A/N: I know I updated this yesterday and didn't update BPP, but Evelyn begged for another chapter, and I'm a sucker for a damsel in distress ;) Love you!
Don't expect updates for the rest of the week. My homework load was surprisingly light tonight, which led to being able to write. But the rest of the week is dedicated to marching band, sadly. Well, and my boyfriend, because he needs attention as well.
This story is completely planned out in my notebook (I finished it while in Economics class- Ev was sitting right next to me, witnessed it all). So, hopefully I'll be able to update more quickly once I have free time.
Disclaimer: I own my OCs and the plot.
"Cause tonight for the first time, just about half-past ten, for the first time in history, it's gonna start raining men," –'It's Raining Men', The Weather Girls [*grins* I have a soft spot for this song. And I kick ass at it on 'Just Dance 2'. If you can't tell, this chapter is a little bit of a tension breaker. I felt one was needed. Next chapter we get back to the hard stuff.]
Jenny awoke a few hours later, disoriented by the dimness of the living room. She sat up slowly, rubbing at her tired eyes and yawning, covering her mouth. Turning her head, she found Patricia watching her fondly, and she smiled weakly, a little embarrassed at falling asleep.
"I'm sorry for falling asleep on you," she said, and Patricia shook her head.
"It's fine dear," the older woman replied, her gray eyes soft. "You clearly needed it."
"That's an understatement," Jenny said, shaking her head softly. She glanced at the clock on the mantle, eyes widening slightly at the time. "Oh Patricia, it's after ten- I'm so sorry for keeping you!"
"Jenny, it's fine," Patricia assured her, touching her hand. "Though it is best that I be going. I'm subbing at the high school on Monday, and I need to look over the plans I was left."
"Thank you for stopping by, Patricia," Jenny said, standing and walking towards the front door with Patricia, pushing the exhaustion out of her brain until her friend left.
"Jenny, know that I'm here whenever you need me," Patricia said, and Jenny nodded. "You may want to tell Ashley about this…development."
"I will. After this weekend," Jenny said, and Patricia nodded. "Goodnight Patricia."
"Goodnight Jenny," Patricia said, hugging the younger woman and kissing her forehead gently. "And thank Jethro for me. He's a good man, Jenny."
"I know he is," Jenny said in reply, smiling softly. "Have a good week, Patricia."
"You as well Jenny," Patricia said, and Jenny nodded. With a final wave, she closed the door and sighed softly, still tired.
She was just heading up her stairs to get in pajamas and go back to sleep when there was a loud knock on her front door and she turned, frowning. Could Patricia have forgotten something?
Opening the door, her jaw almost dropped at the sight of four men on her doorstep.
Jethro, Tony, Tim, and Ducky were all standing on her front porch.
"Hello?"
"Just wanted to check on you, Director," Tony said from the back of the group, a sheepish grin on his face. "Looks like I wasn't the only one."
"Clearly," Jenny said, a small, amused smirk touching her lips.
"We didn't mean to bother you, Director," Tim said, and Jenny sent the younger agent a soft smile.
"You aren't bothering me at all," she assured him, though tiredness pounded behind her eyes.
"I just came to see how you were feeling, Director," Ducky said, his kind eyes full of concern.
"I'm fine, Ducky," Jenny informed him, her lips curving up gently. "Just tired, and I have a small headache. Nothing some sleep won't cure."
"We should leave you alone then," Tim said, his eyes soft. "Have a good rest of the weekend Director- I'm glad you're feeling better."
"Thank you, Tim," Jenny said, not seeing a use for his title at the moment. He was being a friend, not one of her agents.
"Yeah, I'm glad you're okay too, Director," Tony said, nodding to her with a flicker in his dark hazel eyes. "See you Monday!"
"Goodbye, Agent DiNozzo," Jenny said, but the teasing in her tone let him know her amusement. Now only Ducky and Jethro were on the porch, the latter having said nothing yet.
"Are you sure you're feeling alright, Jennifer?" Ducky asked, wanting to double check. She smiled, touching his hand.
"I'm fine Ducky, I promise. I just need to get some sleep, that's all," Jenny said, though she kept exchanging looks with Jethro that suggested there wasn't going to be much sleeping. "I'm sure you'd like to get home, Ducky. Thank you for stopping by to check on me, it was very sweet."
"If you feel ill, you know my number," Ducky said, and after placing a soft kiss to her cheek, departed with goodnights to both occupants of the front porch.
"Are you going to say anything?" Jenny asked softly, beckoning him inside, shutting the door behind her and leaning back against it, regarding the man in front of her.
"Hi," he replied simply, and the look he gave her was so gentle and caring and sweet that Jenny felt like her heart was going to burst.
Stepping forward, Jenny slipped her arms around his waist and tucked her head under his chin, feeling his arms come around her and tighten, holding her strongly against him.
"Missed you," she whispered into the collar of his jacket, so softly he almost didn't hear two syllables that made his heart ache for her.
"Missed you too," he whispered back, the words filling the empty front entryway and seeming to echo around them.
