A/N: This idea came to me last night, and I wrote most of it in my head at work. Early established Jibbs, pre-Europe. Hope you like it!
Georgetown, Washington DC, 1986
The night was dark, yet still seasonably warm, and as the young redheaded girl stood just inside the doorway of the large house, she took a long drink from the cup in her hand. The lukewarm beer made her head spin as she waited patiently for her date to return, and when he wrapped his arms around her from behind, she jumped slightly.
"Miss me?"
She laughed, nodding once, and as he lifted her up into his arms, she pulled him closer, their lips meeting in a long kiss. Her hair fell around them both in a flaming curtain, making him smile, and he set her on her feet, reaching for her hand.
"Come on. We're almost out of beer. Let's head to the store."
She shook her head, glancing back at the party guests.
"We can't, Andy. This is your party, we can't just leave it."
Andy laughed, pulling her farther away from the front door.
"We'll be right back. It won't take long. They'll never even notice we're gone."
Still, she hesitated, and he leaned closer, kissing her softly.
"Come on, Jenny. Don't make me drive by myself."
Rolling her eyes, Jenny laughed, finally nodding, and as he led her to his car, she accepted his help into the seat gratefully. The doors locked as soon as she closed hers, and her eyes widened as she glanced at the boy sitting next to her. It suddenly occurred to her that his car was surrounded by multiple others, leaving them blocked in the yard, and she frowned, her breath catching in her throat.
"Andy...how are we—"
His mouth on hers stopped her words, and he pushed her into the seat, grabbing the lever and reclining it back, pinning her beneath him. She attempted to move away, turning her head each time he tried to kiss her, but there was little she could do about his hands pinning her wrists.
"Andy, wai—"
"Sh...it's okay."
She shook her head, trying desperately to get away from him, and his right hand reached for the button on her jeans, his left clamping over her mouth to muffle her scream. Now that her own hands were free, Jenny tried to push him away, her palms pushing against his shoulder, and when she bit down on his hand, he jerked her head to one side with rough fingers in her hair.
"Stay still," he hissed, "And keep your mouth shut."
"Andy, stop...please..."
He covered her mouth again, holding her down with his weight, and kissed the side of her face roughly. Jenny couldn't stop her tears any more than she could stop the whimper of pain when he entered her, and though she hit his shoulders as hard as he could, he never once released her. She closed her eyes tightly, still trying to somehow break free, and when he kissed her again, she screamed, though there was no one to hear it.
Each thrust of his hips made her tears fall faster, and as she felt his hand tighten on her mouth, she let a weak sob fall from her lips. She tried to bring her legs up, anything to gain traction, and his hand connected sharply with her face.
"I told you to stay still, Jenny."
She tried to scream, tried to call for help, but all that came out was a weak whimper. Hot tears spilled onto her face, and his lips trailed along her throat. Just as suddenly as it began, it was thankfully over, his body moving off of hers so quickly that she could have almost tricked herself into believing she had imagined it. Almost. The overhead light clicked on as he opened the door, and as Jenny struggled to calm her racing heart, she threw her hands over her mouth and screamed as loudly as she could. The heartbreaking sound went unheard by the party-goers a mere fifty feet away from her, and when she slowly pulled herself out of the vehicle half an hour later, she no longer cared what happened to her in the least.
Quantico Marine Base, Virginia, 1999
Thirteen years later
"Burley, bag and tag. Decker, sketch and photos. Shepard, with me."
Will Decker frowned at the team leader, his face doing nothing to hide his annoyance.
"Boss, I have to to the sketch and take photos? Shepard always does photos."
"Yeah, and today she's not. Now, get to it before I make you walk all the way back to the Navy Yard."
Still grumbling slightly under his breath, Decker grabbed his notepad and pencil, not even noticing the sympathetic look that Jenny Shepard gave him as she passed. She didn't have the slightest idea what Gibbs had planned, but she'd long ago given up trying to guess his motivations. Following him closely, Jenny tightened her ponytail, her green eyes sweeping over her surroundings as she walked.
