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Kylie sat alone in her room as internal debate raged wildly.

Her conversation with Mycroft had confused her even more. She had been on the fence before; torn between what her brain was telling her and what the rest of her was dying to do…. But now she was just more confused than ever.

Would she love to get back with Sherlock? Yes. But move in with him…? She highly doubted that Sherlock even thought of the meaning behind it. They were broken up. Yet he had asked her to move in with him..?

Really?

His ex-girlfriend moving in with him- platonically.

Kylie sighed and ran her good hand through her hair. She loved the man, that was obvious, but the question was… was it worth it? Kylie had left London to begin with because no matter what she did, or how much she apologized, or endured his anger with her, Sherlock had continued to be abrasive, rude, and intolerable. Most people would argue that that was Sherlock Holmes' default setting, but Kylie knew that wasn't true. She had seen the enduring side of the man, the part that cared. If you were lucky enough to be invited into his world, you actually got to see what a truly good person he was. Kylie knew deep down, underneath his anger with her, he cared, but the things that he said to her…

She had taken it willingly for a while; almost as a punishment and reprimand to herself for what she had did to him.

He killed a man… for you. That's not something to be taken lightly.

She sighed. She still didn't know if she had truly forgiven him for that. Killing another human being in cold blood…

The secrets, the lying… sound familiar?

He's not Thomas. He isn't.

How would you know anyway?

She shut her eyes. She didn't. She didn't know and that scared her to death. How could she trust anyone anymore? Thomas had ruined her for good.

She opened her eyes and leaned back, hating the debate raging through her body at the moment.

She was glad she had moved to San Diego. It was one of the best decisions she could have made. Though the first few months had been hard, she had grown stronger being away from him and London, and life began to go back to normal.

…Are you really over him though?

Kylie knew the answer to that question. She had been making progress, until he suddenly waltzed back into her life… all thanks to Mycroft.

The moment she had laid eyes on him, the feelings she had for the man returned with the force of a crashing train. She felt like she had been caught in a tsunami, drowning in an instant. She couldn't help it. She had tried to remember that it was over between the two of them, but then Sherlock had held her hand, pulled her into his chest, tried to protect her… kissed her…

She knew he was a complex human being. But she was getting mixed signals. Pulling her close and then pushing her away… it didn't make sense. He had thrown her aside like contaminated trash after holding her, only to ask her to move in with him…?

Kylie still had no idea why he had asked her. She doubted he was having feelings for her again. It was most likely all because John was moving out.

God, that kiss though…

Kylie groaned to herself. Never had a simple peck make her head spin as well as her weak at the knees.

Then move in with him…

He most likely wasn't serious. It was a moment of panic… that was all.

Yes. That's all it was.

Kylie had settled on that answer as she heard yelling coming from down the hallway.

"SIR! YOU CANT GO IN THERE! SIR!" a nurse yelled before the door burst open.

Kylie suppressed a groan as her head throbbed, only to make it throb harder as Tony DiNozzo and her father entered the room, looking murderous.

"What in the HELL were you thinking Kyleigha?" her father half yelled as the nurse came into the room after them.

Kylie waved the nurse off and rubbed her temples, trying to make her headache go away, flinching as she pressed on a large cut.

"I'm fine Dad."

"Really? Because you look like crap," her father snapped at her.

"Ever-loving and supportive father," Kylie quipped as she sat up, wincing in pain as she did.

"Why in the hell would you walk into a date, knowing that a serial killer was targeting you? You want to be the star of a horror flick?" Tony asked her with bitter sarcasm as he crossed his arms in front of him.

Kylie rolled her eyes, "I don't need one of your lectures 'Professor DiNardo'. And we caught the guy. Catching bad guys is sort of in my job description."

She grabbed a jello the nurse had left for her and gave her older brother a sideways look of annoyance.

"We caught the guy, that's all that matters."

"At the cost of what, Kyleigha?" her father growled, "You walked into that endangering yourself and everyone on your team."

"That's rich coming from you," Kylie shot back as the pain of Irene's loss hit her, lashing out at her father, "I learned how to self-sacrifice from you."

