Gibbs always seemed like a typical strong stubborn ex-marine on the outside but I knew there was a broken, helpless, kind-hearted man crying out for love inside. The stubborn bastard bravado never worked on me. I was always able to see what was on the inside. I was always able to see what he was really thinking and feeling.

We had just finished a really hard case. It was especially emotional for Gibbs. A navy snipers wife and child had been brutally murdered by an ex navy-seal and dumped in a skip on a naval base. When we caught the bastard I thought Gibbs was going to murder him on the spot. The look in his eyes really scared me, it was the look of a broken man seeking vengeance he knew he could never really get, for Shannon and Kelly. He knew this man had nothing to do with Shannon and Kelly but this bastard was guilty of taking a navy snipers wife and child away from him, and that was all too similar for Gibbs. We finally managed to get Gibbs to back down just before the bastard pulled a gun of his own and that was when, with reasonable reason to do so this time, Gibbs shot him straight between the eyes.

I had just finished my report and headed up to the squad-room to leave it on Gibbs' desk for him to read when he got in. It was really late, (or maybe early, however you want to look at it) about 1am I think. I though I was the only one left in the building but when the elevator stopped and I got out, I saw Gibbs at his desk with his head in his hands. I knew he was crying. He must have heard my various chains rattling or something because he looked up. His face was so lost, so helpless that I dropped my report and ran to give him one of my speciality hugs. He fell into my arms crying. I went to give him a kiss on the forehead and assure him that everything was going to be okay but he looked up at me and my forehead kiss landed on his lips. I was going to pull away or say sorry or something but he was kissing back. He pulled me onto his knee and we kissed passionately for…I don't know how long, but neither of us wanted to stop. I didn't know if any of this was because he felt for me how I felt for him but I couldn't keep kissing him without knowing if this was just an emotional mistake for him or if it actually meant something to him.
"Jethro?" I said, I didn't think ‘Gibbs' was the right thing to call him at this point.
"Abs?" Gibbs replied stroking my hair.
"What is this?"
"What is what?"
"*This* us…kissing. I mean you just don't kiss friends or employees like that."
"Abby, I've had a hard day-" Gibbs started.
"Never mind Jethro. I've heard all I need to" I interrupted, I knew where this was going.
"Abby, that's not what I was going to say. What I was going to say was, I've had a hard day but nothing could affect my feelings for you. You've always been special to me, and not just as a friend."
"Oh Gibbs, I'm so sorry." I said standing up and pulling him to his feet. I wiped away his tears and gave him a hug, resting my head on his strong shoulders. "I love you, I've always loved you. You just have to know that."
"I love you too Abs" Gibbs said lifting my head up to kiss me gently on the forehead, then between my eyes, then the tip of my nose then finally landing on my lips, snaking his arms round my waist and kissing me like I'd NEVER been kissed before. My big strong ex marine wasn't broken after all, he just needed somebody to make him whole. I'm so glad that somebody was me.
"Whoa!! Gibbs and Abby sittin' in a tree" said a voice from behind wolf whistling.
Gibbs and I reluctantly parted to see who it was who was earning themselves a double Gibbs slap and yelled, "TONY!!!"