"What do you need me for?"
"Got a survivor in the next room. Sixteen-year-old girl. Figured she'd be more willing to talk to you."
The redhead nodded, walking determinedly through their crime scene, intentionally not looking down at the body still on the floor. The victim was Lance Corporal David Newton, murdered by several deep knife wounds, and right now their only hope of finding out what had happened was the girl in the next room. Gibbs led her closer, nodding his encouragement as she sat down on the floor next to her, and when she met his eyes, he backed out of the room.
"Hi," she said quietly, "I'm Jenny. Can you tell me your name?"
The girl shook her head, long mahogany hair falling into her face, and Jenny gave her a reassuring smile.
"Okay. That's fine. Do you mind if I sit here with you then? It gets kind of lonely being the only girl on my team."
Still, the girl remained silent, and the redhead moved slightly closer, noticing a slight bruising on her arm.
"How'd you get that bruise? Are you clumsy like me? I swear, I end up with so many bruises and scrapes that I couldn't even begin to tell where they came from. My father used to tell me that I needed to be bubble-wrapped."
There was no answer, and Jenny pulled her knees up to her chest, resting her chin on them casually. She didn't speak, knowing eventually that the girl's curiosity would get the better of her, and as she waited, she fought the urge to smile.
"Melinda."
Jenny glanced to her right, her bright green eyes looking at the younger girl carefully, and she nodded.
"Melinda," she repeated, "That's a very pretty name. Much better than Jenny."
The younger girl shook her head.
"I like Jenny."
"Thanks. Melinda, do you think you could tell me what happened? How did your father die?"
Melinda's hair hit her in the face as she shook her head again, and when she spoke, her voice was barely above a whisper.
"I tried to stop him. He was just too strong. Too fast. I screamed, cried, I did everything I could think of, but..."
"Easy, Melinda. Take it slow. Just breathe, okay? We've got time."
They didn't, not really, but Jenny knew pressuring her wouldn't do any of them any good. She nodded encouragingly, reaching out to touch her knee gently, and she wasn't surprised to feel the girl shaking under her fingers. As she examined the bruising on her arms more closely, Jenny's mind suddenly threw her back thirteen years earlier, the memory of her brutal rape flashing as clearly as a film screen. She knew, as surely as she knew her own name, where the marks on Melinda's arms had come from, and she shook her head slowly.
"He held you down, didn't he?"
Without even realising it, Melinda nodded, and her eyes filled with tears.
"Why did this happen?" she whispered, "I always did everything he told me. I tried to be the perfect daughter, I never meant to make him so mad..."
As her words finally registered in the redhead's mind, she stared at her in horror, her eyes wide.
"Melinda...did your father hurt you? Did he touch you?"
Melinda's tears were falling rapidly now, and without speaking, she threw herself onto the older woman, sobs racking her body. Jenny wrapped her arms around her, running her hand over the younger girl's hair, fighting back tears of her own.
"I didn't mean to hurt him," Melinda cried, "I just wanted it to stop. I just...I wanted it all to stop."
"Shh...it's okay. We're going to do everything we can to help you, Melinda. I promise."
Though her words did little to calm the younger girl in her arms, Jenny would have never forgiven herself if she hadn't tried.
Gibbs frowned as they all filed back into the squad room, his eyes following his youngest agent carefully. She'd been silent the entire drive back from their crime scene, and while she'd always thrown herself into cases, it wasn't like her to be so quiet. She grabbed a pen from her desk, passing him on her way to the elevator, and when he called her name, she turned slowly.
"Where are you going?"
"Autopsy. I need to talk to Ducky."
Okay, now he knew something was bothering her. Jenny had never before gone to autopsy voluntarily, and he couldn't think of a reason for her to do so now. He decided he would give her time, let her come to him when she was ready. After all, she couldn't avoid him forever.
