Ellick "Painless"

Chapter 24- Liar

The file slams the table as Gibbs takes a seat on one side. Jake looks nervously from the giant mirror on the wall to Gibbs.

"Why am I being investigated? I'm not a suspect!" Malloy whines.

"We're not investigating. Just... talking."

"Then why aren't we in a conference room?"

"Full." Gibbs responds simply.

"All of the-"

"Full." Gibbs says again with more force.

After a few seconds of Gibbs staring at him, Jake opens his mouth defensively.

"I don't know what you're waiting for me to say."

"Tell me about the hack."

"Um... there was a small hack in the system regarding a low level case. An offshore account had been accumulating money for the past 14 years. It had nearly 6 million dollars which someone tried to steal."

"Mhm. And why did you tamper with the evidence?"

"I didn't!" Jake cries out. "Come on Gibbs! You know me! You know I wouldn't do that! I'm a good guy!"

Ellie's fist makes violent contact with the glass dividing the observation room from the investigation."Liar!" She seethes as Nick rubs her back.

All the memories fill her insides, all the feelings associated with Jake. Happiness when he proposed, worry when she thought he was dead. The tears that had streamed down her cheeks as she prayed her love was alive. When he had been found, it had been the most joyous moment of her life. He came home and she had thrown herself to him, giving everything she had to him for his disposal. She had never loved anyone as much as she had loved Jake.

~Flashback~

Suitcases wheeled passed her as people unboarded the plane. Unfamiliar faces of people who hadn't gone through the pain she had. She needs to see him, his smooth hair, cute glasses. To feel his arms around her as they kissed their love into oblivion.

"Excuse me." Ellie is jolted out of her thoughts as an older lady scoots past her. Her head swivels again as she searches the crowd for the only person she could ever love. Her face lit up as she sees him walking down the hallway, his suitcase next to him as he studied his phone in his hand.

"Jake!" She cried as she began to run to him, weaving between other passengers in the airport.

He glanced up quickly to see his wife running at him, but looked back down to his phone.

Undeterred, she pushed into him, fitting her body against his as she kissed him hard.

Roughly, he breaks off the kiss and flashes a smile at her.

"Hey."

"Hi."

She beamed back at him, tears filling her eyes. Her husband was safe, and he was home, and nothing could ever stop their love.

"I missed you so much." Ellie kissed him again, and again he pulls away.

"Um, yeah. I missed you too."

That's strange. He seems stand offish. I wonder if something's wrong.

After staring at each other awkwardly for a few seconds, he turned and began leading them away.

No. He's probably just tired. And stressed.

At their apartment, Ellie changed into a casual but revealing dress and sat next to her husband on the couch.

"Hey." She said quietly, but had to repeat herself before he looked up.

"Hello." He murmurs, eyeing her outfit.

"I love you." She laid her head on his shoulder.

"I... love you too. What's going on Ellie? Is something wrong?"

Ellie noticed his eyes move rapidly as if nervous, and beads of sweat pop up on his neck.

"I'm just glad you're safe."

Days later In flashback

"I hate myself for what I've done!"

"Were you with her? Last night?"

The silence that followed gave her a deafeningly loud answer and tears burst into her eyes. She turned and stormed out of the apartment.

"Ellie!" His voice shouted after her, but she continued out of the building.

How could he do this to her? After everything they've been through? Their entire relationship must be a joke to him. Everything she's done for him. All he had promised. He lied.

~End Flashback~

"Liar." She whispers to herself as she steps back under Nick's arm. She looks up to his face and melts at the sight of him watching her with pure love and concern in his eyes. She doesn't need to worry about Jake. Nick is her life now, and she wouldn't want it any other may. He had cared about her even when he thought she was going to jump off a bridge. This love is different. It's a feeling that runs all throughout her body, that every part of her is loved. She had never felt that way with Jake, but she felt it the moment she had kissed Nick.