along. I was starting to get a little worried, but his grip was so tight…”
“Why didn’t you leave as soon as you realized he was drunk?” Kate burst out vehemently, surprising herself as much as Mrs. Schroeder and Gibbs.
“I…I thought he was harmless, like I said. He seemed like a friendly drunk.” Mrs. Schroeder looked frightened, Kate’s outburst having shocked her into uncertainty.
“It’s all right, Mrs. Schroeder,” Gibbs assured her. “Please continue.”<br> “He had me by the wrist and he pulled me out the door and started into a back alley. I tried to twist away but his grip was like iron. He got me into the alley and I begged him not to hurt me but he was getting angry. He slapped me and –”
“Why didn’t you scream for help?” Kate blurted angrily. “Why didn’t you fight harder? Why did you let him take you out of the bar?”<br> “Kate!” Gibbs barked, eyes blazing. Kate slowly realized that she was standing over Mrs. Schroeder, yelling at the woman, tears streaming from her eyes. Gibbs, too, was standing, apparently ready to restrain her. Poor Mrs. Schroeder looked more frightened than ever, eyes wide and mouth quivering.
“Go wait in the truck, Agent Todd,” Gibbs ordered quietly, watching her carefully. Kate silently obeyed, unable to apologize to Mrs. Schroeder or acknowledge her unprofessional behavior.
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Post by LJ on Apr 15, 2005 19:24:43 GMT -5
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Post by LJ on Apr 15, 2005 16:04:27 GMT -5
“Hey, Tony,” Kate called. “Ducky and I are going out for lunch. Wanna come?”<br> Tony looked over at her, then back at his computer screen. “Actually, Kate, I have an interview with a witness.”<br> Kate’s surprise was evident. “You’re opting for work over lunch?”<br> “I was trained by Gibbs, you know,” he tossed back unconvincingly.
“Yeah, and that’s had such an effect on your work ethic before,” she retorted sarcastically.
“Well, maybe I’m more mature than you think,” Tony replied, still not satisfying Kate. She approached his desk, craning her neck to see his computer. He swiveled the monitor away from her, swatting at her hands as she tried to turn it back.
“Hey! You’re invading my privacy, here,” he barked.
“Oh, you’re one to talk, Tony,” she said, rolling her eyes. “Come on, what’s on that screen?”<br> “Nothing!” he insisted, holding up his hands as if to show her he had nothing to hide. She took advantage of his motion to grab the monitor and twist it into a viewable position.
“Aha! Is that your witness?” she crowed, eyeing the photo of a young and well-endowed blonde.
“Yes,” Tony muttered sullenly, sore at being beaten by Kate.
“Well, now I know why you don’t want to come to lunch,” Kate snorted. “Have fun.”<br> She grabbed her purse and headed toward the elevator. The doors opened to reveal Ducky, out of his scrubs, apparently coming to get her.
“Ah, Caitlin,” he said, beckoning her into the car. “Is Tony joining us?”<br> “Nah, he has a ‘witness’ to interview,” Kate smirked.
Ducky chuckled. “Of course. The two of us it is, then. I hope you have a taste for Thai food. I know a delightful little place not too far from here. You know, of course, that Thailand was once known as Siam…”
Kate listened with half an ear, her mind mostly on Grace. The girl had been questioning Kate more and more about her father and Kate was running out of things to tell her. Even if she was able to talk about the Incident, she was convinced that telling Grace she was the product of rape was not a good idea. But she kept asking…<br> Something of her distress must have shown on her face, because Ducky suddenly stopped talking and gazed into her eyes concernedly.
“How are things going with Grace?” he asked sincerely. His tone was different than that of most people when they asked that question; Kate could tell he really wanted to know and wasn’t just asking for conversation’s sake.
She sighed heavily. “It’s a bit of a roller coaster, to be honest. One minute we’re talking and laughing, the next she won’t speak to me because I took away the life she’s always known. I’m just trying to hang on at this point. And now,” Kate added, because she trusted Ducky, “she keeps asking about her father. I don’t know what to tell her.” Kate didn’t elaborate. She trusted Ducky but hadn’t yet felt comfortable telling him about Grace’s origin.
Ducky nodded seriously. “May I tell you a story, Caitlin?”<br> Kate hid a smile despite her current angst. Ducky rarely asked permission to tell a story. “Sure, Ducky,” she agreed.
“I once knew a young lady, about, oh, 15 years ago. She was a beautiful woman and many of her male colleagues were very interested in her. One night, she went out with a fellow she found quite attractive. He was not a particularly scrupulous young man, though, and after he had consumed a considerable amount of alcohol, my friend was beginning to get concerned about his intentions. Indeed, he soon became belligerent and forced himself on her. She fought but being rather petite and slightly inebriated herself, there was really nothing she could do. About a month later, she realized that she was with child.”<br> Kate gawked at Ducky. How did he know? She found that she didn’t really mind that he knew; in fact, it was kind of comforting.
“Caitlin,” he continued, “if you ever need to talk about anything, you know where to find a willing ear.”<br> “Thanks, Ducky,” she replied honestly, tears threatening to form. “Really.” He smiled supportively at her.
“Oh, my, would you look at the time!” he commented, glancing at his watch. “I’d quite lost track. Well, my dear, I suppose Jethro will be wanting us back. Shall we?”<br> Kate took his proffered arm and walked back to the car with him. She found herself, like Grace at the benefit, grateful for a friend in this ordeal.
