((Starts at "Devil's Trifecta." Brynn and Gibbs both learn new things about each other.))

Brynn tapped her desk with her right index finger. Her eyes scanned the monitor in front of her and the tapping continued. This was one of her OCD quirks that made her coworkers happy that her cubicle was in the farthest corner of the cyber crimes office. She was so engrossed in the report she was re-reading, she nearly jumped out of her chair when her cell vibrated on her belt strap.

" Su-Sutter." Her automatic greeting was slightly hesitant as she waited for her heart beat to return to normal. She really needed to work on not being so easily startled.

"I hate it when you answer your phone like that." She grinned at Gibbs' voice.

"You mean like the phone ringing just scared the crap out of me?" She expected a chuckle from the other end. Instead, she got a frustrated sigh. Uh, oh.

"No, with that last name." Brynn rolled her eyes.

"You were the one who suggested it would be better if there weren't two Agent Gibbs' running around."

"Well… Now, there may be three."

"Eh?"

"I need to talk to you… Now."

"You are talking to me… Or, do you mean in person?"

"Can you meet me outside of interrogation?" His tone made her hold back on questioning it.

"Uh… Okay." She heard him click off the phone. "This feels so weird." She muttered before powering down her computer.

In the elevator, Brynn adjusted the simple braid she had assembled her hair into that morning. She had been experimenting with different hair styles lately. The braid was easiest and still managed to make her look professional. Now that her hair was growing out, a pony tail reminded her too much of a cheerleader. And her usual bun done with a clip, had just become boring. Gibbs liked her hair down, but she hated having to constantly throw it out of her face.

Okay, so obsessing over her hair had taken up at least thirty seconds of the trip to meet Gibbs. But now she needed something new to think about, so she wouldn't drive herself mad with worry before she even got to Gibbs. He had sounded too different on the phone. Something was definitely bothering him. And why the hell did he want to meet her outside of interrogation?

"I need another distraction." She looked down.

Her new shoes were very comfortable. She hated heels. These were not unlike her old Doc Martens, but they didn't have laces. She wore flat dress shoes on the odd days she wore skirts, but these new shoes looked great with her back slacks. Her dark blue sweater had been a gift from McGee. He knew how cold it could get in the basement and had bought her the sweater with a matching scarf, as a late birthday gift.

"Hello, Brynn." Brynn shot her head up when she heard Tobias greet her. He and Gibbs were both standing outside the door to the observation room.

"Tobias." She greeted him back, then her eyes slid to Gibbs. "What's going on?" Gibbs gave Fornell a glance. Tobias smirked at Gibbs' obvious discomfort. Brynn looked from one man to the other. "Tell me, now." She put her hands on her hips. Tobias grunted back a laugh and disappeared into the observation room.

Gibbs stepped closer to Brynn and sighed. "Tobias was shot late last night." Brynn's eyes widened and her arms dropped. "He's fine," Gibbs shook his head. "Had a vest on. The shooter was Navy. We tracked him back to a bar where we found…" He sighed again. "Diane."

"Diane, ex wife, Diane?" Her hands quickly went back to her hips. Gibbs nodded.

"I'm not too sure what's going on here but… First she lied to us as to why she was there. Then it turns out, she has two fake I.D.'s in her purse. At the bar she was using the name Diane Fornell. Her other I.D. said… Gibbs."

"That bi…" Brynn swallowed. "That woman is using our last name?" Gibbs didn't bother hiding the smirk.

"That… Woman is in interrogation right now. I've got Tony questioning her."

"Well, what the hell am I doing here?"

"Emotional support." Brynn cocked her head and narrowed her eyes.

"You mean, you may need a buffer between you and your ex?"

"I meant emotional support for Tobias, not me. He needs the buffer." Gibbs shrugged. "And I thought you might wanna watch." Brynn grinned and quickly went into observation.

Brynn kept shifting from one foot to the other excitedly, as she watched the interrogation. Her Tiger looked so cute facing the almost feral woman on the other side of the table. He handled the 'Agent Coif' comment like a pro. Watching Tobias lose it, was just as entertaining as the interrogation.

"She's lying, her lips curled." Brynn's eyes narrowed when Tobias said this.

"I saw it." Gibbs muttered back. Did Gibbs know her lie tell? Did she even have one? She'd have to ask him later. Brynn jumped when Vance walked into the interrogation room.

"Damn," Brynn muttered and the other two turned to face her. "It was just getting good."

