Note: This is a rewritten version of my one-shot not so secret admirer. It is rewritten so it lines up better with the actual episode "lonely hearts" (17x15) I hope you enjoy it and please let me know what you think.
This scene is placed after the fatal date between Phil and Stacy and before Nick says he doesn't want to be the one telling Gibbs there was no Match on Stacy's hair.
In the bullpen
Torres, Bishop, and McGee are sitting at their desks when Jack comes into the bullpen when Jack enters the bullpen.
"Morning, guys." Jack greets. "Have any of you seen Gibbs?"
"I think he went out to get coffee," McGee says in a casual tone as she continues looking at his computer and doing whatever works he is currently occupied with.
"you are sure you don't know where he is, Jack?" Nick asks. Jack turns towards Nick with a death stare.
"Stop it, Nick." She says demanding.
"come on Jack. He sends you a dozen roses and chocolate on valentine's day." Nick teases and behind Jack is Bishop sitting with a big amused smile too.
"it is not from him. okay?" Jack says irritated.
"come on Jack. He kissed you in front of us. Poker games at his place. He tells you his deepest secrets before he tells us. He asks you to help with cases where he keeps us in the dark." Nick starts with his amused smile." I am surprised I don't see any ring on that finger yet." Nick jokes and receives a deadly stare from Jack.
"you are getting engaged, Torres?" that is Gibbs coming into the bullpen from behind Nick.
"hmm… no boss…" Nick doesn't really seem to know what to say and that amuses the other agents. "it wasn't for me Boss."
"how about for her who were feeding you Valentine chocolate yesterday?" Jack asks with a clear tone of mocking and she receives an annoyed look from Nick.
"got a girlfriend, Torres?" Gibbs asks.
"no, I do not boss…" Torres tries desperately to keep his cool despite the mocking smile on Jack's face.
"really? It sure seemed like you two were more than friends?" Jack says trying to imitate Nick from when he first called Jack out and Nick gets clearly more annoyed with her for every word she says. McGee just has a big smile on his face because he is fully aware of what Nick did to Jack when he first called her out about her and Gibbs months ago, but on the contrary to Bishop and Torres McGee has stayed away from teasing Jack. Bishop doesn't seem so entertained any more now that she receives the same mocking glance from Jack as Torres gets and she knows she is just as much in trouble as Torres if Gibbs finds out. Bishop fed Torres a piece of chocolate from Jack's valentine yesterday. She never thought it would come back to bit her. Right now, it doesn't seem like Gibbs is aware of what Jack is doing to his team, and what they have been doing to Jack. Although he must have heard what Torres and Bishop said to Jack when Gibbs kissed Jack on the cheek. Yet…Gibbs doesn't say anything or intervene in the conversation between Jack, Torres, and Bishop. Gibbs has been focusing on something at his desk. He gets up from his desk and is standing next to Jack.
"Are you two having a staring contest or something?" Gibbs asks when he notices Jack is just giving Torres the death stare and Torres looks almost as annoyed as Jack does. Torres doesn't say anything. He must step very lightly right now so he doesn't provoke Jack so much that Gibbs steps in and defends her. he wants to tease Jack, just enough for it to be fun but also not so much that Gibbs steps in and defends her.
"not so fun when it is the other way around, is it Nick?" Jack asks with a confident tone.
"point taken," Nick says.
"stay out of my personal life," Jack says in a demanding tone and walks towards the stairs. When she has reached the midway platform of the stairs she leans over the railing.
"all of you," she says and looks especially accusing at Torres and Bishop before she runs up the stairs to her office.
"ups," Bishop says quietly, and they all get back to their desks except for Gibbs. He looks confused after Jack and then at his three agents. They are not going to report to him what that was about. They try to look as busy with the case as possible to avoid any questions from him.
"where are we on the hair sample from Stacy?" Gibbs asks.
"no result yet boss," McGee says as he looks up from his computer.
"let me know when there are one," Gibbs says and then leaves the bullpen.
Followed by the scene where Torres tells Gibbs that the hair sample didn't match Stacy's hair.
