A/N: I hope you all will have a merry Christmas (hopefully with more snow than I'll get :D)
A Christmas Story (not inspired by Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, it just starts a few days before Christmas Eve)
Prologue: The annual NCIS Christmas ball
December 20th, 2005
Standing in front of her bedroom mirror, she turned her head to look at her vanity table where she'd laid out her mother's earrings and the unobtrusive yet stunningly beautiful collier he'd bought her for Christmas a long time ago. Turning to her wardrobe again she contemplated if she should go with the long red evening gown or the cream colored short dress. Deciding to let her hair down just for once Jenny took the second, considerably more risky one. If she had to go there and spend her evening feigning amusement, she could at least try to enjoy it a bit by giving both, SecNav and Jethro, a minor heart attack; for different reasons though.
Pulling on the dress she wondered what he would wear if he was coming, something she wasn't all too sure off. She let her hair fall down her back in soft, loose curls, and applied light make-up, letting her eyes stand out. She grabbed a small purse, checked its contains and added the switch blade she always carried with her, then she put an emerald green stola around her shoulders and descended the stairs, suddenly looking forward to the evening knowing she would make jaws drop.
Maybe DiNozzo would even get a headslap or two.
It was December 20th, the holiday season was coming nearer and he didn't like it one bit. He couldn't drown his sorrows in alcohol anymore, since Jenny came back he avoided passing out drunk under his boat, knowing she would pick up on it the morning after when he came to work and demand answers.
He picked up a sander from his work bench and touched the frame of his unfinished boat almost caressingly, trying to relax as much as possibly. He knew he had to deal with the memories sooner or later, there was no way he could just lock them away at Christmas like he did most time of the year, not when everything around him reminded him of Kelly looking forward to Christmas in the middle of the summer or Shannon decorating the house to make it perfect. Sighing Gibbs began to sand rhythmically, completely oblivious to his surroundings till suddenly he heard feet stomping away on the floor above him.
"Gibbs!" Abby squealed, scampering down the stairs.
"Abby." Gibbs grumbled in acknowledgement.
"You coming? We have to go or we'll be late." She said already turning around, obviously in too much of a hurry to even bounce on her feet.
"Where are we going Abbs?" He asked, honestly not knowing what she was talking about.
Abby turned around, her eyes wide, her expression dumbfounded. "You don't know? You don't know? How can you not know Gibbs? The new director decided to revive the annual NCIS Christmas ball. Isn't that fantastic? It's my first, there hasn't been one since 1998."
He looked at her, yeah, he remembered that last ball. He'd been there with just that redheaded director who had now initiated the revival. They'd danced the whole evening, not caring about what the other agents had been thinking, they had been due to fly out mere days later and the others were most likely way to wasted to even remember their own name. Afterwards they'd gone back to her Georgetown mansion where he'd given her the soft brown leather coat she'd loved so much, the one she'd left with the Dear John on the plane.
"Gibbs? You okay?"
"I won't come Abby." Gibbs said, turning back to his boat as he picked his sander up again.
"You can't do that. Please. Gibbs." She said, her green eyes big and pleading. "You have to go. Do it for me." Abby whined in a high-pitched voice. "Do it for her. She put so much of an effort into this, you cannot just not go!"
"Abby,..." He tried again, but she cut him off before he could even say anything.
"Please. You don't want her to be touched by all the politicians with wandering hands without being able to do something about it, do you?" She asked, a cheeky grin on her face.
"Abbs" He said annoyed.
"Gi-ibbs. Just put on something nice, a dress shirt and maybe jeans, that can't be too hard, can it now?"
He hit his boat with his fist, swearing lowly as his hand impacted painfully with the hard wood of the frame. "Okay, but I can go half an hour after we arrive."
He didn't get a verbal answer instead Abby ran over to him on her black platform boots and hugged him so tight he thought his spine would break. "Now go upstairs and dress nicely. We wouldn't want you to go completely unnoticed by the sexy redhead up in the corner office." She said knowing she surely would have a severe concussion by now if she wasn't his favourite.
Instead Gibbs shot her a stern look at the mention of 'the sexy redhead' but climbed up the stairs nevertheless. Twenty minutes later he came down again, freshly showered and clad in black pants and a light blue dress shirt complimenting his eyes.
Abby grinned and patted his head like a dog. "You look handsome Gibbs, very dashing." She said opening the front door. "Hurry up Gibbs, the others are waiting!"
"The others?"
"Well Tony, Ziva, and McGee. They have been waiting outside for the past forty-five minutes." Gibbs sighed, knowing he'd do better accepting his fate. Letting Abby push him out on his front porch, he thought wistfully about the boat in his basement. He pulled his coat around his shoulders, making his way over to the car containing his team.
