A/N: Thanks to those who put this story on alert or favoured (?) it. I guess I haven't acknowledged you so for. So thank you. It's kinda nice considering the lack of reviews ;D.

Chapter fifteen: Dinner with the parents

"That won't be necessary" Gibbs grinned "You ready for dinner with the parents Jen?"

She was shell-shocked, dumbfounded. He couldn't be serious, could he? "Jethro, I haven't had any contact with my mother for the better part of the last ten years. Don't you think this will look suspicious? You catch a case involving Eric and we come over for dinner?"

"I just need a little bit of time Jen. You will distract your mother, Heather, and Sanders and I will ask him a few questions. He won't concentrate on answering so he will be honest and you can lose up your tense relationship with your mother a bit. Plus you'll get to see Heather."

"So basically you're telling me you have it all planned out?" She snapped, infuriated.

"No, I just try to explain the advantages of my plan to you." He deadpanned.

"Leroy Jethro Gibbs, don't you dare to get sarcastic with me!" She heard Tony snickering behind her. "You think this is funny Special Agent DiNozzo?" she asked without turning around. "Maybe you would find looking for a new job funny too?"

"No ma'am, I'm fine. Won't happen again."

"That's nice to know. What about Manolo Jethro? I don't thinks he is comfortable with staying with neither Noemi nor your team."

"That's simple. You take him with us. He'll even do your job for you and distract your family." She glared at him, her stare icy, and he began to wonder if maybe he had overstepped the mark when he had bullied her into this 'family dinner night' with people she had clearly tried to avoid for the last years.

"Fine" she said, her voice as cold as her glare. "I'll give Heather a call, then I'll ring my mother, maybe we are on speaking terms again."

He nodded, his usual half-smile tugging on his lips and she knew this was as close to a 'Thank you' as she was going to get.

One down, one more to go she thought as she ended the call. Talking to Heather was the easy part. Her sister was carefree, funny kind, all in all really amicable, and always enjoyed spending extra time with her older sister, especially if that meant she could try to break the ice between Jenny and their mother. Heather had tried for years to include Jenny in their family traditions, but the red-head was still bitter over her father's death and refused to take part in anything that had to do with the people she blamed for his suicide.

Instead they had their own traditions, just the two of them, like spending Boxing Day and Black Friday together. So naturally when Jenny had called her to say she would come by for dinner and she'd bring some company too, Heather had been over the moon.

She had briefly contemplated if she should make Heather do the honors of telling their mother, but had decided it would be better if she called herself.

So there she sat, cell phone in her hand, her thumb hovering over the buttons. She cast a glance at Manolo sleeping on her couch, half wishing he would wake up so she could postpone calling her mother just another few minutes. Sighing she dialled the semi-familiar number and wondered when the last time she had called had been.

"Anne Sanders?" she heard the alto voice of her mother on the other end of the line.

"Mom, it's Jenny, I..."

"Jenny darling, how are you? I saw you on TV last week."

"I'm fine thanks mom. Look, I know we haven't spoken in a long time, but I wanted to ask if I can come by for dinner tonight?" She didn't know if she should feel self-conscious, if it was right that she was afraid of being rejected. In the end it was her who had refused to maintain contact, hadn't she?

"Yeah, I'd love to have you around. You know you are always welcome, don't you?" She wasn't sure if it was a mother's intuition but her mother somehow always seemed to know what she was thinking about.

"I guess I do. Listen, I'd like to bring some company, there are a few people I want you to meet."

"You have a boyfriend Jennifer?" Well what was Gibbs to her? Her boyfriend, her lover, her partner?

"Sort of."

"Anyways, drag him along. I'd love to meet him." Jenny could practically hear the smile in her mother's voice. It had been a long time since they had just talked, not argued and she had to admit she had missed their conversations.

"Will do. I'll see you tonight. We'll be there at eight. Bye mom."

"Bye Jenny, see you."

She shot a second look to the sleeping form on the other end of her office. A little boy was certainly not what her mother expected.

On floor below at the bull pen

"Boss, boss, I think I got something!"

"Don't choke on it McGeek. We wouldn't want you to get killed in the line of duty while you're sitting at your desk Elf Lord, would we?"

*whack*

"And we wouldn't want you to get killed because of a headslap, would we DiNozzo?"

"No Boss. Getting back to work now."

"What have you got McGee?"

"The security guards at Dulles International Airport gave me a call. They have picked up two of the guys I set on the No-Fly list. They were about to buy tickets to London Heathrow."

"Ring them back McGee. Tell them two NCIS agents are going to come to pick them up and that they shall continue observing the ticket offices."

"On it Boss."

"Ziva, DiNozzo, grab your gear, you're going to Dulles and pick them up. McGee, when you're done you go down to Abby's. I want the two of you to observe the cell's bank account. The second any transactions are made, I want to know. And McGee-" he tossed a few coins at the younger agent "bring Abby a CafPow! for me."

