A/N: Thanks you guys for the feedback! I know some of you guys absolutely hate having show dialogue in stories and i respect that, so i am not going to be putting in actual show dialogue in this story- apart from the beginning of this chapter just to get things moving along. It was taken directly from the episode 5x03. Hope you guys enjoy!
"Director. Agent Gibbs and Colonel Mann are here to speak to you." Cynthia muttered through the telecom. Jenny paused momentarily; her tired eyes averting from the computer screen -full of budget cuts- to the telecom. "Director?" Cynthia asked again when Jenny didn't answer. Her hand hovered over the reply button- her hand shaking.
She didn't want to see him. She had managed to avoid him somehow for a month without catching a wink of him. Just thinking about the man sent nervous shivers travelling up and down her spine. "Send them in." She spoke quietly as she pressed the button on the telecom. Immediately the door swung open.
He looked just the same as he had a month ago. The same scowl. Same expression. She wondered if he was feeling regret like she was. Or if he even remembered. Colonel Mann followed suit- her camo tracksuit and braided hair a plain reminder of the 'not so secret' relationship between the two investigators. He walked over to the front of her desk, finally making eye contact with her. She saw no expression in them- as if the passionate night that they had spent together a month prior was a complete waste of time.
Jenny removed the glasses sitting on the bridge of her nose and leaned back in her chair- consciously resting her hands on the arms of the chair. She squinted her eyes at the two investigators, waiting for them to tell her what the hell was going on. Already, she could feel the nausea building up- something that she had realised was happening more and more when she was stressed.
"We have a… Little issue." Colonel Mann stated as Jenny quirked an eyebrow- making eye contact with the woman. She swore that if it involved something to do with their 'not so secret' relationship, Jenny would quit her job. She glanced over to Jethro to see the man blankly looking at her- his gaze focused closely on her body, but his mind elsewhere.
"We?" Jenny asked nonchalant. Colonel Mann turned towards Jethro.
"You wanna tell her, Agent Gibbs?" Jenny watched on tiredly as the man she loved shifted his weight on his feet- like he always did when he was trying to process information. It made her wonder how he'd react if she told him about the baby.
"No, not particularly." He muttered back quickly.
"Is this going to involve lawyers?" Jenny questioned, she knew how much Jethro detested the people.
"It already did." The colonel replied back with a slightly troubled expression. Jethro tilted his head towards Jenny then rolled his eyes back in frustration as he saw the pissed off expression forming on Jenny's face. When cases involved lawyers, things tended to get ugly real fast.
Jenny turned her penetrating gaze to the colonel who had her hands tied tightly behind her back- forcing the woman to elaborate further. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Jethro making eye contact with the floor. "Its his ex-wife. She's a material witness." The Colonel explained. The director redirected her penetrating gaze to Jethro who had straightened his posture and was looking out the window. Damn him for being married so many times…
"And… Which ex would that be?" Jenny asked in a sarcastic tone- it was her way of getting back at Jethro for his bad attitude. He locked gazes with the retaliation in her eyes as she unconsciously moved her hands over her stomach.
"Stephanie." He stated nonchalant.
"What number is she again? Second?" Jenny interrogated with internal amusement as she fiddled with her hands. It was nice to remind him of all the failures of his relationships- to remind him of their own.
"Third." Jethro droned.
"Oh right…" Jenny remarked sarcastically as if she didn't know. Of course, she knew all of his wives and the order and the time that they were all spent married. Colonel Mann looked to the ground shaking her head and smiled at Jenny egging Jethro on. "You lived in Europe with her for a while. Frankfurt?" Her hands had returned to the armrests.
"Moscow." He corrected.
"Two years?" Jenny asked leaning forward with her eyes squinted.
"One."
"Well its hard to live in Moscow… With anyone." Jenny spat, aiming the comment at Jethro. Her hands returned back to her stomach- the little amusement temporarily distracting her from the nausea bubbling up. She watched as Jethro frustratedly gazed back at the Colonel- causing even more amusement to Jenny. "Do you think he should… Divorce himself from this case Colonel Mann?"
"No, no Ma'am. No." The colonel responded shaking her head towards the floor and avoiding the gaze of Jenny. The director was pretty sure that the colonel was enjoying this as much as Jenny was.
"Nor do I. I don't see a problem if you conduct the interview?" Jenny stated with raised eyebrows and staring at the Colonel intently. She irked her head towards Jethro. "Do you have a problem with Colonel Mann interviewing your ex wife Agent Gibbs?" Jenny asked the man with a slight hint of spite in her voice.
"Do I have a choice?" He muttered with sarcasm while avoiding his gaze from the redhead.
"No." The two women spoke in unison. Gibbs held a pouting expression for a mere moment before returning to a straight posture again.
"Problem solved." Jenny stated happily in a sarcastic voice as if the situation wasn't that difficult to solve at all. She watched on as the pair of investigators exchanged looks- the nausea starting to seriously get worse. "That'll be all." Jenny stated quickly- jumping up from her seat and opening the door for them.
