It was around 7 pm when Jenny arrived at the hospital to see Ziva with her hand in Gibbs' sitting next to his bed her mind absent.

"Good morning Ziva. How's our patient today?" Jenny greeted.

"Hello Jenny. He slept through most of the night. He's going to be just fine."

"Of course he is going to be fine. He's Gibbs after all. How long have you been here?"

"Since 8 o'clock last night."

"Go home Ziva. I'll be staying with him today."

"See you soon Jenny" she waived goodbye and left.

Jenny just sat in Ziva's chair and she just was looking at Jethro. He indeed was a different man when he was sleeping. Jenny couldn't resist and she just went and gave him a peck on the lips. It was so soft that one could think that a feather just brushed Gibbs' lips.

"You should do that more often,you know..." Gibbs said opening his eyes.

Jenny immediately stepped back and acquired a bright red color in her cheeks.

"Jethro...I...I didn't realize that you were awake. Otherwise I wouldn't... Oh God! I'm so stupid..."

"Jen...You're not stupid...I missed that actually...You know...Paris."

One word was enough to make Jenny replay her memories with Gibbs in that majestic town.

The two of them were so close then. So bonded. He truly loved her. And she loved him too but she didn't want to leave her career behind her. She had a plan she wanted to follow. But two months after she had wrote that "Dear John" letter she was regretting it every time she breathed. But she never had the guts to come back to him, to tell him how sorry she was and how stupidity had taken over her and her actions. She didn't have it then but now it was time to tell the truth. It was time to tell him what she truly felt for him.

"Jethro I..."

"Jen, I know.You don't have to explain anything."he interrupted with some sadness in his voice.He was sure that Jenny would choose her job again over him and he just wanted to tell her that they could forget that kiss and move on. He wasn't prepared to be heartbroken all over again. He was just managing to pick some of the pieces up for the first time since Shanon and Kelly died.

"No Leroy Jethro Gibbs. You shut up for five minutes and you listen carefully because this is your chance. This is our chance. I love you. I loved you in Paris, I love you now and I will love you till I die. I was a coward and I didn't want to admit it because I thought that my career was more important than a love life and a family but look how that got us. You are divorced three times and I am a single woman in her nearly 45s. I am not gonna let that continue and I am well aware that after all this time and after I left you,you probably don't love me back but I do and I am not gonna apologize for kissing you because I liked it." When she finished she was so red that Gibbs thought she would pass out.

"Jen calm down a bit, will ya?" He said calmly.

"That's all you've got to say? 'Jenny calm down'? " she tried to mimic him.

"Yes, that's all I am going to say. But...There are more that I'm gonna do." He answered and then grabbed her hand and drew her close so that he could kiss her. She, of course, kissed him back passionately. All their feelings were exchanged in that kiss. All the love, betrayal, the waiting they both did until now. They kiss lasted until they both had to take a breath. They broke apart but their eyes were locked.

"Come here" Gibbs said indicating the bed. He made room for her and Jenny lay next to him. He held her tightly and close to him like he was going to lose her again. And Jenny buried her head in his chest and she started sobbing. Before Gibbs could ask she explained.

"I thought I was going to lose you Jethro. They called me four days ago and said you were shot twice and you wouldn't make it. And...And I thought that I lost you." She finished sobbing.

Gibbs was trying to soothe her rubbing her back with his good hand as she liked.

"I'm not going anywhere Jenny. I promise." he said.

They both lay there until they had fallen asleep.

10 days later Gibbs was trying to persuade the doctors to discharge him. He was making their lives really miserable. His knee was still in the splint and it would be for at least 15 days more and his surgery wound was still in danger of getting infected. But Gibbs was determined to get of the hospital. And when Gibbs had something in his mind no one could change it. Not Ducky, not Jenny, not even his father.

After a really big argument with Jack and the doctors, the doctor in charge finally gave in and said he could go home but under the terms of coming back to the hospital once a week for a check up until his knee was out of the splint and that he would obey every order that his doctor would say.

So he packed and Tony went to pick him up from the hospital and take him home.

"Boss, you sure you want to come back home so soon?" Tony asked clearly concerned about his Boss/father.

"Tony you don't have to worry about me. I'll be fine." Gibbs dismissed his concerns.

"Yeah I can see that. We haven't even made twenty steps and you have paled and you clearly need my support. You could have at least use the wheelchair until we reached the car."

"Tony you know I wouldn't have chosen the wheelchair over the crutches even if I was dying. And ,again,I'm fine just a bit tired. You don't have to worry about me son."

Gibbs could be so stubborn sometimes that it was infuriating. But he was playing dirty. The word "son" made Tony's knees almost give up on him. How could he lecture him now? He couldn't.He just stayed close to him in case he needed his assistance but without making it too obvious to his Boss because he knew how he was with his pride.

