A/N: Hopefully, my updates will be more frequent. I'm currently on vacation for the next nine days, so we'll see. Hope you enjoy!

Sometimes, they argued to relieve tension. Sometimes, they argued to keep up appearances at work. Sometimes, they argued as a form of foreplay. Other times, like now, they argued because they were trying to hurt each other. Jenny couldn't even remember what had started the argument, but by this point, she really couldn't have cared less.

"Most people actually communicate when they have a problem with things, Jethro! Hiding behind a glare isn't fixing anything!"

"Real nice, Jenny. You're a fine one to talk! You've been pushing everyone away for months! You ran out on me two nights ago because you couldn't communicate!"

Jenny's eyes flashed and she whipped around to face him angrily.

"That was different. I left because I was trying not to be a burden to you."

"You don't get to make that decision, Jen! If I thought you were a burden, I would have said something!"

"Would you?" she asked incredulously, "Because all you ever do is drink bourbon and work on your damn boat!"

"You didn't seem to mind when you were the one drinking and avoiding me!"

"That isn't fair, Jethro."

"How can you expect me to help you through anything if you won't talk to me?"

She laughed, tossing her hair over her shoulder.

"You damn hypocrite. You never talk to anyone about anything. You always shut everyone out! Would you have talked to Shannon?"

Gibbs glared at her and her own emerald eyes matched his fury.

"I think maybe you should leave."

Jenny blinked, not expecting his quiet tone.

"Rather than work this out, you're asking me to leave?"

He shook his head.

"Not asking. Leave, Jen."

Gibbs was more furious than he'd ever been with her. He'd never hit a woman in anger before, and he wasn't going to make Jenny the first. She nodded once, grabbing her purse, and as she walked up his basement steps, she didn't look back.

As she walked up to her front door, Jenny let a steady stream of curses fall from her lips as she looked at the heavy oak. Though Gibbs had made good on his promise to fix the profanity covering it, it seemed that whoever was behind it showed little sign of stopping. The words "lying slut" gleamed at her in bright red spray paint, and she ran her hand through her hair angrily.

"Son of a bitch."

Opening the door, Jenny dropped her purse on the floor and kicked her heels off as quickly as she could. She made her way into her study, searching for the bottle of rum she had by her desk, needing a liquor that wouldn't make her think of him. Downing it in one, she shuddered and walked to her living room, bringing the bottle with her.

Jenny knew she should probably slow down, but the need to forget was stronger than logic. She held her breath, drinking as much as she could at once, and when she finally stopped, she found that even staying upright was a struggle. Just as she sank down onto her couch, the sound of glass shattering made her jump, and as she tried to locate the source, she frowned.

A large rock was in the middle of her living room, and a piece of paper was attached to it with a rubber band. Unfolding it, Jenny felt angry tears welling up in her eyes and she let it fall from her hand.

Bitch

Placing her head in her hands, she pulled out her phone. Maybe she could call Gibbs and—wait. They'd had an argument. Calling him wasn't an option. Sighing, Jenny pocketed her phone again, and as she eyed the words scrawled on the paper, she took another drink. Raising her hand, Jenny suddenly brought it to the back of her own head, and while it didn't have quite the same effect as Gibbs' slap, it was enough.

"Get it together, Shepard."

Jenny had been gone from his house for just over an hour, and Gibbs was already regretting their argument. He hadn't meant to lose his temper, and though he'd been angry, he knew he shouldn't have used her trauma against her. Still, he knew she would need time to calm down, and if he were honest, he was still pretty angry. She might have been right with what she'd said, but he had never liked having his flaws called out. It was simpler to be angry at her.

He couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong, but he decided not to let it bother him. Figuring it was just his unease at fighting with Jenny, he tossed back another mason jar of bourbon and picked up his sander. Dwelling on their words wouldn't change them. Now, if only he could just forget the pain and anger in her eyes as she'd left.

"Hello?"

"Ducky, it's Jenny. Are you busy?"

"Not particularly. How can I help you?"

Jenny sighed, running her hand through her hair.

"Do you have any more of those sleeping pills?"

The doctor frowned, doing some quick calculations.

"You're out already? That's not healthy, my dear."

"No, I...I left them at Jethro's. I'm not staying with him."

"Couldn't you go back and collect them?"

"No," Jenny said quietly, "He told me to leave. Guess he's tired of dealing with me."

Ducky drew in a sharp breath and sighed.

