Jenny was standing in front of the drink cabinet in her office thinking about all of her past failed relationships. Thinking about the talk she had with Tony just the other day. Telling him that she wished she would have taken it slower and not jumped on the career "fast-track." Standing there she thought about all the great people she had got to meet, but mostly about the people she had to give up to get where she was today. She had one person in particular on her mind. One person she had to see every day and could never get out of her head no matter how hard she tried.
She thought back to that bitter Paris morning when she had finished writing that damn Dear John letter and just left. No goodbyes, no I'll see you later, just gone; disappearing into the early Parisian sun. She didn't want to, but had to do what was best for her. At least that is what she kept telling herself. Even through her years of missions with Ziva in Europe, she couldn't stop thinking about him.
Thinking about Jethro was never a good thing. She hadn't seen him in years but she still compared every man to him. No man stood a chance. She would look into their eyes and see right through them. See that they wanted only one thing. She could only think about those piercing baby blues that could read deep into your soul; how she was lucky to be among the precious few to see them with all barriers down, somewhat exposed. That is what she missed most: those god damn eyes.
Years later, she still had to do what was best for her, so when opportunity struck she was right there becoming the first female director of a federal agency. She loved NCIS and couldn't see herself working anywhere else, but why did headquarters have to been in Washington D.C. That is where he was and she didn't know if she could handle it. She told herself she could but that first day in MTAC when she stood up, that look on his face proved her utterly wrong. She told him that there wouldn't be any "off the job," but she knew she wouldn't be able to stay away forever.
It had been only a few weeks, but they fought everyday over the minutest of subjects. Any outsider might just look at these two and see two equally stubborn people who liked to start fights and maybe even tended to hate each other at times, but that is what they did best, fighting. Jenny didn't think they had gone a single day without fighting, but she knew the fights didn't mean anything, just something to keep the other occupied and on their toes. She knew the truth: they were back; Jenny and Jethro, friends and partners.
"Partners," Jenny missed that, it was the way they worked best, together, as partners. At night, after everyone had gone home, he would come to her office with dinner in hand and ask her for advice on a case or just to talk about old times. He would walk her to her town car almost every night and made sure her driver was taking her straight home to make sure she was safe. They were just starting to get catch up on 6 years of missing time when she had to go and get herself kidnapped. She knew he always had her back but still felt some doubt as she sat in that airplane hangar waiting. Waiting for him to show up like Jethro always did. She finally convinced herself he actually wasn't coming. Later, she remembered seeing Ziva, but no Jethro. "He sent someone else; does he not care what happens to me? He doesn't care if I die," she thought. She can still hear that trunk pop open and feel the gun forced closer to her head. All she could think was, "Oh god, I'm gonna die and never see him again." She will never forget hearing that dreaded bang and waiting to fall to the ground, but she never did. She felt the gun dropped from her head and heard a thud as it landed next to its owner on the ground. She was confused. "Ziva is still on the floor, where did that come from?" But just as she thought came into her head, she saw him exiting the trunk. He had saved her; he does care.
That moment Jenny knew she still loved Jethro, but doubted he still held a place for her in his heart. The damn man does have 3 ex-wives but she was convinced to find out for sure...
Thank you for reading!