Disclaimer – ncis is not mine
Authors note – okay, so thankyou for all f the support, this is the last chapter, there is just the epilogue left to come which will be up in a few days, I have a week of exams though so I'm not sure when.
Thanks again, and I hope you all enjoy this,
"You looked at me and I was done, we were just getting started, I was singing to you, you were singing to me, I was so alive never been more free" Springsteen by Eric Church – this completely fits Ali and Tony's relationship
Friday
The sun shone down on San Diego: warm and almost muggy in the spring. It was only eight in the morning, and yet the sky was already bright blue, with the promise of another perfect day. At the small hotel in which Jenny and Jethro were residing, things were beginning to come alive. But in their room, the door was open slightly, allowing the breeze to filter in. In bed they lay, her head on his chest as she slept peacefully, meanwhile his hand ran slowly through her hair as he watched her. A smile on her face and eyes so elegantly closed. The white sheets had pooled down around their waists in the night, and that was where they still were. He found it funny how no matter what the weather she could not sleep without something around her shoulders. Both back in DC when the nights were cool and here she always had the sheets around her, even though she had stuck her feet out in a hope to cool down.
Outside the sound of the sea was faintly able to be heard as it came crashing in, the sound of the small town coming alive with locals was surrounding them. It was not a place that got many tourists aside from visiting Marines. The sound of birds tweeting in the early morning had roused him from slumber – not that he minded of course, not when he woke to see a beautiful redhead sleeping beside him.
A small moan escaped her lips and he watched as ever so slowly her eyes fluttered open - closing them almost immediately at the brightness of the light. He smiled, leant down and kissed the top of her hair. He watched as the corners of her mouth lifted up in a smile. "Morning." He said, before she nuzzled into his neck, wanting to go back to sleep.
"What time is it?" She mumbled, still hiding her head.
"Nearly quarter past eight." He said, smiling.
"Erg . . ." She moaned once more. He then felt her lips press against his shoulder as she placed a chase kiss. She then moved her head and with a wicked smirk she kissed him passionately, teasing him as she always did.
"Mmm . . . Jenny we need to go to the bar." He said, knowing she would want to be there.
"Later." Was her only response before she kissed him once again, just as passionately.
Meanwhile over at the bar, Ali had been awake for what felt like hours. She'd been awake before sunrise, and had already cut the grass around the bar, the long overgrown strands were now short and in order. She was dressed in casual clothes: pair of khaki shorts and a thin loose fitting cotton t-shirt, and she finally began to get on with washing the windows. Her hair was once more tied up and out of her face, she was lathered up in sun cream, not wanting to burn in the heat her skin was not used to.
With her aviator sunglasses on her nose she watched as the soap suds ran down the glass currently covered with a mixture of sand, dust and wood. Why she was washing them when she would only need to do the same later on after the sign had been put up she didn't know, but she was restless and needed to be doing something.
She rung out the big yellow sponge and began to wipe again as a Marine truck slowed down. She heard the horn pip twice and it made her smirk. No matter where you were, marines wanting women never changed!
"You want a strong guy to help you there darlin'?" He questioned, winking. She turned to see a very muscular man, dressed in his uniform leaning out of the truck. His head was shaven from what she could see, and if she hadn't just broken up with Tony then she would consider flirting back.
"Thanks, but considering I got this place up an' running, I think I'll pass." She said walking over, swaying her hips: who says I can't have a little fun she thought. "However, if you come by tonight I got some bands playing, the bar'll be serving. And if you make a good impression on the landlady, well there might just be summort in it for yer after all." She said, smiling. It was strange how from time to time her Yorkshire accent came flooding through, it made her laugh at the shock on their faces when they realised British people didn't speak like they did in the movies.
"Oh yeah? And who's the land lady darlin'?" He asked. She smirked and began to walk back, swaying her hips once more. She paused halfway, spun around and smiled.
"Well squaddy, that'd be me." And with that she got back to work. She heard the rest of his mates laugh in the truck before they drove off. She smirked as she got the window clean and moved on to the rest of them. From time to tie she heard blasts of music as James and Ben attempted to get the sound system working. It made Ali laugh, as the sound of the pair squabbling reached her.
Half an hour later she had finished the windows and walked into the bar. They were both banging heads – literally – as they tried to get it to work. "Do you have a clue what you're doing?" She asked, startling them both and making them once bang their heads.
