Chapter 12

The weeks had passed and Gibbs had finished the house he'd bought, leaving it ready, waiting for the right moment to show it to Jenny. He had transformed one of the bedrooms in two so there were 5 now, as he'd done with the basement, one for him where he could donwis works with wood and the other for Jenny, where she could have a space to train balletnor just relax.

Both were busy, he with paperwork of the last case and she with the final rehearsals for the performance of Romeo and Juliet so they saw each other only in small intervals and at night, now that the children already knew everything, the two didn't need to pretend.

In the late afternoon, after leaving Tim and Tony with Jackson, he went to pick up Jenny, Ziva and Abby in the ballet.

There were several students leaving at that time, of all ages now that the show approached. Abby and Jenny were still training and Ziva, who had already finished, now was doing the clothing proof, wearing a long and green dress with puffy sleeves. She gave a half pirouette when she saw her father, showing her dress and Gibbs hugged the girl.

"Did you like daddy?"

"You look beautiful, dear." He said and the girl kissed his cheek before going with her friends to the room where the dressmaker was.

Gibbs went to the glass door leading to the rehearsal's main room, where he saw Abby's class and Kate was training her variation already in her pale pink dress with puffed sleeves and ties and Ducky was supervising. When she finished, he saw Jenny appears and position herself.

Jenny was wearing a peach dress, opened on the sides and with puffed sleeves and laces and the front had rhinestones stitched. She was beautiful. Jenny winked at him when she saw Gibbs at the door and he motioned to the coffee cup that he brought for her. She began her variation, but Gibbs didn't watch it all.

"Leroy?"

Gibbs felt his blood run cold, and he closed his eyes for a moment, thinking it was his imagination, he heard the woman calling him again so he opened his eyes and turned to the redhead woman with straight hair and brown eyes.

"Shannon!" Gibbs exclaimed, shocked to see his former wife right in front of him, smiling.

She stepped forward and hugged him and Gibbs, still confused, didn't react or pull away until he heard a noise from inside the room and Gibbs walked away from Shannon, seeing several students, Ducky and Kate around Jenny, who had fallen from her pointe shoe.

"Jen!" He opened the door, letting the coffee aside and passing by the students, kneeling next to Jenny.

He lifted the hem of her dress and touched her troubled knee and asked:

"Can you stand up?"

She nodded without looking at him as Ducky and Josh helped her get up and Kate handed her a glass of water, going away to lead the students back to the training.

"It was just a slip." Ducky said, examining her foot and seeing that she was fine at the same time that Jenny said:

"I'm fine Ducky, I'm going back to the rehearsal."

But Ducky and Gibbs prevented her and Ducky gently placed a hand on her shoulder:

"Jennifer, you've been training since this morning, go home and rest."

"But Ducky, the show is tomorrow!"

"Tomorrow morning we will have another rehearsal, you need to save energy."

Jenny surrendered, taking off the pointe shoe.

"Okay, good night." She said with a sigh, going to her bag.

Gibbs held her gently by the elbow, leading her to a corner of the room. Jenny turned to him without looking him in the eyes and pointing to the window glass.

"I think your ex wife wants to talk to you."

Gibbs frowned, lifting her chin and making Jenny look at him and he saw that Jenny seemed upset.

"Jen... How do you know she's Shannon?"

"I found your wedding photo some days ago..." She said, remembering the day she was searching for her earrings in Gibbs's drawer and she found the picture between some papers.

She was a redhead like her and Jenny was feeling insecure, seeing how beautiful Shannon was. And now here was his former wife, hugging him.

"Jenny, I feel nothing for Shannon, I didn't expect her to show up after 5 years." He defended himself and Jenny believed in him, frustrated with herself.

Jenny sighed wearily and then leaned against his chest and Gibbs kissed the top of her head.

"Jethro, go talk to Shannon, she came up here to talk to you."

Gibbs said nothing for a moment, feeling strange to see Shannon after five years and also angry with her for having abandoned him and their kids and showing up when things were going well between him and Jenny. But Gibbs wanted to resolve this issue soon so he disentangled himself gently from Jenny, staring at her.

"I will talk with her. Go rest Jen, tomorrow will be a big day."