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Post by LJ on Apr 15, 2005 16:01:38 GMT -5
Ch. 9 - Two Lunches
“He didn’t!” Grace breathed, astounded.
“You can ask him yourself,” Kate insisted, widening her eyes for effect. “Tony’s always doing stupid stuff like that. Everything they say about girls maturing faster than guys? It’s true.”<br> “So, when a guy does something really dumb,” Grace began, trying to appear casual while twisting her fingers nervously in the grass, “it’s normal?”<br> Taking a bite of her sandwich to allow herself time to formulate a response, Kate hid a smile as she chewed. It sounded to her like Grace had a little crush. “It is completely normal,” she reassured the teen. “Not only that, but it may mean he likes you,” she added with a conspiratorial smile.
Grace ducked her head embarrassedly. “I…don’t think so.”<br> “So, who is this guy?” Kate pressed. “School friend?”<br> “Yeah,” Grace responded, her face slowly clouding. “Or at least, he was.”<br> Kate could almost feel the chill settle over their little picnic. Wonderful. Grace had been adjusting quite well over the past few weeks, the short spells of anger and unease tempered by increasingly satisfying periods of bonding – if not as mother and daughter, at least as friends. Kate’s work occupied a considerable amount of time, but a grudgingly understanding Gibbs had granted her weekends as semi-sacred time. Kate had come to look forward to their almost weekly picnics in various parks around the area and she was pretty sure Grace enjoyed the time together as well, even if she didn’t always show it.
Now, though, was turning into a ‘little moment’. Grace’s stony silences were no longer as frequent but their occurrences were nevertheless not enjoyable times in the small household. Kate sighed and began to clean up the area. Progress and bonding were out of the question during these periods.
She opened her mouth to ask Grace to help but reconsidered. The girl was already in a lot of pain, obviously, and it was mostly Kate’s fault. Why add to it? She had been struggling with this question since Grace had first come to live with her. Her instinct to be a firm disciplinarian was curbed by her sympathy for Grace’s situation.
When they got back to the apartment, Grace went straight to her room and shut the door with slightly more force than necessary. Kate sighed again (she seemed to be sighing a lot lately) and took their picnic gear to the kitchen. After she cleaned up, she noticed yesterday’s mail sitting on the table and decided it was time to deal with it. Sifting through the usual junk, she arrived at the phone bill and slit it open…and her eyes widened in shock.
“What the…” she muttered to herself. 719? What area code is that? The unknown number had been dialed several times, the calls lasting a considerable amount of time. They appeared to be the main contributor to the hefty sum at the top of the bill.
“Grace!” Kate called, trying not to sound angry. And she wasn’t angry…yet.
“Yeah?” Grace answered, shuffling into the room indifferently.
“Do you recognize this number?” Kate asked, showing Grace the bill.
“Sure. That’s Uncle Jack.”<br> Kate tried to keep her rising frustration in check. “Were you going to tell me about these long distance calls you’ve been making?”<br> Grace shrugged, eyes defiant. “I dunno.”<br> “Young lady, I’m not made of money,” Kate said firmly.
“Fine. I’ll cut off all contact with my former life,” Grace snapped back.
“I don’t mind you calling your uncle, Grace,” Kate said, softening slightly. “I just want you to ask me first.”<br> “Whatever.”<br> Something else occurred to Kate. “Why were you calling him anyway?”<br> Grace shrugged again, looking down.
“Come on, Grace. I’m won’t be mad,” Kate pushed.
“Because he understands me,” Grace mumbled, still staring at her feet.
Kate sat back, stunned. She shouldn’t be, she knew, but it still hurt that Grace didn’t feel like she could talk to her. It was just more confirmation that their relationship would take a lot of time and work.
“Grace,” she began, “I’m sorry you don’t feel like you can talk to me. I want to talk to you; I want to understand you. Will you let me try?”<br> Grace looked at her incredulously, trademark eyebrow on the rise.
“Tell you what,” Kate suggested, “every time you need to call your Uncle Jack, try to talk to me about it first. If that doesn’t work out, then you can call him. On that new calling card we’ll be buying you,” she added in consideration of her wallet. “Sound good?”<br> Grace considered it briefly, then nodded. “Okay, deal.”<br>
Peace reigned in the apartment…for about two days. Kate was feeling good about Grace, work, herself – life in general – and decided to take Grace out to dinner to celebrate their newfound (and, admittedly, awkwardly fledgling) ability to talk. Grace agreed readily and they found themselves at a cozy Italian restaurant that evening. The conversation was going smoothly, until…<br> “Aunt Kate,” Grace started hesitantly, “what happened to my father?”<br> Kate froze, forkful of spaghetti halfway to her mouth. Lowering the utensil slowly, she wondered what on earth she could say. She wasn’t ready to tell Grace the truth but she didn’t want to lie.
“Why do you want to know?” she asked, settling for dodging the question.
Grace didn’t fall for it but something, perhaps the pain in Kate’s eyes, made her back off. “Just curious,” she answered, shrugging with unconvincing indifference.
“Huh,” Kate responded, unsure of what else to say.
“What was his name?” Grace asked, looking torn between curiosity and restraint.
“Grace,” Kate sighed painfully, “can we please not talk about this now?”<br> “I promise I’ll drop it, just,” Grace pleaded, “what was his name?”<br> Kate knew the girl had a right to know. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath to calm herself. “Dom…Dominic Fleming,” she breathed.
