The Deal
- Chapter 2: Reconnecting... -
Jenny did manage to get home at a reasonable hour that night. Well nine was reasonable for her. She'd gone upstairs to change out of the heels and her suit into something more comfortable and retreated back to her study to do more work. She was starting to feel her eyes begin to tire when the knocking came. At first she thought she was imagining it, she stretched her neck and turned back to the reports on her desk ignoring the noise. The knocking came again and she glanced down the hall to the door, sure enough there was a silhouette behind the curtains. Who... She got up to answer it and was more than a little surprised to find Gibbs on her doorstep hand raised to knock again.
"Hey Jen."
"Jethro..." she paused. "Is there a reason you're on my door step at ten-thirty?" He held up a bag from a restaurant they both loved.
"I brought food," he said as if it justified everything. She could hear her stomach turning flips at the smell of the food and she sighed. She was hungry.
"Fine." She moved aside so he could step in the door and shut it behind him. "Bourbon?"
"If you're having some," he replied following her into the study and setting out dinner. They sat quietly together eating the dinner he'd brought and drinking the bourbon. She was surprised when he turned down a refill, but he reminded her he still had to drive home. She nodded and put the bourbon away. She was slightly perplexed, it usually wouldn't matter if he had to drive home or not, two glasses wouldn't bother him that much, but then again, another glass for her would have knocked her out. She wondered if he knew how many glasses she had. It was slightly discomforting that he knew her so well. They finished dinner in silence and he wished her a good night as she walked him to the door. "See you tomorrow Jen."
"Night." She shut the door and watched him leave before going upstairs to sleep. The following night the same thing occurred and it continued for a week. Every night a different restaurant but every night he showed up about an hour after she got home with take out dinner. By Friday she was more than a little curious, but he never mentioned dinner at work so she just waited for him to bring it up. She was certainly not going to turn down the food. It was always her favorites. Friday night she waited, sitting on the stairs in her front hall, she was not at all surprised by the knock on her door, but he seemed very surprised when the door opened immediately.
"Hi Jen."
"Jethro, I was just about to go for a walk," she lied. He nodded not buying it as he caught her tell.
"You really shouldn't go out without your security detail," he responded instead.
"Ruin all my fun," she sighed dramatically. "Food for me?" She inquired pointing at the bag.
"Um...yea, I thought you might be hungry."
"Hm...occasionally you have very good ideas," she remarked. "Bourbon?" He nodded wondering if perhaps he'd suddenly become predictable. She didn't seem at all surprised he was here, or even remotely curious that he'd showed up every night for a week. That puzzled him, or, he thought, perhaps I'm just better at this subtly than I thought.
He watched her through their quiet evening, they talked about the recent cases, and some other missions going on abroad and carefully avoided mentions of the past. They talked about his team and she carefully left out all the details she could about Abby's personal life, even though he tried to ask. She walked him to the door like she had every night, thanked him for dinner only this time she said she'd see him on Monday. He nodded and left. On his drive home he considered her words, See you Monday Jethro, Monday...Monday was a long time from now. He didn't know why they never did things on the weekends. They had been friends when she came back, but never did they intrude on each other's private weekend time. Why not? He considered his plan and figured that as long as it wasn't some ungodly hour, she wouldn't mind too much his newest idea.
---
Jenny woke up Saturday morning at eight, stretching in the sunlight that filtered in through her curtains. She sighed before rolling over and trying to go back to sleep. She'd finally manage to get her mind to quiet around one and eight just seemed to early to wake up. Knowing herself as she did though she knew she wasn't going back to sleep and so tossed of the covers and moved about her room. She dressed causally in jeans and a sweater considering that she might want to go out later and moved to her kitchen to have coffee while she read the last of the case reports that she'd brought home. She was just finishing the last one when a knock came on her door. She glanced at the clock to find it reading nine-fifteen. She considered that it might be her weekend detail telling her they were there, but she'd given them the weekend off. She moved slowly to the doorway grabbing her gun on the way. She pulled open the door a crack to see who was standing there and then let it open.
"Jethro," she greeted cautiously. Saturday morning house calls from her lead agent could only mean one thing, and that didn't bode well for her.
"Uh hi Jen."
"So..." she waited for him to tell her what was happening but he seemed hesitant.
