Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize. Except for the mistakes those are mine.
A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed and added the story as an alert, you just know how to make my day. This feels like a filler chapter – a way to get the story going. Angst isn't really my strong point – so bare with me it will get better.
Warning: -
Enjoy*
The streets of DC were quiet as they sped across the city. She didn't know where they were headed, Jethro had hardly said anything since he had made her get in the Dodge. She felt uneasy, things had been more serious than she had thought, and her naivete had cost Maverick his life. Shifting in her seat she brushed a lock of her dirty hair out of her face. She'd hoped that whatever her grandfather had been caught up in wouldn't come back to haunt her, but she had the feeling that this was simply the beginning.
The tires squealed as Jethro took a sharp turn. Jenny swallowed down the bile that rose in her throat, gripping the door handle tightly, she braced herself as they shot around yet another corner. Looking behind her she could see the familiar Ford Crown Vic's headlights tailing behind them. Turning back she kept her eyes on the road, hoping that it would calm her nerves enough for her to be able to get a grip and figure out what the hell was going on.
The Navy Yard came into view and Jethro was making no attempt at slowly down. She listened to the sequential click as he flashed the headlights, the boom gate opened just as they closed in, letting them through and into the deserted car park. Jenny glared at Jethro as he slammed on the brakes causing the car to skid the last distance.
Jenny grit her teeth as she toed off her heels and struggled out of the car. She hoisted herself out of the car, her glare darkening when Jethro tried to help her. "Don't touch me." She saw the irritation flash over his features before he masked it, his face neutral.
The Ford and another Dodge skidded to a stop next to them. The two agents she'd seen at the hotel headed straight for Jethro, clearly waiting for further instructions. Fornell stormed towards her, she scowled at him the moment he wanted to ask if she was okay. Out of the corner of her eyes she could see Melvin and Stanley.
Once Leon Vance had arrived she was ushered into the building. Ziva had given her a spare set of clothes and had taken her to the ladies locker room where she could at least wash off the dirt and grime that seemed to cling to everything. Reaching for the white towel she winced as pain shot through her body, the impact with which she and Jethro had hit ground had hurt. There were bruises on her hips and stomach from when Jethro had tackled her.
Wrapping the towel around her, she pulled the thin shower curtain back. She stilled for a moment when their eyes met, pushing her wet hair out of her face she tilted her chin up, feeling even more exposed under his watchful gaze. He pushed off the wall and walked towards her – his clothes were equally tattered, his cheek and ear scratched from where debris had hit him. He held out a hand, knowing she'd struggle to get out of the shower.
Jenny rolled her eyes and took the proffered hand, she grit her teeth as she tried to put weight on her sprained ankle. She knew from previous experience that it wasn't as bad as it looked since she could put some of her weight on it.
"There a reason you're in here with me?" Jenny asked as she sank down on the small bench gingerly.
"Wanted to make sure you were okay." Jethro answered gruffly as he watched droplets of water run down her neck and over her shoulders. He cleared his throat and met her emerald eyes again.
"I'm fine, now please leave." Jenny pursed her lips slightly in frustration as Jethro shook his head.
Squatting in front of her he placed a hand on her knee and looked her straight in the eye. "You were almost killed, it's okay to be scared." He could see her cheeks flush with anger and frustration. He didn't care that he was annoying her, they had narrowly escaped death and it was disconcerting that she was so calm. He would have expected this type of reaction from Ziva, but not Jenny.
"I don't get to be scared, Jethro!" Jenny snapped at him viciously, "A young man lost his life tonight because of me. And if you and Fornell so much as suggest I hide, I'll make sure both of you get benched."
"There's nothing you could have done, Jen. Protecting you was his job, and it is my job." Jethro lifted her chin, making her look at him, he could see her eyes shine with tears but she didn't let a single one slip. "You said you know why someone's after you, I need you to tell me."
Jenny chewed her lip, narrowing her eyes slightly she tucked another loose strand of hair behind her ear. Taking a deep breath she tightened the towel around her. She patted the open seat next to her for Jethro to take a seat.
"My grandfather, Seamus, was responsible for preventing what could have turned the Cold War into World War 3." Jenny took a deep breath, "When I took office, I read over the Operation report, I know about the missing military file. That file can pinpoint exactly where our nuclear weapons are. The other two agents were paid in diamonds and gold to deliver the file to the Bravta, but everything disappeared."
"That's why the Russians are after it. I guess since you're, not only Seamus' granddaughter, but also the Director of the FBI your rather valuable to them. But why bomb your car?" Jethro scrubbed a hand over his forehead.
"Maybe they wanted to take out my security team." Jenny said bitterly.
"Can we assume that Seamus knows where the file is, and the missing diamonds and gold?" Jethro looked over at Jenny, he could see her frown as she thought about what he asked, "What is it?"
"Seamus is old, Jethro, if we lead these bastards to him they'll kill him." Jenny looked at him with concern. She had a close relationship with her grandfather, he was the reason she had joined the Bureau. He stood for everything she ever wanted to be and the thought of losing him was devastating.
Jethro placed a hand on her knee again, squeezing gently. Looking at him she gave him an almost forced smile, "We probably have to get back to the others."
Jethro gave a sharp nod and left the locker room to give her some privacy. Closing the door behind him quietly he ran a hand through his hair, dislodging the pieces of dirt and leaves that were still in his hair. Taking a deep breath he heard the silent thump of shoes on the carpeted floors. Looking up he saw his senior field agent march around the corner. Jethro straightened as Tony slowed his pace, he knew he could trust him to get the job done.
Tony flung the backpack off his shoulder, holding it out towards his boss by its strap. He watched the older man give a nod and zip the black knapsack open. "You sure this is going to work, Boss?"
"It has to, DiNozzo." Jethro muttered as he pulled the small booklets out of the backpack, "McGee find these?"
Tony nodded in confirmation. Looking over his shoulder to make sure no one was watching he turned to look at Gibbs as he went through the rest of the backpack. He had followed strict instructions from Gibbs to collect the bag at one of their safe houses while McGee did as he had been told when he had arrived.
"You leave at twelve, you have two hours until then." Tony slipped his hands into his pockets. "We'll coordinate once you have the chance. Ziva's car is out back waiting for you."
