Two Weeks Away
Prologue
Kate stared at the Victorian house across the street. She had been sitting in her car freezing her ass off for over a half hour. It was past midnight and Ducky was probably already asleep for pete’s sake. Taking a sip of coffee from her to-go cup, Kate grimaced at the taste; it was stone cold and from earlier in the day but caffeine was caffeine and she was not ready to go to sleep. Sleep was the enemy right now.
Looking out the front windshield and seeing nothing but darkness and dirty snow, Kate couldn’t help but ask herself: What was she doing here?
Putting her coffee back into the cup holder in the center console and placing her hands on the wheel in preparation to leave, Kate saw her hands were still shaking. That’s why she was here. She hadn’t slept well since she had woken up from the coma to find the world had continued on without her and that her life would never be the same again. Her hand touched the side of her head reflexively; even through the black knit beanie she wore she could feel the long scar that was there.
At a loud knock on her car window, Kate yelped, her whole body jerking in surprise at the unexpected noise. Heaving a sigh of relief at seeing Ducky’s friendly face on the other side, Kate hit the button that rolled down the window.
“Caitlin, my dear it is thirty below out here. I have been waiting for you to decide to come inside for a while now, but I couldn’t in good conscience wait any longer,” Ducky said patiently as he reached for the handle opening the door. “Come on. I have some hot tea waiting for you.”
Kate smiled ruefully at being caught basically staking out the M.E.’s house, and got out of the car, following Ducky across the street.
~NCIS/H50~
Taking off her coat, scarf, and gloves, Kate handed them over to Ducky who hung up the jacket and placed the gloves on the side table by the door.
“I’m going to check on mother real quick. Why don’t you go into the library? There is a tea tray there with some hot chamomile tea on it that should warm you right up,” Ducky said, then he started down the hall.
Kate walked into the library taking in the tea tray. The moment she saw the roaring fire she let out a happy sigh, already feeling better. She reached up to take off the knit cap she was still wearing then hesitated. The long ropey scar she had been left with, thanks to Ari, went from her temple to about midway along the right side of her head. Even with the creative hairstyles she had started to employ, which managed to cover most of it, you could still see it, so she had taken to wearing hats whenever she could. Shaking her head at her vanity, Kate took the cap off and shoved it into her pocket, and picked up the tea kettle and poured herself a cup. After all, Ducky had already seen it many times so it’s not like it would be a surprise to him.
Another shudder went up her spine as her body tried to regain some of the warmth she had lost by hanging out in her car at night in the middle of winter in Washington D.C. Blowing on the mug of tea she held in her hands, Kate turned herself towards the fire soaking up the heat like a lizard in the sun, but she continued to shiver. She took a sip of the too hot liquid trying to get some warmth to her core. Ducky’s library was always one of her favorite rooms in the house. There was something about the book-lined walls, with a fireplace at one end, that made her feel comforted, maybe because the room reminded her of the man who owned the house. She always found Ducky to be a comforting figure and someone she could go to for help if needed.
Ducky walked into the room, and Kate hurriedly spoke up, “I hope I haven’t disturbed your mother?”
He waved away her concern. “She is still sleeping. Are you okay, my dear?” Ducky asked, a look of worry crossing his face as he sat in the armchair next to hers.
“I will be. I just need to get warm,” Kate said, trying to smile reassuringly at the medical examiner. However seeing the look of concern deepen, she apparently hadn’t been successful. Wondering how much to tell him about the sense of unreality that persisted after waking to a world that was different from the one she remembered, or how she still had nightmares to the point her hands shook, or how she felt cold all the time no matter how many layers she wore. But she knew if she was that honest she could kiss her reinstatement goodbye so she decided to only be a little bit honest. “I’m just so tired of being cold,” she said, her teeth chattering a little bit, hating the fact that her voice sounded so fragile.
“Washington winters can be harsh and unforgiving,” Ducky said placidly. “But I don’t think that’s the only reason. How long have you felt cold, Kate?”
Kate forced herself to meet his gaze but this was why she had come here. So she breathed out a long sigh before saying, “Since I woke up.”
Ducky nodded encouragingly and she continued, “This winter has been very hard for me. I am cold all the time and so tired. At first I thought it was because of the head wound,” Kate said, once again touching the large scar she had on the side of her head, a permanent reminder of the day she almost died. If the wind hadn’t shifted at the exact moment Ari had fired his gun she probably would have taken a direct shot to the center of her head. “Some sort of lingering effects from the skull fracture, maybe nerve damage that the doctor’s weren’t aware of, or a leftover side effect from the weeks I spent in a coma.”
