Thank you so much for the lovely reviews!
Here's the next little chapter! It takes place right after the episode 'Ephemera'.
I hope you like it! *huggs*

"Gin Martini, two olives," Jack declared proudly and carefully carried the fancy drink over to the elderly lady

"My favourite!" Aunt Bertha exclaimed, "how did you know?"

Jack only smirked as she turned around and Gibbs' lips twitched ever-so-slightly when he watched her walking back around her desk. In gentlemanly-manner, he pulled back her chair and let his hand linger on the small of her back for a couple of seconds longer than usually. Jack leaned backwards, moved her arm and gave the hand that now rested upon her shoulder a gentle, but subtle squeeze. None – except maybe Ducky – noticed, for they were all fascinated by how the pieces of the puzzle slowly fell into place.

"I can see why you think Arthur took the coin. The family certainly did."

McGee, Torres, and Ellie were all so enhanced by the old lady's words, that they didn't notice the way Jack and Gibbs glanced at each other when she returned to her desk.

"And he didn't?" Nick asked curiously.

Bertha only rolled her eyes and sipped on her drink. "No, cutie. The Navy changed his life. He wouldn't have thrown that away.

"I knew it." Nick said, and Gibbs raised an eyebrow. "I said it. I've said it all along."

Ellie glanced at him and Nick only shrugged in return.

Aunt Bertha smiled knowingly. "It was Annie who stole the coin," she said and told them the story about how the two lovers sat in the car.

"That's why they started arguing," Ellie interrupted enthusiastically and Palmer, Kasie and Ducky watched her excitedly from their position at the door.

"Yes, and by the time Art came back, Annie had left," Bertha continued sadly, and even Gibbs looked at the old woman with new-found interest. "Or, I should say, was taken."

Jack's eyes filled with tears.

"So, Art kept the coin this whole time?" McGee asked.

Bertha shook her head again. "Oh, no, he gave it back to Annie the same night."

Nick and Ellie's heads shot up, confused. "Oh, so if he didn't steal it, and Annie didn't give it to him… how did Art still end up with it?"

Bertha held up the toothpick on which Jack had earlier stuck her olives. "Me," was all she said, and the triumphant smile she gave them was more than any further world could ever have told them.

…

"That was a very remarkable detail to remember," McGee pointed out once they were all seated comfortably on Gibbs' couch. Well, or at least as comfortable as possible considering that not only the whole team was there, but also Grace and Tobias, who had pretentiously forgotten that their monthly poker night got cancelled.

"What you mean, McGee?" Nick asked, stretched like a cat and in a very Torres-like manner sprawled his legs all over Ellie's lap, who only shook her head – a small smile playing around her lips – and mouthed a quiet 'seriously?'.

"I dare say Timothy is talking about the olives, my dear Nicholas," Ducky explained with a small chuckle and sipped on his tea. "And, perhaps, his surprise to find out that our dear Jaqueline has – during the course of this case – let herself slip into the role of old Lady Bertha."

"Oh, really?" Grace chirped up from the other side of the room, where she was sharing one of the large armchairs with Kasie. "Interesting. And here I was… thinking that out of all these people, you would have imagined yourself as Annie's mother instead of…"

Jack, who had just entered the room with two beers in her hand – of which she handed one to Gibbs – only rolled her eyes before she sat down on a pillow on the floor in front of the roaring fireplace. Besides Grace, only Ellie noticed Gibbs' slightly lingering touch on her hand when he had accepted the beverage from the blonde.

"But, wasn't Downing's wife dead?" Tobias asked, confused.

"Yeah," Palmer agreed, "That wouldn't make any sense."

Ducky, like the rest of 'Team Gibbs' chuckled. "Indeed, it would not, Dr. Palmer. Indeed, it would not."

Grace's dark eyes, however travelled curiously from Jack to Gibbs – who sat only inches away from the blonde on the edge of the couch – and back to the profiler again.

However, before she could voice her suspicions, the sound of the front door opening rang through the room.

"It's open," Gibbs grumbled, though a small smile was playing around his lips.

It didn't take long for the guest to stumble into the living room – of course not before vehemently shutting the door close – and Emily Fornell eyed the assembled crowed sternly. Her hands placed upon her hips and eyebrows raised.

