As I was working on OFAS, there was this plotbunny that wouldn't stop annoying me. So I decided to give in.

Weak, I know. but we can all use some more Jibbs. I admit, it's a bit sad, but I like it this way :-) Enjoy!

Spoilers up to 4.02 Escaped

It Comes At Night

He took a closer look at her face, it hadn't changed much over the years. Granted, she had aged a little but you could hardly tell by looking at her face. She looked away when she felt his eyes on him. That alone confirmed his suspicions.

"You don't want me back."

"No I don't." She had her Director mask back on, her face covered in indifference. But somewhere inside him told him he knew better.

"Afraid you won't be able to handle me Director?"

" No Jethro, I'm afraid you wont be able to handle yourself. You've already been in two comas you might not come out of the third."
The mask was slipping by now. Through the cracks he could see Jenny again, the Jenny he knew all those years ago, and the Jenny he still got to see. Sometimes.

"The fact is, you're good. The best. when you're as good at something as you are, when you can make a difference like you can. You just don't quit."

This time it was him that looked away, she had a point. And he had been wrong again. She did know how to handle him. Maybe even better than he knew himself. He could hear the sound of her heels on the stairs. But then they stopped. And the sound became a little louder. He lifted his head again. She was walking down the stairs again, coming back to him. There was a fire in her steps, but when he finally saw her face in the soft light he could see it wasn't anger that caused the fire. It was worry. She was afraid, and he could see that now.

"Do you have any idea what it was like? We were worried sick about you! Abby stopped playing music in the lab, Tony didn't even reference a movie once. And Ziva and McGee, don't get me started on them. McGee looked like someone had kicked his puppy and Ziva didn't say a word. And I have know Ziva for many years and that has never, ever happened."

"Jen, calm down."

"I will not calm down." Her voice continued to rise with every new word. " You can't tell me what to do Jethro, technically, I'm still your boss, and so help me God, if you do decide to return I'll have you doing desk work for the first two months."

"Jen, Jenny." He tried to interrupt her outburst but it seemed like it wasn't working, it did make her realize how loud her voice had gotten and she lowered her tone.

"And another thing. If you ever scare me like that again I'll kill you myself and find a way to bring you back just to do it all over again."

He tried to hide his smile, he had no doubt she was capable of doing it. Well, at least the first part.

"You're a great Agent Jethro, possibly the best this Agency has ever had and I can't lose you just yet."

"You can't lose me?"

"You know what I mean, me, the Agency."

He nodded, not really sure if he should believe her. She turned away again and walked up the stairs.

" Jen?" When she heard his voice, she turned around. " I'm not going anywhere, you know that right?"

With tear filled eyes she nodded and left his basement. She didn't even make it to the front door before she broke down and just cried. She cried away all her emotions, all the problems and last but not least, all her worries.

Finally she had a chance to say everything she still wanted to tell him, but she didn't. Instead, she had kept their conversation focused on their jobs. Stupid, stupid.

She rested her head on her knees as she sat in his hallway and kept replaying his last words over and over again in her mind.

"I'm not going anywhere, you know that right?"

Did she? Did she really know that? He had left her before, and the last time he did it was still fresh in her memory.

With her head on her knees she kept repeating the words she should have said all along. Ever since he first woke up in the hospital.

" I love you, I'm sorry. I love you, I'm so sorry."

She continued to sit there for a while, until there were no tears left to cry. It was a miracle he hadn't heard her but at this moment, she was glad about that small fact.

Silently she made her way out of his house and softly closed the front door behind her. The only plans she had left for tonight were to curl up in her king-sized bed and to sleep until this day was finally over.

The alarm clock next to her bed changed its numbers again. It was now 3.53 am and she hadn't slept the entire night, not even for five minutes. Annoyed, she pushed back the covers and went downstairs to the kitchen.

After she made herself some tea she sat down on the couch in her study, and pulled her feet up. Ever since she could remember, this had been her favourite place in the entire house. She used to watch her dad work from this couch. And when she got older, she did her homework on this couch, remembering all the times she spent with her dad in there.

Thinking about her parents was still difficult. Even though both of them had died a long time ago she still missed them. More than she'd like to admit. She wondered, if she missed her parents this much, how it would hard it must be for Jethro to miss Shannon and Kelly.

Her head shot up again and she almost spilled her tea. She had tried so hard, so very hard, but still her mind drifted off to Jethro.

How did he do it?

Three days.

Three days had past since she visited him in his basement.

Three days since he had decided to return to NCIS.

Three days since he had last seen her. And not just him, it seemed like she had disappeared of the face of the earth. No one had heard from her in those last three days and he was starting to worry.

Ah, who was he kidding, he had been worried every second of those last three days and only tried to keep himself busy while doing it.

Cynthia had told him he was acting Director until she returned. But no one could tell him whenever that would be.

He had made up his mind, something told him there was something wrong and he left the building and headed for her house. His search would start there.

He noticed that her car was still in the driveway. Maybe she was still home, or maybe she took off without her car.

He went to the backdoor, he hoping she still kept her spare key in the same place as she did all those years ago.

Apparently luck was on his side today, it didn't take him long to find the key and he entered the house. It was dark, the curtains were still closed and with his hand on his side arm he made his way through the house, searching for any trace of her.

Any indication to where she might be.

There was nothing out of place in the kitchen, living room, study or in any other room downstairs so he decided to head upstairs. The door to her bedroom was slightly opened, just a small crook. He peaked through it.

And there she was, tangled up in her sheets. Like she had nothing to be worried about.

But then he noticed the bottle of bourbon and the half filled glass on her nightstand. Maybe there was something she was still worried about.

Softly he entered the room and approached the bed. He tried to get a good look at her face, any indication to tell him that she was awake. But as he looked at her tear stained face, he knew she was far away, dreaming.

He smiled as she pulled her pillow closer, hugging it fiercely and not letting go.

"Don't go. Please, I need you."

It took him a second to realize what she had just muttered in her sleep.

Was she talking to him?

Was she awake?

But there was no sign for either of those things. She started to twist and turn in her bed. A pained look on her face. He couldn't take it anymore, he slipped off his shoes and got it bed next to her. He pulled her close, her head underneath his chin and his hands slowly stroking her hair and her back. Her breathing evened, he could feel it.

Softly he whispered to her, as a last attempt to calm her down, and to let her drift back in a dreamless sleep.

"Don't worry Jen, I'm not going anywhere."

Doesn´t that pretty button look especially shiny today? I polished it just for you!