Jacks office
Jack enters her office and sits down in her desk chair with a confident smile on her face. she finally got back at Nick for teasing and mocking her for the last 6 months. Now he will finally stay out of her personal life. Jack looks up at the painting Gibbs gave her month ago. It still has the little note that says "Merry Christmas" hanging in the corner. Jack is just starring dreamy up at the painting when it suddenly knocks on her door. She quickly sits up straight and tries to seem like she was busy before she gives the come into the unexpected visitor. To Jack's big surprise, it is Gibbs. He steps in and closes the door behind him.
"Everything alright Jack?" he asks a little uncertain.
"sure," Jack says with a big smile and stands up and walks around her desk.
"you sure?" he asks. he doesn't seem to buy her smile.
"Yeah. Why?" she asks now in an uncertain tone too.
"It was just what happened in the bullpen." Jack looks confused at him. "that comment. 'stay out of my personal life.' Something happened?" he asks.
She signs and looks down at her hands while she is leaning against her desk.
"It was only to Bishop and Torres. Mainly Torres."
"what did he do?"
"you don't know?" she asks surprised at look up at him. he looks completely oblivious. "I would ask if I did, Jack." He says.
"Torres… He has been messing with my head. Calling me out on personal stuff." She says and looks up at Gibbs to see how he reacts. To her big surprise, he has a shy smile on his face.
"what?" she asks.
"not so fun when it is the other way around," he says repeating what she said to Nick earlier.
"well, Gibbs. It is my job to mess around in your heads to help you deal with things." Jack says as a little frustrated and walks around in the office. "It is not his job to mess with my head and calling me out on who I am personally involved with." She stops and looks at Gibbs with a serious look. He is standing with his back to her.
"I didn't know you were involved with anyone." He says and turns around to face her. He suddenly sounds softer and almost hurt when he says it.
"I'm not, but that is not the point." She says a little harsh at first before she looks into his eyes and she realized what he just said.
"you are right. That is no one's business who you are seeing privately." He says and is about to leave. "Gibbs." She says just when Gibbs is about to open the door and leave. He stops and turns around to look at her.
"he didn't specifically call me out on who I am involved with… more like…" Jack says but she loses her courage the moment she looks into his blue eyes. "who I want to be with." She says as she looks out the window of her office. She can't get herself to look at him, in case she doesn't see what she wants to see. He suddenly feels his hands breath against her neck as he whispers to her.
"if they want to talk. Let them talk." Gives her chills down her spine feeling he is standing so close behind her.
"that kiss yesterday?" She asks in a whispering almost not audible voice. "you knew what they were doing. You provoked them." She turns around to see his expression. He has a big shy smile on his face. that sweet sideways smile he has sometimes.
"if they really want to talk. Why not give them something to actually talk about?" He asks, and she starts smiling.
"next time." she says and steps away from him. "enlighten me in the plan." She says.
"I thought you were." He says and turns around to face her. she is standing near her desk to put some distance between them because he is distracting her when he is so close to her. She looks confused at him.
"you offered me chocolate." He says like that is answer enough to her question, but she just looks even more confused.
"yeah and you kissed me," she says almost accusingly.
"okay. It won't happen again." He sounds hurt when he says that. She looks down disappointed. She didn't mean to hurt his feelings.
"I didn't say that Gibbs. Just not in front of the team." She says in a more pleading tone and steps closer to him.
"The team is not here now." He says almost whispering and takes her hands in his and gently brushes his thumb over her hand to see if he is overstepping any lines. When she doesn't pull her hand away, he takes that as a good sign. He leans in and places a kiss on her cheek. As he pulls back, she notices how she slowly moves a little bit closer to him. He looks at her eyes to see her reaction. When he sees a smile on her face, and she moves her head closer to him he places a kiss on her cheek but very close to her lips, but not actually on the lips. He pulls back and all he receives is an annoyed look on her face and he just has a teasing smile on his face.