McGee nodded and began to tip away feverly on his keyboard again while Tony and Ziva ran to the elevator.

Forty-five minutes later, Tony and Ziva came back with two guys each as big as the two agents together. Tony looked quite amused, his usual sunglasses on his nose, a grin grazing his features. A sure sign Ziva was annoyed. The Israeli assassin looked like she was ready to kill someone with the first office supply she could get her hands on.

"I swear Gibbs, they are like stupid and more stupid-"

"I think you mean Dumb and Dumber Zee" Tony sat, laughter evident in his voice.

"Oh, shut the hell up! All three of you!" She shouted, the volume of her voice increasing and fixing all of them with a menacing stare. Yep, clearly annoyed then.

"They are dummies Gibbs, they don't know anything. You can't even classify them as scapegoats, 'cause they weren't even framed, they did this all on their own! A horse is more intelligent than they are, hell I bet even Tony is..."

"Hey! What does that mean! I am pretty smart, don't you think boss?" He looked to Gibbs, but Ziva was already talking again before Gibbs had even the chance to say something.

"Nothing, I just wonder why they have lots of muscles if they don't have the brains to use them? They don't know a thing about fighting, they are idiots!"

"But that has nothing to do with me Zee-vah, I can..."

"Shut up!" Gibbs said dangerously lowly. "Both of you!" He added as Tony had already opened his mouth to make a comment. "Take them to interrogation, let them stew for a while. There is at least the possibility they know something, maybe they are more intelligent than we give them credit for. Wait a few hours, then you can question them."

"Yeah boss, we'll do right that, right away. We won't torture them or kill them like we threatened to do when we were in the care, no matter how much they annoy us, won't we Ziva?" Tony said smirking.

"Are you enjoying this Tony? I can whip this grin from your face with my necklace. I don't understand why you have all those stupid rules, let alone follow them. They are suspects!" Ziva asked, clearly frustrated.

"That's the point Zee, they are suspects, not criminals."

"Same difference. Most of them turn out to be criminals anyway." She said defiantly.

*whack* (2x)

"Hey, stop it NOW! You're bickering like children. Just do your jobs and shut the hell up!" Gibbs yelled, leaving Tony and Ziva shell-shocked. "I'm going to see Abby. When I come back, you'll better be working, clear?"

"Crystal boss!"

He turned around, just hoping they wouldn't continue their bickering where he'd stopped them.

"Gibbs, Gibbs, Gibbs, I haven't seen you in - like ages!" The bubbly Goth exclaimed as soon as he entered her lab.

"Hey Abbs" Gibbs kissed her cheek after she had stopped enveloping him in one of her usual breath-taking hugs. "I've seen you only yesterday!"

"Yeah, but then your eyes were on our lovely director the whole time" She pouted.

"And yours were on Manolo." He said causing her to frown. "Abbs, have there been any transactions made?"

"I'm sorry o great one, but there hasn't been anything. Nevertheless Timmy and I could trace back the money to several car shops. A few of the owners didn't even know they brought stolen cars as the men provided them with faked papers. We asked them how much they had paid for the cars and added the prizes up. The amount of money on the bank account is far too big. You wanna go on Timmy? I'm willing to share the honors.

"Ab-by" Gibbs grumbled impatiently.

"Okay, okay, but I really think you should let McGee explain this el jefe as he was the one who found it"

"Fine. McGee what have you found out?" Gibbs growled.

"Ah, okay Boss. So I, ah, called the branches of the bank near the warehouse and asked if the terrorists had paid in cash on the account and when they'd paid it in. Then I checked if the dates of the payments matched the days of the robberies but they didn't.

"And then my silver-haired fox" Abby continued "he showed his real genius. Timmy here discovered the obvious."

"Thanks Abby, but I am sure everybody..."

"Hey!" Gibbs shouted, his patience wearing thin. Why did all of his agents wanted to annoy the hell out of him that day? "What - have - you - found?" He asked menacingly stressing each syllable.

"Right Boss, focus. Well I checked if the dates matched the dates of the arms deals. They didn't either but every time, two weeks after weapons had been stolen from Army or Marine Bases, a large amount of money was paid in. The payments ended five days before Dean Morrison was found dead."

"Good joy. If you find anything else, call me. Otherwise call it a day at six PM. There isn't much we can do anyways."

"Thanks boss."

"Gibbs, do you want to come with us tonight? We are going for drinks, just Tony, Ziva, Timmy, and I, there is this new place down the street we wanted to try."

"Sorry Abbs, I already have plans for the evening."

"Do they include the usual Basement, Boat, Bourbon or by any chance the director and the little one?" Abby asked, grinning widely.

