A/N: First story I've put on here.. I blame Marzia. That isn't anything out of the ordinary, though..
Agent Shepard had set up camp in her father's study, something she found herself doing increasingly often. It was unnerving at first; it seemed as if the metallic stench of his blood still lingered in the air. Several cinnamon-apple scented candles later, she was fairly certain that the smell had dissolved into a simple memory, and that the oppressing presence she had felt in the room had dissipated. The fact that the room was beginning to actually soothe her ever-whirling mind, however, caused a familiar sense of uncertainty to flutter in her stomach. Stretched out on the plush rug on her stomach, glass of a classy red wine within arms reach, however – Jen felt at ease. This room was fast-becoming her safe haven, a place where she could be close to her father again, somewhere that she could think clearly. Aside from bantering back and forth with Gibbs at her desk, there weren't any other 'scenes' that she felt comfortable in. Frankly, she felt out of her element everywhere she went nowadays.
Her cell phone's sharp, obnoxious ring caught her off guard, causing her to knock the glass of wine over instead of grasping it as she had intended. She glared at the liquid seeping into the expensive fibers briefly before pushing herself up to her feet, stomping over to retrieve the annoying piece of technology. Had Gibbs not reprimanded her for being unreachable – goddammit, she still resented him for embarrassing the hell out of her – she would have certainly turned it off. Not at all caring for a repeat of past events, she glances at the caller-id and scowled darkly. Burley.
"This sure as hell be important, Stan, because you're paying the bill to get the stain out of my rug," she growled dangerously. Purposefully sounding threatening.
There was a brief pause on the other end. "I'm not paying a damn thing, Shepard."
Shit. Gibbs.
"Aw, Gibbs. Are you using Burley's phone to have x-rated phone sex with me so that the ever lovely Diane doesn't find out?" she purred, flying by the seat of her pants. When in doubt; make Boss-man uncomfortable.
"Get dressed and meet me outside in half an hour."
"What if I'm busy? You assume I have no life, Gibbs – I do apologize that I have yet to resort to building boats in my basement to fill the void."
His voice was a low, sexy growl – something she knew was completely unintentional. "Your ass is mine, Shepard. You don't have time for a life."
Her stomach clenched at his words, steamy images of just what would happen if her ass was indeed his flashing before her eyes. She thought of him running his hand up her thigh, stroking his fingertips across her skin until she moaned. She found herself wondering what his kiss would feel like, taste like – if it were coffee flavored or something else entirely..
"Shepard!" As if he knew where her thoughts were. She coughed, rubbing her forehead with her free hand.
"Yes, Boss." And she hung up before her brain made her put her foot in her mouth.
- - -
She groaned again. "You've got to be kidding me."
"Suck it up, Shepard."
"I'm in a smelly car with a grumpy Boss until God knows when. I am not making this pleasurable for you."
His lips twitched, fingertips dancing fleetingly over his SIG. He entertained the thought for a moment, and then thought of life without her provocative figure prancing about him.
It shouldn't have mattered, but he returned his hand to the gearshift.
Movement in the warehouse sparked his interest, causing him to slowly unbuckle his seat belt and pick up the binoculars. Jen had also come to life, watching avidly, hand twitching on the door handle. Wanting, needing, to be out of this godforsaken vehicle. He placed the binoculars back under the seat and pulled his gun from it's holster, stepping out of the car slowly. Without a word of relief or protest, his partner came to stand beside him, eyes focused on that warehouse that she had been cursing the passed two hours.
"You go 'round back; I got the side."
"Got it."
They parted, and as soon as she disappeared from his line of vision, his gut began to give him hell. He was about to call her back when..
Gunshots. Shattered glass. Incoherent shouts; all swirled in chaos around him. He busted out the window closest to him with his elbow, hardly grimacing, and fired back at the men inside who seemed to have taken a liking to shooting at Jenny.
Jenny. He never thought of her as Jenny. It seemed too intimate, too innocent a name for him to know her by; and yet he thought it anyway. He ducked under the line of windows along the walls and went to the back, eyes darting for that flaming red hair that characterized her.
She crouched behind a pile of old junk; highly insignificant cover, but obviously enough to keep her alive. He fired from another window as she fired from her post, and as their fingers loosened on the trigger, silence loomed, foreboding. Adrenaline still pounding in his veins, he ran over to where she was, crouching beside her.
"You hit?" he asked gruffly, masking the worry he felt.
She shook her head, drawing his attention to the cut on her forehead. He touched it lightly, scowling. "Nothing that's going to kill me. Looks like you're stuck with me at least until our next gunfight, Cowboy," she teased, smiling at him. He squeezed her arm briefly, the only form of praise she was likely to receive.
Gibbs paused, sniffing the air. Her attractive eyebrows furrowed as she looked around, sniffing lightly as well. She sprung up and drug him with her, "Gas."
They both took off, not even getting twenty five feet from the junk pile before they face planted into the ground; Gibbs on top of her. She groaned under his weight, turning her head just slightly to look at him.
"Kinky," she commented absently. He scowled and rolled off her, sitting up slightly to look at the blaze that had consumed the warehouse. Gibbs grunted and then turned his attention back to her, eyes flickering, worried that he might of hurt her when he fell.
Jen rolled her eyes, flipping over onto her back. "As much as you'd like to think that I do, Boss, I'm sorry to inform you that I don't need a big, strong man to save me."
He swallowed, silently looking back to the blaze. Jenny. His partner.
Why couldn't she see that he needed to protect her?