She avoided Jethro's fiery gaze as he walked out the door- instead deciding to look across the room at the sofa. As soon as they were out, she shut the door and ran into the bathroom – sitting by the edge of the toilet and taking in deep breathes. Jenny closed her eyes and held her hand over her mouth, she wasn't sure if she needed to be sick or to cry. Probably both.
A single tear rolled down the side of her cheek as she thought about Jethro's relationship with Hollis. They deserved each other for all she cared. Hollis was a pretty woman. Jethro's type minus the red hair. Then her mind flickered to the tiny life growing inside her. The life Jethro and she had created. Her hand covering her mouth shakily moved protectively over her stomach.
Did she really want this? Did she really need it in her life? Did she want it to be in the middle of its parent's mess? Jenny heard a short knock at the door. She quickly wiped off the tear stains from her cheek and stood up slowly. "Director?" She heard Cynthia ask cautiously. "Martin is ready to take you to that appointment." Jenny brushed the creases forming on her vest.
"Thankyou Cynthia I'll be down in a few moments." Jenny shouted through the door. She breathed a sigh of relief as she heard the footsteps walking away. Cynthia along with Martin- her driver- were the only people who knew that Jenny was going to an appointment at the hospital. For what- they didn't know.
The woman washed her face down with water and used the towel to dry it off- at least she looked decent enough. She emerged from the bathroom and packed all the things that she would need into her small handbag. As she walked past the desk, Cynthia shot her a concerned look. Something that she had been receiving from the woman a lot lately.
"When was your last period?" The obstetrician asked Jenny. The woman paused for a moment and thought back- she was never great at keeping track of her cycles and she hadn't thought about it. Her hands fiddled with the handle on her handbag that was sitting on her lap and she squinted her eyes.
"Long time ago…" Jenny muttered, and the doctor smiled in understanding. Jenny watched the doctor as she typed all the notes Jenny was telling her into the medical file on the computer.
"And you say that you took a pregnancy test about a week ago?" The doctor clarified. Jenny nodded and took a deep breath- trying to prevent herself from being sick. "I see that you are one of the many victims of morning sickness." Jenny sighed and looked down at her bag.
"Unfortunately." Her voice faltered at the end. "Got anything to relieve it?" Jenny inquired with a little bit of hope in her voice. The doctor shook her head solemnly and looked over to the redhead.
"Nothing concerning medication, I'm afraid. But saltine crackers and ginger ale have been said to help relieve some of the nausea." The blonde doctor explained. She had sparkling green eyes and a small button nose- her name was Samantha. Jenny nearly gagged at the thought of food- it was hard enough just to keep water down.
After a few more minutes of typing, Samantha beckoned for Jenny to sit on the bed on the other side of the room. Jenny did as she was told while Samantha retrieved the stethoscope hanging around her neck. "Just gonna have a little listen of your heart rate, take your blood pressure and I'll do a pelvic exam as well." The director nodded and let the doctor do her thing.
The stethoscope was cold on her warm skin. She thought about Jethro. She knew that he deserved to know about his unborn child, but how would she tell him? It made her feel sick just to have the thought of having that conversation. Then there was Hollis to consider as well. How would she react to Jethro cheating on her?
Samantha moved the stethoscope to Jenny's back- She took deep breathes in and out as she moved the object around. "Everything seems perfect… Now the blood pressure." The doctor said happily. Jenny smiled and placed her hands on her lap- happy having the peace of mind that she was okay. Samantha pulled out a blood pressure cuff and placed it on Jenny's arm.
It suddenly felt tight as the cuff expanded and prevented maximum blood flow. Everything was quiet as Samantha focused on the tiny arrows pointing to the numbers on the dial. The only thing making sound, the ticking of the clock and the air slowly leaking out of the cuff. "Blood pressure is excellent." Samantha stated as she removed the cuff.
"Pretty surprising considering no coffee." Jenny muttered sarcastically and the doctor couldn't help but laugh in amusement.
"Oh Jenny… You'll start feeling better in a few weeks." Samantha reassured. She gestured for the redhead to lie back on the bed. "I apologize in advance if this may hurt a bit… I just need to have a feel of your pelvis to see where we are at." Jenny nodded in consent. Her eyes felt heavy as Samantha lifted up her shirt and felt around her pelvic region. The woman hadn't slept well in the last month- partly due to nausea and because she missed Jethro.
The doctor finished her exam and gave Jenny a small glass of water- she sat up slowly and sipped at it. "I am estimating based on the size of your pelvis that you are about 6 weeks along. Which would make your due date…" The doctor did a quick calculation on the computer. "The 10th of June." Jenny nodded and walked back over to the seat.
"So… No ultrasound then?" Jenny asked seriously- she made eye contact with the doctors' serious green eyes.
