Disclaimer: I do not own anything you recognise. NCIS belongs to the big boys at CBS.

WARNINGS! Spoilers for all of seasons 3 - 5 and perhaps further throughout the fic, Plenty of AU, OOC throughout though I'll try not to make it too common while sticking to the t.v. plots, not BETA'd all mistakes are my own.

A/N: I've always wandered what it would have been like on and off screen had Jenny and Jethro gotten together within that first episode in season 3, so I decided to go with the idea and see what I could throw out. I hope you enjoy this first chapter. The rest is flowing nicely and I have the next 3/4 ready to be posted. Enjoy and I look forward to hearing your thoughts! Paige xxx

Chapter One: Kill Ari

Gibbs watched in shock as his old partner and lover, Jennifer Shepard stood in front of the seats in MTAC after being announced as the new director of NCIS.

"Hello Jethro." Jenny smiled as her mind took her back to Paris.

Jethro had the same look on his face as he too remembered their time together in Paris before answering her greeting with a raised eyebrow and a smirk.

Jenny got a little tired of his looks so asked, "Shall we skip the, you haven't change a bit 'bull?"

Jethro smiled wider, knowing that he was thinking that she indeed, hadn't changed a bit. Instead of being truthful, and fully aware of the others in the room, he answered her back with a question. "Why start lying to each other now, Jen?"

Trying to keep her mind professional, Jenny got right down to business. "Any problem taking orders from me?"

"As director, or as a woman?"

Jenny smirked as she realised that he missed one out. "Either."

Jethro shakes his head with a small smile on his lips. He went and stood in front of her and they smiled shyly at each other, their eyes gleaming. They would have stayed like that for hours if they didn't have Tom Morrow's eyes on them.

"Jethro."

"Madame Director."

Jenny inwardly cringed at the title and made a mental note to make sure nobody called her that again. She motioned for Jethro to follow her out of MTAC and he did so after bidding Morrow farewell. Before Jenny opened the door, she turned to Jethro and whispered to him.

"I'm going to get right down to the job when we step out of this room. It's going to be hard to earn respect. I'm the first female director of a federal agency."

"I know and I'm proud of you, Jen," Jethro whispered back to her. "Now what do you want to talk to me about, Madame Director?" Jethro smirked as he saw it effect Jenny. He must have missed the previous brief flash in her eyes as he was still going through his memories and her appearance.

"You have no physical evidence linking Ari to the shooting. Agencies here and abroad have doubts."

"The bastard has already killed one of my agents, Jen; and he's trying to go after the rest." Jethro paused for a moment before talking again. "I'm going to bring him in, and not to interrogation. I'm not going to let anyone get in my way, including you Jen." Jethro's temper had taken over and he regretted saying the last part, so he walked back up the stairs to where she had stopped and went to apologise, but Jenny was quicker and her temper was flaring too, mainly from the stress she was under.

"Special Agent Gibbs, on the job it is either Director or Ma'am."

"Okay, what about off the job?" He gently held her left hand. "I've missed you Jen."

"Please don't make this any more difficult than it already is, Jethro," Jenny pleaded. Gibbs nodded but his eyes were still gleaming. "We'll continue this conversation in private," she almost ordered, knowing that she wouldn't be able to control herself during the conversation on the topic of 'off the job relations'.

"Gotta change my clothes, we can talk in my car on the way to the house."

"Gibbs!" Jenny shouted mildly as she walked quickly in her high heels after the silver haired agent.

"What? I have a dead agent and a sniper on the loose. I don't want to waste ten minutes in your office when I could be doing something productive at the same time." He smirked at her and didn't wait for an answer and went straight to DiNozzo for a report. "Tony, where are we?"

"McGee and Abby are working firearms. I'm matching tire tracks to vehicles." He looked Jenny up and down and she rolled her eyes.

