What may be?

AUTHORS NOTE: This is a new genre for me, romance so bear with me.

DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING!

As he stood in the door way of her bedroom watching her sleep, a warmth and deep seated feeling of completeness came across him. They had fell asleep watching television last night, Gibbs had escorted her to her room and tucked her in for the night. Looking back over the last month, he couldn't believe how fast things had changed. He lightly walked across the room and laid a soft kiss across her brow. She didn't stir, just stretched a little and sighed with a grin. " I hope that dream is about me," he murmured as he exited her room, put his coffee cup in the sink and put a little note on the top of the misshapen coffee table.

Had a good time, will be able to help with your project whenever you want to.

Call me when you wake.

Gibbs

As Gibbs drove back to his house to shower up and go to bed. As he climbed into his bed, another slow grin spread across his face as he remembered back to one month ago.

Flashback:

He was walking down the lumber aisle at the local hardware store when he notice a smaller set of hands, attempting to maneuver a large 4 foot by 8 foot piece of plywood all by herself. He noticed that she was starting to lean towards the floor and quickly stepped in to help steady the plywood.

"I can do this! I did not ask for help!" The voice spoke out from behind the plywood with a sense of agitation. 'Why me?' Ana thought to herself as she was silently glad the whoever that had helped her had stepped in, but she could do this and would do this on her own.

Ever the true gentleman and Marine, Gibbs just slowly lowered the plywood to the buggy and spoke softly, "Sorry, just didn't want to see anyone hurt? Didn't mean to intrude but…" Gibbs was all set on finishing his little ungratefulness speech when he turned and looked at her. She looked all of about 33 years old, her brunette hair had a slight red tinge to it when she turned her head to the side and the lights hit it in a particular way. She had on little make-up, her hair was pulled up into two little side braids on each shoulder. She had on a simple blue hoodie and some old jeans. Her eyes were this uncanny shade of hazel green, the kind that you could tell the emotions of the person by the subtle undertone, whether yellow, red or blue. She was on the short side, maybe 5ft 4 inches tall, maybe taller in heels. She was no supermodel body cut, and she was not magazine glamour gorgeous, but something in her face, her slightly smirky smile, made Gibbs feel a jolt he had not felt in years.

"Is there sawdust on my face?" She asked as she wiped at her face, trying to see what was making this guy stare at her.

"Oh, no. Sorry about that, I was just saying, that there is nothing wrong for asking for help when you need it. The name is Jethro." Gibbs said as he extended his hand to shake hers.

The young lady tilted her head to the right as if contemplating whether to shake his hand or not, but slowly extended out her arm to meet his hand. "Anne Tormey, nice to meet you…..Jethro?" She asked as if she was checking to see if someone had actually named their child Jethro.

"Yes ma'am." Gibbs answered purposely antagonizing her with the ma'am.

"Ma'am? I may be older than the next cutie that fakes needing help to attract a man's attention, but I will let you know that I am not that old?" She said with a huff.

Gibbs smirked as he watched her eyes light up with fire at his comment. " OH I have no doubt that you actually needed help, was your boyfriend too tied up to come pick this up? Gibbs asked in a round about way of trying to find her relationship status.

"OHHHH! MEN!" Anne said with a flourish of hand motions. "Just because a lady is out by herself at a hardware store means that she is just the pack mule for a male at home. I will have you know this is for a project of mine! ME! Alone! I do not have someone to bring this back to, this is for me!" With that Anne turned to storm off in a storm, but was stopped by a firm hand on her elbow. That simple touch sent a jolt of electricity up her arm, making her heartrate increase. 'Calm down girl', she told herself, just a simple gesture.

"I apologize if I offended you in anyway, I also work with wood. If you have any questions, please feel free to give me a call. Here is my card." Gibbs said as he passed his card into hand and turned to walk away. He was rounding the corner into the next aisle when he heard the clue that she had read the card. He knew that this was totally cheesy, but his gut told him to just go with this and he did.

"Leroy Jethro Gibbs, NCIS." Anne said with a snicker. "I thought Jethro was bad." Anne slid the card into her sweatshirt pocket and headed to check out.

Two weeks later on a Friday night the team, AKA Gibbs kids, were finishing off a case when his phone rang. "Gibbs."

"Hello, Jethro. This is Anne, the lady you met.." Anne started.

"I remember you, how can I help you?" Gibbs asked as he turned to see his surrogate kids look at him with a surprise.

"Well, I was wondering if you had sometime this weekend to grab a cup of coffee and discuss my wood project, it seems to have a life of its own and I don't know how to fix it." Anne spoke into the phone with a sense of hesitancy, it had been years since she had asked anyone, much a less a man, or even longer since it had been an extremely attractive man.

"Yeah, no problem, we can meet for coffee tomorrow, say late morning, around 10 am or so." Gibbs hoped he sounded casual, because he knew that inside his heart was racing. It had been too long since he had a "date."

"Ok, thanks, so much, I mean, I hope this is no imposition or anything." Anne said.

"No, no imposition. Tomorrow, 10am, Café Brulee, is that too far from your place, it seems to be a pretty centralized coffee shop." Gibbs offered.

"No, that is perfect. I am just a few blocks away. So….ok 10 am…tomorrow, Bye Jethro."

"Sounds good. Bye Anne." Gibbs said as he closed his phone and turned to look at the four faces that now stood in shock.

"Gibbs….a date….oooohhhhh! I bet red-head, tall, long legs and other great assets!" Tony said with a grin.

"OK! Stop the staring! Go home before I give each of you cold cases to do this weekend!" Gibbs barked.

"Ok, good luck!" McGee said with a slight grin.

"I hope all works well between you two." Ziva said with a gentle peck on the cheek.

"I bet it all still works!" Tony said as he clapped Gibbs on the back and accepted the light headslap.

"Have fun and be safe!" Abby said with a cheerful peck on his cheek. "What?" Abby asked as she looked at the slight shock on his face. "That is just what my dad tells me every weekend as I get ready to go out? Am I not correct?"

"Yeah, Abs, I tell all my KIDS that." He said as he looked at all four of them. "Now go home!" Gibbs turned and sat back down behind his desk. He was all out of whack, he felt nervous and he never felt like this. Well, at least in the past 15 years.

Gibbs rolled over in his bed, thinking about just how lucky he had become. He had four 'kids' and now possibly, did he dare think it, a girlfriend.

This is a new genre for me again, so I am trying to convey how I think Gibbs would react with out being to brash.

Reviews and comments are helpful.