A/N: Apologies for the major delay – I'm up to date now... My muse left me and real life got in the way. Don't you just hate that sometimes? *hugs*
March 3
"Only when you know why you do things will you know whether they are worth doing." - Vernon Coleman
Jenny Shepard needed a strong cup of coffee.
Her morning had slowly gone from bad to worse. First, Cynthia called in sick, leaving Jenny to organize the rest of her day and handle the numerous phone calls generally diverted away by her trusty assistant. Then, SecNav had demanded a conference call regarding budget cuts and solved case rates. Plus, if the empty bullpen was anything to go by, Gibbs' team were out in the field. Another murder.
Jenny shivered as she closed her office door.
It was not a good day.
***
Gibbs had bought flowers for 4 women in his life. Shannon, Kelly, Abby and Jenny.
Glancing over the tulips and the roses, his eyes settled on a bunch of beautiful lilies. Their sickly sweet smell hit his nostrils, bringing a warm smile to his face. They were perfect.
Not quite stupid enough to walk through the bull pen to her office with them, he paid for delivery.
Jenny loved lilies. He remembered watching her play with the petals one summer afternoon as they walked through the busy streets of Paris. He remembered the soft glow of her cheeks as she'd blushed when he handed over the flowers a few hours later; mesmerized by the gleam in her eyes as she thanked him.
A little while later, he let himself into her office, coffee cup in hand. She looked stressed. Apparently, the person on the other end of the phone had made the mistake of questioning her authority...
Placing the cup down, he leant over to kiss her hair before leaving without a word.
He'd see her later anyway.