Home Is Where The Heart Is

____________________________________________________________________________

Special Agent Jenny Shepard has not been home in more than a decade. A conference brings her face to face with the reason why. Is home where you live or where your heart belongs? She's about to find out. A slightly AU JIBBS story.

Disclaimer: The standard: Don't own it, but I sure wish that I did. NCIS and all of its recognized pieces and parts belong to DBP/CBS/Paramount. No copyright infringement intended.

Rating: T (If rating changes, I will give the alert)

Authors Note: To cut down on possible confusion: Paris did happen, Jenny never became the Director of NCIS, she isn't sick, Vance became Director after Morrow moved to Homeland Security, and Ziva was placed on Gibbs team by Vance.

Reviews are much appreciated! Thanks!

{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{

Prologue

Paris 1999

The announcement came over the intercom first in French, then in English. He would never admit it, but NCIS Special Agent Jethro Gibbs was thankful. After almost three years in Europe, he had managed only a rudimentary grasp of the French language.

"Excuse me, Sir. We have encountered a bit of difficulty with the plane. The pilot is allowing the passengers to deplane and wait in the lobby during the delay."

Gibbs glanced up at the flight attendant and gave her a brisk nod. He turned and gently nudged the woman at his side who had managed during the twenty minute wait to fall asleep.

"Jen. Jenny?" She opened her eyes and rubbed her brow gently—lifting her green gaze to meet his blue one. "Delay. Want to sleep or get coffee?"

"Delay?" She turned in her seat.

"We're stuck, Jen. Get off or stay on?"

"Off" She smiled and started to pull her carry on items with her.

"You can leave everything right here. I promise it will not be harmed" The flight attendant now spoke directly to Jenny. As Gibbs, turned to move down the aisle, the two women locked gazes. Intentionally. Both relaying a message.

"You are certain no harm will come to it?"

"You have been given our guarantee" came the pointed response— the icy undertone demanded action if that promise was to be kept.

NCIS Special Agent Jenny Shepard shouldered her purse, but left her cream colored coat on the seat of the plane. She turned to follow her partner into the airport. She did not look back.

{{{{{{{{{{{{{{

London 2009

Jenny stared through the window at the brilliant point of light above her in the night sky. As a young girl, she had believed that wishing upon a star could make a dream come true. She had not been a girl for a long time. And she knew that wishing always didn't make something happen. But tonight, she felt a flicker of hope rise inside her as she gazed upon the bright light. Almost a wish.

"Jenny?"

She turned from star gazing. "Hey, Andrea. Are we ready to go?"

Special Agent Andrea Rainey smiled. They had been working together for the past six years. Her boss was rarely nervous—but Andrea would have had to be blind not to notice what Jenny's body language was clearly broadcasting.

"Mitchell says that you leave in about twenty minutes in order to catch the flight to D.C. You don't have to do this, you know. Marcus doesn't have a problem covering if---"

"--- I want to chicken out?" She gently added. Andrea was a good agent, and a good friend. "I haven't been home in twelve years. I think I can handle it."

"I guess that would depend on what 'it' you're referring to, huh?" She shot her a small smile.

"Is there a question in there, Agent Rainey?" She lifted an eyebrow, humor in her tone.

"No, Ma'am. Sec Nav was pretty clear that you should be the one to attend. I've teamed up with Henry. But I know that there is more in D.C. than just an old house full of memories." She started to add more, but then seemed to think better of it. "I'll come and get you when the car is ready" With that, she exited the small office and left Jenny to her thoughts.

More than a house full of memories. Yeah. She would get that right. Jenny had been with NCIS for almost 14 years. The past ten had been spent in various field offices in Europe. Washington D.C. was home, but she had not been there since leaving to take an undercover assignment in Marseilles years earlier. The opportunity to lead her own team had presented itself at a time when she least expected it—just as she was completing the job she had been initially assigned to do in Europe. Given her options, she taken the opening and held onto it with both hands. But she had left her heart in Paris. It had been one of the hardest decisions that she had ever made. She had rationalized that decision over time—each passing year making it a little easier for her to accept and to suppress her real reason for not returning to America. But now, faced with attending an International Cooperation Conference under the direct order from the Secretary of the Navy, she had little choice in the matter. She was going home. At least for a little while. Home to face her demons. Home to face the man she had loved and left behind.

{{{{{{{{{{{{{

Washington, D.C.

