post 1703

note: I LOVED the last episode 1703 - not the crime plot so much but the development with Gibbs and Sloane - FINALLY

I hope you enjoy this story. I hope i do all the Sloane/Gibbs fans justice. please let me know what you think.

Sloanes office

Sloane is sitting leaned back in her chair. She looks almost dreamy up at a picture hanging on the wall behind her desk. Her hands are folded over her stomach and it seems like she is holding some sort of note in her hands. She just can't stop smiling tonight. He finally told her… he finally admitted to her that he feels the same way about her as she does about him… well told her… in is very own Gibbs way… For months she has been questioning whether Gibbs possibly had feelings for her too or if he was just playing along with her flirt. She knew when she first started that he had quite a reputation for being a real charming ladies man. she just never thought she would fall for that east coast marine attitude cowboy style, but… since last Christmas, there has definitely been something happening between them. The way she feels about him has changed. She always feels so happy and smiles when he is around. Sometimes she even feels like being a teenager again. Being silly and goofy around the cute guy. Sometimes she even though to her self whether he was flirting with her in front of Director Vance.

"Jack?" she is snapped out of her train of thought by the sound of director Vance's voice. She sits up and tries to wipe the smile off her face but it is impossible. She can't stop smiling. "why are you still here?"

"just finishing some paperwork." She says and adjusts her self to sit straight up and with her feet under her desk.

"hmm…" Vance says in a suspicious tone and walks into her office. "it doesn't seem like you get a lot of work done tonight." He says with a knowing look. Jack smiles shyly.

"I was a little lost in my thoughts for a moment.

"hmm… why where you staring so intensely at that new painting of yours?" he asks. Jack can't help but look back up at the painting.

"I was just thinking." He tries to explain in a casual tone.

"hmm…" Vance clearly doesn't buy any of her explanations tonight. "who gave that to you?"

"What makes you think it was a gift?"

Leon shoots her a look that says that he knows it was a gift. "based on the way you where dreamy over it I would say it is from a very special someone."

Jack just smiles and looks away from him when she feels the blush on her face. he just chuckles. He hasn't seen his friend so happy before and it really makes him glad.

"go home, Jack. You are not going to get any more work done tonight." Leon says with a smile as he reaches in his jacket for his phone. He got a text from Kayla.

"I gotta go. Dinner is ready. Go home, Jack. Enjoy your evening." Leon orders with a knowing smile as he leaves her office an closes the door. as soon as the door is closed behind Leon Jack gets back to her comfortable position in her chair. Her mind immediately drifts back to the conversation with Nick earlier in the elevator. He was spot on. She cant believe that Nick had noticed what happened last Christmas. She knew he was spot on the moment he said Christmas. She had tried her very best to pretend like she had no clue what he was talking about. When she had realized that didn't work she had just diverted the accusations by arguing that Christmas was so long ago. She knew by his smile that he was absolutely right. She and Gibbs had a thing… now Jack knew that it wasn't just her. earlier when Gibbs had left her office after he had just diverted her attempted to talk about the elephant in the room she had started to doubt whether they actually had a thing or if it was just her imagination playing tricks on her. he had acted like he had no clue what she was talking about. He had just started talking about her painting behind her desk. the first time she had seen that sweet Gibbs smile that had been melting her heart for months now was actually because of that picture. When she had spoken to Bishop, McGee, and Torres earlier and told them that she did not have a thing with Gibbs she had actually come to believe it herself. If Gibbs really was as clueless to their connection as he seemed earlier maybe… she had rationalized her self… it was just all in her head. She had been really bumped out about it and not really felt like going home. she had just decided to go to her office and spend the night there and get some paperwork done. But once she had gotten to her office her bad mood had disappeared once she saw the new painting and the note. All it said was "Merry Christmas" it didn't need a name on it. she knew exactly what it meant and who it was from. Gibbs is the most frustrating and most amazing person… she thinks to herself now that she is sitting in her chair alone in her office. She decides to go home for the night. She sits up at puts her note on the edge on her computer monitor and then gets up and grabs her jacket. She takes one last look at the painting from a distance.

"why? Why didn't you say anything?" she asks her self out loud.

She gets in her car and leaves the navy yard but she doesn't drive home for the night.