Grace’s face said she had a million more questions but, true to her word, she returned silently to her pasta. Except for brief comments on the meal, they said nothing for the rest of the evening.
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Post by LJ on Apr 1, 2005 16:53:05 GMT -5
Grace got along well with Abby. Sometimes Abby would tell her what she was doing, step by step, and sometimes she just let her read quietly in the corner. It was during one of these quiet (well, relatively quiet; Abby’s music was always blaring) moments that a man burst into the room, skidding ever so slightly on the tile floor. Excepting his unorthodox entrance, he appeared rather calm. Strolling nonchalantly over to where Abby was working, he tapped her on the shoulder and jumped back as she whirled around violently.
“Oh, hey, Tony,” she greeted, turning the music down. “What’s up?”<br> “Kate caught me going through her trash again,” he shrugged.
Abby laughed. “Tony, you remind me of a guy I dated.”<br> “How’s that?”<br> “I caught him taking personal products out of my trash. He said he wanted something to remember me by.”<br> “Hey, I’m not a creep. I’m a cop. It’s instinctive,” he grinned. “Anyway, can I just hang out here for a while?”<br> “Sure. By the way, this is Grace,” Abby introduced.
“Hi, Grace. Tony DiNozzo,” he said, waving slightly. “You a friend of Abby’s?”<br> “Yeah,” Grace answered, not really wanting to get into the details of her parentage. Besides, Abby was her friend.
Tony wandered aimlessly around the lab, poking occasionally at various machinery and gazing at the newest additions to Abby’s décor. Grace watched him intently, curious about the people Kate worked with.
“So,” she began, trying to sound casual, “this Kate get on your case often?”<br> Tony turned to face her, a slightly puzzled look on his face as if he couldn’t figure out why she would care. “Yeah, sort of.”<br> “Sounds like real piece of work,” Grace prodded.
Tony grinned mischievously. “You bet. She’s really anal when it comes to her personal property. I mean, all I did was try to take a message for her. But did she thank me? Nooo, she goes on about how I shouldn’t be touching her phone. And she also has a thing –”
“Tony,” Abby warned, eyes glued to a microscope.
He ignored her. “And she also has this thing about analyzing people. Like a shrink. Okay, sure, she’s a profiler, but does she have to read something into everything I do? I see a pretty girl and ask for a date, it’s because I’ve got unresolved issues with my mother? Come on!”<br> “Boy, Tony, you must have a lot of unresolved issues there,” Abby quipped, grinning. He rolled his eyes at her. “Don’t listen to him,” she said to Grace. “He’s just upset because Gibbs said something nice to Kate yesterday.”<br> “Speak of the devil,” Tony muttered, suddenly trying to look purposeful.
“Abby, you got the blood results yet?” barked an irritable silver-haired man, striding in to the room. Kate was right behind him, looking a bit frightened. Grace suddenly understood why Kate had been so paranoid about this man finding her in the office. He was scarily intense.
“Not quite,” Abby said brightly, “but I’m getting close.”<br> “DiNozzo distracting you?” Gibbs asked, giving Tony something akin to a death glare.
“Nah, Gibbs. You know I wouldn’t let Tony distract me. You, on the other hand…” Abby winked. Gibbs ignored the comment and turned to Tony.
“What are you doing here, DiNozzo?”<br> “Just, ah, just came for…the blood results, boss,” Tony improvised quickly. Gibbs’ eyes narrowed, sensing deception but unsure if it warranted punishment. He soon found another source for questioning.
“Who’s this?” he directed at Abby, staring at Grace.
Abby suddenly looked unsure. “She’s, um, she’s…” she stalled.
“She’s what?” Gibbs growled.
“She’s mine,” Kate spoke up, a determined look on her face.
Gibbs’ eyes shifted from Kate to Grace and he nodded thoughtfully. “Okay. What is she doing here?”<br> “The lady who usually watches her got sick and none of the neighbors were going to be around. I thought since we didn’t have too much going on, she could just hang out here for the day. I didn’t have anywhere else to take her and she’s really no trouble and I couldn’t leave her alone in the apartment –”
Gibbs held up his hand to stop her. “This won’t be a regular arrangement.”<br> “No, of course not,” Kate answered his non-question, relieved that he didn’t seem too angry.
Gibbs nodded, satisfied, and turned to leave. “Get that blood done, Abs!” he called over his shoulder.
“Right away, bossman!” she mock-saluted before turning back to her work.
“Wait, so she’s – you’re – she’s,” Tony stammered, looking from Grace to Kate. “She’s the one? She’s mini-Kate?”<br> “Yes, Tony,” Kate sighed. “You doing okay, Grace?”<br> “I’m fine. I’d be better if everyone would stop talking about me like I wasn’t here,” Grace replied resentfully.
“Sorry. I guess you’ve met Tony. Don’t listen to a word he says,” Kate warned. “I gotta get back to work. You sure you’re okay here?”<br> “I’m fine,” Grace repeated, this time with a tinge of exasperation.
“Okay. See you later.” Kate turned to leave, giving Grace one last word of advice. “Don’t let Tony touch your stuff!”<br> “See what I mean?” Tony muttered once Kate was out of earshot. “Way too possessive.”<br> “I don’t think Gibbs is too happy about me being here,” Grace confessed.
