The 5th in the AU Jibbs series. This one is a little different as it is a re-write of an episode. It follows the same case but will not be particularly case centric.

Enjoy…

V!

Xox


Hollis looked at the sleeping man in her bed. It had been a while since there had been one, but this one seemed to fit. Despite that fact she knew there were things he was holding back. He stirred and she ran a finger down his chest. She smiled as his hand closed over hers and he smiled back, without opening his eyes.

"Morning." He murmured as she leant down and pressed a kissed to his forehead. His arms snaked around her and flipped them so she was lying under him. She stared up at him, hooking a leg around the back of his. He grinned down at her.

"Morning." She replied. He leant down to kiss her, his mouth covering her pulse at her neck. He groaned as his cell phone rang, ringing shrilly in the stillness of early morning.

He dragged off her and grabbed his phone, flipping it open as she left the confines of her bed and wrapped a robe around her.

"Yeah...Gibbs." She heard him answer as she wandered downstairs to fix coffee. Jethro could do nothing in the morning before he had his coffee.

She was standing in front of the coffee machine, staring out of the window, lost in thoughts of him, so many miles away that she didn't hear him behind her. She jumped slightly as he wound his arms around her waist and kissed the side of her neck.

"Dead marine." He stated. She let out a small laugh and turned in his arms. He was fully clothed and his hair was still damp from a shower. She ran a hand through it.

"Well, this is a nice morning conversation." She smiled. He kissed her lightly, he smelt clean and she breathed in.

"Gotta go." He reached behind her and grabbed a mug, taking two large gulps before kissing her again.

"I'll see you later." He threw over his shoulder as he strode out. She shook her head and sipped at the coffee, although her thoughts of Jethro were interrupted as her own cellphone rang.


"You work for me on this one." Hollis said, a faint smile gracing her features. It had surprised her when she turned up at the crime scene to find the NCIS truck already parked in front of the house. "It's my army base, my crime scene."

"And my people, my office." Gibbs countered, watching as Hollis let her gaze drift down over his body for a few seconds before snapping back up to his face. He smiled at her, letting her know he was thinking about the night before and this morning.

She caught McGee looking through the window at the back of the truck and took a step closer to Gibbs.

"They know we're still seeing each other?" She asked. Gibbs looked down, an amused smile at the fact they were sneaking around like teenagers tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"They suspect." He replied. Hollis nodded and her hand brushed against his, their bodies shielding the touch from prying eyes.

"Does the Director know?" She asked. Gibbs glanced at her and shook his head.

"No reason for him to." He squeezed her fingers reassuringly.


"Marine Captain Trent Reynolds. Worked for the Defense Intelligence Agency on an inter agency task force." Hollis announced as the team worked the scene, McGee taking photos. Gibbs wandered in behind Hollis.

"His wife found him when she got back from a convention in Charlottesville last night." Hollis watched as Gibbs bent down to take a closer look at the body.

"How long has he been...uh...stuck here?" McGee asked. Ducky saved Hollis from giving the comment a response, choosing that moment to walk through the door.

"Only the dead know the true meaning of patience Timothy." He smiled at Ziva as she walked passed, with a pointed and amused expression on her face. "No more places to go, people to see...except me of course." The reason for Ziva's look became clear as he took in Hollis and Gibbs standing in the middle of the living room.

"Colonel, Jethro." He greeted. "So, uh...to whom do I report?"

"Her."

"Me." Gibbs and Hollis answered together and Tony and Ziva stifled laughs, but it was Tony who fought the urge to speak and lost.

"Huh...better get used to that." His laugh was cut off when Hollis gave him a stare to rival Gibbs's.

"Get to work DiNozzo." Gibbs sighed.


"Uh Boss?" McGee's voice reached Gibbs as he and Hollis were engaging in a game of trying to pretend that they weren't affected by the others touch.

"McGee." Gibbs answered, forcibly moving Hollis out from behind his desk, his face looked stern although his eyes still held a warmth that McGee hadn't seen before.

"There is a match to the fingerprints found on the back door of Captain Reynolds' house…Major Sweigert." Gibbs snapped his gaze from Hollis.

"Home address."

"Uh…" McGee began, only to be cut off by Gibbs's glare. McGee swallowed at carried on.

"You don't need it boss…he's upstairs with the…" McGee trailed off as Gibbs ran passed him up the stairs, Hollis not far behind. "…Director." He finished with a shrug.

"Ah Jethro. Major Sweigert was just informing me that we do not have security clearance to look at any of the information on Captain Reynolds' laptop." Director Tom Morrow said as Gibbs walked in and perched on the back of a chair, crossing his arms in front of him.

"We have top level security clearance." Hollis offered.

"I'm talking about special access programs." Major Sweigert turned to Hollis, a tiny amount of distain evident in his face.

"Black Ops." Gibbs noted, taking in the Major's facial expression. The Major nodded almost imperceptibly.

"I can see two options here Director." Gibbs took a step forward and looked at Morrow. Morrow cocked his head to one side, amused that Gibbs was taking the lead on this.

"Either, the Major here reads Abby in on their…special access programs…" Gibbs stressed the three words, glancing at the Major. "Or they send someone over." Gibbs shrugged as perched back on the chair.

Major Sweigert nodded at Morrow and spoke to the Lieutenant next to him.

"Send someone over from Cyber." He said before walking out, the Lieutenant trailing behind him. Gibbs nodded to Morrow and followed him out.

"Your finger prints were found on Reynolds' back door, Major." Hollis said, the Major turned towards her.

"I was with someone last night if you are implying I had anything to do with this." Major Sweigert said as Hollis and Gibbs stood in front of him. He looked from Gibbs to Hollis with open honesty. Gibbs frowned slightly, knowing there was something he was hiding.

"Name?" Gibbs asked. Sweigert paused before speaking.

Gibbs almost blanched when he heard the name. He didn't want the woman who had occupied a lot of his mind over the past 7 years to actually be a material witness.

"Fine…we'll check that out." He said. The Major narrowed his eyes, but turned to leave, shooting a glance at the both as he left.

Hollis stared at Gibbs.

"Anything you want to tell me?" She said as he all but bundled her into the elevator and flicked the emergency switch at it started to move. He turned to her in the semi-darkness.

"No...but I probably should."


Hollis glanced at Gibbs. His confession hadn't been one she was expecting, although she knew about his colourful past. But there was no denying that the slightly caged animal look that past over his face at the mention of the witness's name had been amusing, if startling.

Gibbs guided her out of the elevator, towards Morrow's office. She bit her lip to stop her from smiling; knowing that Jethro really didn't need anyone to think this was funny. Morrow would think it was funnier enough for the both of them.

Gibbs pushed open the door to Morrow's office.

Director Tom Morrow was sitting as his desk, quietly going through paper work when Hollis and Gibbs walked back in. If he didn't know better, he would say Gibbs looked a little uncomfortable.

"We have a little "issue"." Hollis said, and there was no mistaking the amusement tingeing her voice and eyes. Morrow looked from one to the other.

"We?" He asked, highly amused at just how uncomfortable Gibbs looked.

"You…you wanna tell him Agent Gibbs?" Hollis asked. Gibbs glanced at her before turning back to Morrow.

"No...not particularly."

"Is this problem going to involve lawyers?" Morrow asked and he noticed Gibbs squirming slightly. Hollis glanced at Gibbs, a smirk tugging on her lips. He stared at Morrow.

"It already did." Hollis said, trying very hard not to laugh. "It's his ex-wife. She's a material witness."

"Ah...and which particular ex wife would this be?" Morrow asked.

"Jen."


V!

xox