Chapter 4: Meeting with SecNav
The next few days had been a tense one, Jenny had taken Rory shopping to have her bedroom done up at the brownstone and Gibbs did the same thing for his house. It wasn't that Jenny didn't like the idea of Rory spending time with her dad, but the shared custody thing got to her. She had been a single mom for so long that having to live without Rory made things hard, especially knowing that the reason they weren't all together, as a family, was because of her.
Jenny was working on the balcony when Gibbs came and stood beside her. She liked working from the balcony, it gave her an excuse to watch over her kingdom. "You needed to see me?" She asked
"Abby Sciuto's new assistant." He said and Jenny took a calming breath.
"Abby's overworked she needs help down there," her eyes ventured bac to her clipboard and started writing something
"You haven't been here long enough to know what she needs yet, Jen." The hair on her arms stood up when he called her Jen.
"The girl practically main-lines caffeine Gibbs, the guys in the mailroom call her energiser Abby." She said with a soft smile, she liked Abby, her daughter had taken a real like to her. Jenny had heard Abby speaking to Rory on the phone the other night, talking over how Rory was feeling about the whole thing. Part of it made Jenny happy knowing that her daughter had someone to confide in, but it also hurt that said person was not her.
"She works best alone, she's a lot like you," Jenny cocked an eye at him. "very hands on, " Jenny glares at him
"Give it a month Jethro, if she's still unhappy we will talk about it," Gibbs sighs "you can give me a month can't you?" She asked her face telling him he had no option.
"it's not me you have to worry about Director, Abby works alone for a reason." He says with a mocking tone that gets Jenny riled tight up
"Which is?" Jenny asked tightly.
"Something you should as her yourself" He said getting close to her ear, he could smell her.
"I will," she said defiantly as Gibbs began to walk down the steps. "Remember we have a meeting with SecNav at 1800 in my office."
Gibbs glared at her a little, he really felt there was no need for them to have a discussion with SecNav, but Jenny had backed him into a corner. "Will Noemi drop Rory here?" Gibbs asked.
As Rory wasn't due to begin school until next week she had been spending her days with Noemi, doing some catch up school work and lots of baking. Jenny shook her head, "No I have a meeting on the hill at 3 I will grab her on my way home, and she can sit in my office."
"Tony and McGee keep asking who the little red headed girl was." Jenny laughs, "Not Ziva though." Gibbs deduced.
"That's because Rory has known Ziva since she was 9 Jethro. We can discuss with the team after the meeting with SecNav." Gibbs nodded and headed down the stairs. Jenny watched him walk away for a moment before checking her watch, time to go and kiss ass on the hill as Jethro would so eloquently put it.
Jenny walked through her front door at 5pm and was graced with the smell of fresh baked cookies. It was a welcomed smell, she had missed this, Rory happy at home. Most nights Jenny would cry herself to sleep while she was working over in Europe thinking about how she had messed up, how she had taken away the opportunity for Rory to have a family.
"Hey mom," Rory said drawing her mother out of thought. "Is this outfit okay?" She asked a little nervously. Rory had put on a dress and blazer that her mom had got her when they had been out shopping, it was a blue colour that hit nicely just above the knee and a little black blazer that smartened the dress up.
"Beautiful, but this isn't about you Rory, it's about how we manage the press and your safety." Jenny said placing a kiss on her daughters cheek.
"Sounds a lot like it's about me." Rory said smartly, Jenny was about to say something witty back when Noemi walked in.
"Ah Señora and niña you both look so pretty. It so nice to have both girls back home." Noemi said warmly and Jenny smiled. "You give these to your boss Señora, he be nicer with me and the Niña's baking." She said with a wink and both Jenny and Rory laughed.
"Thank you Noemi," Jenny says offering the lady a small smile, "you can go home now, you do enough watching Rory, me and Senor Gibbs appreciate it." Jenny and Rory bid Noemi a farewell and got into the back of the SVU before heading to NCIS.
Both redheads exited the car at the same, walking in tandem with each other, almost as if they were the same person. "Rory," Jenny started as they walked into the elevator, "your dad and I will discuss you with the team, but as of right now, its need to know okay." Rory nodded and Jenny pulled her into a tight hug. "I love you." She whispered and moved away as the elevator stopped at the squad room.
Rory and Jenny walked side by side, Rory could feel all of the eyes on her. She turned her head to look at her father's team; her dad was typing away, McGee and Tony's mouths were wide open watching her walk by and Ziva, her mother's good friend, gave her a knowing smile and then went back to filling her report. "DiNozzo, McGee back to work!" Gibbs barked at his team and they scrambled back to work. Rory didn't miss the way her dad subtly signed 'I love you' to her as she headed up the stairs into her mother's office.
At 1745 Gibbs sent his team home for the evening, he didn't want them here for his meeting with SecNav. His team looked suspiciously between each other, but they left quickly, all very excited about leaving early on a Wednesday evening. Once all of his team were gone he jogged up the stairs, two at a time, to get to Jens office. Cynthia had been sent home, so he just strolled in and saw Rory and Jenny sitting on the couch laughing at something on Rory's phone.
