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A.N.: Thank you Mrs. Elizabeth Gibbs, jstapny, Huddly, black widow mistress, HesMines and sn855850 for reviewing! Thank you guys so much! Thanks to everyone who has alerted this story, favourited it, stuck with it and come back to it! Thank you!
Gibbs watched Ducky tend to the guard for a few moments and then left him to Tony. His senior field Agent could take care of the guy if he got antsy or aggressive. He turned around and looked over at the car Ziva and McGee were taking Vance back to the Navy yard in, expecting to see Jenny going with them, but instead she was walking towards him, wringing her hands and looking decidedly nervous. He took a moment to just watch her approach him before going to meet her halfway, she obviously wanted to talk to him and if it made her nervous he didn't want anyone to overhear. They moved away to a good distance and then Gibbs looked at Jenny expectantly. She wrung her hands for a few more moments and then dropped her hands to her sides, apparently deciding to just come out and say it.
"Jethro I have nothing to wear." Gibbs' eyebrows rose and she sighed. "I mean I have nowhere to go, I own nothing but what I'm wearing-" she held up her hand and counted out the problems she was facing, which just brought a smile to his face.
"Yes." He said, interrupting her tirade slightly amused. She didn't seem to hear however and carried on talking.
" -I'm in desperate need of a shower and a bed-" she counted off a few more fingers and he interrupted her again.
"Yes." He repeated, getting a little irritated that she was ignoring him when she was asking him for something.
"I don't want to impose on you but you did offer-" she carried on and he had finally had enough.
"Yes Jen! I said yes! You can come home with me!" he cried forcefully, taking a step towards her. She stopped talking and looked up at him, a completely innocent look on her face.
"I know, I just wanted to hear you say my name… like you used to." she gave him a sly smile and a brazen wink. His irritation disappeared almost instantly, replaced by the familiar warm sensation in his chest that she gave him, the love she inspired in him, and the memory of what they had begun in her office, well Vance's office, made the rest of him warm. Maybe it was time to take her home; Tony could sort out the paperwork on this case. He smirked at her and then turned, walking quickly to his car. Jenny swiftly caught up with him, slipping into the passenger side of his car as he got in the driver's seat, and just buckling in before he started the car and pulled out onto the road.
The ride to his house was silent, neither knowing how to broach what they would do when they got there, or what would happen after. Jenny really just wanted a shower, her every move just reminded her that it had been too long since her lat one. She was quite sure she smelled bad, and though no one had commented, her lack of perfume and, well clean skin, had raised an eyebrow or two from the team. Thankfully they had shown a maturity she hadn't known they had possessed by saying nothing, not even to each other. She just wanted to feel clean again.
Her thoughts drifted to the moment in her old office when she had nearly succumbed to Jethro on the couch, and she shuddered in both disgust, because her body was dirty, and arousal, because he had the power to make her want him anywhere, in any situation. He entered her personal space and she went weak at the knees and moist in… she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to regain control of her tingling nether regions. His driving was already awful; he didn't need her distracting him in any other way.
She blushed at her thoughts and tried to convince herself she hadn't actually been thinking about what she had just thought about. They weren't even together; she was getting ahead of herself. He hadn't even expressed any wish to get back with her, just to get it on with her, and while she was flattered that he still found her attractive after nine years, his refusal to get back with her when Carson had been staying with her still stung. For all she knew, he was just content to have her in his bed until he found someone to replace her with. She wouldn't know though until he said something, or she did. She didn't see why she should though, she had extended the olive branch already, it was his turn now. If he didn't, she would just take that as a sign that he didn't want her, she didn't even dare to hope that he loved her like she loved him.
They pulled up in front of his house and exited the car. Gibbs walked to his front door and opened it for her, turning to make sure she got through it and then he surprised her by locking the door behind them. She raised her eyebrows at him quizzically and he gestured to her with his keys.
"You're a high profile woman who just came back from the dead, and it was you who said I was a prominent figure with the media, remember? The last thing we need is a reporter creeping into the house to get footage of you in the shower." He explained evenly, trying to erase the image of water coursing over and down her body from his mind.
"Oh yes, I'd forgotten about that. Thank you for thinking of my safety… or at least my modesty." She chuckled and ducked her head, then nodded to him, trying to stifle a laugh at the uncomfortable look on his face. She figured it would be disturbing for him to change his habits just because she was here with him, and actually having a reporter come to his house for a story would be bordering on the insane. Jethro fidgeted, like he wanted to move away, but he didn't. He just stood motionless in front of her and she began to feel a little awkward.
She should ask about the shower, and to be shown where his washing machine was, but there was a heat building up between them, its presence was so seductive that she found she couldn't move for fear of dispelling it. The awkwardness might come back, and that would be unbearable.
