<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua'"><span class="fixed-color" style="color:#99ff99">Gibbs read the entire message -- twice.  It seemed only fair to give her story his full attention, and a second read meant he caught more of the details, and more of the emotions.  They were achingly familiar.  The shock of finding out, the gut-wrenching pain of suffering alone -- the complete and utter denial of happiness in any other form, because it felt like a betrayal of what was lost.<br/>
<br/>
He had to close his eyes and swallow, take a few deep breaths, before he could respond.  Before he reached for the keyboard, he reached for Kate.  With a gentleness that he'd never displayed around his team before -- and frankly, wasn't sure anyone had seen since Shannon died -- he cupped his hands around her cheeks to draw her eyes to his.  Then he leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers.<br/>
<br/>
Their first kiss had been a shock, and something of an experiment.  This was... not.  This was a nonverbal promise that he was willing to try, too... that he was halfway there already.  By the time he pulled away, there were tears in his eyes, and he rubbed a thumb along her cheekbone before kissing both her cheeks and her forehead, finally releasing her to reach for the keyboard.<br/>
<br/>
<i>Thank you for your honesty, Kate -- thank you for sharing your pain with me.  I know it isn't easy.  I don't talk about my girls, ever.  Ducky and Tony don't know.  I've never been able to tell them, and I've been friends with Duck a long time.<br/>
<br/>
I won't ever try to replace Dan.  I don't ever expect you to replace my wife Shannon or our daughter Kelly.  I also don't expect you to stop loving Dan if you start to love me.  He belongs in your heart, the same as my girls belong in mine.  But... I think, like you, I might have some room in there for new love.  I'm willing to try, kitten.  For you - for me.  For us.</i></span></span>