Author: JenShepard87

Pairing: Mibbs/Jibbs…

Disclaimer: nothing that has to do with NCIS belongs to me besides the idea to this story…

Spoiler: no – everything 'til Hollis leaves for Hawaii.

Summary: Hollis wants to have another try with Gibbs and is ready to use an unusual method to accomplish her goal ;-)

Rating: K+…I think *g*

NOTE: Yes I'm back after…several months of nothing. I had a lot to deal with and simply no time nor inspiration to write. There will be NO update for my story "hardest shot", because I think it already has a good ending and that I would probably jeopardise the whole story by writing an epilogue.

I also want to thank everyone who read and liked my stories so far – I hope you like this one too

I had no beta so…sorry for all the mistakes in it !

_________________________________________________________________________

One last chance

The car stood at the opposite side of the Navy Yard across the street. The woman inside waited for a particular member of the agency to come out so that she could have a conversation with the Director. It was going to be a very interesting talk considering the…special circumstances.

Hollis Mann knew, as probably everyone else who wasn't blind or deaf that something had definitely happened between Jennifer Shepard and Jethro Gibbs in the past.

It's been almost three months since Hollis got together with the rather stoic and complicated NCIS Special Agent and she had no idea of how to proceed. Sure, asking his ex-lover a few things wasn't the best idea and totally idiotic for certain, but she was ready to give it a try.

After another half an hour a governmental car, followed by one of the NCIS-trucks pulled out of the parking lot and Hollis was able to recognize Gibbs behind the stirring wheel.

She waited until they were out of sight, left her car and made her way up to the entrance of NCIS-HQ. How did such a stupid idea come to your mind?!

Jenny Shepard sat behind her desk with lots of casefiles, empty cups of coffee and a bottle of Advil on it. Today was certainly not a good day and she wondered if anyone would notice if she just 'disappeared' for a few hours. Director Shepard let out a frustrated sigh and picked up the next report when Cynthia's voice pulled her out of thoughts via intercom.

"Director? Lieutenant Colonel Mann is here to speak with you."

Jenny did a double take and stared at the phone in front of her with a mixture of shock, annoyance and curiosity written on her face.

What the hell does Jethro's new bimbo want from me?

"I'm very busy Cynthia. How important is it?" There was a pause until her assistant replied a bit hesitantly.

"Uh…it's a private matter but still very important ma'am." Private? God no…not another soon to be ex-wife.

"Right. Well send her in Cynthia."

"Yes Director."

Jenny grabbed the empty cups to put them finally into the bin, shoved the bottle of Advil back into the drawer and leaned back into her chair just as the door to her office opened up and a surprisingly nervous looking Hollis Mann entered.

Jenny signalled for Cynthia to leave them alone and moved over to the Colonel, shaking her hand.

"Hello Lt. Colonel. What can I do for you?" she tried to sound as normal as possible but even she could detect the hint of sarcasm behind the nonchalantly spoken words and cringed a bit.

Hollis Mann had to smile and held up her hands in defeat.

"Director Shepard as your assistant has already informed you, this is a private matter and I know that you will probably throw me out of your office the second I tell what this is all about. Nevertheless it's very important to me and…you are the best to talk to I think."

Jenny's eyes softened a little after hearing the sincerity in the other woman's voice and nodded her head while gesturing towards the conference table.

"Please take a seat. How about a drink?"

They looked at each other and couldn't suppress the exchange of a knowing smile after remembering the last conversation they'd had in this room shortly after Hollis got together with Gibbs. It had been subtle but Jenny had made it very clear then that she and Jethro had been a couple at one time.

"No thank you Director."

Jenny sat down at the head of the table and Hollis choose to take the left chair next to hers.

"Well…what is this private matter about?"

She watched closely as the Colonel beside her seemed to search for the right words while shifting in the chair but she waited with patience until Hollis looked her straight in the eye.

"Jethro." Surprise, surprise…I knew it! Jenny swallowed but held Hollis' intense gaze.

