Disclaimer: Nope, nada, I still don't own anything.

A/N: As always thank you for the reviews and a very special thanks to DS2010 and hslacer for having reviewed every chapter.

I know it's annoying when people ask but, please review I'd like to hear your thoughts.

Spoilers for Mind Games (S3E3)

For those of you who had received an alert that the story was update but there was no new chapter, sorry something had gone wrong half way through uploading.

Enjoy*

The lovely rainy days of April and May were now behind them, leaving the city of Washington with sweltering hot, sweaty June and July weather. Everyone was uncomfortable and most of them longed for those rainy afternoons where they could curl up with a good book and a warm cup of tea. Everyone wanted the rain to come back, everyone except for Mossad Officer Ziva David, who still found the western world's summer cold.

Over the last two months she had realised that life in a typical western country was far from what she had come to know as everyday life, and their bloody idioms made her want to shoot everyone who looked at her funny when she managed to get it wrong. Tony DiNozzo had first had experience in what happens when someone made fun of her.

If she had known Jenny would request her to join NCIS and work with her in America she would have paid more attention when Tali had started teaching her the English language.

The elevator doors opened on the third floor and she stepped out onto the already bustling squad room. She gave the few agents that passed her a warm smile before continuing to her desk. She dumped her backpack behind her desk before sauntering to the adjacent bullpen where she spent most of her time if they had a particularly slow week.

It was only when she rounded the corner that she actually heard the heated argument between the two agents on the far side of the bullpen. Shooting McGee a wide eyed look she leaned against his desk, whispering to him softly.

"What did he do this time?" She asked in a stage whisper.

"Oh you know, the usual." He whispered back and gave her a boyish smile.

Ziva laughed at his reply and sat back to watch the other two agents argue. She could see Tim shake his head before going back to typing away on his computer. She liked Timothy, he was smart and loyal and in the last couple of months he had gone out of his way to help her when she had struggled with the technological aspects of her job. She saw him roll his eyes as the other two seemed to get increasingly louder.

"Tony it's degrading to a woman!"

"No it's not Kate. You're just jealous of them because they get more male attention than you." Tony bit back as Kate practically yelled at him.

The other agents in the squad room that passed by the bullpen gave them strange looks, each whispering something to another agent. Ziva was starting to loose her patience with the two of them. She was contemplating shooting the two of them where they sat or, locking them in Abby's lab until they killed each other. At times their fighting was amusing but most of the time she had found that it was just plain annoying. It was no wonder Gibbs had resorted to slapping them.

After another heated tongue lashing between the two Ziva felt her restraint snap, "Would you two please get a broom!"

Both Tony and Kate stopped mid-ranting. Tony's mouth was still slightly open from the sarcastic reply he was about to give. They looked at each other, both equally confused, they must have heard wrong. They looked towards the Israel perched on McGee's desk looking at them with raised eyebrows.

Tim stopped with what he was typing. He lifted his head and found both his team mates looking at Ziva questioningly. They must have heard it too. He could have sworn she had said broom.

Ziva whirled around and looked at McGee expectantly, as if waiting for him to back her on what she had said. She was however taken aback when he looked at her confused. "Do you not agree McGee?"

Tim's brow furrowed together as he still tried to decipher what it was Ziva had said, he gave her a blank look.

"Room, Ziva. Get a room." Jenny spoke up from nowhere.

The Israeli rolled her eyes at herself. No wonder they were looking at her like she had gone insane.

Kate was the first to recover from her stunned state of mind, "What? No! I'd kill him within seconds."

Tony turned towards Kate, giving her a rather hurt expression. He was sort of with Kate on that one. He liked his partner, but sometimes he wondered if she had been born uptight or if she just pretended to be so she could fight with him over petty things.

"That would not be so bad." Came Ziva's reply.

There was a soft giggle from the other side of the bullpen.

Jethro Gibbs marched into the squad room, two Styrofoam cups in his hands as he came back from the break room. He surveyed the large room looking for the familiar head of red hair. He slowed just a little when he saw her sat behind her desk shaking slightly.

He slowed to a stop in front of her desk, placing the tall white cup carefully between the various scattered files. He met her amused green gaze and raised an eyebrow. She simply shook her head and mouthed a thank you. He left it at that and made his way to his desk instead.

Ziva was glaring at the three people around her, making them feel increasingly uncomfortable. They had started laughing at her when they realised she had yet again muddled up a saying.

"Ziva..." Jethro grumbled as he sat behind his desk, "stop terrorising my team."

Ziva gave each one of them one last glare before heading back to her side of the divider.

The phone on Jethro's desk started ringing. Tony looked at it balefully where it sat on his boss' desk. They had just re-cooperated from the triple homicide he had wished for a few months ago, and he was in no state, physically or mentally, to start a new case this soon. He sort of hoped the rather friendly relationship Gibbs had started with Jenny would now be to their advantage and they'd be handing it over to them.

It was something that had caught all of them off guard. They had expected Gibbs to constantly growl at her and that they'd eventually kill each other. It pretty soon turned out that they had the strangest love hate relationship they had ever seen. Gibbs occasionally brought Jenny coffee and sometimes she even dropped off a white cup on his desk. It was much to Tony's amusement how the two of them danced around each other, especially when they fought, he and everyone else could see that there was more to it than just hurting the others ego.

He doubted there was anything serious between them. He would have been the first to know since Gibbs would have asked him or Abby to babysit, at least he hoped he'd know. Maybe they were just friends, but he knew better than anyone that men and women very rarely stayed friends. His musing was cut short when Gibbs slammed his phone back down.

"Grab your gear. Dead Petty Officer at Rock Creek Park. You three take the truck, I'll meet you there."

Tony made a small noise of disappointment. He grabbed his backpack and slowly started heading towards the elevator, the rest of his team mates trailing behind him.

Jethro grabbed his NCIS jacket from the bookcase and slid his Sig in its holster and clipped his beeper onto his belt as well. Grabbing his coffee cup he headed towards the elevator, draining the tall cup in one gulp. He slammed the button and waited for the elevator to arrive.

Turning, he surveyed the busy squad room. He met those dark green pools, he shared a long look with Jenny, neither wanting to look away first. The ding of the elevator broke their trance and he stepped into the silver metal box, still holding her gaze as best he could. As the doors slid shut he could see her give him the barest hint of a smile.

The early June air was refreshingly warmer than the last few days, indicating that summer had finally arrived. Tony stretched as he climbed out of the truck, being more loud than necessary. He mocked Kate as she rolled her eyes at him. Making his way around to the back he opened the double doors to let the probie out.

Tony stumbled backwards as he was suddenly assaulted with his own backpack. He glared at McGee who climbed out of the truck and handed Kate her backpack like a civilised person, "What's your problem McGrumpy?"

"You know Tony, there was more than enough room for me in the front to sit with you two." McGee snapped at Tony, glaring at him as he slung his backpack over his shoulder.

"Kate didn't want to sit next to you." Tony blabbed to his team mate before quickly heading to the dark blue Dodge that had just pulled up.

McGee spun around and looked at Kate, the briefest glint of hurt in his eyes. He watched Kate's features soften as she moved closer to him, she rested a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"It's not true Tim. You know how he is." Tim only nodded before shrugging her off and making his way towards Gibbs.

Jethro watched as various police officers tried to keep the sudden flood of people at bay. It always puzzled him how quickly a crime scene could attract people.

Trudging down the path towards the yellow tape, he could see various detectives through the thick brush as they stood around, what he assumed was the body. It wasn't strange to see a few detectives at crime scenes, but when he caught a glimpse of a familiar face he could feel his gut tighten painfully.

Jethro ducked under the tape and made his way up the narrow path to where he could see the detectives gathered around the crime scene. He pushed past a few officers heading back to the clearing from which he came, narrowly missing one that started throwing up from the smell that could be detected from a few feet away. He pushed few stray branches out of his way as he continued up the path.

There were soft murmurs amongst the detectives, each trying to avoid saying what they all were thinking. Jethro adjusted the cap on his head as he pushed past a few remaining officers. He stopped a couple of feet away from where the body was. He'd seen a lot of things over the last few years but nothing could ever prepare him for the sick and twisted ways people murdered others.

A middle aged man broke off from the small group of detectives and made his way towards Jethro. He ran a hand through his thinning hair, as he came to a stop next to Jethro. He was a little taller than the NCIS agent and turned to look down at him.

"What have ya got Mitch?" Jethro asked still staring at the body that was before him.

Mitch fished in his pocket for a cigarette before answering, "It's horrible Jethro. In all my years I haven't seen anything like this." He said with a cigarette hanging from his lips loosely.

Jethro had met Mitch on a different case two years ago, he had just been granted full Special Agent status and Mike Franks had dragged him to crime scene instead of a bar that night. Although he and Mitch got along just fine, he loathed seeing him at a crime scene, because it usually meant they were dealing with a serial killer.

"She the first victim?" Jethro asked quietly. He had noticed several broadcasting vans in the parking lot when he had pulled up. The last thing they wanted was the rest of the city to run around in panic.

Mitch's grey eyes darted around, trying to see if there was anyone who'd over hear them. He took a long drag from his cigarette, blowing the smoke in the air, he spoke in a hushed whisper, "Yes, but something tells me she's the first body we'll find from all the missing women."

