POV change between Gibbs and Shepard
Its just after 0100, I can't sleep. I never really had trouble sleeping alone until a month or so ago. When Jenny, Abby, and myself went to Louisiana, sense Jenny had slept on my chest I've not been able to fall asleep by myself, I want to call her, but she's probably asleep or with someone else.
But then again, maybe she keeps the same schedule she kept in Paris, she usually didn't go to bed until 0230, she never did need much sleep then, at the very least most of the time spent in bed wasn't sleeping.
I still think about Paris, a lot more then most people know.
I gather all the strength I have and dial her number. You'd think calling a woman wouldn't be too scary, I've been blown up at least twice, that wasn't nearly as scary as this call.
It rang once. Twice.
My phone rang, who calls at 0123? Seriously? It rang again, I guess I should go get it. I walk over to the table on the other side of the room where my phone was, its Gibbs.
"Shepard."
"Hey Jen, did I wake you?" he asked.
"No, I haven't gone to bed yet. Is everything ok? Was there some murder I need to know about?" I asked, I really hope there wasn't anything going on.
"Oh no, I was just thinking about Paris…" My heart skipped a beat, Paris, it all flashes back so quickly, the flowers, the missions, the late night activities… "Jen, you still there?"
"Yea." I choked out. "So what makes you think of Paris at this time of night?" I asked.
"I don't seem to sleep much and thinking about what McGee and DiNozzo might be up to is too terrifying." He said sheepishly.
"Well you could always tell them they have served enough time and let them go back to their apartments." I suggested.
"Do you think three days is enough to convince them to be good boys?"
"For McGee probably, but then again DiNozzo is a different story." After a minute or two of silence, "Is there something I can do for you Jethro?"
"Always." He said, "But tonight, tonight isn't like that." Isn't like that? If he doesn't want to relive Paris, what does he want?
"Then what is tonight like?" I asked.
This is horrible, I should be able to say I want her over, but its so hard. "Daddy needs a Mommy to make the little ones breakfast tomorrow." There I said it, I want her here with me.
"What have they been eating the last couple of days for breakfast?" she asked with that tone that always makes me smile, its playful and light.
"Drive-thru, but I have been told growing boys need a healthy breakfast to grow big and strong, and take-away doesn't seem to count as healthy at all." I replied.
Deep inside my stomach I was hoping she would just give in if only to stop this conversation, "Fine, what time should I come over in the morning?" she asked.
"I'm not sure, the boys wake at weird times, a lot in the middle of the night, and there isn't any healthy snacks made for them to eat for their middle of the night snacks, so they could try and sneak out for more fast food."
"Maybe I'll just come now then." She said coyly.
"That could work." I said, with a smile forming on my face.
"Ok, I'll be over soon enough. See you then Jethro." I said as I hung up the phone. I got butterflies in my stomach. I have no idea what it is about him, but when I'm close to him, in an nonofficial capacity, and some times at work, he makes me feel like a teenage girl all over again, with a silly school girl crush.
I got out of bed, grabbed an over night bag and the stuff I was planning on working on tomorrow, and got into the car.
I didn't know what to think as I drove up to his house, the lights were on in the living room; I walked up to the door and knocked not waiting to wake anyone who may be sleeping.
My stomach was doing summersaults when Jethro finally opened the door. He leaned over, grabbed my bag and kissed my cheek.
I followed him up to his room, took my jacked off and hung it in the closet. We didn't speak, just both got into bed, I put my head on his chest and fell asleep almost instantly. It was the first time in weeks I had be able to fall asleep so easily.
I woke up the next morning, its 1023, I hadn't slept in like this in a long time, I felt something pushing on my chest, I looked down, there she was, the most beautiful thing I could imagine, Jenny was snuggled up on my chest.
She was still sleeping; I brushed the hair off her face and just looked down at her. I could have stayed like this forever; I wish I could have stayed like this forever, but there was a loud crash just outside my door.
The noise woke her up, "What was that?" she asked.
