Mike's POV

The sounds that now filled my home were beautiful, who knew company was such a great thing. The sound of laughter once again filled my house and who thought I would have two beautiful girls living with me once again. When I had first taken Jenny from that diner I made it my mission to protect her and get her healthy enough to go back to probie.. I knew he would appreciate it, when he had come on his 'Margarita Safari' or at least that was what Jen had called it. We talked a lot about how he still had feelings for her. The day of the shooting when I felt a very faint pulse it was the best thing ever, I knew I could bring her back for him and I did. It wasn't until she was in a coma for two weeks that I got the news she was pregnant. When she did wake up I told her that she simply had to do one thing and that was care for Jethro and hers child.

The first year had been hard on all of us. Jenny was still unable to do anything by herself so instead of Jenny getting up with Kate in the middle of the night it was me. Jenny was up but she couldn't do anything because of how badly she was injured. Within the second year she had been able to do more but I still helped her often. She had left when Kate was four which was horrible but I knew it was coming. Within the four years she had stayed with me we had grown close, I looked towards her like a daughter and she looked up to me as a father which nearly melted my heart.

Just than the loud screech came from just outside the house getting up from where I was sitting I went out and stood on the front porch,

"What is all this yelling about?" After I asked that I watched as a certain red head came running from around the side of the house with a crab in her hand as she chased the brown haired eight year old that was trying to run away from her mother. A smile came to my face as I watched them, neither had realized I was there and I didn't mind that. After watching them for a few minutes I felt something attack my leg as I looked down to find the culprit.

"Grandpa help me!" the eight year old shouted as she tried to hide from her mother leaning down I whispered to her.

"You wanna know what you gotta do?" Kate nodded as she looked towards her mother then back towards me.

"Yes, mommy is scarring me.."

"Go up behind her and tickle her.." I whisper she smiled and took off, Jenny looked towards her than towards me raising an eyebrow. I just smiled as I watched Kate come up behind her mother jumping at her mother causing Jenny to fall forward as she turned around she was greeted by Kate who started tickling I couldn't help but smile at the two. Just than the phone rang as I made my way inside to pick it up, that's when I realized it was Jenny's phone. I picked it up and walked outside to where the two were.

"Jen your phone's ringing... What would you like me to do?" She glanced towards me and smiled.

"Go ahead and answer it just let them know I'm kinda busy." With a nod I turned and made my way back inside as I answered the phone leaving the two girls to goof off in the sand.

"Hello?" I asked as I answered the phone.

"You aren't Jen... Who is this and what have you done with her?" I just laughed realizing who was on the other end.

"Oh Probie i'm so hurt, you don't even recognize your own boss."

"Mike? What in the world are you doing with Jen's phone?"

"You really are clueless aren't you.. Geez Jethro she's here with me, safe so you don't need to worry about them."

"Where is here Mike? Knowing you, you could be anywhere with them."

"Very true Probie but she came to me and so I bet you can guess where she is now." Just than a scream rang through the house as Kate came bolting past me. I laughed as I heard Jen come through the front door.

"Mike what's going on?"

"You'll know when I now.." I said as I covered the end piece. "Jenny what's going on?"

"Told Kate it was time to come in and eat dinner otherwise I was gonna let the crab attack her. Who's on the phone?"

"I see.. If it works it works. Also it's Jethro.." Her eyes widen as she reached out for the phone which I handed her without a second thought. As soon as she had it she quickly hung up and continued into the other room without saying a word.

"Hey! What was that for? I wasn't done talking." When no answer came I made my way after her to find her helping Kate wash her hands before starting to work on dinner.

"I can't deal with this right now Mike, out of everyone I thought you would understand..." The way she said it made it sting, I just nodded as I let her continue to cook with Kate. When dinner was ready we all sat outside on the porch. Kate sat beside Jenny playing with her food more than eating it, glancing towards Jenny she barely touched her food instead she was starring off into the distance. I sighed as I watched them both silently.

"Mommy i'm done.." Kate said tugging at Jenny's sleeve. Jenny nodded in returned and set her plate down as she helped Kate clean up. After twenty minutes Jenny came back out just as the sun was starting to slowly go down. She picked up her plate and ate silently.

"You put Kate to bed?"