Behind him the front door slammed into its lock. There went his chance of a quite, peaceful evening.
Jenny had her hands neatly folded in her lap, willing them to stop shaking to conceal her nervousness. It was her first Christmas ball, in fact the first big event she hosted as the director of NCIS, and only the second public festivity she attended. The only other one had been the Marine Corps Birthday Ball she'd gone to with Ducky by her side. This time she was without a date, she didn't have a partner and the only person she would even consider asking to come with her happened to be her lead agent, and that was a combination she was sure her bosses wouldn't approve of.
Stanley pulled up in front of the Navy Yard and jumped out of the car to open the door for her. Jenny smiled slightly at him, her silent thanks, knowing everything more wouldn't be appropriate with the press all over the place. She smiled nicely at the cameras, even waved a little bit, before she entered the building. This wasn't the least bit fun.
When she'd thought about balls as a little girl, she'd thought of beautiful evening gowns, dancing couples, and maybe even candles all over the place. Her mind never crossed all the stress that was linked to a social event of this extent.
Jenny took the elevator, glad it was empty and she could have at least a little time just to herself before the doors would open again at the bullpen floor. SecNav had insisted on the party taking place there, he hadn't even considered the problems this caused. They had had to hire a moving company to rearrange the desks and her agents hadn't been able to work there for the last three days, something a particular Special Agent was particular annoyed about.
She sighed, and hit the emergency switch, hiding away from the public and the media she was sure she would have to face only a few moments later. She straightened her dress, put a few strands of hair back into their original places and breathed slowly in and out, counting to ten in every language she knew till she couldn't postpone the inevitable any longer.
The redhead hit the switch again, letting the elevator jolt back to life, and stood bolt upright in the middle of the square metal box.
The door opened and she stepped out, a smile plastered on her face.
Jenny stood in a corner with the Senators Winters, Smith and Johnson and SecNav, the formers' gazes glued to her chest, the latter talking animatedly about the next budgets reviews while her eyes strayed away from his face every so often and over to the elevators. Just as she was about to swallow a sip of her champagne the doors opened and out stepped Abby and Team Gibbs, and she choked; rather violently at that; the man himself. She looked him up and down, her gaze going from his eyes to his shirt and back to his eyes again, a small smile slowly forming on her features.
He did indeed look handsome. Hopefully she wasn't drooling too obviously by now.
"Don't you think so Jennifer?"
"Absolutely. That's just what I wanted to say." She nodded and smiled, hoping it would work in her favour.
"Well then, it's good we've talked about it. I call you on Monday to discuss details." SecNav said as he turned around, leaving her alone with three elderly men eyeing her like a piece of meat.
"So do you fancy a dance director?" Winters asked offering his hand - with a golden wedding band on the ring finger - to her. She sighed, she couldn't really say no to that, especially with the next fund raising not being far away. She cast a last glance at Jethro who was being engaged in a conversation by Ducky, before she took the Senator up on his offer.
"Sure." Jenny nodded and allowed him to lead her to the dance floor, already dreading his married hands.
"Dear Jennifer seems to be enjoying herself, don't you think Jethro? It's been a long time since she had the opportunity to let her hair down, she really works to hard."
Jethro looked over to her, her face showing more irritation than amusement of any kind, she was way too busy to keep a certain Senator's hand from certain places. He took another sip of his Bourbon and nodded at Ducky, a wry amusement now in his eyes as he added dryly "She's surely having the night of her life."
Ducky gave him a scolding look before he himself went back to nursing his drink of choice. "Maybe you should be a gentleman for once and come to her rescue."
Gibbs cleared his throat, his expression stern as he turned to Ducky only to see the older man laughing at him. "Don't look at me like that Jethro, we both know she isn't a damsel in distress you have to save."
"Damn right, she can look after herself, she's the di-rec-tor now." He replied with only a hint of bitterness in his voice.
"And that's just why rescuing her will be my job then." Ducky answered good-naturally, he knew his friends still didn't know how he should act about their still unresolved issues.
He watched Ducky taking the last sip of his scotch and straightening his bow tie before he brushed a few wrinkles out of his jacket. The elderly M.E. placed his tumbler on the bar behind him and took off in the direction of the dance floor as-
"Ducky?"
"Yes Jethro?"
"Maybe I'll save her anyways."
She wouldn't ever know how she ended up dancing in his arms, but she was more than happy with this latest developement.
Fact was when he'd come to them and told Winters rather curtly that he would take over now, she'd been ready to kiss him in thanks. They'd danced to a couple of songs, ignoring the looks they were getting and the journalists who were already speculating about some affair, very much like they'd done seven years before. Then they'd retreated to the bar, sharing a few drinks, first out of two, then out of one tumbler; by that time not even caring about the stares they got anymore. They'd danced again, and when Gibbs suggested to look for 'some place more quiet' Jenny had been happy to follow.
