DISCLAIMER: I own nothing but the story I have written!

*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*

Jennifer Shepard had been back at NCIS for two years now, she was getting along with Jethro better than when she'd first taken the position as Director but there would always be some tension between the pair, mainly because they both still had feelings for each other. Neither had ever really gotten over Paris and the time they spent in Europe. Jenny had fallen in love with him but because of past experiences the redhead got scared and she basically abandoned him, leaving a heartbroken Leroy Jethro Gibbs wondering what the hell he'd done wrong. He'd always wondered what he'd done to hurt her. He didn't get it, one minute they were happy and in love and then the next he was alone, left crying as he had tried to catch her up at the airport and had to watch her plane take off. But now working with her again had brought back the feelings he had tried so desperately to push into his subconscious. He had to know why, but every time he tried to bring up Paris she would brush him off or tell him to 'get his mind out of the bedroom'.

*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*

He caught her this evening though, he wasn't going to let her squirm out of it this time, so he walked into her office and leaned against her desk just as she was pulling on her coat to leave for home. It was already late and Jenny was ready for a hot bath and a glass of wine. "If it's about the case Jethro it can wait until tomorrow. It's late and I really want to go home." She said without looking at him directly.

"It's not about the case Jen." He said simply, staring at the blackened screen of the powered off plasma screen that was on the wall of one side of the room.

"Then what is it about Jethro?" She asked as she searched through her purse now, looking for her cell phone while they conversed.

"Us." He moved away from her desk now and shut the door to her office; he just wanted to be sure that no one would hear the two of them, even though there was certainly no one left in the building other than the janitor and the guard, both of which would be nowhere near Jenny's office.

"There is no us Jethro, not any more." She stopped looking through her bag now and the two of them finally made eye contact with each other.

"I just need to know why Jen." He ran a hand through his silver hair now as his blue eyes pierced her green ones.

"I really don't want to talk about this Jethro. It's in the past and that's where it should stay." She came out from behind her desk now and went toward the door, but of course Jethro blocked her path, "Oh so now you're going to keep me here against my will?" She raised a brow as she stood in front of him now and the two joined eye contact again.

"I just want to know why you deserted me in Paris Jen. We were happy; at least that's what I thought." His gaze went from being firm to quite soft, one might even say desperate if they didn't know Jethro so well.

"You know that I left because I got a job offer." She continued to pin that as reason for her abrupt departure from Paris. The two of them were going to stay on for a while longer since their mission was over, but Jenny had received a job offer for a higher position, this time with the Secret Service. And she used that as reason to leave abruptly. All she'd left was a note on the hotel bed.

"Cut it with the bull Jen. You're hiding something I know it." The two of them were inches apart now and for the first time in her life Jenny backed down, she took a step back, hating how close they were. "Just talk to me, all I ever asked is for you to talk to me Jen. I loved you then and I still love you now." He sighed heavily.

"I'm not talking about this now Jethro." She had softened now; she just wanted to get out of that room.

"Then when Jen?" He sighed and glanced into her eyes again.

"Never." She said simply as she pushed past him now and she left her office, leaving him once again. She walked as quickly as she could now, her heels clicking with every quick step she took down to the elevator.

Jethro just watched her go, he couldn't believe he'd let her go yet again. "Damnit Jenny." He scratched his head, he knew now there was really something wrong, he knew he needed to get to the bottom of this, not just for his sake but for hers, she'd looked scared before she walked away, she had never looked like that around him, it had only been when he'd raised his voice. Had something happened to her before they'd ever met? Had she been emotionally scarred? Was that why she was pulling away every time they got close to sorting out their feelings? He left for home now too, but he didn't drive toward home, he drove to Jenny's Georgetown mansion and parked up in front, he saw her car parked out front and let out a small sigh of relief, glad she'd made it home okay.

*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*

Jenny however was sat on the edge of the bed, she had her head in her hands and she was holding back sobs. She was alone but of course being as stubborn as she was she did not want to admit she had a weakness. She eventually rose to her feet and began to unbutton her blouse, she was in full view of the window which at that moment in time she didn't realise. She slowly stripped off down to her underwear, she had no motivation in her tonight to change as quickly as she would normally. And now with her back to the window she removed her bra and then pulled on a silky nightgown. She brushed out her soft curls before she turned back to the window, glancing into the night for a few moments. She still hadn't noticed Jethro who was still parked outside, Jenny's bedroom was at the front of the house meaning anyone would be able to park on the street and see the Director stood at her window. She sighed heavily to herself now and closed the curtains and she switched off the lights before she headed into her study to catch up on some work, a glass of neat Jack Daniel's beside her.