I shook my head, "I'm not sure, I'm guessing the boys are up to no good once more." I reluctantly got out of bed and went over to the door, once opened, I saw McGee and DiNozzo rolling on the floor having some kind of fight. I looked back over at Jenny, "And you thought they should be allowed to return back to their apartments."
"Uhm, Hi Boss." Tony said with a grin, "This isn't what it looks like."
"Really Tony, I'd love to know what it is then." I said looking down at the two who were scrambling to break apart and stand up.
"Well Probie and I were…."
"What Tony's trying to say is that I was getting ready to take a shower and he jumped on top of me like a spider monkey." McGee said.
"Ok. So how is that different then what it looked like, DiNozzo?"
"Ah, well McGeek failed to mention I had called dibs on the hot water." He said, he had to have known that was a feeble excuse to jump McGee, but then again it is Tony.
"Right, McGee, you have ten minutes for your shower, then DiNozzo, you can have your ten minutes." I said.
Tony was the first to protest, "Gibbs we aren't Marines, it takes way more time to get washed and ready to go for the day."
I turned back to him, "You're right DiNozzo," he started to smile like he won a prize or something, "If you were a Marine, you'd be given 3 minutes and have to share cold water with McGee, so be grateful."
"Always boss." Then DiNozzo scurried back to his room and McGee shot himself into the bathroom.
I went to turn my attention back to Jenny but she had already gotten into the shower.
I heard the door click, "Jenny?" he asked.
"Yes Jethro?" I answered.
"Mind if I join you?" That was a bit of a shock.
The director in me was screaming no, but the rest of me, "I suppose so." He got in next to me and began to wash my hair. It was all just as I had remembered; he was so caring and quite. I couldn't believe how much I had missed him over the years.
After I had dried off and gotten dressed I went to make some breakfast. When I entered the kitchen I was greeted by McGee who was washing some dishes. "Tony was supposed to have done these last night." He said flatly.
"Then why are you doing them Tim?" I asked.
"I would like to be able to go back to my apartment, and with the way Gibbs handles things, we are probably going to be released at the same time, so if it speeds the process up I'll do it. By the way, what are you doing here?"
"Gibbs said you needed breakfast that didn't come from a clown's mouth." I walked over to the fridge to see what there was to work with. "Tim, would you like to help?"
He looked railroaded, as if no one asked him to help before. "I guess so. I don't really cook that much though, mostly just make sandwiches at home."
"McGee, you graduated from MIT, I think you can handle breakfast." I said.
He helped me make some pancakes, eggs, and bacon. I am guessing the smell is what drew DiNozzo and Jethro to the kitchen.
I saw Jenny and McGee putting food on the table, and noted that the dishes weren't done from last night, "Whoa, McGeek, you made breakfast? And you didn't burn off your eye brows?" Tony asked as he slumped into a chair.
I slapped the back of Tony's head before sitting down, "Be nice, and McGee, stop doing Tony's chores, you're not going to get out any faster." I pulled the chair out for Jenny, she looked at me funny, but smiled.
After a few quite minutes of eating McGee piped up, "Uhm, Boss, how much longer are we going to be prisoners? Cuz I am out of clothes and I'm going to need to get more and my laptop."
"Fine, we'll go later and get your stuff. DiNozzo, stop playing with your food, you're not four years old." I barked at him. We finished breakfast, I asked Jenny to stay with Tony while I took McGee to get his stuff, "Make sure he does the dishes would you?" I asked her and kissed her cheek.
"No problem." I replied, as he kissed my cheek, I wish he would kiss my lips instead but I'll settle for the cheek for now. He and Tim left, and I turned to go find Tony. "DiNozzo, I'd suggest you get started on those dishes before Gibbs gets back."
"I guess pissing off the boss man again so soon would be a bad idea." He said and walked back to the kitchen. I followed him and offered to help. What I didn't expect was his choice in conversation, "So, Abby made some comment a few days ago about how we made the family upset, any ideas what she was talking about?"
