Long Enough Alone?

Epilogue - Two Years Later

Special Agent Jethro Gibbs was dreaming. He was sound asleep lying on a lounge chair under a large umbrella on a white sand beach in the tropics. It was March and he was so sound asleep he was not only dreaming, he was snoring. He was dreaming about his wife, a beautiful red headed woman who could set him on fire or cool him down with just the touch of her hand on his skin. Into the dream came a little girl with red hair just like her mother's. There were other little ones in the dream but Jethro kept focusing on the beautiful woman while the children occupied the fringes of the dream. In this dream, unlike many Agent Gibbs had, he was happy. He was content and he was enjoying life. Even while he was dreaming he hoped he never woke up and found it was all just a dream.

While Jethro was sleeping the beautiful red haired woman who was quite real and not just part of a dream, was walking along the sandy beach picking up seashells. The water was warm and clear blue as it lapped at her ankles. There was a light breeze cooling the afternoon and blowing through her hair. A picture perfect day in paradise. When she had gone far enough Jenny Gibbs turned around and walked back toward the cottage where she and Jethro were spending the week. She could barely see her husband on the lounge chair under the umbrella. He hadn't moved. She wasn't surprised.

It had taken a lot of planning and some luck to get this vacation underway. Jethro had been working one very bad case after another for almost three months and they were all, his team and Jen, about to the breaking point. Finally, the last case was closed three days ago and yesterday they had boarded a plane and escaped from DC and NCIS and all the terrible things that had been plaguing Jethro and his team for months. The rest of the team were off on their own vacations.

Jen arrived back in front of their cottage on this secluded stretch of beach and stood watching her husband sleep. She was standing in the warm water as the gentle waves endlessly came ashore and retreated. As she looked at Jethro she reflected on the past two years and on how very much she loved this man. He was still just as handsome and sexy as when they first met and he could still send her heart racing with a touch or a smile or a whispered word. He was lying there in nothing but swim trunks, that body she knew so well and loved so much shaded from the harsh tropical sun by a huge green umbrella. His face was relaxed, the tension of the past few months already gone. His mouth was open slightly and even though she couldn't hear him, she knew from experience he was snoring softly. His hair was a little grayer, both on his head and his chest and he had a few more lines around his eyes but he still looked damned good to her. So good in fact she didn't think she would be standing out here in the water much longer.

She hated to wake him though. When she picked him up at the office yesterday afternoon he had been exhausted. The team was already gone and Jethro was just finishing his paperwork when she arrived at 3:00. They had a 6:00 flight and Jethro still had to go home and say goodbye to the kids. Between the two sets of grandparents and Helen, the babysitting was all arranged. Ziva would also be helping when she got back from her three days away. He had slept most of the way here on the plane and most of the morning today. Of course they were up pretty late last night celebrating being alone so he had a reason to be tired today. But, she decided, he had been asleep long enough. Jen walked toward the chairs to wake her sleeping husband. No, he looked so relaxed and was obviously so sound asleep she didn't have the heart to wake him. So, she decided to have a shower first and then she would return with a cold drink and kiss him awake.

Jethro sensed someone standing nearby but he was so tired he couldn't pull himself from his dream sleep. A few minutes later, the sound of sea gulls squawking and fighting over a fish finally roused him awake. He looked around and up and down the beach but didn't see Jen anywhere. Then he heard the shower in the cottage and realized she was inside. He thought about joining her but didn't have even the energy for that. God, I must be really tired! Instead of getting up he relaxed back in the chair and thought about what a lucky man he was.

The last two years had been very good to Jethro and Jen. Their marriage was flourishing on every level and their family was as well. Sophie was now eight years old; the same age as Kelly when she was killed. That had been a particularly difficult milestone for Jethro to deal with and Jen had been right there for whatever he needed from her. After a few days and several nights of long talks about his guilt and sadness surrounding Kelly's death, he had managed to put it in perspective and deal with it in a healthy way. Jethro loved Sophie with all his heart and was very proud to call her his daughter. She was a wonderful child, bright and clever with a good sense of humor. She was a loving big sister, very patient and helpful at home. Fishing was still one of her favorite things to do but now she was also hooked on horseback riding and wanted to learn to play the drums.

Jethro's thoughts went next to Nathan who was now two years old. Nathan is a delightful little boy, full of energy and always smiling. He is the image of his father with brown hair and sparking blue eyes. He has a wonderful disposition most of the time but when he makes up his mind about something he's hard to contend with; much like his father. Still he is almost always happy. He follows Sophie around wherever she goes. When Sophie isn't home, Nathan is attached to his mother or Maggie who happily tolerates the little boy.