Jethro zipped the bag up, clapping his agent on the shoulder, "That's good work, DiNozzo." Tony grinned a little proudly, nodding his head smugly.
The door swung open and Jenny hobbled out, her ripped dress bundled in her hands. She looked at the young man as he gave her a small smile. Jethro took the dress from her and propped it in the young man's hands, she looked at him confused for a moment until he slipped an arm around her waist.
"The cameras are down, they won't know which way you left." Tony looked between his boss and the Director, "Good luck."
"I can walk by myself." Jenny grumbled as Jethro started moving them along. "Jethro, what's going on, why are we running?"
Jethro ignored her, instead he pulled her closer against him and supported most of her weight. He nodded at Tony and careened them towards the end of the hall. He slung the backpack over his shoulder and pushed the stairwell door open, heading for the exit that led to the employe car park.
Jenny gripped Jethro's jacket tightly in her hand as they headed for the Mini, where Ziva was waiting for them. She missed half of what was going on around her as she was deposited in the passenger seat. She watched through the window as Ziva simply nodded at whatever Jethro had said and headed back to the large building.
In true Gibbs fashion, the small car's tires squealed as they headed for the exit. Jenny turned in her seat, looking at Jethro with narrowed eyes, "Mind telling me why we sneaked out the back door?"
Jethro growled quietly, trying to find the lever that moved the seat back. "I don't know who we can trust right now, Jen."
"Tobias is going to have a fit." Jenny muttered as she turned back in her seat.
"Tony will fill him in when the time's right." Jethro answered. He could hear the wheels turning in Jenny's head as she tried to figure out what was going on. It was the safest way he could think of to get away from everyone for time being while they tried and figured out where the bloody file was.
Jethro checked the rear view mirror methodically making sure no one was following them. He turned onto the posh residential street in Georgetown. He needed Jenny to pack a bag before they headed for the Air Force base. He grit his teeth when he felt the familiar nauseous feeling rising in his throat, he narrowed his eyes slightly, scanning the parked cars on the street as he slowed the Mini down.
"What is it?" Jenny whispered as she tried to see what it was that had caused him to stiffen.
"There's a car parked where your SUV usually sits." Jethro stopped, turning the headlights off.
"What's your gut telling you, Jethro?" Jenny asked as she watched him contemplate what to do.
Jethro turned towards her, his eyes boring into her, "I need you to tell me where Seamus is, Jen. If he can tell us where the missing file is, we can end this." reaching across he took her hand in his, "I need you to tell me the truth."
Jenny chewed her lip, she knew it would be easier for the two of them to get to the bottom of this than having two agencies fight over who had the lead. Running her fingers through her damp hair she looked between the mansion and the car parked right in front of it. She tightened her grip on Jethro's hand, nodding at him. "After he retired, Seamus moved to Ireland I haven't seen him in years, but I do know where he lives."
Jethro reached for the backpack he'd deposited in the backseat. Unzipping it he pulled out the burn phone McGee had thrown in the bag like instructed. He punched in the number and waited for it to start ringing.
The ringing stopped as he heard Tony answer it, "Yeah?"
"Change of plan, we're flying out to Lakenheath." Jethro ended the call and turned the phone off again.
He eyed the dark SUV again and decided against driving past it. Keeping the headlights off, he backed the car up right to where he had turned onto the street. They watched as the headlights of the SUV flicked on and pulled out of the space. Jethro gripped the steering wheel tighter, hoping Ziva's car had the ability to get them out of the way quick enough.
The SUV turned and they could see its taillights as it disappeared around the corner where the mansion sat. Jethro waited a few more minutes, trying to see if it was safe to head back to the house. He could feel Jenny bristle next to him, he knew the anticipation was nerve wrecking, but he felt uneasy.
Easing the car back into first, he crawled forward, keeping his eyes on the dark structure. He felt his stomach flip and he stopped the car.
"Jethro, if you feel something's wrong just turn the damn car around and lets get out of here." Jenny snapped tensely, his silence was driving her insane. Between him leaving her alone in the locker room and then meeting him again outside, things had changed drastically. They listened to the almost silent whirr of the small car's engine as they waited on the quiet street. The neighborhood seemed almost normal, as if nothing was amiss.
The blinding light reached them first, causing both of them to shield their eyes. They felt the small car vibrate as the shock wave and sound of the explosion traveled over them.
Jenny gasped, watching her Georgetown mansion go up in flames along with every other thing she held dear. She felt sick. Swallowing heavily she felt Jethro touch her hand again, offering silent comfort. She fought back against the tears. She knew she didn't have the time to see what was actually left of her belongings.
The car started moving again as Jethro reversed and turned down the street again. She didn't dare turn around to look as her house burned. She listened to the sirens as they roared in the distance, if Jethro hadn't felt uneasy they would have been caught in that explosion. Looking at him she could see the muscles in his jaw jump as he clenched his jaw in frustration. She placed her hand over his this time, silently thanking him.
It was impossible to miss the large cargo plane as they entered the Air Force base. Jenny frowned, she didn't even want to know how Jethro had managed to get them to sign off on something like this. Gritting her teeth she tried to gather some strength in order to get out of the car and hobble all the way towards the plane.
She could hear the planes engines running as Jethro opened his door. He looked at her for a moment and she wondered what it was that he saw. Swallowing, Jenny opened her door and lifted herself out of the car. She didn't know where Ziva had found the spare set of trainers, but their tight fit was helping her to walk in a way that looked as if it could be normal.
Jethro was by her side, already wrapping an arm around her waist. She'd never admit it, but she was thankful that he was at least helping her get into the plane. It was hard to hear anything over the running blades of the plane, she decided to ask where the second backpack had come from once they were settled. Looking over her shoulder she could just make out Jethro's team in one of the large hangars. She smiled to herself despite everything that had happened – she felt at ease knowing she had them on her side.
"Special Agent Gibbs, Director Shepard. Glad you could make it, we're about to take off!" The young marine looked between them with a crooked smile.
"Where are you boys headed?!" Jethro asked over the noise, raising an eyebrow at the young man.
"Afghanistan, with a stopover at Lakenheath!" The marine nodded at Jethro and motioned for the rear hatch to be closed.
