After hearing the conversation that Gibbs and Abby had, which really was blatant eavesdropping and less than professional though she really couldn't bring herself to care, she had isolated herself in her office with specific instructions to Cynthia not to let anyone disturb her.

"If anyone tries to come in," she tells her, "Tell them I still carry a weapon and aren't afraid to shoot them."

Cynthia, whose facial expression hovered somewhere between amused and horrified, could only nod in response and utter a "Yes ma'am."

She stares at the framed photo of her father that sits on the corner of her desk, his stoic face and militant uniform always offering her some form of comfort in her most stressful moments. This time, she could find no solace in his memory. It seemed even her father couldn't be her guiding force through her choices. The proverbial ball was in her court.

There was something the clicked inside of her when he said he wanted her to stay; a feeling that she had only experienced when she was writing his letter in Paris. A sense of not knowing herself or how he truly felt about her.

He may have claimed to love her, but only now did she realize that he wanted her to be there. Her work had always fulfilled the sense that someone needed her, a feeling she had never been able to replicate in her past relationships. For once though, love seemed to be enough.

And no amount of promotions would eliminate void she is so desperately trying to fill with her work.

If only she had figured that out within herself sooner, she wouldn't have left the first time.

But she's for damn sure she's not going to let it happen a second time.

The video conference with SecNav was creeping closer by the minute, and her anxiety increased with each passing second. She replays her speech in her head; trying to perfect her reasoning for not taking the job and for wanting to stay at NCIS, but everything thought gets to jumbled in her mind when she thinks about her personal vendetta for not leaving.

MTAC is all but empty when she enters, save for the few agents plastered to their computer screens as they work to ready the conference call. The less people to witness her possibly make a fool of herself, the better.

"SecNav is on the line for you ma'am," one of the agents informs her, "Would you like me to patch him through?"

"Please." She replies, trying to ignore the shaking of her hands.

The screen in front of her lights up, and for the first time she is acutely aware of how big the screen is, and how looming his presence is despite only being digitally present.

"Good afternoon, Director Shepard." He greets with a friendly but firm nod.

"Afternoon, Sir." She replies.

"I have a few things on my itinerary to discuss with you, but first order of business: the FBI has been hounding me for an answer from you on the offer, and I can't delay them anymore than I already have. Have you come to a conclusion?" He asks.

In an instant, a flood of memories wash over her.

"Don't touch that! It's scotch, you drink bourbon."

"So do you."

"I had another visitor, before you arrived unannounced."

"Did he duck out the back?"

"Now you sound like a jealous husband."

They're standing at the bottom of her staircase, to close to one another to be considered proper, especially with a child sleeping in the other room.

"Once upon a time I would have asked you to stay and I wouldn't have taken no for an answer."

"No."

"What happened, Jethro?"

"You made a choice."

"I had to do what was right for me. I still do."

She's all but ranting to him when she notices the far off look in his eye; one that clearly shows he's paying her no attention. It irritates her but piques her curiosity and she can't help wanting to know what was on his mind.

"What are you thinking about?"

"Paris."

"Get your mind out of the bedroom, Jethro."

She inhales as much air as her lungs would allow, throwing her shoulders back and holding her head high as she speaks.

"I have sir, and I have decided to respectfully decline their offer."

Within an instant, she feels the weight lift off her shoulders.

"The FBI will be disappointed to hear that, though I must confess that I'm happy to keep you in our jurisdiction. You're certainly an asset to loose, Shepard."

"Thank you sir."

He clears his throat, "May I ask why you're declining? I'm certain they'll want to know, too."

She's positive the smile on her face could only be described as nothing less than whimsical, though she can't bring herself to mind one bit. True, it may not be the most becoming look for a leader of a federal agency, but it was what it was.

"NCIS is my life, sir. I've given it my best and my worst years. There are things here in my professional career that I don't think I've fully completed yet; places I want to see the agency go and things I want us to achieve. Aside from that? Well, DC has been my place for as long as I can remember. My entire livelihood is here. My house, my job, the person I want to come home to each night. None of those are things I am willing to sacrifice, sir."

There's a silence in the room for a moment, and she's suddenly acutely aware of the other agents milling about throughout the room and how they certainly had heard her elude to having a someone to go home too just as SecNav had. There will certainly be a rumor floating around the agency about it within a days time, though she can't bring herself to be concerned with that fact at the moment.

"I'm sure I speak for all of us here when I say that the agency is lucky to have a director as dedicated to them as you are. I look forward to watching you continue to propel NCIS forward under your tutelage, Director."

She smiles again, "Thank you, I look forward to it as well."

With a final debriefing, the screen cuts to black as he ends transmission.

It takes her all of five seconds to decide what to do next.

The room was filled with the mid day sounds of agents bustling around; the afternoon hump of Monday dangerously close to being overcome and the energy amongst the occupants of the building was palpable.

While an almost full house of her employees was not an ideal setting to do this in, she decided that she didn't care anymore. Her place as Director was air tight, and nothing could change that at the moment no matter what she did.

His eyes meet hers across the room as she makes her way towards him. She's certain the smile on her face is throwing him off. After all, their last conversation was one of the most emotionally grueling they had had with each other; certainly nothing to smile about.

He's standing near the elevator, clearly having had the intent on getting into it with his team, when she reaches him.

"Jen, what-"

His words are cut off entirely when she cups her hands around his face and presses her lips against his.

"I'm not going," she says, pulling away slightly before kissing him again, "The job, I'm not taking it. I'm not going anywhere."

This time, it's him that pulls back from her, just enough that he can look her directly in the eyes, "You turned it down?"

She nods, stroking the side of his face as lovingly as she could muster in the moment, trying to convey even a fraction of the adoration she feels for him through touch. Behind her, she swears she hears Tony catcall the two of them.

"This is my place," she says, fingertips tracing the outline of his lips, "Here in this agency. And here with you."

His lips twitch into a grin under her touch, and he finally reaches out and grazes her side with his hand, "What made you change your mind?"

She smiles at him, the same whimsical one she wore only minutes before, "My Locus Amoenus is where ever you are, Jethro. And you're here. I have the job I want and the person I want, and I'm lucky enough that he wants me too. This is my happy place; wherever you'll be at my side."

When she kisses him again, she can feel him smile against her, and she knows that she had finally found it: her locus amoenus.

It just so happened it was his too.

A/n: And we have made it to the end! I would have actually decided to have her take the job and have them navigate their relationship while she was away had I not wanted to wrap this story up, but I don't want to overstay my welcome. This story is not what I had first thought it would be, and I don't know if this is the direction I wanted it to take, but here we are.

I will have an epilogue posted soon to tie up loose ends, so sty tuned for that.

- Ali