Down Time

The house was oddly cold to the point where Jenny was shivering. Someone had opened the windows. It was moments like this that Jenny wished that she could drop everything and go somewhere tropical for awhile. But being the head of a federal agency, a wife and a mom didn’t leave much room for that wish to come true. The thought of her and Jethro relaxing on the beaches of the Caribbean with their epic blue water was enough to get Jenny through anything that in her way.

Her freezing cold house was just enough encouragement she needed to book two first class tickets to the tropical paradise of her choosing. Now all she had to do was to convince Jethro that they could go and to actually go. Jenny knew that it was either now or never, once Aliyah, Juliet and Zoey were born that a tropical escape wouldn’t be possible. Jaylyn and Kasey would need as much help as possible. Jenny knew that she and Jethro were the only ones that really knew what to do.

Jenny found Jethro in the basement sanding one of the projects he started after he built the gifts for the girls’ eighteenth birthday days before.

“Have I ever told you that I love seeing you like that with your hair all messed up and no make-up on?” Jethro asked after a minute or so of staring at her.

“You have and I bet these tight jeans and the all too revealing top I have on is giving you an idea or two.”

“Maybe.”

“You are an easy read; I learned how to speak Gibbs a long time ago.” Jenny said paraphrasing what she had said to him ten years earlier during the Danforth case with the same look she had of knowing that he knew that she knew that she was right.

“I learned how to speak Shepard a long time ago too.”

“I know, but I am still a bit of a mystery to you; Jethro.”

“So what brings you down here?”

“It’s cold upstairs.”

“So you need me to warm you up?”

There’s that and I would love it if you warmed me up, but there is another reason why I came down here.”

“And what would that be?” Jethro asked as he took Jenny in her arms to warm her up as she requested.

“We need a tropical escape for a bit. Just you and me.”

“As much as I like the sound of that idea we don’t really have the time for a getaway right now.”

“We actually do have the time. Besides you know full well that we can leave the agency in the hands of Tony and the others for a few days. The girls can take care of the house while we’re gone and they’ll have Noemi for the most part plus if they need anything major they know they can get a hold of J or Ziva and the team at any time. We’re doing this; Jethro.”

“Okay there is no point in arguing with you. Where are we going and for how long?”

“St. John’s Island. I was thinking we fly out tomorrow morning and come back say next Wednesday.”

“Six day weekend, huh? You must really be desperate, Jen.”

“You try walking in my heels, Jethro. It’s not as easy as I make it look.”

“I’ve been in your heels before.”

“And if I remember correctly, you avoided Cynthia and the case files for a majority of the time that I was at my Interpol conference. You also jumped at taking the lead in the Farhard /Scoletti case when DiNozzo was capable of handling it.”

“Yeah and you know damn well that I’d rather be in the field then be acting Director.”

“I know; that’s why I haven’t had you be acting Director since then; Jethro.”

“Tell me when things are set up for St. John’s.”

“I will. You can tell your team and J that we’re going while I make the flight and hotel reservations.”

“Okay. Am I paying for this impromptu getaway?”

“No I am.”

“First class?” Jethro inquired as he rolled his eyes.

Jenny knew that this was one of those times where Jethro had an issue with her flaunting her money. Jenny thought it was ridiculous that he got this way, but then again she understood; they came from two different worlds.

“Possibly or maybe our own private jet.” Jenny said kind of baiting Jethro.

“You’re such a tease.”

“I know, now shut up and warm me up so I can go do what I need to do.”

Jethro took Jenny into his arms and hugged her until she broke free. He didn’t want to let her go. In fact, Jethro did everything in his power to keep Jenny with him.

“Jethro, you have to let me go or we’ll never get to the island.”

“But I’m enjoying having you here with me.”

“I can tell.”

“That’s my knee.”

“That is definitely not your knee.”

“I wonder where you picked that up from.”

Jenny didn’t respond, instead she went back upstairs.  

Whatever am I going to do with her? Jethro asked himself.

“You can love me and keep things interesting in the bedroom.” Jenny called back down.

“How the hell?”

“I speak Gibbs, remember.”

With that Jethro continued with his project and Jenny went up to her study to make all the reservations that needed to be made. Just making the reservations at St. John’s along with the hug she just got from her husband made Jenny warmer than before.

Like at the agency, Jenny’s study was set up in the same manner. The phone on her desk had two lines like her phone at work. Just as she was about to get up from her desk to sit in the living room to read, the private line rang. It was never a good thing when the private line went off whether it was at home or in her office. The caller id said it was NCIS. The only one that would call her on her private line after hours was Cynthia.

“What’s wrong, Cynthia?”

“Retired Special Agent Mike Franks died in the line of duty this morning while helping out Agent Sharp.”

“Thank-you.” Jenny said as she hung up.

St. John’s was out of the question. She had to tell Jethro, it was the least she could do. Franks was family and Jethro’s first partner. Like Jenny was Jethro’s probie, Ziva was Tony’s, Jaylyn was McGee’s; Jethro was Franks’. And on top of all this Jenny had to figure out what was going to happen with Leyla and Amira. They couldn’t stay by themselves at their home now that Franks was gone. Jenny also knew that Jethro wouldn’t want them to.

So with that Jenny cancelled everything with St. John’s and moved on to the difficult task she had before her.

“Jethro, we need to talk. Something happened.”

“What happened? Something with the girls? One of them is pregnant?”

“No, it’s nothing with the girls and none of them are pregnant. J is the only one pregnant.”

“Then what is it?”

“We’re not going to St. John’s. Cynthia just called me on my private line and said that the agency has lost another agent.”

“Active or retired?”

“Retired.”

“Do we know the agent?”

“We do.”

“Who is it?”

“Mike.”

“How?”

“He died in the line of duty while helping Agent Sharp this morning.”

“Anything else?”

“That’s all I know.”

“Leyla and Amira?”

“I swapped our tickets to St. John’s for tickets for them to fly out here and I already have somewhere for them to live.”

“Where?”

“My old studio apartment from my days as your probie. They’ll be close, Jethro; I know that’s what you want.”

“Do the girls know yet?”

“No, I thought you should be the first to know besides me. And you have to tell your team.”

“Ok.”

Jenny took Jethro into her arms.

“I know how hard this for you. Just remember, I’m here for you.” Jenny whispered into Jethro’s ear.