What The Heart Wants
- Chapter 12 -

Gibbs led Aaron around the mall back to his car after finding the perfect gift for Jenny, he checked his watch and smiled as he saw it was ten past six, he decided to drive back slowly to irritate Jenny more.

He pulled up outside Jenny's townhouse at a quarter to seven; he unstrapped Aaron and Anthony and took them into the house. He took the boys coats and shoes off them and put them away in the closet before turning around and finding himself face to face with a familiar stare. 'What time do you call this?' he looked at his watch, 'Seven oh five,' she frowned at him before taking Anthony into her arms and leading Aaron into the kitchen, 'gonna stay for dinner?'

Gibbs nodded smiling, thinking of the bag he had hidden behind his back; he waited until she was safely in the kitchen before sneaking into the living room and placing the present out of sight by the sofa. 'What are you doing?' 'Nothing,' he replied hurrying into the kitchen, 'wow this looks good,' he told Aaron, looking down at the food on the table, 'it's just a pot roast,' Gibbs grinned, 'you forget I've eaten your cooking before,' Jenny stopped mid-way through spooning pot roast onto a plate, she stared at him, knowing what was coming next. 'It's why I always said we'd have take out,' he told Aaron, Jenny pulled a face at him, 'if you don't want it, don't eat it.'

'I never said I didn't want it, anyway, congratulations mom,' Jenny smiled as she piled his plate with meat and vegetables, 'thank you,' she passed him the plate and began to put some food on a plate for Aaron. Anthony started to make a fuss in his high chair beside her, 'I know, I haven't forgotten about you,' she told him tickling his foot with one hand. She passed Aaron his dinner and then held up a bowl of pureed vegetables, 'mmm yummy,' Gibbs mused sarcastically before hurriedly tucking into his food. Jenny shot him a filthy look before feeding Anthony and herself simultaneously.

Gibbs looked on entranced by her ability to multitask, she'd changed, in the two months she'd had the boys she had gone from being emotionless and distant, focused entirely on her career, ignoring her isolated personal life to this. A warm loving mother, living for her newly adopted sons entirely, putting them first and her career second, showing her emotions and allowing people to see the inner Jenny Shepard.

Realising he was watching her she looked up and caught his gaze, she found herself smiling awkwardly, she bit her lip and turned back to Anthony, her cheeks tinged with pink. Gibbs smiled noticing the flush across her face and neck; soon she'd be tucking her hair behind her ears and wouldn't be able to string a sentence together. Jenny saw the smirk on his face as he piled the last of his food onto his fork, 'what?' she asked setting Anthony's empty bowl on the table. He smiled, creases forming around his eyes, 'you were pulling the same expression you used to before we started, you know, before Paris.'

Jenny tucked her hair behind her ears hurriedly causing Gibbs to chuckle to himself, 'Stop laughing, why are you, oh shut up, Gibbs, stop, grrrr, do you want some coffee?' Gibbs nodded trying not to laugh, he knew her too well. She stood up and cleared the plates from the table, Gibbs continuing to laugh as she tucked her hair behind her ears whilst looking for coffee cups. She turned around and smacked him around the back of the head, 'get your own coffee,' she lifted Anthony into her arms and patted his back, 'Aaron,' she held out her hand to him and he jumped off his chair. Gibbs nudged his shoulder, 'juice?' 'Yeah please.'

Gibbs set about finding mugs and making the coffee, he found Jamaican blend beans in the cupboard and put them into the coffee maker, he poured the drinks and took them into the lounge on a tray.

Jenny was sat cross-legged on the floor, Anthony was lying on his stomach in front of her, his knees curling underneath him, rocking backwards slightly as he stared at the side of the couch. 'He'll be pulling himself up on the furniture by the end of the week,' he said nodding at Anthony, 'you think?' Jenny asked stroking Aaron's head, Gibbs nodded, 'coffee,' he placed the tray on the table and pointed to the sofa. 'What's that over there,' Aaron turned around and spotted the bag, he grinned and hurried over to it, he handed it to Jenny his face alight with excitement.

Jenny took the bag in her hands and looked over at Gibbs, 'what's this?' Gibbs smiled, 'you'll have to open it,' Jenny stared at him for a few minutes before opening the bag and taking the black leather box from inside it, she also pulled out a lilac envelope. She smiled as she opened the envelope and pulled out two cards, the first contained the message, 'Congratulations on adopting Aaron and Anthony, you'll be a fantastic mom, J,' the second had a 'New mommy' message across the front, she opened it and read the message, she wiped a tear from her eye as she re-read it. 'Thank you for being our new mommy, you make me smile and you read me stories, sorry for being bad, love from,' and then a curly scribble she presumed meant Aaron.

