For: TheBreakfastGenie

From: CrimsonShepard

Title: Delayed

Prompts:
Snow/blizzard/winter weather
Christmas in an airport

Her oxblood lacquered nails drummed steadily on the arm of the comfortable chocolate leather chair, and Jenny Shepard sighed in frustration as she glanced at the time on her sterling silver watch. He was late, and each minute of his absence wore her patience thinner and thinner. She lifted her glass of bourbon and took a generous sip. The redhead's lips parted slightly as her throat burned, and her eyes steeled on the weather report showing on the flat screen television of the airport's exclusive lounge. "That explains it," Jenny muttered under her breath, but it didn't make her any less irritated. D.C. was expected to receive the worst blizzard in years. The redhead tucked her hair behind her ear and hoped that Leroy Jethro Gibbs would do what he did best – beat the odds. She would not reschedule this trip a third time. Jenny crossed her legs, waiting for Jethro and the inevitable flight delays.

A half hour later, Gibbs strolled into the lounge, eyes scanning the room for his redheaded companion. He spotted her and instantly grinned. Jethro sat down in the chair next to her and immediately finished off her remaining bourbon. She smirked and shook her head, smiling when he leaned over and gave her a lingering kiss on the cheek. "Sorry to be so late," he apologetically whispered.

"Jethro, it's fine," Jenny replied, simply relieved that he was there. Their trip was actually going to happen.

"Road's are hell," he grumbled and shimmied out of his heavy winter coat. "Flight delayed?"

She nodded her head. "Ten minutes ago," the redhead stated.

"Think we'll make it?" he questioned reluctantly.

Jenny cut her eyes at him in sheer annoyance. "We will make it. Don't be negative," she reprimanded. They damn well better make it to Paris this year for the holiday. In previous years, the trip had been cancelled because of work. She should have known that something would happen. Everything had fallen too perfectly into place. Now, Mother Nature wanted to wreak havoc with ice and snow.

"Me? Negative?" he questioned as he feigned indignation. "Never, Jen."

She rolled her eyes, biting her lip sharply to stop the laughter bubbling up and ruining her façade. "Let's not see if lightning can strike during a snowstorm."

Gibbs frowned and ordered bourbon and another for Jenny. He sat back in the supple leather of the chair and closed his eyes. Jethro heard Jenny rummaging through her gargantuan purse. He popped a blue eye open and promptly closed it when he saw the issue of Vogue. "You gonna drag me through stores, Jen?"

"Yes, among other things…" she answered. "Don't act like you won't love it. Paris is romantic during Christmas."

He snorted, keeping his eyes closed. "As long as it's not Dear Jethro: Part Deux."

Jenny turned in her seat, narrowing her green eyes at him, hurt by his words. She socked him in the shoulder with her fist. Jethro's eyes flew open, and his hand covered his shoulder. He glared at his auburn haired lover. "Ow!" he exclaimed. "Jen, I was jokin'," Gibbs told her, rubbing his throbbing shoulder.

"It was not funny, Jethro," she retorted icily.

Gibbs smirked and leaned over. He put his hand on her knee and smoothed it over her thigh. "You know what I wouldn't mind a part deux of…" he murmured in a low voice into her ear, recalling a time that she had absolutely rocked his world. Jenny's cheeks flushed, and she pushed him away from her.

"You are so bad," she whispered with a good-natured smirk.

He grinned devilishly at her and covered his mouth with hers. Jenny pulled away breathlessly after a few moments. She stroked his jaw and smiled at him. The pair frowned miserably when the voice came through the speakers informing the occupants of Dulles International Airport that it was shut down.

After an hour, Jenny had read every single magazine she'd planned on reading during the flight to Paris, and she was bored. She elbowed Jethro in the ribs and woke him from his nap. "Wanna play Go Fish?" Jenny asked.

"What?" he inquired sleepily with his head on her shoulder.

"Do you want to play Go Fish?" she repeated the question shyly.

Jethro sat up and stretched out his arms. "We don't have cards." He shook his head when she leaned forward, looking through her bag. Minutes later, Jenny flashed an unopened deck of cards at him. "Jen, what don't you have in there?"

"Your team," she replied smartly and removed the clear cellophane wrapping from the cards.

Silently, Gibbs dipped his head in appreciation for her not having DiNozzo, McGee, and Ziva in her purse. She turned to him and shuffled the cards. "Go Fish or poker?"

He shook his head. "Go Fish," Jethro answered. He despised playing poker with Jenny. She seemed to somehow always win, and he didn't feel like getting into a fight with her about his suspicion that she cheated at the game. Gibbs hoped she didn't have Monopoly or Scrabble hidden in her seemingly bottomless handbag. He remembered the great Monopoly fight of 2005, but nothing compared to the catastrophic Scrabble war of 2006. Jenny dealt the cards, and the couple began to play the simple children's card game.