The airport at Dulles was a bit more crowded than she had remembered. At least the taxi cabs were still in abundance, and she had no trouble finding one to take her into Georgetown. She paid the driver after retrieving her luggage and paused for a moment to look up at the stately townhouse that had been her childhood home. She had thought about selling it—her residence was in London. But this place had always felt like "home". A portion of the inheritance money she had received after her father's death was allocated to keep it up. Sometimes things were hard to let go of--- the townhouse had proven to be one of them. The light in the window was a welcome sight. Noemi had not forgotten. Pulling her key from her pocket, it slid without difficulty into the antique lock. The stately wooden door opened with ease and Jenny let herself into the foyer. Old smells and memories came flooding back. Some were good; others not so good. She focused on the good. After locking the door behind her, she left her bags at the foot of the staircase. She entered the study --thankful that her housekeeper had left the desk lamp on. She inhaled deeply. The scent of cigar smoke was faint, but it still lingered with the smell of lemon oil, ash from the fireplace, and leather. It brought with it pleasant memories of her father. She moved to the drink cabinet and smiled at the red bow and ribbon around on the large bottle of bourbon that had been left for her. A welcome home present. She opened the card and read, "Welcome home! You'll be fine. Love, Andrea" She opened the bottle, and poured some of the light brown liquid into a glass. She relaxed her body into the leather chair behind what was once her father's desk. Her desk now. She welcomed the burn of the alcohol as it passed down her throat. The taste of the bourbon alone brought with it a whole other set of memories that she was not ready to face. Finishing her drink, she turned off the light and headed up the stairs and into her bedroom. She was exhausted. After a quick shower, she slipped into her pajamas and welcomed the feel of the mattress beneath her. It was nice to be in a familiar place surrounded by smells and memories of happier times. As sleep started to overtake her, she felt her mind try to wander. She firmly reined it in. Not tonight. She was too tired. She was sure that tomorrow would bring enough troubles. No sense in adding to those now.

{{{{{{{{{{{{{{

She loved the feel of his slightly calloused fingers as they brushed over her naked shoulders and lifted her long red curls away from her neck. His lips traced a line from the curve of her jaw to the hollow of her throat. She moaned softly as she felt the heat spread from her core and race through her veins. It was always like this when she was in his arms. No one had ever made her feel quite the way he could. She pressed her breasts to his chest, relishing the feel of his chest hair as it brushed against her. She could feel his arousal—hard against her thigh. She was so ready that more foreplay was a mute point. As he slid the tip of his tongue to her parted lips, she allowed him entry. She returned his kiss with equal force, silently telling him that she wanted him as much as he wanted her. 'Jethro,' she begged as he lowered himself between her thighs. She cried out in pleasure as he entered and began to thrust inside her.

Jenny's eyes flew open and she sat straight up in bed. Her breath came in deep gasps and her heart pounded in response to the vision that had just seconds ago seemed so very real. She could feel herself trembling and flushed with need. Looking over at her alarm clock, 0530 glowed in the darkness of her bedroom. She ran a hand through her hair and placed her feet on the floor. She mentally shook herself and tried to think of anything other than the dream. She might as well get showered. She knew that sleep would not return.

{{{{{{{{{{{{{

Why this meeting was taking place at Quantico still escaped her. Chalking it up to the spirit of "international cooperation", she let it go. The venue was already starting to fill with representatives from other agencies. Another field agent from Europe was at her side. Mitchell Norris was good man to have around if you needed backup. She couldn't help the feeling that she might be able to use it today. She picked up her packet and signed in.

"Well, I'll be damned!"

Jenny turned and couldn't help but smile. "Tobias, you were damned a long time ago. Don't try and blame it on me!" She moved forward and lightly embraced the FBI agent. She glanced around and he smirked at the flash he caught in her eyes.

"He never has learned how to play nicely with others. There's no way in hell that he'd let Vance railroad him into coming here. Besides, his team caught a case." Jenny met his eyes and gave him a small grin. There was no need to mention names. He knew she had been looking for Jethro.

"Can't say that I wasn't a little worried" She shrugged her shoulders slightly and felt the slight flush of heat as it graced her cheeks.

"From what I hear, you've no reason to be. That was a long time ago" He looked up as someone from across the room called his name. "Hey, meet me for a drink later?"

