Chapter 4
It had been a year, a year had passed since they'd been married, a year since Jenny had surprised him that fateful night and almost begged him to marry her there that very instant, a the night Gibbs had realised how her working away really did make him worry beyond belief about her, made him realise how scared Jenny actually was of losing him.
The year had had many ups and downs, a year of change. Stan Burley had been relocated to a ship, something he'd always wanted, which meant it had been just Gibbs and Tony for a while, then they'd stumbled across Kate Todd, a head strong, by the book, sort of girl but after being at NCIS for a couple of months she found she liked bending the rules, and then Tim McGee followed soon after, a young, nervous, geek, but he was kind at heart and had the potential to be a great agent.
Not long after Jenny and Gibbs had been married a new forensic scientist joined NCIS, her name was Abby Sciuto, at first Gibbs had been a little apprehensive with trusting someone so young and flamboyant with important evidence, but she'd won him over with her cheerful smile and hugs. She was the closest thing he could get to having Kelly back, Abby had sort of become his daughter, in fact, sometimes Gibbs felt like he was a father to all the members of his team.
Meanwhile Jenny had hated being away from her husband, especially so soon after they'd gotten married, they hadn't even had time for a proper honeymoon or anything. She'd found that Cairo was a lot hotter than she'd expected, so much so she often found herself thinking of the hot attic in Marseille, the second night to be precise.
She did manage to come home for two days every couple of months, those two days were mostly spent in bed, mostly just holding one another and not speaking, neither of them minded it, they had their solitude for just two days, it was nothing else but them. However the last time he'd seen her had been almost three months ago.
…..
Gibbs walked into the bullpen early one morning, his coffee cup in hand, he'd been up all night, waiting for Jenny to call him from her latest burner cell but it had never came, he knew she was on a high profile job that was on a need to know basis and he didn't. She always tried to call on the third Wednesday of every month, each time from a different burner cell.
In his gut he thought, no he knew something was wrong, but there was no way he could find out, he just hoped that this time it was wrong.
"Morning Boss" Tim McGee greeted from his place behind his desk that was next to Gibbs', Tony had kept his desk and Gibbs had reluctantly given Kate Jenny's old desk, despite how much he didn't want to.
"McGee" He grumbled to the younger man before practically throwing himself in his seat.
He couldn't do it anymore, he had to follow his gut, he turned on his computer and logged on to the NCIS agent database thingy, having remembered Jenny showing him that it was one way he could track her location, of course at the time he'd just been staring at her mouth as she spoke, well that had been until she slapped him on the back of the head and told him to pay attention.
Once on the data base he searched her name 'Jennifer Shepard' and then her NCIS ID picture taken when she'd first joined NCIS, when he'd seen her on her first day popped up and he clicked on it.
It showed her name, previous positions and her current one, he looked at her current position and all was written was classified. His heart dropped, when he'd looked last week it had said Anti-terrorism. What did classified mean? What was going on? His heart was now hammering in his chest and he found he couldn't breathe.
He clicked on the words classified and it told him to type in his security clearance code, he did that but it just said in-valid in big bold, blood red letters. In moments Gibbs found himself hitting the computer screen and all the keys on the keyboard.
"Agent Gibbs!" A voice bellowed from the top of the catwalk, in front of MTAC, the special agent turned and looked up at the catwalk to find Tom Morrow standing there, his arms crossed over his chest and face red with anger, yet eyes red with tears and frustration, "MTAC now" he yelled at Gibbs before spinning on his heels and walking over to scan his eye.
Gibbs got up out of his chair and took the stairs two at a time before following his boss into MTAC.
"Leave us" Morrow told the technicians who were typing away on the computers, they all took one look at Gibbs and ran for it.
"Is this him?" A women spoke on the large screen in front of them, she looked tired and her dark brown hair was pulled back into a messy pony tail showing her widows peek, her eyes a soft brown, full of concern, her Israeli accent was thick.
"Yes, this is Gibbs" Morrow nodded to the women on the screen.
"What's going on?" Gibbs asked, he knew it had to do with Jenny, there was nothing else it could be.
"Are you sure he can be trusted?" The women on the screen spoke to Morrow again.
"Of course" Morrow nodded confidently, "He's one of if not the best agent I have" he added.
"Would somebody tell me what the hell is going on!" Gibbs yelled making both Morrow and the strange women look at him.
"Jethro you might want to sit down" Morrow told him, putting a hand on the younger man's arm.
"No, just tell me" Gibbs yelled, shrugging Morrow off, he prayed in his head, in his heart that Jenny hadn't left him like Shannon had, that she was okay.