Jethro nodded tensely, his gut was bothering him, telling him that Mitch might be right in his theory. More than ten women had gone missing from December till now. Although there were more people going missing in the whole state, ten women going missing in D.C. alone was concern enough. Jethro scratched the back of his neck, praying that they weren't dealing with some sick bastard, but one glance at the poor young girl told him he'd be working non-stop until he found him.

Mitch slapped him on the shoulder as a friendly gesture, "Good luck Jethro. Call when you need some extra man power."

Jethro nodded, he could hear his team trudging down the path bickering with Ducky and Palmer not far behind them. Side stepping the remaining officers, helping to keep the crowd at bay, he took a closer look at the young girl strung up by her arms. He doubted she had been dead long.

Tony came to a sudden stop as did his fellow team members. They had grown used to all sorts of scenes and images, but some were still a little harder to process than others. Tony shot a quick glance over to Tim, making sure the young agent was still okay, he knew first hand what such an experience did to someone. Meeting Kate's eyes he gave her one look before making his way towards Gibbs.

Kate touched McGee's arm gently, "You can take statements if you want, Tony and I'll cover for you."

McGee just looked at her for a moment, he appreciated her concern but he knew he'd have to face these types of scenes sooner or later. He shook his head and continued cautiously.

Kate took in the crime scene. The young girl couldn't be a few years younger than her, with the same type of hair colour and the same built. The young woman had the shape of a heart carved into her back and was practically undressed. Her wrists were tied together and were held above her head by a rope that was tied around a branch, leaving her to kneel on the floor.

Ducky made his way around the three agents busy processing the scene, coming to stand next to the team leader himself. He gave the agent a quick squeeze on the shoulder before setting out to do his own task. He suspected that he was the only one who knew what Jethro went through when they had a case involving the murder of a woman. Mike Franks had asked him to join him at Camp Pendleton when they had been tasked with finding Shannon Gibbs' killer.

"TOD Duck?" Jethro growled impatiently behind him.

"I'd say anything from forty-eight hours ago."

Jethro turned and started snapping at his team again. Ducky indicated that Jimmy could loosen the rope and start lowering it down so they could place the young woman in a body bag. Taking a closer look, he noticed the slightly darker colour around the girls mouth.

Pulling a pair of tweezers from his medical bag he pried the girls mouth open.

"Uh… Jethro, I suggest you take a look at this." Ducky met the agent's eyes as he towered over him, "The heart on her back isn't his only calling card." He opened her mouth again.

"Taking her tongue is too."

Abby stood behind her computer swaying to the almost indiscernible beat of the song that was blasting through the speakers in her lab. She took another large gulp from the large cup that accompanied her everywhere, she savoured the red caffeine liquid. Pursing her lips slightly she continued running the tests on the samples Ducky had sent her.

Satisfied that her babies were running smoothly and purring as they worked on analysing the samples she had given them, she made her way to the back of her lab. She threw her hands up in the air as the song ended. She was disappointed however when her friend didn't even offer her a smile or a second glance. Her shoulders fell slightly as she went to stand next to him.

She rested her hand on his shoulder and turned him in her chair, "If Gibbs finds you sulking down here, he'll fire us both."

McGee didn't even look the tiniest bit worried and simply turned back to doing his work on her computer. Abby frowned, it couldn't be the case he would have told her if what they saw bothered him. She squatted next to him, balancing herself precariously on her platform boots. She touched her friends arm and looked at him.

"Timmy what's wrong?" Her voice was full of concern as she regarded her friend.

"It's nothing Abby." Tim shrugged her off, but the young Goth wouldn't have any of it.

"No Timmy, something is bothering you and I want to know what it is." Tim smiled to himself and tried to hide it from her. He supposed if there was anyone who was going to be honest with him it would be Abby.

"Do you think the others like me?" Abby's green eyes widened in disbelief as McGee asked her. She clenched her jaw and shot straight back up to her full height. Her green eyes flashed with sudden anger before clouding with concern.

"Yes Timmy, everyone likes you. Stop doubting yourself and ignore Tony, he's just a big goof-ball."

Abby took a hold of Tim's arm and yanked him out of the chair. She she pushed the papers and files into his arms and marched him towards the entrance of her lab. She was about to press the elevator button when she realised the elevator was already heading down to her floor. Thinking on her feet she pushed McGee into the stairwell, "Leave before Gibbs really fires us." She whispered before heading back to the elevator.

Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves she plastered a calm smile on her face and waited for the silver doors to slide open.

The doors had hardly opened before Jethro stormed through them and almost crashed into the forensic scientist, "Where's McGee?" he growled pushing past her.

Abby huffed and stormed after him, her hands on her hips. She didn't like it one bit when Gibbs' was in one of his moods. "He's not here Gibbs." She shouted from behind her desk as he looked around her back office. Both her eyebrows were raised when he came back, a firm glare was gracing his features. She just pursed her lips at him, not the least bit phased by his thunderous mood.

"Results Abs, do you have them?" He growled at her, still scanning the lab for his probationary agent.

"Gibbs! These things take time okay, if you want it to be accurate you'll have to wait like the rest of us."

"We don't have time Abs." Abby looked at him quizzically. She knew better than any one that Gibbs was hardly ever wrong.

"Is your gut telling you something Gibbs?" She asked softly, trying to meet the older man's eyes.

Jethro just looked at her. Abby rushed towards him and gave him a tight hug.

Jethro patted her back softly before marching out of the lab. He slammed the button for the elevator and waited for it. Abby had been right, his gut was bothering him. He felt uneasy about the case, his gut screamed serial killer but his mind stubbornly told him that it might just have been a cover to divert the attention to something different. Maybe seeing Mitch at the crime scene just made him paranoid.

The elevator dinged bringing him back.

The automatic doors to autopsy swished open, blowing a gentle gust of wind into anyone's face who stepped into the cold room. Jethro rolled his shoulders as he stepped through the doors and strolled towards one of the metal tables. He glared at the young assistant, effectively scaring the young man enough to cause him to flee to Abby's lab.

"I'm afraid mister Palmer will soon resign if you keep scaring him away Jethro." Ducky said humorously, as he looked up from the cadaver he was busy with.

"Not my problem Duck. You find anythin' yet?" Jethro asked as he looked at the face of the young woman they had found.

Ducky pulled the latex gloves from his hands and tossed them in the bin, he folded his arms across his chest and looked at the other man, regarding him for a moment. "She was sexually assaulted first, there were several bruises on her thighs supporting that theory. I sent several samples up to Abby, hopefully she'll be able to get some information."

"What's the cause of death?"

"Asphyxia, he must have strangled her right after he had assaulted her. As for her tongue that must have occurred right after she was strangled, that's why there was so much blood on her trousers."

Jethro grit his teeth as he listened to Ducky relay what he had found, "And the heart?"

"That was definitely post-mortem since there was a lack of bleeding."

Jethro nodded and started heading for the sliding doors again, the soles of his shoes squeaking as he walked. He was about to step through the doors when Ducky spoke again.

"Jethro, I know this is rather premature but we might be dealing with one sick individual and I'm afraid we'll be seeing more of his victims." Ducky met his colleagues blue eyes and could see that he wasn't alone in his point of view.

Jethro stormed into the bullpen, his foot steps almost echoing in the squad room. He shrugged off his jacket and threw it on the bookcase behind his desk. Taking a seat, he pulled his personal notes towards him and went through the various bits of information. Looking around for a pen, he spotted the large white cup sat on his desk, the steam escaping through the slit in the white lid. He didn't have to guess who had left it there, and he was grateful she had taken the initiative to buy him a cup.

Jethro looked up from his papers and found his team in front of his desk. He indicated that they better start talking.

"Petty Officer Desiree Ann Rivera was thirty-four years old. She grew up here in D.C. with both her parents, unfortunately they both passed away five years ago in a car accident." Tony turned his attention towards McGee who was looking rather nervous.

"Uh… there was no suspicious activity on her bank records. She didn't really make phone calls, and when she did make them it was to a psychiatrist."

"Petty Officer Rivera did inherit a large sum of money when her parents passed away. She had put all of it into a trust fund, but other than that there's nothing else." Kate elaborated.

Jethro ran a hand over his face, trying to piece together the bits of information his team had just given him. Nothing made sense, "So what you're telling me is that a you have nothing." Jethro snapped at his team, he rose from his seat and glared at each of them, "How does a woman with no friends and no relatives end up tortured to death in Rock Creek Park?!"

"When she's a victim of a serial killer."

McGee, Kate and Tony looked at Jethro with wide eyes. Neither of them had said anything, the voice had come from behind their boss. They each backtracked to their desk, none of them willing to get between the two people who were about to start arguing.

Jethro spun around, his blue eyes flashing with anger and irritation. He met her green pools and glared down at her over the divider, "Do you have evidence that indicates towards that?" He growled at her as she looked at him with raised eyebrows.

Jenny rolled her eyes at him, "No, but it's obvious Jethro, and don't tell me you're not thinking the same thing."

"You sticking your nose in my case?" He quickly changed the subject. It nettled him that she wasn't afraid to stick her nose in his business, what got to him even more was the fact that she was usually spot on. She was the kind of person he wouldn't have minded to have on his team.

"I was just offering my point of view." She bit back at him, now irritated as well that he was being a pain about her efforts to help him.