"If we did an ultrasound today, we wouldn't see that much… I'll schedule a visit in a month's time, and we'll be able to see your baby's progress much more clearly." Jenny nodded and gulped with fear evident in her face. The doctor held Jenny's hands in hers for the redhead's comfort.
"What are you worried about Jenny… You can tell me." Samantha reassured quietly. Jenny bit her lip and averted her eyes from the doctor- she had told the woman earlier that the pregnancy was unplanned.
"What if I miscarry?" She said with no emotion in her voice. It had been a question bothering Jenny ever since she had found out- she didn't really want the baby, but she didn't necessarily want to lose the only thing bonding her and Jethro together either. Samantha nodded and crossed her arms together.
"Its possible…" Samantha said seriously. "And its common… But it doesn't necessarily mean that it will happen to you." Jenny nodded and breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm prescribing you some progesterone and folic acid. It will help keep baby healthy and the progesterone will play a part in preventing a miscarriage."
The redhead bit her lip tightly and clutched the handbag that she was holding. June 10th. June 10th. Jenny repeated in her head. The day that her son or daughter would hopefully be born… Samantha printed off a prescription with the meds and handed it to Jenny. "I wish you well Jenny…"
Tony DiNozzo was bored. Bored out of his mind. Taking the tubular paper wrapper all crumpled up on his desk, he inserted it over the red straw and brought it to his mouth. Blowing gently, the paper wrapper flew off the end of the straw and hit the black-haired partner sitting across from him.
She let out a noise of frustration as the fifth straw paper hit her. Ziva got up from her desk and paced over to the culprit's desk, sending him a dark and fiery gaze. Honestly, she didn't know what was more annoying- Tony being bored or Tony annoying other people. "Zivah." Tony droned out as he began to put another paper on the straw, but he was stopped as the ninja snatched both the straw and paper from his hand and threw them in the bin.
Tony looked up at the woman innocently with a slight pouting expression, only for his gaze to be met with annoyance and frustration. "Must you do that?" Ziva snapped. Tony held up his hands in defence and pointed at the probie across the other side of the room.
"Blame the probie." Tony whispered. Ziva grit her teeth together and leaned her elbows on his desk- getting right in the senior field agents face.
"Don't bring me into this DiNozzo…" McGee shouted across the bullpen. Tony could feel Ziva's penetrating gaze boring into his face.
"Haven't you got anything better to do than to just sit around and blow paper off straws?" Ziva whispered dangerously quiet. Tony smiled and pulled out a magazine from out of his draw- a new GSM edition with a woman in a bikini plastered on the front.
"You read it yet? Zivah." Tony asked in a sarcastic tone. The woman stood back up and sent a disgusted gaze towards Tony.
"No. I have got paperwork to do." Ziva stated as she strutted back towards her desk. Out of the corner of Tony's eye he could see the bossman walking into the bullpen from the elevator. He quickly placed the magazine back in the drawer and cleared his throat.
"Boss, got that background information that you were after." Tony Dinozzo stated as he walked in front of Gibbs desk. The older man sat down and took a sip of the black coffee- sending Dinozzo a chilling glare. "Names Cassandra Blair. Been Holtham's therapist for the last three years."
Jethro saw the image of the woman Tony was talking about on the plasma. Taking a good look at the woman, he realised that she had dark red hair and sparkling blue eyes. She reminded him of his ex-wives, but also Jenny. As he thought about her, he realised he hadn't seen her that often in the last week. Let alone the last month. Mostly it was embarrassment. And a lot of regret. "Bring her in." He said nonchalantly. "Take Ziva with you."
Tony nodded and the two agents packed their backpacks and headed towards the elevator- leaving Jethro staring at the therapist on the plasma. He glanced up towards the catwalk at the MTAC sign and then towards the door to Jenny's office that was tightly shut.
Something about 'That' Night was bothering him… It wasn't the unprofessionalism between them or the excessive drinking of bourbon the two had spent hours doing beforehand. It was something else, but he couldn't put his finger on it. He had been avoiding her as best as he could. On the occasions that he did happen to see her, she looked devoid of emotion. If not completely expressionless.
He had noticed something else as well. She was arriving to work way earlier than before 'that night'. Jethro may have only spent a few months in a relationship with the woman, but he knew her well enough to know that she was definitely not a morning person. So why was she arriving to work so early? Perhaps she was avoiding him as well. Perhaps she was embarrassed too. Perhaps she just hated him and wanted nothing to do with him. That stung…
He felt the probie's burning gaze and turned to make eye contact with McGee who was sending him a concerned look. "Boss. You okay?" He asked a little concerned. Jethro smiled and took another sip of his coffee. McGee sometimes got too concerned over the littlest changes in behaviour- it was good though. The man was getting better at observing suspicious behaviour. Gibbs nodded and walked out the bullpen. He needed to have a little chat with the Director.
