I'm not entirely happy with my writing in this chapter, so please bare with me🤧 this took longer than I wanted
6 weeks had come and gone since you had been suspended from NCIS, since you had refused to talk...since you kissed Jack. Since then you had apologized to Vance and agreed to talk to someone. Vance had suggested Agent Sloane, but you had been quick to request Dr. Grace instead. He hadn't questioned it, only agreed and informed you that Dr. Grace would determine when you could return to work. As frustrating as this whole situation had become you had agreed. The longer you were away from the team, the more anxious you became. 6 weeks was far too long to be away. Bishop and you had gotten drinks with Torres a few nights, but the case they were working on now was a big one and they hadn't really had time for social calls.
"Waiting on her to come out of that thing?" Travis' voice caused you to nearly jump off of the kitchen island.
You furrowed your brow and let go of the phone you had been staring at for the past ten minutes. "What?"
He shook his head with an amused smirk dancing on his lips. "Nevermind. You're popcorns done you know," he gestured towards the microwave and grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl beside you. He watched you go back into your daydream and sighed. "You haven't heard from her have you?"
"I don't know what you're talking about," it took all you had to hop off the counter and retrieve your popcorn from the microwave. You pouted when it was just barely warm now. You must have dazed off longer than you thought. "Besides, how would you know?"
Travis chuckled and rolled his eyes. "You won't stop staring at your phone, and you've been extra distracted," he shrugged and grabbed some frozen waffles from the freezer. "Besides, popcorn for breakfast? You must be distracted," you hated that he knew you so well.
"Well it's just the opposite. I have heard from her," you sighed and locked your phone for the third time in 60 seconds. You looked up to see him put the waffles in the toaster and hopped back on the island. "Sorry," you mumble when you realize that you came in here to do just that.
"Then what's the problem?"
You focused in on your fingers fiddling in front of you and shook your head slightly. Travis set a plate out and then took a step towards you. You swallowed. "I just don't know how to talk to her right now. I've been dodging her calls for 6 weeks," you looked up and ran your hands through your hair with frustration.
Travis reached over and stole a piece of popcorn, popping it into his mouth and gave a teasing smirk. "Well, I'm not sure how to help. You see, I myself am in a serious relationship now, and am no longer succumbed to the problems that come with the single life."
You rolled your eyes and kicked at his shin. "You really are an ass sometimes," you stuck your tongue out. In reality you were happy for Travis and Lydia. Things had finally worked out for them, it only took forever, but they were happy. Engaged even! You envied them.
"I think you need to suck it up and face her," he was serious now and you silently cursed him for throwing your own words back in your face. "What's the worst that could happen?"
"Uhm, she could hear me??" You scoffed and crossed your arms.
"Oh come on, what's that pout for now? You're going to see her today regardless. You may as well make it less awkward," he shrugged.
"Because you're right," you muttered in annoyance, "and I hate it when you're right," you rolled your eyes and hopped off the island.
You walked over and grabbed your popcorn before heading for you room. You had a stash of M&Ms in there and you needed the privacy. Lydia would be over soon to talk about the wedding and you knew if you stayed she would pull you in, and you needed to talk to Jack as well as get ready for work. Just as you sat down at your desk your phone rang. How did she manage to do this?
"It's like you can sense my every move," you answered after the second ring. You tried to sound light hearted but you were nervous.
"I figured my 50th time had to be the winner," she retorted sarcastically.
You could hear the smile in her voice and your stomach did a flip. You frowned. This was exactly what you were avoiding. "I know, I know. I'm really sorry about that Jack," you sighed, running a hand through your hair.
"Are you coming in today? Vance said you had been given the all clear."
Did she sound hopeful? "I mean I may have to be persuaded. After all, I was sure hoping to get in one last week of lying in my pyjamas and eating my weight in take out and tubs of ice cream," you smirked. Falling back into this playful banter was easier than you thought, and that put you at ease.
"Hmm," she sighed. "It's not exactly ice cream, but what about coffee and a blueberry muffin? My treat," she offered.
You let out a dramatic sigh as you pretended to think about this offer. "Alright, I've be persuaded."
"See you then," you agreed and hung up the phone.
You jumped off the bed and raced around the room to find the perfect outift. You grabbed some black jeans, a green cashmere sweater, boots and your leather jacket. You tied up your hair in a high ponytail and quickly painted your face. As you rushed out of the room you nearly tripped over your go-bag and Travis snorted in amusement.
"Going somewhere?" He asked knowingly. "Thought you weren't due for another hour?"
