Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize. Except for the mistakes those are mine.
A/N: You lovely reader just know how to make my day, thank you for your lovely reviews. To the new followers, welcome. I have to apologise – my thoughts on this chapter were pretty much like our weather, scattered. There are a few parts that seem rushed, I apologise.
Warning: There's some adult fun, but nothing too explicit. Also this story's time line is way off, so imagine it's just before Christmas ;)
Enjoy*
The car was warm as they drove through the streets of Washington DC. Every store and business in every street was starting to decorate for Christmas – too early for Jethro's taste. His whole team had been going on about their plans for the festive holiday, and Abby had taken it upon herself to spread the annual Christmas cheer amongst the agency and its agents.
He wasn't really one for celebrating, Kelly had been a baby their first Christmas without Shannon, and she'd still been a little too young and sick their last Christmas to actually spend it with anyone. They had stayed home and binge watched the holiday movies on TV – the basement had been far too cold for a sick Kelly.
Jenny had informed him one night in bed that the festive season was one of her favourites, and that he would be forced to celebrate it whether he wanted to or not. He hadn't argued he'd simply kissed her to shut her up about the reds and greens of the season and made her forget about it all together for a while.
He was inclined to celebrate this year since Kelly had told him she wanted the biggest Christmas tree in the city. It was evident that she had inherited her mother's love for Christmas and could now share it with Jenny. But Christmas was still a good month and a few days away and he was determined to be Grinch-like until then.
"Kelly, stop kicking the seat." Jethro scolded as she kicked her brand new All Star sneakers against the seat.
"Sorry." Kelly giggled.
Jethro nodded his head and turned his attention back to the traffic. Yoda had chewed almost half of the shoes Kelly owned, and Kelly's favourite pair of sneakers. He had threatened to pull the dog's teeth which only resulted in Kelly crying and Jenny glaring at him, despite the fact that he had chewed a pair of her heels as well.
Jethro shook his head, he'd never understand women. Grabbing the ballerina invite off of the passenger seat, he checked to make sure that he was still on time. Kelly had been invited to Maddie's birthday party and he was feeling a little apprehensive about it. Maddie's mother had assured him that she'd personally check that there weren't even the slightest hint of peanuts mixed with the snacks, but he still worried.
"You excited, Kel?" Jethro watched in the rear view mirror as Kelly nodded her head vigorously.
"Yes! Maddie invited Kyle, and he is bringing his Luke Skywalker. I told him my dog is named Yoda and he said it was cool, so I told him that he can visit our house and then we can play with Yoda. I also told him that Jenny's house is big and that we can play hide and seek there."
Jethro shook his head, Kelly had adopted Abby's knack for rambling without stopping. He could have sworn she was more excited about seeing Kyle than she was about spending the night at Maddie's. He liked the young boy, he liked him more than Chris, that kid was a living nightmare pumped full of sugar.
Jethro flashed his badge at the guard posted at the gate that led into Quantico Marine Base. The young marine nodded at him in recognition and opened the boom gate to let them through. Kelly was growing increasingly restless in the back. He navigated the familiar streets of the base housing with ease, looking for the bright pink balloons that would indicate the right house.
"Kelly sit still." Jethro scolded again as Kelly fiddled with the buckle of her safety belt. He rolled his eyes when she ignored him and unclipped the belt. He didn't want to scold her before he had to drop her off.
Jethro helped Kelly out of the car, carrying her small duffel bag and the perfectly wrapped birthday present for Maddie, which Jenny had helped pick out since he had no idea what to get. The front door to the house flew open and a whole gaggle of kids rushed out. Jethro's eyes widened as they headed straight for him, each of them asking questions at the same time.
The three girls instantly banded together, whispering and giggling as they looked up at Jethro. Rose looked up at him curiously, studying him intently her pale blue eyes narrowing a little, "Hi." she greeted him and turned back to Kelly and Maddie and they headed straight for the house. Two of the boys were rough housing on the grass, Jethro glared at the two of them slightly. One of them was Chris and the other kid with the floppy blond hair was Jake.
"Hey, Gunny." Daniel greeted as he made his way towards the older man.
"Dan," Jethro nodded, still eyeing the little boys warily.
He felt something tug on his arm a little, looking down he met a familiar face, "Hi, mister Gibbs. Thank you for bringing Kelly." Kyle gave him a grin.
Jethro ruffled his hair and watched as he tackled the two boys on the grass.
"Glad I've got a little girl." Daniel piped up as he watched the three boys roll around on the grass. "Hey! Break it up and get inside!" The three boys jumped up and headed for the house, each looking a little glum for being forced to stop their game.
"Hate to be you." Jethro informed him as he handed over the duffel bag and present. "Kelly's EpiPen is in the right pocket. If any-"
"Gunny she'll be fine. Michelle told me what happened, I made sure there are no peanuts." Daniel smirked at his friend and swung the bag over his shoulder.
Jethro looked at the house, he didn't even have a chance to say goodbye to Kelly. He turned back to Daniel, stuffing his hands in his coat, trying to fend off the cold, "What time should I pick her up?"
"About nine-ish." Jethro nodded. He looked up sharply when the front door swung open and the three boys thundered down the steps only to fall down on the grass again and tackle each other.
Jethro nodded a goodbye to Daniel before getting in the car. He blew on his hands a little to warm them up, watching as Daniel yelled at the three boys again to get back in the house. Jethro shook his head, hoping that Kelly wouldn't invite all of them over in a few months time for her birthday.
Traffic had dwindle considerably as he drove back to Georgetown. He'd been reminded once again of how quickly Kelly was growing up with the fact that she forgot to say him goodbye. It was becoming clearer each day that he wasn't the center of her little world any more, and in a way it saddened him. Pretty soon she'd probably refuse that they cuddled together while watching TV.
He glared at the Christmas decorations as he entered the posh area of DC, wanting to blame his sudden melancholy on the dreaded festive season. A car hooted for him to move along and he turned his dark glare on the car behind him in the rear view mirror. Resisting the urge to lock him up for something – anything that would make him feel better.
He turned onto the quiet residential street that would take him to Jenny's old Georgetown mansion. They had fallen into a routine rather quickly, they divided their time into weekdays at his house and weekends at hers. When he had a case, Jenny would pick Kelly up and take her home and make them some dinner and get her ready for bed. When he thought about it, it frightened him how normal it felt to be around her and how she had sorted their rather chaotic lifestyle, into an organised one.
Jethro pulled into her driveway, parking right in front of the garage, he wasn't sure if she was home yet. Grabbing his own duffel bag from the back seat, he slammed the door shut. He walked the short distance between the garage and the back door quickly, eager to get out of the cold. The delicious smell of lamb pot roast hit him as he opened the door and he felt his stomach growl.
Noemi was darting around the kitchen, putting away clean dishes and checking on her roast from time to time. Jethro smirked to himself, he always made her jump when he suddenly appeared behind her, and tonight was no different. The Hispanic woman turned and walked right into him, letting out a low hiss of breath and a noise between panic and annoyance.
"Jethro!" She hit him with the dish towel in her hand as he laughed at her, "One day you give me heart attack."
"Nah, you're too young for that." He flinched as she hit him with the dish towel again for good measure. He gave her a hug, before flinging his duffel in the hall and taking a seat at the island. "Jenny say when she was coming home?"
"No, she was here at lunch time, said something about paper." Noemi placed the coffee carafe in front of him with a cup. "How was young Kelly, she cry when you drop her off?"
Jethro shook his head, taking a long drink from the coffee, "She didn't say goodbye."
"The excitement must have been too much. You should no feel bad, Jenny's papa he too feel the same when Jenny was little." Noemi placed the last of the dishes away, hanging the dish towel on a hook and taking a seat across from Jethro.
"Jenny, doesn't talk 'bout family much, take it you know why." Jethro asked quietly, noting the far away look in the older woman's eyes. He'd realised rather quickly that Noemi was more than just Jenny's housekeeper, they had the kind of relationship that a parent and child would have. He'd tried getting information out of Noemi since Jenny never even spoke about family.
"She has a hard time forgiving, and she had too much heartache." It was a cryptic reply and he sensed that Noemi wasn't going to divulge the dirty details of the Shepard family. He leaned forward wanting to – in a way – interrogate the woman on what she knew, but the front door flew open just as he was about to speak.
"Noemi, you better not still be her." Jenny singsonged as she made her way into the kitchen. "I hope he didn't force you to make him coffee." Jenny glared at Jethro before turning to Noemi, "Leave, he won't wait forever."
Jethro watched as Noemi wagged a finger at Jenny in mock sternness before abandoning her seat. She grabbed her purse that lay on the marble counter and walked up to him, "Kelly will always need her papa." She winked at him and patted his shoulder, giving Jenny a kiss goodbye she left them to enjoy their night and go on her date.
Jenny took a mug from the cupboard and filled it with coffee, "You parked in front of my garage. Now my sleek German sports car has to share the driveway with a federal car."
Jethro spun around on the barstool, pulling Jenny to stand between his legs, "Your Audi isn't a sports car Jen, it's just a fancy sedan with unnecessary gadgets."
"You're just jealous." Jenny grinned against his mouth as he rolled his eyes at her.
She leaned down and kissed him slowly. They didn't have the time this morning to actually say hello, since they had overslept and had to drop Kelly of at preschool, and try and be on time for work. DiNozzo had suffered great amounts of head trauma during the day for constantly reminding them.
Jethro pulled her closer, his hands immediately sliding underneath her clothing to touch her. He groaned when she pulled away, laughing at him and kissing his cheek. She took a seat next to him and sipped her coffee, her knee occasionally bumping into his as she moved around on the barstool.
"Where's Yoda?" Jenny looked around the kitchen, expecting to see the over energised dog bouncing around or chewing on his toys. It had been a challenge to keep everything valuable and chewable far away from Yoda since he started teething, even a few of Kelly's toys had suffered.
"Don't know. Probably chewing his way through your closet." Jethro grumbled as he refilled his mug.
Jenny rolled her eyes, Jethro's displeasure was all thanks to the fact that Yoda had spent an entire day chewing his favourite pair of boots. Lacing her fingers in his hair she pulled his head down and kissed his temple in a patronising way, grinning when she felt his brow crease in a glare.
"I guess I'll have to buy you a new pair for your birthday." She whispered in his ear before abandoning her seat. It amused her how grumpy Jethro could get when there was the slightest mention of Christmas or in this case his birthday.
"I don't want anything." He growled, making his way to the sink to rinse out his now empty mug. He moseyed to where she was in front of the stove, checking the pot roast. He slipped his arms around her waist pulling her flush against him, dropping his head to her shoulder. He kissed her neck softly, breathing her in and hugging her tight.
Jenny frowned, she'd seen the change in his mood the moment she'd walked through the front door. It had taken her a while to fully understand what he occasionally needed, when he wanted her close and when she had to give him some space. They had stepped on each other's toes a few times since living together, but they'd quickly learned to gauge the other's body language first.
He was clingy that much she knew, it was sweet at times and sometimes down right annoying when she tried to roll away from him when the heat was too much, and he'd find her and pull her right back into his chest. Tonight was different he looked almost sad and conflicted, knowing he'd be prissy when she told him that she could see he was feeling down, she tried cornering him in a different way.
"What were you and Noemi talking about when I came in?" She placed the lid back on the pot and turned the heat down, slipping from his grip and rummaging around for plates.
Jethro glared at himself in the glass cabinet, he wanted to ask her about her family but he was more concerned about keeping the peace for now. She would no doubt kick him out and he wasn't feeling like spending the night alone with his boat. He'd would probably end up drinking too much if he were alone because he was convinced Kelly was going to forget about him when she was all grown up.
"Kelly forgot to say goodbye." He mumbled as he found eating utensils.
Jenny bit her lip, trying to hide the smile that threatened to slip. She'd learned over the last month that Jethro Gibbs was a big softy when it came to his little girl and that Kelly was the only one who held the power to truly hurt his feelings. She placed his plate in front of him, giving him a smile and kissing his forehead.
"It was probably just all the excitement. Sleepovers are a big deal for little girls." Jenny informed him as she poured them each a glass of wine.
Jethro narrowed his eyes at her. He was trying to imagine her in pink pyjamas and bunny slippers, but it was almost impossible. He'd seen her handle a gun and he'd spent a number of nights with her behind closed doors to know that Jenny Shepard was anything but innocent – she was down right sinful.
They were halfway through their dinner when Yoda decided to prance into the kitchen, his new favourite chew toy between his teeth as he dragged it across the floor. Dropping the boot near Jethro's feet, he jumped against his leg whining softly. Jethro glared at the pup, "What? Eating my boots aren't enough so now you want my food too." he snapped.
Jenny shook her head and calling Yoda, she reached down and scratched his head, slipping him a piece of meat. She could feel Jethro growl and glare next to her, but she simply ignored him. She scrunched her nose at Yoda as he jumped up against her leg and she cooed at him.
"Jenny," Jethro whined as he glared at her and the pup, "I try teaching him manners and you teach him to misbehave."
"He's still a baby, Jethro, and he's teething. He needs some extra love." Jenny gave the dog another piece of meat and kicked his shoe across the floor for him to gnaw on in peace.
