Redhead Next Door: Deleted Scenes Archives: He's Getting Married

A/n: So I was watching the video for Suit & Tie - Justin Timberlake, and I saw Kevin Bacon, so I thought of 'She's Having A Baby'. And I came up with this angsty little one-shot and called it 'He's Getting Married'.

The sky was blue: not a cloud in the sky. There was a zero percent chance of rain, but they had tents up nonetheless, and the sweet smell of the spring breeze filled the air. It was the perfect day for a wedding; but Leroy Jethro Gibbs didn't feel so perfect as he struggled with his tie in his bedroom, attempting to get the loop right in the mirror. Eventually, he yanked it off in annoyance and threw it on the bed.

He looked up at the sound of soft laughter he knew so well, and there stood Jenny dressed in a floor length, green, chiffon gown a twinkle of amusement in her eyes. Her hair was swept up off into a low chignon, and his eyes lingered on her neck as she made her way toward the bed.

She set her clutch on the bed, and grabbed his tie instead.

"You always were awful at putting these things on," she teased mercilessly, smiling softly as she lifted his collar and slid the tie around his neck, her eyes on her actions as she looped the grey tie into a Windsor knot..

"Always had you to help," he replied, and she looked up briefly, the same sadness in her eyes that sat at the back of his.

"Well," she murmured, sliding the knot up to his neck caringly, "now, you'll have Diane."

"Jenny," he started, the pain evident in his voice, but she waved him off with a small smile.

"Don't," she insisted, folding his collar back over his tie, before reaching behind him to grab his jacket.

He turned so that his back was to her, and held out his arms so that she could slide it over his arms. He watched her in the mirror: the afternoon sun setting her copper hair ablaze, setting her ivory skin aglow, her long lashes looking as if they might brush her flushed cheeks with her downcast gaze.

She looked up with a smile, and he turned back to face her. She picked the stray pieces of lint from his suit, flicking them to the floor and smooth her hands over his shoulders. She stepped back to give him a once over, and smirked in satisfaction.

"You clean up nice, Gunny," she quipped, and he smirked.

"Don't sound so surprised," he shot back good naturedly, eliciting a grin from her.

Almost immediately though, her grin faded, and she had that sad look in her eyes again. He hesitated only a moment before he stepped forward and pulled her into a hug, kissing her forehead. She exhaled softly, resting her head against his chest if only for a minute; because she had this inane feeling that she was loosing him forever. He had been her best friend, she liked to think he still was; but things were different.

She was the first one to pull back. Resting both palms on his chest she looked up at him with a watery smile. She straightened his jacket again, and stepped back several steps.

"Jen," he murmured, but she cut him off yet again, this time with a gentle finality.

"You're getting married today," she reminded him. "Be happy, Jethro," she said, her voice little more than a whisper. "Don't screw it up," she laughed, backing away from him to grab her clutch from the bed.

She lingered in the doorway a moment, leaning against the frame with a smile he had the feeling he wouldn't be seeing as often from now on.

"I'll probably take Kelly home by ten," she informed him. "I'll make sure she says good-bye before we leave though, okay?"

"Yeah," he agreed, and she nodded.

"Congratulations, Jethro," she wished him. "Really."

As she disappeared from the room, he exhaled heavily as he dropped to sit on the bed. He undid his tie again, feeling all of a sudden as if it were strangling him, and threw it down behind him.

He didn't want her congratulations on his marriage to another woman. What he wanted was his life back.

Little did he know, Jenny stood just outside his room with her back against the wall, silent tears falling from her eyes, letting herself feel for five seconds. She wanted their life back too.

She breathed in deeply, and shook herself after a moment and attempted a smile. Like she'd said, he was getting married. To the rest of the world, she needed to be fine.

As Jethro stood at the altar at five' o'clock that Saturday afternoon in April, The Wedding March playing in his ears, he realized quite plainly that he shouldn't have been marrying the redhead in white smiling at him as she made her way down the aisle on her father's arm. He should have been marrying the red head in green who was smiling in the front row, their daughter's hand in hers; but he also knew that he didn't deserve her, and Diane certainly didn't deserve the humiliation of being left at the altar.

And so, he still said 'I do'.

I think this might be my shortest one so far. Hope you liked it or maybe it made you go 'aww!' :( or both?

Xoxo- Monkeys :)