“Have you spoken to your doctor about this?” Ducky asked concern wrinkling his brow.
Shrugging in resignation, Kate said, “I’ve been to my doctor and had a full workup done. There’s no medical reason for it. My doctor suggested my brain may have to relearn how to regulate my temperature. It can’t be proven or disproven by tests and in time my brain will heal. Or else it is all in my head and I have more problems than I thought.”
Ducky seemed to ponder her words for a moment before he said, “I know you have been working very hard to become reinstated at NCIS.”
Kate’s mouth quirked up on one side, feeling a bit of pride at what she had managed to accomplish in such a short amount of time and far sooner than her doctor had predicted. “Yeah, actually I have passed all of my tests, except for my gun certification. That I will take my first day back but I have been practicing at the range and I don’t expect any problems.”
“What did your doctor say about clearing you?”
“He wants to keep me on medical leave for three more weeks, and then I’ll be riding a desk for another month after that,” Kate said, running a hand sharply through her hair, not caring that it tugged at her scar causing a twinge of pain to race through her head. “I’m ready now. I think work is what I need to get back on track.” Kate looked up pleadingly at Ducky like she was trying to convince the both of them. She needed to get back to work, and once she was sitting at her desk surrounded by her colleagues, bickering with Tony, teasing McGee, and trying to impress Gibbs, everything would be fine. It would all be the way it was, the way she needed it to be.
“Caitlin…” Ducky started to say, and Kate turned towards the fire at the sympathy in Ducky’s voice. After a few minutes, when he didn’t continue, she reluctantly turned back. Instead of looking like he felt sorry for her, he seemed like he was in deep thought a look of consternation on his face.
“Ducky?”
After a few moments of silence Ducky met her eyes and Kate saw his blue eyes were practically twinkling. “Kate, you have been working almost non-stop to be reinstated. Of course you are going to be tired and worn out. I have an idea. I remember Jethro saying you have three weeks until you report to NCIS. Have I ever told you I have a timeshare in Honolulu?”
Kate shook her head, and then she tried to switch gears from picturing the beige walls of NCIS to the tropical paradise of Oahu.
“It is a quaint bungalow right on the beach, tucked away on a quiet street. I don’t use it very often but it is available when I need it. Why don’t you go for a couple of weeks?”
“I don’t know Ducky,” Kate said with uncertainty. “I should probably stay here and…” Her voice trailed off as she tried to think about exactly why she shouldn’t go. She had jumped through all the hoops NCIS and her doctor had set up for her reinstatement; now she was just waiting.
Ducky waited a moment before placing a gentle hand on her arm. “I think a bit of rest and a change of scenery will do you good.”
Kate was still tempted to say no, worried that any deviation from her single-minded goal of returning to work would jinx it. Then a particular rough shiver ran through her and she closed her eyes, picturing warm tropical breezes and warm white sands. She opened her eyes and met the kindly blue eyes of Ducky and said, “Yes.”
~NCIS/H50~
Kate pulled the duvet up to her chin, feeling warm from her shoulders to her toes for the first time today. She was currently in Ducky’s guest room, the older man having insisted she stay the night. Kate had only made a perfunctory protest before she had shuffled upstairs, thankful for having such a great friend in the M.D. and for not having to go back to a cold, empty apartment. They had talked until past one, ironing out the details of Kate’s trip to Hawaii, with the help of Ducky’s surprisingly modern computer that was tucked away in one corner of his library. Turning over, Kate couldn’t help thinking about when she was little and she would sit next to her grandmother on her overstuffed couch where they would watch an old Jack Lord TV show. The show took place in Hawaii and Kate remembered how enamored she had been with the different views of paradise she had seen. She had made a promise to herself that one day she would go there. And now, unbelievably, she would.
As her eyes slipped close, Kate couldn’t believe that in forty-eight hours she would be on a plane flying across the country. Just as she was drifting off she heard the front door open and close, then Ducky and a voice she would recognize anywhere started a quiet conversation as they came up the stairs. Her eyes popped open as she realized one of her pet theories was now confirmed. She had always suspected that the two of them were more than just friends but she had never been one hundred percent sure. As she heard the footsteps retreat down the hall towards Ducky’s bedroom she closed her eyes again. Kate tried to go to sleep even though she had a million thoughts and questions now running through her head, both of her unexpected vacation and the fact Ducky and one Leroy Jethro Gibbs were apparently in a relationship. She also couldn’t help smirking a bit at the knowledge that Tony owed her twenty dollars.
