The Little Things Give You Away
Chapter 14: When You're Gone
Sorry for the lack of updates once more! Only the epilogue left of this fic now! Thanks to everyone who has reviewed and stuck with me on this one! I'll do proper thanks next time! Here goes the penultimate chapter, I promise the epilogue will be happier! P.S Song is 'When you're gone' by Avril Lavigne.
Jenny and Gibbs walked through the departure lounge and boarding the plane in silence. Gibbs did not need any prompting to take Jenny's hand in a tight squeeze as the plane began to taxi and pick up speed. As they began to ascend he could feel her fingers tight around his and Gibbs realised that he wanted to be the only person she needed to rely on in fear. Eventually Jenny was able to release her grip on his hand and finally let go completely. She relaxed back in the seat, trying to savour the last few hours she had with Leroy Jethro Gibbs. She had never experienced a feeling as strong as this before and she knew that this was real love. A wave of emotion washed over her as the realisation hit and she turned away, hiding her face from him. She didn't need Jethro to see her like this. Sometime later both of them fell asleep, their bodies as close together as the seating allowed. As sleep beckoned Jethro he sighed, realising this would be the last time he fell asleep beside Jenny for a while.
As soon as they arrived back at NCIS, the Director wanted a briefing. Despite being exhausted both physically and emotionally, Jenny and Gibbs dragged themselves up the stairs to the Director's office, neither of them knowing how significant this setting would be for them in the future. Jenny knocked on the Director's door and waited to be told to come in.
"Come in, take a seat." Isaac Hayes instructed as Jenny and Gibbs crossed the threshold into his office. "Welcome back from Paris. I'd like to congratulate you both on your excellent work." He said, shaking both of their hands in turn.
"Thank you, sir." Jenny and Gibbs replied in unison.
"Because you have both performed so excellently we would like to assign you a new task." During the brief pause Jenny and Gibbs exchanged a glance. Could Hayes mean that they would be working together again? Jenny felt a surge of excitement welling up in her but it was soon extinguished by the Director's next words. "Agent Gibbs, you showed great leadership and teamwork in working with Agent Shepard so we are going to assign you your own team." He paused waiting for a response from Jethro, who said nothing in return. Hayes cleared his throat. "And Agent Shepard, seeing as how well you performed under pressure and in an undercover operation we would like you to take part in another, similar operation. This time it will be based in California and will take place over a much longer time period." Jenny could not find the words to reply either. Hayes sensed this. "I'll let you two go now, we discuss this more at a later date but once again you have my congratulations on a job well done."
Jenny and Gibbs left NCIS in silence, neither of them daring to speak about what Director Hayes had just told them. As if not working together was bad enough they were now being assigned jobs on the opposite sides of the country. Their love might be strong but would it be strong enough to withstand the distance, especially when Jenny would be working undercover and Gibbs would have new responsibilities as a team leader? They walked to Gibbs' car and he offered to take Jenny home.
"I can't believe this." Jenny sighed as she sank into the soft leather passenger seat.
"I know." Jethro reached over and squeezed her hand in his. "We can make this work though, can't we Jen?"
Jenny looked away, blinking back tears. "Of course we can, honey." She assured him.
"Where are you going, Jethro?" Jenny asked sleepily, aware of Gibbs moving around the room and getting dressed.
He went over to her and kissed her cheek, stroking her hair back from her face.
"I've got to go and see the Director again, they're assigning me a new team to start tomorrow. I'm not running out on you, I promise. I love you, Jen." He said, tracing the outline of her face with his hand.
"I love you too." She replied. "Call me, okay?" She said as he left. She pulled herself up out of the warm sheet that still smelt faintly of Jethro and dragged herself towards the shower.
As Jenny emerged from the shower, towelling her long red hair dry, she heard the phone ringing.
"Agent Shepard? This is Special Agent Daniel Francis from California. I know you've only just got back from Paris but we need you out here as soon as possible."
Jenny sighed. "Okay, how soon?"
"Twenty four hours?"
Jenny sighed again. "I'll be there." She assured him but she knew it would not be where her heart was.
3 months later
Jethro Gibbs had been team leader of a group of three agents for three months now and he was quite enjoying the job. The agents he had been assigned were capable and hardworking, except perhaps the youngest of the group, Anthony DiNozzo, but Gibbs recognised many characteristics of his younger self in Tony. Still, work did not stop him missing Jenny and he had already started work on a new boat in his basement, this time called the 'Jennifer'. They were trying to keep their romance going but it was hard when they hadn't seen each other since that morning three months earlier. They emailed, wrote and phoned but nothing was quite the same as it had been in Paris. One morning, three months later, Jethro awoke to find a letter with a Californian postmark on it. He tore it open eagerly, wanting to see Jenny's familiar handwriting before him. However, the letter left him empty and struggling to breathe. How could she be seeing someone else? He had barely looked twice at another woman since they had parted, he had even resisted the charms of several redheads who had clearly been interested in him. She said she still loved him but the distance was too much and that she hoped they could be together someday. Jethro sighed, resting his head in his hands, from his point of view someday couldn't come soon enough.
Please review! Xx