They stood in front of the elevator, his hands at her waist, waiting for its arrival, as she looked up and saw the mistletoe, hanging almost mockingly innocently about her heads. He looked up to, and suddenly he gripped her hips a little more tightly, maybe even a bit possessively, as he bent down, or she leaned up, and out of the blue they were kissing as if there wasn't a tomorrow.
Jethro pressed her against the wall, wrapping her legs around his waist as his hands pushed the hem of the white dress a little further up, his mouth trailing hot kisses down her carotid artery to the juncture of her neck. She let her head hit the wall as she grabbed his hair, pulling his head up to meet her lips again in a bruising kiss.
The elevator binged beside them, but neither of them found it in them to end the kiss or even care about it.
Her trembling fingers found the collar of his navy blue dress shirt, fumblingly undoing the buttons. His mouth latched onto the sensitive spot on her neck, biting down lightly before he licked it soothingly.
His hands went to her back, searching for the zipper of her dress, having completely forgotten where they were till the clicking of a camera behind him made him stop mid-motion.
Gibbs turned his head as the journalist took another photo, before he became aware of their dishevelled appearance; Jenny having buried her face in the crook of his neck, the skirt of her dress almost hitched up around her waist, her normally ivory skin flushed pink, the first few buttons of his shirt undone.
The reporter started yelling, other journalists were coming; agents, his team, too; but he didn't hear anything, everything was numb as he hit the button for the elevator violently and stumbled, still carrying Jenny, into the metal box as soon as the doors opened.
He pressed the button for the parking garage, for the probably first time not hitting the emergency switch. Jenny stood trembling into his arms, suddenly sobering up somewhat.
"Damnit Jethro." She swore lowly, her small hand curling into a fist. "That's the end. It was all for nothing now." Tears welled up in her eyes, she wiped them away furiously.
"Jen-," He broke up. "Jen- don't lose it now, okay. Hold on, just for a little while, just till we're out of here, okay? You hear me Jen?"
She nodded, it was almost not noticable, but the doors opened, and they didn't have time anymore.
"Jen!" He yelled. "We're taking my car! C'mon!"
She went to the passenger side without needing to be told to, she knew he drove faster than she, and by the time she'd closed the door and put on her seat belt, he had already sped off.
"Where the hell are you driving to Jethro?"
"To my house. Or do you have a besser idea Jen? They will be camping in front of your house by now, hoping to get their own piece of the sex scandal surrounding the new director of NCIS." He hit the steering wheel in frustration.
"And you think they won't be at your house? At the very latest tomorrow morning they will be at your's too and then they will find not only me, but the man I was making out with too!" She yelled back.
His foot hit the brake, and the car came to a violent stop in the middle of the road.
"So what do you suggest Jen?"
"I don't know just-" She buried her head in her hands, her fingers combing through her crimson hair. "We could; we could go to that hotel, it's expensive, but the staff are discreet, they woudn't talk to the press, they know me, I've crashed there a few times."
He nodded, slowly at first, still thinking, but then decided he didn't have a better idea so it was all they could do for now. "Give me the directions Jen. And pray they won't find us." He added, almost as an afterthought.
Jenny looked at him, telling him to take the next street at the right before she began to giggle almost hysterically. "That's hilarious. You don't really think God would help us now after we had almost extramarital sex against a wall at the Navy Yard do you?"
Gibbs watched her for a few moments, glad she'd found something funny about the situation as the tension had begun to slowly get on his nerves. "You could at least try." He said wryly while she was still chuckling lowly. "You catholic Jen?"
She nodded. "My father had me baptized, my mother wasn't that religious, so it was always Noemi who took me to church, even before my mother died. But I haven't gone in ages. You?"
"Same here, although it was my mum who was religious, not my dad."
They drove in a comfortable silence except for Jenny's commands every now and then for the next few minutes, each of them nursing their own train of thoughts.
"The street on your right again. The hotel is at the left."
"That's the goddamn Ritz Jen! Couldn't you have thought of anything a bit more unconspicious?" Gibbs almost yelled, the frustration evident in his voice.
"Just give a tip to everyone we see and we will be fine." Jenny yelled right back. "Jesus Jethro, we don't have the time for yet another shouting match. For all we know the journalists are just a block away from us."
"Okay, okay, it's just..."
"I know. Listen to me Jethro, it's okay. I don't know what I will do in the morning, when no doubt there will be a photo of us in the Post, on ZNN, and probably everywhere else, but right now it's okay. Maybe we are lucky just for once and they won't find out who you are."
He nodded and pulled her small frame to him, hugging her tightly over the middle console of the blue government sedan.
"We use our undercover IDs?" He asked lowly, still having her craddled into his arms.