"He told you to leave?"

"Yes."

The pain in her voice was unmistakable, and he thought he could detect the hint of a slur.

"Jennifer, I can't give you anything if you've been drinking. I'm sorry."

"It's okay, Ducky."

To him, it sounded anything but okay, yet before he could answer, Jenny had hung up. She stood up slowly, her vision spinning and as she made her way up to her bedroom, she wondered how on earth she had messed up her life so quickly.

Though he had tried to forget about their argument, Gibbs had thought of little else since his redheaded boss/lover had left his house the previous night. He deliberately didn't look up at the catwalk all day, not wanting to be caught searching for her, but as she passed him late that evening, he finally allowed himself a glance. Her eyes were downcast as she walked, pointedly ignoring everyone, and her hand held a cup of coffee as though her very life depended on it.

As he watched, Cynthia attempted to speak with her, but Jenny deflected it, nodding only once and hardly sparing her even a look. The younger woman frowned, and as the redhead closed her office door, she shook her head.

"Everything okay, boss?"

Gibbs glared at Tony, who immediately clamped his mouth shut. He returned to his report, pretending like he didn't notice the older man's icy demeanour. Deciding that he would rather be in the company of someone who wouldn't gossip, Gibbs stood and made his way to the elevator. As he pressed the button for autopsy, he cursed himself for still wondering if Jenny was okay. If she wanted to be stubborn and not speak to him, he certainly wasn't going to stop her.

"Jethro, I was just about to leave. Has something come up?"

Gibbs shook his head.

"No. Just needed to leave before I strangled DiNozzo."

Ducky nodded understandingly. They stood in silence for a few moments before the older man sighed.

"Would you like to talk about it?"

"About what?"

"Your fight with Jennifer."

Gibbs frowned.

"How'd you know about that?"

"Jennifer called me to ask about sleeping pills. Said she left them at your house after an argument."

He said nothing, but raised his eyebrow in question. He hadn't known Jenny was still taking the pills, and it only served to make him angrier. Rather than answer, he turned on his heel and left the doctor standing alone in the cold room, wondering what he had said.

Looking at the shattered glass of her front window, Jenny sighed and tried to ignore the feeling of shame that accompanied it. As she walked the last few remaining steps to her door, she saw a shadow pass through her living room. Her guard was immediately up, and she frowned, thinking. Noemi was visiting her family out of state, Gibbs was currently not speaking to her, and no one else had any reason to be in her house.

She pulled out her phone, no longer caring about their fight, and as she waited to hear the familiar answer, she felt around in her purse for the knife she always carried.

"Yeah. Gibbs."

"Where are you?"

"At my house. Problem with that?"

She could tell by his tone that he was still angry.

"Jethro, argue with me later. There's someone in my house."

"What?"

"Did I stutter?" she whispered urgently, "I need backup. You willing to put this fight on hold or not?"

"I got your six. Be right there."

As she waited for him to arrive, Jenny crept along the front of the house, kneeling under the front window. She could detect movement inside, but it was too dark for her to really get any kind of identification. To her credit, she didn't so much as flinch when she heard Gibbs come up behind her, and he eyed the knife in her hand with approval.

His own weapon was drawn and at her signal, he opened the front door swiftly, hoping to catch the intruder by surprise. Jenny cleared the kitchen and as Gibbs did the same with her bedroom, loud footsteps thundered down the hallway and to the door. She ran towards the sound, but it was too late. By the time she'd made it to the door, the only sign of their intruder was a rapidly disappearing shadow.

"You okay?"

Gibbs' voice was soft, but loud in the quiet. Jenny nodded and he glanced at her window curiously.

"There's how he got in."

Jenny shook her head.

"That happened a few days ago."

"Punch a hole through it?"

"No," she said darkly, "A rock was thrown through it with a note."

"A rock?"

She nodded, gesturing to where it still sat on her coffee table. He walked over, picking it up, and as he read the word, he frowned.

"When?"

"The night we fought."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"You weren't speaking to me," she snapped.

"This is serious, Jen! Someone's threatening you."

Jenny shrugged. He didn't understand how she could be so calm about being threatened, but then again, as Director she was probably accustomed to it.

"You could have called."

She still hadn't looked at him and it was making him uncomfortable.

"Are you gonna answer me?"

"Depends," she said sarcastically, "Are you going to pick apart my answer?"