"Yeah... She was tired.."

"Jen what's wrong?" She looked over towards me looking confused.

"What do you mean Mike?"

"You're acting distant.. You haven't said much today.. You also hung up on Jethro. I have reasons to be worried."

"It's complicated Mike.. Too much at once, I let it get out of hand and once again I run.. He's gonna be mad at me because I ran just like Paris. This time was different though, in Paris I did what was best for me now i'm doing what's best for Kate.."

"Tell me what happened Jenny, I'm here for you, always have been and always will be." She nodded as she looked towards her hands taking a deep breath.

"The day they found me I was heading out to work, I didn't have time to talk so I walked past them and left.. They followed. It took some time but I agreed to go home and they could come with. We left together as a group and the media got word of it, but we didn't know.. That evening everyone was out cold except for Jethro of course... I felt him reach for my hand and find a pulse multiple times. I rolled over and we started talking and from there things got more complicated and well it just happened. We had been gone from each other we just needed the comfort that we were both really there... The next morning was great we spent it together till we heard noises from outside the door and I got up to deal with Kate.. The paper was just sitting there and I saw the article and I freaked out, they were trying to get me to understand but I wouldn't listen.. I left with Kate and now we are here..."

"Jenny you need to talk to them. That's the only way things are going to get better." She nodded and got up.

"Good night Mike, i'll see you in the morning." I stood and watched as she made her way inside she cleaned her plate and reached up into the cabinet where she had stashed some bourbon when she was living here before, she than turned and walked towards her room shutting her door. That was how the last few nights had been she would bury herself in the bottom of a bottle of bourbon, wake up with a horrible hangover but than somehow manage to push it aside and play with her daughter. I had left one bottle up in the cabinet the rest I store away the other day, for not just her safety but for all of ours.

I had gone and cleaned my plate as I walked out onto the porch with two beers. I set one down by the empty chair on the porch where Jenny had been sitting before and I took the other one as I sat down. As if on cue Jethro came out from where he was hiding and sat down taking the bottle of beer and looking towards me.

"She's not alright Jethro..." I said making him look towards me.

"What do you mean?"

"She's been here for four days.. Each night she went to bed with a bottle of bourbon, throwing the bottle out in the morning when she has a hug hangover. She than drinks a cup of coffee after cup of coffee and has time to play with Kate, you was the conversation we just had that's the most she said since she got here. We use to be so close now we are distant again."

"She isn't sure what's real and what's not Mike, because of you she doesn't know anymore.. "

"No.. You're wrong Probie, you do not get to blame this on me.. I saved her, I saved her for you. You need to go talk to her, you need to straighten things out. You can't keep using your team to do it. You lost her twice, yes the first time she wasn't 'dead' but she had left. She was afraid, afraid that you weren't over your first wife, afraid you didn't love her. She didn't wanna get hurt so she left, she knew it was best for both of you. The second time, in that diner sitting there she told me one thing. She said that no matter what happens to her she did that to protect you, she would do it over again if she had to. She cared about you Probie but you pushed her away. The few times I was back I saw how you two were. You fought with her, you probie not her. You barged into her office, you yelled at her she tried to keep it under control until she couldn't anymore. She was devastated when you left for Mexico, she did what she had to for the agency because her lead agent, her best agent, the agent she had big hopes for up and left leaving her a huge problem to figure out. Leaving your 'family' to piece back together. That was when she became the mother of your 'family'. She was there for Abby when she needed a shoulder to cry on, she was there for Tony, McGee and Ziva when they needed help on a case. She was even there for Ducky, someone she looked up to, she was there when he needed the support. They were all there for her as well, but one thing. Where were you? Where were you Jethro? When she needed you the most you weren't there and it crushed her. Those few yard she spent recovering here she opened up to me. You just think about that before you blame her. You were there for her once and look it got you a daughter... She's raised her for eight years without you, Ziva helped her she didn't have to but she did... You need to think before you go blaming Jenny.. Just think.."

With that I got up leaving him sitting on the porch as I made my way towards my bedroom, I stopped when I heard the door open I looked towards him and pointed down the hall towards Jenny's room. He nodded his thanks and turned to head towards her room.

"Think before you speak Probie.. Just think"