Title: Snow Day

Author: madpsychogirl

For: Aunt Kitty

Rating: T

There were certain aspects of winter that Jenny Shepard loved.

The smell of roasted chestnuts as she drove past the vendors in the city, the mix of cinnamon and spices from the various candles dotted around her home – a domestic and seasonal touch she always allowed herself. The crisp mornings after a snowfall and the feeling of knowing she could work from home, dressed in her pajamas and not having to brave the biting wind or the heavy traffic that never seemed to cease around the holidays.

As Director of NCIS, the few hours Jenny had outside the office were dedicated to sleep and paperwork. Having sacrificed so much to gain such a position of authority, the strive to excel and maintain such high standards kept her focused and fighting.

A scheduled day off was a rarity Jenny allowed herself to recuperate. To catch up on sleep or go for a run, with her trusty security detail of course. To be a normal woman who could watch TV all day, curled up on the couch and eating an entire tub of ice-cream without feeling guilty. As a woman in her field, she knew the leading men almost expected her to work twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week without a regard for her non-existent social life, let alone her sanity. And as much as Jenny found her mind wandering to the job in her own time, like a case Gibbs' team were investigating or the best way to deal with an aggravating phone call earlier that day, she created the boundaries to allow for a well-earned break – one that right at this moment, consisted of a certain ex-Marine whose lingering hands were somewhat of a distraction from her thoughts.

"Tease." She nudged him softly, smiling at the warmth of his chest against her fingers. Outside, the temperature would barely reach forty, while wrapped inside her duvet with Jethro's strong arms around her and their shared body heat, she wouldn't be moving for the rest of the evening. Without a word, Jethro simply shrugged and carried on his wander across her body. His eyes were darker than usual, a sign of his arousal as he let his gaze follow his hands. "I love the snow." She whispered, enjoying the way her body had completely relaxed – a rarity nowadays.

"Me too." He agreed, leaning forward to kiss her cheek. Sometimes, his tenderness surprised her. And then every so often, he took her breath away with the raw passion and power he poured into his kisses or his touches. The way he would knead her hips as they made love or envelop her body with his against the door of her office.

"When I was younger, I loved the idea of getting snowed in. I thought it would be the perfect way to spend Christmas, stuck inside in front of the fire or curled up in bed."

Jenny felt Jethro still, his hand stopping just below her navel. She waited patiently, knowing he would be thinking of the best way to phrase the words that were on the tip of his tongue. "I loved Christmas with Shannon and Kelly. They both loved the snow too. And minced pies." He smiled fondly, while Jenny couldn't resist the urge to stroke his face. Light stubble across his jawline made her fingers tingle, reminding her just how long they'd spent away from the outside world.

Tony had already left a message on Jethro's voicemail to see if the older man was actually alive.

Jethro hadn't replied.

"What time are you leaving tomorrow?" She asked, lifting her leg up the length of his.

Nuzzling into her hair, he sighed deeply. Instead of replying, he pulled her as close to his body as possible and kissed her, biting her bottom lip and running his tongue along afterwards.

And just for now, she didn't care about anything except this moment, this man in front of her. Because sometimes, it was all that mattered.

"He could be dead for all we know." Tony paced the bullpen with Ziva and Tim watching him from their respective desks. The team were in a little later than usual, the traffic from the recent snowfall causing havoc on the roads. Gibbs was yet to arrive, or contact anyone on the team after his absence from work several days before. "We should ask the Director? Maybe she's seen or heard from him? I wonder who his next of kin is? It must be her, right?"

"We don't know anything has happened to him, Tony. Just relax."

"That's exactly it, Probie. We don't know anything!"

"This is not the first time Gibbs has gone away for a few days." Ziva spoke up, her eyes following the man in front of her. "He can look after himself."

"And he'll kill you for even considering anything otherwise."

"It's almost Christmas." Tony stopped in front of their boss' desk, glancing over it as if the answer to his absence would be right there. "What if he's hurt? Or run off to Mexico for a vacation without telling us?"

"Tony-"

"Maybe he got married again and is on his honeymoon."

"Not quite, DiNozzo." The man in question appeared from the direction of MTAC.

Ziva noticed his dishevelled hair and slightly blushed cheeks, but didn't make it obvious. McGee saw the faint touch of a smile on the older man's lips as he walked past and something that could only be described as peace in his eyes – something they didn't see very often, the ghosts of his past often haunting him more than he'd ever admit.

Tony on the other hand, didn't notice a thing. He was too busy avoiding a headslap for worrying so much and half-yelling at his boss for not contacting anyone.

"I know it's only been a few days but there needs to be a rule about contacting co-workers so they know you're alive."

If Gibbs was the type of man to roll his eyes, he would have. Instead, he simply glared at the younger man but touched his shoulder with a slight affection that Tony certainly wasn't expecting.