"Sure you don't want a drink?" the redhead asked with a sigh.

"I think we both need a clear head for this. I understand if you don't want to talk about him you just have to say so and I'll be gone Director."

"Jenny." Was the answer Hollis got after a long minute and took that as a permission to stay. With a smile she returned the favor of using first names and considered her next step.

"Jenny…how did you know that he was serious about you?"

A not so small part of Jenny was doing a victory dance at that moment but she knew all too well how the woman in front of her was feeling right now. She had felt the same way at the beginning of her relationship with Gibbs until she'd found out that with him, you have to look at what he does rather than what he says or…not in this case. The fact that Hollis came to her, one of Gibbs' ex-lovers, showed Jenny how serious her feelings for Jethro were. She wouldn't deny the sting in her heart when she realized that she had to make a decision.

She could lie to Hollis or talk about all the faults Jethro had and leaving out the very good parts in order to pull them apart, but she could also help Hollis with her problem and accept the consequence of finally giving him away. Maybe this woman could make him happy? What if she was the one Gibbs needs? Not a redhead who reminded him of his first wife and a woman who was able to stand up to him.

"So you think he's not serious?"

Hollis fidgeted with her hands and shook her head.

"I don't know. Sometimes I think Jethro really cares for me but…he's very closed up and I don't know for how long I can take this."

"Even if it doesn't look like it, Jethro doesn't take a relationship lightly. He's been married a few times and he's had lovers yes, but I'm sure he cared for all of them…" she made a short break before continuing "…he cared for me."

Hollis recognized the sad expression of a woman who had lots of regrets.

"You left him." Although it was a simple statement from Hollis, she'd sounded astonished.

"You didn't know?"

"No. I always thought th-"

"That he left me – yes that's what most people would think. As I already said Hollis, Jethro doesn't take it lightly. I know that he left one of his ex-wives because she'd betrayed him. Stephanie couldn't stand being alone all the time because of his job. I don't know anything about the others but they most likely weren't able to take his…silence. Just like you." Jenny added the last part quietly and met two desperate eyes.

"But you were able to take it, right?"

"Yes. But you have to know that our relationship was very…physical. I loved him and I learned how to read him. Jethro is not used to express his feelings with words Hollis."

Hollis nodded solemnly and thought about how much Jenny must have loved him to be able to accept this.

"Jethro told you about Shannon and Kelly?" Jenny looked down for a moment before meeting Hollis eyes again.

"No. He never talked about his family but neither did I. I found out two years ago after he fell into a coma. I knew that all of his ex-wives had red hair but…this was something different." She had no idea why she told Hollis these details although somehow, she had the feeling she could trust the new woman in Gibbs life.

"Because you thought about the possibility that you reminded him of her?"

Hollis got no response but the lack of it was enough.

"How do you know about Shannon?"

"Dr. Mallard told me. I knew that something wasn't right that Jethro hid something from me. I confronted him with what I found out. He shut me out after that." Hollis added quietly and stared at the table. Jenny observed her carefully and even though she still felt jealous, she'd been the one who left Jethro and had no right to interfere with his love-life. At least not in a negative way.

"Hollis. I know that he cares about you and let me tell you something. You got his attention without being a redhead and that's definitely a plus. Don't push him too hard but keep going. Tell him a bit about your life, not too much and wait for him to make the next step. Show him how serious you are and that he can trust you but don't cling to him. That's all I can give you as an advice."

Hollis smiled at the older woman and slowly stood up. They made their way to the door but before the Colonel reached for it, she turned around again.

"Why did you help me Jenny?" Hollis detected sadness and defeat in the other woman's eyes but also honesty.

"I won't say that it's alright for me to see the two of you together but I had my chance Hollis and screwed it up. I care about Jethro and wish for him to be happy…even if it's not with me."

There was a moment of silence 'til they shook hands and when Hollis left Jenny's office she wondered it was, emotionally, really over between Jethro and Jenny.

