Author: CafPow

She stared around her room with her hands on her hips, where could they be, she brushed her hair away from her eyes angrily and dropped to her hands and knees. She lifted up the valance on her bed and squinted into the dark space under her bed, nothing, she sat up and looked around the floor, biting her lip she opened a drawer and grabbed a flashlight. She looked under her bed again pointing the beam of her light into all the hard to see places, still nothing.

Getting more irritated by the minute she looked between her drawers and her bed, beside her closet and in every corner, still nothing. She had searched her whole house from top to bottom and there was no sign of them. She opened up her closet and sat on the floor in front of it staring at the empty space between her chocolate Prada stilettos and red strappy Gucci wedges, the space usually occupied by her favourite black Cox courts.

She sighed and sulked, thinking of the soft black leather and 5 inch heels with platform soles, giving an extra six inches to her height. So comfortable to walk in, and they go with just about anything, pants suit, skirt, and any colour, except brown obviously. She would have to rethink her entire outfit for tomorrow; she was going to wear her black pants suit with a cream blouse and pearl earrings. She could still wear the cream blouse and pearl earrings but she could wear her tan linen pants suit instead and suede courts.

She glanced up at the clock and grudgingly pushed herself up from her comfortable spot on her thick carpet; she slipped into her silk night gown and climbed into bed beside her pile of paperwork. She flicked on the lamp beside her bed and pushed her glasses onto her nose, she picked up the top file and propped it open on her knees. Her eyes flew over the page drinking in the detailed case notes, stopping for a second as she reached the description of a shoe found at a crime scene, black leather platforms. Her mind immediately drifted back to her missing shoes, she put them in her closet, she knew she did.

Jenny walked into her hall hanging up her coat and slipping off her shoes as she did every night but tonight, she picked up the shoes purposefully and carried them to her closet. She turned on the light and stopped staring at her shoe rails, another pair had gone, no another two pairs of her perfectly aligned shoes were missing. The eighth pair in four days, her shoes weren't just walking off somewhere; someone was taking them, why would anyone want her shoes?

She made a list of the shoes that had gone missing and took a photo of her closet using her digital camera. She stared at the list, someone was taking her shoes the day she wore them, the black courts disappeared on Monday, the suede courts and her white Gucci sandals on Tuesday, her red strappy Gucci wedges and her chocolate ankle boots on Wednesday, her black knee-high boots and black Prada stilettos yesterday and her ugg boots she had worn on her walk in the park this morning had gone since she left for NCIS headquarters.

She turned around and looked at the pair of black peep hole shoes, it didn't make sense. She picked them up and put them in her closet knowing by Saturday evening they would be gone. Only two people had access to her home, herself and Noemi, she wasn't taking her shoes anywhere and she couldn't imagine Noemi doing anything of the sort. She made a mental note to ask Noemi if she had seen anyone around the house over the last few days before settling down to her paperwork.

Gibbs leaned back in his chair enjoying the peace in the bullpen, they had closed their last case the previous evening and so far no bodies had turned up in suspicious circumstances on navy soil. He smiled as he saw Jenny walk past in a hurry and head up the stairs carrying an extra plastic bag. It didn't surprise him that as soon as McGee had taken his seat and opened his mouth to sip from his coffee cup that his phone rang,

'Gibbs,' he listened and put the phone down. 'DiNozzo, McGee, Ziva,' he motioned for them to follow him headed up the stairs where Abby ran into him. 'The director just called me to her office,' she opened her mouth wide and looked behind Gibbs to Ziva, Tony and McGee, 'are we all in trouble?'

'Only one way to find out.'

Gibbs walked straight past Cynthia and pushed open the door to Jenny's office, Abby, Ziva, Tony and McGee followed him in. Gibbs took a seat in one of the leather chairs opposite Jenny's desk and clasped his hands together, Jenny leant against her window with her arms folded and her brows furrowed. She glared at the door and Tony made to close it,

'leave it,' she snapped, Tony jumped away from the door looking at Gibbs for instruction.

'Sorry I'm late, oh,' Ducky appeared in the doorway and shut the door hurriedly behind him and taking a seat beside Gibbs.

Gibbs looked expectantly at Jenny as she gave him a Gibbs stare,

'What?' He asks perhaps a little too harshly,

'explain,' she snaps as she slams his case file from the previous day on the desk.

'Explain what, Director,' Gibbs asks too politely, a sure sign of danger.

