Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Except the mistakes, but you knew that already.
A/N: Thank you for all the support and all the lovely reviews, you really know how to make my day. Most of this is my imagination so if things don't make sense you know what my life is like (LOL). Also thank you for being patient with me as I try and get the feeling for writing angst :)
Enjoy*
The amount of frustration rolling off of her was almost smothering him. He'd listened to her mumbling to herself all the way, resulting in the both of them snapping at each other. Her constant narration was driving him insane, and every time he asked her what she was saying she'd simply ignore him. Jethro ran a hand over his mouth, trying to focus on the road. They were a few miles from the Eurotunnel – and he hoped Jenny would have figured out the clue before they arrived in France.
Jethro looked over at the redhead next to him – she was more quiet than she had been in the last few hours. He was almost relieved when he saw that her eyes were closed, if she were asleep it meant he'd have some peace and quiet for a few hours. The moment was short lived when her emerald eyes snapped open – he raised an eyebrow at her in mild curiosity. He wasn't too sure about Seamus' cryptic answers and the diamond he just so happened to have in his safe.
He shrugged his shoulders at her when she looked at him all of the sudden. They were still touchy since the last time she had ignored him when he wanted to know what she was thinking. A satisfied smile crossed her lips as she met his gaze, he watched her twist in her seat in order to face him. Turning his attention back to the road he eased the Range Rover to a stop as they waited to move through the passport checkpoint.
Jenny rolled her eyes and glared at him, he was being spiteful – it was no wonder he had three ex-wives, with the way he acted occasionally it was a small wonder Diane hadn't murdered him with that 7-iron. Placing a hand on his thigh, she smiled almost slyly at the way his muscles tensed – it wasn't long before he decided to turn his attention back to her.
"What, Jen?" He asked gruffly, keeping a close eye on the cars in front of him.
"Bonne Mère, do you know what that means?" Jenny grinned at him, her green eyes dancing slightly.
He could recognize the twinkle in her eyes anywhere. He'd noticed it years ago when they had first worked together – it always reminded him of child-like excitement when she looked at him like that. Wrapping his fingers around her wrist, he ran his thumb over her pulse.
"I don't speak french, Jen." He growled at her, when she simply narrowed her eyes at him, he shook his head and tried to think. "Mère, that's, what? Mother?"
"Yes. Together it means Good Mother." Jenny grinned at him again.
Jethro clenched his jaw and glared at her instead. He didn't have time for whatever guessing game she wanted to play. "Jenny, where the hell do we have to go?"
Jenny gave him her own glare in return, unimpressed with his lack of enthusiasm and interest. "The Bonne Mère, aka Notre-Dame de la Garde."
Jethro's brow furrowed slightly, "Marseille. Why didn't you just say so in the first place?" he growled at her in frustration as they moved a little closer to the passport check.
"I wanted to play a game to pass the time." Jenny snapped sarcastically. Pulling her hand free from Jethro's she turned with her back to him. Things were definitely weird between them – for the lack of a better term. It was becoming increasingly harder for her to know what exactly it was he expected from her. Jethro's whole attitude had changed ever since Seamus had refused to collaborate on what he knew.
She didn't blame him for it though, she too found it odd that Seamus was so tight lipped about the whole situation. She also knew that if Jethro had been in Seamus' place he most probably would have tried saving the world all on his own – but something else was niggling her in the back of her mind.
As far as she knew, Jethro was supposed to contact his team the moment they had landed at Lakenheath, but he hadn't. It wasn't any real cause for concern, however she knew he was aware of the implications if Tobias didn't know where she was. They'd be plastered all over international news, the Attorney General would waste no time in tracking them down and then most probably throwing Jethro in a federal prison for defying orders. Something made itself known in the back of her mind, but she shot it down quickly.
Looking over her shoulder she watched Jethro purse his lips slightly in irritation as they waited to be corralled through the checkpoint. She shook her head slightly there was no way – even if there were – he was a smart enough man to know not to draw attention towards him. Any implication that Jethro was a part of the hunt for the missing military file was ludicrous – and yet there was no doubt in her mind that he'd be capable of doing it.
Jethro was a marine – loyalty and self-respect had been drilled into him. Men – and women – had killed or stolen for less before. Jenny turned back to looking out the window – what if her personal feelings towards him were clouding her judgment?
"Jen?" His gravely voice broke through her thoughts, "passports."
She placed them in his hand and turned her back on him again. Maybe the uncertainty and danger of everything was starting to creep up on her, she wasn't exactly sure. Jenny glared at her own reflection in the somewhat tinted window – ever since their kiss-and-miss, Jethro had acted like a real hormonal teenage girl – throwing a fit whenever something didn't go like he had planned.
The tense silence returned once again, making both of them equally uncomfortable with the other. They navigated their way into the carriage easily, neither of them chancing it to speak to each other.
Jethro moved his seat back, trying to stretch his legs, the cramped space was making it hard for him to actually move around. Rolling his neck from side to side he groaned in frustration, he looked at his redheaded companion out of the corner of his eye. Giving her a sideways glare he opened his door.
"Going to the head." He threw over his shoulder as he slid out of the car and slammed the door behind him.
Jenny watched him disappear behind another car before she ventured out of the car. She winced slightly as she applied some weight on her ankle, the pain wasn't as much anymore but it was still somewhat tender. She watched as the man in the car in front of theirs get out and to stretch his legs as well. She could see in the way he ran his eyes from her face straight to her chest that she wouldn't need much convincing.
Tucking a loose wisp of hair behind her ear, she sauntered towards him as he leaned against his silver Mercedes SLK. Licking her lips she gave him a flirtatious smile before drawing her bottom lip between her teeth. Crossing her arms she made sure his attention was diverted in two different places.
"Hi," She looked at him through her lashes, making sure to flash him a fake smile. Spending the last few years on the Hill had almost made her an expert in diverting men's attention and getting what she wanted at the same time.
"Hello," He greeted her back, his chocolate eyes still firmly glued to where her arms were folded underneath her breasts, "can I help you?"
Jenny shifted from one leg to another, "I really hope so." she was playing a dangerous game in stalling. Jethro could come back at any second and she was still seesawing between trusting him completely and second guessing his motives. "Do you think I can maybe use your phone? Mine got stolen a few days ago and my husband still lives in the stone age and refuses to carry one. My brother got out of surgery yesterday and I just wanted to make sure he was okay."
The man seemed to sympathize with her, whether it was because he bought her bullshit story or because he wanted to stare at her breasts a little longer, she didn't really care. He handed over his BlackBerry and smiled at her as she moved away from him toward the still open carriage door.
Punching in Fornell's number, she waited. She listened as the phone started ringing, she tapped her foot nervously as she waited for the call to go through.
"Special Agent Fornell."
She could hear young Emily babbling in the back, doing the math she knew it was round about eight back home.
"Marseille." She knew he'd know exactly what she meant and that he'd know that she had found a way to contact him, and that he shouldn't call back. She ended the call almost immediately, spinning back towards the man she gave him another fake smile.
Movement near the corner of the car alerted her that Jethro was on his way back. Giving back the man's phone, she stepped away from him just as Jethro came into view on the other side of the Mercedes. She gave him a bright smile – she watched him look between her and the other man almost suspiciously.
Jethro grit his teeth, at this point he suspected everyone of working for the Russians. It was the biggest reason he hadn't called his team, despite the fact that he knew Fornell was about ready to shoot him in the head for not telling him his plan. He wasn't sure who had been able to trace their call a few nights ago, but he wasn't taking chances in calling McGee.
