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Part 1 of Code of Honor
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Published:
2009-01-22
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2011-09-29
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12/12
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Code of Honor

Chapter 2: Hot N Cold

Chapter Text

She had asked Cynthia to cancel her meetings for the rest of the day; her assistant didn't seem fazed, the walls weren't thin, but she saw the boy storm out of Jenny's office earlier. Also, when she went out for lunch, she brought back not just a sandwich for her boss, but for the kid as well.

Jenny had accepted the two sandwiches with a 'thank you' and a smile, making Cynthia feel good. She had had a feeling that if she hadn't brought lunch, Jenny would've completely forgotten all about it.

So later that day, Jenny was eating her tuna sandwich in her office, absentmindedly reading a file she had to sign off on, when Zach stirred from his position on the couch. Jenny quickly chewed the last of the food in her mouth and set the sandwich down, getting up and walking to the couch.

The boy was rubbing his eyes. He sat up and Jenny sat down next to him. The boy looked confused.

"Was it a dream?" Jenny sadly shook her head.

"No, Zach. I'm sorry, it wasn't." He looked down and bit his lip.

"I'm sorry for yelling at you earlier," Zach said, making Jenny smile slightly.

"It's okay." She gently stroked his back. Zach did something completely unexpected to her and shifted, dropping his head on her lap. She moved to stroke his head instead and the feeling was so natural it scared her.

"Is Gibbs mad?" She looked down at the boy. He had despair in his eyes.

"I don't know Zach."

"But Madame Director, I need to know if he's mad or upset." Jenny picked up on the name he called her.

"Did DiNozzo tell you to call me Madame Director?" Zach nodded, wide eyed.

"Why?" he squeaked.

"Call me Jenny," she said with a reassuring smile. "I don't know if he's mad, honestly."

"But you know everything!" Zach exclaimed.

"Who told you that?" she asked with a playful smile.

"Gibbs," Zach said pointedly, which made her smile wider.

"What else did he tell you?"

"Well, he told me you were very, very, very beautiful." This, in turn, made the boy blush.

"And that you were a really loveable person," Zach said and smiled at her bemused expression.

"Jenny?"

"Hmm?" she asked, shaken out of her reverie.

"Do you love Gibbs?" he bluntly asked. Her expression visibly changed to one he didn't know.

"I—it's complicated."

"But..." Zach said expectantly, but when Jenny didn't answer he let it drop.

"What's going to happen to me?" he asked in a small voice instead.

"You'll probably live in a foster home," Jenny said.

"So, Child Services?" Jenny nodded, making him sigh. The door burst open and Jethro appeared, Cynthia standing behind him.

"It's okay, Cynthia, thank you." The woman exited.

"I'm sorry Gibbs," Zach said and Gibbs squatted down in front of him.

"Don't apologize, it's a sign of weakness," Gibbs said. Jenny notices a stack of papers in his hand.

"Jethro? What are those?" she asked.

"The reason I came. Zach. Do you want to stay with me instead of Child Services?" Gibbs asked and Jenny looked shocked.

"Like, you adopt me?" Zach asked, still insecure, not wanting his hopes crushed.

"Yes." Zach lunged forward and hugged Gibbs in a way that rivaled Abby. Gibbs took the opportunity to look Jen in the eyes. She smiled at the happiness that shone out of his eyes.

"Hey, Zach, why don't you go down to Abby and give Bert back?" Gibbs suggested. The boy nodded vigorously and left the office.

Jenny got up and went to sit behind her desk. For the first time in... well, quite possibly a long time, Jethro sat down in one of the chairs in front of her desk.

"Really Jethro? Adoption?" Jen asked. Gibbs looked down and nodded.

"Yeah."

"Are you really up to that?" she asked sincerely.

"I think it'd be good for him and me," Gibbs said and Jenny chuckled.

"And the fact that you work a lot?"

"I'll cut back on my hours. If the Director cuts me some slack." He looked up and grinned at her, making her shake her head slowly in hopelessness.