These days Nathan doesn't always get as much of his mother's attention as he wants because she might be busy tending to his little brother Zachary. On Father's Day two months before Nathan's first birthday, Jethro's gift from Jen had been a tri-fold photo frame with one empty slot. Of course he knew right away what that meant; Jen was pregnant. In February when Nathan was eighteen months old Zachary Owen Gibbs was born. Zach is the perfect mix of his parents. He has his mother's red hair and his father's very blue eyes. He has his father's coloring and his mother's disposition. He is a great addition to the family and everyone loves him.

Aside from the children, if Jethro had to give an example of how different his life is now compared to his life before Jen all he had to do was describe his house. Before Jen and Sophie moved in his house was nice but it was sparse and definitely not homey. He spent all his time in his basement and rarely used the rest of the house including the kitchen. Now, he rarely went in the basement and life centered around the kitchen. The floors were littered with trucks and blocks and all manner of little boy toys. There is always noise; mostly happy noise and frequently the dog barks for some unknown reason. It's a lively home and Jethro loves walking in the door at the end of a long day because at least one little person will run to greet him.

While Jethro was lying on the beach counting his blessings, Jen was doing the same thing in the shower. She considered herself a very lucky and blessed woman and she tried to be thankful for what she had every day. Since almost dying in that horrible shooting right before they were married, Jethro has managed to avoid getting shot or blown up or even injured at all except for the occasional bruise from a dirt bag reluctant to be arrested. Every day when he leaves for work Jen asks God to protect him and his team and bring Jethro home safely. So far God has done just that.

Her children are the best thing Jen has ever done as far as she is concerned. Sophie is such a great daughter. She is funny and so smart and a really good sister to her little brothers. She reads to them and lets them follow her around; she even shares Maggie with them and that's a pretty big deal since Maggie is HER dog and still sleeps with her every night. And of course, Sophie still has her daddy wrapped very tightly around her finger. She adores Jethro and is always content when he is at home. Jen hopes that continues in the years to come.

Nathan and Zach are a joy and keep Jen busy from the time they get up until they go to bed at night. Nathan is Jethro in a smaller package. He looks exactly like his father and sometimes Jen would swear he smirks at her when she's telling him something. He is a fun kid and almost always smiling. Zach is very laid back and calm. He looks more like Jen than Jethro except for having his father's eyes. The two boys play well together and really are a delight to their parents. And most of the time to their sister.

When they knew another baby was on the way they realized they needed another bedroom. Again, Jen nixed the idea of moving so Jethro suggested they finish the attic as a space for Sophie. Of course Sophie was thrilled and so that was what they did. Brian came to DC to help Jethro and over the course of several months they transformed the attic space into a bedroom suite, storage room and bathroom. Sophie got to help paint and decorate the room and she loves it up there. Her brothers are not allowed without an invitation.

Jen was rinsing her hair when she heard the door open and moments later Jethro stepped into the shower.

"How dare you waste water by showering alone."

"You looked so cute sleeping I hated to wake you."

"I'm not cute. Nathan and Zach are cute. I'm ruggedly handsome or something, but not cute."

"You are very handsome, and sexy and happily for me, very skilled at many things including making love to me."

"We become skilled at things we enjoy; I very definitely enjoy you and all things related to you including making love to you. Which by the way, I have not done in several hours. Let's fix that shall we?"

By way of an answer Jen wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him until they were out of breath. Jethro turned off the water and reached for a towel. They dried each other off and then tumbled onto the bed. No woman had ever loved him the way Jen does. She gave him all of herself every time they were together and she was not afraid to tell him what she wanted or needed from him. As lovers they came together as if they had been made for each other and had been together for a very long time instead of just over three years. Jethro could not imagine ever making love to another woman.

When they landed on the bed kissing and touching, Jen rolled over and stretched out on top of Jethro so their entire bodies were touching. Jen loved the feel of his body against hers. He was all solid muscle and he made her feel completely safe and protected. When he let his hands roam over her smooth skin she felt like she was melting from the inside out. Jen laid her head on his chest and could feel his heart beating and his breath puffing out on the top of her head. She raised her head and looked into his eyes; those gorgeous blue eyes that she fell in love with before he had ever even spoken to her. Right now they were getting very dark and that meant only one thing, the fun was about to begin.

"Before we get started I want to tell you that I love you and I cherish you and I expect I always will."

"I thought we were already started. I love you Jenny and I can't imagine I will ever stop loving you."

Then they officially got started when Jethro flipped her over and kissed her from one end to the other. They made love as if they had all the time in the world because for now they did. Lying together afterward with the ceiling fan cooling their sweat slicked bodies Jen fell asleep with her head on Jethro's shoulder. Jethro absently combed his fingers through her hair and slowly let sleep claim him again.

Later that evening they walked down the beach and had dinner. Then they strolled along the water's edge holding hands and listening to the water come and go. By the time they got back to their cottage it was almost midnight and Jen was falling asleep. They rinsed their feet in the outdoor shower then fell into bed and were sound asleep in minutes.

