A/n: So this is a little bit of what Jethro does while over seas. I have no clue what actually happens so I made it up. I didn't want to write out all the letters; I wanted to make Jen's special so hers is written out in itallics. I wanted to give you a hint of what is to come with Ziva/Tony as well as Jethro and Jen. Reviews are always welcomed!

A Marine's Return

7

Jethro's Year.

The heat is intense; borderline unbearable. The sun beats down on anything and everything it can reach; baking, frying and grilling. Jethro sits inside the barracks in Baghdad; cleaning his three firearms. He has his sniper rifle, a SIG like he had at NCIS and a small caliber back-up that was kept in an ankle holster. His boot knife had been sharpened yesterday, as had his partner's. Rule number 9: always carry a knife. That was what he told him. Actually that was what he told everyone he's worked with over here. Especially the few females stationed with him.

Truth be told he is bored. His return is helping him, but he misses having some action. All he does is the graveyard shift. He guards the capitol building. All he does is make a note of who enters and who leaves. It kind of reminds him of Marseille; the only thing missing is Jenny.

Man did he miss Jenny. She had stayed with him at his place before he left. They slept in the same bed; acting like they were married. It was nothing like his previous marriages to Diane and Steph; it was like what he had with Shannon. It was like his first marriage without him trying to replace her.

He decided not to "replace" Shannon or Kelly; he knew that it was impossible and would only hurt him and whoever he tried to put in their place. It was easy to love Jen for being Jen. She didn't sugarcoat anything, but she spoke what she felt that you needed to hear. She was kind; once you got passed the shell she had around herself. Not many people had gotten through her shelly shield. He counted himself lucky for being one of those select few people who got to get to know the real her; not the person people see on TV. He knew that when he came back he was never gonna let her go again. Once was painful enough; he didn't want to let her go a second time.

"Gunny!" A voice startled him from his thoughts. He looked up and saw one of his female co-workers.

"Yeah?"

"Mails here. You have quite a few letters this time around." She handed him a stack of letters and left. He looked down at his stack and saw that the top one was from Abby. The following letters were from: Tony, Tim, Ziva, Ducky, and Jen. But there were two left the first was from SecNav and the last was from Director Shepard. Curious he opened the letter from his former boss.

The letter was written in formal tones telling him that with new found funding the director was starting a training Academy; stating that the Probie Agents needed a uniform training program and assigning them to teams insured only uneven training. The director further explained that the academy would be in the same facility as the NCIS Gym building which contained full workout rooms, sparring rooms, Olympic sized pool and a shooting range. The top floors were full of rooms that could be set up to train Probies in interagation, clearing a scene, evidence collection protocols and other useful skills that he tried to teach his probies (Tim and Jenny included).

The letter also stated other changes to NCIS including hiring two interns to work in Abby's Lab and another M.E and a forensic Anthropologist to work alongside Ducky and Palmer in Autopsy. The letter than stated that the only problem he had encountered was that she needed someone to run the academy. And that after talking to many team leaders and past agents that Gibbs' training was the best that can be given. She offered the job to him telling him to think it over; he had until a month after he returned stateside to get back to her. She than stressed that if he took the job he could still date her and the job gave him in her eyes equal status. She hoped that he agreed and wished him a safe return.

Jethro put the letter down and was stunned. Jen had managed to achieve a lot; though he thought that she shouldn't be surprised. She wondered how she had got Abby to let her hire interns. After all Abby like to work alone; the debacle with Chip and him framing Tony proved that. He was very happy that Ducky and Palmer were getting help; he felt that they needed it. He turned toward the letter from SecNav next. Opening the letter he read.

It was pretty much the same information that came in the Director's letter. The last paragraph told him that if he should accept the position it would not only mean a pay raise as he would be in the same pay bracket as the Director but that the position was similar to Jen's in that he would answer to the SecNav and not the Director. He added a personal note saying that the position would mean some amount of paperwork but he felt that Gibbs would do a very good job. He also wished him a safe return and invited him to dinner when he returned.

Now he was interested. They had talked and discussed him running the academy. He would definitely have to think on this. Now he turned his attention to the personal letters. He started with Jen.

Dear Jethro,

I hope Iraq is treating you well. We all miss you here stateside. I heard that you were on guard duty to the Capitol Building, or whatever they call there. Sounds like Marseille. Remember? Life here goes on. I've had a few offers from men on the Hill for Dinner, but I always say that I am in a relationship and that he was serving our country overseas. The last time that happened I wondered if you thought that we were in a relationship of any kind. I mean I know that I stayed with you before you left, and that we said we would try to have a relationship when you returned but I felt like we had one during those few weeks and I was wondering if you agreed.