NCIS

It was an hour later when Brynn decided to call Gibbs and ask for an update. He was checking a lead with Tobias. Brynn nearly fell out of her chair when she learned that Diane was actually an IRS Agent, working some big fraud case. And now, Tobias and Gibbs were being forced to work with her. Brynn wasn't sure if she this was hilarious… Or just sad. Maybe both.

"We're on our way back. Ziva just called with some new evidence. Hopefully we can wrap this up as soon as possible." Brynn heard Tobias scoff in the back round.

"How about I have some lunch waiting for you when you get back?"

"Baby, you know just how to make my day."

"Pizza?"

"You know how I like it."

"Gibbs!" Brynn heard Tobias protest angrily. "Not while I'm sitting right here!"

"We're talking about pizza, dumbass."

"Suuuure."

"Tell him I'll order it extra spicy, just for him," Brynn smarted off. "Sounds like he could use some spiciness in his life." She heard Gibbs laugh, before hanging up.

NCIS

Standing in Abby's lab listening in on the surveillance broadcast from Gibbs and Diane's undercover op, Brynn was having a very hard time not grinding her teeth into powder. As soon as Abby ran into the Cyber Crimes office, jumping up and down and shouting about Gibbs and Diane going undercover at a wedding, the teeth grinding had started. Brynn immediately threw down what she was working on and ran to Abby's lab. There was no visual surveillance, but every word that was spoken came through, annoyingly crystal clear. Brynn had one hand wrapped on her cell phone, and the other balled into a fist.

"Tiger?" she spoke into her phone. "I have you on speaker, can you hear me?"

"Yeah." Tony's voice came through on her phone. Abby paced back and forth, also listening in. "I got you on my Bluetooth in one ear, and Gibbs and the Red Dragon on a headset, in the other." He chuckled. "I just have to remember to cover my headset when I talk to you. Everyone else is in the van."

"Are they in yet?" All Brynn could hear was sappy piano music.

"Yup, they just walked in. I wonder if they'll share a dance. Did you and Gibbs dance at your wedding?"

"You were there, stupid. You know we didn't. There was no music." She knew he was baiting her, but she couldn't help the anger rising inside her.

"Ah, yeah, that was too bad." Brynn scowled. She was about to pop off a snide comment regarding Tony's rendition of 'Thriller' but Gibbs' voice stopped her.

Gibbs- "Oh, I regret this."

Tobias- "I am so glad, this is you and not me."

Brynn couldn't help the snort that came out of her.

McGee- "We're reading you loud and clear, boss."

Ziva- "And we're getting a solid image from the camera on Diane's broach. Which looks much better on you than it did on me, by the way."

Abby and Brynn faced each other at the same time. "Ziva's turning against me." Brynn muttered.

"What?" Tony asked through the phone.

"Not you!"

McGee- "Just be careful not to knock it lose."

Tobias- "Oh, it's not going anywhere. You spent more than enough time attaching it to my ex-wife's bosom."

Brynn heard Tony growl on her phone, which drowned out what was said next.

Diane- "I guess he didn't get enough last night."

"What?" Tobias and Tony shouted at the same time.

"See what happens when you try to make me be jealous, Tiger?" Brynn smirked as she spoke into her phone.

"What makes you think I was trying to make you jealous?" Abby and Brynn both rolled their eyes. Tony was always trying to get cat-fights started.

Diane- "Do you remember how you proposed to me?" This brought Brynn's attention straight back to the undercover op. There was a beat of silence and Brynn knew Gibbs was rolling his eyes. "Yeah, I didn't think so. Don't feel too bad, I don't either."

"Liar," Brynn said, shaking her head. No woman ever forgot that.

"Hey, how did Gibbs propose to you?" Tony asked. "Did he do the one knee thing? Did he make it all romantic in front of the fireplace? Take you some place nice?"

"He, uh… He made me pancakes."

"He made you pancakes? That's it? Talk about dropping the ball."

"They were really awesome pancakes!" She could hear Tony trying not to laugh. "Hey, guy who's boyfriend spent last night on a couch with someone else's wife, shut it!"

"That was not cool, Brynnie."

"Wait, what's going on?"

"Diane just made contact with Boyle. She's workin him."

Ziva- "She is a natural." Okay, Ziva really was turning against her.

Gibbs- "She's just bein herself." Brynn groaned when she heard the smile in his voice.

Things got interesting when Diane's cover was suddenly blown. Brynn expected Gibbs to give the order to move in. Instead…

Gibbs- "I'd like to propose a toast."

"What is he doing?" Brynn asked out loud. Abby just shrugged.

