She was it.

She was the one.

She was his one true love.

She was the woman he loved.

She was the woman he would always love.

It shouldn't have happened. He shouldn't have fallen in love with her. She'd been a case. Just a case. No More. No less.

But case or not; he had fallen in love.

He had loved her.

He still loved her.

And he'd let her walk away.

Not one; but twice.

Tony DiNardo had fallen in love with her.

Anthony DiNozzo loved her.

He always would. He knew that now.

But he'd let her walk away.

He'd lied to her.

He'd told her nothing had been true.

He could still see her face. It haunted his dreams.

He could still see her face when he'd told her he'd lied.

When he'd told her nothing had been true.

Love, real love, came once in a lifetime.

He'd thought the team, the family, was enough.

He'd truly believed it; especially after Gibbs had gotten them all back.

But they weren't.

They never could be.

He called her.

He told her how he felt.

He told her he'd lied to her.

He told her he'd lied to her for her sake.

He told her he'd lied to her for his sake.

He told her she was the one.

He told her she was his one true love.

He told her. Or rather he told her answerphone.

And then he waited.

And waited.

He waited so long; he thought he'd blown it.

And then she walked into the squad room.

Gibbs, his boss, the boss, was yelling at him to get a move on.

But he saw her and only her.

"Sorry, boss," he managed, as he walked towards her, took her into his arms and kissed her.