"Good afternoon, Jennifer. What can I do for you?"
"I have a few questions. Could the wounds on Lance Corporal Newton be caused from self defense? As if, if he had attacked someone, and they were trying to fend him off?"
Ducky frowned, leaning closer to the body, and examining it intently.
"Hm...I hadn't considered that. I was under the impression that this was a simple case of cold-blooded murder, but now that you mention it, yes, I suppose they could. Why do you ask?"
"His daughter. She has bruises around her wrists and upper arms, most commonly caused from being restrained."
Ducky met her eyes seriously.
"And you're thinking that she caused his death accidentally by fighting him off?"
Jenny nodded, her eyes more serious than he'd ever seen them before.
"I saw her, Ducky. The bruising was consistent with assault, as was her demeanour when I questioned her. I just think it's worth looking into."
He nodded, placing his hand on her shoulder.
"You're doing the right thing."
"Thanks, Ducky."
Though she gave him a smile as she left the cold room, the Scottish doctor couldn't help but notice that the light in her eyes seemed to have dimmed considerably.
As much as she tried, Jenny couldn't make her mind shut off that night, and as she made her way quietly down the steps, she took an unsteady breath. Her steps were shaky, her skin pale, and when she touched down on the concrete, her heel slipped slightly.
"You okay?"
She nodded at the soft question, accepting the jar of bourbon he handed her, and moved to sit on the stool in front of the table.
"Ducky tells me that you think our victim wasn't as innocent as we originally thought."
Again, she nodded, and Gibbs frowned at her unwillingness to speak.
"You realise he was a highly praised officer and that if we take this angle, we're going to be destroyed without concrete evidence, don't you? If we go after him like this, and we're wrong, it would be—"
"You didn't see her, Jethro," she whispered, "You didn't see the fear, the shame, the pain...it was in her eyes as clear as day. He raped her, who knows how many times, and she finally couldn't stand it anymore. She did anything she could to protect herself."
Jenny drained her drink in seconds, her hands shaking as she placed the glass down on the work table, and he took a step closer, his eyes locking on hers.
"Jen..."
"You don't understand," she said desperately, "You don't know what it's like, feeling that helpless, that scared, and when it's all over, you feel so used, so disgusting. I can't let her serve a sentence for this. Not if there's a chance I can stop it. I have to try."
Gibbs reached for her hand, tilting her chin up with his free hand, and when his eyes found hers, he wasn't surprised to see the tears shining in them.
"How old were you?" he asked quietly.
She shook her head, her crimson hair sticking to her damp cheek. Her words came out in a rush, a hint of hysteria in her voice, and he frowned as she spoke.
"This isn't about me, Jethro. This is about Melinda Adkins. I can't let her be punished for simply trying to get away from someone who was hurting her."
His hand ran through her hair, lingering on her cheek, and he looked into her eyes seriously.
"Jen...how old?"
For a long moment, he didn't think she would answer him, and her head fell forward onto his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her, kissing her hair gently, combing his fingers through the long red tresses.
"Sixteen," she whispered finally, "The same age as Melinda."
"Did they get him?"
Jenny shook her head, her fingers curling around his shirt tightly.
"I never told anyone. I was too afraid, too embarrassed. I didn't think anyone would believe me, so I didn't say anything. That's why we have to help her. She fought back. She was the victim here. We can't let her take the fall. Please, Jethro. Help me find the evidence. I know it's there."
He nodded, pushing her back just enough that he could kiss her gently, giving her a reassuring smile.
"We'll find it, Jen."
Even as the words left his mouth, Gibbs prayed he wasn't giving her false hope.
Jenny poured over the pictures Decker had taken, and when her observant eyes landed on a smear of blood in the corner of a photograph, she called Burley's name loudly.
"Can you ask Ducky if he found any evidence of skin tissue under Newton's nails?"