Gibbs- "May you two always be as happy, as you are today." Was this some kind of code? "And while I'm at it… I'd like to propose something else. This time to the lovely lady, with the lovely red hair." Brynn almost dropped her phone. "I'm not much for words. Most things are better left unsaid."

"Oh, he better not." Brynn didn't realize she said this out loud. Abby was staring at her wide-eyed.

Gibbs- "It'd be a lot easier if I could just pick you up and we'd start running and… We'd never stop. Maybe I'll still do that. But before I do. I just wanna ask you one thing." Brynn heard a movement and glared at her phone.

"He better not be on his knee."

"He is." Tony chirped.

Diane- "Yes, I'll marry you."

"I'm gonna kill him."

"At least he didn't make her pancakes." She knew Tony was smirking while he said this.

"At least I know whose couch Diane is not sleeping on tonight." She shot back. Yeah, he deserved that. Brynn clicked off her phone and looked at Abby. "Didn't Gibbs' second ex wife attack him with a golf club?" Abby nodded. "I wonder if Ducky will let me borrow a cricket bat."

NCIS

Later that night, after a very silent dinner, Gibbs retreated to his basement. This was one of the very few times when he actually was trying to escape from Brynn. The silent treatment hadn't been what bothered him. It was the hurt look on her face. He knew she didn't want to blame him for her jealousy, that's why she wouldn't say anything. She didn't want him to feel bad about how he'd had to rescue Diane when she got in over her head. But hearing him propose to Diane had affected Brynn.

Throughout dinner, they just kept sending glances at each other. The looks she sent said, 'I'm not really mad at you, I'm mad at her for being an idiot.' He answered with, 'You know I didn't mean one damn thing I said to her.' It hadn't been the first time they'd had an entire conversation without one word being said out loud. Finally the last look he gave her said, 'I just need time to think.' She had only nodded at him as she cleared away the dishes.

Brynn had just finished the dishes when she heard a commanding knock at her front door. She wiped her hands on her faded jeans and turned to answer the door. As she passed Chris playing in the corner of the dinning room, he dropped the Gibbs-made wooden airplane and looked at her, smiling. His full head of dark brown hair was still ruffled from Gibbs playing with him earlier. Gibbs had been after her about getting Chris' hair cut. She just didn't have the heart to see those cute locks snipped short into a baby version of a buzz-cut.

She reached the front door and froze when she saw Diane through the glass. She debated not opening the door, but seeing as how she knew it was unlocked anyways, and Diane was just the type to open it without invitation… Brynn decided to be at least civil, since Diane had been kind enough to knock in the first place.

"Evening, Diane." Brynn greeted her, working not to glare.

"Evening…" Diane seemed uncertain as to how to address Brynn.

Brynn stepped aside and opened the door wider. "Please come in."

"I, uh…" She stepped in. Brynn shut the door and walked into the dinning room. Now that Chris was done playing, he'd be wanting attention. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

"Not at all." Brynn lifted Chris and patted down his messy hair. "We just finished dinner." Diane looked at Chris and smiled. Brynn's eyes shifted in time to see Chris smiling back. "Gibbs is downstairs. I assume you came here to talk to him." Diane nodded as she passed Brynn on her way to the basement stairs.

Brynn discretely went to stand at the top of the stairs, just out of sight. She scowled when she heard Diane talking about the 'sweet proposal.' But when Diane said she thought she was wrong to say Gibbs never loved her… Brynn had to lean against the wall. If not for Chris being in her arms, she might sink to the floor. She had never gotten over her insecurities about whether Gibbs really wanted to marry her, or if he had only proposed because she was pregnant and he wanted to do the honorable thing.

But Gibbs' lack of reply to Diane, filled Brynn with a new feeling. It took a second for her to identify it. Hope.

"You gotta give Victor a break." Gibbs' voice made Brynn listen harder.

"Excuse me?" Now, Diane sounded outraged. "Who told you that Victor and I are having prob- ah… It was Chucky. He's such a dead man."

Who the hell was Chucky?

Diane sighed. "Okay, what do I have to give Victor a break for?"

"For being him. And not somebody else." Gibbs was using his quiet comfort voice. Brynn knew this tone well. "You gotta let it go, Diane." Brynn squeezed her eyes shut. "I couldn't." Her eyes shot open. "And… I drove everybody away. And the last thing you wanna be is alone."

"Is that why you got married again? You didn't wanna be alone?"

"I got married because I fell in love." Warmth rushed through Brynn and she was finally able to stand on her own. Something told her that Gibbs knew she was eavesdropping, but she knew he meant what he was saying. "I got married because I found someone who made me feel… Like I wouldn't ever wanna be anyone else. And like she wouldn't want me to be anyone else. I was finally happy to be me."