Jethro felt a little possessive and knew that he would have to control it as he knew full well what DiNozzo was like. "No one leaves the building. McGee's on protection detail with Abby. I'll be back in an hour." Jethro turned and walked away with Jenny, his left hand on the small of her back, gently guiding her while trying to subtly say that she was his, even though they weren't currently together, his gut told him that they soon would be.

In the car, on the way to Jethros' house, the pair talked about what Jenny had been doing since Paris and about what Jethro had been doing with his life. He didn't reveal too much as the hurt she had caused him when she had left him on the plane with nothing but her coat and a Dear John letter was feeling a little raw. He now understood, but it was still there, reminding him. He made a mental note to speak to Ducky.

Jethro led Jenny through the door and down to the basement.

"Wait here, I'll be down in a minute."

Jenny smiled and nodded, happy to gaze around and remember as she waited for him to come back down.

As he walked down the stairs fifteen minutes later, Jenny asked, "This the same boat you were building six years ago?"

"Nope."

"What happened to it?"

"Burned her."

"Why would you..." Jenny stopped mid-question as her own answer came to her. "You named it after an ex-wife."

Jethro shook his head and went to the other side of the boat shell, hoping to avoid the question. "Let's go."

"Which one?"

"You know damn well which one." He leaned through the ribs of the boat and pointed a finger as her as he said it.

"Why didn't you change the name?"

"Because it wouldn't matter. Every time I went out on her, I'd think of Diane."

"You could have sold it."

"And watch some other guy sail off on her?"

Jenny chuckled. "You didn't care who sailed off on Diane." Jethro came and stood in front of her and she smiled. "Leroy Jethro Gibbs, you are a strange man."

Jethro pecked her lips. "And you were a good agent." He saw the question in her eyes and carried on. "The Director's job is purely politics."

"Which is why you weren't chosen." Jethro nodded at her. "Besides," she carried on, "I'm good at politics. The agency needs someone who can shake the money tree and work with sister agencies."

Jethro shook his head. "You won't call a boat 'she', but it's 'sister' agencies?"

Jenny shrugged. "Comes with working with chauvinists like you." Jethro went to walk up the stairs out of the basement, but Jenny caught his hand. "What was the kiss for?"

"I'm..."

"No, don't apologise. If you meant what I think you did, then kiss me again, if not, don't and I'll forget all about it."

Jethro stepped closer to her and kissed her briefly. "I meant it, Jen. I miss you."

"I miss you too, Jethro," Jenny whispered.

They smiled at each other before they linked their hands as they used to and walked up the stairs. Jethro handed her a coat as it had started to rain again.

Jenny recognised it immediately and gasped. "You kept it!"

Jethro nodded. "Couldn't bring myself to part with it."

"Do you still have my other things?" She asked as he helped her into it.

"I do. Boxed most of it and it's at the back of my wardrobe."

"Most?"

"I kept out your photos and jewellery."

Jenny nodded and ran out and into the car once Jethro had opened the door. As soon as Jethro had turned the key, her cell rang.

"Shepard ... Yes I'll be there ... Thank you Cynthia."

"Who was that?"

"My assistant. I've got to attend dinner with CBS Early Show at Palena. They want background before I go on T.V."

"Jen. Jen, you can't do that."

"Excuse me!"

"Ari is a chauvinist. He is taking out the women I work with before me."

Jenny saw the worry in Jethro's eyes, but continued to battle on as Director Shepard. "Jethro, people who know don't believe Ari Haswari is the sniper, and you haven't provided any evidence to prove them wrong."

"Have you ever doubted me?"

Jenny answered without hesitation. "Never." She paused. "But as I said earlier, I have to build a working relationship with these people."

"Who you gonna side with, Jen? Them or me?"

"Give me a tough question," she hissed at him.

Gibbs shook his head. "I'm sorry Jen, things are just a little rough at the moment."

"I understand Jethro, but what happened to 'never say sorry it's a sign of weakness'?"

"Doesn't stand with you Jen."