Jethro muttered under his breath and turned back to his own plate. They fell back into companionable silence. Jethro drank some of his wine, lost in thought.
He watched her out the corner of his eyes. He'd been caught off guard when Jenny had told him that she loved him. It had brought things to the surface that he'd hardly ever felt since Shannon had died. He always told Kelly he loved her, but it was different, that much he knew.
Jenny didn't throw the words around casually, she had said it once and he knew she meant it with all her heart, she didn't try to make him feel bad either by mentioning the fact that he couldn't say it back. He'd tried to say it, but each time his mouth went dry and the words slammed together in his throat. He tried showing her that he felt the same, but he couldn't help but think that she might not see it.
"Jethro?" Jenny called as she looked at him from where she stood near the sink.
"What?" Jenny looked at him strangely before holding the coffee carafe up. He nodded his reply, shovelling the last of his food in his mouth and pushing his plate away. Jenny motioned for him to follow her once she had filled both cups.
Jethro watched as she sashayed down the hall, admiring the swing of her hips. He grinned to himself, knowing she was doing it on purpose. He looked down at Yoda who had his boot in his mouth, glaring, he took the boot from Yoda and tangled it behind him.
Jethro held the boot up in the air, out of reach from Yoda. He looked over at Jenny who was seated on the leather couch in front of the fireplace. Throwing the boot into the foyer he took a seat next to her. It wasn't often they got to enjoy a quiet Friday night. Kelly usually demanded all their attention and it was rare that both of them were home without paperwork that needed to be done.
"This whole thing with Kelly is really getting to you, isn't it?" Jenny asked quietly and he simply grunted at her.
He was brooding more than usual. Jethro wasn't the type of person to walk around declaring his likes and dislikes. She didn't even know he disliked Christmas until she'd asked him if he had any decorations they could put up. He did smile though he wasn't completely emotionless, but he wouldn't tell her when something bothered him, he just – brooded.
Taking the coffee cup from his hands she placed it on the coffee table along with hers. Kicking off her heels she pulled her hair free of the hair band. She crawled onto his lap, straddling his hips, she bumped her nose against his affectionately and kissed his lips softly. "I have a proposition for you, to make you feel better."
Biting his bottom lip gently, she kissed him deeply, cupping the back of his head and pulling is head back. He groaned at the slightly painful tug on his hair, which turned into muffled moan as she slipped her tongue in his mouth.
He pulled away his eyes the darkest of blues as he looked at her with hungry eyes, "Does it involve you bein' naked?"
The room was hot and steamy, the large mirror steamed up from the intense heat inside the room. The room smelled like lavender and something exotic that was purely Jenny, Jethro allowed the scent to wrap around him and lock itself away as one of the best smells he'd ever come across. He hadn't been this relaxed in a while and he didn't give much thought to the things that bothered him.
Jenny was resting against his chest, her fingertips dipping into the hot foamy bathwater from time to time, causing gentle ripples to race across the surface. Jethro drew his fingers over her abdomen, tracing the faint outline of her muscles and sending goosebumps to break out over her skin. She let out a quiet breath as he cupped her breasts and kissed down the column of her throat, his stubble grazing her skin gently.
"You keep that up, we might never get out of this tub." Jenny purred softly. She felt his teeth sink into the skin on her shoulder gently before he pulled her against him again.
Jethro ran his toe across the arch of her foot, causing her to squirm at the tickling sensation it caused. Jenny pressed her elbow into his thigh when he laughed softly behind her. She tried doing the same to him, but he pinned her feet down under his. Jenny laughed, turning and pressing a kiss to the underside of his jaw.
Jethro reached up, sliding his fingers into her hair. The tendrils that had escaped her messy bun were dripping wet, giving them a dark wine red colour, the same as the wine they'd shared earlier when they had just slipped into the hot water.
"Don't even think about it." Jenny mumbled, her eyes closed. She knew Jethro was itching to pull the hair tie out of her hair.
They settled again, staring at the flickering candles. She could feel he was still tense about something – something other than Kelly not saying goodbye. Lacing her fingers with his, she kissed the inside of one of his palms softly.
"What's bothering you, Jethro?" She felt him shrug his shoulders and she bit her lip. It sometimes bothered her when he was so quiet. He always looked at her intently, his blue eyes searching for the things she were hiding from him. He still didn't know about what happened to her father, or why she'd joined NCIS and what her plans were. And as far as her mother was concerned she was nowhere in the picture.
"Does Noemi have any kids?" He asked out of the blue, genuine curiosity in his voice.
Jenny bit her lips, not sure if the older woman would appreciate her divulging such sensitive information. She doubted he'd let it drop and she knew he'd keep the knowledge to himself.
"No, she uhm… she can't have children." Jenny shifted a little, pulling Jethro's arms a little tighter around her, "She arrived on our doorstep when I was eight, and she's been with me since then. She's always been like a mother to me."
"Your mom, she pass away?" Jethro asked gently. He felt her tense despite the fact that she tried to hide it. He kissed below her ear softly, trying to keep her calm.
"Jethro, I don't want to talk about it." Jenny said sharply, he nodded his head in understanding and started placing soft kisses along her jaw. It wasn't long before she forgave him for his not so subtle way of prying and felt her muscles coil with a different type of tension.
The room was dark and Jenny's soft breathing was the only noise that could be heard through out the entire house. Jethro blinked a few times, trying to sort through the things that ran through his mind. His fears of Kelly forgetting him were pacified when she'd called him just before they were sent to bed. They had been in the kitchen looking for something to drink when his phone had started ringing.
He was exhausted, he'd had almost no sleep trying to solve a high-profile case, and Jenny hadn't given him a break ever since they'd stepped out of the bathroom. He wasn't complaining about the last part but he just couldn't fall asleep.
He'd shared a lot over the past few months with his red headed lover. She'd found out about Shannon, he'd taken her to Stillwater, he'd even confided in her about his mother. And still she wouldn't say anything about her personal life. He knew she'd been an undercover agent for the last two year, but he didn't know what she'd done before that, Jenny was too ambitious about her career to have jumped from one job to another until she landed at NCIS.
It was starting to get to him, he wanted to know what happened to her mother. She'd mentioned her father a few times, and he'd found out that he'd been in the Army. She didn't talk about him much, it was hard to talk about someone you lost, and he suspected that he might have died of natural causes.
Their conversation from earlier kept running through his mind. She'd clamped up before he could get a straight answer from her, and he suspected that whatever had transpired between her and her mother had made her the driven woman she was now, at least so he thought.
Jenny was curled up next to him her naked body pressed against his, her head resting on his shoulder and her long fiery red hair was covering his bare chest. He pulled her closer, kissing her forehead softly. Her reluctance to talk worried him, he could see that she was hurting deep down, he wanted to offer her comfort because he knew it took a while before the pain started to subside.
Closing his eyes, he tried to relax, letting the exhaustion of the week consume him and finally pull him into some form of rest.
It was hours, maybe even minutes later when he woke up again, his eyes burning as he opened them. He must have just nodded off because Jenny was talking, but he couldn't really make out what she was saying. He scrubbed a hand over his face tiredly, rubbing one eye with is palm, he lifted his head to look at his lover.
"What?" He asked groggily, "Jen, what did you say?" he scraped his throat and tried to find the blinking numbers of Jenny's alarm clock. It was just after three in the morning.
Jenny mumbled again and he glared at her back, he wondered why he hadn't heard her talk in her sleep before. Fluffing his pillow he dropped his head on it and squeezed his eyes shut trying to fall back asleep. It wasn't long before he heard her mumble again.
Turning to face her he watched her intently. He pushed himself up and leaned against the headboard. She was restless, constantly turning, first on her sides and then flipping over on her stomach. It took a while for his brain to catch up with what was happening, she mumbled again and he was jolted from his stupor.
Her fists clenched tightly in the sheets and she whimpered softly. Jethro placed a hand on her shoulder, shaking her gently but she shrugged him off. Curling up in a tight ball she whimpered again, this time more in distress.
"Jenny," Jethro called again placing a firm hand on her shoulder, "Jenny, wake up, it's just a dream."
"No!" Jenny screamed at him and tried shaking him off.
Jethro shook her shoulder more firmly and raised his voice more when he called her name again.
Jenny shot up, her breathing ragged. She looked at him in bewilderment, her green eyes wild and moist with tears. He could see that she didn't recognise him as she looked at him. She closed her eyes and rested her head on her knees, trying to calm her breathing.
Jethro placed a comforting hand on her back, he knew what it was like to be plagued by bad memories. He could feel her body shake as she cried. Wrapping and arm around her waist he pulled her onto his lap, holding her close, offering her as much comfort as she wanted.
"Didn't mean to wake you." Jenny sniffled slightly, trying to pull away from him.
"I was awake." He said gruffly, rubbing his eye to ease the burning sensation.
"Liar, I can hear the sleep in your voice." Jenny smiled weakly against his shoulder. She rested her forehead against his neck and let out a shuddering breath. Wrapping her arms around his shoulders she held onto him tightly, kissing his jaw. "Sorry."
"There's no need Jenny, I'm here." He kissed her temple tenderly and rested his cheek on the crown of her head.
It was in the dark bedroom of the Georgetown mansion that he realised, that there was more to Jenny Shepard than what she let on, and that it was going to take a while before she was going to let him in.
Tony glared at the vending machine, it was the third bill it had swallowed without giving him his much needed energy bar. He cast a suspicious glance around the break room, expecting Kate to hide behind the wall snickering at his misfortune. This week, this month didn't play in his favour.
First Kelly ended up in the hospital because of him, then someone decided to scratch his car and then the boss decided to smack him on the head more than usual because he didn't like Christmas, and he, Tony DiNozzo, just happened to be the closest person.
Making sure there was no-one around he took his designer shoe to the vending machine, kicking the mocking piece of machinery repeatedly. There was a clatter and for a moment he thought it might topple over and fall on him. The machine let out a disturbing whir, and his energy bar fell from the coiled metal rack.
Snatching the piece of candy he sauntered back to the squad room. Peeling the silver wrapping from the energy bar, he inhaled the sweet smell of chocolate, licking his lips he took a bite. It was definitely worth the three bills the machine had stolen from him. Peeling the wrapping back even further he took another bite as he rounded the corner.
He watched as Director Vance stormed out of his office and head straight for MTAC; Tony raised his eyebrows slightly, the boss' boss had been doing that a lot lately, scuttlebutt was that someone had messed up big time.
Flopping in his chair he glared at Kate's empty desk, she'd headed out when he had left to get himself a mid-morning snack. He'd been surprised to see her in the office, but she hadn't stayed long. Stuffing the last of the bar in his mouth he dropped the empty wrapper in the dustbin and pulled his chair in. Flipping the file open he started reading it again, trying to find the mistakes Gibbs usually pointed out.
It was hard to concentrate knowing that Ziva was back at his apartment cooking away at something delicious. He shook his head and tried thinking of something other than his lover. He squinted his eyes at the small side note Gibbs had written in the margin of the paper.
Tony heard the elevator ding, but didn't pay much attention to it. It was Saturday meaning it was probably another agent. He turned back to the file, glaring at his boss' comment on including everything not just the highlights. He didn't understand why they all had to report on what all four of them witnessed.
"Excuse me."
Tony looked up from the paper he was reading at the woman who had spoken. He smiled charmingly at her, taking note of the fact that she was rather attractive. There was something familiar about her features but he couldn't really place it. He looked her over before she could realise she was being scrutinised.
She was in her late fifties, well aged and good looking, and by the looks of things she was from money or married into it if the rock on her finger was anything to go by. Her dark brown eyes were warm and comforting and there was something familiar about that too.
"Can I help you?" Tony asked politely, rising from his seat. He nodded at the security guard, who had escorted her, that he'd take over.
"I certainly hope so." She joked lightly as he came to stand in front of her. She was holding onto the dark leather strap of her handbag tightly, her other hand fidgeting with one of the clasps.
"Very Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo at your service ma'am." He held out a hand for her to shake.
"Italian." She observed, she didn't repay the courtesy of giving him her name instead she asked a question of her own, "Is it always this quiet in here?"
Tony looked around the empty squad room, it really was just him in the building, except for the director up in MTAC. He slid one hand into his back pocket, he rubbed his neck a little with the other smiling at her, "Uh, no, I have some catching up to do. Are you looking for someone?"
The gentle brown eyes narrowed a little, she was clearly contemplating whether he could be trusted or not. She opened her mouth to say something, but decided against it. Tony kept looking at her, trying to place where he'd seen her before, or if she was related to someone he knew because she looked very familiar – almost too familiar.
"Are there any women working here?" She was fiddling with her handbag's clasp again, making it click each time she pulled it and snapped it back in place.
"Yeah," Tony pulled his face in slight confusion, he quickly assessed the situation. She didn't look like a killer, but neither did Kate. "Is there anyone in particular you're looking for?"
"Special Agent Shepard." She supplied as she studied him.
"Ah," Tony's olive green eyes lit up, it appeared that the lady was related to Jenny, "she isn't in this weekend. I can take a message for her, or I can call her if you don't mind waiting."