"Agent Gibbs. STOP right there." Cynthia raised her voice as Jethro's hand hovered over the door handle. He rolled his eyes and stared at the curly haired woman sitting at the desk. "She's busy…" Cynthia tried to explain. Gibbs walked over to the desk and leaned the palms of his hands on the desk and took a good hard look at the woman.
He would never be able to understand how Jenny worked with her on a daily basis. The constant whining and nagging was enough just to drive him crazy. Perhaps that was why Jenny employed her as her assistant- He always remembered Jenny being super unpunctual and late back in her early probie days.
"Busy with what?" Gibbs asked already knowing what the answer would be. Paperwork. That's all Jenny seemed to envelop herself with as of late. Cynthia placed her hands on the desk and looked Jethro directly in the eye.
"Agent Gibbs. I've already told you that the Director is busy- "
"Cynthia… This is urgent." Gibbs interrupted. It actually wasn't… But how else would he get into her office? Cynthia rolled her eyes and pressed the intercom button to Jenny's office. What Gibbs didn't know was that Jenny had specifically told Cynthia that she didn't want to see agent Gibbs unless it was absolutely necessary. It made the woman wonder what the hell was going on between them.
"Director. Agent Gibbs is here to see you." Cynthia drowned out. When there was no answer, Cynthia tried again. "Director… This is urgent." Still no answer. Gibbs had had enough. He stormed through the door to her office and was surprised to see that there was no redhead sitting at the desk. Instead he heard gagging coming from the bathroom.
The man rushed in to see the redhead curled up on the tiled floor next to the toilet shaking. "Jen?" Jethro said in shock. She looked pale and very tired. Crouching down to Jenny he felt her forehead- it was freezing. He picked the woman up and carried her out to the couch- much to her protests.
"Jethro please… I'm fine. I really am" Jenny begged with tears in her eyes as she gripped onto his strong biceps carrying her. This was not the way that she intended for him to find out about the pregnancy.
"You call that fine?" Jethro asked her in disbelief. He gently placed her on the couch and Jenny lay back against the armrest with her arm draped over her forehead. Cynthia rushed in with a plastic cup filled with water and handed it to Jenny who took a tiny sip of it before placing it on the table next to her.
"Should I call Ducky?" Cynthia asked Gibbs. He nodded but was interrupted by Jenny.
"NO." She said solemnly. Cynthia stopped in her tracks and glanced at the director and then back towards Jethro. "It's a stomach flu bug. Wasn't feeling that great this morning… I don't need Ducky to diagnose me." Jenny quickly lied on the spot, but Jethro wasn't buying it.
"Call Ducky. Cynthia." Jethro spat. Jenny shot him a pissed off gaze and Jethro sat on the other couch while Cynthia left the room to call Ducky- his eyes intently glued to the redhead. Jenny avoided his stare and grabbed the cup of water- taking another sip of it. Great- this was exactly why she wanted to keep the pregnancy a secret.
"What do you want Jethro?" Jenny asked in a frustrated and tired tone. Jethro gazed at the large dark circles under her eyes. It looked like she was suffering from more than just a stomach flu… Thank God Ducky would help get the truth of what really was going on- whatever it was.
"To have a little chat." He replied after a moment. Jenny scoffed and took another sip of her water.
"About?" She questioned with sarcasm in her voice. He was surprised by her tone, but then again, he did walk in on her throwing her guts up.
"Us." He said simply. Jenny wiped a wisp of hair from her face and looked the man directly in the eye. For once there wasn't any lack of emotion in them, but concern.
"Your deciding to have this conversation now instead of 5 weeks ago?" Jenny asked in disbelief. Jethro sighed and walked towards the door. For a moment Jenny thought that he was going to walk out, but instead he closed the door- giving the two of them privacy from Cynthia and any other prying eyes and ears around.
Jethro sat back down on the couch to see that the redhead was sitting up with one leg crossed over the other. She was wearing a black pencil skirt with a black blouse. Small pink flowers were scattered all over it. Her hair was down with the tips of her hair just touching her shoulders. "Look… I know I screwed up- "
"You're right Jethro. You did screw up!" Jenny shouted with pain in her voice. "You screwed up the minute that you showed up at my house." Jethro rested his head in his hands- still keeping a watchful eye on the redhead. "How could you think you had the right to leave like that? With no words at all?" She spoke hoarsely.
The man nodded. Even though it was hard to admit- he had made a bad mistake walking out without discussing the complicated situation with Jenny. "I thought that it would be better if we just… Forgot about it." Jenny squinted her eyes at the man with a deep furrow in her face. She shook her head.
"You don't forget about a one-night stand that easily Jethro." Jenny muttered. There was a moment of silence between them as they tried to figure out what they wanted to say. Jenny twirled her hands together while Jethro sighed and looked around the room.
"I know." He said simply after a moment. Jenny glanced back at the man wondering if it was the time to tell Jethro about the pregnancy. "And I'm sorry." She held a confused expression- he never apologised.
