Roll to Me
Chapter 6

Thanks for all the reviews once more! Sorry for the delay in updates and this rather dull, filler chapter but it's been my birthday and I haven't really had much time to write. Got a laptop though which should increase the amount of writing I do! Will update again soon and I promise the next chapter will be a bit meatier!

Jenny Shepard walked to where her car was parked in a space in the underground parking lot at NCIS. As she unlocked her vehicle and slipped inside, she reflected on the events of the day and, in all, she was pleased. She had been so concerned about working with Jethro again but things hadn’t been as awkward as she had expected them to be. What she hadn’t bargained for was him asking her over to his place on the evening of her first day at NCIS. When he had asked her she had been so taken aback that she had simply followed her desire and had agreed. Now she was a little less certain of herself and Jenny had always hated that feeling. She could phone Jethro and cancel this evening but she was aware how awkward it would be to face him tomorrow. Jenny knew she could fool herself into thinking that it was just dinner and drinks between two ex partners but she wasn’t stupid enough to see that there was far more subtext to this than met the eye.

Jenny wasn’t the only one having doubts and regrets, Jethro Gibbs was too, not that he’d admit that to anyone, of course. He was now wondering why he had decided to destroy all of the bridges he and Jenny seemed to have built that day in one question. Why on earth had he invited her back to his place; somewhere that held so many memories for them as lovers rather than co-workers? He also didn’t understand why his mouth had asked her over for bourbon and Chinese food when his brain knew it was a bad idea. He knew he couldn’t very well ring back and ask to postpone this evening, he supposed he would just have to bite the bullet and get on with it.

When Jenny arrived back at her home she debated taking a shower before visiting Jethro but she didn’t want to look like she had made too much of an effort. Instead she quickly went upstairs, changing her top and running a brush through her loose red curls. She applied a tiny amount of natural make up and a dab of perfume and was ready to head out again. Feeling an alien surge of butterflies in her stomach, Jenny took a deep breath and headed towards her car, wondering what fate had in store for her and Jethro this time around.

Jethro was actually almost feeling nervous as he heard Jenny’s footsteps getting louder, and closer, on the stairs down to his basement. He had left the front door unlocked, knowing from past experience that she would understand and head straight down to the basement. Sometimes Jethro wondered why he bothered having such a large house when he spent the majority of his time away from work in the basement with his boat and his decanter of bourbon.

“Jethro?” She called out, stepping off the bottom step and letting her green eyes adjusting to the darkness.
“Over here, Jen.” He replied, not turning around as he poured bourbon into two chipped white mugs. She crossed the room to where he was standing and he became aware of her perfume and then her presence.
“Thank you.” She said taking a mug from him and sipping at the liquid tentatively. Bourbon on an empty stomach around Jethro probably wasn’t the best idea.
“I’ve ordered the Chinese.” He told her, picking up his own mug of bourbon. “It should be here soon.”
“Okay.” Jenny replied, feeling an uncomfortable silence setting in around them. She really hadn’t wanted things to be like this between them. “Look, Jethro.” She finally said. “I don’t think this was a great idea.” She put her mug down and turned to head back up the stairs.
“Jen!” He called after her, the urgency of his words surprising them both. “At least stay and have some food.” He said.
Jenny turned back towards him. “Okay, I will.” She agreed. She closed the distance between them again, at least physically if not metaphorically. “I’m just not sure how we play this Jethro, there’s so much history here...”
“I know, Jen.” He said in the softest tone she had heard him use in a long time. “Let’s just concentrate on the job and see where the rest takes us.”
Jenny smiled, it sounded like a good plan to her.

Their Chinese arrived minutes later and they sat and ate it in the basement, it seemed like an area of common ground for them and it enabled Jenny to ask him questions about his boats.
“Please tell me you didn’t make one named after me?” She asked, only just convincing herself that she was joking.
Jethro shook his head and finished chewing his mouthful of noodles and chicken. “No, Jen, I didn’t.”
Jenny nodded, choosing to look into her container of food rather than at those piercing blue eyes.
“You seem disappointed.” Jethro commented after a few minutes of silence and chewing.
“Not at all,” Jenny replied. “Seeing as you’ve named all of your previous boats after you ex wives.”
Jethro laughed, now that they were both beginning to relax he was really being to enjoy Jenny’s company again. “More bourbon?” He asked and Jenny didn’t hesitate to accept.
“You know,” She said, halfway through her refill of bourbon. “We never did start talking about the case.”
Jethro smiled. “Maybe we should start...”

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