“Ah, don’t worry. Gibbs is always a hardnose. Actually, I think he likes you,” Tony admitted.
“If that’s what he’s like when he likes someone, I’d hate to see him mad,” Grace mused.
“Yeah, you would. Trust me, if he didn’t want you here, you would’ve been gone the minute he saw you,” Tony said, his tone far more serious than anything Grace had so far heard from him.
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Post by LJ on Apr 1, 2005 16:49:39 GMT -5
Ch. 7 – Take Your Daughter to Work Day
“No, no, no, no, no!” Kate moaned, thumping her head against the wall for good measure.
“What?” Grace asked from the floor, her nose buried in a book.
“Mrs. Klein is sick,” Kate explained with a sigh.
“So?”<br> “So I can’t leave you here alone,” Kate declared. “I’ll have to call someone else.”<br> “Come on! I’m fourteen, for Pete’s sake; I can take care of myself. All Mrs. Klein does is watch me read or drive me to the pool, which, I’d like to point out, is within walking distance,” Grace, suddenly animated, argued.
“Grace, it’s not about whether or not you can take care of yourself; it’s about safety. What if you fell and broke your arm? How would you get to a hospital? I’m not leaving you here alone.”<br> “I don’t need a babysitter!” Grace grumbled.
“No, but I want someone to check up on you,” Kate called over her shoulder as she dialed. “Hello, Janice? Mrs. Klein is sick today and I have to go to work in half an hour. Would you be able to check on Grace every now and then?...Oh, I see…Okay. Well, thanks anyway. Bye.”<br> Grace was grinning impishly as Kate hung up the phone. “Oh, well. I guess there’s nothing else you can do,” she sang.
Kate frowned, thinking. There was one thing…but no, Gibbs would kill her. On the other hand, she really didn’t have a choice. “Say, Grace, you remember Abby?”<br> “Sure,” Grace answered, her eyes narrowing in suspicion. “Why?”<br> “Well, she did say you could come by the lab sometime…” Kate trailed, smiling meaningfully. Grace shrugged. “Great. Do you need anything?”<br> Grace held up her book in response. Kate nodded, grabbed her keys, and ushered Grace out the door.
“Remember, don’t let Gibbs see you, don’t get in Abby’s way, do what she tells you, don’t go off and explore on your own, don’t talk to Tony –”
“Aunt Kate,” Grace interrupted, “I get it. I got it the first five times. Sit in the corner and pretend I don’t exist.”<br> “That’s not what I –” Kate started, cut off this time by the blast of music that welcomed them to the lab.
“Hey, nice tunes,” Grace commented, bobbing her head ever-so-slightly to the rhythm.
“Abby, I need a favor,” Kate hissed, glancing around for Gibbs.
“Sure, Kate,” Abby grinned. “Will you owe me?”<br> “Big time. Listen, the lady who usually watches Grace for me is sick so I brought her in. If Gibbs finds out, he’ll be…well, Gibbs. Could you let her hang out her for the day? She’s pretty quiet and I’ll try to come by and check on her when I can.”<br> “Hey, no problem! Grace-ster and I’ll have a blast. Here, Grace, let me show you my centrifuge…”
Kate left them happily chatting about forensics and went upstairs.
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Post by LJ on Mar 25, 2005 11:19:57 GMT -5
Ch. 6 – Moving In
“Hey, Kate!” Abby called as the car pulled into the parking lot. The perky Goth grinned as Kate and Grace stepped out of the car. “You must be Grace.”<br> Grace stuck out her hand somewhat hesitantly but, Kate noticed, with less trepidation than she had shown meeting Kate. Abby’s personality tended to make people comfortable around her.
“I’m Abby,” she introduced herself. “I work with...Kate.” The pause was so brief that Kate wondered if she had imagined it, but Abby apparently faced the same difficulty as Kate. How should Grace address her?
A problem for later, she decided. Right now was the time to keep the conversation in familiar territory. “Abby’s our forensic specialist. She works with everything from blood to ballistics to fibers. Oh, and a lot of our computer stuff.”<br> “Cool,” Grace nodded, and Kate felt she really meant it. Progress, she cheered inwardly. Baby steps.
“So,” Kate announced, encouraged, “let’s move you in!”<br> They spent half an hour just getting the large, awkward boxes up three flights of stairs and into the room Kate had cleared for Grace. After some humorous pushing, pulling, and squeezing (and one frightening incident involving sweaty hands and the law of gravity), they managed to get all three into the room not much the worse for wear. Panting slightly as they surveyed the depressing sight of boxes in an empty room, they wondered vaguely what to do next.
Kate turned to Abby to thank her for helping and began giggling quietly. Grace gave her a puzzled frown before looking at Abby and chuckling along. Abby, for her part, was trying valiantly but unsuccessfully to restrain her laughter. Before long, all three were in stitches and Grace had to sit down, she was laughing so hard. Abby’s hair was in its usual pigtails, but the strenuous activity had shifted them so that one sprouted almost straight from the top of her head and the other hung limply from just below her ear. Sweat had trickled down her face, smearing her mascara and leaving dark tracks down her cheeks. Kate’s hair stuck out in all directions and her face was bright red from exertion. Grace’s hair, too, was wild; large chunks of it lay across the remnant of her part and a few brown-blonde strands streaked her face.
