Chapter 5

After Gibbs' hospital stay, Jenny had suspected a rift in the lovely couple's relationship. Jenny had slept there, waking up to Gibbs looking down on her with a smile on his face. He was discharged, and still, Hollis Mann was M.I.A.

Jenny had wanted to ask him about it, but she knew that it wasn't her place. So instead, she kept her distance trying to avoid him, while he was clearly trying to avoid her. She wouldn't admit it, but that day in the hospital sparkled a false sense of hope in her. A feeling that she knew she shouldn't be having about him… again. It wasn't until she saw the latest issue of Stars and Stripes (which somehow made it to her desk with a yellow post is instructing her to turn to page A3) that she pieced it all together.

It made her think about all the nice deeds that Gibbs has been doing for her and what it meant. It's been barely five days since he stopped doing nice things for her, so it must really mean that he was just after the vacation… right? That was why he stopped bringing her dinner and taking her out to coffee. It was the vacation, not because he felt the little moment that they had in the hospital. While a part of her hoped that it was the moment she couldn't help but wonder if she was right.

She may speak fluent "Gibbs," but she wasn't as fluent as she would like to be.

Unfortunately, her thoughts were cut short because Leroy Jetrho Gibbs had just barged into her office with a file in hand.

She immediately tucked the newspaper away so that he wouldn't be able to see exactly what she was readying.

"Need a signature," he said curtly offering her the manila folder with the NCIS emblem on the front.

"For?"

"Carson, Taylor. Turning him over to child services."

"What about his step-mother?"

"Can't. Not his legal guardian and way too many unanswered questions."

Jenny looked at him surprised. This wasn't the Gibbs that she knew. He would never think of separating a family like that because he knew how it felt first hand. Then again, if that was the case, he always made sure that the child was safe and in their custody.

Obviously, she wasn't very good at hiding her surprise at his actions because the next thing he says was, "Problem?"

Jenny shook her head. "No, I'm just surprised you're not talking me into letting him stay with someone from here."

This time, it was Gibbs' time to shake his head. "Not an option, we're not babysitters."

Jenny thought for a moment about how many times they actually felt like the babysitters. Like that one case when she was just starting out, what was his name? Zachary. Right, Zach. If Gibbs was able to take care of Zach, what was the problem now with this new child?

"So you're turning him over to child welfare?"

"No," Gibbs emphasized. "You are. As soon as you sign it."

He was extremely close to her now that she could smell the bourbon and sawdust from him. It was intoxicating her and she knew that she needed to put a fair amount of distance between the two of them for her to clear her head a bit.

"It's late of a Friday Night," Jenny replied rolling her seat a little further from him. Concentrate, Jennifer! "I mean, who's still hanging around in social services?"

Surely, they have lives unlike we do, she thought to herself.

"Have you got a better idea?" Gibbs challenged her knowing exactly what he was doing to her. He was baiting her knowing that she would take the bait and he could get her to let Carson stay with her, or at least him or someone from his team.

"He can stay with me," she stated matter-of-factly.

Gibbs withheld a grin from seeping out. She took the bait like a fish in water.

"You sure?"

"No," Jenny paused re-thinking her decision. This may be the only time she would get a child to live in her place, experience something other than silence around her home. "But, given my options, it's the decision I'm making."

Gibbs nodded with a smile. "Okay, come meet your new house guest."

Gibbs walked away towards the door hearing Jenny's retort. He didn't know how he should feel about it, but he sure did feel a pang of jealousy when she stated.

"Guarantee he's better than the last."

Jenny stood up following him out of her office to meet her new 'house guest.' Somehow, she had imagined Gibbs coming to check up on her to make sure that she could take having a houseguest that's a kid.

She opened the folder to see how this boy really was with his records but instead of seeing a custody transfer, it was an old case report.

"Jetrho, this is a case report. Not a custody transfer."

Gibbs looked back at her with a smile leading her out of her office. Cynthia wasn't in there anymore having ran out with a date and Gibbs was kind of thankful to be away from her assistants scrutinizing eyes.

"Must've grabbed the wrong folder."

"Go figure!" she exclaimed meeting him outside her office as she closed the door.

She looked down at the bullpen seeing the not so little boy that she was suppose to oversee playing video games.

"Looks like we missed the party," she noted motioning at Carson down at the bullpen with his team.

"At his age, the party never ends," Gibbs says recalling the times when Kelly was at that age. She would always be out and about with her best friend Maddie playing house, pretending to ride ponies and dancing all around the house.

He heard Jenny groan at his comment and a small smile once again was placed on his face. Jenny Shepard had no experience with children, and with one as sneaky as this one staying with her, he needed to see it.