"Betraying your own rules now, are you?" She muttered sarcastically- still feeling mad. Mad that she was pregnant. Mad that he had left and ignored her when she needed him the most. Jethro brought his hands to his lips and looked to the floor- he had forgotten how stubborn the woman was. "You do that with Hollis as well?" Jethro sent her a sharp and penetrating gaze.
"Leave Hollis out of this Jen. This is about you and me." Jenny stood up- holding the side of the couch to stabilise her.
"Don't tell me to leave Hollis out of this. And don't Jen me either. I'm not a probie anymore." She snarked walking to her desk and taking a seat in the chair. Jethro stood up and sat on the edge of her desk. She rolled her eyes- why couldn't he just go away.
"What do you want me to say then? Director." The redhead leaned back in the stair and exhaled deeply. The door suddenly swung open revealing Cynthia and Ducky- who was holding a medical bag. He walked in cautiously- very aware that Jenny and Jethro were having a serious conversation.
"Am I… Interrupting?" Ducky asked. Jenny stood up and walked towards the door holding it wide open.
"Not at all Ducky. Jethro was just leaving." Jenny stated with ire in her voice looking at the man that she currently hated. Ducky gave Jethro a sympathy glare as he walked out the office. Jenny slammed the door as he walked out and returned swiftly to her swingy chair- leaving Ducky confused as to what had just happened.
"Everything okay my dear? Cynthia was uh… Very concerned about you." Ducky stated as he took a seat in front of the desk. Jenny shook her head and rested her hands on the arm rests.
"Ducky… There is absolutely no need to do any health examinations or to check up on me. My health is absolutely fine." It wasn't a lie. She actually was healthy and so was her baby- according to Samantha anyway. Ducky looked at her sincerely and studied her- paleness and fatigue jumping right out at him.
"Are you sure?" He asked out of curiosity. Jenny nodded and closed her eyes for a mere moment- She looked at the clock on her desk and realised that it was nearly 4:00. Nearly time to go home and forget the day. Except she wouldn't. "Then how do you explain the large circles under your eyes? And the paleness of your skin? I should tell you Jennifer that I once knew a girl- "
"Ducky. Please…" Jenny grovelled with her hands clasped together. "I ate something dodgy last night and it kept me awake for a while. The vomiting began just a short while ago. All it is, is just a stomach bug. Nothing else." She whispered the last part.
"Then I… Suggest that you go home Director and get some much-needed rest." Jenny nodded and walked to the door- opening it and seeing Ducky out. She saw Jethro sitting on the couch outside- still wanting to finish their conversation from earlier.
"I was planning on doing that… Before these two went all dramatic on me." Jenny muttered looking at Jethro and Cynthia.
"Yes well. Look after yourself Jennifer." Ducky stated as he left the office, Jethro walked right back in- shutting the door behind him.
"That was brief." Jethro stated nonchalantly as he sat on the conference table. Jenny rolled her eyes and sent Jethro a chilling gaze.
"I told you. It's just a stomach bug. Nothing that a little rest can't fix." Jenny reassured him. Jethro watched her right eye twitch- a lie. He gazed at the woman as she placed odd bits and pieces into her handbag.
"No… It's not." Jethro said simply. Causing the redhead to stop in her tracks and look to the floor. Damn him for being so observant and damn her right eye and its twitches.
"What are you trying to suggest Jethro?" Jenny asked getting more frustrated by the second. "You think that I have some sort of illness or that I'm dying from cancer?" He shook his head briefly from side to side and looked out the window behind her. "I'm FINE." Jenny walked out the door and said goodbye to Cynthia. Gibbs followed her to the elevator.
He couldn't shake the feeling that he had in his gut. She was holding something back and he was determined to get it out of her. Pressing the button on the panel, Jenny let out a breath and made eye contact with Jethro's steel eyes. "Don't you have work to do?" She asked impatiently. He shook his head as the elevator doors opened.
Stepping inside, Jenny pressed the button to go downstairs to the carpark. Gibbs followed suit and as soon as the doors closed, he flicked the switch- shrouding them in darkness. Jenny bit her lip and shook her head. "I feel terrible Jethro… Just let me go home." Jenny almost begged.
Jethro turned to face her- his blue eyes meeting her pearly green. "What's really going on Jen?" She couldn't believe it. He was still trying his luck to get it out of her. She knew that he knew that it wasn't a stomach bug. Why couldn't he just drop it?
"How many times do I have to tell you Jethro… It's a stomach- "
"Yeah a stomach bug… But its not is it?" Jenny leaned back against the railing of the elevator- feeling the cold metal perpetuate through her already cold back. He already had it at the tips of his fingertips, and she wasn't ready… "You can tell me Jen- "
"NO. I CAN'T Jethro…" Jenny said too frustrated. "I can't…" She whispered hoarsely- looking down to the floor- all that reflected back were bumpy grey tiles.
