A short one-shot to appease my readers (esp. those who want to kill me for not updating A Second Chance).

Angsty Jibbs. Haven't done this much angst for a long time.

Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS, or anything in this story (ie: Gods and Goddesses) that you want to sue me for. :)

LIFE-BLOOD

Their life revolved around one another. A daily dance of the planets, delicate and mysterious. The red hair and the blue eyes, the Director and the agent. A touch of forbidden love, of secrecy.

It was hard to decide whether she was Venus, the beauty, or a star, fallen to Earth with her silvery dress and smile that lit up his world. He was Mars and Jupiter, attacking, ferocious, the avenger, the clandestine chief, but soft towards women, especially his Aphrodite.

Maybe she was meant to be his Juno, his Hera, his sole partner, his soul mate. She was definitely jealous when he disappeared with another woman, one undeserving of his unconditional love.

She left him in Paris, the City of Lights, the Eiffel Tower shimmering vainly amongst the darkness blazing with neon lights. His tears were like the rain, pummelling towards the ground, angry yet sad, furious yet gentle. She twirled out of his life, silvery dress, fiery head, mind and all.

His heart ripped open, the burgundy life-blood of love surging out of his chest, he tore his shirt open and allowed it to gush, allowed it until all his life-blood was gone and he was dry and empty, old and emotionless.

When she came back, his life-blood was already washed away with tears, dispensed unwillingly into dirty gutters. There was no more to dance, he was already no more.

She watched him sadly, gazing down the balcony as she watched him work, no more the proud Adonis, but a beaten-down Vulcan. Her crimson tresses no more enticed him; her silvery dress no more allured him. Her voice no more caused his deep laugh, nor his flowing, dried out tears.

She cried for him, for what she had done to him. She wanted to give her life-blood to him, to smooth away those deep wrinkles in his face, tame his harsh, unforgiving heart, to make him smile truly once more.

She led him to the sea one day, the foaming waves crashing relentlessly onto the brown, slippery rocks, as relentless as he was. She lay on the small, impure stretch of piercing sand, gazing up into the white, cloudy sky.

"Lie with me."

He obeyed, ignoring the sting of the large grains of sand embedding into his unprotected arms. Life hurt more.

They were wistful, gazing at the stormy clouds. His eyes were closed, unknowing that she was staring at him with large, teary emerald eyes.

At last he opened them, and met her gaze with his grey-blue one. She held his rough hand in hers, and placed it where her heart was beating slowly.

Thump-da-Thump-da-Thump

He drew his hand away like he had touched burning coals. He shifted away, but she drew him close, wrapping her arms around him protectively, possessively. She felt his heat, his grief, his hurt, his loss. She felt him for the first time in what seemed to be eternity.

He tried to break free of her stronghold, but she stopped him, her energy coming from her passion for him. When he was still, she poured her life-blood into him, streaming into his dry heart. Her love for him could never die, and therefore neither could her life-blood.

The sky emptied itself, the great droplets of rain splashing onto their skin, dampening her silvery dress, his white ruffled shirt and black pants.

At last he turned once more to her, his long eye-lashes blinking away the rain and the tears. She ran a finger over the worn skin on his cheekbone, her emerald eyes caring and compassionate.

He drew her closer, arms tight around her. She was his star, his mystifying guide to the wide world.

And when she smiled, the sky opened, the warm rays of sunshine drying up the damp and the cold. They lay there, reunited, him with her life-blood and her with his unconditional love forevermore.

Jupiter and Juno.

Jethro and Jennifer.

Love to hear your thoughts.