A/N: Sorry guys...only one chapter tonight. I'm having some...procrastination issues for writing the next couple chapters. There's a lot going on in them...so hopefully tomorrow I will at least start. BUT - it's also my dad's birthday tomorrow and we have a surprise party planned for him, then I'm away for the entire weekend...so updates may be few and far between. Not a lot of writing time between tomorrow and Monday. So enjoy and I'll try to get at least one more chapter posted at some point this weekend.
Thanks all for reading and for your wonderful reviews! I truly appreciate each one! You guys are awesome for sticking with this story for so long...one day there will be an end, I promise! Have a great weekend everyone!
When they returned from their walk, it wasn't too hard to convince Gibbs to cuddle on the couch with her while Jenny put on one of her favourite movies. And while Gibbs groused the whole time about having to watch a chick flick, Jenny knew it was just for show. Anything that gave him an excuse to have her close was enough for him.
Jenny curled up beside her husband, resting her head on his shoulder. Gibbs stretched his legs out to rest on the coffee table. She had seen this movie tens of times but never got tired of it. He had seen it a handful of times since they started dating and still didn't quiet understand the appeal. But far be it for him to get in the way of a woman and her romantic movies.
About halfway through, Gibbs started shifting positions and sighing. Finally he said, "Want popcorn Jen?"
Jenny laughed. "Don't tell me your bored Jethro?"
"No Jen," Gibbs said dryly, standing up, "this is fun for me." He headed towards the kitchen to get a refill on his coffee and Jenny froze while time stood still.
The memory slammed into Jenny's mind like the force of hitting a brick wall. She couldn't breathe, she couldn't think. Terror gripped her as Jenny realized she was back. She looked around and could feel the cold that permeated the room, smell the dry dust in the corners, taste him in her mouth. She could see nothing, just darkness. Down where he had hurt her, Jenny was sore. A wet spot under her marked where the blood had pooled. He came back then and she couldn't help it.
"Don't hurt me, please." The words were a whimper. Jenny was begging, but the wall would've had more compassion. Roughly he grabbed her hair and jerked her head back. Dragging his tongue across her cheek, he whispered with a malicious smile, "This is fun for me."
Then the man left again and made her dread what was to come for long minutes that dragged and raced by. Or maybe it was an hour, Jenny didn't know. How could one tell time when there was no sun, only dark shadows? When he came back, he was at her again and the screams ripped from Jenny's throat, beyond her control just like everything about this nightmare, while the man laughed and kept on.
Gibbs put the coffee pot back and lifted the cup to his lips, trying to decide if it was easier to just fall asleep rather than having to pay attention to the rest of the movie. Jenny screamed, a desperate, painful sound, and Gibbs dropped the mug he was holding and raced over to where she was, curled into a tight ball on the couch.
"Jen?" he asked, reaching for her without thinking.
"Don't touch me!" the order came swift and forceful and he withdrew his hand. But the next moment Jenny was rocking back and forth and he knew her mind wasn't here. "Don't hurt me, please," she whispered in a broken voice.
Hurting for her, Gibbs just stood there and wished he knew what would help. Remembering his gift to her last week, Gibbs hurried to the hall, reaching into the pocket of the suit jacket Jenny had draped over the railing after work. His fingers closed around the little wooden anchor.
Returning to his wife, Gibbs slipped the object into her hand, trying to touch her as little as possible. At first Jenny jerked away, but then she felt what she was holding and closed her fist around it. Gibbs sat down on the coffee table and began talking to Jenny, like Kristyn had advised.
"Jenny, I know you're scared but it's just a flashback. It's not real, you're safe. Wherever you think you are, believe me, you're here with me, at home, and you're safe."
He noticed that Jenny was barely breathing, just occasional shallow breaths. She was squeezing her hands so tightly that her knuckles had gone white. Gibbs wanted to reach over and unclench them, but regardless of how much she looked like she needed comfort, he respected that she didn't want to be touched. Couldn't be touched.
"Jen, I want you to take a deep breath." He took one himself, feeling a little silly but hoping she would copy him. "Please Jen." He finally saw her chest move. "That's it honey, now another one. Come on Jenny, you can do it."
