The water from the showerhead cascaded down her body, soaking and warming her skin. She sighed and closed her eyes as she put her head under the spray of water. While pulling her fingers through her long, red hair she thought briefly about what she was going to wear. Strangely enough, Jenny Gibbs was slightly nervous about her date, with her husband. It had been so long since they had gone out together, and with everything they had gone through these past months, she feared they had drifted further apart than they wanted to realize. She reached out after the bottle of shampoo, and while she was busy rinsing it out of her hair, a loud knock on the bathroom door caught her attention.
"Jenny?" her husband's voice travelled through the locked door, she barely heard him though, most of his voice was suffocated by the pouring of water. But she had picked up on the sound.
"I'm in the shower!" she called back and reached for her shower gel.
"Ok, just thought I'd let you know I'm home" he answered. Jen didn't respond immediately, and he did not repeat himself.
"Thanks" she replied several minutes later, she wasn't even sure he was still out there.
"You're welcome" she was surprised to hear him answer, but she was glad he hadn't left. "I'll start getting ready. We should probably leave in about forty-five minutes" he continued and she nodded subconsciously.
"Ok, I'll hurry then" she finished and assumed he walked off. She was excited about the date, and curious to know what would become of their marriage.
Jenny turned off the water and reached for a towel as she stepped out of the shower cabin. She quickly got herself dry and wrapped the towel around her hair and put on a thigh-length, silky lilac robe. She fixed her make-up and dried her hair with a hair-drier. She emerged from the bathroom and the first thing she saw when she entered the bedroom was her husband busy putting on a dark grey shirt. He turned around when he heard her approaching.
"Hi" he said and finished buttoning his shirt.
"Hey" she greeted him back and glanced briefly at him, his jacket lay on the bed along with his tie. Of course Jenny was happy that they were about to work everything out, but at the same time, it all felt so new.
"You ok?" his question pulled her from her thoughts, and she managed to meet his gaze.
"Yeah, I'm fine" she assured him with a slight smile as she walked towards her closet.
"Good" he replied and bent down to pick up his tie. Jenny stood in front of the dresses in her closet, trying to decide which one she should wear.
Gibbs announced he'd be waiting for her downstairs and left her alone to get ready in private. He was positive in the situation; a romantic evening and a chance to make up for lost time was probably exactly what they needed right now. He checked himself out in the mirror down in the foyer. Well, he might not be perfect, but it was the best he could do. He went to sit down in an armchair in her study while he waited for his wife to descend the stairs.
At last he was rewarded in his waiting with the cracking sound of someone walking down the stairs. He rose from his comfortable seat and went out into the foyer again, just in time that when he looked up the stairs, he saw her coming down. He was stunned by her appearance, she looked absolutely beautiful.
Jenny stopped a few feet away from him, her eyebrows raised slightly as she noticed the look on his face. He eyed her from top to toe, taking in every detail of her outfit. She wore a knee-length, silvery-white dress in a silky material with a deep v-cut in the front. Her hair was loose and her natural curls cascaded over her shoulders and down her back. She wore a thin silver chain around her neck, with a pale blue gemstone at the bottom, and matching earrings.
"I take it you like my dress, Jethro" she said softly in response to the appreciative look he gave her. He didn't answer, just gazed lovingly at her. Jenny suddenly reached out her hands to fix his tie, which she thought looked a little out of order.
"Never get those things straight, do I?" he said lightly as she moved her hands to his shoulders.
"Nope" she replied with a smile. She could see in his bright blue eyes he was excited about tonight, and she couldn't help but to share his excitement.
"Shall we go?" he suggested and when she turned around to receive her coat, he noticed the dress was open to reveal her entire back, the deep cut ended slightly above her butt. The dress hung loosely on her body, it rippled when she moved. Gibbs' gaze was like glued to her naked back.
"I do like your dress" he added under his breath and she turned around to face him with a smile. She found him still gazing up and down her body.
"I'm glad you like it" she answered while putting on a black coat and handing him his coat. He accepted it and thanked her as he too quickly put it on. They walked to the car in silence, neither knowing how to start a conversation between them.
"So…" Jenny awkwardly started as they were stopped at a traffic light. "How was your day?" she hadn't known what else to ask him, she wasn't sure what would be expected of her tonight.