"Her parents Abbs" He answered, deadly serious and went to the elevator.

"He wasn't serious, was he Timmy?"

He arrived at Jenny's home at quarter to seven to give her enough time to do whatever she did to prepare herself for dinner with her mother and her step-father. He had offered to watch Manolo for her who she had dressed in jeans and a blue polo shirt similar to those he wore at work which she claimed looked adorable on the little boy. So there he sat on Jenny's bed with Manolo next to him reading the boy stories while he listened to the water running in the bathroom and tried not to think about Jenny being in there under the shower naked. Alone.

The water stopped and twenty minutes later she emerged from the bathroom, looking stunning. Her make-up was natural, it accentuated her eyes and her dress was casual as well as classic and formal. She wore hardly any jewelery besides a pair of emerald ear-rings he'd given her back in Paris. She pressed a chaste kiss to his cheek and picked Manolo up from the bed.

"Let's go" she smiled at him. "Before I can change my mind" she added lowly, almost as an afterthought.

They stood at her mother's front porch and he could practically feel the nervousness radiating in waves from her. They'd rung the doorbell moments ago and she kept running her slightly shaking hands over Manolo's back soothingly. He threw his arm around her shoulder to soothe her and pulled her and the child in her arms into him, giving her strength. The door opened and an elderly woman who could be Jenny in twenty years came out of the house. The redhead next to him was her mother's spitting image, everything but the eyes were the same, down to the way the two women held themselves. He figured she got her eyes from her father then.

"Jennifer."

"Mom." Jenny looked at her, a little lost, a little insecure. "This is Jethro, my er..." she looked helplessly to him. He shrugged. "Partner?" He offered. The term fit them in so many ways.

"My partner." She smiled gratefully.

"Anne Sanders" the older woman introduced herself before her eyes drifted to Manolo, her gaze hardening a little. "I didn't know you had a child Jennifer." she said coolly. "Heather's never mentioned anything."

"That's because he isn't my child. Manolo was abducted, his mother was blackmailed by his kidnappers. She hasn't been found yet. We" she gestured first to Jethro and herself, then to Manolo, "take care of him for the time being."

"Then it's a pleasure to meet him." Anne smiled till she saw her daughter's furrowed brows. "Would have been anyway" she added hurriedly, clearly trying to save the situation. "Come on in, Eric's in the living room."

She led her guests in a cozy and well-furnished room. Sanders stood in front of the fireplace, already having changed out of his uniform into civil clothes. "Jennifer." He greeted a bit tensely. "Special Agent Gibbs." How much she wished they stopped calling her Jennifer.

"Just Gibbs is fine." Sanders nodded and took Gibbs' hand. "Eric then. And who might that be?" He looked at the boy in his stepdaughter's arms. Jenny looked at him, caressing his cheek lightly. "Can you say hi to my mom and Eric please honey?" The little boy nodded and looked around shyly. He squirmed a little to indicate that Jenny should put him down on the ground but continued to hold on to her hand tightly. He looked up at her, then waved hesitantly to the other occupants of the room.

"Hello." His greeting was almost inaudible but he was rewarded by big smiles from all four adults.

The moment was interrupted by the ringing of the doorbell. Jenny took Manolo with her and her mother to welcome her sister, leaving the two men alone in the room, an eery silence hanging over them.

"How's the case going?" Sanders asked awkwardly. He didn't know what etiquette said about conversing with the boyfriend of your step-daughter who hadn't spoken to you in ages and whom he had met when he was interrogated by said boyfriend about the murder of three Marines.

"We have a few leads" Gibbs murmured non-committal. "You know a Matthew Doyle?"

The Army Colonel shook his head. "Should I?" He asked warily.

Gibbs observed his reaction precisely. His gut told him the other man wasn't lying, at least not now. "Former Marine. Morrison knew him." He said gruffly. Sanders listened carefully, intending to find out if he was questioned as a witness or suspect. "Obviously he's the big boss of the arms dealing business." Gibbs continued. "Kapmann and Morrison shadowed members of the cell, followed them around, tried to get a hold of Doyle. Do you know anything about that? Was it a part of their mission?"

Sanders shook his head again. "That's why they were killed?" Gibbs inclined his head in confirmation. "What are you doing now?"

"Finding Doyle." Sanders seemed to be satisfied with the answer. He folded his hands in his lap and stared silently at them for a few moments. "You know Jennifer and I have never had a good relationship. She blames her mom and me for her father's suicide." He remarked tensely, out of the blue.

"I know." Gibbs replied lowly, his only acknowledgement he'd even heard what Sanders had said.

"Sometimes I wonder if she will get over it. Her mother misses her, blames herself."

