Jenny pulled herself back from the memory and crossed her legs, facing her husband. "Jethro, what happened in interrogation yesterday? What did he say?"
Gibbs ran a hand over his face and look away from her. He'd been hoping she wouldn't ask that. He wanted to spare her knowing that a lot of what had happened wasn't as private as she wanted to keep it.
He was quiet for a long time and Jenny had a hard time being patient. "I can take it Jethro, I need to know."
Gibbs met her eyes. "It wasn't too hard to get a confession, four eye witnesses, three willing to give testimony to the intimate details, will do that." He sighed. "He didn't know there was any personal connection, though we did make it perfectly clear that messing with the director of NCIS has high ranking consequences." He looked away. Some things he wished he didn't know. "After awhile he seemed to take pleasure in describing in...graphic detail the nature of his exploits. It was all I could do to not let Ziva and Tony shut him up." He saw Jenny's closed eyes, how her hands were shaking and he reached for them. "I'm sorry honey. He's a serial rapist, a first class jerk and I promise you he will do life in prison for what happened to you and the others. He can't hurt you anymore, I promise."
Jenny shook her head. "But he still is," she said softly. "If what happened gets in the way of my job, if it means I can't be intimate with my own husband, if I am afraid to go outside and afraid to be alone, then he is still hurting me and it doesn't matter how long he is in prison. I don't know how to fix this."
Gibbs didn't want to be on the other side of the couch when she was hurting. "Can I hold you Jen?"
He took her barely perceptible nod as a yes and reached for her. She slid over and sat with her back against his chest and he wrapped his arms around her. She was shaking and he held her tightly, wanting to share his strength. Their bodies moved in the same rhythm as they inhaled and exhaled at the same time. Slowly he felt Jenny relax. They sat that way for a long time, how long Gibbs didn't know, he wasn't watching the clock.
Lowering his head, he pressed his cheek to hers. Jenny reached up and laid her hand on his cheek. "Did I ever tell you how much I love you Jethro?"
Gibbs nodded. "Once or twice. But you can always say it again."
Her breathing was getting deeper and he could tell she was fighting sleep. "I love you," she whispered and he knew her eyes were probably closed now. Much as he would've loved to hold her while she slept, neither one of them would get a good sleep on the couch. One other reason why wives used it as a punishment when they're mad at you, he remembered.
Turning Jenny slightly in his arms, he slipped one hand under her knees and carefully picked her up. He didn't do it often, Jenny said it was too fairy tale, too cliche, for the guy to sweep his girl off her feet and into his arms. But once in awhile he could play the knight in shining armour and get away with it.
Jen stirred, but didn't wake fully as he carried her up the stairs. Once he laid her on their bed, he was faced with a dilemma. Normally he would have no problems undressing her and slipping one of his t-shirts over her sleeping form. But tonight that didn't really seem like an option. Okay, what now? Technically he could leave her in what she was wearing and she would be fine. But he knew from experience, or at least he had heard enough girls complain, that falling asleep with a bra one was acutely uncomfortable. And there was no way he was going to try to fix that for her with the last few days still so much apart of everything.
Gibbs laughed. He was feeling as nervous as a newlywed and he and Jenny had been married for months! Not to mention that they'd been together a lot longer than they'd been married. Finally he gave up trying to find a way around it. He shook her shoulder gently. "Jen." She groaned softly. He brushed her cheek with his hand. "Jen, you have to wake up for a minute."
"What?" she asked sleepily.
"You're going to be a lot more comfortable sleeping for the night in your pyjamas instead of in these clothes."
It took her a second but Jenny caught his drift. She thought seriously about undoing her bra through her clothes and just pulling it off that way but there were too many layers and she didn't want to be watched. Jethro was continually amazed at how much of a wardrobe change women could go through without technically taking any of their clothes off. She nodded. "Okay."
Jenny slid off the bed and dragged herself into the bathroom. Changing into her pj's from last night, she was still barely awake by the time she got back into bed. Gibbs had already changed and he watched her, amused, as she did almost everything without really opening her eyes. She did forget to take her hair out though, and the back of her head would be sore tomorrow if she slept with that bun in. When she settled back under the covers, Gibbs ran his hand over her hair, trying not to startle her, before he began gently untangling the elastic. It wasn't easy, he'd never really gotten the hang of all the girl hair doo-dads. Even when Kelly was little and wanted a ponytail, he was all thumbs and Shannon would have to step in and do it.
Finally he managed to release her hair. He watched as it uncurled down her back and he thought once again how soft Jenny's hair was. Climbing into bed and watching his wife sleep, Gibbs decided the shooting range could wait. Even if it was early still it had been a long couple of days and they were both physically and mentally exhausted. He'd go tomorrow sometime. For now he just closed his eyes and let sleep make all the worries disappear.