'Thank you Aaron,' she ruffled his hair before turning to the box, she opened it slowly, and felt tears welling up as she lifted the silver locket into her trembling hands. She ran her fingers across the embossed word on the front, 'mommy,' she turned it over and saw the tiny engraving, 'so you can carry us close to your heart always,' she opened the locket and looked at the pictures inside, one side held a photo of Aaron and the other a photo of Anthony.

'Thank you Jethro, it's beautiful,' she breathed, she hugged Aaron tightly, 'thank you sweetie,' he slipped his arms around her neck, 'love you Jenny.' She held him to her, 'I love you too Aaron,' he yawned, 'tired?' she asked him as he yawned widely again, he nodded rubbing his eyes, he jumped down on the floor next to Anthony and rolled him over, he then put his arms under his brothers and nudged him towards Jenny, 'bed time!' Jenny bent down and removed Anthony from his brother's grip, 'okay,' he stood back up and ran over to Gibbs, he pulled his hands down and looked inside his coffee cup, 'bed time,' he told him pulling his hands towards the door.

'You throwing me out?' Gibbs asked the toddler tugging against his arm, he stomped his feet and pointed upstairs, 'bed time,' he growled, staring at Gibbs with a familiar expression, 'awww Jen, he looks just like you,' Gibbs smirked, Jenny smacked him round the back of the head again, 'you better get up before he injures himself,' Gibbs got to his feet and allowed Aaron to lead him into the hall and to the stairs, 'my bed isn't upstairs,' 'I am Sam?' he asked innocently, Gibbs sighed, 'okay.'

After changing both boys, brushing Aaron's teeth and putting them both in clean diapers they carried them into the bedroom. Jenny tucked Aaron in under his duvet and Gibbs rocked Anthony to soothe him then laid him in the crib, he wound up the mobile then turned it on. He then turned to Aaron and perched on the edge of the bed to read to him, he finished the book and Aaron closed his eyes promising to go to sleep. Jenny kissed him on the forehead then crept out of the room with Gibbs following.

Jenny closed the door behind them and turned to face Gibbs, he was closer than she remembered, she flushed a little as she bit her lip nervously. Gibbs just stared at her, she tucked her hair behind her ear and looked down at his mouth, 'I can't believe they're mine, they're my sons, my sons,' she rambled, Gibbs nodded smiling. His eyes flickered down to her mouth as he stepped closer to her, he lifted his hand to her chin and began to run his thumb gently along her jaw line, 'what are you doing?' she breathed, her eyes settling on his mouth. 'Something I should have done three years ago.'

Jenny felt like her heart had skipped a beat as he pressed his lips to hers, he slowly ran his tongue across her lips savouring her taste. She parted her lips and allowed his tongue to touch hers. He pressed her against the wall and kissed her passionately, her hands undoing his belt and pulling on his zipper, he broke away to look into her eyes, 'You sure?' she nodded, her lips swollen and her lipstick smeared, she pulled him back down to her and slipped her tongue into his mouth. He lifted her up and carried her into her room, stripping each other of their clothes as they landed on the bed.

Aaron couldn't sleep, he tossed and turned in his bed before deciding to go and find Jenny, he grabbed his teddy and slipped out from between the covers, he ran across the room and opened the door. He plodded along the hall until he reached a pair of jeans outside Jenny's door, he heard funny noises from Jenny's room. He stepped over the jeans and pulled the handle down, he heard a muffled 'Jethro' as he stepped into the dark room, then he heard hurried movements and gasps, 'Aaron get back to bed,' Jenny and Gibbs shouted in unison, 'wanna sleep in your bed,' 'no, get back to your bed now,' his bottom lip trembled, he started to cry.

Gibbs entangled himself from the sheets and hurriedly pulled on his boxers, he stepped over the clothes on the floor until he reached Aaron, 'go back to bed and try to go to sleep,' he ruffled his hair and nudged him back out of the door, 'and don't just run into adults bedrooms, you never know what you might see.' Aaron trudged back to his bedroom and Gibbs closed the door behind him.

Chapter 13