The next weeks went surprisingly well between Hollis and Gibbs. At the beginning she'd called him now and then just to ask how he was doing and without telling him how much she'd want another try at their relationship. After her fourth call he invited her over to his house by asking if she could bring up some takeout. They had a nice long talk about everything and nothing and at the end she even got a goodnight kiss on the steps of his basement.

After another week Gibbs had taken her back and was ready for a new start. He told her a few things about his time as a marine and they had a couple of funny dates at the shooting range and the park.

Hollis met him a number of times at NCIS Headquarters to bring him coffee or to pick him up, but didn't show too obvious signs of affection when Jenny was near them. Hollis got a short but grateful smile for that which kept Gibbs wondering what had suddenly changed between the two women who'd wanted to strangle each other weeks before.

However, he also noticed the sad glimmer in Jenny's eyes whenever she saw the two of them together even though she really tried to not let it show. Hollis was a great woman, she was fun and had finally learned how to handle him better but he simply couldn't stop to compare her to his ex-lover. The way Hollis approached him now reminded him of the way Jenny did it years ago and considering the change between the two women, Gibbs decided to confront Hollis with his suspicions one evening in his basement.

"You seem to get along quite well with the Director these days." He mumbled while sanding one side of his boat whereas Hollis worked o the other one. It was just a statement but the blonde woman stopped her actions for a moment a bit startled.

"We never had a problem with each other Jethro." She answered but caught Gibbs' glare from across the room. Hollis let out a heavy sigh and put away her sand block.

"Jethro…Jenny and I had a talk a couple of weeks ago."

"Jenny?" he emphasized the Director's first name in a way that showed clearly his surprised about the fact that Hol and his ex were on first name basis.

"Yes. I care a lot about you Jethro and I was sort of…desperate when you broke up with me. I had no idea what to do anymore and…asked Jenny for help. Surprisingly she did help me."

At Gibbs' raised eyebrow she sat down on the worn couch and mentioned for him to join her.

She continued telling him, of course not in every detail, what Jenny and she'd talked about and Gibbs waited for her to finish with patience.

To say that Gibbs was stunned by what his girlfriend told him would have been an understatement, especially because it had been obvious how jealous Jenny was because of Hollis. At the beginning it had been very amusing for him to watch the tempered redhead trying to stay in control to not let anything show, but after a while he realized how much he'd really hurt Jenny.

"So you really want us to work huh?" Gibbs asked with soft eyes resting on Hollis and kissed her cheek. The woman beside him stood up and walked over to the half finished boat, running her hands along the frame of it.

"What?" Gibbs could sense that something was definitely wrong with her.

"You're not mad at me for asking her?"

"No. Surprised and a bit shocked yeah. But that's not what's bothering ya though."

Hollis turned around to face him and bit her lower lip while thinking about the last weeks. Of course she was happy that it was going so well between her and Gibbs, but she couldn't forget the fact that most of it worked because of Jenny's advice. This woman knew Gibbs so well even after many years of separation and the more Hollis thought about it the more she had to realize that she'd never be the woman he needed. Yes, she'd acted this way in order to get him back but this just wasn't…her. She was not as patient with the stoic and silent man in front of her as Jenny had been and certainly wasn't able to read him as good as the redhead.

She felt his eyes boring into hers with an intense gaze and Hollis had the feeling that he knew exactly what was going on in her mind.

"You can't go on like this right?" Gibbs asked quietly but without accusation in his voice and Hollis was sort of relieved it was him who said it out loud.

"Yes Jethro. I'm sorry but…you are too closed up and it's too exhausting for me. Sooner or later it wouldn't work anymore between us Jethro." She whispered upset and looked down.

Gibbs stood up and embraced the trembling woman gently. It hurt him to see and feel her cry but knew she was right. He cared about Hollis a lot and had really wanted it to work. The problem was, Jenny and Hollis were very different when it came to personal relationships and on the long run, he wouldn't be able to make the blonde happy.

