Save me
A/N: Had this in my mind ever since I saw the episode. I'm still a huge Jibbs fan but I just want to see Gibbs' charakter happy. Love Sloane btw.
"You're the monster. We are the good guys." She nodded to the SEAL's who then guided him out. She looked after him for a few more moments, emotions bubbling up, threatening to come to the surface. When she could finally tear her gaze away from the retreting form of the man she hated for so long, she focused on Jethro's eyes instead.
He held her gaze while Leon was guided away by paramedics, while a few SEAL's checked on her and then finally cleared the room. They were alone and he could see the turmoil in her eyes. Knew she was scarcely holding on. He took a few steps in her direction but when he came close enough to take her in his arms she took a step back. She shook her head and looked away. "Please don't!" He stopped immideatly but still stood close in case she changed her mind. Sloane took a few shallow breaths and then turned away, walking towards the door. "I'm gonna get out of here." And with that she disappeared.
Hours later after the team had filled out the paperwork, made sure Masahun was safely locked away and visited Vance at the hospital, Gibbs sent everyone home. He himself stopped at his house shortly and changed into dark jeans and a white dress shirt before he got into his car again and drove south to a small out of the way bar he suspected he would find Sloane in.
When he entered, his gaze fell directly on her. She was sitting at the bar, wearing a black, long sleeved dress that reached mid-tight and black stilettos. She had her back to him, looking straight forward. Nursing a glass of red wine. She did not see him enter but judging by the way her body tensed up she sensed that he was there. He took the stool beside her, ordered a glass of bourbon and then turned to look at her. But she was still not looking at him. She was focused on her hands that had her necklace wrapped around them.
"You alright?" He starred some more until she finally looked up. "I'm not drunk if that's what you mean. That glass of wine is the only thing I've had since arriving." He took another good look at her and then nodded slowly. He believed her. She didn't seem drunk, she didn't even seem tipsy. "If I had wanted to drink myself into oblivion, I would have stayed home with two or three bottles of cheep bourbon or tequila. I know how to let myself forget Gibbs and that's not it. So if you are quite ready I would prefere it if you left me alone so I could focus on finding someone who will make me think of something else for the night." She turned back to her drink while Gibbs sat shocked beside her. He had expected a drunk Jack or a crying one but not the woman before him who barley showed any form of emotion and was apparently dead set on picking up a one-night- stand.
He wasn't quite ready for the feeling of jealousy that suddenly surfaced at the thought of Jack in another men's arms. But he had to act quickly if he wanted to change her mind. She was already slipping away. He needed to get to her before she shut out her emotions. He looked around and suddenly got an idea so unlike him he thought it might actually work.
"Dance with me." That definitely threw her off. She turned to him again and shot him a glare. "What?" He smirked. She was confused. That's exactly where he wanted her. "I said
"Dance with me". One dance and I promise I leave you alone and you can do whatever you fancy." She studied him for a few moments. Obviously weighing her options. "Okay, one dance." She drank the rest of her wine before she got down from the bar stool, laying her hand in his for him to lead her to the makeshift dancefloor a few couples had already discovered. The song changed and a softer tune came on. Jack sighed and rolled her eyes but she put her right arm around his shoulder nevertheless while her left hand was securely enveloped in his own palm. The first tunes of "Unsteady" came on and Jack instandly cursed Gibbs for being here, for trying to get her to lower her defenses, for just being him. She couldn't find a warm and willing body with him lurking around the corner. The past wasn't the only thing that had made her come here tonight. She was trying to forget about him too. About the way he made her feel when he was around. And now she was here, in his arms. What had she gotten herself into by agreeing to Vance's job offer. She should have stayed in California with the nice weather, the beaches and all the "no- strings" relationships she had had.
They danced in silence for a while before Jack had the courage to look up at Gibbs. "What are you doing here?" He could see she was letting her guard down and that she wouldn't accept anything but the truth. "I wanted to make sure that you are okay. And that you won't do anything you'll regret come morning." She nodded, tears suddenly glittering in her eyes. For a moment he thought she was going to say something, anything, but she just shook her head and then buried her face in his shoulder. It didn't take long for her to shake with quiet sobs. "Damn you", was the only thing she was able to choke out.
His response was to hold her just a little tighter. He smiled into her hair, concratulating himself for bringing the Jack he knew to the surface again and at the same time hating himself for forcing her to face her hurt. They kept on swaying slowly to the music until Jack lifted her head from his shoulder. She met his gaze head on, her eyes clearer again after she let the emotions out. "I know I did the right thing by arresting him, by not killing him but it doesn't feel like it. I feel like it's not enough, like it's never gonna be enough. I still think about them, every day. About what they would have done if the roles were reserved. They would have hunted him down and made him pay for every life he ever took. I just..." She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to keep her emotions in check. "I just want to make them proud but I think I have lost myself by trying that. I was so focused on the hate and the pain and the bitterness that I lost sight of who I really am. Today, the woman who looked him in the eye and kept her cool, that is what I was like before Afghanistan. I want that woman back so bad Gibbs. I want to find peace again."
