Disclaimer - I do not own NCIS.

A/N I know it seems like an age since I posted anything, but 2009 has been a nightmare for me, especially the last few months. I'm so glad 2010 is here and a new start, hopefully. I found this story on my computer a couple of days ago and decided that one of my New Year's resolutions would be to start writing again. So I'm biting the bullet and taking the plunge with this unbeta'd offering.

To all of you who have continued to read and review my stories, thank you so much. And to all the talented writers out there, your fics are in my email box, and I'll be getting to them soon. Keep up the good work.

This is a Shannon/Gibbs fic, in the same style as my earlier story, Insomnia.

Happy New Year to all, may 2010 bring you everything you ever dreamed of.

Gunny Gibbs knew before he even put his hand on the door that he was gonna be facing a problem. He groaned and shoved his heavy backpack further up his shoulder, his muscles already aching after spending a few hours sleep lying awkwardly against a tree. After completing a three day field exercise, he was dirty, tired, hungry and in desperate need of some of Shannon's TLC.

It was the aroma which had bellowed through the window at the back of the house and which had wafted its way to the front and eventually infiltrated his nostrils which had given him cause for concern.

He grit is teeth and mentally told himself to 'suck it up' as he pushed the door open and dumped his backpack on the floor and yelled,

"Hey, Shannon, I'm home!"

With no response he walked through the hallway towards what he knew would be ground zero and he winced as he looked at the disaster area which used to be his kitchen.

"Aw, Jethro, you're home!" the young red head said with relief as she leapt at him, slumped on his chest and burrowed her face into his neck, her arms almost choking him.

He held her for a few moments, his body at once relaxing as the smell of her hair and her enveloping arms made him feel at home and secure. He kissed her head gently and eventually lifted her up to face him.

He grinned and she took a step back and responded with a pout as she leaned pathetically against the worktop.

"I really, really suck at this stuff!"

Stepping forward to join her once more, he ran a hand through her hair and let it fall on her shoulder.

"What's the problem?"

"Janey freakin' Barker is the problem!" she snapped wearily.

"And why is Staff Sergeant Barker's wife a problem?"

She huffed and pouted a little more and when she looked him in the eye all he did was raise an eyebrow. She folded her arms angrily and glared at him.

"She decided at our next Wives and Partner's Group that we should all bring something rather than leaving it all for one person to organise. So, I thought I had nothing better to do than to organise the sodas like I normally do. That, I can handle, you know. But, no! Janey decides that we would draw from a hat. So, guess who got stuck with the responsibility for baking the damn cakes!"

Although a decent enough cook, he knew that Shannon detested baking, having a seemingly hostile relationship with the ingredients and the tools involved. He couldn't help his instinctive reaction and he laughed out loud. The action earned him a sharp slap to the side of his head.

"Ow! What was that for?"

"Don't laugh at me Jethro! You know I can't bake! I tried to make a stupid sponge cake and it was just a disaster from start to finish!"

She swung her arms wildly towards the kitchen as she surveyed the disaster in front of her.

"First of all I used the wrong kind of flour so already wasted three eggs and then it took me about twenty minutes to get the damn blades into that stupid contraption that's supposed to mix all the gunk together and then I forgot to grease the stupid tray and then I stuck it in the oven and it just….burned!"

She huffed loudly and rolled her eyes to the ceiling, desperately trying to halt the tears of frustration she knew were building as she poured out the whole story to him.

Gibbs was quick to intervene and he stepped forward and took her once more in his arms and held her tight, hoping to calm her down before she became a shrieking ball of cake mix.

"Hey, it's okay, don't worry about it."

She groaned into his chest, "but I need a cake for this thing or..."

He smoothed down her hair and stroked her back gently.

"Ssshh, it's okay. Listen, why don't I help you clear up and then I'll help you make another one. We've got at least another couple of hours before Kelly is due home from school."

She looked at him with disbelief,

"You'd do that for me?"

"Uh-huh,"

"You'd really help me not look like a complete incompetent in front of Janey?"

"Uh-huh, but it stays between you and me. If the guys found out I'd been bak..."

She put a floured finger on his lips and smiled with total admiration and stretched her neck to kiss him gently on his cheek. He tongued her finger and then moved his mouth eagerly to hers. Eventually, he lifted his head and smiled at her with a particular look in his eye as he whispered,

"You know, if there's any spare whipped cream, left over, perhaps, I could practice my decorating skills and maybe, you could practice your kneading skills, you know, here and there and perhaps we really could have ourselves another little bun in an oven huh?"

Narrowing her eyes, she slapped him playfully on the chest.

"Nu-huh! You know the drill Marine, your PFC doesn't go on manoeuvre and you don't get to bake cakes or buns of any kind till you've showered and changed!"

He groaned with frustration and disappointment and leaned in to kiss her once more, hoping that he could charm her into giving him some much needed and much missed attention before Kelly got home from school. His plan was halted with the sight of a large gunky wooden spoon thrust in front of his face.

"I mean it Jethro! Go shower and I'll get started here and then we can get this done before I need to go pick up Kelly."

He sighed and pouted with disappointment, his shoulders sagging dejectedly, before giving her a sloppy salute and responding "Yes, m'am!"

Shannon felt a pang of guilt as she watched her husband obediently follow her orders and slow turn to head towards the door. He had offered to help her, even though she knew he was tired and hungry and needing comfort himself.

Gibbs heaved a sigh as he slowly made his way towards the door. Suddenly he felt a sharp sting on his backside and his hand immediately went back to hold the smarting area. He felt a gooey substance on his BDU pants and drew his hand back, gazing with complete bewilderment at the sticky mess and then to his wife.

She stood innocently with the wooden spoon and smiled that smile which always turned his heart into a very similar gooey mixture to that which was currently on his fingers.

He raised an eyebrow in the hope of eliciting a reason for the assault on his behind.

"You know what Jethro?" she said huskily, before throwing herself towards him and attacking his mouth with hers.

"What?" he gasped, struggling for air, returning her kisses, his hands moving quickly around her body, welcoming her embrace.

"You can buy cakes!"

THE END