"Yes, you can…" Jethro egged on. Jenny lifted a hand to her cheek and closed her eyes- taking in a deep breath. It was on the tip of her tongue. He moved closer to her- putting his hands on the railings both sides of her. "Jen- "
"Okay Fine Jethro! I'm Pregnant! And I absolutely hate it. Does that satisfy your needs?" Jenny rambled out. Jethro paused for a moment- completely speechless. Pregnant. The morning sickness. The fatigue. It should have been more obvious to him.
Jenny rested her head back on the wall and closed her eyes as she felt nausea returning. A tear escaped and she felt a thumb wipe it away. "Jethro… Don't." Jenny spat out of utter exhaustion. She couldn't take anything anymore.
"You're pregnant?" Jethro asked in utter shock. Jenny nodded slowly- as she looked into his steel blue eyes. She couldn't tell if it was excitement or just plain shock, they held an expression that Jenny had never seen before in Jethro's eyes.
A baby. Jenny was pregnant. He assumed that it was his baby as well. He watched as she burst into tears. Jethro immediately pulled her into a tight embrace and buried his nose in her hair. He had missed her- that was for sure. He was starting to feel a bit emotional as well. "I DON'T Know what to do!" Jenny cried out into his shoulder. "I Don't want this Jethro!"
His heart broke. She didn't want his baby? He rubbed comforting circles on her back as she continued to sob uncontrollably into his shoulder. The smell of sawdust and coffee comforted her as she cried out of utter exhaustion. Perhaps if she was just a little stronger, she wouldn't be such a mess. "Shhh…" Jethro whispered. "Everything is alright."
Jenny closed her eyes and tried to slow down her breathing. She wrapped her hands tightly around his back as she tried to steady herself. "No. Its not." She replied hoarsely. "I'm so sick and tired." Jethro nodded into her hair and closed his eyes. He felt bad. She had been going through this without his knowledge and it hurt. What also hurt was that she wasn't planning on telling him. He had to pry it out of her.
She pulled away from his embrace and wiped the tears off of her cheeks, to see the mixed emotions plastered all through Jethro's face. "You want an abortion?" Jethro whispered with emotion in his voice- disbelief perhaps. Jenny shook her head and averted her gaze from Jethro.
"What difference would it make?" Jenny muttered. The man flicked the emergency switch off and the elevator swung back into life.
"I'm taking you home." Jenny didn't bother fighting him. She was literally out of fighting energy with no strength whatsoever.
Tony and Ziva returned into the NCIS building with the redheaded therapist lady they had been sent after. They took her to the interrogation room and returned into the bullpen where they were surprised to see that Jethro wasn't at his desk. Tony shot a questioning look towards McGee who was sitting at his desk- still typing.
"McGeek. Where's the boss?" He whispered. Tony had become more cautious over the years about what he said behind Jethro's back. The man lurked in every nook and cranny and seemed to hear everything that rambled out of the senior field agents' mouth.
McGee glanced up to see the senior field agent standing in front of his desk with his backpack slumped over his should. Ziva stood mere inches behind him in the same position. Both of them had curious looks on their faces. "I think he is in with the Director." McGee muttered- returning his gaze to the computer screen.
Tony squinted his eyes at McGee and slowly walked over to his desk- dumping the backpack onto the floor next to it. "What do you think they talk about?" Tony asked typing something on his computer. Ziva rolled her eyes and sat down at her desk- returning to the paperwork that she needed to catch up on.
"Work Tony. They talk about work." Ziva stated sarcastically. The woman watched as the gears visibly turned in Tony's brain. He leaned back in his chair and looked up to the white ceiling above them.
"Probie. How long has boss been up there?" McGee sighed and got up from his seat- walking over to the filing cabinet under the plasma screen.
"Half an hour. Maybe more." Tony smiled and looked towards the ninja who was rolling her eyes.
"See Ziva. I'm pretty sure discussions about 'work' don't take that long. So, what do you really think they are talking about? Could it be about the secret relationship that they are having? Or one of Gibbs ex-wives." Tony theorised.
"Why do you have to relate everything to love and romance Tony?" Ziva snapped. Tony sent her a look and stood up- strutting over to sit on the edge of her desk.
"Have you noticed in the last few weeks that boss and Director haven't been getting on very well? Zivah."
"We have pissed off the agency a lot lately. Well… You have. Blowing your undercover mission and losing 'La Grenouille' must have cost the Director a fortune." Ziva stated- glancing at Tony.
"That wasn't my fault. Someone planted a bomb under my car. I COULD HAVE DIED!" Tony shouted a little defensively. He was still heartbroken and mad at losing his first girlfriend. Mostly mad at Jenny. Ziva rolled her eyes at Tony's dramatic rage.
"But you didn't." Tony heard McGee mutter from the other side of the bullpen. The senior field agent walked over to McGee's desk and sent him a death stare. McGee took the hint and shut his mouth.
"Always full of great ideas- aren't you probie?" Tony muttered. The field agent took out his cell phone and dialled Gibbs number. He heard the phone ring for a moment before he heard sound on the other end of the line. "Boss."