The girls’ giggle-fest went on for quite some time, as such things do, because every time one person would start to get a grip on themselves, something else would strike their funny bone and set them off again. Finally they arrived at a mutually sober moment and managed to stop laughing.
“Well,” Abby began, after a few moments of relative silence, “is there anything else I can help with?”<br> “I don’t think so,” Kate answered, looking around. “Thanks, Abby. I appreciate your help.”<br> “Yeah,” Grace chimed in. “Me, too.”<br> “Hey, no problem,” Abby grinned. “I think it’s awesome you two finally met. When Kate told me,” she said to Grace, “I was so surprised, I dropped the beaker of reagent I was holding. Gibbs wasn’t too happy about it,” she cringed, “but it was cheap stuff.”<br> Grace smiled. Kate wished Abby could stay around; it was so much easier to talk to Grace with someone else there. She knew she’d have to deal with Grace one-on-one eventually, of course, but for now she wished to delay the event as long as possible.
“Well,” Abby concluded, “I guess I should get going. Grace, come by the office sometime. I’ll show you around the lab.”<br> “Thanks again, Abby,” Kate said as she walked Abby to the door.
“No problem, Kate. See you next week.”<br> Kate leaned against the door as she shut it, breathing deeply. This was it. Okay, she thought. One problem at a time.
“Hey, Grace?” she called as she reentered Grace’s room.
“Yeah?”<br> “There’s something I’ve been wondering,” Kate hesitated, unsure of how exactly to frame the question. “What do you want to call me?”<br> Grace gave her a look, blank but for the slightly raised eyebrow. Anxious, Kate babbled.
“I mean, I understand if you don’t want to call me Mom. After all, I’m not really your mom…yet. And that’s fine. But I’m not really comfortable with you calling me just Kate. It’s a little too informal, if you know what I mean, and, well, I’d just prefer it if there was some sort of honorific – ”<br> “I understand,” Grace said loudly, cutting Kate off. Kate grinned sheepishly. “So…Miss Todd is kind of formal; what about Miss Kate?” Grace proposed.
Kate grimaced. “Sounds like a kindergarten teacher.”<br> “Yeah,” Grace agreed, making a matching face. “What about…Aunt Kate?”<br> Kate considered it. Familiar, yet appropriate; it fit. “I like it.” Something about the faint grin on Grace’s face made her ask, “Not trying to fix me up with your Uncle Jack now, are you?”<br> Grace laughed and Kate felt a thrill run through her chest. I made her laugh! “No, he’s kind of…taken.”<br> “That’s good. He’s a little too much like my boss,” Kate smirked. “Not really my type.”<br> “Oh, yeah? What is your ‘type’?” Grace asked, eyebrow raised. Her eyebrows could give Gibbs’ a run for their money, Kate thought.
“Oh, I don’t know. Tall, dark, and handsome?” Kate joked.
“So what’s wrong with Uncle Jack? And, of course, your boss?” Grace probed with the cunning of a seasoned attorney.
“I never said they weren’t easy on the eyes,” Kate defended herself, much to Grace’s mischievous delight.
“So,” Grace started, getting slightly more serious, “wanna help me unpack?”
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Post by LJ on Mar 18, 2005 17:07:41 GMT -5
She sighed audibly in relief as she recognized Mr. Tompkins’ car in the driveway. At least this part she wouldn’t have to do alone. Parking the car, she hesitated before opening the door. Slowly she walked up the path to the front door and, very slowly, knocked.
The door swung open to reveal a tall, well-built man in his mid-forties. Kate found herself reminded strongly of Gibbs as his piercing eyes (albeit brown) examined her closely in the brief moment before letting her in.
“Ah, Kate!” Mr. Tompkins called when she entered what she assumed had been the living room. “Welcome. We were just finishing up the last of the boxes.”<br> Kate saw him kneeling on the floor next to a large box, Grace helping him tape it shut. There were two other similar boxes in the room, which was otherwise empty. Kate suddenly had a disturbing thought.
“Um, who’s selling the house?” she asked worriedly, hoping desperately that the answer would not be her.
“That would be me,” the man said from behind her, a touch of amused sarcasm in his voice.
“Grace,” Mr. Tompkins grunted as he struggled with a piece of tape. “Would you like to introduce Kate to your uncle?”<br> “Oh, right,” she responded. “Uncle Jack, Kate Todd. Kate Todd, Uncle Jack. He’s – was – my dad’s brother.”<br> Kate nodded politely at “Uncle Jack”. He returned it, still scrutinizing her. From what little Kate had seen of him, he was extraordinarily protective of his young niece and determined to make sure she would be going home with someone reliable. Just what I need, she sighed inwardly. Another Gibbs on my case.
An awkward silence was settling over the room. Kate wasn’t sure what to do or say but she had to break the stillness.
“Um, can I carry anything to the car?” she asked.
“That box there,” Grace directed, not looking up. Kate grabbed it, grateful for anything to do, but she had underestimated the weight.
She was still grappling with the box when it unexpectedly lost a good bit of poundage. Surprised, she looked around and noticed Uncle Jack on the other side, lifting with her. Together they maneuvered the heavy container into the trunk of her car.
“Thanks,” she said appreciatively, breathing heavily.
“You’re welcome,” he grunted.