That was when Jethro noticed a guy get out of the car behind him just as he pulled off, of course at that moment he thought nothing of it as he began to make his way home. This was when Jenny would come to regret not paying attention to open curtains while she changed.

There was a knock at her front door now, the redhead frowned softly. It was late, the only person she could think who would dare disturb her at this time would be Jethro. So of course she didn't grab her side arm from her drawer. Instead she headed to the door in her robe and opened it carefully. "Jethro I thought I-…" The director was cut off now by a large hand pressed over her mouth. The door shut and Jenny squirmed as he locked the door and put the key in his pocket.

"You really aren't so tough now are you Jenny?" He smirked down at her and used his spare hand to open her robe.

Once he moved his hand from her mouth Jenny spat at him, but he just grabbed her throat, "I'm not scared of you." She growled but was only rewarded with a hard slap to the face which in turn split her lip. With the redhead disoriented now her assailant carried her upstairs and threw her onto the master bed.

"If you stop trying to fight me it will be over sooner." He smirked now and let his hands trail up and under her nightgown now, he went to remove it but was taken by surprise when Jenny kicked him in the groin, she knocked him off of her which gave her enough time to get up and at least attempt to run. But she had no such luck, he had managed to grab her robe, he tugged on it hard enough to make her fall. She hit the ground face first with a soft thud, she went to get up with a small groan escaping her lips. "Oh Jenny please just stop fighting me. You know it's useless." He chuckled softly and he proceeded to lift her petite body from the carpeted floor and toss her back onto the bed. This time he was sure to keep her pinned down properly. And each time she tried to resist what he was doing he rewarded her with a punch to the stomach or some other physical harm.

*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*

After an hour the ordeal was over, he pressed a hard kiss to her bruised lips and left her there on the bed, broken. She couldn't even cry, nor did she attempt to move, if she had felt bad when she got home from work well now she felt a whole lot worse. She picked herself up after a while but only managed to fall back down, she still had her nightgown on but it was torn and her thighs were stained not just with semen but with her own blood. She knew not to go and take a shower, she was covered in evidence of course. She sat there now on the middle of the floor in her bedroom when she heard the door open downstairs. She feared that her attacker had come back, come back to kill her or force her to wash away his DNA, so of course she dragged herself into a corner of her room, curled up and trembling in fear for her life.

Meanwhile downstairs Jethro had walked in, the door had been left unlocked and just inside was a mess from the struggle Jenny had put up. "Jenny?" He called out as he began to search the house, he looked in her study and saw the glass of JD and the open drawer containing her gun. He immediately tensed up and sprinted up the stairs figuring she would be in her bedroom. He entered slowly and glanced around until he saw the trembling curled up figure of the woman he loved. He ran to her and took her into his arms. He didn't say a word now, he just held her. He pressed a kiss to her soft hair and let her cry into his shoulder as he rubbed her back and just held her. "I'll catch that bastard Jenny, I promise."

*NCIS*NCIS*NCIS*

Jenny had let Jethro stay with her for the remainder of that night, she didn't speak a word and neither did he. He continued to hold her until she told him it was time to get ready for work which of course he didn't think she should be doing, "Jen you should take the day off or at least let me take you to the hospital."

She shook her head now and pulled out of his arms as she stiffly stood up, "Jethro no. I thought about doing all that, getting his DNA tested and all that bull crap but I don't want you to do that. I just want you to leave me alone. Yes I appreciate what you did last night in holding me, but I do not need that constantly." She turned and left him alone in her bedroom now. She went to take a shower, "Don't let him in Jen." She whispered to herself as she stripped off and let the hot water pour down over her tarnished pale skin. She took a deep breath and began to wash herself, she was sobbing again now as she scrubbed, trying to wash away the memory of last night. She slid down the white tiled wall of the enclosed shower cubical and just curled up in the foetal position.

Jethro heard her now and sighed heavily, he really didn't want to leave her alone while she was in this state but he respected her wishes and he left her alone, just heading into work he would try and talk to her when she came in. At least he'd hope that she would come into work. He just could not get the sight of her so vulnerable out of his mind, which caused him to be extra frosty with the team today. All he wanted was to keep her safe and she was just too god damn stubborn to let him in.