Placing a hand on Jenny's hip he pulled her into his side. He didn't return the other man's smile, he simply looked at the woman next to him, wondering what the hell she had been thinking when she got out of the car. He could feel her stiffen under his touch and he had to stop himself from rolling his eyes. He didn't even want to think about what her problem was, especially since women were too complicated for him to actually understand – three marriages had taught him that much.
"We're about to leave." Jethro growled in her ear. He fought down the urge to smirk as he watched her skin breakout in goosebumps. He glared at the other man as he got in his car again before he spun the both of them around. "What the hell were you thinking?"
Jenny pulled away from him violently and opened the car door, hoping to slam it right into him as he crowded her personal space. She glared back at him and slammed the door shut, she contemplated locking the doors so she could have a few minutes of peace and quiet but he moved too quickly.
She prided herself in the fact that she didn't even flinch when he slammed the door hard enough for everyone to hear. Crossing her legs elegantly she looked out of the window at nothing in particular. She was on the verge of ditching his ass and going off on her own, consequences be damned.
"Jen," Jethro growled as he settled in his seat. He knew she was famous for taking risks when it came to undercover Ops, he'd experienced it first hand and he couldn't deny that it was exciting – but things had changed and he couldn't risk the gamble.
Jenny looked at him over her shoulder when she felt his hand rest on her thigh. Giving him a dirty look she pushed his hand away from her. She felt a slight jolt as the train started moving. His hand was on her thigh again, this time gripping more than usual. Huffing in annoyance she uncrossed her legs and looked at him. The last thing she expected was having a hairs breadth between them.
"What?" Jenny ground out hoarsely.
Roughened fingertips danced over her throat as he took her chin in his thumb and forefinger. She swallowed heavily as she felt his other hand cup the back of her head. She watched him lick his lips as his eyes flicked down to her mouth, she could see his pupils dilate and the rings of ice around them darken. There was something in his eyes that made her second guess herself.
Jethro growled the moment those emerald eyes turned forest green. He kissed her, hard. He could feel her knuckles dig into his chest as she gripped his t-shirt. He'd half expected her to resist him, or even slap him – but the moment he felt the tip of her tongue touch his – all he could think about was her and how much he enjoyed kissing her.
Jenny moaned softly, she couldn't remember ever kissing someone who had the amount of intensity Jethro had. The slight tug on her ponytail had her tilting her head back even further. Her free hand found its way into his silver hair pulling him closer to her.
He pulled away, his chest heaving as he tried catching his breath. Jethro wrapped the loose tendril of hair around his finger, tucking it behind her ear. He pulled her closer again, pacing small kisses along her jaw. An arrogant smirk crossed his lips when he heard her hum in appreciation as he trailed soft kisses down her throat.
"I'm tempted to drag you onto the backseat." Jenny purred in his ear as he pressed his lips to her hammering pulse.
He kissed up her throat, enjoying the way her skin felt against his lips. "Not stoppin' ya." He growled in her ear.
"Mmm," Jenny slipped both hands in his hair, "except, I'm still pissed at you."
Jethro stilled for a moment, rolling his eyes he pulled away from her. He really didn't know what her problem was, every since leaving Ireland she had been different. Dropping his head against the headrest, he traced the oval badge on the steering wheel.
"You're not going to say anything?" Jenny leaned against the door, watching him frown and then glare at the steering wheel.
"Would it make any difference?" He snapped sarcastically.
"Not really." Jenny smirked as she watched him roll his eyes. She was starting to doubt her own judgment – Jethro had never given her any reason to doubt him. Why was she doubting him now? Looking at him again, she watched the muscles in his jaw quiver and jump as he grit his teeth. Pushing everything to the back of her mind she leaned over the center console, pressing her forehead against his temple she kissed his cheek.
"I was just kidding." She murmured in his ear. The unimpressed snort had her smiling against his cheek.
They arrived in Coquelles fairly quickly. Jenny felt his callused thumb run over her knuckles softly as they finally made their way onto the motorway. The silver Mercedes had disappeared a while ago, leaving her with the lingering feeling that she might have made a mistake.
The squad room was seemingly empty without Jethro's team either working a case or simply trying to piss each other off. Tobias glared at nothing in particular, he scanned he catwalk for signs of Vance. He hadn't heard from McGee or Abby, meaning they were avoiding calling him at any cost. The phone call from earlier was slightly puzzling, he didn't know if they were in Marseille or if they were heading in that direction.
He'd assumed about an hour after word had reached him that Director Shepard had gone missing, again – that Jethro was behind this. So far it meant Jenny was safe, but it didn't make his job any easier in explaining that he really didn't know what the hell was going. The elevator on the catwalk dinged and he quickly disappeared underneath the walkway before Vance could spot him.
Calling the back elevator he waited for the silver box to arrive on the right floor. He pulled his BlackBerry out of his breast pocket, turning the phone around in his hand while he waited for the doors to open on Abby's floor. He admired the team's sense of loyalty, but he needed answers before everything was blown out of proportion. The elevator dinged, the doors slid open revealing a quiet hallway.
Tobias peaked around the door, trying to see where the two geeks were.
Both Abby and Tim were fast asleep in front of the computer. He raised an eyebrow skeptically before venturing inside. Unsure of what to do, he kicked the lab chair Tim was sitting on.
"I'm up, Boss!" Tim responded automatically.
Abby shot up, glaring at Tim for being louder than he should be. Movement in the corner of her eye had her turning around in her chair. The dark glare returned as she looked at Fornell, she knew he was only doing his job, but it involved Gibbs and she didn't like it when people accused him of something he didn't do.
"Agent Fornell, how can we not help you?" Abby snarled at him, catching Tim somewhat of guard. He was clearly still extremely disoriented about his rude wake-up call.
Tobias refrained from being his usual gruff-self, he knew he'd get an earful from Gibbs if he dared hurt Abby's feelings. Holding up his BlackBerry, he gave her a tight smile. "I think, I'll be helping you."
Abby looked at the FBI agent suspiciously, not entirely sure if she could trust him or not. Looking over at Tim, he shrugged at her and she rolled her eyes. Taking the phone from Fornell she looked at him with narrowed olive eyes.
"What do you have, Agent Fornell." Abby glared at him as he moved around her table to stand in front of the plasma screen.
"The last call I received, I need you to find exactly where it came from." Tobias placed his hands on his hips waiting for the two behind him.
Tim gave Abby a strange look, it was strange having Fornell ask them to trace a call when the FBI could do it by themselves. Hoping it had something to do with Gibbs, he typed the number into a search engine. Narrowing down the area code quickly, he looked at Abby the moment they were directed towards Europe. It meant they were a step closer in narrowing down where Ziva and Tony were supposed to be headed.
"The call originated from Cheriton in the UK, and since it's still switched on we can track exactly where it is right now." Tim looked over the computer monitor at Fornell.
"No need." Tobias sauntered around the large metal work station and grabbed his phone. He gave each a respective nod before disappearing out of the lab. He didn't stick around to listen to the two of them whisper behind his back.
The silver door to the elevator slid open and he stepped inside, jabbing the button for the parking lot he watched the doors slide shut. He scrubbed a hand over his face, at least he knew they were headed towards Marseille if anything he'd get the Attorney General off his back long enough to wait for Jenny to contact him again.