"No, that won't be necessary." The woman turned away from studying the pictures pinned up behind Kate's desk. She pressed her lips together for a moment, her eyes suddenly glazed over. She seemed to snap out of it and offered her hand to the young Italian.
"Thank you, very Special Agent DiNozzo. You have a nice day."
Tony shook her hand firmly and accompanied her to the elevator, pressing the button he stepped aside to let her on the elevator. "I never caught your name."
"I never gave it to you."
Jenny swung her legs a little as she sat at the island on one of the barstools, she nibbled her slice of toast as she looked through the morning paper. There was nothing of real interest, except the weekly highlights and the mysterious woman a senator had taken home with him. She wrinkled her nose in distaste and paged over to the sports section.
Jethro had left to pick Kelly up from her sleepover, leaving her alone with her thoughts. She wasn't exactly sure what she should make of his sudden need to ask about her family. She'd told him her father had passed away, it was the least she could do given the fact of how much she knew about his personal life. But asking about her mother was a subject she did not want to discuss.
Last night's nightmare was the same as always, she'd hear the gunshot and before she knew it she'd be bursting through the heavy wooden doors, finding her father.
It was the first time in a while she'd had it again. Her life had been busy with Jethro and Kelly around her constantly, it didn't bother her she liked having them around. But it meant she was starting to loose sight of what she had originally set out to do, and she wasn't sure if it was a good or bad thing.
Yoda barked next to her, his large brown eyes boring into her as he stared at the piece of toast in her hand. She raised an eyebrow at him, looking between the toast and the young Terrier. Jethro wasn't around to glare at them. She broke off a piece of toast and gave it to Yoda, laughing as he dropped it on the floor and struggled to pick it up. He finally lifted it off the floor and snorted happily as he ate.
Jenny shook her head and flicked through the rest of the paper. She was anxious to see Kelly, she'd become so used to the toddler following her around and asking questions that she actually missed her not constantly hovering around her. She knew she'd have to fight to spend time with Kelly, because Jethro had watched the clock until it was close to nine before he grabbed his keys to go pick up Kelly.
She smiled to herself, Jethro's mood had improved drastically when Kelly had called to say goodnight, and if she had heard correctly the little girl had been very sorry for not saying goodbye. It reminded her of sleepovers from her youth, after her mother had left, she had very rarely gone out and if she did her father would always get a call from her asking him to pick her up.
Finishing the last of her toast, Jenny folded the paper neatly and placed it on the counter. She slid off her chair, placing her plate in the sink before heading upstairs, she didn't want to explain to the inquisitive toddler why she was only wearing one of Jethro's t-shirts.
Yoda strutted behind her, his boot between his teeth as they climbed the stairs. The dog walked past her to the guest bedroom that had been somewhat transformed into Kelly's room. It was his hideout until Kelly got home or if he wanted to chew on something peacefully without Jethro threatening to take it.
Jenny was just coming down the stairs, pulling her hair out of the collar of Jethro's red hoodie when Yoda shot past her, his rope chew toy in his mouth. Pulling her hair into a tight ponytail, she heard the key in the lock before the door flew open and the little girl scampered through the door. Yoda barked excitedly up at her. Kelly scratched Yoda behind the ears and kissed his snout.
"Jenny!" Kelly squealed and set off towards the redhead, crashing into her legs. Kelly gave her a toothy grin as she scooped her off the floor, settling her on her hip.
"Did you have fun?" Jenny asked as she rubbed her nose against Kelly's affectionately.
"Change first, Kel. Then you can tell Jenny what you were up to." Jethro said warningly at his daughter, she'd babbled non-stop since he'd picked her up, and he knew that if she didn't change out of her pyjamas she'd spend the whole day in them.
Kelly huffed slightly, sliding to the floor and taking the duffel bag from her father to put it in her room like he had asked earlier. Yoda stared after her before grabbing his toy and racing past her.
Jethro let out a sigh as Kelly disappeared down one of the hallways upstairs. He shook his head slightly, he'd noticed recently that they were easing out of the no-bath-phase and heading straight for the babbling-and-why-phase. It was cute at times, but when it was nearing bedtime and she wanted to know why she had to go to bed or sleep, it got on his nerves.
He eyed Jenny appreciatively in a pair of dark jeans and his hoodie. Crooking a finger at her, he motioned for her to come closer. He watched as she bit her lip, contemplating his demand, she sauntered towards him raising a perfect eyebrow at him. He leaned down, his breath warm against her cheek.
"You keep wearin' my clothes, I might not let you wear anything else." He kissed the shell of her ear softly.
Jenny met his cobalt eyes, the dangerous glint in hers clearly reflected, she fisted her hand in his jacket and brought his mouth down to hers. She pulled away before they could get too carried away. It was just in time as Kelly stormed down the steps.
Kelly had pulled her long sleeve t-shirt on the wrong way, she was wearing miss matched socks, and was buttoning her sweater crookedly. She jumped down the last step grinning at Jenny, she headed towards her but Jethro picked her up before she could really move.
"Daddy." Kelly whined petulantly, glaring at him slightly.
"Did you put away your shoes so Yoda can't chew them?"
"Yes, can I go to Jenny please?" Kelly's large blue eyes grew even bigger as she looked up at him, he narrowed his eyes at her and she did the same. He nodded and handed her over to the redhead who looked about ready to steal Kelly from him.
Jenny took the toddler and headed towards the living room. Jethro looked down to see Yoda looking up at him, the chewed boot near his feet. He rolled his eyes and kicked the offending thing across the floor and down the hall, and grinned a little proudly when the Boston brought the shoe back and dropped it at his feet.
Jenny listened to every word Kelly said as she told her about her sleepover while trying to get the toddler dressed properly. They had set the day aside to decorate her Georgetown mansion for Christmas, the boxes with lights and garlands were stacked in a corner waiting to be opened. They were going through one of the boxes when Jethro and Yoda joined them. The dog curled up in his basket and Jethro flopped down in the recliner.
"Then Chris and Jake ran in the house and mister Tyler said no, but they didn't listen and then Jake almost fell down the stairs. They were sent to time out." Kelly had wrapped herself in a blue garland as she regaled them with her story.
Jethro shook his head, those boys were bad news. He'd heard the story from Daniel as well and he knew his friend had been close to snapping their necks last night. He listened a little absent-mindedly as Kelly and Jenny talked, more focused on the newspaper he was reading.
Jenny looked up at the tree that stood in in her living room. She didn't know where Jethro had found it but he'd arrived the previous Saturday with it on the back of his truck, and it looked absolutely beautiful. It reminded her of the Christmas trees her father had always managed to find at the last minute. It was why she loved Christmas so much, it brought back some of her fondest memories of her, her father and Noemi spending the day together.
Jenny laughed when Kelly bounced to her father and wrapped one of the many red garlands around his neck, kissing his cheek and skipping back to the box that held the rest. He glared at her when he heard her laugh, she pouted at him teasingly.
"Red suits you, Jethro, you should wear it more often." She grinned at him as he glowered. The look in his eyes shifted and she knew he wanted to say something inappropriate but there were little ears in the room with them.
Kelly opened a second box, pulling it over to where Jenny was with a struggled, she made herself comfortable on Jenny's lap and pulled the wrapped baubles out of the box. Some were personalised and had been hand painted by a very young Jenny Shepard. Others were store bought to replace the ones that had been broken and others were inherited from older family members.
Jenny looked at some of them a little sadly, she hadn't really celebrated Christmas at home the last two years. She had either spent it in the desert with Ziva or in a cold London apartment fighting an infection from a wound. The change of pace was nice and the thought of making it special for Kelly was something she was looking forward to.
"Jenny?" Kelly asked as she examined a bauble with a Santa on it.
"Yeah, Kelly?" She hugged the little girl as she looked over her shoulder.
"Is Santa really real?"
Jenny looked over at Jethro, he stared at her for a moment, before raising an eyebrow and folding the newspaper neatly and waiting for her to explain to the three-year-old about who Santa was. Jenny chewed her bottom lip a little, her face broke out in a grin as she regarded the little girl.
"Well, have you ever heard strange noises on Christmas Eve when you're supposed to be asleep so Santa can bring you presents?" Jenny asked conspiratorially.
"Yes, but it's just Daddy snoring." Kelly's forehead wrinkled in thought.
Jenny looked up from Kelly to shoot a rather smug smirk Jethro's way, "I told you, you snore." he just rolled his eyes at her.
"Well, I guess we'll just have to make a list of things you want for Christmas and then mail it. If you get something from your list we'll know it was Santa, and we'll make a spare one just to be sure." Jenny looked the little girl straight in the eye, trying to be as convincing as possible.
Jethro smirked to himself, it was no wonder Jenny was such a good agent. He met her gaze and winked at her, silently conveying that her plan was ingenious. No he didn't have to run around at the last minute to find something for Christmas.
Kelly put a small hand to her chin and thought it over. She jumped up and scampered to where her father was relaxing in the recliner. She hoisted herself onto his lap, digging her small elbows into his thighs. She looked at him seriously, her pretty blue eyes narrowed speculatively.
"If Santa gets me something, will you get me something too?" Kelly batted her eyelashes, smiling cheekily at her father, "Please?" she drew the word out.
Jethro looked at her for a moment. He wasn't big on spoiling his child or making her think she could get everything she wanted, he loved her dearly but he didn't want her to think he'd give her everything her heart desired.
"We'll think about it, okay?" He ruffled her curls.
"Okay." She was easy to please and he was thankful for that at the moment. He held her close as she relaxed against him. Both watching Jenny as she sorted through all the baubles. He nudged Kelly gently and she slid off his lap, the both of them joining Jenny on the floor.
Jethro eased himself down next to Jenny, bumping his elbow against hers affectionately, "Smooth move, Shepard." he usually used her surname when she had outsmarted him, and in a way it was sweet when he did it.
"Always be specific when you lie." She whispered in his ear as Kelly sorted through the remaining baubles. Jethro smiled at her and kissed her cheek softly, he reached inside the box and helped unwrap the baubles.
Kelly was perched on Jethro's shoulders, tasked with wrapping garland around the top of the tree. Jenny was diligently hanging strings of brightly coloured light bulbs on the bottom of the tree working her way up. Yoda was in his basket, eating a piece of Jenny's leftover sandwich.
Jethro scratched at his neck a little, the thin strips of coloured foil were starting to irritate his skin and Kelly and Jenny were refusing that he take off the red garland. He handed a green one up at Kelly, holding her thighs as she wrapped it around the tree. She sneezed from all the dust that collected on it and he grimaced slightly. His shoulders were starting to ache from Kelly's weight constantly moving around.
Yoda barked all of the sudden and they all stopped what they were doing to look at him. Jethro looked over at Jenny who was now sat on the floor. He had learned to discern the pup's various barks, and he knew he had heard something that they didn't. Jethro reached over and turned the music down that was playing softly and heard the faint knock on the door.
"You expecting someone?" He asked Jenny jokingly as she looked at him slightly confused.
"No, but if it's that nosy old bat from next door, I'm going out guns blazing."
Jethro laughed and shook his head, motioning for her to stay seated, "I'll get it."
"She might jump your bones!" Jenny called after him as he made his way into the hallway, Kelly still firmly seated on his shoulders.
Jethro shook his head at Jenny, he had first hand experience what the lady next door was like. She had watched them through her blinds more than once over the last month as they came and went. He had caught her a number of times staring at them, and he had prided himself in making her uncomfortable when he told Kelly to wave at the old lady.
"Horsey, Daddy, horsey!" Kelly giggled, wriggling around on his shoulders so he could gallop to the front door. Jethro groaned silently, he moved his shoulders around, pretending to gallop.
"Daddy," Kelly whined when she caught on to what he was doing.
"Kelly, Daddy's shoulders are sore, maybe next time." Kelly patted his head softly and placed a kiss in his hair.
Reaching up he lifted her off his shoulders so she could settle on his hip. There was another knock just as they reached the foyer. Jethro widened his eyes at Kelly a little drawing a soft giggle from her. Kissing her forehead he adjusted her a little higher and reached to open the door.
Jethro looked at the woman on the front step and gave her a strange look. He knew that he hadn't seen her before in his life but somehow she looked so familiar. He felt Kelly's grip tighten a little on his shoulder, gripping his daughter a little tighter he looked the woman straight in the eye.
"Can I help you ma'am?"
The woman looked at him in what he could make out as confusion. He saw her brown eyes flick to the gold numbers on the wall that indicated which house it was.
"I wasn't aware the house had been sold. I apologise for interrupting your morning." The woman was about to leave when Jethro spoke up.
"Wait, there has been a misunderstanding. Are you looking for someone, maybe I can help?" Jethro smiled a little when the woman looked at him.
"Maybe you can," She smiled a little nervously, "I'm looking for a Jennifer Shepard."
Jethro nodded, turning to Kelly he whispered in her ear and she nodded, sliding down to the floor and running down the hall. Jethro stepped aside letting the woman inside and closed the door to keep the cold outside. He took her coat and hung it on the coat-hanger.
"Jethro Gibbs." He held out his hand for the woman to shake, being the civilised person his father had raised him to be.