"It's gonna be a long night," Jenny groaned jokingly.

"You're used to long nights," Though, he had meant that she was used to working long nights, it came out with a little different meaning. She looked over to him raising an eyebrow smirking.

Gibbs replied by placing a hand on the small of her back and leading her down the stairs into the bullpen. He called Carson over who stood at the end of the stairs watching them go down, his eyes fixated on Jenny.

"Jen, this is Carson," Gibbs said motioning Carson to step up. Carson offered her his hand; something his father had taught him. "Carson, this is Jenny. You'll be staying with her until we clear this whole thing up."

Jenny expected Carson to let go of her hand, she had expected him to shake it.

But, she had never expected him to kiss it.

"The bedrooms are upstairs, you can choose between the two guest rooms." Jen said heading towards the kitchen.

A bewildered Carson stepped into the foyer looking at the hardwood floors and banister. Gibbs brushed past the boy and followed after Jenny.

"What are you gonna feed him Jen?" He said eyes roaming the stainless steal kitchen; to bad it never got used by anyone other than Noemi.

She tilted her head in annoyance. "You don't have to stick around; I appreciate you dropping us off since Stanley has a family to get home to as well. But, if you're going to hover, you can leave."

"You know that is the same look Cynthia gives me every time I walk into your office." He said with that stupid grin he always had when he teased her.

"You deserve it." She said opening the fridge, just as Carson was walking in.

Both Gibbs and Mini DiNozzo (as the team so affectionately called him) cocked their heads to one side, admiring the view of her but as she fished for the meal she had Noemi prepare before hand.

As she found the food, her body tensed. Shit, she could feel the eyes on her backside. Jen spun around a slight blush on her cheeks. Both of the boys turned their heads in another direction, pretending that they hadn't just got caught checking her ass out.

"When you two are done, does pasta sound good?" She said eyeing the smirking duo.

"I'm not staying," Gibbs said turning to Carson. "You'll be good right?"

"Yes sir."

"Hold down the fort until I get back, and call me if you need anything," Gibbs said. "You watch her too."

Gibbs glanced over to where Jenny was heating up the food deliberately then back to the boy.

"Okay," Carson replied. Watching Jenny would be the least challenging thing to do, she was so great to look at!

He headed out of the room and the front door was shut before Jen faced him again.

"We're going to have fun right? Now that cranky Gibbs is gone." Jen said sliding a plate towards the boy.

"Yup!" Carson said looking up at Jenny trying to hide his mischievous smirk.

After Carson had called Gibbs while Jenny was washing the dishes, they played games. Jenny broke out the Twister pad, the Monopoly game set and the Mousetrap. They were some of the things that her father had used to entertain her to keep her away from pre-pubescent boys.

"Do you have children, Jenny?" Carson asked him looking around at her spacious living room. He could already tell that this place would be a great hangout. She even had a gigantic flat screen TV that he could see himself watching a bunch of movies on.

"No, Carson," Jenny replied hesitantly. "No I don't."

They were already cleaning up and Jenny had told Carson that he could go over to her study and put some music on and just relax. She knew that after the day he's gone through, he would need it.

"Are you sure you don't me to help clean up?"

"Nah, go over and play some jazz in the study," Jenny said motioning him to go out o the living room. "You know how to put on music right?"

"Oh yeah," Carson replied walking away just as Jenny bent down once again. He stared at her for more than he should've and Jenny caught him doing so.

"Carson! Study. Now."

"Yes, mistress," he said running out into the study and walking over to her iPod and plugging it to the speakers nearby.

Jenny shook her head with a smile still cleaning when the doorbell rang. She looked through the pep hole not saying that she wasn't surprised that he came by again to check up on them.

She opened up the door with a smile on her face.

"Surprised it took you so long," Jenny started. Gibbs raised his eyebrow not saying anything. "To check up on me."

She opened her door wider to let him in, tilting her head a smile still on her face. Gibbs still haven't said anything and let her ramble on. He was just admiring her smile and thinking about her and how she doesn't smile nearly enough as she used to almost nine years ago when they were together in Europe.

He couldn't help but think about the man who had stopped off at the headquarters today asking for Jenny, trying to take her out to dinner. The security guard was smart enough to drop the man off at the bullpen to him, Commander Skinner. The man that was in charge for blowing up the Chimera, even before they found out that they were out of the ship safe and sound.

He shook that thought from his head watching Jenny piece it all together.

"Except that's not why you're here, isn't it?" Jenny asked him.

He was still silent. If she was having a relationship with this Commander Skinner, he had no say in it. Meaning, he wasn't going to say anything about him.