"Sure, Red. You find something?"
"Maybe. From the trajectory of this blood spatter, it looks like she shoved him into the wall as she stabbed him. He probably had his hand on her arm. I've got the photos of her injuries in the file, and if we can match them, we have a chance."
He nodded, making his way to the elevator, and as Jenny's phone rang, she waved her thanks to the other agent.
"Shepard. Yes, I did. Thank you for getting back to me so promptly. You did? Yes, if you could fax them over as soon as possible, I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you so much."
She hung up, her eyes bright with excitement, and Decker looked at her as though she'd lost her mind.
"Jenny?"
"The local LEOs have record that Melinda tried multiple times to file charges against her father. It looks like someone had the complaints erased, probably Newton himself. If we can get that in addition to Ducky's findings, we can make this work."
Decker nodded, looking at her seriously, and glanced at his watch quickly.
"It's getting late, Shepard. Why don't you call it a night? As soon as Burley gets back, we're heading out."
She shook her head, smiling at Burley as he emerged from the elevator, file in hand. He handed it to her wordlessly, exchanging a glance with Decker, and before either of them could speak, the harsh bark of their team leader cut across the nearly-deserted room.
"Shepard, conference room. Now."
Jenny dropped the file onto her desk, shrugging at Decker and Burley as she walked past them, and as soon as they'd entered the elevator, he powered it down, looking at her seriously.
"You heading out?"
She shook her head, her hair falling from the loose ponytail she'd placed it in.
"No. I still have work to do here. Following up on something."
He nodded, but she could see the concern lingering in his bright blue eyes.
"Don't stay too late, Jen. You need to take care of yourself, too."
She gave him a smile, reaching across him to turn the switch back, and just before the doors opened, he gave her a gentle kiss.
"If anyone's gonna figure this out, it's going to be you."
She smiled under his praise, and she stepped out of the lift, heading back to her desk. He watched her for a moment before hitting the button, shaking his head as the doors closed once more.
Swearing angrily as she tossed the file back onto her desk the next morning, Jenny Shepard ran her hand through her tangled red hair, not even flinching as several strands were pulled from her head. There hadn't been anything in Ducky's finding's to support her theory, though they both agreed it was almost certainly an accurate account of what had happened, and she fought the urge to scream. She'd seen the pain in Melinda Adkins' eyes, seen the marks on her skin, and though it was looking more bleak by the minute, she wasn't giving up just yet. Her head fell onto her desk slowly, without her even realising it, and when her eyes closed minutes later, she was tormented by dreams of the past, and of uncertain futures.
Gibbs smiled sadly at the redhead as she slept, placing his hand gently on her shoulder, not wanting to startle her.
"Jen?"
She jumped awake, wide eyes locking on his, and he shook his head slowly. He had no idea how he was going to approach her, and he took a step closer.
"Easy. Just me. I need to tell you something."
She nodded, but the look in his eyes did little to ease her suspicions.
"She's going to be tried, Jen. It's highly unlikely that she'll serve any time, but they're still going to try."
"What?" she whispered, "Why?"
"Said there was no way, given the years of abuse, to prove without shadow of doubt, that this wasn't a premeditated act. I'm sure they'll take into account what we were told, and the courts will likely want to look at our files, probably have us give statements, but..."
"No..."
Decker and Burley, stepping into the squad room, took one look at the expression on the redhead's face and froze, neither of them wanting to intrude.
"This isn't right," Jenny said, her voice rising in her anger, "Can you honestly look in my eyes and tell me that you think she deserves this?"
"Jenny.."
"Can you? She doesn't deserve to be treated like a common criminal, Jethro!"
She stood up, jerking away when he tried to stop her, shaking her head rapidly. It didn't escape the notice of the two other members of the MCRT that she'd used his first name, but they were both too shocked by her tears to really think much of it. She ran from the room, heading in the direction of the break room, and Gibbs sighed, running his hand through his hair.