'Why you defied a direct order from both myself and the director of the FBI and pursued a suspect involved in a terrorist cell under investigation by the FBI. You jeopardized an undercover operation of six years by barging in there guns blazing.'

Gibbs nodded, 'only the suspect got hurt, no agent was compromised, we treated them like all the others and released them as they had no involvement in the murder of Petty Officer Bradley,'

'be that as it may, you defied orders and I spent half the night in MTAC assuring the directors of the FBI, CIA and homeland security that NCIS will not jeopardize their agents again. I want your assurances that you will not go behind my back like that again, or I'll have all of you confined to desk duty.'

Everyone swallowed nervously and looked towards Gibbs, 'that all director?'

'Yes, Tony could you stay please,' her eyes were narrowed as they followed Gibbs out of the room.

'What can I do for you today Jenny,' Tony asked looking at her from the other side of the room,

'well, it's a delicate situation, I think someone has been going into my house and taking er personal items whilst I am out,' his jaw dropped.

'You mean they broke in?'

'They have a key,'

'What exactly did they take?'

'Over the past 10 days, 19 pairs of shoes, and er, um,' Jenny looked at the floor nervously,

'and what Jenny?' Tony asked,

'a pair of panties,' she continued to stare at the floor,

'what kind of panties?'

Jenny raised her eyebrows at Tony, 'okay, so they have a key and they have taken 19 pairs of shoes, and a pair of your, panties, they leave anything? Do anything else around your house?'

'Well, there is something, the shoes and underwear were all stolen the day after I wore or used them.'

'I'd guess it's someone who see's what shoes you're wearing everyday, was there anything special about the er panties,' Tony asked nervously, he tried to hide his obvious amusement and curiosity about the Director of NCIS's panties. She swallowed and tucked her hair behind her ears and nodded slightly,

'they were a present.'

'How many people know about the present?'

'2 until I just told you,'

'I bet that's who's breaking in; who gave you the panties and what exactly do they look like?'

'An ex, red lace french ...er thank you Tony, you can go now.'

He nodded and grinned as he left the room, he now had a whole new mental image to play with, red lacy French knickers, he would never cease to amaze himself with the information he can coax out of someone unsuspecting. He looked over the railing down to the bullpen and spotted something poking out from one of the drawers, he tilted his head an shook it comically, he had to be seeing things. He hurried down the stairs for a closer look and pulled out a pair of red lacy French knickers from the drawer, this was just too good an opportunity; he carefully took them from one drawer and replaced them in another.

Jenny sighed as she walked into her closet not daring to imagine what she would find today, it had been three days since she had spoken to Tony and four pairs of shoes and half her wardrobe had disappeared in the previous days. She flicked on the light and stared at the almost empty shoe rail, one pair of shoes left and one jacket and shirt and pair of pants. The red Airwair boots Jethro had bought her when they passed through Wollaston in England, the home of Doctor Marten's footwear, she snapped out of the memories of the rows of different coloured boots and the smell of fresh leather and focused once again on the fact he had probably taken all her shoes except these for some reason.

She slipped into her usual evening routine with her paperwork and tonight a glass of bourbon, she studied the files not really reading them, the words flowing over her head as she delved into her past trying to work out the significance of the boots, jacket and panties. The file slipped as her eyes closed and she fell into an uneasy sleep where shoes ran away from her and Tony appeared wearing her missing underwear and Dr Marten's boots whilst Gibbs looked on laughing at her, all her shoes and clothes behind him, she caught sight of herself in the mirror and realised she was stark naked and in front of the whole of NCIS. She awoke with a start and half consciously turned off her lamp before rolling over and falling asleep once more.

Jenny stepped inside the elevator and pressed the button for her floor, she licked her deep red lips nervously as she waited for the doors to open. She was down to her last pair of shoes and obviously her outfit had been picked deliberately, she knew what he was thinking of, she just couldn't work out why. They had flown along the country lanes in Northamptonshire, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire on a Suzuki, her arms wrapped around his waist, her hair blowing wildly in the wind.

She remembered the last night they had spent there, in a peaceful country park surrounded by rabbits, it was pitch black and ridiculously late. They had both been ignoring the sexual tension between them; she had fought the urge to accidentally let her hands drift southwards whilst on the bike until that night. She looked into his blue eyes as the countryside was dappled in moonlight and couldn't resist them, she found herself drawn closer until her lips met his.