"Don't, my team knows what they're doing." She rolled her eyes at him.

Jethro scowled at her bent head as she sat behind her desk. He snapped around and glared at the cup of coffee she had left on his desk, he took a long drink of the scalding hot coffee. His team looked at him expectantly.

"DiNozzo you and McGee go talk to the therapist. Kate talk to Petty Officer Rivera's CO, she had to be close with someone on base."

The three agents were off as he took a seat behind his desk again. He pulled the trusted cup of coffee towards him and drank slowly this time, savouring the bitter taste.

Jenny walked past Jethro's cubicle, she watched him drink from the Styrofoam cup she had left for him earlier. She looked over her shoulder and met those cobalt blue eyes, a smirk curled her lips as she looked at him. "You're welcome." She could feel him glare at the back of her head as she stepped in the back elevator.

There were several children running around the large playground, all of them scattered in small groups as they played together. She could easily spot the little girl she had come for. Her wild curls were as unruly as usual and was easy to spot amongst the sea of little children. She watched for a while as she explained something to one of her friends.

Joann smiled as Kelly spotted her across the playground. She watched her jump up excitedly, gathering her toys before heading towards her grandmother. One of the boys she was playing with following her.

Joann waited patiently as Kelly ran around looking for her shoes, not quite fighting the smile that was caused by the little boy trying his best to help her granddaughter put on her shoes. She could see out the corner of her eye that Kelly's teacher was slowly approaching her.

"Miss Fielding?" Joann turned her attention towards the young woman standing next to her.

"Yes?" She asked politely, still keeping Kelly in her line of sight.

"I don't mean to pry or anything..." Evelyn Grisham trailed off, unsure of how to phrase her question and not entirely comfortable with having to ask the question, but she had to know. It wasn't a secret that some of their young pupils were from families who had gone through a divorce, but there was coincidently only one who had only one parent.

"How old was Kelly when her mother had passed away?" Evelyn immediately regretted asking the question when she saw the still somewhat raw pain in the older woman's eyes, "I'm sorry I didn't mean-"

"It's okay," Joann smiled at her a little shakily, "She was barely a month old when it happened, her father had returned from deployment a few days later." It was all she was willing to say, and all she could say since Kelly came skipping to a halt right in front of her, the little girl's friend not far behind her.

"Hey Nana!" Kelly smiled up at her grandmother, her blue eyes large and vibrant. The little girl twisted around and pulled the little boy towards her, making him stand next to her, "Nana this is Kyle."

The little boy looked up at her, his large chocolate eyes meeting hers. He waved at her shyly and moved a little closer to Kelly. Joann briefly wondered if Jethro had ever met young Kyle. The little boy hugged Kelly tightly before scampering back to the group they had come from.

It was the first time she had met young Kyle, Maddie or Rose usually accompanied Kelly when she arrived to get her. Today was a little different since there was someone waiting for the two of them.

"You ready?" Joann waited for Kelly to nod affirmatively before offering her her hand. She looked at Kelly's teacher and smiled softly, "Have a nice day."

Kelly waved at her teacher and walked next to her grandmother holding on to her hand tightly. She swung her other arm as they walked, mumbling to herself, "Nana, why you early?"

Joann stalled for a moment looking down at her granddaughter. She had hardly noticed that Kelly had slowly but surely started saying her 'r' properly. She couldn't help but feel proud of the young girl's accomplishment. She swung Kelly up into her arms as they crossed the street.

"There's someone I'd like you to meet honey." Kelly looked at her with excitement, she bounced up and down in her arms slightly unable to contain the excitement.

Joann put Kelly back on the ground as they continued their way towards the large SUV. Kelly was skipping again, a little more silent than usual. Casting a quick glance down at her she could see her brow furrowed in concentration. She smiled and opened the back door.

Kelly was strapped in her car seat as Joann slid into the driver's seat. She looked in the rear view mirror to make sure the little girl was still okay, "Kelly you okay?"

"Yes." Came the quick reply before silence settled once again. It was quiet for a while as they meandered though the streets, trying to navigate lunch time traffic.

"Nana, is he a ast… astra…," Kelly huffed a little, clearly growing impatient with herself, "a astronut?"

It was Joann's turn to look confused, she pulled her face a little trying to decipher what Kelly had meant. She turned on to the next street and slowed to a stop at the traffic light. She twisted a little to look at the toddler.

"A what?"

"A astronut." Kelly stated again clearly confused as to why her grandmother wasn't understanding what she was saying.

"Honey, do you mean an astronaut?"

Kelly was silent for a while. The traffic light changed green and they were off once again, the small fancy restaurant Joann had suggested for the meeting only a few blocks away.

"No Nana," Kelly said as if she knew exactly what she was talking about, "a astronut."

Joann laughed softly and shook her head. There was no point in arguing with the little girl, she was as stubborn as her father when it came to reasoning with her. Looking at Kelly in the rear view mirror, she saw her sat with folded arms, her lips slightly pursed and a know-it-all look in her eyes. It was no wonder Agent DiNozzo often referred to Kelly as little Gibbs, because she looked exactly like him right at that moment.

There was an old beat up pick-up parked in front of the quaint little restaurant, indication that their guest was already there waiting for them. Joann quickly helped Kelly out of the SUV and ushered her towards the entrance of the building.

A young waiter rushed towards them, a fake smile plastered on his young face, "My I help you?" He asked a little rudely when he took one glance down at the little girl. He quickly schooled his features when he was met with a glare from the older woman.

"Fielding." Was her short reply as the young waiter quickly changed his attitude and rushed them towards their table.

He was much older than the last time she had seen him. His face was more lined than it had been a few years ago and he appeared older than he really was. His hair had turned into snow but his eyes were still as blue and teasing as always. He stood slowly as they reached the table and he was quick to pull out her chair for her to sit.

Joann pushed her chair in a little further, careful not to crush the little girl against the table who was sat contentedly in her lap.

He looked at the little girl discreetly, mindful not to make her more nervous than she already appeared to be. He cleared his throat a little, trying to force the lump to go away. He took a deep breath before offering his two companions a warm and friendly smile.

"Thank you for inviting me Joann." The woman in question reached out and touched his hand tenderly, squeezing it reassuringly.

"Jackson, it's nothing really. She's as much your family as she is mine." Jackson gave her a brave smile before turning his attention back to the little girl, who was trying to bury herself deeper into her grandmother's embrace.

"Kelly why don't you say hello to Jackson." Joann coaxed Kelly into being a little more open towards the man in front of them. Kelly looked up at her a little distressed with the fact that she had to talk to a complete stranger.

"Hi," Kelly mumbled a little softly as she looked at the stranger.

It was brief and if she hadn't been looking she would have missed it, but there was a painful flash of sadness at the fact that his own granddaughter didn't even know who he was. Pain that cut even deeper when the friendly meeting between the three of them was to be kept a secret in fear that the little girl's father might deny him the right to see his granddaughter.

"Jackson, but you can call me Jack." Jackson offered his hand to the little girl.

Joann nudged Kelly gently, showing that she should shake his hand.

Kelly sat up a little straighter and leaned across the table shaking the older man's hand. There was a flicker of recognition as she looked at him a little closer, as if she had seen him before. Feeling a little more comfortable and braver she said the first thing she thought of.

"You look like my daddy."

Jackson smiled a little at her comment, "Your daddy must be one good looking guy."

Kelly nodded, not entirely sure what he had meant by his statement. Kelly busied herself with a few of the little ornaments on the table, tuning out what the adults were talking about.

"She's smaller than I thought she'd be." Jackson said a little disbelievingly. He knew he wasn't making much sense but he'd expected her to be a lot bigger. Kelly was a little small for her age not by much but if she stood between her friends it was easy to see that she was at least two inches shorter than the rest, if not a little more.

Joann smiled at him and ruffled the little girl's hair, "She'll sprout when she's older."

Jackson laughed softly, drawing the little girl's attention from the salt and pepper shakers she was currently playing with. She leaned on her elbows and looked the older man straight in the eye.

"Are you a astronut?" She asked, her voice low, as if it was a state secret.

Jackson looked confused for a moment before he put one and one together, he gave a real hearty laugh this time and leaned closer to the little girl, his voice dropping as well, "'Fraid not young lady, was a pilot though."

Kelly looked disappointed for a brief second before perking up again, "What is a pilot?"

Jackson leaned in even closer and whispered, "Someone who can fly an aeroplane."

Kelly looked at Jackson in awe, as if what he had just told her was physically impossible.

Joann met Jackson's gaze and smiled at him reassuringly. It was the first step in them having some form of a relationship.

Lunch had gone by too quickly and before either of them knew it, they were already heading towards the door. Jackson opened the door for Joann and Kelly and closed it behind him as he stepped into the hot summer heat. He walked with Joann towards the large SUV.

He knelt in front of Kelly, once again offering her his hand. They had become good friends over the last few hours. She had reminded him of Jethro when he had been a boy her age. He took her small hand in his much larger one and shook it.

"Until next time Kelly." He said sadly, not wanting to say goodbye just yet.

Kelly looked at him with wide blue eyes and watched as a tear rolled down the older man's cheek. On a moment of impulse, she stepped forward and wiped the lone tear away, "No cry, okay?"

The act was sweet and innocent and something Jackson was going to cherish for a long time to come.

Joann quickly buckled Kelly in her seat and closed the door.