"DiNozzo." Gibbs muttered back in the same tone. When Gibbs said nothing else- Tony carried on.
"We are… Got that redhead that you were after down in interrogation- "
"Interrogate her." Gibbs interrupted. Tony held a confused expression and opened his mouth, but no words came out.
"You're not… Gonna- "
"No DiNozzo. I'm not." The phone call ended, and Tony flipped the cell phone shut- confused as to what just happened. Ziva laughed at the field agent across the standing idly in the middle of the bullpen.
"Lost your words Tony?" The female ninja snarked.
"Boss has uh… A thing for redheads. Thought he might like to interrogate her… But I was wrong." Tony admitted. "What the hell just happened?" Tony asked himself as he rubbed the back of his head in confusion.
Jethro watched the redhead in disbelief as she lay on the couch in her living room- sleeping peacefully in a deep slumber. She was pregnant. Pregnant with his baby. Their baby. He draped a soft blanket made of wool over her- tucking in the edges so that no cold air could creep inside her cold skin.
Jenny had fallen asleep in the car- almost instantaneously. It only showed the pain and sheer exhaustion that she had been going through. Jethro had to carry her in. It was either that or a very cranky Director and he'd rather have her in a more stable mood to get answers he needed out of her.
He didn't even know how far along she was. Or if she had even made an appointment with a doctor to get it checked out. He didn't know anything. Apart from the fact that she had made it clear that she wasn't happy that she was pregnant. Sitting down on the stair opposite, he leaned forward and let out a sigh of frustration and stress.
Jenny was right. He had screwed up. Badly. One-night stands were never meant to exist to create a new life. What went through their minds that night? Well… The intoxication was one thing. That didn't help. And old feelings. He tried to imagine Jenny as a mother. A mother to his child. But he couldn't. He could only ever imagine her as a Director and a field agent.
Watching the rise and fall of her chest, he thought back 8 years prior to their missions across Europe. Jenny hadn't been fazed at all by the small children that they saw on stakeouts. It was never oohs and aahs and 'they are so adorable'. It was always sighing and complaints about how the children would run around and distract Jethro from their task.
Children reminded Jethro of Kelly. Now she would have a younger sibling in death. And the unborn child would have an older sibling that they would never meet. Kelly would have been so excited if she knew. She would be bouncing off walls and telling everyone about it. He would have liked for Jenny to have met her.
Then his mind flashed to Hollis. That was a problem in itself. Not only had he cheated on her, but he had also lied to her about the one-night stand. She didn't suspect anything presently- he didn't think. But when news would spread about Jenny's pregnancy, Hollis wouldn't have a doubt about who the father would be.
Feeling peckish, Jethro travelled into Jenny's kitchen and fumbled around the cupboards for something to eat. Truth be told, the woman didn't actually have that much. He wasn't surprised, considering how much she went out to eat with news agencies and the like. All he could find were saltine crackers. No wonder she was feeling sick. Eventually he found an instant cook packet of creamy mushroom chicken soup.
He put it into a pot and gently heated it on the stovetop. He would give some to Jenny when she woke up. Jethro didn't want to be a jerk towards her. If anything, he wanted her to keep the baby. He had no idea what she meant when she said It wouldn't make a difference. Was she referring to the feelings that she had about the pregnancy?
When the soup was nicely heated, Jethro took it off the heat and poured some into two bowls. One for him and one for Jenny. Walking back into the lounge- he saw the redheads eyelids flickering up and down. She was awake. He stood there and watched her as she held onto the blanket tightly- looking down at the floor. She then glanced up to see Jethro standing there holding two bowls.
Jenny sat up and took one of the bowls from Jethro. "Thanks." She said simply- stirring the spoon around in the liquid. Jethro sat back down opposite and gently blew on the spoon. There was silence as the two agents immersed in their own thoughts.
"You were planning on telling me… Right?" Jethro asked her, getting straight to the point with concern plastered all over his face. Jenny avoided eye contact and placed the spoon back in the liquid. For once her stomach actually felt alright- something rare.
"Eventually…" Jenny muttered- holding the bowl. "I didn't know what to say…" Jethro nodded and sipped gently on the soup. "I screwed up Jethro…" She said guiltily as she placed the bowl of soup on the table next to the couch. She couldn't eat while having this conversation.
"We both did…" He said with no emotion in his voice. He watched as she fiddled her fingers together on her lap. There was a moment of silence while Jenny tried to process her thoughts.
"I don't know how people do it…" She said in defeat. Jethro sent her a questioning look. "Morning sickness… Hits you at every moment of the day." He placed the soup on the table and leaned back in the chair- crossing his arms together.
"Shannon got it pretty bad with Kelly." Jethro stated, causing Jenny to make eye contact with Jethro's steel eyes. She had forgotten about his first wife- and Kelly.