If the issue had been handed over to the FBI or even NCIS they wouldn't have a missing Director. However his hands were tied and all he could hope for was that Jethro knew what he was doing. The doors dinged again and he stormed towards his Crown Vic.
Tobias fished his car keys out of his pocket just as his phone started ringing. Grumbling under his breath he glared at the caller ID.
"Fornell." He greeted almost in annoyance.
"Special Agent Fornell, where is Jenny Shepard?"
Tobias rolled his eyes. "Sir, I have confirmation that they're headed for Marseille. Agent Gibbs is keeping her safe." He listened to the Attorney General growl about protocol and other things that were currently irrelevant to their situation.
"If you don't mind, Sir, I have work to do." Tobias ended the call, not actually caring about the fact that he hung up on his boss' boss. He frowned slightly as he slid his phone back in his pocket, he'd been talking to the man more than he did to his own team over the last few days. Either way, the sudden call felt almost too sudden.
Abby glared at her computer monitor darkly as she watched the small triangle blink as the phone continued to move. She turned towards Tim who was still trying to gather his wits. "I don't like it when people come into my lab and then leave without a word."
Tim pulled his face slightly, "What are you talking about? Gibbs does that all the time."
"Gibbs," Abby held up a finger, giving Tim a superior look, "is Gibbs, El Jefe can do as he pleases, but not the FBI."
"Abby, Agent Fornell is just doing his job. If Gibbs was in his shoes, he would have fired us all by now because we don't really have anything."
Abby huffed and glared at poor Timmy again. Turning back to her computer she watched as the blinking triangle just continued further on the small line. They had both agreed that the phone didn't belong to Gibbs, he wouldn't leave the phone on or in one piece if he had been the one calling.
"Call Tony," Abby snapped all of the sudden.
"Why?"
"It's a gut feeling, Timothy." Abby growled as Tim stared at her.
Tony chewed his gum obnoxiously loud, hoping to get Ziva to snap at him again. Their flight had been anything but enjoyable. The young woman who had been seated next to them had a baby who didn't seem to be able to stop screaming. He'd watched in mild amusement as Ziva tried to keep her cool. Pulling his backpack over one shoulder he sauntered through Heathrow airport.
He breathed in the late afternoon air as he stepped through the doors. He grinned at the young blonde walking passed him, spinning on his heel to watch her waltz the rest of the way. Turning back he came face to face with an angry Ziva, giving her an annoyed look he pushed her away gently.
"What, Zee-vah?"
"We are here to find Gibbs, not so that you can doodle every girl that walk past you."
Tony gave her a cheeky smile, "I'm pretty sure it's ogle, but I wouldn't mind putting my signature on her."
Ziva grimaced in disgust, narrowing her eyes, she planted a well aimed smack to the back of his head. The soft oomph!, he let slip brought a small smile to her face. Placing her sunglasses on her nose she looked at her partner. "Where to?"
Tony rubbed the back of his head tenderly, he didn't want to risk any other type of bodily harm by saying something because he knew Ziva was about ready to kill everyone she saw. Hailing one of the taxi's he gave her a nasty look as she got in before him. Situating his backpack on his lap he gave the cabby the address for the NCIS office in London.
"Did you talk to Eli before we left?" Tony squirmed away from her the moment her head snapped to look at him. When she didn't answer, he knew not to pry any further. He couldn't really blame her, he wasn't on very good terms with his own father, the old man always seemed to find a way to make his life that much harder.
Ziva tucked a strand of curly hair behind her ear. "One of my friends contacted me just before we left." She didn't look at him, "The Bravta knows that Jenny is on the run."
"I think everyone knows, Ziva." Tony placed his own sunglasses on his nose.
Ziva shook her head, finally looking at her partner she raised a perfect eyebrow. "Everyone is under the impression that Jenny is hiding, not running."
Tony frowned, "How exactly do you think they know this? We don't even know where they are."
Ziva shrugged her shoulders, she had her suspicions but it was better if she kept them to herself, their first priority was finding their boss. "They also know that she is traveling with a man. Which means they probably know more about them than we do at this moment."
Tony opened his mouth to answer when his phone started ringing. Running a hand through his hair he answered with the only enthusiasm he could muster. "Lovely mistress of the dark, to what do we owe the pleasure?"
Abby glared at the phone as she listened to Tony. Twisting one of her pigtails around her finger she leaned closer to the loud speaker, "This isn't the time to be cute, DiNozzo." Tim's eyes widened slightly as he listened to Abby. It was only a matter of time before she decided to run off to Europe as well.
"Probie, what have I told you about aggravating Abby?"
"What?" Tim looked at Abby with even larger eyes as Abby whirled on him, "Abby, come on, you don't actually believe him do you?"
Abby stomped her platform boot on the tiled floor in frustration. Holding up both hands she glared at Tim and snapped at Tony to stop laughing. Taking a deep breath she said a quiet prayer before turning back to the matter at hand. Pulling up the correct screen on her computer she relayed everything they had found.
"Gibbs' alias was used three times over the last few days. The first two were a ferry to and from Ireland."
"And the third one?"
"The passport check at the Eurotunnel." Abby looked over at Tim worriedly. The idea had come to them just after Tobias had left. They had both forgotten about the fact that they had passports, the constant travel had surprised them, but it did raise the question of whether Gibbs knew that they'd track his passport.
"I suppose you two don't know where they went?"
"Oh ye of little faith." Abby tutted as she grinned over at Tim. "They're driving a black Range Rover, looks like the latest model. We've tried tracking it but whoever owns the car probably used fake identification. But we'll keep an eye out for the registration and let you know. So far all we know is that they have arrived in France."
"That's good work, Abs."
Tony ended the call, sliding his phone back in his pocket he looked over at Ziva. He pursed his lips slightly as they started entering the city. Gibbs was clearly keeping his own schedule, the last thing his boss had told him was that they were going to lay low in the countryside.
"You ever been to France?"
"Oui." Ziva grinned at him as he raised an eyebrow.
"Good, cause that's were we're going next." Tony grumbled as he redirected their driver to the nearest train station.
The change in the Italian was noticeable, Ziva placed a hand on his shoulder making him look at her, "What is it?"
"If the Russians know they're on the run, what are the chances that they know where they are headed?" Tony ran his hand through his hair again.
"Truthfully?" Ziva took off her sunglasses looking Tony straight in the eye, "Probably better than ours."
The breeze sweeping through the small restaurant was welcoming after spending yet another day in a confined space. Jenny pulled the elastic out of her hair, letting her wavy red locks cascade down her back, she let out a quiet breath and watched a few passerby's as they moseyed past the quiet restaurant. She smiled to herself as she watched the young couple bump each other playfully as they made their way to a fancier restaurant. Taking a sip of her water she tried to hide the fact that her smile was somewhat sad.
Looking up she met his piercing gaze, watching her every move. Giving him a tight smile she placed her glass back on the table, she still had to tell him about calling Fornell, but she wasn't sure if he'd take it very well. Running her fingers through her hair she returned back to watching the people tat passed by them.
Jethro placed his empty coffee cup on the table, he hadn't missed the flicker of emotion on his companions face. After three failed marriages, it was actually the first thing he noticed whenever he had found the common decency to take one of his wives out to dinner. He usually used his work as a smokescreen, hoping they would accept it at leave him be. He'd seen the exact same expression Jenny had on all three of his wives, and he knew it meant heartache or sadness.