"I didn't want to ask in front of her, but, how is Leroy?" There was genuine concern in his voice and a sense of pain Joann knew all too well.

"He's a great father and he cares about Kelly very deeply," she paused for a moment and made sure Kelly was still okay, "He's alone and in pain."

Joann didn't have to elaborate any further, they both knew exactly what she was talking about. It was something all three of them had in common, they had all lost someone they loved dearly. All they could do was offer support.

"Thank you," Jackson gave Joann a tight hug and stepped back, "for looking after them."

Joann nodded and watched Jackson get in his truck and drive off. She looked at Kelly and saw her fast asleep in her car seat. She knew there would be hell to pay if Jethro ever found out she had let Kelly meet Jackson. She was prepared for him though, he was only hurting himself by not talking to his father.

Jenny lolled back in her chair, sighing softly as she looked around the squad room. She folded her arms across her chest and simply stared at the people who passed by her section. It was surprisingly quiet since Jethro had sent his team out and he was nowhere to be seen. She smiled to herself as she thought back to his rather irritated expression when she had stated the obvious.

No-one ever dared breath the word serial killer around here, it meant that there was someone out there who could strike at any moment, and that was the last thing the Navy wanted to worry about. However her earlier visit to Ducky had confirmed her suspicions, it was a pure friendly visit – since Ducky had given one or two lectures at FLET-C she had attended – but she could hardly ignore the body lying on the silver steel slab.

The young boy who worked in the mail room pushed his trolley through the bullpen, stopping in front of her desk. He sorted through the brown envelopes and handed her a small envelope. She thanked him and smiled kindly as he continued, pushing his trolley through the rest of the squad room.

Turning the brown envelope over she recognised the neat script, almost identical to her own. She didn't even have to take a whiff of the brown paper to know it smelled like her. Didn't the woman know how to take a hint? She examined the stamp closely and noted that this one came from somewhere in Europe. She rolled her eyes and ripped the envelope into smaller pieces, tossing it in the trash just as Ziva sauntered around the corner.

"Hey, I thought you were going to the gym?" Jenny asked as she pulled a few documents towards her. She watched as Ziva rolled her eyes and came to stand in front of her desk.

"It was no use. All the men were whips." Ziva said almost sounding bored.

Jenny blinked a few times, two years working with Ziva and still the woman found new ways to surprise her with how she could ruin the English language.

"A wimp, Ziva. Whips are leather strip you beat someone with, something special agent DiNozzo fantasizes about." The last part was probably unnecessary, but if the Italian agent had been around he probably would have made some wise ass remark about it.

Ziva looked at Jenny slightly bewildered. Jenny couldn't help but laugh at her partner before shooing her away.

Ziva turned the volume up on the television, deciding to watch some news to pass the time until they could leave, anything to keep her occupied before she went insane from boredom. She flopped in her chair and watched as the female anchor went on about something unimportant.

"A close source to the Navy Yard has just informed me that the body found this morning in Rock Creek Park was in fact a victim of a serial killer. Now we haven't received any confirmation on this just yet, but we can all hope the people over at the Navy Yard are doing something about it."

Ziva met Jenny's equally shocked gaze.

"You see what you've done." Jethro growled from behind her, his eyes dark with anger.

Jenny shot from her chair and walked after him, coming to stand next to his desk. She glared at him as he ignored her presence. "Now this is my fault. You say that like I was the one who told them we had a sick bastard on our hands."

"If you didn't have such a big mouth, we'd still have some form advantage." Jethro growled down at her. His face millimetres from hers. He could feel her bristle as he accused her.

"You have-" Jenny was cut of by the thunderous shout coming from the catwalk.

"Agent Gibbs! My office now!"

Jethro glared at Jenny as he pushed her out of his way a little roughly, causing her to stumble slightly.

"You too Agent Shepard!" Vance shot over his shoulder and walked back to his office.

Ziva gave Jenny a wide eyed look as she watched them ascend the steps before disappearing behind the metal door.

Leon stood close to the large windows overlooking the Navy Yard when the two agents burst through his door. His assistant not even bothering to apologise for having them burst through the doors. He turned around slowly, not giving either of them a second glance. If there was anyone who was supposed to be angry, it was him, because he was the one who had to explain this situation to SecNav.

He slammed his hand on his desk forcefully, causing the two agents to snap out of their little glaring game and turn their attention towards him.

"Gibbs do you have any idea what this little news report has resulted in?" He asked the older agent, looking at him expectantly.

Jethro gaped at him a little disbelievingly before his anger took over his facial expression, "You think I told them?" He practically shouted at the man across from him. He looked at Jenny, his eyes dark with anger as he scowled at her.

"SecNav's breathing down my neck, demanding an explanation as to how the Press knows about this."

Jethro ran a hand through his cropped hair, fisting his hand in his hair painfully, "I don't know Leon. We don't even know who this bastard is yet." he snapped at the Director.

"Precisely, there for SecNav and I have decided that it would be better if you and Special Agent Shepard work on this case together. She and Officer David can assist you, and you can concentrate on finding out who's behind all of this."

Jenny stared at Vance before risking a glance at Jethro. She didn't think it was such a good idea to have the two of them work the same case. It was the same reason they couldn't always see eye to eye on how certain things got done. They were just too driven to give the other a chance.

"No." A sudden silence descended over the three of them. Leon looked at Jethro with raised eyebrows, clearly taken aback by his brash reply. He clenched his jaw and slammed his hand on the desk again.

"Damn it Gibbs, now is not the time for you to a pain in the ass."

"They're rookies Leon. They don't know the first thing about solving a high-profile case like this." Jethro bit back.

"Excuse me." Jenny had turned back towards Jethro, her green eyes aflame with anger, "Rookies? I've had more successful undercover Ops than the amount of murders you've solved."

"There's a difference Shepard! These victims have families!" Jethro whirled on Jenny, his glaring turning murderous.

"And arms dealers don't?"

"Apples and oranges Jenny!" Jenny bit her tongue at his words.

Leon rubbed his face tiredly before looking through his pockets for a toothpick he could chew on, finding one in his trouser pocket he popped it in his mouth. "That's enough Agent Shepard."

Both agents closed their mouths and decided to continue their argument in private. Leon picked up his phone from its cradle and looked between the two of them, "I suggest you two get down stairs and solve this case while I do damage control."

Jethro grabbed Jenny by the arms and walked her through the two doors and headed straight to the elevator that would take them down. He slammed the white button violently and waited for the doors to slide open.

Jenny felt Jethro's chest being pressed firmly against her back as he pushed her inside the square silver box. She tried stopping him from forcing her inside the enclosed space, but he was too strong and her heels didn't offer much resistance. She stumbled slightly and he caught her around the waist to balance her once again.

Her hand was resting right over his heart and she could feel it hammer against her palm. She didn't know whether it was from the anger that was so clearly visible in his blue eyes or if it was because of their close proximity. She sure as hell knew her heart was galloping from being pressed this close to him. Snapping herself out of it, she pushed against him and took a step back.

The elevator shuddered to a stop as he slammed the emergency stop button.

Jethro took another step closer to her and effectively backed her into one of the corners. He watched her lick those red lips. He entertained the idea of how it must feel to kiss her, whether it was to shut her up or just to show her that he really did like her. He leaned down a little more and could feel her hot breath against his face.

"My rules." He expected his words to come out as some form of threat, but instead his voice was husky. Jenny's eyes seemed to glimmer in the pale, almost blue, lighting of the elevator as he spoke. Her eyes seemed larger and darker than usual as he pinned her against the railing, not close enough for something more, but not far enough for two co-workers.

"Fair enough," Jenny smirked at him, "but the first slap you give me, I will keelhaul you."

Jethro's anger had dissipated a little when he saw the teasing smile than had replaced the arrogant smirk.

Jenny placed her hands on both sides of Jethro's chest, she could feel his ribs rise and fall as he breathed. She was more than sure he could feel her cold fingers through his polo and under-shirt. She gently dug her fingers into his ribs and pushed him away from her. She reached across the elevator and flipped the small silver switch setting the elevator back into motion.

The doors slid open. She stepped between the two doors and looked back over her shoulder, her long red hair slightly covering her face. "You coming?" She asked as she looked at him.

Jethro took a deep breath, trying to gather his wits before nodding curtly and following her out the elevator towards the bullpen not missing how her hips seemed to swing just a little bit more. Two members of his team were already assembled and trading theories. Jenny motioned for Ziva to join them.

Tony looked at Gibbs critically, he'd seen them enter the elevator and it had been quite some time before they had reappeared on the squad room floor. He noted the older man's slightly flushed cheeks and rather befuddled look. Ignoring it so he could fester over that later, he nudged McGee gently, he had only just noticed the two women from next door joining them in the bullpen.

"You guys lost?" He asked sarcastically, hoping Gibbs was going to back him for once in his life. He gave a nervous chuckle when Ziva glared at him and Jenny just grinned at him. He swallowed a little heavily when McGee looked at him with large terrified eyes. It's only then that he noticed Gibbs standing next to him.

"Hey Boss, I was just joking you know to lighten the mood. I didn't mean they couldn't be here, but we are working a case, unless you want them to help-" Tony grit his teeth when a large palm collided with the back of his head. He glared at the two snickering women.

"McGee, what have ya got?"

