A/N: Something that came to me a couple of days ago. I've always been intrigued by the mysterious redhead in the early years of the show. Here's my explanation of who she was. It's done in a different style than my other stories so I hope you enjoy.

She's your what!

I wasn't paying much attention to where we were so when the car pulled in my driveway I was surprised we were already there. The young Marine Corporal sat very still behind the wheel, waiting I'm sure, for me to make a move. Finally I opened the door and got out. I stuck my head in the window and thanked him.

"Thanks for the ride, Corporal. When you get to Afghanistan next month keep your head down and come home in one piece."

"Thank you sir. It was my privilege to drive you today. I'm sorry about your friend."

"I appreciate that."

I watched him drive away then I just stood in the driveway looking at nothing. Actually I guess I was looking at the spot where my oldest friend and mentor had died a few days before. I thought about all the times someone had said to me, "I'm sorry about your friend". Too many that's for sure. But, when you're in a dangerous profession like soldiering or the cops you lose people. Doesn't make it any easier. This one was particularly hard though. I depended on Mike for advice and guidance even after all these years. Even though I'd had some warning; his letter last month about the cancer told me it was coming, I wasn't even close to prepared to say goodbye. I loved him and I was going to miss him.

Maybe a drink was in order. I turned and headed in the house. When I stepped in the door I knew someone was there. First, I saw a suitcase by the door and second, I could smell her. She always wore the same thing, Midnight something I think she told me once. I liked it very much and I could smell just a hint of it now. I closed the door behind me and took a couple of steps down hall. And here she came from the kitchen. Just as gorgeous as ever.

"Hello handsome", she said as she came toward me, smiling and opening her arms to me.

"Hello yourself."

I reached for her we hugged each other fiercely as friends do after a long absence. We still fit together perfectly; we always had, right from the beginning all those years ago.

She leaned back finally but kept her hands locked at the back of my neck. My hands were on her hips and I took my time enjoying the feel of her and the look on her face that said she was happy to see me. I never get tired of looking at that face.

"How are you, Jethro?"

"Better than I was on the other side of the door. When did you get here?"

"About an hour ago."

I knew she was looking me over for signs of wear and tear and neglect. She always did. I also knew she'd find some this time. It had been a difficult few months.

"You look tired. And sad."

"I am both of those things. Tom call you?"

"Of course. I tried to get here yesterday but just couldn't. Have you seen my big brother lately?"

"Had lunch with him a couple of weeks ago. He seems to like what he's doing, he's well."

"How are you and Leon getting along these days?"

"Well, he's not Tom but we're managing. I'm really glad you're here Syd."

"Me too. Come on, let's go eat. I brought food. You wear that suit very nicely by the way."

"You're just saying that because you picked it out."

"Well, I have good taste but it does look fabulous on you."

We sat down to a feast of brisket and potato salad and beer. My favorites. I hadn't seen Syd in months. As I thought back I realized it had been New Years at the Morrow's house that I last saw her. Too long. Much too long.

"So, how's Chicago? Tom told me you are about to be published again. Congratulations."

"Thank you. I brought a draft of the article. I'd like you to read it and give me your thoughts. Chicago is good but I miss DC. In fact. . ."

Just then my phone rang and she stopped talking. While I talked to Ducky assuring him I was fine, not drinking and in fact eating real food, Syd cleared away the plates and got us another beer. When I got off the phone I joined her on the back porch.

"I thought Laila and Amira would be staying with you."

"They were but her mother is in town so they moved to the Hyatt. Her mother needs lots of space."

"I'm sure. Do you want to talk about Mike or the case or anything?"

"Not really. How long are you staying?"

"Well, that depends. Can you get away for a while? Say, two weeks at least."

"I imagine. What do you have in mind?"

"How does Jamaica sound?"

"Like a very good idea."

"Wonderful. I have another good idea."

"What?"

"Kiss me and then show me how much you've missed me."

"Two excellent ideas."