They eventually made it to the car. Gibbs sat down heavily to the co-driver's seat and was now trying to put his seatbelt on. He was trying but his left arm was trembling and his right was still incapable of moving. So, Tony just bent over him and he put Gibbs' belt on for him.

Tony wasn't sure how his boss would react. He was expecting him to make some snide remark that he was capable of putting his seatbelt on but he wasn't prepared for the sincere "thank you" Gibbs had said to him looking him in the eyes.

They pulled over in Gibbs' driveway in about forty five minutes. Gibbs was fast asleep in the co-driver's seat and Tony didn't really want to disturb him but he needed to take him in the house because he was sure that his boss was not in the condition of getting a shore neck. So, he shook him a little bit but nothing.

Under normal circumstances Gibbs would be wide awake with a little touch in the arm, gun drown in the face of whom touched him but now he needed all the sleep he could get and Tony knew that well.

"Boss, we're here. Wake up..." still, nothing.

"Hey Dad...Wake up" he hoped that this could awaken Gibbs.

"Just a little bit more..." Gibbs groaned and tried to stir in the car seat.

Tony almost burst out laughing... He wouldn't ever imagine that there'll be the day that he would need to wake up Gibbs and Gibbs would refusing like a five year old.

So he tried a way that if it wouldn't work, then he would have to give up pizza for a month.

"Gunnery Sergeant Gibbs report for duty immediately." Tony called his tone cold and demanding.

Gibbs woke up so abruptly that Tony feared he would injure himself.

"Hey... Easy Boss you're gonna hurt yourself."

"For Goodness shake DiNozzo. Did you have to do that?"

"Well besides it was funny, you wouldn't wake up and I think we've got company with us." Tony answered with a twinkle in his eyes.

Gibbs looked out of the window and saw the cars of his coworkers in driveway.

"What are they planning now?" He wondered, as he was unbuckling his seatbelt.

He got off the car and walked with the help of his crutches cautiously to his door, Tony besides him. He opened it and before he could realize it Abby was on him full force hugging him so tight that his shoulder hurt as someone was cutting it off his rest of the body. He saw black in the corners of his eyes and he felt a hand catching him from behind so that he wouldn't fall. Abby stepped back right away embarrassed and feeling stupid as angry at herself and about five more people run forward to help Tony asking him if he was okay. Gibbs with the help of Tony and his dad sat in the couch catching his breath for a moment everybody in a state of chaos around him bringing him water asking if he needed to lie down for a minute but he didn't answer. He heard though Abby saying she should probably be going something that the others hadn't heard.

"Shut up for a moment will ya? Someone get Abby in here again before she leaves." He ordered and McGee looked round noticing that Abby had left and rushed out of the door to find her.

"I'm ok. I just needed a moment to catch my breath." He said to the rest of them even if there were doubtful glances from everybody. He stood up from the couch but his dad pushed him down again.

"Not so soon L.J. You nearly passed out. Where do you think you're going?"

"Dad I'm fine and besides I have to talk to Abby. Just leave me with her alone for a moment ok?"

Gibbs Senior stepped aside and his son stood up took his crutches and went to the door to find his forensic scientist and the closest thing he had to daughter alongside Ziva.

Tim nearly managed to stop Abby from pulling away.

"Hey Abs, where are you going?"

"I'm going home... I don't think Gibbs would like to see me right now..."

"What are you saying? Gibbs sent me out here to stop you from leaving. Come back inside with me." He told her.

"No Tim, I don't think that's the best idea right now... I'll... I'll go back to my place...I... I have to do something I forgot..."

"Abs you know that you're terrible at lies don't you?"

Before she could answer Abby saw Gibbs coming out from his house.

"McGee go and help the others inside to set up the table." He called out as he was approaching Abby's car.

"On it Boss!"Tim obeyed and left.

"Where do you think you're going Abs?" He then asked Abby

"I...I forgot that...eh...the stove open in my house and I need to go and close it... You know how this things are... Nasty things I mean..." she tried to lie to him but she knew she couldn't. No one could lie to Gibbs without him knowing. Tears were threatening to come out.

"Oh Abs..." he just sighed, got close to her and hugged her. She relaxed in his embrace sobbing silently in his left shoulder.

" Gibbs I'm so so so so sorry... I didn't want to hurt you... I didn't I promise... But I'm so...so stupid sometimes... and I can't control my self...I'm so so so so sorry... Please forgive me..." she sobbed.

"Abs of course I forgive you... You didn't do it on purpose. I know that. Let's just get back inside and have some good time as a family. A big dysfunctional family. Shall we?"

"Oh Gibbs you know that you are a big softie inside don't you?" She said chuckling a little bit.

"Only you know that Abs. Don't let anybody figure it out cause my reputation will go out of the window and who will then put those five year olds I have for a team in line?"

She chuckled again and the went inside together.

"You're the best Daddy ever do you know that?" Abby whispered to him.

"I try Abs...I try" he responded.