Blades of Love

by MissJayne

for OrphanActress818

Jenny was surprised at the knock on her front door. It was Christmas Day, and she had spent it all alone. For once, she had taken the day off work, having decided that she worked every other day without a break and she deserved some time to herself for once. She was fairly sure that Gibbs' team were meeting up at some point, and she did not wish to intrude on them.

So who would be at the door? Fighting down the terrifying feeling that she was going to have to deal with a drunk Tony, an annoyed Ziva, a hyper Abby and a tired McGee, she rose from her couch and headed towards the now continual knocking. Someone certainly wanted to see her urgently. She briefly wondered if it was merely some carol singers, before pulling the door open.

She was not expecting this visitor.

It had been snowing gently over the last few days, and her whole road was lightly covered in it. The local children had taken to building snowmen and throwing snowballs everywhere, forcing her to dodge several as she had walked inside the previous night. The air was cold and crisp, with the odd snowflake still falling. A few flakes were nestled in the silver hair of her visitor, one Leroy Jethro Gibbs.

She had not expected him to leave his basement on this day. He was not one for celebrating the holidays, presumably because they reminded him of the family he had lost. When they had been in Europe together, she had been the one to arrange for a small reminder of home, often with a simple tree and a little bit of tinsel. He had smiled and gone along with it, but she had seen the pain in his eyes. More recently, she had watched him ignore the holiday completely, normally signing up to work the shift through it. Lately, they had been getting closer, although she had definitely not expected this.

Quirking an eyebrow at him, she stepped back to permit him entrance. He obeyed, wiping his feet on the mat to prevent snow from getting all over her carpet. She did not push him, waiting to see what he would say.

"Grab your coat," he ordered.

Today was full of surprises. They were going out? To where? Knowing he would merely ignore her questions, she kept silent, snagging a coat from her closet and following him back outside the door.

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Gibbs was privately amazed that she had agreed to come with him without having a clue as to where that was. It was an indication of how much she trusted him, he guessed. There had been a great deal of trust between them when they were partners – it helped that their lives had been in each other's hands so many times – but since she had left him, their working relationship had not been as smooth.

Slowly but surely, things seemed to be changed between them. He liked where it was going, and was careful not to force anything too quickly. He wanted her to feel comfortable rather than rushed. She had yet to object to anything he did, probably because it mainly consisted of him bringing her coffee and food when she was working late. And they had been talking a lot more, about everything and nothing.

He had missed her, missed being close to her and sharing all the little things. He had been driving home a few nights ago when he had spotted something he was sure she would love. His initial plan had been to drag her from her office in the Navy Yard, although she had confused him by taking the day off. This has not changed his overall plan too much though, and he was still sure that she would enjoy it.

He stopped the car, and let her eyes drift over to where they would be going. Not bothering to wait for any comment or question she might have, he opened his door and stepped out into the wintry air. He pulled her coat out from the back seat, unwilling to let her get too cold, before opening her door and bundling her up warm. She smiled at him, before asking the question he knew she was desperate to ask.

"Why are we at an ice skating rink?"

He resisted the urge to laugh, recalling her mentioning back in Serbia how much she had enjoyed ice skating as a child. She did not seem to think he had remembered it, and he had never reminded her.

Catching her arm gently, he propelled her towards the entrance. "I thought you might enjoy it," he admitted.

The smile she gave him was enough to make his heart melt. "I'm sure I will," she whispered back.

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The log fire warmed Jenny up as she sat next to it, but it did not warm her as much as the arms of the man around her.

She had slipped over on the ice after they had been out there for a while. He was a surprisingly good skater, which had led to her hiding a few smirks. What other hidden talents did he keep secret? She had always been adept on the ice, although he had seemed a little uncertain, as though it had been a while since he had last donned his skates. Suspecting the last occasion might have been in happier times much long past, she had held her tongue.

It had felt good to skate with him. At first, they had raced each other, their usual competitive selves shining through. Gradually, they had come closer and closer together, until they had been holding hands and then he had wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Unfortunately, this had led to her tripping over. Although relatively undamaged, her ankle was still aching, so he had taken her back home.

She had invited him in, not wanting their time together to end just yet. She had made up the log fire in her study, while he had carefully poured them both some bourbon. They had ended up sitting on the floor, with him cuddling her close to keep her warm.

Not that she planned to object. She was comfortable and she felt cared for, even loved. Their breathing was the only noise in the room apart from the crackling of the fire. They did not seem to need anything else.

He broke their stalemate, softly pressing kisses to her hair. She snuggled deeper in his arms, allowing him access to her neck, an opportunity that he did not pass up. Her eyes drifted shut, trusting this man to protect her from whatever might come their way. His lips gently pressed against her cheek, and she moved to capture his lips. Their kiss was not hurried, but tender, each trying to show the other how much they cared.

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As the fire died out in the early hours of the morning, the newly-reunited lovers drifted off to sleep. They had no need for anything but each other.

THE END