Finally her breathing found it's rhythm and when it did, the silent shaking stopped and Jenny began to cry. Not just a few tears, but deep sobs that seemed to encompass her whole body. Gibbs moved to the couch, keeping plenty of space between them. The last thing he wanted was for Jenny to feel threatened by him.
"I'm here Jenny, it's going to be okay," he soothed. "If you need me, I'm here."
At last she took a deep breath and opened her eyes, back in reality once again. Looking up, she slowly opened her fingers and found the anchor. Gripping it again, Jenny looked over at her husband and in her eyes he saw a reflection of the first night she'd been home. There was so much Gibbs wanted to say, but none of his words could take away the memories. So he asked instead, to share them.
"Tell me Jen," he said softly, "what happened? What did you see?"
Her fingers began to trace each curve and line of the anchor she was holding. The silence stretched out and after awhile Gibbs wasn't sure if she was going to be able to trust him with this.
"It was awful Jethro," she whispered at last, dragging her sleeve down her cheek to dry the tears. "It's like I never left. He was there, in the shadows and I was begging him not to hurt me, hating how weak and pathetic I sounded. He...he laughed, he said the same thing you said, that it was fun for him. And then he did it again and again," her tears were back, leaking out of the corners of her eyes, "and...and no one could hear me screaming."
Gibbs ached to hold her, to comfort her in some way. But Jenny reached for him first this time, needing to be loved, needing to be held.
"I don't want to remember anymore," she cried. "I don't want to remember. Help me, please," she begged, holding out her arms for him.
Gibbs crushed her to him, holding onto her tightly. He hated the guy who had done this to Jenny, who had hurt her and left her with memories she couldn't forget. He had the sudden urge to track down the dirtbag they'd arrested and rip out his guts, to make him feel the kind of pain Jenny was feeling. But no. He couldn't go looking for vengeance, not this time. Instead he could only hope and pray that by some miracle he and Jenny would make it through this.
NCIS
It was more than an hour before Gibbs was able to convince Jenny to come to bed. Every time he moved she'd shaken her head and clung to him tighter. Finally though, they walked upstairs with Gibbs' arm around Jenny's waist, leaving everything as it was. Hopefully Noemi wouldn't mind when she came tomorrow. Jenny was his priority tonight.
Almost as if it was the first night all over again, she didn't want to get undressed. After a subtle reminder, she conceded to taking her bra off to sleep, but she did so without actually taking off any clothing. That she could do that still fascinated Gibbs, but he tried to look elsewhere, knowing she wouldn't want his eyes on her right now.
He took her hand and tugged Jenny into the bathroom. They brushed their teeth together and Gibbs picked up her hairbrush. In his hoody and her jogging pants, the haunted look in her eyes, Jenny looked exactly as she had two and a half weeks ago, the night he'd rushed home to her, grateful beyond words just to see her alive again, only to realize that she was not okay.
Settling on the bed together, Gibbs was disappointed when Jenny took the brush from him and pulled all her hair over her shoulder to work through the tangles. Gibbs just sat and watched her brush her hair. But halfway through she just stopped, her hands falling into her lap as she looked down.
"I don't have the energy to finish," she said quietly.
"Lay down Jen," Gibbs patted their bed.
After a moment, she stretched out on her stomach, head resting on her arms. She pushed her hair back and Gibbs began to work out the knots. When each strand was back where it needed to go, Gibbs continued pulling the brush through her thick hair, making it silky smooth. He lay down on his side next to her but not touching and ran his fingers through the red waves. Jen's deep sigh let him know she was relaxing finally. Almost asleep himself, Gibbs made himself sit up.
"Let's get under the covers Jen," he suggested.
She opened her eyes and moved her head back and forth. "No, let's stay here. Who says you have to sleep under the covers or lie straight up and down in bed instead of across it?"
Gibbs tried not to chuckle, glad to see some of her feistiness coming back. "Okay Jen." He got up to turn off the lights and reached into the closet for a couple extra blankets.
"Jethro?" she curled up on her side and looked at him. "Leave one of the lamps on."
He did as she asked and covered her with one of the blankets. Just before he climbed back into bed, Jenny voiced another request.
"Can you lock the door?" her voice quivered and it hit Gibbs that she didn't feel safe, even in her own house.
