you've got that thing
Chapter 11
(Kate's POV)
I try to freshen up as much as I can. Despite the bath I had earlier, I would like to take a quick shower and change my clothes.
I splash some water on my face to help wake me.
I don’t think that helped.
I look in the mirror and to see how much of my make-up I need to fix. Thankfully not much, but that it’s going to help my clothes. My shirt has seen better days.
Damn, the minute I decide to change my clothes they come in. There is no way for me to get to my bedroom unseen from here. I’ll just have to listen to my mother complain about my lifestyle. Not that that would be a first.
As I straighten my clothes I can hear Gibbs getting acquainted with my parents.
Just as I open the door, I hear the front door close. I step out into the living room and see my mother sitting on the couch.
“Hi, did you and Daddy have a nice drive?” I ask as she stands up to hug me.
“It would have been a lot nicer if we were just coming for a visit instead of coming to bail my daughter out of trouble.”
“I’m not in trouble.”
“From what I understand you’re pregnant and not married, that means that you’re in trouble. And that man, whom I have never met before tonight, looks old enough to be your father. And he’s your boss? Didn't we teach you better than that?”
“You must be tired from the long drive. I take it Daddy and Gibbs went to get your bags. I’ll show where your room is. I redecorate since the last time you were here.”
“Caitlin, you can not just ignore the facts.”
“I’m not, Mother. I’m very happy with the life that I have. It may not have been the order in which that I would have liked to have done things, but I can’t change that now.” Where are they? Really how long does it take to bring bags up...unless Daddy is talking to him like Mother is to me. I should let Gibbs stay just to piss my parents off.
“I have to tinkle.”
“The bathroom is still in the same place.” I tell her. All my life I’ve tried to get her to say bathroom or, hell, even pee.
The tea kettle finally started to whistle, it couldn’t have done that 5 minutes earlier.
Mother seems to be taking her time in the bathroom, so I make my way to kitchen to make the tea that I wish was coffee...or something stronger.
It’s not that I don’t love my parents, I do; they just have a tendency to drive me nuts.
As I reach up in to the cupboard for the tea I can hear male laughter out in the hall and then my door opening bringing the laughter inside. I can vaguely hear my father say something about all pregnant women being like that.
I spoon some sugar in to my cup and reach over to start the coffee pot. Gibbs stated to make it, but must have been distracted by the arrival of my patents.
I walk out to the living room to find both of my parents and Gibbs in an uncomfortable silence,
“Hi Daddy,” I greet him.
“Hey Rosebud, how are you doing?” He asks softly as he hugs me.
“I’m good, Daddy.”
“How have you been feeling? When your mom was pregnant with all of you guys she had horrible morning sickness.”
Gibbs chuckles at his question and answers before I can even open my mouth, “She doesn’t get sick unless it has to do with coffee or sea food.”
“Coffee doesn’t do anything anymore and I haven’t tested sea food lately,” I correct. Needless to say I’m glad that the scent of coffee doesn’t do me in anymore, because now that we’re home Gibbs smells like it more often than he did when we were under cover.
“The trip wore me down I’m going to go to bed,” Mother announces.
“Good night Mrs. Todd. I’ll see you at breakfast.”
“Yes, I’m sure.” She tells Gibbs.
“Caitlin, I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Night Mother.”
“Michael, are you coming?” Mother asks from the doorway of the bedroom.
“I’m going to sit up for a bit with Kate and Jethro.”
Mother turns in to the room and closes the door behind her.
This is going to be a disastrous visit.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Gibbs' POV)
I thought that the second I met her parent that they would have mauled me by the way that Kate was talking.
Michael seems to have gotten over his initial dislike for the situation, because as I was helping him with the bags he was asking about how Kate was feeling and how the pregnancy was progressing, among other things.
“Don’t worry about her. She’ll come around.” Michael tells up as soon as the bedroom door closes.
We all quietly walk over to the living room and sit down, with Kate next to me and Michael in the arm chair across from us.
“Daddy, you know that I love you and Mother, but I’m an adult and I get the choose the way I live my life now” She reaches for my hand and interlaces our fingers, “This may not be the way that I would have done things, but this is the way they turned out. I have no intention of ending this pregnancy. I may not practice religion right now, but I still have my beliefs.”
“Kate, calm down. I wanted to apologize for the way I acted when you called. I’m just not used to having my independent, little Katie in troubling situations.”
“Daddy,” she sighs, “I forgive you. I can understand the shock, but will you please stop referring to this as a troubling situation or situations of any kind. And, Daddy, as much as you’re concerned, I am not in trouble. Gibbs and I are just taking things slow. We want this work. We've had one doctor’s appointment and he was there with me. We even had a sonogram done, but I think we left it at his house.”
