Chapter Eight; Confession, Take Two

The ringing of Gibbs' phone broke into the peaceful morning. The study, which was normally shrouded in shadows, both figuratively and literally, was glowing with sunlight. He shifted lazily in the armchair happy to let it keep ringing if not for the workaholic sprawled out on the couch across from him.

"Jethro… Answer it." Jenny said tossing his phone at him, hitting him square in the chest. She sat up and made her way robotically towards the wafting smell of freshly brewed coffee coming from the timed pot in the kitchen as he answered.

"Gibbs."

"Hey Boss, got some good news." It was Tony's voice and judging by the muffled tone he was well into his second doughnut of the morning. "Abby pulled a print off the inside of Andrea's bag, and we got a match." He said taking another loud, obvious bite.

"We'll be in soon." Gibbs said hanging up and slipping his feet off the ottoman in front of him. He rolled his neck and tried to rub away the sore spot already forming.

Meanwhile, inside the NCIS squad room Tony smiled to the dial tone on the other side of the receiver; Gibbs had said 'we'. He looked up at the three pictures spread across the plasma, Victim Number One- Aaron Eaglestone, Victim Number Two- Andrea Shepard, and the Prime Suspect- Ex- Mrs. Nina Eaglestone.

By the time Gibbs had made his way into the kitchen there was already a steaming cup waiting for him. He smirked as he reached for the mug. He had figured she was already in the shower starting her hour-long primping ritual. Damn. Just the thought that Jen was in the shower, naked, not more than a flight of stairs and a door or two away from him was enough for his hands to grip the mug just a little tighter. He swallowed an exceptionally big gulp of the coffee trying to distract himself from the images and feelings that were creeping up on him.

He honestly didn't know what to do with himself. After Jenny had let him hold her, if only for a brief amount of time, the evening died down quietly. She had left him in the study while she put the food he had brought into the fridge. When she had gotten back he'd let her work and finally she had given into the pull of sleep and moved to the couch. They had said nothing last night; the sheer presence he provided was enough for her to feel comfortable and he couldn't say he had missed the company of his boat.

He should head home. Women took way to long in the morning, and seeing as there was two in this house it only made sense to double the average time all of his Ex's took.

In other words: forever.

Gibbs had more than enough time to go home, shower, change and be back in time to escort them to NCIS before either one of the Shepard sisters knew he was gone. Sure, he didn't have to drive Jen, she had Stanley. But his gentlemanly side had come out and he believed in making sure a woman got to her destination safely - especially if she had let you stay the night. Even if nothing came of it.

He wrote a quick note informing Jen or Andrea, whoever found it, that he would be driving them today and he would be back to pick them up at 0730 and left it on the counter before leaving for his house.

-0-0-0-0-

The room was dark, just as it always was. If you looked straight through the glass you would see a woman who had run out of all options. She was caught, she was confused, the only thing she could think of to do was confess and hope that God and the jury felt lenient with their judgings. But if you paid attention to the slight reflection the one way mirror cast back into the observation room you would see a fuming Agency Director whose jaw was clenched so tight you'd swear she would need a new set of teeth by the time this interrogation was over.

"Let's try this again. What were you doing during the given time period?" Ziva's slightly distorted voice floated in from the room ahead of Jen via the intercom.

The mousy haired woman sitting in the chair fumbled over thoughts and plans that had never really lined up. She teased at the hem of her scratchy sweater under the table. What had I said last time? She had been asked too many questions by too many people lately to keep track of her answers. She said the first thing that came to her mind that seemed like a somewhat expectable alibi.

"I was out."

Ziva scoffed at the woman's obvious persistence, even when she - and everyone else - knew that she was guilty as sin. It was only a matter of time before she tripped over her own lies.

The interview continued as Jen watched the reflection again. The sight of Gibbs slowly coming to stand behind her caused Jenny to let a very stressed breath out in a would-be calming way; but in releasing her breath she had to inhale, and with her jaw clenched the only thing she was aware of was the smell of him invading her nostrils.

He shouldn't have such a strong hold over her anymore. She had been around him for the past three years, and he had even spent a good amount of time in her house this past week, just smelling him shouldn't stop her from thinking anything else any longer. But, it did.

"We got her prints all over the bag and knife. It was a sloppy murder, and an even sloppier frame-up job she tried to pull on your sister." He said coming to stand next to her just inches from the glass.

"Motive?" Jen asked.