"What did I miss?" the red-haired young woman asked suspiciously, "and why wasn't I invited. And why is there a woman's dress lying at the bottom of you stairs, Uncle Gibbs?"

Gibbs moved his head and glanced at Jack, whose cheeks immediately turned pink. However, before Emily – eyes wide with revelation and excitement – could say anything else, Grace got up and offere her a seat.

"Oh, don't worry, darling!" she re-assured the younger woman. "I was about to get myself a new glass of Bourbon anyway. I feel like I need something stronger than beer to stomach all these new information I gathered today…"

Emily's smile widened, and even tough her curiosity resembled her late mothers, she knew when it was her place to shut her mouth. So instead of bombarding Gibbs with questions, she just rolled her eyes at him in a 'I-know-your-secret-but-I'm-happy-for-you' kind of way and sat down next to Kasie.

.

It was a lovely evening, Jack couldn't deny it. But she was equally happy when the living room was finally empty, and Grace and Emily helped a ruther drunk Fornell into his shoes and into their car.

"Drive safe," Gibbs mumbled, hugged Grace, gave Emily a soft kiss on the forehead and was about to kick Tobias' ass out of his home if it hadn't been for Jack, who gently stepped in and guided the former FBI agent out of the house.

"Finally," Gibbs mumbled once Jack was back inside. "Thought we might have to carry Tobias home…"

Jack laughed. "Oh, come on, like you were never drunk."

Gibbs rolled his blue eyes, closed the door behind the blonde woman and stepped even closer towards her.

"Sure I was," he mumbled, and cupped Jack's cheek with one hand. "Em wasn't that amused when she had to drive me home…"

"Oh, I'm sure she wasn't," Jack replied and leaned into his strong body. Immediately, Gibbs other hand found his way around her waist and he pulled her close.

"Hey, at least I paid her," Gibbs mumbled,"Well, or at least I gave her my wallet and she took what she thought was 'appropriate payment'."

The blonde chuckled and brushed her fingers through his grey hair. "She's a good kid. She clearly figured it out, but kept quiet about our 'thing'."

It was Gibbs' turn to chuckle. "Yeah," was all he said, before he bent down and kissed her passionately.

Jack closed her eyes, and pressed her body against Gibbs'; it felt so good, so natural… just like the first kiss they had shared a couple of days ago…

…

When he slipped a hand around her waist and pulled her closer towards him, Jack couldn't help herself but place one of her own hands on his chest. Her heart was beating so fast under his touch that she was sure he could hear it.

"Are we a 'thing'?" Gibbs whispered his question before he gently brushed one of her blonde curls back behind her ear and softly touched her cheek with the palm of his hand.

Jack closed her eyes and leaned into his touch, enjoying the warmth of his hand against her skin. Then, she got on her toe-tips, brought one of her hands behind his neck and gently, almost shy, brushed her lips over his.

When she was about to pull away, Gibbs immediately tightened the grip he had on her hip, buried his other hand in her blonde hair and kissed her back with such a passion that told her more than any words could ever have. The desire, trust and love they had for each other and that they had played around for so long was finally surfacing and for a split second, Jack was sure her heart had stopped at some point during that kiss.

…

Once they both had to break their kiss due to the lack of oxygen, Jack smiled brightly at the man in front of her.

"Are you happy?" she asked, and studied him with her deep brown eyes.

Gibbs didn't let go of her, but he sighed a little. "You talked to Bishop?"

Jack nodded. "Bourbon and a boat in a basement. It makes a woman wonder…"

Gibbs gently took her hand in his, and guided her towards the couch. Immediately, she pulled her legs up and curled her body against his. Her head on his lap, and his hand drawing circles on her back. "I don't feel lonely when you're around."

Jack turned ever-so-slightly to look at him with a raised eyebrow. "That's it?"

The senior field agent just shrugged. "Yeah. That's it."

Jack smiled when he leaned down to give her soft kiss. He felt him move and once he was lying right behind her, she quickly glanced at her red dress which she had worn the previous night… the one Emily spotted on the stairs.

With a smirk, she snuggled closer to Gibbs, and before she closed her eyes, she wondered how and when they'd tell the rest of 'Team Gibbs' about their 'thing' and praying that Emily and Grace would keep the gossip to themselves, Jack drifted off to sleep; wrapped tightly in Gibbs' arms.