"Change of plans," you huffed and tossed your bag over your shoulder. Just as you rushed out the door you ran into Lydia walking up the path. You said a quick hello and goodbye before jumping in your car. You hadn't realized how eager you were to let your guard down and face Jack. Maybe it wasn't facing her that you were eager for, maybe it was just seeing her again. Either way, you couldn't get there quick enough.
Jack sat in her usual booth in the back of the diner. She had already started her second cup of coffee and eaten part of her breakfast donut before you had even arrived. She tapped her fingers nervously while glancing out the window every few seconds. The only thing on her mind, when she had a free moment, was that kiss the two of you had shared. She just couldn't shake the feelings that surged inside of her when your lips touched. It was something she hadn't felt in a long time, but even still it was different. When she had pulled away it was only to make sure it was what you had wanted, but when you told her to leave it was all but confirmed that it wasn't what you wanted at all. She had tried calling and texting, but you never returned any of her messages.
That night had helped her see things for what they truly were, and seeing that hurt. When she had dropped by to meet you that first night, with that faulty story, she hadn't expected you to be... Well you. She hadn't expected to be invited for dinner, let alone stay in your home unsupervised. That there told her all that she needed to know about you. Once she got to know you her thoughts had been confirmed and this feeling in the back of her mind kept becoming more clear as time went on. These were feelings she had to keep bottled up, because from past experiences she knew getting involved with a co-worker was dangerous. San Diego had proven just that and she wouldn't put herself out there like that again. If you didn't want to talk about it then she was going to pretend like it never happened. It's what was best.
The bells rang as the diner door opened up and Jack couldn't help but look towards it eagerly. She gave a small smile as you walked over and took a seat. Her fingers tapped the side of her mug until she noticed you watching curiously, and realized that neither of you had said a word yet.
"You got here fast," she moved the coffee to her lips to busy herself.
"I was already prepared to ditch out any minute," you lied with a little chuckle.
"Oh?" Her brow arched curiously.
You shrugged. "Travis' fiance was coming over to talk wedding and I didn't really want to stick around."
"Travis is engaged?" She couldn't help but sound surprised.
"Oh that's right," you grinned. "I forgot you meet him when-" you stopped quickly when you remembered the kiss. You broke eye contact and looked to the glass of water in front of you. You cleared your throat and decided to bypass that conversation. "He got engaged three weeks later. They've known each other since grade school."
Jack gave a small smile when you carried on. By the way you avoided the conversation she figured you weren't going to acknowledge the kiss at all. It probably wasn't the best option, but it was the easiest for now. "Y/N," she started, but when you made eye contact she couldn't bring herself to carry on. "Don't forget to order. It's on me remember?"
You felt your shoulders relax and breathed out quietly in relief that she didn't carry on. You knew it couldn't be avoided forever, but you could try couldn't you? What was the use in getting all flustered and risking losing one of your closest friends? After you ordered, and the food came, you both began to relax and fall into easy conversation. You admitted how you were nervous about returning after your big scene, and Jack told you about the case they were currently working on.
"It's Gibbs," you confessed as the phone rang and quickly answered. "Hi boss," you greeted with a smile, but it vanished when he carried on about a body and hung up. "So much for that morning work out," you sighed, standing and grabbing your purse.
"Got a lead?" Jack asked curiously.
"Another dead body by the marina," you gave an apologetic look. "I'm sorry."
Jack shook her head and forced a smile. "Don't be. I'll catch up with you later on," she shrugged and waved you off with a smile. A part of her was relieved to see you go, only because it gave her that much time to figure out how to talk to you.
The moment you came back into the office things had been non-stop. First was the discovery of a body, and when you all arrived at the scene of the crime you were to discover that the male had been bludgeoned from behind. Secondly was the discovery that the male Lieutenant Cromwell, had a wife and a child that were now missing. As of now your suspect was the wife, and you had issued a BOLO on her.
"Coffee, anyone?" Jack entered the bullpen with a big, sympathetic smile on her face while carrying a tray of coffees for the team. She had gotten wind of the big case you all had been working on from Jimmy, and knew that this would be a long night for the team.
"God bless you, Agent Sloane," McGee accepted his steaming cup and took a long drink.
"You are an Angel," Bishop chimed in with a wide smile.
Jack just rolled her eyes and laughed. She turned to you and handed you your cup. "Sugar with a dash of coffee and cream," she smirked. The two of you shared the same order, and you both got teased for it often.
