Thank you for Aly for giving my permission to carry on with this. So if you like the beginning, thank Aly, if you hate the end, blame me!

Answer

She watched him from her spot on the catwalk. It wasn't anything new, her position, her quiet observation, she'd been doing it since she became Director, but this time she could sense something different in his posture. The case was getting to him, that much was obvious. He was snapping more at his team; there had been no Caff-Pow for Abby, not even the usual barging through her office door. She watched as he sent his team home, it now being well past quitting time and as she watched the team leave quickly she knew it was her time to act. She watched him get up and head for the elevator knowing she would follow.

She trailed slowly after him, staying just a turn in the corridor behind him, hoping he hadn't noticed her presence. She watched from the doorway as he opened the freezer in autopsy, pulling out the tray. A young sailor had committed suicide when he'd found out his pregnant wife had been killed in a fire. The young woman had died of smoke inhalation, but that had not eased the sailor's pain and guilt. Since she had learned the details of the case she had been waiting for this, his one moment where he would let his own pain engulf him before he shoved it to the recesses of his mind. She had been determined to be there when it happened, to be there for him.

I will be the answer
At the end of the line
I will be there for you
While you take the time
In the burning of uncertainty
I will be your solid ground
I will hold the balance
If you can't look down

He looked down at the body in front of him, the one hole in the head. He knew he would go easy on his team after this case was over, bring Abby extra caff-pows, because apologies were out of the question. He had not been prepared for the amount of pain this case would dredge up in him and he'd been fighting the memories the whole day. Coming home from a war zone to find your family had been killed at home, where they were supposed to be safe. The fire had been determined as Arson and Gibbs swore he would find out who had started it, if anything to give the man on the table the chance to rest in peace. This could have been me, he thought briefly. He had almost gone through with it on numerous occasions and he wasn't quite sure what had stopped him the first couple of times, but this time he knew what had, and if his hearing was any indication his reason was standing near the door, ready to rescue him once again.

"Jen."

"Jethro, I thought you might still be here," She responded choosing to pretend that she hadn't been keeping tabs on him, even though she knew he would know otherwise. "Have you had dinner?"

"Coffee."

"C'mon, my treat," she tried. He shook his head slightly. "It wasn't a request Jethro."

"Jen…"

"Let's go, this will be here tomorrow." She came over to him placing the cover back over the young sailor. He closed the door on the freezer, placed his hand on the small of her back and led her out of the room. "Where do you want to go?"

"Not really…"

"Okay take out it is," She answered for him. They went back to the squad room where he found her stuff sitting at his desk and watched her grab his keys. He said nothing as they made their way to the garage and she walked around to the driver's side. He heaved a sigh and slid into the passenger's seat. She wisely drove back to her house, knowing that he wouldn't leave his basement and she had no intention of eating with the sawdust that always hung in the air.


If it takes my whole life
I won't break, I won't bend
It will all be worth it
Worth it in the end
Cause I can only tell you what I know
That I need you in my life
When the stars have all gone out
You'll still be burning so bright

She glanced sideways at him, knowing that he would know she was keeping tabs on him, but not yet ready to let him off the hook.

"I'm fine Jen." He said without turning towards her and she let out a brief chuckle at his need to keep lying.

"No, you're not." She replied as she pulled into her drive way. He was quicker then her and opened her door as she pulled her bag from the back seat. She took his proffered hand, and he held on a moment too long, loving the feeling of her fingers in his. He let go as she unlocked the door and pushed it open for him. He held back until she rolled her eyes slightly and walked in. He shut the door behind him as she pulled out her cell phone.

"Chinese?" She asked. He nodded once as she dialed, placing the order without hesitation, knowing him well enough to know what he wanted. He silently thanked her, not wanting to deal with questions.

Cast me gently
Into morning
For the night has been unkind

They ate in companionable silence, drawing strength from each other as they always did, even though Jen was lending more to Gibbs. She cleared the leftovers away, and handed him a fresh glass. His fingers grazed hers as he reached for it and he didn't immediately pull back. She smiled down at him.

"Thank you Jen." He said quietly, and she sat down next to him. She took off her shoes and stretched her legs out.

"Anytime." She replied, holding her glass up to her chest, staring into the distance. He leaned forward and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. She locked eyes with him.