"Good night." She said and kissed him on the mouth, before leaving, exchanging a look with the other redhead before going to the locker room.

When Jenny left with Abby and Ziva, Shannon watched her daughter from afar, without being seen and Gibbs walked towards her, stopping near the front desk.

"It's been awhile Leroy." She said, uncertain and Gibbs crossed his arms.

"Five years... Five damn years without you contacting me or our children!"

Shannon sighed and then said:

"I wanted to come here to say goodbye to you personally and the kids. I'm going to Europe with my new husband after tomorrow."

Gibbs and Shannon went to his house and there he found out that Jenny had gone to her own house with Abby and Tony and Jackson was surprised to see Shannon and worried about his grandchildren's reaction.

For a whole hour, Jackson had sat with Tim and Ziva explaining about their mother while Gibbs and Shannon argued, sometimes aloud, her motives for leaving them. Shannon explained that shortly after marrying him, she had discovered that it wasn't what she wanted and she hadn't been ready to be mother of two kids as she liked traveling and living adventures.

"Leroy, I know I hurt you and the kids, but I had no intention." She said, sitting on the couch while Gibbs rested an arm on the window and stared at her.

"Shannon, our children grew up without a mother! I liked you Shannon." He declared and the redhead ran a hand through her hair, tired.

"I also liked you but you see? We never loved each other, in one way or another this marriage would have ended."

"But you could have sat and talked to me instead of running away, you should have thought about your children!"

"I was wrong and that's why I'm here, I want to explain to them why I abandoned them, before leaving for Europe." She stood up and gently touched his shoulder, saying: "I want to be able to say goodbye."

In the end, Gibbs sighed and both came to an agreement that they would forget what had happened in the past and would move on with their lives. Shannon then asked to talk with their children, because after Ziva's performance, she would be leaving.

It was a strange moment, because Shannon was surprised to see how much they had grown up and also because Tim didn't remember about her, as he had been only 1 year old when Shannon had left and Ziva seemed a little in doubt about her, while hugging Tim in a protective way. Jackson had come down with them and went to his son's side, while Shannon crouched, hugging her children. Tim e Ziva returned the hug, relieved.

"Tim, you've grown up so much." She said, touching his face and Tim smiled at her. Though he couldn't see her as his mother, he liked her, he was blood of her blood. "What do you like Tim?"

"I like to play video games." The boy thought and then added: "And dad put me to play soccer too. When he can't take me, Jen goes."

She smiled, somehow feeling comforted by Jenny taking care of them and then turned to Ziva, who hesitated but hugged her.

"Oh Ziva..."

"Hi mom..." She said hesitantly, but then smiled and Shannon asked:

"I've heard that you're a ballerina?"

Ziva nodded.

"Jen is my teacher at the academy."

Shannon turned to Gibbs and said:

"You and Jenny seem to be doing a good work with these children."

The woman tried to explain as best as she could the reason for her abandoning them and that she was going to Europe. In the end they said goodbye and Ziva seemed to accept her and Shannon gave them a hug, accepting having dinner with them, before going to her hotel.

Gibbs called Jenny, worried, but the redhead tranquilized him saying she wanted to give them some privacy and promised to see him the next day.

The next day, seeing that Tim and Ziva had reacted well with Shannon's presence, the kids stayed the whole day with their mother, remembering things, going to downtown and taking pictures, until they went with Gibbs and Jackson to the little theater that was there in the city.

There were several families there to drop their kids and Gibbs gave Tim a hug before leaving him with Jackson and taking Ziva to the dressing room. Several kids between 5-15 and teens and adults between 16-35 went from one side to the other coming in the doors, some searching for their costumes and others finishing their makeup. Abby was in her costumer and Gibbs smiled, giving her a kiss and then turning to Ziva.

"Are you okay?" He asked, watching her face intently and the brunette nodded and said:

"Although mom left us, I like her. But... Jenny has been more like a mother to me than her." She said biting her lip and Gibbs hugged her, burying his face in her curls and Gibbs was amazed at her maturity.

In recent months, Jenny had been more present than Shannon in years, taking them to their classes, putting them to sleep. When they parted, Gibbs smiled to Ziva and said:

"Good luck dear."

"Thanks."