“You know,” she began hesitantly, “I really do want what’s best for Grace.”<br> He gazed at her again, a look she was so familiar with from a different silver-haired man, and nodded slightly. “I know. You think I’d be letting you take her if I thought you didn’t?”<br> After getting all the boxes in the car, three of them stood in the living room and stared at the floor while Mr. Tompkins rattled off a few final reminders.
“Well,” he finished, “is everyone ready?”<br> Grace, tears in her eyes but determined not to cry, nodded. She hugged her uncle fiercely and he kissed the top of her head lightly. Kate stood with Mr. Tompkins, looking on as uncle and niece said their goodbyes.
“Kate?” Mr. Tompkins asked quietly.
She nodded, tears in her own eyes. It was time, she realized, to face the reality. She was the mother of a fourteen-year-old girl who had just faced an enormous trauma. No one said this was going to be easy, she reminded herself.
“Everyone ready?” Mr. Tompkins repeated.
No, Kate thought desperately. But she said,
“Yes.”<br> Grace nodded again, hugging her uncle one last time, and they all headed out the door. As she and Grace got in the car, Kate was assailed by a sudden onslaught of maternal worry.
“Seatbelt,” she ordered automatically. Grace gave her a look as she drew the strap across her body. Kate cringed inwardly. This was not starting well.
“So,” she tried, forcing a cheerful tone, “what do you like to do?”<br> “I don’t like to talk in the car,” the girl muttered stonily.
Nosiree, Kate thought. No one said this was going to be easy.
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Post by LJ on Mar 18, 2005 17:03:52 GMT -5
Ch. 5 – Moving Out
“A field agent’s crime scene sketches should portray both the scale of the crime scene, as well as relative distances and positioning of evidence,” the toupeed, bespectacled little man droned. “Any questions? No? Next we will discuss collecting and cataloguing physical evidence…”
Kate’s cell phone vibrated urgently against her hip and she started slightly; the older agent’s soporific voice had put her in that half-doze state familiar to all lecture recipients. Glancing around surreptitiously to see if anyone was paying attention to her, she pulled it out discreetly and checked the caller ID. The small screen displayed a number she had become quite familiar with over the past few weeks. Whatever Mr. Tompkins was calling about this early in the morning had to be important. Looking up again briefly, she slipped out the back with only Gibbs giving her a slight frown.
“Hello?” she answered.
“Kate? It’s Randy Tompkins,” his warm voice floated over the line. “I’m not interrupting anything, am I?”<br> “No,” she reassured him, “just a really boring seminar. The lecturer is a cross between Ben Stein and Donald Trump.”<br> He chuckled. “Good. I just called to say that all the paperwork has gone through and you are cleared to take Grace home. When would you like to pick her up?”<br> “Oh,” Kate stammered, caught off-guard. “Um, is Saturday okay?”<br> “Saturday would be wonderful. I’ll let her know, and her uncle. Anything you need?”<br> “Not right now, thanks. See you Saturday, I guess.”<br> “Indeed. Goodbye, Kate.”<br> She flipped her phone closed, breathing deeply. In the three weeks since Mr. Tompkins had first called her about Grace, she had prepared her home as best she could for a teen. She knew, though, that the reality had not quite sunk in yet. The transition from free-range bachelorette to single mom would not be hers until Grace actually moved in, if then. It was an attitude, she reflected. Would she ever be able to be a mother to this girl?
People were beginning to trickle out of the room, the seminar apparently over. Gibbs spotted her and raised an eyebrow.
“What was that about?” he asked quietly. The volume didn’t disguise the faint accusation in his voice.
“Nothing,” she said quickly. “Important call.” She wasn’t about to tell him it had been about Grace. He had been quite adamant when he told her that her new position in life would not interfere with her work.
His eyebrow quivered slightly, as if it couldn’t make up its mind about whether or not it should appear incredulous. Giving her one last squint, he apparently decided it wasn’t important right now and turned to go back to work.
By the time Saturday rolled around, Kate was more nervous than a shell-shocked cat. She rushed around the house, straightening and dusting, waiting for the appropriate time to leave. When she finally got on the road, she drove almost as erratically as Gibbs and incurred almost as many angry honks. Gathering her wits enough to slow as she approached her destination, she checked house numbers with an increasing apprehension. What had she really gotten herself into?
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Post by LJ on Mar 11, 2005 18:08:17 GMT -5
She couldn’t speak. The growing sense of unease, telling her that maybe she shouldn’t say anything to Gibbs, had exploded into full-fledged dread and left her immobile. She wanted nothing more than to flee his penetrating stare, go somewhere private and have good cry, but her feet would not obey. Her eyes stung with tears and her throat hurt from the effort of holding them back.
Her vision blurred by tears, she didn’t see Gibbs’ expression slowly soften. His next comment had less of a bite to it, which constituted an apology in Gibbs-speak. “You didn’t choose to go that far.”<br> She shook her head mutely in confirmation, not trusting her voice. He looked at her for a long moment before reaching over to McGee’s desk and handing her a Kleenex. She took it, appreciating that the act was as sympathetic a gesture as she was ever going to get from Gibbs. She hated being so emotional, especially in front of Gibbs, but there wasn’t a whole lot she could do about it now. After dabbing her eyes and blowing her nose, she threw the tissue away and turned back to Gibbs.
“So,” she began, forcing her voice to stay strong. “Are you going to tell me I should have been more careful? Taken self-defense classes? Carried mace?”<br> He gave her a look somewhere between reproach and, oddly, sadness. Perhaps he was troubled that she thought he was so callous. Maybe he was just irritated that she was being so disrespectful. She didn’t really care. She had been hurt and no matter how nice he was now, her defenses were up.
