Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS. I just own the Sophia character.

A/N: This is another slight AU to all my other stories with Sophia in them. Jessi doesn't exist in this one. I know how sad. :(. Sophia knew Jen her whole life. She lives with Jen actually now. Set a little after the La Grenouille thing.

Gibbs was unaware of what was going to happen. Never in a million years did he think something like this would happen. He was drinking bourbon down in his basement just staring off into space, not caring what else was going on in the world. Soon he heard footsteps at the top of his staircase that led to the basement floor. He looked up and surprised to see Sophia Jones standing at the top of the stairs in her pajamas, hair pulled back into a ponytail, no shoes from what he could see, and a scared look on her face.

"Can I come down there. I need to talk to you," she said simply. He nodded and she began to descend the stairs. When she was in the middle of coming down the stairs he said something.

"About?"

"Aunt Jen. Gibbs there's just something going on with her that she isn't telling me. I have the strangest feeling you can get it out of her. You both my not realize it but you are each others' best friends. You might not be in love with her anymore, though I highly doubt that, but you both care for each other deeply. I might've known her my whole life but…" she walked over to him and then turned her head to look off into space thinking.

"She just won't tell you some things."

"Exactly, she has her demons. I got mine too. I know she doesn't want to share them but some of them she's shared with you that I don't even know about. I was around her when her father died and I never once heard a single mention about the man," she turned her gaze back to Gibbs. He pulled out two bar stools.

"Sit," she did he did as well. Almost immediately she pulled her knees to her chest and said:

"Ever since the La Grenouille happened she has just been different."

"How?" he asked her.

"It's like when I see her she has this sort of cold numb look in her eyes like, there isn't really that sort of liveliness that I used to see. Even when I do something stupid she doesn't necessarily laugh. And I don't mean the 'I'm disappointed in you stupid' but the goofy Steve Urcle type stupid. I was making pancakes since Noemi had the weekend off and I didn't notice that some of the batter had fallen onto the floor so once I turned around to say good morning I said "Good morning Aunt JENNNNN" and I feel on the floor and I started to laugh. I stood back up covered in batter expecting to see her laughing too but she wasn't she just stood there and said "Once you clean yourself up we need to go. Just put the pancakes you made in the fridge in a bag cause I have a press conference and you need to go to one of your friends' house." I looked at her and said to myself "Well." she has never really used that tone around me unless I was around when she was talking to someone and she was talking to them in 'Director mode'," she air quoted the last two words, "Maybe you can get to her, Gibbs. I sure as hell can't."

"How do you know that."

"I'm too scared to. I'm afraid that… that… she'll just shut me out more than she already has."

"What makes you think I can get to her?"

"Like I said you guys are each others' most trusted best friends. You get have gotten under each others' skin over the years. I don't care what you do to get it out of her but please just try. If she breaks I break."

"Why?"

"Because Gibbs it's a chain. You're her safe place, she's mine, if you're not there to be her safe place then she breaks then she pulls away from me and I lose my safe place and so I break. Get it."

"Yeah but how…?"

"Neither of you knew it but you were her safe place. Think Gibbs did you really see her be herself, her true self around anyone these past three years besides me, you, Ducky, and sometimes even Ziva?"

He thought back over the past three years and replied, "No. I guess not."

She stared at him feeling like crying, "Gibbs please do this. My dad… he's never really around so I there's no one I can really talk to but you and you're like a dad to me so please do this for me and if you and Aunt Jen get back together you'll be like an uncle to me but that won't really make a difference to me. Please?"

"Okay."

She breathed a sigh of relief, "Thank you, I have to get back. You just come over in about fifteen minutes. Aunt Jen doesn't even know I'm gone."

"Okay," they stood up and she orbed out leaving him standing there in the middle of his basement.

'Jen what the hell have you gotten yourself into? You're tearing away from everyone that cares about you. Even your niece. I have to do something.' he said to himself. Gibbs quickly got up and headed upstairs to get his keys and then got in his car heading towards Jen's house.

He sat there in his car a mere fifteen minutes later outside her house contemplating what he should do next. Gibbs decided. The next thing he knew he rang the doorbell and a very sleepy and annoyed Jen opened the door.

"What do want, Jethro?" she asked coldly.