Tim licked his lips nervously, "Uhm… the psychiatrist's name is Bradley Pike, he didn't really have much to say about Petty Officer Rivera-"

"Yeah, he was hiding behind the whole privilege thing," Tony piped up once he drew his eyes away from Ziva and paid attention to what McGee was saying, "He did seem pretty eager to get us out of there though, like he was hiding something."

"Could it be that our victim confided something in him that might have caused her death?" Jenny asked from where she was leaning against Gibbs desk, looking at the two agents with raised eyebrows.

Jethro turned around and glared at her mildly. What part about what he had said in the elevator hadn't she understand? She simply raised her hands in surrender and gave him the barest hint of a smirk as he scowled at her.

"Bring him in." Jethro growled at the two men before making his way to his desk.

Tony grabbed his backpack and stopped in front of Gibbs' desk, "Boss, there a reason they're here?" Tony shot Jenny a sideways glance before looking back at Gibbs.

"Well yeah DiNozzo, since the Director thinks it'll help in catchin' the bastard who did this." Tony only nodded before heading to the elevator with McGee in-tow.

Kate rushed into the bullpen, pushing past her two co-workers and glaring at Tony as he passed her. She still wasn't over his little comment from that morning, which she had found insulting to all women. She smiled at the two women in the bullpen before stopping in front of Gibbs' desk.

"Petty Officer Rivera was well liked by everyone, but she wasn't really a social butterfly, unlike DiNozzo. One of the women she was in some way close to said she did have a romantic relationship with a man named," Kate flipped through her notes trying to find the name she had scribbled down in her haste to get back, "Bradley Pike."

Jethro's head snapped up at the new information. He tried to hide the wince of pain as his stomach knotted once again, causing him to be slightly nauseous. He looked up and met Jenny's eyes, she looked at him questioningly but he simply ignored her.

"DiNozzo just left to pick him up. Take Ziva and run through everything again see what we missed."

Kate nodded and motioned for Ziva to join her at her desk.

Jenny came around Jethro's desk, leaning her hip against it and looking down at him. She folded her arms across her chest and stared at him. "What are you thinking Jethro? You think we might have caught him?"

Jethro scrubbed a hand across his face and sighed, "It can't be that easy. We're missing something."

The sun had set a few hours ago, casting the whole city in darkness. Tony was leaning against the door to observation, his head pounding with a headache. They we're all in fear that they might be called out to another scene in a few hours. He could here Gibbs shout at their suspect, but he knew it was to no avail. He'd tried earlier but Pike had said nothing, leaving only Gibbs to wrangle some information out of him, and if he couldn't do it no-one could.

There was a heavy clomping of boots as they echoed down the empty hallways. Tony cracked one eye open and waited for the black blur to come around the corner. He gave the Goth a tired smile as she came to a stop next to him, "Hey Abs."

"Tony you look horrible." The Italian gave her a half hearted sad looking face.

"It's just a headache."

"You know my great aunt had a cure for headaches. She use to stand on her head and then she'd-" Abby trailed off as Gibbs stormed out of interrogation.

"Hey Gibbs, I was just telling Tony my great aunt had a cure for headaches. She use to-"

"Abs do you have the results yet?" Jethro asked shortly, not even noting the hurt look Abby had given him when he had interrupted her.

"Yes, there's nothing Gibbs. No traces of DNA or anything, not even a hair or a fingerprint. Whoever this guy is he's good Gibbs."

"DiNozzo, take Pike home. He doesn't know anything. Abby can I use the phone in your lab?"

Abby took a hold of Gibbs' hand and dragged him all the way to her lab. She thrust the phone into his palm and left him in her back office, returning to her computer to see if there was anything she had missed.

Jethro sighed heavily, he punched the number in and waited for the dial-tone to start. He didn't have to wait long before there was someone on the other line. He heard the soft giggles of his daughter through the phone and could hear her playing with Arthur.

"Hello?"

"Joann, we got a case, might be working through the night again."

"I understand. Do you want to talk to her?"

He didn't even have chance to answer before he heard Kelly being put on the line, she breathed into the receiver as she waited for someone to talk. It broke his heart to disappoint her once again, for the second time in a row.

"Hey Kel, you being good?"

"Daddy! Yes, me always good. Daddy! Daddy! I met a astronut today, he was old and funny and he say he was a pi… pi… a pilot."

Jethro smiled into the receiver, relieved that Kelly had had a good day. He could hear Joann help her pronounce the word as she went on rambling about someone she had met. He wasn't really paying attention to what she was saying, he was just enjoying hearing her little voice.

"Daddy?"

"Yeah Kelly I'm here. Listen I know I promised you we could stay up late tonight and work on the boat, but daddy has to work and I don't know when I'll be home." He didn't have to see her to know that her face had fell when he had said he couldn't make it. He grit his teeth against the guilt.

"Okay." Her voice was small and soft and he still wanted to say goodnight but she had already ended the call. The end-tone rang in his ear. He placed the phone back in its cradle and tried to reassure himself she was still too young to understand how demanding his line of work was.

"I love you Kelly." He mumbled to himself as he leaned back in the chair.

Jenny Shepard closed her eyes against the raging headache that had made itself known two day into working this case. They were on day four and the pressure still hadn't lightened the least bit since she was thrown into this case with Jethro. There had been moments over the last twenty-four hours where she had considered shooting him.

He hadn't stopped growling at them since he had interrogated their first suspect, after which he returned in the worst mood she had seen him in since she had started in Washington. Jenny moaned softly as the pounding in her head intensified. She was steadily counting the hours until it was her turn to return home and catch up on a couple of hours of sleep.

She doubted Jethro had gone home over the last few days. She didn't know how he could function on little to no sleep, she'd had to fight him tooth and nail just so they could take turns in going home just to catch up on some sleep. Even Ziva had suffered from the lack of sleep.

Jethro thundered around the corner, his body betraying just how much he was in need of some rest. He was limping slightly more than usual and the dark circles under his eyes were just further testament as to how tired he was.

Tony looked up from behind his computer, looking more refreshed than the rest of them combined, maybe it had something to do with the fact that he'd had seven hours sleep. He met Jenny's tired gaze and knew she was just as concerned about Gibbs as the rest of them were. He in particular was concerned with the fact that Gibbs hadn't even taken sometime to go and see Kelly. Taking the plunge he made his way towards Gibbs.

He stopped in front of the older man, staring right back at him, "Gibbs, why don't you go home. Catch up on some sleep. I'm sure the rest of us can handle everything while you and Jenny are away."

Jethro slammed his cup down on his desk and crowded Tony as he stepped closer to him, "You think our killer takes a break!"

Tony grit his teeth and squared his shoulders a little, trying not to show that he was a little bit intimidated by the older man.

"I want to know who he is DiNozzo. Where he was born. What his favourite colour is." Jethro growled right in the young man's face.

Everyone had stopped to see what was going on.

Tony tried to step back, but Gibbs wouldn't let up, continuing to crowd his personal space. The young man looked around for a little help, under any other circumstances he would have dropped a movie reference or would have said something to goad his boss. He refrained from doing so in fear that Gibbs might snap and actually physically hurt him.

"What do you want us to do Gibbs? We've gone over the evidence a thousand times, there's nothing."

"Find something DiNozzo!"

Everyone turned to look at the two men.

"Uhm... uh... Boss I think I might have something." Tim spoke a little hesitantly. Tony shot him a grateful look and quickly headed back to his desk, trying to stay out of the firing line.

Jenny made her way to stand next to Jethro, waiting for McGee to tell them what he had found. She could feel the tenseness radiate from Jethro's body as he tried to reign in his anger. They looked at the nervous agent expectantly.

"Today McGee!" Jethro shouted at the young agent, attracting the rest of the squad room's attention.

Jenny grabbed Jethro's arm forcefully and turned him towards her. She was scowling at him viciously, clearly unimpressed with his sudden outburst. Her hand slid down to his wrist so she could grip him more tightly.

"That's enough Jethro. We're all irritated and tired, it's not just you." His shouting and growling was getting them nowhere and it only turned her headache into a migraine. She realised that she was probably gripping his wrist tighter than necessary she dropped his hand and turned back towards McGee.

"Go on Tim." She urged the young agent.

"I looked into the missing persons files as agent Shepard had suggested and I noticed that five cases had the same thing in common."

"And?" Jethro asked a little more calmly.

"They were all from roughly the same area where Bradley Pike's office was."

"His office is just an inexpensive room decorated in his house. Boss, McGee and I had gone through everything. There was nothing suspicious, unless too much leather is a crime." Tony said from his desk looking between the two team leaders. He didn't miss the glower coming from his boss.

Jenny was quiet for a while trying to process the information, the pain in her skull increasing as she tried to figure out their next move. She slid her hands in her hair and massaged her temples just to relieve some of the ache.

"Jethro, I think the only way we'll rule Pike out as a suspect is if we have him under surveillance."

Jethro gave her a dirty look, she had defied his rules more than once in the last few days. It angered him even more that his team didn't even think twice to jump when she snapped her fingers, expect for Tony he had been a little reluctant at first but had soon followed the rest. Nine out of the ten times she had been right and that only fuelled his anger, she'd been the one to suggest they look into the missing persons cases.

