The next night, I encouraged McGee to go out with Tony, Ziva, and Abby for a little time at the bar while I took care of some other things.

I drove to Gibbs' house and sat in the car for twenty minutes, trying to figure out what I was going to say to him, exactly. It wasn't that I was at all afraid of Gibbs; on the contrary, I had a special place in my heart for the gruff, stern older man. He had smiled at me on occasion and frequently kissed my cheek when I saw him.

Finally, I got out of my car and walked to the front door, then knocked loudly. Nobody answered and I knew he was home; the Dodge Charger was in the driveway and his old, classic car was in the garage. On an impulse, I opened the door and walked in.

"Gibbs!" I called, walking through the house.

"Down here," I faintly heard Gibbs' voice say from somewhere in the house.

A door in the hallway was cracked open and I could see light coming from inside. I opened it and called down the stairs for Jethro.

"C'mon down, Elle," he said.

I left my purse and keys by the door and then walked downstairs. My mouth literally dropped open when I saw the frame of a boat in the basement.

"You take down bad guys and you build boats?" I exclaimed. "What can't you do?"

"Make a marriage last," Gibbs replied very simply.

I laughed a little. "Funny you should mention that," I said. "I came to ask you about something."

"If you and McGee had a fight, I'm probably not the best one to ask for advice," Jethro told me, continuing to work on his boat.

I pulled up a stool and sat down beside him. "I didn't come to ask for advice and Tim and I aren't fighting. I don't think I could fight with him. That's how much I love him."

"Then what's up? I already told McGee to reserve me a flight down to Jamaica for the wedding." Gibbs turned to his worktable and picked up a different tool, then got back to work.

"I need to ask you...to do something for me." I stopped, too nervous to go on. I wasn't sure how Gibbs would react to my request.

"Spit it out, Ellie," he told me, using his pet name for me.

I smiled, relaxing now that I knew he was in a good mood. " You know how, at most weddings, the father-of-the-bride walks the bride down the aisle. Well...um, see...I don't really have a father and Tony's the best man, so I was wondering if...you would do it."

For a little while, Gibbs didn't say anything. Then, he started talking. "Did you know that I used to have a daughter?"

I shook my head, completely seriously. "No. Nobody ever mentioned that to me."

"The team doesn't know much about it. I haven't mentioned Shannon and Kelly to anyone lately."

I figured it would be better just to let him talk, rather than but in and ask questions. Gibbs didn't open up very often, and if he was doing it now, far be it from me to interrupt the moment.

"They were killed while I was overseas," he explained. "Shannon was my first wife and we had a beautiful little girl, Kelly. I remember one time when she was riding her bike down the sidewalk, it occurred to me that I would have to walk her down the aisle one day."

I swallowed hard, only able to imagine how hard this must be for Gibbs. I'd asked him a simple question and it had brought back all these memories. "I'm sorry, Gib—" I stopped mid-sentence when I remembered that Gibbs didn't like for people to apologize to him. "I didn't mean to remind you of the past."

He didn't say anything and I assumed his was angry with me, so I got up and began to leave without another word. I was halfway up the basement staircase when he finally spoke.

"Would I have to wear a tux for this thing?" he asked, not looking up from his work.

I turned around and a huge smile spread across my face. Gibbs looked up at me and smiled too. With that, I ran back down into the basement and threw my arms around his neck.

"Thank you so much, Gibbs!" He held me tight for a minute or two and then I pulled away. "You're the closest thing I have to a father-like figure, you know."

He kissed my forehead. "You've joined the ranks of my adopted daughters, Ellie."

I cocked my head. "Who else was adopted? Ziva and Abby?"

Gibbs nodded and I smiled back at him. "Well, I feel that a great honor has been bestowed upon me, oh great Gibbs," I teased him.

His face grew serious and suddenly he head-slapped me, none to gently I might add. "Oww!" I exclaimed.

"Don't get smart with me, Ellie. I'll whip your ass back into shape quickly," he told me.

I kissed his cheek gently. "I love you, Gibbs," I blurted out without thinking.

Gibbs smiled again and rumpled my hair affectionately. "I love you, too, Ellie. Now, how much do you know about working on boats?"

I shook my head regretfully. "Not much, sorry. Why? You need help so bad that you're asking me to work on your beautiful boat?"

Picking up his tools, Gibbs went back to work. "How 'bout you order the pizza and I'll work on the boat," he suggested.

I nodded, another smile spreading across my face. "I can order a killer pizza," I assured him.

That night, I was after midnight getting back to my apartment. Gibbs and I had enjoyed pizza and beer in the basement while he worked on his boat. Then, we'd discussed everything—politics, movies, work, and a million other things. Gibbs had never talked so much before at one time that I could remember. It was a whole different side of him that I'd never seen. Somehow, though, I think I liked the stern, silent, and mysterious Gibbs better than this talkative guy in a basement with a boat.

Okay, I really like McGee, but Gibbs is also one of my favorite characters. I want him and Elle to be close and have a relationship similar(but still different) to that of Gibbs' and Abby's relationship, which I believe is merely father/daughter.