Jenny's hands slipped the worn leather jacket off of Jethro's shoulders, turning and hanging it up on the coat rack, feeling him come up behind her and deposit his shoes near the front door. He placed his hands gently at her waist, kissing her temple softly as she rested back against him.
She turned and faced him, cupping his warm neck in her palms as she looked up into his eyes, searching the cobalt blue irises with her own emerald ones.
"Will you stay with me tonight?" she asked quietly, almost scared that a rejection would follow her words. He seemed torn, and she bit her lip trying to stop the word from coming out- but her desire was too strong. "Please?"
The second she uttered that single syllable, he knew he was staying. He couldn't refuse her, especially not now. She looked like she would break if he so much as held her too tight, and he knew not staying would fracture her fragile self-esteem.
And he was too selfish to say away.
"I'll stay," he said, brushing her hair back so that he could see her beautiful eyes through the crimson curtain. The shine that entered the large, glossy emeralds was the only thing he needed to see to know that he'd made the right choice.
"Let's go upstairs," she invited, and with his hand in hers, she led him up the stairs to her bedroom.
Once there, Jenny shut the door softly before turning back to Jethro, who was looking at her with gentle eyes- gentler than she had seen in a long time. One of Jethro's hands traced her wrist softly, fingers running over the scars etched into her skin.
It still amazed her, how different that scars were to him than they were to most people. He saw them as another thing that made her beautiful, another thing that made her uniquely her. And that was another thing she loved about him, to add to the already large stack.
His lips were warm against hers, full of promises and secrets and wishes and love. She slipped her arms around his neck, pressing herself against him as close as she could get. His arms moved to the small of her back, holding her to him as their lips moved in a synchronized dance they were quite good at.
They moved slowly to the bed, taking their time, enjoying the moment. Jenny's fingers slowly crept underneath his tight black t-shirt, one that made his eyes stand out in their blueness. She ran the back of her hand over his tightened abdominal muscles, making him quiver against her.
He breathed out against her lips, his eyes closing as she pulled the shirt up and over his head, tossing it aside as she pushed him lightly towards the bed, where he sat on the edge. Their kiss broke and he looked up at her for confirmation as his hands played with the hem of her t-shirt. She nodded, allowing him to pull the fabric up and over her head, his hands running over her scars with gentle motions.
He tilted his head down and rained her scarred belly with soft kisses as she stood between his legs, her hands threaded into his hair as she closed her eyes, humming in appreciation. His fingers moved to hook into the waistband of her jeans, and when she didn't stop him, he undid the button and dragged the zipper down, letting the material fall down her hips and pool at her ankles. She stepped out of the denim puddle and pushed him so that he was on his back in the middle of the bed, her straddling his hips.
She kissed his chest as her fingers fiddled with his belt and then button and zipper, finally getting frustrated with the jeans and yanking them off, leaving her lover in his yellow and white striped boxers. Her fingers twirled into his graying chest hair and she leaned forward, kissing him with her mouth open, enjoying the feeling of pleasant warmth that flooded her body.
Soon they were naked, and this time, Jenny was comfortable enough to let Jethro be on top, though he didn't want to hurt her by causing more painful memories. She kissed him, showing him that there were no memories at that moment- there was just them. And she wanted so badly to focus on just them- together, in this picture-perfect snapshot in time of them.
Her favorite thing about the way he made love was how gentle he was- he took, but he gave so much more. He made sure she was comfortable and happy and on the edge before he thought of himself, and it was such a startling, wonderful contrast to Bobby that Jenny nearly burst into tears at the love that practically oozed from Jethro as he made love to her.
Then they were over the edge and she was in his arms and she felt so light and carefree and weightless. He held her against him, her cheek pressing into his bare chest, and she sighed, not wanting to jinx anything by thinking about how happy she was.
Suddenly she wanted him again, and again, and again. She wanted him to hold her close, to make her feel things no one else had ever been able to do- to touch her soul, to open her senses. To make her believe all those things that she never had before, to show her how he felt without words.
"Make love to me," she whispered into the silence of the darkened bedroom, the only light coming from the moon filtering in from the curtains. "Until the sun comes in through that window."
Rolling so that he could study her, he trailed his hand down her side, her bare skin tempting him as it glimmered in the silvery light.
"Please Jethro," she whispered, her green eyes like two sirens in the distance, calling to him, begging and pleading with him as they sang out. "I can't live with anymore nightmares today."
He couldn't say no to her when she said it like that, and so he dipped his head, capturing her lips again in a kiss that spoke volumes though he hadn't said a word.
The only sound was the whisper of sheets against skin, and words spoken in the silence of the bedroom for only the two occupants to hear.
"Let's make love all night long, until all our strength is gone. Hold on tight, just let go; I want to feel you in my soul. Until the sun comes up, let's make love," –'Let's Make Love', Faith Hill and Tim McGraw [These two are one of my FAVORITE 'Hollywood Couples'. I have an intense love of both of them, and together, they're magic. I love this song. Go watch the video- it's the kind of love I want when I 'grow up'.]