With his wives he understood, he wasn't exactly the man they had been looking for. Seeing that look on Jenny surprised him. He never knew what had happened to her after he'd been reassigned to Russia – hear-say had been kept quiet, he knew Decker had spoken to her a number of time after they had left Paris, but that was only case related.
"Where were you sent after Paris?" Jethro motioned for the waiter to bring him another cup of coffee while they waited. He raised an eyebrow when Jenny gave him a confused look, giving her a hint of a smirk he waited for her to answer.
Jenny pursed her lips slightly, "Italy for half a year and then London for a year and a half on joined assignments."
"After that you were promoted to Deputy Director?" He grumbled a thanks in broken french when the waiter gave him his coffee.
"Yeah."
The edge in her voice could easily be passed off as something else but he caught it. Jethro drank his coffee, diverting his gaze else where when Jenny looked at him again. "Thought you'd be married by now."
Jenny snorted derisively as she sipped her water again. "Yeah, my mother thought so too."
Jethro smiled despite their situation. He'd heard that exact same line when he'd started remarrying – first with Diane and then with every other woman he'd been with. Somehow it didn't make sense to him – it also occurred to him that he wasn't even supposed to care about her previous relationships. He'd deny it, but there was a part of him that felt almost jealous of her being in another man's arms.
"There must have been someone?" He said deadpan.
"What's with the questions, Doctor Phil?" Jenny snapped at him.
"Who?" Jethro looked at her with a blank expression.
Jenny rolled her eyes at him, she didn't want to go into that part of her past with him just yet. She simply shook her head at him and looked at her glass of water instead. She felt his rough fingertip run over her knuckles as she gripped her glass. Meeting his gaze again she felt her heart kick when he gave her a slight smile.
Their dinner had thankfully been quiet, he didn't pry anymore and she could finally continue to fester over the fact that she had called Fornell. She'd lost her appetite after Jethro's prodding, she'd seen the concern on his face when she had pushed her plate away but he hadn't said anything. Pulling her jacket a little tighter around her she waited for Jethro to emerge from the restaurant.
The warm weight on the small of her back alerted her that he was already right beside her. They made their way across the small parking lot.
Jethro stopped once they reached the car, slipping a hand around her waist, he pulled Jenny against his chest. He buried his nose in her hair, the overwhelming smell of honey and vanilla washed over him. He could see her reflection clearly in the tinted window. The soft smile on her face drew one from him as well as he nuzzled his nose in her hair. "It's a good thing you're not married."
"Really?" The alto purr of her voice sent a small shiver down his spine.
"Oh yeah." He drawled gruffly. He turned her around and backed her against the car, pressing as close to her as possible. Sliding a hand in her hair he pulled her closer and kissed her – long and hard. He felt her hands drop to his hips as she tried pulling him tighter against her.
They broke for air after a moment, both breathing equally loud. Jethro nuzzled her cheek, "We have to get going."
Jenny nodded her head, her eyes smoldering as she looked up at him. She grinned at him mischievously as she slipped her hand in his front jean pocket. It was impossible to miss his sharp intake of breath as her fingers brushed against his thigh teasingly. Pulling the car keys out of his pocket slowly, she placed a lingering kiss to his still parted lips. "I'm driving."
A small smile steeled over his lips as he watched her saunter around the car and slip into the driver's seat. Taking a deep breath he tried to calm his body down, he glared at her almost playfully as she turned to look at him and raised a questioning eyebrow. He couldn't seem to remember whether she was a good driver or not, but she couldn't be worse than Ziva.
Jenny rolled her eyes, annoyed that he was making getting into the passenger seat a life changing experience. The door finally opened and she could hear him grumble as he put his safety belt on. He looked at her expectantly with bloodshot eyes. She had noticed his actions were becoming a little lethargic the longer he stayed up, she didn't really want her life to end before it actually had too – she'd rather listen to him bitch and moan than worry when he'd nod off and head straight for oncoming traffic.
Starting the large eight cylinder engine she grinned from ear to ear. Although the quiet purr wasn't as exhilarating and loud as the Corvette Stingray's that sat in her father's garage back in Montana, she still wanted to see what the powerful engine had to offer. Backing out of the parking spot easily, she floored the pedal, gunning straight for the motorway. She could hear the irritated grumble coming from Jethro, but out of the corner of her eye she could see that he was fighting his own smile.
The four hour drive from Dijon to Marseille had been more quiet than usual. Jethro had tried, rather valiantly to stay awake, but he'd lost the battle somewhere just before they had passed through Lyon. Jenny smirked as she listened to his shallow breathing, she'd seen those blue eyes open and close a few times before he finally couldn't fight the pull anymore – that and the way he pursed his lips when he slept was down right cute.
Slowing the large SUV to a stop she opened her window, listening to the waves crash against the shore. She could feel the salty air cling to her skin as they rolled down the street. There was just something about Marseille that always seemed to lure her here. Licking her lips she could taste the slightest hint of salt on her lips. Someone hooted behind her and the car started moving again.
There was some movement next to her and she looked over at the man beside her. His blue eyes blinked open lazily, looking at her slightly dazed, he cleared his throat and sat up rubbing his eyes to try and focus. Jenny smiled at him and pulled over. Toeing off her hiking boots she tossed them on the backseat along with her socks. She was out of the car and down the steps before he could so much as protest.
Dropping down on the last step of the cement staircase she rolled up her jeans, digging her deep forest green lacquered toes in the soft sand as she did so. Standing up she waited until Jethro trudged down the steps as well before she locked the car and slipped the key in her back pocket.
Closing her eyes she listened as the waves crashed against the soft sand. She loved the beach, but nowadays it was the last thing on her to do list – a list that seemed to go on forever. She couldn't even remember the last time she had just listened to the waves break – it must have been before she'd become Deputy Director – it might even have been before she had met Jethro for the first time.
Taking a deep breath, Jenny spun around watching her companion stagger slightly as he kicked his foot against a heap of sand that used to be a sand castle. She laughed and smiled sheepishly when he closed in on her. Turning her attention back to the ocean she watched the moonlight shimmer off of the water. She felt him behind her, the heat radiating off his body as he pressed against her.
For a brief moment it was just them. There was no running, no race against the clock to get out of town before the wrong people saw them. They were just two friends sharing a moment of beauty. She felt him shift behind her and then felt a large hand on her hip, his fingers kneading softly. Leaning against him, she felt his breathe in her neck as he kissed her pulse softly. Closing her eyes she thought about telling him about what she had done, but decided against it. There was no point in ruining the moment just yet.
"What is it about foreign countries?" Jenny murmured as he pulled the neck of her t-shirt aside.
"Mmm," He hummed as he rested his cheek against hers, "bikinis."
Jenny let out a throaty laugh, "You're such a guy, Jethro."
He laughed in her ear softly. He wasn't going to let her in on the fact that he'd much rather see her in black lingerie than a brightly colored bikini. He hadn't been too fond of their sudden pit stop, but he knew she wanted to take a moment for herself. Straightening up somewhat, he watched as the pale moon light reflected off her equally pale skin. He traced his eyes over her features, from her large green eyes to her luscious red lips.
Cupping her chin, he had her turn her head towards him so he could kiss her. He'd just started deepening their kiss when loud and obnoxious laughter had them pull away. A group of teenagers fumbled their way across the loose sand as they passed in front of them. Jethro glared at them darkly for ruining his moment – there was something about kissing the redhead that was strangely exhilarating, and now everything was ruined thanks to a group of pubescent children.