He sighed, shaking his head. Why did she have to be so damn stubborn? She was walking away from him now, making her way to the couch and as she sat down, he finally looked at her seriously.

"Nice blade," he commented.

"Rule 9. Never go anywhere without your knife," she quoted softly.

He smirked, amused that she still followed his rules even though he was no longer her boss. She looked tired, he noticed, and he suddenly remembered Ducky telling him that she hadn't been sleeping. He didn't know if he should sit near her, but he approached her nonetheless, glancing down at her.

"Can I sit?"

She nodded, and he sat on the edge of her couch. He made no move to touch her or get closer, but she found comfort in his presence even still.

"Are you staying here tonight?"

"Of course. Why wouldn't I? I'm not running away from this."

"You could stay with me," he offered softly.

She looked at him.

"No, I can't."

His forgotten anger flared up again and he glared at her.

"So, that's it? You're just going to leave? Again?"

Jenny raised her eyes to his and he was taken aback by the pure fury he saw there.

"Don't" she hissed, "You told me to leave. I was the one who wanted to work this out, but you told me to leave."

She had a valid point. Still, he had to try.

"I was angry. Didn't want to do something I'd regret."

Nodding, Jenny walked past him and into her study. Her eyes widened when they finally registered the destruction of the room, and she frowned. Papers covered nearly every surface and when she saw the folder of pictures on the floor, she knelt to pick them up. They'd been absolutely destroyed beyond repair. The group photos of Abby, McGee, Ziva, and Tony had been torn to shreds and the picture of her and Gibbs under the mistletoe now had the word "slut" scrawled across it in hasty handwriting. The photo of them in the kitchen was ruined in a similar fashion, but she didn't bother to read the word written there.

She felt rather than heard Gibbs walk up behind her, and when he knelt next to her on the floor, he placed his hand on her shoulder.

"I'll replace them, Jen. I still have the originals," he said softly.

"That isn't the point," she snapped angrily, "Why would someone do this?"

He moved his hand to her hair, running over it in what he hoped was a comforting gesture. Considering her previous anger with him, he fully expected her to brush him off. When she didn't, he kept his fingers tangled in the silken strands.

"Someone's trying to scare you. To upset you and get under your skin."

Jenny nodded, running her fingers over the picture she held tightly in her hand.

"It's working," she said softly.

Gibbs kissed her hair gently and stood, holding out his hand to help her up. She took it and sighed, looking around the room sadly. He hated seeing her this way, hated knowing that he had caused her even more pain with their argument, and he watched her carefully, prepared to catch her if she fell.

"The offer still stands."

Glancing at him, Jenny nodded and in the instant that their eyes met, he knew she'd made her decision. He guided her to the door and as she grabbed her coat, he was surprised to hear a small laugh fall from her lips.

"Guess locking the door would be pointless, huh?"

He smirked, knowing she would do it anyway, and as she climbed into his truck, he leaned over to kiss her cheek.

"Don't worry. We'll figure this out."

Hours later, as he sanded his boat, Jenny sat on the work bench, quietly drinking a cup of coffee and watching him. He'd found her request for coffee odd given the late hour, but he soon came to understand that she didn't want to sleep. Knowing that a stranger had vandalised her house, both inside and out, had thrown her off and he knew she would likely have nightmares again.

"You've never given me a straight answer, Jethro."

Her voice was low in the dim light and he turned, frowning.

"How do you plan on getting this boat out of here?"

He laughed quietly, shaking his head and gave her a smile.

"Takes all the mystery out of it, Jen."

She smiled into her cup and inhaled deeply, the rich aroma of the coffee calming her. His shadow fell over her as he stood and crossed the room, and when she opened her eyes, they were instantly met with bright blue.

"You okay?"

Jenny didn't think. She set her cup down and her hands immediately went to his shirt, pulling him to her. As her lips crashed against his, he found himself at a loss of what to do with his hands. One of them held his weight as he braced himself on the table behind her, and the other found her hair, marveling at its softness. He pulled away after a moment and she frowned.

"Jen...wait."

She shook her head.

"I can't. I need to forget. Please, Jethro."

He'd heard her beg before, mainly because he'd forced her into it during foreplay, but he'd never heard it earnestly. Never like this. The pain and desperation in her voice was almost too much for him to handle, and he nodded, kissing her again. He wasn't sure if it was really the right thing to do, but he knew if he turned her away now, she'd never forgive him.

