A/N: Thanks so much for the reviews! I am SO sorry you were all waiting for so long for this- real life was insanely busy, and my muse just did not want to cooperate with this story. I have SATs on Saturday, but I'm hoping that after that, I'll be able to write more, as band is now over. A HUGE thank you to everyone that's sticking with this story!
I promise this is all planned out, it just needs to be typed out. Hopefully my muse will cooperate with me so that I can finish this.
I've been looking forward to writing this chapter and the next one since I started this story. It was kinda sweet up until this point- not so much. Back to angst, my friends.
Disclaimer: I own my OCs and the plot.
"And I still catch you when you fall through a past that steals your sleep," –'Notbroken', Goo Goo Dolls [Love this band, and this song is one of the really good ones from their new-ish album.]
The following week was quiet- Team Gibbs solved two simple cases, and Jenny attended a few meetings and lunches with politicians. She'd set up an appointment with Annelise Haven; she was to meet her on Monday for their first session.
On Saturday, Jenny packed a small bag of things to last her the night, and headed over to Jethro's house that evening, grabbing items necessary for a simple chicken and rice dinner for the two of them. She drove herself, giving her security the weekend off after informing them she'd be in safe hands.
His house was awash with lighting when she arrived, his kitchen glowing through the window, and she smiled softly, shutting off her car. Grabbing her things and stepping out of her car, she made her way to the front door, unsurprised to find it unlocked. Closing it behind her she dropped her bag off by the stairs before heading into the kitchen, finding it empty. She set down the groceries on the counter before making her way to the basement, her tennis shoes not giving her away as her heels usually did.
"Jethro?" she asked as she made her way down the stairs, finding him rifling through his workbench.
"Hey Jen," he said, coming to meet her at the foot of the stairs, eyes running over her appreciatively. "You look nice."
Looking down at her simple jeans and long-sleeved green shirt, she raised her eyes to him skeptically, quirking up one eyebrow.
"Have you recently been struck blind?" she asked as they walked up the stairs together, heading towards the kitchen.
"Nah. Just love-struck," he replied nonchalantly, and Jenny shot him a look that he missed when he caught sight of the food supplies in his kitchen. "You brought food?"
"I brought things to make food, yes," she replied, going over to his sink and washing her hands, trying not to puzzle over his words. "Chicken and rice."
"What do you need me to do?" he asked, leaning back against the counter and looking incredibly sexy.
Standrightlikethatanddon'tmove."Just put some water in a pot to boil for the rice," she said, biting her lip as she watched him bend to pick up a pot from a lower cabinet. Shaking herself she moved to the cutting board and pulled out the chicken breasts she had, rinsing them off before beginning to slice them.
They worked together easily, the silence comfortable between them- the sounds of cutting and sizzling and bubbling were soothing background noise, the orchestra of dinner being made. Their movements were easy around each other; no one's toes were stepped on, and no elbows bumped. It was a testament to how well they worked together- and how perfectly they fit together.
Dinner was a quiet affair; they sat close together and enjoyed the atmosphere of an entire evening together. Jenny tried to steal some of the vegetables off of Jethro's plate, and he tapped her fork with his own, lifting his plate up and pushing the food onto hers, causing her to reward him with a kiss on the cheek.
Jethro not-so-subtly watched Jenny while she ate, and he couldn't get over how beautiful she looked when she went casual.
Her cheeks were rosy without any make-up; she glowed in the soft lighting all on her own. Her eyes were radiant, gleaming with soft contentment and pleasure, her lashes glistening in their natural beauty. Her lips were curved upwards, and the lines on her face almost disappeared from view.
He watched as she got up to clear the table, enjoying how comfortable everything was between them. She looked better than she had in the past two weeks, he was glad to see her happy.
After they did the dishes they headed down into his basement, and Jenny curled up on the couch with a book as Jethro worked on his boat, throwing her occasional glances. He discovered she'd fallen asleep about an hour after they'd gone down to the basement, and with a soft smile he covered her with a warm woolen blanket, brushing back her thick crimson curls and pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead.
He picked up his sander and moved to the next rib, the motion repetitive and soothing. The work was slow, but he enjoyed the rhythm he was able to create as he pushed the sander up and down the wood, basking in the feeling under his fingertips. A thin sheen of sweat glistened on his skin as he exerted himself, and he wasn't paying attention when Jenny first began to stir.
Then, Jenny let out a soft cry of distress, and Jethro was immediately alert, tossing the sander aside and going over to Jenny, kneeling by her head.
"Jen, it's okay. You're just having a bad dream," he said softly, stroking her damp hair with one hand as the other cupped her face.
Her eyes blinked open, and they settled on his face momentarily before widening. She sat up, and moved away.
Jethro frowned, and reached to touch her- but she flinched, her hands coming up to protect her face, and his heart stopped.
"Jen-"
"Please don't touch me," she whispered, her voice breaking.
He couldn't breathe.
A/N: I just watched the new NCIS…I think that 'Devil's Triangle' is my new favorite episode. I love Diane was a passion- and I now ship Diane/Gibbs SO HARD.
I know this is short- I'm sorry, but this was a cliffhanger I wanted to have. Next chapter will be longer and more detailed and have a new, VERY important OC in it!