"Hey daddy," Rory said running over to give him a hug. He looked her up and down and smirked, she looked like a mini Jen. Before he had a chance to say anything there was a knock at the door.
"Show time." Jenny said standing up and smoothing out her dress. Gibbs eyes found the way to her ass as she walked towards the door and Rory jumped up smacked him on the pack of the head and she gave him a knowing 'behave' look.
Jenny shook SecNav's hand as let him into the office, "Sir, I would like to introduce you to my-our daughter, Aurora Joy Shepard-Gibbs."
Rory extended her hand and shook SecNav's hand, "I prefer Rory Mr Secretary." She said so sweetly and polite, she had her mother's ability to play politics and Gibbs inwardly groaned.
"Then call me Phil," Rory smiled and sat at the conference table beside her father, her mother sat at the head of the table and SecNav sat at the other end.
"Gibbs," SecNav said and Gibbs nodded. "Well I suppose the reason we are here is to discuss Rory here." Everyone nodded in agreement, "we will need to discuss how you wish to go to the press with this Jenny, I understand there may be a bit of backlash due to your age and marital status." Rory tried so hard to keep a straight face.
"Well I was planning on just letting it come out I suppose Sir, no need to make an announcement, if someone asks I answer." Jenny said, holding her chin a little higher. "Rory is nothing to be ashamed of." Jenny said firmly smiling over at her daughter.
"Of course not," he said nodding. "Now in terms of you Agent Gibbs, there may be some backlash coming your way, can you handle that."
Gibbs gave the man a small glare, "Jen is Rory's mom, Jen is Director I figure at some point that could cause some backlash my way, but as Jen said Rory is nothing to be ashamed of, we both love her, we have worked out custody and really our private family business is no one's concern." He growled at the man; he felt no need for this.
"I am more meaning the fact than Jenny was pregnant at 16 and you would've been what 28, the media may have something to say to that." Jenny winced slightly and Gibbs gave Rory's hand a squeeze.
"They can say what they want, scuttlebutt never bothered me Sir." Phillip Davenport nodded, he knew Gibbs wasn't the kids biological dad, but the way he stepped up and stood up for Rory and Jenny was something to be admired. If he wasn't such a bastard and caused so many problems Davenport thought that maybe he could get on with one Special Agent Gibbs.
"Last issue," he said turning his attention to Rory, " her protection detail."
Rory coughed a little, "excuse me my what?" She asked knowing fine well what he had said.
"Your mom is a high profile target Rory; this means you will have your own protection team of 2 agents at all times."
Rory looked at her mother her eyes wide, "Look Phil I get it okay, she's the Director, but I really cannot be moving to a new school and trying to make new friends with two NCIS agents following my every move." Rory said tensely and looked to her mother and father for help.
"They would be stationed outside the school in their car Rory don't be so dramatic." Jenny retorted and indicated for SecNav to continue.
"Yes, as your mother said they would be stationed outside, would drive you to and from in an SUV, when out with friends they would keep their distance, I assure you these people know how to be discrete." Rory nodded unsure about the whole thing, but she wasn't able to disrespect the secretary of the navy by having a full blown argument over this. "I am sure your mother will let you have a say in who your protection detail is." Jenny nodded smiling at her daughter.
"I just have one question." Rory said and SecNav nodded. "My dad is a special agent, so when I am with him do I need a detail?" She asked curiously, because it wouldn't be fair on her dad either.
"If you dad is carrying it will not be necessary no." He said and Rory and Gibbs smiled. Jenny showed SecNav out and then the three of them headed towards the parking garage.
Tonight, was Gibbs first night where Rory would be staying at his and he could see Jen hovering. Part of him wanted to be like see you later, bye and take Rory and have a fun night with just her, punish Jen a little, but he wasn't that mean. "Fancy coming back with us Jen, we could get Chinese?" Jenny nodded and went home with them. They had dinner as a family and laughed and joked.
"Night Rory," Jenny said as Rory went upstairs for a shower, "I'll get going." Jenny said as she grabbed her stuff and walked to the door. "I," she started and then shook her head, "never mind."
"Out with it Jen."
Jenny closed her eyes and took a sharp breath, "you made a comment about Abby being hands on, are you are you and her, I mean I don't care I just, well for Rory."
Gibbs laughed and she glared at him, "I was teasing Jen," Jenny rolled her eyes at him and nodded heading for the door. "Jen, if I was dating someone, which I'm not, I would talk to you about it first, before I introduced Rory to her, you're her mom." He said and jenny smiled.
"I will do the same if I'm seeing someone, thanks Jethro." She said before leaving.
Rory sat on the steps with a smug look on her face, "there won't be any introductions necessary, I'm getting the pair of you back together if it's the last thing I do." She whispered into the night.