The week proceeded along much like day one had. They made love when they woke up, spent the day lounging on the beach, made love in the afternoon, took a nap, had dinner and a walk on the beach and fell into bed sometime after midnight. In between all that love making there were conversations about the kids, about Jen going back to work and about a much needed new vehicle. They never talked about Jethro's job or any case related stuff. All that was left at the Navy Yard and very rarely found its way to their home anymore. When a case was troubling him Jethro tried to work out his frustrations in the gym or by talking to Ducky before he came home. He had come to that decision on his own after Nathan was born. He told Jen one night that he wouldn't bring his work home because he didn't want the children exposed to even his talking about cases. She supported that decision of course but also reminded him he could always talk to her if he needed to. Even though he knew she could handle it Jethro didn't want her to hear about all the crap either so he just left it at the office. It hadn't been as hard as he thought it would be at first. Once he walked through the front door he was busy with one child or another until they were all in bed so he didn't have time to think about work anyway.

Before they knew it their last day was upon them. They had done no sightseeing at all so Jethro asked Jen if she wanted to go into town and look around.

"Not really. There's nothing I want to buy and I'd rather stay here and play in the water and lie in the sun with you."

"You mean lie in the shade because you can't be in the sun."

"Whatever, I'd rather stay here and lie around with you."

"Seems like a plan. Tonight though we're getting dressed up and going out. Okay?"

"Okay."

So on their last night of vacation they got dressed up and went to an fancy restaurant and lounge in town. Jen was wearing a pale green dress held up by the tiniest little straps you can imagine. It was tight in all the right places and had a slit up the side that made Jethro suck in his breath when she moved. Jethro was wearing black slacks and a white dress shirt and Jen's favorite jacket, black with a tiny red stripe. They made a very striking couple when they were shown to their table in the restaurant. Jen ordered wine and Jethro had bourbon. They ordered their meal then Jethro raised his glass and Jen followed suit.

"To us, let's hope the house is in one piece when we get home tomorrow."

"Yes, to us. I'm sure things will be fine. Martha said everything and everyone was just fine when I talked to her this morning."

After dinner they went next door to the lounge and had another drink. There was a band playing so they danced almost every dance until closing time. They took a cab back to the cottage then took one last walk on the beach. The moon was bright on the water and stars filled the sky.

They walked to the edge of the water and let the gentle waves splash against their ankles. They didn't speak for a long time they just held hands and let the beauty of the night surround them. As much as they each hated to see their time alone in this beautiful place come to an end they were both ready to go home. They missed their children.

"You ready to go home tomorrow, Jen?"

"Yes, I'm ready. This has been a wonderful week and I think we needed it but I'm ready. I miss the kids. I feel energized and ready to get back to our real life."

"Me too. The boys change so quickly at their age I know we've missed something being gone this week. But, you're right we needed this. I know I sure did."

"We have to always remember to take time for ourselves. Our marriage has to be healthy and solid so we can be good parents. Right?"

"Right. So, we'll do this again. Thank you for making this happen Jen."

"Jethro, do you remember telling me once that life with you would be hard?"

"Yes, I remember that."

"You were wrong. My life with you could not be better. It's not hard at all. You are a wonderful partner and a superb father. You bring incredible joy and security to my life. I love you babe."

"It was true at the time. You saved me from myself. You and Sophie. It's hard to be a bastard all the time when I have two beautiful red heads loving me like you two do."

He kissed her there under the stars and the moon and they went back to the cottage and made love until they fell asleep exhausted and happy.

The next morning as they settled into their seats in first class Jethro silently congratulated himself for marrying a woman with lots and lots of money. He felt bad about Jen paying for their trip but only for about thirty seconds. After all, it had been her idea and he wasn't going to take the fun out of it for her. He reached for her hand and kissed her fingers.

"Thanks for taking me on a vacation. You are an excellent wife and travel planner and I intend to keep you forever."

"You're very welcome. You are an excellent travel companion and lover. And an above average husband. There is something I forgot to tell you while we were gone."

"You're not pregnant are you? Please say no."

"No. We took care of that remember."

"Oh yeah. Okay, what is it?"

"Sophie has decided she wants her own horse. And she is pretty sure she can talk you into it. She said and I quote, 'it will be like getting daddy to get Maggie' end quote."

Jethro just looked at his wife and shook his head. Then he signaled the flight attendant and ordered a bourbon. Suddenly he wasn't sure he was ready to go home.

END

A/N: Again, thanks to all my loyal readers and reviewers. This story was just supposed to be a few chapters but wow, all your great feedback just kept it flowing. I think it's gone on long enough now and we can be assured they live happily ever after. I have a feeling Sophie gets her own horse eventually! Thanks again and please watch for my next effort. It will be KIBBS and much more to the dark side of Gibbs.