I kissed her, several times, and then we went upstairs to the bedroom. Since I'd missed her a lot it took quite a while for me to really show her just how much. She didn't complain and I didn't mind. Sydney Morrow and I have been friends and lovers for a very long time. She is the most understanding and patient person I have ever known; at least when it come to me she is. We fit together; we understand each other and we really, really LIKE each other. The fact that her big brother was my boss when we met was kinda tricky for a while but we made it work. She knows all about my wives and about Jenny. We were friends for almost a year before we became lovers. I can't explain why we work together but we do. Syd has always traveled a lot so we never saw each other all the time. Maybe that's why we stayed such good friends. Even so, when she moved to Chicago a few years ago I was very sorry to see her go. But, I've been to see her a few times and she comes to DC to see her brother so we've kept in touch.

"Gosh, you really have missed me."

"Yeah I guess I have."

She had her head on my chest and one of her very long, very smooth legs wedged between mine. My hands were busy trying to touch as much of her as possible. I can never get enough of Syd when she's in bed with me. I love the way she smells and the way she moves and the way she lets me know what she wants. And , I love that she always seems to know exactly what I need because she never fails to make sure I get it.

She propped her chin on her hands and looked up at me. Her eyes were bright and happy and I felt good about making that happen. Syd never talked too much and she never tried to get me to talk when she knew I wasn't ready. Anyway, we seemed to communicate just fine without talking. Like right now, she was looking at me in a way that said, 'I could do that again if you can'. It was a look she gave me with those beautiful eyes and that sinfully skilled mouth. So, I smiled my best smile and kissed her and let her have her way with me.

We expended so much energy getting reacquainted that we fell asleep and when we woke up it was almost 6:00. I was starving.

"Hey, how about a shower and a brisket sandwich?"

"Sounds good. I need to go see Tom and Elaine tonight. Wanna come with me?"

"Sure."

We shared the shower then we had something to eat. On the way to Tom's house I asked about Jamaica.

"So, what's this about going to Jamaica?"

"We leave tomorrow evening. Five o'clock flight out of Dulles."

I just looked at her and laughed. She never considered I wouldn't want to go or that I couldn't get away from work. Syd had a way of making things work out but it never felt like she was manipulating me or the situation. She just always seemed to be able to maneuver around any obstacle and wind up where she wanted to be.

"Pretty sure of yourself aren't you? What if I didn't want to go?"

"Jethro, of course you'd want to go. We haven't seen each other in months and you love the beach. I got us a very private bungalow right on the water. You'll want to stay forever."

"What if I couldn't get leave?"

"Are you serious? You probably have at least a year's worth of leave on the books. After the last month, I doubt Leon would have the stones to tell you no. You do want to go don't you?"

"Of course I do. Like you said, we haven't seen each other in a long time. I've missed you Syd."

We spent a couple of hours with Tom and his wife then headed back to my house. Once we got there we sat on the back deck and just enjoyed the warm night. After a while I needed to talk about Mike.

"Mike had cancer."

"Did you know before?"

"Yeah, he wrote me a letter a couple of months ago. Said all his smoking had caught up to him. He wouldn't consider doing treatment because they said he was already pretty bad. He said he was okay with it except for Amira. He really loved that little girl."

"So, what happened?"

"I called him and asked him to come because of the case. I knew something was wrong with the whole thing but I couldn't figure it out. He wanted to be here anyway; had some papers to give me."

"Decker's insurance policy?"

"Yes. Then he went out that night, said he was taking a walk. Next thing I know I hear shots. I still don't know for sure what happened but I'm sure Mike didn't even consider leaving it alone."

"Sort of like Jenny; he died on his own terms rather than from a long, drawn out illness. I'm sorry Jethro, I know how much he meant to you."

"Thanks. I will miss him."

"What about Laila and Amira? Will they be okay?"

"Yeah, he made sure of that. They're moving here to DC and Laila is going to work at State or maybe the embassy. They'll be okay."

"Any you'll get to see them. And Amira will still have her godfather."

That was enough talking for me. I stood up and pulled Syd up with me and kissed her. For as long as I've known her I've loved to get my hands in her hair. She has beautiful, thick red hair and I love running my fingers through it while I'm kissing her. Or any other time really. After we kissed for a while Syd backed up a little and said, "Dance with me Jethro."

"There's no music you know."

"I could sing."

"No, let's just use our imagination."

After she slugged me in the chest she wrapped her arms around me and we danced around the back deck. We actually dance very well together because Syd is tall and like I said before, we fit together perfectly. She started kissing me on the neck and pretty soon after that the dancing stopped and we moved back to the bedroom.

