- Chapter 6 -
Evening at Gibbs House
The rest of the day for Gibbs and his team, passes with little activity other than report writing and gathering together the information they have uncovered. At around 7pm that evening Gibbs sends his team home, knowing there is not much else they can do until the morning. At around 9pm Gibbs shuts down his own computer and heads home, content to work on his boat with a bottle of bourbon for company.
Gibbs is down in his basement, silently sanding his boat, the same place he’s been for the past two hours, when he hears heeled footsteps making their way slowly down the stairs. He turns to look who the intruder is when he senses them reach the bottom step. He is not surprised to find Director Jennifer Sheppard, his boss and former lover stood silently on the bottom step observing his every move. What he is surprised by though is the red ringed, puffy eyes indicating she’s been crying and the dried tear tracks staining her face.
“Jen,” Gibbs greets trying to judge her mood and the best course of action.
“Jethro,” Jen replies, taking slow steady steps towards him.
When they are only a few centimeters apart, Gibbs holds out his arms to allow her to fall into them for a much needed hug. “What happened Jen?” he asks running soothing circles on her back with his hands.
His words cause more tears to flow from her eyes the reality of the situation setting in. When eventually she has calmed down enough to speak, she steps out of his comforting embrace but not far enough away that she can’t touch him. “I was in my study doing paperwork and writing case reports when the phone rang. I got up to answer it and for a short while all I could hear was static, then a muffled voice came through and said, ‘I know who you are, where you live and where you work Director, and I also know all your secrets. If you want to live long enough to see that little girl grow up, you will stop the investigation into Mr Thompson immediately.”
“Oh Jen,” Gibbs says pulling her into another hug, “Wait a minute, what little girl, who’s the bastard on about Jen?”
Jen swallows deeply and then takes a deep breath to focus her thoughts, reluctant to tell him the truth just yet.
“Izzy,” she says simply giving him time to make the connection, “she’s my niece,” she adds carefully lying her way out of telling the full story just yet.
“You mean the little red-headed girl I spoke to at the school today? She’s your niece? I thought she looked familiar and I should have realized with the name, but how come you never said anything before?”
“I didn’t know how,” Jen replies, “I’m scared, I don’t know what I’d do if something ever happened to her but I can’t just stop the case. What am I going to do?”
“Don’t panic Jen, we’ll think of something,” Gibbs says pulling her back to him and placing a light kiss to her forehead, “Where is she now, is she safe?”
“She’s staying over at her friend Tammy’s house tonight, she’s fine, and Tammy’s parents are both FBI agents.”
“Ok,” Gibbs says reluctant to let her move away from him, “What about you, have you got anyone to look after you?”
“Not really, when I got the call I panicked and just ran to the first person I could think of, I’m sorry to trouble you with all this Jethro, I should probably go,” Jen says making a move to step out of his arms.
Gibbs automatically tightens his hold on her to prevent her from going anywhere, “Don’t be,” he says, “I’m glad you came, and you really shouldn’t be on your own with that bastard out there, who knows what he might do, you’re welcome to stay if you want to.”
“Thank you,” Jen says returning his hug before taking a step back.
“Drink?” Gibbs asks picking up the bottle of bourbon sitting on the workbench.
Jen nods her head in silent agreement and Gibbs pours the amber liquid into two mugs, before handing one to her. He takes a big sip of his own before resting it on the worktop and returning to sanding his boat.
Jen settles into the overused sofa in the corner and watches him meticulously sand the boat, sipping at her mug of bourbon. She slowly drifts off to sleep with the comforting sounds of the sander scraping rhythmatically across the wood. An hour or so later, Gibbs decides he’s tired and so after replacing his tools and drinking the last few swigs of his bourbon, he removes the mug from Jenny’s hands, places it on the worktop, before carefully scooping her up into his arms and carrying her up to his barely used bedroom.
He removes her shoes and jacket, before tucking her in, and then he strips to his underwear before crawling in next to her and wrapping his arm around her waist. Within minutes he is fast asleep.
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