Kate and I share a smile at the thought of the sonogram picture. No one knows that it’s more than one right now. I didn’t even tell Ducky. I figured that Kate and I will have everyone over one night, preferably after her parent leave, to tell everyone.
“Now, Jethro, I’m not blind to the fact that you are a bit older than my daughter. And she hasn’t told me very much about you. Do you have any children?”
It was such an innocent question, but I could feel Kate stiffen a little next to me.
“I had a daughter. She and my wife were killed in a car accident.” I know that eventually I’ll have to tell the truth about the number of marriages I’ve had, but I’d rather they like me first before I tell them.
“That’s awful. I couldn’t imagine losing a child and then to lose your wife at the same time.” Michael shakes with a look of sadness on his face.
“Daddy, we really should be going to bed if you and Mother want to go to church tomorrow,” Kate says.
“I thought that you didn’t go to church?” Her father asks her.
“I don’t go regularly, but on occasion I do go. It’s a nice, small church not that far from here.”
“If you want, we can go.” Her father says.
“If we don’t Mother will be more upset. We can meet Gibbs after church for breakfast and he can bring the pictures from the sonogram.”
“No, Jethro, you should join us for church. And besides that you’ll earn brownie points towards Eleanor’s good side.”
I agree, because I really do need to get on her good side. The woman has barely said ten words to me since we met.
“I’m going to hit the hay,” Michael says. “That drive is catching up to me. Night Katie, Jethro, I’ll see you both in the morning.” He gets up and then leans over and kisses Kate’s forehead and shakes my hand.
“Night Dad, sleep well.” She says as he get to the bedroom door.
“Good night, Michael.”
“Don’t let the bed bugs bite.” He says as he closes the door behind him.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Kate's POV)
I relax a little more in to Gibbs after the door closes.
“What time is mass?” he asks.
“Mother will probably want to go to 9 o'clock mass. I don't think that they will get up early enough to go at 7:30.”
“OK, I'm going to make you something to eat and then I'm going to go home.”
“You don't have to.”
“I should. I do want your mother to like me eventually and then I can bring the sonogram pictures to breakfast.”
“OK,” I relent. I do want mother to like him too, There's not need for me to push any extra buttons until my mother at least tolerates him.
Gibbs went to see what he could make in my nearly barren kitchen and reappeared with a bowl of cereal and small cup of yogurt.
“I'm staying until you've eaten all of this and tucked you in,” he says and hands me the bowl.
I pout for a just a second before taking a bite. I slept most of the afternoon; I'm not really that tired.
(Kate's POV)
I try to freshen up as much as I can. Despite the bath I had earlier, I would like to take a quick shower and change my clothes.
I splash some water on my face to help wake me.
I don’t think that helped.
I look in the mirror and to see how much of my make-up I need to fix. Thankfully not much, but that it’s going to help my clothes. My shirt has seen better days.
Damn, the minute I decide to change my clothes they come in. There is no way for me to get to my bedroom unseen from here. I’ll just have to listen to my mother complain about my lifestyle. Not that that would be a first.
As I straighten my clothes I can hear Gibbs getting acquainted with my parents.
Just as I open the door, I hear the front door close. I step out into the living room and see my mother sitting on the couch.
“Hi, did you and Daddy have a nice drive?” I ask as she stands up to hug me.
“It would have been a lot nicer if we were just coming for a visit instead of coming to bail my daughter out of trouble.”
“I’m not in trouble.”
“From what I understand you’re pregnant and not married, that means that you’re in trouble. And that man, whom I have never met before tonight, looks old enough to be your father. And he’s your boss? Didn't we teach you better than that?”
“You must be tired from the long drive. I take it Daddy and Gibbs went to get your bags. I’ll show where your room is. I redecorate since the last time you were here.”
“Caitlin, you can not just ignore the facts.”
“I’m not, Mother. I’m very happy with the life that I have. It may not have been the order in which that I would have liked to have done things, but I can’t change that now.” Where are they? Really how long does it take to bring bags up...unless Daddy is talking to him like Mother is to me. I should let Gibbs stay just to piss my parents off.
“I have to tinkle.”
“The bathroom is still in the same place.” I tell her. All my life I’ve tried to get her to say bathroom or, hell, even pee.
The tea kettle finally started to whistle, it couldn’t have done that 5 minutes earlier.
Mother seems to be taking her time in the bathroom, so I make my way to kitchen to make the tea that I wish was coffee...or something stronger.
It’s not that I don’t love my parents, I do; they just have a tendency to drive me nuts.
As I reach up in to the cupboard for the tea I can hear male laughter out in the hall and then my door opening bringing the laughter inside. I can vaguely hear my father say something about all pregnant women being like that.
I spoon some sugar in to my cup and reach over to start the coffee pot. Gibbs stated to make it, but must have been distracted by the arrival of my patents.
I walk out to the living room to find both of my parents and Gibbs in an uncomfortable silence,
“Hi Daddy,” I greet him.