The doors were locked, the alarm set, he was there, and they had weapons in the room, but still Jenny couldn't trust that something wouldn't come through the bedroom door to get her. Gibbs slid the lock on the handle of the door and finally joined her on the bed. Spreading out his own cover, he lay down away from her, not sure how close would be too close with her memories all at the surface.
"No," she whispered, turning her head back to see him, "here." She tugged his hand and pulled him against her back, his arm around her waist. "Right here. I want to feel you against me, I need to know that you're there."
Gibbs tucked in behind her, kissing her shoulder through the clothes covering her.
"I love you Jen," he sighed, "I wish that could be enough to fix this."
Jenny laced her fingers between his. "You have no idea how much it helps Jethro," she confided. "Please don't stop. I need you to keep fighting for me, for us."
Pulling her just a little bit closer, Gibbs pressed her body into his heart. "Until my last breath Jen," he promised.
He feel asleep like that, holding her close, and dreamt of his wife. She was laughing, running through a green meadow and he chased after her. And just like in real life, she let him catch her before they fell.
NCIS
They were at Abby's place tonight. Another case closed, another bad guy thwarted, McGee was feeling pretty good about his life right now. Except that he was losing at Monopoly. Abby owned almost all of the Park Place side of the board and the scattered zones that McGee owned weren't enough to help him out much when he seemed to land on Abby's properties every single turn. Abby had only ended up owing him once every three times she rolled.
"Pay up McGee!" Abby ordered with a grin, holding her hand out palm up.
Grumbling, he counted out the pretend cash. "One more turn like that Abby and I'll have to declare bankruptcy!" he said dolefully.
"Okay," Abby shrugged. She didn't care what they did as long as they were doing it together. "There is ice cream in the freezer and three kinds of sauce in my condiment cupboard. How about we make sundaes?"
"What about the game?" McGee asked, not wanting her to change everything just for him.
"Leave it," she said, "I hear hot fudge calling my name."
Sundaes it was. McGee got the chocolate and caramel sauces out, warming them up in the microwave. He kept his pretty simple, just ice cream and sauce. But Abby when all out, decorating her sundae with sprinkles, smarties, and finally, whipped cream.
She looked at his and frowned. "Don't you want anything else Tim?"
"What?" he asked. "I like some things simple. Ice cream is one of those things."
"Not even just a little whipped cream?" she asked, shaking the bottle enticingly.
He shook his head slowly. "No thanks." He raised his eyebrows. "Maybe I'll just share yours."
Abby made a face at him, about to protest that she didn't share sundaes easily. Then his meaning sank in. "Ohh..." she smiled. "Okay then, I guess I can share."
They got comfortable on the couch and Tim just sat there, staring at his girlfriend as she took a spoonful of everything - ice cream, sauce, candy and whipped cream - and pushed it slowly into her mouth. As soon as she swallowed, Tim leaned over, kissing the chocolate off her lips, feeling the cold from the frozen dessert in her mouth.
Abby pulled back and smiled. "I like this game."
McGee took a bite of his own dessert, savouring the smooth caramel mixed with the shivery cold goodness of vanilla ice cream.
"My turn," Abby whispered.
She moved closer to him so their faces were just inches apart. Laying her palm against his cheek, she leaned forward slightly and tasted his lips. "Mmm..." she pulled back. "Maybe I should've had caramel."
Tim caressed her cheek with his thumb. "You can have as much as you want," he grinned, kissing her again.
Abby decided then that she loved Tim's mouth. Soft and warm, his lips gently took control of hers, letting her feel just a hint of the passion he felt for her. When he finished the kiss, they were both a little breathless.
"Wow McGee," Abby stated, taking another spoonful of her sugary concoction, "what an incentive to eat ice cream! I sure hope forever isn't too far away. This is tempting."
McGee started to smile before what she'd said made sense. He stared at his girlfriend who was now steadfastly ignoring him. She hadn't meant to say that last part out loud. I sure hope forever isn't too far away... Her words echoed in his mind. Oh Abby, he thought, you have no idea what I have planned. I've been waiting years for this.
"McGee," Abby elbowed him in the ribs and grinned mischievously, "your ice cream is melting."