"The Director already cuts you a lot of slack," Jenny said with a smile. "But, okay. If you really think it's a good idea, I'll support you."

"Child Services says that I still have to go through the normal process of adoption. They wanted to take him now and give him back when the process was over, but I debated a little and they decided he could stay a week, and then they would take him away, until the process thing is over. But I need you to do me a favor." Jenny quirked an eyebrow.

"What is it?" He stood up and prepared to leave. "Jethro..."

"Write a recommendation letter," Gibbs ordered and then walked out, making Jenny smile.

She knew the real reason he left. Not because he had anything to do, no, he just didn't want to see her amused expression.

"Cynthia, can you get me the number for Child Services?" Jenny asked, pressing the intercom button.

"Yes, ma'am."

"Thank you."


Gibbs and Zach were in the basement, sanding the boat side-by-side.

"Gibbs?" The man turned to Zach.

"Yeah."

"Do you love Jenny?" He asked the same question that he asked Jenny earlier that day.

"It's complicated," Gibbs answered.

"I don't get what is so complicated. Either you do, or you don't," Zach pointed out.

"We have a lot of history, Zach," Gibbs tried to explain.

"Exactly!" the boy exclaimed making Gibbs chuckle. The boy's stomach grumbled and only then did he become aware of his impending hunger.

"I'm hungry. I'm gonna go upstairs and search the fridge," Zach said and put the sanding block down. He walked up the stairs and Gibbs smiled to himself. He continued sanding the hull of the boat.

"GIBBS! THERE'S NOTHING IN HERE... OH, WAIT!" Zach yelled, but apparently he found something, judging by his quietness. Gibbs smiled again.

Jenny entered the house and took off her heels at the door. She heard Zach yelling and then he walked into the hall.

"Jenny," he sighed. "You brought food!"

"Of course." She bent over to kiss the top of his head. He guided her to the kitchen.

"What did you bring?" he asked, trying to peer into the two big brown bags she was holding.

"Groceries. I'm gonna cook you dinner," Jenny said and started taking the things out of the bag, occasionally moving to put something in the fridge or a cabinet.

"I think you're psychic," Zach commented.

"How so?"

"Well, there wasn't any food in the house and then poof you appear with food. Or, groceries and you're gonna make me food. Is Gibbs gonna get some, too?"

"Yes. Do you like pasta?" The boy smiled wide.

"I love pasta." Jenny started heating up water in a pan.

"Can I help?" Zach asked. Jenny smiled at him.

"Of course. When the water stars boiling I want you to put the spaghetti in the water, got it?" The boy nodded and focused on the pan of water.

"Are you allergic to anything, Zach?" Jenny asked as she took out the ingredients to start the sauce.

"Dustmites. And penicillin," he said casually.

"Any foods?"

"Nope." Zach hopped onto the counter and sat next to the stove, so he could talk to Jenny and look her in the eye at the same time.

"What's your favorite food?" Jenny asked, chopping up some vegetables.

"Pizza. And cheeseburgers. And I really like chicken. But white meat, not dark meat." He fake shuddered, making Jenny laugh.

"There's nothing wrong with dark meat, I like it more than white meat." He gaped at her.

"Really?" She merely nodded. "What are your favorite foods?"

"Cheeseburgers are delicious, though I haven't had one in a long time. I like spaghetti. And dark meat chicken," she threw in the last part for fun, with a smile.

"What's your favorite dessert?" Zach asked.

"Ice cream, cheesecake and chocolate fudge brownies. My favorite ice cream flavor is chocolate." She could see his mouth watering from where she stood.

"I like cheesecake too! And brownies. And ice cream, but I like the mix, the one with strawberry, vanilla and chocolate all mixed. And I like pistachio cake." Jenny smiled as she walked to the freezer and pulled out a carton of ice cream and showed it to him. Chocolate/Vanilla/Strawberry. He smiled.

"That is dessert." Jenny motioned her head at the pan, where the water was boiling. With the knife she was holding, she cut open the pack of spaghetti.

"Be careful, the water is hot," she said.

"Just pour them all in together?" Zach asked.