Gibbs left her with the others girls to do the makeup and he saw Jenny's back, while she was talking to Josh before he went to his dressing room. Jenny was already in her peach costume, with her red hair in a high bun and was stretching her muscles, throwing her right leg front and back and then the left.

Gibbs took a rose from the inside of his blazer and approached her, hugging her from behind, seeing that no one else was in the hallway. Jenny relaxed, feeling Gibbs's smell and he handed her the rose. The redhead smiled, turning to him and Gibbs admired her, seeing her made-up face and her lips in red. She smiled slightly and said:

"I guess you liked my dress."

Gibbs laughed, putting a hand on her cheek and Jenny pressed her forehead to his own.

"Jen, you're beautiful, you're Juliet."

Jenny laughed at the statement and admired him in his formal attire, commenting:

"So it makes you Romeo then."

They both laughed and then Gibbs asked, staring into her green eyes:

"Is everything okay?"

"Yes. Jethro, I told you I wanted to give you some privacy. And yesterday I was exhausted." She replied gently and Gibbs asked, concerned:

"Did you eat something?"

During her last rehearsals, Gibbs and she had fought because she barely ate and was training too much and he didn't want to see her getting hurt. Jenny nodded and stepped back, covering his hand that was on her cheek with hers. She looked at him and asked:

"And you're okay? Everything went right with Shannon?" Her voice was hesitant saying her name and Gibbs reassured her.

"She's leaving today after the show. She and the kids talked and made up. But both Ziva and Tim see you as a mother figure."

Jenny felt thrilled with the declaration of the children and closed her eyes for a moment, saying:

"I love you Jethro."

"I love you too Jen."

Gibbs smiled and stared her green eyes, asking permission to kiss her and she agreed, both taking care not to smudge her makeup or mess the dress.

Gibbs wrapped his arms around her and kissed her fondly, as she brought her hands to his neck, caressing him. Jenny asked permission for her tongue and Gibbs parted his lips, their tongues meeting and he dropped a hand to her back, lifting up the sides of the dress that were opened, stroking her hip over her pantyhose, making her sigh.

When they parted, Gibbs ran a hand over her head gently, stroking a few strands of hair and they both smiled.

"Good luck Jen."

"Thanks Jethro, see you later."

They kissed again before Gibbs left the dressing room area. Jenny went in the backstage wishing good luck to her students and colleagues, giving a kiss on Abby and Ziva and when she went to reapply her lipstick 20 minutes before the show, she saw a message on her cell phone. Jenny frowned, acknowledging Ryan's number: Jenny, we need to talk about our children. I have my rights and I'm going after you.

Jenny erased the message, taking deep breaths and trying to calm down because it wasn't the right time to be nervous, almost to enter the stage. He would never take her children from her and she knew Gibbs wouldn't allow that too. She drank her water and then Kate called everyone to position themselves.

The dancers came and went from the scenes, and Abby was one of the first to dance with other 7 years old girls, in blue tutus. They did the scene of the village and Abby was admired by her huge smiled in scene and some choreography later, it was time for Ziva's class, choreographed by Jenny. The girls in green dresses made the ballroom scene and Gibbs felt proud of his daughter, and Shannon, few seats further back felt better after seeing her daughter dancing before leaving to Europe, seeing Ziva waltzing in the middle of a circle made by her classmates.

Kate danced her variation and her pas de deux and Michael, near to Gibbs, seemed pleased to see his girlfriend dancing with her costumer. During the ball scene, Jenny danced her variation of Juliet and Tim recorded the show.

Seeing her on the stage was different from the rehearsals with the lights and costumes and Gibbs had begun to enjoy watching ballet because of Jenny, admiring her in the scene. Jenny then danced another 2 choreographs, the pas de deux of the Balcony and the room where the couple died.

When the curtains closed and opened again, the whole cast was on stage to receive the applauses and gradually they went to the dressing rooms. When Gibbs got up to go see Jenny, Ziva and Abby, Shannon stopped near the exit door and said:

"I'm going to the airport, give a hug in Tim and Ziva for me."

Gibbs nodded and then she leaned toward him and kissed him on the lips, hugging his neck. Gibbs, shocked, took a few seconds to react and he pushed her away, seriously:

"Shannon, don't."