~NCIS/H50~
Because Kate didn’t get up at the crack of dawn she missed Gibbs leaving, although she had a vague memory of hearing the front door closing before the sun even came up. She had meant to get up then but she had thought about it for too long and had fallen back to sleep. When she woke up again the sun was shining through the windows; and glancing at the clock she saw it was going on ten o’clock. Dressing in record time, Kate hurried downstairs, throwing her hair up into a messy ponytail, worrying that she had overstayed her welcome. First she showed up late at night and then she slept well past the time Ducky would need to go to work. Some friend she was.
Walking into the kitchen, Kate saw Ducky was at the counter cutting vegetables and putting them into a crockpot that sat next to the stove.
When Ducky caught sight of her and he flashed a broad smile and said with exuberance, “Hello my dear, I hope you slept well?”
“Very well in fact,” Kate answered. She walked into the kitchen and stood next to him, resting her hip against the counter, and then continued on with a grimace, “Maybe too well. You should’ve woken me up earlier. I hope I haven’t kept you from anything.”
Ducky waved away her concern, “No, no, I don’t go into work until later this afternoon.” He put the knife aside and dumped the rest of the vegetables from the cutting board into what looked like a stew. Placing the lid on, he set the timer and then turned to her. “I figured after our late night planning you needed to sleep for as long as you could.”
“Well thank you Ducky. You’re a good friend,” Kate said fondly.
“I try,” Ducky said, before he headed over to the coffee pot. “Now what would you like for breakfast?”
“Oh you don’t have to…”
Ducky interrupted as he poured coffee into a mug, “It is no trouble. I could make an omelet or maybe some toast?”
Kate knew Ducky would continue to insist, and she was awfully hungry, so she picked the easiest option. Reaching for the coffee up he offered to her, Kate conceded, “Just some toast please.”
Smiling his approval at her capitulation, Ducky waved her towards the breakfast nook. “Please have a seat.”
Amused as the Scottish man started humming under his breath, Kate walked past the sink heading towards the small table tucked into the corner. As she did so she couldn’t help but notice that on one side of the kitchen sink there was already a coffee cup and two plates and some utensils, which made it more than obvious that two people had already eaten breakfast this morning. Determined to mind her own business, Kate sat down and cradled the coffee in her hands. She started thinking over everything that she would need to do in the next few days in order to be ready for her flight on Tuesday.
She had just finished mentally going through her closet when Ducky placed a plate down in front of her and sat down next to her with his own cup, which held tea instead of coffee. The plate not only held toast but also a generous side of assorted berries. Kate immediately tucked into her food. Ducky kept her company with a steady stream of chatter about the various things to do in Hawaii, which didn’t require too much conversation from her and was fairly interesting. When she finished she sat back and said, “Thanks, I didn’t realize how hungry I was.”
Ducky nodded his head and then returned, “That does seem to be the way of it.” He shifted a bit in his seat and sighed. Clearing his throat, he caught her eye and said, “Caitlin, if you could keep what you learned here last night to yourself, I would appreciate it.”
“Of course, Ducky, it’s none of my business,” Kate said, hoping to reassure him, as both Ducky and Gibbs were very important to her and she would never want to hurt them by gossiping.
Ducky nodded, and then opened his mouth to say something before seeming to think better of it. Then with a slight shake of his head, he spoke in a confidential tone of voice, “It’s not that we’re ashamed of our relationship, but we would just prefer to keep our personal lives separate from our professional. I don’t want our relationship to be fodder for the office gossip mill.”
Now it was Kate’s turn to nod her head. “I totally understand, Ducky.” And she did. The few times during her recovery when she had gone to NCIS to visit she had been hyperaware of the whispered conversations that would suddenly stop when she got too close. “Your secret is safe with me,” Kate reassured him. She could feel the guilt slither through her that she and Tony had already indulged in a bit of gossip about the two of them, so she made a silent vow to never do so again.
“Thank you, my dear,” Ducky said gratefully, patting her hand gently.