"Yes," she said and nodded. He carefully tilted the plastic bag so all the spaghetti would fall in the pan and not splash any of the water.

"Very good," she praised him.

"Really?" he asked and she nodded smiling. He seemed really excited. He hopped off the counter.

"I'm gonna go tell Gibbs!" he said and almost made it out of the kitchen.

"No, no!" Jenny held him by his waist, keeping him from running out.

"Why not?"

"Don't let him know I'm here yet, later." The boy shrugged. "Alright. I'm almost done here, you can go watch TV or play your DS if you want."

"Ok." He walked out of the kitchen and went into the living room, and turned on the TV.

After about half an hour, Jenny walked into the living room.

"Dinner's ready, Zach," she said and the boy turned off the TV, walking behind her into the kitchen. On the four-persons-dining table stood a pan with the spaghetti and another one with the sauce.

She handed him a plate. He stood on his knees on a chair to reach properly. He took the plate from Jenny and scooped up some spaghetti and then covering it completely with sauce.

"Parmesan cheese?" Jenny offered, and soon, Zach's food was covered by a fair layer of cheese. He then sat normally on the chair and with the help of a spoon and a fork, mixed everything together. Jenny watched with an amused smile as he twirled a bit too much spaghetti on his fork and managed to stuff everything into his mouth. He chewed for a while until half of it was swallowed.

"This is weawy goow. Wank you Jewy," he said, his mouth still pretty full.

"Don't talk with your mouth full," she admonished gently.

"Oway," he said. Jenny chuckled and grabbed a plate for herself, scooping up her food and putting a little Parmesan on it. She decided to try it Zach's way and mixed it all together. She put a bit of it into her mouth and chewed.

Zach was finally finished with that initial bite.

"What about Gibbs?"

"You can go tell him dinner is served," she said and the boy hopped off the chair and walked away. He turned back, and quickly put some food in his mouth, and then walked out. Jenny smiled at this.

"Gibbs!" Zach said from the top of the stairs.

"Did you find something to eat?"

"No. I got something better. Dinner is served." Zach turned around and left.

Gibbs frowned at his cryptic message. To figure it out, he decided to follow him.

As he made his way through the living room, the smell of food hit him. And not take-out food. Home-made-dinner food. This made his frown deeper, and yet his gut wasn't acting up.

He walked into the dining room/kitchen and smiled. Dinner was indeed served. And by his favorite redhead, no less. He was still slightly worried.

"Did you cook this?"

"Hello Jethro, nice to see you too."

"Did you cook this?" She rolled her eyes.

"I did." She saw his grimace. "Jethro, I can cook."

"Not six years ago you couldn't," he pointed out and she rolled her eyes again.

"That was one time, and it was because you switched the salt and the pepper and a lot more ingredients," she pointed out.

"Gibbs, is weawy goow!" Zach said, yet again with a mouth full of food.

"Zach, what did I tell you?" The boy looked guilty.

"Sowy."

"Just try it, Jethro. It won't kill you," Jenny said exasperated and took another bite.

"Last time it almost did, but okay." He scooped up his food and sat down at the table. He carefully took a bite, knowing Jenny was looking at him. He could almost hear her smug smile when he realized it wasn't half bad. It was actually pretty good.

After eating in silence for a while, Jenny finished first. She took her plate to the sink and rinsed it, putting it in the dishwasher.

Zach finished next. He stood up and did the same as Jenny, and came back to sit at the table.

Jethro thought she hadn't noticed, but Jenny did notice when he scooped up a second serving, making her smile into her glass of water, at that moment. Jenny also noticed that Jethro was eating slower than usual. Zach started tapping his fingers on the table, every now and then looking at Gibbs.

"Gibbs?"

"Hmm?" he hummed over some spaghetti.

"Can you eat faster?!" Zach asked exasperated. Jenny tried to smother her smile with her hand, failing terribly.

"Why?" Gibbs inquired.

