Disclaimer – I don't own NCIS

Authors note – I hope that you all enjoy this, sorry for the delay, but I hope that you all enjoy. The next part of the story will be in the next few chapters – enjoy.

'You should never cut your hair, 'cause I love the way you flick it off your shoulder, and you will never know, just how beautiful you are to me' – Wake me up by Ed Sheeran ( I got the CD this weekend and it is beautiful. This is my favourite song, and I would write the whole lyrics but you'd be bored :P)

Friday, 9am

His eyes slowly opened to find once more that he had the woman who he was not so slowly falling in love with, in his arms. Her head rested gently on his chest, the sound of his heart beat and steady breathing lulling her into a blissful peace. Those bright green eyes were closed so gently, all the lines of worry vanished in sleep. Her long red hair was wavy and fell over her china skin and the white sheets. He slowly ran a hand over it, smiling at the small smile that formed on her pink lips. The peaceful silence was broken by the irritating buzz of a phone. He watched as her eyes began to gradually flutter open and she looked up at him, blinking in displeasure at the fact her slumber was being ruined. "Whose is it?" She mumbled, hiding her face in the crook of his neck in an attempt to ignore the daylight slowly seeping through the curtains. Leaning over he grabbed the offending piece of technology.

"Yours." He stated, annoyed it not being his meaning that he could not just throw it casually across the room, leaving it in pieces on the floor. "It's Ali." He added, knowing that because it was her niece it gave Jenny the will power to take the phone and answer it, rather than just ignoring it.

"Hey." She stated, sleep still evident in her voice. Jethro watched her as she spoke to Ali. Noticed the way the corner of her mouth rose slightly in a smile when the younger red head spoke. Jethro knew that more than anything else that Ali meant the world to her Aunt. As the red head spoke, he ran his fingers softly through her hair, smiling as her eyes fluttered closed at the rest full and repetitive stoking of his hand as she spoke. "Alright darling, take care . . . let me know when you land. . . I will . . . Love you too." And with that she removed the phone from her ear and pressed the end call button.

"She at the airport?" he questioned.

"Yeah, Tony's seeing her off."

"Good." He stated before she rested her head back onto his chest with a casual smile gracing her lips.

"She cares about him you know, I haven't seen her so happy in a very long time." It didn't need an answer, Jenny and Jethro both knew that if Tony ever hurt Ali he would not live to see another day again. Although the younger man had been a playboy, and from time to time mucked up, neither one of them could deny that he cared a lot about the other red head. They both also knew that if he ever did hurt Ali, it would not be either of them that the Italian had to worry about, but instead the woman in question herself.

They spent the next hour in exactly the same positions. It was a Saturday and he was not at work. Jenny however was at work, but for the mean time she was just relishing in the time they got together. She accepted that his job brought with it long hours, and yet she did not begrudge it. When he had been working the case that involved the bar, she had seen the pure determination and devotion that filled his eyes. Jenny was well aware that he could get hurt or even killed any day, and that was why both of them were so dedicated to making the most of what time they had. They knew that it would not be often that they got the chance, those nights when he was not working she was. But that was what they were, and maybe that would be what would make them work in the future. As dysfunctional as it all looked on paper, when it came down to reality, by some spark of magic it worked. Maybe it would not for anyone else, but for them it did, and that was all hat counted.

He looked down as he heard her stomach rumble and laughed. She blushed, and he realised how cute she looked with her cheaks blushed and eyes looking down in embarrassment. "Hungry?"

"Starving." She said and he smiled, before getting up and putting on a pair of tracksuit bottoms. "What are you doing?" She asked, a smirk forming on her face as she watched him.

"Making you breakfast." He said as though it were plainly obvious.

"You can cook?" She stated in almost disbelief.

"Well I don't completely live on takeout Jen." He said with a laugh before walking out the room. She sat there for a few moments before staring at the empty door. He didn't cease to amaze her. Getting up she grabbed his old USMC t-shirt and put it over her head so it fell mid-thigh. It was worn and faded, but it smelt like him and made her smile ever so slightly. With a smile she grabbed the hair bobble that she'd had in last night and put it around her wrist before making her way downstairs, her bare feet walking silently on the floors.

As she walked into the kitchen, Jenny paused and saw him stood in front of the hob, two frying pans heating up. The red head walked up behind him and hugged him around the waist. Leaning her chin on his shoulder she smiled and her senses were attacked by the smell of something delicious being cooked. "Hmm . . . smells good. What is it?" She questioned.

"Cheese scrambled eggs and bacon." He said as he stirred the eggs before spinning around and kissing her softly.

"You are a man of many talents." She stated smiling. Jenny then moved to get two plates out of the cupboard and place them on the work top, then two knives and two forks on the table. She went over to the coffee machine and pored herself and Jethro a fresh cup of what was defiantly their lifeline. As soon as she placed the two white mugs on the table, he was placing down two plates filled with cheesy scrambled eggs and crispy bacon, and placing a rack of toast in the middle. They both sat down and ate in silence, neither needing words, instead just relishing in the moment.