Gibbs glowered at his daughter, walking over to the bed, putting his hands on the bed as he got closer to his daughter, dropping his voice to a low whisper.

"You go in with a plan. And you never personally get involved in a case."

"Rule number 10," Kylie recited as she turned to glare at her father, hurt evident in her eyes, "I remembered. We were prepared. I missed it until it was too late."

"What happened?" Tony asked as he softened, seeing the look on her face as father and daughter glared at each other.

Kylie's eyes flitted over to Tony before back down to her Jello, silently toying with it for a moment.

"A woman died saving my life," she admitted quietly.

She heard her father sit on her bed, the anger leaving the room.

"At least the Ripper can't hurt anyone else."

Tony crossed the room, sitting in the chair that John had been occupying earlier.

"You weren't the one who took her life, Ky," he told her.

"I know."

"Putting yourself on the line wasn't the best play…"

"It was the only play we had, Tony," Kylie said glaring at him, "You weren't on the case. You don't know the details, so if you were looking to question someone's playbook, I recommend leaving the room."

Tony stared at her, not moving.

"Can I finish before you jump down my throat?"

Kylie glared.

"I was saying, putting yourself on the line wasn't the best play, but sometimes it is the only one. You had to stop him. Things happen you can't anticipate despite best measures. People die. But you weren't the one to pull the trigger."

Kylie softened before dropping her gaze.

"She was being blackmailed by the Ripper. She hid evidence. It was her or me. Despite that, she came back and saved me."

"She made her choice."

"Still…"

"Life is full of choices, bug," her father interjected, "You make them. She made them. Nothing you did or could have done would have changed that outcome."

Kylie sighed and looked down, knowing her family was right.

"Kylie, we brought you…" John began as he and Sherlock waltzed into the hospital room with a paper bag, both stopping slightly as they caught sight of the two other men in the room already.

"oh… Hello," John said as looked at them curiously.

Tony just raised an eyebrow.

"John, I don't believe you were ever officially introduced to my father, Leroy Jethro Gibbs, and my brother Anthony DiNozzo?"

"Pleasure Doc," Gibbs said as he got up and walked to the door stopping to look at Sherlock.

"You, come on," he said before walking out of the room.

Kylie frowned as she watched the scene.

"Dad?"

Sherlock glanced at her before following her father out of the room and down the hall.

He heard Kylie protest from her bed, but he followed the older man towards the vending machines.

Sherlock stopped and watched as Gibbs put a few coins into the coffee machine and waited for the cup to fill.

The man then turned and stared at the younger man in silence. Sherlock raised an eyebrow, refusing to speak.

Gibbs smirked and picked up his coffee before locking his blue eyes onto him once more.

"I thought we had an understanding," Gibbs told him softly.

Sherlock didn't respond. Just kept staring at him.

"You were going to look after my daughter. Keep her safe. Make sure she didn't get hurt," Gibbs told him as he took a step closer to the detective.

"She's perfectly capable of taking care of herself," Sherlock said simply, refusing to break the gaze.

"Yeah, she is," Gibbs said as he looked the younger man in the eyes once more, "but she needs someone to tell her that she's being irrational, not tell her to go on a date with a man who is hunting her," he told him as the low deep growl returned to his voice.

I didn't want her to. I practically pleaded with her.

"She made her decision," Sherlock told him before Gibbs smacked him on the back of the head, much harder than Kylie ever had.

"Get your head straight," Gibbs told him harshly. "You already broke my daughter's heart once and the only reason I haven't killed you where you stand is because I know that you still care for her."

"I don't."

"Bullshit."

Sherlock just looked at him as Gibbs took a threatening step forward.

"You don't let people that you care for walk into danger like that. Charlie told me that you tried to stop her but you know what? You try harder when it comes to those you love."

"I don't love her," Sherlock told him.

Gibbs smirked and laughed slightly before brushing past him, "Yeah, you do."

Sherlock was left in the hallway with a confused look on his face.

*(&#$()* )(# )(#

"Sherlock! I am perfectly capable of opening the door by myself!" Kylie complained as she walked into her house later that week.

