Make or break tradition

A\N: Crappy title I know but it's all I could come up. I may change it at a later date, who knows.

My first JIBBS solo oneshot that isn't a part of my A million memories of us series (although I'm slowly leaning back towards it.) With it being the 1st of December tomorrow, I thought it would be a good idea to start a few Christmas stories despite me being a Grinch and hating the whole holiday.

Anyways, enjoy. Angels

Christmas isn't a holiday NCIS Director Jenny Shepard has celebrated in 6 years, not after she left HIM in Paris a few days before Christmas Eve, and lets it fly over her head like it's another day. She usually spends the day in her study doing work or reading and consuming a significant amount of Bourbon and spends Boxing Day recovering in bed with a hangover and trying to block out memories of a certain Team Leader she was in Europe with.

The bullpen, hell the entire Navy Yard, barring her office, looks like a few dozen of Santa's elves threw up Christmas trees and tinsel and garlands and bows and mistletoe all over the place, causing the redheaded woman to shiver in disgust and glare at the red, green and golden coloured decorated bullpen.

"You don't like Christmas, Director?" Asks a familiar voice beside her, Jenny jumps at the sound of his gruff voice. She hates it when he sneaks up on her.

 She rolls her green eyes. "Yes, as a matter of fact, I do." She responds, the agent beside her hums.

"You used to love Christmas when we were a team." He says. That was before I left you in Paris days before Christmas Eve. She thinks to herself. Jenny refrains from rolling her eyes again and looks at him.

"I've been busy these last couple of years, Jethro." She hisses at him. Jethro looks at her and sighs.

"Jen, what happened to you? You used to come in at 0400 on the first of December and decorate our area now you look like a Grinch. So what the hell happened?" He asked, Jenny doesn't answer him, she doesn't want him to know that it was because of her leaving him a few days before Christmas Eve has caused her to become bitter at the holiday she used to love.

"Jen." He probes before they hear Tony calling Jethro. "Hey, boss. Look up!" He calls with a bright smile, the rest of the main MCRT have bright smiles of their own as she and Jethro look up above their heads and see mistletoe.

They're standing underneath damn fucking mistletoe! Great! Just fucking great!

Her eyes wonder to Jethro who is smirking at her, a mischievous glint in his icy blue eyes, silently asking if he can kiss her

"You know tradition, Jen." He says quietly. She nods.

She missed kissing Jethro and wished she had kissed him underneath the mistletoe as an agent but she didn't and now thanks to his team, no doubt, she has the chance to do it but what will it look like? The Director kissing her favorite agent underneath the mistletoe on the catwalk in front of hundreds of her other agents, and personnel? It'd cause wildfires and pools and bets that could get back to SEC-NAV who could rip her a new one or demote her or outright fire her for kissing a subordinate.

She groans out loud before nodding at him.

All of a sudden she's being pulled to him, stumbling slightly. His arms shoot around her waist to steady her. They're nose to nose now, so close that she can smell his breath that is coated in coffee. His lips descend onto hers before she can speak.

He kisses her deeply, so deeply that she wraps her arms around his neck to stop her knees from giving way. She opens her mouth and he uses that opportunity to shove his tongue into it and explore her mouth, their tongues battling for dominance and she's transported back to six years ago in Paris, in their apartment in the heart of the city. She kissed him like this two hours before she had to leave him forever. Tears fill her eyes as they close, their kiss deepening even more, her fingers going to the hair at the back of his neck.

They pull away from each other when the cheers, claps, wolf whistles and loud squeals reach their ears. Jethro captures her bottom lip in between his teeth as he leans his forehead against hers, interlacing their fingers. Jenny blinks away the tears before they can fall.

"Merry early Christmas, Jethro." Jenny says quietly before she rips her hand out of his and straightens up and stalks into her office, slamming the door closed behind her so loud that the entire bullpen hears it. She slides down the back of the orange door and lets the tear flow free.

With tears still streaming down her face, the redheaded woman stumbles to her desk and grabs the picture of them in Positano and brings it up to her chest and sobs.

It had been their best non sex kiss ever and she wishes she could always do it. But wishes never come true, at least not for Jennifer Shepard.

No matter how much people stick to traditions and besides it was her who said 'no' to his suggestion of getting back together on her first day as Director.

But who knows? Maybe next Christmas, Santa will give Jethro his Christmas wish?

A\N: I know this is short and has no real storyline or a happy ending between our favorite Director and Team Leader but I was up until 2 am this morning and if I'm being honest my JIBBS muse is lacking in ideas, I'll try to update A million memories of us before Christmas. Enjoy, Angels.