"Just watch, she'll crack." He replied giving the woman the Gibbs stare, even though it was pointless since the interogatee couldn't see them.

And, just as if on cue, she cracked.

A hand came up from her lap and pushed the stray frizz of her hair from her face as she cried. Ziva on the other hand smiled smugly and leant back against the wall, just waiting for the reasons and justifications to spill from the woman's mouth.

"But you don't understand!" She said hitting her palm pointlessly on the table.

"Then tell me. Why did you kill Chief Petty Officer Eaglestone, moreover; why did you frame Andrea Shepard for it?" Ziva asked leaning threateningly over the small table.

She debated trying to spell it out to her interrogator. After all, there was a very little chance that anyone, let alone this woman and whoever else was hiding behind that one way mirror would ever truly understand the depths of her motives. And truly she had no idea how to voice her side of the story as eloquently as she saw it. There was no one word to describe what she had battled internally about in the hours leading up to the actual crimes, and so even attempting to make her point known in a complete fashion would be in vain.

Just as it is said, obscenities are after all only used by those who have no other means to express them selves or, the ignorant. And right now she couldn't quite decipher which category she fit into.

"That bitch, Andrea, thought it was okay to see Aaron!" Nina said spitting out Andrea's name like dirt on her tongue.

"Why was it not?" Ziva asked pushing herself off of the table with a little more force than necessary.

"We were going to try again, you know, for Michael's sake." Her voice fell from its previous ear piercing pitch.

"What makes you sure of that?"

Nina closed her eyes and drew a breath, by the time she opened them she noted that Officer David had finally sat down opposite her. "Aaron said so. But then after he talked to her it was like we were never friends, we were never married, we never had that talk. It was like she just took it all from me. He was just so caught up in her." And, just as she had expected the other woman didn't grasp her point. She had wasted her breath.

Leaning forward; arms crossed Ziva spoke. "You're the one who filed for divorce correct?"

Nina shook her head. Why had she done that? Why must she always act on impulse? "But I missed him."

Before Ziva could continue, Jen walked in. Just as she closed the door it flew open again and Gibbs stepped in. Sure he had previously tried to make it clear that he was not his Director's handler, but today he might just have to be.

Nina looked confusedly between the two intruders. "Who are you?"

Instead of answering Jenny jumped straight into the questioning. "But he didn't miss you did he?"

Nina sighed and glared at the rudeness of the red-head who loomed aggressively close to her. "He said we'd try again." She said matter-of-factly sitting up and trying to convey her confidence that he had wanted to try to work things out with her.

"You were divorced, he owed you nothing. He could see whomever he chose." By now Jen was in a frenzy, getting too into this interrogation for her own good.

Ziva stood up and went for the door; she had a feeling that no matter the fact that this was her place that The Director needed to finish this. She sensed that she needed to leave the room and even though she wanted to calm her down she was not the person who should-or could-stop her.

As she left the tiny room she saw more crocodile tears roll down their suspect's cheek. Who knows, they could be real, but not for the right reasons. Ziva cast a small nod in Gibbs' direction saying she knew and trusted him to handle their frustrated Director.

"No! He needed me. I was only trying to help." The Ex-Mrs. Eaglestone spat out at them.

"How?" Gibbs asked speaking for the first time since he left observation.

"Aaron- he got in the way." Nina choked out.

"You drugged Andrea, you killed him, and then you framed her for the murder." Jenny said grabbing at the chance for a confession.

"I didn't mean to kill him; but he wouldn't let me help him. He wouldn't let me help us."

"What makes you think you were helping him? They were happy!" Jen was itching to hit this woman but Jethro had reached for her wrist and was pulling her into the hallway before her control slipped further.

Just as the door closed they heard Nina yell back at them. "He didn't know happy!"

That was it, the reason her sister's world had shattered around her: a jealous bitter ex-wife.

Gibbs released her hand and grabbed her shoulders holding her at arms length.

"Jen, we got her."

She took a breath and nodded, her rage finally cooling off.

-0-0-0-0-

So seeing as this chapter was a wee bit short I decided to give you a preview of the next one….

Coming Up:

"Why don't you two just get a room?" Andrea threw over her shoulder at the kissing pair.

Once the elevator doors closed Jen leaned in and made sure to brush her lips against his ear as she spoke. "Mine is always free."

A Cheshire cat grin spread over Gibbs' face and he let her lead him into the elevator. Being in her house; in her bed would be nice…… If they could make it that far.

Review…. 'Cause it really does make me write faster ;P