Chapter 8

Jenny and Gibbs' relationship was just getting better and better since the trip to NCIS which had warmed Tony to Gibbs.

Everyone at NCIS had noticed the change in Gibbs he was less grouchy, smiled a little but, took longer coffee and lunch breaks and actually went home a lot earlier at a reasonable time.

Ducky couldn't help but think how good this Jenny and her children were for his friend, he had seen Gibbs go from wives to relationships and he had never seen him this changed, this happy, this content.

Cassy, Jenny's friend at work had also noticed a change in the redhead, She'd seen her go from being married to being divorced to being single again to being now in a potential serious relationship, Jenny was happy, happier than she'd been even when she was married to Ed. She noticed that the redhead spent a lot of her break, lunch and free lessons on the phone talking to someone while twirling her hair around her finger as if she was flirting with whoever was on the other end.

….

"Going home boss?" Stan burley asked his boss as he go ready to leave on a Friday night at the end of the day shift earning a glare from their other team member Will Decker.

"It's the end of our shift isn't it?" Gibbs asked as he pulled his jacket off of the back of his chair and put it on, he himself getting ready to leave for the weekend.

"Well yeah but you don't have a life so you…." Stand began but stopped when he saw a glare he was getting from his boss.

"What he means is boss…" Will interrupted trying to soften the inevitable head slap that was coming Stan's way "You usually stay late" he explained to Gibbs.

"Got Somewhere to be" Gibbs mumbled after checking his phone for anything from Jenny, but there was nothing.

"Realllllyyy" Stan almost laughed "You have a hot date with that Jenny women?" he asked, looking at the lady that had stopped by the other day made him think that maybe his boss was right about going after redheads.

Gibbs didn't reply, he just shrugged his shoulders before walking to the elevator with a smug smile on his face.

…..

Jenny was beginning to regret letting Tony and Abby invite their friends over, it wasn't that she didn't like Tim and Ziva, she did. They were both really sweet and fun but both came from strict families, Ziva being Mossed or some sort of secret agency and Tim's being an admiral. So this meant that when they got together with her children they became loud and a little over excited.

"Pizza" she yelled having put some she'd ordered on the living room table along with some drinks. All four of them came running into the room from Abby and Tony's now messy room where they had been playing cowboys and Indians or at leady she thoughts that was what they were playing.

"You guys can watch the film while you eat" she told them as Abby and Tim sat on the sofa and Ziva and Tony sat on cushions on the floor, Jenny dimmed the light once the children were comfy and had got themselves pizza before pressing play on James Bond -the world is not enough.

She herself then retreated into the small kitchen where her mobile phone was ringing "Shepard" she answered not bothering to look at the caller ID.

"Hey Jen, it's me" Gibbs' voice floated through the phone.

"Hi, the kids have just settled in with a film, you sure you still want to come over?" she asked him in a low whisper.

"Of course" Gibbs answered her "Why don't you want me to come over?" he asked cheekily.

"Of course I do" Jenny assured him "I just don't want you to feel uncomfortable around all these kids" she told him thinking that it couldn't be easy with Kelly.

Gibbs smiled to himself as he looked up to the apartment from where he sat in his car "It was a long time ago, I'll be fine, but I loved that you thought of me" he told her making her heart swell just a little "Now buzz me in" he said now standing outside the door.

Her only reply was to buzz him into the building, he put the phone down and back into his pocket before walking up the stairs taking two at a time.

By the time he got to the apartment door it was already open and Jenny was standing in the doorway, expecting him "Hi" she smiled as he walked towards her.

"Hey" he grinned before reaching out to her and pulling her close to him by her waist before kissing her hello quickly, not wanting to get caught by the kids, not sure how it would freak them out.

"Mmmmh, you want coffee?" she asked once they'd pulled apart, Gibbs' only reply was a look that said, 'what do you think', she smiled before grabbing his hand and pulling him into the apartment, "Stupid question I know" she almost laughed as they walked into the living room.

"Gibbs" Abby whispered not wanting to disturb the others.

Gibbs went to the back of the TV "Hey Abs" he whispered to her before pressing a quick kiss to her hair, then he looked over to Tony to see him looking at him and decided just to give him a little nod and Tony responded in the same way with a slight smile before Ziva jabbed him in the shoulder which made him look back at the TV.

The special agent then turned and followed Jenny to the kitchen, taking the opportunity to take a quick glance and her ass in her figure hugging jeans, the redhead turned and looked at him with a raised eyebrow, Gibbs just shrugged his shoulders before going over to her freshly brewed coffee pot.

Jenny couldn't help but stifle a laugh, she liked the fact that he looked at her ass, it made her less self-conscious about her body, it made her feel more confident, no man had ever made her feel that way not even Ed, there was just something about Gibbs, his rough, gruffness that was just so charming, so appealing, to her so very sexy.

