A/N: To Olivia, one of the best friends a person could ask for. I didn't tell you about this for good reason - I figured the surprise would mean a lot more :) I wish you could have spent this year in Paris too so my love, this is for you! *hugs* Happy Birthday!

Hiding from the Rain

Basilique du Sacré-Cœur

Paris, France.

June 10th, 11:57am

The bustle of tourists outside were typical for this time of year.

If was the heat that drew them in during the summer months – no-one really wanted to walk the across the entire city visiting Paris' beautiful architecture in the rain. And she had to admit, it did create a certain atmosphere. The smell of fresh bread and cakes from nearby boulangeries, couples walking hand in hand, laughing together and stopping to kiss lazily as if they were the only two people around. Tourists with their noses in a map and locals dodging around them or offering directions in broken English.

But she'd chosen this church with good reason. Despite it's popularity and location, Basilique du Sacré-Cœur was perfect for blending in. It gave her the solitude she required but hid her among the crowds. There was a quiet that could only be found in a church, the whisper of the visitors almost like a soothing hum. She came here often to pray. Not to God, but simply for her own peace of mind.

The last few months had been hard. Hiding away from the world and building a new life for herself away from her friends. Away from the life she'd worked so hard to protect.

Outside, the rain beat down against the walls of the church, the sound of it making her smile. Years before, she'd spent her time here with the one man that wanted to walk the length of the city in the rain. She joked it was only because he loved to see her with wet hair that curled as he ran his fingers through it but it was more than that. It gave him the excuse to pull her into a dark corner to try and keep them out of the rain, but also to kiss her until she wanted more. It meant that even though the temperature was pushing eighty degrees, the rain cooled them, making his skin slippery as she touched his face or kissed his lips.

She listened to the hushed conversations around her. A couple planning their evening meal. Another discussing baby names. A couple contemplating the existence of God. That one made her smile. Then, there were the two voices just within earshot discussing someone they'd been following.

"I saw him come through those doors! I swear I did!"

"Shut up, Tony. This is a church."

Jenny bowed her head as if she were praying. Her newly grown hair fell across her face, hiding her features in case they passed. On her knees with someone either side of her, hopefully they'd glance right over.

She couldn't understand why they'd be in Paris. It had to be a serious case if they'd travelled this far. Then again, Jethro only trusted his agents to do the job. And with good reason. They were the best.

"Do you have a lock on his position?" Tony whispered into what Jenny assumed would be his earwig, waiting patiently for a reply. "We're on it."

The two of them left in a hurry, throwing the occasional excusez-moi over their shoulders. Jenny couldn't help but smile. She missed her old life. She missed the stories Jethro told her about his team, and others she found out herself. She missed the job, the respect she had and the power of her position as Director of NCIS. She missed the excitement, the thrill and anticipation of being in the field, working with the only other man she'd trusted besides her father.

She missed so much that sometimes she wondered if this life away from everything she knew and loved was worth it.

The man to her left rose to his feet and shuffled out of the pew, but Jenny remained still. She thought about how different things could have been. The relationship she almost ruined for the sake of a career she could no longer have.

Another man took the vacant space and almost immediately, she froze. Coffee. And just, him.

She daren't whisper his name – that would make him real.

"Jen," he coarsely greeted her, joining her on his knees, eyes closed and head low.

She couldn't look at him. As soon as she did, every defence she'd built up in the last year would be gone. She let herself think of him but never long enough to feel the familiar ache that would result in her booking the first flight out to Washington D.C. It was the ache that consumed her whenever they fought in her office or when she watched him work on his boat and joined him for a glass or three of bourbon after a long day. It was the ache that had controlled their fiery relationship that they'd both succumbed to while on a case in this beautiful city.

The woman to her right rose, making Jenny flinch. Jethro leant across and touched her thigh, letting her know she had nothing to be afraid of. The warmth from his skin made her tingle, her body remembering the way he used to touch her in those dark nights hidden away from the rest of the world.

She whispered his name and finally turned to look at him. Sensing her gaze, he turned to her, his eyes filled with relief and a sadness she hadn't seen in years. He looked the same as the last time they'd met, if a little tired. His guard was down and she knew it was because of her being here. So unexpected for both of them.

The questions she knew were on the tip of his tongue threatened to ruin the moment and she placed a finger over his lips. Her eyes translating, 'not now'. He nodded, an understanding between them.

Rising together, she took the lead through the crowds of people, knowing he'd be following right behind her. As they reached the door, she felt his hand on the small of her back, working his way to her hip. Squeezing gently, he pulled her into his body, nuzzling into her neck, breathing in the smell of her hair and kissing the exposed skin.

"I've missed you," he mumbled, trailing along the line of freckles with his tongue. If anyone around them noticed, they said nothing. But Jenny couldn't move. Her feet were rooted to the ground and all she wanted to do was run. This couldn't be happening. It wasn't safe for either of them.

"We need to get out of here, Jethro." Jenny turned in his arms, looking up at the man she'd loved for as long as she could remember. "Would you like to go for a coffee?"

He chuckled softly – the sound of it enough to make Jenny giddy. Nodding, he took her hand in his, the feel of his skin against hers electric. "Lead the way, mademoiselle."