"Got anywhere we can stay, Marine?" Jenny murmured quietly.
"Was thinking about right here on the beach, but sand kind of has a way of getting in the wrong places." He felt her body shake as she laughed.
"Has an annoying habit of chafing too."
"You speaking from experience, Jen?" He couldn't keep the smile out of his voice.
"Mmm," She hummed as she felt his hands wander over her hips and up her sides, "wouldn't you like to know."
Spinning her around, he pulled her against his chest, sliding his hands down her back and over her ass. Slipping a hand in her back pocket he pulled the keys out and dangled them over her head almost teasingly. "There's an attic not far from here, it overlooks the port we can stay there for the night. It's inconspicuous so we can stay for a day or two."
Jenny nodded as he let go of her, she didn't really want to leave the beach just yet, but if the burning sensation in her eyes were anything to go on she could do with some decent sleep. She felt his large palm drop to the small of her back as they headed back to the cement steps.
He hadn't been lying when he'd said the attic wasn't far from where they had been standing on the beach. It did however look a little more shady than the few rundown motels they had passed on their way. Looking at the dark building sceptically she was hit in the face with a gust of salty air as Jethro opened his door. Sliding out of the car she padded carefully behind Jethro, she hadn't even bothered with putting her shoes back on.
Jethro fished something out of his jean pocket, looking around his shoulder, she didn't even want to guess where he'd found the paperclip – for all she knew he'd stolen it from one of the gas stations. She heard the lock jump open and moments later she stared into nothing but darkness. He handed her a small flashlight and motioned for her to go inside.
She could hear the Rage Rover's doors slam outside as he brought in their backpacks. They had stocked up on the necessary things when they had entered Dijon. Panning the flashlight over the empty warehouse floor, she tried to find the staircase that would lead up to the attic they'd be spending their night in. She heard Jethro come up behind her just as she located the stairs in the furthest corner of the large room. Dropping the light to the floor she made sure there were no sharp objects just laying around. There were various glints of metal shavings as she ran the light over the concrete floor.
"Jen," Jethro growled impatiently when Jenny didn't move.
"Can I just get my shoes?" She asked almost irately as he nudged her to move forward.
Jethro held the pair of black hiking boots in the air, looking at her through squinted eyes as she shone the light in his face – he even managed to raise an eyebrow at her.
Running the light down his body she saw that he'd been sensible enough to pull his boots on before venturing inside the metal-shaving-deathtrap. "Let me just put on my shoes, I'd hate to ruin our trip with an infection."
Jethro rolled his eyes – truth was he was tired even though he'd slept in the car everything pretty much still hurt and he'd been too aware of his surroundings. Rolling his eyes slightly, he gathered his strength and bent down. He slung Jenny over his shoulder with ease – he'd had his fare share of carrying wounded soldiers back to safety.
"Put me down you ape!" Jenny tried and failed to keep the amusement out of her voice. She grinned in the darkness as she felt his large hand rest on her ass almost possessively. "Is this why you've been married three times, you throw the women over your shoulder and drag them back to your house."
"It's more what I do after I have them in my cave." He retorted smartly as they neared the flight of stairs. Letting her slide off his shoulder so she could stand on the bottom step, he gave her an innocent look. Jenny grinned at him as he brushed past her up the steps.
The old trap door creaked as Jethro pushed it open. Climbing up, he helped Jenny up the last step into the stuffy and dusty attic. It was almost unbearably hot since the building had been cooking in the sun the whole day. Jethro scanned the room with the flashlight.
Jenny coughed from all the dust that had collected over time. She wiped her forehead with the back of her hand, hoping to keep the sweat out of her eyes. In the far corner the moon shined through what seemed like a homemade window in the wall. She could tell from the warm breeze that there was thankfully no pane of glass in the hole.
The backpacks dropped to the floor, followed by Jethro kicking something across the wooden floor. It wasn't long before there was a soft glow in the small room. Jenny watched as he lighted a few carefully placed candles, it quickly became clear that a chair had suffered from his violent kick. She frowned when he placed a perfectly cutout board in front of the window.
"Wouldn't want to draw any attention, I'll open it when the light's out."
Jenny nodded almost reluctantly before she looked around the dimly lit room. In the corner there was what she could make out as the head and next it a wall of curtains. She looked at Jethro almost confused.
"Shower." He explained as he dropped the backpacks on the skimpy looking full sized bed. "There's hot water but no lights."
They lapsed into silence as they each moved around one another. They were reluctant to address the fact that there was only one bed in the room, but until then they were going to ignore it. Jethro dropped back onto the bed, listening as Jenny moved around behind the shower curtains that acted as a wall. He heard her fumble with the flashlight he'd given her for some light.
Pushing himself up on his elbows he watched her silhouette as she moved around behind the curtains. He'd promised her that he wouldn't look, but the image of her undressing was too tempting to resist. He watched as she dropped her underwear to the floor, and he could see that there was a cold draft somewhere in the room. He saw her hands trail over her body and he looked away before he accidentally embarrassed himself.
Dropping his head amongst the pillows, he stared at nothing in particular. He needed to make contact with his team before they could send out a search party, if they hadn't done that already. He closed his eyes against the sudden headache. He listened to the steady hiss of water for a while.
The sound stopped and he lifted his head again, just in time to see Jenny pull one of his larger t-shirt over her head. Moments later she pulled the curtain back, sauntering towards him in a dark green t-shirt and her boots – and he couldn't decide if he liked her more looking like she did right now or in some tight overly priced dress. He kept watching her as she strutted around – it soon became clear that shy, Jenny Shepard was not.
He quickly diverted his gaze and gathered his things. Once behind the curtain he undressed, depositing his clothes carelessly on the dusty floor. He faltered slightly when he wanted to pull down his boxers, wondering if she was watching him as well. It had never bothered him before, but somehow he felt a little self-conscious – he wasn't as young as he used to be. Turning his back towards the curtains he dropped his boxers and tried to ignore the fact that he could feel her eyes on him.
Jenny bit the tip of her tongue as she watched him redress – she could see the contours of his muscles as he stood with his back to her. It had surprised her that he had been so shy about getting undressed, it just wasn't like him not to be confident – about anything. None the less she had found it slightly endearing and had rather enjoyed the show. It was probably wrong, but she couldn't find it in her to feel guilty.
He emerged from behind the curtain in a pair of jeans and a wrinkled polo. The room was suddenly darker without the flashlight providing additional lighting. Jenny moved from the middle of the bed to the side that was directly in front of the window. She listened as he started blowing out the candles, shrouding them in darkness. He moved around quietly and she smiled almost in relief when he removed the board to let the slightly cooler night air in. The bed dipped as he sat on the edge, she felt him move around uncertainly before laying down beside her.
Jethro folded his arms under his head, looking up at the old slats that held the roof over their heads. He'd spent two weeks in this very room when he had first been sent to Europe. He stretched slightly, trying to move around as little as possible – trying his best not to touch the woman next to him. He was all too aware of her being there right next to him. If the circumstance had been different he probably would have had her naked in his bed that first night he'd seen her again.
He stiffened when she turned on her back, pressing her side right into his. He waited for the throaty laugh, or the sarcastic comment about him being too uptight – but it never came. Daring to look at her, he watched her chest rise and fall slowly, her breathing shallow as she slept next to him. It was the first time since they had left home that he'd seen her this relaxed, she was always tossing and turning. Knowing she wasn't likely to wake up, he sat up and pulled on his boots.
