A/N: this just came to me after watching "Requiem" last last night right before bed. 378 words.


She observed how to pick a lock from him, now she's using it on his own door. She creeps into his house in the darkness. She knows just where to find him, the basement, but she decides to make a pit stop at the refrigerator to grab herself a beer. She proceeds to the basement door, opens it and begins down the stairs. The sound of her heels on the wooden steps makes him look up from his boat to meet her face. She continues down the steps without saying a word.

"Jen, first you break into my house, then you steal my beer." he comments now noticing the beer in her hands.

"Not that you would drink it anyway." she retorts. She had a point there if she hadn't grabbed it, it would probably just sit in his refrigerator for a long time. She plops down next to him on a stool just watching the way he smoothes the boat almost caressing it.

When he interrupts her gaze, "Jen, any particular reason you're here?" he asks.

"Well, with the case today, and all you ve been through, I just thought you could- you know, use a friend." She suggests whilst getting up to console him, by placing her hand on his shoulder.

"Dammit Jen!" He exclaims throwing her hand off, as she is taken aback by the sudden rage. He continues on with his tirade, "What do you expect me to do? Cry on your shoulders? No, Jen, that's your thing. Or did you just come here to take advantage of me-"

"Leroy Jethro Gibbs!"

"Don't use your director voice here. You re in my basement, my territory, my rules. If you don't like it you can just get the hell out!" he yells back at her.

From the steps she yells back at him, "I sorry for-"

"Sign of weakness." he interrupts nonchalantly, but she just keeps going.

"- thinking that you the infamous Leroy Jethro Gibbs might need a friend, seeing how everyone else you know is either an ex-wife or an employee!" She slams the door, and once safely on the other side, slumps down to the floor sobbing.

Jethro combs his hand through his hair and gulps down bourbon, going back to sanding his boat.