Judgement day fic
Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
Rating: T
Summary: What if Mike Franks had realised something was wrong and returned to Jenny a few seconds earlier?
A.N.: Jenny isn't sick. I haven't actually seen series 5 or Judgement day yet, so I'm just using what I've been told about the episode to write this. Sorry if it's completely off.
Mike Franks was worried. This little favour he was doing for the Lady Director was giving him a headache and a serious need for the Mexican sun, a little cantina and a certain local barmaid. The small, rundown diner they were currently in just wasn't close enough, even if it was in the middle of a desert. The company wasn't too bad. He just wished she'd chosen a more defensible place. He wasn't so sure they were going to make it out of this little showdown alive. He was old and she had been stuck behind a desk for too long, making their combined reaction time nothing to pin any hopes on.
He was going to have to have a long talk with his old probie about not checking his partner's work, which Jethro seems to have forgotten to do all those years ago, when he was more interested in checking her out. He chuckled a little at that. The second he had set eyes on her he'd known they'd had something. The way they acted around each other spoke of a deeper understanding than just being partners would have given them. They looked good together too. He knew what Jethro's feelings were. They'd spoken often about his life when he'd remembered something. He'd found out a lot about their relationship and why she'd ended it. While Jethro had never specifically said that he still loved her, Mike could see it in his eyes. Every time he looked at her, every time he'd spoken of her, every time he'd remembered her, he'd seen the love. That was why Franks was here, in the middle of nowhere, trying to keep her alive.
He looked over at Director Jennifer Shepard, who was at that moment, cleaning her gun. Her shoulder length red hair was tied in a messy pony tail, with tendrils falling loose over her cheeks. She looked up at him and smiled, gesturing to his belt.
"Have you cleaned yours?"
"Nah, I'll do it later. I wouldn't want to be caught with my gun in pieces when they come." Mike grinned uneasily. He had a bad feeling about this. They didn't know for certain that this Svetlana woman would actually take the bait and follow them here. She wanted to kill Gibbs because he had taken out her lover, all those years ago. They were hoping that she wouldn't just skip Jenny and go straight for him. There was a lot that could go wrong with this plan.
Jenny thought she was protecting Jethro by luring Svetlana to this place, so they could take care of her quietly. Didn't she know that he needed her? Didn't she realise that losing another person he loved would destroy him? She obviously didn't, and for that Franks decided to slap his old probie so hard, he'd give him another bought of amnesia.
"I'm getting thirsty; I'll go get us some water." He turned to the back door as she nodded, locking her gun back together and placing it on the counter in front of her. His bad feeling was getting worse, but he wasn't sure why. He swung the back door open and grabbed a jug, walking as swiftly as he could to the tap outside. The heat was welcome, reminding him of the better days of his retirement. Back when he had nothing to do all day but lay in the hammock, sipping corona, listening to the sound of the waves. He made it halfway to the tap before realising something was wrong. His bad feeling had been getting worse with every step he took away from her.
He dropped the jug and turned back to the diner just as he heard a car door slam shut. He cursed his stupidity as he raced back; pulling out his gun and flinging open the door. Four men were crowding through the front door, guns drawn. Shots rang out, and Mike took down the man closest to him, another of the men falling, killed by Jenny. One of the men turned in Franks' direction and shot at him. He crouched as the bullet hit his left arm, the stinging heat paralysing him for a moment before he saw his attacker fall. Mike jumped back up and pumped the last of his ammo into the last man before looking around for Jenny.
"Sound off, girl!" He looked around wildly, hearing nothing and ran around the counter in the middle of the floor, coming to a sudden stop at the sight that met his eyes.
Jenny was behind the counter, lying in a pool of blood, which was getting rapidly larger. He dropped to his knees beside her, dread gripping his heart. She had trusted him. He should never have left her alone. He'd known their chances were slim together; by herself she'd had almost no chance. She'd been shot twice, once in the shoulder and once in the stomach. Jethro was going to kill him.
He reached out to her, searching desperately for her pulse.
The relief was intense when he found one.
Should I carry on? Is it any good? Please tell me what you think! :)