"Um I have these tickets for this special exhibit at the museum for today...and I was going to take Ducky but he had a date, so I thought you'd want to tag along."
"An exhibit at the museum?" She repeated.
"Yea, it's just opening, we...err I have a membership..." he explained.
"I don't have my detail Jethro, aren't you always telling me not to go anywhere without them?" She asked.
"Well I am your lead agent, and you're always telling me you were a good agent and can take care of yourself," he shot back. "Besides we're going to a museum, who's dumb enough to kill the Director of NCIS in a public place with hundreds of witnesses?"
"That's not actually comforting," she replied. "But since you're offering I suppose it wouldn't hurt." She grabbed her jacket and purse from inside the house and walked with him to the car. He drove to the Smithsonian and led her to the backroom where there was a special exhibit on sunken ships. She looked at the sign suspiciously for a second as Gibbs handed over the tickets.
"And Ducky had a date?"
"He's not dead Jen, I'm sure there are some elderly attractive women who would find Ducky nice."
"Hm...very nice," she agreed. He shot her a Gibbs' glare and led her into the exhibit. He let her lead once they were inside and lead she did. She wandered from each different ship and relic reading and absorbing the images. He followed dutifully paying more attention to her then the ships. He watched her as she got lost in her exploration and as he saw the exit sign for the exhibit he knew he didn't want the day to end that quickly.
"Wanna go for a walk?" He asked as they left the museum.
"Sure," she agreed she liked walks and walking with someone who didn't stay three steps behind her was more than agreeable. They stopped at a hot dog vendor and he bought the both hot dogs and they found a bench to sit on and eat lunch. "So...not that I don't appreciate, but why dinner?"
"Why what dinner?" He inquired feigning innocence. She smirked.
"I know you Jethro, where's the catch?"
"Catch?" He echoed.
"You brought me dinner, you haven't pissed off any agencies, where's the catch?"
"Belated Birthday Present," he answered.
"By two months, nice try."
"Early Christmas."
"Not your style, next?"
"You work all the time, makes you short tempered," he tried.
"Oh really?" She questioned. He looked up to find a very remarkable Gibbs' glare being directed at him.
"You've been keeping something," he hinted.
"About?"
"Abby."
"I barely see Abby."
"And Tony." She gave him the look. "They're breaking rule 12." She snorted.
"Not my rule 12."
"Cute."
"Abby's not on the team, she answers to me, in case you forgot."
"I'll kill him." Jenny placed her hand on his arm.
"No you won't. Abby's not a little girl she knows what she's doing and Tony..." she sighed. "He deserves to be happy." He stretched his legs out in front of him. He wouldn't disagree with that comment especially with her, it was likely to lead to a fight and he wanted to avoid that.
"How long have you known?"
"Last week, they're good at hiding it," she answered knowing it was useless to continue to uphold the secrecy.
"Anything else I should know?"
"No and don't bring it up."
"Jen this is my team."
"And they're not us," she snapped. "Tony and Ziva I'd worry about, Tony and Abby not so much. Let it go."
"If they have a kid..."
"Good for them and you're not exactly in a position to lecture on rules. You broke your own." He would go with the assumption she meant herself and not Hollis.
"It wasn't a rule then."
"They don't know that." He fell silent at that. It certainly wasn't something they broadcasted. He knew when she had been told rule 12 jokingly she'd gone along with it, saying nothing to him and just accepting it. It was not a conversation they were likely to have nor was it in their interests to do so. He watched some children run past them chasing each other laughing, he tried to block out the thoughts of Kelly that intruded and glanced at Jenny. She was starring at the children a look he'd never seen on her face before, a longing that shocked him.
"Jenny?"
"Yes Jethro?"
"How come you never had kids?" She froze on the spot before shrugging her shoulders keeping her eyes focused on the scenery. "You like kids."
"Yea so?"
"You can't put it off forever," he said gently. She turned to him anger flaring in her eyes.
"Jethro, do me a favor. Shut up." He met her green eyes with his blue knowing he was in familiar territory. Angry Jen, he could handle.
"Come on Jen. Why not?"
"Jethro it's really none of your business. I haven't end of discussion," she snapped.
"You could adopt..." She placed her hand over his mouth silencing him.
"I work almost twenty-four seven, it's not fair to bring a child into that."