"She brings me my lifeline too?" You grinned, but immediately blushed and took a long said to hide it. You saw her eyes focus on you a little longer before her attention was turned to Gibbs as he cleared his throat.
"I didn't forget about you, Cowboy," she laughed and set his cup on the edge of his desk. "How's the case getting along?" Gibbs only grunted in response, so she looked to the rest of you for some sort of an answer. "Do you need any help?"
"Nope," Gibbs stated simply.
Just as Jack turned to go, McGee spoke up. "Actually, Y/N mentioned needing some," he admitted innocently.
"Oh, well, I think I've got it for now," you shook your head and forced a small smile. "I'll let you know though," you locked eyes for a moment before she nodded and slowly retreated. If the two of you were left alone you had a feeling that something would come of it, and you didn't need the distraction.
Just then Jimmy came into the bullpen out of breath. It was as though he had run all the way up here. "Gibbs!" He called out and the entire team looked to him. Gibbs greeted him with a glare. "Agent Gibbs... sir," he rambled on.
"Right," Jimmy cleared his throat and looked down at the clipboard he held to his chest. "It wasn't the wife," he began and paused, but Gibbs' stare told him that there was no more patience to be held. "With closer observation, I noticed that the wounds were about 4 inches deep and towards the top of his skull. Kasey and I were discussing it, and with the full description she was able to find on the wife, it couldn't have been her."
"Well, why not?" Gibbs barked. He hadn't been in the greatest mood today. Toress had made a comment to the team about Fornell coming in that morning, and so it was concluded his mood might have to do with Emily's drug problem. No one knew for sure though, it was all just pure speculation.
"She was 5'4"," you spoke up, looking up from your paperwork.
"That's right, and the Lieutenant was 6'2", wasn't he?" Jack piped up this time.
"Exactly," Jimmy nodded and handed the clipboard to Gibbs to show the results of his investigation. "Kasey did some digging on the wife, and it showed that Mrs. Randall had her last round of chemotherapy 4 months ago. She wasn't tall enough to bludgeon the Lieutenant from that angle, and she wouldn't have been strong enough for the murder weapon to go that deep," he explained.
"So what does this mean?" McGee questioned fearfully.
"It means we have two missing people on our hands," you looked to the team and then went back to your desk to do some more research. This night had gotten much longer.
For the rest of this week this case was your sole focus. NCIS was sent a ransom note the day before last, and your team had been working hard to come up with the right plan all while trying to figure out a way to abide by the ransom. Every night this week you had come home after midnight, completely exhausted, and you started all over at 7 am. With everything on your mind you had been able to get rid of the thoughts of your kiss with Jack. The two of you had been busy enough that you didn't have to work to hard to avoid her when it wasn't case related, and you hadn't seen Travis enough for him to tease you about it.
You woke up at 5:30 am Friday morning, completely restless. This case was only getting worse, and you wanted it to be over with. If you couldn't get to Mrs. Randall and her daughter in time, you didn't think you would be okay. The child was only 5 years old. The thought of putting a child through something like this made you sick, and it had you questioning the humanity of these suspects and murderers that you saw day in and day out. The only reason you survived this job was, because as much sickness you saw on a daily basis, you saw twice as much goodness when the cases were closed. Even when a case didn't turn out the way you hoped, you told yourself that at least you were able to give their families closer. It wasn't much, but it was enough to keep you going when you needed it the most.
As you got out of bed, you lazily made your way through your morning routine. There was no use trying to get that extra hour of shut eye. You made a fresh pot of coffee, threw a waffle in the toaster and went to hop in a quick, cold shower to wake you up. Jack popped in your mind as you ran your hands through your hair. You could still feel her lips on yours, the way that she had kissed back for a split second. Your heart began to race and you let the cold water run over your face for awhile before turning off the shower. You stepped out and began to dry off and get dressed. By the time you grabbed your breakfast and made it out of the house, Jack was the last thing on your mind once more.
You focused on the case the whole drive, and when you arrived at NCIS you realized that you were the first one on the team there. The silence was killing you when you sat and tried to get some work done, and with a huff you stood up and made your way down to the gym. You needed to clear your head and get a fresh perspective on everything. You tied up your hair and slipped on your gloves, standing ready at the punching bag. It wasn't long before you were going at it, music in your ears, and you could feel your thoughts cleansing as the time went on.
"Thought I'd find you in here," a voice came from behind after awhile and you froze up a bit. You didn't know how long you had been down here or how long she had been standing behind you at this point.