Chapter One
This entry was originally posted at https://under-the-silk-tree.dreamwidth.org/72168.html
Kate stared at the Victorian house across the street. She had been sitting in her car freezing her ass off for over a half hour. It was past midnight and Ducky was probably already asleep for pete’s sake. Taking a sip of coffee from her to-go cup, Kate grimaced at the taste; it was stone cold and from earlier in the day but caffeine was caffeine and she was not ready to go to sleep. Sleep was the enemy right now.
Looking out the front windshield and seeing nothing but darkness and dirty snow, Kate couldn’t help but ask herself: What was she doing here?
Putting her coffee back into the cup holder in the center console and placing her hands on the wheel in preparation to leave, Kate saw her hands were still shaking. That’s why she was here. She hadn’t slept well since she had woken up from the coma to find the world had continued on without her and that her life would never be the same again. Her hand touched the side of her head reflexively; even through the black knit beanie she wore she could feel the long scar that was there.
At a loud knock on her car window, Kate yelped, her whole body jerking in surprise at the unexpected noise. Heaving a sigh of relief at seeing Ducky’s friendly face on the other side, Kate hit the button that rolled down the window.
“Caitlin, my dear it is thirty below out here. I have been waiting for you to decide to come inside for a while now, but I couldn’t in good conscience wait any longer,” Ducky said patiently as he reached for the handle opening the door. “Come on. I have some hot tea waiting for you.”
Kate smiled ruefully at being caught basically staking out the M.E.’s house, and got out of the car, following Ducky across the street.
~NCIS/H50~
Taking off her coat, scarf, and gloves, Kate handed them over to Ducky who hung up the jacket and placed the gloves on the side table by the door.
“I’m going to check on mother real quick. Why don’t you go into the library? There is a tea tray there with some hot chamomile tea on it that should warm you right up,” Ducky said, then he started down the hall.
Kate walked into the library taking in the tea tray. The moment she saw the roaring fire she let out a happy sigh, already feeling better. She reached up to take off the knit cap she was still wearing then hesitated. The long ropey scar she had been left with, thanks to Ari, went from her temple to about midway along the right side of her head. Even with the creative hairstyles she had started to employ, which managed to cover most of it, you could still see it, so she had taken to wearing hats whenever she could. Shaking her head at her vanity, Kate took the cap off and shoved it into her pocket, and picked up the tea kettle and poured herself a cup. After all, Ducky had already seen it many times so it’s not like it would be a surprise to him.
Another shudder went up her spine as her body tried to regain some of the warmth she had lost by hanging out in her car at night in the middle of winter in Washington D.C. Blowing on the mug of tea she held in her hands, Kate turned herself towards the fire soaking up the heat like a lizard in the sun, but she continued to shiver. She took a sip of the too hot liquid trying to get some warmth to her core. Ducky’s library was always one of her favorite rooms in the house. There was something about the book-lined walls, with a fireplace at one end, that made her feel comforted, maybe because the room reminded her of the man who owned the house. She always found Ducky to be a comforting figure and someone she could go to for help if needed.
Ducky walked into the room, and Kate hurriedly spoke up, “I hope I haven’t disturbed your mother?”
He waved away her concern. “She is still sleeping. Are you okay, my dear?” Ducky asked, a look of worry crossing his face as he sat in the armchair next to hers.
“I will be. I just need to get warm,” Kate said, trying to smile reassuringly at the medical examiner. However seeing the look of concern deepen, she apparently hadn’t been successful. Wondering how much to tell him about the sense of unreality that persisted after waking to a world that was different from the one she remembered, or how she still had nightmares to the point her hands shook, or how she felt cold all the time no matter how many layers she wore. But she knew if she was that honest she could kiss her reinstatement goodbye so she decided to only be a little bit honest. “I’m just so tired of being cold,” she said, her teeth chattering a little bit, hating the fact that her voice sounded so fragile.
“Washington winters can be harsh and unforgiving,” Ducky said placidly. “But I don’t think that’s the only reason. How long have you felt cold, Kate?”
Kate forced herself to meet his gaze but this was why she had come here. So she breathed out a long sigh before saying, “Since I woke up.”
Ducky nodded encouragingly and she continued, “This winter has been very hard for me. I am cold all the time and so tired. At first I thought it was because of the head wound,” Kate said, once again touching the large scar she had on the side of her head, a permanent reminder of the day she almost died. If the wind hadn’t shifted at the exact moment Ari had fired his gun she probably would have taken a direct shot to the center of her head. “Some sort of lingering effects from the skull fracture, maybe nerve damage that the doctor’s weren’t aware of, or a leftover side effect from the weeks I spent in a coma.”