His kiss was gentle at first and as she held him tighter, it became clear that she didn't want it slow or easy tonight. Her hands tangled in his hair and as she kissed him again, he could taste her urgency. Again, he pulled away, looking at her seriously, puzzled by this turn of events.

"Jenny—"

"Don't. I want this to hurt. I need to feel something."

She stood from the chair, pushing him back against the shell of his boat, and when he turned them so that she was pinned beneath him, he was instantly concerned. He didn't want to cause her to remember Harrison, but she didn't seem to mind. Her lips trailed along his throat, her teeth nipping at his skin and he pushed all thoughts of being cautious from his mind.

His hand grabbed a fistful of her hair, jerking it to one side to expose her throat, and as he kissed her, he could taste her racing heartbeat. He bit down on her clavicle, a bit harder than he intended, but the moan that fell from Jenny's lips told him she didn't mind. She pulled his shirt from his body and her own soon followed, carelessly tossed to the floor.

Capturing her lips with his own, he pulled her bottom lip between his teeth. She gasped as he bit down, the coppery taste of blood filling her mouth, yet she made no attempt to stop him. As the last of their clothing was abandoned, he looked down at her seriously.

"Are you sure? The last time we did this here, you ended up with a splinter in your hand."

She glared at him, and pulled him back down to her. He could taste the blood on her lips and while he was concerned, Jenny gave him no opportunity to question it. He entered her more roughly than he had in months, and she cried out as her head fell back against the boat. Without thinking, he pinned her wrists above her head, and as soon as he realised what he'd done, he tried to release her. Shaking her head, Jenny brought her lips close to his ear, and he shivered.

"It's okay," she whispered, "Don't stop."

His other hand supporting her weight, Gibbs slammed into her as hard as he could, and he knew that he was past the point of stopping now. His grip on her wrists was tight, and Jenny wondered dimly if the bones would break. He lowered his head to her breasts and she moaned, her voice low and ragged. Releasing her wrists, he tangled his hand in her hair again, pulling her head back and as she cried out, he kissed the soft skin of her throat.

Jenny was dangerously close now, and he knew that her coming undone would be enough to send him over the edge. He trailed his hand down her body, pausing to roll the nipple of her breasts between his fingers and the moan that graced his ears took the form of his name. Reaching down to touch her, Gibbs kissed her again, loving the way her body jerked in his arms. Each thrust of his hips was harder than the last, and as Jenny's body arched into his, he felt his own climax roll over him.

Her eyes slowly opened, and he looked down at her, searching their depths seriously.

"Are you okay?"

She nodded, kissing him breathlessly. Her damp hair was sticking to her skin, and he reached out to brush it aside gently.

"Thank you," she whispered.

"Did it help?"

She frowned, thinking.

"Until it was over."

He smirked.

"I'd love to help more, but I don't think I could manage again so soon."

She laughed, reaching out to run her fingers through his hair.

"Can't keep up, old man?"

"Cute."

Gibbs gently lowered her down onto the floor, and as she picked up her clothing, she noticed her body was shaking. She wasn't sure if it was a result of the sex or the events of the last few days, but she hoped Gibbs didn't see it. As soon as she had dressed, she leaned against the boat, watching him as he pulled his shirt over his head.

"Jethro?"

He turned, and she met his eyes coolly.

"I'm sorry."

"For?"

"Contrary to what everyone at work might think, I don't like arguing with you. And I shouldn't have brought Shannon into it."

He nodded, closing the distance between them, and as he looked down at her, he ran his finger over her cheek lightly.

"It's okay. We both said things out of anger."

Jenny closed her eyes at his touch, and she sighed she she opened her mouth to speak.

"I should have come to you about my house, but I didn't think you wanted anything to do with me."

"That's crazy, Jen."

She shook her head.

"You told me to leave," she whispered, "What was I supposed to think?"

He frowned, knowing that she was right.

"I'm sorry, Jen. I should have tried to work it out, but I was angry."

Jenny nodded, and he leaned down to kiss her lips gently. Suddenly, he remembered something else he'd been meaning to discuss with her.

"Jen...are you still taking those pills?"

Her silence was all the answer he needed and he frowned.

"Why?"

She still didn't speak, and he tilted her chin up to force her to look at him.

"Jenny."

Glancing at him, she shook her head, running her hand through her hair.

"I...They make it easier. I can sleep without dreaming. I don't have to see him every time I close my eyes. I don't...Jethro, I don't have to be scared anymore."

