Maryland: The basement of Gibbs's old house - Monday Evening
The basement was now finally clean. And also termite free.
There was one final item that Gibbs was taking care though... his last bottle of whiskey he found among the bottles of varnish he kept on his workbench. He sat back on the bench and looked at the empty room. Once upon a time his boat frame was here. Before Fandom. This was his refuge from the insanity that was his job at NCIS and while he was glad to be away from it... the last few days made him realize that there were aspects that he missed.
Not that he'd ever admit that to anyone. Especially the red head with the pixie haircut who was now walking down the steps to his basement.
"I just came by to tell you that Derrick Paulson has been cleared of all charges," Jenny said quietly. "You saved that boy's life."
Gibbs gave a little shrug and held up the whiskey bottle as an offering. "He did most of the work."
"Don't sell yourself short," Jenny said nodding in agreement to the whiskey. "Or is it too late for that?"
"Is this some sort of pep talk to get me to stay, Jen?" Gibbs asked with a smirk as he pulled out a coffee mug and poured his old boss/lover a shot of whiskey. "I know you don't want me back."
"I don't," Jen admitted. "But there's more to it than that. You have already been in two comas. You might not come out of a third. The fact is your'e good. The best. When you're good at asomething as you are, when you can make a difference like you can, you just don't quit. There's a place for you here, Jethro."
Gibbs mulled that over and shook his head. "I don't want it."
"You're going to throw your abilities away at a part time job as a deputy for some podunk police department?" Jenny said crossing her arms. "Or is it this new wife I keep hearing about?"
"No," Gibbs said sharply. "It's not about that."
"Then what is it, Jethro?"
Gibbs frowned for a moment or two. Mostly because he hated to admit it out loud. "It's home."
Shepard let out a snort of laughter. "You've changed, Jethro."
"Not that much," Gibbs replied taking a sip of whiskey. "I haven't quit. I'm just somewhere else."
"So you don't miss this job at all?" Jenny asked with a raised eyebrow.
Gibbs gave that a small chuckle. "I wouldn't say that."
"All right then," Jenny said with a long sigh. "How about this? A consultant position."
"Consultant?" Gibbs said leaning back against the bench. "What exactly would I be consulting on?"
"Whatever we need you to consult on," Jenny smirked. "As long as it doesn't interfere with your little retirement job."
Gibbs mulled that over for a few seconds and shrugged. "I'll think about it."
"You do that, Jethro," Jenny said as she put the mug down and headed for the stairs. "We'll be in touch."
"I'm sure you will," Gibbs replied as he took one last swig of whiskey and put the empty bottle in the trash can. "I'm sure you will."
With that done, Gibbs climbed the stairs one final time and shut off the lights as he left.
[NFB as off island, yo.]
There was one final item that Gibbs was taking care though... his last bottle of whiskey he found among the bottles of varnish he kept on his workbench. He sat back on the bench and looked at the empty room. Once upon a time his boat frame was here. Before Fandom. This was his refuge from the insanity that was his job at NCIS and while he was glad to be away from it... the last few days made him realize that there were aspects that he missed.
Not that he'd ever admit that to anyone. Especially the red head with the pixie haircut who was now walking down the steps to his basement.
"I just came by to tell you that Derrick Paulson has been cleared of all charges," Jenny said quietly. "You saved that boy's life."
Gibbs gave a little shrug and held up the whiskey bottle as an offering. "He did most of the work."
"Don't sell yourself short," Jenny said nodding in agreement to the whiskey. "Or is it too late for that?"
"Is this some sort of pep talk to get me to stay, Jen?" Gibbs asked with a smirk as he pulled out a coffee mug and poured his old boss/lover a shot of whiskey. "I know you don't want me back."
"I don't," Jen admitted. "But there's more to it than that. You have already been in two comas. You might not come out of a third. The fact is your'e good. The best. When you're good at asomething as you are, when you can make a difference like you can, you just don't quit. There's a place for you here, Jethro."
Gibbs mulled that over and shook his head. "I don't want it."
"You're going to throw your abilities away at a part time job as a deputy for some podunk police department?" Jenny said crossing her arms. "Or is it this new wife I keep hearing about?"
"No," Gibbs said sharply. "It's not about that."
"Then what is it, Jethro?"
Gibbs frowned for a moment or two. Mostly because he hated to admit it out loud. "It's home."
Shepard let out a snort of laughter. "You've changed, Jethro."
"Not that much," Gibbs replied taking a sip of whiskey. "I haven't quit. I'm just somewhere else."
"So you don't miss this job at all?" Jenny asked with a raised eyebrow.
Gibbs gave that a small chuckle. "I wouldn't say that."
"All right then," Jenny said with a long sigh. "How about this? A consultant position."
"Consultant?" Gibbs said leaning back against the bench. "What exactly would I be consulting on?"
"Whatever we need you to consult on," Jenny smirked. "As long as it doesn't interfere with your little retirement job."
Gibbs mulled that over for a few seconds and shrugged. "I'll think about it."
"You do that, Jethro," Jenny said as she put the mug down and headed for the stairs. "We'll be in touch."
"I'm sure you will," Gibbs replied as he took one last swig of whiskey and put the empty bottle in the trash can. "I'm sure you will."
With that done, Gibbs climbed the stairs one final time and shut off the lights as he left.
[NFB as off island, yo.]