Jethro rested his head against the bright red straps that made up his seat. He could feel the various parts of his body scream in pain as the plane occasionally jolted. He'd only realized halfway through the rush to get Jenny to NCIS Headquarters, that during their plummet to the ground he had manged to have a piece of wood to be wedged underneath one of his fingernails.
Looking at his watch he groaned. They'd only been in the air for about an hour and they had another six or seven hours ahead of them. He heard a muttered curse and allowed himself to smile. He'd sent Jenny to change out of the NCIS issued sweatshirt so she could change into one of the polo shirts he had stashed in his sea-bag. He knew that by the time they had managed to make it to Ireland they would be considered, either fugitives or they'd accuse him of kidnapping the Director of the FBI.
He knew his team would be able to handle the fire once everyone else realized they had fled the country. Jethro cleared his throat and rolled his head from side to side trying to release some of the tension in his muscles. There was another curse from somewhere behind the crates that were being sent to Afghanistan.
Jethro unbuckled the various belts keeping him in place, pushing himself to his feet, he made his way to where he had seen Jenny disappear behind the crates. He grabbed the belts that kept the crates in place as they hit even more turbulence.
"Jen! You need help?!" Jethro bellowed.
"I'm fine!" Jenny called back.
Jethro threw caution to the wind and looked around the crate, only to find Jenny seated on the floor, her cheeks flushed and the look in her eyes murderous. Reaching out a hand he helped her to her feet. He heard her mumble to herself as he ushered her back to their seats.
Jethro pulled one of the backpacks towards him. He pulled Jenny's leg onto his lap, pulling off the shoe and sock and depositing it next to him. He prodded the light bruising and could hear her hiss despite the loud roar of the engines. Applying more pressure to the swelling he felt her grip his bicep, her nails digging into his flesh. Watching her out of the corner of his eyes he could see the tears as she fought against the pain.
"Ow," Jenny ground out as Jethro applied more pressure, "Jethro! Ow!"
Rummaging around in the backpack, Jethro pulled a roll of compression wrap out of the backpack. Jenny retracted her nails out of his skin once he'd successfully wrapped her ankle. Once he had slipped her sock and shoe back on he let her take her foot of his lap.
"Where did you learn to do that?" Jenny asked as she tied her shoe.
"Back when I was in the Core, the new kids used to sprain their ankles all the time because of the terrain." Jethro gave her the hint of a smile before he buckled himself in the flimsy seat.
They fell silent after that, each trying to figure a way through all the mess. They wouldn't know more until they spoke to Seamus. Jenny rubbed her eye gently, she couldn't even remember the last time she had even spoken to her grandfather. The old man was even worse than her father when it came to staying in touch, ever since he had moved to Ireland she heard from him maybe once a year. The last she'd heard, the Colonel had told her that Seamus was apparently exploring their Irish heritage. She smiled softly, the red hair and green eyes had been passed down from her grandfather to the Colonel and then finally to her.
Taking a deep breath she watched Jethro shift around as he closed his eyes. Ever since she had learned about his family the day before, she couldn't help but feel guilty in a way. He had done everything in his power to keep her safe, and she had wondered if he occasionally wished he could have done more when his family had been murdered.
Pulling the navy blue hoodie over her head, she settled in her own uncomfortable seat. Moving around restlessly, she shifted until she could rest her head on Jethro's shoulder. She felt him move as he lifted his head.
"Jen," He started, but she held up a finger.
"Given the fact that you tackled me to the ground, and that you subjected me to endure a painful massage. The least you can do is let me use your shoulder as a pillow." Jenny glared at him before resting her head against his shoulder again.
Jethro shook his head, waiting for her to settled once more. He'd probably never tell her, but he didn't mind her this close to him.
The five hour flight had felt like a ten hour flight. They had flown straight through a storm which had made it next to impossible to sleep. Jenny checked Jethro's watch as his hand rested on his thigh, they had another forty minutes left and she couldn't wish for the plane to land sooner. She had been deprived from whatever form of sleep she had hoped of getting. Unlike Jethro, she couldn't fall asleep on a whim on a cargo plane. She could have sworn he had snored but she couldn't actually be sure due to the noise.
The young marine who had escorted them onto the plane appeared from behind the massive crates. "We'll be landing in ten minutes!" Giving Jenny a friendly smile he disappeared behind the crates again.
Jenny squeezed her eyes shut, her nails digging into her thighs. Flying didn't bother her, but the landing part always got to her for some reason. She felt her heart stop as the plane jolted a few times before it finally touched down. Cracking an eye open she could just make out Jethro's crooked grin. She rolled her eyes and started unbuckling her belt.
The rear hatch opened slowly, revealing the RAF base.
Jethro slung the heaviest backpack over his shoulder, holding the other for Jenny so she could slip it onto her shoulders. He hesitated in helping her across the tarmac, knowing she'd find a way to hurt him once she had a chance. They didn't have much time, they only had a limited time frame to get out of the military base before their contact's shift ended.
He could see the small gate they had to escape through was unattended and he knew their window of opportunity was closing in on them. Ignoring Jenny's warning look he slipped his arm around her waist and started moving them along quicker.
"When all this is over, we're going to find ourselves in a federal prison." Jenny muttered as she tried to keep up with Jethro. "I hope you have a plan, because I don't look very good in orange."
Jethro rolled his eyes. Slowing his pace he looked around the airfield, trying to see if someone was watching them. He could see the red light on top of the fence blink, indicating that once they opened the gate the alarms would start going off. He grit his teeth as he tried to think of something else.
"Jethro,"
"Yeah?" He turned to look at Jenny, he saw her point at the red light. It had stopped blinking and he knew someone had turned it off for them to slip out. Nodding he motioned for her to open the gate.
They had managed to get out and disappear into the small plantation of trees before anyone could see them. Jethro looked over his shoulder, making sure they were still not being followed. The first order of business was to get into the small village and then finding a way to get from Lakenheath to Ireland without being traceable.
"You still okay?" Jethro asked as he saw Jenny wince again.
"Fine." She ground between clenched teeth. The uneven ground was making it difficult to walk and since everything ached she wasn't sure which part of her hurt the most. She stopped for a moment, looking around the open field they had stumbled across.