I laughed internally. "We are the family, DiNozzo."
"Well that sounds like we are some kind of mob."
"Could be, but I choose not to look at it like that, we all pay our taxes." I said while putting away a dish.
"I always wanted a brother." He said as an after thought.
"Well aren't you lucky then? You've got a brother and two sisters." I said.
He stopped what he was doing and looked at me with a sad confused look, "Is it bad that I feel closer to you guys then my own family?"
I wasn't really sure what to say, I hugged him tightly for a moment, "Its ok Tony, its understandable, your parents basically left you with a blockbuster card and a bank account to raise you, and you put your life in our hands almost daily, it makes sense you're closer to us."
McGee was pretty quite on the drive to his apartment. I went up with him while he packed some stuff. "Boss, is it cool if I bring my typewriter? I usually work on my book on the weekend."
I studied him for a second, "It depends, what are you going to make me, I mean LJ Tibbs do in Deep Six: Tomorrow's Yesterday?"
He looked almost terrified, "How do you know the name of my new book?"
I rolled my eyes, picked up a copy of the latest book in the series, "Because, Tom, you wrote in the back cover that was going to be the next in the series."
"You…you read my book?" he asked.
"I've read all of your books McGee." I said flatly.
"But you didn't even know I wrote any until after this one came out."
"No, McGee, you don't seem to know how impressive my skills are, I bought your first book the day it came out, and have done so with the sequels."
"But home come you didn't say anything?"
"Because you went out of your way to hide it." He still looked confused. How could he think I wouldn't read his books? I was very proud of him each time another one came out.
"So where does that leave me with the type writer?" he asked.
"You can bring it with you, but just remember, Tony is there." I told him.
"Uhm, can I keep it in your room then, I doubt Tony will mess with anything in there."
I nodded my head and we went home.
I sat sitting on the sofa reading some reports for work. They weren't very interesting, it had been a pretty slow week at NCIS, but that's ok, slow week at NCIS meant no dead sailors or marines, so that was something to be thankful for.
I heard the door open, McGee and Jethro were back. Jethro told him to put his stuff up and get DiNozzo. He walked over and sat next to me. "So how was the other son?"
I put the file down, "He was fine, but funny you should say son, apparently Abby tipped him off." I told him about our earlier conversation and he just laughed.
"These children are going to be the death of me." He said. I was just about to try and kiss him when Tony and Tim showed up in the living room. He looked at them for a moment, "Ok boys, you two go take care of the lawn. And I don't want grass clippings all over the driveway and walkway." With that the pair looked defeated, nodded, and walked out.
We sat in an awkward silence for a few minutes; the teenage girl in the back of my mind was screaming 'Kiss him!' That was all I needed, I worked up all the courage I had turned to him and began to kiss him.
This was a shock. One minute we are just sitting on the sofa, and the next she's kissing me. I wrapped my arms around her and held her head. She was so soft.
A minute or so later we pulled apart. I still couldn't believe that had just happened. I mean, I had wanted it to happen, but didn't think it would. I put an arm around her and she snuggled up into my side, and there we sat in complete silence.
It was the perfect moment, the woman I loved, who could meet all of my challenges head on, was sitting in my arms.
I never want to move ever again. There is no place better or safer then where I am right now. The sound of his heartbeat is incredibly comfortable. So this is what it would have been like to settle down and get married. A lazy Saturday afternoon snuggled up with my husband, while the children attend to their duties, this is as close as I'm going to get to that idealized life from the fifties.
Before my mind could get control of my mouth I said, "I love you, Jethro."
He smiled for a moment and said, "I know." And kissed the top of my head. I still can't believe I let that slip, I had been holding that in for years, and now it was out there, and the only thing he could say was 'I know'? I would say I was disappointed or hurt by his reaction, but that would be a lie. I know him better then I know anyone else, its not something one says lightly, unlike myself who was over taken by my teenage girl side. I know he loves me, just as much as he knows I him, its not something that really needs to be said, but it happened.