He motioned towards her holster where her phone, pager, gun and badge usually sat. It was obvious that there was one less thing there.

Jenny followed his line of sight and noticed that her cell phone was missing. She scratched her head – a gesture that Gibbs found utterly… cute. Not that he would ever admit that to her, or anybody for that matter.

"Which would explain where my cell phone went."

"Kids," Gibbs replied as a way of explanation and trying to tell her that it wasn't her fault. He walked closer to the study and suddenly; his ear was filled with smooth … "Jazz."

"His favorite,"

"Ziva was right, he is DiNozzo."

Jenny chuckled quietly as they both stepped into the study turning their attention to the little boy who was currently drinking his hot chocolate. Jenny stayed behind watching their interaction from the doorway as Carson told Gibbs whatever it is that he called about.

After that was done, Gibbs walked over to her.

"I'd forgotten," was the first thing that Jenny said when he reached her.

"What?" He asked coming closer to her, probably one of the closest they had been for more than eight or nine years.

"How good you are with kids," Jenny continued closing the small gap between them as they talked in hushed tones while Carson sat back just watching this display of affection.

He smiled a little, his head falling down in embarrassment.

"You think he knows more than he's letting on?" Jenny asked changing the gears from personal to professional.

"I think he's worried about his dad, that's why he doesn't wanna go to sleep," Gibbs replied. Jenny looked over his shoulder and to Carson who was curled up on one of her giant armchairs, still cradling his now empty hot chocolate.

She smiled over back at Gibbs who looked at her curiously. "I guess he's not worried anymore."

Gibbs turned around and saw the little boy sleeping.

"You want me to take him upstairs?" Gibbs offered knowing that Jenny was more than capable of doing so but he was instilled with those morals of not letting a woman carry heavy objects. Especially an almost grown child.

"If you don't mind."

Gibbs walked to where Carson was sleeping, carrying him up the stairs and into the bedroom with Jenny in tow. They both tucked him in, watching him for a moment almost as if living in another life when they would have had a son, or, maybe a daughter about Carson's age.

But now wasn't the time for what ifs.

"I'm gonna go," Gibbs said hesitantly walking down the stairs. She fell a step beside him, walking down the few steps in silence. "He's gonna be fine."

"I know," Jenny said nodding her head trying to find a way to open up a conversation that wasn't about work or Carson. "It's been a long time."

Gibbs looked at her as he took his jacket from the coat rack.

"Us, outside of the office," Jennifer finished.

"Paris," Gibbs answered. "If you don't include car chases and hospitals."

"I don't," Jenny said knowing that when he referred to hospital, he was referring to their latest adventure there. "Once upon a time, I would've asked you to stay and I wouldn't have taken 'no' for an answer."

"No," Gibbs said knowing when and where 'once upon a time' was exactly set. Paris, 1999. Siberia, 1998. So many places in Europe where it was just he and Jenny and nobody else.

"What happened, Jethro?"

"You made a choice," Gibbs replied. It was a choice he didn't necessarily support, but from where she was now, he could see that it was for the best. At least with that choice, she got something out of it. If she had stayed with him, she might've just fallen into the trap that all the others had.

"I had to do what was best for me," she explained. This was the closest they had come in talking about their past and why they had to go their separate ways. "I still do."

Gibbs had a knowing smile on his face as his hands closed over at the doorknob ready to open it.

"… what if…?" Jen started not sure about what she wanted to say, what she intended to say.

"Jen?"

Jen reached over and placed her hand on top of his closing the door and locking it. She pressed herself onto his body feeling him respond to her touch. It wasn't long until they found themselves upstairs, on her king sized mattress stripped down to their underwear in the throws of passion.

"Jethro, please," Jenny begged him, pushing her hips up to meet his.

Gibbs was just about to comply to her request to divest her of the last garments that were separating them when the door busted open revealing a very scared and very worried Carson there.

"Am I interrupting anything?"

Gibbs looked down at Jenny trying to catch his breath, as did she.

"I thought I told you to lock that damn door?" Jenny muttered to him, his almost naked body pressed against hers wasn't helping with trying to recover while an eight-year-old boy stood at her bedroom doorway.

"I thought I did," Gibbs said rolling off of her, making sure that they were both covered. "Carson, go back into the room. I'll follow you there."

Gibbs stood up seeing Jenny sit up looking for her clothes.

"You, sit tight," Gibbs said pulling his pants over his boxers. His eyes sparkled with a mischievous glint in the dark before saying in his best Terminator voice, "I will be back."

Jenny half laughed at Gibbs' very DiNozzo like parting words.