"Yeah, she will. Give her time." Gibbs replied confidently. He look him straight in the eye. "It wasn't easy on her. She felt rejected, then the most important person in her life committed suicide, indicating she wasn't reason enough for him to pull through. It's hard for her, grieving, understanding, but she will move on eventually." Sanders nodded and couldn't help but think Gibbs spoke from experience.

The awkward silence descended on them once again.

Jenny stood behind her mother as the older red-head opened the door for her sister.

Heather was pretty, maybe even beautiful. Her curly brown hair had blonde highlights, she had her mother's hazel eyes and was a few inches taller than Jenny. She was an engineer and worked for a local company where she developed all kinds of electronic devices.

"Jenny" she gave her older sister a brief hug and the red-head felt the tension easing away from her.

"Heather" Jenny greeted back warmly, a genuine smile on her face. "Long time no see, don't you think?"

"With your work schedule?" She asked back and smiled, a 1000 Watt smile that seemed to lit up the room. "That's your company you wanted me to meet?" She pointed at Manolo.

"Half of it." Jenny replied. She nodded at Heather giving her the sign to talk to the boy.

"Hi, I'm Heather, Jenny's little sister." She reached out to ruffle his hair.

Manolo turned to Jenny, looking for guidance. She got down on her knees, her eyes on the same high as his. She took his hand firmly in hers, giving it a light squeeze. She was there. "Go on, talk to her. She's nice." she murmured quietly.

"I'm Manolo." He said quickly before he turned to Jenny again.

"Well done." She praised, picked him up and followed her mother in the kitchen. Noticing the smile on her sister's face she smirked back over her shoulder, her hand protectively on Manolo's back.

They stayed there a few minutes catching up on what they had missed out on each other's lives before they went back to living room to Gibbs and Sanders. Ignoring the uncomfortable silence lingering in the room Heather hugged her father and then turned to Gibbs.

"So you are Leeerooy" she drawled and Jenny had a hard time not to flinch. Why again had she explained to her sister that Jethro hated being called Leroy?

"Go by Jethro though." He corrected gruffly.

"I see you two work fast." She remarked, inclining her head towards Manolo. This time Jenny did blush, her cheeks becoming almost as red as her hair. Embarrassed she turned to Jethro who, to her utter surprise, was grinning.

"Wish he was ours." he said seriously taking her dig in strike. She looked at him, surprise and confusion written all over her face. Did he want kids? With her? Was he really serious or just joking around? She couldn't believe he was joking though. He took her in his arms, hugging her tightly for a moment, not caring what her family thought.

"You are special Jen" he whispered in her ear while he brushed a few strands of her hair out of her face. He rather felt than saw her smiling as she kissed the corner of his mouth.

Dinner carried on nicely after that and she had to admit she had missed the chatter and bantering that usually came with a family dinner night. Half way through the meal Manolo had decided he wanted to explore the house and after she had told him again that all of the present adults were a part of her family, he became more of his carefree, four-year-old self again he was when he was alone with her and Jethro.

Speaking of which, he had made friends with Heather, was even part taking in the conversation. He didn't say much and let the others dominate the conversation, but she appreciated the effort he made for her. He let his rest arm on the back of her chair as he played absentminded with a few loose strands of her hair. He and Manolo were making a habit out of this, but she couldn't find it in her to actually care, let alone be mad about it.

Later on she and Jethro shared a dessert and she was almost shocked with the amount of PDA they displayed. She leaned unconsciously into his touch as he caressed her cheek before he let his hand slide down her side to rest it on her hip. She was tired, she wanted to go home. Manolo was asleep on the couch next to the fireplace and as much as she had enjoyed dinner, her family, and herself, she had a job to do tomorrow morning and to get up at quarter to six in order to do so.

"You want to go?" Jethro asked quietly but obviously not quietly enough as her mother immediately offered them to crash in the spare room. "You don't have to drive home tonight. It isn't luxurious but it should be enough for one night, even if you are threesome."

"That's very kind mom, but I have an MTAC op to oversee first thing tomorrow morning and I'd rather have as little stress as possible."

The older red-head nodded in understanding. "I'll walk you out." Jenny smiled gratefully at her before she stand up to say her good-byes to Heather and Eric.

"I've really enjoyed dinner." She said sincerely, a genuine smile playing on her lips.

"Drop in when you are around." Eric said as he hugged her lightly. "I will." She promised before she turned to Heather to embrace her little sister.

"Give me a call some time." The brunette nodded as Jenny bent down to pick Manolo up. He waved sleepily at them as they followed her mother to the door.

"Thanks mom." She said quietly, letting her mother pull her into a hug.

"Anytime Jenny."

"I'll come by." The younger red-head promised, for once really intending on doing so.

"I appreciate it." came the sincere reply from her mother, leaving Jenny with the distinct feeling she meant much more than just her promising to drop in.

I really hope you liked it and the characters weren't too OOC. Please leave a review.