Christmas Spirit, Part 1
Author: Raindrops on Roses
Rating: PG-13
Category: Story
Spoilers: Through "Minimum Security"
Disclaimer: Gibbs, Kate, and Tony belong to DPB, CBS, Paramount, et al. Gibbs' family belongs to me. Well, except for sis, but we've never gotten a name for her. (We don't even know if she is his sister.) "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" belongs to Dr. Seuss. "A Visit From St. Nick" belongs to Clement Clark Moore. "The Muppet Christmas Carol" belongs to Jim Henson Productions.
Author's Notes: Apologies to Aaron Sorkin for blatantly ripping off a line from "The American President". I just loved it so much I had to use it. This originally started as a ficlet, and grew way out of control. Happy holidays, everyone!
"Nice hat," Jethro Gibbs said dryly.
Anthony Dinozzo grinned. "Thanks, boss! Oh, watch this." He reached up and pressed a button. The felt reindeer antlers attached to his baseball cap began to blink. A tinny version of "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer" played. Gibbs raised an eyebrow, and Caitlin Todd rolled her eyes in exasperation.
"Really mature, Tony," Kate said.
"Aw, come on, you two; lighten up! It's Christmas." Tony shook his head in mock disappointment.
"It's Christmas?" Gibbs said, turning to Kate.
"Yeah; you didn't get the memo?" Kate deadpanned. Tony threw up his hands as the two agents smirked.
"You guys have no Christmas spirit. I'm going down to the party. Why don't you think about joining the fun?" Tony sauntered off, whistling "Jingle Bells".
Kate and Gibbs worked quietly, the click of the keyboard or the hum of the printer occasionally breaking the silence.
Eventually, Gibbs sat back and stretched. "I'm gonna go grab some cookies before they're all gone. You want some?" Kate shook her head wordlessly, focusing on the report in front of her. "Okay," Gibbs said, shrugging.
Kate sighed as Gibbs headed for the elevator. She reached up and rubbed her shoulders in a vain attempt to ease the tension there. A dull pain throbbed behind her eyes. God, she hated Christmas. The music, the lights, the happy, joyful people... they all grated on her nerves.
There had been a time that she had adored Christmas, looking forward to that special morning the way only a child could. Her favorite part of the season--well, besides the presents, of course--had been Midnight Mass. It seemed so much greater than regular Sunday Mass. It had been almost... magical. However, that time was long gone. Kate popped a couple of aspirin into her mouth and took a sip of cold coffee. She grimaced, swallowing, then got back to work, burying memories with files and charts.
She was still there when people began wandering in to gather their belongings and leave for the holidays. When lights began to shut off, she did not notice, the glow of her monitor giving off enough light to work by.
Suddenly, the elevator bell dinged. Kate looked up, startled. She was surprised to see that the bullpen was empty--she was the only one left. She smiled grimly. Wasn't that always the way?
"What are you still doing here, Agent Todd?" The familiar voice sounded bemused, but concerned.
"Working," she answered shortly. She picked up her pen and lowered her head.
Gibbs walked around the desk. She could feel him watching her. "Why don't you take off? Like Tony said, it's Christmas Eve. I'm sure you have somewhere you need to be."
Without looking up, Kate shook her head, blushing in embarrassment. She didn't have anywhere to go for the holiday. Her mother was on a cruise with husband number four, and her father was somewhere in Europe on another business trip.
There was silence for a moment, and Kate hoped that Gibbs would just leave. He quickly quashed her hopes, saying, "Why don't you come over to my sister's place for Christmas?"
Surprised, Kate looked at Gibbs. He was serious. "I don't think so--but thanks for the invitation." She tried to smile.
"No, really. The more, the merrier."
"Gibbs, I wouldn't want to intrude on your time with your family. It's Christmas. You shouldn't have reminders of work around. You need to relax, too."