Woman's intuition, that's what he had come down to. She knew all these things because of her intuition, he wasn't prepared to think that his gut was failing him, or that four days with out sleep was actually messing with his ability to think. By the time he started paying attention she was already issuing orders.

"Ziva, you and Tony take the first shift. Make sure he's there and if he is, you watch his every move. Gibbs and I will take the second shift which will probably be around nine tonight. Kate, you and Tim go over those missing persons files, when you're done I suggest you go home and catch up on some much needed sleep."

"Where are you two going to be in the meantime?" Tony asked, the barest hint of curiosity clear in his voice.

"Sleeping." Was Jenny's only reply as she made her way to her desk.

Jethro's team looked at him for the go-ahead. He glared at each one of them darkly before waving them off, indicating they better follow their orders before he had an angered redhead to deal with. He stumbled slightly at the force with which Jenny shoved his jacket into his hands. He didn't even offer her a scowl since it hurt his eyes to even pull his face.

Jenny took Jethro by the arm and pulled him so he walked along side her. She could feel the team's eyes on them as she pushed him into the elevator. She slammed the button that would take them to the garage. She leaned against the back of the elevator and closed her eyes for the ride down.

"Don't look at me like that." She mumbled, her eyes still shut firmly.

"Just cos you can tell my team what to do doesn't mean you can do the same with me." His voice was low and dangerous, and she couldn't help the way her stomach fluttered when he sounded like that.

She didn't bother to open her eyes when she replied, "Jethro you need sleep."

"How would you know?"

Jenny cracked one eye open to look at him. He didn't appear to be as angry as he had been in the bullpen, she smiled at him tiredly before hitting his chest lightly, "Don't play games with me."

There was a louder than necessary ding in the elevator, indicating they had reached the garage. Jenny pushed off of the silver wall and slowly headed towards her car, Jethro was trudging behind her slowly, the pain clear in his eyes as he tried to hide the limp.

Jethro pulled the keys out of his pocket to the dark Dodge. He opened the car door and gave a quick glance towards Jenny. "Hey, pick you up at eight?"

Jenny gave him a teasing grin, "It's a date."

He was asleep but still very aware of his surroundings. He could hear her scampering around in her room, occasionally she mumbled to herself and he could gather she was still okay. He wasn't too worried about her, he had told her she had to stay on the top floor while he tried to catch up on some rest. He didn't know what time it was and he didn't want to look. He felt more refreshed than he had in ages, it was probably down to the fact that he had passed out for a while before regaining some consciousness.

The door to his bedroom opened with a soft creek, followed by the soft pattering of small feet. He didn't move at all, waiting to see what was going to happen. The bed dipped as she climbed onto it and came to sit right next to him. He felt her small chubby fingers move strands of hair off his forehead, a wet clumsy kiss soon followed as she kissed his forehead.

Opening his eyes, Jethro stared up into eyes as blue as his.

"You awake!" Kelly cried joyfully. She launched herself at him and hugged him tightly, kissing his cheek this time. Jethro hugged her back, returning her kiss. He tried to smooth her curls down some but they seemed to have a mind of their own.

Kelly scrambled so she was sitting right on his stomach, looking down at him, her grey bear clutched under one arm. She looked at him seriously for a moment.

"Daddy?"

"Yeah honey, what's bothering you?" He asked her softly and grabbing her feet gently so she could stop kicking him in his sides.

"Nana say you Supaman."

Joann had cornered him when he had picked Kelly up, making it clear that the least he could have done was call his daughter and explain to her that he wouldn't be seeing her for a while. He had felt bad when he had realised that he had neglect to even call his daughter. She had been in tears when he had appeared out of nowhere. It was only then that Joann had told him she had trouble sleeping if she didn't hear from him.

"Sometimes." He answered.

"But he no have white hair." Kelly said seriously.

Jethro laughed softly, he had made peace with turning grey the moment he had noticed the few white strands. He still had dark hair but the amount of white hair was slowly increasing at the back and at the sides. He met Kelly's serious gaze.

"Superman's getting old."

Kelly smiled down at him before falling back on the mattress and cuddling up to him, "Daddy can we have puppy?"

Jethro tensed for a moment, he didn't know if either of them were ready for such a commitment. He pushed himself up and leaned against the headboard. He pulled Kelly so she was sitting right in front of him. He held her hands in his and looked at her seriously.

"Kelly, a puppy is a lot of work and daddy works late sometimes. You are with Nana most of the time so the puppy will get lonely and sad when we're not here." He could see the disappointment on her little face as he tried to say no in the gentlest way possible.

"But Daddy, we take puppy with." Kelly stated firmly, as if it was the most logical solution to their predicament.

"Kelly it's not that easy."

Kelly scowled at him and huffed in defeat. She moved away from him and grabbed her bear before sliding of the bed and heading back to her room, clearly upset with her father.

Jethro shuddered at the thought of what she might be like when she was a teenager. Sighing he stood up and made his way to his daughters room. The walls were still the same soft warm yellow it had been when she had just been born. He found her next to her bed glaring at nothing in particular.

Kneeling next to her he pulled her to her feet and made her stand in front of him so she could look at him. He ruffled her curls a little before pulling her into a hug, "We'll think about it okay Kel."

"Okay." She sounded a little less disappointed this time.

Jethro finally risked taking a look at what the time was. He sighed softly, he only had and hour left before he had to pick Jenny up and drop Kelly of at her grandmother's. He pulled her back into a hug, soaking up each second of calmness she offered him.

Jenny groaned softly when her alarm went off next to her ear, she sighed a little when she hit it and stopped the incessant beeping. She rolled onto her back and stared up at the ceiling, it felt like she had only closed her eyes for five minutes. She yawned and stretched at the same time trying to loosen up some of her stiff muscles.

There was activity in the lower level of her old Georgetown mansion, no doubt it was her housekeeper cleaning whatever little mess there was. Noemi had been an ever present presence since she had been eight years old. She had gone from housekeeper to mother-figure within months of her father hiring the Hispanic woman. They had come a long way since then and had grown very close. Jenny had come to see Noemi as her mother instead of that woman who had thrown away everything to chase some big European money-maker.

Pushing the thoughts to the back of her mind she threw her covers to the side and trudged towards her en-suite bathroom. Hoping to wash a way the remaining fatigue.

Noemi dried her hand on a dish towel as she heard someone knock on the front door. She checked the elegant gold watch on her wrist and noted that he was in fact early. Making sure the coffee carafe was full, she headed towards the front door. She was extremely curious to finally meet this Gibbs she had heard about for the last few months.

Opening the front door she met a pair of stunning blue eyes. There was no doubt in her mind that this was him, if Jenny's description was anything to go on she did this man no justice in saying he was handsome, he was gorgeous. Trying to hide a smile she gestured for him to come inside, she knew all to well that the younger woman had a slight crush on the man even if she did deny it.

"She will be down soon, do you want some coffee señor Gibbs?"

Jethro looked around the foyer taking in the rather historic and luxurious look the old house offered. He didn't know much about Jenny Shepard and the last thing he thought she had was money, she just didn't seem like the snob-ish type. He thought she had simply inherited the house from someone.

"Yes." He finally answered the woman who was clearly scrutinising him. She lead him to the kitchen and left him to sit at the island. He didn't wait long before a large cup was placed in front of him. He mumbled a soft thank you before taking a long drink. He licked his lips trying to savour as much of the dark brew as possible.

"Good coffee." Noemi smiled at him from across the kitchen and thanked him silently.

"She makes the best." Jenny spoke from the doorway, startling her house keeper.

"Señora Jenny, do not do that." She gave the young woman a scolding looking. She raised her eyebrows and indicated with her head towards the man sitting at the island. She saw the rosy colour her cheeks turned when Jenny looked at Gibbs. She shook her head and turned back to the dishes she was washing, she might be old but she wasn't blind, they liked each other the only one's who couldn't see it were themselves.

"How did you know where I live?" She hadn't told him we're she lived, and she didn't even pay attention when he had told her that he'd pick her up, she was that tired.

Jethro smiled at her, his blue eyes shining with something she just couldn't seem to place, "McGee." was his only response to her question.

Jenny rolled her eyes at him, she was going to have a serious talk with Tim, he shouldn't let everyone intimidate him so much.

"If you're done we can leave." Jenny threw over her shoulder as she headed back to the foyer.

Jethro finished the last of his coffee and handed his mug to Noemi, "Thank you." She smiled at him again and shooed him away.

It was dark and despite it being almost the middle of summer it was just a little cold. She suppressed a shiver before she was being teased about that too. In the last two hours he had become more irritating than he usually was, and his habits were driving her insane.

"Could you not do that?" She snapped at him again.

"Zee-vah you're no fun." Tony whined from the driver's seat. He continued to poke around his Chinese food with his chopsticks, determined to find the pieces of chicken he liked so much.

Ziva looked on in disgust and Tony stuffed his face with noodles once again. The noises he made while eating could make anyone want to strangle him, and add the fact that he was useless with chopsticks, making the slurping sounds that more disgusting.

"Can you please use a fork?" Ziva growled at him, coming perilously close to hitting him with her binoculars.

"You know what they say Zee-vah." He replied before slurping another mouthful of noodles.

"No I do not, what do they say Tony?"

"When in Rome, do as the Romans do." He spoke with a mouth full of noodles.

