Tag to "Hail & Farewell" (16x20). I admit, I loved this episode, and I also really disliked it. I still can't seem to reach a decision on it. It messes with Gibbs' timeline even more, and some of it just seemed off-putting to me. I don't know, ha. Major props to JamJar98 for listening to all of my rants and indecision about it all. Also, part of this was inspired by JamJar's last chapter (Beautifully Broken) in her "It's Been A While" series. I can't seem to get that chapter out of my head, and it definitely had an impact on this, so all credit to her for that.

This is shorter than the other tags. To be honest, I feel like I'm running out of ideas for these two that can go along with the episodes and not be completely repetitive. I just need them to actually get together on screen for real now.

She drove to his house, wanting to talk, wanting to make sure he was okay. His truck wasn't there, and she knew he was probably still at the funeral. So she walked on in and waited, not sure if this was a good idea or not.

He'd already been kind of off last week, and she knew this case had really messed with him. There was no way for him to not be personally involved, and she knew after his constant worry about that ex-rule of his that it was probably grating to him.

She knew this was hard for him, but she wondered if he realized it had an impact on her too. He'd just said to her last week in his basement that he trusted her and she needed to trust him too. Now she questioned how much he actually trusted her. To find out he had—yet another—serious woman in his past.

She'd already had to talk with McGee the other day about Gibbs taking this personally, and him trusting him, and how Gibbs had his own way of dealing with things. She could see all that clearly from an outside perspective, merely an observer. As for herself, she was personally involved with Gibbs, and that made her situation with him a lot more muddled, because she couldn't see clearly when she was in the midst of it.

She probably needed her own shrink.

She heard his truck pull up and took a breath, calming herself. She listened as he turned it off, opened the truck door and then walked up to his front door. She braced herself on the couch as she heard the door swing open.

He peaked his head into the living room and they made eye contact, both being silent. He looked good, she thought, sharp. She got so lost in thought about how attractive he looked that she almost forgot the reason she was here.

"Why ya here, Sloane?"

She almost scoffed at him. So, he was distancing himself. She thought he might. Using her last name that everyone addressed her with at work, instead of his more personal "Jack" nickname. She was here all the time, and he always made it clear she was welcome, and now he was questioning her presence?

She knew she needed to remain calm, and channeled the conversation she had with Tim earlier to help her along. Gibbs may be someone who needed to get there on his own when dealing with things, but as she'd said to Tim, it didn't mean you couldn't help lead him in the right direction.

"You helped me through my stuff last week. Thought I could try and help you this time around," she said with a shrug. He stared at her for a minute longer and then gave a slight shrug, turning to head up his stairs.

She let out a sigh of frustration and then decided to get up and follow him. He had already ascended the stairs by the time she got to them. After she reached the top she went to his room, where he was taking his silk tie off, tossing it onto the bed by the coat and suit jacket he'd already stripped off. He began to undo the top buttons of his shirt, and then turned to glare at her while she stared.

"I'm getting changed," he pointed out.

"I can see that."

He just glared at her some more, his hands halting on one of the middle buttons.

"Don't mind me, it's not like I haven't seen it all before," she said with a smirk.

"Why are you here?" he demanded again.

"I already told you."

"I don't need help. I'm fine. It's over."

"You don't seem fine."

"I was fine before I got home and saw your car parked outside," he snapped.

She felt like she'd been slapped.

"This is exactly why your entire team refused to interrogate you. Because when things get personal, you distance yourself from everyone and try to bite their heads off in the process," she snapped back. "You said last week that you trusted me and that I needed to trust you. I'll forget the fact that you never told me about this ex-fiancee of yours, but you have to work with me a little here, because I am trying to trust you."

"I don't want you to trust me!" he shouted, looking distressed.

She didn't know what to say, her mouth hanging uncertainly as she just looked at him, not sure how to proceed. He gave a deep sigh, looking so hurt.

"She is dead. I loved her, I tried to do what I thought was best for her, and it didn't matter because she ended up in the ground. Just like Shannon. Just like Kelly. Just like Jen, and Kate, and Diane, and everyone else. They all trusted me and they all ended up in a grave." He swallowed, and looked away. "I couldn't save them," he said hoarsely.

"Gibbs," she whispered, stepping forward towards him.

"No, Jack," he said seriously, looking at her as he shook his head and stepped back. "Go home."

"No."

"Damn it, weren't you listening?" he growled. "You can't trust me. You need to stay away from me."

"No," she said firmly, taking a step forward.

"What the hell is it going to take for you to get away from me?" he demanded, glaring viciously at her.

"A hell of a lot more than you telling me to. I care about you, Gibbs. I'm not going to just leave. Not after we've been sleeping together for months. Not now that you're one of the only men I have trusted so intimately that you know some of my darkest secrets and deepest regrets."

"What, you want to end up dead like the rest of them? I don't want that to happen. I don't want you to die just because I love yo—"

He cut off, looking frightened. She was caught off guard by the confession.

"I love you too," she whispered. "Which is exactly why I refuse to leave."

"Jack," he started, getting agitated again.

"No, stop with the martyr act. You don't get to just push me away. I'm not going to die, and even if I were, how would you feel if I did after you pushed me out of your life? Isn't that exactly what happened with Ellen? Wouldn't you rather enjoy the good while it's there, rather than regret not getting to enjoy it later when it's too late?"

He swallowed, flashing back to a call he ignored by his boat the night before 9/11. Then he flashed back to another call, one he'd made several years later, which was never picked up. Not because she was ignoring him, but because she couldn't answer—because she'd died minutes before in that small diner in the desert.

She could see him thinking, see the regret on his face. She worried she had pushed too far. She was even more worried that he would still insist on ending things.

"I don't want you to get hurt. I can't...I can't handle losing someone else," he said hoarsely.

She walked up to him and placed her hand on his cheek.

"I'm not going anywhere," she said softly.

He just stared at her, and she put her hand on the bare skin that his half open shirt revealed. He watched as she popped the next button out, and then the next. She stared at him, waiting for him to make the next move.

He pulled her head towards his, claiming her lips with his, giving in to the comfort she was offering. He felt her tug his belt loose and pull it out, pushing him back towards the bed.

"I'm here for you, as long as you let me be," she whispered.

He fell back on the bed and tugged her down with him, turning them around and crawling on top of her.

He realized in a sudden flash that this was one relationship he didn't want to screw up. He couldn't afford to screw this up. Not when she was everything he wanted and more.

I'm not sure how I feel about this one. *shrugs*