"You could cut back your hours."
"Always rationalizing...my job is not exactly something that you can tell a child about."
"Your father was a marine, did he ever tell you what he did?"
"No but my mother, from what I remember, was a woman of luxury and then I had nannies. I wouldn't want my children to live that way."
"Children...you have thought about it."
Well I never had a sibling, it was lonely," she defended. "And honestly, what woman at some point in time hasn't thought about it?" He nodded silently trying to come up with his next move and coming up empty.
"Want to get some coffee?" He asked standing up. She nodded glad for the end of the discussion and followed him to the best coffee shop in the area.
---
The following Monday morning Jenny sat in her office starring off into space thinking about the weekend. It was an interesting Saturday, Jethro's unexpected arrival and day out was nice but at the same time there was something about the closeness that made her feel depressed. How could she continue to follow what ever plan was going on in his brain when all she wanted to ask him was if he remembered? She sighed deeply before turning back to her computer where her calendar sat open. You can't mourn what you never had, she thought idly opening the edit program. She was about to hit delete when her doors opened and Gibbs walked in setting a cup of coffee down on her desk in front of her. She glanced up and he just stood there leaning over her desk. The door had closed, and he just stood there waiting.
"Okay I'll bite, what can I do for you Agent Gibbs?" He smirked; there was a whole list of answers to that.
"It occurred to me the other day that we are at an anniversary of sorts."
"Anniversary?" She echoed.
"Yep."
"We don't celebrate anniversaries and its not August or October, so what exactly have we hit an anniversary?"
"Three years as Director," he answered.
"That's May," she reminded. He nodded running his hand through his hair, it was useless to go with subtly, she wasn't picking up on it. Does she not remember?
"Well...there is this..." he hesitated; if it came out he couldn't take it back.
"Spit it out before it chokes you."
"We have a deal," he said confidently. She looked up and glances back down at her work.
"Had."
"Had?" he echoed, whom the hell is she seeing?
"Does the name Hollis ring a bell? Deal is null and void," she responded.
"Actually its active and yes the name rings a bell, she moved to Hawaii, dating a hotel owner," he answered. He paused waiting for her reaction of which there was very little. "I thought you knew that." That got her attention.
"Oh no, don't turn this on me! I'm not a mind reader Jethro."
"Well now you know, so what's the problem?"
"Do you want the short list or the long?"
"There's a list?" He questioned.
"There's this tiny thing you seem to be forgetting, I'm your boss!'
"Who's going to know?"
"Rule 12," she argued.
"Not applicable, as you pointed out you're not my partner."
"Jethro having a child with someone generally means there's a relationship," she stated lowering her voice, doors were only so thick. He leaned farther over the desk.
"Well okay, have dinner with me?" He inquired. She leaned back in her chair watching him for a minute pondering back over the events of the last week, bells and lights started to go off.
"Dinner wasn't about Abby," she remarked starring at him for another minute. "When did you remember?"
"Remember?"
"You forgot after the coma, so when did it come back?" She asked. He sighed there was no use denying what she already knew.
"Carson. Your study, I just wasn't sure the exact date. It was last week though, wasn't it?" She nodded.
"You don't have to. It was just..."
"You don't want a kid?"
"I just..." He walked around her desk leaning up against it facing her.
"Jenny its okay." Her phone beeped cutting of her reply.
"I can't talk about this right now."
"So come over for dinner."
"I have..."
"Jenny I can bring you dinner or you can come over," he said.
"Okay fine, now I really have to work," she replied in haste and watched as he left. She sat back in her chair trying to get her heart rate back to acceptable speeds. Once that was accomplished though the swirling thoughts in her mind wouldn't leave her alone. She couldn't handle the emotions in her and threw herself into her work though she knew she couldn't put off the talk they would have to have.
Ten-thirty that night she found herself standing outside his front door with a case of nerves she never remembered having. She paced in front of his door way for a few minutes, chances were the door was unlocked but she wouldn't step in uninvited. She bit her lip as she raised her hand to knock and froze as she heard something behind her.
"I thought you might be here," Gibbs said stepping forward. "Got a case, DiNozzo's in charge."
"I just got here." He nodded opening the door for her and closing it behind him. "You don't have to work?"
"Can't do anything without Ducky and he's gone home for the night. We'll start early tomorrow."