Once they had eaten, they showered and Jethro changed into fresh clothes. Jenny put her dress back on and he then drove her over to her house sp that she could change. Once they arrived at the Georgetown house she showed him the kitchen and told him he could read the paper that had been left on her doorstep earlier in the morning whilst she changed. He was on the fifth page by the time she came downstairs, and it was nearing eleven o'clock and he knew she should be getting to the bar soon. She came down and he smiled at her. She was wearing a pair of dark washed ripped skinny jeans, a baggy tie front white blouse with faded gold buttons. On her feet were a pair of black platform lace up boots, she had a faded gold compass pendant on, and her hair which had been left wet when they left his house was now in natural curls down her back. She smiled at him and grabbed a lipstick off of the counter and applied the dark red colour. "Ready?" She asked before walking out of the kitchen, he boots clip clopping away as she went to grab a Mac jacket. She put it on but left the buttons undone with the belt in its pockets.

"Yeah." He agreed before walking to the door and placing his jacket back on. He'd offered to help her out at the bar, an offer she had accepted gratefully. So, they made their way over to the Duke and before he knew it she had him washing the floors whilst she loaded the dishwasher. He had to smirk at the fact that she had him wrapped around her little finger within a matter of days. But his reward came; as he worked away she fuelled him with coffee. Not imply the coffee, but the smile on her face throughout the whole time they were working and talking together was enough to make him happy to help her out. That and he really did have absolutely nothing else to be doing. If he wasn't here he would be in his basement sanding his boat.

-A Life Behind Bars-

Ali walked out of the airport at California, and was hit by the brightness of the sun. Dressed in leggings and chequered shirt she was boiling. DC and California really did seam worlds apart, especially where the weather was concerned. Rummaging in her oversized bag she found her aviator sunglasses and gratefully put them on, thankful that the brightness had been dimmed ever so slightly. She then rolled up her sleeves to try and cool herself down, then, grabbing her bag she attempted at hailing a taxi. After five minutes of being blatantly ignored, one finally stopped. She told the driver the address of the bar and as they slowly made their way through the busy California traffic towards the bar, she texted her aunt.

I'm in a taxi on my way to the Duchess. Speak to you soon, have fun with Jet ;) don't do anything I wouldn't :P xx

Ali watched out of the window as the sea turned to hills and back again and smiled. She'd loved it around here when she first arrived in the states, loved how everything always seemed so bright in comparison to the wet rain of England. Now, although it was not where she lived, it still held a lot of memories. It was still a place that uplifted her spirits and made her feel happy, and slightly at home. One say she wants to bring Tony down here. She wanted to take him to the bars she had worked in and show him the place she had first arrived in. Maybe eve one day take him back to England. The taxi pulled up at a small building about five minutes away from the Navy Yard. The place looked a lot better than when she had bought it. It was around the same size as the Duke back in DC, but had been in a lot worse shape. The walls had been crumbling, but there had been something about it . . . something magical. She was not sure what it had once been, all she knew was that I had been derelict, and looked as though it had been collateral damage in some explosion back in time. Now though, it was structurally sound, of that she had been assured.

Stepping out of the taxi, the driver helped her with her bag and she smiled in thanks, before paying him. The builders were off today, she'd told them there was no need for them today. It was two stories and a basement, she'd had the workmen concentrate on the top floor where the empty space had been restored, painted white and had a dividing wall put up. One part was her bedroom whilst the other had a kitchen, and a lounge area. It was all furnished up there. Ali walked through the door, opening it with the key she had been dying to use. When she entered she couldn't help but laugh. It was certainly a blank canvas! The walls were unpainted, and it was just a long rectangle, doors at opposite ends. But it was not a bad thing; this was somewhere she could put her stamp on. Somewhere that could define her. Well there is no time like the present. She thought as we went upstairs and dumped her bags before grabbing a can of white paint and a roller. She went into the room and smiled, found a plug socket (one things she had insisted on being sorted – electricity) and plugged in her speakers before attaching her IPod. Soon music filled the empty room. She couldn't help but pause for a moment and listed to the acoustics of the place. It was perfect for music – something she was more than a little happy about. Grabbing the roller she began to paint white. The walls had been half demolished when she bought it, so, the wall on which the bar would be and one perpendicular to it were painted white whilst the other two just had the old parts painted white whilst the new brick was left as it was.

By the times he had finished Ali had ideas flooding through her mind and she couldn't help but grab a pencil and start sketching on a blank piece of paper. She sat there for hours, sketching designs out and thinking up new ideas. And as night fell, Ali realised this was going to be, one hell of a busy few weeks ahead. But with a smile on her face, she picked up the phone, and rung Tony whilst making her way upstairs. And without a shadow of a doubt, he had been more than happy to listen to his girlfriend's excited ramblings about the new bar.

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