He wrapped his arms around her, and she laid her head against his chest. His steady heartbeat was comforting and she smiled as he ran his fingers through her hair.

"Will you cut them back?"

As much as he didn't want to admit it, he was worried that she was becoming dependent on the pills. She shook her head against his chest, her voice slightly muffled.

"I don't know if I can."

"Will you try?"

Jenny nodded, and he kissed the top of her hair.

"I love you, Jen."

She didn't speak, but her lips on his said more than any words ever had.

Though it had taken hours of trying, Gibbs had finally persuaded Jenny to take the day off from work and as he watched her sleep, he smiled sadly. He hadn't told her what he was planning to do that day, but he supposed it was best that she didn't know yet. He'd made several calls to have a security system installed at her house, and Ziva had agreed to secure the area and test the response timing before Jenny got home.

After kissing her cheek, he quickly wrote a note explaining his absence and left it resting on his pillow before he left. He locked the front door, the feeling foreign to him, but he would never forgive himself if something happened to her while he was away. Pulling out his phone, he dialed quickly, hoping he hadn't woken Jenny up as he'd closed the door.

Ziva answered on the first ring, and as they agreed on a meeting time, Gibbs climbed into his truck, driving the short distance to Jenny's house. He parked his truck far enough away that it wouldn't be noticed and as he waited, he frowned. Whoever had been harassing Jenny was good, but he knew he was better.

Pulling out his camera, he waited until he was sure that he had the right guy before snapping pictures. As he watched, the tall thin man walked up to Jenny's front door and pulled out a can of spray paint. When he had finished, Gibbs stepped out of his truck, approaching the man quickly.

"What are you doing here?"

The young man blanched as he recognised Gibbs from his photos in Jenny's house.

"Got a name?"

"Jonathan Harrison. Shawn Harrison's brother. And I'm not letting that lying bitch get away with calling my brother a rapist."

Gibbs shook his head.

"Stay away from her. If I catch you anywhere near her or her house, I'll have you arrested for trespassing, vandalism, breaking and entering, possibly stalking."

The younger man frowned.

"You don't have any proof."

Gibbs held up his camera and flashed a smile that was anything but reassuring. Jonathan Harrison backed away, holding up his hands in surrender.

"Okay. I wasn't gonna hurt her. Just wanted to scare her a bit."

"Get out."

The younger man ran and Gibbs smirked as he walked back to his truck. He drove quickly back to his house, breaking several traffic laws in the process, and as he unlocked his front door, he felt relieved. Jenny was nowhere to be seen, and he frowned, making his way up to his bedroom. She was still asleep and he picked up the note he had left, crumpling it in his hand. She shifted as he touched her hair lightly, and when she opened her eyes, he smiled.

"Sleep well?"

She nodded slowly, and he pulled her into his lap.

"Got a surprise for you."

"What?"

"I had a security system installed at your house. Ziva's testing it out now."

She sat up quickly, looking at him seriously.

"You did?"

He nodded and as her face broke out in a smile, she wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him lightly.

"Now you don't have to be scared."

"I'm not. Not right now."

He raised an eyebrow at her in question and she continued, laying back down in his lap.

"Right now, I'm safe in the arms of a former marine turned ass-kicking agent of a federal agency."

Gibbs smirked and she reached up to tousle his hair. She laughed as he leaned down to kiss her, and as his tongue traced patterns along her throat, she closed her eyes.

"Jethro..."

"Hm?"

"Thank you."

He kissed her again and she smiled. His phone rang and as he answered it, Jenny entertained herself by trailing her nails lightly across his chest.

"Yeah. Gibbs."

"The Director's house is secure."

"Thanks, Ziva. I owe you."

"This one's free."

He hung up and Jenny smiled as she raised up from her position in his lap, the look on her face positively sinful.

"Jethro?"

"Yeah?"

"What else did you have in mind for today?"

He shrugged.

"Hadn't thought about it."

Jenny moved closer, running her tongue along the shell of his ear.

"I have a few ideas," she murmured.

She kissed his throat, sucking the skin between her teeth, and he shivered. He pushed her back onto the bed, running his hands over her body, and as he pulled her shirt over her head, he had never been so glad to take a day off from work.

A/N: Let me know what you think! Your reviews are the best part of my day (Looking at you, Esquinzo, Hawk and Troubled-Angel-26)!