My first songfic ever! I hope you like it!

This one is for Aserene, I hope it'll make you 'as happy as can be'.

Disclaimer: not mine, the song is Dolly Parton's Jolene

Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
I'm begging of you, please don't take my man
Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
Please don't take him just because you can.

Lt. Colonel Hollis Mann was not like any other woman. She was one of the very few women who made it this high in the Army, but she was still a woman.

And she had seen the looks that passed between her boyfriend and his Boss. Her female intuition told her that they probably had been more than partners back in the day. There was something different about the way he looked at her. It wasn't the way he looked at his ex-wife, neither the way he looked at his female colleagues or the way he looked at his favourite.

She wasn't sure what had happened between them, but she knew it wasn't over. Not entirely.

Your beauty is beyond compare
with flaming locks of auburn hair
With ivory skin and eyes of emerald green
Your smile is like a breath of spring,
your voice is soft like summer rain
And I cannot compete with you, Jolene.

Hollis knew she looked good, she saw it in the mirror each day. She had also seen the looks her male colleagues gave her. Jethro had also told her she looked beautiful, that there was nothing he wanted her to change about herself. But still, there was a little doubt in her mind. Ever since she found out about Jethro's redheads, she couldn't help but wonder how she would look with red hair. Maybe he would love her then.

She tried to shake it off. He already loved her, she didn't have to change her hair. But still, the thought lingered. Every time she saw the Director she couldn't help but glance at her hair. Her auburn hair. The same colour Stephanie had, Diane had, Alice had, and last but not least, Shannon and Kelly had.

The red hair suited Jenny's skin tone perfectly. Once, Hollis had worn a emerald green sweater once, and Jenny too. Jethro had told her she looked great. But she knew he thought Jenny looked better. The colour of her sweater made her skin look like ivory. Auburn, ivory and emerald green. A perfect combination.

Jethro glanced every time she walked by.

Hollis never wore emerald green again.

He talks about you in his sleep
and there's nothing I can do to keep
From crying when he calls your name, Jolene
But I can easily understand how you could easily take my man
But you don't know what he means to me, Jolene.

He had a nightmare once, and he had cried her name in his sleep. It woke him up. She had pretended to be asleep then, but when she felt him leave the bed, probably to go to the basement she couldn't help but shed a tear.

She loved him, she really did. His silver hair, his amazing eyes, and even his personality. But she wasn't sure if he loved her just as much.

Maybe she was just a pit stop, on his way back to her.

Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
I'm begging of you, please don't take my man
Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
Please don't take him just because you can.

She was tired. Tired of doubting, tired of fighting, tired of ignoring what was right in front of her.

How blind could they be?

It seemed like the entire building had entered a pool to predict the date the two of them would get together. Even she had entered it. But she was grateful for the time she was able to spend with him. And she would enjoy every single minute of it.

You could have your choice of men
but I could never love again
He's the only one for me, Jolene
I had to have this talk with you,
my happiness depends on you
And whatever you decide to do, Jolene.

People might think she was insane. To stay with a man who obviously had given his heart to someone else.

Normally she would've thought so too. But she was in love. More in love than she'd ever been before. And she was sure he loved her too. Maybe not as much as he loved her but still. They had something.

When the three of them had been in the Director's office together, discussing Jethro's involvement in his ex-wife's case she had seen that Jenny was amused. Not jealous. Amused. Maybe she didn't care what he did. Maybe she didn't love him anymore. But when she quickly looked over her shoulder while she left the office with Gibbs, she had seen the changed look on the other woman's face.

And there was definitely jealousy in that one.

Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
I'm begging of you, please don't take my man
Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene
Please don't take him just because you can.

They had been fighting, again. Hollis might not be the insanely jealous type but there was a line. During their entire relationship it had been her that took the lead. Told him about her life, her family, her past. And now she had found out how much he had left out of his life, how much he had left out about what he had told her. Relationships were built on love and trust. But if he couldn't trust her enough to tell her about his past, what did they have left?

This was the final straw. She had to get out of there. Far away from the two of them.

She sent three letters that night.

One to her Boss, to tell him she retired.

One to Jethro, to break up with him and to tell him where she was going.

And the last one was to her. Jenny.

It was just one line but to her, it was everything.

He's all yours.

Walking back from the mail box she passed a travelling agency. There was a poster behind the window. She stopped to look at it.

Hawaii. That was far enough.