"I'm sorry Hol." Gibbs whispered in her ear and felt his hold on him tighten.

"What about your rule about apologizing Jethro?" she pulled back a bit to look him in the eyes.

"Not between friends." She gave him a bittersweet smile and swallowed down the lump in her throat.

"So…we're friends?"

"If you still want us to be. I'm not sure if I really wanna end this Hol." Hollis smiled before leaning in to kiss him for the last time.

"Then make a decision Jethro. Change a bit for me or go back to Jenny you know she could make you happy. Don't screw it up again." With that she turned around and made her way out of the basement. Before Hollis disappeared into the shadows he heard her saying "Please tell me when you made your decision regardless of the outcome okay?" and with that she walked out of his house, maybe out of his life.

Gibbs drowned the rest of his bourbon and stared at the hull of his boat. Another woman gone. He shook his head as her last words still ran inside his head 'You know she could make you happy. Don't screw it up again.' He snort at them. As if it was so easy. Did he even love her anymore? 'course I do' Gibbs answered his own question and ran his hand across his face. However, Jenny may still have feelings for him – the jealousy towards Hollis made it obvious – but it didn't mean that it was love. His thoughts were interrupted by the ring of his cell phone. He didn't bother looking at the caller ID and answered.

"Gibbs."

"You know Jethro if I didn't know that you barely take a look at the ID I'd take this way of greeting personal." A certain redhead laughed amused at the other end of the phone.

"Hi Jen." Gibbs answered a bit surprised and ran his hand over one rip of the boat.

"I'm outside your favorite coffee shop and just wondered if you wanted to have some? Unless you've got company of course." Jenny added the last part a bit hesitant but tried to make it sound as light as possible. Judging by the moment of silence, Gibbs had caught the undertone but decided to ignore it.

"Thanks Jen and no, I don't have any company." Knowing his former partner he could literally 'see' her cringe at his words.

"Alright Jethro I'll be there in 15 okay?"

"'Kay."

Well that was certainly unexpected Gibbs thought and searched for another bottle of bourbon.

After barely 10 minutes, Gibbs heard familiar footsteps on the stairs of his basement and turned around. Must have driven like a mad woman… his thoughts shut off as soon as Gibbs saw Jenny in the dim light of his basement. She wore black pants and a green shirt, both very simple but the outfit definitely showed her curves in all the right places. Jenny choose to ignore his lustful eyes on her body and set the coffee on his workbench.

"Hey."

"Hi Jen." He picked up the drink and watched Jenny as she ran her delicate hands along the rough wood.

"Is there a reason why you drank a bit much tonight Jethro?" she asked him without turning around but could 'feel' how he raised an eyebrow behind her back.

"Not only you but your whole basement smells of it. What happened?" Jenny leaned against the hull and waited for him to respond.

"Nothin' major. You wanna tell me about your talk with Hol?" Gibbs tried to control the anger in his voice but failed when he saw the woman in front of him look down.

"Seems like you already know about that one Jethro. You two had a fight because of it?" Jenny asked and put up her defense.

"More or less. I don't know. What the hell were you thinking by talking about you and me Jen?" Gibbs now moved to block her path when Jenny wanted to walk towards the stairs.

"I didn't tell her anything in detail or too personal things. What did you expect? That I throw her out of my office?"

"Sort of."

"What?" Jenny frowned at his response and folded her arms across her chest.

"Hollis asked me for help and I had no reason to turn her down Jethro."

The starring contest between them carried on for a couple of minutes before Jenny's eyes softened.

"You broke up with her?" Gibbs drowned his coffee and continued to work on 'Kelly'.

"No. We rather broke up with each other I think. Well she said I had to choose" He whispered and let out a sigh. Jenny watched him carefully and saw how sad Gibbs actually was.

"She wanted it to work Jen. Hell she even talked to you for god's sake!" he closed his eyes when he felt the small hand gently rubbing his back.