"You cant even open a soda by yourself," Sherlock shot back as he closed the door, placing her bags on the ground as he locked up.

Kylie rolled her eyes and sighed. It was true. She had been finally released from the hospital after spending nearly five days in that hellhole. Tony and father had stayed for a few days before catching a case that required them back in DC immediately. Kylie had been pleased to see her family, but was also relieved she didn't have Tony and her father constantly hovering anymore. No, that role had been taken over by Sherlock and John who had still stayed behind.

Kylie looked around her place, feeling as if something wasn't right.

"Where's Toby?"

"Charlie took him," Sherlock told her as he removed his jacket, rolling up his shirt sleeves, "Said he needed to be looked after."

Kylie smiled and ran her good hand through her hair and adjusted her sling, "Well, that makes me hate him slightly less after I had to put up with him terrorizing the nurses all week."

Sherlock smiled at her slightly as he took in her more at ease appearance. The bruises and cuts on her face were healing, but it still broke his heart to see her injuries.

He could have prevented it if he had figured it out quicker.

Irene could still be alive…

"I wish I could go to the funeral," Kylie commented as if she could read his mind.

He stiffened in shock momentarily.

"John said you couldn't fly for another two weeks after as severe of a concussion you had. Risk of hemorrhage is too great."

"I know," Kylie sighed, looking down, "I just feel like I owe her."

He looked at her before silently dropping his gaze to the floor.

They fell into silence for a few moments.

Kylie cleared her throat and rubbed her bandaged arm awkwardly.

"When does your flight leave?" she asked softly.

"Six-thirty," Sherlock replied.

Kylie nodded and dropped her gaze once more. She felt eyes on her as she looked up again to find Sherlock staring at her.

She looked at him quizzically.

"Are you coming back to London?" he asked in a quiet voice that Kylie had only heard him use once when he told her that he loved her.

Yeah, but then you stepped all over him….

Kylie sighed and looked at him. His face was expressionless. Sure, his voice had been small and quiet, but his face didn't show any emotion what so ever.

She had been dreading this moment ever since Mycroft had walked out of her room. It was the one thing that she had been thinking about non-stop in the last couple of days and even though she had made up her mind, she wasn't sure if it was the right choice.

"No," Kylie said quietly, "I have a life here Sherlock, a good one. As much as I would love to be back at Baker Street with you and run around and solve cases, I cant."

"Why not?" Sherlock asked slightly hurt.

Oh God, he looks like a hurt puppy.

"Because I need to get over you, and I cant do that if we are living in the same flat."

"Get over me?"

"Yes, Sherlock. Get over you. We aren't together anymore; you have made that very clear. And if you don't want a relationship, that's fine, but you need to know that I have to do something's for myself in order to cope with that."

He just looked at her once more before he took a step towards her.

He bent down and pressed his lips against hers briefly causing Kylie's head to spin as electricity and warmth raged through her body.

He pulled away and looked at her for half a second before Kylie opened her eyes.

"I love you," he said in a small quiet voice.

Kylie froze on the spot. She just gaped at him. Did she really hear what she thought she heard? It took Sherlock half a second before he realized what he had said out loud. He looked slightly petrified, like a scared child before he turned and walked quickly out of the house, shutting the door behind him.

Kylie couldn't move, she was rooted to the spot. Shock had overtaken her body as she just stared at where Sherlock had just been standing.

Had he really just told her that he loved her?

Even when they were together, he hadn't said it. Granted he did once, but Kylie had royally messed that one up.

Kylie couldn't feel a single part of her body. Her head was still spinning from the chaste kiss. What did it all mean? Kylie didn't have a clue. He was leaving for London, a flight that Kylie couldn't go on. They wouldn't work together anyway right?

Oh, who in the hell was she kidding? She had never fallen so hard for anyone else in her life. Her feelings for him had tripled since he had arrived in San Diego and what had just happened didn't help.

But would his embarrassment over the whole issue cause him to pull away once more? Was it worth giving up her life here only to have her heart smashed by the dark-haired detective once more?

Minute after minute past as Kylie still found herself unable to move. He was gone. There was no chasing after him.

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