"Sorry Jethro…" Jenny said with sympathy. This couldn't have been easy on him either. Reliving all the memories he ceased to remember. Jethro shrugged.
"Past is the past. Can't change it." Jethro said, referring to Shannon and Kelly's deaths but also to 'that' night. Jenny nodded and crossed her legs together in a pretzel shape on the couch. "You really don't want the baby?"
Jenny exhaled deeply and avoided eye contact- instead deciding to look out the window. "Look at the reality Jethro… We're federal agents. Not… School Teachers." Jenny muttered. "We can't just… Abandon our jobs to take care of a kid."
"There is something called maternity leave." Jethro accidently let slip out of his mouth- causing Jenny to shoot him a scowl.
"What about when it gets older Jethro? When we work long hours and aren't home in time for dinner? What kind of a lifestyle is that?" Jenny tried to reason.
"We can make it work. You've seen hundreds of cases of parents working long hours." Jenny shook her head.
"Its not the same Jethro… Those parents have ordinary jobs."
"You call being deployed in the navy an ordinary job?" Jethro asked her, raising an eyebrow. Jenny bit the inside of her lip in frustration.
"I just don't think I'll be able to take care of it… I don't know how to be a… Mother." Jenny said sadly. Jethro nodded and looked out the window.
"You'll learn."
"What if I'm not good at it?"
"No such thing as a perfect parent Jen." Jethro said seriously. Jenny took the bowl of soup sitting on the table and took another sip at it. It was nice having something tasty in her stomach other than saltine crackers and ginger ale.
"June 10th." Jenny said simply. Jethro furrowed his brow. "Its when its due…" Jethro nodded and looked at a calendar hanging on the wall. So, she had gone to see a doctor. It was early November. Nearly half a year until his child would be born.
The phone rang in his pocket and Jethro took it out, looking at the caller ID. Dinozzo. He declined the call and slipped the phone back in his pocket. The investigation could wait. Jenny was more important. "I don't want you to be doing anything too strenuous." Jenny rolled her eyes.
"I'm the Director of a federal agency Jethro. I sit at a desk most of the day."
"That's my point. STOP coming to work so damn early and get some rest. It will help with the morning sickness." Jethro advised, leaning back in the seat. Jenny shot him a look.
"What makes you think that its going to help?" Jenny snarked. Jethro half smiled-half laughed. Then made eye contact with her tired green eyes.
"Sleep always helps Jen… Make the most of it while you can." Jenny nodded slowly and took a sip of warm soup on the spoon. As she swallowed, she could feel the heat travelling to her stomach. Jenny watched as Jethro stood up and walked to the window- he was reminiscing a memory of holding Kelly as a baby.
"Jethro…" He heard Jenny interrupt his thoughts. He turned around to see her looking at him with fear plastered all through her eyes. "There's always the chance I could miscarry…" She said lingering. Jethro nodded and turned back towards the window- sun streaming in.
"I know." He replied simply. Jenny gulped and took another sip of her soup. She just needed to put that out there. The last thing she needed was to tell Jethro 8 weeks into her pregnancy that their baby was dead- it was part of the reason that she didn't want him to know until at least the end of the first trimester. That's what her doctor recommended anyway…
"Don't… Tell anybody Jethro. It was a close call just today." Jenny warned. The man turned around and sat on the blanket next to her on the couch- placing his hands on his lap. Part of him wanted to shout from the rooftops that he'd be a dad again, but he knew what consequences that would have on his and Jenny's relationship. Not to mention his relationship with Hollis Mann.
"When should I?" She shrugged and placed the bowl of soup on the table and lay back against the arm of the chair- crossing her arms together.
"When things start getting obvious." Jenny said referring to her stomach. She lifted up the shirt she was wearing slightly- revealing the still very flat and pale tummy that she had. "I hope I don't get massive…" She said sombrely and Jethro couldn't help but laugh at her comment- knowing that she was gonna be super annoyed towards the end of the pregnancy.
"Ah…" Jethro said nonchalantly. "You'll be fine." Jenny exhaled a deep breathe and stared into his steel blue eyes. He seemed to be more understanding about the situation than she had expected. Calm was more the word that described him. "What?" Jethro asked when Jenny wouldn't look away.
She broke eye contact and shook her head. "I just never thanked you for today…" The man cocked his head towards her. "For being concerned… And having my back…" Jethro bounced his head from side to side and stood up- grabbing his coat from the coat hanger.
"You'll call me? When you need to talk?" Jenny nodded and pulled the blanket that he had been sitting on closer to her body.
"I'll be having an ultrasound in a couple weeks… You can come along if you want." Jenny stated with hope in her voice. Jethro nodded and walked towards the front door.
"Take care Jen." Then he was gone. Jenny brought a hand to her forehead and closed her eyes. What a whirlwind of a day. She herself still wasn't particularly bothered about keeping the baby, but she would for Jethro's sake… The last thing she needed was to lose the first man that she truly loved all because she got rid of his baby…