After a few tense moments, they realised that the space between them seemed to be getting smaller. Jenny finally lifted her head and realised they were leaning towards each other; their faces were only a few inches apart. Her tongue sprang from her mouth, slowly wetting her lips as his eyes grew dark. Drawing out the moment was her speciality, getting right into it was his.
He dropped his mouth to hers, their lips caressing each other once they met. Jenny sighed softly and Jethro took hold of her, drawing her into his arms and cementing their mouths together, groaning when Jenny parted her lips to his tongue, and they took the kiss to the next level; a full on make out session in his hallway. He pushed her back against the wall and dropped his mouth from hers to her neck, attacking the soft spot on the long smooth column of skin.
The distraction worked, she almost gave up thinking altogether and she almost just let him have his way with her right there and then, but his attention switching from her mouth to her neck allowed her time to think, and thinking reminded her of her immediate need for a shower. She couldn't put this off, and besides, having sex with him now before they had sorted out where they stood would be a big mistake. She didn't want to push him away again, what if that broke his patience with her? But she couldn't do this, not right now. She was only human; she needed to know her love was returned before she gave her heart and body to him. If it wasn't, laying with him for the hell of it could destroy her.
"Jethro… stop… please?" she whispered, gathering herself together in an attempt to circumvent the arousal humming though her body. His mouth stilled on her throat and he pulled away, standing stiffly in front of her, staring into her eyes.
"If that's what you want." He said guardedly, as if he was expecting her to tell him she hated him or something equally terrible. She pushed away from the wall and reached out to him, gently placing a hand on his chest.
"It isn't, but I feel… disgusting right now. I don't want this to go any further while I'm so… dirty." She explained hesitantly. She wanted to tell him she needed to know he loved her, but she doubted he would understand why it was important to her. After all, she wasn't Shannon, so he probably didn't love her, at least not like he had loved his first wife; the wife that mattered to him. She shouldn't be thinking so negatively, if the cues of his body told her anything it was that he cared for her deeply, but it wasn't the same as love.
Jethro nodded silently and then took her hand, stroking the soft skin gently and then returning it to her side. He turned from her and made his way up the stairs, leaving her alone in the hallway. She felt like she had been kicked. He had walked away without saying anything, surely he knew what she wanted from him, what she wanted to hear from him? She shook her head ignoring the hurt welling up inside her and walked further into the house, looking for the washing machine by herself. She would have to get the lay of the land once again, so to speak, she would be here until she got back on her feet.
It took only a matter of minutes to find the washer, and a few more to find the liquid tabs that he used for his laundry. Obviously he was a little more self conscious than she thought, those things were branded. She smirked to herself, thinking it was probably the only thing in his house that was. She left the washing machine and went back to the hallway, coming to an abrupt stop when she heard the siren song of hot running water, luring her up the stairs. It took a matter of seconds for her feet to take her up the stairs and before she knew where she was, she was stepping into the bathroom.
Jethro looked up from where he sat on the edge of the tub, which he was filling with water and some dusty-looking bath essence. It was old, and then she recognised it as some she had used over in Paris. Had he kept some of it? Gratitude shoved the left over hurt from her body and she felt tears spring into her eyes. He had done this for her because she had said she felt dirty… communication without words; that was her Jethro. He was showing her he loved her. He stood up from the side of the tub, but she had other ideas. She closed the door behind her and threw herself into his arms.
"There's no bubble bath, but I figured you would want a bath more than a shower after everything that has happened to you over the last few days." He said to her, softly whispering in her ear. She just squeezed him tighter and buried her face in his neck.
"I love you too, Jethro." she whispered and his arms tightened and he dropped a kiss on to her hair. She was back in his arms, everything else could wait. As they undressed each other and climbed into the tub, they marvelled at how even the most unlikely of situations could bring two people, who had repeatedly hurt each other and distanced themselves from each other, together again.
Trent Kort watched the house for a few more moments, his CIA driver, and escort on all of his trips outside the Agency, sighing loudly in irritation. He had asked to be driven here for no real reason other than to see his adversary one more time, and then had stayed parked for the better part of two hours. They had watched as Gibbs and Shepard had entered the house and the special moment in the hallway, but his orders were to stay away from NCIS, or the next time he was in trouble, the Agency wasn't going to bail him out.
So he just watched as the lights in the house were all turned out, until only one light remained; the bedroom light. He curled his lip in disgust and ordered his driver to take him back to the Agency. He didn't really want to wait for that light to go out; he wasn't some pervert looking or gratification. No, he was just making sure his chance to get even hadn't passed him by. They were still alive, and that made him smile. He wasn't going to actively seek them out, but if their paths did cross again… well, he wouldn't take such a roundabout route next time. Next time, he would just shoot them, face to face.
The end.