“Have you spoken to your doctor about this?” Ducky asked concern wrinkling his brow.
Shrugging in resignation, Kate said, “I’ve been to my doctor and had a full workup done. There’s no medical reason for it. My doctor suggested my brain may have to relearn how to regulate my temperature. It can’t be proven or disproven by tests and in time my brain will heal. Or else it is all in my head and I have more problems than I thought.”
Ducky seemed to ponder her words for a moment before he said, “I know you have been working very hard to become reinstated at NCIS.”
Kate’s mouth quirked up on one side, feeling a bit of pride at what she had managed to accomplish in such a short amount of time and far sooner than her doctor had predicted. “Yeah, actually I have passed all of my tests, except for my gun certification. That I will take my first day back but I have been practicing at the range and I don’t expect any problems.”
“What did your doctor say about clearing you?”
“He wants to keep me on medical leave for three more weeks, and then I’ll be riding a desk for another month after that,” Kate said, running a hand sharply through her hair, not caring that it tugged at her scar causing a twinge of pain to race through her head. “I’m ready now. I think work is what I need to get back on track.” Kate looked up pleadingly at Ducky like she was trying to convince the both of them. She needed to get back to work, and once she was sitting at her desk surrounded by her colleagues, bickering with Tony, teasing McGee, and trying to impress Gibbs, everything would be fine. It would all be the way it was, the way she needed it to be.
“Caitlin…” Ducky started to say, and Kate turned towards the fire at the sympathy in Ducky’s voice. After a few minutes, when he didn’t continue, she reluctantly turned back. Instead of looking like he felt sorry for her, he seemed like he was in deep thought a look of consternation on his face.
“Ducky?”
After a few moments of silence Ducky met her eyes and Kate saw his blue eyes were practically twinkling. “Kate, you have been working almost non-stop to be reinstated. Of course you are going to be tired and worn out. I have an idea. I remember Jethro saying you have three weeks until you report to NCIS. Have I ever told you I have a timeshare in Honolulu?”
Kate shook her head, and then she tried to switch gears from picturing the beige walls of NCIS to the tropical paradise of Oahu.
“It is a quaint bungalow right on the beach, tucked away on a quiet street. I don’t use it very often but it is available when I need it. Why don’t you go for a couple of weeks?”
“I don’t know Ducky,” Kate said with uncertainty. “I should probably stay here and…” Her voice trailed off as she tried to think about exactly why she shouldn’t go. She had jumped through all the hoops NCIS and her doctor had set up for her reinstatement; now she was just waiting.
Ducky waited a moment before placing a gentle hand on her arm. “I think a bit of rest and a change of scenery will do you good.”
Kate was still tempted to say no, worried that any deviation from her single-minded goal of returning to work would jinx it. Then a particular rough shiver ran through her and she closed her eyes, picturing warm tropical breezes and warm white sands. She opened her eyes and met the kindly blue eyes of Ducky and said, “Yes.”
~NCIS/H50~
Kate pulled the duvet up to her chin, feeling warm from her shoulders to her toes for the first time today. She was currently in Ducky’s guest room, the older man having insisted she stay the night. Kate had only made a perfunctory protest before she had shuffled upstairs, thankful for having such a great friend in the M.D. and for not having to go back to a cold, empty apartment. They had talked until past one, ironing out the details of Kate’s trip to Hawaii, with the help of Ducky’s surprisingly modern computer that was tucked away in one corner of his library. Turning over, Kate couldn’t help thinking about when she was little and she would sit next to her grandmother on her overstuffed couch where they would watch an old Jack Lord TV show. The show took place in Hawaii and Kate remembered how enamored she had been with the different views of paradise she had seen. She had made a promise to herself that one day she would go there. And now, unbelievably, she would.
As her eyes slipped close, Kate couldn’t believe that in forty-eight hours she would be on a plane flying across the country. Just as she was drifting off she heard the front door open and close, then Ducky and a voice she would recognize anywhere started a quiet conversation as they came up the stairs. Her eyes popped open as she realized one of her pet theories was now confirmed. She had always suspected that the two of them were more than just friends but she had never been one hundred percent sure. As she heard the footsteps retreat down the hall towards Ducky’s bedroom she closed her eyes again. Kate tried to go to sleep even though she had a million thoughts and questions now running through her head, both of her unexpected vacation and the fact Ducky and one Leroy Jethro Gibbs were apparently in a relationship. She also couldn’t help smirking a bit at the knowledge that Tony owed her twenty dollars.