"Angela Bernardi." She shook the man's hand politely.
Kelly ran into the foyer again, heading straight for her father, she looped her arms around his neck and looked at the woman curiously. Jethro nudged Kelly softly drawing her attention to him, he shook his head a little at her, silently telling her it was rude to stare. Kelly hid her face in his neck shyly, hugging him tightly.
"Jethro, what's going on? What's so-" Jenny trailed off as she walked into the foyer.
Jenny stared at the woman blankly. Turning to Jethro she looked at him almost accusingly, wondering whether he had tracked down her mother and wanted to force them to make amends, but she could see he didn't know who she was. She felt her stomach flip almost uncontrollably, this was the last thing she needed.
"Jenny." Angela said softly, her voice cracking with emotion. She gave her daughter a watery smile, not even attempting to keep the tears at bay.
Jenny looked at the woman in front of her. The last time she had seen her mother running through her mind, she'd hid in her father's office when her parents had fought, listening to the hurtful words they flung at each other.
Jethro looked at the two women side by side. It took him a while to realise that the familiarity in the woman's features were reflected in Jenny's. He didn't know whether he should feel angry or betrayed with the fact that Jenny hadn't told him that she still had a mother. He grit his teeth in anger, turning to Kelly he kissed her forehead.
"Honey, why don't you go upstairs and go play in your room?"
"But Daddy, we're making the Christmas tree pretty." Kelly whined as she glared at her father. She stuck out her bottom lip when he raised an eyebrow at her in warning.
Jethro put Kelly on the floor and pointed to the top of the staircase. The toddler scowled at him and folded her arms over her chest. Jethro clapped his hands and she scampered away, heading up the stairs.
Jenny stared at her mother while Jethro sent Kelly upstairs. She couldn't find the courage to tell her to leave and neither could she find the words to explain the whole situation to Jethro. Angela turned to look at her and she averted her gaze, biting back the tears.
She was experiencing a whole whirlwind of emotions and she wasn't exactly sure how to deal with all of them at the same time. The anger inside her overshadowed any other form of feeling she could experience. She knew Jethro had already put two and two together, and she hadn't missed the look in his eyes when he had looked at her. The tears became too much for her to bare and she quickly turned and headed to the kitchen.
Jethro turned to Angela, his eyes narrowed slightly, "I take it you're her mother?"
Angela smiled at him a little, nodding her head slightly. Readjusting her handbag's strap she took a deep breath, "I'll leave, clearly my presence has upset everyone."
"No," Jethro stepped forward stopping her from moving, "just give me a minute. You're welcome to wait in the study."
Jenny chewed her lip as she looked out over the small backyard of her town house. Her throat was dry and she couldn't even begin to think about the impending fight that was brewing between her and Jethro. She hadn't exactly lied to him about her mother, she had tried to steer the conversation in another direction each time, but she knew he was feeling the same way she had felt when she found out about Shannon.
Hurt, betrayal, anger.
In the back of her mind she knew he'd bring up the fact that she had forced him to talk to his father. This had completely blind sided her, and she didn't know if she had it in her to explain the situation. If anything she owed Jethro that much after everything he'd let her in on, and she knew that for him it was not an easy thing to do.
The kitchen door swung open slowly and closed with a soft thud. He was behind her and she could feel his glare boring into her from across the room. She didn't dare look at him, because the last thing she wanted to see was the anger in those baby blues. Taking a shuddering breath, she wiped at her eyes furiously not wanting him to see her cry.
His eyes were cold when she met his gaze. She bit her lip hard and the coppery taste of blood flooded her mouth. Jenny didn't have to look at her reflection to know her eyes were bloodshot and that the little make-up she had on had started running. She pressed her lips together and lifted her chin a little.
They looked at each other for a while, not sure who was going to throw the first hurtful word.
"Jen-"
"You weren't there." Jenny cut Jethro off.
Jethro narrowed his eyes at her, "No, Jen, I wasn't." he closed his eyes and shook his head, "You preach to me about not talking to my father, but you..."
His top lip curled in anger and he actually let out a frustrated growl, "I don't like it when people lie to me. Especially when I trust them."
"You don't understand Jethro." Jenny whispered softly, dropping her gaze. She could feel him seethe with anger, she didn't blame him. It had been her reaction as well, except things weren't as complicated then.
"You're right, Jenny, I don't because for some reason you won't let me in. And I'm fed up with trying to understand, just to have you clamp up and become bitchy." Jethro rubbed his forehead a little roughly.
Jenny felt the tears run down her cheeks but she couldn't find it in her to tell him why she couldn't talk about it. His words stung, and if she hadn't been so caught up in her own thoughts she might have slapped him for telling her indirectly that she was a bitch.
"I'm taking Kelly home." Jethro said after a moment of silence. He straightened his shoulders and made his way to where Jenny stood.
She turned her face away from him, not wanting to look at him. He placed a hand on her tear stained cheek and wiped away the moisture. He pressed a kiss to her temple softly, closing his eyes and breathing in deeply. "Do yourself a favour and make it right with her."
She wasn't exactly sure how much time had passed since Jethro had left the kitchen and she heard the car doors slam. She listened intently at the loud purr of the large eight cylinder engine as it rolled down the street until she couldn't hear it any more.
It was dead quiet.
Jenny took a shuddering breath, she didn't want to think about the huge role Jethro and Kelly had come to play in her life. She didn't even know if her mother was still waiting in the foyer, or if she had walked away like all those years ago. Wiping the tears away with the cuff of the hoodie, she sniffed a little and looked at her feet.
There were chew toys and dolls scattered all over the kitchen floor from when they had made sandwiches. Bending down Jenny picked up Strawberry Shortcake smoothing down the doll's hair, she smiled a little sadly. The kitchen door creaked open and the unmistakeable sound of heels echoed behind her. Anger quickly flooded her veins, pushing her hurt feelings aside.
"Why are you here?" Jenny asked coldly.
"I wrote you." Angela said softly, "I asked if I could see you, but I never got a letter back."
"Yeah well, that should have been pretty obvious that I didn't want to see you." Jenny ground out angrily, she placed the doll in her hand on the marble top and turned to face her mother.
"I just wanted to see you." Angela said thickly, her voice quivering slightly.
Jenny glared at her. She could feel her cheeks flush with anger, "Twenty two years, you never made an effort to contact me or to see me. Now you're interested in what I have been up to. What happened? Did your rich Italian husband leave you, or do you need something?"
"I never wanted to leave you, Jenny." Angela said quietly, trying to stop the tears that didn't want to stay at bay.
Seeing her daughter all grown up and as beautiful as she had imagined was hard to process. The large green eyes that had always held such immense warmth were cold and guarded, reminding her of the last time she had seen Jasper.
"Yet you did, and you never told me why. You never even said goodbye." Jenny wiped at her eyes again. "You left without even a second glance."
"I left because I never loved your father. He might have been a good father to you, but he wasn't a husband. Jasper only had two true loves, the Army and his baby girl." Angela cleared her throat a little.
"Don't you dare blame my father just because he's not here to defend himself." Jenny slammed her fist against the marble top, sending a jolt of pain up her arm but she didn't dare flinch.
Angela shook her head, pulling one of the barstools out she took a seat, looking at her daughter for a while, trying to memorise everything about her. "I just want to tell you the truth."
Jenny took a few steps back, leaning against the counter and looking at her mother. She folded her arms across her chest, and for a brief moment she wished Jethro was there with her, even if he was just silently staring at her. She waved her hand a little to show that Angela could continue.
Angela smiled at her warmly, dabbing at her eyes with a tissue she had taken out of her handbag. Letting out a breath she looked straight at her daughter.
"I was barely out of high school when I met your father. Swept me off my feet the moment I laid eyes on those dark emerald eyes. He shipped out to Vietnam a month later."
Jenny pushed away from the counter and pulled a chair out as well, taking a seat across from her mother.
"He came back, nine months later we had you. We got married a few months after you were born. A year later he was sent to Vietnam again. He was made First Lieutenant, and we were finally going to be a happy family."
Angela shook her head slightly, "Your father was far from the man I thought he was. I'm not trying to make you think less of him. He was a wonderful man, a great father and that's evident in the strong woman he had raised you to be. We just had nothing in common."
Jenny narrowed her eyes a little, trying to remember everything she was learning. She wasn't sure whether she could actually believe her mother, after all she did leave her.
"Jasper and I fought every time we saw each other, we just didn't fight in front of you. Your father broke me down, I was a good ten years younger than him and he found fault with everything I did. I could never do anything right when it came to you, I lacked maternal instincts as your grandmother use to say."
Angela reached out, placing a hand on top of Jenny's, she traced her fingertip over the faint freckles that covered her daughter's hand. She was quiet for a while, trying to sort through everything that was racing through her mind. She'd promised she'd tell her daughter the truth and what she did with it was up to her.
She was relieved when Jenny didn't pull her hand away. Angela wanted to hug her, wanting the last twenty two years to just disappear.
"I met a man when you were six. He loved me and I was going to leave your father."
"So you left my father, and you left me. I don't know what you're getting at here but this tale you're telling me isn't really counting in your favour." Jenny pulled her hand away and wrapped her arms around herself, pulling the hoodie tighter around her, breathing in the calming scent.
"Your father was your everything. He adored you from the moment you were born, he spoiled you whenever he got the chance. I couldn't take you away from him and ruin your life." Angela wiped away the tears that rolled down her cheeks.
"I knew you would resent me if I took you away from him. I couldn't bare the thought of knowing you'd hated me." Angela bit her lip, "I never said goodbye because I knew I wouldn't be able to leave you."
Jenny wiped at her eyes a little. She'd never thought about how her mother had felt, she'd always believed that her mother had never loved her. Thinking about it now, years later, and having spent time around Jethro and Kelly and having witnessed the bond they shared, she probably would have done the same thing.
"Why didn't you visit me, or write me?" Jenny didn't care about the tears any more, she was in a way getting closure.
"The night I left, your father said he never wanted to see or hear from me." Angela took a deep breath, "I spent months contemplating taking you from your father. Julio – my husband – wanted me to take you away, but I couldn't do that to you."
Jenny sniffed as the tears flowed, it was hard listening to her mother. She'd always thought the world of her father, but hearing these things she didn't know any more. The events of the last three years had made her rethink everything, but she knew for a fact her father wasn't a traitor, her mother had said it herself, he loved the Army.
"Jasper's sister, Bernice, she used to send me pictures of you." Angela reached for the gold necklace around her neck, pulling the locket out of her blouse. She took it off and handed it over to Jenny.
Jenny ran her finger over her own name engraved on the golden locket. Opening it she looked at the two photos inside of it. One was a baby picture and the other one had been taken just before her graduation. She could remember her aunt constantly bugging her for a photo.
"You two kept in touch?" Jenny asked as she passed the locket back to her mother.
"She was the only one who knew I was going to leave your father. I told her I couldn't take you with me, she promised she'd write and tell me how you were doing." Angela put the locket around her neck again.
"Explains why she always nagged me to know how I was doing." Jenny said with a slight laugh. She felt lighter than she had in years, for the first time she understood why her mother had left. Taking a deep breath she wiped away the last of her tears. "Would you like something to drink?"
"Tea would be nice, thank you." Angela smiled at her warmly as she wiped away her own tears.
"I remember." Jenny whispered as she pulled two cups out of the cupboard.
Angela watched her daughter move around the kitchen, smiling when she noticed the small mannerisms that she had inherited from her father. She took the proffered cup and wrapped her hands around it, trying to keep them warm. Clearing her throat a little she looked at Jenny again.
"A year after I left, I tried seeing you again. I'm pretty sure your father never told you that I had tried reaching out to you, I don't even think he knew."
Jenny narrowed her eyes a little, tilting her head, "Dad had been sent to Vietnam again, the war had just ended." she smiled a little sadly, "I was upset because he missed my school play."
Angela reached out again, taking Jenny's hand in hers, "I was there the first night. You were so adorable in that green costume." she swallowed against the lump in her throat and scraped her throat softly.
Jenny's eyes widened. She had been a little apprehensive about her mother actually telling the truth, but hearing her mention the costume she had worn made everything pretty believable. It was hard hearing these things years after everything had happened, she had been naive as a child believing everything the adults had told her.
Feeling Angela pull her hand away she grasped it tightly in hers. She was drawing strength from the older woman's courage to talk to her, she pretended it was someone else's hand she was holding someone who always offered his silent brand of comfort.
"Why, uhm..." Jenny swallowed, "Why didn't I see you?"
"Your grandmother wouldn't let me anywhere near you. She said that you had been through enough already." Angela shook her head, "I should have fought for you, but I didn't, I couldn't hurt you by taking you away from your father."
Jenny nodded slowly, her father's mother had been a nightmare of a woman, the few months she had spent with her grandparents had been hell while her father had been deployed. She could remember hiding from her grandmother, asking Noemi to lie about where she was.
"Jenny," Angela placed the hand Jenny had been holding against her daughter's cheek wiping away the tears, "If I could do everything all over again." placing a finger under her chin she lifted Jenny's head so she could look at her, "I would take you with me."
