Sorry for making you wait so long. Thanks to everyone who's reading and leaving feedback. :)
A/N: The title and the lyrics are from Straight Up by Paula Abdul.

Chapter 6: Are You Gonna Love Me Forever?

Straight up now tell me
Do you really want to love me forever oh oh oh
Or am I caught in a hit and run
Straight up now tell me
Is it gonna be you and me together oh oh oh
Are you just having fun

It was late morning before Jenny arrived back at her apartment and Paulina noticed Jenny's late arrival. Jenny was secretly hoping she wouldn't notice, but she knew she wasn't that stupid.

"Late night, huh," She said, "Did you get any sleep or did you spend the whole night engaging in 'other activities' ?" She teased.

Jenny glared back at her and replied, "That's none of your business. . ."

"Oh, so you did spend the night engaging in 'other activities' then?" Paulina teased.

"Maybe some of the night. . ." Jenny replied quietly, smiling. But loud enough for Paulina to hear her.

Jenny started to walk into her bedroom, she wanted to be alone right now and just have some time to think, but she knew Paulina wouldn't let up. Which she didn't mind entirely because then at least she could talk about Jethro. She was right, within a few minutes she heard a knocking at her door, "You can come in."

Paulina walked in and sat next to Jenny on the bed, "So talk to me, Jenny. Tell me about it. Only if you want to though, I know I tease you a bit sometimes but I'm just doing what a best friend should, you know that right?"

"Of course I do. I don't mind you asking. . .some of the time." Jenny replied.

"So you mind me asking this time?"

"No, actually, I don't."

"Well, go on then."

"Where should I start?"

"Well, the beginning's usually a good place to start stories, Jenny."

Jenny proceeded to tell her friend about her night with Jethro and Paulina noticed from the way she spoke about him that she really loved him, she was even willing to bet she'd found her soul mate. Every time she heard Jenny mention his name she saw a joy and a love in Jenny's eyes, which was true and full of meaning. She wanted to tell Jenny just how lucky she was to have someone like Jethro in her life, but she decided she would wait a bit before she did.

- - -

The next day was a Monday, much to Jenny and Paulina's disappointment. But more so Jenny's since Monday she didn't have English with Jethro. She did however make a mental note to go and see him when she had the chance. After last night, she felt she should.

Paulina was first to leave that morning, as she had an earlier start than Jenny did. So Jenny was left to herself for a few hours. She got up and made herself breakfast, and tried to relax a little. The past few weeks had been such an emotional roller-coaster, she remembered the first day she walked into "Professor Gibbs's" class, then her mind fast forwarded to the previous night. It seemed surreal that all of this had happened in just a short time. She smiled to herself as she recalled the memories. It was fun for her to see how far they had both come. She was sure that before they started seeing each other that Jethro really didn't like her, but evidently that had changed somewhere, and truth be told she had been intimidated by him at first, until she saw past his exterior. What she saw underneath was a beautiful, charming and gentle man.

She finished her breakfast and looked at the time, it was time for her to get ready and go.

When she arrived at the college she quickly hurried to her class, and luckily for her, she actually made it on time. The class wasn't very interesting but she was able to stay mildly attentive, she at least knew what the Professor was talking about, that was a start. She did drift off a few times, thinking about what she would say - and do - when she saw Jethro again. She also kept wondering if he was thinking of her like she was thinking of him. She didn't know it yet, but he was.

Jethro reached over to his bookshelf and pulled out the book he was looking for, he needed it for the next class he had. He had been trying to prepare this lesson for the past hour, but Jenny kept creeping into his thoughts. He never usually let women affect him like this, especially when he was at work, but it was hard for him to not think about Jenny Shepard. He remembered that day in the parking lot when he managed to catch her eye; he had been mesmerised then and he still was now each time he looked at her. He decided to check his answering machine, he wasn't that up with technology and he really didn't understand it that well, but he did understand a few basic things. He saw that he had a message, he hoped it was from Jenny. His hoping payed off, it was from her. It said that she wanted to meet him later. He had a copy of Jenny's schedule so he knew when he could see her, and she had a free lesson next, as did he.

Once the hour was up and Jenny was able to leave her class, she was so pleased she could meet him now, so she quickly made her way to his office.

When she arrived she knocked on the door, just in case a student was in there talking to him. "Come in." She heard him say.

She opened the door and entered, closing and locking it behind her. Lucky for her no one else was in here, and she wanted to keep it that way.

"So how long did it take you to figure out you had a message?"

"Not long. . ."

"So about twenty minutes, then?"

"Something like that."

Jenny walked over to Jethro's side of the desk and sat on his lap. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his nose, "I've missed you."

"I missed you too, Jen."

"What are we going to do Jethro? Keep sneaking around like this, when it's convenient for the both of us? It's not always going to be that easy you know. . . I have my schedule and you have yours. . ."

"We'll work something out Jenny."

"Are you sure?"

"Well we both want it don't we?"

"Of course."

"Well then it shouldn't be that hard should it."

"I guess not." Jenny replied, breaking eye contact with him, "Have you given any thought to what will happen if word gets out that I'm with you?"

"To tell you the truth, no, I haven't. I haven't had much time to think about things like that recently."

"Well are you going to start thinking about them?"

"Why are you so eager to tell everyone?"

"I'm not, Jethro. I would just like to be able to kiss you in public, you know, show affection towards you, without everyone gawping. Do you think that's possible?"

"I'm not sure, Jen, but eventually it might be."

"I hope so," She replied, leaving him with a kiss on his lips, "I'll see you later." Jenny left his office then, she had hoped that once she'd seen Jethro she'd feel better, but unfortunately this wasn't the case. She felt worse. Confronting the realisation that she couldn't have a 'normal' open relationship with him saddened her. She wasn't the type to go around advertising the fact that she was with someone, but she did want to have the opportunity to hold Jethro's hand in public and little gestures like that. So far, the only other person who knew about their relationship was Paulina. . .Jenny shuddered when she thought about what her parents would think. She didn't think they would be too keen on the idea of her being with a man who was twelve years older than her. . .but she wasn't going to let a few years stop her from loving him. Not even her parents could make her give that up.

She walked around the college for a while, trying to clear her head. As she Paulina spotted her and came over, "So. . .how did it go?"

"How did what go?"

"Your little "talk" with Jethro?"

"Oh. . .that. . ."

"What. . .that doesn't sound good."

"It's not that bad, it's just that while I was talking to him I cam to a few harsh realisations, that's all."

"Like what?"

"Like the fact that I can't be seen out with him, or the fact that I can't talk about him to anyone but you. . .and then there's the matter of my parents. . ."

"Jenny, do you love him?"

"What?" Jenny was a little taken aback by Paulina's question, "Of course I do."

"Well that should be enough shouldn't it? You shouldn't worry about what everyone else thinks, it's not their love it's yours and his. That should be all that matters, you love each other, that's special Jenny."

"Thanks, I guess you're right. . ."

"Did I help?"

"Yes, I think you did."

"Good. I'll see you later then."