Ellick One-Shots

Terminal

~Nick's POV~
I can't believe she lied to me! She said she was busy. I pace the squad room, waiting for Ellie to show up.

I asked her if she wanted to watch a movie last night, and she cancelled last minute, saying she had plans. But she didn't.

She left her jacket at work, and I went to drop it off at her apartment. When I got there, the door was unlocked, so I went in. Ellie was laying there, on the couch, asleep, watching TV.

I just left the jacket on the floor and left. I thought we were honest with each other. Apparently not.

The elevator doors slide open and Ellie comes out. Reaching the bullpen, she gives me a slightly strained smile, then falters as she sees the look on my face.

"What's wrong?"

"You lied to me."

"What?"

"You said you had plans last night, but you were watching TV in your apartment!"

"How did you know that?!" Ellie stares at me, her voice a little angry to match mine.

"You forgot your jacket at work, and I bring it back, and you're watching TV alone?!"

I'm standing right in front of her, 2 feet away, frustrated.

"I did have plans!" She says, as her face goes from angry, to sad, and resting on annoyed.

"What were they? To lay on the couch all night?"

I don't know why I'm so mad at her. I had been looking forward to our not-date date. Then she cancels, and I find her doing nothing. I'm just angry.

"No!" She says, her voice rising.

"Then what were they?"

She doesn't answer, and I turn away from her, headed for the bathroom. I need a minute, to wrap my head around this. She's lying right to my face!

"Nick!" Ellie follows, storming behind me, but I duck into the men's room.

"I'm coming in!" She yells, and throws the door open.

"I didn't lie to you!" She shouts right in my face. "I did have plans!"

Her fury wavers for a second, and I see pain on her face.

"For your information," she punches me in the shoulder but I don't wince. "My mom was supposed to come to town!"

The anger steadily drains from her face as the misery takes its place.

"But she had to cancel, because..."

She cuts her sentence off, as I feel my anger dwindling to confusion.

Her voice shakes slightly as she says the next sentence.

"Because George went... went terminal."

At the word 'terminal' I see tears flood to her eyes as she stands there, staring at me while trying to hold them back.

I feel horrible. I didn't even know George was sick. George is Ellie's closest brother, and the news must have ripped her apart. And I'm not helping matters.

"Brain cancer." Her voice shakes and she squeezes her eyes closed, refusing to cry.

I take a step towards her, and hug her as she leans into my shoulder, breaking and letting the tears fall.

"I'm sorry." I try to soothe her, but I know I can't say anything to take the pain away.

She pulls away and I let her go, worried, as she walks to a stall, slamming the door closed behind her. I can see through the cracks that she slides down the wall, hugging her knees to her chest. Sitting on the ground just outside the stall, I lay my hand on the tile so she can take it if she needs. After a few moments, her hand slowly lowers, taking mine.

We sit in silence for 10 minutes, until the bathroom door opens.

"Nick?" McGee calls, then sees me sitting on the floor.

"What are you-?" He stops as he hears Ellie's quiet wheezes.

'What happened?' He mouths to me, and I gesture for him to come over.

"George has terminal brain cancer." I whisper in his ear, and Tim looks at me, horrified.

"Ellie, I'm so sorry." He says through the stall, but she just cries harder.

McGee stays sitting next to me for a few minutes to show his support.

"McGee! How long does it take to find-?"Gibbs stops short, seeing both of us crowded around a bathroom stall.

Ellie's crying cuts off abruptly, as we hear scrambling from behind the stall.

Wiping her eyes, she emerges to face Gibbs.

"I'm sorry, Gibbs, it's-it's my fault."
Gibbs looks at her, a mix of nervousness and fear in his face.

"Did it happen?" He whispers.

She just nods, and Gibbs hugs her tightly as her whole body begins shaking again.

After a few seconds, Gibbs let's go of her, and McGee and I get up.

"Take as long as you need, okay?" He asks, his hands on her shoulders.

Ellie silently nods 'yes' , and Gibbs exits the restroom, followed by a depressed looking McGee.

"I'm so sorry, Ellie, I didn't know." I apologize, and turn to face her.

She gives me a hug, and I squeeze her close to me, never wanting to let her go.

Pulling away, she wipes her eyes in her sleeve, looking at the ground.

Glancing up at me, she says "Sorry."

"No! El, you don't have anything to be sorry for! I do! I overreacted."

"No you didn't. I cancelled our date without an explanation." Sniffling she looks around the room, then her eyes widen.

"Our movie night! Not our date... because you don't... right?"

I bring her closer to me again, wanting to kiss her but feeling like this isn't the right time. Her arms are around my back, and we stand like this for a few minutes, until she says she feels better.

"Thank you, Nick."

She gives him a quick kiss on the cheek, then turns out of the bathroom, Nick a few steps behind her, still trying to comprehend what had happened.

Once in the bullpen, Ellie doesn't get a chance to sit down before McGee is hugging her.

"I'm so sorry." He whispers, letting her go.

"Go." Gibbs says.

"What?"

"Go. Be with your family."

"But we're swamped, there's-"

"Bishop! Don't make me say it again!" Gimme points to the elevator, and hands her her bag.

Ellie nods, her eyes jumping from Gibbs to McGee, not searching for me. Picking up her coat, she leaves for the elevator. I watch her go, feeling like a part of me is leaving with her. Turning once inside the elevator, she meets my eye, speaking sadly with her eyes. We don't break until the doors slide shut, and she gives the smallest of smiles.