~NCIS/H50~
Because Kate didn’t get up at the crack of dawn she missed Gibbs leaving, although she had a vague memory of hearing the front door closing before the sun even came up. She had meant to get up then but she had thought about it for too long and had fallen back to sleep. When she woke up again the sun was shining through the windows; and glancing at the clock she saw it was going on ten o’clock. Dressing in record time, Kate hurried downstairs, throwing her hair up into a messy ponytail, worrying that she had overstayed her welcome. First she showed up late at night and then she slept well past the time Ducky would need to go to work. Some friend she was.
Walking into the kitchen, Kate saw Ducky was at the counter cutting vegetables and putting them into a crockpot that sat next to the stove.
When Ducky caught sight of her and he flashed a broad smile and said with exuberance, “Hello my dear, I hope you slept well?”
“Very well in fact,” Kate answered. She walked into the kitchen and stood next to him, resting her hip against the counter, and then continued on with a grimace, “Maybe too well. You should’ve woken me up earlier. I hope I haven’t kept you from anything.”
Ducky waved away her concern, “No, no, I don’t go into work until later this afternoon.” He put the knife aside and dumped the rest of the vegetables from the cutting board into what looked like a stew. Placing the lid on, he set the timer and then turned to her. “I figured after our late night planning you needed to sleep for as long as you could.”
“Well thank you Ducky. You’re a good friend,” Kate said fondly.
“I try,” Ducky said, before he headed over to the coffee pot. “Now what would you like for breakfast?”
“Oh you don’t have to…”
Ducky interrupted as he poured coffee into a mug, “It is no trouble. I could make an omelet or maybe some toast?”
Kate knew Ducky would continue to insist, and she was awfully hungry, so she picked the easiest option. Reaching for the coffee up he offered to her, Kate conceded, “Just some toast please.”
Smiling his approval at her capitulation, Ducky waved her towards the breakfast nook. “Please have a seat.”
Amused as the Scottish man started humming under his breath, Kate walked past the sink heading towards the small table tucked into the corner. As she did so she couldn’t help but notice that on one side of the kitchen sink there was already a coffee cup and two plates and some utensils, which made it more than obvious that two people had already eaten breakfast this morning. Determined to mind her own business, Kate sat down and cradled the coffee in her hands. She started thinking over everything that she would need to do in the next few days in order to be ready for her flight on Tuesday.
She had just finished mentally going through her closet when Ducky placed a plate down in front of her and sat down next to her with his own cup, which held tea instead of coffee. The plate not only held toast but also a generous side of assorted berries. Kate immediately tucked into her food. Ducky kept her company with a steady stream of chatter about the various things to do in Hawaii, which didn’t require too much conversation from her and was fairly interesting. When she finished she sat back and said, “Thanks, I didn’t realize how hungry I was.”
Ducky nodded his head and then returned, “That does seem to be the way of it.” He shifted a bit in his seat and sighed. Clearing his throat, he caught her eye and said, “Caitlin, if you could keep what you learned here last night to yourself, I would appreciate it.”
“Of course, Ducky, it’s none of my business,” Kate said, hoping to reassure him, as both Ducky and Gibbs were very important to her and she would never want to hurt them by gossiping.
Ducky nodded, and then opened his mouth to say something before seeming to think better of it. Then with a slight shake of his head, he spoke in a confidential tone of voice, “It’s not that we’re ashamed of our relationship, but we would just prefer to keep our personal lives separate from our professional. I don’t want our relationship to be fodder for the office gossip mill.”
Now it was Kate’s turn to nod her head. “I totally understand, Ducky.” And she did. The few times during her recovery when she had gone to NCIS to visit she had been hyperaware of the whispered conversations that would suddenly stop when she got too close. “Your secret is safe with me,” Kate reassured him. She could feel the guilt slither through her that she and Tony had already indulged in a bit of gossip about the two of them, so she made a silent vow to never do so again.
“Thank you, my dear,” Ducky said gratefully, patting her hand gently.
Chapter One
This entry was originally posted at https://under-the-silk-tree.dreamwidth.org/72168.html