"It was alright" he answered and quickly glanced at her "But hopefully it'll get better" he added and reached out to briefly caress her hand. Jenny felt the shy touch against her skin, and from the spot he had touched a certain warmth seemed to spread through her body, it burned her every nerve and seemed to rush through her veins right into her heart. She felt herself smiling as they took off again, it had been a long time since his touches had made her feel like that, but it was a good sign. A sign that told her she was still very much in love with him.
"What are you smiling at?" Gibbs asked suspiciously. Jenny turned her head to look at him, his eyes were focused on the road ahead, but he'd give her glances every now and then.
"Nothing" she answered, still smiling. She knew it would drive him crazy that she refused to tell him, but she loved to play games on him, only she had nearly forgot how much fun she used to have at his obvious frustration when there was something she would not tell him. As he once again glanced at her, she detected a hint of annoyance in his eyes and she bit back a laugh.
"Fine then, keep it to yourself. But don't count on me to pay the dinner" he shot back in a light voice. He knew she was annoying him on purpose, she always did. He felt her eyes still burning his cheek, his heartbeats increased slightly at the sense, but he tried his hardest to keep his focus on the road and the traffic around him. Jenny stayed silent, but the smile was still playing on her face, she could tell he became more curious to why she was smiling every time he'd glance at her, but he held his tongue. They spent the rest of the ride in a comfortable silence. He had mended her simply by touching her. Feeling better than she had done in a long time, she got out of the car along with her husband.
Gibbs quickly walked around the car to join her where she stood waiting for him. He held out his arm to her and, still smiling, she accepted it and gently placed her hand on his elbow. Together they walked into the fancy restaurant they had picked out for their special date. They left their coats in the wardrobe just inside the doors, and were escorted by a waitress to their table. As they followed the young waitress, Gibbs put his hand on Jenny's back, feeling her warm, naked skin under his fingers.
When they reached their table, Gibbs pulled out a chair for her. With a small smile she gracefully sat down and waited for him to take his seat opposite her. Once they were sat down, the waitress handed them their menus.
"Here are your menus, I'll be back to take your orders in a little while" she announced and left them alone. Jenny looked around in the restaurant before she opened up her menu. It was a beautiful place; she and Gibbs used to go here on special occasions, like birthdays and wedding anniversaries.
"There are a lot of people here tonight" she observed; almost every table was taken. Gibbs looked up from his menu.
"Yeah, sure is" he agreed and gazed at her. The candles on their table made her dress shimmer incredibly and her hair almost looked like flames. She was stunning and he didn't really want to take his eyes off her.
"What are you having?" she asked. He quickly returned his gaze to the menu and frowned a little.
"I'm not sure…" he said thoughtfully. Jenny raised her eyebrows and put down her menu.
"Yes, you are Jethro. You'll have the usual, won't you?" she said with a little laugh. He looked up at her and smiled.
"If you say so"
"I'll have the same" she told him and rose from her chair. Gibbs looked surprised at her movement.
"Where are you going?" he wondered curiously.
"Ladies room. Be right back" she excused herself and walked off. Gibbs looked after her, noticing he was not the only one. A few men turned their heads in her direction as she passed by their tables, but they all received evil glares from their wives. One of the men, however, accidentally managed to meet Gibbs gaze. Gibbs gave him a killing glare, causing the man to look away instantly.
The waitress came, and he ordered for both of them. Just as she came back with their wine, Jenny returned. She sat back down and when the waitress had left them again, Gibbs suggested they'd taste the wine. They both lifted their glasses, staring deeply into each others eyes as they clinked their glasses together. Jenny did not take her eyes off him as she slowly sipped her wine.
"It was good" Gibbs commented the wine, and Jenny agreed, it was indeed a good wine. She took her eyes from his as she felt his hand on hers. Her wedding ring glistened in the candle light and he slowly stroked his index finger over the silver ring. When she glanced up at his face she noticed he was looking at their hands, but she continued to watch him in silence. He looked great, as usual. Suddenly, his face broke into a smile and the soft caressing on her hand stopped.
"What are you thinking about?" she asked him. He looked up at her again; his bright blue eyes met hers. He studied her carefully with his eyes, like if he saw her for the very first time.
"You're beautiful, Jen" he told her, and she felt her cheeks blush at the compliment. But before she had chance to reply, he brought her hand to his lips. Jenny smiled sweetly as he kissed the back of her hand, his eyes never leaving hers. He left two soft kisses on her skin, each sending shivers through her body. He gently placed her hand back onto the table, but before he could withdraw his hand, she had intertwined her fingers with him, intentionally stopping him from removing his hand. He looked slightly surprised at first, but then his face once again broke into a smile.