"There was an ambush…." Morrow began to tell Gibbs.
"Is she okay?" Gibbs interrupted him.
"Jethro, She was….."
"Just tell me!" Gibbs yelled, his voice full of an agony that both the strange women and Morrow didn't know existed.
"She's stable for now" Morrow told him, Gibbs' heart calmed and stopped beating so fast, but he didn't like the for now.
"When do I leave?" Gibbs asked his boss, his blue eyes full of hope.
"I don't think…." Morrow began but once again the ex-marine cut him off.
"She's my wife, I'm not letting her be alone in foreign hospital" He exclaimed.
"She's not alone officer Da…" Morrow explained pointing to the women on the screen.
"I don't give a damn" Gibbs yelled "My wife needs me"
"You'll be on the next red-eye within the hour" Morrow told him.
"I'll meet him when he lands" The women on the screen spoke up before ending the video call.
Morrow turned to talk to Gibbs again but the younger man was already gone.
…..
The moment Gibbs stepped off of the plane, he was hit by a pulsation of heat, but that didn't stop him marching off, his duffle bag swung over his shoulder, the very duffle bag he kept in his car for emergencies like this.
He looked around, his eyes squinting in the sun light against the tarmac for the women who'd been on the screen but he couldn't see her anywhere, "Special agent Gibbs" he turned upon hearing the female voice.
She was shorter and skinnier than he expected from seeing her on the MTAC screen, "Ziva David" She offered him her hand, he took it apprehensively and shook, "You'll be happy to know she is awake and that the doctors are confident that she will make a full recovery" she told him, she herself relived that her now close friend was okay and that she would finally get to be with her husband again.
"Good" Gibbs nodded as they walked to the women's car under the sweltering gaze of the sun, "Are you okay?" He motioned to the bandage on her wrist and bruise forming on her forehead, then he noticed she had a slight limp.
"Yes, I've been hurt worse" Ziva told him with a small smile before unlocking the car and getting in. Gibbs walked around the other side and wondered how someone like her would end up joining Mossed.
The pair reached the hospital in record time thanks to Ziva's driving technique and Gibbs egging her on, he himself drove similarly to her also he wanted to see his wife as soon as possible.
"She's in there" Ziva motioned to a dusty, small hospital room to the side, "I'll be out here if you need anything" she added before Gibbs walked in.
As he stepped closer to the bed, he noticed her small frame under the covers, She'd lost weight since he last saw her and her hair had grown too, at least the latter was something he liked.
"Jethro" he heard her quiet whisper and saw a weak hand raise itself from the bed.
"Jen" His voice was hoarse and his eyes became dark with emotion, he knelt and grabbed her hand and kissed it, "I'm here" He spoke to her once again.
Jenny's eyes shot open "I thought…" she began her voice still quiet "I thought this was a dream…." She smiled at him "You're here" she added, the volume of her voice raising a bit and her eyes becoming brighter.
"I'm here" he nodded with a smile.
"I thought I was never going to see you again" she almost exclaimed "Is Ziva okay?" she asked after a moment.
"A little bruised, she seemed fine" Gibbs assured her as he brushed a dirty red lock of her hair behind her ear.
"You've met her?" She asked and Gibbs nodded "She saved my life" Jenny added after a moment, grabbing his other hand and entwining their fingers.
"I know" Gibbs told her, he would thank Ziva David for the rest of his life for saving the women he loved, neither of them knew how they could ever re-pay her.
"I love you" the redhead told him as his thumbs stroked her bruised knuckles gently.
"I love you" Gibbs echoed her sentiment before kissing her lightly on the lips, something both had been frightened they'd never experience again.
Half an hour later Gibbs walked out of Jenny's room, she having fallen back asleep, he noticed Ziva leaning against the wall, he went to stand next to her.
"Thank you" he told her, not looking at her but the dusty floor they stood on.
"It was nothing" Ziva shrugged her shoulders, "I should have found her sooner, she wouldn't have lost so much blood, wouldn't have been so close to death"
Gibbs shook his head "She's alright that's what is important, we both owe you"
"If I'd come sooner, perhaps she wouldn't have lost the baby" Ziva shrugged her shoulders, presuming Gibbs knew about it, she presumed Jenny had told him of the miscarriage, of how she'd been almost three months pregnant, only having found out this morning, the same morning she found out she'd lost it.
Ziva sighed "I'm going to get her some water for when she wakes" she mumbled before going down the corridor leaving a shocked and broken Gibbs behind.
TBC….
Hope you guys liked, please review. Any suggestions?
Please note the front cover I made for the story, if you can't tell its supposed to be the letter burning in the first chapter.