"McGee, Abby wants you to go and see her." He turned back to his desk, coffee cup in hand. "Something about finding Ducky's stash?"

Tim choked on his own coffee, earning suspicious looks from the three people opposite. Making a quick exit, he headed for the elevator still trying to calm himself.

"I don't even want to know." Tony mumbled, settling himself back to his own desk. "Why is it that three days before Christmas and we're stuck doing paperwork."

"Would you rather we were outside taking photographs of a crime scene or searching for the smallest piece of trace evidence?" Ziva teased, flicking a piece of paper across to him.

"I do quite like being able to feel my toes." Tony agreed, throwing it back without even looking. "It's just boring sitting here doing nothing."

"I could always send you home to do nothing. Permanently." Gibbs threatened.

Tony yelped. "I'm being overdramatic boss, I love paperwork."

"Good." A soft voice appeared from around the corner, red hair and smart suit as impeccable as always. "Because you may be stuck doing it for a few days." The colour drained from Tony's face as every possible scenario flashed through his mind. "We've been requested to stay on the Yard until it's declared safe to leave. The snow is causing chaos out there and we can't risk our safety just to get home."

"But it's Christmas!"

"I am very aware of that, DiNozzo. I'm afraid I don't have the final call."

"So we're snowed in?" Gibbs spoke up, the twinkle in his eye for Jenny's eyes only.

"Yes." She replied simply, then turned on her heel and left the younger agent gaping.

"I will get supplies together." Ziva suggested, pulling out her cell phone to call McGee. Gibbs smiled as she dragged Tony with her.

It would be a good couple of days.

A knock on Jenny Shepard's office door promoted a number of different responses depending on the scenario. For example, after a particularly stressful phone call, the idea of speaking to someone else so shortly after often turned out worse for the person behind the door. If she was nearing the end of the day, the sound of knocking often brought a sigh of exhaustion to her lips. If Jethro was in front of her, working the buttons of her shirt or ignoring them completely and squeezing her inner thigh in just the right place to make her moan, her adrenaline definitely spiked to think that someone could walk in just seconds after.

But today was different.

Today, the soft knock on her office door made her stomach clench to something that closely resembled butterflies. Because the Director of NCIS was currently lounging on her couch, dressed in pajamas she kept locked in her bottom desk drawer for emergencies. And to have a member of her staff walk in right now would completely ruin her reputation. Praying it was a member of Gibbs' team that would respect her either way, she called to let them in.

"Jen?" Jethro closed the door behind him, not noticing her on the couch until the soft click of the lock had slid across. "You okay?" His eyes took in the length of her as he moved closer, smiling at the snowmen on her pajamas and the pink fluffy slippers she wore.

His favourites.

Reaching out to touch them, he let his fingers graze the naked skin of her foot, working his hands up her pajama bottoms to her legs.

"You're out of your work clothes too." She noticed, running a hand across his shoulder and bunching the neck of his hoodie to pull him closer. "I love your red hoodie."

"I love you in this red hoodie. It compliments your hair."

Smiling, Jenny kissed his jaw then across to his lips as she pulled him on top of her. Sliding her knee up his thigh, he moaned as she rubbed him through his sweatpants. Growling softly into the kiss, Jethro squeezed her hip and ground his hips against hers, earning a moan from her too.

"Wait." She stopped, resting her hand on his neck. He obliged, leaning back slightly to look at her. "Have you ever had a snow fight?"

Jenny watched as Jethro's entire face changed – he went from completely aroused to laughter – his eyes shining just like earlier in the bullpen. "Is that a trick question?" When she didn't answer but turned away, he touched her chin to make her look at him. "Kelly loved snowball fights. Ever since she was old enough to run, she was outside in the snow trying to throw it at me."

"Kinda one sided fighting a Marine."

"Not when I'm up against my daughter it wasn't." His tone softened, the smile from a lifetime of lost memories. "As she got older, she learnt to throw just as good as her Dad."

"I have no doubt." Jenny agreed, touching the lines of his eyes that creased as he smiled. Down his cheek to the curve of his jaw, the dimples at the side of his mouth. "Can we?"

"Have a snowball fight?" She nodded, finally moving her hands up to his hair. "Of course."

"I've never had one before. And I figured..."

He silenced her with a kiss, his fingers softly touching the side of her face. Again, his tenderness surprised her. "I'll teach you how to make the best snowballs that fly the furthest."

Shifting to leave, Jethro placed his hands on either side of her shoulders as leverage to stand up. Not letting him go just yet, she wrapped her legs around his back, pulling him back down on top of her. Chests, stomachs, hips and thighs touched, the heat between them making Jenny bite her lip to stop herself moaning again.

"Not yet." She arched her back, leaning up to whisper in his ear. "I have to give you your Christmas present first."