"Oh."
"Does mean we're having take out."
"That's fine."
"Bourbon?"
"Sure." He asked her how her days was, inquired about the out come of a case. She asked about this newest case and what he thought might have happened. The talking dwindled after dinner had come and then it just fell into silence as they sat there.
"So..."
"Any suggestions?"
"Jethro we have to talk about this. This was..."
"An idea that we had."
"Jethro it was a deal, three years ago when we were both sensitive to the fact that we aren't getting younger."
"You want to back out you tell me that Jen, but tell me you don't want a child."
"That's the problem," she snapped standing up. "I do want a child...if things had been different," she sighed.
"Jenny, it wouldn't hurt to try."
"And what about us?"
"Us?"
"Jethro we'd have to be somewhat involved in this together."
"We work well together."
"Raising a child?"
"Why not?" She paused a moment in her pacing of the floor watching him.
"And this talk of children isn't hitting any nerves at all?" She asked surprised.
"You can't live your life in the past," he replied. "I..."
"Jethro I can't let you do this," she said surprising them both. "I mean...look, we don't know if it could have changed anything but the fact is that Kelly is a part of your life, one that I accept, but I'm not so sure you've accepted that."
"Accepted what? There's nothing there." She put her hands on his shoulders leaning over him.
"Don't ever say that. I won't claim to know what it's like, but you can't tell me its nothing. I know you Jethro, I won't ask for everything, but eventually we're going to talk about it, not necessarily Kelly, but why you've never had children since."
"It was different."
"No. You married them Jethro, it's not them that's different. It's me," she said. "And it's not even so much about a wedding band, what's different Jethro."
"You're protected." She froze in her place and moved her hands to his face bringing his eyes to her. Her heart fractured at the pain hidden within the blue depths.
"Oh Jethro..." she sighed. "You drive me nuts."
"What?"
"You know that means absolutely nothing in the scheme of things."
"I'm not following here," he replied. He'd inadverntly told her things he'd never meant for her to know and she was acting exasperated.
"I may have a security detail and a whole armed agency at my disposal but that if anything makes me more of a target."
"I wouldn't let it happen."
"You don't always get that choice Jethro, remember Brian Dempsey."
"One time, and I got you back."
"You did," she agreed. "But Jethro..."
"But what? It's a deal Jen, more for you than anything else."
"Hm...I disagree," she replied. "You want a child too, I was there when Carson's parents came to get him. I know that look Jethro. I imagine I had the same one."
"I don't not want children."
"Well...that's comforting to know. Ducky said I should talk to a doctor."
"A doctor?"
"Yes to check my chancse." He sat up straighter as she moved back to her own seat as if the previous conversation hadn't occurred.
"Well I guess I should talk to one too. Compare odds."
"And I guess we try."
"Naturally?" He suggested cocking his head to the side. He smirked at the blush that crossed her cheeks and watched as she shrugged. "How many?"
"One would be lucky at this age, wouldn't it?"
"Probably," he agreed. "Girl or boy?"
"Healthy." He nodded. He watched her take a large sip of her water, before turning back to her plate. "What if I can't?"
"There's ways around it Jen, and we can try them if it doesn't work."
"Okay," she sighed knowing that she was agreeing to far more than a child in her own mind.
"I promise to spoil you rotten," he teased.
"Ice cream runs?" She inquired meeting his eyes.
"Whatever you want."
"When?" If ice cream was involved this pregnancy thing was sounding better and better.
"We'll see doctors and go from there."
"Okay." Dinner was finished by then and he got up putting the dishes in the sink.
"Want to watch a movie?" He asked hoping to prolong her leaving.
"Sure." They sat down in the living room in front of the TV Tony had made Gibbs buy to watch games on. They found a movie they both could agree on and left the TV on. Gibbs was engrossed in the Pirate story an hour later when he heard a soft whimper, he glanced to his side and found Jenny curled up on the couch, sound asleep. He smiled faintly as she curled further into the couch he wrapped his arm around her coaxing her head to his chest. She curled into him and he felt her relax into his embrace as she went into a deep sleep. He stretched his legs out along side Jenny's body and turned back to the TV falling asleep as the credits began to roll. In sleep his hand fell to her abdomen dreaming of her pregnant form.