Tilting her head back she let the warm sun heat her skin. She listened to the songbirds as they sang somewhere in the trees. The gentle touch to her lower back had her opening her eyes, giving Jethro a tight smile she started walking again, knowing they didn't really have the time to luxuriate the moment of silence.
Jethro grit his teeth as he helped Jenny up the small hill, his knee was killing him and so was his finger. He breathed a sigh of relief as they looked down the road, the small village off in the distance. Adjusting his backpack he looked over at Jenny – her cheeks were flushed from exertion, she was probably fitter than him but the sprained ankle was holding her back.
"We have about two maybe three miles to go, you up for it?" Jethro narrowed his eyes slightly, trying to keep the early afternoon sun out of his eyes.
"I don't really have much of a choice, do I?" Jenny said breathlessly as she looked up at Jethro, when he shook his head she laughed slightly. Looking at him from head to toe she tried to hide her laugh, "It looks like you narrowly escaped a murderous bride."
Jethro snorted, "Not really."
"Diane, right? She hit you over the head with what was it, a tire iron?"
"Tire iron?" Jethro looked at her confused, "Fornell." he growled. Running a hand through his hair, he touched the large scar gingerly, "Was a seven iron."
"You must have really pissed her off then." Jenny laughed as she watched Jethro touch his head again. Jethro growled at her and took her arm gently as they started down the road again.
Jenny grumbled in frustration as she tried to get the pair of jeans on. She huffed and dropped to the floor pulling the jeans over her feet and up over he calves. Struggling to her feet she pulled the jeans all the way up and finally buttoned them.
"You okay?"
Jenny jumped and stumbled slightly until she propped herself against the wall, a dark glare directed towards Jethro. Wrapping her arms around her naked torso she turned her chin up slightly, "Bloody hell, Jethro." the look in her eyes hardened when he smirked.
Pulling the long sleeved t-shirt over her head, she slipped her trainers back on and struggled out of the small changing booth. Looking at her t-shirt and then at Jethro's she raised an eyebrow, "It's kinda obvious where we've been."
Jethro simply shrugged, the last thing he worried about was the RAF Lakenheath lettering on their t-shirts. They made their way out of the small shop, thanking the old lady behind the counter as she waved goodbye.
"What now?" Jenny asked as she looked down the small street.
"Our train leaves in an hour." Jethro answered as he steered her down the street. He placed a hand on her hip and dropped his head so his lips pressed right against her ear. "I didn't mean to bruise you." He'd seen the bruises when she had struggled to get her shirt over her head, and he felt bad for hurting her.
"It's nothing, Jethro." She smiled at him and pulled him along towards the train station.
Jenny folded the hoodie neatly, Jethro had made her throw away everything she had worn except his hoodie, placing the hoodie in the backpack she had ended up with she relaxed back in her seat.
They had swapped trains again and they were on their way to Holyhead. Sighing she rested her head against the window, watching everything fly past them. All she could see was her car bursting into flames with Maverick still inside. She felt horrible knowing that she wouldn't be able to give her condolences in person to his family. She cleared her throat softly and wiped the few tears away.
The gentle hand on her thigh drew her out of her thoughts. Looking over at Jethro he frowned and shrugged his shoulders, silently asking if she was okay. It wasn't long before he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her to him.
"We'll finish this, Jen." Jethro promised quietly.
"You know," Jenny settled against him more comfortably, "we're both going to lose our jobs because of this."
Jethro laughed softly, not answering her. He hadn't really thought about all the repercussions that would follow, his only concern was getting Jenny out of harms way and then to try and figure out where the military file had gone. His gut was churning uncontrollably, there had to be more players than just the Russians. What bothered him was the fact that Jenny's house had been blown up, it meant they were looking for something else and couldn't find it.
The fact that everything had started the moment they had busted the weapons ring on Quantico, only told him one thing. There was someone hiding in plain sight, and if he managed to get his hands on that bastard's neck he'd break it.
"Jen," Jethro grumbled in her ear, "your parents, are they safe?"
Jenny laughed sleepily, nodding her head, "Yeah, they'll be fine. Besides, my dad will probably shoot them before they stepped foot on his ranch."
"Sounds like my kinda guy." Jethro said with a slight chuckle, he could now see where Jenny got her need to shoot anyone who didn't want to play ball with her.
Jenny smiled, her eyes firmly shut, "Yeah, he'd like you too."
Jethro rested his head against the headrest. They had at least five hours before they had to get off and get the earliest ferry to Ireland. He wasn't sure how well the Attorney General was taking the fact that he had kidnapped the Director of the FBI and was currently traveling across England with her. By this time his team would have told Fornell, he had about another day before everyone started looking for them.
They had missed the ferry by the time their train arrived in Holyhead. Jenny sighed as she leaned against the wall, watching Jethro grumble under his breath. She had hardly closed her eyes on the train before a couple had joined them, trying to make conversation, even Jethro's glaring couldn't deter them from striking up a conversation.
The colder European weather wasn't doing much for her sore ankle, the muscles were stiff and she doubted she'd be able to get away if they got in trouble. Jenny pushed away from the wall as Jethro trudged back towards her, the dark look on his face told her that they didn't have any luck in finding a ferry leaving for Ireland. She looped her arm with Jethro's, for once not fighting him as he helped her.
"I saw a motel on our way here, thought maybe we'd crash here for the night and get the first ferry out tomorrow morning." Jethro growled as they made their way down the sidewalk. He winced when Jenny dug her nails into his hand, he heard her quite groan of pain and he knew that she wouldn't be arguing about taking a break from traveling.
"Best idea I've heard so far." Jenny gave him a pained smile as they trudged towards their overnight stop.
The motel was far from competing with the Ritz Carlton, but it had running hot water and a bed – more than she could actually ask for. Jenny moaned in appreciation as she relaxed on the bed, Jethro had excused himself so he could take a shower since he was still dirty from diving her into the shrubbery. She waited for the water to start running before pulling Jethro's backpack towards her.
She knew the one she had been tasked with carrying had a few sets of spare clothing in it – making it easier for them to blend in amongst everyone else. Zipping the backpack open, her eyes grew wide.