“I would appreciate it,” she bit out, her bitterness strengthening with every word, “if you didn’t tell anyone.” She couldn’t explain why she was being so nasty to Gibbs, except perhaps that his comment, however ignorant, had touched a part of her she thought she had buried. All the fear and hurt and rage she had felt toward Dominic was resurfacing and it had no place to go but out.
Unfortunately, Gibbs didn’t take well to being disrespected. “Agent Todd, you are out of line,” he growled, eyes blazing. “Get that attitude in check or you will be looking for another job.”<br> Something about the familiar gruffness in his voice called her back to reality. Before she could say anything, though, the ding! of the elevator caused both their heads to turn. A moment later Tony came around the corner, whistling cheerfully and oblivious to the tension in the room.
“Morning, boss,” he greeted, still apparently blind to the looks on their faces. “You’re in early, Kate.”<br> “So are you, DiNozzo,” Gibbs retorted sharply, sweeping past with a muttered comment about coffee.
Tony looked puzzled. “What’d I do?” he asked Kate, once Gibbs was out of earshot.
“You were born, Tony,” Kate returned halfheartedly. Tony noticed her lack of enthusiasm and turned to look at her, finally realizing that she was not well.
“Kate,” he started, concern edging into his voice. “Are you okay? What happened yesterday, anyway?”<br> “I’m fine, Tony,” Kate dismissed him, before remembering that this was Tony; if she couldn’t trust him, who could she trust? “Yesterday…I met someone. Someone I hadn’t seen in…a long time.”<br> “Old boyfriend?” Tony joked. She stiffened slightly, determined not to make the same mistake she had with Gibbs. They didn’t know. It’s not their fault.
“No,” she answered simply. “My…daughter.”<br> Tony reacted much the same as Gibbs, only more obviously. His eyebrows scurried toward his hairline and his eyes widened in unrestrained surprise. “Daughter? Really?”<br> She nodded, waiting for his inevitable comment. She wasn’t disappointed.
“You?” he asked unthinkingly.
She rolled her eyes. “Yes, Tony, me.”<br> He seemed to be slowly recovering from his shock. Sputtering only slightly, he managed, “Wow, Kate. Um, congratulations. So, what’s up with her?”<br> Kate sighed, wondering how much to tell. She settled for the bare facts. “Her adoptive parents died last week. Custody reverts to me.”<br> Tony nodded as if he understood, but there was still confusion in his eyes. Kate ignored it; if he didn’t ask, she wasn’t going to tell. “That’s, um, that’s cool. So, how old is she? Four, five?”<br> Kate swallowed. She knew what he would assume, what he already assumed. Why it seemed worse when they found out she was underage she didn’t know, but it did. Nevertheless, she had to answer. She wanted to answer. “She’s fourteen,” she said, barely above a whisper.
She could see the wheels turning as he processed the number, subtracting it from what he knew of Kate’s age to come up with…Tony had the decency not to say anything as he connected the dots but when his eyes widened again, she knew that he knew.
Kate excused herself quickly and made her way to the ladies’ room. Wiping her face with a damp paper towel, she stared in the mirror and gritted her teeth. I’d better get used to it, she thought grimly. Everyone’s going to think it.
Somehow, that happy thought didn’t cheer her. She dabbed her eyes, breathing deeply to calm herself. With a depressed look at her watch, she realized that it wasn’t even her usual arrival time. It was going to be a very long day.
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Post by LJ on Mar 11, 2005 18:04:33 GMT -5
Ch. 4 – Telling Gibbs
“Gibbs,” Kate began confidently, “I have a daughter.”<br> Her reflection gazed coldly back at her, saying nothing. She sighed. The drive to work had never been shorter and she considered going around the block until she had composed a decent explanation. Reason won out, though, as she realized that putting it off would only delay the inevitable.
“Gibbs,” she tried again as she walked into the building, “When I was a teenager – no.” She stopped herself, vowing she would not tell anyone the circumstances of Grace’s conception. It was far too personal.
“Agent Todd?” the security guard asked, bringing her thoughts back to the present. He looked mildly surprised that she was in so early; she normally didn’t turn up for another hour or two. She smiled quickly at him and stepped through the metal detector, collecting her weapon on the other side.
It’s not too late, she thought. I can still go back. I don’t have to tell him anything. Another, more practical, voice retorted, Yeah, right. Gibbs not notice anything? Maybe when Satan passes out snow-cones. She sighed again. This was not going to be pleasant.
As she walked into the bullpen, trying desperately to look calm and confident, she noticed Gibbs’ mouth open. It was difficult to tell whether it was merely surprise at seeing her in so early or the beginning of a rant about yesterday’s behavior, but she guessed the latter. Gibbs was hardly a jaw-dropper.
Before he could say anything, she cut him off. “Gibbs, I need to talk to you.”<br> His expression didn’t even change as he shaped his already open mouth around different words. “I’d say you do.”<br> “Look, I’m sorry about yesterday, okay? It was…an emergency,” Kate explained lamely. He raised an eyebrow, his way of saying that was not nearly enough. “I had to go see a lawyer,” she continued carefully. His eyebrow inched further upwards. “About…my daughter.” There, it was out.
