Author's Note: I just thought it would be interesting to write about a drunk Jenny...I hope you all enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own it!
Jethro Gibbs bit his lower lip and stared at Jenny tentatively, as if staring at her could help make his mind up.
"Jen...I just don't know." Jethro mumbled as he opened the sliding glass door on the patio and returned to inside the house.
Jenny heaved a sigh and looked up at the sunny California sky. She understood his trepidation, but sometimes she just wished he'd hand her the cut and dried answer she needed. A simple yes or no from him would have freed her from this immense burden. Instead, he had chosen silence, knowing that would make Jenny hesitate to do much of anything.
"I'm going out tonight...with the girls." Jenny announced proudly as she and Jethro ate dinner on the patio.
Jenny sipped her wine and smiled at Jethro.
"Fine." Jethro grumbled. Jethro knew what a girls' night out meant. He would be all alone in the house by himself while Jenny, Kelly and Maddie went out for a drink.
That suited Jethro just fine, the newest edition of his favorite boating magazine had arrived, and he was eager to read it without interruptions.
"You look damn good for just a drink with the girls." Jethro said as he watched Jenny get ready later that evening.
"We're going to the Roosevelt....my treat." Jenny said with a smile. She had wanted to do something extra-special, she figured her most recent dilemma warranted the occasion.
"You're really considering this...aren't you?" Jethro said as he lounged on the bed.
"I am." Jenny said with a smile as she moved towards Jethro so he could zip up the back of her black and gold cocktail dress.
"Whatever makes you happy will make me happy." Jethro said as he zipped Jenny into her dress and kissed her bare shoulder.
"Thanks. I love you, I'll be home when I'm home." Jenny said as she grabbed a small clutch purse and headed out the door.
"We are so hot!" Kelly said as she, Maddie and Jenny linked arms and made their way to the bar.
"We are!" Jenny said happily as she ordered a round of drinks.
"Mmm...grape martini!" Kelly said happily as she sipped her drink.
"Thanks Jenny...this place is amazing!" Maddie said as she looked around, awestruck at the glamourous decor.
"You girls are very welcome, and I'd love to say that this is all just a simple girls night out, but really I have a big dilemma." Jenny confessed as she sipped her sour apple martini.
"What's going on?" Kelly asked in a shaky voice. She knew how difficult her father could be, and she was scared that he and Jenny were having trouble.
"Nothing too serious." Jenny said as she saw the fear in Kelly's eyes.
"Well then?" Kelly asked as she gently kicked Maddie. Even though Kelly was in her mid-twenties she still wanted a brother or sister. She was hoping against all odds, that just maybe Jenny was going to have a baby.
"I've been offered a book deal." Jenny whispered quietly with a sheepish grin as Maddie and Kelly stared back at her, wide-eyed.
"What?" Kelly asked as soon as she had finished swallowing her drink.
"A book deal. My life story, the publisher swears that people will read it, which I can hardly believe, but just as I was about to turn down the offer I decided to take some time and consider it seriously." Jenny explained.
"When do you have to let them know for sure?" Maddie asked quietly. She wasn't sure how Kelly felt about this, and she wanted to take the same side as Kelly.
"Thursday." Jenny said as she flagged the waiter down for a re-fill on all the drinks.
"Wow....only a few days left to sort it all out." Kelly said as she looked at Jenny.
"What do you think?" Jenny asked with a raised eyebrow as she glanced at Kelly.
"I'm not sure, it depends. How detailed would this book be? Dad really isn't so good with the whole attention thing...how would you manage that? And although I'm willing to support you, I can't say that I want to be part of the story." Kelly admitted as she eagerly accepted the drink the bartender had placed in front of her.
"That would all be worked out after I accept the offer. I did explain that I have a significant other who despises the limelight, and the publisher explained that they've dealt with that all before." Jenny admitted.
"What does Gibbs have to say?" Maddie pressed.
"He'll be supportive, no matter which path I choose." Jenny said as she let her mind wander back to Jethro. This would all be so much easier if he had just told her no. She may or may not have listened, but at least she would have known exactly how he felt.
"So can you do it and leave him and Kelly out of it?" Maddie asked again.
"Yes." Jenny said as she glanced at the immense chandelier in the middle of the bar area.
"Then go for it." Kelly finally said as a grin spread across her face.
"Really?!" Jenny squealed with delight as she jumped off her barstool and hugged Kelly tightly.
"This calls for champagne! You're going to be an author!" Maddie said as she ordered an entire bottle of champagne.
"He's going to looooove thisssssssssssssssss!" Jenny said as she pulled her phone out of her purse and slurred her words slightly.
Jenny dialed the familiar number.
"Hello? Do you need bailed out?" Jethro asked groggily as he checked the number on the caller ID, it was Jenny.
"No...bring your sexy self down here and drive us home!" Jenny said with a giggle as she glanced at Kelly who was blushing. She was happy that her dad and Jenny were in love, but sometimes there were certain things she didn't need to hear.
"Jen...it's two-fifteen in the morning....but I'll be right there." Jethro said as he stood up off the couch and cracked his neck. He had fallen asleep reading his boating magazine.
"Thanks sweetie." Jenny cooed as she hung up the phone.
"He's on his way?" Kelly asked knowingly.
"Yep...he was kind of grouchy though. He thought I didn't know what time it was. Of course I know it's two-fifteen, the bartender just yelled last call!" Jenny said triumphantly as she stood up on shaky legs.
"You girls....you...darn...girls...." Jenny said as she attempted to form a coherent thought.
"What did we do?" Maddie asked innocently as she reached for her purse and stood up.
"Three bottles of champagne is what you did!" Jenny said as she pointed a finger at Maddie and laughed.