There were at least seven sets of passports for different nationalities. There was no doubt that Jethro's team had managed to pull all this together with in a matter of an hour and a half. Placing the passports back inside she dug a little deeper. Her hand stilled for a moment, clutching everything in one hand she pulled it out.
There was everything from America Dollars to Russian Rubli. Placing the money back in the backpack she zipped it up and placed it at the foot of the bed again. Toeing off her trainers she stretched out on the bed, closing her eyes she listened to the muffled hiss of the shower.
It wasn't long when she heard the water stop and the door to the tiny bathroom swing open. Lifting her head she watched him move around quietly, his hair still dripping wet as he tugged at his t-shirt. Pushing herself up she leaned against the headboard, watching him taking a seat on the corner of the bed she gave him a tired smile. Patting the spot next to her she motioned for him to sit next to her.
Jethro shifted until he was propped up next to her. He felt the tenseness in his body slowly start to fade as he relaxed. He felt her shift next to him and he cracked an eye open, trying to see what she was doing.
"Jen," He growled at her, "stop movin' around."
Jenny rolled her eyes and flopped down next to him, her head resting on one of the pillows. She twisted her hand in the hem of her shirt, knotting the clothing around her fingers in thought. She could feel the heat from where his shoulder pressed against hers.
"Jethro," Jenny whispered, she heard him grunt. "thank you for saving my life, again." It was quiet for a moment and she hoped that he had fallen asleep.
"Was just doin' my job, Jen." Jethro murmured.
"Of course." Jenny said quietly. She frowned at the sense of disappointment that flooded her. Maybe spending the entire week with him had given her some – strangely altered Stockholm Syndrome – effect. Even after they had parted ways, and she'd heard from various sources that he had married someone some odd months later, she always thought that maybe there could have been something.
She shook her head, she was being childish – acting like a teenaged girl with a crush. They were adults and even though the attraction felt one sided on occasions, it shouldn't be something that could ruin their friendship. Taking a deep breath she closed her eyes.
The warm callused hand covering hers made her eyes snap open, staring up into a pair of crystal blue orbs. "What's wrong, do we need to leave?"
Jethro snorted and shook his head. Turning on his side he pushed a lock of hair out of her face, watching her green eyes darken to that smoldering green he liked so much. He cupped her cheek in his hand, stroking the soft skin of her cheek. "It wasn't just my job."
Jenny gave him the hint of a smile, she knew that it was the only thing he'd say, the only thing that would explain that spending time together again had reminded him of the kind of relationship they'd had back in the day.
Jethro leaned down further. He had wanted to do this since the moment he'd seen her again after twelve years, and he'd wanted to kiss her again when he had seen her flustered and confused after her car had exploded – even if it was just to remind him that she was alive. Pressing his lips against hers he allowed his eyes to slide shut. He felt her hands on the nape of his neck, stroking the short hair.
Jenny rested her fingers on the back of his head, pulling him almost on top of her. He ran the tip of his tongue over her lips, she waited for him to do it again. Having him kiss her now – years later – there was no doubt in her mind that the attraction that had been between them had blossomed even more after all these years. If she were honest, she had wanted him to kiss her ever since that night he had pinned her against the cold brick wall in that alley.
Allowing herself to relax and tune out the silent voice that told her this was unethical – she wrapped her arms around his neck. She felt his strong hand skirt around the edge of her shirt as he wormed his hand underneath. He was warmer than usual, thanks to the hot shower he'd taken – he nipped her bottom lip and she moaned softly.
Jethro tightened his grip on Jenny's hip as he felt her part her lips – his fingers digging into her flesh.
"Ow." Jenny winced slightly as Jethro dug his fingers in her bruised sides.
Jethro pulled away instantly, his face set in a hard scowl. He rolled onto his back, glaring at the ceiling, scrubbing a hand over his face he swung his legs off of the side of the bed. Squeezing his eyes shut, he fought down the sudden rush of nausea that overcame him.
"Jethro," Jenny placed a hand on his back, feeling the muscles tense. "it's okay."
"You hungry?" He didn't meet her gaze as he rummaged through his backpack.
"I guess." Jenny frowned as she watched Jethro pull his boots on. He simply nodded and pulled his hoodie over his head. Watching him slip out the door she dropped back on the bed, taking a deep breath as she looked up at the ceiling, wondering what the hell had just happened.
The rain pattered against the window of the restaurant they were in. She watched the people dart across the street, trying to get away from the sudden down pour that had set out over the city. She could see why Seamus moved here, the weather was as unpredictable as him. Sipping her coffee she turned back to her breakfast, she wasn't exactly sure where Jethro had disappeared to but he'd left almost more than half an hour ago. He'd been in a bad mood ever since they'd woken up in that cheap hotel room they had managed to find, since they had missed the ferry.
He had insisted that he take the couch and she hadn't argued, he'd been grouchy ever since he had returned from finding them something edible. She knew he was worried, and so was she, they weren't sure whether the Russians had caught on or not. Taking a bite from her toast she jumped when a hand clamped down on her shoulder.
Jethro smirked as he took his seat, his breakfast long since finished. He handed the plastic bag over, nodding for Jenny to open it. He'd taken the liberty of finding her a warm jacket as well as a set of hiking boots that looked far better than the set of off white trainers she still had on.
"Not exactly a pair of Louis Vuitton's, but I guess they'll have to do." Jenny smirked as she looked the boots over.
Jethro shrugged his shoulders, he didn't know what exactly she was on about, but if he could guess it was probably heels. "You know where your grandfather lives?"
"No, I let us come here because I felt like seeing the city." Jenny answered sarcastically.
Jethro bit his tongue, ignoring her snide comment. The last thing he wanted was to attract unwanted attention to them. He knew that she was as frustrated as him, they had been going along blind since the moment they had stepped off of the plane. He hadn't checked in with his team as of yet, he knew that Fornell would track them the moment they made contact and he couldn't risk the Russians finding them as well. His team would find a way to make contact that much he knew.
"He lives somewhere in the city, I have the address." Jenny looked up from finishing her coffee. "Jethro, I'm so-"
"It's fine, Jen." Jethro interrupted.