"you are so irritating sometimes." She says whispering but still with a loving smile on her face. he lets go of her hand and takes her into a big hug. At first, it catches her by surprise but then he wraps her arms around him too. She rests her head against his chest. He places a kiss on her forehead. After a few moments where they are just standing there and enjoying the closeness and the comfort of each other, it knocks on the door. Jack is instinctively about to pull away from Gibbs, but he isn't letting go of her. he is holding her tight to him as the door opens. It is Nick. Just the person that Jack really didn't want it to be. Nick has a big knowing grin on his face as Jack turns her face to look at him.
"you needed something Torres?" Gibbs asks when Nick is just starring at them.
"yes, boss we got a lead," Nick says still looking directly at Jack with his big teasing grin. Jack is just resting her head against Gibbs's chest. He places a kiss on her head and let's go of her.
"later." He whispers to her and then he walks by Torres in the door and leaves. Nick stays in the doorway and stares at her. she is trying not to let him bother her. Nick just saw exactly what he wanted, and Jack doesn't care.
"Torres!" Gibbs yells down the hall and Torres quickly closes the door and follows Gibbs.
(I know this scene doesn't line up with the next scene 100% but I really liked the idea of it being Nick walking in on them. I know it would work better if it was Kasie, telling Gibbs that the hair didn't match, which would explain how Gibbs knew before Nick said it in the bullpen in the next scene)
Post episode – Gibbs house
After Gibbs had thrown the phone with the dating-app into the fireplace he went to the kitchen to grab a beer. He gets back into the living room and drops down on the couch. he has a lot of stuff t think about from the last two days. he nearly ruined his friend's new relationship; he forgot valentine's day and thereby didn't get Jack a valentine and now he really wishes he had. When he saw how happy she looked when she thought he got her the valentine he really wished he had gotten her something. And then there was Phils talk about loneliness. Gibbs usually don't think about how alone he is. He got his team and his job which is basically his whole life, but sometimes… he feels lonely and he wishes he had someone to go home to at night. He leans his head back on the couch and closes his eyes for a moment. He suddenly feels something leaning against his left side and he opens his eyes. Jack is sitting next to him snuggled up against him with one leg tuck up under her and the other one rests over his legs. Her head is resting on his shoulder and she is hugging his arm while she is answering a text on her phone. He looks down at her. she seems so relaxed. She sends the text and lays her phone on her leg that is resting over him. he leans his head against hers and places a kiss on her head.
"morning." She says with a smile sits up more so she can look at him.
"morning?" he asks confused.
"you were asleep." She says.
"no it wasn't." he objects.
"I have been here for nearly an hour now. You were sound asleep."
"I was just resting and thinking."
"you were sleeping," Jack says with an amused smile.
"I was thinking." Gibbs protests and sits up in a quick defensive action.
"about what?" Jack asks testing his lie.
"you," Gibbs says and leans back again and enjoys the surprised look on Jack's face.
"Why?" she asks. he just looks at her with a smile. "why were you thinking about me?" she asks a little irritated that he won't answer her.
"did you figure out who your secret admirer is?" Gibbs asks.
"yes," Jack says and snuggles into Gibbs again. He leans an arm around her and holds her close. "it was Faith. She also sent a card. There was a mess up, so I didn't get the card until today. She wrote to me that she is thinking of me." Jack's hand is resting on her leg that is stretched out over Gibbs. Gibbs places his hand on top of hers and she intervenes their fingers. "what does it mean Gibbs?" she sounds sad and confused. "a few months ago, she asked me to meet her and she handed me a bunch of medical forms and now she sends me a valentine's card."
"I think it is her way of slowly starting a relationship with you but on her terms," Gibbs says and places a comforting kiss on her head, and it makes her smile.
"speaking of relationships… how did it go with your relationship advice for Phil?" they both start laughing.
"I think he is going to be with Stacy for a while."
"she forgave him?" Jack asks and sits up to look at Gibbs and let's go of his hand once she becomes conscious of it.
"Yeah. So now I have to hear about that." Gibbs says tiredly.
"you should be happy for your friend. His wife cheated on him and now he found love again. he got himself out on a dating app and found love." Jack says optimistically.
"yeah which I am happy for him about as long as he doesn't try to get me on one of those dating- whatever it is."