Gibbs raised an eyebrow. "Kate, if you don't come, and my sister finds out I let you spend the day alone, she'll--well, I don't know what she would do, but it wouldn't be pleasant. Come on. Save me from her wrath."
Kate sighed. "You're not going to let up on this, are you?"
He smiled. "Nope. I'll pick you up at eight." He put on his coat and headed for the elevator.
"Hey, I never said I was going!" she exclaimed, jumping up and following him. He just waved as the elevator doors closed. Kate shook her head and slumped against the wall. What in the world had just happened?
****
Kate yawned, blinking fuzzily. The buzzer rang again. "Okay, okay, I'm coming," she grumbled, rolling off the couch. She hit the button to allow her visitor inside.
A minute later, there was a knock on her door. She peered through the spyhole. "Gibbs, what do you want?" she asked irritably, standing aside to let him in.
"I said I'd be here at eight--and it's eight o'clock now." Kate looked at the clock on the wall, and sure enough, it said 8:01.
"I didn't think you were serious," Kate said, rubbing her eyes. She turned around and headed for her bedroom.
"Of course I was." She pulled a pair of jeans from a drawer. "This is a pretty nice apartment, Kate."
"You better not be snooping through my things!" she called, choosing a dark green sweater from the closet.
"Who, me?" Gibbs replied innocently. "Pretty interesting video collection you have here, Kate."
Kate's heart stopped for a moment. "What do you mean?"
"Not one movie where stuff blows up. That's kinda disappointing. 'The American President', 'My Best Friend's Wedding', 'Pretty Woman'..." Kate breathed again.
"Yeah, well, I get enough of stuff blowing up in real life. I don't need to see it in a movie." Kate came out of the bedroom, putting her hair up in a ponytail. She sat on the couch and pulled her sneakers on.
"That sweater's new," Gibbs said.
Kate raised an eyebrow. Since when did he notice her clothing? "Yeah--my mother sent it to me last week. Why?"
"Oh, nothing," Gibbs said. "You may want to bring a change of clothes, though."
"Okay," Kate said slowly. She got up and threw another pair of jeans and a sweatshirt in a duffel bag. She grabbed her coat from the closet. "Okay. I'm ready."
"Good; then let's hit the road." He took her duffel from her, and they made their way down to the car.
"I can carry my own bag, you know," Kate said, slightly annoyed.
"I know," he replied. "But this way, you have to tell Meg that I was a gentleman all day." He grinned.
"Meg?" Kate asked, curious.
"My sister." He placed the duffel in the trunk, then walked around and opened the door for Kate. She hid a smile. She could get used to this.
Gibbs climbed in and turned the key in the ignition. Kate snapped her seatbelt on and leaned her head back against the headrest.
A few minutes into their trip, Gibbs asked, "Did you get any sleep last night?"
"What do you mean?" Kate asked warily.
"You look exhausted. Bad dreams?" She turned toward the window and did not respond. He had no idea.
They rode in silence for about half an hour. Gibbs turned off an exit. As they pulled onto a smaller, less frequented road, he began to speak. "Before we get to my sister's place, there are a few things you should probably know." Kate turned to him, and he continued. "Meg--short for Margaret, by the way--has four sons and a daughter. Mike, the oldest, is sixteen. He loves to play practical jokes, so watch out." Kate watched as a fleeting smile flitted over Gibbs' face. "Peter and Ted are twins--they're ten. They're still in that stage where girls have the plague, so don't feel insulted if they try to avoid you. Patrick, the youngest, is three. He's a bit shy." He paused.
"You said she had a daughter?" Kate prompted.
"Jennifer. She's six, and a little princess." He smiled fondly, and Kate had the feeling that the girl had her uncle wrapped around her little finger.
"Any other family members I should know about?" she asked.
"Just Dan--Meg's husband. He's a surgeon at GW. I think he's on-call until the afternoon, but you should get to meet him then." He pulled the car into the driveway of a fairly large two-story house. Christmas decorations were hung in every window. "Oh, and one more thing--whatever you do, don't panic."
