I sit on the floor in the bull pen playing with Цербер, his sharp, little baby teeth occasionally piercing skin, when I hear arguing coming from ops, which isn't good because they say they are best friends, though everyone can see that it is more. I walk quietly up the stairs leaving Цербер behind, and slip through one of the doors into ops. Hetty showed me this door, so they don't hear me as I slip in. Nell looks distressed, but Eric talks to her in geek-ese. She gives in and stuff starts flying onto the screen. They are surveillance photos - of me. And my girlfriend. Holding hands. And kissing. Fuuuck… I'm screwed... I slip out of the dark corner I was lurking in and ask, "Why do you have surveillance photos of my girlfriend, and I?" Nell and Eric fly around the room hitting keys, and making photos disappear. I hear nothing, but I know it is Hetty who walks through the door as stealthily as always. She asks, "Ah, but the question really is, why are you dating Junior Probationary Agent Ellie?" "She was my liaison from the NSA when I was still with the DEA. On one mission my partner was compromised, and I had to use Ellie as my wife for the undercover portion of the mission. The cover was flawless, and we got along better than my partner and I did. I began to use her as my girlfriend/wife/fiance, which ever the mission called for, on all of my missions. While we were undercover on one such mission, one of the last actually, things began to change. I didn't really notice because it blended perfectly with our cover, but she noticed right away. Really, it didn't become visible until our last mission together. My cover got blown but her's didn't; the mob kidnapped her as leverage against me. I couldn't think straight, and reacted irrationally. I reacted like someone in love would. I wasn't expecting to react that way and I almost got us both killed. It scarred us both and not just physically. We both still have occasional nightmares. She resigned from the liaison position after that, and didn't take it up again until DC pulled her into one of their cases, and now she is an actual NCIS Probationary Agent." I see looks of surprise on the faces of Eric, Nell, and Hetty, and realize that they didn't know about this. Not surprisingly it wasn't in the report, but if I had known for sure that it wasn't in there, I would have told them. Well, Hetty at least. "Why didn't I know about this sooner?" "I thought it was in the file, but I didn't know for sure. I got the nightmares under control - No, I am not teleconferencing with Nate - I have never slept much anyway, and we have developed coping systems that work both for long distance and when we are together. " I look up as Hetty places a warm teacup in my hand, and I realized that as I answered the questions, that I knew Hetty would ask, we had walked down a back staircase and into her office. "Well, atleast I know you still hate shrinks, but you know protocol, you have to talk to Nate. I don't even care if you don't talk much, but at least listen, and at least tell him what you told me." I feel a presence behind me and tense up until I smell the familiar and comforting smell of saddle leather, horse, and… was that puppy?! At least she gets along with Цербер. "Hello, El," I state as Hetty says, "Ms. Bishop," in a pleasant tone. "How do you do that?! And hello, Hetty!" "I do believe, he does it because of how well he knows you. If you go on enough missions together, you're going to get to know each other. Everything from the way you stand, to the way your walk sounds, and even how you smell. It is how I know that Gibbs is lurking by the door waiting for an explanation. Wood smoke, wood shavings, whiskey, Southern Comfort I do believe, cleaning solvent, probably Hoppes No. 7, gun oil, and coffee, along with a general air of annoyance. You may come in." "Hetty, when were you going to tell me about this? How long has it been going on?" Gibbs asks. "I only had a hunch. We just got the photos back today. I believe it is also their place to tell you seeing as you fostered them both, if at different times."