Chapter 10
While Tony and Kate hid out from each other and every man for himself worked on the case, it was a normal working day at the headquarter for the rest of the team.
In the evening, Alexis worked at a progress report of the case; most of the other employees of the NCIS had already gone home.

Alexis sighed audibly as she almost hacked at her keyboard.
"Are you okay?" asked Tim, who also was working at his desk.
"The computer seems to have conspired against me. This error message constantly appears."
"Shall I look at it?"
"Yes, please!" Alexis replied certainly pleased with the offer.
Tim came over to her. Standing behind her chair, he reached for the computer mouse. His fingers brushed Alexis' hand lightly. Tim bent down to get a better look at the screen. His face was just centimeters from hers. Alexis could feel his breath on her skin. Because of the physical proximity to Alexis Tim found it hard to concentrate. He pulled himself together and with a few clicks the problem was solved.
"Thank you!" Alexis said, smiling widely as she turned to him. In doing so she hit her coffee cup so that it fell to the ground and broke.
"Oh, damn." Alexis murmured and got up to pick up the pieces.
"Fortunately, the cup was empty." Tim said as he knelt beside Alexis to help her.
"You're a real optimist." Alexis replied, shaking her head.

She grabbed one of the pieces and immediately felt a sharp pain. The fragment had her cut her palm. Alexis turned her left hand to examine the injury. Her palm was covered in blood, the cut had to be big.
"Let me see," she heard Tim say while she was still staring at her hand. Tim took Alexis' hand in his. Her skin was very soft as he had imagined. He swallowed hard when he saw the wound, because although he often had to do with corpses at the NCIS, he had difficulties to bear the sight of blood.
"We have to stop the bleeding. There is a first-aid kit in the infirmary. "He said. He helped Alexis and took her to the infirmary.

While Alexis washed of the blood, Tim got the first aid kit out of the closet and put it on the treatment table. After Alexis had dried the wound, she sat down beside him. Tim disinfected her hand and then bandaged the wound with a compress and a gauze bandage.
"Are you in pain?" He asked Alexis as he secured the end of the gauze bandage with tape. Then he started stroking her bandaged hand gently with his thumb.
"It's ok." Alexis replied, touched that Tim worried about her.
"You still need to see a doctor. Perhaps the wound has to be stitched, it seems to be deep."
"I will do that." Alexis assured him. Her eyes darted from her's and Tim's hand to his eyes. Tim leaned forward and before Alexis could react Tim pressed his lips to hers. The kiss was gentle, loving and - unexpected.
Alexis didn't know how to react. She had no idea that Tim had such feelings for her and therefore didn't expect that kiss.
When Tim noticed that Alexis didn't return the kiss he immediately stopped.
"I ... I'm sorry!" He began with a red face, "I shouldn't have done this! I misconstured the situation!"
"I should go." was the only thing Alexis replied. She got up and fled from the room.

Only then Tim realized that this misconception could have fatal repercussions: If Alexis would tell Gibbs about it he would fire him. Not only had he infringed Gibbs' rules, but also the kiss could be seen as sexual harassment or even sexual assault. His career would be completely ruined.
He went back to the office hoping Alexis was still there and that he could talk to her. It was never his intention to force her to do anything. He had simply assumed - hoped much more - she would return his feelings. He hadn't thought about the consequences. But as expected Alexis was no longer in the office.

Alexis sat in her car in the parking lot of NCIS with her cell phone on the ear.
"Kate, it's me." She said in a shaky voice as her sister answered the phone.
"Hey, Lexi. I'm sorry, I know I said I'll call you back later on. I forgot."
"It's fine."
"Is everything okay?" Kate asked, "you sound so strange."
"... Tim kissed me!" Alexis blurted out.
"WHAT? ... W ... when? "Kate was just as shocked as Alexis had been during their telephone call this morning.
"Just now. I've cut myself on a broken cup and Tim treated the wound and then he just kissed me!"
"I had no idea that he has feelings for you."
"Neither did I! ... What shall I do now? "There was a note of despair in Alexis' voice. "I can't talk to him about it."
"Why not?" Kate asked quietly.
"Because for that I would have to know what I feel for him!"
"What do you mean by that? What do you feel for him? "Kate was irritated.
"I didn't return the kiss, but ... I had butterflies in my stomach."
"Lexi, ... a relationship with Tim would be against Gibbs' Rule number 12. He could fire you. Don't make the same mistake I did. Don't jeopardize your job. I was lucky that Gibbs hired me when the Secret Service fired me, because I had a relationship with a colleague."
"I know all that, Kate. ... But Tim has been the first decent man who has feelings for me in a long time. "
"It's your decision. ... But no matter how you decide: I support you. Promised."

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