Tim watched as Abby walked back and forth in front of her workstation. They hadn't heard from Tony or Ziva since they had managed to get the ferry from the UK to France. Abby was going out of her mind with theories and conspiracies that he'd stopped listening a while ago. He was concerned about his colleagues, after all they were in a sense his family, but he wasn't going to worry himself the way Abby was – they were all capable of handling tough situations.
Pulling one of the tall cups towards him, he sucked on the bright red straw thoughtfully. He wasn't the biggest fan of CafPows!, but right now it was the only thing helping him keep up with all of Abby's ideas. Swallowing the mouthful of caffeinated liquid, he looked up from staring at the doll on Abby's desk. He met a pair of angry olive eyes and he knew he was busted for not listening to her. He looked around him wide eyed, trying to think of an excuse that would be good enough to appease Abby.
"Timothy McGee, if you don't care about our family – then you should just leave." Abby stomped her foot loudly, spinning around she turned her back on him, her pigtails spinning with her.
"No, Abby, that's not true. You know I care, I just think they can take care of themselves they were trained for stuff like this."
"Oh, Timmy, don't sell yourself so short." Abby bounced around her workbench and brought up the last picture they had of Gibbs and Jenny, it had been when they had just gotten of off the Eurotunnel. Leaning her head on Tim's shoulder she looked at the picture a little sadly. She missed Gibbs and in the blur that had been the last two days she was worrying about everyone. Even Jenny, despite the fact that she didn't know her – she must be worth it for Gibbs to put both his life and career on the line.
The quiet moment was shattered when Tim's phone started ringing. Giving Abby an apologetic look he fished his phone out of his jacket pocket. He looked at the number with a raised eyebrow, he didn't recognize it. He lifted his phone to show Abby, but she had already left to do something at her desk in the backroom. Frowning, he thought about ignoring it.
Rolling his eyes he answered. "Special Agent McGee."
"Sit-rep, McGee?"
Tim's eyes widened fractionally, wondering if Tony was toying with him. "Uh..." He took the phone away from his ear and looked at the screen again. "Boss?"
"You expecting someone else, Tim?" The irritated tone was enough to jolt him back to reality.
McGee dropped his voice, knowing that it would be safer if Abby didn't know who had called. "I thought something already happened to you, Boss. Do you need something?"
"You know anything form the FBI?"
"Agent Fornell was here this morning, we had to trace a call for him but nothing new. Where are you, Boss, do you need help?" He was smart enough to know not to mention Tony and Ziva's name.
"McGee." The warning was clear. "I'll call you again in three days time, then I need you to tell me everything you know about Seamus Shepard. His career, his personal life – the moment anything looks out of place, Tim, you send Tony and Ziva."
"Should I tell them you called?"
"No, Tim. Don't tell anyone I called you. Not even Abby, got it."
Tim opened his mouth to say something but it was too late, Gibbs had already ended the call. Tim glared at the picture on the plasma screen. Whenever one of them seemed to be in trouble it always resorted back to him to be their confidant. Sighing he slipped his phone back in his breast pocket, the soft ding of the glass doors leading to the back office of the lab alerted him that Abby was on her way back.
Clearing his throat slightly, he pretended to pull up a search bar to find wherever their boss might be. He could feel Abby's inquisitive gaze on him but he tried his best to ignore her. The sudden jolt of pain in his shoulder brought him back to the present.
"Ow! Hey!" Tim roared at Abby when she pulled back her fist to deliver yet another punch to his shoulder.
"Timmy, you're doing it again." Abby scolded, her dark lips dangerously thin.
"What are you talking about?" Tim felt the heat in his cheeks rise as he looked at her as innocently as possible. He was terrible at hiding things, especially from Abby.
"I asked who called you and you just ignored me!" Abby looked at him indignantly. There was something strange about her friend but she couldn't quiet put her finger on it just yet. Watching him closely she could see the bead of sweat roll down his temple and over his cheek before he wiped it away.
"Wrong number, Abby. Now, are you going to help me find Gibbs before Tony calls or are you just going to glare at me?"
Abby gave Tim a skeptical look, but nodded none the less. She watched him scratch the back of his neck nervously before continuing to look for a way to track down their boss.
The rhythmic tapping echoed inside the quiet room, bouncing off the ceiling-less roof and the wooden floors. She looked out over the port, watching as the water swished back and forth, over and over again. It was soothing and aggravating at the same time – she couldn't for the life of her fathom what her grandfather had meant with his stupid riddle. She should have thought it through a little more because she could feel with each irritated tap of Jethro's finger that he couldn't sit around any longer.
It had taken her the better half of the morning to make sure she hadn't misunderstood or confused her languages. During that time Jethro had left her alone with her thoughts to take a walk – something she assumed he did to cool off since he had flushed bright red with anger when she told him she didn't know where exactly they should go. She'd watched him among the small boats as he admired each one. In all honesty she was feeling bad for doubting him since he'd told her that he'd called his team only now in order to buy them time.
He let out yet another huff and she contemplated hurling the water bottle at his head. She turned the bottle over in her hand, watching as the water in it sloshed against its plastic confinements. She took a breath and looked out of the window once again – missing what was right in front of her.
Jethro lolled his head from side to side, he hadn't slept well, in fact he'd slept better in the car than he had last night. She was always there – next to him, breathing against him, her hot breath rushing over his clammy skin. Once he'd returned from making the phone call from the payphone that had been two blocks away, he'd dreaded spending the rest of the night next to her.
Somewhere during the night he'd turned on his side and she had done the same, placing her hand on his hip as she settled behind him. Everything inside him had reacted, more than he'd ever admit. That's why he had taken a walk, his irritation was more directed towards himself than at her.
"Of course." Jenny murmured quietly.
Jethro raised an eyebrow from where he was sitting on the small chair he'd kicked the night before.
"There's a safe house that overlooks the Notre-Dame." Jenny uncrossed her legs and pulled on the ball cap Jethro had given her somewhere along the line.
"You only just remembered it now?" Jethro asked almost impatiently as he wrenched the trap door open. He was hoping to get a rise out of her, something that could indicate that she had an equally tough time sharing the bed.
Jenny rolled her eyes and thumped down the stairs. She didn't wait for him to catch up, they had agreed that it was safer to walk in the city than drive around. It was easier to hide on foot than it was to hide the large SUV. She didn't know what his problem was today, he was moodier than a teenage girl and she didn't know what she'd done to piss him off this time. Although things between them had been pretty awkward when they had woken up and she had her hand on his hip.
She had played it off as nothing, stretching and mewling more than necessary in order to avoid an even more uncomfortable atmosphere. The sun felt hot on her skin as she stepped out into the daylight. Looking around she wondered where Jethro had managed to hide the Range Rover. She could already feel the precipitation roll down her back – there just wasn't anything like hot coastal weather.
Jethro grumbled under his breath when they stopped yet again. He'd been forced to hold Jenny's hand as they walked along the sidewalk. He didn't know how long they'd been walking, but she was asking every other shop owner which way to go and it was starting to irritate him since she couldn't figure out the first set of directions they had received.
"I said hold my hand, not crush it." Jenny snapped through gritted teeth.
"I wasn't crushing it, I was just holding it." Jethro retorted as they came to a stop at a pedestrian crossing.
