TITLE: Feeling the heat (or: Room Service)
AUTHOR: nicis_anatomy
CHARACTER: Jenny Shepard/Jethro Gibbs
GENRE: Het, Romance, General, Fluff!!!
RATING: PG-13
WORD COUNT: 1000
SUMMARY: Dinner and a movie … that's what Jethro had promised her, but will he keep his promise? Written for prompt #19 "Reverse Fandom - CSI" for lj's ncis1000words
WARNINGS: English still isn't my native language (although I wish) and the story is not beta'd.
NOTES: Okay, I started to take notes for this sequel to a "Morning Surprises" (which was a sequel to a "Trapped") a long time ago, but never managed to write it. The story had 1400 words, but I managed to shorten it down to 1000 for the challenge. Hope it hasn't lost something on the way … Can stand alone, I think.
DISCLAIMER: I don't own these characters, nor am I making any money from them. If I would Season 5 would have ended different.

~*~*~*~*~

Jenny was just on her way down the stairs, when the doorbell rang.
"I've got it", she shouted to keep Noemi wherever she was.
"Jethro … Nice to see you." She smiled when she opened the door. "Were are we going?"
"Nowhere," Jethro answered without even bothering to greet her. Jenny's heart sunk.
"But … you said you would pick me up."
"Changed my mind."
"Oh … okay, then ..."
"Relax, Jen. I'm here, am I?"
Jenny nodded, hating herself for being so needy. But she'd dreamt about that evening all day, and in her imagination everything had been perfect: Fancy Restaurant. Desserts. A movie. Even a goodnight-kiss.

Now everything seems to turn out different.
Stupid, me! She should have known it all along. There was a reason why she was keeping her feelings locked up inside her ...
When a dark SUV suddenly stopped in front of the house, Jenny's instinctively made a step back inside her house, but Jethro grabbed her wrist.
"Relax, Jen. That only ... Room service." He grinned, as the driver left his car to deliver what seemed like Dinner for at least 20 people.
"That's all for us?" Jenny asked, still surprised, and a bit ashamed for her lack of confidence.
"I wasn't sure what you'd like so I ordered a few things."
"Looks like you ordered the whole menu," Jenny murmured, stepping back inside to let Jethro handle the delivery guy.

"Is this Señor Gibbs?" Noemi approached out of nowhere. Jenny turned around, looking at her suspiciously. She knew her housekeeper secretly had a crush on Jethro, but that shouldn't give her the right to be that excited.
"You knew this would happen?" she asked, raising her eyebrows. She was still annoyed and angry that Jethro had took her by surprise. But now that Noemi seemed to have teamed-up with him, she felt even more betrayed.
"Yes, Ma'am … I …"
"It's not her fault," Jethro interrupted the housemaid's stuttering. "I needed an accomplice. Noemi was my guy on the inside. Isn't that right?"
"Yes, Señor Gibbs," Noemi answered, still looking uncomfortable.
Jenny sighed, forcing a smile. She was still mad, but she also knew what happened had happened and nothing she said could change it. "Help Agent Gibbs with Dinner, Noemi."
"Of course, Miss. Please follow me, Señor Gibbs."
Jenny couldn't help but thanking Jethro with a slight slap at the back of his head as he passed her, following Noemi into the living room. H smiled over his shoulder back at her.

Takeout and a DVD was not what Jenny had had in mind when Jethro had invited her, but for the third time that day Jethro surprised her.
The food was delicious and Jethro had even brought a bottle of whine, they emptied half of it over dinner, and when they moved over to the sofa by the fireplace, Jethro took the bottle with him.
They sat down and Jenny automatically moved closer, leaning against him, like she had the night before in the evidence locker.
For what seemed like forever they just sat there, silently, enjoying each others company. The fireplace, was the only light source in the room, and since it was early September and still too warm, it was also responsible for the hot flushed that ran up and down Jenny's spin; or was it Jethro's physical closeness doing that to her, bringing back memories of the first time they'd been so close …
Thinking back to that day felt like thinking of another lifetime. So much had happened since then; some for the best, some Jenny would change in an instant. And still, they we here. They'd found each other again. They sure had had their good times and their bad times, but in the end they still were together; as a team, as friends.
Maybe as more?

"A penny for your thoughts." Jethro's voice interrupted Jenny's daydream, for which she was somehow thankful.
She normally wasn't a person living in dreams. She was more the one who lived her dreams. But with Jethro she was far from being normal, which scared her. She was losing control over herself again, and that was dangerous.
"You need to pay more than that, Jethro," she said without thinking, smiling mischievous. Another proof that she was losing control.
"More?" Jethro groaned. "I got you dinner and I'm here. I even asked DiNozzo -"
"You … you didn't!"
"No, I didn't." Jethro smiled.
Jenny sighed, relieved that Jethro hadn't included Tony, too.

"So, what were you thinking, Jen?" Jethro asked, again. "I hope it's not work-related."
"Don't worry," Jenny replied. "I was just … asking myself when we last spent time together. Outside the office."
"Paris," he said, without hesitation "If you don't count hospitals and car-chases."
"No, I don't." Jenny smiled. "Paris … that's a lifetime ago. So many things have changed … Sometimes I wish Paris had never ended."
"It was your choice, Jen." Jethro said, sounding sad.
Jenny swallowed hard, narrowing her eyes, but Jethro's hand at her chin made her stop.
"I don't blame you, Jenny," he said softly. "You had to do what was best for you. No regrets."
"I have no regrets, Jethro. I'm just … I miss Paris. I miss you. Us. As friend. You know … as someone to talk to."
"You can still talk to me, Jen."
"I know, Jethro. But … it's different. "
"Because you're my Director?"
Jenny nodded.
"And that's a problem, because …" Jethro gave her a questioning look, his thumb caressing her cheek, and unknowingly Jenny leaned against his hand, closing her eyes.
This moment felt so right and so wrong at the same time.
"Because we can't do … this?" Jethro asked and before Jenny had the chance to react, his lips touched hers, softly, bringing back the memories and feelings they both had managed to fight down for so long. And although it still felt wrong, Jenny had no intention to do something about it …
This was their night, Tomorrow was far away, and something they would deal with later.

- The End -