Once they had finished the first bottle of champagne it had been so hard to stop. It was pink and bubbly and oh so good. After the two martinis apiece plus the champagne none of the girls were fit to drive. Instead, they had decided to wake Jethro up.
"How the hell does she do it?" Maddie asked in a whisper as she and Kelly walked slowly behind Jenny through the lobby of the Roosevelt to wait for Jethro. Maddie was astonished that after a long night of drinking that Jenny was walking straight, and showing no outward signs of intoxication, that was until she opened her mouth. It was obvious that the drinking made Jenny a bit of a chatterbox, with no censor whatsoever.
"Family secret." Kelly said with a grin as she looked at Maddie.
"I'll tell you how I do it!" Jenny said loudly as she turned and pivoted on her heel with such precision that it made Maddie feel painfully inadequate.
Maddie's eyes widened in surprise. She had been whispering after all.
"She has excellent hearing." Kelly said as Jenny approached the two girls.
"So?" Maddie said as she stared at Jenny.
"Nobody likes a sloppy drunk." Jenny whispered in Maddie's ear.
Maddie stood there still confused.
"So, over time you condition yourself...it's all about the mind set." Jenny elaborated just as she eyed Jethro entering the lobby.
"She's trained herself not to be a moron?" Maddie asked as she stood next to Kelly while Jenny ran towards Jethro and kissed him hello.
"Pretty much...when she was Director she had to go to all those fancy dinners and stuff. I guess she learned then how to hold her alcohol." Kelly explained as Jethro motioned for Maddie and Kelly to follow him and Jenny.
"Wow. That is impressive, seeing as how if my math is correct, you might as well figure that we each had a bottle of champagne to ourselves. Factor in the martinis which were not weak by any means. That is a ton of alcohol." Maddie explained as she tried her best to imitate Jenny and walk in a dignified manner out to the car.
"She's a class act." Kelly said as they slid into the backseat of the car.
"Talking about me again?" Jenny quipped from the front seat as she held Jethro's hand.
"Sure are." Kelly teased.
"Maddie...I hope you don't mind." Jethro yawned as he pulled into the parking lot of Kelly's apartment complex.
"I wouldn't expect you to drive to Oakland, not at this hour. I'm cool with crashing here." Maddie said as she and Kelly exited the car.
"Thanks for understanding." Jethro said as he fought off another yawn.
Jenny was suspiciously quiet for most of the ride. Jethro looked over to realize that she had nodded off. He parked the car in the garage, and shook her gently.
"Champagne?" Jethro whispered knowingly.
Jenny nodded.
"Let's get you upstairs." Jethro said as he extended his hand and helped Jenny out of the car.
"It always does this to you. Especially nowadays." Jethro said as Jenny stood in their bedroom.
Her face was beet red, and since her illness her tolerance for the bubbly alcohol had been lowered significantly. She had used all of her strength to push through the night without looking like a slob. Maddie and Kelly had insisted on the champagne and Jenny hadn't wanted to ruin the fun.
"Headache?" Jethro questioned knowingly.
Jenny shook her head yes.
"It will be worse in the morning." Jethro added. He had seen Jenny like this many times before, when they had worked in Europe. She could drink a half a bottle of bourbon, but for some reason champagne made her sick.
Jenny made her way into the bathroom.
"I'm so red!" She wailed as she caught sight of her complexion in the mirror.
"How much did you have?" Jethro asked as he entered the bathroom.
"A bottle. We all did." Jenny said with a small smile as she took her earrings off.
"Crap." Jethro said as he braced himself for the end result.
"I'm not sick." Jenny said as she washed her face.
"Not yet." Jethro muttered.
Jethro helped Jenny out of her cocktail dress and into her pajamas. He tucked her into bed and snuggled in next to her, waiting for her to get sick.
At some point Jethro had fallen asleep, and as the sunlight poured through the bedroom windows Jethro looked over to see Jenny still sleeping. It was clear she hadn't moved all night. He was shocked that she hadn't gotten sick.
"How do you feel?" Jethro asked as Jenny emerged from the bedroom, it was well past noon and he had decided to let her sleep.
"Like I got hit by a truck." Jenny said as she kissed Jethro good morning.
"You didn't get sick though." Jethro reminded her happily.
"Yeah...small miracle." Jenny said as her stomach rumbled.
"Hungry?" Jethro asked as he headed for the kitchen.
"Yeah." Jenny muttered.
"Did you have fun?" Jethro asked as he made toast for Jenny.
Jenny nodded.
"Good." Jethro said as he set two pieces of wheat toast in front of Jenny.
"Jethro...I've decided to write the book." Jenny said softly as she bit into her toast.
Jethro's eyes widened in surprise, and then Jenny got what she had been hoping for, the most elusive thing of all: A genuine smile from Leroy Jethro Gibbs.
"Proud of you Jen." Jethro said as he patted Jenny's shoulder.
"Really?" Jenny asked in surprise.
"I am...I can't wait to read it." Jethro said as he hugged Jenny from behind and kissed her cheek.
Jenny sighed and smiled. She didn't need his approval, or anybody else's for that matter. Even if he and Kelly had hated the idea she might have done it anyway. It was sweet though, of that Jenny was sure. For the first time in her entire life Jenny had not one, but two people who loved her unconditionally.
"Why are you still smiling?" Jethro asked as he and Jenny got ready for bed later that night. In reality, it was Jethro who was doing most of the getting ready, Jenny had been in her pajamas all day, fighting a hangover. Even with a headache and a stomach ache Jethro couldn't help but notice that Jenny's face had been plastered with a silly grin all day.
"Because I have you." Jenny said as she pulled the comforter over their heads and kissed Jethro.
"Good answer." Jethro said as he caught his breath after their kiss.