"Thank you" she answered weakly, her heart was still racing after the touch.
"Is that dress new?" he asked and frowned slightly as he looked carefully at the part of the dress he could see over the table.
"I bought it a few weeks ago to wear at a dinner at the White House" she answered.
"Oh, I've just never seen it before"
"You have. I showed it to you before I went to the dinner. You said it was nice" she noticed he looked a bit uncomfortable, his eyes narrowed a little, but he did not look away.
"I didn't remember" he said in a low voice. Jenny's smile had faded, but she didn't pull away her hand from his.
"Obviously" she shot back and winced, her tone of voice had been colder than she had expected it to be.
"Hey," he said "if I just said your dress was nice, I wasn't really looking at it. It's amazing, Jenny. You are amazing"
Jenny felt the smile return to her lips, but she did not say anything. They sat in silence, their gazes locked together and their fingers intertwined, until the waitress came with their food.
"Thank you" Jenny said to her as she placed a plate in front of her. She withdrew her hand from Gibbs' as he also received his plate. She looked down at her food as the waitress left them; it looked delicious, as always.
They started to eat in silence, neither knowing what to talk about. Gibbs glanced at his wife every now and then, but just as he was about to open his mouth to speak, she spoke.
"Jethro," she started tentatively, causing his to fix his eyes upon her face "Do you regret that we never had kids?" she asked him and met his gaze.
"Yes" he answered without hesitation and she sent him an apologetic glance.
"Yeah, me too. I'm sorry"
Gibbs looked surprised at hearing her apologise, but she really did look like she was sorry, but he couldn't figure out why.
"What are you talking about, Jen? Why are you sorry?" he asked. She took a sip of wine before she answered.
"Because I left" she said sadly and her mind flashed back in time. Gibbs remembered too.
They had been married for about three years when they had decided that they would try to get her pregnant. After two failed attempts she was assigned on a mission in Europe. She had been desperate to go, but Gibbs had not been so sure he wanted her to. He told her that if she got pregnant, they would not let her do field work, she would have been assigned at NCIS headquarters instead. But Jen had been persistent, she wanted to put their attempts at having a real family on hold, and dedicate the next months to work. He had finally given in, and she went away for six months, only coming home twice. Her work in Europe had been extraordinary and she had been wanted for an anti-terrorism operation together with Mossad Officer Ziva David. Once again she left. When she had gotten back after that mission, they tried to focus on finding their way back to each other; this separation had been rather hard on their marriage, but they quickly mended what had been broken. Work still took up a lot of their time, her outstanding work had led to promotions, and suddenly she was Director. Then further problems had followed.
"But you wanted to leave" he replied softly after re-living the memories of their past.
"I know, but it didn't mean that didn't want to have kids with you" she knew explaining all this was unnecessary, he already knew how she had felt.
"I know, I know we both wanted it" he assured her "I'm not blaming you. I never could, or wanted to, for that matter, control you" he added with a small smile, but Jenny did not smile.
"We should have…before I became Director we should have had a child" she said sadly. Gibbs reached out and took her hand.
"And then what?" he questioned and she frowned confused. "We had no time for a child. Hell, we barely had time for ourselves! Much as I would love to have had a child…there was no time" he explained softly. Jenny felt how his words made sense, but she still believed it could have worked. She opened her mouth as to speak, but no words came over her trembling lips. She abruptly shut her mouth again, took a few deep breaths and then tried again.
"Time…" she gave up a small laugh "Time passes awfully quickly, doesn't it? I know I've been away a lot…" her voice trailed off, but Gibbs finished her sentence.
"But we still have many years ahead of us" he said and Jenny raised her eyebrows, looking happily amused. "And now when you're Director, you're not going anywhere"
"Yeah, well it's too late to have a child now. Work still takes up too much time" she sighed and lowered her gaze to their hands.
"I know. But at least we have each other" he said wisely and she nodded without looking at him.
"We have that" she repeated.
"It's not your fault we never had kids. I don't want you to think that, Jen. We had time before, but none of us picked up on the opportunity." Gibbs assured her, and she met his gaze. He almost lost himself in her loving, but finally managed to get his focus back.
"Thanks" she replied sweetly and he smiled at her. He squeezed her hand gently before releasing it and returning to his dinner. They finished their meal in silence, occasionally they'd glance up at the same time, meeting each others gaze, causing them both to smile widely.