"Would you stop acting like a five year old? If you don't want to hold my hand, then don't." Jenny growled as the green light flickered on for them to walk.
Jethro rolled his eyes as he trudged next to the redhead. "That's not what I said, and I'm not five. I just don't see the point. It's hot and it's annoying when you won't let go when someone clearly can't see that they should walk around us and not right through us."
"You're right, you're three."
"Jen," Jethro growled yet again. He could just make out the almost satisfied smile that curled her lips as they rounded yet another corner. He heard soft murmurs behind him and looked over his shoulder. He frowned when he saw nothing out of the ordinary – he could have sworn… maybe he was just paranoid.
Notre-Dame was looming right in front of them. Jenny wiped her forehead with the back of her hand, looking up at what was actually their only information of where they should look. She stopped, trying to find the building they were actually looking for.
Jethro groaned as he walked right into her, he hadn't even noticed she had stopped or that they had turned onto a more rundown residential street. He didn't listen to her wise-ass remark, all he was concerned about was whether his gut was warning him or just running amok with his instincts.
"I said hold my hand, not jump me." Jenny muttered as she climbed the steps to the half cracked door.
Pushing the door open she stepped inside, she grimaced slightly at the smell that wafted through the place. It was no wonder the Bureau didn't use this place as an attache office anymore. She heard Jethro come in behind her, knowing he'd follow she started up the stairs.
Jenny looked inside each room trying to find the window that over looked the Bonne Mère. Pushing open the last door she could see the large cathedral almost immediately. She took a moment to admire it as it stood in the sky, over looking the port of Marseille. A floorboard creaked and she straightened up.
Jethro looked at the room with a raised brow. There were old papers stuck against the walls with thumbtacks, their pictures and words already faded with time. A few he could still make out – most of them were about the mounting tension between the West and the East – who would snap first. He remembered his father grumbling about it all the time when he was a child.
Pulling one of the newspaper clippings off the wall he tried to make out what was being illustrated by the cartoon – but years of being exposed to the elements had made it almost impossible to read. Placing the clipping on an old table he watched Jenny mosey around the room almost reverently. He'd realized that day he'd met Seamus that he and Jenny had been close.
"What now, Jen?"
"We look for the other diamonds."
"Diamonds? Why diamonds, I thought the file would be here." Jethro growled as he looked around the room.
"It's because you listen only when you want too. Seamus said the clues will help us." Jenny lifted one of the portraits off of the wall trying to find something that could resemble a safe or a hiding spot.
"How many of these diamonds are there?" He asked sarcastically as he rummaged through a drawer.
"Eight." Jenny answered as she stomped her foot on the floorboards.
Jethro shook his head, "He won't tell us where the file is, but he'll tell you how many diamonds there are." He'd meant to say it quieter than he had but Jenny had still managed to hear him. She slammed her foot down near his fingers as he bent to pick up a clipping that had fluttered to the floor.
"Seamus is a complicated man, he doesn't really trust anyone, and he mostly follows his instincts. If anything I think the two of you would be able to relate." Jenny looked down at him from where she towered above him. She didn't like what he was implicating, but then again he was only trying to stay a step ahead.
Jenny stepped away when Jethro laced his fingers around her knee, rooting her in place. She rolled her eyes, wondering what Gibbs-rule he was going to quote now. "What do you want?"
"Do that again." He commanded.
"What? Try and break your fingers?"
Jethro grit his teeth. He was torn between shaking her senseless until she stopped with her wise-ass remarks, or kissing her until she just stopped talking completely. Pushing off the floor he stood to his full height, looking down at her, the tip of his nose almost touching hers. He had to fight the smirk when she didn't back off, instead she stepped closer, her chest pressed against his.
"I heard something. So do it again." He felt his lips brush hers slightly as he spoke, only realizing then how close they actually were to each other. Jenny lifted her leg, her knee resting against his upper thigh. She dropped her leg with equal force as earlier.
He could have sworn she wanted to bash his toes through his boot. A dull thud echoed around them, sounding only fractionally different from the other planks.
Jethro stepped away from the redhead and made his way to the door. He'd seen a few haphazard nails sticking out of the old plank, an indication that it could have been pried loose before. Grabbing the door handle, he motioned for Jenny to help him.
"Since you like kicking things, kick the door." Gripping the handle with both hands he used brute strength to pull the handle out of the rotting wood the moment Jenny kicked the door – almost sending it flying off its hinges. Jethro stumbled backwards with the door handle in his hand, narrowly missing falling over his own two feet.
Jethro squatted again. He could see out of the corner of his eye that she came closer, her body language a little less hostile than before. Sliding the keyhole over the head of the nail, he pulled on it experimentally until he could feel the head of the nail catch enough on the sides for him to pull. The moment the flimsy piece of steel started bending he could feel his irritation grow. The slight nick in the steel seemed to make it a little more durable.
Pulling with all his strength, Jethro managed to tumble backwards as the nail broke free from the rotten wood. He just managed to catch himself before Jenny laughed, but the way she reacted by grabbing onto his shirt told him that she hadn't expected him to almost fall.
"Seems like you were right." Jenny said with a smile as she picked up a piece of cloth. It had a string around it, keeping whatever was inside neatly together. She heard him drop the door handle and old nail to the floor with a clank!, before she found the end of the string. There was a creak and both of them assumed it was the other shifting their feet slightly.
"Don't move."
Jethro closed his eyes, his blood running cold through his veins. He felt his skin tingle all over as he saw Jenny's flushed cheeks turn pale. For the briefest of moments he saw fear – real raw fear – and he was willing to bet it was the first time she actually felt scared. Turning towards the thick accented voice he took her free hand in his.
"I said don't move!" The man snapped again, lifting the pistol he had trained on them a little higher.
Jethro looked straight down the barrel of the 9mm the Russian had trained on them. He could see the cold glint in the man's eyes as he aimed the weapon right at his forehead. It suddenly occurred to him that if anything, they'd kill him instead of Jenny, since she seemed to be of more value to them than he was. Taking an unconscious step, he tried to get Jenny to stand behind him.
"You Americans never listen!" The man snapped again, training his weapon with dead-on precision on Jethro's forehead. "I said don't move, or I kill the both of you."
"If you wanted us dead you would have shot us the moment you came through the door." Jethro growled inching marginally closer to the man.
Jenny fought the urge to roll her eyes – it was just like him to argue when he was staring down the barrel of a gun. But, he was right – either the kid had been given strict orders not the kill them, or he was too inexperienced to actually think he'd cornered two seasoned federal agents. The only problem they had was that neither of them had a weapon.
Her eyes flicked down to the bent door handle. If Jethro could manage to distract him long enough – the bent piece of metal could cause enough damage for them to get the hell out of this place.
Jethro looked the young man over critically. He lacked the confident stance of a man who had done this before – it was barely visible but he could see the slightest tremble in the young man's hand. It could work to their advantage, because he wasn't actually here to kill them – he was sent to get them to co-operate.
"What do you know?! Huh, you messed with the wrong people Agent Gibbs. I don't mind killing you, it is the Director that is of interest to me." There was a certain sense of arrogance in the man's voice – enough for him to let his guard slip momentarily.
Jethro watched as the man kept his pistol trained on him while he stepped around him in order to get closer to Jenny. He watched almost in agony as the man twisted Jenny's long ponytail around his hand and yanked her head backwards. He balled his fists at his sides as he watched him lick her cheek – he felt sick to his stomach at the obnoxious laugh.