"Then why did you give up Jethro? Hollis was good for you." It hurt her straight to the bone saying those things but they were none the less true.

"She said she couldn't go on like that. Pretend to be patient, to be able to give me the freedom I need. I failed her Jen."

It hurt and surprised Jenny that he obviously cared deeply for the blonde woman but at the same time it felt good to know that he was still able and willing to try.

"Then maybe it's time for you to…change a bit. Jethro come on I know you don't want to stay that way. That miserable. You can be such a charming guy when you want to be! The fact that women are not running from you despite your record of broken relationships should tell you." Gibbs stayed silent before he asked what he wanted since Hollis told him about their conversation.

"Why did you help her Jen? Why are you still trying to help us getting things to work even after I told you that Hol and I are over?"

Jenny had to fight the tears that threatened to come and turned away from his ice blue eyes.

"You deserve to be happy Jethro. We are not partners anymore nor lovers, but still friends and it hurts me to see you so broken. No relationship is perfect we both know that but you can't just run away from every difficulty along the way! Go to her and tell her how you feel. I know Hollis could make you happy." At the end of her speech Jenny got more quiet and struggled to keep her voice as calm as possible. Gibbs watched her shaking back and knew she suppressed a sob but as soon as he tried to touch her, Jenny turned around and he was confronted with her face covered in tears.

"I love you Jethro I really do but things would never work between us. We are too much alike and yet so different…as a friend I beg you, don't turn every chance down you get to be happy." With that she almost ran up the stairs but Gibbs made her stop before she could disappear.

"Funny that Hol told me almost the same about you Jen." They looked at each other for what seemed like an eternity before Gibbs spoke up again.

"Why do you think it wouldn't work? Things are different now than eight years ago. You've accomplished everything possible in your job and I'm not engaged."

"Then make up your mind Jethro. It's either her or me or neither one of us but stop torturing yourself because of old wounds. I can only speak for myself but in case you choose a second chance with me…it would be for a long run. I wouldn't let you go again Jethro. No matter which choice you make, please tell me." Jenny said while looking straight into his eyes and left his house.

It was 9 o'clock in the evening when the old truck stopped in her driveway and a silver haired man got out, making his way up to the front door. He took a deep breath before he raised a hand to knock. A minute later an obviously surprised woman opened the door.

"Jethro." She smiled a little while leaning against the doorframe and eyed him carefully.

"Hey."

"What are you doing here Jethro? Want to tell me something?" the woman in front of him looked at him with a mixture of hope and defeat but was determined not to let it show and Gibbs didn't want to let her in the dark any longer.

"You said I had to make a decision. You wanted to know." He saw how the hope in her eyes was replaced by sadness but also acceptance.

"It's okay Jethro. I wish you all the best I hope you know that. She…she's the right one." A single tear escaped her eyes and Gibbs wiped it away with his thumb and took her in his arms.

They stood there quite a while in comforting silence until Gibbs pulled back and cupped her cheek with his hand.

"You don't hate me do you?" she shook her head and send him another one of her smiles even if that one was more bittersweet than anything else.

"I could never hate you Jethro."

He kissed her cheek and whispered something in her ear that was only meant for the two of them before he turned around and walked over to his truck.

She watched his car vanishing into the night and closed the door behind her as she stepped back into her home, closed the place in her heart that would always belong to them.

They'd had a great time as long as it lasted and maybe one day she would tell him how much she wished she'd never have left him that night.

Ooookay…I think I have to tell you how hard it actually was for me to write the last part. I decided to write a more open ending and that YOU CAN CHOOSE if it's pro Jibbs or pro Mibbs. Both is possible even if you consider the last sentence. It could be the night in Paris or the night at his house when Hollis left.

ATTENTION !!!

In case another 'Jibbsfest' is planned I would like to write a part for it so…please tell me if that's okay for the responsible authors here okay? THANKS A LOT

And now please press the sweet little button for a review ;-)