Gibbs sipped his wine while waiting for her to finish her dinner. He watched her over his glass as he briefly wondered what the night would lead them. One thing that was for sure was that he felt more connected to her now than he had in months. Even though they had not spoken much, there was a certain understanding between them that hadn't been there for a very long time. He couldn't help but to think about their latest conversation, about never having a child. Surely she would have made a perfect mother to his child, but what he had not told her was that there was a certain fear inside of him that had kept his from suggesting it sooner. He was still afraid of loss, though he did not doubt he would be able to protect Jenny and a child, but still… the fear and pain was always present in him, more real to him than it would ever be to Jenny. He hadn't told her about Shannon and Kelly, the pain and fear she would never understand; he didn't want her to understand either. But the joy and immense happiness a child brought he had always wished for her to experience, but that ship had unfortunately already sailed.
"What are you thinking about?" Jenny's voice pulled him from his thoughts and he looked up at her noticing she had put down her silverware on her plate and was now watching him carefully.
"You" he replied, which was partly true, but he didn't want to bring up the subject of a child again. She smiled lovingly at him. As she met his gaze, she found his eyes enchanting her. Their deep blue color was stunning, and the depth in his eyes seemed immense. She felt as though she was filled with heated emotions and an incredible desire for him.
She shook her head slightly to clear her head. When she looked back at him, he was laughing lightly.
"You ok? You looked a bit…distracted" he teased and she felt herself blush.
"I'm fine" she assured him when she dared to speak again, once she hoped her voice would not shake. "Actually…" she added thoughtfully "I'm more than fine" she gave him another sweet smile "And a little tired"
"You wanna go home?" he offered and she nodded. Gibbs asked for the check and while they waited he wondered if she had said she was tired because she wanted out of here, and continue the date at home… Just the sight of her made his heart race increase and he felt the desire for her build up inside him. He missed her kisses and her touches, he missed her soft voice whispering in his ear, he missed the way she curled up against him at night. In other words; he missed her.
"I've missed you, Jen" he suddenly let his thoughts out. Jenny looked up at him, surprised but with a spark glittering happily in her eyes.
"I've missed you too" she replied with a smile "I've had a great time, Jethro"
'Don't let the date be over!' Gibbs mind screamed, but he kept his face straight as he nodded in agreement "Yeah, me too"
The waitress returned with their bill, they paid and rose from their chairs. Gibbs grabbed Jenny's hand as they together walked through the restaurant to the wardrobe to receive their coats.
On the way back to the car, Gibbs wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her close to him; Jenny slid her arm around his waist. When they reached the car Gibbs turned her toward him and before she could do anything, he gently pressed his lips against hers. She felt his lips on her own; it was a sweet feeling, over far too soon as Gibbs pulled away reluctantly, uncertain if she had appreciated the gesture. When he looked at her, he noticed her eyes were still closed. Her eyelids fluttered open when he didn't kiss her again, and she stared up at him. Without a word she pulled him back until she felt his lips again. She gave him a deep, romantic kiss before she withdrew her head.
"Let's go" she said hoarsely to her smiling husband. Without further words she climbed into the front seat of their car; Gibbs quickly joined her inside the car in the driver's seat.
On their way home, Jenny tried furiously to make up her mind regarding if she wanted the date to continue at home or not.
When they reached their house, Jenny quickly got out of the car, still without having made up her mind. She unlocked the door and stepped inside, Gibbs was right behind her.
They took off their coats in silence and started to make their way up the stairs. Gibbs walked behind Jenny, his gaze was glued to her naked back and he watched in amazement how the dress rippled when she walked. When they entered their bedroom, Jenny walked to the chest of drawers; on top of it she kept her jewellery. She took off her necklace and was busy with her earrings when she felt hands her husband approaching her from behind. Gibbs placed his hands on her hips; he bent down his head to kiss her neck and shoulder. Jenny tilted her head a bit; allowing him to explore her neck with is mouth. Gibbs smiled against her skin, glad she hadn't pushed him away.
Jenny's mind was still working hard in order to try and figure out if she was up for this.
Gibbs gently turned her around, placing his warm hands on her bare back. He hungrily covered her mouth with his, kissing her forcefully but passionate, and his joy was immense when he felt her kissing back. He quickly slipped his hand underneath her dress along her sides, touching and caressing her soft skin. Jenny pulled her fingers through his hair and she kissed him with passion. She was aware of his hands, but nevertheless enjoyed the touches. She felt his hands wander up her back, and slowly started to pull off her dress. Jenny broke the kiss and pulled away from him.