"Well it is harder than it looks!" Ben said as he emerged, his hair sticking up in all directions.
"Really! And you call yourselves marines!" She said laughing her head off as she went behind the bar and into a back room.
James turned to Ben, "Right." He said sighing. "That is the first speakers set up." He said with a smile.
"Yeah, great!" Ben said as he turned to the next one. "Only three more to go!"
Ali re-emerged five minutes later, two cans of cold coke in one hand and a coffee in the other. She tapped them both on the back and handed them over. Both of them were the closest things to friends she had in Diego, and she wanted to keep them that way. Ali walked outside in the sun and down towards the bank Jenny had admired the night previous. She sat down and watched the sea come in, watched the boats far off and smiled.
Jenny smiled and looked in the mirror. It was now gone half past nine and she had just finished din the shower. She'd towel dried her hair and it was already near enough dry, she grabbed her hair serum and put some on to stop it frizzing. She then went into the wardrobe where she had unpacked her clothes and grabbed a bottle on sun cream and began putting it on. Jethro came out and smiled. He was dressed in a pair of jeans and white undershirt, Jenny smirked how does the heat not affect him?! She thought.
"You want anything passing?" He questioned.
"Yeah, can you grab me my bleached denim shorts, white strappy vest top and blue chequered shirt please?" She asked fluttering her eyelashes. Jethro rolled his eyes at her before doing as she asked. When he passed her the clothes she got changed before they left. She'd grabbed a big brown soft leather bag and a pair of – for one flat – strappy sandal.
They walked hand in hand down the street, stopping off at a small bakery on their way to grab coffee and a croissant for their breakfast. Then finally they arrived at the bar. As soon as they arrived, Ali was walking across the grass. "Well I wonder what took you two so long?!" She said sarcastically with a smile. "Well whilst you two have been gone, I've cut the grass, washed the window and flirted with marines!" She said before walking away.
"Alison!" Said Jenny, before she just laughed.
"Like aunt like niece!" Said Jethro from beside his red head. She just slapped his arm and smirked before walking off. As soon as she got in Ali told them to dump their bags and get to work. Jenny and Jethro both smirked and then it was time to get working. Ali had him help her as the man putting the sign up had arrived and needed help. Meanwhile Jenny was busy behind the bar; she was setting up all the spirits and things out and then cleaning all of the glasses once more.
The day rolled on smoothly, and by the time half past four came they were all shattered. The bar would open at seven and then needed to change, so she sent Jenny and Gibbs back to their hotel to get changed. That evening as they sat in the room, Jenny smiled. She sat with heated curlers in her hair and was applying her makeup. "What is making you smile?" asked Jethro as he emerged back in the room with two ice cold bottles of Corona in his hands.
"I feel so proud of her Jethro." She said with a smile. He walked over and hugged her, before handing her the bear.
"Me too Jen, me too." He said, smiling and kissing her forehead.
Jenny stood up and smiled, with her hair still in curlers and walked over to the wardrobe where she stood for a moment before pulling out a white halter neck dress, which was lose and fell just above her knees. The neckline had small daisies and it and at the back it fell low. The white looked whiter against her long red hair in its curls once she had taken it down. She went to her jewellery and pulled on a thick bracelet and little stud earrings. She then placed on her strappy silver wedge heels and then turned to Jethro. "You look amazing Jenny." He said, but it was different to the other times, he said it in a way that made her stop and look at him.
A smile formed on her face. "Thank you." She said, walking over and kissing him, he pulled her into a hug.
"I love you Jenny, I really do." She pulled back and looked up at him, slightly taken aback.
"I love you too." She replied softly.
"Jen, when we get back to DC." HE began, not quite meeting her eyes. "Will you move in with me?" She smiled, a big smile that went from ear to ear, she looked at him. Placing her finger under his chin she caught his lips before cupping his face. When they pulled apart she caught his eyes.
"Yes, I will." She said, forcefully to convince him. He smiled the proper smile that so few people saw and then he pulled her into a deep kiss, he hand going around his neck and his around her waist to the bare skin that he stroked with his finger. When they parted neither wanted to move, but both knew that they had to. So she grabbed an evening bag and they left the room. With his hand around her waist she leant into him and then they walked down to the bar. It was quarter past seven when they stepped into the bar and both were more than pleased to see that it was busy. Behind the bar, James and Ben were busy working, both wearing long sleeved smart shirts, with the sleeves rolled up. They had smiles on their faces and were laughing and chatting with the costumers.