She shrugged. "They know me anyways, but let's just go for it. Even if it confuses just one other guest who would have tipped of the press otherwise it'll be worth it."
"Then let's go Ms McCallen." Gibbs said as he got out of the car. He opened Jenny's door for her and took her arm, walking up the stairs to the hotel. He tossed his keys to one of the men holding the door open for them. "Just park it somewhere else", he ordered giving the man a twenty-dollar bill.
Jenny led him to the reception area, unconciously gripping Gibbs' hand to calm herself down as she became aware of the curious stares of various guests in the lobby.
The receptionist, a young woman with blonde her and the whitest teeth Gibbs had ever seen, was already coming towards them.
"Ms Shepard. How nice to see you again. What can I do for you?"
"I'm sorry but my name is McCallen." Jenny replied without batting an eyelid. The receptionist just nodded quirking an eyebrow.
"Of course, I must have mistaken you for somebody else. We only have one room left for the night, it's a Junior Suite on the 10th floor."
"We'll take it." Gibbs said gruffly, grabbing the keys and making his way over to the elevators.
"Excuse me, I'd like to pay now if it's possible?" Jenny asked, having pulled her credit card out of her purse.
"Of course, that isn't a problem at all. Here you go." The blonde woman answered pushing the receipt over to her. "Have a nice stay, breakfast is at our restaurant from six thirty to ten thirty tomorrow morning..." She trailed off as Jenny had already turned around and went towards Gibbs.
Jenny hopped in the elevator just as the doors where about to close. "Gee, thanks Jethro." She uttered, shooting him a nasty glare. He didn't take any notice of it, instead he looked around the small box they were riding up in. It was paneled with drak wood, probably mahagony he thought, very different from the plain metal box back at the Navy Yard.
"There's not even an emergency switch" he grumbled, glancing around disapprovingly a last time as the doors opened again at their floor.
"I bet there isn't any guest who need an office like yours." His companion whispered, her mouth right next to his ear, sending a small shiver down his spine as she gave him a flirtatious smile. She stepped out of the elevator and went down the hallway, he following suite, his hand falling to the small of her back automactically, not that she minded. To the contrary, she seemed to enjoy it as she leaned into his touch.
"That's our room." Gibbs pointed out a door to their right. Jenny looked down at their key card. N° 10-27. She nodded. "That's it." She confirmed, opening the door.
The redhead went straight to the living room area, tossing her coat on the small table in the middle of the room while Gibbs entered the bedroom.
"Jen?" He called. "We have a minor problem."
"Yeah? What is it?"
"It's a queen-size bed."
"So?"
"It's one queen-size bed."
Gibbs laid on their bed as she came out of the bedroom, just in his boxers, obviously having no qualms about stripping almost naked when his ex-lover would sleep next to him.
Jenny on the other hand had had a few problems with that decision. They didn't have that kind of a relationship anymore, hadn't had in a long time and although her lips still burnt from his kisses and she was sure their relationship would have changed that night if they hadn't been interrupted, she didn't want to go out there nearly naked. But since she didn't have any PJs with her and sleeping clad in her white dress wasn't an option, she'd reluctantly entered the room in just her bra and a pair of panties; a slightly risqué matching set of cream colored lace that showed more than it covered.
He'd offered her to take the couch, but she hadn't thought it'd be necessary till she became aware of her slight predicament.
She enjoyed the way his eyes raked over her body although it made her blush, but didn't miss the opportunity to eye him up either. Althought there were a few more lines in his face and his hair was now more silver than brunette, his body did almost look like it had six years ago, except for a few more scars maybe.
"Like what you see?" He used her words from just mere weeks prior, a big grin on his face at tossing them back to her.
"I could ask you the same thing." She gave back cockily, brushing a few strands of her out of her face as she slipped into bed next to him.
She curled into his side, way too tired to even think about what she was doing, resuming their familar sleep positions from her time as his partner. He didn't try to stop her, instead he put his arm around her, letting her bury her head in his chest as his thumb stroked lazy patterns over the skin of her hip.
Jenny put one of her legs in-between his and threw one arm over his waist as her breathing evened out.
He didn't envy her her sleep, it was the calm before the storm for her. Hell would break loose in the morning and they would be at her ass first. Only the rumours about an affair with an employee, maybe even a sex-scandal surrounding the new director of NCIS, the first female head of an armed federal agency, would only confirm all those in their opinions who'd demanded her resignation since the day she'd been appointed.
Gibbs sighed, there wasn't really a positive outcome no matter if they rumours would be proven a lie, it would ruin her reputation.
He bent down and pressed a tender kiss to her temple, willing her to enjoy this last calm night.
"Sweet dreams Jen."
So here it is. I hope you liked the story so far, please tell me what you think.