This was what you had been avoiding all week. Once Ellie told you that Jack had been asking about you all day, you knew that it was only a matter of time before she found you. Of course, you had assumed she had gone home hours ago, but apparently not. Now you were trapped in the gym with her, and you didn't have an excuse to get out of it this time.
"Jack, I don't really have time to talk," you knew she wouldn't buy it. She didn't answer and you stopped hitting the punching bag to look behind you. She was bent over with her hair flung over her head, trying to tie her hair up and out of her face. You swallowed hard seeing how her sweats formed to her body so well. Your mind started to wander and you had to turn away when she stood up. "What are you doing?"
She shrugged as she began to pull on some gloves. "This seems to be the only way that I can get you alone."
You shook your head and walked over to your bag. "I was just leaving," you hated yourself for being so distant with her, but what else could you do?
She stood in front of you now. "Y/N, please just talk to me," her big brown eyes had a certain longing in them. "We can be professional about this, can't we?"
"Professional?" you almost scoffed and her eyes widened a bit. "Jack, I can't be professional around you when all you want to do is discuss the least professional thing I've ever done."
"You were upset," she was trying to make excuses that not even she was buying.
"Because you wouldn't stop prying. I shouldn't have done it," you shook your head. "It was stupid and unprofessional, and it's not like it meant anything to me anyways," you didn't even realize what you had said before you saw Jack step back. That was too far. Did she look... disappointed? No. She couldn't be. Why would she be. "Jack I-"
"No," she put her hand out and forced a small smile. "You're right," you swore that you heard her voice crack. "It didn't mean anything. You were going through something, and I just happened to be there for you."
She was playing this off to easily for your liking. "Right," you whispered and looked away. She turned to leave and you didn't know what came over you, but you reached out to stop her. "Did it mean something?" your eyes were hopeful this time.
Jack's big brown eyes searched yours for some sort of angle, but she couldn't find one. You wanted an honest answer, and she wanted to answer honestly, with all of her being, but if you didn't feel the same way then she could risk losing you. "Y/N," her voice was so low that if you weren't looking at her you wouldn't have heard.
"It meant something, Jack," you confessed and felt hot tears sting your eyes. "I didn't mean what I said before, but I didn't think you wanted me to admit how much it did mean. I was vulnerable, you aren't wrong about that, but that is something I had wanted to do for a long time," your confessions just seemed to flow out of you with no filter now.
Jack looked up at you, her eyes flashing with hope and longing. You watched her tongue come out to wet her lips. She swallowed hard and you could see her chest rising and falling a bit heavier now. You looked back up at her as soon as you realized that you were staring, but it was no use. She had seen your eyes wander and a smirk played upon her lips now. "Do you mean that?"
You nodded slowly, closing the distance between the two of you now. Your heart was racing more than ever and you felt her hand reach out, her fingers slowly entwining with yours. Now you were the one wetting your lips. "With every fiber of my being," you whispered.
It wasn't long before Jack closed the gap between the two of you. Her hand reached up to brush the loose strands of hair from your face and her nose brushed against yours. Her breathing was shaky and it was the sexiest sound you had ever heard. You couldn't wait anymore and leaned in to brush your lips over hers. Once...twice...your lips locked this time and a soft moan escaped your lips as the kiss deepened. Your arms reached up and wrapped around her, pulling her closer than before until you both were lost in a heated moment of passion. The moment was cut too short by a clearing of the throat from behind you both. You both jumped back, hearts racing and eyes wide, to see Director Vance standing in the doorway. His arms were folded and he didn't look too happy.
"Leon," Jack was the first to speak up. You silently thanked her for that, since the two of them were so close. Maybe that would soften whatever form of punishment would come your way? "We were just-"
"Never you mind what you were just doing," he frowned. "Gibbs got a lead. He's been trying to get ahold of you both, but I can see you were otherwise occupied."
You bit your lip nervously and decided to grab your things as quickly as possible. You looked at your phone. 2 missed calls. You knew Gibbs didn't like even 1 missed call. You held the phone to your ear as you played the voicemail and your eyes widened. "They have a lead on where they're being held. I have to go," you rushed towards the door.
"I'll go with you!" Jack called out and reached for her things.
"I don't think so Agent Sloane," Vance shook his head with curious eyes. You weren't sure if he was upset or if he was just looking out for a good friend. "You'll best serve here."
Jack looked to you apologetically, but you just smiled and shook your head. "It's fine Jack," you assured her before you turned to go. This was certainly the start of something new. You only hoped that it wouldn't cost either of you too much.