The team is the same, solve cases and file reports. I would tell you more but I think that they want to tell you. I hope you read the letters from SecNav and myself (return address says "Director Shepard" because I wanted it to come from a professional. If you have already read the letter I beg of you to seriously consider taking the position.

I know that you would need something to do other than build your boat. And I know that your training saved my life more times than I can, or care to, count. I know that others would benefit from you training.

I have three words that I long to tell you, but I will wait until I see you to tell you.

Always and forever,

You're Jenny

He was now very curious. But he had to go eat before his shift in ten minutes. He grabbed Abby's and Ziva's letters to read while he ate. Grabbing his firearms he secured his back-up around his left ankle, clipped his sig to his waist and slung the sniper rifle across his back. He left the barracks and made his way to the mess hall. Grabbing a plate of food he headed to an empty table and sat down. He started with Abby's letter.

Abby was doing fine. She told him how Jen convinced her to get interns and her bowling high scores. She slipped in an update on everything telling him every other sentence that she missed him. She said that he better come back alive otherwise she would kick his ass. She signed the letter with the promise to write more next week.

Laughing at the young woman he considered a daughter. He put the letter in his pocket and opened his other surrogate daughter's letter.

Ziva was doing quite well. She resigned Moussad and disowned her father and had gotten a green card with Jen's help. She was now staying in Abby's other room. She said that she could feel the ghosts in his old house and didn't feel comfortable staying there without him, but she went by every weekend to check on everything and she asked if she could do anything for his boat. She tells them that the team is doing well; Tony is acting like Tony and not trying to be Gibbs. She tells him that Tony keeps flirting with her. She wonders if she should go out with him; see if there is anything there. She wished him luck in his endeavors and a safe return.

He forgot about her fear of ghosts; he understood the need to let them be. But he thought that the ghosts followed him around and not the house. He decided to sell the house and get rid of the ghosts once and for all. He wondered if Jen would let him move in; after all they had lived together before; granted that was almost a decade ago and they were different people now than they were then. But if all went to his plan they would have to live together anyway, and he did not want Jen trying to compete with ghosts.

Time for duty. He hauls himself out of his seat and returns his tray before grabbing a Humvee with the 5 other people on his shift. They drove to the building to get the days assignments. Jethro was assigned the North side on the roof; right above the back door. Nodding to the others he makes his way to the staircase and runs up the stairs to relieve the officer currently on duty. He reaches the roof and knocks three times waits then three more times. It was a signal from him to those on the roof that he was coming. Opening the door he makes his way over to the north corner as he hears the signal again. He relieves the officer; a young man about 23 years old; he looks very tired. He and the rest of the guard leave and Jethro's team take over. Similar guard posts were on every building important to the new government and some of the newer schools were guarded by Iraqi officers.

Jethro settled down for a long night. He couldn't wait to be home. Only six more months. He passed the time by remembering the days he and Jen were partners in Paris.

They were pretending to be a married couple and lived in a small flat. The fact that they were lovers made the living situation interesting but not totally awkward. They would wake up in the morning with Jethro's arms wrapped around Jen and her head on his chest. They would get up and shower together. After getting dressed they would both sit in the small kitchen and drink a cup of coffee before leaving to tail their suspects of if one of the other agents had them that day they would keep their cover by doing the things that a married couple did: shopping, eating in small cafes and acting like a couple.

Then Jethro found that he missed being married; to someone he loved. Then he realized that he loved Jen. His gifts to her were always something that she could use or small pieces of jewelry: a coat and bracelet he gave her once. The coat was left on the plane with a letter and the necklace to let him know that she had left. But that didn't matter anymore; it never really did; only his pride told him that it did. But she loved that coat. Maybe he should get her another one. He remembered the store where he found it. It was right next to a jeweler's shop. He remembered her window shopping there. She pointed out a beautiful ring that sat in the window; it was a gold band with a decent sized diamond with a smaller sapphire on the left and an emerald on the right.

He decided to leave a few days early and make a side-trip to Paris to see if both stores were still there. If so then he would buy both the coat and the ring. He would give her the coat when he got back and propose with the ring on Christmas; if he could wait that long.

His backup plans were on Thanksgiving or on his birthday. He wanted to wait until Christmas but waiting wasn't always an option and if he waited too long she would be gone, and he didn't want that.

Only six more months until he saw her face, touched her lips, tasted her felt her in his arms.

And he couldn't wait.

A/N2: So now I want your opinion: Should he propose on his Birthday (I am having it be November 11; based after the episode 'Honor Code' in season three.), on Thanksgiving or Christmas. Let me know what you think.