They both then sat down at the kitchen table, Gibbs put a cup of coffee in front of her and one in front of himself, he reached across the table and grabbed her hand, rubbing his thumb over her knuckles. "So…" he smiled at her "How was your day?" he asked.

"Long" she told him before taking a sip of her coffee, he knew just how she liked it. "But I got everything marked" she told him "How about you any cases?"

Gibbs shook his head "Just paper work, otherwise I would still be there"

"You didn't have to come" Jenny told him "I mean you've spent like every Friday evening and most of Saturday with me and the kids, are you sure you don't want time to yourself" she asked.

"I like spending time with you guys" he told her "But if you want me to go, just say the word and I'll go" he assured her, letting go of her hand.

"No" Jenny shook her head "Believe it or not, but you are most definitely growing on me" she told him with a bright smile before they both leant across the table, just as they were about to kiss her phone began to ring again ruining the moment. "It seems I'm popular this evening" she groaned before getting up and going to answer it, leaving Gibbs with his coffee.

A couple of minutes later Jenny walked back into the room having walked out of the kitchen for some privacy, "Everything okay?" Gibbs looked up at Jenny.

"I have to step out for a little while an hour tops I promise a friend needs me or something, can you look after the kids?" she asked feeling a little bit rushed and under pressure.

"Sure" Gibbs nodded "What should the kids do after the film is over?" he asked not sure if they had plans or whatever.

"Uh" Jenny thought for a moment "They are staying over there should be mattresses set in Tony and Abs' bedroom or they might fall asleep where they are, I'll be back soon" Jenny assured him pressing a kiss to his lips before leaving out of the kitchen then the front door, Gibbs couldn't help but wonder what friend would want her at seven on a Friday night.

….

Almost two hours later and Jenny wasn't home, Gibbs couldn't help his gut churning.

The film had finished soon after Jenny had left and the kids had been wondering where she was so he just told them that she would be back soon, they'd gone to go play in Tony and Abby's bedroom, he hadn't heard anything for the past ten minutes in there and wondered if something was wrong.

He walked over to the children's bedroom and opened the door and smiled at what he saw, Abby was fast asleep on top of her bed covers her hair still in tight pigtails and dressed in her clothes, Tony was asleep on the edge of his bed, his head, arm and leg falling off of the edge dangling dangerously over Ziva who slept soundly on the mattress by his bed snoring loudly and Tim slept soundly on the mattress next to Abby's bed, not making a sound.

It brought back memories of looking in on Kelly before he himself went to bed to join Shannon after hours in his basement working on the boat, he'd always gone over to her and kissed her on the forehead, wanting to protect her from nightmares, to keep her safe, let her have a goodnight sleep.

He sighed "Sleep tight guys" he mumbled into the room before closing the bedroom door softly behind him.

As Gibbs walked back to the kitchen to get another cup of coffee he heard a car door shut outside, wondering if it was Jenny he walked to the window in the living room and looked down at the street below, what he saw shocked him.

A man got out of an expensive jag and ran around to the passenger side and opened the door and outstepped Jenny with a big smile on her face, he then watched as the mysterious man and Jenny link arms as they walked to apartment door, Gibbs didn't like how close they stood, how Jenny smiled too much, was she flirting, his heart began to beat way too fast for his liking.

He moved away from the window not wanting to look at more, would Jenny really be the type to cheat, the type to lead him on so much, to take him to the edge of falling in love with her to not have her beside him in the same position, maybe she was just with a different guy.

Hearing her key in the lock brought him from his thoughts, he watched as the door opened and Jenny walked in "hey" she smiled at him "You okay?" she asked seeing his skin was pale and his eyes looked lost.

"I'm fine" he said giving her a fake smile "The kids are asleep, I should go" he told her before going to the door but Jenny blocked his way.

"What's wrong?" she asked her hands going to his shoulders.

"Nothing I'm fine, I just think it's time for me to go" he told her shrugging her hands off as she moved out of his way, seeing he was in no mood to argue and neither was she.

"Okay, I mean you don't have to, we could watch a film, drink beer, eat left over pizza" Jenny suggested liking the idea of a night in with him.

"Maybe next time" he suggested before going to open the front door, he was about to walk out when Jenny grabbed his shoulder and turned him to face her.

"Hey" she told him to get his attention "Call me tomorrow?" she asked him.

"Yeah" Gibbs gave her a small smile before walking out, without kissing her making her feel confused and upset.

Jenny shut the door and rested her head on it, she didn't understand what was going on, he'd been fine, his normal romantic, charming self but when she'd come back he'd been weird and she just didn't understand why.

Meanwhile Gibbs went home to the solitude of his basement where he couldn't get the image of Jenny with that guy out of his mind so he drank some bourbon and that still didn't work so he drank more and ended up drinking more and passing out drunk in his basement, something he hadn't done in a very long time.

TBC…

This idea hit me this morning, I hope you guys like please review