What Really Happens: NCIS

Chapter 56

"This is the second time I have seen you without a smile on your face and we have seen a lot of each other these pass three months."

"When was the first time?"

"When you saw Jason Sour up in that tree."

I almost spit out the bourbon. "Oh, right."

"I'm sorry I had you come to that. I didn't think it would look as morbid as it did."

"Don't apologize, Gibbs. There is a first time for everything."

"See that right there." He points to my face. "I know a fake smile when I see one."

I put down the glass and sigh. "I guess I just miss everyone. If I am being complete honest, I never knew what having a real family was like."

He stares at me like he is going to say something but holds it back.

"My family hasn't been a family for a long time. It is nice to finally work at a place where the people are nice."

He continues to stare at me.

"You know for someone who wants to listen you are not good at the conversation part."

"Because I know you are not done talking." Jesus, who is this guy?

"Did you call your dad today?" I freeze. "I'm sorry that slipped I shouldn't have brought it up."

"That's okay. I did call him and wished him a Merry Christmas."

I smile. "That's amazing Gibbs."

"Now, that is a smile."

He gets up and walks to the kitchen. He throws me a bottle of water and then opens the fridge. "I hope you like turkey sandwiches."

I drink the water and push the bourbon away from me. "Do you have a bathroom?"

"In fact, I do." He starts to cut up the turkey. "It is upstairs on the right-hand side."

I thank him and make my way there. When I get up the stairs, I notice there are two other doors, but they are closed.

I find the bathroom and wash my face. I have to relax, I was fine before we started talking. He always knows what I am thinking and feeling. I never had that before. I don't think Tim really knows what I am feeling all the time. After staring at myself for five minutes, I walk out the door and one of the other doors is open. I peak inside to see if it is Gibbs, thank God it is. He is looking at what I think is a picture. In his hands he holds a box. When I look around there is nothing in the room besides a bed and a dresser. I think a night stand, but I am not all the way in the room.

"I like it. It is simple in here just the way I think you would like it."

He doesn't jump at the sound of my voice. "Yeah, just like the cabin we went to."

We both laugh, and he puts the picture he was holding back in the box. We make our way down stairs and he has two sandwiches on the table and a bag of chips.

"It isn't a glorious meal, but it is a meal."

"It is better than what I have been having for Christmas."

"What's that?"

"A huge bucket of popcorn."

We sit at the table and I start to eat. He is still staring at me. "You had a bucket of popcorn for dinner?"

"James and I stopped celebrating Christmas when I was nine." I start to put chips into my sandwich. "I would always watch Christmas movies by myself until he got home from whatever he was doing. When I was finally old enough in his eyes to walk alone, besides to school, I found myself at the movies because it felt weird not watching a movie or having popcorn."