A/N: An admittedly short chapter, but I felt that it should end where it does. Also this chapter was never part of the original line-up, so to speak. As a result I'm not sure how it works, but I felt I needed something to break up the scenes a bit, I didn't want the chapters to seem to similiar and I wanted to move the plot along slightly. So constructive critisicm is welcome.

As always, thanks for the reviews so far and your patience with my somewhat sporadic updates.


Gibbs eyes scanned the crowded bar until he'd located Harry lounging at one of the small booths in the corner of the square room. Squeezing his way through the crowd - the vast majority of whom were standing screaming at the TV screen - he finally reached the table.

Harry's eyes slid away from TV and he grinned at him, standing up and slapping him on the shoulder, he greeted him loudly and cheerfully, "Gunny, it's good to see you!"

Affording him a small grin, Gibbs replied, "You too."

They both sat down, and Harry shoved a bottle in his direction. "Bought you a drink, next round's on you."

"Fair enough," Gibbs shrugged.

Leaning back in his seat, Harry took a slug of beer and surveyed the man across from him. "Thought you were gonna turn me down when we spoke on the phone yesterday." When no reply was forthcoming he continued, "None o' us seen you for a while."

Gibbs shrugged again, "You know what it's like."

"Very true." Harry shot a sly grin in his direction before asking, "So any more weddings on the horizon?"

Letting out a small chuckle, Gibbs shook his head wryly, "Think I've finally learned my lesson."

"That's what they all say," came the cheerful reply. Harry pushed a careless hand through his sandy hair and drained the rest of his beer. It was a lot easier to joke about the subject of Gunny's numerous divorces than it was to even touch upon the subject of his first marriage. Harry had been there on the day he'd been given the news of his wife and daughter's deaths and he had no intention of putting that look back onto Gunny's face, he'd stick to the artless banter. Leaning even further back in his seat Harry jumped straight to his main point. "Your Director's quite the looker."

"Wondered when we'd get round to this," Gibbs stated dryly.

"Can you blame me?" Harry didn't even wait for a reply before he continued, "You never really gave me any answers when we spoke yesterday on the phone."

"I was working," came the blunt reply.

"And now you're not, so is she seeing anyone?"

"No."

Harry nodded and almost imperceptivity narrowed his eyes, it hadn't escaped his notice that the man across from him had tensed up in the last few seconds, further adding to his suspicions. "I got the impression that she knows you quite well."

"Did you now?" Gibbs raised an almost sardonic eyebrow, knowing full well that his friend was fishing for information.

"So she's just your boss?"

"Where exactly are you going with this?" Gibbs sighed impatiently.

Smirking, Harry replied, "We all know about your penchant for red heads, that and you went to the effort of giving her my number, told her to drop your name in there. You must've known I'd feel obligated to help her out. Lot o' trouble to go to for a woman who's just your boss…" he tailed off meaningfully.

Gibbs suddenly felt the urge to down his drink, he didn't know how to define his relationship with Jenny, had struggled to do so from the minute she re-appeared, and last night's kiss hadn't helped the matter. Reigning himself in, he hastily took a sip of beer, and keeping his tone even, answered, "We were partners."

"Partners?" Harry echoed questionably, his brow furrowed, "What the Hell does that mean?"

"We worked together."

"Just work?"

"Cut to the point," Gibbs growled.

"Just that I don't want to be stepping on anybody's toes," Harry replied, although that wasn't strictly true, anyone else and it probably wouldn't have stopped him, but he owed Gunny his life and he wasn't going to so much as stare at the woman if he was interested.

"Well as far as I know, you've got nothing to worry about there."

Harry nodded, not believing that answer for a second but deciding to play along regardless. "Great," he grinned. "I'll turn on the charm then." He watched with something near to amusement when he saw the briefest flash of annoyance cross the other man's face. All the while knowing full well that his intentions towards Jennifer Sheppard would have to remain professional, which was a damn shame - for him.


Gibbs scrubbed a hand across his jaw as he stumbled slightly coming out of the bar. The conversation had turned far easier to handle once they'd moved away from the subject of Jenny, and the meeting had ended with Harry inviting him to join him and a few more of their old buddies for drinks in a couple of weeks. He wasn't sure if it was the drink but for once he was actually considering it.

Eyeing his truck parked across the street, he frowned. There was no way he'd be able to drive home, he'd have to come pick it up in the morning before going to pick up Jenny. Jenny, at that thought he glanced at his watch, grimacing when he saw the time. If he turned up now she'd kill him, and yet he wanted to talk to her, wanted to find out what that kiss had meant to her. Although in the very back of his mind he suspected that this sudden loquaciousness had more to do with the alcohol he'd consumed than anything else.

Deciding the fresh air from walking home would do him good, he buried his hands in his pockets as he morosely shook his head. He'd never been good at voicing his feelings, wasn't into big romantic gestures - he found them to be more than a little false. No, he preferred to show woman how he felt, the whole actions speak louder deal - not that they'd always appreciated it, although Jenny had always understood it. At least he thought she had until she left. Problem was, how did he show her how he felt, when he didn't have a damn clue if she felt the same way!

He let out a tiny growl of frustration, why couldn't things just be simple for a change. Why did it all have to be so complicated.