Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

A.N.: This is going to be very AU, so nothing like JDfic, or the episode. I hope it lives up to your expectations! My update schedule is at the bottom of my Profile page. I'll try to keep up with it!

Director Jennifer Shepard sat at her desk, staring at the phone in her hand, the dial tone still blaring since the lady on the other end had ended the call. She couldn't believe it. William Decker was dead, drowned in his pool at his LA home. Great, but why did she have to deal with this? She wasn't heartless, far from it. Making calls to alert loved ones that their family member wouldn't be coming home, was the hardest thing she had ever been made to do. Even hearing from someone else that one of her agents had died was hard, but not this time. The only thing running through her head was, 'why do I have to go to his funeral?'

Decker had shown her his true colours after the mission to Paris, where she was quietly informed by Director Morrow that she was going to be fired for not completing her job, and because she was having sex with her partner, putting it before the job. He had told her that Decker had called in his kill and then informed the higher ups that Jenny had failed to kill Svetlana. Jenny gritted her teeth as she recalled having to defend her relationship with Jethro, while explaining what had transpired between her and Decker, when they had swapped targets. Apparently Decker had told Morrow that she would try something like that, he had told him that she had completely ignored her duty, instead planning a romantic night for her and Jethro. Oh, she wasn't upset that Will had died; she just hoped it had been slow. The only reason she had made Director, or indeed, even still had a job with NCIS was that she had been able to correctly describe the way she had killed her mark, and Decker couldn't.

She smiled at that memory; they had been called to the video conference with the Director, at the local NCIS office in Paris, together. Decker had calmly and smugly told Morrow that he had used a standard execution shot, two in the heart, one in the head, thinking that Jenny would have done that, since that was how Jethro had trained her. But he was mistaken. The target had been in bed with a hooker at the time, so Jenny had shot him in the butt to make him turn over, and then shot him in the head. The hooker had been blindfolded and tied to the bed, so she hadn't been in danger of being seen. Jenny had then left a tip to the police saying a girl was being attacked in the hotel, so she would be found by a woman, female courtesy really. The autopsy report corroborated Jenny's story, not Will's. Decker had been proven a liar by his own account of events, much more damning than anything she could have said against him.

William had been sentenced to staying in Paris to find and kill Svetlana; he wasn't to be reassigned anywhere else until he had completed his task. Jenny had been happy to be proven right, until Morrow had apologetically told her that he couldn't leave her unpunished. Jethro would be recalled back to DC, while she would be assigned to Europe to run anti-terrorism ops in cooperation with their allies. He had strongly advised her to end her relationship with Jethro before they were split up. She knew now that Morrow had known about Jethro's first wife and all of his consequent ones, he had been trying to make it easier for them both, but at the time she had hated him for what he made her do. Apparently Will had spent a few months in Europe before retiring, so she assumed he completed his task and Morrow let him go. Jenny closed her eyes and replaced the phone in its cradle, she hated Decker more though, and she couldn't find it in herself to forgive him. Maybe going to his funeral would give her the incentive she needed to 'bury the hatchet', as it were.

Just then her door burst open and Jethro strode in, his aura of superiority firmly in place and annoying her. She hadn't summoned him, so she sat back in her chair and waited for him to speak. Jethro stopped directly in front of her desk and gazed at her, his brows furrowing at the expression she tried to squash as it flitted across her face. He always had a certain effect on her when he entered a room, especially if they were alone in said room. She had been very successful at hiding that effect from him, there was no need to give the game away now, however she felt her insides quiver and her attention focus itself entirely on him, and his salt and pepper hair, his broad shoulders and muscled chest… his powerful arms… his skilled hands… For god's sake girl! A man just died! Focus! She snapped her attention back to Jethro's face and turned a little pink when she realised he was smirking at her. Great, just great. She cleared her throat and then looked at him expectantly.

"Yes Agent Gibbs, what can I do for you?"

"I just want to make it perfectly clear that I'm not going to be Director for a week while you are shopping in LA." Jenny had to stop her jaw from dropping in shock, how the hell did he know she was going to go to LA? She hadn't even decided to go yet! The thought that Abby might be right about his psychic powers crept into her mind and she gave him a calculating stare, but he must've read her thoughts from the expression on her face.

"Cynthia just booked you and two of your detail on a flight to LA." His smirk got wider at her not quite believing look and she realised Cynthia must have listened in on the call. She couldn't be too angry; Cynthia had blocked quite a few pervert's calls from getting through, although the politician they were calling for had to then come and see her in person…

"I just got a call from the LAPD. Apparently William Decker was found dead at his house last week; they say he drowned in his pool. There is no indication of foul play, that they can tell, and his girlfriend asked that his body not be cut up. None of his neighbours saw or heard anything suspicious, in fact they have a witness who saw him before he died floating on his lilo, and after he died, same situation except his face was in the water." Jenny watched sadly as Jethro displayed genuine grief to hear one of his old colleagues was dead. He wouldn't if he knew the truth, she thought bitterly, but she also knew she wouldn't tell him. What had happened was between her and Decker, there was no sense in involving Jethro now.