"Guess it's too late for that." Jenny mumbled as she wiped her face clean with the sleeve of Jethro's hoodie. "I've spent everyday of my life resenting you, I still do."
Angela pulled away quickly, as if she had been burned by what Jenny had said.
"But seeing you and hearing what you had to say, makes me regret not reaching out to you first." Jenny spoke honestly, she had considered contacting her mother a number of times over the years, but she always lost her nerve.
Jenny tucked a loose tendril of hair behind her ear, she didn't even want to know how horrifying she looked with her smeared make-up and bloodshot eyes. She gave her estranged mother a quivering smile, wondering whether it was instinct that made her comfortable with looking like she did in front of her mother.
"Do you have children?" Jenny asked a little hesitantly. She hadn't completely forgiven her mother, but she was a little closer to understanding her reasoning.
"Yes, I have four children now, you and then three sons." She laughed a little when Jenny's eyes widened, "One is twenty, the other two are nineteen."
Jenny sipped her tea, allowing the silence to settle again. Her thoughts kept returning to Jethro, she'd never admit it but all she wanted was for him to hug her tightly against him like only he could. All this was a little too much to deal with and she wanted to talk to him, even if all he did was listen to her rant and rave.
She was in need of a stiff drink to deal with everything that had happened.
"The gentleman who opened the door, are you two involved?"
"Yeah, you could say that." Jenny said a little tensely, she didn't like it when strangers pried into her personal life, and to her, Angela was a stranger.
"He has a beautiful little girl." Angela complimented. "I gathered from the surprise on his face that he didn't know about me."
Jenny laughed softly, shaking her head, "Don't let him hear you say that." when all she received was a questioning look she went on, "I think it's a marine thing."
"The little girl, is she visiting him?" Angela looked at Jenny a little hesitantly. She had thought for a moment that her daughter had gotten married and had a child in the last three years, but when she heard Jethro leave she knew that it wasn't the case.
"No, she lives with him." It was all she said, she doubted Jethro would appreciate it if she discussed his personal life with a complete stranger. Jenny reached for the delicate gold necklace around her neck, fiddling with it for a moment. It was a replacement for the one she always wore. Jethro had bought it for her birthday after the other one had snapped during a scuffle with a suspect, the only difference was the one carat emerald that hung from it.
"You said you had three boys?" Jenny asked after a while, wanting to steer the topic of discussion away from Jethro for the moment.
"Yes, they have been wanting to meet you or a while. James, the eldest, he's studying here in Washington. Angelo and Marco work with their father."
Jenny raised her eyebrows, everything was starting to feel surreal. She suddenly felt the need to be alone, away from everyone so she could collect her thoughts. She sighed heavily as she stared into her empty cup, she didn't know what she wanted at the moment.
"I realise this is a lot to take in." Angela said as she met her daughter's gaze, "Whether you'll find it in your heart to forgive me, I don't know. I just wanted to tell you the truth."
Jenny looked at her in surprise, wondering if she was that easy to read. When Angela smiled she knew that she had sensed her need to be alone. She reached out for her hand again, gripping it in hers.
"I'd like to invite you to dinner tomorrow night, I'll leave you my number." Angela pulled her handbag over her shoulder, "You can bring Jethro if you want."
Jenny walked with Angela to the foyer, taking the card she offered her with a home number scrawled on the back. She waved a little half-heartedly as the expensive looking sedan rolled down the street.
Jenny closed the door with a thud. Leaning with her back against it she sunk down to the floor, hugging her knees to her chest and burying her nose in the soft material of the red hoodie. A fresh set of tears rolled down her cheeks. She missed her father, she wanted him to tell her that everything was going to be okay, that he was there if she needed him.
Lifting her head she looked into the empty study, hoping to see him sitting behind the large desk, smiling at her. She let out a strangled sob when she realised she'd never see him again. Right then she didn't care about the fact that her mother had left her, or that her parents marriage had been anything but perfect. All she wanted was her dad.
The methodical tick of a misplaced clock echoed throughout the quiet basement. The soothing sound of a sander sliding over wood didn't cut it tonight. He was too distracted and angry which resulted in him doing more harm than good. He'd already chipped one of the ribs, he didn't want to ruin the rest of the boat as well.
Jethro sighed, his temples thwacked with frustration. He'd been pissed when he started piecing everything together. He knew he didn't have the right to be upset, he'd never told her about Shannon or the bad terms he and his father had been on. But he never lied to her, or tried to steer the conversation in another direction, she never let him.
He ground his teeth together, he'd seen the fear in her eyes when he told her they were leaving. He'd never admit it to her or anyone else that she'd actually hurt his feelings by not trusting him enough to tell him about her mother. He'd shared a lot with her, rather involuntarily, but he had never lied to her he had tried to answer each question truthfully.
Jethro shifted around on the various planks underneath him, something was pressing into his back and it was starting to hurt. Wedging a hand between his back and the planks he felt around until his hand hit something hard and wet. He frowned and yanked his hand out from underneath him.
A chewed Troll Doll stared back at him. Jethro glared at the doll, finding its stupid grin annoying, he didn't even want to know how Yoda got on the makeshift table in the first place. Throwing the doll across the room, he heard it bounce off the workbench and hit a mason jar full of nails, causing it to tip over and nails to scatter all over the place.
Jethro eyed the dimly lit bench wearily, trying to see if there was any real danger. He dropped his head against the planks with a thud when he saw that there was nothing on the floor. A searing pain shot to the front of his head, forcing his eyes shut. He grumbled in pain and fisted his hands in his hair, willing the pain away. He wanted Jenny's fingers in his hair, but until she decided to be honest with him, he'd be suffering.
Kelly had nagged him the whole day to tell her why they had to leave Jenny's house when they were having fun. He'd tried explaining as calmly as possible, but his moody three-year-old had refused to listen, he had scolded her for being snippy which only caused tears to follow. He'd never been good at dealing with tantrums.
When Kelly finally calmed down and had decided to speak to him again, she had agreed to tinkering around in the basement with him. She had fallen asleep before bedtime and he had reluctantly tucked her in. Jethro sighed, Kelly was good at distracting him from the things that bothered him, but when she was asleep his mind kicked into overdrive.
It was late, probably close to midnight, and he knew that sleep wouldn't find him. He wanted to know why Jenny never mentioned her mother, or why she always acted as if the woman had never even existed. He eyed the bottle of Maker's Mark on the workbench, wondering if he could afford having a much needed drink.
Sitting up, he swung his feet off the makeshift table he had constructed with loose planks and a couple of saw-horses. Jumping off the structure he moseyed towards the alluring bottle of bourbon. Grabbing the large green mug with a piece of red cloth in it, he blew the dust out and pulled the half full bottle of bourbon towards him.
Jethro poured a decent amount of amber liquid in the mug, taking a swig from it, he felt the alcohol burn down his throat. It numbed the pounding in his head as he took another drink.
The pesky Troll Doll grinned at him as it lay amongst the scattered nails on the workbench. Jethro raised an eyebrow slightly, Kelly was going to have a fit when she saw Yoda had chewed her beloved toy. Opening one of the drawers, he dropped the toy inside.
His eye caught the white mug that sat innocently on the large workbench, a smear of red lipstick tainting the rim of the mug. Jethro grumbled under his breath and eyed his own mug, even drinking bourbon reminded him of her. Slamming the mug down on the bench, he spilled the remaining liquid on his hand and the surface of the table. Resting his hands on the edge of the table he leaned forward, closing his eyes.
There was movement above him, the soft footfalls moved across the floor to the door leading to the basement. He looked to the top of the stairs, waiting to see a bleary eyed Kelly appear on the landing.
The footsteps faltered and he straightened immediately.
The door creaked open and he saw the uncharacteristic pair of trainers shuffle onto the top landing. He dropped his gaze and glared at the jars hanging in front of him. The stairs protested from the weight on them as she moved down them.
Jenny stopped a the foot of the stairs, looking between Jethro and the top of the stairs. The stiffness in his body was visible from a mile away, and she suddenly didn't know if she was actually welcome at his house any more. Tears burned the back of her eyes again and she dug her nails into the palms of her hands.
All she'd done the whole day was cry. First the overwhelming feeling of sorrow had plagued her, and then anger had set in. She'd blamed her mother all over again, for leaving, for coming back, for making her face the feeling she'd struggled with for the last twenty years. Then regret had settled over her, she'd thought of every possible excuse for never telling Jethro.
Jenny scuffed her shoe in the thin layer of saw dust. She'd wandered around the city aimlessly, hoping that when she arrived back home everything would have been a bad dream. It was too optimistic of her, because when she returned, her home was still empty and there was still an unfinished Christmas tree in her living room.
Licking her suddenly dry lips, she moved further into the basement. Jethro had moved away from the workbench, choosing to perch on the makeshift table underneath the boat, studying her through the ribs. Crossing and uncrossing her arms, she stuffed her hands in her jean's pockets. Sniffing slightly, she breathed out slowly.
Jenny pursed her lips, not sure how or where to begin. Drawing her bottom lip between her teeth she marched to the workbench. Unscrewing the bottle of bourbon she filled the nearest empty container. The alcohol sloshed in the bottle as she slammed it on the counter, placing the cap on it a little carelessly.
Bringing the mason jar to her lips, she took a large gulp and squeezed her eyes shut. Jenny made a sound of disgust in the back of her throat, in the back of her mind she doubted she'd ever get used to the bitterness the drink had to offer. Spinning around she felt her head spin with her, the moment of dizziness reminded her that she hadn't had anything to eat since late morning.
Jethro looked at her intently, trying to gauge whether she had been drinking before she had arrived in his basement. She hadn't appeared to be drunk – and he knew she couldn't really handle bourbon as well as he could.
He watched as the tip of her tongue darted out and licked the remnants of bourbon off her full lips.
"You come here just to drink my bourbon?" Jethro asked roughly.
Jenny let out a mirthless laugh, "I knew you'd say that."
Jethro narrowed his eyes at her, his piercing blue eyes set in a dark scowl, "Yeah, well. It's obvious you know me far better than I know you."
Jenny's brow furrowed, taking the insult in stride, the suppressed tears from earlier burned the corners of her eyes. She gave him a quivering smile, reminding herself that he didn't know the truth. She saw the look in his eyes soften when she didn't counter him with something hurtful. She held up her hand when he opened his mouth to say something.
Turning her back to him, she looked at the disarray on the workbench. Tipping the remainder of her bourbon in the green mug, she dried it out with the piece of red cloth. Pushing the nails around on the worktop, she cleared her throat.
"I was eight when my mother walked away." Jenny dropped the small silver nail in the mason jar, listening to it clink!, as it hit the tempered glass. "She was having an affair with a rich businessman for two years."
Jethro closed his eyes briefly, wishing he hadn't been so harsh in his judgement of why she didn't talk about her family.
"When she left, she didn't say goodbye. She didn't tell me why she was leaving." Jenny wiped at her eyes, trying to stop the tears from coming. Dropping another nail in the jar she took a deep breath. "My grandmother always said my mother was popular amongst men, she didn't like my mom very much."
Jethro stood, making his way to the workbench. He took the green mug, cradling it in his hand. He leaned against the table, facing Jenny, he didn't say anything he just wanted her to know that he was close. The tears were threatening to fall, but she didn't allow a single tear to slip.
"Twenty two years," Another nail was dropped into the jar, "that's how long it's been since I last saw my mother. The first few months were hard on us, my father was a military man, he didn't really know anything about braiding hair or playing dress-up."
"Noemi showed up one day. She spoke broken English and I couldn't understand a word she was saying sometimes." This time Jenny's laugh was a little more humorous. "She learned quickly and within a matter of months we were almost inseparable."
"Your mom, she keep in touch?" Jethro asked tentatively, not wanting her to shut down.
Jenny shook her head in answer. "I spent the first year telling myself, 'Mommy's coming back.' I was too naive to actually realise my mother didn't want me." A single tear rolled down her cheek and Jethro wiped it away quickly.
"A year passed and my father was sent to Vietnam, the war had just ended. I lived with my grandparents and Noemi had look after me. For months I had to listen to my grandmother say all sorts of things about my mother. How unfit she was to be a parent, that she knew she was trouble the day my father had met her."
Jenny took a deep breath, prying the mug loose from Jethro's hand and taking a swig of the whiskey. She pulled her face in disgust and handed the mug back to him, smacking her lips as the taste dissipated.
"I grew up thinking my mother never loved me. I didn't think about her much until I finished high school. I was confused about why my mother had never contacted me or reached out to me. I thought I might discuss it with my father, maybe he'd support me..."
"But he didn't." Jethro finished for her. She gave him a weak attempt at a smile.
"Yeah. He said it would be a waste of my time, that if she wanted to hear from me she would have contacted me. We had a huge fight, I left, dead set on finding my mother."
She stopped talking, she gathered the remaining nails in a small heap, still dropping them into the jar one by one. Jethro took a hold of her wrist, having placed the mug somewhere behind him. He ran his thumb over her pulse, feeling it flutter. He pulled her to stand in front of him, placing his hands on her hips and holding her close.
