Gibbs walked up to the front of the house and rapped his knuckles on the heavy wooden door that his her from him. She answered quickly. A little too quickly.
"Jethro!" the surprise was obviously faked, and Gibbs smiled.
"I came as soon as you called."
"I called?"
Ok, so maybe the surprise wasn't fake?
"Yeah…about 20 minutes ago? Said there was something urgent you had to tell me."
"Oh."
The silence began and Gibbs eyebrows raised as he tried to make sense of the situation. Now that he looked closer, the faintest trace of tears streaked down her cheek.
"Jen, are you ok?"
"I don't really…." She swayed and clutched at the open door as she tried to keep balance. Gibbs noticed the empty glass in her right hand.
"Can I come in?"
Jen's face was blank for a second as if trying to comprehend what he had just said before breaking into a wide smile. "Of course you can, Jethro!"
She swung the door open further and her eyes widened as she concentrated on staying upright without the door to support her.
Gibbs stepped forwards, into the house, and rested a hand on her shoulder to steady her. She shrugged him off and turned a little too quickly to face the drawing room. The glass slipped from her hand and smashed on the floor making her jump. She fell backwards but Gibbs was standing so close behind her she barely made it anywhere. Gibbs hands automatically slid around her waist as he held her and he heard her gasp.
"I've changed my mind, Jethro." She said pulling herself upright and stumbling towards the door to the drawing room.
"About what?"
She grabbed for the doorframe and paused for a second, enjoying the steadiness that it brought. "I shouldn't have called."
"I thought you could remember calling?" Jethro asked, still behind her, anticipating her every mood. He was surprised that she had even been able to get to the door in this state. He turned his head and saw the empty of bourbon bottle to the left of the now closed door. That explained the quick answering of the door.
"Well…I do now…"
"Really…then do you mind telling me what it was about?"
"Yes," she said letting go of the doorframe and entering the drawing room.
Gibbs followed and his mouth opened at the sight of pictures strewn across the desk. Familiar pictures. Pictures he thought he'd never see again. And the diary. The leather bound book that held their past.
"Jen…."
She made it to the olive green chair and fell into it, her eyes looking across at him, well at least it looked like she was looking at him.
"What? I told you I shouldn't have called. You shouldn't have come."
Seeing her safely in the chair, satisfied she wasn't going to do herself anymore damage he walked behind the desk and picked up the nearest photo.
His hand was placed protectively on the small of her back. He didn't trust all of the other guys surrounding them as the group photo was taken, not when she looked like that. The photographer counted down from 3 and he smiled as he thought of what her reaction would be if he did it. Priceless, that's for sure. And it would be captured on camera…2,1…His hand slid down the curve of hips and he grabbed her ass firmly. He felt her jump and watched as the camera flashed, capturing the shocked look on her face.
Gibbs laughed to himself as he remembered. He eyed his grin in the photo and couldn't help feeling at least a little proud of himself. His hands moved over to another random photo.
He held the camera up and smiled as she leant over the balcony. Perfect view of her…'click'. She swung round, "did you just take a picture of my ass!". "Maybe…" She grinned and moved towards him, cupping his face as she placed her lips on his.
There had been a whole series of these photo's, from that night. His eyes scanned the table for the rest of them but got distracted by another. She had kept it?!
They were having fun, playing as they usually did. They were in an aquarium, walking side by side as they came to a large standalone tank. Her hand left his as she quickly ran round the other side of the tank, staring back at him from behind the water. She pulled a face and the water distorted her image slightly. He couldn't help the burst of laughter that came from his mouth. He retaliated by pulling a face of his own and didn't notice as she clicked the capture button on the camera. Damnit. She was going to pay for that later.
Why had she kept such a stupid photo? Then he remembered the stupid ones he'd kept of her and he understood. All these memories were flooding back to him. They had not been forgotten, never forgotten, just…stored away. The pictures were bringing it all back. His hand skimmed the cover of the diary.
"I thought we'd lost this," he said quietly to Jen who was watching him intently from the chair.
"I made you think we'd lost it. I wanted to keep it for myself," she admitted grinned unashamedly. Gibbs laughed as he picked up the book.
"I would have let you keep it."
The gesture made her smile. Deep down she had known when she did it, he would have let her take the book for herself; but she couldn't quite bring herself to ask him to do that.
He opened the book and sat down at the desk. He ran his fingers over the first page. It had been a joint effort, between the two of them.
We'll always have Paris,
A journal by Jenny Shepard and Leroy Jethro Gibbs
The first page was her handwriting, but he had been there when the words had etched their way onto the page.
Welcome to the journal of Jen and Jethro. I doubt any of the eyes skimming this page will ever belong to someone other than one of us two, but I though it prudent to introduce ourselves. We writing this journal so we will always have a memoir of our time together in Paris; however short it may turn out to be. This first entry starts at the time of us having spent 3 months together, 3 amazing months in the beautiful City of Paris. Jethro wants it to be recorded that he thinks its not the city that is beautiful…typical Jethro. He also wants it to be noted that I am now smiling…
He remembered that exchange so well, and the image of that smile flickered in front of his eyes. He stopped for a moment, enjoying the memory.
"Jethro?"
He looked up at her; she was quiet now, lying back in the armchair.
"Yes, Jen?"
"Read it out."
He smiled and stood from his chair, taking the book in his hands. He walked over and sat on the arm of the chair she was sitting in. She looked up at him as he started to read.
…Since Jethro wants me to keep writing things, I think maybe it's his turn to write? He doesn't agree. Well at least this way we keep things fairly legible. Ok my turn to want it to be known that that pinch hurt. Anyway, where were we? Oh yes, an introduction; so yes, 3 beautiful months in the streets of Paris. We've completed several missions but neither of us are stupid enough to write about them here. This journal will be kept to just the private stuff only, if you want a spy thriller, go read a Tom Clancy novel. I'm sure in the entries to come, we will spill more details of our time together here. For however long the entries last, we want it to be known that whatever happens in the future, this is true; nothing and no one can take this time away from us, it's ours. We'll always have Paris.