Kate raised an eyebrow. "What makes you think I would panic?"
Gibbs grinned and got out of the car. "You'll see." He opened the door for Kate, and they made their way up the walkway. "Careful--it's icy," he warned, taking her arm.
Gibbs reached out and pushed the doorbell. Kate's eyes widened as footsteps pounded toward the door.
"Here come the wild buffalo," Gibbs said under his breath. The door opened. Two identical brown-haired heads peeked around the doorframe. "Mom!" the first shouted. "Uncle Jethro's here!" The second yelled, "And he's got a girl with him!" The boys giggled and ran away.
"What?" a female voice shouted from the kitchen. Kate wasn't sure if it was a cry of disbelief, or if she just couldn't hear over the Christmas music pouring from the stereo, the video playing on the television, and children running through the house.
A redheaded woman walked out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on a dishtowel. "Peter, Theodore, you two get down here and clean up this mess this minute! I thought I told you to have your toys up in your room before your uncle got here!" The boys sighed and said, "Oh, Mom..."
"Now," she ordered, pointing to the living room. The twins obediently began cleaning up their brand-new toys. "See what I mean?" Gibbs muttered. Kate suppressed a grin. She had never thought she would see the day Gibbs was cowed by a woman a foot shorter than he was.
"Jethro! You made it!" the woman cried, hugging her brother fiercely.
"I said I would be here, didn't I?" Gibbs said.
"You said you would be here if work didn't get in the way," she corrected. "And who is this?" she asked, smiling broadly.
"Meg, this is Caitlin Todd; she works with me. Kate, this is Margaret O'Hara, my sister."
"It's nice to meet you, ma'am," Kate said, extending her arm for a handshake. She was startled when the woman embraced her excitedly.
"It's so nice to meet you, Kate! Call me Meg. Finally, another woman to help keep all these men in line!" She winked, and Kate laughed.
"Mommy, Velcro's gone up the tree again!" a little voice said plaintively. "Uncle Jethro!" the girl squealed.
"Jenny! Hi, pumpkin!" Gibbs said, scooping the child into his arms. Kate marveled at the way his face lit up on seeing his niece.
"I have a new dress. Isn't it pretty?" she asked.
"It sure is--but not as pretty as you are," he replied, smiling. The little girl beamed happily. "Now, what is this you're saying about Velcro in a tree?"
"Mommy got me a kitty for Christmas. I wanted to name him Tigger, but Mike said his name is Velcro." Her nose wrinkled in annoyance. "He keeps climbing on things, and I can't get him down."
Gibbs looked at her seriously. "Well, let's see if we can get him out of the tree." She nodded, and they headed for the living room, where the large pine tree was situated in a corner. Kate watched as Gibbs easily maneuvered around the twins, who were still scrounging for small pieces of toys.
"Oh! I forgot the pie! I'll be right back," Meg said to Kate. "Make yourself at home!" She hurried back to the kitchen, and Kate stood in the middle of the front hall, wondering where to go. She eased into the living room and sat down on the large, dark blue couch. Kate surveyed the living room. It was a spacious area, obviously well-used. A dark carpet covered the floor--probably to mask any spills or dirt tracked in by rambunctious youngsters. The toys on the floor were quickly disappearing as their owners claimed them and brought them upstairs.
Out of the corner of her eye, Kate saw a little face peep from behind the armrest. She turned her head slowly, and met eyes the same shade of blue as Gibbs'. "Hello," she said quietly.
"Hi," the little boy replied, waving shyly.
"What's your name?" she asked, smiling.
"Patwick." He smiled back and edged around the front of the couch.
"That's a nice name. My name's Kate. It's nice to meet you, Patrick." She suppressed a laugh as the child held out a hand. She shook it formally. "What do you have there?" She gestured toward the picture book he gripped in his left hand. He held it out to her. She took it, and he climbed up on the couch. "'How the Grinch Stole Christmas.' I used to read this all the time when I was a little girl."
