Chapter 7
It was on the plane ride back to DC that Ducky and the rest of the team had noticed Gibbs's bad mood, he'd just sat in the seat by the window looking out at the blue sky and the fluffy clouds that passed them, it had seemed not even Abby could cheer him up, let alone get him to talk.
And even the next day at work Gibbs didn't talk much let alone notice that he had a team of three people sitting around with nothing to do. He was just lost in the thought of what he was doing twenty four hours ago.
How could Jenny think he could just go home and forget about her, forget the fact that she was in fact alive and not dead like everyone seemed. How could she think he could forget about the love he had for her.
It also didn't help that Samantha Ryan wouldn't and hadn't stopped calling him since he had broken up with her, leaving voice mails begging Gibbs to take her back and saying that she wanted him bit he didn't want her so was ignoring his phone and was seriously tempted to put the mobile in a tin of paint stripper.z
He wanted Jenny here with him, he wanted her back, NCIS was not the same without her, nothing was the same. Gibbs understood her reasoning for her not coming back. She thought the coming would bring trouble but to be honest he didn't see the trouble.
It was all stupid Leon Vance's fault, he put the idea in her head, the tooth picking son of a bitch wanted her jobs and he took it right from under her nose and made her do it by saying she would be protecting Gibbs.
Gibbs could feel the anger rising in him, he'd always had a gut feeling about Vance, the way he looked down on everyone from the catwalk with his dark beady eyes, his face so harsh, so unapproachable.
"You alright boss" Tony DiNozzo asked as Gibbs got up from his desk, but the older agent didn't as much as grunt at him as he walked passed his desk.
Tony and the other two agents watched as Gibbs took the stairs two at a time before heading towards the director's office.
"Special agent Gibbs you can't…" Ashley, Vance's new secretary tried to stop Gibbs so she could tell Gibbs he was there to see him. Vance had promptly sacked Cynthia before Jenny's seat was even cold and replaced her with a blond, tall, curvy and under qualified, basically she was some eye candy for him.
Gibbs ignored the women's annoying voice and barged into the director's office. There Vance sat, lounging in the chair, chewing on a toothpick, the man almost jumped out of his seat as the door slammed behind Gibbs, it made the tooth pick jab the inside of his cheek, he let out a groan and cupped his cheek, Gibbs couldn't help but feel a little satisfied that he had hurt him.
"Special agent Gibbs, what on earth do you mean by barging in like this?" Vance asked still cupping his cheek.
"You know" Gibbs growled leaning over the desk leaning on it with the palms of his hands.
"Don't you have work to do special agent Gibbs" Vance stood up to show he wasn't intimidated by Gibbs.
"Cut the crap Leon" Gibbs growled spitting his name, his icy blue meeting Vance's stone cold brown.
"It's Director Vance to you" Vance tried to put Gibbs down back in his place but knew it would be a struggle.
Gibbs shook his head "You were willing to do anything to get to this position" he stated, Vance opened his mouth to say something but Gibbs beat him too it "Even if that means getting read of the opposition"
"I don't know what you're talking about" Vance stammered, trying not to make eye contact with Gibbs knowing he would be able to see right through him.
"I found her, I found Jenny in Florida" Gibbs gave him a small smile "She told me everything"
"Everything" The man gulped.
"You lied to her, you told her that she was still in danger, that if she stayed away it would protect me and the team" Gibbs growled as Vance moved around the corner of the desk.
"It's not my fault you're her weak spot, that she would do anything for you" Vance stated with a cocky grin oozing with arrogance.
"You're a bastard" Gibbs growled through gritted teeth.
"I could fire you special agent Gibbs" the Director threatened with a proud glint in his eyes.
"You fire me, my team will walk, Abby will walk, Ducky will walk when he gets back" of this Gibbs was sure. He wanted to punch him but that would be going too far…for now.
"What do you want me to do?" he asked.
Gibbs gave a small smile "Tell her she can come home, tell her the truth that she'd not in danger".
"Fine" Vance growled, he was lying through his teeth he just hopped Gibbs didn't notice as he turned and walked out of Vance's office.
Once Gibbs was gone Vance sighed as he fell back into his chair, there was no way he was going to get Jenny back, she would just find a way to get her job back.
So it was then that Vance made his decision, he had to get read of Jenny Shepard for once and for all. He picked up his phone "Ashley book me the next flight to Florida"
Later in the evening Jenny was still upset, to upset to have even left her apartment. Doris had followed Jenny after their conversation in the hall way, having noted she had upset the young redhead. And since then the nice older lady had knocked every other day to see if she was ok and every time Jenny would insist that she was because she wanted to be alone.
So once more Jenny sat on her sofa, wearing one of Gibbs's oversized NCIS t-shirts she had stolen over a decade ago in Paris, her haired tied in a scruffy pony tail and a half eaten tub of ben and jerry's ice cream and a tumbler of bourbon.
She missed Gibbs so much, it was breaking her heart even more, she hadn't thought she could possibly miss him more but after being with him she just could help it.
Once again tears were falling from her eyes, Jenny couldn't believe she was being so weak, didn't the events of the past decade just show her that she and Gibbs were not meant to be, that they could never be together, that she would never be worthy of such a man.
There was a sudden nock at her door, she begrudgingly got off of the sofa and padded over to the door, leaving her imprint on the sofa where she had been laying for the last couple of days.
Jenny unlocked the door and opened it, not looking through the peep whole like she normally would as she thought it was probably Doris, when she opened the door she was surprised to find it wasn't.
"What are you doing here?" she asked her visitor with concern, the only reply she got was a whack on the head with a blunt instrument and darkness.
TBC…
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