Furious didn't even begin to describe the emotions flooding Jenny's mind, and as she angrily wiped away her tears, she tried to will her hands to stop shaking. She knew all too well the reasoning behind Melinda's actions, had often thought of the same course multiple times throughout her life, and as she poured herself a cup of coffee, she tried to force herself to calm down. She was so caught up in the torrent of thoughts that she didn't notice the shadow that fell over her, and the quiet voice made her jump.
"Hey, Red. You okay?"
"I'm fine, Burley."
It was obvious he didn't believe her, and when he sat down in the chair next to her, he offered her a smile.
"You want to talk about it?"
"It just...it isn't fair. She's already been through so much, and now she's going to be tried as a criminal for standing up for herself. For daring to fight back. For pushing back against someone who thought they owned her, that they could take what they wanted by pretending they cared about her."
Burley studied her closely, noticing the tears shimmering in her eyes, and nodded.
"You sound like you know about that."
She was silent, and Burley reached out to take her hand.
"What was his name?"
Silence.
"Jenny?"
"Andrew," she said softly, "Everyone called him Andy."
He wrapped his arm around her shoulder, and when she laid her head on his shoulder, he smiled.
"Just remember, honey...we're all here if you ever need to talk."
"Thanks, Stan."
Neither of the agents noticed their team leader standing just outside the door, a slight smile on his face as he listened to their conversation.
If Gibbs was surprised to hear the click of heels above his head four hours later, he didn't show it. When Jenny Shepard walked down into his basement, he merely nodded at her, pouring a large measure of bourbon into a mason jar, and sliding it to her when she was near enough. She nodded her thanks, tipping it back slowly, coughing only a little as it burned down her throat.
"You drive here?"
She nodded.
"I can always call a taxi later."
He moved closer to his boat, moving the sander back and forth over the smooth wood, and as she watched him work, Jenny tried to disguise the fact that she was staring. His hands moved effortlessly over the shell, smoothing out any roughness, and when he felt her eyes following him, he glanced over his shoulder, giving her a smile.
"You okay?"
"I'm fine," she answered, too quickly to be honest.
"Jen."
She sighed, draining the mason jar, and when he gestured for her to refill it, she reached for the bottle.
"It's not fair, Jethro."
"No, it isn't," he agreed, setting down his sander.
"Melinda Adkins deserved better than this. She doesn't deserve to go through life with this hanging over her head."
He made his way closer to her, leaning over her as he reached for his own mason jar, and when her breath caught in her throat, he fought back a smile. She didn't even realise that she was crying until she felt his thumb brush under her eyes, wiping the tears away.
"Melinda's not the only one who deserved better, Jen. You shouldn't have to have your past hanging over your head, either."
She shook her head, emerald meeting sapphire in the dim light, and sighed.
"I can usually forget it, but this case just brought everything back. Now I can't get it out of my mind. Nothing seems to make it go away."
He set the glass down, his hand snaking around her waist, and as he pulled her closer, she stared into his eyes, trying to remember how to breathe.
"Jethro?"
"Yeah?"
"Kiss me. Make me forget everything but this moment. I'm not asking for sex, just...kiss me."
He nodded, brushing her hair behind her ear and bringing his lips to hers in a deep kiss, making her gasp. Her fingers hooked into his jacket, pulling him impossibly closer, and as his tongue met hers, Jenny moaned quietly, her entire body shaking.
"Jethro...don't stop."
He kissed her again, lifting her onto the work table, sweeping his tools to the floor, not even caring as they clattered on the concrete.
"If you let me, I'll kiss you so much that you forget your own name."
She pulled him closer, her fingers threading into his hair, and as he kissed her again, she couldn't have told anyone if the tears that fell from her eyes were from sadness or if, for the first time in years, they were tears of happiness.
A/N: Reviews make me smile for hours (literally).