The hand let go of her hair as he held her chin in his hand. Jenny grit her teeth against the nauseating feeling his sweaty hands had on her. She met Jethro's gaze and she could see that he was fighting the urge to react before he could properly assess the situation.
"Shooting an unarmed man is something a coward would do." She ground between clenched teeth as the man breathed against her wet cheek. If she could aggravate him enough to lose focus she'd at least buy them some time.
"Shut up!" He lifted his hand off her cheek only to bring it back down and slap her across her face.
The sharp cry of pain had Jethro bolting into action. He took advantage of the man's back towards him. Grabbing his arm he twisted it behind him until his grip on the pistol slackened and it tumbled to the floor. Lacing an arm around his neck he clamped a hand over his mouth, and placed the other one on the back of his head and pulled violently.
Jenny grimaced as she listened to the sound of bones snapping. She watched as the man fell to the floor – dead.
Two strong arms wrapped around her the moment she tried to get back on her feet. Thinking better of arguing, she gripped Jethro's t-shirt tightly in her hands as she tried to stop her head from spinning. A large hand slipped over her cheek, stroking the angry red mark she knew was sitting there. "I think we better get out of here before they start looking for him."
Jethro gave a silent nod, but not letting her go just yet. Leaning down he placed a gentle kiss on her cheek were the red mark bloomed. Gritting his teeth he took her hand in his – there was no way he was letting her slip out of his sight.
They had managed to find a backdoor that led straight onto a busy street. She had ducked her head, and tried to hide the blossoming bruise on her cheek by walking as close to Jethro as possible. There was only one thing constantly running through her mind. All this came back to the fact that she had called Fornell, telling him exactly where they'd be, it was the only way they could have found them, Jethro's call had been too random and she hoped they didn't know about his team just yet. It never occurred to her that danger might have been a few steps away, but she had been so sure it would be safe to call him.
The sun had just disappeared as they turned onto the last street that would lead them straight down to the warehouse they had been staying in last night. She could hear her heart hammer in her ears as they walked the last stretch. Jethro hadn't said a word since they had stumbled onto the streets, he just kept looking over is shoulder and she had done the same. Only when they had been sure they weren't being followed had they started heading in the right direction.
Jenny pried her hand loose from Jethro's tight grip. He stopped suddenly, a certain sense of angst in his eyes when he felt her hand slip out of his. When he saw that she was still right there next to him, did he relax. He placed a hand on her shoulder, he looked around making sure nothing seemed out of place. He was more than sure that they had sent more, the others were just waiting somewhere.
Splashing hands full of cold water in her face, Jenny looked at herself in a piece of broken mirror. The angry red mark was slowly starting to fade – she gave herself an almost grim smile – she'd endured far worse situations before. Jethro was on the other side of the curtains, throwing their few belongings in their backpacks. She was still trying to muster up the courage to tell him that she might be to blame.
Taking a deep breath she wiped her face with a towel and pulled the curtains back. He kicked the same chair he'd been sitting on earlier, sending it crashing against the wall and breaking into various pieces. The pistol was tucked neatly at the small of his back.
"Could you calm down for a moment so we can just talk about what we have to do next?"
"There's no time." Jethro muttered darkly as he zipped up the last backpack.
"Yes there is." She growled more firmly this time. She watched him straighten, his back ridged and his shoulders tensed. Jethro squeezed his eyes shut and tossed the backpack in his hands across the room. Spinning around he took a step closer to her, his eyes dark with anger. His eyes flicked to the hand print on her cheek and then to her dark emerald eyes.
"I called Fornell when we boarded the train in Kent, I told him we'd be here." Jenny watched as Jethro slid his hands in his hair, yanking the silver strands violently. "I didn't tell you because I thought I couldn't trust you."
"What?!" She could have sworn he almost looked hurt that she had thought he'd turn against her.
"I think his phone might be tapped."
Jethro squeezed his eyes shut, he could hardly see anything anymore since there was no light in the room, and he didn't want to risk alerting anyone that they were there. "Why are you telling me this now?"
"Because I want you to leave tonight, go back to Washington. I can't have them kill you just so they can get to me." There was the slightest crack in her voice as she spoke and she hoped he couldn't see her tears. If she closed her eyes she could feel and see his blood splattered all over her, whether it was a sense of foreboding or just her mind playing with her, she wasn't taking any chances.
"There's no fucking way I'm leaving you now." He didn't know why he said it, maybe it was his sense of duty. He'd heard the crack in her voice and he could still see the fear in her eyes as he watched the man slap her. Last night something between them had changed, on the beach there had been a moment where it had just been the two of them, and unconsciously he'd grabbed onto it.
"Jethro-" She hadn't even realized he'd moved.
Roughened fingertips stroked over the still visible red welts on her cheek – she could just make out the anger on his face as the pale moonlight washed into the room. His eyes were large, raw – honest.
Jethro kissed her cheek tenderly, trailing soft kisses along her jaw until his lips were right over hers. Opening his eyes he met those smoldering green orbs. The edges of reality started blurring and before he knew it he had her pinned against the wall. He felt her teeth sink into his bottom lip, tugging softly until he parted his lips. All at once she invaded his senses, robbing him of any rational though.
Jenny moaned quietly as his tongue danced with hers. She could feel him harden against her thigh as he pressed his hips into hers. Sliding her hands down his chest she grabbed the hem of his shirt and yanked it up and over his head. Running her fingers over his abdomen and up his chest she could feel the scars under her palms and she wondered if they were the reason he was so self-conscious.
Jethro growled the moment Jenny's fingertips dipped inside the waistband of his boxers. Deep down, in the pit of his stomach he felt a familiar tingle, something he hadn't felt in years. Finally getting a grip of the shirt he got rid of it, his hands immediately going to the clasp of her black lacy bra. Unhooking the delicate clasp he bit his lip as he watched her breasts bounce free.
"Jethro… we don't have the time."
"You're killing me, Jen." Jethro pulled away. He knew she was right the longer they stayed here the more danger they were putting themselves in. Kneeling he picked up her clothes and handed them to her while he tried to calm his body down.
He felt her behind him as he struggled to find the right side of his t-shirt. He closed his eyes and grit his teeth as he felt her soft lips brush the scar on his shoulder blade from where Ari had shot him. Looking over his shoulder he caught her lips and kissed her.
Once they were both decent, they slipped out of the warehouse. The Range Rover was parked near the docks, blending in perfectly with all the other expensive cars.
Jenny pulled the piece of cloth out of her jean pocket. Pulling the string free from the cloth, she caught the two diamonds before they tumbled out of her hand. She could hear Jethro's irritated scoff as he placed them inside the small bag with the other one.
Unfolding the piece of cloth Jenny tried to make out what was written on it.
"Its height is 492 feet plus half its own height."
"What is it with these riddles?" Jethro growled irately as he started the large eight cylinder engine.
Jenny smiled slightly, "My grandfather used to give me riddles as a child. We used to spend hours deciphering them together even if he did know the answer."
Jethro gave her half a smirk as they cruised down the street. Taking her hand in his he held it tightly in his, mindful not to crush her hand. Slowing down at a traffic light he looked over at her.
"So what's 984 feet tall?"
I suck at riddles, so if you recognize this one, then yes I found it on the Internet (blushes). As always thank you for reading yet another chapter, much love to you all.
Your thoughts are truly appreciated ;)
