The Deal
Author: A'serene
Category: Angst, Romance, Family
Rating: Adult - P18
Contents: Gibbs makes Jenny an offer she can't refuse.
Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS in any way shape or form. I borrow the characters.
A/N: Inspired by the JAG Episode "Yea Baby"
Harm: "Tell you what. Five years from now if neither of us are in a relationship, we go have ourselves a kid."
Mac: "You and me? Have a baby together?"
Harm: "Yea, with your looks and my brains he'll be perfect."
Mac: "And what if SHE has YOUR looks and MY brains?"
Harm: "That could work too."
For Em, aka dare-denymecider, who I promised this would be done by August..
Jennifer Shepard placed her brief case on her kitchen counter and opened the fridge scoping out what might be available to eat as she did every night. Every night that she didn't have a date that was, but dates were few and far between and every guy she met she wanted to get rid of just as fast. So here she was approaching middle age, alone and looking for lean cuisine in her freezer, especially if Noemi was off. She tried to cut off her train of thought but knew it was useless, the last case she'd ‘over seen,' had hit home. Children always tugged at her heart but now, standing at the top of her own little hill, it was more like a deep painful stab, because she knew that was all gone.
The only person she had maybe considered having children with was involved with a child during a case. Had taken said child home into his house, had cared for him and done everything in his power to make sure he could go home with his dad. She sat down at her desk, her head in her hands thinking over the past few days again.
"I've always admired your way with children, ever think of having any of your own?"
"That an offer Jen?"
"No, it's not an offer Jethro, merely an observation."
Oh if she could make it an offer, she damn well would, but unless someone figured out how to go back in time six years than it wasn't going to happen. She'd given up that future long ago. Even if she'd gone back a few months ago and said they could work on off the job, who knows what would have happened. She stared down at her desk for a moment; the old wood polished her hand falling to her stomach. This house had been passed to her, and she would have no one to pass it to. Slightly depressing view of her life, but then again maybe I'm having a mid life crisis. A knock on the door startled her and her hand automatically went to her weapon. Another knock came and she figured it wasn't just a package or something, but as Director of NCIS she couldn't be too careful.
"Jen! You home?" His voice made her actually move toward the door placing her gun on the table. She opened the door to find Leroy Jethro Gibbs standing on her front steps.
"Jethro."
"Hi Jen." He paused as she leaned against the doorway. "You going to let me in?"
"Depends."
"On?" He seemed nervous to her, and previous experience taught her that the rare occasions he got nervous, it would end badly.
"What have you done wrong?"
"Nothing, really, I just uh...I wanted to talk to you about something and you'd already left so I thought I'd stop by and..."
"To talk?"
"Yea."
"Really?"
"And I'm out of bourbon."
"Knew it," she sighed opening the door and letting him in. "Glasses are where they always are." She sat back down at one of the chairs in front of the fire leaving him to pour the drinks. He handed her a glass full with bourbon, his equally as full.
"Can I ask you something?" He said once they were seated with their drinks.
"Do you need permission?" He shrugged. She glanced back to the fire figuring if it was important he'd ask.
"How come you never had any kids, Jen?" Whatever she'd been expecting, that wasn't it and she choked on the bourbon. After a minute she regained control but her voice came out throaty.
"Well...I just didn't. I mean my job, its not kid friendly," she stuttered. He studied her for a moment before looking back at the fire.
"You shouldn't wait too long, don't let it just pass by you," he commented and her eyebrow hit her hairline.
"I'm a target, remember? And on top of that, let's add in my unmarried state as ammunition for my political enemies, not to mention all the people we put away."
"Well at least you'd be a real life super-mom," he teased trying to lighten to the tension between them. She laughed happily, the first time he'd heard that sound in six years and it unconsciously made him smile. They lapsed into silence afterwards as they finished their drinks. She stood to get him a refill.
"Another?"
"I still have to drive," he said. She nodded placing both glasses down.
"Walk you to the door," she replied going with him. He grabbed his coat and watched her wait patiently, in the lonely house. He wasn't sure how he caught it, but he swore the spark left her eye. It was something he noticed when she was happy, but it seemed those moments were few and far between. He didn't like it. Hell, he'd never liked her decision, but he'd finally accepted it, till she walked back in his life and he realized just how long he'd been lying to himself. He wanted her to be happy, he wasn't quite sure he knew how to make her that way, but he figured it wouldn't hurt to try.
"Hey Jen."
"Hm?"
"What if in three years, if neither of us our in a relationship, we go halves on a kid?" He suggested and then snapped his mouth closed. Did I say that?
"What?"
"You heard," he continued. He'd made his proposition might as well see how it turned out.
"You and me? Have a baby together?" She exclaimed trying to arrange the thoughts in her head. Not that it wasn't an appealing idea.
"Yea, with your looks and my brains, he'll be perfect," he assured. Her eyebrow rose again.
"And what if SHE has YOUR looks and MY brains?"
"That could work too," he replied. She stared at him a minute trying to see if maybe the one glass of bourbon had been one to many.
"You're insane."
"Possibly," he agreed before smirking the all-knowing smirk she hated. "But you can't hit snooze forever." She sighed; he had a very good point on that aspect. "So a deal?" He held out his hand for her to shake trying to gauge her opinion. He'd either screwed up the only good thing in his life, again. Or they'd made progress. She took his hand.
"Don't make a promise you can't keep."
"I won't." They shook hands and he left warning her to lock the doors as he left. She did lock the door and watched him drive off. I did not just agree to that did I? She bolted back into her kitchen grabbing her palm pilot out of her bag and marking the date, three years in the future. She starred at the marker. A lot could happen in three years, injury, scandal, but in the end as she starred at that marker she couldn't help the smile. Oh sure it was a really bad idea to get involved with an agent but the blips in her heart told her she was either really having a midlife crisis or she was in serious danger of uncovering those buried emotions she swore to keep buried.
---
Gibbs was in his basement his sander running across the wood of his boat. He couldn't help replaying the last hour in his mind. She hadn't asked him why he hadn't had children. Though he supposed from her point of view it was a pretty logical explanation, but therein laid the problem. She didn't know the whole story and he would have to tell her if there was any hope of them going through with this. He still wasn't sure what had provoked him into opening his mouth, or even suggesting what he had. He wanted her happy but surely there was something other than what he'd just done. This could make things difficult between them. Having a baby with Jenny would be considered ‘off the job' and as much as he enjoyed that idea and the principles of how a child might come about, he wasn't sure this what they needed.
It would have to be kept quiet, he knew that much. It couldn't be very open, but they were good at that. And really had there been another woman after Shannon that he'd even considered having children with? NO. A child would make them both happy, and she needed something in her life besides the job. Something that would make her smile regularly. She and their child would be safe with a detail and the best part; well she wouldn't want a ring on her finger. She was to protective of her private life to even consider it. Well at least not right away and it wasn't a marriage. It's a deal between friends.