Several hours later I got up to use the bathroom and get a drink. Looking at her sleeping, all sprawled out in the middle of my bed I wondered, as I always do, how our friendship has survived for so long. I've lost so many people I've loved in the past few years and Syd has always been here for me. She's known about other women I've been with since we met and I've known she's been with other men. Somehow though, we always seem to come back to each other.

I'm sure people have wondered about us over the years because we don't necessarily look like we would be a couple. I know my team has certainly wondered about us. They've seen Syd a few times when she's come to pick me up and I know they used to spend a lot of time speculating about who she was. I guess when she moved to Chicago they forgot about her because no one ever asked. Of course they knew better. Syd is a gorgeous woman, very sophisticated and intelligent and she has lots of money she inherited from her late husband. She can talk to anyone and is always very generous with her friends. I tend to be a little rough around the edges and no one has ever accused me of being sophisticated.

I realized, standing in the doorway looking at her, that I didn't want Syd to go back to Chicago. That came to me like a bolt from the blue. Like when I sometimes get an idea about a case that I've been working on for days and all of a sudden the answer is right there in front of me. Right in front of me now, right there in my bed was a woman I'd loved for almost ten years and I suddenly didn't want her to go back to Chicago in a couple of weeks. I sat down on the side of the bed and wondered what I was going to do about it. When I finally laid back down, Syd moved over and snuggled up to me.

"You alright?", she was just awake enough to ask the question.

"Yeah. Go back to sleep."

She just sighed and kissed me on the cheek and we went back to sleep all wrapped up together. It was the first really good nights sleep I'd had in a very long time.

The next morning we had coffee and pancakes, Syd's specialty, and just enjoyed being together after such a long time apart. I was still working out why I felt so strongly about her not going back to Chicago when I remembered she'd started to say something last night about missing DC. I decided I'd ask about that before the day was out.

After breakfast I went upstairs to pack for our trip while Syd made some phone calls for work. She's a psychologist who works mostly with veterans these days. She's very good at what she does and she's been published in journals several times. Unfortunately, she has lots of clients these days. She's also a consultant for the Marine Corps. I used to think sometimes she was practicing on me. Maybe she was and if so it worked. I've been a lot happier and saner since I met Syd.

I was just finishing making the bed when Syd came in the bedroom.

"Are you sure we were finished messing that up?"

"I can always make it again if we're not."

The next thing I knew she had tackled me and we were definitely messing up the sheets. After some very intense kissing and touching we both laid back laughing and trying to catch our breath. Syd sat up in the middle of the bed and looked at me with a very serious look on her face. Something was up.

"What would you think of me moving back to DC?"

I couldn't believe my luck. Not only was this what I wanted but I didn't have to bring it up.

"I think that would be great. I miss you Syd. I'd love to have you back here."

She looked at me for a long time before she finally said, "I love you Jethro."

"I love you too Syd." This wasn't new for us. We'd told each other 'I love you' lots of times.

"No, I mean I LOVE YOU. As in, I'm IN love with you."

She was still looking at me very seriously. I pushed myself up and leaned against the headboard. This was something different, something that sounded promising but maybe just a little bit scary too.

"What?' Not a very good response I guess but it was all I could manage because my head was swimming with possibilities.

Naturally she laughed. "I said I love you, I'm in love with you. Something has changed Jethro. I don't want to go back to Chicago."

"I think that's great. I agree, Syd, something has changed. I realized about 3:00 this morning that I don't want you to go. I'm very glad to hear you say you want to stay."

"What do you think about us getting married?"

This was VERY different! I thought for a few moments but Syd just kept looking at me with a very calm and happy look on her face.

"You mean to each other?"

She punched me pretty good on the arm for that. "Of course to each other!"

More thinking on my part and more watching on her part. "I think it would be a very good idea from my side but maybe not such a good deal for you."

"You know I don't like it when you put yourself down like that, Jethro. You're talking about the man I love. I know this is coming out of left field but I've been thinking about it for weeks. I love you. You love me. We like each other. We get along. I don't like being away from you anymore."

She was right, I do love her. And we like each other and get along. But, marriage and I haven't been that good a fit in the past.

