Disclaimer – I don't own NCIS

Authors Note – I know I should update my other story but I was kind of tuck and have no inspiration. I will update it later in the week. As for this, I hope you like it. Kind of sad but sweet too. Enjoy …

A Mistake

He sat at his desk in the empty bull pen, his desk light the only thing illuminating the dark, silent room. He just sat there, staring into oblivion. It had been a week now since he had boarded that plane from Paris to DC 0 alone. A week since he'd opened that letter, the one that had begun with that decades old cliché excuse: 'It's not you it's me' that she so claimed was true. The letter that with every word, written on that tear stained paper, broke his heart a little bit more. The letter that had left him with so many questions other people wanted answering, ones he didn't know how to, and so many more of his own.

As Leroy Jethro Gibbs had arrived back in DC alone he'd been greeted by Ducky, who seeing he was alone asked the question he had been expecting: "Where is Jennifer."

"She left." He'd answered bluntly.

"When will she be returning?"

"She'd not." The hard as nails ex-marine didn't think he'd ever forget the luck on Ducky's face when he'd said those two words. The older man knew better than to ask questions though. Unlike, however, Stan Burly and Chris who had not stopped asking questions since their boss arrived back without the red head.

Now, a week later his team had learnt not to ask any more questions, even if it was only as a result of getting migraines from excessive head slaps. Marrow still gave Gibbs apologetic glances. It turned out that even though the pair had hidden their relationship form everyone, they hadn't managed to hide it from their Director.

Work hadn't quite been the same recently, there was no-one to challenge his authority, no one to pinch his coffee when they thought he wasn't looking. That was what he missed, the little things, sure he missed the other stuff too, her kisses that were filled with passion and heated, slapping her ass when she walked away swaying her hips to drive him crazy. But it was the little things too. He missed waking up to see her red hair laid out on the white pillow making it look brighter than ever. He missed the way her eyes showed her emotions even when she tried to hide them. HE missed how they could communicate with no words, could read one another like a book and fitted together like a jog saw puzzle. It was simple really, he missed her, he missed Jenny Sheppard. Gibbs hadn't quite realised how much he had fallen in love with her until she had left. Now he wished he had told her how he felt. "Jethro…" He thought he'd imagined it. That because he'd been thinking about her ha had started hearing her. "Jethro…" She said again, that familiar voice that he had thought he would never hear again. He turned around to see her stood next to her old desk, looking as gorgeous as ever. She simply wore skinnies, heals and a t-shirt. Her hair was how he'd always loved it, long and lose and natural. Yet her face was free of make-up, and her eyes were red from crying.

"Jen?" he asked, still not quite believing his eyes.

"I think I've made a mistake boss. I shouldn't have left." She said it in barely more than a whisper. It was the way she called him 'boss' that made him jump from his seat and run over to her and kiss her senseless – pouring into it all his love and regret. It was in that moment he forgave her for leaving. They still had a lot to talk about and a lot of questions that needed answers, and a lot to fix, but together they would deal with it. As they broke for air Jethro said what he should have done months ago.

"I love you Jenny." As he said those four words her heart melted and she smiled.

"I love you too Jethro."