To say I was startled by Jen's assertion would be an understatement. I held on to her a little tighter, never wanting to let her go, she soon fell asleep, I didn't want to wake her so I just sat there. I had planned on working on my boat this weekend, but this was better.
Two hours later the boys came inside, "Ok, we're done, now what do you want us to do?" Tony asked.
"Whatever you want as long as you don't break, steal, or harm anything or each other in any way." I replied. "Oh but Tim, can you grabbed a blanket and put it over her?" he nodded and came back with a blanket and draped it over her body.
DiNozzo came back a few minutes later with his laptop and put a movie in it, big shocker, DiNozzo and yet another movie, at least he put headphones on so I wouldn't have to listen.
McGee I guess stayed upstairs to work on his book.
When I woke up I noticed two things, one Gibbs hadn't moved, and two DiNozzo was sitting on the other side of the room with his computer. "Where's McGee?" I asked.
Gibbs looked down at me, "Oh he's off working on his latest novel." He said.
"With DiNozzo around?" I asked, with all the crap Tony gives him on a daily basis working on his novel like leaving the insult door wide open.
"Well he's in my room, so DiNozzo won't mess with him."
"I see, so how much longer are you planning on holding them hostage around here?" I asked him.
"I have no idea really. I was planning on letting them go soon, but every time I start to consider it, they go off and have a fight or something stupid like that and it changes my mind."
I nodded, but that didn't mean I didn't want to have him to myself before he changed his mind about us again. "I'm going to go check on Tim and use the head. Excuse me." He said as he got up.
I didn't want to get up, but I had to. After I used to facilities, I sat next to McGee who was flopped on my bed typing. "So what crazy mischief is McGregor up to today?"
"Oh, not much. I seem to be at a loss as to what to do." He said. He sounded frustrated at best.
"Well, what is going on at the moment?" I asked him.
It took Tim a moment but he finally said, "Well Tibbs and the director are in a weird situation…" he looked embarrassed and his cheeks were red.
"What kind of situation?" I asked him.
"They just woke up in the same bed…they, well you know."
I couldn't help but laugh, silly boy, "So what are they in a relationship now?"
"I'm not really sure. I mean they had been a long time ago in Berlin, but that was before he got transferred and now its all too complicated."
"Yea sounds about right." His books really were just a mirror of what was happening at the time. I mean the cases they solve were his own but everything else, just as it is in life. How does he pick up on these things?
"Well what should they do?" he asked tentatively.
"I don't know, if I was a woman I'd say they should talk about it, but sense I have a penis, I'm going to say they should just see what happens."
Then he mumbled, "You don't really have the best track record with women though." I slapped the back of his head, "Sorry boss."
Jethro came back to the living room with a strange smile on his face, he sat next to me and kissed my cheek. "What's so funny?"
"McGee." He said. "His latest book, Tibbs and the director hook-up." Man is he perceptive. Or maybe he has ESP and knows what it is I want.
Before I could say anything Tony was looking up laughing. Gibbs glared at him and he was quite once more. I looked down at my watch, "Its getting late, dinner?"
"Sure, where do you want to go?" he asked.
"I don't know, why don't you ask the kids?"
"Ok, DiNozzo, go get McGee." A couple of minutes later they were all in the living room, "What do you guys want for dinner?"
They talked it over for a few minutes before finally settling on some Mexican place.
Dinner went by without much event. Once home, McGee and DiNozzo said they were going to go sleep. Seemed really early to go to bed, but I'm not going to argue with them. Jenny went back to her reports, and I went back to my boat.
A hour or so later I herd a creek on the stairs, I turned and there she was. "Need help?"
"I guess I could always use another hand." She came over to me and I handed her a sander. I wrapped my self around her and we worked on the boat for a few minutes, she turned and face me, and kissed me again.
The events that transpired followed McGee's new book down to the letter, with the exception of location.
Sorry, I didn't write in the *blush* details, I don't have the stones for that. Upside? You get to use your imagination and it can be as questionable as you would like it to be…