"What if we get along so well because we're not together that much?"

"Is that what you think?"

"Not really but it's possible."

Then she started playing dirty. She scooted over and sat on my lap straddling me and leaned up and kissed me. She started taking off her shirt and then mine and pretty soon we were messing up the sheets again.

Afterward, she was lying on me with her hands on my chest and her chin resting on her hands. Her hair was all mussed up and her lips were kinda swollen from all the kissing. She was beautiful.

"So, do you want to marry me or what?"

I pushed her hair back and looked her in the eye. I trust Syd more than anyone else I know. I also know she's not prone to foolish decisions so I knew she'd given this idea a lot of very serious thought. I asked myself why I wouldn't want to marry her and I couldn't think of any good reason. Maybe that's not a reason to get married but I'd gotten married for other more "sensible" reasons in the past and look where that got me. One thing for sure, life with Syd in the house would never be dull and I was pretty sure she'd never hurt me on purpose.

"You know what, I believe I do want to marry you. Should I assume you have all the necessary information on getting this done in Jamaica?"

"You know me too well. I figured I'd get it all together in case you said yes. Seriously, Jethro, I have thought about this for a long time and I know we will be happy together. I love you, you know that. I trust you and respect you and I can't stand being away from you anymore."

"I love you Syd. And you know I trust you. I probably would never have suggested we get married but I want you here with me and I'm honored you want to marry me."

A few hours later, my head still reeling from the idea of getting married, we were on a plane to Jamaica. Of course, Syd had done all the research on getting married there and she had all the necessary documents in a file. By the time we got to the bungalow she'd reserved for us we were exhausted and fell into bed without even unpacking.

The next morning we took care of all the paperwork and made arrangements for the ceremony in two days. After that we went shopping. I wanted Syd to have a beautiful ring, one that showed her how much I loved her and how proud I was that she was going to be my wife. It took most of the day but finally we found what we both agreed was the perfect ring. It was beautiful on her and I actually liked the one for me that went with it. After that we went back to our rooms and then out to the beach until dinner.

Two days later I was married again. Not something I ever thought would happen but I'm very happy about it. When Syd called Tom to tell him what we'd done I could hear him laughing through the phone. I'm not sure why he was laughing but it was better than hearing him yelling which was what I'd expected. Syd never stopped smiling and that made me feel good.

We spent two weeks just lying around on the beach, swimming, and eating and making love. It was glorious and Syd was right, I didn't want to leave. But, real life was calling and we both had to answer. Syd had to go back for a conference at Quantico and I had to get back to work. DiNozzo could only be left in charge for only so long before I got nervous and that time limit was quickly approaching.

When we got back to DC we went to see Tom and Elaine before going home. They were great about the marriage; very supportive and happy for us. For some reason, Tom smiled and shook his head a lot. Not sure what that was about but it made me just a little bit nervous. We finally got home late and I actually carried my bride over the threshold. We were laughing so hard I almost dropped her in the hall but we made it. It felt really good going to sleep last night knowing Syd would be there not only the next morning but for all the mornings in the future.

We slept pretty late our first day at home as a married couple so by the time I had my first cup of coffee it was almost 9:00. I was in the kitchen when I heard two things at almost the same instant; the front door opening and Syd coming down the stairs. I took a step into the hall so I could see who was there but Syd beat me to the door. I'm glad she did because it was priceless.

Just as she got to the entryway, DiNozzo stepped in the front door. He looked at Syd who was wearing a pair of shorts and one of my NCIS tee shirts. Her hair was loose but under control and she looked beautiful of course. I couldn't see her face really but I could sure see Tony's. And hear him which was even better.

"Whoa, hi. Uh, hey you're. . .aren't you . .I mean, didn't you used to. . . "

Normally DiNozzo is very articulate but this morning he was completely tongue tied and confused. Syd eventually took pity on him.

"Hello, Tony. I'm Sydney. Come in."

Tony stood there with his mouth open looking at her and then he looked down the hall and saw me standing there.

"Hey Boss. Isn't she the one. . . I mean didn't she used to pick you up sometimes?"

"Yes she did."

"So then she's . . .she's back. I mean, she's . . . Who is she exactly?"

"She's my wife DiNozzo."

"She's your what!"

The End.