"I lost my nerve. The things he said were true." Jenny spoke softly, letting out a shuddering breath. The tears were too much to fight.
Jenny felt Jethro's roughened palms rest on her cheeks, he lifted her head to look at him. He conveyed so much with a simple look. She could see that he understood and that he was feeling bad for questioning her ability to trust him.
Jethro pulled her into his chest, resting his chin on top of her head and hugging her to him. He slipped his fingers into her loose hair, and dropped a kiss to the top of her head. They were quiet for a while, each trying to sort through everything that had happened.
"Jen?" Jethro asked softly, he felt her lift her head to indicate that she was listening, "If I had known, I never would have pushed you. I'm s-"
"Please don't apologise." Jenny cut him off, she pulled away from him slightly and looked up into those intense blue eyes, for the first time that night she gave him her usual warm smile, "You'll probably make me cry again."
Jethro laughed softly, bumping his nose against hers affectionately, he pressed a kiss to her forehead. Lifting her chin so she could look at him, he ran his thumb over her cheek, "What made her show up at your doorstep this morning?"
"Remember when Tony had gone through my mail?" Jenny asked as she traced the letters on his t-shirt, when he grunted she continued, "That was the last letter I got from her, apparently she asked if she could see me."
"You never replied." Jethro stated when she fell silent again, clearly distracted.
Jenny shook her head, "I never even opened it. She's been sending me letters for the last three years."
Jethro quickly did the math and realised the letters had started right after her father had died, at least she'd told him that much about her past. His hands dropped to her hips again, holding her close while she sorted through her thoughts.
"She said she wanted me to know the truth, but I don't know if I want to believe her. She said she couldn't take me away from my father and let me resent her for doing so." Jenny looked up at him, searching his eyes for answers. She didn't know what she was hoping to find, but the softness in his gaze at least gave her some comfort.
"And I'm feeling like a fool for actually believing the things she said."
Jenny laughed at herself, avoiding looking up at Jethro. She felt him bury his nose in her hair and she dropped her head against his chest. Jenny listened as his heart thudded in her ear, she tried to focus solely on that.
"I phoned my aunt down in Florida." Jenny mumbled as she pressed her face against his chest. "She confirmed most of what Angela said." Jenny shook her head a little, "She confirmed everything that Angela had said."
Jethro stared at the chipped rib on his boat, his one hand was running up and down Jenny's back soothingly the other was in her hair playing with the silky red locks. Dropping a kiss in her hair he made her take a step back, he ran the tips of his fingers over her cheek, he met her emerald eyes. He didn't know how she'd take what he wanted to say.
"Parents make choices because they have a sense of perspective. It might not always be the right one, but in that moment it usually seems like the right option." Jethro let out a soft sigh and dropped his finger to her bottom lip, soothing the angry red mark from all her biting.
"Guess you know something about that, huh?" Jenny wrinkled her nose cutely at him and he laughed.
"Yeah, something like that." Jethro cupped her cheek, his other hand snaking around her waist to settle on the small of her back.
"Jethro," Jenny said hoarsely, "make it go away."
Jethro pulled her closer, his breath hot on her moist skin. She watched as his pupils dilated with the same need she was currently experiencing. She could smell the whiskey on his breath as he brushed his lips against hers, her breathing hitched as he drew his tongue over her lips. She moaned loudly as he crashed his lips against hers.
The sudden taste of bourbon flooded her senses as Jethro touched his tongue against hers. She couldn't remember the whiskey ever tasting so good. She heard his muffled growl as she swirled her tongue around his and the urgency between them shifted.
Jethro found the hem of the red hoodie, pulling it up and over her head. He felt himself tighten at the barely there tank top she had on. Trailing kisses down her throat he slid his hands under the skimpy material, caressing her sides and drawing the shirt up her body.
Jenny bunched Jethro's shirt in her hands and yanked it upwards, she heard him chuckle as she struggled to pull it over his head. Glaring at him once the shirt was gone she pulled him in for another kiss, raking her nails down his back as he ground his hips against hers.
He fumbled slightly with the button in her jeans, struggling to get it through the small hole. She kicked off her shoes, moaning as she felt Jethro's breath in her thighs. Pulling the tank top over her head she threw it behind her carelessly.
Jethro felt his jeans become even more uncomfortable at the sight of Jenny clad in nothing but lace underwear. He picked her up, letting her wrap her legs around his waist. He kissed the swell of her breasts, drawing his tongue over the sensitive skin, closing his mouth over a covered nipple he listened to her cry out as he scraped his teeth over it gently.
"Jethro," Jenny panted as he did the same to the other breast.
Jethro kissed up her throat, knowing she didn't want their usual foreplay. He wormed a hand between them and stroked her through the lace of her panties. He eyed the hazardous workbench wearily before spinning them around and heading for the boat.
Jenny groaned softly as the rib of the boat dug into her back, but it soon turned into a moan as Jethro slipped a finger inside her. Somewhere in her clouded mind she slipped a hand between them and undid his jeans, pushing both the denim and boxers down his legs.
His mouth was over hers again, robbing her of her breath. Reaching a hand above her she held onto the rib, her nails digging into the wood, the other hand's nails digging into Jethro's shoulder. A rush of excitement ran through her as she felt the hot skin of his hardness press intimately against her thigh. "Jethro," She growled.
Jethro pressed his face into her neck as he thrust into her a little roughly, her soft sharp cry made him pull back a little but her legs tightened around him, drawing him back in. He listened to her ragged breathing in his ear. She nudged his cheek softly, urging him to move.
He moved hard and fast, anything to keep her moaning in his ear. The unmistakable flutter of her muscles around him made him ground his teeth and thrust even harder. Her arms dropped from where they were holding onto the rib and wrapped around him. She moved against him until she stiffened against him. He kept moving until his vision went white and he growled into her skin.
They were still wrapped around each other, their hot bodies rapidly cooling. Jenny tried catching her breath as she leaned her forehead against Jethro's shoulder, his ragged breathing in her ear sent another tingle down her spine. She listened to his erratic heartbeat as it returned to its normal pace. The boat's rib was still digging into her back, she winced slightly as Jethro shifted and the wood scraped against her skin.
Jethro put her back on her own two feet, his thumb running over the faint scratch the wood had left on her back. He leaned down and kissed her reverently, still holding her close to him. He pushed the wisps of hair out of her face, "You okay?"
Jenny simply nodded, sliding her arms around his waist to keep him close. It always amazed her how warm he was despite the fact that it was almost freezing. Shivering involuntarily she felt Jethro tighten his hold on her. She pressed a kiss to his chest and moved to where her clothing was scattered on the floor.
Jethro buttoned his jeans and pulled his shirt over his head. He moved back to the workbench and poured himself some more bourbon. He felt Jenny slip her arms around him, her forehead resting against his back, wrapping his fingers around her wrist he pulled her to stand next to him. She leaned into his side and he offered her some of his bourbon.
Jenny shook her head and let out a slow breath. Reaching up she touched his cheek so he looked at her, standing on the tips of her toes she kissed him softly.
"Thank you." She whispered softly as they pulled apart. Jethro shrugged and smiled down at her.
The coffee machine whirred softly in the kitchen, muffling the sounds of Jenny's footsteps above him. He had offered her some coffee while she disappeared upstairs. He watched as the carafe filled, he tried sorting through his thoughts.
Hearing what Jenny had to say explained a lot. He didn't doubt that her past had influenced the choices that she had made. He knew what it was like carrying something like that around, hoping no-one ever found out. What she had told him had angered him, he couldn't imagine a parent simply breaking all contact with their child. She hadn't told him everything yet and he knew it would take time for her to process everything.
He couldn't put himself in Angela's shoes, leaving his own little girl without explanation. Could he leave Kelly if it meant Shannon could comeback? He doubted that he'd be able to do it, was it selfish of him? Most probably, but he couldn't imagine his life without his little girl.
The percolator beeped drawing him from his musing. Moving around swiftly he filled two mugs with coffee and made his way into the living room.
He poked the glowing embers in the fireplace, adding more wood to get the fire started again. He took a swig from his mug, letting the coffee sooth him. He closed his eyes and listened to the footsteps above him, he knew Jenny had stopped in Kelly's room first, she always said goodnight even if Kelly was already fast asleep.
The floorboards near him creaked and his eyes snapped open, looking up at a pair of sparking green eyes. He patted the spot next to him and Jenny didn't waste any time curling up next to him. He let her settle against him, he didn't feel the need to press her for any more answers. He was content to stare into the flickering flames, and think about the fact that he was turning a year older.
Jenny shifted a little restlessly, her brow furrowed in thought, "I guess Angela leaving my dad was a good thing."
Jethro gave her a strange look, convinced that he had missed something. He raised an eyebrow in question, waiting for her to explain.
"She's still married to the same guy." Jenny pulled her face a little at Jethro and drank from her cup.
"They have kids?" He asked a little hesitantly, he wasn't sure what Jenny's feelings were about the whole situation. She didn't seem upset, but he'd never been good at gauging women's emotions, he always seemed to get it wrong.
"Yeah they do, three sons. One's studying here in DC. The other two work with their father." Jenny shook her head a little. She'd wondered a few times if her mother had had any children after she had left, it never dawned on her that she might have siblings who knew about her. It felt strange, knowing that she had three brothers she knew nothing about.
Jethro was suppressing a smirk next to her and she couldn't really see the humour in her situation. She elbowed him in the ribs when he let a laugh slip. "What's so funny?"
Jethro schooled his features and looked at her, "At least I didn't get any siblings when I went to see my father again."
Jenny narrowed her eyes at him, sticking her tongue out at him a little childishly. He just raised his eyebrows at her and drank his coffee. She shook her head and smiled into her mug.
"She invited us to dinner." Jenny said after a moment of silence, the smile disappearing.
"You wanna go?" He asked quietly.
"I don't want to ruin your birthday." Jenny finished her coffee and placed it on the coffee table, sitting a little straighter and resting her head in her hand as she propped her elbow on the back of the couch.
Jethro shrugged his shoulders, placing his mug next to Jenny's, he reached for her hand and ran his thumb over her knuckles. Wrinkling his nose he looked at her, "Doesn't matter, Jen. I'll ask Joann if she can take Kelly for a while."
"No, we're taking her with." Jenny snapped tensely. He narrowed his eyes a little, knowing what her history was, her reactions started making more sense. He nodded his head in agreement and turned back to looking at the fire.
"Talking about your birthday." Jenny purred in his ear, crawling on his lap and settling against him, her arms looping around his neck, "You never told me what you wanted for your birthday, old man."
"Old man?" Jethro asked sarcastically. He snorted and pulled her tightly against him, he gave her a smug smile when she looked at him in surprise, "This old man still has it."
Jenny laughed breathlessly as he ground his hips against hers again. Their almost eight year age difference gave her enough ground to tease him sometimes, she kissed him and wrinkled her nose, "Maybe you're not that old." Jethro snorted and rolled his eyes.
Jenny moved back, settling on his thighs. Jethro reached out and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, he drew his fingers over her cheek before cupping it tenderly. His brow creased as he looked up at her, he smiled at her. He moved closer kissing the underside of her jaw and trailing his lips to her ear.
"I already have everything I want." He whispered in her ear and kissed her passionately.
Kelly peaked around the bedroom door down the hallway, making sure there was no-one since the last time she checked. She hissed softly at Yoda when he tried to dart past her into the hall. Rushing to her chest of drawers she pulled the bottom drawer open. She pushed the various colouring books aside and found the neatly wrapped package she'd hid in a small box.
Darting back to the door she eyed the hallway again. Yoda whined and she cracked the door open for him to head out first. Sauntering into the hall she looked at her father's slightly ajar bedroom door. Taking a deep breath she ran down the hall quickly and darted inside the room, closing the door with a loud bang.
Jenny looked up sharply from where she was seated on the edge of the large bed, her fingers full of Scotch tape. Kelly gave her an exasperated look and hurried towards her, the wrapped package still firmly in her grip. She dropped a kiss to the little girl's head and continued to place tape on the folded edges of the blue wrapping paper. Kelly deposited her present on the bed and placed her finger on the folded piece of paper Jenny was struggling with.
"Thank you." Jenny smiled at her and proceeded in taping the annoying piece of paper. It had been a mission just to find wrapping paper for the large box. All the blue wrapping paper the stores had to offer either had toy cars on them or snowflakes since Christmas was right around the corner.
She had found a hidden roll of blue paper with various sail boats on it and had grabbed it before anyone else could. She had also stocked up on wrapping paper for all the presents she and Jethro had stashed in her closet where Kelly couldn't find them. Jenny looked over at the navy blue package that sat on the bed, Joann had given her the piece of paper to wrap Kelly's present in it.
"Is daddy still downstairs?" Jenny asked as she eyed the door cautiously. She had sent Jethro downstairs under the pretence that she'd get herself and Kelly ready before they headed out to dinner with her mother.
"Yes, I think. I didn't hear him on the stairs." Kelly looked at the door a little paranoid.
It had been extremely entertaining having Kelly sneak around when they bought Jethro's gifts, she had been convinced her father knew from the start, but Jenny had assured her he didn't. She'd taken the little girl present shopping the previous weekend while Jethro had left for the office. Over the last week Jenny had realised that Kelly had her father's ability to keep a secret.
