post-1708 - musical chairs
Note: this is a post-episode scene about Jack and Faith. My previous chapter about Faith is chapter 8.
After the concert, Gibbs and Sloane say their goodbyes to the rest of the group and Gibbs walks Jack to her car. Jack is unusually quiet tonight.
"you are okay Jack?" Gibbs asks once they get to her car.
"Yeah, I'm fine." She says but it doesn't convince Gibbs.
"you want to come over? Have a glass of bourbon?" he offers. It is Gibbs's classical way of offering comfort. Jack just smiles and nods. she really needs her friend. He hasn't been around the last few days when she needed him so she could really use some Gibbs-comfort now. They get into their own cars and Jack drives after Gibbs to his house.
Gibbs house
Gibbs walks into his house and straight up and gets changed into a comfortable pair of jeans and a marine-hoodie. Shortly after he has changed he hears the front door opens and closes. He walks down the stairs and into the living room, but Jack isn't there as he was expecting. He then hears some noise coming from the basement so he walks down there. Jack has already found the bottle of bourbon that she knows where he keeps. He walks down the stairs to her and finds two glasses. One has some nails and screws in it that he empties out on the table and let her pour the liquor into. They both take a sip of their drinks before any of them speaks.
"so what happened today, Jack?" Gibbs asks.
"you already know," Jack says.
"yeah but I want to hear it from you. what is on your mind? Your daughter asked to meet you and it was to ask you to fill out some medical forms."
"yeah Faith could be sick and she won't let me help," Jack says. she cant hide her worry for her estranged daughter.
"I get it, Jack. You are worried, but. You where the one who gave her up for adoption."
"yeah but I also gave her my contact information so she could contact me if she wanted to."
"and she did. She contacted you and asked for your help with what she wants your help with."
"but…" she is clearly frustrated with Gibbs not taking her side 100%. Just like Duckey didn't take her side earlier either. Jack walks around in the basement in frustration.
"Jack," Gibbs says to get Jack to look at him again. she stops walking around and looks over at him. "I was angry with Ziva when she came back and I found out that she had been dealing with Sahar on her own instead of coming to me… I was upset that she didn't trust me, but…" he takes a sip of his glass before he continues. "I realized it wasn't about her not trusting me… she is independent. She didn't want me to be worried about her. I guess it is the same with Faith. You need to let her deal with whatever it is she is dealing with, on her own. You can't fix your kid's problems for her. you need to let them deal with it themself and then hope they will come and ask for help when they need it."
Jack walks closer to Gibbs. She takes a sip of her glass before she places it on the table. Then she walks over and stands right in front of Gibbs and looks straight into his blue eyes.
"I really hate when you are right Gibbs," Jack says. it just makes Gibbs chuckle.
"she will come to you when she needs you. That is what kids do." Gibbs says. Jack nods. they then start working on Gibbs boat. Gibbs is standing on the right side of Jack. He notices she keeps sneaking little glimpses at him.
"what jack?" he asks after he has caught her a few times.
"What happened to your eye?" she finally asks.
"walked into a door." he just answers. He is trying to sound convincing but she is clearly not buying it.
"come on Gibbs. You are a terrible liar."
Gibbs looks into her eyes with a pleading look that asks her to please let it go. She understands what he is saying and turns back to focus on the boat.
Note: I noticed by the end of this episode that Gibs had an unexplained wound over his left eye. In episode 1701-1702 when he was shot at in his basement he was wounded over the other eye. We never got an explanation. It will probably come… I HOPE.