Ziva looked at him confused, he was not making any sense, "Tony we are in Washington, not Rome. Besides the Roman's eat pasta with forks not chopsticks."

Tony looked at the Israeli as if she had grown another head.

"What?"

"Exactly even you do not understand!"

Tony was about to say something else when there was a knock on his window. He almost jammed his chopsticks down his throat when he heard it. He rolled down his window and looked at his boss a little sheepishly. "Hey Boss."

"If you're done DiNozzo we'll take over." Jethro said amused, taking in his agent's confused expression.

"Gibbs, please tell Tony that Romans do not eat with chopsticks."

Jethro looked at his senior agent equally confused, "What's she on about?"

Tony simply shrugged at his boss, "Don't know Boss, she's crazy."

Ziva hit Tony forcefully on the shoulder, causing him to yelp in surprise. He glared at her and poked his tongue out at her. He quickly scrambled and pressed himself against his door to avoid being punched by the Mossad Officer again. He grumbled and started the car, mumbling to himself as they drove off.

Jethro shook his head and smirked at the two agent who had just left. They offered great entertainment when they had a slow day, he had never thought Tony DiNozzo would have met his match and yet he did. Jethro looked around the darkened neighbourhood. It was the perfect place for some psycho to lurk in the dark.

He turned his gaze towards the dark sedan across the street. He was reluctant to get back in the car, he had determined – one night in the sanctuary that was his basement – that he really like Jenny Shepard and that it wouldn't hurt to know her a little bit more personally. But alas fate had thought it a bit boring and had thrown a serial killer at him to spice things up a bit. He was too caught up in catching this guy to actually make his move, he'd only drive her away instead of reeling her in.

Now as he stood on the darkened side walk he asked himself some serious questions. Did he really want to get involved with a woman who wrecked havoc with his emotions and like to boss him around? Who was he kidding, that's what he liked so much, not that he was going to let her in on that bit of information.

Jethro watched as she pulled her long red hair into a tight ponytail, revealing her neck and pale white skin even more. He wanted to touch her, feel her pulse flutter under his lips as he kissed her neck softly. This stakeout was going to be hell. No matter how much self-control he had or how grumpy and closed off he might appear, he was still just a man.

Trudging across the road he slipped into the driver's seat and closed the door as softly as possible.

Jenny bit her lip when the fresh gust of wind blew into the car and blew the strong scent of him right into her face. She should have thought this thing through before she had suggested they partnered up.

"Ziva's 'bout ready to kill DiNozzo." Jethro tried to get comfortable behind the steering wheel as he spoke. He reached beneath the seat and pushed it backwards, finally able to stretch his legs out in front of him.

"Aren't we all." She said jokingly.

"He's good Jenny, and you don't waste good. Rule five."

Jenny smiled to herself as she looked out the car window. Tony had a very annoying way to get under someone's skin and irritate them. Yet he was very loyal, something that was scarce in their line of work and in general and he cared for those close to him very deeply, and he hid it behind his goofy lover-boy persona.

Jenny breathed in deeply and noticed a very strange smell. She sniffed the air again before turning towards Jethro, who was currently relaxing in his seat staring out the windscreen with the binoculars pressed against his face.

"What is that smell?" It wasn't a particularly bad smell, but it was odd.

Jethro tossed the binoculars onto the dashboard and twisted in his seat, half leaning against the door to look at his partner for the night. He smirked at her almost disgusted facial expression, he stared at her a little while longer, noting that she seemed to become a little self-conscious as he stared at her. Leaning forward he pulled something from behind her seat.

Jenny stared down at him as his face almost pressed into her ribs. She shifted away from him a little uncomfortably, not risking to look into those blue orbs that could absorb her so easily. She was all too aware of him tonight to risk slipping up and kissing him accidentally, she wouldn't want to ruin the nice friendship they had started. She turned towards her window and looked out of it into the darkness, pretending to be looking at something.

Jethro sat back and rummaged through a brown paper bag. He pulled two white paper pails out of it and two pairs of chopsticks. He threw the empty bag to the back of the car and offered one paper pail to his companion, "Chow Mein?"

"And if I already had dinner?" She raised a perfect eyebrow at him, "Those extra calories I'd get from over eating I really don't need."

Jethro simply just looked at her, his face unreadable. He shrugged and placed the container on the dashboard, planning on eating that as well when he finished his own. He stuffed his mouth full of noodles and chewed it silently, ignoring the glare he was getting from his partner.

Jenny's stomach growled and she could feel the heat rising in her neck all the way to her cheeks, her skin taking on a soft pink hue. She closed her eyes against the embarrassment. She could hear Jethro stop mid-chew to look over at her. She grit her teeth and cursed her body for betraying her.

Jethro pushed the paper pail towards her followed by a pair of chop sticks. He gave her an arrogant smirk and returned back to his own food, "I like a woman who knows how to eat."

Jenny smiled to herself as she placed the container in her lap. His offhand statement was probably meant to make her feel a little more at ease around him, he had a strange way of making her feel comfortable and she liked it.

"You don't happen to have some soy-sauce in that paper bag of yours?" She had meant it as a joke, just to make some form of communication.

Jethro leaned across her again and opened the clove compartment. He pulled out a few packets of soy-sauce and dumped them in her lap.

"You're stranger than I thought. I always thought Tony was joking when he said you live in your basement, but I'm starting to believe him." Jenny teased him between bites of her Chow Mein.

Jethro just snorted and continued eating. If only she knew half of what his home life was like she'd be running for the hills in no time. She still didn't know that he had a daughter and that's how he wanted to keep it for as long as possible. He didn't need her sympathy each time she looked at him, and besides she didn't strike him as the type of woman who'd take kindly to having someone keep secrets from her.

After they had finished their take-out they had fallen quiet for a while. Each lost in their own thoughts.

The front door to the house they were staking out swung open, revealing to figures in the dim light spilling out onto the street. Jethro sat forward watching them through the binoculars.

"Who's with him?" Jenny asked next to his ear. She was almost sat on his lap, trying to see what he was seeing. He looked at her from the corner of his eye and tried to hide the fact that he liked her this close to him.

"A woman."

Both agents watched a little astounded as Pike kissed the woman and ushered her to her car. He closed the unknown woman's door before waving goodbye and heading back into the house. Jethro threw the binoculars back on the dashboard and sat back in his seat.

"Let's bust him." Jenny growled next to him as she sat back in her own seat.

"For what?"

"I don't know, cheating or something." Jethro laughed at her before relaxing a little more in her company.

They were quiet for a while, each enjoying the easy silence they shared between each other. Jenny moved in her seat trying to get more comfortable. The silence was slowly getting to her because her thoughts kept leaning towards the man sitting next to her.

She turned her green eyes on him, taking him in as he leaned against the window looking at the house. She had finally given up on telling herself he was bad news, she liked him end of story. He had a strange way of making her feel comfortable and not self-conscious about what she said or did. It didn't hurt that he looked so damn sexy when he was pissed off either.

He licked his lips and she couldn't help but watch as he did before sighing. She wondered if he'd slap her on the back of the head if she lunged at him and kissed him. Jenny caught herself for a moment, she was sure she was over tired, because no-one in their right mind would have the strange thoughts she was currently having.

Deciding it was the silence getting to her she broke the easy going atmosphere surrounding them.

"Tea, I'd give anything for a steaming cup of tea, especially if Ducky made it."

Jethro pulled his face in disgust, "That's disgusting Jen."

Jenny opened and closed her mouth quickly, the nickname threw her for a loop, her brow knitted together in confusion. No-one had ever called her Jen before. "Jen?"

Jethro looked at her again, a small smile playing at his lips, "Yeah, everyone calls you Jenny."

It warmed her more than it should have that he wanted to call her something no-one else did.

"You have any nicknames Jethro?" He was quiet for a while trying to think of any other than Gibbs.

Jethro shook his head, "Nah, everyone calls me Gibbs. Had a girlfriend once who called me Jay."

"You sure it was a nickname, she wasn't thinking of someone else while she was with you?"

Jethro glared at her playfully. He didn't want to tell her that he was the one thinking of someone else when he had been with Rebecca. She hadn't been his finest of choices, she was a bit more than just slightly alcoholic and Kelly had refused to be nice to her since the moment they had met.

"No one ever call you Leroy?" Jenny asked out of curiosity, she had laughed when she had heard his first name, he hadn't struck her as a Leroy.

She could see she had stuck a nerve with her question. She leaned closer to him and placed a hand on his arm. She rubbed his arm softly, "I didn't mean to bring up bad memories." She didn't know why she said it, but something told her he wasn't really comfortable with being called by his first name. She had seen a brief flash of something that could have been pain in his blue eyes.

"Did I tell you Ziva was almost arrested the other day?" Jenny quickly changed the subject to something a little more humorous.

Conversation between them had seemed to flow easily after Jenny had changed the subject. Jethro had been thankful when she didn't prod about his change in demeanor. He had learned more about her in three hours than he had since she started working in D.C. They had become closer as well, sharing some of their close calls over the years. He'd even told her about some of his days in the Core and she had seemed genuinely interested in what he'd had to say.

"DiNozzo really kissed a man?" Jenny asked a little breathlessly as she tried to stop laughing to get her question out. She rested her forehead against Jethro's shoulder, trying to keep the tears at bay as she laughed with him.