"Okay let's hurry before he finds us." Jenny smiled at the determined look on Kelly's face. They finished wrapping the box and made sure none of the edges were lifting up.
Jenny slipped her heels on, checking to make sure how much time they had left before they would be late. Handing Kelly the present she got her father, she took the little girls free hand and grabbed the other present. Jenny gave the toddler a once over, she hoped the grey winter dress and black tights stayed clean long enough.
Kelly skipped down the steps and across the floor to the basement door, calling her father to tell him they were ready. She took her spot next to Jenny and looked up at her excitedly. Jenny winked at her when they heard Jethro storm up the old steps.
Jenny felt nervous and she couldn't decide whether it was because of what Jethro's reaction would be or if it had to do with meeting her family.
"Happy Birthday!" Kelly exclaimed as he father came into view. The colour in his cheeks drained briefly at the high pitched shout but he recovered quick enough to catch his daughter as she crashed into his knees. He swung her in the air before holding her in his arms.
Jethro smiled at Kelly, rubbing his nose with hers affectionately. She'd bounced all over them in bed earlier that morning singing her own version of Happy Birthday. Jethro kissed her cheek softly and eyed the package in her hands. Placing her on his hip he walked to where Jenny was standing and grinning at him.
"We got you presents, even if you didn't want any." Kelly informed her father matter of factly, thrusting her present into his empty hand. She giggled at the way he pulled his face in surprise, kissing his cheek she wriggled until he placed her on the floor.
Placing her hands on her hips she looked up at her father, "You have to open it."
"Really?" Jethro asked in wonderment, drawing another giggle from his daughter.
"Daddy you're silly." Kelly snickered and moved to stand next to Jenny, leaning against her leg and watching her father.
Jethro smiled at Kelly before he complied and opened her gift. He pulled the Scotch tape open slowly, hoping to save the wrapping as a keep sake along with every other thing Kelly had given him over the years.
Jethro pulled out a pair of grey socks with the Marine insignia on it in the classic yellow colour. He traced the emblem with his thumb, smiling down at Kelly. He'd told her only a number of times that he had been a Marine, but he suspected Jenny had steered her towards the right direction when they picked out the pair of socks.
"Do you like them?" Kelly asked curiously.
Jethro knelt on the floor, opening his arms for a hug. He wrapped his arms around Kelly and hugged her tightly against him. "I certainly do."
Kelly skipped back to Jenny, giving her a pointed look that it was her turn to hand over her present.
"You didn't have to get me anything, Jen." Jethro said as he took the wrapped box off her hands. He watched the slight blush that shot across the bridge of her nose. When she wasn't forth coming with an answer, he started opening the wrapping paper.
He looked at the plain brown box sceptically. He knew Jenny had a knack for being devious and he didn't put it past her to get him, in rather plain English, a gag gift. He lifted the lid of the box carefully, trying to see what was inside before whatever it was jumped on him.
Jenny chewed the inside of her cheek as Jethro opened the box, waiting for his reaction.
Jethro looked up from the content and a genuine smile crossed his face. He lifted one of the brand new boots out of the box, dangling it from his finger tip. It was the same pair he had been looking at to replace the chewed pair.
Looking down he saw Yoda staring at him, he glared at the dog and placed the boot back in the box along with his socks. He placed it high on the bookcase, away from the gnawing pup.
Jethro kissed Jenny softly, whispering his thanks in her ear. She squeezed his hand softly and smiled up at him.
The car was quiet despite the toddler being strapped safely in the back seat. Kelly had brought along one of her many Dr Seuss books, and it's various pictures were keeping her occupied for the time being. Jethro looked over at Jenny, watching her fidget. She picked at the hem of her dress for a while and when she realised she was crumpling the material her hand moved to her neck, toying with the delicate necklace.
Jethro reached over taking her hand in his, she wasn't just stressing herself out, but she was starting to drive him crazy with her fidgeting. He felt her glare at him, but he brushed it off. She was squeezing his hand repeatedly, and he tried to hide his smirk. For a woman who had no qualms about taking down a drug lord, she was pretty nervous about facing her mother.
"I do not like green egg and ham!" Kelly exclaimed from the back seat.
Both adults laughed. They had been taking turns reading that particular book to Kelly, she had heard it enough times by now to start memorising some of the lines. She'd even started saying the words with them when they read at night.
"What comes after that?" Jethro asked curiously, wondering if she'd be able to remember.
"Uh," Kelly looked down at the page, her brow furrowing in frustration, "wo… w-o-u..."
"Would..." Jethro supplied.
"Would you like them here or there?!" Kelly exclaimed again, falling silent as she recited most of the book from memory.
Jenny smiled as she listened to Kelly skip most of the book, only reciting the parts that she remembered. She knew that Kelly probably only recognised about five of the fifty different words, but she felt immensely proud about the fact that she remembered some of the lines. The fact that she'd been hearing the book at preschool probably didn't hurt either.
Jethro turned onto the street that had been scribbled on a piece of paper in Jenny's neat curly handwriting. He'd noticed that they were close to where Ducky's home was, and he had deducted that the rich businessman had done really well for himself. He squinted slightly to read the house numbers.
He glared when he heard Jenny mumble 'Old man' under her breath as he tried deciphering the numbering.
"It's dark." He growled at her quiet snicker, "-ish" he added silently. Finding the right number he turned into the long driveway, stopping right behind a black Mercedes.
The sun was just starting to disappear behind the thick brush surrounding the house. Jethro helped Kelly out of the back seat, shaking his head when she told him to be careful with her dress. He settled her on his hip, her storybook and backpack in his other hand. Closing the Audi's door softly, he walked around the car.
Jenny took the backpack and storybook from him, looking at the house guardedly. He was willing to bet that if he offered to take her back home she'd jump at the opportunity. Placing his free hand on her lower back he waited patiently for her to start moving.
The front door to the large house swung open and Jenny felt her heart drop, any thought of running away was not an option any more. She looked over at Jethro and he winked at her, reaching for his hand on her back, she laced her fingers with his.
Angela rushed down the porch steps, a warm smile gracing her features as she met her guests halfway. She didn't miss the anxiousness in her daughter's green orbs and she was hoping she'd be able to make her feel at home once they were inside. Her gaze drifted to Jethro whom she had met briefly, she smiled at the shy little girl in his arms.
"I'm glad you could make it." Angela said softly as she hugged an unsuspecting Jenny.
Jenny stiffened slightly, she hugged her mother back a little awkwardly, smiling tensely as she pulled away. Her heart was now in her throat, and she knew Jethro could see the small bead of sweat that rolled down her neck, despite the fact that her hair was down. She felt him squeeze her hand briefly and she knew he was there right beside her.
Angela greeted Jethro and turned her attention to the little girl in his arms. "You must be Kelly?" She cooed at the toddler as she stared at her with large blue eyes.
"Yes." Kelly mumbled.
"Kelly," Jethro whispered softly, "say hi to Jenny's mommy."
Kelly looked up at her father a little put off, turning back to the woman she gave her a shy smile, "Hi." burying her face in his neck she hugged him closer.
Jenny gripped Jethro's hand tighter, her nails biting into his skin, he squeezed her hand back loosening her grip slightly. She desperately wanted to leave, she didn't know why she let Jethro talk her into agreeing to this shindig in the first place. He had practically forced her into picking up the phone, and now she was pissed at him.
They were ushered into the foyer of the grand house, Jenny prayed that Jethro would take one look at these people and suggest they leave. Somewhere it registered that she was being unreasonable, but she couldn't care less. The weight against her leg drew her form her thoughts, looking down she saw Kelly lean against her. She placed a hand on the little girl's head, knowing she was probably just as uncomfortable as she was.
Angela took the backpack and book from Jenny, placing it on the small antique table. Jenny looked at Jethro, shooting a rather discreet glare at him, he looked calm and at ease and she was secretly envying him. There were footsteps somewhere above them.
"Jenny, I'd like you to meet my husband." Angela held her hand out to Julio as he walked towards her.
Jenny straightened a little, she hadn't even noticed the two men who had joined them in the foyer. She did an impressive job of acting calm, despite the fact that she was a nervous wreck on the inside. She offered her hand to the older man as he stepped closer.
"We've been waiting a long time to meet you." Julio said quietly as he clasped her hand in both of his.
Jenny simply nodded her head, not entirely sure how to reply. He patted her hand softly, the understanding in his eye putting her a little at ease. He turned to Jethro and introduced himself in his thick Italian accent. Jenny felt Kelly move away form her to cling to her father again, the little girl was showing exactly how she felt about meeting all these people. Kelly hid behind her father's legs when the attention was turned to her.
The younger man moved hesitantly towards Jenny, he seemed almost uncomfortable in his casual dinner jacket and crisp white shirt. She watched as his eyes flicked to her mother's uncertainly before he walked towards her. He looked about as nervous as she was feeling, it dawned on her that this whole ordeal was probably just as stressful for them as it was for her.
The unruly curls were a clear indication that they were in fact related, he had chocolate brown eyes and his smile was reminiscent of his father's. The young man held out his hand towards Jenny, giving her what could only be described as a charming smile.
"James." He introduced himself in what almost sounded like a British accent.
"Jenny." She shook his hand, she assumed he had been schooled in England.
James grinned at her and said a brief 'hello' to the man next to her, greeting him respectfully and giving the little girl a small wave. He turned back to his sister, the smile almost impossible to hide. He was about to say something when there was a clatter on the stairscase followed by loud footsteps down the stairs.
Further up the staircase there was something muttered in Italian. The eldest of the twins appeared first, his curly hair a little more unruly and significantly longer than James'. Angela scolded him softly at the amount of noise he was causing. He simply grinned at her and rushed to the redhead.
He cocked a dark eyebrow at her, a cheeky grin causing his dimples to deepen, "You're my sister, right?"
Before Jenny could answer the other twin appeared, his his cheeks flushed. He muttered something in Italian and Julio scolded him this time. His All Star sneakers squeaked on the wooden floors as he joined his brother, the same smile curling his lips.
"I'm Angelo." The eldest twin introduced himself. He ignored the hand held out towards him and pulled Jenny into a tight hug.
"I'm Marco." The other one introduced, hugging his sister as well.
Jenny placed a hand against her chest, her cheeks slightly flushed, she had been caught of guard by their rather boisterous welcome, "Jenny." she said once they had let her go and were standing side by side.
Jethro eyed the two boys, he had to admit if only to himself that they all three looked pretty much the same, except that James' features were a little sharper. Seeing all three boys next to each other and then seeing them next to Jenny, he couldn't help but notice that the four of them definitely took after their mother. Despite Jenny's beautiful red hair.
The twins were a little calmer when they turned to him, he raised an eyebrow and immediately held out his hand, not too fond of them attacking him the same way. They greeted him with the same enthusiasm and he simply introduced himself as "Gibbs."
Jethro picked Kelly up when she started tugging on his trousers insistently. She cuddled into him, she kept staring at the twins curiously. Jethro nudged her gently with his shoulder and shook his head, silently telling her it was rude to stare. Kelly frowned at him.
"Daddy," She whispered loudly, looking at him with large blue eyes, "why do they look the same?"
It was ultimately what broke the ice, everyone laughed including Jenny. Jethro felt the tips of his ears heat up, he was slightly embarrassed by his daughter's question and he had no idea how to explain it.
"We were born at the same time." Angelo supplied when the laughter died down. He smiled at his sister and at the man with her. "Nice shoes." He said to the little girl, noting that she was wearing the same shoes as him and Marco.
There was soft music playing in the kitchen, and it sounded like smooth jazz. Jenny pulled Kelly a little closer against her, watching over her shoulder as she coloured one of the pictures in her colouring book. Kelly had abandoned her father in favour of Jenny. Jethro had disappeared with Julio for a drink, both men seemed to have clicked when they realised they shared the same love for classic cars.
James stopped the crayon that was rolling across the table, placing it amongst the pile of brightly coloured crayons. He smiled at the little girl when she thanked him and looked back at his sister.
"I hear you're studying here in DC." Jenny smiled at the slight blush that coloured James' cheeks. She'd noticed that he was extremely shy, but no less witty than the other two.
"Yeah, I'm aiming to be a doctor one day." He said determinedly.
"Why DC?" Jenny asked after a moment, he averted his gaze from her and looked at Angela as she moved around in the kitchen, he shrugged his shoulders.
"Because he was hoping to find you." Angelo answered as he sauntered into the kitchen. He pulled out a chair at the table and took a seat next to his sister, resting his hand on the back of her chair. He pulled his face at James when he saw him scowling at him.
"Mama always told us about you, and the older we got the more we wanted to know you." Angelo looked at his sister, a small smile on his lips, "Twenty years is a long time."
Kelly slipped off Jenny's lap, sauntering towards Angela where she was moving around the kitchen. She peaked around the corner of the island eyeing the older woman curiously. She gasped softly when Angela turned and looked right at her. The older woman motioned for her to come closer but she took a step back, looking over at Jenny. Angela watched as Jenny nodded at the little girl that it was okay.