"Jethro" she panted, placing her hands on his chest as to keep him from pulling her back.
"You don't want to?" he tried to keep his disappointment from his voice, but failed. Jenny shook her head and Gibbs hands slid back down to the small of her back as he sighed.
"Ok, I'm sorry" he said and met her gaze; trying to look apologetic, but had a feeling he failed that too. Jenny couldn't help but to smile at him.
"Don't apologize, especially not after those kisses" she replied. Her smile faded as she continued "I just don't think I can tonight"
"Whatever you want" he assured her and gently placed a kiss on her forehead.
"But know that I love you" she whispered
"Yeah, I love you too" he replied and hugged her tightly. Jenny placed her head on his shoulder while they hugged. They stood close together for several minutes, until she finally pulled away. She silently turned around again and pulled out the second drawer and picked up a silky nightgown. She could still feel Gibbs' hands on her hips, but he slowly withdrew them as he turned away from her. Jenny walked into the bathroom to get ready.
Gibbs looked after her as she went, and he sighed as she disappeared from his sight. In a way he was surprised, she wasn't usually the type to turn him down like this. 'Maybe she thinks it feels a bit awkward; we have slept together only once since she became Director…' he thought, but wasn't sure if he believed himself. He got undressed and put on sweatpants and a t-shirt to sleep in. Jenny emerged from the bathroom, dressed in a pale blue silky nightgown. She gave him a weak smile as she passed him. He headed toward the bathroom, but turned around in the door way and looked back at her. He watched her climbing into bed, her red hair spread across the pillow when she laid her head down. He walked off.
Jenny lay still awake when he returned; she appeared to be waiting for him. He hurried to his side of the bed and lay down on his back. She curled up beside him; placing her head on his chest, directly above his heart. One of her arms was draped over his belly.
"Jethro, I really had a good time tonight" she had said it before, but she felt like she needed to say it again.
"Me too" he replied "Well, good night Jen" he added and kissed the top of her head.
"Yeah, good night Jethro" she said softly and raised her head to place a kiss onto his lips.
Gibbs turned over, his back toward her, and closed his eyes to go to sleep. He felt her arms slip around his waist as she moved closer to his back. He enjoyed the closeness; glad she wasn't acting a total stranger. Because according to him, they were now doing better than they had in a very, very long time, and he felt genuinely happy. Then he felt something that made his heart beat faster; Jenny placed soft kisses on his neck. He abruptly opened his eyes, thinking he had just imagined the feeling. Then he felt it again, soft lips against his skin.
"Jenn-mmm!" her name turned into a loud moan as she hit the spot in his neck that always made him go crazy.
"Yes, Jethro?" she answered, sounding very amused at the affect she had on him. She took his earlobe between her teeth, biting it gently as she waited for an answer from her beloved husband.
"I thought…I thought you didn't want to-" his voice trailed off.
"I changed my mind" she whispered seductively into his ear and pulled him down on his back and climbed on top of him. She kissed him with full force and he wrapped his arms tightly around her and rolled them over, leaving him on top.
Later that night, they lay close in the bed, their discarded clothes scattered on the floor. Jenny rested her head on his chest, directly above his heart, her favourite place to rest. Gibbs had his arm wrapped around her warm body.
"Jethro, do you know what I think?" Jenny suddenly asked, without moving her head.
"No, Jen. I do not" he replied lightly and slowly rubbed her upper arm.
"I think…" she started and lifted her upper body so she was facing him. The street lights shining in through the window lit up her face slightly, her hair was messy but her eyes were sparkling brightly, she was beautiful. "I think we've just found our way back to a happy marriage" she said and leaned in and kissed him romantically. When she pulled away, she met his gaze.
"Really? I didn't notice…" he joked and pulled her back for another heated kiss.
"I love you" Gibbs said the next time she pulled away. Jenny did not answer immediately, but laid herself down comfortably, placing her head on his chest, directly above his heart.
"I love you too" she replied and fell asleep listening to the safe and calm sound of his heartbeats.
The End
So, this is the end of Always Faithful. Long chapter, I know :) But, I have two sequels that I'm gonna write to this story. So keep your eyes open if you are interested!
Thank you all for reading, and please, please review!!
Take care,
Emma