"No, Jethro, it isn't." Jenny pushed her hair out of her face, "If it hadn't been for you, I probably wouldn't be here right now."
"Jen," Jethro placed his cup on the table, looking her straight in the eye, "you have to let it go. Maverick died doing his job, you can't beat yourself up over it."
"Jethro, he was only a kid." Jenny bit at him, "No one should die that young."
"You think I don't know that." Jethro growled at her, his eyes clouding over and his cheeks flushing with anger.
Jenny sat back, silently berating herself for what she had just said. For a moment she'd forgotten that he had lost his child, if anything he had more compassion towards Maverick's family than she did. She watched him try and mask the pain he had let slip, she could see that he was still raw and she doubted he would ever be able to move on from losing his daughter.
The look in his eyes were cold and guarded as he turned back from staring out of the window. Diverting her gaze, Jenny hoisted herself out of the old wooden chair, the cold weather wasn't doing much for her ankle. She hadn't meant to pick at his raw wounds, but losing Maverick had opened her eyes and she was dead set on getting revenge for him.
Pushing the door open she smiled at the little girl that rushed past her, trying to get out of the rain, her mother following close behind her. Standing under the small canopy, she took a deep breath trying to calm herself down. He reminded her of the Colonel, both of them had the same hard ass attitude towards showing even a hint of being hurt. Wrapping her arms around herself she tried to keep herself warm, she was regretting leaving her jacket inside, but she was too pissed at Jethro to go back in.
Jethro leaned against the counter while he waited for his change, watching Jenny through the window as she shivered. He shook his head, he hadn't meant to snap at her, but over the years it had become a reflex. Every woman who had known about his family always made an issue about him holding on to them. What she had said about Maverick had dredged up all the pain he felt over losing Kelly.
Grabbing the change off of the counter, he joined Jenny outside. Holding out the jacket towards her, he frowned when she refused to meet his gaze. He hailed one of the passing taxi's and steered Jenny towards it. Jethro listened to Jenny as she gave the driver the address, not missing the slightly guarded tone.
They trudged up the small driveway, Jenny clenched her fists against the sudden wave of excitement. Stepping onto the small front porch, she knocked and waited. She could feel Jethro almost pressed right against her, the heat of his body sending a slight shiver through her.
There was a curse from the other side of the door before she heard Seamus shout that he'd be with them in a second. Jenny looked over her shoulder, giving Jethro a slight smile, she bit her lips when he placed a hand on her lower back. The lock on the door turned.
Seamus glared at whoever had decided to bother him, he wasn't fond of people showing up at his door without calling first. The dark look quickly faded when he stared into a pair of identical green eyes. He opened his arms towards the woman, giving her a warm smile.
"Jenny." Seamus whispered quietly as he wrapped his arms around her, giving her a tight hug.
"Seamus," Jenny squeezed her eyes shut against the flood of emotion, "I missed you so much."
Seamus pulled away, resting a hand on her cheek. "I was wondering when I'd be seeing you." He smiled at his granddaughter's confused look and scrunched his nose at her. He turned a glare on the man behind Jenny, he wasn't too fond of strangers, in his experience they either wanted something or wanted to kill him. "Who's he?"
"Leroy Jethro Gibbs." Jethro answered, holding out a hand for the older man to shake.
Seamus raised an eyebrow, looking the man over, ignoring the hand he stepped aside and let them inside. He scanned the quiet street, trying to see if there was anything suspicious. Closing the door he locked it again and directed Jenny towards the living room. Running a hand through his white hair he eyed the man as he took a seat next to his granddaughter. He wondered if it was the same man she had told him about all those years ago when she had been sent to Paris. Regardless, he'd kill whoever broke his little Jenny's heart.
"How did you know we'd be here?" Jenny asked as she relaxed further on the couch. She smirked when she saw her grandfather glare at Jethro as he plopped everything at his feet. She knew the old man wasn't fond of strangers and that he half expected everyone wanted to kill him.
"I might have retired, but I still know what's going on." Seamus smiled at Jenny as he took a seat in his recliner. "Did you get your flowers when you were promoted?"
"Yes, I did, thank you." Jenny smiled at her grandfather.
"Word has it that you kidnapped my granddaughter." Seamus turned towards Jethro, the friendliness seeping out of his voice as he watched the younger man simply stare at him.
Jethro shrugged his shoulders, he didn't doubt that it was the FBI's excuse for having a missing Director for the second time. "If it means she's safe." He answered gruffly, watching the old man narrow one eye as he listened to what he had to say.
Seamus simply grunted, he didn't know if he could trust this Leroy fella. Turning back to Jenny he caught her looking at the man next to her and he could see the admiration she had towards him. Waiting for her to look at him he raised an eyebrow at her, "So what is it that brings you to this part of the world?"
"I think you know exactly what brought us here." Jenny smirked as he grandfather scowled at her.
"Yes, well I can't say that I'm surprised. I had just hoped it would happen before you became the Director." Seamus scrubbed a hand over his face. "How much do the two of you know about what happened?"
"I read the report, but there's a lot of thing that don't make sense, things I think you left out on purpose." Jenny noticed her grandfather stiffen slightly.
Seamus cleared his throat, "I take it they are after the file?"
"Maybe not just the file." Jethro interjected, earning himself a glare.
"Back in the 60's espionage and communism was threatening to take over everything. As I'm sure you know, everyone fought for what they believed in. A lot of countries in Europe were still trying to recover from World War Two, which made it the perfect setting for us to infiltrate, no one would suspect us."
Seamus wrinkled his nose slightly, "We were stationed in Paris, Marseille – almost all over France and the world. Weapons trade was at an all time high and we were tasked with intercepting everything while the CIA tried fighting communism. Little did I know that I had two double agents working with me."
"Did they steal the file?" Jenny asked as she sat forward.
"There was someone inside the Pentagon who had leaked information to the two agents. The file had gone missing and they tried finding their leak there, I overheard the two agents conversation one night and I had managed to intercept the deal. By then they had already sold a lot of information to the Russians – through the Bravta no less."
"Where's everything now?" Jethro asked tensely as he listened to Seamus.
"Now that I can't tell you." Seamus smiled at the two young people in front of him.
"Why not?" Jenny frowned at her grandfather, taken aback by his lack of trust.