Jenny watched as her mother picked Kelly up and they moved around the kitchen together. She felt a little nostalgic remembering the rare moments she got to spend time with her mother. She turned back to the table and watched Angelo look at her closely. He was far more insightful than he let on, despite his goofy antics, in a way he reminded her of Tony.
"I take it she isn't yours?" Angelo asked quietly.
Jenny shook her head, "No, she's Jethro's daughter."
Angelo nodded, he wanted to ask about how they had met but he didn't want to push too much, he flicked one of the crayons at his brother, "Gibbs doesn't strike me as the smiling type." he whispered softly to Jenny while looking over at his mother.
"Angelo, I wouldn't smile if I met you either." Angela teased from where she was in the kitchen.
"She hears everything." Angelo grumbled.
Jenny laughed, she had thought the same of Jethro the first time she met him, "He's even less friendly at work. You're lucky he even introduced himself."
"I like him." Marco said as he moseyed into the kitchen heading straight for the pots on the stove. Angela slapped his hand when he tried stealing icing off of the cake she was icing. He ruffled Kelly's hair when she giggled softly and joined his siblings at the table.
"You're just a suck up." James muttered as he threw a crayon at Angelo.
Angela shook her head at their bantering. She looked over at the breakfast table, watching all four her children laughing, it was something she never thought she'd be able to see. Blinking she felt the tears roll down her cheeks. Looking down she saw the little girl look up at her.
The beautiful blue eyes narrowed a little in confusion, before a tiny hand reached up and wiped away the tears. Angela smiled down at her and she grinned cutely.
Jenny made her way to where Kelly was seated on the marble counter, her feet swinging as she licked the wooden spoon full of chocolate icing. The other three had been sent to set the table because they wouldn't stop throwing things at each other.
There were chocolate smears all over Kelly's face, even across one of her eyebrows. Jenny kissed Kelly's forehead and stood next to her, making sure she didn't decide to jump off without any help. Angela handed her a cloth to wipe away the chocolate stains.
"Daddy's getting a chocolate cake cause it's his birthday." Kelly said as Jenny wiped her face clean.
"And we both know he secretly loves chocolate." Jenny whispered as she looked Kelly over to make sure there were no remnants of icing left.
Angela took off her apron and hung it on one of the many tiny hooks that held all sorts of things. She placed her jewellery back on and moved to stand next to her daughter. She rested a small hand on her shoulder and pulled her in for a hug. She felt Jenny stiffen slightly before she relaxed.
Marco swept through the kitchen, offering Kelly a piggyback ride to call her father for dinner. He said something in Italian when Angela told him to be careful.
"Kelly really likes Marco." Jenny observed as the two of them headed out of the kitchen. She reached for the necklace around her neck again, this time thinking about the person who gave it to her.
"It takes a brave man to raise a little girl." Angela said softly as she placed a kiss in her daughters thick red curls.
Jenny smiled, she thought of the things Jethro had to put up with sometimes. She thought of her father, remembering some of the days they couldn't stand each other, but she wouldn't change any of it. He had taught her a lot as a child and as an adult.
"I still can't believe Jasper took-"
"He didn't." Jenny snapped, her cheeks flushing with anger.
Angela frowned at her daughter, placing a hand on her cheek, "I know it's hard on you, Jenny."
"Do you ever regret marrying my father?" Jenny asked as she stepped away from her mother.
"No, if I hadn't, I never would have had you."
The noise in the dining room stopped any conversation between the two women.
Jethro placed a hand on Jenny's thigh under the table, he had seen the tenseness in her form when she had made her way next to him, and he had seen right through the fake smile she had plastered on. She was putting on a good show of seeming interested in what her mother had to say. He waited until they weren't paying attention to them before he leaned closer to her.
"You still okay?" He asked quietly, watching her turn the fake smile on him and nod her head. Jethro watched Jenny out the corner of his eye. Something was bothering her and he wanted to know what it was. The hard look in her eyes were the same as when she talked about her father.
"Wait so you were a Marine and now you work for NCIS?" Angelo asked through a mouthful of chicken.
"Yeah," Jethro grumbled at the eldest twin.
"And that's where you met Jenny?" James asked after he swallowed.
Jethro nodded at the young man. He looked over at Jenny who smiled at her brother, he'd noticed that the two of them had hit it off right from the beginning and he wondered if it was some sort of instinct. The conversation flowed again and he was left alone for time being.
Looking over at Kelly who was seated next to him and Marco, he let his thoughts wander for a moment. He'd never thought about more children, hell he never even thought the opportunity would present itself after he returned from Somalia. Watching the three Bernardi boys made him realise that he wouldn't mind having more children.
Feeling Jenny lacing her fingers with his under the table, he gripped her hand in his. He'd been thinking about her a lot lately and what their future together might look like, and he was considering making things between them more permanent. He pressed a kiss to her temple and listened to the conversation around them.
Dessert had been dished out and Jethro was on his second slice of cake, he could see the smirk Jenny kept giving him. He had very few guilty pleasures, but apple pie and chocolate cake were amongst them. He pulled Jenny's hair playfully without anyone seeing it, and she dug her nails into her thigh in retaliation.
"How long have you been an agent, Jenny?" Angelo asked again, something wasn't adding up.
"Three years." Jenny answered. She felt Jethro's hand still on her shoulder, but he quickly recovered and was running his finger over her shoulder again.
"Before that, you were a lawyer. Right?" Angelo pressed on, not realising that his questioning was going to cause problems between the couple he was looking at.
"Angelo, basta! What is it with all the questions?" Julio scolded from the head of the table. He shook his head at his son, telling him to stop it. He knew they were excited but he could see that they were making Jenny uncomfortable.
"I was a lawyer, but things change." Jenny gave her usual platonic answer, smiling at Julio as he glared at Angelo.
Jethro rocked Kelly gently as they stepped into the icy night air, he could see her trying to fight against falling sleep, but her eyes drifted shut just as they reached the car. Marco opened the door for him, and he placed Kelly in her car seat, strapping her in securely. He placed her stuffed turtle under her head as a pillow and covered her with his coat, and closed the door quietly.
"It was nice to finally meet you." Angelo whispered in his sister's ear as he hugged her, he kissed her cheek softly and stepped aside.
Marco hugged Jenny tightly and pulled his face at her, "Keep in touch, don't go dropping off the face of the earth again."
Jenny smiled at the youngest and touched his cheek softly. James looked at her uncertainly but he moved closer for a hug too. "I'll see you around?" he asked her when they pulled apart.
"Of course. It's still a while away, but if you're not flying back to Europe for Christmas, give me a call." Jenny squeezed his shoulder reassuringly.
They greeted everyone and were soon waving goodbye as they backed out of the driveway. Jethro let out a heavy sigh and gripped the steering wheel in both hands. He narrowed his eyes a little and concentrated on the road in front of him. He wasn't going to snap at Jenny while Kelly was in the car, because he was more than sure his questioning was going to cause a fight.
Jenny stared out the window, she could feel Jethro bristle next to her, but she was too far away to think about what his problem was. She realised once again while talking to her mother that she had lost sight of what she had originally set out to do. She was starting to question her loyalty to both her father and Jethro.
Recently she'd been wondering why she had decided to take a break from pursuing a fast and notorious climb up the NCIS ladder for a year back home. There had been a great opportunity to run an undercover Op in Russia, but it wasn't where she wanted to be so she'd suggested they give the Op to another agent. When she had started in DC she had been concerned that Jethro might get the Op she so desperately wanted.
It was before she knew he had a child, before she had fallen in love with him – before she even considered that she might actually love him.
She had taken this year because her leads had run cold, the bastard who had killed her father had gone underground. It had been over seven months since the last time she heard anything form one of her contacts in Europe, she'd often wondered if the French bastard had caught on to her plan. Jethro's words kept ringing in her ears.
Perspective.
She had perspective. She knew what it was like to lose someone, to have them murdered in cold blood and have people tell her the person took their own life. Jenny also knew what it was like to be surrounded with people who loved her, knew what it felt like to be wrapped in someone's arms who meant the world to her. It made her choice that much harder, could she leave the people she loved to pursue an evasive killer.
The familiar street lights drew her from her thoughts. She gathered the things near her feet and got out of the car, opening the house so Jethro could get Kelly tucked in for the night. She deposited everything on the breakfast table and started the percolator, listening to the machine stutter to life.
Climbing the stairs one at a time she could hear Jethro snap at the rambunctious pup as he rushed around the room wanting to play before bed. Shaking her head she headed for the master bedroom, eager to get out of her dress and heels. She kicked off her heels as she closed the door behind her, dropping her head against it momentarily.
Finding a pair of sweats and one of Jethro's t-shirts, she changed quickly and started taking off her make-up. The door cracked open and Jethro appeared, two cups in his hands. He placed Jenny's on her night stand, and walked to his side of the bed.
Jenny slipped between the sheets, she shivered slightly, it surprised her how cold Jethro's bedroom was sometimes. Reaching for the steaming cup of coffee she sipped it slowly.
Jethro threw his trousers in the hamper along with his dress shirt. He took a seat on the edge of the bed, taking the offending alarm clock, he set the alarm to the right time it was supposed to go off in the morning. He turned the clock over in his hands looking at it instead of the woman behind him. Placing the clock back in its spot he looked up and stared at the blank wall in front of him.
"Jen," He said a little gruffly, "I respect your privacy." he placed a hand on the back of his neck, rubbing the stiff muscles. "But I don't appreciate you keeping things from me."
"Excuse me?" Jenny snapped as he turned to face her. "What's next, Jethro, you going to tell me I'm lying to you again."
"Why didn't you tell me you were a lawyer?" Jethro growled.
"Oh, so that's what this is about." Jenny narrowed her eyes, "Would it have made a difference if you had know before tonight?"
"That's not the point."
"What is the point, Jethro? Are you pissed that I didn't tell you, or can't you accept the fact that I kept it from you?" Jenny's voice rose slightly in anger.
"It wouldn't be the only thing you've kept from me." Jethro snapped angrily. He stood up from the bed and moved to stand near the window, his fingers gripping his hair painfully hard.
"You bastard." Jenny barked at him, she grabbed his pillow and threw it at him.
Jethro turned around just as the pillow hit him in the face, he grabbed it before it hit the floor, throwing it on the bed. He didn't have much time to think because Jenny was right on top of him, backing him up against the wall, her petite body pinning his.
"At least I told you voluntarily about my past. I didn't hide it like you, when clearly you had a child with someone." Jenny growled, she pressed her hands against his chest as hard as she could. He was much taller than her, but she wouldn't let that get in her way. Tilting her head back a little she glared at him dangerously, "If I hadn't walked in on you and Joann arguing, I doubt I would ever have found out about Shannon."
"Yeah, but I didn't lie about it to begin with. You never even asked about her!" Jethro grabbed Jenny's wrists to stop her from digging her fingers into his chest.
"You got angry each time I tried!" Jenny snarled nastily.
"I never lied to you!"
"I never lied to you either. I'm sorry if I don't spill my guts to you each time you glare at me." Jenny took a step back, her chest heaving slightly. "If you're going to think that I lie to you all the time, this isn't going to work."
Jethro heard the ringing in his ears subside as he got his temper under control. He could see the pain in Jenny's eyes when he had accused her of lying. He knew she wasn't lying, he had noticed her right eye twitched whenever she did try to lie. He pulled her against his chest, holding her tightly against him when she tried to get away from him.
"Jenny," Jethro whispered softly, dropping his head and resting his forehead against hers.
"What?" She asked roughly, she could see the thin blue rings around his pupils darken as he stared at her mouth.
"I'm sorry." He grumbled against her lips.
Jenny twisted the material of his t-shirt in her hands, yanking him down to her level, she licked her lips and ground out between clenched teeth, "You're so hot when you're angry." and crashed her lips against his.
The trees branches slammed against the window as the wind blew. Jenny listened to Jethro's steady breathing, his hot breath rushing over the skin of her abdomen as he slept with his head on her stomach. Running her fingers through his soft hair, she watched the shadows as they danced across the walls eerily. Jethro mumbled in his sleep and she hushed him quietly.
Her mind was too busy to actually sleep.
They hadn't discussed anything, they had simply ripped the others clothes off and tumbled onto the bed. She knew that it had been a perfect opportunity to come clean about her father. She had wanted to tell him, it was eating her on the inside keeping it from him, but she wasn't sure what his reaction would be. There had been ample opportunity to discuss the things they were keeping from each other.
Jenny sighed, she wasn't stupid, she knew there was something Jethro was keeping from her. It was something about Shannon, she'd seen the way his eyes had glazed over when she had mentioned her name.
It was the secrets they kept from each other that would be their downfall. Jenny looked down at Jethro, running her fingers over his forehead, he looked peaceful – happy even. His hold on her thigh tightened as he snuggled into her, letting out a soft puff of air.
Jenny ran her fingers through his hair again. Was their relationship strong enough to survive when their secrets became too much?
You guessed it, the end is insight, there's about two more very long – not too long – chapters to this story and then of course an epilogue. Stay tuned to see if their relationship has what it takes.
As always your thoughts are welcomed ;)