"Are you sure Diane won't mind?" At his grimace, she lifted a brow, "Okay, 1800. The same old place?"

He placed a quick kiss on her cheek, "Good to see you, Jenny. I'll see you then. We can swap war stories" He nodded at the agent at Jenny's side and turned.

She watched him disappear into the crowd. So Jethro wouldn't be here after all. She felt herself relax for the first time that morning.

{{{{{{{{{{{{{

The case was going nowhere fast. The initial leads concerning the death of the wife of a dead naval officer were speculative at best, but things had gone from bad to worse. And it was definitely not helping his mood. Special Agent Gibbs glowered at his team and demanded some answers.

"Murray's alibi checks out, Boss. Three guys in his squad confirm he was at the poker game from 1800 to 2300. He even rode home with one of 'em. There is no way that he is our guy." Tony DiNozzo shrugged. "We can keep lookin' though" He tried to ignore the twin glares from both of his teammates—Ziva and Tim were both ready for a break.

Gibbs ran his hand over his face and glanced at the clock. It was getting late. They might as well start fresh in the morning. "Go home. Get some sleep. We'll start at 0800"

His agents looked at him for a beat, and then decided not to tempt fate. They quickly grabbed their personal gear and headed to the elevator.

This case was a nightmare! Gibbs sat down at his desk and allowed a sigh to escape him. The poor woman had been brutally raped and strangled—leaving her grieving husband to care for their three year old son. It was more than just the family tragedy —something about the woman had struck a chord. Her frame was petite, her skin a pale contrast to her auburn hair. Memories of another woman clouded his vision. Sometimes he hated this damn job. He leaned his back into his chair. He needed a drink. He usually retreated to his basement and his boat to help him work though a case. But tonight, he did not want to be alone while he drank—and he didn't necessarily want to sleep alone either. He knew of one place that he could go and mull over the thoughts running through his mind. Telling himself that he could use the distraction, he grabbed his badge and his weapon and headed for the elevator.

{{{{{{{{{{{{{{

She assumed that it was the combination of the bourbon and the company that had her laughing. Not that he let many know it, but Tobias Fornell actually possessed a sense of humor. Jenny couldn't help but pity the poor man as he told her of just how his marriage to Diane – who had been Jethro Gibbs' second ex-wife—had ended, but she was glad that he had escaped the ordeal with two things intact: his sanity and the fact that he had a daughter, Emily, which he adored.

"So what about you, Jenny? Please tell me that you've got some tale of woe that will make me look better than the sorry bastard everyone takes me to be"

She focused her eyes on the light brown liquid in her glass before looking up at him. She had already shared some of her stories about her team and the cases that had kept them busy in Europe. Mitchell had even thrown in a few of the more colorful aspects of the cases. At this point, she knew he was fishing for something a bit more personal.

"Nothing to tell, Tobias. Married to the job—not much time for anything else"

"No one special in Europe?"

"Maybe" Which was her favorite enigmatic answer whenever she was asked that question. There was someone special—but very few people knew to whom she referred.

"I hope he knows just what a lucky man he is"

"I think he's told me a time or two that he's glad that I'm around"

"C'mon, Jenny," Mitch teased, "we all tell you that we're glad that you're around" He bumped a shoulder playfully into hers and she let him. Not really caring what Tobias wanted to read into their interaction.

Fornell shifted and watched the door as it opened to allow a few new patrons to enter the bar. His mouth quirked and he downed his drink. Things were about to get interesting.

Gibbs eyes found someone familiar in the bar and he headed towards him. Hell, if there was a red-head within a 10 mile radius, leave it to Tobias to find her. Of course, if the nearness of the blonde man at her side was any indication, Fornell had run up against a little competition. He wondered briefly if the front side of this woman was a nice as the view he had of her backside.

"Agent Fornell"

She froze when she heard his voice—a sound she would know anywhere. She had heard it often enough in her dreams over the past decade. Now it was very real---and right behind her.

"Gibbs. Didn't expect to see you here tonight. Heard you caught a tough one"

"Something like that" He signaled to the bartender and caught his attention. The man knew Gibbs well and set about pouring his usual bourbon.

Jenny lifted her glass and quickly downed the rest of her drink. She squared her shoulders, turned on the bar stool, and lifted her green eyes to meet the shocked blue ones of the man who now stood in front of her.

"Hello, Jethro"

{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{

To Be Continued…