"Whatever the two of you are up two, if they find you I can't have the two of you spilling everything." Seamus looked at them seriously, "It doesn't mean I won't help you."
Seamus struggled forward in his chair before managing to get to his feet. He reached out to take Jethro's arm that he offered, the cold weather and his joints weren't working well together. Placing a hand on Jenny's shoulder he walked with her down the small hall, to the tiny makeshift office he had set up when he had moved to Ireland.
He grumbled as he squeezed in behind the large desk. He felt in his breast pocket for his glasses and placed them almost on the tip of his nose. He raised an eyebrow, trying to remember the combination to the safe, there were so many things with passwords these days that he could hardly remember all of them. Looking at Jenny for a moment he finally remembered what it was.
The old safe made a loud clunk!, as Seamus opened it. Jenny listened to her grandfather mutter incoherently as he sorted through everything inside the safe. Looking over at Jethro she smiled at him, she could see that he was in pain, she'd caught him rubbing his knee a number of times when he thought she wasn't looking.
"Here it is." Seamus grinned at them and took the small velvet bag out of the safe. Closing it again he handed the small bag over to Jenny.
Jethro stepped closer, looking over Jenny's shoulder as she loosened the top of the small bag. Both his eyebrows shot to his hairline when he stared down at the neatly cut diamond nestled in its soft black velvet surroundings.
Jenny gaped at her grandfather, "Where did you get this?"
"That is the least of your worries. What's important is that it will help you in the future. Now, who want's some tea?"
Jethro groaned quietly as he relaxed on the tiny double bed, it was far better than the hard couch he'd crashed on the previous night, despite the fact that his feet were hanging over the edge. He'd excused himself a few hours ago, giving Jenny and her grandfather some time to catch up, while he tried to think of what the hell the old man was keeping from them.
Seamus hadn't said much since he'd given them a simple diamond. He didn't know whether it was that the old man didn't trust him or if he had simply lost his marbles. He was at a loss, he didn't know where they had to go from here. With the old man not saying much, they were worse off than when they had started. He was hoping that Jenny would be able to get her grandfather to tell her more.
There was a soft creak outside his room when the door suddenly swung open, revealing the redhead. Jethro pushed himself up, watching her saunter into the room. She took a seat in front of him, her green eyes hazy with sleep.
"What's next, Jen?" Jethro asked quietly.
"I don't know, Jethro. Seamus, he's old, I don't think he actually remembers all that much."
Jethro dropped his head against the wall looking at the ceiling. He felt the bed dip and the warmth of her body brush against him as she moved to sit next to him. His head lolled to the side, looking at her as she rested her head next to his.
"He said something about, 'Find where it overlooks the Bonne Mère.', I know it's french but what does it mean?" Jenny sighed softly, laughing when Jethro just gave her a blank look. She knew he didn't really speak french.
"So we have to go to France." Jethro stated, pursing his lips slightly.
Jenny nodded and rested her head on his shoulder. She sighed softly, she felt him turn to look at her. Lifting her head she looked at him with a small smile. Leaning closer to him she placed a soft kiss to his cheek, "Sorry for what I said in the restaurant."
"Never apologize-"
"It's a sign of weakness." Jenny finished for him with a laugh.
Jethro smirked at her, he twirled a loose tendril of hair around his finger before tucking it behind her ear. Slipping his fingers in her hair, he pulled her closer, he heard her breathing hitch slightly. He watched her eyes flutter closed and he allowed his to do the same.
"Whoa, there stud." Seamus grumbled from the door. Jenny groaned and pulled away from Jethro.
"Now the next ferry leaves at about three, I suggest you two better get going." Seamus smirked as he made his way down the stairs to the kitchen.
He'd seen the attraction between the two of them, but he wasn't a fan of someone canoodling in his house. The last time that had happened Jenny had arrived nine months later, surprising both her then teenage parents. He waited patiently for them to find their way downstairs and in to the kitchen.
They both sauntered around the corner, looking a little better than when they had first arrived. Seamus motioned for them to follow him. He led them into the garage where their transportation waited for them. He held out the keys to the brand new black Range Rover for Jethro to take, giving the man a smug smile.
"You take care of my little Jenny, otherwise, I'll break your knees." Seamus warned.
Jenny rolled her eyes as her grandfather ushered her to the passenger side. Opening the door for her she climbed into the luxurious interior. "You don't have to do this."
"It's the least I can do." Seamus smiled at her and placed a soft kiss to her forehead, "Just follow the clues, sweetheart."
"Keep safe, Seamus." Jenny whispered. Seamus nodded and closed her door.
Jethro started the large supercharged eight cylinder engine, a small smile curling his lips as he listened to the powerful purr. He watched as Jenny waved goodbye before backing out of the garage. Their ferry would be leaving at three and they couldn't afford to miss it, or stay in the same place for more than a day.
He took Jenny's hand in his and lifted it to his lips. There was more at stake here for her than there was for him, but he'd be damned if he let anything happen.
The silence was deafening, despite the fact that it was something he had come to appreciate. Ducky pushed his glasses further up his nose and pulled his latex gloves on. Even with the agency turned on its head his work didn't stop. Moseying toward the table where his newest visitor lay, "Right, Mister Palmer, you can make the 'Y' incision."
"Are you sure, Doctor?" Jimmy looked at the old M.E. excitedly as he took the scalpel from the tray.
"Yes, Mister Palmer, now get a move on, Agent Balboa will be down soon." Ducky watched as Jimmy carefully started making the incision.
The doors swooshed open followed immediately by frantic footsteps clomping into autopsy. Ducky sighed, looking up he saw young Abigail look at him worriedly. He wasn't sure if he would be able to quell her fears over Jethro simply disappearing without a word, and with the Director of the FBI none the less. Motioning for Jimmy to continue he took off his mask and ushered Abby to his desk.
"My dear, I really have nothing more to tell you." Ducky placed a comforting hand on her shoulder as she sat down in his chair.
"Oh Duck-man, that's not why I'm here. Tony sent me a text telling me to meet him in autopsy." Abby smiled halfheartedly.
