Good Intelligence (18/?, NC-17, NCIS/The Closer, Jenny/Brenda,Gibbs/Sharon)
Title: Good Intelligence
Author: JoelTheCat
Rating: R
Character(s)/Pairing(s): Jenny Shepard/Brenda Leigh Johnson
Genre: f/f, m/f
Warning: squicks over and done with
Spoilers: NCIS through season 5. Whole run of The Closer, which may well have aired by the time I'm done :-)
Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
Author Notes: Timelines totally skewed in the quest for quality femslash and because Gibbs likes redheads.
Summary: The danger from Brenda's past may not have nearly the impact on her life as the old friend who shows up to protect her.
Word Count: 705
Years ago, Jenny had come home and dragged Brenda out of the Washington townhouse they shared.
"Don't ask questions," she said. They had spent the day wandering through the Smithsonian and along the mall, paying cash for everything.
"If you could do anything in the world, Brenda," Jenny had asked, "what would you do?"
"Make love to you."
"Besides that."
"Something where these skills they taught me would do some good, help people. I've been thinking about it a lot, actually. I met this guy...."
"A guy?"
"He's a dog handler with the Washington police. Well, he was. He just got promoted. He says a lot of times they need to know what somebody knows to find a bomb or something, but they don't have our training."
"You told this guy what you do?" Jenny asked.
"What, not for whom."
"Oh, like there's a lot of doubt. You like him?"
"Not like that. I like you. But he... he pretty much offered me a job."
"You're going to be a cop?" Jenny's eyes had been as wide as dishpans.
"I passed the test," Brenda said. "I just have to go to the academy, and he said he could work it so my experience would count for seniority...."
"Experience in a job that you can't tell him about?"
"What else am I going to do, Jenny? I can't go back into the field. I won't do what they want me to do, not any more. They say it saves lives, but it kills souls, the people who do it and when it finally comes out, everyone in this country who stood so staunchly behind what they thought was an honorable effort."
"It'll never come out."
"You havn't seen the worst of it. Young kids fresh out of boot camp set to guard prisoners with no rights at all... things happen."
"You reported it?" Jenny blurted.
"Another interrogator did. He was reassigned, and no one knew where. We never heard from him again. And the subjects he worked with were sent to another facility, and also never heard from again."
"You didn't tell me this before."
"I was staying before," Brenda said.
"Are you going to write a book or anything crazy like that?"
"No one would believe me," said Brenda. "No, all I can do is walk away, and I've done that. I turned in my resignation this morning. I report to the academy next week."
"No wonder," said Jenny.
"No wonder what?"
"Never mind." She put her arms around the smaller woman and held her tightly. "You know I love you, right?"
"Of course. There's no reason we can't keep on just like we are, is there?"
"Brenda, I may not be around for a while."
"Why?"
"I'm not actually supposed to be here with you today. I'm supposed to be at work, and you're supposed to be at the house."
"What about it?"
"There was a gas explosion this morning."
"Where? How do you know?" Jenny watched the awareness dawn in Brenda's eyes, and they held each other for a long time standing on the grass with the Washington Monument looming overhead. Finally Brenda pushed her away.
"Go back," she said. "Go tell them I asked you to meet me here and I said we had to break up."
"Break up?"
"That way they can't blame you," Brenda said. "You can tell them you tried to get me home in time, but we argued."
"Brenda...."
"Then maybe they don't come after you, too. Do it, Jenny. Just do it, please?"
"You really like this guy, don't you?"
"It's not Will, it's you. I love you, Jenny. You're beautiful and brilliant and you don't deserve to die because of me, and that is what will happen if we go on this way. Please, go and tell them. Go and make your report. Please? If you love me, do this."
Jenny had nodded. She stepped away from Brenda, tears streaming down her face, and nodded again.
The week after that Brenda heard that Jenny had shipped out for Paris.
Author: JoelTheCat
Rating: R
Character(s)/Pairing(s): Jenny Shepard/Brenda Leigh Johnson
Genre: f/f, m/f
Warning: squicks over and done with
Spoilers: NCIS through season 5. Whole run of The Closer, which may well have aired by the time I'm done :-)
Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
Author Notes: Timelines totally skewed in the quest for quality femslash and because Gibbs likes redheads.
Summary: The danger from Brenda's past may not have nearly the impact on her life as the old friend who shows up to protect her.
Word Count: 705
Years ago, Jenny had come home and dragged Brenda out of the Washington townhouse they shared.
"Don't ask questions," she said. They had spent the day wandering through the Smithsonian and along the mall, paying cash for everything.
"If you could do anything in the world, Brenda," Jenny had asked, "what would you do?"
"Make love to you."
"Besides that."
"Something where these skills they taught me would do some good, help people. I've been thinking about it a lot, actually. I met this guy...."
"A guy?"
"He's a dog handler with the Washington police. Well, he was. He just got promoted. He says a lot of times they need to know what somebody knows to find a bomb or something, but they don't have our training."
"You told this guy what you do?" Jenny asked.
"What, not for whom."
"Oh, like there's a lot of doubt. You like him?"
"Not like that. I like you. But he... he pretty much offered me a job."
"You're going to be a cop?" Jenny's eyes had been as wide as dishpans.
"I passed the test," Brenda said. "I just have to go to the academy, and he said he could work it so my experience would count for seniority...."
"Experience in a job that you can't tell him about?"
"What else am I going to do, Jenny? I can't go back into the field. I won't do what they want me to do, not any more. They say it saves lives, but it kills souls, the people who do it and when it finally comes out, everyone in this country who stood so staunchly behind what they thought was an honorable effort."
"It'll never come out."
"You havn't seen the worst of it. Young kids fresh out of boot camp set to guard prisoners with no rights at all... things happen."
"You reported it?" Jenny blurted.
"Another interrogator did. He was reassigned, and no one knew where. We never heard from him again. And the subjects he worked with were sent to another facility, and also never heard from again."
"You didn't tell me this before."
"I was staying before," Brenda said.
"Are you going to write a book or anything crazy like that?"
"No one would believe me," said Brenda. "No, all I can do is walk away, and I've done that. I turned in my resignation this morning. I report to the academy next week."
"No wonder," said Jenny.
"No wonder what?"
"Never mind." She put her arms around the smaller woman and held her tightly. "You know I love you, right?"
"Of course. There's no reason we can't keep on just like we are, is there?"
"Brenda, I may not be around for a while."
"Why?"
"I'm not actually supposed to be here with you today. I'm supposed to be at work, and you're supposed to be at the house."
"What about it?"
"There was a gas explosion this morning."
"Where? How do you know?" Jenny watched the awareness dawn in Brenda's eyes, and they held each other for a long time standing on the grass with the Washington Monument looming overhead. Finally Brenda pushed her away.
"Go back," she said. "Go tell them I asked you to meet me here and I said we had to break up."
"Break up?"
"That way they can't blame you," Brenda said. "You can tell them you tried to get me home in time, but we argued."
"Brenda...."
"Then maybe they don't come after you, too. Do it, Jenny. Just do it, please?"
"You really like this guy, don't you?"
"It's not Will, it's you. I love you, Jenny. You're beautiful and brilliant and you don't deserve to die because of me, and that is what will happen if we go on this way. Please, go and tell them. Go and make your report. Please? If you love me, do this."
Jenny had nodded. She stepped away from Brenda, tears streaming down her face, and nodded again.
The week after that Brenda heard that Jenny had shipped out for Paris.