"It was our last kiss Leroy, you won't see me again." She replied, waving at him and leaving.

From the distance, Jenny saw the kiss and now returned to her dressing room in a mix of anger and sadness, trying to hold back her tears and passing by some colleagues in a hurry. She had trusted him, he told her nothing would happen between him and Shannon and now the two kissed in the middle of her show.

Jenny took a deep breath as she took off her costume and wore her clothes, feeling her heart sink. She then made a decision: She was living Stillwater.

Jenny went to the hallway and saw Abby there with Ziva, Tim and Tony. Seeing Gibbs's children made he want to cry but she held herself, watching them.

Tim went first to his sister, hugging her and congratulating and Ziva smiled enchanted, hugging her little brother back and then Tim turned to Abby:

"Abby, congratulation." Tim said shyly, remembering the girl dancing and smiing in the stage, with her blue dress.

Abby smiled, making a little jump toward him and they hugged.

"Thank you Tim." The girl said sweetly, letting her arms around his neck and leaning her cheek on his own, before they pulled away.

Tim and Abby were holding hands and the boy was showing her the video he record of her dancing and Tony smiled to Ziva.

"You did well on the stage." He said, making a gesture with his hand and then a reverence his mother had taught him.

Ziva, smiling for seeing his pose, made a bow with her dress's bar and raised her head, her brown eyes meeting his green eyes and Tony took her hand that was holding the dress and hugged her, playing with some locks that were falling from the bun. Ziva blushed but hugged him back with a small smile and she kissed his cheek, leaving a pink marc and Tony stared her, vaulted.

"Really Tony, thank you."

Jenny went to the children and crouched, hugging Ziva.

"Jenny... Is everything okay?" The girl asked worriedly, and the redhead said yes, kissing the top of her head.

"I'm just a little tired. You looked beautiful Ziva."

The girl then smiled at the compliment, saying that it was Jen who helped her and told her she was fantastic in the stage.

"Hey mom, you rocked!" Tony told her and Tim smiled.

"I also liked. If you want to see, I recorded."

"Tim..." She said, hugging the boy and then joined Ziva in the embrace again, knowing that she was going to miss then as much as she was going to miss Gibbs.

They hugged her back, not understanding what was happening and then she grabbed Tony and Abby's hand, breathing again and saying that night they were going to their own house. Tim and Ziva were confused, but not questioned and she left to the street, reaching her car.

When Tony and Abby entered in, Ducky appeared.

"Jennifer, is everything alright?" He asked concerned to see her condition.

Jenny, knowing she could never lie to him and Gibbs, shook her head and hugged him.

"I'm leaving tonight Ducky." He was surprised by the news, as he hugged her back. "Thanks for everything, you are like a father to me."

When he started to question her, she shook her head, getting into the car.

"Mom, where are we going?" Tony asked when they went home and she told them to put some clothes in a bag.

"We're going to Washington."

Tony was shocked and dropped his backpack, going to his mother in her room. Jenny grabbed a suitcase and threw some clothes inside, with personal objects. She saw the photo that the six had taken at the zoo and she had no courage to get rid of it, putting it into the suitcase.

"Why mom? And Gibbs?" He asked confused and Jenny massaged her temples, trying to calm down. Thinking about Gibbs hurt.

"Tony, don't argue, go pack now!"

Ten minutes later the three were inside the car, leaving Stillwater behind and Jenny felt horrible for leaving Jackson, Kate, Ducky, the children and especially Gibbs. But she didn't know how to deal with everything that was going on, with Ryan looking for her and the kiss between Shannon and Gibbs.

When they stopped at a convenience store, Tony and Abby looked at each other and the girl asked:

"Mommy is leaving Gibbs?" Her green eyes were wide and Tony hugged her.

"We'll find a way Abby. Mom loves Gibbs.

"And Tim and Ziva? I don't want to leave them!"

Tony thought about his friendship with Tim and Ziva, the girl he liked and enjoyed teasing. He thought about Gibbs that had been like a father to him. He then saw that their mom's phone was there and he sought Gibbs's number, texting a message for him to come after his mother.

For the price of a dime I can always turn to you

TBC