Title: His Savior Star

Author: TomorrowNeverCame

For: newyork24-7

Rating: K

Disclaimer ~Erm….nope! Nothing owned here! That would be the ultimate Christmas present though!

Gibbs sat alone in his dimly lit basement, as always. Like any other night, the dim, warm glow of the single lamp he had on reflected faintly upon the glass of bourbon he held and the light wood of his current project; another boat. But tonight was no ordinary night. Tonight was Christmas Eve. He took another long sip of his drink and sat down at his work desk. Looking down at table top, he smiled bitterly at the many pictures that lay scattered on its surface. The holidays were not a time of happiness for him, as they were for so many. Instead, he spent the time hiding in his basement as usual, sorrowing over the memories of times when Christmas did hold joy.

The pictures adorning the table were all of two people: his first wife, and his daughter. They weren't from any specific time or place, just pictures, but he could remember the story behind every one of them. Kelly at the park, playing on the shiny new swing. He and Shannon, pregnant at the time, sitting on a swinging bench as they visited her sister and her family. And then there was Jenny….wait. He stared in confusion at the photo of the smiling red-head, wondering how the picture of his former lover had crept into these other memories.

The memories that plagued him now were in some ways worse than those of his lost family. Because Jenny was still here and yet always just out of his reach. He wondered what she was doing this evening. He had seen her before he left; she had been wearing a simple v-neck sweater that had made him (and also many men in the building) do a double take. It was subtle, but the neckline showed off her delicate figure and the deep forest green had made her eyes shine and her hair seemed to be flaming.

He knew Abby had invited her to come along with the rest of the team-she had asked him, too-but was also confident in his knowledge of her habits and knew that she would likely go along with Ducky for an hour or so before excusing herself in favor of paperwork. He frowned at that. The solitude was normal for him, but he had a strange feeling in his gut at the thought of her. He didn't think she should be spending Christmas alone. Though, he could be wrong. That thought troubled him more. He'd had to remind himself often in the past few months that while it seemed as if she had only just left him in Paris with a letter, they had been apart for more than six years. He had to face it, he didn't know her anymore.

He had to admit it, he missed her. And thinking about Christmas made him long for her, for the only Christmas he'd actually enjoyed since the death of his first wife and daughter.

Gibbs strolled down the snowy Parisian street with a smile, the object of his joy currently walking beside him with her arm looped through his. It was Christmas Eve, and even though they were on a mission they had been allowed one night of freedom for the holidays, as long as they stayed undercover. It wasn't hard, however, considering that they were playing husband and wife and were, in reality, lovers.

He couldn't keep his eyes off of his lover as they walked. She was dressed in a long, black pea coat and had a forest green dress underneath. He could just see the bottom of it where it fell above her knees. She had no scarf, but the coat was buttoned up tight. Her hair fell in long red waves down her back and she wore a black knit cap pulled tight over her head. Her perfect curls combined with the falling snow and the warm glow of the street lights made her look like an angel, and he thought again how lucky he was to have her.

Back then, things had been so much simpler. They were in a different world, in love, and without a care. What had happened? How had they gone from head-over-heels in love to having such a strained friendship?

When he had first met her, they'd been like they were now. Maybe not as on-edge, but there was definitely a fine line they had been treading. He was in a bad marriage (again), practically living at his desk, irritable if you spoke to him before he'd had at least three cups of coffee, and drinking much too often. She had been a probie, fresh out of the academy, serious about work, but fun about life, happy, and likable to everyone. To complete opposites, yet they'd worked together perfectly both in the job and in a relationship. He had been in a bad place, and she had been his one bright spot. She had pulled him into her light simply by loving him.

Maybe…just for Christmas, they could forget all the memories and baggage they carried. Maybe for the holidays they could just be friends, and pull each other out of the dark once more. So maybe he would call her up, and they could just talk. Maybe he could be her savior just as she had been for him.

Just as she would always be.

His savior star.