"We need to talk," he replied.

"About?"

"You."

"What about me?"

"Well if you let me inside I'll tell you."

"Jethro, it's ten o' clock at night and you want to talk to me can't this wait?"

"No Jen, it can't."

"Fine," she replied not liking this one bit. They walked into her study and was about to pour them bourbon but he stopped her.

"No way Jen. I can take a good guess that you have quite a bit of that already tonight."

"Don't tell what I can and can not do Gibbs," she hissed.

"Well if you didn't try to drink yourself into your grave then maybe I wouldn't."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. Sophia came to my house and she told me your tearing yourself away from everyone. Including her. She told me something. She said that none of us have really realized it but her but you're her safe place and I'm yours. I didn't get it until now," he stepped closer to her, "there's this cold look in your eyes now that she's never seen well at least when it's directed to her. Cause it never has been…"

"What are you talking about. I don't do that to her!!!"

"Yes you do, Jen. You stay in director mode 24/7 now!!! There's not one time I've seen you been the old Jen I knew and she knew. Hell!! Everyone knew. What happened to her? Huh? Is she still somewhere in there?"

"I still don't know what you're talking about," she said deliberately ignoring his hurtful but true words.

"Again, yes you do Jen. Snap out of it!!! You're hurting everyone and it's not helping you either," he took another step towards her and now their bodies were touching he could her breath hitch, "stop trying to pull away. It's getting you nowhere," with that he crashed his lips onto hers. She immediately pushed him away.

"Jethro!!! What the Hell do you think your doing!!! We can't do this."

"Yes we can. Just let it."

"No! Why are you doing this?" she said being rhetorical but he answered anyway.

"To save you from yourself," he stepped towards her again and thread one of his hands to her hair till it reached the back of her head then he jerked her closer and hugged her tight resting his cheek against the top of her head.

"There's no way in Hell I am letting you get away this time, Jen," he whispered. He felt her hug him back then he heard soft sniffles. She was crying.

"Why am I such an idiot, Jethro. This is all my fault," she mumbled into his chest.

He started to rub her back in small circles as she cried more.

"You're not an idiot Jen. The La Grenouille thing consumed you. You kept yourself behind really thick and high walls. Now they're down. For good I hope?"

She nodded as her response. He lifted her head up gently and wiped her tears away with the back of his hand. She leaned into his touch. Their eyes finally locked having the wordless conversation that they have done for years. He brought his other hand from her back up to her neck. They leaned in and their lips touched. Just merely brushing against each other. When it ended she laid her head onto his shoulder breathing in his scent.

"Come with me," she said breaking the silence. She untangled herself from the embrace and took his hand. She led them up the stairs and first checked on Sophia.

"She asleep?" he whispered to her.

"Yeah. Good thing that when she's asleep she stays asleep until her alarm clock goes off. She's a heavy sleeper if it's this late," she whispered. She softly smiled and he returned the smile.

They walked down the hall and into her bedroom. They knew what was going to happen tonight. They wanted it though. He lifted her shirt off and roamed his hands gently over her skin making her shiver. They both needed slow and passionate tonight and that's exactly what happened. As they shed each layer of clothing it felt more right to be doing this. They fell onto her bed leaving no part of each other's bodies untouched. He looked into her eyes and felt like it reach her soul. She was ready as was he. Slowly he entered her. Her long legs wrapped around his waist pulling him closer to her. They moved in sync as they always have in their years as partners and lovers. Each movement got them closer to the edge. They both reached it simultaneously and indulged in an slow, passionate, and intoxicating kiss. After he pulled out of her and she curled up against his side on the bed. She placed a hand on his heart and he wrapped an arm around her waist.

"I love you, Jethro."

"I love you too, Jen," he pushed the hair out of her eyes and looked deeply into her eyes.

"Thank you," she said.

"For what?"

"Saving me, Sophia was right you are my safe place. This feels so safe. I don't want it to end."

"It's not going to. I'll tell you that."

"Good," she lightly kissed him and settled deeper into his embrace. He pulled a cover over them and they fell asleep.

A/N2: Please review!!! I want to hear your opinions!!!!! Does it suck? Is it good? Should I never write again? Should I write now and forever? Come on people tell me what you think of this!!!