Jenny nodded and placed a hand on his knee and squeezed gently. Jethro smiled at her and set off for NCIS Headquarters. The journey was quiet, but their fingers were entwined the whole way. When they arrived at the building, Jenny didn't want to get out of the car as she would have to become the hard and cold Director Shepard.

Jethro squeezed her hand. "You'll be fine, love."

Jenny smiled. "I like the way that we're back together within hours of seeing each other again after six years."

Jethro smiled. "I do too Jen."

She smiled and kissed him briefly. "I never stopped loving you Jethro."

"I never stopped loving and waiting for you. I guess I always knew in my heart you would come back eventually."

Jenny blushed at Jethro saying something so sweet to her. "It feels like no time at all has passed," she whispered.

"I know what you mean, Jen," Jethro whispered back.

They sat smiling at each other for a couple of moments before getting out of the car and heading up to the squad room. Jethro rested his hand on the small of her back until she headed to speak to someone and he went to Tony.

"You first," Gibbs ordered.

"Ziva David, Mossad. She's hear to stop you whacking Ari. Yours?"

"Director Jenny Shepard. Similar mission."

"Which agency?"

"Ours."

Tony starts to laugh but quickly stops as he realises that Gibbs is serious. "Yeah?"

"Special Agent Gibbs, this is Ziva David, Mossad Officer."

Jethro nodded at her, reading her like a book as he used to. Ziva went to say something, but her cell rang and she excused herself.

Jenny turned to Tony and had to suppress a smile at the look on his face. "Yes, I really am the new director of NCIS." She caught Jethros' eyes before heading up to her office.

Jethro followed her movements with his eyes and smiled inwardly, glad that she was back where she belonged, but wished that it hadn't cost him an agent.

A few moments later, Jenny came trotting down the stairs with a folder in her hands. She stood at the entrance of Gibbs' section and listened to the conversation between Ziva and Jethro.

"Ari Haswari is a Mossad Officer undercover in Hamas. He hasn't turned on us or you. He didn't kill Agent Todd."

Jenny stepped forward as she thought it had gone too far. "Gibbs, even if you're right, we owe them proof."

"That's all we ask. Don't kill the wrong man."

"Like Mossad did in Norway?"

Jenny winced as Ziva slammed her hand on his desk and hissed, "That stint cost us dearly."

"Not as dearly as the Palestinian waiter you killed."

A tense silence settled over the squad room for just a moment before Jenny took a deep breath, readying herself to break to tension.

"Ziva, assure your Deputy Director that even though Ari Haswari is a suspect, no action will be taken unless we have evidentiary proof." After sorting Ziva out, Jenny turned to Jethro. "Proof before action as always."

Jethro nodded so everyone could see, but he was communicating with Jenny through his eyes and she knew full well that he would follow his gut no matter what she said or did. Gibbs stood and walked off to the elevator. He needed coffee.

When Gibbs got back from coffee, Jenny was stood outside of MTAC with Ziva. Gibbs motioned for DiNozzo to join him in the elevator.

"I want you on Zivas' ass."

"She's really not my type Boss."

Gibbs slaps him up-side the head. "To tail her."

"I knew that."

"She's been in contact with Ari, that is the only way that she could have known that I hung up first."

"I don't want you pissed Boss."

"I thought you wanted me pissed DiNozzo."

"I did, it was kinda weird you being nice." He paused for a moment. "What if Ziva's right and Ari knew you'd trace the call? Maybe he wasn't the sniper.

"Ari wanted me to raid that warehouse and it cost Kate her life. If she leads you to him, shadow him and call me."

"So you can bring him in?"

Jethro pushed Tony out to the parking garage. "Yeah, so I can bring him in ... to autopsy." He said the last bit under his breath as the elevator doors closed. His visit to Abby to discuss possible sniper rifles brought back a lot of memories for Jethro, and he knew even after Ari was on Ducky's slab, he wouldn't sleep well for days, maybe weeks.

To Be Continued...