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Day Twenty-one: Making up Afterwards (Prt 2 of 2)
Timeline: married
Gibbs got Lucy her milk, tucked her back into bed, and went into the bedroom after Jen. She was slamming things around in the bathroom, which he took to be a good sign - if she was angry, it meant he hadn't done too much damage. When Peter came up, she usually resorted to locked doors and shutting herself away, or brushing it off callously, but maybe this indicated she was getting better.
"Jen," he said gently, approaching the bathroom.
She leaned forward and started right in on him.
"Peter died in an attack," she snarled. "He was murdered. There was nothing, nothing, nothing I could have done - and you, and everyone, and my - we've all been trying to tell me that for years,"she whirled on him, "so why would you throw that in my face now?"
He swallowed, gritting his teeth. He put his hands in his pockets and stepped forward.
"I was pissed," he admitted. "'M sorry."
"It's not that easy," she snapped. "That," she paused, and ran her hand across her face, rubbing her eyes swiftly and then pushing her hair back. "It takes a lot of energy for me to be a relaxed mother," she growled. "It hurts my muscles to try and be the same level-headed, intelligent parent I was with Peter - it makes me nauseous, sometimes, because I want to lock her in a tower and make sure she's never out of my sight, but I know I can't do that."
She stopped, swallowing hard, and crossed her arms.
"Do you understand?"
"Yeah, Jen," he said. He moved closer again, reaching out, but he paused; she still looked at him icily. "Look, I didn't mean ... I shouldn't have said that," he muttered. "I don't like her gettin' hurt, that's all."
"I don't either!" Jenny retorted earnestly. "You know that," she told him forcefully. "You know it bothers me just as much."
He nodded.
"I know."
She looked at him, and then she seemed to relax a little, and she turned to splash water on her face.
"I'm going to check on her," she said tiredly.
Gibbs caught her arm as she tried to go past him. He pressed an apologetic kiss to her cheek.
"'M sorry," he repeated.
She sighed, and smiled a little heavily.
"I know."
-alexandra