She looked up after she had calmed down some, she was almost sat on the armrest of the centre console. Jethro was mere inches away, still trying to reign in his laughter. They both sobered up a little as they looked at each other. Jenny smiled at Jethro before sliding back to her seat.

Her blood was pounding in her ears and her heart was beating way faster than it should. She cleared her throat a little, trying not to look at the blue eyed agent next to her, but she hoped he had the same trouble calming down as she did. Jenny looked down at her hands, trying to occupy herself enough to prevent her from moving back to where she had been pressing herself against him again.

Things had suddenly turned very awkward between them as they sat in dead silence, each thinking about what almost happened. Jenny was still staring at her hands when she saw the thin white scar on her index finger.

"See this," She held her finger up for Jethro to inspect.

Jethro looked over at her and took her hand gently in his roughened one, he ran his thumb over her finger softly, feeling the thin white scar, "What happened?"

"I was ten when it happened, my friend accidentally slammed the car door shut and my finger got caught in it. Noemi almost had a heart attack when she saw it." She said laughing softly

Jethro shook his head and looked at his own hands.

"See that cut under my thumb," Jenny held his much larger hand in both of hers and tried to look at the scar in the poor light shining in through the windscreen coming from the lamp post. Jethro couldn't help but notice how warm her hands were on his. The same tingle he felt that first day travelled up his arm.

"Fell on a broken bottle when I was thirteen." He chuckled softly at the memory, "The beating I got hurt more than the cut itself."

Jenny shook her head at him and traced the scar softly, feeling the marred and roughened skin.

Jethro clenched his jaw tightly, he rarely shared stories with people. It dredged up too many memories of a time that had been a lot simpler and care free, a time where he hadn't been afraid of losing everything he held dear. But Jenny seemed to draw everything out of him, he wanted to tell her whatever she wanted to hear, he felt at ease around her and it was something he wasn't really used to.

He wanted to blame it on her eyes. Those dark emerald orbs enchanted him, making him feel things he hadn't felt in a long time. It felt as if she could see right through him, but it was the understanding and gentleness in her eyes that made his heart beat just a little bit faster.

Jenny let go of his hand and pulled the sleeve of her jacket up to her elbow. She held her arm up in the air, pointing at a light scar, running almost from her wrist all the way to her elbow. "Almost had twenty stitches because some idiot thought it would be funny to cut me. Almost blew our cover that night, Ziva made sure we got out alive at least."

Jethro felt a sudden anger rise in his chest, he didn't like the idea of someone hurting her or Ziva, but especially her. He suspected she had other scars, deeper ones, ones she didn't like talking about. Much like he had scars he didn't like talking about or showing others.

He noticed she seemed a bit uncomfortable and a little closed off all of the sudden, like she was reliving something that haunted her. He tried to catch her eye but she avoided his gaze at all cost, he grit his teeth and tried to let it go.

He took off his jacket all of the sudden, "I bet I can do you one better," he smiled at her faintly as he started pulling his polo shirt from his trousers.

Jenny stared at him a little surprised that he felt like stripping all of the sudden.

"Kate had missed on guy in a building we raided and the idiot rammed his knife right into me." He pulled his polo up to reveal a nasty scar right next to his navel.

"Ouch." It was all Jenny could say. She moved towards him and leaned closer to him. In a moment of pure impulse she slid her hand across his stomach, feeling the scar underneath her palm. She swallowed a little heavily at the warm smooth feel of his skin, and tried to hide her surprise at the hardness of his muscles.

Jethro tried to stop his body from reacting to her touch, but he couldn't hide the goosebumps that spread over his skin as her hand pressed against him even more.

Jenny looked up at him meeting his eyes, they were dark and smouldering and she felt herself move closer to him. She wanted to see the rest of the scars he had to offer. She licked her lips unconsciously as he leaned closer to her.

They were closer than before, their noses pressing against each other. Jenny's hand was still stroking the scar on Jethro's stomach, her other pushing her up so she could be closer to him. Jethro nudged his nose against hers softly, his free hand moving to the back of her neck pulling her a little closer.

His breath was hot against her lips, she wanted to crash her lips against his and kiss him until they were both breathless. Jenny closed her eyes and waited for the inevitable, she had waited three months for him to make his move, but he had acted as if the attraction was one sided.

She felt him tilt his head to come even closer, she sensed that his lips were almost on hers and her stomach fluttered in anticipation.

Jethro was about to kiss her, all he had to do was purse his lips a tiny bit and he'd be kissing her, but he was stalling, his nerves eating away at him.

A car drove by its horn blaring away in the quiet neighbourhood.

Jenny tensed and Jethro misread it as something else. He pulled away quickly and let go of her, dropping his polo- and under shirt.

Jenny bit her lip to stop herself from groaning in disappointment and extracted her hand from underneath his shirt and moved back to her seat, pressing herself against her door. She had been frightened by the car driving by and Jethro had taken it as something else. She wanted to slap him and shout at him to kiss her already. They'd been dancing around each other long enough and having to wait for him was really testing her self-control.

She leaned her head against the cool glass, it was suddenly unbearably hot inside the car which only heightened her sense even more. She closed her eyes and tried to calm herself down.

Jethro felt very uncomfortable, he was mentally hitting his head against the window, wondering how he could have possibly misread the situation so much. He swallowed his pride and cleared his throat a little, the last thing he needed was a sexual harassment claim against him.

"Jenny… I..." Jethro grit his teeth, why was he stuttering like McGee?

"Jen I didn't mean-" He was cut off.

"It's fine Jethro. Don't worry about it, nothing happened." Jenny said a little dejectedly, but he didn't notice.

Jethro gripped the steering wheel, he wanted to pulled her onto his lap and kiss her, kiss her until one of them couldn't breath. He didn't even bother to pull his jacket back on, his skin was still too hot from where she had pressed against him.

The silence between them wasn't uncomfortable, it was awkward. They had built a rather strong friendship over the last few months, however this incident might have made that friendship a little shaky. A good thirty minutes had passed since Jenny had leaned her head back against the window again and hadn't said anything since.

Jethro heard her sigh and waited for the long explanation she'd be giving him on why something between them was such a bad idea, but nothing of the sort came next. His brow knitted together in confusing, he leaned forward and tried to see her face.

Jenny's face was pressed against the window, her mouth slightly open and her eyes shut firmly. She was fast asleep and looked very uncomfortable. Jethro touched her shoulder gently, trying to wake her so she could move other wise she'd have a stiff neck. She swatted his hand away and pressed herself even more into the door.

Jethro shook her again but she didn't wake up. He supposed the lack of sleep had really taken it out of her.

Gripping her arm firmly he pulled her so she moved towards him more. He wrapped his arm around her waist and lifted her effortlessly onto the centre console. Jenny looked at him confused all of the sudden, he hadn't noticed she was awake.

"It's okay Jen, go back to sleep." She glared at him before resting her head on his shoulder. He'd never met anyone who could sleep so deeply within a few minutes.

Jenny pressed closer to him, snuggling closer to him and pressing her nose against his neck.

Jethro threw his jacket over her and held her just a little more tightly against him. He suspected that this was the closest he'd ever get to having her this close and he was going to take advantage of it while it lasted. He felt her hand fall to his on her waist and he wrapped his pinky around hers. He finally settled and kept a vigil, not only on the house but on his partner as well.

Wood, that's what she decided, that was the smell that had pulled her from the deep slumber. She didn't know where it came from but that was what she woke up to. She tried to stretch but something pressed into her hip holding her in place and squeezing her fingers a little.

She slowly opened her eyes, the grip on her hip loosened a little and she moved to hold whatever it was in place. She felt roughened fingers stroke her knuckles and suddenly her head snapped up to look at the person holding her.

His eyes were the bluest of blue, so soft and warm she wanted to look at him and lose herself in the depth of his eyes. Pulling away slightly, his jacket slipped off her shoulders and the early morning chill caused her to shiver slightly. Jethro reached over and pulled it back over her shoulders.

"Morinin'" Jethro grumbled at her, a warm smile curling the corners of his lips.

Jenny felt a blush colour her cheeks as everything came back to her. She hadn't meant to fall a sleep, but she had closed her eyes and fatigue had finally claimed her. She slid back in her seat and pressed her back against the door, looking at him with dazed green eyes.

"Hey," She said softly and returned his smile.

He stared at her and she at him, both relishing the quiet and comfortable moment between them. It wasn't awkward or uneasy, they took it in stride neither wanting to apologise for their actions of holding on to each other. After all, neither of them really regretted it.

Jenny opened her mouth to say something but was cut off by the beeping of Jethro's beeper. She closed her mouth and pulled her phone from her jean pocket. She stuffed it in Jethro's palm. She bit her cheek to hide the laugh at his distasteful look of the piece of technology.

"You really need to get better acquainted with technology Jethro."

Jethro rolled his eyes at her and punched the number into the small piece of plastic. He could feel her eyes on him as he waited for someone to answer the phone.

"Gibbs." He growled at whoever was on the other side.

Jenny tried to draw her own conclusion from the one sided conversation, but it was no use, Jethro hardly said two word since making the call. She sensed his sudden change in mood, and the unpleasant man he'd been the last few days all of the sudden returned.

Jethro tossed her phone at her and started the car.

"Metro just found another body."

I know a little OOC for Gibbs but remember, he's not as haunted as he is in the show.