Bright blue eyes gazed up at her. "Wead."
"You want me to read to you?" Kate asked.
"Uh-huh," Patrick nodded. Before she could prompt him, he added, "Pwease."
"Well, since you asked so nicely..." Kate opened the book. She was surprised when the little boy climbed into her lap, but relaxed, putting her arms around him. She began to read. "'Every Who down in Who-ville liked Christmas a lot; but the Grinch, who lived just north of Who-ville, did not!'"
****
Gibbs put Jennifer down. "There you go, Jenny. Velcro's safe and sound."
"Thank you, Uncle Jethro!" Jenny said, kissing him on the cheek. She scampered off, hugging the squirming kitten tight to her chest.
Gibbs walked through the front hall and through the dining room. He entered the kitchen. Watching his sister closely, he silently grabbed a sugar cookie from the cooling rack sitting on the counter.
"Don't you dare, Leroy Jethro," Meg said without looking up from her pie dough. "Those cookies are for later. Save room for dinner."
"Oh, come on, Maggie..." Gibbs said.
Meg laughed. "You sound like my children. No cookies until after dinner."
"But I'm hungry," he complained. "I haven't eaten anything yet today."
"Well, that was stupid," she said bluntly.
Gibbs grabbed his chest. "Meg! You wound me!" he joked.
"No--but I will if you don't get out of my kitchen," she said, brandishing her rolling pin. "Why don't you go check on Kate; make sure the boys aren't ganging up on her?"
"Fine," Gibbs sighed. He grabbed a cookie and hurried out of the room, laughing. He dodged the towel Meg hurled at him.
Wondering why it was suddenly so quiet, Gibbs stepped into the living room. He shook his head and smiled slightly at the scene on the couch. Patrick was curled up in Kate's lap, fast asleep. Jenny sat next to her, staring up at her in adoration. The kitten was crouched on the back of the couch, stalking a strand of Kate's hair. Kate's voice carried over the music playing in the background. "'"Maybe Christmas," he thought, "doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas... perhaps... means a little bit more!"'" Gibbs sat in a nearby recliner and listened to Kate read the end of the story.
"'And what happened then...? Well... in Who-ville they say that the Grinch's small heart grew three sizes that day! And the minute his heart didn't feel quite so tight, he whizzed with his load through the bright morning light and he brought back the toys! And the food for the feast! And he... he himself... the Grinch carved the roast beast!'" Kate closed the book gently. "Now, isn't that a wonderful story?"
"Yeah!" Jenny nodded her head vigorously. "Can you read another one?"
"I think that Kate's had enough reading for the moment," Gibbs interrupted. "Why don't you go get your brothers? There's enough snow outside to build a really nice snowman."
"Okay!" Jenny said excitedly. She ran up the stairs, yelling for her brothers. Kate smiled at him. "What?"
"Nothing," she said, shaking her head. Gibbs raised an eyebrow. "It's just that... these kids... they adore you. You're like a completely different man when you're around them." She blushed.
"No, Kate," he said. "I'm still me." He stood and headed for the stairs. "Let's go, gentlemen! Outside time!"
Peter and Ted ran down the stairs. The first boy was still tugging his gloves on; the other was trying to zip his jacket up with mittens on. Mike, the teenager, walked slowly behind them. "Do we have to go outside? It's freezing out there."
"Out. Now. Your mom's trying to work, and since none of you seem to want to help, you get to join me and your sister outside." He held the door open, and the children walked out. "You wanna join us, Kate?" Gibbs asked.
"Sure. Hold on," she said, turning slightly to lay Patrick down on the couch. He clung to her shirt. "Come on, baby. Let go," she said softly. She placed a small pillow in his hands, and he settled down. Kate grabbed her jacket and followed Gibbs out the front door.