"You lose again," Jethro chimed merrily after several rounds of the game.

Jenny rolled her green eyes and let him jumble up the cards. She finished off her bourbon and felt lightheaded. Two refills ago, the NCIS Director had lost count of how many bourbons she'd had since being stranded in the airport. She picked up her cards and spaced them out in her hand.

"Got any sevens?" Jethro inquired.

"No," Jenny responded.

Gibbs shoved his cards onto the small table and looked at her piercingly. "You lied!"

"I did not! I don't have any sevens."

"You did it again, Jenny!"

She cursed under her breath and glared at him. Begrudgingly, the redhead handed over the seven she had. Jethro snickered and smugly took the card from her. "That right eye will always give you away, Jen."

"Shut up," she said stubbornly, lips curving into a beautiful, perfected pout.

"Don't get pissy because I caught you cheating at a child's game," he remarked.

Swiftly, the redhead clamped her hand over Jethro's mouth and stared him dead on, fire in her own eyes. "Shut up, Jethro," she demanded fiercely and removed her hand from his lips.

He smirked and let her take her turn. Thankfully, the odds turned in Jenny's favor during the last game of Go Fish, and she won. Jethro flicked his eyes to the television and nudged her. She glanced at the screen. "Glad I'm not at home," Jenny stated. A tree had fallen and knocked the power out in Georgetown.

"Maybe it'd be easier if we went to Paris, Texas," Jethro groused. He dodged the closed fist coming towards him and smugly smiled. "Missed."

Jenny casually flopped against the back of the chair and folded her arms over her chest. She muttered under her breath and pouted once more. Jethro smirked. Unfortunately, he didn't think she'd make a second attempt and focused his attention on the weather report. She gave him a fleeting glance and pinched his forearm, twisting the skin. His face twisted in pain, and he jerked his arm away from her. "Goddammit, Jen."

"You deserved it," she commented petulantly, propping her feet on the table in front of her. Jenny crossed her arms over her chest a second time and covered her mouth as she yawned. She fought with sleep, and Jethro watched her in amusement. He knew she'd lose the battle. Jenny had been awake since the crack of dawn and had numerous drinks. She pushed at him roughly. "I won't fall asleep."

"Uh huh," he said, utterly unconvinced. After a few minutes, Jenny slumped and fell against his side. Jethro grinned and put an arm around her, letting her burrow into his side. He flipped open his phone and decided to check in with the team to see how they were fairing in the blizzard. While he was listening to Abby, Jenny started snoring gently. He chuckled at the sure sign of her being inebriated. Jethro kissed her temple. He let her sleep while he stayed awake, keeping an eye on the weather.

Close to midnight, Jethro rolled his neck from side to side and grimaced at the numbness in his arm. The needles and pins in his arm were nearly to the point of being unbearable. He looked down at Jenny. She was still sleeping peacefully, and he hated to move his arm, especially when she was looking thoroughly angelic. Gibbs let out a thankful sigh of relief when it was announced that all flights were no longer delayed. Carefully, he moved his arm out from under her sleeping form and woke her up. Jenny mumbled and slowly opened her eyes. She yawned and stretched her arms and legs. He gave her a few minutes to regain her bearings.

"Flight's boarding in ten minutes," Jethro told her.

"You're joking?!" she replied, stunned.

"Nope," he answered.

Jenny shot up from her seat and grabbed her oversized purse, throwing it over her shoulder. She put her hand into Jethro's and squeezed tenderly. "Finally! Christmas in Paris!"

Gibbs smiled widely at her excitement and took his boarding pass from her as they exited the lounge and headed to their gate. He slipped his arm around her waist protectively as they walked through the crowd of weary and worn holiday travelers. Jethro noticed something out of the corner of his eye, and he glanced at his wristwatch. He stopped suddenly and took several steps to the side, pulling Jenny with him.

"Jethro, what are you doing?" she inquired. "We board in less than ten minutes! I swear to God if we miss this flight…" her voice trailed off as she attempted to think how she'd punish him.

He pointed to the ceiling and playfully grinned at her with childlike glee. "Mistletoe."

Jenny returned the smile and leaned into him, pressing her chest to his. Their lips met in a holiday kiss. She melted into him and gripped the lapels of his coat. His hands roamed down her back as his tongue entered her mouth. Jenny moaned softly and hated for the kiss to end. She stared into his blue eyes and felt his hands on her waist. He glanced at his watch. It was after midnight. "Merry Christmas, Jen," he said with a warm smile, showing her the time.

"Merry Christmas, Jethro," she replied and pulled away from him, walking with him to the gate for their flight to Paris.

Finally, they were no longer stuck in an airport and would be on their way to celebrate Christmas and the New Year in Europe. Paris would be done properly this time. She wouldn't leave him. As a matter of fact, Jenny never planned on leaving Jethro again.