Given The Chance
- Chapter 2 -
He had expected her to come back, to waltz through the door, down the basement steps, call him a bastard, and share a bourbon with him. But the days turned to weeks and the weeks to months. 6 months without feeling her hand in his, without running his hands through her hair. He couldn't really say what had happened because he still wasn't sure and his threat, promise, of not staying gone lay unfulfilled because his pride had got the better of him.
"Special Agent Gibbs." Her voice reached him from the catwalk and he turned towards her, nearly catching the looking of longing that quickly slid backwards as he turned.
"Director." He answered, the air was icy with tension and Tony and Ziva shared a brief look before bowing their heads. Everyone could feel the tension surrounding them for months; everyone sensed the change when it happened.
He met her in her office, hating being there with the tension that was flying around the room. She looked at him with green eyes.
"Director?" He asked, wondering why he was here, not ready to take the plunge yet and tell her how he felt.
"I need you to run a security detail." She was obviously having a problem with asking him for this because she was fidgeting.
"For whom?" He asked, confused as to why she was asking him.
"Me." After 6 months of avoidance, with only the minimum amount of contact, only staying in rooms with each other for the necessary time frames, something snapped in him. It could have had something to do with her eyes, the way they looked at him, with hope, it could have had something to do with the fact that he now had to run a security detail for her, had to watch her dance around a room while other people pawed at her, it could have been that he told her he wasn't going to stay gone, and this time the promise wasn't going to stay unfulfilled. This time he wasn't going to hide behind his solitude, he was going to change, for her.
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He blinked, trying to establish exactly how and why he had forgotten how good she looked in a dress, because the sight of her should have been burned into his memory. The green silk clung to her skin like he wanted to, taunting him, he breathed deeply as he watched yet another Government Official touch her just a little too inappropriately. The gentle hand on his arm reminded him that he was here to watch her, not to be the protector of her honor.
"She is fine." Ziva's quiet, but firm voice reminded him. He nodded once and continued circling the room, circling her, not knowing if he was protecting or getting ready to pounce.
Her eyes found him, talking to Ziva, the younger woman looked like she was trying to calm him. She narrowed her eyes, trying to read their expression and their body language. She snapped her gaze away as he turned towards her. She placed a hand on the arm of the body she was talking to, unaware of what he was saying, or even who he was but wanting to let Jethro know that she wasn't paying attention to him. Maybe it was just her imagination but his hand brushed against her back as he walked behind her, a fleeting touch that made her long for more. She excused herself and glanced around trying to find him. She caught Ziva's eye, the dark haired woman nodded her head in the direction of the balcony and smiled knowingly.
"You're meant to be watching me, Jethro." Her voice held the promise of a slight smile as she leaned against the balcony wall next to him, he tensed slightly, not sure how to act now that she was here, too close and yet, damn, not close enough.
"There are other agents Jen, why me?" He turned his face towards her, fingers itching to touch her, "Because you wanted to parade your freedom to me?"
"Because I trust you." She replied simply, shrugging her shoulders, ignoring his jibe.
"You trust me but you couldn't stay with me?" He asked feeling his blood pressure rise. She took a step back.
"Jethro...now is not the time." She turned, stopping when she felt his hand around her wrist.
"When is the time Jenny?" He asked, using her wrist to pull her closer to him, she resisted and pulled out of his grasp. She looked at him, willing him to see the promise in her eyes and the aprehension.
"Soon."