"you?" Jack says surprised and starts laughing so much she can barely talk. "does he even know you?" she manages to ask in between laughing. It makes Gibbs laugh too.
"he stopped by earlier and gave me a phone where he had made a profile… or whatever it is called… on that dating thing that our victims used." Gibbs says while Jack is trying to stop laughing.
"He made a dating profile for you?" she asks and Gibbs nods. "I want to see it," she says excitedly almost like a teenage girl.
"I threw it in the fire," Gibbs says. Jack stops laughing and looks shocked at him. "why?" he shrugs.
"come on Jack," Gibbs says and Jack nods. she knows he is too much of an old fashion cowboy to be on dating websites. She snuggles into him again.
"you know you can find love in other places than on dating apps," Jack says with a teasing smile that she knows Gibbs can't see.
"I am *not* going to date *anyone*, Jack." He says persistent with a certain focus on the word anyone. It hurts Jack more than she thought it would.
"Okay…" she says more hurt then she meant it to sound. She didn't want to reveal to Gibbs how much that sentence hurt her feelings.
"Jack." He says and she sits up to look at him. Her smile has changed to a sadder expression now.
"do you honestly think I am the kind of man to be on a dating app?" Gibbs asks.
"no, you are too much of a cowboy." She says a little cold and gets up from the couch. "there are other places where you can meet new people, Gibbs." She says as she walks across the living room to the kitchen. She comes back with a cold beer in her hand and sits down on the couch, but this time further away from him than before.
"what if I don't want to…" he says in a softer and whispering voice. She takes a sip of her beer and then looks at him with a confused look. "want to do what?" she asks.
"meet *new* people." He says. At first, she doesn't understand what he means but when he reaches out for her hand she smiles and places the beer bottle on the coffee table before she snuggles in close to him. he hugs her tight to him and places a kiss on her head. He then rests his hand on top of hers that is resting on her thigh. She moves her hand from under his, so his hand is resting directly on his leg. He is about to move his hand afraid he might have overstepped a line but instead she places her hand on his and intervene their fingers. For a while, they are just sitting there like that. Jack is nearly falling asleep as she is resting her head against his chest and she listens to his slow and steady heartbeat. His arm is so protective and comforting around her as his hand is resting on her leg. It feels so comforting that she nearly falls asleep, but the comfort is interrupted when her phone beeps. She reaches over at look at the screen. It is a text from Faith. Jack looks over at Gibbs. His eyes are closed. "the text from faith says: 'I just got home from work. You can call when you have time'. she tried to call Faith earlier before she left the office, but Faith didn't pick up, so she left Faith a voice message. She really wants to talk to Faith but at the same time, she is so comfortable right now.
"I need to make a call." She says apologetically.
"hmmm…" he mumbles. She grabs the phone and steps outside to make the call to Faith.
While Jack is outside making the phone call Gibbs walk down to his basement and grabs the bottle of bourbon, he has stowed down there. Luckily Phil didn't find it earlier. It is a bottle he only shares with Jack from time to time when she comes over. He places the bottle on the coffee table and goes to the kitchen to grab small glasses. When he comes back into the living room, Jack is standing in the doorway between the hallway and the living room.
"bourbon?" she asks surprised and looks at him with a teasing smile. "what is the occasion?" she asks as she walks over and drops down on the couch again.
"do there has to be an occasion?" he asks as he sits down next to here.
"so." She says and turns to look at him as he is pouring the liquor into the glasses. "are you going to answer my question now?" she asks. He looks at her with a raised eyebrow.
"why were you thinking about me?" she asks. he doesn't answer but hands her one of the glasses and then leans back on the couch and takes a sit of his own glass.
"hmm… let's see." She says as she now how much it annoys him when she is analyzing him. "it was valentines yesterday. Your friend Phil got a new girlfriend…" she says pretending to be seriously analyzing him while she knows it annoys him, but she has trouble keeping a serious face.
"stay out of my Head Jack"
"you said you were thinking about me…" she says and points at his chest. "then I can be in your head, and I am allowed to know what you were thinking about, regarding me."
"I was just thinking about that whole secret admirer valentine thing," Gibbs says casually and takes another sip of his glass. He knows it annoys her that he isn't giving anything away and it amuses him.