“Hey Rosebud, how are you doing?” He asks softly as he hugs me.
“I’m good, Daddy.”
“How have you been feeling? When your mom was pregnant with all of you guys she had horrible morning sickness.”
Gibbs chuckles at his question and answers before I can even open my mouth, “She doesn’t get sick unless it has to do with coffee or sea food.”
“Coffee doesn’t do anything anymore and I haven’t tested sea food lately,” I correct. Needless to say I’m glad that the scent of coffee doesn’t do me in anymore, because now that we’re home Gibbs smells like it more often than he did when we were under cover.
“The trip wore me down I’m going to go to bed,” Mother announces.
“Good night Mrs. Todd. I’ll see you at breakfast.”
“Yes, I’m sure.” She tells Gibbs.
“Caitlin, I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Night Mother.”
“Michael, are you coming?” Mother asks from the doorway of the bedroom.
“I’m going to sit up for a bit with Kate and Jethro.”
Mother turns in to the room and closes the door behind her.
This is going to be a disastrous visit.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Gibbs' POV)
I thought that the second I met her parent that they would have mauled me by the way that Kate was talking.
Michael seems to have gotten over his initial dislike for the situation, because as I was helping him with the bags he was asking about how Kate was feeling and how the pregnancy was progressing, among other things.
“Don’t worry about her. She’ll come around.” Michael tells up as soon as the bedroom door closes.
We all quietly walk over to the living room and sit down, with Kate next to me and Michael in the arm chair across from us.
“Daddy, you know that I love you and Mother, but I’m an adult and I get the choose the way I live my life now” She reaches for my hand and interlaces our fingers, “This may not be the way that I would have done things, but this is the way they turned out. I have no intention of ending this pregnancy. I may not practice religion right now, but I still have my beliefs.”
“Kate, calm down. I wanted to apologize for the way I acted when you called. I’m just not used to having my independent, little Katie in troubling situations.”
“Daddy,” she sighs, “I forgive you. I can understand the shock, but will you please stop referring to this as a troubling situation or situations of any kind. And, Daddy, as much as you’re concerned, I am not in trouble. Gibbs and I are just taking things slow. We want this work. We've had one doctor’s appointment and he was there with me. We even had a sonogram done, but I think we left it at his house.”
Kate and I share a smile at the thought of the sonogram picture. No one knows that it’s more than one right now. I didn’t even tell Ducky. I figured that Kate and I will have everyone over one night, preferably after her parent leave, to tell everyone.
“Now, Jethro, I’m not blind to the fact that you are a bit older than my daughter. And she hasn’t told me very much about you. Do you have any children?”
It was such an innocent question, but I could feel Kate stiffen a little next to me.
“I had a daughter. She and my wife were killed in a car accident.” I know that eventually I’ll have to tell the truth about the number of marriages I’ve had, but I’d rather they like me first before I tell them.
“That’s awful. I couldn’t imagine losing a child and then to lose your wife at the same time.” Michael shakes with a look of sadness on his face.
“Daddy, we really should be going to bed if you and Mother want to go to church tomorrow,” Kate says.
“I thought that you didn’t go to church?” Her father asks her.
“I don’t go regularly, but on occasion I do go. It’s a nice, small church not that far from here.”
“If you want, we can go.” Her father says.
“If we don’t Mother will be more upset. We can meet Gibbs after church for breakfast and he can bring the pictures from the sonogram.”
“No, Jethro, you should join us for church. And besides that you’ll earn brownie points towards Eleanor’s good side.”
I agree, because I really do need to get on her good side. The woman has barely said ten words to me since we met.
“I’m going to hit the hay,” Michael says. “That drive is catching up to me. Night Katie, Jethro, I’ll see you both in the morning.” He gets up and then leans over and kisses Kate’s forehead and shakes my hand.
“Night Dad, sleep well.” She says as he get to the bedroom door.
“Good night, Michael.”
“Don’t let the bed bugs bite.” He says as he closes the door behind him.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
(Kate's POV)
I relax a little more in to Gibbs after the door closes.
“What time is mass?” he asks.
“Mother will probably want to go to 9 o'clock mass. I don't think that they will get up early enough to go at 7:30.”
“OK, I'm going to make you something to eat and then I'm going to go home.”
“You don't have to.”
“I should. I do want your mother to like me eventually and then I can bring the sonogram pictures to breakfast.”
“OK,” I relent. I do want mother to like him too, There's not need for me to push any extra buttons until my mother at least tolerates him.
Gibbs went to see what he could make in my nearly barren kitchen and reappeared with a bowl of cereal and small cup of yogurt.
“I'm staying until you've eaten all of this and tucked you in,” he says and hands me the bowl.
I pout for a just a second before taking a bite. I slept most of the afternoon; I'm not really that tired.