Rekindling the Flame

Igniting a Spark

Chapter 3 - Igniting a spark

As Gibbs pottered around the house the next morning, he couldn't help but worry about Jenny. Last night, after finishing the dishes, he had gone upstairs to put Ziva to bed, only to return to find Jenny fast asleep on the sofa. Deciding to let her sleep, he turned the sound down on the TV and sat down next to her to watch the news. Ten minutes later when Tony bounded down the stairs, he had put his finger to his lips to warn the boy to be quiet.

"Is Jenny sleeping again?" whispered Tony as he came closer to the sofa. "She fell asleep earlier as well."

"Yeah, she's pretty tired I think," said Gibbs softly not wanting to go into great detail. "You can stay down here if you can think of something quiet to do, otherwise you might be better going back to your room."

"That's ok. Can I just watch the news with you?" asked Tony perching on his Dad's lap.

"Sure Bud," said Gibbs, hoisting him up so he was comfortable.

As they settled down to watch the TV, Jenny started to stir. Looking at her, Gibbs noticed she was frowning, and wondered if she were in pain or dreaming. As she started to moan and shift around, he concluded it must be a dream. Reaching over, he gently rubbed her calf which was the closest thing to him and whispered, "Jen, it's ok, you're having a dream."

Startled, she suddenly sat up shouting, "No Dad, NO!"

Sliding Tony off his lap, Gibbs reached over and pulled Jenny closer to him.

"Shh, it's ok, you're safe. It was just a dream," he cooed softly as he gently placed his hand around her head and leaned her into him. This was not unfamiliar territory. There were many times in his past when the silence of the night had been torn apart by this familiar cry. No matter how often he had held and comforted her, Jenny never told him the meaning behind this recurring nightmare. It worried him to see, seven years later, the terror still plagued her.

"Is Jenny ok?" Tony asked tentatively. He felt uncomfortable seeing her like this. She was normally so strong and in control. Watching her now, cradled against his Dad's chest, even the ten year old recognised the intimacy and felt he was intruding on something very personal.

"Yeah, she's fine," answered Gibbs. "She just had a nightmare. Why don't you go upstairs for a bit?"

"Ok," said Tony, relieved to have an excuse. As much as he wanted to help Jenny, he had no idea of what to do. Leaving the situation in his Dad's capable hands, he slowly climbed the stairs, keeping an eye on the pair huddled on the couch.

Automatically running his fingers through her hair, Gibbs continued to murmur words of comfort until Jenny seemed to become aware of her surroundings and looked up at him. As was often the case with this dream, she had the tell-tale sign of tears in her eyes.

"Sorry," she said quietly. "I didn't mean to startle you."

"Jen," he began softly. "Are you still having these dreams?"

"It's ok," she said pulling away from him and sitting up. Rubbing her hands over her face, she said briskly, "I'm just over tired and, you're right, I'm probably coming down with something. Don't worry."

Knowing she was just fobbing him off, he said gruffly, "Of course I worry. You used to have this dream on a regular basis. Is that still the case?"

She didn't answer him choosing instead to stand up and, slipping into her heels, said, "Look, I'm pretty tired. I think I should just go home to bed, I'll ring you tomorrow." She cupped his right cheek with her hand and, bending forward, kissed him gently on the left.