"you are jealous?" she asks teasingly and at him with teasing eyes.
"no. I am not." He objects a bit too fast and it amuses Jack. "good. You got no reason to be. It was from Faith."
"what I am saying is... If there was a man who had send you a secret valentine gift, I can't blame him."
"There wasn't, Gibbs." She says and leans her head comfortably against his chest. She is trying to hide the smile on her face. she feels like a silly lovesick teenage girl with butterflies in her stomach when she hears Gibbs say things like that. "did you mean what you said yesterday?" she asks.
"about what?" he asks.
"yesterday when I thought it was you who had send it to me, you said that you wished you had thought about it."
"hmmm." He mumbles against her hair. "Kasie though I gave it to you," he says into her hair.
"So did the rest of the team."
"why?" he asks. Jack looks up at Gibbs to see if he is serious.
"because they think we have a *thing*" Jack explains with a bit of uncertainty in her voice. She can't figure out if he is serious or not.
"what thing?" Gibbs asks confused but Jack notices the little smile in his eyes, and she leans into his chest again and snuggles comfortably against him again and she feels his arm comfortably reassuring around her.
"you know… special chemistry… unspoken feelings for each other… an elephant in the room sort of thing…" the last part makes Gibbs chuckle.
"right." Gibbs says and places a kiss on her head. "but we don't" he says, and she looks up at him confused but is delighted when she sees the shy smile on his face. so, she rests her head against his chest again.
"so, this is just normal for you? being cozy with your colleagues like this? kissing your colleagues on the cheek in the office in front of the rest of the team? Letting your colleagues stay over at your house almost on a regular basis?" she asks with a hint of sarcasm in her voice.
"kissing my colleagues on the cheek? Yes. I have done that a lot with both Abby, Kate, Ziva, Kasie and Ellie. Letting my colleagues stay over? Yah I think every member of my team has stayed over for one reason or another." She waits for him to answer the last part of her question. When he doesn't, she sits up to look at him and wait for an answer while staring at him which she knows annoys him.
"Are you normally this cozy with your colleagues too?" she asks with a teasing smile. He just looks at her with a shy smile before he looks away to avoid her daring glance at him. She continues to stare at him with a daring look to get him to answer her question.
"you want another beer?" he suddenly asks in a casual tone. She looks a bit irritated at him and signs in defeat.
"don't change the subject." She gives him a playful push on the shoulder.
"you are the one who changes the subject all the time."
"no I don't," she says defensively and sits up straight to look at him "and answer my question." She says demanding. "or else…" she says in a daring tone and looks at him with a daring glance.
"or else what?" he asks in the same daring tone and leans his head closer to her. She suddenly loses her courage in this game she is playing. She thought she would have more nerves then she does to dare Gibbs, but as soon as he moves closer to her and looks into her eyes she loses her courage and looks away from him, hoping he would just let it go, but he doesn't. Instead, he places his hand on her face and she leans her head against the palm of his hand. She closes her eyes and enjoys the touch of his hand on her cheek. She is surprised when she suddenly feels his lips on her cheek. When he moves back, she opens her eyes and looks at him. She looks right into his deep blue eyes.
"you didn't answer my question, Jack." He says repeating her question from earlier. The smile on his face makes her a bit more confident as she is looking into his deep blue eyes. She slowly leans forward and places a hesitant kiss on his lips. She is afraid she has overstepped a line until she feels he is kissing her back and deepen the kiss. He is gently pushing her backward as he is holding her in his arms, and she lays down on the couch and he follows her and leans over her as they continue the kiss. Once they break the kiss they look into each other's eyes.
"the answer to your question is no," he says, and she can't hide her smile.
"good," She says with a smile.
"happy valentine's day, Jack." He says and kisses her again.
Note: I have to come out with one little frustration here: I am so annoyed with people who criticize the episode for being unrealistic. Okay year sure it is stupid to throw a phone into a fireplace, but enjoy the show for the entertainment and not for realism. It was fun anyway. sorry I had to get it out.
I hope you enjoyed the episode as much as I did.