****
"So, how'd you meet Uncle J?" Mike asked Kate. They were outside, standing on the porch, watching the others make a snowman. Well, that was the idea, anyway--an impromptu snowball fight had broken out. Gibbs had sent Jenny back inside when she complained that her dress was getting wet, that she was cold, and that she wanted something to drink.
"Uncle J?" Kate asked, amused.
Mike grinned. "Yeah. He'd kill me if he knew I called him that."
"Your secret's safe with me," Kate laughed. "But to answer your question, I met him at work."
"At NCIS?"
"Actually, I met him on Air Force One," Kate said.
Mike stared at her. "Whoa! You rode on Air Force One?" he asked. "That is so cool! So how did you meet him?"
"He was investigating a case, and we had a little argument over whose jurisdiction it was." Kate smiled, remembering the case that had brought her to NCIS.
"So what were you before you joined NCIS? FBI?" Mike sounded really interested.
"Actually, I was Secret Service."
"No way!" Mike exclaimed. "Uncle J never said he knew a Secret Service agent!"
"I have the feeling, Mike, that your uncle knows a lot of people that you don't know about."
Mike snorted. "I'll say." He paused. "Did you ever have to fire a gun?"
Kate smiled at the teen's questions. "While on presidential duty? No. I've actually fired my gun more after joining your uncle's team than I did in my entire Secret Service career."
"You ever fire it at him?" Mike grinned.
Kate laughed. "No--but I've threatened to once or twice." Mike laughed with her. He leaned over and whispered in her ear. She drew back and nodded, eyes sparkling. They disappeared into the house.
****
Gibbs narrowed his eyes as he watched his eldest nephew and Kate chat. He knew the look on Mike's face. The boy was plotting something--and he was pulling Kate into it.
When he was hit from both sides with snowballs, Gibbs turned his attention back to the snowball fight.
****
Mike and Kate snuck back down the stairs. They were both armed with Nerf guns that shot soft foam balls. They had soaked their 'ammunition' in warm water, then loaded their 'weapons'. They hid the toys and snuck out the door.
Gibbs was still distracted with the snowball fight. His back was to them. Mike winked at the twins, who grinned and darted behind a tree. "Now!" Mike hissed. They both opened fire.
Gibbs dropped to the ground as the first ball hit him--right on the butt. The second missed, but another hit his shoulder. "What the--" he yelled, forcibly censoring himself. He heard laughter behind him.
"Nice one, Kate!" Mike exclaimed, high-fiving her. Kate just grinned.
Gibbs got up slowly. "Whose idea was this?" he scowled.
"It was all her, Uncle Jethro," Mike grinned and pointed at Kate.
"What?!" Kate yelled. "Why, you little sneak!" She pointed her gun and spent the rest of her ammo on the teenager, who was doubled over laughing.
Gibbs grinned. "Kate?" he said.
Kate's eyes widened. "What?" she asked, starting to back away.
"Run." He lunged at her. She darted away, squealing. The boys laughed as their uncle chased his friend around the yard.
"It wasn't my idea, Gibbs! Honest!" she cried.
"So?" He grabbed her around the waist, and they tumbled to the ground. "You're the first one I caught."
"Hey, I'm only an accomplice. He was the mastermind behind all this," Kate panted as they mock-struggled. Gibbs pinned her arms above her head.
"But you should've known better, Agent Todd," he said, leaning in until their noses were almost touching.
"I told you I was destined to shoot you, didn't I?" she laughed breathlessly.
"That you did," he agreed. Their eyes locked. Kate swallowed at the look in Gibbs' eyes. She couldn't tell what it was... but it didn't look like it was bad.
Gibbs blinked. It was suddenly very quiet outside. He looked around. The boys had retreated indoors. He moved off of Kate, pulling her up to a sitting position. "I guess it was a good idea to bring that change of clothes, after all," Kate said, brushing herself off. "I'm soaked."
"Yeah, well, so am I, thanks to you and my nephew." Gibbs helped Kate stand, and they walked over to the car. They pulled out their duffel bags and went into the house.
