What The Heart Wants
- Chapter 7 -
Jenny looked over at the clock, it was 4.30 am, she rolled onto her side and found Aaron curled up beside her. She spotted Anthony in the Moses basket and a rolled up duvet with grey hair sticking out of the top on the floor beside a bucket, she lay quietly watching it roll around eventually sitting up and vomiting into the bucket. She bit her lip nervously, 'sorry Jethro,' it picked up a toilet roll and wiped its mouth before it turned towards her and glared, he groaned and curled up on the floor. 'Get into the bed,' she told him, he moaned, 'Jethro, just do it, it's more comfortable than the floor.'
He moaned in assent and crawled over to the side of the bed, he climbed up and nudged Aaron towards Jenny, he curled up on the edge of the bed and laid his head on the pillows, 'that's better,' she watched him for a few minutes. He opened one eye questioningly, she closed her eyes and found herself smiling, 'don't be getting any idea's Jen,' 'like what?' 'Me being in this bed another night,' 'don't worry I wasn't,' 'yeah you were, sort out your breath and I might think about it,' she kicked him underneath the duvet, 'what? You got sick breath,' 'oh, and you haven't?' 'Go back to sleep,' 'you started it,' 'Jen, just...' '...go to sleep, I know. Good night, or morning.'
At 9.55am Tony, McGee, Ziva and Abby because she was panicking, were all stood on Jenny's doorstep ringing the bell. After a few minutes Jenny appeared behind the door, her face was grey and lips were pale, her hair was the only colour on her head, 'whoa Jenny you look like death warmed up,' she glared at him, 'what do you want?' Abby pushed Tony out of the way, 'Do you know where Gibbs is? He isn't answering his phone and he didn't come in today, he never never answers his phone, he always answers when I call him. What if he's hurt or sick or...' 'Slow down Abs I'm here,' a gruff voice muttered from behind the door.
Gibbs poked his head around the door looking just as ill as Jenny, 'oh Gibbs, are you sick?' 'No Abby he's testing his Night of the Living Dead costume for Halloween, of course he's sick!' Tony jumped in, his eyes widened as the reality of his boss standing in his bosses doorway in his underwear looking like he was about to puke, hit him. Gibbs glared at him, 'why are you here?' 'Just looking for you boss and finding out why the director didn't appear for her 9am meeting.' Gibbs nodded and instantly regretted it, 'you okay boss?' 'No, my head is spinning,'
'Anything we can get for you? Aspirin? Food? Drink?' Jenny groaned, 'not food,' it just comes straight back up again, 'you could get us some juice,' McGee nodded, 'juice it is, orange, apple, tropical?' 'Orange please, thanks Tim,' Jenny rubbed her forehead and smiled slightly at the thoughtfulness of the young agent, she heard movement above her and motioned towards the bedrooms, 'it's your turn Jethro,' Gibbs pulled a face at her, the others all looked at each other smirking at her words, your turn, their minds were working over time looking for explanations not involving Jenny and Gibbs being a couple. 'No, Aaron you better not have been sick again,' he called up groaning, 'No,' a voice called down, Gibbs knew that tone, 'what did you do?' 'too late for potty,' Jenny moaned beside him, 'I swear those kids like peeing on my things,' 'wet poopy,' came the response from upstairs, 'and I didn't think it could get any worse.'
'And on that note we're gonna go, leave you to it,' Tony ushered Abby away from the door, 'McGee will bring you your juice and diarrhoea meds,' 'and a toothbrush please,' Gibbs added as he headed up the stairs to Aaron, 'and a toothbrush for the boss, happy puking honey.' Jenny shut the door in his face and dragged herself up the stairs, not daring to imagine what her room looked like.
She saw Gibbs face as he stood in the doorway, she didn't really need to look, his face said it all, 'oh man,' she exclaimed as she looked in the doorway. She looked down at the toddler gazing up at her with huge puppy dog eyes, she pointed at the hall way, 'bath, now,' he nodded and toddled out into the hall. 'I vote we strip the bed and get loads of hot soapy water for the rest of it,' Gibbs gingerly stepped into the room, watching where he put his feet. He quickly stripped the bedding and carried it out, 'you can do the soapy water Jen,' he grinned slipping down the stairs and went to find the washing machine.
Jenny groaned, she looked into the bedroom and saw Anthony's Moses basket was spattered too, she slipped in, grabbed him, he pulled on her hair and wriggled in her arms, and hurried back out holding him as far away as her arms permitted. Gibbs appeared at the bottom of the stairs with some buckets and sponges, 'i'll him in the bathroom, you clean the floor then we can make the bed in the boys room and then get some more sleep.' Jenny held her hand out for a bucket, 'let's get this over with.'
Soon the floor was clean and thoroughly wet; Aaron and Anthony were clean and dry and Jenny and Gibbs were longing to slip between the sheets and close their eyes. They put Anthony in his crib and Aaron jumped on the bed, having no energy to argue over who slept where they both crawled into the bed beside him. Jenny slipped her arms around Aaron and stroked his hair until he fell asleep.
Jenny opened her eyes slowly, two warm things were pressed against her, she looked down at saw Aaron curled up in her arms. He was fast asleep and clinging onto her hand, she kissed his head gently and slid her hand down her stomach where it found another hand. This hand didn't belong to either her or Aaron; she stroked the knuckles lightly as she had done many years ago. She realised Gibbs was asleep behind her; he was holding her tightly and spooning her. Not wanting to move she closed her eyes and settled back into his grip. As she fell asleep, his breath tickled the back of her neck and he stroked stomach gently. He smiled as she fell asleep again, he'd find a way back into her bed any day, even if she did have sick breath.