The day was long and hot. The air conditioning was being difficult and had decided not to work today. It didn't help that it was May, 20th. Gibbs wasn't even yelling or screaming. He was just totally melancholy. The team thought it likely that he would follow the air conditioner's example and have a meltdown. At this point though, a meltdown on Gibbs's part would be far from surprising.
You didn't have to know him well to know that he was hurting something terrible. The look in his haunted blue eyes struck Hollis Mann to the core. She had been in town and had decided to stop by. As much as it stung to know that the longing and pain and love in his eyes was not for her it hurt her more to realize that it was slowly killing him.
She had to do something.
Pulling out her phone once she was out of the building, she fully intended on calling in quite a few favors. The first was to request the case file pertaining to the death of Director Jennifer Shepard. Something about it simply didn't add up which caused her to pull quite a few more strings. Things just progressed from there.
Progressed to the point where Hollis Mann disappeared for three hours and reappeared at N.C.I.S. with a very important person whom she was supporting. A victim of kidnapping, the companion of Hollis had eyes for only one person.
Jethro Gibbs.
And Jethro Gibbs had eyes only for one person; Jenny Shepard.
The full story could wait later. As for the current moment; Hollis helped Jenny limp to meet Gibbs who swept the redhead off her feet. The laughter of the two echoed throughout the bullpen as the world was made whole once again.
From against the wall next to the elevator watched a blonde. She smiled happily even if she wished it were her being spun around because she'd managed to make Jethro lose some of that pain that was contained deep inside him.
The couple turned to face the woman they had to thank for Jenny's rescue and for the reunion they shared.
"Thank you, Hollis. Thank you for everything." Jenny's voice sounded frail on it's own at first but when Gibbs's joined it the unity was felt.
Hollis bowed her head and grinned before retreating with a half wave.
Mission accomplished.
***Author's Note***
I know that Hollis is normally portrayed as the bad guy by myself included but this is a different angle. I'm sure a lot of us might actually have liked her if she hadn't been the one between Jenny and Gibbs. I feel bad for the character because she never had a chance.
-C.E.S.