"I want to go to the funeral."

"You have to stay and look after the agency…" Jethro's jaw set and he leaned towards her, palms flat on her desk, his face hovering mere centimetres from her own.

"He was a friend of mine too Jenny, I have the right to go. If you don't let me come, I'll just tell Cynthia I'll be sick all next week and go anyway." Jenny sighed; there really was no way she could keep him away, and it would just be more suspicious if she tried any harder.

"Fine, you can go." He nodded and walked to her door.

"Tony and Ziva will replace your detail and I'll have Cynthia book me a seat with you." He left, closing the door firmly before she could say anything and she stared in shock at the cold steel door. What the hell just happened? She wondered, distractedly running a hand through her hair. You got outmanoeuvred by Gibbs, her mind told her happily, too happily. Jenny shook her head slowly as she faced the thought that she hadn't wanted to stop him coming with her. A week in LA with Jethro would be wonderful, especially since he had chosen Tony and Ziva to accompany them. They would want to see LA alone too, which was perfect for what Jenny had in mind. She scowled as the service for that coward crept back into her mind, it would ruin the mood of the getaway. Wait, when did she decide this would be a getaway? It's a funeral for crying out loud!

Jenny groaned and plonked her head on her desk. She was going to have to work extra hard to keep her hands off of him, which was proving difficult already. One smirk and she was a mess of hormones, and the worst thing was she knew why. Ever since he had tucked Carson in at her house when she was looking after him for the night, she hadn't been able to get a fantasy out of her head. It wasn't a dirty fantasy, which made it worse in a way. It was a fantasy where she and Jethro had been tucking in their own little boy, before retiring to their own bedroom, in their house. Consequently, whenever they were alone, even if they were just in a quiet corner of the bullpen, she had to physically stop herself from touching him. She had, embarrassingly, asked Ducky for help, wondering what was wrong with her, and he had told her it was just her biological clock, telling her she was running out of time. She cursed the power Jethro seemed to have over her. It was going to be a long week.

--

Jethro closed the door to Jen's office and stepped up to Cynthia's desk. The Director's secretary gave him a slightly peeved look which said, 'yes I heard you and yes I've already made the changes.' He nodded to her, smiling and then left, moving along the catwalk towards the elevator. He pushed the call button and watched his team down in the bullpen. Tony was tormenting Ziva once again by throwing little bits of paper at her. She was trying to ignore him, but when one piece hit her in the eye, she jumped up and threw her hidden knife at him, the blade impacting above his head on the cubicle wall. Gibbs smirked as Tony went completely silent, his mouth wide open in shock while Ziva walked over to him. She slowly took the bits of paper out of her hair and placed them on the desk in front of him before removing her knife from the wall and slipping it back in its hiding place. She walked back to her desk and Tony stared hard at his computer screen, ready to work for the next few minutes, until he had built up enough courage to try something else. Shaking his head, Gibbs slipped into the elevator and then hit the emergency stop, the other occupant of the lift standing beside him, giving him an amused glance.

"Tobias."

"Jethro."

"You got it?"

"Sure have. Happy reading." The FBI Agent handed Gibbs a manila folder and then flicked the emergency stop back off. The doors dinged and he stepped out without a backwards glance. Not that Jethro would have seen it if he had. He tucked the file in his jacket and pressed the button for the bullpen. Stepping out of the elevator, he wandered around the stairs and then over to DiNozzo so he was out of his line of sight. He reached out as he passed and slapped the back of his senior field Agents' head.

"If she damages that wall again DiNozzo, you are paying for it." He sat down behind his own desk and logged onto his computer. He looked up at Tony and Ziva. "You two are going with me and the Director to LA, you are acting as her security detail. You should have an email detailing the flight information." He decided to check the confirmation email he knew Cynthia would send him too. He didn't like having to struggle with his stupid machine, but she would just tell him to check his email if he asked in person. She had been doing that since he was Director for a week, and he was certain she was only doing it to amuse herself. He grumbled under his breath and then read the email, Okay so the flight is today at 4pm. He glanced at his watch and nodded. It was 1pm now so he had an hour.

"Boss, can we go pack?" Gibbs glanced up and nodded, watching as they practically sprinted for the lift. They would more than likely be bringing loads of superfluous stuff, like young people seemed to think they would die without. He chuckled to himself and then sat back in his chair. McGee was down with Abby at the moment so he had the bullpen to himself. He pulled out the file Tobias Fornell had given him and opened it, skim reading some of the information. He suddenly snapped the folder closed and stood, tucking it back in to his jacket. He had an hour before his flight and he always kept a packed bag just in case, so he would make the most of the half hour he had spare. He walked towards the elevator, contemplating his next move.