"Because I want dessert," Zach said softly. This seemed to speed Gibbs up. When he finished Zach let out a long breath. Jenny got up and took Jethro's plate to the kitchen, and came back with three bowls, three spoons, an ice cream scooper and the ice cream carton. It looked like Zach had some energy-sickness. He was bouncing in his seat.

Jenny scooped some into the first bowl and slid it towards Zach. She did the same to the two other bowls and slid one to Jethro. She gave both a spoon and returned to the kitchen with the scooper and ice cream, returning moments later to her own ice cream.

"Thank you so much. Can I eat it in front of the TV?" Gibbs noticed that the question was directed at Jenny, who nodded.

"Go ahead." The boy gathered his bowl and spoon and soon the two adults heard the TV.

"So, was dinner good?" Jenny asked with a smile as she put a spoonful of ice cream in her mouth.

"Yes. It was good. Thank you," Gibbs said softly. "Why did Zach ask you if he could do something in my house?"

"Maybe because I cooked him dinner." Jenny smirked.

"Thanks for that, by the way."

"Jethro, I called a few people and pulled some strings. You can keep Zach. They won't come next week and take him away. He gets to stay here."

"Really?" Jenny nodded and smiled a small smile at his happy expression.

"I'll still write the recommendation, though," Jenny teased lightly and had the honor of seeing Gibbs turn slightly red. They continued eating their ice cream in a comfortable silence.

When Jenny finished, she put her bowl in the dishwasher and turned, surprised to find Gibbs right behind her. Ignoring the little flutter her heart made, she went into the living room and smiled to herself.

Zach had managed to finish his ice cream, but he was fast asleep, still clutching the bowl and spoon in his hand. She had expected nothing less; it had been a rough day, after all. She felt Gibbs standing next to her and when she turned, her heart made another leap at the look in his eyes.

They both walked over to him, Jenny waking the bowl and spoon and Gibbs lifting him up. He walked up the stairs and Jenny detoured to put the bowl and spoon in the kitchen.

She found them in the spare bedroom, just as Gibbs was putting the boy down.

Gibbs was pulling back the covers and Jenny was taking off Zach's sneakers and socks.

"Is this what he sleeps in?" Jenny asked softly, but Gibbs shook his head.

"No, he wears pajamas," Gibbs replied, equally as soft. "Can you grab them? They're in the bathroom."

Jenny walked into the connecting bathroom and immediately saw what she was looking for; a blue flannel shirt and pants. She walked back into the room and held them up.

Jenny held him up as Gibbs slipped the t-shirt over his head and off him. He then slipped the blue pajama shirt over his head. They did the same with his pants, switching the jeans for the blue pants. She covered him with the blankets when Gibbs went to put away the clothes.

When Gibbs went back to the room, Jenny wasn't there, so he turned off the light and closed the door softly behind him.

He walked back down the stairs and saw Jen shrug into her coat.

"You leaving?" he asked, watching her.

"Yeah. I actually only came to bring groceries, but then Zach said he was hungry, so I made dinner," she said and pulled her hair out from under her coat.

"It was delicious," Gibbs commented.

"Does it change your opinion on my cooking?"

"Maybe," he said vaguely and she chuckled. He was so stubborn. He handed her purse to her.

"Thank you," she said. She was opened the door and was halfway outside when she turned back and Gibbs stood right behind her for the second time that night. He was leaning against his door frame and held the door with his hand.

"Good night Jethro," she said.

"G'night Jen," he said and went to kiss her cheek, when she suddenly turned her head and his lips brushed hers. He kept his lips where they were and kissed her tenderly. When the shock left her body she kissed him back. He deepened the kiss and his hand left the door in favor of her waist, which he used to pull her closer to him. The kiss quickly turned passionate and Jenny could feel her knees weaken. She looped her arms around his neck to keep her steady.

Her lungs were protesting very hard and she finally listened to them, pulling away, slightly breathless.

"Good night Jethro," she said breathlessly. She quickly pressed a kiss to his lips before turning around and walking to her car, leaving a stupidly grinning Gibbs behind.

"G'night Jen," he said softly, to no one. He then closed the door and went back to the basement, smiling the whole way.