Rekindling the Flame

Sleepless Nights and Cranky Days - Part 1

Chapter 21 - Sleepless Nights Make For Cranky Days Part 1

As Gibbs rolled onto his right side and stretched out his left arm he was vaguely aware of an empty space where Jenny should have been. As his mind became more alert, he suddenly realised that he was alone in the bed. Turning over, he picked up his watch and squinted at the dial. 02.07. Assuming Jenny to be in the bathroom, he waited a couple of minutes for her to return. When five minutes elapsed and there was still no sign of her, Gibbs quietly got out of bed to check to see if she was alright.

Padding softly to the bathroom, he noticed the room was in darkness and void of any human life. He carried on to Tony and Ziva room. Peeking in, both children were tucked up asleep and, again, there was no sign of Jenny. Rubbing his eyes and forcing himself to become fully awake, Gibbs noticed a faint light coming from downstairs. As he descended to the ground floor, he found Jenny curled up in the arm chair reading her book.

"Hey," he whispered as he crossed the floor and stood behind her. "What are you doing down here?"

She looked up and, stretching out her hand, softly stroked his face.

"Couldn't sleep," she answered. "Sorry, didn't mean to wake you."

"You didn't," he said. "Well, not really. Realising I was alone actually woke me."

Gibbs moved to the front of the arm chair and tapping Jenny's shoulder, directed her to stand up. He then took her spot on the chair and pulled her onto his lap, wrapping his arms around her waist. Leaning back into his chest, Jenny ran her hands up and down his arms.

"So," he said, running his fingers through her hair. "Why can't you sleep?"

"I don't know," she replied sighing deeply. "Just a bit worked up I suppose. The worry of not being able to find the kids, the relief in finding them, the Halloway case, it's just all whirring around in my brain and I couldn't shut it off."

She drew her knees up and twisted her body so that she was sitting sideways on his lap, curled up like a kitten, her head snuggled into his chest. Gibbs rested one arm around her knees, while the other drew circles on her back.

"Thought this might bring up some memories for you," he said softly into her ear. "Is there anything I can do?"

"Just hold me," she said, nestling further into his chest.

"Always," he said kissing her temple and tightening his hold around her.

They sat in silence for a few minutes longer until Gibbs said, "You know, we'd be a lot more comfortable in bed."

Laughing, she looked up saying, "Always Mr Practical."

"Come on," he said patting her thigh.

When she didn't move but wriggled slightly so she was cocooned further in his arms, Gibbs sighed and, placing one hand under her knees and the other around her back, he stood and lifted her in one fluid movement.

"Jethro!" she whined. "I don't want to go to bed, I was comfortable here."

"You know," he said kissing the tip of her nose. "You sound just like Ziva when you use that voice."

"Do not!" she retorted sulkily.

Shaking his head, he simply laughed and carried her upstairs and into their bedroom. Depositing her gently on the bed, he moved around to his side and climbed back in.

Seeing she hadn't moved, he said, "Come on Jen, get into bed and I'll rub your back."

"Do you think David Halloway was murdered?" she asked, still sitting on the edge of the bed where Gibbs had put her and facing away from him.