"Oh, I wasn't aware this was a conference room." Ducky grumbled under his breath. He had work to do, he didn't have time to listen to everyone bicker amongst each other. "If you'll excuse me my dear." Ducky touched Abby's cheek softly before joining Jimmy at the silver table again.
The doors swooshed open once.
Ziva stormed into the cold room, her dark eyes narrowed as she waited for her partner to prance in behind her. She heard the irritated grumbled and then his designer shoes squeaking softly as he stormed in right behind her.
"You need anger management." Tony snapped as he tugged on his tie to straighten it. Buttoning his jacket he yelped softly when Ziva spun on her heel and glared at him.
"Then don't touch my things." Ziva snapped irately.
"I'm team leader, I can touch what I want." Tony retorted.
Ducky rolled his eyes, he didn't have time for this. Dropping the scalpel on the metal table, he pulled the latex gloves off his hands and marched to where the two agents were bickering. Moving quickly, he slapped the both of them on the back of the head – effectively shutting the both of them up.
"Anthony, may I remind you that while you are in charge you are not Jethro, therefor I would appreciate it if you didn't tell the whole of NCIS to gather in my autopsy room." Ducky snapped at the young Italian, glaring at him as well for good measure.
"Whoa, Ducky, I thought the duckpond would be the safest place to talk about our ever elusive boss." Tony took a step back. Everyone was on his back about Gibbs and Jenny Shepard just simply disappearing. Under his boss' instructions he should have told Tobias by now that they were safe but up until he was sure they were, he wasn't going to tell anyone anything.
"Why didn't you just say so?" Ducky relaxed marginally.
"You didn't actually give me a chance." Tony gave Ducky a bright smile.
The doors swooshed open yet again, revealing a frazzled McGee. Tim glared at Tony as he thumped into autopsy, spotting Abby he moved towards her instead. "This better be good, DiNozzo." He had spent the last two days tracking Gibbs' phone, when he knew all too well that his boss' phone was somewhere in the Potomac river, he'd dumped it there per Gibbs' instructions – but Vance had insisted he run a trace.
"Okay, McGrouch, why don't you just calm down okay." Tony gave Tim a nasty look.
"Anthony, why don't you just tell us why we are here?" Ducky glared at the young man, he really didn't know how Jethro coped with having to listen to them constantly arguing.
Tony ran a hand through his hair, trying to sort through everything. He along with everyone else had spent the last two days – either avoiding everyone, or lying through their teeth about Gibbs' whereabouts. The FBI was running around aimlessly, trying to find their Director – and the fact that her posh Georgetown house had blown up wasn't really helping their case.
Vance had already interrogated everyone, when he didn't find any information from one of them – he'd placed them on desk duty until Gibbs and the Director popped up somewhere. The truth was, he was worried and he knew everyone else was as well. Gibbs was supposed to check in the moment they had landed and he hadn't.
"I'm worried about Gibbs. It's been two days and there's been no word of where they are." Tony said tensely.
"Come on, Tony. When was the last time Gibbs did what he said he would?" McGee looked at his friend with a raised brow.
"Bite you tongue, Timmy." Abby snapped next to him, her olive green eyes swimming in tears, "Gibbs always does as he says, you just have to be patient."
"I agree with Abby. If Gibbs wanted us to find him he would have made contact by now." Ziva looked over at her partner. She knew he was stressed, if everything backfired he'd be the first one in the line of fire.
Tony grit his teeth shaking his head at all of them. "I don't care, okay. Gibbs needs backup whether he likes it or not. If you lot don't want to help me then I'll do this by myself."
Ziva rolled her eyes, her argument from earlier slowly crumbling. She knew almost better than anyone that it was only a matter of time before the Russians caught on, from what she could gather from what Gibbs had told them, they'd stop it nothing to get Jenny Shepard. "I'll go with you."
Tony nodded his head, giving her a slight smile. Looking at the other two he watched them looka t each other and then nod in silent agreement between the two of them.
"We'll stay here, check everything from airports to train stations for any sign of them. We'll start in Lakenheath and work from there." Abby smiled at Tony.
"We'll catch the earliest flight out, from there you two have to guide us."
The doors swooshed open and they all spun around. Tony grit his teeth, mustering up his best glare in order to intimidate the man in front of him. He doubted that he was doing a very good job since the man simply glared back at him.
"That's very good, DiNutso, just be sure to keep me in the loop." Fornell smiled at the young Italian.
Tony's scowl darkened. "I can't do that, Fornell. You couldn't keep the Director safe why should we help you?"
"I've been keeping the Attorney General at bay for the last two days. If I hadn't been doing that, Gibbs' face would be plastered all over international news." Tobias growled at Tony, giving him a condescending look.
"He's already been accused of kidnapping the Director amongst the agencies, it's just a matter of time before you Bureau boys run to ZNN with this." Tony squared his shoulders, taking a step towards Fornell.
"He dug his own hole." Tobias growled at the young Italian.
Tony placed a hand on the back of his neck, scratching thoughtfully. If Gibbs was all over the news the Russians would find him without much trouble. "I guess we could help you, help us." Tony answered after a moment.
Fornell nodded and left them all in autopsy. Tony frowned, wondering what he was doing at NCIS in the first place. Tony nodded at Tim and Abby to get to work, while he motioned for Ziva to go with him.
Tony slammed the button for the elevator violently, pissed off that his attempt at keeping everything under wraps had failed. He could feel Ziva shift next to him, "What's bothering you, Ziva?"
The Israeli pursed her lips slightly, shrugging her shoulders. The elevator dinged and they stepped inside the silver box. Ziva reached out and flicked the emergency switch, the elevator stuttered to a halt, the florescent lights flickering on.
"I have a bad feeling." Ziva muttered quietly as she stared at her partner.
"Yeah, me too, but we need to find Gibbs and quickly, before things go wrong for them." The shrill ring of Tony's cellphone interrupted their discussion. "What, Probie?"
Tony ended the call giving Ziva a smile, "Looks like the odds are in our favor, Gibbs and Jenny got on a train they'll track them while we get on the first flight to England."
"Something's going to go wrong, Tony." Ziva warned as she flicked the switch to start the elevator again.
"Let's hope you're wrong."
Thank you for reading. Don't hesitate to tell me what you think ;)