After a long day of paperwork, I was home working on my boat. The sawdust filled the air making my eyes want to water while I periodically sipped bourbon from my coffee mug. "Bourbon, sawdust, a boat. You certainly haven't changed." Jen snarked as she walked down my basement stairs. "Is this the same boat you were building six years ago?" Jen needled with a smirk as she messed with some of my tools. "Nope." I state while I take the tools from her and set them back on the bench. "What happened to it?" Jen questioned as she made a point to fold her hands in front of her. "I burned her." I state simply as I went back to sanding. "Why would you...You named it after an ex-wife." Jen taunted with a smile. "Which one?" Jen asked when I ignored her. "You know damn well which one." I said annoyed dropping the sander and running my hand over the wood. "Why didn't you change the name?" Jen asked with a shrug as she leaned against the boat next to me crossing her arms. "Because it wouldn't matter. Every time I went out on her, I'd think of Diane." I stated simply casting a sideways look at Jen. "You could have sold it." Jen pointed out. "And watch some other guy sail off on her?" I question. "You didn't care who sailed off on Diane." Jen pointed out with a smile. With a shake of my head I went over to my workbench and poured myself another glass of bourbon, not willing to admit Jen was right to a point. "Leroy Jethro Gibbs. You are a strange man." Jen teased as she walked over and stole my cup of bourbon and took a mouthful. "Me?! Ha! You were a good agent, Jen." I state while taking back my glass and giving her a mild glare.

"Were?" Jen asked pointedly as she placed her hands on her hips to glare right back at me. "Yhea. Director's job is pure politics." I argue before taking a sip of my bourbon and going back to sanding my boat. "I'm good at politics. NCIS needs someone who can shake the money tree on the Hill, and can work with sister agencies." Jen explained before taking another sip of my bourbon. "Wait, you won't call a boat a She...but it's sister agencies?! I exclaim turning towards her. "I'm a schizoid libber. Comes from working with chauvinists like you." Jen growled at me. "I can't believe you would give up field work for rubber chicken dinners." I state with a sigh. "I don't think they serve that dish at Palena." Jen argued. "Never heard of it." I say turning back to my boat. "Why would you? It isn't take-out." Jen teased around the glass of bourbon. "So which of the tight ass's is taking you out to dinner? Please tell me it's not Fornell." I ask trying not to sound jealous. CBS Early Show. They want background before I go on TV." Jen answered offhandedly before drinking the last of the bourbon in my cup. "You never did answer my question." I state out of the blue. When there was no answer after a moment, I turned around to see that I had successfully blindsided her. "What question?" Jen asked as she stared at me tilting her head to the side showing she was confused. "Off the job." I state starring her in the eye. Yet again we were interrupted by my cell going of before Jen could answer. "Gibbs." I state into the phone. After a quick conversation I hung up and started of to the stairs, turning lights of as I went. "Another case?" Jen asked as she followed me up to the main level of my house. "No, it's Kate. She was so anxious to leave the hospital that she re-broke her ribs; which gave her a collapsed lung." I growled at Jen as I took my jacket of the hook next to the front door.

"Agent Todd came in with a fractured wrist, a concussion, and three broken ribs. One of her broken ribs shifted when agent Todd became restless and punctured her lung, which caused it to collapse; which in turn caused her mild concussion to escalate." Kate's doctor explained as he led Jen and I down the corridors to an ICU room. "Is my agent going to be okay?" I asked trying to get the annoying man to get to the point. "Agent Todd has slipped into a coma. I'm sorry but we will just have to wait and see when she wakes up." The doctor announced opening the glass sliding door to Kate's room and letting us in. "How long?" I asked walking over to Kate's bedside. "It could be any ware between a couple of days to a month." The doctor answered with a sigh as he looked through Kate's chart. "I'm sorry Jethro." Jen states as she sits down in the visitors chair. "I was going to propose." I hurriedly said not looking at Jen. "What!?" Jen exclaims shocked while looking between Kate and I. "After we had gotten back from Paris and had a chance to settle back into our lives, I was going to ask you to marry me; had the ring and everything. But you left and all I got was a Dear John letter while you just disappeared." I explained turning to face Jen. "Jethro, now is not the time to talk about this!" Jen hissed standing up and crossing her arms. "Then when is Jen, Because we keep getting interrupted at work." I asked calmly as I took Kate's hand. "You want to talk about it then fine! We were in Paris pretending to be married while we had a job to do, what we had was amazing Jethro; but it wasn't real." Jen argued starring daggers at me. "No Jen, our time in Paris was the most real relationship I've had sense my first marriage. I found myself thinking about us and the life we could've had and I was excited, I was actually looking forward to it. To coming home to you, building a life with you, maybe even a family if you wanted. It didn't matter what we had as long as I got to be with you. And honestly It's still that way for me." I explained placing Kate's hand back on the bed and walking over to Jen and taking her hands in mine. "All this time later, and you still take my breath away Jen; you always will." I stated looking into her beautiful green eyes, before leaning down and placing a soft kiss to her cheek and leaving.