"I uh…think I need you tonight." He said, his hand snaking around to the back of her neck and pulling her closer. She nodded once.

"I know." Was all she managed to say before his lips were on hers. He pulled her up, so they were both kneeling in front of each other and he wound his arms round her, pulling her closer. His desperation showed through his kisses, his tongue seeking the deep recesses of her mouth, as if he wanted to crawl inside her and disappear. She ran her fingers through his hair and angled his head, her mouth leaving his; she pulled his ear lobe into her mouth. He moaned, the vibrations against her shoulder made her arch slightly into him. He loved the way she was so responsive to his touch, almost as responsive as he was to hers. Her fingers trailed down his stomach between them and he stood, pulling her with him.


Take me to a
Place so holy
That I can wash this from my mind
The memory of choosing not to fight

"Make it go away Jen." He whispered, so quiet that she thought that she misheard. But she knew better, knew that he was shaken even more than usual by this case, knew that one of the few times he could forget was when he lost himself in her. She nodded and pulled him towards the stairs, her heart breaking at the way he followed dumbly, without argument.

Her hands reached for his shirt and frantically undid the buttons, loving the way his skin felt under her fingers and they was he reached for her, pulling her roughly to her and covering her mouth with his, pulling at her blouse. He forgoes the buttons and tugs it over her head in one fluid movement. Jen briefly wonders how she ever left him, but his hands fumbling with the button of her pants pushes all coherent thoughts out of her mind. He pushes her pants down her thighs and she steps out of them and into his arms once again. He is over come with need, not just need for her, but need to erase the day from his mind, to exhaust himself, lose himself in her so he can sleep. She tugs him towards the bed and pulls him down with her, her breath escaping as he lands on top of her.

She scraped her nails down his back, her hands smoothing over muscles and contours. She can't get enough of the feel of his skin and maybe one day they will do this when they want to, not just when they need to. He kissed down her throat, loving the feel of her pulse beneath his lips. His tongue darted out to taste her skin and she dug her nails deeper into his shoulders, wanting to take his mind off the pain inside. He expertly rolled them over, hardly breaking skin contact and she settled onto him, breathing out as they both paused. Then she began to move, slowly at first, building up rhythm. His hands settled onto her hips and stroked her skin, moving down between her legs, stroking her there. She arched her neck and he longed to kiss it. Her hands found his shoulders and tugged, he held onto her and sat, settling her on his lap and pulling her body closer, chest to chest. She wrapped her legs around his waist, desperately trying to get them closer. Their movements became frantic as they came closer to the edge, but he held back, knowing that she was behind him. She pulled slightly away and the look in her eyes told him that she was right with him. He moaned into her mouth and her muscles clenched around him and she collapsed against his shoulder, pressing a kiss onto it as he came after her.

After the blood stopped pounding in his ears and he could think again, he looked at her, drinking in the sight of her post coitus. Her lips were swollen slightly from his harsh kissing, her face was flushed, she never looked more appealing than right after they lost themselves in each other.

"Feel better?" She asked, her whole body vibrating. He grinned at her and rolled her onto her back, not wanting to leave the warmth of her body, still too turned on and hard to sleep.

"Not quite yet."

If it takes my whole life
I won't break, I won't bend
It will all be worth it
Worth it in the end
'Cause I can only tell you what I know
That I need you in my life
When the stars have all burned out
You'll still be burning so bright

Morning broke over the bedroom. His arms were still wrapped tightly around her as if he was afraid if he let go of her, he would fall, back down into despair. She let him, because she knew that as soon as she moved, he would be back to normal, he would push the emotion from last night down until another case got too much to bear, they would gently bicker with each other, exchange long looks and fleeting touches at work, and come together in the evening to wash away cruel memories, keep the ghosts at bay and to answer the questions that they were both too afraid to ask.

"Morning." He murmured in her ear; he instinctively knew when she was pretending to be asleep. She twisted in his arms and kissed the end of his nose.

"Morning." She replied softly, his eyes were still closed but he smiled.

"Coffee?" He asked; cracking his eyes open and she smirked.

"Later." She said, shifting slightly against him. He grinned at her and turned her on her back.

"Good answer."

Cast me gently
Into morning
For the night has been unkind

Thank you Ellie for your help poppet!

V!

xox