He looked at her with understanding in his eyes, knowing exactly what she was talking about. "Jack, you'll never be the same woman again. You have seen to much. But with time you'll get your values back and the focus for what really matters. You just have to give it time." She looked at him again and nodded, losing herself in his eyes. He smiled at her and then, out of the blue, he brushed a strand of hair out of her face and behind her ear. At the contact her eyes fluttered shut immediately. She never felt so safe with anyone before. When she felt his hand cupping her cheek, she opened her eyes again. He was still looking at her closely, studying her. She instinctively leaned in closer and so did he.
Just as Jack thought he was finally going to kiss her, the song changed and the beat buzzed loud around them. The moment was ruined. Jack sighed loudly and dropped her head to his chest. Gibbs just laughed. The first notes of "Let's get loud" blared out of the radio station that was set up in the corner and the couples around them started to swirl around the dance floor.
Gibbs gently tipped up Jack's chin and grined at her. "You know how to dance latin?" The utter look of shock on her face was so cute that Gibbs nearly leaned down to finally kiss her. But he restrained himself, their moment would come eventually. For now he just wanted to make her smile. "You can't be serious?" Her eyes lit up when she realized just how serious he was. "Well, I saw a few dancing shows", she quipped. "What about you cowboy? You up for the challenge?" His only answer was to pull her flush against him by the waist only to push her away and spin her around the next second. Her back was now against his chest, his arms around her waist and his hands covering her stomach. With her left hand covering his on her stomach and her right one reaching back and sinking in his hair they swayed to the rhythm of the song. When Gibbs nuzzled her neck she laughed loudly. It had been a long time since she had felt this alive.
Hours later Gibbs car was pulling up in front of Jack's appartement. Gibbs switched the ignition off, got out, walked around the car and then opened the door for her. He walked close to her, his hand on the small of her back. They stopped in front of the door. Unsure what to do next. "I had a wonderful time tonight. You really did save me today. I would have regretted picking up some guy at the bar. Thank you", she finally said. Gibbs smirked at her and then nodded. She hestinated a few seconds but then she stepped up to him and gave him a light kiss on the cheek. Without looking at him she turned around and let herself inside. Only when she took the second flight of stairs did she realize that she didn't want to sleep alone. Why deny herself what he made her feel when it felt so good?
She turned around and sprinted back down, throwing the door open only to see Gibbs standing at the exact same spot, smirking sheepishly. She shook her head and laughed before she stepped up to him and sneaked her arms around his neck. "I don't want you to go." She touched her forehead against his, holding his gaze, until he pulled away. "Good thing that I didn't plan to leave anytime soon then."
Jack closed her eyes when his lips finally touched hers. He had been right, they had needed their moment. Fireworks exploded behind her eyelids and she let herself fall deeper into the kiss. It was gentel at first. Exploring each other carefully. But after some time that simply wasn't enough. She was the first one to demand more, pushing him against the wall, biting his bottom lip and seeking entrance. He touched her everywhere, setting her whole body on fire.
Later she couldn't even remember when or how they had made it upstairs to her appartement. She was so wrapped up in him, in his kisses, in his touch that she couldn't remember much else than that. But somehow she found herself in her living room with her back to him, while he gently lowered the zipper of her dress. Her breath hitched when he touched her scars. Tracing every single one of them. Tears welled up in her eyes again and when he finished his exploration of her back and turned her in his arms again she let them fall. And he kissed away every single one of them.
She undressed him just as carefully as he had undressed her. Taking her time to explore his body. Letting her fingers trail down his rip cage, over his stomach and lower. Feeling the mussels under her fingers contract. But still they both held back. Not sure what the new relationship meant to them, to each other. It wasn't until they were laying between messed up sheets and pillows, wrapped up in each other, with him moving deep inside her, that their emotions came down thundering around them. They were so close to the edge, nearly falling over it but they still held on. Their connection so much deeper than they were ready to admit. So it came as a surprise when the words just tumbled out of his mouth. And when she was quick to follow. It was that declaration that finally pushed them over the edge.
It was early morning when they finally came down from their high. Still wrapped up in white sheets and each other they shared a pillow talking about everything and nothing at the same time. Hands entwined on his chest.
"I'll have to thank Leon later." Gibbs looked at her and raised an eyebrow. "For what?" Jack just shrugged. "For not believing me, for letting Masahun get away, for getting himself kidnapped. Because all of that led to this moment." His laugher was music to her ears. "I can only imagine his face when you explain to him just what his little stunts lead to." Jack grinned. "Better not. He'll get a stroke and then we'll never live it down." When she looked at Gibbs again he had sobered up and was looking at her with unredabel eyes. "I'll have to thank him too. You are the best thing that could have happened to me." She smiled and responded with rolling on top of him. "Say it again", she demanded and he had no doubt what she was talking about. He pulled her close and cupped her cheek in his palm. "I love you." She moaned in response. "I love you too. God, I think I will never get enough of hearing that." He easily flipped them over and smirked at her. "Good, I have no intention of stoping to tell you that any time soon."