Title: The Real Reason
Summary: What was the real reason Gibbs broke up with Ellen Wallace? His daughter, Charlotte, knows and she isn't into sharing with anyone but the man himself. We heard it from Gibbs, he broke up with Ellen 'Because I loved her'. But was that the only reason? This is the episode with Charlotte and the last part is why I think he broke up with Ellen.
Disclaimer: I only own Charlotte.
Charlotte felt awkward seeing her dad in interrogation waiting to be interrogated. He wobbled in his chair; she bit her lip to stop for giggling. The chair wobbled, her father hated that, he had fixed all of the chairs in their dining room last summer because half of them were uneven and rocked whenever they were sat on.
"You're interrogating my Dad?" She asked.
"Uh, yeah, he knew the victim, Ellen Wallace and he didn't tell us." McGee said.
"So, it would be a bad idea if I told you that I also knew her? Not as well as Dad did but I still knew her. Helped me with my homework. I was 12 at the time. She was nice." Charlotte said.
"We should probably do this in that room." Tim said.
"You think Dad will let you?" She asked.
"Guess not." He agreed. They watched as he got out his knife and flicked the plastic stopped off the end of the leg of the chair.
"Yeah, I'd get the knife off Gibbs, before interrogating him, if I were you." Jimmy said.
"Why are you looking at me? I'm not going in there. Good luck, Bishop." Torres said.
"Oh, no, nice try. No, I've cheated death a few too many times recently. Show us how it's done, McGee." Bishop said looking up at the taller agent.
"No. Pass." He said.
"You're Senior Field Agent." She pointed out.
"Which is exactly why I should be supervising and observing Gibbs' questioning." He said.
"Wuss!" Charlotte hissed.
"Oh, for the love of God." Jack grabbed the file and headed out of observation to interrogation.
"Nice knowing you, Sloane." Charlotte said.
"You stood up to my Dad, sent him home?" Charlotte gaped at McGee.
"Yeah, why?" He asked.
"You know, when you first started here, in 2006 you couldn't have done that. Do you know who helped you grow that backbone?" She asked.
"Gibbs? Kate? Ziva?" He asked.
"Tony." She said.
"Tony?" He parroted.
"All the teasing, all the pranks. Everything that Tony did to you – helped you grow that backbone. First to your Senior Field Agent and then your Lead Agent. Do you know that although Tony left to take care of Tali – he may not have left as quickly as he did if he didn't think you were ready. He actually planned to leave months before – but Tali gave him an out." Charlotte said with a small smile, "I miss my big brother but I understand his reasons."
"So, he would've left months before…but he couldn't think of a reason why." Tim said.
"Yeah. Pretty much. Look Tim, Tony loved you like a brother and he really wanted to help you grow and develop as an investigator. And he did, when he saw how much you had grown and had become the best investigator you could be he was ready to go. All he was trying to those last few months before Tali – was teach you how to be a Senior Agent." Charlotte said.
"You think?" He asked.
"I know." She smiled.
"Thanks, Charli." He said giving her a hug.
"Anytime Tim." She said returning the embrace.
"You following me?" Gibbs said, causing Charlotte to look at the newcomer.
"I knew you'd be here." McGee said. They watched as the American flag was folded and then given to her father, lilies were placed on her coffin and after her father put his down, he turned and spotted Gibbs.
"I was trying to do the right thing for her…but she still ended up here." Charlotte could hear the slight tremble in her father's voice, she grasped his hand tightly giving it a reassuring squeeze.
"You did do the right thing for her, Dad. Even if it broke both your hearts – it allowed her to do her job and not be constantly worried about you in the field. You know how worried Mom was when you were on deployment. She told you whenever you came home and I heard the tapes she and Kelly sent you – she told you to 'keep safe' and 'return to us'." Charlotte said.
"Yeah…I'm just not sure that Ellen saw it that way." He took a breath to collect himself, "I regret that choice." He said finally.
"A few more steps boss." McGee said, Charlotte let go of her father's hand as he walked over to Ellen's coffin and looked down at it. They watched as he placed a hand on the polished wood and spoke softly to the coffin. Charlotte knew how much this hurt him.
"He loved her; you know. He liked the three other exes. But Ellen, he loved her. It was plain to see whenever she was at our house. She would help me with my homework, sometimes she'd even 'tuck me in' as it were. But I'd lay awake – with Ellen it was some of the only times he made it upstairs to the master bedroom. You can guess what I heard on those nights." Charlotte said with a smirk on her face.
"Oh, that didn't scar you for life?" McGee asked, horrified.
"To know my Dad had someone he loved and he could make love to? Not at all. I was happy for him…and for her. It broke their hearts when he broke it off. I don't know what he told her but I know why he did." Charlotte said.
"Dad?" Gibbs looked up from his boat.
"Charlotte, it's late, you should be in bed." He said.
"I'm 31, my hours are my own." She told him.
"You should still be in bed." He said.
"Maybe – so should you." She told him, matter-of-factly.
"You think?" He asked.
"I know." She smiled at him.
"I'm not tired and you know that I work on the boat if I can't sleep." He said.
"I know why broke off your engagement with Ellen, Dad." She said.
"Do you, Charli? Why did I break up with Ellen?" He asked, inviting her to tell him.
"You loved her and you were scared." She said.
"Scared of what?" He asked, getting annoyed.
"Of what happened to Mom and Kelly, happening to Ellen." She said softly.
He stared at her for a moment, he had thought he hid that well, "Yeah…yeah, Charli. I was scared." He said, she came down the stairs completely and wrapped him in her arms, providing a comfort he hadn't realized he needed until now.
A/N: Wasn't the story I planned to post, but this came out when i watched the episode - I had to write this.