A/N: Sorry that this chapter doesn't really have a point, it's mostly filler. I can almost promise the next one will be better. Thanks for the reviews and comments guys, I really appreciate it!
Jenny hadn't been just making an excuse when she'd started looking through the papers on her desk. She had a pile of forms needing her signature and more than a dozen phone messages to return. It looked like she would not be without things to do this afternoon. Thumbing through the messages, she began to sort them in order of request and urgency. Her movements stopped when she saw three messages all from the same person, left over the last two days: Dr. Kristyn Renway.
The director sat back in her chair. Somehow she'd been hoping to escape anymore contact with the shrink, even with the recommendation of additional sessions, which she knew her superiors would take seriously and make mandatory if they had to. Pushing the messages aside, Jenny decided she would ignore them as long as possible. She grabbed a pen and the stack of forms and started scrawling her name on the bottom line.
"So Boss, how's the director?" Tony asked as Gibbs rounded the corner to enter the bullpen.
Gibbs, not in the mood to deal with where Tony's mind might be, got right in his senior field agent's face. "There something you want to ask me, DiNozzo?"
Tony, now scared, backed up. "Uh no. No, no. I'm good Boss." But he wasn't far enough away to escape the hand that connected with the back of his head. "Ow!" he winced, rubbing the spot. Note to self: Boss is not in a good mood.
Gibbs sat at his desk, took a drink of coffee and pinned his agents with a stare. "What do we have?"
A couple hours later Jenny was sitting at her desk, glasses on, reading through the accumulated reports that covered her desk, when Cynthia spoke into the intercom.
"Director? Dr. Renway is here, do you have a moment to speak with her?"
Jenny's stomach tightened. She wished Cynthia had used the phone, easier to come up with a way to get out of it. Either way though, the doctor was bound to know she was stalling. Taking a deep breath, Jenny pushed the button to reply.
"Thank you Cynthia, send her in."
Jenny stood to greet the psychiatrist. "Dr. Renway."
"Kristyn, please. The formality is not necessary Jenny." She appraised the red haired woman with a critical eye. "I had hoped to hear from you by now."
Resisting the urge to cross her arms, Jenny willed herself to stay calm and professional. She was the director of NCIS and she didn't need to explain herself to anyone, least of all a shrink who had a strange idea of how to help.
"I took a personal day yesterday and today I have been absolutely swamped with paperwork." She indicated her desk.
Kristyn nodded. "I assume you got my messages?"
"I did." Jenny stopped short of fabricating an excuse about not having had time to look at them yet.
"Well," Kristyn began, not surprised that Jenny was being so reticent with her, "if you have your calendar with you, we can set up the rest of the sessions now." She tried not to leave any loopholes in the question for Jenny to crawl out of.
"Actually Dr.," Jenny wasn't feeling particularly warm and fuzzy towards the woman right now and forwent the use of her first name.
But Kristyn beat her to it. "I can go over your head if you make me Jenny," she said softly. She did not like backing people into a corner but sometimes stubbornness overcame good sense.
Jenny absorbed the words and realized there was no way out. Reaching for the day planner in her briefcase, she looked up, the feeling of weariness overtaking her again.
"What did you have in mind?"
"Let's stick with what I told you before: two sessions per week for the first month and the going to one a week after that for a minimum of two months. At the end of this month I'll do an assessment with you and that will give me a better idea of how to help."
Jenny, resigned now to what she could not change, merely nodded. "Any particular days?" she asked mechanically.
"How about alternating every week between Monday and Thursday and Tuesday and Friday. We can do the sessions at four pm on each of those days." Kristyn flipped through her calendar to check and looked up. "Does that work?"
"Done. I'll have Cynthia work it into my schedule. However, if something urgent comes up I will have to reschedule." Or cancel, she thought bitterly.
"Understood," Kristyn replied.
Jenny was just closing her planner, having jotted down the dates and times for her assistant, when the doctor spoke again.
"Oh, Jenny," she flipped through her notes, "I would like to do a few joint sessions with you and your husband. Say three or four? For next week we can do a joint session in place of your solo Tuesday session if you like."
"Oh," Jenny was surprised, she'd forgotten about that part. "Well, I'll have to speak with him about it."
"I strongly encourage it," Kristyn held Jenny's gaze. "It will be good for both of you."
Jenny sighed. "Put us down for now and I'll talk to him."
"Fair enough." Kristyn snapped her folder closed. "Alright then Jenny, glad we got that sorted out. I'll see you Thursday."And just like that, she was gone.
"Yeah, Thursday," Jenny echoed, falling back in her chair. She covered her face with her hands. This was going to be the longest week of her life. I am not looking forward to this, she thought.
Down in the bullpen Gibbs leaned back in his chair and checked his watch. 1900. It was quiet, he'd just sent his team home, figuring paperwork could wait until tomorrow. They'd done good and worked hard today. Dropping the current of several empty coffee cups in the garbage, Gibbs decided to go check on Jenny and see how her day went.
When he got upstairs he noticed the lack of an assistant sitting in the outer office. Jen was good to Cynthia. Unless there was a dire emergency, she usually went home in time for supper. Unlike the rest of them who kept odd hours, particularly his team as he insisted they stay until they solved the case.
Jenny's office door was open, the soft glow of her table lamps visible. He eased his way forward until he was even with the doorway. She hadn't noticed him yet, so for the moment he just stood and watched her work. He had always known her as a person who poured all of her skills and intensity and focus into her work. It had been true when she was an agent and it was equally true for her now, as director. There was no slacking off for Jen.
Whatever paperwork was in front of her now was absorbing Jenny completely. He normally would've expected her to realize he was there by now. He thought about it for a second, wanting to get her attention without frightening her. Gibbs thought about going out and coming back in with a little less stealth, but decided on something far simpler. He knocked softly on her open door.
"Hey Jen," he said.
Jenny looked up at him and smiled, removing her glasses, glad for a break from the mission reports. "Jethro, to what do I owe this visit?"
He lounged against the door frame and pointed at her clock. "Home time Jenny."
"What are we, in elementary school again? You know we don't go home until the work is done Jethro."
Gibbs invaded her office and placed his hand over the papers on her desk. "The work will still be there tomorrow Jenny."
Jenny wiggled her back and stretched. "Well, I guess seven o'clock is as good a time as any to leave. Are you ready?"
"Already sent my team home. The reports might be a little late though."
Jenny smiled at him. "They deserve the break I'm sure."
Gibbs plucked her coat from the stand and held it for her, making it easier for her to slip her arms into the sleeves. She flipped her hair over the back and grabbed her purse and briefcase. His hand came to rest on the small of her back and they flipped the lights off on the way out.
"Let's go home Jen."