A/N: One more part left after this that I'm hoping to be able to post tomorrow(;
I'm not very confident about the this and the next chapter so I'm relying of feedback.
Thanks for all the reviews! Happy reading!

Part IV

Leroy Jethro Gibbs was sitting on a black leather seat nursing a glass of bourbon. He has been ordered to come to the little shindig that NCIS was throwing on. To his surprise, Hollis had been invited as well. If he didn't know better, he would think that inviting Hollis as one of the representatives of the Army was Jenny's idea to torture him. But, he knew better.

He looked to his side watching as Hollis conversed with Ducky. Moments later, she was just talking to Abby about something that Abby was interested in. Hollis was becoming a small hit in his little family. The life of their little table, stealing the spot light from Abby who was usually the table's entertainment as well as DiNozzo.

"Having fun, Jethro?" Hollis whispered to him getting out of her conversation with Ducky.

"Nope," Gibbs replied curtly taking a sip of his bourbon and following another figure, dressed in some shade of green walking from one table to another, because she was a great host.

She thinks I can't see the smile that she's fakin'

Director Jennifer Shepard approached decked out complete with a genuine smile on her face. She hadn't expected them to come and when her party planner had informed her that they had returned their RSVP with a 'yes', he made sure that they were all seated together.

"Hello," Jenny greeted smiling at Abby's director as she stood up in her elevator shoes and knee-length black dress hugging Jenny. Ziva did the same with the customary cheek to cheek with her old friend.

"Are you guys okay? More champagne?" Jenny asked fussing over them like only a mother would. "Bourbon for you, Jethro?"

Hollis looked over at Gibbs shaking her head. "I think you've had enough, honey."

Hollis then plastered a fake smile on her face trying her best to make it genuine. It didn't quite work. It wasn't that it was hard, it was just that she knew she shouldn't even bother because Jethro wasn't even paying attention to a thing that she does. When Jennifer Shepard was near him, all his attention went to her. Her, and nobody else.

Her boyfriend was in love with someone else, what was there to smile about?

Jenny tilted her head in Hollis' direction subtly, asking Gibbs what was wrong with her. He shrugged looking at Hollis as her fake smile was still on her face as she looked down taking her fork and playing with her side salad to give her some sort of distraction for just a few moments.

After a brief moment of silence, Jenny finally spoke up.

"Well, gotta do rounds," Jenny smiled at them walking away. Parties like this always did make her happy. It showed who she really was; the Jenny that wanted everyone to have fun, the Jenny who had fun. Gibbs missed this Jenny and if shindigs like this would what brings it out of her, then he would gladly attend more.

He turned back to Hollis who had now stopped mindlessly picking on her side salad.

"You okay?"

Hollis put on a smile, "Never better."

Poses for pictures that aren't being taken.

As the shindig died down and the team were planning to leave, Gibbs stood up pulling the chair out for Hollis to stepped out. She smiled at him then over at his team around the table who took no notice. Her movement was so calculated that Gibbs knew she was trying something out of her comfort zone, and one look to his right, he knew why.

Jennifer Shepard was on her way to the door as they were, and she was watching them.

"Director," Hollis greeted her with a small smile wrapping an arm around Jethro's waist keeping him close and marking her territory.

"Colonel, Gibbs," she greeted them with a smile and a nod seemingly unfazed by Hollis' attempts to make her jealous and make her 'territory' known. Gibbs didn't know what to make out of her 'non- reaction,' but he figured that now wasn't the time to re-asses his relationship and feelings with Jennifer Shepard, especially when there was another woman who was wrapped up beside him.

Though, maybe it's time to re-asses his relationship with Colonel Mann.

As soon as they got inside the car, Gibbs looked at Hollis shaking his head.

Hollis looked up at him curious. "What?"

Gibbs just shook his head once again sighing. He wasn't in the mood to talk.

He never was in the mood to talk.

"What's wrong?" Hollis asked innocently.

Hollis urged him on trying to get him to talk until he finally did.

Gibbs shook his head, asking, "What do you have against Jenny?"

Hollis shook her head as well. "Oh like you don't know, she wants you!"

Gibbs stayed silent.

"And you want her just as much as she wants you! Tell me, Jethro, what the hell am I doing here? Stop using me and just tell me what it is that you want from me!"

"I'll drop you off your place," Gibbs said starting the engine of his car. It was the only thing he could say. He wasn't very good with words, especially when he was in this state. He didn't like being turned inside out and he thought Hollis was slowly learning that fact.

Apparently not.

"Jethro…"

Gibbs didn't reply, he just sped off in the night in silence.

Comments/Criticism? No flames please.