Both eyebrows reacted this time. Kate didn’t think she’d ever seen Gibbs so surprised. He recovered with unbelievable speed, though, so fast she wondered if she’d even seen the look at all.
“Daughter,” he repeated slowly, his eyes narrowing. “Why didn’t I know about her before?”<br> His tone was dangerously casual. Kate swallowed hard; the conversation had definitely taken a turn for the worse.
“Um,” she started, all of her practiced explanations suddenly erased. “I…she…hasn’t exactly been living with me.” There was the eyebrow again, although this time it had a far more accusatory tone. “She hasn’t even really been in my life. At all. Since she was born.” In her nervousness, Kate’s sentences came out in bursts.
“Father?” Kate hadn’t thought it was possible to convey so much meaning with one word. He somehow managed to express disappointment, faint anger, and even two different questions, all in just two syllables.
“Boyfriend,” she answered one of the questions. “And no,” she answered the other. “He didn’t even know. She was adopted. Her adoptive parents were killed last week, so I get custody.” There was something about the way Gibbs said nothing that made people want to fill the silence. Kate had often seen him use it on suspects and now she found the tactic at work on her.
“Adopted? You didn’t want your own child?” Kate was shocked at the outburst. The only time she had ever seen Gibbs react like that was when Captain Watson had tried to explain why he’d put his family at risk. Like then, she found herself wondering what more there was to Gibbs’ story.
Her more immediate concern, however, was Gibbs’ accusing remark. Indignant, she replied with more information than she had planned to give. “Gibbs, I was sixteen years old! I couldn’t take care of a child!”<br> “Maybe you should have thought of that before,” he charged with quiet intensity. Her eyes widened in hurt. She hadn’t been prepared for blame. When she was sixteen and hiding Grace from her parents, yes, but not from Gibbs at age thirty. Even aware that he didn’t know about Dominic, she couldn’t help feeling betrayed by his condemning glare.
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Post by LJ on Mar 4, 2005 19:53:36 GMT -5
Ch. 3 – Grace Elizabeth
A torrent of conflicting emotions flooded Kate’s mind. Joy, worry, relief, fear, love, dread. The eyes which she had at first thought were her own, she now realized were lighter and far more innocent. Grace’s hair was brown, like Kate’s, but with a definite blonder tint. It also curled slightly, framing her face in a sickeningly familiar way. Kate swallowed hard; Grace looked very little like Dominic, in fact, but the little features were enough to catch her breath.
It was a long time ago, she reminded herself. I’m not the same person, and she’s not her father. After what seemed hours but was in reality only a few seconds, Kate remembered herself and smiled in what she hoped was a friendly way. Her mouth suddenly felt too big for her face and she was having trouble operating it.
“Grace, this is your birth mother, Caitlin Todd,” Mr. Tompkins said quietly. “Kate, Grace.”<br> “Grace,” Kate greeted hoarsely. How often she had turned the name over in her mind, wondering about the person behind it. Now she was finally meeting her and she had no clue what to say.
“Hi,” the girl replied. Her tone was guarded but, to Kate’s surprise, not shy. Repressing the urge to smile at this resemblance to her own personality, Kate cast about for something to say. This girl had just lost the only people she knew as parents; what could anybody say?
Grace decided for her. “So…I’m gonna live with you?”<br> Kate nodded. “Yes. If that’s all right with you.”<br> “Sure,” the girl shrugged. “How long do I have?”<br> “Since it’s already May,” Mr. Tompkins jumped in, “we want to let you finish out the school year. We still have a bit of paperwork to sort out, too, before you can move in with Ms. Todd. I’ll need to officially examine the suitability of the home and…” He realized his audience was only pretending to listen out of politeness. “Well, I’ve arranged to have your Uncle Jack continue staying with you for the next few weeks. Is that all right with both of you?”<br> Kate nodded, slightly relieved that she wouldn’t have the responsibility of a fourteen-year-old on her hands immediately. Grace shrugged again, apparently trying to exude the typical teenage indifference. Kate’s heart went out to her; this girl had lost her entire family (as she knew it) less than a week ago, her life was now being upended by two strange people, and yet she was attempting to maintain her composure.
“Okay,” Mr. Tompkins smiled. “You ladies should have more time to get to know each other in these coming weeks, but time has unfortunately passed us much faster than, I’m sure, we imagined. Grace needs to get back to her uncle for dinner. And bed; it’s a school night, young lady.”<br> Grace nodded tiredly and turned to leave.
“Grace,” Kate called before she could stop herself. “It was nice to meet you.” She offered her hand and Grace took it, almost hesitantly, a small smile growing slowly over her face.
And then Grace walked out the door with a piece of Kate’s heart.
“Kate,” Mr. Tompkins began quietly, after Grace had left. “My wife asked me to extend an invitation for dinner tonight. I believe the menu is stew and dumplings.”<br> Kate smiled gratefully, suddenly exhausted. “Thanks, but I think I just need to be alone tonight.”<br> The kind lawyer wore a sympathetic look as he patted her on the arm. “Of course. If you need anything, you have my number.”<br> “Thanks,” she repeated, walking slowly out the door.
She got in her car and just sat for a few moments, thinking. Questions ran through her mind, pausing briefly for consideration before scurrying off again. They were questions of all types, ranging from serious problems to trivial issues. The one question that came up repeatedly, in a few different variations, was a serious question about a big problem. What am I going to tell Gibbs?
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