"You're not so bad… But I hear ya. Unfortunately it might be too late."

"Nah, it's never too ate." Brynn could hear the laugh in his voice.

"How do you know everything?"

"I don't… I just learned how to listen." Brynn smothered a laugh. Yes, he had learned how to listen. He was still having trouble with the taking part, though.

"Maybe I'm destined to spend the rest of my life alone."

"You're not alone."

For several seconds, Brynn didn't hear anything. Then the familiar click-clack of high heels resonated up the stairs.

"I'm glad for you, Jethro." And with that, Diane started up the stairs.

Brynn moved back to the dinning room. As soon as Diane came through the kitchen, the two women locked eyes.

"He's almost two now, right?" Diane asked.

"Yeah. His birthday is in January."

Diane sighed. "I remember when Emily was that age… Is he talking your ear off yet?"

Brynn took a second to consider the fact that she was having an almost nice conversation with her husband's ex. "His first word was 'cup.'" Regardless of who she was talking to, her son was always her favorite subject.

"I'll bet his second word was coffee." Diane smirked.

"Actually, it was 'no.' I was trying to get him to eat some veggies."

"He is definitely Jethro's son." Both women laughed. "I, um…" Diane's smile faded. "I know how much he loves you."

"I know." Chris picked that exact moment to pull on Brynn's ear. "Ah." Brynn pulled her head away from him. "It's time for his bath."

Diane stepped forward. "I have to admit… I took on this case, hoping I'd run into him again. I'm having some relationship problems and I… I was feeling kind of reckless." She shook her head. "But I would never… I just wanted to make sure that there weren't any mixed signals being sent out."

"Oh, there were mixed signals, but I think most of them involved McGee." Brynn smiled again. It seemed to relax Diane.

"Well, I know I'm not exactly Chucky's type." Diane quirked a grin. So, 'Chucky' was McGee… Okay… This explained some things. "I know how happy he is with you." Diane was serious again. "I would never get in the way of that."

"I hope not. Gibbs may be possessive, but it's nothing compared to me, when I get jealous." It was a warning inside of a joke, but Diane got the message. She nodded as she passed Brynn on her way to the front door.

Brynn was in the bathroom, leaning over the bathtub when Gibbs found her. He watched from the doorway as she gently rinsed the baby shampoo out of Chris' hair. He continued to silently watch her until she stood and turned, with Chris bundled in a towel in her arms. She blinked when she saw him, then smiled.

"So, you actually believe your jealousy rivals mine?" he asked, crossing his arms.

"Did you listen in on my entire conversation?" She rubbed Chris' hair with another towel.

"You listened in on mine." He shot back, grinning.

"True." She nodded. He followed her as she took Chris into the nursery. Gibbs pulled out some pajamas for Chris while Brynn finished drying him. "And yes," she smirked when he handed her the clothes. "I do think my jealousy rivals yours." Gibbs cocked his head.

"It does make you get this adorable, scrunched up look on your face." He laughed when she glared.

Once they were in their own room, cuddling up in bed, Brynn thought back to when Diane was being interrogated.

"Do I have a lie tell?" Gibbs' eyebrow went up at her question. "You know, how you can always tell when someone lies… How can you tell when I do?"

"You don't usually lie to my face… When you try to hide something, you just avoid me so that you don't have to lie to me. You squeeze your thumbs when you get really nervous; you already know about that. But you do have a specific lie tell that I've seen."

"And?"

"And if I told you, how would I ever be able to use it again?"

"Wouldn't it be fun to try to figure out my new tell?"

"It was hard enough figuring out the one you have now."

"When did you figure it out?" Gibbs just looked at her. "Oh come on, just tell me when, and I'll stop asking."

"It might bring up… A bad memory."

"I still wanna know."

"When we first met, you used to say that you and your brother were close… When I found out the truth… There was something that you used to do when you talked about him, that you suddenly didn't do anymore."

"Well, if it's something I don't do anymore, you can tell me what it was…" She seemed unaffected by her brother's memory being brought up.

"You started doing it again."

"Okay, when?"

"When you didn't want to admit things."

"You're not going to tell me are you?" She shook his head and smiled. "Not even if I tell you, your lie tell?"

"I don't have one."

"If you say so…" Brynn set her head on the crook of his shoulder.

"I know I don't have one."

"Whatever helps you sleep, dear."

Gibbs couldn't help but wonder… Did he have a lie tell?