She jumped as the doors opened and hastily left the elevator realising she was flushed and breathing rather deeply. She looked down at the bullpen and saw Tony hiding behind his magazine shaking with laughter, she decided to head down towards them and walked down the steps. 'But Ziva how did they get there?' McGee was asking Ziva, pointing into his open drawer. Ziva giggled as she looked inside and shook her head, 'I have no idea, did your girlfriend put them there?'

McGee frowned at her,

'what size are they?' Tony asked eagerly, already knowing the answer,

'UK 12, they're English French knickers, interesting,' McGee lifted the lacy panties up into the air and Tony snorted as he noticed Gibbs stood behind McGee.

'McGee what are you doing with women's underwear?'

'I, er, I, someone put it in my drawer boss,' Gibbs frowned,

'oh really, and who might that have been DiNozzo?' He asked accusingly, Tony sat up quickly and caved at the stare,

'it was me boss, I moved them from,' he stopped realising someone was stood behind him too. He turned to see Jenny with her arms folded dressed in a red silk shirt, a leather jacket, black pants and red boots,

'hi, director, I found them in Ziva's drawer she's got a thing about bringing her underwear to work.'

Ziva glared at him, 'that is totally untrue, I've never seen them before in my life,' Jenny nodded,

'I know Ziva, I also know where Tony moved them from and who moved them before that,' she smiled slightly at Gibbs, her head tilted to one side slightly. He looked down at her feet and smiled, then followed her legs upwards and the red silk to her face framed by her red hair.

'I see I won our bet Jen,' he smirked, he studied her face as she wondered what he meant by bet, then the realisation hit her and she nodded,

'I guess ya have.'

Tony, Ziva and McGee stared from one to the other and back again,

'McGee give the director her panties back,' Gibbs asked quietly, McGee stared at the garment he was still holding and practically threw it at Jenny looking mortified.

'They're only panties McGee,' Tony jibed,

'but they're her panties,' McGee whined quietly, 'it makes me uncomfortable.'

'So to my winnings,' Gibbs spoke loudly covering McGee's twittering about inappropriate relations and his boss's underwear, Jenny thought for a second,

'your winnings, let me think, what would they be,' Gibbs stared at her earning himself a stare in return. 'A bottle of bourbon wasn't it Jethro,' she looked up and eyed her office,

'I'll come and collect that bottle now then director.'

Jenny walked towards her office closely followed by Gibbs, she slipped into her office and he closed the door behind them,

'I hope you remember what you bet against me Jen, it certainly wasn't bourbon,' she nodded blushing slightly.

'I remember, come by my house tonight,' she sat down in her leather chair and leaned back showing him the soles of the Dr Martens boots she was wearing.

'Told you I'd get you in those boots and leather jacket again.'

She grinned as she walked through her door and saw a jacket lying on the banister, she headed straight upstairs to her closet and shook her head as she found it the way she had left it a fortnight ago.

'How did you do it?' She asked him as he appeared by her side, 'You've been at NCIS headquarters all day,' he grinned back.

'a magician never gives away his secrets.' She laughed at him, her eyes shining as they met his, 'come on, I've got to collect my winnings,' she allowed him to direct her down the stairs and through the dining room into the garden.

The sky was a deep navy blue and everywhere was quiet save for the rustle of the leaves in the gentle summer breeze. The trees met overhead forming a screen around the garden and a canopy over one corner, the only light came from a blue spherical light hanging from one of the trees. A blanket was spread across the grass and a bottle of bourbon sat beside two glasses. She smiled a true smile lighting up her face as she turned to him, their eyes locking as they had done on that first magical night.

He lifted his hand and slipped it between the leather of her jacket and her skin stroking her neck, she leaned to the side allowing him more access as he leant down to kiss her throat and slipped the jacket from her shoulders.

'What did you bet me Jen?' He asked gently breathing on her neck, she sharply inhaled as he found her tender spot,

'me,' she breathed. 'I said you could have anything you wanted,' her eyes closed as his lips touched her collar bone. 'Do anything you wanted,' she finished slipping her arms around his neck.

'Do you know what I want Jen?' He asked stroking her jaw with his fingers, she looked into his eyes seeing what she saw all those years ago,

'I think so,' their eyes closed as he pressed his lips against hers, all their pent up emotions flowing to an explosive release as her fingers scraped through his hair and she pressed herself against him. He pulled her closer by the waist stroking the small of her back in the same motion he was massaging her tongue, tasting her sweet taste. He pulled back suddenly an spoke against her lips,

'I want you to be mine Jen, forever,' she pressed her smiling lips against his and ran her tongue between his teeth.

'Forever Jethro.'