Jenny looked around, still stood with Jethro's arm around her waist. She saw Ali over in the corner wearing a skater style skirt in black and an emerald green sleeveless blouse; it had a black collar and black buttons on it. She had on a pair of black heels with a platform. Her hair was down, yet the top layers were taken back. She had heavy black eye shadow and pale pink lipstick on. As Jenny looked over at her, laughing and smiling, she found it contagious.
Hearing a song she recognised Jenny saw that somehow Ali had managed to get her favourite singer at the bar: Eric Church. Jenny smiled as she saw the dark haired man singing, the sound system that had taken so much time to get set up working brilliantly. They sat down at the only empty booth and smiled. Ali caught sight of them and brought over two glasses of bourbon. She sat down opposite them. "You have done an amazing job Al." said Jenny as she looked at her niece."
"Thank you. I feel as though this could be the start of something big Aunt Jenny." Said Ali with a smile. They both looked over to the bar where James and Ben were showing off as they mixed Cocktails for the women. All three of them smirked and laughed as Ben nearly dropped his shaker. Jethro pulled jenny closer so that her head was resting against his shoulder and they both smiled, life was good, and neither was denying that.
Ali watched them both and smile. One day she hoped she'd be able to trust someone so that she could fall in love like her aunt had. She looked over at the two barmen and smile, remembering what she and Jenny had done back when they had first started the bar, and then she got an idea. Leaning across she told her aunt and they walked up to the bar.
"Alright boys, let us show you how it is really done." Ali nodded to the singer to signal that he should play something fast, and he did. So in time with the music both Ali and Jenny simultaneously made a Blue horizon cocktail. They chucked the shakers back and forth as though they were dancing or performing gymnasts in the Olympics. They showed off just like the barmen did in the film cocktail.
It was ironic, that at that moment, the woman Tony was in love with was re-enacting the scene from a film he was watching. Sat with McGee and Abby, they had bears in their hands, empty pizza box in front of them, watching that very film. Watching Cocktail.
That night, at the bar, the opening went amazingly. Ali ended up behind the bar, unable to resist. A smile was on her face the whole time. As the evening drew out and she went for a break, she asked Jenny to go outside with her. She did willingly whilst Gibbs talked with one of the Marines who was in the bar and based at the base only a few meters away. Jenny was glad for the cooler air as she stepped outside, the breeze causing the bottom of her dress to sway slightly. She smirked as Ali lit a cigarette. "I'm going to stop." She said honestly, and Jenny believed her. Mainly because after tonight Jenny saw just how much her nice could achieve if she put her mind to it.
"I believe you." She said with a smile. They stood there in silence for a few minutes, listening to the sound of the sea crashing as the tide came in.
"I wanted to talk to you about this whole me kind of thing." She said, not meeting Jenny's eyes.
"Okay." Jenny said almost hesitantly.
"I . . . I've been thinking this week, about what I'm going to do." She closed her eyes, sighing. "I'm going to stay in Diego Jenny. I opened my heart to him and he broke it, and I don't think that I can carry on doing this anymore. It's time for me to start a new chapter. The Duke is what it is, it's sustained, it's known, and with you there and the new barmen, it's in safe hands. I'm going to look after the Duchess for a year or two, then who knows, I'm going to create an empire."
Jenny smiled. "I'm proud of you A, and so would your mum and dad be."
"Thank you. So who know, a few years there will be bars all over the states, Miami's maiden, Phillies princess, Brooklyn's boss, who knows." Jenny hugged her niece, and she smiled. "I know that you wanted me to be back in DC-"
"No, no Ali I just want you to be happy. And I hope that you will be."
That night, to the sound of Eric Church, the song that had started all of those weeks ago, a chapter ended. For Jenny it was the start of the perfect life, the life living with Jethro and being happy. For Ali, it was the chapter of making a name for herself, because who knew what may happen. She'd had her heart broken but maybe in the future she'd be able to trust again. So that night, they all began what was their next chapter.
When Jenny and Ali had stood behind that bar of the DC's Duke for the first time all those years ago, neither one of them had known what it would become. Known that it would be he first of a series of bars that would over the next decade take over the states. Their lives hadn't been easy, but neither had anticipated the entire fin they had had experienced, all the love and laughs, and there were still a lot to come. And it was all thanks to a life behind bars . . .